Marginalia Plus

[coalescent]

Back from a short break in Slovenia. Some pictures are on the phlog. Good, busy trip--I can recommend Slovenia--but I'm glad I've got the remainder of this week off as well, because I need to rest now.

Lots and lots of post waiting for me when I got back, including a copy of a photo from fba, and the new issues of Vector and Matrix. On the book front, there was a copy of The Algebraist from Amazon, which means it may be time for a new icon. I think this month is going to be the month of Space Opera, since in addition to the Banks I'm planning to read Iron Sunrise, Exultant and (at least according to Amazon's estimates) Century Rain. And at some point I've got to finish off The Name of the Rose, and then it'll be time for David Mitchell's first novel, Ghostwritten. All of which means that I might not be reading many short stories this month, although I hope to get through a good bit of Polyphony 4. Hmm.

I spent today being taught DIY by my uncle (the dangling light-fitting in the main room is no longer dangling, and in the kitchen I once again have tiles behind the cooker) and catching up with Livejournal. Over a thousand entries in one day: I think I might have overdosed.

Links to articles I will read later: thedeadlyhook's analysis of Spike-as-hero in Angel S5; sulkyblue's piece on whether a golden age of TV SF has just ended; this interview with China Mieville (an early scan indicates that he's got a short fiction collection due next year); and John Clute's review of The System of the World ("To get at the monumental blockhead obdurate wrongness of the book, we need to begin at smart," apparently. See also this interview with the Clutester. Pick your favourite Clute quote, even!).

A thing I will draw to your attention now: cheap entry to the Cheltenham SF writing workshop (led by Ian McDonald) if you're a livejournal user. I'd be sorely tempted, but I think I'm already going to something that clashes.

Techy things I will investigate At Some Point: the internet telephony of Skype, and the LJ email photo gateway.

Political news stories I want more information about: the Hartlepool by-election, and the first presidential debate in the US. Anyone got good links?

A non-political news story that excites the latent geographer in me: a possible eruption of Mount St Helens.

A non-political news story I will marvel at: the winning of the X-prize. Just wow. And check out the Google logo.

This evening, I will listen to new H2G2, and watch the first part of Himalaya. I also have the strongest urge to dig out my Angel S3 DVDs and watch 'Quickening' and 'Lullaby'. Tomorrow, immortalradical comes down to visit for a couple of days, which should be fun.

Comments

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I will listen to new H2G2

*checks time*

Woah - thanks for the reminder

[communicator.livejournal.com]

Enjoyed hitchiker

I'm going to a birthday party that day, or I really would go to that workshop...

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'm in two minds about me and writing fiction. On the one hand, I'd love to; it's not even an 'I want to be a famous writer thing', it's just that I want to prove I can write at least one publishable story. Not sure why. On the other hand, I never seem to make time for it; posting to LJ or reading books or writing reviews always seems to come first. I have two or three stories bubbling around in my head, but haven't found an excuse to commit them to paper. I have a feeling that this means I'm not a natural writer.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

Post-presidential debate analysis, and some more, and more (all good, but if you only want one, read the last one, and if you only read two, skip the middle one).

Also, Blair was in hospital for scheduled heart surgery, which reopened the whole leadership debate thingy.

Hartlepool was won by Labour, and the Tories were really pissed off about finishing fourth, below UKIP (the Lib Dems were a couple of thousand votes behind Labour. Could have been worse).

Am news hor!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I knew I could count on you. :)

Will read them later.

US Politics

[applez.livejournal.com]

I suggest you click on the verbatim webcast coverage of the 1st debate (and possibly the VP debate set later tonight, possibly put up the following day) through NYTimes...

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/campaignspecial/index.html

Call me old school, but rather than reading the convenient 'he said, she said' ... I say watch the original video and draw your own conclusions.

Re: US Politics

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks. That'll be handy.

Re: US Politics

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

Ooh, coolness! Ta.

[hawkida.livejournal.com]

Dunno about anyone else but the LJ email photo gateway does sod all for me. That is, I send off my email following all the instructions and it lands in a black hole somewhere. I tried setting up the default gallery for emailed pics and it didn't help. Haven't gotten around to figuring out whether to open a support thing or whether something else is more appropriate during beta. I need more life.

[colours.livejournal.com]

That icon scares me.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

But the space baby is our friend! And friend to the animals--see how he gives flowers to the rabbit?

[colours.livejournal.com]

Okay.

The idea of you = space baby = scary.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

... I hadn't really thought of it like that.

Bah, humbug.

*goes off to look at other icons*

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I hope you're more comfortable thinking of me as an abstract swirl. :-p

[snowking.livejournal.com]

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've used that before. Do you have it saved as a favourite, or something? :-p

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Have I? It's the top hit on images.google so I wouldn't be surprised.

Plus, it's so damn appropriate.