mello hates you

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/05/not-really-about-anything.html

Let's see -- spoke at Maddy's school yesterday, to about a hundred 13 and 14 year olds. Survived. The pear tree and the cherry trees are coming into blossom too. Tomorrow, without the glorious leadership of Bee Boss Sharon Stiteler, I get to inspect the Kitty hive and go and see how the queen is doing...

I'm currently spending most of the time in the gazebo at the bottom of the garden, alternately writing a sort of outline for something and proofreading The Graveyard Book. This is the US edition of The Graveyard Book, and now I'm taking all the corrections and fixes I did to the UK manuscript when I was in Australia and transferring 90% of them over to the US version (only 90% because I'm letting a few Americanisms that my UK editor had problems with stand -- particularly the ones my otherwise wonderful UK copy editor and I butted heads over. )(There's me at two in the morning on Skype muttering, "Look freak out can't just be a newfangled Americanism -- it's in Fanny Hill, for heaven's sake...") [For the curious, http://fiction.eserver.org/novels/fanny_hill/09.html five lines from the bottom.]

....

If you're on the upper East Coast and sad that you won't get to see me at MIT as all the tickets have sold out, you could -- and should -- down your sorrows in Cory Doctorow. As you will learn over at http://www.cbldf.org/pr/archives/000357.shtml you can learn all about it....

What: Cory Doctorow Benefit Reading For CBLDF

When: Sunday, May 25 at 5 PM; VIP After Party at 7 PM

Where: Comix, 353 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

How Much:
General Admission: $20/advance $25/day of show;
VIP Admission: $100/advance only, includes preferred seating, copy of the book, & After Party with open beer/wine/soda bar

Tickets:
General Admission tickets available at
http://comixny.com/event.aspx?eid=416&sid=1302;

VIP Admission available at
http://store.fastcommerce.com/prod_cbldf-ff80818119f1676e0119f2fbcdc91642.html


You should go.

...

I know that David Tennant's Hamlet isn't till next year. And lots of people are going to be doing Dr Who in Hamlet jokes, so this is just me getting it out of the way early, to avoid the rush...

"To be, or not to be, that is the question. Weeelll.... More of A question
really. Not THE question. Because, well, I mean, there are billions and
billions of questions out there, and well, when I say billions, I mean, when you
add in the answers, not just the questions, weeelll, you're looking at numbers that are positively astronomical and... for that matter the other question is what you lot are doing on this planet in the first place, and er, here, did anyone try just pushing this little red button?"

There. Thanks. Sorry about that.

...

This came in from Laurel Krahn -- I've already mentioned Fourth Street Fantasy on this blog, one of my very very first American conventions, the one at which I first discovered the joy of talking to Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden (amongst others) and failing to argue with Steve Brust:

Any chance you could mention the return of Fourth Street Fantasy Convention in your journal/blog thing? We've extended the pre-registration date from May 15th to May 31st to give us all more time to plug the convention, it also gives those who haven’t registered yet a bit more time to gather the funds together to do so.

June 20 - 22, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota with Guest of Honor Elizabeth Bear.

More details at http://www.4thstreetfantasy.com/

My friend Lillian Edwards pointed me at the TechnoLlama blog, where over This, this and finally this post the entire matter of Dr Who knitting patterns is discussed to within an inch of its life.

I crochet, and I'm a Doctor Who fan, so I've been following the thing with the knitted pattern a little. I've always had a set of Lil' Endless on my mental list of things to eventually crochet, but now that you've mentioned that DC is a bit strict about things I think I might just keep them to myself instead of writing up a (free, not to be sold) pattern. What would your feelings be about crochet/knitting patterns of your characters? It's not just The Endless I have in mind, I've done a seven legged spider before, and there are several other characters or concepts that I think would make neat projects.

As long as things aren't being sold in quantity, DC Comics is incredibly unlikely to grumble about it.

I don't mind at all, as long as it's not commercial. I don't mind anything that's creative, and I especially don't mind if people ask nicely first.

(I mind, very much, things like people selling on ebay CDs with PDFs of the complete Sandman books on them.)

(Nobody is going to complain if a fan turns a Barbie into a Death -- although I heard that DC said no to one of those appearing in a book of photos of interesting Barbie dolls. Nobody is going to grumble if a fan puts up a "how to make Barbie into Death" guide online. If someone put up a how to guide, and then one day hundreds of Death Barbies turned up on eBay, I can see Warners lawyers trying to close it down...)

...

Had a conversation with Paul Levitz the other day about Gaiman's Law of Superhero Movies, which is: the closer the film is to the look and feel of what people like about the comic, the more successful it is (which is something that Warners tends singularly to miss, and Marvel tends singularly to get right) and the conversation went over to Watchmen, which had Paul explaining to me that the film is obsessive about how close it is to the comic, and me going "But they've changed the costumes. What about Nite Owl?" It'll be interesting to see whether it works or not...

Although I've been doing comics journalism for over five years now, I still feel a little bit uninformed about the earlier years of some comic lineages. uperhero comics have the unique characteristic of developing long, intricate universes that go back many many years. While I've read alot of non-fiction work discussing DC and Marvel in the Golden and Silver ages, they remain woefully out of reach for me to feel like I can fully grasp it all. As a fan, I only came onboard in the mid-80s and that was primarily for the Marvel bandwagon.

That's one of the reasons that the WildStorm universe holds a particular interest for me. Created in 1992 with the title <I>Wildc.a.t.s</I>, it is probably the third biggest "comic universe" and one that I happened to be watching as a fan growing up. I'll even admit that my first comic submission was a Void story for the publisher, long before they joined up with DC. Glossing over that as much as I can, WildStorm is probably the line of titles that I can claim the most knowledge across the board.

This week's slate of interviews is very WildStorm-centric, as I spearheaded a theme week at Newsarama focused on their upcoming titles. Senior Editor Ben Abernathy and DC Publicity Manager Alex Segura were both extremely helpful in facilitating this, and Abernathy provided a great look at WildStorm the publishing house is like in his culminating interview (which sadly hasn't run yet due to Newsarama lag-time Friday).

Q&A with artist Leandro Fernandez on Stormwatch PHD: World’s End. 05.16.08
Story-By-Story Q&A with writer Brian Wood on Demo, Vol. 1 - Issues 1-3. 05.15.08
Q&A with artist Simon Coleby on The Authority: World’s End. 05.16.08
Q&A with writer Mike Wolfer on Wolfskin Annual. 05.15.08
Q&A with co-writer Andy Lanning on The Authority: World’s End. 05.14.08
Q&A with cartoonist R. Stevens on Diesel Sweeties. 05.13.08
Q&A with writer Scott Beatty on Gen13. 05.13.08
Q&A with artist Neil Googe on Wildcats: Worlds End. 05.12.08

In addition, I also have the latest interview with Brian Wood, talking intensively about the stories in the first volume of DEMO. Look for more installments on that conversation next week.

Lots of goodies for sale BPAL & Possets. 5 mls and partials of - Svadhinapaotika, Possets Heated Heart, Cambienne - April, Ohio, and Perpetual Motion Machine (discounted prices). Also DSH Perfumes - St. Valentines, Lumiere & Sweet Dreams.

Also LE imps including:
Dark Delicacies, Love in the Asylum, Love's Philosophy, Diary of a Teenage Cannibal, Vampire from Planet X, Wezwaine Hold, Pirate Moon, Smut, Miskatonic U Caramel Popcorn, Hellion, EArth Rat, Lunar Eclipse, Hungry Ghost Moon, Beaver Moon, Red Lantern, Mama Ji, Aeaea, Vampire Tears and much, much more...........great variety of blends!

Also just added bottle of BPTP Nail colour in Poppy and BPTP Steamworks Babydoll tee in large.

Please see details here Lorajc's Sales post

I have ebay auctions for Dublin and Tiki Queen ending tomorrow here.

Thank you for looking.

I have ebay auctions for Dublin and Tiki Queen ending tomorrow here.

Thank you for looking.

...to play characters who just need to get out of my movies already.

 I have discovered the real reason I went "eew...no!" when I saw Boston Kid(Jack?  Jason?  Can't remember anymore...) in Forbidden Kingdom.

He played that dumb Will Stronghold in Sky High(an otherwise quite fun movie.)  You know, the guy who spent the whole movie ignoring his adorable best friend and chasing after the pretty girl who was obviously up to something but he didn't notice or care because she was the pretty girl, only to miraculously realize he's in love with the adorable best friend in the last five minutes, meaning she couldn't end up with that nice Warren, who actually, you know, noticed when she was upset with something and listened to her.  (Oh Layla...you could have done much better...the proper response to "Layla, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you and treating you like dirt all this time.  Let's forget that it was all because I was too busy being blinded by the pretty girl just because she was pretty to notice she was evil and plotting to kill us all" is "Sorry loser, while you were being a moron, I found a nice guy(even though he says he isn't, but we all know better) who actually noticed my feelings and listened to me even though he barely knew me.  I'm trading up.  Later.")

Why yes, Sky High is playing on some station or other.  Why do you ask?

Ok I have now set-up my lovely computer~♥!

AND GUESS WHAT!!!!?

I plugged in my RAZR to take-off my massive ammoutn of pictures using Moto Phone Tools and is popped-up "The is no Internet Connection found would you like to create one using your Motorola modem?" HELL YEAH! So I have some Internet atleast for now from my phone, but it has like the speed of Dial-Up :3 so I shall make some picture posts and then play ether Bloodlines or my new game --Redemption :D

for the condolences and the congratulations. I really appreciated all of them. I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed with, well, everything right now, so I stink at replying.

And now I have a headache and the Imitrex isn't helping. And I slept till 11 AM for the first time in ages and am still totally drained. I blame the weather.

Of course slogging for me is a holiday for most other people. But I'm lazy efficient, so any expenditure of effort is remarkable...( natternatternatter )

Making arrangements to meet someone at a cafe to drop off books and stuff. "Oh no!" I thought, after confirming the time, "how will we recognize each other?"

*pause*

*look at boots*

*look at giant kingfisher tattoo*

Yeah, probably not much of a concern. Remind me not to ever commit any crimes that will involve me getting dragged into a police line-up... 

( Spoilers for Queen Susan Kicks Ass & A Bunch Of Other People Go To Narnia )
Later on, I'll have a post about Disney's skeevy racial issues and CS Lewis' skeevy gender issues.

Froomb!, whose author I have already forgotten, may be the worst sf novel title I have EVER seen. rachelmanija and I stopped by Cliff's Books, where she pointed out this treasure to me. It opens like a bad radio play with a man rambling contextlessly (is that a word?) to himself. At one point on the second page of narrative (p. 8 of the novel, I believe), he feels an, um, surge of eroticness and thinks to himself that people who die suddenly sometimes orgasm, so maybe that's what's happening to him. This is completely random and unconnected to any of the other action. ZOMG I am not making this up.

I also bought a book, whose author and title I have forgotten so I'll look it up later (I left the books in rachelmanija's car), that features a cracktastic manga-esque plot, although this wasn't really what convinced me to buy a book that was obviously going to be awesomely bad; no, what convinced me was finding several pages of numerology embedded in the book, plus geometrical diagrams, plus ellipses (the kind with two foci, not the kind with dots) that aren't actually ellipses. Normally this would drive me to sporky rage, but in context, it is kind of hilarious!

Even though I had planned to stay at home working on Saturday night, years of social conditioning have taught me that Not Having Plans on a Saturday night - and worse, the fact that my wife is so busy she is rightfully ignoring me - makes me feel like a big, big loser.

I suppose I could have made plans. But now I'm just staring at the Internet in between large file transfers, hoping something amuses me. Bleah.

I've gotta try to move some of my BPAL, 'cause it's gonna be an expensive year for weddings (seems like everybody I know is getting married, except me of course). Maybe you see something you'd like?
( Read more... )

You know, I've figured out something kind of funny about hypomania. To catch you up, particularly since the Twilight entries have brought in a lot of new people--psychiatric diagnoses are never really set in stone; a doctor might come up with something that sounds more accurate years into your treatment. I have cyclical, chemical depression; it's gotten bad at times, but it's really pretty mild compared to what a lot of people have to live through. I'm on mild doses of antidepressants--which I tend to talk about pretty openly, number one, because I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of, and number two, because I think it helps other people to go, "Oh, okay, someone else is going through the same thing, and here's what her symptoms and reactions were like." ( Read more... )

( Just a teensy bit of linkspam )

Josan is a simple but educated monk who leads a simple life taking care of the local lighthouse. That changes, however, when Lady Ysobel, a foreign dignitary, becomes stranded on her way to the royal court and Josan is the only person available who can speak her language. Ysobel, who had participated in a rebellion against the queen, Nerissa, sees a similarity between Josan and the royal line, specifically with Lucius, the queen’s brother and the object of the previous rebellion, but thinks little of it. She does, however, mention the resemblance in passing at court, and before long, assassins are sent after Josan. Josan, however, remembers nothing of the encounter, only waking up with a knife in his hands, and being accused of murder.
Soon, Josan is on the run, accused of being both a madman and a rebel, while Ysobel finds herself involved in another rebellion from the same conspirators from five years ago, for means of her own. The book is pretty good, and very politically driven, but fairly normal for the genre. Still, it’s very much worth following up on, and from the ending, I can’t guess exactly which direction Bray will go with the series, which is usually a plus.

Big Brown again.

Well, I watched it.  Swore I wouldn't.  Tried, actually, not to be home, but post time was later than I thought, and this is one of my failings: I have to know.  I'd rather watch, whatever happens, than wait for the reports.

And no taking that away from him: helluva race.  Helluva horse.  I'm not sure he's beating much of anything?  But he's got a lovely big stride (but I like Gayego's action at least as much) and runs like a professional.

On to Belmont, then.  Hope those feet hold up.

I've asked luckystar to post the next poll for the 1st of June for you BPAL Sorority Sisters...

I do plan to ask Puddin the next time I see him about a T Shirt for the First of The Month Group.
( I need to download some greek letters so I can type it better)

I plan to use the approach (other than gentle pleading) that Misk.Univ. does seem to have a rather large Sorority and we need a T Shirt. **laughs gently**

I think it would be awesome if it could say on the back "Our Sorority Smells Better Than Your Sorority"

Any other suggestions that you think would win him over?

The "If we don't have a T Shirt we will be naked" line probably will NOT work...He is a MAN :P

And how many of you would actually want, and buy, such a T Shirt? Numbers might help persuade him too :)

Grocery shopping today was AWESOME because... wait for it... THEY HAD FIDDLEHEADS IN! wooooo! Fiddleheads rarely come into the grocery store as they are so time-sensitive. Mmmmm tomorrow I'm doing up steak, baked potato, and I'll sautee the fiddleheads with butter. Mmmmmmmmmmm... real butter.... I will suffer for that choice but they must be done in butter! *drool* And if you don't know what fiddleheads taste like they taste rather like asparagus.

C. and I watched The Story of Metal this afternoon. I am now all fired up to do a story about a Metal band. XD In my head I see it set around the mid eighties when there were tonnes of hair bands around and this one guy, Toby, just can't take the glam look seriously. He wants to play harder, faster, and more metal in a time where producers had perfected the cookie cutter pop metal band. Just to brainstorm I sort of saw him taking this pent up frustration out in fights (heh and his manager always tells him not to take it in his pretty boy face) and he gets royally fucked over in a bar fight and gets his throat cut with a broken bottle. BUT LO! For when he gets out of the hospital his voice now has deep gravel due to his injury so he gives up his guitar and starts hunting for a heavy band to front. He's pretty enough for glam but sounds harsh enough for heavy... ooh maybe he loses an eye too! That's some serious street cred there. Lost his eye and had his throat slashed in a bar fight. His glam band tossed him out for not being pretty enough and being too out of control. And to put a BL twist on it... Toby may be gay but so was Rob Halford and Rob sure as hell didn't wear lipstick and filmy scarves!

...heh, I suppose I should get back to work rather than dwell on a story I'll never get to write. ;_; Ah well, maybe I'll get to write it! December is traditionally a slow month for web development.

*works hard*

I've added a few new things to my swap/sale page. Prices are cheap and I love to swap. Thanks for looking!

Today I got a package (yes I know there is a place to post thank you but I have already thanked her privately)...and it hit me that very few of us have met IRL (in real life) yet we do not treat each other as strangers.

So! Chat's Deep Thought of the Day:: BPAL is Random Acts of Kindness that you can Smell!

I can honestly say that some of the most generous, kind, and sharing "strangers" I have ever met, I have met through BPAL, and on this community.

I am doubly more determined to go to the BPAL Convention when it happens, because I think I would be very blessed and enriched for the meeting more of you IRL!

Well, again me, again pictures from Glamour Poland.


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