Archive for September, 2010
of Amazon
There’s a meme going around to list your first order from Amazon. Mine was in AUgust of 1998, and included The House of Arden and its parallel story Harding’s Luck (glad I bought those while both were in print), by E. Nesbit; Bob Dylan’s album TIme Out of Mind (meh); and both Volumes 1 and […]
here I go
TIme has shut up on me like a telescope, and now I feel like I’m plunging into an ocean. I survived the Rondje Eindhoven row last Sunday, obviously. Today is my last workday before vacation. Tonight I have my last Dutch class – not before vacation but ever (unless we take additional classes as part […]
incoherent update
DId a fifty km rowing tour today, rowing about 2/3 of it myself. Far too tired to write more but there’s a bit of explanation in the last two entries on Avontuur. 8:30 PM (now) seems like a really, really, good time to go to bed tonight. Not looking forward to biking to work tomorrow.
life, death, and vanity
It seems impossible that it’s been nearly a year since my uncle died. I hadn’t thought about it – that is I think about him every day, just hadn’t thought about the timing. I’m OK on birthdays, but I always seem to forget deathdays. But Mom will be here next week and she mentioned that […]
building with blocks
Much as I love the round “Dona Nobis Pacem”, I don’t believe in it. Peace doesn’t come all preassembled in a pretty box, wrapped up with ribbons. Praying to be given peace is on a par of naiveté with expecting to live happily ever after a wedding. Peace is not a present you unwrap. Peace […]
You know what’s really not a good idea?
Reading two historical fantasy novels at once, that’s what. At least not when one gets everything so perfectly right that you’re left wondering if maybe there is a bit more than moving airmasses behind the storm that sank the Spanish Armada, while the other has a Regency gentleman exclaiming “Gee” (not to his horse) and […]
who needs an e-book?
There are lots of reasons not to buy an e-book. The foremost one is that you’re not much of a reader – if you aren’t, then it’s no more than a brick, a money-costing device you won’t use. Price isn’t much of a reason any more, now that e-books start at $139 (for the cheapest […]
Soulless
Someone on my reading list was just discussing Soulless, by Gail Carriger. They liked it a lot. I have to say that I’m only about a tenth of the way through, but my emotions are mixed: I like the characters, the setting and the concepts. On the other hand, I am really bothered when, in […]
unspoilery comments on I Shall Wear Midnight
I do not think Terry Pratchett has a good handle on what his Alzheimers disease will do next. The reason I say that is because of the remarkable balance he’s struck here: if we never get another Tiffany Aching book again, then this is a very grand finale, with some extremely interesting visits from people […]
I Shall Wear Midnight!!!
There are sometimes advantages to being in Europe. I just bought Terry Pratchett’s latest Tiffany Aching book, I Shall Wear Midnight – which won’t be released in the US until September 29. Ahem. neener (You could of course counter with all the movies that come out earlier in the US, but I don’t really care […]