Happy New Year's Eve!

    And this pretty much sums up my resolutions for 2016.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Careful, Archchancellor,  warned the Dean.  “What you have there might represent pure sobriety.”

    Ridcully paused with the finger halfway to his lips.

    “Good point,” he said.  I don’t want to start being sober at my time of life.”  He looked around.  “How do we usually test stuff?”

    “Generally we ask for student volunteers,” said the Dean.

    “What happens if we don’t get any?”

    “We give it to them anyway.”

    “Isn’t that a bit unethical?”

    “Not if we don’t tell them, Archchancellor.”

    (from Hogfather by Terry Pratchett)

    9*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Go To Jail

    True dis.  You can also get thrown in jail in a card game called "Bang!" which we were introduced to on Christmas night, and was a blast to play.

E-Card Monday - Nerd Edition

   Just cuz we haven't done an e-card day for a while.

Back from Seattle

   We're back from our week-long sojourn in Seattle.  The flight schedules were all fscked up due to bad weather in Texas and elsewhere, so we took the Stargate portal.

Magic The Gathering

   I played my second game game of Magic The Gathering this week.  My first game occurred about 20 years ago.  I still don't comprehend WTF is going on or any of the strategy.  But I can now see where it is an exceedingly complex game, and that is a definite plus.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

    ...which is indeed possible for a change.  But a sleety one is more likely.

Seattle Public Library

    We visited the Seattle Public Library today.  I was interested in seeing how it compared to my hometown Phoenix Public Library.  In terms of quantities of books, DVD's, and CD's, the two are pretty equal.

    But the Seattle library has a Coffee/Chocolate snack area, and an adjoining "friend play" zone where you can play library-supplied board games.  No such thing back home.

    So the ball's in your court, Phoenix.

Star Wars - Episode 7

   We saw the new Star Wars movie today - Episode 7.  It was both spectacular and predictable, with lots of action and due homage to the previous episodes/  I'm not going to gush about it. but I wasn't disappointed either.

Happy Winter Solstice!

     The Winter Solstice is the real reason for the season.  Technically, it down't occur until tomorrow, but tonight is close enough.

Darth The Halls

    I will be seeing the new Star Wars movie this coming Tuesday.  Stay tuned.

Just hangin'

    "Nuthin'.  Just hanging out.  What're you doing?"

Snowman Suicide

    This reminds me of an od comic strip, where Donald Duck takes his three nephews - Huey, Dewey, and Louie - on a duck-hunting excursion.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, staring across the room.  “They took my maps, Kale.  My satchel, my parchments, my ink … what will I do?”

    “I’d say that’s the least of our problems right now.  They plan to execute us.”

    Micah’s eyes widened.  “No, they can’t!  Then I’ll never get my maps back!”

    (from The Clockwork God by Jamie Sedgwick)

    7½*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Wednesday Wookie Poetry

    To celebrate the new Star Wars movie about to come out.

The Pedants' Revolt

Gandalf the Pug

    Meaningless, but still very Awww.

Tiger In The Rye

   Great comic strip!

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “You don’t like anything that’s happening.”

    It made me even more depressed when she said that.

    “Yes I do.  Yes I do.  Sure I do.  Don’t say that.  Why the hell do you say that?”

   “Because you don’t.  You don’t like any schools.  You don’t like a million things.  You don’t.”

    “I do!  That’s where you’re wrong – that’s exactly where you’re wrong!  Why the hell do you have to say that?” I said.  Boy, was she depressing me.

    “Because you don’t,” she said.  “Name one thing.”

    “One thing?  One thing I like?” I said.  “Okay.”

    The trouble was, I couldn’t concentrate too hot.  Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate.

    (from The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger)

    8½*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Michael Bublé Hibernation

    It's true!  It's already begun at our house!

Art Appreciation Thursday

   The "Bacon Van Gogh" edition.

Wednesday Awww Moment

    Really, folks.  Adopt a dog from the pound or a shelter.  Boycott puppy mills.  Spay and neuter your dogs.  The number of dogs (and cats) that are put to sleep every day is astounding.

Best Sand Sculpture Ever

    I've seen pics of a lot of great sand sculptures over the years.  But this may be the best one ever.

Christmas Read for 2015

    This is going to be my Christmas read for 2015. Stay tuned.

2048

    I just got back from some chrono-hopping to the future.  Cher's holding up quite well, doncha think?

Book Excerpt for the Day

    All eyes in the pub were by now focused on Mephistopheles, and Geoffrey said, “My goat is cleaner and more knowledgeable than any dog.  He can count to twenty, and when the time comes he’ll go outside to do his business.  In fact, sir, if I can show him your privy now, he will use it when he needs it.”

    One worker appeared to take umbrage at this point.  “Do you think that just because we work on the land, we don’t know nothing?  I have a pint here that says the goat can’t do it.”

    Innocently Geoffrey said, “You have a knowledgeable pint there, sir.”

    (from The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett)

    8*/10.  The complete review is here.

Friday Rhyme Day

    For the record, "Wine" rhymes with "Friday" as well.

A bustle in my hedgerow

    Truth be told, I've always thought the next line was "it's just a sprinkling for the May Queen".

Science Wednesday

    Or Music Wednesday, if we can sing that old Debbie Boone song...

    "Youuuuu, light up my life..."

Art Appreciation Tuesday - Chalk Art

    I freakin' love Sidewalk Chalk Art.  I suspect the girl is real here, with everything else being the artwork.  For the life of me, I can't fathom how they go about figuring out the necessary distortions in the picture to make it all come out just perfect.