Key Master

    Yessirree.  My coat pocket's a regular master at this.

English Grammar

    This is oh-so-true.  I learned a poopload of English grammar by taking three years of French.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2

    Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - coming to your local theater later this year!

Punny Sunday

    Admittedly, if helps if you're an avid chess player.  

Voodoo Dolls

   Really now.  This should work.  I'm surprised no one's though of it before.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “It must be hard, your job,” she said.  “Telling people this sort of thing.”

    He nodded and looked away.  For a moment he thought of the old squad room joke about the easiest way to do next-of-kin notification.  When Mrs. Brown opens the door, you say, “Are you the widow Brown?”

    (from Trunk Music by Michael Connelly)

    9*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Fishing for Insults

My Lucky Neighbors

    This is really true.  Sometimes they get it as 60 decibels.  Sometimes they get it at 120 decibels.

Writing Tip

   As a reader/reviewer, I can say that, beyond the humor, there is a lot of truth to this.  There are some authors that can mesmerize me with long and obscure words.  But in the hands of an amateur, such things are awkward at best, and grating at worst.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Well, it is a fact, Jamie, that the TARDIS was not really designed for, umm, the purposes to which I put her.  My people, who have mastered the technologies of time themselves, rather frown on mucking about with time by anybody else.  And so, you see, the TARDIS is specifically designed to react when she detects evidence of any such, ah -“

    “Mucking about.”

    “Quite so.”

    (from Doctor Who – The Wheel Of Ice by Stephen Baxter)

    8*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Science Sunday

Book Excerpt for the Day

    Fred flashed Mama Louise a lopsided grin.  “I had a mama once.”

    “Really?” Mama Louise asked while smoothing down the front of her flannel nightgown.

    Fred nodded.  “She went to sleep and never woke up.”

    Mama Louise blinked her round eyes once and her expression softened.  “You poor dear.”  She reached up and patted Fred’s cheek.

    Fred closed his eyes and made a grunting sound, reminding Ruckus of his old hound-dog, Bo, whenever he would lean down and scratch the mutt behind the ears.

    When Mama Louise finished patting Fred, his eyes shot open.  “Do you have donuts?”

    (from Driving Me Nuts, by P.J. Jones)

     7*/10.  The full review is here.

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Kate

    "After a long plane ride, let me just crouch in stilettos, put the fear of God in my older child while holding my younger on my legs -- in a dress and hat in front of foreign dignitaries -- and then gracefully stand up without falling over..."
Said no man ever

    (Cross posted from FaceBook)

Art Appreciation Thursday

    I'm not too sure what the difference is between Da Vinci and Rembrandt, but the others are spot on.

Rogue One

    We saw Rogue One this afternoon.  It is definitely a worthwhile experience.

Eat Yer Pudding

    Pink Floyd is sacred in our house.

Merry Christmas

     Merry Christmas to one and all who stop by this blog on their busy internet ways.  It was a great day, and Santa brought me a solar panel or two.

O Christmas Tree

    This is my kind of Christmas tree.

Christmas Lights

    Christmas Friday, Punny Friday, and Science Friday; all rolled into one.

Hang On, Sloopy

   A song from my youth, and actually, I thought it  was quite good.   But admittedly, it was also quite catchy.

Happy Winter Solstice

    T'is the reason for the season.

Decorating the tree

 
    That went easier than I expected.

White Christmas

   We're spending the Christmas holidays with friends and family in Seattle.  So a white Christmas is a definite possibility, both weather-wise and wine-wise

Christmas Spirit

    As of tomorrow, Christmas is but a week away.  And I feel myself bubbling over with the holiday spirit.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Remember I told you there was no Second World War here, and therefore no computer revolution?”

    “Yes.”

    “Well, it had even greater effects than that.  There was no Manhattan project either.  No one has the A-bomb here.  Without the A-bomb, there’s been no need to develop a ballistic-missile programme.  Without a ballistic-missile programme, there’s no space race.  There are no huge government-funded science agencies.”

    “But surely there’s still some scientific research and development going on.”

    “In dribs and drabs.  But it’s unfocused, underfunded, socially unpopular.”

    Auger managed a half-smile.  “No change there, then.”

    (from Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds)

  8½*/10.  The complete review is here.

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George Orwell Quote

    Somehow this seems appropriate for the coming year.

Growing Up

    I totally agree.

Philosophy Tuesday

    This is why I don't get into philosophical discussions on Facebook.

Stick it in your Funk & Wagnalls.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    Some Schongauers regarded Simon as a dandy, but he didn’t care.  He knew that girls saw the matter differently.  The ladies of Schongau liked him on account of his dark and dreamy eyes, his well-shaped nose, and his slim figure.  Moreover, he was well-groomed.  He still had all his teeth; he took regular baths.  And he had rose-scented perfume delivered specially from Augsburg, as expensive as his meager salary permitted it.

    (from The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch)

    8½*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Christmas Trees

    I can't argue with his logic.

Whey to go

    A little bit of punnery to start the weekend.

Science Quote for the Day

Santa's Tattoo

    I think I can figure out the caption for this cartoon.  I'll put it in the comments.

Statues at the Phoenix Civic Center

    I am admitting nothing, mind you.  But it is possible that once upon a long time ago, I was in suggestive poses with one or more of these statues at the Phoenix Civic Center.

    Alcohol may have been a factor.  Pictures may have been taken.  But my cohorts in this antic have long since moved away, and I can only assume all the negatives were destroyed a long time ago.  Therefore I dismiss these rumors as idle speculation.

My Christmas List

    The word is out.  I'm to have my Christmas List done by the weekend.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “So do you have a car?”
    There was always Liz’s car.  He could borrow that if he had to.  If he got so much as a ding in the fender, she’d probably rip out his soul and eat it.  He’d seen her do that once to some guy who cut her off on the freeway, though really she didn’t eat the whole thing.  Soul went straight to her hips, so she’d just taken a small bite out of it before giving it back.  But Monster figured it would be better not to risk it.

    (from Monster by A. Lee Martinez)

  8*/10.   The complete review is here.

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Soylent Green

    We are committed to posting any comic that cites the fantastic movie Soylent Green.

Faking It

    Surely a book we all need to read.  And yes, it's a real book, and goes for $9.99 at Amazon.

Alt Write

    That's me.