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A selection of Dozois' best, from the first half of his half century career.
Geodesic Dreams: The Best Short Fiction of Gardner Dozois by Gardner Dozois
A selection of Dozois' best, from the first half of his half century career.
Geodesic Dreams: The Best Short Fiction of Gardner Dozois by Gardner Dozois
I got home about an hour earlier today and slightly less disgusting. It got back up in the 90s F today with humidity to spare, but about time work as winding down, some wind blew in what was supposed to be rain but which was a temperature drop of about 10F in an hour, though that still left it in a more comfortable but still quite warm 80s range.
Managed to clean my dishes that had been sitting for two days. Was going to try to cook something but realized the eggplant from the mail had started to go bad, so screw it, I'll wait for the weekend. I have to work this Saturday but only a half day and I get to sleep in.
I'm still just feeling so brain-cooked and frustrated. I want to be creative, but I always just feel like I'm in trouble for not doing enough to entertain the friends I have who care what I do.
I got a little notebook in the mail. Plan to use it for prayer journaling due to the whole brain-is-too-slippery-and-overheated feeling.
I also wrote in my little Japanese study notebook I started before I moved here in 2024 for the first time since. Something about my old boss's approach to "encouraging" me to learn Japanese just made me pissed off for over a year. At least I am doing something, but I want to do things that don't just feel practical without being too tired to function.
Managed to clean my dishes that had been sitting for two days. Was going to try to cook something but realized the eggplant from the mail had started to go bad, so screw it, I'll wait for the weekend. I have to work this Saturday but only a half day and I get to sleep in.
I'm still just feeling so brain-cooked and frustrated. I want to be creative, but I always just feel like I'm in trouble for not doing enough to entertain the friends I have who care what I do.
I got a little notebook in the mail. Plan to use it for prayer journaling due to the whole brain-is-too-slippery-and-overheated feeling.
I also wrote in my little Japanese study notebook I started before I moved here in 2024 for the first time since. Something about my old boss's approach to "encouraging" me to learn Japanese just made me pissed off for over a year. At least I am doing something, but I want to do things that don't just feel practical without being too tired to function.
Erica seems to have entered an absurd questions phase, and her preferred question is "what if there was a [type of object] as big as the sun?" I do not understand her new obsession with solar-scale constructs. (What brand of toothpaste does the sun use? Solgate!)
The Somerville primary election was yesterday, so we have the pretty exciting news that we're going to get a new mayor. The current mayor got absolutely wrecked in the primary and didn't manage to make the cut to top-two. The general will be between two challengers who are both current city councilors. It will be really interesting to see how they present their ideas as they campaign head-to-head, much more interesting than if the general were mostly a referendum on the incumbent.
I finished (the first season; apparently it's renewed for a second and I can't wait, but the first season also feels like it stands on its own) watching Common Side Effects, that show is spectacularly great. It's an animated sci-fi story centering around a mushroom that can cure anything. Reminds me a hair of King of the Hill (no coincidence, Mike Judge is a producer and one of the voice actors) and Scavengers Reign (Joseph Bennett is also one of the creators), but also reminds me a lot of Pulp Fiction and Paranoia Agent. It's not a comedy, but it is quite funny in addition to dramatic. It has a somewhat caricature-esque sketch-artist style for the character designs, in addition to some lush scenery and creative psychedelia and a bit of surreal horror. Apparently a good way to do comedy drama is just have all of the characters be huge weirdos in one way or another. There are lots of interesting ways to be weird, and no one is really normal, after all.
The Somerville primary election was yesterday, so we have the pretty exciting news that we're going to get a new mayor. The current mayor got absolutely wrecked in the primary and didn't manage to make the cut to top-two. The general will be between two challengers who are both current city councilors. It will be really interesting to see how they present their ideas as they campaign head-to-head, much more interesting than if the general were mostly a referendum on the incumbent.
I finished (the first season; apparently it's renewed for a second and I can't wait, but the first season also feels like it stands on its own) watching Common Side Effects, that show is spectacularly great. It's an animated sci-fi story centering around a mushroom that can cure anything. Reminds me a hair of King of the Hill (no coincidence, Mike Judge is a producer and one of the voice actors) and Scavengers Reign (Joseph Bennett is also one of the creators), but also reminds me a lot of Pulp Fiction and Paranoia Agent. It's not a comedy, but it is quite funny in addition to dramatic. It has a somewhat caricature-esque sketch-artist style for the character designs, in addition to some lush scenery and creative psychedelia and a bit of surreal horror. Apparently a good way to do comedy drama is just have all of the characters be huge weirdos in one way or another. There are lots of interesting ways to be weird, and no one is really normal, after all.
I am happy to see that "should receive" the covid vaccine or booster includes infants; children and adolescents who haven't already been vaccinated; anyone with a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of severe covid; and all household contacts of anyone at higher risk.
Everyone aged 65 or older should receive two doses, six months apart.
All healthcare workers "should" receive the vaccine, as should anyone who is pregnant, contemplating pregnancy, or has recently been pregnant, and a few other groups.
Everyone else "may receive" it.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-2025-2026-respiratory-illness-season-covid-19-vaccine-recommendations/download
What I saw is Massachusetts-specific, but it says it is aligned with the recommendations of the new Northeast Public Health Collaborative, which includes New England except for New Hampshire, plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Everyone aged 65 or older should receive two doses, six months apart.
All healthcare workers "should" receive the vaccine, as should anyone who is pregnant, contemplating pregnancy, or has recently been pregnant, and a few other groups.
Everyone else "may receive" it.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-2025-2026-respiratory-illness-season-covid-19-vaccine-recommendations/download
What I saw is Massachusetts-specific, but it says it is aligned with the recommendations of the new Northeast Public Health Collaborative, which includes New England except for New Hampshire, plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
The Central Plaza Mansion tower offers palatial 900 square foot apartments for a mere ¥35,000,000. It is a deal too good for the Kano family to turn down... although they should have.
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
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I finally wrote out the pattern for the trapezoid shawl I made earlier this year. It's my first time writing out a pattern, but I *think* it all makes sense.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Marc Ortlieb, Lawrence Dean, Blind Lemming Chiffon, Apryl Knight, Marc Gunn, Leslie Fish, Johnathan Eberhard, Gray Rinehart, Cheshire Moon, Clearly Guilty, Renee Alper, Uffington Horse, Bryan Baker, Tom Smith
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
My younger kiddo, a high school senior, is interested in studying aikido. Any recommendations? I may have more specific questions later.
Thanks!
Thanks!
I just got this year's covid booster, as a walk-in at CVS. I'm glad I called first, because the CVS closest to our house doesn't have the vaccine; the one where I get most of my prescriptions does.
The pharmacist asked me if I wanted to get the flu vaccine at the same time, so I told her I'm waiting, on my doctor's advice. The actual injection was faster than I expected and didn't hurt much, so that's good.
The pharmacist gave me a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase (with the usual list of exclusions). Kitchen trash bags were on the shopping list, so I picked those up, then added a box of envelopes and a bottle of dish soap to get the total up to $20. I got home and saw we may have too much dish soap, given limited storage space, but we will use it.
The pharmacist asked me if I wanted to get the flu vaccine at the same time, so I told her I'm waiting, on my doctor's advice. The actual injection was faster than I expected and didn't hurt much, so that's good.
The pharmacist gave me a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase (with the usual list of exclusions). Kitchen trash bags were on the shopping list, so I picked those up, then added a box of envelopes and a bottle of dish soap to get the total up to $20. I got home and saw we may have too much dish soap, given limited storage space, but we will use it.
The Young People review Michael Swanwick's debut Nebula finalist stories.
The Feast of Saint Janis & Ginungagap by Michael Swanwick
Happening deep in the wilds of Iowa, a Filk Relaxacon.
FilkConbobulated, June 26-28 at the Holiday Inn & Suites Des Moines-Northwest.
We will have badge and hotel information as quickly as we can ... in the next week or two. There will also be a website coming for those of you who don't do Facebook.
The Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4059101374339105
The Event
https://www.facebook.com/events/810327968012949
FilkConbobulated, June 26-28 at the Holiday Inn & Suites Des Moines-Northwest.
We will have badge and hotel information as quickly as we can ... in the next week or two. There will also be a website coming for those of you who don't do Facebook.
The Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4059101374339105
The Event
https://www.facebook.com/events/810327968012949
100 lair entries in two succinct pages apiece, from Aboleth's Sunken Lair to Wyvern's Nest.
Bundle of Holding: Dread Laironomicon
R. and I sometimes head into Edinburgh on the train for in-office work, sometimes on separate days, sometimes together. Today, R. went in, and I stayed home and helped out with pet care. I hope that I am becoming more productive as I grow more familiar with my employer's codebase. I also look forward to getting around to personal programming projects at home but not quite yet it seems, still I have to figure how and when to fit that in. A task this evening is to schedule our influenza vaccinations. COVID-19 vaccinations are becoming a distant memory, it's a pity our BUPA health insurance doesn't reimburse them.
( Our expensive family visa journey continues. )
I read John Wiswell's Someone You Can Build a Nest In which was gentle and engaging. Whether in science fiction or fantasy, I always enjoy insight into a fairly non-human character. Definitely a nice enough way to pass the time. (Though, R. noted that it is far more gory than I had noticed, somehow that all passed me by.) I might be running out of television to watch, though. There is a bit more Chief of War left but it is far more buttocks than smiles and R. noted arrant ahistoricity in the portrayal of Zamboanga (languages, buildings, clothing). We are giving The Mayfair Witches a try on Netflix, R. read the books long ago.
A local Tesco Express convenience store has opened quite near us so we have a very handy source of heavily discounted food that must be sold before it turns into a pumpkin, assuming it isn't already one. So, among other things, we found ourselves eating sandwiches recently. With luck, the store will soon correct their loud alarm siren that warns whenever somebody outside walked near the customer entrance.
( Our expensive family visa journey continues. )
I read John Wiswell's Someone You Can Build a Nest In which was gentle and engaging. Whether in science fiction or fantasy, I always enjoy insight into a fairly non-human character. Definitely a nice enough way to pass the time. (Though, R. noted that it is far more gory than I had noticed, somehow that all passed me by.) I might be running out of television to watch, though. There is a bit more Chief of War left but it is far more buttocks than smiles and R. noted arrant ahistoricity in the portrayal of Zamboanga (languages, buildings, clothing). We are giving The Mayfair Witches a try on Netflix, R. read the books long ago.
A local Tesco Express convenience store has opened quite near us so we have a very handy source of heavily discounted food that must be sold before it turns into a pumpkin, assuming it isn't already one. So, among other things, we found ourselves eating sandwiches recently. With luck, the store will soon correct their loud alarm siren that warns whenever somebody outside walked near the customer entrance.
Look at me posting on a Monday! Will wonders never cease?
On Saturday, I ran my usual D&D campaign. Because a lot of people find this stuff boring, I shall put my brief discussion about it under the cut.
As part of our usual Saturday alliterative errands, Shawn and I stop for coffee. (Our alliteration is: coffee, cardboard, cardamon buns... and then sometimes other that things we struggle to turn into 'c's, like Mendards which we sometimes just call 'cart,' because it's shopping.) This Saturday is was only the traditional three stops. Our cardboard recycling center has closed in Saint Paul, so now we have to drive all the way out to Roseville, which is... annoying? Though it may mean that we will return "car" to our alliterative errands as the car wash place is out in the same direction.
Anyway, my point in bringing this up is that my barista often ask me if I have fun plans for the weekend and so I mentioned D&D. One of the guys there also runs a campaign and GUESS WHAT THEY'RE PLAYING??? Yep, the same thing we are: The Curse of Strahd. Like me, he's having to do some heavy homebrewing to make it fit into the play style of his group. We both joked that we might be using some of the same source materials but there's no way we're playing the same game.
Which is what I love about GMing and RPGs in general.
( So called boring stuff... )
Other things I did this weekend was start watching Altered Carbon. And, before you ask, no, I'm not watching it for the podcast. It came up when I was looking for something new and I thought: why not? I hear that the second season isn't as good, but I'm enjoying the story so far. To be clear, however, thanks to all the shounen anime that I consume I have a LARGE tolerance for what is essentially splatterpunk. I would not recommend this show to anyone squeamish about blood, gore, or realistic violence. It also treats women (particularly sex workers) as disposable and so has gotten the reputation as misogynistic, but I'm really enjoying two of the women characters in it SO FAR. We'll see how it all plays out as I go along. I'm only up to episode four, I think.
Netflix also reminded me that I need to continue with The Summer Hikaru Died, but I am waiting for a few more episodes to drop before I return to that one. At some point, too, the anime is going to go past what I've read of the manga, and I'll have to decide if I should go to the library and check out any new volumes or if I'm cool with letting the anime carry me. I'll probably be cool with just going with the anime? Sometimes you just have to because the English language release is that much further behind?
Anyway, my alarm went off for my writing accountablity Zoom so I should head off and try to do some writing!
On Saturday, I ran my usual D&D campaign. Because a lot of people find this stuff boring, I shall put my brief discussion about it under the cut.
As part of our usual Saturday alliterative errands, Shawn and I stop for coffee. (Our alliteration is: coffee, cardboard, cardamon buns... and then sometimes other that things we struggle to turn into 'c's, like Mendards which we sometimes just call 'cart,' because it's shopping.) This Saturday is was only the traditional three stops. Our cardboard recycling center has closed in Saint Paul, so now we have to drive all the way out to Roseville, which is... annoying? Though it may mean that we will return "car" to our alliterative errands as the car wash place is out in the same direction.
Anyway, my point in bringing this up is that my barista often ask me if I have fun plans for the weekend and so I mentioned D&D. One of the guys there also runs a campaign and GUESS WHAT THEY'RE PLAYING??? Yep, the same thing we are: The Curse of Strahd. Like me, he's having to do some heavy homebrewing to make it fit into the play style of his group. We both joked that we might be using some of the same source materials but there's no way we're playing the same game.
Which is what I love about GMing and RPGs in general.
( So called boring stuff... )
Other things I did this weekend was start watching Altered Carbon. And, before you ask, no, I'm not watching it for the podcast. It came up when I was looking for something new and I thought: why not? I hear that the second season isn't as good, but I'm enjoying the story so far. To be clear, however, thanks to all the shounen anime that I consume I have a LARGE tolerance for what is essentially splatterpunk. I would not recommend this show to anyone squeamish about blood, gore, or realistic violence. It also treats women (particularly sex workers) as disposable and so has gotten the reputation as misogynistic, but I'm really enjoying two of the women characters in it SO FAR. We'll see how it all plays out as I go along. I'm only up to episode four, I think.
Netflix also reminded me that I need to continue with The Summer Hikaru Died, but I am waiting for a few more episodes to drop before I return to that one. At some point, too, the anime is going to go past what I've read of the manga, and I'll have to decide if I should go to the library and check out any new volumes or if I'm cool with letting the anime carry me. I'll probably be cool with just going with the anime? Sometimes you just have to because the English language release is that much further behind?
Anyway, my alarm went off for my writing accountablity Zoom so I should head off and try to do some writing!