So, NPR recently released this years top picks for Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. And there are _many_ awesome and deserving choices. In many cases, it may as well be a list of all my favorite books. But one of my favorite entries is #82, The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde.
Now, if you know me in real life, you are probably sick to death of hearing me talk about "the Thursday Next series", but if you haven't heard me tout it at every possible turn, you should take this entry as an encouragement to go and read it. All of it.
NPR's blurb is a pretty good synopsis of the first book:
"In a world where you can actually get lost (literally) in literature, Thursday Next, a notorious Special Operative in literary detection, races against time to stop the world's Third Most Wanted criminal from kidnapping characters, including Jane Eyre, from works of literature, forcing her to dive into the pages of a novel to stop literary homicide, in a wildly imaginative, mesmerizing thriller."
The whole series is _fantastic_. I have read it several times at this point, and also quite enjoy the off-shoot Nursery Crime series. I will say that the first book is not as engaging as the rest. It's good, I love it, but the second book is where it really gets into the meat of the world building.
So, if you're looking for something new to read, definitely consider this series. It's smart, funny, complex, and my favorite series, so I want everyone else to like it, too.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
New World Archive
While purging the enormous amount of books and other media the three of us have accumulated throughout our entire lives, we have been selling anything that's worth it on Amazon to make back at least a little of the money we originally spent on all of it in the first place.
I will often get sales from libraries, businesses, churches, convents (I kid you not), and sometimes even book stores. But one of the more interesting sales I had recently from was a business called "New World Archive". Often when I get a particularly interesting business purchasing something I'm selling, I'll do a Google search, which often times results in nothing as interesting as it seems. In this case, it was the exact opposite.
New World Archive seems to try to avoid having any online presence whatsoever. In doing some digging, I first found a mention of them on BookThink.com. They linked to a more in-depth article about New World Archive.
According to their research, New World Archive is a Canadian based company that buys books from all different places and consolidates them in their warehouse (of which they think they found a picture; there is apparently a US location as well). They then have a huge staff dedicated to improving the items they get (erasing marks made with pencil, cleaning them up, repackaging them) and then they resell them either as new or at a higher grade than they purchased them. In many cases, they're buying from individual sellers or sometimes stores in the US that have these items at significantly lower prices than the Canadian market is supporting. It's not limited to books, either. According to this site, they have a high volume of CDs that they clean industrially to sell re shrink-wrapped as new.
This whole thing is completely fascinating to me. It feels like some majorly covered up conspiracy, but really it's just a strange business model that seems difficult to keep up a constant profit.
Weird!
No more Eureka
Yesterday, the SyFy (god I hate that...) network cancelled Eureka. It's one of the best original shows to come out of the network, and I'm surprised at the news. The writing could be...less than ideal at times, especially when it came to making situations plausible, but it was always about the characters. And they really knew how to make awesome, lovable characters.
But they don't know a good thing when they have it (_or_ not enough viewers are tuning in, but this _has_ to be one of the most successful original series they've had; maybe the budget's just too big). So after the episodes airing now, we have one more season next year (which is finishing up filming now), and that's it. Major rewrite is likely happening as we speak since the last episode of season five is filming in about a week. They're working hard to make sure the series ties up as best as it can.
But what really annoys me is that, apparently, SyFy released an official statement about it without even telling the cast first (and possibly even the directors/producers).
What? Assholes.
But they don't know a good thing when they have it (_or_ not enough viewers are tuning in, but this _has_ to be one of the most successful original series they've had; maybe the budget's just too big). So after the episodes airing now, we have one more season next year (which is finishing up filming now), and that's it. Major rewrite is likely happening as we speak since the last episode of season five is filming in about a week. They're working hard to make sure the series ties up as best as it can.
But what really annoys me is that, apparently, SyFy released an official statement about it without even telling the cast first (and possibly even the directors/producers).
What? Assholes.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Theeeyyy'reee FOOD!
Ahem.
Snow White.
Apple snacks.
People do not think. Because to think this was a good idea would have required cooler people with a much more morbid sense of humor, and those are not the people that designed these obliviously cheery snacks.
Snow White.
Apple snacks.
People do not think. Because to think this was a good idea would have required cooler people with a much more morbid sense of humor, and those are not the people that designed these obliviously cheery snacks.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Portal / Portal 2 - Videos
Portal 2 is absolutely my favorite video game of all time. I have loved my Zelda and Final Fantasy games. Mario will always be close to my heart. Grand Theft Auto made me more terrified of actual driving, but enamored with slaughter. But nothing can compare to the perfection that was Portal 2. Even Portal now seems like more of a preview than anything.
And, as with all worthy nerdy things, there's enough fan content to make the experience all the better. Here are some of my absolute favorite Portal videos; thanks to all the fans. I hope to be able to add my own videos of burlesque to this list once my Chell costume and portal gun are finished.
Portal 2 Fan-Made Music Video
Outside Aperture (based on the ending of the first Portal)
Portal - Live Performance
And, quite possibly my favorite scene of the game:
I think that this scene has the best snip-it of GLaDOS; the inflection in her voice when she says "Oh, it's _you_" is quintessential. There are some other heartbreaking and wonderfully sexy scenes with her, and I'd post everything she says and does if I could (but I obviously don't have quite enough motivation to look), but this, I think, is her in a nutshell. I get chills whenever I listen to her in this scene.
And, as with all worthy nerdy things, there's enough fan content to make the experience all the better. Here are some of my absolute favorite Portal videos; thanks to all the fans. I hope to be able to add my own videos of burlesque to this list once my Chell costume and portal gun are finished.
Portal 2 Fan-Made Music Video
Outside Aperture (based on the ending of the first Portal)
Portal - Live Performance
And, quite possibly my favorite scene of the game:
I think that this scene has the best snip-it of GLaDOS; the inflection in her voice when she says "Oh, it's _you_" is quintessential. There are some other heartbreaking and wonderfully sexy scenes with her, and I'd post everything she says and does if I could (but I obviously don't have quite enough motivation to look), but this, I think, is her in a nutshell. I get chills whenever I listen to her in this scene.
PSA: Swamp Ass - Gamers Take Note!
A recent PSA from one of my favorite captains:
I think he should do many, many more of these.
Insomnia - No One's Friend
I have been awake since 3:30 this morning!
On the plus side, the kitchen's been cleaned top to bottom, lunches made, dinner prepped, Michael's clothes ironed, and I'm freshly showered. Definitely gonna be a caffeine day, though. (And through the power of spell check, I only now realized that for my entire life, I have been spelling caffeine wrong; I can't believe Michael never pointed this out to me!)
Insomnia is a harsh bitch. I am not used to insomnia. Genevieve is often consumed by it. Michael will every now and then be compelled to stay up very late, restless and unable to sleep. I, however, can sleep anywhere, any time. But about once a year, I will get insomnia one night and be completely confused. Even unable to understand that that's what's going on. It usually goes like this:
Middle of the night: wake up groggy and, half-conscious, use the bathroom. Stumble back to bed. Unable to get into comfortable position. Huh? Snuggle up to ::insert spouse's name here:: ... ITCHES ALL OVER!!! Toss and turn while scratching layers of skin off at a time for about an hour.
Internal dialogue during this fun time: "Something is wrong...I must be getting sick. Why can't I sleep? It's still the middle of the night. I never feel awake after only five hours sleep. I want to sleep...I must be sick." ::stressful and complex thoughts all fill my mind simultaneously:: "Obviously I just need to take a few deep breaths and stop thinking so much...Focus on one relaxing thought."
Spoiler alert - that does not work.
I will continue this way, trying not to move too much so I don't disturb Michael and/or Genevieve for that hour until I come to the thought (and yes, it does take that long) that _maybe_ I have insomnia. My brain will continue to look at that thought skeptically for a while. It doesn't understand the concept. I am always confused by other people's insomnia, but my own is impossible. Except that it isn't.
After I finally convince myself that that's what's going on, I will get up and try to do something productive to tire myself out, only to get tired to the point of my eyes refusing to open just about the time the sun's up and I have to go somewhere; usually work. Then it's time to glue my eyes shut with some caffeine.
Today is one of those days. Here's to another year of this _not_ happening.
On the plus side, the kitchen's been cleaned top to bottom, lunches made, dinner prepped, Michael's clothes ironed, and I'm freshly showered. Definitely gonna be a caffeine day, though. (And through the power of spell check, I only now realized that for my entire life, I have been spelling caffeine wrong; I can't believe Michael never pointed this out to me!)
Insomnia is a harsh bitch. I am not used to insomnia. Genevieve is often consumed by it. Michael will every now and then be compelled to stay up very late, restless and unable to sleep. I, however, can sleep anywhere, any time. But about once a year, I will get insomnia one night and be completely confused. Even unable to understand that that's what's going on. It usually goes like this:
Middle of the night: wake up groggy and, half-conscious, use the bathroom. Stumble back to bed. Unable to get into comfortable position. Huh? Snuggle up to ::insert spouse's name here:: ... ITCHES ALL OVER!!! Toss and turn while scratching layers of skin off at a time for about an hour.
Internal dialogue during this fun time: "Something is wrong...I must be getting sick. Why can't I sleep? It's still the middle of the night. I never feel awake after only five hours sleep. I want to sleep...I must be sick." ::stressful and complex thoughts all fill my mind simultaneously:: "Obviously I just need to take a few deep breaths and stop thinking so much...Focus on one relaxing thought."
Spoiler alert - that does not work.
I will continue this way, trying not to move too much so I don't disturb Michael and/or Genevieve for that hour until I come to the thought (and yes, it does take that long) that _maybe_ I have insomnia. My brain will continue to look at that thought skeptically for a while. It doesn't understand the concept. I am always confused by other people's insomnia, but my own is impossible. Except that it isn't.
After I finally convince myself that that's what's going on, I will get up and try to do something productive to tire myself out, only to get tired to the point of my eyes refusing to open just about the time the sun's up and I have to go somewhere; usually work. Then it's time to glue my eyes shut with some caffeine.
Today is one of those days. Here's to another year of this _not_ happening.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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