tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53571092009-02-20T19:57:08.117-05:00"The only proper response to such ponderously aggressive asininity is a persistent campaign of savage public ridicule."NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-58590003060054003572008-01-07T17:12:00.000-05:002008-01-07T17:18:14.412-05:00

What am I doing? Project 365.I didn't start on January 1. In fact, my first photograph of the year is from Thursday, January 3, and it is this:My sister Rachel and our two-year-old cousin Haden, who's astride ancient Horseback Bob. Haden was visiting along with her sister Ellen (who stole my birthdate), their mother Martha, their Aunt Gail and our cousin Courtney.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1131283441890058902005-11-06T08:23:00.000-05:002005-11-06T08:24:01.900-05:00

I seem more or less to have switched over to LiveJournal. Will I ever use blogger again? Who knows? Probably I'll find a use for it. In the meantime, I can be found here.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1128391058002734362005-10-03T21:49:00.000-04:002005-10-03T21:57:38.010-04:00

Yom Tov, Shanah Tovah, yes, it's the New Year. And I've become what I don't like: one of those guys who only goes to shul on the big holidays. I wouldn't even do that, but seeing as I'm living at home at the moment, it's not worth fighting with my parents about. When I expressed my mild displeasure with going to synagogue, my father snapped a bit. Started going on about how I need the

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1128273423277741832005-10-02T13:08:00.000-04:002005-10-02T18:58:13.663-04:00

I saw Serenity yesterday, and it was exactly what I expected: great fun. Not perfect; it had its flaws. But it was certainly the best science fiction film of the year and probably the last decade. You can find gushing reviews everywhere, so I'm not going to repeat them all -- just go out and do me a favor and see it. Of course I saw it alone, so had no one with whom to share my enthusiasm,

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1128011148901522142005-09-29T11:55:00.000-04:002005-09-29T12:25:48.910-04:00

I like "heroic fantasy" as much as the next guy. Actually, chances are I like it a good deal more than any given next guy. And I'm always looking for exciting new stuff. So when I heard about Lords of Swords, I was naturally a little excited. It contained stories by E. E. Knight and Vera Nazarian, both of whose work I like, as well as stories by several established names, and some by writers

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127752626008010742005-09-26T12:24:00.000-04:002005-09-26T12:37:06.016-04:00

There's a certain phenomenon I've noticed. My dad has, too, in his workplace. And it is this: people are so concerned with being nice that they forget actually to do work at work. Now, I have no problem with being nice. Far from it. I like to think I'm a generally nice guy. I have, in fact, been told more than once that I'm often too nice for my own good. But there's nice and there's nice.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127578557894878972005-09-24T12:09:00.000-04:002005-09-24T12:15:57.900-04:00

Well, my dad's on his way home from CA now. He's switching planes in Phoenix as we speak, and will be home around 1800 if all goes well.Here, it's an absolutely beautiful day. The 95 degree armpit weather of the past few days has broken. The sun's out, the sky's blue, there's a fantastic breeze blowing. I walked Caleb down by the river for the first time in a couple weeks. Last time I got

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127495689491348972005-09-23T13:13:00.000-04:002005-09-23T13:14:49.496-04:00

Remember I announced a few days ago that there's a new Tim Powers novel coming? Well, here's the blurb:When 12-year-old Daphne Marrity steals a videotape of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure from her grandmother's house, neither she nor her college-professor father, Frank Marrity, have any idea that the theft has drawn the attention of both the Israeli Secret Service and an ancient European organization

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127261023164259772005-09-22T07:57:00.000-04:002005-09-22T11:43:19.733-04:00

So, you want to read the best debut novel of the year? Not only that, but one of the greatest, most interesting books of the year, debut or otherwise? Check out Hal Duncan's Vellum, the first half of his two-book sequence The Book of All Hours. What's it about? Duncan says:I know I had a lot of fun trying to come up with a blurb. Hearing that movie trailer voice in your head can make you come

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127134547827541372005-09-19T08:43:00.000-04:002005-09-19T14:24:42.923-04:00

You know one of the only downsides to fall and winter? All the tasty vegetation is out of season.A couple days ago, I watched the two new trailers for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. To my surprise, it actually looks like fun, and my guess is it will be my favorite of the Potter films to date. The first two were rubbish, and the third, though visually interesting, wasn't paced very well.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127099222896144552005-09-18T22:56:00.000-04:002005-09-18T23:07:02.903-04:00

This morning started off like most Sunday mornings: take the recyclables out, go get some bagels, get my little sister to Sunday School, get home. Except this time I didn't. Get home, that is. You see, my block is a circle. The only way out is onto the parkway, and this morning there was some kind of race or run on the parkway. The roads off of it were cordoned off and everything. Honestly,

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1127010657648933852005-09-17T21:12:00.000-04:002005-09-17T23:01:15.710-04:00

Before I start on today's entry, I just want to make a quick FYI. Whenever I link to a book, movie, CD or anything on Amazon, I'm linking to the edition I've read, watched, or listened to. With books or movies this usually doesn't make much difference, but with music, almost anything I mention will have 50 or 60 different recordings. Since I'm not the enthusiast of the sort who can afford that

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1126890161682498742005-09-16T12:37:00.000-04:002005-09-17T10:02:10.406-04:00

Recently, I've been listening to a lot of Russian ballets: Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, Stravinsky's The Firebird, and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. The latter in particular has been stuck in my head for a couple weeks. Brilliant stuff. But I've put all that aside for the moment to listen to a set with an irresistable title: EPICS: The History of the World According to

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1126576766159731222005-09-12T21:54:00.000-04:002005-09-17T11:26:27.000-04:00

It's been so long since I've blogged (and I'm still surprised every time I use the word blog at all, let alone as a verb) that I don't really know where to start or even what to say.As you may or may not know, I went to Poland in July with my father, his father, and my siblings. My grandfather's a Holocaust survivor from Poland, but hadn't been back. We toured through the southern half of the

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1126276018770496552005-09-09T10:26:00.000-04:002005-09-09T10:26:58.776-04:00

From Caity:Leave your name and I'll1. I'll respond with something random about you.2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1125450988109462152005-08-30T21:15:00.000-04:002005-08-30T21:16:28.113-04:00

Happy birthday, Liz! Happy birthday, Chris!

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1125343115000230132005-08-29T15:16:00.000-04:002005-08-29T15:18:35.006-04:00

22 today. This year's going to see some big changes for me. It's all very exciting.I've probably no credibility left, assuming I ever had any, but I sincerely intend to get back to blogging soon.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1124479708868448872005-08-19T15:27:00.000-04:002005-08-19T21:10:14.820-04:00

As of right now, I have a new cousin. Please welcome Haden Katri Lodge Helojoki into the world.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1120879116952958842005-07-08T23:16:00.000-04:002005-07-08T23:18:36.956-04:00

No updates for the next couple weeks. I'm off to Poland until July 21. Anyone needs anything from Poland, now's the time to let me know.I've got a fairly large pile of nice new books to plow through when I get back, so maybe I'll actually get back to litblogging (or blogging at all), but that depends on how well my mother recuperates from her surgery, scheduled for the 26th, among other

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1119890427830789862005-06-27T11:56:00.000-04:002005-06-27T13:03:06.753-04:00

I haven't updated in a while, and I have some time, so here goes. . .Things I've done in the past few weeks that may potentially be of some interest:I spent an extended weekend down in Richmond and then Williamsburg. In Richmond I stayed a couple days with my three great-aunts as I do annually. Just caught up with them, enjoyed the company and the anecdotes (The worst thing my my Aunt Flora's

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1119659230774984352005-06-24T20:26:00.000-04:002005-06-24T20:27:10.780-04:00

"Be not bold, be fucking BOLD. Every time you meet someone, make a fucking impression. Make them think you're the hottest shit in the world. Make them think they're gonna lose their job if they don't give you one. Look 'em in the eye, and never look away. Be confident and calm, be fucking bold." - James Frey, MY FRIEND LEONARDthanks to Jonathan Carroll

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1118744183958432982005-06-14T06:15:00.000-04:002005-06-14T06:16:23.963-04:00

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.Here are this year's winners:1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.3. Bozone (n.):

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1118636190100101272005-06-13T00:15:00.000-04:002005-06-13T00:16:30.106-04:00

I'm going to keep an ongoing list of books I've read and movies I've watched since graduation. Very simple. The link is on the sidebar.That is all for tonight.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1118505391660235452005-06-11T11:50:00.000-04:002005-06-11T11:56:31.666-04:00

I recently read Connie Willis' new novella, Inside Job. It's short, and as a limited edition quite expensive, but it's a lot of fun. It's about a couple of skeptics, professional "debunkers" who discredit psychics, and what happens when they chance upon a psychic who seems genuinely to be channelling the great spirit H.L. Mencken. Par for the course for Willis, it's fun and funny and pretty

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5357109.post-1118347117389341582005-06-09T15:57:00.000-04:002005-06-09T15:58:37.393-04:00

Cut a tomato into wedges. Dump a can of tunafish on top of it. Dump slices of avocado on top of that. Enjoy.

NSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863423180920030789noreply@blogger.com