Monthly Archives: August 2005
The Soda’s in the Bathtub
Posted on August 31, 2005
In lieu of an actual entry today (which I don’t have time for), please to visit Marissa Lingen’s LiveJournal and this entry, in which she says something nice and perceptive about my writing, but also (and rather more importantly) says something useful for writers of the science fiction persuasion. See you in September.
3.2 Followup
Posted on August 30, 2005 4 Comments
I installed Movable Type 3.2 on the 26th, and it took until 13 minutes ago for it not to automatically shunt all the comment spam I received into its “junk” queue, and the single comment spam that it didn’t shunt into the “junk” queue had a “warning” mark on it, meaning it was held for […]
Scifi.com Interview
Posted on August 30, 2005 4 Comments
There’s a brief article about Agent to the Stars, up at Scifi.com, which includes a couple of quotes from yours truly. As a fun excercise, and to show the curious how the publicity sausage is made, behind the cut you’ll see the full text I supplied to the writer (in answer to his questions), which […]
Back to School
Posted on August 29, 2005 27 Comments
Having mastered the intricacies of kindergarten to a good and sufficient level, Athena has been invited back to attempt the rigors of 1st grade. Naturally we here in the Scalzi household wish her all the best in this difficult endeavor. Yes, of course I’m being ironic. The other day at the school’s open house I […]
Additional 3.2 Notes
Posted on August 27, 2005 47 Comments
Having now lived with Movable Type 3.2 for 12 hours, I will note two things about it: 1. It looks prettier than earlier versions (it features color on its little icons, which makes a surprising amount of difference, esthetically speaking). 2. Since I’ve installed it, I’ve had no blogspam of any sort, either in comments […]
On the 3.2
Posted on August 26, 2005 12 Comments
I had a squidgy sort of upgrade experience to Movable Type 3.2. Drop me a comment so I know they’re working, would you? Thanks.
Upgrading
Posted on August 26, 2005 2 Comments
Attempting to upgrade to Movable Type 3.2. Things may get a little weird.
Antidote
Posted on August 26, 2005 5 Comments
For everyone truly disturbed and appalled by the picture of Athena earlier today, I offer this picture to soothe your jangled nerves: James Franks, I hereby request you post this picture on your office door as well, so all your shuddering co-workers can see that she’s actually a sweet, normal little girl. Also, I want […]
Where It Comes From
Posted on August 26, 2005 15 Comments
In case you missed it — because it’s really just too good to miss — the picture of Athena promoting Scott Westerfeld’s new vampire book Peeps: Now, you ask, from what side of the family does that look come from? Let’s ask her mother, shall we? Hmmm. On second thought, you know, let’s not. Unless […]
Checking My Calendar…
Posted on August 25, 2005 7 Comments
And it appears today is not “National ‘Let’s Have the Bugshit Annoying Send E-Mail to John Scalzi’ Day.” And yet so many of them chose today to do just that. Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Did I not get a memo? Somebody tell me.
Whoops
Posted on August 25, 2005
Just deleted about 10 comments by accident (including three of my own). If you see that a comment you posted has disappeared, it’s not that you’re being censored, it’s that I’m an idjit. Please feel free to repost.
Peeps!
Posted on August 25, 2005 12 Comments
My pal Scott Westerfeld’s latest book Peeps hits the stores today, and it does for vampires what 28 Days Later… did for zombies, which is to put concept into a plausible and fascinating science-based context, gleefully messes with your preconceptions and then kicks the plot into hyperdrive and takes you along with it, as you […]
Google Talk Address
Posted on August 24, 2005 10 Comments
I’ve downloaded Google Talk and have decided to make it my public IM address, at which anyone can drop me an instant message (as opposed to my private IM address, which is on another service entirely, and which is reserved for family, personal friends, and for business associates). If you have Google Talk or one […]
Glub, Glub
Posted on August 23, 2005 4 Comments
Have to submerge for several days. Posting will be light through the rest of the month. Courage.
Making Multiples
Posted on August 22, 2005 6 Comments
The Scalzis are multiplying! For the folks who ask how I did this sort of picture, it’s actually pretty simple. First you set your camera on a flat surface, so it doesn’t move. You snap multiple pictures of your subject without moving your camera one bit. Try to make sure your subject doesn’t occupy the […]
There Can Be Only One
Posted on August 22, 2005 10 Comments
Man, don’t even ask me to explain what’s going on in this picture. Suffice to say that if you think you know which one is the evil triplet, you’re probably so very wrong. Also: The Ronco Clone-O-Matic? Buggy. Oh yeah.
Amazon Shorts
Posted on August 22, 2005 46 Comments
Online bookseller Amazon has started something called “Amazon Shorts,” in which selected authors are selling short stories and essays in electronic format for 49 cents. How is it for readers and authors? I decided to find out. First on the reader end: I went and bought one of the Amazon Shorts (The War of Dogs […]
Y.A.S.P. (Yet Another Sunset Picture)
Posted on August 21, 2005 2 Comments
You know, I actually promised myself tonight that I wasn’t going to take a picture of the sunset. But in the end I couldn’t resist. It looked too much like a sunset painted by this guy, and I knew none of you would believe me unless I actually went out and snapped a photo of […]
A Brilliant Goodbye
Posted on August 21, 2005 12 Comments
Hunter S. Thompson is in those fireworks. His ashes, anyway (and if they weren’t entirely ashes before, they are now). Damn, that’s an awesome way to go. I personally intend to be cremated, since weighing my survivors down with thousands of dollars of wholly unnecessary funeral expenses is not really the way I wish to […]
Sunset 8/19/05
Posted on August 20, 2005 1 Comment
Off the front porch. Excluding rainy days, it’s like this most of the time when sunset rolls around. There are worse views to have.
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying