Monthly Archives: December 2005
Stick a Fork in 2005
Posted on December 30, 2005 3 Comments
As far as Whatever is concerned, 2005 is a done deal; I’m spending the rest of the year with family, offline. See you all in 2006. May the planets align to make the new year be the year you hope it will be.
Fun, While It Lasts
Posted on December 29, 2005 12 Comments
In addition to the recliners, another thing we got ourselves this holiday season is a new mattress, to replace the one we currently have. It arrives in about a week. The one we’re getting is apparently made of space age miracle fibers or something, and it’s arguably the most expensive thing we’ve bought that we […]
Another Sighting; Also, Amazon Author Blogs
Posted on December 29, 2005 22 Comments
A second bookstore sighting of the trade paperback of Old Man’s War, taken on the 26th (i.e., the day before the official release) by my pal Emily, who now gets the official signed chapbook reward. Good on ya, Emily! Incidentally, now that the OMW trade paperback is officially out, the “spot it in the stores” […]
The Recline of the American Family
Posted on December 29, 2005 11 Comments
For Christmas, Krissy got us his and her matching recliners, which have just been delivered, and as you may see here are sufficiently wide for our inevitiable capitulation to the middle-aged flabination (actually it’s not inevitable, but it’s nice to be prepared). And they match, in a color that is somewhere between maroon and burgundy […]
Variation on a Theme
Posted on December 28, 2005 2 Comments
James Nicoll is playing a riff off my “gateway science fiction” thread, to see what works from other eras could be seen as gateway SF — which is to say, the science fiction you’d give to people who haven’t read science fiction before. Get the details of Nicoll’s quest here.
I Require New Music!
Posted on December 28, 2005 79 Comments
You know what? I was thinking about writing about my favorite album of the last year when I discovered it was actually released in 2004. Naturally I find this lapse terrifying coming from someone who until recently reviewed music as part of his income stream. It may also be indicative of 2005 being a suck-ass […]
The Chicago Tribune’s Take on the War
Posted on December 28, 2005 13 Comments
Via Instapundit: The Chicago Tribune takes a look at the Bush Administration’s rationales for war and whether those rationales had merit (registration required). It’s a mixed decision, from the point of view of the Trib: The administration pushed its weakest argument (the weapons of mass destruction) and didn’t properly promote its strongest arguments (that Saddam […]
The Big Time
Posted on December 27, 2005 10 Comments
According to BlogPulse, the “Being Poor” entry is #6 in the Top Blog Posts of 2005. Naturally I’m pleased to see it got some traction. I also see that Cherie Priest shows up on the list twice, at #10 and #14. It’s like we’re the king and queen of the Internet Prom! Or something.
Thinking About 2006
Posted on December 27, 2005 3 Comments
Here we are in the becalmed Saragasso seas of the final week of the year, and I’m thinking about what I’ll be doing in 2006. Just as 2005 was significant for me in that it was the year I checked off the last thing on my adolescent “to do” list for my life, 2006 promises […]
Old Man’s War Trade Paperback Officially Out
Posted on December 27, 2005 10 Comments
All of you who have said to yourself, “Gee, I’d like to buy Old Man’s War, but that hardback is too damned expensive” — your long nightmare is over. The trade paperback edition of Old Man’s War has now officially hit the shelves. Mob the stores! Or get it online in the usual places. A […]
Just So You Know
Posted on December 25, 2005 14 Comments
I did a small bit of fiddling with the Whatever design. Comments, etc can be left here. Also, and unrelated: A review of The Ghost Brigades here. The review is generally positive and calls the book “a pageturner with surprising emotional rewards”, although the reviewer is a little annoyed that I drop in a bunch […]
A Very Scalzi Christmas, 2005
Posted on December 25, 2005 8 Comments
Come see Christmas at the Scalzi household. Actually most of the pictures are from Christmas Eve, but really. Like it matters.
It’s Not Easy Being Spoiled
Posted on December 25, 2005 10 Comments
Athena, with her new harmonica, performing her now classic “I Got Dem ‘I Unwrapped All My Presents And Now I Got Nothin’ Left to Unwrap’ Blues Again, Mama!” Truly, a lament many children can get behind, right about now. Merry Christmas!
Found in the Wild
Posted on December 24, 2005 16 Comments
We have the first spotting of the trade paperback of Old Man’s War, in the Elk Grove, California Borders. Jeff Callahan here wins a copy of a short story chapbook of mine, signed by me and Athena (although to be clear, I wrote the stories). Congratulations, Jeff! I have two more of these chapbooks to […]
Whatever Best of 2005
Posted on December 23, 2005 11 Comments
Athena’s birthday today, followed by Christmas, followed by a week where I catch up on pay copy that I’ve promised people by the end of the year, equals a pretty good chance I’ll be scarce here through the end of the year. Of course I said that last year and then wrote two entries a […]
Athena’s Birthday Gift To You
Posted on December 22, 2005 22 Comments
Athena turns seven tomorrow, and to celebrate she’s dropping a little tunage on you: A mix of some of her favorite songs (~22 MB). Yes, she picked all the songs herself, and yes, we let her listen to music that has the occasional bad word in it. She’s smart enough not to sing those particular […]
Life Goals Past and Present
Posted on December 22, 2005 29 Comments
In the grand historical scheme of things, 2005 largely sucked, but personally it was a very fine year indeed. I hope the two are not related, since I want things to get better for everybody else, but I’d also, you know, like to keep on doing what I’ve got going. I suppose if there were […]
Making a Contribution
Posted on December 21, 2005 6 Comments
Some of you may remember that when I announced that Penny Arcade artist Mike Krahulik was doing the cover to Agent to the Stars, that I also mentioned that when people ordered the book from the Subterranean Press site, Subterranean Press would donate 10% of the cover price to Child’s Play, the charity the Penny […]
On Reader Requests and, Also, Iran
Posted on December 20, 2005 31 Comments
From a commenter named Greg: My only comment would be that you tend to wear out certain topics…By now, we all know how you feel about Bush (utter contempt!), the Patriot Act (hate it!), Intelligent Design (hate it, too!) and gay marriage (love it!) These predictable topics give you the ability to post the kind […]
The Flying Spaghetti Monster Will Not Be Pleased
Posted on December 20, 2005 24 Comments
“Intelligent Design” officially gets the boot in Dover, Pennsylvania. There are some choice quotes in the story from the judge who made the ruling. I think this is my favorite: “It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying