27 Comments on “Traveling Thursday”

1. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

2. I remember someone saying that the penalty for this kind of crime has been doubled from not going to jail for 5 years to not going to jail for 10 years. I wonder if these two will actually end up doing time.

3. Sealed the evidence? Time for an impeachment. And, I am a life long republican.

   Next voting cycle, I vote for whoever is not the incumbent…(Unless we get a rope party topgether first).

4. (Well, don’t you know)
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

   All day long they’re singin’
   (hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
   (hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)

   (Well, don’t you know)
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

   All day long they work so hard
   Till the sun is goin’ down
   Working on the highways and byways
   And wearing, wearing a frown
   You hear them moanin’ their lives away
   Then you hear somebody sa-ay

   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

   Can’t ya hear them singin’
   Mm, I’m goin’ home one of these days
   I’m goin’ home see my woman
   Whom I love so dear
   But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere

   (Well, don’t you know)
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
   That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang

   All day long they’re singin’, mm
   My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
   Give me water, I’m thirsty

   FADE
   My work is so hard

   (poor baby)

5. Oh, did I mention there will be a new Star Chores episode available tomorrow morning.

6. For a while I’ve been waiting for an open thread to point out this really amazing website: http://www.deviantart.com

   If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an online art community that works really well as a sounding-board for beginning artists who need a source of feedback on their work.

   Incidentally, some of my own writing is on the site. My name links to the latest chapter, and the following link takes you to the prologue:

   http://www.deviantart.com/view/33095422/

   Just wanted to slip that in before the converstion turned political.

7. I just have this horrible, nagging feeling that Bush will pardon these crooks if they don’t skip the country first.

8. TIme to get out the red hot pokers and give those Enron guys the same warm welcome Edward II got at Berkely Castle!

9. TIme to get out the red hot pokers and give those Enron guys the same warm welcome Edward II got at Berkely Castle!

10. An open thread! And me without my needle. But I do have a question for those Science Fiction readers out there in Scalziland.

    How do Science Fiction readers feel about the influx of Romantic Science Fiction being labeled and shelved in the Science Fiction section of the book store?

    Example: Linnea Sinclair’s An Accidental Goddess. IMnshO, this book should have been labeled Romantic Space Opera. Sure, there are space ships and a space station and a sentient A.I.. There’s even techno jargon (though sparingly). But again, IMnshO, the story itself was about 50/50 when it came to the romance and space part. Not so much science fiction, except the fact it all happened in space. I would have pushed it toward the romance ailse myself.
    Those are my thoughts this day. Do y’all have any you’d care to share?

    Oh. On a different note. I’m a romance reader as well as a science fiction reader, I’ll put forward, I enjoyed the book. No problem on that end. It was a quick, cute read.

11. Check out this knucklehead

12. And I would have spelled aisle, aisle, instead of ailse. But that’s just me :-}

13. Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling – smartest guys in the cell block…

14. Mary,

    The blending of different genres is always going to be a tough call for the book marketers and book sellers.

    If something is set in the future and there’s spaceships and what-not, that’s Sci-Fi, whether it’s mainly about a romantic relationship, a murder mystery (there are several authors who specialize in that these days), or whatever. That doesn’t mean that it’s not sci-fi. I do think that it could be placed in both sci-fi and romance sections of the bookstore to the benefit of both sci-fi and romance patrons, though that’s obviously unlikely to happen to due to shelfspace issues and perhaps even contractual agreements with the publishers. Perhaps a smallish display for crossovers or something would be beneficial, I dunno.

    I’m certainly not bugged by it, though.

    Some of the best sci-fi I’ve read wasn’t ABOUT the science fiction aspects of the story, but because of an interesting situation or great characters (preferrably both) that just happened to be placed in a sci-fi setting. Sometimes you’ll get those interesting situations that can only happen in a sci-fi setting, but I don’t think it’s necessary to a great story.

    I remember a long time ago when some bookstores would have separate categories for sci-fi and fantasy. Then crossovers like some of the Piers Anthony stuff came along and boom, can’t put it anymore accurately in one or the other. Now they just lump all sci-fi and fantasy in together, which I still find kind of annoying, even though I read both.

    Certainly it’s not a problem in the movie world. Let’s take Ladyhawke as an example. An unfortunately-dated soundtrack, to be sure, but one of the best stories out there. Is it fantasy? Obviously. But you’d be a fool to not also consider it romance, if not primarily a romance. And it’s the better movie for it. I’d love to see a rerelease with a classical music soundtrack, but I’m not gonna hold my breath.

    And what about the Princess Bride? Comedy, romance, and fantasy all in one, and a brilliant story because it all balances so well.

15. Mary, I’ve never considered romantic science fiction a big enough sub-genre to support itself, except maybe in a very large book store.

    And if you like romantic sci-fi, you might like this chapter of my story. It’s hard to identify as sci-fi, but it is, I swear. My name links to it.

16. Yippee! Its Fleet Week!

17. Even better, it’s Towel Day! (google it)

18. Re Romantic SF being a viable sub-genre, I’d say most of Bujold’s work could be considered Romanace/SF. (Which I don’t mean as a criticism.) And she’s got quite a bit that sells tolerably well…

19. I am from Hoston. My family suffers from the collapse and will for a long time.

    They will all learn how it feels to get screwed by men who are more powerful then they are. Turn-about’s a bitch, ain’t it?

20. Thanks, all. I was just wondering how other science fiction readers felt. Your comments have certainly given me more info in understanding how some books get put into a category I wouldn’t necessarily think they belonged in.

    And, Tim? Those were some fantastic movies.
    “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” I still love to watch Mandy Patinkin.

21. Re: Romantic Sci-Fi, I suspect it’s not my thing, though I really can’t say until I’ve read more of it. So having it put in the Sci-Fi section taking up shelf space and eyeball space is a bit of a bummer for me. Last time I visted the local Sci-Fi and fantasy bookstore (Bakka) what I noticed taking up an awful lot of shelf space is castles and princesses style fantasy–which I’m definitely interested in. But while it’s a bummer for me, there’s nothing per se wrong with lumping everything into one section. The reason I keep coming back to Bakka is that they give me far better information with which to buy books than gendre or author or even blurb. They review some of the books they sell, and put their own blurbs and recommendations in the store. I’ve bought books I’d never consider otherwise based on their recommendations, and even the “misses” have been good. (IIRC, Old Man’s War was in the recommended section).

22. Lars, the SF bookstore (yes, that’s what it’s called) in Stockholm has a separate shelf for romantic science fiction. We call it Eva’s shelf, in honour of my kitchen mistress, who no longer have to make special orders to get her fix.

    And when I’m here and talking about that bookstore, I can mention they’ve just gotten TGB, so I’ll finally be able to pick it up, yay. When I have the time to go there, of course. No matter how much one prepares, I don’t think anyone knows how much time it takes to care for a newborn.

23. I live in Houston and one of our good friends here got screwed over by the Enron boys. She’s very happy about the verdicts.

    Personally, I’m just looking forward to the day when the local news isn’t all about the trial.

    Romantic sci-fi? Hm.

24. Time for FUNNY

    If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
    The two most common things in the Universe are hydrogen, and stupidity.
    Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
    When you go into court, you are putting your fate into the hands of people who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty.
    I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.
    Ignorance will take you to a lot more interesting places than knowledge.
    The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with them.
    Half of being smart is knowing what you’re dumb at.
    If you took all the stupid people in the world… you’d have formed Rhode Island.
    Never assume malice for what stupidity can explain.
    The number of people watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your action.
    I prefer the wicked rather than the foolish. The wicked sometimes rest.
    Build a machine an idiot can use, and only an idiot will want to use it.
    Oh yeah? You wanna step out of the giant robot and say that again?
    7/5th of all people don’t understand fractions.
    Many people, when they run into a telephone pole, blame the pole.
    Common sense isn’t.
    Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don’t have film.
    If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
    Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
    I’m not only weird. I’m gifted too.
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge… Others just gargle.
    I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
    I can’t dial 911.. There’s no 11 on my phone.
    It’s okay to let your mind go blank; but please turn off the sound.
    A weak mind is like a microscope. It magnifies trifling things, but cannot receive great ones.
    By doing just a little each day, I can gradually let the task overwhelm me.
    Being intelligent is not a felony. But most societies mark it as at least a misdemeanor.
    He may look like an idiot, and talk like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you. He really is an idiot.
    For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.
    April 1st. The day we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.
    It’s amazing how much “mature wisdom” resembles being too tired.
    Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
    You are depriving some village of its idiot.
    Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s own ignorance.
    I got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
    Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean that the other guy is stupid.
    He who laughs last thinks slowest.
    You should always write your name on your underwear. See, I’m Machine Wash Cold.
    I am infaliable.
    Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
    Every day, man is making bigger and better fool-proof things, and every day, nature is making bigger and better fools. So far, I think nature is winning.
    But I thought it was inflammable!
    Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.
    She has a mind like a steel trap – rusty and illegal in most places.
    Support bacteria – they’re the only culture some people have.
    You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can’t make him think.
    I’ve discovered that I often visit the state of confusion, and I know my way around pretty well.
    When it comes to thought, some people stop at nothing.
    I never really learned the difference between what is right or wrong. That’s why I automatically assume that whatever I say MUST be right.
    There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.

25. Not that I mind a little romance in my science fiction (or even a lot), I am certainly amused to see someone else got the same reaction off one of Sinclair’s books that I got off Finders Keepers. (Which, btw, I have not been able to finish because of a huge chunk of pages in the last third of the novel being one huge toner smear. Is it still done that one sends such things back to the publisher for a replacement?)

26. Hi Nicole,

    Glad I wasn’t the only one to notice this. I got the same reaction from all three of Sinclair’s books I’ve read. While I knew there would be romance in them (judging from their covers alone), I didn’t think it would be quite so prevalent. The romance didn’t bother me, mind you, it just surprised me there was so much with the book being categorized as Science Fiction.

    As for you not being able to finish FK because of damage to the book? I wouldn’t think the publisher would have a problem with replacing your copy (having nothing to do with Bantam Spectra, I won’t actually say yes or no, I could be wrong :-) ), so long as they had more in stock. I’m pretty sure it’s the same as taking a damaged item back to a store and having it replaced. But I’ve only done this once and it was through the store I bought the book from.

    Thanks for your opinion.

    And thank you all for indulging me. I seem to have usurped this open thread.

27. Refer to the “Tongue” picture and that is all they will be doing togather for hopfully a LONG TIME. Ain’t life a bitch and I wonder which one it will be.