The four of us are planning to get together for his birthday. I already bought his present but it will probably arrive next week.
Had the folks over for beers last night; in attendance, Melissa, Ryan, Brian C, Jarmo and Rob of Nine, who was, unfortunately, not able to massage my printer into compliance as there is no driver for it. Drat.
After they all left, Swampy came over for a beer and told me that things are going much more smoothly than he anticipated and it was just really pleasant to have him here – and we discussed a couple of books, including Focusing and The Dosadi Experiment (which is basically a fast forward through Dune without the religion and with a kickass courtroom scene at the end). Then at nine my date came over. We sat outside next to the fountain until about the fourth time he slapped a mosquito (imagine that… a guy who gets bit by mosquitoes more than I do!?) at which point I said that I found it unconscionably inhospitable to contribute to his discomfort so, and besides, there was beer and a bathroom back at my place…
So I guess I’ve had a very sociable weekend already and it ain’t even noon on Saturday yet.
Today is the 100th centenary of Heinlein’s birth. How I wished he could have become a blogger. Okay, I don’t but it makes me laugh to think about how he would have talked about the last three or four sets of American governments.
I talked to Kira on the phone today. She was purring. Zeek!, thank heaven, is back to his old self and the bloody spot under his chin has cleared up. His bloodwork came back okay so the 1200 vet bill Paul and I were looking at turned out not to be necessary.
Keith will come by today before work with more Aubrey/Maturin for me. (more, more more!) and some other media for me to peruse (hopefully Fables III and IV).
I watched Denis Leary’s music video of Asshole last night. I always liked the song, but the video was brilliant, IMO.
Facebook is extremely amusing, and I’m having loads o’ fun with it. Mostly poking people. I’ve gotten into a poking contest with two people; I know that sounds rude, but it’s harmless virtual primate fun.
Here’s a cool “matrix style” domestic argument, from Japanese TV.
I did not want to be reminded that RAH is dead. I prefer to think of him as alive, like Mycroft Holmes, just waiting for the right stimuli to spring forth and in his case, write another book.
I have been searching for some time for a writer who has even a shadow of RAH’s qualities. The closest I have found is Dana Stabenow, for her Star books. She is better known for her Kate Shugak mysteries, and even charmed me by including Kate Shugak references in one of her books set in the future. Mostly it’s the optimism, I think. Much of SF now is deeply pessimistic, even morbid. We have give up all our SF magazine subscriptions except the Canadian ones, and in them, and the occasional newsstand SF magazine, find NO humor, NO optimism, not much invention in the story where there is a story at all, and – well, nobody to whom I can RELATE. (There has to be a tune the people can HUM.)
Spider Robinson is not bad for humor, and has even evoked a sense of wonder in some of his later Callaghan books. But Spider and Dana between them couldn’t write like RAH on their best day.
Heavy sigh.
It is a very good thing that RAH is infinitely re-readable.
And Happy Birthday, Keith. Your Fables compilations are on the way.
I sure wish that boy would log on and join the party. He would like to be minimal on the net though.
Keith, I wish you a very Happy Birthday! You are now of legal age both in Canada and the US (Jenn has to wait another 7 1/2 months).
Very kewl puppetry in the Japanese segment, amusing and astounding. Did Keith find that? I still love the dancing dog he sent. Happy birthday Keith!