Tuesday, March 29, 2005

those wacky scientologists

Kicked out of the Times Square subway station.

Mr. Carmichael said that the $8 donation was not a requirement. Indeed, a sign sometimes displayed on the table near the books says "suggested donation: $8."

But when a reporter presenting himself as a stressed-out New Yorker took the test and suggested a donation of considerably less than $8 for the book, the tester, a young man in a striped tie, balked.

"It's a fixed donation," the man said. "The money is just to recover the cost of producing the books."

A saleswoman at a major paperback-book printer in the Midwest, who asked that her firm not be identified, provided an estimate for a book with similar specifications to "Dianetics," which has 700 pages, a black-and-white photo insert and a four-color cover. The price: $1.58 per copy for 50,000 copies, not including. distribution and delivery. The church says it has published more than 20 million copies of the book.


But this is even better:

"Even if the guy doesn't buy a book, we've gotten him to take a look at his life and see what's troubling him," Mr. Davis said. "That's a service in itself. "We've had guys sit down who are thinking of committing suicide. I've had people who killed other people. Just by doing the stress test they realize, 'Hey, this is something I need to handle.' "

it must be something in the booze.

What's the deal?

The Truesmonster is back, Spinrad said some thing. SF is dead. SF will never die.

Is this all over the place lately or what? Something in particular stirring up the venom? Is there paranoia that if we don't talk about this stuff it will happen?

Or are we all just procrastinating?

Your thoughts. A penny.

(I did love the Chrononautic Log discussion on belief that resulted though.)

Monday, March 28, 2005

JPPN!

Holy crap! The second and final (so they say) ish of The Journal of Pulse-Pounding Narratives is here. Well, here.

Stories from people you have heard of and people you haven't and the art -- if you saw the first one you know this is something you will Want. Want!

Also: ProjectPulp.com

Sunday, March 27, 2005

What are you feeling?

Worldwide facial expressions
survey.

Answer the bonus questions to see
John Cleese's answers.

The Fawns

The Fawns (and all the associated bands...) have a neat thing on their webby site where you can go listen to all of their lovely poppy album, Smiling. Try the 1st song and "A Little Bit Nervous" -- nice use of cymbals, really. Then pop for the CD.

And if you're in Chicago you can see them there soon. Don't know the dates, sorry.

Update: here's at least one date:

Saturday, April 23rd: International Pop Overthrow
Early show: The Subversives - Gone Baby Gone - Yesmen - School For The Dead - Din - The Fawns - Adrian & Mario - Doors at 12:30pm, 1:30pm show - $6.00 day of show
Late show: The Cells - Orange Park - Second Saturday - Johnny Monaco - Admiral Twin - Golden NewB - The Hatch - Atlas - Doors at 6:30pm, 7:30pm show - $8.00 day of show

(Thanks, John.)

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Andre Norton: An Unusual Last Wish Fulfilled

Andre Norton Dies at 93, An Unusual Last Wish Fulfilled
by Kevin Howell, PW Daily


Prolific science fiction/fantasy author Andre Norton, 93, died Thursday of congestive heart failure--not long after her publisher fulfilled her wish to hold a copy of her final novel in her hands.

Tor Books president and publisher Tom Doherty did this by pushing the printing and binding date of Three Hands for Scorpio ahead by two weeks. "We did the entire print run of her book early," said Jim Frenkel, who edited Norton's books at Tor for the last two decades.

The company got a copy "straight from the bindery," Frenkel continued. "We Fed-Ex overnighted her a first copy. I heard secondhand that she held it and said she was pleased by the cobalt blue color of the jacket. She was very specific that when she died she wanted her first and last novels to be cremated with her."

Thursday, March 10, 2005

eerie eerie eerie!!!

I don't even know what to say. Just read it.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Because Davey and Goliath just isn't Xtreme enough

now the kids can learn wholesome lessons from Bibleman, a shiny Power Ranger type with some kind of light saber-y thing. They don't seem to be on t.v, but you can buy all the DVD's today!

From A Light In The Darkness:

A cloud of darkness and despair descends on the city, courtesy of hilarious evil villain the Wacky Protestor, spreading isolation and sadness to Biblegirl and others. The Word of God guides Bibleman and Cypher to be the light that guides Biblegirl back and chases the Wacky Protestor into the darkness.

I'm kind of loving the villain names like Primordius Drool and El Furioso ("one of the most flamboyant and hilarious villains ever").

Monday, March 07, 2005

you smell

Actually, there is a particularly smelly guy who frequents our local library and who it is important NEVER to get in an elevator with.

However, I'm not sure I think reeky types should be booted from the premises, as is allowed in San Luis Obispo. Such regulations are full of thorny questions:

...said Irene Macias, Santa Barbara's library services manager.

"What is bad odor?" Macias asked. "A woman who wears a strong perfume? A person who had a garlicky meal?


The gentleman in the elevator smells of neither garlic nor perfume, I assure you.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

why the plants die

So, who knew that you're only supposed to water inside plants once a week? Why wasn't I told this?

I thought they LIKED water.