Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Octavia Butler

I have no real clarity about what I want to say here right now, but I've just come from reading a couple of obituaries for Octavia Butler. She was a very smart lady, of great importance to the science fiction community, and it is a shock to lose her so soon.

If you haven't already, go get a copy of her Parable of the Sower. It's a wonderful book.

Monday, February 27, 2006

'scuse me while I kiss this guy

"Did he really just say 'today is a perfect day to chase tomatoes'!?"
"Tornadoes."
"That makes much more sense. Chasing tomatoes seems like it would be...no challenge."
"Not necessarily. They might be duct taped to the bumper of a moving car."
"Good point."
"Of course, in Toronto traffic, we might catch them anyways."

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

people can change, even if they don't want to

I'm feeling particularly cynical today, so it is with a grim kind of pleasure that I bring you www.patrickgreyonline.com, a comic strip by my friend Ben. Those of you who know him might point out that it's just him in two-dimensional form, but to you I say so what? He's funny.

Friday, February 03, 2006

all you ever hear me say...

Your 2005 Song Is

Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

"But since you've been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on"

In 2005, you moved on.


I find this a little unsettling, which is how I seem to respond to my results on most internet quizzes. Until about a week ago, I would have had no idea what they meant by this song--now that it's suddenly on a hundred albums we're playing at work, I have a strong opinion about it, although Kelly Clarkson and the rest of her work languish in the far reaches of my indifference. The prechorus to this song is brilliant! Well, okay, brilliant for middle of the road pop. It actually sounds like something different, and believe me, I can tell, since most of the music we're allowed to play at work is one big blur of not so interesting song. Then, of course, she screws it up by launching into a completely conventional chorus, including hideous "yeah, yeah"s.

Why do I have to be a song with the line "I'm so moving on"? Am I still seventeen? Don't answer that.