In keeping with the larger-sized pictures of the previous post... Here comes another installment of What in the Hell is That?, the game with fun for everyone.



( More pictures behind the cut. Don't over-think this one... it's easier than you'd guess... )

...and you too, Steve Eley.

I knew this was going to happen. After all, I know I can't get through the Ken Scholes story Edward Bear and the Very Long Walk dry-eyed. That's the whole reason I've been putting off listening to this week's Escape Pod podcast.

But I listened to the podcast anyway, while Maddie and I were driving to work this morning.

Between the story itself, which is a masterful take on the sacrifice motif, encompassing everything I aspire to in writing, and Steve Eley's excellent and nuanced reading, I was sobbing by the time we reached the Waldo Tunnel. Sobbing. Good thing Maddie with me so I could reach over and scratch her head for comfort, or I might not have made it in today.

Silly old bear.

Jennifer and I just got back home from a party down at Night Shade Books.

Pump Six and Other Stories author Paolo Bacigalupi is in San Francisco (he'll be "reading, discussing, and signing" at tomorrow night's SF in SF), so the evening was essentially a book-release party. Terry Bisson even stopped by.

Not only was a good time had by all, with plenty of food, drink, and good conversation, but I even took a few pictures...


Terry Bisson, Paolo Bacigalupi, and J.Q. in the library.


Evan, Jeremy Lassen, Terry Bisson, Paolo Bacigalupi.

( More pics behind the cut... )

On a rainy day in San Francisco, Maddie and I took a break from shipping books and listening to an advance copy of the new Mountain Goats CD, Heretic Pride ("Lovecraft in Brooklyn" is a big hit downstairs at Night Shade Books for obvious reasons), in order to take a walk.

San Francisco has lots of parks, green belts that run alongside residential neighborhoods. Not a trash can in sight. I guess the belief is that folks who venture out to explore will clean up after themselves and pack it back to home. Strangely enough, people still manage to leave things behind.


"What's that under the tree?" asked Maddie. "Is it a time machine, or maybe a UFO?"


I looked over where she indicated. "Close, Maddie," I said. "That's an old VCR."

"VCR, UFO," said Maddie. "What's the difference?"

"Well, a UFO is an Unidentified Flying Object. Once you know what it is, it ceases to be unidentified."

"And a VCR?"

"A Video Cassette Recorder. It's for watching movies."


Maddie sniffed at the VCR. "We've got a VCR," she said. "Jennifer tapes shows on it. But ours doesn't look like this one."

"Right," I answered. "This is an old VCR. It's a top-loader, like a cassette deck."

"Oh," said Maddie. "How old?"

"Maybe twenty years. Maybe a little more. Maybe thirty."


Maddie sat down and thought. Then she got up and paced around. "That's a long time," she said. "You know, I think I was right to begin with."

"About it being a UFO? That's silly, Maddie."

She shook her head. "No, about it being a time machine. Twenty years is a long time. That's a lot of movies. I sure hope that tree likes movies."

I bent down and scratched her head. "Yeah," I said. "Me too."