On the Need for Hobbies

Being the hot, miserable day that it is, I worked on a Word macro coding project for work I’d started (and finished–or at least got something that runs) last week, to clean up the code, strip out some redundancies, and replace a brute-force search-and-replace with a much cleaner looped search-and-replace. And then, I turned myContinue reading “On the Need for Hobbies”

On Yesterday’s Autographing

Yesterday I was in Exton, Pennsylvania autographing Grand Designs and Constellations. It was the first autographing I’d done outside of Shore Leave, so I was quite excited. I wasn’t expecting any sort of major turnout. Yes, I’d announced it here and on message boards, but that’s not going to translate into people. At worst, I’dContinue reading “On Yesterday’s Autographing”

On Today’s Birthdays

Today we celebrate three important birthdays. Robert Heinlein was born one hundred years ago today. I’m not a fan–I find Heinlein’s work to be racist and misogynistic, nor has it aged particularly well–but his influence over science fiction cannot be denied. I think, in his honor, I’ll read Larry Niven’s short story, “The Return ofContinue reading “On Today’s Birthdays”

On Fifty Years Ago Today

Something monumental happened on July 6th, 1957. John Lennon met Paul McCartney. It was at the Woolton Church fete. Wikipedia has the story: On Saturday 6 July 1957 [The Quarrymen] played at St. Peter’s Church garden fête. In the afternoon they played on a stage in a field behind the church. After the set, IvanContinue reading “On Fifty Years Ago Today”

On Various and Sundry Memes

You’re Ireland! Mystical and rain-soaked, you remain mysterious to many people, and this makes you intriguing.  You also like a good night at the pub, though many are just as worried that you will blow up the pub as drink your beverage of choice.  You’re good with words, remarkably lucky, and know and enjoy atContinue reading “On Various and Sundry Memes”