Reading Larry Niven’s Ringworld’s Children recently sparked a thought or three. What if Tree-of-Life virus was a bioweapons project that went horribly wrong? As much as the Protector concept thrills me, the relationship between the Pak and Tree-of-Life has always struck me as unlikely and unnatural. Yes, evolution works in strange ways, and the firstContinue reading “Speculations on Pak Protectors”
I, Robot
I wasn’t expecting much from I, Robot. The trailer was attached to damn near every movie released since last fall, which didn’t strike me as a positive sign. I had no expectations for Van Helsing, and came away totally disappointed. I had no expectations for Troy, and, save for Brad Pitt’s incongruous accent, enjoyed theContinue reading “I, Robot”
Fever Pitch
I noticed today in Entertainment Weekly a little blurb about Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon looking at Fever Pitch as a possible film vehicle. My question is, Why? No, the Colin Firth/Ruth Gemmell film isn’t particularly well known, but it’s adequate, it hits its notes, and it’s, well, English. I’m having a hard time picturingContinue reading “Fever Pitch”
A Correction
An update from the accuracy department! At the Shore Leave convention last weekend, Glenn Hauman said, in reference to a man dressed as a Smurf at the convention’s Masquerade, “Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?” to which I replied, “Glenn, did you know that’s a song?” I thereupon said it had been done in theContinue reading “A Correction”
Vacation and Shore Leave
Over the weekend I attended the Shore Leave convention in Baltimore, Maryland. I started going in 2000 and it has become something of an annual tradition. This year, however, was the first where I attended as a guest, due to the publication of Ring Around the Sky and a story in the No Limits anthology,Continue reading “Vacation and Shore Leave”
That Thing You Do!
I was arranging my CD collection recently and came across the soundtrack album for Tom Hanks’ 1996 film, That Thing You Do! TTYD! tells the story of the Wonders, sometimes spelling Oneders, pronounced o-Need-ers, an Erie, Pennsylvania garage band of 1964 who write a hit song, hit the big time, and then break up. TheContinue reading “That Thing You Do!”
Ringworld’s Children
In September 1993 I read Ringworld for the first time. I had turned twenty that June, just gotten my driver’s license, and I was starting my third semester at Central Virginia Community College. By Christmas I had read all of Niven’s Known Space work (except The Patchwork Girl, which took about a year to trackContinue reading “Ringworld’s Children”
An Invitation
I received in the mail today an invitation from the University of Richmond Alumni Association. It seems that towards the end of July they are holding a function in the Raleigh area at a Durham Bulls baseball game. I’m tempted. I didn’t finish my degree at Richmond, so I don’t consider myself an alumnus, butContinue reading “An Invitation”
One of those days….
It’s always nice to see my company in the news for good things–Profits up. Stores opening. Stock price climbing. It’s never nice to see my company in the news for bad things. Today is one of those latter days. Sigh. (ETA April 2007): I went through the archives, adding tags to old entries. Some ofContinue reading “One of those days….”
The Practice – The Series Finale
The Practice, a show I’ve loved watching since its second season, went out with a whimper, not a bang. Knowing that some of the characters will carry on next season–in Fleet Street, the Alan Shore-centered legal drama, and the untitled sitcom featuring Ellenor Frutt–tempers the disappointment, but only some of the disappointment. Spoilers, obviously.