Find your inner Smurf! I truly do wonder about these “personality tests.” The last question for the Smurf test, for instance, is so far out in left field that I truly wonder why it’s even there. Oh, well. It’s all in good fun.
Gagh!
A customer came into the store today with his pet lizard, Diablo, situated on his shoulder. He said he had been feeding Diablo crickets. Suddenly, Diablo began to foam at the mouth. “He’s thirsty. He needs water! He’ll die if he doesn’t drink anything!” I ran into the back, pulled out a bottle of springContinue reading “Gagh!”
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
I have no idea what Jean-Luc Picard ever saw in Earl Grey tea. I was shopping World Market yesterday, a store that carries food and furniture from around the world, and in their tea department they had a sale on Earl Grey tea. Out of curiosity I picked up a box and brought it home.Continue reading “Tea, Earl Grey, Hot”
The Naming Game
1. What does your first name mean? “Allyn” is a variant spelling of “Alan,” a Celtic name meaning “harmony.” This was the first name of my great-grandfather. 2. What does your middle name mean? “Russell” is a French name meaning “red haired.” This was the last name of my great-grandmother. 3. What does your lastContinue reading “The Naming Game”
That crazy weather
The past week in Raleigh the weather has been absolutely beautiful. Blue skies, high temperatures in the mid-70s. Yesterday saw spring showers off and on all day, but it stayed warm, and at night I needed the ceiling fan because the house was downright stuffy. This morning the temperature was in the mid-50s and falling.Continue reading “That crazy weather”
Public Service Announcement
With St. Patrick’s Day nearly here, with Leprechaun Pooh sitting next to my computer, I offer the following piece of wisdom, hard earned through experience. Green beer is an interesting way to put one in an Irish mood. Don’t try it with Guinness. It won’t work. You simply cannot turn Guinness green. There is, naturally,Continue reading “Public Service Announcement”
Costume Drama
Received in the mail yesterday: MythMakers 13, the Doctor Who fiction fanzine of the Doctor Who Information Network, a Canadian fan group. While I own a number of charity fanthologies, I own very few fanzines, among them Jean Airey’s “The Doctor and the Enterprise” and James Bow’s Trenchcoat series. One of the points of interestContinue reading “Costume Drama”
Regeneration
Paramount announced recently “Regeneration,” a late-season Enterprise episode in which Earth scientists discover wreckage of a Borg sphere buried under a glacier in the Arctic. Borg drones are found aboard, they reactivate, and much wackiness ensues, ultimately drawing Jonathan Archer and his crew into the fray. The reaction of fans on bulletin boards and UsenetContinue reading “Regeneration”
Comic Literary Footnotes
Thursday, March 6th, marked the anniversary of the death of English playwright Francis Beaumont, died in 1616. From the Forgotten English calendar of that day: One evening in a tavern, Mr. Beaumont and his writing partner, John Fletcher, were hammering out the details of either The Maid’s Tragedy or another of their tragic plays whenContinue reading “Comic Literary Footnotes”
Hail and Farewell
Fred Frieberger, producer of the original Star Trek during its third and final season, passed away this past Sunday. He was 88. Trek fans of the old-school stripe tend to blame Frieberger for the third season’s failures but give him none of the credit for its successes. I find this behavior both unfortunate and deplorable.Continue reading “Hail and Farewell”