October 27, 2006

The blog she is busticated

I really broke it this time. The mysql database that sits behind this blog seems to have eaten all of my posts. Until I figure out how to fix it, I pretty much can't update Mad Times. I'm tipping this post in by editing the static page just to let my readers know what's up.

In the interim (and you know there will be a lengthy interim), I'll at least keep the Friday cat blogging going over on Flickr.

Posted by jeffy at 10:05 PM

October 25, 2006

The Hidden Family by Charles Stross

woman walking down a street toward a shop with three spheres as a signSecond book in Stross's Merchant Princes series. In this volume, Miriam begins exploring another alternate world and opening it to commerce while in the other two known alternate Earths various and sundry plots thicken. Miriam continues to be hyper-competent (and hyper-lucky) to a degree that strains credulity. I suspect these books might be enjoyed more by people who are more Economics-geeky than I am. Still, Stross can spin a yarn interestingly enough to keep the pages flipping by. This volume has some nice character building for some of the minor women characters from the first book including quite a few interesting revelations about Miriam's foster mother.

Posted by jeffy at 10:31 PM in Book Reviews | Comments (0)

October 22, 2006

Lost Glove #102

glove060913.jpg
September 13. On the bridge of lost gloves (stretch of SE 56th Street where it crosses Issaquah Creek. I have seen more lost gloves in this 100-yard stretch of road than anywhere else.)

Posted by jeffy at 09:51 PM in Lost Gloves | Comments (0)

Lost Glove #101

glove060907.jpg
Back on September 7th.

Posted by jeffy at 06:50 PM in Lost Gloves | Comments (0)

Dzur by Steven Brust

big black cat taking a swipe at a smaller dragony thing (jhereg)I can't think of another author who writes books that are as entertaining as Steven Brust's. Vlad Taltos, the protagonist of the series this is the tenth volume in, is a flawed, sarcastic, intelligent character who has had some significant growth over the course of the series while remaining fundamentally himself. This volume is lighter on plot than most of the books, but it makes up for it with a whole stack of in-jokes and a lovely framing device in the lush descriptions of a multi-course meal that start each of the seventeen (of course) chapters.

I should probably read it again cause I went pretty fast and by the end I completely couldn't understand why it was necessary for Vlad to enlist the assistance of Vera to get out of the fix he was in. Seemed like overkill.

But the book is fun and brings back some beloved characters and moves the story along. Definitely not the place to start, so catch up on the series before you hit this volume.

Posted by jeffy at 06:29 PM in Book Reviews | Comments (0)

October 20, 2006

Blissing

cat licking catnip-filled toy

That thing Alice is licking on is called a "Hot Cats", it's a fabric tube filled with cat nip. We've had that particular one for almost four years and they still seem to like it. Amazing.

Posted by jeffy at 11:37 PM in Cat Blogging | Comments (0)

October 18, 2006

The Family Trade by Charles Stross

woman in modern clothes walking towards medieval castleMiriam is a journalist reporting on corporate startups and venture capital. With the help of research assistant Paulette, she uncovers a massive money laundering operation. Rather than making her career, the discovery gets her fired and possibly stalked. If that weren't enough, her adoptive mother gives her a box of things relating to her birth mother. Among those things is a locket with a strange pattern inside. When Miriam examines it closely she finds herself abruptly transported from her cosy home in Boston to a cold dark wood.

In over her head in two worlds is about the size of it. But Stross's Miriam is a strong swimmer.

I was very distracted in the first few chapters when I wasn't sure whether the setting was England or New England. Mostly it seemed like the US, but there was just enough ambiguity ("Cambridge" doesn't narrow it down for example) and misplaced British terms to keep throwing me off. Also I think I was reading it too sporadically to get into the setting.

Miriam is one of those hyper-competent protagonists who are fun to read about but hard to believe. Fortunately Stross writes a tale with enough mysteries and a fast enough pace to distract you from the implausibility.

Posted by jeffy at 08:28 PM in Book Reviews | Comments (0)

October 17, 2006

Two years later

This was supposed to go up back at the beginning of September, but here is what's left of lost glove #23 two years after I first saw it.

glove060907a.jpg

It was still glove-shaped until just a couple days before this picture was taken which is fairly remarkable since it's not in some out of the way spot, it's right in the middle of the driveway for I-90 Motor Sports and must get run over at least a couple times a day.

glove060911b.jpg

Here's what it looked like last year.

Posted by jeffy at 11:49 PM in Lost Gloves | Comments (0)

October 14, 2006

Parked

cat planted on human
I wasn't feeling well when I got home from work last night so I laid down for a while and soon had this furball planted on my chest. Feline therapy.

Posted by jeffy at 04:34 PM in Cat Blogging | Comments (0)
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