Found Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” album on CD for 50 cents at a garage sale. (Some would say I got my money’s worth.) I also got a few others that I’d never heard of, but at that price I can take a little risk.
Dad brought over an electric organ. It looks like a small-town church organ (the non-pipe variety) from the 1970s, only a little smaller and with fewer buttons. I had too much fun playing it as a teen.
Stress reduction tip:
Never do a raw Google search on the name of an entertainer (singer, actor, writer, or artist) whose work you admire. If you do, you will turn up some kind of commentary by that person. You will quickly learn that your hero is either a raving lunatic or badly misinformed about how the world actually works. Or both.
Usually the insanity involves politics and/or religion.
Generally it’s better to avoid even asking for a famous person’s opinion. Does it matter what a few random strangers think? Is someone whose only claim to fame is a great singing voice automatically an expert at economics? Does a gifted actor really know anything about foreign policy? Does a clever writer’s store of researched knowledge automatically guarantee wisdom?
Maybe. Or maybe not. Everyone has many talents, and everyone is imperfect. My point is that sometimes it’s not worth the extra emotional drama either way.
So, if you’re a singer, stop talking and start singing – preferably about something pleasant. Actors, stay out of politics unless you’re actually running for office. Just look at the camera and follow the script. Writers: Shut up and go write a good story that will still be relevant in 50 years.
If you must try to change the world, please remember that old adage about flies, honey, and vinegar. People who disagree with you are not always your mortal enemies. A little charity and professionalism go a long way.
I’m sick of the venom that’s been so fashionable lately…
For those who where hoping for a short drive to Kansas City for Worldcon, I regret to inform you that Montreal won the bid for WorldCon in 2009. It was neck-and-neck coming in to the convention, but with the on-site voting Montreal pulled into the lead. Which is disappointing, but may be related to the fact that this Worldcon is a LOT more international than most with probably as many Europeans as there are Americans here.
I think Charles Stross may have won the Prometheus award for Glasshouse. There were two “Big Heart Awards” at the Hugo ceremony if memory serves one went to A. J. Budrys and I’m not sure on the second.
The con is over, so now it’s time to go play tourist and look forward to next year in Denver.
The official Hugo award list has now been posted.
If you’re looking for something to read, you should check out the other nominees as well, since it’s generally an excellent list of good short stories, books, etc. in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Unfortunately, very few of the Hugo award nominees were able to be here to pick up their awards. They were there in spirit though. A large picture of Frank Wu’s head did a lot of party hopping last night along with his trophy.
Just got out of the Hugo award ceremonies. They did a good job and it wasn’t as long as some I’ve been to even with having to translate everything into Japanese. George Takei and Ultraman were the stars of the show.
To the best of my recollection, here are the key winners of the Hugo Awards this year:
Best Novel
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
Best Novella
A Billion Eves by Robert Reed
Best Novelette
The Djinn’s Wife by Ian McDonald
Best Short Story
Impossible Dreams by Tim Pratt
Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form
Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form
Doctor Who – Girl in the Fireplace
A while back I mentioned a CD that I had bought for $1 at Penn Square Mall. It’s called Like a Secret Dream by Revolution Void. The person who originally made the album posted a comment, which I though was pretty neat.
Well, now you can listen to it for yourself. The CD has been made available online in MP3 format. Here’s a link.
Currently I’m reading the fourth Harry Potter book. It’s very good so far. At the moment they’re sorting the first year students.
I like how the Potter books aren’t just another whistfully romantic look at a golden era of magic and unicorns. Blah. Nope, this story is set in the present, with modern magic and plausible troubles. Times change, and even wizards have to adapt.
In the non-fiction department, The Corporate Records Handbook appeared on my doorstep today. Corporations have a lot of records to keep; failure to document everything properly invites trouble with the courts and the IRS. This one has many sample forms, with electronic copies on CD and instructions about when and how to use them.
And really, it’s a good idea to keep detailed records anyway, regardless of how the business is structured. It just takes a while to learn how to do it.
Last saturday night we went to a magic show!
Greg Davidson’s show was hosted by a baptist church in OKC. Not our usual church, but some friends were going and invited us along. So we dropped Scott off at the nursery room and found some seats.
The actual magic show was very funny. Mr. Davidson really knows how to surprise a crowd. His sermon and altar call afterward weren’t funny at all, though, and took almost as long as the magic part.
The illusionist was there all weekend, but I missed the other nights’ shows. I think I would’ve enjoyed Friday night, which was about psychics, the occult, etc. I just didn’t know about it in time.
The church was distributing a book about the occult that night. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the title or author at the moment, and I didn’t take home a copy.
Which reminds me: Last night I finished reading the first Harry Potter book! Tonight I start reading the second book.
American Sign Language is awesome. The movements and grammar are intuitive enough to learn the survival basics quickly. At the same time, it’s rich and complex enough to be useful as a person’s primary language.
I’m not very good at ASL yet. Even so, Dana and I have been using simple signs to coordinate baby stuff for months, any time that talking out loud would disturb others. At the other extreme, recently I watched two ladies carry on a long, silent conversation over dinner at Taco Bueno. Their shadows on the wall looked almost like a dance.
Sign language also does wonders for children who haven’t learned to speak yet. I’ve heard from several people who use signs with their own children, and all generally agree that it has reduced frustration for everyone. That’s why we’ve been teaching some signs to Scott.
If you want to start learning sign language, especially for talking with babies, I recommend these books and videos:
– Anything from the Signing Time series
– Sign With Your Baby DVD box set by Joseph Garcia
– American Sign Language The Easy Way by David A. Stewart
The Signing Time videos are great. Kids see other children using signs, hear catchy songs, and watch interesting animation. It’s the sort of thing that can play on TV over and over and over again without being very annoying for grownups. Much better than a certain purple dinosaur…
For more information about Signing Time, look at the official web site. If you’re mostly interested in baby signing, I’d suggest getting Baby Signing Time specifically.
Garcia’s Sign With Your Baby, as the name suggests, is geared entirely towards those who are only interested in baby signing. You get less actual signing instruction time per dollar with this kit than with the others. It has some advantages, though.
The package contains a book, a DVD, and a laminated reference card. Both the book and the video are mostly about how, why, and when to teach signs to a baby. Many parents need this kind of encouragement to get started. The DVD and book also have reference sections showing how to do the signs. The sturdy reference card is especially useful for guests and babysitters.
ASL The Easy Way is for the serious student. It has a lot of information about grammar, conversational practice, and cultural considerations. It would make a good textbook for a high school or college class. It’s much easier to read than most college textbooks, however.
Rather than make up new signs to teach the baby, I try to follow ASL whenever possible. When looking up signs, I’ve found that Michigan State’s ASL Browser is useful. It isn’t always convenient to keep a computer handy, though, so paper dictionaries are good to have around.
I have these two:
– The Joy of Signing by Lottie L. Riekehof
– Phrase Book of American Sign Language by Lou Fant
The Joy of Signing is useful for looking up how to sign a particular word. It’s an older book, though. The Phrase Book does a much better job of visualizing how to form sentences.
I’m looking for a better sign dictionary. If you have one that you’d recommend, please let me know.
As I said, I’m not very good at ASL yet, so don’t expect me to understand or translate for the deaf anytime soon. But I’m learning — and so are a lot of little kids. Maybe you should try it too.
