tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-174532462012-02-01T02:22:34.080-06:00Blog therapy for meQueen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.comBlogger3191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-50259086173561312372009-11-06T19:42:00.005-06:002009-11-06T19:53:44.015-06:00

So I picked up my niece from school today and we decided to walk around the mall for a bit. A smoking hot guy at a nail care kiosk stopped us so he could hawk his wares. He did the hard sell while buffing my fingernail (yes, just the one fingernail) to show how shiny his product could make it. Then he tried to sell the gift package, and it went something like this:Looks at my 9-year old niece: "

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-78861949413003148492009-10-27T10:46:00.001-05:002009-10-27T10:48:02.597-05:00

O.M.G.Seriously.The Cup of Tears film trailer. Dir. Gary Shore from Gary Shore on Vimeo.I will so see this movie when it comes out. Oh, yes I will.Via i09

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-35727938650985603942009-10-24T17:30:00.002-05:002009-10-24T17:36:46.006-05:00

My goodness, but I've been MIA for a long time! Work is busy-busy and rather stressful, and I haven't been particularly well for a few weeks now.Anyway, I'm back with a Squee du Jour! Today it's comics mashups from Ryan Dunlavey!I think "Orlando Bloom County" is probably my favorite. That one, "Cringerfield", and "The Dark Side".Ryan Dunlavey, via i09

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-3542147652585894842009-10-05T19:36:00.005-05:002009-10-05T19:49:58.596-05:00

My alter ego is The Queen of Swords. No, not the short-lived TV show. It was the online handle I chose back in 1997 for my anime and manga fanfiction site The Queen of Swords Webpage of Rather Silly Things. I picked the name because the profile of the Queen of Swords tarot card suited me to a T...and I just really love swords! So my reaction to this video of the swordsmith that created the swords

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-24692335389801503192009-09-19T15:54:00.004-05:002009-09-19T16:15:22.303-05:00

My niece Rachel is really, really good at math. She's the opposite of me when it comes to numbers, but we do share a love and a knack for analysis. So while the story my mom told me yesterday made my jaw drop at the time, the more I thought about it, the less surprising it seemed.My brother-in-law draws his income from a business he owns. He recently began entertaining a certain offer to buy this

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-28123223234195652912009-09-09T18:20:00.003-05:002009-09-09T18:26:15.233-05:00

The animation is gorgeous, and narrator Nick Cave's delivery is positively haunting. It's noir at its animated best. It's "The Cat Piano" by The People's Republic of Animation (PRA).The Cat Piano from PRA on Vimeo.Via i09Cross-posted on Spilt Ink

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-4587982799521829892009-09-08T22:26:00.003-05:002009-09-08T22:30:13.061-05:00

Dude. Senator Al Franken is amazing. I'm actually jealous of Minnesotans now. First you get a pro-wrestler/ex-Navy Seal for Governor, and now you get a satirist/comedian/artist for your Senator. He totally makes up for Michelle Bachman. Totally.Check out Senator Al Franken (D-MN) drawing a map of the United States:Wow. Just...wow.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-42217689433221304262009-09-02T18:49:00.003-05:002009-09-02T18:53:57.016-05:00

I know what I'm getting Rachel for her birthday. Indie music gods They Might Be Giants are releasing an album all about science! They even got a science adviser to make sure they got their facts straight. Awesome!Mental_Floss blog has the full story and links to the iTunes store where you can buy the album for yourself or the little geeks in your life.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-22177335351031529402009-08-22T22:09:00.004-05:002009-08-22T22:27:47.504-05:00

So I broke down and got on Twitter a couple of weeks ago and, as I thought it would, it's eating my brain. The thing that kind of cracks me up about it is the followers I get. For example, two days ago I replied to actress Ming Na who threw out the question to the Twitterverse "why is it called 'craft services'?" That is, the people who provide food to people on film and TV shoots. My theory was:

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-33144320053080325352009-08-21T17:51:00.006-05:002009-08-21T18:14:21.325-05:00

You've probably heard of urban gardening. Perhaps someone will grow herbs or vegetables in pots on their apartment balcony or window sill. Or maybe they've planted a vegetable patch in the back yard of their row house. I live in suburbia, so I'm used to seeing people with vegetable and herb gardens in their back yards. In the 'burbs, back yards can be pretty big with plenty of space for growing

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-36630263909199457152009-08-17T19:49:00.003-05:002009-08-17T19:52:19.103-05:00

...date my avatar. OK, Felicia Day's avatar. Her's is way cuter.Oh, and watch The Guild!

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-10529457047051706202009-08-16T14:34:00.005-05:002009-08-16T14:37:22.512-05:00

Sunday Sweets at Cake Wrecks goes geek again this week and features Dr. Who cakes!See the rest, here.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-74429569979517771032009-08-15T13:59:00.003-05:002009-08-15T14:02:16.213-05:00

Artist Jim Hance has an awesome gallery of Star Wars mashups he did. I think this one might be my favorite:Go look at the rest in his Sci-Fi gallery, here.Via i09

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-52397808907319124862009-08-13T21:21:00.003-05:002009-08-13T21:30:04.916-05:00

Reviews of Stargate Atlantis season 2, disc 2 are up on Spilt Ink.I'm also on Twitter these days, @kjhass.In other news, I've been really freaked out lately about the hateful mobs at the Congressional town hall meetings. The Tin Foil Hat Brigade have guns and are willing to use them (apparently). It's frankly scaring the shit out of me. I feel sort of panicky, realizing that people are actually

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-30665601837581437212009-08-10T20:03:00.003-05:002009-08-10T20:09:06.914-05:00

OMGOMGOMG! WANT! Lightsaber chopsticks: I can be nerdy whilst eating my sushi! Dream. Come. True.BEHOLD!Such fun! Thanks to Tokyo Mango. Here's the product page in Japanese.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-8338594167590826082009-08-04T23:21:00.005-05:002009-08-05T15:39:33.408-05:00

I've finished reviewing all of Stargate Atlantis season one over on Spilt Ink and have started in on season two. I just posted my reviews of the episodes on disc one of the season two DVD boxed set. I know you're not supposed to be cracked up by your own material, but I was amused by my review of Runner, which introduced the character Ronon, played by Jason Momoa in tight leather pants. OK, it's

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-23723554106740440832009-08-04T13:55:00.001-05:002009-08-04T13:57:10.590-05:00

I got the job I interviewed for. Yay me! It starts at the end of the month, though, so I'm still stuck with unemployment benefits for a few more weeks. After that, I get REAL pay! Woohoo!

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-28255610757221671982009-07-31T13:57:00.003-05:002009-07-31T14:02:26.234-05:00

As usual, i09 is amusing me today. Heaven knows I need it. I had an interview this week but am trying to keep an ambivalent attitude since me being optimistic tends to end badly. And everybody seems to want to squeeze money out of me that I don't have.So, life is sucky, but i09 has come through for me with some amusement: 20 Technothriller Tropes We Hope Never to See Again. Like this one, which

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-86372429981386604402009-07-23T17:13:00.002-05:002009-07-23T17:29:22.993-05:00

Remember that job interview I went on a few months ago, but didn't get hired because they thought I'd be bored? Well, they've realized that they need my broader skill set after all and want to talk to me again about the same position. Yay me!In other news, I'm still rewatching Stargate Atlantis, start to finish, and reviewing it on Spilt Ink. The more I watch, the sadder I get that they canceled

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-851929793985897422009-07-20T18:13:00.006-05:002009-07-20T19:00:44.701-05:00

Happy Mooniversary! 40 years ago today, when I was just a wee tyke of 4-years, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins landed on the Moon. I'd like to say I remember watching it on TV, but my memories are probably confused with memories of later viewings. I do remember watching later missions, back when moonshots were kind of a regular thing. Ah, the good ol' days.For the next few years

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-79323726716174769672009-07-19T18:58:00.004-05:002009-07-19T19:05:13.403-05:00

Friday, Rachel and I saw the Titanic traveling exhibit at our local mall. We'd seen a similar, if larger, exhibit a few years back at the Science Center, and Rachel was just crazy about it. This one was really good, though we missed the fake iceberg that the Science Center had. :-)The highlight was the guy dressed as the Captain. We got our picture taken with him, which the sponsors of the show

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-5565039027833345762009-07-18T14:59:00.000-05:002009-07-18T15:00:42.111-05:00

As you've probably heard by now, Walter Cronkite passed away yesterday. I don't think I could possibly say more than all the reporters have been saying, but as a former journalist and someone who grew up watching him on the news, I'll just say he will desperately be missed.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-89384789430779090602009-07-13T15:58:00.001-05:002009-07-13T16:00:04.860-05:00

The first installments of my Stargate Atlantis rewatch have been posted over at Spilt Ink. These are reviews of the episodes on season 1, disc 1, including the special features.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-76690653137278895282009-07-10T10:29:00.003-05:002009-07-10T10:36:20.245-05:00

I'm planning to rewatch the entire Stargate Atlantis series and review it on my other blog Spilt Ink starting next week. I've posted an intro to the review, here.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-24544211337957220262009-07-08T16:46:00.002-05:002009-07-08T16:48:32.857-05:00

Optimus Prime reads David Letterman's "Top 10 List". Made of awesome.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-30754266091376984492009-07-02T19:57:00.004-05:002009-07-02T20:07:59.737-05:00

First there were LOLCats. Then LOLDogs and the LOLruses looking for their bukkitz. Even LOLScience. It was only a matter of time before the LOLs got religion. Behold! Verily the LOLSaints haz a funny.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-30559185089670035052009-06-29T15:29:00.006-05:002009-06-29T15:36:15.553-05:00

Geek out with today's Squee du Jour from comics artist Neill Cameron, the A to Z of Awesomeness! He's up to O as of today, but so far I think my favorite is the one for G, if for no other reason than my love of Godzilla and Gundam (click to embiggen image):Oh, no wait! Maybe my favorite is the one for K! Or maybe J. Ooh! They're all so awesome!

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-78291923369473402512009-06-27T20:33:00.003-05:002009-06-27T20:39:28.503-05:00

It was a kitty type a week for me last week. Not as much as it was for my mom, who babysat my niece's kitten (and my niece) all week. Blade's a cute little bugger, though. All black with white boots and a white tummy. We've decided he has a Neapolitan nose, as in the ice cream. It's pink, white and black. Cute!More cat for Mom for the next two weeks, but at least it's a grown-up cat, nice and

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-31762808587896959482009-06-23T14:32:00.007-05:002009-06-23T15:19:13.126-05:00

Today I gave the Toastmasters a speech about how we've cleaned up old folk tales to suit our modern sensibilities about what's suitable for children. I used Little Red Riding Hood as my example, telling first the familiar version of the tale (abbreviated) and then a grittier version from the 1600's (in greater detail). I love telling stories, so that part was the most fun for me. Unfortunately it

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-62044721495212983422009-06-16T14:43:00.002-05:002009-06-16T14:45:45.898-05:00

This tickled two of my fancies: Star Trek and silent movies:I love the red shirt having a target on the back of his shirt instead of it being red, and the transporter being a rope that let them down onto a planet. Via Voyages Extraordinaires

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-18052335187639610882009-06-16T14:09:00.002-05:002009-06-16T14:13:35.099-05:00

Our Squee du Jour comes from Wroclawska University of Technology in Poland. These clever dorm residents should have a job waiting for them after college!Hat tip to Neatorama

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-51468025710757590042009-06-15T18:27:00.005-05:002009-06-15T18:42:39.723-05:00

I've started a professional blog called Spilt Ink. It's done with WordPress and wouldn't exist without lots of help from my geek gal pal Helen (a.k.a. Helephant). Thanks, Helens! :-)So far, Spilt Ink just has one major post, a book review of Dragon Sword and Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara (VIZ Media LLC), and my resume. I will be adding my portfolio to it soon, such as it is.I'm finding WordPress

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-57777786097912495472009-06-15T13:36:00.004-05:002009-06-15T13:54:18.163-05:00

Today I left my comfort zone and headed out in the pouring rain to a big networking meeting called Businesspersons Between Jobs (BBJ). I fear networking and don't think I'm all that good at it. In fact, I sometimes think I'm afraid of people. Nevertheless, I went. I interacted. I gave out my business card and chatted a wee bit. I took home the materials they handed out. I left feeling a little

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-56083428512535235232009-06-14T13:05:00.002-05:002009-06-14T13:07:59.751-05:00

Sunday Sweets on Cake Wrecks brings us another Squee du Jour: Star Wars cakes! I want a Millennium Falcon one!Click here for more cool Star Wars cakes!

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-33531540601324149842009-06-11T12:01:00.005-05:002009-06-11T12:38:52.189-05:00

I bought a car with my insurance money yesterday (and a lot of help from my best friend Tara's mechanic hubby Tim), and it is very pretty. I got a 2000 gold Toyota Camry. It has electric everything and a sun roof. Whee! My mom is officially off the driving hook now. That is the good news.But things are ugly elsewhere in my life. The unemployment people apparently disagree with me that working

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-14447916537891133392009-06-09T16:32:00.005-05:002009-06-09T16:37:32.316-05:00

And here I thought the Lego version of the Knights of the Round Table song from Holy Grail was hilarious. This is insanely funny:This Squee du Jour comes from The Zeray Gazette

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-65960304561705096102009-06-08T10:54:00.007-05:002009-06-09T16:36:37.534-05:00

Wow. I called the COBRA customer service line (the inusrance, not G.I. Joe's enemies, though that would certainly have been cooler) and was on hold for several minutes, during which time they played disco and funk at me! Seriously, it was 1977 all over again. The funk was definitely awesome. Still deciding about the disco. I hated it in the 70's (fond memories of Radio Station Wars during

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-52508613202334351622009-06-04T12:22:00.003-05:002009-06-04T12:24:49.299-05:00

Very sad news today in the entertainment world: The Associated Press reports that Actor David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in Bangkok, apparently having hung himself.I have fond memories of watching him on the TV show Kung Fu when I was a kid, and loved him in the Kill Bill movies. He was an awesome actor, and I'm very sad to read that he's dead.My sympathies go out to his family

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-4242663467268054272009-06-03T22:38:00.009-05:002009-06-08T11:13:46.152-05:00

I forget how I found this comic...I was on this one site then linked to another which linked to it. I think that's how it went. Anyway, It's called DM of the Rings, and I've started at the beginning and have been reading for two hours now, laughing my ass off. Which I needed, since 1) My ass is big, and 2) I had a WTF moment today involving my rent, which was $100 extra this month for reasons

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-73208728681629504802009-06-02T16:16:00.005-05:002009-06-02T16:25:47.451-05:00

I spoke too soon about my mom's position about the murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, and now I'm really depressed.My mom is among the bloodthirsty crazies who applaud the guy who (allegedly) murdered Dr. Tiller. With great self-righteous venom she said to me, "God will judge Tiller!" And I was, like, "Yeah, because murdering people who are not breaking the law is what Jesus would do.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-74238372404013580012009-06-02T12:22:00.003-05:002009-06-02T12:27:13.631-05:00

I may have spoke too soon when I said I hope Texas Senator John Cornyn might be one of the sane Republicans who weren't getting hysterical over a brown woman getting nominated to the United States Supreme Court.Daily Cos has this report today.So, to recap: Filibuster=BAD if the nominee was nominated by a Republican President and isn't brown. Filibuster=GOOD if the nominee was nominated by a brown

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-37933760670550119402009-06-01T19:16:00.003-05:002009-06-01T20:48:16.903-05:00

I'm a day late on this one, but I've had a lot going on...and I'm in shock over the news that someone calling themselves a Christian and "pro-life" expressed his opposition to legal abortions by murdering a doctor who provides them. Murdered someone who was acting within the law, and there are actually people supporting the murderer's actions. If you're "pro-life" and against what you call "

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-15686985064891402182009-05-30T15:19:00.001-05:002009-05-30T15:21:26.787-05:00

Leave it to Sesame Street for pure, undiluted fun. Put down the duckie!Via: Bad Astronomy Blog

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-2035274967093089122009-05-29T21:18:00.011-05:002009-05-29T22:53:38.139-05:00

I've been trying to stay in my Happy Place this week. No, not because of my accident (though that rates a trip to the Happy Place, too). What's got my blood boiling is the misogynist, bigoted bullshit that's spewing forth from The Usual Wingnut Suspects and even elected and former elected officials about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, everything from ire over people pronouncing her name

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-76757544378851849352009-05-28T13:53:00.003-05:002009-05-28T14:10:36.955-05:00

Banged up me is amusing herself in her confinement by editing the Firefox online manual and making lots of important phone calls. Oh, and taking Vicodin. I expect to be fuzzy-brained within the hour. (I did half of my England holiday on Vicodin and a prescription muscle relaxant because my back was screwed up. I'm surprised Joe and Helen didn't think I was stoned. Or maybe they did and were too

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-64907835826640060032009-05-28T01:03:00.002-05:002009-05-28T01:12:19.351-05:00

I was in a very bad car accident today. My car is totaled. I am not. I was broadsided while trying to turn left into a shopping center. The teenager who hit me said his foot was on the accelerator when he hit me. The passenger side of my car is mushed in, the dashboard "exploded" (bits and chunks of it everywhere), glass cracked. I have bad bruising from the seatbelt, and my knee is badly bruised

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-7754902782805591732009-05-23T17:28:00.002-05:002009-05-23T17:38:25.732-05:00

Well poo. I was flossing like a good girl, and one of my crowns popped off. It feels like there's not even much tooth left, though I don't see any tooth material underneath the crown. Of course these things only happen when the dentist isn't in the office. Oh, and my dentist doesn't seem to be on my insurance plan. Too bad. He put that temporary crown on, he gets to put it back on. I'll just make

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-65939364437032771582009-05-20T16:10:00.007-05:002009-05-21T12:25:39.478-05:00

Viz Media is discontinuing Shojo Beat magazine, which serialized shojo manga titles--that is, Japanese girls comics (in English). Naturally, the boys manga magazine Shonen Jump will continue, since, you know, it's for guys, and everybody knows you can't make money marketing to girls. OK, I lie. Actually, it's a matter of circulation: Shojo Beat's 35,000 compared to Shonen Jump's 200,000. But

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-90438964644711639402009-05-19T16:48:00.002-05:002009-05-19T16:50:51.407-05:00

I have no idea how old this kid is. She looks to be about 3 or 4 to me. Anyway, here she is on the Tonight Show answering questions a lot of Americans probably couldn't off the top of their head (including me). She's absolutely priceless! Baby Girl on Jay Leno Show, Truly Astounding!Via Current_Comedy

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-9144921912166377802009-05-18T14:29:00.003-05:002009-05-18T15:10:44.680-05:00

I didn't go to the seminar today. I messed up my back, so even if they did take walk-ins, I couldn't have sat for 4 hours without weeping in pain. My back is now plastered with capsicum patches (but still hurts). Now I must find three months worth of statements for my line of credit somewhere in the disorganized piles of papers that passes as a filing system in my apartment. I need these things

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-8085486403648421062009-05-17T22:09:00.008-05:002009-05-17T22:59:26.343-05:00

I'm looking forward to a busy week. I got an email from my mom's neighbor (the recruiter) tonight alerting me to an employment seminar that she heard about via the Catholic Employment Network. Of course, she got it to me on a Sunday, too late for me call someone to reserve a seat as the email instructed. However, I plan to tool over there anyway to see if they allow walk-ins. If not, it's not far

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-12208951391485240322009-05-13T23:37:00.006-05:002009-05-14T00:01:17.292-05:00

Dragged my mom to the Art Museum today so I could see the Ming Dynasty exhibition. They didn't allow photography in the exhibition, so you will simply have to take my word for it when I tell you it was awesome. The highlight for me was the jewelry and ornaments worn by court ladies. Ming Dynasty culture loved history and beauty. The jewelry, silk robes, ceramics and jade items were gorgeous.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-28164224000846186682009-05-11T18:58:00.005-05:002009-05-11T19:34:05.508-05:00

I can't shake my feelings of anxiety lately. Still no job in sight, though I've applied all over the place and continue to do so. I'm going to a job fair next week, in fact. I need to look into changing careers, maybe. I heard a really good show about it on NPR this morning. I think I've mentioned my cousin's suggestion that I try grant writing. I've also thought about medical records, since the

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-31512946953281924122009-05-10T20:34:00.016-05:002009-05-14T00:04:41.879-05:00

Lots of pictures in this post, folks, so let's get started!Once again, my mom, Rachel and I spent Mother's Day at the Zoo. You'd think we would have learned from last year's Mother's Day at the Zoo that it's not the best day to go. But you'd be wrong. Well, partly wrong. Getting there, which should have taken 30 minutes, took more than an hour thanks to:Highway 40 constructionBad directions

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-936220880958166402009-05-07T20:33:00.005-05:002009-05-07T20:48:47.329-05:00

As I contemplate filing for bankruptcy and possibly moving back in with my mom, Sprint/Nextel has come to my rescue with some good cheer.I am so in love with the new Sprint/Nextel "What if _______ ran the world?" ads. It all started with the "What if delivery people ran the world" Superbowl ad:That ad still cracks me up. But it got better. "What if film crews ran the world?" was the next one I

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-67798533608691891222009-05-06T14:59:00.004-05:002009-05-06T17:28:15.933-05:00

I have to break my lease and move out of my apartment. I'm talking to a charity to see if they can pay this month's rent for me (which bounced) then I have to clean this place out, find a cheap storage place and move in with my mom, who will probably refuse to get high speed internet. Or have her phone tied up with dial-up. I guess I'll be spending a lot of time at Starbucks and St. Louis Bread

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-39752402557540091502009-04-27T23:25:00.004-05:002009-04-27T23:30:05.248-05:00

Oooohhhhhh! So cool! I love things like this that fool the eye, don't you?Click the link (or the picture) for more.Via The News in Print with a hat tip to Neatorama

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-48605945126874930932009-04-22T21:13:00.003-05:002009-04-22T21:34:21.672-05:00

I read this on Daily Kos and it made me cheer:The Old Courthouse in St. Louis will get nearly $5 million to replace a leaky roof that has damaged seven rooms. The site of the pivotal Dred Scott slavery trial that hastened the Civil War is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and "almost as much of an icon as the Gateway Arch itself," park Superintendent Tom Bradley says.While it's

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-8292593562399244702009-04-21T19:01:00.003-05:002009-04-21T19:03:35.060-05:00

The Muppets do the Ocean's 11 trailer. Sweet.via Current_Comedy

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-34017819221634259722009-04-20T14:51:00.005-05:002009-04-21T17:31:42.743-05:00

I'm so depressed. Today I stepped out to go to the grocery store with my mom and discovered that the birds nest was gone from my door wreath. I found the empty next sitting upright on the ground two floors down, near a bush. I don't know if one of the maintenance guys removed it and set it there--which seems unlikely since they don't do things to my apartment or its surrounds without my knowledge

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-73817386817002101052009-04-17T14:22:00.003-05:002009-04-17T14:23:43.297-05:00

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-65724620305229744472009-04-17T13:59:00.002-05:002009-04-17T14:03:42.162-05:00

Yet another day in which I need cheering up. Yup, that's right. I'm in the hole again. I wish the bank would give unemployed people a pass on fees the way credit cards do. Guess next week it's off to the retail stores to find a job. If I'm lucky, I'll find a place that pays more than minimum wage, which would net me more than my unemployment benefits pay. Stupid Missouri. So I said I needed

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-31558082892282892452009-04-15T17:09:00.004-05:002009-04-15T17:31:44.493-05:00

After a week of hurting my brains trying to figure it out, I finally made myself sit down and just do it. I have finished making my resume all sexy and stuff. Well, I think it's sexy and stuff. The leader of the resume workshop I'm attending tomorrow morning might have a different opinion. If so, I will try not to weep in frustration.In any event, I deserve a big pat on the back for reducing a 4-

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-56780325441631654972009-04-13T16:37:00.004-05:002009-04-13T16:43:41.947-05:00

A while back I blogged about how an enterprising (or possibly foolish) bird had built a nest in the wreath on my front door. Well, today there are three tiny pale blue eggs in the nest. Behold!These pictures were taken with my camera phone and my less than steady hands. Sorry about the poor quality. The picture with the leaf gives you an idea of how tiny these eggs are. I don't think they're any

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-13271152988403372482009-04-13T14:03:00.006-05:002009-04-13T14:32:22.091-05:00

Behold! Jell-O Easter eggs! Brightly-colored, egg-shaped, wiggly bits of YUM! My cousin's wife brought them to Easter lunch yesterday, and I had to take some home with me. Oh, how I love Jell-O! And the colors...so pretty.We had fun yesterday at my cousin Cindy's house. Her brother Don manfully restrained himself from spouting right-wing wingnut madness for most of the afternoon until he finally

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-24235675958188446152009-04-09T15:14:00.012-05:002009-04-09T16:10:13.059-05:00

The Big Pharma company that I used to work at has this rule that if you worked for them as a contractor in the past year you can't work for them as a contractor for at least a year. Or maybe it's forever. I get different takes on this from different managers at that company. Nobody seems to have a real clue what the rule is, they just know it's insane.In the nearly four months that I've been

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-89135699069661516512009-04-08T19:15:00.001-05:002009-04-08T19:16:43.937-05:00

Perfect. Oh so very perfect. H/T: Miss Cellania

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-19569714474303155512009-04-08T15:11:00.009-05:002009-04-08T15:41:47.784-05:00

A bird built a nest inside the wreath on my front door. I haven't seen or heard any signs of the bird, however; I just noticed the nest a few days ago as I was returning from getting my car an oil change. I can't decide if the bird was sensible or crazy when it chose this location. There's a breezeway by the door, so if there's any kind of wind it becomes a wind tunnel, and the wreath slaps

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-63136611423450878982009-04-05T12:46:00.003-05:002009-04-05T12:58:54.529-05:00

I love Cake Wrecks. It's so much fun to look at the pictures of epic confectionery fail. On Sunday, however, Cake Wrecks switches gears and shows off some of the best cakes out there. Furthermore, Jen the Cake Wreck lady appears to be a fellow Stargate fan, as demonstrated by this week's Sunday Sweets. The example on the left comes from Charm City Cakes.For you Stargate geeks, Jen points out that

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-70799688722121509232009-04-03T16:08:00.005-05:002009-04-03T16:13:06.429-05:00

Want.To change the fan's direction you move her paws. So cute!H/T: TokyoMango

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-10715318176311753232009-04-01T21:45:00.003-05:002009-04-03T16:14:30.235-05:00

That's right, you're getting two Squees du Jour this evening. This is just awesome. It's a reinterpretation of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, with info graphics and all! Neato!Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.Or click this link..

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-35642900559418096132009-04-01T21:16:00.004-05:002009-04-01T21:19:44.838-05:00

If this doesn't bring the happy, I don't know what does:This little guy is part of a very endangered species. Apparently, there are only a handful left. Aw, I'm so clever! I made a pun! "A handful", get it? I crack myself up sometimes.Via Zooborns

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-37191668491697071972009-03-31T14:55:00.008-05:002009-03-31T15:49:58.853-05:00

I didn't get a second interview for that job I interviewed for last week. The recruiter said the manager had nothing bad to say about me, just that the person they selected for the second interview was "a better fit technologically and with the personality of the team". Well, that's way better than suspecting I might get bored, a la the previous company I interviewed with. All this rejection is

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-18931224650388931272009-03-30T20:42:00.011-05:002009-03-30T21:25:19.475-05:00

Once upon a time I was what manufacturers and marketers call an early adopter, but as I get older I notice that my willingness to adopt new things is inversely proportional to my age. The latest example of this trend is Skype, the service that lets you call other Skype users via the intertoobs for free or call non-Skypers for teensie amounts of money. My web developer buddies Joe and Helen (a.k.a

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-35533222543480769132009-03-27T14:10:00.002-05:002009-03-27T14:13:38.619-05:00

They guy who made this video is a Christian and has managed to completely encapsulate my own views on Creationism. I cannot even begin to describe the looks of horror I got a few years back in a Bible study based on the book of Genesis when I said the creation story in the Bible wasn't literal and shouldn't be treated as literal. Or for that matter, taught in schools as "scientific fact". I think

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-48228772377140022452009-03-26T16:19:00.002-05:002009-03-26T16:34:56.986-05:00

The Associated Press has a great article about why St. Louis, MO--my hometown!--is a great place to visit on the cheap, and I think the beginning of the article about sums up the flavor around here:The French who founded this city in 1764 left instructions for having a good time. The Germans brought the beer, built the brick mansions and got things organized. Henry Shaw, inspired by the gardens

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-29458805267169482882009-03-24T12:19:00.018-05:002009-03-24T15:49:55.753-05:00

Today is Ada Lovelace Day, a day established by freelance tech consultant and blogger Suw Charman-Anderson, who realized that women in IT have precious few role models (historical or otherwise). Who is Ada Lovelace, and what has she to do with technologies?Ada Lovelace was one of the world's first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-20884404399854102992009-03-23T18:38:00.003-05:002009-03-23T18:41:50.797-05:00

If I ever had any inclination to marry, this might be the wedding announcement I'd produce:My family would disown me, though. H/T: All Things Heinous, Trashy and Hilarious in Weddings

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-85230960092976703472009-03-21T20:21:00.000-05:002009-03-21T20:22:12.141-05:00

I've had a few people ask me why I don't take up Twitter. Here's why:

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-43542117261573043132009-03-21T19:23:00.008-05:002009-03-21T20:06:07.526-05:00

Watched the Battlestar Galactica finale last night. Took me all night and most of today to get the bad taste out of my mouth. The first half was amazing. Then they landed on Earth and seemed to be planning to do the sensible thing and set up civilization.But no. Mr. Head In The Clouds Lee Adama decides that the root of all evil is technology, and the only way for the people of the fleet to have a

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-11949159989619583572009-03-19T11:01:00.002-05:002009-03-19T11:06:41.007-05:00

This just in from TokyoMango:A 22-year old slightly crazy woman was arrested for posting a message on 2channel that threatened to blow up an office building belonging to Nippon Telephone and Telgraph's staffing agency if she wasn't hired for a job. Satomi Hachisu had gone there on February 12 to interview and take a test for a part-time position. Later that night, she started a thread on 2ch that

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-2401246948581464252009-03-18T12:02:00.010-05:002009-03-18T12:43:10.521-05:00

I saw Star Wars: A New Hope when it first hit theaters when I was 12. I walked out of the theater thinking two thoughts: "I want to work for ILM", and "Harrison Ford is HAWT!" I crushed on him for decades thereafter. Don't get me started on that first Indiana Jones movie. My friends and I just about had coronaries over wanting to be Marion finding places on him to kiss that didn't hurt when they

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-65718308537855591872009-03-17T14:35:00.006-05:002009-03-17T14:56:23.837-05:00

I didn't get the job I interviewed for last Friday because they thought I'd get bored. I thought I might be a bit overwhelmed. They thought...bored. After telling me how hectic things were, how snowed under they all were, how tight the deadline was, they thought I'd be...bored?And then the recruiter chastised me for speaking to other recruiting companies.So it's a WTF kind of a day.I need

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-21050876094522545682009-03-11T18:57:00.001-05:002009-03-11T18:59:42.631-05:00

I loved Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when I was a kid, but I have to admit that throwing a Daft Punk soundtrack under it makes it even better. :-)H/T: Neatorama

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-24978987775275524132009-03-11T10:44:00.004-05:002009-03-11T11:12:26.614-05:00

I got an interview! Yay me! Of course, there are other applicants, even from the same recruiting company that I'm going through, but it's an interview! I haven't had to do a face-to-face interview in years. I got my last job via phone interview with a manager who knew me, and the time before that was just a situation of the manager calling a trusted company and asking them to send someone, so I

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-77737037385231933852009-03-10T16:04:00.004-05:002009-03-10T16:07:48.970-05:00

LOL! Penny Arcade nails it once again. (Click through if you're reading this in a feed reader and don't see the image.)

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-30947525517011904592009-03-09T22:27:00.004-05:002009-03-09T23:27:44.681-05:00

So does it make me pervy if I'm trying to figure out if the guy downstairs is sleeping with the girl upstairs just because she walks his dog for him when he's traveling and because when she's having sex the other party's voice sounds like his? Hmmm... maybe I'm wrong about this. I mean, I haven't heard thumping up there in a long time--no wait! But I have heard thumping and...other noises...

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-18423647071309052552009-03-06T11:05:00.002-06:002009-03-06T11:07:33.250-06:00

This amazing video by Bruce Branit is simply amazing and very, very touching:World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-69194268797421324732009-03-02T11:10:00.004-06:002009-03-02T11:23:31.393-06:00

Have I mentioned lately how refreshing it is to once again have an Administration that gives a damn about modern technology and really uses it? No? Well, I'm mentioning it again because of a post on the White House Blog that gives a high-level overview of a planned review of America's communications and information infrastructure with a goal to make sure it is up to date, secure, and available to

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-69991449897853258362009-03-01T15:16:00.004-06:002009-03-01T15:23:49.502-06:00

Ok, saw this video on Respectful Insolence (a Science Blog) and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Yes, nerd girls are teh sexy! I wish the boys had realized that when I was in high school. I was a smart nerd girl (OK, a smart, blond nerd girl with big boobs--for all the good they did me) and the only dates I had were when I asked the guy out...or my cousin Don fixed me up with one of his

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-30357511581032428572009-02-23T14:50:00.004-06:002009-02-23T14:52:11.151-06:00

(If you're reading this in a feed reader, you may need to click through to see the image)From Indexed

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-69554684545121763772009-02-23T13:49:00.003-06:002009-02-23T13:57:07.481-06:00

Well, I'm not quite desperate enough for a job to try what this guy in England tried. That and you know what would happen to a woman wearing a sandwich board on a U.S. highway, right? I live in a dangerous and pervy nation.Anyway, this guy in England got desperate for work and stood on a highway for two days wearing a sandwich board advertising himself and his phone number. He got an interview

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-66652062890151847552009-02-19T19:06:00.004-06:002009-03-09T23:35:57.988-05:00

So my old Big Pharma employer has a Tech Writer position they opened today, and apparently every recruiter on the planet searched Monster for Technical Writer and the name of that company and came up with my resume, which has those two terms in close proximity to each other. Blood in the water, dear readers. I think I must have been contacted by close to 20 recruiting companies, none of which I'd

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-45577191200904677432009-02-19T19:04:00.002-06:002009-02-19T19:22:35.522-06:00

From Academie Duello comes your Squee du Jour. My but zombies are fashionable this year.(If you're reading this in a feed reader, go to the actual post so you can click the link to the video.)

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-53833748025573567222009-02-18T16:11:00.007-06:002009-02-18T16:37:09.325-06:00

No, I'm not employed. The happy dance is because of the willingness of my creditors to work with me to dramatically reduce my monthly payments and interest rates! I even got my car insurance costs reduced by more than $100 a year! Oh yeah, I am definitely in good hands with Allstate.Anyway, that takes a partial load off of my mind and makes it easier to focus on the job-getting and

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-15455673757941296552009-02-18T13:46:00.002-06:002009-02-18T13:56:53.886-06:00

Today in my inbox was an email from a recruiter from a company that keeps suggesting brief contract work on the other side of the country (I keep telling them and telling them I will not relocate for less than a firm 1-year or more contract and not out of the Midwest, but nobody listens to me). The email opened thusly:Hot need..!!@HiHope you are doing in the best of the mood!! *sigh* And I am to

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-23430211966798915462009-02-16T20:29:00.008-06:002009-02-16T21:57:24.993-06:00

Warning! Spoilers abound!Rachel was off school today for Presidents Day, so I took her to see Coraline in 3D. My mom was afraid it would scare her. Some of the reviews I read thought it was too scary for her age group. Of course, I'd also seen reviews that said the opposite of that. I know Rachel, and I figured she'd like this movie. This was reinforced a few weeks ago when she told me that she

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-26226857369314006162009-02-15T14:50:00.002-06:002009-02-15T14:56:51.159-06:00

I like how the Canadian Army thinks. They hired science fiction writer Karl Schroeder to write future-war novels for them. The first is called Crisis in Zefra and takes place in an imaginary African nation, about 30 years from now. The Canadian Army is acting as part of a peace keeping force, fending off insurgents during Zefra's first democratic elections. The book sold out, so Karl's doing a

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-20945673541899341362009-02-11T17:06:00.007-06:002009-02-11T17:57:10.208-06:00

I make no bones about my love for shojo manga (Japanese graphic chick lit). I can't get enough of it. I love the characterizations, the stories, the art...everything about it. I'm an especially big fan of CLAMP's work, though they sometimes dip into shonen (boys manga) territory. Thanks to my subscription to Shojo Beat magazine and my public library, I can almost get my fill.Then yesterday I

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17453246.post-68503921812662789782009-02-10T15:09:00.005-06:002009-02-10T15:32:09.090-06:00

In which musicians hop in the back of a London black cab and play and sing something for us. Fabulously. I've listened to/watched Amanda Palmer and Death Cab for Cutie so far. Amanda's rendition of Radiohead's "Creep" is amazing!Black Cab SessionsH/T: Neil Gaiman's Journal

Queen of Swordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562851874939376948noreply@blogger.com0