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"Honestly," Nettie said, shaking her head again. "The lies people tell themselves and call it the truth." These wee Puffin Doctor Who ebooks are having a good run right now. Here we have the celebrated Patrick Ness, delivering a very solid tale of two marginal teenagers in wartime Maine, finding themselves dealing with a peculiar fad for truth-telling gadgets which turn out to be alien tech, with a mysterious celery-wearing stranger and his scandalously dressed companion all mixed up with it as well. This is the first of the books in this series which is not told from the tight narrative viewpoint of Doctor or companion, and all the better for it.
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Short listed for this year's Hugos, this is another in Talbot's alternate history of Grandville, where most people are anthropomorphised animals and England is only now recovering from two hundred years of French rule after defeat at Waterloo. As well as taking us to the dark heart of political conspiracy, with overtones of Tintin (and also, frankly, Dangermouse), Talbot reflects art history too in his distorted gaze; the character here illustrated is one Jackson Pollo, and he refers in an afterword to the CIA's funding of Abstract Expressionism. It's a witty, absurd and also rather bleak story. I will find it tough to choose between this and Saucer Country for the Hugo.
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Telling history through things is what museums are for. This brilliant book accompanies the brilliant series of podcasts which I listened to a couple of years ago. It is the same hundred objects from the British museum's collection, but this time in dead tree format. The individual talks, which were 11-14 minutes on the radio, are down to 5-7 pages here, so I think quite substantially cut; but what we get in return is pictures of the actual objects, which radio cannot give. Actually in most cases I felt I actually had got a fairly good impression of the objects' appearance from listening to the audio version, but there were a couple where the picture does make a big difference - the sexually explicit Warren Cup, and the extraordinarily detailed mechanical galleon of Augsburg. Anyway, it is all very nicely done (though I did notice as I browsed the maps at the end that none of the objects is from, er, Ireland).
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http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/trivia/1955comments.asp List collects comments purportedly made in the year 1955. |
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Bar-hopping! Gossip! Stable-cleaning! Feel the white heat of RPGING!
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Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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- Fri, 01:40: I see the conspiracy nuts are already here. I hate to spoil it, but there are eyewitness (@YouTube http://t.co/MsPocDGEf2)
- Fri, 02:01: Cliches exist for a reason. Let's see - we already have birther, 9/11, HAARP, 'false flag', (@YouTube http://t.co/MsPocDGEf2)
- Fri, 02:03: I don't know where you're looking, but this is on ALL of the major news sites - CNN, ABC News, (@YouTube http://t.co/MsPocDGEf2)
- Fri, 02:50: One hour isn't really 'way off'. It is 02:44 right now - I'm east coast. The networks aren't (@YouTube http://t.co/MsPocDGEf2)
- Fri, 06:56: @shwood Just watched the latest SS off TiVo - and got them all, but had different solutions for some.
- Fri, 07:00: @shwood 8-sq(sq(8+8)) = 8-sq(sq(16)) = 8-sq(4) = 8-2 = 6 and (4+4)-sq(4) = 8-2 = 6. I did those before I tackled 0 & 1.
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As I posted yesterday here it's BBQ weekend thru MONDAY!!! Also on the aforementioned link, is the link to vote for Contest #2 finalists (I'll post the winner Monday morning!!!) AND PLEASE help me gather up some movie trailer day theme ideas!! As it stands Monday is gonna be a movie trailer day and I picked PIRATE MOVIES!!! Do you really want ME to be picking theme ideas all by my lonesome? I'm weird and who knows what I'd think of!!! HAH!
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... on the 1980s anime Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, known briefly in the states as Ronin Warriors. |
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Ford pariah amongst right-wing, who justly fear he could draw attention from their equally fascinating scandals.
In happier days, the shark-eyed alleged baby eater poses with wife-beating, drunk-driving mayor of Toronto.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
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Members of Rob Ford’s executive committee say they are prepared to take over the day-to-day running of the city if the Toronto mayor is no longer able to perform his duties, amid a scandal involving allegations he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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http://snafu.priv.at/still-not-king/2013-05-24.html ...when it comes to door-to-door salescritters, fundraisers, religious looneys and other scum who bother
me at home.
I think I'm a fairly polite person, overall. However I do know that
towards professional door knockers I'm very rude, and that's absolutely
on purpose.
First, if you ignore the 'no salespeople' sticker on my door (at chest
height, really hard to miss), then in my book this constitutes full
acceptance of any amount of rudeness on my part.
The two begging bastards that I sent packing this afternoon claimed
the sticker doesn't apply to them "when fundraising", upon which I
pointed out that in this case politeness doesn't apply to them, either. Second, it's quite amazing how badly many of these fellows take
being treated rudely.
I really like that, because it makes my revenge so much sweeter. In
return for them annoying me greatly, I annoy them back - and it would
be a shame if they didn't care at least a bit :-) Third, it's pretty quick. A few choice words followed by slamming the
door in the critter's face very efficiently terminates all
unnecessary arguments and delay tactics like discussing how I am
or what their name is (they rarely ever get far enough to tell me
what crap they want me to buy or what cause to donate for). |
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Looks interesting.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
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The Record Collectors
This is an interview with two avid record collectors, one a man who adopted the title of doctor on the basis of a passing comment and the other a fellow who constructs nightmarish monsters for Christmas parades. Both are fanatical about their hobby, firmly reject impure innovations past the wax cylinder as well as modern singers and generally fail to do anything that would convince people not already part of their folie à deux that records are worth anyone's time.
I know of no persons like the pair in this play.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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Living Portrait - William Zekendorf, Tycoon
Bio of a man who helped shape modern New York. Since he was a known associate of Le Corbusier, this may have been a mixed blessing.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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National Escargot Day
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http://snafu.priv.at/brainfarts/escher.html
alas, i am quite sure that i couldn't afford the work
of these gifted spanish woodworkers... |
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http://www.snopes.com/luck/wills/fourhour.asp A wealthy woman left her entire estate to a man she had met only once. |
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- Thu, 13:11: #ALIAQ4 answered!
- Thu, 18:51: RT @lilanne1 Is your library ready for a social media librarian? Choi, C #aliasocmedlaunch
- Thu, 18:58: RT @ALIANational #aliasocmedlaunch libraries need to look deeper at most appropriate social media tools not just use the most popular ones.
- Thu, 19:04: Interesting concept of categorising boards on Yarra Valley Regional Library @pinterest by Dewey #ALIAsocmedlaunch
- Thu, 20:14: RT @soapachu I can't see how anyone; even the most bean-sized intellect, thinks that burning mosques is a legitimate response.
- Thu, 20:45: Really need to buy an external battery for my One X for trips into the city and back.
- Thu, 21:03: RT @HelenRappaport 7 pm today Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter my talk on murder of the Romanovs in 1918 http://t.co/4PAFC33Wkx
- Thu, 21:06: RT @InfoSeer SLV: Booking a place in the future - transforming the library into a hot-wired hub of the digital age http://t.co/iPhvb6d9dU
- Thu, 21:42: @nataliemason thanks for the add, was nice to meet you :-)
- Thu, 23:23: The 20 Most Beautiful Libraries on Film and TV: http://t.co/WN1W453UX6 @flavorwire via The BookCase Project on Facebook.
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- Wed, 16:18: I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/rctE9C2DkT The Lonely Island - SEMICOLON (feat. Solange) LYRICS VIDEO #WACKWEDNESDAYS
- Wed, 16:54: I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/SQSbFJXD0f Dragonfly Wings in Slow Motion & Close-Up - Smarter Every Day 91
- Thu, 01:43: I liked a @YouTube video from @lindsayaynpenn http://t.co/95EiK21crm GET A JOB!! 50th DINZ feat. MATTHEW JORDAN!
- Thu, 01:51: I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/fHxo3IRUcX Pacific Rim - Drift Space Featurette
- Thu, 02:17: Catching up on Arrow... "There's at least a teraflop of data to go through." AUUUUUGGGGHHHHH! I hate when shows do shit like that, it hurts.
- Thu, 03:26: RT @bonniegrrl: OMG! That Puppy Face!!! RT @AlisonAgosti: Need an avatar change, probably to this: http://t.co/5EIAxCjCRm
- Thu, 15:16: Really @marchofdimes, asking for credit card or debit numbers when you've called *me*? NOT COOL. Bad infosec practice all around. No way.
- Thu, 15:18: Never, ever give out financial information to *anyone* who calls you. Reputable vendors should *NEVER* ask - looking at you @marchofdimes.
- Thu, 15:21: And on the off chance it was someone pretending to be @marchofdimes, the call came from 866-648-5951. Though they had my past donation info.
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- Yesterday was my last day toiling for eBay Advertising (née shopping.com)
- Today is our wedding anniversary; more importantly, however, it's
 captain_nesky's wedding day
- I start my new job at MapR Technologies on Tuesday, riding side by side with palecur for the first time since the days of Best Internet Communications
Whee!Current Music: Peter McConnell - Los Angelitos |
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http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=15878&rss
Volatility is a Python framework for performing memory forensics. If you haven't tried it ...(more)... |
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Authors in 1967's Dangerous Visions by year of debut (length of career at the time DV came out indicated in brackets):
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Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
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Sealtest, Borden (and Lady Borden), Foremost & Meadow Gold, 1950s & 1960s
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May. 23rd, 2013 @ 04:40 pm
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Today still looking like a reasonable day as we enter the home
stretch. Got up early, showered, shaved, got across town without getting
rained on and patched three machines (dealing with fibre channel booting
issues by being on site, thank goodness) and started the day all without any
major incidents. Have made it through the day without anything breaking, had
a sausage and bacon baguette in addition to lunch because I'm hungry all the
time.
Last night's outing wasn't too bad, really. Given it was a new combination,
in a boat that we're all really too light for I thought the balance was pretty
good. Of course, the higher rate work we did was splashy as hell, but that
was for entirely different reasons. I thought I was coming to terms with one
or two things connected, sort of, with rowing. But apparently not. I think I
need a good bit of time away from the distractions therein and I should be
fine. This evening should help enormously. It's strange, I didn't used to
be like this. Maybe I just need a bit more mental discipline.
I'm off to the boathouse as soon as I post this anyway so I can get my 30 min
erg out of the way and get home to do stuff and things. I'm feeling pretty
fit and full of energy, which bodes well. |
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20-some minute infomercial/recruitment ad for the US Navy, narrated by soul singer Lou Rawls
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On the question of whether the Stieg Larsson Award For Hottest Teenage Hacker Punk Who Falls In Love With The Protagonist's Self-Insert" is a fan or a pro award, I say it's clearly a pro award.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
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4!
A sergeant first class and officer in charge of the “health, welfare and discipline” of cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point has been accused of videotaping female cadets without their consent, including when the women were showering or otherwise unclothed.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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Starting tomorrow (Friday) thru MONDAY!!! BBQ Ads: It's Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial kick off to BBQ season!!
Also, please keep voting for our 5 finalists for our Underwear Contest #2!! On this entry here.
Let's have a movie theme day Monday, haven't had one in while and let's gather up themes for movies so I don't have to think of them and I can just put them in a baggy in the hat and then pull one out in the future! I was thinking of a pirate movie theme for Monday, does that sound okay? |
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Having reached London too late to get to last night's BSFA meeting, I persuaded djm4 - who I had not seen in over two decades - to try Georgian food. There are in fact several Georgian restaurants in London, but the handiest by far, which also seemed to have a decent write-up in Time Out, was Iberia at 294 Caledonian Road, just north of King's Cross. It was really yummy; all the proper recipes, served with Georgian wine, though there were a couple of gaps on the menu (sadly they were out of tarragon-flavoured lemonade). Strongly recommended, especially the khinkali.
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Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
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Fig would not be one of them.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there.
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4!
A sergeant first class and officer in charge of the “health, welfare and discipline” of cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point has been accused of videotaping female cadets without their consent, including when the women were showering or otherwise unclothed.
Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are comment(s); comment here or there.
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Lucky Penny Day
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This was an Armstrong linoleum ad in American Home.
I love the windows and all that natural light.
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