Sorry for any lack of being around, I've had company in from Memphis that is staying here until noon tomorrow. We saw Bruno, went to a pagan shop and ate dead fish.

Good times were had by all!

I can't sleep right now, actually. I've been in bed reading for about two hours while thinking I might fall asleep... never did happen. Might try now. Will resume being around and working on art/e-bay sales tomorrow!

HOLY SHIT CAN YOU BELIEVE IT.

WHO IS GOING SO WE CAN SQUEAL!?

http://www.explosm.net/comics/1737/

New Cyanide and Happiness Comic.

WILLPOWER.

I NEED SOME.

RIGHT NOW.

I grew up with Mr. Cronkite in my living room, solemnly telling us about world events, especially the Vietnam War. I think of him often, wishing we had more of his gravitas these days. I always liked his voice.

I tried again to get this style... sticking this all under a cut

( More art stuff... )

In other news, on Monday I went around to interview at UD, which went quite well (I got in!), but was surprised when the head of the program asked, as an interview question, whether I was dating anyone. He explained that sometimes people apply just so they can go to the same university as thier significant other, which I guess could be an indicator that you're more interested in the location than the program... but my dad (who is in the physics department) said they don't really take that into account. Either way, that was not a question I was expecting to hear.

That and one of the other grad students (a bunch of them had lunch with me) asked me what kind of music I like. I said Rock-ish, which isn't quite a lie. I then said I liked things that were unsual (not a lie) and that are sort of cross genre (also not a lie. ex extreme metal polka).

I think maybe I'll write a longer entry on why that question bothers me. Maybe sometime this week, although I'll probably forget or not get around to it unless someone mentions it to me.

Yeah, so anyway.... I found out two days ago that I got in. I think I'm excited, although I'm not really sure if this is the right choice, but I'm quite positive it's not the wrong choice, if that makes any sense.

Things that piss me off:

1. When people act like nothing is important, nothing is a big deal, and nothing matters. Shit dude, why are you even alive then? Just die, please. It's especially irritating when I bring up something that bothers me, and they blow it off as if it's nothing significant. Man, fuck off.

2. When people IM me and just talk to me endlessly for the sake of talking, about absolutely nothing. It's reasons like this my away message stay up.

3. How asian families act like there's no necessity to respect anything other than their own fucking family, not even their own kind. My god, they really do a fantastic job of demonstrating the concept of, "backstabbing assholes". And aside from this, all they fucking do is trash other people based on appearance. Everyone I fucking date, I never hear the end of it, no matter HOW LONG I'VE DATED THEM. You think after 5 months, they'd STOP FUCKING talking about my boyfriend at the time's appearance, but NOOOOO. Apparently their height or facial structure is much more significant than their personality.

I tell them to shut the fuck up about my boyfriends' appearance, and they come back at me with, "Well, I don't know their personality!" THEN STOP TALKING.

Wonderful article in the NEW YORK TIMES about Jack Vance:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19Vance-t.html?%20_r=5&partner=rss&emc=rss

It is nice to see one of our genre's few authentic masters finally getting some recognition from the mainstream press. I agree with most everything that's said here: Vance is not only a great SF and fantasy writer, he's a great writer, period, and deserves a place in the canon of American literature.

Great blog post from TIME magazine's TV critic, urging HBO to pick up ICE & FIRE.

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/07/06/hbos-next-i-hope-great-drama

Needless to say, I share his hopes.

Back home, safe and sound. Finland was great and I enjoyed my visit to Estonia as well. More on both later. The journey home was endless and exhausting, and god, I hate the TSA, especially the ones at Chicago O'Hare. Petty pseudopolice drunk on their authority. But never mind.

Tons of emails, a mountain of mail, much sleep to catch up on. I'll be digging out from under for a while. But lots of cool stuff happening too, on all sorts of fronts. I'll post what I can when I can.

Next trip on the schedule is worldcon in Montreal. I have my program for that, and will post it here soon. I'm hoping to complete a few more chapters for DANCE before taking off. Still tugging, slashing, and cursing that Meereenese knot.