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    Sunday, December 20th, 2009
    _dilbert_strip
    [ brianbot ]
         		2:15a
    Saturday, December 19th, 2009
    grrm
         		5:08p
    Win a Copy of SUICIDE KINGS
     Pat's Fantasy Hotlist is doing one of their famous contests, for two Advanced Reading Copies of SUICIDE KINGS signed by all of the contributors.

    For details as to how to enter, go to

    http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2009/12/win-autographed-advance-reading-copy-of.html

    Good luck to all.

    Current Mood: busy
    Sunday, December 20th, 2009
    luciddestiny
         		12:03a
    Yesterdays Tweets:


    • 02:11 Made it to ferry. No snow issues at all. This is the first time I have left the island on a boat in over 15 years. #

    Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter
    Saturday, December 19th, 2009
    blearyboy
         		11:20p
    sarklor
         		10:47p
    Avatar...
     ... Is Pocahontas with gunships. If you enjoy either, then you should give it a go. Don't expect anything new except the latest shiny CGI, and you'll enjoy it.
    ocultado
         		7:01p
    Tweets for my tweet.
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    From LoudTwitter because life is short.
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    [ brianbot ]
         		2:15a
    Friday, December 18th, 2009
    grrm
         		10:14p
    Goodbye to Sgt. Pinback
     RIP Dan O'Bannon

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Og_YsaXt4&feature=related

    He'll be best remembered for ALIEN, but DARK STAR has a fond place in my heart as well. I hope somewhere he's surfing down like a meteor as "Benson, Arizona" plays on the cosmic soundtrack.

    Current Mood: sad
    sarahtales
         		3:44p
    A Very Adventurous Christmas to You All!
     I would be remiss in my author-ly duties if I did not point out to you that I was asked to do a Christmas post on some of my favourite things in one of my favourite book blogs, and that post is here.

    I show myself to be a person of pretty low moral character, willing to commit murder for Megan Whalen Turner and everything.

    I also talk about some of my favourite books of the past year and some in the year to come, and discuss the issue of reading books by people you know, which is something that happens more and more often when you do the writer thing.

    You meet people! As for instance this small interlude in a cafe the summer before last.

    CASSIE: Hi everyone, Sarah's turned up again, oh cupcakes. Sarah, have you met Maureen Johnson?
    SARAH: ... Maureen Johnson...
    CASSIE: Do you need me to open that bottle for you?
    SARAH: ... Maureen Johnson...
    MAUREEN: Um. Hi.
    SARAH: *hearts in eyes*
    MAUREEN: How're you doing?
    SARAH: YOU DAZZLE ME.

    I like Maureen's books a lot, okay? As you can see from this small bit of conversation, I am always super smooth when I meet awesome people. (There is one Famous and Acclaimed Author I hit in the head with a breakfast pastry. But I will never reveal which one! NEVER.)

    But anyway, yes, reading books by people you know - scary, yet reassuring, sometimes like having a conversation with your friend. Sometimes like being DAZZLED by your friend! It is complicated.

    Speaking of conversations with one's friends, I was having an interesting one with Justine Larbalestier yesterday.

    Now we all know about fictional couples who we want to get together in books. (Mary and Colin from The Secret Garden got married when they grew up. Yes they did. It is a truth! A truth of my heart.)

    But what about fictional couples who get together and who we don't believe in? Who you look at together and go 'Nah... it'll never last.' I've got to say, for me Jane Eyre and Rochester, they are going to break up. (Well, probably not given the time they were in, but I don't think they're going to be happy. Because they have a lot of chemistry, but Rochester is a crazy liar, y'all.)

    ROCHESTER: Gosh, I have a crazy wife hidden in the attic who occasionally breaks out and sets fires. And I'd like to bigamously marry my governess. You know what this situation needs?
    AUDIENCE: ... what?
    ROCHESTER: MORE COMPLICATIONS! I think I'll have a house party and have a fake engagement to a third lady. AS WELL as the secret crazy wife. And the bigamous marriage.
    AUDIENCE: ... what?
    ROCHESTER: You're RIGHT! I'm not giving this a hundred per cent! What if I dress up as a gypsy woman and tell fake fortunes?

    I'm just saying, Jane will come home one day and Rochester will have sold the children to pirates.

    Justine believes in even fewer couples than I do. Which fictional couples do you guys think are doomed never to last?

    It has been in some respects a tough year (though in other respects a truly marvellous and spiffy and amazing year) so I admit I have had a few thoughts about ringing in the changes in some sort of new and excellent way. So I have this page open which lists awesome cheap flights at all times. But, you know, I secretly knew that I was going to be home for New Year's because I hadn't made any proper plans yet.

    Then yesterday I saw amazingly inexpensive flights to Boston. But I didn't really plan to go. I planned to consult with sensible friends.

    PLANNED CONVERSATION!

    SARAH: Should I go to Boston?
    HOLLY: No, that seems unwise.
    SARAH: You are right, what was I thinking? I am such a ninnyhammer.

    ACTUAL CONVERSATION!

    SARAH: Should I go to Boston?
    HOLLY: Yes, good idea!
    SARAH: Can I come see you as well?
    HOLLY: Yes, I am very valiant and can put up with you! Bring a mask.
    SARAH: ... Why?
    HOLLY: I cannot reveal that at this time.
    SARAH: WOW I SEEM TO BE ACTUALLY GOING TO BOSTON? I wonder what I will do there! Perhaps I will have an adventure?

    I think I will have an adventure, you guys.

    I have never been to Boston before! I am going to take notes on it for Secret Reasons. Can you, oh wise internet, tell me awesome things to do in Boston?

    So my lovely people, I hope you are having an awesome run-up to Christmas! I also hope you will tell me awesome things to do in Boston, tell me about fictional couples you think are doomed, and most of all that you will like the Extra Christmas Bonus Excerpt of Demon's Covenant in my BookSmugglers post. (Oh, Nick. Of all the tall dark heroes in the world, you have the distinction of being the least charming of them all...)

    Current Mood: chipper
    Current Music: warning, angela aki
    bobangryflower 2:08p
    _dilbert_strip
    [ brianbot ]
         		2:15a
    xkcd_rss 5:00a
    mytholder
         		1:01a
    Dead Presidents Recap #3 – Why it worked

    Originally published at Figures of Text. Please leave any comments there.

    Dead Presidents is easily one of the top five campaigns I’ve run. Off the top of my head, the other contenders are The Chrysanthemum Road, the SLA Industries game with the orbital fire truck, my Nobilis playtest, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and my first Blue Planet campaign. Of those games, The Chrysanthemum Road was the closest in terms of structure – in both, the players had a good reason to hang together, but there was also plenty of scope for inter-character sniping and plotting. In both, the players could go anywhere and find interesting stuff to do.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Thursday, December 17th, 2009
    syleth
         		10:02p
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    Friday, December 18th, 2009
    fromthemorgue 7:23a
    Santa Linky

    http://www.additiverich.com/morgue/archives/003098.html

    First: sign the Avaaz petition for a deal in Copenhagen. Several world leaders asked Avaaz to do this to lend weight to the negotiations; so far over 13 million people have signed. That's a lot of people. They're aiming for...
    Thursday, December 17th, 2009
    ocultado
         		7:01p
    Tweets for my tweet.
     ( Read more... )
    From LoudTwitter because life is short.
    Friday, December 18th, 2009
    coffee_lifeform
         		3:31a
    Thursday, December 17th, 2009
    mylescorcoran
         		4:15p
    Move it!
     I'm off work tomorrow to pack. I will be packing on Saturday and Sunday. I've got Monday off too and will pack then. And then?

    And then on Wednesday the removals company turns up and moves our stuff to the new house.

    Just have to stay sane for a few more days and then it will all be over.

    Then the unpacking will start.

    Current Mood: just allowing myself to hope a tiny bit
    buttersafe_rss 3:03p
    _dilbert_strip
    [ brianbot ]
         		9:05a
    zarkia
         		1:07p
    last post for a while
     i am officially finished writing for the winter holidays (and i'm doing it a week early, so i'll be an extra week editing). i'm heading home tomorrow evening, have this afternoon and tomorrow to clean the place and pack.

    i can't wait to go home and see everyone again. [info]penelope_stone will be around for a good long time too, so i'll get to hang out with her. woo. we're heading to kerry for the week after christmas. beaches. sand. cold and wet (ok, that's not so good). an open fire.

    i finished editing for this year on a really good chapter too. i think i'm really evil that inflicting pain on my main character makes me happy. i just made poor zachery cry and i walked away from the chapter thinking: that was good. well - it's not good because he's crying, it's good because i think i wrote the emotion in the scene well. i can't wait to have other people read this, but i can't share it with anyone because it would ruin the rest of the story. i hope when people read it that it comes across as a "no, they can't do that, stop the story, it can't happen this way" sort of tragedy moment.

    i finished borderlands for the second time last night, with a different character (lilith) - so now i have played it 2.5 times. i'd love to finish it a third time with mordecai, but i'll save him for playing whatever dlcs that come out with [info]lordkilljoy. i have more xbox achievements from this game than any other. i kinda feel like playing brick and ronald up to fifth level just so i can get the achievements for them too. i'd love to get every achievement but it's not possible with a silver account (boooo).

    i don't really have much else to say. i havn't updated in ages, but things have been quiet.

    Current Mood: happy
    Current Music: cocteau twins - heavan or las vegas - frow frou foxes in midsummer fires
    fluffworld
         		4:13p
    Christmas is coming, and my LJ’s being flat.
     Those that can, do. Those that can but are very busy right now, blog. I have been doing things, including assisting Golden Boy in searching for a new house (with space for a pony) and planning lots of travel, and between that and writing my poor LJ has been a tad unloved recently. So, an update on just the writing thing.

    Thanks to you all for the kind words, and the editing, I owe many people a beer. [info]ocultado and [info]artbroken have been stellar, as well as [info]coffee_lifeform and Golden Boy for reading over my work and pointing out just how bad my spelling is. The last few months I have been getting STUFF done. I have been published 6 times in national newspapers, all free pieces but at least I can say I have got my name out there. (I can also say that my name has confused people, having had not one but two paragraphs dedicated to the correct pronunciation of it over separate days in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Column 8.)

    I’m in MX today (Australia’s metropolitan free transport daily) but I put all published pieces up at my blog if you would like to read them. Go look and vote for whether you would rather get beer or vouchers this year.

    I have had a few bits and bobs published online, and Happy Woman Magazine.com (a satire site with the glorious slogan “We think so you don’t have to”) have earmarked a piece for publication in their next anthology. Free, but if the book makes money, I make money. Which is nice.

    Simonseeks.com, a rather nifty user created travel website I write for, has netted me around £220 stg this year in prizes and referrals. But the most exciting development was a commission from Virgin Blue’s in-flight magazine Voyeur for a travelogue on Auckland, which was not only well paid but will also be high profile when it comes out.

    The downside is that, having paid, they can decide to run the piece cut or anonymously or not at all, but hey, paid work.

    The result from a year’s (fairly half-assed) writing is I have managed to pay for everyone’s Christmas pressies and have a good few clippings I can use to get more work. So, if I am not loaded, it’s a good start. I’m still looking for more work, so if you know people who would be interested in getting humour, satire, travelogues and invective off me, pass ‘em this way. I’m getting there, just really really bloody slowly.

    Happy holidays to you all, and hope your dreams are working out for you too.

    Current Mood: content
    Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
    irishwmabroadfd 4:09p
    In MX today - Jingle Hell

    http://sadhbh.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-mx-today-jingle-hell.html

    Despite the tinsel and sparkly lights and fat bearded men in bright red suits, I find Christmas a sneaky season. One again, December has rolled round and I haven’t even bought my Mum a pressie yet.

    Every year, all the magazines advise shopping early and taking advantage of the January sales. I read them, think “what a good idea, I’ll do that” and then forget.

    So, instead of basking smugly with a glass of wine, I’m gearing up to battle maddened parents and frazzled assistants who have been tasked with finding an intimate present for their bosses partner - or partners.

    But you start optimistic and energized - ready to shop and roll, baby. You start thinking big. Wouldn’t it be great if you got everything in one shop? You’d be finished! The Queen of Christmas shopping. Then you can ditch the bags and the mad shoppers and go straight to the pub!

    This all seems like a really good idea, but leads to situations like you trying to persuade yourself that your sister would like a socket wrench, or that your Dad would like a sparkly hair band, or that everyone you know would like Liquorland vouchers. Including your eight year old cousin. Maybe not.

    You need to look in a few more shops. Initially, all you can find are inappropriate gifts. Yes, they’d love it, but you can’t buy it due to cost, size or piddling little legal issues.

    You find yourself looking at designer bags, plasma TVs and licensed weaponry. You have to remind yourself that no one will thank you if you decide to get your ten year old cousin a longbow and real arrows, not even them after they end up hospitalised. The shops are noisy and crowded and full of despairing souls, like hell with Jingle Bells playing in the background. You’ve already wasted a few hours…

    Demoralised, you decide to get a few old faithfuls like clothes. You find affordable items that would be perfect if you knew size they take. Is she a twelve or one of those girls who gets insulted when you get past a size ten? The only thing worse than watching your mate trying to squeeze into something two sizes too small is your mate realising that you think she’s a size bigger than what she like to wear.

    The next thing you know, you have a size eight in your arms, and you’re looking for the six. You’re having difficulty finding something for your friend, but you have found some adorable things for you. It’s Christmas, after all, and you deserve something nice!

    You leave the shop on a high, having spent fifty bucks on another cute black top. Then you realise you still don’t have any presents. Your feet hurt. It’s crowded. They’ve got the flaming Mariah Carey Christmas CD on in every shop in town. All she wants for Christmas is you, but all you want is a nice cool drink.

    Determined to speed things up, you start really looking. You find the completely appropriate gifts, if you never want anyone to speak to you again. T-shirts that say “I’m with Stupid”. Packs of bath salts and deodorant. A Gutbuster machine. Books called “He’s Just Not That Into You”. Undoubtedly useful and accurate, but you’d like to still be speaking to people on the 26th.

    Running out of ideas and time, you end up looking at the huge shiny gift boxes containing such delights as potpourri, candles that smell like a three month old fruit bowl, and fake perfume. If they don’t like the smell, it’s nearly pure alcohol so they can just drink it.

    Mmm. Alcohol. You could do with a drink. So could everyone. Might as well just get them a Liquorland voucher, they’ll probably appreciate it.

    And if they don’t, you can always drink it for them.
    Thursday, December 17th, 2009
    fromthemorgue 9:11a
    Madagascar Kartz

    http://www.additiverich.com/morgue/archives/003097.html

    Another game I worked on for NZ's finest game company Sidhe Interactive has been released, so I can talk about it: Madagascar Kartz I worked on this one in parallel with the Hot Wheels game, and it's good to see...
    Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
    ocultado
         		7:01p
    Tweets for my tweet.
     ( Read more... )
    From LoudTwitter because life is short.
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