Kate Schaefer

douglain @ 05:07 pm: Up in the Air

Originally published at The Fiction of Douglas Lain. You can comment here or there.

I attended the film “Up in the Air” last night and, as is typical for me, I’ve been reading reviews of the picture today in order to search out my own position on the movie. The impression I had while watching was that the picture was making light entertainment out of our moral/cultural/economic bankruptcy, but when the story didn’t end happily I decided that perhaps it was a more subversive and thus better picture than I originally thought. In any case, here’s a review I found interesting.

http://www.altweeklies.com/movies/unemployment_gets_a_lift_in_up_in_the_air/Preview?oid=1605169

Tags: uncategorized

pantryslut @ 04:14 pm: I had a very lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas, both at home. Now my refrigerator is stuffed to the gills with leftovers. I may not have to cook until the New Year...

And my living room is scattered with small plastic and wood toys.

pantryslut @ 03:49 pm: Here's a new one.
"Does not contain any pink items. Pink items listed separately."

netmouse @ 06:01 pm: zer_netmouse tweets of the day

• 15:09 Turns out trying to go the mall for a movie the day after Chrismas is Madness. MADNESS, I tell you! #

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ethereal_lad @ 06:00 pm: Fragments

• 16:19 Best Xmas 2009 memory: my two-year old niece singing "Bad Romance" in her baby voice. #

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redbird @ 05:40 pm: Travel, security, etc.
Well, the logistics for my upcoming trip to Montreal may have just gotten more complicated. I say "may have" because what I have so far is various things, ranging from quasi-official to "if they do what that says, it will be a major hassle," and one report from today that security at MSP was no slower nor more difficult than before this latest attack on an airplane. The quasi-official statements include TSA saying "we aren't going to tell you what changes we're making," which actually makes sense, but doesn't tell me whether I need to get to the airport earlier than I've been planning. (I selected this flight partly because I can get there without getting up unreasonably early, and still be in Montreal early in the afternoon, weather and NY TRACON permitting.)

Air Canada says that there will be annoying new restrictions on flights to the United States. Suddenly, I am quite pleased that I am taking the train back. The reasons had to do with the different kinds of inconvenience involved, and secondarily that on this particular route, Amtrak is a lot cheaper. (New York State subsidizes this particular train.)

Cross-posted from Dreamwidth (http://redbird.dreamwidth.org/1187083.html), where there are comments. Please comment here, there, or both.

Tags: travel

mjlayman @ 04:21 pm: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
I've read this before, but it's more or less appropriate for this time of year.

You see, Hogfather, who wears a red robe, gives gifts to children on Hogswatch (the last day of the year), and whose sled is pulled by four pigs, has disappeared. DEATH has taken over because if people stop believing in Hogfather, he'll stop existing and then the sun will not come up on new year. DEATH gets his grand-daughter to help find out what happened and get Hogfather back. The professors at the University get involved, including HEX, the thinking machine, and find out why you never open doors that are marked to never be opened.

This is one of Pterry's really good books and although it's about belief, you don't need to have any specific belief to read it.

Tags: book

mjlayman @ 04:15 pm: Bye-Bye Snow
The rain made most of it melt, although places that had piles of snow are taking longer.

I'm very sleepy because I kept waking up last night and my hands hurt like crazy, so I may nap with Spirit when I finish online instead of re-watching Hogfather. I watched all three Librarian movies last night (on TNT), and so far, they've been coming out every two years which would mean a new one in 2010. They don't have any deep meaning or character demonstrations, but they're fun to watch.

Tags: dvd, movies, weather

fastfwd @ 09:00 pm: Forget Avatar--I Want To See THIS In 3-D:

moar funny pictures

Tags: goats & staring

frostfox @ 08:40 pm: drplokta finds a use for all the old tech at the office?
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/12/25/a-tower-ing-christmas-tree/
His old tech at home is much more cool than that, obviously.

And a grown up advent calender?
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/12/25/adult-advent-calendar/

FF

wshaffer @ 12:32 pm: Audio Review: Death in Blackpool
( The other Doctor Who Christmas special )

Tags: big finish, doctorwho, listening, review

tomaq @ 12:47 pm: Happy Boxing Day, I think it is...?
I just can't follow these foreign holidays.

It's not that I haven't had much to say lately; it's just that I've been actually writing fiction, trying to wrap up a largish project.

Tom completists might enjoy The Notebooks, which I began as a seperate blog for reasons of which I am not entirely conscious.

Tags: life-the-universe-everything, writing

jaylake @ 10:33 am: [awards] A bit more on eligibility
Apparently two of my 2008 novellas, "America, Such as She Is" (from Alembical), and "In the Forests of the Night" (from METAtropolis) are currently Nebula eligible, due to a fillip in the rule changeover. If you're a SFWA member and would like to see either of them, please let me know.

Tags: awards, stories, writing

wild_irises @ 08:53 am: Was that Christmas?
The plan:

Dim sum with friends, as we've been doing for almost all of the last 12 or so years.
anarqueso's holiday-free movie party and potluck

The day:

Wake up angry (never a good sign).

Get hurt in a phone conversation with oldest and closest friend (25% him, 75% me), while trying to cook something complicated. Handle being hurt badly, making things worse. However, the cooking project (cauliflower "kukus," basically savory omelettes in muffin tins) was a surprisingly big success.

Get crossways with pokershaman  as soon as I get off the phone. Jump into the shower while he goes downstairs to take chocolates to
aquenigmatic.

Get interrupted in the shower with the news that aquenigmatic is in terrible pain. Dry off, get dressed and go downstairs, where there is little help to be provided, other than comfort and advice.

Divert onyxlynx  from picking us up for dim sum, arrange for waywardcats  to get a ride anyway. Textirontongue  so she knows what's going on.

Takeaquenigmatic to the emergency room, which was surprisingly empty and efficient. Find out he'll be there for at least three hours to get all the tests done. Check with him to make sure it's okay, and leave.

Go out withpokershaman  in search of food. Give up on Chinatown as too crowded, think about a chicken-and-waffles place we know near Chinatown. It's open! It's surprisingly friendly and party-like. Eat and discover we've walked in on a feed-the-hungry Christmas church volunteer effort!!! (Unbelievably embarrassing.)

Find the pastor, explain the situation, give him more money than we would have paid for lunch. Both of us walk out misty-eyed.

After another small-ish crossways withpokershaman , go home to get our potluck offerings, but not to go toanarqueso's, especially sinceaquenigmatic is still in the ER.pokershaman  calls to see if we can head over to the inviting home of black_pearl , imnotandrei , and pantryslut, and find out that we invited ourselves to a family Christmas dinner. It's just that kind of a day. But everyone seemed to be fine with that, and at the point the day started getting better.

Go back to the ER with queershoulder to fetchaquenigmatic. Diagnosis, severe muscle spasm, very little follow-up treatment required. He's still floating on anti-anxiety meds. Take him back to the Christmas dinner and stay several hours, getting what pokershaman  calls "The Cute Baby Cure."

Come home, stick an old favorite movie in the DVD player and eventually fall asleep.

There are so many ways it could have been a worse day. And there are so many ways it could have been a better one. At least Christmas isn't my holiday and doesn't have historical baggage. And it seems that aquenigmatic will be all right, which is the biggest gift of them all.

e_bourne @ 09:18 am: Boxing day
Happy boxing day. That traditional day, where here at chez Bourne we loll around, eat leftovers, and are generally lazy gits. Possibly my favorite day of the year.

A Christmas that contains many books is a madly successful Christmas. This was such. I love receiving books. Two knitting books, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (who I adore and this year's Booker prize winner), A Children's Story by AS Byatt, another longtime favorite and a close call for the Booker. Circumference: Eratosthenes and the Quest to Measure the Globe (Squee!) and Finch by Jeff Vandermeer. Austin and I get to share Augusten Burroughs' latest collection of essays.

For a booklover like me, theses are very happy-making.

Also much beautiful jewelry made by our own scarlettina 

There were other squeeish gifts of more personal domestic interest I won't bore you with.  I have a fabulous and thoughtful husband.

And when all was said and done ad much feasting accomplished, we joined friends at the Bay to watch Sherlock Holmes. About which more later.

Loveliness was achieved. It was a day of rejoicing and splendid being together. Now I drink coffee.

Tags: holiday 2009

ellen_datlow @ 11:55 am: What I got for Xmas (part one)
A tummy ache from eating and drinking far too much last night at my friend Claire's. We started with champagne and more champagne as we ate the appetizer of shrimp with three different dip choices (a few carrots and cucumber bits as well). Then an interesting cheese and crackers. Claire bought a little jar of the best caviar she could find, which about 8 of us sampled. We had enough for two toastpoints each. More champagne. I cleaned and dried the lettuce for the caesar salad. We also noshed in Sid's delicious home made pork pate and french bread....

Then sat down to dinner of a roasted goose stuffed with a bulgar mix, Caesar Salad (we took a vote on whether we'd have it next year because Sid thought it was too rich to have along with everything else--we voted him down --yayy--so Caesar salad next year)...wine, more wine, brussel sprouts that were supposed to be cooked with Sid's home made pancetta but the pancetta disappeared, even though we all looked everywhere for it. Elise went through the refrigerator and freezer, as did I. We looked in the pantries, all over the kitchen surfaces. Mark and I even went outside to go through Claire's garbage (he went through it, I oversaw). No pancetta. All I knew to look for was two see -through packages of bacon like but no bacon material....we all thought we were going crazy. Anyway, Claire had to improvise with vinigar or something...they tasted great anyway. The pancetta was found towards the end of the meal, in the refrigerator down the side of one of the vegetable bins, where it slipped (even though Elise DID pull out those bins at least once). Oh well, Claire can enjoy it herself another day.

More wine and the passing around of the traditional grab bag wherein Claire mostly --but in the past few years Donni and I and sometimes one or two of the other guests, wrap up cheap gifts/weird things/things we want to get rid of etc and put into one (or now two) BIG shopping bags and go around the table to grab something. Claire never participates. I have to make sure I don't grab my own packages. Then we trade for things we prefer.

Afterwards desserts--pumpkin and sweet potato pies (one made by Sid), ricotta cheese cake (made by Claire) and coffee and after dinner liqueur or liquor. (I had single malt)--got home around midnight I think with a wicked tummy ache and heartburn. Took a tums and drank/still drinking water.

I received TWO Cougar Gold cheddar cheeses from Washington State University. One from Mikey and Richard and one from Eileen and John. Thank you !!! Yayyy. One can age (thank you Astrid for posting on facebook about aging them). Donni combined her xmas/bday gift into one Video FLIP, a tiny video camera that seems very easy to use. I'll be bringing it along to the post xmas/gift exchange brunch tomorrow at the Womacks. Second season of PUSHING DAISIES from Mikey and Richard for my bday. Donation to my favorite charity (Kiva.org-- micro loans around the world--check it out)from Carrie.

That's it for now.

to be continued....

oops. Completely forgot that I went to see UP IN THE AIR with two friends, pre-dinner party. Loved it. Clooney great. Vera Farmiga great, and I'm glad they were nominated for Golden Globes).

Tags: dinner party, xmas gifts

richardthe23rd @ 10:10 am: Tidings
Will's hosted the annual Christmas Night Poker Game for Social Outcasts, at which I went out on the bubble at a preliminary sit-and-go game (top three get points as well as extra chips for the main bout, but since one of the top three was dealing the main game, I got his chips, at least). I went out in the main game with pocket Kings against my opponent's pocket Aces. I dropped home to inform my houseguests that I'd met a large blonde there who asked if I wasn't going to play in the consolation game afterwards, and they suggested I hie myself back there. Cybil even phoned me later to helpfully suggest that she and Chris could move the bed back into my spare bedroom if I planned on bringing anybody home, but I assured her that wouldn't be necessary. In the end the dealer stowed away the table without any consolation game, and I remained inconsolable.

Two of the players at the Christmas Eve game were planning on driving to Chicago immediately afterward, so I wish them well and hope they're all right.

Haven't heard back from mutual friend Laura, my alternating houseguest, after dropping her off at her ex/current boyfriend's place to pick up her things/sweet-talk him into letting her move back in, so I hope all's for the best. I know it's for the best where I'm concerned. Wouldn't have minded a call from Kay or McCall, though.

matt_ruff @ 08:57 am: Sherlock Holmes
Another split decision: I loved it, Lisa didn't.

I went in with low expectations. I don't think of Sherlock Holmes as an action hero, and all the trailers made it seem like it was going to be a loud, dumb action movie with more explosions and fistfights than logical deductions. Which it is, but in a way I found endearing. I even liked the running "Holmes has killed the dog again" gag, because, hey, bulldogs are hilarious.

If I were going for a capsule description I'd call it House meets Batman Begins. House because even though the homage is supposed to run the other direction, this is the first Sherlock Holmes adaptation I've ever seen in which House Holmes jealously tries to sabotage Wilson's Watson's love life. Batman Begins because even though it's not really an origin story, it's clearly part one of a franchise, and the villain is some guy you never heard of while The Joker Professor Moriarty hangs in the background, waiting for his star turn in the sequel. Also, just like in Batman Begins, there's lots of explosions and fistfights.

Another way of summing up the film would be with this quote from the Times review:

"...it's Christmas, and the teenage boys in the house have fructose in their bloodstreams and time on their hands..."

Lisa, not being a sugar-addled teenage boy, didn't get anything out of the fight sequences or the oh-God-Holmes-killed-the-bulldog-again* humor. And while there's a fair amount of CGI on display, unlike Avatar, it's all one shade, Victorian London Brown. No blue kitties. Lisa did like Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, but felt they were playing themselves -- Robert with a British accent, Jude with a mustache -- rather than Holmes and Watson. She also felt that Downey didn't have enough to do -- if you're going to use him to entice women into sitting through a boy movie, it's apparently not enough to have him zap a French-speaking giant with a cattle prod. (Wow, that does sound idiotic, doesn't it? But I laughed.)

We also split on the preview for the Benicio del Toro Wolfman -- I thought it looked promising, Lisa didn't. Ditto the Clash of the Titans remake. We are both looking forward to Iron Man 2, though I'm a little dubious about the Mickey Rourke villain.

*N.B., the dog never actually dies, it just plays dead.

Tags: movies

anansi133 @ 08:43 am: Raccoons with frickin' laser beams

The other night we were visited by a family of raccoons. I never got a good look myself, but the consensus is that three little ones and two bigs ones were ambling about looking hungry and curious.

After I got tired of taking long exposures in available light, I turned the flash on. They moved on shortly after.

intelligentrix @ 10:36 am: What I got for Xmas
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, and headache.

I must have been really bad this year.