Squid squid squid squid!

Researchers catch giant squid:

OKYO, Japan (AP) -- A Japanese research team has succeeded in filming a giant squid live -- possibly for the first time -- and says the elusive creatures may be more plentiful than previously believed, a researcher said Friday.

...

The captured squid was caught using a smaller type of squid as bait, and was pulled into a research vessel "after putting up quite a fight," Kubodera said.

"It took two people to pull it in, and they lost it once, which might have caused the injuries that killed it," he said.

The squid, a female, was not fully grown and was relatively small by giant squid standards. The longest one on record is 60 feet, he said.

Livejournal and meta stuff

I like conversation, and more of it seems to happen on my LiveJournal than here. I think for quite a few reasons it's important to have my own space, that I own (to the extent that anyone owns a domain name), and I don't want anyone to ever have to change links to my blog ever again, so I'm not abandoning this space ... but I would like to consolidate my journals and keep comments all in one place. So, I'm wondering if it's possible to truly mirror my LJ here. Not just duplicate posts, but truly have one journal and one comments stream that shows up at more than one URL.

So, what I'm saying is, if I accidently break something while fiddling around, you'll know what I was trying to do when I electrocuted myself.

And if anyone's got any tips ... ?

Tim's Birthday Clue #4

It's Tim's birthday! Woo! Birthday!

Okay, enough frivolity. Tim has some work to do, and let's get down to it.

You're 30 now, Tim, so no more softballs.

Clue #4

Which of the following is the enigmatic villain of Stephen King's epic novel of queasiness and long walks, The Stand?

a. Randall Flagg
b. Tony Randall
c. Fannie Flagg
d. Flag football

Happy birthday, buddy. I'd tell you to enjoy your thirties, but enjoyment of life is pretty much your default mode. So, you know, just stay the course and you'll have an utter and complete blast.

The Osteomancer's Run

An early Christmas present came last night in the form of an acceptance for "The Osteomancer's Son" in another year's best, this one the Cramer/Hartwell Year's Best Fantasy 7!

I didn't publish many new stories this year, so it's very gratifying and somewhat of a relief to get more mileage out of my rather meager appearances.

***

Some people are already giving up! They'd started playing Christmas music right after Thanksgiving at the office on campus, but by last week they were sick of it! And at the coffee joint they're sneaking in non-Christmasy stuff whenever they can! Ha! Quitters! Ha!

Right now I'm listening to Jimmy Durante singing "Frosty the Snow Golem". At home, the tree is up and trimmed with bright and shiny packages arrayed beneath. Ribbons and bows! Prezzies! I even wore my Santa hat last night.

I am a Christmas slut and proud of it.

A journal entry about my ass

This is a journal entry about my ass.

Tonight in Kung Fu class, I fell on my ass.

We were doing head stands, or trying to, and I tipped over and fell on my ass.

My ass is now quite sore, on account of me falling on my ass.

I am now done talking about my ass, even though my ass is still quite sore, on account of me falling on it.

Nudity, mummies, shoes, cheese!

Oh, the Barenaked Ladies were fun last night. They played most of the songs I wanted to hear (including my all-time favorite, "Grade 9"), they freestyled, they danced, they quipped, Steve Page sang his brains out on "Ebony and Ivory," and the encore included both "If I Had $1,000,000" and "Feliz Navidad." Hard to ask for more than that.

***

So, Tim Pratt and Heather Shaw do these wonderful Christmas chapbooks, and last night they asked me if I could draw a mummy with a Santa hat for this year's cover. Like, no way am I gonna pass up a chance on that kind of fun. Tim sent me their story, and it's fun and cute and quirky and just so wonderfully Tim and Heather. So, this morning I doodled away on a ho-ho mummy, scanned it in and emailed it off to them, and Tim's already got the cover posted up at his journal. I love the internet. I love playing with my friends. I love the story they wrote. And I love Christmas!

***

Received word this afternoon from Steve Eley that he's buying "Authorwerx" for Escape Pod. Which is good news for all the usual reason that a sale to a cool market is good news, but also because just before coming home to the email, I'd bought a new pair of shoes -- actually, Lisa forced me to buy them, I hate spending money on shoes, don't mind on shirts or sweaters, but hate spending money on shoes and pants -- and they're very nice shoes, and I like them quite a bit and they're comfy, but pricey, but the Escape Pod sale more than covers the expense. Writing to keep shoes on my feet. Not a bad thing at all.

***

The newest addition to my Christmas playlist is "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. Der Binger is about as classic 20th Century American traditional Christmas music as that sort of thing gets, Bowie's singing is quite lovely, and the banter before the song starts is just a great example of 70's variety show cheese. Perfect Christmas nostalgia.

***

None of which is doing anything to alleviate the burden of grading. On the other hand, grading does nothing to make me giggly with Christmas.

See? It's all about balance. Or something.

Evil waffles

Doing more Norse reading this morning at the coffee joint, and came across this curious, early restaurant review:

On Nástrand is a great hall and evil, and its doors face to the north: it is all woven of serpent-backs like a waffle-house ...

I've never been to a Waffle House. Are they really that evil? How evil can waffles be? There's a Waffle House down the road, by the overpass, next to the strip joint, across from the outlet mall. I guess that's a pretty evil location. Maybe I should brave it and try some evil waffles with venom syrup.

***

Currently listening to Barenaked for the Holidays. Gonna go seem them Barenaked Ladies tomorrow night, and much looking forward to it.

***

I'm wearing a sweater! When I step out to walk home, I will put on my muffler and my coat! I know this is no big deal to those of you in the frigid lands, but I am delighted to get to pretend to be cold. I love outerwear! Yay, outerwear!

***

Am I getting too old for beer and wings? I had a lovely beer & wings lunch with Zilla yesterday, but my stomach was hating me during Kung Fu yesterday. A belch is not a kiai, no matter how enthusiastically rendered.

***

Much work to do for the contract gig due today. Sadness. Would prefer to sit here and write and research Norse stuff all day long in my sweater. On the other hand, money is good to have.

***

I don't want to tell you how long it took me to realize the text actually read wattle-house, not waffle-house.

I've never eaten a wattle, I don't think.