Norwescon Tomorrow, Script Frenzy Tonight

I don't feel totally prepared for either, but D and I are going to start packing tonight for tomorrow's drive to Seattle. And if I'm up after midnight, I'll start brainstorming screenplay ideas...

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Movie Review: Year One

A colloidal suspension of one-note jokes in a mythogenic solution, but not a complete waste of time.

Starts out pretending to be Prehistoric Animal House and ends up wanting to be Life of Brian Lite, but never really earns either mantle. Meanwhile, there's quite a bit of History of the World, Part Uno in act two, but Mel Brooks did it better.

If you've got a gap in your Netflix queue, check out the "Leroy Jenkins" special feature on the DVD. I wouldn't say that alone justifies the rental, but it is probably the most amusing single thing I saw tonight.

SnoutCast #9: Questions and Answers

In which Curtis gives highly opinionated and possibly ill-informed answers to questions from one of our listeners, and DeeAnn presents well-reasoned and insightful responses to those same questions. It all sort of balances out in the end. Maybe.


[ Download mp3 - 33 MB ]

00:00 - Teaser: multitasking mythbusting (there's a study)
02:52 - Welcome!
04:20 - Question 1: Have there been any activities intertwined with Games that you think worked especially well?
05:21 - ...that Shinteki when we were supposed to peek at each others' name-badges?
08:40 - ...the trading game in Mooncurser's?
13:52 - INTROVERTED XENOPHOBES (thanks Brian)
16:06 - setting expectations; comparisons to Dragon Age: Origins
19:40 - Question 2: Has Team Snout ever considered doing something like this and then decided not to?
22:05 - Question 3: Teams who leave "calling cards" at clue sites: Bane or boon?
22:55 - HLOTF call: following the Notorious T.E.A.M.
27:10 - Question 4: Are there things that player teams do that boost your morale when you're on GC?
30:09 - HLOTF call: positive Nitinol feedback
32:50 - Two weeks from now, on the SnoutCast: Game Themes!
33:22 - Plugging DASH 2
34:02 - The End

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey," "First of May," "Tom Cruise Crazy," "Chiron Beta Prime," "You Ruined Everything," and "Shop Vac" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

 

Friday Flash Fiction: "Java Code"

This week's story probably would have benefited from another draft or two. If nothing else, I would have changed four to thirty-two (years, that is), and spent fewer words describing the technology and more on Harry's state of mind. Well, live and learn.

Read "Java Code" at 512 Words or Fewer

Book Report: I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President

Like Jon Stewart (the Daily Show host whose blurb appears on the cover--not the Green Lantern), I loved this book. It's got a very PS238 feel, albeit on a smaller scale. Author Josh Lieb does a nice job of balancing standard super-villain tropes and a genuinely touching personal story.

Writer's note: this book is written in first-person, present tense, which some people dislike, but it works here. Also, this novel extends the usual narrative conceit by having the protagonist address a non-specific audience. The character would have no reason to say any of this to anyone in the world of the novel, but it's used as an effective way to deliver the story to the reader, and allows the writer to "cheat" certain expository bits into the flow of the prose.

Buy the book: Powell's, Amazon

Friday Flash Fiction: "A Technicality"

This is what comes of watching too much Star Trek and Law & Order.

But for the record, I never cared for either L&O:SVU or any of the CSIs. Although I did enjoy JAG briefly. And I love a good BLT. Mmm... BLT...

Read "A Technicality" at 512 Words or Fewer

SnoutCast #8: On the Having of Fun

We're trying something different now: addressing only one topic in each SnoutCast episode (and thus limiting the length to half an hour), and trying not to digress too much. So far, we're doing better at the former than the latter.


[ Download mp3 - 24 MB ]

00:00 - Jaspurr!
01:15 - "Welcome to SnoutCast!"
03:45 - claiming responsibility for "underwear puzzles"
05:06 - the SECRET ORIGIN of NOT HAVING FUN ANYMORE
12:00 - secondhand anecdote: "Less phone, more math!"
17:08 - Team Snout wants you to have fun
25:03 - The End

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey," "The Future Soon," "First of May," "Mandelbrot Set," and "Tom Cruise Crazy" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

  

Friday Flash Fiction: "The Male Woman"

Yeah... Given the occurrence of certain key words in this week's story, I'm expecting an increase in comment spam over on the 512 blog. But hey, that's why I have moderation turned on. Suck it, Russian spambots!

Read "The Male Woman" at 512 Words or Fewer

Our Eating Habits!

Jasper here, with a quick post about food! I will refrain from making any extraneous commentary on the current state of affairs, and simply present the evidence!

I believe you can see for yourself in the time-lapse footage below that one of us always eats conservatively, leaving some food in the bowl for later. However, someone else has the rather disagreeable habit of always devouring every last scrap on his plate:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAiH6b1jkp4

All I'm saying is, if starvation ever occurs, it will not be my fault. So there!

Comic Book Report: World War Hulk (Various)

That's it? Really?

The above is my overall reaction to this recent Marvel line-wide crossover event. I mean, first of all, the title is completely misleading. The story doesn't involve the whole world (it's only Manhattan), and it's not actually a war (just a couple days of superheroes clobberin' each other).

It's not even really about the Hulk, come to think of it. I mean, yes, he is the inciting event which causes all this mayhem, but in the end, it's not really about the not-so-jolly green giant or Bruce Banner. There are a few good moments here and there, but in the end, we gain no real insight into either character.

And the way in which Earth's heroes finally stop Hulk is almost a literal deus ex machina--even Marvel's editors acknowledge this, in a Mad Libs-style interstitial page in the Damage Control collection. But hanging a lantern on a weak third act doesn't make it any less of a cheat.

Friday Flash Fiction: "New Sensation"

I blame DASH2 playtesting, and Bob Schaffer in particular, for this week's random title. Now I can't get that damn INXS song out of my head.

Read "New Sensation" at 512 Words or Fewer

No SnoutCast Today

New episode in two weeks. Apologies for the delay.

Meanwhile, you can listen to some Nebula Award-nominated short stories from Asimov's.