Inner Peace Is For Losers

Well, even with yesterday's activities, which included the consumption of too much food, watching some football, and even cracking the case on the Season 7 DVD set of 24 (4 hours down, 20 to go!), I still managed to get a bit of writing business accomplished.

One of those things was the completion of final edits to a short story I'd been writing for Selina Rosen, she of Yard Dog Press. Selina is putting together what will be the fifth in her ongoing series of anthologies based in the universe of her creation known as Bubbas of the Apocalypse, and I couldn't resist writing a story to see if it might make the cut. Readers of my stuff know I had another story, "Jack and the Weird-Ass Box," published in the fourth Bubbas book, Houston: We've Got Bubbas! and later republished in The Best of the Bubbas of the Apocalypse.

(If you liked Zombieland, then you'll be happy to know that Selina and the Yard Dog gang have been doing the same thing for quite a while now, arguably better than what you saw in that film. Just sayin'.)

Anyway, this new tale, "One Small Step for Bubba," uses characters from the first story, and takes advantage of the new anthology's theme, which is time travel. I'll let you fill in the blanks from there. It's on its way to Selina as I type this. Here's hoping she digs it.

Up next, back to Paths of Disharmony as well as reading over edits to another story I plan to submit (this time via e-Mail) to its target market before Monday.

• 14:41 Ah, the #Cincinnati riverfront. Wretched cloudy day, but still good to see. j.mp/67xhs1 twitpic.com/r1o7o #
• 15:38 Cmar-bloggery: Troegs Mad Elf Ale - bit.ly/6HBieY #
• 17:49 YES. The bird doth brown. twitpic.com/r2t6a #
• 17:54 @Gary_TheGreat I concur with my esteemed colleague @CarrieP's recommendations for a walk and digestive beverages. #
• 18:50 And now, the gustation of succulent sliced avian muscle groups commences... #
• 23:38 @Daecabhir While I know that was a RT attempt, I will choose to interpret it at face value. I know where your houseboy is. #
• 23:47 @Daecabhir Oh, I most certainly do NOT have *your* houseboy "right here." Or anywhere. I just am certain of his whereabouts. #
• 00:17 Cmar-bloggery: giving thanks, or #HoNoToGroABeMo Day #26 - bit.ly/4LaEtE #
• 00:18 @Daecabhir No. I keep treating him for syphilis. #

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• 09:59 Happy Thanksgiving, for those tweeps who celebrate the occasion, of course. For everybody else, Happy Thursday! #
• 12:26 @shimmer418 Re: Alcohol - Always have enough for extra peeps :) #
• 12:32 @shimmer418 Re: Alcohol - I have my stash for the zombie apocalypse. You're covered. #
• 13:47 @shimmer418 Re: Zombie Penguins - I'm listenin'...... ;) #
• 16:38 @shimmer418 Re: Zombie Penguins - I think you're on to something. MARCH OF THE PENGUIN DEAD! #
• 17:00 @shimmer418 Re: When Undead Penguins Attack - Sounds like we should start writin'...... #

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• 15:37 La' an Altaithe - Thanksgiving Day in Gaelic!: A generous and heartfelt Thanksgiving to all! I have so many thi.. bit.ly/4v99Hw #
• 23:17 Have a happy thanksgiving. Sleep is calling me. Then tmrw. Oysters and mm mm food galore. #
• 09:41 Cool. My music is in Paolo Garbanzo's new documentary "An American Juggler". He won a Jester competition in England. is.gd/546Pi #

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Today at breakfast we were discussing the Arthur cartoon with Claire. Emma said she couldn't figure out what kind of animal Brain was.

Claire replied, "He's a zombie! He's named Brain!"

Oh, yes. I am thankful for this child. Also, Oliver took his first step today. I am trying to decide if I'm thankful about this or not. (I kid, I kid.)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

• 18:17 @CarrieP Fine, then. Here I was all ready to say something erudite and sophisticated... ;) #
• 21:21 Cmar-bloggery: a degree on your face, or #HoNoToGroABeMo Day 25 - bit.ly/85jUZ5 #

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• 09:07 Happy Wednesday, tweeps! What's shakin'? #
• 09:17 It's Weds, which means 1 thing. 2 things, actually! RT @boobiewed: Saving the World, one boobie at a time bit.ly/uwUzD #boobiewed #
• 09:18 @terpette Re: Class - You go, girl! And feel better. I know all about the Klingon Crud.... #
• 09:24 @DeeZeeGirl Re: Dog/vet - Hope everything turns out okay! #
• 09:49 @julioangelortiz Re: Weds - Pretty much the same thing. Thinking ahead to feasting and football tomorrow :) #
• 12:30 I've been asked by two people now why I don't have a "fan page" on Facebook. Let's be honest: Do I look like the type who has a fan club? #
• 12:36 Kanye's gonna let Adam Lambert finish, but he thinks Eminem & Bruno had the best dude/dude onscreen hookup of all time. OF ALL TIME! #
• 13:59 @thinkgeek Rock! #
• 14:36 This sounds like a conversation I've been having with a Star Trek fan and the book they want to write. bit.ly/7ltuV7 (via @wilw) #
• 15:10 WHAAAAT??? RT @Syfy Wow. Van Damme and Lundgren are back in new Universal Soldier movie: bit.ly/77nAKu #
• 15:34 @David_N_Wilson Congrats on making your #nanowrimo goal! My attempt, on the other hand, was a spectacular failure. #
• 18:24 @David_N_Wilson Understandable, given that's your main source of income. I, however, am a corporate drone, and resistance is futile. #
• 18:25 Because I try to support my writer buds, I just bought a copy of STAR TREK: VANGUARD - PRECIPICE by @davidalanmack. You should, too. #
• 18:30 The Mrs. sez we need to clear out some space in the fridge in anticipation of tomorrow. I'm eyeing the vodka and orange juice.... #
• 21:27 Check this out: Star Trek: The Experience virtual tour! www.startrek360.com. Thanks to @trektoday for the heads-up! #
• 21:46 @Televixen Re: Bacon - I'm pretty sure there's some in there. It makes a wonderful garnish, you know. #
• 21:51 They call it "Black Friday," but I won't buy into the hype into I see bodies being stacked up in the streets, along with bonfires and shit. #

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For you Trekkies who are missing the late and lamented Star Trek: The Experience attraction, which stood proudly within the environs of the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel from January 1998 to September 2008, there's now something which just might fill the void, if only a bit.

Digital Properties, a firm specializing in "360-degree virtual tours" for a variety of uses from showing off houses for real estate websites to hotels and other commercial properties, has made available for public viewing a tour package they originally created for the attraction's management team as a "historical archive" as well as being a gift to the employees. The tour covers all areas of The Experience, including staff areas which only were available to the public if they took the "Behind the Scenes" tour. So far as I can tell, they don't go so far as to spoil the illusion of how certain aspects of the attractions were "brought to life," but it's still fun to drag your mouse around the different pictures and zoom in on this or that.

Check it out: Digital Properties: Star Trek: The Experience 360-Degree Virtual Tour

You can even get a look-see at Quark's Bar, which is mighty damned important, if you ask me....





Thanks very much to the staff at TrekToday.com, who brought this very cool bit of news to my attention.

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Photos of the week

We're so delighted with the immense talent of our growing, global lj_photophile community that we've decided to introduce a poll. Each week, we'll choose a half-dozen photos (based on user comments and staff feedback) and ask you to select a photo of the week. The winning photo will be announced in the next newsletter. If possible, please limit photo size to 350x350 to ensure that images display properly on friends pages. We want to thank you again (and again!) for sharing your passion.

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Curtains

Thanks for joining us. To our American friends, have a fantastic Thanksgiving. To all of our international neighbors, we'll eat a little extra for you!

• 18:29 Review: "Idylls Of The King Of The Road" by Gerard Smith: Artist: Gerard SmithAlbum: Idylls Of The King Of The .. bit.ly/7DY8Y0 #

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I think I finished rewriting one of my stories today. This is good. Now I just need to figure out where to send it. It's 6,000 words, contains sex, violence, and profanity, and also superheroes.

I've written down my upcoming intros scheduled for Podcastle. And some Feedback segments. Now I just need to record them.

I know what short story I'm writing next, have known for months now, but I'm having a hell of a time putting it down on paper. I wonder if I should just put it on hold and do something else. But there's a part of me that feels like I should just be able to sit down and crank it out.

And then there's the small matter of rewriting Fallen Horizon, which I've started on and realistically won't finish for several months. (Maybe March?)

I'm really, really looking forward to the weekend, even though it means I'll get almost zilch done creatively.

So...how are you all doing? What are you working on the day before Thanksgiving?

Apparently, yet another new translation of the Bible is in order....

The LOLCat Bible



A random sample, from Leviticus 1:

-----

Burnt cheezeburgerz

1 Teh Ceiling Cat saiz to Mozes, "O hai! Outta ur tabby-nackels, d00dthx.2 U should go saiz this to Izrulites, for to IM me, Hey Ceiling Cat, I can has stuff :) and liek that, they gotta bring me teh cheezeburgers or other good stuff for impruvin teh conneckshun winkwink."

3 Offurings is liek good an all, buts teh haz to be not flawZord cheezeburger, and you can bringz it to mah front d00rz," saiz teh Ceiling Cat.4 Youz to put yer pawz on teh cheezeburger, n sai, 'Sarry for the pwnage, but u no how it is an stuff, kthxbai.'5 N then you is to kill teh Bullock (O NOES! Not teh Sander Bullock! She B hot n all!) in front of us d00dz, n leev teh meesy cheezeburger joocez all ovur teh playce, gross. Iz U retardid?6 Tehn take its buns off and cutz it up, so for kittehs no choke.7 But then you are all leik, 'Cheezeburger wai too rair! DO NOT WANT!' So then you mayk a big fire for to grill it up taystee n stuff kthx.8 Then you, liek, grill it up taystee n stuff kthx.9 But then thair be pikkulz and onyuns n crap on it! O NOES! BLECH! Tayk that garbajge off and stik it up yr harbl, we iz not amused. Srsly. Then we can has it now? Kthxyum.

10 But if U wana bring teh donutz or teh ExBockzs, thatz kewl too, but don U be bringin me no trash, Ceiling Cat will run out of happy and kiil ur d00dz.11 Jest bring it liek norml and throw teh stuff around, liek YAY! ExBockses and donutz n bere! W00T!12 N then you all divvy up teh loot, ain't it grayt to be churchy and take ppls stuff? HA!!1!! Im in ur cherch, eetin yr foodZ n playin wif ur toyz! Moar plz.13 But then you notise some joker brought copy of Zero Wing, and that suckz, so plz to thro away for graet justise. Then U eat and play kthx.

14 An hey, Ceiling Cat lieks teh chikin too dont forgit!15 Jest make sure itz ded and crispy, raw chikin iz gross and makses us frow up.16 No fethurz neether! R U DUM?!17 Look, ur doin it rong, jest get teh 16 peece Xtra Crispy Bucket, with the taytoes and gravy and biskitz, and teh mac n' chz, kthx? What? O ya, Ceiling Cat iz happy, sure yumyum, srsly."

-----

Too bad it's not out until January. My Christmas shopping would've been done in, like, two minutes.

• 22:42 @spacemerlin LOL! I am, sadly, familiar with that situation... #
• 22:44 @ladyozma NO tie. The need for a tie as a component of "professional physicianly dress" is a social construct that needs to die. #
• 00:04 Cmar-bloggery: beards, beer, and SCIENCE, or #HoNoToGroABeMo Day 24 - bit.ly/86VAHG #

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• 08:02 My 3-year old has finally discovered all the fun to be had by throwing random items into the toilet and giving them a swirly. #
• 08:37 Every KC newscast starts with rpts about shootings & whatnot, but they're shocked that KC is listed as a dangerous place to live. Hello? #
• 09:11 Well, the new ramp meters on the I-435 corridor in south KC worked about as well as I expected them to..... #
• 09:21 @DanaKCTV5 I avoided them & stayed on the highway but I could see they weren't working right. Backups on the ramps vs. decent traffic flow. #
• 09:22 "It's a Saturnalia miracle!" RT @jvancitters Great news everybody! McRib is back! It really IS the season of miracles! #
• 09:26 Dear City of Kansas City: Why is it that the only thing you're able to do with any consistency is jack taxes from my paycheck? #
• 09:35 C'mon, @Rhiannon_Ally & @DanaKCTV5: How can a list like this not have Perez Hilton on it??? tr.im/FFIl #
• 09:59 QFT! RT @kmellon Seems like every year there are tweet arguments as to the best Xmas film. Sorry kids, Die Hard will win every time. #
• 13:30 I may have to give this a try... RT @ jcsimonds RT @todayspolitics: The Write Like Palin Contest #politics bit.ly/8ahtOG #
• 15:55 @TrekMovie Re: Shatner scene - I'm torn. Love the Shat, but I think someone said it best: The new crew earned their right to close the film. #
• 15:59 @angelajames Not funeral potatoes? #
• 17:09 Because I was just thinking, "What's the most obnoxious Xmas present I can buy this year?" www.tweetbookz.com/ #
• 17:31 @TrekMovie Re: Trekkie vs. Trekkier - Call me an unabashed Trekkie :) #
• 19:39 @TrekMovie Re: Trekkie vs. Trekker - Trekkers are Trekkies who care what other people think. :) #
• 19:50 RT @geekgirls: GGN is holding a Thanksgiving Haiku Contest! And @ThinkGeek is graciously donating a $50 gift cert tinyurl.com/yb77ru9 #
• 19:53 She's prepping for #boobiewed! RT @geekgirldiva Pic of the Bella Twilight Doll on the shelf, in the box. Topless. pic.gd/3c96a1 #

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Snurched without guilt or remorse from torenheksje:

CollegeHumor.com: "5 Star Wars Status Updates"



Among my favorites:

Obi-Wan Kenobi: She's your sister, bro.

Luke Skywalker: wut.

Han Solo: I AM SO IN.

• 17:49 Listening to New Minstrel Revue CD "Far and Away". What hypnotic harmonies. is.gd/52ayB #
• 18:18 You can still vote in the Podcast Awards for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, Irish Fireside, The Signal and more. podcastawards.com #
• 18:30 Happy Songs of Death reviewed by FanRealm. is.gd/52bXw #
• 19:27 "How to Lose an Argument Online" by Seth Godin. How many times have I tried to discuss pointlessly. is.gd/52dGw ... & been guilty too #
• 19:36 If you're not a member of my Celtic Folk Club. Join at www.marcgunn.net/forum/ . Love to get your thoughts and comments. #
• 08:09 @FaireNews Which CD? #
• 08:11 @FaireNews Ah. No. I didn't see if they had a new one or not sadly. #

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Is there a name for the sub-genre of stories that features historical characters in fictional situations, sometimes in fantastic ways? I'm thinking about stuff like Glenn David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil, Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series, Mark Frost's The List of Seven, Dan Simmon's Drood (Which I haven't read yet, but am fascinated by), Charles Coleman Finlay's Traitor to the Crown series, and William Gibson's The Difference Engine?

I've heard terms such as secret history, alternate history, but I think I'm looking for something that could also be a mash-up of the two. Anyone have any idea?

• 12:18 I am a doctor, & I approve of this message: RT @warrenellis: T-shirt Of The Week 005 is now live: HEALTH is at j.mp/7vRznZ #TOTW #
• 12:23 @planetx I am flattered, sir. And the sentiment is reciprocated to you & the lovely @jrblackwell. METEOR.. 60 seconds! #
• 18:11 Something I wrote today: "rectal exam limited by patient's refusal to have finger inserted beyond anal sphincter." #
• 18:16 @trreed I can't say it's been a particular aspiration of mine, but I'm happy to add it too the list. #
• 19:32 @MattFnWallace @blob I have, at times, been asked if there is "anyone with smaller fingers around" if said exam is necessary. #
• 22:38 @alphanitrate It's all relative. On the whole, those unused to sphincter-penetration view my hands as *quite* gorilla-like. #
• 22:39 Oh @mightymur, how did you get so danged AWESOME? #
• 22:54 Cmar-bloggery: things in jars, or #HoNoToGroABeMo Day 23 - bit.ly/5U42x1 #

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• 09:06 Ah, Monday, you thing of evil. Once again you emerge from the shadows to torment me. #

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• 19:04 Review: "Bill Grogan's Goat" by Bill Grogan's Goat: Artist: Bill Grogan's GoatAlbum: Bill Grogan's GoatYear pro.. bit.ly/68AjaD #

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