Well, we were all back at work today following the Victoria Day long weekend - Victoria Day, of course, being a recently adopted Canadian holiday commemorating one of history’s most remarkable pioneering female Brits. Yes, I refer to none other than Ms. Victoria Beckham. Looking back, I suspect the vote to bestow the honor on…
May 18, 2009: I Remember the Future by Michael A. Burstein
Since winning the John W. Campbell for Best New Writer in 1997, Michael A. Burstein has received multiple nominations for some of SF’s most prestigious awards, but has yet to take home either a Hugo or Nebula. Sure, on the surface this may seem like an “always the bridesmaid never the bride” situation but, truth…
May 17, 2009: Dinner at the Cooper House – My Review
I don’t get invited to many dinner parties. It may be because I do so much fine dining that my friends are too intimidated to cook for me. Or it may be because I grow quickly bored with table conversations and tend to wander about the premises, forcing hosts to put up the kiddy gates…
May 16, 2009: Scooped By My Own Dogs (Instead of the Other Way Around For a Change)!
Suspect #3 Suspect #4 Suspect #5 So not cool, guys. Not cool at all. Bad! Bad dogs! I suppose I should have learned my lesson the first time. The first time, of course, being last year when I taught the dogs how to dial 911 in case of emergency. They proved quick learners, managing to…
May 15, 2009: Wandering Eccentrics, Ponzi Schemes, and Some Recommended Reading
I was crossing the parking lot, my arms laden with almond milk (Capers was having a sale!) when an elderly woman approached and asked: “Did you vote for me?”. I stopped and eyed her uncertainly. Now whenever I’m approached by strangers, my first instinct is to either a) ignore them or b) feign some pressing commitment…
May 14, 2009: BIG Book of the Month Club News
Let’s kick off today’s entry with some BIG book of the month club news. There will be one, and only one, selection for June’s BOTMC discussion: Elric: The Stealer of Souls, by Michael Moorcock From the publisher: “When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and…
May 13, 2009: I’m Like One Of Those Ninja Rabbits…
She's up to something! You can tell! "Seriously,"she says. "I don't know how that hydrochloric acid got in there." Hmmmm. Movie title...movie title... Got it! Stargate Atlantis...The Quickening! Ashleigh, our Exec. Producer’s Assistant, was incredibly cheerful today. Unnervingly so. “Good morning, Joe!”she greeted me as I rolled in this morning, a huge smile…
May 12, 2009: I’m Becoming THAT GUY!
This new camera is incredibly slimming! Kerry bemoans the loss(es) of her beloved Canucks. Lawren considers whether or not to grab my new camera and smash it into a million pieces. Hey, I’m turning into “that guy”. You know who I’m talking about. The guy who assumes that anyone under 18 out after nightfall…
May 11, 2009: Just Between Us, It’s Really Better to Receive Than to Give
Multi-tasking: enjoying two of my gifts simultaneously! Guess who else is doing something new with their hair? And redirecting packages meant for me to her office? The gals from Accounting celebrate a birthday! Then dock everyone a half hour's pay for the time wasted eating cake. They say it is better to give than to…
May 10, 2009: The Dogs Catch Twitter Fever, New Mexico Check-In, and Some Mailbag
My dogs were up at 7:00 a.m. this morning, excitedly bounding about the bed and all over me. I figured it was because they needed to relieve themselves. Or maybe they were hungry. As it turned out, it was neither. My pug Bubba informed me (Via telepathy. Duh! How else do dogs communicate with humans?)…
May 9, 2009: The Woohoo of it All, My Dogs Finally on Twitter, and The Mailbag
So they were like “Woohooo!” And I was like “Huh?” And they were like “Yeaaaahhhh!” And I was like “Uhhhh…” And they were like “Huzzaaaaah!” And I was like “Yeah?” And they were like “Wheeeeee!” And I was like “Er…wooooo?” And they were like “Eeeehaaaa!” And I was like “Wazoooooo!” And they were like “Waaaaheeeee!”…
May 8, 2009: Air Canada Does the Unthinkable! The Comics Roundup! And Some Mailbag!
Whoa! I’ve heard of companies going to high uncharacteristic extremes to help offset the effects of the ongoing economic downturn, but this is truly shocking. Taking a page out of competitor WestJet’s playbook, Air Canada, this country’s biggest airline and flag carrier, is adopting a more customer-friendly approach. In the words of one Air Canada…
May 7, 2009: The Perfect Pitch, Doggy Doings, and Dinner With Kim
Brie Brie Brie Bubba Jelly Jelly and Brie Maximus Jelly Brie Jelly gnawing on her bone Jelly Maximus Jelly Bubba, Lulu, Brie, and octopus Lulu, Brie, Bubba, and octopus Tojo's Tuna Kim Uni Spider Roll and Golden Roll Fantastic. That’s how today’s phone pitch went. I started off by talking a…
May 6, 2009: Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My writing partner Paul gave me a call this afternoon to go over the game plan for tomorrow’s conference call. As I mentioned in a previous post, Paul and I have an awesome SF series idea (complete with accompanying pilot script) we’ve been dying to go out with but, because of our continuing commitment to…
May 5, 2009: Ashleigh Checks In – To My Office(!), May’s Books of the Month Club Reminder, Welcome Thoughts, and The Mailbag
After yesterday’s entry in which I expressed my, uh, concern about Ashleigh’s return to the production offices following her Mexico getaway (at the height of the pandemic hysteria no less), I found the following comment awaiting moderation: “Hey Joe! Am back safe and sound! Hope you had a good week. Listen, I was speaking to…