"When It Changed", by Joanna Russ. I read this story about twelve years ago and it's been stuck in the back of my head ever since. (Which means it's been there for half my life. How dizzying.) I read The Female Man recently, which was interesting and heavyhanded with the politics -- in fact, the part that stuck with me (a sort of manifesto, relating to the title) had the heaviest of hands. "When It Changed" is explicitly feminist, but the touch is lighter. And it's good for non-political reasons too. Got the link to the story via the Ms. Blog.
The SciFi cable network hosts an archive of sci-fi stories. Poorly arranged, but it looks to have a lot of good reading. Looks like new stories are added weekly.
_
respond?
12:41:57 PM,
Wednesday 14 April 2004
-
Also: Lost masterpieces of the choose-your-own-adventure genre. Who knew Hemingway was so versatile?
_
respond?
(1)
07:11:44 PM,
Tuesday 13 April 2004
-
A list of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, with reviews and publishing information. Many of the books were translated into Catalan, which makes me wonder what it must have been like to be a little kid in Barcelona in the early '80s. Also, the titles are terrific: Vampire Express, You Are a Monster, The Lost Jewels of Nabooti, Prisoner of the Ant People, Space Vampire, Surf Monkeys, War with the Evil Power Master, Volcano!.
_
respond?
(3)
06:52:14 PM,
Tuesday 13 April 2004
-
Thanks to Moss's shiny new BLT, I can read the late comments to my blog (e.g.), which I usually miss. (And many of them are just fascinating.)
_
respond?
(2)
05:08:25 PM,
Tuesday 13 April 2004
-
Interview with Ira Glass on SF local call-in program. The best part is when he claims not to understand the "babe-magnet" thing.
_
respond?
(7)
01:56:53 PM,
Tuesday 13 April 2004
-
Good news, everyone! Homer's in the IMDB!
_
respond?
(3)
04:29:46 PM,
Monday 12 April 2004
-
Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew.
(That ugly site is still doing it's thing, so I guess I'll do this thing.)
_
respond?
(5)
04:06:43 PM,
Monday 12 April 2004
-
Goddamnit, I am such an asshole sometimes.
In related news, I need to think of a very short spiel explaining the meaning of my tattoo. Does anyone know how to say what the ourobouros symbolizes in 25 words or less? Currently I've got, "It's a symbol of eternity and oneness."
Basically I am looking for something that won't discourage people who've thought about it, but will render silent the, um, uninitiated. Perhaps I could carry a handout with reading suggestions?
See what I mean about being an asshole?
_
respond?
(16)
12:37:10 PM,
Monday 12 April 2004
-
Hello Kitty Bong. (And can I just say that Moss is the best webmaster ever? He totally fixed the code so that the add form retains your content even after you fuck up the password!)
_
respond?
(6)
02:52:21 PM,
Friday 9 April 2004
-
Crushing ennui, alas.
_
respond?
(5)
01:16:37 PM,
Friday 9 April 2004
-
I've had that Bikini Kill song "Tony Randall" in my head all day. All frikkin day! All three hours of it!
_
respond?
01:09:59 PM,
Friday 9 April 2004
-
You know, I think I've underestimated The Hot Rock. I've had a lot of those songs in my head lately. Well, parts of them. (A lot of the songs seem piecemeal (even for Sleater, which is saying something), and in an awkward way. But certain parts of certain songs, e.g. "goodbye small hands, goodbye small heart" from "Get Up" -- and doesn't the spoken opening of that song sound like Kim Gordon? -- or Corin's waily part in "Memorize Your Lines". Those get in my head and stick around.)
_
respond?
07:50:03 PM,
Thursday 8 April 2004
-
HOLY FUCKING SHIT. (In a good way.)
_
respond?
(5)
07:00:47 PM,
Thursday 8 April 2004
-
Two-hour work lunch in surreally empty sports bar. (Giant tv screens on the walls playing ESPN, FOX News.) Return to filing and nonsensical warblings of Stephen Malkmus. Wish I could wear headphones.
_
respond?
05:57:37 PM,
Thursday 8 April 2004
-
P.S.: When you google postal service fan page you get this.
_
respond?
01:08:42 PM,
Thursday 8 April 2004
-
Second cup of coffee:
At Respectful of Otters, a great post about safer sex and the relationship between emotional and physical barriers.
Also my new favorite album is Give Up by the Postal Service, although I am not loving the duet bit. Despite their sincerity I really like the lyrics, even on the sentimental penultimate song. In context its sweetness goes sour and it comes out sounding sad. To me. I'd like to hear what someone else thinks of it, because I feel weird admitting that emo music made me cry.
_
respond?
(3)
01:03:17 PM,
Thursday 8 April 2004
-
And it's not here
It's disappear
_
respond?
05:13:18 PM,
Wednesday 7 April 2004
-
TIAILW: Iambic pentameter.
Maybe I can put all this mindless time near a computer to good use and memorize some sonnets. Today's candidate: Shakespeare's 30th Sonnet.
_
respond?
(12)
02:06:23 PM,
Wednesday 7 April 2004
-
At Moira's behest: Wikipedia entry for "Jew". (Looks like the "jewwatch" site is down. You know, I can't believe that hatin' on Jewish people isn't over yet.) And while we're on the topic of montheistic religion, A History of God is really good.
_
respond?
(1)
11:20:11 AM,
Wednesday 7 April 2004
-
Do I like it because it promises to contain what I fear I cannot? And what do I do when it fails to fulfill that promise?
Damn.
_
respond?
04:17:13 PM,
Tuesday 6 April 2004
-
Rockin' the Sidney today.
Thou blind man's mark, thou fool's self chosen snare,
Fond fancy's scum, and dregs of scatter'd thought,
Band of all evils, cradle of causeless care,
Thou web of will,whose end is never wrought.
Desire, desire I have too dearly bought,
With price of mangled mind thy worthless ware,
Too long, too long asleep thou hast me brought,
Who should my mind to higher things prepare.
But yet in vain thou hast my ruin sought,
In vain thou madest me to vain things aspire,
In vain thou kindlest all thy smoky fire.
For virtue hath this better lesson taught,
Within myself to seek my only hire:
Desiring nought but how to kill desire.
_
respond?
02:13:29 PM,
Tuesday 6 April 2004
-
I need my head examined
I need my eyes excited
_
respond?
12:34:29 PM,
Tuesday 6 April 2004
-
Weekend report: Spent Friday night at my friend Laura the geologist's house (also the house of her roommate, Jason Biologistes), preparing for their space party. Went to said party on Saturday, after an excellent afternoon spent with Moss and Julia in the Mission. Julia and I bought clothes for croquet, then met Moss at the bookstore to which he had retreated. Then we all bought books. I got what you'd expect, Moss and Julis got books on symbolism and puppetry. (Scary puppetry.) We went to another rad bookstore as well.
Melissa and I lost Julia and Moss on the way to the party, which sucked. The party itself was delightful -- I went straight into orbit. Much of it was spent feeling like St. Anthony, not entirely in a bad way. We all danced to Peaches, I talked to a fascinating person about sergers, fell asleep on the couch, and got food at Wat Mongkolratanaram in the morning.
_
respond?
12:33:01 PM,
Tuesday 6 April 2004
-
You'd think PMS would be more predictable than it is.
_
respond?
(9)
04:38:38 PM,
Monday 5 April 2004
-
Things I am (sometimes) embarrassed to do in front of people (distinct from things that I basically never do in front of people):
-scratch certain itches;
-drink or smoke by myself;
-eat junk food;
-bite my fingernails;
-dance to the music on my stereo.
What's weird is that none of these have much to do with social morality, although some of them are unhealthy.
_
respond?
04:19:29 PM,
Friday 2 April 2004
-
Interesting news items today: The winter of Antonin Scalia's discontent in Salon (do the hokey-pokey, turn yourself around, watch the publishing house ad). Also, Where has all the acid gone (in Slate). Makes me miss high school.
_
respond?
(11)
01:14:06 PM,
Friday 2 April 2004
-
This morning a guy came onto the train to collect signatures for ballot initiatives. He was wearing a bright blue spandex jumpsuit with silver peace signs painted all over it, a matching cape and a fanny pack covering his "unsightly bulge". Also he was wearing air jordans that he'd painted to match his outfit.
He came up to me while I was reading. "Are you a registered voter? Would you like to sign a ballot initiative protecting funding for our schools?" (Turns out I'd already signed. Anyway.)
Three stops later I get up to exit the train and he gives me his mini-spiel all over again. "Are you a registered voter? Would you like to sign a ballot initiative protecting funding for our schools?" I half-whispered to him, "You already talked to me."
I guess even superheroes have off days.
_
respond?
11:42:22 AM,
Friday 2 April 2004
-
Overheard: a man speaking to/yelling at noone in particular: "That's what I've been trying to tell you for over twelve years! You have to mix the normals in with you before you get goofy!"
_
respond?
(3)
05:18:43 PM,
Thursday 1 April 2004
-
"The drawings that they've been searching everywhere for? They don't have them. Sorry! April fools!"
Grar.
_
respond?
02:19:06 PM,
Thursday 1 April 2004
-
Because Middle English is so frikkin cool: Listen to the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales here. From a Chaucer class's page of resources, found via feministe.
_
respond?
(1)
12:48:43 PM,
Thursday 1 April 2004
-
"Got Crabs? The Hermit Crab Association is looking for people who are serious about hermit crabs."
_
respond?
12:20:33 PM,
Thursday 1 April 2004
-
How should I listen to Fiona Apple? I'm listening to Tidal and just not feeling it.
_
respond?
(10)
02:49:09 PM,
Wednesday 31 March 2004
-
Good news, everyone! The Senate increased childcare funding in a welfare bill over White House protests. Even Orrin Hatch thinks it's a good thing.
_
respond?
(1)
11:30:12 AM,
Wednesday 31 March 2004
-
Have I mentioned that our computer fixing dude is awesome? After more than a year of using a computer with a cd burner at work, my downloading was all fucked up. Comput0rman Ron fixed it like a dream! And he worked on it for like an hour! And now I get to listen to Casiocore! And all the Frontalot I want! Also Jay-Zeezer, which wasn't that fuckin' great, but at least was funny. Who said that was better than the Grey Album? Because that person either lies or hates music that has beats in it.
_
respond?
06:16:28 PM,
Tuesday 30 March 2004
-
"Hello? I'm your old friend, the Afghan Woman. I think you mentioned me in some speeches?"
_
respond?
(4)
03:47:56 PM,
Tuesday 30 March 2004
-
Hey man, what's the haps?
_
respond?
11:49:16 AM,
Tuesday 30 March 2004
-
site & script courtesy of Moss