[books] Getting ranked in the blog wars
Despite the fact that Technorati professes never to have heard of me when I check my own blog rankings,
Posted: 5:59 am Mon February 22 2010 | Comments(1) |
[cancer] Chemotherapy, day three of session four
Posted yesterday’s story mostly in images, yesterday. [ jlake.com | LiveJournal ] This round went easier in a lot of ways than the previous ones had. I think this was a combination of me being more prepared for what would happen, through sheer experience, and the good luck of having several days of solid sleep and general well-being right before Friday’s infusion start.
Still a lot of stress, still a lot of trouble, still spent most of my time horizontal. Except for walking, and the chemo bottle ritual, I didn’t leave the house. After yesterday’s walk, I never really left my chair.
Back to work today, though I’m running a tad behind from oversleeping. So far, so okay. At the moment, the chemo bit I seem most disturbed about is the sharply increased incidence of typos in my keyboarding work. Ah, brain, brain, what is brain? Nothing but a chemo drain.
Another week. Due to my planned participation in Rainforest Writers Village upcoming, I get two weeks off from infusion this cycle. Whee! I am making up for it with forthcoming visits this week and weekend from
Posted: 5:53 am Mon February 22 2010 | Comments(0) |
[photos] Your Monday moment of zen
Your Monday moment of zen.
Classic country store, 21st century style. Eastern Washington state. © 2006, 2010 Joseph E. Lake, Jr.
This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Posted: 5:44 am Mon February 22 2010 | Comments(0) |
[links] Link salad with a literary Monday
My Lone Star Stories short story “On the Human Plan” makes its third Year’s Best appearance — Also receives Hugo nomination love from Rich Horton. Slightly oddly, this reviewer notes the unusual double Locus recommended list appearance of the story without noting the three Year’s Best appearances (though he mentions other stories with two Year’s Best appearances), then goes on to say, but I won’t read the story unless it [gets nominated], since I have yet to read anything of [Lake's] I understand, much less like. To each their own, but it makes me sad that a story with that much recognition isn’t even worth even a click-through to such an otherwise careful reviewer. Just reinforces my rubric that the story always belongs to the reader, even when it doesn’t. For my own part, I’d love to see some Hugo love for this one.
Speaking of would-be Hugo love, a reader reacts to Green — I believe this is an older review, but I can’t sort out the original appearance, so I’m linking here.
Another rather interesting review of Green
Geologists find a way to simulate the great Missoula floods — This is cool. (Thanks to my Dad.)
Study Examines Family Lineage of King Tut, His Possible Cause of Death — Some cool archaeogenetics. (Courtesy of
George Will is as usual intellectually dishonest about climate change again — More conservative thought leadership in a difficult world. Also, sun rises in east.
?otD: Is it just another manic Monday?
2/22/2010
Writing time yesterday: 0 minutes
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 9.5 (slept solid)
This morning’s weigh-in: 226.6
Yesterday’s chemo stress index: 6/10
Currently reading: [between books]
Posted: 5:37 am Mon February 22 2010 | Comments(0) |
[photos] Infusion session 4, the needle removal and the chemo bottle ritual
Me in the infusion center. Hat by
Me with my infusion pumps. The patients and staff were most delighted with my hat.
Close-up of my drug supply.
The needle once the dressings are off.
My chest needle-free.
Outside for the chemo ritual.
Smashing the bottle.
Four down, eight to go.
Four down, eight to go, the testament of the bottles.
Me, hair by
© 2010 Joseph E. Lake, Jr. and Farah J. Mendlesohn.
This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. and Farah J. Mendelsohn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
As usual, more at the Flickr set.
Posted: 6:18 pm Sun February 21 2010 | Comments(4) |
[cancer] Chemotherapy, day one of session four
Yesterday was a low key day of movies and hanging out with
Today somewhat engaged mentally and physically. I believe I’m having a better infusion weekend than the past few, probably because I did well in my general well-being on the days before the infusion.
Bottle ritual in a few hours.
Posted: 11:44 am Sun February 21 2010 | Comments(0) |
[politics] A few days late and a few dollars short, but I’m still giggling
Sarah Palin: “How’s that hopey, changey thing working out for ya?”
From which I can only infer that a future Palin candidacy offers no hope and an unchanging future.
Conservatism in its own words.
Posted: 10:36 am Sun February 21 2010 | Comments(0) |
[photos] Your Sunday moment of zen
Your Sunday moment of zen.
Wind garden. Eastern Washington state. © 2006, 2010 Joseph E. Lake, Jr.
This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Posted: 9:43 am Sun February 21 2010 | Comments(0) |
[links] Link salad for a chemo Sunday
Reviews of Tor.com Story Podcast January 2010 — Including joint stories by me and
10 rules for writing — And 10 more, and 10 more. Interesting reading.
You can’t resolve away climate change — More conservative political idiocy, fisked in detail by Bad Astronomy.
Losing The Future — Daniel Larison on voter demographics.
The 1956 Republican Party Platform — Fascinating reading, to see how the GOP thought in the “good old days” of American Conservatism. Not that the 1956 Democratic platform is probably any less entertaining.
?otD: Where in the hell is Carmen Sandiego? (Only Dante knows.)
2/21/2010
Writing time yesterday: 0 minutes
Body movement: (forthcoming suburban walk)
Hours slept: 9.5 (slept solid)
This morning’s weigh-in: 227.4
Yesterday’s chemo stress index: 6/10
Currently reading: [between books]
Posted: 9:40 am Sun February 21 2010 | Comments(0) |
[movies] Tweetsnarking David Lynch’s Dune
Last night while stoned on chemo,
Chemo brain is now watching David Lynch’s DUNE. #movies
Oooh, music by Toto. We are definitely rocking the 1980s… #watchingDune
Hell of an albedo you got there, Giedi Prime. Shame if something happened to it. #watchingDune
“I shall want telepathy during his visit.” Don’t we all? #watchingDune
“You are transparent. I see many things.” Actually, if he’s transparent, you’d see nothing but the wall behind him… #watchingDune
Bene Gesserit: Making bald women into sexy dommes for thousands of years. #watchingDune
IsoBan RT @jay_lake: Bene Gesserit: Making bald women into sexy dommes for thousands of years. #watchingDune
Patrick Stewart! W00t! #watchingDune
@Lenscapper1 David Lynch’s version. Sadly, the cut down one with voiceovers. #watchingDune
Book_Donkey RT @jay_lake: Patrick Stewart! W00t! #watchingDune / Rock On. Good movie!
Dean Stockwell has serious 1970s pr0n star hair in this movie… #watchingDune
This movie is very steampunk. Actually, it’s espresso machinepunk. A visual aesthetic way ahead of its time. #watchingDune
@Lenscapper1 I *like* this version. But I’m watching the wrong edit. All they had at Blockbuster… #watchingDune
Jurgen Prochnow makes me want to play #moviemashups. “Das Booty Call” anyone? #watchingDune
Kyle Maclachlan – “The Blue Velveteen Rabbit” #moviemashups #watchingDune
“This is the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam. She is going to observe you.” Inquistion, what a show! #watchingDune
Boy, with that Voice she really needs a throat lozenge. #watchingDune
“Put your right hand in the box.” “What’s in the box?” “Never mind, just pull my finger. I was only needling you.” #watchingDune
“Do you know of the water of life?” “Uh, I use rubber sheets. It’s ok.” #watchingDune
Now we’re on to the Harkonnens. And here’s me with a heart plug, thanks to chemo! Does this mean Sting is my overlord? #watchingDune
Watching the Baron get his pustules drained is like a Human League video… #watchingDune
Mrs_Bobcat LOL! Drink | Nose > Keyboard! RT @jay_lake “Do you know of the water of life?” “Uh, I use rubber sheets. It’s ok.” #watchingDune
Oooh! Sting! W00t!!!! No winged jockstrap yet, though. #watchingDune
“I have been instructed to tell you of the plan to overenunciate our lines in this script!” #watchingDune
“He who controls the Spice controls the Universe!!” He who spits the farthest when he talks controls House Harkonnen! #watchingDune
Oooh, flying homicidal fat man! Notify air traffic control. #watchingDune
I’ll get you Paul Atreidies, and your father’s little dog too! #pugpunk #watchingDune
That’s not a spaceship, that’s architecture. #watchingDune
Unclear on the concept: “Folding space. Traveling without moving.” IN my country, we call that “Going nowhere.” #watchingDune
Dune – Like Tatooine but now with 50% fewer suns. #watchingDune
“I think [the Fremen] are the allies we seek.” Right, because there’s so many *other* people on Arrakis to work with. #watchingDune
RuthanneReid Snicker. RT @jay_lake: “I have been instructed to tell you of the plan to overenunciate our lines in this script!” #watchingDune
Max von Sydow vamping at Jurgen Prochnow. It’s like Batman fights Superman, only cooler and with German accents. #watchingDune
“Urine and feces are processed in the thigh pads.” Mmm, my legs are warm again. #watchingDune
Oh look, button tuck upholstery in our ornithopter. Where’s my ostrich feather hat? #watchingDune
“Why do [the worms] come?” “To protect their territory. They’re attracted by vibrations.” I know a few people like that… #watchingDune
“There are more enemy bodies coming for your inspection, Dr. Yueh.” “Please have them dressed in those wedding gowns.” #watchingDune
This ornithopter has no visible means of propulsion. The wings don’t do much. Spice must indeed be a mighty force. #watchingDune
The Mighty Sarlac emerges! No, wait, that’s a worm. #watchingDune
sraets @jay_lake ‘s #watchingDune tweets are hilarious. Need to re-watch that movie, one of these days.
We have antigrav technology. Let’s use it for…ceiling lamps! While the men move heavy furniture by hand! #watchingDune
“Excuse me, milday. The Harkonnens may have tampered with them… medically.” Is that what the kids are calling it today? #watchingDune
spiralshannon RT @jay_lake: We have antigrav technology. Let’s use it for…ceiling lamps! While the men move heavy furniture by hand! #watchingDune
charliejane RT @jay_lake: We have antigrav technology. Let’s use it for…ceiling lamps! While the men move heavy furniture by hand! #watchingDune
JRBooth RT @jay_lake: Max von Sydow vamping at Jurgen Prochnow. It’s like Batman fights Superman, only cooler and with German accents. #watchingDune
“I am the Shadout Mapes. The housekeeper.” Linda Hunt says that line like she’s one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse. #watchingDune
JRBooth Just so you know, @jay_lake , your #watchingDune Tweets are fantastic. I’ve never been more glad that movie is, what , 8 hrs. long?
avedevereux @jay_lake Those’ll be War, Dusting, Pestilence and Ironing, I imagine? #watchingDune
Harkonnen lighters look like the bastard love child of 2001′s Discovery and a Soviet-bloc sex toy. #watchingDune
Duke Leto commits classic horror movie error. Walks alone down a dark hall toward weird noise. Ever watch Friday the 13th? #watchingDune
Mr Weirdside RT @jay_lake: Harkonnen lighters look like the bastard love child of 2001′s Discovery and a Soviet-bloc sex toy. #watchingDune
“When you see the Baron, you’ll have a new poison gas tooth!” “Minty, dude, I always wanted one of *those*.” #watchingDune
Who knew that ninja dentistry was so easily done under field expedient conditions? #watchingDune
RT @davedevereux: Those’ll be War, Dusting, Pestilence and Ironing, I imagine? [Four Housekeepers of the Apocalypse] #watchingDune
SFReviewsnet @jay_lake invents live MSTweet3K while watching David Lynch’s Dune. #watchingDune
Patrick Stewart is rushing into battle armed with a burp gun and a pug dog. Combat in the future is very weird. #watchingDune
PManion @jay_lake What about the John Harrison version? Cheesier costumes, but more story development… #watchingDune
Now Dean Stockwell is crying for Argentina. #watchingDune
“I want to spit once on your head. Just some spittle on your face” Yeah, been on dates like that myself. #watchingDune
sraets RT @SFReviewsnet: @jay_lake invents live MSTweet3K while watching David Lynch’s Dune. #watchingDune
“I find many pleasures with you. It is perhaps better that you die in the innards of a worm.” All that and a bag of chips. #watchingDune
@ShellyRaeClift Is that what the kids are calling it on Dune? RT @jay_lake: “I find many pleasures with you. It is perhaps better that you die in…….”
@PManion Is that the Sci Fi channel production? #watchingDune
“You think you’ve defeated me?” Well, yes, actually, as you’re dying and I’m not. Any more questions? #watchingDune
Dig the reverse mohawks on the Harkonnen redshirts. Erm, redheads. #watchingDune
Jessica just convinced the escort to knife the pilot *in mid-air*. Methinks this is a failure of forward planning. #watchingDune
FJM: “Floating queer fat man with red hair and fewer pustules!” Everybody sing: “I’m walking on sunshine, and I feel good” #watchingDune
“He’s crying. He’s *crying*! What does that mean, Piter?” Evidence suggests terminal halitosis. Or maybe sad Duke is sad. #watchingDune
“I’ll never reach the safety of rock…. Maybe that small rock.” Plot contrivance bearing 123 degrees, 3 kilometers, sir. #watchingDune
PManion Jurgen Prochnow, Duke Leto, is now a Russian superbaddie on 24 this season. And Sting is a greybeard with a lute. @jay_lake #watchingDune
“Where are my feelings? I feel for no one.” [looks up] “The second moon.” Paul Atreides: Kwisatz Non Sequitur #watchingDune
He took a face from the ancient gallery and walked on down the hall. Father? Yes, son? I want to kill you. Dune: The Doors #watchingDune
This Harkonnen fetish for sending people to the desert to die lacks a certain amount of closure. Implausible deniability? #watchingDune
“We have entered a time when all will turn against us and seek our lives.” Or maybe you’re having a really bad hair day. #watchingDune
Worm attack! Annelids Gone Wild! #watchingDune
“A thumper!” No, I think that’s a Bambi, actually. #watchingDune
@whump Not yet, but soon, methinks. Plus we’ll have awesome deathstill action coming up. Bloody Marys for everyone! #watchingDune
How the hell do you get two syllables out of the word “tribe”? #watchingDune
“You shall both have sanctuary. Your water shall mingle with our water.” Just like summer camp! #watchingDune
“You shall be known as Usul, which is the strength of the base of the pillar.” Uh, isn’t that Fremen for “cock ring”? #watchingDune
Don’t they have evaporation issues with these open cisterns hidden in the sietches? #watchingDune
Red headed little people savaging a cow in bondage gear. Ok, this movie is *weird*. #watchingDune
Vlad Harkonnen and his nephew Rabban train for the Mad Scientist laugh-off. #watchingDune
W00t!!! Sting enters through fog, wearing his winged jockstrap, his recent anorexia and his gender-ambiguous smile. #watchingDune
We will now have a voiceover to explain difficult plot abstractions, & provide a convenient infodump. Plus fetus follies. #watchingDune
Oooh, BaronCam. Like Blair Witch Project, but in color, with more sadism. #watchingDune
MatchesMalone @jay_lake Must be the David Lynch version…. #watchingDune
Thufir Hawat is being given a bald cyborg cat which he must now milk for the antidote. With neon lights. #watchingDune
faraichideya also (listening to) @jay_lake tweeting about #watchingDune. Highly amusing.
@Book_Donkey Yes, a great deal. But this movie is so high camp it settled down and became a city-state of weird. #watchingDune
Pixelfish @jay_lake is #watchingDune so you don’t have to. (David Lynch version, I think, since he mentions Sting.)
FJM: “How did we get to the love scene? And why are they drowning? I missed something.” Me: “The movie missed something.” #watchingDune
Why is the control for the wrist-mounted sonic blaster strapped to Paul’s neck? Poor human interface design. #watchingDune
“Through sound and motion, you will be able to paralyze nerves, [&] set fires” Lactose intolerance does that to me, too. #watchingDune
zentinal I so, so, preferred the sci-fi version to Lynch’s, as much as I love David Lynch. @jay_lake #watchingDune
blu3ph03n1x @jay_lake‘s #watchingDune tweet summaries are far more fun than the actual movie. Except not actually seeing Sting in his winged jockstrap.
[to be clear, I *love* this movie, even in its glorious ridiculousness] #watchingDune
Paul Atriedes mounts the giant sandworm armed with only a snowshovel. I’ve had dates like that, too. #watchingDune
What the hell is Stilgar anointing the warriors of Paul’s guard with? Ketchup? Blood? Manhattan clam chowder? #watchingDune
chr0me After seeing many RTs of @jay_lake‘s #watchingDune posts, I went an peeked. They are hilarious. Go look.
If I had to hang around with Rabban, I’d wear a full face visor, too. #watchingDune
PManion The “wierding modules” of the movie are not from the book. Illogical term, combining mysticism and technology. #watchingDune @jay_lake
FJM: “God, it’s like Charlie’s Angels in the desert.” Jay: :: dies of the loff :: #watchingDune
Patrick Stewart lost the pug, grew a ponytail. FJM: “I think that’s the first bit of acting we’ve seen the whole movie.” #watchingDune
“Restore spice production, or you will live out your life in a pain amplifier.” Um, is there a Plan B? #watchingDune
Oh my god, that’s Sean Young. I’m having total Bladerunner flashbacks, big time. Do androids dream of electric worms? #watchingDune
FJM: “Desert bondage! It’s a roping workshop!” Damn, they are going to get sand *everywhere*. Itchy… #watchingDune
All the Bene Gesserit have bloody noses at once. That’s some unified nasal theory in action. #watchingDune
[really, someone needs to take my keyboard away when I'm on the chemo pump] #watchingDune
Somehow I do find Sean Young unconvincing as a Buddhislamic Zensunni wanderer. Or am I misremembering the books? #watchingDune
Oh, look, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV rolls in a solid gold spaceship. How does that do on re-entry? Pimp my lander! #watchingDune
“Stilgar. Do we have wormsign?” “Usul, we have wormsign…” Some antibiotics ought to clear that right up, boys. #watchingDune
“Bring in that floating fat man. The Baron.” Oh, right, because we weren’t sure *which* floating fat man you meant, sire. #watchingDune
“Get out of my mind!” “Not until you tell them both who I really am.” Damien in drag? #watchingDune
“Now! The atomics!” Right. Because nothing improves a tense standoff like nuclear weapons! #watchingDune
So, Gurney. What *did* you do with the Duke’s pug? Was it delicious? #watchingDune
“Release the Sardaukar. Baron, give this little abomination to the storm.” Tactical geniuses, one and all… #watchingDune
Giant sandworm laughs at your puny human energy weapons. Mua hah hah. #watchingDune
CLNorman Reading @jay_lake ‘s tweets on #watchingDune is making me want to go watch it again. It seems much funnier through his eyes.
winnie3k @jay_lake I always wondered what happened to the pug, myself. Are you watching the director’s cut? #watchingDune
@winnie3k Sadly, no, Blockbuster only had the shorter theatrical release. May have to buy Director’s Cut… #watchingDune
PManion The little abomination (Alicia Witt) later grew up to be Cybill’s TV daughter. #watchingDune @jay_lake
Alia just gom jabbar’ed the Baron. Flying fat man is now in full meltdown, hurling into the guts of the Mighty Sarlac. #watchingDune
Defeated emperor is defeated. Defeated Sting is too proud to acknowledge his defeat. #watchingDune
Paul: “I can kill with a word!” Reverend Mohiam: SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM. Oh, do that again, young man… #watchingDune
“I will bend like a reed in the wind.” The reed just left his knife in Sting’s throat. Hell of a wind that blew. #watchingDune
“Muad’Dib had now become the hand of god.” It is unrecorded who became the foot of god. #watchingDune
Raining in Arrakeen, the city with no storm drains. And that’s the end of the movie. Thanks for listening, folks. #watchingDune
PManion The foot of God stomps on the Monty Python opening credits. @jay_lake #watchingDune
saycestsay RT @jay_lake: Red headed little people savaging a cow in bondage gear. Ok, this movie is *weird*. #watchingDune
saycestsay RT @jay_lake: RT @davedevereux: Those’ll be War, Dusting, Pestilence and Ironing, I imagine? [Four Housekeepers of the Apocalypse] #watchingDune
jillesta Thoroughly enjoying the snark. Thanks for sharing. @jay_lake #watchingDune
SooGuy68 @jay_lake just logged onto twitter and read backwards through your #watchingDune tweets. Awesome snark on rewind. Awe no Time Bandits!
winnig I want @jay_lake to do a new DVD commentary track for Dune. Hell, let’s give him StarWars…. #watchingDune
Posted: 4:52 pm Sat February 20 2010 | Comments(1) |