I don't know -- you pick the title
Jul. 11th, 2019 08:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Whoa...some really good Kindle Daily Deals. Why should I be the only one who impulse buys books for $1.99? Although I've been waiting for some of these to come on sale for a while now.
* We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hedrix is $1.99 for Kindle Daily Deal.
In this hard-rocking, spine-tingling supernatural thriller, the washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.
Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.
Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. One day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is one woman’s epic journey to reclaim her life—and save her soul.
* So is Sunshine by Robin McKinely and The Sympathizer .
I picked up The Sympathizer (which I may have to wait a while to read because so not in the mood at the moment, and had won the Pulitizer), The History of Wolves, and We Sold Our Souls. I already own Robin McKinely's Sunshine in paperback. If you haven't read it and like stories about vampires, you should -- it is to date the most innovative that I've read on the whole vampire thing (outside of Illona Andrews Magic Series). The heroine has the power of Sunshine in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with vampires (who have a spiderish alien feel to them). There's a romance between her and one of them, but it's an odd one.
2. Today, Chidi stopped by my desk just after lunch and for no clear reason and seemingly out of the blue, told me:
"You are a wonderful person, I'm so glad that you are here, and you really add something."
Me: What brought this on?
Chidi: I just felt the need to tell you that. You are just a really good person and I'm really glad you are here. We need you.
Me: Thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere.
Lando: Ah, where have I heard that before?
ME: I stole it from you.
[I just thought I'd share that isolated moment from my weary work week with you all. I'm guessing he may have overheard my complaint to Ric that I'm burned out and tired. And I want to retire. The Universe apparently wants me to stick it out. ]
3. Meanwhile, I watched a rather inspiring video from NYC Mayor on FB of Megan Rapino's speech.
The first part of the speech is rather boring...
Megan Rapinoe's Speech at the NYC City World Soccer Parade
I didn't watch the soccer games, because I kept forgetting they were on or couldn't find them. But for the US -- a women's soccer team winning this big -- is major for the following reasons:
* US doesn't really respect soccer or put as much into it.
* US doesn't put as much respect in women's sports or athletics.
Get to the end:
"We have to love more. Hate less. We got to listen more and talk less. We got to know that this is everybody’s responsibility. Every single person here. Every single person’s who’s not here. Every single person who doesn’t want to be here. Every single person who agrees and doesn’t agree. It’s our responsibility to make this world a better place,” Rapinoe said.
“I think this team does an incredible job of taking that on our shoulders and understanding the position that we have and the platform that we have within this world. Yes, we play sports. Yes, we play soccer. Yes, we’re female athletes. But we’re so much more than that. You’re so much more than that.”
“It’s every single person’s responsibility. There’s been so much contention in these last years. I’ve been a victim of that. I’ve been a perpetrator of that ... But it’s time to come together. This conversation is at the next step. We have to collaborate. It takes everybody."
4. Immigrant Cookbooks
5. Mother will not let go of the idea of me visiting my brother and his family, preferably this year.
Me: You will not let this go.
Mother: I want you to go visit him because I can't.
Me: So, what you plan on living through me? That's not possible.
Mother: Yes, it is -- I can vicariously live through you and experience hiking with your brother and niece and see his house through your eyes.
Me: He's your son, you can talk to him and live through his eyes or your grand daughters' what do you need me for?
Mother: I want to do it through your eyes and I want you to have a close relationship with him and your neice and visit, and hike...
Sigh. She will pester me until I do it. This I know. She won't pester him, just me. Because my brother knows how to ignore her, I do not. Maybe it's a mother-daughter thing? Don't know. I'll try again in the fall, when it's not hot and there's foilage, and hopefully I'm not competing with his bi-polar defense attorney best friend...with the trust fund and insanely dysfunctional family. My brother and I both have crazy-ass close friends with insane family's apparently. Wales is mine, J is his.
6. Well, it had to happen...someone wrote and published a fanfic about Calvin and Hobbes and it sorta went viral.
In The Final Minutes Of His Life, Calvin Has One Last Talk With Hobbes.
Converted this to text from an image I found on a humour website. Try not to cry after reading this.
“Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?”
In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, “Did… did you…. find him?”
“Yes dear,” Susie said smiling sadly, “He was in the attic. “
Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long.
“l washed him for you,” Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband.
“Thank you, Susie.” Calvin said. A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia.
“Dear,” Calvin said finally. “Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him.”
“All right,” Susie said. “I’ll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I’ll be back soon.” Susie kissed her husband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. “l love you,” he said.
“And I love you,” said Susie. Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door.
Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. “Hello Hobbes. It’s been a long time hasn't it old pal?”
Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. “It sure has, Calvin.” said Hobbes. “You… haven’t changed a bit.” Calvin smiled.
Eh, I'm a purest when it comes to Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson or no one. Also, I don't see Calvin married. I see him as a curmudgeon philosophy professor with a long mop of gray hair, a beard, sort of like one of my co-workers.
7. So, I decided to pay $20 to release my "genetic traits" on ancestry. So far Ancestry has been quite disappointing.
Friend: So do you have any black people in your ancestry?
ME: Unfortunately, no. I'm 49% Irish, 33% Welsh, English, Scottish, and the rest is Germany, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Finnland. Rather boring actually, and what I already knew. No surprises, at all.
Friend: Damn, I did mine and I found all these frigging white people. Where'd they come from?
Still is. The $20 dollars told me that ancestry thinks I have blond hair and blue eyes based on my DNA. (I don't. I have green eyes -- which appear to be blue and grey to some people in a certain light -- all I see green eyes. I'm either color blind or they are or the mirror is... Also my hair is a light to dark reddish brown. Not blond, unless I get a lot of sun or bleach it.) It also told me I have a cleft in my chin (I guess I do) and there's a smell in my urine if I eat asperagus (which I thought happened to everyone, apparently not), that I'm sensitive to bitter and sweets, have average amounts of Vitamin E, C, and D (no, on the D, I'm actually deficient, possibly because I work in a windowless cubical eight hours a day, with about a thirty minute window for lunch -- the work place is not conducive for health. In short our workplaces are trying to kill us. Despite what they may say to the contrary. We should sue them all and retire.), have less facial hair in the men in my family (true to an extent), have male pattern baldness (to an extent, it's sort of 50/50 to be honest -- although I'd be thrilled if my brother lost his hair, that boy is too pretty for his own good), birth weight is normal (hard to know), my ring finger is longer than my index finger (true)...so there you go.
Like I said? Disappointing.
* We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hedrix is $1.99 for Kindle Daily Deal.
In this hard-rocking, spine-tingling supernatural thriller, the washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.
Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.
Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. One day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is one woman’s epic journey to reclaim her life—and save her soul.
* So is Sunshine by Robin McKinely and The Sympathizer .
I picked up The Sympathizer (which I may have to wait a while to read because so not in the mood at the moment, and had won the Pulitizer), The History of Wolves, and We Sold Our Souls. I already own Robin McKinely's Sunshine in paperback. If you haven't read it and like stories about vampires, you should -- it is to date the most innovative that I've read on the whole vampire thing (outside of Illona Andrews Magic Series). The heroine has the power of Sunshine in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with vampires (who have a spiderish alien feel to them). There's a romance between her and one of them, but it's an odd one.
2. Today, Chidi stopped by my desk just after lunch and for no clear reason and seemingly out of the blue, told me:
"You are a wonderful person, I'm so glad that you are here, and you really add something."
Me: What brought this on?
Chidi: I just felt the need to tell you that. You are just a really good person and I'm really glad you are here. We need you.
Me: Thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere.
Lando: Ah, where have I heard that before?
ME: I stole it from you.
[I just thought I'd share that isolated moment from my weary work week with you all. I'm guessing he may have overheard my complaint to Ric that I'm burned out and tired. And I want to retire. The Universe apparently wants me to stick it out. ]
3. Meanwhile, I watched a rather inspiring video from NYC Mayor on FB of Megan Rapino's speech.
The first part of the speech is rather boring...
Megan Rapinoe's Speech at the NYC City World Soccer Parade
I didn't watch the soccer games, because I kept forgetting they were on or couldn't find them. But for the US -- a women's soccer team winning this big -- is major for the following reasons:
* US doesn't really respect soccer or put as much into it.
* US doesn't put as much respect in women's sports or athletics.
Get to the end:
"We have to love more. Hate less. We got to listen more and talk less. We got to know that this is everybody’s responsibility. Every single person here. Every single person’s who’s not here. Every single person who doesn’t want to be here. Every single person who agrees and doesn’t agree. It’s our responsibility to make this world a better place,” Rapinoe said.
“I think this team does an incredible job of taking that on our shoulders and understanding the position that we have and the platform that we have within this world. Yes, we play sports. Yes, we play soccer. Yes, we’re female athletes. But we’re so much more than that. You’re so much more than that.”
“It’s every single person’s responsibility. There’s been so much contention in these last years. I’ve been a victim of that. I’ve been a perpetrator of that ... But it’s time to come together. This conversation is at the next step. We have to collaborate. It takes everybody."
4. Immigrant Cookbooks
5. Mother will not let go of the idea of me visiting my brother and his family, preferably this year.
Me: You will not let this go.
Mother: I want you to go visit him because I can't.
Me: So, what you plan on living through me? That's not possible.
Mother: Yes, it is -- I can vicariously live through you and experience hiking with your brother and niece and see his house through your eyes.
Me: He's your son, you can talk to him and live through his eyes or your grand daughters' what do you need me for?
Mother: I want to do it through your eyes and I want you to have a close relationship with him and your neice and visit, and hike...
Sigh. She will pester me until I do it. This I know. She won't pester him, just me. Because my brother knows how to ignore her, I do not. Maybe it's a mother-daughter thing? Don't know. I'll try again in the fall, when it's not hot and there's foilage, and hopefully I'm not competing with his bi-polar defense attorney best friend...with the trust fund and insanely dysfunctional family. My brother and I both have crazy-ass close friends with insane family's apparently. Wales is mine, J is his.
6. Well, it had to happen...someone wrote and published a fanfic about Calvin and Hobbes and it sorta went viral.
In The Final Minutes Of His Life, Calvin Has One Last Talk With Hobbes.
Converted this to text from an image I found on a humour website. Try not to cry after reading this.
“Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?”
In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, “Did… did you…. find him?”
“Yes dear,” Susie said smiling sadly, “He was in the attic. “
Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long.
“l washed him for you,” Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband.
“Thank you, Susie.” Calvin said. A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia.
“Dear,” Calvin said finally. “Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him.”
“All right,” Susie said. “I’ll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I’ll be back soon.” Susie kissed her husband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. “l love you,” he said.
“And I love you,” said Susie. Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door.
Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. “Hello Hobbes. It’s been a long time hasn't it old pal?”
Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. “It sure has, Calvin.” said Hobbes. “You… haven’t changed a bit.” Calvin smiled.
Eh, I'm a purest when it comes to Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson or no one. Also, I don't see Calvin married. I see him as a curmudgeon philosophy professor with a long mop of gray hair, a beard, sort of like one of my co-workers.
7. So, I decided to pay $20 to release my "genetic traits" on ancestry. So far Ancestry has been quite disappointing.
Friend: So do you have any black people in your ancestry?
ME: Unfortunately, no. I'm 49% Irish, 33% Welsh, English, Scottish, and the rest is Germany, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Finnland. Rather boring actually, and what I already knew. No surprises, at all.
Friend: Damn, I did mine and I found all these frigging white people. Where'd they come from?
Still is. The $20 dollars told me that ancestry thinks I have blond hair and blue eyes based on my DNA. (I don't. I have green eyes -- which appear to be blue and grey to some people in a certain light -- all I see green eyes. I'm either color blind or they are or the mirror is... Also my hair is a light to dark reddish brown. Not blond, unless I get a lot of sun or bleach it.) It also told me I have a cleft in my chin (I guess I do) and there's a smell in my urine if I eat asperagus (which I thought happened to everyone, apparently not), that I'm sensitive to bitter and sweets, have average amounts of Vitamin E, C, and D (no, on the D, I'm actually deficient, possibly because I work in a windowless cubical eight hours a day, with about a thirty minute window for lunch -- the work place is not conducive for health. In short our workplaces are trying to kill us. Despite what they may say to the contrary. We should sue them all and retire.), have less facial hair in the men in my family (true to an extent), have male pattern baldness (to an extent, it's sort of 50/50 to be honest -- although I'd be thrilled if my brother lost his hair, that boy is too pretty for his own good), birth weight is normal (hard to know), my ring finger is longer than my index finger (true)...so there you go.
Like I said? Disappointing.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-12 02:13 am (UTC)Yup. Pretty much.
I've not been impressed with Ancestry. Pat and I did the National Geographic one and it was cool.
I didn't know there was a National Geographic one. The two popular ones are Ancestry and 23Me&Me. I did Ancestry -- because my Dad's DNA and various relatives DNA is on it. But I'm not sure how accurate it is -- it's heavily slanted towards Ireland, mainly because the database is located there and the Irish have the best records. Germany, unsurprisingly, lost most of theirs during the War, as did France, Scandinavia, and the American Indian tribes destroyed their records to prevent the US government from hunting them down and killing them. So unless the Mormons got hold of them, or they were in Ireland, Scotland, Britain, or early immigrants to the US through legal channels, you can't find it.
I don't know about the African ones...since I can't imagine they kept great records either, but apparently they do.
What's Denisovan DNA?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-12 10:14 am (UTC)