Gully Foyle

Originally uploaded by slushgod.

Here he is, Gully Foyle, the stereotype Common Dog.  At the pound, he lifted his mute face to me and barked, as if to say: “What’s a matter, me?  Help, you goddamn gods!  Help, is all.” 

And help I did.  I adopted the poor wretch, saving him from the ignominy of euthanasia or a lifetime consumed by an undying thirst for vengeance against those who callously left him for dead (in the park). 

His animal shelter chart had the following information about him:

Education: None

Skills: None

Merits: None

Recommendations: None

(Personnel Comments)

A dog of physical strength and intellectual potential stunted by lack of ambition.  Energizes at minimum.  The stereotype Common Dog.  Some unexpected shock might possibly awaken him.  Frequent trips to Petsmart might do it; he loves to go there.

Not very useful.  But I’m told that the key to his awakening is in the lock.  (And that presently, it would turn and open the door to holocaust.)

If by “holocaust” they meant “a lifetime of companionship with his new human,” then that’s cool.  Otherwise?  Ulp.

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this is a test post, please ignore

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Faithful readers of my blog may recall me talking about the new SF audio magazine, MechMuse (which I wrote about for SCI FI Wire and reviewed for IGMS). Well, they’ve just announced a free edition, which is supported by advertising, I believe. They also just published their second issue.

From the press release:

MechMuse Ltd. today announced the launch of the MechMuse Audio Magazine Free Edition, www.MechMuse.com, which offers a new standard in quality, format, and technology for online publications, its first two issues including stories from New York Times Best Selling Authors David Farland and Kevin J. Anderson.

MechMuse Audio Magazine publishes serialized novels, short stories, columns and interviews all in audio format, for easy transfer as podcast streams to jukebox applications such as iTunes and portable music players like the iPod. Each MechMuse Free Edition issue includes between 12 and 15 hours of audio content compressed in MP3 and AAC formats, written by best selling authors alongside rising newcomers. In addition to audio content, MechMuse offers full-page graphical layouts featuring artwork from contributors spanning the globe.

If you like audiobooks, go check it out. I haven’t heard the second issue yet, but I’m sure it’s well done (and the price is certainly right).

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This looks interesting:

Masters of American Comics is the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind showcasing classic and contemporary comic strips and books, including hundreds of originals created by influential comic artists.

This landmark, two-part exhibition, presented simultaneously at The Newark Museum and The Jewish Museum, is the first major museum examination of one of America’s great art forms. Focusing on 14 of the most innovative and influential American comics artists, it vividly shows how comic strips and books developed as a serious and popular art form over the last century.

Nearly 600 original drawings, rare proofs, printed newspaper pages, comic books and graphic novels represent the work of several pioneering artists. Comic strips from the first half of the 20th century will be shown at The Newark Museum, and comic books and graphic novels from the 1950s onward will be featured at The Jewish Museum.

For more info, see the website.

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Can anyone who lives in the Manhattan area, or at least frequently goes into the city, tell me anything about Verizon’s service in subway tunnels? I’m considering switching my service, and I’d like to get something that does work in the tunnels (I know pretty much nothing works on the train, but lots of phones seem to work in the underground labyrinth). Or if you don’t use Verizon, but you do use one that’s really great, I’d like to hear about that too. The only reason I mention Verizon by name is that I’m thinking about getting one of their phones: the Verizon Wireless XV6700. Tobias Buckell has one; he showed it to me at Worldcon and I’ve been wanting one since.

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The Chicago Manual of Style is now available online, via subscription. This is good news people, because if you’ve ever tried riffling through the CMS looking for a particular entry, you’ll know it can be quite a pain, unless you know the book very well.

Go to http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.com/ to subscribe or sign up for a 30-day free trial. There looks to be a $25.00 introductory rate, for a one year subscription.

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Carol Pinchefsky needs more assistance, this time for her Intergalactic Medicine Show column:

Do you have a friend/relative in your life, in their 20s or younger, who reads but does *not* read science fiction or fantasy?

Carol Pinchefsky is looking for interviewees who are willing to read a genre short story and give their opinion. The story should take no more than a half hour to read, and the interview will take no more than fifteen minutes to conduct.

She can be reached at carol a-t cybrid d-o-t- net. She needs people before October 1, 2006.

I’m sure some of you out there have been looking for an excuse to get that certain someone in your life to read some SF. Well, here it is!

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So I went down to the local animal shelter today to look for a dog. I found one there that I like–if I was thinking, I would have brought my camera to take a photo of him–but I had to fill out an application, and now I have to wait to hear back from the shelter. Assuming I’m approved (and why wouldn’t I be?), I’ll probably have my new dog this weekend.

I’ll take photos and pass along some details about him once I get him (because why tell you about a dog that I might not get?). The reason I’m posting now is that this particular dog was a stray, and has no name, so I’m pondering what I might call him. I’d like to go with something literary and/or geeky, because, well, that’s the kind of person I am.

Here are some possibilities I’ve thought of:

(1) Gully Foyle (The Stars My Destination)
(2) Montag (Fahrenheit 451)
(3) Algernon (after the mouse in “Flowers for Algernon”)
(4) Offog (“Alamagoosa”)
(5) Zombie (after, you know, zombies, though this was inspired by the pet named Zombie in Scott Westerfeld’s The Last Days)
(6) Montressor (“The Cask of Amontillado”; so I can say “For the love of God, Montressor!” when he does something bad)
(7) Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride)
(8) Fezzik (The Princess Bride)
(9) Pirate, or The Dread Pirate Roberts (and we’d call him Pirate for short)

What do you think? Any recommendations?

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Over on Jeremy Lassen’s LiveJournal, he says:

According to Nielsen BookScan, 93% of books sold fewer than 1,000 units in 2004, accounting for just 13% of sales volume. The remaining 7% of books accounted for 87% of sales. Jim King of BookScan brought these illuminating statistics to light last week at The Book Standard Summit. Here’s the full article.

This statistic is trotted out every year, is it not? And every year people get their panties in a bunch over it.

But relax, the sky isn’t falling, as Andrew Wheeler astutely points out:

I suspect some serious disingenuousness behind that statistic. Let’s take a closer look at it…

The exact quote is “93 percent of ISBNs sold fewer than 1,000 units in 2004, according to Nielsen BookScan.” Now, he didn’t say the universe was of books published in 2004, but of ISBNs, which includes every book in print, and plenty of books that are now out of print (ISBNs have been standard worldwide since 1970).

So what he’s actually saying is that, in this one given year, only 7% of all of the books published since 1970 moved more than 1000 units. This is not particularly controversial.

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Kris Dikeman referred me to this cool site, which allows you to make an “official” seal by inserting a graphic and text.  And while she was there, she crafted this tribute to the Dred Pirate Adams.

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