Random musings on mythic relevance, gaming, books, and other shinies.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
IU Press 1-day sale: 60% off
Wow, three posts in one day. (Am I having trouble focusing at work? Why yes -- yes, I am.)
Kaiju very kindly sent this over a little while ago:
IU Press is having a 60th anniversary sale tomorrow (the 17th). All regularly-priced books, journals, and DVDs are 60% off regular price. Shipping is free over $25. Use the code SIXTY at checkout.
Recuperating after a wicked exhausting week. It's been a long, long time coming, but I think things are finally starting to look up at work. There are a lot of interesting projects in the works -- about half of the projects on my grand to-do list are my idea, and half are from the new deans who've asked for my help on one thing or another. All of them will involve some form of geekery, so I'm looking forward to digging in.
Also handed off a 19-page doc to my boss this week that included a project log, to-do list, arguments on why my job needs to be restructured, and the four other positions I'm applying for. After taking a few days to digest the info, she came back with an encouraging response, so I'm working on draft two this weekend.
Speaking of work, I'm also working with The Monica on layout and design for a Violet War story project, and was approached by another program on campus to do some freelance work on their behalf. I have a couple of weeks at most to put together a workshop, modified style template, and procedural guidelines. And then we're going to tackle how they archive these projects, because they will contain patent-application materials that will need to be restricted to secured access. (I'm hoping to spread that luck around a bit, as well, since they also need writing help for their students, and I happen to know a freelance writer and editor with graduate/academic experience...)
It's almost like 2010 is apologizing for 2009. I ... accept. I think we're off to a good start, here.
In other news, a good friend shared a fun vid of a Glee-based flashmob in Rome over the holidays:
The fascinating part for me in the vid is how the flashmob grows, the longer it goes on, as if people who weren't in on the plan start to join in around the edges.
I don't think I've mentioned this previously, but I came across an excellent myth- and folklore-related blog late last year by author Kate Winter. Titled Girls Underground, it's Kate's attempt to explore the Persephone/Armless Maiden story archetypes in popular culture. I've been drawn to these stories since I was a kid, so I'm excited by the prospect of a writer paying close attention to those heroines.
Klint over at Renegade Futurist or Mutate! or whatever he's calling his blog these days posted a link to Subnormality, which has now fascinated me for hours as I've backtracked through the archives. The site is subtitled, "Comix with too many words" for a reason, but his musings on what makes someone "weird" made for a good read. Every middle school student should be made to read it at least once in their alienated, fraught little lives.
Likewise, The Line ought to be mandatory reading for every high school student. Didn't read it? Do not collect diploma. Do not pass Go. That is all.
The creator is a mad genius. The comic is like some sort of fucked up love-child of Tatsuya Ishida, Grant Morrison, and Warren Ellis, with occasional guest art by R. Crumb.
And now that I've planted that mental seed, it's off to bed. Sweet dreams!
I have bombed out badly on several long email replies I owe, and blog posting, and generally being a productive human being. Except at work. There's been lots and lots of productivity at work, which is making my bosses simultaneously happy and nervous. I'm so busy doing things for other deans that I haven't time for my own job. This is going to be a problem in a couple of weeks when we start to get into the swing of things for winter graduation. And oh, are people going to be cranky when I start telling them no.
In addition to languishing email, I have assembled a stack of books for Cher Mere -- research materials (sort of) for her novels. We had an interesting conversation about Jungian vs. Mythic archetypes last week, as well. Good stuff.
So, instead of something insightful (/snicker) here are some Things of Interest to amuse the two of you if you get bored:
Medical Miracles:A double hand transplant. The pictures are a little hard to stomach, maybe because I'm rather terrified of damaging my hands, but this still blows my mind. Especially the fact that the nerves in his new hands are regrowing and should be usable by the end of the year. Also, did you hear they grew a jawbone joint from stem cells? Craziness.
Faked Antiquities: Scientists have finally figured out how the believe the Shroud of Turin was created.
Cultural Appropriation: In light of the recent plastic shaman tragedy, Chas Clifton had some interesting things to say about culturalappropriation. Is it a religious or a political concern? Is it still "appropriation" if one takes elements from a large/powerful source such as the Catholic Church rather than an indigenous or foreign source? Cultural appropriation is a Pagan hot-topic, and one on which I hold particularly strong views. But that's yet another half-finished post that will probably take weeks to see the light of day...
Writing Tips: My good friend Monica Valentinelli recently ran a three-part series called Tips on How to Be a Professional. If you have any interest in becoming a professional writer, please do yourself a favor and check out her blog.
That would be: insomnia, weather-induced sinus headache, and nonstop allergy attack.
Emails and such will return when my head stops asplodin'. I hear thunder rolling in ... hopefully once the storms pass I'll be rid of the headache, at least.
In other news, going to see Ponyo tomorrow night with a couple of friends. (Yay!) Assuming my compressed-jelly brain has not leaked out my ears by then. (Boo!)
At the moment, that seems like a rather lofty assumption.
If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively.
That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada.
They say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures.
And that is how you make disease vectors into an interesting article for the rest of us.
Locals in Nepal are considering a baby born with extra limbs a reincarnation of Ganesh. Although baby Risab is revered at the moment, it's scary to think how quickly that could turn:
"If my husband had not been there, they could have said I had given birth to a witch and come and killed me.
"Most of the neighbours came and said it was a God so they told me not to treat it badly and accept it."
But Ms Ghimire says most of the villagers are superstitious and - like her - believe in witches.
Indeed, her fears are not surprising, with one local Hindu priest openly saying that he believes the baby is a curse on the village and the reason for the late monsoons.
