My church is having a fundraiser - wait... don't go yet. It's an easy one and requires nothing except that IF you're going out to eat next Tuesday, you might choose to eat at Sweet Tomatoes in St. Charles. One slight catch: you MUST have The Flyer with you when you arrive at the restaurant. We can't just hand them out in the parking lot, and they only will donate from those with flyers.

Here's the particulars (from the flyer):
- When/where: "Present this flyer between 5:00pm and 8:00pm on TUESDAY JULY 14TH, 2009, at Sweet Tomatoes, 2801 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 630.377.3309"
- Do What: Purchase a meal and a beverage (no discounts or coupons can be used)
- What happens: 15% of the sales generated by flyer-holders will be donated from Sweet Tomatoes to St. Charles Episcopal Church.


So... IF you're in the NW Chicago suburbs area next Tuesday and IF you're planning on going out to dinner, would you please consider going to Sweet Tomatoes?

Yes, you need a flyer - ping me (carol dot townsend at gmail dot com) and I'll get one to you, 'mkay?

THANKS!

Book: Little Brother
Author: Cory Doctorow

Why? Oh, let me count the ways.
1) for the cheap at heart, it's available as a free download
2) by promoting (and explaining) Creative Commons licensing, this book actively shows how a copyright-protected/DRM-filled media corporate mindset sucks.
3) it's up for a Hugo Award for Best Novel
4) it's up for a Prometheus Award
5) it's up for a Nebula Award
6) it's about stuff that's happening right now, and stuff that could happen right now if we let it.
7) it's a nod to one of the best books of the past century, without being a rip-off, mash-up or sequel of the original.
8) because I hate the Theater of Security that the past administration said was the answer to terrorism. Do you want real freedom or do you want to put your head in the sand and just think you've got freedom because the nice man said you did?
8) because it woke me up to a few realities of today - without over-alarming me.
9) because it explains technical stuff in easy-to-understand language without talking down to anyone
10) because it's a damn good read and a good story. Quick synopsis can be found here.
11) because while it's meant for the YA market (14-18), it doesn't "feel" like a YA book. (well, neither does Speak - which was my other thought for the answer to this question... YA authors are just getting better and better...)
.
.
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that's enough for now. Go. Read. Enjoy.

If you have not yet seen this clip of Susan Boyle singing on Britain's Got Talent then you must see it.

The song she picked was amazing - both for the musical choice (it's right in her range) and for the lyics:

"I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living,
So different now from what it seemed...
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed..."

Up until now, I would say that was true - life did kill her dream. I hope that changes because of this audition.

...then you should know he needs some help.

First of all, for those who don't know about Aaron: here's his website.

Second, here's an edited version of an email I received:

"Game designer and novelist Aaron Allston, author of many supplements for Champions, D&D/AD&D, Car Wars, and other games, and of nearly two dozen novels, suffered a serious heart attack this past Sunday, March 29th, while on a flight home to Round Rock, Texas, from a book promotion in Phoenix. He had quadruple-bypass heart surgery at a hospital in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, April 2nd, and is now recovering in intensive care. Aaron is 48. His friends have set up a LiveJournal blog to provide updates on his recovery. An announcement about a blood donation sponsorship can be found here." (to help defray costs of the blood he's received, I'm sure)

Finally:
"Aaron has no health insurance and is facing catastrophic medical bills. Two of his publishers have kindly offered help in authorizing or publishing one or more benefit books of Aaron's extensive unpublished writings." Posts with info about that can be found, most likely, at the above LJ link.

(translated from Oreo's "discussion" this morning)

Hi Mom! Are you up? (pounce) You're up? (pounce, pounce) You're up!!

You know, you don't HAVE to get up right now, just cuz I've brought a play mouse into bed. I'm perfectly happy playing with the mouse between you and Dad... and oh, sorry, I didn't mean to flip it onto you, but here... let me get that (pounce, pounce, jump, land, pounce).

But if you're up then we can play right? (pounce, walk on face, drop toy next to nose, purr purr purrrrrrr). You don't have to because I can play by myself... really I can (claw at toy next to nose.... misses toy).

Oh, you're going to throw the mouse for me? Thank youthankyou.... (pounce! run along entire length of mom's body instead of running on the bed... then run thud-to-floor, grab mouse and be back!) Here it is again Mom!!

Huh? What was that? Uh... no, Mom... I don't know what this six-thirty is that you're talking about... and hey, you've still got my mouse there... can you throw it again please??? I'll let you sleep again if you throw it. (toss, run, thud, jump, pounce, drops mouse among blankets, digdigdigdig for mouse, burrow burrow, HEY! The mouse isn't THERE! Find mouse, throw... run thud.... repeat)

========
They're almost 1 year old, and they're still kittens. Gotta love 'em!

I'm in Sioux Falls - got in too late to visit Mom, but will be seeing her in the morning.

Updates will happen after that.

thanks all - you folks rock, ya know?

Gene Robinson makes me proud to be an Episcopalian!

Best Daily Show Quote Ever:
Jon Stewart: Can I ask you... I mean, Washington was so crowded today, there's so many people; you as a bishop are sort of doubly handicapped in that situation, only being able to move diagonally... how is that, negotiating the crowds?

Bp. Robinson: Jon, you have to understand, there's a queen on the board as well.

See the full clip here.

Dear LJ Friends,

I've been seeing a LOT of people having very long posts because they're including entire speeches and prayers and addresses and fol-der-ol.

Please. I beg you. Learn how to use a cut tag. You're not the first one who's posted that entire speech/prayer/address/fol-der-ol, and you won't be the last.

I admit. I'm lazy and I don't like having to scroll through screen after screen of the same words that I've already read/heard/ignored. It's just a personal thing, but it's a simple request.

For those who've never used cut-tags, here's the LJ FAQ on how to do it. Cut-and-paste is also your friend.

Welcome President Obama.

Whew... for 5 minutes there, we didn't have a president. Bush's term expired at noon... Obama was sworn in at 12:05.

Best 5 minutes in Washington. :)

Early yesterday morning (leaving the house by 6:30) L. and I went up to awfulhorrid and bookwurm's house. They were going to pick up Pyrite, their cat, from the emergency vet - as there was really nothing more to do for him. They wanted to bring him home and have him be warm and loved and in familiar surroundings for a day, and not have his last day be of vets and smells and places he didn't know.

I didn't want them to have to try and drive during stressful time, so that's why L. and I went up - that, and to be family/moral support.

Pyrite had as good a day as any animal in his condition can have. He was warm and snuggled and loved and around his humans all day. Then at 4:30, we took him to the vets for the last time. I read a few words while Pyrite slipped away - if you want to read them... ( they're behind the cut here. )

Please note that since I've left this as an open post (so that others can find the poems/prayers if they are pointed this direction), I am screening comments from non-friends. No insult intended, and I will unscreen appropriate comments (eventually), but I thought you'd want to know.

There were lots of tears, lots of hugs, lots of talk and looking at pictures - and yes, we made sure that everyone had dinner. There was more snow, so we decided to stay overnight - and we got back in plenty of time for L. to get online and be at work by 10am this morning.

How many of my local friends would be willing to put out $15 each to see Marc Gunn in a House Concert?

I don't know if this will happen yet - I need to basically make sure that we can cover his base fee/costs - but if we can find 20 people who would be willing to sit around in my basement for a private concert by Marc... then game on!

Timing will be somewhere around the Capricon weekend without being during the weekend (cuz he'll be at Cap..duh!)

So... who's up for a House Concert?? Flist comments are normal/not screened... those not on my flist will have comments screened.

Stephen Fry is a British national treasure. He's an actor, author, scholar... most famously known as "Jeeves" of the BBC comedy "Jeeves and Wooster" or as the General in "Black Adder Goes Forth." He is someone I'd love to spend a year with, just sitting at his feet and learning the English language... and I bet that as he spoke, I'd never hear the same thing twice.

Today I was pulling down "Quite Interesting" (QI) videos from YouTube before they get yanked off (again). I don't know if it's the BBC putting on the pressure or what, but it's annoying. ( Stephen Fry is WONDERFUL and QI is not the only thing behind the cut. )

I've known Lee Butler (aka currentlee) for years - he's a kick-butt Rabbit (aka a Looney Labs fan), a skilled crafter, a great hugger and someone who would walk over hot coals for a friend. He's also passionate about books. What's not to love?!?!!???

Anyway, he's a brand new school librarian in a school that hasn't HAD a librarian for a while now. And he's trying to make up for the years of neglect (and lack of budget) that's been caused by various economic (and other)reasons. But here... this can explain so much better than I can.



If you're wondering what to get me for Christmas/Chanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yule, you can get me this: sponsor a book. Either at Lee's library or at your own local library... or your own local school... or wherever. Let me know where books are getting into kids' hands and you'll make me smile.

If you'd like to sponsor one at Lee's school, here's his contact info:

Randolph Community Middle School Library
Librarian Lee Butler
225 High Street, Randolph, MA 02368
781-961-6243
butlerl@randolph.k12.ma.us

thanks

Don't nag me about voting on Nov. 4th. I've already cast my ballot.

Now you go vote when/where you can, m'kay? Thanks.

Copy this sentence into your LiveJournal if you're in a heterosexual marriage, and you don't want it "protected" by the bigots who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

(You don't really have to, I just agree with the sentiment...)

We were at Dorkstock this weekend and decided to use it as a testing ground for how well our kittens might do if they traveled with us over the holidays to South Dakota where my mom lives. Yes, I know we can board them, but if they travel well... well, then why not? ( Not terribly long, but still... )

No question - hands down I'd rather be trapped with Eeyore.

Ee0r is one of the smartest, most methodically thinking men I know. If we got stuck, I'd expect him to either be able to hack the elevator and fix it or find a way to signal the outside world. And, if all else failed, we would be able to play games while we waited - even if we had no pieces, I'm sure Ee0r could play Martian Chess in his head.

Blame imbri6 for this one.

When you see this, post in your own journal with your favorite quote from The Princess Bride. Preferably not "As you wish" or the Inigo Montoya speech.

"Liar!! LIAR!!!"
"Get back witch!"
"I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!"
"You're still a witch!"

Actually, this is often quoted in our household.

Because of today's post by petronivs, I found out that the group "Straight, No Chaser" is back together again and is putting out an album.

COOL!! I absolutely LOVE great singing with tight harmonies - and these guys have such fun!

I've preordered it. Hey, the $6 off pays for the shipping!