Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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For your edermahcayshun

An excellent piece from Daily Kos on the influence foreignors have always had on American politics. To which I can only say, “Well, der, people.” Show me one country in the world that isn’t influenced by other countries. For that matter show me one person who isn’t influenced by other people. Even hermits are influenced by others.

This is my favourite review of Scott’s latest book, The Last Days. I think she misses Cal. What do you reckon? I gotta confess I prefer Last Days to Peeps, but I hear her pain. For the record, we wanted the book to be subtitled “Companion to Peeps” but we was overruled.

Simonne Howell, author of the fabulous Notes from the Teenage Underground (which Scott just finished and thoroughly enjoyed), is collecting haikus on her myspace account. I contributed a cricket one. Surely she needs more than just one cricket haiku . . .

I learned today that Harry Potter is hugely hugely hugely popular here in Thailand, which made me wonder: is there’s any country in the world where Harry Potter isn’t popular? While in England I learned that quite a few books and writers that are enormously popular in the US of A can barely sell more than a dozen copies in the UK. (No, I will not name them. On account of their lack of success reflects rather poorly on the United Kingdom.)

What exciting things have you lot learned today?

Posted by Justine at 20:46, 30 November 2006 under New York City/USA, Scott's books, State of the World, Travelling | 14 Comments »

Comments

  1. veejane Says:

    I learned that 60F [blog overlord says: 15.555555555555557C] weather on the last day of November warrants celebration, even if it includes rain.

    Also, that gravity happens even to scalding coffee, and directly onto the knuckles of one’s left hand.

    November 30th, 2006 at 10:11 pm

  2. 2. Justine Says:

    I can’t believe you are celebrating global warming! But I forgive you on account of your knuckle injury.

    November 30th, 2006 at 10:49 pm

  3. veejane Says:

    I celebrate global warming now, because I will have plenty reason to curse it when it snows in May.

    (As far north as I am, global warming comes through not as actual consistent temperature rise, but as completely WTF haywire weather. We take what entertainment we can out of it. And wear layers.)

    November 30th, 2006 at 11:16 pm

  4. 4. Justine Says:

    Oh sure, it snowed in Melbourne this month. As you know it ain’t the snowing time of the year in Australia. Plus it doesn’t snow in Melbourne.

    November 30th, 2006 at 11:21 pm

  5. marrije Says:

    i have learned that you shouldn’t park your car under a tree that has many pigeons in it. because it will make your boyfriend the car washer very sad.

    November 30th, 2006 at 11:27 pm

  6. margo Says:

    Hey, it snowed in Tamworth this month – well, technically not this month. In late November. Was bloody cold here, too. Since September it has been one pyjama/bedlinen crisis after another, with several nights waiting for the roof to blow off, too.

    Also, (for marrije) I learned about 15 years ago from Marrickville Council that Chinese Tallowwoods are crap street trees, because when they’re not dropping leaves, they’re dropping catkins, or little foot-hurting seedpods, or pollen. All this for a bit of autumn colour.

    December 1st, 2006 at 7:28 am

  7. janet Says:

    I learned today that Ellen Klages’s debut novel, “The Green Glass Sea” is on the shelves!

    December 1st, 2006 at 12:10 pm

  8. Katerate Says:

    I have learned that procrastinating only makes you want to kick yourself in the face. This I probably have learned many times before but uhhhhhh haven’t really retained. How can people NOT procrastinate (or at least have the urge to)? This is something I would really like to learn about.

    December 1st, 2006 at 1:08 pm

  9. lili Says:

    and three days after it snowed (here in melbourne) it was 38 degrees! (celcius)

    today i learned that:

    1. aussies should never get too cocky about english cricketers being crap.

    2. buying a sofa makes you feel like a grown up.

    3. i am enormously unpatriotic and clearly a bad person for suggesting that _all_ workplace-related deaths are tragic, not just the ones that happen to people working in the military.

    December 1st, 2006 at 3:49 pm

  10. 10. Justine Says:

    Lili: 266 on the most placid wicked in the world does not signal an English revival. Neither England nor Australia had exactly spectacular days today.

    I have never bought a sofa (or a couch for that matter).

    That’s not remotely unpatriotic. All workplace-related deaths are tragic.

    December 1st, 2006 at 3:52 pm

  11. lili Says:

    I have never bought a sofa (or a couch for that matter).

    what’s the difference? i have been wondering.

    December 1st, 2006 at 5:40 pm

  12. 12. Justine Says:

    Rebecca: I learned that it is not possible to write 14,000 words in one hour.

    Hah!

    Lili: I have no idea what the diff is. Though “sofa” was a word I learned later than “couch”.

    December 1st, 2006 at 6:11 pm

  13. Rebecca Says:

    “I can’t believe you are celebrating global warming!”

    heh, it was 34F [blog overlord says: 1.1111111111111112C] today. in texas. in november. in the freaking daylight. i wore two shirts, a hoodie, and a big winter coat, complete with giant wool scarf, and i was still freezing my arse off. i started wondering if maybe i hadn’t wandered into new york by accident.

    i learned that it is not possible to write 14,000 words in one hour.

    “I have learned that procrastinating only makes you want to kick yourself in the face.”

    Yes. Tomorrow, the Great Homework Crunch of 2006 will begin. *shudder* i think i might wind up in a straightjacket by the end of this semester.

    December 1st, 2006 at 3:55 pm

  14. lili Says:

    (procrastinates and has fun on wikipedia)

    they’re the same thing. ‘couch’ comes from the french se coucher (go to sleep), and ’sofa’ comes from the arabic suffa, which was the raised part of the floor, decorated with cushions and rugs, where a council would meet.

    and that’s what i learned today!

    December 2nd, 2006 at 8:26 am

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