Archives
Posted by Justine at 14:31, June 30th, 2008 under Bloggery, Search Terms |
Posted by Justine at 11:51, June 30th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
Posted by Justine at 10:56, June 29th, 2008 under Liar, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 0:16, June 28th, 2008 under Reading, State of the World, Toilets |
There's a
fascinating article in The New Yorker, "The Itch" by
Atul Gawande. It's all about what causes itching, how we experience it, and what happens when it goes horribly wrong. HORRIBLY WRONG.
The case the article revolves around is so gross that I had to stop reading for awhile. Me, who is a connousieur of grossness, who is proud of
how gross my story in the First Kiss anthology is. And yet I feel compelled to share. Since I am a good person I will share after the cut.
WARNING: If you are easily grossed out DO NOT continue reading. If you have ever had shingles DO NOT continue reading. I am not kidding about this warning.
Posted by Justine at 12:59, June 27th, 2008 under Praising, Reading, Science, State of the World |
Posted by Justine at 0:43, June 27th, 2008 under Viewing |
Recently the
National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra launched
Sounds of Australia a collection of recordings to mark Australian history and culture. One of the most recent additions was "Most People I Know (Think that I'm Crazy)" by Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs.
Fair enough, thought I. That's a song I've heard a million billion kajillion times and think of as being very Aussie. I also thought it was one of our first hits overseas. However, my extremely accurate research indicates that that might not be so. I've been asking several of my USian friends if they know the song. So far none of them do. ((Except for Scott and I think he's tainted from having spent ...
Posted by Justine at 0:00, June 26th, 2008 under Listening, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, June 25th, 2008 under Basketball, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Sport |
Posted by Justine at 11:58, June 24th, 2008 under Publishing business |
Posted by Justine at 7:53, June 24th, 2008 under State of the World, Whingeing |
Some of the folks on the
not-driving thread seem to think that driving a car is an essential skill come the apocalypse. I think they are wrong. Even if the apocalypse isn't caused by a petrol-eating bacteria, the days of oil-fuled cars are numbered. And once civilization breaks down there will be no more drilling for the little oil that's left. Cars will only be useful to sleep in or to scavenge for spare parts to make something that's actually useful.
I reckon genuine survival skills include:
Being fit and strong
Knowing first aid and/or being a doctor
Knowing how to find food (i.e. knowing what's edible) and water in even the least promising circumstances
Being good at making and fixing stuff
I'm also unconvinced ...
Posted by Justine at 12:23, June 23rd, 2008 under Frippery |
New York Liberty: 105
Phoenix Mercury: 72
BEST GAME EVER
Without
Penny Taylor the Mercury are nothing. We held them to their season low. We shut
Diana Taurasi and
Cappie Pondexter down.
I love my team.
That is all.
Well, except that WE REALLY REALLY REALLY rule.
Did I mention I love the New York Liberty?
Posted by Justine at 23:14, June 22nd, 2008 under Basketball, New York City/USA, Sport |
Who hates coffee? I know I am not the only one who thinks it tastes like black puddle water. Step up and share the hate!
Warning: All declarations of coffee love will be deleted. No one here cares.
Posted by Justine at 0:00, June 22nd, 2008 under Liquids, State of the World |
I was just reading
Meg Cabot's blog. You know as you do when you have a deadline and you're worried that it may defeat you. Because Meg Cabot writes around four thousand books a year and never misses a deadline. So I figured reading her blog might make her productivity and non-lateness rub off on me, who has never written more than one book a year. Fingers crossed.
And what did I discover? Meg Cabot doesn't drive either! Doesn't have a license. I am not alone.
Well, actually I know that because
I live with someone who doesn't have a license and hasn't driven a car since 1988. But he knows how to drive. Whereas I do not. I ...
Posted by Justine at 0:28, June 21st, 2008 under Frippery |
Australia is now the
most obese nation in the world.
Posted by Justine at 11:50, June 20th, 2008 under State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 14:00, June 19th, 2008 under Admin, Bloggery, Excuses, Liar, Writing goals & milestones |
I have been conducting a series of scientific experiments on how to cure homesickness. Here is my latest finding:
LISTENING TO MUSIC FROM HOME DOES NOT WORK.
In fact, it makes it much much worse. I have been listening to Oz music for the last four hours. Some of it music I don't even like. So far I have cried 4.7 times.
I feel my findings are conclusive and I can now cease the experiment.
Next: The stabbing-your-hand-with-toothpicks cure.
Wish me luck.
Posted by Justine at 13:38, June 19th, 2008 under Listening, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 8:27, June 19th, 2008 under Bloggery, Frippery, Liar |
Posted by Justine at 9:00, June 18th, 2008 under Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 18:44, June 17th, 2008 under Bloggery, Excuses, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Publishing business |
Posted by Justine at 0:31, June 17th, 2008 under Liar, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, June 16th, 2008 under New York City/USA, Publishing business, Ranting, Reading |
Not only does it all look EXACTLY the same but it rips really really easily. It is the stupidest currency ever.
That is all.
Posted by Justine at 15:41, June 15th, 2008 under New York City/USA, Ranting |
Apropos of
Becky Hammon playing for Russia comes
this article from The New York Times about all the foreign nationals that are playing for the US Olympic squad:
Marching into Beijing Stadium under the American flag this August will be a kayaker from Poland, table tennis players from China, a triathlete from New Zealand, a world-champion distance runner from Kenya and a gold-medal-winning equestrian from Australia.
Though I am shocked, SHOCKED to my core, that an Australia would desert our fine country to play for another nation especially when they're a good shot a gold medal. How are we going to keep coming third in the Olympics despite our small population if the big countries steal all our Olympians? Huh? ...
Posted by Justine at 0:00, June 15th, 2008 under Basketball, New York City/USA, Sport, State of the World |
Posted by Justine at 12:04, June 14th, 2008 under Bloggery, Food, Liar, New York City/USA |
Tasmanian marsupial lives that is.
Scientists back home have discovered that marsupials really really really don't like dingo pee. They avoid it like the plague which means that farmers and the forestry industry can stop poisoning wildlife in order to protect crops. Spray the wee around and the critters stay away and the crops grow unmolested. Everybody wins.
Apparently it also makes a really lovely perfume. ((No, not really.))
Posted by Justine at 14:10, June 13th, 2008 under Science, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 13:17, June 13th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
Posted by Justine at 23:01, June 12th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
Often when people find out what I do it turns out that they harbour ambitions of writing a novel too. Mostly they just daydream about it. But sometimes they confess that they've had a whack at it but not very successfully. "How do you actually finish a novel?" they'll ask. "Starting's easy but how do you finish?"
I cannot tell you how many novels I started but did not finish before I finally managed to complete one. Not because I don't want to tell you, but because I honestly don't know. On the hard drive of my current computer there are fourteen unfinished novels. But there are others that didn't make it to this computer. Not to mention many notebooks that ...
Posted by Justine at 0:09, June 12th, 2008 under Writing goals & milestones, Writing life, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 13:29, June 11th, 2008 under Liar, Whingeing, Writing life |
I know that you mozzies have an ecological niche to fill. I'm sure that if you were wiped out some fabulous bird species would become extinct. I even get that my blood is your food. I'm not thrilled when you bite my hands and feet, my arms, legs, back and belly, none of that is exactly fun, but for the love of Elvis---could you stop biting my ears?
My EARS?!
Is that really too much to ask?
Posted by Justine at 13:23, June 10th, 2008 under Whingeing |
Posted by Justine at 9:33, June 10th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
Charlie Stross and
John Scalzi have been explaining their moderation policies. So I thought I ought to tell you mine. ((Even though it is much like theirs.)) Especially in the wake of the
recent "shown" wars. The link does not actually lead to a flame war because I deleted it.
Which is my basic policy: all flamewars will be erased. Anyone who's cranky or flamey gets nuked.
I really enjoy blogging. It's my favourite kind of writing. I find it relaxing and fun. I adore all the smart, witty comments youse mob make here. I'm loving seeing a wee community emerge.
People yelling at each other, being narky and mean, getting into fights, none of that is relaxing or fun, ...
Posted by Justine at 18:42, June 9th, 2008 under Bloggery |
Posted by Justine at 8:21, June 9th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy |
I'm looking for someone to design a new wordpress template for this site. I've been googling around and not having much luck finding portfolios that really blow me away. Or the ones that I love are designed by people who have enough work to keep them going for the next thousand years.
I will pay professional rates. If you're interested please send a link to your portfolio and an inkling of your capabilities and experience to jlATjustinelarbalestierDOTcom
Posted by Justine at 20:20, June 8th, 2008 under Bloggery |
There's controversy right now in US women's basketball because an American player, Becky Hammon, is going to play for Russia in the Olymics. The coach of the US Olympic squad, Anne Donovan, has called her a traitor. Others have
different views: like how can Becky be a traitor when she was never asked to try out for the US squad despite putting up MVP (most valuable player) numbers and being one of the best guards in the world?
Mechelle Voepel writes a
very smart and nuanced article about the furore:
It's all fascinating to me on a lot of levels because it has made me think about so many things: what the Olympics really are, the ways the world has ...
Posted by Justine at 12:32, June 7th, 2008 under Basketball, New York City/USA, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
Saturnine, which I'm convinced means Byronically handsome. But when I look it up seems to just mean "dark" or "gloomy".
Pusillanimous, which I'm always a hundred per cent certain means "stingy" but turns out to mean "cowardly".
Chiaroscuro, which I have long confused with kaleidoscopic, but which actually means black and white. Or a kind of drawing in black and white. Or something. To be honest it's a word I now avoid.
I know I'm not alone on this. What are yours?
Posted by Justine at 0:19, June 6th, 2008 under Words & Language |
Posted by Justine at 0:02, June 5th, 2008 under Bloggery, State of the World |
I had an argument with a friend recently, you know, cause I'm an argumentative kind of a gal, about whether he's an extrovert or not. He's an extremely social, bubbly, chatty guy. He denied that he is an extrovert on the grounds that he'd be just as happy to stay at home, that he likes being on his own and therefore is fairly introverted.
I called rubbish and said that he is, in fact, a lazy extrovert.
Just like me. I loves hanging out and chatting with the peoples. I also love being at home in my pjs, reading and hanging out and not going nowhere. Because I am lazy and when I'm home I just want to stay there. Getting ...
Posted by Justine at 0:18, June 4th, 2008 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 11:01, June 3rd, 2008 under Publishing business, State of the World, Young Adult literature |
NB: The following post is not intended to be taken seriously. I do not want to change the way anyone speaks. Please stop sending me ranty emails and comments lecturing me on my presumptiousness and lack of understanding of the diversities of the English language. Thank you. Note to self: never write about language differences again.
So I just listened to John Waters going off about people who pronounce "picture" "pitcher". That one does not bother me. But I cannot stand the way USians say "shone". Seriously, it makes my ears bleed.
I should confess that for years I thought it was just
Scott. He'd pronounce it all wrong when he was giving a reading and I'd be deeply embarrassed ...
Posted by Justine at 0:07, June 3rd, 2008 under New York City/USA, Sydney/Australia, Words & Language |
I have occasionally intimated that I am not a huge fan of vampires. This is not entirely true.
When I was little I was a huge Anne Rice fan and read Bram Stoker's Dracula many many times. I loved Lost Boys and Near Dark remains my favourite vampire movie. My love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is
well documented and Suzy McKee Charnas's Vampire Tapestry is one of my favourite books of all time. ((If you haven't read it you really must!))
I'm just not a fan of the idea of dead people being sexy. This goes for zombies as well as vampires. Basically the older I get the more attached I am to life and the more unsexy death seems. ...
Posted by Justine at 19:27, June 2nd, 2008 under Reading, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 12:18, June 2nd, 2008 under Liar, New York City/USA, Praising, Publishing business, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 11:48, June 1st, 2008 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Writing life, Young Adult literature |
