| Maria V. Snyder Signing |
[Apr. 18th, 2009|10:58 am] |
I just one week away!!!! I can't wait!
Ok, everybody!
Even if you don't read her stuff and/or have no interest in attending the signing, I'd really appreciate it if you could help me publicize this, since I have a big fat goose egg budget for event marketing.
If you have friends/family who may enjoy SciFi/Fantasy and would like to attend a signing/talk/chocolate tasting--or if you have a place where local booklovers/geeks may see this poster i.e. library bulletin board, school/work etc.--please print a poster out and hang it up! Even if you can only print and put up one, that would still make a huge difference for me. Or just forward them this post! The poster is here.
If you are attending the signing, here's what to expect:
Who: Maria V. Snyder, author of The Study Series
What: Signing her new novel, Storm Glass
Where: Borders Glendale, 100 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204, tel 818 241 8099. Yes, we are still taking reservations.
When: Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Admission is free!
Sign in any time before 3 pm--if you are bringing in a copy of a book you already own, you will get a little bookmarker that says so. If you are one of the first 50 people to arrive, you get to participate in the "poison tasting" lesson - that's where the chocolate, or criollo for those of you in the know, comes in.
Maria will be doing a couple of contests--prizes include a set of the UK Study books, and a set of the YA cover books (and, if we can get it together in time, some t-shirts!)
3:00 pm - Introductions
3:15 pm - Poison Tasting (we promise not to kill you)
3:45 pm - Q & A
After Q & A, author will sign individual books--they do not have to be purchased at Borders, although that's pretty much the only place you'll be able to find Storm Glass prior to Apr 28.
After everyone's book is signed, Study Buddies (our GoodReads group), and anyone who wants to join us, will be hanging out in the SBC cafe until dinnertime! And the author is joining us, since she has really nowhere else to go/no place she'd rather be. ^_^
p.s. The signing on Sunday at Dark Delicacies has been canceled, but is replaced by an appearance at Upland Public Library.
Once more, I'd appreciate any action that can help spread the word! Forward email, repost file, or print out poster and stick it up somewhere--I'll take any help you can give me!
Thanks,
and see you at the signing!
~frootjoos aka Alethea
http://www.mariavsnyder.com
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8632.Study_Buddies |
|
|
| Fix California |
[Nov. 8th, 2008|11:58 am] |
So, for years Oblio and I have been toying with the idea of getting out of L.A., you know, just for a change. Well, economy/jobs/school and everything aside, that won't be financially possible for us to go anywhere else anytime soon. We're pretty much tied down (which isn't so bad, since we like our little apartment).
The other day I was thinking, what's so wrong with California, anyway? I mean, it's already sunny, green(ish), and Blue. What more could I want?
So here's my set of questions to you all:
What do you love about California? Why do you stay?
What do you hate about California? What would you fix?
If you had to get the fuck out, where would you go, and why? (and can you take us with you? we'll help you move.) |
|
|
| Alethea is considering going back to church |
[Nov. 5th, 2008|03:26 pm] |
if only to severely undermine the people who pushed Prop 8 yesterday.
I feel guilty and disgusted--yes, I voted No on 8. Yes, I checked with my friends and tried to make sure everyone I knew, who was not some sort of fundamentalist Christian, voted No. (Yes, I know some Christian Christians. I love them, and we have agreed to disagree.) I feel like I, and others, somehow became complacent thinking that if California is smart enough to vote Obama (it was), then it's smart enough to vote for human rights (no such luck, although the Abortion limits squeaked in a No). Prop 8 isn't about religion! It's about benefits and property. It's not about intercourse! It's about inheritance. It's not about God. It's about human rights.
If you don't like gay marriage, do you know what should you do? Don't marry a gay!
I feel guilty and disgusted with myself because instead of staying in church and making myself heard, I let people whose beliefs I don't agree with (i.e. gays are going to Hell, abortion is murder, the earth is only a few thousand years old so evolution is a pile of hooey) push me out. Sure, it's nice not to have to listen to them, to waste my time listening to self-righteous divisive blather and the refusal to reexamine the needs of the world vs. the commands of doctrine. Hey, we've got a population boom! The planet is gonna have an even harder time sustaining life, human and otherwise! But don't use condoms or anything. Go at it! We know, you already got 8 kids you can't feed, but you have to keep this one too, and the one after that, and the one after that! Aren't they precious?! And marriage is only for people who can procreate, make more babies, it shouldn't be for same-sex couples because they can't help us make this population boom even worse than it is. Oh, and they can't adopt, even though that would help create homes for displaced and orphaned children who really need someone to take care of them. You know, 'cause God said it somewhere in the Bible.
Since watching the returns on Prostitution 8 (the lady on NPR almost said it, and now I can't think of it as anything else) I have been wishing disease, debt and collapse on all haters. But wishing does about as much good as praying, which is next to nada. God does what He wants.
Then while walking around trying to find a newspaper (no luck) I realized the solution might be to go back into the institution I find hateful and make them uncomfortable for a change. All this time I've been letting them win. I liked church! The ceremony, the singing, the mystery. I like the idea of God. As I grew older, I let the ugly parts get to me, the bigotry, the hypocrisy, the stupidity and refusal to see beyond doctrine. I can't step foot in a church now without feeling like I leave God behind on the threshold, like He is out there and I went the wrong way.
I feel really sad that the only reason I am ashamed to say I am Catholic, is other people who call themselves Christians, and who really really believe it! Who really believe there is a God, and that there is only One, and that they are his only chosen people. Who really believe they are doing God's Work. Huh, funny how that sounds like some other fundamentalist religion, gosh, which one was that? |
|
|
| Old and out of touch |
[Aug. 25th, 2008|12:28 pm] |
Apart from seeing Weird Al at my store a few months back, I don't see a lot of stars in the area (even though everyone thinks you can live pretty much anywhere in Southern California and see movie stars all the time like the place is crawling with them). I am beginning to think that maybe I am just a little bit out of touch, no longer having cable tv and really not doing much of anything except reading and knitting and working and going to school.
So yesterday I met 2 people who pretty much looked too perfect they had to be stars or models or something. I didn't think that much about it after they left the store yesterday but I was on the net just now and felt it bugged me that I didn't know who they were. So I looked them up and Hey! I met the new Knight Rider Justin Bruening and his wife Alexa Havins (both formerly from All My Children).
They were really super nice and not at all full of themselves like I am afraid about 10% of the customers I deal with every day are. Like the guy who wanted my coworker to open two box set cases and just leave him there to browse (right, because we were locking them up for fun), or the guy who for whatever reason wouldn't sign his debit card slip for $3.24 because his bent, scratched-up atm card didn't swipe and I had to type in the numbers. |
|
|
| Hey Baby |
[Jul. 9th, 2008|02:06 pm] |
I dunno if any of you out there have need of baby gifts, but here's a link to my friend's mom's Etsy site where she sells hand-embroidered American Apparel baby clothes. I plan to order a bunch assuming I ever have time to go to see them again--we've got two baby girls (a cousin and a niece of mine) at the moment, and two of my coworkers recently had babies.
Posh Plums at Etsy
She hasn't had any customers off the site yet, but I'm assuming it's just because no one knows about her quite yet. You can custom-design your own baby outfit and it's only about $24! |
|
|
| Testing, testing |
[Jun. 4th, 2008|05:48 pm] |
I had my first two finals!! Yeeeeeeehaww. I think I have A's for sure in English and Bio... who am I kidding, of course I have an A in Bio. It was all stuff I'd studied before, not such a stretch for me. My teacher was totally cool, too. I liked my English prof a lot but the class was like, super non-responsive and that kind of pissed me off. They're not stupid people just... I don't know! Like, 4 people would bother to answer questions, and only after two minutes of uncomfortable silence, and making sure no one else was going to raise their hand... whatevers. I have to memorize some dates for my Art class and figure out factorials before Monday night. Fun fun fun...
I'm now going to reward myself with a couple hours of Guitar Hero... |
|
|
| Eat It! Eat It! Get yourself an egg and beat it! |
[May. 27th, 2008|05:52 pm] |
Today I:
1) Met our new district manager, who seems really nice but is shaking things up a lot at work... we were talking and he high-fived me!
2) Got picked to wear a panda costume for Story Time on Sunday! Yes!
3) Let a customer in to buy something before we opened b/c The Other Bookstore wouldn't help them out. They needed 2 books and just wanted to run in fast to get them because they were running late for the airport, and the other place just flat out *denied* them--even though they were open already ? and had the books? bizarro!! and *then* they were so happy that the guy gave me a tip which I'm not allowed to accept ($20!) but so I don't know what will happen to it, hopefully we can donate it or something useful like that.
4) Met Weird Al Yankovic! Who was having a drink and looking at magazines and books! And I asked if he needed any help and he smiled and said he was fine, thanks for offering! Nice guy. (I remember when "Eat It" first came out, I think I was in first grade in the Philippines and it would play first thing when I got home from school, every day for months on the Top Ten Music Videos of the Day.)
5) Did I mention being a panda on Sunday?
6) Karly brought her baby in! She's sooooooo cute. and tiny. and pink and bald. And Rosy came to visit too, I haven't seen her in ages and tried to meet her for coffee once but it didn't work out. I miss her so.
7) The break room sink was a cesspool as always and I made the big mistake of cleaning the mess on my break, thus breathing in gross odors that made me not want to eat my lunch, so all I had in my tummy was iced white mocha for about 5 hours.
8) The Other Bookstore's freight elevator broke, so tons of people came over to us looking for New Releases because they didn't have them over there at the shiny new store they made. Ha! Then we sold them books and they told us they lurrrrve us more and they're going to shop at our store instead. Yay! We win!
Tired now... and hungry! But pretty happy. Even though I have to work during the Lost season finale this Thursday.
--addendum--
I also had a dream this morning that I went to work, the store was outdoors, and we were very busy selling giant eggs with zombie chickens inside. We also had great customer service. |
|
|
| Soooooo.... |
[Apr. 19th, 2008|01:06 am] |
Ahem. I was supposed to have a spring break. More like, I finally got a day off that I didn't have to go to school or do something else. So on my first day I cleaned (and then subsequently made dirty again) the apartment. On my second day I hung out with the man in Pasadena--we got a lot accomplished in 3.5 hours, scored a new shiny red OXO trash can for the kitchen, picked up some kitchen gadgety stuff at Sur la Table, and had brunch at Russell's. I also got some pretty paper at Paper Source, because who can resist?
I was supposed to write a paper and do math homework... instead I am blogging, about nothing important... erm...
Important!! Jason made burgers. from scratch. a la Alton Brown. I couldn't even bear to slather avocado and blue cheese on it, it was so good just by itself on the bun with no condiments whatsoever. Yay Jason. Make it again!
Oooh! Frisky Dingo. Boosh. Ka-kow. and other stuff you're just going to have to see for yourself. It's hard to explain. I tried Tim and Eric too but it's not... quite.... me. You know.
Lostcomes back next, woohoo. And BSG is on, how can you expect a person to get any homework done, I tell you.
I do miss cable, just for being able to DVR the shows and fast-forward commercials. Having to watch Lost with commercial interruption , especially when I no longer watch any live TV other than Lost, is a serious test of patience.
Um, I'm knitting. Very interesting for you, I'm sure.
Uh, reading science books. For fun.
Er, trying not to play Bioshock. I'm getting all A's and I don't want to blow it, only have a month and a half left this semester.
(but it's so cool! ??!)
Cooking, seriously addicted to Robert Rodriguez's Puerco Pibil from Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Been making it once a week, at least--I wish I had the time and energy to make the fresh tortillas (from Sin City dvd) too, but it isn't always.
Yawn... math.... homework......
eat....... puerco........ |
|
|
| Why mess with the classics? |
[Jul. 29th, 2007|10:10 pm] |
So Oblio and I went to see Transformers.
If you are a fan, and you haven't gone to see it yet, please do yourself a favor and DON'T.
If you are like, Optimus Who? Then by all means, go put some money in Michael Bay's pocket. Jackass.
Things they got right:
1) Optimus Prime's voice
2) Cleavage
3) Fight scenes! (This movie could have been all fight scenes. The question is why wasn't it?)
Things they got wrong:
1) $150 Million and they couldn't do a proper Starscream voice? I know he died, but come on--you're telling me no one was able to even come close to it? Even a shrieky Cobra Commander impression would have sufficed! If the hair on your neck isn't standing up, and you were not just lambasted with such lines as, "Pathetic fools! There's no escape!" and "All the danger you can handle is already here, Floptimus Prime!", then that is NOT Starscream, but some low-budget Starscream-not-even-trying-impersonator.
2) All the improvements in computer graphic imagery and they had to put actual human actors in this? Don't tell me they couldn't adequately represent Megan Fox's heaving bosoms on a computer. I've seen Dead or Alive.
3) Um, why put mandible-like things on Prime's face to make it seem like his lips move when he talks? Were all of our childhood days wearing surgical masks covered with tin foil for nothing?!?
We're going to go see Ratatouille tomorrow night.
Patton Oswalt, you'd better not let me down. |
|
|
| The Part Where You Let Go |
[Jun. 1st, 2007|04:59 pm] |
This is a new song from my all-time favorite band, Hem.
You might hear it on a new Liberty Mutual commercial... the older ad had their song "Half Acre".
This will be available from iTunes on June 5th, with a few other songs on an EP.
I think these are mostly correct, I've only listened to the song about 6 times, but there you go:
When the rain breaks the road
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
To your last golden day
When the stone breaks the wheel
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
'Til the stone rolls away
And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go
And tumbling out of the window
Is this the part
Where you find out I'm there for you
When the sun leaves the field
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
To the last ray of light
When the flame leaves your eyes
I still see you there
I still see you there
On your darkest night
And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go
In sinking under a shadow
Is this the part
Where you find out I'm there for you, now
As your hands
Breaking free
I am holding on
I am holding on
As you held on to me
And I don't know
Is this the part where we let go
Tumbling out of the window
Is this the part
You're there for me
And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go
I'm sinking under a shadow
Is this the part where you find out I'm there for you
You find out I'm there for you
You find out I'm there for you |
|
|
| Venture Bros. |
[May. 19th, 2007|01:17 pm] |
Oblio has this terrible (well, terrible to me) habit of leaving the dvd player on the menu of whatever the last dvd was that we watched, which drives me nuts especially if it was a Buffy disc (they have the worst menus of all, and the music track is only about 12 seconds long which means it reiterates 5 time a minute)... I have the equally horrible habit of allowing it to do so, because I can't be bothered to stop what I'm doing, get up and go turn it off... HOWEVER! I have now found that the Venture Bros. dvd has the BEST menu for both our bad habits, since it's backed by a groovy Ultra-Lounge type neverending tune.... I can leave it in perpetually, or until I get a hankering to play Arrested Development while I read.
Thanks, Adult Swim. |
|
|
| It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! |
[Apr. 1st, 2007|09:30 pm] |
Yes! I got into the Easter spirit (and really, this is pretty much as excited about anything that I get nowadays) by watching the classic It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! with Oblio over a Taco Bell dinner tonight.
Weird, I so don't remember a lot of it. I probably last watched it over 20 years ago. But I do remember Marcy doing some bizarre things to the eggs they were trying to color. And the swanky interior of Woodstock's new birdhouse (complete with HiFi and sunken living room). And Sally yelling "Never trust a man with a blanket! Get me my lawyer!"
Ok, sleepies. Hell Week at Work, Part Deux. |
|
|
| Debt-Free! |
[Mar. 23rd, 2007|11:59 am] |
Woohoo!
As of April 11th this year, I will be debt-free!!!
Sweeeeettt!!!
It's been a rough couple of years in the debt consolidation program, but it was worth it. I curbed my appetite for a lot of things, mostly shoes and clothes, fancy food, and for a long time books, dvds and cds (although where I am now it's practically impossible to not bring a few home every paycheck). Also, I have to admit, I am a yarnaholic. (Angeldye, as counterproductive as a Yarnaholics Anonymous group would be, since we'd just end up wanting to buy more yarn, we need to form some sort of support group...)
I'd like to thank Oblio for being fair with the rent/bills contribution, especially a year ago when I was only bringing home $238 a week and most of it was going to my debt payment anyway. Also thanks for eventually understanding why I hated entering any sort of shoe emporium. (Your weakness is my weakness too.)
I'd like to thank PumpkinGirl for letting me babysit her son and sending some food money (and occasionally food) my way. I'd like to thank Denzoner & Turrican (and by association, GadoGado) for the web site work (sorry, I know I haven't been a model employee lately). I'd like to thank my Mom and Tita Per for giving me $$$ for school books, some of which without their knowledge went to helping pay off huge chunks of my debt (otherwise, I wouldn't be able to post this for at least another 2 years).
So, what is up with me?
I am taking some classes at the local JC, working my butt off at the BBMC, sharing a 2-bedroom apartment with that which you know as Oblio, and reading a lot, a LOT of books. I have started listening to music again (after the self imposed ban on cds, which meant not listening to music altogether so I would never be tempted to buy any). I am in a beginning Drawing class and doing not a bad job. I have a business class too. I think I am going to drop my writing class for the moment, it's a different kind of stress and I'm not ready to handle it.
I am knitting 2 sweaters (2! one of which has gone on forever and I wish would end) and a scarf. I have a group of girls that meets once a week as a sort of support group/craft fair thing for a friend who is having a hard time lately (and with whom I have been spending huge blocks of time, if you were wondering where I was, I was there being supportive for her in approximately 8 hour shifts).
Things I am not: I still don't know how to drive or ride a bike. I'm still not a citizen. I'm not depressed anymore. (Well, not very often, or for long, or very deeply, anyway. Everybody gets a little depressed.) I'm not overweight. (TELL MY MOMMY! She thinks I'm fat! I just don't photograph well.)
And I'm not in debt!!! Yesss! |
|
|
| Nancy Drew is my new crack |
[Feb. 3rd, 2007|10:06 pm] |
It's been a while since I really allowed myself to get addicted to a game. I just finished playing Nancy Drew and the Curse of Blackmoor Manor... and blew the case wide open! The game was really well designed, the puzzles super-tricky even just on Junior Detective setting, and the characters were really creepy. The music was really great, especially the song that plays when you're standing in the main (not so creepy) parts of the house. I'll be humming it for a while, like the Pan's Labyrinth lullaby.
Best Buy has the games but I'm finding them cheaper on eBay. Right now I'm bidding on Danger by Design and the 75th Anniversary 5-pack of games. Wish me luck.
Hey, I have some time off from work coming up, and I don't want to spend it all working, do I?
Wondering too about the broken link at the bottom of the Her Interactive page, to Bone: The Great Cow Race. Can't find anything that shows if the game can be bought? Maybe it's an online-only thing... Confusing.
I might turn in early tonight. Scratchy throat. |
|
|
| Finals week! |
[Dec. 14th, 2006|05:55 pm] |
I have a final tonight!!!!
I have a final next Weds morning!!!
Then I'm done with school til Feb! Yay! Freedom!!!!!!
- - -
If you get a chance to watch The Lost Room, do it. They are re-running the miniseries on Sci Fi this Sunday from 2 pm to 8 pm Pacific. Good writing, great cast (Peter Krause from Six Feet Under and Juliana Margulies) very scary towards the end. I nearly clawed Jason to death.
Would make a good D&D campaign...
Hmmm.... |
|
|
| Yay, Alan Tudyk |
[Oct. 26th, 2006|10:07 pm] |
Note to self: Make sure CSI gets taped next Thursday night, Alan Tudyk a.k.a. Hoban Wash from Firefly is the special guest star. Mmm.
Also, The Firefly Official Companion Vol 1 (!!!) came out last month and I didn't even know. For shame.
I ordered a ton of them for my store. |
|
|
| Oooh |
[Oct. 21st, 2006|04:42 pm] |
I've lived here for so long and yet due to my lack of transportation and unnatural comfort in my suburban existence, I almost never venture out of my neighborhood... People ask me what there is to do in LA, and I have no clue what to say. We haven't even been to the beach once this year. I mean, I enjoy the things that I do do, so much as to not look for more things to do, elsewhere. It's not so boring, but nothing to write home about either.
People also ask if I meet famous people a lot, to which I have to say "Nope". I occasionally (once or twice a year) catch a glimpse of someone who has been on tv or in a movie (or more often than not in a tv movie), perhaps show them where to find a book (most recently this young lady), or something of the sort.
So today J and I went to see The Prestige at the Arclight. I am never ever seeing another movie unless I can see it there. People were quiet, no cell phones, no babies, no inappropriate tittering during very serious love scenes. There is quite a large tub of freshly made caramel corn to be had at the concession stand for just $4. And while waiting in line for said popcorn we got to stand 20 feet from Michael Trucco who plays Sam Anders (aka Mrs. Starbuck) on BSG.
- - -
We will be going to SF the first weekend in November for Summer's wedding. I wonder how much of a breach of etiquette it is to not bring a present to a wedding, since I am, as ever, broke. |
|
|
| 'Pines in the 'Zines |
[Aug. 23rd, 2006|10:10 am] |
Well, one major magazine, and not about terrorists or earthquakes. Studioroxas made it into the Oct 2006 Self-Promotion Issue of HOW Magazine (Illustrators' Promotions Merit award). So cool.
Here's another neat PI artistic production: AnalogSoul.
Speaking of neat PI artistic producers, Brother, email me por favor. |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
frootjoos's journal