It works by bypassing the rational thought part of your brain.

Found bay Nate.

Probably the Funniest thing you'll see today.

Via Laughing Squid

The rest of the tracks are here http://mosdub.com/

via [BB]

It was inevitable.

A great steampunk animation Nate showed me.

via [Geeks are Sexy].

An interesting look at the daily life of an Tech working at Irrational games. The company who made Bioshock. Although this may only be interesting to me because I'm an IT Tech as well.

You’re the ‘IT Assistant.’  What does that mean?

I hate that title, actually.  I don’t take calls for my boss Geoff, or get his laundry.  I have been trying to think of a new title for myself and will be taking suggestions.  I think of my job as ‘the stuff Geoff doesn’t want to do anymore and gives to me.’

Featured Employee: Ray Holbrook | Irrational Games.

“The New Dork – Entrepreneur State of Mind” by Pantless Knights, an internet startup spoof of “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featruing Alicia Keys.

via Laughing Squid.

So last night, I rented a Zipcar. I got it on their weekday overnight deal, so I paid 35 bucks plus tax. Normally, that would be a 24-hour rental of around 80 bucks. So, Honda CRV for whatever I want to do with it, insurance and gas included, for 35 bucks.

For today, I thought, "I just want to rent during the day, which is more expensive with Zipcar, so I'll try out Enterprise, which is just one T stop away. I can get an economy car for 45 bucks for the day. Pretty good deal compared to 80, am I right?

Okay, so you have to be 25 years old to get that price. It's 20 bucks more for those from 21-24 years of age. But I'm old, so no worries there.

So I hoof it on down to the rental stop and meet my sales guy (I'm used to the impersonal, set-up-on-the-internet-pick-it-up-from-the-parking-lot style of Zipcar), and I'm not really awake. I don't bring a credit card, but I do have my debit card. But that's not okay. I don't have a car, so I don't have insurance. Need a cc to get the car.

No worries, though, as my rep drives me home to grab the card, then drives me back to pick up the car. We spoke mainly about the difference between the two companies, Zipcar and Enterprise. I defended Zipcar, 'cause I love it.

So I'm filling out my forms, and, as it turns out, I need insurance. I opt out of medical and liability because I'm a good driver. Still, it costs me 20 bucks. NOW we're up to 64.96, plus a few other fees. And that's for the cheapest model. Feh.

Okay, so final result: for 10 bucks more, I could have a CRV from Zipcar, just a few blocks from my house, or a Toyota Yaris, which is a tiny car, good for parking on the streets of JP but bad for the coming snowstorm (which I'd link to, but the links will break as the forecast updates. Suffice to say, 8-12 inches, or more).

In my opinion, get Zipcar for those weekday (especially evening) trips, and Enterprise for those weekend getaways.

author: Sherwood Smith
book published: 2006
Rating: 2

The first thing I have to say about this novel is that it is very much the first in a series. Absolutely nothing was resolved in the end. Nothing at all. In fact, there wasn't much of a story either, which is quite a challenge for over 500 pages.

Here's the rub: I still want to read the next one in the series. A cast of hundreds of points of view, a meandering plot that seemed to jump forward at a ridiculous pace, then slow down just as fast, as if the entire novel is one giant montage. Worked for the movie Fight Club, but does not work here.

Still, I don't want to, but I'm actually considering spending my hard earned dollars on the next in this abyssmal series, which is probably a testament to the author's particular skills.

How can I sum this up for you? There are approximately five novels in here, all summarized wonderfully, but losing their power in the summary. I don't want to spoil it for you, because I am definitely recommending this for hard-core fantasy readers, who often read so much and so fast that this novel/series would be perfect for them. Let's just say that it feels like Sherwood Smith started a novel, got bored with it, and hit the fast-forward button on her word-processor to get to the next section.

I guess that would be fine, if it weren't for the fact that the author never actually settles on a story to tell. We just keep pinging all over the place, to the effect that we, as readers, are never truly invested in what's going on in the story, and simply keep reading to see what happens next. Sherwood tries to build suspense, but I have a hard time caring because the characters have not had time to evolve in my mind, and therefore I really don't give a shit that they're in danger.

I think I've made my point, so let's move on to craft, something that makes or breaks a review for me.

As far as I can tell, Sherwood Smith has never been trained to write. At a sentence level, it's obvious that Smith is quite enamored with language, and likes to throw in volumously poetic phrases to end chapters or sections using some sort of a literary bang. But it's a gimmick: the blatant attempt at manipulation is insulting to mean. I more often roll my eyes than say, "How perfect." That's what should be the author's principle concern: not what sounds pleasant or is neat, but what fits the story. And the story is so completely barebones that these literary indulgences seem completely out of place, like Paris fashions at a PTA meeting. I stole that from a commercial.

The world does not really hold together, with its unexplainedly accepting sexual mores, its strange equality amonst the sexes. I admit that it is a refreshing change from the unremittingly masculine fantasy of most spec-fic, but it's just so polished and pretty that's it's almost passive-aggressive. The internal and external politics are less than intuitive, and constantly bashed over the reader's head. I'll let you decide on that one.

Let me reiterate the fact that NOTHING IS EVER AT STAKE. The main character(s) goals are constantly thwarted, but only as plotpoints. Inda never fails, never has to learn from his failures, is always perfect from his extreme youth through his teens. He just always succeeds. For God's sake, Horatio Hornblower suffered less success in his own storied career.

What saves this novel from the dismal depths of a 1 is the simple fact that, despite hating the book and never being able to read it for even the short train ride from my work to my house, I still want to find out what happens next. I must be a little masochistic. Read this if you read quickly and voraciously, as it passes the time. Bear in mind, it's definitely a book for teenagers.

2 out of 6