“It is of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot with it fathom all the depths of the ocean.”
~John Locke

(Update on ‘the procedure’ in comments section)

For twenty-seven odd years the men of the U.S.S. C. Vincent Anderson have maintained a proud tradition of always being ready and able to engage in infiltration, armed and ready for quick dispersal. Never mind that only one man in a long line of seamen ever landed safely on shore–he was sent on the only mission ever designed for true conquest, the rest of the men have only ever been on maneuvers.

In spite of all the retired submariners around him, this commander has maintained an armed vessel, proud of his ability to deploy when and if necessary. Sadly that time is coming to an end. Tomorrow morning, at oh-eight-thirty hours, the men of the U.S.S. C. Vincent Anderson will be decommissioned.

Continue reading Decommissioned →

“Be a little careful about your library. Do you foresee what you will do with it? Very little to be sure. But the real question is, What it will do with you? You will come here and get books that will open your eyes, and your ears, and your curiosity, and turn you inside out or outside in.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A common theme amongst book bloggers in the year of our Lord, 2008, is the desire to tighten the purse strings in order to part with less of the sweat of our brow on literature. To a man (and woman) we are all guilty of the indulgence of having piles of unread books just waiting for us to discover the treasure hidden therein. And yet throughout 2008 we will all feel, and at times give in to, the temptation to walk into our local bookstore, “just to take a quick look”, and will walk out with not one, but many new books with which to shore up our ever-dwindling stacks.

One method to combat the ease with which one is parted from one’s money in the pursuit of a good story is to visit the local public library.

Continue reading Monday Musings: Ode to the Public Library →

“New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.”
~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Continue reading A Welcome New Year →

For my part I know nothing with any certainty,
but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
~Vincent Van Gogh

Science Fiction as a genre and the art of reading have been inextricably linked together as far back as my earliest solo reading memories. It is a bond that the passage of time and my own growth as a reader has not severed. In fact it is quite the opposite. As my length of days stretch out before me I find the ties to my own past growing ever more strong and ever more important.

It is little wonder then, at the start of a new year, that this period of rebirth and renewal kindles a desire to reconnect with my childhood through my favorite genre of books: science fiction.

You may read more if you so choose about my strong connections with science fiction here as I won’t take the time to recreate that post in the body of this one. Suffice it to say that I am a person for whom the night sky holds more than just a passing fascination and I have not lost the sense of awe and wonder I get from reading about adventures in space that was cultivated at a crucial time of my youth. And so as December closes my urge to re-read favorite science fiction novels as well as discover new ones is at its highest and January generally finds me lost in space.

Continue reading The Sci~Fi Experience →

(Eight gazes heavenward, waiting for Santa)

UPDATE: The Answers are up at Kailana’s site!

For those of you playing along at home, you may or may not be aware that this month Kailana and Marg have been hosting their Blog Advent Calendar 2007. Kailana and I are splitting today, December 24th. Christmas Eve.

We have decided to join forces and put your knowledge of Christmas to the test. Since our magical number is 24, we have each come up with 12 questions to see how well-versed you are in elf culture. My 12 questions test your knowledge of Christmas movie classics, both old and new.

To reduce the temptation to skip ahead, I have placed the answers to my 12 movie quotes on Kailana’s blog, after the jump. See how many you can guess without using the internet! 😉 You will find the answers to Kailana’s 12 questions after the jump on my blog. What could be more simple?

So here I have assembled some of my favorite one-liners and snatches of dialogue from favorite Christmas films. Though they may not all be easy, I can assure you that these are quotes that I really enjoy from said films, not just the most obscure ones I could find just to give you a brain freeze. Good luck!

1. “And his best idea is about a peach that lives on a farm.
What’s more vulnerable than a peach?”

2. “But I don’t understand. Why are you doing this? I mean, what’s in it for you?”

“Forty-five minutes all to myself.”

3. “You used up all the glue…on purpose!!!”

4. “Why don’t you kiss her instead of talking her to death?”

“You want me to kiss her, huh?”

“Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people.”

5. “All I want is what I… I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.”

6. “A little flirtation is harmless but you’re dealing with fire here. The fidelity bank and trust is a tough creditor. You make a deposit somewhere else, they close your account – FOREVER!”

7. “I hate toys! And toys hate me! Either they are going or I am going and I definitely am not going!”

8. “Fog’s as thick as peanut butter.”

“You mean pea soup.”

“You eat what you like and I’ll eat what I’ll like.”

9. (This is a longer one and it kind of gives it away, but it is a favorite)

“Because a little thing can effect them. A slight disorder of the stomach can make them cheat. You may be a bit of undigested beef, a blob of mustard, a crumb of cheese. Yes. There’s more gravy than of grave about you.”

” More gravy than of grave? “

” What a terrible pun. Where’d you get those jokes? “

“Leave comedy to the bears…”

10.

“So what’s this big news, then?”

“Duh. “

11. “These mashed potatoes are so creamy….Mary mashed them…”

12. (And the one that we all will be quoting as we lay our heads on our pillows tonight)

“I believe… I believe… It’s silly, but I believe.”

Continue reading Advent Blog Tour 2007: Day 24 →