For those of my friends list with a serious interest in children's literature, I bring you Magpies!

I readily admit that this plug is a shameless example of nepotism but hey it really is a good magazine and one of the longer running magazines in the area.

So go and make with the clicky already.

Walking across the Commonwealth Ave bridge today I was for a moment quite disconcerted by the lack of rear vision...

John Scalzi's The Android's Dream is well worth chasing down, much fun to read.

As in "flat as a pancake" when I checked it today.

I'll change it tomorrow. I received a largish collection of books and manga* from Slow Glass Books which kind of kept me occupied for most of the day and will do for a couple of weeks. Scalzi's The Last Colony rocked and...

( Brief but somewhat cryptic spoiler )

*Including ARIA V1, and AQUA V2 is on order. Yay!

Although I've never seen the film, I have seen the stage musical of The Lion King. And wasn't overly impressed.

To say that I was surprised to see it listed as one of "The Canon: 50 Essential Film Musicals" in The Rough Guide To the Film Musical by David Parkinson is something of an understatement. So I skipped ahead to that review and got even more surprised by some of the content. Quote and comments beneath the cut...

 ...I can't be trusted. Like, for example, in a bookshop with a credit card. This time it was the Complete Calvin and Hobbes, the Rough Guide to the (film) Musical, and the Warner Bros Acme Catalog (as patronised by Wile E Coyote). :)

Who knows what it'll be next time?

This morning I was in the gym for less than an hour... and the fairing frosted over. 

Oh, and this was while the sun was up.

In other news lilyseahas written a wonderful post for mutual friends about our ballooning yesterday with willowgypsy.

Tonight I'll try to write up a review of the National Capital Orchestra concert I went to yesterday afternoon. For the moment, very enjoyable. Mind you its getting to the point where I don't care what the NCO plays, I know I'm going to enjoy it anyway. :)

The drive train is still being problematic towards the top end of the middle ring but seems to be settling down outside of that range.

Oh, and I've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and may post some thoughts about it later.

It was a busy weekend.

This outstanding, and hilarious, short story can be found in the Villains Victorious anthology edited by the ubiqitous Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers. 

Told from the perspective of the classic Dark Queen of faery tales dictating her biography to a hapless scribe it is one of my favourites that I dig out every so often.

Best line: "I dealt with the council in the traditional manner, replaced the carpets, and set about consolidating power."

Thoroughly recommended, track it down if you can