people

The new Segway

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This is the new product that will change the way the world exercises!

As far as I can tell, that’s not a joke. It’s a real product.

While you folks are thinking about Worldcon

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And arguing about Hugo winners, I will continue with my lifelong quest to be behind the times by posting… San Diego Comic Con photos!

Most people see a person in costume and ask them to pose for the picture. Which they do. Me, I liked taking pictures of them while they were looking at their watches, impatiently waiting for a pal, or sitting in a corner for a rest. What I wanted most was a picture of a cosplayer eating one of those sandwiches out of the plastic clamshell, or maybe a hot dog, but it was not to be.

Candid!

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But here’s one picture that’s not candid:

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Yeah, that’s me posing beside a poster for the book

You can see pictures of my panel, my signing, and the people at the con by skimming through the set.

Here’s one for the ladies.

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You’re welcome.

If you value your sanity

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do not watch this

Part of me hopes it’s fake.

Five things for a Friday

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1) For those who missed it, I posted the first chapter of Child of Fire on my site yesterday. You can read it here. If you like it, tell your friends. If you hate it, tell your enemies.

2) Woman getting married to fairground ride. According to the article, she says she has “objectum sexuality, a condition that makes sufferers attracted to inanimate objects.” I avert my gaze as I hurry past the obvious joke there.

3) “Nurse of the Year” in Connecticut, who gave injections and dispensed medical advice, not actually a nurse. Remember, all failures of private industry are individual cases, but all failures within a government program reflect badly on every government program.

4) Drug buyers call the cops on their own dealers. Not because they were ripped off or because the drugs were bad. It was because the dealers were setting up squirrel traps in the park where they operated, and taking the fresh meat home at the end of the day. The drug buyers didn’t like that and dropped the dime on them. Fun note: When I first moved to Seattle, I lived very, very close to that park. It’s a beautiful place. via matt-ruff

5) I’ve always had trouble remembering faces and recognizing people, but man, I have nothing on Ryan O’Neal.

I leave San Diego today

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Today I will be taking the train out of San Diego back to Studio City. Yesterday’s signing went well–I even got to sign the poster!–and lunch with my editor and publicist went very nicely.

Yesterday was also the day my credit card forced its way out of my wallet and I spent some money down on the exhibitor floor. Nothing crazy–I certainly didn’t buy the 100 dollar lightsaber that changed color–but I did pick up some nice books at the Mysterious Galaxy booth and some magazines for my son. I also picked up the Call of Cthulhu movie (Yay!)

Famous people sighted yesterday (in chronological order): Joshua Jackson from FRINGE, Woody Harrelson from the upcoming ZOMBIELAND, Amanda Tapping from SANCTUARY and various STARGATE series, and Grant Imahara, one of the MYTHBUSTERS.

More importantly, I got a call from my wife yesterday–she’s back from her camping trip in the Olympic Peninsula, and called me here at the hotel. It’s been almost a week since I talked to her, and… yeah. I miss them both. I’ll be back in Seattle soon enough.

Made it

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My flight got into Burbank safely, my buddy picked me up at baggage claim, and we went out for a nice breakfast.

Our waiter was named “Crud.”

Hello, L.A.!

7/19/09

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Buzz Aldrin, rapper.

Three visual items

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First:  Seattle pranksters/vandals have been altering billboards around town.  For instance:

Hee.  See more.

Second, Jonathan King, the director behind the hilarious and underrated BLACK SHEEP, has a new movie coming out.  Check out the trailer.

Third, a buddy dropped me an email pointing me toward these short romantic comedies.  The series is called Turbo Dates, and they’re terrifically funny.  Start with “Potion.”  Seriously.

My next post will be the greatest post I have ever posted

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I know. You’re disappointed to be reading this one, aren’t you?

Let me salve your pain with links:

Want to go to a lawless state and murder desperately poor people? Now you can! For only 3,500 pounds sterling a day (plus weapon rental), you can cruise slowly along the coast of Somalia in a luxury yacht. If your luck holds, pirates will attack, and you can kill them.

(eta: I’m told this news report is a fake. I hope so.)

If killing Somalis in the real world is too spendy/morally bankrupt for you, you could always fight monsters on Hidlyda as a young Miracle Witch. It’s a free game, very Legend of Zelda old school, where you travel about fighting monsters, collecting loot and unlocking secret entrances until you finally come face to face with King Yeah Walusa. It’s pretty fun, even if I did have to reference the comment thread at Jay Is Games to find everything. And I scored a D. Huh. Save often!

But, if what you want is something beautiful and complex (complex for the internet, I mean), then look at this: Time Wastes Too Fast.