Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Painting/Surprised/Etc.

House-painting should resume today; I say "should" because house-painters, even my own nephew, are a famously independent breed and will reject a day that amateurs like you and I might not. In the case of my nephew, the results of his efforts are, thus far, of such greater quality than anything I might have managed that I am entirely disinclined to second-guess his schedule. I've got all Summer; if Roseholme Cottage looks a bit piebald or calico while the work is being done, the neighbors will just have to adjust.

[...]

In conversation with Tam the other day, it came up that, as far as she know, she's never read a single Eric Frank Russell story! I didn't think one could be both a science-fiction reader and libertarianly inclined and not have read Russell, which probably says more about the narrowness of my own horizons than anything else. I suggested the short story, "...And Then There Were None." We'll see if she has time.

[...]

Left my bold pen at the North Campus yesterday and in this heat I'm not going to go chasing after it; my fancy (though affordable) Noodler's Ebonite Pen will be pinch-hitting in its place. Though it has a plain stainless-steel nib, it's one of the smoothest pens I have used, with a "feel" more like the best of my older pens. Gee, who would'a thunk suppose the proper tip shape and degree of polishing is at least as important as the material the nib is made of or plated with? ($24 American, Mr. Montblanc -- however, Noodler's doesn't offer a signature fragrance [except maybe a dabba Waterproof Black behind each ear?] or designer eyeglasses either. They just do ink and pens). (Nope, still not bein' paid t'shill. It's just a good pen).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

IMO the proper introduction to E. F. Russell is "A Study in Still Life", which is even more hilariously relevant to today's world than it was when written.

Regards,
Ric

Mark Alger said...

If I may be so bold: if that wookie suit comes with a marpat MOLLE harness, EFR's The Wasp might be seen as apposite.

M

Drang said...

Pen snob.

:-p

TotC said...

Ok, I admit it. I have been living under an SF rock, and if it didn't say Baen or Tor on the spine, I didn't give it a second glance. Besides what warlocketx said, is there anything else I should peruse first?

Roberta X said...

If it's by EFR, read it. I think Sentinels From Space is a bit dated, but the short-story collection Men, Martians and Machines is an excellent introduction, as is The Great Explosion. Novels, Three To Conquer is still gripping and The Mindwarpers is good.

I think Russell's short fiction is his best work. "Allamagoosa" and "Homo Saps" are among the best SF short works ever.

Drang said...

Allamagoosa (sp?) was hilarious.

Stranger said...

Ma'am, if you would, what is the diameter of the Ebonite pen?


The skinny sticks the younger set love to inflict the arthritic with are an abomination, and I would love to have a pen to replace the 1920's French tortoise shell my mooching brother in law thought I would never miss.

Stranger

Anonymous said...

Dirac Angestun Gesept!