![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Apr. 24th, 2008
Prompted by the word that L. M. Bujold's latest, The Sharing Knife: Passage, had hit the shelves, I paid a visit to Borders today. My bookbuying was not at all adventurous; I restricted myself to F/SF, to authors I was familiar with, and for the most part to books in series I've been following.
The haul: Bujold, Passage; Jane Lindskold, Wolf Hunting; Eric Flint, 1635: Cannon Law, 1634: The Ram Rebellion, and 1824: The Arkansas War; Lawrence Watt-Evans, The Spriggan Mirror; C. S. Friedman, The Wilding; Jim Butcher, Grave Peril and Academ's Fury; Steven Brust, Brokedown Palace; Harry Turtledove, The Grapple; and Gene Wolfe, Soldier of Sidon.
[N. B. to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
filkferengi: I still owe you that review of Furies of Calderon, and I will write it one of these days, when I have the vim.]
The haul: Bujold, Passage; Jane Lindskold, Wolf Hunting; Eric Flint, 1635: Cannon Law, 1634: The Ram Rebellion, and 1824: The Arkansas War; Lawrence Watt-Evans, The Spriggan Mirror; C. S. Friedman, The Wilding; Jim Butcher, Grave Peril and Academ's Fury; Steven Brust, Brokedown Palace; Harry Turtledove, The Grapple; and Gene Wolfe, Soldier of Sidon.
[N. B. to
filkferengi: I still owe you that review of Furies of Calderon, and I will write it one of these days, when I have the vim.]
Recommendations
Apr. 24th, 2008 01:55 pmI love it when some book club or other merchandiser notifies me of things they think I might like, on the basis of past purchases. Some years ago, I purchased a book (via Amazon) by Bill O'Reilly for one of my nieces as a Christmas present, because she had asked for it. I personally want as little as possible to do with the likes of Bill O. Nonetheless, for some months afterward Amazon pelted me with suggestions that I buy more books by O'Reilly, or (gag) Coulter, or - you get the picture.
Today, the Scientific American Book Club (from which I am trying to slowly disengage) sent me a list of recommendations. Now, in the recent past I have ordered books from them such as The Calculus Wars and The Poincaré Conjecture; does it occur to them that popular books on mathematics or on math history might appeal to me? No; every recommendation on the list is based on a book I bought as a present for my brother some months ago.
It is possible that, some day, mass vendors will be able to make accurate recommendations to their customers. I don't know whether to regard that possibility with hope or horror; but that day is most assuredly not here yet.
Today, the Scientific American Book Club (from which I am trying to slowly disengage) sent me a list of recommendations. Now, in the recent past I have ordered books from them such as The Calculus Wars and The Poincaré Conjecture; does it occur to them that popular books on mathematics or on math history might appeal to me? No; every recommendation on the list is based on a book I bought as a present for my brother some months ago.
It is possible that, some day, mass vendors will be able to make accurate recommendations to their customers. I don't know whether to regard that possibility with hope or horror; but that day is most assuredly not here yet.
Gah. During the 2004 election season, it was common to hear John Kerry mockingly referred to as "Lurch". The resemblance to Ted Cassidy was marginal, but it was there. However, I have now learned that it isn't the best description of the senator's appearance.
Thanks to Obsidian Wings, I have now realized that John Kerry is, in fact, an Ent.
It may take me a while to get rid of that image.
Thanks to Obsidian Wings, I have now realized that John Kerry is, in fact, an Ent.
It may take me a while to get rid of that image.
Status Report
Apr. 24th, 2008 07:24 pmBen is now home after his biopsy. He seems to be in good spirits; he was very thirsty, and took his medicine wrapped in butter without any fuss. The nurse was annoyingly chipper, but can't really be blamed; at this point, neither she nor anyone else knows much. Here's what we do know.
The mass is rather large, stretching from above his right upper canine to his right upper back molar, and probably can't be removed. I don't know what the implications of that are.
They took X-rays to see whether his teeth were involved; I'll hear about that sometime tomorrow, most likely.
The lab report on the biopsy will take longer than I expected, possibly as much as two weeks. So, I'll be a little on edge for a bit longer yet.
:frets:
The mass is rather large, stretching from above his right upper canine to his right upper back molar, and probably can't be removed. I don't know what the implications of that are.
They took X-rays to see whether his teeth were involved; I'll hear about that sometime tomorrow, most likely.
The lab report on the biopsy will take longer than I expected, possibly as much as two weeks. So, I'll be a little on edge for a bit longer yet.
:frets:
