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I discovered, last night, that I have two copies of Goedel, Escher, Bach. I have no idea how that happened. I guess I'll offer the extra copy to my students, see if anybody wants it. (I have to remember to try to find someone to dogsit while I'm in Reno next month, too.)
Speaking of Reno, I've been pretty slow about reading the Hugo materials. I've read the short stories and the novelettes, and I'm halfway through the novellas. Fortunately, I've already read three of the five novels. A few comments: for short story, it was a close decision for the first three slots, but "Ponies" (yuck!) finished fourth, hands down. For novelette, I had trouble choosing between "The Emperor of Mars" and "The Jaguar House in Shadow", but finally decided to put them in that order. So far on the novellas, I'm going with "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" - just a solid, thoughtful story. I haven't read "The Sultan of the Clouds" or "Troika" yet, so I may change my mind, but I loved "Lifecycle".
The Padres have skidded back into the cellar. The non-waiver trade deadline is the end of the month; I expect Bell, Ludwick, and maybe even Adams to be gone by then. Here's hoping they get some solid prospects - especially a shortstop; Drew Cumberland, who was their Shortstop of the Future, is suffering what may be career-ending health issues, and there's nobody else in the system at that position with that kind of promise. (I'm still holding out hope for Everth Cabrera, but it's increasingly looking like his rookie year was a bit of a fluke.)
I don't seem to have a lot of energy this weekend. Fortunately, I don't have any major tasks that need doing. Gracie continues to improve (and to piddle in the house, two or three times a day). I've been watching my Cagney & Lacey DVDs, and enjoying them. It's the personal interplay between the two of them that I've always liked... The last episode of the season, if I'm not mistaken, features Chris's first encounter with the elegant jewel thief she was to pursue for a couple of years - I loved those episodes, especially the last one, when he "surrenders". ("I can't accept this." "I bought it!")
Speaking of Reno, I've been pretty slow about reading the Hugo materials. I've read the short stories and the novelettes, and I'm halfway through the novellas. Fortunately, I've already read three of the five novels. A few comments: for short story, it was a close decision for the first three slots, but "Ponies" (yuck!) finished fourth, hands down. For novelette, I had trouble choosing between "The Emperor of Mars" and "The Jaguar House in Shadow", but finally decided to put them in that order. So far on the novellas, I'm going with "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" - just a solid, thoughtful story. I haven't read "The Sultan of the Clouds" or "Troika" yet, so I may change my mind, but I loved "Lifecycle".
The Padres have skidded back into the cellar. The non-waiver trade deadline is the end of the month; I expect Bell, Ludwick, and maybe even Adams to be gone by then. Here's hoping they get some solid prospects - especially a shortstop; Drew Cumberland, who was their Shortstop of the Future, is suffering what may be career-ending health issues, and there's nobody else in the system at that position with that kind of promise. (I'm still holding out hope for Everth Cabrera, but it's increasingly looking like his rookie year was a bit of a fluke.)
I don't seem to have a lot of energy this weekend. Fortunately, I don't have any major tasks that need doing. Gracie continues to improve (and to piddle in the house, two or three times a day). I've been watching my Cagney & Lacey DVDs, and enjoying them. It's the personal interplay between the two of them that I've always liked... The last episode of the season, if I'm not mistaken, features Chris's first encounter with the elegant jewel thief she was to pursue for a couple of years - I loved those episodes, especially the last one, when he "surrenders". ("I can't accept this." "I bought it!")
