Towse: views from the hill

April 17, 2009

Before I give it to the Friends of the Library

Filed under: books — Towse @ 7:22 pm

let me just mention that TRANQUILITY WITHOUT PILLS: all about Transcendental Meditation by Jhan Robbins and David Fisher (1972) is a thinly-disguised advertisement for TM and has not much of anything with practical application.

Oh, it talks (vaguely) about what happens in classes. It has testimonials from happy campers. It also has “do not do this at home alone” sorts of warnings and “come in for your free first sessions” come-ons and “you really need to get the Real Authorized training or don’t even bother” notes.

Don’t bother reading it if you’re looking for any substance.

Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent … a one hit wonder?

Filed under: music,video — Towse @ 7:04 pm

Susan Boyle aced Britain’s Got Talent and the link to the video of her performance is flashing around the Web. The YouTube video was even mentioned in Jon Carroll’s column this morning.

But can she really sing or was her rendition of I DREAMED A DREAM from Les Miserables a fluke?

Listen.

(Thanks, Annie Chernow!)

Update: ?? I guess! Guy Kawasaki Twitters about an analysis of Susan Boyle’s viral video. http://adjix.com/c7ti

Holey moley!

New book trailer from Mary Jane Maffini

Filed under: books,writers — Towse @ 6:07 pm

Mary Jane Maffini and I met over dinner at Left Coast Crime. She’d arrived in Hawaii from Canada and was hungry. I’d arrived from California and was hungry. Why not share a table?

We exchanged names and stories. I told her that I’d almost been named “Mary Jane” by my parents after a distant ancestress. Turns out one of her sleuths is named MacPhee. A name in my family tree too. Zounds. Who couldn’t like someone as nice as Maffini, who is also probably a cousin if we go back far enough?

MJM just posted a link on Facebook to her new book trailer.

My star turn on Jungle Red Writers: Writing well is the best revenge

Filed under: internet resources for writers,life,writing — Towse @ 5:13 pm

Hallie Ephron asked if I could guest on Jungle Red and introduce Internet Resources for Writers to people who might not know about it.

The gig consists of Hallie’s interview with me (already in the can) and me checking in and sticking around during the day answering any questions that might come up.

Today’s the BIG DAY!

Should be fun.

April 15, 2009

United Airlines To Charge Heavier Passengers Twice To Fly

Filed under: life,news,travel — Towse @ 11:22 pm

United Airlines To Charge Heavier Passengers Twice To Fly – cbs2chicago.com

[...]

Under the rules outlined by United, passengers who “are unable to fit into a single seat in the ticketed cabin; are unable to properly buckle the seatbelt using a single seatbelt extender; and/or are unable to put the seat’s armrests down when seated” will be denied boarding unless they purchase an extra seat.

If no empty seat exists, the passenger will be forced to take a later flight.

“The seat purchase or upgrade must be completed for each leg of the itinerary,” the United policy states. “If a customer meeting any of the above-listed criteria decides not to upgrade or purchase a ticket for an additional seat, he or she will not be permitted to board the flight.”

[...]

The 18 most memorable movie library scenes in honor of National Library Week

Filed under: books,libraries,movies — Towse @ 10:45 pm

The 18 most memorable movie library scenes in honor of National Library Week

Library of Congress proudly twitters that they nab two of the spots!

April 14, 2009

Morning ferry arrives

Filed under: photographs — Tags: , , — Towse @ 11:40 pm

 

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6:15A 13 Apr 2009

Robert J Sawyer @ Borderlands Books

Filed under: books,bookstores,photographs,writers,writing — Towse @ 6:41 am

 

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No, actually. That’s Ripley, Borderlands Books‘ hairless cat.

Ripley sat in my lap purring and snoozing during Sawyer’s talk and was reluctant to leave it when the presentation was over.

We hied off to Foreign Cinema afterwards for a late dinner, Sawyer having signed my copy of WAKE before the event kicked off.

Check out the book and the other seventeen books and zillions of short fiction items Sawyer has written.

The pilot for a FLASH FORWARD series is up for consideration in the next few days. Good luck to Sawyer on that.

After dinner at Foreign Cinema it was home again home again via the #14 Mission and the #30 Stockton, and a quarter mile walk up Telegraph Hill and home. The transit connections, though, were perfect. Maybe a four minute wait for the #14 and another four minute wait for the #30. Can’t get much better than that. Thanks, Muni.

April 13, 2009

IN MEMORIAM Air Devil

Filed under: life,writing — Towse @ 5:57 pm

IN MEMORIAM Air Devil [PDF]

Found this just now. Eagle Call. Spring 2006.
Published by and for Civil Air Patrol – California Wing, of which my dad was a member for over forty years.

My dad’s article about his 10K’ sky dive to celebrate his eightieth birthday.

His original title was probably I JUMPED FROM A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE. All we know is that the editor changed the title before press time, when he found out that Dad had died.

A road trip home

Filed under: life,photographs — Tags: , — Towse @ 2:31 am

We were in the Central Valley this weekend for a memorial service for my cousin.

We spent the night in Lost Hills and took the long way home, through the Bitterwater Valley and on to Parkfield, then up 101 and a jog here and another there and finally home.

More photos to follow. Maybe.

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Parkfield

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