A Book of Tongues: THUD

Words added to Chapter Seven: 1,062. Am finally securely in the middle of the fabled "blah blah blah Pvt. Pargeter, blah blah blah blah Pvt. Pargeter" section of the evening (ie, the one where Rook preaches abstinence/heterosexuality, and Chess just smiles at him pleasantly while thinking dirty thoughts); the conversation's mapped out, but it needs a bunch of tweaks before I can move on the section next (where they probably end up making out, anyways). This afternoon, moon_custafer and green_trilobite came over for early dinner and conversation (both very pleasant); Cal was sort of crazy throughout, which was no surprise, but went to bed happily just as Kings episode two came on.

Both Steve and I are enjoying Kings quite a bit thus far, though I know people are already crying skanky heterosexist/Magical Negro issues; sort of like the lockstep backlash already going on against BSG post-finale, to my mind. Aside from the knee-jerk "literal Deus ex Machina!" cries, which I can sort of understand if not sympathize with (dude, this was always a show with a genuine stake in the idea of Intelligent Design from second one—and funnily enough, that fact never changes. Surprise, surprise), there's also this weird undercurrent of naysayers who seem to think the Galactica’s surviving crew-members might have been setting up rape camps to inflict their genes on the pre-verbal, dark-skinned locals. My take on that concept is that we’ll probably all just have to trust that the Lee Adama we spent four years tracking wasn’t really a rape camp sort of guy…or not, I guess. Jesus.

Anyhoo: That observation alone explains why this post is comments-locked, if anyone wondered. And now, I'm going to bed.

Newsflash: Mondays Don't Have to Suck

Really good wordage since this morning on A Book of Tongues, as follows--

Words added: 953
Chapter Seven thus far: 5,193 words
Words overall: 36,341

In other news, Cal's wackiness last night was actually the result of him sickening for something--he has a slightly streamy nose, the beginnings of a rash-'stache, and is still prone to fits of babbling, scat-singing, frenzied jump-dancing and flumping. Nevertheless, Rod says he was surprisingly amenable to work with, which I suppose bodes well for the people at the Geneva Centre tonight. Hopefully, Steve will be home in time to take him (like he semi-promised he would); if not, I can do it. No biggie.

So...I do have a very real sense that I might be able to break the chapter's back, maybe even by later tonight, if I'm only allowed enough time to. OTOH, I also know I need to up my workouts this week, considering I'll be at Ad Astra all weekend, which means some time on the treadmill may well be in order later on even if Steve comes through. At least I have my brand-new Secret Six-themed playlist to do it to:

12 Ghosts II--Nine Inch Nails
How Soon is Now?--Snake River Conspiracy
Adrenaline--Gavin Rossdale
This Tornado Loves You--Neko Case
No You Girls--Franz Ferdinand
On the Verge--Monster Magnet
Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts--Wolf Parade
Black Hearted Love--PJ Harvey and John Parrish
Champions of Nothing--Matthew Good
Victory--PJ Harvey
Where Is Everybody?--Nine Inch Nails
There's No Way Out of Here--Monster Magnet
Love Lockdown--Kanye West
People Gotta Lot of Nerve--Neko Case
Followed Her Around--Ian Rankin
Saint of Me--Rolling Stones
Zero-Sum--Nine Inch Nails
Lux Aeterna Remix--Clint Mansell

Man. You know, I really do understand the appeal of a Suicide Squad movie--I'd watch it just for Amanda Waller alone, especially if they cast her right (with CCH Pounder, for example). But if they don't put at least some of the Secret Six member besides Deadshot in there when/if they actually do it, I'm going to be mega-pissed. My Australian connexions aside, Captain Boomerang vs. Scandal and Knockout? No effin' contest.

Congrats!

Huge congratulations to everybody who's up for a Stoker this year, particularly the ones I happen to know. They include:

Greg Lamberson, for JOHNNY GRUESOME and CHEAP SCARES!
Joel A. Sutherland, for FROZEN BLOOD
Weston Ochse, for REDEMPTION ROADSHOW (with an extra much-due shout-out to Monica Kuebler and the other folks at Burning Effigy!)
Sarah Langan, for "The Lost"
Lee Thomas, for "Turtle"
John Langan, for MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS
Kealan Patrick Burke, for THE NUMBER 121 TO PENNSYLVANIA
Bill Breedlove and the gang at Dark Arts Books, for LIKE A CHINESE TATTOO

If I've missed anybody, I apologize: Congratulations anyhow! I'd also like to cheer the nomination of Gary Braunbeck's COFFIN COUNTY, a spectacular and disturbing work of dreadful poetry which I only bought because of the trailer I saw for it on FearZone. Good on ya a third time, Greg.;)