Saturday, June 28, 2008

New gaming blog

I'm not so interested in console gaming--the Nintendo, PS, and whatever sort of gaming. I like my stodgy turn-based historical war games just fine, thanks. But a friend of mine has started a blog about gaming, and although I don't understand much of what he's on about, the writing is very good and enjoyable to read. So check out the Somnambulant Gamer. If you're into gaming, so much the better.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Abraxas of Lost Books

A great new 'used' book store has opened in the old Ballard Library. It is called Abraxas Books. May I say it has books of all kinds but not yet Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I started at the A's and quite honestly was tired looking at the titles by the time I got to the D's. There in the C's was Conrad, and this old copy of his Rescue.

Ah, I thought. I don't think I've read this one. Opened the cover and saw a price tag of $6.50. Put it under my arm.

The Author's Note, indicates it, the note, was written for a release of his first Collected Edition, and for a while I thought maybe this copy was from that edition. There is no reference to printing, only that it was Copyright 1920,21 and the Author's Note was from 1920... But then I noted it was published by Doubleday, Doran and Company - and I have since learned that Doubleday was so known from 1927-46, so presumably the copy is from this era.

The other day I turned to page 340 and noted, curiously, that the next 2 pages were actually connected; i.e. they were the same piece of paper folded at the top.... so now the question is, how am I supposed to read pages 342-343? Of course it struck me that no one had gotten near to finishing 340 pages, else they would've sliced the pages to read ... Because it is actually something of a page turner, very cinematic, about pirates and swashbucklers... Who could want more?

Nevertheless, this discovery has left me with something of a quandary, as for some reason I'm not quite ready to take my knife and separate these siamese/conjoined pages. In some way I feel the book is better off in this pristine state; it is like these pages themselves are lost, lost inside this lost book, found in Abraxas Books; a charm, an offering, an abraxas you might say, of lost books.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Shia Enough Already...

All you need to know about Transformers:

Our planet was once a powerful empire
Peaceful and Just
Until we were betrayed by Megatron
Leader of the Decepticons.
All who defied them were destroyed.
Our war finally consumed the planet
And the all-spark was lost to the stars.
Megatron followed it to Earth
Where Captain Wikwiki found him...

Friday, June 06, 2008

He Was So Old

So said my nephew after watching Henry Jones and the something crystal skull...

I shrugged my shoulders... So are we all, I mumbled. I waved to my great nephew half a block away. They had to go. I went the other way.

It was fun. Had that comfortable feel of your favorite TV show on a cold winter eve.... Still, it was Indiana Jones, I said.

Of course, now I know who the hell Shia LeBeouf is (not LeBouef, you idiot@!). Regardless of Karen Allen's claims, I don't think he was Indy's kin...

Peace!