Stealing Someone Else’s Work

“The same thing we do every Friday, Pinky!”

I don’t have much clever in me today, and I have to save what I have for a writers’ group this evening, so in the spirit of what this blog used to be, here’s someone thinking very hard about a pen:

It looks jolly nice, so the complaint about its function is disappointing.

(He looks toward the tools of point manipulation, and tries to suppress an all too familiar urge. “Why not get one and see for yourself?” says a voice without source. “You can… amend… the performance.”)

Vade retro, you. I’ve spent this quarter’s pen budget already, and most of the next two, because I couldn’t resist a rocket-pen.

Today’s pen, once wrong and now put right: Waterman Citation
Today’s ink, ever a delight: Jentle blue-black

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Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
12 August 13 August 14 August 15 August	First draft of “Beyond the Wall.” Second draft of “Beyond the Wall.” A letter to my mayor and city councillor about a really stupid item of policy that is about to become manifest, destroying 200 small local businesses. Third draft of “Beyond the Wall.”	Four manuscript pages 417 words Much carefully-worded bile, about three spleens worth. Up to 491 words, which is still fine.	Wing Sung 601 Pelikan 140 TWSBI Precision Pelikan P488	Herbin Poussière de Lune Herbin Vert de Gris Diamine Midnight Edelstein Topaz

A short story to fill the week, because Pseudopod is running a flash contest which closes at month’s end. The stupidity that comes in the midst of it is the sad sort of little guys vs. corporate greed thing that makes up so much of modern life– you can read about it if you’re inclined.

The Bertie Wooster Prototype

Sometimes Youtube’s algorithms are a delight. I occasionally look at things about naval history, and that’s almost certainly what brought this magnificent tale of comedy afloat to my attention:

All it lacks is a long-suffering and hyper efficient valet preventing disaster at some point, and perhaps a lovelorn Fink-Nottle and it’s a perfect example of a Wodehouse frolic. And how about that surprise twist after the credits?

Today’s pen: TWSBI Classic
Today’s ink: Monteverde Malibu Blue

 

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August	Pulling weeds because it was a holiday. Second draft of “Those Whom Ambition Calls” Third draft of “Feel My Pain”	Enough to get overheated and cranky about. 542 typed words (some of which did not want to come out). Removed a couple of paragraphs, to land at 1799 words.	Retro 51 Tornado Pilot Elite Pelikan 140 Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper	Herbin Lie de Thé Quink Black Herbin Vert de Gris Herbin Bleu Nuit

 

Erasing A Stain Upon Honour

Something which we readers of historical fiction sometimes have a hard time getting our heads around it the concept of the duel as a cure for an affront. To be sure, intolerable provocation is still a defence against a charge of assault (at least in Canada), but the law demands a pretty damn high pile of provocation. “That’s a terrible haircut” isn’t quite there, and yet you could draw a duel for it, back in the day.

I should point out that Canadian law also has a specific injunction against duelling. That intolerable provocation thing is more about campaigns of bullying finally deranging the victim, not accusing someone of cheating at cards.

Today’s choice of weapon: Pelikan 140
Which contains a half-charge of: Herbin Vert de Gris

An Unusually Content-packed Progress Report

It’s so colossal, it gets a title!

The first thing I want to do is direct your attention to a Kickstarter, which I will now steal some words from:

2019

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission.

The 40th anniversary of the classic horror film Alien.

One year after the proposal of the US Space Force.

How could we not create a collection of space themed horror?

What We Are Doing

Jason, the Leprechaun, even the Cenobites and the Critters ended up going into space. We decided it was time to give some other monsters that same chance.

Earlier this year we started accepting submissions for an anthology featuring classic monsters with the stories set in space. We have collected 16 stories and one poem that we think you are really going to enjoy.

And by enjoy we mean scare the space suit off of you.

I will declare my interest in this project– one of the sixteen stories contained in the collection is written by me, and I’m both proud of it and delighted at the prospect of its publication. So, If you’re interested in this sort of thing (and what sensible person isn’t?) take a moment to back that Kickstarter.

It’s not just an image, it’s also a link

…and now on with our regularly appearing material (but stay tuned– there’s cats lower down!).

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July	Second draft of “Those Whom Ambition Calls” A trip to the dump†	1,430 typed words. 70 kilograms, according to the before/after weight of the van.	Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper TWSBI Classic Pilot Elite Retro 51 Tornado	Herbin Bleu Nuit Monteverde Malibu Blue Quink Black Herbin Lie de Thé

†I mentioned at the beginning of the month that we’d had a furniture collapse, and that dump trip was the disposal of the corpse of the old couch/futon object. The replacement is meeting with broad popular acceptance.

Kees is, as ever, mildly smug about his enjoyment of the new couch.

Bram is often tense, as is common in a hemi-demi-feral cat, but even he can relax into the luxury of our gracious new furniture item. That shred of paper near him was brought over by Kees, who is helpful that way.

Hercule, the last of our feline triumvirate, declined to initial the photo release form, but he apparently also thinks it’s nice. Happily, the three humans in the house also find it at least moderately comfortable.

Happy Belated Birthday

Since I still have my Apollo pen in battery, I feel like I can revisit last week’s big thing for this weeks film. And since I’m the boss of here, my vote counts for a lot.

The story here is a pretty good summary of Canadian national pride– “We helped immensely but invisibly in the background… because we kind of failed openly at something else! Hooray!

Today’s pen (also a repeat from last week): Retro 51 Tornado
Today’s ink: Herbin Lie de Thé

 

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July	Second draft of “Those Whom Ambition Calls” Third Draft of “Found On Roadside Dead.”	1,746 typed words. Ducks firmly in order… and then I find the place I’d meant to submit closed days earlier than expected. Alas.	Retro 51 Tornado Pelikan 140 Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper TWSBI Classic	Private Reserve Supershow Blue Herbin Vert de Gris Herbin Bleu Nuit Monteverde Malibu Blue

 

Fifty Year Footprint

I bet you all thought I’d missed it yesterday. But no!

Well, sort of. IT was in a transitional state yesterday, and I was also concerned because I had hoped something would make contact here that would allow me an observation of the auspicious day in my own particular idiom… which as of yesterday’s post, had not appeared, leading to being somewhat downcast.

But then…

Is that an enormous launch vehicle in your pocket…?

Yes, I went and got a pen specific to the day. The same model as I was using yesterday, but definitely thematic to today. It’s got a limited edition number! It also cost… what I will be paid, eventually, for a story recently accepted. This is not a wise item of conduct, I admit, but some of the purchase is going into the coffers of the Astronaut Scholarships Foundation. This doesn’t particularly help hopeful young spacefarers of my own nation, and yet I’m content. A rising tide floats all interplanetary craft, right?

FOOTPRINT!

Anyway, happy anniversary to humanity stepping on a different sphere. I’m sure you’ve all had enough of me rambling when the real party is well underway. Go frolic in the vicarious achievement!

Today’s pen: Apollo 11 (after a fashion)
Today’s ink: Private Reserve Supershow Blue (because what more spectacular show than a trip to the moon?)

The Car Goes Vroom Vroom!

You may recognize the title– if not, treat yourself to a viewing of Madagascar 3, which might be the best comedy of its decade.

What really prompts the film today is some encouraging news that’s hardly appeared in major outlets. There is, it seems, a push to get some publicly-accessible car chargers set up across Canada. Some argue that electric cars just shove the emissions elsewhere, but that “elsewhere” is almost always more efficient than a car engine.

And speaking of inefficient car engines…

I will admit a vague interest in being taken for a lap in that brute… but not enough to overcome a terror of being thrown out, caught in a roll-over, or Isadora Duncan-ed into the grave.

Today’s pen: Retro 51 Tornado
Today’s ink: Herbin Lie de Thé