mia_mcdavid has a bill hook machete, very well employed in her large garden. The hook was a length of steel rod riveted to it to gather in the brush so it could not escape. Unfortunately, a week ago the hook broke when I was using it. Continue reading
Convergence 2011
We just got back from Convergence,
the biggest of the local SF cons. We have been going there for some years,
including 2010,
2009 , 2008,
2007 and
2006
We actually did the full four days of the Con, staying over Thursday night as well as Friday and Saturday.
We need to be training for Worldcon in Chicago next year :-)> It was a good time for us. carpe_noctum_93
was able to join us Friday and Saturday in the early evening. Our son J was sick Thursday, but joined us on
Friday.
On Sunday morning mia_mcdavid and our son James left here for a road trip. They drove to Michigan, to see Mia’s mother and other relatives. I have been alone here, except for the cat, who apparently regards me primarily as her servant. So what have I been doing? Continue reading
Encouraged by mia_mcdavid and carpe_noctum_93, and by discovering that there are two other brewers in my Irish class, I started another batch of beer.
Continue reading
After being snowbound for 40 hours we were finally able to get out late Sunday morning. The first event: A family trip to a bookstore. There I found and bought a copy of The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man. I had read it decades ago, back in college or even high school. The author, David W. Maurer was a long time friend and colleague of my parents. When I saw The Sting a few years later I immediately noticed how closely it followed Maurer’s book and mentioned that to my father. Dad agreed, but that was done with without Maurer’s permission or any acknowledgement of his work. As noted here, a lawsuit followed.
After all these years, The Big Con still finds new fans, such as Cory Doctorow.
mia_mcdavid and I took our foster daughter, carpe_noctum_93 to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. We were there completely on our own, no connection with colgaffneyis. Mia and I dressed as 16th century Irish Commoners, based largely on the work of Kass McGann. In a midwestern August I was able to be much more comfortable than in the 1630 Scottish Highlander outfits I wear for colgaffneyis. For me this was something of a quick improvisation. With a little work I can make it look better and be even more comfortable. Just need to find more events for Irish garb.
We managed to get front row seats for a demonstration on glass blowing, which was very good. There is still a lot of good stuff at the Fair, but you have to look to get past the crass commercialism.
Pictures from my Blackberry here
I spent last weekend at Gaeltacht Minnesota‘s summer workshop at the lovely Winona campus of St. Mary’s University (Some pictures here). I went there for the first time in 2007 and have been back every year since. As always, I learned a lot and had a great time.
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Happy Anniversary to my own dear mia_mcdavid. Looking forward to many more.
From Hilbert Space to Dilbert Space, and beyond 