Shay D.

A friend of mine found this first on a recipe site, but I can't for the life of me remember where, so here's the transcribed and reiterated version, sans attribution.

Dry Ingredients:
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Add:
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla

Stir until a cake-batter-like texture is achieved, and no dry flour clumps remain, but do not over-stir.
Microwave for 90 seconds.

Optionally, split batter into two mugs, and microwave each for 45s.

Tips:
Do not forget the salt! It will not work without at least some salt.
Do not use olive oil! Unless you're a fan of olive flavoured brownies.

Vacation seemed like a great idea: with Nuit Blanche, my birthday, and wedding anniversary in one week, why not?

Well, on Tuesday, we got test results back for the lump in our cat's throat. I suppose it was better than finding out - while at work - that he has thyroid cancer. He's a speshul snowflake - it's extremely rare in cats.

*sigh*

Then on Thursday morning, something went wrong in my right foot, and I've spent the past three days with it propped up on a pillow, alternating ice and ibuprofen. Fun times for this gorgeous weekend.

*sigh*

Did I get any writing done? No, of course not. But I did do a bunch of knitting.

Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful (and not sarcastically) that my life is good enough that I can complain about these #firstworldproblems.

Back to work tomorrow, where I apparently need to Fix ALL the Things, as my co-workers have been missing me desperately, I was told.

My flash story "I Know A Secret" will appear in Dagan Books FISH anthology, to be released on February 8th, 2012.

How do you fall in love with a city? I keep wondering this, wondering when and how it happened. How did Toronto cease to be that distant metropolitan centre (where the mayor had called in the army to deal with the snow, and the rest of us were never going to let them live it down), that ugly duckling cousin of Ottawa's? When did it become MY city?

It certainly wasn't intentional. Giving in to the gravitational pull of the city was an economic necessity, not a voluntary motion. Spouse and I (and the dog, and the cat, and the two rats, and the goldfish) moved to Markham because working five part-time jobs simultaneously - even in a city as lovely as Kingston - was killing me.

( Markham, as anyone will tell you, is not Toronto. )

This month is the last month to read/buy Crossed Genres Issue 20 Lies, which includes my short story Carefully Constructed.

This wasn't my first short story sale, but it is probably my favourite, because it's set in the world of my (unpublished, under revision) novel. Jaz, the protagonist of "Carefully Constructed", is one of the main characters in the novel.

Other things of note:

Science In My Fiction is currently running their second annual contest. Get your submissions in before August 31st!

Kay's most recent blog post may be of particular interest to those plotting Off-Earth adventures.

CGP is also still open to submissions of spec-fic novels. Guidelines here.

And of course, the theme for this month's Crossed Genres Magazine submissions is Sidekicks & Minions. Get your subs in before the end of the month.

(If you're working ahead and prepping for July submission, remember the theme for July is Villains - but don't submit until July!)

And finally - CGP will be releasing Kelly Jenning's novel Broken Slate on July 15th. Spread the word! You can read the first 8 chapters online!


Oops, one more: In non-Crossed Genres news, Red Stone Science Fiction is running a contest as well. The identity-themed story contest runs until August 15.

I'm sure there are others that deserve a shout-out, but that's all I can think of right now.

My MSI Wind U210 netbook had been running hot lately. I finally ran a temp monitor on it and discovered that hot = 60C.

Of course, I never properly registered the netbook, and so could not just request tech support. An eBay search on the model's fan turned up nothing -- never a good sign.

So I decided to just open the case (there would have only been 3 months left on the warranty anyway) and see if cleaning (or replacing, somehow, if necessary) the fan would help.

Long story short, for the cost of a couple hours, and a tube of thermal paste, plus the use of a vacuum, I now have a happily functioning netbook with working fan again. In the process, I discovered that if I ever do need to replace the fan, it will mean contacting MSI, as the heatsink is built into the fan casing and is only available in said design from the manufacturer.

ETA: ( Fansink! Or, proof of the interior exposure of my netbook )

Short story entitled "Turning" to The Monster Book for Girls (edited by Terry Grimwood), forthcoming this year from theExaggeratedPress.

From the Editor: While helping a friend clear out her parents' effects, recently, I stumbled on a tatty old pre-war tome called "The Monster Book for Girls". It was adorned with pictures of jolly school lasses wielding hockey sticks and was full of “thrilling adventure stories for girls”.

I loved the description of how Terry came up with the idea, and ended up with a story I really loved, but didn't know where else to submit. Turned out it was a perfect fit for this anthology.

Notes behind the cut. People are attributed by initials; aud -> indicates an audience comment or question. As always, transcribed fast and edited only vaguely, misattributions and errors are my own. Assume everything outside of quote marks is a paraphrase. (?) indicates something that I missed.

Disability in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Panelists: Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Jane Carol Petrovich, Mark Offer, Fiona Patton, Suzanne Church

Description: Disability is a theme treated fairly often in SF/F but not always with complete objectivity and accuracy. How are disabled characters portrayed in SF and Fantasy literature? What are the common misinterpretations and stereotypes of disabled life in Speculative Fiction and how can writers work to avoid these errors? What does Speculative Fiction say about the way disabilities will be treated or managed in the future? Finally, are there unrecognized or hidden disabilities that deserve more attention in Speculative Fiction literature?

( Read more... )

Notes behind the cut. People are attributed by initials; aud -> indicates an audience comment or question. As always, transcribed fast and edited only vaguely, misattributions and errors are my own. Assume everything outside of quote marks is a paraphrase. (?) indicates something that I missed.

What Do You Mean My Stake Won't Work?
Panelists: Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Douglas Smith, Stephen B. Pearl, Karen Dales (mod)

Description: Drive a stake into the vampire's heart and it is dead right? In traditional vampire lore that stake better be made of Oak, Ash of Thorn wood, or you just made it mad! How incorporating facts from actual mythology can add conflict and challenge to paranormal fiction.

( Read more... )