Month: November 2003

At the Star Trek on-line chat last night, I invited folks who had questions and such to swing by this here website. So I’m doing another “What’cha Wanna Know?” thread.

It’s real simple. Post your questions (not trivia questions, okay, wise guys?) and over the next few days I’ll post replies right here in this thread directly to your questions. However, please: One question to a person, okay? Last time we did this, a number of people asked multiple questions and it took forever. So one to a customer.

And for you newcomers, welcome to the monkey house.

PAD

(Reminder: Please use spoiler text where appropriate.)

OKAY, ALL FINISHED. I BUMPED IT UP TO THE TOP OF THE BLOG SO, JUST IN CASE FOLKS FORGOT IT WAS HERE, THEY CAN READ UP ON IT.

If someone who was constipated expressed his condition by saying he couldn’t give a šhìŧ, might he be misdiagnosed as clinically depressed?

Think about it.

PAD

As a writer, I tend to edit the world. I see misuses or misspellings of words whether I want to or not. When I see, for instance, Rich Johnston–in his latest “Lying in the Gutters”–use the phrase “reign it in” instead of the correct “rein it in,” I just shake my head and sigh.

But every so often I notice stuff that really just drives me nuts. For instance, in checking my PO box, I received a flier from the Bayport Library system. What do they advertise as a movie they’re going to be running this month?

“Oaklahoma!”

Now if they’d advertised “South Pasific” or “Carosel,” it would merely be annoying. But “Oklahoma!” features a title song that SPELLS THE ÐÃMNÊÐ TITLE.

Oh brother.

PAD

“Never look a gift horse in the mouth” is actually pretty poor advice. Had the citizens of Troy looked in the mouth of the gift horse they were receiving, they’d have seen the Greeks hiding within, matters would have gone very differently, and they wouldn’t have wound up having to relocate their city to upstate New York. Which leads us to wonder: Was the Trojan Horse ribbed for her pleasure?

Think about it.

PAD

On Tuesday, November 25th, at 6 PM EST, 3 PM Pacific Time, I will be doing a live chat in the Star Trek book club section of www.startrek.com. All are welcome to attend.

PAD

[Note: questions can be mailed in advance to bookclub@startrek.com.]

Guys…I decided to just add these late night codas to the blog because I thought it would be funny. Like these bizarre words of wisdom you used to see on some stations before they signed off. And the reason I don’t allow replies is because I was afraid that you folks would either analyze them to pieces or try to show how clever you are by one-upping them, thereby sucking what humor there was out of them until there was nothing left.

So instead you’re either doing it on other threads or deluging me with e-mail about them.

They’re random silly thoughts. Read them, ponder them, stick them in as sig. lines, but leave it at that, would’ja, please?

PAD

PS–THAT INCLUDES THE #*@* WEBMASTER!!

Sales on “Stone and Anvil,” the latest hardcover “New Frontier” novel, have been so strong that Pocket has gone back to press. So thank you to all the NF readers for such a strong show of support.

PAD