That's me! I'm Tank Girl!

Valentine's Day Meh

sandykidd — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:59:22 GMT

Happy 8th Anniversary to Bart and Kay!

sandykidd — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:34:55 GMT

We've been married 8 years, and it's finally come to this: A schmoopy slideshow video for posterity. Groan along with us, won't you?

My Cool is Without Harsh: ZZzz...

sandykidd — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:38:17 GMT

WARNING: Don't watch the following drowse-inducing videos while operating machinery. (This is a case of generally good advice being especially apt in the moment.)

Once upon a time, there was a really high-strung person in the world. Sleepless, edgy, and all a-twitch all the time...

Okay, I'm talking about myself. Rather, I would be talking about myself if I was still a super-agitated embodiment of anxiety. I've become so mellow that it's a wonder nobody's sprung a drug test on me in the past year.

For the record, my cool is 100% substance abuse free. I haven't even had an ibuprofen in months. In the even rarer event that I actually imbibe alcohol, I just get sleepier. And then I put myself to bed.

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-31

sandykidd — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:01:52 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

SCIENCE! #
Safety 'sniffer': Chemists' biosensor may improve food/water safety and cancer detection http://t.co/ITWiFsn #science #sff #
Crypto-neurology! Deciphering hidden code reveals brain activity http://t.co/GeO3UH8 #science #sff #
Evil geniuses and average heroes gotta start somewhere: Bad behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics http://t.co/Bt2oWsn #science #sff #
Having cooties is such a drag. And by 'cooties,' I mean 'the natural consequence of having a child in school.' Misery is infectious. #
@spacedlaw I have seen it! I love virophages. in reply to spacedlaw #
@ariandalen Thank goodness! Now and then, I would like to go a month or two without the plague. in reply to ariandalen #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-28

sandykidd — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:09:48 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Reading Courtney Crumrin and the Night things with my son, today. And playing D&D with his legos. #
@annacaronz Dang. That would scare me awake. in reply to annacaronz #
I love this movie, even though I've only seen it in pieces. #HowlsMC #
@annacaronz Hah, and it should be. in reply to annacaronz #
I'd make that filthy little boy scrub that filthy little bathroom! #HowlsMC #
I love turnip head. #HowlsMC But that Howl is such a brat. #
Progress made in every area of my life today except for the areas I intended. Can't really complain about that. #
With Bastian, every moment is a teaching moment. He demands it! "Mum, is there science in traffic?" #
Now @Bazrar reads a bit, but he's shy about doing it when anyone is paying attention. I try not to 'catch' him reading, but I want to cheer! #
@ect Don't I know it! We had more than enough to talk about during the car ride to the grocery store and back! in reply to ect #
@winnie3k His reaction when I told him that there was especially a lot of math involved? "Oh good. I like math." in reply to winnie3k #
Car? Tidy. Fridge? Stocked. Holey sofa? Stitched like Frankenstein's Monster. Me? Zzzzz… #
@faboomama I'll probably do a couple more things on my way to bed. in reply to faboomama #
@faboomama How've you been? #
@faboomama Aw, I think you win the 'mom who deserves sleep' award for the weekend. in reply to faboomama #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-26

sandykidd — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 04:03:47 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Lol, mine! RT @GeekMomBlog Avoid Accidental Sex-Ed: Get Context http://bit.ly/eKLLRE #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-25 (Science of Sound, Signing, and Language)

sandykidd — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 04:10:48 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Today's #science tweets feature sound, sign languages, and bilingual brains. #
The things our ancestors understood, we have to study: Ecological importance of sounds http://t.co/XfRLSQp #science #sff #
What do you make with your hands? Deaf Children Use Hands To Invent Language http://t.co/7QPV8Ni #sience #sff #
Sign language users read words and see signs simultaneously http://t.co/c9jAEGO #science #sff #
Sign language speakers' hands, mouths operate separately http://t.co/44OpQ24 #science #sff #
…Why would you want to? Bilinguals Are Unable To 'Turn Off' A Language Completely http://t.co/8ZpNi2C #science #sff #
@spacedlaw Mm, yes I can see that. Still seems a little like having a super power to me. in reply to spacedlaw #
@spacedlaw How are you, dahling? #
Aw, sick kid just got sicker. #
Aaaaaaand cue earache. #
@astruc I don't know if there's a standard practice. My vote is to shave it, but that's just because I have a grudge against hair. in reply to astruc #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-23 (Science of ANGER)

sandykidd — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:37:57 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Today's promised #science tweets focus on ANGER. Use them in your #fiction & submit to @SciInMyFi! http://scienceinmyfiction.com/submissions #
You wouldn't like me when I'm…complicated. What happens when we get angry? http://t.co/5rjbeAW #science #sff #
Angry? Gimme, gimme! People who are angry pay more attention to rewards than threats http://t.co/79xIVmx #science #sff #
Braains… Men check out in stressful situations, while women show increased brain coordination http://t.co/RdFVZ2x #science #sff #
Similar personality types in male and female domestic violence perpetrators http://t.co/1g3ElZp #science #sff #
Bullying a gateway 'drug'? Sociologist ties childhood bullying traits to adult anti-social behavior http://t.co/nF3YFgu #science #sff #
Authorities often aware of previous incidents of victimization among children http://t.co/Pg3gzMv #science #sff #
Self-inflicted brain damage: Drug-abusers have difficulty recognizing negative emotions (wrath, fear, etc) http://t.co/REIFTXo #science #sff #
@Journeymouse Thanks for all the #science retweets! Wow! #
@Journeymouse Aha, I know how that is. Happy to give you something to enjoy. in reply to Journeymouse #
Dr. GeekMom or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Screens: http://t.co/XpSVws9 #
My dear friends and family of choice, what #science shall I tweet about tomorrow? What do you want to know?! #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-22 (Science of Bad Parenting)

sandykidd — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:08:00 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

@AnassaRh Yay! in reply to AnassaRh #
Today's promised #science tweets focus on the consequences of bad parenting, including setting a lousy example. Remember: Pobody's nerfect! #
Tank Girl says, "I've got two words for you: Brush yo' teeth!" Like parent, like child http://t.co/wNK12yB #science #sff #
Butt-out, mom and dad! Smoking habits are transmitted from mother to daughter and father to son http://t.co/0zrr2jg #science #sff #
Genders of alcohol-dependent parents AND of children influence psychopathology in the children http://t.co/UVhjx93 #science #sff #
Duck and cover, kids. Children's sense of threat from parental fighting determines trauma symptoms http://t.co/NRUu59d #science #sff #
Grab me and I'll give you something to grab about. Excessive punishment has lasting psychological impact http://t.co/avxQLnh #science #sff #
Sad dads spank more, read less http://t.co/zGcxvMg #science #sff #
Children who lose a parent to suicide more likely to die the same way http://t.co/RGrgOaX #science #sff #
Tomorrow, I'll tweet on the #science of ANGER. Meanwhile, submit to @SciInMyFi! http://scienceinmyfiction.com/submissions/ #sff #
Baz: You talk about girls a lot. Me: Eh? Baz: Like just now, you called the spider boss 'she'. Me: She is. I checked online. Baz: Okay then. #
Bastian had a sick day today and we spent some time backseat gaming together. I played while he watched and vice versa. Good times. #
It's becoming harder to resist getting a PS3. We don't need one, the Wii is better because it gets us off the sofa, but… Maybe next year. #
Today Bastian came up with his first video game idea: A puzzle platformer in which you need to rhyme words to cross bridges. Genius! #
Thank you! @BryanThomasS @winnie3k in reply to BryanThomasS #
@subversivecynic It looked HUGE here, but the camera couldn't do it justice, alas. in reply to subversivecynic #
@ect I didn't want to burst his bubble, but I thought that, too. He requested I illustrate the MC as a chibi from Assassin's Creed tho… in reply to ect #
@ect Of course, this is the same kid who asked "Where is the Girl and Her Blob?" Wheels are already turning. in reply to ect #
@ect That's Baz! in reply to ect #
@djolder That sounds dirtier than it probably is. in reply to djolder #
@djolder HAHA! in reply to djolder #
Today we reached the creepy doppelganger levels of A Boy and His Blob. Yeesh. #
*half-asleep Baz pats his covers* Me: Whatcha doing? Baz: Just checking. Me: For what? Baz: Something amiss. *Baz sleeps* #
I love that my preschooler just used the word 'amiss' in context, but I wish I knew where he learned it so I could give someone a high five! #
@DelDryden *PRIDE* in reply to DelDryden #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-21

sandykidd — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:01:00 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

@mamajoan We use fraggety most of the time. in reply to mamajoan #
@AnassaRh Kinda makes mr flash back to Mary Roach's 'Packing For Mars' and the freeze-dried poo escapees… #
But what about quinoa? Chemical-free pest management also cuts rice waste http://t.co/LiXnHw6 #science #sff #
YAY! RT @crossedgenres New blog post: "Drag Queen Astronaut" by Sandra McDonald on the Honor List of the Tiptree Award! http://bit.ly/faabk3 in reply to crossedgenres #

Twitter Updates for 2011-03-20

sandykidd — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:21:52 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Aw, the #Supermoon isn't so super in the city… http://twitpic.com/4b86xe #

Not What I Was Fired For: The Rumor Mill

sandykidd — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:23:29 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Standard Disclaimer: For the record, these are fiction and not to be taken seriously. I write them for catharsis; I am committed to non-violence outside of my prose. Okay? Carry on! (Also: For Spacedlaw)

#24#

Say what you want about the workplace rumor mill, but you have to admit it has its uses. During the recession, it comes in handy whenever our company reveals another impending round of layoffs. Each time, we cubicle-workers save ourselves by feeding the best paid of our worst bosses to the rumor mill. Rumors fly, another manager suddenly abandons their post, and their unmerited salary saves a handful of cubicle jobs. It’s proved great for workplace culture and the company’s bottom line.

Of course, ‘The Rumor Mill’ is what we call the wood chipper kept behind the office for emergencies.

When Did I Become Prolific?

sandykidd — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:56:19 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

2010 has been a weird, wild rollercoaster of a year for me, and somewhere along the way, I’ve become prolific. I write constantly these days, and to my complete surprise, I write a lot of non-fiction. To my complete joy, there’s a little science in everything I write.

It’s a bit early for a re-cap on the entire year, but there is reason to doubt I’ll have time to do another one closer to the year’s end. Anyway, this post is about writing, which is hardly comprehensive of all my shenanigans since year’s beginning.

There’s this blog, which I’ve mostly used for political and personal geekery.

Then there is the Science in My Fiction blog, which I am justly proud to lead and write for.

More recently, I’ve been writing for GeekMom.com, which is a very fine site, even if you aren’t somebody’s mother.

I’ve also been lucky enough to have a short story published in M-Brane SF issue 16. Pieces of You is about androids and adoption, and it got a great review on the Locus Online Review site.

Soon after that, I landed two stories in the zombie erotica anthology, Rigor Amortis, which screamed to great heights on Amazon’s rankings on release day.

So yeah. While I was busy having a life, I didn’t notice that I’d produced so much this year. And I got a late start, really, so it’ll be interesting to see how 2011 goes.

I’ll Pull That Trigger When I’m Good and Ready

sandykidd — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:54:13 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

Rinjani by Oliver Spalt (Creative Commons)

I’ve always loved geology. I started collecting odd rocks before I started school, and my preschooler is the same way. I took college-level geology courses throughout high school and I might have majored in that subject, but there was one little problem: I’m so terrified of volcanoes that I find it hard to even look at a picture of one without losing my breath. When Eyjafjallajökull erupted earlier this year, I avoided the news as much as possible but I was still so affected that I had a few nightmares, anyway.

In bed last night, I was thinking about Mt. Merapi in Indonesia and how beauty and volatility so often co-exist in nature. I recalled my visit to Hawaii and tried to imagine what it might be like to live there. And then it struck me. I was soothing myself to sleep by thinking about how awesome volcanoes are and how remarkable it is that humans persist near them, even though we’re aware of the risks. Beyond my concern for Indonesians, who are presently experiencing the restlessness of 21 volcanoes and rebounding from a recent tsunami, I was unafraid.

My origin story was fundamentally updated in the time between Eyjafjallajökull and Mt. Merapi. My father killed himself in July 2010, but in August 1988 he tried to force me to go with him on a helicopter tour over Kilauea in Hawaii. He kept insisting until I freaked out in the hotel lobby on the way to the tour. I think he might have dragged me screaming onto that helicopter if a skanky-but-kind woman hadn’t come over and recommended the sailboat tour she’d just returned from. I spent the whole time on that boat with a towel over my face because the saltwater stung my eyes, but I have loved boating ever since. Volcanoes, not so much.

I still don’t want to fly over Kilauea, but I’m finally ready to look at footage of the natural superpower that grounded planes all over Europe earlier this year.

Vote NO on Massachusetts Ballot Questions in 2010!

sandykidd — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:31:47 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

I’ll make this as easy as possible for you: Every Massachusetts voter should VOTE NO on all three ballot questions on November 2nd 2010.

Question 3 would cut our sales tax in half, but if you like icy roads salted and potholes filled, VOTE NO on question 3.

Question 2 makes it easier for developers to avoid including low income housing in their plans, so if you think rent should be affordable and an equal opportunity, VOTE NO on question 2.

Question 1 would reduce the sales tax on alcoholic beverages, and if you give a damn about safety and public health, VOTE NO on question 1.

None of these ballot questions is good for us. Question 3 hurts us by dealing a blow to the state budget, Question 2 hurts us by making it even less affordable to live here, and Question 1 hurts us by increasing the local rates of a wide range of alcohol-related deaths, diseases, injuries, and other problems.

So, if you want Massachusetts to become a less comfortable, more expensive, and riskier place to live, then vote yes on all these questions. But if you like Massachusetts better the way it is, VOTE NO!

Teabagger Hijacks Culture

sandykidd — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:59:34 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

It’s pretty clear that Christine O’Donnell wouldn’t know a real witch if one dropped a house on her. But she’s foolish even for a teabagger if she thought the internet wouldn’t catch her trying to co-opt an iconic viral video for her own nefarious purposes. Once upon a time, that fool Christine tried to smear her opponent by suggesting that he’s gay. Now she’s got a crazy plan to suggest he’s a rapist, too. Of course, that sort of stunt only works on other homophobic wingnuts who don’t know how to use Google and can’t tell the difference between paying taxes and being raped…

The original video is so much better than the cheap knock-off (made for teabaggers by teabaggers). And I’d much rather have Antoine Dodson in the Senate than Christine O’Donnell. Think about that for a second: He knows how to turn crisis into opportunity, he has a clue about how the web works, and millions more voters have had Antoine Dodson’s ‘Bed Intruder’ earworm stuck in their heads than have even heard of Christine O’Donnell. It’s a pity Mr. Dodson doesn’t live in Delaware.

It’s October 1st: Do You Know Where Your 2010 Went?

sandykidd — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 03:21:56 GMT

Originally published at Kay Holt. You can comment here or there.

October 1st was probably the busiest day I’ve had all year, and that’s really saying something! I stayed up until this morning gave me a headache, after which I put in an honest day at the argh!dayjob, and then I drove through a storm to buy…pillows. As if I’ll sleep enough to enjoy them. Meanwhile:

Today is Release Day for Crossed Genres Issue 23: Dreams and Nightmares. You can correctly guess from the title that this is our 2010 ‘Halloween’ issue, but because we’re unconventional, you won’t find a single traditional monster or common serial killer anywhere in these haunting tales. As usual, I’m confident you’ll find the cover art striking.

We kickstarted the Kickstarter for RJ Astruc’s smashing new novel, A Festival of Skeletons. It’s a funny dark fantasy – merkind, morticians and murderers, oh my! And when you pledge to pre-order your copy, somewhere in the world, a zombie gets its braaains!

Speaking of zombies, I also spent a hefty portion of the day celebrating the launch of Rigor Amortis. It’s an erotic horror anthology in which I’m very proud to have two short stories published. The entire volume is full of naughty nasties sure to turn your shivers into smiles, your grimaces into grins, and your rictuses into raucous laughter. (As of this writing, Rigor Amortis is ranked #32 on Amazon’s Horror bestseller list and #856 on the bestseller list as a whole!)

In between all that frantic activity, we’ve been reading submissions to Crossed Genres’ Characters of Color issue. We haven’t even made our final selections yet, but I can already tell you that number 24 will be our best issue, so far. October is wonderful and it’s just begun, but I can hardly wait for November.

Someone sent me a tea shop in a box.

sandykidd — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:46:22 GMT

Here, let me share them with you.

Steven Smith Teamaker's "Lord Bergamot" put me in mind of that wonderful feeling I have after a hot shower. It took me a bit to figure out why: Many of the soaps I like have bergamot oil on their ingredients list. It's a happy smell!

Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders' "Brilliant Hot Cinnamon Spice" made me nostalgic for winter, which says much about its power. It reminded me of snickerdoodles - my favorite winter cookie. Made me want to burrow into my quilt and snooze with a cat, in spite of the actual season.

Drinking S.S. Teamaker's "Meadow" was like drinking warm honey. It was hard not to gulp! Heavenly! And I would share it with anyone. <3

H. & Sons "Earl Grey Supreme" might be my new favorite Earl Grey tea. You must hear of my love affair: I was never allowed to drink tea until I went on a school trip to England when I was fifteen years old. My first tea was a homey English Breakfast, and it made my tongue go numb for about four hours. My tea cherry was rather brutally popped. Later that same day, my teacher temped me to try an Earl Grey...and I promptly forgot my lunch. I just sat in a dream-like state and sipped tea for an hour. Yesterday, sat and enjoyed the "Earl Grey Supreme" and relived that moment. It was a bit like having a first good kiss, all over again.

The whole time I spent sipping S.S. Teamaker's "Fez", I couldn't shake the feeling of being in a cramped little shop somewhere. The kind full of manga, trading cards in glass cases, and crushing humidity. Normally the sort of place I'd avoid (because I used to work in one) except that they always seem to carry those little green Asian candies I'm addicted to. The tea is much tastier, but it was a strange place to find myself transported.

H. & Sons "Vanilla Comoro" is like a forbidden fruit to me. You know those wonderful, individually-wrapped caramel candy cubes? They're delicious, but I can't eat them because they're so chewy they pop my permanent orthodontia right off my damn teeth. With this tea, I can enjoy those candies without suffering the dental trauma associated with them.

S.S. Teamaker's "Brahmin's Choice" is a very grown-up tea. Grown-up like a smoke shop full of khaki-colored curios and well-worn, entirely masculine, leather chairs. Magical and very sexy. I want to take it naked camping so I can enjoy it under stars. ;)

More to come...

S-C-I-E-N-C-E / Swept away by science, WHEE!

sandykidd — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:06:31 GMT

I try to tweet a few science links every weekday, but today there are just too many great ones for me choose from. Rather than spam my twitter feed, I'm dropping them here for the day. For the record, 'too much science' is a desirable problem. Highly, yes!

First, if you're not already a screaming fan of the Science in My Fiction blog, go read it and get your geek on. You can even sing along with my latest post. *sings* This could possibly be the best day ever!

New Species of Plant-Eating Dinosaur Named for 'Grinding Mouth and Wrinkle Eye'</a>
-New Horned Dinosaur: Two-Ton Plant-Eater Lived 78 Million Years Ago in Montana
-New Skeletons from the Age of Dinosaurs Answer Century-Old Questions About Prehistoric Reptile Typothorax

Wings, flippers or tentacles? It's all good.
-Butterfly Kisses and Bank Notes
-Why So Many Species of Whales? Biodiversity for the win!
-Gorgons in Antarctica

To the heart of the Earth and the 'top' of Mars!
-We know more about distant galaxies than we do about the interior of our own planet
-Planetary Scientists Solve 40-Year-Old Mysteries of Mars' Northern Ice Cap

Here we are. All science, all the time.
-Natural Self-Repair Mechanisms That Kick in After Spinal Cord Injury Identified
-Scientists Decipher Structure of Nature's 'Light Switch'
-What Happens When We Get Angry?
-Acupuncture's Molecular Effects Pinned Down: New Insights Spur Effort to Boost Treatment's Impact Significantly

There is science even in shopping.
-Those who are in high need for uniqueness don't like what other people like
-Conflicted shoppers "pick their poison" and choose an option that is strong on one attribute and weak on another, the authors conclude

Our huge carbon ass-print...
-Spawning Habitat of Bluefin Tuna in Gulf of Mexico: Critical Area Intersects Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
-Air Traffic Poised to Become a Major Factor in Global Warming, Scientists Predict
-Improved Carbon Sponges to Strip Carbon Dioxide from Power Plant Exhausts

Come, let's end the post on an up-note. For your listening pleasure, the world's first peer-reviewed SCIENCE RAP:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Nightmares and Daydreams: The Context of Sandy's Head

sandykidd — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:25:10 GMT

I dream every night, and I'm usually happy to forget what I dream about. I've had a head full of war zones and gruesome massacres since before I was literate. (Hint: I was reading by age 3) If I was a spiritual person, I'd probably blame a deity for my torment. As it is, I have no one to blame but a combination of genetics and a traumatic upbringing.

Last night I had a doozy of a nightmare and I woke suddenly to the scream, "Mom!I can't move my body!!" I was out of bed, on my feet, and halfway through my bedroom door before I was fully awake. *sigh* Since I was up and still feeling the drag of nightmare paranoia, I went down the hall to check; of course Bastian was fine and still sleeping.

Lately, I've been dreaming about my old hometown a lot. My dreams are often worse than reality ever was, but the emotions and sensations are all borrowed from experience. What I feel in dreaming is validated by memory, and so, although I'm often aware I'm dreaming, there's little point trying to wake. Being awake is no protection from memory. So I navigate my nightmares. I join the fray. Get my hands dirty in ways I never would in real life. Bloody. Because if I can't fight back in my dreams, where can I?

And yet. Fight as I may, my nightmares tend to end the same way: I am unable to protect Bart and Bastian from the monsters I slay. My precious little family is vulnerable, and in dreaming, I survive at their peril. It's a classic trope in fiction for good reason.

I hate my nightmares, but I hardly know who I'd be without them. Not that I would ask them to return if they ever left me alone, but I don't pretend they've contributed nothing positive to my life. At the very least, they provide material for new stories. All my best received stories are translated from the original horror. Especially the happy stories. Because the worst nightmares provide the depth of context necessary for the best daydreams.

Published!

sandykidd — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:22:48 GMT

One of my stories was accepted for publication in the next issue of M-Brane SF!

Such a good feeling. Completely worth the suspense. To celebrate, I'm choosing which short story I'll polish up for my next round of submissions!

There will probably be an ice cream walk in the sun involved, too. :)

Not What I Was Fired For (DRABBLES)

sandykidd — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:24:32 GMT

For the record, folks: These are fiction and not to be taken seriously. I write them for catharsis; I am committed to non-violence outside of my prose. Okay? Carry on!

ETA For spacedlaw, because she is heroically encouraging.

Not What I Was Fired For

She wasn’t my direct supervisor, yet she demanded I enumerate the items on my ToDo list and inform her of her project’s place in the queue. I knew she’d take the truth – my backlog is a slim volume and her task is near the middle – and turn it against me in the next staff meeting.

Never again.

I invited her to my cubicle to personally inspect my stack. Tall and extra-high heeled; she had to bend low to see over my shoulder. Her swaying backside blocked the sight of her smothering between my barely concealed weapons.

My Double-D’s are deadly.

Not What I Was Fired For

I was passed over for promotion. After half a decade of punctuality and unpaid overtime. Because the office pet was unconvinced by my fake smile.

I had to take a second job; my family was growing, and you can’t raise kids on bricks of ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches alone.

Weeks later, I was fighting sleep in my cubicle while the boss and his pet were ‘catching some rays’ against his office window. They made a terrible mess.

To help prevent suicides, windows are sealed above the sixth floor of most buildings. But the window washer knows their secrets.

Help us get the Science in My Fiction contest in print!

sandykidd — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:26:30 GMT

In case you missed it, Crossed Genres announced the Science in My Fiction short story contest! (Here's a link to the original announcement.)

And now's the part where we ask for your help. Obviously, we want people to enter stories in the contest (beginning on April 1). And with the prizes being offered, we're confident there'll be a good number of entries.

Well, we also really want to put the winning entries in print! But after taking the costs of the contest directly out of our pockets (in addition to regular CG expenses), the additional costs of producing a quality print edition is a bit too much for us.

So we've started a Kickstarter drive to fund the print edition! It's simple: Go visit the Kickstarter page. Watch the funny video I made, with us and our son Baz being silly, and some absurd animations we made.

Then, check out the various rewards you can get by pledging to the drive, including copies of the print edition of the contest winners. We're only aiming to do a single print run, which means pledging to the drive is the only way to get a copy of the stories! The stories will be published in the Subscribers Area of the Crossed Genres site, so if you're not a subscriber and want to read the stories, pledge something!

There are several different levels of rewards, but you can pledge any amount you want. You can get the stories (in digital formats) with a pledge as low as $4.

There are also some awesome other rewards: cheap online subscriptions to CG, SIGNED copies of the contest winning stories, and more. One of the pledge levels is the first and only time we have ever offered a LIFETIME online subscription to CG! For those who love Kay's art: Get a cartoon version of you drawn by her and printed right in the print edition of the contest winners!

If we don't reach the pledge goal, there won't be a print edition of the winners... it's that simple. But here's the thing: you only pay your pledge IF we reach the goal! So if we get there, you get your awesome reward(s), and if not, you've lost nothing! It's win-win!

Please check out the Kickstarter drive, watch the video, check out the rewards, and consider making a pledge. Get your copy of the print edition the only way possible!

Announcing the Science in My Fiction Contest!

sandykidd — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:12:51 GMT

It's SCIENCE! And Bastian helped! [click below to watch the VIDEO]

We're enormously pleased to announce the Science in My Fiction short story contest!

"Here’s how it works: Authors write a science fiction or fantasy short story which is inspired by a scientific discovery or innovation made or announced within the past year. It can’t be peripherally added: the science must be integral to the story. Writers must include a link to a relevant article or study of the applied science when they submit their stories."

A panel of 6 amazing judges will vote on the finalists. There's $400 of cash prizes to be won, plus subscriptions, books, etc.

Please visit the contest page, read the entry guidelines, see who the judges are, and read about our Kickstarter drive to put the winning stories in print!

Then, enter your story! The contest will be open for entries from April 1 through June 30. Winners will be announced on July 21.

Show us there's still room for real Science in fiction! Huge thanks to everyone who helped us make the contest happen!

Bastian is a user...an 'enduser', that is. (PICSPAM)

sandykidd — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:16:36 GMT

Lately I've had to compete for my CINTIQ's affection. And for my son's. I think they're in love.