So we watched The Lion in Winter, one of our favorite Christmas movies. I’ve seen the movie many times, and I think I startled Kathy by singing along with the theme music. Regis regum rectissimiprope est dies domini,dies irae et vindictae, tenebrarum et nebulaediesque mirabiliumtonitruorum fortium,dies quoque angustiae,maeroris ac tristitiae. (It’s pretty much the only […]

The tamales are standing by, and and the roast beast lurks in its cooler. (It was too large to fit into the already overstuffed refrigerator.) The potatoes are already cooked, and the pearl onions stands ready for brown-braising. The cat prowls the corridors, ready to repel invading miniature reindeer. All that said, the holiday weekend […]

I am at Discon III, in Washington D.C., the long-postponed Worldcon for 2021. We’re all masked and vaccinated and I will find out if it’s possible to have fun under these conditions. In the meantime, I’m on a bunch of programming, so if you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hi. Here’s my […]

Here’s a photo of Lisbon’s  Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) taken from across the plaza on the landward side, looking out toward the Tagus. Note the way the waves roll across the plaza, like the ocean billows rocking a caravel on its voyage to the unknown. It’s an optical illusion, of course. The […]