SF Friday linkage

I've been doing way more reading than writing lately (except at the day job). I'm hoping to finish a rewrite this weekend on one story and work on another short I started a month ago. Tomorrow morning I'm going to a presentation on giving presentations with digital projectors. A friend of mine is giving it and maybe he can tell me what to do when the venue's outlet is wonky and your laptop battery is dying in the middle of your presentation.

Today, was a very sad day for me. My dear friend and number one fan passed away on Monday. The funeral was today. She was such a loving woman that knew how to speak her mind. I'm going to really miss her. She was almost 92 and was leading the conga line at her great-granddaughter's wedding not too long ago.

In SF news:

Pantechnicon has had to fold. They were attacked by a virus and the site could not be restored. (I erroneously had Abandoned Towers listed here but that one is alive and well - my bad.) I'd like to play the grief AND sinus headache card on this one. Horrible blunder. That's how rumors start!

I don't know that it will take its place, but I do like balance... I got an email from the editor of a new PDF H/F/SF magazine. It's called Strange, Weird and Wonderful.

Big kudos to Ellen Asher and Jane Yolen on their World Fantasy lifetime achievement awards.

Here's a youtube video mashup you might enjoy on SyFy Wire: Watch the History of SF Visual Effects in 5 Minutes.

Apparently (How do these things happen?), I'm on the publicity committee for WorldCon 2011 in Reno, aka RENOvation. I'll be helping to spread the word and manning tables and parties at local cons.

Here's one last reminder about the Tachyon party in SF this weekend:
Come celebrate!!
-- Tachyon Publications --
A San Francisco-based independent press
publishing quality
science fiction & fantasy
"Saving the world...one good book at a time!"
Sponsor of SF in SF
___________________________________________________________
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Sunday, August 30th
2 PM - 6 PM
Borderlands Books
www.borderlands-books.com
866 Valencia Street (at 20th St.)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.824.8203
_________________________________________________________________________
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Featuring the Emperor Norton awards, a star-studded tribute to the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction's 60th Anniversary (with a special giveaway gift for the first 50 guests!), food and drink, and lots of very special guests,
like authors Peter S. Beagle & Richard A. Lupoff!



vote it up!

Mother's Day and Absent Parents

A friend of mine invited me to a Quincinerra (a traditional Mexican celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday) for her co-worker's God daughter on Saturday. There were mariachis, a DJ and a brass band. I had already told my kids I wanted to go to the Mexican restaurant in town for Mother's Day because they would have mariachis. So, I ended up with mariachi music twice in as many days. I only wished my Spanish wasn't beyond rusty.

At the Quincinerra, the girl danced with her father. I almost never think about mine anymore, but watching them dance nearly brought tears to my eyes. My Dad died when I was 16. When I was about ten, he would dance around the living room with me standing on his feet. Among his many jobs, he was a dance instructor at a Fred Astaire studio. I come by my love of dancing honestly.

The sting is lessoning around hearing all the Mother's Day ads (I lost my Mom in 1990 to breast cancer). Last year I invited all my girl friends who have lost their mothers out for drinks at that same Mexican restaurant. It completely slipped my mind this year. I intended it to be an annual tradition. On the bright side, perhaps my grief was not there to remind me as it was last year.

Here's a picture of me with hubby, Pat, and my three youngest kids, from left to right, Daniel, April and Wesley. The other two were unavoidably detained in Sacramento. But they made sure to call. :)