March 21st, 2011

A few random entertaining things

1) When I read a book, I read every word–the copyright page, the credits and acknowledgements, even a skim through the index to see how it’s done (professional interest; remember, I work in the word mines too). Sometimes I find cool stuff hiding in these odd spots, and feel it my duty to bring it to the attention of the non-obsessed. For instance, this, from the copyright page of Matthew J. Trafford’s The Divinity Gene, which has cool stuff on pretty much every other page, too:

“These stories are works of fiction and as such do not purport to be factual or representative of reality. Where stories use the names of ‘real’ corporate, media, political, or historical figures, they do so to denote figures, images, and the stuff of collective dreams. They do not denote, or pretend to provide information about, actual 3-D persons, living, dead, or otherwise.”

The stuff of collective dreams–I love it!

2) Yesterday, driving in the car, Rebecca in the passenger seat, Mark driving. Please keep in mind that I’m still really sick, and pretty heavily drugged.

RR: What is a (reading with great difficulty of a billboard) “microcarbonated lager”?
MS: Microcarbonated lager? Search me.
RR: It was on the billboard.
(pause)
MS: Hey, what kind of beer did you buy?
RR: (struggling yet more with the pronounciation) Microcarbonated lager.
MS: No, you didn’t, because you just heard about it for the first time right now.
RR: Oh. (pause, then thoughtfully) I thought we were doing a little skit. (pause) You actually wanted to know what kind of beer I have in my fridge?
MS: Yes!
RR: (finally figures out what is going on, dissolves into laughter)
MS: And still I have no answer.