When I think "Valentine's Day", I also think "Massacre"

But then I believe that commercialized holidays meant to boost and assuage guilt by means of socially enforced purchases are a bad idea and demean sentiments of real significance.

To quote the golem from Terry Pratchett's "Feet of Clay": ‘Either All Days Are Holy, Or None Are’.

Thus, if one's beloved merits special attention on Valentine's Day, s/he merits them any day.

Presents costing money are a different matter, but I don't think this is the day on which to give them, unless it's got a meaning to the two/three/many/lots of you beyond the usual.

Speaking of romance, I wrote an entry for Toonzone's Utena Valentine's Day 300 words or less "love letter" contest. There is, of course, a prize at stake.

I'm not going to reprint it here, as I consider it to be not very good[1] and as usual, five hours after I submitted it I thought of at least two improvements I should have made. Maybe they'll let me edit if they decide to print my entry.

However, this is the first creative attempt I've made in months and it seems that with sufficient motivation[2] I can transcend my perpetual apathy and do stuff. Now I just have to stop leaving things until the last day.

Related observations: Petrarchan sonnets in syllabic alexandrines are both easier and harder than I thought they'd be. And one of these days, I need get the rest of the series. Fortunately, they're being price-dropped soon, so hopefully I'll be able to pick them up (even) cheap(er) via the DDD sale, if not in June, then November.

The Revolutionary Girl Utena movie and Serial Experiments Lain were the first "real" anime I ever watched, and both have spoiled me forever more by setting unreasonably high standards for every other one since. Which may be no bad thing, as it ensures that I probably won't be spending money on anything I consider sub-par[3].

Unless it's really cheap.

And has future resale value[4].

[1] As one would expect from something cobbled together like a Frankenpoem.
[2] I.e., the possibility of free DVDs.
[3] I.e., much of what YTV airs during daylight hours.
[4] Which excludes much of what I actually do buy. My Lain box set? 125+ tax, on sale, several years ago. Now? "Signature Collection" edition for less than half that, regular priced.

And let's not get started on the comparative difference between "Dark City" then and now.

I could weep if I weren't already occupied with screaming inside at how much I could have saved and put towards something else. I've only watched that movie once and still have yet to sit through either of the commentaries.

To quote the thug from Terry Pratchett's "The Truth": ‘—’!!!!![5]
[5] The exclamation is his, the marks and accompanying state of mind my own.

Cleanliness is next, one hopes

It's said that cleanliness is next to godliness. I, however, am an atheist, which may explain why I've done nothing about my pigsty of a living space until now.

I started stacking things into piles yesterday and did some spot-tidying. By means of ruthlessly shifting stuff around, I managed to clear enough free space, in batches, to get a fair amount of the carpet vacuumed today.

I deeply dislike wall-to-wall carpeting. This is not a new observation; I've thought it a horrible, unhygienic dirt trap for years.

You know those commercials you sometimes see for steam cleaners, which go and show you the filthy looking water resulting from a deep cleaning meant to point out what the regular vacuum missed? That's how I feel about wall-to-wall carpeting. No matter how often I go over an area, I can't escape the feeling that something disgusting is lurking in the fibres, and given the state of my carpet, it's not an entirely unreasonable assumption.

One of my sporadic recurring daydreams[1] is to rip it all out and replace it with, if not actual hardwood floors, then some form of wood laminate flooring or composite tile, perhaps with a rug or two on top. I quite like floor coverings provided they're removable, washable, and aesthetic. I just can't stand having it wall to wall. God only knows how people who wear shoes indoors manage to keep their carpets clean.

Finally picking up my room did yield some benefits. So far I've found things I haven't seen for quite some time, including-

• two rather nice pens with metallic coloured ink, giveaways from Fuji Electric
• a book which I'd been wondering where it had gotten to, after I couldn't find it after last summer
• a wooden comb I haven't seen for ages but should start using again
  
• an opened package of origami paper which saves me from having to open another
• a package of "lucky money" envelopes that will be of use later
  

More to come later, I'm sure, once I get started actually sorting the clutter instead of just moving it from place to place.

I also made the discovery that the box for a 15" PowerBook will fit nicely into the box for a G3 iMac, if one aligns it correctly. That saves a little space.

Not bad for a few hours work. Let's hope I can keep it up.

[1] I say sporadic because it usually only comes up when I have to deal with the carpet in some form or other.

I hate it when stuff goes out of print

Two weeks ago, I ordered a certain title via Amazon. I would have gotten it earlier, and the next volume in the sequence, if it weren't for the horribly disparate exchange rate the publisher uses. I still wish I'd bought them last year, as at some point Amazon changed their prices to discount from the grossly inflated Canadian cover, rather than the more reasonable US equivalent.

Even so, I finally splurged on the one which was still available, because I'd heard it was getting harder to find, and I had a coupon to order it with.

But today, when I went to check on my order status, the title is now "unavailable". It hasn't been cancelled from my order, so hopefully they did manage to get a copy for me, but I'm not counting on it.

I really thought I'd have more time in which to buy them. The two volumes have only been out for less than two and a half and one and a half years, respectively, and they're by a very popular and respected author in the field. The material itself is now considered "classic", setting up several very important storylines in the publisher's ongoing series. In less than 30 months, they've sold well enough to the point where the entire print run is gone and there are no new or used copies anywhere short of eBay, where they're selling well above the original price.

So it would be a natural to reprint them, yes?

Perhaps yes, perhaps no. The publisher in question is not known for sensible decisions, business or otherwise.

In any case, I'll write and ask, pointing out the importance of the work, the prestige of the author, and the insane bidding wars on eBay. Likely the argument that all that money could be going to them instead will have more effect than anything else.

It can't hurt to try.

I also hate those "limited edition" first-release cds with bonus discs which probably discourage sales in the long run, and penalize newer listeners who'd like to have the artist's entire body of work.

When it's a separate "deluxe" edition so that people can pick and choose whether they want the regular version or pay more for one with extras, then it's okay, but I consider having the first umpteen copies contain a bonus, which you have to get when it first comes out, and then from that point forward it's the same price with fewer features, to be a cheap and unworthy trick to boost initial sales.

If I've ever missed an album like that, I don't ever bother buying it new or used afterward. I know I'd rather go to eBay for a cd+dvd than a plain old cd with no added value. Why pay more for less?

And how expensive can it be to keep printing a second disc, considering how much they charge for the things in the first place?

But that's a rant for another day.

I honestly can't think of a better title than "First Post"

So, after years of letting the world pass me by, I've finally started a blog.

I've never felt the need for one before, and my regular attempts at journal keeping tend to fail with a predictable regularity.

I suspect this is because, despite my rampant egomania and occasional exhibitionist streak, I'm a fairly private person and don't like committing my innermost thoughts even to a piece of paper which I could theoretically burn. Perhaps my journal would get written in more often if I kept it in cipher. Or had better handwriting.

So if you're reading this, don't expect much. I just don't do heartfelt confessions[1] or reports on my daily routine, but I will write about things which interest or concern me[2], and perhaps mention what I'm up to, every so often.

With practice, my communications skills should improve[3] and I'll no longer be quite so out of touch with the trendy stuff and maybe even stop being such an isolated recluse.

We'll see.

[1] At least, not in public. Not after the last time.
[2] Knowing me, some rants will occur, but I'll try to keep them short.
[3] Or at least, cease to deteriorate.