So, like all good federal employees, I stayed glued to the internet last night to find out if Congress passed the continuing resolution, so as to know whether I would be locked out of work. Actually, since Friday is my scheduled day off, it was a matter of whether I’d have to go in on […]

I mentioned earlier the holiday party from this weekend. This is that post. Every year, my friends K.T. and Kevin throw a geeky, music-filled Holiday party; it’s the social event of the season, no question, especially this year, because: Yes, that’s me playing naughty songs about young adult literature with my friends The Blibbering Humdingers, […]

Wanna know how I know America’s campain apparatus has shifted into Get-Out-The-Vote mode? My inbox (well, my spam folder, anyway) is full of pleas to get out the vote from 1/3rd of the Avengers (Scarlett Johannsen and Mark Ruffalo), rock legend Joan Jett, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, the entire Democratic congressional leadership, The […]

Hello Monday. I was already done with you and your crap by 8am. Good riddance to you, now leave me alone. I’m not in the car driving to Ohio today, which is not unwelcome, though the work thing I was supposed to do this week has already been cancelled twice. I really kind of want […]

Because absolutely nobody cares, including me (not caring that nobody cares): Saw my friend Steve’s rockin’ band Cha Cha’s Cadillac absolutely tear up an Irish pub. Early in the first set, the manager told them they need to play much quieter. They turned everything *way* up. \m/ Partook of what was likely the world’s blandest […]

While I was in Atlanta last week, my library hold on Robert Galbraith’s The Silkworm came in. I picked it up on Friday, and, being a good library citizen, I shoved the book I was reading (D.B. Jackson’s Theiftaker – really good, btw) temporarily aside, and started reading this one immediately so I can put […]

Along with being International Talk Like A Pirate Day, it’s Friday, which means, if I get around to it, a list of tunes pulled at random from my hard drive. Twas a long week at work. New software releases, lots of repetitive questions, briefings to a nationwide audience, dropping everything to respond to Senatorial queries…you […]

Avast, Ye! It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day! To celebrate, here’s Tom Smith (and the Pirate Guys) performing the official Sea Shanty of this annual tradition:

After many, many weeks of (mostly exciting and cool) weirdness, I’m sort of zeroing in on a regular schedule again. This may change at any moment, as work is futzing with last-minute scheduling with business travel, and there’s always other mysterious possibilities on the horizon. Anyway, though – it’s Friday morning, the kids are at […]

So, as indicated previously, I spent the weekend at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, playing bass for my friends The Blibbering Humdingers throughout the weekend as part of the filk track. This is the space where I chronicle my experiences on this adventure. The executive summary/tl;dr version? It was great fun, though more than a little intimidating, […]