Make the Bad Job Go 'Way!

Gah, only seven weeks 'til the next con??? *cry*

-The Gneech

Fictionlet

"What's the point," Brigid asked, "of ordering 'loaded potato skins' and then leaving the skins?"

"I don't want the skins," Greg replied. "All I really want is the cheese and bacon. What about it?"

"That means you're just eating the load," she said. Alex, sitting in the corner, suppressed a snort.

"Fine, I'm just eating the load then," said Greg. "If I want to eat a load now and again, that's my own business."

"I guess that's true enough," Brigid replied.

"So what did you think of the show?" Alex asked, sipping at a 'grasshopper'. "I thought the guy playing the detective was great."

"Yeah, he was pretty good," Brigid said. "Although they telegraphed the ending too much. It's supposed to be this huge surprise, but it was like, he's the only one left!"

"Well, it's better than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," said Greg. "The solution to that one is just plain cheating, in my opinion."

"I liked The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," Alex said. "I don't think it was cheating at all!"

"Of course it was!" Greg said, nearly flinging a potato skin across the room in a gesture of outrage. "How is the reader supposed to have a chance at figuring out the mystery when the bloody narrator is lying to you?"

"He didn't lie exactly," said Alex.

"Well, it's a lie of omission, if nothing else. And it really irritated me! Agatha Christie is supposed to be this great mystery writer, but in Roger Ackroyd she resorts to base trickery. It's hardly an impressive feat to fool the readers when you haven't given them all the information! It's like saying, 'Pick a number between 1 and 20,' and then acting like you're terribly clever because the answer is really 'Thursday'."

"Okay, okay, forget I said anything."

"I nearly threw the book across the room when I read the ending of that one," Greg said. "Really, it was unworthy of her."

Brigid, with the air of someone who'd decided enough was enough, leaned over and peered at him. "Greg," she said.

"Yes?"

"Shut up and eat your load."

Greg opened his mouth to reply, but apparently unable to come up with a suitable response, hunkered over his plate. "Yes ma'am," he said contritely, and picked off some more cheese.

-The Gneech

Dedicated to graveyardgreg.

<-- previous B&G
next B&G -->

Fictionlet

“What’s the point,” Brigid asked, “of ordering ‘loaded potato skins’ and then leaving the skins?”

“I don’t want the skins,” Greg replied. “All I really want is the cheese and bacon. What about it?”

“That means you’re just eating the load,” she said. Alex, sitting in the corner, suppressed a snort.

“Fine, I’m just eating the load then,” said Greg. “If I want to eat a load now and again, that’s my own business.”

“I guess that’s true enough,” Brigid replied.

“So what did you think of the show?” Alex asked, sipping at a ‘grasshopper’. “I thought the guy playing the detective was great.”

“Yeah, he was pretty good,” Brigid said. “Although they telegraphed the ending too much. It’s supposed to be this huge surprise, but it was like, he’s the only one left!”

“Well, it’s better than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” said Greg. “The solution to that one is just plain cheating, in my opinion.”

“I liked The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” Alex said. “I don’t think it was cheating at all!”

“Of course it was!” Greg said, nearly flinging a potato skin across the room in a gesture of outrage. “How is the reader supposed to have a chance at figuring out the mystery when the bloody narrator is lying to you?”

“He didn’t lie exactly,” said Alex.

“Well, it’s a lie of omission, if nothing else. And it really irritated me! Agatha Christie is supposed to be this great mystery writer, but in Roger Ackroyd she resorts to base trickery. It’s hardly an impressive feat to fool the readers when you haven’t given them all the information! It’s like saying, ‘Pick a number between 1 and 20,’ and then acting like you’re terribly clever because the answer is really ‘Thursday’.”

“Okay, okay, forget I said anything.”

“I nearly threw the book across the room when I read the ending of that one,” Greg said. “Really, it was unworthy of her.”

Brigid, with the air of someone who’d decided enough was enough, leaned over and peered at him. “Greg,” she said.

“Yes?”

“Shut up and eat your load.”

Greg opened his mouth to reply, but apparently unable to come up with a suitable response, hunkered over his plate. “Yes ma’am,” he said contritely, and picked off some more cheese.

-The Gneech

Dedicated to graveyardgreg.

<-- previous B&G
next B&G -->

• 

Originally published at gneech.com. You can comment here or there.

And Then Dr. Octopus Says, "Throw Me the Idol, I Throw You the Whip!"

Just got back from the AFI Silver theater in Silver Spring, where lythandra and I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was the first time I'd ever seen it on the big screen, and it was a blast, even though the print was kinda eaten up. (Basically the beginning and end of each reel was missing chunks from way too many rough loadings and unloadings over the years.)

Alas, Laurie didn't get to use her free passes after all ... the Box Office dude had some choice words to say regarding George Lucas on that account. And while glitchphil had kindly offered to let us sneak in the back door (so to speak), he wasn't around when we arrived so we just swallowed our pride and, y'know, paid admission like everybody else. ;)

glitchphil was there when the movie let out, however, so we stopped and said hello, but couldn't linger. I hope you weren't there just to see us, dude, or I'm gonna feel guilty as all get-out. It took an Act of Congress just to get down there as it was.

Unfortunately, as cool as Raiders was, the evening is now shot. I did manage to squeeze a little scripting in, but other than that it's been a pretty nonproductive day. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be more successful.

I sleep now!

-The Gneech of Cadavra