"A Sword Called Rhonda" Now Available as an E-Book

"Hey, Karma," Rhonda the sword whined, "I need to go, like, shopping."

She hung from the wall of my small home in what used to be suburban Palo Alto. Being far away didn't help. I could hear her just as clearly as if I'd held her in my hand with her voice coming out the end of the hilt. I'd tried hanging her from my waist at first, but she just yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. Now, I carry her over my shoulder so she talks in my ear.

I hadn't responded, so she yelled. "Are you listening?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," I replied.

Two weeks ago, I bought the sword at the city's disincorporation sale. It was a fine sword, made of good strong steel that could take a beating. At the time, it seemed like a good deal.

---

Cover Art by Manu De Mey

Finally available in a standalone, DRM-free e-book from the following resellers:

Purchase this book from iTunes (EPUB)

Purchase this book from Amazon (Kindle)

Purchase this book from Barnes and Noble (EPUB)

"A Sword Called Rhonda" Now Available as an E-Book

"Hey, Karma," Rhonda the sword whined, "I need to go, like, shopping."

She hung from the wall of my small home in what used to be suburban Palo Alto. Being far away didn't help. I could hear her just as clearly as if I'd held her in my hand with her voice coming out the end of the hilt. I'd tried hanging her from my waist at first, but she just yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. Now, I carry her over my shoulder so she talks in my ear.

I hadn't responded, so she yelled. "Are you listening?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," I replied.

Two weeks ago, I bought the sword at the city's disincorporation sale. It was a fine sword, made of good strong steel that could take a beating. At the time, it seemed like a good deal.

---

Cover Art by Manu De Mey

Available in a standalone, DRM-free e-book from the following resellers:

Purchase this book from iTunes (EPUB)

Purchase this book from Amazon (Kindle)

Purchase this book from Barnes and Noble (EPUB)

Dear America

Is there no show or movie you fail to fuck up by bringing it across the pond?

(Okay, I'll admit I like the US Being Human, but it's not the same show. Now be nice and give Torchwood back to BBC.)

More Like Marcel, Please

The Norway massacre has hit the household hard. Rick's father was born in Norway, and we visited the country all-too-briefly in 2008.

Even though we were literally there for just a short day -- something like 10-4 -- we saw the smallest fringe of multiculturalism. As we were headed back to the docks, a bunch of brown school kids were chatting in a mix of Norwegian and Arabic. One of them smiled at us and asked, "Where are you from?"

I was so tempted to ask the same, but I resisted. After all, they probably had lived in Norway most of their lives.

Norway's current economic boom is related to recently-discovered oil reserves, thus bringing in people from other cultures who've worked on oilfields. It's different than some other countries and their sources of immigration; Norway's typically been a poor (and cold!) country, so it hasn't exactly been an immigration hot spot.

Anyhow, back to current events....

Marcel Gleffe risked life and limb to help rescue about thirty kids. He says he feels absolutely terrible that he didn't save more people. Sadly, that's the image that may stick with him, even though it's not his fault at all. Another article here.

“A Sword Called Rhonda” Now Available as an E-Book

“Hey, Karma,” Rhonda the sword whined, “I need to go, like, shopping.”

She hung from the wall of my small home in what used to be suburban Palo Alto. Being far away didn’t help. I could hear her just as clearly as if I’d held her in my hand with her voice coming out the end of the hilt. I’d tried hanging her from my waist at first, but she just yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. Now, I carry her over my shoulder so she talks in my ear.

I hadn’t responded, so she yelled. “Are you listening?”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” I replied.

Two weeks ago, I bought the sword at the city’s disincorporation sale. It was a fine sword, made of good strong steel that could take a beating. At the time, it seemed like a good deal.

---

Cover Art by Manu De Mey

Finally available in a standalone, DRM-free e-book from the following resellers:

Purchase this book from iTunes (EPUB)

Purchase this book from Amazon (Kindle)

Purchase this book from Barnes and Noble (EPUB)

Originally published at deirdre.net. You can comment here or there.