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Thursday, April 30, 2009
THE REAL HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION
posted 4:44 PM
Not the usual embarrassing small town boosterism, but the
true quill , as extracted from the shelves of the Womack Library. Ongoing. And sorely needed.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
STAND BY ME
posted 8:08 AM
Yes indeed.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
DEEP THOUGHT
posted 7:16 PM
"If you live in Scotland and you get swine flu, your life expectancy actually goes up."

--Warren Ellis, on Twitter

CAPTAIN TRIPS AND THE YEAR OF THE COUGHING PIG DEATH
posted 11:45 AM
...and all that other exciting we-got-your-'pocalypse-right-here shit aside, Stephen Hume makes a case that reminds me strongly of how believing you can win the lottery and believing you'll be killed by terrorists have so very much in common.

Friday, April 24, 2009
THE DETAINEE...
posted 9:27 PM
Song #109

Thursday, April 23, 2009
DOES THIS HAT MAKE MY FINS LOOK BIG?
posted 1:30 PM
Mr. Womack transfers his blogging skilz to his new workplace without losing any ludic edge .

I now have such a massive jones to revisit Barcelona. Few things are as delightful as a friend visiting a place you deeply love, and getting it, absolutely.

VALERIA SUSANINA BARCELONA
posted 4:05 AM
[Guest-posted by Jack Womack]


Lovely city.



Lovely wife.




A perfect trip.




By and large.




Later today I'll have my first blog entry up at my new venue Orbit Books, exploring the wonderful world of science fiction and etcetera.




And, back to Barcelona at the first opportunity.
For now, it's been a pleasure and as always, gracious thanks to Mr. G.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
LA BOQUERIA
posted 5:04 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


The greatest market in Europe.




The ham what am.




C'THULHU P'TAGHN!!!! IAAAAAA!!!!!!




23 kinds of eggs.




"Hey hey" said Johan Kugelberg, "all four stomachs!"




Our first lunch, at the market: morcilla with sweet onions, baby octopi in olive oil, Damm dark beer.

Not in picture (eaten): sardines (delicious).

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A LITTLE STRING, A LITTLE GLUE, THE BONES OF 32,000 PLAGUE VICTIMS
posted 4:23 PM
[Guest-posted by Jack Womack]

This is what we were seeing in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, by the way.


We'll return to Barcelona shortly.

"GAUDI IS KITSCH" PROCLAIMED THE CZECH TOUR GUIDE
posted 3:53 PM
[Guest-posted by Jack Womack]

When we were outside Prague in 2007, visiting the little town of Kutna Hora.

We demurred.









Work on Sagrada Familia has continued during the near-ninety years since Gaudi stepped into the path of a streetcar, and is planned to continue for many more years to come.



Unfortunately.

Monday, April 20, 2009
THE OLD WEIRD CATALONIA
posted 4:19 AM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]








Sunday, April 19, 2009
ABANDONED SWIMMING POOLS
posted 2:17 PM
Click on "Absence Of Water"

A CULT I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF SINCE AGE THIRTEEN
posted 1:48 PM
"Cult author"

J.G.BALLARD 1930-2009
posted 1:31 PM
[Guest-posted by Jack Womack]

"Was my husband a doctor, or a patient?"

Ave atque vale.

NO, NEW YORK CITY DOESN'T HAVE IT ALL, NOT EVEN CLOSE
posted 5:32 AM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


Athletically-inspired fashion tends not to catch my eye, but now these are sneakers.

Note that of course a gentleman's socks should always match his oriental carpets.

The shoes I found at a delightful design and clothing store named Suspect, in the Passatge del credit, in the Barrio. I also much liked their coathangers.




The store that stood out most for me, however, was Caelum, which sells only products produced by monasteries: fine sheep's cheeses, tonics to alleviate menstrual cramps, liqueurs made from eucalyptus or gold.


And, sugared egg yolks. They taste better than you'd expect.


And, weirder.

So far as I know, you can get them no other place in the world.

Saturday, April 18, 2009
YES PLEASE, I'D LIKE 200,000 SLIPS OF PAPER READING 'THIS IS NOT A HOT DOG STAND' AND A PIPE
posted 1:56 PM
[Guest-posted by Jack Womack]


NOW LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, YOU PUT THE LARD IN THE COCONUT AND DRINK IT ALL UP
posted 1:50 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


Coconut-lard bread.

Two great tastes that taste great together.

NO, I'M A NUMISMATIST BUT WOULD YOU SELL ME THE FRONT OF YOUR STORE?
posted 1:47 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


THE UNICORNS ARE TAKING A SHORT CUT, SAID THEY'D SEE US ON THE BOAT
posted 1:41 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


"GO FORTH AND SHOP"
posted 10:30 AM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]



As Baby Jesus would be the first to tell you, anything can be found in Barcelona.



The cultural heritage of the Western World!



Those one-of-a-kind items that really pull the room together!



Astoundingly expensive whips!



"No, honey, I don't think it'll be a snap to sneak him past those beagles at JFK."

BARCELONA VS. PROVIDENCE IAAAAAAAAA
posted 5:16 AM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]

How eldritch would H.P. Lovecraft have found Barcelona?

Let's run down the list.


Rugose? Check.



Squamous? Check.



Batrachian? Check.



"Bupkis. I got bupkis."

Ghoul-haunted? Check.



Cephalapodian? Check.



Possible human-fish hybrids in recent past? Check.



Innsmouth look? Check.



Forms reminiscent of horrors even more terrifying than the purely Cthulhoid? Check.

How eldritch would HPL have found Barcelona?

1) Enough so to prompt the writing of a short 78,000 word letter to Clark Ashton Smith.
2) Worse than Iggy's Clam Shack, just outside Warwick, RI.
3) "Howard Lovecraft awoke one morning to find himself transformed into a resident of Brooklyn."

Friday, April 17, 2009
TWO BARACK BURGERS HEAVY ON THE UNGAWAH SAUCE, POR FAVOR
posted 4:52 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


IT'S THE LITTLE DIFFERENCES
posted 2:46 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]








UQBARCELONA
posted 1:15 PM
[Guest-blogged by Jack Womack]


A city dreamed into existence by lovers of cities.




Take one part Viriconium.




A big dash of Interzone.




A big handful of New York City c.1982.




Mix.




The topless chihuahuas of Barcelona welcome you with open arms.




Now let's get down to business.