A.J. O'Connellish

Author, blogger, journalist, geek

[ajoconnellish]

First the power went out. Then I tried to grill dinner. Then the grill caught fire. And that is why we're eating Chex for dinner.

[ajoconnellish]

Brain: Hey. Let's leap into this online debate. Me: No. Brain: Let's read a thinkpiece and get MAD. Me: I have to work. Brain: Let's have an argument with an invisible person who doesn't agree with us while we unload the dishwasher and be angry ALL DAY! Me: ... well, now I'm angry anyway.

[ajoconnellish]

When you're coming back from the movies, but realize halfway home that you forgot to get the babysitting money out, so you tear through both your wallet and your spouse's wallet by the dashboard light.

And by the time you finally figure out you have enough, you can't remember how much money you each started with (not that you were that clear on it to begin with, because you just came back from spending some of that money on movies and both SnoCaps and Reese's Pieces, it’s the weekend, you were treating yourself, don’t judge.)

So you sit in the dark for 15 minutes, waiting to sort it out in a well-lit driveway, hands upraised, the money you know is your spouse's clutched in one hand, the money you know was yours clutched in the other, your lap filled with unclaimed ones, like the Patron Saint of Petty Cash. 

[kibbi]

[acquaintedwithrask]

Peter Jackson, please work this into a future project.

[geekeccentric]

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Image source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is exciting fun…

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[ajoconnellish]

My review of Desolation of Smaug. I really enjoyed it. But then I would. I’m nerdy for moments like Legolas mocking the picture of baby Gimli.

[geekeccentric]

NYCC 2013 day 1

Although it was only for Vip passes, Thursday attendees and anyone with a both or panel it still…

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[penthesileas]

HISTORY MEME - six women: bessie coleman [4/6]

Bessie Coleman was an American civil aviator, the first female pilot of African American descent, and the first person of African American descent to have an international pilot license. She was born in 1892 in Texas, the tenth of thirteen children, and in school showed herself to be a lover of reading and mathematics. She enrolled in what is now Langston College in Oklahoma, but was forced to return home due to lack of funds. At 23, she moved to Chicago, where she heard stories from returning World War I pilots about flying during the war. Due to her race and gender, however, despite herr interest in aviation, no American flight school or aviator would train her. Determined to become an aviator, Bessie went to France in 1920 and, a year later, earned her aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, becoming the first American of any gender to receive a license from that organization. She trained as a “barnstorming" stunt flier in order to make a living. Known as “Queen Bess," she was well-known for her daredevil maneuvers, though her flamboyant style was often criticized by the press. Though offered a role in a film, when she learned that her first scene would show her in tattered clothes with a walking stick and pack, she walked off set  rather than perpetuate the derogatory image of African Americans. In 1926, in preparation for an air show, her plane failed to pull out of a dive and began to spin, causing Bessie to be thrown from the plane, 2,000 feet above the ground, killing her instantly. She was 34 years old. (x)

[geekeccentric]

Pacific Rim Review

Jaeger Image source: https://www.facebook.com/pacificrimmovie?fref=ts

Pacific Rim:A rift has opened…

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[iraffiruse]

[geekeccentric]

If only one wasn’t born in the States this would be totally awesome. Now just sorta awesome.

[ajoconnellish]

I actually think they were both born in the States. #sadbuttrue

[femfreq]

Men grow up expecting to be the hero of their own story. Women grow up expecting to be the supporting actress in somebody else’s… I refuse to burn my energy adding extra magic and sparkle to other people’s lives to get them to love me. I’m busy casting spells for myself.

- Laurie Penny in her excellent article I was a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (via femfreq)

[ajoconnellish]

BRIDGEPORT -- As a young reporter for the Boston Herald, A. J. O'Connell passed the considerable time she spent on public transportation people-watching and allowing her imagination to run wild.

OMG. My old newspaper - the one I worked at for a billion years - interviewed me. Better than being interviewed by the Times. (Although I wouldn't turn that down.)

[dresdencodak]

Why Cleavage is Bad for Crimefighting

[ajoconnellish]

THIS.

[ajoconnellish]

Return of the Post-It Note book-signing! (And authorgraph.)

To celebrate my release date, I’m hosting a second week-long virtual book-signing! If you buy The Eagle & The Arrow e-book and want it autographed, I will happily sign it for you. How, you ask? Magic? Well, kind of.

There are two ways for me to do this: one way is through Authorgraph, a free service that allows readers who bought an e-book to request a signed page that is emailed to them. If you want an authorgraph go to the site, and click “request authorgraph” and the site will send you a page with my signature and a message to you and you alone. It’s a free service. Did I mention that it’s free? I’m also going to be doing this live from my iPad at events with wi-fi.

The other way I can sign your e-book is by Post-It Note.

Yes. Post-It Note. Allow me to explain:

Last year, when Beware the Hawk was launched, it was e-book only. Someone asked how I could sign her book if it was an e-book. And then it hit me:

I realized that I don’t need to have a physical book to have a signing. In fact I don’t even need to be in the same room with everyone to have a signing.

Instead of signing books in person, I told readers to send me their addresses. In return, I sent them Post-Its, so that they could stick those babies on their Kindles/Nooks/phones/tablets while they were reading my book. And that’s what I’m doing again.

If you buy an e-book and you want an autograph on a special yellow Post-It Note, send your mailing addresses to annjoconnell<at>gmail<dot>com. (Just until June. 18. Or until my Post-Its run out. I have a lot though. Just sayin’.)Then keep an eye on that mailbox.

Next up this week? A virtual reading on YouTube. I’d better put on some make-up or something.

[geekeccentric]

DVD Day - 6/11/13

Checkout the DVDs released today.

Photo courtesy of: Disney Studios

Oz the Great and Powerful

An…

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[mhysas]

In this mysteriously leaked DVD commentary for Season 4 of “Game Of Thrones,” author George R.R. Martin drops some MASSIVE plot bombshells. You’ve been warned. [x]

[ajoconnellish]

Ooh. King Slayer. I love that band.

[flapperorslapper]

Doctor Who Cares? - A spinoff in which all is right with the ladies’ storylines and they take custody of the TARDIS every weekend to explore the universe together

[ajoconnellish]

Can I please see THIS Dr. Who spinoff? I mean, with River, Sexy and the Doctor Donna, they don't really need The Doctor, do they?

[heymonster]

[ajoconnellish]

Strong Female Characters by Spencer Salberg (heymonster)

prints are available here.