The Baby Carriage in Speed

I’ve watched Speed countless times in the last 25 years, and it took until NOW to realize Annie doesn’t actually say she’s a psychology researcher.

“…relationships that start under intense circumstances never last … I’ve done extensive study on this.”

My head canon is better.

This is the second time Speed has illustrated the gulf between my emotional reactions and those expected from neurotypical people for me.  The first involves the bus running into the baby carriage full of cans.
Continue reading “The Baby Carriage in Speed”

The Paladin Who Wanted Loot

Back when I did regular World of Warcraft raids, there was this one guy in the guild who said after beating the big boss, “I hope he drops paladin gear!” He was a paladin.  I think about this a lot. See, everyone got mad at him. But… I mean… it’s what we were all thinking?

If you weren’t hoping the boss would drop gear you wanted… what were you doing? This was back when raids took HOURS of sitting around and waiting, because you had to coordinate FORTY people, most of whom could barely play.  You didn’t do it if you didn’t want the loot. Continue reading “The Paladin Who Wanted Loot”

Pegacornus Rex

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Daily Science Fiction, September 2014

“Mom! I made myself a birthday present!”

Marla realized that she’d left the 3-D printer running.  She’d been up late synthesizing a chef-bot she’d found the pattern for online.  Sure, she could have just baked the damn cake for Leia’s tenth birthday party herself, but the chef-bot would do a better job.  And it was programmed with the recipe for homemade hard candy — she could put that in the piñata she’d printed up. Continue reading “Pegacornus Rex”