If you tried to send me a tree by email

And I didn't acknowledge it or if you got a bounce message--it seems that my ISP is arbitrarily deciding that this spate of messages I've been receiving lately must be spam because after all, who would want send an email to me? I mean really.

So, here's a way I've found to get around this high-handedness: If you want to send me something via email, please a comment to this post with your email address (all comments are screened and will not be unscreened). Then I will send an email to you, and you can attach whatever you would like to send me and hit "reply," sending it back. This should get through.

Thanks, and sorry for the frustration.

The management.

Edited to add: I have also changed the journal settings so that now I can receive anonymous comments. So you can participate even if you don't have an LJ account. Thank you everyone. I have been truly touched by your response to this project. Here is the original post, anonymous posters, if you want to drop an additional comment there--you can do so now.

Potter Noyz has set up a supplemental page

Potter Noyz has set up a supplemental page, the "Weasley Is Our King" Fan Club where (if you have a MySpace account) you can download a couple of tunes they've done in conjunction with The Department of Rock. Episode 6 of the Potter Noyz podcast is also up: you can subscribe through iTunes.

I really rather like Potter Noyz. Some definitely above-average songs, and if you follow the podcast you'll see they're not just a band, they are a whole plotted story about what has happened to Harry and friends after book 7, including a developing mystery about why other wizard rock bands have been disappearing; and they're trying both to promote reading (as other wrock bands do) and charitable work.. Nice work.

As always, please comment if you listen and like.

Wow . . . a Flickr picture right out of my book

Someone made a picture that's right out of The Wild Swans. She entitled it "Leda," though. Wrong story, but oh, the picture is so, so right.

Speaking of The Wild Swans

I haven't looked at the reviews on Amazon for a while. I'd missed this one, which was posted in January, 2007 and is, uh, rather scorching. It sums things up thusly:

"I would have never picked up this book if I had known what the subject material was. I was expecting a nice Swan story. So if you are looking for a happy book, look elsewhere."

I will admit that I did want The Wild Swans to be sort of a stealth book, which would be picked up by mistake by at least some people who never would have touched a book with THAT subject matter. But it appears, based on the reviewer's comments about the "self-righteous, selfish, lying clergy with their foaming at the mouth followers," that she sorta missed the point.

No. No, put the onus where it belongs, Peg. Instead it's more accurate to say that I simply didn't succeed at what I set out to do. With this particular reader.

*shudder*

Hello, lurkers!

Since I've thrown open this journal to anonymous commenters once more (at least until the spammers find me and start being annoying again), I'd like to send a friendly hello and why-don't-you-please-introduce-yourself to the lurkers out there. How did you find my journal, how long have you been reading, and what keeps you reading? Do you have a blog yourself on another site, if you're not on LiveJournal? Don't be shy--I'd like the chance to say a proper "hail and well met." And thank you for reading.

Same goes for those of you on LJ who haven't yet spoken up yet. Seize the day and say hello.

Minnesota DFL Politics: The Senate District Convention

I attended the Minnesota DFL Senate District convention yesterday. I was contemplating with some gloom the rather daunting task of writing up the experience but hah! I don't have to! Because naomikritzer did such a fine job of reporting it already.

I ended up in the Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer/Single Payer Health Insurance walking subcaucus. We ended up sending two delegates. Really, Minnesota DFL politics can be quite entertaining. Read Naomi's report to get the skinny. Yay, I have done my civic duty, but I'm not progressing on as a delegate to the State convention.

I suspect that at least some of you are rather privately relieved.

Improv Everywhere does it again

Improv Everywhere [improv_evrywhre] did another glorious mission: staging an actual musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. Read the report here and enjoy the video.