...like judging sex by what is left behind on the sheets afterward

This was Cory Doctorow's comment on fan fic. His view was that the doing of it was at least as important as the end result. This was in response to a criticism that fan fic is unlikely to result in great literature.

Fic writers? Do you agree?

(More Nippon 2007 reportage to follow.)

Impressions of Japan

As different as Japan is from England, some things were more striking than others.
( more about Japan )

On our penultimate day in Japan, Japanese Tolkien enthusiasts in the Gandalf Café fed us hobbit snacks and lovely coffee, and then took us out for a feast in the evening. I can't remember enjoying a day more.