And this is what I have to look forward to next week—oodles of making. Thanks, Scott.
__________

Tags: work, nonsense

Wikipedia helpfully lists all of the Asterix books in the correct chronological order, rather than the one imposed by the publishers. That's good, because there is a clear development in the visual style of the books, and sometimes even the story. For example, the Gauls venture further and further afield over the course of the first few books; in Asterix and the Golden Sickle, Lutetia (Paris) is considered a long and difficult journey—but if you've been reading according to the publisher's order, they have already visited Egypt and Rome by that point. In the same book, Getafix is planning to visit the annual conference of the druids; the next book, Asterix and the Goths, is concerned with his kidnapping at that conference. The publisher's order inserts a volume between those two books, thus breaking the story continuity.

But what Wikipedia doesn't include are the various short stories—compiled in Asterix and the Class Act—in a chronology with the main books, which would be useful for anyone wishing to read the everything in the original order. So here's one, correct as far as I can make out from both the English and French Wikipedia sites. Short stories are shown in italics; books are shown in bold.

1. Asterix the Gaul (1959-60)
2. Asterix and the Golden Sickle (1960-61)
3. Asterix and the Goths (1961-62)
4. Asterix the Gladiator (1962)
- i. Birth of an Idea (1962)
- ii. Obelix's Family Tree (1963)
5. Asterix and the Banquet (1963)
6. Asterix and Cleopatra (1963-64)
- iii. Press Conference (1964)
7. Asterix and the Big Fight (1964-65)
- iv. How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy (1965)
8. Asterix in Britain (1965-66)
- v. Springtime In Gaul (1966)
9. Asterix and the Normans (1966)
- vi. Asterix and the Class Act (1966)
10. Asterix the Legionary (1966-67)
11. Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield (1967)
- vii. For Gaul Lang Syne (1967)
12. Asterix at the Olympic Games (1968)
- ix. The Mascot (1968)
13. Asterix and the Cauldron (1968-69)
14. Asterix in Spain (1969)
- x. Asterix as you've never seen him (1969)
15. Asterix and the Roman Agent (1970)
16. Asterix in Switzerland (1970)
17. The Mansions of the Gods (1971)
18. Asterix and the Laurel Wreath (1971-72)
- xi. Mini Midi Maxi (1971)
19. Asterix and the Soothsayer (1972)
- xii. Latinamania (1973)
20. Asterix in Corsica (1973)
21. Asterix and Caesar's Gift (1974)
22. Asterix and the Great Crossing (1975)
23. Obelix and Co. (1976)
- xiii. In 50 BC (1977)
24. Asterix in Belgium (1979)
25. Asterix and the Great Divide (1980)
26. Asterix and the Black Gold (1981)
27. Asterix and Son (1983)
- xiv. The Lutetia Olympics (1986)
28. Asterix and the Magic Carpet (1987)
29. Asterix and the Secret Weapon (1991)
- xv. Birth of Asterix (1994)
30. Asterix and Obelix All at Sea (1996)
31. Asterix and the Actress (2001)
[32. Asterix and the Class Act (2003)]
- xvi. Chanticleerix (2003)
- xvii. Obelix: As Simple as ABC (2004)
33. Asterix and the Falling Sky (2005)

NOTES:

• Dates are according to first publication; for books 1 to 20, the date is based on the serialisation in Pilote.
• It seems that Obelix's Family Tree was published in parallel with Asterix and the Banquet.
• The text of How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy was originally published in Pilote in 1965; the book currently available was first published in 1989 and includes new artwork.
• The story Obelix: As Simple as ABC is included in some newer editions of Asterix and the Class Act compilation volume.

Well, I think that's everything...
__________

Tags: nonsense

Surreal, Scott. Sometimes I feel like a lump of wood, too.
__________

Tags: nonsense

Just got my first (hopefully!) free beer for playing an instrument during the Jakelwood Folk Club… Although whether you could really call it 'playing' is open to debate ;-)

On a related note, Gerry—the leader of the folk club—seems to have realised that by 'being late', Maika did not mean that she was pregnant.
__________

Tags: nonsense

So there I am with my girlfriend on the station at Naumburg, and I am accosted by an amiable drunk who seems fascinated by the fact I’m English. Fine, whatever, discreetly move to a carriage further up the train when it arrives. But my friend is now moving along the train, and eventually settles not far away, talking to the Russian woman opposite him. I should note at this point that he seems perfectly capable of speaking several languages, and well. Noticing me again, he takes a renewed interest, and proceeds to offer me wisdom relating to a number of issues. First of all, German is a very important language, as so many other European languages are derived from it, and German women are tall.

Next, he tells me that German women are dangerous because they just want a man with a well-paid and steady job. Finally, just before he leaves the train, he tells me that he has just decided on the name of the first son that my girlfriend and I will have together.

Winston Aurelius Maximilian.
__________

Tags: nonsense