To give you an update, I have created a website for my book: prq.wheresraldo.com. A link is also located above for those of you too lazy to remember.

Recently I sent off my book to two publishers (seemingly) on opposite ends of the Earth. One went to Tor / Forge (Macmillan), based in New York and the other went to Arena (Allen & Unwin) based in Sydney. Yes, Australia. Tor says to wait for reply in 4-6 months. Arena says next week. So based on those times I got from their submission guidelines, I created countdown timers for my own amusement… Okay, I guess yours too.

Otherwise, most of this info is posted on my PRQ News site.

And now, I’m off to make burritos!

Yesterday, 5 minutes and 6 seconds after 4am was 04:05:06 07/08/09. In case you missed it, you could have caught it a second time 12 hours later (although it would have technically been 16:05:06 07/08/09, but who cares?). I won’t lie, I was sleeping the first time. But the second time, I spent that precious second watching Into the Wild (or at least one second of it).

Whether or not you recognized the synchronicity of the universe within the scope of man-made measurements, rest assured it will happen again eventually. Or, you may want to observe 05:06:07 08/09/10 next year. But, of course there is another observance for those of you who can’t wait that long: 9 minutes and 9 seconds after 9am on September 9th of this year. 09:09:09: 09/09/09. Coincidentally is the same release date as Tim Burton’s animated film 9 (trailer may be seen here), a better release date, I think, than 09/09/99… (anyone remember the hoo-hah about End of Days?)

I think too much sometimes.

I’ve usually taken pride in being able to ramble off the longest word in the English language (even boasting the ability to spell it!). People would say, “Raul, what’s that really long word?” and without hesitation I’d reply, “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.” And thus, the jaws would drop. Alternatively heads would shake.

And for you head-shakers… Yes, you may judge me; I’ll allow it this time.

However, even though it is 45 letters long, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is made up. Everett M. Smith made it up in 1935 when he was the president of the National Puzzlers’ League upon their 103^rd annual meeting. And to top it off, the Oxford English Dictionary says it’s factitious (5 points to those of you who did not follow the link).

So I looked up other long words in hopes to find the real one. And then I thought I’d share them with you because I can.

I’ll first introduce to you number 4: Antitransubstantiationalist – n. (anti-tran-substantiation-alist) One who doubts that consecrated bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Christ. Although it’s only 27 letters long, I like to give it bonus points for being 10 sylables.

3: Honorificabilitudinitatibus – n. (honor-ific-abili-tud-in-it-at-i-bus) The state of being able to achieve honours. Another 27-letter word, but I make this number 3 because it’s Shakesperean! You may find it in Love’s Labour’s Lost, act V, scene i.

2: Antidisestablishmentarianism – n. (anti-dis-establishment-arian-ism) The belief which opposes removing the tie between church and state. And who could forget the ever-popular 28-letter word?

1: Floccinaucinihilipilification – n. (flocci-nauci-ni-hi-li-pili-fication) The estimation of something as valueless. At 29 letters it’s just a bunch of latin roots with a suffix attached. “Flocci” “Nauci” “Nihili” and “Pili” all mean “little to no value.”

And although 1. is officially considered the longest word in the english language by the OED, I couldn’t help but dig up this ironic gem:

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian – n. (hippo-poto-monstros-esquip-e-dalian) Pertaining to a very long word. 30 letters, oh boy! And the great part is, you can make it longer by turning it into the fear of long words: Hippomotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia. Can you imagine being afraid to say your own fear? I imagine it would be something similar to people with lisps.