Linkee-poo goes to the doctor

and this is what he say… not my Achilles Tendon, but where it joins to the muscles. That means no surgery, I'm okay with putting weight on it and driving (yippie, what I had been doing anyway), I should wear my boot (from leg break), and use crutches to support my walking for a while. No dancing, but good news. I'm looking at a few months at most (supposedly). So yeah.

But since I had a long doctor's appointment today, my internet time is almost all used up.

The rules of magic for many of the well known fantasies. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Kameron Hurley on the self-sabotaging writer. Lots of good things exposing a lot of neurosis writers face and the difficulty of accepting success. Hmm, missed her at Confusion, but then I missed a lot of people at Confusion. Her latest book did get some buzz play, though. (Grokked from Jennifer Jackson)

Some ol' timey steam heaters for your Steam Punky goodness.

Writer Unboxed is looking for your vote on their logo. As a design snob, I'm not entirely in love with any, but I can see which one I like the most.

A letter from a former slave to his old master. (Grokked from matociquala)

Things that burn my ass

Gee, it couldn't have been about raising money, could it? And it's not like Gov. Brewster ever got things wrong before. Look, we can disagree all we want, but can you imagine the conservative outrage and blustering if this had been a Democratic governor and a Republican president? I mean, Rush would have had to go back on the oxycontin after blowing an artery. Fox News would be running it 24/7 about how "those dirty liberals disrespect the office of the President" (how do I know this? because I lived through the aughts and I have a memory of when they said that). Now? Crickets. Well, no, actually it's getting play that Gov. Brewer gave it to the President good. Tell me again how this isn't a show of hypocrisy? Tell me again how this isn't dog whistling? 'Cause I keep forgetting.

Actually, I just keep going back to this.

Linkee-poo for a gimped out Monday

Ken McConnell talks about using repetitive tasks to facilitate daydreaming. Using prayer beads can also induce the same state, it's a form of "waking" meditation (or, in the case of Ken's lawn mowing, "walking meditation").

Karl Schroeder talks about one of his day jobs (that is, being a futurist). Specifically in regard to future scenario planning and Shell Energy's "Scenarios to 2050". And then how that research should be applied. This is good for both the writer, and as an insight into the energy struggles we see all around us these days.

John Scalzi reminds us why print is called ephemera. I point this out one, because John is a Very Smart Fella/Gal™ and two, it's one of my obstacles on the next novel. I think when I decided on Bladesman I went into the project with the mindset that is wasn't going to mean much. With Post-Rapture Industries I'm reaching for the brass ring that Douglas Adams left for us. I've already accepted I can't do Douglas' humor (it is very much based on a "magical SF" premise I can't bring into my story). Now I just need to get my head around, "It'll be fun for me. Might make some friends laugh. That's good enough." Instead of the "ZOMG, best. novel. EVAR!"

Another article on the ocean acidification. But this time, we now can see the extent has gone beyond natural variability. Also note the paragraph that discusses plakton's need for calcium carbonate, which is directly assaulted by more acidic waters. Say, what happens when the plankton population crashes? (Pointed to by John)

Ferris Bueller gone commercial. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

It's time we stop, hey… WTF?

Gingrich telling you to be wary of all "those elites" in Washington and elsewhere (most notably, Mitt Romney) is like the wolf warning you about the foxes in your barnyard. Gringrich, if you'll remember, once had a half million dollar credit bill (not credit available, but stuff he and Calista ran up and then paid off) at Tiffanys. You know, the store that's right next to the TJ Maxx. Not. But part of that is an attack on the President, who was a Constitutional Law professor. While Newt was a History Professor. Or, you can think of it that Obama taught the class most lawyers will use regularly in their professions and Newt taught the class you had to take in college to get your degree, but never really liked and complained you'd never use. A PhD in history makes you uniquely qualified to, what, teach other people to have PhDs in history? Who is the elite here?

Linkee-poo gimps to the beat

On declining book advances. While some of those people they're talking about would skew Tobias' advance survey toward the top end, I have a feeling the entire industry is skewing downward. Goes to prove the old adage, don't quit the day job. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

A businessweek article on the truth about the rich and job creators. "The annual earnings of people like me are hundreds, if not thousands, of times greater than those of the average American, but we don’t buy hundreds or thousands of times more stuff." And it's the consumers who help create jobs. Also there is the discussion about how taxing the wealthy to give breaks to the middle class and to create infrastructure builds the economy, and so the profits that go to the rich. Also there's a lot in there that I've pointed out before about how the historical data disproves the lie of "taxing the rich less creates jobs and prosperity." (Pointed to by Sheila)

Tobias Buckell talks about what happens when you drink pop.

Well, it appears the GOP finally realizes that Citizens United is a bad decision. Too late. I'm sure once their wives and daughters' lives might be in jeopardy from ectopic pregnancies and other birth problems they'll also decide to go forward with the abortion even though they've help trash any abortion rights in this country for everybody else. Just like Ricky Santorum did. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Linkee-poo hobbles through the day

A discussion of writing with, around, because of, and inclusion of music.

Because it's important to me now, Chuck Wendig's 25 things writers should know about agents.

And this just in, still no voter fraud in South Carolina. Look, it's becoming clear that voter ID and the other "anti-fraud" voter laws going around are only there to suppress voter turn out (among mostly Democratic voters). Can't we all call it that way now? Of course, it goes against the stories we tell ourselves that the one party that claims to be true Americans, and democracy's greatest defenders are actually the ones who are more than glad to dismantle the whole system to get their way. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

John Scalzi points out the flaw in the American Pricing system. It's examples like that that come to mind whenever I heard some business apologist talk about how companies aren't exploitive, provide product at the lowest cost possible, and are on the consumers side because "if they (screw the consumer over) they would be out of business." See also "free market economics."

Paul Krugman on some obvious things, which apparently are not so obvious to the reality disfunctional conservatives in our midst. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Things aren't exactly the way conservative wing-nuts think they are? Could have knocked me over with a feather. There's this concept in some urban fantasy were two world (fairy and the real world usually) overlap and some people can see both. More typically they mistake what's happening and merge the two. I have a feeling a lot of this conservative blathering is exactly like that.

And just why do conservatives hate liberals so much (if you want to debate the point, go google the GOPAC memo first and then try and make your point)? Well, it could be because of this. (Grokked from Absolute Write) And here I'll point (again) to Eric's great post on defining liberalism (and libertarianism).

Tobias Buckell shares a lecture from Neil Degrasse Tyson demonstrating how much the US has fallen behind in the basic research of innovated science. Wake up call? Yes. But only for those people in a science based world.

Pop goes the calf muscle

Well, that wasn't any fun at all. Last night, while bending over to give a welcome home kiss to Bette, my calf muscle popped. Not good. When I wasn't able to move my foot in a dorsiflexion manner while standing up without massive pain an hour later, it was time to go to the urgent care (before it closed).

Fifty dollars (our copay) and an hour and a half later and I have a prescription for Tylenol #3 and an order to see my orthopedist. The urgent care doc was pretty sure I did something to the Achilles Tendon, but couldn't determine the extent of the injury. But at this point we're discussing a healing time (and crutches) between a few months and half a year with possible surgery. Since I don't have weakness, we're hoping it's not going to be surgery.

I hate being laid up. And using crutches in the house sucks. Not to mention, it's my right leg, which means driving is going to be a problem. And did I forget to mention that since it's not been cold enough, the predominate weather condition on the ground equals slush. And all my classes are on the upper floors (but fortunately there are elevators).

Linkee-poo pets the wolf at the door

Mary Robinette Kowal gives the month of letters challenge. I have to admit, I still get a thrill when I get a letter in the mail. (Grokked from Kelly Swails)

John Joseph Adams gives a run down of professional writer workshops.

The first episode of Helljumper based on Tobias Buckell's novella "Dirt" is live. Go watch if you like 1) military SF, 2) HALO, 3) semi-pro movies. It's just amazing what you can do these days without a large budget. Now, to my eyes, I often see the FX in movies, even the big blockbuster films. So I'm probably not the best person to judge, but some of their FX are pretty damn good.

Nathan pretty much nail the Newt, "Shocked, shocked I am…" response to being asked about his former wife's contention he asked for an open marriage (to validate an illicit affair that had been running for 6 years at that point). I wonder if all his "close friends" we the same ones who didn't tell his wife that Newt was screwing a staffer behind her back?

More urban archeology, this time on an abandoned theater in New York. (Grokked from Camille Alexa)

Repeat it with me, using the voice of stoner Jeff Spicoli, "Carbon-dioxide is an acid, man." (our A&P prof used to have us do that) Specifically, it is the first two (out of 3) reasons we breathe. To expel CO2 and regulate our pH. See, the ocean is this great big buffer for heat and aerosol chemicals. But here's the thing about buffers, while it takes a whole lot more acid to affect the pH level when a buffer is present, there comes a point where the buffer is all full up. pH drops precipitously right after that point. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Since I bash the TP for many things, I'll praise them when they work toward their goals. Here's a story nominally about Newt Gingrich, but it's more about how the TP is changing the Republican Party. Now, here I could remind people about how the TP initially said they weren't party people, or conservatives in general. Or bang on about how Newt is dog whistling he way through the primaries. Instead, "Hey, look, the TP is changing the way the GOP operates. So they're sorta achieving one of their goals." (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Linkee-poo was killed by a cellular phone explosion, they scattered his ashes across the ocean

EPIC Confusion epic link wrap-up. And finally, because it's my blog and this is all about me (damnit), Dr. Phil took a great pic of me in "relaxation mode" (see earlier link), but I like this one of me photobombing Christian Klaver the best. In fact, I think when I see someone photographing me in public (that tricky Al was sneaky and got me when I was looking for a few others in that collection) that I'll go for the photobomb look. (note to self, ask for permission to use photos as icons)

Cherie Priest wins the internets. How cool is that to have a tactical vest with "writer" on it? Now, if it was flame-proof, we should all just hand over the keys and go home. I mean, a lot of us lusted after one since dreamboat wears on on "Castle", but we didn't put the cash on the line as it were. Not that I think labeling yourself a writer will really help in public, in fact doing so might require wearing a bulletproof vest.

Jodi Meadows on why I ditched my draft. I'm facing the same issue with PRI. And I think that's part of my stalling. I know I should start from scratch, but just can't get over that hump. (Grokked from matociquala - whom I also wish I could have spent more time with at Confusion)

Part of why I loved HOW Magazine was their annual design salary survey. These days there's lot of tools for that (for regular salary, see indeed.com, which is also a cool jobs aggregator site), but for real specifics you have to go to industry sources (and design is notorious for underpaying people).

And speaking of income, kicking off what I hope will be another informative season of sharing, Jim Hines shares his writing income. Thanks, Jim.

Eric goes with the funny again, posting Newt Gringrich's appearance rider (a list of rules for Newt to appear).

And speaking of Eric, he let's us know there are a couple of fruits inspired people creating a Randian community. So, I have just one question. Instead of voting people off the island, can we vote to send people into the "Gaultian Years"? Also, I predict that "some salt-flat land in Texas" will soon replace "swampland in Florida" and the running real-estate joke.

Look, conservatives, when you keep doing this it's hard not to paint you as racists. "Oh no, the Arizona Immigration Law isn't racist." Okay, time to call bullshit on that. Because, when they came for the Latinos, we all had better speak up or it's us next. (Grokked from Rae Carson)

All that damnable government regulation interfering with business, how's an airline to make a profit when gubberment keeps standing in the way (of them ripping off the public with misleading ads). I mean, what's next, requiring food to not contain pathogens? Madness.

The GOP's crackpot agenda. Because I read it in the Rolling Stone. I think I've pretty much hit on all these points throughout the year. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Tweet of my heart:
@neiltyson: Of course the volume of that pizza is: V = pi zz a "@Maz_Man_Utd: what about pizza volume if radius = z and thickness = a?"

Linkee-poo has a new computer and a bright future in sales

Hard work versus working hard as it pertains to writing, the history of writing and novel, and to other things in general. Slightly on the side of "wtf are they doing with all those words when only 150 would do", but entertaining and somewhat enlightening. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

On creating languages in fantasy. (Grokked from Elizabeth Shack)

Nick Mamatas with ten bits of advice writers should stop giving to aspiring writers. As with all writing advice, YMMV. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

The 8-bit Generation. Back when we wore bearskins and used flint knives to put our bits together. (Pointed to by John)

And speaking of 8-bit computing, do you have a little hacker in the house? Well then, you could do worse that get them the maximite computer. It's like the computer us warheads used to use back in the day, but updated for modern peripherals and less than $10. And it comes with a BASIC compiler. (Pointed to by John)

Urban hacking for the sheer joy of it. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

Evolution, the greatest show on Earth.

When design goes bad. Have the aspirin ready to view that logo. It's going to hurt. Hey, whomever vomited that one out, um, you might want to look at color theory and realize what causes visual dissonance and why that can hurt your eyes (it's a feedback loop of signals in the eye). Anyway. Bad designer. No cookie. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell who sent it from Ferret Steinmetz)

Oh no, Citizens United couldn't possibly help one party more than another, could it? And Justice Scalia continues to remind me why he's a d-bag. Sorry, Scalia, there was a ban. But because you happen to think that the corporate fiction of personhood should extend all citizen rights to said corporation, mixed in with your radical philosophy that money=speech, and you helped create this madness. You don't get off the hook that easy. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

"He made Alinksy sound like a Republican." Not Obama, but Mitt Romney's father. (Grokked from Jay Lake) And if you want some other info about Saul, here's a Marketplace interview about him. Shouldn't be read by those who wish to have a boogieman to fear and have problems with reality. "Bob Bruno: You know, the Tea Party is definitely a very interesting phenomena. In many ways the leaders of a multitude of community groups have been trained in the theories and strategies that were developed by Saul Alinsky…" Heaven forfend.

We are the true Americans. Thanks, Mitt, for giving the satirical song from Christine Lavin more truth.

Tweet of my heart:
@splinister: Reminded of excellent quote from Get Shorty: "I once asked this literary agent what kind of writing paid the best." he said, "Ransom notes."

A Confusion of Pictures

I is tagged! And I tagged right back, only harder.

Well, the Mayans did think the world wouldn't end anyway

Actually, the Mayan calendar resets. But, for those of you feeling smug because you already knew that, do you know what the actual Mayan prophesy for the coming cycle really is? It isn't a fun time. A horrible leader arises who takes society down and dark road of war and economic ruin. And, no, I'm not making that up. Of course, they have 12 years to do it in. And thinking of such…

It's been noted that with Ginrich's win in SC last weekend, Democratic operatives have been having wet dreams for the last few days thinking about the prospect of Newt leading the ticket. Of course, I have a few thoughts. One, we shouldn't get cocky. After all a serial adulterer who is so far up into Washington politics he "get's tickled" every time DC has it's prostate examined (according to Jon Stewart) won a state that's highly social conservative and family oriented by running as the outsider. That, my friends, is some serious crack. Two, Romney took home about the same percentage as he has always been polling (mid to upper 20%). Newt's "surge" was a product of "the other Non-Mitt" candidates falling by the wayside. And finally, for my conservative friends, all your front runners are morally and politically compromised. Seriously, this is the best you all can do? Hell, save yourselves the money and just concede now.