I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, March 15, 2013

Linkee-poo, paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creap

Kristen Lamb wants you to know that "psychic vampires abound in the arts, and they’re also prevalent in many writing groups." While I think she's describing "special snowflakes", I have to save I've run into several psychic vampires in both writing and design. Everything is about feeding their egos, and not about the work. Once you've identified one, run away.

Writer takes typewriter to Starbucks and starts an online row. Actually it reminds me of Harlan Ellison writing while sitting in a bookstore window. Reading the story, though, reminds me that, yes, writing on a typewriter is very different than our modern word processing tools. However, there's nothing preventing developers from mimicking some of the advantages a typewriter has in software (like not being able to edit other than the line you're on easily, although that is only for later typewriters… my first typewriter didn't have an erase ribbon). I'm looking at you, Literature and Latte. Seriously, it could be very much like a "Write or Die" function. That'll cure that pesky editor. And it's not like you couldn't turn it off if you really needed to (maybe set the function to last for two hours, or until you restarted the app). (Grokked from John Scalzi who wants to remind you, you're not fooling anyone when you take your laptop to a coffee shop)

Help Random Michelle K pick a name for Ricky Martin's little siblings. Ricky is a metal chicken, btw. But don't fret, Michelle is open to listening to bribes to win the contest.

How the word has changed, St. Peters Square 2005 and 2013. (Grokked from Dan)

"When asked why he writes strong women characters, Joss Whedon, writer of the Avengers, answered 'Because you have to ask me that question'." On why we don't have superheroine movies. Plug this into the "girls can't be geeks" submeme and you can see just how far we've come. You haven't come a long way, baby. Why is that? Because stupid men make stupid comments like "boys won't go see movies about girls/read books written by girls/root for strong female characters/" whatever other bullshit you want to put there. The Real He-Man Woman-Haters Clubs are still in full swing. (Grokked from Tor.com)

Fred Clark has a great set of links that outlines the state of "gender equality" in the US today.

To quote a Tweet: "The award for Best Dad Ever goes to this guy, who saved his son the worry of coming out, with this heartwarming note." (Grokked from Phiala) Also noted today, our conservative Ohio senator, Rob Portman, has changed his stance on same sex marriage. He now supports it. Why? Well, his son came out to him. Strange how when people we know and love are hurt by our "strongly held" idiotic, ideologic positions we can abandon those positions. Rob voted yes on a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage. Rob also voted to ban same sex couples from adopting. Well, that only took two years from when his son came out. As Jay Lake says, "(N)o one likes the results of conservative policies when applied to them personally. Especially not conservatives themselves."

"It’s not that Finkbeiner objects to drawing attention to successful female scientists. She’s produced many of these stories herself. The issue, she says, is that when you emphasize a woman’s sex, you inevitably end up dismissing her science." The Finkbeiner test. (Grokked from Cat Rambo)

It's called de-extinction. And it worked. For ten minutes (actually not bad for a first run). (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

Ukrainian attack dolphins on the loose, and apparently looking for a good time (although there's later reports that this may be a hoax). (Pointed to by Dan)

"In the modern-day insurance industry, it is illegal to redline by race and ethnicity… but it is perfectly permissible to redline by ZIP code… And wouldn't you know it? Price-gouging rates tend to target ZIP codes with a disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minorities." Also, having worked in the marketing space, we can define a lot by zip code. And if we know your zip code, and street, we can actually calculate the probability that you may need something like flooring tile, including the style, manufacturer, and selection of tile. Yea, industry doesn't need any stinking rules or regulations. (Grokked from the Slactivist)

Take back your lunch break. Yea. That'll happen.

"Fair is a place where they have ponies and merry-go-rounds." Some one tell me why the ass that said that shouldn't be placed in stocks on the public square for general ridiculing. Still think the rich are just like you and me? Okay, how about knowing that the ass-that-said-that's bank makes most of its profit from the public largesse. Understand when conservatives talk about never closing any tax loopholes, they're protecting that kind of racket. (Grokked from the Slactivist)

You know how I've said that the Pro-life crowd really isn't anti-abortion, but more concerned with rolling back feminism and the sexual revolution? Yea, apparently many of the major proponents also know this and say so when they think they're only talking to the faithful.

3 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

:D

John the Scientist said...

Having worked in the marketing space as well, I know you can tell a lot about an area by ZIP, even more with the ZIP+4, and this stuff goes all the way back to the late 1980s.

I live in a solidly Furs and Station Wagons ZIP, but I'm still a Shotguns and Pickup Trucks demographic, with some overtones of God's Country thrown in.

Steve Buchheit said...

Random Michelle K, no worries.

John the Scientist, thanks for that laugh.