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

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Weekend Linkee-poo is just procrastinating

Words of advice for the mid career, a Season in the Show.

One-hundred and seven ironclad rules for writers. "30. Start with the acknowledgments page, so that you always know who you’re disappointing on your bad writing days." Also "101. Write to displease whatever god you believe in." (Grokked from Vince, I think)

Good writing vs talented writing. Note, Mr. Delany says nowhere that talent is inborn. (Grokked from Tor.com)

Twelve fundamentals of writing the other. (Grokked from Tor.com)

When graphic design goes wrong. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

The problem of the golden handcuffs. Been in that position. What they don't talk about is that it's not only just wanting a change, but being stuck in a job that insults your being as a basic level.

Ancients. A video of the night sky. This, friends, is why our ancestors worshiped objects in the sky. This is also why modern people go sky watching. (Grokked from Mrs. Tad)

Radiolab update on famous tumors. Now with updated data from the study of tumors inflicting Tasmanian Devils.

An NPR story following up on that unfortunate slip of the truth from the Ford executive. Yes, Virginia, car companies are watching you.

The Getty release their backlist for free. (Grokked from Sarah Goslee)

And just in case you're belaboring under the delusion of the low-tech farm. Know why there was an rural electrification program.

A problem of their own making. All my libertarian friends, please take note. Look, roads should be a public works project (except during land development, but then the developer should build to zoning regulations and the majority of them have the intent of ceding the roads to the municipality). And now villages are facing the dire consequences and the inevitable crash that comes from modern political philosophy (ie. libertarianism and conservatism). Roads only last so long before they need maintenance, and for economic reasons roads in the US tend to need more work than roads in other first world nations (basically crappy zoning and planning). The residents of this Chicago community are going to pay for the roads one way or the other. They can either ban together and pay a little each year, or they can remain separate (and "FREE!") and pay a lot every ten years or so. Plus, the one resident who says they don't want to pay for roads they don't use… that's hilarious. Tell you what, make sure all the services you have (garbage, gas, electric, UPS, USPS, etc), and all your driving, only uses your private roads when then come to you. They can't go anywhere else, and must leave by your private roads. Have a fun time starving. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

"The visual displayed on the screen, though, shows just why some think Fox News is only pandering to and ran by those suffering from low IQ scores." On a recent poll, 137% of Jerselites respond about Christie and the bridge closing. This fake poll might have a variance of ± bullshit. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

It's all fun and games until you rip the country asunder. Glenn Beck starts to come to grips with what he has done. It's a twelve-step program, apparently. Fuck you, Glenn. Your "uniting" language was still pretty divisive. (Grokked from Jim Wright)

Jim Wright on Fox News, Christ Christie, and the impending 2016 Elections.

Be careful of what you wish for. In this case, Mike Huckabee wants us to have the discussion about how since Democrats want to give women access to birth control paid by their insurance we're really disrespecting them and calling them sluts. This isn't the first time I've heard this new Republican talking point about, "let's have that discussion because WE (conservatives) WIN on it." Uh, yeah, conservatives, let's talk about women's issues. I dare you. I triple-dog dare you. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

Don't know much about History… (Grokked from the Slactivist)

The problem isn't so much that the Iowan Republican Party posted it, it's that much of the GOP believes it (for reference I'll point to the majority of hosts on Fox News who have blathered the exact same sentiment). (Grokked from John Scalzi)

"What’s wrong with thinking is that we have not, of course, been fighting any kind of serious war on poverty for five decades. We fought it with truly adequate funding for about one decade. Less, even. Then the backlash started, and by 1981, Ronald Reagan’s government was fighting a war on the war on poverty. The fate of many anti-poverty programs has ebbed and flowed ever since." The War on Poverty was mostly a success. I am a success story of it (free lunch program, assistance to poor families, college grants at a time when they meant something). There is still poverty, which means we still need to fight this war, instead of modern politics which wants to fully reverse course instead of starving the programs. But then, modern conservative politics have been pushing the temp worker revolution since the 70s and blocking minimum wage increases for about the same time. Although, they're getting more vociferous and mean-spirited. (Grokked from the Slactivist)

Tweet of my heart: @BadAstronomer Were you born > 1976? 2013 was the *37th* year in a row of above avg heat, so you’ve never experienced an avg year.

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