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

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Linkee-poo is one more day closer to the weekend

Looking at my numbers, it seems like a number of you who came over from Jay Lake's link salad link to my post on cancer are still about. Welcome. Glad you found something worth your while here. Thanks.

Jay Lake is open for questions.

The poem from today's Writers Almanac is especially funny (in regards to writing/being an author).

Teresa Nielsen Hayden does a good job of outlining the Jane Yolen/Ron Johnson brouhaha.

During this Saturday's performance of Context 24, L.E. Modeste will be played by John Scalzi. I went to Context last year and thought it was a nice little con. I'm avoiding them this year in my quest to "Not Be a Poser" or I might have gone back.

The Onion AV Club on long-running fantasy series. (Grokked from Tor.com)

Stephen King throws his hat into the ring of left-wing radio (okay, well, Green Radio). "LaMarche (the host of the show, apparently Stephen looks like he's footing the bill on his radio station) said the show would be targeting politicians who bully Maine residents – in particular those struggling with the welfare system… King (said,) 'There are some people who deserve to be taken to the woodshed from time to time.'" Yes. That. (Grokked from Eric)

The Beloit College mindset of the class of 2015. (Grokked from Dr. Phil, the original one, not that poser on TV)

School funding in PA cut so much by the conservative Governor they're turning to sheep to keep the lawns cut. "You know, nothing says '21st century global superpower' like schools turning to sheep because they can’t afford lawnmowers." (Grokked from Steven Gould)

Because I'll want to point to it later, the Bad Astronomer on the closing of "Climate Gate." There's lots of links in there regarding the actual, you know, science based evidence on global climate change. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

In case you're belaboring under the delusion that global climate change just means that here in NE Ohio we'll have Florida weather (which we won't, BTW), an NPR story on how El Nino/La Nina events relate to conflict. Correlation is not causation, but the evidence is now starting to look a lot stronger that the two (climate change and conflict) are related. A statistical doubling of a chance/instance is very significant.

A link to the actual story that I gave a bookmark for yesterday, the Fresh Air show on the new Dominionism (in the guise of the New Apostolic Reformation) and it's connections to Rick Perry (and Sarah Palin). Yes, Virginia, there are freeze-dried whackaloons who want to turn our country into a Theocracy. Of course, their outward story is they want to bring about the End Times (hint to dispensationalists, we already are in them, Nero has been dead for centuries).

What could go wrong with creating a hybrid PAC that can act as a regular PAC and a Super PAC all by just keeping separate bank accounts. Because, you know, when they spend the Super PAC money it'll be completely independent of the candidate/issue, but when they spend the PAC money they can work closely with the candidate. I mean, everybody is able to compartmentalize like that.

This is the problem with the modern conservative movement, they never learn from their mistakes. Instead we end up fighting the same political battles over and over (and over…).

2 comments:

Dr. Phil (Physics) said...

You are "Not a Poser". Go to Context. Or Windycon. Or Confusion. Or Worldcon in Chicago. Whatever you need to do to recharge the juices and get some connect time.

If you want. But you're "Not a Poser".

This blog is evidence.

Dr. Phil

Steve Buchheit said...

Hey Dr. Phil, when I started into this thing I read a lot of posts (on writer's blogs) about an author who talked about writing the "greatest fantasy novel evar" so was able to get on panels, hung out, did all the starting writer things. Then, I guess, he started trash-talking the industry and it became clear he wasn't really writing that novel. It maybe one of those "you never know what words (as a teacher) you may say that influences people" things, but I've just had an abhorrence for being "that guy." I'll feel better about it once I have this rewrite done and I'm flogging the bushes for agents with it (and, the big thing, writing the next one). I wanted it done by end of last year, then June of this year, then by start of classes… now I'm working on structures that will allow me to finish this one AND start the next one. It's just I haven't been able to carve that much time out to do it this year.

When I realized that around March I started having the worries of, "OMG, I am that guy." They had been there for the past year, but I just got hit with it big time right then. I want to be working harder as a writer before I start "doing the writer thing." So this summer and fall, no conventions (I am cheating by going to two retreats, thank you friends!). I am planning on being at Confusion, but I debated a long time if I was going to offer myself for programming.