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, January 27, 2012

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)

2 comments:

Nathan said...

I have to admit, every time I think about Newt's friends serving as witnesses, I've got this creepy mental image of a few rows of folding chairs set up at the foot of his bed.

Steve Buchheit said...

See, I keep going to the Robin Williams sketch about how your penis is your best friend and only real character witness you could call at a trial. "Mr. Phallus. What do you remember about the night of the 5th?" "I don't know. It was light, it was dark, it was light, it was dark."