It's a happy book day for Jim Hines' Libriomancer. I heard Jim read from this at Penguicon. It sounds fantastic.
Because there's been a lot of talk of the boorish behavior of people (or just person) at Readercon, we should also talk about the good things regarding fandom. In this case fans stepping up when Neil Clarke suffered a heart attack. The good thing about fandom and cons are that this story is more prevalent than the previous story. (Grokked from Tor.com)
An NPR story on why jokes are funny. So I guess I should stop worrying about trying to make everybody laugh and just go for those people I know who will probably buy my story because of it being funny (I hope).
Ten literary devices and where you can find them in SF. Just so you can appear all literary at the next party over the beer and chips. Although I do take exception to their example of "stream of consciousness." Bowman isn't having a trip without leaving the farm when he stares into the depths of the open Monolith. When things get all technicolor and paint swirly is him traveling through hyperspace, to where the aliens behind the technology live. They give him their best approximation of a full life and then rebirth him as the star child and return him to Earth only moments after he is drawn into the Monolith (where he then stops WW III by detonating and containing the nuclear weapons with his mind). But I can see where you might have missed that part watching the movie while toking. (Grokked from Tor.com)
2012 ain't what it used to be. That's several SF/F authors predicting 2012 from 1987. Although, as they say, it rhymes quite strongly. (pointed to by Dan)
A rule of names. I did a lot of research for Bladesman which portrays a California that is very much less Anglo and more Japanese/Chinese, Hispanic and Russian (although more Anglos than Russians). All of those cultures have distinctly different naming conventions. I've been quite happy than none of the beta-readers have had a problem with the names (except for one Russian name, which it helps to have someone who has actually studied Russian culture and language read your work - waves at Dave Klecha). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The only moving pictures of Mark Twain. You know, until we get the video from the time machine to work. (Grokked from Tor.com)
CBS is releasing Star Trek Original Series posters executed as period pieces. Now that would be a commission I would kill for. (Grokked from Tor.com)
So, just after NASA posts a video of a 13 minute except of the live stream of the Curiosity landing, Scripps News sends a DMCA take down notice. Classy. Hey Scripps, you may want to look at your license to use that video before doing stupid things like thinking you own it. more about it here. (Pointed to by Dan)
The LOLs of Mars. (Grokked from Joe Hill)
"You get to thinking, maybe letting people vote is the Achilles' Heel of democracy." Eric on some of the stupidity that is winging about this election season. When I hear things like this (the NPR story Eric refers to, yes, I heard it on the radio) it makes me wonder if the Mittster isn't on to something with his own idiotic stances. He might be swinging hard for the, "I'll vote for him cause he's just like me" crowd (meant with the several interpretations of that phrase of Kin and Kindship).
In Louisiana they're giving taxpayer money to religious schools. Here's 14 items that are normally taught to those children. Your tax dollars at work. Ah Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Books, pouring poison into children's ears for the better part of a quarter century. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Oh Missouri, do you really have to? Seriously, while I don't want it to happen, I hope the first time a non-Christian is offering a "corporate" prayer and is stopped or interrupted that they sue your ever-loving asses off. As to "no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his or her religious beliefs", good luck with that. Have I ever told you how my God doesn't believe in performance evaluations of any kind, tests included? Tell you what, just put up signs on your borders saying, "We don't want your stinking Enlightenment here."
"This is the second mass murder by gunfire here in a month. Is it time to talk about gun control yet?" Not until the gunfire is within the halls of the NRA. Only then will they realize, "Holy fuck, we oughta do something about this." Right now the people being killed are the right people, ie. not anybody the NRA and conservative law makers really care about. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Think I'm being over dramatic with that? While I don't want to speak for him, that's pretty much what Fred Clark is saying in his last paragraph.
Ever hear about any of the children of color who go missing every day? No? You can see them, sometimes, if you pass through the doors of WalMart or Sams Club. But let a cute white kid go missing and it's a national debate and obsession.
"I’d have understood (the cry of our "downward spiral of morals) sooner if they’d have just been clearer and had explicitly said what it is they’re really upset about — all these uppity women, black folks, gays and infidels walking around as though they were equal citizens."
The real thing that distresses me about the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky and Readercon scandals is the persistent thought I have of, "Didn't we deal with all this in the 80s. Do we really have to go through this again?" And the answer is obvious, "Yes. And yes, because the lessons didn't stick and didn't go deep enough."
Well, this explains a lot. That's an animated gif showing the rise of high frequency trading from 2007 to the present. Looks a little like a growing fire, doesn't it? (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Tweet of my heart: @cakemittens: "A2, Brute?" - Caesar playing Battleship
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