Linkee-poo closes out (2014) with a whimper

To say things over the holiday have been hectic is to give new meaning to understatement. I hope you all have had a better holidays. To give you an example of just how it's been, Bette and I still haven't had our Christmas, yet. The gifts are still wrapped under the tree. Since I doubt I'll have time today to do much more reading, we'll just close out here. See you all on the other side.

Fifteen ways to write a novel. Read everything, keep what works for you, toss the rest.

A BBC Theme Park? Were you too kind rise the Downton Abby, um… something. And wait, isn't that a Star Trek Emblem in that one rendering? (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

Trains. Trains with frickin' lasers. Using lasers to clean the tracks for high speed trains. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

Oh, Michelle Bachmann, don't you ever change. You'll always be Crazy Lady to me.

You can park where you please and you won't get towed

Merry Xmas.

For the Lord God, omnipotent, reigneth

A Century Ago

IIRC, the "Christmas Truce" lasted longer than one night, and it took forces on both sides rotating their troops out and replaced with fresh ones to start the war again. It's hard to kill the other when the other is a real person to you.

Linkee-poo, 3 things make a post version

Lots of things happening today, so probably not much time to read or gather posts (actually the same is true until the middle of next week). Hope you have a great holiday.

Interesting, Charles Dickens' notes on how to perform his A Christmas Carol. Even back then artist understood the performance of their written work was necessarily different from the written word. (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)

And, speaking of Neil, his I, Cthulhu. For your holiday enjoyment. (Grokked from tons of people)

One of the reasons progressives like the President. Of course girls like basketballs and Legos. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

Everywhere you'll find pieces of Cupid and Comet

Linkee-poo clears the baffles before Xmas

Just saw the last Hobbit movie. WTF? Okay, I understand that movies are different than books (why the Battle of the Five Armies needed to be longer than in the book). But by the third "poetic justice end" it was getting a little boring. Just like we used to only have unrealistic gun combat with the unending number of bullets, now we have completely unrealistic hand to hand combat. Seriously, I (again) understand that we're dealing with Hero Level characters, but come on here. Plus it's damn obvious that Bob Anderson is dead (really, there aren't other weapons masters out there that can help directors understand just how sword play and knife fights actually work). And lets not get started on Legolas jumping on falling stones until he could reach solid ground. Yea, not happening. But then, much of that fight sequence was completely unbelievable. And then there's the anatomy problems. Apparently Orcs' fontanels never close. And how is it Galadriel and Elrond can go anywhere without their army or at least some retinue? Let's not talk about how the Wizards weren't sent to directly fight, but inspire Men and Elves to fight (and slightly tip the balance in their favor). Oh, and Galadriel does that whole "evil green light thing" just a little too much.

And let us not discuss the coming attractions which seemed to be going for the Award for Most Times the BRAM Sound Could Be Inserted in a Trailer (one had music that was mostly BRAM). Also, pretty boring movie line up. Can we all agree that the "loser schlub who can't tie their own shoe laces is actually the child of a secret agent and they also have super secret agent fighting skills" is the movie version of the fantasy trope "farm boy is actually the king".

So, you think you're having a tough time breaking into writing? How about these stories from well established authors about their worst moments. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

To dudebros everywhere. On how to learn empathy from reading period romances. Hahahahaha. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

"Ferlinghetti should be read as a subversive act…" Hells Fucking Yea. (Just a hint that I love me some Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and now I might have to dig out my books of poetry).

What tidal-power turbines look like, out of the water. Well, here's a green power technology Bill O'Reilly can get behind. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

A quick history of American-Cuban relationships. As for a certain senator bashing the Obama administration for coddling dictators, just WTF do you think Batista was? Sure, he was "Our Man in Havana", but he was a dictator.

North Korea's internet connection is having problems. They must have switched to Comcast. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

I'm sure one side of the "us vs them" argument over cops versus the public isn't just making shit up. Nah, they wouldn't do that. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

And Darryl Issa's fishing trip to find the connection between the IRS BOLO lists and the Shite House comes back empty. Surprise. Well, not really.

Christ Child Lullaby

Nobody knows the words anyway

Ring out these bells, ring out, ring Solstice Bells

Merry Solstice, everyone.

Hear their voices ringing down the ages

Aw, come on now, they're my icicles