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| 2009-11-25 04:57 |
| [links] Link salad goes ungently into the unsweet night of surgery |
| Public |
| books, cancer, funny, health, links, madness, personal, photos, politics, reviews, rocket, science |
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A reader reacts to my 2005 novel Rocket Science [ Powell's | Amazon ] — I think they liked it.
Cheryl Morgan reviews Madness of Flowers [ Powell's | Amazon ] — Note the comments section, she's playing an utterly lovely game with a short passage from my book.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) plunderpuss finishes my medical forms — Hahahah.
joshenglish and Mrs. joshenglish drop by with a lovely parting gift — Hilarious.
SMBC on the topic of lung surgery — An odd resonance in today's comic reading, given where I'm headed this morning.
Nothing to Sneeze At: Doctors' Neckties Seen as Flu Risk — Heh. I knew I was on to something with this whole Hawaiian shirt thing.
APOD with the ice fountains of Enceladus — Wow wow wow.
Hacked E-Mail Is New Fodder for Climate Dispute — Well, this is not good.
Everybody flipflops on the filibuster of judicial nominees — Ah, principled consistency in politics.
?otD: Will you miss me when I'm gone?
11/25/2009 Body movement: n/a (surgery prep) Hours slept: 6.25 This morning's weigh-in: 236.2 Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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| 2009-11-23 05:41 |
| [links] Link salad stares down the barrel of a difficult week |
| Public |
| books, cool, culture, green, links, nature, personal, photos, politics, reviews, science |
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The Torque Control post on my book Green has spawned a fascinating coments section — Go check it out. I'm not saying anything there for obvious reasons, but I'm pleased and a bit amazed at some of the careful consideration of my book going on.
Company Wants To Drill For Whiskey Lost In Arctic — (Via @GreatDismal.)
The Secret World of Naked Snakes — Fun wih nature.
A closeup of Enceladus' icescape — Wow. Wow. Wow.
On the Anniversary of Kennedy's Death, Extremism Lives On — the paranoid strain in the American polity has reasserted itself — that strain which ascribes the worst possible motives to one's political opponents, and where lies abound and violence becomes possible Hello, GOP.
?otD: How manic is your Monday?
11/23/2009 Body movement: 60 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.25 This morning's weigh-in: 236.2 (!?) Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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| 2009-11-22 05:31 |
| [links] Link salad hears a high lonesome sound |
| Public |
| art, books, calendula, cool, links, personal, politics, process, religion, reviews, science, stories, videos, writing |
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A bit more on Interzone 225 — With novelette "Bone Island" by calendula_witch and me.
Get Fuzzy on the perils of authorship (again)
The Extraordinary World of Ex Libris Art — (Via Dark Roasted Blend.)
Best Use of Exploitative Tactis — Drawn! with a very strange, short animation. Cool, and vaguely NSFW.
Cassini buzzes Enceladus once again — Mmm, photographic goodness.
Why do we hate? Academics seek answer in new field — (Via Freakonomics Blog.)
JFK nephew barred from communion: report — Mmm, I loves me some separation of Church and State. And what is it about religious people that makes them want to force the rest of society to abide by their particular beliefs?
?otD: Do you feel like you're king of the hill?
11/22/2009 Body movement: 120 minute suburban walk (about to depart) Hours slept: 6.25 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (not yet) Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. — Kameron Hurley riffs on a recent comment of mine about copy writing vs fiction writing.
Two Lumps does steampunk
The Emerging Field of Biophotonic Communication — The growing evidence that cells communicate with photons is generating an exciting new field of research. Wow is that is that strange.
"RuBisCo Stars" and the Riddle of Life — Plus a really cool iPhone app. Centauri Dreams gets jiggy with the interstellar communication.
52% of Republicans think Obama was not legitimately elected — WTF? And don't try to tell me this compares to Bush v. Gore - the issues there were sufficiently legitimate to wind up before the Supreme Court, which made a self-admittedly flaky decision (viz their instructions that the ruling was not to be used as precendent). This is trial by FOX News and conservative paranoia. Not to mention which the numbers don't even begin to hold up on the face of it.
Gingrich warns GOP of dangers of extremism — Much like Howdy Doody warning of the evils of puppetry, methinks. Or possibly Joe McCarthy being alarmed about the impact of Red baiting, to use a more Republican-focused analogy. Newt bears as much responsibility as Lee Atwater and Roger Ailes for creating the psychotic mess that is the modern GOP. Now he's sorry?
?otD: Who are the three men you admire most?
11/21/2009 Body movement: 60 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 7.0 This morning's weigh-in: 234.8 Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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A reader reacts to Green [ Powell's | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Borders ]
SFWA with a podcast of the Google Books Settlement panel I was on at WFC
The Polish Army in France — WWI poster from Vintagraph.
What the Future May Hold — Bob Herbert on infrastructure. What he said. "Deferred maintenance" is one of the worst ideas our business and political culture ever had.
Thomas Friedman on why it doesn't matter whether or not you believe in global warming — He's right, but I'll add that not believing in global warming is like not believing in evolution or gravity. It's happening regardless of what your wilful blindnesses may tell you.
?otD: Who was she watching, anyway?
11/19/2009 Body movement: 60 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: 234.0 Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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My largely complete 2009 bibliography, for all your gift giving, award nominating or reading completist needs [ jlake.com | LiveJournal ]
The Curious Threshold For Creativity — A new model of society suggests that we should spend no more than 50 percent of our time being creative. Hmm...
God, the Army, and PTSD — Is religion an obstacle to treatment? Tell me again why faith-based programs are such a good idea?
[Rhode Island Governor] Carcieri vetoes bill allowing partners to plan funerals — That's what I like to see, family values hitting teh gay where it hurts them the most. Hey, conservatives, are you especially proud of this one? This is exactly what you vote for, every time.
Save yourself! — Jihadism as a response to American anti-terror campaigns, and the value of protest. Whatever your politics, this is worth reading.
?otD: What is the name of Orion's dog, anyway?
11/16/2009 Body movement: 60 minute urban walk (San Francisco hills!) Hours slept: 6.25 This morning's weigh-in: 233.5 Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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jaborwhalky with Jay Lake Dorito noodle doom mac and cheese — A recipe in honor of my cancers.
Charles A. Tan with a takedown of International Science Fiction Reshelving day — What he said. (Via Andrew Wheeler.)
Superconductors to Wire a Smarter Grid — More than you probably wanted to know about the US power infrastructure. Still, cool stuff.
Bad Science on the Iraqi bomb detection wands — This is as insane, and in its way deadly, as Thabo Mbeki's AIDS denialism. US conservatism have their global warming denial and evolution psychoses, liberals have their antivaxers, but it's nice to know that antiscience lunacy is not just for Americans.
China's fear of a black president
?otD: Which way to Pismo Beach?
11/15/2009 Body movement: Not yet, but upcoming 60 minute urban walk (San Francisco hills!) Hours slept: 5.75 This morning's weigh-in: 236.5 (!?) Currently reading: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
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| 2009-11-13 02:46 |
| [links] Link salad flies transcontinental |
| Public |
| art, books, cancer, culture, green, links, personal, photos, politics, reviews, science |
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Call for masks — A way of sticking it to my cancer.
Strange Horizons reviews Green [ Powell's | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Borders ] — Not so much with the liking of the book. No, no, not at all. In great detail, at length with the not liking.
Mercado de San Marcos: 1890s
The Speed of Online Conversation — The Web, Twitter, and you.
Rosetta takes home some pictures — Bad Astronomy with some serious wow factor.
Backward star ain't from around here — Fun with astrography. (Snurched from the Twitter feed of @jstephenyork.)
Hoekstra Helps Al Qaeda — A Republican congressman gives aid and comfort to the enemy. Waiting for the media explosion... waiting... waiting... (Just as a thought experiment, imagine if Barney Frank had done this.)
?otD: How many dances can an angelhead pin?
11/13/2009 Body movement: n/a (airport walking) Hours slept: 6.25 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (traveling) Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-11 03:27 |
| [links] Link salad thanks a veteran |
| Public |
| art, books, cancer, conventions, escapement, green, links, personal, politics, reviews, tech |
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Call for masks — A way of sticking it to my cancer.
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books gives a shoutout to Green [ Powell's | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Borders ] — Jay Lake’s Green has one of the most wonderful new female protagonists I’ve read in a while (Thanks to Cora.)
Foreign Service Journal reviews Escapement and Green here and here — (Thanks to my Dad.)
Google Dashboard: Now You Know What Google Knows About You — Um, yeah. (Thanks to lillypond.)
The Very Serious Paradox — The Poor Man institute calls out conservative doublethink on the role of government in society. (Admittedly not hard to do, but this one's still a doozie.)
?otD: Who will you thank for Veteran's Day?
11/11/2009 Body movement: n/a (traveling) Hours slept: 5.75 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (forgot) Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-10 05:36 |
| [links] Link salad follows the example of the comic-paper idol |
| Public |
| books, cancer, cool, funny, green, health, healthcare, links, madness, personal, photos, politics, religion, reviews, science |
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The Dragon Page reviews Green [ Powell's | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Borders ] — (Thanks to brent_kellmer.)
A reader reacts to Madness of Flowers [ Powell's | Amazon ]
Jay Lake, Religion and a Benediction — Shlomi, on my cancer.
TWA Mechanics from Outer Space — Hilarious photo, ca. 1941.
Saturn After the Equinox — Another APOD image that will take your breath away.
1962 textbook, When You Marry — Check out the excerpted material on class differences in child rearing and sex. It's creepy.
SMBC on the perils of evolutionists — Heh.
Antihealthcare Reform Idiocy — Oh, wow. Money shot: "When I need health care, I pay for it out of pocket," he said, adding that he did not fear the possibility that an accident or illness would leave him with unaffordable bills. "I'm a Christian, so I'm not afraid of death," he said. Good luck with that.
?otD: How thick are you?
11/10/2009 Body movement: 90 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: 234.0 Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-09 05:41 |
| [links] Link salad looks toward Philadelphia, blinks into the rising sun |
| Public |
| cool, culture, funny, links, personal, photos, politics, process, science, sex, tech, writing |
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Foob on writers — And our "temper mental" selves.
Lucy Knisley on memories of childhood sexuality — Oi. Quite something.
Another fabulous WPA poster on Vintagraph
Dieselpunk Bomber — Mmm.
Martian Landscapes — Boston.com's "The Big Picture" with a roundup of some of the recent, stunning Mars photography. (Via Bad Astronomy.)
A Tiny Revolution on Reagan and the Pakistani bomb — Yep, those Republicans, always looking out for national security. And principled, too! Nothing to see here, citizen, move along.
Unclear on the concept of separation of church and state — Several Democrats, including Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pennsylvania, said they are in touch with their Catholic bishops back home. Altmire said he must have the approval of his bishop in Pittsburgh before he can vote yes. Nice to know that there are some Democrats who hold Constitutional principles in as high regard as their GOP colleagues.
Paranoia Strikes Deep — Paul Krugman on the American Right. He says something I've been saying for years, albeit far more elegantly, in the money shot: ...the G.O.P. has been taken over by the people it used to exploit.
?otD: How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
11/9/2009 Body movement: 15 minutes of stretching and meditation, 30 minutes on stationary bike Hours slept: 5.25 This morning's weigh-in: 233.0 Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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I've been a bit distracted lately, oddly enough by healthcare, or I'd have had more to say about the HCR process in the House. There's lots to say now, much of it complaint. What the hell ever did happen to single payer, given that the Dems negotiated that away all by themselves? Why was the dreadful, pathetic Stupak-Pitts amendment even allowed to enter the process? Is the Senate serious about the six-month waiting period for the Public Option, which protects insurance companies while (sometimes fatally) victimizing voters?
But you know what? A few years ago we were debating whether to privatize Social Security. Now we're complaining that the proposed Public Option is flawed.
Guess which argument I'd rather have. Victory in politics is ever transient, but I think, for now at least, that sanity, goodwill and reason have prevailed. A hell of a change after all those years of Republican governance.
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Mitchell Hooks’ Fabulous 50’s Paperback Covers — Very nice stuff linked through from this post on Drawn!
Little but fierce — Ah, Criggo, thy clippings make me laugh until my bladder threatens.
A Common Nomenclature for Lego Families — An interesting article about how children name things. (Via Language Log.)
You Sir, Have Offended My Honor — Ta-Nehisi Coates on bigotry, with sourcing from Brian Chase.
64 Democrats on the Wrong Side of Stupak-Pitts — I expect Republicans to vote in favor of forced pregnancy and government intrusion in private life. Those are among the most cherished conservative principles. But Democrats? I'm sure you guys are proud of yourselves, and that just makes me even more ashamed.
?otD: Who will stop the rain?
11/8/2009 Body movement: 2 hour, 30 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: 232.4 Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-06 05:40 |
| [links] Link salad sidles toward another weekend |
| Public |
| art, books, conventions, cool, healthcare, links, nature, personal, politics, reviews, science, steampunk, stories |
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METAtropolis [ Audible.com | Powell's | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders ] reviewed here and here — A mixed bag, at least for my story.
catrambo reports on the reading tonight here in Portland — I've dropped the ball on promoting this, but 6:30 pm at the Press Club in SE Portland, with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif) jeffvandermeer, catrambo, tattoo artist-turned-author Jeff Johnson and my own bad self.
Goth scuplture — In an earlier sense of the term. Cool stuff. (Thanks to willyumtx.)
Sketching the Mechanical Elephant — No, that is not a euphemism. Art writing art Guru James Gurney on the giant mechanical elephant.
England's Ancient Ridgeway Trail — Mmm. Want to go. Someone want to invite me to a UK Con as GoH so I can do this stuff?
Dark Red Spot Found on Kuiper Belt Object Haumae — Wow.
Anonymous Doc on the divergent experiences of patients and doctors
Media bias in the Washington Post op-ed page — Liberal media much? I like his phrasing, one of those outlets typically counted as part of the "Liberal Media" by right-wing self-victimizers and their media amplifiers.
?otD: Would 'Thorax' be a great name for a villain or what?
11/6/2009 Body movement: 60 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (forgot) Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-05 05:29 |
| [links] Link salad talks to the surgeon |
| Public |
| art, cool, culture, food, links, personal, photos, politics, science, sex, weird |
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Soviet War Paintings — Some very striking art here. (Snurched from Gurney Journey.)
Sex, then amnesia...and it's no soap opera — Weird. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget, I suppose. (Thanks to mikigarrison.)
Weird Stuff McDonalds Sells Around The World — A special investigative report from Dark Roasted Blend. In case you were wondering.
A Bell Helicopter lands on a Vermont Transit Flxible Clipper — Vintage weirdness. Some things happen simply because they can. Which may in fact explain much that goes on in my life.
Mars is sublime — Some seriously cool imaging.
Some Real Mature Women, And Some More Of They Friends... — Ta-Nehisi Coates on the myth of the Golden Age. Money shot: This is a theme residing in the conservative soul--a professed, thinly-reasoned skepticism of the fucked-up now, contrasted against a blind, unquestioning acceptance of the hypermoral past.
?otD: How many lungs does one man need, anyway?
11/5/2009 Body movement: 60 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 6.5 This morning's weigh-in: 234.6 Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-11-04 05:01 |
| [links] Link salad sports a metaphor or two |
| Public |
| books, conventions, cool, culture, funny, links, personal, photos, politics, science, trains, videos, weird |
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Yokimo the Goat gets around — World Fantasy Convention from the caprine perspective.
Two Lumps takes on NaNoWriMo — With a sideswipe at Stephenie Meyer.
Bullet train patent design — Mmmm.
The Adventures of Lil' Cthulhu — Want a child-friendly way to introduce your little one to the traditions of the Old Cult? Meet little Cthulhu, who lives in the magic city of R'lyeh with all his friends, as you and your child embark on a fun and educational journey through the world of the Great Old Ones (Thanks to willyumtx.)
RearGear — The ultimate in repressed Americana. Weird. (Thanks to ginastonge.)
Glacier Man — This is very cool.
Why does driving bring out the worst in people? — I've asked this exact question a number of times. The same person who will hold the door for you at the bank will viciously run you to the shoulder in traffic.
CNBC's Darren Rovell: NYC marathon winner not a real American since he's originally from Africa — Best smackdown of Nativism EVAR. And what did you do, Darren, to become an American? You were born here to American parents - that must have been real hard work fighting your way through your mother's birth canal. I'm sure childbirth taught you a lot more about liberty and freedom than a guy who escaped a civil war to come to a land where he could be free.
Making Light with a lot more on the Meb Keflezighi story referenced above — I was struck by Abi Sutherland's comments that "Leaving the US is apparently very unpatriotic; learning about other cultures is suspect, and moving abroad all but treason". I have that problem, too, to a smaller degree. Because of where I was born and how I was raised I don't have a "home town", I'm not "from" anywhere in the usual sense of that phrase. A (former) friend back in Texas used to insist I couldn't possibly be Texan, despite six generations of ancestors there, because I wasn't born in Texas, like she was. To her logic, I'm not even American. Um, no.
?otD: Why is a strike good in bowling but bad in baseball?
11/4/2009 Body movement: 15 minutes of meditation and stretching, 30 minute stationary bicycle ride Hours slept: 6.5 This morning's weigh-in: 233.0 Currently reading: The Jade Man's Skin by Daniel Fox
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Illustrated Lord of the Flies — Wow.
B-24 Liberator with mascot
Christian Broadcasting Network Warns Against 'Demonic' Halloween Candy — Mmm, rational thought from the Christian Right.
… and the flag was still there — A photo of the US flag on the moon. Lunar landing denialists will cry foul, of course, but they're just as nuts as evolution denialists, climate change denialists and reflexive opponents of healthcare reform.
?otD: Is virtue its own reward?
10/30/2009 Body movement: 60 minute urban walk Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: n/a Currently reading: The Jade-Skinned Man by Daniel Fox
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| 2009-10-28 04:56 |
| [links] Link salad knows the way to San Jose |
| Public |
| books, cool, food, funny, links, personal, politics, publishing, science, stories, weird |
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My novella "Chain of Stars" is ip in its entirety at Subterranean
Michael Stackpole on Cory Doctorow — Deconstructing ebooks.
Cool Tools: The Geek Atlas — For all your travel needs. (Thanks to willyumtx.)
Brewster Rockit on zombies and passwords — Hah!
Animal fat mayonnaise — Ummm... (Thanks to corwynofamber.)
The strangest moments in space launch history
The Cover-Up Continues — The New York Times blasts Obama for continuing torture coverups. Come on, Obama. We elected you to be better than the other guy.
?otD: How long have you been away?
10/28/2009 Body movement: n/a (traveling) Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (traveling) Currently reading: Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox
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Boeing B-17F underwater
Refining the Deuterium Starship
Obama's foreign policy report card
Ross Douthat And The Last Crusade — Ah, reasonable conservatism.
?otD: How was your day, dear?
10/27/2009 Body movement: n/a (traveling) Hours slept: 6.0 This morning's weigh-in: 232.6 Currently reading: Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox
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1933 Walker: Fact or Fraud — Art writing guru James Gurney with a cool little squib on something downright steampunk.
The latest fashion for 1786 — Very early balloonpunk, apparently by Dr. Freud. Ah, airbags.
Intelligence Explained — Tracking and understanding the complex connections within the brain may finally reveal the neural secret of cognitive ability.
Russian historian arrested in clampdown on Stalin era — I find this sad and bizarre, but the political reinterpretations and wilful blindness in Russia really aren't that different from how our partisanship has devolved in this country. And in truth, it's no more ridiculous and counterfactual than believing we had to invade Iraq because they had anything whatsoever to do with the 9-11 attacks. (Via The Edge of the American West.)
?otD: Is there a city in your mind? Do you see it all the time?
10/25/2009 Body movement: 55 minute suburban walk Hours slept: 7.0 This morning's weigh-in: n/a (traveling) Currently reading: Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox
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