A review of the recent ebook reprint of my short story "Hitching to Aurora" — I think they liked it.
Style is Story is Style — Jeff VanderMeer is wise.
Launch Pad 2011 is open for applications — Astronomy workshop for writers. I did this in 2008. It was an awesome experience.
From Lab to Red Carpet — Actors who are scientists. Fascinating. (Via David Goldman.)
History of Computers: An Infographic — In case you were wondering. (Via @glynmoody.)
A Window Into the Nuclear Future — TerraPower — with the backing of Bill Gates — has a radical vision for the reactors of tomorrow.
Peeking past Rhea — Bad Astronomy with a ridiculously awesome Cassini photo of two of Saturn's moons.
Blood Spatter Breakthrough For Forensic Scientists — Working out exactly where projected droplets came from using their spatter pattern has never been possible...until now.
As Regimes Fall in Arab World, Al Qaeda Sees History Fly By — Al Qaeda and the current unrest in the Middle East. Interesting piece.
The Wisconsin Lie Exposed – Taxpayers Actually Contribute Nothing To Public Employee Pensions — Facts are so inconvenient. Look! Bill Clinton!
More Bang, Less Buck than You Thought — A Tiny Revolution on the stimulus and government spending. I especially like this bit: [W]e talk about government "spending" as though the dollars pour out and into a black hole. This is certainly true for a couple of holes in Asia, but in other cases it's quite mistaken. There are many instances where government outlays may best be understood as investments – and we should talk about them in this way. If only this country had a reality-based political discourse.
The Vacuous Accusation of Elitism — Speaking of non-reality based political discourse. One of the most powerful men in the country, speaking to a group of Republican donors who probably paid thousands of dollars for a seat at the fundraiser, calls public employees unions the "privileged elite." For that matter, does anyone remember John "I don't know how many houses I own"/"Son of an Admiral" McCain calling Obama elite? "Elite" is another base-enraging scare word like "socialist" that the Right has redefined to mean "anyone I don't agree with."
?otD: Who done it?
3/1/2011
Writing time yesterday: 1.75 hours (3,000 words on Sunspin, a bit of WRPA)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 6.25 hours (solid)
Weight: 251.8
Currently reading: Dead Iron by Devon Monk