[links] Link salad in the laneways
A rather thorough report on my Au Contraire writing workshop
Vintage ad: Universal Food Chopper, from 1890s
Nasruddin and Road Rage — A Sufi teaching story that touches on how we drive.
Microwave-Powered Rocket Ascends without Fuel — A scale model is further proof that beamed-energy propulsion works. Shades of Project Orion?
Is Believing In God Evolutionarily Advantageous? — Hmm. (Via garyomaha.)
Hitchens Replies With Wit and Logic — Christopher Hitchens has a new piece at Vanity Fair about his fight against cancer and the craziness it is inspiring in others. He cites this blog post by one of the righteous…
Noted anti-global-warming scientist reverses course — The liberal conspiracy claims another victim, thanks to those pesky facts biased against conservative beliefs.
Republican Runs Street People on Green Ticket — This is how you run elections when you’re a morally and intellectually bankrupt party. If Republican ideas and policies could stand on their own, this stuff wouldn’t be needed. Are you proud of your Republican party?
?otD: Have you ever seen a wallaby?
9/8/2010
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (AussieCon 4)
Body movement: tourism walking to come
Hours slept: 9.25 (solid)
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a
Yesterday’s chemo stress index: 3/10 (fatigue, peripheral neuropathy)
Currently (re)reading: The Judas Rose by Suzette Haden Elgin
Tags: Conventions, Culture, Food, Links, Personal, Politics, Religion, Science
Posted: 3:04 pm Tue September 07 2010 | Comments(1) |
[travel] Visiting Greater Batmania
Closed out the con yesterday. Exhausting. I am off today with and to tour the countryside in search of wildlife. isn’t feeling her best, so she is staying in Melbourne. Tight schedule this morning, but watch for photos here later.
Tags: Australia, Calendula, Conventions, Travel
Posted: 3:07 pm Mon September 06 2010 | Comments(0) |
[conventions] AussieCon 4, Day Four
Yesterday was great good fun. Had a panel on post-steampunk, spent time at BarCon, and, of course the Hugos. Even with a nap, I spent the pre-reception largely sitting down. and I did the Campbell presentation to the lovely and talented . I even managed an hour or so of the loser’s party. W00t.
A combination of short sleep and morning commitments mean the usual blogging is deferred. I’m off in a bit for an interview, a kaffeeklatsch, and an informal signing. Then more BarCon, followed by Dead Dogging. Tourism tomorrow and Wednesday, after that we’re back home across the Big Water.
Tags: Australia, Awards, Conventions, Travel
Posted: 4:12 pm Sun September 05 2010 | Comments(0) |
[conventions] AussieCon 4, Day Three
Another good day yesterday. Had a panel on steampunk that went well, then a signing next to George R.R. Martin. See this hilarious photo. I have no idea what was actually going on in that moment, but I look like I’m in extreme pain.
Nice lunch with dave_gallaher and dinogrl, then back to the hotel for my usual nap. (Sigh.) We hied off to the bar, then to a rather curious dinner in good company, including several Not Usual suspects (seanan_mcguire, Hugo (and Nebula) nominee Will McIntosh, carolryles and A.A.A.). Strange stories were told concerning long pig franchises, carnival junk yards and fatal pornography fires, among other thing, Moreton Bay bugs were eaten (though not by me!), I had an odd food reaction that featured undulating floors and a vanishing South Asian gentleman, then danjite got the entire meal comped.
Back at the bar things turned into something of a who’s who of speculative fiction, but I turned into a pumpkin and headed for a long night’s sleep, leaving calendula_witch to hold down our partying responsibilities.
Today a panel on what comes after steampunk, then the Hugos with all they entail. Will be a difficult but fun evening for me, methinks.
Tags: Australia, Awards, Calendula, Conventions, Food, steampunk
Posted: 4:07 pm Sat September 04 2010 | Comments(1) |
[conventions] AussieCon 4, Day Two
Good day yesterday. I had a panel on pacing with Peter Brett, Howard Tayler and Carrie Vaughn. That was a fun group to work with in front of an audience. And quite the large audience, as well. See here and here for audience reports. Later on I did a reading, attended by 12 or 15 people, including a very buff-and-cool looking andyhat.
Otherwise the day was lunch with Carrie Vaugh, a kangaroo steak dinner with calendula_witch, danjite and khaybee, and of course BarCon in the Hilton with the usual suspects. Very nice conversations with Carol Ryles and Paul Haines there.
Mostly, though, I was tired. I did manage to stay up until 9. Today, a panel on steampunk (real soon now), and then a signing wherein I will be sharing a table with George R.R. Martin. That ought to be interesting. Otherwise, catch me in the Hilton bar.
Tags: Australia, Calendula, Conventions
Posted: 4:03 pm Fri September 03 2010 | Comments(0) |
[links] Link salad learns Strine, eats kangaroo steak
yuki_onna on the glamour of being a writer at an overseas con — As has oft been observed, one of the paradoxes of developing a meaningful writing career is that the issues which are problematic to the writer begin to seem ever more odd to non-writers.
Detective Storytelling — Art guru James Gurney deconstructs the narrative of a painting. As a writer, I use narrative to create pictures. I love this kind of parallax view of the creative process.
The babbling phase: ranting toddler speaks out
WWII Poster: Are You Helping? — I love this image.
The New Science of Network Archaeology — …a powerful tool that is likely to generate some interesting new insights into the process of evolution, not to mention the history of the networks.
Beck-MLK flow chart — Because Glenn Beck is the white MLK. (Via lt260.)
Top 10 Reasons for Higher Taxes on the Top 1%
?otD: What’s the Australian word for beer?
9/4/2010
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (AussieCon 4)
Body movement: convention walking to come
Hours slept: 8.5 (solid)
This morning’s weigh-in: n/a
Yesterday’s chemo stress index: 4/10 (fatigue, peripheral neuropathy)
Currently (re)reading: The Judas Rose by Suzette Haden Elgin
Tags: Art, Conventions, Cool, Culture, Language, Links, Personal, Politics, Process, Tech
Posted: 3:53 pm Fri September 03 2010 | Comments(1) |
[conventions] Where to find Jay at AussieCon 4
I will generally be in the Crowne Plaza bar, I believe, when not on programming or otherwise engaged. If you know me well enough to have my American cell phone number, I can be texted via that number. (Please don’t call except in emergencies.)
Programming:
Friday
12:00 noon – Room 211 – Keeping Pace: Maintaining Momentum in Fiction
4:30 pm – Room 207 – Reading (30 minutes)
Saturday
10:00 am – Room 213 – The Steampunk Playground
12:00 noon – Room 201 – Signing
Sunday
11:00 am – Room 219 – Anachronistic Fiction: Successors to Steampunk
2:00 pm – P2 – Hugo Rehearsal
7:00 pm – P2 – Hugo Awards
Monday
12:00 noon – Room 201 – Kaffeeklatsch
See some, all or none of you here!
Tags: Australia, Awards, Conventions
Posted: 5:53 pm Wed September 01 2010 | Comments(0) |
[travel] In Oz
In Oz, at the Hilton South Wharf next to the convention center here in Melbourne. No time for the usual bloggery this morning. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves. I’ll report in when I can.
Tags: Australia, Conventions, Travel
Posted: 3:59 pm Wed September 01 2010 | Comments(0) |
[conventions] Au Contraire Day Three
Had a good day today at Au Contraire. We were a little rushed in the morning getting out in time for breakfast prior to my 10 am workshop. The first two places we tried were closed, so I declared a punt and we went to eat the hotel. Food was mediocre, service was terrible. The workshop, however, went very well.
After a longish break spent chatting with the lovely and talented E— (whose LJ handle I will eventually dig out of my memory) and a sort-of light lunch at Southern Cross, we made it back for my kaffeklatsch, then my reading which I shared with Juliet Marillier. Ms. Marillier read a fantastic short piece which resonated very deeply for me. After that I’d thought we were going back to chez spector-khaybee for some down time, but due to a miscommunication calendula_witch and I were marooned in the hotel lobby for an extra 45 minutes. I pretty much collapsed then, and wound up dozing until we were rescued and brought home, where I slept some more.
calendula_witch is off now to a largish dinner with Our Hosts at someone else’s home, which I bowed out of due to exhaustion. We have plans to go a-touring through backcountry tomorrow, and I’d much rather have a quiet evening and an early bedtime so I can have suitable energy for that project. Having a great time, but the jet lag and the post-chemo fatigue are intersecting in some odd ways.
Wellington is lovely, I have yet to meet a New Zealander I dislike, and I’m very glad we’re here.
Tags: Calendula, Conventions, New Zealand, Travel
Posted: 11:08 pm Sat August 28 2010 | Comments(3) |
[conventions] Au Contraire Day Two
Jet lag and overscheduling have swallowed my available time. We are off to brunch shortly, then I have a 10 am workshop at Au Contraire. Yesterday included me hosting the charity auction, a panel with , and a NZ fan on reading science fiction, and much excellent food and socializing. More today, but I am running late, so you will have to imagine.
Tags: Conventions, New Zealand
Posted: 1:04 pm Sat August 28 2010 | Comments(1) |
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