Jay Lake: Writer

[links] Link salad samples sensual tastes

Dickens v. Lawyers

A Month of General & Trauma Surgery — Excellent, moving short piece by doctor and author Blake Charlton.

What An Autopsy Looks Like — and Why You Need One — I plan to donate my cadaver to the medical school associated with the hospital where I receive my cancer treatments. (Via @marynmck.)

Tweet lightly: How social media could someday affect your credit score, insurance, and more — (Thanks to lillypond, a/k/a my sister.)

Jurassic cricket’s song recreated

Earth Station: The Afterlife of Technology at the End of the World — The Jamesburg Earth Station is a massive satellite receiver in a remote valley in California. It played a central role in satellite communications for three decades, but had been forgotten until the current owner put it up for sale, promoting it as a great place to spend the apocalypse. It stands feet from a trailer park and down the road from a Buddhist retreat. This is the story of one of the old, weird ties between Earth and space. (Via Curiosity Counts.)

Signs of Ancient Ocean on Mars Spotted by European Spacecraft

Upgrade eliminates Atlantis from Google Earth — Data glitch explanation won’t satisfy true believers.

Rabbi’s ‘Kosher Jesus’ book is denounced as heresy — Shmuley Boteach’s book focuses on Jesus’ Jewishness, portraying him as a hero who was not resurrected or divine. But some other rabbis express contempt for the book and forbid followers to read it.

Running Against America — Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Clint Eastwood Superbowl commercial. I just watched the ad seconds ago, after reading about the Republican freak-out, which I have to say is bizarre. This is the exact sort of gauzy nationalism (to paraphrase Jonathan Chait) that corporations have put out for years and Republicans have, themselves, often alluded to.

Why Mitt Romney should open up on Mormonism

Gingrich spokesman defends Wikipedia edits — While some of the changes were minor, Joe DeSantis has removed or asked to remove factual references to Gingrich’s three marriages as well as mentions of ethics charges brought against him while he served as speaker of the House. Remember kids, character counts! (At least it does if you’re a Democrat. Republicans appear to be immune to their own moralizing.)

The Citizens United catastrophe — In fact, this decision should be seen as part of a larger initiative by moneyed conservatives to rig the electoral system against their opponents. How else to explain conservative legislation in state after state to obstruct access to the ballot by lower-income voters — particularly members of minority groups — though voter identification laws, shortened voting periods and restrictions on voter registration campaigns? Nope, no activist judges in conservative America. No sirree, Bob. Move along, citizen, nothing to see here.

Tea Party ‘Is Dead’: How the Movement Fizzled in 2012’s GOP Primaries — Remember when we were being so loudly told by Your Liberal Media how the Tea Party was “independent” and “non-partisan.” Yeah. Uh huh. Funny how that worked out.

Why Romney is winning — Money.

?otd: How dark do you like your chocolate?

2/7/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.5 hours (Sunspin revisions)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 7.5 (solid)
Weight: 230.8
Currently reading: n/a (between books)

Tags: Books, Cool, Culture, healthcare, Links, Personal, Politics, Publishing, Religion, Science, Tech, Videos

Posted: 6:23 am Tue February 07 2012 | Comments(3) |

[links] Link salad awakens with slow reluctance

In case you missed it over the weekend, my new cancer tattoo: [ jlake.com | LiveJournal ] — Yes, on the back of my skull.

Christopher Walken reads Where The Wild Things Are

Antarctica – Fantastical World without Borders — An Antarctica travelog, relevant to one of my future projects. (Via bravado111.)

Avería: The Average Font — Interpolative typography. Huh. Fascinating. (Thanks to kshandra.)

Washington Park: 1907 — Detroit’s “moon towers”, as depicted here, later were sold to the City of Austin, where most of them still survive.

One’s A Crowd — The trend toward living alone?

garyomaha on working lunches, or not

Neurocinematic comparison of monkeys and humans — Spaghetti western reveals differences between human and monkey brain. Mmm, neurocinematic. I loved this bit: Like most other films, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a complex multisensory stimulus, filled with rich, operatic imagery and, of course, Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable score. It is, however, fairly safe to assume that humans and monkeys will interpret the film quite differently. (Via danjite.)

Path Is Found for the Spread of Alzheimer’s — The headline is slightly misleading, as the story refers to Alzheimer’s progression within an individual rather than to transmission between individuals. Interesting stuff.

The Komen Controversy: Planned Parenthood Claims a New Kind of Victory in the Culture War — I am baffled by the conservative charge that Planned Parenthood “bullied” Komen. What is the Right’s treatment of Planned Parenthood but bullying, if you want to frame it in those terms? More to the point, for decades the entire forced pregnancy movement is about bullying desperate, vulnerable young women and their medical providers. What else is a clinic blockade or a doctor target list but sheer, awful bullying in the name of what? The god of love? Decency? Conservative bigotry and “morals”? Can you imagine the reaction if liberal-progressives blockaded churches and targeted pastors? Project much, guys? The Right can dish it out, but they can’t take it.

A Puritan’s ‘war against religion’ — Roger Williams, the Puritan who founded Rhode Island, insisted on the state refraining from intervening in the relationship between humans and God. Freedom of religion absolutely means freedom from religion. That is the best protection any church has against persecution. Despite the modern GOP interpretation, freedom of religion doesn’t mean the freedom to exercise oppressive bigotry, narrow-minded judgmenentalism, or tear down educational and cultural standards in favor of silly mythmaking.

ericjamesstone points out that I am wrong in characterizing Romney as saying he won’t have a Muslim in his cabinet — This in connection to my comment that I thought making an issue of Romney’ religion was a red herring, until he made an issue of Islam as a religion. Speaking as an atheist, there is nothing more or less at issue with Romney’s LDS membership than there is with Newt’s Catholicism or Clinton’s Southern Baptist faith. To me, the religion of the candidates would only be an issue if there were a straightforward atheist running on a major party ticket. Which won’t likely happen in my lifetime…

Senate GOP: Activist Federal Judges Wanted — The hypocrisy of a group of Republicans who are supporting the lawsuit against Obama’s recess appointments. Republicans being hypocritical? That’s as inconceivable as the idea of Newt Gingrich cheating on his wife.

The true conservative alternative: Ron Paul? — It’s sad that conservatism has become a race to the bottom to display the most ignorance, bigotry and sheer foolishness.

?otd: Dream much??

2/6/2012
Writing time yesterday: 5.5 hours (Sunspin revisions)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 7.5 (solid)
Weight: 229.4
Currently reading: The Man in the Moone, and Other Lunar Fantasies ed. Faith Pizor

Tags: Antarctica, Art, Books, Cancer, Culture, gender, healthcare, Links, Movies, Personal, Politics, Publishing, Religion, scorner, Tech, Texas, Videos, work

Posted: 6:29 am Mon February 06 2012 | Comments(0) |

[links] Link salad wanders into the weekend

“A Long Walk Home” is on this year’s Locus Poll ballot — In case you liked this Sunspin novelette. You can read it here.

A reader reacts to Visitants, ed. Steve Jones — Including comments on one of my stories.

Not So Wild Review: Schlock Mercenary — I’ve said before that I think Schlock Mercenary is some of the very best long form SF around. This reviewer frames his praise differently, but seems to share my same fundamental opinion. (Via @howardtayler.)

Release the hounds! — Miranda Suri on learning to outline novels. (Snurched from Steve Buchheit.)

I Greet You in the Middle of a Great Career: A Brief History of Blurbs — Heh. (Via @legalnomads.)

How Do We Get There? — Cat Valente asks about the development of post-scarcity societies.

An obsessive history of The Elements of Style and what makes it a cultural treasure. — Even unto being wrong on a number of points of grammar and usage…

Indie Game: The Movie — For those interested in that sort of thing.

Space voyages shouldn’t become politically incorrect

Komen Reverses Decision on Planned Parenthood Funding, Is Still Likely Full of Shit — Komen blatantly, obviously, and deliberately targeted Planned Parenthood. Their board room is still staffed with conservative donors and at least one vocal anti-choice politician. They’re still a conservative political organization masquerading as a feel-goodery for people who just want to help cure cancer.

Komen May Continue to Fund Some Planned Parenthood Grants — A pro-life site accuses Planned Parenthood of being “dishonest thugs”. This coming from the political movement that operates “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” (profound dishonest fake clinics meant to deceive and entrap desperate pregnant women) and actively encourages the murder of doctors (unconditional thuggery)? Project much? Of course you do, you’re conservatives.

Komen backlash: Public turns fury on vice president Karen Handel

The big backlash against bullying women — Sadly, conservative America controls the discourse, and profits politically and culturally from the bullying of women. It’s not going to stop.

Indiana backing away from bill allowing creation “science” into classrooms — Many similar bills are introduced in state legislatures each year and, in cases where their sponsors speak to the press, they tend to reveal a great deal of ignorance regarding both science and the law. In terms of science, they tend to misunderstand the meaning of the term “theory,” think that there are multiple scientific explanations for life’s diversity, or suggest evolution is a theory for life’s origin. The Indiana bill’s sponsor, Dennis Kruse, appears to get all of these wrong. It’s tough getting ahead when you’re flat fucking wrong in terms of both reality and the law, but conservatives will persevere. And they succeed far too often.

Romney’s political success is a mixed blessing for Mormon Church — His presidential candidacy could be a breakthrough ‘JFK moment for Mormons,’ but it could also stir up more negative publicity for the church. I was sympathetic to Romney on the issue of religious criticism until he made it clear he wouldn’t have a Muslim in his cabinet.

Chris Christie and the Nation-State Project — Ta-Nehisi Coates on conservative ignorance of history. Many of the actual people who were beaten and killed “in the streets”–Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, for instance–were attempting to secure the very right which Christie, bizarrely, believes they should have exercised. It’s almost as if he doesn’t know what the Civil Rights movement actually was.

As Romney’s slip-ups show, gaffes nearly unavoidable on modern campaign trail — Nush mostly just babbled. Romney’s gaffes are golden soundbites for his opposition.

?otd: Ink much?

2/4/2012
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (busy with tattoos and Dad time)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 8.0 (solid)
Weight: 229.8
Currently reading: The Man in the Moone, and Other Lunar Fantasies ed. Faith Pizor

Tags: gender, healthcare, Links, Movies, Personal, Politics, Process, Publishing, Religion, reviews, Science, sex, stories, Videos

Posted: 8:05 am Sat February 04 2012 | Comments(0) |

[links] Link salad enjoyed the reading

A reader reacts to Endurance — I think they liked it.

The Self-Sabotaging Writer — Kameron Hurley on the perils of being a writer. (Via Steve Buchheit.)

What the Nook Means — A new Nook’s on its way. Can it save books?

The Milhous Collection — A meticulously assembled selection of mechanical musical instruments, vintage automobiles and more. (Via danjite.)

Cloud Cover’s Role in Exoplanet Studies

Study measures mammalian growth spurt — It takes 24 million generations for mouse-sized mammals to evolve into elephants — but shrinking back is much faster.

Mind-reading program translates brain activity into words — The research paves the way for brain implants that would translate the thoughts of people who have lost power of speech.

cassiealexander on Rick Santorum, privilege, healthcare, and sick kids — What she says.

The End of Health Insurance Companies — I don’t think I actually believe this piece, but it’s a nice thought.

Inside the heresy files — Interrogation. Surveillance. Ethnic profiling. Censorship. The words come from 21st-century headlines, but they have an ancient pedigree. Cullen Murphy on how the Inquisition ignited the modern police state. (Snurched from Scrivener’s Error.)

McConnell’s Revisionist History: Congress Gave Obama Everything He Wanted! — Can he possibly believe this? McConnell, of all people? More to the point, why does anybody else believe this?

Marsh on Obama: The Party’s Over — Sigh.

Delusions of Obama the Idiot — It’s amazing that the GOP has somehow convinced itself that Obama is some kind of beguiling intellectual lightweight. Once you accept that ideology trumps reality, it’s easy to put faith in any whackdoodle idea that enters one’s head.

Gingrich, Romney, and “Reckoning with the Base”

Romney versus Gingrich slugfest is harbinger of Republican civil war — We can only hope. Meanwhile, I continue to marvel at the Republican base’s vitriolic view of liberals, who are guilty of bringing America such heinous sins as the forty hour work week, paid vacations, child labor laws, clean air and water, and other such violations of our civil rights, all over the strong objections of conservatives.

Welfare Drug Testing Bill Withdrawn After Amended To Include Testing Lawmakers — Don’t worry, it will be back. Oppressing the poor is a club sport for the GOP.

Huh? Mitt claims Newt outspent him in S.C. — Huh. Republicans lying about each other. The candidates and party leadership know it doesn’t matter. The message always trumps facts. The low information voters who make up the GOP base will just nod and follow along like they always do.

The Myth of the American Political Intelligence Gap

?otd: When’s the last time you attended a live reading?

2/1/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.0 hours (Sunspin revisions)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 6.5 (solid)
Weight: 228.8
Currently reading: The Man in the Moone, and Other Lunar Fantasies ed. Faith Pizor

Tags: Books, cars, Cool, ebooks, Endurance, healthcare, Links, music, Personal, Politics, Process, Publishing, Religion, reviews, Science, Videos, Writing

Posted: 6:23 am Wed February 01 2012 | Comments(1) |

[links] Link salad lies in bed way too long

Writer, Professional, Good — John Scalzi on what it means to be a writer. An excellent piece, even by his usual high standards.

Angered, Disturbed or Frightened: Can’t Tell — jimvanpelt on aging and authors.

We’re filling up! — If you’re interested in the Cascade Writers conference this coming summer, they’re almost full.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Lone Wolf Commands a Following — A wolf in California. (Thanks to Dad.)

Roadside Dinosaurs — Mmm, pop culture.

The science and engineering behind Lego Man’s balloon voyage

Banks Taketh, but Don’t Giveth

?otd: Oversleep much?

1/29/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.25 hours (Sunspin revisions)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 9.75 (solid)
Weight: 226.0
Currently reading: The Man in the Moone, and Other Lunar Fantasies ed. Faith Pizor

Tags: Books, California, Conventions, Cool, Culture, Links, Personal, Politics, Process, Science, Videos, Writing

Posted: 8:29 am Sun January 29 2012 | Comments(0) |

[links] Link salad is home

The Writing Life: The point of the long and winding sentence — Pico Iyer says writing longer phrases is a way to protest the speed of information bites people are subjected to each day. (Via scarlettina.)

Uneasy Neighbors in a Southern Gothic Tale — A strange story of racism and real estate. (Via my Dad.)

Role reversal: Employers say they can’t find workers

Americans scaled back on health spending during recession — Hmmm.

Processed meat ‘linked to pancreatic cancer’ — A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden. Oh, my bacon!

Salad-bar strategy: The battle of the buffet — Why buffet tables are a microcosm of greed, altruism & sexual politics. (Snurched from Curiosity Counts.)

Every presentation, ever — Hahahah.

For Priests’ Wives, a Word of Caution — A weird little squib that does nothing to make me feel better about the Catholic church.

How Likely Is a Runaway Greenhouse Effect on Earth? — The results of the latest analysis are not entirely reassuring. This is science. Asking questions, exploring uncertain answers. Certainty without full and consistent proof is for ideologues.

Felix Salmon: How Capitalism Kills Companies

Italy’s Financial Turmoil Turns Mafia Into Nation’s Largest Bank

Missouri Republicans Introduce Bill That Forces Educators To Teach Creationism In Schools And Universities — Because willful ignorance isn’t spreading fast enough? (Via shsilver.)

Haley Barbour’s pardons put Southern redemption on trial — Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defended his mass pardon of over 200 current and former convicts, quoting the Christian principle of redemption enshrined in Southern law and tradition.

Israeli Mossad Agents allegedly Impersonated CIA in fostering Baluch Terrorism against Iran

Obama challenges Republicans on goal they embrace — Given that their stated number one priority is to unseat Obama, this isn’t hard. The GOP isn’t interested in jobs, or the economy, or running the country more effectively.

Everyone’s Got a Right to Their Own Opinions… — Another day, another bald-faced Republican lie that Your Liberal Media won’t be challenging.

?otd: Are you in your own space this weekend?

1/14/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.0 hours (2,500 words on short story)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 8.75 (solid)
Weight: 220.6
Currently reading: 7th Grade Stories by the_child and her class (last year)

Tags: Cancer, Christianism, climate, Culture, Food, Funny, healthcare, Iraq, Language, Links, Occupy Wall Street, Personal, Politics, Process, racism, Religion, Science, Videos, Writing

Posted: 8:32 am Sat January 14 2012 | Comments(0) |

[links] Link salad with a low key day

‘Portlandia’: Straight outta Portland

Why Men Need To Cheat — Interestingly, this entire article on men and sex is really making a strong case for polyamory without ever using the word or explaining the concept. Ah, the magic power of embedded assumptions.

Top tips on women for Stephen Hawking

Rare Gorilla Encounter — American wildlife photographer sits in awe and disbelief as a troop of wild Ugandan mountain gorillas coddle and groom him.

Tomorrow’s office, imagined in 1969

If them neutrinos are faster than light, physicists have a lot of work to do

Why can’t we use lasers as ray guns? — Mmm, laser-cooked bacon.

This Girl Snuck Into a Russian Military Rocket Factory — Some bad ass photos here. (Via mlerules.)

Iran welcomes ‘humanitarian’ rescue from pirates

Why Tornadoes Take the Weekends Off in Summer — Not just anthropogenic climate change, but anthropogenic weather change.

Priscilla Of Boston Spray-Paints Unsold Wedding Gowns To Keep Them From Grubby Poor People — Classy, very classy.

Report: Federal workers ‘pressured’ to approve citizenship papers — Anecdotally speaking, everyone I’ve ever known to go through the citizenship process (including the_child, as a 1-2 year old) has had pretty much the opposite experience: endless and seemingly pointless delays and weird make-work bureaucratic impediments.

Food Stamp President — Ta-Nehisi Coates on Gingrich and Santorum’s recent racist idiocy.

Frothing at Santorum — Bill Shunn rants, very much along my line of thinking.

Bain, Barack and Jobs — Mr. Romney and those like him didn’t destroy jobs, but they did enrich themselves while helping to destroy the American middle class. And that reality is, of course, what all the blather and misdirection about job-creating businessmen and job-destroying Democrats is meant to obscure.

Self-Styled Conservatives Run the GOP, Except When They Don’t — Conservative commentator Daniel Larison with a fascinating discussion of the GOP nominating process from a far right point of view. I always find him interesting, though sometimes he’s way off base, like his recurring contention that Bush was not a conservative. So far as I can tell, that’s the “No true Scotsman” fallacy in action, as Bush was a self-identified conservative elected by conservatives who governed from conservative principles in the most disastrous presidential administration in modern history. He sure as heck was no liberal, progressive or moderate. To claim now he wasn’t a conservative is a cowardly effort to wriggle out of responsibility for horrendous failures of conservatism under Bush.

?otd: Caper much?

1/7/2012
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (chemo fatigue)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 9.5 (fitful)
Weight: 215.2
Currently reading: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Tags: climate, Cool, Iran, Links, nature, Personal, Politics, Portland, Russia, sex, Tech, Videos

Posted: 7:47 am Sat January 07 2012 | Comments(5) |

[links] Link salad sits at the bar and puts bread in your jar

The Darth Vader Burger is Here — (Via my brother.)

Airline pilot startled by flying shark — Life imitates, uh… I got nothing. (Via David Goldman.)

The Apollo 11 lunar landing, told through data.

The Greatest Paper Map of the United States You’ll Ever See — Made by one guy in Oregon.

Center produces chimeric monkeys — That’s a hell of a headline. Interesting story, too.

Indonesia’s underwater masters of disguise — Meet the fish that mimics the octopus that mimics scary sea creatures.

Google Earth’s Lessons in Wave Mechanics — A close look at Google’s virtual globe reveals almost unlimited examples of the way waves behave.

X-37B spaceplane ‘spying on China’ — America’s classified X-37B spaceplane is probably spying on China, according to a report in Spaceflight magazine.

Extinctions from Climate Change Underestimated — Hmm. Actual hypotheses from actual data. I’d better tune into Rush Limbaugh to clear my head of these pesky facts.

L.A.-area bishop, father of two, resigns

I Was Shitting You People – A Message From Ayn Rand — Ah, satire. (Via danjite.)

Gay couple win suit over names on birth certificate

The Irrelevance of the Broccoli Argument against the Insurance Mandate

Magna Carta and Wingnut Legislation — I can understand, if not agree with, the conservative impulse to require all legislation to state its Constitutional basis. (I disagree simply because there are far too many issues in modern government and society which are not explicitly, or even implicitly, contemplated in the Constitution. Like many beloved conservative talking points, it’s a simple-minded attempt to solve a complex problem that doesn’t really exist.) But the Magna Carta. Really, guys? Is there a “nuttiest GOP politician” contest going on?

Here’s What Romney’s Unreleased Tax Returns Almost Certainly Hide — Every major presidential candidate for decades has released their tax returns routinely. Not Romney. Nothing to see here, citizen. Move along.

Santorum Becomes Millionaire in Six Years After U.S. Senate Loss — Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum describes himself on the campaign trail as a frugal man of faith and limited means. Right, Senator Frothy Mix. Limited means. And Mitt Romney is unemployed, while Newt Gingrich is middle class. What kind of idiot do you have to be to believe this crap? (I know, the question answers itself.) Not that I object to wealth in politicians or anyone else. I do object to blatantly false claims.

Rick Santorum claims same sex marriage is comparable to polygamy — Santorum is a fool and a moral leper. The more I learn about this man, the more I despise him. And mind you, this in a race where Newt is running.

Rick Santorum’s Google problem remains — As well it should, given his despicable comments on the gay community. I for one am happy to continue to support “Santorum” search results defined as “The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex”. It’s the least he deserves. See also spreadingsantorum.com.

?otd: Man, what are you doing here?

1/6/2012
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (chemo fatigue)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 9.0 (fitful)
Weight: 214.2
Currently reading: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Tags: China, climate, Cool, Food, gay, healthcare, Links, nature, Oregon, Personal, Politics, Religion, Science, Tech, Travel, Videos, weird

Posted: 6:16 am Fri January 06 2012 | Comments(0) |

[links] Link salad for a whole new year and the end of time on the Mayan calendar

Telegraphic language — Complaints from another era about the influence of media on literature. Always amusing to read this stuff, sort of like reading about Socrates complaining about kids today. His day, twenty-five centuries ago.

Raiding the Lost Ark — A “filmumentary” offering an in-depth look at the making of the 1981 collaboration between Spielberg and Lucas through behind-the-scenes footage, rare interviews with cast and crew, reconstructed deleted scenes and subtitled facts.

Technology Review‘s Favorite Gadgets of 2012

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done — Roger Ebert on the mortality of friends.

Obesity Linked to Changes In The Brain

Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class — With the coming U.S. presidential election, 2012 offers voters, business leaders and politicians an opportunity for a joint debate over the fundamentals of capitalism in America. Not from the GOP, it’s not. The Republican party is all about protecting the 1%.

Noting “Nastier” Attacks, Gingrich Will Make Adjustments — Mr. GOPAC Memo himself, the primary inventor of the modern no-holds barred attack politics that have significantly empowered unthinking conservative radicalism and did more to wreck our process of governance than any other modern human, is now concerned about electoral nastiness. Fuck you, Newt, and born-again Catholic horse you rode in on to fool the rubes.

2011 in Review — Stonekettle Station reviews many of the (as always) completely wrong hysterical conservative predictions for 2011. (Did you notice the mass exodus from the military when DADT was repealed? Because I didn’t either. But there’s no accountability for the bigoted asshole Republicans who shouted that from the rooftops for months beforehand.) Because, Your Liberal Media certainly never will hold Republicans accountable for the alarmist shit they spew. High snark factor, btw. (Via Steve Buchheit.)

?otd: Didja stay up til midnight?

1/1/2012
Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (chemo fatigue)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 11.0 (solid)
Weight: 209.8
Currently (re)reading: The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey

Tags: Cool, Culture, health, Links, Movies, Occupy Wall Street, Personal, Politics, Process, Tech, Videos

Posted: 9:40 am Sun January 01 2012 | Comments(3) |

[movies] Being entertained, or not

Lately, my fatigue has completely wiped out even my comfort reading. I’ve managed about six paragraphs of The White Dragon in the past three or four days, total. So when not in conversational company, I’ve been reduced to watching movies and tv shows via my Apple TV.

On recommendation from bravado111 I tried renting Elf [ imdb ] via iTunes, as it wasn’t available on Netflix Streaming. This is only the second or third time I’ve rented to watch from iTunes, and it was a bust. Six minutes into the movie, the sound cut out. Nothing I could do could bring it back. I do not see how this could possibly be user error, though I have considered the possibility given my current mental state. There’s no apparent path for either tech support or a refund of my $3.99 rental fee, though I will try calling Apple’s customer service line today. (There didn’t seem to be much point in calling on Christmas Day.) The iTunes rental customer experience was obviously designed with the assumption that nothing could possibly go wrong. Which is idiotic on the face of it. As big a fan as I generally am of most things Apple, I’m very disappointed, and not looking forward to the hassle that almost certainly won’t be worth the value of my perhaps eventual refund. I call fail on Apple and iTunes for this one.

Yesterday on a whim, the_child and I watched Mary and Max [ imdb ] via Netflix Streaming. I hesitate to call this film underrated, since I’d literally never heard of it and therefore there was no rating to be under, but it was a wonderful movie. It’s a claymation feature from Australia, told in something like an epistolary style, of the friendship between a sad, strange little girl Down Under and a rather sad, strange man in New York City. To be clear, this is a sad, strange movie. There is abuse and mental illness. There is a great deal of loss. But there is also completely appropriate redemption at the end. It’s one of those movies you just have to go with and stay with. Netflix billed this an ‘indie comedy’, which I think is highly misleading, but it certainly has dark, quirky humor. A soul-touching film, and well worth your close attention.

Okay, Star Trek (the original series) [ imdb ] isn’t a movie, but I’ve been watching it on Netflix Streaming as well. I didn’t grow up in the United States, and thus missed the endless reruns of Star Trek on tv in the 1970s. There are episodes I simply never saw that I’m finally getting to see now. It’s charming and hilarious and fun, and watching them in close sequence is letting me glimpse the gelling of the ensemble cast, the shift in characters as they found their footing, and the direction, such as it is, of the show. But I have to ask, knowing I’m almost five decades late to the party, did these people never hear of continuity? At least in the first season, each script seems to invent its own terminology and technology for Enterprise, her crew and her operations. It’s like the writers never talked to each other, and the show runners never read any two scripts in a row. This randomness has actually become annoying to me-the-critical-watcher, probably because as a writer I agonize over precisely these issues in my books. I’m fairly ignorant of television history, was in-show continuity just no big deal back in the 1960s? It seems to me to be such a basic cornerstone of building a believable SFnal universe, the glaring lack of it in Star Trek is very odd.

Today, more Star Trek, continuity or not, maybe mixed in with some season two Black Adder [ imdb ] for variety. I’ve Day Jobbery tomorrow, but I’m off the rest of the week, so surely there will be more William Shatner and Rowan Atkinson in my near future.

Tags: applefail, Books, Movies, reviews, Videos, work

Posted: 9:11 am Mon December 26 2011 | Comments(5) |