A reader reacts to METAtropolis — A thoughtful, engaging review.

Please Learn to Write — Interesting take on process. (Via X—.)

Google in the News — Scrivener’s Error with some more on the banal evil that is the Google Books Settlement.

Cancer patient has questions after operation mix-up

Trials Overlook Cancer Spread — One cancer researcher says that by focusing solely on stalling cancer growth, clinical trials are failing some potentially life-saving drugs that prevent metastasis.

Shouryya Ray Solution to 350-year-old Isaac Newton Puzzle on Search by Physicists

In Skull Analysis, Charting the Path From T. Rex to Falcon

The Enigma 1,800 Miles Below Us — The real journey to the center of the Earth.

Dragon spacecraft makes perfect splashdown

There Is No Digital Divide — A concept that animates hundreds of millions in Federal spending needs to be retired. The sociology of technology.

North Carolina Bill Would Have State Ignore Faster Rising Seas — Meanwhile, back in the reality-based community… Question: Are conservatives ever ashamed of their pervasive intellectual dishonesty? Even if only in the privacy of their own minds?

Belief and scepticism: creating nonsense by mislabelling scientists and deniers — Ah, the magic of framing. [Climate change s]ceptics, as portrayed in the media circus, are completely mislabelled. Those who deny actual evidence cannot be called sceptics. They begin by believing in the rightness of their cause, and then cherry pick their facts. No true sceptic would develop an argument based on bias alone. (Snurched from Slacktivist Fred Clark.)

Many “Pro-Life” Americans Don’t Want to Outlaw Abortion — As conservatives love to say, don’t let the government come between a patient and her doctor. Intellectual consistency: it’s that simple. (Snurched from Slacktivist Fred Clark.)

First-edition Book of Mormon stolen from Ariz. store — Sigh.

Heart of gay marriage law unconstitutional, appeals court rules — Hey, what do you know? For once bigotry and hatred don’t triumph in our courts.

‘First Amendment rights can be terminated’: When cops, cameras don’t mix — Feel safer now?

Wal-Mart ending membership in conservative group — Unlike ACORN, ALEC has done significant material harm to American society. I’m amazed, though, because meaningful consequences for conservative excess are so vanishingly rare. Lately there have been unusual outbursts of accountability.

Hope: The Sequel — For Obama & Co., this time around it’s all about fear.

?otd: From intro to outro, is it absolutely rock solid?

6/1/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.0 hours (Going to Extemes book proposal)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 6.75 (solid)
Weight: 241.6 (!)
Currently reading: Shattering the Ley by Benjamin Tate