tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53291393294892593892008-07-25T06:35:17.469-07:00Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comBlogger399125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-68670894557060771712008-07-25T06:35:00.001-07:002008-07-25T06:35:17.618-07:00

Who says Gonzo died with HST? In Vanity Fair, of all freaking precious places, between the perfume ads and airbrushed milk-fed starlets, Christopher Hitchens has himself waterboarded by some hooded dudes in North Carolina (Richard Butner and John Kessel deny all involvement, but I'm not fully persuaded): You may have read by now the official lie about this treatment, which is that it “

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-73951372409723576202008-07-24T07:54:00.000-07:002008-07-24T07:56:53.005-07:00

FirstPrevious The spherical bath beckoned from an alcove on the far side of the room. A vermillion glow spilled through the panoramic window filling the opposite wall as the sun slipped below the horizon at the far end of the valley. Flavius sighed. The crushing weight of the previous week--had it really been a full week since he’d fled Culloden?--came down upon Flavius in a rush. His back

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-40057380153586162432008-07-22T06:52:00.000-07:002008-07-22T07:12:03.730-07:00

Quick--when you see the image below, what's the first words that come to mind? If you said "Chris Nakashima-Brown" then it's pretty clear your brain is as distorted as mine is. It's been pointed out elsewhere, but bears repeating: These Chinese anti-terrorism teams training on Segways have got the be the single most incongruous cavalry in the history of mobile combat. Net guns notwithstanding.

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-47252695935658845002008-07-22T06:47:00.001-07:002008-07-22T07:08:30.990-07:00

Looking for something to do to pass the time while you wait for the photos of Karadzic's disguise to appear in the press? ((Washington Post: "Karadzic hid in plain sight with false identity")) Over at The Infinite Matrix, editor and publisher Eileen Gunn has a new story by Serbian dissident activist writer Jasmina Tesanovic, "Cats and Cars," a beautiful fable about life and love and all the

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-85109248330021062092008-07-21T18:52:00.000-07:002008-07-21T18:55:10.917-07:00

The Thirty Most Incredible Abstract Satellite Images of Earth.

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-52009657588790632582008-07-17T10:20:00.000-07:002008-07-17T11:10:49.508-07:00

I'm not all that deeply involved in the online spec fic community, so I'm rarely around when Mount Vesuvius erupts. I only ever come in on the tail end of these things. Here's the latest case in point, courtesy of Tobias Buckell's blog. Watch in horror as HelixSF implodes: http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2008/07/10/asimovs-forum-ickiness/ http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2008/07/15/pay-to-um-not-play/

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-78775295208648450602008-07-16T18:57:00.000-07:002008-07-24T07:58:17.450-07:00

FirstPrevious Emperor Camargo smiled. “Indeed you are, Flavius. A very lucky man, indeed. Not many men get a second chance at life, or a third or a fourth or whatever the case may be in your unique situation.” “All things being equal, I’d just as soon make this chance last a while. There’s nae anything pleasant about dying.” “Truer words, Flavius. Truer words.” Emperor Camargo waggled

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-8850491933879058472008-07-16T05:48:00.000-07:002008-07-16T06:17:37.520-07:00

News of the imminent economic collapse got you down? Check out the Gitmo video of this Canadian interrogator trying to get a young detainee to "relax and eat your hamburger" while the detainee talks about how he has lost his eyes and feet, then sings/prays to himself through his sobs after left alone in the chamber, chanting what sounds like "help me" over and over. When the prisoner begs to

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-25752407172347672002008-07-15T22:12:00.000-07:002008-07-15T22:18:05.030-07:00

First, the good news. Greg Egan's excellent novel Distress is back in print, from Orion. The bad news is that, sadly, I cannot say the same for the novel I'm reading at present - Black Alice, by John Sladek and the late Tom Disch.

Stephen Dedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10219862405376293525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-55177185408077775672008-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:002008-07-13T20:45:24.558-07:00

Nothing matches the thrill of an awesome new bookstore in your town. Domy Books, Austin (also Houston). Contemporary art, avant poetry, comix, vinyl toys, conspiracy & insurrection, 33 1/3, eclectic DVDs, readings and performances. What else do you need? Cesar Chavez 1 block East of I-35, between the library and the payday loan store.

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-26250894218801312382008-07-12T08:15:00.000-07:002008-07-12T08:51:16.053-07:00

Through the benevolence of the brilliant Lou Anders, the only editor in science fiction who can actually see the future, I have a story in the upcoming Pyr Books anthology edited by Lou, Fast Forward 2. The anthology includes an amazing selection of work by many of my science fictional betters -- including stories by Paolo Bacigalupi, Ian McDonald, Nancy Kress, and Marvel Team-Up worthy

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-28207631510421186142008-07-11T09:05:00.000-07:002008-07-11T09:20:20.088-07:00

Two or three of you might notice that there's been no installment of MEMORY this week. Yeah, I noticed that, too. And I have absolutely no excuse. Instead of writing in the evenings, I've been playing with my telescope--good seeing, bad seeing, it makes no difference. If there's a glimmer of starlight out there, I'm setting it up and scanning the skies. I'm also learnin' myself astrophotography,

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-49732982979471516522008-07-10T14:04:00.000-07:002008-07-10T14:30:30.752-07:00

Facing a dismal downward trend for government funding for astrobiology, the SETI Institute has created Adopt A Scientist. You too can help fund a scientist working in planetary science, astrobiology or the search for extraterrestrial intelligence! The levels of commitment are way above stocking-stuffer level. But the scientists include names you've heard of if you follow astrobiology: people

Alexis Glynn Latnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12528810739353921130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-64394791019957949752008-07-10T11:07:00.000-07:002008-07-10T12:16:43.186-07:00

So, now we come to the traditional "First Light" report, in which a new telescope is pointed to the heavens and Oohs and Aahs are made approvingly by all in attendance. Technically, this is a second "First Light" report, since I've owned the scope for the better part of three decades, but as the original first light came more than 25 years ago, I think we can agree to dispense with technicalities

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-78477718918590488062008-07-09T09:11:00.000-07:002008-07-09T12:58:07.510-07:00

When last we spoke, I'd succeeded in taking my Meade 645 completely apart, sanding it down and applying a coat of primer. After letting it dry/cure/rest for a couple of days, I began to apply the final color paint on top of the primer--Duplicolor Claret Red Metallic: Pretty, no? I applied two light coats then set it aside to dry, with the intention of sanding lightly the next day and applying

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-22691088647360105502008-07-03T23:12:00.000-07:002008-07-04T22:00:03.010-07:00

FirstPrevious Flavius’ footsteps echoed eerily in the deathly silence of the hall. Barely a dozen liveried staff milled in confusion along the perimeter of the oblong chamber, with a like number of guards spaced at even intervals, cuayabs held unobtrusively. The balcony boxes, halfway up the vaulted ceiling, remained empty. At the far end of the audience hall, seated upon ornate thrones on a

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-77371809122017524602008-07-02T18:07:00.000-07:002008-07-03T21:11:21.224-07:00

SF Signal has a wonderful forum they call Mind Meld. A provocative SFFnal question is posed for SF writers and other people to contribute answers. Most recently there was this question: What current avenue of scientific inquiry do you believe people should be paying attention to, and why? This was pondered by Kathleen Ann Goonan, Nancy Kress, Mike Brotherton, Nina Munteanu, Jennifer

Alexis Glynn Latnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12528810739353921130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-55753908853781191982008-07-01T20:09:00.000-07:002008-07-01T20:25:59.658-07:00

You didn't think I was finished posting images, did you? Okay, about the plane image below... Saturday afternoon, around 5:30 or so, I stepped out to the parking lot to put some stuff up in my car, and was met a serious thundering rumble. The con hotel is right in the flight path of Houston Intercontinental, so jets flying overhead isn't anything new. But this cargo jet took "

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-12098844280628560122008-06-30T14:50:00.000-07:002008-06-30T15:19:35.972-07:00

Apollocon, Houston's contribution to the SF firmament, has come and gone. I, for one, had a fine time, fumbling my way through several panels in the role of moderator and striking up all manner of interesting conversations over the course of the weekend. I lugged my camera along, and wasted little time in ticking a bunch of folks off with my shutterbug activities. Here's the first processed

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-89374426205335259202008-06-27T04:29:00.000-07:002008-06-27T04:48:17.840-07:00

I spent last week attending the Sycamore Hill Writer's Workshop with a dozen of my betters, an intense and rewarding experience. The "story" I brought to the workshop included a rather odd "scene" in which CNN's Anderson Cooper and a team of other 21st century reality celebrities are miniaturized in the style of the 1966 Richard Fleischer film Fantastic Voyage, exploring the interior anatomy

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-33580120654726917442008-06-26T23:26:00.000-07:002008-07-03T23:18:46.959-07:00

FirstPrevious Bolts of green flame spewed from the cuayabs. “Hold!” shouted the commander. Instantly, the lethal jets veered away from the flaming cage imprisoning Flavius and Parric, dissipating harmlessly. Flavius held Memory warily as he shot a questioning glance at Parric. Parric shrugged, dismissing the Crafting he’d constructed. “Commander Balam, sir. Third flight squadron of the

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-49208474916976759762008-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:002008-06-23T13:25:50.676-07:00

Forgive me the cheesy title--just saw Spamalot this weekend and the aftereffects are lingering. But here's another product of my day job that you folks might find of interest, this one dealing with Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55 B.C. I had a lot of fun writing this one up--follow the link for some nifty images in the gallery. Tide and time: Re-dating Caesar’s invasion of Britain

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-8417184482941815112008-06-21T06:52:00.000-07:002008-06-23T05:45:18.311-07:00

Further evidence that Joe Lansdale is now reporting for the NY Times from East Texas, under a pen name: today's front page features an article about good old boys hunting feral hogs from golf courses on the far side of Houston. Bacon a Hard Way -- Hog-Tying 400 Pounds of Fury" The preferred method for Clint and Dusty, the hard-working dudes featured in the article, requires an ATV, a knife, a

Chris Nakashima-Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11102514167871372993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-70604589594384812242008-06-20T07:20:00.000-07:002008-06-20T07:24:57.541-07:00

Hey gang, I was all set to post the latest installment of MEMORY last night when... well, there's no kind way to put this. As I was re-reading it I discovered a gross continuity blunder. A blunder pervasive throughout the whole segment. I know, you're thinking "How the heck can there be continuity errors in a piece of fiction that ain't that long to start with?" Let's just say I'm talented that

Jayme Lynn Blaschkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02919766841748858790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329139329489259389.post-60783095353051007172008-06-16T12:01:00.000-07:002008-06-16T16:27:40.164-07:00

Until recently the International Mineralological Association recognized 4,324 minerals. Now the tally stands at 4,325. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at NASA-Johnson Space Center just discovered a new mineral in a very cool place: a particle of cometary dust. Along with other interplanetary dust particles, or IDP's, it was collected in the stratosphere by an

Alexis Glynn Latnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12528810739353921130noreply@blogger.com