Friday, May 8, 2015
On Skepticism (Part 1)
Disclaimer: I want to say in advance that this is not an attack on any individual or in response to any one specific discussion. I am expressing my own problems with skepticism as a movement, not skeptics as people. I believe most self-identified skeptics are rational, well-meaning people who simply haven't fully thought through the implications of their philosophy. I don't think they represent the hard-core members of the movement. Most skeptics I have met are polite, rational, and fairly open to discussion; they simply don't want to see people waste time and money on fraud and redundant research. I don't think they've given the big picture much thought. In reasonable detail, I want to present my problems with that disturbing 'big picture.' Individuals are different from movements and organizations. If I seem at times to be attacking something, please remember it is the latter, the mob and the unintended consequences, not the individuals involved. (Except for the Amazing Randi. That man is an ass.)
Skepticism is not, as many of its proponents claim, a natural part of science. It is, instead, a philosophy of science. In my opinion, it is a failed and harmful one, not suited to the tool of science.
All tools have a philosophy. If this seems an odd statement, it's mainly because the philosophy of most tools is self-evident. The choice of how to use the tool is not made by the tool and neither is it self-contained within the tool. The choice is made by the user. For example, a hammer is for delivering blunt force; it was designed for that application, or "philosophy of use." It's a bad screwdriver and a horrible glass etcher, but if you want to put in screws with a hammer, the hammer won't stop you. The efficient use of a hammer is based on the user's understanding of the "philosophy of use" of the hammer (or simply, the philosophy of hammering.) Science, like a hammer, is a tool and as such it also has a philosophy of use. Unlike simple tools, the philosophies behind more complex tools are not intuitive, and over the history of science several schools of thought have arisen over its philosophy.
The distinction of a tool's philosophy may seem pedantic, but a small misunderstanding in the proper role of a tool can result in significant problems in the long run. The phrase, "If all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail," springs to mind. Consider a knife versus a hammer. You could use a knife as a hammer—ineffectively—but how many fingers would you lose in the process? If the misuse of a basic tool is dangerous, the misuse of a complex one is potentially catastrophic. In the case of science, the misuse migrated to the social and political realms, resulting in horrors such as eugenics and social Darwinism. It's easy to throw up your hands and yell, "That's not science," but that's just the point. It isn't science. It is the tool used incorrectly, with the wrong philosophy, and it's a solid example of why users must understand and take responsibility for proper use and limits of the tool known as science. Like all tools, science does not exist in a vacuum of social and political pressures, and it can make some very big hammers.
As a brief aside, it could be argued that science is not a tool or that it is more than just a tool. If that's the case, then it is either a philosophy in and of itself or a religion proper. If it is a philosophy, then the philosophy of science and the philosophy that is science would be effectively the same. If it is to be elevated to a religion—well, that is one of the logical outgrowths of skepticism as a philosophy of science so the discussion is circular. It could also be argued that science is not a tool but rather a collection of tools. Such an argument is no argument at all. A car is a tool. A car is a collection of tools (engine, wheels, etc.) This distinction is an attempt to avoid the discussion by willfully misunderstanding the point. If I sound pedantic and redundant here, it's because I've read and studied a lot of the philosophy of science and skepticism, and this kind of semantic slight of hand crops up often. I apologize for insulting your intelligence, but I want to head off any misunderstandings from the onset.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Vocal Minority
Vocal Minority
Once, I had a language. For a while, it ran along like most do--with the occasional glottal stop here and hiccup there but smoothly just the same.
Then the consonants realized that the vowels were in the minority and possessed clear physical and functional traits that they could neither abandon nor disguise. The consonants began to act against them, banning them from high-class words, driving them from their traditional homes at the end of words, and eventually seeking to eliminate them altogether.
For a time, my language had a definite eastern European sound but the pogroms passed and the language carried on. The vowels demanded that the dictionaries enact laws to protect them (though it is never wise to trust one's fate too heavily to grammarians). Soon the vowels demanded special treatment and minimum vowel-to-consonant ratios. And they got them, even through the language now sounded more like the lowing of a cow than a means of communication.
The consonants protested, pointing out that the vowels, per capita, were receiving significantly more work, more pay, and more prestige. The protests were ignored and, instead, the vowels banned the use of contractions. The language groaned on. Next the vowels turned their attention to the structure of entire sentences rather than merely words. They decided that religious people were not being fair because they used too many 'O's (the religious bigots were fond of words like holy, God, and love) and not enough 'U's. In the name of the persecuted 'U's, they demanded the grammarians pass new laws, making the religious use the word F--- in place of other adjectives and adverbs and now one could not tell the pious from the unbelieving when the language was spoken.
After many years, the change in the language changed the minds of the people who used it. And so it came to pass that the Jews were made to run their own concentration camps (for it was only fair), the Moslems ran the pork industry (in the name of interstate commerce), and the Christians were required by law to have at least one extra-marital affair each year (so that no one had to feel bad about their own failed marriage--self-esteem being deemed the most important of virtues).
Okay, maybe I don't understand politics but it makes as much sense as Chomsky.
Once, I had a language. For a while, it ran along like most do--with the occasional glottal stop here and hiccup there but smoothly just the same.
Then the consonants realized that the vowels were in the minority and possessed clear physical and functional traits that they could neither abandon nor disguise. The consonants began to act against them, banning them from high-class words, driving them from their traditional homes at the end of words, and eventually seeking to eliminate them altogether.
For a time, my language had a definite eastern European sound but the pogroms passed and the language carried on. The vowels demanded that the dictionaries enact laws to protect them (though it is never wise to trust one's fate too heavily to grammarians). Soon the vowels demanded special treatment and minimum vowel-to-consonant ratios. And they got them, even through the language now sounded more like the lowing of a cow than a means of communication.
The consonants protested, pointing out that the vowels, per capita, were receiving significantly more work, more pay, and more prestige. The protests were ignored and, instead, the vowels banned the use of contractions. The language groaned on. Next the vowels turned their attention to the structure of entire sentences rather than merely words. They decided that religious people were not being fair because they used too many 'O's (the religious bigots were fond of words like holy, God, and love) and not enough 'U's. In the name of the persecuted 'U's, they demanded the grammarians pass new laws, making the religious use the word F--- in place of other adjectives and adverbs and now one could not tell the pious from the unbelieving when the language was spoken.
After many years, the change in the language changed the minds of the people who used it. And so it came to pass that the Jews were made to run their own concentration camps (for it was only fair), the Moslems ran the pork industry (in the name of interstate commerce), and the Christians were required by law to have at least one extra-marital affair each year (so that no one had to feel bad about their own failed marriage--self-esteem being deemed the most important of virtues).
Okay, maybe I don't understand politics but it makes as much sense as Chomsky.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Random Questions
Random questions
I've been reading and studying psychology and neurology ever since I got sick and then got well enough to do it, about a decade now, give or take. In that time I've learned quite a few interesting things, a decent number of things I think are wrong but that are taken as common knowledge, and more than a few disturbing things about just how fragile we all are. Lately, I've come more and more to notice that even though there was a definite time when I "got sick," that "sickness" was merely a tipping point of preexisting conditions that pushed me from functional (in a societal sense) to non-functional. I have always "been this way" and one day it was a bridge too far. In fact, much of the long-term damage I have to deal with is a result of that one step too many and the damage from that trauma than from any original issue. This, in turn, has led me to watch closely the sub-text of various psychological discussions and to examine, not the surface information being presented, but rather the underlying assumptions about the mind, personality, and the rest. And this has led me to the conclusion that, if I'm to take everything at face value, some of us just flat think differently than the rest of society.
Put differently, neurotypicals are weird. It is as if, taking mentality and thought process as a base, humanity is actually several different subspecies living together instead of one single template. I also don't think that such a thing would actually surprise anyone. Some of us have entirely different modalities of thought, different mental paradigms, from others. We may live in a one-size-fits-all culture but I think deep down we all recognize that we are not, in fact, all operating under the same set of presuppositions and even sensory input.
Okay, I know that what I've said thus far probably doesn't make much sense. It's a very hard thing to pin down with words. That is fine; my purpose right now isn't to present any conclusion. Rather, I wanted to give some background to why I have a list of (maybe) really weird questions that I'd like very much to have answers to. Please do respond, if only to a few of them. You can post anonymously if you wish. There are no right or wrong answers; I'm just curious.
1--Can you hear electricity?
2--Do fluorescent lights and/or LEDs make you feel sick?
3--Do you hear sounds inside your own head? That is, not external sounds but actually hear the noises that originate from inside your skull?
4--Can you recall from memory actual sounds such that you are not just remembering songs but actually listening to them internally with the same textures as if they were playing externally?
5--Do you taste colors?
6--Do you think in abstract images and symbols, concrete visualized forms, words and sentences, a combination of all these, or in some way not listed here?
7--Do you "know" things before you could possibly know them? By this I mean do you arrive at well-reasoned, defensible conclusions about things before you have had time to think through these thoughts, a kind of gestalt understanding.
8--Do rooms (or comparable areas of space) have an emotional temperature?
9--Can you feel the emotional levels of the people around you (immediately and without analyzing faces, voices, etc.)?
10--Do you have memories that you know to be factually false?
11--How significantly does the weather affect you? If it is a noticeable amount, how far in advance does it happen?
12--Can you feel your teeth? If so, is there ever a time when you are not consciously aware of them?
13--Do you like to think hard?
14--For you, at times is the phrase "in the moment" an apt way to describe your mental state or is it a meaningless buzzword? (set of buzzwords?)
15--Do semantic differences in words matter in your day-to-day life?
16--Do you, for no obvious reason, occasionally have the urge to up and smack somebody?
17--Is there a specific color, temperature, smell, or combination of these that greatly improves your ability to perform tasks?
18--Do you have a sense of time? Is there a metaphorical clock ticking away inside your head that keeps you constantly updated on how long any give thing has taken?
19--Do you believe in free will? If not, do you argue with people?
20--Do you study yourself?
21--Do you have any fears you consider irrational? If you don't mind, please say what that fear is and why you think it is irrational.
22--Is food texture important to you? Is it as important as the taste?
23--Have you ever had what you would consider unusual or unique experiences under altered physical states? (Obviously this would include drugs, legal and otherwise, but I'm especially curious about anesthesia and sensory deprivation.)
24--Is pain too much of a given sensory input (such as touch vs. a pinch) or is it a different sense altogether? I'm interested here in your opinion, not what current medical texts say.
25--Is it a bad thing to be an idealouge?
26--Would you be willing to answer more questions like this or even contribute a similar list of your own?
I've been reading and studying psychology and neurology ever since I got sick and then got well enough to do it, about a decade now, give or take. In that time I've learned quite a few interesting things, a decent number of things I think are wrong but that are taken as common knowledge, and more than a few disturbing things about just how fragile we all are. Lately, I've come more and more to notice that even though there was a definite time when I "got sick," that "sickness" was merely a tipping point of preexisting conditions that pushed me from functional (in a societal sense) to non-functional. I have always "been this way" and one day it was a bridge too far. In fact, much of the long-term damage I have to deal with is a result of that one step too many and the damage from that trauma than from any original issue. This, in turn, has led me to watch closely the sub-text of various psychological discussions and to examine, not the surface information being presented, but rather the underlying assumptions about the mind, personality, and the rest. And this has led me to the conclusion that, if I'm to take everything at face value, some of us just flat think differently than the rest of society.
Put differently, neurotypicals are weird. It is as if, taking mentality and thought process as a base, humanity is actually several different subspecies living together instead of one single template. I also don't think that such a thing would actually surprise anyone. Some of us have entirely different modalities of thought, different mental paradigms, from others. We may live in a one-size-fits-all culture but I think deep down we all recognize that we are not, in fact, all operating under the same set of presuppositions and even sensory input.
Okay, I know that what I've said thus far probably doesn't make much sense. It's a very hard thing to pin down with words. That is fine; my purpose right now isn't to present any conclusion. Rather, I wanted to give some background to why I have a list of (maybe) really weird questions that I'd like very much to have answers to. Please do respond, if only to a few of them. You can post anonymously if you wish. There are no right or wrong answers; I'm just curious.
1--Can you hear electricity?
2--Do fluorescent lights and/or LEDs make you feel sick?
3--Do you hear sounds inside your own head? That is, not external sounds but actually hear the noises that originate from inside your skull?
4--Can you recall from memory actual sounds such that you are not just remembering songs but actually listening to them internally with the same textures as if they were playing externally?
5--Do you taste colors?
6--Do you think in abstract images and symbols, concrete visualized forms, words and sentences, a combination of all these, or in some way not listed here?
7--Do you "know" things before you could possibly know them? By this I mean do you arrive at well-reasoned, defensible conclusions about things before you have had time to think through these thoughts, a kind of gestalt understanding.
8--Do rooms (or comparable areas of space) have an emotional temperature?
9--Can you feel the emotional levels of the people around you (immediately and without analyzing faces, voices, etc.)?
10--Do you have memories that you know to be factually false?
11--How significantly does the weather affect you? If it is a noticeable amount, how far in advance does it happen?
12--Can you feel your teeth? If so, is there ever a time when you are not consciously aware of them?
13--Do you like to think hard?
14--For you, at times is the phrase "in the moment" an apt way to describe your mental state or is it a meaningless buzzword? (set of buzzwords?)
15--Do semantic differences in words matter in your day-to-day life?
16--Do you, for no obvious reason, occasionally have the urge to up and smack somebody?
17--Is there a specific color, temperature, smell, or combination of these that greatly improves your ability to perform tasks?
18--Do you have a sense of time? Is there a metaphorical clock ticking away inside your head that keeps you constantly updated on how long any give thing has taken?
19--Do you believe in free will? If not, do you argue with people?
20--Do you study yourself?
21--Do you have any fears you consider irrational? If you don't mind, please say what that fear is and why you think it is irrational.
22--Is food texture important to you? Is it as important as the taste?
23--Have you ever had what you would consider unusual or unique experiences under altered physical states? (Obviously this would include drugs, legal and otherwise, but I'm especially curious about anesthesia and sensory deprivation.)
24--Is pain too much of a given sensory input (such as touch vs. a pinch) or is it a different sense altogether? I'm interested here in your opinion, not what current medical texts say.
25--Is it a bad thing to be an idealouge?
26--Would you be willing to answer more questions like this or even contribute a similar list of your own?
Monday, November 24, 2014
Assisted Suicide
During my stay in the first world, I was introduced to something called Wii Dance Party (or Dance Fling or Bust a Hip or something like that.) With enough caffeine and sugar in my system, with the right people, during certain phases of the moon, I'm willing to release my inner lemur so I agreed to play.
That thing is not a game. I don't know what it is. I started having flashes of the weird chamber from Logan's Run where they kill off the old people. It's supposed to be a dance game but about 15 seconds in I'm pretty sure my little avatar guy on the screen pulled his own leg off. It was crazy. Weeks later I still have flashbacks and wake up screaming.
After they finished laughing, my ever-so-loving family explained that (a) I was doing it wrong (Really? The heart attack wasn't part of the game? What about the part where I turned purple? Or when my shoes came off because I was jumping? I'm not supposed to trip? You only have to move your WRIST? Don't you think that was mission critical intel that I might have needed going in?)
And (b) my naughty niece had picked a song for me on the maximum difficulty setting. I'm so proud of her. She's the greatest little chaotic neutral an uncle could have. Excuse me while I cry and sing "Sunrise, Sunset."
That thing is not a game. I don't know what it is. I started having flashes of the weird chamber from Logan's Run where they kill off the old people. It's supposed to be a dance game but about 15 seconds in I'm pretty sure my little avatar guy on the screen pulled his own leg off. It was crazy. Weeks later I still have flashbacks and wake up screaming.
After they finished laughing, my ever-so-loving family explained that (a) I was doing it wrong (Really? The heart attack wasn't part of the game? What about the part where I turned purple? Or when my shoes came off because I was jumping? I'm not supposed to trip? You only have to move your WRIST? Don't you think that was mission critical intel that I might have needed going in?)
And (b) my naughty niece had picked a song for me on the maximum difficulty setting. I'm so proud of her. She's the greatest little chaotic neutral an uncle could have. Excuse me while I cry and sing "Sunrise, Sunset."
Friday, November 21, 2014
Conclave, Sunday
If you missed the Sunday morning panel with Kelly and myself discussing the monomythic arc, that's too bad because I can't even begin to sum it all up here. It was one of those panels that really should have been recorded for SF oral history. Let's just say that for two tired guys tackling big words in the morning, we rocked. Well, Kelly did and I think I held my own.
The other big panel of my Sunday was Lost Birthright discussing the future of space travel and have we lost the will to make the sacrifices necessary to get to the stars.
Which actually begins with a panel on Saturday.
The panel on skepticism went about like I was afraid it would. Please don't misunderstand. I'm glad I did it and both everyone on the panel and in the audience were polite, courteous, and well-intentioned. Perhaps in a future set of posts I'll talk about my own problems with the skeptical movement but not now because I don't want to tarnish the panel. It was a good panel, well-received I think, and much less rancorous than I expected. In short, we spent an hour defining terms and debating several facets of the underlying philosophy of science. THAT was why I was disappointed. If we had the panel again next year, we'd have to cover the same ground all over again. The rhetoric and presuppositions of the skeptical movement and extreme believers are so deeply entrenched that, by the time you clear away the deadwood, you're out of time. It is effectively impossible to make any real headway on the philosophical debate. We were also supposed to be talking about the effect of a culture of extreme skepticism on SF literature but, of course, we ran out of time. Still, everyone did a masterful job of being open-minded and keeping focused on the topic while not allowing the discussion to bog down on any single issue.
I have to do a source-dump and clarify a few things because we covered a LOT of ground quickly. So (deep breath):
Names and references that you can do a quick google for if you're interested: Karl Popper (philosophy of science, esp. the need for a falsibility clause), Rupert Sheldrake (biomorphic or morphogenetic field theory and the sense of being stared at. Read his book on the experiments that could change the world if nothing else.), the Millikin effect (how to lie about your data, win a nobel prize, and then watch as it takes the entire world almost a century to figure out that you were wrong about the charge of an electron. It's late, I may have spelled Millikin wrong. The "effect" is how, even though other labs were reproducing his experiments, they unconsciously massaged their data to match his flawed results.), statistical meta-analysis (despite what some panel members said, it is one of the absolute best methods of handling large data sets), and finally, global warming and the University of Edinburgh (they faked a lot of stuff then when they were caught, destroyed all the raw data so they couldn't be held accountable. Obviously, other people hold more forgiving opinions than I do so you should look it up for yourself if you're interested. If you're interested in global warming specifically look up a fellow named Monkton. The Edinburgh case has less to do with global warming and more to do with the dangerous overlap of science, politics, and social pressure. This site has a lot of nice links on the subject including links to some of the actual recovered emails. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_globalwarmingpseudo47.htm)
If there's something else you remember we talked about but you don't remember the specifics, drop me a note with what you can recall and I'll try to see if I remember it. Let me also take a moment to thank the audience member who allowed me to clarify my statement about the UofE and point out that it was not about their science but about their behavior.
(gasp for air)
At the end of the panel, after discussing all the various problems and risks involved in research and how to be properly skeptical without being reductionistic, I asked what could be done. The consensus was that we should spend more money on science education in schools and focus our public research monies on subjects that would pay off in the short term. Okay, I don't agree; I'm certain you're shocked. But, this (finally) is why I link this Saturday panel with Sunday.
Lost Birthright had, to my surprise, only one presenter in common with the skeptic panel (myself) and, that I could see, no audience overlap. It was like the two panels had taken place on different worlds. Both panels were serious with intensely held positions but where the skeptical panel had been somber and dismissive, the Birthright panel was bright and loud and enthusiastic and optimistic. And the conclusions were polar opposites. The Birthright panelists were united on a common theme: we need to push the envelope and we need to think and plan long term.
I'm not trying to cast aspersions on anyone from either panel. What I am trying to do is explain the two completely different mindsets at work. I went from a panel that said "color inside the lines and focus on the short term" to a panel that said "dream big and plan long." The juxtaposition was startling. I don't know what, if anything, to make of it. I do wish there had been some other overlapping people so I could ask if I was the only one struck by the difference. In fairness, it might have been that the topics themselves set the tone of the discussion or it might be that 4pm Saturday panels have a different mindset than Sunday morning. I don't know. It was interesting to me though so I thought I'd share it.
Oh, and then there were long goodbyes and everyone went home safely without any other details because this post is way too long.
The other big panel of my Sunday was Lost Birthright discussing the future of space travel and have we lost the will to make the sacrifices necessary to get to the stars.
Which actually begins with a panel on Saturday.
The panel on skepticism went about like I was afraid it would. Please don't misunderstand. I'm glad I did it and both everyone on the panel and in the audience were polite, courteous, and well-intentioned. Perhaps in a future set of posts I'll talk about my own problems with the skeptical movement but not now because I don't want to tarnish the panel. It was a good panel, well-received I think, and much less rancorous than I expected. In short, we spent an hour defining terms and debating several facets of the underlying philosophy of science. THAT was why I was disappointed. If we had the panel again next year, we'd have to cover the same ground all over again. The rhetoric and presuppositions of the skeptical movement and extreme believers are so deeply entrenched that, by the time you clear away the deadwood, you're out of time. It is effectively impossible to make any real headway on the philosophical debate. We were also supposed to be talking about the effect of a culture of extreme skepticism on SF literature but, of course, we ran out of time. Still, everyone did a masterful job of being open-minded and keeping focused on the topic while not allowing the discussion to bog down on any single issue.
I have to do a source-dump and clarify a few things because we covered a LOT of ground quickly. So (deep breath):
Names and references that you can do a quick google for if you're interested: Karl Popper (philosophy of science, esp. the need for a falsibility clause), Rupert Sheldrake (biomorphic or morphogenetic field theory and the sense of being stared at. Read his book on the experiments that could change the world if nothing else.), the Millikin effect (how to lie about your data, win a nobel prize, and then watch as it takes the entire world almost a century to figure out that you were wrong about the charge of an electron. It's late, I may have spelled Millikin wrong. The "effect" is how, even though other labs were reproducing his experiments, they unconsciously massaged their data to match his flawed results.), statistical meta-analysis (despite what some panel members said, it is one of the absolute best methods of handling large data sets), and finally, global warming and the University of Edinburgh (they faked a lot of stuff then when they were caught, destroyed all the raw data so they couldn't be held accountable. Obviously, other people hold more forgiving opinions than I do so you should look it up for yourself if you're interested. If you're interested in global warming specifically look up a fellow named Monkton. The Edinburgh case has less to do with global warming and more to do with the dangerous overlap of science, politics, and social pressure. This site has a lot of nice links on the subject including links to some of the actual recovered emails. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_globalwarmingpseudo47.htm)
If there's something else you remember we talked about but you don't remember the specifics, drop me a note with what you can recall and I'll try to see if I remember it. Let me also take a moment to thank the audience member who allowed me to clarify my statement about the UofE and point out that it was not about their science but about their behavior.
(gasp for air)
At the end of the panel, after discussing all the various problems and risks involved in research and how to be properly skeptical without being reductionistic, I asked what could be done. The consensus was that we should spend more money on science education in schools and focus our public research monies on subjects that would pay off in the short term. Okay, I don't agree; I'm certain you're shocked. But, this (finally) is why I link this Saturday panel with Sunday.
Lost Birthright had, to my surprise, only one presenter in common with the skeptic panel (myself) and, that I could see, no audience overlap. It was like the two panels had taken place on different worlds. Both panels were serious with intensely held positions but where the skeptical panel had been somber and dismissive, the Birthright panel was bright and loud and enthusiastic and optimistic. And the conclusions were polar opposites. The Birthright panelists were united on a common theme: we need to push the envelope and we need to think and plan long term.
I'm not trying to cast aspersions on anyone from either panel. What I am trying to do is explain the two completely different mindsets at work. I went from a panel that said "color inside the lines and focus on the short term" to a panel that said "dream big and plan long." The juxtaposition was startling. I don't know what, if anything, to make of it. I do wish there had been some other overlapping people so I could ask if I was the only one struck by the difference. In fairness, it might have been that the topics themselves set the tone of the discussion or it might be that 4pm Saturday panels have a different mindset than Sunday morning. I don't know. It was interesting to me though so I thought I'd share it.
Oh, and then there were long goodbyes and everyone went home safely without any other details because this post is way too long.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Conclave, Saturday
Saturday was busy. Yep, busy. In no way am I complaining; just saying that if I forgot something, it was kinda blurry on Saturday. (I didn't sleep the night before.)
An event on Saturday that I missed was the release of the "sandbox game" Netherstorm by Thunderhead Games. My sources (who just happened to also be my Saturday night roomies) were very impressed. A quote I remember, "It has crafting! And it matters!" Sounded like something I'd be interested in if I were still role-playing. Saturday also had the "Lee Carroll and Anne Brett Memorial Version of THE GAME." I have to say, it still feels weird to go to 'Clave and not see them there. I really miss them. Lee was, in many ways, a kind of mentor to me during some difficult years.
My panels were pretty straightforward. I wish we'd had more time on worldbuilding but let's be honest, I could do an entire convention just about worldbuilding, especially if we included discussions about great fantasy maps. The panel was fairly split in opinions on dialogue tags, physical beats, and "saids." I think the lesson is you can get away with what you want as long as it's clear and doesn't jar the reader out of the story. I read "Troll Snot" and, for I think the first time, there weren't any kids. Oh, I had an audience, they were just mostly on the tall side.
In my head, the panel on skepticism was on Sunday. I know it was on Saturday but my internal continuity says it should have been Sunday because it dovetailed with another Sunday panel. So, I'll talk about that panel in the Sunday post.
Saturday night, I stumbled back to my hotel room, fully intending to sleep. Instead, my roommate and I (whose name is not Dave) stayed up watching TV. Something called "Cutthroat Kitchen" I think. Did you know there is an entire network of nothing but cooking shows? Well, you probably did but I don't get out much. Anyway, the point is: not-Dave and I stayed up way too late and had a disproportionate amount of fun. I am so glad I swapped rooms and stayed with the "boys."
An event on Saturday that I missed was the release of the "sandbox game" Netherstorm by Thunderhead Games. My sources (who just happened to also be my Saturday night roomies) were very impressed. A quote I remember, "It has crafting! And it matters!" Sounded like something I'd be interested in if I were still role-playing. Saturday also had the "Lee Carroll and Anne Brett Memorial Version of THE GAME." I have to say, it still feels weird to go to 'Clave and not see them there. I really miss them. Lee was, in many ways, a kind of mentor to me during some difficult years.
My panels were pretty straightforward. I wish we'd had more time on worldbuilding but let's be honest, I could do an entire convention just about worldbuilding, especially if we included discussions about great fantasy maps. The panel was fairly split in opinions on dialogue tags, physical beats, and "saids." I think the lesson is you can get away with what you want as long as it's clear and doesn't jar the reader out of the story. I read "Troll Snot" and, for I think the first time, there weren't any kids. Oh, I had an audience, they were just mostly on the tall side.
In my head, the panel on skepticism was on Sunday. I know it was on Saturday but my internal continuity says it should have been Sunday because it dovetailed with another Sunday panel. So, I'll talk about that panel in the Sunday post.
Saturday night, I stumbled back to my hotel room, fully intending to sleep. Instead, my roommate and I (whose name is not Dave) stayed up watching TV. Something called "Cutthroat Kitchen" I think. Did you know there is an entire network of nothing but cooking shows? Well, you probably did but I don't get out much. Anyway, the point is: not-Dave and I stayed up way too late and had a disproportionate amount of fun. I am so glad I swapped rooms and stayed with the "boys."
Monday, November 17, 2014
Conclave, Friday
A hush settled over the hotel when I arrived for the convention. That's me flattering myself. Actually, I got there before registration was open and it was just plain quiet. I started the convention tired because, in addition to the travel, I'd been pushing hard before we left to get another book finished. I got it done, the edits made, and the mss. sent out to my alpha people right before we hit the road. Through no fault of the convention, I didn't get any more rested so I started out a little loopy and by Sunday I was 3am-full-of-sugar-everything-is-funny blitzed. So, typical S.O.P. for a convention.
I didn't start panels until later in the evening and the turnout was light enough for me not to get spooked by the crowd and have to den up in my hotel room. Instead, I spent most of the early evening chatting with Kelly. Great fun.
Regarding a few of the panels, let me put some further information here:
Here to There--My go-to for market listings is ralan.com. Be sure to check out the resources page for help with all kinds of things. It's a truly amazing site.
My Favorite Things--Just a reminder that in the archives of this blog right here are both my recommended reading list of SF/F and several of the Kilimanjaro book reviews.
Characters--I still disagree with the rest of the panel, especially about the use of third-person omniscient viewpoint. I think it varies from genre to genre.
(You may notice that I have no pictures from the convention. I dropped my phone in the dog's water bucket. Phone works; camera doesn't. Odds are, I wouldn't have taken any pictures anyway and, if I did, the blog would eat them like it does half the time. Bleh. Tech is overrated; buy my merch instead.)
I didn't start panels until later in the evening and the turnout was light enough for me not to get spooked by the crowd and have to den up in my hotel room. Instead, I spent most of the early evening chatting with Kelly. Great fun.
Regarding a few of the panels, let me put some further information here:
Here to There--My go-to for market listings is ralan.com. Be sure to check out the resources page for help with all kinds of things. It's a truly amazing site.
My Favorite Things--Just a reminder that in the archives of this blog right here are both my recommended reading list of SF/F and several of the Kilimanjaro book reviews.
Characters--I still disagree with the rest of the panel, especially about the use of third-person omniscient viewpoint. I think it varies from genre to genre.
(You may notice that I have no pictures from the convention. I dropped my phone in the dog's water bucket. Phone works; camera doesn't. Odds are, I wouldn't have taken any pictures anyway and, if I did, the blog would eat them like it does half the time. Bleh. Tech is overrated; buy my merch instead.)
Friday, November 14, 2014
Family
I was blessed to spend two weeks with the side of my family in Michigan. I don't talk about my family on the blog much because (a) despite my fat mouth, I am, in some ways, a very private person and (b) I want to respect their privacy. Still, I'd like to go on record as saying, I have two sisters named Susan and I love them both very much. Every time I see them, I am amazed and humbled by what a great job they are doing raising their children. They make me proud, even though I don't have anything to do with it. (There are husbands involved too and all that. Whatever.)
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Platinum Giraffe
Platinum Giraffe is a fun little blog that may be the only one on the internet updated less often than mine. Upon reaching Michigan, I had words with the proprietor of said site. Mainly, I took her to task for not warning me that Inuyasha was essentially "Somewhere in Time" set in Japan. By way of apology, she introduced me to the joys of a program called "Good Mythical Morning" and its hosts Rhett and Linc. It's a You-Tube thing so you'll have to look it up for yourself but there is some significant goofy pleasure to be found there if you have that kind of internet. (Now that I'm home, I don't. So sad.) As an added bonus, one of the things I really appreciate about Rhett and Linc is that they are clean, no foul language, reasonably controlled on the adult content. That's a rarity in comedy these days, especially in an internet context, and I really appreciate their work.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Pure Michigan
Imagine, if you will, having traveled almost a thousand miles to reach the Michigan state border. At the border, on I-75, Michigan has a lovely sign mounted in stone that says "Welcome to Michigan" and, below, the states new motto "Pure Michigan" in great white letters on deep blue. This trip there is another sign, an orange one. It read "Construction Next 40 Miles." The result is classic.
To the left, ranks of orange barrels. Forward, brake lights as far as the eye can see. And to the right, the orange sign obscuring part of the welcome sign leaving the eye to read "Construction Next 40 Miles. Pure Michigan."
I'm probably not doing the scene justice. It was priceless. I know I'm not the only one who saw this but so far I haven't found anyone who got a picture. I really want a picture. Honestly, I think it should be a postcard. You'd make a fortune.
To the left, ranks of orange barrels. Forward, brake lights as far as the eye can see. And to the right, the orange sign obscuring part of the welcome sign leaving the eye to read "Construction Next 40 Miles. Pure Michigan."
I'm probably not doing the scene justice. It was priceless. I know I'm not the only one who saw this but so far I haven't found anyone who got a picture. I really want a picture. Honestly, I think it should be a postcard. You'd make a fortune.
Traffic Advisory
Hello first world car driving people. Most of you are very nice. Some of you aren't. Having just returned from the long march, I wish to share a few helpful suggestions with the latter group.
This ain't the blasted Autobahn!
Running up on my bumper and flashing your lights does not, in fact, make me want to move out of your way. It just tells me you are a self-important, rude, speeding jerk driving a brand new automobile that costs more than the trailer that I live in. It reminds me of the fact that we both have insurance and that you have more to lose in a collision than I do. It reminds me that I have brand new brake pads and that I can go even slower. Thank you for bringing to my attention that my life is so trivial that I don't need to go 90 miles an hour on the highway because what I'm going to is not as important as what you're going to.
At first I thought you must be a heart surgeon or that someone needed a brain transplant but there are too many of you for that to be a sufficient explanation. I would also assume that a surgeon rushing to a medical emergency would be smart enough not to be on the phone while they change lanes every ten feet.
And why are you watching TV? I cannot tell you how surprised I was to see a movie playing in your vehicle as you passed me on the other side of a line of orange construction barrels. I didn't know cars could play movies. Of course, I also didn't know you could choose which side of the barrels to drive on. Silly hick me.
I notice that a disparate number of you have California license plates. Are the rules different in California? I have often suspected this when I watch the news, so thank you for confirming it for me. But maybe I'm being unfair to California because there are enough of you from other states to remind me that stupid is universal. I also notice that in this "bad economy" there seems to be a correlation between how expensive the car is and how "important" the driver.
I should warn you, I have rage issues. It says so right on my psych chart. I also have "anarchist tendencies" and "hostility toward authority figures." Perhaps, as a suggestion, honking and flashing your lights to let me know how important and powerful you are in the social hierarchy is not the best way to communicate with me. I am the kind of person who always carries a tire iron in the car, even though I do not have a spare. There is a chance that we might share a rest stop further down the road. I might even follow you to one. Or I might just stop this car right here in the one-lane construction zone and come speak with you. Do be kind enough not to encourage me to combine psychotic rage and hillbilly enthusiasm on your fine automobile.
To recap, running up on my bumper and flashing your lights will not, in fact, cause me to change lanes…in a construction zone…single lane…in Kentucky…with shoulder work also going on.
(True story, I kid you not. One lane, shoulder work on both sides, and some goober zips up on me and flashes his lights. I guess I was supposed to drive off the side of the mountain so he could pass. Then when we get out of construction and he passes me, still not kidding, he's talking on the phone with a movie playing on a screen inside the car. I had some…strongly held opinions on his parentage.)
This ain't the blasted Autobahn!
Running up on my bumper and flashing your lights does not, in fact, make me want to move out of your way. It just tells me you are a self-important, rude, speeding jerk driving a brand new automobile that costs more than the trailer that I live in. It reminds me of the fact that we both have insurance and that you have more to lose in a collision than I do. It reminds me that I have brand new brake pads and that I can go even slower. Thank you for bringing to my attention that my life is so trivial that I don't need to go 90 miles an hour on the highway because what I'm going to is not as important as what you're going to.
At first I thought you must be a heart surgeon or that someone needed a brain transplant but there are too many of you for that to be a sufficient explanation. I would also assume that a surgeon rushing to a medical emergency would be smart enough not to be on the phone while they change lanes every ten feet.
And why are you watching TV? I cannot tell you how surprised I was to see a movie playing in your vehicle as you passed me on the other side of a line of orange construction barrels. I didn't know cars could play movies. Of course, I also didn't know you could choose which side of the barrels to drive on. Silly hick me.
I notice that a disparate number of you have California license plates. Are the rules different in California? I have often suspected this when I watch the news, so thank you for confirming it for me. But maybe I'm being unfair to California because there are enough of you from other states to remind me that stupid is universal. I also notice that in this "bad economy" there seems to be a correlation between how expensive the car is and how "important" the driver.
I should warn you, I have rage issues. It says so right on my psych chart. I also have "anarchist tendencies" and "hostility toward authority figures." Perhaps, as a suggestion, honking and flashing your lights to let me know how important and powerful you are in the social hierarchy is not the best way to communicate with me. I am the kind of person who always carries a tire iron in the car, even though I do not have a spare. There is a chance that we might share a rest stop further down the road. I might even follow you to one. Or I might just stop this car right here in the one-lane construction zone and come speak with you. Do be kind enough not to encourage me to combine psychotic rage and hillbilly enthusiasm on your fine automobile.
To recap, running up on my bumper and flashing your lights will not, in fact, cause me to change lanes…in a construction zone…single lane…in Kentucky…with shoulder work also going on.
(True story, I kid you not. One lane, shoulder work on both sides, and some goober zips up on me and flashes his lights. I guess I was supposed to drive off the side of the mountain so he could pass. Then when we get out of construction and he passes me, still not kidding, he's talking on the phone with a movie playing on a screen inside the car. I had some…strongly held opinions on his parentage.)
Friday, November 7, 2014
Food Fight
Fair warning: this post contains potentially offensive subject matter, especially if you have food allergies or watch cooking shows. Believe it or not, I do actually understand things like celiac disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Before we left, my child bride told me to make a list of what I would eat and what I wouldn't. Her plan, I think, was to give it to the rest of the family in Michigan to help them in their meal planning. In the end…well, this is what I ended up with:
To Eat:
Spaghetti
Chili
Pizza
Meat (almost all, see notes below for exceptions)
If meal plan is exhausted, see above
Note: Anything that my wife makes is food.
Additional Note: Sometimes it's nice to skip a meal. Maybe just snack a little later. No big deal.
To Not Eat:
Mushy Peas
--All Peas are mushy, even in the pod.
--All beans are probably peas in disguise.
--All vegetables are probably related to beans.
--Best to be cautious on this.
Intestines.
--Things wrapped in intestines like sausages and brauts.
--Only poop should be in intestines.
--Poop is not food, no matter what Rachael Ray says.
Brains, Liver, etc.
--No organs
--Not even animal ones
Shredded Coconut.
--Probably a vegetable; only pretending to be a nut.
--If not vegetable, might be little pointy white spiders waiting to come alive in your stomach.
No Transitional Food.
--Food should only be eaten when finished.
--Sushi is not finished.
--Cream cheese, cottage cheese, curds, whey, etc. are not finished. Too late for milk, too soon for cheese.
--Cabbage (aka pre-sauerkraut) is not finished. Sauerkraut is not food.
--Yogurt is not food. Food has flavor, not culture. Yogurt is a bacteria aka rot. Rot is not food.
--Fungus is also rot, not food. Remember the rule: Fungus is no fun for us.
--Green is usually the sign of a food in transition. Green meat is transitioning to rot. Green bacon is transitioning to rot. Green eggs are transitioning to rot unless you are British.
--Vegetables are also green.
--Mayonnaise is a transitional food (see below). It is a food of unfulfilled potential. The ingredients separately looked good; combined, they're on a road to nowhere. Not even starving leprous kids in India are that hungry.
Tomatoes should be sufficiently dead.
--Raw is not dead.
--Sliced is not dead.
--Diced is not dead.
--Stewed is not dead.
--Crushed is not dead.
--Pureed into a sauce, seeds removed, all chunks strained out, mixed with spices and made into a nice spaghetti or pizza is maybe dead enough. But no black olives.
--Olives are made by the spit of old Italian men. That is bad.
No mayonnaise.
--Ever.
--Remember, potatoes are good, salad is bad. Potato salad, therefore, is a breech in the matter/anti-matter containment vessel. That's bad, Egon.
--"Salad Dressing" is not a mayonnaise loop-hole.
--Seriously, the stuff is gross.
Food should be food.
--Food is not pretty. Food has work to do; it doesn't have time to get dressed up. Fancy looking food is hiding something.
--Food should not touch. If the cook makes two different foods in the kitchen, do not be rude and let them touch on the plate.
--Food should not be allowed to touch in the kitchen.
--Handy tip: food should be brown, black, or gray. If not, food may be undercooked or need gravy.
--Bread is food. Gluten is hippy propaganda.
--All food should be made from ingredients.
--Ingredients should be things known to western civilization for at least two hundred years.
--The Food Network lies. A lot.
--If you have to order it, it is not an ingredient.
--If you cannot pronounce it, it is not an ingredient.
--If you cannot spell it, it is not an ingredient…or Italian. Italian is okay.
--Some Spanish and Mexican is okay too. To test, rub suspect ingredient in your eyes. If it burns, it is not an ingredient.
--There is no food in Asia. Some ingredients, yes, but no food. If all the ingredients together make Asian food, you have failed.
--Grease is an ingredient. Greek is not. Those people eat some weird things but it is not food.
--Just leave the poor sheep alone, okay?
Before we left, my child bride told me to make a list of what I would eat and what I wouldn't. Her plan, I think, was to give it to the rest of the family in Michigan to help them in their meal planning. In the end…well, this is what I ended up with:
To Eat:
Spaghetti
Chili
Pizza
Meat (almost all, see notes below for exceptions)
If meal plan is exhausted, see above
Note: Anything that my wife makes is food.
Additional Note: Sometimes it's nice to skip a meal. Maybe just snack a little later. No big deal.
To Not Eat:
Mushy Peas
--All Peas are mushy, even in the pod.
--All beans are probably peas in disguise.
--All vegetables are probably related to beans.
--Best to be cautious on this.
Intestines.
--Things wrapped in intestines like sausages and brauts.
--Only poop should be in intestines.
--Poop is not food, no matter what Rachael Ray says.
Brains, Liver, etc.
--No organs
--Not even animal ones
Shredded Coconut.
--Probably a vegetable; only pretending to be a nut.
--If not vegetable, might be little pointy white spiders waiting to come alive in your stomach.
No Transitional Food.
--Food should only be eaten when finished.
--Sushi is not finished.
--Cream cheese, cottage cheese, curds, whey, etc. are not finished. Too late for milk, too soon for cheese.
--Cabbage (aka pre-sauerkraut) is not finished. Sauerkraut is not food.
--Yogurt is not food. Food has flavor, not culture. Yogurt is a bacteria aka rot. Rot is not food.
--Fungus is also rot, not food. Remember the rule: Fungus is no fun for us.
--Green is usually the sign of a food in transition. Green meat is transitioning to rot. Green bacon is transitioning to rot. Green eggs are transitioning to rot unless you are British.
--Vegetables are also green.
--Mayonnaise is a transitional food (see below). It is a food of unfulfilled potential. The ingredients separately looked good; combined, they're on a road to nowhere. Not even starving leprous kids in India are that hungry.
Tomatoes should be sufficiently dead.
--Raw is not dead.
--Sliced is not dead.
--Diced is not dead.
--Stewed is not dead.
--Crushed is not dead.
--Pureed into a sauce, seeds removed, all chunks strained out, mixed with spices and made into a nice spaghetti or pizza is maybe dead enough. But no black olives.
--Olives are made by the spit of old Italian men. That is bad.
No mayonnaise.
--Ever.
--Remember, potatoes are good, salad is bad. Potato salad, therefore, is a breech in the matter/anti-matter containment vessel. That's bad, Egon.
--"Salad Dressing" is not a mayonnaise loop-hole.
--Seriously, the stuff is gross.
Food should be food.
--Food is not pretty. Food has work to do; it doesn't have time to get dressed up. Fancy looking food is hiding something.
--Food should not touch. If the cook makes two different foods in the kitchen, do not be rude and let them touch on the plate.
--Food should not be allowed to touch in the kitchen.
--Handy tip: food should be brown, black, or gray. If not, food may be undercooked or need gravy.
--Bread is food. Gluten is hippy propaganda.
--All food should be made from ingredients.
--Ingredients should be things known to western civilization for at least two hundred years.
--The Food Network lies. A lot.
--If you have to order it, it is not an ingredient.
--If you cannot pronounce it, it is not an ingredient.
--If you cannot spell it, it is not an ingredient…or Italian. Italian is okay.
--Some Spanish and Mexican is okay too. To test, rub suspect ingredient in your eyes. If it burns, it is not an ingredient.
--There is no food in Asia. Some ingredients, yes, but no food. If all the ingredients together make Asian food, you have failed.
--Grease is an ingredient. Greek is not. Those people eat some weird things but it is not food.
--Just leave the poor sheep alone, okay?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Home Again
They called it horror because they had forgotten the real meaning of the word, because there was no word sufficient for the harrowing trail, the eternity of butt-numbing boredom punctuated by moments of sheer orange where stalagmites rise up from the asphalt like the flames of Hades and men shuffle listlessly between arcane machines.
So, yeah, there was some travel. Not so much with the men and machines though. I don't mind construction when it's necessary and done right, like in Kentucky where they're out there only a few feet from traffic risking their lives to make sure the shoulders are solid and the guardrails intact so I don't go plummeting down the side of a mountain. I'm totally fine with that. Places like Ohio and Michigan however, where the entire state is down to one lane because that one guy who actually does something is probably going to want to work on part of the road when he gets back from vacation next week, they get on my nerves. But I shouldn't complain, I've been through worse (any given trip through Indianapolis, for example) and the car ran splendiferously. Plus my lovely wife did most of the driving because she's wonderful like that.
We're home now and rested up to the state of exhaustion that we call normal. I'll try to give a few more posts on the details of the trip but the short version is: we went to Michigan, spent some time with family, went to Conclave, and had a great time and a lovely convention.
It's hard for me to give anything resembling an honest convention report because, over the years, 'Clave has gone from a convention to a second home where I visit my friends who just happen to run a convention. That said, I still think this year went very well. FEMA was actively commandeering large chunks of the hotel away from the convention and, if it hadn't been for the signs, you wouldn't have known it. Even the "disaster that delivers" couldn't stop the smooth machine that is 'Clave's staff. Panel rooms were easy to find and in rooms that were the right size for the panel and, if anything, noise and distractions from other events and outside business was less than usual. Very, very impressive.
I was allowed to do a relatively large number of panels, which I enjoyed but I do hope that the people who attended didn't get tired of seeing me. Even better, I was privileged to do many of them with the Guest of Honor Kelly McCullough who has his own very thorough and nice convention report on his site. (kellymccullough.com or facebook.com/Kelly.mccullough Stupid blog will probably mess up the link; you might have to do the usual cut-and-paste thing. I swear, I need a teenager on staff to do the web stuff. I'm not kidding; you want the job, ask for it.) I also was fortunate enough to meet and speak with his wife over the course of the weekend. As most of you are aware, authors get the by-line but the spouses are what really make the books possible. They were even gracious enough to come to my reading of Purple Wings and pretend they liked it.
I'll try to get into more details of trip and convention as time goes by but for now, know that we're home safe from our trip to the first world and go read Kelly's stuff.
So, yeah, there was some travel. Not so much with the men and machines though. I don't mind construction when it's necessary and done right, like in Kentucky where they're out there only a few feet from traffic risking their lives to make sure the shoulders are solid and the guardrails intact so I don't go plummeting down the side of a mountain. I'm totally fine with that. Places like Ohio and Michigan however, where the entire state is down to one lane because that one guy who actually does something is probably going to want to work on part of the road when he gets back from vacation next week, they get on my nerves. But I shouldn't complain, I've been through worse (any given trip through Indianapolis, for example) and the car ran splendiferously. Plus my lovely wife did most of the driving because she's wonderful like that.
We're home now and rested up to the state of exhaustion that we call normal. I'll try to give a few more posts on the details of the trip but the short version is: we went to Michigan, spent some time with family, went to Conclave, and had a great time and a lovely convention.
It's hard for me to give anything resembling an honest convention report because, over the years, 'Clave has gone from a convention to a second home where I visit my friends who just happen to run a convention. That said, I still think this year went very well. FEMA was actively commandeering large chunks of the hotel away from the convention and, if it hadn't been for the signs, you wouldn't have known it. Even the "disaster that delivers" couldn't stop the smooth machine that is 'Clave's staff. Panel rooms were easy to find and in rooms that were the right size for the panel and, if anything, noise and distractions from other events and outside business was less than usual. Very, very impressive.
I was allowed to do a relatively large number of panels, which I enjoyed but I do hope that the people who attended didn't get tired of seeing me. Even better, I was privileged to do many of them with the Guest of Honor Kelly McCullough who has his own very thorough and nice convention report on his site. (kellymccullough.com or facebook.com/Kelly.mccullough Stupid blog will probably mess up the link; you might have to do the usual cut-and-paste thing. I swear, I need a teenager on staff to do the web stuff. I'm not kidding; you want the job, ask for it.) I also was fortunate enough to meet and speak with his wife over the course of the weekend. As most of you are aware, authors get the by-line but the spouses are what really make the books possible. They were even gracious enough to come to my reading of Purple Wings and pretend they liked it.
I'll try to get into more details of trip and convention as time goes by but for now, know that we're home safe from our trip to the first world and go read Kelly's stuff.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Conclave Schedule
I have a schedule:
Fri 8pm Warren Here to There
Fri 9pm Erie My Favorite Things
Fri 10pm Erie Characters (and other things that waste time)
Sat 11am Erie Just Like the Last Time, Only Different
Sat noon Warren Non-Fiction is Very Different
Sat 1pm Erie Cultural Cliches
Sat 2pm Ontario Combat Choreography
Sat 3pm Ontario Worldbuilder’s Toolbox
Sat 4pm Erie Skeptical of Skepticism
Sat 5pm Erie Writing Dialogue
Sat 8pm Warren Purple Wings and Troll Snot
Sat 9pm Erie One Day at a Time
Sun 10am Erie The Monomythic Arc
Sun 11am Huron Matthew Keaton Presents
Sun noon Erie Importance of Other Genres
Sun 1pm Warren Lost Birthright
There's also going to be a table for selling books but I don't think I'm going to be on it simply because (as you can see from the schedule) there's really no way I can help staff it. I'll be carrying the new CChild and some DOSII with me so ask if you want on.
MK
Fri 8pm Warren Here to There
Fri 9pm Erie My Favorite Things
Fri 10pm Erie Characters (and other things that waste time)
Sat 11am Erie Just Like the Last Time, Only Different
Sat noon Warren Non-Fiction is Very Different
Sat 1pm Erie Cultural Cliches
Sat 2pm Ontario Combat Choreography
Sat 3pm Ontario Worldbuilder’s Toolbox
Sat 4pm Erie Skeptical of Skepticism
Sat 5pm Erie Writing Dialogue
Sat 8pm Warren Purple Wings and Troll Snot
Sat 9pm Erie One Day at a Time
Sun 10am Erie The Monomythic Arc
Sun 11am Huron Matthew Keaton Presents
Sun noon Erie Importance of Other Genres
Sun 1pm Warren Lost Birthright
There's also going to be a table for selling books but I don't think I'm going to be on it simply because (as you can see from the schedule) there's really no way I can help staff it. I'll be carrying the new CChild and some DOSII with me so ask if you want on.
MK
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Pre-travel Update
I'll be at the Springdale Library this Saturday and then off to Michigan for Conclave. Hope to see everyone in good health. I don't know if the dealers' room will have my books so, just in case, I've got a few in the car. Feel free to buy as many as you want. (Or order the e-versions if you can't afford the other.)
MK
MK
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
General Update
I don't update the blog very often (which is obvious) and most readers know the main reasons: health and internet connection. In fact, let me go ahead and complain about the internet again--Im's getting messages from google saying that, in a short while, I won't even be able to read email because my "hardware is no longer supported." I suppose that's fair, the keyboard on my laptop is shedding keys like raindrops and I get a virtual memory error and have to reboot every half-hour. Even more fun, my website host has told me I need to "migrate" my website to a new server (they say it's to give me better service and I guess I'm grateful except, I don't even know what "migrate my website" means let alone how to do it.)
Okay, enough whining. Other things going on...hmmm...am I going to Conclave? Yes (finances permitting). Do I have anything new coming out? Yes but the dates are soft. The non-fiction book on PTSD/veteran readjustment is still being shopped. What I wish I could do is put up draft chapters from the book for comment. I think it would make the book better but first-publication rights vs. blog posts are...complicated. On the fiction side, I'm marketting very few short stories because, well, internet. "Matua's Bats" (a Brass Africa story) is scheduled for the next Dreams of Steam antho (no release date set). There are a few other shorts in the ether so to speak. Bookwise, Glitterville is almost finished (I'm at 100,000 words on a book that was supposed to be 85,000.) I also have a series contract with ProSe Press but the first book there is scheduled for 2016. A Brass Africa novel and a non-fiction book on analyzing the werewolf trope have a place to go as soon as I find time to finish writing them.
In short, I'm very busy but with nothing to show for it in the short term. For now, I'm still pushing CChild at appearances and I think the next time I'm scheduled out is the Springdale library in September.
And I'm going to stop now because my 'X' key just broke off (I can still use the letter, I just have to push the plasticy-rubber bump underneath).
(BTW, I'm not complaining, I actually think it's funny.)
MK
Okay, enough whining. Other things going on...hmmm...am I going to Conclave? Yes (finances permitting). Do I have anything new coming out? Yes but the dates are soft. The non-fiction book on PTSD/veteran readjustment is still being shopped. What I wish I could do is put up draft chapters from the book for comment. I think it would make the book better but first-publication rights vs. blog posts are...complicated. On the fiction side, I'm marketting very few short stories because, well, internet. "Matua's Bats" (a Brass Africa story) is scheduled for the next Dreams of Steam antho (no release date set). There are a few other shorts in the ether so to speak. Bookwise, Glitterville is almost finished (I'm at 100,000 words on a book that was supposed to be 85,000.) I also have a series contract with ProSe Press but the first book there is scheduled for 2016. A Brass Africa novel and a non-fiction book on analyzing the werewolf trope have a place to go as soon as I find time to finish writing them.
In short, I'm very busy but with nothing to show for it in the short term. For now, I'm still pushing CChild at appearances and I think the next time I'm scheduled out is the Springdale library in September.
And I'm going to stop now because my 'X' key just broke off (I can still use the letter, I just have to push the plasticy-rubber bump underneath).
(BTW, I'm not complaining, I actually think it's funny.)
MK
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Red Dog Art
Recently I answered a few questions for the artist over at Platinum Giraffe. Now I have cool art. Merry Christmas to me!
I thought you might like to see it too.
I thought you might like to see it too.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
A Brief Red Dog Q&A (fool human)
The artist over at Platinum Giraffe asked me a few questions about Red Dog recently and I thought it might be interesting to the other three people who read the blog to see the questions and answers as well. (And no, I am not going to explain the nidus and the vespiary!)
Does he have antennae?
Yes, standard millipede with maybe just a touch of the moth-like feathering to help pick up pheremones.
How does he hold things?
Cilia and chitin hooks (think of the ridges on a preying mantis' front legs.) The cilia are also sticky.
How are his back legs spaced?
Millipede standard, one pair per segment. That's a bunch of legs and they go all the way up. He turns his upper segments upright to use the front legs as arms but every segment has legs.
How does he smell things?
Like most pseudo-insects, he smells very differently from humans. Antennae polyps give him pheremone and veremone access while, like crickets and some other true insects, he also breathes through his knees and has lesser chemical receptors there as well. (Bugs are built WEIRD.)
Double mandibles. Is it one set inside of the other, or one set in front of another?
One set inside the other. An outer, larger set for gripping prey and a smaller inner set that is more beak-like for ripping it into digestable chuncks.
Can he curl up into a ball like a millipede?
Yes although, because his is old and large, not as tightly as a younger and smaller Cillian. As a result, he's more likely to "hunch and bunch" than truly curl up, especially since curling is a defensive posture and Red Dog doesn't really do defense.
Does he have antennae?
Yes, standard millipede with maybe just a touch of the moth-like feathering to help pick up pheremones.
How does he hold things?
Cilia and chitin hooks (think of the ridges on a preying mantis' front legs.) The cilia are also sticky.
How are his back legs spaced?
Millipede standard, one pair per segment. That's a bunch of legs and they go all the way up. He turns his upper segments upright to use the front legs as arms but every segment has legs.
How does he smell things?
Like most pseudo-insects, he smells very differently from humans. Antennae polyps give him pheremone and veremone access while, like crickets and some other true insects, he also breathes through his knees and has lesser chemical receptors there as well. (Bugs are built WEIRD.)
Double mandibles. Is it one set inside of the other, or one set in front of another?
One set inside the other. An outer, larger set for gripping prey and a smaller inner set that is more beak-like for ripping it into digestable chuncks.
Can he curl up into a ball like a millipede?
Yes although, because his is old and large, not as tightly as a younger and smaller Cillian. As a result, he's more likely to "hunch and bunch" than truly curl up, especially since curling is a defensive posture and Red Dog doesn't really do defense.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Calamity's Child Art 5x5 (part two)
So, this is what I ended up painting. I called it Selous' World (the reference should make sense if you've read the book.)
Now, one of the neat things about the 5x5 canvases is that they are stretched around a wooden frame that is a bit over an inch deep. To a guy that likes to use chapter titles as a way to add content to a book, I thought, why not use the side too? This is the angled view.
Despite my considerable lack of skill, the canvas was, indeed, purchased.
Now, one of the neat things about the 5x5 canvases is that they are stretched around a wooden frame that is a bit over an inch deep. To a guy that likes to use chapter titles as a way to add content to a book, I thought, why not use the side too? This is the angled view.
Despite my considerable lack of skill, the canvas was, indeed, purchased.
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