The temperature hit triple digits today. Triple digits! So I’m listening to Christmas music. I’m thinking snow. I’m thinking winter. Like yesterday. Not quite triple digits. And I wrote an advertising piece on Greatfather Winter and the Feast of Winter Veil. Thinking winter, it made me feel cooler. Nothing says cool temperatures like Fleming &Continue reading “On Beating the Heat”
On Zombies
I don’t get it. What is the big freakin’ deal with zombies? I’d gone for years being completely unaware of zombies. Not my style of horror film. No real interest. The walking dead? Didn’t really care. Give me the classics. Give me Universal and its rip-offs. Zombies? Universal didn’t do zombies. At work, though? I’mContinue reading “On Zombies”
On a Declaration of War
My fellow writers, Times New Roman offends me. Its crimes against reason and common sense are legion. Times New Roman is common. Times New Roman is plebian. Times New Roman lacks style and panache. Times New Roman is blase. Times New Roman lacks art. Times New Roman has cast a spell upon the world. ItContinue reading “On a Declaration of War”
On “God”
About ten years ago Stephen Baxter wrote an alternate history story entitled “The Twelfth Album.” Its premise? Two guys, going through a dead coworkers effects, discover a mysterious, impossible LP — a Beatles album entitled “God.” The cover was elementally simple: just a black field, with a single word rendered in a white typewriter fontContinue reading “On “God””
On a Grand Designs Review
The UK website Sci-Fi Online reviewed the newest Star Trek: Corps of Engineers compilation Grand Designs, of which my own Ring Around the Sky is a part. From their review: It’s obvious from his detailed descriptions that Gibson gets a real kick out of technology as he indulges himself and the reader in descriptions ofContinue reading “On a Grand Designs Review”
On a Crazy Politician
Either Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo has a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease or he’s batshit crazy. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and say it’s the former, but it’s looking increasingly likely that it’s the latter. Why do I say that Tancredo off his meds? He said that, to deter Islamic terrorism, weContinue reading “On a Crazy Politician”
On Safari
Apple’s web browser for the Macintosh is Safari. About a month ago Apple announced that they would be making a verison of Safari available for the Windows platform, and compulsive tinkerer that I am I immediately downloaded the beta. Which, much to my surprise, worked not at all. I had no menu bar. I hadContinue reading “On Safari”
On Weird Fandom Questions
Stolen from novelist David McIntee: Name six of your fandoms without looking below the cut, then answer the questions. Okie-day! I’m interpretting “fandom” broadly—I like bands, I like books, I like television shows. So, broad definitions here. My six are: Hellboy The Beatles Doctor Who The Lord of the Rings Star Trek Boston Legal AndContinue reading “On Weird Fandom Questions”
On Sousaphone Hero
We’ve all heard of Guitar Hero. At least, if we’re into video games, we’ve heard of Guitar Hero. It’s a game, comes with a guitar-shaped controller, and depending on how well you work your axe determines your score. I don’t recommend anyone pull a Pete Townsend with a Guitar Hero controller. I’m just saying. Well,Continue reading “On Sousaphone Hero”
On the Wonders of the Universe
Regular readers of this website picking it up off the various feed options may be unaware of a little feature of the blog — there’s a sidebar widget that shows the Astronomy Picture of the Day. It’s a nifty website where, in their words, “a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured,Continue reading “On the Wonders of the Universe”