Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 230 entries, all of them here in full.
August 22, 2008 · 89 words
Better Than The Olympics
I was never one of those fancy-dancy martial artists. I never did “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” I was more “punch like a piledriver, kick like an ox.” Instead of dancing around, I’d just make some subtle adjustments and then— hey, it’s steamrolling time, baby!Every so often I’d have to spar with [&h
Read entry →August 22, 2008 · 303 words
Bubonicon
This weekend I’ll be at Bubonicon 40, Albuquerque’s very own science fiction convention. Bubonicon’s been going on for forty years, and (god help me) I’ve been attending for most of those years. It was a small local con at the beginning, and now it’s a medium-sized regional con. And I’ve got to appreciate it a [&hellip
Read entry →August 19, 2008 · 95 words
I’ll Be the Judge of That!
Concept Sci-Fi is running a fiction writing contest. You must write a science fiction story that is exactly 150 words long, excluding the title. The story must actually have a story, it can’t be just pretty words on paper.150 words isn’t going to take a huge chunk out of your day, so why not enter? […]
Read entry →August 19, 2008 · 64 words
Meet Norbert
This is Norbert the NORAD bear, who I purchased in the gift shop at Cheyenne Mountain. Norbert had the time of his life at Worldcon, where I took him to several parties, and where many attractive ladies wearing fuzzy ears on their heads wanted to kiss him. Norad contains the launch codes that will bring […]
Read entry →August 19, 2008 · 1,161 words
As Seen On TV
So here we are at Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD’s once-super-secret underground headquarters. While some people were innocently enjoying the Denver Worldcon, or leaving their bleached bones in the cavernous convention center after foolishly trying to hike to the dealer’s room without bringing their own supplies of food and
Read entry →August 15, 2008 · 342 words
Cyberwar. Or Not.
Russia’s ground invasion of Georgia shows a ponderous but effective use of Soviet-era military planning— the whole move had been planned weeks if not months ahead of time, was executed with a vastly superior force, and resulted in the Georgian army being swiftly destroyed and its navy sunk at its moorings.What th
Read entry →August 15, 2008 · 139 words
Another Splendid Review
Fantasy Book Critic has published a splendid review of Implied Spaces. Allow me to quote some of the highlights: “I am happy to say that the book exceeded my expectations and is a fun, impossible-to-put-down romp bristling with ingenious ideas and speculations… “Even though “Implied Spaces” is only 265 pages long, the
Read entry →August 15, 2008 · 188 words
The News
So here I was at the Worldcon, okay? And every so often, while I was dressing in my hotel room, I’d check CNN or MSNBC or see what was going on in the world.And the number one headline: John Edwards Admits Adultery!!!!! At least half the newscast was taken up with this, and interviews with […]
Read entry →August 13, 2008 · 74 words
First Observation from the Worldcon
Kilts do not make a guy look more masculine. It doesn’t matter how hairy his legs are. Kilts make a guy look like a tosser.The exception is if you’re actually Scottish and are in Scotland, and you’re a shepherd maybe or in a Highland regiment and are carrying a sword or an assault rifle or […]
Read entry →August 2, 2008 · 298 words
Noor
The Turkish soap opera Noor, with its independent-minded heroine and her romantic, supportive husband, is knocking the Arab world back on its heels. For the first time, apparently, Arab women are getting an idea of what husbands are supposed to be like. (Passionate, engaged, loving, supportive . . . and, of course, dro
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