james_nicoll

These are stories of the future; adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds.

deborahkalin

Hola!

I am lifting my head from the morass of editing this one story I never want to see again¹ and drafting this other story I don't want to have to write² to tell those who find such things interesting that there's a new interview of me up online.

This one is a little different, being an audio interview for the Galactic Chat podcast, so you actually get to hear my voice. I'm a little nervous about this aspect of it, because I absolutely loathe the sound of my own voice on playback. Does anyone else ever suffer from this dissonance? I swear I don't sound as plummy in real life as I always end up sounding on playback. Or at least, I don't think I do, but who knows?

Anyway! The interview is live, and we touch on the Binding books, and my collection for the Twelve Planets series, among other things, and I had a whole heap of fun conducting the interview, so head on over for a listen!

1. This is completely normal and an encouraging sign that the process is all working out as expected. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. [↩]
2. Again. Normal. [↩]

Mirrored from Deborah Kalin.

cathshaffer

While photographing the crowdedness of the master bedroom, I also happened upon this photo op showing the abject failure of the dog crate. The dog crate is, in fact, very popular with every mammal in the house except the one it was purchased for. Courage still refuses to sleep all night in it. Soon, I will take it down and put it away. For now, you can see that Simba J. Cat and Athena Kitten are enjoying it while Miss Diamond Starina Kittais (she’s French) lounges in the foreground.

(Diamond is also not that smart. She doesn’t like to be around the other cats, but she doesn’t know they are right behind her so she’s fine.)

Originally published at So Shiny. You can comment here or there.

matthewsrotundo

Am pleased and proud to announce that I’ve been accepted into Launch Pad this year.

For those who don’t know, Launch Pad is a NASA-funded astronomy workshop for writers, held on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie.  You can well imagine how valuable something like that would be to a science fiction writer and geek.  I mean, I’ll even get telescope time.  Dude.

Let me tell you, this is not an easy gig to get.  I’m thrilled and honored to be studying with these fine folks.

Please permit me a small woo-hoo!

So.  What are you doing this summer?

ETA: The one downside to all this that Launch Pad conflicts with OSFest.  I wish it weren’t so, but there’s no getting around it.  To those who are attending, have a great time, and I’m sorry I won’t be there with you.

cathshaffer

Here are some pics of the house before renovation.

 

Here’s the house from the front. You can see the tiny driveway with our Toyota in it, and the tiny garage. The new garage/addition will be about four feet wider than the existing structure. As you can see, grading and retaining walls are going to be a big part of the project, and a big expense. There are also some trees – overgrown shrubberies actually – that will have to go. I’ll be a little sad about that since we enjoy the privacy, shade, and visiting birds. But c’est la vie. We really should be discouraging birds from visiting our place, anyway.

We also need to replace the old roof, and the addition will continue the existing roofline, so we will need a full tear-off of the old roof, and original cedar shakes underneath, and then a new roof all the way across. I don’t know yet if we’ll go with another Sheriff Goslin or something else. A metal roof mimicking the original cedar shake would be sweet, but is probably not in the budget. (Actual cedar shake can be had, but is hideously flammable and therefore not really a good idea.)

By the way, you can see one of our major frustrations with the arrangement. With a car in the driveway, we can’t wheel our bins to the street. Garbage day at our house always involves auto-musical chairs at 7 AM.

Here’s the inside of the enclosed porch, progressing towards emptiness. The window you can see is the front window. There’s a lot of pristine original redwood siding inside that has never been touched by weather that we’ll be salvaging for the new exterior. Our options for matching siding to the existing exterior siding are limited. We’ll probably have no choice but to pay the high price of new cedar siding, since there doesn’t seem to be a non-wood product that matches what we already have.

Here’s the porch from the back. The addition will extend about six feet further back, and will wrap around somewhat to the left to accommodate a new bathroom. Since the new ridgeline will be continuous to the old one, the extension in back will have its own little dormer at the second story level. There will be a double sliding door on the ground level, where the large window is currently. We’re also hoping to be able to splurge on some floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the second floor in back for plants and a little bit of solar gain in the summer.

This just shows how crowded our existing master bedroom is, particularly with the huge dog crate. The window thing behind the dog crate is actually a door leading to the balcony. We’ll be blocking off that door, and putting a new interior door in the adjoining guest bedroom/office. That room will be an annex off the master bedroom that I’ll be using as an office, but could also be a cute nursery or sitting room.

The old master bedroom will either be a guest room or new teen cave, depending on the preferences of the teen.

And here is a random photo op of the treehouse with Chewie in it. Due to budget restrictions, we won’t be able to add the jacuzzi tub, motorcycle lift, and electric water canons to it this year.

Originally published at So Shiny. You can comment here or there.

james_nicoll

Berthing Confirmed!
25 May 2012, 12:12 PM EDT

The Dragon spacecraft has been offiically attached to the International Space Station!

Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are comment(s); comment here or there.

lwe

• Thu, 15:36: Writing's going slowly today -- I've only managed to eke out half a page of The Sorcerer's Widow so far. Not sure why.

cathshaffer

I’ve been feeling great lately. Very positive, content, loving towards all my friends and family, full of energy, sleeping well and waking up refreshed, etc., etc. I thought it was possibly because life had suddenly become fantastic, but I think it’s actually endorphin overdose from all of the extra exercise I’ve been getting. Glen has been very keen on the biking, so we’ve been doing a weekly long bike ride and intermittent short ones. This Monday, we went on a 12 mile bike ride that starts in our neighborhood. We were pleasantly surprised to see that our neighbors J. and W. were the ride captains, so we got the opportunity to get reacquainted while we pedalled along. I was the straggler. This may be because I am, greatly to my surprise, the smallest and weakest member of the family. It may also be because I am the only one riding a poorly maintained twenty-year old bicycle. In any case, it was a great ride, and left me exhausted and sore in the “you’ve had a great workout” way that I became addicted to as a high school athlete.

I felt like I barely survived the ride, but the captains said we did well. Our family was the only group that joined the ride, probably because it was raining slightly, but they said because it is an entry-level ride, many people are starting from absolute zero and have more trouble with it than we did.

In addition, I’ve kept up with twice weekly bikram yoga, and we finally massaged the schedule in such a way that we can walk the dogs every day. On non-yoga days, they get a very long walk, nearly two miles. This causes them to keel over and sleep the whole rest of the day. It’s awesome, and it’s a non-trivial workout for me, too. Also makes for good conversation with the spouse.

In summary, I have endorphin poisoning and am probably insufferable and unfit for the company of normal writers with all of my cheerfulness.

I’m still on my diet/exercise plan, and have been on a plateau for about six weeks, now. You can’t believe this phenomenon until you’ve lived it. It defies the laws of physics. When I added the extra exercise in, I actually gained two pounds and then re-plateau’d at that level.

Yes, I know “muscle weighs more than fat” and blah blah blah. I have indeed lost some inches. But at some point in the slimming down process, the scale really *must” register a lower weight. The weight I am at now would be too high even for a very muscular man of my same height. There is no scenario where I can get back into a size 6 without losing some actual mass. Hence my confusion and impatience and daily yelling at my Tanita, “Oh come on!”

(This is not a request for diet advice. There are 5407 weight reducing diets out there, and everyone has a favorite. My switching to your favorite will not solve this problem. Time and patience will solve it.)

So, a big thing is happening at our house. I’ve been meaning to take some photos and do a big introduction post, but it’s not happening, so I’ll include the short version for now and hopefully the photos will come.

We are doing a major home renovation. Yaaaaaay! *Kermit flail*

This thing has been in the works for over a year. In fact, for record keeping purposes, I looked back at the first payment we made to the designer/builder, and it was over a year ago.

Our home is a 3 br/1 bath colonial built in 1924. It’s a wonderful house, with all of the charm you would expect of a house of that vintage. It’s built into the side of a steep hill, so it has a subterranean garage on one side, and a porch that’s been converted to a three-season-room above the garage.

We’ve found the house awkward to live in because of the driveway/garage/porch situation. The driveway is a narrow chute with rock retaining walls on both sides, probably built with a Model A in mind, and the garage is also very narrow. We were able to park our minivan in it at one point, but you can barely open the doors. All of our cars have scratches and chips in the paint from the rock retaining walls.

It goes without saying that the tiny garage does not have any space for storage, power tools, bikes, etc.

The porch is a nice idea. French doors lead from the living room to the porch. However, the flat roof leaks, in spite of the fact that we’ve repaired it once already, and it’s drafty as hell. When we moved in, there was in fact no actual lock preventing someone from walking into the house through the porch. I’m not kidding! We moved into the house in 2001. The porch had a flimsy storm door only, and the french doors leading into the living room were theoretically lockable with skeleton keys. You know, the universal kind you can buy in any antique store? One of the first things we did was install a proper exterior door on the porch so that we could lock it.

However, the whole porch thing has driven me crazy ever since. It’s a tantalizing space that seems like it could be wonderful living/storage space. In reality, it’s a junk magnet that is unpleasantly drafty in the cold season, and overly hot in the summer season. I could go on and on about the porch.

So, in our remodel, we are tearing out the garage and porch completely. (Aiyee!) We will be putting in a new, wider driveway, and a larger garage. On the main floor of the house, where the old porch was, we’ll have a family room that matches the garage footprint, with (oh god yes) a MAIN FLOOR BATHROOM. *more Kermit flailing*

I’m really excited about that bathroom. As our son just turned into a teenager, with all of the increased grooming that implies, Brent and I are slowly losing access to the house’s single bathroom. Many peepee dances ensue The first floor bathroom will have a large shower stall instead of a tub. This will give us a way to wash dogs without dragging them upstairs. It will also be handicapper accessable, so the whole area can be turned into a convalescent suite if one of us should become bedridden or if we need to provide care for an older family member. We’ve been through elder care already, with the world’s least accessible house, so we’re very conscious of how difficult that can be. (My mother fell down our stairs not once but twice when she was living with us. I have huge regrets over not choosing a ranch-style house back in 2001. So many problems we had in her care would have been solved by living in a one story home.)

On the second floor of the house, above the family room, we’re putting in a master suite. There will be yet another bathroom. (Three bathrooms, OMG!) The room will also be big enough for a queen-sized bed AND reasonable furniture and closet space for storing clothes. (I don’t know where these 1924 people put their dresser and chest of drawers. Half of my clothes live in the guest bedroom/office.)

So, that’s how our summer is shaping up. The past couple of months have involved many design meetings with the builder (in process), figuring out financing (done), applying for permits (done), cleaning out the garage and porch (in process), storing or divesting excess items (in process), and pre-shopping for materials and finishes (a never ending task). Brent is only working part time, and he will be GC on the project, and will be working as part of the crew for the demolition and framing.

We already have major challenges in the initial phase with our hilltop site–where to put the dumpster? How to get materials in and out? The sequence of tasks needs to be carefully planned because of access limitations. Brent and the builder are working on those problems together. We also have some potential surprises waiting for us when we get stuff torn up and dug out. We don’t actually know where some of the utilities come in and connect to the house, because the city’s records for 1924 are sketchy. Apparently, it’s also not clear at this point how the plumbing for the new house will connect to the old house. The plumber will have to figure it out later, when things have been exposed and the framing is in.

However, the plans are approved, and we are braced for “known unknowns” and budget overruns, so we are going to cross our fingers and take the plunge. We’ll probably be breaking ground in about two weeks.

It’s very exciting, but will probably also keep us busy and stressed for the whole summer. That’s where endorphin poisoning can be very helpful. Yay, endorphin poisoning! Pass the checkbook. Whee!

Originally published at So Shiny. You can comment here or there.

ericjamesstone

Originally published at Eric James Stone. You can comment here or there.

This week’s Russian pop song: “I So Want To” by Infiniti. I must say the music video isn’t exactly the most entertaining one I’ve seen, but I like the song a lot.

Here are the translated lyrics (courtesy of Google Translate and megalyrics.ru):

I so want to
I so want to

In the light of lanterns
In the light of lanterns
vanishing
You’re beautiful in it
But I know
What do you become a friend
I understand, but at heart I suddenly
I can not hold back her tears
I can not understand
Well, for what
Drops on the cheek
Rain drops on the glass with the lash

Chorus:
I so want to forget you
At heart she is, but I’m not your tenderness
It was not me
He kisses you
I’m just a snowflake in your heart

I so want to forget
I so want to forget

The sky is not for us to shine the stars
You are now on the other whispered dreams
You are now a stranger
I see
I say, “Goodbye”
We no longer meet the dawn
No more birds to fly with the wind
Let the night knocking on unanswered
Melting away

Chorus:
I so want to forget you
At heart she is, but I’m not your tenderness
It was not me
He kisses you
I’m just a snowflake in your heart

I so want to forget
I so want to forget

jimhines

We just watched the latest (I think) episode of Legend of Korra, “The Aftermath.” I’m continuing to really enjoy this show for a number of reasons.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Pacing: One of the things that bugged me was the love triangle between Korra, Mako, and Asami. It felt, not necessarily cliche, but easy. It’s an oft-repeated trope, one that could push characters into more cardboard, stereotypical roles and — if other shows are any example — drag out for far too long.

Instead, Asami’s character quickly developed more depth and conflict. The plot moved along, changing her role in the story. The conflict between Korra and Asami progressed through conflict into understanding and sympathy. I loved the quiet moment at the end where Korra tells Mako, “She’s going to need you.”

I’ve seen that pacing elsewhere, and I appreciate that the show doesn’t seem to get bogged down. There’s always a sense of movement.

Lin Beifong continues to be awesome. In many ways, I think she’s my favorite character. Partly because she’s an older woman kicking all sorts of ass. Partly because she, more than anyone else I’ve seen, seems to take full advantage of her bending abilities. The firebenders throw fire. Earthbenders throw rocks. Beifong, on the other hand, manipulates metal cables like Spider-Man, grows blades from her armor to punch through mechs, and seems to push the “What else can I do with this?” angle.

Complexity: The scene with Tahno’s character really jumped out at me. This is a character who’s introduced as a full-on asshole. He’s arrogant, he cheats, and you really wanted Korra to kick his butt in the tournament. Instead, the White Falls Wolfbats won … and thus became the targets of an Equalist attack.

In the next episode, you see Tahno without his powers, and he’s utterly broken. Korra feels for him. She knows what he lost and how close she came to losing her own bending. It was a fairly short scene, but that’s all it took.

The relationship between Tenzin and Lin Beifong is another interesting example. Their history, the contrast of their apparent discomfort with how well they work together in a crisis … I have no idea where that’s going, but I like the dynamic, and at this point I’m trusting the show not to go somewhere overly cliche with it.

While there are certainly characters who seem flat-out Evil, at least at first, I appreciate that things generally aren’t presented in a simplistic black-and-white way. Neither people nor power are simple, and this show respects that fact.

The Animation: This is a very pretty show, particularly in the way it portrays movement and the grace of the different benders. I get done watching, and other cartoons suddenly seem clunkier.

Trusting the Viewers: I was trying to figure out how to phrase this last bit, and “trust” is the closest I can come. I’ve never seen a single episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it hasn’t stopped me from enjoying Korra. It doesn’t surprise me that they wanted a show that could welcome new viewers as well as old, but it struck me that there just isn’t a lot of exposition or hand-holding, period. There’s no talking down, no assuming that things will be too complicated or difficult to understand. Elements are explained as they become relevant to the story.

I know there are things I’m missing from Avatar, but I can catch up on my own, and I like that they don’t slow down the story to spoon-feed information.

In Conclusion: Okay, I get it. I’m officially a fan, and I have added Avatar: TLA to my list of things to catch up on (when I find the time).

Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.

adsistla

Originally published at finding my words. Please leave any comments there.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

* 2 cups mint leaves (plucked off the stem)

* 1/2 cup cilantro (you don’t need to pluck them off the stems, the whole thing can be used)

* 1 teaspoon extravirginoliveoil

* salt, to taste

* 1-2 green chiles (totally optional and only if you and the people you serve it to like heat in your condiments)

* 1 cup water (don’t put the whole thing in, just as much as is needed)

* 1/4 cup grated (NONSWEETED) coconut (you can find this frozen in Indian grocery stores)

* 1 inch peeled and minced ginger

* 2 dashes of balsamic vinegar (can also use lime/lemon juice. i was out of it when i tried this, and it turned out very yummy).

Process:

1) Put all the ingredients except water in a blender.  Start the blender, and slowly add the water, just enough to puree all the other ingredients.

That’s it

Tastes great with idlis, sandwiches, dosas, fresh bread…

sbisson

• Thu, 16:17: Colin Angle of iRobot is building devices to help people to live in their own home as long as possible, support and communications. #FireX
• Thu, 16:21: Colin Angle: diagnostic telepresence robots in Bermuda linked to doctors in Massachusetts. Connectivity extending expertise. #FireX
• Thu, 16:28: A #FireX discussion on rules of autonomous robots. Angle replacing Asimov? First Law: "A robot should not be making life or death decisions"
• Thu, 16:48: The Revenge Of The Electric Car #FireX http://t.co/QC59mHGk
• Thu, 18:01: Connected cars are an interface problem. One if you get it wrong, someone dies. So voice, haptics, and smart steering wheels are key. #FireX
• Thu, 18:20: More interesting folk music via @noisetrade, with a free full album from Bison. http://t.co/HuNJmAAd (Think they need another S though...)
• Thu, 18:27: Flotilla - pod of at least five wild dolphins off the Malibu coast. http://t.co/WootAANF
• Thu, 18:32: So the UK needs to break down barriers between arts and sciences and create more engineers. Hmm. Anyone else remember the Finniston Report?
• Thu, 18:34: Not criticising the idea (my first two degrees came from an EE course at Bath that came out of the report) but there's a deeper problem.
• Thu, 19:09: Oooh. Just got my slot for ordering a Raspberry Pi!