On this fine February 29th, I find myself wondering what about February 29th is so much better than all the alternatives? We could have a December 32nd. Kids could have an extra day of summer vacation, once every four years (although knowing schools today they’d just make them go back a day earlier). We could […]
Entries from February 2008
Leap Day alternatives
February 29th, 2008 · 12 Comments
Happy Bissextile Day!
February 29th, 2008 · 2 Comments
Sounds a bit more naughty than Leap Day, doesn’t it?
Back when I was in high school I qualified for one of those classes where they take the top scoring 10% on the pre-SAT and spend six weeks cramming you with vocabulary and SAT test-taking tips and tricks in order to boost your already high score […]
Leap Day
February 29th, 2008 · 7 Comments
Leap Day has a tradition going far, far back in time. In ancient Sumeria, it was considered a day for taking chances–for doing things normally considered too risky, such as entering a hitherto unexplored cave, descending a steep cliff, or making wisecracks to airport security. The Aztecs celebrated leap day with drunken revelry and corset […]
Tags: Steve
Ye Ha! We done been exposéd!
February 29th, 2008 · 39 Comments
Some guy with a blog has done an entry on my personal life, which is sort of cool; this is a first, and it tickles my vanity to think I’m important enough that anyone cares.
Usually, I would enjoy this quietly, let my ego be stroked, and leave it at that. There are a couple of […]
Tags: Logic
Obama Security
February 25th, 2008 · 19 Comments
There’s a great deal of talk just now about the Secret Service decision at a rally in Dallas to not provide security for Obama (see my recent sidebar). My own take on it is in two parts: first, it feels a lot like the administration is testing the waters: “Can we get away with […]
Tags: Politics
Firefly novel — Corrected Version
February 22nd, 2008 · 9 Comments
Welcome to visitors from the New York Times.
I’ve uploaded new versions of the Firefly novel. All the typos which we know about have now been corrected; feel free to continue to send me corrections at kit@dreamcafe.com. The file is also now available in HTML format and I hope to offer at least one mobile format […]
An author’s responsibility
February 14th, 2008 · 62 Comments
Does an author have a responsibility to do anything for their readers, other than tell an entertaining story?
These questions came up tonight as I worked on a review of a young adult book which I’ll be publishing on the SF Site. I’m still thinking about my answers.
To give an example, I know I am bored […]
The uncanny valley of world building
February 10th, 2008 · 37 Comments
As I said in my last post, I’ve been playing Morrowind a lot recently. The team at Bethesda Softworks did an excellent job creating an entertaining and engaging world and I hope this does not come across as criticism of them or their game; in fact, I bet a lot of what I mention here […]
Free-for-all #2
February 9th, 2008 · 41 Comments
What’s on your mind today? What kind of distractions have been keeping you entertained (and procrastinating)?
Lately we’ve been cat-waxing by watching the West Wing (one of Steve’s favorites); I’ve been playing a lot of Morrowind and there’ve been a few three-way Civ4 sessions (four-way when we include Jennifer). We’re always on the bleeding edge of […]
Tags: Kit · Words Words Words
Upcoming publication
February 9th, 2008 · 10 Comments
My poem, “a 24th-century reflection on emptiness” will be published in 2008 by Aberrant Dreams. It’s my first pro sale in a few years; here’s to many more in the much nearer future.