linkspam needs more sleep
... and I guess it was only a matter of time until the roaches started appearing. The retiree who sheltered some children during the shootings in Newtown, CT is being harrassed by conspiracy theorists who think the entire event was orchestrated by the federal government to justify gun control. Disgusting.
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In light of the air pollution problems in Beijing, Alexis Madrigal considers how slow some US cities were to pass air pollution measures.
Past Imperfect today gives us the story of how Ulysses S. Grant came to write his memoirs. It's actually rather tragic.
Huh, fascinating: the metamorphosis of a bunch of models at Fashion Week from bare-faced to runway-ready. (MeFi)
John Crowley talks about death. (bookslut)
The Economist describes an exhibit at a German museum, focusing on Nefertiti and the German excavation of Amarna in 1912.
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So you know how there's all these stories online about Munchausen by Internet: you know, so-and-so tells the heartbreaking tale of a child dying of cancer, and it turns out to be a fraud from first to last? Well, even famous college football players are apparently prone to such embellishment of the truth. ... or their friends. It's all a bit unclear, except for the fact that Manti Te'o's girlfriend never existed at all.
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Reading Wednesday.
What did I just finish reading?
I just finished the books of Requite, by Ankharet Wells--The Maker's Mask and The Hawkwood War. They're self-published SF, set on a Lost Colony, and rich with all sorts of fun tropes. Clothing porn, magic, secret religious societies, virtual reality, swords and blasters, and a caste system based on the ability to manipulate the old interstellar technology. Plus multi-party marriages, three genders, an entertaining romance, and tons of women driving the plot. It's a little rough around the edges and I wish Wells had provided a bit more exposition about the history of colonization, but the story and characters are full of life. I really enjoyed them.
I also just finished listening to The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer, which I enjoyed a great deal. I love sneaky well-meaning characters like Hugo.
What am I reading?
Still working on The Dead Hand, about the history of the Cold War. And I'm listening to The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer.
What will I read next?
Not sure. Possibly Red Shift by Alan Garner.
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments; comment here or there.
*
In light of the air pollution problems in Beijing, Alexis Madrigal considers how slow some US cities were to pass air pollution measures.
Past Imperfect today gives us the story of how Ulysses S. Grant came to write his memoirs. It's actually rather tragic.
Huh, fascinating: the metamorphosis of a bunch of models at Fashion Week from bare-faced to runway-ready. (MeFi)
John Crowley talks about death. (bookslut)
The Economist describes an exhibit at a German museum, focusing on Nefertiti and the German excavation of Amarna in 1912.
*
So you know how there's all these stories online about Munchausen by Internet: you know, so-and-so tells the heartbreaking tale of a child dying of cancer, and it turns out to be a fraud from first to last? Well, even famous college football players are apparently prone to such embellishment of the truth. ... or their friends. It's all a bit unclear, except for the fact that Manti Te'o's girlfriend never existed at all.
*
Reading Wednesday.
What did I just finish reading?
I just finished the books of Requite, by Ankharet Wells--The Maker's Mask and The Hawkwood War. They're self-published SF, set on a Lost Colony, and rich with all sorts of fun tropes. Clothing porn, magic, secret religious societies, virtual reality, swords and blasters, and a caste system based on the ability to manipulate the old interstellar technology. Plus multi-party marriages, three genders, an entertaining romance, and tons of women driving the plot. It's a little rough around the edges and I wish Wells had provided a bit more exposition about the history of colonization, but the story and characters are full of life. I really enjoyed them.
I also just finished listening to The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer, which I enjoyed a great deal. I love sneaky well-meaning characters like Hugo.
What am I reading?
Still working on The Dead Hand, about the history of the Cold War. And I'm listening to The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer.
What will I read next?
Not sure. Possibly Red Shift by Alan Garner.
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments; comment here or there.