I'm downstate with the parents. Dad and I just got back from the American Legion. Prices went up (finally - they were losing money) and so two mixed drinks cost $6 (total, not each).

At any rate, we have one family gathering tonight and another tomorrow, so, I'm signing off and wishing those who celebrate a Merry Christmas.

I'm getting a new refrigerator tomorrow, which means I need to empty my old one out. So, I'll practice by emptying out a few links.

A) From jaylake, the Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Political Parties.

B) I've written about my Law of the Totem Poles. (tl;dr version = the person just one step up from the bottom is the most invested in the existing ( Read more... )

Westville

I ended up with more keyboard time then I expected, most of which was used to write the climax of my space-opera WIP Pamelas Ghosts. (Go me!) Here in downstate Illinois, we didn't have as much rain as they did in Chicago, and what we did have came late in the evenings, so it didn't interfere with daytime plans, but it was damned hot. ( Read more... )

We're due to get into the upper 90s today, so no thinking, just linking.

A) A reminder that small towns are not all Mayberry RFD - small-town judge spends 4 years trying to frame his lover's husband. Also, county judge dies of cocaine overdose during coke party with fellow judges. They bought their drugs from the county probation officer with ( Read more... )

With my grandmother's illness and death, I've made several trips to Central Illinois over the past few weeks. The drive there and back is not especially scenic, consisting mostly of corn and soybean fields. In order to at least look at different fields, I've varied my trips to include taking Illinois 49 for part of the way ( Read more... )

News

My grandmother, Mary Mackovic, died on Tuesday. The funeral will be Monday. She was 91, and came down with acute leukemia a few weeks ago.

Links, some with comments

A) One of the reasons I am in favor of "Obamacare" is that I am sick and tired of seeing people have to pass the hat to raise money for treatmentsB) On the subject of health ( Read more... )

It's supposed to snow, and my evening event got cancelled, so have some links.

1) You may have heard of natural nuclear reactors, several of which formed on Earth. Well, in yet another example that "everything is bigger on Mars" it appears that Mars had a natural reactor (PDF). Except Mars' reactor was bigger and underwent "explosive disassembly ( Read more... )

So, I had a great time at Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention. Thanks to the persuasion (liquid and otherwise) of the inimitable Dave O'Neill (daveon), I'm planning to go to Loncon 3, the 2014 Worldcon in London ( Read more... )

I had my first session with my personal trainer yesterday. (She looks and acts like Central Casting's idea of a personal trainer.) Today, though, muscles I forgot I had are reminding me that they exist. [insert witty and/or funny transition here] Have some links:

1) In an attempt to get one step ahead of Internet bank fraud, IBM is offering a ( Read more... )

I found that I had nothing to say yesterday, so I said nothing. I don't have a whole lot to talk about today either, so this is mostly a "watch this space" post. I'll be having my launch party at Capricon Friday, and I just finished hand-correcting 35 pre-release copies of the book to sell. Also, I just booked a signing back at the Home Soil, ( Read more... )