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Benghazi!11!!
Over at Simberg's Flying Circus, the Usual Suspects are screaming "Benghazi!" again (or still, more accurately). This was prompted by a question from some editorialist about "where was Obama?" The answer is provided by the GOP in their majority report of the Armed Services Committee (PDF at link). Obama was in the Oval Office when he was told the consulate had been overrun and Stevens was missing. He told the Secretary of Defense and the Chair of the Joint Chiefs to "do everything they could" and they did.
Alas (again, see link above) no military forces were at a high enough state of alert and close enough to get there in time to do anything. Despite that fact, The Usual Suspects are upset that Obama didn't sit up all night and watch planes being loaded, or whatever he was supposed to do.
Science Fiction
The blog Obsidian Wings has an interesting article on world-building in science fiction. Money quote: the political differences in SF that are causing trouble are over the value of certain kinds of people, not over ideas. Of course people take opinions about their personhood personally, it would be bizarre not to. Refusing to spend mental time in a world where the creator despises you is basic self-protection, especially if the "real world" is one where you're already a second-class citizen. (emphasis in original).
This led to a humorous take on monarchy - a peasant's view of King Arthur.
Hugos
Orbit shot themselves in the foot by deciding to not include their novels in the free Hugo packet. In the short run, it will get them one more sale (me, of the McGuire book) but in the long run it's stupid.
Over at Simberg's Flying Circus, the Usual Suspects are screaming "Benghazi!" again (or still, more accurately). This was prompted by a question from some editorialist about "where was Obama?" The answer is provided by the GOP in their majority report of the Armed Services Committee (PDF at link). Obama was in the Oval Office when he was told the consulate had been overrun and Stevens was missing. He told the Secretary of Defense and the Chair of the Joint Chiefs to "do everything they could" and they did.
Alas (again, see link above) no military forces were at a high enough state of alert and close enough to get there in time to do anything. Despite that fact, The Usual Suspects are upset that Obama didn't sit up all night and watch planes being loaded, or whatever he was supposed to do.
Science Fiction
The blog Obsidian Wings has an interesting article on world-building in science fiction. Money quote: the political differences in SF that are causing trouble are over the value of certain kinds of people, not over ideas. Of course people take opinions about their personhood personally, it would be bizarre not to. Refusing to spend mental time in a world where the creator despises you is basic self-protection, especially if the "real world" is one where you're already a second-class citizen. (emphasis in original).
This led to a humorous take on monarchy - a peasant's view of King Arthur.
Hugos
Orbit shot themselves in the foot by deciding to not include their novels in the free Hugo packet. In the short run, it will get them one more sale (me, of the McGuire book) but in the long run it's stupid.
