Private Mars Rocket II

Two thoughts:

1) It's alive, alive I tell you! (My book, that is - I just got a proof copy.)

2) Another of my works-in-progress features people making moonshine (in space, to be exact). Here's a link to an interesting article about moonshine in Ukraine.

I'm writing a historical fiction novel set in 1986. I had reason to wonder in the course of the novel how significant a lump sum of $50,000 would be to a college freshman. I found a web page which listed how much a US Navy officer would get paid in 1986 - the first full year of my active duty career.

I discovered that I would have made around $20,000 gross in 1986. Now I was far from rich, but I was quite comfortable as a new college graduate with than income level.

My Twitter feed, ironically, also blew up with links to this site - menus (with prices!) by year.

I've been busy, so have some links:

1) I'm still giving away free e-copies of my book The Night Watch.

2) You can read an interview of me.

3) An interesting article: Why Nothing Works Anymore. Best opening line: "“No… it’s a magic potty,” my daughter used to lament, age 3 or so, before refusing to use a public restroom stall with an automatic-flush toilet."

4) VOICE
America’s military doesn’t need more money — what it needs is an engaged public to demand a genuine strategy.

5) Among other things: Mars Needs Lawyers.

I hang out a lot with other writers, and in that company the fact that I've written a few books is not particularly noteworthy. But this past week, two "regular people" (a co-worker and my personal trainer's wife) both became aware of my writing habit. They both then expressed surprise, thought it was a big deal, and in one case promised to Buy My Books. (Thanks!)

In order to ease into the new year, herewith are a few links of interest:

1) Heart attack, cardiac arrest, and heart failure are often used interchangeably, but they’re distinct entities.

2) This article based on a book argues that blacks became concentrated in urban areas due to white action in the form of "sundown towns." (Blacks passing through had to be out by sundown.) Although this obviously happened, I also suspect there was a lot of assimilation. There are many Americans who claim "Indian" blood, but that was really "black" blood.

3) Max Gladstone liked Rogue One, but thought it could be better.

4) This Giant Furry Dog Playing With A Kid Will Make Your Day.

I apologize for the radio silence. Wednesday and Thursday I was taking a cybersecurity course, and had no time to blog. Today I had to get caught up a bit. Over the past weekend, I was at Windycon, where I was on a panel entitled "Where Did English Get That Word."

As is typical with panels, we digressed a bit and got on other languages, namely Spanish. If you've been to Spain, you'll note that people in the interior of the country seem to speak with a lisp. I told the audience the story I'd heard, namely that this was because a king of Spain had developed a lisp and his people imitated them. (It actually tied into English, as we were discussing how words associated with the common people developed negative connotations while words associated with nobility got positive connotations.)

Well, somebody in the audience jumped up and said "that story about the lisp is wrong!" She had lived for 18 years in Madrid and said that the cause of the "lisp" was just an artifact of language. I thanked her for her correction. When I got home, I did some googling and found out that she was right and I was wrong.

You learn something every day.

It's Tuesday, so have some links:

A) My book The Mars Run is featured on eBookSoda. Please share the love.

B) In regards to Black Lives Matter, a great video: Tolerance is for cowards.

C) Point Roberts, USA - An American city stranded at the tip of a Canadian peninsula.

D) Barack Obama on 5 days that shaped his Presidency.

I'll be at a Rotary event all day tomorrow, so I expect no blogging. Herewith, have a few links to tide you over:

A) In Ye Goode Olde Dayes, cities used to be full of shit - literally.

B) Mary Robinette Kowal is taking applications for a writer's workshop and cruise. I did this last year, and it was well worth it.

C) So, there has been a reactionless space engine proposed and currently undergoing very limited testing. Herewith is a theoretical explanation of why the darned thing just might work. Presented without comment.

D) Found via the scientific method of "dinking around on the Internet" a long and interesting article suggesting that Britain during WWI and WWII played the USA like a piano to our detriment and Britain's gain. Again, presented without comment.

E) Ana Marie Cox kinda sympathizes with Ted Cruz. I see her point.

The Internet version of cleaning out the break-room refrigerator at work.

A) The Rise of 'victimhood' culture. My immediate response was "paging the Sad Puppies - Sad Puppies, please pick up a white courtesy phone." Alas, this is truly Both Sides Do It. From Holly Messinger.

B) Also from Ms. Messinger, some indie Westerns I'd like to watch.

C) A comment on free speech. Presented without endorsement.

D) Ever wonder why barber shops don't take credit cards? Wonder no more. Appropriate as I just got my hair cut this morning.

E) For management types: The Parable of the Monkeys -- The Persistence of Organizational Culture.

F) Sailors watch the birth of an island.

So, I'm writing a mystery novel set in Central Illinois in the summer of 2008. Now, back in Ye Olde Dayes, if I wanted to know what the weather was like back then, I'd have to truck on down to a library. Now I just go to Weather Underground, put in a date and a location, and presto, I have all the data I need. If I want to know what my character was watching on TV, Wikipedia can give me the network broadcast grid. I have to say, I find life here in The Future (tm) wonderful!

Links, they go bad if you don't do something with them:

A) One of my writers' group members, Don Hunt, released a new book. Apparently I'm thanked in it, and so I bought it.

B) Harsh realities in the search for survivors of the wreck of the El Faro.

C) From WWII, a scarily-modern manual on how to make sure nothing gets done at work.

D) I'm not sure if this is a gag or legit: Selling irradiated seeds as "atomic gardens."