Spotted on the drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
I thought that company was Terminated.
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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
Cyber What Now?
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, genre fiction on May 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Happy Book Birthday, v39!
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Writers, Writers of the Future, writing, yay on May 16, 2023| 1 Comment »
Today is the day: Volume 39 of Writers of the Future is live!
Where to buy: Amazon | Apple Books | Audible | B&N | BAM | Bookshop | Google Play | Indigo | Kobo | OverDrive Libraries | Powell’s | Vroman’s
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Here’s the synopsis:
In the world of speculative fiction…
Your favorite authors…
Have selected the best new voices of the year.
24 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators
3 Bonus Short Stories by Kevin J. Anderson • L. Ron Hubbard • S. M. Stirling
Art and Writing Tips by Lazarus Chernik • L. Ron Hubbard • Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith • Jody Lynn Nye
16-page color gallery of artwork • Cover art by Tom Wood
Check out the stories Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye and others chose as the best of the best.
Be amazed. Be amused. Be transported … by stories that take you by surprise and take you further and deeper into new worlds and new ideas than you’ve ever gone before….
Twelve captivating tales from the most exciting new voices in science fiction and fantasy accompanied by three from masters of the genre.
A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination….—“Kitsune” by Devon Bohm
When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that’s just the background. —“Moonlight and Funk” by Marianne Xenos
Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever—an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter! —“Fire in the Hole” by Kevin J. Anderson
The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin. —“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins
In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her—the love she lost or the love she may have found. —“Under My Cypresses” by Jason Palmatier
Vic Harden wasn’t lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space—he was ordered out there by his editor.—“The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard
Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs. —“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson
With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate’s guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth’s last best chance for peace. —“Piracy for Beginners” by J. R. Johnson
Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past. —“A Trickle in History” by Elaine Midcoh
When I said I’d do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn’t mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system—but here I am. —“The Withering Sky” by Arthur H. Manner
High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he’s seen everything—until the day an alien boy stares back. —“The Fall of Crodendra M.” by T. J. Knight
Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold—the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse.—“Constant Never” by S. M. Stirling
Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa’s ruins to the heart of the Desolation—a journey that will cost or save everything. —“The Children of Desolation” by Spencer Sekulin
When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth. —“Timelines and Bloodlines” by L. H. Davis
The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others—its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose. —“The Last History” by Samuel Parr
You will love this collection of the best new voices because, as Locus magazine puts it, “Excellent writing…extremely varied. There’s a lot of hot new talent.”
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Winding Down
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, chilling, Thoughts on April 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Perhaps you recently watched the F1 Australian Grand Prix, had to trim your cat’s nails, or experienced a similarly stressful moment. You may enjoy a few calming minutes spent with these birds of the world:
I know I will.
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The Woman Who Changed NASA, and Us
Posted in Entertainment, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, NASA, Nichelle Nichols, science, space, star trek, Thoughts, trailblazer on August 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Lieutenant Uhura is now with the stars.
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Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ dead at 89
Nichols was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series, and her role as Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original TV series was groundbreaking: an African American woman whose name came from Uhuru, the Swahili word for “freedom.”
“For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., Star Trek’s Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter
Nichelle Nichols showed us all that the future belonged to more than just white men, and then she helped NASA build that future.
“After Apollo 11, Nichelle made it her mission to inspire women and people of color to join this agency, change the face of STEM and explore the cosmos. Nichelle’s mission is NASA’s mission. Today, as we work to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon under Artemis, NASA is guided by the legacy of Nichelle Nichols.”
— NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
She demonstrated, with talent, conviction, determination and grace, that the future is brighter when all of us are in it.
“If they let me in the door, I will open it so wide that they will see the world.”
— Woman in Motion tells story of how Star Trek’s Uhura changed NASA forever | Ars Technica
She did. We did. And humanity is so much better for it.
“If you can see it, you can be it,” the saying goes. Nichelle Nichols gave millions of people the opportunity to see themselves on the frontiers of science and exploration, boldly expanding human understanding.
She inspired so many of us to reach for the stars. What a legacy.
— Hillary Clinton
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Movie Night
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, genre fiction, inspiration, movies, RyanReynoldsForTheWin, tech tools on July 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
It’s Saturday, hooray. Thinking about streaming a movie tonight? If so, this site may be for you:
Let’s check out my options. Hmm, lots of maybes, some no thanks, but wait, what’s this? Deadpool?
Yes, please!
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Just Press Play
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, family, history, inspiration, music on June 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »
As a bonus Father’s Day gift, today I’m featuring a podcast I know he’ll like.
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
In it, Andrew Hickey discusses the history and culture of rock & roll as seen through 500 songs. He’s up to episode 150.
If you prefer to consume your media via the written word, each episode includes a transcript. I also found myself somewhat at a loss as to which, what and where, so (being me) I made an episode list with links. (If an index already exists, I didn’t see it.)
Note: I built the list by translating episode titles into URLs in Excel and haven’t tested every link, but hopefully they’ll get you to where you’re going.
Enjoy!
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Lewis Hamilton and Me
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Formula One, inspiration, role models, Thoughts on May 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I am new to Formula One, or really, to any sport fandom. I tend to get emotional about the things I care about, and I have done my level best to avoid the crushing sense of disappointment one feels when one wants something deeply, and does not get it. Elections are hard for me. Wanting things in general can be a challenge, and investing in outcomes over which I have no influence? Rough.
Which is why it’s a big deal for me to join Team Hamilton. He’s worth it.
Why? It’s not the winning. Ok, not only the winning. And it’s not just the fact that he reminds me of my favorite brother. It’s excellence. Hamilton is good at what he does, yes, but he has taken to winning while retaining a sense of the larger picture.
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Again, I’m new to the sport so it’s possible that I missed more formative, brasher years, but since I’ve been watching what I see is this: support for his team, especially those who are often unsung, support for worthy causes, good sportsmanship, and generally using his platform and profile for good.
Lewis is a 7-time world champion, of course, tied with Michael Schumacher to be the winningest F1 driver ever, but he also acts like it.
As I dipped my toe into the F1 waters last year, Mr Man asked what I thought of the up-and-coming driver Verstappen. “Meh,” I said. “Why?” he asked. “He looks like he could win the championship.” True, I said, but I like Lewis. He is considerate to reporters and kind to fans, doesn’t project the sense of entitlement that some drivers wear like a second suit, rarely says “I” in interviews, makes a point to thank the team back at the factory, has succeeded despite not (like so many other drivers) being born to the sport, and is outspoken on human rights and other social issues. His rainbow helmet was a thing of beauty and likely did more to promote rights awareness than a year’s worth of articles.
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This year’s F1 car changes have put Mercedes at a distinct disadvantage. Unless they get those problems sorted, Hamilton may never win that next championship, the one that would break the tie for first and put him at the very top.
This year his helmet carries a quote from Maya Angelou: “Still, I rise.”
And now I’m realizing what so many fans before me have: Despite the possibility, nay, likelihood, of disappointment, I’ll root for him anyway.*
His vision of excellence is worth it.
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* I’m not the only one. I spotted Michelle Obama and George Lucas in the Mercedes garage today.
May the Fourth
Posted in Entertainment, Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #Maythe4thBeWithYou, hope, music, Star Wars Day on May 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
There is a lot of trouble in the world right now, but we are not helpless. We are not hopeless. And if there’s any better way to remember that today than Star Wars, I don’t know it. Just thinking of the theme song raises my spirits. Here’s to building a better future.
For motivation, check out this piece on the history of John Williams’ rousing theme:
Behind The Song: “Star Wars Theme” by John Williams – American Songwriter
And then, of course, there’s our scrappy band of Rebels.
“Would it help if I got out and pushed?”
— Princess Leia
Always.
May the Force be with us.
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Today’s Fun Link Roundup
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, creativity, fun, inspiration, interesting, internet, Thoughts, wackiness ensuing on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I accumulate a lot of links. Work links, sure, but on my way to the data mines I often come across fun, interesting, obscure or downright delightful corners of the web. They inform me when I need a bit of learning with lunch, cheer me up when the news is too newsy, and otherwise remind me that the internet, like the world, is not 100% terrible.
What sort of links? I’m so glad you asked:)
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Look Up! An Introduction to Identifying Raptors in Flight
- Helpful, although I’ll probably continue to just say “hawk!” every time I see something predatory with wings. My bird enthusiast father’s reply is always (honestly, can he really be right all the time?*) “turkey vulture.” Just once I wish he’d say “dragon.”
* The answer is yes.
20 of the Best History Podcasts to Help Us Actually Learn From the Past
- History is cool.
Honest Government Ad | Carbon Capture & Storage – YouTube
- Is there swearing? There is. It’s warranted.
Introducing the Icelandverse – YouTube
- Look out, Zuckerberg, Iceland is coming for you.
Bohemian Catsody – A Rhapsody Parody Song for Every Cat Queen and King! – YouTube
- Since you’re already on YouTube. And like cat videos.
This man won a Guinness World Record for his tree that bears 10 types of fruit
- “Hussam Saraf says his record-breaking tree with 10 different types of fruit is a metaphor for how he sees the world. … ‘[It’s] mother nature that’s united us all together. Doesn’t really matter how different we are in colour or culture or tradition. We are one, and we can respect each other as one.’” If that’s not nice then I don’t know what is.
- Each time a user clicks on your generated link, there is a 50% chance that they will be rickrolled.
The True Story of the Blue People of Kentucky
- Genetics, man.
Photos of the world above and below the sea by David Doubilet
- Nature, man. These images are amazing.
Periodic Table of the Elements, in Pictures and Words
- How many of these have you used today?
How to Identify that Light in the Sky
- Brought to you by NASA and The League of Lost Causes, which is just about the most awesome name ever.
Scientists Create 3,000 TB Simulation of the Universe You Can Download
- I don’t have the space for this, but maybe you do?
And since I’m a baker, here’s one last link:
All You Could Ever Want to Know About a Pumpkin Slingshot
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Let’s Go To The Moon!
Posted in Entertainment, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, genre fiction, inspiration, learning@lunch, NASA, space exploration on October 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »
What am I reading with lunch? How about a graphic novel about a woman, space, and a spunky little robot? App and interactivity are optional (but could be fun).
NASA – First Woman (read online, download PDF)
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J.R. Johnson 
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