Monthly Archives: October 2009
What I Did With My Friday
Posted on October 24, 2009 15 Comments
I drove up to Cleveland to hang out with these guys: For those of you lamentably behind in your geek culture studies, the two fellows sitting on the couch are Paul & Storm, and the fellow lurking behind the couch is Jonathan Coulton, and their thing is to entertain the geekoidial masses with songs of […]
The Permanent Stargate: Universe Discussion Thread, Season Two
Posted on October 24, 2009 173 Comments
This is the SG:U discussion thread for the second season; The season one discussion threads are here: 1|2|3 As there is an interest in having an official comment thread here on Whatever for the discussion of Stargate: Universe episodes, themes and details, behold! This is it. Henceforth, let this be the place you come here […]
The Permanent Stargate: Universe Discussion Thread, Part III
Posted on October 24, 2009 304 Comments
This is the third part of the SG:U discussion thread; the first part is archived here, and the second part here. As there is an interest in having an official comment thread here on Whatever for the discussion of Stargate: Universe episodes, themes and details, behold! This is it. Henceforth, let this be the place […]
The Permanent Stargate: Universe Discussion Thread, Part II
Posted on October 24, 2009 642 Comments
This is the second part of the SG:U discussion thread; the first part is archived here. As there is an interest in having an official comment thread here on Whatever for the discussion of Stargate: Universe episodes, themes and details, behold! This is it. Henceforth, let this be the place you come here to chat […]
The Permanent Stargate: Universe Discussion Thread
Posted on October 24, 2009 644 Comments
As there is an interest in having an official comment thread here on Whatever for the discussion of Stargate: Universe episodes, themes and details, behold! This is it. Henceforth, let this be the place you come here to chat with other Whateverites (and occasionally its Creative Consultant as well) about what you see on the […]
Oh, Yeah –
Posted on October 23, 2009 16 Comments
No real updating today because I’m traveling. Sorry.
Physics Puppets!
Posted on October 23, 2009 12 Comments
You folks may remember last year when Whatever’s Favorite Physics Professor™ Chad Orzel ran a charity drive for science classes on his site, and promised to dance like a monkey if his monetary goals were met. They were, and he did. Well, he’s doing another drive this year, and his drive is backed by Hewlett-Packard, […]
In the Lair Of the Semi-Geek
Posted on October 22, 2009 56 Comments
I’m upgrading the laptop to Windows 7 at the moment, but clearly can’t be away from the Internets during the upgrade lest I burst into flame, so while the upgrade is doing its thing, I’m online with the netbook. And I took the picture on my phone, which I then used to upload it to […]
In Which Athena Assumes I Am Watching Something From The Onion, And Yet I’m Totally Not
Posted on October 22, 2009 57 Comments
Me: [Clicks on a YouTube video from Fox News complaining about how the White House doesn’t think it’s a real news station] Athena (not watching but listening as she plays the Wii): Are you watching something from that fake news channel again? Me: (pause, then) What makes you think that? Athena: Well, just listen to […]
Zeus the Cat Wonders Idly What His Idiot Human Is Doing At the Window
Posted on October 22, 2009 26 Comments
Don’t we all, Zeus. Don’t we all.
Note on Handcrafted Spam
Posted on October 22, 2009 23 Comments
So, either spammers are hiring people to glance at entry headlines and then post four-word comments vaguely related to the topic, or their contextual analysis is getting better. Either way, there’s been an uptick in spam getting past Askimet today, obliging me to zap it when it comes along. If you happen to run across […]
The Coolness of Science Fiction
Posted on October 22, 2009
Someone asked me the question: “Was science fiction ever cool?” and in my AMC column this week I answer, in detail, with telling examples. And because I will have settled this eternally burning question, we can now focus our energies on more important things, like curing cancer and finally creating the Apple tablet computer. Some […]
Living Like Fitzgerald
Posted on October 22, 2009 38 Comments
With a hat tip to the estimable Walter Jon Williams, I point you in the direction of this article, which examines the tax returns of one F. Scott Fitzgerald, of whom you may have heard, over the length of his writing career from 1919 through 1940. It turns out that during those years, Fitzgerald more […]
Exiled In My Own Home!
Posted on October 21, 2009 50 Comments
The entire top half of my house has been taken over by house painters, who are painting the rooms and hallway in tones with names like “restful” and “free spirit.” I am exiled to the formal dining room with the laptop, since sitting in my office sniffing paint fumes is not actually how I want […]
Stephen Fry Aptly Sums Up The Problem Of Every “Clever” Person in the World
Posted on October 20, 2009 60 Comments
Whether they are genuinely clever or not: If a joke or a neat phrase or an apparently convincing rhetorical trope or apt simile occur to me they will emerge from my mouth without passing Think. Yes. That. From here, in which Mr. Fry suffers the consequences of just such an act, and ends up apologizing […]
Scalzi on Nook
Posted on October 20, 2009 42 Comments
Over on Twitter, I’m asked if my books will be available on the Nook, Barnes & Noble’s new eBook reader. My answer: It appears so. A cursory glance at the B&N eBook site reveals four of my books as well as the New Space Opera 2 anthology being available, and the technical specs of the […]
Mobile Whatever
Posted on October 20, 2009 17 Comments
A couple of people today have asked me whether they missed the announcement that I had installed a new version of Whatever to be read on mobile devices. The answer is no, you haven’t, because I wasn’t aware that there was a new mobile version of Whatever. But there is, apparently, thanks to the folks […]
Today’s Not Terribly Relevatory Observation Regarding My Physical Condition
Posted on October 20, 2009 35 Comments
As I get older, it becomes surprising to me, not how much I am beginning to resemble my father (because I’m not, really), but how much I am beginning to resemble my grandfather. In particular I’m pretty sure I’ve gone and inherited his forehead. Which is not necessarily the feature I would have chosen. But […]
The Big Idea: John Brown
Posted on October 20, 2009 30 Comments
Here’s a question for you: When you’re confronted by a large, angry animal that could squash you like a grape, is the first thing that comes to your mind, hey, now that gives me an idea for a story? If the answer is “yes, of course it does,” then you may be an author. Or […]
Still Can’t Brain Today
Posted on October 19, 2009 38 Comments
Man, some days are just like that. So in lieu of actual brain thought thingies, two notes and a totally deep thought. * Over at Omnivoracious, Jeff VanderMeer interviews Bill Schafer, publisher at Subterranean Press. I get mentioned in passing, and the old cover of The God Engines gets shown off. * Hey, you know […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying