Category: Miscellaneous
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A Peeve
I've lately become rather irritated at seeing the helpful little notices on the paper napkin dispensers in coffeeshops and the more pretentious fast-food joints, asking patrons not to hog the napkins because "napkins = trees." Grr. Yes, paper napkins are made from wood pulp, and wood pulp is made from harvested trees. But: the idea…
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Appalachian Spring, or Not
One of my favorite pieces of music is Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring. I often listen to it while driving, but the last time I did that I realized something which had been scratching at the back of my brain for years: Appalachian Spring doesn't sound much like the Appalachians. The main theme is a Shaker…
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Another Political Paradox
I've already mentioned that solidly loyal states are at a disadvantage in modern American politics, but there's another paradox I've noticed: Elections are determined by the people who don't care much about politics. After all, the party faithful are the ones who care. The ones who read political blogs and listen to Rachel Maddow or…
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Perfection
Some time ago I was making a long trip by car on a summer weekend, and so as I drove I could see a number of families enjoying the nice weather with back yard cookouts. It made me realize something. We will never know who made (or who ate) the greatest hamburger ever. It may…
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That Show I Watched
This week marks the 50th anniversary of two science fiction icons. One is me, the other is Star Trek. Since we're practically twins, I feel as though I can be brutally honest about the show, the universe, and what has become of them. First of all, it always surprises me how unfamiliar people are with the…
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MidAmeriCon II, Day 1!
You may wonder why I refer to Thursday, August 18th as Day 1 of the convention, when there were several events on Wednesday the 17th. To answer that I must refer you to Southwest Airlines, which decided to cancel my Wednesday morning flight so that I didn't arrive in Kansas City until Thursday. So for…
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A Political Paradox
In most of the United States, if your vote matters, then it doesn't matter. Huh? Let me explain. We're all familiar with the increasingly polarized nature of our national politics. More and more, the country is divided into "Red" and "Blue" states. I happen to live in one of the Bluest of the Blue States:…
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MidAmeriCon II, Featuring ME!
On August 17-21 I'll be a participant at the 2016 World Science Fiction Convention. The convention moves around and has a different name every year — this year it's called MidAmeriCon II, and will be held in Kansas City, where everything is up to date. If you're anywhere in central North America that weekend, stop on…
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Tales of the Dark Knight!
I don't write comic books, but I've been reading them for decades and I like speculating about the characters. The recent Batman Vs. Superman film got me thinking about how I would write Batman if DC Comics were to hire me. Bruce Wayne, Gothamite One thing which becomes obvious when you start thinking about Batman…
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Thirty-Six Hours Over Albacon!
Tomorrow I set out for Albacon* in romantic Albany, NY. I'll be at the convention for thirty-six hours, but those hours are packed! Friday, March 4, 11:00 a.m.: POV Waltz — Panel discussion about the use of point-of-view in fiction; part of the Albacon writing workshop series. Saturday, March 5, 11:00 a.m.: Autographing — As always, bring…
The Cambias Digression 