Monthly Archives: July 2017

Were these tears of joy or sorrow?

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Hi all, I hope everybody is having a fantastic summer. I came across this video just a little while ago, and it occured to me to ask for your feedback. In particular, if there is a shrink in the house that would be fantastic. Here is my question: is this little boy crying tears of joy or tears of sorrow? He sure doesn’t look happy to me. Everybody and their dog is saying how great this is, but he just doesn’t look happy to me at all. He’s almost sobbing, isn’t he? What do you think?

WATCH: "Don't cry!" Adorable moment as Marine's 4-year-old son tearfully hugs his new stepmom during wedding vows: https://t.co/jGJ0mffCP5 pic.twitter.com/h5qPSMfncs

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 23, 2017

… Continue reading →

Fifty State Man

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I have been on vacation folks, in case you wondered where I have been.

I have finally acquired my fiftieth state, having travelled, stayed overnight and met the folks in the other 49 over the decades. The Red Headed Irish Wisecracker and I cashed in those credit card points and headed into the North.

Just a few impressions. We tended to get out into the rough and Alaska has a lot more rough than smooth. The cities and towns are few and the rest is is nature primeval.

We met fine folks out there, self reliant folks who seem to be solidly based in reality.

I enjoyed the tour. immensely. We put over 1900 miles on the GMC pickup we rented and saw some fantastic sights.

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This Week’s Re-Review – Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity

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I write a weekly book review for the Daily News of Galveston County. (It is not the biggest daily newspaper in Texas, but it is the oldest.) I have been doing this for nearly a dozen years, and am reprinting some of the older reviews here. Books I feel are still worthwhile. I was a science fiction reader as a kid. (Still am.) I am a sucker for a reprint of long-out-of-print SF from that era, especially short story collections. Like this one:

Go back in time with futuristic sci-fi book

By Mark Lardas
Correspondent

Published February 11, 2007

“Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity,” by Christopher Anvil (edited by Eric Flint), Baen Books. 648 pages. $26.

Space flight science fiction had a golden … Continue reading →

Weekend Reading: Little Wars

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In 1913, H. G. Wells essentially single-handedly invented the modern pastime of miniature wargaming, providing a (tin soldier) battle-tested set of rules which makes for exciting, well-balanced, and unpredictable games that can be played by two or more people in an afternoon and part of an evening. Interestingly, he avoids much of the baggage that burdens contemporary games such as icosahedral dice and indirect fire calculations, and strictly minimises the rôle of chance, using nothing fancier than a coin toss, and that only in rare circumstances.

I have just posted a new public domain Web edition of Little Wars which includes all of the photographs and marginal drawings from the 1913 first edition of the book. Some readers may find the marginal illustrations, which are mostly purely decorative, distracting, while … Continue reading →

Anniversary of the Moon Landing

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Today is the 48th anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon. Arthur Clarke and Robert Heinlein discuss it:

https://youtu.be/b3LhFaPDeD0?t=26s

One of the striking aspects of the discussion was the universal optimism among the participants. Even Cronkite was unwavering, saying, “You can’t stop progress, and this is progress… We stop a lot of other things. It can’t be done.” Which member of the media would make such a statement today?

Unnamed Wednesday 9pm Eastern Time Conference Call

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It’s that time of the week again, when we connect for another town hall meeting in the Village of the Darned.

BDB still wants somebody, multiple somebodies, or multiple nobodies out there to volunteer to speak on interesting subjects.

If the software tells you that you’re the only caller, don’t you believe it! Press on with the access code and you’ll probably find us in there!

US: 515-604-9908

Access Code: [see chat in “BDB Chat” tab above]

International Local Dial-in Numbers

Albania +355 4 454 1702
Argentina +54 351 569-7183
Australia +61 2 8077 0505
Austria +43 1 2650524
Belgium +32 3 294 11 50
Brazil +55 11 3042-5274
Bulgaria +359 2 495 1701
Cambodia +855 96 696 7824
Chile +56 2 3210 … Continue reading →

Half Way in F1

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Today was the 10th race in a 20 race series of F1. It was held at the Silverstone Racetrack in England, a momentous venue.

F1 was created in 1950, right there at Silverstone. It is one of the old, famous tracks, unlike some of the tracks you find elsewhere, which are newcomers to the racing.

Lewis Hamilton took pole with a stunning lap about half a second ahead of #2 place. He had won 4 previous races at Silverstone, including the last 3 in a row. Clark and Prost are the only ones who have won 5 English Grand Prix’s, Mansell 4. Clark and Prost, however, won at a variety of tracks, not Silverstone only.

The race was quite dramatic. Although Hamilton was on the pole, Haikennan in … Continue reading →

This Week’s Re-Review – Thomas Boyd: Lost Author of the ‘Lost Generation”

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I write a weekly book review for the Daily News of Galveston County. (It is not the biggest daily newspaper in Texas, but it is the oldest.) I have been doing this for nearly a dozen years, and am reprinting some of the older reviews here. Books I feel are still worthwhile. Do you remember Thomas Boyd? Unless you have read Through the Wheat or study mid-twentieth century American literature, the answer is likely no. Yet Brian Bruce wrote a first-rate biography of Boyd.

Why? Who knows? My theory is it was a graduate thesis. It is a fascinating book, though.

Seawriter

Subject limits book’s appeal to masses

By Mark Lardas
The Daily News

Published October 22, 2006

“Thomas Boyd: Lost Author of the ‘Lost Generation,’” … Continue reading →