Yesterday was even more entertaining that Thursday. I cracked my happy ass out of bed extremely late by my own standards, hit the health club for some time on the stationary bike, then caught breakfast in the Green Room. After some bloggery and email time and whatnot, I had my massage — And how cool is it that World Steam Expo has a masseur on retainer for the pros!? — and then went exploring. This eventually involved use of the hot tub, among other things.

I spent a decent chunk of the day hanging out with the inestimable Howard Tayler, who created a truly impressive steampunk caricature of me. (When I get home, I shall scan and post this, but at the moment it is my badge art.) Howard is his own self hanging out in the Aegis room, which is basically a camp for combat geeks. Inside the Con hotel, these cats have a rappelling tower, weapons training with actual pointy objects, a bunch of Nerf weapons, and a Victorian encampment. They are pretty much a real life incarnation of the Black Briar group in J.A. Pitt's Black Blade Blues [ Powells | BN ]. The Aegis group helped me make a notable entrance to opening ceremonies.

Also spent a lot more time partying with The League of S.T.E.A.M. and a whole bunch of other folks, including briefly running across the few people besides Howard that I actually knew before I turned up here. Specifically, Gail Carriger, G.D. Falksen (who has an important planet named after him in the Sunspin universe) and Evelyn Kriete (who is responsible for me being invited to this convention). I caught the last part of the The Men That Will Not be Blamed for Nothing concert.

I even got a bit more work done on Going to Extremes.

Today I have lunch with Howard, a High Tea to host, and a plan to hear some more excellent performances. A bit more programming tomorrow.

Interestingly, I am way off my normal schedule here, even my normal convention schedule. I'm not sure what clock I'm living on, but it's neither Jay time nor Con time. I'm just going with the flow. Which it turns out is remarkably difficult for me to do. I feel twitchy about not being up at 5 am exercising (hard to do when you're going to bed at 2 am) and why I'm not writing more.

But I'm here to have fun, which I am decidedly doing; and to see and be seen, which I am decidedly doing.

Is this what time off feels like?

Your Saturday moment of zen.



Playground equipment, 2006. © 2006, 2012, Joseph E. Lake, Jr.

The current photo series is from my 'favorites' file, hence the dates jumping about



This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Book Review: Grants Pass, edited by Jennifer Brozek and Amanda Pillar — A review that includes an interesting comment on my story "Black Heart, White Mourning".

The Nebula Awards 2012: A Look Back And A Look Forward — James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel in HuffPo.

Calvin and Hobbes on unfettered creativity as a writer — Hahaha.

War of the Worlds: The True Story — A new indie flick coming out that looks pretty cool.

Star Wars Turns 35: How Time Covered the Film Phenomenon

Red Planet Becomes Blue In New Mars Image

Astronauts enter world’s first private supply ship

Impacts Spreading Life through the Cosmos?

Colonel Sanders resembles Confucius — Chicken, anyone?

?otd: Charles Darwin: Man or monkey?

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5/26/2012
Writing time yesterday: 0.5 hours (Going to Extremes proposal)
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 7.0 (solid)
Weight: n/a
Currently reading: Shattering the Ley by Benjamin Tate; Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht

Oh, and it rained all day again. More today.

Today I have to make goodies for the friends celebration of the holiday - besides get this place cleaned up.

Momma hummingbird is a bit peeved with me this morning. I haven’t gone out to change the feeder food yet. Her problem is that when it rains the rain dilutes the syrup and she gets upset. Can’t blame her either. So on this morning’s list is a fresh batch of hummer food.

I don’t have time to natter. Must get moving on the to-do list. Have a wonderful day!

Recommended Reading/Viewing - *

Climate talks stall with nations 'wasting time'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18210642

The "POM" Pomegranate Scam: The Truth Behind the Company and Its Billionaire Owners
http://www.alternet.org/story/155608/the_%22pom%22_pomegranate_scam%3A_the_truth_behind_the_company_and_its_billionaire_owners_?akid=8851.204376.6WkQQh&rd=1&t=2

How I Became Stephen Colbert's Lawyer -- And Joined the Fight to Rescue Our Democracy from Citizens United
http://www.alternet.org/story/155598/how_i_became_stephen_colbert%27s_lawyer_--_and_joined_the_fight_to_rescue_our_democracy_from_citizens_united?akid=8851.204376.6WkQQh&rd=1&t=5

Bill Moyers: When Will Americans Face the Horrific Truth? We're a Nation of Torturers
http://www.alternet.org/story/155601/bill_moyers%3A_when_will_americans_face_the_horrific_truth_we%27re_a_nation_of_torturers?akid=8851.204376.6WkQQh&rd=1&t=24

Mitt 'Not Concerned with the Very Poor' Romney Visits West Philly, Gets Lesson in Keeping it Real
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/934797/mitt_%27not_concerned_with_the_very_poor%27_romney_visits_west_philly%2C_gets_lesson_in_keeping_it_real/

How The Blue Dog/DCCC Axis Really Operates
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-blue-dogdccc-axis-really-operates.html

"Who's Killing Philly Public Schools?": Daniel Denvir on Plan for School Closings, Privatization
http://truth-out.org/news/item/9392-whos-killing-philly-public-schools-daniel-denvir-on-plan-for-school-closings-privatization

Propaganda firm owner admits smear campaign against U.S. journalists
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/24/propaganda-firm-owner-admits-smear-campaign-against-u-s-journalists/

Many SFPD officers trained to gather anti-terrorism intelligence
http://www.baycitizen.org/policing/story/counterterrorism-laws-sponsor-unaware/

Romney Proposes School Vouchers: Fire Up the Hissy Fit!
http://mikethemadbiologist.com/2012/05/25/romney-proposes-school-vouchers-fire-up-the-hissy-fit/

Cookie law set to come into force
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18216763

*

Earliest music instruments found
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18196349

Spectacular light show illuminates Sydney Opera House - cool
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18213117

Chinese wine producers who bury their vineyards in the Gobi desert
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18214484

MIT develops ketchup-saving spray plus other tech news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9723791.stm

Ice cream van banned as 'eyesore' in Northumberland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18208780

Inside Google's lair
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9723656.stm

10 Amazing Things You'll Want to Know About This Week - the monkey light is cool
http://www.alternet.org/story/155600/10_amazing_things_you%27ll_want_to_know_about_this_week?akid=8851.204376.6WkQQh&rd=1&t=21

Tarbosaurus on Trial
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2012/05/tarbosaurus-on-trial/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smithsonianmag%2FDinosaur+%28Dinosaur+Tracking+%7C+Smithsonian.com%29

Film 24 - the week's new films with Mark Kermode
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18214312


The non-existent tags
weather, knitting, global warming, environment, politics, Repugs, scumbags, google, MIT, dinosaurs, wine, film, music

Change the world one loan at a time – visit http://www.Kiva.org to find out how

I've had some scary moments with my two pups, and I'm lucky to have insurance for them. Even so, the bills mount so quickly. But you'll pay anything, because you just want them to be okay again.

Originally posted by harnessphoto at Signal Boost: Project Save Annabelle

Seriously, that move - holding down the frog with the one paw and watching it trying to struggle away - that could have been my lost beloved Murphy with his grasshoppers...

Today, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station.  A huge step towards commercial passenger flights into space and galactic Empire!  And of course, the company hired specialists to help them achieve their goal.

Originally posted at my Mirror Blog at: http://www.randy-henderson.com/2012/05/dragons-in-space/

I named a character once in The Bone Palace, an offhand reference that didn't warrant an entry in the dramatis personae but is still in print. Now I find myself needing to write more about that character and a) not liking his name much anymore, and b) finding it a bit too similar to someone else who shows up quite often. How many of you would be wildly irritated if I changed someone's name between books? (I doubt most people even remember that he was ever mentioned, but somewhere out there is the reader who will.)