Tobias S. Buckell's Blog, page 39
January 15, 2014
Imagine if for every space launch, there was a moon hoaxer on TV. That’s where we are now for climate news
There’s the image.
“To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of climate change denial is how deniers essentially never publish in legitimate journals, but instead rely on talk shows, grossly error-laden op-eds, and hugely out-of-date claims (that were never right to start with).
In 2012, National Science Board member James Lawrence Powell investigated peer-reviewed literature published about climate change and found that out of 13,950 articles, 13,926 supported the reality of global warming....
Yes Virginia, roads are socialized and subsidized
Some people are beginning to realize that roads were subsidized to an amazing extent in the past, and it has them upset. But they are not paid for, and now some places are trying to figure out how to pass on the cost of the huge road boom:
“Hoyne opposes any move by the village to vacate public roads and rely on private property owners to maintain them. At the same time, he recognizes that roads need to be kept up and that he and fellow residents of the northwest suburb are likely going to get...
Progress report: day 15
Was up late off and on due to a coughing kid. With twins, right around when the one gets over getting sick, the other starts up. Poor Thalia was having a tough time of the cough. Then this morning I was woken by a phone call. Then the cable company coming over to trench the cable cord through our front yard. And the barking dogs.
Still got a thwack of freelancing done, and then 550 words on the Kickstarter short story for John Joseph Adams’ Help Fund My Robot Army. 1,421 words total. My fiftee...
January 14, 2014
Progress report: day 13 and 14
Cal had to stay home for a doctor’s visit today. She ended up snuggled up on the floor with a blanket watching some TV as I worked. Barbie Dreamhouse was the chosen show. In theory, it should be rather horrendous (and there are elements of Barbie culture fully there that I could live without). But I was amused to overhear the Indiana Jones references in the first episode: they had to use a jeweled staff and the sun’s rays on a dream house model to figure out the location of something, and the...
Wait But Why on Procrastination is really, really good
A long read, with graphics, but the whole series is well worth reading…
“No, ‘avoid procrastination’ is only good advice for fake procrastinators—those people that are like, ‘I totally go on Facebook a few times every day at work—I’m such a procrastinator!’ The same people that will say to a real procrastinator something like, ‘Just don’t procrastinate and you’ll be fine.’
The thing that neither the dictionary nor fake procrastinators understand is that for a real procrastinator, procrastinatio...
January 13, 2014
Truly Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard
Okay, I’m intrigued. Mechanical cherry switches on the keys (I hated when my MSFT keyboard went ‘mushy’) and an ergo layout that saves space…
“Truly Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard
SOFT TACTILE Keyswitches (Cherry MX Brown)
Model 207
English US and International Layout”
Map: Where and How People Live
I’m always a sucker for an interesting map.
Drones will be easy for smaller states and non-states to deploy
Seems obvious. I snuck a little hint of this being a geo-political game changer for smaller countries into Hurricane Fever:
“America has smart bombs and drones. Others could create something as deadly with a remote-controlled car and camera”
(Via The next attack: “An explosive-stuffed model airplane guided by GPS” – Salon.com.)
January 12, 2014
Progress report: weekend edition
I’m fighting a fever and a tremendous amount of exhaustion. I just want to curl up in a ball in front of a space heater by the TV and drift in and out while watching shows all weekend. The fever’s not too high, but the exhausting and cough (that wakes me up a bit when lying fully down) is cramping my style.
Emily wanted to take the twins to their first ever ice skating rink. I took a shot of cough medicine and piled in, even though I felt pretty horrible I didn’t want to miss seeing their firs...
January 6, 2014
Review: Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Coat
A few years ago, after getting some Christmas money from my father in law, I drove up to an outfitters and asked them what the warmest winter coat was. There was much hemming and hawing, but in the end I got recommended an 800 weight down puffy coat made by North Face. “I want to go out in a snowstorm in a T-shirt and this coat,” was my request.
I got just that. In most cases my North Face puffy jacket rocks.
But it’s like wearing a sleeping bag.
I’ve recently lost some more weight as part of my...
