Joe Haldeman's Blog, page 62
June 3, 2011
American Pie a la mode
I may be one of the last people to see this remarkable video, but if you haven’t either, and agree that “American Pie” is one of the great American songs – check this out. A large fraction of the city of Grand Rapids going kind of crazy doing a thousands-strong lip-synch of that song . . . including marching bands and fireworks and a popgun duel and dancing and football and you name it. Great fun.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/01/136816940/the-grand-rapids-lip-dub-a-giant-street-party-set-to-music
This is a live version, slightly different from Don McLean’s more famous one. With a kind of spooky audience sing-along.
Joe
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/01/136816940/the-grand-rapids-lip-dub-a-giant-street-party-set-to-music
This is a live version, slightly different from Don McLean’s more famous one. With a kind of spooky audience sing-along.
Joe
May 31, 2011
Mem Day
Yesterday I bicycled 29.9 miles, up to Newberry and back. Wrote for a couple of hours at a Subway in Newberry, working on my current novel, WORK DONE FOR HIRE.
The story's set in the near future. The protagonist is a writer in his late twenties who's been out of the army for a few years. He fought in a place only identified as "the desert," which I suspect is Iran.
The fact that it was Memorial Day probably affected what I wrote. Here's part of it:
I looked at the batteries and recorder on the seat next to me and had a melancholy recollection, the last time I saw my grandfather before he died, just before I shipped for the desert. He and my dad and I had all had too much to drink. It was his 80th birthday, and we had a recorder like this one going, while he talked about the past.
Grand-dude and I shared the bond of both having been drafted (Dad’s generation was spared), and we traded Basic Training memories. Then he started to talk about combat, which he never had done before.
He started to cry – not weeping, just his eyes leaking a little, dabbing, and he delivered a slurred soliloquy about how useless it all had been – how much less freedom we had after his war, Vietnam, than before; how the government used war to increase its control over its citizens, what a fucking waste it had all been. Dad got upset with him, me headed overseas in a couple of days.
But I said it wasn’t that different from what I heard in the barracks every night. Grand-dude said yeah, same-same. Soldiers aren’t fools.
But we go anyhow.
============================
Joe
The story's set in the near future. The protagonist is a writer in his late twenties who's been out of the army for a few years. He fought in a place only identified as "the desert," which I suspect is Iran.
The fact that it was Memorial Day probably affected what I wrote. Here's part of it:
I looked at the batteries and recorder on the seat next to me and had a melancholy recollection, the last time I saw my grandfather before he died, just before I shipped for the desert. He and my dad and I had all had too much to drink. It was his 80th birthday, and we had a recorder like this one going, while he talked about the past.
Grand-dude and I shared the bond of both having been drafted (Dad’s generation was spared), and we traded Basic Training memories. Then he started to talk about combat, which he never had done before.
He started to cry – not weeping, just his eyes leaking a little, dabbing, and he delivered a slurred soliloquy about how useless it all had been – how much less freedom we had after his war, Vietnam, than before; how the government used war to increase its control over its citizens, what a fucking waste it had all been. Dad got upset with him, me headed overseas in a couple of days.
But I said it wasn’t that different from what I heard in the barracks every night. Grand-dude said yeah, same-same. Soldiers aren’t fools.
But we go anyhow.
============================
Joe
May 27, 2011
number theory
In sff.net, jerry said “i figure there will be at least one similar [Doomsday] event per century with say a 1% chance of destroying humanity, so with my simple calculations our expected lifetime is 100*100 = 10,000 years.”
I must be a compulsive teacher or something. If there’s a 1% chance of humanity destroying itself in any given century, then the probability that humanity will not destroy itself in n centuries is (0.99)^n -- so for a hundred centuries it’s 0.99 to the hundredth power, which is about 36.6%.
But it seems to me (if I may be allowed an optimistic moment) that if we do survive the first century after the development of doomsday weapons, then that bespeaks a maturity that may reduce the probability of destroying humanity in succeeding years, and centuries.
Something to think about as memorial day approaches.
Joe
I must be a compulsive teacher or something. If there’s a 1% chance of humanity destroying itself in any given century, then the probability that humanity will not destroy itself in n centuries is (0.99)^n -- so for a hundred centuries it’s 0.99 to the hundredth power, which is about 36.6%.
But it seems to me (if I may be allowed an optimistic moment) that if we do survive the first century after the development of doomsday weapons, then that bespeaks a maturity that may reduce the probability of destroying humanity in succeeding years, and centuries.
Something to think about as memorial day approaches.
Joe
May 22, 2011
Nebula weekend
Nothing much special at the Nebs yesterday; stayed in the convention hotel and did bizniss. Breakfast with Eleanor Wood and then the SFWA business meeting, done very efficiently by John Scalzi. As I did back in my presidency, he tries to keep it down to an hour and not let people drone on and on about their pet peeves. No huge seismic shifts in the sf/f/h world.
Then Gay and I were both on a panel “Collecting Over a Writer’s Lifetime to Supplement Retirement Income,” which was pretty interesting even though our own collection is mostly random junk.
We went to lunch with Gardner Dozois and Sue Casper. Sue had interesting things to say. She’s been an acute observer of the writing life for forty years, although she doesn’t write much herself. Gardner was funny and self-deprecating as usual.
Then we sat for a couple of hours and chatted with writers who came and went . . . Michael Dirda and Kathleen Goonan with her husband Joseph joined us. (I had an interesting drink, a Cosmo, which was a nonalcoholic version of the cosmopolitan. Nice to sip something from a martini glass; I ought to come up with a few recipes to do at home when we entertain.)
Dressed up for the cocktail party at 6:30. The usual kind of random madness. A pretty good banquet meal, crab cakes – though for $150 it had better be good. Gay started out the formal part of the program, giving out the Service to SFWA award to John Johnston, and I ended it, giving the novel award to Connie Willis (not a huge surprise). Good to know people in high places -- Peggy Rae Sapienza, who’s running the Nebula ceremonies, is an old pal from 60’s Washington fandom. She said she did that on purpose, so Gay and I could “bookend” the awards ceremony.
The party afterwards had way too much pastry. I wolfed down both apple pie and cherry cobbler, bad boy. I didn’t bring my diabetes kit to check my blood sugar level, though, so it didn’t count.
In bed by midnight and up this morning at six, to go down to the gym and pedal for a bit, rereading the novel. Found three mistakes and turned down the pages; now I’ll find out whether I can find them again.
Joe
Then Gay and I were both on a panel “Collecting Over a Writer’s Lifetime to Supplement Retirement Income,” which was pretty interesting even though our own collection is mostly random junk.
We went to lunch with Gardner Dozois and Sue Casper. Sue had interesting things to say. She’s been an acute observer of the writing life for forty years, although she doesn’t write much herself. Gardner was funny and self-deprecating as usual.
Then we sat for a couple of hours and chatted with writers who came and went . . . Michael Dirda and Kathleen Goonan with her husband Joseph joined us. (I had an interesting drink, a Cosmo, which was a nonalcoholic version of the cosmopolitan. Nice to sip something from a martini glass; I ought to come up with a few recipes to do at home when we entertain.)
Dressed up for the cocktail party at 6:30. The usual kind of random madness. A pretty good banquet meal, crab cakes – though for $150 it had better be good. Gay started out the formal part of the program, giving out the Service to SFWA award to John Johnston, and I ended it, giving the novel award to Connie Willis (not a huge surprise). Good to know people in high places -- Peggy Rae Sapienza, who’s running the Nebula ceremonies, is an old pal from 60’s Washington fandom. She said she did that on purpose, so Gay and I could “bookend” the awards ceremony.
The party afterwards had way too much pastry. I wolfed down both apple pie and cherry cobbler, bad boy. I didn’t bring my diabetes kit to check my blood sugar level, though, so it didn’t count.
In bed by midnight and up this morning at six, to go down to the gym and pedal for a bit, rereading the novel. Found three mistakes and turned down the pages; now I’ll find out whether I can find them again.
Joe
May 21, 2011
Still kickin'
We had a pleasant day yesterday, though no zoo. Gay and I wandered around the neighborhood and nibbled at the hospitality suite before going out to the Big Event. Television interview for Fast Forward, a series that first got me about ten years ago. Be interesting to see the old one and the current one together; I think they’re on line.
We met Connie Willis and her daughter Cordelia for dinner, and that was a combination of hilarity and sober business dealings. (We work through the same agency, Ralph Vicinanza, and things have been complicated since Ralph's death.)
Signed books for two hours, a line at first, and then occasional collectors. Big cocktail party/reception, not terribly interesting to me, since I’m not in a wheeling-and-dealing situation. But of course it’s good to be out showing the flag. Almost everybody expressed surprise – sometimes wide-eyed surprise – at how healthy I looked. Of course to them the “news” of my illness is still fresh, whereas I’ve long put it behind me.
Joe
May 19, 2011
somethin' tells me nothin's happenin' at the zoo . . .
Pleasantly ensconced in the Washington Hilton after a nice overnight train journey.
Our old pal Ann Crockett met us here at the hotel for lunch. Good pub restaurant. Then we took off in her car to enjoy our nation’s capitol’s traffic. About like we remembered it.
She obliged my desire to go check out the Naval Observatory – as a kid in the fifties and sixties I almost lived there during the summers – but that was not to be. It was all sealed off and guarded by stern-looking Marines. Either Joe Biden doesn’t like to be disturbed or there was something governmental going on. (We later saw a sign saying the National Zoo would be closing down at 1600, so that’s probably it.)
With no stars and nebulae available, we turned to the Animal Kingdom for amusement. Poured an ungodly amount of change into a parking meter and trotted into the zoo.
It’s much more elegant and ecologically responsible than it was when we were kids. I mean, it used to be full of animals, can you imagine? Now it’s full of educational signs and manicured pseudo-Nature, with a few birds and beasts lurking here and there. We did see an elephant. They’re hard to hide.
I guess the crowded old way was irresponsible, and besides all those animals must have cost a bundle to maintain. I suspect that there has been pressure on the entity’s financial “ecology” from two ends – cheap conservatives and timid liberals. The result is a place that’s kind of long on dignity and short on excitement.
Ah well. This twenty-first century. You can’t live with it and they won’t let you out of it.
Joe
Our old pal Ann Crockett met us here at the hotel for lunch. Good pub restaurant. Then we took off in her car to enjoy our nation’s capitol’s traffic. About like we remembered it.
She obliged my desire to go check out the Naval Observatory – as a kid in the fifties and sixties I almost lived there during the summers – but that was not to be. It was all sealed off and guarded by stern-looking Marines. Either Joe Biden doesn’t like to be disturbed or there was something governmental going on. (We later saw a sign saying the National Zoo would be closing down at 1600, so that’s probably it.)
With no stars and nebulae available, we turned to the Animal Kingdom for amusement. Poured an ungodly amount of change into a parking meter and trotted into the zoo.
It’s much more elegant and ecologically responsible than it was when we were kids. I mean, it used to be full of animals, can you imagine? Now it’s full of educational signs and manicured pseudo-Nature, with a few birds and beasts lurking here and there. We did see an elephant. They’re hard to hide.
I guess the crowded old way was irresponsible, and besides all those animals must have cost a bundle to maintain. I suspect that there has been pressure on the entity’s financial “ecology” from two ends – cheap conservatives and timid liberals. The result is a place that’s kind of long on dignity and short on excitement.
Ah well. This twenty-first century. You can’t live with it and they won’t let you out of it.
Joe
May 15, 2011
pastels & such
A good model at open studio yesterday. I took (dry) pastels on a kind of a goof; I haven't used them in more than ten years. I sort of liked the results, especially the way the medium works with reflections on the skin. Try them again soon.
Cold this Sunday morning in Florida. I went out to write at a cafe and had to work indoors, even though the sun's bright. After this snap there probably won't be any cold mornings till September.
Joe
Cold this Sunday morning in Florida. I went out to write at a cafe and had to work indoors, even though the sun's bright. After this snap there probably won't be any cold mornings till September.
Joe
May 12, 2011
Go gators!
A lot of gator activity this week. The paper notes that it’s nice and warm and mating season. So if you’re out at night, for heaven’s sake, don’t make a noise like a female alligator!
We have visitors from the Boston area, my old student Antony Donovan and his partner Jag Patel, and we went off alligator-hunting with them and Lore yesterday. I should note that it’s pretty safe to approach alligators during the daytime, if you don’t do anything aggressive. And you wouldn’t want to get too close to a big one unless he’s resting after a big meal. They look slow but can go 45 miles per hour for short distances. A couple of body lengths, and their bodies can get pretty long.
Lore took a short movie of a cute little one –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haldechi...
They’re so dinosaur-like . . . or I guess we assume that dinosaurs act crocodilian. But great fun to watch as long as they don’t take a culinary interest in you.
The most recent fatality was interesting . . .
A man fleeing police by jumping into a retention pond adjacent to the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center was killed by a 9-foot 3-inch (2.8 m) alligator on this date according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiners office. Padron and an accomplice were suspected of burglarizing cars in the parking lot of the resort which is located at 500 SW 177th St. in southwest Miami-Dade County when police closed in. Witnesses said they could hear Padron's agonized screaming before he disappeared underwater.
I don’t know whether Miami-Dade subsequently dispatched the alligator, or deputized him. A nine-foot gator is not that huge, incidentally. We saw several yesterday in the 12 to 14-foot range. None of them gnawing on human remains, but you never know.
I think they’re among the most beautiful of animals, an absolutely elegant design. They’ve been thriving since before the dinosaurs, and they look very old and wise in their single-digit IQ way.
You don’t see any dinosaurs around, though, and it’s a pretty good bet that you won’t see any humans after awhile. But Albert and his pals will still be gliding along.
Joe
We have visitors from the Boston area, my old student Antony Donovan and his partner Jag Patel, and we went off alligator-hunting with them and Lore yesterday. I should note that it’s pretty safe to approach alligators during the daytime, if you don’t do anything aggressive. And you wouldn’t want to get too close to a big one unless he’s resting after a big meal. They look slow but can go 45 miles per hour for short distances. A couple of body lengths, and their bodies can get pretty long.
Lore took a short movie of a cute little one –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haldechi...
They’re so dinosaur-like . . . or I guess we assume that dinosaurs act crocodilian. But great fun to watch as long as they don’t take a culinary interest in you.
The most recent fatality was interesting . . .
A man fleeing police by jumping into a retention pond adjacent to the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center was killed by a 9-foot 3-inch (2.8 m) alligator on this date according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiners office. Padron and an accomplice were suspected of burglarizing cars in the parking lot of the resort which is located at 500 SW 177th St. in southwest Miami-Dade County when police closed in. Witnesses said they could hear Padron's agonized screaming before he disappeared underwater.
I don’t know whether Miami-Dade subsequently dispatched the alligator, or deputized him. A nine-foot gator is not that huge, incidentally. We saw several yesterday in the 12 to 14-foot range. None of them gnawing on human remains, but you never know.
I think they’re among the most beautiful of animals, an absolutely elegant design. They’ve been thriving since before the dinosaurs, and they look very old and wise in their single-digit IQ way.
You don’t see any dinosaurs around, though, and it’s a pretty good bet that you won’t see any humans after awhile. But Albert and his pals will still be gliding along.
Joe
May 10, 2011
Strange coincidence!
Now here’s an absolutely weird coincidence.
About 5:30 this morning I answered a request from the SF/F fan magazine ConNotations for a little update, and among other things, I said
“ . . . . I’ve recovered enough from last year’s surgery to go on this year’s “Ride to Remember” in central Florida next week, but I’m taking the shortest route, twenty-some miles. Last month I was a gofer volunteer in Bike Florida, staying off the bike but making about 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while standing under a tent flap in the rain.
“When we say ‘Go gators!’ it’s not about the Florida football team. It means to get them damned alligators off the trail!”
About an hour later I picked up the morning paper and sat down to breakfast. In the Local News section was a story “Bicyclist seriously injured after alligator shows up on trail.” A guy was biking down the Hawthorne Trail Sunday night, and an alligator alongside the trail struck at his tire. He flew over the handlebars and was seriously injured. Apparently the alligator did not close in to finish him off.
It’s the first alligator attack recorded on the trail, which dates back to the 1850’s.
Think I’ll write a blog now about being the first person in history to win the Florida State Lottery without buying a ticket.
Joe
About 5:30 this morning I answered a request from the SF/F fan magazine ConNotations for a little update, and among other things, I said
“ . . . . I’ve recovered enough from last year’s surgery to go on this year’s “Ride to Remember” in central Florida next week, but I’m taking the shortest route, twenty-some miles. Last month I was a gofer volunteer in Bike Florida, staying off the bike but making about 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while standing under a tent flap in the rain.
“When we say ‘Go gators!’ it’s not about the Florida football team. It means to get them damned alligators off the trail!”
About an hour later I picked up the morning paper and sat down to breakfast. In the Local News section was a story “Bicyclist seriously injured after alligator shows up on trail.” A guy was biking down the Hawthorne Trail Sunday night, and an alligator alongside the trail struck at his tire. He flew over the handlebars and was seriously injured. Apparently the alligator did not close in to finish him off.
It’s the first alligator attack recorded on the trail, which dates back to the 1850’s.
Think I’ll write a blog now about being the first person in history to win the Florida State Lottery without buying a ticket.
Joe
May 9, 2011
Myrna redux
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