Steven M. Moore's Blog, page 96
September 27, 2017
Steve’s shorts: The ITUIP Protocol…
[Perhaps you’ve read about this in Rogue Planet. This story’s about more than the Protocol, though…]
The ITUIP Protocol
Copyright 2017, Steven M. Moore
“Layers and layers of bureaucracy,” said Lars Beltran, the Human.
“The clan model would be simpler,” said Grabek, the Tali.
“I agree,” said Fisher-of-Rivers, the Ranger.
The AI translated what the latter two said for Beltran almost immediately, its voice murmuring into the com device implanted in the side of his head. Of course, it had also tr...
September 26, 2017
Two ships passing in the night…
…and sometimes colliding. This is a metaphor about the Dems and GOP. The passing and the colliding, though, refer to what these traditional parties promise. Neil Postman, writing in Amusing Ourselves to Death—and quoted in Brooke Gladstone’ little jewel, The Trouble with Reality–said: “In 1984…people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us, Huxley feared that what we love will rui...
September 25, 2017
Monday words of wisdom…
It’s not just that both Putin and Trump lie, it is that they lie in the same way and for the same purpose—blatantly, to assert power over truth itself.—Masha Gessen
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Last days for book sale: Some authors bundle a series or part of a series. Here’s an alternative: from now through September 30, all three books in the “Clones and Mutants Trilogy” are on sale only AT SMASHWORDS, $1.99 for each ebook, reduced from $2.99—that’s one-third off. The clones make their appearance in Full Medical a...
September 22, 2017
Movie Reviews #51…
It, Chapter One. Andy Muschietti, dir. I didn’t like It. I’m not scared of clowns—in fact, the horrors of real life are more frightening for me, not those created in horror stories and movies. This is a juvenile story with horror-gore and special effects added that just doesn’t resonate with me, so I can’t understand all the hubbub.
Stephen King is often called the master of horror. His best book is On Writing, if you can get past the memoir part at the beginning. In his chosen genre, he’s at...
September 21, 2017
The NY Times Book Review…
They use some arcane and secret formula to determine their bestsellers list. They pander to the Big Five (most located in NYC, of course) and gladly accept their ad money for those ostentatious slap-in-your-face ads. (A new first for me occurred on September 3: a double-page ad for Le Carré‘s new book. Oops! They just did it again for Follett’s.) They exhibit a smugness that matches many mom & pop bookstore’s that are simply more arms belonging to the Big Five octopi.
There was a time when I...
September 20, 2017
Steve’s shorts: A Helluva Fix…
A Helluva Fix
Copyright 2017, Steven M. Moore
[This tale was inspired by two books I’m currently reading—The Stolen Child by Lisa Care and Court of Twilight by Mareth Griffith—but I’ve long held that it’s unfair that leprechauns can’t be female. Actually I finished the second one–my review can be found on Bookpleasures.]
Casper Pepperell decided to turn off the AC because he was afraid his old car would overheat in the traffic jam on the 405. He lowered the windows to keep from baking, but he...
September 19, 2017
Why “Medicare for All” won’t work…
The reasons are rather simple: doctors and the AMA, hospital conglomerates, insurance companies, and Big Pharma are against it. They all have various justifications for their opinions, but they all can be summarized in one word: greed. We got trapped into the for-profit business model in health care long ago. Even when Nixon and the CEO of Kaiser Permanente sat down together and invented the HMO concept, the death knells were already sounding. We took the wrong road; European and other countr...
September 18, 2017
Monday words of wisdom…
Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.—Joyce Carol Oates
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Book sale: Some authors bundle a series or part of a series. Here’s an alternative: from now through September 30, all three books in the “Clones and Mutants Trilogy” are on sale only AT SMASHWORDS, $1.99 for each ebook, reduced from $2.99—that’s one-third off. The clones make their appearance in Full Medical as part of a complex government...
September 15, 2017
Movie Reviews #50…
[First a bow to great science…]
Ode to Cassini
Copyright 2017, Steven M. Moore
Disappearing under Saturn’s robe,
There goes the Cassini probe.
With mechanical courage it took flight
And began its journey into the night.
It nobly pursued the scientists’ quest;
Now it will receive a deserved rest,
Out there among the rings,
Dreaming as only machines can dream.
[And now an ode to QWERTY…]
California Typewriter. Doug Nichol, director. My home state California is a big state with a lot going on, s...
September 14, 2017
Writers’ blogs and op-ed…
Recently (Sat, 8/26), the N.Y. Times published an op-ed about how to write an op-ed. My definition of op-ed is a bit more general than theirs. (I wrote a previous post about op-eds. I swear, sometimes I think someone at the Times is reading my blog. The other day they used my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde metaphor to describe Trump, which I’m sure I used a while ago—maybe on Facebook?).
I consider my posts commenting on current events op-eds; I also consider many of my posts on writing and the publ...
