Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 226
March 5, 2010
Sekrit Formula
Now that Alice in Wonderland has entered general release, my opinion of which is given below, perhaps it's time for this glimpse into the mind of the Master.
March 4, 2010
Famous For All the Wrong Reasons
Renowned atmospheric physicist Charles B. Moore passed away on Wednesday. Though his career was chock-a-block with scientific accomplishment, he is best known for something that didn't actually happen.Let me explain.Dr. Moore was a pioneer in the use of large polyethylene balloons, or aerostats. On June 4, 1947, one of Dr. Moore's Project Mogul aerostats crashed in a sheep pasture near the
Count the Cliches!
It's the adventures of Brewster Rockit, Space Guy! [via Janice:]
March 2, 2010
Pretty Pictures, Lots of Chases
I got a chance to see a sneak preview of Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and now I'm thinking about how franchises have got detached from the source of their inspiration.It certainly happened with Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey played a character who shared a name and an occupation with his progenitor, but little else. There were people with names like Irene and Moriarity in the film, but they
March 1, 2010
Reviews Too Late: Princess Tutu
Knowing my strange fascination with girly anime, Jane Lindskold told me I'd like this one. She was right.I liked Princess Tutu not only for itself, but for the fact that it constantly references Revolutionary Girl Utena, which--- as we all know--- is the Greatest TV Series of All Time. Tutu is a post-Utena artifact, the first that I've seen. The backstory is rather complex, and begins with a
History Channel
What the hell happened to the History Channel? It's all Pawn Stars, Tougher in Alaska, American Pickers, Ax Men . . . all reality TV! Where's my freakin' history?I guess it went to the same place as all the learning on the Learning Channel.
February 28, 2010
Matters Quotidian
The Winter Olympics at least provided a pleasing distraction as I was preparing my taxes for the accountant. Hundreds of check stubs, hundreds of little receipts with cryptic scrawls on them. (What is "sprawk?" Is it deductible? Does it go on Schedule C?) And then I look up, and Canucks and Austrians and Chinese Communists are gracefully doing weird aerial stunts on ski slopes. And tonight there
February 27, 2010
Lift Those Pale, Puny Arms to the Light of the Stars!
Healthy lifestyles for all the Goths in your life.[via Louy:]
Life Those Pale, Puny Arms to the Light of the Stars!
Healthy lifestyles for all the Goths in your life.[via Louy:]
February 25, 2010
The Condition of Atemporality
Y'know, Bruce Sterling thinks about this shit real hard. And a couple weeks ago he delivered a speech that shows how far ahead of us he really is. Now let me tell you how the atemporal Richard Feynman approaches this. The atemporal Richard Feynman is not very paper-friendly, because he lives in a network culture. So it occurs to the atemporal Feynman that he may, or may not, have a problem. '
