Matthew Alan Thyer's Blog, page 43

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

Rock Landing

Three days and nearly no sleep. The solo crossing from Makah Bay to Ucluete had turned out to be much more of a challenge than Paul had expected. He had stuck with it, dodging the huge cargo craft entering and exiting the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Avoiding La Migración where they had staked out safe bays and inlets on the south side of the US border waiting in ambush for the unpapered. And in sticking to the open water he had even landed a pair of salmon that would fill his larder...

Tomorrow GFX, and Other Things

I’m sorting my bag, getting ready to leave, and I thought it might be a good idea to remind you all that I’ll be leaving tomorrow for GeekFanExpo near Detroit, MI. Jim C. Hines and Timothy Zahnare joining me there and we’ve got some excellent things planned. Come join us!

In other news John Scalzi will be visiting here in the Pacific North West this evening. I’m planning on going to the reading. His latest LOCK IN is really excellent; and does not include any semicolons. I finished reading the...

This Should Be a Thing

I’m plum tuckered out. Today I have been more or less consistentlydisappointed by humanity. Disappointed in general, as well as in particular. Pretty much everyone I’ve encountered in the last twelve to sixteen hours has figured out a new and sometimes interesting way to let me down. For example, the long line of college aged kids on the trail to Lake Serene who were speaking so loudly I could make them out over the din of the forest and a 200 foot cascade crashing into boulders. Guys, hiking...

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

DOWN

I followed the quick-start instruction manual, and the DOWN activity and sleep bracelet paired with my sub-dermal wireless interface without incident. Almost immediately I stated getting some relief, although it took a little discipline to click the innocuous button on the bracelet ten minutes before my scheduled bed time. After a few weeks of use I felt well rested and ready for even the most stressful of days. I was, for the first time in a long while, getting an adequate amount of slee...

Textbook Example

Extreme Precipitation in US Increasing Data from the latest National Climate Assessment shows that brief, heavy downpours are increasing across the United States, with the Northeastern and Upper Midwestern states hardest hit.

Good morning! For the first time in a very long while the Seattle area is covered, horizon to horizon, with a dense, probably-won’t-burn-off-today layer of creamy, rich, gray clouds. In celebration of this momentous day I put on my running shorts, loaded up the bulki, add...

GeekFanExpo 2014

With a little more than a week to go I posted my tentative schedule for the first Geek Fan Expo. There’s a lot of goodness coming your way and if you live in that neck of the woods come join us. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Man in Tunnel

I-90 Tunnel under Beacon Hill

The caution lights were blinking in the Interstate-90 tunnel under Beacon Hill this morning as Aral and I returned to the East Side from our morning drop off of Tess in downtown Seattle. Traffic had slowed to a walking pace almost as soon as we entered the tunnel and so we creeped along underground hoping that the cabin filters in our Prius possessed the capability to remove the bulk of the ash and diesel discharge from the air the dump truck to ourright was belch...

Rolled a Druid

While researching something for something I’m writing I came across this character generator, which asks a bunch of personal questions to build a D&D character. I’m a middling Druid it turns out. Watch yourselves or I’ll cast stone skin on you and whack you with my +2 Staff of Beating.

I Am A:Neutral Good Human Druid (6th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-13

Dexterity-12

Constitution-14

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-10

Charisma-13

Alignment:

Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person...

Top Ten

David Wohlreich recently posted a list of ten books that have remained with him and/or influenced him throughout his life. Any reasonably literate person probably has a list like this simmering on their back burner, but bringing it to the front, where it can stand as a fully formed entrée, seems like an undertaking.

Just as I said I would, I’ve given this some thought. Here’s my list in no particular order.

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Monkey Wrench Gang, Edward Abbey
The Social Construction of...

Dispatches from the Future (B-list)

Rock Landing

Three days and nearly no sleep. Crossing the from Makah Bay to Ucluete had turned out to be much more of a challenge than Paul had expected. But he had stuck with it, dodging all the cargo craft entering and exiting the Straight of Juan de Fuca. He had even landed a pair of salmon that would fill his larder for weeks, if he could make it to shore and smoke them before they spoiled.

Now Paul was reaching as hard and as fast as Brosings’ Necklace could cut the current. He needed a b...