I took a news fast the past couple of weeks - if I saw one more picture of a pelican covered in sludge or brown, oily waves, I was going to scream.
But, I am back, with your weekly dose of newsishness!
Italian archaeologists have discovered the remains of someone who may have died of syphilis while maybe weakened by sunstroke who could possibly be Caravaggio. I don't know, that's a lot of maybes...
First rubber, now prehistory. It seems the Maya knew more than we give them credit for.
Scientists are going to map out Ozzy's genetic code to find out why he's still alive. My personal theory? The man has obviously been blessed by the Metal Gods.
A Swiss watch found in an ancient Chinese tomb?
I was going to post The Ten Most Important Things They Didn't Teach You in School as a humor sign off, but then I found this
Enjoy your week!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Weekly Link Roundup!
A day late, I know. I am in the process of attempting to acquire a day job, which is a time consuming process in and of itself. Fear not, I have not forgotten you! And soon, I intend to post about the project I had to turn down last week. Until then, here are your weekly links!
A gladiator cemetery is being unearthed in York. They're making a documentary!
The line between genius and madness has always been suspected, and now science has proven it"
For the aspiring sex-kitten/tyrant, Imperial corsets!
As it turns out, humpback whales form friendships, some of which last years.
New evidence suggests the Mayans perfected the process of making rubber centuries before Goodyear came around.
A collection of random vampire facts!
A day late, I know. I am in the process of attempting to acquire a day job, which is a time consuming process in and of itself. Fear not, I have not forgotten you! And soon, I intend to post about the project I had to turn down last week. Until then, here are your weekly links!
A gladiator cemetery is being unearthed in York. They're making a documentary!
The line between genius and madness has always been suspected, and now science has proven it"
For the aspiring sex-kitten/tyrant, Imperial corsets!
As it turns out, humpback whales form friendships, some of which last years.
New evidence suggests the Mayans perfected the process of making rubber centuries before Goodyear came around.
A collection of random vampire facts!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday Link Roundup
I have been crazybusy lately. I've been looking for a new full time gig, and that sort of search is forty-plus hours a week itself. The good news is that I also have a new boyfriend, yay me!
So, yes, I apologize for the lack of content and will endeavor to provide more.
But for now, your weekly link roundup!
I was a teenage werewolf!. In Texas, no less!
One step closer to Snow Crash? The first man to claim he has been affected by a computer virus. Science marches on?
Okay, he didn't write Snow Crash, but he's still the granddaddy of cyberpunk. And now, William Gibson has given us his ten favorite novels.
The quest to unlock the mystery of the mighty mighty corn.
It looks as though scientists have discovered a certain strain of bacteria that can make you smarter. And, perhaps, happier. The bug mostly lives in the dirt, which may explain the irritating cheerfulness of some hikers.
Video games can control lucid dreaming.
Have a spare million? Want to live in one of the most famous haunted houses? Guess what house just went on the market?
So, yes, I apologize for the lack of content and will endeavor to provide more.
But for now, your weekly link roundup!
I was a teenage werewolf!. In Texas, no less!
One step closer to Snow Crash? The first man to claim he has been affected by a computer virus. Science marches on?
Okay, he didn't write Snow Crash, but he's still the granddaddy of cyberpunk. And now, William Gibson has given us his ten favorite novels.
The quest to unlock the mystery of the mighty mighty corn.
It looks as though scientists have discovered a certain strain of bacteria that can make you smarter. And, perhaps, happier. The bug mostly lives in the dirt, which may explain the irritating cheerfulness of some hikers.
Video games can control lucid dreaming.
Have a spare million? Want to live in one of the most famous haunted houses? Guess what house just went on the market?
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday Link Roundup
I know this space has been quiet lately, I've been rather busy. I shall endeavor to provide you with more fascinating content!
At least you still have your weekly link roundup!
Finally, the definitive Mark Twain biography will be published. Estimates put it at three volumes, at least.
After six deaths on a particular stretch of roadway, the Austrian government tried something a bit unorthodox. Druids. And it worked.
In the Wierd World, a Wikipedia article on the enigmatic Toynbee Tiles.
Remember those Golden Books you were likely read to from as a small child? They've grown up.
As the absinthe fad winds down, it looks like the next trendy liquor is moonshine. I wonder if it's any coincidence that both absinthe and moonshine are rumored to cause hallucinations?
And now there's a movement to convince the Grammys to open up an award category for Heavy Metal. Fine, but I expect they'll keep giving them to non-Americans.
At least you still have your weekly link roundup!
Finally, the definitive Mark Twain biography will be published. Estimates put it at three volumes, at least.
After six deaths on a particular stretch of roadway, the Austrian government tried something a bit unorthodox. Druids. And it worked.
In the Wierd World, a Wikipedia article on the enigmatic Toynbee Tiles.
Remember those Golden Books you were likely read to from as a small child? They've grown up.
As the absinthe fad winds down, it looks like the next trendy liquor is moonshine. I wonder if it's any coincidence that both absinthe and moonshine are rumored to cause hallucinations?
And now there's a movement to convince the Grammys to open up an award category for Heavy Metal. Fine, but I expect they'll keep giving them to non-Americans.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday Link Roundup
I went camping this weekend!
Now, back to the weekly slog. Aren't you glad for this weekly link roundup?
Throw the horns for Ronnie James Dio, who passed away yesterday. Ye shall be missed, O Beloved of the Metal Gods. \m/ \m/
A cute little black and white short cartoon based off Murnau's Nosferatu and Stoker's Dracula.
Studies have proven it. The longest life is the one with the most pleasure.
The ACLU, protecting your right to profanity
For your weekly dose of Forteana, a fun article on the 23 enigma.
A roundup of vampire-themed role-playing games. You mean there are other role-playing games than White Wolf?!
And lastly, now that John's e-store is up, you can buy the pdf of Game of Tears. Only five dollars!
Now, back to the weekly slog. Aren't you glad for this weekly link roundup?
Throw the horns for Ronnie James Dio, who passed away yesterday. Ye shall be missed, O Beloved of the Metal Gods. \m/ \m/
A cute little black and white short cartoon based off Murnau's Nosferatu and Stoker's Dracula.
Studies have proven it. The longest life is the one with the most pleasure.
The ACLU, protecting your right to profanity
For your weekly dose of Forteana, a fun article on the 23 enigma.
A roundup of vampire-themed role-playing games. You mean there are other role-playing games than White Wolf?!
And lastly, now that John's e-store is up, you can buy the pdf of Game of Tears. Only five dollars!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thoughts on Fan Fiction
I do not write fan fiction; nor do I read it. Years ago, I would - and then I read a Star Trek/Les Miserables crossover with Javert as the main character. In a Better Than It Sounds moment, the story was not only the best fan fiction I'd ever read, it was better than most short stories I'd read, too. I realized that was it - never again would I find another fan fiction as good as that one. So I stopped reading it.
I have also never been inspired to write fan fiction. Creating my own characters and world is vastly preferable than yanking someone else's. Though I realize other fans feel differently, writing fan fiction would make me feel a bit like I'd snuck into the house of a good friend while they were away and drank all their beer.
In a now-vanished post by Diana Gabaldon (who I have not yet read), she laid out her reasons for disliking fan fiction in general, and those who wrote in her setting as a result. Cue Internet hue and cry. Authors and fan fiction writers are obviously chatty bunches, so it seems like everyone has something to say about the topic.
I have to say, I can see both sides of the issue. For every Star Trek/Les Miserables crossover, there's a gigabyte of Kirk/Spock slashfic or Mary Sue self-inserts. I can understand authors being dismayed at their lovingly crafted characters being used for porn or wish fulfillment fantasies. But I also realize that the fans, by and large, write fan fiction out of love. Well, all and good, but I don't think 'love' is a sufficient excuse in all cases. Not when the author is averse (for whatever reason) to people playing around in their own hard-won IP.
One common concern from the anti-fan fiction authors appears to be copyright, in that some authors are concerned over losing their copyright if they don't defend it by quashing fan fiction. Now, it is entirely accurate that copyright and trademark holders must assiduously defend their intellectual property in court or risk having their work fall into the public domain. However, most of the copyright cases of which I am aware deal primarily with someone allegedly trying to make a profit from the infringement. No one is really trying to make a living publishing fan fiction. There hasn't been a test case yet to see if fan fiction is enough to cause an author to lose their copyright. Personally, I don't see free fan fiction as a copyright infringement. Jim Butcher has a very good system worked out for his fans - everyone who writes Butcher fan fiction has to do so under a Creative Commons license. Butcher's copyright is protected and fans are happy to scribble away. I don't think Creative Commons has been tested in court, either, but it certainly makes sense to me (and while I appear to be surrounded by attorneys, I am not a lawyer myself. This is just me rambling a bit, so feel free to correct me if my facts are wrong).
Some fan fiction writers I've encountered have been rabidly pro-fan fiction. Their argument is that art, once created, becomes universal. While copyright is to be respected, an author should not be expected to object to fan fiction done out of love. There are arguments as well for promotion of the work and developing a fan community. And I can certainly get some of those - to a point.
See, not every fan fiction is good. Some of it is terrible, thinly disguised excuses for porn. And not that I have a problem with porn. The issue I have with most slashfic is not it's pornographic nature, it's the author gleefully defies established character and canon. In my current project, I have written two characters: Roy and Teague. Roy is a middle-aged gay construction worker; Teague is a middle-aged straight combat vet. If someone wanted to write porn about Roy having hot, wet, dripping sex with another man... well it's certainly in character for him to do that. There's a scene where it's implied he does just that after a hunt. But Teague is straight, and I would be highly annoyed if someone ignored established character to write their own slash fiction in which Teague had sex with any of the other male characters (even Roy. Especially Roy).
Annoyed enough to ask people to stop, though? Probably not. As long as no one expects me to read it. But that's just my personal opinion, as an unpublished aspiring author.
If people want to spend their time reading and writing fan fiction - well, everyone needs a hobby and I'm sure there are less constructive things one can do. However, I do believe that if an author like Diana Gabaldon or George R. R. Martin or Anne Rice comes out and asks people to please not write fan fiction based on their work, the fans ought to respect that. After all, the fan fiction writers themselves are the first to claim their stories are products of love. And part of love is respect.
I have also never been inspired to write fan fiction. Creating my own characters and world is vastly preferable than yanking someone else's. Though I realize other fans feel differently, writing fan fiction would make me feel a bit like I'd snuck into the house of a good friend while they were away and drank all their beer.
In a now-vanished post by Diana Gabaldon (who I have not yet read), she laid out her reasons for disliking fan fiction in general, and those who wrote in her setting as a result. Cue Internet hue and cry. Authors and fan fiction writers are obviously chatty bunches, so it seems like everyone has something to say about the topic.
I have to say, I can see both sides of the issue. For every Star Trek/Les Miserables crossover, there's a gigabyte of Kirk/Spock slashfic or Mary Sue self-inserts. I can understand authors being dismayed at their lovingly crafted characters being used for porn or wish fulfillment fantasies. But I also realize that the fans, by and large, write fan fiction out of love. Well, all and good, but I don't think 'love' is a sufficient excuse in all cases. Not when the author is averse (for whatever reason) to people playing around in their own hard-won IP.
One common concern from the anti-fan fiction authors appears to be copyright, in that some authors are concerned over losing their copyright if they don't defend it by quashing fan fiction. Now, it is entirely accurate that copyright and trademark holders must assiduously defend their intellectual property in court or risk having their work fall into the public domain. However, most of the copyright cases of which I am aware deal primarily with someone allegedly trying to make a profit from the infringement. No one is really trying to make a living publishing fan fiction. There hasn't been a test case yet to see if fan fiction is enough to cause an author to lose their copyright. Personally, I don't see free fan fiction as a copyright infringement. Jim Butcher has a very good system worked out for his fans - everyone who writes Butcher fan fiction has to do so under a Creative Commons license. Butcher's copyright is protected and fans are happy to scribble away. I don't think Creative Commons has been tested in court, either, but it certainly makes sense to me (and while I appear to be surrounded by attorneys, I am not a lawyer myself. This is just me rambling a bit, so feel free to correct me if my facts are wrong).
Some fan fiction writers I've encountered have been rabidly pro-fan fiction. Their argument is that art, once created, becomes universal. While copyright is to be respected, an author should not be expected to object to fan fiction done out of love. There are arguments as well for promotion of the work and developing a fan community. And I can certainly get some of those - to a point.
See, not every fan fiction is good. Some of it is terrible, thinly disguised excuses for porn. And not that I have a problem with porn. The issue I have with most slashfic is not it's pornographic nature, it's the author gleefully defies established character and canon. In my current project, I have written two characters: Roy and Teague. Roy is a middle-aged gay construction worker; Teague is a middle-aged straight combat vet. If someone wanted to write porn about Roy having hot, wet, dripping sex with another man... well it's certainly in character for him to do that. There's a scene where it's implied he does just that after a hunt. But Teague is straight, and I would be highly annoyed if someone ignored established character to write their own slash fiction in which Teague had sex with any of the other male characters (even Roy. Especially Roy).
Annoyed enough to ask people to stop, though? Probably not. As long as no one expects me to read it. But that's just my personal opinion, as an unpublished aspiring author.
If people want to spend their time reading and writing fan fiction - well, everyone needs a hobby and I'm sure there are less constructive things one can do. However, I do believe that if an author like Diana Gabaldon or George R. R. Martin or Anne Rice comes out and asks people to please not write fan fiction based on their work, the fans ought to respect that. After all, the fan fiction writers themselves are the first to claim their stories are products of love. And part of love is respect.
Monday Link Roundup!
Here you are!
Scientists in India are using math to analyze om
Like the European man found in China, now they have found the skeleton of an African man, born in Tunisia and buried in Ipswich in the 13th Century.
Steampunk is cool. So are vampires. And now, steampunk vampires!
Japan's most decrepit dormitory.
National Geographic takes on sleep.
From the Cat Corner, a YouTube video of a cat grooming a fox.
And lastly, for your humor sign off, The Six People You've Never Heard of Who Probably Saved Your Life.
Scientists in India are using math to analyze om
Like the European man found in China, now they have found the skeleton of an African man, born in Tunisia and buried in Ipswich in the 13th Century.
Steampunk is cool. So are vampires. And now, steampunk vampires!
Japan's most decrepit dormitory.
National Geographic takes on sleep.
From the Cat Corner, a YouTube video of a cat grooming a fox.
And lastly, for your humor sign off, The Six People You've Never Heard of Who Probably Saved Your Life.
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