The death of facts
If you once thought that there was a difference between facts and opinions you will be saddened to know that facts has died. To slightly lessen your sadness, you might be amused by the following satire… Facts, 360 B.C.-A.D. 2012
The plague, although rare, still exists
The plague killed millions of people, perhaps even 30% of the population, in Europe in the Middle Ages. Did you know that the plague still exists? I was a bit surprised to come across this article about a new antibiotic for treatment of the plague. FDA Clears J&J Antibiotic For Treatment Of Plague There have […]
Hugo
{4.5/5} “Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do… Maybe it’s the same with people. If you lose your purpose… it’s like you’re broken.” Hugo, released in 2011 Hugo (Asa Butterfield) learned all about clocks and other things that […]
A Scientific Romance
{4.5/5} “One suspects that the future isn’t what it used to be; that I’m more likely to land in Bognor than in Bora Bora. We’ve been living a long time on nature’s savings, and there are signs her bank account is overdrawn. It seems to me that if I go ahead a few decades, or […]
Cigarette warning labels & playground ban
Canada has had graphic warning labels on cigarette packages (covering half their surface) since 2000. Research shows that these labels help ex-smokers resist starting up again. They also help nonsmokers, including teenagers, resist starting smoking. Cigarette warning labels help ex-smokers resist It’s nice that Canada is leading the way in something important like this — […]
Detachment
{5/5} “I understand you are angry. I used to be very angry too.” Detachment, released in 2012 Adrien Brody plays Henry, a substitute teacher who tries to keep a detachment from all the people in his life. But he’s a great teacher, and as the kids at the school he’s at become attached to him […]
Measha Brueggergosman in concert
I saw Measha Brueggergosman in concert last night. She is mostly known for singing opera, but on this occasion she was singing jazz and jazzy versions of hymns, pop, and folk songs. She’s on tour promoting her “I’ve Got a Crush on You” album. Here’s a statement I can’t remember saying about any other concert: […]
My favourite SF & fantasy artist
Since I was thinking about artwork yesterday, I thought I’d mention my favourite science fiction and fantasy artist. It’s Stephan Martiniere. I love the subject matter, style, and colours in his work. He’s done lots of covers for science fiction and fantasy books, and he’s also done work for games, films, and theme parks. Stephan […]
Great artwork from around the world
If you can’t make it around to all the great museums of the world, you can check out some great artwork courtesy of Google. So far they’ve got artwork from 159 different museums in 40 different countries. Google Art Project You can find paintings, drawings, sculpture, and architecture. You can view all the artwork from […]
The representation of women in fantasy
In this article author Juliet E. McKenna (The Thief’s Gamble) talks about how in fantasy books the characters who drive the plot are predominantly male, why this is, why it’s important, and what can be done about it. The Representation of Women in Fantasy: What’s the Problem?