Month: April 2009

Spun Sugar, Time, and Perspective

My pal Gwenda has a discussion going over at her place about future desserts in fiction. I’m actually not that interested in future food, per se, but my interest was caught by a different statement of her about how she hates faux future shower technology. I don’t even disagree with that–I hate stuff that’s thrown in to give a patina… Read more →

QOTD: Trent Reznor

“One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract. I said, ‘Wait – you sell it for $18.98 and I make 80 cents? And I have to pay you back the money you lent me to make it and then you own it? Who the f**k made that rule? Oh! The record labels… Read more →

The Assassins: One

Hashish Poem Swear off wine and drink from the cup of Haydar, amber–scented, smarigdite green. Look: it is offered to you by a slender Turkish gazelle who sways delicate as a willow bough. As he prepares it, you might compare it to the traces of fine down on a blushing cheek since even the slightest breeze makes it move as… Read more →

Stand By Me

Look, it’s poker night, you’re only getting a quick embedded video post. However, it’s probably not what you think. If you stop watching before the first minute is over, you didn’t get it. If you watch through to the two minute mark, I guarantee that you’ll watch until the end, and you’ll be impressed. For more information: PlayingForChange.com Read more →

Monday Night Miscellany

Like real-time strategy games? Like science fiction? How about a real-time strategy game where you (and your units) can time travel. Imagine sending future units back to fight alongside themselves against an enemy in the past… you thought keeping track of your units and tech tree was a headache, wait for the fourth dimension. Maybe before you get too interested… Read more →

We Are Living In Science Fiction (Again)

When I was reading that story about the Canadian researched who uncovered the “GhostNet”–the gigantic system of compromised computers around the world, one that appears to be run out of China, and to target organizations of interest to China–my first thought was “Huh, that’s almost right out of Stross‘ Halting State. Apparently Charlie thought so too, since he just posted… Read more →

The Warrior’s Lament

Today I ordered a copy of Possibilities, an EP by Sierra Noble. I’d never heard of the ridiculously young Métis from Manitoba prior to today–which actually kind of surprises me–but as soon as I encountered her on the web today I knew I was going to buy the album. What I encountered today (indirectly, via Penguin Eggs) that made up… Read more →

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada
This work by Chris McLaren is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada.