Melinda Snodgrass - Science Fiction Author - Busted Flush - Edge of Reason - Star Trek - ...

Mankinds Earliest Structure

Melinda — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:07:02 +0100

You have to check out this article about a ancient temple complex in Turkey. The site is dated to 11,500 B.C. which sort of drives a spike through the idiotic fundamentalist notion that the world is 6000 years old. (As if dinosaurs didn't do that already, but hey, nobody said these people were rigorous thinkers.)

I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of my amazing trip to Turkey and now I want to go back _right now_. I would love to tour this site. The hauntRead More...

You Want Bureaucrats...?

Melinda — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:09:50 +0100

I had just read this chilling article this morning, and then I heard a friend was in the hospital. I hope he has insurance. I hope it's better than catastrophic. I talked with my former mother-in-law today, and her Crohn's medication runs $2500 a _month_. I'm grateful I can control my disease with a cheap, old fashioned sulfa drug.

All of this got me thinking again about health care reform. How the Repubs have scared everyone into being against their own bRead More...

Writing Tips

Melinda — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:10:58 +0100

Walter Jon found this wonderful article in the Guardian where writers talk about techniques that work, and thing that don't. Check it out.

I'll immodestly add my own list:

Write every day. This is a job.

Do something physical each day. Your brain will work better.

Torture your characters and give them flaws.

Find a few virtues in your bad guyRead More...

Copycat

Melinda — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:18:32 +0100

Carrie Vaughn has requested help planning her Australia trip. I think this is such a stunningly good idea that I'm going to steal it.

So, what should I see? What should I not miss? I've got three weeks after the con in Melbourne. I love animals, hiking, breathtaking landscapes.

Help please.

Food for Thought

Melinda — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:15:46 +0100

Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan's blog here's a little thought experiment.

Mark Shea does a thought experiment:

Although she said that act was "inappropriate", she hopes that "now maybe people will listen." Charles Krauthammer has instructed us that if you have the "slightest belief" that torture will save a *single* life then you are morally bound to do it. Surely, there is at least the *chance* that this woman is linked to other extremists and terrorists. She was, after all, raisRead More...

Breathtaking -- And Not In A Good Way

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:09:17 +0100

Let me bring your attention to the following exchange between Bush DoJ lawyer John Yoo and a questioner .

Q: I guess the question I's raising is, does this particular law really affect the President's war-making abilities....
Yoo: Yes, certainly.
Q. What is your authority for that?
Yoo: Because this is an option the President might use in war.
Q: What about ordering a village of resistants to be massacred? ... Is that a power that the president could legally-
YRead More...

Research Sucks

Melinda — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:03:33 +0100

I'm working on a short story set in the Edge universe. It features Cross, and it's set in 1935. I wrote a scene where a man approaches Cross for help, and Cross asks if there is a bar in this berg in Oklahoma. Well, I knew prohibition had been repealed in December 1933, but I figured I better dig a bit deeper. Turned out the states could remain dry. Next thought, Oh hell, this story is set is Oklahoma.

So, I check out Oklahoma. They didn't repeRead More...

Skating Wars

Melinda — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:24:51 +0100

As I've indicated I really enjoy watching the Olympics. So I've been following the figure skating spat that has arisen. Last night I watched Evan Lysachek give the most elegant, diplomatic and nuanced response to an interviewer last night.

Plushenko, the Russian who won the gold last time in Torino, and won a silver at these games has been giving snarky interviews to anyone who will listen which basically amounts to -- "I did a quadruple jump so I should have won even thougRead More...

The Olympics

Melinda — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:55:15 +0100

I've been watching and enjoying the Olympic competitions. I enjoy both summer and winter, but I think I like the winter Olympics a bit better. I love the downhill racing, the speed skating and the men's figure skating, and this is going to be a very exciting final tonight.

But that got me thinking about how much things have changed in fifty plus years. Apparently it was a big damn deal when Dick Button executed the first double axel jump in competition. Now the Read More...

Why We're Geeks

Melinda — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:37:55 +0100

Here is a link to a NASA photo of the shuttle that reminds us why we love science fiction, and how much we all want to get off the planet. It's just beautiful.

Fun and Good Books

Melinda — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:21:07 +0100

I've been reading a lot lately (which has been a lot of fun), and I wanted to mention a few more books that are well worth your time. I've already raved about the Larsson books now I want to talk about three books in our genre.

I had the good fortune to read BLACKOUT before the actual publication date, and it was lovely. A terrific evocation of those dark and terrifying days during the Blitz and the evacuation from Dunkirk. Connie Willis creates such great and real peRead More...

Tech Fail

Melinda — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:09:58 +0100

Okay, I seem to be incapable of embedding videos into my blog posts. Sorry I'm so lame. It's probably time to sit down with the ever patient Cory, and figure out what I am doing wrong.

I'm becoming more and more depressed with the state of the world. The fact it is once again grey and dreary may be part of the problem, but I'm sad over so many things right now.

Colbert Zings Palin

Melinda — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:46:06 +0100

This is a wonderful clip from the Colbert Report regarding Palin and her Tea Party speech. It's funny, but while you're laughing please keep in mind that this woman is scary dangerous. I'm with Andrew Sullivan on this. Given the climate in this country, the fact she refuses to talk to anyone but Fox News, the other media outlets keep giving her a pass on her constant and inexplicable lies, I think there is a decent chance that she will win the Republican nomination and potenRead More...

Welcome Home -- Have Some Snow

Melinda — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:02:02 +0100

I'm sitting in the living room with a fire burning, watching the snow come down. I should really go out and shovel the front steps and courtyard, but I really don't want to. We drove through a mix of rain, snow, sleet and sun yesterday as Pat and I made our way back from Los Angeles.

The worst part of the journey was the final few miles from the south end of Santa Fe to the house. I drove through desnse fog that swallowed the tail lights of the cars in front of me witRead More...

More Larsson

Melinda — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:52:42 +0100

Curse the Cassutt's! They are pushers of great books! So I blogged about The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo a few days ago. Now I can talk about The Girl Who Played with Fire, the sequel. I read it in, basically, a day. I sat up until 11:00 pm to finish it and this was the night before I had to make the drive back to N.M.

I thought this one ended a bit abruptly, but it was edge of your seat, frantic page turning all the way to the end. Not only does he Read More...

More To See

Melinda — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:25:51 +0100

I've now seen six of the ten nominated pictures since we watched A Serious Man tonight. I liked it. I don't think it's one of the brother's best, but much better than Burn After Reading that movie I really hated.

Left to see -- The Blind Side, Inglorious Bastards, Precious, and The Hurt Locker. I might not get all ten viewed before the ceremony. And yes, I'll watch the telecast. I'm a sucker for the glitz, and I can dream that someday I'll get to attend.&nRead More...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:50:19 +0100

The Cassutt's managed to blow my day in terms of accomplishing anything productive. They shoved The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson into my hands and said "read this".

It started out slowly, interesting but slow, two separate stories that slowly merge, and then BOOM, this book just grabs you and won't let go. Actually even before the journalist and the girl start working together I was totally, hopelessly hooked.

I actually read a little over 300 pRead More...

Up In The Air

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:43:29 +0100

Watched Up In The Air last night. It's a little jewel. The dialogue is crisp and funny and poignant all at the same time. The performances are just lovely. It circles back on itself beautifully so that every little touch pays off. The direction is creative yet understated.

I can see why it was nominated for Best Picture. I don't think it will win -- it will be viewed as too slight, but that's a shame. I don't want to give too much away, but watRead More...

The True American Spirit

Melinda — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:25:54 +0100

I've copied off the words of Judge William Young who presided at the trial of the pathetic 'Shoe Bomber". This is what America and our institutions should look like. Not the pathetic, terrified Republicans, and the man who embraced and continues to embrace torture -- Richard Cheney.

"We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before.
There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyonRead More...

Today's Smile

Melinda — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:42:34 +0100

Mike Cassutt just showed me this adorable video. Why are cats so cute?