I actually read this months ago, but I’m only just getting around to booklogging it. Which is a problem, because I no longer remember it all that clearly… Elizabeth Bear’s previous books were a trilogy of competent neo-Heinlein adventure stories, so it’s perfectly logical that her next book, Blood and Iron, should be a fantasy… Continue reading Elizabeth Bear, Blood and Iron [Library of Babel]
Other Earths
Speaking of James Nicoll and space news, he also notes the launch of the COROT satellite, which is designed to look for extrasolar planets. The detection limit for COROT is supposed to be something like twice the mass of the Earth, so there’s some reasonable expectation that it should shed light on planetary systems more… Continue reading Other Earths
Kids and Space
James Nicoll, one of my go-to sources for odd information about space related issues, is attempting to determine whether it’s true that space enthusiasm is for older people. Unsurprisingly, given who he is and what he writes about, his comments have turned up lots of examples of people born after 1980 who are wild for… Continue reading Kids and Space
Antiquities Dealers in Spaaaace!!! [Library of Babel]
Not long ago, I booklogged Odyssey, the latest of Jack McDevitt’s Archeologists in Spaaaace books. When I picked that up, I also grabbed a paperback copy of Seeker, the latest in his other series of novels, these ones about, well, antiquities dealers in spaaaace. I don’t believe I’ve booklogged the previous volumes, A Talent for… Continue reading Antiquities Dealers in Spaaaace!!! [Library of Babel]
No Child Left Without a Pony
Yesterday’s Inside Higher Ed had a story about the latest group to report on science education. Like any good blue-ribbon commission, they have changes to suggest: The panel’s members seemed agreed on several major goals. One is to align all components of education in science technology, engineering and math (STEM). The current system in the… Continue reading No Child Left Without a Pony
Let the Bickering Begin!
A few weeks ago, the Modern Language Association released a report calling for changes in the tenure process for language and literature faculty. The report was a stirring call to action, and the members of the MLA quickly sprang into action, doing what faculty do best: arguing about stuff. [A]lthough no one is challenging the… Continue reading Let the Bickering Begin!
Why I Hate Microsoft, Aleph-Nought in a Series
Word and Excel are both part of the Office “suite” of programs. Like all Windows programs, they open in windows with a big red “X” button in the upper right-hand corner, and a smaller grey “x” below that. In either program, if you click the small grey “x” button, it closes just the file that… Continue reading Why I Hate Microsoft, Aleph-Nought in a Series
2006: The Best Music
It’s that time of year, when people who write about music attempt to sum the year up in list form. And who am I to buck that trend? The advent of iTunes makes it much easier than it used to be for me to compile a “best of 2006” list, as it keeps records of… Continue reading 2006: The Best Music
Bob Knight
The Times today has a good article on Bob Knight and his place in coaching history: In coaching circles, Knight’s legacy appears to be intact. His former players make up a who’s who list in coaching, including Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Iowa’s Steve Alford and the Knicks’ Isiah Thomas. Even longtime rivals concede Knight’s name is… Continue reading Bob Knight
CSI: Durham– The Unravelling
Having spent a couple of posts on the infamous Duke lacrosse case back in the early part of the year, I should make a note of the fact that the case against the lacrosse players has pretty much disintegrated. There’s a piece in Inside Higher Ed today giving an overview of the situation, albeit with… Continue reading CSI: Durham– The Unravelling