Chris Howard's Writing & Art: Television

Television

17 March 2009

Neil Gaiman on Colbert Report last night

Who knew Colbert was a Tom Bombadil fan? ...His songs are the stronger songs, and his feet are faster.
Interview with Neil is in the third segment:

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=221834

Mar 17, 2009 10:51:43 AM | Cool, Television

12 February 2009

The advanced state of surveillance in our country

Spotted this one at the Target in Morgan Hill, CA. Many of the Targets have video surveillance--at least the signs tell us they do, and given the low cost of quality surveillance gear, I believe it. What really stunned me--shocked and stunned--were the integrated biologic units (IBUs) in the system. These guys are super tough. You're planning to pull some shenanigans in a Target parking lot? Give it up, man. Move your op to a Walmart lot instead.

Here's what you're up against: an enhanced version of the Larus species (see gulls or seagulls), a ground nesting carnivore that will take "live food or scavenge opportunistically"--that means you, and can be easily reconfigured for ground surveillance and aerial bombardment, deploying up to eight AAMs (air-to-air missiles) for disabling neighboring surveillance systems, or dual cruise missiles with a payload variety for taking out large structures, metro areas, SUVs, etc.

Thanks to greefus groinks for the CC-licensed surveillance sign closeup on Flickr. All other photos are mine, although you're free to share and link.

Feb 12, 2009 3:26:20 PM | Cool, Silliness, Television, urban fantasy, vampire

04 November 2008

Vote!

Get out and vote!

Alice and I walked up to the Stratham town center to vote a few hours ago, setting out just before the polls opened. We're in New Hampshire, and everything opened here at 8 AM. Parked voters' cars line our street.

Lines were long, but wouldn't have been too bad if I wasn't already sick--I'm down, as they say, with a wicked awful cold. Anyway, long lines, got through them, went behind the curtain, filled in ballot, and slid it into the machine.

While standing in line talking, it occurred to Alice and I that Chloe--our oldest child--will be able to vote in the next presidential election. Isn't that crazy?

If you don't already know, the image on the left is from the cool Yeti-bama t-shirt from the coolest of cool design companies, Gama-Go in SF. They're all sold out, the proceeds went to the Barak's campaign.

Nov 4, 2008 10:23:14 AM | art, Blogging, conventions, Games, meme, Television, Thinking..., Web/Tech, Weblogs

31 October 2008

My first appearance on a panel...

...and it was damn fun. I'd guess about 20 People or so. It started out funny because Skott was driving and I told him 7PM when it turned out to be 7:30. Speed records and law breaking ensued and we got some exercise running for the Alumni library only to find out...we were early. Some interesting questions from the audience, and a good balanced panel, some serious, some funny. Basically we talked for an hour and a half about SF and it’s future. I don’t think it could have gone better.

Jeff Carver moderated, kicked off discussions. The talk ranged over everything SF, what's new, what's next, how is our genre changing, touching on subjects that could feed whole new panels, writers blogging, graphic novels and predicting the ending of Lost (in which I was lost, because I've never seen the show).

I know Jeff Carver and Craig Shaw Gardner from the SF workshop they run every year in the Boston area (In the caves under Pandemonium Books in Central Square in Cambridge). First time I've met both Alex Jablokov and Matt Jarpe--although I've seen them at cons. Alex was hilarious, a great sense of sarcasm, and since I can't wait for Brain Thief to come out next summer, I'm going to track down A Deeper Sea because, well, it's the sea! Matt's novel Radio Freefall is next on my list to read--I've heard nothing but good things about it.

The local Barnes & Noble in Lowell had a stack of books for sale--and for each of us to sign. Jeff's novel Sunborn just came out and they had a cool cover display. Man, I want one of those!

Happy Halloween!