Category: News

Let The Vacay Begin!

Hey all. Just wanted to let people know that I will be AFK (Away From Keyboard) for about a week starting this weekend. The wife and I will be heading off to walk the beautiful Sunshine Coast, roughing it in the wilderness for about five days with nothing but the sun, surf, and trees to keep us company.

Then it’s off to the Comox Valley for a little visitation with the parental units, followed by a week of house/cat sitting and visiting with my grandma. Did I mention my folks have eight cats? Yes, eight! What can I say? They live in a rural area and they’re part of a rescue society so… yeah, lot’s of furry critters around that house! Luckily, my grandma doesn’t seem to mind.

Luckily, by then I will be back in range of a computer with internet access, so I’ll be accessible again for anyone who cares. Grim5Next people, I’m looking in your direction! I know you guys can’t do anything without me, but you’ll just have to make do without me for a few days 😉

I also plan to do some serious work while house-sitting for the family. Tasks that I hope to get completed in that time are as follows:

  • Finish editing Data Miners already!
  • Finish my contribution to the Yuva Anthology (Winston Agonistes)
  • Get more chapters done for Whiskey Delta
  • Write up a new chapter for Crashland (still need people to vote on that one!)
  • Proofread new submissions for Yuva (Amber, that’d be your story)
  • Get some TKD training in with the Comox Valley people
  • Sit around the deck drinking GandTs and using the Hot Tub

Okay, that last one isn’t a task, just something I want to do while I’m up there. Yeah, there isn’t going to be much to do for those few days, so I hope to be uber-productive. Can you tell?

I hope everybody’s having an awesome summer and taking the time to enjoy the outdoors and the seasonal weather. I also hope you’re spending it with the people you care most about. When it comes right down to it, they are all that matter! I also hope those of you who have regular dayjobs, unlike us educators, are all taking this opportunity to use those vacation days, and any sick days and overtime you might have banked up, and hitting the road, the beach, the mountains, the sea, jet setting… You know, whatever you do when you go on vacation 😉

First Concept Art for the Neuromancer Movie

Some recent news on the Neuromancer front: In addition to Mark Wahlberg and Liam Neeson being confirmed as the leading actors, who will be filling the roles of Case and Armitage, some rather interesting concept art has been revealed. Apparently, the art is the work of Amro Attia, a designer who has worked with director Natali before, contributing to the design of the creatures in Splice.

The first is a concept of what Armitage would look like. The tatoo design, for those who have read the book, is a clear reference to Operation Screaming Fist, the mission which nearly cost him his life and left him scarred and traumatized. The perfect candidate to become Wintermute’s plaything.

The second is of Case himself, which appears to be from the opening scenes when he was down and out in Chiba City, looking for whatever work he could ever since his nervous system had been damaged, preventing him from jacking into cyberspace. Note the background, featuring dark, gritty city streets, neon displays, and plenty of Japanese language signs.

Granted, the news on this front is still speculative and no indication has been given that the project is full steam ahead, no turning back. Lord knows I’m pulling for it! Much like Dune and Lord of the Rings, Neuromancer is a classic which seems to have taken an eternity to adapt to the big screen, with several abortive attempts along the way.

Via: Bleeding Cool

Curiosity Has Landed!

Yesterday, at precisely 10:23 pm Greenwich Mean Time, NASA announced the successful landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover! After blazing through Mars’ atmosphere at over 21,000 km/h, Curiosity’s unique landing system deployed and brought the rover in for a nice, controlled landing.

Needless to say, pandemonium ensued at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where the landing was being monitored. All those on hand began jumping, hooting, hollering and hugging each other, much as they used to do whenever a successful launch was made or men touched down on the moon. Times may have changed, but the basic goal remains the same: to conquer the unknown and take the next big leap. And when that happens, you can expect the people who work so hard to make that happen to get a little giddy 😉

In addition, the HiRISE team (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment), caught this beautiful and perfectly-timed photo from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The photo shows Curiosity at left deploying its chute and descending to the surface.

Immediately after touching down, Curiosity began sending photos back to NASA of Mars surface. The first two were of its landing zone in Mars’ Gale Crater, shown here:

To mark this momentous occasion, President Obama had this statement to make:

“Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.

The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.

Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.

I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality – and I eagerly await what Curiosity has yet to discover.”

Yes, this is certainly is history in the making. Needless to say, Curiosity is expected send back some interesting finds as it wanders the Martian surface, takes soil samples, and scans them to determine what secrets and mysteries the surface holds. In time, all this information could become intrinsic to settlement and terraforming, the creation of human civilization on a planet other than Earth! Exciting times we live in!

In the meantime, check out this compilation video of the landing paired with footage take from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab:

Via: Universe Today

The News From Saturn

Saturn has certainly been seen in the news a lot as of late. And you have the Cassini space probe, which was deployed from Earth back in 1997, to thank for all of that. Having completed the first leg of its mission back in 2008, its mission was extended to 2010, when most of the new photos and startling discoveries that are now being announced were made. Now, the healthy spacecraft is seeking to make exciting new discoveries in a second extended mission called the Cassini Solstice Mission.

But alas, the news! First, there was the announcement back in February that Saturn’s two largest moons – Titan and Rhea – were captured together in the same photo by the Cassini space probe. Considering that Saturn has 66 moons and Cassini was flying past at the time, this was no small accomplishment! What’s more, Titan’s atmosphere, which is fully developed (the only Saturnine moon to have this) was captured perfectly the shot.

But the news didn’t stop there. Shortly thereafter, in March to be specific, a report published in the Geophysical Research Letters announced that a thin layer of oxygen was discovered around Saturn’s moon of Dione. Once again, this discovery was made by the Cassini space probe as it passed by this other satellite of Saturn’s two years ago. This finding is proving to be quite the exciting one within the astronomical community.

Shortly after that, NASA announced that the moon of Enceladus did indeed have its own ocean. Named the Enceladan Ocean, this natural body of water has been known about for some time, but what is now known is the water contains carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, potassium salts and other organic materials. On top of that, it is now understood that it is situated above some volcanic jets, which means the water is most likely warm. Warm water, combined with organic minerals, makes the Enceladan Ocean a good candidate for life!

And then, in late July, images released by NASA showed that Cassini also caught a glimpse of a thunderstorm happening on Saturn’s surface. As all residents of Earth will surely agree, a thunderstorm is an impressive sight to behold. Especially when it’s seen happening on another planet! Apparently, what made this sighting most impressive was that it was visible on Saturn’s day side – aka. in broad daylight – from a range of 4.5 million km (2 million miles). That’s one humungous light show!

And less than a week ago, more information emerged as a result of the Cassini space probe, this time in relation to Saturn’s moon of Iapetus. After getting a good glimpse of the moon, scientists at NASA have determined that it is home to the largest ice avalanches in the Solar System, and is rivaled only by Mars. Take that Mount Everest! You too Olympus Mons!

Already, scientists had Iapetus pegged as the most intriguing moon in the Solar System. For starters, it has a Ying-Yang color pattern, looks like an inverted Death Star (check that image, no Photoshopping!), and has a long ridge running almost perfectly along Iapetus’ equator, a feature which earned it the nickname “the walnut moon”. I guess it wasn’t happy with just that, it also wanted to be the most dangerous place to downhill ski!

And you thought Jupiter did some badass things. Well, it does. But judging from all these findings, Saturn is going to be a pretty happening place someday. I can envision settlements on Titan, skiing on Iapetus, and terraforming on Dione. And for those who like to sight-see, there will be shuttle services that take you to the dark side of Saturn to witness the light show from space. Ooooh, I got goose bumps!

Via: BBC, IO9, Nature Geoscience, CICOPS, Time Science, and NASA

Virtual Mars Rover Landing Party!

As you all may know, the Curiosity Rover is on its way to Mars and due to land in just a few days. And it just so happens that my buddy and mentor, Fraser Cain of Universe Today, is hosting a virtual party to mark the event. He and his crew will be in Pasadena for the event, surrounded by NASA officials and people in the know and conducting interviews, while the rest of us will be able to watch through live video.

This is an historic occasion and I for one feel privileged that I know someone who has inside access 😉 Below is a copy of the original invitation inviting people to come by Google+ to join in the party. It promises to be a very informative time so I highly recommend people check it out any way they can. I also included the link to the NASA simulation (the shortened one this time) which shows what the deployment of the Curiosity Rover will look like. Enjoy!

“To celebrate the landing of NASA’s Curiosity Rover – the Mars Science Laboratory – we’ll be running a special live hangout. 

In conjunction with +CosmoQuest. We’ll have all your favorite space/astronomy journalists on hand to discuss the mission in depth, and celebrate the landing live, when it happens.

Over the course of this 4-hour Google+ Hangout on Air, we’ll interview members of the Curiosity team live in the hangout, as well as other special guests from the +The Planetary Society and the +SETI Institute.

+Scott Lewis and +Amy Shira Teitel will be on location at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to interview members of the engineering team, and show you what it’s like to be at NASA during this amazing moment.”

New Doctor Who Trailer

Doctor Who already has the reputation of being the longest-running science fiction show in the history of television. The original series ran from 1963 to 1989, embracing 26 seasons, seven different actors, 694 episodes (plus 106 that never made it to air), and a changeover from black and white to color. So it’s really no surprise that now, years later when retro is so damn popular, that the BBC would be trying to relaunch the series.

And in anticipation for the 50th anniversary of the show, BBC has released this new teaser trailer that previews all that is to come with the new season. And I think you’ll agree, it’s an exercise in awesomeness. At first, I wasn’t even sure I was watching a television promo. With some of the special effects used, it looked more like a movie preview. I mean, would it really be so farfetched to assume that they would be making a movie at this point?

In addition to providing some hints and teasers of what’s to come, it also features one of the best scenes involving the fictional protagonists known as the Daleks. If I remember my notes from the previous post on AI’s, these would be the alien cybernetic organisms that were created for a war, but have since gone on to become a force of unstoppable malevolence who simply want to destroy anyone in their path.

Check it out, and if you’re a fan, hope you enjoy the new season. I myself have only seen a few episodes and found it to be the perfect example of classic sci-fi. But damn it if the story isn’t just impossible to get into at this point! There’s such a weighty legacy behind it, any time I’ve seen it I’ve been left with the feeling that I need to do my homework. And with something like Doctor. Who, who has that kind of time? 😉

Via: IO9

The Hobbit will be a Trilogy

Some recent news has come in over the wire concerning the upcoming Tolkien adaptation. After much anticipation and a few snippets released from the studio as teaser trailers, Peter Jackson has announced that the upcoming Hobbit movie will in fact be a trilogy. Hints to that effect were dropped at the recent San Diego Comic Con, and now Peter Jackson has gone ahead and confirmed it.

Previously, he had indicated that two films would be needed to adapt this classic story to the big screen, but now it appears that the big time movie director/producer is going to need one more to make it all happen. Citing plot necessity and fan response, Jackson claimed that much of the added footage has to do with origin stories, background and character development for various characters in the story.

After meditating on the decision to go with a third movie or stick to the original plan for two, Jackson contended that, were they not to add in a third film, much about Bilbo, Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the Necromancer, and the climactic Battle of Dol Guldur would go untold. this corresponds to rumors that Jackson has been adding in a great deal of material to the story, relying on the LOTR appendices and background info which comes from that book.

Personally, I’m not sure what to make of this. Granted, it does kind of sound like an attempt to prolong the project and make more money, and Jackson is no stranger to padding movies with unnecessary flashbacks and cheesy cutaways to scenes with Arwen crying. But if Jackson has proven anything at this point, its just how dedicated he is to Tolkien’s creation and how much he wants to bring it all to life. So frankly, I see no reason to doubt him when he says he wants to tell the story and needs more screen time in order to do it.

In the meantime, check out the trailer of the upcoming movie!

3D Model of the Yuva Ship

Hey all. Thanks go to William Joel, contributing author to the anthology project, for coming up with this artistic gem. Yes, in addition to being an accomplished writer, he also teaches computer animation and knows a thing or two about rendering things in 3D. This animated short is of the Terraforming ship, Mark I, doing a fly by in deep space. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

The Future is Here: The World’s First Cyborg!

TerminatorWell, that’s one way to look at this bio-engineered jellyfish. Sure, it’s a long way from Terminators, Replicants and Cylons, but it just might constitute a step in that direction. Known as a medusoid, this jellyfish was created by growing a thin layer of rat heart muscle cells on top of a layer of elastic silicone. The end result is a creature that is a merger of living and non-living components and swims like an actual jellyfish.

This feat of bioengineering is the result of a collaboration between Harvard biophysicist Kit Parker and Caltech biotechnology researcher Janna Nawroth, who used the bell-shaped configuration of a moon jelly as their blueprint. Like the moon jelly, the cyborg version moves by rapidly moving its appendages, then drifts by opening itself up again. This is accomplished by applying an electrical current to the heart muscle, which contracts to close the body, while the silicone part springs the body back into a flat shape.

medusoidThe point of this project, according to Nawroth, was to show that lifeforms, beginning with the most basic, could be reverse engineered and rebuild using biological and synthetic components. What’s more, they intended to demonstrate that mechanical components could be made to mimic biological functions. Though this may seem like a modest accomplishment to some, it effectively shows that biotech machines can exist and behave like normal creatures, at least basic ones.

Score one for the biotech team! Combined with AI research, nanotechnology and mind-machine interfacing, this is all grist to the Singularity mill. If we can create machines that can mimic complex biological functions, then there’s very little keeping us from creating artificial lifeforms… like synthetic humans! And if machinery can merge with biological tissue, then cybernetic enhancements capable of accelerating human thought might be possible too. Hence why this latest development should be seen as significant, and even a little bit scary!

Via IO9

Liebster Award, continued

Thank you again to Carly of Suburbia for the nod. I notice the rules stipulate that this is a particular award for people who have less than 200 followers with the purpose of getting to know that person better. Yeah, haven’t had that many followers in over a year… but I STILL accept. Yeah, that’s right, I see your two hundred and raise ya! And in the meantime, I am honored that anyone would like to get to know me better, so I shall do my best to answer the questions you’ve posed and honor the rules of this award.

They are:

  1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves.
  2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged.
  3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post. Tell them you’ve tagged them.
  4. Remember, no tag backs.

I think I can handle that. It’s been getting hard to come up with new facts about myself for each nomination, so I shall just speak from the heart and not worry about overlap. Let me see if I can come up with a full 11 and still sound interesting…

  1. I love animals – I grew up with cats, have learned to love dogs, and generally think animals are of a superior moral disposition than most humans. I can’t stand animal abuse and think people who engage in it should be receive the harshest penalties as meted out by the medieval justice system. I’ve always said they should bring the rack back 😉
  2. Aside from a core of oldest friends, my bff’s are seem to be women – Yep, my best friend is my wife, and most of the friends I’ve made since I moved were women. I guess I just like women better, and get along with them on a more mature level. Sure, there’s only so much girl stuff I can stand, and most of these friends were all tomboys in their day, but I just seem to like and respect them more.
  3. I love food – I love to cook, I love food that is exotic, and I especially love eating food that puts me in mind of another place and time. It’s a cultural experience, a sensual experience, and a rewarding experience.
  4. I love beer – Much like my predilection for food, I love any suds that are a testament to the culture and history of brewing. There’s something about a bottle of a living, breathing elixir that just speaks to me. This is why I love craft brewing, beer made according to ancient traditions or in ancient place, and can’t stand generic stuff that’s rolled out on a factory floor with no attention to detail.
  5. I love travel – Strangely, I haven’t seen that much of the world, which is odd because I’ve spent most of my adult life studying it to death. I’ve been all across Canada, been to the US on many occasions, and traveled to Spain, England, Germany, Mexico and Cuba. But that’s it and I want to see more! I want to go to Timbuktu, ancient trade capitol of West Africa. I want to see Shanghai, Beijing and Shangdu, the ancient historic centers of China. I want to visit Central Europe and the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. I want to travel through Northern France and the Low Counties in 2014 and share in the centennial that marks the 100 years since the end of the Great War. I want to see the ancient ruins of Babylon and immerse myself in the Cradle of Civilization! I’d like to walk the Amber Trade Route into Eastern Europe and Russia, and dine on perogies and pivo! I’d like to witness the ruins of Carthage and gaze on the civilization that could have beat Rome. I’d also like to visit the ruins of Maccu Picchu, Teotihuacan, and all the Mayan ones I missed last time! The itinerary is long and I need money to make it happen. Pay me!
  6. I’m convinced reincarnation is real – Well, not exactly convinced, but I do like to believe in it. How else am I to understand my obsession with history and places I’ve never seen? One explanation is that I really was there, just not in my current form. I like that idea very much, because it considers that history is cyclical for a reason. It’s not just that human beings are essentially the same across time, but that our very souls are constantly being recycled thought it all and bearing witness to it again and again.
  7. I feel like we’re at a crossroads in history – After years of reading about where we are going and what’s to come, I feel like things are coming together, and I’m both awestruck and a little frightened. It’s one thing to speculate about a future that’s still a long ways away, but another thing entirely to watch as that future takes shape around you. If what some say is true and we are on the verge of a Singularity, then life as we know it will be speeding up exponentially very soon, to the point where it will no longer resemble life as we know it.
  8. I love the West Coast – I consider where I live to be amongst the most beautiful land on this planet. Every land has significance and sentimental value to some people, but I feel truly blessed that I live in a place where oceans, mountains, rainforest and sky are so plentiful. And I feel that these must be protected and preserved at all costs.
  9. I still miss my friends – Six years back, I moved to the West Coast to be with my family and met the woman I would fall in love with shortly thereafter. Not a day goes by that I regret this life altering decision, but I still miss my friends from back East. Sure, there’s no ocean, mountains or ancient rainforests there, but I still see the last few years we spent together there as some of the best years of my life. If I had the means, I would see to it that we all lived within driving distance of each other. Either that or I’d just buy a plane and make the trip a few times a year.
  10. I’m vain, but not shallow – Yes, I got a bit of a double standard going on. Whenever my wife says she feels out of shape, I tell her not to worry about it. But it’s a complaint I make anytime I miss a few workouts. I can’t be completely happy unless I’m thin, my muscles feel firm, and my shoulders and calves are big and brawny. I feel like a man should look like a man, muscles, hair, six pack and all!
  11. Why I Write – I started writing in the hopes of creating the great novel, in the hopes of expressing my ideas and sharing them with the public. But I’ve learned along the way that in the end, what matters is the act itself. Expression for expression’s sake is what makes it sincere, and ironically, more worth reading. And if I found that I suddenly couldn’t’ do it anymore, I think I might go nuts!

And now we come to the QandA portion, which happens to be my favorite. So much easier than telling random tidbits about yourself. Which is I guess one other thing that about me that I don’t often admit to: I like structure!

  1. What’s your favourite book?
    That’s like asking to me say which of my illegitimate children I love the least! Since just about everyone says 1984, I’ll go with Guns, Germs and Steel. Much like the Orwellian classic, it changed the way I look at the world and human history.
  2. What’s your least favourite book?
    That is another toss up but I’ve have to go with Hunters of Dune. It was the single-most disappointing experience since Attack of the Clones and Batman and Robin. Daniel and Marty were NOT killer robots, dammit!
  3. Have you met any authors?
    Yes, but just one, but on two separate occasions. I’ve met Gwynne Dyer, my hero when it comes to cool reads about geo-political issues and world events. I was pretty much in awe of him, but still managed to ask some important questions on two occasions. Nice man, and very well informed!
  4. Do you own an e-reader? If not, will you make the switch to e-reading?
    I do, I have the Amazon Kindle program for iPad. I think it’s better than a Kindle itself, in that it has color and can approximate the experience of reading a book far more closely than a grey screen.
  5. What’s your favourite colour?
    Green! There’s nothing quite like a rainforest or emerald green, and I’m told it brings out the color in my eyes.
  6. What is your favourite childhood book?
    Not sure I had one. The literary bug didn’t bite me until I was in my teens, really. My other tried, bless her soul, but it took military fiction and pulp sci-fi to light my fire, and years later I’d be reading classics like The Iliad, A Tale of Two Cities, and Brave New World.
  7. Do you have a favourite genre you like to read?
    Science fiction generally, but anything satirical and historical is aces in my (ahem) book as well.
  8. Sunrise or Sunset?
    Sunset. It’s beautiful, relaxing, inspiring. Plus you can drink without worrying about ruining your health or getting fired.
  9. Favourite pass time, other than reading?
    Taekwon-Do. I’ve done martial arts since I was about ten and haven’t looked back. In fact, if I couldn’t punch, kick and generally wail on things, I’d probably go insane!
  10. What’s your favourite day of the week?
    Friday, without a doubt. Something about the energy, the promise of sleeping in, and having an open canvass before you. It just can’t be beat!
  11. Finally, two men walk into a bar.. ?
    Well that was stupid of them. Surely with two of them they’d be able to notice a metal beam in their way!

And now for my list of nominees. Gee, I can’t think of many people I know with less than 200 followers, so this might take some time… My apologies too for anyone who’s well over 200, sometimes it’s hard to tell. And remember you’re free to disregard this if you don’t want to participate.

  1. Clowie’s Corner – The adventures of Clowie, a Pyrenean mountain dog who’s perspective on life is nothing if not interesting and refreshing!
  2. Inside the Mind of a Fantasy Writer – The home of Heidi N. Sieverding, Fantasy writer extraordinaire! She;’s authored 27 fantasy books by my last count, and maintains this site to communicate her insights about the world of Fae, fantasy and the supernatural to her fans. An with a name like Heidi Sieverding, you gotta know she’s the real deal!
  3. advocatemmmohan aksharaalu – An interesting site, clearly that of a man who’s dedicated to the law and has plenty to say about life and the world around him, but curiously very little about himself! Hence, I call upon him to answer questions and be a little narcissistic for a moment.
  4. Better With A Pen – The site of the author who shall remain nameless, at least that’s the impression I got from his blog! Sure, there’s plenty of information on his likes, his process, and the book he’s been writing for the past eight years. But no photos or real bio info. This could be just the thing to shake some of that info loose!
  5. restaurantbastards – The unrelentingly and unrepentantly honest scribe of the service industry, telling it like it is to all you potential patrons out there. I have no idea if they have 200 or 200,000 followers, I’d just like to see what they have to say to some of these questions!
  6. I think about beer – The site of a certified beer server (yes, they do have certification for that). Like me, this person loves beer, beer culture, and is well-situated to talk about it being in the Pacific Northwest. Frankly, I can’t understand why tons more people aren’t following this person! Get off your asses people and listen to what this beer enthusiast has to say. It just might save your taste buds!
  7. 8 Bit Beer Blog – Another beer snob, like myself (that’s a compliment, don’t worry!), who’s also based right here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I’m so happy to find like minded people around here, especially in that it they provide reviews of beers which I may not have tried, but which are actually accessible to me since we are in the same geographic area. Rock on 8 Bit!
  8. The Millennium Conjectures – The site of author and journalist Mark Sackler, who is writes about the ridiculous and the sublime (his words) and is based in the eastern seaboard of the US. In short, he is a man who delights in observing things both trivial in nature and profound. Interesting… one could say he’s got life summed up right there!
  9. Better With a Pen – The site of sci-fi indie writer who shall remain nameless. At least, that’s my impression since I can’t seem to find a name, a picture or anything identifying about this site. But dangit if he doesn’t delve into his process and the book he’s been hard at work on for the last eight years. Maybe this award will shake something loose…
  10. The Wandering G0urmand – Here is someone I just started following recently. Now I love food, cooking and travel, but compared to some of heavy-hitters (like this guy), I’m a total novice. Hence why I turn to the professionals who know a thing or two about the world and the fine food, wine and culture to be experienced therein.
  11. Serenity Spell – The site of photographer and adventurer Feygirl, a woman who grew up on Three-Mile Island and now photographs the world, its animals and its habitats as a means of exploring it and expressing her creative side. I have a feeling she has a lot of worthwhile things to say, and so I bat this award to her in the hopes of hearing all about her journeys!

Done and done. Remind me to start a campaign to make sure these awards are finalized every year, and come with a cash prize! They seem to just bounce around endlessly otherwise. Of course, they do kind of serve the purpose of achieving cross-promotion between bloggers, and do help us get to know each other a little better. But dammit if I’m not just a little tired of their being endless nominations and no winners! I want something I can brag about to my peers, something I can rub the noses of my illegitimate kids in when I tell them how much of a disappointment they are! But most, I want the cash and the ass-kissing adulation of acolytes and fans. Is that such a bad thing?

Until next time, take everything I say with a dose of salt and keep doing what you love. The rest will surely follow… 😉