Books You Hate...

...to love or love to hate or...

Guest appearance at SF Signal.

FTC Disclaimer: The book reviewed in the SF Signal posting was purchased with 100% of my hard-earned money.

Still Here...

...and still trying to get back into the swing of things. Between the death and aftermath, "mid-winter break" for my daughter, sickness in the family and a couple of annoying snowstorms...

The Space Review

In the current issue of The Space Review, there are a couple of items of interest. Stephen Metschan looks at the DIRECT launch concept as an alternative to the Constellation program (show me the money). John C. Mankins looks at what capabilities would enable an ambitious civil space program (show me the leadership). And Jeff Foust looks behind (slightly) the curtain that shrouds Blue Origin.

The Space Review

Articles of interest from the current issue of The Space Review: Stop the presses! Apparently space Nazis are the real reason that the Constellation program was canceled. Who knew? Richard Hoagland, that's who. Wayne Eleazer on Groundhog Day 2010. Everything old is new again. Taylor Dinerman wonders if NASA's new "enthusiasm" for private space will kill private space. Dwayne Day looks at the potential for a "red moon".

The Space Review

A few items from the current issue of The Space Review: Harley Thronson and Ted Taley looks at the "Gateway" architecture for a proposed program (show me the money). Jeff Foust reviews James A. Vedda's Choice, Not Fate: Shaping a Sustainable Future in Space. Bob Clarebrough looks at space exploration and innovation. Dwayne Day looks at Defying Gravity. Interesting sets and models, but not much in terms of plot (or interest). And Jeff Foust looks at NASA, an agency in transition. Sigh. Always in transition. Show me the concrete details!

Ansible! Ansible!

Issue 271 has arrived. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Roger Dean had a 'powerful reaction' and 'mixed feelings' on seeing Avatar. Those floating island/mountains are so reminiscent of his iconic Yes album art that he's been deluged with congratulations for his assumed contribution. 'The film had the look and feel of my work for sure. Not all of it but a significant percentage of the film looked like my work. It was like they had access to my DNA.' However, 'I have been told by my lawyers not to talk to anyone ...' (Classic Rock, March) [MPJ]

Philip K Dick's family may or may not be suing the Oxford English Dictionary for its wicked claim that the word 'nexus' appeared in English several centuries before Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968), and in Latin a bit earlier than that. But they're making threatening noises at Google for calling its new phone the Nexus One, with the claim that this is a 'trademark violation' and a blatant steal from the book's Nexus 6 androids, while the presence of Google's two-year-old Android operating system Just Proves It. (Independent, 7 January) [MPJ]

"What a fascinating modern age we live in." (J. Aubrey, Captain, RN)

Operational Pause

Back home, but with massive catching-up to do in terms of cleaning, paperwork, etc. I never posted the 2009 Year End reading reports and here it is February! Between the events leading up to the death of my father and a week spent dealing directly with that, I have not had much time for reading.

Hopefully I can get some of the backlog of things out of the way and post the year-end and monthly reports soon. Stay tuned...