Links to Astound and Amaze PLUS Captain Pike!

Last night I had a running dream that I had been an extra on Firefly. Apparently I’d been  a crewman named Ryre who mostly stayed in the background, but had a few sentences in one episode. Of course there WERE no crew  extras on Firefly, and I suppose I knew that at some level, even while dreaming, because I had to get out the e-mails between me and Joss Whedon’s production assistant to show my suspicious friends to prove I had been on the show. Sigh. Turns out it was all a dream. That ending always sucks, doesn’t it?

I’ve got some interesting observations on the craft of writing, but I also have some good links today, so I’ll talk about writing later. Now, some neat places to visit.

 

Novelist Jeff Salyards has a long, thoughtful post about the allure of the fantastic, as seen through a trip to the Renaissance Festival with his young daughter. He also reflects on how it affects his own writing. It’s great stuff, and you should take a look.

It looks like cloning a mammoth may not be as impossible as once believed, which is pretty cool news… although we’re probably decades away. What can I say — elephants have been my favorite animal from the time I was a baby. My parents didn’t know why any more than I did, but of all the stuffed animals young Howard was given, it was the elephant he naturally loved the best. Back before I understood what a huge undertaking having an elephant would be I used to dream of having one of my very own. As long as we’re talking about reviving mammoths, can I have one of these extinct dwarf mammoths that used to wander around islands of the Mediterranean Sea? Better, can I have an elephant about the size of a miniature pony? One of those could probably fit inside my horse pasture! A man can dream, right?

Are you in need of answers? Did you used to watch the original Star Trek? If you can answer yes to both of those questions, have I got an oracle for you! Turn up your speakers and swing by Basic Instructions and Ask Captain Pike! You’re sure to feel fulfilled. After you consult with him, stick around and look through the cartoons on the site, many of which are hilarious. (Why is it I never find out about these things sooner?)

If you think that the Vikings were filthy barbarians, swing by and visit this comically serious look at them by Carolyn Emerick that might change some of your preconceptions. Here’s a sample that illustrates the cleanliness of the Viking folk: “John of Wallingford, an English chronicler, lamented that the Danish men’s habits of washing and changing their clothes regularly was too strong a temptation for English women. Apparently many a marriage was ruined and more than one nobleman’s daughter lost her virtue to a well groomed Dane.”

Lastly, here’s an eye-opening article about the lies commercial companies are permitted to tell you to sell their product. Be sure to read to the bottom and peruse the smack-down that the Australian government gave Coca-Cola. I don’t have anything against Coca-Cola per se. It’s actually my favorite soft drink. I just despise lying liars.

Now I must be off to write. I have wrought enough damage for the day.