Scary.
(Hat tip: Ace of Spades.)
So This Is What They Mean By “Spreading Like Wildfire”
September 7th, 2011Central Texas Fire Updates (with video)
September 4th, 2011Some YouTube videos I grabbed:
Removed the KVUE video embed because it’s farking up my page loads.
Keep safe…
10 PM Update: 25 homes lost in Steiner Ranch.
10:55 PM Update: Parts of Dripping Springs being told to evacuate.
More video, this time from the Southeast corner of the Griffith League Scout Ranch property near Lost Pines:
Also got an email back from Michael Moorcock, who says he’s OK, and that they haven’t been asked to evacuate yet.
Steiner Ranch Evacuated Due to Fire Hazard
September 4th, 2011So I’m hearing. Drought + high winds = fire hazard.
And Steiner Ranch is only about 15 miles from here. On the other hand, the land around here is flat rather than the hill country arroyos that make fires easier to start and harder to fight. And I have managed to keep the overwhelming majority of my lawn alive.
Be safe, everyone. And if you haven’t done it before, now might be a good time to figure out what you need for a “bugout bag” and make sure you have at least one fire extinguisher in your house…
Books I Picked Up at the Reno Worldcon
September 2nd, 2011Various issues have kept me remarkably busy the last few days, so it may take a little while to get my blogging back up to speed. In particular, I wanted to do a brief roundup of some of the books I bought at the Reno Worldcon.
This year’s Worldcon had a better dealer’s room than Denver in 2008 (the last Worldcon I went to), and there were many rare and tempting items there (including not one, but two copies of the first edition of William Timlin’s The Ship That Sailed to Mars, as well as a fine signed first edition of Alfred Bester’s Tiger Tiger listed for $2,500, and which sold for a bit less) which, alas, they wanted more for than I was willing to spend.
But here are a few items I was able to add to my collection:
The dust jacket art itself is perhaps the finest ever drawn by an eight-year old…
Bad Logo Design
August 30th, 2011I missed this Cracked cartoon on Bad Logo Design when it came out earlier this year, but I’m posting it now because I can’t stop cracking up at Nazi Jim’s Panzerotti. (Some NSFW language.)
In other news, I’m still recovering from Armadillocon and various other personal upheavals, so blogging may be light until I manage to get a few ducks marching in the right direction…
What It’s Like in Austin Today
August 28th, 2011Just in case you were wondering…
Happy 95th Birthday to Jack Vance!
August 28th, 2011He was born August 28, 1916.
By way of celebration, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s someone else’s Jack Vance collection. Remember to pick your jaw up off the floor before you leave.
Attending Armadillocon
August 27th, 2011Which is keeping me busy, so expect blogging to be light to non-existent for the next couple of days. After which there will be no shortage of photos…
Here’s are some pics from last year’s Armadillocon.
Worldcon 2011 Photos for Sunday, August 21
August 26th, 2011Just a few more to round out the set.
I’m sorry if my previous picture gave you the impression that Lauren Beukes is merely attractive rather than gorgeous.
Newly-named 2013 Worldcon Toastmaster Paul Cornell.
Gardner Dozois, 700-time Hugo winner and the man I made my first professional science fiction sale to, which obviously makes him an editor of superb taste…
The newly married George R. R. Martin. I tried to get pictures of him and his bride Parris a couple of days before, but my camera battery died first.
And that’s the last of the Worldcon photos. And Armadillocon starts, er, today…
Worldcon 2011 Photos for Saturday, August 20 (Part 2)
August 24th, 2011Now that I’ve recovered a bit, here’s another set of Worldcon photos.
You may have seen the previous photo sets, and asked “Lawrence, do you think you have enough pictures of Gail Carriger?” And the answer, of course is: No, I don’t. So here’s her Hugo-night outfit. Indeed, I was only able to capture three of the six outfits she wore there. One man can only do so much…
Steven Gould, tipping his jaunty straw boater.
This picture of the Klingon Party Room is one the flash just ruined, as it was actually dark with red and orange flame lighting, but at least it gives you a hint of the work that went into it.
Scott Bobo carrying Brad Foster’s Hugo.
A congoer dressed in a traditional Mexican vaquero outfit.
Karen Anderson.
Deanna Hoak and Gail Carriger flank some lucky bastard that isn’t me.
I should have one more post of Worldcon photos, after which it will probably be time for Armadillocon photos…