Monthly Archives: January 2012

Follow Friday Yes, #FF No

A few weeks back I changed how I approach Follow Friday on Twitter. I still try* to pass on a few good recommendations, but I’ve never been a fan of #FF posts that feel more like noise than signal. So … Continue reading

Posted in tech geek | 6 Comments

What’s in (40% of) a name?

I’ve recently undergone a name change. I didn’t have to fill out any forms, and my driver’s license hasn’t changed, but legal forms hardly represent the reality of day to day life anyway. This change has only taken effect at … Continue reading

Posted in close to home | 6 Comments

So you think you’ve defeated SOPA . . .

In the wake of Texas Representative Lamar Smith pulling the Stop Online Piracy Act from consideration yesterday(and Senator Harry Reid doing the same for the Protect IP Act), I saw a lot of jubilant tweets saying that censorship was defeated … Continue reading

Posted in rants, teaching, this I believe, tinfoil hat talk | 3 Comments

What you won’t find on a blog or in a book: Direct instruction from a pro

In my last post, I linked to some good online resources for writers, pointing out how in many instances these were as good as (or better than) some books you might dish out a small pile of money for in … Continue reading

Posted in writing | Leave a comment

The best resources for writers are online—and free!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything writing-related, so if you’re not a writer, hopefully this post won’t bore you too much. I cringe inwardly every time I hear about someone dropping $20 or more for the latest big … Continue reading

Posted in link soup, writing | 4 Comments

Fifteen Years: A Shared Dream

Fifteen years ago tonight, my best friend Lisa and I made official a journey that we’d begun months before. On an amazing (but freezing) night, in front of all our closest friends and relatives, we shivered through our vows and … Continue reading

Posted in artist's life, assorted nerdom, blargety-blog, close to home | 15 Comments

Meme + Award = Blog Post!

This morning I was tickled pink to learn that I’d won the Nobel Prize been awarded the “Versatile Blogger” Award by Carrie Daws (or perhaps it was the “Inspiring Blogger” award, I’m not sure). I immediately updated my Wikipedia page … Continue reading

Posted in assorted nerdom, link soup | Leave a comment

Knowledge for Its Own Sake

Several weeks ago I stumbled across this interesting interview with Professor Brian Cox, who hosts the BBC/Discovery Channel show Wonders of the Universe. I haven’t watched the show itself—while there’s a lot of excellent programming on television, it’s just not … Continue reading

Posted in assorted nerdom, math, teaching | 5 Comments

Perspectivefail

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a … Continue reading

Posted in bookish life, teaching, writing | 6 Comments

Fundamentally, We Deliver Ourselves

If you look toward the right and down a bit, down where it says “Currently Reading,” you’ll notice that I’m reading a work of nonfiction. Unlike most people, apparently, I read way more fiction than nonfiction; in fact, other than … Continue reading

Posted in books you might enjoy, close to home | 12 Comments