Category Archives: Scribbles

Thank you, Miles Austin’s girlfriend

Posted on June 16, 2010 | Comments Off on Thank you, Miles Austin’s girlfriend

Whoever and wherever you are, you have my gratitude. I might not have any hits at all if it wasn’t your popularity with so many of my visitors. Not that I actually have anything for them to find out about you, but they come anyhow. Bless ’em. And you, too, of course.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Scribbles, Site building

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No PC name means slower sales

Posted on June 15, 2010 | Comments Off on No PC name means slower sales

Shootout, Gunfight, Ammunition and Shotgun are street names that, at least in South Austin, hinder home sales. That’s according to a publicity-minded Austin realtor’s unscientific (but persuasive) research. Could be unique to Austin (the San Francisco of Texas) or else that the neighborhood in question isn’t all that desirable to begin with.

Via Dustbury.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Scribbles, Texana

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Uncharted Territory

Posted on June 15, 2010 | Comments Off on Uncharted Territory

A funny yarn for the Kindle that doesn’t seem to go anywhere–until it does. And leaves you with a satisfying tale of two planetary explorers, man and woman, chosen by the bureaucrats for their “gender balance” but whose relationship matures into something closer to love.

While their indigenous scout has romantic notions of his (her?) own. Meanwhile, it’s a wickedly funny satire on political correctness, sensitivity training, and multiculturalism. All science fiction authors seem to delight in sending up bureaucracies, but Connie Willis does it better than most.

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Posted in Library, Scribbles, Space

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Knoxville 1863 on the Web

Posted on June 13, 2010 | Comments Off on Knoxville 1863 on the Web

Working on a new dedicated site for the novel, a freebie on blogger. Starting off with a post-battle photo of Fort Sanders, via the Library of Congress. Several more photos on the subject to come as part of the book’s promotion.

Conventional wisdom says authors need these things, as they’re also supposed to be all over Twitter and FaceBook. I have my doubts. But I can see the advantage of not having my politics intrude on the attempt to market books. Except when they do. Oops.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Scribbles

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Big 12 unraveling

Posted on June 13, 2010 | Comments Off on Big 12 unraveling

I guess Texas wants to play SoCal regularly, as well as have an easier shot at the Rose Bowl. Otherwise why leave the Big 12 (now just 10 teams with the loss of Nebraska and Colorado, and expected to be just six after Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State leave for the Pac 10) unless it’s because the sports media relatively regularly has ignored the Big 12? Money, I know. The usual reason. Hopefully, it will make for some stronger opponents for Texas.

UPDATE:  Nevermind. Seems the Big 12 will be just ten teams, but reduction to six talk was much to-do about nothing much. Media driven, maybe?

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Posted in Scribbles, Texana, Texas Football

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Ode to the Confederacy

Posted on June 12, 2010 | Comments Off on Ode to the Confederacy

confederateHere’s another monument on the Texas Capitol lawn that irritates the hell out of the PC crowd. That’s Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the top.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Scribbles, Texana

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HIV: the forgotten U.S. pandemic

Posted on June 12, 2010 | Comments Off on HIV: the forgotten U.S. pandemic

AIDS, of course. It was the panic of the ’80s, brought under control by drugs in the 90s and faded from sight in the aughts. Except in Africa. Who knew D.C.’s HIV infection rate challenges that of three African countries?

“The current prevalence of HIV infection within certain subpopulations actually challenges rates observed in areas of Africa. Think about it for a moment. The incidence of HIV-infected adults in Washington, D.C. (one in 30) is actually higher than reported numbers for Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Rwanda.”

Right in the feds’ backyard. How come the pols never talk about it anymore?

Via Vanderleun.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Scribbles

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