Los Links 6/17

Our streak is broken.  Better late and all that.  Especially since there’s quite a bit of yummy stuff here for ye.

Our weekly dustup was finding out that a Gay Girl in Damascus was actually a middle-aged white male with delusions of importance.  I figure the following link is very much worth highlighting:

The Rumpus: A Note to My Fellow White Males.  A must-read for any white male wanting to become a lesbian minority on the intertoobz.

For any of my readers who may be wondering if Dana Hunter is also a middle-aged white male, the answer is no.  And should you fall prey to any doubts, you can come see me in really real life, and I’ll give you all the necessary clues with which to track down my history, complete with family, friends, teachers, employers and so forth who can all attest that the only fiction I write is clearly marked as such.  I’d never do to you what this shite did to the online community.

Wot a fucktard.  Let us waste no more time upon him.

Science

KGW.com: OR computer simulation helps tsunami planning. This is one of the most sensible things done by town planners ever.

Grist: How to stay cool for next to nothing 1.   Summer salvation on the cheap! Especially nifty for those of us with no A/C.

Andrew Alden: Petit-Spot Volcanism.  I had no idea anything like this even existed.  That’s why I love geology – always something new and interesting!

Highly Allochthonous: Flooding Around the World. A nice (and sobering) roundup of floods happening all over the place.

Looking for Detachment: Cathedral Gorge I.  A truly, truly gorgeous gorge.  I mean, seriously beautiful, and you should all go look at it right now.

Highly Allochthonous: Why does a compass point north? A mystery at the heart of the story of science (book review).  Since I’ve slacked off on Tomes 2011, let Chris add to your “must have this book!” list.

Balanced Instability: I gay wrote this post.  An excellent inside look at what it’s like to be out in the sciences.

Speakeasy Science: Chemical Free Crazies.  Find out why the fashion section can make people hit themselves in the face with the newspaper.

Elsevier: Reviewer’s quick guide to common statistical errors in scientific papers (pdf).   It’s meant for reviewers, but this guide can serve everyone who ever encounters a graph.  Yes, that means you.

Retraction Watch: Geology retraction unearths a dead co-author and plagiarized image of “Himalayan” rock actually from Norway. Controversy in the geological community!  See how scientists keep the unscrupulous from screwing everything up.

Why Evolution is True: Liberal Christian rag: creationism and evolution are “competing myths”. Um, no.  Really not. Nice takedown by Jerry Coyne.

Geomagnetism.org: Why should the taxpayer fund palaeomagnetic research? The reasons may surprise you – and make you happy to pay the cost.

Observations of a Nerd: Alien Invasions: Do They Deserve Their Bad Rep?  I think it’s safe to say yep.  They certainly do.

Glacial Till: A few pictures from my petrology trip to the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon.  I love geo posts that make me jealous.  This is one.

Magma Cum Laude:  Obsidian hunting in the Jemez Mountains.  So is this one. Gorgeous! And fun!

Scientific American: The Power of Theory in Science.  This is one of those posts you should send to everyone who’s unclear on what “theory” means to science.

Dangerous Experiments: Psychology Tomorrow: The Mental Disorders of our Future.  Okay, this is awesome: DSM-V proposed disorders as suffered by comic book characters.

The Panda’s Thumb: We get mail.  Stupid creationist mail, but what a great opportunity to share science!

Clastic Detritus: Linking Erosional and Depositional Landscapes.  I love seeing research blogging, and while sediments may sound boring, they’re actually quite fascinating.

Scientific American: When Cells Discovered Architecture.  Multicellular, complex life is older than you realize.  And weird, and wonderful.

Outside the Interzone: Preventing A Cave Calamity. Caves are fragile, beautiful things – even your clothes could harm them.

Phylogenetic Tree Hugger:  Hyenas give birth through their clitoris and other facts. Um.  Ow. And wow.  I have a whole new respect for hyenas now.

Laelaps: The Spectacular Strobe Squid. They will blind you with their light!  “Amaze Your Friends and Startle Your Enemies With the Spectacular Strobe Squid! *(Tank and squid food sold separately.)”

Lapham’s Quarterly: Death in the Pot.  Which is exciting, intriguing, and the best damned argument for food safety standards ever. You know those people who say the free market will protect our food supplies? Send them this article to show them just how the free market behaved.

Boston.com: Japan: three months after the quake.  Striking, incredible images that remind us just how enormous this disaster was.

Grist: Houses made of bacteria cou
ld save 800 million tons of CO2
.  Bacterial brickmakers.  How awesome is that?

Mountain Beltway: Lawhorne Mill High Strain Zone.  Delicious rocks that have, shall we say, not been treated gently.

Quest: Geological Outings Around the Bay: The Cordelia and Green Valley Faults.  Forget the San Andreas for a while and go enjoy these!

Daily Kos: Effing Liars.  In which I am not the only one willing to use naughty language in relation to creationist liars leading geologists around.

Scientific American: From the Shadows to the Spotlight to the Dustbin–the Rise and Fall of GFAJ-1.  The penultimate post on the #arseniclife debacle.

ChemBark: Felisa Wolfe-Simon Does NOT Get It.  She’s got a long way to go before she’ll climb out of this hole and earn any scientific respect.  I’ll add that the popular media that fell for her hype needs a loving whack from a clue-by-four, too.

Writing

Wonders & Marvels: I get by with a little help from my friends…  The power of writing groups, even itsy-bitsy ones, can be substantial.

Skulls in the Stars: H.G. Wells’ The World Set Free (1914).  In which I learn H.G. Wells was a lot more interesting than I’d imagined – and it is once again demonstrated that science fiction can change the world.

Patricia C. Wrede: Where one writes.  Bet you didn’t think your office was detrimental to your writing, but could well be.

xoJane: It Happened to Me: ‘The Babysitter’s Club’ Changed My Life. Twist: it changed HIS life.  Yes, guys can be “girly book” fans.

Pharyngula: Alan Moore at Cheltenham.  Because this helps me make sense of myself: “Moore is a writer, and his explanation was basically that the weirdness was to spark creativity; for instance, he talked about staring into a quartz crystal and seeing visions, but he was quite plain that it wasn’t supernatural, it wasn’t the crystal, it was his own mind generating and imposing ideas on what he saw. And that’s all right with me — it fits very well with how I see science functioning.”

Blood Writes: Cover Page Design for the Dirt Poor and Graphically Challenged. For those of you worried you’ll have to acquire a second job to pay for book design, here’s reason to relax.

Writer Beware Blogs: Book Marketing Methods That Don’t Work. So avoid spending any $s on ’em.

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: Improving Creativity: The Envision Brainset.  I can attest that this works like a charm.  Though, of course, writers being writers, your mileage may vary.

The Business Rusch: Bookstore Observations.  Now I’m afraid to visit Barnes and Noble again…

The Coffee-Stained Writer: The nature of the freelancing beast.  Some excellent advice for anyone wanting to freelance.

Women’s Issues

The Mary Sue: Comics Illustrator Raises Money For Texas Cheerleader Who Refused to Cheer Her Rapist.  This is a genius idea.

Tumblinfeminist: Fool Proof Sexual Assault Prevention Tips. These should be posted everywhere.  And society should be ashamed for not thinking of them before.

The Fourth Vine: The Women Men Won’t See.  The next time you wonder why more women don’t like comics, consider this as part of the explanation.  (Mind you, I’ve not experienced these problems in comic shops myself, so don’t condemn with a broad brush.)

Streets Blog:  Saudi Arabia on the Hudson: NYPD Officer Stopped Cyclist For Wearing Skirt.  Seriously fucked up, seriously sexist, serious abuse of power, and I hope the NYPD seriously gets its ass kicked over shit like this.

Skepchick: Sunday AI: Kicking ass in high heels.  An artist puts dudes in women’s costumes.  Hilarity ensues.

The White Coat Underground: NYT: Women are ruining medicine.  One of my favorite doctors with one of my favorite smackdowns.

On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess: The Noble Priesthood and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.  Another favorite doctor completes the fatal beating.

Almost Diamonds: The Good Bad Girl.  Do not fuck with our Harley Quinn.  Or our Stephanie Szvan.  The latter’s actually more important for you to remember.  Harley’s a homicidal maniac, but Stephanie is a writer.  Also, Dreaming for Women.  The commencement speech that should have been.

The Guardian: Afghanistan worst place in the world for women, but India in top five.

The Hot Word: What is “Mrs.” short for? The answer may make you blush (or at least laugh).  After you get done sputtering in mirth and outrage, head over here and pick yourself a new honorific from the “title” dropdown.  I’m rather fond of “Vicondessa” at the moment, but “Rt Hon Baroness” also would do – or should I keep it simple and stick with “Lady”?

The Nation: A Conversation With Saudi Women’s Rights Campaigner Wajeha al-Huwaider. Love this quote: “Secular society is a better bet for women—and men too.”  The whole interview’s well worth a read.

Religion and Atheism

Sydney Morning Herald: ‘I can still hear the kids’ scre
ams’
.  Do not tell me how wonderful Catholicism and the Catholic Church is.  Not ever.  Not when their abuses are so varied, pervasive, and horrific.

Alternet: 10 Scariest States to Be An Atheist.  Not a scientific survey, but a good one, and some of the idiocy will make your eyes pop.

Hibernia Times: Breaking Out from the Prison of Religion.  An amazing account from Paula Kirby on losing her faith and learning to question.

Pharyngula: Atheism ≠ fascism. Worth it for the takedown of the “atheism is fascism” argument, plus this: “Too often, the conversation between so-called ‘progressives’ and their opponents is one of gelatin-spined appeasers trying desperately to stave off the tyrants of the right by frantically retreating from the conflict.”  Too fucking right!

Society and Culture

The Last Word on Nothing: Secrets of British gravitas revealed.  Okay, you know what?  I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself, and it was totally worth that risk.

The Guardian:  What price freedom of expression now?  Read this, because it tells you a good amount of what you need to know about the evils of religion and nationalism.  And it has a really fantastic artist in it.

Butterflies and Wheels: Well thinking. Ophelia Benson tells those who can’t fathom assisted suicide to try harder.

Politics

Homeland Security Department curtails home-grown terror analysis. Because the right-wing hatemongers hate it when they get called out on their home-grown terrorism, and because so many of our officials are lily-livered cowards.

Mike the Mad Biologist: We Are Living Below Our Means, Not Above Them.  That is the first thing you need to remember while everybody screams about teh horrible debt.

Think Progress: Massachusetts Republican: Undocumented Immigrant Rape Victims ‘Should Be Afraid To Come Forward’.  Another one for the annals of Why I Consider Cons Such Complete Shits.

Skepchick: GOP Presidential Candidates: Don’t Vote For Us. Yep, that pretty much sums them up right there. Thanks, I won’t!

Washington Monthly: We shouldn’t grow inured to madness. Even though the sheer quantity of it makes it easy to become numb.

Los Links 6/17
{advertisement}

Los Links 6/10

Not as linkolicious as usual, I’m afraid – the Muse is a harsh mistress, and work has been hell.  But we’ve got some good stuff here.

This week’s Controversy on teh Internetz came courtesy of a truly awful WSJ editorial that made me want to go have a good wash afterward. Basically, the complainer (I refuse to dignify the spouter of such drivel with the august word “author”) spent far too many words bitching about how awful it was that young adult fiction explored dark and dangerous subjects.  One comes away with the sense that the complainer prefers all fiction to do nothing more than spoonfeed bland platitudes and pollyanna pablum into the mouths of everyone.

I couldn’t really jump into the #YASaves fray, because young adult fiction never saved me.  I’m one of the fortunate few who enjoyed a nearly idyllic childhood, and my YA reading was devoted to such sillyness as Sweet Valley High (look, I didn’t mean to, it just happened), Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and suchlike other things.  Although, come to think of it, a Sweet Valley High novel that dealt with the aftermath of death by cocaine did give me reinforcement when it came to deciding drugs were not for me…

Anyway, several excellent bloggers took care of the situation admirably, and I encourage you to read their posts.

Almost Diamonds: Living in the Dark.  In which myths are exploded and a righteous spanking is administered.  I wish we lived in a world that didn’t give Stephanie Szvan so much to get pissed off about.  Since we do, I’m very glad she’s so damned good at turning her rage into hard-hitting blog posts.

Gayle Forman: wall street depravity.  Time for the silent majority to tell the loudmouth minority trying to dictate what’s worthy of reading to STFU.

Kyle Cassidy: if you can’t be witty, then at least be bombastic – The Wall Street Journal Nonsense about YA Literature.  The demolition is complete.  Also, cool metaphors!

WSJ Speakeasy:  Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood.  Sherman Alexie, ladies and gentlemen.  Money quote:  “I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.”  Read the whole thing.

Science

Clastic Detritus: Friday Field Photo #146: Deep-Sea Landscapes in the Desert.  The ocean. On land. Do I really have to explain how cool that is?

Uncovered Earth: Of Puddles and Probabilities. Lottery tickets, creationists, and a quick lesson in the way odds work.

Highly Allochthonous: If you’re waiting for an earthquake warning, you’re doing it wrong.  Instead of suing scientists who don’t predict the unpredictable, people in earthquake-prone areas should see to, y’know, maybe just possibly preparing for the inevitable instead. Also, don’t miss Chris’s new Geotweeps Discuss site. Too much fun!

Looking for Detachment: Megabreccia II: More Photos and Megabreccia III, the Continuing Saga.  I’d tell you a little something about how awesome these posts are, but I’m still busy wiping the drool off. ZOMG delicious!

Earthly Musings: Hawaiian Geology at Haleakala Crater. And dessert. Yum!

The Atlantic: Chile’s Puyehue Volcano Erupts. And the postprandial cognac.  Some of the most spectacular volcano photography I’ve ever seen.

Eruptions: Spectacular images and video of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption in Chile.  In which Erik explains, and volcanoes are suspected of being willfully inconvenient.

Mammoth: Cubit’s Gap.  Cut one little hole in a levee and watch the river build…

Science House: The Public and Science: A Blind Date.   Improv, science communication, and Alan Alda.  This is made of win.

Freakonomics: Launching Into Unethical Behavior: Lessons from the Challenger Disaster.  The most devastating statement, and how considering business rather than ethics angles can lead to horrifying consequences – even for the ethical among us.

Measure of Doubt: “Stand back everyone, I’ve been trained for situations like this…” And here you thought algebra could never be of any ordinary practical use.

Neurotic Physiology: Does all that coffee really make you hear Bing Crosby sing?  In which Sci wields the Smack-o-Matic upon a study so bad even this layperson’s jaw dropped.

Not Exactly Rocket Science: The Renaissance man: how to become a scientist over and over again.  I loved this for many reasons. The fact it celebrates the creative power of failure is only one.

Grist: No joke: This is the biggest battery breakthrough ever.  If this pans out, electric cars won’t be a ginormous pain in the arse when it comes to recharging.  Truly amazing stuff.

State of the Planet: Making Room for Rivers: A Different Approach to Flood Control.  This seems like a good and necessary idea.  Also, opens your eyes to what artificial creatures we’ve forced rivers to become.

Atheism and Religion

Butterflies and Wheels: Oh is that so.  Here is the money quote for the next time someone howls about their religious freedom being infringed because they’re not allowed to lead a sectarian prayer at a public event: “My religious belief is that god is a non-existent imaginary agent. I don’t get to say that at public school graduation ceremonies or Congress’s morning prayer. Since other people do get to say that god is a real, non-imaginary agent, the state is interfering with my rights to express my religious beliefs.

“It is also, of course, interfering with the religious beliefs of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Wiccans, Scientologists, Crefto Dollarians, and so on.”

Also don’t miss Right here in River City, in which we learn that Catholic laundries tormented Seattle women. 

Xtra: Rainbows banned at Mississauga Catholic school.   How the Catholic church hates on gay students, and adds insult to injury by not letting them donate the funds they raise to LGBT charities.

The Hibernia Times: Atheism Is the True Embrace of Reality.  Paula Kirby’s journey from near-nunnery to out atheism, delivered without compromise.

Writing

Harvard Business Review: Publishing’s 169 Years of Disruption, Told in Six Freakouts. Read this and relax. Reading will survive. It’s just the incidentals that change.

Scientific American: All About Stories: how to tell them, how they’re changing, and what they have to do with science.  Writing about science?  Read this.

A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing:  Guest Post by Raymond Benson.  In which we learn that success may not come overnight, and get much good advice.

Women’s Issues

PLOS Blogs: Women as natural capital.  I’m okay with using hard-headed practicality to get people to do the right thing.  Especially if it means less female infanticide.

The Washington Post: SlutWalks and the future of feminism.   Feminism fired up and ready to go.  Quite a few money quotes in this one.  And it has made me determined to be a badass.

Politics

Alternet: The Worst Thing About Weinergate? The Total Obliteration of Sexual Privacy by Ideologues Like Andrew Breitbart.  At least I’ll be safe from the prurient prudes if I ever run for office, considering I haven’t got a sex life…  Oh, and for those who are wondering, I don’t give a rat’s ass if Rep. Weiner wants to flirt.  Really don’t.

Society and Culture

Temple of the Future: Red Smoke, No Fire.  How dare A.C. Grayling open a university!  In which snark is employed and protesters smacked.

Los Links 6/10

Los Links 6/3

You know, this would’ve been on time, if Blogger had published yesterday like I told it to.  Ah, well, on with the show.

Monday was Memorial Day, of course, and a lot of people wrote some incredibly excellent things round it.  Here, in their own words:

Almost Diamonds: Fallen Warriors.  “People have died every time our country has been persuaded to recognize the right of another group to be considered full human beings.” Wherein people who didn’t fight on actual battlefields but fought and died for our freedoms nonetheless get a look in. 

Decrepit Old Fool: Memorial Day 2011.  “War is crazy; it is crazy-making. It drains reason out of what passes for civilization. The stories matter. They let us know about courage, who have never been there. And yes, many wars should not ever have happened. The stories punch holes in the fantasy that it’s all some kind of glorious video game. If we’re going to do this to human beings, let’s be damn, damn sure there’s a real reason.”

Stupid Evil Bastard: Thoughts on Memorial Day 2011.  “I’ve heard enough to know that it’s a whole lot of not fun covered in a thick layer of fuck this shit. I know enough to know that war is something that should be a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. I know enough to realize that it has impacts far beyond the battlefield that affect people individually, and nations collectively, long after the guns have gone silent.”  Yes.

Slobber and Spittle: Memorial Day 2011.  “America’s saddest acre won’t be closing anytime soon.”  And there will be more fallen soldiers to remember next Memorial Day.

It seems appropriate to post a link to this paper (pdf): The Psychological Cost of War: Military Combat and Mental Health.  It’s bloody expensive, both in dollars and human terms.

This week, the person voted Most In Need of a Good Sharp Smack appears to be Sen. Tom Coburn, whose ignorance of science knows no bounds.  He hated on the National Science Foundation.  Well, we can give as good as we get.

NeuroTribes: Why the GOP Hates the National Science Foundation.  “The truth is, the current incarnation of the GOP, frozen in its pose of perpetually indignant outrage, doesn’t want additional perspective, more data and nuance, and — Heaven forbid — dissenting voices.”  Damn you, reality, and your liberal bias!

The Tightrope: Attacks on science and Coburn’s ignorance.  Amazing how much ignorance can be revealed in a short post, but then again, Coburn’s a motherlode. 

Take it to the Bridge: Transformative Science.  Which is precisely what Coburn doesn’t understand even a tiny little bit.

NeuroDojo: What the Coburn report has in common with arsenic life.  When we expect science to produce nothing but bright, shiny breakthroughs, things like Coburn and the arsenic life debacle happen.  Neither one is good for science.

Respectful Insolence: Need to pander to your base? Attack funny-sounding science funded by the NSF!  Orac utterly destroys Coburn’s attack on the NSF.  The ground Coburn stands upon is scorched.  He is finished.

Science

Slate: The Discovery of Arsenic-Based Twitter.  The story of #arseniclife, and what it means for science.

Neuroself: Jonah Lehrer is Not a Neuroscientist.  Really not.  So don’t get worked into too much of a lather over that “wisdom of crowds” article in the WSJ.

John Hawks Weblog: No echoing the echo chamber here. No, seriously, forget those “intertubz are maeking u stoopid” articles.

The Guardian: How to spot a psychopath.  A long but fascinating read – psychopaths are intriguing.

Guardian: Children don’t need Brain Gym to spot nonsense.  But they do get censored for pointing out utter bullshit.

BoingBoing: Tornadoes, climate change, and real scientific literacy.  This post does a phenomenal job of tying together several important concepts.  Read it.

Uncovered Earth: It May Usually Rain, But It’s Not As Wet As You Think.  This is the one post you need for comprehending Pacific Northwest Weather.  Also, Sunday Science Photos, May 22 – 28.

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: The OSIRIS-REx Mission.  Pure awesome!

The Atlantic: Endeavour’s Final Mission.  These photographs made me gasp and grin and think, “ZOMG humans did this! We are teh awesome!”  Absolutely, utterly beautiful.

Skepticblog: Litigation gone wild! A geologist’s take on the Italian seismology manslaughter case.  The clearest take I’ve read yet on the rabid stupidity that is putting scientists on trial for not predicting the unpredictable. 

Neurotic Physiology: SCIENCE 101: Cranial Nerve V, the Trigeminal.  Science gone Bollywood!  Brilliant!

NPR: Science Deniers: Hand Over Your Cellphones!  We so totally should make them do this.  Might make people who don’t know jack shit about science but like to piss on it anyway think twice if they’d lose their iPhone in the process.

Laelaps: Stressed Lemurs and Grass-Eating Humans.  Amazing what we can learn from teeth – like our cousins had more in common with horses than we thought.  Also, at Dinosaur Tracking: Dinosaur Diamond: Moab’s Potash Road

Respectful Insolence: The bride of the son of the revenge of cell phones and cancer rises from the grave…again.  No, your cell phone won’t kill you.  Relax and keep talking.

Pharyngula: Is your cell phone cooking your brain?  For the last time: NO IT’S REALLY NOT. Seriously. 

Scientific American: An Epidemic of False Claims.  We need to change the funding and incentives, or science will continue to suffer.

Clastic Detritus: Surprising, Important — or Weird and Fun.  Blogs can step up for science when editors fail.

The Gleaming Retort: Great Moments in Science Writing: The Alpha Cavewoman Fiasco.  Write a stupid article butchering science, get pwnd by a master.  That’s all I’m sayin’.

Highly Allochthonous: Simulating river processes…ooh shiny, stream table!  ZOMG I want one of these! Amazing way to show how water and geology mix.

Eruptions: Carbon dioxide as a volcanic hazard at the Dieng Plateau (and beyond).  It’s not just lava, lahars, and big booms that make volcanoes dangerous.

Women’s Issues

New York Times: Badminton’s New Dress Code Is Being Criticized as Sexist.  Because it is.  When they start sexualizing the menfolk, then I might give them the benefit of the doubt.

Salon: Abortion saved my life.  If religious shits want to force women to view sonograms, they should be forced to read stories like these.

Good Media: Why White Men Should Refuse to Be on Panels of All White Men.  Step up to the plate, pasty boyz.

The Guardian: The incredible shrinking presence of women SF writers.  Wherein we learn that books written by women get short shrift in “best of” polls.  Quelle surprise.  Take especial note of this comment.

Biodork: Remembering Dr. Tiller.  It infuriates me that doctors trying to do a good service for women get targeted by religious fucktards who love to proclaim themselves “pro-life” while killing human beings.

Aetiology: You’re also too pretty for math.  How our culture tells little girls they shouldn’t do nerdy boy things like study math and science.

Inner Workings of My Mind: I’ve Gone and Done It Now: What It’s Like Without the Muslim Headscarf.  An inside look you should really have a look at.

Atheism and Religion

Why Evolution is True: Evidence against New Atheism: Exhibit B?  In which Chris Mooney is given yet another righteous spanking, and a study is studied.

Choice in Dying:  Through the Looking-Glass.  In which a vicar on a train is taken to task for being a lousy source of comfort to a grieving woman.  Also,  It’s all of a piece …

Sam Harris: Morality Without “Free Will”.  Yes, indeed, there is such a thing.  Religious people, take especial note – especially if you’re tempted to go on about how people can’t be good without God.

Metamagician and the Hellfire Club: D’Souza on callousness and compassion, atheism and morality.  Spoiler: D’Souza gets it completely wrong.

EvolutionBlog: Ye Olde “Atheism is a Religion” Canard.  Jason Rosenhouse puts a stake through its heart.  Again.

Writing

The Passive Voice: Publishers and Agents are Trying to Figure Out How to Skin Their Own Authors.  Possibly even flay them alive.  However, while they flay, you can pwn: How to Read a Book Contract – For Avoidance of DoubtBooyah!

The Atlantic: Why Are Spy Researchers Building a ‘Metaphor Program’?  And why did I stick it under ‘writing’?  Because it’ll make you think about metaphors in a whole new way.

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: Do Flashbacks Make Your Butt Look Big? (aka, Baby Got Backstory…)  All writers who have ever/are now/will ever struggle with how much backstory to put in the story need to read this post.  In other words, all writers need to read this post.

Dean Wesley Smith: Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing: Killing a Career.  It’s not as easy as you think.

Literary Abominations: Principles of Contracts: Everybody Knows Peggy Lee (or should).  Because if you don’t, you just might find yourself signing away the rights to every format your creative work could end up in ever.

The Chronicle: The Nature of E.B. White.  Bet you didn’t know there was a lot of science behind Charlotte’s Web.  But there was.  No matter how fluffy your fantasy, it could benefit from knowing about how the real world works.

Writer Beware: Contract Red Flag: Net Profit Royalty Clauses.  Be very sure you understand just how the publisher intends to calculate your royalties before you sign, or you could end up with pennies.  Literally.

A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing: Ebooks and Self-Publishing Part 3 – Yet Another Dialog Between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath.  All I can say is, Amazon must be making publishers afraid.  Very afraid.  And if they’re not terrified already, they should be.  Authors, meanwhile, may scream for joy.

NeuroTribes: Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Brilliant Authors. Some of the best writing advice you’ll get, from people who made it happen.  Like a smorgasbord, there’s lots to pick and choose from.

Politics

Speakeasy Science: Jessica Alba and the Chemistry Thing.  Celebrities, science, and the pathetic fact we have to sell common sense with sexy but badly informed people.

Bad Astronomy: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA): on climate change, makes wrong even wronger.  Lest you thought it was only Coburn being a raging dumbass this week.  And why giving Rohrabacher the benefit of the doubt on possibly being taken out of context doesn’t make him any less of a mega-moron.

Liberal Values: Doctors Moving Left For Many More Reasons Than The New York Times Reports.  Cuz Dems are better for business, and some people are smart enough to realize when tax cuts taketh away more than they giveth.  Among other reasons.  Heh.

Society and Culture

Outside the Interzone: We Had Been Told This Mighty Ocean-Liner Even God Himself Could Not Sink.  A fantastic post on sinking ships, hubris, and why it’s important not to think too much of ourselves.

Mike the Mad Biologist: Do Pro-Education ‘Reform’ Progressives Actually Know Any Teachers?  If they did, they probably wouldn’t be spouting such utterly stupid shit about them.

Washington Monthly: The consequences of education cuts.  Parents are now paying for things that should be part of the educational package.  Schools can’t afford fucking paper towels and soap.  When will we have to admit we haven’t got a public education system anymore?  And when will we demand it be restored?

Los Links 6/3

Los Links 5/27

I caught up on some reading whilst Aunty Flow was here.  That means you’ll have more linkage than you know what to do with.  And on time!  So let’s get right down to it, shall we?

Biggest news of the week, at least for the United States, was Joplin getting leveled by a tornado.  It’s one of those shitty things that can happen when you’re in the middle of Tornado Alley and storms are getting stronger due to climate change.  For most of us, the immediate reaction was empathy and a hope that folks would make it out okay.  For others…

PoliticsUSA: The Darker Side of YHWH: Janet Porter Says Tornadoes Were God’s Wrath.  You knew some religious lackwit was gonna say it.  As if the people of Joplin haven’t been through enough.

This shit’s depressing.  So are head-in-the-sand attitudes that will allow this planet to bake to death.

Grist: Missouri tornado whips up media discussion of climate change and extreme weather.  No better post if you need to sober up in a hurry.

Kansas City Star: Tornadoes! Floods! Droughts! Scientists say it’s global warming.  Our own Anne Jefferson gives a kick-ass interview.

The news we poked the most fun at, o’ course, was the Rapture!

LiveScience: Failed Doomsday Has Real Deadly Consequences.   Pets and people dead.  So don’t tell me there’s no harm in religion.

Greta Christina’s Blog: Live-blogging the Rapture.  We do still get to point and laugh, though.  “There is a vanishingly small but non-zero chance of butt monkeys.”  Oh, Greta, how I love you!

Pharyngula: Wrong, root and branch; wrong at every cell and molecule; wrong to the core.   The aftermath, and a rant.

Science

Miller-McCune: Scientists Take Charles Darwin on the Road.  Getting scientists into classrooms to talk about *gasp* evolution has some surprising – and uplifting – results.  Also, Comet Theory Comes Crashing to Earth, in which we see the sad result when scientists refuse to face the lack of evidence.

Puffthemutantdragon: Bubonic Plague in America, Part I: LA Outbreak.   Yes, I’m a sucker for super-deadly infectious disease stuff, but this is fascinating even if you aren’t a sucker for same.  Don’t miss Part II.

Speaking of Research: A paralyzed man stands again…thanks to animal research!   This, my friends, is among the many reasons why it’s important to stand up against the animal rights maniacs who think mayhem and murder are justified against animal researchers.

Neurotic Physiology: Friday Weird Science: Horsing Around and the Sexual Behavior of Stallions.  You know, I owned horses for years and never realized they pleasure themselves…  Also, see how to handle being wrong with kick-ass awesomeness.

Georneys: Blast from the Past: Element Talk Show.  Evelyn’s posting bits of her school projects for a bit of a laugh, but this one’s brilliant.  I want to see it produced!  Also, the Geologist’s Alphabet is complete.  Learn your ABZs!  And then feast your eyes on Cape Peninsula in Pictures.  Wowza!

ScienceNews: Stellar oddballs.  If anyone was wondering if Kepler’s worth the money it took to develop and launch it, the answer is yes.  Yes, it is.  Sign of a truly great mission, this, the fact it’s already gone so far beyond its original intent.

Uncovered Earth: Expressions In Stone: Suiseki.  For those of you wondering what to do with those unruly rock collections, or looking for excuses to collect more rocks, this.  Bonus: suiseki, unlike bonsai, won’t die horribly because you have a black thumb.  Also, Sunday Science Photos, May 15 – 21

Contagions: Rinderpest, Measles and Medieval Emerging Infectious Diseases.  Measles is younger than you think.  And 400 kids die of it every day.  Vaccinate, people!

About Geology: A Poet’s Advice on Geology.  Walt Whitman proving science and poetry do mix.  Beautifully.  Plus, the d-word.

Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week: The world’s longest cells? Speculations on the nervous systems of sauropods.  You thought the giraffe’s recurrent laryngeal nerve was ridiculous?  Check this out!

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: Lunar meteorites.  Including one of the most beautiful pictures of the Moon you’ll ever see.

Outside the Interzone: Moonday: Io.  While we’re on the subject of incredible pictures of moons….

The Loom: How a zombie virus became a big biotech businessShh.  Don’t tell the anti-vaccine frothers that zombies manufacture vaccines!

Highly Allochthonous: Earthquake ‘precursors’ and the curse of the false positive.  Chris Rowan takes the latest earthquake prediction nonsense down.

Doctor Stu’s Blog: Blue Lights Shown to Give a Brain Boost! But is a Better than Coffee?  I need me a blue light!

Thoughtomics: Why Life is like Lego.  This is purely awesome.  I’ll never play with Legos the same way ever again.

Scientific American: Physics and the Immortality of the Soul.  Damn you, physicist Sean Carroll, for making my writing life harder!  But I’m glad you did.  Too bad about the souls, really.

Bad Astronomy: Weather satellites capture shots of volcanic plume blasting through clouds.  Okay, this is too cool for words – just go look.

The Official Geologist Webpage.  ZOMG LOL just go have a look I can’t talk about it laughing too hard ow.

Scientific American: Looking for Empathy in a Conflict-Ridden World.  Can you capture empathy in a scanner?  Appears so – and the results may or may not startle you.

Quest: Geological Outings Around the Bay: Ring Mountain.  Andrew, look, you know I love you – but stop making me want to move to California!  Okay, actually, don’t stop.

Grist: How industrial agriculture makes us vulnerable to climate change, Mississippi floods edition.  Awgawds.  As if it wasn’t already horrible…

Smithsonian: Top Ten Myths About the Brain.  If I ever hear “We only use 10%” again ever in my life, the person saying it will get such a smack.

Mountain Beltway: Weekend macro bugs.  So pretty!  A camera certainly changes your whole perspective on creepy-crawlies.

Laelaps: Long Live the Anomalocaridids!  Squee!  Anomalocaridids survived longer than we thought!  Hooray for bizarre beasties!  Also, don’t miss Brian’s ScienceNOW companion piece: Who You Callin’ Shrimp? 

io9: The story behind the world’s oldest museum, built by a Babylonian princess 2,500 years ago.  Modern archaeology, meet ancient archaeology.

The Guardian: Britain’s volcanic past.  Epic.  Geology is awesome.

Eruptions: That about wraps it up for the Grímsvötn eruption.  Nice finale to the biggest Icelandic volcano news since that bloody unpronouncible one.

Scientific American: Material Poet.  Cloning glaciers.  I bloody love it when art and science mix!

Writing

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: In Which I Wax Philosophical on Narrative Distance, POV, and Voice.  This isn’t a run-of-the-mill post on those points – this is a brain scientist’s post on those points.  Much food for thought for such a short post!

The Passive Voice: How to Read a Book Contract – Assignments – Part 1.  Assignments, people, not assignment.  As in, assignments in a contract.  And if you don’t know what those are, you’d better get your arse over there and read up.  Also, Part 2.  

Nathan Bransford: Reversals in Novels and Movies.  Or, why your story should be more like switchbacks than open road.  Hey, I should write that…

Dean Wesley Smith: Think Like A Publisher #11… Electronic Sales to Bookstores.  This is possibly the coolest idea ever.  Who says you can’t sell ebooks in a brick-and-mortar store?!

The Business Rusch: Publishers (Surviving the Transition Part 2).  It’s amazing, innit, just how many different ways people can find to screw you royally.  Good thing there are people who can help you screw back.

Imaginary Foundation: Seth Godin: The Wealth of Free.  “The industry’s dead.” Find out why.

Atheism and Religion

Blag Hag: Atheist high schooler receives death threats for protesting graduation prayer.  Seriously.  Death threats, merely for pointing out that a school-sponsored prayer is against the law.  This is why atheists have to speak out, folks: to keep kids like this from being ostracized, disowned, and threatened.

What Would JT Do: They drag prayer lower than I ever could.  I hope they enjoy the ensuing court battle.

Jessica Ahlquist: A Quick History.  Another brave, eloquent high school student finding herself under fire for trying to get her school to understand the law.

Miranda Celeste: A worthless and dangerous report.  Once again, the Catholic Church blames everybody but itself for its child-raping priests – with bonus blame-society and but-they-were-never-taught-raping-kiddies-was-wrong handwaving.  Good on Miranda for ripping their report apart!

Patheos: Time for a Nontheist History Month.  I’m so down with this.  And can you imagine the frothing fundies’ reactions when they find out this nation wasn’t so Christian after all?  Heh.

Bad Astronomy: Oregon set to remove faith healing defense for parents.  Good.

Open Parachute: Confronting accomodationism.  Excellent.

Women’s Issues

The Daily Beast: DSK Accuser: The Dangerous Life of a Hotel Maid.  You’ll never see the woman who brings you fresh towels as anything less than incredibly brave after this.

The Difference Engine: What it feels like to be me.   A neat little thought experiment that should help even the most obtuse among us understand what it’s like to be female in a male-dominated world.

Coyote Crossing: How Not To Be An Asshole: A Guide For Men.  Give to every man you meet.  Men not already following the guide: pay close attention.

Sasha’s Den of Iniquity: Sasha’s Brief Guide to Not Being a Douchy Misogynist.  Also give this to every man you meet.  See?  Some men really get it.  You can, too!

The Plog: Kansas Rep. Pete DeGraaf: Being impregnated during a rape is just like getting a flat tire.  But I’ll bet he expects his insurance to cover Viagra while women are forced to pay for their own abortions after a rape.

Greta Christina’s Blog: Atheism, Sexism, and Pretty Blonde Videobloggers: or, What Jen Said.  Dear atheist males: you should be better than this.  Please ask the nearest female atheist to whack you over the head with a clue-by-four.  Repeat as necessary.

Blag Hag: We’re not here for eye candy.  Got that yet?

Skepchick: The Secular Movement’s Position on Women’s Rights.  As in, when you’re fighting frothing fundie encroachment on secular society, you shouldn’t forget the war against women they’re waging.

Almost Diamonds: Sexism Always Wins, but It Still Loses.  There’s good news.  Nothing like allowing the opponent room to shoot self in foot, is there?

Sociological Images: Serena Williams’ Patriarchal Bargain.  Why are we playing a game we can’t win, ladies?  It’s time to change that game.

Mike the Mad Biologist: Refusing to Cede the Moral High Ground on Abortion.  This is what abortion really is.  A blessing.  And we shouldn’t forget that, lest we lose all access to that blessing.  Oh, and before you start babbling about adoption, read this comment at Pharyngula.

The Independent: Laurie Penny: Say it again: it’s our right to choose.  Britain’s facing the same kind of frothing fundie anti-abortion crusades we are here.  Ladies, if you don’t want to end up a baby factory, time to get loud.

Society and Culture

MoveOn: The Most Aggressive Defense Of Teachers You’ll Hear This Year.  I don’t normally point to videos, but da-amn, this one’s worth watching in its entirety.

A Teacher on Teaching: Sham Standards: Governor Kasich and the Standardized Testing Fetish.  Veterans, teaching-to-the-test, and good old righteous rage.  You must read this, which is why it’s in bold.

Racialicious: How to Debunk Pseudo-Science Articles about Race in Five Easy Steps.  One of the best how-tos ever – definitely one we’ve needed.

Technosociology: Why Twitter’s Oral Culture Irritates Bill Keller (and why this is an important issue).  I love posts that make me look at something familiar through new eyes.  I’ll never see Twitter quite the same way again.

Rationally Speaking: Who dunnit? The not-so-insignificant quirks of language.  It’s fascinating how language can change one’s views.  This post shows how the way we word things can change the way we understand the world with chilling clarity.

Not Exactly Rocket Science: Bad gossip affects our vision as well as our judgment.  Speaking of how language affects us, check out how a little gossip can change the way we actually see.

Decrepit Old Fool:  Consumerism and attachmentClocks, consumers, and a bit o’ Zen.  Also, The daughters of popular culture, in which the People of Wal-Mart and children’s toys are used to make some excellent points about our society.

Bug Girl’s Blog: Photos, Flames, and Copyright.  Copyright is important.  So is not being a total asscrunch when you think someone’s violated your copyright (but really hasn’t).  Also, never ever buy a picture from Ron Wolf.  Really, don’t.  There are plenty of photographers who aren’t gargantuan assholes who also take better photos.  Give them your business.

Almost Diamonds: The Role of Confrontation in the Gay Rights Struggle.  An awesome list of resources for those who want to understand the subject.  Accommodationists, take especial note, please, and extrapolate accordingly.  And don’t miss Stephanie’s Scientific American post: The Politics of the Null Hypothesis.

The Guardian: Our ignorance was bliss for Fred Goodwin.  Why we must learn to say, “That’s tough” a lot more often.  In fact, it’s so important that I’m going to quote it right here:

When censors try to restrict debate, democratic peoples must learn to reply with two words: that’s tough. “You want to use violence to stop criticism of religions that claim supernatural dominion over men’s minds and women’s bodies – that’s tough. You want to use libel law to stop scientists warning about the quack “cures” of chiropractic therapists – that’s tough. You want to use privacy law to prevent any mention of an alleged relationship between Sir Fred Goodwin and a colleague at the precise moment when he was taking the Royal Bank of Scotland over the cliff’s edge. Well, we can see why his tender feelings may be hurt, but this is a free society – so that’s tough too.”

SF Gate: The value of facts.  Apparently, reality violates some people’s values.  Jon Carroll helps us practice “that’s tough.”  And explains why volcanoes violate his values.

Politics

Marie Porter: Minnesota’s Gay Marriage Amendment.  A proper rant on the bigoted and badly misplaced priorities of the Cons.

Almost Diamonds: Not in My Constitution.  And while we’re on that subject, Stephanie Szvan’s blistering take on that nonsense.

NeuroDojo: Before you attack science, could you at least learn to use Google?  ABC plays the stenographer for Sen. Tom Coburn (R, of course, what did you expect?). 

Think Progress: BREAKING: Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin Makes History By Signing Into Law Single Payer Health Care.  WOOT! Nation, follow Vermont’s lead.

Alternet: Why Conservatives Want to Destroy Public Education.  Hint: it has a little summat to do with edimicashun and eekwaluhtee.

Los Links 5/27

Los Links 5/20

Right.  Okay.  So it’s late.  Again.  So what’s new?  Look, I had some frantic fiction writing going on, there was a Peacemakers concert, and then meeting Helena.  I was busy.  But I’ve finally got everything gathered for your reading pleasure.

Before we get on with the rest of Los Links, there’s one I just want to place right up front here:

Harvard Magazine: The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.  I don’t even care if you despise J.K. Rowling.  Go read her commencement address.  It’s one of the wisest, most inspiring and important things I’ve ever read, and it applies to everyone, regardless of what they plan to become.  And it’s got funny bits in.  And it might just change your life. 

Mississippi Floods

Highly Allochthonous: Levees and the illusion of flood control.  Anne’s fantastic post will make you rethink river systems and our attempts to control them.

Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog: America’s Achilles’ heel: the Mississippi River’s Old River Control Structure.  A wonderful post explaining just exactly how difficult it is to make a mighty river go one way when it really wants to go another.

Science: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back on U.S. Floodplains.  Written in 2005, uber-relevant now.  Ye gods, we’re idiots…

Mount St. Helens Anniversary

About.com Geology: National Volcano Day.  Some excellent points and a wonderful collection of links to various and sundry 31st Anniversary posts.  Including mine.  Squee!

Rapture Nonsense

Mountain Beltway: Five days until… nothing much happens.  Callan at his uncompromising, incisive best.  Don’t miss the bonus fun of the tone troll in the comments!

Science

Uncovered Earth: Take a Hike: Latourell Falls.  A beautiful post about a beautiful setting.  Now that summer’s almost here, it’s definitely time to take a hike!

Not Exactly Rocket Science: Building anti-flu drugs on a computer.  I can’t think of anything clever to say about this because it’s rather too awesome for words.  Amazing what we can do with computers these days, innit?  Also, Life’s deliberate typos.

Neuroskeptic: There’s no DNA in “Disease”.  A good explanation as to why one gene doesn’t always equal one disease.

Starts With a Bang: On Being What You Want, and BigotryEveryone should read this amazing and inspiring post on science, diversity and pursuing your dreams.  That’s why it’s in bold.  While you’re there, also peruse The Fun of Going Faster-Than-Light.

Respectful Insolence: Straw men and projection: Tools of quacks and conspiracy theorists to deflect critical thinking.  Read this post for classic lines like, “Projection this massive should be reserved for 3D movies in IMAX theaters.”

Looking for Detachment: Bighorns on the Overlook Trail.  This one’s got cute animals and some of the most delicious strata you’ve ever seen.  That’s why you should go feast your eyes upon it.  Why are you still lurking about here?

Geotripper: “Are We There Yet?” In Geology, the Journey is the Destination.  The title rather says it all, but I’ll just add that this one’s an especial pleasure for LOTR geeks like meself.

Foundation Blog: After the Debunking: Autism Parents Have Their Say.  Why desperate parents fall for pseudoscience, and how to help them overcome it.

Observations: Space Is an Elaborate Illusion.  Dude, I think this one bent my mind.  Just a little bit.  I love it when a science post changes my perspective!

Aetiology: Pigs with Ebola Zaire: a whole new can o’ worms.  Kay.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve just sworn off anything to do with pigs for life.

Scientific American: Nothing Personal, You’re Just Not My Type.  Those of you worried about intelligent aliens invading earth should probably start worrying about a different sort of alien invasion.  It’s all in the strategy, baby, and I ain’t talking about military tactics.

Slate: Positive Black Swans.  I think the upshot here is that too much fear of falling will never get you flying.  Something for those who fund science to keep in mind.

The Curious Wavefunction: The top four publicly misused chemical terms: A layman’s primer.  This layman certainly appreciated it!

Discover: The Brain Is Made of Its Own Architects.  Brains are awesome.  More awesome than we knew.  Brains build themselves – don’t get more awesome than that, does it?

Cocktail Party Physics: hop, skip and a jump.  Okay, we’ve got a sexy Hollywood actress and a composer teaming up to invent a torpedo guidance system.  Who says artists can’t be scientists?

Myrmecos: Photographing insects with a point & shoot digicam.  So you wanna get a great pic for a post but all you’ve got is this lousy point-and-shoot?  You can still take outstanding photos for science!

Dinosaur Tracking: Tarbosaurus Gangs: What Do We Know?  One thing we know for sure: when something’s hyped out of all proportion, Brian Switek’s standing there with the Righteous Pin o’ Deflation.  You’d think they woulda learned after Ida…

Women’s Issues

The Atlantic: ‘Knowing Your Value’: An MSNBC Host Tells Women They’re Doing It Wrong.  Aren’t we always?  A nice battle cry for telling the UR Doin it Rong crowd to STFU.

Bug Girl’s Blog: Things do get better, sometimes.  Signs of progress, and the way things used to be.  

The Guardian: Being a slut, to my mind, was mostly fun – wearing and doing what you liked.  Clothes, power, and perception.

The Atlantic: Perverse Incentives.  Ladies: your naughty bits are fine just the way they are.  Really.  WTF do you want your vajayjay to look like Barbie’s for?

XKCD: Answering Ben Stein’s Question.  Wherein Ben Stein’s dumbfuckery regarding over-privileged arseholes accused of rape gets the proper boot in the arse.

Indymedia Scotland: Edinburgh City Council Advocates Violence Against Women.  What else can you say when a city council won’t issue a permit for a women’s march because drunk men may harass them?  Rather than, y’know, making it clear drunk men harassing women won’t be tolerated?

Society and Culture

LA Times: The disgraceful interrogation of L.A. school librarians.  This, my darlings, is the sign of a very sick culture.  I’m sorry to say that culture is ours.

Decrepit Old Fool: It’s a dirty job, but…  I have a new appreciation for blue-collar workers after our maintenance guy unclogged my toilet last Sunday.  And this is a beautiful tribute to them, and a good sharp smack for those who fail to realize how important such workers are.  Also treat yourself to Those who can, teach.  You know what, make it a trifecta and read Punishment while you’re there.

CDC: Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.  The most brilliant hook for emergency preparedness education ever.

Take as Directed: The Freedom Riders and Same-Sex Marriage.  John Lewis, same-sex marriage, and the struggle for civil rights.

Atheism and Religion

Salty Current: Yes, Templeton is antiscience.  Just in case there was any doubt left in anyone’s mind. 

Temple of the Future: Support Sojourners? I Decline.  Anti-gay bigotry rears its ugly head yet again.  Why are people surprised that supposedly “progressive” religious groups can still be so hateful?

Butterflies and Wheels: A split within the movement.  All those accommodationists shouting at atheist activists to shut up ‘cuz they’re rocking the boat too much?  Yeah, think of what would’ve happened if Freedom Riders has listened to much the same advice.

Why Evolution is True: Mooney snatches victory from jaws of defeat.  Yup.  Chris Mooney’s still a disgusting little slimeball, although, like John McCain, he does on rare occasion say something reasonable people can agree on.

Politics

Racialicious: If You Haven’t Been On Food Stamps, Stop Trying to Influence Government Policy.  Email a copy of this to every fucktard in office who thinks people on food stamps are living like royalty at the government’s expense.  Better yet, force every fucktard in office who thinks same to live off of food stamps either to the end of their terms or until they stop being so stupid.

The Washington Post: Bin Laden’s death and the debate over torture.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but John McCain is absolutely right (except the bit where he says those who tortured prisoners shouldn’t be prosecuted).  He demonstrates a moral clarity and an attention to reality that’s been sadly lacking on the right.

Writing

The Passive Voice: How to Read a Book Contract – How Long Does It Last?  You’ll be horrified at the answer in some cases. Also, What’s Not There? and Inflation.

Musings and Moths: It’s big, it’s bad, it’s a publish button.  This is the only checklist you’ll need as a science writer.  Modify as necessary for other sorts of writing.  Then write!

A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing: Tech Talk and the Active Ebook.  A fascinating look at what books might become.

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Audible Launches ACX, Self Publishing for Audio Books.  Seems like self-publishing no longer means being limited to lame vanity press paper books, eh? 

The Business Rusch: Surviving The Transition (Part One).  As clear a survey of the changes sweeping the publishing industry as I’ve seen.

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: Ebook Publishing Tips from Joanna Penn.  Valuable info for anyone thinking of striking out on their own.

Literary Abominations: Principles of Contracts: The Third Cousins Rule.  No matter what kind of contract you’re negotiating, this is damned good advice.

Bit o’ Fun

Gabbro B-Sides: How Gay Marriage Causes Earthquakes.  Okay, so this is years old, but it made me laugh my arse off and it’s still relevant, so here you are.

Los Links 5/20

Los Links 5/13

All right.  Sorry.  Yes.  We’re seriously late, here, but between Blogger’s malfunction and the fact my Muse isn’t quite aware the winter writing season’s over, I haven’t had a chance to put them together.  But here we are, and thanks to overwhelming reader demand, the Los Links show will go on.

Let’s get right to it.

I know Mother’s Day was two Sundays ago now, but these are still worthwhile posts, and we should probably appreciate Mom on more than one day of the year anyway.

Deliberate Pixel: Mothers, daughters and superheroes.  Almost made me cry, this one, and I’m one of those horrible people who tries not to get too sentimental about such things.

NYT: When We Hated Mom.  Believe it or not, we did.  Really.  Go find out why and how.

One of the biggest stories – well, more like ongoing saga – of the past couple of weeks is the flooding on the Mississippi.  Here are some posts that will help you sort through the chaos.

XKCD: Michael Bay’s Scenario.  You’ve only got time for one post on the Mississippi flood.  You want to understand just what the fuck is going on.  This is that one post.  And it proves that there’s more at XKCD than just brilliant science comics.

Riparian Rap: Giving and taking at Birds Point. Levees for Libertarians? This post is crucial for understanding flood easements, and a nice antidote to all those “Oh, those poor people the evil Army Corps of Engineers are flooding out of house and home!” stories.

And, quite important for me, at least, Neil Gaiman’s episode of Doctor Who aired Saturday.  This post explains why this is a Really Big Thing.  Allow me to quote, because this sums up exactly why I adore this show, and Neil Gaiman, so very much:

All in all, it’s a silly, twinkly and enchanting look at the world of Doctor Who from a new angle. The idea of treating the original mad scientist show as a fairy tale has seldom worked better than it does in Gaiman’s hands. It’s one of those things that starts out just sort of spinning out cleverness, and then it suddenly turns quite scary and dark, and winds up being quite emotional. And it might just make your friends fall in love with the greatest time traveler of them all.

It was all that and much, much more.  If you didn’t get a chance to catch it, treat yourself – it’ll come round again.

And now, on with the regular linkage.

Science

History of Geology: May 8, 1902: La Pelée.  First time I heard about Pelée was in a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not book.  David’s post is better.  If you like volcanoes, history, or volcanoes in history, go read this right now.

Uncovered Earth: Sunday Science Photos, May 1 – 7.  Have I mentioned lately how much I’m loving this series?  Gorgeous!

Bad Astronomy: Incredibly, impossibly beautiful time lapse video.  The next time someone tells you science isn’t phenomenally beautiful, send them here.

The Biology Files: Autism, Lupron, the Geiers, and what can science do about emotions?  A horrifying story, and a very good point.

Molecular Matters: I wanna be a Pseudoscientist.  This post made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself.

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: Origins of carbonaceous chondrites.  This post will cure you of thinking that meteorites are merely slightly-interesting space rocks.

Oscillatory Thoughts: We are all inattentive superheroes.  No, really, we are.  Go find out what that means.

The Panic Virus: The latest claims of “proof” that vaccines cause autism: Will the media take the bait? Why the anti-vaccination crowd is, once again, remarkably full of shit.

Culturing Science: Erasistratus on the nature of scientific inquiry.  Because I’m a complete sucker for history and science, not to mention ancient Greek and Rome.  Are you trying to tell me you’re not?

NASA Science: NASA Announces Results of Epic Space-Time Experiment.  Einstein was right.  Do try to contain your surprise.  But seriously – go read it.  This shit sounds like a science fiction show, but it’s real, and it’s so close to home.

Daily Mail: Drifting apart: Amazing underwater photos that show the growing gap between two tectonic plates.  This, people, is why science is so damned incredible.  Without science, it’s just a dive through an underwater canyon.  With science, it’s a story of epic forces and powerful plates pulling apart.  Fantastic!

Not Exactly Rocket Science: A memory for pain, stored in the spine.  Did you know your spine has a memory?  I didn’t.  Read on!

Short Sharp Science: Fossil raindrops reveal early atmospheric pressure.  Fossil raindrops are cool.  The fact they can tell us about the air up there billions of years ago is even cooler.

Explainer.net: The Fracking Song.  A video that explains fracking in song?  So awesome!  I loved this, and I don’t even like that sort of music.

Reading the Washington Landscape: Iceberg Tracks and Kettles in Columbia Valley.  Simply because I love glacial landforms, and these are awesome.

Religion, Atheism and All That Rot

Punctuated Equilibrium: Understanding Christianese, Lesson 1.  This is hilarious.  And helpful.  You can’t beat that combo.

Almost Diamonds: Standing on Aether, Thinking Airy Thoughts.   Bad questions, pseudoscience, and theology, and how they all tie together.  This post allowed me to clarify my thinking a bit.  Always nice!

Mother Jones: One Man’s Crusade Against Fundamentalist Claptrap.  And how the Cons have fallen in love with an enemy.

Choice in Dying: Religion Lies.  Just in case anyone had any doubt.  But it bears repeating, and the fact Eric MacDonald has an inside perspective makes it hit all the harder.

Butterflies and Wheels: Ron Lindsay talks to Chris Mooney.  Further proof the leopard can’t change his shorts.  Even when they’re reeking.

Writing

The Passive Voice: Don’t Sign Dumb Contracts.  Really, seriously, no matter how desperate you are to get published, don’t.  Also, this, this and this – you really need to read these in order to get a handle on how contracts can fuck you sideways, and how to avoid getting fucked.

MacLeans: Why it’s hard to write for Bugs Bunny.  This is one of the best articles on writing I’ve read for a long time.  Definite food for thought, here.  Plus, Looney Tunes!

KeyboardHussy: Reasons behind Self-Published Book Sale Spikes and How I was Wrong.  A must-read for anyone considering self-publishing.

A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing: What Works: Promo for Ebooks.  And this.

Women’s Issues

XKCD: Marie Curie.  Women, science, women of science, and truth.

Guardian: Speak up, I can’t hear you.  Why you should just forget all of the Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus bullshit.

Salon: The “Hooker Teacher” tells all.  What our society does to women who ever dared take their clothes off.

Slate: Texas Passes Ultrasound Requirement.  And why frothing fundies and uterus-obsessed Cons might want to rethink the whole thing.

Pandagon: Sluts, Walking: A FAQ sheet.  In case you have no idea what Slutwalk’s all about, or think you know and have your prim little nose turned up.

Politics

Southern Fried Science: Florida Senate fails basic biology, accidentally outlaws sex.  ZOMG ROFLMAO EPIC FAIL.  Funniest damned thing ever.
Various and Sundry

Vanity Fair: Unspoken Truths.  This will break your heart.

Los Links 5/13

Los Links 5/6

Once again, Yahoo ate all of my beautiful links.  This time, I haven’t got the time to track back through my Twitter feed and try to resurrect them.  Which rather brings me to a question: are these Los Links posts doing anybody any good?  Do you wish me to continue?  Because if Los Links is of limited value to you, my dear readers, then we should move on.

Right.  Moving on.  Here are at least a few links of interest, for those interested parties.  The really big news of the week, o’ course, was bin Laden’s ass getting killed.

Decrepit Old Fool: Motion to adjourn.  This is it.  This is everything I would have said about it, said much better than I could have done.  Read this.  Then go read his one on climate change.  Now.

Hullabaloo: Ten Years On.  Great retrospective/introspective by Digby on the whole bin-Laden-is-dead thing.

Observations of a Nerd: How do you ID a dead Osama anyway? Three things to love about this.  First, adore the science spin on a major current event.  Second, this happened in a matter of hours after Bora put out a call for posts on the topic on Twitter.  Third, got to learn things about DNA testing I hadn’t known before.  WIN!

And now for an assortment of other things worthy of your attention.

Scientific American: Extrasensory Pornception: Doubts About A New Paranormal Claim.  For one thing, the study “proving” ESP has been debunked.  So if you hear folks blabbing on about it, tell them to shaddup already.

ERV: Women and woo: Do women hate vaccines? The answer may surprise you.  Or not.  Depends on what kind of nonsense you’re willing to believe about women.

Highly Allochthonous: The many faces of earthquake triggering.  Wanna know how one earthquake can set off another? Read on! Simon Winchester, take especial note.

Reading the Washington Landscape: Dunite – Decorative, Heat Resistant and CO2 Sequestration. This stuff is teh awesome. And we’ve got whole mountains made of it. Woot!

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: Or not…  For a post that’s supposedly not a post, this one contained some very neat info!

Uncovered Earth: Sunday Science Photos, April 24 – 30.  I’m super-excited about this series, and I hope Michael keeps it up!

Mountain Beltway: Pamukkale 1. Turkish travertine!  Yum!

Looking for Detachment: Cross-Bedded.  Finally, someone jumped on the Sedimentary Sentiments meme bandwagon! And it’s gorgeous.  ZOMG so beautiful!

Greg Laden’s Blog: A multiplicity of strategies is better than infighting when addressing creationism and related problems.  This is a meta-post that contains links to pretty much every post I wanted to highlight from Almost Diamonds and Butterflies and Wheels, plus great stuff from Why Evolution is True and Pharyngula.  So there we are!

I’m missing a ton of outstanding stuff, and it kills me, but outta time.  If there’s an especial favorite post from this past week I’ve missed, put it in the comments so all of us can have a read!

Los Links 5/6

Los Links 4/29

It’s been another week in which there’s just way too much awesome stuff.  I need to find someone who will pay me to do nothing but sit around and read it all.

Let’s get right to it.

Doctor Oz Gets His Arse Handed to Him

Science-Based Medicine: A Skeptic In Oz.  In which Dr. Steven Novella describes the experience of appearing on Dr. “Woomeister Supreme” Oz’s show, and why Dr. Oz is so very, very, horribly wrong about, well, everything.

Respectful Insolence: Steve Novella on The Dr. Oz Show: Dr. Oz has become Kevin Trudeau.  For those who just can’t get enough, Orac’s not-so-respectful insolence is just the thing.

Science

About.com: Where Things Come From: Rock Materials.  Something not many of us think about, but probably should do.

Science-Based Medicine: Without Borders.  In which Mark Crislip kicks the arses of quacks without borders as only he can. 

Throught the Sandglass: Sunday sand: Easter ooids.  Geological eggs.  Too awesome!

NeuroLogica Blog: Consequences.  All those who think there’s no harm in folks falling for alt med, magical thinking, and anti-vaccine silliness, or who know those who think there’s no harm, need to read about the consequences.  It’s important.

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: Stony-Iron Meteorites, or space rock bling.  Meteorites are beautiful!

Geotripper: Rockslide on Highway 140 Near Yosemite (Video).  Okay, too cool – Garry caught a slide in the act!

jfleck at inkstain: Is it about the alfalfa? Thinking Like a River Basin…  We’re going to have to think big to solve water issues.

Boing Boing: Meet Science: What is “peer review”?  I love this “meet science” idea.  Great way to introduce folks to the basics!

Research at a Snail’s Pace: We don’t need no stinkin’ sieves.  You need a good giggle, don’t you?  Yes, you do.  Go watch the video and laugh.

Wired: Space: Medicine’s final frontier.  Ed Yong’s fabulous feature.  Read it!

The Guardian: Backwards step on looking into the future.  In which Ben Goldacre takes the science journals to task.

JAYFK: Hell to the no! Chemical-free chemistry kit.  The latest and greatest in childhood toy dumbfuckery.

Context and variation: #scimom and me.   Kate Clancy is a superwoman.  No, seriously.

Not Exactly Rocket Science: Individual neurons go to sleep while rats stay awake.  This will make you look at sleep deprivation in a whole new light.  Also, for those sick to death of the royal wedding buzz, this.

New Scientist: Push to define year sparks time war.  Lessee, learn something important about dates, get a Doctor Who reference, and watch physicists vs. geologists.  What’s not to love?

Pharyngula: The true story of the Archaean genetic expansion.  This is what creationists do with scientific research.  Researchers and public, take especial note.

Laelaps: Apples and Orangutans.  Science bloggers, journalists, and interested bystanders need to read Brian Switek’s tale of two conferences.

Earth Science Erratics: Impact and Geology: spherules rule.  It’s not just craters that tell us about the Earth’s impact history.

Highly Allochthonous: Hydrologist + professor = Anne’s answers to career profile questions.  Loved learning about Anne’s career and the routes that can take a person there.

Politics

AZCentral: Gabrielle Giffords’ doctors, husband share details on her progress.  It’s remarkable how far Gabby’s come.  Round of applause for the doctors who not only saved her life, but her mind.

Mother Jones: The Right-Wing Network Behind the War on Unions.  You didn’t think it was a coinky-dink that so many Con governors and state houses were attacking unions, did you?

My Left Wing: Revolution 2.0 Outline RFC.  Woozle’s got some ideas for getting power back in the hands of the people.  Comments desired.

Angry Black Lady Chronicles: Dear Media: Fuck You with my Trusty Rusty Pitchfork; An Open Letter to the MSM.  Best rant of the week.  Stay for the “Fuck You Symphony.”

Atheism

Almost Diamonds: The Support of New Atheism.  In which Stephanie Szvan explains to the thick why New Atheism supports all atheists.  Also, this.

The Chronicle of Higher Education: The Emperor’s New Nakedness.  In which David Barash puzzles over why, now that everybody knows the emperor’s nekkid, so many are trying to shut up the folks who aren’t afraid to say so.

Advocatus Atheist: R. Joseph Hoffmann Needs to Apologize to Atheists.  In which Hoffman’s ass is thoroughly (and deservedly) whupped.

Cosmic Variance: Hell.  In which we’re reminded that hell is one of those horrific ideas that only becomes socially acceptable when religion’s involved.

Choice in Dying: The Shoals and Shallows of Easter.  Eric MacDonald reflects on Easter, and all of the ridiculous nonsense involved.

[weird things] so how is all that accommodating working out?  This post pokes accommodationism so full of holes it’s a wonder anything’s left.  Oh, wait – nothing is.

Why Evolution is True: Murders: God vs. Satan.  The tally might surprise you.  Then again, maybe not.

ABC: With friends like these: Atheists against the New Atheism.  Russell Blackford’s response to Ruse and other haters of the Gnus.

AlterNet: One More Reason Religion Is So Messed Up: Respected Theologian Defends Genocide and Infanticide.  No, seriously, he does.  And people wonder why Gnus are so impolite to religion.

Women’s Issues, Society and Culture

Steve Cuno: How a single word change can make cruelty seem OK.  Even when it’s really not.

The Tightrope: On gender roles and pink toenails.  It’s not just about the appropriate shade for boys’ toenails, but about society’s hatred for girly things.

Slate: Nervous Nellies.  Feeling anxious, ladies?  You might want to give nurture a piece of your mind.

Harvard Gazette: The secret lives of boys.  And while you’re at it, nurture has a lot to answer for in the stereotypical male department, too.

Faruk Ateş: Translation of General Misogyny to Uncomfortable Truth.  One of the most masterful takedowns of white male idiocy I’ve seen in a while.

Slate: Beware the In-Laws.  Christopher Hitchens on the royal wedding.  Brutal and refreshing.

A Gay Girl in Damascus: My father, the hero.  Harrowing and inspiring, all at once.

Writing

Dean Wesley Smith: Think Like A Publisher #9.5… The Secret of Indie Publishing.  Hint: it involves writing a lot.

Writer Beware Blogs: The Interminable Agency Clause.  Know it. Hate it.  Have it stricken.

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: An Experimental Psychologist’s Take on Beta Reading Part IV: Results and Conclusions.  Livia Blackburne’s conclusion contains lessons for us all.

Los Links 4/29

Los Links 4/22

Okay, yes, late.  Stuff happened.  Better late than never, right?

Seeing as how it’s Zombie Jesus Day, let us begin with Atheism for once.

Choice in Dying: Self-Examination and Confession…..  This is how Eric MacDonald writes when he’s sick as a dog.  He can still think complex critical circles around theologians.  Fear him.

Why Evolution is True: Forgive me, Father, for I have touched myself.  Jerry Coyne took on Holy Week as only Jerry Coyne can.  And while you’re at it, don’t miss his Sin of the Day series: Blasphemy, Divorce, Homosexuality, and Fornication.

Metamagician and the Hellfire Club: How I see the “New Atheism” Parts One and Two.  Attention New Atheist bashers: read these before you bleat on and on and on.  It will save you some embarrassment.

And now, on to the Science!

Neuron Culture: The Allure of Gay Cavemen.  In which Eric Johnson gives media hype the proper boot to the arse.  Also, Ariel casts out Caliban is not to be missed.  Shakespeare and science, people, need I say more?

Hudson Valley Geologist: Do scientists and creationists simply look through different glasses?  I’d say theirs are Groucho Marx glasses, but I don’t want to disrespect Groucho Marx.  Seriously, though, this is an excellent post on why, as Steve puts it, “Interpretations of evidence, like glasses, aren’t all equivalent.  Some are just nuts.”

Science-Based Medicine: The World Has Moved On.  In which Mark Crislip gives HuffPo homeopathy-for-radiation-poisoning shite the fatal beating it deserves.

Mountain Beltway: Explore the DGMR rock garden.  Want this rock garden.  WANT!

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: Iron Meteorites.  You know what I love about Meteorite Mondays? There’s always something there that makes me sit up and go, “I did not know that!” 

Neurotic Physiology: Experimental Biology Blogging: Getting Scientists to Speak Up in the Animal Research Debate.  Some powerful stuff on how to respond to animal rights insanity.

Speaking of Research: Waking up the Neighbors: A Neighborhood Response to Animal Rights Extremism.  Excellent advice as well.

Bad Astronomy: Gorgeous galaxies celebrate Hubble’s 21st birthday.  Hey, Hubble’s old enough to drink!  Get drunk on some beautiful science with it.

The Lay Scientist: Planet of the Apes. Not monkeys, apes.  This is seriously one of the funniest things I read all week.

Science-Based Medicine: Suffer the Children.  Harriett Hall reviews a book every parent should read.  Like, now.

Eruptions: Certainty vs. Uncertainty: What “Supervolcano” teaches us about science and society.  And here you thought you couldn’t learn anything from cheesy Hollywood films.

Looking for Detachment: Mirage on the Desert.  Mirages are cool.

Reading the Washington Landscape: More to Ponder Regarding Tsunami Risk.  I hope officials are listening to Dan McShane, because if not, we could get horrifyingly wet.  Plus, video that will make your heart plunge.

Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week: The World’s Largest Dinosaurs @AMNH.  A fascinating inside look at the new sauropod exhibit.

And now, let us talk about Writing.

Punctuated Equilibrium: In Your Own Write: The ten rules for excellent writing.  Aimed at science writers, supposedly, but definitely relevant to every writer’s interests.

Sam Harris: How to Get Your Book Published in 6 (Painful) Steps.  Advice from someone who’s been there.

Jim C. Hines: Comic Amusement.  Print and post on your wall.

A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing: An Experimental Psychologist’s Take on Beta Reading Part III: Data Collection.  Now we’re down to the nitty-gritty.  All writers planning to make use of beta readers (and that should be all of you), take note.

For once, let’s not bury Women’s Issues down near the very bottom.

Life is Thrilling: Au Contraire.  Etiquette, Aunt Mary, and what might be lurking in a lady’s pocket.

Richard Dawkins Foundation:  Woman, know thy place.  Paula Kirby’s no-holds-barred approach to the way religion treats women.

After that brutal smackdown, I think we’re ready for our Politics, wherein Paul Ryan’s plan to fuck the country up the arse gets the respect it deserves.  Which is to say, none.

Daily Kos: A Truly Sick Part Of Ryan’s Kill Medicare Plan That You May Not Have Heard About.  Those who aren’t yet seniors but planning to become one someday should take especial note, because you are one among many the Cons are trying to fuck up the arse.

Paul Krugman: Let’s Not Be Civil.  And you thought it was only Gnu Atheist bashers who were all about teh tone.  Paul Krugman gives the tone argument the short, sharp smack it deserves.

The Atlantic: Undoing Me
dicare: The Real ‘Death Tax’
.  Speaking of tone, did that title sound too harsh?  Tough.  It’s accurate.

Ezra Klein: The scariest thing I’ve ever heard on television.  The depths of Michele Bachmann’s stupidity are truly, truly astounding.  Ezra explains why we should all be afraid.  Very afraid.

Balloon Juice: Albert Einstein was a Friend of Mine, and I Can Tell You, Representative: You Are No Albert Einstein*.  Tom Levenson absolutely destroys the dumbfuck Con who tried to recreate Einstein in his own sick, twisted image.

Think Progress: Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer Blocks Tea Party Legislation With ‘VETO’ Branding Iron.  The title says it all.

Grumbleweed: Return To Sender (Shredded).  Perhaps the greatest letter ever written to Gov. Scott “Fuck all y’all” Walker.

Think Progress: Florida’s GOP House Speaker Pushing Court-Packing Plan To Neutralize Democratic Justices.  Cons are really outdoing themselves on this whole naked power grab thing.

And, finally, ye olde Miscellany.

Comics Alliance: Ask Chris #53: Batman vs. Harry Potter.  Anyone who’s ever played the “Which awesome character would win” game will love this.

Geek Dad: GeekDad’s daughter remakes the game of chess.  I want to play by her rules, but she’d kick me arse.

The Pleonastic Rants of C.S. Daley: What’s With The Geek Hate?  It appears the premiere of GoT really brought the haters out of the woodwork.

I Am Establishing A Position On The Internet: Untitled.  For all those who wanted to see NYT reviewers with dumbshit ideas about fantasy and women get the smackdown just one more time, here ye go.  Thank you, Woozle, for sending us there!

My Fair Scientist: The Deep Well of Major Clinical Depression, Part Eleventy-Four.  This is a rant everyone should read, especially if they want to understand something about racism.

Slobber and Spittle: Sunday Photos(s).  You know you want more cherry blossoms.

Los Links 4/22

Los Links 4/15

Another week, another collection o’ superb posts.  Not that Yahoo wanted me to share them with you.  It ate my list o’ links.  Every single one. 

But it’s mostly back from the dead, and ready for perusing.

Big dust-up o’ the week: The Templeton Prize.  Those of you who like to keep religion away from science, and those of you who aren’t sure why the rest of us want to keep religion away from science, should have a look at the following:

Choice in Dying: Big Bucks, Big Splash, Small Puddle and The Betrayal of Reason.  Eric MacDonald unpacks the issues as only Eric MacDonald can.

Nick Cohen: Science has vanquished religion, but not its evils.  Absolutely no quarter given.  None deserved.

Why Evolution is True: The Guardian strikes back: Templeton and Rees are wonderful, Gnu Atheism is dead, in which Jerry Coyne takes a stick to some truly wretched pieces.

Japan‘s still in the news.  As it should be.

Georneys: On the Recent Japan Earthquake Sequence.  A guest post from Evelyn’s friend Jean-Arthur Olive.  The new quake also caused Evelyn and her dad to continue on with their series of interviews after they’d planned to stop – the latest is here.

Highly Allochthonous: Earthquake location matters, part eleventy.  In which Chris Rowan explains why location matters so very much.

Nature: Shake-up time for Japanese seismology.  A scathing indictment of outmoded methods of thought.

I’ve got a ton, I mean an absolute ton, of great Science fare.  Are you sitting comfortably?  Good.  Cuz you may be here a while.

Ars Technica: Evolutionary analysis shows languages obey few ordering rules.  This one surprised me.

Bad Astronomy: A half century of manned space exploration.  Read this if you want an exploration call-to-arms.

Aetiology: Margulis does it again.  In which it is explained why one person who once got it right gets everything so very wrong.

Why Evolution is True: Lynn Margulis disses evolution in Discover magazine, embarrasses both herself and the field.  Jerry Coyne piles on.

Not Exactly Rocket Science: Justice is served, but more so after lunch: how food-breaks sway the decisions of judges.  This worries me.  It should worry you.

Chileana: The Laws of Fieldwork.  Hi-larious!

Looking for Detachment: Salt from Bonneville Salt Flats and A Tale of Two Trips.  Gorgeous, delicious, very salty photos!

Glacial Till: Meteorite Monday: My first meteorite!  She’s a beauty. So cute!

UC Berkeley: Novel technique reveals how glaciers sculpted their valleys.  Fascinating stuff.

Oakland Geology: Mountain View Cemetery knocker, the big one.  Why, yes, there is some wonderful geology in cemetaries!

Agile: The scales of geoscience.  Like it from the first sentence: “Geoscientists’ brains are necessarily helicoptery.”

Smithsonian: When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink? Not when you’d think…

McSweeney’s Open Letters: Dear People Who Think They Have Found the Artifact that Will Change Archaeology As We Know It.  Just go.  Just read.  Don’t drink anything beforehand.

Scientific American: Rock stars from coastal California’s past.  Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes….

Dinosaur Tracking: Tracks of Giants Created Dino Death Traps.  No, seriously, they did.  I never knew that.

Julian’s Blog: Rockfall impacts from the Christchurch ‘Quake.  Reminded me of cars crushed in Oak Creek Canyon by falling boulders.  Sobering shite.

The Frontal Cortex: The Psychology of Architecture.  Excuse me, I’ve gotta go paint my walls blue.

Mind Matters: Why Johnny Can’t Name His Colors.  You’d be amazed…

Reading the Washington Landscape: Wallula Gap and John Mix Stanley.  Excellent post on a unique place.

Pharyngula: Paul Nelson takes a stab at Ontogenetic Depth again…which makes me go stab-stab-stabbity-stab.  No one can destroy a total idiot with science quite the way PZ can.

Highly Allochthonous: Backyard science: isotope hydrology style.  Mother and daughter science, absolutely beautiful stuff!

See?  Told ya I had a lot o’ science.  And that last link segues in rather nicely to Women’s Issues.  Oh, have we ever got issues, ladies.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett: Flaming Out and Fighting Back.  No tenure for women who wanna be mommies.

Deep Sea News: For my grandmother, who was born at the wrong time.  Think of this, the next time you meet a prickly old lady.

Pharyngula: Your body isn’t yours, it belongs to the conservative Christians.  PZ applies the smackdown to a lot of states trying to legislate away women’s autonomy.

Which leads rather nicely into this week’s Political junk.

NYT: Behind the Abortion War.  And if you don’t think there’s a war, you haven’t been paying attention.

Guardian: Why fiscal conservatives care about Planned Parenthood.  Sense is made of the senseless.

TPM: Conservative Defects From Anti-Gay Group, Now Supports Same-Sex Marriage.  This one actually warmed my heart and gave me hope for humanity.  Minds can be changed when good people speak out.

The Washington Monthly: Come for the Radicalism, Stay for the Fuzzy Math and We’re Not Supposed to Offer the Low-Wage Workforce for Foreign Companies.  This isn’t how America should be, people, but the Cons want it to be even worse.

After that, I think we need some Medicine.

NYT: Giving Doctors Orders.  On the importance of not being afraid to speak up if something’s wrong.

The Daily: Cheap Shot.  In which we learn that Andrew Wakefield, fraudster and fucktard, is pedaling deadly nonsense among the even more vulnerable.

Respectful Insolence: Yet another misleading alt-med cancer testimonial.  Here’s why you shouldn’t be impressed by “living proof” of woo.

On to Writing!

Women in Crime, Ink: The Publishing Industry Isn’t Always That Great.  If you’re still buying books published by Dorchester, stop it right now.

The Wellcome Trust: Take big, wonderful and startling ideas and make them comprehensible.  A good primer on science writing.

And, finally, a Miscellany.

Outside the Interzone: Heh.  This is northwest weather to a T.

Oatmeal: The 4 Seasons of Seattle Weather.  So is this.  Thanks, Helena!

Almost Diamonds: Skepticism Is a “How,” Not a “Who”.  And skeptics would do well not to forget it.

Brendan Riley: On Source Code and the ethics of the modern technological era.  Great discussion of morality, but spoilers.  You’ve been warned.

Right.  That should keep you lot busy for a few moments.

Los Links 4/15