Predestination, Episode 12

 
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This week, we delve deeper into the mystery of Senator Shelley’s relationship with the resistance movement and then skip across the solar system to Mars, where we find the Hartmans…or what’s left of them.

I’m going to be at Steamcon, sitting on two panels and waxing eloquent about Victorian Sci&Tech and Multimedia Production.

Nobilis from Nobilis Erotica, one of the giants of fiction podcasting, brings us the Story So Far this week.

This week’s in-show promo is for Geek Pantheon, a podcast for comic book, science fiction, and fantasy junkies with a twisted sense of humor.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):

Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal

Nathan Lowell as Senator Bill Shelley

Brian Levy as Jim Hartman

Erin Ballibanian as Alyssa Hartman

Kitty Nic’Iaian as The Newscaster and The Computer

Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 3

In my post on the Entitlement Mentality I quoted Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who once said “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” The last several election cycles in America have made it shockingly clear that Americans no longer know the difference between opinion and facts – or, if they do, they don’t care about it. A thinking person should form her opinions on facts, carefully considered and prioritized according to her value system. A very carefully thinking person should also subject her values to scrutiny and criticism from those she disagrees with, given that human nature is incapable of seeing facts uncolored by values.

Scientific knowledge has progressed astoundingly fast since most of the current party political alliances were formed seventy years ago, and that pace has accelerated since the last medium-sized realignment thirty years ago. The lessons of history in that same period of time are also momentous – if anyone actually cares to look at them. And most don’t. This creates a problem. Continue reading ‘Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 3′

Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 2

Now, let’s go on over to the Republican side of the fence and do some more sacred cow tipping. I could pick on them for their mirror-image myopia on the same issues of environmental stewardship, but let’s go for something more fun. Let’s take the classic Republican relationship with tradition and history.
Continue reading ‘Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 2′

Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 1

It’s ironic, really. America has been the science and technology innovation engine of the world since the days of Thomas Edison, being joined in supremacy by Japan by the last decade of the 20th century. And yet, despite an amazingly vibrant tech industry (whose growth remains fairly unhindered despite the dot com crash and the current credit crunch), Americans have a very strange relationship with science. Most Americans like to pretend we’re down with science, but the truth is…well, it’s a little more complicated.
Continue reading ‘Electile Dysfunction: Bungling Science pt. 1′

Can’t Get an Election? Try a Candle!

This year’s Beyond Belief conference is up, and it looks like it’s gonna be a doozy. This year, in honor of another very bitter election season in the midst of a number of medium-sized crises, the cadre of scientists and philosophers have trained their sights on public policy.

For those of you who haven’t stumbled upon this conference yet, here’ s a brief history: Continue reading ‘Can’t Get an Election? Try a Candle!’

Predestination, Episode 11

 
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This week, we learn what is going on between Cassy Orinthal and diva dancer Brittany Hydra. We also finally learn what Doug Reeves is up to, and what it might mean for the other characters.

I’m going to be at Steamcon, sitting on two panels and waxing eloquent about Victorian Sci&Tech and Multimedia Production.

Kimi from TaleChasing, author and podcaster, brings us the Story So Far this week.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):

Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal

Phillipa Ballantine as Brittany Hydra

George Chlentzos as Douglas Reeves

Lorien Wheeler as Jade Orin

Nathan Lowell as Senator Bill Shelley

Michael Lemonjello as The Barkeep

Steampunk Education, Part 3

On the Indamixx once again – this week I’m attempting to mix and edit Antithesis on it. Recording on it worked well already, though I am encountering issues with the thing’s root authentication – but more on that in my LinuxJournal article.

For this weekend’s foray into steampunkiness, I ordered my outfit for Steamcon. It should be quite dapper.

Now, on to Steamboy. Continue reading ‘Steampunk Education, Part 3′

Predestination, Episode 11 delayed

A good friend of mine just lost her father to brain cancer, and I have to take some time out from my production schedule to offer a friendly shoulder. I’ll have the episode up on Saturday, instead of today. Please pardon the delay.

Steampunk Education, part 2

Continuing my prep for Steamcon, It’s time for round two in the furthering my steampunk education. I’m still blogging on the Indamixx – going to try recording an Antithesis episode later today to really put it through its paces — once I figure out how to get NFS working on it, that is.

As for the steampunky goodness. Today, I’m watching The Brother’s Grimm . Continue reading ‘Steampunk Education, part 2′

Steampunk Education, part 1

So, with Steamcon coming soon, and me sitting on a couple panels, I’ve got to bone up on a genre that I’ve hereto only been passingly familiar with. This involves an extensive reading list, which I’m honestly not going to have time for. Fortunately, I’m not giving a talk on writing in the genre, I’m merely sitting on a couple of panel discussions. One of them is about Victorian science and tech, which I’ve loved for years. The other is about Steampunk film and multimedia production. The “Multimedia Production” part of this I’m well versed in. The “Steampunk” part, not quite as much.

So, this week, in between evaluating the Trinity Indamixx (initial impressions – favorable but with caveats), which I’m blogging on right now using an external keyboard (I could seriously get addicted to this thing), I learn all about Steampunk Films!
Continue reading ‘Steampunk Education, part 1′

Predestination, Episode 10

 
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This week, we meet the Lunar dancer Brittany Hydra, and we finally get to see what’s underneath Cassy Orinthal’s skin.

I’m going to be at Steamcon, sitting on two panels and waxing eloquent about Victorian Sci&Tech and Multimedia Production.

Phillipa Ballantine, author of the sumptuous Chasing The Bard brings us the Story So Far this week, as well as joining the cast as the indomitable dancer Brittany Hydra.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):

Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal

Phillipa Ballantine as Brittany Hydra

Promo: The Arbiter Chronicles: Contents Under Pressure

SteamCon, Here I Come

For those of you who haven’t heard of it, SteamCon is the first anual Bay Area Steampunk Convention. It happens Halloween Weekend at the Domain Hotel in Sunnyvale CA.

I will be on the following panels:

Engines of Empire: Real Science and Gadgets of Victorian Times – Saturday 1:30-2:30

and

Steampunk Multi-Media: Steamy film, photo, audio and more – Saturday 3-4

Come along, join the party – it promises to be a hell of a debut con!

Of Pub Crawls, Publishers, Short Films, and Short Cons

This weekend kept me busy – posting the latest Antithesis episode, hitting the pub with Chris Lester and Seth Harwood, and hitting Silicon in San Jose.
Continue reading ‘Of Pub Crawls, Publishers, Short Films, and Short Cons’

Predestination, Episode 9

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This week, Jim discovers an unexpected welcome on Mars, while Joss comes into a piece of information he’s been searching for that could change everything — if, that is, he can trust the courier.

Don’t forget about the meet&greet on October 4th! If you’re in the SF Bay Area, come to Jupiter’s in Berkeley, on Shattuck near University, for a meet and greet with myself, Chris Lester, and Seth Harwood. It’s going to be a fun evening, and I’ll have some freebies for those who attend. Find all the details at the Eventful posting, here.

J.C. Hutchins, author of the adrenaline-packed 7th Son trilogy, brings us the Story So Far this week.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):

Steven H. Wilson as Percy Scott

Brian Levy as Jim Hartman

Renee Wilson as Marjorie

Michael Lemonjello as The Barkeep