Friday, December 27, 2013

Looking back on 2013 in science fiction and fantasy

Marvel's Agents of Shield
For reasons that defy explanation, I am somehow considered a viable authority on the general fields of science fiction and fantasy media, because the poor fools over at the SF Signal Podcast allowed me to inflict myself upon their 2013 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Year in Review episode.

Fortunately, an actual best-selling genre author (Gail Carriger) and an actual seasoned podcast authority (Jeff Patterson) were on hand to make sure Patrick Hester wasn't trapped with just me on the line to make himself look bad. Gail is worth the price of admission alone, and Jeff is...well...he's spent several decades working the dark underbelly of television. It's done things to his mind...unnatural things...but it makes for good podcasting.

Give a listen.

Per usual, the unending tale of my podcast buffoonery is available here.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Twisdom from ZachWeiner, December 19, 2013 at 08:58AM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/ZachWeiner



December 19, 2013 at 08:58AM

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Twisdom from 4n6woman, December 04, 2013 at 02:02PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/4n6woman



December 04, 2013 at 02:02PM

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Wait, so HOW long has Nintendo been making game consoles?

Color TV Game 6
The poor fools over at TechTalk radio exposed my idiocy to the Chicagoland airwaves again and our conversation wandered into the history of video game consoles. Specifically, exactly how long Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have actually been making consoles -- and what was the only generation of home gaming rigs that this trio entirely sat out.

Fortunately the balance of the show was spent discussing more substantive matters, like why -- exactly -- Snapchat thought Facebook's $3 BILLION buyout offer was too chintzy to accept. The parts where I'm not talking are certainly worthwhile, so give a listen.

If you've not suffered enough, the unabridged history of my podcasted buffoonery is listed here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Twisdom from ChuckWendig, November 06, 2013 at 10:46AM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig



November 06, 2013 at 10:46AM

Friday, November 01, 2013

Twisdom from NathanFillion, October 31, 2013 at 11:45PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/NathanFillion



October 31, 2013 at 11:45PM

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Twisdom from wonderella, October 31, 2013 at 03:04PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/wonderella



October 31, 2013 at 03:04PM

Monday, October 28, 2013

"Experts" pick the sci-fi books you gotta read by year's end

Novels in a Polish bookstore
Because Patrick Hester uses wisdom as his dump stat, I was invited back on the Hugo-winning SF Signal podcast to discuss both what sci-fi I'm reading, prose-wise, and what I will pull out all the stops to read by year's end. Fortunately, Jeff PattersonFred Kiesche and Paul Weimer are along for the ride to inject some actual informed genre bibliophilia into my relentless name-checking of Scott Lynch, Brian Wood and Cherie Priest.

If you're building a Christmas list for the sci-fi-o-phile in your life, or just like hearing geek-banter normally reserved for side-chats at the D&D game table, you could spend worse hours than to hear the SF Signal Recommendations for 2013's Remaining Sci-Fi Must-Reads. My segments are imminently mutable.

As always, my tally of past SF Signal podcast audio-crimes is available here.

Twisdom from maureenjohnson, October 28, 2013 at 12:39PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/maureenjohnson



October 28, 2013 at 12:39PM

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Twisdom from MarcusRomer, October 23, 2013 at 03:18PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/MarcusRomer



October 23, 2013 at 03:18PM

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Twisdom from JustinKownacki, October 23, 2013 at 10:03AM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/JustinKownacki



October 23, 2013 at 10:03AM

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The (nearly) unimaginable future of the American tax code


Day 093/365 - Tax Time Phat Cash!
Let me begin this essay by stating I am in no measure an economist and have no real credentials for advocating the economic viability of what I'm about to propose. I come at this as someone trained in both narrative and sociology, which is to say this is how I expect the political story of American federal taxation to eventually end.

And it will end, at some point in my lifetime, with the demise of the income tax and the rise of the federally guaranteed basic income. Put another way, the federal government will stop taxing your personal income and will instead underwrite it, for everyone.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Twisdom from MykeCole, October 16, 2013 at 03:15PM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/MykeCole



October 16, 2013 at 03:15PM

Twisdom from timpratt, October 16, 2013 at 11:37AM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/timpratt



October 16, 2013 at 11:37AM

Monday, October 07, 2013

Twisdom from damiengwalter, October 05, 2013 at 06:15AM




via Twitter https://twitter.com/damiengwalter



October 05, 2013 at 06:15AM

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

Twisdom for September 30, 2013 at 10:15AM from DRUNKHULK




via Twitter https://twitter.com/DRUNKHULK



September 30, 2013 at 10:15AM

Friday, September 27, 2013

Twisdom for September 27, 2013 at 03:36PM from pattonoswalt




via Twitter https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt



September 27, 2013 at 03:36PM

Twisdom for September 27, 2013 at 03:19PM from MaryRobinette




via Twitter https://twitter.com/MaryRobinette



September 27, 2013 at 03:19PM

Twisdom for July 29, 2013 at 02:32PM from techemployee




via Twitter https://twitter.com/techemployee



July 29, 2013 at 02:32PM

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Twisdom for September 26, 2013 at 08:37AM from weatherchannel




via Twitter https://twitter.com/weatherchannel



September 26, 2013 at 08:37AM

The TechTalk show where I blather briefly about mobile devices

العربية: Android logo
On my latest TechTalk radio appearance, I discuss some rather banal issues with mobile device usage among the elderly before dropping a question about Einstein's most famous (and famously misunderstood) equation. Luckily Paul Ulreich from Verizon is there to clean up my mess -- at least on the phone front.

If you're curious about age-based accessibility for mobile phones, this is actually a very fine episode to give listen -- so long as you mute the parts where I'm talking. You know, the usual.

As always, my complete archive of podcasted misdeeds is available here

Monday, September 16, 2013

The TechTalk episode where I talk about the secret history of Steve Ballmer

Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, presents his pre...
In this TechTalk radio episode, I reveal what dark history Steve Ballmer lived out between his days at Harvard and his illustrious run as a minion of Microsoft. Here's a hint: it involved a midwestern state, pastries and another legendary Fortune 100 CEO. No foolin'.

Mercifully, we spent much more of the episode discussing Oyster and its "Netflix for ebooks" pitch, as well as the future of the prose-for-pay industry. The parts when I'm not talking are definitely worth a listen.

As always, my complete archive of podcasted misdeeds is available here.