I took advantage of the extra two weeks to do my annual April re-read of Isaac Asimov’s massive autobiography. I have now done this 15 times, reading first the retrospective volume, I, Asimov, published posthumously in 1994, and then jumping back to In Memory Yet Green and In Joy Still Felt. Despite having the books virtually…
Last weekend during the reception dinner that followed the wedding of some friends, our table got around to talking about weddings and the people who cry at them. There were quite a few (happy) tears at this particular wedding and so it was a natural course for the conversation. Kelly pointed out that she didn’t…
During this recent hiatus in my science fiction writing, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is I like about science fiction and I’ve come to a rather startling realization: my kind of science fiction no longer seems particularly popular today. I like to write the same kind of science fiction that I like…
Now that I’ve described the tools I use to go paperless, discussed my process for spending 10 minutes/day going digital, and talked about ways to secure and protect your digital file cabinet, I thought it would be useful for some practical tips that makes use of some or all of the above. And I think…
I know it’s been a bit quiet here the last few days. Lots going on keeping me busy–and away from the computer. That said, I just wanted to drop in and say hello and give a preview of some of the upcoming posts this week: Tomorrow will be my next installment of my Going Paperless…
Yesterday turned out to be quite a remarkable day for baseball. Early yesterday morning, the Little Man and I walked to our neighborhood Target to pick up some whiffle balls and a bat–his first–so that we could play with them later on that morning. The entire family hauled our way out to Bull Run Park…
I take some occasional heat from friends, family and coworkers for my vocabulary. There are, it seems, times when I use a word that those around me are unfamiliar with. I am asked what the word means, and give the definition to the best of my ability and then try to move on. It is…
Isaac Asimov was known as a bit of an egoist1 but this was something that he openly acknowledged. He called these “charming Asimovian immodesties” and later referred to his attitude as “cheerful self-appreciation.” However, once in a while, he could come across as brilliantly modest. For instance, this quote from him which I read a…
I was out for my 10am walk as usual. Walking up Joyce Street, just south of 395 and the Pentagon, I looked up and saw the space shuttle Discovery taking a piggyback ride on 747. That’s when I remembered why there was so much traffic heading into the District this morning. I didn’t take a picture,…
When I started writing about my experience going paperless more than a year ago, I was frequently asked about my concerns for the safety of my paperless data. After all, much of that data is stored in the cloud, on servers over which I have no control. The questions fell into 2 general categories: Are…
I mean absolutely gorgeous here in the metro-DC area. Mid-80s, low humidity with a wonderful breeze blowing. It’s very difficult to be stuck in an office on a day like today, and I’m reminded of Isaac Asimov’s story “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” (Star Science Fiction, 1954) in which teleportation devices allowed people to travel…
Just in case anyone missed the earlier announcement and was looking for Episode 37 of my Vacation in the Golden Age today: it has been delayed 2 weeks to April 30. I’ve updated the schedule accordingly.