Author Archives: Thom

Weapon of Mass Instruction

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Thom

It’s probably not hard to guess I’m a big fan of books. So it’s probably also not hard to guess that I would endorse this product/service: https://vimeo.com/121404768 The guy seems a little eccentric–or perhaps sold on the idea of being … Continue reading →

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Shockwave coolness

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Thom

Want to see what a shockwave looks like? Check out this article in Popular Mechanics! Pegs my “Coolness Meter” for the day.

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Book Review: Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Thom

My daughter has been pressuring me to read this book ever since she read it a few weeks ago, and I finally got a gap in my schedule. I figured it would be good; Brandon Sanderson continues to improve with … Continue reading →

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How to torment your daughter

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Thom

My daughter is an avid reader, but also a very social one. She loves to be able to discuss books she’s read afterward. Hence she’s constantly coming to me with recommendations: “You have to read this, Dad!” The trouble is, … Continue reading →

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Hubertus Bigend’s RV storage

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Thom

Any fan of William Gibson‘s “Bigend Trilogy” (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, Zero History) is no doubt aware of his character Hubertus Bigend and his love of soviet-era hardware. This particular footage of a Russian airplane museum would undoubtedly produce the need for … Continue reading →

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Writing update: 60K

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Thom

I recently reached the 60,000 words mark on my novel. There’s something magical about the number 60,000. Besides being half of my goal of 120,000 words for a novel, it represents a mental/emotional milestone. It’s almost like tangible proof that … Continue reading →

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Music for cats?

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Thom

From Popular Science: A new project out of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, shows that cats are capable of liking music, they just think yours sucks. A pair of psychologists and a composer have combined sounds that cats like—such as … Continue reading →

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New atomic age?

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Thom

Nuclear fusion has been a tantalizing piece of science fiction dangling just out of reach for some time. I remember in SimCity the fusion reactor being the ultimate goal in energy production. I remember the Tokamek reactors in Outpost. And … Continue reading →

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Authorly sadism

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Thom

I think I made a major step forward in my development as a writer this weekend. I’m starting to ask how I can be more mean to my characters. I just had to disguise it as, “how can I up … Continue reading →

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Ed Sheeran, you intrigue me

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Thom

While I do pay attention to pop culture, I still manage to be late to the party much of the time. Lately I’ve become aware of Ed Sheeran. The name meant nothing to me over a year ago when his … Continue reading →

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