Insanity...

...is a word I often use to describe my life. I am a chronic-over-committer, and when one doesn't leave time for things to go wrong -- well, of course they usually do. I am facing a particularly insane few months right now -- a time when work and real life have to connect in concert or all will be lost.

Will report back with the results here, of course.

But for tonight, a bit of catch-up on things that have caught my attention lately.

To begin with writerly news, the Hugo Award Nominees were announced yesterday. You can find them listed HERE on the AussieCon site. Last year the big SF convention was in Montreal, right at the height of swine flu season. Here's hoping all the Aussies stay healthy!
 
Moving on to the geological, I found it fascinating yesterday to watch the spread of information about the Baja earthquake on Twitter long before there was mention of it on any of the conventional news channels. Not much effect in California, but my thoughts are going out to those in Mexico who were shaken out of their normal lives by the event. I found THIS SITE to be most informative about the latest, particularly when the severity was re-calibrated from 6.9 to 7.2 -- a substantial jump in size.

And in a final reference to the title of this post, I was saddened and further disheartened by the leaked military video released today on the WikiLeaks site. Again, this story broke on-line long before it emerged anywhere in conventional media. A horrifying incident.  I marched [fruitlessly] with millions of others around the globe against this war before it started, and footage like this stands as evidence of well-founded fears. [I first read about the info on Darren Barefoot's blog -- click HERE for his thoughts.] Further analysis is all over the web now, and I'm hoping that by the time I type this, it might actually have usurped all the Tiger drivel on CNN's front page. [Or not...I just checked, and there is a single line link to it, but apparently a big basketball game trumps all]. Priorities? Insane.

Back to writing about books tomorrow...

~kc

New Blogging & Social Media Class on Tap

Darren Barefoot of Capulet Communications has added an extra Social Media Marketing bootcamp session to his roster. HERE is the blog post outlining the topics covered.

Sign up HERE if you are interested in attending.

Vancouver events on May 28 and June 23, at the downtown BCIT location. I'll be going to the one in June -- maybe I'll see you there!

~kc

Down the Rabbit Hole

Today is the Reverend Charles Dodgson's* birthday, and in honour of the man who turned lives upside down with his literature, the new tradition has become to write a blog in a way contrary to the normal style.






This is a bit tough for me, as I don't really venture anywhere near normal, so I think I'll do something I've never done before...

a commercial.







I read about FreeGeek this morning in a tweet by Darren Barefoot, and it seems like the coolest idea ever. (Apparently Darren read a profile in the Vancouver Sun today, hence his tweet. Okay -- found it -- HERE. Thanks, Darren!)

FreeGeek is a non-profit computer reuse and recycling centre who have been 'helping the needy get nerdy since the beginning of the third millennium. '

They will take any old computer parts -- working or not, in any condition -- free of charge and direct it to their volunteer programs, where it will be either ethically recycled or rebuilt and restored. Tons of stuff on their website, particularly what happens to computer bits and pieces as a rule when the Free Geeks aren't involved.

Read all about it HERE on the Free Geek website. (or if you prefer en francais...Geek Libre.)

You know -- if even a fraction of the computers in the world were treated this way, imagine the impact on the economy, the environment and the geekification of those in need.






As good a 'down the rabbit hole' concept as any, wouldn't you say?













~kc



* Oh, come ON! Lewis Carroll, of course...