Democracy

Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.

Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.

I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

Langston Hughes

Copier jams up/
only one person in the/
office can fix it.

Writing on the bus./
How much can a guy read/
just over my shoulder?

Time moves as swiftly
as mail. No rain sleet or snow
stops its advancing.

Getting Things Done seems
like a solution. I should
read the book someday.

Coffeeshop. Sipping.
No laptop today. Use pen.
Write words. Post later.

Morning double click.
Facebook.com. Red square notes.
Friends comment. Heart Leaps.

Must-hear podcasted stories:

From Podcastle: A podcastle miniature, "Directions".
Only 8 minutes long, very simple, and SO good.
(Click to be linked to a page where you can listen to it in your browser.)

From Podcastle: The story that made me start to consider fantasy again after a long absence, "Come Lady Death" by Peter S. Beagle. 41 minutes. A high society woman in England invites Death to her ball.

From Escape Pod: "Tk'Tk'Tk'", nearly an hour, an amusing, Hugo-award-winning alien-planet story by davidlevine.
(Click to be linked to a page where you can listen to it in your browser.)

From Escape Pod: "Cinderella Suicide", 42 minutes, a tragic steampunk/MAGNETpunk story with a PERFECT reading.

I just listened to the first 15-minute episode of Mur Lafferty's "The Takeover." The brief clip features a high-quality performance and amusing story about when a zombie staffing firm, Zombinc, merges with a web design company.

Clip here: http://zombinc.net/wp-content/takeover_ep1.mp3

Me with Steve Eley (sfeley), editor of SF podcast Escape Pod.

Photo by sasha_feather

Escape Pod has reached over 150 episodes, with almost-weekly new episodes since May 2005. It has been a largely volunteer work orgaized and paid for by Steve, although it has recently taken on paid sponsors. I told Steve that I'm amazed that he's able to get out the podcast every week despite needing to make a living. He said, "Staying up until 5 am" with a smile.

2007 book list, some formatting inspired by sasha_feather  

In 2007, I read 20 books. This feels light.   I was studying and working full-time. I've ended up listening to podcasts on the bus in between work and school more than reading.  (Perhaps a recommended podcasts list comes next.)

The Best (alpha by author)

• Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present by Cory Doctorow
• Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.
  
• Making A Literary Life by Carolyn See

Honorable Mentions

• Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel. Re-read.

Authors or Editors:

Number of Authors: 20

Female Authors: 13
Male Authors: 7

Minority Authors: 2
Non-Minority Authors: 18

Miscellany!

Re-reads: 2
Comics or graphic novels: 1
Fantasy: 3
Science fiction: 7
Nonfiction: 4
Non-genre fiction: 1

The sexiest: Dead Sexy, by Tate Hallaway. Bathtub reading.

Authors from the WisCon & Think! Galacticon Reading Lists
Octavia Butler
Nicola Griffith
Tate Hallaway
bell hooks
Shelly Jackson
Pat Murphy

If you're looking for motivation for your workouts, I suggest trying to listen to the free podcast mixes from podrunner.com while you work out.
DJ Steve Boyett mixes up pleasantly beat-driven, booty-shaking music. I tried one of his mixes when I hit the normally dull treadmill recently, and the enjoyable groove got me moving and kept me moving, faster than I normally would. I'm a real couch potato -- I used to faint after gym class -- so it's a genuine testament to Steve's skills that he can keep me moving.

If I use leechblock and Temptation Blocker to keep from web-surfing while working on a project, could I really be addicted?

The Terrible Secret of LiveJournal, by Matthew Skala.

The 100 Most Recent Images on LiveJournal., ETA may have NSFW images.

How to Write a Book by Scott Berkun

85+ Free Killer Resources Every Designer Should Know

Scholarships Help Students Scrape By As Unpaid Interns (Wisconsin Interest)

I saw the poet Aracelis Girmay read at the Rainbow Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin this evening. Aracelis is an American with Puerto Rican, Eritrean, and African-American heritage. She teaches in New York City. Her work combines these many influences in surprising ways.

She read from her work "Teeth." I was impressed with the way her work captures many details of living among both English and Spanish.

I particularly enjoyed the poem, "For Estefani Lora, Third Grade, Who Made Me A Card."  You can read it at Peacework Magazine here.

Links:

* Broad Universe's July 2007 Broadsheet is up.

* Book Review of Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu's Zahrah the Windseeker, at Blogcritics Magazine

I have submitted a story to the OWW. It's under the title "The Branch," listed as a science fiction short story. I'd appreciate it if anyone could take a look at it and give feedback.

Just wanted to let folks know that I'm ok.

When this kind of thing happens, I'm reminded by how little I take for granted my usually good daily life. The long commute to work, the frozen sidewalks in winter -- it's all overlooked for something better. But it IS better, much better than being attacked by ZOMBIES.

I'm taking a bag of nuts from the stand, my Katadyn water bottle, and I'm going to a small secured room on campus.

Let's hope the military can actually solve this one.

In July, I will be going to Chicago for the Think! Galacticon convention. At Wiscon, the discussions on race and class in science fiction were particularly enlightening for me -- I expect this to be similarly eye-opening.