Thoughts, ramblings and other stuff

I flew back on Friday and spent a weekend trying to sleep off the jetlag while fighting the remains of the cold. My voice still breaks a little but it's almost gone. Of course the dry cough will stay for few more weeks. That's just how it works when I'm sick. No fever - excess of phlegm and coughing. So that's how my year started.

I had a pretty good flight this time. I almost slept. I met a friend I studied biology with on the plane. I walked around. I spent 4 hours on JFK. Next day I skyped with my mum and had the weirdest feeling when I saw her sitting in that room I was just in when I realised I'm now an ocean away. Plane travel boring and tedious, yet still amazing.

Meanwhile the first week of 2013 is behind us and everyone did their reviews of last year and lists of best. Locus posted the results of its polls for the best SSF in two centuries (full version here). io9 did a whole cycle of post reviewing 2012 and a post about genre shows coming in 2013.

Adam of the Wertzone and Patrick of the Pat's Fantasy Hotlist did their annual list of best. Larry on OF blog not only shared his best novels, collections and non-English language fiction of 2012 but also collected lists of other people.

I haven't really thought about mine. I was to busy enjoying having a cat and a family.

This is the last one of this century - day, month and year represented by the same number. And it seems like the century just started a moment ago - now it's almost a teenager. I suppose that's what getting old feels like.

The Jim Hines fundriser for Aicardi syndrome has passed 6000$ and some of the promised poses have already been posted and it's scary. However nothing can measure up to the result of his pose-off with John Scalzi. They both took on The Taste of Night by Vicki Pettersson. There is a poll to vote who did it better. Scalzi is trying to buy our votes by donating 5 cents per vote up to 500$ but I have to admit that Hines pose is almost perfect. The head position, the point, his leg even looks like it belongs to a different person just like on the cover. I'm torn.

In another follow-up here's the full version of CERN PHD students filmed at the LHC. Zombies are not my thing by LHC is so I watched it for the location - concrete tunnels, tubing and occasional shots of the machinery. And of course title is a great pun.

I mostly avoided commenting during the pre-election period as I try to not be too involved in other country politics. I get all my facepalms and excitement at home (seriously - the whole TNT on the Smoleńsk plane thing was like really bad conspiracy theory ridiculous). I don't need anybody else's. But I live in US now and I had opportunity to watch the whole American presidential election process from up close. Or rather was forced to watch as on could not escape it.

I learned few months ago, to my surprise, that I live in swing state. I was pretty sure this was Republican to the core - reinforced by the whole putting real marriage thing in the state constitution. But it turns out that between the academic regions and pretty high percentage of black and Hispanic voters it was on the brink to the very end.

It did go for Mitt Romney in the end but barley and it obviously didn't make any difference. It all went like the maths predicted and frankly part of my disinterest comes from the fact that I tend to believe maths more then just people talking on TV. I think my biggest satisfaction was not Barack Obama's win (I like almost all the world wanted him to win just because Republican increasingly land between crazy and repugnant) but because it showed the superiority of science over feelings. Facts and reality don't change just because your gut tells you something else is true. Even when you want it really, really hard.

I know it's easy to say when it goes your way. Especially the most famous one was made by someone who is openly liberal and gay and therefore enemy by default. However, if several statistical models tell you basically the same thing and you see it come true exactly as predicted you may want to consider that maths doesn't have bias - you do.

From my point of view the whole process seemed way too long, extremely loud and annoying and practically inescapable. One doesn't realise it from outside but inside the amount of money spend on it is so immense you are being attacked on every corner, every channel and every site. And the way they attack each other and their respective news outlets attack the other side and the base is almost disgusting. Right is worse but left looks better only in comparison. Even the people who stay in the middle are horrible. It's almost like there's no news programs left. Just one giant cycle of political tabloid. I miss CNN International and BBC World - actual news. It's scary when things like hurricane Sandy seem like a relief.

I mentioned being annoyed by all the youtube ads before but it got even worse. And you cannot escape it as there's no pre-election silence so the ads and meetings and polls seem to come almost non-stop. Even on election day. I stopped watching news because all the commercials were campaign ads (in other programs - about 50%). If not presidential then local. There were some gems though. I couldn't believe this one was real when I first saw it as it's like something out of Doctor Horrible (sung by Bad Horse henchmen) but it was real and the guy won. Enjoy:


As for the results I'm most happy that the rape Republicans lost, women got most seats in Senate ever and the WoW playing Democrat won. As a non-voter she was my candidate - female gamer persecuted for her hobby and with Polish surname - I rooted for her too win. Even though she is from completely different state. But then I know people here for who the most important outcome of this election was legalising marijuana in couple of states on the other side of the country.

And just because I am socialist and US election matters to the rest of the world I will share with you the schadenfraude filled Republican Tears. But because I'm Polish and I understand being stuck between tolerable party and crazy party I will also share John Scalzi's Post-Election Notes For the GOP.

I just finished rearranging my closet. I moved the warmer clothes to the front as autumn is truly here. It's funny how there was barely any colour change just a week ago and now it's clearly visible. Here are tow photos of the same place - one taken a week ago and the second today.




The difference is obvious and I could see the colours getting more and more intense every day. I think it's the cold nights. This is the coldest October of the three I spent here and everyone is complaining how unusually cool it is for this time of year. Of course it's still just over 20^oC during the day most of the time so it is much warmer and much sunnier then what I'm used to anyway. I talked to my parents today and they said they had a very beautiful weekend but it was still almost 10 degrees colder.

This, here, now, is a perfect weather. Sunny and warm and the colour change is just beginning but soon when it's fully spreads it's going to be so beautiful. The colours of autumn are much more impressive here. These are the main reasons this is my favourite time of year. Spring brings allergies, summer's too hot and winter is surprisingly unpleasant for this far south. Autumn is perfect.

But somehow I still miss the morning (and evening) mists on the fields and the beautiful light effects they created. It doesn't happen here. At least not very often.

European Union got the Peace Nobel Price. The Nobel Peace Prize 2012 was awarded to European Union (EU) "for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe". Unlike the others this is awarded in Oslo which makes it a little funny as Norwegians have been consistently rejecting joining the EU for years (and are even less interested now). On the other hand when I thing all that joining did for Poland both as a country and for each of us and all that it did for the stability and cooperation on the continent I admit that I'm happy about this. I'm proud to be EU citizen. I hope to be one my whole life.

In local news, few weeks ago Neil Gaiman posted photos of a bus. The photos looked strangely familiar and now I know why. I've been seeing it around. I saw something Neil Gaiman posted about while walking around town. It's a strange feeling. Like the one I wrote in Chemistry Nobel post. It feels like something that should be happening far away but instead it's right here. It makes me suddenly realise once again I am living on another continent. Now, it's EU that's ocean away and this is around the corner:

Today it's time for the Physics Nobel and it's quantum. Serge Haroche of France and David Wineland of the US got the prize for "ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems".

Serge Haroche at Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France, and David Wineland at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado, Boulder both work in the field of quantum optics. They approach on detecting the quantum states of particles from opposite directions - Wineland used photons to measure the properties of ions trapped by electric fields, while Haroche used superconducting mirrors to cage photons making them travel back and forth inside for more than a tenth of a second (long enough to travel 40,000 kilometres - distance equal to Earth equator). Both managed to invent ways to measure and control tiny quantum objects without destroying their fragile states. Normally the "observer" effect would cause the collapse of quantum state. Their methods allow to detect particles to observe them in their natural state. This bodes well for quantum computers, devices that exploit the weird properties of quantum systems to solve problems that stymie ordinary computers.

"The new methods allow them to examine, control and count the particles" which may lead the way to superfast computers and "the most precise clocks ever seen".

It's funny how both this and yesterday's Nobels are for such a sci-fi subjects. Both are about something that's been horribly misused, mostly in B-movie and TV episodes. Stem cells, cloning and all that quantum stuff that's basically magic for SF (and some of the crazier religious leaders). It's been all treated so badly I cringe when I hear anyone on screen (books are usually better researched) mentioning it as I prepare to do mental list of WRONG. It's nice to remember actual science behind it all. It's not made up and it's not magic. It just doesn't work like your paper headline implies.e

I realised I haven't written anything about Mars lately and Curiosity has been busy all this time. This weekend she's supposed to take first soil sample and do chemical testing on it. Right now it's just to check if all the elements of her chemistry lab are working properly (including scoop) but even that will give us interesting data about Martian sand.

After all she's just send a photo of something that looks just like a riverbed. From the look of the rocks water there used to ran fast and deep - from ankle to maybe even hip deep. They water flowing through the channel named Peace Vallis rounded pebbles and gravel fragments in a way that could have only been weathered by strong currents. Their shape and orientation shows they were carried by water for a while and signs of many channels indicate the water flowed in this region continuously or, at least repeatedly, for years. So we missed on the rivers of Mars. But, you know, one day.

And recently she posted enough times on Foursquares to become mayor of Mars. One day children will learn about it in history.

So here's panoramic view of View on the Way to 'Glenelg'


And as for what happens next it seems Red Planet wasn't far off base and we may use microbes to help us with making Mars more livable. But not for making breathable atmosphere (at least not yet). For now we are happy for using ones that can make bricks. You just need to pee on them. Peeing bricks - that's the future of masonry.

Drama:
Last Resort - I didn't expect to like it - it seemed to be too overboard - but I did. The idea seemed stupid and I only watched it for the cast and because I try to try all that even a little sf but I had fun. There was suspense and action and interesting characters who really nicely interacted with each other - equator crossing, reactions to the order - you feel like the characters know and care about each other. I even liked the nebulous conspiracy. I usually am very wary of this things but I liked how we got all the red herrings for various people to belong to that and then they didn't and might be good guys. I loved the Australians. I liked how they clearly left now for sf - they exploded nukes in Pakistan! And then in US! And of course all the questions - Why? Who? What did the marines do? I hope they'll keep it fun.

Revolution - I wanted to like it (SF!, post-apocalypse!) but it was just so full of so stupid things I almost don't want to see any more. It's like they took the worse parts of Abram's and Kripke's works and put them together. The premise with big event that doesn't have any sensible explanation (changing laws of physics? seriously?) with results that don't even align with the voice-over (pastoral villages! clean, new clothes straight from the machines 15 years after all of them stopped working!). It reminded me of the shared universe from the series of Polish sf novels where there are nanomachines that attached to and disrupt all that's electrical. But I doubt this is going to make that much sense. Also in the novels everyone goes back to steam - lost opportunity for Revolution - they could've gone steampunk.

The most annoying part came from obsession with family (the Google guy is the only non-family member in the group) and spectacularly stupid behaviours that make everything worse (both kids acted like they were at least 10 years younger then they really were - there was pouting and pointing gun at the whole army). Add to that missing parent and rescuing younger (sick) brother from evil that wants him and you can tell who has issues. He even made that brother responsible for the death of a family member in the first episode. I wanted to slap them, or ground for life. So frustrating. The only interesting parts - uncle and his connection to the militia ruler and the device that can make electricity work again. And the poison scene.

Comedies I liked:
Go On - I liked the patients and even Perry's character,
The New Normal - It's kind of cute but grandma is horribly stereotypical in her stereotyping (but the gun thing was funny)
The Mindy Project - It was cute too although full of douchey people but funny too. It's nice to have self-deprecating female lead.

Meh:
Guys with Kids - I'm pretty sure I saw it but I don't remember what happened.

Bad:
Animal Practice - Just not funny

I really want Americans to be done already with their elections. It's getting really annoying. I've been watching a lot of youtube lately (catching up on Crash Course) and I swear 90% ads were one of the candidates talking to me in soothing voice or attacking the opponent. Most of them couldn't be skipped. I understand the need for adds but at least hulu gives me an option to tell it it is not relevant to me and pick something else. If I could just tell them all that yes, the geolocation is right - I am in US but I'm a foreigner and cannot vote in your elections (which is what I tell to all the people who stop me on the street wanting to register me to vote). They are even worse targeted then beer commercials (alcohol - even worse tasting than coffee) because, even if I could vote, my political views are left of what American political scene offers. This means Republicans are out of question - no convincing required.

And this rant came out when the show I was to watch on TV was replaced by Romney speaking. I hate when that happens. Makes me dislike the perpetrator instantly. It's a childhood trauma of all that football matches extra time that superseded my goodnight cartoons.

The winners (loosers?) of the 2012 The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest have been announced. These awards are given to the worst first sentence in a book and is named for Victorian novelist Edward George Bulwer-Lytton who opened his novel Paul Clifford with "It was a dark and stormy night". It wasn't a cliche then but it is now so he became a patron of all of those who start badly.

This year's overall winner is Cathy Bryant of Manchester, England for this:

As he told her that he loved her she gazed into his eyes, wondering, as she noted the infestation of eyelash mites, the tiny deodicids burrowing into his follicles to eat the greasy sebum therein, each female laying up to 25 eggs in a single follicle, causing inflammation, whether the eyes are truly the windows of the soul; and, if so, his soul needed regrouting.

There are also winners in individual categories: Adventure, Children’s Literature, Crime, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Purple Prose, Romance, Science-Fiction, Vile Puns and Western. There are also various Runner-Ups and Dishonourable Mentions for many of the categories plus some Miscellaneous ones and Grand Panjandrum’s Special Award.

It makes for quite a dreadful read and it's hard to consume at once however my favourite is this SF Runner-Up:

The real problem with the “many universes” interpretation of quantum mechanics is that if it’s true, then somewhere, in some universe, anything you can possibly imagine has already happened, which means that somewhere, another version of me has already finished writing the rest of this science-fiction novel, so I’m not feeling real inspired to do it myself. — Steve Lauducci, Bethlehem, PA

However, I really think that John Scalzi was robbed. None of them had really said "It was a dark and stormy night" quite like him.