Bugs and Homer in a Dead Heat

...and Colin Powell edges out God, in the write-in results from Duval County, Florida. Read on (all mistakes in original):

234 HILARY CLINTON
174 RON PAUL
23 NONE OF THE ABOVE
23 JESUS
21 MIKE HUCKABEE
14 MITT ROMNEY
8 COLIN POWELL
6 GOD
6 LEFT BLANK
5 UNDECIDED
4 AL GORE
4 BISHOP V.M. MCLAUGHLEN
4 FRED THOMPSON
4 OBAMA
4 RUDY GIULLIANI
4 STEVEN COLBERT
3 DONALD DUCK
3 DONALD FOY
3 MICKEY MOUSE
3 T. BOONE PICKENS
2 BILL COSBY
2 BILL McMILLON
2 BILL NYE
2 CHUCK NORRIS
2 CONDOLEEZA RICE
2 FRANK HARDEN
2 FRANKLIN GRAHAM
2 LOU DOBBS
2 PAGO POSSUM
2 SARAH PALIN
2 SEANATOR BROWNBACK
2 GARY BENZENBERG
2 GEORGE W BUSH
2 JOHN EDWARDS
2 LEE GODDARD
2 TIM TEBOW
Among those getting a single vote: Abstain, Against All, Alfred E. Newman, Bill Clinton, Bill O'Riely, Bill Richardson, Bobby Bowden, Bugs Bunny, May the best man win, Me, Morgan Freeman, Mr. Bill, Newt Gingwrich, None (Anarchy), Oprah, Pat Buchannan, Ralph Nader, Hilary Bush, Homer Simpson, Jay Plotkin, Jimmy Carter, Joe the Plumber, John Doe, Lieberman, Theodore Roosevelt, They Both Suck '08, Tiger Woods, Tommy Chong, Truman, Weird Al Yancovic, William Crosby and Willie Nelson.

(from WJXT in Jacksonville, via Ben Smith's Politico blog)

Web 2.0 SF Magazines?

A discussion is beginning at SF Signal on this topic. The original idea, from Jay Garmon, is here. Interesting ideas being batted around. Clearly something has to happen to the magazines. Now I'm wondering if I could pitch stories on my own site, or this blog, and start collecting moolah? Hmmmm. If only. The subscription model wasn't unusual in the 19th century; I know Tom Sawyer was sold on that basis at first, at least in the US, and I think Dickens went that route as well (?).

Apotheosis of the Headline Writer

This Newsweek article about urban chicken farming (there's a phrase you don't see every day) must have been the best thing that ever happened to whoever came up with the title "The New Coop de Ville."

In other news, Baghdad is building a subway and SF magazines are (still) having a hard time. (Subscribe! Subscribe!)

100 Sentences About the City of the Future: A Jeremiad

That's the name of a story I just sold to the perspicacious editorial tandem behind Postscripts, Pete Crowther and Nick Gevers. Feels good to be writing short stories again.

Breaking: SF Not Dying, Again

Or so the New Scientist would have us believe. Interesting comments at the end from "leading science fiction authors," among whom is listed Margaret Atwood. Maybe now the fen who still have a grudge about her saying thirty years ago that she wasn't a science fiction writer will let it go. Stan Robinson's comments are particularly worth noticing, especially in light of Charlie Stross's recent polemic about near-future SF.

Believe It or Not, I'm Walking on Air

This is just about too horribly good to be true. From the muchly enjoyable Hero Complex blog at the LA Times: "'Greatest American Hero' flies again? Believe it or not, yes"

Barack Obama, Nerd

At least judging by this list of fifty facts, from the Telegraph. I mean, Conan comics? Awesome.

But Do They Have Fiber-Optic Sea Sponges?

Hubble does it again: First direct image of extrasolar planets. I know you've seen this already, but I can't help myself:



And this one is equally awesome:



From Space.com.

Forbidden Planet International Interview (and Don't Forget the Contest!)

A Q&A I did with FPI's estimable Joe Gordon is now up on their website: "Alex Irvine Talks Us Through Our Case of Vertigo." It ranges over a number of topics, including the Vertigopedia and Daredevil Noir. And remember to enter the contest, linked below:

This Is the Kind of Thing that Keeps SF Writers Humble

Sea sponges that have evolved fiber optics. Who needs aliens?

In other news, Barack Obama's victory improves US chances to host the 2018 World Cup. Is there anything this guy can't do?