Category Archives: Blog

Blog

How do the (secular) geeks celebrate the birth of Our Teacher?

Let’s find out how they celebrate His birth courtesy of Short Sharp Science:

In a twist on the traditional Christmas carol service, British comedian Robin Ince has come up with a show called Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People, which he describes as “a rational celebration of Christmas”.

On Friday night, I went along to see how his atheistic vision – starring luminaries such as Richard Dawkins and Ricky Gervais – measured up.

In the meantime enjoy the Dawk talking with mentalist Derren Brown.

[via Short Sharp Science and Boing Boing][image from Waka Jawaka on flickr]

Blog

The price of revenge – pranking speed cameras

UK-style GATSO traffic speed cameraYet again, the street finds its own use for things – even the things installed by The Man to make the street safe. Students in Maryland in the US have hit upon the idea of making up fake license plates for their cars which match those of someone on whom they wish to exact a bit of revenge, and then driving past the automatic speed cameras in the area at high speeds. End result? The unsuspecting victim is automatically sent a ticket for speeding, even though they didn’t do it. [via SlashDot]

Of course, we Brits have our own version of the same system, but over here people clone the plates of similar vehicles for the purpose of avoiding their own fines; they’re not so bothered about who ends up paying them, so long as it’s not them.

Remember, folks: state-owned automated surveillance systems. If you’ve done nothing wrong, then you’re perfectly safe.

Well, mostly. [image by 91RS]

Blog

Friday Free Fiction for 19th December

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the days to start getting longer again. Still, we’re nearly there now, and it’s holiday time for most of us – so put your feet up and enjoy some free science fiction stories, why don’tcha?

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Here’s a few from Feedbooks:

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A reminder from EOS/HarperCollins:

For November and December only, click to download a free eBook of Adam Troy Castro’s Emissaries From the Dead.

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Strange Horizons presents “How to Hold Your Breath” by Meredith Schwartz

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Tor.com presents “Firstborn” by Brandon Sanderson (the guy who’s finishing off the Wheel of Time series, apparently).

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Mindflights presents “The Void Test” by Therese L Arkenberg.

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Polu Texni presents part 2 of “Running Free” by Mark Sherwood

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It’s been a while since the last instalment, but things are back on track with Memory #29 from Jayme Lynn Blaschke

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Something more than a trifle blasphemous from Hal Duncan:

See, y’all know Revelation, right? The last book of the New Testament, the one with all the Antichrist and Armageddon gubbins, all the Rapture and wrath of God malarky? You may not have read it, but you’re bound to be familiar with its zany eschatological content, even if only by way of horror movies and heavy metal lyrics. Well, if you have read it, you may recall the lines where a curse is laid out on anyone that fucks around with the text. Add to the words of this book, we’re told, and that’s bad news, baby. Take away from the words of this book, and that’s just as bad. We’re talking biblical plagues, baby, a pointy reckoning upon anyone who adds to or takes away from the words of this book.

Course, it doesn’t say anything about changing the order of those words.

Which is exactly what he has done; violent eRa is a story told using all the words from the book of Revelation in a different order, featuring God as the villain of the piece. Not that Duncan seems particularly bothered by the risk of a curse, anyway…

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SpaceWesterns presents:

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Here are the extras that the SF Signal crew picked up:

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And here’s some Friday Flash Fiction, some of which has a festive flavour:

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And that’s about your lot. Friday Free Fiction is going to go into hibernation until the new year (because most everyone will be too busy to pay any attention, AMIRITE?), but your tip-offs and plugs are always welcome for the next instalment on January 2nd. Adios!