But I got my own dose of strangeness when I posted the message to Facebook today. Behold, why I both loathe and begrudgingly admire Facebook’s user profiling technology:

As one of my pals on Facebook reported, “Only 824 people like the booty? This surprises me!”

–J.C.

–J.C.

I recently moved from South Florida to the Denver area, and have spent the past month working hard to make my home office (which I use for my creative writing and the day gig) a warm and welcoming place for me to herd words for hours on end. I’m becoming increasingly proud of the office, and — partly to finally answer the question What does it look like? and partly to selfishly, proudly preen at how it’s shaping up — I reckoned it was time to post some photographs. I pray you’ll indulge me.

Here’s a shot from the far corner of my new digs: my sole bookshelf is on the left (I’m ditching hard copy in a big way, forsaking the fetishization of printed books and buying ebooks almost exclusively now), and my main desk is on the right. The darkened monitor resting on the filing cabinet is for my Mac mini, which I use as the house’s wireless streaming media server.

For curious tech-heads: On the main desk, I’ve got a vertically-mounted MacBook Pro running the show, a 27″ LED Cinema Display, some Bose speakers for audio, and a ScanSnap document scanner.

Another shot of the desk, before I added the speakers and a statue of Thoth, the Egyptian god who invented writing (whose photo follows this one):

Some spiffy bling on the bookcase shelves include my collection of fan-made, hand-crafted “Beta Clone” figurines and my small Transformers collection. (You can take the boy out of the 1980s, but…)

Being surrounded by inspiring artwork always revs my creative engine. Here’s a rundown of some of what’s now on the walls.

First up, a priceless hand-painted portrait of The Spirit by the late Will Eisner, one of history’s most influential comics creators. I wrote a profile about him for The Palm Beach Post in 2000, and he sent me this magnificent piece as a thank you. Eisner was the best.

Next up: a delightful propaganda-style poster supporting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund — a worthy cause. I bought this guy about 10 years ago, I think. Finally had it framed when I moved to Colorado.

Here’s a exceptionally dramatic and cool print of a Soviet-era propaganda poster. It reads, “We will smite the lazy worker.” It’s placed behind me, and looms like a thundercloud. Whenever I get whiny, I think of the mantra behind my head and keep typing.

More art, on the far walls, include this awesome print of the cover from the June 1957 issue of Amazing Stories. Humans rising up against their robot oppressors? Can’t beat that with a stick, folks. The magazine also has a great story from Harlan Ellison in  it. How would I know?

Some more geeky goodness, including a print of artwork from the uncut edition of The Stand, signed by artist Bernie Wrightson, the original page 22 from Superman: Metropolis, painted and signed by Ted McKeever, and a sublime signed limited edition print of a girl wearing a jetpack. Because girls with jetpacks are, and will always be, awesome.

I still need to acquire a futon for this far side of the office (sleeping accommodations for guests, and a soft place for me to sit), and perhaps an area rug to make some colors “pop” throughout the room, but aside from that, I think I’m all done decorating.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you have any questions about my setup, give a shout in the comments. I’ll see if I can answer them!

–J.C.

A devil girl who didn’t need a pitchfork to put me in my place…

…a she-trooper and a blue-skinned Jedi…

…and Swoopy, for whom I’d do anything.

–J.C.

Budget: $7 million. Behold the badassery.

(via The Daily What)

–J.C.

The second rule of Hug Club: TELL EVERYONE ABOUT HUG CLUB.

And if this is your first night at Hug Club … you HAVE to hug.

–J.C.

“There is an entire generation for which the term ‘LP’ means nothing. I am old.”

And then: “No, whippersnappers. ‘LP’ does not mean “Linkin Park.” I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS. GET THE [REDACTED] OFF MY [REDACTED] LAWN”

And then: ”I will always call albums LPs. It’s in my WRETCHED, WITHERED GEEZERFIED DNA.”

And then: ”All of youth culture just sent a carbon-dating crew to my house. After a brisk analysis, I am apparently FIFTY THOUSAND YEARS OLD.”

And then: ”Don’t mind me. Me and my buddy OSTEOPOROSIS are sitting here on the porch swing, drinking Country Time and listening to the phonograph…”

And then: ”Good gravy, there’s nothing like gumming a Whitman’s Sampler until it finally melts in your toothless mouth. FLIP THAT LP, OSTEOPOROSIS!”

And then: ”Off to run over some white-earbud-wearing punks with my Hoveround. I’VE GOT YOUR MP3s RIGHT HERE”

At which point Buddy Brannan said: “When Melanie got her Hoveround the rep said that the echoing voices at the Grand Canyon were the old people going over the edge.”

To which I replied: “@bbrannan No. It’s the sound of YOUTH CULTURE GETTING SMASHED UNDER THE MIGHTY HOVEROUND’S WHEELS”

And then the mighty John Cmar said: “@jchutchins I’m sure you shouted SUCK MY OSTEOPOROTIC FEMUR-HEAD, BIEEYATCHESSSSSS!!! #mybodyisanelderlywonderland”

To which I replied: “@Cmaaarrr That’s EXACTLY what I said. The fountain of spittle was glorious, as I didn’t have my teeth in. #MyLiverSpotsTasteLikeAwesome”

To which he replied: “@jchutchins There’s nothing like gum-slurred froth-speech to put the young’uns in their place. #ifonlymyprostatedidntweighmedownso”

At which point I could not reply, as I was wheeze-laughing. For I am a geezer.

As you were.

–J.C.

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. – Independent web videos.

Hat tip to James Melzer and C.C. Chapman for the hook-up!

Hat tip to Laughing Squid.

Click to download the PDF

Personal Effects: Dark Art is about an art therapist … so it only makes sense to celebrate its June 9 release with art! Download this very tongue-in-cheek Personal Effects coloring book, featuring artwork from the novel. Print it out, make copies, and have a Personal Effects release party — with coloring! — in your home on Tuesday! It’s bloody fun for the whole family!

Feel free to send J.C. a photo or scan of your coloring pages. He just might post them here on the site.

Personal Effects: Dark Art. It’s more than a (coloring) book. It’s an experience. If you haven’t already, order it here and support J.C.’s print novel debut.

Hat tip to Laughing Squid.

–J.C.

Stellar computer animation. Ultra violence. Rabbits.

It’s Cat Shit One, a Japanese series (perhaps better known to American mangaphiles as Apocalypse Meow). I don’t think I’ve witnessed anything more rad in my life.

Hat tip to buddy Michael Hejja, who found it via Artistically Chill.

–JC

This morning, my cell rang at 6; the ringtone told me it was an unknown caller. By the time I’d stumbled out of bed, the ringing had stopped … and a text message was waiting for me. The area code was from Michigan, which meant it was 5 a.m. in the caller’s neck of the woods. I read the text message.

hey sorry, checked out site, did not know u wrote book. i hope 2 hear from u soon. i did wait 4 a few, did not c u leave.
– Miss Bliss

It’s no secret that I’ve posted my cell number here on my site — I want to be as accessible as possible to folks, especially for business opportunities. It appeared as if the mysterious Miss Bliss scored my digits here. But I know no “Miss Bliss,” and certainly wasn’t waiting for her, wherever she was.

(Interesting aside: My next podcast fiction project, The 33, features a main character named Bliss. How’s that for coincidence?)

Now, there are two paths to take in “wrong number” situations like this. Ignore the caller (or in this case, texter) … or be as helpful as you can. So I texted back:

Are you sure you have the right person? I don’t think I know a Miss Bliss…

Michigan-based Bliss replied minutes later:

Nah, look like a lot of people. sing in this band and i thought ur name was jeff. his pic is on main page. long hair, sings 4 another band. does zeppelin, great range, a lot of Robert Plant? thought you were him, sorry

Swell. I was helpful. Mystery solved. I replied:

Sorry Bliss … Wrong guy. Good luck tracking down Jeff.

Now here’s where things get interesting and fun — and it completely reinforces my philosophy that 99 percent of the population are cool, decent folk. Bliss texted:

Wont be 2 hard, lol! … ur book sounds interesting! r u going 2 do film? I have done scifi before. independent is the best!

Sensing an opportunity to shamelessly promote my stuff — as an indie artist, you’re always looking for more fans / customers / connections … and if you’re not, you’re doing it wrong — I replied:

Thanks! Check out the free audiobook at 7thSonNovel.com! Hope you find Jeff!

i will, Bliss soon replied, and if you u need a strong intimidating gal, and do a film, let me know. i am a pro model. acting is fun, keep in touch!

Come to find out, Miss Bliss is indeed a pro model, and this “wrong number” adventure has provided me a chance to meet someone spiffy — and just as important, share her work with you. Artists helping artists, baby. This is what indie networking is all about.

Obviously, you can see what Miss Bliss looks like from the pic in this post — a gallery is below — and if you’re based in Michigan and have a need for Miss Bliss’ modeling or acting talents, you can find out how to contact her via her ModelMayhem webpage or at 248-979-3950.

In closing: Awesomeness is always looking for you. The question is, are you looking for it? Keep your eyes peeled, be open to serendipitous moments and opportunities … and never be afraid to answer the phone at 6 a.m.

–J.C.

[Show as slideshow]

Take a gander at this photo, snapped by Wired Pig himself. I’m apparently selling appliances during this holiday season…

Who knew? I can only hope my appliances are packed with cliffhanging features such as “the ice maker that delivers a half-glass of ice, them makes you wait a week for the rest”, etc. 

Thanks for thinking of me, Wired Pig!

–J.C.

Tee hee! Thanks for the pic, Lance! Find more silly LOL dog pics at IHasAHotDog.com.

–J.C.

The dude definitely has a vision … and I kinda admire the hell out of him for that.

–J.C.

(Original Sesame Street video is here; Scott Sigler’s Infected trailer is here.)

–J.C.

This week, I’ve been posting a hysterically bad (but, based on fan reaction, very charming) Star Trek fan film I helped create when I was a teenager. Part One showed us the setup; Part Two delivered the punchline. In 2001, using video editing software nearly 10 years after friend Adam Fisher and I shot this silly little flick, I created the version of USS Proxima that we’d always wanted to make.

However, the original version of the movie wasn’t as polished as what you’ve seen. (If what you’ve seen could be called “polished,” natch.) Now you can witness a far more accurate take on what Proxima originally looked like sans music, sound effects and “special effects” in this outtake reel.

There’s plenty of blank stares into the video camera, flubbed lines, windbag stream-of-consciousness “Captain’s Logs” … and perhaps best of all, what our original “special effects” shots looked like.

Set phasers to stunned.

–J.C.

Yesterday, I posted Part One of a preposterously, wonderfully bad Star Trek fan film that me and childhood friend Adam Fisher created 16 years ago. Star Trek: USS Proxima was filmed in about five hours with a bulky VHS video camera in the basement of my childhood home. Adam and I made up the story as we went along, shamelessly (and wittingly) aping the plot of our favorite Trek movie for inspiration.

This footage remained untouched for nearly a decade, but using a video editing app in 2001, I cut out a great many flubbed “lines,” and spliced in sound effects, a soundtrack and “special effects” shots (read: footage from several Trek movies). The result is this video, a slightly less-bad version of the flick. This was the version Adam and I always wanted to make.

Here’s the second part of the movie; expect a blooper reel to drop tomorrow. Among other sundries, that episode features what our “special effects” shots initially looked like. (We pointed our vidcam at a TV screen that played Trek movies).

As with most science-fiction epics, the final act of USS Proxima relies heavily on space battle shots. There’s not as much “acting” in this episode as there is in Part One, but I’m fairly happy with how my 2001 editing turned out. More important, the ending — featuring close-ups of the crew — should make you chuckle.

More to come tomorrow, but for now, enjoy the conclusion of Star Trek: USS Proxima….

–J.C.

Link to Blip.tv version here.

Those two teenagers were Louisville, Ky., residents Adam Fisher and Chris Hutchins — that “Hutchins kid” now known on the World Wide Everywhere as me, J.C.  We recorded the footage for what became Star Trek: USS Proxima in about five hours, spread over two days. I was 16 or 17 at the time. Adam was a year younger.

The locale in which you’ll see this fine 16-year-old cinematic masterpiece (or farce, depending on your sense of humor) take place is the basement of my childhood home. For a handful of years, Adam, me and other neighborhood boys would “play Bridge” — meaning, play in this subterranean Star Trek bridge — for hours, day after day. We built the set out of scavenged wood, milk crates, old chairs, and broken computer and audio equipment. Our wall-mounted readout screens were chalkboards. We even rigged “red alert” lights and other fixtures to make our bridge as believable as possible.

I have a very clear memory of being electrocuted in the Proxima bridge, while connecting a strobe light to an overtaxed electrical outlet. That knocked me on my ass, and blew a fuse, to boot.

By 1992, Adam and I were the only kids on the block playing Bridge. The fun had died for the others — understandable, as we were growing up, after all. But Adam and I got a wild idea for one last hurrah: a movie. Neither of our families could afford video cameras, so I borrowed one from Blockbuster Video, where I worked. We shot the footage, and as wise filmmakers, even filmed “special effects” — i.e., we pointed the vidcam at Star Trek movies playing on a television. Spaceships!

Since there were only two of us, but numerous roles to fill, you might notice that many of the Proxima crew are very similar in appearance. Run with it.

We ad-libbed the story and dialogue as we went, shamelessly stealing the plot of our favorite Trek movie near the end. (We were tired.) It was all so wonderfully, desperately cheesy and bad, but we had a blast. Our plans to take our footage — and Trek movie videocassettes for our “special effects” — to a local video editing company died on the vine. As the years went on, I lost contact with Adam, as well.

I don’t recall ever playing Bridge with Adam after we made this movie.

When I moved to Florida for my first post-college pro gig, I bought an iMac and used iMovie to create the version of USS Proxima that Adam and I envisioned. I added music, sound effects and those all-important “special effects” shots we’d pined for back in the day. What you see here is the first half of the movie; I’ll soon post the second half — and a “deleted footage” reel in which you’ll bear witness to some classic flubs — in the days ahead.

Watching this movie takes me back, man. I’ll likely blog about how Star Trek, playing Bridge, and that tiny basement room made a big impact on my life. But that comes later. For now, just dim the lights, hit play … and watch the biggest little movie two teenagers could make, 16 years ago.

–J.C.

Link to Blip.TV version here.

(For the record: I hate Nazis. In my home, I call them “Nazi fuckheads.” It’s true. Listen to my books if you want to know how much I hate the bastards.)

–J.C.

Via ParisLemon

So imagine my delight when I found this 40-minute lecture Stephenson recently gave to a roomful of lucky (and likely equally clever) folks back in May at London’s Gresham College. While the presentation’s title implies a snoozer (“Science Fiction as a Literary Genre”), it’s far from it. There’s talk of Aliens’ Ripley in here, as well as a celebration of geeks, sympathy for “mundanes” and a definition of the phrase “idea porn.” It’s a masterful, insightful, fun talk.

If you have 40 minutes to spare, take a gander his presentation. This is what being the smartest guy in the room looks like.

If streaming video ain’t your thing, visit this page to download the 350+MB video file, or audio file. (Links are on the right-hand side of the page.)

–J.C.

From IMDBpro. Learn more about the towering horror author at ScottSigler.com.

My perceptions of these beachheads have changed throughout the years. My opinion of them has improved, mostly because of the cool tools and applications folks are now creating that transcend the one-dimensional “Bite A Friend” games. I crave something useful in my social media apps, something that can not only help evangelize my work, but organize my thoughts and share some fun personal details with my audience. Of course, being an indie content creator, I want to do all this on my terms.

Imagine my surprise when this scrappy, indie writer learned how uberbrand Coca-Cola could help me do just that.

The folks at Coke have concocted something very clever with their “CokeTag” Facebook Application. (You can see my personal CokeTag at my FB Profile.) Here’s an elegant app that allows you to share information about yourself, spread the word about worthy causes, or promote your friends and the great things (or nonsense) they’re up to. The app is robust and flexible enough for folks like me (who like to control nearly every aspect of the information piping through the thing), yet intuitive enough to get users rolling in seconds.

The app gives you five “categories” with which to fill with content. As I configured my app, I selected a category called “Music That I Like” and simply typed the names of my favorite bands. Here’s the groovy part: the CokeTag app cross-referenced my hand-typed content with Amazon’s Alexa web search engine and automatically inserted the URLs of those bands’ sites into the app. There was zero fuss or management on my end, and nearly all of the auto-results were accurate. Very cool.

I appreciated that I could override those auto-results with better URLs when needed.

You may choose from a list of pre-created content categories, or create your own. I chose to create a “Podcasts I Dig” category to give my audience a peek into what shows I enjoy … and also help promote my podcolleages. (Every link helps.) This homebrew feature has great promise. I can easily create a Cool Stuff category, which I can update with the interesting links I discover as I bebop around the Web. BoingBoing lite.

There is a low-key “viral” element to the app — you can post your friends’ CokeTag apps within your Profile, and there’s some business about tracking clicks to your CokeTag (which calculates how “influential” you are) — but its truly spiffy evangelical element is the ability to share the app in Facebook messages, or on a friend’s Wall. Suddenly, I’m armed with an easily-sharable portal into my personal interests, and a sly way to spread the word about killer content.

The app is fun to use out of the box, and has enough customization features to please scrappy DIYers like myself. Highly recommended.

–J.C.

Only one man is brilliant and determined enough to uproot the current political system. Only one man can transform this great nation into an even greater one. John Alpha is that man. Support him. Now.

Grassroots support is growing for the bona-fide, as seen in this news report. You, too, can evangelize Alpha’s cause. To receive a free “John Alpha ‘08″ bumper sticker, visit his campaign website at JohnAlphaForPresident.com.

(Special thanks to News3Online.com, and 7th Son fan John for telling me about the site!)

This is huge news because Suicide Girls is a huge site, with ferociously cool content … and an even cooler audience. And while I have a paid subscription to the more, ahem, purremium features of SG.com**, Mur’s column — which debuted today — is free to access and read. Check out her blissfully geeky inaugural SG article here, in which she marks the milestones of her life by the numerous releases of Mario Kart video games. It’s funny as hell, and it’s pure Mur, a geek essayist at her finest.

So check out her column, and be sure to leave a comment on the Suicide Girls site, or contact the editors of SG and tell them that their money is well-spent on our favorite podcasting geek diva!

–J.C.

** Yes, the site is for grown-ups. No, I won’t give you my l / p. Nyah.

I distribute my fiction at Podiobooks.com, and receive a daily email digest of discussions from other Podiobooks.com authors. This digest is a lively, eclectic mix of opinions, insights and gripes. Recently, an author asked for some ideas on promoting his podiobook. I obliged with the reply, found below. While the advice is specific to podiobooks, much of it can easily be applied to traditional podcasting, blogging or other creative endeavors.

So, What Would J.C. Do? Read on to find out….

Here are a few suggestions on how podcast novelists can promote their works. This is based solely on my personal experience.

Promoting to mainstream media is out: Don’t ping them if you’re a newcomer to podcasting, or don’t have many listeners. They don’t get the niche market of podcasting, and they certainly won’t get the nano-niche of podcast fiction. I’ve found that even if you do have large mainstream media outlets covering your work, it rarely translates into more listeners. (I believe this has to do more with the audience of newspapers than the quality/circulation of the publication.)

Promoting to large blogs is out: Unless you’re doing something truly different in the space, save your email clicks. We’re at a point where podcasting and podiobooks are on bloggers’ radars, but announcing the existence of your content isn’t enough. Are you doing something interesting with your audience? Promoting the work in an unusual way? These timely angles are what you need to get coverage. Sadly, just having a podiobook isn’t enough.

Promoting to podcasters is in: This is the only sure-fire way to get new listeners. There is a mighty network of new media entertainers out there, many of them with successful podcasts (and large audience sizes). They got there by promoting their work, and playing promos on their podcasts. If you’re a fan of podcasting, you’re probably familiar with ‘casters who play promos. Reach out to them. If you’re using podcasting to distribute your novel but *don’t* listen to podcasts, get on the frickin’ stick and do so. Make the time to learn the space, the influencers, and who might help you.

Send personalized emails to those who might help: Podcasters pour their passion into their projects, and are rarely paid for their efforts. A form email with no personal touch (i.e., making reference to their work, stroking their egos, etc.) gets deleted every time. Be sincere in your praise, and direct in your proposal.

Release your work on your personal site: Podiobooks.com wisely asks authors to not include podcast promos or “intro chatter” in their episodes. Why? Because that timely information gets dated, fast. If you’re hungry to go beyond the PB.com website with your exposure, release your episodes on your personal site. (Use Libsyn hosting and the WordPress “PodPress” plugin, or equivalent, to do this. Google this stuff; information is widely available.) Promote your content as being available at both your site and PB.com. The episodes streaming from your site can include bonus material, author chatter and more. This engages the audience. This makes you an entertainer. This creates a connection between you and them, and that’s important because….

You must ask your audience to help promote your work: You’re one author. There are only so many hours in the day. By creating a product that engages your listeners beyond the story, you can encourage them to assist you with evangelism. Have them vote up your book at Podcast Alley. Ask them to review your novel in iTunes. Have them burn CDs of the book for friends. Ask them to email pals about your great podiobook. Request that they blog about your work, or post a link on their MySpace/Facebook page. Whatever it is, you’ll be empowering them to help define the success of your work — and you’ll be building a community of engaged fans.

As your podiobook grows in size and success, consider:

• Soliciting fan-created artwork, music, videos, etc. inspired by your story. Post them on your website and thank them by name in your podcast.
• Concocting an online “street team,” where you provide evangelical missions for your audience, and provide public recognition (and swag, if budget permits) for their hard work.
• Creating forums or a Ning community for your audience, so their involvement with your work transcends the podcast.
• Conceive non-traditional ways to promote your podcast that go beyond the “promo play” model.
• Creating a “media kit” with noteworthy milestones, a plot synopses, etc.

Shoot passivity in the head. If you want your work to be heard by more people, waiting for them to show up will get you nowhere. Get proactive, don’t sit still, and shake your ass. Yeah, I know: You don’t have any marketing experience. So what? Nearly all successful podcasters and authors don’t, either. The only way to start … is to start.

Again: Don’t count on listeners “finding” you. Create content — and promotions — so compelling, that they can’t *not* listen to you.

I’m certain that other podcasters and new media entertainers have even more suggestions. Care to share?

I often concoct these experiments on the fly, unilaterally release them into the wild, and see what sticks. In the interest of connecting with the community (and knowing that many creative minds are usually better than one), I’ve pulled back the “curtain” a bit in recent weeks, and invited 7th Son fans to chime in on some creative decisions. I did that last night, and received some intriguing results.

Months ago, I crafted a new logo for the 7th Son experience. I wanted something different and dynamic — something that implied danger, action and excitement (things the 7th Son trilogy is well-known for). I spent several days crafting it, and last night, finally posted it on the homepage here at JCH.net. I asked my Twitter followers if it was “hot or not.”

About 75 percent of respondents liked it. The rest, vociferously, did not. I found myself in a fascinating conundrum.

7th Son is my novel. I wanted a new logo. My informal poll suggested that most folks dug the new design. But the minority was large (and vocal) enough for me to take pause and listen. An hour later, I pulled the plug. We’re back to the status quo.

What have I learned from this? Three things. First: Community rocks. It’s flattering and humbling to know that so many 7th Son listeners care enough to chime in on these ideas, offer their creative perspective, and make suggestions. Second: If you open the floor for discussion, expect it, listen to it — and prepare to make tough choices, should the community split on the issue, or vote against your personal point of view.

And third: Consider strongly what you open up for debate. If you’re convinced in your heart that a certain creative course should be taken, take it. Run with your gut, and be willing to live with the consequences.

I’ll never know if the resistance I encountered with the new logo was legitimate disdain, or the natural reluctance to embrace something new — after all, living things crave stability, and change disrupts that. I’m not dedicating brain cycles to it; I asked for opinions, the people spoke, and it’s done and done.

And so, I present to you the very short-lived “2.0″ logo for the 7th Son trilogy. It was either a bad design, or ahead of its time. But it certainly taught me a great bit about community, the power of crowds, and the unabashed love 7th Son fans have for the podcast. As always, I’m amazed and humbled by that.

–J.C.

This week’s challenge is a must-participate for me: “Blog about what you are reading, what you like to read, and why.”

I’m up to my eyeballs in good books these days. I’m coming down from a months-long fiction binge (more on this in a moment), so I’m currently enjoying some excellent non-fiction.

Reading serves two purposes for me: entertainment and creative inspiration. My mind rarely seeks out new ideas for my own novels/short stories when I read fiction; I’m there to escape. But when I’m questing for concepts to explore creatively — either in my fiction or my in “zero budget” marketing adventures — I dive into non-fic.

So. That recent fiction binge. What did it entail?

• Rainbow’s End by Vernor Vinge: Vinge is my favorite SF author; his far-future A Deepness In the Sky is so damned good, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Rainbow’s End is a near-future story, and its world is meticulously realized. Sadly, I wasn’t invested in the characters (and there wasn’t enough conflict for my tastes), and I dropped it halfway through.
• NEXT by Michael Crichton: A book that had a lot of potential, but felt more like a “101″ on the genetics industry than a true narrative. Again, the characters and conflict weren’t compelling enough for me to recommend it. Sloppy.
• Planetary and The Authority by Warren Ellis: Killer epic SF thrillers by the wickedly subversive Warren Ellis. Yeah, they’re comic books … and they’ve got better pacing and character depth than most traditional novels these days. Highly recommended.
• Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver: I’m an unapologetic Deaver geek; no one can bonk you on the head harder with an unexpected plot twist than this guy. Garden of Beasts is a fascinating look at Nazi Germany, just before World War II. Deaver deftly educates readers on the history and political climate of the era, and throws in an excellent assassination plot, to boot. Recommended, as are his Lincoln Rhyme thriller series.

But my belly’s full of fiction for the moment (aside from some podcast novels, which are serialized and feel more like “shows” than “novels” to me), so I’m currently immersed in non-fic. It’s all tickling my creative side something fierce.

• Merchant of Death by Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun: Just finished this remarkable true story about Victor Bout, an infamous and reviled Russian black-market arms dealer. In addition to directly arming many of the conflicts in Africa for the past 18 years, he’s also put guns (and rockets, and helicopters and frickin’ jets) in the hands of Columbian drug lords, the Taliban and other slimebags. The most terrifying part: He’s still doing it. Excellent read.
• Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe: Terrific read for mainstream noobs (or know-it-alls) who don’t know it all about social media, the speed of communication, and the connectedness of the online world. Jaffe’s prose is punchy and mischievously irreverent, and the perspective he provides is an excellent resource for folks interested in diving into the soc.media space.
• Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin: Another excellent marketing-related read for folks curious about the social media explosion. Godin speaks volumes with few words (a rare writing trait indeed), and offers intriguing insights for marketing folk who aren’t grokking the conversations — and opportunities — found in the soc.media space. Currently reading.
• Letting Go of the Words by Janice (Ginny) Redish: This isn’t just a great resource for bloggers, podcasters and anyone who wants to effectively communicate on the Web — it’s a fun, spunky read. Redish provides great writing advice (and context for that advice) in a style that keeps my peepers moving. The very execution of the book proves that she practices what she preaches. Currently reading.

So those are the things on my plate these days. What about you? What are you reading? Talk to me in the comments! Share your recommendations with fellow JCH.net readers!

–J.C.

The GRIFFIN/HALE 2008 sticker is only three bucks, and I don’t take a cut of the cash. Naturally, you’re doing the 7th Son trilogy a favor by slapping one of these blood-soaked stickers on your ride: The Griffin/Hale website address will redirect to this site. The sticker is available for purchase here.

This November, re-elect character and faith! Re-elect Griffin and Hale!

–J.C.

When time permits, I lend my meager pixel-pushing talents to worthy causes — namely, my friends’ projects. One such pal is Mur Lafferty, author of the Playing for Keeps podiobook. Each week, I collaborate with brilliant writer and artist Jared Axelrod (and more recently, Natalie Metzger) to create the “comic book” covers seen in the free Playing for Keeps PDFs. But when Mur informed me that she had an idea to reward her faithful evangelistic Street Team members, I was stoked, and wanted to help.

Behold the fruits of that collaboration: Personalized online avatars and images for Street Team members. Folks who spread the word about Mur’s novel will receive a cool “Third Waver” picture and avatar, complete with spiffy name. (Since I’m one of the many regular contributors to Mur’s project, I’m a “First Waver.”) You can use the avatar on Twitter, LiveJournal, etc. … and you can post the larger image on your site, or blog. Mur has created yet another “first” in podiobook promotion! Very cool.

Visit the Playing For Keeps site, sign up for the Street Team and get evangelizing. Those who do will receive a custom-made hero and name (created by Mur Lafferty herself), and these whiz-bang cool rewards!

–J.C.

The cloning, announcement and moratorium don’t surprise me. What I find interesting are the regulatory loopholes detailed in the article. While some major food companies (such as dairy powerhouse Dean Foods Inc.) have wisely vowed to not sell products produced from cloned animals — and at $20,000 per cloned cow, why would they? — the FDA will permit the following:

• The offspring of the cloned cattle can be bred, slaughtered and consumed for food
• Cloning companies such as Viagen Inc. and Trans Ova Genetics intend to begin selling offspring of cloned cattle immediately
• Food companies are not required to label products that hail from cloned animals, or their conventionally-bred offspring

Companies like Viagen Inc. have been pursuing cattle cloning for breeding purposes, the AP story says, “to produce a steady supply of cattle that are particularly tender, for instance, or for prize dairy cows.”

As the article reports, it is well-known that current technologies create fatal birth defects in many cloned animals, and those that survive — such as Dolly the sheep — often have shorter life spans and health problems. According to the story, the FDA concluded that “cloned animals that are born healthy are no different than their non-cloned counterparts during their prime food-producing years,” and also produce healthy offspring.

The agency conceded, however, that “it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding the longevity of livestock clones or possible long-term health consequences” of those animals.

It should be noted that the FDA isn’t alone in its findings; European regulators and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences have filed similar reports recently.

Where does this leave the consumer? In the dark, it appears. Putting aside the ethical concerns of cloning and animal experimentation in general, the AP story suggests that we will never know if the burger we’re munching has meat from either cloned animals (should the FDA moratorium be lifted), or their offspring.

Should this matter? In a world where a person’s DNA can be patented and become corporate “property” — and where, as Eric Schlosser brilliantly reported in Fast Food Nation, a pound of supermarket or fast food ground beef is the product of dozens, perhaps more than 100, cows — does it make a difference?

I am a cloning advocate, on nearly every front. But not knowing if I’m eating beef from a cloned cow (or its offspring) gives me the heebie-jeebies — if only because of the illnesses and lower life expectancy cloned animals experience. Imported produce is labeled as such; it’d be awfully nice to have a similar standard for this kind of meat … at least for the next decade, or when this concept becomes more “marketable” and “mainstream” for consumers.

Make no mistake: animal cloning will become mainstream. Human cloning is on the horizon. But when it comes to this issue, I’m reminded of what the Beta Clones in 7th Son realize during their adventure: the world is not quite ready for it.

I’m curious to know what you think. Chime on in in the comments. (And thanks to Mae Breakall for sending me the link to the story!)

–J.C.

Below is the list of 7th Son-esque songs they recommended. Visit the soundtrack iMix in the U.S. iTunes store, or browse and preview from your favorite online music seller! (Note: J.C. is not getting an affiliate kickback for this. Making money wasn’t the goal; it was all about having fun with 7S fans.) The list goes: Title, Artist, Album. Enjoy!

• “Toy Soldier” – I:Scintillia – Optics
• “Ghost In Your Mind” – Black Lab – Passion Leaves a Trace
• “New World Man” – Rush – Signals (Remastered)
• “The Lies We Tell” – Munk – Severed
• “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” – Information Society – Information Society
• “Killer On the Loose” – Thin Lizzy – Chinatown
• “Man On a Mission” – Chance – Chance: Eleven Through Fifteen
• “Brothers In Arms” – Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms (Remastered)
• “No World for Tomorrow” – Coheed & Cambria – No World for Tomorrow
• “Digital Man” – Rush – Signals (Remastered)
• “Strangers Like Me (Soundtrack Version)” – Phil Collins – Tarzan
• “I Think I’m a Clone Now” – “Weird Al” Yankovic – Even Worse
• “Independent” – Chance – Chance: Eleven Through Fifteen
• “Sympathy for the Devil” – The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
• “Symphony of Destruction” – Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction
• “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” – R.E.M. – Document
• “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” – Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
• “Not Fade Away” – The Rolling Stones – England’s Newest Hitmakers

Thanks to these fans for their suggestions — I wish all of the songs you mentioned were available on the iTunes store: Tyrion, zard, Songjewel, akaMonty, GlennWebber, elizasea, pseudojoe, dickey, Corwin, aikidoka1977, lmorchard, bpende, chelpixie — and a special thanks to MartynDarkly, who started this twittermeme in the first place!

Supercomputing Center Will Advance the Frontiers of Computational Biology
Rensselaer researchers will continue to advance the frontiers of computational science with the help of IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer. Awarded under IBM’s Shared University Research (SUR) program, this Blue Gene will complement the $100 million partnership between Rensselaer, IBM, and New York state to create one of the world’s most powerful university-based supercomputing centers. Read more…

Link to Duke University video showcasing the technology. (RealPlayer required.)

Thanks to Christiana for the link!