Links for September 15th through September 20th

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on September 20, 2010). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

Sometime between September 15th and September 20th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • CLASH of the GEEKS | a Fantastical Chapbook to Benefit the Lupus Alliance of America: "Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi and Subterranean Press are proud to announce the publication of Clash of the Geeks, a special and fantastical electronic chapbook featuring stories by Wheaton, Scalzi, New York Times bestseller Patrick Rothfuss, Norton Award winner and Hugo Best Novel nominee Catherynne M. Valente, Hugo and Nebula Award nominee Rachel Swirsky and others, for the benefit of the Michigan/Indiana affiliate of the Lupus Alliance of America. The chapbook is free to download, but voluntary payment is strongly encouraged, via Paypal or by tax-deductible donation forms, both linked to later in this entry. All proceeds from this chapbook will go to the Michigan/Indiana affiliate of the Lupus Alliance of America."
  • The Nervous Breakdown: "Only the folks at Madacy Entertainment know exactly what Ocean Surf is, and their lips are sealed. I made several phone calls to Madacy's corporate headquarters in Quebec, and each representative I was lucky enough to reach declined to comment on the origins of the Ocean Surf audio. It's become patently obvious that the mystery of the Ocean Surf recording is one cornerstone of its appeal. Mysteriousness, in fact, is what makes Ocean Surf arguably the most important relaxation sounds release of all time."
  • Observations on Film Art : Bond vs. Chan: Jackie Shows How It’S Done: "The Michael Bay approach has become the principal way in which action scenes are shot. It isn't absence of craft that leads to these aimless bouts. The filmmakers actively want the action to be hard, even impossible, to follow. Sometimes I think that this blurred bustle is there to secure a PG-13 rating; if you could really see the mayhem, we might be moving toward an R. But filmmakers don't say that they're self-censoring. They seem to think that making the action illegible is creative because it promotes realism."