Recommendations: Part II

As I said before, things change. So...

At the beginning of September last year, Universe Today joined with Bad Astronomy - Phil Plait's stomping grounds. At least, the forums joined into bautforum.com. Phil's a cool guy, but I wasn't so happy with the fact that due to the transition, almost all of my posts were disattributed to me. My contributions - or recognition thereof - as a result were totally removed and I left the forum very peeved. I spent quite a while at the One World Online Community before an old friend from Australia created his own forums which I joined enthusiastically alongside much of the dwindling OneWorld community. Later, the Australian tried to shut me out even though I tried many times asking for forgiveness. But that's old hat - whenever he softens up he'll let me know. In the meantime I admin beyondspace.info with David King from England. Great bloke!

There are of course many other websites and forums I have experienced, the details of which I will reveal later.

In the meantime, lechayim!

"Narrowing My Giants: The Writers" Part II

Yeah things change. A lot of things. This is more of a dedication post than anything else actually.

Clarke is off the list - I've had enough of him really. Yeah he's written great classics but his purpose is quite different from that which I pursue, which is closer to Physbrain's Spaceflight Sandbox December 20th blog in which he includes a reply he made to a geek.com post. Read it and you'll see what I mean. In addition I feel I should substitute Clarke with Kaku who's written some really great books on the modern history and future implications of physics! But no worries, as Friesner is still on the list. ;-)


Now, the additions:

Marco Beltrami - did not write a book. Instead he composed and conducted the I, Robot soundtrack. I love the transition from nearly-beatless melody into sudden rhythm followed by a steady percussion to finish the main theme. Really fascinating. Rent the DVD or VHS.

William Shirer - wrote Twentieth Century Journey Volume II: The Nightmare Years 1930-1940. In this he documents as succinctly as possible his journey from British India in the early Gandhi years to Spain during its spell as a totalitarian nation to Germany, where he follows the beginnings of Hitler's reign closely right through Germany's early victories including France, at which point he is overwhelmed by the censorship and miraculously makes his way back to the United States. Never shall we forget the atrocities of the Nazis, nor the past that gave them power, nor the roots that have allowed them to hold on to a future.