Day: September 18, 2004

Here’s a blogging first, at least in my experience: use of a “blogger” as a main character in a science fiction novel:
“Ah! Hmm.” A thoughtful look creased the short guy’s face. “You a journalist, then?”
“No, I’m a warblogger,” Frank admitted, unsure whether to be irritated or flattered…
…”You’re a fucking anarchist, and your next drink’s on me, right?”
“Um.” Svengali sighed. “You’re making presumptions on my honesty, and I’ve only known you for five minutes, but I thank you from the bottom of my bitter and twisted little ventricles. What kind of blogger are you, to be giving precious alcohol away?”
“One who wants to get drunk as a skunk, in company. Hard fucking editorial, the copy fought back, and there are no politicians to beat up on until we get wherever it is that we’re going…”

That’s from Charles Stross’ fine novel, Sunrise, which I’m about halfway through and enjoying quite a bit.
Iron Sunrise is a sequel to Singularity Sky, which was also quite good; I recommend them both. Stross reminds me of Ken MacLeod at MacLeod’s better moments, with a bit of Iain Banks thrown in for good measure.
And did I mention that Iron Sunrise has Space Nazis? It’s true. Future-bloggers and Space Nazis — it’s got everything, I tell you.
Given that Iron Sunrise has a warblogger as a main character, it should be no surprise that Stross himself has a blog. Although I think we may have to hold a template design intervention for him sometime soon…

I just called in and surprised Ed, John Hindraker, Scott Johnson, and Mitch Berg on Northern Alliance Radio. I started with a question on PowerLine’s latest news that Big Dan is heading to Dallas, and they not surprisingly had a few questions for me on the Ecosystem.
My first radio appearance, as it turns out, and a most enjoyable experience speaking to the fine Northern Alliance gentlemen. My only complaint is, as far as I know, the Northern Alliance doesn’t offer any online archives, so I can’t go back and listen to how silly I sounded…
Update: The Northern Alliance folks are now talking to Jed Babbin about his book, Inside the Asylum, which discusses the ongoing horror-comedy which is the United Nations. Jed’s position is that the U.N. can’t be saved, as we’d never get the votes needed to kick out the despot states that are the true problem. I’m right there with him; and have said many of the same things:
It would be possible to establish an international body that does not suffer from this flaw, of course. The basic requirement would be simple: to join the club, a nation must be a democracy, with truly free and fair elections, and in particular, membership must be requested directly by the people of that nation through a referendum (no EU-style communities of elites here).
Personally, I