http://dandelionstudios.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Rick S. en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:21:25 GMT 2009-12-30T16:21:25Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977959423 Rapture for the Geeks: When AI Outsmarts IQ By Richard Dooling Richard Dooling discusses the growing power of artificial intelligence and the possibility of the "singularity", the point at which . . . Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:10:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977959423 Rick S. 2009-12-23T00:10:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977958683 The Convent of the Pure By Sara M. Harvey This steampunk fantasy is centered around the relationship between Portia Gyony, a nephilim demon-slayer, and the ghost of her lover, Imogen. The . . . Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:22:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977958683 Rick S. 2009-12-22T20:22:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977956345 I'm a big fan of Christmas, and the holiday season in general. No "bah humbugs" here. I even enjoy the crowds at the malls. Growing up, my family lived in a Victorian house in West Roxbury MA. The house . . . Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:56:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977956345 Rick S. 2009-12-21T04:56:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977956308 After we put the Kiddo to bed tonight my wife and I headed out to do a little snow sculpting. Actually, she sculpted. I assisted. Here is our snow-bird: With the proud sculptor: A couple . . . Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:48:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977956308 Rick S. 2009-12-21T03:48:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977955533 Edaville USA is one of the oldest amusement parks in our area. Located in Carver MA, this cranberry bog is set up with a vintage railroad using original two-foot gauge rails purchased from railroads . . . Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:31:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977955533 Rick S. 2009-12-20T14:31:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977950787 This post covers my two most recent CVS expeditions. Unfortunately, as I post this, the best deals have expired, because CVS is back to doing 3-day sales. Check the Sunday paper to see if there are more . . . Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:08:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977950787 Rick S. 2009-12-17T21:08:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977949823 After four years, 49 stories (48 monthly installments, and 1 extra "teaser" piece), and four narrators, I am concluding my "Luminations" serial with this episode. It's probably not the best jumping-in . . . Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:52:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977949823 Rick S. 2009-12-16T14:52:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977945069 A tradition in this area is for the local towns and villages here on Cape Cod to hold evening Christmas Stroll events. The merchants stay open late, and usually offer Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, . . . Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:13:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977945069 Rick S. 2009-12-13T18:13:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977943862 After the midnight excursion to Toys R Us ended up keeping me out until about 4 AM the morning of Black Friday, I probably should have just done what my friends did an made it an all-nighter. Sleep . . . Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:03:53 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977943862 Rick S. 2009-12-12T14:03:53Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977943499 Toys R Us opened at midnight Thanksgiving night for a special super-early Black Friday event. And with baby's first Christmas with us coming up, this was the year to do it! I didn't actually have too . . . Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:21:39 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977943499 Rick S. 2009-12-12T05:21:39Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922304 Zen Shorts By Jon J. Muth Comic book artist and fantasy illustrator Jon J. Muth goes for something a bit different here with a childrens picture book of stories based on Zen Buddhism. The . . . Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:16:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922304 Rick S. 2009-11-29T14:16:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977919320 I went out this morning and got the local paper to check out the final versions of the Black Friday specials. CVS was starting early, and my family Thanksgiving activities don't start until late in . . . Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:03:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977919320 Rick S. 2009-11-26T20:03:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977909712 Setting Suns by Elizabeth Donald This collection of horror and SF short stories opens with a bang: "Sisyphus" is a time travel story that manages to be horrifying and brilliantly clever at the . . . Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:53:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977909712 Rick S. 2009-11-20T23:53:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977906021 China (Eyewitness Travel Guides) The Eyewitness series started out with brightly-illustrated children's books on science, nature, technology, and history, and expanded to include a variety of nonfiction . . . Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:43:42 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977906021 Rick S. 2009-11-18T06:43:42Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977903918 I spent all of my CVS ExtraBucks before my trip to China , and I hadn't done a whole lot since returning. Shockingly, parenting cuts down on recreational shopping time. Whoda thunk it? :) I did stop . . . Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:23:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977903918 Rick S. 2009-11-17T05:23:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977902318 My urban fantasy serial, Luminations , is approaching the end of its fourth and final year. The penultimate episode has just been published at Edge of Propinquity , and the story will wrap up next . . . Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:05:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977902318 Rick S. 2009-11-16T03:05:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977896463 In the Shadow of Man By Jane Goodall In her own words, Jane Goodall writes of her landmark studies of wild chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania. Starting out in 1960, Goodall, . . . Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:33:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977896463 Rick S. 2009-11-11T20:33:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977889383 Today's preview comes from the first issue of the Dandelion Studios comic book, Kaeli & Rebecca. This is one of three new fantasy comics that I am writing for my small press company. This scene . . . Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:09:55 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977889383 Rick S. 2009-11-07T05:09:55Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977878724 The Runaway Pumpkin By Kevin Lewis and S.D. Schindler This adorable rhyming Halloween tale has been a runaway hit with my 18-month-old son at storytime. When the Baxter children find an enormous . . . Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:59:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977878724 Rick S. 2009-10-31T04:59:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977877011 Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 1 By Terry Moore This is the first collected volume of Terry Moore's love/crime story about two women living in Houston who become involved in mafia intrigue . . . Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:46:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977877011 Rick S. 2009-10-30T03:46:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977875197 Dragon Magazine Annual, Volume 1: A 4th Edition D&D Compilation Edited By Torah Cottrill, Miranda Horner, and Chris Youngs Back in the early days of the first edition Advanced Dungeons & . . . Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:31:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977875197 Rick S. 2009-10-29T03:31:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977873158 My company, Dandelion Studios , has plans to release three new fantasy comic book titles in 2010. Among these is Stone , the story of a warrior woman who fights to save a small nation from the grip . . . Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:36:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977873158 Rick S. 2009-10-27T23:36:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977862987 So Friday, the day after our arrival, was our free day in Beijing, and thanks to the wonders of the time difference, we were wide awake and ready to go at 5 AM. It's pretty much an exact 12-hour swap . . . Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:56:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977862987 Rick S. 2009-10-21T10:56:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977857723 Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung By Mao Tse-Tung This is the famous/infamous “Little Red Book” that has been a handbook of far-left political activists around the world. It's . . . Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:24:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977857723 Rick S. 2009-10-17T14:24:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977854563 Volume 46: October 2009 Welcome to the Edge of Propinquity . Volume 46 is now published. Fall is a time of introspection and self examination as the body prepares for the cold of winter. . . . Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:51:56 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977854563 Rick S. 2009-10-15T10:51:56Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977853038 Palimpsest By Catherynne M. Valente Somewhere beyond sleep, a city wondrous and terrible waits for those who know the way there. Catherynne Valente's dream-fantasy is a brilliantly sensual . . . Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:32:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977853038 Rick S. 2009-10-14T14:32:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848437 One typical part of the Chinese adoption experience is the couple of days' sightseeing that happen before meeting the child. This serves two purposes: to get the family a chance to see some of the "must-see" . . . Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848437 Rick S. 2009-10-12T01:48:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848293 I've got so many pictures from the three weeks that we spent in China recently, that I decided to create a new group. China Travel ( chinatravel.gather.com ) is a group about travel to and within . . . Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:17:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848293 Rick S. 2009-10-11T12:17:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848275 Actually, we've been back in the USA for a little over a week, but, well, we've been just a little bit busy with the new baby. Here's a picture taken on "Gotcha Day", the day we first met our son. The . . . Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:01:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977848275 Rick S. 2009-10-11T12:01:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977813982 We're leaving early tomorrow morning. Airport limo service picking us up around 5 AM, drive up to Logan, then we fly to (lovely) Newark NJ where we have a few hours layover. Then we're flying nonstop . . . Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:06:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977813982 Rick S. 2009-09-15T23:06:40Z