After a bit of time away from the social media maelstrom, for my grandmother’s funeral and other assorted bits of business, I’m back. But as I don’t have much to talk about at the moment (save for writing, which I think shall be another post altogether), it’s all going to be about the links this time. So, yay.

Here’s an IO9 article on the rocket rider who became a 19th century obsession. I find stuff like this endlessly fascinating, despite the likelihood of it being some form of hoax (on the part of 19th century sources, not io9).

How a conservative Republican lost her fear of universal health care. Even though I’m not a conservative, I appreciated the perspective.

Hold the presses! Booze may be good for old bones! (Yeah, yeah, I know. “In moderation.” That’s why I renamed my townhouse “Moderation, Michigan.”)

For writers: How not to be a clever writer. Some good advice I probably should take.

Robot swarms aim to bring buildings to life. Completely not a setup for a cheap-o SyFy movie. Really.

Okay, I’m not sure what battle knowing this would be half of, but here you go: Explained: why we wear pants. Because: REASONS.

Gary W. Olson is the author of the dark fantasy novel Brutal Light. His blog originates here. Photo: 3poD/Bigstock.com.

I had a quick little blog entry all written yesterday. It was the story behind a funny photograph I took seventeen years ago, on my first trip to the Pacific Northwest. It was a picture of a mountain, and a terse little sign that told me where it was. I figured I’d scan the picture when I got home, post the blog entry, and that’d be that.

The problem with that was, and is, finding the photo. It, and a swath of other pictures from that era, seem to have disappeared on me. Likely they’re in another box o’ pictures somewhere, probably itself buried in one of the larger boxes in the basement. I haven’t the patience to go hunting for it now, so instead, I foist upon you… the links!

Another Leap Towards True VR. This is about another of those little things coming down the pike very shortly that will drastically change how you interact with computers… again. It’s a little device that allows you to treat any computer screen like a touchscreen… without actually having to touch the screen.

Here’s a piece on a robot avatar body being controlled for the first time by thought alone. Still a long way from Surrogates (or Avatar, for that matter), but closer than you might think.

Speaking of robots, here’s one that can beat you at rock-paper-scissors 100% of the time. Ah, but how does it do with rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock?

For writers: 20 essential tips on rewriting your story until it shines. Always useful to keep in mind.

The Rocketeer who Became a 19th Century Obsession. IO9 presents the possible real-life origins of steampunk icon Mr. Golightly.

Biology’s Master Programmers. On the problems biologists are encountering with trying to make real-life biopunkish stuff happen.

Gary W. Olson is the author of the dark fantasy novel Brutal Light. His blog originates here. Photo: 3poD/Bigstock.com.