The mid-afternoon post with the clever title. Ha. Ha. (See?)

It's the mid-afternoon edition of the Saturday Post, out so late because somebody slept in. Somebody. I'm not going to name names. Shall we begin?
-  Nuclear preoccupations, Part 1): Could there be a nuclear meltdown in Ontario? The Candu safety net.

-  Nuclear preoccupations, Part 2): Disaster in Japan: What Does it Mean to Us? by Nick Eyles.

-  The TED talks really cover a number of subjects. I was unaware that they covered gender dynamics as well. Here's one that puts out a call to men: What does it mean to be a man?

-  Love Ernest Hemingway? What about Spot the Dog? Did you know that Hemingway wrote Spot the Dog? Betcha didn't.

-  Silly stuff of the week: Nerds and rap music might not seem like an obvious mix, but that was before Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking decided to drop some science for an epic rap battle.

-  This is neat for anyone else anticipating the upcoming A Game of Thrones. It's a 25-minute look behind the scenes at making the show. There's interviews with cast members and George R. R. Martin.


-  I want to read Daniel Abraham's books this year because I've heard nothing but good things. Furthermore, he seems like an intelligent guy. (Not that general intelligence and social awareness is a prerequisite for being a good writer, as some authors who won't be named could prove.) In Epic Fantasy and the Weariness of War, Abraham takes a look at the supposed increased interest in epic fantasy. He suggests that despite the trappings of faux-Medieval worlds, the really great works are telling us that we're tired of war.

-  To anyone who hasn't read them, I highly recommend the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, and lately by Brandon Sanderson. However, the series is gargantuan. If you prefer, you can read a more streamlined version that pares down the books to their essentials--if their essentials were written by Monty Python. For example:

Rand: I really should be going.
Lan: Yes, you should. Another lesson?
Rand: Sure.
Lan: This move is called "Ending the Book." Use it in a climactic battle at the end of the book against a bad guy.

and

Elayne: Mat, you must take this message to my mother.
Mat: Doesn't the royal family or the White Tower have carrier pigeons?
Elayne: Nope. Fresh out.
Mat: Seems silly.
Elayne: See this chin? I'll raise it.
Mat: Fine.

It's very tongue-in-cheek. Go Light.

-  Song of the Week: The first single from the upcoming album by Sam Roberts is really catchy. My favourite song from Sam Roberts was always Brother Down, their first single. Since then, I haven't been that captivated by their music. This song is different, especially once you get to 1:07.


Otherwise, this week has been filled with a lot of music by The Beatles and other bands from the 60s. Just because a lot of that music is new to me doesn't mean it is to everyone else, so I'll hold back from recommending their songs. For now.