This week, a few videos for you, including two that your sequestered kids might enjoy:
Kid-friendly! John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton perform a staged reading of a section from Redshirts, at Burbank Library, in 2012. It’s about 11 minutes long. At 5.30 minutes, Scalzi loses it.
Kid-friendly! From the Georgia Aquarium, a 6 minute video about a handler and an orphaned otter.
From January, 2019, here is Rebecca Roanhorse being interviewed at the San Francisco Public Library. It’s about 33 minutes long. Your teens might get a lot from this.
NSFW language, and a long commercial in the first minute (and at the end). Jenna Moreci lists 10 Science Fiction tropes that she is tired of. And I think she is unfair to Captain Kirk, but otherwise, the 11-minute video is fun.
Books and Writing:
Oh, look! A bit of normalcy in strange times, otherwise known as a Top 10 list. The 10 Best SFnal Planets. This one should start some lively debates. (Like, Arrakis? You could make an argument for Best Setting for Drama. But it’s hardly a vacation destination.)
Coffee blends inspired by the HARRY POTTER series. (Thanks to File 770.)
Apex offers free ebooks through March 31, 2020.
Eight writers were awarded the Windham-Campbell prizes this week. Usually the winners are announced at the London Book Fair but was announced online instead.
Stephanie Burgis hosts a cover reveal on her blog.
Conventions:
Science Fiction Writers of America (SWFA) has transformed its Nebula Award Weekend, scheduled for the end of May, into an entirely online experience. More information will be made available, including a demo of the streaming process, on March 31.
Internet:
The Washington Post solicited ideas on how society would change post-pandemic. John Scalzi is represented, discussing greetings.
This is a cool article on Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs).
Syfy Fangrrls look back at Cruella deVil’s wardrobe.
Gamestop believes they should be an essential service. According to Bleeding Cool, Pennsylvania and California did not agree.
Gizmodo offers twelve games you can play with your housemates during sheltering in place.
Painting by Remedios Varo, from the Wendi Collin collection.
Earth:
Here’s an interesting article about forecasting avalanching.
Image:
Remedios Varo was born December 16, 1908 in Angeles, Spain. She lived and painted in Spain, France and Mexico, dying in Mexico City in 1963.
Thanks for the kid-friendly videos!
It is going to be really challenging for me to try to work/teach from home while also making sure my teenage daughters are getting their own school work done. They have been on Spring Break for two weeks and they go back to school Monday. It is going to be a full-time job just to keep them on task!
I don’t know how people with kids (or folks with sick family members) are doing this.
Since you are one of the best-organized and high-energy people I know, I think YOU might be up for the task though.
Here in CA, the Gov has said schools will be closed until May at the earliest and most of us assume we will write off the entire school year. Which has major implications for every part of education in 2021. Ripples.
That is flattering, Marion, but the truth is that I’m only highly organized and high-energy for the task that I WANT to do. When it comes to things I don’t want to do, like clean my house, cook, do laundry, and keep kids under control, I’m quite the disorganized slob…. and these are the behaviors that my kids see me modeling, so I am not managing to teach good skills to them, either.
We are expecting that the kids will be finishing out the semester online here, too.