Not CAN we, but SHOULD we...
Major Music Labels Use Artificial Intelligence to Help Determine "Hitability" Of Music.

"The application can recognize hidden market trends and consumer taste patterns as they evolve over time as well as complex intricacies of recorded music only understood at very deep levels of the human consciousness. Most people can't explain why they like a certain song beyond saying they like blues, or a good beat and a strong melody. This technology can actually pinpoint what complex patterns are most attractive to a given listener or audience. Music labels are using the technology to better allocate promotion spending, accurately predict sales and anticipate the market."

Posted by Victoria McManus on 02.28.03 @ 01:28 PM ET [link]

Not that this has anything to do with anyone I know...
Why Nerds Are Unpopular by Paul Graham.
Posted by Victoria McManus on 02.27.03 @ 11:29 AM ET [link]

The Laws Of Anime
Por ejemplo:

Law of Sonic Amplification, First Law of Anime Acoustics

In space, loud sounds, like explosions, are even louder because there is no air to get in the way.
Posted by Glenn Hauman on 02.16.03 @ 02:31 AM ET [link]

Not just bodice-rippers any more.
All About Romance. The ultimate Romance resource on the web.

Reviews, lists of upcoming releases, a discussion forum called "At the Back Fence," interviews with authors, specialty title lists, and did I mention the reviews? Lots of reviews.

If you're looking for more romances to read, this is the place for you; check out the "Desert Isle Keepers" section. If you're researching the genre as an author or editor or publisher, this is the best place to start.

Don't dare miss--or drink while reading--the AAR Annual Purple Prose Contest entries, archived here.
Posted by Victoria McManus on 02.12.03 @ 12:59 PM ET [link]

Pfui!
The Nero Wolfe Database provides references for the many, many characters in this detective series, with details of their exploits.
Posted by Victoria McManus on 02.12.03 @ 12:55 PM ET [link]

SFWA Statement of Support for Space Exploration
http://www.nyx.net/columbia has a list of 880 people to date. And if Harlan Ellison can sign his name to a SFWA document, it's saying something.
Posted by Glenn Hauman on 02.10.03 @ 08:26 PM ET [link]

Wondering what to do with all those galleys?
The Paskow Science Fiction Collection at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Posted by Victoria McManus on 02.06.03 @ 04:58 PM ET [link]

Quivering with desire, Bea Arthur removed Tommy Lasorda's shirt...
The Washington Post recently had a contest where readers were asked to write lines from a very, very bad sex scene in a novel. The "winners" are here (scroll down past the faux Hirschfelds).

Some of them aren't bad. This one sounds like it came out of a Spider Robinson novel:

Lisa felt the Earth move. It started at 1.5 on the Richter scale, but rose in waves to a 7.3, equivalent in size to the 1989 Bay Area quake. Aftershocks ranged from 3.1 to 5.4.

...and some are just... well, read for yourself.
Posted by Glenn Hauman on 02.03.03 @ 01:45 PM ET [link]