HAMBURG, one day prior to boarding the Queen Mary for a nine–day trip across the Atlantic to New York City, and not coincidentally, the expiry date of my Eurail Pass. Once I come ashore, it will be another week before I am back in Texas.
Author: publius
Fools! I will destroy you all!!
ASFO 2026–07–11
FAREWELL to Munich? Trying to understand car ownership in Germany, and the continuing failure of the Bundes Ministerium to deal with successive oil crises, through the lens of on–street parking ; the incompatibility of austerity drives with AI hype, and the perennial question of why or how things which are bad for people in general should be good for business ; a misleading announcement about a “nuclear–powered commercial satellite”, which leads me into an explanation of a technology known as betavoltaics ; and a discussion of my medallic art projects.
ASFO 2026–07–04
MetropolCon, in Berlin, the European Science Fiction Convention for this year. No display or program from me, but I did manage to spend some time with friends, and rope SDFer and aNONradio DJ “tyn from Berlin” into coming. I think he had a good time, too. I explain about the Double Secret Platform 22 at Berlin central railway station, and describe a Ridiculous Eurail Pass Trick ; and question why or how it is possible to sell shares in “being tortured for eternity by Robot Satan”. The sestercentennial (why in the world some people are calling it a semi–quincentennial escapes me) of the United States Declaration of Independence merits a recommendation of the musical 1776.
ASFO 2026–06–20
Mail call! Quantities of blast in the outgoing mail ; a second medallic art project for this year ; and the Elon–phant in the room.
ASFO 2026–06–13
Back in Texas, after failing to do a show last week with no excuse whatsoever, what do I have to say? There is the potential effect of the New Glenn explosion on the just–announced NASA lunar program ; the inexplicable or at least inexcusable proposal for looser driver–licensing in Germany ; and a little “I told you so” crowing over the undistinguished results of the Enhanced Games.
ASFO 2026–05–30
A very ambitious NASA announcement set back by a very big explosion, the end of “Beyond Petroleum” and other items from the Financial Times, some museums in Britain, my further travels, and other notes of interest.
- Archive Recording
- 2026 ASFO Masterpost
- A Step Farther Out Masterpost
- Previous Week
- Following Week
- Patreon campaign
ASFO 2026–05–23
Blackpool again? My recent visit to a Nuklearia meetup, a degree of comeuppance for Gerhard Schröder, various recent industrial accidents, performance–enhancing drugs in sport, and an answer to a question from SDFer jlamothe about the possibilities of nuclear power for the Yukon Territory.
ASFO 2026–05–16
Recent events in Romania once again lead us to question the notion of “economic efficiency”. Does it really make sense to re–define what we consider good to match the outcome of a theory? Also, further travel plans, and a stab at re–formatting the Man and Atom Briefing Book.
ASFO 2026–05–09
Anything but nuclear strikes again, with a proposal to link Canada and Europe by an undersea electric transmission line. The problem is not that this is a bad idea, per se : it is merely a costly and roundabout way of approaching a problem that we already have a more satisfactory solution for. Also, more doubt cast on the Canadian Atlantic spaceport ; and a consideration of common misconceptions and their implications.
ASFO 2026–05–02
Blackpool, and why I am not likely to visit Pleasure Beach. This episode recorded ex post facto, because I lost track of time while riding the tram system — the only one in Britain to have been spared. From its northern terminus you can see the Heysham nuclear power stations. Also a “Museum of Water and Steam”, and Humphrey Davy and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, still two names to conjure with.