Space Balloon

David (aerospace engineer) just sent me this incredible vid

http://www.brooklynspaceprogram.org/BSP/Space_Balloon.html

A family sent a camera nineteen miles up into the air attached to a balloon, filming the ascent, space, the plummet back.

Our friend Steve, who works with David and is totally into gadgets and such now wants to do it; just his cup of tea.

The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff

I'd had this book on my shelf for a while -- it's from 1990 and I picked it up in a used bookstore in town -- so I packed it to read on the plane. Huff's always entertaining and I love the way she works in gay/bi characters without any fuss. This fantasy has a strong m/m storyline between two of the three leads and it's definitely worth reading given how few fantasy books do that.

The story itself was very readable and had everything you want/expect in a fantasy; villians, magic, fighting, taverns, political intrigue, a quest... One of the torture scenes had me gulping but I loved the three leads and I wish she'd done a sequel in this world.

Definitely worth looking out for and Amazon has a few used copies.

The Fire's Stone