We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal readers out there. As you know, Nanobloom is still a relatively new blog. This being the case, it will take some time for the authors to determine the best publishing schedule to fit their writing styles and personal lives. We here at Nanobloom are dedicated to giving you the best possible blog experience we can offer.

We would also like to offer an opportunity for you, dear Reader, to submit suggestions for this site. As we struggle here at Nanobloom to find our artistic voice, we have discovered that this blog should not be self-serving. It is for you, dear Reader, that we write. In the near future we hope to expand the site to include:

- An increased number of authors for articles, satire, writing/story samples, and news reporting

- A page for Science-Fiction and Fantasy authors to present their new material

- Increased networking within the blogosphere
That being stated, if there is anything else you would like to see on this site, please e-mail us at info@nanobloom.com We are open to suggestions to better serve and entertain you. Also, please feel free to leave comments with any of the posts you read. Your comments continue to motivate us to write and find entertaining material for this site. The more comments you post, the better idea we have of our readership levels.

For those of you who have been with us since the inception, we thank you from the depths of our hearts for your continued support. If you are new in joining us here at Nanobloom, welcome aboard! Strap yourself in for exciting, filthy posts from beyond the future (and kitschy to boot!).

Sincerely,

The Nanobloom Staff

You will remember, dear Reader, that a while ago we posted about India’s smallest bodybuilder.  Well, apparently our favorite Asian country brings us another newsworthy little person. I am pleased to introduce you to Jyoti Amge. Miss Amge is 14 years old and suffers from a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia. About 70% of all people with dwarfism have achondroplasia, which results in disproportion in the limbs and head, limited mobility in the elbows, and an average height of 48 inches.

Now for your viewing pleasure, here are some more pictures of Ms. Amge:

Thank God she doesn’t have Dora the Explorer’s backpack….otherwise that thing might eat her while eating the map!

It’s like when your little baby girl wants to play “Movie Director”! At least her dad won’t have to worry like most fathers about his girl growing up and wanting to play “I’ll do anything to become a movie star”….at least, we hope to God he doesn’t…….

I swear this looks like when my niece was two years old and would pick up the phone and pretend to call and talk to people.

She’ll never get to sit at the grown-up’s table for Thanksgiving either….

Ms. Amge I may tease you a little about your size, but I truly am jealous that their are water bottles the same size as you. Fill that thing up once, and you’re good to go for the entire day!

Best of luck Jyoti in all you do!

Information and pictures were obtained from a Fox News article online which can be read and viewed in its entirety here.

Skybus Airlines announced late Friday that they are no more. After a special board meeting, the directors concluded that they are no longer able to financially sustain themselves.  CEO Mike Hodge blames the rising cost of oil as the main reason for the airline’s demise. Other factors that contributed to Skybus’ downfall were the threats of their airline pilots to unionize, lower-than-expected numbers of passengers during the travel season, and high amounts of canceled flights during the holiday/winter travel season.

Skybus is the third airline in one week (!!!) to go under.  Skybus joined Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines last week in suspending all operations. Skybus has also filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

I, for one, will certainly miss Skybus. It offered me a convenient, affordable direct flight from Richmond to my family in Ohio. I also enjoyed the fun atmosphere the airline offered during their flights (the funniest, most memorable pre-flight safety demonstration I have ever sat through was on a Skybus flight). Alas, all good things must end. So too, for Skybus.

Goodbye Skybus, you will be missed.

Godspeed.

An article detailing the Skybus closure can be read here and here.

On my way home from Los Angeles, I had a three hour layover at the Las Vegas International Airport. While sitting there reading my new Jim Butcher novel, I had a bit of an epiphany; gambling could possibly save the ever-worsening airline industry. Hear me out:

1. We legalize gambling as far as slot machines and video poker in all airports and grant gaming licenses too all commercial airline industries

2. Airlines set up their own slot machine/video poker lounges at their respective concourses.

3. Profit.

After six months of the new business model, we travelers could once again enjoy a comfy plane ride with tons of freebies. Want a whole can of soda instead of just a mini-glass? Want a complementary meal instead of having to buy it? Want the cool little candy airplanes they used to hand out to children? Then support the legalization of Airport Gambling.

Congress, a little help?

Happy April Fools! Today we here at Nanobloom would like to report an April Fools joke rather than play one on you dear Reader. There have been many funny pranks this year, but we think our favorite is:

Google Video Links all featured videos to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video

AKA

Google Rickrolls Entire Planet!
You can read more about it here.

World famous author Arthur C. Clarke has died this afternoon at a hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka . He was 90 years old.

Mr. Clarke is probably best remembered for his contribution to the literary field of Science Fiction. His 2001: A Space Odyssey series of books also propelled him to share an Academy Award nomination (best adapted screenplay) with filmmaker Stanley Kubrick for the film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Mr. Clarke is also credited with introducing the concept of artificial satellites being used for worldwide communications during his service as a Royal Air Force Officer. He also took part in the early development of radar.

The hard science that Mr. Clarke introduced in his fiction has inspired untold multitudes of children to grow up and study to learn how to explore the cosmos. He has helped (along with other greats like Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov) unlock the barrier between “science fiction” and “science fact”, and will hopefully one day inspire a future generation to pioneer the human race to distant planets.

Unfortunately, Mr. Clarke did not get to live to see confirmation of intelligent life on other planets. His own personal Monolith has opened as a doorway before him, calling him to a world beyond. And when it opened, I bet it was full of stars.

Goodbye Mr. Clarke. You will be missed.

Information for this post was pulled from the CNN obituary posted on their website, which can be read in its entirety here.

You are looking at the first picture I could take of Ohio’s “Blizzard” of 2008. I drove into Ohio Friday night with friends and family calling me to warn that Ohio has been besieged by the Great White Death and to turn back! “The Peril is too great!” they warned. I calmly informed them in a MacBeth-ian manner that I was too far in and it would be just as perilous for me to turn back (in all reality I didn’t see the first sign of snow until I only had an hour left of my 7.5 hour drive and still made it home in record time).

The next day, however, snow really had blanketed everything. My wife’s flight was canceled, the driveway impassable, all the I-270 exits closed, and Columbus starting to reach record-breaking snowfall.

Gentlemen, welcome to Flavor Country.

My wife’s flight eventually made it in (around 11:00 p.m.) and I was able to pick her up. It has actually been a very nice, relaxing, peaceful weekend. Maybe a blizzard was just what I needed for this little vacation back home to see the folks.

The co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D as fans affectionately call it) Gary Gygax died last night at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. His wife, Gail, confirmed this saying that he had been suffering from medical problems for a while, most notably an abdominal aneurysm.

Mr. Gygax introduced the pen-and-paper based role-playing game in 1974, along with co-creator Dave Arneson. Gygax has said in previous interviews how he was first introduced to fantasy by his father, who would read him fantasy stories as bedtime stories. This lead to an imagination that couldn’t be fed by just books. He began to play war-themed board games, but was disappointed with the lack of fantasy available in those types of games. This is what led Gygax to consider a fantasy-based game. Leaving his job as an insurance underwriter, Gygax became a shoe repairman in order to have more time to devote to his game.

Gary Gygax was also a prolific writer. Besides penning dozens of fantasy books, Gygax also wrote the entire series of Greyhawk novels. He will be missed by all of his admirers and D&D fans. He was 69.

Information for this post was pulled from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The articles in their entirety can be read by clicking on the links.

Today is it. Today we will decide (most likely) who is to become the Democratic Candidate for president.  Sure Clinton is saying things like “I’m just getting warmed up”, but we all know that if Obama handily beats her in both Texas and Ohio the contest is over.

It truly is amazing to see how much of a turnaround both campaigns have performed in the past few months. Clinton (as of last night) was still showing a slight lead in most polls in Ohio and about dead-even in Texas.  This surprised me, as I had postulated that Obama by March 4 would be showing a slight lead in both states, or at least dead-even in both.  Unfortunately for Clinton it is 40 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy in Ohio. A typical dreary Ohio late-winter/early-spring day. Why is this unfortunate for Clinton? She draws a majority of her support from the elderly. If the nasty weather keeps up all day, it could easily affect her vote margin. Don’t believe me? Read all about it here. Either way, tonight’s the night we make history…so the story goes.