P1100200 Joe Mckinney gives nystagmus test

Joe Mckinney, a writer and San Antonio homicide detective, administers a nystagmus test to a bunch of people who have tossed back a few bottles of beer. :-) The nystagmus test is used to test one's alcohol level. If a person has had too much to drink, their eyes won't be able to follow the moving pen smoothly -- the eye movement will be jumpy. Joe Mckinney did this test on those who wanted it, just for laughs at a Saturday night party. Most of these guys were from out of town, so they were staying in the hotel anyway, and not endangering people on the roads. And most of them were able to follow the pen without their eyes twitching, even if they did not seem all that sober to me. :-)

My blog posts on ArmadilloCon 2010:

Writers' workshop, and sandwiches that cost their weight in gold.

Nancy Kress toastmaster speech: secret deal between Google and SFWA

What you should have read this year -- a list of recent science fiction and fantasy books recommended by our knowledgeable panelists..

Religion in worldbuilding -- why is it hard to add religion to your science fiction or fantasy novel without it looking like a caricature?

Time travel meanders

Ilona and Gordon Andrews' special guest interview -- when a non-native English speaker becomes a published author in the US, there has to be an interesting story in there.

Or see all my blog posts from ArmadilloCon 31 (2010) in one page.