The Slate discovers that people outside of California like sci-fi

Here's the video:
Don Omar - The Chosen & Virtual Diva [ IDON : System Upgrade ]


Here's the article in Slate.
First of all, the older cyberpunk gets, the cornier it seems; like Will Robinson lost in space levels of corny, but I still have a nostaglic affection for being in middle school and having subscriptions both to "Isaac Asimov Science Fiction Monthly" and "Analog" There was a time when 2400 baud and people like Steve Lowell Inness were dreaming up touch-screens and B1ff really was kewl b/c Amigaz rox!!!1 c u l8r...

Second, I confess that I freakin' love reggaetón; ever since Houston Press put me onto Daddy Yankee. I drove a lot during law school, through constant construction on  I-10 and 59. The radio in my Jeep developed a problem with the antenna such that I could only get NPR and Mega 101. During NPR pledge week, would switch over to Mega 101. I would thrill to recognize the six words of Spanish that I know in lyrics, and many of the song lyrics were partially in English anyway. It was a welcome break both from the law, and my Jeep breaking down on the side of the road, and obsessing over whether my missed class would trigger the ABA-mandated "5 absences and you must fail" policy. Listening to some rhymes that I don't understand was preferable to being crushed by the enormous pressures that I both put on myself and kept bottled up inside. Mostly, I just heard the moderate tempo bass carrying the man shouting over the loops which skip a beat every 3 1/2 beats. I can relate to that beat.

Here's an aside: when Dakota was little, she used to bang on stuff in the kitchen. Now that she's a big girl she does it less. I used encourage her to make percusive noises. When she would stop, I'd say "Dakota, bring that beat back. Bring. That. Beat. Back." Then I'd smile to myself at what a hip funny joke I made. Eugene heard me do that once and just sighed. I never did it again after that. Anyway, Dakota has moved on to liking actual music. Time marches on. On to the point of this blog entry...

Dear Slate,

It is not necessary to be a snotty dork from Silicon Valley in order to like science fiction. Crimony! Your ethnocentric condescension hangs off you like stinky cheese.


And by the way: Rock on, iDon!