Monthly Archives: December 2004
Bye Bye 2004
Posted on December 31, 2004 4 Comments
2004: It’s all a blur now. Actually, it’s not. Certainly a very strange year, although one that in many ways was very good for me personally. Having said that, I’m happy to let it go, and happy to move forward into 2005. See you all on the other side.
Ringing the Bell for Christ and the ACLU — Again!
Posted on December 30, 2004 13 Comments
Recall, if you will, my call for lawyers who are Christian and work for the ACLU to come forward to refute the belief a correspondent of mine had, that there were no Christian lawyers at the ACLU. I’ve already rung the bell, but I’m ringing it again, because I’ve hauled in a big one: Will […]
On Rudeness as a Rhetorical Tool
Posted on December 30, 2004 27 Comments
For those of you who are interested, I put a comment here (it’s the one dated 12/30/04 at 1:35 pm) on how I will occassionally be rude in online discussions as an intentional rhetorical maneuver. A snip: It’s no secret to anyone here that I can at times be rude and confrontational. I think what […]
Maxims for Believers
Posted on December 30, 2004 10 Comments
Not to distract you all from the spectacle of me and Mr. Duemer frothing at the mouth like angry mad dogs while putatively discussing tolerance, but on his own site Devin Ganger has posted a variation of the Seven Maxims for Non-Believers, modified for use for believers. I think he’s done a fine job, and […]
Heh heh heh.
Posted on December 29, 2004 64 Comments
Apparently, in the conversation at Chad’s place, someone got his feelings hurt. I particularly like this comment about me: “Obviously Scalzi is a genius in line for a MacArthur grant; obviously he is someone whose very cyber-presence confers beneficence. Though, actually, when you read what he writes he comes off as a sort of self-important […]
Maxims for Non-Believers
Posted on December 29, 2004 87 Comments
The other day Chad Orzel excerpted my post on teaching Athena about Christmas and did a compare and contrast with a comment about religion from another blogger who is a non-believer. This prompted a comment from a reader (who is, presumably, also a non-believer): “I really can’t approve of John Scalzi’s Laodicean attitude. Believe, if […]
Get Hammered
Posted on December 28, 2004 6 Comments
Congratulations to Elizabeth Bear, whose first novel Hammered is officially in bookstores today (five days before my own book, officially at least): You can buy it here, or read an excerpt here. Or, read a review here. Don’t have it yet personally, but it’s on order, and I’m looking forward to the read.
Whatever Best of 2004
Posted on December 26, 2004 9 Comments
The next week I’m likely to be very scarce here, so allow me to compensate for my absence by providing you with this: The Best Whatevers of 2004, in my estimation. These are arranged chronologically. Why I Breed My So-Called Writing Life I Am Married Leviticans Even More Long-Winded (But Practical) Writing Advice Easter The […]
Athena’s Message.
Posted on December 24, 2004 5 Comments
Athena was happy to see all your birthday greetings, and made her own little holiday card for you fine folks. Here it is. The writing on the side says: “Deep in your heart there is a sunlight so hot that it makes you love people. That’s why you love people.” Well, that works for me. […]
Novelist Money
Posted on December 24, 2004 12 Comments
Justine Larbalestier, whose perfectly fabulous YA novel is coming out in a few months, asked some author friends of hers what sort of advance they got for their first novels, because she’s curious and because enough people Googled her site to find out that she felt she might as well have the information there. The […]
Six
Posted on December 23, 2004 12 Comments
Athena’s six today. Here’s what I wrote when she was born. — Christmas Eve, 1998 — Dear Athena: When you were born, God decided that it should snow. Not much, just enough to cover the ground with a powdery white crust that terrified drivers. Snow! They said. I better drive five miles an hour! And […]
Ringing the Bell for Christ and the ACLU
Posted on December 23, 2004 31 Comments
The other day I asked Christians who were also ACLU lawyers to come forward to disprove a correspondent’s mouth-gaping belief that there were no Christian lawyers at the ACLU. This morning someone came forward who was close enough for my purposes: A law student actively involved with the ACLU in Kentucky, and who (as entirely […]
Winter Wonderland — The Day After
Posted on December 23, 2004 16 Comments
Another foot of snow overnight, and now my front porch looks like this. Contrast this with the picture from the same place on my porch yesterday, and you realize this whole snow thing has gotten out of hand. In fact, we’re in a Level 3 situation in our county, which means no one is allowed […]
Winter Wonderland — Or So They Say
Posted on December 22, 2004 17 Comments
It’s been snowing, it is snowing, and from I am informed by others more knowledgeable about such matters than I, it will continue snowing at least through tomorrow. So naturally, some idiot took this opportunity to knock over my mailbox, occasioning me to go out into said snow. As long as I was out there, […]
Kristine Scalzi’s Kahlua Cake: The Extended Director’s Edition
Posted on December 22, 2004 8 Comments
Behold! Kristine Scalzi’s Rather Tasty Kahlua Cake, none of which I will consume, alas, since she baked it for an office party tomorrow. Her office, not mine. Again, I say: Alas. But wait, there’s more! The creator of this mocha masterpiece has graciously deigned to appear for a motion picture interview, to allow special insight […]
Why I’m an Independent
Posted on December 21, 2004 14 Comments
The Reason: Because unlike Kos, I don’t have to wait until six weeks after the election to point out the obvious, which is that there was no way John Kerry should have lost to a president as monumentally incompetent (and, as Kos notes, as unpopular) as Dubya. Although I do think my suggestion of beating […]
The Author’s Heart Thrills And Fears
Posted on December 21, 2004 6 Comments
This person walked uphill in the snow, both ways, to get Old Man’s War. Actually, she didn’t really walk uphill, in the snow, both ways. But there was snow, she had to go to more than one store, and she did parallel park in a parking structure to get the book. Which I figure is […]
Merry Christmas, You Godless Jerk
Posted on December 21, 2004 49 Comments
I have a difficult time expressing how extraordinarily stupid I think this whole “Happy Holidays”/”Merry Christmas” thing that’s going on this year is, not in the least because, for those of you who slept through remedial etymology, “holiday” means “holy day.” Which is an awfully funny word to have representing secularism, if you ask me. […]
Yes Virginia, There Are Christian ACLU Lawyers
Posted on December 20, 2004 95 Comments
Someone who is very close to me (who will remain nameless for the moment) just presented the opinion to me that, for various reasons, she strongly suspects there are no lawyers who work for the ACLU who are also Christians, since she was also of the opinion that the ACLU isn’t interested in the constitutional […]
Hateful Christmas Songs — An Audience Participation Entry
Posted on December 20, 2004 134 Comments
Lots to do today, and not a whole lot of time in which to do it, so, a quick participatory entry for y’all, so you can make your own fun while I’m off slavin’ for the man: Your Christmas gift is the ability to expunge one highly annoying yet popular Christmas song from the history […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying