Monthly Archives: April 2008
Offline
Posted on April 18, 2008 6 Comments
Traveling the rest of the day and will probably have a minimal presence here this weekend, because I’ll be busy here. In the meantime, a reminder that my shareware short story is still available for your perusal. Go on, you know you want to. All the cool kids are reading it. Have a great Friday.
Happy Birthday, Krissy
Posted on April 18, 2008 31 Comments
I could tell you folks yet again how wonderful she is and how clearly gob-smackingly lucky I am to have her in my life, but instead, here’s the first song we ever danced to, on the night that we met. As it happens, it is Friday. And I am in love! Still. Lucky me.
Scenes From a Yesterday
Posted on April 18, 2008 13 Comments
Today’s yesterday, in fact. Not a bad day.
The Big Idea: Kate Elliott
Posted on April 18, 2008 12 Comments
One of the questions that plagues authors is “where do you get your ideas?” The standard answer to this (thanks to Harlan Ellison) is “Schenectady,” but in fact ideas come from anywhere. And I do mean: anywhere. If you don’t believe me on this, then all you have to do is read this Big Idea […]
2:42 the Perfect Time for a Pop Song? You Don’t Say.
Posted on April 17, 2008 32 Comments
Over at The Morning News, Joshua Allen declares two minutes and forty two seconds the perfect length for a pop song, based on the fact that “There She Goes” by The La’s — perhaps the most perfect pop song ever — is that length. I agree, and indeed said the exact same thing, three and […]
Blogcrush Confessional
Posted on April 17, 2008 100 Comments
Traveling tomorrow and lots of stuff to get done today, so I can’t play around here. So instead, here’s a shocking confession: I think I have a little bit of a crush on blogger Megan McArdle. Yes, I’m as surprised by this as the rest of you. It’s not like I agree 100% with her […]
A Shareware Short Story: “How I Proposed to My Wife: An Alien Sex Story”
Posted on April 16, 2008 60 Comments
(Artwork: Bob Eggleton) Around the time I was editing Subterranean Magazine’s cliche issue in 2006, I wrote my own short story based on a science fiction cliche (“Aliens! And humans! Having sex!!”). The story, “How I Proposed to My Wife: An Alien Sex Story,” was not printed in the magazine itself, but was printed in […]
The Question Not Asked
Posted on April 16, 2008 35 Comments
SFSignal asks various science fiction and fantasy authors the question: Is the short fiction market in trouble? Personally, I would have asked: Does a market that generally pays its authors so little deserve to live? Because I think that’s a more interesting question, really.
My Whateveresque Appearance Schedule
Posted on April 16, 2008 18 Comments
Apropos to today being a Whateveresque registration day, I’ve been asked a couple times recently why I myself don’t spend a huge amount of time over on Whateveresque. Well, two reasons. First: I’m kinda busy, and I spend enough time on Whatever as it is. Second: Much of the point of Whateveresque is to give […]
My Biggest Book
Posted on April 16, 2008 32 Comments
Cleaning out my office closet gave me a reason to haul out the single largest book I own: The complete 1989-90 run of the Chicago Maroon, the student newspaper of the University of Chicago. I have a copy because this was the year I was editor in chief, and this is one of the perks […]
Whateveresque Registration Up Until 10pm (ET)
Posted on April 16, 2008
For those of you wanting to join the conversations over at Whateveresque, the Whatever reader forum, registration is now open through 10 pm Eastern time. That leaves just over 13 hours to sign up. Run! As always, help an administrator out in approving your membership request by choosing a member name that is recognizably NOT […]
D’oh
Posted on April 15, 2008 1 Comment
Totally slipped my mind that today was a Whateveresque registration day. I’ll open up registrations tomorrow. Sorry.
Clearing Out
Posted on April 15, 2008 52 Comments
Since I had to drag half the crap in my office closet out of the closet yesterday to give the plumber access to the pipes, I decided to drag all of it out today and reorganize. Here’s where it stands: Books: I just dragged eight boxes of books, which is, I don’t know, a couple […]
Tax Day 2008
Posted on April 15, 2008 128 Comments
Tax day here in the US, and given that our overall income was up last year by a fair amount, we ended up owing a rather significant amount today, federal, state and local. Because I’m self-employed, we also have to file quarterly taxes today as well, again, federal, state and local. So — joy — […]
Okay, Actually, THIS is the Worst It’s Ever Been
Posted on April 14, 2008 36 Comments
My office at the moment: However, this time the culprit is not merely sloth and indolence. The faucet on Athena’s tub has gone kerplooey and needs to be replaced, and the plumber needs to put a hole in the drywall to get to the plumbing. The other side of the wall the plumbing is on […]
The Book of My Enemy Has Been Remaind– Oh, Crap, It’s MY Book
Posted on April 14, 2008 36 Comments
Got a note from Tor Books last week that the hardcover of The Android’s Dream is being remaindered: there were a few thousand extra copies left hanging around after the paperback came out, and it’d be a shame to pulp them, so off they go onto the bargain racks. The note announcing the remaindering did […]
How Hard Is It to Make a Movie?
Posted on April 14, 2008 33 Comments
For the folks who have been wondering where the movie adaptation of Old Man’s War is, this Los Angeles Times story on the trials and tribulations of getting the book Meg (about a really big shark) to the screen should give some perspective on the matter. Bear in mind that the studios involved spent millions […]
The Most Schadenfreudtastic Story of the Month
Posted on April 14, 2008 42 Comments
From the New York Times: Alberto R. Gonzales, like many others recently unemployed, has discovered how difficult it can be to find a new job. Mr. Gonzales, the former attorney general, who was forced to resign last year, has been unable to interest law firms in adding his name to their roster, Washington lawyers and […]
The Most Important Public Service Message This Site Has Ever Run
Posted on April 13, 2008 117 Comments
Here it is: Is it prescriptivist to want to save a hamster from the anally questing digits of a wrathful, angry god? Very well, then. I am a prescriptivist. The hamster, he is praying to you. Look into your heart.
Popcraft
Posted on April 13, 2008 22 Comments
Me fiddling with technology again — this time checking out the embedding of music off of Imeem. To test it, here’s “Something That You Said” by the Bangles, which is easily my favorite song out of the band (followed by “Hero Takes a Fall”). The song went nowhere for the band when it came out […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying