In writing met the deadline yesterday for reading all first 50 of four manuscripts. And while we only needed to read, I did commentary. Then uploaded my preferences. With only the possibility of 5 of us at the retreat, I have a feeling we're going to be critiquing everybody else's pieces. And I still have hopes of being the 5th wheel there. Should know more this week. There's also the possibility if I would get this parks job that the retreat would happen right at the end of a two-week notice and before starting.
I hate this uncertainty. While I don't mind juggling balls, I've been juggling these particular ones since February. I guess I should have just said I couldn't do it, but I almost did that last year and I ended up being able to make it and had a great time. So I'm hoping that I'm able to do it again this time. After all, working for the Man is technically a temporary part-time position. I'm hoping that asking for days off (or having to quit in the middle) isn't going to be a big thing. But you never know until you're into the middle of it to be sure.
We had a little bit of "normal" temperatures for this time of year (30's at night, 50's during the days), but now were back to it being in the upper 60s out there. My neighbors have all started mowing their lawns. I know my grass is growing, but not by that much. I think I'll try and give it another week or two before hauling out the mower. The good thing is that our ornamental tree had budded out. I was beginning to worry.
And now to the not having nice things.
John Scalzi explains why eARCS are not necessarily the best idea since sliced bread. Now, to be fair, if the publicity department sent John say a Kindle with the book preloaded, I'm guessing he might take a wack at it, but I really don't want to speak for him. Now, what John does say, pretty much mirrors my own thoughts on much of the eBook hoopla. Notice, he's not saying the tech is a bad thing, but why make these things harder than they have to be? A printed book is a damn fine piece of kit. It's technology only seems primitive because you've had them around all your life (and I'm going out on a limb here, but I think for most of you that read this blog, the way a book gets printed, physically, has gone through two major technological jumps since you've been alive, and I'm not even including the Print-on-Demand paradigm - which is still occurring) so they seem "boring." Making ebooks difficult to use is not making them more attractive. And there's that whole thing of reading a whole book off the screen. (I'm doing that right now for the critiquing, I'm fairly tech savvy, and it's not a picnic for me).
And now, why we can't have nice things.
When the opposition:
- Doesn't know the Constitution, even as they tout how much they do and the other side doesn't.
- Intentionally lies to themselves by omitting the exact evidence, mid-sentence, that contradicts their statements.
- Only reads the headlines, but fakes the in-depth analysis, which, again, is contradicted by what has actually been said. Hell, even Evelyn Wood speed-readers get more context that this.
- Somewhat out of context, a blog response that can no longer be made because the Anon Commentator was booted off the discussion, but can be used to paraphrase a lot of what I see going on in the "but they did it first" arguments. "There is a difference, Anon, between someone saying, 'Given my druthers I would...' and 'Won't someone rid me of this troublesome priest?'" Calling someone a "liar" and backing it up with evidence is slightly different that saying "They commin' for your daughters!" on what you think may happen in the future.
2 comments:
Congrats on the new job! Best of luck!
That's, Vagabond. It's a temporary gig, but will fill in some of the space.
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