Linkee-poo didn't spend $1500 on your damn dog's collar

Okay, I haven't read these writing posts yet, so consider this a parking post.
SF Signal Mind Meld on the future of publishing (e-books or print, my guess is that there will be a mix with print books being the predominate form for many reasons). (Grokked from Tor.com).

Tobias Buckell weighs in on piracy. It's a long post. What I've read so far tracks to my own perceptions on digital piracy. It's a very nuanced argument where most people confuse anecdote for data.

Jim Hines expands his thoughts on the piracy issue.

Miranda Suri holds forth on writer groups. What she said. Yes, Virginia, some groups are personality, motivation, and time vampires. Avoid them. But there are others who understand and work to help every individual ini the group progress to their highest level possible. Find the later and avoid the former.

I also had half a post written on social vampirism before a crash sucked it away. Ironic, no? We all occasionally require the energy and enthusiasm of others. When you realize it's a cycle and the more you give, the more you get back, your experiences become richer. However, and just ask any instructor or entertainer about this, there are times when you pour out your body and soul and the crowd gives nothing back. That hurts physically and mentally. But you pick yourself back up and try again (hopefully to a different crowd). This kind of energy is the preverbal loaves and fishes, you gain more by sharing. If you horde it you end up with a meager meal.

And then comes the politics. I think several people went off their meds this past week.

Ted Haggard comes out as bisexual. Except that he doesn't, 'cause he's found God or is too old or something like that. Goes to my theory that most people who think "you can choose" your sexuality are actually bisexuals, but society doesn't accept them yet. So they feel they need to go one way or the other. In other news, the sun rises in the East.

$50,000 for thank you letters? Okay, I'm in the wrong business, again.

Sarah Palin once again proves she doesn't know WTF she's talking about. And people still think they should listen to her? Especially when she talks about history?

But, Rep. Paul Broun looks so normal to be batshit crazy. And then he goes and double-dog dares it. I'm coming to the conclusion that conservatives just don't understand how far in right field they've gone. That and they don't understand the definition of the words they're using.

Hey, a Republican proposal I can get behind. Yes, if you want to do something serious about cutting government spending, 2008 wasn't a very good year to model on. Now, 1998 is something else. I agree. You want to do this, do it whole heartedly. Don't wittle the edges, cut deep. Although he's just a candidate (and it's damn easy to say things when a candidate and just a representative), in Ohio it looks like we may just have to do that strategy. So far Kasich has a majority saying, "Yes," but then he hasn't actually said what he'll cut. When the reality switches from "cut them over there" to "OMG, we're all gonna die from these cuts," I expect to hear the howling from here.