And it's all retail theater, anyway. Also, want to know another secret? Some of this "door buster" items aren't the same quality as the regular merchandise. Hint: check the part numbers and UPC codes.
In what I hope is a successful attempt to change the market, SFWA raises the pay rates for what they will consider "pro" markets. And the teeth gnashing and
The emerging new adult market (for books).
Thirteen quote on writing from Octavia Butler. "You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence." Yes, that.
I'm pretty sure I've linked to this before, but authors respond to a questionnaire about symbolism in the novel. A lot of symbolism is subconscious (that is, after all, symbolisms playground). A lot of symbolism is unintended because everybody will bring their own thoughts, experiences, beliefs, and mind state to the work. You can't control that. In case you haven't noticed, about a third of the time the linkee-poo music quote is somewhat linked to something in the content. As a reader you may or may not see that, and I'll wager donuts to dollars that some of you have seen connections I've not intended. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Terri Windling with a good quoted passage about writing. I'll let you go read it there.
Here's 9 ways to undermine your character's best laid plans. Create people we care about, and then torture them.
Because the internet wasn't shiny enough, all things linguistic. Say goodbye to your productive time. (Grokked from Dr. Doyle)
While you're thinking about what to get the kids (your own, nieces, nephews, cousins), don't forget the books that will help
How to work with a graphic designer, part two. :: points :: Also that graphic at the top, yes, that. You get to pick two.
Aw, aren't those sea horses so cute they're just swimming along and OMG what was THAT!. Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, sea horses gotta eat. And it turns out they're pretty good at hunting their prey.
Earliest evidence for a shine at Siddhartha's birthplace is uncovered. It's under several incarnations of the same shrine. Imagine the Catholic Church allowing archeologists to dig at Paris's Notre Dame to find out what shrine was originally there (there is some evidence it was a pagan worship site). All while holding services. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
An NPR story on the rise of cider drinks. I'm a part of this trend. Even with the commercial brands, I like the taste, I like how I feel at the end of a bottle (and I'm not talking about the alcoholic content). But then I think I have some problems with gluten (as we all do to some extent). If you drink have haven't tried ciders, I recommend you do. There is a wide variety of tastes (personally I like Magners, but it's also somewhat expensive, Woodchuck's Granny Smith, but don't really like Strongbow's, but they seem to be the most common brand in bars).
This is what happens when you have unexamined privilege. You end up saying stupid things. Unfortunately this past week was full of them (fortunately not mine). (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)
A Mormon bishop disguises himself as a homeless man to see how his congregation would respond. And I hate to say there was a predictable response.
"When one of the Help Desk men answers a question or solves a problem, he’s put in for the weekly employee recognition even though he’s just doing his normal job. When the sole woman on the help desk does the same, she’s just doing her normal job and nobody thinks to put her name up for that recognition. Why is that?" Brandie Tarvin on the prevalence of sexism in the workplace. Yes, this. Also this is one of my blind spots in seeing it in the workplace.
"The empirical evidence finds that states with the most antiabortion policies are also the same states that have significantly lower indicators of infant/child well-being. This supports the contention by pro-choice supporters that efforts by pro-life supporters to protect the life of the fetus end at birth." Kinda sucks, doesn't it. But, again, the pro-life movement isn't about anti-abortion or the rights of the unborn and is instead about restricting women's rights and anti-feminist. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)
"There are fates worse than sleeping with the fishes." An Italian mob boss is fed to pigs while still alive in a revenge killing. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
Boris Johnson, asshat Mayor of London is an asshat. That article keeps on talking about how, basically, he spoke an uncomfortable truth by saying that the smart people make more money and that's the way the world works. So let me just correct the record, it has been my experience that most people who have lots of money are not the brightest crayons in the box. Some are far from it. He isn't speaking the truth, he's living in a bubble of unexamined privilege. So while some are being hush hush and wondering why people get persecuted for speaking the truth let me say this loud and clear, he isn't speaking anything close to the truth. And if he was a s smart as he thinks he is, he would know he is making an unjustified comparison (aka "false cause"). (Grokked from Jason Sandford)