Death magic of prognostication. Since the near-dead are said to be able to see beyond the veil, and some older cultures would divine the future by reading the offal of sacrificial victims, mash together to get a society that uses sacrifice to tell the future, but it is verbally transmitted (instead of reading "signs"). Could throw in a good deal of old Oracle speech (often in myth, the Oracle is thought to have said one thing when in fact only in hind sight predicted the opposite, not to mention that Oracles had interpreters to make sense of their babbling). So the culture brings the sacrificial victim to death's door to have them tell the future.
Are the sacrificial victims telling the truth, or are they lying to screw over the people killing them? Is there a way to compel the victim to disclose specific information, you know, other than seeing Gramps welcoming them home? Could someone be kept at the edge of death to continue to give advice? Do you kill them, and then somehow get them to talk in a Max the Miracle Worker way? What does that kind of magic do to the practitioners and society?
Just a wild larking idea.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Linkee-poo knows that to her that ain't nothing, but to me it means everything
A little light again because of the work load. Alligator factor is "Up to Armpits."
David B Coe on transitions and chapter breaks. There's two things that are critical to master. Edited to correct name spelling. D'oh!. (Thanks, Sarah)
The 10 worst mistakes that alternate history authors make. Somewhat of interest as the more I thought about the world I created for Bladesman, the more I found those ripple effects, and that somehow my subconscious had already dealt with them. (Grokked from Tor.com)
Cat Rambo finishes up her editing class, and shares with the rest of us her general process.
With the link to Michelle's pictures of a cemetery, I commented about the iconography of the gravy yard. In case you thought I was making it up, here's one groups list. Although they touch on some of the groups that have their own headstone iconography, they don't call out some of the more famous (like woodsmen of the world). (Grokked from Camille Alexa)
Aw, the Heartland Institute has some of their internal documents released into the wild. You may remember the HI from the Climategate scandal. Also, HI has been instrumental in the spread of denialism. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
David B Coe on transitions and chapter breaks. There's two things that are critical to master. Edited to correct name spelling. D'oh!. (Thanks, Sarah)
The 10 worst mistakes that alternate history authors make. Somewhat of interest as the more I thought about the world I created for Bladesman, the more I found those ripple effects, and that somehow my subconscious had already dealt with them. (Grokked from Tor.com)
Cat Rambo finishes up her editing class, and shares with the rest of us her general process.
With the link to Michelle's pictures of a cemetery, I commented about the iconography of the gravy yard. In case you thought I was making it up, here's one groups list. Although they touch on some of the groups that have their own headstone iconography, they don't call out some of the more famous (like woodsmen of the world). (Grokked from Camille Alexa)
Aw, the Heartland Institute has some of their internal documents released into the wild. You may remember the HI from the Climategate scandal. Also, HI has been instrumental in the spread of denialism. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Genius is what happens when the stupidity stops
I've been stuck. I'm trying to write the next novel and I keep staring at the screen until my brain turns to mush and I go check to see if any of the items in my Amazon cart have decreased enough that I want to hit proceed to checkout. Sigh.
Thing is, I'm trying to write Chapter 1. Which I've already written, but many years ago. So I was starting "fresh", because, well, I needed to.
So there I stared. White pixels burning after-images on my retina while my thoughts moved like armadillos through ice. Neither one would give up its secrets.
And then, I realized, I should just write Chapter 2. And that feels a little better. Of course, it then takes me down the road of this novel still not wanting to come out in order (a major problem the first time I started it). But maybe I should just go with the flow. I might end up on the beach, or I might be cast out to sea. When I get another moment to write I'll find out.
This forehead slapping moment brought to you by Homer Donuts. Mmmm, donuts.
Thing is, I'm trying to write Chapter 1. Which I've already written, but many years ago. So I was starting "fresh", because, well, I needed to.
So there I stared. White pixels burning after-images on my retina while my thoughts moved like armadillos through ice. Neither one would give up its secrets.
And then, I realized, I should just write Chapter 2. And that feels a little better. Of course, it then takes me down the road of this novel still not wanting to come out in order (a major problem the first time I started it). But maybe I should just go with the flow. I might end up on the beach, or I might be cast out to sea. When I get another moment to write I'll find out.
This forehead slapping moment brought to you by Homer Donuts. Mmmm, donuts.
Linkee-poo wishes you a fantastic Lupercalia
Nursing what I think is the start of a head cold and just general, "Oh crap, I gotta do work now" emotions (it happens). So while I could have been funnier on most of these, I don't have the brain space to complete the jokes. And a joke not finished is like a Klingon, a Romulan and a Ferengi walk into a bar.
Sherwood Smith on what writers are like. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Kay Kenyon and surviving in publication. The industry, that is. "But there’s a reason your fellow writers call this 'the trenches.' … Discovering that the life you wanted as an author actually vanished in about 1923." (Grokked from Cat Rambo)
Some of you know that I love old cemeteries. You can learn a lot about a town's past by strolling through its cemetery. There are stories laid bear in the words of heartache and loss. And there's a whole visual language of the mortuary, broken columns, drapes, urns, hands, animals, just a wide range of graphical adornment that tells stories of their own. Random Michelle shares one of her walks through a cemetery. Some very nice pictures, all of which could be a story bone of their own.
Cardinal Edward Egan outs himself as a huge ass. Yep, take back that apology, Cardinal. The apology that activists felt was a good first step in the Church finally acknowledging their complicity in the child abuse scandal. I name thee, Toad. Okay, well, as the article points out the Church was required to report the abuse. It might cause an actual brouhaha (unlike the fake one ginned up over requiring insurance to cover contraception), but time to put some people in jail. Get ready for a diplomatic rift with the Vatican. (Pointed to by John)
On the sexual revolution, of 1700s. Just in case someone tries to buffalo you with the "traditional marriage" and "sexual mores of our forefathers" crap. Of course, back then, it was okay for the 1%ers and frown upon if done by the hoi polo I wonder what the porn jazz would sound like if written by Mozart? Boom-chica-wow-wow. (Grokked from Chia Lynn)
Engaged workaholics? Okay, as a recovering workaholic myself (who often falls off the wagon), I call BS. I think it has to do with the last three paragraphs of the first page. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Oh noes our paper based voter registration is in shambles and leads to inefficiencies and errors. Knock me over with a feather. First of all, let me point to the middle of the article "(the) director of Pew’s Election Initiatives… said that the center’s findings did not suggest any kind of voter fraud or voter suppression from these problems…". Now they do suggest one way to help is to switch to online voter registration, and I'm okay with that… to a certain point. There is still a digital divide and provisions need to be made to have people without access to computers or the internet to be registered to vote. They're also talking about cross checking with drivers license databases, which, again, not everybody has one. And while the article talks about the 1.8 million dead people on the rolls, 2.7 million registered in two states, the 24 million no longer valid registrations, and 12 million who have incorrect addresses, what's more troubling is the 51 million eligible voters who aren't registered. But all those numbers sound very large, but compared to the 230 million or so people over 18 in the US, some of those are rounding errors. Now, I agree, we need to modernize that system, but you know what that means, dontcha. While in the long run it will save money, at first it will be a large capital expenditure, and it's for that reason why we still have the inefficient system we have. Your elected officials (typically at the state and county levels) don't want to spend that money. (Grokked from Teresa Nielsen Hayden)
"(T)tinfoil hats have become a common, if not mandatory, G.O.P. fashion accessory." Paul Krugman summing up much of what I've been saying since, well, since 1990. Only now the chickens are coming home to roost. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Sherwood Smith on what writers are like. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Kay Kenyon and surviving in publication. The industry, that is. "But there’s a reason your fellow writers call this 'the trenches.' … Discovering that the life you wanted as an author actually vanished in about 1923." (Grokked from Cat Rambo)
Some of you know that I love old cemeteries. You can learn a lot about a town's past by strolling through its cemetery. There are stories laid bear in the words of heartache and loss. And there's a whole visual language of the mortuary, broken columns, drapes, urns, hands, animals, just a wide range of graphical adornment that tells stories of their own. Random Michelle shares one of her walks through a cemetery. Some very nice pictures, all of which could be a story bone of their own.
Cardinal Edward Egan outs himself as a huge ass. Yep, take back that apology, Cardinal. The apology that activists felt was a good first step in the Church finally acknowledging their complicity in the child abuse scandal. I name thee, Toad. Okay, well, as the article points out the Church was required to report the abuse. It might cause an actual brouhaha (unlike the fake one ginned up over requiring insurance to cover contraception), but time to put some people in jail. Get ready for a diplomatic rift with the Vatican. (Pointed to by John)
On the sexual revolution, of 1700s. Just in case someone tries to buffalo you with the "traditional marriage" and "sexual mores of our forefathers" crap. Of course, back then, it was okay for the 1%ers and frown upon if done by the hoi polo I wonder what the porn jazz would sound like if written by Mozart? Boom-chica-wow-wow. (Grokked from Chia Lynn)
Engaged workaholics? Okay, as a recovering workaholic myself (who often falls off the wagon), I call BS. I think it has to do with the last three paragraphs of the first page. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Oh noes our paper based voter registration is in shambles and leads to inefficiencies and errors. Knock me over with a feather. First of all, let me point to the middle of the article "(the) director of Pew’s Election Initiatives… said that the center’s findings did not suggest any kind of voter fraud or voter suppression from these problems…". Now they do suggest one way to help is to switch to online voter registration, and I'm okay with that… to a certain point. There is still a digital divide and provisions need to be made to have people without access to computers or the internet to be registered to vote. They're also talking about cross checking with drivers license databases, which, again, not everybody has one. And while the article talks about the 1.8 million dead people on the rolls, 2.7 million registered in two states, the 24 million no longer valid registrations, and 12 million who have incorrect addresses, what's more troubling is the 51 million eligible voters who aren't registered. But all those numbers sound very large, but compared to the 230 million or so people over 18 in the US, some of those are rounding errors. Now, I agree, we need to modernize that system, but you know what that means, dontcha. While in the long run it will save money, at first it will be a large capital expenditure, and it's for that reason why we still have the inefficient system we have. Your elected officials (typically at the state and county levels) don't want to spend that money. (Grokked from Teresa Nielsen Hayden)
"(T)tinfoil hats have become a common, if not mandatory, G.O.P. fashion accessory." Paul Krugman summing up much of what I've been saying since, well, since 1990. Only now the chickens are coming home to roost. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Story Bone
A board room apology is a cheap thing. It can be purchased with nothing more than dreams and aspirations. A heart-felt apology, however, is hard currency you can bank on.
Linkee-poo wonders who killed that bird out on you window sill
Space 1999 is coming back as Space 2099. Well, I guess most of us will be dead by then so we won't be disappointed that we aren't living on the moon by then. (Pointed to by John)
Hey, remember when Neanderthals were uni-brow brutes whom our svelte and soccer-built looking ancestors wiped out? Yeah, not so much. So, besides modern humans actually having Neanderthal bits in their DNA, now we find their artistic remains. Ah, I also remember when dinosaurs were slow and drug their tails through the dirt. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
People sometimes wonder why I dismiss the argument of "Pro-Life isn't antifeminism, look at all the women in the organization" (you could also relate this to the Tea Party). It's because I know people are like this (reactions to Chris Brown at the Grammies, if you need context). (Grokked from Ferrett Stinmetz, to which I echo his comments, "Whoa, NOT COOL, folks, NOT COOL.")
"Some ghosts never go away." Alan Moore on the re-appropriation of the mask he appropriated in V for Vendetta. History may not repeat, but it often rhymes. (Grokked from Tor.com)
Why no, humans most assuredly can't affect the planet in any bog ways. You know, not to mention that Iraq used to be the fertile crescent. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
And this is why I should be careful for what I wish for.
And in other news, the rest of the world sees us as sitting at the kiddie table and starts spelling when they don't want us to get scared. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Hey, remember when Neanderthals were uni-brow brutes whom our svelte and soccer-built looking ancestors wiped out? Yeah, not so much. So, besides modern humans actually having Neanderthal bits in their DNA, now we find their artistic remains. Ah, I also remember when dinosaurs were slow and drug their tails through the dirt. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
People sometimes wonder why I dismiss the argument of "Pro-Life isn't antifeminism, look at all the women in the organization" (you could also relate this to the Tea Party). It's because I know people are like this (reactions to Chris Brown at the Grammies, if you need context). (Grokked from Ferrett Stinmetz, to which I echo his comments, "Whoa, NOT COOL, folks, NOT COOL.")
"Some ghosts never go away." Alan Moore on the re-appropriation of the mask he appropriated in V for Vendetta. History may not repeat, but it often rhymes. (Grokked from Tor.com)
Why no, humans most assuredly can't affect the planet in any bog ways. You know, not to mention that Iraq used to be the fertile crescent. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
And this is why I should be careful for what I wish for.
And in other news, the rest of the world sees us as sitting at the kiddie table and starts spelling when they don't want us to get scared. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Embracing the Crazy
I've been thinking of donating to the Santorum campaign. Now, wait, just hear me out. It's a gamble, but I think it's worth it (except it really doesn't have a chance of happening).
See, Santorum really has very little chance of actually being elected. While I don't hold truck with polls at this point (at least polls about "who would you vote for")it's pretty clear that outside the 30% of hard core conservatives, Santorum polls somewhere below electing a rabid badger into office. Heck, even within that 30% he doesn't have a plurality.
So what's the game? If Romney is the nominee, when he loses this fall the hard core conservatives will look at the rest of the GOP and say, "We told ya so." But if Santorum is the nominee and he gets thoroughly trounced on Nov 6th, that may break the ultra conservative stranglehold. I give it a 50/50 chance of working. The hard core conservatives, if anything, are so full of denial and self flagellation it may not phase them, but I think some of them actually have brains and have enough connection to the real world that the psychological blow would set them reeling. The party leadership, however, I think fully grasps this notion which is why they're pushing so hard for Romney (if they would lose with Santorum, the resulting fallout would reduce the GOP to "also ran" status for a decade)
However, I don't think Santorum can actually win the nomination. Even with a major push, I think the various forces that are driving the party are starting to realize that they better get behind Romney before the faithful completely hijack the party and scuttle it. And it's probably for that reason that I'll keep my money.
The other thing I'm thinking about is right now all the conservative Super PACs are fighting with each other. I expect a few will fall by the wayside, but once Romney is seen as inevitable, they will join forces and attack Obama. I would say that giving to Santorum (or Newt) would continue to drain their resources (see earlier linkee-poo about how few people are actually contributing the vast majority of money to Super PACs), but then I have no illusions of how rich they are (a few million here or there won't affect their bottom lines that much, and they believe it will be much worse for them if Obama wins a second term).
Now, if Romney gets nominated, and wins the election, I think that would be the worst thing for the Republican Party (and the nation). While he may have been a moderate in the past, he's had to go to the hard right to get this far in the nomination process. And once you go there, if you retreat the wolves will tear you apart. Plus, the positions he's had to take would be disastrous for the majority of Americans (but wonderful for the top 5%). Not to mention plunging us into a economic morass that might make Ron Paul's idea of going back to the gold standard seem to be the best option. And the radical fringes of the party would continue to consolidate power and we'd see a repeat of the G W Bush presidency (where he started out on the far right edges of conservativism, and by the end was considered nearly a RINO).
To sum up, the GOP needs a house cleaning and a lot of members need to have a "come to Jesus" moment (which, ironically enough, means abandoning positions they hold because they think the Jesus would want them to, and here we'll ignore what Jesus actually said and stood for, but what modern preachers want the conservatives to think he was all about). If Romney gets the nomination, win or lose, that clearing of the temple won't happen. If Santorum gets the nomination (against all hope) and then Obama wins in a landslide (as most polls show would happen), the GOP will have their come to Jesus moment. And that would be a good thing.
For those of you new here, I am a conservative. I'm actually an old fashioned conservative. I believe in a smaller, nimble government that doesn't regulate needlessly, a tax structure that makes us the envy of the world (which we actually have in practice, although not on paper, but that envy is one of the "ooo, I wish we could pay that", although most of the rest of the world wouldn't give up their social net to get our tax system), and a positive outlook on business. The GOP abandoned all these positions to embraces the radical fringe of social conservatives, anti-tax organizers (as in, "we don't need to pay no stinkin' taxes"), and religious zealots who are only interested in the accumulation of power and wealth, not in serving their fellow humans. It's truly sad when I start to think of Nixon as a great conservative president. And that's why I no longer am registered Republican, but am a Democrat.
And, I'm not the only one who is having these thoughts. (Grokked from Chia Lynn).
Just don't ask me what I think the real chances of Santorum getting the nomination, or of a real "come to Jesus" moment occurring within the rank and file of the GOP. I believe the comparison is to a worm's belly.
See, Santorum really has very little chance of actually being elected. While I don't hold truck with polls at this point (at least polls about "who would you vote for")it's pretty clear that outside the 30% of hard core conservatives, Santorum polls somewhere below electing a rabid badger into office. Heck, even within that 30% he doesn't have a plurality.
So what's the game? If Romney is the nominee, when he loses this fall the hard core conservatives will look at the rest of the GOP and say, "We told ya so." But if Santorum is the nominee and he gets thoroughly trounced on Nov 6th, that may break the ultra conservative stranglehold. I give it a 50/50 chance of working. The hard core conservatives, if anything, are so full of denial and self flagellation it may not phase them, but I think some of them actually have brains and have enough connection to the real world that the psychological blow would set them reeling. The party leadership, however, I think fully grasps this notion which is why they're pushing so hard for Romney (if they would lose with Santorum, the resulting fallout would reduce the GOP to "also ran" status for a decade)
However, I don't think Santorum can actually win the nomination. Even with a major push, I think the various forces that are driving the party are starting to realize that they better get behind Romney before the faithful completely hijack the party and scuttle it. And it's probably for that reason that I'll keep my money.
The other thing I'm thinking about is right now all the conservative Super PACs are fighting with each other. I expect a few will fall by the wayside, but once Romney is seen as inevitable, they will join forces and attack Obama. I would say that giving to Santorum (or Newt) would continue to drain their resources (see earlier linkee-poo about how few people are actually contributing the vast majority of money to Super PACs), but then I have no illusions of how rich they are (a few million here or there won't affect their bottom lines that much, and they believe it will be much worse for them if Obama wins a second term).
Now, if Romney gets nominated, and wins the election, I think that would be the worst thing for the Republican Party (and the nation). While he may have been a moderate in the past, he's had to go to the hard right to get this far in the nomination process. And once you go there, if you retreat the wolves will tear you apart. Plus, the positions he's had to take would be disastrous for the majority of Americans (but wonderful for the top 5%). Not to mention plunging us into a economic morass that might make Ron Paul's idea of going back to the gold standard seem to be the best option. And the radical fringes of the party would continue to consolidate power and we'd see a repeat of the G W Bush presidency (where he started out on the far right edges of conservativism, and by the end was considered nearly a RINO).
To sum up, the GOP needs a house cleaning and a lot of members need to have a "come to Jesus" moment (which, ironically enough, means abandoning positions they hold because they think the Jesus would want them to, and here we'll ignore what Jesus actually said and stood for, but what modern preachers want the conservatives to think he was all about). If Romney gets the nomination, win or lose, that clearing of the temple won't happen. If Santorum gets the nomination (against all hope) and then Obama wins in a landslide (as most polls show would happen), the GOP will have their come to Jesus moment. And that would be a good thing.
For those of you new here, I am a conservative. I'm actually an old fashioned conservative. I believe in a smaller, nimble government that doesn't regulate needlessly, a tax structure that makes us the envy of the world (which we actually have in practice, although not on paper, but that envy is one of the "ooo, I wish we could pay that", although most of the rest of the world wouldn't give up their social net to get our tax system), and a positive outlook on business. The GOP abandoned all these positions to embraces the radical fringe of social conservatives, anti-tax organizers (as in, "we don't need to pay no stinkin' taxes"), and religious zealots who are only interested in the accumulation of power and wealth, not in serving their fellow humans. It's truly sad when I start to think of Nixon as a great conservative president. And that's why I no longer am registered Republican, but am a Democrat.
And, I'm not the only one who is having these thoughts. (Grokked from Chia Lynn).
Just don't ask me what I think the real chances of Santorum getting the nomination, or of a real "come to Jesus" moment occurring within the rank and file of the GOP. I believe the comparison is to a worm's belly.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Story Bones
Our songs reached to the heavens before the rockets closed the stars and shook the skies. Our gods can no longer hear us. Now only the shaman can traverse the trecherous ways to take our pleas to the old ones. We are forsaken children, but we are not defenseless.
Some things just make me laugh
Linkee-poo lives the life in a northern town
It looks like there's enough snow out there for me to break out the snow blower. After all the stories about the warmth this summer, we're now getting the "zomg we're all freezing." And in freezing news, my friend Dan goes with the crazy for a good cause. Glad that winter saved up for the big day, Dan. I wouldn't want you to be disappointed.
Some of you have heard me hold forth about studying people's eye movements in regards to art and design. And I know there have been many who have been skeptical of how important I say it is. Here is a study of how someone views the bust of Nefertiti in profile. Yes. We get that anal about it. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Study shows "(c)onsumers in the US who would choose between the box office and piracy choose the box office… but that international consumers… choose piracy due to a lack of legal availability." An interesting story about things I already new, but that the RIAA and MPAA are trying desperately to convince everybody is not true. Also of relevance to book publishing in a world where the only major book chain left is B&N (and them maybe not for long). (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
"Let’s skip over the flaws… Such as the fact that many states already require employers’ health care plans to cover contraception and that all over the United States there are Catholic universities and hospitals that comply… Or that the bishops have totally failed to convince their own faithful that birth control is a moral evil and now appear to be trying to get the federal government to do the job for them." As I've said before, it's not about birth control or abortion. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
And the radical right can be all upset because the President was "forcing" birth control on the Catholics and then completely ignore all those other teaching and precepts they don't agree with. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Some of you have heard me hold forth about studying people's eye movements in regards to art and design. And I know there have been many who have been skeptical of how important I say it is. Here is a study of how someone views the bust of Nefertiti in profile. Yes. We get that anal about it. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Study shows "(c)onsumers in the US who would choose between the box office and piracy choose the box office… but that international consumers… choose piracy due to a lack of legal availability." An interesting story about things I already new, but that the RIAA and MPAA are trying desperately to convince everybody is not true. Also of relevance to book publishing in a world where the only major book chain left is B&N (and them maybe not for long). (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
"Let’s skip over the flaws… Such as the fact that many states already require employers’ health care plans to cover contraception and that all over the United States there are Catholic universities and hospitals that comply… Or that the bishops have totally failed to convince their own faithful that birth control is a moral evil and now appear to be trying to get the federal government to do the job for them." As I've said before, it's not about birth control or abortion. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
And the radical right can be all upset because the President was "forcing" birth control on the Catholics and then completely ignore all those other teaching and precepts they don't agree with. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Linkee-poo looks for that lost shaker of salt
Spent the day not doing anything of value. Not what I should have been doing, but after this week it was as much as I could do. So another lost day. I can't afford those anymore.
Penguicon is open for registration. Still debating this. Depends on some various things, some of which I can't discuss (part of the hell of the week). But Penguicon has been one of those cons I've really wanted to get to. Plus, it'll be right after my Pharm Tech course ends and my b-day, so plus plus.
Joshua Blimes does the numbers on publishing hardback, mass market, and ebook. With normal royalties to the author, profits to the publisher and how they vary with the different formats and pricing schemes. And this, friends, is why an agent is a very, very good thing. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Mmmm, chocolate covered jalapenos. Just what you need for your hot love. (Pointed to by John)
Because we've learned so much from our past. Now, in truth, at my own high school you could hear three non-English languages being spoken that weren't taught by the school. And in most, the main instruction was how to cuss. But I don't remember anyone being scolded for teach their fellow students how to say "shit" in Greek. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Penguicon is open for registration. Still debating this. Depends on some various things, some of which I can't discuss (part of the hell of the week). But Penguicon has been one of those cons I've really wanted to get to. Plus, it'll be right after my Pharm Tech course ends and my b-day, so plus plus.
Joshua Blimes does the numbers on publishing hardback, mass market, and ebook. With normal royalties to the author, profits to the publisher and how they vary with the different formats and pricing schemes. And this, friends, is why an agent is a very, very good thing. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Mmmm, chocolate covered jalapenos. Just what you need for your hot love. (Pointed to by John)
Because we've learned so much from our past. Now, in truth, at my own high school you could hear three non-English languages being spoken that weren't taught by the school. And in most, the main instruction was how to cuss. But I don't remember anyone being scolded for teach their fellow students how to say "shit" in Greek. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Linkee-poo ain't afraid of ever losing faith in you
Shimmer asks how much to (authors) write in a day. That's the result of "butt in chair" time. Really wish my life would settle down so I can do that again. Or, as I filled out a form in class last night to allow the company sponsoring the class to call me, they asked, "What's the best time to call?" I circled evening because 2016 wasn't an option. And I wrote under it, "Good luck getting a hold of me." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Writer Beware with what hell hath Amazon wrought. Or how Amazon ate the publishing industry. (Grokked from Absolute Write, I think)
David Ogilvy (seminal figure in American Advertising) with 10 tips on writing. Given my many years in-house, and dealing deeply within organizations (as phantom employee, ie. they weren't supposed to know I didn't work for the company), yes, this. Especially #4. Alas, in this day of email and IM, #10 is dead. Although, as I had to explain to a vendor, "I write an email because I know you have other clients, and it's not a 'do it now' kind of thing. I try to ask far enough in advance to give you time. When I'm on the phone with you, it means it's an emergency. Drop everything else and get what I'm asking for done." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The hidden value of editors. Or, why that self-published book is a big question mark. Basically it all boils down to the stories we tell ourselves. It's the popular myth that the writer types up all the pages, in order natch', and then sends them off, still steaming, to their publisher which promptly prints them. And Brittany Spears just up and started singing at 16 and landed a big record contract. Works well in the movies, not so much in real life. (Grokked from someone, sorry, lost the link)
For you young writers out there, this is what happens when you tempt to curry favor with the Gods of Writing. Or, never as John Scalzi to retweet your post unless you really, really, mean it. I'm just kidding, John's a great guy. To get a critique at VP, he only made me eat a habanero while he poked holes in my plot. See, nice, nice guy.
"As legislative leaders secretly developed new election maps last year to strengthen their majority, Republican lawmakers were told to ignore public comments and instead focus on what was said in private strategy sessions, according to a GOP memo that became public Monday. Other… documents also show almost all Republican lawmakers signed legal agreements promising not to discuss the new maps while they were being developed." And that, friends, is a subversion of democracy. "But you say we must love Democracy, but you say we can't be democratic, but you… Karl Rove, coordinate, coordinate!" (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Vince is very smart regarding the teapot tempest that is the "Obama's making us buy birth control" controversy. It's employment law. Many states already require it. The Church has already litigated it, and lost. Even up to the Supreme Court (who refused to hear the appeal).
"Republicans are beginning to grasp their own inadvertent complicity in Obama’s comeback. Some, of course, believe that their failure lies in having compromised too much." There's the "not clapping hard enough" crowd. "The payroll tax fight offers the first test of whether or not the new breeze of tactical realism will prevail, or be overwhelmed by countercurrents of militant obstruction." I'm laying my bets on the later. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Writer Beware with what hell hath Amazon wrought. Or how Amazon ate the publishing industry. (Grokked from Absolute Write, I think)
David Ogilvy (seminal figure in American Advertising) with 10 tips on writing. Given my many years in-house, and dealing deeply within organizations (as phantom employee, ie. they weren't supposed to know I didn't work for the company), yes, this. Especially #4. Alas, in this day of email and IM, #10 is dead. Although, as I had to explain to a vendor, "I write an email because I know you have other clients, and it's not a 'do it now' kind of thing. I try to ask far enough in advance to give you time. When I'm on the phone with you, it means it's an emergency. Drop everything else and get what I'm asking for done." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The hidden value of editors. Or, why that self-published book is a big question mark. Basically it all boils down to the stories we tell ourselves. It's the popular myth that the writer types up all the pages, in order natch', and then sends them off, still steaming, to their publisher which promptly prints them. And Brittany Spears just up and started singing at 16 and landed a big record contract. Works well in the movies, not so much in real life. (Grokked from someone, sorry, lost the link)
For you young writers out there, this is what happens when you tempt to curry favor with the Gods of Writing. Or, never as John Scalzi to retweet your post unless you really, really, mean it. I'm just kidding, John's a great guy. To get a critique at VP, he only made me eat a habanero while he poked holes in my plot. See, nice, nice guy.
"As legislative leaders secretly developed new election maps last year to strengthen their majority, Republican lawmakers were told to ignore public comments and instead focus on what was said in private strategy sessions, according to a GOP memo that became public Monday. Other… documents also show almost all Republican lawmakers signed legal agreements promising not to discuss the new maps while they were being developed." And that, friends, is a subversion of democracy. "But you say we must love Democracy, but you say we can't be democratic, but you… Karl Rove, coordinate, coordinate!" (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Vince is very smart regarding the teapot tempest that is the "Obama's making us buy birth control" controversy. It's employment law. Many states already require it. The Church has already litigated it, and lost. Even up to the Supreme Court (who refused to hear the appeal).
"Republicans are beginning to grasp their own inadvertent complicity in Obama’s comeback. Some, of course, believe that their failure lies in having compromised too much." There's the "not clapping hard enough" crowd. "The payroll tax fight offers the first test of whether or not the new breeze of tactical realism will prevail, or be overwhelmed by countercurrents of militant obstruction." I'm laying my bets on the later. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
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