Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Wondrous Web Worlds

I've just delivered the final edited version of Wondrous Web Worlds Vol. 7 to Tyree. This collection features work from regular visitors Keith Graham and Marva Dasef, as well as from occasional visitor s.c. virtes. It's hard to say when the book will actually be released. We still have to design the cover and find a place to put it into the publication schedule. These collections are usually put wherever we can find room because they're not big money makers. We mostly do them as a tribute to our contributors and as a tribute to James Baker who, along with me, got this ball rolling many years ago.

I'll keep you updated as I learn more.

A cycling detour

Yeah, I'm going back to being a cycling geek for the day. On Saturday, the Giro d'Italia starts. This is a three week race, and next to the Tour de France, it's the biggest thing in cycling. This year, however, the winner of last year's race won't be there. Ivan Basso who dominated the race in 2006 and then was thrown out of the Tour before it even started because of his connection to a blood doping scandal won't be riding. Since early July, he's been denying any involvement with the blood doping scandal called Operacion Puerto, but this week he admitted that yes, he was involved, but he didn't actually dope. He was only planning on it. So, he'll probably be suspended for a couple of years, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

But it really makes me wonder if you have to cheat in life to get ahead. Athletes do it, politicians do it, I've even heard of some writers trying it. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned honesty?

Before anyone asks, the writers cheating thing I'm talking about is the fact that some writers (usually small names) will try to post bad reviews about other writers' books...I'm assuming in the hope that it will make them look better. Sadly, it does happen...

Monday, May 07, 2007

It's becoming clear

I think I'm starting to realize that if I want a job that I can use my writing and editing skills at, I'm going to have to go back and finish my second degree. The other option would be to get a lot of professional credits, but school would probably be easier and take less time. Still, even with professional credits, I probably wouldn't have much of a chance because they'd be in science fiction, and that's just looked down on...

Maybe it would be a good idea for me to just settle for a crappy job for the next few months, and then start taking classes. Not really sure what I'm going to do, but I suppose this is an option I should consider.

In general, I don't hate the idea of going back to school, but I do hate the fact that I'd have to have a minor, even though I already have a BA. If you ask me, it's just the school's attempt at trying to get more money out of me.

Decisions, decisions...now I have to get back to work...

Sunday, May 06, 2007

My Story at Science Fiction Story of the Day

My "cyberpunk" story "A Chronic Mistake" is up at Science Fiction Story of the Day for May 6th. Click on the title of this post to read it...

Thanks Keith!

Saturday, May 05, 2007

The new postal rates

I'm not sure if any of you have checked out these new changes the USPS is making to their rates. It's pretty absurd. Now different sized packages have different rates, and reading through the rate lists is about like those stupid word problems I hated so much in algebra. If Johnny wants to ship a package to Cleveland that's 8X11 and Suzy wants to ship a package to Seattle that's 14X12, what's the square of the hypotenuse?

For writers and small press publishers, this is going to be a major hit in the wallet. I would imagine some of the smaller publishers will actually be pushed out of business by this, and some writers will limit themselves to only submitting on-line, which greatly hurts their chances of ever making it.

But, this is the cross we must bear, so I guess I should just shut up and deal with it...

The Imperial March

I have a music player on my MySpace page that holds 75 songs (when it works right), and one of those songs is The Imperial March from Star Wars. I was wondering if anyone hears that piece whenever Bush is walking to the podium to speak? I know I sometimes do...

Friday, May 04, 2007

The Problems with the May 15th Gas Boycott

This has been circulating for quite a while now, and I think everyone needs to realize that the entire boycott is based on a faulty paradigm.

Here's why...

1) The idea that this worked in 1997 is actually an urban myth. From the reading I've done, there seems to be no evidence to back up this idea.

2) The oil industry isn't effected by something like this as other industries might be. Even if you boycott on the 15th, you're still going to buy gas on the 14th or the 16th, and the oil industry will just make back the money they lose on the 15th.

3) The oil industry does not work on a daily profit and loss schedule. Although it is true that they will raise their prices if there is a terrorist attack, hurricane, or something else that might effect their production, they're not going to lower prices just because people don't buy. They know you're going to have to at some point. They work more on a weekly and monthly basis, as do most corporations, and one day's losses are not going to mean much to them.

4) The major gas stations will not be hurt by this as much as the small mom and pop stores. A day of boycott could hurt a small store, and if we lose those, it's just that much easier for the big boys to charge whatever they want.

If you really want to make a difference, take mass transit, or if you have to go to the store and it's just a couple of blocks away, walk instead of driving...and don't just do this on the 15th. Do it on a regular basis.

My trip to hell

One of the things I like about freelancing is that I can sleep in. I'm a chronic insomniac, so I can get a little extra sleep if I can sleep in. Maybe that was one of the reasons my last job almost killed me. I usually had to get there between 5 and 6 a.m.

So, rarely in the last ten months have I gotten up early...in fact, I think the last time I did was Christmas, but today I had to get up early...because I had to go to hell. That's right, I had to go to the DMV!!!!!!

I've been needing to get a new ID for a while, because let's face it, who really wants to go to the DMV. I went a while back, and after waiting something like three hours, I was told that my documentation wasn't adequate because I had a county issued birth certificate instead of a state issued one. This was after the woman at the door reviewed my documents and said they were ok. So, I had to send off to Ohio to get a new birth certificate...and of course, they raised their prices while my check was on its way...so I had to do the whole thing all over again.

Today I was going to be smart. I got up early, walked the 45 minutes to get there, arriving just before they opened...and there was a long line. So, I got my number sat down and waited. It didn't take too long, but the woman who recorded my information entered it wrong, so it ended up taking even longer.

Still, I was only there for an hour, which is not bad for a trip to hell...er the DMV.

I was surprised that I had to give a fingerprint. I guess it's just one more way for the government to keep track of us. Another strange thing is that here in Colorado, you don't get your ID right away. They mail it to you after 2-6 weeks. They claim that it's because of the Patriot Act, but I know other states where you get the ID the same day, including Florida...

The bees!!!

Jim's been mentioning the bees disappearing in America quite a bit lately on his site, so I thought I'd post this link I found through Jay Lake's page. Click on the title of this entry to check it out. I especially like the last theory!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

There's really not much going on...

It's kind of a boring day today. Still looking for a job...still having trouble finding one. I seem to be either overqualified or under qualified for whatever I'm looking for.

Still, there's really not much to talk about, so feel free to ask me questions...

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Interview

The "Authors of MySpace" page has done a brief interview with me. They're interviewing a lot of the people on their "friends" list, but it's still pretty cool answering questions about writing. You can read the interview by clicking on the title of this entry, and then going to their May 2nd blog.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Future Syndicate reviewed again

SFRevu has reviewed
Future Syndicate. It's not a glowing review, but the reviewer didn't hate the book, so I guess that's a good thing. It seems, and this is just opinion on my part, that the reviewer went in expecting something else, which always taints how you really feel about a book.

As Jay Lake always says, at least they spelled the names right...

A New Story

It's been a few months since I posted a new story on my website, so today I posted "A Chronic Mistake." This story was my first, and so far only, foray into Cyberpunk. I only occasionally read cyberpunk, but I usually enjoy it, and so this was my big experiment in that sub-genre. Some day, I'm sure I'll go back and write more...it's kind of fun...

Just for Jim

I saw this video, and it made me think of Jim's rant on his blog, so I just had to post it...

Monday, April 30, 2007

The Page 69 test

Apparently this is something that has been going around the web for a while, although I just became aware of it after reading about it on Robert Sawyer's blog. The idea is that if you're interested in a book, you pick it up and read page 69, and that should tell you if it's worth reading. I tried it with my book, and found that it actually does give a lot of important details, and might just intrigue enough people to buy it...so, here's page 69 of The Opium of the People...

CHAPTER TWELVE
Edward 4:1

“How much have things changed at the lab?” Edward asked.
His friend Bill smiled a half smile. His weathered black face showing some of the life it once had. “We’re still doing research, but it’s nothing like we used to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Edward,” his friend said glancing around, “Do you really think we should be talking about this? Didn’t you just get interrogated a couple of days ago?”
Edward waved his hand in the air. “They can’t arrest me for asking innocent questions.” Bill just looked at him. Edward laughed. “Okay, maybe they can, but I think it’s alright.”
He glanced around as well. The street was well lit and fairly crowded. It was market day, and many of the vendors had yet to pack up their belongings for the evening. People walked around in their most colorful clothes, laughing and smiling as if all was right in the world. The vendors called out the names of their goods in loud voices trying to drown out the competition. Many of the items being sold were useless in Edward’s opinion. How many different types of prayer beads could one person own? Some of the vendors brought food items in from the country. There was nothing like farm grown chickens or milk from a hand-milked cow. Edward noticed a man in a black uniform two stalls behind them, looking over some fabric. As Edward watched, the man glanced up and looked right at Edward and his friend.
“Maybe it isn’t safe.”
Bill followed Edward’s gaze. He shook his head and sighed. “They don’t hide most of their research from the public, so we can talk about that. I wouldn’t talk about the top secret stuff anyway.”

Saturday, April 28, 2007

The world is stranger than any writer could ever dream up...

I heard a strange story today that just proves to me that the world doesn't make sense.

Many many many years ago there was a reporter at a Denver TV station named Bill O'Reilly...that's right, THAT Bill O'Reilly. This was right around the time that TV stations were first starting to make a big deal out of live shots.

It would seem that a recent study showed that Aspen had the highest cocaine use in all of Colorado, so this station sent O'Reilly to Aspen to do a report on it. Live on TV, standing in front of a very expensive house, O'Reilly made a comment that seemed to imply that the owner of the house might be trafficking cocaine.

Now, the owner of the house was a very rich man (obviously), and he used his power to get O'Reilly fired. None of this might strike you as strange, obviously O'Reilly is good at saying things he shouldn't say, but where it gets strange is when the owner of the house is revealed...

...the owner was Rupert Murdoch...that's right, the man who owns Fox. The very network that runs O'Reilly's propaganda show...

Truth really is stranger than fiction!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Where do the mousies go?

This is a major change in subject from where I've been...and maybe it's a question that Keith or Jim or any of the other cat owners can answer for me.

I often give my cat these little toy mice to play with. She throws them in the air, bats them around, and generally practices her hunting techniques. She often walks through the house carrying them in her mouth like she's just come back with the greatest kill of her life. Sometimes, she'll even play cat fetch with me. For those of you not familiar with cat fetch, here's how it works. I throw the mouse. She runs and gets it. Then she brings it back to me and drops it just beyond my reach...cat fetch.

Now my question is: What happens to these things? After a few days of playing with them, they disappear...never to be seen again. She's an indoor cat, so I know she's not taking them outside. I've searched every place I can think of, but I can never find them. They're not something she can eat, so I know that's not where they're going. So, where are they?

Sometimes I think cats have a connection to another dimension that we humans are just too stupid to find...maybe that's where they go...

The Video

Here is the video I referenced in the last post...

People believe what they want

Recently, Bill O'Reilly had Richard Dawkins on. Dawkins is one of the premiere evolutionary scientists in the world, and O'Reilly assaulted him with his usual closed mindedness. I have to admit that he wasn't as acerbic as I might have expected...but his basic argument was that he believes what he believes, and Dawkins believes what he believes...even though Dawkins was trying to make some legitimate points.

The one thing that really teed me off about the discussion was O'Reilly made the claim that Hitler was an Atheist...basically implying that this Godlessness was the reason for why the Nazi party did the things it did. Since that time, I've seen a lot more rhetoric on the Net echoing this idea. It's basically a matter of people hearing someone they believe and respect (O'Reilly), and accepting his word as gospel...if you'll excuse my use of that word.

The truth is that Hitler was a Christian, and even when Dawkins tried to point this out, O'Riley dismissed it. As evidence, I give you this...

I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator. [Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf, pp. 46]

I know a lot of atheist, and I can't imagine any of them saying something along those lines...although I can hear a lot of the more radical Christians saying these kinds of things...

It's pathetic that people just want to believe whatever they hear, and then accept that as what is right in the world. Nine times out of ten, if I hear something that fits with my worldview, I'll at least double check to make sure it's accurate...it's really not that hard, but Americans tend to be herd animals, and only want to accept things that fit into their small, narrow view of the world. Thus the reason why we're in the situation we now find ourselves in.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Why Can't I Buy a Canadian?

Someone posted this as a MySpace bulletin, and I thought it was worth re-posting it here...don't take offense at the title, Jim...



Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by an East Coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15 :19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Moishe