people

In happier news:

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NY Times columnist and Pulitzer-winning economist Paul Krugman praises Charles Stross’s novels.

I hope this brings him a couple thousand new readers.

CA Supreme Court: “Gay Marriage Ban Stands”

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The California Supreme Court has upheld the initiative banning same-sex marriages in that state.

Which is shameful for the state, but that’s what the people have chosen. Personally, I believe CA needs to seriously reform its initiative process, which was instituted to make Sacramento politicians more responsive way back in 1911. At this point, though, the initiative process has driven the state to fiscal disaster and stripped citizens of their equal rights.

Someone needs to step up and change the status quo, and for the change to be most effective and successful, it should be someone outside the judiciary. An initiative to end initiatives?

“a holocaust of prose”

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seen via Justine Larbalestier:

The Worst Review Ever, a blog where writers, actors, musicians, etc, can submit the worst review they’ve ever received. Personally, I think some of these are extraordinarily cruel (Hello, “a candy-coated turd”), but I’ve been known to hate on a book or two in my time.

I do disagree with Justine Larbalestier when she says its “awesome” that people react so intensely to her books. When I have a powerful negative response to a book, it’s not because of its engaging qualities, any more than Charles Manson should feel warm and snuggly inside because he’s evoked strong feelings from me.

Hey, authors, have anything you want to send?

Quote from an everyday conservative:

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We weren’t happy with Bush, but every four years if you want your vote to count you have two choices, and in 2004 the two choices were between someone who wanted the US to win the war we were in, and someone who wanted the US to lose…

That’s a quote from one of the conservative commenters on John Scalzi’s blog, and it boggles me. Not “OMG SO CRAZY” boggle, but more of a “Really? You really believe John Kerry wanted the U.S. to lose a war? Really?”

Here’s the thing: I believe, honestly and forthrightly, that the militaristic voters in this country be they right, center or left (although most of them are very far right) actually put this country in danger. I believe that engaging terrorism primarily through bombs and waterboarding and dragging people from their homes in the middle of the night to humiliate them… I believe that makes us more likely to face another 9/11-type attack.

But I would never kid myself into thinking that’s what those militaristic voters actually wanted. I know they want U.S. citizens around the world to be safe, and they want the government to do what it has to do to ensure that.

I would never assume, though, that they were deliberately working against their own country. Misguidedly causing harm where they wanted to improve things? Yes. Trying to create defeat? No. I’m sorry. No.

“George R.R. Martin is not working for you.”

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I’ve been thinking about Neil Gaiman’s post on this subject for a little while, and prompted by Jim Hines’ discussion of it (and Gaiman’s followup), I thought I’d toss in my two cents, which no one asked for.

Continue reading

Hooray for Wing-it!

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Recently, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce held a contest to award $35K for an office makeover (Sorry, and “extreme” office makeover!) and my friends at Wing-It Productions were one of the finalists.

And the won! Check out the hot linked image!

Can I get that size checks with duplicates?

Recognize that guy on the left? Huh? Huh?

Child of Fire Cover

Anyway, they put together a great video which you can watch at the Chamber web site. I’ve known Mike and Andrew for many years and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Congratulations, guys!

If I ever start talking like this…

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… please, someone, anyone, kick me in the nuts and shut me up.

In my view the bias against science fiction exhibited by so many mainstream critics and authors doesn’t map vaguely onto racial bigotry — it maps precisely onto racial bigotry. The literati have prejudged the entire enterprise. They know in their gut that SF is worthless, all Buck Rogers and ray guns and Star Wars, so they needn’t bother to learn anything about it. Sure, the literati will acknowledge the occasional exception like Ray Bradbury — a real credit to his race, that man — but this “some of my best friends write genre fiction” malarkey only reinforces the prejudice.

My eyes, they can’t stop rolling.

Seen via bookslut

Quote of the day:

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“For all his veniality and selfishness, Cat was a cool, smart dresser, unlike most _Red Dwarf_ fans,who smelt of piss.”
— Patrick West

More lol-ing at trainwrecks.

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I’m going to keep this one short so you can get right to the WTF?/gape-mouthed expressions of astonishment/guffaws.

Literary agent Janet Reid: What not to say when you’re pitching an agent. Number three is the one that really dinged my bell.

Quoting agent Amanda Urban

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“When [Toni Morrison] finishes it, you know, a very polished first draft, which means it’s probably her seventh or eight or tenth draft, she gives it to Bob Gottlieb, her longtime editor and me, and we read it, and amazingly she is always open to comment. The best writers are. They want reactions and if somebody has something smart to say about the book, they’ll go back and rework it. It’s very interesting. She’s great to work with – she’s very easy to work with and she’s so brilliant and she’s so much fun.”