Why I Don't Own A Firearm
If I had a firearm, especially a handgun, I'd probably shoot myself in the head. Indeed, I often fantasize about doing so on the BART, especially when people are too stupid, selfish, or lazy to step...
View ArticleWednesday bits
Livetweeting the Presidential debate is definitely better than the old liveblogging the debate (or anything else). It was all very funny reading last night, except for the feed from my mother-in-law,...
View ArticleWork For Hire, Exposure...and Less!
New writers gasp, often unfairly, at "work for hire" agreements. How dare a publisher ask a writer to surrender all their rights for their words and ideas? But of course, rights are worth something,...
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Tai Chi Zero
Tai Chi Zero is an inventive, often funny, half of one movie that you should definitely run out and see right now. Based incredibly loosely on the life of Yang Luchan, the founder of Yang style taiji,...
View ArticleAssassins
Tonight, for my friend Seth's birthday, we saw Assassins by Stephen Sondheim, which was put on by the Shotgun Players. The house was packed, and the run has been extended to November 11th, but I was a...
View ArticleJanet Berliner-Gluckman, RIP
I was sorry to hear this morning that Janet Berliner-Gluckman has died. She was a great help to me early on. She suggested that I send my novella Northern Gothic to the Bram Stoker Award jury, which...
View ArticlePublic Service Announcement, just in time for Halloween
Edgar Allan Poe.Not Allen.Edgar ALLAN Poe.
View ArticleNEW YORKER trolls the nerds or Triumph of the State
Seemingly excited by the number of people talking about him back this spring, New Yorker contributor Arthur Krystal is back with an essay entitled It's Genre. Not That There's Anything Wrong With That!...
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Everyday Monsters
A Sandy update for those asking: my family seems to be fine. They're always well-prepared for everything, with food stores, a generator, etc. As of 11PM Eastern, my sister had no cable TV but still had...
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Tuesday Quick Notes
LJ is getting worse and worse. How long with the "old" friend pages stay current? On the other hand, the new Celebrity Link is strangely intriguing.My parents and sister have power in their homes, and...
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Halloween links!
Working from home today due to the endless horror of the SF Giants World Series parade. The upside is that The Last Man on Earth is on Turner Classic Movies. The downside is that unclogging my bathroom...
View ArticlePropositions
Here are my votes on the statewide propositions next week:30: higher income taxes on the wealthy, and increase on sales taxes, supposedly for schools: NO. I tend to vote against regressive taxes, which...
View ArticleHow Should A Writer Be? The Good, the Bad, and the Idiot.
One major issue that accompanies being a writer is that "writer" is an identity as much as it is a vocation. It's also an identity that many people feel themselves barred from. There are enormous...
View ArticleFINALLY, a real reason to vote for Barack Obama!
From the blog of John Aglialoro, director of the Atlas Shrugged films, of which there are currently two:Kelley: And if they don't? If Obama is re-elected and we continue down the path of collectivism,...
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Tomorrow, we take inventories of our hearts
Once upon a time, when one voted for a third-party candidate in a major election, the voter was told something along the lines of "Eh, you're just throwing your vote away." In the 1990s, this changed...
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What Should Republicans Do Now?
As has been promised for two decades, demographics have become destiny. There aren't enough white men interested in appeasing an angry father left to float a Republican President. Obama was a weak...
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The Big Click and others
Now that the election is all over with, why not check out the November issue of The Big Click, which features work by Ray Banks, Andrea Gibbons, and Daphne Gottlieb, as well as information on helping...
View ArticleRED STAR OVER RIGEL SEVEN!!!
Sarah Hoyt reveals what all true-blue science fiction fans have already suspected:It isn’t a great secret in NYC publishing. The code term is “is one of the good people.” And the editors will tell you...
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All you need is ACTION for all you need is TOM CRUISE in all you need is KILL!
Here's a publicity still of Tom Cruise in his battle Jacket:for the movie based loosely on one of my day job books, All You Need Is KILL.
View ArticleHow to pay off your student loans in four years!
I just made my final payment on the student loans I acquired back in 2006 and 2007 to pursue my MFA in creative writing. I will now tell you how I managed to pay them off so quickly, including payments...
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