Friends

dracosphynx and I have just moved the website to its new revision; we're encountering the expected bugs here and there and are in the process of fixing them. If you find an error (or don't find a page), feel free to drop us a comment here and we'll look into it. Once things are settled I'll be telling you about the cool new features... this being the version of the website that will allow patrons and superfans access to protected content.

Thanks for your patience as we make the switch-over.

Current Mood: tired

Current Mood: blah

I've got so many links here about e-books and publishing that I'm just going to throw them all together. Watching the changes in the industry, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that we're reaching a point-of-no-return. The way we consume fiction and nonfiction is going to change: I can't even call them books anymore, because the packaging is becoming more malleable. What is a book anymore, if you have 10,000 of them on one device? Is it a specific content length? Is it a type of object you can hold in your hand? Is it a marketing conceit?

One thing's sure: e-books are here to stay. We might not have been ready when the Palm tried to push them, but the mobile generation's eating them up. I don't think the physical book is going to die, any more than photography killed art. But I do think the way we use physical books and how we read what we read is going to change; is changing, right now.

So, first off, Wal-Mart's War on Amazon May Obliterate Publishing (Even More). I've been seeing a lot about how these price wars are affecting publishing. While people are lamenting how this is going to mess things, up, we have....

...people arguing that books are already too expensive to compete with other more engaging media (like video games), as in this link: Why We Need $4 Books.

Editing this post to add, some authors are discovering it's more advantageous to self-publish their e-book versions than to let their publishers handle it.

Related, China's Authors Dream of Online Fame. Apparently, writing online is a big thing in China.

Back to e-book readers, Gizmodo on the Nook, Barnes & Nobles's slick competitor to the Kindle. I'm noticing more and more that Barnes & Noble is trying to tie together their brick-and-mortar stores with everything they offer online: they're trying to get you into their store to spend money, even if it's just on an e-book, by offering incentives (like free wi-fi and a free e-book when you visit). Plus, they're selling the Nook at the store, so you can go in and actually handle the thing before buying. I'm planning to go check it out when it arrives.

I love that the price war/competition is on. The Nook has already slashed the Kindle price. Keep it going!

Also, I liked this: Solar-powered E-Book Reader Planned. Though to be honest I've never had a problem with the battery running out on my kindle.

Amazon's still trying to innovate, though: someone spotted a Multi-touch Kindle App for Windows 7 that looks interesting.

And for the visual folks: The e-Book Universe (in Diagram Form).

I don't envy authors who are heavily invested in the existing industry, to be honest. This has got to be unsettling if you have a stake in it. As a reader and a writer, though, I can't wait to see what happens next.


Stardancer Home.

Current Mood: watching

Current Mood: awake

Mr. Allred:

Mocking Gina is one of the fundamental elements of the Radio From Hell show. Please do not misinterpret the following email as a suggestion that the browbeating of Gina Barberi should be relaxed - for it is upon the bedrock of needless Barberi-abuse that the comedy towers of RFH are erected.

If abusing Gina be the food of hilarity...play on.

Having said that, there is one element of Gina-abuse that I feel is somewhat misplaced - the incredulous eye-rolling and sighing that often follows her weather reports. The awkward silence after one of Gina's tossed-off, barely-there weather reports is too harsh a reception for a feature in which she distinguishes herself from the pack.

Yes, we all have a good laugh at the disinterest, the lack of passion, the almost existential fatigue with which she half-heartedly delivers the weather. However, I respectfully submit that Gina's weather reports are more effective, more memorable, and far less patronizing than those of your garden-variety radio broadcast.

Allow me to explain. When I tune in to 880 AM here in NYC (the generic "all news all the time" station), the weather reports are so stacked with needless jargon that the general thrust is lost in the mix. Some terms appear in almost every weather report, terms that I neither understand nor intend to investigate the meaning of: barometric pressure, hot vs. cold fronts, high and low pressure zones, gulf streams, trade winds...it's a lot of crap to wade through to emerge with basic information like "it's kind of cold out today".

And therein lies the genius of the Barberi Weather Report. Gina does not condescend to the audience; her weather reports are gloriously free of any specialized terms or elaborations on the geological or astronomical forces that influence our weather systems. Gina's weather reports are simply that: a snapshot of what it's like outside, and what it'll probably be like later (maybe). Something like, "it's gonna be rainy, just like yesterday" may lack a certain gravitas, but it's more memorable and informative than the kind of crap you hear on stations that still worship the term "Doppler".

You may think I'm being sarcastic here, but I'm really not; on a morning show, it's often the little things that count. And I'm sure there are thousands of people in the Salt Lake City who know what it's gonna be like outside because Gina Bareberi tells 'em - in simple, unadorned English that cuts to the quick and makes a mockery of high-faultin' weather men and women around the country.

So next time Gina delivers a weather report, fill that awkward, underwhelmed silence with some praise - praise for the woman who tells it like it is.

Sincerely, I remain,

Sean M. Kensing

Spots the Space Marine is a twice-weekly crowd-sponsored serial. Find out more and read prior episodes.

Armory as Spots, Claws and Samuel-Colt enter.

Spots. "We're the first ones here!"

Samuel-Colt. "We will check the data on your suits first, if that is acceptable. The new shield data should be valuable."

Spots. "Go ahead."

Claws, taking down one of the power cells. "Hey, Sam... how do you make sure a crab is dead, anyway?"

Spots. "I assume you shoot it with the guns you keep telling me I need practice with."

Claws. "Man, you are never gonna let me forget that, are you."

Spots. "Nope.

Samuel-Colt. "Your escort asks a valid question, Mother. The answer is not a simple one."

Spots. "It's not? But we shoot them and they go down. Or explode, depending on the round."

Samuel-Colt. "The soldier class, perhaps. Different classes have different nervous systems. For example, Kings commonly have two neural nodes, a brain and a nexus at the base of the thorax. This second node handles music and scent, so it retains memories related to those senses. In order to neutralize the King you must destroy both nodes."

Claws. "****! You mean all this time we've been leavin' them mostly not-dead?"

Samuel-Colt. "The Kings do die if you damage them, Mother's Escort. But it isn't immediate. If you are asking how to keep their memories from being used by the enemy, then these are nuances you need to understand."

Claws. "****! And the normal bugs?"

Samuel-Colt. "As far as we know, a head shot should be sufficient."

Claws. "But not the body shots we usually use to mow 'em down."

Samuel-Colt bows a regretful note.

Claws. "****.****! Do you know how much harder that's gonna make our jobs?" Sockets the power cells into his suit. "****! Also, I've probably earned six bars of soap cussin' about this. **—crap!"

Spots makes no comment, but her mouth is quirking. The door opens for Scythe, who halts at the scene.

Spots, pulling her suit on. "Hi, Sergeant. Have you met Samuel-Colt?"

Scythe. "I... haven't had the pleasure."

Spots. "Samuel-Colt, this is Scythe, our sergeant. Scythe, Samuel-Colt, the designer. He's downloading suit data for evaluation."

Samuel-Colt, melody with flourish. "We are glad to make your acquaintance."

Scythe, a little off-balance, but taking it in stride. "Likewise." He takes down his suit. "You two are early."

Claws. "Bonny Peaches called us down to have a look at a crab corpse, tryin' to figure out how come they're sendin' us their dregs."

Scythe. "And?"

Claws. "Sam thinks it's cuz they're preparin' to sic some super-crabs on us. All at once."

Scythe. "****ing wonderful."

Samuel-Colt to Spots, with rising arpeggio. "Do you make the Scythe eat bars of soap also?"

Scythe. "Make me what?"

Spots, laughing. "No, no, if every Marine on this base had to wash out their mouths every time they cursed in front of me, we'd be out of soap in a day."

Claws, muttering. "In an hour."

Scythe. "A few minutes, I think."

They're all laughing, Samuel-Colt's a springing melody, when the rest of the team enters with the Varmint guests.

Silence.

Claws. "So, you got your data, Sam?"

Samuel-Colt, no music. "Yes. Thank you." He inclines his body to Spots. "Mother."

Spots. "Samuel-Colt. Rest well."

The alien exits. Another silence. Then the team resumes suiting up.

[ Buddy-to-Buddy ] [ Claws ] : If they give us trouble...

[ Buddy-to-Buddy ] [ Spots ] : They won't. Turn around so I can do your check.

Huh. Surorisingly difficult to find fun noodles in Fairbanks in November.

Who would have guessed??

Fixed some stuff, updated clearance page, got some orders out, house is red, car is silver, going to the hot springs - have an awesome weekend! *blows kisses*

Episode #5292
Days until contract expiration: 147
Edition 1065 of Atropos' blog.
Day 37 in which Bill loves Mrs. Bill even more than he did the day before.

...and...

Only 5 shopping days left until Gina's Birthday!

Sign-off
"So many men, so few places to hide the bodies."

Boners (brought to you by a fajita sort of a thing)
1. "Hey!  Blow Into This.":  A man attending a Halloween party dressed a a breathalyzer was arrested for driving whilst intoxicated.  James P. Miller was found driving the wrong way, without his headlights, on a one-way street.  When police stopped Mr. Miller, they found an open container and a half-case of beer on the front seat. 

2. "Is This an All-Ages Show?":  When Layton police learned that local comedian Scott Lee Russell (aka "Scotty Lee") was scheduled to perform at the Wise Guys comedy club, they asked Ogden Police to arrest him during his show.  Mr. Russell has an outstanding warrant for his arrest as a result of possessing child pornography on a laptop computer.  Unfortunately for police, Mr. Russell did not show up for his gig.  Police originally found the child pornography after investigating an inappropriate relationship that Mr. Russell was having with a 15-year-old girl.

3."When You're a Cop in Tooele, It's Party Time":  Two police officers in Tooele have been fired after in investigation turned up that the married couple engaged in sexual harassment, drunken driving, playing twister whilst in uniform and drunk, supplying alcohol to a minor, allowing another person to drive drunk, and many others.  The two officers also may have been engaged in a sexual relationship with another couple that they met through their police work.  They had been on the force for 10 years before being fired.

The wild-and-crazy cops are Boners of the Day.


Ask a Parowan Prophet
Leland Freeborn Jr. is a self-proclaimed prophet and bigot and racist.  He crashed his plane when he was 33-years-old and had a "vision" whilst he was in a coma for three weeks.  His "vision" included "revelations" on polygamy, race, and the beginning of WWIII.  When he told his story to apostle Gordon B. Hinkley, he was promptly excommunicated from the current LDS church.  Mr. Freeborn believes that you should make sure you have some potassium iodide on hand because a nuclear war will break out this December.  He has predicted a nuclear holocaust before, but this time he really believes that it could happen this December.  All he knows for sure is that the nukes will fly during a time when there is snow on the ground and the winter holiday lights are up.  Mr. Freeborn is confident that having President Obama in the Whitehouse will hasten our destruction, but he's never known a black man to keep a job for very long (that joke was from a comic - but Leland thought is was HIGH-larious.)  Mixing of the races is also a terrible, terrible thing - but it did give us some pretty women like Halle Berry.  Freeborn learned that little fact as he was sleeping in a high-school parking lot and writing by flashlight.  Don't believe Leland?  When the mushroom clouds rise up over Hill Airforce Base, your thoughts may alter!  Just don't go running down to Parawon looking for help from Leland Freeborn Jr. and his bomb shelter.  You'll just have to live without toilets and TV videos and Leland's charmingly asinine personality.

Jeff Vice
The Box was not screened.

Ong Bak 2 has some great fights, but terrible, terrible acting.  2 stars.

Gentleman Broncos continues Jared Hess' descencion into immaturity.  Jemaine of Flight of the Conchords is the only reason to see this movie.  2 stars.

Coco Before Chanel stars Audrey Tatu.  That's all Jeff needs to know.  3 stars.

The Fourth Kind could be subtitled, "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind."  It's a movie claiming to be the true story of alien abductions.  Bull[sock].  Milla can't act, it's not scary, it's just......bleh.  If you want a good movie about alien abductions, Bill recommends, The UFO Incident (1975).  The Fourth Kind gets 1 star.

A Christmas Carol.  It's been seen.  Robert Zemekis is too in love with his digital motion-capture animation to actually tell a story.  There was no reason for this move to be animated.  It's too creepy for kids and too stupid for adults.  1.5 stars.

The Men Who Stare at Goats.  The funniest parts are in the trailer, but the rest of the movie is light with subtle humor.  Goofy George Clooney and Jeff Bridges make the movie.  3 stars.

Gina's Sign-off (via Richie)
"I went to the appointment at the time."

Kerry's Status
"Kerry was on the show today."

Current Mood: cheerful

Stardancer | DeviantArt | Artspots

Current Mood: done!
Current Music: Erasure - Ship of Fools

I hath tweeted:

• 20:07 Updated the clearance page with some lower prices and new bundles: www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/fantasyart/clearance.php #

Business as Usual

Sent out a bunch of messages to my various mailing list.

I find it ironic that I tried some Facebook advertising to the tune of $64 - and get one $17 sale that I haven't received a money order for yet. On the other hand, a few free emails, and I've made way, WAY more than the entire Facebook campaign netted me. Not recommending Facebook advertising.

Email is throwing an odd error message at me. Hmm...

Art and Authoring

I noodled around last night, but didn't make any real progress. I've decided to switch up my art goals a bit - rather than finishing ALL three CoL covers, I want to finish just one - and one steampunk piece for the coloring book.

Home and Health

Keep hauling myself around by my bootstraps. Still loving my car and my various pretty house colors.

Planning

Pack up for an overnight to the hotsprings tomorrow. Hope the husband makes it home - they're expecting a winter storm!

Don't know what to cook for The Annual Tasty Pie Contest? Make Bill and Kerry's favorite pie; Pickle Pie!

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Sunglow_Motel-Cafe_Pickle_Pie

Serials have been working for me. Starting next year, I'll probably serialize some of my novels before releasing them to hard-copy. Which means now is a good time for a poll! Tell me how you like to read them!

Poll #1480658 Serials!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 84

How do you prefer to read your serials?

How do you want to be notified of new episodes?

How important is the ability to comment on a chapter?

Current Mood: awake

Current Mood: groggy

Spots the Space Marine is a twice-weekly crowd-sponsored serial. Find out more and read prior episodes.

The Board Room, again, where the aliens are dissected. Peaches is standing next to a lab technician and an ONI specialist. They are looking at a crab corpse.

Lab Tech. "This is their standard soldier carapace, Lieutenant. First revision."

Peaches. "First? Aren't we on third revision?"

Lab Tech nods. "This is the design that was typical when we first dug in."

Peaches. "But that makes no sense. I've been looking through the records, and the crabs have never sent old carapaces back at us. Have they?"

The other two exchange a look. The specialist says, "They've never done it here, no."

"But elsewhere?"

Specialist shakes her head. "I can't say." At Peaches's look: "I mean that literally, Lieutenant. I just don't know. If there's more information on it, I can't read it."

Peaches. "****. No clue what it might mean, then."

"None."

Peaches rubs her forehead. "All right. Then I need you working on something new."

Lab Tech. "Ma'am?"

Peaches. "Find some way for us to destroy the utility of these things once they're dead. I don't want the bugs making use of them."

Specialist. "We don't have any evidence that they can use these carapaces that way."

Peaches. "We don't have any evidence that they can't, either." Looks at Lab Tech. "I need fast, complete and safe. No compromise, I want all three."

Lab Tech. "I can experiment with compounds, but what you're talking about is really more of a weapons matter."

Peaches. "Not if what we want is to disintegrate whatever they're using for brains."

Lab Tech. "That's the problem, ma'am. How do we know what they're using for brains? For all I know they could be storing memories on the insides of their chitin with scent markers."

Peaches frowns. Then strides to the wall and toggles the intercom. "Lieutenant here. I'm in the Board Room. Get Private Guitart for me, please, and tell her to bring Samuel-Colt here. We have questions."

When she turns away from the intercom...

Specialist. "The alien's talking to you?"

Peaches. "The alien's talking to one of my people. She's talking to me."

Lab Tech. "Nice!"

Specialist. "****, I've known Samuel-Colt for a year and he's never said a word to me."

A little bit later, Spots arrives with Claws escorting and Samuel-Colt behind her. The alien watches the military courtesies between Spots, Claws and the lieutenant but does not interrupt.

Peaches. "Thank you for coming, Samuel-Colt."

Samuel-Colt. "You are welcome, Lieutenant-Savannah-Bonnet. There is an issue?"

Peaches nods toward the table with the dead bug. "We were looking for a way to make the bodies unusable to the enemy for their... memory-eating."

Samuel-Colt. "Lieutenant-Savannah-Bonnet, they are already useless if they are dead. Memories can only be consumed from the living."

Peaches. "Always?"

Samuel-Colt. "Always."

Claws is looking at the body. "Damnedest thing, them sendin' the old ones after us. What's it mean, you think?"

Peaches looks at Samuel-Colt. Samuel-Colt looks at Spots. The specialist and lab tech watch, fascinated.

Spots. "It would help us to know, Samuel-Colt. Please."

Samuel-Colt. "This would be a guess, Mother-Marine."

Spots, smiling at the name. "Then we won't be upset if you're wrong. But even a guess would help."

Samuel-Colt. "Then, Mother... our guess is that they are changing production lines."

Everyone goes still.

Peaches. "You mean they're doing something new."

Samuel-Colt. "Yes, Lieutenant-Savannah-Bonnet. A sufficient difference in models often requires a complete halt to production, particularly if only so many cloning chambers have been deployed. Production halt also allows new models to be fielded in force, rather than piecemeal."

Claws. "****. You mean they're sendin' their leftovers while they're cookin' up the awful new stuff."

Samuel-Colt. "That is our guess, yes." A hesitation.

Spots, watching his bowing. "Is there something else you wanted to say, Samuel-Colt?"

Samuel-Colt. "Mother-soldier; if they plan to cannibalize their base soldier models for memories, they will probably design them to fall insensate in advance of a true killing blow. It's what we would do."

Claws. "Oh, that's just great. So we'll have to go through piles of maybe-dead crabs to make sure they're really dead?"

Peaches. "Well, that just brings us back to the beginning. We have to make sure they can't be used for reconnaissance, so we'll just have to kill them dead-dead." She glances at Samuel-Colt. "I'm right?"

Samuel-Colt. "Essentially, yes."

Spots. "Essentially."

Samuel-Colt spreads his middle, claw-bearing arms (causing the specialist and lab tech to edge away). "We are assuming they are working the way we understand, Mother-Marine. But they no less than we advance, and their biotechnology is their weapons technology. What if they have evolved some new method? We will not know until we see its effects."

Peaches, low. "****." Then clearer. "Well, that's war. We signed up for it. Is there anything else?"

Spots glances at Samuel-Colt. He shakes his head in a very human gesture, which looks strange on his stalk of a neck.

Peaches. "All right. Thank you all."

Once they've left:

Specialist. "****."

Lab Tech. "Get me some more specimens, Lieutenant, if they send new ones. I'll see what I can do."

Peaches. "Right. Specimens of new killer bugs. You want them dead or alive?"

Lab Tech. "...is that a joke?"

Peaches, fell smile. "We're the ****ing Marines. If you need a live crab, we'll get you one."

Silence.

Lab Tech. "Dead will do. For a start."

Peaches. "You got it."

Business as Usual

Hey, did you notice there was a new issue of EMG-Zine up? The summary of this issue: In this month's issue, Ursula talks about the Uncanny Valley; Constanza interviews artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Missy walks us through a dragon in mixed media, and Nicole talks about ordinary art supply alternatives. We also have Moon-themed poetry, art and comics. Enjoy!

There is no feature this month. This makes me incredibly sad and guilty, but October was a hellish month for me. I've started to put out some nets for some features for the next couple of months, but I was not together enough to get or write anything for this month.

I made a few tweaks to all of my forums - I really like this latest version of phpBB. Nicely laid out, and MUCH less spam-friendly. The changes in security/registration that I made have worked like a charm. No more accidentally deleted artists! It's fabulous.

Art and Authoring

Here are the covers in progress for the first two parts of City of Lights. Still rough, but coming together:




A few more lines written on them. This is the slowest I've ever written a story... I think it's making me nervous...

Home and Health

Much laundry is done. House still a disaster, but coming together as I crawl out of dark places.

Planning

Going to work, now! I got a few hours off this morning, and I've already burned through them!! Tonight, more loads of water (we were LOW!), more stargate atlantis, and more artwork.

Linking

Wall decals. I may have to order some of these...

NOTE: If I owe you something, please nudge me!! I feel like I've dropped all my many balls, and I'm picking them up slowly, but I have a nagging suspicion that a few things have been forgotten. Erika, I will get those copies of the anthologies off to you this week!