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| Sunday, May 26th, 2013 |
james_nicoll
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12:18a |
A Matter of Logic
A Matter of Logic As broadcast time bears down on them, a writer and an actor have a heated discussion about the script, recapitulating the script during the course of the discussion. Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
james_nicoll
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12:01a |
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| Saturday, May 25th, 2013 |
james_nicoll
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11:59p |
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james_nicoll
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11:35p |
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norilana
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11:40p |
Epic Fantasy Multi-Author Ebook SALE Party! - May 25 - May 31!
Hey, Everyone! It's my Birthday, and thirty of my Fellow Author Friends and I have banded together to have an Epic Sale of our books!We all write Epic Fantasy, and our books have been specially discounted for seven days only! Everything on this page is from $0.99 cents to $2.99, which gives you an amazing opportunity to try great new books and authors! Love The Game of Thrones, or The Lord of the Rings, or Kushiel's Legacy, or The Wheel of Time? Want more like it? Epic, heroic, high fantasy, is as grand and magnificent as your imagination! Share our journeys, quests, and world-shaping feats of magic and wonder! Enter our magical, impossible, glorious worlds populated by heroines and heroes, knights and kings and queens and sorcerers, empire-makers, mages and warrior maidens and mysterious assassin lords! Ancient, medieval, exotic other-world fantasy awaits you!
Click below to go to the Epic Sale!
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james_nicoll
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6:46p |
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docbrite
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5:45p |
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jimhines
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6:07p |
BSA to Accept Gay Youth, but Not Adults
On May 23, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end their policy excluding gay youth from the organization, a decision which officially takes effect on January 1, 2014. They did not vote on their policy excluding gay adults from accepting leadership positions, nor did they change their policies on atheist and transgender individuals.
 The Boy Scouts were an important part of my life growing up. I eventually quit the organization in part due to their bigotry and discrimination. When my son was six and wanted to join Cub Scouts, my wife and I were torn. We eventually let him join, and at the end of the year, we had a long talk about scouts and what it was about, the positives and the negatives, and our own conflicts. The three of us decided together not to sign back up.
I’ve already watched one of my Facebook friends quit the organization in protest, complaining about how a “vocal minority” had “bullied” a private organization into this decision. She also explained that she’s sick and tired of people accusing her of bigotry, and that she doesn’t care about sexual orientation; her concern is for the boys. She wrote a long post about the Scout Law, talking about how openly gay youth violated the ideals of that law.
Bullshit.
This person is so concerned about the safety of the boys. Which makes me wonder, would she support allowing lesbians to serve as den leaders? Because right now, that’s forbidden by the BSA’s discriminatory policies. My mother, a straight woman, was a den leader for many years. If the “logic” of excluding gay men is because they could be potential predators (as a result of being attracted to men), how is that any different from straight women, who are also attracted to men?
Unless you’re buying into the bullshit belief that gay=pedophile/rapist, in which case you are not only a bigot, but an idiot.
She went on to talk about her fear that the boys might go off alone, and who knows what might happen? What if an older gay scout pressures a younger one into something he doesn’t want? Once again it’s not consensual sexual activity she’s afraid of; it’s the “gays as predators” boogeyman.
The Girl Scouts of America have been open and welcoming of all girls, regardless of sexual orientation. Oddly enough, I’m having a really hard time finding stories about the rampant same-sex assaults that presumably permeate the organization as a result of their decision. Weird…
According to the Scout Law, a scout is:
- Trustworthy – I would love to trust this organization with my child. That means trusting them to welcome and accept him as he grows up, trusting them to help him become a better person. A policy of discrimination and bigotry is a violation of that trust.
- Loyal – Many boys have no concept of sexual identity when they first join Tiger Scouts. As they grow older and continue in scouting, some of those boys will discover that they are not, in fact, heterosexual. Should the BSA show loyalty to their own members, or should they kick them to the curb?
- Helpful – Yet when gay and lesbian adults offer their help, scouting rejects them. In my personal experience, scouting was tremendously helpful to me in many ways. Why would the organization want to refuse that help to certain boys?
- Friendly – What’s so friendly about rejection and discrimination, about teaching kids that it’s okay to exclude “those people”?
- Courteous – How is it courteous to tell someone they’re not welcome here, simply because of who he or she loves?
- Kind – See “Friendly.”
- Obedient – I’ll admit, this is one I’ve struggled with over the years. There are times for obedience, and there are times for disobedience. To me, it’s important to obey one’s conscience, as hundreds of Eagle Scouts have done when they returned their medals in protest of the organization’s discriminatory policies. One could argue that the youth and leaders trying to ban homosexuals from scouting are following their consciences, and that’s probably true. It’s also sad and depressing as hell.
- Cheerful – I mean, come on. Gay means cheerful and happy and merry, for crying out loud
- Thrifty – Um … okay, I got nothing for this one. Except maybe that an organization looking for a stable and solid budget, one which relies in part on donations and popcorn sales, shouldn’t enact a broad policy of exclusion?
- Brave – People keep talking about how the vocal minority bullied the BSA into this decision. I think this is a ridiculous abuse of the word “bully,” but setting that aside, it takes tremendous courage to be in the minority and to speak up for what’s right.
- Clean – If you buy into stereotypes about homosexuals, doesn’t that include the one about gays being exceptionally clean and hygienic and well-dressed? After living through those week-long summer camps, the BSA could use an influx of gay men and boys! (Note: I don’t actually believe this, but for those who discriminate based on stereotypes, shouldn’t this be a point in favor of admitting gay youths and leaders?)
- Reverent – This ties into the BSA’s discrimination against atheists, but in terms of homosexuality, do you want to hear something shocking? Not all religions condemn homosexuality! For some devotedly religious individuals, duty to God means loving and welcoming all people.
This continues to be frustrating and painful to me. Boy Scouts did so much for me as a kid, and I believe they do a lot of good. And this week’s decision was a good first step. But it’s only one step. The organization still has work to do if it means to live up to its own stated ideals.
Mirrored from Jim C. Hines. |
james_nicoll
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1:53p |
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james_nicoll
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1:48p |
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james_nicoll
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1:34p |
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james_nicoll
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1:31p |
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james_nicoll
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11:39a |
I don't know if this is true for other people
Few things kill my WSOD as quickly as legal procedurals where the lawyers and cops make reference to the possibility of the death penalty in legal regimes that do not have the death penalty. Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
nick_kaufmann
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11:29a |
Dying Is My Business: Stuff About Marketing
As we move steadily toward the October 8 pub date for Dying Is My Business, St. Martin’s Press has begun to focus on their marketing plan. To that end, they sent me an author marketing questionnaire. I’d never filled out a marketing questionnaire that was quite so thorough before. You should have seen this thing. It was five pages long and had dozens of questions! It took me half a day to get through it all! But it’s all good stuff, information they can ostensibly use to market the novel (and me) more efficiently. Questions ranged from the personal (Do I have hobbies? What countries have I traveled to?) to the ubiquitous convention panel-type questions (What inspired me to write the novel? What kind of experience has writing the novel been for me?) to the professional (Have I ever been nominated for an award? Which magazines do I think should get review copies?) to the kind of questions that are probably best left to others to answer (What features distinguish my book from others on the subject? What about me as a working writer do I think might be interesting or unusual?). It was a fascinating experience, actually. I found that being forced to think of myself in marketing terms was unexpectedly rewarding. What does make me interesting? Why would anybody want to read my novel? Discovering that you can actually answer questions like these makes you feel pretty good about yourself and your work.
I also had a productive and friendly conference call with both the Marketing Manager and the Director of Digital Marketing and Social Media at St. Martin’s. We discussed various online strategies to get readers’ attention, as well as some interesting ideas I never would have thought to make use of. (To my relief, they seemed okay with the fact that I will never, ever go back to being on Facebook. Ever.) These folks really know their stuff. Apparently, there is also a publicist who will be assigned to my novel to help with offline stuff, but I won’t get to chat with him or her until closer to the pub date.
So far, I have to admit my experience with St. Martin’s Press has been pretty great. From my editor to the online marketing folks I spoke with, everyone seems top notch, experienced, knowledgeable, and eager to make the book a success. I feel like I’m in really good hands. Now I’m just antsy for the damn thing to be published already!
Originally published at Nicholas Kaufmann. You can comment here or there. |
jaylake
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6:32a |
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jaylake
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6:30a |
[cancer] Field notes from Cancerland, high altitude edition
Next Treatment StepsMonday I start Regorafenib. I am frankly rather afraid of this drug. It can have dreadful side effects. And at best, we have a 50/50 chance of seeing useful results. To that end, I have pushed for a baseline CT scan which I will be undergoing on Tuesday. This is out of sequence, as the normal minimum spacing between CT scans is 2 months, while my previous scan was three weeks ago. However, I felt it was important to have an accurate measurement of tumor size and distribution at the start of the Regorafenib series, to compare two months down the road. The hoped-for positive result is a halt in tumor growth. Also, this 3-week scan will give us a decent notion of how fast the tumors are growing. Current side effectsI've been having a lot of problems with my feet this week. This has led to me being minimally mobile. Not good for exercise. On the other hand, simply existing at my current altitude is practically aerobic exercise. That in turn confuses the issue, as I sleep poorly up here anyway, so I cannot tell if I'm having sleep problems. Likewise, my skin continues troublesome, though it is slowly recovering. We discontinued the Vectibix five weeks ago, which removed the primary driver of my skin issues. And fatigue, lots of fatigue, but difficult again to disentangle that from altitude sickness. JayWakePlanning for the JayWake continues. July 27th, 2013, in Portland. The link above has time and venue details, and hotel information. A rather substantial group of people have been making some rather substantial contributions to make this happen. I will be making public thanks in due time, and in accordance with the wishes of various donors. This is an open event, so if you can be in the Pacific Northwest that weekend, please do so. GenerosityBoth in the matter of the JayWake and otherwise, generosity continues to flow. To the point of overwhelming me sometime. Thank you all for being part of this journey I'm on. I feel slower and more tired every day, it seems, but I am sustained by your love. The Unbearable Lightness of SatoriSpeaking of overwhelming, yesterday on my social media footprint, I said, "Almost any book can make me cry now. The closer I grow to death, the more emotionally fragile I become." It's true. Even light, funny books bring tears to my eyes when I reach the point of closure. It's a very strange mental space to be in. I don't reject the reaction. It's genuine, it's coming from inside me. Rather, this is a different way for me to consume narrative. Another part of the journey. Every step is a revelation. |
jaylake
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6:14a |
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jaylake
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6:13a |
[links] Link salad reads those words of wit
'We Have Always Fought': Challenging the 'Women, Cattle and Slaves' Narrative — Kameron Hurley on non-furry cannibalistic llamas. And much more. (Via ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=1) rekre8.) Remembering The Long Lost Germans Of Texas — More than a century ago, German settlers found a pocket of Texas to call home between Austin and San Antonio. And once the local lingo merged with their own language, it proved to be an interesting dialect.The Princess — How old is 2? (Via willyumtx.) Defining My Dyslexia2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest — Wow. (Via tillyjane, a/k/a my mom.) Lunar Corona over Cochem Castle — A gorgeous photo. Measuring light in the universe since the Big BangCosmic latte — Cosmic Latte is a name assigned to the average color of the universe, given by a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University. (Via Daily Idioms, Annotated.) No Bail for Pa. Parents in Faith-Healing Death — Faith healing isn't religion, it's child abuse. Pure and simple. Adults are free to go to hell in their own way, but they are not free to take children along for the ride. In our Christianist-dominated cultural climate, I am nonetheless surprised to see prosecution. When Politicians promise ‘Lower Taxes’ they are promising Collapsed Bridges — Infrastructure decay is the inevitable result of conservative tax policy. Unless you believe in the fairy tale of supply side economics, but that has neither theoretical support from objective economists who aren't already committed conservatives, nor any track record of success whatsoever in the real world. Me, I like civil society and public infrastructure, and it takes taxes to keep those things going. Hell, even Republicans drive over bridges. Three reasons Congress is broken — Only three? There are 233 House Republicans and 45 Senate Republicans. That's 278 more reasons Congress is broken. QotD?: What is your least favorite joke?
5/25/2013 Writing time yesterday: 1.0 hours (WRPA, otherwise on workshop time) Hours slept: 7.25 hours (interrupted) Body movement: n/a Weight: n/a Number of FEMA troops on my block scamming disaster aid slush funds: 0 Currently reading: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett |
james_nicoll
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12:41a |
I wonder
What is the most horrifyingly ancient and decrepit piece of infrastructure on which you are forced to depend? Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
| Friday, May 24th, 2013 |
james_nicoll
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11:53p |
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kradical
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9:15p |
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james_nicoll
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9:08p |
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Man, that's some crummy design for a house with a handicapped person in it. Is that more for narrative convenience (it keeps Blanche a prisoner on the second floor) or a reflection of just how awful people were at accommodating the needs of the disabled back then? They did a remake about 30 years after the first one. If they keep to that schedule, another remake should be along around 2020. I would not do what the 1990s remake did and change when it is set because the movie (as was mentioned to me) has a very cell-phone unfriendly plot. Hmmm. Assuming the actors are about the same age as Bette Davis was in WHTBJ, actors who will be the right age in 202* would include Charlize Theron, Drew Barrymore and Angelina Jolie. (It's Blanche's house and she's not poor, so money isn't the issue) Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
james_nicoll
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8:11p |
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james_nicoll
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5:42p |
Ford breaks silence
"I do not use crack cocaine," Ford told a jam-packed news conference at Toronto City Hall. "Nor am I an addict of crack cocaine."
I expect a lot of people will comment on the tense he used. Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are  comment(s); comment here or there. |
kradical
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2:20p |
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