Ryan Field's Blog, page 420

Official Bullshit Meter: Who's Full of Crap?

When I was in high school, I remember a catalogue filled with gag gifts and one of the items they sold was an official bullshit meter. Since we were all basically full of crap back then, and of course we knew it all, we ordered multiple bullshit meters and used them every time someone said something we thought was bullshit. I went to a competitive private high school where everyone was college bound. You can imagine how vicious it could get.

And when I found the following link to the off...

Mormon Church Backing Away From Gay Marriage

There are two interesting articles in Mother Jones I'm linking to in this post about the Mormon Church and how it has backed away from gay marriage. It's interesting to note that both articles mention previous gay presidential candidate, Fred Karger, whom I've been posting about on this blog since the most recent presidential elections began. I've continued to post about his efforts for equality post election because he's remained a strong advocate for gay marriage and equal ri...

New Review "Feedback" Feature on Amazon I Love

I honestly don't know how to describe this completely, and I only found out about it by accident while reading reviews for scented oils I buy on Amazon for my Lampe Berger last night.

It looks as if Amazon has added another feedback feature to their review system that allows customers to comment on reviews if they don't agree with them.

In other words, I read this review for a one scented oil that I've already purchased. I didn't agree with it, and I clicked "No," that it wasn't helpful....

The Shame of Gay; A Nun with Holy Water; Philadelphia Equal Rights Bill

There are no links to this part of the post, about the shame of gay. And that's because it's a personal story I'd like to share about something I once experienced. But I'm going to fast forward to the present first.

Yesterday, a Catholic nun splashed holy water in my face. Tony and I are dealing with a close family member who is very ill right now and we've been driving two hours away to their home at least once a week for the past month. We're helping with long term insurance to make su...

Bookstore Sign Goes Almost/Sort of Viral; Guy Fieri Blasts Restaurant Reviewer

There's an old Beat Gen Bookshop in Oxford  called, Albion Beatnik Bookshop, and someone put up a sign and someone else took a photo of the sign that went almost/sort of viral. According to this post the photo has been viewed 9,000 times, and when I think of viral I think in terms of at least six figures. But what do I know? It may get more hits due to the nature of the sign.

Opening some time around midday and usually closing after midnight, this is a place where you can sit in...

Some Positive Agent News; Internet Tax; Largest Human Penis

Since there have been so many negative things going around the Interwebs lately about literary agents, I figured that since I really am, and always have been, pro-agent I'd look for some positive things to post for a change. We need agents, good agents who are moving forward with the times, now more than ever before. And while I don't actually have an agent in a literal sense, I do know a few, I am close to them, and I value their advice on the rare occasions that I shamelessly hock...

Delaware Passes Gay Marriage; Anne R. Allen on Internet Gang Culture

Now that Delaware has passed a same sex marriage bill it will become the 11th state in the US to legalize same sex marriage, and gay couples in Delaware can start getting married July 1 as soon as the law takes effect. The interesting thing about this is that Delaware already had legal civil unions.

Delaware’s same-sex marriage bill was introduced in the Democratic-controlled legislature barely a year after the state began recognizing same-sex civil unions. The bill won passage two weeks ago i...

Book Review: Domino by Jill Elaine Hughes

When I first started to read Domino by Jill Elaine Hughes I figured I knew what I would be getting because I've read a few of her other published works from e-publishers. I liked her work before and I've always considered her clean, tight writing style to be the ultimate antithisis of what so many others do in the romance genre. To read a style like this is an editor's dream come true. That's just my personal taste. In other words, I like romance and erotica written as neatly and tightly...

James Patterson Wants Government to Help Publishing; Barry Eisler on Digital Denial; Agent Rachelle Gardner and Non-Compete

Author James Patterson didn't exactly say there should be a government bailout for the publishing industry, but he did make it clear he's worried about traditional publishing, brick and mortar bookstores, and how the press doesn't mention e-books with any significance. And to show how strongly he feels about this, he took out an ad in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times Book Review. When asked to go into more detail, this is how Patterson replied:

I don’t think it’s a question of bailing...

James Patterson Wants Government to Help Publishing; Barry Eisler on Digital Denial; Agent Rachel Gardner and Non-Compete

Author James Patterson didn't exactly say there should be a government bailout for the publishing industry, but he did make it clear he's worried about traditional publishing, brick and mortar bookstores, and how the press doesn't mention e-books with any significance. And to show how strongly he feels about this, he took out an ad in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times Book Review. When asked to go into more detail, this is how Patterson replied:

I don’t think it’s a question of bailing...