Will Shetterly's Blog, page 158
March 21, 2013
a homily from St. Robert Anton Wilson
Wilson starts by referring to "reality tunnels", which was Timothy Leary's term. I don't like it as much as Wilson does—it's too 'sixties for my taste. But I love Wilson's observation that belief systems are BS.
Don't believe in anyone else's BS (Belief System) - YouTube:
Don't believe in anyone else's BS (Belief System) - YouTube:
March 20, 2013
geek vengeance: disemvoweling, part 2
Continuing from geek vengeance: disemvoweling:
At Another Meta-post: Moderation-fail, or, being too Minnesotan, Steve said, "As we Jews say, context is everything. I don’t know the details of that conversation you describe, but I can easily–easily imagine situations where an apparently harmless and reasonable comment was, by where and when and circumstances, completely trollful."
Hunting for the conversation I remembered, I found support for my general position at Boing Boing's ...
At Another Meta-post: Moderation-fail, or, being too Minnesotan, Steve said, "As we Jews say, context is everything. I don’t know the details of that conversation you describe, but I can easily–easily imagine situations where an apparently harmless and reasonable comment was, by where and when and circumstances, completely trollful."
Hunting for the conversation I remembered, I found support for my general position at Boing Boing's ...
geek vengeance: disemvoweling
I left this comment about disemvoweling elsewhere:
The technique has been described as the geekish equivalent of pulling down the pants of the kid everyone else on the playground doesn’t like. My biggest complaint is its supporters say you can decipher the meaning if you want to, but that’s blatantly not true: “historical” and “ahistorical”, for example, disemvowel exactly the same way.
It’s a remarkably easy technique to abuse. On BoingBoing, a moderator called Antinous is (or was, anyway) a d...
March 19, 2013
about epubs made for Smashwords with Apple Pages
We've been selling books to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. The first two are easy: I make an epub file with Apple Pages and load it to the site. Smashwords, which I love for its can-do little-guy spirit, has almost always been a nightmare for me, because they wouldn't accept submissions as epubs. When I heard that changed, I cheered—
—and then discovered new nightmares. In the hope of saving someone else, this was the solution:
1. Unlike Amazon and B&N, Smashwords wants a cover...
—and then discovered new nightmares. In the hope of saving someone else, this was the solution:
1. Unlike Amazon and B&N, Smashwords wants a cover...
Dad and Robert Heinlein are right
The internet credits Robert Heinlein with saying "Man is not a rational animal, he is a rationalizing animal," but my dad told me that when I was very young. Since all writers burrow things away in their subconscious, my guess is Heinlein picked it up somewhere, maybe from Twain, or maybe it's just one of those observations that smart people eventually make.
When I was older, Dad phrased it more bluntly: "Your problem is you think people are rational." I can't remember how I answered, but what...
When I was older, Dad phrased it more bluntly: "Your problem is you think people are rational." I can't remember how I answered, but what...
Mort Sahl on liberals
"The road to fascism is paved with liberal bricks. While our job is to give the young people time enough to become radicals, the job of the liberals is to castrate them before they can get to the radical side, before they can save America." —Mort Sahl
March 17, 2013
wee update: a mild cold or mild smoke inhalation
I either have a cold or a mild case of smoke inhalation. A couple of days ago, I started a batch of green coffee beans in a roaster in the basement. Maybe ten minutes later, I smelled smoke in the upper floor—why, yes, the batteries were out of the smoke detectors, which is stupid—and I ran down into the basement, which was full of smoke. Flames were coming from the beans. I glanced at the cord to the roaster, didn't see any damage, and unplugged it.
But I couldn't get the basement window open...
But I couldn't get the basement window open...
March 15, 2013
Shadow Unit 13 is now available!
The stories:
Haven't tried Shadow Unit yet? The first volume is still free at Amazon and Smashwords.
"Wild Card" by Leah BobetIt's at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords now, and will soon make its way to all fine booksellers.
"Underworld" by Elizabeth Bear
"Single Bullet Theory" by Chelsea Polk
"Apolysis" by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly
Plus two short extras!
Haven't tried Shadow Unit yet? The first volume is still free at Amazon and Smashwords.
unilaterally reducing the number of idiots on the internet by one
I'm taking an internet break and reserving the right to make it permanent. No one I've been arguing with lately should be blamed—if anything, they should be thanked.
I will continue to post about projects Emma and I are involved with.
Hmm. That sounds very serious, but I'm actually writing with a light heart. Maybe I'll be back in a week, maybe at the end of the month.
While I'm gone, remember, redistributing wealth can be trickier than you think:
I will continue to post about projects Emma and I are involved with.
Hmm. That sounds very serious, but I'm actually writing with a light heart. Maybe I'll be back in a week, maybe at the end of the month.
While I'm gone, remember, redistributing wealth can be trickier than you think:
