reading and writing

[A correspondent on sffnet noted that Amazon sold more ebooks than paper ones last year . . . ]

Bob, it is scary, both for the reader and the writer. Of course catastrophe is also opportunity, at least if you're Chinese. I love the feel of a good book, the heft, even the smell of the ink and paper. But I also love having hundreds of books available on my little iPad, to carry on the plane or anywhere.

It would be the best of both worlds if regular books existed independently of ebooks. But of course the sale of ebooks cuts into the profitability of paper ones, and not only makes them more expensive but also favors the publication of best-seller type books over more interesting ones.

On the other hand, it does save trees.

I don't dare complain about the cold here, considering that most of you are digging out from under a really severe weather. But (whine, whine) it's getting down below freezing, which means I have to bundle up for astronomy, poor me. Or stay inside and feel guilty.


That said, I'm probably headed out to Cedar Key (on the Gulf coast about 90 miles away) for some astronomy. There's an annual amateur astronomy gathering this week. Gay's doing some extensive real estate license cramming with her partner Sharon, up from Orlando, so I might just get out of their hair and take a telescope out into the cold and clear night. Maybe eat a shrimp or two while I'm down there. Maybe do some drawing or painting.


(I'd go fishing but I always feel kind of silly, going to all that trouble to locate one fish for one person. I could buy one at the market. Or even go into a restaurant and get one already cooked.)

Meanwhile, back to work.

Joe