Writers Index updates:
Copyright
"The life expectancies of books. An essay on shelf life, afterlife, immortal prose, and how that interacts with extension of copyright to ludicrous lengths. Immortal books are very very very rare, and not a good model for law. 235 comments Jan, 2006.
Perpetual copyright, a perpetually bad idea. 348 comments Feb, 2006.
Fanfic
Star Wars fanfic writer makes grave copyright error and publishes and attempts to sell unauthorized novel-length Star Wars fic. 211 comments Apr, 2006.
Teresa commenting on the nature and (very long) history of fanfic. Very smart stuff. 893 comments Apr, 2006.
Literary Scams
The Screenplay Agency and fee charging scams, an analysis. 94 comments Feb, 2006.
"The perfect uselessness of Warren Whitlock" A truly dizzying mix of literary and general scammer and purveyor of bad advice for authors is taken apart in detail. 261 comments Mar, 2006.
Teresa singles out Barbara Bauer as the "Dumbest of the Twenty Worst" agents when BB starts throwing around legal threats. Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware posted WB’s list of the 20 Worst (literary) Agents, one of whom (BB)decided to stop into various venues on the web, which has the side effect of drawing all kinds of google juice to her place on said list. 124 comments Apr, 2006. The action continues when BB mistakes Making Light for an official Tor website and threatens legal action against Tor's parent company. 75 comments Apr, 2006.
"Tina Adams wants to sell you something"...bad advice on writing romance. A selling the sekrit formula for success scheme. As usual with these things Tina hasn't ever actually had any of the success she claims to sell. 133 comments Apr, 2006.
Publishing Industry
In publishing non-fiction/=true, an industry oriented discussion in light of the James Frey mess. 242 comments Jan, 2006.
Submission, Rejection and the Slushpile
A decisive takedown of the the old standard “test,” where someone retypes a published book and sends it around to various publishers and agents. To what should be no one’s surprise, it’s rejected all over town. 151 comments Jan, 2006.
Writing Craft
Fantastic post linking to an article on “Economy and efficiency as motivations in fiction”. In essence it talks about the problem of the evil overlord and the really inefficient mechanism for achieving his plans, and applies the argument much more broadly. Teresa adds a great discussion of why this happens. Go, read the whole thing. It's really useful. 388 comments Jan, 2006.
General Index updates:
Administrative/In the Beginning
New linking script added to fight comment spam. 40 comments Mar, 2006.
Civil Rights and Liberties
Gore on the false security vs. freedom meme and defending the constitution. 138 comments Jan, 2006.
Copyright/Patent/Trademark
A whimsical take on poor man's copyright (mailing a copy to yourself and leaving it unopened) and it's pretty much complete lack of effectiveness beyond the strictures of copyright already provided from the minute you set stuff down on the page. 36 comments Sep, 2005.
"The life expectancies of books. An essay on shelf life, afterlife, immortal prose, and how that interacts with extension of copyright to ludicrous lengths. Immortal books are very very very rare, and not a good model for law. 235 comments Jan, 2006.
Perpetual copyright, a perpetually bad idea. 348 comments Feb, 2006.
Corporate "citizens", dystopia, and the DC/Marvel attempted rights grab on the term "superhero." 129 comments Mar, 2006.
Fandom
Star Wars fanfic writer makes grave copyright error and publishes and attempts to sell unauthorized novel-length Star Wars fic. 211 comments Apr, 2006.
Teresa commenting on the nature and (very long) history of fanfic. Very smart stuff. 893 comments Apr, 2006.
Hamsters
Arthur the hamster RIP. 71 comments Feb, 2006.
Hamster tubes and the mysteries of their disassembly. 72 comments Mar, 2006.
Hamster dreaming? Life with young Porco Bruno. 43 comments Apr, 2006.
Internet Discourse
Teresa stumbles upon a how to guide for conservative trolls. She's not very impressed. 92 comments Apr, 2006.
"Blog" a blank slate post a bit over a year before I independently put up something very similar in my Generic Universal Blog Post. Which just goes to show there's no such thing as a new idea. 327 comments, Apr 2006.
Iran
Rice Warmongering Iran 148 comments Mar, 2006.
Iraq/Afghanistan Wars
The anniversary of Mai Lai and lessons for Iraq. 44 comments Mar, 2006.
The bio-warfare trailers debunked. The ones used as a justification for our invasion of Iraq. Teresa concludes there are only three reasons to continue supporting Bush: 1. You’re stupid. 2. You know there’s no excuse, but you’re too dishonest and unpatriotic to say so. 3. You’re bound by solemn oath to make a public show of supporting him (i.e., you’re in the military, and your job requires it). 104 comments Apr, 2006.
A whole of (retired) generals call for the removal of Rumsfeld. 153 comments Apr, 2006.
Linky Posts
April Fools links. 37 comments Apr, 2006.
Medicine/Emergency Response
Ralph @%#$#%@$ Nader for non-political reasons this time. Got one of the better Narcolepsy medicines killed. 644 comments Jan, 2006.
Jim on Flu pre-packs–see also go bags, etc. 85 comments Jan, 2005.
Jim on Ralph Nader and Public Citizen playing unwanted nanny once again and trying to kill of one of the more effective pain killers. 92 comments Feb, 2006.
Mourning
David Stemple. 32 comments Mar, 2006.
Poetry
A Limerick definition of poetry as part of a post on Patric heading for Dublin. 65 comments Mar, 2006.
Politics
Canadian territorial waters in light of a melting arctic. Made fabulous by the quote Patric notes as part of the post: As Jim Henley once observed in a post I can’t seem to track down, you know those people all over the world who get pissed off at overbearing, grabby Americans? Like all those Iraqis with rifles and IEDs? Those people are often conservatives, the local variety, devoted to home and turf. Only American “conservatives” are airheaded enough to think that “conservative” automatically means “in favor of the continuing power, glory, and wealth of the United States.” 110 comments Jan, 2006.
When and how did one the chief functions of a democratic government–responding to the will of the people–become "pandering?" Great observation. 51 comments Jan, 2005
Using members of the military as political props–immoral and illegal a Presidential twofer. 115 comments Mar, 2006.
Bush claims to have never linked September 11th with Iraq. Argh. 69 comments Mar, 2006.
"Jane Smiley’s “Notes for Converts”" For Johnny-come-latelies to the world of opposing Bush and his policies. Bush doesn't care about you, your opinion, or the truth or falsity of words that come out of his mouth. 150 comments Mar, 2006.
Religion
St. Patrick's Day and St. Patrick in history. 43 comments Mar, 2006.
Scams
The Screenplay Agency and fee charging scams, an analysis. 94 comments Feb, 2006.
"The perfect uselessness of Warren Whitlock" A truly dizzying mix of literary and general scammer and purveyor of bad advice for authors is taken apart in detail. 261 comments Mar, 2006.
Teresa singles out Barbara Bauer as the "Dumbest of the Twenty Worst" agents when BB starts throwing around legal threats. Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware posted WB’s list of the 20 Worst (literary) Agents, one of whom (BB)decided to stop into various venues on the web, which has the side effect of drawing all kinds of google juice to her place on said list. 124 comments Apr, 2006. The action continues when BB mistakes Making Light for an official Tor website and threatens legal action against Tor's parent company. 75 comments Apr, 2006.
"Tina Adams wants to sell you something"...bad advice on writing romance. A selling the sekrit formula for success scheme. As usual with these things Tina hasn't ever actually had any of the success she claims to sell. 133 comments Apr, 2006.
War on Terra
"War on Terror, War on Drugs, same diff" That quote from the first post in the thread pretty much sums up the bad idea of using the Patriot Act to regulate Sudafed. 111 comments Mar, 2006.
Wingnuttery
Claiming the right not to be educated. It's not censorship, but it's an ugly page drawn from the same book. Arizona Senate votes to allow students not to read things they might find offensive. Heaven forfend someone might get their mind expanded. 311 comments Feb, 2006.
Jim dismantles a wingnut email meme in detail. This wingnut defends desecration of the Koran because of the War on Terra. 133 comments Mar, 2006.
Uncategorized (Thus Far)
"Darwin fish found" Transitional fossil week. 223 comments Apr, 2006.
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