An Open Congress?

I happened upon this site almost completely by accident, and yet I think it's one of the most important sites I've come across in a long time. It's called Open Congress, and here's a link:

Open Congress

This site literally tells you what's happening in Congress, what they're voting on, what issues they're discussing and taking up, and how our representatives are voting. It's an amazing site, and it shows just how far we're coming as a nation, that we can have this type of site that twenty years ago would be unheard of. Twenty years ago, the only people who had this type of information were lobbyists and connected insiders.

But most importantly, it's all a matter of how we use it. Open Congress isn't just a site for entertainment value ... it's a means of communicating with our ELECTED officials who represent us, and understanding how these ELECTED officials are voting. Are they representing our best interests, or the best interests of someone else?

Weekend Blogging

In the spirit of a lazy, do-nothing weekend filled with snowstorms and downright nast weather, here's an article to put a smile on your face:

Man Breaks Into Home Over Porn Screams

I laugh every time I read it.

Lulu

I'm in the process of converting a number of published short stories to e-book format for easy download. Since I'm offering them for free, the concept of "Money" takes an even more important issue because ... well, I have so little, to be honest. And I have found that one of the best place to create and e-book is to go to Lulu. They create e-books for you and you get to set the price, which is great because it's more than OK to set them at $0.00.

Lulu also takes very little on royalties, as well. There are a couple other options for e-books, so feel free to mention them and I'll try to include them in a later post. But the reason I'm bringing this up is because you can find a lot of great fiction floating around these sites, fiction that will most likely never be picked up by a major publishing house.

Dinosaur Flatulence

Last week, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) suggested that it was entirely possible that dinosaur flatulence may have brought about their extinction some 50 million years ago. His logic most likely stems from the scientific fact that methane—specifically from cows—can account for anywhere between 20 and 40 percent of greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming in today’s age. A very warm period 50 million years ago saw a sharp increase in methane, although most scientists believe it was caused by methane released near the ocean floor and not dinosaur flatulence.

This argument only has merit, of course, if Rohrabacher truly believes global warming exists and is potentially caused by human beings. In the Republican Party, such a forward-thinking belief is a rarity, but it does provide a very bold, very new approach to potentially serious problem.

You see, I have always assumed it was better to combat global warming by reducing co2 emissions through simple actions like reducing how much I drive, installing more efficient light bulbs, and even occasionally writing to my elected representatives regarding certain pollution standards that could be easily implemented. By doing simple research, it was easy to discern which emissions standards and pollution caps were feasible and which weren’t, and I used that information to educate local representatives who could make decisions based on sound science.

But Rep. Rohrabacher might be on to something. Maybe, instead of trying to fight the large corporations—who have a lot more money and lobbyists than us “regular” Americans—we should focus on a much simpler solution to global warming. No, I’m not talking about curbing our consumption of beef in order to reduce methane produced by too many cattle, because that would just be too difficult (everybody loves a good Angus burger now and then). I’m talking, of course, about the flagrant disregard human beings have over their own methane production.

So I’m calling on Congress today to enact immediate legislation to curb methane output. The “Pull My Finger” bill would bring about an immediate curb of methane and co2 emissions resulting from gas produced by human beings and livestock. Think about it: for the price of one new F-15 jet, we could purchase enough cork to effectively plug the anuses of every cow in the United States. Granted, we would still need to do something about their burps (most methane produced by cattle exits in the form of belches), but I’m sure our government could contract out Miss Manners to produce a very effective “Barnyard Etiquette” video to be distributed on farms.

So we’ve got the cattle problem solved, but what about the 300 million people living in the United States? Surely we could set an example to the rest of the world regarding controlled flatulence. After all, every time your co-worker lets one rip, he’s contributing to climate change! This cannot stand, my fellow Americans.

Purposely committed flatulence must be punishable under Federal Law. This amendment to the “Pull My Finger” bill will be called “The Dana Rohrabacher Intentional Farting Clause,” and would cover everything from outright jokes to intentional flatulence attacks that are so popular among college-age males. These intentional acts of methane and co2 distribution are a direct attack upon our basic civil liberties and must be treated as such! No more “Pull my finger” jokes, no more producing gas for comedic effect, and certainly no more movies depicting such acts for the purpose of “humor.” This is a serious issue, and should be treated as such in our media.

Of course, there will be detractors who will continue to say that it would be far easier to simply curb other forms of co2 and methane emissions by investing in cleaner energy and reducing beef consumption. They will continue to spread their filthy lies in the liberal media about clean, affordable emissions processes that already exist and can be implemented without incurring heavy costs to companies that pollute. They will continue to suggest that personal responsibility and affordable regulations can effectively curb the global warming threat.

These people, my fellow Americans, are the enemy. These are the very same people who want to violate your civil liberties by pointing a finger in your direction on a crowded elevator, smiling, and saying, “Pull my finger.”

My fellow Americans, the flatulence must stop. Before it is too late.

Publishing Short Stories

While redesigning my official Web site, I've changed things up a bit and now am offering all of my published short stories available to be read off the Web site. In addition, I'm planning on putting up more unpublished short stories to be available for free. Will I still submit short stories to magazines, etc.? Of course. But not as often, that's for sure.

The problem is I can draw more visitors to my Web site to read the short stories for free. A typical fiction magazine may draw anywhere form 100 to 5,000 readers to a particular short story. But if I put up a short story on my Web site, which draws anywhere from 500 to 2,000 visitors PER MONTH, guess which one is going to draw more reads? It's not about money for me. It's about telling my story to others.

And if you're writing fiction to make money, you might as well quit now. It's not a high-paying market. Write fiction to tell your stories.

(Don't worry, I'll still drop a few links to fiction markets every now and then!)

A short story worth celebrating

I just wrote what is, quite possibly, the best short story I have ever written. And it all started when I read this:

Tigers and Leopards

The Burning Crusade

Since the Senate is again gridlocked on a non-binding resolution condemning President Bush's escalation, and since I've recently been mentioning Nine Inch Nails, why not combine the two with the quote for the weekend?

What if this whole crusade's \
a charade, and behind it all \
there's a price to be paid \
for the blood, which we dine \
just to fight in the name of the holy and the divine?

~Trent Reznor, "The Hand That Feeds"

Trent Reznor's literature

I had happened upon this little tidbit of information almost by complete accident, and am glad that my occasional obsession with Wikipedia has finally produced some grain of knowledge that I can actually apply to real life. The funny part is that despite my love for Nine Inch Nails, I wasn't even aware of the marketing effect being produced for the newest album, which is set for release in April.

Trent Reznor is one of those people who embraces new technology, which is one of the reasons he continues to be relevant in such a quickly changing culture. Not only are his songs stories, but he has also delved into the benefits the Internet has to offer to create an entirely NEW "text." For his new album, he is creating an entire "Story" to coincide with it, thus forcing every single one of us into his story, taking on the form of characters whether we like it or not. Here's a list of some of his sites that are based around his new album, "Year Zero":

I Am Trying to Believe

Another Version of the Truth

105th Airborne Crusaders

Consolidated Mail Systems

Be the Hammer

Church of Plano

All of these sites are based on his new album. In addition, fans were able to find these sites by decoding new NIN merchandise, which has hidden messages that reinforce the dystopian theme. On top of that, there have been hidden clues scattered during his last tour. A phone number was written on a bathroom stall at one concert that, when called, provided an audio message related to the song. Another song was found on a portable storage device during another concert.

Use this. Research it. Learn from it.

Articles

Another great comments made during the NSA convention this year was on the topic of supplemental writing. What this means is that if you're a fiction writer like me, you shouldn't simply JUST be writing fiction. You should be writing ABOUT fiction as well. This can be in any form, but especially articles. How you write. Why you write. The more you write on these topics, the more people will read them and grow interested in your fiction.

I have, over the past few weeks, become very involved in the topic of op-ed writing. There's never a shortage of topics to choose from, especially when the Free World is being led by a Texan who chokes on pretzels.

Digital Media

One of the best programs I attended while at the NSA convention was on the subject of digital media, and how it's beginning to change traditional print media production. I think it's important to keep in mind the fact that the digital media really IS changing the scope of literature and other forms of general entertainment in a very big way.

The question is how to roll with the changes (to quote REO Speedwagon)? The truth is I'm not sure. The speaker was the first person I've ever heard to literally eschew the traditional New York print publishers and go the self-publishing route. Why? Because the New York publishers are, ideally, going to slowly lose popularity. He suggests it's possible to self-publish and sell just as many books (and take a better profit) as one would with a New York publisher.

Therefor, what is the roll of publishers like Random House, etc., now that there are other means of getting your voice out there? If it's good, people will find it.

Not necessarily. However, I think with the right marketing strategy and a solid writing foundation (and a good story), it's POSSIBLE.

Inspiration in Odd places

After another great day of commuting and networking at the NSA show, it was finally time to head back to Milwaukee today. Of course, things couldn't possibly go that smoothly, could they? No, of course not. Despite arriving at the airport in plenty of time to get through the rigorous security screening, it turned out to be all for moot.

As our plane was in the process of taking off, one of the engines backfired, literally, just like a car only ten times louder and more than enough to ground the flight. And for good reason! My heart, needless to say, was tested and came out all the stronger. I hope.

But it gave me a great idea for my story, and I had plenty of time to put it down while we were waiting for the next plane to Milwaukee to arrive five hours later. I'm tired, I'm dirty, and I'm fresh out of things to write about for now.

Did the terrorists win?

I'm in my second day at the NSA conference and everything has been great. In addition to making a lot of new contacts, I've learned a lot about the speaking business and about methods for developing new content in an ever-developing digital world. We had a speaker talk today who mentioned something interesting, something worth thinking about, and it boils down to this:

Does a record company sell music, or does it sell the record? Are record companies selling the music created by artists, or are they simply using the music in order to sell a piece of circular vinyl? It's a tough call, considering the cost of media like records, audio cassettes and CD's typically determines the price of the product, and the artists themselves receive so little in royalties. Look at Tool's newest album, the very CONTENT of the CD and the way it's packaged. Maynard James Keenan even told his record company, "Look, you're getting your money back on our tour, anyway. Let us package the CD the way we want." In a way, this is a good jump into the digital world, where record companies are going to be forced to sell CONTENT, not material products.

One more thing: while running through the Denver airport on Friday, I stood on the second level and looked down at the security screening going on below, where crowds of people were slowly filing through metal detectors, etc., before making their ways to the terminals. At Milwaukee's airport, I even had to take my shoes off and the ban on liquids was still in effect.

Did the terrorists on 9/11 win? Was their aim to destroy America, or simply make our lives more difficult? To live in constant fear of that which remains nameless, impossible to find?

Denver NSA conference

I'm currenlty in Denver, Colorado at the National Speakers Association Conference to promote my copyediting business. The weather is nice, although the plane ride was long and--upon arriving at the Denver airport--it was impossible to find a Starbucks! First time ever. I had to settle for cheap coffee and an energy bar. The coffee did little, but luckily the energy bar was filled with energy goodness. After unleashing the awesome power of Soy, I was back on track.

Upon arriving at the hotel (which has a Starbucks located inside), I'm now in the process of registering. Good times! When I'm not working on my book, this is what I do for a living, and it's always exciting to meet to new clients and learn from their own experiences about operating a business.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but on a side note, the light rail system running through the city is amazing. There had been talk about putting one in Milwaukee for some time, but a couple of assholes (read: Charlie Sykes, Tom Belling, and every other conservative shithead on the radio) said no one would ride it, so instead we're spending $600 million to rebuild our interchange freeway system.

There was a time when certain naysayers in Denver said light rail was a waste of money. Everyone here loves it, and it's been a complete success. I'll try and find some sources to put up to back up my story.

A time for reflection

Now, with the prosecution in the Valerie Plame affair resting, it might be a good time to take a look at the facts and see what you can take from it. Is there a fiction story here? Is there an essay here? An op-ed? This is an important trial, for a lot of different reasons. Read up on it, and write about it.

I know I am.

Read the full timeline here. Then form and opinion.

Diabolic Tales

I just received my two contibutor's copies of Diabolic Tales vol. 1, which has my short story "High Stakes" included with a number of other great hardcore horror tales. And I do mean hardcore. Some of the stories included are tough to stomach, but they're a great example of just how independent the horror genre is truly becoming now that Stephen King is finally winding down his career (whether he likes it or not).

So what is the future of horror? Truth be told, I'm not sure. There have always been mainstays like Poppy Z. Brite and John Shirley, but there really isn't another mainstream horror author out there other than the absolutely horrible Dean Koontz. Coontz? It doesn't matter. They're both horrible.