The Internet Amazes Even Me Sometimes

I want to say congratulations to Mur Lafferty and her "little book that could" Playing For Keeps. She managed to get her book to the #16 place on Amazon.com today in its first day of release. If the #15 book wasn't about Barak Obama who knows how high it might have gone.

The most interesting thing about this is that I would guess that most of the people that bought the book already knew the story. Mur first released PFK as a free podcast novel and then as a free PDF file. She did have it available from a print on demand publisher, but now its available from Amazon and other booksellers. It could end up in airport giftshops (well only if the world is that lucky).

I came late to the show. I have had the podcast waiting for me to listen to for a while. As usual though life has gotten in the way and I have just left it sitting. Over the last couple days though I have had time to read the PDF. I read the whole thing in basically 2 sittings. I just could not put it down.

Thank you Internet for making Playing For Keeps a huge success.

Experiment failed.

Oh well. I knew that this week was the wrong week to try this. I had to take a trip in the middle of the week. Well maybe when I get back I'll try it again. Until then........go read Questionable Content.

No Umbrella - Writing Experiment Day 2

Henry stepped out of his office building. It was raining, again. This was the third time this week he left his umbrella on the train. He walked among the crowds, getting wetter by the step. His shoulders raised in a vain attempt to hide from the falling drops. He scanned the street ahead. There she was. The red umbrella was easy to spot, even in the pouring rain. Especially in the pouring rain.
Henry had met the lady with the red umbrella only once. It was a day just like today. He was tired of walking in the rain. He stepped to the curb and hailed the next cab coming along. He hadn’t seen that now 5 feet behind him she was hailing the same cab, for the same reason. When the cab stopped, he turned to open the door and that’s when he saw her. His breath left him. His feet were suddenly glued to the ground. When he didn’t move towards the car, she reached for the door herself. Henry just stood there and watched her get in the cab. As it pulled away, he briefly saw her head turn to look at him. He could just make out her lips saying the words, “Thank You” as it pulled away.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK. Thud.

“I never saw him.”
“What was he doing walking in the middle of the road.”
“SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!”

Travel - Writing Experiment Day 1

Normally I am a pretty sedentary character. I sit in my mountain hideout day after day reading about the goings on in the world. Occasionally getting to talk to, well, type to new people all across the world. Talking on the phone with people I work with and maybe an occasional family member. This has worked well enough for me in the past.

At the end of last year my sister announced that she was moving. She found a nice little area in Oregon and decided that she wanted to relocate up there. For most people that wouldn’t mean much. Just a wave goodbye and a phone call once a week. I’m not that kind of person. For me it’s meant several loads of furniture and boxes, several trips to help her fix up her new place. And soon it will mean another trip. I am glad that I have the flexibility to be able to travel up to help her out.

In a few days I am set to go back up there again. This time I’m going to fly. I love to fly. If they would let me I’d gladly let the pilot take a break and I’d sit in for them. Flying is the closest thing to magic we have nowadays. Within a matter of hours you can be thousands of miles away. Although for me, I usually spend just as much time at the airport as I do in the air. I have been held at ticket counters while people play with their terminals trying to make sure that this guy with the normal name isn’t dangerous. I regularly get searched at any security checkpoint. I have gotten searched at the checkpoint, walked 30 feet to the gate and been randomly selected to be searched again. That is my only nightmare when it comes to flying. Some foul up with a scanner and not only do I miss my flight, but they ship me off to somewhere to be interrogated about my completely normal name.

First Writing Experiment

Today I am going to start my first writing experiment. I think that someday I can possibly be some sort of writer. I have always dreamed of coming up with the next Star Wars, but Joss Whedon beat me to it. I have considered news reporting. I have even thought of just doing some technical writing. I haven't done much writing ever because I always seemed to hate writing in school. The entire concept of writing something just to write never worked for me. And I guess it still doesn't. I have also heard time and again that if you don't write, you can't write (or something to that effect). So starting sometime in the next 24 hours and continuing for a week I will write something here each day. It my be my opinion on a news story, some story about my day, or if I really get adventurous (or am facing a no news day and a deadline) a very short piece of fiction.

Yes, I know this is stupid. I'm awake at three in the morning. Thats not exactly bright right there.

Hello Russia.....Helloooooo

Since I know that my blog is the first thing many important political figures in Russia read every morning, I have a quick message for you.

GET OUT OF GEORGIA! Stay on your own side of the border. If parts of Georgia want to break off and join you that's fine, but there is paperwork that has to be done first.

And a quick message to Georgia. RUN Dragon*Con is coming!!!!!!!!! Geeks, Nerds, and Naked People. RU.......ok take some pictures of the naked people, then RUN!!!!!

Oh, and to the other Georgia. Just start mailing parking tickets to Moscow for any tanks still parked in your country. I'm sure you must have some law against parking tanks in your country. Do they make Denver Boots for tanks?