So, here’s the excerpt from “The Right People” I read at Loson. Thanks to everyone who showed up. Next year, we’ll have donuts.

Filed under: podcasts






    

I am a great big geek. I know my Xmen from my JLA, I know how to fix a computer, I know my Doctor Who. Having said all that, if anyone every catches me wearing a cape and I’m not at a Halloween party, you have my permission to take my lunch money.

If you ever see me wearing a tail and furry ears, I don’t care what time of year it is; please mock me out of my shame.

Filed under: Spleen Venting






    

Well, it’s been quite a week, what with finishing Making Numbers and all. That means, of course, filling time with a Metacast.

The news? The Fictionados are doing a reading at Loscon 32 on Saturday, November 26 at 10 in the morning. This is exciting, even if our audience is made of people who were probably up all night and still haven’t gone to bed. Pillows and blankets will be provided for people who want to nap in comfort.

I also have a favor to ask of all of you: help me bring up my Odeo ranking. I’m at 101, and I’m gunning to crack the top 100, so please click the little Odeo button on the top right of the page and help bring me to position 99. The bar’s pretty low, but what the hell.

Also, at the time I recorded this, I hadn’t had breakfast. It’s now almost 9.30 in the evening, and I had a hell of a dinner at Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles. You know that happy feeling you get at Thanksgiving? Yeah. It’s like that, but with fried chicken and waffles.

Filed under: podcasts






    

At last, the thrilling conclusion, where Maggie…hell, you think I’m going to give it away? Part 11 of 11 is available for download now.

(more…)

Filed under: Making Numbers, podcasts






    

Cancelled it this morning. It felt good, like the first step in taking something back after all of yesterday’s badness. We were paid up through the end of the year, but we asked for and are getting a refund. Good bye, LA Times. Up yours, Joel Stein, Max Boot and Jonah Goldberg. Enjoy your empire of morons while you’ve still got it.

Filed under: Spleen Venting






    

I cannot, for the life of me, get to sleep. This sucks in so many different ways.

I can’t start writing, ’cause then my brain will spin up and I’ll be up all night. I can’t turn on the tv ’cause it doesn’t help. And I can’t read ’cause it’ll wake up Anne.

Maybe I should read today’s Times. That should…zzzzzzzz…

Filed under: Complete Wastes of Time






    

So, last week the LA Times announced they were going to shake up their Op-Ed pages (translation: going lowbrow), and it was almost like they were reaching out and tweaking me on purpose. On the one hand, Michael Ramirez was gone. On the other, so was Robert Scheer. Patt Morrison was getting knocked down to one column a week. And then there were the new kids: Jonah Goldberg and Joel Stein.

Now, Jonah Goldberg isn’t worth the electrons. Neither is Joel Stein, but I’ll give this to Goldberg: the dude cares about his politics. His politics may be mean-spirited, thoughtless, immature and cruel, but he’s trying to be a public intelletual. Joel Stein is not. Just read his bio on the Times’s site. He’s a failed sitcom writer who kept using his column to get work.

There’s a place for this kind of column, and it’s in the Calendar section, along with the rest of the fluffery. Not on the Op-Ed page. Not writing some snarky bullshit about the stupidity of voting that has nothing to do with policy or politics. Oh, no. See, Joel’s a Hollywood Insider, so he reframes everything from the entertainment angle. See? Isn’t he clever? Isn’t he a funny, New Yorker sophisticate showing all us California rubes how dumb we are? Ha?

Well, those who can get their shows on air. Those who can’t bullshit their way into weekly gigs on a page that, once upon a time, was supposed to shape the city’s opinion. Not anymore. Fuck you, Joel Stein. Fuck you Tribune Media. And fuck you, LA Times. Cancelling our subscription’s gonna feel so good.

Filed under: Spleen Venting