Footprints in Digital Sand

This is refreshing: Almost everything about me on the web is wrong.

Blood Lite 3: Aftertaste

Well, Blood Lite 3: Aftertaste, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, has come out. Eleven pages of it are graffitied by me. But just in case you don't think that's enough to squander your shekels, there's a new Harry Dresden story by Jim Butcher; a story by the king of all horror comedy, Jeff Strand; something by the person who has too many awards but deserves more, Lisa Morton.

Check out how some of the authors answered four essay questions here: http://www.dlsnell.com/#feature-18

I am a-flutter being amongst these giants. Even though my story is the funniest*.

*this claim is roughly equivalent to nutrition statements on Twinkies.

The Liberty Scam from Slate, June 2011

I'm not entirely happy with my last post, and now I've found a long article from Slate that explains a little better what I was trying to get at. The Liberty Scam by Stephen Metcalf. If you've got the time, there's a nice slam of Ron Paul's anarchic form of Libertarianism What is Austrian Ecomomics? also on Slate.

Two types of liberty

Part of freedom is responsibility, and I think there's a large segment of the country forgetting that. I split the libertarian people of the US into two camps: 1) those who understand that their freedom depends on their responsibility towards others with a a reciprocal responsibility from others. By being socially responsible, we protect each others' freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And the other kind are 2) the ones who don't give a damn.

Dumb Things I Wonder About (an ongoing series)

When I read a book that is the same old thing as the last book I read, I wish there was a better term for it than "novel".

Rep. Allen West announces even more subversives in congress.

After US Representative Allen West claimed 78-81 members of Congress were in the Communist Party, his spokesperson clarified his remarks. "He also thinks there are 12 vegans, 47 tree-huggers, and 3 that shop at K-Mart." Rep. West has had quite a bit of trouble over his bomb-throwing remarks in the past. After declaring at a rally in Fort Walton Beach, Florida that he was no longer black, several members of the Congressional Black Caucus commented that the African-American community had long ago kicked him out, but had kept the information quiet out of respect for his family.

Fellow Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) commented that at this point she wants to join the Communist Party just to wave the card in his face and watch his head explode. "Though he falsely claims he was a demolitions expert, it is true that his entire brain can be considered a hurt locker."

A poll in Rep West's district found 40% support for him, against 60% who want whatever medication the first 40 are taking.

World Horror 2012 - the aftermath

There are times in one's life where almost everything goes right. It seems that last weekend the laws of probability decided it was going to happen to a whole bunch of people at once. I'm pretty good with words, but I can't quite get it down. I do know that I heard person after person say that this was the best con they've ever been to. I also know that I'm one of those. Were I to even thank the individual people who made it a great time for me, the number would go way past thirty, and I'm sure I'd leave people out. Besides, you don't want to read about how Norm Rubenstein, Steven Booth, Leya Booth of Genius Publishing were the first people ever to make me feel comfortable in my own writer's skin rather than having to steal someone else's. Or how Brian Knight became my biggest advocate almost immediately upon meeting him. I'd be boring Hell out of you if I mentioned Chris Payne, Brad Carpenter, and Brett Talley of JournalStone taking me under their wings and giving me some good lessons on how to talk to editors, plus actually asking my advice on a cover design. I'll be damned by you all if I have to talk about how Gabrielle Faust actually knocked through a long-running brick wall in a novel I couldn't finish, or how Don D'Auria of Samhain went through the rest of the novel with me. Plus there's Martel Sardina, my new friend. Uh, oh, they're playing me off, so... J. Skipp, J. Strand, D. Fitzgerald, J. Wagner, N. Grabowski, A.L. McCoy, you were all great. M. Marano, M. Rowe, I miss you when we can't talk. ROCKY WOOD FOREVER!!!