Low point of the day: Smarmy Campus Bureaucrat Dude entered my apartment without knocking. Since the house was rather hot (we’re still working on getting the hang of the ondol controls here, which are old-fashioned valves instead of digital controls like modern apartments have), I was at my computer in boxers and a t-shirt, typing away, while Lime was sprawled asleep on the bedroom floor. Smarmy Campus Bureaucrat Dude didn’t even think to apologize for coming in without knocking until I pulled some clothes on and told him it was unacceptable to enter people’s homes without at least knocking or …
Month: December 2008
Our Beanbag Chairs
When we were downstairs, in our old place, we found ourself saddled with what I think of as the “furnished Korean apartment couch.” That is, it’s the last sort of couch anybody would ever actually buy for his or her own home, but since it’s the cheapest couch around that isn’t embarrassingly horrible, it’s also the couch you see in every “furnished” apartment. That is to say, the couch you see in almost every foreign English teacher’s apartment in Korea. Which is to say, if you’ve lived here, you’ve found yourself upon this couch at some point. It’s upholstered in …
Trolls, Net Morality, and Types of Societies
So I just finished writing the latest installment for my column XY for the current issue of Cahoots magazine — it’s not up yet, but I’ll link it when it is. The column is a kind of amateur explanation of the implications of sociobiology, by a non-specialist, which means, er, well, thin ice and all that. Yet surely nobody would disagree with this month’s premise, inspired (if the word can be used) by a recent nasty experience here on my own site, which is basically that when it comes to dysfunctional behaviour online, men run amok digitally in very different …
Purty Good Day…
Why? Some much-needed documents are on their way here. I received my copy of Interzone 219, with some very fine art illustrating it., and a cheque for my story, too. My students in one class — the graphic novel class — volunteered to work during the first week or so of post-semester break, in order to do a good job finishing up their project, rather than rush through and do a so-so job before exams. I was quite stunned. They jokingly asked for extra credit, but the best I can do is give them a pizza party or take them …
Optimism, Anyone?
Jetse de Vries is looking for a little optimism to include in his upcoming Shine anthology of optimistic, relevant, smart, near-future SF. If you have a story that grapples with the problems that face our planet, and that shows how things could indeed improve, then send that puppy straight to him. Or write one now — the deadline’s still half a year away!
Writer Career Path Meme
Pro-writer career path meme via Vylar Kaftan. (Note: “Pro” here I’m just defining as SFWA pro, or, well, someone who sells stuff to pro markets. I’m not a pro in the sense of not having a day job. Lots of writers aren’t, but non-writers may or may not assume this. So when we say pro, it doesn’t always mean full-time.) Current Status as of now: 4 stories in circulation (I’ve been pretty busy, so this is slumpy) many stories awaiting rewrite 1 or 2 stories waiting for particular markets to open up not sure how many stories completed but trunked …
Pleased!
“Cai and Her Ten Thousand Husbands” has been accepted for publication by Apex Magazine. Which is online, so I’ll be able to link it from here when it ends up in print pixels! I’m quite pleased to have found a home for this one.