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Sham Rocks
995 7th St W
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 228-9925
for those interested in attending. To top off the loveliness, the show starts at 6. 6pm to 10pm. So I shall be fighting rush hour traffic to play Sham Rocks.
Other upcoming events I will be attending include Boskone, the first SF convention I ever attended. Probably be doing some panels and playing some music, and if I'm not too much of a bonehead to remember them, selling some CDs.
2 of the other classes were just as stupid as the Vista one, but the Programming and Design class was quite interesting, introducing me to Object-Oriented programming concepts and allowing me to begin studying JavaScript on my own with some success. If I hadn't been stuck doing idiotic busywork for my other three classes (crosswords, online flash cards, and God help me, ten percent of my grade for printing out work that had already been turned in and graded and arranging it neatly in a fucking binder) I'm sure I could have gotten an A.
Though these classes complete my prereqs for Information Technology, I will most likely be shifting a bit more toward web design and graphic design, and just take a language or two in the ITEC dept. I'm also taking a much lighter load of 2 classes this semester, as my other work really fell behind.
So, like, hii everybody!
Dear Al Franken Campaign,
Please stop apologizing and going on the defensive. Every time you apologize you validate Norm Coleman's position, and give his ads credit. How about this instead:
"Yes, I hate those right-wing motherfuckers. Shouldn't you? Since they came to power we've had constant war, economic collapse, the biggest terrorist attack on American soil since the Brits torched the White House, and a complete degradation of the environment, the constitution, our world reputation, and our civil rights.So, yeah, I hate those right-wing motherfuckers, and so should you.
I'm Al Franken, and I approved this message because I hate those right-wing motherfuckers."
Adam "I hate'em, too" Stemple- Mood:
cranky
<<<
As the Republican party allies itself with the religious right and the creationists, I must insist that they are, in fact, stupid. If a person believes the world is 4,000 years old, that person is a fucking idiot.
I have no problem with religion (ok, I have lots of problems with it, but I won't go into them here). The belief in a higher power can be a great comfort at times. It does not, however, bestow moral superiority on the believer. My father was a complete atheist. He believed people were a gene's way of reproducing, nothing more. He was also one of the most moral men I have ever known. He did the right thing not from a fear of Hell or a promise of Heaven, but because it was the right thing to do. Compare that to all the chickenhawk priests and prostitute-banging evangelists and talk to me again about "Christian values."
And friggin' face it: believing that the bible is to be taken literally is...what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah: stupid. The bible is metaphorical. It's apocryphal. It's a pretty poorly written, cobbled together bunch of tracts, most of which were added or shaped for political gain.
Politics hasn't changed much, and it has always used religion as a tool. And vice versa, of course.
Now Jesus, by all accounts, had a very nice message: Love your neighbor, do unto others, all that. All good ideas. Go with that you evil right-wing cocksuckers (and don't take that the wrong way--what you do in the privacy of International airport bathroom stalls is your own business) instead of trying to jam abstinence only, intelligent design, and the sanctity of marriage down the throats of those of us (ok, maybe not me--but I'm kind of an asshole) who are trying to actually follow the tenets of tolerance, love, and peace that every religion espouses. (Well, most religions. Damn you Thuggees!)
Anyway, as to "widening the split." Personally, I'd like it to widen to the point that all the idiots (and yes, they're idiots, don't make me explain again) leave the country. Or move to Idaho. It's roughly the same thing.
>>>
So, there it was. Comments and flames are welcome. But you have to admit, the only real cheap shot was against Idaho. I'd apologize but I don't think anyone there can read. Crap, I did it again, didn't I? Sorry, Idaho! I love your potatoes!
- Mood: irritated
When did I last update? 1989? *sigh* Anyway, been real busy. Just got done with Minicon and the Public Library Conference. Panels went well at both. Had multiple panels with Lois Bujold and Caroline Stevermyer, which were wonderful. I announced to the PLA audience, "In case you hadn't noticed, Lois is really, really smart." Finally got to meet Pete Hautmann, a poker playing novelist who I've been corresponding with for some time now, and who I also sold a short story to for the anthology, Full House. He was as erudite, intelligent, and personable in real life as he is in letters. Funny as Hell, too. He and his oft-times collaborator, Mary Hogue, were on the PLA panel with Lois, Caroline, and me and it went absolutely swimmingly.
The swag collecting in the exhibitors hall went even better. Got a YA book with a protagonist named Alison (with one L) just like my 9-year old daughter. When my wife asked what it was about, I said, "Who cares? It's Alison with one L. She's going to love it!" Scored some ARC's, a couple of wooden planes, multiple kid's magazine samples, chocolate, lollipops, posters...good stuff. The children were pleased.
The MInicon panels I ended up on were diverse and lively. Two literature ones and two songwriting ones. I didn't play much music at this year's Minicon--too burnt out from St. Pat's and the flu--but it was nice to talk about it for a bit. And it was especially good to discuss the diverse processes of songwriting and jamming with musicians I respect. The literature panels had my Mom on the panel for one and in the audience for another, and I must say I took delight in satage whispering to the moderator, "Don't call on my mother!" But the main point of the panels was lively discussion with smart people about a process I adore. Good times.
I had a good time at the LJ party, especially teasing Laurel about stealing her one-laptop-per-child laptop from some poor starving African child. After geeking out there, I tried to go play cards to gain some of my cool back. But there was no poker being spread so I ended up playing "Wizard" with Karen and Martin and others. Not sure if that did much to restore my cool (what there is left of it, as I'm already fat and bald and I turn forty in a month) but I sure had fun. And despite never having played the game before ,I managed a first place tie to maintain my pro card player street cred.
I've given verbal assent to go to DemiCon, so I gotta book a room. I'll post my schedule here (if I remember :P) when I know it. With my new book out---ack, did I forget to mention that! Steward of Song, the sequel to Singer of Souls, out now at all your best booksellers--I'm going to try to hit a few more cons this year. Demicon, Convergence, maybe some of the Chicago ones and possibly Wiscon, plus I'm definitely going to WorldCon in Denver in August. Should be fun.
Once again, my ADD (undiagnosed, as of yet, but I'm getting pretty sure I have it, in the middle of testing for it at the Center for Adult Learning and Memory) has prevented me from getting any of my picture poems printed up and framed to hang in the art show. I'm planning on having them for Convergence now. Updates will follow on that front.
Hope to see everyone there! Also, I'm playing Blarney's Friday after my 8:30 panel, an Irish Pub in Dinkytown if anyone wants to come out to hear me and Johnny and perhaps have a piece of carrot cake as big as their frigging head.
