Peer-to-peer is legal!

Well, it is in The Netherlands anyway...
(Scroll down for the English version.)

Dean koontz book updates

Today I've added to completely new entries thanks to Alan Clark. The first is an essay titled "Situation Critical" published in Writer's Yearbook 85. The second is an untitled essay published as a guest editorial in the June 1990 issue of Afraid: The Newsletter for the Horror Professional. (This one is interesting as Dean calls for the disolving of the Stoker awards due to horror authors being way to whiny and self-absorbed.) I've also added a bunch of new reveiws for Every Day's a Holiday, Paper Doorway, One Door Away From Heaven, and Odd Thomas. Lastly I've filled in informaiton on the unpublished books Storm Front and Cold Terror.

Oh, and here's a quote from "Situation Critical" for those of you interested in Dean's writing about vampires.

"Now, Mr. King published Carrie, his first book, in 1975, by which time I had at least 25 novels already in print, several of which dealt with vampires, werewolves, and things that go bump in the night."

Big sales

Here's some more spam fun. According to these subject lines for messages that were advertising the exact same product, in the exact same way, they're selling about 61,390,006 units a minute.

Airport Secutiry

MSNBC has made this test available. You have two minutes. Can you find the threats as a baggage screener?

Tension sheet

Virtual Bubblewrap
Thanks Louise!

Dean koontz book update

I've started receiving information from my "information needed" list from a few select individuals. I've also updated the list so check it out if you haven't recently.

Don't trust the librarian

First they want to have the librarians controll all access to the net. So finally we make some decisions and then get burned for it. According to this article from Click2Houston.com the mayor of Huston has ordered that a link to Go Ask Alice on the library's site be removed. Now he's going to "have a task force investigate all of the links on the library's Web site." I wonder if any librarians will be on this taskforce.

Somewhat hypocritical

Check out who sent this cigarette spam...

New design

I've redesigned the The Greece Historical Society & Museum site. Check it out.

More spam text

Here's another bit of text form the bottom of a piece of spam. This one in regards to a mortgage.

disaccharide bounce nestle cantilever divestiture zing group inflationary bemadden peritectic bogey solitary occult assemblage guy radiocarbon lovelace durkee zoroaster erodible ineluctable bosom detestation centroid jacob cofactor duck armenia nsf contusion standoff nevins tannin carlin decry constrict milt crone emolument lens polymorphic border monel bugaboo debit tuple polyphemus bullseye crankshaft noble kinglet chantey gullah kidnap aback concede than bing vis womb chemise cross persist nomograph parliamentary elysian van dish umbilici pantheism afield spent vacationland evensong element mediate decontrolling coercive coralline aida debase vladimir axisymmetric aquila longevity grosbeak mercuric scud erode they'll sandy sibilant bluejacket mn deprecate ashamed caldwell educable downs coast blackjack selena thundershower emblematic counterman glendale dealt apocalypse basemen mickey kraut tudor auk counteract bronchus hypothalamic gifford backfill antebellum influenza regretful defocus convict tacoma chantilly permanent mailman andre eliminate censure della practice conrail porosity potpourri winemake binge kingsley nostrand cumbersome poncho onetime armful acrobacy dyne acceptor diet furnace atropos americium integrand homozygous eyesore joss onondaga springfield linear foothill blackboard butte constitution granary hazardous homeostasis drowse coronate reel baird chin shook disjunct abovementioned jugate mar accept alias ellen improvident distraught comparator demure antonym wilkinson charleston bravura alberich anteroom canvasback cucumber coma covariate fore dawson lunary keyword audacity fascinate piracy wharton strike scrupulosity diophantine demitted alumnae dyspeptic bangladesh lingerie bilge annals anastigmat calfskin particulate moreland sumerian cardiod confessor adiabatic sleet deniable discriminable whether youthful whether breadfruit forgetful spill cathodic mantis stillbirth flirtation dearth horror plaster fray anarch flashlight peck propeller christianson coltsfoot droplet consternate jail chomp respect cowpunch headsmen velasquez antagonist cornea docile dragonhead dogging idol bookshelves precinct meg committal dinah alai quixote epstein many transcription crucifix evolution phosphorylate ostracod clothesline amen olefin intrepid borrow conscious discern signboard prudential convention induce stencil bedroom ductwork soil finnegan tube cobb jimmy coequal bolshoi cud progression crest artifice optima cellulose martingale pascal coronet tactful cuttlebone corrupt courtesy gaston haze debbie remit notary eyelid marry rand madeleine apollo easy tacitus alumni bellman crosscut frescoes kite alderman causate parquet optoacoustic preview breakaway benefit aroma donkey playroom widget illinois demur hal hanoverian leopard avenue rejoice jehovah badminton tory shrive economic bevel porch snark courtyard bough beatify ham stamen crosslink group heterozygous medallion brilliant debutante oneself troop sunbeam advise wrinkle beatnik quiet shagging cairo include occident furrow copyright ingrate cubic cookbook valery georgia seater blue duquesne trailhead hudson delilah dump popcorn spade epicycle panjandrum

An alternate view

In the interest of presenting both sides I give you the following: Why I hate 'The Lord of the Rings' by Larry Terenzi

Spam text

Found at the bottom of a spam I received today. If it has meaning I don't get it.

snowfall peddler pilings wallows appalling RzneXzfnhrefRzneXjrocna.pbzRzneX branching solenoid cage stored indicator altair knee trends irene invertebrates calibration caves researches counsellor lien

I'm not trying to keep it from the kids. i'm trying to keep it from everyone!

The Weld Library District out here in Colorado is deciding to keep It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex & Sexual Health on the shelf. According to this Greeley Tribune article, a picket of two may be forthcoming. Here are my favorite quotes from the article:

"They pick up a book like this and their sexual curiosity is awakened. Their passions are aroused," McAllister said.

"The Rev. Ray Grant said the book - which broaches topics such as sexual abuse, sexually transmitted disease, homosexuality and abortion - is unsuitable for children and even most adults."

"Children's curiosity about sex should be satisfied only after marriage, and if they are afraid of sexually transmitted disease, "let them abstain," Grant said."

Luckily, the library board is holding thier ground.

Out of print

According to Amazon.com XHTML Essentials has gone out of print. I'd rather have heard of this from my publisher... (Good thing I've been buying up the cheap used copies via Amazon.com.)

Dean koontz book update

I've just added new listings for the BCE of Odd Thomas, the essay "Where There's a Will", and The Book of Counted Joys. I've also scanned in about a dozen new items and have two new helpers how are working on filling in some holes. As soon as that info arrives it will be promptly added and posted here.

P.S. I'll be on vacation from 12.20 through 01.05 so nothing will be happening on the DK book front during that time. I'll be focusing on trying to finish my latest book on XHTML/CSS which doen't involve needing a collection of 1000 titles at hand. (Kinda makes it hard to work on the Koontz book while not at home...)

On writing

"Yo, I'm astounded by people who take 18 years to write something. That's how long it took that guy to write Madame Bovary. And was that even on the bestseller list? No. It was a lousy book, and it made a lousy movie."
— Sylvested Stallone on having taken just three days to write the script for Rocky

Web-slingin' fun

The trailer for the next Spider-Man movie is now available.

What a mess

Memo to self. Don't try to cook dinner and bake cookies at the same time. It leaves a heck of a mess when you're done.

She's a librarian

The New Jersey State Library has a new video out promoting libraries. Of course, all of the librarians are women.

Guru

It seems that someone thinks I'm an "Internet guru". (scroll way down) Next people will be calling me an 'expert'.

Missing

"I've been missing you for years; I didn't want to miss you tonight."
— M.J. Rose, In Fidelity

You're not here to save anyone...

"You still can't solve her problems for her. You can only show her the way and be there for her if she gets lost."
— M.J. Rose, In Fidelity

Thinking of someone

What are you doing here?
What do you want?
Is it music?
We can play music.
But you want more.
You want sometimg & someone new.
Am I right?
Of course I am.
I know what you want.
You want excasty.
Desire & dreams.
Things not exactly what they seem.
I lead you this way, he pulls that way.
I'm not singing to an imaginary girl.
I'm talking to you, my self.
Lets' recreate the world.
The palace of conception is burning.

Look. See it burn.
Bask in the warm hot coals.

You're too young to be old.
You don't need to be told.
You want to see things as they are.
You know exactly what I do.
Everything.

— Jim Morrison

R.i.p. slide projectors

In something reminicient of by father showing vacation slides... Wait, he subjected the family to that two weeks ago. But I digress... Kodak has announced that they will stop making and selling slide projectors by June 2004.

Makes me rethink those copies i've given to my folks...

According to this wire report from the BBC, Peter Rowling, (J.K.'s dad,) is selling off his collection of signed first editions. No one is sure why.

Koontz book update

I spoke with Rich Chizmar on the phone today and things are progressing nicely. On the big issue of setting the record straight on seeming contradictions on the part of Dean I'll be drafting a letter to him in the next few weeks and including all of my "evidence". This package will go to Dean in January and I'll hear back from him when I hear back from him.

Meanwhile I've included all four editions of Odd Thomas which came out today in the manuscript. (I'll leave it to you to ponder "four editions?")

Rumsfeld goes high tech

"This is fantastic! I've got a laser pointer. Holy mackerel! Man—that—that's terrific."
— Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 27 November 2001

Jessamyn speaks!

"Personally, I feel like it's like the medical profession where they say 'first do no harm' I think in libraries it's 'first don't scare off the patrons'".
— An Interview with Jessamyn West, by Michael Farrelly

RE: google politics

Here's an explaination on how a Google search for "misserable failure" sends you to Shrub's bio.

G.I. joke

Just in time for Christmas — the rereleased George W. Bush action figure.

Good vs. evil

Here's a site in which you can see just how evil your Web page is.

Dean koontz book update

I just received my copy of the Holidays 2003 issue of Dean's newsletter "Usless News". Before I even read it I got an e-mail from my friend Noah who's been helping me out a lot with the book. (Filling in some holes and proofreading.) But anyway, here's something interesting that he noticed and I confirmed. Read these two excerpts from Dean and see what you think. This will show you one of the main reason's the book is so late. (I am refraining from commenting on the actual repurcussions of this which I think you'll be able to see for yourselves.)

"MIDNIGHT isn't a vampire novel. Vampires do not appear in any of my novels. I have never written about a vampire in either antique or modern dress, nor in pajama's for that matter."
— From an afterword to Midnight (Berkley, 2004) as printed in Useless News, Holidays 2004

"Slavek appeared to shrivel a bit and looked guiltily away from the crucifix. He said, "I was Jewish before I was a vampire. There's no reason for that device to thwart me."
— The Haunted Earth by Dean Koontz, page 14, paragraph 2, Lancer Books, 1973.

Speaking of elves

Get out hour holiday frustration buy torturing some elves. (Very slow to load if you're on dialup.)
Thanks Laura!

Oh, the elfinity

Something about a Lord of the Rings Barbie and Ken makes me think we've finally reached merchandising Hell.

Battle Royale

It looks like the Alien vs. Predator is finally on its way!

Dean koontz book update

I'm still having a significant amount of trouble getting ahold of Rich Chizmar at Cemetery Dance. If anyone talks to him, tell him to give me a call.

Otherwise, I've added a bunch of new items including the trade paperback edition of The Science of Superheroes, Great Escapes, Love Heels, and the interview in the December 2003 issue of The Writer.

Web design book update

The past week-and-a-half I was back home in Greece, NY and got a significant amount of writing done on my XHTML & CSS book. (As yet untitled.) Five full chapters have been written (to first draft stage anyway) which puts it at about 25% complete.

Secret Amazon customer service phone number revealed . . .

As a recent exchange between novelist Amy Gutman and the customer service department at Amazon.com shows, there are few more frustrating experiences than trying to have a straightforward exchange with someone at Amazon. As Timothy Noah points out in his Chatterbox column for Slate, it gets even more frustrating if you try to conduct the exchange via telephone, because you won't be able to find the telephone number for Amazon. "That isn't because Amazon lacks a customer service number," says Noah. "Rather, it's because Amazon doesn't want you to find it." As he notes, "the only Amazon page that gives out its customer service number is the one you're sent to after you've bought something. So if you're having trouble with an order or purchase and need to speak to an Amazon customer service rep about it, the only way you can do so is by placing a second Amazon order. Neat, huh?" However, Noah offers another way: "You can come here! Chatterbox is pleased to announce that the customer service line for Amazon.com is: 1-800-201-7575." Says Noah, "Tell 'em Chatterbox sent ya!"
Courtsey of MOBYlives

Google politics

Check out the first result for the search "misserable failure" in Google.

What is a liberal?

"What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label 'Liberal?' If by 'Liberal' they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer’s dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of 'Liberal.' But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal,' then I’m proud to say I’m a 'Liberal.'"
— John Fitzgerald Kennedy accepting the New York Liberal Party Nomination, September 14, 1960