"Alabama" is a four-letter word.

[greygirlbeast]

Sorry about there being no entry yesterday. It was that sort of a day. I spent the better part of it reading comic books. Sometimes, it still weirds me out that a legitimate part of my work is reading comic books. Anyway, there was also another Hollywood nibble yesterday. I've quickly gotten sort of oh-yeah-whatever about the movie thing. Someday it will happen. Or it won't. We'll see. I don't break out the champagne anymore when a producer or studio calls my film agent.

Most of you probably know by now about the anti-gay legislation that has been proposed by Rep. Gerald Allen of (deep breath) the Great State of Alabama (exhale). Allen wants a ban imposed that would forbid all Alabama public libraries, schools, and state universities from using books which "foster" homosexuality; that is, all literature, film, plays, science textbooks, etc. which present gays and lesbians in something other than a negative light. According to the Birmingham News, "Allen said that if his bill passes, novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed." Okay. Don't think this one has any chance in heck of becoming law? You should remember, the average IQ in Alabama is only 90 (I'm not making that up), and a lot of people there are still pissed about that whole forced-integration thing (I'm not making that up, either). I, for one, would not be the least bit surprised were such a law to become reality. Having grown up in Alabama, having grown up queer in Alabama, and having, inexplicably, spent the better part of my life there, it seems all too possible to me. Even with a handicap like that double-digit IQ buisness dragging them down, there are a few things which most Alabamians do very well: hate, football, barbeque, football, deer hunting, football, and hate. In that order.

Of course, taking punches at Alabama is sort of like kicking a dead dog. The dog is beyond caring, and all that comes of it is you get your shoes dirty.

(pause for effect)

Dial-up frelling sucks. And I'm stuck with it until January 6th when the DSL fairy comes back. Everything I do online seems to be taking me at least three times as long as usual.

My thanks to bev_vincent, who said kind things in his blog about Murder of Angels, and my thanks to docbrite for pointing Bev's comments out to me. I'm especially pleased when people say that they've read MoA before Silk and not sensed that they were missing anything. I've worked very hard to write books that are interconnected and yet stand entirely on their own.

Speaking of Silk, it has been given an unexpected, two-month reprieve from the jaws of remaindering. I learned day before yesterday that Penguin won't be pulling the plug until February 1, 2005. Small victories.

As promised, we're beginning a new round of eBay auctions (hampered, of course, by dial-up). We're starting off with copies of The Five of Cups beginning at only $20. Use "Buy It Now" and get a free Nyarlathotep CD, Their Thoughts Make Spirals In Our World, and a monster doodle by yours truly. This time, though, monster doodles will be limited strictly, one per person. I don't have time to do more.

Is that all for today? I think so. Except that I did want to point out that my last entry, the one about Giordano Bruno and extraterrestrial life and no one human being special, about Homo sapiens not being anything special, that was most emphatically not intended as a nihilistic statement. I hate being taken for a nihilist. My claim is not that life is meaningless, but that the greater meaning lies in the whole rather than with the individual parts of this cosmos. Because a thing is transient, that doesn't mean it is without meaning. I'm saying look at the big picture, the bigger the better, and maybe the human race can at least delay the gravity of its own inevitable demise.

Comments

[wishlish.livejournal.com]

You know, this post made me realize you might have a Southern accent. Having never heard your speaking voice and using some sort of template in my head that didn't have such an accent, this entry becamse harder to read than most.

I'm from Jersey, but have repeatedly been told that I don't speak with a pronounced Jersey accent.

One day, all of this will pass. Conservatives will soon realize the Great W is screwing them, too. Normally, conservatives pride themselves on their beliefs about states rights and smaller government, but under Bush, states rights have shrunk while government has ballooned. When that happens, everyone associated with that administration will be tainted, and the cycle will begin anew. (At least I hope so.)

Hey- out of curiosity, what comics did you read?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Having never heard your speaking voice and using some sort of template in my head that didn't have such an accent, this entry becamse harder to read than most.

It's a nice cover for my natural Nebari accent.

Hey- out of curiosity, what comics did you read?

That's a secret, for now.

[grandmofhelsing.livejournal.com]

the average IQ in Alabama is only 90 (I'm not making that up)

You're not, but your source was.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

You're not, but your source was.

Always, I'm the last to know.

Or care.

[loli-tschai.livejournal.com]

Hope you don't mind, but I cited this post in my own LJ today. :)

(Blame scarletboi and memkhet... They pointed me in your LJ's direction in the first place. ;)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Hope you don't mind, but I cited this post in my own LJ today.

I don't mind at all.

[kennydoogs.livejournal.com]

Cailtin, I emailed the link about that bigot to you yesterday (zombie9577) sorry if it got ya down....but I needed someone to share my outrage with. Although I am not "queer", I always feel empathy towards those who are discriminated against by self-righteous zealouts.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Cailtin, I emailed the link about that bigot to you yesterday (zombie9577) sorry if it got ya down...

No need to worry. I've been bombarded with this story for the past two days.

The amazing thing about blogging

[bev-vincent.livejournal.com]

One never knows where one's comments are going to end up. Thanks to docbrite for passing them along; I intended to piggyback something on one of your entries the other day, but the server bearing your LJ was undergoing renovations, so I couldn't.

The great thing about giveaways at conferences is that they thrust into your hands books you might have otherwise missed. After seeing you on panels at World Horror Cons in the past (we shared one of Beth Gwynn's photos of the International Horror Guild winners because I stood in for Rich Chizmar, and since no one has ever seen the guy, who'd know any differently?) I always intended to pick up one of your books, but never managed to do so. When I stumble across a really good book like Murder of Angels, I immediately want to go out and tell everyone about it.

Re: The amazing thing about blogging

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

The great thing about giveaways at conferences is that they thrust into your hands books you might have otherwise missed.

I didn't even know that Penguin had done that with the bags at WF until someone at Fiddler's Green told me a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks again!

[mthomas1975.livejournal.com]

I live in Kentucky and things are pretty much the same way here. Why do people have to be so homophobic? I just don't understand.

I am currently taking a Sci-Fi/Fantasy course in college and am doing a paper on Silk. One of the main reasons for choosing Silk is because I have already read the book but wanted to read it again before starting Murder of Angels. Out of curiosity, does it make you feel proud to know that some of us enjoy your work so much that we are willing to write an 8 - 10 page paper about one of your books? Just thought I'd ask.

Looking forward to the end of the semester so that I can get started on Murder of Angels.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Why do people have to be so homophobic?

See my entry from Wednesday.

Out of curiosity, does it make you feel proud to know that some of us enjoy your work so much that we are willing to write an 8 - 10 page paper about one of your books?

Yes, as a matter of fact, it does.

[glasscut.livejournal.com]

Thanks for putting up "The Five of Cups", my girlfriend just forwarded me an e-mail telling me she bought it for me. :)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Thanks for putting up "The Five of Cups"

You're welcome, and thanks for buying it.

[mellawyrden.livejournal.com]

Because a thing is transient, that doesn't mean it is without meaning.

Often the transience is a crucial part of its meaning.

I missed Wednesday's blog. Off to read it..

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Often the transience is a crucial part of its meaning.

Yes, thank you. I think a lot of people often assume the opposite, that a thing can only be meaningful if it's eternal.

Of course, there's the issue of defining exactly what we mean by "meaningful," but I despise tedium and will assume we mean roughly the same thing.

[forgottenbelief.livejournal.com]

Alright. That's it. I was unhappy with the outcome of the election, and I was incredibly dismayed and hurt by all the 'marriage protection' amendments that passed in the states. However, I was still willing to stay here and work it out. Change takes time. Civil rights, as it has been demonstrated over and over again, take time to obtain and ensure.

However, if states start passing laws restricting my ability to obtain the fucking BOOKS I want to read, I'm so heading north

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

However, if states start passing laws restricting my ability to obtain the fucking BOOKS I want to read, I'm so heading north.

Where you will be safe (though cold) until the U.S., under Pres. Jeb, declares Canada a threat to national security and invades in 2010.

[oxygenhigh.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that someday, our country will look back at this time and feel embarassed and ashamed that the government was allowed to treat people like this. They'll apologize to everyone whose life was effectively destroyed by the hate and bigotry. But it will be too late...

Someday, "queers" will be looked at like martyrs. But I don't want to be a martyr; I just want to live my life the way I want, now, and love who I love.

As someone once famously said, "Stop the world, I want off."

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

They'll apologize to everyone whose life was effectively destroyed by the hate and bigotry. But it will be too late...

Humanity seems to be good at that.

Someday, "queers" will be looked at like martyrs. But I don't want to be a martyr; I just want to live my life the way I want, now, and love who I love.

Indeed. Problem is, the people doing the persecuting, a lot of them do want to be martyrs, and they can't be unless there are villians.