lagilman | Entries tagged with psa

A plea for those without LJ accounts:

Please remember that this LJ is, among other things, a virtual conversation-pit. Would you walk into a room and start talking to people without introducing yourself first? You would? Somewhere your grandmother is crying at your lack of manners. Okay, MY grandmother is crying. You don't want to make my grandmother cry, do you?

Please, if you're not LJ-enabled, or using another format that shows your identity -- SIGN YOUR POSTS.

Come on, folk. I know you can do that. You type everything else, how hard is it to add your name/nickname/LJ-use handle?

/cranky.

As though to make up for me being so tired I can barely move, the felines are being Disgustingly Cute and Affectionate. Also, you've really never felt feline love until you've been head-bumped and body-checked by a 20-pound ~~lion~~ housecat with delusions of being pride alpha....

Right. *shoves cat off desk* Back to work...

Current Mood: busy

I see we've had an influx of folk in the past week or so. Be welcome! Bar's to the left, hot tub's to the right, and mind the gators!*

This is, as you may already have gathered, an interactive toy. Lurkers welcome, but participation adds to the fun. Just check out suri's laws in the profile sheet [they're quick, basic, and common-sensical] and jump right in! Self-introductions always welcome, although not required.

Also, occasionally I will declare an Open Thread. That means the space is yours to do with as you will -- ask questions, make suggestions, tell rude jokes or bad puns, or even redecorate. Just play well with the others, and pick up after yourselves when you're done.

Oh, and a special because-I-can shoutout to

taikyoyo! (

otterdance,

taikyoyo.

taikyoyo?

otterdance. You might have stuff to converse about, methinks.)

*old, old, old joke from the Genie days. Just nod your head and humor the old-timers.

Current Mood: cheerful

I have too much Stuff in my brain. Is crowded. Must write something down soon or may go splooey. Also? Laying out maps on the floor when you have cats? Just asking for trouble. *facepalms* and *tail-swats*

But that's not the reason for this post. The reason for this post is as follows.
------
This week, a call for submissions in a SFWA-sponsored contest was posted on Craigslist and FLiXER, promising large cash prizes and publication. Writers take warning: this contest is a fake.

Here's the pitch:
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. is currently accepting science fiction story submissions of no more than 3000 words. All genres of science fiction accepted. Winners will get published in a Random House book titled "Asimovs of the Future." The cash prizes for winners are as follows:

1st Place: $10,000
2nd Place: $5,000
3rd Place: $2,000
10 Honorary Mentions: $1000

All winners and honorary mentions will get published. A percentage of the royalties for the book will also be included as part of the prize. The exact percentage has yet to be determined. A check for $10 must accompany each entry, made out to "Science Fiction Writers of America." The mailing address is a "submissions center" in San Diego.

I can only imagine the number of hopeful writers who will be enticed by the SFWA name, not to mention the promise of enormous prizes plus a commercial publishing credit. Once again, however: this contest is a fake. I've confirmed this with SFWA's president, Michael Capobianco, but to anyone who's familiar with SFWA, the bogusness is obvious. SFWA does not conduct writing contests (and if it did, why would it advertise them on Craigslist, rather than on its own website?). It has no San Diego address. Its publisher is Penguin, not Random House.

Presumably, the contest is an entry fee scam--though for a scam, $10 seems a little unambitious. One also wonders how whoever is behind the scam plans to cash checks made out to SFWA.

SFWA is investigating. In the meantime, if you've entered this contest, please contact Writer Beware immediately.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2008/06/victoria-strauss-fake-contest-alert.html
-----------
we now return you to your regularly-scheduled Monday.

Current Mood: busy

Barry Hughart's The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox.

Some of you are nodding wisely. You, I'm not talking to. You already know.

The rest of you. Pay attention.

If you don't already own this book *suri hugs her own now-OP omnibus copy* you really really should. And you should read it once a year, religiously, over a long weekend with the phone turned off and a glass of sake (or tea) at your elbow, and, and...

Okay. You should own it. And now you can!

Where and When to Buy

Seriously. When was the last time you heard me squee over a book? (I was right then, too.)

Current Mood: happy

I really hate having Other Obligations when I'm in the grip of a book. Having to stop before I run out of words...irritates me. But off to a full day at Lunacon I go. If you're there, stop by the reading at 6pm, and make me feel loved! *grin*

And for those of you writer-folk under 30....

from GalleyCat:

A few weeks back, PW ran a short item about the Dylan Thomas Prize, a £60,000 prize for "the best young writer in the world," at least the one who's writing in English. And it included a quote from one of the prize board members indicating that "we haven't gotten as many entries from America as we'd like." And apparently that's still the case.

So: If you're between the ages of 18 and 30, and you published a novel, a collection of short stories, or a book of poetry, or you got hired to write a TV or radio script, or you wrote a play for the theatre, any time after April 2006, tell your publisher to cough up £100 and submit you for consideration already! (Personally, I'd consider the possibility that the best young writer in the world might be giving it away on a blog, but it's their prize, not mine.) Heck, this is probably a bigger windfall for American writers than it will be for anyone else—when the PW item ran, the Prize was worth $119,000, but as of this morning, it's slightly over $122,000. By the time the prize is actually presented in November, who knows how much it could be worth?

Good luck!

Current Mood: awake

I was going to come in here and post a short but vitrolic rant about the NYS DMV (you guys are made of FAIL) and a certain medical insurance provider (FAIL!) but then I took a breeze through the f-list and I have decided (based on their testimony and my own experiences) that today is clearly Hate For Stupid People Day.

Tomorrow is going to be Hit Stupid People With Cluestick Day.

Don't say you weren't warned.

On the happier side, I am informed that March 20th is going to be Sweater Day, in honor of the late Fred Rogers. Everyone dig out your favorite cardigan....

EtA: I have raspberry-and-chocolate cookies. Life seems a little less annoying.

Current Mood: cranky

for geeks in the NYC area...

Mining the Sky:
The engineering, economics, and ethics of exploiting the Solar System's natural resources

Thursday, March 13, 2008
at the Museum of Natural History

Panelists before the WMAP image from the Big Bang DebatePlanets, moons, asteroids, and comets contain natural resources such as water, minerals, and trace elements that may have survival value to visiting astronauts and economic value to life on Earth. How did we learn of these materials? How would one go about mining them? Who owns these resources, if anyone? And should they be mined at all?

Join moderator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, as we explore and debate the frontier of this subject with a panel of experts drawn from planetary science, aerospace engineering, environmental engineering, and space law.

( the panelists are )

Current Mood: tired

According to

nycdeb, it's Freelance Writers Appreciation Week.

Just lettin' y'all know. PSA and all.

One of the great debates going on in politics these days involves health insurance/coverage. In an ideal world, there would be affordable, effective medical servces available to us all. This is not an ideal world.

As some of you know, I was Caitlin Kiernan's editor in the wayback years. I'm insanely proud of the part I had in bringing her to the attention of the larger audience with Silk, Threshold, and Low Red Moon.

Yesterday, Caitlin finally mentioned in her blog the dental/medical problems she's been having for several years now, and the inevitable collision of freelance writer-without-insurance, and medical costs. At the urging of her readers, she has set up ways that people, if they feel so-moved, can help.

If you've ever read her work, now would be a lovely time to say 'thank you.'

Current Mood: this is the world

I have been informed by friends that someone here on LJ has been going around informing mutual friends that we are now "a couple."

This is not true. I am, in fact, furious at this person right now. He knows damn well who he is, and that he owes me an apology, at which point I will decide if I am speaking with him or not going forward.

Reality check, people. A relationship actually requires both people to be aware and in agreement of it. Anything else is... well, NOT. The term 'stalker' comes to mind. And if this continues, I will name names and shame the speaker publicly.

Current Mood: seriously ticked

Does anyone know anything about wild pig/boar hunting? No, really. First-hand, not stuff you've read or seen on a docu.

In a different kind of wild bore, yesterday I got a spamming IM, informing me that my locked posts had been 'stolen' and were up at a url, which was displayed.

The person declined to identify themselves when asked, so I banned them. And no, I did not click on the offered link.

Dudes, anyone who wants to read my f-locked posts is more than welcome to. They show up every week or three, and I lock them mainly because they're filled with me doing terrible things like, oh, whining how tired I am. Or griping because someone pissed me off. Or muttering about things not working out properly and how the Universe hates me.

There are no deep dark secrets hidden in this LJ. I may say things that might hurt someone's feelings, were they to go digging, but that's what happens sometimes when you go digging where you shouldn't be, didn't your parents teach you that? And, truth is, I'm really not the quiet muttering type. If you've pissed me off enough for it to matter? I've probably let you know about it already. The rest is just fleeting annoyance.

*goes back to the writing stuff*

Current Mood: busy

The Inevitably Incomplete Bibliography has been updated with publication dates, and also posted over at The Cosa Nostradamus On-Line. Just in case anyone was wondering what I've been doing with my life...

(y'know? It's starting to look almost...impressive. Also, having books scheduled through 2012 is... um...scary as hell. In a nice-scary way. Keep buying & reading, people! The kitties need their kibble!)

Anyone trying to 'get' me with a phishing expedition should take a little more care with their lures.

"fraud.departament@security.com" is not going to work.

And now I have to get my veins over to the vamps for my first offering of the year (which I have been putting off for various reasons and bad meerkat, no scorpion. *sigh*). This would be so much easier if it weren't for that whole "fasting level" requirement meaning "no caffeine either, Ms. Gilman." I don't write well without caffeine, and I'm a lump of wreck after, so we're just writing this entire morning off and waiting for lunch. *grump*

EtA@9:15: the vamps were obliging and tidy and so I am done. The morning writing session is a wash but I may yet accomplish something before noon. Yay for obliging vamps! (or, as the woman cracked, seeing me sitting there with my jacket off, sleeve rolled up, patient look on my face -- "you've been down this dark alley before, haven't you?")

Current Mood: vamp bait

People are doing their damndest to drag me out and make me be Social. And I appreciate the effort, I really do. But right now all I want to do is hunker down with the felines and a pot of tea, and putter about with TPEMB. But one must be out and about occasionally, or so I am told. And there will be booze and grumping about the industy at at least one gathering, so it's almost like working.

And so, with that on my (alleged) mind, I figured I would take this moment to state/update for 2008 my position* on "Friending," for those who may not have seen Suri's Rule #2.

1. I think that "friend" is a poorly chosen term, implying an emotional connection that may or may not exist, and carries way too damn much emotional weight for some.
1a. That said, this is a friend-at-Will Lj. You don't need to ask my permission. If you want to put me on your list, list away!
2. Please don't be offended or annoyed if I don't list you in turn. My life is hectic, LJ is a timesink, and I have to be very careful about how many distractions I allow within reach.
2a. That said, don't be surprised if I happen to show up in your LJ occasionally, especially if you post here on a semi-regular basis. As time allows, I do journal-hop to places that seem interesting.

And now I must pack up and go catch a train...

*is it just me, or does anyone else flash back to the Bloom County cartoon where, on being asked to state their positions on an issue, Opus et al assumed contortionist poses? It can't just be me....

Current Mood: okay

Give blood. There's a huge demand for plasma for burn victims, which is going to drain (pun unintentional, I swear) every other part of the country's supplies.

So if you can, give. If you can't, offer to drive someone who can. Or see if there's a local blood drive that needs volunteers.

And if you can't volunteer, put a few dollars in the kitty to pay for siphoning/shipping the blood...

There is an emergency Fire Evac listing at http://www.conrunner.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page for folk in fandom. Anyone know of any others?

If you're in the SoCal area, or have news of someone who is safe-in-situ or safe-after-evac, let us know! (feel free to post here, as well. I'd appreciate it!)

Stay safe! And pray for low winds and gentle rains...

EtA: from a friend closer to the action: "daily kos diarists are hosting a series of live blogs to keep local folks and the wider blogosphere informed about what is happening real-time, piecing together news sources, reports from people who are or have evacuated, road conditions and google map routes - google is updating evacuation routes on the fly, may the good Gods bless them, and there's thousands at Qualcomm stadium - where the San Diego Chargers play."

There is apparently a great need for supply donations, not only for evacuees but the animals who are being moved as well. Cats, dogs, horses...

States Sue Bush Over Kid Insurance
By TOM HESTER Jr., AP

EAST ORANGE, N.J. —
Several states said Monday they would challenge the Bush administration in federal court over its new rules that block the expansion of a health insurance program for children from low-income families.

Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Washington are joining in the litigation, either as plaintiffs or by filing supporting briefs.

The states object to rules issued by the Bush administration in August that make it harder for them to provide coverage to children in middle-income families by limiting the total income of families who participate.

The states accuse the administration of overstepping the federal government's authority to set income limits for participants in the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

read the rest of the article here

also, for those of us who are Winos, er, Wine Snobs...

A Hiccup in Screw Tops’ Acceptance
By ERIC ASIMOV

"...screw caps, it turns out, have their own issue. It can be summed up by this forbiddingly opaque bit of wine jargon: reduction. Please bear with me as I try to explain what that means."

Interesting stuff. And any article that opens with a quote from Grant Burges I'm going to pay attention to. The man makes good wine.

Current Mood: busy

Was at Necon. Now am home. Much fun, as always. Wrote half a story and plotted out the rest with La Roomie (aka

tina_jens). Configured a new project on the drive home. Sleep now. Yes. So not reading f-list, no.

Being somewhat more coherent for a moment -- the PSA.
Please Read This.

Generally, what happens at Necon stays at Necon -- not because anything terrible or shameful happens at Camp Necon, but because it is a place where people let their hair down and relax and aren't "On" in the usual convention/performance sense -- they are among friends and family. But something happened this weekend I want to talk about, because it's IMPORTANT.

One of the campers spent much of the weekend supplimenting a lack of food and sleep with Red Bulls and other stim drinks. She wasn't drinking, she was otherwise healthy... and Saturday night she suffered a seizure quite probably as a result of those slammed Red Bulls, falling and giving herself a concussion and several stitches, and scaring the FUCK out of the rest of us.

We have all had days when we needed an extra boost to get through. It happens. But stimulant drinks are not a replacement for food and sleep. Stimulant drinks are not "harmless." Abusing them is DANGEROUS and I will forever regret the fact that I didn't say something to this camper when she told me on Friday how many drinks she'd had that day alone, because the damage could so easily have been so very much worse.

Be smart. Think. Don't scare your friends like that. 'k?

Current Mood: wiped out

First, the PSA: before you use a cool-sounding word? Make sure that you know exactly what it means, and that it does the job you are using it to do (cue The Princess Bride quote here). Keeping a dictionary on your desk while you work is a good habit to get into.

When in doubt? Simplicity trumps complexity.

And now the dithering. I have to pack for this weekend. Two signings, one formal and high visibility, and one a drive-by. Lunch with madame editrix. Drink dates with various sundries (check in, various sundries, so we can actually schedule said drinks!). Formal cocktail party. Brunch on Sunday. One, count 'em ONE small suitcase.

I can do this. I just have to figure out what Look I'm going for. Professional Writer-being? Flirty chic-lit fantasy writer? Basic black New Yorker?

Professionally flirty basic black New Yorker?

I'm gonna need new shoes.

Current Mood: busy

The government is launching a "Click it or Ticket' campaign this weekend. The big spokesperson, of course, is Jon Corzine, New Jersey's governor, who almost died last month in a traffic accident because he wasn't wearing his seat belt (the other passengers and driver, who were, all walked away from the crash).

I had hoped the commercial would open with "Hi, I'm Jon Corzine, and I was a bonehead." No such luck....

Anyway. Guys? Clickit. Don't be a bonehead.

Current Mood: busy

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Laura Anne Gilman

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Where Personal and Professional Life Collide...

My life in 8 words: Organized chaos, by preference. Exhausting, but never boring

Entries tagged with psa

LJ-keeping Update

Welcome, newcomers!

a word to the maybe-not-wise....

PSA: reader-squeee

The cats let me sleep in until 7. I suppose I should be thankful.

PSA: The thing about "average" intelligence is that half the world falls below that...

PSA for AstroGeeks

Huh. Hallmark missed that one, somehow.

a few dollars in your pocket? here's a better way to spend it than at Starbucks.

PSA and the meerkat is Annoyed

bringin' home the bacon...

PSA FYI

PSA to would-be scammers...

On friending, 2008 edition

want to do something to help SoCal?

A Perfect Firestorm

of possible interest to readers of this LJ....

status report, and a PSA you need to read

PSA to writers and would-be writers, and dithering.

Buckle Up!