Timewaster's Guide Archive

So in the United States, music, video games, movies, television shows, and even web-sites all have content ratings. Why don't books?

What are the pros and cons of giving books content ratings?

Yes, season 4 is starting well. I think they covered almost everything that was in the season previews in the first 10 minutes or so. So there's a whole lot left to see still.

The opening also had the most special effects that we've seen in a while. So I supsect the coming episodes are going to be a lot more lower budget. That's okay since the writers do a great job without the special effects.

I'm waiting for when Starbuck learns that Sam is a Cylon. I wonder if she really is going to put a bullet in his head at that point. Yes, she was king of whiny, but she's always been a little whiny. Her character has never seemed to handle things not going her way.

I can't wait to find out who is the final cylon. I don't think it's Starbuck. I've also ruled out Roselin (cause why would a Cylon get cancer?), Callie, Helo, and the Adamas. But there are so many other possibilities. I haven't decided if it will be more satisfying for it to be a major character (come on Baltar) or a minor character (a resurrected Admiral Kain maybe?). The only let down would be if it were a character we've never met before.

After 3 season the writers are still keeping me enthralled.

Yes it is little weird that some players fudge dice rolls.

Still, it doesn't bother me all that much. Maybe it should, but I figure it's a game that doesn't have a winner or loser, so I don't care if some player feels the need to fudge dice to roll or two. It does bother me when they lie on nearly every dice roll and it bothers me even more when other players start to complain. I don't like it when players are detracting from the enjoyment of everyone for their own persnal gain.

Hey, if the law wasn't conviluded, then people wouldn't have to hire lawyers. What kind of a world would it be if people didn't have to hire a lawyer to solve their legal problems.

A much, much  better world.

The gaming world owes you a great debt.

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/03/04/1750206
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/03/report-gary-gyg.html

Congratulations!

As far as mooching goes, I think college is a great place for aspiring authors to get started. You can mooch off the government (pell grants, student loans, etc.), at least for a few years. Just don't pick a difficult major (avoid things like, pre-med, engineering, fine art, music, theater, dance, nursing, social work, education, and several business degrees) so you still have time to write (also avoid difficult class whenever possible). I figure by the time you graduate you need to have written at least 6 novels and a dozen or so short stories. You latest novel should be publishible and you probably should have published one of the short stories already.

Then when you graduate, you get a low stress-job that allows you to keep writing, but pays the bills. (Examples low-stress: accountant, computer programmer, hotel night auditor, tech-writer, etc. Examples high-stress: teacher, manager, executive, personal assistant, social worker, paralegal, nurse, rescue worker, etc.) You can also continue to mooch off the government if you go to grad. school or become disabled (I recommend the former rather than the latter). Eventually, if you continue to write, you should improve as a writer and you should continue to publish more until eventually you can make enough money to write full-time.

If you are just really strapped for cash and not a student, you can mooch for a little while from the government through TANF (welfare). However, you need be supporting kids, plus the government does expect you to get a real job eventually. (not recommended)

Also, if what you write may help the community or academia somehow, you could look at getting a government grant to help feed you.

And don't forget about plasma donations.

I refuse to acknowledge V-day until it is officially repesentative of Vampire Day and not that other day.