America by the numbers: No. 1?

No concept lies more firmly embedded in our national character than the notion that the USA is "No. 1," "the greatest." Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous advertisements for the brand name "America Is No. 1." Any office seeker saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact, anyone saying otherwise will be labeled "un-American." We're an "empire," ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1. Well...this is the country you really live in.

Some of these facts are just jaw-dropping. Recommended read.

LJ names not used

Have you thought of a great LiveJournal name you are not using--either because you're happy with your own or it doesn't suit your interests or personality?

Here's my suggestion: foxydoxy. Free to the first user who grabs it.

Your ideas? And what are some of your favorite LJ names that have been used?

Glare report: 3/2/05: Girding loins, opening the file again

With a vast reluctance, which even a decanter of sherry a la Mr. Earbrass could not overcome, I turned toward the ice palace novel again. Tonight, that simply meant trying to find and organize the various files on the new computer.

#1: my ice palace diary file is gone, replaced by just a 3-page fragment from another file. It's supposed to be about 150 pages in hard copy (fortunately I have a hard copy.) But it means an awful lot to me--it's the record (including the relevant LJ entries) of my musing about the book, thoughts for further research, plot ideas, etc. Rob is going to attempt to pull it off the hard drive of the old computer again. Otherwise, as I said, I have a hard copy. But it's not the same. Even if he finds it again, I may not be able to pull it over--it has an awful lot of html from the LJ entries, and the Windows to Mac translation may turn it into garbage.

# 2: I pull up the novel file itself and am absolutely mortified. Pitiful. The awful truth: after over two years of yammering about it in this space, the thing is only 12500 words so far.

#3: Back in October, I had promised to do a reading at Dreamhaven later this month. At the time, I had expected to have more written, since I was writing then, even acquiring a modest momentum, but then I lost my computer for almost three months. Am uncertain what to do. Should I cancel? Or just read fragments of scenes, including bits I've read at other readings before?

#4: With all the computer and e-mail problems, anguish over the Phoenix, karate and busy-ness in general, I have been so distracted that I have not gotten back to the Minicon programming people and now it is practically too late anyway. Minicon is really the only con I attend nowadays, but I've all but decided that I'm not going to try groveling to weasel my way onto panels but instead resign myself to sitting on the sidelines. For the first time in years, I won't be on any panels at all. Mood: this is mortifying, but no more than I deserve. I did not earn a penny from writing last year, I haven't had anything out for years, I do not expect anything out this year, and people would do better to hear from other panelists who actually have earned their credentials lately and have germaine things to say about sf/fantasy and writing. Unlike me.

I hope that those who chipped in for the necklace last year aren't regretting wasting their money.

Despite the utter Stygean blackness of this entry, I will in all fairness to myself note in passing that this is the first Glare Report in months, and it does denotes the beginning of an attempt to get back to the book. Those of you who choose to interpret this as a ray of hope, well, make of it what you will.

*sigh* God, I'm such a fricking fraud.

Edited to add: magentamn has assured me it's not to late to get onto panels at Minicon; in fact they're really hunting for people. I can't use the office e-mail, but I promise I will e-mail from home tonight, so perhaps I'll be on panels after all.