The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has been stolen.

Now all that need happen is for the sign to be replaced with one reading "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON" and people will stop saying that!

The health care thing is really freaking me out. As an artist who is frequently sick in one way or another, I'm on tenderhooks about the public option, but the allotment of coverage is really really scaring me. Especially because while the rights and money for women's care (including abortions and birth control) are being disappeared, meanwhile this health care bill will totally cover Viagra!
Aaaaugh.

Speaking of insane ladymedicine things, yesterday I received the single most disturbing piece of mail to ever cross my hands.
What list am I on that I get this kind of thing?

Every winter, my internet service gets cranky in the cold, so I finally got my service back this morning after almost a week. To fill my need to stare at screens while I was internetless, I watched movies. I doodled my way through Harry Potter 6-- You can see my silly drawings here: Harry Potter Doodles

I have a neat interview up over on the Hideous Energy Comics Blog. We talk music, books, all kinds of stuff!

Despite the holiday mania, I haven’t been working at my holiday night job much this week (hence the resumptive spurt of blogging).  Here’s something less poltical:

First, three great Flash Fictions by Jennifer Howard, Bookslut associate.


I don’t get out much.  Quite frankly, and to my own chagrin.  However, I did go to the first Upper Valley Literary Festival on October 16th. 

It was kind of unexpected, but I made it to a poetry reading by Teresa Carlson (who was very nice) and Jack Wiler (who came in an fucking OWNED the room).  It was one of the best poetry readings I’d seen in a long time.  Partially because of the urgency of Wiler’s readings, the sense of rawness.  It was all so fun, and bawdy, and true.  I was really impressed, and I’ve been carrying around my copy of the festival’s itinerary so I could remember to order his book “Fun Being Me”. 

One of the stories I read about him called him a “You Gotta Hear This” poet.  Having heard him live, I’d agree.

Jack Wiler died on October 20th.

Fuck.

Here’s one of his, “The Poem Where I Say Thank You.”


Final question: has anyone else had issues with their livejournaling entry page going all blinky and spastic on them?  Seems like in the last month or three I've had this issue.  Then I save the entry, go back to edit it, and it's fine.  Anyone?

Tags: bookslut, jack wiler, jennifer howard
Current Music: Wine, Women, & Song - Harvey Danger

You know, I thought the whole Facebook stunt to propel Rage Against The Machine's 1992 song "Killing in the Name Of" to the top of the UK's pop chart by Christmas was really lame. Then I heard the likely alternative:



One, it's a cover of a Hannah Montana song. Two, it's about hope and trying hard. Three, as my friend pointed out, it sounds like something they would sing on South Park except it isn't funny at all. Four OH MY GOD. Five, you know that in eighteen years or so this song is going to be dusted off by Internet nerds and they'll call it ElderRolling, and I'll be old then and I want to keep from having to hear this song in my mid-50s in my cyberjack implant.

So, to the peoples of the United Kingdom, HOW CAN I HELP YOU? HOW CAN I HELP YOU WITH THE UPHILL BATTLE! HOW CAN HELP YOU WITH THE CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIMB...oh God it's already starting! Quick, tell me what to do?!

• First off, here's a very clear breakdown of the new Facebook security options that actually compares and contrasts the new to the old (wonder of wonders! Astounding!). It also offers a lot of perspective and scenarios for why this or that security setting might be better. A surprisingly helpful piece amongst all the “GAH-FAKEBOOK-GAH!” handwringing an knee-jerkery.
• Speaking of jerkery... Google! Specifically, Google founder Eric Schmidt's comments regarding privacy's prematurely-reported demise in the internet age. I know, I know. Internet does not equal private. What's the point?

1. Privacy is not about you! There is blackmail and undue influence of public officials. Then there is the ability to data-mine personal stock transactions.
2. It's essentially a threat against Google users. "Not a fan of Google, eh? I wonder why..." Are you guilt of something embarrassing? Can you prove you aren't? Because in the era where privacy is invalid, innocent until proven guilty seems inverted.
3. Schmidt has conveniently forgotten that he had a few personal details of his life revealed a few years ago by CNet in an exercise to show the power of Google's search engine. Schmidt was so incensed that, for instance, his home address was unearthed that he and the company then banned CNet from its press events for over a year.

• And while Joe Lieberman being a douche is neither "New" nor "News," it's important to remember, especially if you know an artist or other some other social scum of America, why trying to reform the US sick-care system is important.

Tags: cyber-hell, google, heath care, linkybiz, privacy
Current Location: Treefort West

Also my Junc site is up and running (NSFW): http://junc.comicspace.com/bryanstone/

...but this one is the donkey-ass dumbest, and that is despite the intervention of several intelligent and thoughtful participants.

Is it the holidays? Does Christmas lower IQ? Is it the "public option" being tossed into the shredder? Blood flow to the brain slows down in cold weather? What?

I NEEDS ME SOME ADVICE!

My parents and their high school friends, the Menzels, are visiting Manhattan in May.

They all have a list of things they want to see and do, most of which are pretty easy/touristy things to accomplish. Museums, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.

But they also want to, "get out of the city for a day and see some pretty houses" (?), and Mom keeps calling me asking where they should go. Any ideas?

Welcome to the world of Tyosen™, a land of awesome magic and hair-raising adventure that you discover at your own speed, using the convenience of the postal service! A novel, flexible design lets you strategize in secret with fellow players from around the world as you defeat incredible creatures, develop supernatural powers, and uncover fabulous treasure. It’s just one of several innovations that make Tyosen™ the most incredible role-playing experience ever developed!


But remember, no literary journal has any interest in anything but the quotidian details of the lives of randy English instructors.

I try to update this at least once a week, but it's hard when you can't really share anything you're working on right now. I am drawing- every day!

Here is something I think I'm allowed to share. These drawings of Tom Riddle (the future Lord Voldemort) at ages 1, 6, 11 and 16 have been mailed off to the Harry Potter Alliance for a fundraiser. This was a lot of fun, I want to draw more of them.