So I wrote a nice long colum about why you should love editors over at the footnote. For seriously. You can go read it here.

First: If you follow UFC (I don’t) and wanna see the TRUE story of what happened this weekend, I have helped you out:

Made for Josh. Because I care.

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In other news, Pete Allen has started writing for the footnote. His first column is here and to go along with it he has started a contest. In his own words:

“New column is up now, and to encourage you to have a look, I will bribe you. Leave a comment either there or here, with some material for me — question from the lovelorn, question from the sous chef, question from the casual diner, I don’t care. Whoever leaves the best question (i.e. the one I can butcher, er, work with for the material for my next column) will get a free copy of footnote’s Bearded Editor/Creative Consultant Adam P. Knave’s new book, “Crazy Little Things.”

Why do I have an extra copy, you ask? Because I was too lazy to get the post office before I moved, and so mailing it is my punishment. What if you already have one? Well, I guess you can play for free.”

There are some books that seep under your skin. I have a few books I read over and over again. After a while, when you’ve read a book enough that it is part of your waking memory at all times, it can slip into your being, without you fully noticing.

Dhalgren has done that to me. I mean, it did it years ago but there you have it. I just finished another re-read of it and find myself, my internal constant monologue, colored by the book again. For a few days I’ll notice the sky more, think about the small every day seconds a bit clearer and wonder why we live our lives the way we do a bit more often.

My mental speech pattern shifts for a few days, fully.

There aren’t many books that do it to me, anymore. Just the three: Dhalgren, Illuminatus! and Lonesome Dove. I don’t know why those three, either, but they do. I can read, and re-read, them endlessly and each time I do I have a few days where I am myself+bookhead. I enjoy it, but it also kinda messes with me.

I dunno. Rambly.

Oh, and I was gonna start posting new free fiction today but due to having my keyboard die this Saturday and not getting a replacement until Sunday and then having to do all my Saturday work on Sunday and getting dates confused - I left the file at home. Makes it hard to post. So sorry about that. I will start it tomorrow or Weds.

If you like Talking Heads I did a bit on the footnote on Friday that was … well … Talking Heads, but with footnote staff. It’s the start of a new thing called Pipe Dreams.

Books I have on the way:

* Neal Stephenson’s Anathem
* Stan Nicholl’s Orcs
* Ernest Tidyman’s Shaft: Among the Jews
* Matthew Stover’s Caine Black Knife (Oct 14th, mind you so on the way is loose)

I still have to read Malfi’s Passenger as well.

I am awash in great looking books!

More later.

Do you read the footnote? You should. Not only do we have a daily question, every weekend (even today) but we also have at least one column a day! Today DJ and I look at Hot Fuzz, but there is new stuff up there every single weekday. Seriously. So do yourself a favor and start reading the footnote.

This past week on the footnote:

Ryan discussed a new career that involves a shovel. I reviewed Wanted and then reviewed the fajita burrito. DJ talked about Facebook, Kirk and reviewed Dark Knight without having seen it. I wrote about worldview issues and then about a monk who plays heavy metal, for reals.

Go enjoy, and stop by the footnote daily, because there are at least 3 posts a day, every day, M-F (weekends we only post like once, we’re slackers that way).

Some of what you missed this past week at the footnote: A great, interesting column by J.B., a scary look at my type of reality by Krystal, A.J. Jones latest history lesson and a bunch more stuff. And coming this week: well a lot more stuff!

The footnote updates multiple times over the course of the day, and includes the Daily Question. Where we ask you stuff and you answer and we party.

So come over and stop by everyday!

Holy shit! The Footnote.net just went daily! Worse than that, Dustin Grovemiller stepped back and so now they tell me that D.J. Kirkbride and I are in charge!

Will we set fire to the ship? Can we be trusted? Will the daily content (all the columns you know and love plus a hell of a lot more) become too much for us to manage?

Who knows!

Go take a look, and then check back throughout the day!

And yes, if you like the stuff I do you need to check tfn daily to see even more of it. I am now doubletiming the insanity.

This is the BIG ONE folks! The FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE of the footnote! Holy shiznit! It’s been a blast during the few years I’ve been there, I know that much, and it has brought me a ton of new friendships and opportunities. So Happy Birthday Footnote! You’re five, which in Internet Years is like being old enough to drink! YAY!

So what is in this landmark issue?

• Anti-Thoughts by Mr. Grovemiller: Dustin makes a return engagement to his former job and gets all reflective ‘n’ stuff.
• Letters From Heck by Mister Xalieri: Want a little perspective about the ease of life in Heck? Try a little bit of Hell instead.
• Next Stop Willoughby, the debut contribution of one Mizz Adrienne Jones: Adrienne tells us of a truly horrifying tale from her teenage years. The red menace can totally ruin your social life.
• Pure Lard by Mister Kirkbride: From a distance, you might think that the dark stuff all over D.J.’s face is dirt or magic marker… but hell no! That’s his hair! D.J.’s got some manly, unruly whiskers.
• Reality is What You Make It by Mister Belden: Either modern society is kind of contradictory in its behaviors or John’s a little confused.
• Sight Gags for Radio by well … Mister Me: Adam’s saga of trying to balance his work load versus passing up opportunities.
• Tales of the Working Girl by Mizz Thompson: A holy encounter brings new meaning to the phrase “family game night.”
• Truth of the Matter by Mister Dilbert: Ryan realizes that he might be one of the world’s only remaining Charlie Chaplin fans.
• Transmissions From My Childhood by Mister Grovemiller: For his final installment of the column, Dustin takes a look at The Muppet Show.
• Story Time! by Mister Kirkbride: This piece is called “Sassy Chef’s Dreams and Other Stories.” And that’s all we’re going to say about it.
• Spoiler Warning by Messrs Kirkbride and Grovemiller: Don’t move, dirt bag! Dustin and D.J. have just watched Police Academy and they’re going to tell you all about it.
• Hooray for Comics by Mister Me: Adam P. Knave checks in on those bitches at the Legion of Superheroes.

So yeah. So much good stuff! The Hooray for Comics I am especially proud of and AJ’s piece is grand, Kirkbride made me cackle, Grovemiller did a Transmissions! It’s so packed with goodness this month. And then? I direct your attention to the Very Important Editor’s Note on the right sidebar on the front page. Oh yes! Changes are coming!

All right! Over at the footnote (more about tfn in a sec) there I interviewed Cory Doctorow. Over at SFReader I reviewed his upcoming book. They link to each other so choose which you want to start with: The Cory Doctorow interview or the review of Little Brother, and then swap and read the other half!

Yes, I am paving the roads of the future, getting SFReader and thefootnote to link back and forth and love each other in the way that people can get arrested for.

Today is also a full update of the footnote. So along with that you can also read:

Leigh discussing cars, Laszlo talking about evolution, of a sort, D.J. making you read about reading, John pondering money, me being honest about being a writer, Krystal telling us how to achieve greatness, Ryan opining about lint, D.J. talks to the Bastard Winos and then you can vote on this month’s You decide! It’s a chock full of fun update!

This journal will be prank free this year. I swear. Unless I am linking to someone else’s prank and get caught by it in which case I will mistakenly spread stuff around. But I’m not planning on that.

The Footnote is updated. Lots of column-y goodness. MMmm. Enjoy.