The overhaul of my website is up and, if I do say so myself, looking good. If you’re reading this on Livejournal or Facebook, please head on over to Paulskemp.com and have a look around. I’m as pleased as can be with new look and feel. I hope you dig it, too.

Complete credit for the redesign goes to the wonderful Eugie Foster, who completely rocked the house. Eugie was fast, professional, indispensable when … Read the rest

Now, most of you who follow the blog know that I’ve followed the health care reform issue pretty closely.  It’s near and dear to my heart and mind for a variety of reasons.  Three weeks ago, I had serious doubts that health care reform would get done.  I have very few now.  It looks as if the House will pass it tonight, which means that tomorrow, as far as I’m concerned, we’ll all wake up … Read the rest

A short bit from the WIP, since I’ve got nothing worthwhile to say today:

Fatman shivered, her metal groaning, as Zeerid pushed her through Ord Mantell’s atmosphere. Friction turned the air to fire and Zeerid watched the orange glow through the transparisteel of the freighter’s cockpit.

He was gripping the stick too tightly, he realized, and relaxed.

He hated atmosphere entries, always had, the long forty-count when heat, speed, and ionized particles caused a temporary … Read the rest

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that we recently endured a tax audit courtesy of the IRS. I’d been meaning to post something about it but kept forgetting. The looming filing deadline for income taxes has reminded me.

Why did we get audited? Well, who knows for sure, but taking the home office deduction (that’s Schedule 8829 attached to Schedule C for you Tax code-o-philes), which we do, ensures extra IRS scrutiny. … Read the rest

I need to hire a web designer to overhaul my homepage, maybe integrate a WordPress blog that will crosspost to this LJ, and otherwise move me into the current age.  🙂  After the overhaul is done, I’d also like a brief tutorial on how I can update the new page myself (perhaps that means I need to buy a license for a content manager/site builder).

Anyway, if you or someone you know is in … Read the rest

An article in the NY Times making the rounds on Twitter (via Colleen Lindsay) makes the case for a high price point for e-books.  I responded to it on Twitter and Facebook and thought I’d repost some of that response here.

My basic critique boils down to this:  I am uncertain (because I’ve seen no data) that e-books are substitute goods for print books in the market as it exists today.  If they … Read the rest