Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Like tears . . . in rain.
So, there's good news, and there's bad news.
Depending on your perspective, you can decide which is which.
On the one hand, I recently heard that it's likely that my SF novel will be published this year. I still have some minor work to do on it before everything is finalized, but the publisher and editor are both very excited about the book. For me, anyway, that's very good news. And with luck, it will be the entry into the publication of several books I am working on (at one stage or another).
On the other hand, the time has come to say goodnight here at UTI.
All things have a natural cycle, a story arc which makes sense. When I first found UTI seven or eight years ago, I was thrilled to discover like-minded rationalists and skeptics who saw the world with something of the same twist that I do. When the opportunity came to join the regular writers here, I was flattered and honored that Brent considered me. I have tried to maintain the same high level of writing and snarky observations on the human condition, sometimes successfully and sometimes less so.
But it is time to move on.
Thanks to Brent, first and foremost, for creating this wonderful venue and maintaining it for almost a decade. That is a huge, and largely thankless, accomplishment. Thanks then to the other writers and regulars here - it's been fun to get to know you, even to argue with some of you. You have helped me hone my critical thinking skills, and I am in your debt.
I'll leave you with this:
You're always welcome to stop by my place: Communion of Dreams. Just to visit, to opine, to point and laugh at my foibles.
Keep thinking.
Jim Downey
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Damn it, Jim!
Before I leave a comment on Brent's announcement, I wanted to thank you for the last couple of years of blogging. I've been reading this blog for about four years now, and though it was mostly the style and humor of Brent and Hank Fox that pulled me in, I stayed around because of you. I've really enjoyed your posts. You didn't always write long entries, but you kept a vigilant eye out for abuses of religious power, abuses of government power, and unconstitutional entanglements of government & religious power, and kept just enough of a sense of humor(and cynicism, I guess) to keep me from frothing at the mouth as I read. With many atheist bloggers, that kind of stuff seems to be more of an afterthought, or just an excuse to rant endlessly, but you seem to care about many of the same issues that keep me up and thinking at night.
I didn't always comment on your posts. It takes me a while to compose my thoughts, and you may have noticed from my few comments that I can have a bit of
a short temper when I perceive that someone is condoning abuses of church/state separation, or accepting abuses of power as an unchangeable staus quo. It can make calm discussion a bit difficult for me, and I was always hesitant to turn this fine blog into a territory for my personal ranting; and on the posts where everyone agrees, starting an interesting discussion can be difficult.
I don't regret a single afternoon I spent reading here the last few years, but I wish now that I had been less of a lurker and more of a participant. Oh well...as
my grandma used to say: if wishes and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry christmas!
I wish you all the best, with your book, with life, with everything. If
I wasn't a lowly wage slave trying to live on the coast on $10/hour, I'd send you a check for your work. I'll be keeping an eye out for you on the internet, and if you get Communion of Dreams published, I will certainly buy a copy even if I have to go without my beer for a few evenings.
I guess I better stop before everyone thinks this is a love letter or something! Christ, if Les ever shuts down Stupid Evil Bastard, I'll have to start my own fucking blog or go out and make more friends or something!
Best Wishes,
Neil the Password Forgetter
"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!"
Neil, you're not my type but here's a nice big wet kiss for you . . .
Seriously, thanks. To you, and to everyone else - I do understand about not commenting; people are surprised that in other venues I comment very little, unless I have something specific to say. So, it happens.
Thanks for the best wishes with the novel, too. We'll see what happens, but drop me an email and I'd be happy to send you a signed copy if it all works out.
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read *or listen to* my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
Nice ride and I thank you
Nice ride and I thank you very much. It is unfortunate for this hitchiker that our destinations now take us in different directions for it is raining outside and the sun is going down. Continue on your way and don't look back, a new ride will be along any time now. Perhaps the next driver will be new to the journey and bind the pedal to the floor like you did in the days of old, perhaps s/he will be in their prime and take time to enjoy the ride, perhaps, maybe, just maybe, a retirement home for old bloggers will be built along the intertubes and weary travelers can stop in to reminisce of the familar faces and styles of the past or to raise hell on the occasions when the fires burn bright.
Good bye
All the best as you find other ways to spend your time. I always wondered how you could post so many things day in and day out. I've enjoyed reading your posts and getting to know you. I'll always think it's cool that I was one of the first 1000 people to read your novel. Where would be good place to keep track of it when it's published?
Later.
Any twelve people who can't get themselves out of jury duty are not my peers.
______________________
Claybow
OCD
Obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Particularly about Stupid Human Tricks.
Clay, you may still be one of the only people to read it. ;) Just because some 20,000 people have downloaded it, doesn't mean they actually read the thing . . .
In terms of keeping track of it, just check out the link in my sig below, there should be an update there whenever the thing is actually available. And as things develop I'll also post info on my blog - currently, the publisher is talking about it being their lead SF title for the second quarter of this year.
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read *or listen to* my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
You will be missed
Jim,
Thanks for the wonderful postings these last number of years. You will be missed. I hope you continue to come back and leave us all nuggets of wisdom. I hope you don't mind but I'm still going to send you crap via e-mail.
Best wishes,
Scott
Oh, feel free.
Thanks Scott - feel free to still send me stuff! As Brent has noted, the time has come to turn off the lights and lock the doors here - but it was a good run!
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read *or listen to* my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
A sad farewell
I'm sorry to see you leave UTI, it's been a pleasure to read your posts over the time I'm been following the site.
You'll be missed, Jim
Thanks for the good, thoughtful articles and the discussions.
Rob Miles
--
There are only 10 types of people in the world;
those who understand binary and those who don't.