Subtle hint?

In the box that I received today containing a recent Amazon.com order I found a sample of Listerine Pocket Paks. Is Amazon.com trying to tell me something?

The anti-ad

No here's the type of banner ad I can live with:

Way to early

So this morning it's my day off from the gym so I decided to get my morning espresso drink (decaf) at my local Starbucks, sit, and read a book for a half-hour. What do I find when I get there? The place is all decked out for Christmas and playing Christmas music. Com'on folks, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet!

Franken vs. fox

I realize this news is a little old but I found a transcript of the arguments today and this bit just totally knocked me over I was laughing so hard. Ms. Hanswirth represents FOX.

THE COURT: All right. The consumer who would buy the book is a relatively sophisticated consumer, correct? I mean someone interested in political satire and commentary.

MS. HANSWIRTH: I don't agree with that, your Honor. Generally, cases hold that purchasers of books are generally not, neither sophisticated nor unsophisticated.

THE COURT: Don't you have to look at the type of book in question? We're not talking about mystery novel or a romance novel. We're talking about social and political commentary and satire.

MS. HANSWIRTH: If you're talking about whether somebody will make an informed decision as to whether to purchase a book, that doesn't necessarily mean the consumer is particularly sophisticated.

Positive views on american foreign policy, or else...

According to this Salon.com article "On Oct. 21, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that could require university international studies departments to show more support for American foreign policy or risk their federal funding."

More lyrics (don't assume)

Sail Away Sweet Sister - Queen

Hey little babe you're changing
Babe are you feeling sore?
It ain't no use in pretending
You don't wanna play no more

It's plain that you ain't no baby
What would your mother say
You're all dressed up like a lady
How come you behave this way, yeah

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you find somebody
To love you half as much as me
My heart is always with you
No matter what you do
Sail away sweet sister
I'll always be in love with you

Forgive me for what I told you
My heart makes a fool of me
Ooh, you know I'll never hold you
I know that you gotta be free, yeah

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you find somebody
To love you half as much as me
Take it the way you want it
But when they let you down my friend
Sail away sweet sister
Back to my arms again

Hot child don't you know you're young
You got your whole life ahead of you
And you can throw it away too soon
Way too soon, aah yeah

Sail away sweet sister
Sail across the sea
Maybe you find somebody
Gonna love you half as much as me - yeah
My heart is always with you
No matter what you do
Sail away sweet sister
I'll always be in love with you
Aaha

'39 - queen

In the year of '39 assembled here the volunteers
In the days when the lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
Sweetest sign ever seen

And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew

Aah, aah, aah, aah

In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue
The volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey, little darling we'll away
But my love this cannot be
Oh so many years have gone though I'm older but a year
Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you

All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand

For my life
Still ahead
Pity me

Koontz book updates

I've added some additional titles to the Ephemera section thanks to Amazon.com's new Search Inside the Book feature. The paperback release of By the Light of the Moon has also been added. Additionally, I did receive an e-mail from my publisher today. We'll be talking on the phone next week to see how we can get this ms finished and turned in.