Peter Hodges

Sorry the posts have been a bit sparse here lately, but with all the travel I’ve been doing, I haven’t had enough time to spend with the family and still give you guys a few bones to chew over.

Tomorrow (on an ugly 5:33 AM flight) I will be heading to Atlanta to experience the joys of costumed nerdery. I have my photo gallery software working, so as soon as I find a quiet place with a decent wireless connection, I will upload the picture files that I have captured for all to see.

My goal is to have the autographs of David Weber, David Drake, and John Ringo before I leave. I’ve plugged all of these guys at one time or another on the site, and I can’t emphasize how much of an influence their writing has been on my military SF writing. I’ve followed David Drake from the time I was old enough to swipe books from my father, so it will be a special treat to meet him in person. That’s nearly a twenty year obsession!

USA Today is reporting that Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from the original Star Wars will travel on the October Space Shuttle mission. Apparently the lightsaber was delivered by none other than Chewbacca.

Here’s hoping that the lightsaber survives the return trip.

I just received word that my son is now capable of opening the entertainment center and extracting videos. God help me, because I have not baby-proofed the house. He’s not even six months old yet! By the time I get back, he’ll want to date girls and play football. Geez.

I received email that says that I have now been officially rejected again by a “pro” publication. Sometimes I want to curl up into a fetal ball and say to myself: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, blah blah blah.” Like any other author, I will probably be able to paper my walls in rejection notices. But damned if I don’t want to paper my walls in enough fat advance checks that I could buy a…vacuum cleaner. Yeah. Science fiction doesn’t pay much, so my house in Durango will have to wait on divine intervention or a Harry Potter-style character, neither of which is likely to happen at this stage in my writing career.

I’ve also discovered that one cannot eat too much steak. Since my company is paying for all my meals, I’ve had steak for the past two nights. I also lucked into a strawberry tart tonight, and it may have been one of the best desserts I’ve EVER had. Coming from someone who doesn’t like sweets (me) that’s actually saying quite a lot.

Holiday Inn Express doesn’t make you smarter. FYI.

I bought the Heroes Season One DVD set. Now I can finally watch the last two episodes (they got pulled off of NBC.com before I managed to watch the whole season for free). I figured I would be a responsible consumer and pay for the episodes I watched (and you KNOW I’ll re-watch them, anyway), plus squeeze in the last two episodes before the new season.

I noticed they’re remaking the Bionic Woman, only this time, she’s hot. Did I mention that Michelle Ryan, the actress who plays her, is also British? She’s a hot, British actress with dark hair and crystal blue eyes. Suddenly I forget who the mother of my firstborn is…

Doing this for awhile, I’ve decided to put out a little ’self help’ podcast on how not to do a podcast. I’ve compiled a few outtakes and examples of what not to do to impress your readers.

Enjoy.

 

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Plays for power have always been brutal in the empire, especially in your own family.

“Alchemist - Chloe & Estelle Preview”
Story by Peter Hodges
Dramatic Reading by Kate Baker
Music: “Voices from the Ether” by Ascian

Podcast contains depictions of graphic violence and strong language. Listener discretion is advised.

 

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Don’t forget…

I will be on business travel this week, and I may or may not have time to post some quick hits on the site. If not, Kate will satisfy your reading needs with her usual great mix of witty commentary and current events.

I will be back in the saddle on Thursday and Friday night, then I will be traveling to DragonCon. I can promise you that there will be MANY posts while I am at DragonCon, because all the costume freaks must be showcased in their…glory. Or something like that.

Here’s something that doesn’t really matter to me as an adult who plays video games, but becomes increasingly important as my son gets to be of video-game playing age. Currently, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) provides ratings to publishers and developers who seek them. They serve as an unregulated body that voluntarily rates video games. The industry adoption of their system is nearly universal. They are similar to the ratings arm of the MPAA in purpose, but games lack the mainstream support that film currently enjoys.

Rockstar Games, the “beloved” purveyors of Grand Theft Auto series, have made a splash with their upcoming title Manhunt 2, which judging by the trailer is an unapologetic survival-horror splatterfest. The game had initially received an Adults Only rating, but this was later downgraded to a Mature rating. (Since the Mature rated game received its rating for “Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, and Strong Language,” I’d hate to see what in the world earned the game an Adults Only rating.)

California State Senator Leland Yee (D) is demanding that the ESRB and Rockstar Games release what was cut to bring the game from an Adults Only rating to a Mature rating. The implication, of course, is that Rockstar Games changed nothing, and that the ESRB caved under industry pressure to release a game for Halloween that was guaranteed to have large sales. This is the same Senator Yee who was a sponsor of California’s 2005 video game law which was recently struck down as unconstitutional by a federal court ruling.

In the end, none of this matters. The ESRB can’t parent your children, nor can Senator Yee of California. Games like this will always find a market. It is not the business of government to censor their manufacture or sale, nor is it their business to regulate their sale to minors. This should be a voluntary effort performed by responsible media sellers and parents. Education is the key to providing our children with the tools to make responsible choices, and education comes from responsible parents who take the time to instruct and discipline their children.