With regards to #280, remove the reference to the American Revolution as it is a myth (note: Afganistan vs. the Soviets in the 80s is a better example)
Pretty much every major battle of the American Revolution was fought in the European style. The Americans were not a scrappy little band of guerrilla fighters no matter how much that image got romanticized later.
They were perpetually under equipped, clothed, fed and armed but they still fought by the general standards of 18th century European warfare and almost universally gave better than they got against the best trained and equipped army in the world.
A) Noted (though not in the copy I posted). Taking the 'dry wit over folksy' advice, and I'll work on that.
C) As for the length of each individual entry, my figuring is that I use whatever length best conveys each entry. It's the same approach taken in the Devil's Dictionary:
FOOL, n. A person who pervades the domain of intellectual speculation and diffuses himself through the channels of moral activity. He is omnific, omniform, omnipercipient, omniscience, omnipotent. He it was who invented letters, printing, the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, the platitude and the circle of the sciences. He created patriotism and taught the nations war — founded theology, philosophy, law, medicine and Chicago. He established monarchical and republican government. He is from everlasting to everlasting — such as creation's dawn beheld he fooleth now. In the morning of time he sang upon primitive hills, and in the noonday of existence headed the procession of being. His grandmotherly hand was warmly tucked-in the set sun of civilization, and in the twilight he prepares Man's evening meal of milk-and-morality and turns down the covers of the universal grave. And after the rest of us shall have retired for the night of eternal oblivion he will sit up to write a history of human civilization.
ONCE, adv. Enough.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Oh, and as a followup for the "baby-kissing" ones:
And whatever you do, don't make the baby cry. People will have a field day with the image for years to come.
If at all possible, I prefer events that actually happened. Otherwise I'd have loaded the thing up with the kind of thing I did early on- 'Never light an aide on fire' and whatnot.
EDIT: Dunadan, the general consensus for novel length is 50,000 words. I'm not doing a novel here per se, but I know it'll have to be more than 15,000 like I've got now. 500,000 words is, like, the Bible or something along those lines.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Oh, and as a followup for the "baby-kissing" ones:
And whatever you do, don't make the baby cry. People will have a field day with the image for years to come.
If at all possible, I prefer events that actually happened. Otherwise I'd have loaded the thing up with the kind of thing I did early on- 'Never light an aide on fire' and whatnot.
You're telling me you've never seen the picture of Dubya holding a caterwaling infant?
To continue w/ElJeffe's points:
To make it a book, my suggestion would be to have some explanation or examples for most of the rules (spend no more than a page on any given rule). The rules should still make some sense without an explanation, though.
To do this for all 500+ rules would be ridiculous, but having that many would allow for a lot of flexibility (Either pages of rules without explanation and/or culling some).
I like this idea. You could expand it to be a more prevalent thing, where you have a half-dozen one-liner rules, then a full page deal with the rule and some commentary on it or explanation of backstory.
Some further advice:
Any more stuff you add, do not post it. I would also recommend making this non-public in a short while, after this thread has run its course. Having it stolen is a serious concern, and also some publishers will not publish things that have been made publicly available in large part. Again, if you plan to go anywhere with this.
If you want feedback, maybe post something soliciting volunteers and send it directly to them. Also, if you want advice on the actual writing (structure, style, etc) versus the content, the WB is a great place to head.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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GoslingLooking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, ProbablyWatertown, WIRegistered Userregular
Oh, and as a followup for the "baby-kissing" ones:
And whatever you do, don't make the baby cry. People will have a field day with the image for years to come.
If at all possible, I prefer events that actually happened. Otherwise I'd have loaded the thing up with the kind of thing I did early on- 'Never light an aide on fire' and whatnot.
You're telling me you've never seen the picture of Dubya holding a caterwaling infant?
Refresh my memory.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Yes, I like this idea. Short one liners should be ones that everyone would understand without explanation. Others should have the story behind the rule.
tsmvengy on
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HakkekageSpace Whore Academysumma cum laudeRegistered Userregular
Oh, and as a followup for the "baby-kissing" ones:
And whatever you do, don't make the baby cry. People will have a field day with the image for years to come.
If at all possible, I prefer events that actually happened. Otherwise I'd have loaded the thing up with the kind of thing I did early on- 'Never light an aide on fire' and whatnot.
You're telling me you've never seen the picture of Dubya holding a caterwaling infant?
after 575:
#575: God does not endorse, nor is he a registered voter.
shouldn't 576 be: Pastors endorse, and you better have some pastors.
i cant find that one on the list
Pastors don't endorse unless they want to lose their church's tax exempt status.
Yes, except where they endorse all the time without repercussion.
ElJeffe on
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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BarcardiAll the WizardsUnder A Rock: AfganistanRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
hmmm, this means there should be a list of laws no politician pays attention to
#311: Never try to drill for oil on or near protected land. It's not worth it.
#311: Drilling for oil on protected land will not lower gas prices in the suburbs. All it will do is have the vertiginous effect of angering locals and environmentalists without pleasing those suburban voters in the slightest. Find a better issue.
I think there is a slight focus problem, in which most of the wisdoms are process/election oriented, and then there's a few like 431 that just sort of don't fit.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
Just a suggestion as I've just finished reading through the book....
Maybe somethings can be added on the international front. Like people from Canada/UK giving ideas or tips for Parliamentary systems and/or candidates.
#52: Canvassing (knocking on doors) gets more votes than phone banking (calling people on the phone). Phone banking gets more votes than literature dropping (leaving pamphlets at doorsteps). Literature dropping gets more votes than lawn signs.
Yet everyone wants a lawn sign, and no one wants to knock on doors.
I'd love to see this expanded with a paragraph or so devoted to each entry. That would take it from pamphlet to book status. Having seen this book slowly materialize over the past year, I can only say, keep it up! This has the potential for greatness.
GoslingLooking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, ProbablyWatertown, WIRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
Okay, I'm going to put it back at the 'share' status I had it before I put it to 'publish' at this time. Will address the other notes after I get settled in from work.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Good plan. In all seriousness, this would make an excellent book if you expanded the entries and put a few a page. A sort of really-focused "Areas of my Expertise". The only problem I see is that it's not really a humor book, but you're not a statesman or pundit so why should we listen to you give good advice?
I really like the idea of expanding all or many of these into a 'semi-humorous political lessons from history' sort of thing.
On the other hand, with 500+ entries that gets to be a lot of work.
Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
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GoslingLooking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, ProbablyWatertown, WIRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
*I haven't worked out any sort of final order of the entries yet. That will come after I've gotten the list all nice and finalized. (And with ten more entries hitting me at work today... yeah, again, not happening for a while. Remember that the endpoint comes after I pass 500 AND I run out of new ideas, and at the moment it's looking like I'm going to cruise right past 500 without so much as stopping to take a picture.) The final entry is put at #1,000 for a reason-- I can always reduce (or increase, if that turns out to be the case) that number later to whatever I end up stopping at.
*Note that the little books of stupid political stuff I've got swarming my room all seem to hit the high 700's. They're also mostly by the same two sets of people, Leland Gregory and Kathryn/Ross Petras, who I note have their separate quirks:
GREGORY tends to toss in some forced jab after every entry that really wasn't necessary and in fact detracts from the entry in question.
THE PETRASES have a habit of belaboring the point. And they take forced jabs too. Belabored forced jabs. Forced jabs that they didn't need to take because they already took them when they introduced the entry.
So my task is to beat them. By as much as possible. Preferably to the point where they're no longer my competition. (As much as I'd like to think I would cruise past them and into best-seller territory, let's be honest, those guys are more likely who I'll wind up facing off against.)
*Tomorrow I'm off of work, so after I get a much-needed haircut (the hair's in my line of sight now), I'm going to make a conversion from 'preachy and folksy' to 'dry wit' where needed my project for the day. (I have had to self-reject some potential entries on that basis already; one of my goals is in fact to not get preachy if I can help it.)
*I was actually a bit worried about the Pentagon/Canada entry. Good to hear that one works out.
*An unordered list is fine for HERE, but in an actual published book, they're going to want to be all neat and tidy. You'll note the state-specific tips got numbered 1-51.
*The length of individual entries is going to get tweaked over time. I have been doing that on and off over the course of the project so far.
*Obviously, I will want to give more entries official names. That seems to be a winner.
*The book would, if it wasn't obvious from the fact that the first 51 tips are state-specific, be aimed at an American audience. I figure that to toss in entries specific to countries that are not the United States would simply be confusing, and besides, I don't know enough about the quirks of specific foreign political universes to be able to speak with any authority on the matter.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
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RentI'm always rightFuckin' deal with itRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
I really liked it...a lot, but quite a few of the one-liners I had literally no clue what you were referencing, Gosling
So if possible I'd like a bit more clarification on the more..vague tips
Rent on
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David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
*An unordered list is fine for HERE, but in an actual published book, they're going to want to be all neat and tidy.
I hope not. Part of the charm is the apparent randomness of numbering. I mean, if they're split up by theme, would you be renumbering them so the next theme after state would go 52, 53, etc?
David_T on
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GoslingLooking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, ProbablyWatertown, WIRegistered Userregular
*An unordered list is fine for HERE, but in an actual published book, they're going to want to be all neat and tidy.
I hope not. Part of the charm is the apparent randomness of numbering. I mean, if they're split up by theme, would you be renumbering them so the next theme after state would go 52, 53, etc?
Yeah. I know it's part of the charm, but I think I'd liken the out-of-order numbering to Snakes On A Plane: looks really funny on the Internet, but you get out into the real world and everyone scratches their head going 'huh?'
(By the way, as an aside, I did go see that movie. In fact, I went wearing an Arizona Diamondbacks shirt. I was shocked to find out it only made $15 million. I came back from it, I get back "You actually went to SEE that thing?" and I was all "Yeah, I thought that's what we were doing.")
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Yeah, having it jump around with somewhat random numbers was endearing. Maybe have it be relatively closely related for a handful that you'd number similarly and then something completely random.
Also, you might want to consider expanding the states to be 3 or 4 per rather than just the one if you can come up with it. Maybe with some self-referential ones. Like Pennsylvania- #475: The state is basically Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in the middle. Alabama- #332: Pennsylvania, without Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.
moniker on
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GoslingLooking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, ProbablyWatertown, WIRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
I was thinking of doing the extra-entries-for-some-states thing, but Yucca Mountain (Nevada) is currently blocking out any other state-specific ideas and I'm really stuck on what to write about it.
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
Posts
C) As for the length of each individual entry, my figuring is that I use whatever length best conveys each entry. It's the same approach taken in the Devil's Dictionary:
EDIT: Dunadan, the general consensus for novel length is 50,000 words. I'm not doing a novel here per se, but I know it'll have to be more than 15,000 like I've got now. 500,000 words is, like, the Bible or something along those lines.
You're telling me you've never seen the picture of Dubya holding a caterwaling infant?
Although I do feel bad about the horse. She was young and had a promising career ahead of her.
Steam | Twitter
I like this idea. You could expand it to be a more prevalent thing, where you have a half-dozen one-liner rules, then a full page deal with the rule and some commentary on it or explanation of backstory.
Some further advice:
Any more stuff you add, do not post it. I would also recommend making this non-public in a short while, after this thread has run its course. Having it stolen is a serious concern, and also some publishers will not publish things that have been made publicly available in large part. Again, if you plan to go anywhere with this.
If you want feedback, maybe post something soliciting volunteers and send it directly to them. Also, if you want advice on the actual writing (structure, style, etc) versus the content, the WB is a great place to head.
gosling
NNID: Hakkekage
"The moment you make a joke about rape to reporters, your campaign is over. You might as well relax and enjoy it."
Maybe a reference to the fact that his opponent was also female...
This image:
#575: God does not endorse, nor is he a registered voter.
shouldn't 576 be: Pastors endorse, and you better have some pastors.
i cant find that one on the list
Pastors don't endorse unless they want to lose their church's tax exempt status.
Yes, except where they endorse all the time without repercussion.
"Nobody gives a fuck about the Fairness Doctrine but wacko pundits. Shut up about it"
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Maybe somethings can be added on the international front. Like people from Canada/UK giving ideas or tips for Parliamentary systems and/or candidates.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
I personally would love to buy that book if it ever came out and I would be crushed if I saw someone stealing it
To contribute, it might be worth changing 441 to something like:
There are interesting topics that are really important, it's just that not all important topics are interesting.
edit: And 631 has two you's in the next to last sentence.
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
On the other hand, with 500+ entries that gets to be a lot of work.
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
*Note that the little books of stupid political stuff I've got swarming my room all seem to hit the high 700's. They're also mostly by the same two sets of people, Leland Gregory and Kathryn/Ross Petras, who I note have their separate quirks:
GREGORY tends to toss in some forced jab after every entry that really wasn't necessary and in fact detracts from the entry in question.
THE PETRASES have a habit of belaboring the point. And they take forced jabs too. Belabored forced jabs. Forced jabs that they didn't need to take because they already took them when they introduced the entry.
So my task is to beat them. By as much as possible. Preferably to the point where they're no longer my competition. (As much as I'd like to think I would cruise past them and into best-seller territory, let's be honest, those guys are more likely who I'll wind up facing off against.)
*Tomorrow I'm off of work, so after I get a much-needed haircut (the hair's in my line of sight now), I'm going to make a conversion from 'preachy and folksy' to 'dry wit' where needed my project for the day. (I have had to self-reject some potential entries on that basis already; one of my goals is in fact to not get preachy if I can help it.)
*I was actually a bit worried about the Pentagon/Canada entry. Good to hear that one works out.
*An unordered list is fine for HERE, but in an actual published book, they're going to want to be all neat and tidy. You'll note the state-specific tips got numbered 1-51.
*The length of individual entries is going to get tweaked over time. I have been doing that on and off over the course of the project so far.
*Obviously, I will want to give more entries official names. That seems to be a winner.
*The book would, if it wasn't obvious from the fact that the first 51 tips are state-specific, be aimed at an American audience. I figure that to toss in entries specific to countries that are not the United States would simply be confusing, and besides, I don't know enough about the quirks of specific foreign political universes to be able to speak with any authority on the matter.
So if possible I'd like a bit more clarification on the more..vague tips
(By the way, as an aside, I did go see that movie. In fact, I went wearing an Arizona Diamondbacks shirt. I was shocked to find out it only made $15 million. I came back from it, I get back "You actually went to SEE that thing?" and I was all "Yeah, I thought that's what we were doing.")
Also, you might want to consider expanding the states to be 3 or 4 per rather than just the one if you can come up with it. Maybe with some self-referential ones. Like Pennsylvania- #475: The state is basically Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in the middle. Alabama- #332: Pennsylvania, without Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.
My suggestion for Yucca is something along the line of "Yucca is ok, you can win without Nevada. Good luck figuring out how to get it there, though."