Merry Christmas

From me to you, have a Happy Holiday and great 2013! Next year, the majority of posts from me will be over at Agent Maya, but I might pop a quick essay here or something I find interesting (and who knows, I might just re-visit some of the Jaunt icons and images for a refresh...). See you then!

Another One Bites The Dust (Soon?)

I believe I've made clear my disdain for the world's worst heads of state on JauntWorld; it certainly hasn't lessened any with the news of Hugo Chavez's recent health woes. I can only rejoice with the irony of this monster being eaten alive from the inside out—a fitting end for a man who has done the same to his own country. The less said about his "Bolivarian Revolution" the better, save for it being thrown onto the ash heap of history.

Hey! How About That Putin!

Now that I've got your attention, click over to Agent Maya for some news. I promise to get an essay back here on JauntWorld about the sad state of affairs in our current world. Meanwhile, the first post-bin Laden US Presidential election is gearing up to be a farce...our incumbent is trying to out-W. Bush the nation in his covert overseas adventures, while our challenger would appear to have no foreign policy to speak of and zero charisma at best. Reminds me of the reverse of the 1980s. Interesting.

Don't Call It a Comeback...

...Just a working vacation. Okay, so I've been ignoring JauntWorld and boy is it peeved. But, over on IPTP Agent Maya, I have a good excuse. So click over there and read why I've been absent.

Back now? JauntWorld's been quiet as I haven't been writing in there for a while. I'll get to Cloak someday, but duty to my other mistress in outer space demands my fullest attention. I'll try to do my original blog some justice and post more often. Thanks for reading!

Ether Has Arrived! New For 2012

That's right, the second, and long-promised, novel in the JauntWorld series, Ether, is finally here! After much deliberation, I decided to publish Ether as an exclusive ebook for the time being. Financial considerations what they are, it's just more feasible to go strictly epub. Should I figure out a good way to print a trade edition, the formatting and interior layout are complete, allowing me to do so easily. I'll also look into a way to create a downloadable PDF in the future for those interested in a more traditional, one-off print "book".

I have recently joined Scribd (find me under jauntworld) where a three-chapter sample of Ether is currently available there, as is a full, FREE, download of that chestnut, 2 Shorts (+1). I will periodically upload new content to Scribd as it is available. Please look for me there and don't forget to download Ether! Oh, and Jaunt is still available, too!

An Open Letter To Kim Jong-Un

This your time. Your people will follow you into the future. Truly make the People's Republic live up to its name and allow you people's voices to be heard. Open your country to the world. End the Stalinist purges. End your nuclear program. End the useless propaganda—no one buys it, not even your own people anymore with modern technology. Follow the example set by Burma and allow elections. Follow China and open your markets. You have no blood on your hands, giving you legitimacy to the eyes of the world. Do all of these things and truly become a Beloved and Great Leader, not the facades your forefathers propagated. It is true Juche to do these great things.

Tsar Vladi's Bad Week

So, apparently parading around doing burly, manly activities (including hosting an Us vs. Them Russian-American wrestling match) isn't enough to wrangle your party to a total victory in a rigged parliamentary election in these desperate days anymore, Vlad. Sorry to hear your and Dmitry's pre-arranged job swap isn't inflaming great love for your return, either. While I doubt your electorate will kick you out for good (something tells me you'll find some spare votes in a crevice) perhaps you should think twice and consider a few guys to the south who've disregarded their populace this past year. Your armed forces have a lot of time on their hands, too, and I hear they don't get paid that well, or often. Keep an open mind.