Interlude

This is a short interim piece. Balancing among kids, the technical challenges of changing websites and supporting Mac users via long distance, kids, sheer laziness, and kids is taking up the time I'd otherwise use blathering these days. So I'll just leave you with these items:

• The only comment I'm going to make about this story concerning e-book royalties is simultaneously sarcastic and serious: Is so-called "publishing journalism" really as credulous as publishers think authors are? On the basis of the shallow analysis of this event — I'm picking on that particular story this time, but others have been similar — it's a very, very close call.
• Sometimes it doesn't pay to try to manipulate a jury. Especially not when the judge has a reputation for not putting up with nonsense, as these patent litigators have found out. Just because the substance of the underlying dispute is probably beyond the understanding of the judge and jury does not mean arrogance works very well...
• Finally, a bit of thought on the elections. It's a sad statement when every single one of these fictional candidates for the 2008 elections would be a better choice than anyone who is running. And that's before one gets into the Bob Russell/Matt Santos/Arnold Vinick end of things.