Reddit AMA, Facebook contest, Happy Indie Day: Yet Another Catch-All Newspost

So much going on. It's noisy out! 

First off, tonight at 8pm Eastern I'm doing a Reddit AMA (my first ever) with several other creators involved in the A Knight in The Silk Purse anthology. This is the fantasy anthology I'm writing a story for, the one whose Kickstarter project ends on Friday, July 5th.

Would you like to win a copy of The Body Politic? The contest is here. Two winners, one selected randomly, one chosen by a panel of me and Sandra. Yes, this requires Facebook membership, but you get more chances to win if you spread the word a bit. Follow that link and read the rules for details.

The Lone Ranger was not a very good movie. Too long by half, too violent to be fun, to funny to let us take the violence seriously, and I'm just not comfortable watching Johnny Depp do "Jack Sparrow as the whitewashed Magical Negro." I owe you a full review, rant and all. Until then? See something else.

White House Down was far, far better than I expected. I was actually looking forward to writing a mean-spirited review, but with the exception of a few "things don't really work that way" problems, this movie was great. Lots of heart. Again, I owe you a full review. If you need an alternative for The Lone Ranger, this fits the bill.

Happy Independence Day! Weird ramble now follows: several years ago my friends Dave Kellett and Kris Straub suggested that the word "webcomics" needed to die. We were all just "independent comics" or "indie comics." I didn't make the connection between "indie" and the Declaration of Independence (and the subsequent, historically significant war) until just now, but it occurs to me that there are parallels. As we Americans celebrate the birth of our nation, rejoicing in the things we can accomplish together, we should also consider the things we can accomplish when we set out on our own. 

I'm not suggesting that your employer, your family, or some other meta-umbilicus has been unjustly imposing upon you to the point that you must sever all ties. I'm merely asking you to consider what "going indie" would mean for you. Would it be scary? Would it bring hardship? Would it be rewarding? Might it kill you? It's probably safer than going to war with the 18th-century British Empire, but it's worth thinking about.

Enjoy the holiday. I'm going to spend much of mine working, because that's what "going indie" meant for me. I wouldn't have it any other way.