472 thoughts on “Kingdom of Rain”

1. Maria,
   You really should try to stay on your medication. It makes all those delusions so much less pesky.

2. Sorry,
   two people. amazing.

3. When the terrorists show up on our coastlines with guns, and raid my house, then I will fight the war for oil that Bush has brought upon our nation. Until then, I will not be afraid.

4. Whoops. I meant cheese eating surrender monkeys.

5. Fluffy,
   Me again….The BBC isn’t exactly the best place to get centered news. When I was working in the intelligence field we didn’t trust BBC or their American counter part CNN (we jokingly called Classified News Network). So please don’t believe everything you read on BBC or CNN.
   Like I said before. Powell gave plenty of reason to go after Sadam. I really don’t see many civilian deaths. Although, not to long ago Sadam said he would use his own weapons on his own people and blame us. He also puts SAM’s and AAA’s and things of that nature next to mosque, hospitals, and schools. (Which is against LOAC (Law Of Armed Conflict). We didn’t hit those targets during the Gulf war because of that.
   I am telling you, there is plenty of evidence out there for us to attack Iraq. I really wish that Powell could give more info to the world. BUT that would risk too many lives and we would loose to many resourses.
   Sadam is starving his own people not our embargos. He really needs to go and I think that it will happen with minimal casualties.

6. Wil,
   I’ve read your blog for a while now (the feed to it is THE single reason I finally forked over the cash to Livejournal for a paid subscription), but haven’t ever posted a comment.
   I gotta say now, though, that you totally rock. Must admit I wasn’t a Wesley Crusher fan, but I am now a huge Wil Wheaton fan, which seems more realistic to me anyway. I will be buying your book, and I know it will be worth it.
   Thanks for saying what I’ve been thinking all week. And I don’t think either of us are UnAmerican…it’s not UnAmerican to want people to stop and think instead of bleating like sheep and following the first loud voice. Disallowing nailclippers on planes to avoid terrorist acts makes about as much sense as putting roller skates on a fish, but when the masses panic, these things suddenly seem “reasonable” to the herd until someone yells, “HEY, THE EMPEROR ISN’T WEARING ANY CLOTHES, PAY ATTENTION!”
   Please don’t let those who are easily led or who think with their emotions instead of their gray matter get you down. They’re louder, but you’re definitely not alone.
   Thanks for…dunno. Playing “Munchkin” and being a technonerd and having a brain and being articulate and interesting, I suppose. Hang in there!

7. Fluffy,
   Whether you personally are anti-Semitic or not, the fact is that much of the anti-war movement has adopted this stance as part and parcel of their tirade. Reports are legion of the anti-Semitic signs and remarks at numerous anti-war rallies. As the old expression goes: lie down with dogs and you

8. You tell him, Eddgra!
   I just love how Fluffy claims to have disregarded “what he’s been told” and has been able to discover information for himself and form his “own opinion.” So did he spy on Iraq himself? Maybe he did the Sean Penn tour and was able to declare based on his stay at the Baghdad Hilton that Saddam has no WMD. Puh-leeze.

9. It appears increasingly likely that when an American-led coalition liberates Iraq, it will do so under the authority of 17 U.N. Security Council resolutions rather than 18. As a matter of international law, this will not make a difference, but as a matter of international politics it could prove to be a very big deal. France may have destroyed the U.N. as a serious institution.
   Just to review the events of the past few months, in November the Security Council passed Resolution 1441, which demanded that Saddam Hussein comply “immediately” with the 16 preceding resolutions, declared it his “final opportunity” to do so, and promised “serious consequences” if he failed to do so.
   The French, in an expression of sheer contempt for the United Nations, are sticking to the position that 1441 doesn’t mean what it says. Presented with ample evidence that Iraq has fallen short of the full compliance the U.N. demanded, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin made news excuses for delay: “The option of inspections has not been taken to the end.” Never mind that Resolution 1441 plainly and repeatedly states that compliance must be “immediate.” Instead of sticking to the letter and the spirit of 1441, the French ask us to take seriously such nonsense as an Iraqi “presidential decree” “banning” weapons of mass destruction. No wonder, as Daniel Henninger points out, Paris is now the laughingstock of the world.
   An 18th U.N. resolution would have been worthwhile, if we could have gotten one. It would have pre-empted the false argument we will soon hear that America is acting in defiance of the U.N. In fact, it is France and its minions that are defying the U.N. by insisting that its resolutions be ignored for the sake of keeping Saddam in power. But the contrary argument will carry some weight, especially among those, both here and abroad, for whom resentment of America’s power is their highest political principle.
   Does this mean that President Bush’s strategy of going through the U.N. was a failure? Not necessarily. The perfidious French and Germans were probably never going to be persuaded, but by making a show of his respect for international opinion, Bush probably made it easier to build an extensive alliance in support. And if the French want to destroy the U.N., is that really such a bad outcome? Last September the president issued a challenge:
   All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?
   It appears that France, which holds a veto on the Security Council, has boxed itself into a corner. There’s still a possibility that it could back down and support an 18th resolution, but given French obstinacy to this point, it’s getting hard to imagine a circumstance in which it could do so without looking even more ridiculous than it already does.
   In effect, President Bush posed two questions to the world last year: Can the U.N. be saved? Is it worth saving? It appears now that, thanks to the French, both questions have been answered in the negative. It is a clarifying moment.

10. Hi Wil,
    Well let me start off by saying that I love your work. “Stand by Me” is one of my favorite movies of all time and I think your a really good actor. But when it comes to politics your a dumb ass. I don’t know where you got the idea that most of the American people are against the war but that’sooooo untrue. Flip on CNN and the polls will tell you that 68% of the American people support a war. Where do you think terrorists get the funding to run airplanes into the world trade center??? It’s from regimes like Iraq. We have more than 20 countries on our side in support of the war. I don’t wanna a war either but it is needed for peace in the future. If your so anti-American then why don’t you move to France with the rest of those pussies. But that’s just my opinion……..no hard feelings.

11. Wow. The rich-fucking-asshole story is incredible; nobody has the right to treat someone else like that. They wouldn’t even have that right if you were their kids. 🙁

    But i’d like to disagree with you: you *should* post when you’re emotional. The fact that you do, that you share your emotions and what you’re feeling and your humanity, is what makes this site as good as it is: you’re a real person, not some celebrity talking head … and, ok, yeah, you can piss people off by posting when you’re emotional, but ultimately, those emotions, what you are feeling, is what you *are* …

    Don’t hide yourself for fear of offending.

12. America wants a war to show to the others that how BIG they are!!

13. Hey, that cartoon is super cool:))!!

14. Wil, I’ve never written a book before and I greatly admire you for doing so. I have to say, though, that I believe that YOU know how best to write your book. You have an excellent sense of style to your writing; and if a rewrite doesn’t feel ‘right’ with you, then it probably isn’t. My suggestion is to trust yourself. You know what’s right. Your readers want to hear how you say it, not how some editor wants to rearrange it. You can bet that I’ll be standing in line to get a copy of your book when it’s published!

15. Wil,
    Sometimes it is extremely gratifying to be petty. Usually it’s best just to daydream about it, especially when the pettiness deals with ‘getting even’ with Rich Fucking Assholes. So, I offer you this method of getting even with the RFA’s – submitted for your use or amusement. When the RFA’s have left their driveway exposed stroll over with a bottle of armor-all. Use the armor-all to write your favorite bit of profanity on their driveway (I suggest Rich Fucking Asshole). It will dry quickly and be invisible until the next time it rains where it will stand out like a neon sign. My kid brother wrote “Hi Dad” on our driveway 20 years ago, it still shows up big and beautiful to this day every time it rains. =)
    Enjoy,
    Jim

16. wil –
    a bit of advice: turn down the volume on your internal dialogue. no one wants to hear it. your whining is pathetic. do yourself and the rest of us a favor and shut down your weak-ass blog.

17. This is a little late in coming, but I’m glad you’ve decided to stick around, Wil. WWDN is part of my daily online ritual, and you’ve got a lot of good things to say.
    And, hell, you’re just being your own worst critic when it comes to the book publishing thing. Cut that out, k? 😉

18. Wil,
    I’ve never posted before but I have recently stumbled across and read your blog (wow, It’s big) and I think you’re a great writer. It’s amazing how you have opened up your life on this site! In my humble opinion, you have an uncanny ability to capture situations and express your emotions in words. Remain true to yourself and you will have a great book!
    Huh, my 4-year-old wants to watch Flubber. How about that?

19. Thank god-or-whatever-entity you feel as you do about the war. I share that view…and will probably get into some serious trouble for it. If you hear of a seventeen year old in northeastern Nebraska being suspended of lynched for her political views, it was probably me.

20. Wil,
    I’ve been visiting your site fairly regularly for months now, originally attracted because I was a TNG geek.
    You’re obviously quite talented and have a great sense of humor. And as this is your site after all, you are entirely justified in posting whatever you wish.
    That said, I strongly disagree with your stance towards Iraq and the Bush Administration. I beg you to re-read what James Taranto posted above; check out James Robbins (http://www.nationalreview.com/robbins/robbins021103.asp) and V.D. Hanson (http://www.nationalreview.com/nr_comment/nr_comment092001b.shtml). These folks — and many others — have made clear, concise and unemotional arguments as to why the United States should act.
    Just as being a “peacenik” doesn’t mean you’re anti-American, favoring military action doesn’t make you a bloodthirsty warmonger.
    One final thought: let’s assume for a minute that all accusations of Iraq’s posession of weapons of mass destruction are totally baseless.
    Shouldn’t Iraq’s human-rights record be enough to motivate moral and civilized countries to free an oppressed population?

21. Oliver said:

    America is probably nearing its darkest age yet and most of the Americans just can

22. Three words: Peace Through Strength.

23. Wil,
    You’re most definitely not un-American.
    You just talk out of your ass too much. Especially with that screed on the “Bush Junta.” Boy, was THAT a stretch.
    And how about this: if you don’t want to be scared, then maybe we ought to get rid of any kid of national terror alert system we have, eh? That way, when the VX gas starts seeping into your house, or the dirty bomb goes off, you can just sit in your chair with a dumb smile on your face, safe in the knowledge that the government isn’t scaring you. That is, until you DIE.
    Uninformed and non-thought out opinions like yours are EXACTLY the reason so many people in this country support Bush, and why so many are conservatives.
    And btw, this is to all the lefties on the board:
    .,,|,, o.O ,,|,,.

24. Hi, Wil
    I tried to email you but the damn thing didn’t work; all I wanted to say was that, if you’re worried about the book, email it to me and _I’ll_ tell you what I think. I hate to see a writer in distress.
    all the best,
    hutch

25. PS;
    The plural of lexus is _lexi_. The people who drive them are _lexons_. And their children are _lexicons_. Honestly…
    all the best,
    hutch

26. bob on a lightbulb, will.

27. Wil, you are writing for you so do exactlly that…write for YOU not for anyone else! if you really tried to please everyone where would you be? do it for YOU…it is your and only you matter to it…unless you are gonna to but ‘writen by Wil Wheaton &…&…&…’ then write what you want to! 🙂

28. OK…all I have to say as a Canadian is that I am scared living next to the USA – and very frustrated by the unethical, greedy and just plain stupid things that the American goverment is doing.
    flippin “son of a bush”

29. Hey, Vancouverisland —
    You guys don’t get out much up there, do you? What a pile of crap!
    But heck, let’s be honest here: I’d be scared, too, if I lived in a country with immagration controls as weak as yours. You never know WHAT kind of freaks you’re letting in. Also, it must be scary living in a country where the socialized medical system guarantees such long waits for treatment of almost any type of medical condition. As scared as they may be of America, your fellow countrymen sure don’t seem to have a problem sneaking below the border to have their surgeries done.
    You guys are just the North American version of the Euro-weenies — you bitch and whine about the U.S., but you sure don’t mind taking the free military defense we provide you. While your own military falls into ruin and low morale, you spend your money on social programs in the sure knowledge that we’ll come to your aid if there is ever any real trouble. Personally, I think it’s high time the U.S. told all you ungrateful wusses to take a hike and to handle your own damn defense.
    Of course, that assumes that someone would actually want to invade your country . . . oh well, I guess you really don’t need a military after all. Never mind.

30. This one is for Eddgra Fallin and Liam.
    Whatever your feelings on the vileness of anti-semitism, I object to being labeled as anti-semitic simply because I don’t support war with Iraq. It was an innacurate and unfair accusation to make. i give no free pass to Palastinian terrorists. I recognise that there is a cycle of violence in the the situation and BOTH sides are guilty of atrocities. Suicide bombers are guilty of blowing up buses, and the IDF is guilty of not giving a flying fuck about Palastinian civilains.
    I quote “this is a great victory for Israel” – this was from Sharon after a missile was used to destroy a block of flats, killing one terrorist (good riddance) and fourteen innocents, including a four month old baby. Its not a good situation and there is no way that one side can claim full justification over the other.
    As for the rest,
    “Reports are legion of anti-semitic” – have you tried looking for yourself? Have you been to see one of these rallys? I know there are some groups who go (such as the “Free Palistine group) who are anti-semitic, but it is unfair to tar the whole anti-war movement with the same brush.
    “Iraq is in severe material breach of the numerous UN resolutions passed against it” – true, very true. However so is America and several other states, including Israel. How about North Korea? THe country that likes to say “we have nukes and we aint scared of you!”.
    You call me a hypocrite, yet you refuse to produce the evidence. According to you, I am a hypocrite because I classify Bin Laden as a Bastard (what else would you call him), Internet Trolls as morons (insults are arguments to these people) and Bush as a chickenhawk (he has never served in war and was legally AWOL for several years yet now calls for war), while asking for reasoned arguments? Come on. Im an intelligent guy. Take the chance and give it a go. My E-mail is right there. I don’t mind. I would rather a discussion instead of this sniping.
    “Fluffy claims to have disregarded “what he’s been told” – WRONG. I claimed to have taken all the information presented by both sides and then looked for more…and then made a decision based on ALL OF IT.
    Sheesh.
    All I am saying is that war may do more harm than good and that the justifaction for it has been so badly presented that is is hard it know what to believe. If we are to go to war then I want to know why. For real. I’m sick of being lied to. Im sick of propaganda. I’m sick of twelve year old post-graduate dossiers being presented as up-to-date intelligence.
    I will march against WAR. not against Bush, not against America, not against Jews, or Muslims…but against WAR.
    Bin Laden is still out there…attacking Iraq will not stop him.

31. Hey VancouverIsland, if you’re scared perhaps you’d better go back and hide inside your Mother’s womb(If you ever left, the pusillanimous tone of your post suggests you’ve never ventured far if at all from that shelter). Aside from the defense umbrella we’ve provided you for the last 58 years there’s no place else on Earth where you might be safer. I know a lot of good, decent, moral Canadians and it sickens me to see what a pathetic bunch their fellow citizens are turning out to be. I think your countryman Mark Steyn speaks quite well on the sad state of affairs in your country and how it has impacted our view of you as a people: “But, since the war, our flabby Dominion’s position has weakened further. Not to be alarmist but I’d say the US is coming to regard Canada the way Australia regards Indonesia. Yes, it’s geographically close, an important trading partner, a cheap vacation destination and a nominal ally, but it has to be pushed and chivied into taking even the most perfunctory action against obvious enemies, and everyone knows that all kinds of dodgy characters have the run of the joint. Bali was a soft target for the terrorists because it exists in both worlds – a western enclave in bandit country. Canada also exists in both worlds: we’re the country that supports both the Princess Pats and Hezbollah.
    Washington knows that now. The big story since September 11th is that they finally see us for what we are: foreigners.”
    Don’t worry though, we’ll still protect you. It’s what the good guys always do, protect the weak and the stupid from themselves and the truly evil.

32. He isn’t talking out of his ass, he is expressing an opinion he formed based on information he was given. Talking out of one’s ass requires lack of information.
    The Bush administration *can* be viewed as the Bush Junta if you look at how they’ve used terrorism to make people conform to their hard right agenda (see pre 911 and post 911 dealings).
    Another good post by Wil. Glad to see you are sticking around. You should probably get rid of these comment boxes since it is just a fricking breeding ground of trolls who are bored with the condescending assholes at Slashdot.

33. Grow up and scratch the childish language. You sound like a baby with all the cusswords – Are you really that immature?

34. Fluffy,
    If you go back and read my last post directed toward you, I clearly stated that I was NOT necessarily accusing you of anti-Semitism. You say you are not anti-Semitic and I will take you at your word. What I AM saying is that associating with anti-Semites, whatever the cause, is repulsive. I am sure you would suddenly see the logic in this if pro-military-action folks started attending marches with Nazis.
    Your claim about Israel being in breach of UN resolutions, by the way, is false. There are various kinds of UNSC resolutions; some are mandatory, others are in a separate classification that is more or less a condemnation (kind of like a non-binding resolution in the Congress). ALL of the resolutions against Israel were of the second type, whereas ALL the resolutions against Iraq were of the first type. None of the anti-Israeli resolutions mandated that Israel do anything, so Israel is not in violation of anything. This argument is a red herring.
    As for my accusing you of hypocrisy, I stand by my statement. You accused others of being infantile and hurling insults, but you did the same thing. That’s hypocrisy. And no, you didn’t call bin Laden a bastard, you called other posters bastards: “Stick at it, and don’t let the bastards get you down.”
    As for why we need to either go to war or threaten it seriously enough that Saddam caves, the evidence is all there, if you will just choose to see it. Way back months ago the evidence was not as great, and yet the UNSC passed Resolution 1441 unanimously. France was a major player in this effort, and the resolution clearly called for complete compliance by Iraq. It was very explicit that Saddam either had to declare or show proof of destruction of ALL his WMD. Now the French and German weasels are saying that they didn’t really mean what they voted on before, and that endless inspections are good enough. With Saddam’s track record of deceit, the fact that a handful of pacifist UN inspectors can not find these weapons should come as no shock, especially considering the fact that France refused to go along with aggressive inspections when 1441 was passed. In the meantime, North Korea and all other hostile regimes are taking note of the UN’s lack of resolve and lack of seriousness, and they are only being emboldened. After all, why follow the rules when there is little chance of facing consequences?
    We are basically being told that we should follow the lead of a corrupt organization (the UN) that can’t even put its pants on in the morning. Half of its member nations are dictatorships (so the votes that are cast are representative of the dictators, not the people), Libya has been put in charge of human rights, and even in an obvious situation like Kosovo, the UNSC had to be drug kicking and screaming to make them do the right thing. You mentioned all the bluster in the UN about Israel, but note that there has been nary a whimper about Arafat

35. I, Palindrome —
    Perhaps you should move to a country with a REAL junta so that you can have a little freakin’ appreciation for the real meaning of that term. You and Wil are so full of it that it’s not even funny. And if Bush is “far right” to you, then you must be so far to the left that you think Nader is too conservative. Please go buy a clue.

36. Wesley Crusher – boldly taking idiotarianism where no geek has gone before!
    Oh well, at least he has a place to whine about his failed career and bash America.

37. Dear Eddgra Fallin,
    I apologize if you think that that my opinion was directed to hurt the American people. I could sit here and be petty by picking apart things wrong with America but what is that going to solve.
    Obviously pride does breed prejudice.
    Peace brother

38. Just remember will,
    WE DID NOT ELECT BUSH! he must be stopped from killing us all in a war that is unjust. write your congressman and the president, unfortunately that’s all we can do. Your partner in pain, Spencer

39. It’s the 21st Century equivalent of “duck and cover”.

40. The following is taken from Victor Davis Hanson’s book An Autumn of War:
    Q. Violence begets violence. What did war ever solve? Do we have to reply in kind-to get down to their level? Haven’t we learned more than “an eye for an eye” in the last thousand years? You cannot bomb in my name.”
    A. Violence can, in fact, breed an endless circle of violence (note Northern Ireland)-but only if there is no clear moral consensus, and it is practiced solely in equal measure. But overwhelming violence in response to great evil, while tragic, is not therein evil. Such a military response constitutes real humanity and bravery because it is not rhetorical or cheap, and stops the killing on the part of the killers.
    Those who work in peril 20 hours a day on carriers and behind enamy lines did not ask for this war, but they are nonetheless fighting to ensure that their own children and those of others to come do not have to make the sacrifices they are now so bravely enduring.
    War–whether to end slavery, to ruin the Nazi death camps, or to dismantle the Japanese military–has in fact ended grear evil inflicted on millions. And if we don’t reply now–as we didn’t to Hitler after Czechoslovakia, the Italians in Ethiopia, or the Japanese in Nanking–murder unchecked goes on to kill millions. Ask the Cambodians, Bosnians, or Tutus. We have learned from the last twenty-five hundered years that human nature is unchanging and that the well-intentioned efforts to disarm and outlaw war are dangerous–and that such utopian pacifism is always at someone else’s expense: usually those poorer, less educated, and not so “sophisticated” as yourself.
    Can you please tell me what you would have advocated on December 8, 1941? And if we cannot in your name bomb the source of our terror, can our domestic forces at least use deadly force here at home to protect civilians from more crashing airliners and suicide bombers?
    (written on Nov 1, 2001 and published in National Review Online on Nov 2. excerpted from An Autumn of War, a collection of published articles published after the events of 9/11.)
    my two cents:
    “The Bush Junta”? President Bush is not that facsist Saddam Hussein, Wil. You’re fighting in the wrong field. “Are the American people so soporific that they can’t see this bullshit for what it is?” Got it in one Wil. All us good ‘ole boys is just too dumb to unnerstand. Hey, what does soporific mean anyway?
    Wars have never been fought with 100% moral perfection, but they are fought so that the mass murder and atrocities will end. And insulting those who bear the burden of safe-guarding your comfortable existance (thereby insulting the rest of us who are on the same page)doesn’t make you sound anti-American. But it makes you sound foolish.
    – Karl

41. Alan said:
    “Not to be alarmist but I’d say the US is coming to regard Canada the way Australia regards Indonesia. Yes, it’s geographically close, an important trading partner, a cheap vacation destination and a nominal ally, but it has to be pushed and chivied into taking even the most perfunctory action against obvious enemies, and everyone knows that all kinds of dodgy characters have the run of the joint.”
    Yes, you’re right, our (Canadian) leaders are pretty dodgy. The same thing has been said of the current US government by a lot of Americans. As for not taking action, well, go tell that to our Navy men and women in the Gulf risking their necks to inspect shipping traffic, and to the families of the Canadian dead in Afghanistan your pilots accidentally bombed. Our government was one of the first to be onboard right after September 11th. And as for not standing up in the case of war, do you want to talk about when the US entered WWI and WWI vs. when Canada did?

42. Hey Fluffy,
    I

43. I believe that as Americans — the most free and most fortunate of all the world’s people — it is our duty to fight for everyone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Why should we be the only ones to enjoy these inaliable rights? This means destroying evil wherever it resides. We must stamp out terrorism wherever it breeds. We must defend democracy wherever it struggles to survive (and yes, this means funneling billions to our friends the Israelis, the most courageous free people on the planet). The people of Iraq have suffered long enough under the thumb of their brutal, murderous dictator (as have the Afghanis, Cubans, and North Koreans). We have let them down in the past. We must rectify this now. So I say MAKE WAR, NOT LOVE TO SADDAM (AND HIS FELLOW TYRANTS). Too simplistic for you?

44. A little advice about the book: the more you correct it, the more you’re gonna hate it, trust me!
    A little advice on war: Millions of people are going through the panic, fear, anger stage. If it happens, it happens to all of us. Never alone
    A little advice on life: If you’re feeling bitter towards other people, ignore them and make yourself feel better 🙂
    Peace
    Annie xxx

45. I am not all that old, but I did come of age almost 20 years ago. People were still being shot for attempting to make it across the Berlin Wall and Nuke’m Ronnie decided the best way to kick Russian butt was to build weapons so fast that they would go broke keeping up.
    Oddly enough it worked. But I remember talking to my parent and grand parents who still have the image of Nikita Kruchev banging on the table with his shoe screaming “We will BURY you” burned into their brains. Even though he was willing to kill us and even though people paid untold millions to create bombshelters they were never used, well except as a Brendan Frasier, Drew Barrymore vehicle.
    This is not to say something bad couldn’t happen, September 11 was bad (not as bad as orginally stated 30K people puleeze.) For the 10s of thousands family members of the few thousand who died in a nation of hundreds of millions it was bad, most of us felt bad and moved on.
    It did give me the opportunity to see what life would be like without airplanes. I live in a large metropolitian area and it was downright eerie.
    It is interesting that Blix has stated that Iraq isn’t doing everything it can but that there is no cause for alarm. Kim has his finger onna button, and the terrorists we are interrogating are so desperate to get out they will say anything. What was once certain isn’t so certain anymore although I am not sure what that will mean for us down the road.
    While life here is not as good as it was a few years ago it beats the livin hell out of most periods in the past AND may locations in the present. People feel the need to do something they should be thinking about the consequences and if they don’t think us going to war will help they should join the effort to stop it. Or they should decide the trust the gubbiment but we as a nation seem to care more about who Evan’s decision than we do about this issue.
    Jer,

46. Hey Wil,
    You know, I worked for a decade at a major electronics company throughout the 90s, and we had a saying in the factory… “There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production.” Ok, it was meant as a joke, but in reality, it carries a lot of weight.
    In my case, I recently had my first ever “professional” writing assignment published in a major magazine. While it wasn’t anywhere near the workload of an actual *book*, I know what you are going through. I wrote, and tweaked and rewrote and tweaked some more. I agonized over, felt frustrated by and questioned every single word that I wrote. It was only a measly 600 word review, but I must have redone it completely at least a dozen times. I’d finish it and walk away… the next day I’d read it over and HATE EVERY FUCKING WORD OF IT. Cut, paste, delete, rewrite.
    Then that slogan popped back into my mind. It was time to shoot the engineer. I took my final draft, made my final tweaks, crossed my fingers and sent it in. The responses I have gotten from it have all been positive, I realize now that I worried entirely too much about it.
    I don’t know if you’ll scroll all the way down to this post or not, but I hope you finally decide to shoot your engineer and start production. You have a lot of fans, (and you have even more people here who have actually taken time to get to know you to some extent) that are really looking forward to your book, myself included. You’ll never write the “perfect” book that won’t get some negative feedback, because you can never make everyone happy! So fuck it… write it so you are happy with it and be done with it. Stressing over it does no good.
    good luck man. I’m really looking forward to reading it. 🙂
    As for the trolls, hell… look at all the positive energy flowing your way from just THIS thread! You have a lot of people who care about you and think you’re a great guy. Fuck these piss-ant bastards that have nothing better to do than talk shit. You’re lucky, you can ignore them. They have to live with themselves. 🙂
    Peace, mojo and goodwill
    SB.

47. Qwitcherbitchin and get a life. Or a job.

48. never commented before, but just wanted to say…there’s nothing wrong with taking constructive criticism from others. in fact, it’s almost always a good thing…but you have to remember that you’re never going to be able to please everyone with every sentence. it’s impossible. don’t second guess yourself after hearing it, because your writing will suffer. besides, i can tell by your writings on the site that you’re talented- i bet your book will kick ass. 🙂

49. Wil,
    It *is* Ok to be scared or feel anxiety about your book. I always feel anxious when I post a work of my writing somewhere. I wonder if it’s good, if people will like it, etc. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. People just have different tastes. You have to go with what feels right to you. Writing is an expression of who we are, what we are thinking, and how we are feeling. Don’t let other people alter your perception of yourself.
    As for the war thing, it’s a sad fact that there are people who want to destroy America. Civilians don’t really know whats going on for sure bc the military can NOT disclose all of their info bc the media just leaks it and more people get killed/hurt. The media is purposely trying to instill fear bc they want to see people panicking bc they think it makes “good” news. The govt itself is trying to prepare people and keep things safe. There is a real threat but not as badly as the media is making it seem. Saddaam is a mistake that the US made and they are now trying to get rid of him. Is that moral? I don’t know. Probably not. Is it a good idea to do it to protect us from future attacks? Probably. War is ugly.
    But we should be glad we aren’t living in someplace like Israel. I have a friend, Eyal, in Israel. He told me how he has nightmares about the bombings and such. One day when he was passing out gas masks to civilians, his base got bombed and some of his friends were killed. He has to live in real genuine fear for his life and the lived of his loved ones. We should be thankful that we are not in that situation.

50. http://www.wilwheaton.net/mt/archives/2001_09.php

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