Scalzi's got a very good post on finances. Which I suck at, unless presented to me in easy-to-understand form like The Richest Man In Babylon. My only quibble is I would suggest a SEP-IRA as superior to a Roth for the simple reason that you can put a lot more into it, but it's only available to you if writing or other free-lancy stuff is your income.

Oh, and save and organize your receipts.

In other links, Fresh Fiction reviewed Dragon Outcast. It's more of a "this is what goes on in the story" type review than an "E.E. Knight just made my literary life complete, I'll put my eyes out before I read any other author" that I'm used to on a day-to-day basis from those bottom-kissers at Kirkus.

So michaeldthomas and I were having a conversation about how we have to take the spouses to see Dirty Dancing: The Musical (that is, if our respective doctors certify we can handle the drama entailed in someone trying to put Baby in a corner) just because our wives are So Damn Great and I got to thinking: is there any Patrick Swayze movie that wouldn’t make an ass-kickin' musical?

Of course not!

The two most obvious contenders, to my mind, for the Great White Way are Red Dawn and Roadhouse. The songs practically write themselves:

Red Dawn
The Russians (and the Cubans, and the Nicaraguans) Are Coming! (Townspeople, students)
O! What a Beautiful Airdrop (Soviet Troops)
Blood of the Deer/Things Are Different Now (Danny, Robert/Toni, Erica)
Die, Commie (Jed)
It’s a Drive-In-Reeducation-Camp Life (American political prisoners)
WOLVERINES! (What you say?) (Wolverines, Soviets)
God, I’m A Gutless Pinko Coward (Mayor Bates)
Because We Live Here (The Reprisal Execution Boogie) (Jed, Matt)
Six Hundred Million Screamin’ Chinamen Can’t Be Wrong (Col. Tanner)
I’ve Got Hate To Keep Me Warm (Robert)
Shoot Strait For Once You Army Pukes (Col Tanner, Aardvark)
A Ruthless Hunter, I (Strelnikov)
Cuba On My Mind (Guerilla Warfare’s Just No Fun Anymore) (Col. Bella)
Two Hearts, One Hand Grenade (Jed, Toni)
All Used Up/Go, My Little Brothers (And Die On Those Swings) (Jed, Matt, Col. Bella)
This Rock Is Your Rock, This Rock Is My Rock (Danny, Erica, Dead Patriots, Ensemble)


Roadhouse
The Name Is Dalton (I Thought You’d Be Bigger) (Dalton, Ensemble)
A Little Club (about a hundred and thirty miles) Outside Of Kansas City (Frank Tilghman)
My Way -- Or The Highway (Dalton)
King Of Both Lanes Of The Road (Brad Wesley)
Pain Don’t Hurt (Dalton, Doc)
I’ll Pay You To Quit (playing that Jeff Healey medley) (Ensemble)
It’s Hard To Two-Step With A Razor In Your Boot (Jimmy, Thugs, Waitresses)
Pointless Naked Pool Party (Everybody Dance!) (Drunks & Floozies)
I'm Sorry, Boss (Tinker, Mountain, Thugs, Brad Wesley)
It’s My Monster Truck And I’ll Run Over Your Car Dealership If I Want To (Brad Wesley, Tinker)
My HMO Can Screw Me If It’s With An Ass Like Yours, Doc (Dalton)
Zen And The Art of Ripping People’s Throats Out (Dalton, Jimmy)
Don’t Eat The Big Pink Mint (I’m Just Sayin’) (Wade)
It Was Tails/Getting All The Sleep I Need Now That I’m Dead (Brad Wesley, Thugs, Wade)
Aren’t There Any Fuckin’ Police In This Town? (I’m Just Sayin’ Reprise) (Audience)
And the Bouncer say “Boom Boom Boom” (Dalton, Thugs, Brad Wesley)
So Friggin’ What? (Ensemble, Audience)

What are you waiting for, Broadway? A libretto?