25 December 2009
29 November 2009
NaNoWriMo - I Did It!
I reached and exceeded my word count for NaNoWriMo! I hit the 51,612th word this afternoon, one day before the end of November.I am now left with a thinly fictionalized memoir that is in deep need of multiple revisions, followed by excessive proofing.
Most of what I wrote is abysmal. I decided from the start that I must allow myself to let it flow. I even laid off my internal editor for the entire month of November. He's glad not to have to look at what I wrote. He took a sneak peak about mid-month and started screaming at me about relevancy and deeper meaning. That got him locked out for the duration of the month.
All in all, NaNoWriMo left me with the following lessons:
- It's always best to write from the cuff if you hope to meet a predetermined word count goal by the time the deadline rolls around.
- It's not so hard to write a memoir. I rarely got hung up on details and story ideas, as I was pulling from personal experience.
- 50,000 words isn't actually that much. It's a little over 110 pages in MS Word.
- To achieve a goal, it works best when you set a deadline.
For now, there's an erotic fiction writing contest that I have been inspired to participate in. The word count is only 3000-5000 words. Suddenly, that many words seems like it would be a cinch to write.
30 October 2009
Town Bans All Peach Pictures
The mayor and City Council of Sweethome, Alabama, held an emergency session this week. The topic on hand was any form of advertising that includes an illustrated peach. Town officials claim that advertisers intentionally use sexually charged angles and exaggeration of the fruit's signature crack to sell more product.
In his formal statement, Mayor Joe "The Evangelist" Jones said, "This is a wholesome town, an All-American God-fearing town. We won't stand by as companies slyly try to use sex to sell their wares."
Advertisers are up in arms over the claims. Most of the brands with the offending images are from major distributors. They explain that the images are drawn in ways that will automatically register as a peach, not in ways that elicit lust.
CEO John Lyman of the Yummy Yogurt company said, "Look, you got to be some sort of perv to get turned on by walking through the food aisles at your local grocer."
Most Sweethome stores have circumvented the law by covering the images with large stickers.
In his formal statement, Mayor Joe "The Evangelist" Jones said, "This is a wholesome town, an All-American God-fearing town. We won't stand by as companies slyly try to use sex to sell their wares."
Advertisers are up in arms over the claims. Most of the brands with the offending images are from major distributors. They explain that the images are drawn in ways that will automatically register as a peach, not in ways that elicit lust.
CEO John Lyman of the Yummy Yogurt company said, "Look, you got to be some sort of perv to get turned on by walking through the food aisles at your local grocer."
Most Sweethome stores have circumvented the law by covering the images with large stickers.
15 October 2009
Climate Ch-ch-changes!
"It was so hot this summer," said one of my Alaskan relatives.
"It snowed here in Mass. It rarely if ever snowed here before and never this early," said a former college classmate.
"Our vineyards are drying up," said a Sonoma Valley winery.
For each of these expressed woes, there is an inverse of praise.
"It was so warm this summer," said a second-year Alaskan resident.
"It snowed here in Massachusetts. I even got to build a snow person," said a long-time Boston resident on CNN.
"Our vineyards do better every year," said an Rogue Valley, Oregon, winery.
The only constant in life is change, and the climate is no exception. Where some regions are experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, others benefit from it.
Climate change is indeed cyclical, as many global warming naysayers claim. However, the rate at which the world's climate is changing is not normal.
Too many of the signs point to the sad fact that it's too late to stop this accelerated period of climate change. That doesn't mean we can't do our utmost to slow it down, though.
Here are some things you can do to combat climate change:
Park the car!
This is a huge one. Vehicle emissions account for the single largest factor in creating the pollution responsible for global warming. If you can walk to your destination in 15 minutes, then leave your rig in the driveway. Walk or bike instead.
Resist Gadget Glut!
Whether it's the latest iPhone to come out, the newest version of Amazon Kindle, a brand spanking new GPS, or a margarita making machine, all these cool gadgets are created in factories. Most often, these factories are located in countries with almost no pollutant restrictions.
Boycott Excess Packaging!
Ever get a Lunchable for your kid or sibling? Every single item is sealed in its own little piece of cellophane. And what about that nifty little container? All of these items eventually wind up in a landfill, where they remain for decades. The result is massive piles of trash producing an excess of toxic methane gases.
Don't Be a Green Sheeple!
Too many people trust that the products they purchase are better for the environment. All because the packaging says the product is ecofriendly. People buying organic cotton, for instance, believe that they are doing the right thing for the earth. What they don't know is that it takes 4 times as much land to produce organic cotton, which represents a tremendous drain on already meager water resources. A better alternative is to purchase used clothing from a thrift store or clothing produced from recycled fibers, or even better, hemp!
Consider your options. Put them into play. Fight climate change by changing your habits. As for that wacky weather and its effects on your environment, I say, "Roll with it and embrace the change."
"It snowed here in Mass. It rarely if ever snowed here before and never this early," said a former college classmate.
"Our vineyards are drying up," said a Sonoma Valley winery.
For each of these expressed woes, there is an inverse of praise.
"It was so warm this summer," said a second-year Alaskan resident.
"It snowed here in Massachusetts. I even got to build a snow person," said a long-time Boston resident on CNN.
"Our vineyards do better every year," said an Rogue Valley, Oregon, winery.
The only constant in life is change, and the climate is no exception. Where some regions are experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, others benefit from it.
Climate change is indeed cyclical, as many global warming naysayers claim. However, the rate at which the world's climate is changing is not normal.
Too many of the signs point to the sad fact that it's too late to stop this accelerated period of climate change. That doesn't mean we can't do our utmost to slow it down, though.
Here are some things you can do to combat climate change:
Park the car!
This is a huge one. Vehicle emissions account for the single largest factor in creating the pollution responsible for global warming. If you can walk to your destination in 15 minutes, then leave your rig in the driveway. Walk or bike instead.
Resist Gadget Glut!
Whether it's the latest iPhone to come out, the newest version of Amazon Kindle, a brand spanking new GPS, or a margarita making machine, all these cool gadgets are created in factories. Most often, these factories are located in countries with almost no pollutant restrictions.
Boycott Excess Packaging!
Ever get a Lunchable for your kid or sibling? Every single item is sealed in its own little piece of cellophane. And what about that nifty little container? All of these items eventually wind up in a landfill, where they remain for decades. The result is massive piles of trash producing an excess of toxic methane gases.
Don't Be a Green Sheeple!
Too many people trust that the products they purchase are better for the environment. All because the packaging says the product is ecofriendly. People buying organic cotton, for instance, believe that they are doing the right thing for the earth. What they don't know is that it takes 4 times as much land to produce organic cotton, which represents a tremendous drain on already meager water resources. A better alternative is to purchase used clothing from a thrift store or clothing produced from recycled fibers, or even better, hemp!
Consider your options. Put them into play. Fight climate change by changing your habits. As for that wacky weather and its effects on your environment, I say, "Roll with it and embrace the change."
07 October 2009
28 September 2009
Poof
Do you know
the power of
a marshmallow
slow roasted over
an electric stove?
— Kyle Stich, 28 Sept 2009
the power of
a marshmallow
slow roasted over
an electric stove?
— Kyle Stich, 28 Sept 2009
27 September 2009
A Random Quote #2
"Dogs are anthropologists among us. They are students of our behavior."
— Alexandra Horowitz from her book Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
— Alexandra Horowitz from her book Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
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