2010.03.03
MacHeist nanoBundle 2
For those of you interested in trying out new kinds of software on the cheap for a good cause, MacHeist is having their second nanoBundle sale. Featured are MacJournal, RipIt, Clips, CoverScout and Flow, plus if enough people purchase this $19.95 bundle, Tales of Monkey Island and RapidWeaver. While I haven’t used all the software I’ve gotten from these bundles in the past, usually the bundle costs less than most of the applications listed individually. In other words, a pretty good deal!
No Comments | Catergorized: apple geek technology2010.03.01
Writer’s Advice
Sometimes I love lists. I rather miss doing the Top Five back on OOKEE.com. Not that lists are all-encompassing. They are generalities at best, clichés as worst, and fun none-the-less. To that end I thought these lists of advice from authors on writing was pretty good, especially Elmore Leonard’s:
3 Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But “said” is far less intrusive than “grumbled”, “gasped”, “cautioned”, “lied”. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with “she asseverated” and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.6 Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose”. This rule doesn’t require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use “suddenly” tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, what do the “Ameri can and the girl with him” look like? “She had taken off her hat and put it on the table.” That’s the only reference to a physical description in the story.
That being said, AL Kennedy has some of his own good advice:
1 Have humility. Older/more experienced/more convincing writers may offer rules and varieties of advice. Consider what they say. However, don’t automatically give them charge of your brain, or anything else – they might be bitter, twisted, burned-out, manipulative, or just not very like you.
This all ties in nicely with something Neil Cross wrote about titles and working titles found on the Scrivener FB page… Who knew working titles of such famous books were so horrible?
No Comments | Catergorized: books2010.02.25
Cafe Racer in Noe Valley
Spotted last weekend in Noe Valley along 24th Street. Black with gold detail. The engine was Honda, but I didn’t see the size anywhere (though painted on the block was 1100). The seat said, “BEEF,” which I hope was a favorite food…
One of the cool, cool details was the speedometer. It looks like they use lights to indicate the speed; more lights more speed. Very cool!
The plates were from Connecticut (I believe; CON is what they use there?). Hopefully they’re having a blast riding around the Bay Area!
No Comments | Catergorized: motorcycle san francisco2010.02.13
We Love You, Too!
Yesterday was “Colorado Loves California Day” in Colorado. Supposedly it was to try and lure businesses away from CA and over to CO, but in fact I think it was simply to show budgetary solidarity with us.
Here’s the official press release.
No Comments | Catergorized: thoughts2010.02.12
Facebook is Not a Blog
While I have to admit that I appreciate Facebook’s status updates, I have to say I hate how some users seem to think status updates are some form of blog. I realize they should be short and succinct. However, don’t just say, “Cool!” followed by a link. I don’t want to follow links out of Facebook, especially from my phone. Give me some indication of what is so “Cool!” will ya? Like this:
Cool! Doug finally uses his blog!
Short, succinct, with all the information I need to determine if I want to bother, which in my example I’m probably not too interested…
2 Comments | Catergorized: grrr technology2010.02.09
Norton’s Vault
Many of you that know me also know that I have a fond appreciation of all things Norton. Emperor Norton, that is. Last week when Banana Flash and I were wandering downtown looking for a place to eat and stumbled upon Norton’s Vault well, we just had to eat there. In the end the food wasn’t awesome and the improvised Irish coffee was… less than awesome. But the place is wonderful and I am going there again. I wonder if they can get me into one of the building’s real vaults?
No Comments | Catergorized: food-drink2010.02.07
Super Bowl Date Trends
It’s been my observation that over the years the Super Bowl has been coming later and later every year. I remember from my youth that it was a mid-January event. Now it’s more and more an early-February event. Soon enough it will become a mid-February event. Using these dates as reference I’ve put together this handy chart clearly showing this tendency. Click on the chart for full size.
I’d be curious to hear what people’s thoughts might be concerning the incursion of the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day (which should happen in 2016) and how this will affect gender relationships, if at all.
1 Comment | Catergorized: thoughts2010.02.06
Cutting Services
I read this article and my first thoughts were, “Holy shit!”
COLORADO SPRINGS — This tax-averse city is about to learn what it looks and feels like when budget cuts slash services most Americans consider part of the urban fabric.More than a third of the streetlights in Colorado Springs will go dark Monday. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops — dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled.
The parks department removed trash cans last week, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter.
Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own lawn mowers to local green spaces, because parks workers will mow them only once every two weeks. If that.
Water cutbacks mean most parks will be dead, brown turf by July; the flower and fertilizer budget is zero.
City recreation centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and a handful of museums will close for good March 31 unless they find private funding to stay open. Buses no longer run on evenings and weekends. The city won’t pay for any street paving, relying instead on a regional authority that can meet only about 10 percent of the need.
Yet the more I thought about it, the more I came to appreciate what was happening, especially in places where people are averse to taxes. “You don’t want to pay taxes, then here are the consequences.” I think this is pretty much what the state of California needs to do. You don’t want to repeal Prop 13? You want to keep heaping on voter initiatives that cost the state money? Then you will have to deal with the consequences and, like Colorado Springs, it will be painful.
2 Comments | Catergorized: political thoughts2010.01.24
Wedding Invitations
Rosa and I thought long and hard about our wedding invitations. In the end we’re decided to work with Larissa at Papercake Designs. We were going to do a video, but then we saw someone else beat us to the punch line with that idea…
2 Comments | Catergorized: life movies2010.01.10
Stab Me With That Pointy Thing
So I’ve started off 2010 with something I never thought I would try: acupuncture. Rosa got me the appointment at the Kabuki Springs in Japan Town.
I tend to not to go in for these folk remedies and favor hard science (though as everyone knows, it is sometimes far from “hard” as new discoveries are made). Never the less, I went in with an open mind and while I don’t know if it will help, it was an amazingly relaxing experience. Once the needles were inserted I was left in the darkened room by myself for about 40 minutes. If you had asked me how long it was, I would have said ten or fifteen at best. During that time I meditated and let my mind wander. Weirdly I saw a lot of faces. Most of them I didn’t know but Rosa and my Mom’s were in there, as well as my friend from Prague, Richmond.
Afterwards, when heading to my motorcycle, I felt very calm. I felt very light and yet very grounded to the earth. Heavy and light at the same time. It was a nice feeling… Very pohoda.
I wouldn’t recommend acupuncture for everyone, but for me it was extremely relaxing and, who knows, it might even help me in the long run.
1 Comment | Catergorized: life
