And the reading list keeps growing. Weeee…
Ricky Gervais on how to tell a story. Or about what a story really is, or what you should be writing, or his pivotal point in story telling, or whatever.
Cate Kennedy's to 10 (actually 11) tips for writers. Some stuff you normally don't hear about. Number 7 is particularly good and sometimes my worst hurdle. And a great many writer (And designer) wannabes get taken out when they encounter number 9.
Why don't writers have a lingo? Actually we already have one, but some of these are pretty good.
Need to get away to write? (Oh boy, do I ever) Here's nine writing residencies from around the world. Is it just me or does the Iceland, Mexico, and Arctic Circle ones sound the best?
"It’s with very real regret that we must inform you that your petition to play devil’s advocate has been denied." Actually, I'm waiting for the Vatican to reinstate the office Promotor Fidei (Promoter of the Faith, aka the Devil's Advocate) so I can get a t-shirt. (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Just in case you think that the current insanity among conservatives is a new phenomenon, a recent book about the "civic hysteria" in Dallas in the early 60s (which lead to the assassination of JFK. "In a new history, Dallas 1963, (the authors) explore the city in the years leading up to the assassination — and they describe an angry place, a stew of superpatriotism fueled by anti-Communist paranoia, fierce racism and anti-Semitism." Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Another one of the new jobs. Note "ability to work flexible schedule" and it only being 20-25 hours a week on a contract basis. That means, "be available full-time, but we'll only need and pay you when we need you."
"Here’s to safe, legal, effective contraception for all." Because humans will use some type of it anyway, even if it kills them. Here is an opening to the code of advertising. In this case, the 50's and the Lysol Douche. And if you don't think the same idiot stuff happens today, you really aren't paying attention (the recent use of "bath salts" which aren't either). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The new $100s are here! The new $100s are here! "Over the next year or so, the Federal Reserve will release $350 billion in $100 bills into the money pool, as it pulls the old ones out. But where, exactly, all those bills will go is one of life’s great mysteries." It's not a mystery, especially once you know the c-note is the lingua franca of the black (and grey) market. And that market is huge. When the Fed last released a new $100, most of their advertising over it was done in Russia and the Horn of Africa countries. Because that's where most of the bills are.
"Without the government data that produces that formula, producers are forced to use private source data to set the rate. And since that data is only based on different cuts of the hog -- hams, loins, ribs -- packers and producers are having to work backward in order to set prices." Yea, the government does nothing for businesses. Except it does everything for them by creating the playing field and making sure everybody stays "honest", as best it can.
"If you like the work being done by those private churches and charities — $4 billion in food assistance! — then listen to the people doing that work. They’re not able to do 24 times what they’re doing now." Fred Clark is very smart about charity and the scope of the work before us. This is good to keep in mind as the stories of "private" money (or state money) helping to open up small slices of the federal government.
Also, if you missed this links post by the Slactivist you really ought to go read it. Seven links to opinions about the causes of the shutdown. Same ol' politics. I was commenting today to a person I work with at the hospital that it seems like all those bad habits from the 80s (when I started working in professional jobs) and before have come back with a vengeance. It's almost as if the 90s never really happened (except for computers on everybody's desk). And it's not by accident.
No comments:
Post a Comment