It's So Dangerous and Stupid It's Inevitable
Tuesday 29 June 2010 at 01:19 am
California wants to put banner ads on digital license plates. There are a bunch of reasons why this is as bad an idea as giving people small, portable devices on which they can read, write and watch television while driving. (Oh, wait.) You might as well put some geocities-style animated gifs in the windshield while you're at it.
California is in the study phase now, but even if they decide it's not for them, someone else will pick the idea up and run with it now.
Tuesday 29 June 2010 at 01:19 am
California wants to put banner ads on digital license plates. There are a bunch of reasons why this is as bad an idea as giving people small, portable devices on which they can read, write and watch television while driving. (Oh, wait.) You might as well put some geocities-style animated gifs in the windshield while you're at it.
California is in the study phase now, but even if they decide it's not for them, someone else will pick the idea up and run with it now.
Yes, This is True. More or Less.
Monday 28 June 2010 at 3:18 pm
SPNN came out and taped last month's Rockstar Storytellers show.
Monday 28 June 2010 at 3:18 pm
SPNN came out and taped last month's Rockstar Storytellers show.
Well, In My Book...
Saturday 26 June 2010 at 3:55 pm
Got pulled up onto a panel about reputation management this morning. After some initial statements about the various ways in which aggressive or inappropriate self promotion harms your reputation, the audience began to tug the self promotion thread. Soon the conversation was unraveled, and then rewoven, into a new pattern. I was glad, though, because talking about the right way to build awareness is much less embarrassing for me than talking about the reputation-killing mistakes you should avoid. Because I've made a few of them.
While it wasn't my intent to sell my books (or, for that matter, be on a panel here) I think this might lead to a sale or two. I like this. I really do. Also, I'm admittedly a little embarrassed over my short story collection. It's full of good stories and it's pretty well-written, but there are more typos in it than I care to have between covers bearing my name. This is my only professional regret about my early amateur years. If I were doing it again, I'd hire a freelance editor to take care of some sentence structures in The Box and the occasional errant indentation in Fruit Fly the Magician.
Back then, I was under the impression that anything I had already sold to a publication that paid me, edited the writing and released it into the public would be flawless. Naturally, I didn't think anything needed re-editing. Naturally, I was wrong. Now there's this pretty good collection of short stories out there with my name on it and, despite all of the other things I may have done right with it, it still serves to illustrate one of the main points people make when arguing against self-publishing.
So there's your lesson. Everyone needs an editor.
Also, in hindsight, I was on the panel because Steven Brust opened by asking who in the audience is actively involved in their own marketing. When my hand went up, he motioned for me to join the panel. I don't know what his intent was, but I like to think he was looking to provide a fresh unknown or two with the opportunity to state their case, and get their name out a little. I can tell you I wasn't the only self-marketing small presser in the audience (there was one more on either side of me, in fact) but I was the only one who put their hand up.
Next time, you other guys are coming up there with me.
Saturday 26 June 2010 at 3:55 pm
Got pulled up onto a panel about reputation management this morning. After some initial statements about the various ways in which aggressive or inappropriate self promotion harms your reputation, the audience began to tug the self promotion thread. Soon the conversation was unraveled, and then rewoven, into a new pattern. I was glad, though, because talking about the right way to build awareness is much less embarrassing for me than talking about the reputation-killing mistakes you should avoid. Because I've made a few of them.
While it wasn't my intent to sell my books (or, for that matter, be on a panel here) I think this might lead to a sale or two. I like this. I really do. Also, I'm admittedly a little embarrassed over my short story collection. It's full of good stories and it's pretty well-written, but there are more typos in it than I care to have between covers bearing my name. This is my only professional regret about my early amateur years. If I were doing it again, I'd hire a freelance editor to take care of some sentence structures in The Box and the occasional errant indentation in Fruit Fly the Magician.
Back then, I was under the impression that anything I had already sold to a publication that paid me, edited the writing and released it into the public would be flawless. Naturally, I didn't think anything needed re-editing. Naturally, I was wrong. Now there's this pretty good collection of short stories out there with my name on it and, despite all of the other things I may have done right with it, it still serves to illustrate one of the main points people make when arguing against self-publishing.
So there's your lesson. Everyone needs an editor.
Also, in hindsight, I was on the panel because Steven Brust opened by asking who in the audience is actively involved in their own marketing. When my hand went up, he motioned for me to join the panel. I don't know what his intent was, but I like to think he was looking to provide a fresh unknown or two with the opportunity to state their case, and get their name out a little. I can tell you I wasn't the only self-marketing small presser in the audience (there was one more on either side of me, in fact) but I was the only one who put their hand up.
Next time, you other guys are coming up there with me.
Quiet. Working.
Wednesday 23 June 2010 at 11:44 pm
Been writing freelance assignments from wake to collapse the last couple of days - with my only break being for the pub quiz I run on Tuesday nights - so sorry for any apparent lack of online presence. I'll get back to it soon enough.
Wednesday 23 June 2010 at 11:44 pm
Been writing freelance assignments from wake to collapse the last couple of days - with my only break being for the pub quiz I run on Tuesday nights - so sorry for any apparent lack of online presence. I'll get back to it soon enough.
Self-Contained Solar Power for Your iPad
Monday 21 June 2010 at 3:28 pm
Something I came across while researching some freelance work: Apple has filed a patent for a "touch-sensitive integrated solar panel" which would, presumably, power future-gen iPhones, iPods and iPads. If this ever sees the light of day, I will not only save up to buy one, I will proudly adorn myself in the ubiquitous hipster icon that is the giant Apple logo.
(Click for more from Patently Apple.)
Monday 21 June 2010 at 3:28 pm
Something I came across while researching some freelance work: Apple has filed a patent for a "touch-sensitive integrated solar panel" which would, presumably, power future-gen iPhones, iPods and iPads. If this ever sees the light of day, I will not only save up to buy one, I will proudly adorn myself in the ubiquitous hipster icon that is the giant Apple logo.
(Click for more from Patently Apple.)
Idiosynchronicity Trailer 2
Monday 21 June 2010 at 01:38 am
Yesterday we went out to the Nerd Party and filmed another trailer for the Fringe show. I'm stoked.
Monday 21 June 2010 at 01:38 am
Yesterday we went out to the Nerd Party and filmed another trailer for the Fringe show. I'm stoked.
Humans have a way of showing up when you least expect them.
Sunday 20 June 2010 at 02:31 am
Between the Wits event and the Nerd Party (and a solitary Thursday night featuring a bored, writers'-blocked me and the last of this year's birthday scotch) I spent more time on twitter this weekend than I usually do in a month. Now that the tweet flurry is finally winding down, I settled in to take one last look at the old tweetmill before getting on with the freelance work I've not been doing enough of these last few days, and I noticed that I'm on other people's lists. This is the first time I noticed this so I looked into it. Apparently, someone added me to their "cool-as-shit" list. I'm flattered. Also baffled. Also newly preoccupied with the other people on this list.
And now I'll add another thing to the list of stuff I regret having failed to do in 2010. You all remember when I spent the weekend at MarsCon and didn't once find the time to go say hello to Gwynyth Walsh, right? Well on Friday I spent the span of an afternoon talking to Jay Maynard, the actual Tron Guy and learning about his suit, its power sources, the infamy it's brought him and so on. I even got to thank him for handling his unexpected status as seminal internet meme so well, and for leading the way for other overly-passionate individuals (here I meant me, namely) to be ourselves - and be unapologetic about who we are - in front of the world. All that, and I forgot to pose for a picture with him.
Sunday 20 June 2010 at 02:31 am
Between the Wits event and the Nerd Party (and a solitary Thursday night featuring a bored, writers'-blocked me and the last of this year's birthday scotch) I spent more time on twitter this weekend than I usually do in a month. Now that the tweet flurry is finally winding down, I settled in to take one last look at the old tweetmill before getting on with the freelance work I've not been doing enough of these last few days, and I noticed that I'm on other people's lists. This is the first time I noticed this so I looked into it. Apparently, someone added me to their "cool-as-shit" list. I'm flattered. Also baffled. Also newly preoccupied with the other people on this list.
And now I'll add another thing to the list of stuff I regret having failed to do in 2010. You all remember when I spent the weekend at MarsCon and didn't once find the time to go say hello to Gwynyth Walsh, right? Well on Friday I spent the span of an afternoon talking to Jay Maynard, the actual Tron Guy and learning about his suit, its power sources, the infamy it's brought him and so on. I even got to thank him for handling his unexpected status as seminal internet meme so well, and for leading the way for other overly-passionate individuals (here I meant me, namely) to be ourselves - and be unapologetic about who we are - in front of the world. All that, and I forgot to pose for a picture with him.
The Sky is Falling, or Crying. I Can Never Be Certain.
Friday 18 June 2010 at 04:40 am
Another image of our crazy skies last night. This one comes from Jacquie Fuller.
Friday 18 June 2010 at 04:40 am
Another image of our crazy skies last night. This one comes from Jacquie Fuller.
Pictures From the Town With Kaleidoscope Skies
Friday 18 June 2010 at 12:49 am
Janey Winterbauer uploaded some pictures of the insanely-changing sky earlier this evening:
And I got one from the other side of town:
Friday 18 June 2010 at 12:49 am
Janey Winterbauer uploaded some pictures of the insanely-changing sky earlier this evening:
And I got one from the other side of town:
World to Joe Barton - There's Only Room for One Michele Bachmann
Thursday 17 June 2010 at 11:46 pm
In a story to which Janey Winterbauer pointed me, pretty much everyone is on Joe Barton's case for apologizing to BP.
Good. There aren't enough tea bags to steep in the mouths of the current crop of wackos as it is. If any more of these nuts make a name and a small campaign-earmarked fortune for themselves by channeling the political astuteness of Peter Griffin in the style of a lobotomized Groucho Marx, there won't be an unthrown pie left in Washington.
Thursday 17 June 2010 at 11:46 pm
In a story to which Janey Winterbauer pointed me, pretty much everyone is on Joe Barton's case for apologizing to BP.
Good. There aren't enough tea bags to steep in the mouths of the current crop of wackos as it is. If any more of these nuts make a name and a small campaign-earmarked fortune for themselves by channeling the political astuteness of Peter Griffin in the style of a lobotomized Groucho Marx, there won't be an unthrown pie left in Washington.
A Sun to Steer Her By
Wednesday 16 June 2010 at 1:56 pm
It's no Bajoran lightship, but Ikaros (or Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun) is nevertheless impressive. As anyone in the know will tell you, thin solar arrays like the one on this Japanese explorer are hard to get right. They're incredibly thin and fragile. All kinds of things can go wrong between the ground and the cold, dark reaches of our inner solar system. Still, they've pulled it off and we're one step closer to sustainable space travel.
In the Star Trek story, the sort of proto-steampunk Bajoran lightship ended up reaching warp speed when it snagged some anomaly. It was a solar eddy or some other piece of magical Trek science if I remember correctly. I doubt we'll ever get that lucky, though, and we'll probably be stuck with sub-light travel for a good, long time to come.
Which is fine, because I'm not ready for all that time disparity.
Wednesday 16 June 2010 at 1:56 pm
It's no Bajoran lightship, but Ikaros (or Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun) is nevertheless impressive. As anyone in the know will tell you, thin solar arrays like the one on this Japanese explorer are hard to get right. They're incredibly thin and fragile. All kinds of things can go wrong between the ground and the cold, dark reaches of our inner solar system. Still, they've pulled it off and we're one step closer to sustainable space travel.
In the Star Trek story, the sort of proto-steampunk Bajoran lightship ended up reaching warp speed when it snagged some anomaly. It was a solar eddy or some other piece of magical Trek science if I remember correctly. I doubt we'll ever get that lucky, though, and we'll probably be stuck with sub-light travel for a good, long time to come.
Which is fine, because I'm not ready for all that time disparity.
What Rob's Doing This Week
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 3:35 pm
Tonight is the Quiz, and Presentation Karaoke (see previous post) then Friday is John Hodgman (I'll be tweeting from this event) and on Saturday I'll be a celebrity judge at this costume contest. Oh, and tomorrow night is Fringe Festival stuff. I'll likely still find some time to catch up on writing between these things.
Next week, I'll be attending a talk by Maryn McKenna that will double as a local journalist networking thingy, and then it's 4th Street Fantasy Convention over the weekend. That's all I can think of, and I'm only putting it all here so that I don't forget about something later on.
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 3:35 pm
Tonight is the Quiz, and Presentation Karaoke (see previous post) then Friday is John Hodgman (I'll be tweeting from this event) and on Saturday I'll be a celebrity judge at this costume contest. Oh, and tomorrow night is Fringe Festival stuff. I'll likely still find some time to catch up on writing between these things.
Next week, I'll be attending a talk by Maryn McKenna that will double as a local journalist networking thingy, and then it's 4th Street Fantasy Convention over the weekend. That's all I can think of, and I'm only putting it all here so that I don't forget about something later on.
James Cameron on Planetary Radio
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 02:16 am
Here's an mp3 of James Cameron on a CalTech panel discussion of the science behind Avatar. I like his humility, and hope one day to achieve the same sort of zen humbleness, despite my obvious total perfection.
Also, Happy Harry has some fun with the Avatar sex scene they didn't show you in the theatrical release:
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 02:16 am
Here's an mp3 of James Cameron on a CalTech panel discussion of the science behind Avatar. I like his humility, and hope one day to achieve the same sort of zen humbleness, despite my obvious total perfection.
Also, Happy Harry has some fun with the Avatar sex scene they didn't show you in the theatrical release:
Nerd Week Begins
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12:33 am
So the big Nerd Week event is just about underway. Presentation Karaoke begins at 7pm on Tuesday. Contestants will stand up in front of the crowd and read the subtitles under some ridiculous Powerpoint presentation while they pretend they actually know/care about the subject. Should be interesting.
I'm hoping to pop round for a quick hello before heading out to Club Jäger to run the 8:30 quiz. The movie this week, by the way, is Pitch Black. That'd be this film:
So... See you there?
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12:33 am
So the big Nerd Week event is just about underway. Presentation Karaoke begins at 7pm on Tuesday. Contestants will stand up in front of the crowd and read the subtitles under some ridiculous Powerpoint presentation while they pretend they actually know/care about the subject. Should be interesting.
I'm hoping to pop round for a quick hello before heading out to Club Jäger to run the 8:30 quiz. The movie this week, by the way, is Pitch Black. That'd be this film:
So... See you there?
String Around My Finger
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12:12 am
Yeah, so... If I ever get offered a last-minute writing assignment for a little less money than I could have made just doing the same amount of writing for Livestrong and I take it because I think it will build my relationship with whichever editor was desperate enough to head hunt me, I should probably not take it. I don't need to add stress in my life.
Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12:12 am
Yeah, so... If I ever get offered a last-minute writing assignment for a little less money than I could have made just doing the same amount of writing for Livestrong and I take it because I think it will build my relationship with whichever editor was desperate enough to head hunt me, I should probably not take it. I don't need to add stress in my life.
The Kayak is Just a Metaphor
Sunday 13 June 2010 at 7:56 pm
About five years ago I decided that I needed a new hobby. (Keep in mind that, five years ago, I wasn't constantly and chronically behind on writing assignments like I am now, so finding some other way to use up my personal time seemed to make sense.) I landed on kayaking because I'd seen it done a few years earlier in Monterey. At that time, I was watching affluent ex-hippies paddle along while sea lions and otters followed and played. Once you've seen this sort of interaction with what any land-locked Midwesterner can only describe as exotic animals, you can't help by want to join in... So that got me to where I was five years ago, unemployed and with enough money in the bank not to worry about it.
What's important to note here is that none of the people with whom I spent any significant amount of time back then is allowed to see me today. Why? Because they were all out to destroy me. (Except for Susan. She's great. She just lives too far away.) I wouldn't say they were making a conscious effort, but they might as well have been. These were folks who told me, over and over, that I would never make it as a writer and that I had little to no redeeming value. I can't tell you their names because, somewhat ironically, I've become successful enough as a writer that they could sue me if I brought them up now. Back then, though, they were pretty dead-set on reminding me, as often as possible, that I should give up not just on writing, but on anything I might want to try.
So when I proclaimed my desire to learn to kayak, they naturally told me not to. I was clearly going to fail. One of them (who I'd like to label the better or worst of them except that they all sucked) said she'd teach me to do it, but that I should not go out and try it without her direct supervision because I would drown myself within minutes. And, because I was trying to spend less time in direct contact with mindless, mundane and condescending jerks who were out to elevate themselves by diminishing the potential of others, I turned that offer down.
Last weekend, Nancy and I were in close proximity to some kayaks and a lake. When I mentioned that I'd like to go out, she didn't pause to question it. She asked if I knew how, and I said I didn't, and she said, "Let's go." Kayaking, by the way, is pretty easy. In retrospect, bad people have talked me out of trying a lot of pretty easy stuff. If those useless and jealous idiots hadn't been chipping away at me all that time, all those years ago, I probably would have done a lot more than just become a successful writer. (Note that I'm talking about people who are still living upstairs at mom's while I pay the mortgage by writing.)
I owe every last ounce of my success to two things. First, there's you. The readers are the reason I can and do continue to write professionally. Second, there's you (and here I'm talking to a much smaller group of people who may or may not actually ever see this) who recognized and encouraged me over the last few years. Off the top of my head, I'll list you as Nancy Cerkvenik, MontiLee Stormer, Kate Iverson, Sanden Totten and Allegra Lingo. (There are certainly others, but I'm a bit rushed as I tap this out.)
I suppose I should thank those mundane dicks who used to hold me back as well, for without the years of my life they stole, I may not appreciate the years I'm in now. So, let's see. How do I do this without using their names? How about if I thank Fatty, Slutty, Lying Fatty, Slutty Fat Liar and Ugly. That should let them know who they are without letting any of you know, so let's say that. Or, I could just call them all nobodies...
The moral of this story, in case you're wondering, is don't let the nobodies make you one of them.
Sunday 13 June 2010 at 7:56 pm
About five years ago I decided that I needed a new hobby. (Keep in mind that, five years ago, I wasn't constantly and chronically behind on writing assignments like I am now, so finding some other way to use up my personal time seemed to make sense.) I landed on kayaking because I'd seen it done a few years earlier in Monterey. At that time, I was watching affluent ex-hippies paddle along while sea lions and otters followed and played. Once you've seen this sort of interaction with what any land-locked Midwesterner can only describe as exotic animals, you can't help by want to join in... So that got me to where I was five years ago, unemployed and with enough money in the bank not to worry about it.
What's important to note here is that none of the people with whom I spent any significant amount of time back then is allowed to see me today. Why? Because they were all out to destroy me. (Except for Susan. She's great. She just lives too far away.) I wouldn't say they were making a conscious effort, but they might as well have been. These were folks who told me, over and over, that I would never make it as a writer and that I had little to no redeeming value. I can't tell you their names because, somewhat ironically, I've become successful enough as a writer that they could sue me if I brought them up now. Back then, though, they were pretty dead-set on reminding me, as often as possible, that I should give up not just on writing, but on anything I might want to try.
So when I proclaimed my desire to learn to kayak, they naturally told me not to. I was clearly going to fail. One of them (who I'd like to label the better or worst of them except that they all sucked) said she'd teach me to do it, but that I should not go out and try it without her direct supervision because I would drown myself within minutes. And, because I was trying to spend less time in direct contact with mindless, mundane and condescending jerks who were out to elevate themselves by diminishing the potential of others, I turned that offer down.
Last weekend, Nancy and I were in close proximity to some kayaks and a lake. When I mentioned that I'd like to go out, she didn't pause to question it. She asked if I knew how, and I said I didn't, and she said, "Let's go." Kayaking, by the way, is pretty easy. In retrospect, bad people have talked me out of trying a lot of pretty easy stuff. If those useless and jealous idiots hadn't been chipping away at me all that time, all those years ago, I probably would have done a lot more than just become a successful writer. (Note that I'm talking about people who are still living upstairs at mom's while I pay the mortgage by writing.)
I owe every last ounce of my success to two things. First, there's you. The readers are the reason I can and do continue to write professionally. Second, there's you (and here I'm talking to a much smaller group of people who may or may not actually ever see this) who recognized and encouraged me over the last few years. Off the top of my head, I'll list you as Nancy Cerkvenik, MontiLee Stormer, Kate Iverson, Sanden Totten and Allegra Lingo. (There are certainly others, but I'm a bit rushed as I tap this out.)
I suppose I should thank those mundane dicks who used to hold me back as well, for without the years of my life they stole, I may not appreciate the years I'm in now. So, let's see. How do I do this without using their names? How about if I thank Fatty, Slutty, Lying Fatty, Slutty Fat Liar and Ugly. That should let them know who they are without letting any of you know, so let's say that. Or, I could just call them all nobodies...
The moral of this story, in case you're wondering, is don't let the nobodies make you one of them.
Idiosynchronicity Teaser Trailer
Thursday 10 June 2010 at 1:01 pm
So we're going with a low-budge feel on the trailers for my upcoming show. This is due primarily to the fact that it's a low-budge project. That said, here's the first of many teaser trailers I intend to put out, with thanks to Jonah the Destroyer for jumping in on this one.
Thursday 10 June 2010 at 1:01 pm
So we're going with a low-budge feel on the trailers for my upcoming show. This is due primarily to the fact that it's a low-budge project. That said, here's the first of many teaser trailers I intend to put out, with thanks to Jonah the Destroyer for jumping in on this one.
