After Balloon Boy and the White House Party Crashers, what’s going to be the next self-aggrandizing, dangerous, expensive stunt to get in the headlines? What do people have to do these days to get their own reality TV show?
Posted in Culture
Forget Jaws, and those giant squid that attacked San Diego last year. In the Sea of Japan, swarms of giant jellyfish have capsized fishing vessels.
Sadly, I have to pass along the news that my webmaster, Andy Greig, died on November 21st. Andy commented on this blog as The Webmaster, and many readers will remember him. He’d been ill with cancer for almost two years. He leaves his wife Sara and four children.
He was a terrific guy, funny, lively, and a pleasure to work with. My enduring image is of Andy pulling up on a motorcycle, wearing full leathers, with his Mac in a backpack, ready to talk computers, graphic design, and books. He’ll be dearly missed.
Sara has posted a message on Andy’s blog, Grumpy Old Git. And I’m touched that another reader of this blog, who never met Andy in person, has already left a lovely message of condolence on his site. Thanks for that.
Posted in Life
Tomorrow I’m packing up the edits and heading off for a few days. I’m going to hide out in an undisclosed location to do final battle with the revisions to my new novel. Well, I’ll also be celebrating Thanksgiving. But mostly doing battle. The Husband will be nearby to rescue me if the manuscript gets the upper hand. He’ll throw water at it and pull me out. But I fully expect to whip this sucker. And eat pumpkin pie.
Back online in a day or two.
Posted in Uncategorized
Sparkly reindeer-dung jewelry.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Sparkly reindeer-dung necklaces are going on sale at an Illinois zoo that hopes to attract the same holiday shoppers who swept up its dung Christmas ornaments last year.
The limited-edition Magical Reindeer Gem necklaces will debut Friday at the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington.
“The $15 pendant necklaces contain dried, sterilized reindeer droppings — sprayed with glitter — on a beaded chain.”
And I don’t want any fruitcakes. Or maybe I should say: I don’t want this, fruitcakes.
Posted in Random
I’m not ignoring everybody. Okay, I am. But for a good reason. Soon, when I finish my mortal combat with this document I’m battling, a shiny new novel will be born. Or kicked out the door, screaming. Or maybe that’ll be me.
In any event, once I finish editing the manuscript, I’ll hang out at the bloggy watercooler some more.
Back soon.
Posted in Writing
Posted in Uncategorized
“I’m not interested in writing short stories. Anything that doesn’t take years of your life and drive you to suicide hardly seems worth doing.”
From a great interview with McCarthy in today’s Wall Street Journal.
Posted in Writing
Upset that your vanity-press-published book didn’t win the National Book Award? Fear not. Enter it in the National Best Books Awards. Authors published by vanity presses can now “win” vanity book awards.
Every winner and finalist — i.e., everyone who enters — can purchase gold medal-style stickers announcing the fact, which can then be slapped on the cover of the book, making it look deceptively similar to books that have won legitimate prizes like the Newbery Medal.
Like my son says with weary sarcasm, “Yay, everyone’s a winner.” Go on, pat yourself on the back.
Me, I’m currently making myself an Olympian Goldish Medal out of foil-covered chocolate coins.
Posted in Books
The New Oxford American Dictionary has chosen its Word of the Year: Unfriend.
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
“’It has both currency and potential longevity,’ notes Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program.”
Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”
Other words in the running included sexting, zombie bank, and tramp stamp (“a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman.”)
(Via GalleyCat.)
Posted in Culture
Editpalooza continues this week. My head is buried in the rewrite of my new novel, so it’s unlikely I’ll post long rants or elaborate links. I am concentrating on revision with laser-like focus. Yes, I’m concentrating, not distracted. Concentrating is what caused me to leave the stove on all day and let the house run out of milk. And vegetables. And dog food. Granted, at one point the Husband looked at me with concern and said, “Are you getting ditsy?” No! I’m having a fit of artistry.
In other news, my son Nate is recovering well from his surgery. He’s up and about and feeling well enough to horse around with his brother. This was comforting to me, right up to the point where Mark said, “Yeah, we were pretend-fighting and I sort of broke my front tooth.”
Posted in Writing
Dana Jean writes: “I think you need to pimp The Memory Collector again so I can make comments about it.”
Okey-dokie. Look! It’s the cover for the UK paperback edition of The Memory Collector, which will hit British bookshelves after the start of the year.
Comment away.
However, I should note that, when asking me to pimp the novel, Dana Jean also asked, “Am I involved in monkey collisions?” This may be because she won the contest to be a character in the novel I’m currently writing, which features Jo Beckett’s tiny nemesis, Mr. Peebles. Or it may be an existential cri de coeur. The comments may tell.
Posted in Uncategorized
Mall employee stole “To give Christmas presents.”
A 24-year-old employee of the Sears at Kitsap Mall was arrested Monday after admitting to stealing store merchandise, according to Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office reports.
The Belfair woman told deputies she had stolen clothes and video games, giving some to friends and mailing some to her family. She said she needed Christmas presents “as she doesn’t have the money to buy anything,” deputies wrote.
“The woman had also attempted to buy a $500 gift card using a credit card application a customer had filled out, deputies said.”
With stolen property, “It’s better to give than receive” doesn’t apply.
Posted in Weird Crime
