Month: March 2007

Ficlets

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I didn’t really like the idea of Ficlets when I first read about them on John Scalzi’s blog. Basically, you write a VERY short story, and others can add on the end (or beginning) of it, and make a big lego-like story. I thought it was odd, and didn’t write a ficlet for a long time.

I recently wrote a few myself, and I have to admit, it’s really fun. The one thing I’ve noticed about the site though, is there there are a lot of people in the world that are really bad writers! I’m not saying I’m Ernest Hemingway, but some are really bad.

Anyway, stop by and check it out. It’s very different from blog writing, and that alone is a good reason to try it.

Query Accepted!

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It’s very possible the editors at Linux Journal will read this post, and validate their concerns that I’m not a professional writer. I guess that’s OK, because I certainly never claimed to be so. 🙂

A few weeks ago, I sent a query letter to Linux Journal regarding an article I’d like to write for them. I won’t go into any detail regarding the content, because it might be breaching some contract if I do. Anyway, I heard back from them, and they wish for me to write the article! I even have a deadline, which for some reason makes it feel more like the real deal.

They’re under no contract to publish the article, because for all they know I might be a horrible writer that had his wife write the query letter. Nonetheless, they asked for the article, so you can bet your boots I’m writing it.

Another cool part? If they publish it, I actually get money for writing! I have no idea if I’m allowed to discuss the amount publicly, but rest assured, it’ll buy a whole bunch of Diet Coke!

Wish me luck everyone, I’m more excited than I care to admit. 🙂

Incoming Subspace Signal

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OK, I’m waaaay too proud of this ringtone, but I made it from television show clips, and think it is awesome. It’s an MP3 (Razr Compatible) file of the Enterprise computer from TNG saying, “Incoming subspace signal…”

I’ve gotten so many comments from people about it, that I wanted to put it here for everyone to download. So here’s for all the search engines to pick up on this post:

Free Star Trek Ringtone. Download for free. MP3 Star Trek TNG ringtone. Get it while it’s hot!

UPDATE: Here’s an iPhone ringtone version too. 🙂

Awesome Wife Have I

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You know what we’re doing this fine Tuesday evening? We’re watching old episodes of Star Trek the Next Generation. That’s right, I said we are watching it!

Donna is the coolest wife in the world. I think that her not being a die hard trekkie, yet still enjoying watching it with me makes her super cool. She’s the woman that isn’t a geek (thus she retains her cool status), but loves ME enough to watch, and even enjoy, Star Trek episodes with me.

You know you’re jealous. 🙂

Holy Insomnia, Batman

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It’s 4:18. Nope, now it’s 4:19. Wait for it… Wait… BAM! 4:20.

And yes, I actually did wait for the clock to turn. I’m that bored. You ever been sleepless?

OK, I’ll try to sleep again. It’s getting close to that point that sleeping will be worse than staying awake. You know what I mean. If you only get an hour of sleep, waking up is worse than an overnighter. If I fall asleep RIGHT NOW, it gives me about 3 and a half hours. That makes for a borderline suckfest tomorrow.

Can I say suckfest on my blog? Oh well.

4:27. Pleasant dreams everyone.

Vernal, baby…

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Yay! Today is the Vernal Equinox, or for you less geeky folks, the first day of Spring!

That said, it was VERY COLD here last night, and we got snow the day before… but I’m focusing on the officialness of spring rather than the reality of cold. Basically, I’m living in a very cold dream world. Oh well.

So, has your Spring been springy?

Dumb ol’ spring…

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It’s springtime here in northern Michigan. Maybe not according to the calendar, I’m not sure of the “legal limits” on seasons — but it’s springy weather here, so by my calculations, that makes it spring.

For dog owners, spring doesn’t just mean birds twittering, trees budding, and flowers blooming — it means poop thawing. Admittedly, this year we didn’t get snow until after the new year, so our supply of poop isn’t as great as years past, but let’s face it, there is no amount of poo considered “good.”

Here’s the phenomenon: Tigger goes outside, and does his number (number 2, actually) in the snow. It sinks a little, and freezes. The snow piles on top of said poo, and the yard is again pristinely white. Tigger eats, poos, and the process repeats ad nauseam.

Here’s the part that makes me miss winter — when the snow melts, we have hundreds of perfectly preserved poopies scattered about the lawn. These poopies need to be picked up, usually by yours truly. Since Tigger doesn’t usually wander far from the porch in the winter, the area just outside the front door is a literal mine field waiting for unsuspecting shoes.

I’ll literally have a crappy weekend. Hope yours is nicer. 🙂

Bread candle?

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images-1.jpegI love scented candles. I love the smell of fresh baked bread. In much the style Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented, what if candles and bread crossed?

Would you like a fresh baked bread scented candle? I’ll tell you what, I’d buy that for a dollar!

(Incidentally, “I’d buy that for a dollar” is a rather famous, if not obscure movie quote from here.)

How sweet she is…

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How sweet is my wife you ask? (Ok, you didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway)

I’ve been talking to Donna about writing professionally for quite some time. Ok, more than “quite some time” — it’s been more like the entire 13 years I’ve known her. I always go on about how I’d like to be a writer, how it’s what I wake up thinking about in the morning, and what I go to bed thinking about at night. Yeah, I get pretty melodramatic. Anyway, after reading John Scalzi’s post on becoming a professional (meaning “getting paid”) writer, I ordered my copy of Writer’s Market, and started the rejection process.

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So what did Donna do while I skittered off to work yesterday? She set up a corner in our extra room into a writing sanctuary for me. It’s so cute, but more importantly, so supportive and sweet. Here’s a crappy photo of the corner taken with my cell phone. I was too lazy to get the camera, SD card reader, etc, etc.