The Brain of Shawn

The Thinks I Think

Archive for category Writing

Puffy, The Camera Slayer

Jul 1

Posted by Shawn Powers in Family, Silly Things, Technology, Writing | 5 Comments

Long ago, in a land not very dissimilar from our own, there were two little girls. Their names were Lagoria and Lizzanthia. The two sisters were particularly good one season, and at the Sun Harvest Festival, their father purchased them each a fairy scribe of their own. Fairy scribes, as you know, can not write words at all. They can only sketch ideas and words into pictures. Lagoria and Lizzanthia both loved the fanciful fairy sketches their mother’s High Fairy Scribe created — and their father Shagoth knew they would train their fairies to be as skilled as Lady Donaria’s one day.

Sadly, before the double moon set on the harvest celebration, Lagoria and Lizzanthia were on a photo hunt with their new fairies and fell upon a fierce dragon. Excited to get sketches of the dragon, both girls sent their trembling fairies after the dragon as it retreated into its cave. The girls stayed safely outside the cave, but knew that since fairies can’t be burned by dragon flame, the sketches they would get would be lovely.

And they were.

The sketches were magnificent. Everyone from miles around was shocked and amazed at how detailed the sketches were. Why, even the corners of the canvases were scorched, and the sulfur-laced smoke could still be smelled as if the viewer was deep within the dragon’s cave. In fact, it was so full of realism, the girls were forced to keep the sketches outside so the family wouldn’t choke from the smoke!

The problem came when the girls took their fairies out on another photo hunt. While fairies can’t be harmed by dragon fire, they aren’t immune to dragon magic. So while the fairies continued to sketch for the girls, every sketch smelled like fire and brimstone, and every sketch contained the likeness of the dragon himself. See for yourself!

So now, the girls borrow their mother’s Sketch Fairy from time to time, but apart from that have no way to record the beauty of the realm. They hope someday to be gifted with the Pink Camera of Sweetness and Light so they can once again capture their world without the taint of dragon. Until that day, the Sketch Fairies will live in agony, knowing they can not make Lagoria and Lizzanthia smile.

The End. (Or is it?)

Hello World

Jul 1

Posted by Shawn Powers in General Thoughts, Silly Things, Writing | 6 Comments

July should be the last month The Powers Family is displaced. This is something I find profoundly awesome. My birthday is on the 19th, and I would be quite happy for my belated birthday present to be a home. Also, school is out. ALSO, I’m half done with the super sekrit project I’ve been working on. (It’s a two part endeavor, so half done is significant, it means one part is completely done!) What does that all mean for you? Well, it means you will hopefully be hearing more from me. You will be seeing more of me in odd videos I’ll likely shoot and post. You’ll be reading more about me here. Basically, it will be as if my life were returning to normal, because as abnormal as normal is, I rather fancy it. :)

So, whether I’m talking about my latest escapades with weight loss and exercise, explaining why charcoal grilling is the only real grilling (Hank Hill can disagree all he wants), or speaking geek over at Linux Journal (I’m horribly behind on blogging and videos over there) — I expect in the near future you will hear more from me.

And stuff has been happening. It’s just that you don’t know about it. If you follow me on Twitter you know more than some people — but really I’ve been pretty silent for half a year or so.

Can you believe it’s been that long since our house burned down? Dang.

Anyway this post serves 2 purposes:

  1. To prepare the world for the tomfoolery I’ll likely spew upon it, and
  2. To commit to actually returning to life as I used to know it. Saying it publicly kinda makes me a jerk if I don’t follow through.

So, how have you been? :D

What Should Be In The High School Library SciFi Section?

Feb 15

Posted by Shawn Powers in Education, Family, General Thoughts, Space, Writing | 36 Comments

As many of you know, my wonderful wife works in the high school library. Even if you didn’t know that, it’s still true. Seriously though, one of the areas the library is severely lacking in is the science fiction department. Really, it’s slim pickings. So here is my request: Please leave in the comments what books you think should be in a high school library’s science fiction section. If all the recommendations come from me, it will basically just be full of my favorites. While that would suit me just fine, the thought of growing similar minded geeks is a bit unsettling. Please keep in mind:

  • Our community is pretty conservative, so graphic alien on alien action is likely a deal breaker.
  • Please don’t recommend a book that is in the middle of a series. Recommend the whole series. Seriously, my OCD can’t handle that nonsense. :)
  • Newer authors are encouraged. The classics are certainly not to be left out, but really — we want to introduce kids to new authors as well.
  • I think that’s it!

So please, leave your thoughts in the comments. Also, if you know anyone that would have an opinion on the issue, please pass a link along. I’m really hoping to get a good list together for her. Thank you!

My New Year’s Resolutions

Dec 26

Posted by Shawn Powers in Family, Food, General Thoughts, Humor, Silly Things, Technology, Writing | 6 Comments

I figure, if I make them publicly, I’ll have slightly more motivation to keep them. In the end, it won’t likely matter, because let’s face it — you aren’t the boss of me. (Well, not true, a few of you might actually be the boss of me. Your powers are limited to the ability of adding a new resolution to my list that looks something like “get a job” though…)

Anyway, in no particular order, here’s what I hope to do in 2010:

1) Finish the project I’m horribly behind on.

Unfortunately, it’s a time sensitive project, and the time has long since passed the sensitive zone. The people I’m working with on this project are incredibly wonderful to work with, and beyond understanding when it comes to my crazy schedule — but I gotta be honest, they deserve better. I’d like to get this particular resolution done in January.

2) Learn to use a Linux video editor.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a zealot when it comes to Linux. I’m really not. Here’s the deal though, I’d really like to make the videos I do for Linux Journal on a Linux machine. It just seems like the right thing to do. My lack of motivation for switching has been because I can already edit video really efficiently on OSX, and it took me a long time to learn Final Cut. Still, I’d like to use Linux as my primary system, so this is a goal. (Kris Occhipinti has been a huge motivation on this front. Thanks Kris.)

3) Change the way I eat.

Note: This is not a, “Lose Weight” resolution. This is an, “Eat Better” resolution. There are two major problems with my current eating lifestyle: Quantity & Quality. Once I finish resolution #1, hopefully I can take some of that time to actually cook food. I still eat at restaurants way too often.

4) Exercise.

I’ll be honest, this is the least likely resolution I’ll be able to accomplish. Donna convinced me to go into the local gym every morning and work out with her for a month. Since I’ll have to pay for the membership, I’ll do my best to accomplish it. Perhaps walking on a treadmill next to Donna will make it less horrifying. Man, I really hate exercise…

5) Write a Book.

I don’t care if it’s a little all year, or a cram session in November (NaNoWriMo), I really want to write a book. I’m not sure if I’ll start with fiction or technology — but I must write a book. Really.

So that’s it. It’s a lot, but I purposefully didn’t put anything on there I don’t think I can accomplish. If all you’re lacking for your New Year’s Resolutions is the commitment to make them, feel free to do so in the comment section. If you slip up, we’ll know. Well, ok, only if you tell us. But still, feel free to commit below. :)

Happy New Year’s!!!!

My Favorite Editorial Task

Dec 16

Posted by Shawn Powers in General Thoughts, Technology, Writing | 2 Comments

I have a bunch of duties over at Linux Journal. I’m certainly better at some things than others, and if you ask Jill (the Executive Editor), deadlines are not one of the things at which I’m particularly skilled. :)

There is one task I find especially enjoyable, however: Answering letters to the editor. I’m not entirely sure why I enjoy it so much, but for some reason, interacting with readers that take the time to write in to the staff really makes me proud to be part of something bigger than myself. It’s also interesting that while I answer a bunch of the letters, it’s not always me that does so. See, all the responses are signed simply “Ed”, meaning it comes from the editorial staff in general. Yes, it’s pretty humbling to represent everyone.

So if any of you were wondering what being one of the editors of an international magazine is like, well, it’s pretty cool. The best part, however, is simply responding to people. Because it’s the people that make a community, and it’s the community that makes my job so awesome.

-Ed

Everything I Managed to Write for Nanowrimo This Year

Nov 24

Posted by Shawn Powers in Writing | 2 Comments

Don’t worry, it won’t take you long to read. I still like the ideas I had, so perhaps I’ll finish it sometime this winter. :)

Black Holes, and Other Things That Suck

You ever bark at a dog, and wonder if you’re really saying something? I always imagine we sound absolutely ridiculous to our canine buddies when we try to bark back at them. And don’t get me started on mooing at cows. (But yes, I do that too)

Imagine for a minute, if someone tried to create a human being without any real idea regarding what was important to look human. That’s basically what I was looking at. This “thing” towered over me at about 7 feet tall, and yet the skinniest little legs you could imagine. Since it was naked, I can give you some uncomfortably specific information about misshapen breasts, strange patches of hair, and anatomically oh-so-incorrect placement of certain things. But that wasn’t the disturbing part. It had hairy eyes. Like, actual eyes with hair growing from them.

And it wanted to have sex with me.

Thankfully this wasn’t the strangest thing I’d seen today. In fact, I was sort of expecting it, although in my wildest dreams I didn’t expect it to look like this. Let me catch you up though, because I’d like to get the image of this “thing” out of my mind. Things got weird this morning with Ed.

In Which I Pimp My Own Interviews

Oct 29

Posted by Shawn Powers in Technology, Writing | 2 Comments

I’m sure it makes me horribly narcissistic, but I’m just so humbled that people actually want to hear what I have to say, I thought I’d pass the links on to you. In case, you know, you’re one of those people. ;)

First: Back at The Ohio Linuxfest, I was interviewed by Aaron Newcomb from The Source. It’s a video interview, and my section starts around 18:45 (not that you shouldn’t watch the whole thing, I’m just sayin…)

Second: I was asked to do an interview via Twitter, and was happy to do so. Jacob Kuehndorf (@BIOSShadow) posted me as his celebrity interviewee. I find that incredibly flattering. The interview is HERE on his site.

That’s it. Just wanted to give some linkage.

This Sort of Thing is New for Me!

Oct 27

Posted by Shawn Powers in General Thoughts, Humor, Silly Things, Technology, Writing | 7 Comments

Yes, I realize it’s silly. Yes, I realize it’s cheesy. But still, for some reason being in an ad is full of awesome.

Natuba in @linuxjournal. Welcome Natubatons!

Posted on Natuba