For some reason this was immensely popular the first time I did it, so here goes again:
Monthly Archives: June 2012
Ultra Modern Floating Hotel Room – Sweet Suite!
There is a new super green super cool concept for floating hotel suites that hold up to six people for what has to be a great time. It includes an underwater observation room and motors to move about your location. It is also totally solar powered. I would definitely pay for a stay at this place if it I could afford it.
Convinced that solar energy is the solution to global warming and environment issues, Michele Puzzolante, Italian Industrial Designer, decided to get involved in the green energy new era by inventing a unique building integrated photovoltaic concept totally self-sufficient energy generator, non-polluting and in unison with its natural surroundings. Michele Puzzolante’s invention is based on a new structural element that is composed of a fifteen millimeter outside skin and a fifteen millimeter inside skin in balsa reinforced fiberglass. Thin films photovoltaic are integrated into the two skins to absorb sunlight energy from the outside and artificial lighting energy from the inside. Between the two skins there is a thirty centimeter vacuum insulation to protect the habitation from outside heat as well as reducing the consummation of air conditioning to the minimum. Source: Huffington Post.
Filed under Humor and Observations
Cute Dogs to Help the Monday Morning Blues!
Hello everyone! Each week I post pictures of dogs because I personally think dogs are the most adorable critters ever. One of my posts showed that they now find dogs have been domesticated and lived side by side with humans into prehistoric times, at least 20,000 years. I know I am a writer and this site is already pretty eclectic, so if you like this dog feature or not, I would appreciate a brief comment. Just know that I will probably keep doing it anyway, because they are dogs… I start this one off with a picture of my own three critters, and move on from there.
From the left – Heidi, our 14 year old Papillon; Peanut, our six year old Pekingnese; and Barclay, our two year old Shit-zu. Heidi was all by herself and did not like the two boys being added. She is like the spinster female college professor. Very smart, but does not like rough housing or foolishness. She has the softest hair of any dog, or any animal, I have ever felt. It is like silk. Unfortunately, she sheds clumps of it year round. If she sits on you your outfit will be covered with hair. She does not like to play with other dogs or have them next to her. My son calls her aptly, “The Fun Police”
Peanut is very smart as well, but has lived in several homes before we got him, so he picked up some odd habits. He loves playing with his brother Barclay. However, he thinks somewhat highly of himself and will snort at you if you pick him up or do something he does not want. His other trait of note is that he has a bad gas issue and farts anytime he relaxes or sleeps. For such a small dog, they are quite stinky. So his nickname is “Snort and Fart.”
Barclay is the cutest most lovable and playful animal ever. He has not a mean bone in his body. The hairier he gets the more he looks like a teddy bear or Ewok. It is impossible not to love this dog. Barclay though was also a rescue dog from the pound. We wondered why a full blood shit-zu was available. He may have been the runt of the litter or had problems, because to be truthful, he is also the stupidest dog we have ever had. It took him six months for him to recognize his own name. While he gets sophisticated a bit with playing games, he is almost un-trainable. If you discipline him, he just laughs and doesn’t comprehend. But since he likes to use blankets to make forts and play, his nickname is “Blanky Boy.”
Filed under Animals
The “Perfect Story”
Here it is:
” ”
I know this because EVERY guide to fiction writing, every agent, every publisher, every list of writing tips says to CUT, CUT and CUT some more. They never mention that some authors might not be overly wordy. The possibility has crossed my mind on occasion that even if the vast preponderance of authors write too much, there have to be at least a minute few who write just enough, or even not enough.
If truly you should cut and cut and gut every unnecessary word out of your story, then the best story, the perfect story in fact would be one with no words at all. I have not once told instead of shown, I have not used to many adverbs. I did not change tense. I did not change perspective. The brilliance of the story with no words at all, is that you are guaranteed perfection, there are no mistakes, no one can even critique your character arcs.
My story of no words is as deep or as shallow as the imagination of the reader themselves. If they look at a blank page with no cover and laugh, then they simply don’t understand great writing – do they? If however, they stare, intrigued, let their mind capture the essence, then awards and recognition are sure to come my way.
My only concern now with my perfect book with no words is whether I should submit it to an agent with a blank query letter with no words, or if I should self-publish it on Kindle with no descriptor or title…
I wonder how you would critique the Bible verse – Jesus wept. Two words, but you have to CUT!
Obviously, I have been facetious to make a point. In my personal experience, most writers I know don’t write. They want to write. Some are even very good at writing from things they read that they wrote long ago. However, life, jobs, loved ones, ill health, or even the television sap the life out of their creative spirits. They simply don’t sit down and write. Then they are all told – CUT, you have written too much. Wow.
Michael Stackpole told me that you are not a novelist until you have actually written a novel. I took that to heart and finished my first novel. He was right. Actually finishing a novel changes you as much as losing your virginity. You feel different. Having sex the first time makes you feel like a real man, or real woman. Finishing a novel makes you feel like a real novelist. It still might not make you a good one, but at least you passed the first hurdle.
So, in my continuing effort to debunk common writing advice that is crap – just write. Write MORE not less. You don’t even know what to cut until you finish the story and look back. Imagine editing a movie where you are only given the first ten minutes. What do you leave in and what do you take out?
Finish. Ignore everything else. Write and actually complete something. Then worry about editing.
Filed under Humor and Observations, Writing
Places I Would Love to Be
I grew up on the beach in California, living at Pismo Beach for awhile. Then I was lucky enough to be stationed in Hawaii for my entire service in the United States Air Force. Don’t get me wrong, I love Arizona, but I do wish there was water to go with the endless beach…
I know Joyce Kilmer said “I think I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” But I have heard the other version, misquoted, that “I think I shall never see a palm as lovely as a tree.” While trees are certainly more complex, for me there is nothing like a palm tree up against a tropical sunset. When I was a child, my mother had some gaudy earrings that were souvenirs made according to her from butterfly wings. They were a palm tree against a sunset, and maybe that is why I hold it so dear.
It could also be just from living in Hawaii for almost six years and visiting Grenada, Dominica, Aruba, St. Thomas, etc. All very pretty.
Here are some places I always think of as paradise:
Filed under Humor and Observations, Uncategorized
Top Secret Space Program or Black Helicopter Hogwash?
I came across this video on the AOL/Netscape news scan – yes I know I am one of the eight or so people who still go to that site. Anyway, it is pretty interesting, but I don’t know who this guy is or if this is a hoax or for real. I will let you decide.
I was in the Air Force when the Challenger exploded. We were all out in front of base operations for a dress inspection, oddly the only one we had in Hawaii during my nearly six years stationed there. For those not in the military, dress inspection is no fun. You stand at attention for hours as senior officers walk by each of your units trying to find something wrong with the way you are dressed. If you stand properly at attention for ten minutes you will pass out. You lock your legs at the knees and blood stops flowing. So for an hour or two you try to look like you are not moving, while slightly moving your knees back in forth. If you pass out, which people always do, you get in big trouble.
The General was just starting his walk-through inspection when everyone stopped. They announced on the loudspeaker that the Challenger had exploded with no survivors. We did a five minute period of silence, and the rest of the inspection was canceled. I had friends in the Air Force’s First Space Command. They worked with NASA on the shuttle back then, so this story kind of rings true to me. Unlike the reporter, I like the fact we have unmanned weapons and observation platforms in space in case things get out of hand with our fellow nations. Better to the be the windshield than the bug.
Filed under Humor and Observations, Uncategorized
A Tribute To Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury was one of the authors that influenced me personally while I was growing up. Along with Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and others, he is as big a part of my childhood as any of my teachers at schools I attended. He taught me through his stories. He will be missed. My heart goes out to his family.
From his official site:
Ray Bradbury, recipient of the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91 after a long illness. He lived in Los Angeles.
In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury has inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screen play for John Huston’s classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television’s The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree. In 2005, Bradbury published a book of essays titled Bradbury Speaks, in which he wrote: In my later years I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I’ve worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.
He is survived by his four daughters, Susan Nixon, Ramona Ostergren, Bettina Karapetian, and Alexandra Bradbury, and eight grandchildren. His wife, Marguerite, predeceased him in 2003, after fifty-seven years of marriage.
Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, Live forever! Bradbury later said, I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.
Filed under Uncategorized, Writing
Dogs – One Day Late
Sorry about being late by one day on my usual Monday Dog Post. I had to meet with my new cover artist for a couple of upcoming books and do some contract work. The hip replacement is healing nicely, but my stamina is still low, so by the end of the day I just crashed instead of posting. So here it is, cute dogs for Tuesday this time.
Filed under Animals
Random Funny Facts – With Commentary
I have not personally confirmed these facts. These come to you from the folks at:
funny2.com
Their website looks pretty interesting and has page after page of facts, true facts, false facts, etc. I found these interesting, hopefully you will as well:
My comments added in BOLD.
One out of ten children in Europe are conceived on an IKEA bed. (Must all be born in dorm rooms)
Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes. (But Saint Patrick took care of Ireland, and as an Irishman, it counts to me as its own continent.)
An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.
In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees. (There is also lots of rum in the Caribbean…so not sure if this has been reliably observed…)
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. (Bald people hide their intelligence – why? What are they up to?)
The world’s youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
When George Lucas was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he numbered the reels of film starting with an R and numbered the dialog starting with a D. Sound designer Walter Murch asked George for Reel 2, Dialog 2 by saying “R2D2”. George liked the way that sounded so much he integrated that into another project he was working on.
The youngest pope was 11 years old.
Mark Twain didn’t graduate from elementary school.
Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.
Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving dinner. (Then fell on asleep on the couch imagining football in the future)
They have square watermelons in Japan – they stack better.
Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
Heinz Catsup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Armadillos can be housebroken. (Armadillos are also the only animal that can transmit leprosy to humans, so probably best to leave them outside)
The first Fords had engines made by Dodge.
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside. (Don’t let your 4 foot tall child too close to exhibits at the zoo.)
A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove. (Groovy)
A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it is known as Tennessee.
The flashing warning light on the cylindrical Capitol Records tower spells out HOLLYWOOD in Morse code.
Every time you lick a stamp, you’re consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year. (The average person obtains none of them during their lifetime.)
One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television. (Too many in dirty t-shirts and with fake tans)
The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year.
Over 1,000 birds a year die from smashing into windows. (windows- the real mass murderers. PETA should go naked to ban windows)
The State of Florida is bigger than England. (And has a better dental plan)
Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning. (Then they go pee)
Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.
During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That’s the weight of about 6 elephants. (So, if I buy 6 elephants, I never have to go to the grocery store again?)
Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food. (Ribbon worm zombie apocalypse.)
The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old. (Dick Clark spit it out on his death bed…Too soon?)
In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can’t flow. (Plus they are bad asses.)
About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30. (The wrote a screenplay called Logan’s Run, but it was thousands of years before the movies were invented for us to see this cry for help.)
More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.
Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.
In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons. (There were more before the Clintons left…)
Slugs have 4 noses. (And they are all runny)
Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.
Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.
Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue. (So paint yourself blue and you can be a bird ninja)
Filed under Humor and Observations, Uncategorized
Michael Bradley - Time Traveler 