May 29, 2014 · 2:08 pm

Bad day for a dunk tank

So, the weather is being particularly bipolar this spring/summer. We hit nineties in the early part of the week and now we’re in the sixties. I pity the poor bastard who agreed to be part of the fundraising dunk-tank today. Silly managers.

Beyond that, it’s just sort of a grey day all around. I have the motivation of a limp noodle and the distinct dislike of the world. A perfect noir type of day. And I’d love to say that I was inspired, but I’m not.

Work is dull and dragging (as all day jobs just to bring in money are.) I can think of half-a-hundred things to do, but just don’t want to.

I can’t tell if this is just me being under-caffeinated, or if I just don’t care. You know what I’d love? Someone to pay an assistant for me. Yeah, that would be the best gift in the world.

I’ll get my mythical patron right on that.

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May 15, 2014 · 2:51 pm

AinW: Alice in Wonderland Pillow

I’m a huge Alice fan. I am not kidding about that. In fact, I’ve been working off and on on a collectables book.

I’ll be featuring Alice related items here. Like this pillow available on ThinkGeek for $24.99. Yes, I’ve ordered it. I couldn’t help myself.

Alice Pillow

The Alice pillow is the rectangular one. It’s permanently open and it actually features the Cheshire Cat. (Good ole Tenniel illustrations.) It’s yellow. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it, but I think it’s cool to see Alice popping up again. For awhile it was almost impossible to find Alice collectables. (Even in Disney World.)

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May 5, 2014 · 2:14 am

Russell Blake » The Decline of Reeding

Russell Blake has a wonderful and powerful message about the decline in literacy in the United States. This is something we can stop. As teachers, writers, humans, and bloggers.

That is, if we are willing to challenge our readers.

Russell Blake » The Decline of Reeding.

The less comfort we have with words, the less command we have of them, the less we can think in a meaningful manner. We lack the terms, the basic vocabulary, with which to frame the narrative or debate. We can’t reason, use logic, because we don’t understand its basic concepts and rules. We don’t understand what argument from authority or post hoc reasoning or any of the other logical fallacies are because we don’t understand the concepts or the words used to define them, so we make poor decisions or are easily deceived. Again and again. Like a smoker who makes the poor decision to light up a cigarette 20 or 30 times a day, and who ultimately winds up with respiratory problems or worse, we as a society make poor decisions on a daily basis that result in an unhealthy host, a diseased culture riddled with morbidity.

via Russell Blake » The Decline of Reeding.

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March 31, 2014 · 1:42 pm

How to Escape from Zip Ties

Zip ties are used not only by police and government enforcers. They are also used by kidnappers, terrorists, home invaders, rapists, and other nasties.

The need to escape from these ties is therefore something people should know.

The Art of Manliness created an infographic on how to escape. How to Escape Zip Ties from Art of Manliness (Art of Manliness)

ITS Tactical has an article and a series of videos here: Here (ITS Tactical)

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March 31, 2014 · 1:14 pm

Want to see my fiction in its raw form?

Head on over to http://wedschild.wordpress.com/

This is where you’ll find raw fiction and little snippets that may never show up anywhere else.

Maybe I’ll collect them into a book of flash fiction some day.

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Video

A beautiful meditation on the philosophy of 12-tonal

This is more than just an experiment that results in some pretty wonderful and slightly disturbing nursery rhymes. It’s a mediation on the philosophy of context and tonality and the creative motion.

Give it a listen.

 

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January 10, 2014 · 4:35 pm
January 9, 2014 · 12:49 am

From here until December

So, I’ve started this blog three times now.

I’m trying to figure out why I haven’t made this more of a priority.

So, I’ve been looking at the psychology of self-doubt and authenticity and mastery. I’m not going to delve into all of the invisible scripts and things that are in my head.

You’ll want to check out this post from Ramit Sethi at I Will Teach You To Be Rich. (Not actually a scam. I’ve used his book and love it.)

The things that are actually holding me back is this stupid indecision of how I’m going to approach my career as a writer and what I’m going to write. I am going to be a hybrid writer. I’m going to author-publish some items and pursue traditional publishing as well. Can’t hurt right?

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway was very helpful to me. I recommend it greatly.

The goal I’m putting on this blog – I will have four posts a month. Large, small, whatever. At least four a month. Maybe it’ll be a video post. Maybe it’ll be links to something I’ve found interesting.

Or maybe it’ll be something that grabbed my attention and could easily be twisted into one or more stories. So, expect to see some interesting tidbits about the period after the first World War up to the Depression. And a few tech specs that are easy to twist into conspiracies or crimes.

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January 7, 2014 · 1:43 pm

Malware in Tea Kettles?

This is something most Americans wouldn’t notice. Electric kettles aren’t really, you know, a thing here. But there’s plenty of opportunity for there to be micro-computers in blenders or juicers or coffee-pots. And the idea of this is fascinating.

The Russians are claiming that there are micro-computers hiding inside of electric kettles which leach off of the power supply, find unsecured WiFi, and then become spambots. (The Register) Charlie Stross threw in some good reminders about the availability of the tech. (Trust Me, I’m a Kettle) I suggest following his blog in any case. He’s got some great insights into technological advances.

I was thinking about how this technology could be a positive. You could set up an alternate net for communications and wrap your messages around the powerful government agencies who are trying to destroy your little rebels. Or you could use it to build an inexpensive alternate net for sharing. Or hundreds of little applications that could be hiding everywhere.

It could also be utterly terrifying. The small computers could also be spying on your family, like an old-school bug, but now by connecting to your WiFi and reading your messages. Or, you could create some sort of censoring technology based on this.

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November 21, 2013 · 1:56 am

You Know You’re From Northern Virginia If…

This is probably the most true list I have ever read in my life.

Although… I’m still rather fond of going to DC. I just have no time to get there these days.

I went to the “ghetto” school of my county. LOL. *shakes head*

Also… museums cost money in other parts of the country. It’s very strange.

You Know You\’re From Northern Virginia If….

via You Know You’re From Northern Virginia If….

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October 15, 2013 · 3:40 pm

Here’s a reminder – how photorealism is created.

Nothing is just one layer. Watch as Marcello Barenghi creates a photo-realistic chip bag.

Each color is layered several times, and then there are highlights. It’s technically mixed media. And the shadows aren’t just black. Silver isn’t just silver. And each letter has layers within layers of color as well.

 

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