Just be an author.

A young person had a question for Neil Gaiman on his Tumblr blog, and he had a lovely answer:

I want to be an author when I grow up. Am I insane?
Yes. Growing up is highly overrated. Just be an author.

Here's your coffee, so tip us maybe?

I spotted this at my favorite coffee place last weekend.

Quote from "The #1 Secret of Great Writers"

"The greatest writers are great, not only because they have a way with words and not only because they have great ideas, but more importantly, because they carefully craft their writing into a final draft that reads better than the first ever possibly could. They’re great writers because they’re great rewriters."

from The #1 Secret of Great Writers

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

Google celebrated Julia's 100th with a doodle

Julia Child would have been 100 years old today. Though I don't cook (well, I can do a bang-up breakfast: pancakes, eggs, omelettes...basically anything done in a single pan or on a griddle), I've always admired Julia Child and dreamed of cooking like her. And that admiration stems less from what she cooked than how at ease she always seemed in the kitchen - something I have never accomplished even during my best Saturday morning fry-up. I tend to resemble the most hapless contestant on "Hell's Kitchen" far more than I resemble Julia, even when I'm just frying an egg.

I think I enjoy watching Julia, and other chefs, the way many people enjoy the ballet. It's not something you ever think you'll be able to do yourself, but you like to bask in the beauty and grace of the truly skillful performance.

One of the best books I read last year was My Life in France. This was one of those books that makes you scold yourself with "Why have I never read this before. What took me so long to get to it?"  It even inspired me to try making crepes one day last summer. They turned out edible, if not beautiful. If you have any interest in Julia, food, or France, I highly recommend it.

Here's a great remix of Julia done by PBS. Bon appétit!



(By the way, PBS has done several cool remixes of their classic shows lately. I love the Bob Ross one.)

Quote from "10 Classic Novel Covers in 8-bit Form"

"Once, I had a job working for a publishing house where my job was to edit classic novels, because classic novels fall into “public domain” and are free to publish. The novel I got to edit was Moby-Dick and my job was to re-write it and make it “reader friendly.” It was not a good job. I quit after three days. Confronted with Melville’s wall of brilliant text, my heart and my nerve gave out. What should I do with the first sentence, even? “Hi. My name is Ishmael”? So I gave up. Great books should not be fucked with."

from 10 Classic Novel Covers in 8-bit Form

Can't be there (like me)? Check out the live streams from Main Street in Sturgis

(FYI: They may run an ad first. That's the price we pay for free, I guess)

Live stream videos at Ustream

Free live streaming by Ustream

Sturgis, 2011

"This ain’t mine, is it?"

Overheard at the rally: Pregnant woman: "Just had a biker at a gas station come up to me, touch my stomach and say, 'This ain’t mine, is it?'

OMG.

Click through for a few more. This looks like it might be a fun space to watch this week - I assume they'll be adding more.

Lenny the pool shark at Sturgis, 2011

What scares us about our story... [Quote]

"THEORY: what scares us about our story is nothing less than…

Why we write."

via Guest Post: Fear Fuels Fiction « The Artist's Road

Tor gets the prize for most awesome portrayal of Neil Gaiman

I love this image! The rest of the post is pretty cool, too, but once you've seen this image...I mean, I almost couldn't go on. I had to stare at it for awhile. Awesomesauce!

Check it out here: How We Would Cast a Neil Gaiman Biopic

Jeff Jarvis on #nbcfail

#nbcfail economics — BuzzMachine: "I still believe that if NBC gave the fans what they wanted rather than trying to make them do what NBC thinks it wants, NBC could win by growing audience and engagement and thus better serving sponsors. I ask you to imagine what Olympics coverage would look like if Google had acquired the rights. It would give us what we want and make billions, I’ll bet."

This one smells like strawberries

While we were at Pactola Lake this weekend, I took a moment to scratch off a little bark & sniff this tree. This particular one smelled like strawberries. I haven't done this in years. It was delightful.

If you're not familiar with this practice, the idea is that you scrape off just a little bit of outer bark, just sort of flaking it off with your fingernail, until you get to that pinkish layer underneath. Then you sniff it, and it can smell like strawberry, vanilla or chocolate. I remember doing this a lot as a kid.

Have you ever done this? Do you still do it? Have you never heard of this and just think I'm crazy? Let me know in the comments. 

Ain't it the truth...

I know I'm a much more productive writer, more patient and supportive wife and mother, and all-around better person full of energy and bliss tomorrow. But every morning when I get up, tomorrow has moved on.

DOGHOUSE | Tomorrow

"I have no choice – I must write." [Quote]

Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?

"You presume that I had a choice? Writing is my compulsion and my passion. I have no choice – I must write. It has been that way for me since I was first able to hold a writing instrument in my fingers. Sometimes it feels like a curse, but mostly it is a gift, and the licence to live other lives and adventures, simultaneously. I wouldn't rid myself of the compulsive writing disease if I could."

from Tara Moss, author of Siren and The Blood Countess, answers Ten Terrifying Questions

More proof that my Pomeranian is actually a cat:

I'm usually greeted with this when I get out of the shower.
I've heard of several cats who do this, but never another dog. Have you?

via I Can Haz Cheezburger?

Darth Lumbergh

see more Set Phasers To Lol

I love this. That is all.

The two wheeled kind...

The two wheeled kind..., a gallery by wuntokess on Flickr.

I'm still working through last year's Sturgis pictures (QoP*), but a couple I posted last weekend made it into this cool gallery on Flickr.

*Queen of Procrastination

Too hot? Here's a photo to cool you off

Fox's first snow, Malet Street,London by GanMed64

Last winter, I was amazed at how many photos of foxes in the snow in London kept popping up in Flickr. 

Am I the only one who didn't notice this?

Thor

Captain America

via Recalibrate Your Statistics

Double-Decker Bus Does Pushups

via Geekosystem

Pepper Pots in her own Iron Man suit?

photo via Wyjeb.pl

That would be so cool!

SDCC Marvel Panel Teases Pepper Potts In Iron Man Suit For Iron Man 3 | The Mary Sue: "During the Iron Man 3 panel, Favreau revealed that the possibility of Pepper getting her own suit has been kicked around more than once by the production team: “We almost did it a few times; we talked about it a lot. I think we all share your enthusiasm for that, and we all want to see Gwyneth kick a little ass,” he said.