Not Quite the World's Oldest Profession

It turns out that the providing tech support is an older profession than I thought. Check out this YouTube clip to see what I mean:

Last Potter Book Goes on Pre-Order

Get your copy of the new Harry Potter book pre-ordered now!

PvP Gets motion

One of my favorite web based comic strips, PvPOnline has launched an animated cartoon series. Check out the sample that creator Scott Kurtz posted on YouTube.

Wizard for Hire

Sunday starts a whole new season for many of my favorite shows; Heros, BSG more. But it also marks the debut of a new show on Sci-Fi called The Dresdin Files. Harry Dresdin is the only acutal wizard listed in the Chicago phonebook. He doesn't wear a pointy hat; he doesn't do kids' parties and he doesn't have a long white beard. What he does do is solve the mysteries that have slipped in to our world from the Neverland. Jim Butcher, the author of the book series that the show is based on has said in several interviews that he is very pleased with the way the show came out. So much so that he actually pictures the actor playing Harry while he is writing new books for the series. Check out the show on Sunday the 21st at 9:00 PM before the return of Battlestar Galatica. And if you've not read the books be sure to give them a read too. I have made the first book in the series as my Pick Of The Week in the sidebar.

This Is An Ex-Parrot!

I have decided to join a growing group on the nouveau chic on the web of ex-bloggers. I just don't have enough discipline to update on a regular basis so I've decided to revert to just having a web presence and not call it a blog per se.

In marketing I think they call it "rebranding".

The goal here is to take the self imposed stress of not updating often enough off of me.
So what is going to change? Well for one I am going to merge Life On A Pacific Island and Speak Like A Geek in to one site. I'm not sure yet what that is going to look like. I do know that both domain names will point to the same place, wherever that may be. I also know that I will use it as a central location for linking to anything else I am doing on the web (like my Flickr photo feeds).

Keep checking in from time to time over the next few weeks for the changes. Who knows? I might even get them made in a timely manner.

Oh, and if you were looking for my other blog, Speak Like A Geek, I have closed that all together and pointed the domain name here until further notice.

Cheers!

-tds

NaNoWriMo Finished!

51,140 words. That is the final count for my attempt at this year's National Novel Writing Month. That counts as a win. It's not a finished novel and it will probably go sit in the bottom of a desk drawer, never to see the light of day every again. However there are a few good bits that I plan to pull out and hope to buff up in to some passable short stories for submission to publication.

I'll post an excerpt from the novel here in the near future. Time to take a short break and then get back to editing another piece I was working on before I started this year's project.

NaNoWriMo Update #2

It's now two thirds of the way through National Novel Writing Month and I'm happy to report that my word count is just shy of 45K. Validation at the website begins on the 25th and I hope to use our holiday road trip to Portland to round out the word count if not the actual word count.

Half Way There

National Novel Writing Month is hours away from the half way point and I just finished word #29,299. That means 20,701 words to go. The writing is a little easier this year, having do it once before, but it's still an effort.

King Holding Court

One of the perks of my current job is that Starbucks is on the book, music and speaker promo tour circuit. When an author, band or some other notable's publicist is booking their talent on various television shows, morning radio programs and other speaking engagements the corporate office for Starbucks is on the list. I'm sure that there are also forces at work within the company that place calls and send emails to make sure that the right people make a stop at our 9th floor commons.

Thanks to this little perk I've had the opportunity to meet the likes of Alton Brown. Ridley Pierson and (I swear I'm not making this up) Dave Berry. I also recently saw Carbon Leaf as the performed a CD release concert for us and U2's Bono is good friends with Howard Shultz so he is seen wandering the building from time to time. We also have had political figures like Tavis Smiley and Dino Rossi. But yesterday was one of the most exciting. Stephen King was in the house.

Mr. King was there to promote his new book, Lisey's Tale. I invited an acquaintance to come up and be my guest at the event knowing John was a big King fan and I'm glad to report that he was not disappointed. The arrangement of the venue is such that we were able to stand only 10 feet from Mr. King and all those people in front of us were sitting down so it was an unobstructed view.

As I'm sure that most of you are aware, King was hit by a van several years ago and it really messed up his body. He was broken in more places than I can count and spent lots of time in the hospital learning to breath again. To this day he still shows signs of the aches, pains and metal pins throughout his body. He walks like a man 30 years his senior and can only sit or stand for so long before he needs to change positions. But his mind is sharp. Perhaps sharper than it ever had been before based on his personal history from before the accident.

He was very witty, well spoken and warm with the crowd of about 500 people. He talked about where the idea for his latest book came from and offered a reading. I always find it interesting to hear an author read a bit of their own work. It usually lacks the flare and style that a professional voice talent will use like when recording an audio book but it has a certain extra bit of authenticity that comes through when the words read are their own.

After the reading he took several "I'm you're #1 fan" type questions from my fellow cube dwellers but was on a schedule and I was unable to get my own question on how he makes the sausage answered. Also due to his physical limitations he was only able to sign the first 100 books so I didn't get my come of On Writing signed this time; but who's to say there won't be another opportunity.

Micro Epics

While getting as many words on the page will be my goal for next month, I came across this link to a Wired story about epics written in six words or less.

Here a few of my favorites:

Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back. - David Brin

He read his obituary with confusion. - Steven Meretzky

Automobile warranty expires. So does engine. - Stan Lee