Can I get a hallelujah and an amen for how absolutely little I care about either how John Kerry was says he was in Cambodia during the Vietnam War but maybe wasn't, or how George Bush says he fulfilled his National Guard service, but maybe didn't? I don't care, I don't care, I … [Read more...] about The gravitational pull of Pluto
Web Design Curriculum
People often ask me to recommend web books. I always have to get more specific: You want beginner, intermediate, or advanced? What are you trying to achieve? Some people will say that they want to learn HTML, when the truth is that they'd be just as happy letting software write … [Read more...] about Web Design Curriculum
Brief writing note
I started breaking up the WIP into chapters, copying chunks back and forth between files, and I found 8000 words tucked away in a forgotten file. WOO! Tomorrow's project: merge the four different versions of chapter 1, and then get subversion repository working so that … [Read more...] about Brief writing note
Sex Scenes
Sara Donati is studying sex scenes this week using excerpts from several novels. Part one focuses on humor, using an outrageous scene by Jennifer Crusie as an example. It's a great analysis of a subject few writers are willing to tackle. Stay tuned for more. … [Read more...] about Sex Scenes
Speaking Engagements
If you're local and web-inclined, you can watch me demonstrate how to convert an old-school page layout to CSS at the Brazos Valley Macromedia Users Group meeting on August 24th. Also, Sarah and I will be talking to the West Houston RWA chapter about web design for authors on … [Read more...] about Speaking Engagements
QOTD
My office neighbor, upon being shown the document that was just sent to me for publishing on the web: "Who is their liaison with this office? The Marquis de Sade?" My sentiments exactly. … [Read more...] about QOTD
Stross on ebooks and free books
Another Very Important Link, this time for writers. Charlie Stross has taken the time to explain why authors should give their work away for free online. Say what? you think. My theory is this: reading online sucks, but those of us who are readers do it anyway, up to the … [Read more...] about Stross on ebooks and free books
A link too important to get shuffled off into the sideblog
Barack Obama's speech at the DNC. Required reading, or viewing if you have RealPlayer at all. This guy is the first politician who has ever made me want to vote for something, rather than voting to get rid of the incumbent. I do hope he runs for president when he's done kicking … [Read more...] about A link too important to get shuffled off into the sideblog
Summernoise
One of the things that makes winter feel so desolate is the quiet. You can walk outside and feel like you're the only living thing in the world. By contrast, summer is loud. The sheer volume of the insects rattling and buzzing outside right now is enough that I can hear them … [Read more...] about Summernoise
Weekend dilemmas
So we went to Houston for the weekend. Michael had an EQ get-together in Katy, and I stayed with my mom, two aunts, and a cousin. (The cousin and the aunt who is not her mother both live in an apartment complex near the Compaq Center. Have I lost you yet?) The cousin is mostly … [Read more...] about Weekend dilemmas
