Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, cross-border living, food on November 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Oh, right, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I tend to forget holidays because, paradoxically, I have two sets of them to track.
Thanksgiving? We’ve already done that, haven’t we? Yes, but no.
So today I am prepping a list of holiday-related food to make, along with a series of Plan Bs in case holiday-specific foods are not available.
Because why, Canadians might ask, would anyone look for fresh turkey or cranberries in November?
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, it could be worse on November 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Ever had a work day where the bottom just seems to drop out beneath you, and things spiral from bad to worse? Of course you have, everyone has, but probably few have had a day like the folks in this story:
Lake Peigneur: The Swirling Vortex of Doom
Early in the morning on November 20, 1980, twelve men decided to abandon their oil drilling rig on the suspicion that it was beginning to collapse beneath them. They had been probing for oil under the floor of Lake Peigneur when their drill suddenly seized up at about 1,230 feet below the muddy surface, and they were unable to free it. In their attempts to work the drill loose, which is normally fairly easy at that shallow depth, the men heard a series of loud pops, just before the rig tilted precariously towards the water.
Here’s hoping your day is a swirling vortex… of awesome.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Earth, history, science on November 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »
All of history in an hour? Amazingly, yes. And if you’d like to know more, I recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on November 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“Well, imagine if we only ever did what we were supposed to…”
― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, genre fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »
One thing about unfinished or trunked speculative fiction stories is that sometimes, they come true.
My work covers a lot of territory, including near-future science fiction. The problem with that is the ever-evolving definition of “near.”
With today’s innovation landscape, it often doesn’t take very long for a speculative future to become an everyday present. I ran across a story draft from six or seven years ago, and realized that the subject was no longer fiction.
Now it’s just life.
What’s the lesson? In this case, I trunked the story because it wasn’t quite working, but in general? Focus on finishing, and submit to markets with short turnaround times.
Because the future can be closer than you think.
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Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, art, inspiration, Thoughts on November 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”
― Vincent Van Gogh
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Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, @CornellBirds, art, birds, science, Thoughts on November 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
John Oliver’s recent shenanigans in New Zealand’s Bird of the Century contest has me thinking about birds, and I remembered this site from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
This interactive mural showcases 270 of the interesting birds around us. Zoom in and click to learn more about each species. And if New Zealand’s competition wasn’t enough for you, you can vote for your favorites.
I enjoy a lot of these birds (the Drongo, Lilac-breasted Roller, Hoopoe, puffins!), but the Blue-footed Booby looks like it took a wrong turn and missed the “Caution: Wet Paint” sign. Delightful.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, writing on November 15, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
― Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, genre fiction, Writers, writing on November 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to my day job, Tuesdays are the worst… except when they aren’t.
Me: Tuesday morning, grumble, grumble, work, work, work.
/muzak, lunch, muzak
Me: What’s this in my email?
/insert the crackling of digital paper
Me: An acceptance letter for one of my favorite fun stories? How cool is that?
More details as we get closer to publication, but it’s great news. And it couldn’t have come on a better day.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, genre fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference.”
— Nolan Bushnell
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J.R. Johnson 
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