For writing. For friends. For my wife. For great holiday stories, like the one I just heard about a couple arguing over who is more OCD. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone. If you’re one of my readers from outside of the US. It’s a day of gluttony in which we’re thankful that … well youContinue reading “I Give Thanks”
Author Archives: Norm Benson
Word (or Phrase) of the Year
From the American Dialect Society: What is the word or phrase which best characterizes the year 2008? What expression most reflects the ideas, events, and themes which have occupied the United States and its residents? Nominations should be sent to woty@americandialect.org. The best “word of the year” candidates will be: —new or newly popular inContinue reading “Word (or Phrase) of the Year”
Timberati — Too Big to Fail
From Truthdig: The Fed and the Treasury are once again throwing good cash after bad business. This time the culprit is Citigroup, which could get bailed out—courtesy of you—to the tune of $100 billion. And with that, we’d like to announce that Truthdig is officially too big to fail. For a mere $50 billion, weContinue reading “Timberati — Too Big to Fail”
If it isn’t grown…
I love technological gadgets. I remember getting one of the first electronic handheld calculators in the 1970s. It cost about $100. Soon, Moore’s Law kicked in, the capacity increased and the price decreased, and in a few years places gave calculators away. Moore’s Law has brought down the cost of electronic gadgets. Cellular phones usedContinue reading “If it isn’t grown…”
Save Trees, Use More Paper
Earlier this year, Kevin Periera of G4 told Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal, the Amazon Kindle “is the savior to many, many forests in the future.” [Read it here] As a licensed forester and certified treehugger, I don’t think so. Trees don’t get cut down when you use electronic stuff, right? Well they may be, forever. TheContinue reading “Save Trees, Use More Paper”
PowerBook We Hardly Knew Ye
Well, my beloved Apple PowerBook G4 died in its sleep (mode) yesterday. And though I had backed up its contents frequently, it takes with it the latest versions/downloads of iTunes, RSS feeds, Word documents, and the only Apple product in the house with which to synchronize the iPod. It is survived by two atavistic cousins–uncoolContinue reading “PowerBook We Hardly Knew Ye”
Hook 'em Danno
Think about how you are drawn into a book and then the story—especially by an author you’re not familiar with. Perhaps you saw a book review, perhaps you heard how good it was from a friend, or perhaps when you walked into the bookstore (or Costco) you saw the book on a table. First, youContinue reading “Hook 'em Danno”
Hook ’em Danno
Think about how you are drawn into a book and then the story—especially by an author you’re not familiar with. Perhaps you saw a book review, perhaps you heard how good it was from a friend, or perhaps when you walked into the bookstore (or Costco) you saw the book on a table. First, youContinue reading “Hook ’em Danno”
I wonder what an electronic book reader would look like if Apple designed it?
I wonder what an electronic book reader would look like if Apple designed it? Tribes author Seth Godin has an interesting take on free content and the publishing industry: [Publishers] are not in the printing business. [They are] in the business of leveraging the big ideas authors have. … The market doesn’t care a whitContinue reading “I wonder what an electronic book reader would look like if Apple designed it?”
Easy as ABC
I continue to learn from reading and listening to Eric Witchey. I know I’ve posted his You Tube video before but I glean something new every time I watch it. This time, he helped me grok a scene with my antagonist. That something comes from what he terms the “ABCs” of a scene. Agenda, Backstory,Continue reading “Easy as ABC”
Nullius in Verba 