Learning from the Masters

2 CommentsWriting

Most writers and writing instructors agree that we should learn from the masters. Study the greats of our genre, and throw in some Chaucer, Shakespeare, Kipling, and Twain for good measure. But what about Michaelangelo?  Mozart?  Da Vinci?  Not only can the masters of other, non-writing fields prove a fabulous source of inspiration, as Dan

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Movies

The film adaptation of Douglas Adam’s classic and humorous sci fi novel, featuring Martin Freeman as the harrassed Arthur Dent, Mos Def as cool customer Ford Prefect, Zooey Deschanel as the brilliant and beautiful Trillian, and Sam Rockwell as the one and only Zaphod Beeblebrox. Pros: The screen adaptation remains true to the principal characters’ personalities (dual

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Mopping Up the Milky Way

Home in the Rookery, Rumblings

This morning, five minutes after I’m supposed to have taken the kids to school, the fridge had an emotional collapse.  Maybe it was the thought of all those Thanksgiving leftovers.  Maybe it just felt under-appreciated.  Whatever the cause, it decided that was a good time to drop a shelf–the one holding the milk jug, of

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The Picture vs. the Thousand Words

Writing

Is a picture really worth a thousand words?  Would you rather get one untitled picture a month from a loved one, or several emails?  I’m assuming your average email is not longer than 500 words, and probably shorter.  What about in business?  Would you accept the occasional photo from your team leader instead of instructions?  Keep in mind

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This Week In Words (11-19-06)

Writing

Critic >n. 1 a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something: critics say many schools are not prepared to handle the influx of foreign students. 2 a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, esp. one who does so prefessionally: a film critic. Misnomer >n. a wrong or inaccurate name

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Top Ten Ways to Get Along With the In-Laws

Just for Laughs

10 - Give them a list of the things they should change to accomodate your kids. 9 – Stay up late watching shows and talking. 8 – Don’t worry about their non-smoking policy, that doesn’t apply to family. 7 - Borrow their car, then bring it back empty. 6 - Bring your pets with you.  Who knows, they may learn to love animals. 5 – Redecorate their boring

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Seeing Double

Blogging

I checked the site after posting this morning and found that one of my posts, Human Barometer, had been mulitplying during the night.  Does anyone know of a prevention for blog post reproduction?  I’m assuming it was asexual reproduction, probably mitosis.  I sincerely hope it wasn’t anything skankier than that! I nixed the extra blog.  Let’s hope

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Out of the Silent Planet

The Bookshelf

This is the first novel in C.S. Lewis’s science fiction space trilogy.  The book takes place mostly on Malacandra (Mars), and tells the story of kidnapped earthman Elwin Ransom as he mingles with the natives and deals with the antagonists, Dr. Weston and his associate Devine. The series explains through myth the Christian doctrine of temptation and the

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