3 out of 4
number of my friends that could not explain what an adjective is
As someone who knows next to nothing about technology…
Why does the voice for Siri sound exactly like the same awkward, choppy,first version of the voice for every other technological talking voice thing down the line? Why don’t they just use the best one available that all the technological talking voice things use right now that sound like real people, like GPS or most kids’ toys?
Why the Novel Still Matters
There are two big arguments for why the novel, as we know it, is dying.
1) People are spending less time with fiction, and with books. We’re opting for small bites, like blog posts, and socially-recommended reading.
2) Linear written stories are being downplayed thanks to new technology that creates interactive, multimedia-aided storytelling.
But those things don’t matter. Yes, we are on the Internet more than we read books. Yes, people are trying all kinds of cute iBook gimmicks. But the straight-forward, no frills novel is still one of the most powerful objects out there.
Novels have the power to make us do all kinds of things. Take a road trip. Try cocaine. Listen to The Smiths. Study Jungian archetypes.
They help us understand things we would never otherwise think about. Why little kids might go mute. Why a man might kill a bunch of people.
Most importantly, they’re escapism. We can get away from the world and pretend we are someone else for awhile, while laying around in our underwear in our beds.
Unlike movies, novels are easy for anyone to create. You just need words, and the reader’s mind does the set production.
As a writer, I still don’t think I’ll be satisfied with myself until I write a novel. To me, it’s the touchstone of a writing career, and the point when you start to be taken seriously.
Even though writing a bestselling novel might not make you as rich as it used to, the glamor is still there. The publishing houses just need to not give up hope (or require as much money).
flux capacitor in my beer
Sane’s the new crazy
I like this one. One dog goes one way, the other dog goes the other way. And this guy’s sayin’ “Whaddya want from me?”
When you meet TOM WILSON (Biff Tannen from BACK TO THE FUTURE) and start asking him questions he gives you an autographed picture of himself with these answers on the back.
Tom is awesome, nice and a great artist.
Click to listen to him on the NERDIST PODCAST (tune into BBC AMERICA for the show this saturday. PLUG!)
(via popculturebrain)
I’ve had one of my big ideas.
What do you think of this?
A live 3 hour podcast during The Golden Globes. Me and a few chums (like Louis CK, Chris Rock, Karl Pilkington, John Stewart, Larry David popping in and out) doing our own alternative commentary.
People at home can have the telly on with the sound down listening to us online say things that no broadcaster could get away with.
No one could do a fucking thing.
The biggest live webcast ever? Who knows? Who cares? What’s fun is the shit we might come out with. No money. No sponsor. No guide lines. Fuck me I can’t wait.
Maybe I’ll do a non-broadcast practice with The Emmys to see if it works. I’ll let you know.
so i’ve encountered not one, but two accidental smiley faces in the past couple of weeks…smiley beer on the left, happy candle wax on the right.
what does it all mean?
(via theyuniversity)
