LaGrange, Georgia—8 November 2012
Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 4/10/13
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Tag Archives: Things That Make You Go Hmm
100 watts of fun
Answering the doorbell on a Sunday afternoon. A neighbor’s nine-year-old daughter stands there waiting.
ME: Hi! What’s going on?
GIRL: Miss Rachael, do you have a 100-watt light bulb?
ME: No, but I do have a 40-watt or a 60-watt. Will either of those work?
GIRL: Oh, shoot. My Easy-Bake Oven takes only a 100-watt bulb.
Editing is like…
And if you’ve ever smelled a pig barn that needs cleaning, you know why regular shoveling is so important.
It’s the same thing with editing. Okay, so the poop is metaphorical. Still, editing is vital no matter the document or purpose—tech docs, fiction, poetry, college essays, whatever. Step away for a while, even if it’s just an hour. Then come back, pick up your shovel, and get busy. That includes you, too, Perfect and Incredibly Inspired Writer of Masterpieces. Your work usually needs editing worse than anyone else’s.
(Many thanks to the lovely and talented @amandaccarlson for this pearl of wisdom!)
Children and a powerful household drug
Most kids use it every day from the time they can sit up on their own. It’s commonly available, and found in nearly every American home. Continue reading
A post a day: Looking back at the June 2012 Challenge
Last month, I challenged myself to publish a blog post every day from the 1st through the 30th. It was fun, exhilarating, even mind-numbing—and I posted 34 times in 30 days. While I’ve achieved many goals over the years, I was rather surprised Continue reading
A vivid memory, in ruins
What does it feel like to drive past a place you knew well and for many years—only to discover it’s gone? Continue reading
Friday Photo: 6/22/12
LaGrange, Georgia—8 April 2010
For passive-aggressive help, press 1
On the phone with automated tech support.
AUTO HELP: Give me a minute to look up the details of your internet service. I won’t be able to hear while I’m doing this.
ME: [sotto voce] You’re a computer. You don’t even have ears.
AUTO HELP: I’m sorry, I didn’t understand your answer.
Fuzzy Martians and good instructions: Yepyepyepyepyep.
This classic Sesame Street sketch aired in late 1974, when small children automatically would have known what the funny-looking black plastic object was. (Would today’s preschoolers know? Hmm.)
In case you haven’t seen this recurring skit, Continue reading
Alone doesn’t mean “lonely”
Being alone and happy doesn’t mean sequestering yourself from the world. It means being confident enough to know that you can surround yourself with people, but not depend on them for your own happiness.
— Tyler Tervooren, 13 Rules for Being Alone and Being Happy about It
Give this blog post a read, whether you’re always outgoing and people-friendly, or whether you’re more reserved and introspective. There’s so much great insight here. If you want to better understand yourself, your family, your friends, your colleagues, or your neighbors, let Tyler shed some light on the value of working alone.