tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45340007661151161202024-03-17T23:03:54.785-04:00CombreviationsLaura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.comBlogger439125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-2564397224566336442010-08-13T10:00:00.000-04:002010-08-13T10:00:03.758-04:00Another day, another round upCheck it out at <a href="http://www.pimpmynovel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Pimp My Novel</a>.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-45026857733389061042010-08-10T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-10T09:00:08.068-04:00So many books in the worldGoogle counted, and there are <a href="http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2010/08/books-of-world-stand-up-and-be-counted.html" target="_blank">129,864,880 books in the world</a>. Click through to see how they counted or, if you read one a week, you can get started on the next 2.5 million years of reading.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-14456301142861398332010-08-09T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-09T09:00:07.626-04:00How to write like Vonnegut"Don't use semicolons. They stand for absolutely nothing. They are transvestite hermaphrodites. They are just a way of showing off. To show that you have been to college."<br />
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Go <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/08/see_kurt_vonnegut_offer_advice.html" target="_blank">here for the rest of the speech</a>. Amazing.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-14039866880317475222010-08-05T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-05T09:00:00.960-04:00Holy crap, Sue SylvesterSweet Cheerios,<a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/celebrities/glee_producers_plan_sue_sylvester_autobiography_169681.asp" target="_blank">Sue Sylvester is writing a memoir</a>. There is a god!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-3553900014856683502010-08-04T09:00:00.006-04:002010-08-04T09:00:07.829-04:00Kanye tweets to the New Yorker<a href="http://twitpic.com/2b0uwt" title="[S] #kanyenewyorkertweets on Twitpic"><img alt="[S] #kanyenewyorkertweets on Twitpic" height="320" src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/2b0uwt.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
There's a whole list of these <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/bfeld/kanyenewyorkertweets" target="_blank">here</a>. Awesome!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-76535808706911826862010-07-30T10:00:00.000-04:002010-07-30T10:00:01.325-04:00Round up at PMN<a href="http://www.pimpmynovel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Check it out</a>, folks!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-74877753651651962402010-07-29T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-29T09:00:00.493-04:00Aldous Huxley v. George Orwell: Death matchHoly crap, this is simultaneously the <a href="http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/blog/2010/07/amusing-ourselves-to-death/" target="_blank">coolest and saddest thing I have ever seen</a>. Aldous Huxley was super right.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-50943989617418519452010-07-28T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-28T09:00:07.845-04:00Language geeks of the world, unite!Oh em gee, so awesome:<br />
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I bet <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/books/24mieville.html?_r=2&ref=books" target="_blank">China Mieville would be interested in this</a>. That's an extra perk!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-24319167742711334732010-07-26T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-26T09:00:07.455-04:00Mr. Rogers Crayola factory editionInterested in seeing <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5594225/inside-the-offices-of-moleskin-+-milan-gallery/gallery/1" target="_blank">inside the Moleskine factory</a>? It's no Crayola factory with Mr. Rogers, but it ain't bad either.<br />
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Also: the <a href="http://www.therugcompany.info/craftsmanship.htm?store=3" target="_blank">making of rugs</a>! (Yes, ok, slightly unrelated)Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-71560556647966646162010-07-19T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-19T09:00:10.992-04:00Libraries and spoofs, all the rageIn my <a href="http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/07/round-up-end-of-times.html" target="_blank">round up last week at PMN</a> I pointed out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu-KBxOtJxs&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">this video</a> of the Old Spice guy shilling for libraries. Now I bring to you Stephen Jones, on the value of studying in the library:<br />
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I'm on a cart!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-44544674755878435232010-07-16T12:00:00.003-04:002010-07-16T12:00:02.492-04:00Actually useful informationYou may think that good writing, or hard work, or good representation sells books. You would be super wrong. You know what sells books? <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publishing-and-marketing/article/43740-accurate-metadata-sells-books.html" target="_blank">Metadata</a>. And, womp womp:<br />
<blockquote>"There used to be consistency throughout the retail channel," Savikas said. "Amazon and B&N and other retailers all needed the same stuff." But that was before the appearance of channels like the Apple app store: "They need completely different data," Savikas said, pointing out the impact of agency model e-book pricing. "Now there may be four or five different prices for a single book."</blockquote>You might write an amazing piece of work, but no one's going to find it if Amazon can't link it up right at the bottom, and if the pricing gets effed up. And most publishers don't have the resources to make sure its right everywhere. Damn internet, ruining everything.<br />
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People who read this post also read...other posts...here...Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-58432278611658123162010-07-16T10:00:00.000-04:002010-07-16T10:00:05.350-04:00Round up day, friends and foesHead on over to <a href="http://www.pimpmynovel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">PMN</a>, for all the me time you could ever want.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-66179582063415296392010-07-15T09:00:00.001-04:002010-07-15T09:00:03.498-04:00Things that I should not have to read before breakfastRemember back when <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200016/Philip-Pullman-Quentin-Blake-abandon-school-visits-plans-vet-authors-child-safety.html" target="_blank">Phillip Pullman was making waves because schools wanted to do background checks on authors</a> before they visited the kiddies? Once again humanity has failed us and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/childrens-author-kp-bath-sentenced_n_640023.html" target="_blank">children's author K.P. Bath has been convicted of possessing child pornography</a>. <br />
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So, yea, maybe background checks are a good idea. Maybe also a hard drive search for everyone? And congratulations to the news, for icking me out before breakfast.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-67861003539924448272010-07-14T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-14T09:00:11.312-04:00Bad romanceI swear, I'm getting back into the swing of things soon, but in the meantime: <a href="http://jezebel.com/5585160/worst-romance-heroes-hall-of-fame-devils-embrace" target="_blank">some people I think misunderstand what "romance" means</a>. For me, and this is just an opinion, I don't include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritzl_case" target="_blank">Josef Fritzl</a> in the "romantic" category. But some might disagree!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-27472855586806071932010-07-09T10:00:00.002-04:002010-07-09T10:00:02.343-04:00My free time was eaten by goblinsBut I still put together a round up at <a href="http://www.pimpmynovel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">PMN</a>. Go, read, conquer. Or something? Damn goblins.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-89144967450027706422010-07-07T12:00:00.001-04:002010-07-07T12:00:05.492-04:00Hall of heroes personifiedAs we all know, American culture is built on a millenial world view, which sees the end of days coming at any time. And I'm not saying the zombie apocalypse is nigh, but I am saying: what could be more American than a good apocalypse?<br />
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Max Brooks, chronicler of the apocalypse, did an <a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2010/07/06/max-brooks-zombie-vampire/" target="_blank">interview with Shelf Life</a>. He says:<br />
<blockquote>I knew I had turned a corner when I did my first zombie-protection lecture, which was at Colorado College, I believe. Two hundred people showed up and I was so panicked, flop-sweating like Albert Brooks in Broadcast News. I did my lecture for 45 sweaty minutes and I opened the floor up to questions, thinking, okay, they’ve suffered through my lecture. I thought they’d ask me questions like, “Is Will Ferrell really that funny?” or “Is Tina Fey nice?” but the questions were all, “If I cut off my arm, can I stop an infection?” “What rifle do you recommend at what range?” “Should I wear body armor?” They were all actual zombie questions, and I thought maybe I was on to something.</blockquote>Oh man, be my friend, Max Brooks.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-36824365654331961772010-07-07T09:00:00.000-04:002010-07-07T09:05:55.677-04:00The truth speaks to me through comicsIf only there was <a href="http://www.inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2010/6/29/please-help-me-with-my-book-proposal.html" target="_blank">some justification for constant blog reading</a>...except replace "novel" with "procrastination" in my case.<br />
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Thanks to Michael for sending the link along (and for being nice about my blog-slacking!).Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-6604511794999074192010-07-06T12:00:00.001-04:002010-07-06T12:00:00.410-04:00Holy crap Herman MelvilleYou just got a <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2010/07/peru-fossil-discovery.html" target="_blank">giant carnivorous prehistoric whale named after you</a>. Click through for the awesome artist rendering.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-73132465101920896912010-07-06T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-06T09:00:03.327-04:00Living in the past, sure, I do thatBecause I have the <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20313460_20397424,00.html" target="_blank">essential Lost reading list</a>. This show will never die! I'm up to four of these...Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-33919849601618326972010-06-29T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-29T09:00:07.587-04:00If we just cover this one word here...We get these <a href="http://consumerist.com/2010/06/great-moments-in-price-tag-placement-failure.html" target="_blank">great moments in price tag placement</a>, book edition. Hurray!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-35497552096835373832010-06-28T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-28T09:00:10.079-04:00This dead air is brought to you by...Work being out of control! Will post intermittently as things are hilarious.<br />
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Besos to you all.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-40250286681721112152010-06-24T12:00:00.001-04:002010-06-24T12:00:04.020-04:00Oh magical publishing eight-ball, show me your waysSusan Orlean's <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/susanorlean/2010/06/alphabet-soup.html" target="_blank">story of bouncing from editor to editor and house to house</a> is disheartening, yes, but is pretty normal. Hurray for an industry that pays little enough that the slight pay bumps you get from constantly moving are enough to make you repeatedly scuttle your entire life at a single place!Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-31298934763747326092010-06-24T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-24T09:00:01.478-04:00What do you mean, "a plot"?I know we've all been there, seen that, but this article on the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/jun/23/neil-gaiman-short-stories" target="_blank">lack-of-plot associated with "good writing"</a> hits the nail right on the head:<br />
<blockquote>What Gaiman alludes to and Chabon tackles directly is the genre which we now know as "literary": the fictional worlds inhabited by people who think a lot and say a lot and feel a lot, but don't actually do very much over the course of the narrative - they might be caught up in the swell of an emotional riptide, perhaps, until Chabon's "moment-of-truth" revelation brings the story, such as it is, to a close.<br />
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The ongoing, endless war between "literary" fiction and "genre" fiction has well-defined lines in the sand. Genre's foot soldiers think that literary fiction is a collection of meaningless but prettily drawn pictures of the human condition. The literary guard consider genre fiction to be crass, commercial, whizz-bang potboilers. Or so it goes.</blockquote>Call me a troglodyte, but I do enjoy when things actually, you know, happen...Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-57253259591701259422010-06-22T12:00:00.002-04:002010-06-22T14:45:14.989-04:00Secret love lives that kind of ick me outToday was apparently the day of love stories that make me go, "...oh..."<br />
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First, we've got the <a href="http://jezebel.com/5568840/the-anne-frank-sex-scene-you-havent-been-waiting-for" target="_blank">Anne Frank novelization, plus boning</a>. That's just awkward. I understand that she was a teenager, but, I don't know. It's just weird.<br />
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Also weird is the <a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2010/06/20/emilys_secret_love/" target="_blank">Emily Dickinson potential love story</a>. And, hey, I'm not saying she shouldn't have had a man-friend of some sort. I'm saying that the way they describe it is creepers:<br />
<blockquote>Over the next few months, Emily turned to [Otis Phillips Lord, her father's friend] the handsome widower – not as a father but as a suitor of sorts. Later, a granddaughter of Dickinson’s confidante Elizabeth Holland suggested that Lord’s tenderness had “long been latent in his feeling for her.”</blockquote>I'm sorry, the words "father figure" and "lover" should really not go in the same sentence. That is creepos.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534000766115116120.post-57500766550319817622010-06-22T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-22T09:00:03.787-04:00Best food booksEveryone in the world should love the following things: napping and eating. And, to further love of the latter, the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> asked <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/sc-food-0604-chef-books-20100604,0,2443115.story" target="_blank">chefs to list their favorite non-cookbook food books</a>. Hello, added to my reading list.Laura C. Ombreviationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12079133569258549461noreply@blogger.com1