I am considering going to a local event (which recurs): Presentation Karaoke. "Give a presentation that you've never seen to an audience of hecklers ( Read more... )

I want to start two blogs. These will be different from this LiveJournal, which is general and brain-dumpish for me ( Read more... )

I need a "reverse TIVO," I think. I've seen "to TIVO" mean to fast-forward past commercials. I would like a way to view ONLY commercials ( Read more... )

Is every city developing a ton of user groups and grass-roots meetings for creatives and/or geeks? Or is it just a Portland thing ( Read more... )

Someone (not me!) has, on my favorite puzzling site, posted a pic of morris dancers capering for me to assemble.

Now here's something that may be of interest to Portland-area gamers and others: a play at an arts-magnet middle school; performances in November.

Based on  Roleplaying Adventure: "Burnt Offerings," volume 1 of Pathfinder, "brought to you by the same staff which brought you Dragon and Dungeon magazines for over five years."

Masks by Goblin Art, who ( Read more... )

During five months of unemployment, I have attended workshops and "taken meetings" that ordinarily would be far enough down on my list to fall off due to time constraints.

Too many of them have triggered my Snake Oil Sensor. I wonder if it is simply at a more sensitive setting than normal?

This afternoon was a meeting about a new business that wants ( Read more... )

Publisher's blurbs get more brazen every day.

I'm looking at a book description and the Publisher's Comments says
Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look...

It's not in quotes. It doesn't say "It's as if Writer A meets Writer B." I'm pretty sure the book has nothing to do with either of them.

This coat-tail riding is no longer ( Read more... )

I've been picking up the "New York Times Magazine" from the library when I can. The CONSUMED column, by Rob Walker, is reliably interesting.

I really liked his title on June 14, "Repurpose-Driven Life."

It's about all the excess retail real estate in the US, and ideas for re-using the space. The case is strong that this was a need even before the ( Read more... )

If this were the only example of this, I wouldn't get so irritated ( Read more... )