I think so. My friend Margaret has launched a new magazine called Shelf Unbound, but if you don’t print it out yourself, you won’t be reading it in dead-tree form.
I’ll be reading it on my girlfriend, iPad.
A reason to be cheered about the future of magazines
August 26th, 2010 · Literature
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Meat in a Box
August 23rd, 2010 · Big Garbage Can of Weirdness
Aside from the marvelous name, Meat in a Box, also has a great sign. Kind of reminds me of the old White Castle and its “buy ‘em by the bag” (maybe that’s why they call little burgers “sliders” these days). Haven’t tried the food because (perhaps) the place was closed for Ramadan. The claim on the sign that it is “so much more” seems inaccurate. You can see the menu through the window and it seems like it’s all meat in a box.
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Disappearing Hand Sanitizer
August 23rd, 2010 · Big Garbage Can of Weirdness
A friend who knows about these things told me that the Library of Congress has gotten rid of hand sanitizers. This was not because the LOC found itself to be germ-free. Or that they wanted their patrons to pass on whatever illnesses they might be carrying. Problem was, it was disappearing, as in stolen. With a little detective work, it turned out that it was being turned into liquid (adding a certain common household chemical turns the gel to liquid) and drunk. By, presumably, people who are extremely dedicated to the sanitizing of their innards.
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new digs
June 3rd, 2010 · Big Garbage Can of Weirdness
I am camping out at my new house, bought in May, with my new girlfriend, iPad. Actually, girlfriend may not be the right word, but there does seem to me something feminine about this thing. Make that siren-like. It calls my name.
The Netflix app has been totally indispensable without TV hooked up.
Such silliness aside Much work to do here. Had to tear out a wall to get rid of the rot produced by an ancient and repaired leak. Do not want to know what I might have breathed. The blackness of rot is sort of fascinating.
These things are irreplaceable: reciprocating saw. Mine is a DeWalt. Nail guns–my dad bought me these long before he died. I have been thanking him. Porter-Cable.
So what is the deal with Home Depot? They used to be surly and nasty, and now everyone is as helpful as can be. But I still HATE the self-checkout lines. But that is true of all of ‘em. That kind of cost-shifting I hate.
But Home Depot is still an on-again off-again thing. One day almost pleasant, another, miserable.
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Are Publishers Irrelevant?
March 13th, 2010 · Publishing, books
Pat Holt, on her Holt Uncensored Blog, has had an interesting series of posts on what she calls the DIY author. These are people (she starts with Seth Harwood) who have essentially bucked or avoided or been ignored by the major publishing houses—that is until they’ve created an online platform and established a fan base—and have done it themselves, creating iPhone apps, podcasts, offering up their work for free, and so forth.
I am not, as Holt termed Harwood, one of ”the new breed of whiz-kid authors.” I’m a middle-aged novelist who published two novels way too long ago, has ghosted a number of nonfiction books (some of which have been national bestsellers [which, believe me, does not make me anything close to rich]) and has one complete novel on the shelf that was enthusiastically turned down by all of the major publishing houses, and another that’s almost ‘finished,’ finished meaning in this case I almost have the ending done, but much work still needs to be done. [Read more →]
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What's Wrong with Jay McInerny is what's wrong with the rest of America — but it's not what you think
October 6th, 2009 · Geekery, Literature, books
I’m in the midst of reading Richard Powers’s new novel, GENEROSITY: AN ENHANCEMENT. I’m a big fan of Powers’s work, and despite some not so great (and in my mind kind of ill-conceived) reviews, I’m liking it a lot so far. Jay McInerny reviewed the book in the Times Book Review this week, and I was surprised by his statement in the “upfront” section. [Read more →]
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My Most Humble Request: An Open Letter to Ms. Angelina Jolie & Mr. Brad Pitt
July 8th, 2009 · silliness
My Dear Ms. Jolie and Mr. Pitt:
Greetings from your most humble and adoring fan. Let me please, first of all, and however belatedly, congratulate you on the additions to your very large and growing family. How many is it now? Six? Goodness you are most blessedly rich and fecund. Surely eight will not be enough. Surely you will want to have more! Perhaps you shall have more?
As a father myself, I understand the joys of children and the great weight of responsibility they will bring upon your house and upon you as a couple, and how you will now and then wish to exterminate them cruelly.
I recommend you not do this. Those feelings will pass.
Yes, my friends, I know. I have experienced these feelings myself and found the strength to rise above them. [Read more →]
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A True Story
February 26th, 2009 · Philosophy
Over the weekend I’m talking to my brother on the phone. He says he’s concerned that he might be a workaholic, using his work in a way similar to the way the substance-aholic uses substances, escape, self-worth, etc.
So he decides that he should find out more about what being a workaholic means. He finds a Workaholics Anonymous meeting in his area. When he goes, there’s no one there.
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Kindle 2
February 26th, 2009 · Uncategorized
So Amazon has released the new Kindle. A brand new opportunity for you/me, the cash-strapped consumer, to spend a lot of money, and then spend a lot more.
Let me say here that I am a huge fan of Amazon. I buy so much stuff per annum from Amazon that I signed up for Amazon Prime. And the kinds of stuff I buy from Amazon [Read more →]
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Best freakin' coffee on the planet
February 8th, 2009 · Uncategorized
I’ve never been a fan of Starbucks coffee—their caffeine, yes, their coffee, no—and so herewith I offer you the chance to try the most freaking awesome coffee on the planet. I’ve never been a big fan of dark roast, and dark roast seems to have proliferated ever since the global expansion of Starbucks. But there’s way better coffee awaiting your discerning palate. [Read more →]
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