Monthly Archives: July 2011

Way more competitive than YOU are

Posted on July 29, 2011 by José Iriarte

It took me five or six years to figure out that other couples don’t play games the way my wife and I do. We’ve got a massive collection of pretty much every game either of us has ever owned, and … Continue reading →

Posted in assorted nerdom, writing | 6 Comments

7th Sigma

Posted on July 29, 2011 by José Iriarte

Steven Gould has long been one of my favorite writers, with Jumper and Helm in particular being books of his I’ve loved enough to reread. As a matter of fact, I haven’t made much of a secret of the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in books you might enjoy | 2 Comments

I’m Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader, But I Want To Be a Millionaire

Posted on July 28, 2011 by José Iriarte

If you ever got the chance to visit the tragically defunct Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Play It! attraction at either Disney MGM Studios or Disney’s California Adventure, then you probably recognize what’s in the picture. The fact that … Continue reading →

Posted in assorted nerdom | 3 Comments

Impossible Writing Prompt: Create a Believable Character Evil Enough to Pull Off the Writer House Hoax

Posted on July 27, 2011 by José Iriarte

I’ve seen several mentions this week, mostly over Twitter, of the vile hoax played by an individual posing as Jodi Reamer from Writers House. It sounded pretty crappy, but I didn’t go clicking on links to find out more about … Continue reading →

Posted in rants, writing | 2 Comments

Best Books on Writing

Posted on July 26, 2011 by José Iriarte

At writers’ group tonight*, the topic of books on craft came up. Always happy to hear myself talk, I began to expound on which books had worked for me, when our group leader suggested I share the list online instead. … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | 7 Comments

The Archetype of the Tortured Artist

Posted on July 25, 2011 by José Iriarte

I wasn’t particularly familiar with Amy Winehouse before her death. I knew the name, and I had the general impression that a lot of the people I respect admired her art and her intelligence. My days of keeping up with … Continue reading →

Posted in artist's life, close to home | 6 Comments

Heavenly Pizza

Posted on July 24, 2011 by José Iriarte

I have an unhealthy appetite for pizza. For me, it’s always been the perfect food. I’m not sure why a pizza is intrinsically more appetizing than a burger, or steak, pasta, or pretty much anything else; it just is. When … Continue reading →

Posted in food | 4 Comments

Online Argument Fatigue

Posted on July 23, 2011 by José Iriarte

If you’re not familiar with this XKCD strip, then you’re probably not geeky enough to be in my target audience. 😉 Just tonight* I was having a “Someone is wrong on the internet!” moment of my own. It was all … Continue reading →

Posted in assorted nerdom, rants, this I believe | 3 Comments

The Obligatory Space Shuttle Post

Posted on July 21, 2011 by José Iriarte

I was in third grade when the Space Shuttle Columbia took its maiden flight into space. I remember getting up early to watch the launch on our big old oak cabinet TV that took minutes to warm up and showed … Continue reading →

Posted in tech geek | Leave a comment

Bookvenirs

Posted on July 21, 2011 by José Iriarte

Tonight* a bunch of us writerly types were sitting around with some adult beverages, talking about writing, reading, and books in general, when the topic of used books came up. I’ve never lived anywhere where I haven’t visited every used … Continue reading →

Posted in bookish life | 8 Comments