Time for Writing

I am sitting here at work at 8 pm, taking a mental break by surfing a little (and extending the time I will need to be here by the same amount of time [arrgghh]) and ran across a post by Mr. Scalzi (yes, again, but apparently I'm skimming the good bits of gold from the gravel pretty handily) about finding time to write. This is a subject that's been much on my mind lately. I've taken a hiatus from writing for the last year or so, partly because I have a job that's been a challenge to manage and partly because I've been feeling cut off from my connection with... well, I don't know what to call it... certainly not my friends and family who have been and always will be so wonderful to be with. I've been scatterbrained and stressed and disengaged and ultimately, all of this is just what my current interpretation on my life is. And I want to change that. I won't go into it all, as I really should get back to work, but one big goal I have is to get back to writing, even if I feel super crappy at it right now. Because something that I've realized during the hiatus? You can't get better at something if you don't practice.

I've talked before about getting a better regimen going in my life -- damn me if it doesn't include a regular writing schedule.

Van Gogh Like You've Never Seen Him

Lately I haven't had much time to surf the internet, check out what people are saying/seeing/doing, engage in frivolous online discourse. You know because you've seen how dormant this blog has become.

HOWEVER: Today, following my nose I stumbled upon the following awesome image slideshow of Van Gogh paintings that have been manipulated in Photoshop. To clarify with words from the author/artist: "Nothing in any of these paintings been added or removed or had its proportions changed. The effect is achieved simply by manipulating the light in the scene and adjusting the areas of the image that are more and less in focus, as you will see."

Click here to go to the full slideshow. Well worth your time!

Simply amazing.

(Due credit to Mr. Scalzi for bringing it to the attention of his audience.)

Sense and Sensibility

The Daily Show is on hiatus this week, so they're doing their usual thing and highlighting past interviews with a common theme. This week it's "brilliant banter" and the first one was so spot on, I had to share.

Jane Goodall is lovely, thoughtful, and supremely intelligent. Worth listening to:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Jane Goodall
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I LOVE what she says about fundamentalism.