I cruise the blogs on occasion, as we all do.

Now, recently I tripped over About.com’s Writing Prompts challenge.

It sounded interesting, so I signed up at the forum… and well… I actually do read those User Agreements.

"The materials used and displayed on the Service and the Sites, including but not limited to text, software, photographs, graphics, illustrations and artwork, video, music and sound, and names, logos, trademarks and service marks, are the property of About.com or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws."

It’s that bold part that concerns me.
To me, this reads like I will give up all rights to my work if I post it anywhere on their site, because as far as I am concerned, I am neither an affiliate, nor a licensor.

Yahoo Groups used to have a similarly worded clause in their User Agreement.

I’ve asked for clarification on the forum and they are looking into it. But it just shows that you really MUST read this stuff carefully, and not just blindly click "Agree", because if it turns out that yes, whatever you post in their writers forum will become About.com’s property… well.

Poster beware.

Don’t click agree until you’ve read what you are agreeing to!

I’ve never listened to an audiobook before.
However, a friend of mine gave me one, because she said she abandoned it about 20 minutes in and never loaded it again. (Not a good sign.)
Like me, she was an audiobook virgin.
Yes, I know we shouldn’t share this stuff, but it’s not like she actually listened to the whole thing. Sorry, Ms Author. She just figured I might like it more than she did.
I thought maybe I should give it a shot, and load it up to my walkman to listen while I walk to work. How bad could it be? I obviously had my own ideas about what an audiobook would be like, and quite frankly, I didn’t think it would be something for me.
I just have too much imagination.
Hmmm…
First of all, I’m not into first person, and the book is in first person.
It’s read by a woman, which is okay, until you get to any male dialogue.
I’m sorry, but that just yanked me right out of it. I did keep listening (after all, it’s about a half hour walk), but I’m leery about the rest of this thing. Oddly, this was about 15 mins in. About the same distance my friend got. Makes me wonder if she hit male dialogue and it was all over for her.
Maybe it’s the person reading it. Maybe it’s the fact it’s first person. Maybe it’s the story.
I don’t know, but I do know that I’m not really enjoying this experience at all. I find it offputting to have a woman try to convey a male voice by lowering her voice.
As in, so offputting, I don’t want to carry on listening.
When I read, the voices in my head are obviously different. My mind will compensate.
I can’t do that when I’m listening.
I’ve not heard one of those "Acted" ones, they may be better for me. I do know I would much prefer to have 2 readers. A male and a female one. For obvious reasons.
I’m guessing I’d react the same way to a man reading female dialogue, as I am to a woman reading male dialogue.
Maybe this just isn’t for me.
Annoying, because I want to go walking (hey, some of us need to shed a pound or five) and having someone read a book to me would be a nice distraction and pass the time.

So are you into audio books?
Any recommendations?
Do you prefer one voice, or many?

I’ve caved in.
I joined Facebook.

Although I don’t do "Social Networking Sites", I still caved.
I don’t even know why.
I don’t like putting much (personal) info on the net, it’s something that makes me nervous. ID Theft from sites like these are rife and I’ve been burned once already.
However, I’m told that Agents, Publishers and other creatures look for such things, and you’re deemed weird if you don’t "Publicise" yourself there.
Of course, it’s hearsay. They may not care at all.
Still, do I want to take the chance?
I’ll keep it low key though, because it’s not just your friends who look stuff like that up. Prospective employers will browse your facebook page too.
Although what good it does them if you only let friends see it… I wouldn’t add them. I only add people I actually know.

I draw the line at MySpace though.
Not going to happen.
Read my lips: Never.Going.To.Happen. Ever. Ever ever.

At least Facebook has a little class. MySpace… no thank you. I’m not 14 years old, I don’t like Glittergraphics and I really don’t give a damn if Britney went shopping.

Wordles are… images made with words.
A.K.A. A great way to procrastinate.

So I made one. Or two. Or uh… yeah. Never mind.

Click to see the big version

It’s clearly summer.

It’s hot, humid and uncomfortable.

Naturally, we open the windows.

And moths come to live with us.

So… walking into the bedroom, Paul turned on the lights.
Big moth goes straight for the light, banging it’s head against this artificial sun.
He feels sorry for it, so he turns off the light.

Silence.

*Thud*

He turns the light on, wondering what the noise was. The moth had dropped to the bed.

Alas, that bright sunny thing was on again, so it raised itself from the bed and went back to banging it’s head against the lightbulb.
Paul turns the light off.

Silence.

*Thud*

We’re both grinning at this point. Turned the light on and tried to grab the moth. Paul gets it, and puts it out of the window.
What does the moth do?
Flies straight back in, through the other window.
*whack-whack-whack-whack*

Lights off.

*Thud*

It’s like every time we turn the light off, the moth loses the will to live. (Or has such an immense headache, it can’t fly anymore.)

We’ve left the lights off for now, feeling sorry for it lol.
We’ll evict it later.

I don’t know why I felt like writing this.
Whatever else he was and did (and who among us really knows, anyway?), he was a great songwriter, singer and dancer.
I was fully prepared to dislike Jackson, but I did like his songs.
Earthsong being one of my all time favorites, actually, a song that can move me to tears.
For that, I am thankful to him. He was a genius at song writing, and I can appreciate that.

So yeah. I’m feeling kind of ambivalent right now.

Rest in Peace.

And if you feel like watching the video (which I think is a real kick in the teeth, and which should have gotten better accolades than Thriller)…

Here it is:  Earthsong Video  (Embedding is disabled, so you get just the link. )

I’ve decided to jig things around some.
Since I want to blog about writing, and "stuff" keeps creeping in, I’ve added a second blog to my list of things to do.
The "Other" blog is here: http://www.evilauthor.com.
That’s the writing blog from now on, although I will still blog here about it too. I just won’t blog other foolishness over there.
And while I was at it, I’m rearranging my gallery as well.
It also has changed into a blog. You can find it here: http://www.digitalmagic.tv (Contains artistic nudity.)

Oh yeah. I’m not evil.
Honest!

Royal Mail have issued new stamps on the 16th June 2009.
And they are gorgeous!
I am most definitely shocked at the imagery of them, because this is not the usual Royal Mail stamp collection. These are artistic, colorful, and just… wow.
 

"Mythical Creatures"
Stamp Set

Click the image to see a larger version.)

I have actually ordered several stamp books of them, as well as the postcards they produce of them.
Of course, I’m going to use them, but I might just hang on to one set (maybe get a first day cover?) because they are simply beautiful.

Yeah, yeah… I know… I’m boring everyone to tears.

I ordered some new pens from the US, and they are (nearly) here.

Arriving tomorrow, in fact.

And I ended up paying £18 tax on the dang things! (More than the postage, and more than one of the pens in the package!)

Let’s just say I hope they will be worth it, and it’s been the last time I ordered new pens from the US. Not going to drop $100 on pens, only to get hit with £18 tax on them. I can buy some damn nice pens in the UK for that.

*sigh*

UPDATE!

That’s the Bookworm with the Chinese Calligraphy Nib.

This is the Jinhao "Evening Stripes"

Definitely not a waste of money. Both are gorgeous pens, both write incredibly well, and have a weighty feel which is both comfortable and reassuring.

I’m still writing and getting letters and postcards.

Today… I had an incredible one. It was recycled. :)

I’ll show you what I mean:

Front:

Back:

Even the actual writing is recycled.

Thing is though… I honestly have no idea who sent it!!