I had forgotten how much I liked Amon Tobin.

I like to sleep with music playing – I used to be able to.Years ago, 1998 or so, I woke up in the middle of the night with the radio on and some random local classical show playing. They had decided to do something a little different and play some music out of their usual set of selections. I heard this thing… it seemed to enter my head in my half-dream state. The only words I remembered the next day were “Sultan Drops.” These were the early days of the internet, but I was able to do a search on “Sultan Drops” and came up with a CD from Amon Tobin. I’ve been a fan ever since.

His website has free samples….

15 Novels to read before the movie comes out (from Paste Magazine)

1. Paradise Lost
2. Anna Karenina
3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
4. OZ:  The Great and Powerful
5. World War Z
6. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
7. Life of Pi
8. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
11. The Bell Jar
12. On the Road
13. The Hobbit
14. The Great Gatsby
15. Fahrenheit 451

Lee and Rick

I was cleaning up my files and found this picture of my son, Lee (in the blue shirt) and his runnin’ buddy, Rick.

10 Flash Fiction Writing Tips

From Bethestory.com

1. You only have room for one main character, so choose her well.
2. You only have room for one scene, so choose it well.
3. You only have room for a single plot.
4. You only have room for a single, simple theme.
5. Get to the main conflict of the scene in the first sentence.
6. Skip as much of the backstory as you can.
7. “Show” anything related to the main conflict.
8. “Tell” the backstory; don’t “show” it.
9. Save the twist until the end.
10. Eliminate all but the essential words.

Miru Kim Homepage

Guys, I’m fucking sick of this. I’m almost 20 and haven’t been able to score a better job than a fucking cook at a local fast food joint. What makes it worse is that I live in a small town so business is pretty limited, and where I work is the only place that’ll hire high school graduates. I’d get the hell out of this town if I could actually drive too, but I’ve failed every damn test I’ve ever taken. I’m socially awkward, even my only other co-worker fucking hates my guts. I have repressed lust for one of my best friends too; she’s athletic, smart and a gorgeous southern bell. I love her. You know what it’s like; I’ve been friend zoned real hard. She’s my only real friend, besides this one kid, who I’m pretty sure is only hanging around me because he is mentally challenged. I guess he’s the only one that can tolerate me.

And what makes this all fucking worse is that I live in a fucking pineapple under the sea.