http://www.saalonmuyo.com Flashlights and Explosions Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:26:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Thanks to Kevin of Ghost in the Machine for pointing this one out to me. -- There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/06/27/who-is-sarumon-the-white/ If you've found your way here from my newly live Planet Money Race to Refinance, welcome to my underground lair.  I'd love to be able to live up to all the awesome things Laura Conaway wrote about me, but, sadly, I cannot.  The only true word in "certifiable Web genius" ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/06/10/greetings-earthlings/ Starting work on a new novel right now and I'm finding myself stuck in a familiar ditch.  At some point early in everything I write I end up here and, as frustrating as it is, it's not something I can avoid. Structure, you are my master. There are things you do early ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/06/08/structural-integrity/ Yeah, yeah, it took me long enough, but I finally got Pretty Girl, my latest short film, up on Vimeo.  By "most recent" I mean "first shown in January" but let's not get nitpicky, shall we? Enjoy. (That was a command and not a request.) (Oh, and also check out "Tomorrow", my last ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/05/30/and-finally-my-short-film-pretty-girl/ So NPR's Planet Money podcast challenged its listeners last week: Write a haiku inspired by the recession.  A challenge like that is not one I can pass up.   Especially since haiku is just about the only kind of verse I can write without making babies cry and grown men rend ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/05/29/alex-blumberg-read-my-haiku/ Submitted without comment. http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/05/20/possibly-the-best-thing-ive-seen-in-years/ I get into arguments a lot. This is not shock to any of you, I know. Monday morning, as I sit waiting for the dryer repair man to show up and tell me he'll just need to come back with a different part the next week, I saw that the good ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/05/07/my-old-school/ Awesome.  NSFW language ahoy, but awesome. See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor. http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/04/19/we-didnt-start-the-flame-war/ After a weekend in my undisclosed writing bunker, I emerged with about 70% of a novella and 1/3 less of a bottle of scotch than I began with.  Neither was quite my goal (I wanted 0% scotch and 100% novella) but all in all, not too bad. The novella should be ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/04/17/laphroaig-follow-up/ After much deliberation over the suggestions of my peers, I have settled on the following beverage for my weekend writing retreat. If I could write on a typewriter without wanting to shoot myself, I'd bring my worst white tank top and a pack of cigarettes and do it like a good ... http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2009/04/10/what-ill-be-drinking/