Catherine Mintz

The Commercial As Flash Fiction

Some commercials just deliver the message; others have people calling others to see them. This is the latter.

Atlanta Nights, the Movie

Now, by more or less popular demand, they are attempting to get funding for Atlanta Nights, the movie. Watch this, then think of donating a dollar, or even two, to the battle against scam publishers. The actor appears to be channelling Ewan McGregor in Big Fish, which may bode well for the venture.

Gained In Translation: Donald Duck as Philosopher

An article in The Wall Street Journal, explaining how the duck speaks in a different voice in Germany and finds a different audience. To begin with, Donald quotes Goethe and Schiller, and his world is politicized.

Robot Stock Clerks

This video is essentially an ad for the robot system, but listen for what no one emphasizes: they need fewer people, the pace of the work is robot-driven, and the problems associated with having humans handle stock vanish. Therefore, should not the next stage be eliminating those pesky humans?

Next, artistic opportunities for robots.

Consider Supporting the Wikipedia

It's one of the wonders of the computer age; especially useful if you are interested in popular culture. A donation of five or ten dollars would help them maintain and expand the site. Click on the icon to learn how to donate, learn more, or explore.

Dark, Those Thoughts, and Golden Eyed

You think being a writer is easy? Fun? Profitable? Catherynne M. Valente has a few words for you: "No one slammed a fist down onto their desk and shouted: what we need here is a woman writer with too much education to natter incomprehensibly about fairy tales!"

Saving Daylight

Time was, no one worried much about the time of day. You got up at dawn, ate the big meal around noon, and went to bed when the sun did. Then things got complicated and daylight saving time was the result, courtesy of William Willett—and WWI.

Molding Minds

They've discovered that discouraging people from studying math produces fewer people who are good at math. Next, gravity will be discovered.

Copyright Capers

There's a new ruling in the battle over the estate of John Steinbeck, one which is of interest to all writers because it concerns how copyright is interpreted and how it is extended, an important factor in an age when most people are living longer. The actual ruling makes moderately tedious reading but if you are a professional writer is worth the effort. Overly simplified version: decisions you make may have unforeseen consequences and not be reversible, or at least not without an enormous expenditure of time and effort. The estate, representing the author's son and granddaughter, plans to continue the legal battle; Steinbeck's long-term publisher, Penguin, hails the decision.

Singing in the Rain—Chinese Style

The Chinese decided that the girl chosen to sing the national anthem at the opening cermeny of the Olympics was not pretty enough to represent her country. So a substitution was made. Since the original singer's taped voice was used, the following scene was not a possibility, and it was left to journalists to discover and comment on the switch.

Here's wishing both girls long and happy careers in show business.