Aerogramme Studio, a blog dedicated to resources for writers, recently published an extensive list of short story contests for 2018. The list is heavy on established contests and offers with prize money and fellowships for the winners. Why should you consider submitting your work to a writing contest? To get noticed. Why should you think…
Let’s say you want to rip-cut some planks and plywood for a chicken coop and you don’t have a table saw. The Kreg Rip-Cut is a stand-alone fence that lets you make long, straight cuts with a circular saw. Yes, many saws come with a rip fence as an accessory, but these accessories usually don’t…
Inflammation is one of the key symptoms of osteoarthritis accompanying pain and joint degeneration. It would make sense, then, that an anti-inflammatory diet would help to relieve some of the pain and discomfort, and possibly slow some deterioration. The problem is that there is no clear evidence that an anti-inflammatory diet will relieve the symptoms…
If you like trees and love exploring, check out the site Monumental Trees. Here is an archive of some of the biggest, the tallest, the gnarliest and the oldest trees in the world. Monumental Trees catalogs extraordinary trees and provides lots of tree-facts in the process. I’ve written previously about the mysterious Grove of the…
I’ve really tried to love Bible study apps like Youversion but I end up feeling like I’m trying to view the scope of history through a keyhole. Bible study seems to be richer and more effective when I use an old-fashioned paper Bible and mark the pages as I go. Some people take the process…
When it comes to architecture and urban design we often hear about the designer’s intentions but we hear less often about the impact the design has upon users. But according to John Cary good design must be considered within the web of impacts on users, stakeholders, and community. At every level, design is a matrix…
If you’re like me you know a few knots that get you through most situations. But then you have to haul home an antique Chippendale from the swap meet and you can’t figure out the best knot for tying your tie-down strap to another strap to keep the load secure in two directions. Fortunately Gear…
Yes here is yet another post in the “X ways to do X that are so simple that you must be a moron if you’re not doing them already” genre. Only these aren’t insights from your typical productivity gurus. Five of my favorite ideas for starting fresh: Opportunities multiply as they are seized. — Sun…
NOTE: This post was written in 2018. Some trails have been reopened. Others are closed because of 2023’s high rainfall. To find out more about trail closures in the Los Padres Forest, visit the Los Padres Forest Trail Association’s News link. Along with the loss of life and property caused by 2017’s Thomas Fire, there…
In 2017 I finished two NaNoWriMo projects that I started (one in 2016) and now have two potential novels. What’s the next step? Chuck Wendig gives a clue – write with intentionality. But in writing this thing, I tried to take it slow, even as I wrote it fast. I tried to pause with scenes…
If you happen to be four inches tall and be named “Hansel” or “Gretel” then this might be the time to start applying for a mortgage. This clever video by Susan Aitken shows every step of making a move-in-ready gingerbread house from initial sketch to final sugar sprinkles. This gingerbread house is based on Marie…
Christ was born on Christmas Day, or so goes the 14th century hymn translated by John Mason Neale. But December 25th hasn’t always been the date when Christ’s birth was celebrated by the church. The questions surrounding the date of Christmas Day are fascinating and involve a great deal more history, tradition and detective work…
A clean sheet of paper contains the set of all possibilities. The blank page can become a picture, a story, a poem. Anything that can be imagined can be represented on this blank sheet of paper. Because there are no limits to the possibilities that can be contained on a single sheet of paper, this…
This week journalist Farhad Manjoo attempted a noble experiment – taking a week away from news about Donald Trump. In his weekly New York Times column Manjoo describes an eye-opening discovery he made during the week – Coverage of Mr. Trump may eclipse that of any single human being ever. That’s a pretty bold statement.…
Business Insider’s title for their urban round-up is a little off – 15 of the most beautiful public spaces in the world, according to urban designers makes you think you’ll be seeing a dozen parks or outdoor malls. In fact what you’re getting is an overview of how insightful urban planning can transform a city…
