Emily Schultz’s latest

Writer Emily Schultz is often up to something interesting. Her Pocket Canon series of chapbooks is a memorable collection of wickedly funny tales – all contributed to Emily for publication anonymously. The series allows readers to judge the work on its own merit, rather than the star-power of the author, and also allows authors to publish stories they might feel are too risqué, mundane, unexpected, experimental, or [insert adjective here]. She’s about to launch another project that works with anonymous contributions, but in a very different way.

Writer? Or thief? I steal from just about everyone who crosses my path. But my fear is that someone, someday, will recognize a very familiar description, moment, or trait that has cropped up in my work. To avoid a fingering from those who don’t wish to be stolen from I’ve created this website. I’m asking YOU to Pledge Me: stories you’re not using, moments gathering dust, or obsessions that don’t fit anymore. What you don’t need will help someone in need.
Your anonymous donation will be incorporated into a brand new work of fiction along with the memories and stories of other donors. The final product created from these donations will be published on the Art Gallery of York University site for all to enjoy. Pledge now, and help keep fiction alive.
Here’s how: just click on the link.

maps + wifi + conferences

Party Pooper Pope

I will admit – the smiley and performative Pope John Paul II is a tough act to follow, but Pope Benedict XVI just seems to be downright gloomy and square. Perhaps I’m going to hell for saying this, but cheer up, Benedict – what is the sense in cancelling the annual Christmas concert?

So Lauryn Hill had some controversial things to say one year, and some other pop stars have had their moments too. Ratzinger’s dearly departed pal Karol Wojtyla knew a few things about public relations, and Rats clearly doesn’t. John Paul started the Christmas pop concert because he understood that it was one of many ways he could reach the “young people”. The minor controversies (statements which can and do get edited out for televised versions of the concerts, by the way) are just that – minor.

You can read more about the handwaving around the reasons for canceling the concert here.

In the meantime, while it is probably too late for Rats to go out and get a theatre degree like Karol W. had, he could at least start reading Seth Godin’s blog and figure out a few things about marketing, because he needs all the help he can get, clearly. (and he’ll have to just milk what he can from Seth’s blog, since Seth notes in a 2005 post that he is not interested in helping the Vatican with marketing, which is unfortunate for the Vatican.)

Wikipedia Scotland

I just noticed that Wikipedia is now available in Scots.

Say what you will about Wikipedia – sure it is plagued by various problems, strange spats over entries and accuracy among them – but it has been so fervently adopted by so many, and converted into so many languages, that one has to take pause at that fact.

Always one to delight in some lovely linguistics-meets-computation analysis, I am pleased to note that to search on http://sco.wikipedia.org is to “rake” – which conjures the image of someone using a rake to comb through detritus, eventually finding their answer.

Dinna haud yer wheesht, haud yer ain! (If you don’t know what that means, it’s time for you to brush up…)