Paint the Tiger, Carve the Swan

Jaq bought me a book while she was in New York: “Wonderful Town: New York stories from The New Yorker.” It reminds me more than a little of stories by O Henry. Just the feeling of the stories - they feel like the always awake city, even though they are generations apart.

I’ve never read the New Yorker, although I may start in the near future, so all of the tales are new work to me. (Sidetrack: I used to think the road signs saying “NEW WORK” said “NEW YORK” when I was about 4. My sister had taught me to read, and I guess I wasn’t perfect at it yet!)

The foreword was illustrative - I almost enjoy reading what authors & editors say after they’ve written the books more than I like the books themselves. David Remnick, the editor of this volume & the magazine, obviously loves the city as much as the authors who follow him.

New York (so good they named it twice - just like Wagga Wagga!) apparently is an amazing place. For me, the biggest tragedy of the Al-Quieda attacks (which occurred months after the publication of this book) was that it may have changed the city that never sleeps. Maybe, and I suspect this, NYC will not only survive but thrive.

Anyway, I’ll post excerpts, reviews and the like as I read through.

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One of the subjects I teach at school is Computer Aided Design (& Manufacture, if the facilities allow). I’ve done a bit of CNC machining in my time (nothing real, mind you, but a few toy things made here and there).

There is a cool article on wired about where things might go, next generation.

I’d love to have one of these in my workshop, or even study at home!

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I’m not the only person publishing their novel on a blog as they post: Le Spirale Fantastique is a novel that an Indian fellow is writing, but he’s doing something a little cool - if you use a quote from his novel, and link it back to his novel, he will link that quote to your website. See if you can find my link - I’ve actually used the quote as part of my novel.

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I seem to write differently lying on the couch using my Palm to how I do typing at the keyboard. I wonder if anyone could read the novel and work out which bits were written on Palm, and which on Mac.

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Did you ever hear the saying “you can’t turn chicken shit into chicken salad?”

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