www.andrewmackay.net:

Well, normally you could expect to read my thoughts about whatever is in the subject line. Today, I’ll do you one better: I don’t want anyone to miss Sam’s article about writing fiction over at the Rabbit Room.

Scripture is sufficient. Preaching is needed for people to hear. If someone is deaf, they cannot hear. Since the Bible is in words, we need to develop ears to hear by understanding the use of language, words, and meaning. Reading good literature cannot help but aid this.

My favorite part. Read it. Comment. Over there. Or over here.

There are 80s rock songs about it… you know, weekends. When I’m coming off a really great weekend, I can’t help but feel a little regret that it’s over. Let me tell you, this past weekend, we made lemonade out of lemons… in spite of illness and a lack of sleep on the little guy’s part (and his mom’s part, of course), I would classify what has just passed as a great weekend. It had all the key elements, rest, relaxation, fun… everything I’d ask for.

There’s motivation in that. In part, out of gratitude for the weekend that was. In part, looking forward to the weekends that will be.

Man, I’ve got to stop being so sappy about my family.

Maybe not.

So, admittedly, I’m floundering about a little bit, trying to find a topic for these Saturday posts. Floundering is a funny word.

So… today, my favorite tech solutions from the past week:

first, multiple monitors. I know, I know… “welcome to 1992″ or something. But seriously, setting up your pc to display across two screens is brilliant. If you’re using a laptop, chances are you’ve got the hardware right there to pull it off. Why so brilliant? Organization: Put the important stuff on one side of the screen, the unimportant stuff on the other. For example, when I’m using Quark for typesetting, the main document is displayed full screen on my laptop, on my right. My toolbars, copy of the book in word, PDF of the original design document, and whatever else I need are displayed on an external monitor, set to the left of the laptop. I have never been so freed up to work. And to check facebook. Wait, honey, I didn’t mean that.

second: virtual private networks/remote desktop access: I’ve been using gbridge (yes, that’s www.gbridge.com) for this. It’s stellar because it uses gmail accounts as logins and works quite effectively. It lets me take over someone else’s computer (by invitation of course) and do whatever needs done. For those of you who get phone calls with computer questions, this will save your life. Far easier to play with configuration yourself than to talk someone else through it. (Something here about giving a man a fish… nah, whatever).

Third and last: Digsby. Instant messenger is so 1999… but by comparison to the complete “come and go” nature of facebook, IM seems kind of almost personal. The great thing about Digsby is that it will integrate your instant messaging clients, your facebook account, even your twitter account. Add e-mail updates to it and it becomes an all-in-one communications client. I love it. It helps that it doesn’t absolutely kill my beat, old laptop with its memory footprint, too.

So, there you go… a little bit of solution Saturday for you. Not anything that you couldn’t have found over at Engadget probably… but hey, they’re on Late Nite with Jimmy Fallon, I’m on… late night? What the heck is a late night? I’m in bed by nine.

Last, but certainly not least, to my American friends (and my darling American wife, who I am so proud to be married to), congratulations on the celebration of your independence. There is a uniquely independent spirit to America. It is a great asset and a great challenge. Cherish the asset. Attack the challenge. I’ll be here rooting you on. Except for in olympic hockey.

Yesterday I posted the first page of a book. It’s awful. It’s called Moon People by Dale M Courtney. It was self published, and it is clear that no editor ever even got started on it. It’s also probably equally clear that Mr. Courtney could use a little refresher on the standards of grammar and punctuation that come with the English language.

I originally found the link to that first page on Digg. Digg is a website where people vote on links. It can be a minefield in terms of finding content that is worth your while. It can also be a lesson in what is popular.

Occasionally, when enough people see something like this, they all get the same idea. In this case, over 50 people decided to go to Amazon.com and write positive reviews of the book. They mostly mock the author’s style, but they also mostly give him five stars.

Here’s the peril of modern media: as a result of 50+ five star reviews, this book… the one with terrible grammar and spelling so bad as to be unreadable… is ranked 860 on Amazon’s sales rank. It’s probably climbing too!

Amazon doesn’t rank based on number of sales. They rank on a proprietary set of factors. One of those factors just happens to be reviews.

Now, I don’t think many people are going to actually buy the book. Maybe… just maybe… if they’re gluttons for punishment they might. The real problem lies in our tendency to love a trainwreck. We pile on to things like this for the same reason that people like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton are at all known quantities in hollywood — people like a disaster.

So, while I appreciate just how bad that book seemed, I’m going to try (and encourage you, friend, to join me in trying) to move on… you know, maybe read a good book… do something constructive… hug my wife. Good things in life. And stop loving the train wrecks.

I have the unenviable reputation of being a bit of a nitpicker when it comes to words. I spent three or so years working for a contract publishing house. You know how, when you want to build a house on your own, you hire a contractor, right? Well, when people wanted to publish a book, they hired us. So, for three years, my entire working life was caught up with words and the sometimes-hilarious ways that people use them. (Just realized I’m totally rationalizing my nitpicky-ness. That’s kind of funny). Anyway, I’m working hard to not be such a nitpicker in regular conversation.

But, when I see something like this:

I can’t help but play spot the errors. You can play along in the comments.

Today is Canada Day… and I am sick. So, combining laziness with my love for my country, here is great song about Canada by Andrew Osenga:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck-vCjGFeLU]

You and I are falling in love
it’s the same old story
as everyone else
Oh Canada
is showing me how it’s done

My trains need to run on time
the Queen should be on my dime
I should speak French, the language of love
and still use English to get things done
I need to be more like Canada

We should play hockey, eh?
care about Dave Coulier
be my Alanis, say it’s ironic
when things go bad
I think i’m chronically
addicted to my Canada

you could be my Geddy Lee
I’m not a hoser, will you dance with me?
I’ll be your mountie, you’ll be my tuque
we can eat timbits until we both…
yaks are everywhere in Canada

Your eyes are the truest blue
entrancing like some strange brew
like the clear waters in the arms of
the snowy capped mountains of British Columbia
darling it’s you
you could be my Malibu
let’s get poutine for two
I’m in love with you, my Canada