Mike DeWolfe : The Daily Edition

Rudy Rucker is super cool. I am going through his book, Freeware right now. I'm barely into it and it one of the coolest books I have read in the last-- well, since Software . Anyways, Rudy Rucker has exposed his list of writing tips and notes for his books. They're really insightful and inspiration. Freeware is approx. 200 pages; he has 120 pages of notes. On top of that there are scribbling and drafts. He didn't just sit down and blurt it out. If you're a writer or a wannabe, I urge you to check it out.

From Papers Please , Deborah Davis is a 50 year-old mother of four who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Her kids are all grown-up: her middle son is a soldier fighting in Iraq. She leads an ordinary, middle class life. You probably never would have heard of Deb Davis if it weren't for her belief in the U.S. Constitution. One morning in late September 2005, Deb was riding the public bus to work. She was minding her own business, reading a book and planning for work, when a security guard got on this public bus and demanded that every passenger show their ID. Deb, having done nothing wrong, declined. The guard called in federal cops, and she was arrested and charged with federal criminal misdemeanors after refusing to show ID on demand. On the 9th of December 2005, Deborah Davis will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in a case that will determine whether Deb and the rest of us live in a free society, or in a country where we must show "papers" whenever a cop deman...

It turns that while one erstwhile guy smashed his X-Box360 outside of a store, a lot of gamers have seen their X-Box console suffer crashes . Cryptic messages like E79, E64 and the like are cropping up on TVs around the world. Way to go, Microsoft . What CNN says about the X-Husks.

In a dangerous world, we worry about being safe. That's the topic of the exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. SAFE: Design Takes On Risk , the first major design exhibition at MoMA since its reopening in November 2004, presents more than 300 contemporary products and prototypes designed to protect body and mind from dangerous or stressful circumstances, respond to emergencies, ensure clarity of information, and provide a sense of comfort and security. These objects address the spectrum of human fears and worries, from the most mundane to the most exceptional, from the dread of darkness and loneliness to the threat of earthquakes and terrorist attacks. The exhibition covers all forms of design, from manufactured products to information architecture. Featured products include refugee shelters, demining equipment, baby strollers, and protective sports gear. Designers are trained to balance risk with protection and to mediate between disruptive change and normalcy; goo...

I have been working on prosthetics and mask masking for the last 10+ years. I was tapped last monh to make... ahem... a penis and two breasts for local Cinevic production called "Not Dead, Not Alive." I rose to the challenge. I had lots of fun saying things like "check out my penis." A friend who the video on the weekend called, I proudly said to him, "You saw my penis!" Ah... the language is such an inprecise tool. I plan on posting a longer and much more exhaustive piece of how I did it. This was the first time I used water putty to cast the mould. Wow. The best substance I've used yet. Second, I cast with a theatrical grade latex. It was like working with human skin. Despite the high cost, I am never going back. As time and space allows, I will be showing off many more of my mask making and sculpting creations. Apart from these three items, the rest of my stuff is G and PG rated. Don't believe me? Check my Deviant Art site .

I am part of a number of Ask-A-Question-Get-An-Answer groups. Most notably: Google Answers. I also signed up for www.kasamba.com and for about a year, nothing. Now, finally, I've got a request for information. This is a new spin on the Nigerian 419 letters: Client's Target Fee: negotiable From: LadySarah Date: 11/22/2005 1:22:43 PM From Sarah Johnson Tel: +225-0717-3084 Dear One, I Come across your profile and have Decided to get in touch with you after the prayer,to see if you can help me solve my problem. My name is Sarah Johnson,The Daughter of (Late Chief Adam Johnson) Who lost his life in the course of the crisis here in Cote D'ivoire on the 7th of November last year on his way to their company ( Nestle Food Plc) . My father willed in cash, the sum of $8.7 Million US Dollars which he deposited in a Fixed/Suspence account here in Abidjan Cote D'ivoire in west Africa, with enabling conditions for the release of the fund whic...

My friend, Ben, is working in India right now and he's having a great time. You have to read this week's post on what happens when he visits a temple. It's great.