The terrific story of the double amputee, the flippant remark, and the Kiwi company that thought "why not?" is here.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Chain mail
When I was poking around Weta Workshop's site, I found this awesome page: they make chain mail to order! Now there's a niche product.
Making a difference
Stuff has this neat article on microlending: individuals lending small sums of money interest-free to small businesses in the third world. You might like to visit microlending website Kiva directly to find out more. Kiva even offers gift certificates, so you can give to a friend and lend to a small business at the same time!
The publishing lottery
This New York Times article details a few editorial blunders from the archive of Alfred A. Knopf Inc: books turned down that later went on to become bestsellers. As the article points out, Knopf was hardly unique: many of these books were turned down by a list of other publishers. The Diary of Anne Frank, Animal Farm, and Lolita are among the rejected manuscripts. So if you've ever been rejected by a publisher, you're in distinguished company!
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
David Goode
David Goode has a distinguished background which includes sculpting celebrity waxworks for Madame Tussaud's; he now specialises in fantasy bronze statuary for the garden. If you're thinking cutesy little gnomes, think again!
This page gives a fascinating step-by-step look at the making of one of his creatures, the "gnome-hunter"! Amazing.
The Vault opens in London
A speaking parrot
Lots of parrots can mimic human speech, but this New York Times article describes one which could understand what it was saying. (access is free but registration is required)
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Lulu and indie publishing
The Big Idea has this interesting article on internet self-publishing site Lulu, which boasts, among other things, the first book ever written on a mobile phone.
Natalie Buchanan, romance novelist extrordinaire
Natalie Buchanan writes saucy romances in between caring for her four young children. You can read all about it here.
Jared Davidson
The Man who rescued JFK
This is the amazing story of a Solomon Island man who rescued 11 US Navy crew from their shipwrecked vessel during WW2. One of the crew would later be President John F Kennedy.