Next year I'm totally doing this

The three-day novel writing competition. Of course, it's really more a novella competition as the typical submission is just 100 pages long, but it seems like it would be fun.

Meanwhile, I'm working on trying to be done with the current novel in time to start something new on November 1st for NaNoWriMo. And June will be NaMoWriMo. And I'm thinking that either January or February I want to dedicate to writing short stories. Sort of my own NaSSWriMo with a goal of writing first drafts of ten stories in the course of one short month.

NP: "Conflicts of Interest in Medicine," Science Friday Podcast
WC: 20,257, ECD: 5 Dec 2007.

Fake signs in L.A. a brief history

Today's L.A. Times story about a fake sign near the 405 had me digging up some info on some of the other signs discussed in the article. (And also, the coincidental blogging of a rather unconvincing specimen of the art by Chicago Tribune blogger Eric Zorn (really, it's so bad compared to what we do in L.A., I'm not going to insult you with a picture of it here. Click the link if you must.

Probably the best known signs are the Heavy Trash fake aqua line signs which were erected at all of the (fake) station stops. Timed to coincide with the 2000 democratic convention, they stimulated excitement among some viewers and dismay among others and not a penny of federal funding for actually extending the subway past Western.

Less known is the sign erected by artist Richard Ankrom. It shouldn't be too surprising, though, as not only was it highly realistic, but it was also accurate and informative. In fact, they've been up for over five years now! (I've seen that sign many many times, and never knew it was fake.

And a quick point of information to the L.A. Times, when the 110 meets the 5, it is not the Harbor Freeway anymore, it's the Pasadena Freeway.

NP: "A Sea-Change," Chroma Chamber Ensemble, Chroma
WC: 20,176, ECD: 16 Feb 2007.