Included Free with this Amusement: a set of Ginsu knives!

Advertising is the greatest artform of the 20th century
-- Marshall Mcluhan

Way back when I was a young writer dreaming of ways I could make a living, I had considered advertising copywriting. It seemed fun, creative, and exciting. In the end, I went with technical writing, but I have always admired the advertising world and the awesome ideas they come up with to promote whatever kind of snake oil people have to sell.

CBC Radio has an awesome show that has forced me to sit in the car in various parking lots across Canada, making me late for whatever drew me out of my Man Cave. CBC's The Age of Persuasion features adman Terry O'Reilly who explores the various twists and turns of the advertising world and its history.

You can listen to the latest episodes on the CBC website (Age of Persuasion with Terry O'Reilly) or subscribed via iTunes (for free!).

English is a Beast

So my cousin sent me the link to this blog which is done by his friend's sister (apparently, he was bragging about me being a storyteller and their discussion led to this project. The thought of being bragged about is weird to me).

The blog is called Beasts of English and features artwork and myth about various components in the English language, such as verbs, adverbs, and independent clauses. The artwork is colorful and whimsical and beautiful, and the stories range from tales to simple definitions, but they are all fun to read. There's even a creation myth on the site about how English came into existence.

As a writer and storyteller myself, I have a strong relationship with these beasts, so I look forward to seeing how they take shape in this woman's mind.

They're an Odd Pairing, but they Fight Crime!

Looking to get a new story started, but you can't figure out the right hook? They Fight Crime! is the website to break your writer's block! It seems to generate descriptions for the unlikeliest pairs of heroes that still find enough common ground to fight crime in their town/city/inter-dimensional pocket.

Here are just a few of the amusing descriptions I got when I tried it:

He's an unconventional neurotic boxer with a winning smile and a way with the ladies. She's a transdimensional African-American cab driver who believes she is the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian queen. They fight crime!


He's an obese Amish gangster trapped in a world he never made. She's a provocative insomniac bodyguard from Mars. They fight crime!


He's a leather-clad native American messiah plagued by the memory of his family's brutal murder. She's a ditzy French-Canadian hooker living homeless in New York's sewers. They fight crime!

Thanks to Suzie P. for the suggestion!