Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts

There Goes Pinterest I Guess (It's Getting Bogged Down With AI Slop)

There Goes Pinterest I Guess (It's Getting Bogged Down With AI Slop) Not that I've been on it much lately, so me deleting my account won't mean anything to Pinterest. I created my Pinterest account when we first moved from Comm Ave to Lower Allston, as a kind of Look Book for home decor ideas.I also had some pins of 19th Century dinner rings--I had one once and thought I'd get another some day. But now it seems Pinterest is already chock-a-block with AI slop. Why? What are they thinking? That was a pu…

Dear Former Bloggers: Why Did You Stop?

Dear Former Bloggers: Why Did You Stop? Dear Former Bloggers, Why did you stop? I myself had some major mental health challenges, a lot of which I blogged about, but there came a time when the effort was just too much. I stopped in November 2020. Five years ago. I started back up again last week.  Diary of a Low Budget Superhero was launched in 1999. It had a different name then: Jungle Sweet Jungle. I named it that as a reference to the book Welcome to the Jungle: The Why Behind "G…

There's Something About X (Clever Subtitle Here)

There's Something About X (Clever Subtitle Here) If I could write a book it would be about why members of Generation X are the way we are, and it would *be packaged like a Trapper Keeper. It would be a three-volume encyclopedia of X, and it might even have a coloring book in the back pocket. It would be called There's Something About X (Clever Subtitle Here) , by the blogger known as Low Budget Superhero ( @SuperLowBudge ). In my book if I could write a book my thesis would prove that Genera…

In Other Words: You're Posting Wrong

In Other Words: You're Posting Wrong It is November 27th 2019, and I've re-activated Facebook after one full calendar year. To the day. Know what I've noticed? It's still a mess. Having said that, I've missed almost everyone. I wish the platform hadn't gotten so revolting. It seems there could have been a sustainable business model that didn't require vanquishing the very soul of the nation, but Zuckerberg gonna Suckerdrag. Truth is I'm better without th…

13 "Cunts" on a Monday

13 "Cunts" on a Monday In my experience, older ladies (retired, grannies) are the ones who lose their minds when you use the word "cunt." Men and younger women (practical, busy surviving) don't even blink. So this one is for the ladies. My message is simply this: cunt happens. It just does, I'm sorry if you're offended, but what should offend you, ipso facto , is cunts—not the word used to talk about cunts. If I am talking about a cunt and I use …

"He nice, the Jesus." - David Sedaris on the strangeness of Easter

"He nice, the Jesus." - David Sedaris on the strangeness of Easter "We finished discussing Bastille Day, and the teacher moved on to Easter, which was represented in our textbook by a black-and-white photograph of a chocolate bell lying upon a bed of palm fronds. "And what does one do on Easter? Would anyone like to tell us?" The Italian nanny was attempting to answer the question when the Moroccan student interrupted, shouting, "Excuse me, but what's an Easter?" Read all of  “Jes…

What is Content?

What is Content? Content, Technically Speaking By today's definition, content is any purposeful online communication, in any format, intended to reach people, convey your message, spark interest, or coax some kind of response from your audience, such as a click, a share, or a purchase. Content rules the lives of professionals at digital agencies and company marketing departments. These are tech-savvy creatives & creative data scientists. Marketers c…

You Know What My Library Really Needs? Coffee.

You Know What My Library Really Needs? Coffee. Because this is gonna require coffee.  I'm at the Honan-Allston Library again today, doing research for a possible new client. One of my favorite things about freelance work, even if it's only writing a simple Artist Statement for a graphic illustrator, is the prep work. Freelancers learn a lot about a wide range of subjects. That's why we're all such strange people. That's my theory, anyway. 🤓

Rose Marie: 1923–2017

 Rose Marie: 1923–2017 You guys, Rose Marie died.  I admit that I shed a tear or two tonight. I was way too young to "get" the Dick Van Dyke show when it was in re-runs on TV. But years later I found a connection with it, when I went off to college in New Rochelle.  I loved Sally, and I guess she was my first glimpse into "a TV writer," and she was a WOMAN. YES! Man, she was cool. So yeah, I got a little emotional when I heard of this fine funny lady…

The verb you're looking for is EXACT.

The verb you're looking for is EXACT. You don't extract revenge.  You exact revenge. RELATED:  A friendsent me a lead on a job: Editor of a thing. I'm a great Editor, of lots of different kinds of things. Rate of pay? $12.50/hour. Do you want everyone to make fun of your content? Because that's what's gonna happen if you think  making it better  is only worth  $12.50  an hour. Just...whatever, at this point. I'm going to Five Guys.

Asking

Asking Ya know, if I had like, $7000, my whole entire life would be different. I wonder what it was like centuries ago when there were patrons supporting artists. Should I finish  The Art of Asking  by Amanda Palmer? I keep thinking magical thoughts. Like, "Maybe seven thousand people will give me a dollar." That's how it works, right, Amanda? I only read the first part. Okay, I only read the cover. At the bookstore and I didn't buy the…

I Googled Myself And This Is What I Found (It's Not Good)

I Googled Myself And This Is What I Found (It's Not Good) " OH DEAR GOD. Never Google yourself."  That's what I wrote under "Write a Review" on an archive site I discovered this week. On this site, someone had posted the Spring 1990 issue of our college Honors newsletter, a quarterly called Femmes d'esprit . Spring '90 was the second issue after I became the Editor. The previous editor, Stacy, had gone off to Europe on a semester abroad. While I was envious of all the girl…

Whatever it is you're doing, hire a writer.

Whatever it is you're doing, hire a writer. “Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way.” —Steve Martin

#HireAWriter

#HireAWriter "I was a rocket ship filled with untapped potential.  With Year Up, now the sky is the limit." Dear Marketer, Your transit marketing campaign forces awkward metaphor and leans on tired, old cliche. You probably spent a lot of money on this shit. It should be better. Hire a writer, fer fuck's sake. Yours, SuperLowBudge

I *need to tweet Hal Sparks that this shit really happened today

I *need to tweet Hal Sparks that this shit really happened today "Small black coffee, please." "We don't have small, we only have medium." "...that's impossible." (blank stare) I tried again, "What's the smallest size? "We just have the one size." "What is happening right now?" For a good three seconds I thought I was on a reality show. Like Hal Sparks was going to come out from the back and give one of his comedy lectures. Hal wrote this material …