“Take Me Home“, The New Yorker, June 4, 2012.

Keep outpacing those soft rains.

In some ways, it still is.

Maurice Sendak would still have been only 83.

This whole “lifespan” thing is just weird.

All the while a photocopied article the Times didn’t own was pushed on readers elsewhere on their site. This was pointed out by its owners, the Boston Phoenix, who were amused, but suggestive of a lawsuit over the ironic juxtaposition (aka “hypocrisy”). So then this was opinion-editorialed:

“By the way, when the Boston Phoenix objected, The Times took down the PDF, triumphantly depriving Clark Booth of the chance to be read by a lot of current readers.”

-Bill “Theft” Keller, “Piracy Twits“, OpEd NY Times @February 10, 2012, 12:19 pm

Still there on your servers, Bill:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/oped/ClarkBoothArticle.pdf.pdf

Can I call you Theft? Theft Keller is such a badass name.

-Chris Adams
 New York
 February 10, 2012, 7:27 pm

Update: Still there. (May 12, 2012)

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

My Heart is ravisht with delight,
when thee I think upon;
All Grief and Sorrow takes the flight,
and speedily is gone;
The bright resemblance of thy Face,
so fills this, Heart of mine;
That Force nor Fate can me displease,
for Old long syne.

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

Since thoughts of thee doth banish grief,
when from thee I am gone;
will not thy presence yield relief,
to this sad Heart of mine:
Why doth thy presence me defeat,
with excellence divine?
Especially when I reflect
on Old long syne

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

Oh, then, Clorinda, prove more kind,
be not ungratefull still:
Since that my Heart ye have so ty’d,
why shoud ye then it kill:
Sure, Faith and Hope depend on thee,
kill me not with disdain:
Or else I swear I’ll still reflect
on Old long syne.

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

Since you have rob’d me of my Heart;
It`s reason I have yours;
Which Madam Nature doth impart,
to your black Eyes and Browes:
With honour it doth not consist,
to hold thy Slave in pain:
Pray let thy rigour then resist,
for Old long syne.

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

It is my freedom I do crave,
by depracating pain;
Since libertie ye will not give,
who glories in his Chain:
But yet I wish the gods to move
that noble Heart of thine;
To pity since ye cannot love,
for Old long syne.

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

But since that nothing can prevail
and all hopes are in vain;
From these rejected Eyes of mine,
still showers of Tears Shall rain:
Though thou wast Rebel to the King
and beat with Wind therein,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

For Old long syne my Jo,
for Old long syne,
Assure thy self of welcome Love,
for Old long syne.

-James Watson, 1711.

Hugundous thanks to all our pledgers!!

“Oh My God, This Game’s Getting Published!” –Sam Brown, creator of Lyssan

Yes, our Kickstarter campaign has begun. In little more than 40 days from now, we expect to turn the wheels of production on this long-awaited game. Dozens, maybe hundreds of people have played Oh My God! There’s An Axe In My Head over the last seven years, and have asked again and again, “Where can I buy it?”

Well, Dave Fooden has put it together at last in a Kickstarter program. Click here and place your pledge–at this writing, we’re off to a great start, and we don’t want any of our longtime fans to miss out!

AND! Kickstarter has featured us on their weekly blog! “New Projects Are An Axe In Our Heads (In A Good Way):

The artwork looks a lot like what would happen if John Kovalic and Winsor McCay made an art baby, which is to say it looks really cool.

Whoa! Now that makes me want to kick back and play half a game of Munchkin while Burne Hogarth cleans half my brushes! I am abashed, and very honored by your words, Cindy Au of Kickstarter project. We will see to that Oh My God! There’s An Axe In My Head will be worthy of those names.

Here’s a unique video of NewsCorp heir Elisabeth Murdoch explaining to former CEO Rebekah Brooks to fall on her sword. Shortly after, Ms. Brooks was arrested in the phone-hacking scandal. (H/t to Iron Spike for tweeting the footage. Karl Hadrika captured the moment; I’m not sure either quite knew what they had…)

Rebekah Brooks spoke at Chris’ girlfriend’s graduation last year. Brooks accepted an honorary award and spoke about how her experience at News of the World should inspire this new generation of creative writers.

Chris was in attendance, and does not remember Brooks mentioning how she was listening in to everyone’s voicemail and texts. It’s one of those pro tips that would have really helped all categories of newbie writers for those times when they run out of ideas of their own.