GETRUNTAH

November Love Hate

Know what I love? The way when a lot of people donate a leeetle money to a good cause, it becomes a LOT of money for the cause.

Know what I hate? Adam Rexs moustache.


HERE, the fantabulous Bridget Zinn auction is going on. Bridget, youll recall, got a book deal and a cancer diagnosis in the same month. Shes doing ok, but her treatment is hellishly expensive. Happily, she has lots of fellow childrens book people who dont know her and yet who care about her.


HERE, Adam Rex is raising money for schoolchildren. Last year he raised a bunch of funds for Philadelphia schools; this year its Tucson schools. (And you have the option of donating to schools in YOUR immediate area.) Please, donate some money and help us make him shave.


(What I love most: that the community of childrens book people is so generous. You, my readers and your friends and colleagues: youre awesome.)

Available link for download

New Love

I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that I have a new-found love in paper art. I mean, I have always been inspired by awesome folks like Megan Brain, Kevin Kidney, and Ben Butcher, but I havent actually tried working with scissors and glue and construction paper since...4th grade? It has definitely been a while.

It all started as I was trying to prepare some things for Maker Fair. I had bought a few pretty lanterns and I wanted to make something neat with them. At first I tried painting on the glass, but that didnt work very well at all. Excited by the thought of trying something new, this is what happened:

The birdies from my new banner were good test subjects. And look how they glow in the dark!

So the bad news is this: In my attempt to learn how to create paper sculptures, I didnt leave time to make more than this one lantern before Maker Faire. While it is very tempting to take this one with me tomorrow, I think I will try to make a few more before officially presenting them to the world. I mean, in a "for sale" kinda way. Im sure I will have more to show soon. And more paintings , too. I promise.

Lastly, I decided to try out this Twitter thing. Its all the rage, ya know? You can follow my adventures here. Have a wonderful weekend!

Available link for download

Next Stop The City of Siblingly Love!

This Saturday, November 5th, which is the fifth day of the 11th month of the two-thousand one hundred and sixteenth year since Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rolled over the odometer on the calendar (or, if you prefer, the VIth Annus of the Lobster--not to be confused with the VIth Anus of the Lobster, lobsters only have one), Ill be at the Philly Bike Expo in guess which mid-Atlantic city famous for cracked bells and cheese steaks:


More specifically, Ill be giving a "seminar" at 1:30pm, which will most likely involve a live quiz with valuable* prizes, assuming I can get it together:


Im very much looking forward to seeing at least some of you there, but please note that in order to attend you must first print and sign this waiver which was drafted by my legal team, Cipo, Cipo, & Cipo, LLP: Well Get You Off!™


And yes, I will be checking.

Anyway, all those fantastic prizeways wont curate themselves, so todays post needs be short.  However, rest assured you can revel in lots more of my prose by reading my latest column for Reclaim, which is the Vanity Fair of the smugness set:


The short version is we should be using 21st century technology to stop drivers from slaughtering people, instead of the twin-pronged approach we use now which is basically a combination of victim-blaming and nothing.

Lastly, speaking of bikes and Jesus, the Gun of Sods tomb is getting a sweet titanium upgrade:


Rainwater had deteriorated much of the mortar over the centuries. Iron support bars that were fully corroded will be removed and replaced by titanium.

I wonder if it will be more laterally stiff and vertically compliant than it was when I visited like 25 years ago:


Jesus wept...over my outfit.

See some of you on Saturday and the rest of you on Monday.

Until then,

I remain,

Etc. and so forth,



Wildcat Rock Machine

Available link for download