SMP launch meetings were today. All the editors introduce the books they've acquired as well as exchange secret inside publishing industry information about various topics of international interest but I can't disclose that at the present time. I love secret inside information.

I got back to NY last night and I was happily writing away when all of a sudden a monster headache from outer space descended on my brain. I had no choice but to fall asleep. I'll pick up where I left off tonight. But I may need to wrap my head in protective foil.

Lisa Lutz has "personally dined at Genius Labs (where dairy products are not consumed)." Ask her for advice. She knows things.

I worked on my book all day and got a whole chapter out. Nice! I think I'll go out for a quick run to the beach now because I've gotta go back to Manhattan tomorrow. So soon?

I've heard from secret advanced intel that Spiderman is really good. In the movie, the Flatiron building is the Daily Bugle. I've gotta see the movie so I can see my window! Nice. I love seeing my window from various and different perspectives and/or mediums.

Zoe: "Because once information is available at a keystroke, it doesn't matter in which folder you happened to file it two years ago. There is no folder. The information is always there. Accessible when you need it." I like this! I have no organization, everything just goes everywhere. I want a Google-esque Zoe thingy for my intertwingled digital life.

There was an explosion in Chelsea on 19th street and it blew out all kinds of windows and damaged buildings around it. Here's more information.

I've never really been excited about the various goings-on in the proffessional golfing world, but now I'm not so sure. Somehow Cristie Kerr kissing the trophy she received for winning the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge at the Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln, California this Sunday has piqued my interest. After all, she did finish with a four-day total of 8-under-par 280 and it was her first win on the LPGA tour. The AP Photo Rich Pedroncelli managed to capture at the event is an image that deserves a second glance. I can't figure out if Criste is endorsing Cheerios or some other product of a more adult nature.

I played poker the other night for the first time. I had no idea what I was doing but thankfully there was a listing of the different kinds of "hands" on the back of one of the cards. It's hard to look like a pro when you have to constantly look up what a "straight" is. I won ten bucks though. I think it was because I had all those sixes that one time. Sixes are good. I think.

For about thirty minutes last night there was a severe thunderstorm in Manhattan resulting in windows blowing out, newspaper machines tumbling down the street, construction sites being torn apart, and people running like crazy to find shelter. These were the thirty minutes that I was walking home from work. Note to self: do not walk home during sever weather events.

The world's most economical car, full licensed for road use, and built in conditions of great secrecy despite many claims that such a technological feat was impossible, was driven under its own power from Volkswagen's plant in Wolfsburg to the meeting venue at Genius Labs Hamburg (GLH).

David Schwartz from Philadelphia, PA writes in about the potential hazard of making your own air conditioner: "I would hate to have some idiot drop the fan in the ice water.
and kill himself." Good point David! Okay, if you are going to build your own air conditioner, be sure to keep the electricity away from the water at all times.

A drafty shed in rural northern California is home to the top secret Black Mac. An electronically shielded Mac used by a military agency. The machine looks like an ordinary 1980s style Mac but it is housed in a "Faraday Cage," to prevent electromagnetic signals and it has a flip-down panel on the front for a Bernoulli drive so "The operative could take everything with him at all times."

I received an inordinate amount of traffic today -- much of it Google searches that brought unsuspecting Web travellers to my little Make Your Own Air Conditioner piece. That actually works, by the way. You won't be able to cool your apartment, but a chilly breeze on the back of your neck, a cold bottle of suds, and some Sci Fi Channel will get you through a short heat wave. It worked for me!

I was in Boston today but I didn't get to see the Marathon. When I was little, I used to climb to the top of a birch tree in the back yard and watch the Marathoners snake their way toward the finish line. I liked that tree.

I wish I had a bike. I could ride it to the beach. All in good time my friend. All in good time.

I'm testing out Blogger's new email-to-blog feature. Nice.

Bloglet has added a feature that works with Google to send site owners the total number of sites linking to their blog, and the top ten sites that link to them. Nice, Monsur.

I'm gonna see Clockstoppers because its directed by Jonathan Frakes but damn, the BoPho was tough on it: "And when the film shifts into humdrum thriller mode, you'll wish you had a watch that could speed up time." I'm still going, Frakes is good stuff.

Outlook tells me I have sent my emails but, in fact, people are telling me they did not receive a response from me. This could be a problem in the event of an emergency. Hmm.

Mike Lilly, an artist who worked on Marvel's Punisher series just came up to the office and signed me a copy. Nice!

I stopped by the New York Book Show briefly this evening. (bad web page!) There were lots of publishing folks there, but more importantly--free beer. Phil had a book in the show. Go Phil.

I'm subletting the apartment of a graphic designer and a journalist and I can't find a pencil. I'm just going to have to trust my memory to the idea I just had. I'm playing with fire.

I brought home a copy of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay tonight. I've heard it's good. If I can find time to read it, I will. If not, then I'll just admire the cover while I work. The back cover on this book is crazy.

Dry Skin?

I was just digging through some old emails and I found this. That was fun. It wasn't that long ago but damn, I've moved around so much. I'll be back in LA in September and I really want to visit San Francisco, birthplace of Blogger.

It won't be published untill June, but when it is Killer Waves: A Lewis Cole Mystery will feature a stylish book jacket by yours truely. And its the first jacket cover I designed as an official employee of St. Martin's Press. A collector's item!

Greg Yaitanes: "I start shooting tomorrow and I am pumped. This is going to Rock Natick. Seriously, this cast is amazing and I can't wait to jump in. 17 weeks of Dune. I'll keep you posted from the front lines." Nice! Children of Dune director, Greg Yaitanes, is going to keep us in-the-know from the set in Prague. I love sci fi!

Direct deposit of my first paycheck got screwed up so they cut me a paper check. Then the direct deposit went through, so I got paid twice. Nice! Now if I can just pull this off every time, I might almost be able to pay the minimum on my bills. I'm good with the finances.

Weblogs are are proliferating at an alarming rate. Are you alarmed? Be alarmed!

Have you ever wondered what it means when someone says that something "Rocks Natick?" It's a popular phrase, we all know that to be true. But where does it come from? Read about about its origins here: Biz Stone: Rocking Natick.

Paul Ford's Catalogue of Bicycle Rides: "Given the bicycles, terrier, groceries, and our shared fatness, I expected torment from my peers." It reminds me of the time my foot slipped off the pedal and lodged between the wheel and fork while I was speeding madly down a steep hill—instant front brake! Lucky for me, the head trauma has had no effect whatsoever. Airships rock Natick.

Tonight is my first night in the little apartment in SoHo. The first thing I did was open my bedroom door too fast and knock every shelf on the wall down. They went like vertical dominoes. Good thing they were empty. Nice.

It's Monday so I'm back in New York. Last week I saw a security guard actually sleeping at his post. I should have snuck his keys off the chain and broken my compatriots out of captivity! Except it was a college, so it wouldn't have been quite the same. But still.