Various Happenstances of Seth

May 24, 2006

   I've got to sprint.

   No, I don't mean running fast;* it's a metaphor. Some runners are better at long-distance endurance running, and some are better at sprints. I specialize in mental sprints. And in spite of this, I find myself writing books. Now, writing books isn't bad per se, but I've realized that it doesn't fill the same need for me as the short stuff. I like doing the weekly column, the impromptu rhyme, the off-the-cuff pun. As an added bonus, mental sprints help keep my mind sharp. Runners train with endurance training, but my wit stays honed only if I force it to act fast.

   My column is no longer weekly, and so I've been craving some regular mental exercise. And, okay, I can admit that it's not just about staying sharp, it's about getting something seen. Working on a book is a thankless task for a long time until you finish it and someone sees it. Doing comedy every week is something more spiritual.** It may not have the immediacy of live performance (and yes, there is a joy in stand-up, improv, impromptu poetry, &c), but it's very fulfilling to be producing small finished projects every week instead of just adding another brick in the wall -- even if the wall will be wonderful in 3 years when it's finally done.

   All of which is by way of saying, I've got these books I'm working on, but I've decided it's time for me to force myself to start doing things weekly again. And while I tend not to post external links in these blog posts, I'll break the trend and direct you to a pair of places where you might be seeing new content from me every week. I'll probably be linking these from my frontpage, but I'll mention them here anyway:

   First, Lex and I have started another project. After the demise of Leth&Sex: The Blog, we were forlorn and alone. Well, we'd been talking about doing a podcast and even recorded a few sample episodes, but without a cohesive theme, they were back-burnered. Well, this month Lex e-calls me up and suggests a newscast. And I say, Hell Yes. And thus was born... The Leth&Sex News. He's even got an RSS feed on his site, if that sort of thing appeals to you..

   Secondly, those of you who follow my rhyming know that I won the BBSpot Annual Geek Limerick contest for 2006, and in 2003, and received many honorable mentions in between. Well, I've been emailing with the guy who runs the site, and unless he changes his mind, I'm going to have a weekly limerick on BBSpot.com. There's not a space on the site carved out for it yet, but you can see my first effort here (once you scroll down).

   So, I guess my self-imposed news embargo is emphatically at an end. But my self-imposed weekly mental workout is emphatically at a re-beginning, which you get to follow if you desire. And y'know, I think it might just be worth it.

Ham-STAR in the House -->

<-- April Come and Gone

Blog Home

*Nor do I mean that I have any desire to change phone companies, in spite of what telemarketers calling me seem to believe.

**It's very deep, but it can probably best be described as "LOOK, ME MAKE MORE FUNNY! YOU LIKE? YOU LIKE?"

All work on these pages is copyright Seth Brown. If you are sharing it, please give attribution. If you want to reprint it, please contact me first.