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Author Topic: The excuses thread
Foste
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Here we go folks: post the current excuse you have for not writing right now and try to solve it!

I am hungry. I'll go make myself some noodles and start this new story that's been stewing.

[This message has been edited by Foste (edited April 15, 2011).]


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JohnColgrove
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Too lazy lol
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Axis Dervan
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Studying for a politics exam while watching a documentary about the G20 protest in Toronto. On the bright side, I've been inspired to write a dystopian story about flawed government policies, massive inequality, ineffective UN, and police brutality.
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Osiris
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I'm on vacation in Egypt, as such, I could provide you with plenty of fodder for your story Axis!
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genevive42
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I'm at work.
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Rhaythe
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Very. Lousy. Week.
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Reziac
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Wasting time posting inanities on Hatrack.


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KayTi
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Spent 5 precious hours of my night at a gymnastics meet (son came in 2nd in his age group, definitely worth it.) Read writers' blogs while waiting for events to start, so I didn't totally waste the time.

Other recent excuses - too tired, working too many hours, volunteering for an annual benefit (that I do every year and will be over in a few weeks...)

Ah, I could fill an ocean with my excuses.


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rstegman
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Fighting space aliens,

They are trying to leave this world rather than try to help us save it.
Got to find a way to force them to stay. There ain't enough of me.


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Robert Nowall
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I claimed victory in the 2012 presidential election, and am too busy vetting people for jobs in my administration.
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snapper
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My excuse is I am driving across the country and the road is too bumpy for me to type while i drive.
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mrmeadors
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My brain leaked out my ear...
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aspirit
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mrmeadors, my second-grade teacher warned me about that. She said that if you allow too much water in your ear, then your brain will shrink and fall out.

Foste gave us two instructions: (1) to post our excuses and (2) to try to solve then. My current excuse is that I'm enjoying wandering around Hatrack and various other Websites that don't provide any information useful to the story that is waiting on my desk. My solution is to declare that procrastinating for the past hour has prepared me for work. I'll close my browser and type the entire story draft into a word processor. Yes, now!


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Foste
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I also meant those silly excuses - not priority stuff like family or work.

Sorry for not clarifying.


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mrmeadors
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Besides, how could i solve my problem? My brain LEAKED OUT MY EAR! Someone is going to have to think of the solution for me.
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LDWriter2
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quote:

Besides, how could i solve my problem? My brain LEAKED OUT MY EAR! Someone is going to have to think of the solution for me.

Not to mention clean up the mess for you.


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LDWriter2
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But I have a good excuse.


I have to respond to posts on a certain writer's board before I can write.


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MartinV
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Writing my bachelor's degree, trying to find a new place to stay, looking for a first job, finding someone to share my life with. Little things like that.

Oh and contemplating of getting back to playing EVE online.

[This message has been edited by MartinV (edited April 17, 2011).]


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Foste
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EVE online's learning curve is brutal.
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Osiris
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I beta tested Eve Online. Were I to describe my experience in one line it would be 'space is boring'.
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JohnColgrove
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I played EVE Online...for a day. I thought it was boring. I liked the concept but not the product.
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MartinV
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Hence the contemplating.
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enigmaticuser
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Preparing for Passover, running an increasingly busy business, and finally having weather to work outside! My solution...is to wait until one or all of these is not current =)
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BenM
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Not writing because I'm at work, and anything I create at work on my employer's time and on my employer's computer becomes the IP of my employer
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LDWriter2
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and of course, I can't write because I have 13 books in two piles to read. And two are kinda long.


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Reziac
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I knew a guy who was writing a book of excuses. (Same fellow whose clipart adorned so many fanzines... can't think of his name.) Anyway, LASFS folk were invited to contribute.

Frighteningly, I came up with about 60 PAGES of excuses.

Sadly, he died before the book could be published.

Now that's all just inexcusable.


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Pyre Dynasty
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I've been playing Pokemon TGC online while I should be writing a Unit Plan for the Tempest. Also I'm in a creative writing class currently so it is homework, and I have a hard time doing homework.
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Reziac
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But you have a perfect excuse! "I wrote about a dragon, and, well... the dragon was so lifelife, he burned up my homework."


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LDWriter2
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Had to write out a special Easter post for my blog.


http://musingsofle.blogspot.com


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Natej11
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I is has to sleep now
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Wordcaster
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I went to Eve Online's site and couldn't figure out what it even was.

All I figured out is it seems like quite an investment (primarily time, but it costs money too?)

We have a Wii at home, but tv and videogames have not been a distraction. I would say the internet is a little bit, but mostly pure laziness. A full time job and twin 7 mo old boys can wear me out some days.


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Utahute72
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Baby sitting grandkids during spring break.
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mrmeadors
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Wordcaster--Just wait until they are three!

My excuse for not writing today: Mercury is coming out of retrograde and everything that comes out of my mouth or from my keyboard seems to tick people off. I'm going to go into a hole and hide.


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LDWriter2
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I got a new one. Spending time on Amazon checking out their $114 Kindle and various skins, cover, and bags for it.

I'm so close to buying one...or a Nook.



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Natej11
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Ooh I thought Kindles cost a lot more than that. Definitely a temptation since I do so much reading, although I'm not sure I could stand moving away from good solid books.
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Reziac
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Insider info: An iPad costs $37 to manufacture. (Really. And it would cost only $5 more if made-in-USA instead of China.) A Kindle probably costs somewhat less to make. So there's MY target price.

My excuse today is that I'm waiting for my target price to arrive, and there's no point writing til I can afford to read what I wrote.


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KayTi
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@LD - I got refurbished Nooks last week on woot (daily deal site) for $99. I have one and love it. Now I can stop having to worry about WHERE mine is, since my kids usually steal it. I bought them each one. At sub-100, these things are golden. I like the Nook for its flexibility, UI (I don't prefer how the Kindle is set up from a user standpoint), and its not-Amazonness. Not that B&N isn't also a behemoth, but I like the Nook quite a lot. It also has first-mover advantage on library content and lending between devices. Kindle has announced both of those things lately, but remains to be seen how well they fit in.

My excuse for today - editing a catalog for a major non-profit event. One more week of that and my free time is back to being my own.


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Robert Nowall
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quote:
...refurbished Nooks...

Have Nooks been around long enough for there to be refurbished ones?


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Reziac
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Refurbish is a legal term. Usually it refers to returned new/unused or barely-used merchandise, repackaged like new, but still can't be legally sold as new. There's usually a surge of refurbs available as soon as such devices hit the mass market, because....

Electronics suffer from a large segment of "user didn't know what they were doing so decided it was broken and returned it". Seagate found that about 60% of hard disks returned as defective actually had nothing wrong with them. (Which is why the HD manufacturers started using refurbs as warranty replacements.)


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Reziac
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PS. My excuse for today is that I have no excuse. I have chores to do, Foxtrot to view, a beta-read I'm supposed to be doing, but no excuse. What did I do with my excuse? It was too lame to live, that's what. So I killed and ate it.



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enigmaticuser
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Excuses sound like they need to be fried in a lot of butter and hidden in something like seaweed before they are good to eat.
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LDWriter2
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quote:

Refurbish is a legal term. Usually it refers to returned new/unused or barely-used merchandise, repackaged like new, but still can't be legally sold as new. There's usually a surge of refurbs available as soon as such devices hit the mass market, because....

Which may explain why Apple has refurbished iPads for $300, complete with warranty.

And does woot have color Nooks?


And to add to the discussion I checked out the Amazon site. They also have special deals if you buy the $114 Kindle. A free e-book or was it Fifty dollars worth? I forget which one it was. But there is a free music album download also. You have to endure some ads but supposedly it's only on the wallpaper.


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KayTi
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I am already bathed in ad content on the websites I read and newspapers and magazines I consume (the real paper versions) - I can't imagine why someone would be willing to take a $25 discount to get ads in their ebook reader, doesn't make sense to me. Has the feel of Amazon just winging something at the wall to see if it'll stick. Stay tuned, though, as the tech gets easier and the devices get smaller/skinnier, eventually it will be cheaper - sub-100 or even sub-50 is what I've heard within the year. There's a rumor that all Amazon Prime customers will get a free Kindle before xmas this year (rumor only! But I've heard it more than once. Amazon Prime is a service you can subscribe to for about $80-90/year so that you can get free shipping on your orders - most of which arrive in 1-2 business days so long as you select products Amazon can deliver via prime service. I've been a subscribe for years, so we can order that audio cable we need or that book a child needs for a book report in a one-off, who cares how much the shipping costs kind of way.)

But back to your question @Robert - Nooks have been around almost 18 months. Given the tech adaptation curve, they have definitely been around long enough for refurbs to hit the market. Frankly, I expect another release of Nook before too long (there's talk of a "Nook Kids" which would be child-friendly, which sounds wonderful but I couldn't wait!)

PS to those still on the fence about ebook readers - I still buy and read regular books, too. Just far fewer of them because it's so darn convenient to read on the nook. Or on the nook app on my phone. Or on the nook app on the iPad. And because they're all hooked up to my B&N library, I can read my one book on any of those devices (and if i do it right, it'll always be on the correct current page. Technology rocks.)


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Reziac
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Remember those $500 portable music and video players? The midrange is now around $35-$40, retail, for newer devices with a lot more capacity than the pricey originals. Such gadgets are always initially priced to fleece the early adopters, then after the frenzy dies down, repriced for the rest of us.


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