The Studio Source.com

Some of you would have received my last post today. Which I sent out via email weeks ago, because my RSS feed was broken.

The good news is I finally found a fix, after many attempts at all the usual solutions, which yielded no results. Thank you, Piotr Krzyzek.

Not as many thanks to Google’s robots, who decided my last post should be sent right out to my email subscribers. Apologies for the duplication.

And, dear reader, if you know someone with a WordPress blog who’s tearing her hair out over a broken RSS feed, you can send her to the good Mr. Krzyzek’s website for a possible fix for her mysterious blank line error when all other fixes have failed. You’ll get to be a tech hero for at least the afternoon, unless she doesn’t know how to muck about with PHP files, in which case it might help if you know how to do that. (Fortunately I have the benefit of IT training, which did nothing for my career path, but bought me a few other bonuses.)

If none of that makes any sense to you, don’t sweat it. And count your blessings. For anyone who’s spent hours trying to fix the infamous blank line error, you have my eternal heartfelt sympathies.

I also have to give credit to the fella, who plugged in a search term I hadn’t thought of and found the silver bullet.

The moral of the story: sometimes the only way to find the answers you need is to ask the right question.

Editor’s note: it’s Friday. I’ve been slaving over a writing project and my brain cells are down to triple digits. I’m tired of the sound of my own voice, so this post is (mostly) just for fun.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day for romance. A a day for flower shops, card sellers and chocolatiers.

If you’re single, or just not into the hearts and flowers, you’ll be just as glad when it’s over.

Wait. There’s an antidote.

Not too long ago, I was talking to an artist about the way some people react to her prices. She was beyond frustrated. “Don’t they know how long this takes?”

Another artist was of the angry opinion that “People are stupid.”

There are way too many people in the industrialized world who have no idea where their food comes from. They think pizza comes out of a box. Why would they know about what you do? How could they even begin to know?

Have you ever watched an acting company prepare for a show? It’s a fascinating experience.

First, the actors, director and stage managers sit down for a read-through—just the people and the script—to get a feel for the play. Then rehearsals begin. The director works out the blocking—where he wants the actors to enter and exit, where they should stand and move on the set to convey the right message to the audience.

There are more rehearsals.

The set is built, the lights are hung, the sound guys do their work, the actors adapt to their new environment.

The following quote is a Stickie on my desktop:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans—the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”

W.H. Murray
Scottish Himalayan Expedition

There are people who would have you believe that positive thinking will make all your dreams come true. There are enough self-help books pushing that message to sink a container ship.