May 5th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
The blue van with the official markings of the city pulled up and parked. Two people climbed out, clad in the blue uniform of the municipal parking enforcement agency. They walked over to the nearest parking meter and attached a strange looking canister to it. One person was working, the other seemed to be observing…
And thus begins my entry for Nixy Valentine’s Writing Adventure Group challenge #10, “The Professional”. This time we were asked to observe and describe someone we see around us, someone performing an everyday job we know little about. As usual, my imagination got the better of me.
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Posted in: writing.
Apr 28th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
I wrote this as my entry for Nixy Valentine’s Writing Adventure Group, challenge #9, “Warning!”
In the challenge, Nixy asked those of us who completed both #8, “Rose Colored Glasses”, and this one, to comment on which was the most difficult. Interesting question!
To me, logically, this one should have been easier. To take something nice and make it scary or repulsive ought to be fun, but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t come up with anything.
So I feel that this week’s entry from me is a bit of a cheat. But I hope you enjoy it regardless. I’ve called it “Earthrise”.
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Posted in: space, writing.
Tagged: fiction · space · writing
Apr 20th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
When is something repulsive something more?
A turd, a poop, a big no. 2, solid bodily waste, droppings, feces, manure. Presumably of canine origin. And just where I wanted to lie down in the grass to catch some rays.
As Mary Douglas once famously stated, “Waste is matter out of place.”
That’s what the droppings in the picture represented to me. An annoyance, a disgusting intrusion into my sunny Saturday.
But what about to everyone else involved?
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Posted in: writing.
Tagged: fiction · WAG · writing
Apr 19th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
When I blog, I try to employ Minimalism as my guiding principle. Not because it makes things easier for me, quite the opposite. It’s about respect for the reader, but also about the challenge, as illustrated by this famous quote:
I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.
– Blaise Pascal
I’m calling it the Blogger’s Curse: An endless supply of electrons, a limited amount of time and no editor.
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Posted in: Meta, writing.
Tagged: blogging · writing
Apr 16th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
I’m writing a series of articles on how I lost 53 kg (117 lb) in 18 months and managed to keep the weight off.
I’m trying very hard not to preach or assume to have all the answers, I’m just telling my story, what happened to me and how I dealt with it.
This is the second installment, dealing with motivation and how it all started.
Please make sure you read the first part of the series, including the disclaimer.
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Posted in: Personal, health, weightloss, writing.
Tagged: diet · health · vegetarian · weightloss · workout · writing
Apr 13th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
Fiction
This is a little piece of fiction I just wrote for Nixy Valentine’s Writing Adventure Group. I was going to follow the guidelines, honest, but once I started things just flowed and this was the result.
The assignment for this WAG was to observe someone, imagine their background, and come up with a secret for them. I really did observe the boy in my story, the rest is pure imagination.
This is my first ever attempt at writing fiction that I’ve showed to anyone outside my closest circle of family and friends, I hope you like it.
I’ve decided to call it “One down“.
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Posted in: writing.
Tagged: fiction · WAG · writing
Apr 8th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
I lost 53 kg (117 lb) in 18 months and I’ve kept the weight off for two years now and counting.
There were no particular diet involved, no counting of calories or carbs, no magic bullet. Just some careful thought and a decision after life happened to give me a kick in the behind.
This is what happened to me, what I chose to do about it and how I turned my life around. It’s not a 12-step program, it’s not expert advice, I’m not trying to sell you anything or sell you on anything.
It’s simply a story, my story. Enjoy.
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Posted in: Personal, health, weightloss, writing.
Tagged: diet · health · vegetarian · weightloss · workout · writing
Apr 2nd, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
The 2010 Prius. Credit: Toyota
The thing about the Prius is that you know it’s going to be a high volume car (yes, even in this economy, car sales will pick up again eventually).
So, given that we’re going to see a lot of them on our roads, why couldn’t Toyota make them look cool too?
I mean, the technology is great, but the car looks like someone took a particularly uninspired brick, tried unsuccessfully to streamline it a little so they could toss it further, and then called it a day when they got to the rear doors.
I’m not asking for Italian sportscar styling here, just a little inspiration, like the good people at Toyota actually care about the product they put out.
Because now the car looks like they really couldn’t care less about it.
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Posted in: cars.
Tagged: cars · design · environmentalism · Toyota
Apr 1st, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
Spinning a good yarn
Writing is pretty scary business. There is absolutely no way you can string more than two sentences together without revealing something about yourself.
Writing in public is like inviting a bunch of strangers to come hang out in your head. Sort of like having them over to your place to watch TV, except once there you can’t get rid of them. They’re on your couch, in your fridge and on your case.
So you might as well come on in and make yourself at home. Don’t mind the mess, I haven’t had a chance to clean up. Actually, I’ve given up. You would too, if you lived inside my skull.
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Posted in: Meta, writing.
Tagged: blogging · communicating · language · stories · writing
Mar 28th, 2009
by Gunnar Helliesen.
The Tesla Model S. Credit: Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors introduced the new Model S sedan this week. This new EV (electric vehicle) will most likely be built in Southern California, not San Jose as previously announced.
The good news: It can be charged in 45 minutes, can drive up to 480 km (300 miles) on one charge, will do 0-96 kph (0-60 mph) in under 6 seconds, it seats 7 and will cost under $50,000 in the US after tax credits.
The bad news: That 480 km range won’t be available at introduction, production won’t start until late 2011 and the company needs almost $400 million in federal loans to even get started.
Still, it’s a beautiful and very capable car, if it were in showrooms right now with the above specs it would be downright revolutionary.
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Posted in: cars.
Tagged: California · cars · cleantech · environmentalism · EVs · Tesla
