For Great Short Stories, Look No Further

Like reading stories but don't have the time to sit down and read a 300+ story and don't have the money to buy one if you could?

I know how you feel. These days it's hard to find even 30 minutes of free time to sit down, relax, and enjoy the comforts of some other existence on a page in a book. After all, there's alway so many other things you need to be or "should" be doing, right?

But luckily, not all good stories have to be long or have to be purchased. One of my favorite websites to go to when I'm bored is east of the web. They offer short stories (most less than 10 minutes to read) by both obscure and famous writers. Plus, you don't have to sign up for anything or pay anything, you just sit down and read. Sure, you don't have the comfort of turning a page, but you also have hundreds of writers and hundreds of stories to read from.

The site also has reader reviews for each story, so if you're not sure if you'll like it, you can check what other people have to say. It's a great site to find a new favorite writer. I did!

One of my absolute favorites on the site is Fernando Sorrentino, a writer from Buenos Aires who specializes in humour stories. The best is "Method for Defense Against Scorpions." It's so hilarious and crazy yet so believable at the same time that you'll want to think he really has defensive moves that he uses on the millions of scorpions living in his house.

Check out the site. It has stories to suit everyone's taste.

Photography for Beginners

This semester in college I've been taking a digital art photography class. Like many people out there, I love taking pictures but I really didn't think I was that great. So when I got the chance to take the class for my major I had only three words to say, "Sign me up!"

While searching the net one day for photography information for class, a came across this blog site (Digital Photography School) about photography that seemed sort of interesting, so I signed up to be a follower just to see if I'd see any cool pictures.

Surprisingly, I have learned more about my camera and tips about taking great pictures from the blog than from the class (not to say that the class isn't great, it is). The site offers great advice and tips for both beginners and advanced photographers, including information on cameras, production, portrait taking, etc. It covers everything. And each week they send out new posts for ideas for taking pictures that weekend.

I especially like their tips for shooting portraits and water. They tell you how to get that professional shot without a professional camera. They even tell you what all those buttons mean and what they can help you do. The portrait to the right is a self portrait I did with my cheep camera, a white wall, and a stool to set my camera on.

So if you're interested in photography, I suggest checking it out, even if it's just taking photos on a summer trip. You'll be surprised on how much of a difference it makes to your pictures and the way you think about taking pictures.

Here's one of the pictures I took after reading their advice on photographing water. It's probably not professional quality, but it's definitely artistic and better than snap and go thinking that most people start off with. It's taken with a cheep digital camera from WalMart if you can believe that!

Renting Movies for Free: As Easy as a Library Card?

Libraries and movie rental aren't two things most people would put together, but amazingly enough, that place that most of you used (and still might) try to avoid while growing up is one of the simplest places to go when you're in the mood for a movie night.

I must say, if you're a fan of new releases and movies made only in this decade, than I'm sorry, but Netflix or those all-too-popular movie rental joints are just going to have to please you. However, if you're one of those people who enjoys old classics or even obscure movies that you may have never heard of but sound interesting or so ridiculous that you can't help but have to watch, then forget the nearest video store. Hop in your car and head to your nearest library!

Most public libraries around the country now offer dvd rentals of many movies. While you're probably not likely to see Brad Pitt's latest flick, you'll be more than likely to find movie versions of some of the greatest novels and stories ever written. Example? "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, "Pride and Prejudice," at least a handful of Shakespeare's plays, the list goes on. Plus, most current movies and story lines draw from the early greats, so you just might be surprised how similar that movie you just spent $20 for is to one of the greats. And believe me, the old films are usually better.

The best part of renting movies from a library? Where can I begin....usually 3 days to a week rental compared to 48 hours or 24 hours for a new release at the video store. No long waits for a movie since few people rent from a library. And did I mention free?! That's right, all it takes is a library card which is easier to get than a Netflix membership. All you need is an address and a form of ID.

So what are you waiting for? Why pay upwards of $3 for a movie you may or may not like when you could be watching one for free?