Nodds & Nends: DIY Rainbow Igloo, Neil Gaimon’s animated story is lovely and scary, and Playing it Safe

With all this snow that we are having recently how about making a DIY rainbow igloo? Start collecting milk jugs now and you might have enough for next winter.

Neil Gaiman wrote and voiced an animated short story. It is both lovely and scary.

I read an interesting article by Gus Sanchez of Out Where the Buses Don’t Run, who asked if a debut novel should play it safe. He points to Ready Player One as a debut novel that didn’t play it safe and the resulting piece of work is excellent. I agree, Ready Player One was one of my 2011 best reads. It’s also interesting to note that:

There’s an adage in the publishing world, […] that both agents and publishers will repeat with writers: your first and second novels should play it safe.

So this is why I generally don’t like a series until the third book.

This Nerd Cross Over from Dork Tower made my day. I love cross overs, but Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Downtown Abby are some of my favorite Nerd Things (think Sound of Music Favorite Things song) and so this cross over is just special to me. [via Nerd Approved]

Two little kids tell a story and these adults act it out. I laughed my head off.