Great quote about simplicity in your (computing/writing) life

In my ongoing shift to a more minimalistic and simplified writing life, my Mac usage is also getting simplified. I ran across this great quote from Andy Rooney over at Unplgged.

“Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done.”
- Andy Rooney

I'll write more about how I'm changing my paradigm a bit later but I couldn't let this quote pass without commenting on it. I've discovered that bells and whistles, while nice and fun, are, in the end, distractions. I've eliminated just about all superfluous applications on my computer. It's streamlined now and my writing is more streamlined. I've also changed my office layout. Some might think this is merely procrastination. I think it not. I'm reworking my writing system and my office space and computer space is getting realigned. It's liberating, actually.

There is a great post about the cost of features over at the new Minimal Mac blog. This post is not Mac-specific, it creative-specific. Take a read and see if you don't also agree.

New Friday Feature: Links of the Week

Nothing too complicated here, just some links I enjoyed throughout the week.

Enjoy.

• Bullets, Broads, Blackmail, and Bombs (via Bookgasm, every Wednesday)
• Writing Advice David J. Montgomery heard at Thrillerfest
• Trailer for Michael Connelly's next book (thanks Ed Gorman)
• Richard Stark's career (via Independent Crime)
• Brett Battles on the impact of 9/11 and this decades wars on literature and culture (via Murderati)
• Book review of Donald Westlake's Somebody Owes Me Money (via Pulp Fiction Reviews)
• Classic SF authors on SF (via SF Signal)
• Two new author interviews (Tony Black and Scott Phillips) at Allan Guthrie's website.
• Lou Anders on the future of book reviews, blogging, and peer-to-peer reviewing.

More News from the Future: eReader

From Lou Ander's blog, he posts a video tutorial for the eReader feature on iPhone or iPod Touch. This is the kind of technology that could easily get more people to read more books and stories. Again, just like with my Stephen King post yesterday, it all comes down to content. If you have good content, people will read, no matter the medium. If you don't, then no amoung of bells and whistles will be able to entire the reader to read your work or part with their money.