You can make a lot with Makerbot! As far as I'm concerned, the future is here. A 3D printer company called Makerbot exhibited its capabilities at New York Comic Con, and the implications of such technology are profound if not downright fun (see blue guys below). Makerbot produces 3D printers that are actually available to the public ($2,000 - $3,000). 

 

 

There were a lot of figurines shown at the Con, but CBS ran a story this morning about the more practical implications of this technology. Another 3D printing company, Stratasys, is responsible for a four-year-old with a rare disease being able to use her arms.  Jay Leno uses the company's products to create new parts for his classic cars.

Part of the reason I find the whole 3D printing deal amazing is because the main world in my novels uses such replication of inanimate objects as easily as we toast a piece of bread today. But more importantly, the implications of this technology have so much potential to be so good and so bad for us.

No doubt, medical advancements (new limbs, etc) will change lives for the better. However, Stratasys already removed their product from the home of a man who was raising money to create guns with it. 

So what laws do you think will eventually fall into place over this new technology? What do we need to be careful about? How do you see a 3D printer improving your life?

 

Today is the last day of New York Comic Con! What a knock-down, drag out experience! I'm riding on about four hours of sleep a night, and if someone suddenly told me I could sleep all day Monday, they would have my love and loyality for life. 

So I'm sharing a table with the GeekFest Rants podcast (entertainment geeks...that's your podcast!)...pretty exciting since it's my first convention as an author. We're promoting Treehugger, doing giveaways for it, and talking about Risktaker. 

I'll have to post about some particulars of the Con, but for now, I just wanted to show you the table .....

....and what Energizer Bunny Girl was doing most of the time on Saturday, in her own nook of the booth....because she's scared of the zombie people walking around.

....yeah, those zombies kind of freaked her out. Oh, yeah...and so did this guy:

Yes...a little creepy. But ladies, are you not the slightest bit envious of whoever had to paint in the blue lines?

Yeah...like I said. I'm a bit tired. Off to my last day, then on to a friend's house for Octoberfest!

 

Okay, so I want this. And I suppose I'd need a rather extravagant house to go with it, since I can't imagine attaching it to my cape. But fellow writers: Can you imagine writing in this nook?

See more inspirational places to live on a cool blog called Inspiration for Creative Nerds. 

I just spent way too much time looking at the photos there and have come to the conclusion that my mind is seeking change. Maybe it's because colder weather has stolen my outdoor office. I need a new "comfy place" to work.

Where does your creativity thrive?

I thought I would share this opportunity for all of us bookish types, whether reader or writer or both, to contribute to a great cause: A children's book library at  the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children. The drive for books is in honor of a three-year-old boy named Erik who loved to read, but sadly died of leukemia. You can find the Facebook page for Erik's Book Drive here. Amazon has a wish list, but you can send any new or gently used children's books (for young children, tweens, teens). I sent a copy of Treehugger for teen patients and a Junie B. Jones boxed set for younger ones. My daugther used to practically eat those Junie books! So I chose those just because the memory of Junie books all over the house made me smile. (Now we have Animorph books all over the place!) Anyway, I hope Erik's parents are able to create a great big beautiful library in his name.

What children's books are the most memorable from your early reading days? My favorite heroine was Pippi Longstocking, but I was in love with Lyle Lyle the Crocodile and The Man who Never Washed His Dishes, too!