I can remember a farm house here in Ontario with a tall light post covering most of the house, sheds, and barn area - still working. Somehow, long after the rest of the property was far into decay and ruin. Were lightbulbs just made so much better long ago? I'd be surprised if the power were still on, but it must have been. I don't think of it as some ghost story, just vestigial architecture. I thought it was a good phrase to remember.

Vestigial architecture works better than Thomassons.

I was fascinated by this recent podcast and article over at 99% Invisible about “Thomassons,” architectural elements on structures or properties that no longer have a function and yet are maintained. These architectural leftovers–stairways leading to nowhere, boarded-up or bricked-up windows, telephone poles that no longer carry lines–are named after Gary Thomasson, an American baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan in the early 1980s. Thomasson was paid exorbitant amount of money for a two year contract, but lost his game in Tokyo and was benched for much of his contract (i.e. he had no function, but was maintained…ouch).

via Rustbelt Anthro. Thomassons: Vestigial Architecture

The biggest problem with writing comedy or humour (for me) is trying to be funny. Chances are, when you actually try to be funny you don’t succeed. Humour tends to be impulsive and it works best when it isn’t expected.

The funniest stuff isn’t someone having an accident or getting hurt. Pain and suffering are not funny. Though people will laugh when they are nervous or upset. Is that really the kind of laugh you, as a writer, are looking for?

Humour works best when it takes us by surprise.

Part of the reason I like video games is to explore them. Whether you pick a game with cars which race through the countryside, or villagers trying to build up a city before the army comes to crush it, some video games are made to be explored by people who like art, history and technology. In short, urban explorers.