by Larry Brody

NASA Perseverance Mars rover has crud obstructing its rock sample system

The headline above, from cnet.com, is my favorite  post/article heading of the year so far.

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Mad, which in those days was a comic book not a magazine, and which frequently used the word “crud,” or more often “cruddy,” to mean something was crummy or lousy or just plain subpar.

I loved “crud” because as far as I knew, it was a made-up word used only in the comic, and there was something about using a “d” instead of an “m” that lent it great power. To me, something cruddy was infinitely yuckier than any crummy ever could be. read article

by Larry Brody

One of the most upsetting truths new TV, screen, and even literary writers need to learn as early as possible is that very few professional writers (or editors or producers) want to read your masterpieces.

To ask a working writer to do so is present yourself as an arrogant, thoughtless, and very unprofessional soul, especially if you want us to do it for free (which is the way this request usually is presented). read article