Confessions of an author on verge of despair (FT.com via Yahoo! News)
I am never going to do it again. Ever. I really do not enjoy the process of writing a book. I would rather sit through a 1,000-hour opera than write another book.

Every School Every Thursday -- Urbandale, Johnston (The Des Moines Register)
Jensen

Dennis Phillips: Unassuming poker celebrity (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Dennis Phillips plays in main event during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas earlier this year. The field is down to the final nine players as play resumes this week.

Area man set for finale of World Series of Poker (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Dennis Phillips in the main event of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. (Isaac Brekken/AP) It is a long way from a dairy farm in western Illinois and a commercial truck lot on Broadway in St. Louis to the glitter of Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail (Slashdot)
Usually persistence is an admirable quality. There comes a time however when you reach that fine line between endeavoring to persevere, and drunk dialing your ex-girlfriend. The mail this week is from people who don't know when to say when. You have to admire their determination and feel a little bit bad that they don't have anything else to do. Read below to see how many times someone can click ...