Commentator: He's leaving his apartment right now. He has on that sweatshirt he often wears when he's not feeling well. What do you think Earl?
Earl: Yes, the colors on that sweatshirt do suggest that he's in a dour mood. Who wears grey on green?
Commentator: Wait, wait he's opening his garage. Of course we all know last year he got an electric car door opener.
Earl: Yes, that was a big move for him. He often doesn't go big, but he insisted on this. It's really helped him out a lot.
Commentator: Out comes the blue Scion he drives. It's thrifty in this time of high gas prices. We believe he may be listening to some sort of audio cd.
Earl: My sources reported early that he stopped by the library to get an audiobook. He loves those things. Perhaps he's listening to it now?
Commentator: We can only guess. He's pulling out of the parking lot and turning. He's stopped by the gate! This is a huge setback for him. Whoever closes the gate ended up closing it a bit early tonight, costing him at least four minutes.
Earl: This is going to be a huge blow to his confidence. We can only hope he'll bounce back from this.
Commentator: He turns around and is now driving. You'll notice how easily he drives that car, smoothly and without any fear. Lets watch as he drives...
Earl: He really does have a great command of the controls. It's wonderful to see him drive.
Commentator: He's pulling into his gym. There is a spot open at the front of the building. Does he see it? He does! Amazingly, he has gotten a spot at the front of the building at 6:30. Wow, I would have never guessed this.
Earl: It is brilliant. He must be feeling good.
Commentator: What do you think about his walk to the door of the gym? What does it suggest?
Earl: Well, I think he's feeling good today. We all know he's going to spinning and that he's really there to see the spinning instructor. His walk is very bouncy.
Commentator: That it is. He's in the club now, and we have a special camera inside just for this. He strolls into the locker room, and we can't follow him there. We can only guess at what happens. Earl, how much time does he need in there?
Earl: He usually takes between 5 and 10 minutes. Sometimes he has to urinate so it could take longer. We'll just have to see.
Commentator: He's out! Wow, he managed to get into his gym clothes in 3 minutes.
Earl: He must have had them on underneath his clothing. A bold strategy.
Commentator: He's warming up now. He warms up with a series of abdominal exercises, plus some excellent pushups and bicep curls. I've got to say, today he is looking good.
Earl: I agree totally. He seems very energetic and happy. Perhaps something big happened at work today.
Commentator: We can only guess. Ahh look, the spinning instructor walked by and said hello to him. Is that a flush in his cheeks? It is!
Earl: Yeah, he is clearly shy around her, suggesting how deeply he loves her. We don't know how she feels about him though.
Commentator: We'll just have to wait and see. Oh my gosh, what's happened! He is staring down at his hands and it seems like he has a large sore on his hands, possibly cracking or a scar.
Earl: My sources tell me he has psoriasis, and it's on his hands sometimes. That cut looks like psoriasis.
Commentator: How does this effect his spinning chances tonight?
Earl: Well obviously it's going to hurt him. Lets hope he can find a way around this problem.
Commentator: He's headed back to the locker room! Is he giving up already?
Earl: Well, he doesn't look happy. I don't know what will happen now, but it could be bad.
Commentator: He's going in....he's out and it looks like he's wrapped his hand and cleaned it thoroughly.
Earl: He seems happy with the job he did. He's headed over to the spinning room to begin his stretches.
Commentator: The spinning instructor has stopped him. She's telling him something.
Earl: This does not look good. They both look very unhappy.
Commentator: What could possibly be wrong?
Earl: Well any number of things. At this point it would be silly to guess. Perhaps she is turning him down for a date, or telling him his spinning form is wrong.
Commentator: They are going into the spinning room, and we can't follow. We'll stay with this growing news story while we go to national news. Lets leave a camera up on the door of the spinning room in case a development occurs.
Earl: We'll be right back.
(one hour later)
Commentator: Yes, yes, i think we are beginning to see folks emerge from the spinning room. There he is, looking very tired. He must have gotten a heck of a workout.
Earl: Those rosy cheeks suggest he worked hard. He's walking with a slight limp, but he seems okay for now.
Commentator: What do you think emotionally is going on?
Earl: Any number of things. He might be upset because of what the instructor told him. Maybe he is feeling jovial after his workout. We just never know.
Commentator: We've just received late breaking word that he will be holding a press conference in front of the gym in about twenty minutes. Hold it here while we wait for what he has to say.
Earl: I'm waiting with baited breath.
(twenty one minutes later)
Brett: Good evening. At about 6:55pm today, I noticed a large scar on my hands from psoriasis. As many of you know, it has been my scourge for many years. I was able to make a makeshift bandage out of paper towels and the spinning did continue as planned, albeit I felt weakened by it. Does anyone have any questions?
Reporter: Yes, Mr. Evans, we noticed you had a brief conversation with your spinning instructor today that seemed unhappy. Would you care to comment on that?
Brett: The conversation was our business. Yes, sir.
Sean Hannity: Mr. Evans, you are an outed liberal. Isn't this psoriasis thing just a scam to bring more attention to yourself? Doesn't it just feed in to the liberal media? Isn't my hair ridiculous?
Brett: Um...no, no, yes.
Bill O'Reilly: I don't accept that answer. This is a no-spin zone and clearly you have been spinning.
Brett: Actually sir, this is the front of a gym, and yes I have been spinning. It's why the blood in my face is currently so bright. Next?
Al Franken: Is President Bush hindering your ability to spin Mr. Lassoff? Be honest, but say it in a way where I can write it down to seem humorous. Otherwise, I got nothing.
Brett: President Bush has got his hands in a lot of pies, but spinning is definitely not one of them. Ann Coulter: Aren't all liberal spinners baby killers though? Isn't it true that you buried a teenage girl at your Hyannisport mansion?
Brett: Okay, first of all I live in an apartment in East Hartford, Connecticut. There are no mansions. Secondly, I try and stay away from babies. They scare me.
Reporter: We have been hearing a rumor that you are upset because the spinning instructor is leaving. Is this true?
Brett: I cannot confirm or deny anything regarding that. It is a private matter between the instructor and I.
Reporter: Can you give us a hint?
Brett: This press conference is over.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Apathy: Is the Web Breeding It?
I'm from the digital generation, a group of us folks that grew up with the Internet. I'm pretty sure the Internet was in my 9th grade English class. It was a jerk back then, always claiming to be the Information Superhighway. Totally a brat.
The major problem with the Internet nowadays is that it is too quick. We can now access information at such ridiculous speeds that life seems slow. Books are boring, and waiting for more than five minutes is absolutely unacceptable. We are plied with so much information that we become immune to anything but the quickest things.
My generation can no longer take stands that require us to do anything more than write on the Internet. We are outraged that anything more is expected of us. The most active we can necome is logging on and writing about our gripes (myself included). My classmate Bill explains this problem on his blog:
"The point of all this is that I agree that there is a distinction between "old school" and "new school" liberal activists. I wish I still had the energy to man the barricades, because no one from the "new school" has the guts to do anything more than blog away at windmills while our personal freedoms are being whittled down by a bunch of politicos whose main rationale seems to be "aw, shucks" followed by "amen"."
Damn right Bill. The major issue is that most of my generation and below believe we deserve things. Previous generations have paved the way for us to have the freedoms we do, and we are sitting back reveling in that. We should be out defending all of the freedoms we have earned. Instead, we are allowing our president to nominate a supreme court justice who is obviously against most of those freedoms.
Blogging is not activism folks. Daily Kos is not activism. I am not an activist, just a writer who needs to express himself every so often. The cycle of apathy needs to spot before we stop caring about anything but the way mass media controls our life. When I was younger I remember a scene in the Jetson's where George was outraged that he had to push a button at work six times. Are we heading for this type of society?
Yes, I know the irony of complaining about this issue on my blog. But, was Socrates any better when he complained about literature in his written dialogues?
The major problem with the Internet nowadays is that it is too quick. We can now access information at such ridiculous speeds that life seems slow. Books are boring, and waiting for more than five minutes is absolutely unacceptable. We are plied with so much information that we become immune to anything but the quickest things.
My generation can no longer take stands that require us to do anything more than write on the Internet. We are outraged that anything more is expected of us. The most active we can necome is logging on and writing about our gripes (myself included). My classmate Bill explains this problem on his blog:
"The point of all this is that I agree that there is a distinction between "old school" and "new school" liberal activists. I wish I still had the energy to man the barricades, because no one from the "new school" has the guts to do anything more than blog away at windmills while our personal freedoms are being whittled down by a bunch of politicos whose main rationale seems to be "aw, shucks" followed by "amen"."
Damn right Bill. The major issue is that most of my generation and below believe we deserve things. Previous generations have paved the way for us to have the freedoms we do, and we are sitting back reveling in that. We should be out defending all of the freedoms we have earned. Instead, we are allowing our president to nominate a supreme court justice who is obviously against most of those freedoms.
Blogging is not activism folks. Daily Kos is not activism. I am not an activist, just a writer who needs to express himself every so often. The cycle of apathy needs to spot before we stop caring about anything but the way mass media controls our life. When I was younger I remember a scene in the Jetson's where George was outraged that he had to push a button at work six times. Are we heading for this type of society?
Yes, I know the irony of complaining about this issue on my blog. But, was Socrates any better when he complained about literature in his written dialogues?
Wiki Wiki Web
I've been an avid user of Wikipedia since the first time I discovered it, about two years ago. At the time I was desperately searching for something to help me in a rhetoric class. I strolled over to Wikipedia, having previously heard of it, and was fascinated at the amazing depth of the article I read. Wikipedia had serious substance.
Since then, I go to Wikipedia when I want to know anything. Often times when I'm bored I'll read a random article on it just for fun. Wikipedia is engaging and exciting to use. However, I've never been compelled to use Wikipedia as a community and contribute or edit articles. I'm just not that boring.
Which is the major problem with Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is an unbelievable open source page that allows anyone at anytime to edit it. People can come and go freely and change it. Wikipedia has the potential to contain the entire world's knowledge and then some. The only problem is that people like myself, casual readers, wont take the time to edit it and therefore we leave it up to the architects, those pajama wearing folks with tons of time on their hands and perverse interests.
In his article "Galaxy Quest: Wikipedia is a real-life Hitchhiker's Guide: huge, nerdy, and imprecise," Paul Boutin attacks this problem with Wikipedia head on, comparing it to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:
"Like the Guide's lengthy entries on drinking, Wikipedia mirrors the interests of its writers rather than its readers. You'll find more on Slashdot than The New Yorker. The entry for Cory Doctorow is three times as long as the one for E.L. Doctorow. Film buffs have yet to post a page on Through a Glass Darkly; they're too busy tweaking the seven-part entry on Tron."
So it goes. While the initial nerdiness of blogging is being supplanted by common folks just wanting to write, Wikipedia is not changing. Those of us who are writing in the blog world because we want to write will not catch the encyclopedic editing fever. Wikipedia will remain the sole outpost of the original inhabitors of the internet, and while that may not be a bad thing, it certainly means Wikipedia will not continue to grow and be innovative. Rather than being Douglas Adams' glorious Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, it will be more an Encyclopedia Galactica. And if you got that reference, you're probably off to revise an article on the mating habits of cockateels.
Since then, I go to Wikipedia when I want to know anything. Often times when I'm bored I'll read a random article on it just for fun. Wikipedia is engaging and exciting to use. However, I've never been compelled to use Wikipedia as a community and contribute or edit articles. I'm just not that boring.
Which is the major problem with Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is an unbelievable open source page that allows anyone at anytime to edit it. People can come and go freely and change it. Wikipedia has the potential to contain the entire world's knowledge and then some. The only problem is that people like myself, casual readers, wont take the time to edit it and therefore we leave it up to the architects, those pajama wearing folks with tons of time on their hands and perverse interests.
In his article "Galaxy Quest: Wikipedia is a real-life Hitchhiker's Guide: huge, nerdy, and imprecise," Paul Boutin attacks this problem with Wikipedia head on, comparing it to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:
"Like the Guide's lengthy entries on drinking, Wikipedia mirrors the interests of its writers rather than its readers. You'll find more on Slashdot than The New Yorker. The entry for Cory Doctorow is three times as long as the one for E.L. Doctorow. Film buffs have yet to post a page on Through a Glass Darkly; they're too busy tweaking the seven-part entry on Tron."
So it goes. While the initial nerdiness of blogging is being supplanted by common folks just wanting to write, Wikipedia is not changing. Those of us who are writing in the blog world because we want to write will not catch the encyclopedic editing fever. Wikipedia will remain the sole outpost of the original inhabitors of the internet, and while that may not be a bad thing, it certainly means Wikipedia will not continue to grow and be innovative. Rather than being Douglas Adams' glorious Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, it will be more an Encyclopedia Galactica. And if you got that reference, you're probably off to revise an article on the mating habits of cockateels.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Guess Who's Back? (Blogclass Filter 3.0)
Have you ever read a novel and wondered how you ever lived your life never having read it? You wonder why it took you so long to read it. Surely your friend had told you to read it a thousand times. But it took you awhile to finally read it, it changed the way you think about literature.
The Daou Report has that effect on me. I wonder how I ever considered a blog without considering this blog. It is a fantastic read.
In Socrates' well known dialogue Phaedrus, Plato discusses the necessity to have a dialogue rather than a lecture. In Socrates' time, famous lecturers would walk between towns delivering rousing speeches on issues. Socrates says "the only way to know truth is to not know truth, and therein find truth embedded in conversings with others." Most bloggers believe they know the truth already, and spout it constantly from their overly fattened, drunk on fame, heads. They are the idiotic lecturers Socrates discusses. They do not further any truth.
However, The Daou Report is more of a conversation. For it is not one lucid opinion on a matter, but a hundred different lucid opinions. It is a marketplace of ideas, and not some trolls agreeing with each other and swearing if they don't. The Daou Report is quick, easy to read and insightful. It offers an amazing array of opinions that a reader can easily peruse through and make up their own mind. Propaganda does not live at The Daou Report; ideas do.
Take for example, the current scooter craze out of Washington (personally I use a scooter to glide through the halls of work, but that's a different matter). The Daou Report has some insightful opinions for both sides regarding this matter. The double column effect creates a virtual debate feeling, as if the two sides were conversing at this point. Some excellent back and forth dialogue is happening on this page:
"And they’re supposed to be the national security party. If you want ethics in government, don’t vote Republican. If you want to trust your government not to leak classified information to journalists for political gain, certainly don’t vote for Republicans.... " (Oliver Willis, left)
"Scooter Libby has been indicted on five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. That sounds bad, but compared to what White House insiders had feared, it’s really no big deal. Libby has resigned. The indictments do not play into Joe Wilson’s outsized ego as the “leaking the name of an undercover agent” isn’t covered under the indictment. Simply put, there was no crime there." (Ankle Biting Pundits, right)
I'm excited by The Daou Report because it argues in a fantastic manner. It is not some journalistic hack who needs to yell and scream about stuff, it's a well composed and thought out process, which gives equal measure to any opinions. If only more blogs followed this model.
The Daou Report has that effect on me. I wonder how I ever considered a blog without considering this blog. It is a fantastic read.
In Socrates' well known dialogue Phaedrus, Plato discusses the necessity to have a dialogue rather than a lecture. In Socrates' time, famous lecturers would walk between towns delivering rousing speeches on issues. Socrates says "the only way to know truth is to not know truth, and therein find truth embedded in conversings with others." Most bloggers believe they know the truth already, and spout it constantly from their overly fattened, drunk on fame, heads. They are the idiotic lecturers Socrates discusses. They do not further any truth.
However, The Daou Report is more of a conversation. For it is not one lucid opinion on a matter, but a hundred different lucid opinions. It is a marketplace of ideas, and not some trolls agreeing with each other and swearing if they don't. The Daou Report is quick, easy to read and insightful. It offers an amazing array of opinions that a reader can easily peruse through and make up their own mind. Propaganda does not live at The Daou Report; ideas do.
Take for example, the current scooter craze out of Washington (personally I use a scooter to glide through the halls of work, but that's a different matter). The Daou Report has some insightful opinions for both sides regarding this matter. The double column effect creates a virtual debate feeling, as if the two sides were conversing at this point. Some excellent back and forth dialogue is happening on this page:
"And they’re supposed to be the national security party. If you want ethics in government, don’t vote Republican. If you want to trust your government not to leak classified information to journalists for political gain, certainly don’t vote for Republicans.... " (Oliver Willis, left)
"Scooter Libby has been indicted on five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. That sounds bad, but compared to what White House insiders had feared, it’s really no big deal. Libby has resigned. The indictments do not play into Joe Wilson’s outsized ego as the “leaking the name of an undercover agent” isn’t covered under the indictment. Simply put, there was no crime there." (Ankle Biting Pundits, right)
I'm excited by The Daou Report because it argues in a fantastic manner. It is not some journalistic hack who needs to yell and scream about stuff, it's a well composed and thought out process, which gives equal measure to any opinions. If only more blogs followed this model.
Special Report From Florida
With us is special Florida correspondent, my grandmother:
"The night's are the hardest. I try my best with battery operated lamps, but they don't do much. It gets lonely here. During the days, we wait on long lines for bologna and cheese, which is disgusting. But I've lived through it all before and I suppose this too shall pass. I listen to the radio and I've heard some of the stuff going on, but I'm a little lost. Tomorrow, they may serve us peanut butter and jelly, which I'm looking forward to.
I'm a little upset how the media has taken no notice of our situation. While New Orleans got all this attention, we have nothing. There are millions of people here without power or food and need help. We are being ignored because we are old."
Plus, earlier today my stepfather submitted his own report:
"It's like a war zone here. They say we may not get power for another month. What they don't talk about is the sewage problem, which is getting worse. Lack of power means lack of sewage pumps. Your mother and I have been eating nasty food for a week."
"The night's are the hardest. I try my best with battery operated lamps, but they don't do much. It gets lonely here. During the days, we wait on long lines for bologna and cheese, which is disgusting. But I've lived through it all before and I suppose this too shall pass. I listen to the radio and I've heard some of the stuff going on, but I'm a little lost. Tomorrow, they may serve us peanut butter and jelly, which I'm looking forward to.
I'm a little upset how the media has taken no notice of our situation. While New Orleans got all this attention, we have nothing. There are millions of people here without power or food and need help. We are being ignored because we are old."
Plus, earlier today my stepfather submitted his own report:
"It's like a war zone here. They say we may not get power for another month. What they don't talk about is the sewage problem, which is getting worse. Lack of power means lack of sewage pumps. Your mother and I have been eating nasty food for a week."
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Seasons Changing Outrage
I'm a last minute shopper. I tend to think about things at the last minute and rush out. So I have a costume party today at 3:30 and I rushed out to a store to get some costume ideas. I expected most people would be clamoring for their last minute costumes and the store would have a gigantic display.
What I saw made me sick.
For I did not walk into a glitzy halloween palace. Instead, I witnessed all the Halloween stuff shoved off to one side and the staff putting up their Christmas displays. I thought: CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS! WHAT THE FUCK DATE IS IT? Have I gone through some temporal time warp when I walked into the store. Is it black friday already?
Nope, indeed it is October 29th. They have started the season about a month and a half early.
And I almost vomited.
What I saw made me sick.
For I did not walk into a glitzy halloween palace. Instead, I witnessed all the Halloween stuff shoved off to one side and the staff putting up their Christmas displays. I thought: CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS! WHAT THE FUCK DATE IS IT? Have I gone through some temporal time warp when I walked into the store. Is it black friday already?
Nope, indeed it is October 29th. They have started the season about a month and a half early.
And I almost vomited.
Friday, October 28, 2005
The Importance of Bloggers
From Niger-Scooter-Plame-Gate, Michael Kinsley, Slate.com:
"The Republicans have their own plotline they'd like to impose on this confusing blur of events. It's actually a dusted-off plotline from the Reagan Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s: all about an "overzealous prosecutor" and "bitter partisans" on the other side who want to "politicize policy differences." But two intervening developments have overroasted these chestnuts: Bill Clinton and Yahoo! When Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison pre-emptively mocked perjury as what prosecutors charge you with if they can't find a real crime, it was the work of minutes for bloggers to find and post her comments from the Clinton impeachment about the transcendent seriousness of a perjury rap."
So how important is the blogosphere? Apparently it's calling those slippery senators out on their lies. So perhaps the blogosphere is changing the way we do politics.
"The Republicans have their own plotline they'd like to impose on this confusing blur of events. It's actually a dusted-off plotline from the Reagan Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s: all about an "overzealous prosecutor" and "bitter partisans" on the other side who want to "politicize policy differences." But two intervening developments have overroasted these chestnuts: Bill Clinton and Yahoo! When Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison pre-emptively mocked perjury as what prosecutors charge you with if they can't find a real crime, it was the work of minutes for bloggers to find and post her comments from the Clinton impeachment about the transcendent seriousness of a perjury rap."
So how important is the blogosphere? Apparently it's calling those slippery senators out on their lies. So perhaps the blogosphere is changing the way we do politics.
Airline Failure
There are many reasons why airlines have failed so drastically, but I can't help thinking that all of it comes down to one general idea: executive incompetence. Take for example, Delta's announcement today that they are discontinuing service on their Southwest/Jetblue clone Song. Jetblue and Southwest are fantastic airlines that make money because they understand the needs of the customer. Southwest, founded in the 70's by dynamic CEO Herb Kelleher, had one simple philosophy: please the customer. They satisfy their customers every day by being humorous and friendly. Southwest has developed a loyal fanbase who could care less if they get fed on a flight. Indeed the only reason why people eat on a flight is to make themselves comfortable. Southwest does that with their incredible personality. Other airlines make it seem like it is an inconvenience for you to be there. You are getting in the way of them flying their airplanes.
Similarly, Jetblue has brought massive innovations to the airline industry. I've flown Jetblue many times because they are better organized and friendlier than other airlines. Their satellite television is a fantastic way to relax during a long flight. Plus, Jetblue tends to stick to their schedules a lot better than other air carriers.
Both Jetblue and Southwest have succeeded because of excellent leadership. The reason why others have failed is the same, they lack leadership. Other airlines might try to copy the fantastic business models of Southwest and Jetblue, but they can never take the pork out of the barrel. These companies have become fat off of years of government subsidies and ill-gotten profits. It's time to let them die and pay off the poor people that worked for the fat airlines and deserve retirement. For they are the true victims in the disaster that is the airline industry.
Similarly, Jetblue has brought massive innovations to the airline industry. I've flown Jetblue many times because they are better organized and friendlier than other airlines. Their satellite television is a fantastic way to relax during a long flight. Plus, Jetblue tends to stick to their schedules a lot better than other air carriers.
Both Jetblue and Southwest have succeeded because of excellent leadership. The reason why others have failed is the same, they lack leadership. Other airlines might try to copy the fantastic business models of Southwest and Jetblue, but they can never take the pork out of the barrel. These companies have become fat off of years of government subsidies and ill-gotten profits. It's time to let them die and pay off the poor people that worked for the fat airlines and deserve retirement. For they are the true victims in the disaster that is the airline industry.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
What Dreams May Come
Well it seems that the administration reads my blog and listens to my wise counsel. Is today going to be a bad day for the Bush administration? Something tells me hurricane season is hitting the Bushies in full force. Nice job deflecting the disaster responsibility Jeb! Now if only someone were available to take the hit for Rove. Who might that person be?
This might actually be worse than we think though. As my brother asked me last night "what monster is coming after Miers?" Indeed.
This might actually be worse than we think though. As my brother asked me last night "what monster is coming after Miers?" Indeed.
On King (Literary Circle Mark 4)
When I first came into my job as an english teacher, I was scoffed at for regularly reading Stephen King novels. I read them and I enjoy them on an interesting level, but I never really considered them good literature. I knew that they were always for fun.
Until I read King's Dark Tower series.
Which is to say that most of Stephen King's works are indeed fluff, and suggest that he deserves to be in the ranks of Danielle Steele, Clive Cussler and John Grisham as popular entertainment writers. Most of King's books are brain candy.
But the Dark Tower series is literature in its best form and establishes King as an excellent writer. In it he ties up threads from his other novels, and makes his formerly fluffy characters more meaningful. The series has immense depth, while simultaneously creating a fascinating story.
The last of the series, appropriately titled The Dark Tower, is more literary than anything else. In it, King is an actual character that the main characters must influence. He describes how the novel seems to be writing itself and he is merely the pipe controlling the flow. King discusses how characters die, and actions happen that are seemingly out of his control. It's a fascinating journey that interests my intellectual and emotional mind.
Of course, King doesn't have some tacked on writer's tool to make his conclusion a joyful one. There are no happily ever afters in his world. So I plead with you, give him a chance if only a small one. You may not regret it.
Other books by King that have literary merit:
The Green Mile
The Eye of the Dragon
Insomnia
The Talisman (with Peter Straub)
Yes, I realize I had an unbelievable chance to make some money linking to Amazon here, but to preserve some sort of moral fiber, I've chosen to leave all links dead. Find your way to Amazon on your own please.
Until I read King's Dark Tower series.
Which is to say that most of Stephen King's works are indeed fluff, and suggest that he deserves to be in the ranks of Danielle Steele, Clive Cussler and John Grisham as popular entertainment writers. Most of King's books are brain candy.
But the Dark Tower series is literature in its best form and establishes King as an excellent writer. In it he ties up threads from his other novels, and makes his formerly fluffy characters more meaningful. The series has immense depth, while simultaneously creating a fascinating story.
The last of the series, appropriately titled The Dark Tower, is more literary than anything else. In it, King is an actual character that the main characters must influence. He describes how the novel seems to be writing itself and he is merely the pipe controlling the flow. King discusses how characters die, and actions happen that are seemingly out of his control. It's a fascinating journey that interests my intellectual and emotional mind.
Of course, King doesn't have some tacked on writer's tool to make his conclusion a joyful one. There are no happily ever afters in his world. So I plead with you, give him a chance if only a small one. You may not regret it.
Other books by King that have literary merit:
The Green Mile
The Eye of the Dragon
Insomnia
The Talisman (with Peter Straub)
Yes, I realize I had an unbelievable chance to make some money linking to Amazon here, but to preserve some sort of moral fiber, I've chosen to leave all links dead. Find your way to Amazon on your own please.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
A Word About Miers
I've read all the terrible things people are saying about Harriet Miers, and I agree with them in principle. I mean this woman is definitely over her head, and really not qualified for the job and certainly a Bush crony. All these things certainly disqualify her from the position of Supreme Court Justice. But lets be reasonable, this is a person we are discussing. Everytime we pick on her shoes or her hair or her writing, we are probably hurting her in some way.
Please folks, lets consider pulling back some of our criticism and let this process run its course. She is not one of Bushs' bad legislation like social security reform or NCLB (one of my students called NCLB the "Harrison Bergeron law," those lovable scamps). We can pick on these laws as much as possible because they don't involve personal attacks. However, when we pick on a person, we are demeaning ourselves.
With all the crazy awful things that are coming out about this woman, it might be wise for President Bush to simply rescind her nomination. President Bush, if you were really Harriet's friend, you would care about how much this process may be hurting her and do the right thing.
Please folks, lets consider pulling back some of our criticism and let this process run its course. She is not one of Bushs' bad legislation like social security reform or NCLB (one of my students called NCLB the "Harrison Bergeron law," those lovable scamps). We can pick on these laws as much as possible because they don't involve personal attacks. However, when we pick on a person, we are demeaning ourselves.
With all the crazy awful things that are coming out about this woman, it might be wise for President Bush to simply rescind her nomination. President Bush, if you were really Harriet's friend, you would care about how much this process may be hurting her and do the right thing.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Does anyone know how my parents are doing post hurricane?
Cause I sure as hell don't...I hope they aren't in Oz right now. The land OR the prison.
P.S. Grandma is fine. She had the decency to get in touch with me.
P.S. Grandma is fine. She had the decency to get in touch with me.
Scary Wisdom From a Box of Raisins
"Fear is information, don't ignore it."
Help, the Bush White House has gotten control of our raisin production. Not even a box of raisins is safe from their propaganda.
Help, the Bush White House has gotten control of our raisin production. Not even a box of raisins is safe from their propaganda.
Thoughts While Spinning
Okay, I can do this. I feel good today. We've done this before. Let's just get through this and I can take a long shower. Wow, it's freezing in here. Don't they ever turn the heat on. Okay she's here. Wow, she looks great. I'll do it for her. As much as I hate it, I'll push the bike further. Okay, now push. Push, push, push. Don't stare. Crap, she caught me. Did she smirk? I couldn't see. It felt like one of those awkward moments you share in a bar. Except we are spinning. Good, my body is warming up. Sweat, sweat, sweat. Crap, she wants to do seated endurance climbs. I hate seated climbs. Hate, hate, hate. Keep your breathing steady. I hate seated climbs. My legs are burning. It's five minutes and my legs burn. How the hell am I going to do this? I have like fifty minutes to go. Burning, burning, burning. Ow, ow, ow, ow. I can't do this. Yes I can, she'll help me. She's nuts, she wants us to turn the resistance up again. Ow, ow, ow. My legs. No, I won't. Not again. How dare you? Crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. What the hell is wrong with her? I can do this. No, I can't. I can, I can't. But I am. Your leg is about to snap. Snap, snap, snap. Oh thank God.... a recovery. Quarter finished. Water, water, water, water...breathe, breathe, breathe. 30 seconds, be careful. You can make it. Go, go, go, go, no. We are doing seated climbs AGAIN. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HER? Oh we are up, thank you. My legs pump. Pump, pump, pump. Sweat, sweat, sweat. Resistance up, resistance up, resistance up. Spin spin spin spin spin. No! No back in the saddle. Ahhh. I''m gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm not, am, not, am, not, am. I hate you, I love you. Recovery, breathe, choke, breathe, choke, choke, choke, breathe. Halfway through. Don't forget water, check your heart rate. I love this song. Did she pick this for me? Great taste. Pump out of the saddle. Pull, pull, pull, push, push, push, die, die, die. Sweat burns, sweat, sweat, sweat. Almost home... Quarter left. It's hot in here. Why is it so hot? Don't they have fans? Pump, pump, pump, pump. I hate this. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Good, another recovery. We are stopping five minutes early. What the hell? Cheated. I'll make it up somewhere else. Wipe the sweat down. Smile, smile, smile, smile. Don't forget to thank her.
Monday, October 24, 2005
It's Not About the Writing...
Over the past several weeks I've realized how much the blogosphere is not actually about the writing, whether good or bad. The blogosphere is an organic community that thrives on constant interaction between bloggers. Any blogger who refuses to participate in the community inevitably is talking to themselves. This nugget of an idea was planted when I read Cory Doctorow's interesting debate with a Microsoft employee over Microsoft's cornering of the media player market in Norway. The debate between Doctorow and the employee was far more interesting than Doctorow's initial post.
While many people are writing some fairly great things on their blogs, I still suspect that without an active community blogs would fail. Recently I participated in a semi debate with local Connecticut blogger Aldon Hynes. We discussed how online gaming communities may be making people more anti-social. My initial post was kind of interesting, but what was key was people's reactions to the post. Aldon even carried the debate over to his blog.
So while I think that blogs that blogs have a lot to do with writing, the central key is not the blogger him or herself, but the people that respond to the blogs. For it is true that we are shaped by the interactions with our peers.
While many people are writing some fairly great things on their blogs, I still suspect that without an active community blogs would fail. Recently I participated in a semi debate with local Connecticut blogger Aldon Hynes. We discussed how online gaming communities may be making people more anti-social. My initial post was kind of interesting, but what was key was people's reactions to the post. Aldon even carried the debate over to his blog.
So while I think that blogs that blogs have a lot to do with writing, the central key is not the blogger him or herself, but the people that respond to the blogs. For it is true that we are shaped by the interactions with our peers.
Continued Wisdom From a Box of Raisins
"Support your local library. Take a book to lunch."
Just make sure it's a book that seems in need of a meal, like Knut Hamsun's Hunger or Jessica Weiner's A Very Hungry Girl. Or you can always take a librarian out for lunch. They'll probably appreciate it more.
Just make sure it's a book that seems in need of a meal, like Knut Hamsun's Hunger or Jessica Weiner's A Very Hungry Girl. Or you can always take a librarian out for lunch. They'll probably appreciate it more.
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