Payday has arrived! And with fundage, the spending can commence. Sent the Red Cross forty bucks cause it's high time I did, and they can use it for some good I hope.
I bought a one month subscription to Nerve.com so I could read those two Nani Power stories. Darn them and their premium level access. I guess getting to read more Nani for seven bucks aint bad. I'll cancel my subscription in a week or two, I just wanted to read those two shorts.
Nani Power is a great writer. She's wordy, but does not ramble. She uses no more words than it requires to get her point across. More often than not, the 'point' is a sensation, more than a topic. Her writing is a series of emotions, more than actions. There is action, activity, cause and effect in her writing, to be sure - but the inner dialog is more important than what's happening. Her word choice is very strong and clear.
Nani only uses non-typical words when necessary. I like that I need to refer to the dictionary now and then while reading her work. (Such as the word 'attar': "A fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals") She is not afraid to use run-on sentences or awkward words. Like 'Sillily'. Her use of language is something that I would very much like to learn from.
I wish I could read the other NP shorts - in 'Gargoyle' and... uh... 'Wordwrights!' I think it was. It looks like I'll need to request back issues of those. Odds are, I'll never get to read the short play she wrote, what is it called? Oh yes - 'In the Blood'.
I took some more 'The Sea of Tears' notes this morning, for the page on IdeaGateway.com. I typed out a couple of excerpts. I'm not clear as to exactly how much content a person is allowed to use when describing a work. The fair use laws are kind of vague. It comes down to not using the 'heart' of the material. Which is tricky, because if you are trying to demonstrate a work's quality, shouldn't you show the best of it? Obviously you don't want to include spoilers, but...
Cindy leaves this week for her trip to Florida. She'll be gone for a while, and I no likie.
Brian is off today, so I am sitting here alone doing nothing, rather than doing nothing in tandem. Maybe I'll get some research done today at least. I'm hungry today! I already ate lunch, and could go for a snack. It's those waffles I had for breakfast. Damned carbs!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Volkswagen Commercial (VW Spot)
I have this idea for a Volkswagen TV commercial -
A girl comes out of the gym, crossing the parking lot to her VW Beetle. Her car is the cyber green color. As she approaches her car, a man wearing a sweater vest and horn rimmed glasses stops her.
"Is this your car?" He demands.
"Yes..." She admits.
She notices that another Beetle is parked next to hers, a sunflower yellow color.
"Well I hope you have insurance." He says angrily.
She steps between the cars, looking for dents or damage.
The man raves, "My yellow angel was pristine before your car came along. She was perfect. I have all her papers, proofs and awards. But that's all over now. She's ruined!"
The woman is confused.
"Look, I don't see what the problem is." She says.
Just then, three small yellow Volkswagen Beetles burst out of the trunk of the man's car. They are dappled with cyber green dots, like a spotted puppy. These small VW's are about three feet high and very energetic. The zip and zoom in playful circles around their parents.
The two drivers laugh together.
A girl comes out of the gym, crossing the parking lot to her VW Beetle. Her car is the cyber green color. As she approaches her car, a man wearing a sweater vest and horn rimmed glasses stops her.
"Is this your car?" He demands.
"Yes..." She admits.
She notices that another Beetle is parked next to hers, a sunflower yellow color.
"Well I hope you have insurance." He says angrily.
She steps between the cars, looking for dents or damage.
The man raves, "My yellow angel was pristine before your car came along. She was perfect. I have all her papers, proofs and awards. But that's all over now. She's ruined!"
The woman is confused.
"Look, I don't see what the problem is." She says.
Just then, three small yellow Volkswagen Beetles burst out of the trunk of the man's car. They are dappled with cyber green dots, like a spotted puppy. These small VW's are about three feet high and very energetic. The zip and zoom in playful circles around their parents.
The two drivers laugh together.
Walking At Dawn (Reprise)
So yeah, I dragged my butt out of bed and took my first dawn walk in what seems like weeks. The rain has subsided and the sunrise was beautiful and golden. There were a couple of groups of very chatty women that annoyed. They were talking and laughing about twice as loud as they should have been, and that impaired my enjoyment of the cold and the forced marching.
After my shower and breakfast, I took some notes for my review of 'The Sea of Tears', just character info at this point. The question of the morning is, 'Does Phyllis have a last name?' I don't know that it's important. However, every other main character in the book seems to have a last name. If I ever meet Nani Power, I might ask her.
I'm at work, not much to do as we're just waiting for the testers up north to finish their testing. I foresee a period of 'No Work' coming up, but there's no way of knowing. I never know what to expect of my employment... It's all so dependent on the product, not the intentions of the employer. Since I'm a good worker, it's usually "Mike, we think you're great, so we want to keep you - but there's no more new projects." It's my fault for not working for larger companies, eh?
I keep forgetting to proof my posts before I publish them. I need to make it a habit.
After my shower and breakfast, I took some notes for my review of 'The Sea of Tears', just character info at this point. The question of the morning is, 'Does Phyllis have a last name?' I don't know that it's important. However, every other main character in the book seems to have a last name. If I ever meet Nani Power, I might ask her.
I'm at work, not much to do as we're just waiting for the testers up north to finish their testing. I foresee a period of 'No Work' coming up, but there's no way of knowing. I never know what to expect of my employment... It's all so dependent on the product, not the intentions of the employer. Since I'm a good worker, it's usually "Mike, we think you're great, so we want to keep you - but there's no more new projects." It's my fault for not working for larger companies, eh?
I keep forgetting to proof my posts before I publish them. I need to make it a habit.
Best Cover Ever - 'No Doubt' Featuring 'Rob Zombie'
All right all right picture this shit.
What if Rob Zombie did a cover of No Doubt's 'Only In My Head'. It's a cute song when Gwen does it, but once you hear it with Rob's anGRRy nasal screaming, it's damn funny.
Hear it in your head, you can do it. Here are the lyrics, to help you out:
'I tried to think about rainbows
When it gets bad
You got to think about something
To keep from going mad
I tried to think about big fat roses
When the ship starts going down...
...In my head It's only in my head
In my head It's only in my head...
There's just something about you
That gets me in a twist...
...It only takes one word or idea
To send me in real deep...
I really think I have a problem
I really can't control myself
Why do I get so suspicious?
...Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Only in my head
It's only my head
In my head
It's only in my head
In my head
It's only in my head
Lets talk about the future
Lets talk about the wedding
Lets talk about Gwen Stefani
Let's talk about how much you like me
And all that
In my head
It's only in my head
In my head
It's only in my head'
What if Rob Zombie did a cover of No Doubt's 'Only In My Head'. It's a cute song when Gwen does it, but once you hear it with Rob's anGRRy nasal screaming, it's damn funny.
Hear it in your head, you can do it. Here are the lyrics, to help you out:
'I tried to think about rainbows
When it gets bad
You got to think about something
To keep from going mad
I tried to think about big fat roses
When the ship starts going down...
...In my head It's only in my head
In my head It's only in my head...
There's just something about you
That gets me in a twist...
...It only takes one word or idea
To send me in real deep...
I really think I have a problem
I really can't control myself
Why do I get so suspicious?
...Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Only in my head
It's only my head
In my head
It's only in my head
In my head
It's only in my head
Lets talk about the future
Lets talk about the wedding
Lets talk about Gwen Stefani
Let's talk about how much you like me
And all that
In my head
It's only in my head
In my head
It's only in my head'
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Quality Prose vs Affected Narcissism
(After Cindy read my earlier blog, we started talking about prose. Affected, clever, and so on. This is what I had to say...)
I was thinking about prose, and affected prose. It's a tricky distinction. Written words created in the present day have something of a drawback that something like Poe or Dickens or what have you does not. When you read fiction written 100 years ago, you automatically take into account that the perspective is dated.
When you read fiction written in the 21st Century, you know it's false in a way. Real people don't talk or think the way they do in novels. We can compare the characters to ourselves and other people in the real world.
So how does a writer go about describing something deep and meaningful, without coming across as affected? Is it word choice and length?
I think that being succinct is a big factor. It's usually clear whether or not too much has been said. There's a point at which the description turns into the writer stroking themselves for their cleverness. If this is true, the difference between heartfelt and affected comes down to editing. Keep the quality, and lose the stroking. Cleverness is good, as long as it comes through the character's voice, not the writer's.
I was thinking about prose, and affected prose. It's a tricky distinction. Written words created in the present day have something of a drawback that something like Poe or Dickens or what have you does not. When you read fiction written 100 years ago, you automatically take into account that the perspective is dated.
When you read fiction written in the 21st Century, you know it's false in a way. Real people don't talk or think the way they do in novels. We can compare the characters to ourselves and other people in the real world.
So how does a writer go about describing something deep and meaningful, without coming across as affected? Is it word choice and length?
I think that being succinct is a big factor. It's usually clear whether or not too much has been said. There's a point at which the description turns into the writer stroking themselves for their cleverness. If this is true, the difference between heartfelt and affected comes down to editing. Keep the quality, and lose the stroking. Cleverness is good, as long as it comes through the character's voice, not the writer's.
Gosh, Mike...
...is it just me or is your beard lighter than usual?
No, you're right - it IS lighter. I used to take these Yak Groin Extract pills, which gave my beard a lustrous dark sheen that typically is only found sprouting out of folks with 'Darth' in front of their name. But the pills started to give me a rash, so I stopped taking them.
No one will notice or care, so why should I take the time and effort to blacken my facial hair? From now on, only for special occasions.
Today is an off-kilter day. I got up at 6:45, sorted my laundry by priority and threw it in the washer. I put fish in the oven, cause these are the sort of things you do before 7am. I made black beans and steamed rice. I laid out a good dozen tupperware containers to contain the results of these cooking efforts.
I'd want to sit on the benches, but the laptop would get all hot on my lap. I'd want some sort of desk in front of the bench. I'd want to bring foot warmers, a desk, a CD player, an extra laptop battery, headphones, and all of that gear would be too much hassle, so I would bring nothing and do nothing. Defeatist.
Also, it would be nice to have a day off, (today is my 9th day in a row) but I have a feeling that we're about to have a month or two off, so I'll hang out and earn money while they's paying me.
So it's an off-kilter day, but just because I chose to do atypical things this morning. It'll be fine.
No, you're right - it IS lighter. I used to take these Yak Groin Extract pills, which gave my beard a lustrous dark sheen that typically is only found sprouting out of folks with 'Darth' in front of their name. But the pills started to give me a rash, so I stopped taking them.
No one will notice or care, so why should I take the time and effort to blacken my facial hair? From now on, only for special occasions.
Today is an off-kilter day. I got up at 6:45, sorted my laundry by priority and threw it in the washer. I put fish in the oven, cause these are the sort of things you do before 7am. I made black beans and steamed rice. I laid out a good dozen tupperware containers to contain the results of these cooking efforts.
I chastised myself as I prepped - I was cutting the fish into bite sized portions with a pair of scissors. If cooking is to lovemaking as candles are to toledo steel, then cutting my oven-thawed-frozen-fish into uniform rectangles with office scissors is sexual violation of the indifferent kind.
...Maybe I'm reading too many books where cooking is an art form.
I finished 'The Sea of Tears' this morning. In comparison to the rest of the novel, I rushed through the last 30 or pages or so. I feel guilty about that now. Part of it is, the last 30 pages are a rush of activity, so perhaps the sensensation was half book, half me.
Feeling irked and a bit sad today, life doesn't seem to have a lot of meaning. It might be a side effect of reading lots of rich prose before bed, and first thing in the morning. Life as usual aint exactly pregnant with meaning. Or is it... Hmm. Perhaps I need only look deeper, consider more thoughtfully, muse more deeply. Nah.
There's no meaning. But, being the inventive little creatures that we are, we invent our own meanings and that's what we're good at.
I rushed around this morning doing everything but what I should (like eat breakfast, take my vitamins) and so I ended up buying a blueberry muffin and a vanilla frapachino in the courtyard, which is beautiful in the morning. The courtyard is beautiful in the morning. Food is nice, but I meant the courtyard. Sorry. Buying breakfast while at work seems lazy and superficial, parading my Starbucks logo for all to see. Meh.
I still dream of owning a laptop, and getting to work extra early so that I can relax outside in the courtyard, sitting on one of the very pretty carved benches, enjoying the morning and writing. If I tried it, I would probably discover that it was windy and cold, the furniture was damp with dew, the cleaning staff were making distracting noise, traffic was quite loud, and coworkers would spot me on their way in and want to chat. That last one is unlikely since I'm not very chatty at work.
I'd want to sit on the benches, but the laptop would get all hot on my lap. I'd want some sort of desk in front of the bench. I'd want to bring foot warmers, a desk, a CD player, an extra laptop battery, headphones, and all of that gear would be too much hassle, so I would bring nothing and do nothing. Defeatist.
Also, it would be nice to have a day off, (today is my 9th day in a row) but I have a feeling that we're about to have a month or two off, so I'll hang out and earn money while they's paying me.
So it's an off-kilter day, but just because I chose to do atypical things this morning. It'll be fine.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Progress on Nani Power pages
I had a chance to do quite a bit of Nani Power research yesterday. Since we spent the day waiting for the programmers to deliver a new build, I was able to rake the web for clues. Nani has written a lot of stuff that I didn't know about. Short stories, a play, articles, reviews. I didn't really have a chance to do a lot of reading, it was mostly finding and jotting down the links.
I hunted around on the web for sites and pages with content for other authors, and many of them are badly made. Bad colors, poor layout, questionable taste, etc. With luck and advice from Cindy and others, hopefully I'll be able to avoid those pitfalls.
I hunted around on the web for sites and pages with content for other authors, and many of them are badly made. Bad colors, poor layout, questionable taste, etc. With luck and advice from Cindy and others, hopefully I'll be able to avoid those pitfalls.
...Annoder Doller
Yeah, at work again, what a surprise. Found some old bugs that were supposedly fixed months ago, haven't written them up. If they are as rare as they seem, they're not worth worrying about.
The sky is clearing today! The sun in breaking through the clouds in a very refreshing fashion, and the world is drying a bit. It's cool and windy, but very nice. Brisk. I walked across the street for a lunchtime Jamba and am drinking it now.
Slept in again. Didn't get anything accomplished this morning. I'm going to get back into the walking routine, now that the rain is ending. Hopefully the worst of the rain is over.
The sky is clearing today! The sun in breaking through the clouds in a very refreshing fashion, and the world is drying a bit. It's cool and windy, but very nice. Brisk. I walked across the street for a lunchtime Jamba and am drinking it now.
Slept in again. Didn't get anything accomplished this morning. I'm going to get back into the walking routine, now that the rain is ending. Hopefully the worst of the rain is over.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Moanday
Work is slow, I am bored. I got in around 10am and there has been little to do. Beyond describing what testing and issues took place over the weekend, I haven't had anything to do.
I slept in this morning, trying to make up a bit for having no day off. Feeling a bit fatigued, but can't complain. I sit all day, after all.
I enjoyed writing the comments on the Lolita post. I don't really discuss books I've read very often, or in much detail. I think I'd enjoy a discussion group. But people annoy me. Perhaps an online discussion group. I like the ability to type my comments out and tweak them until they're just so, more than just rambling on.
Now I want to go back a re-read Lolita. It's been three years, I think. I recently picked up a hardcover edition with the Borders gift certificate I received for Christmas. I'd given away my annotated trade paper edition to Julio, who will probably never read it. Bad, Bad Julio.
I made some progress on the web work last night, and Cindy took a glance at my progress. She said that ideagateway is my best site so far! It helps that it's very simple. There are few elements to dislike.
The window in our dining room at home is leaking - it has been for about a week now. Initially, I was using a tupperware container to catch the drips, but they have begun running faster, and now we have a small trash can on the sill. Looks pretty crummy from outside, but what to do? Talked to the manager of the complex this morning, he told me the roofers are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
I slept in this morning, trying to make up a bit for having no day off. Feeling a bit fatigued, but can't complain. I sit all day, after all.
I enjoyed writing the comments on the Lolita post. I don't really discuss books I've read very often, or in much detail. I think I'd enjoy a discussion group. But people annoy me. Perhaps an online discussion group. I like the ability to type my comments out and tweak them until they're just so, more than just rambling on.
Now I want to go back a re-read Lolita. It's been three years, I think. I recently picked up a hardcover edition with the Borders gift certificate I received for Christmas. I'd given away my annotated trade paper edition to Julio, who will probably never read it. Bad, Bad Julio.
I made some progress on the web work last night, and Cindy took a glance at my progress. She said that ideagateway is my best site so far! It helps that it's very simple. There are few elements to dislike.
The window in our dining room at home is leaking - it has been for about a week now. Initially, I was using a tupperware container to catch the drips, but they have begun running faster, and now we have a small trash can on the sill. Looks pretty crummy from outside, but what to do? Talked to the manager of the complex this morning, he told me the roofers are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
More on the Delores Discussion
(In response to my Lolita post from last night, Katixa replied):
Thanks, Mike, for your comment. Unfortunately, I disagree with you when you say that "the book defies any reinterpretation". Any text, by definition, is open to interpretation by each of its readers. That's why I'm surprised of the wide acceptance of Lolita as a vixen, when it's clear that Humbert is not reliable as a narrator, and thus, Lolita will not be probably as he describes. It's not that clear that she seduces him, by instance. It's a very interesting debate, I hope you keep on taking part in it. Regards
~~
(My response):
Each person interprets what they read, it's true. When I mentioned 'interpretation', I meant 'adaptation'. Sorry for being vague.
A personal definition I apply to any successful adaptation of a novel - Is the essential essence captured? Does the adaptation summon up the same emotions, teach the same lessons? In cases of Lolita's adaptations, I have to say no. The story only works from inside Humbert's head. Subtracting the narrative removes the essence.
Humbert's descriptions are rich and detailed - he's a very intelligent character - but like all of us, his perspective is limited by ego and agenda. Often what he omits is as important as what he describes. A film made up of two and a half hours of narrative wouldn't be feasible - or very watch able. (At least, not by any but the most committed fans of the novel.)
Can an adaptation be created? Yes. Is it successful? No. This is what I meant by 'defies reinterpretation'. Instead of the beautiful, tragic 'Lolita', you have a pathetic personals ad - 'Older man seeks pubescent girl for prurient purposes'.
I agree with your point that today's pop culture iteration of Lolita is not the true character from the novel. Sorry it took so much rambling to say that.
Thanks, Mike, for your comment. Unfortunately, I disagree with you when you say that "the book defies any reinterpretation". Any text, by definition, is open to interpretation by each of its readers. That's why I'm surprised of the wide acceptance of Lolita as a vixen, when it's clear that Humbert is not reliable as a narrator, and thus, Lolita will not be probably as he describes. It's not that clear that she seduces him, by instance. It's a very interesting debate, I hope you keep on taking part in it. Regards
~~
(My response):
Each person interprets what they read, it's true. When I mentioned 'interpretation', I meant 'adaptation'. Sorry for being vague.
A personal definition I apply to any successful adaptation of a novel - Is the essential essence captured? Does the adaptation summon up the same emotions, teach the same lessons? In cases of Lolita's adaptations, I have to say no. The story only works from inside Humbert's head. Subtracting the narrative removes the essence.
Humbert's descriptions are rich and detailed - he's a very intelligent character - but like all of us, his perspective is limited by ego and agenda. Often what he omits is as important as what he describes. A film made up of two and a half hours of narrative wouldn't be feasible - or very watch able. (At least, not by any but the most committed fans of the novel.)
Can an adaptation be created? Yes. Is it successful? No. This is what I meant by 'defies reinterpretation'. Instead of the beautiful, tragic 'Lolita', you have a pathetic personals ad - 'Older man seeks pubescent girl for prurient purposes'.
I agree with your point that today's pop culture iteration of Lolita is not the true character from the novel. Sorry it took so much rambling to say that.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Thoughts on Delores
(I posted this as a comment on to a blog about Nabokov's 'Lolita' and thought I'd include it here.)
It's unfortunate that Nabokov's beautiful book and all the symbolism in it have been reduced to a word most recognizable as a porn genre. The book defies any reinterpretation or adaptation. The screenplay adaptation he wrote for Kubrick was simply a shorter version of the book, heavy with Humbert's narration.
None of the films come close to capturing what Humbert was feeling, and the way that he side-stepped the details of what exactly was happening, to himself as well as Delores. The book is helpfully vague, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. As I've read it, years apart, the hidden meanings can take on different directions.
Lolita is that which you cannot have, but are compelled to possess. And in having it, you destroy it. Like a picking a flower too delicate to be held, it disintigrates in your hand. But its death is beautiful too.
It's unfortunate that Nabokov's beautiful book and all the symbolism in it have been reduced to a word most recognizable as a porn genre. The book defies any reinterpretation or adaptation. The screenplay adaptation he wrote for Kubrick was simply a shorter version of the book, heavy with Humbert's narration.
None of the films come close to capturing what Humbert was feeling, and the way that he side-stepped the details of what exactly was happening, to himself as well as Delores. The book is helpfully vague, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. As I've read it, years apart, the hidden meanings can take on different directions.
Lolita is that which you cannot have, but are compelled to possess. And in having it, you destroy it. Like a picking a flower too delicate to be held, it disintigrates in your hand. But its death is beautiful too.
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