Tuesday, March 11, 2008
My Plan to Get 100,000,000 Dollars (US)
I figure I'm a shoe in. If you want to compete (hopelessly) against me for the hunny-mil, the URL is http://www.kpcb.com/initiatives/ifund/index.html.
Welcome to the Book Synopsis Club
I am a benevolent blog-host, and began to wonder how I could remedy this problem (I call it "too longedness") for the United States. Yeah, yeah, world shm-orld. Everyone knows the U.S. is the only country advanced enough to read, anyway. So, like I said, this issue needs to get resolved so the good people of the U.S. of A. can get back to important things, like making fun of Barack Obama's name, and fleshing out their fantasy baseball rosters.
Then, like I was Paul on the road to literary Damascus, it hit me. BAM! There are things shorter than books, that tell the same story! You simply synopsize the too-longedness into an easy to digest paragraph, and you have the equivalent of a literary Pop-Tart. It doesn't look like much sitting there in its shiny silver wrapper, but come breakfast time it gets the job done.
Thus, fellow sufferers of BookADHD, I have created the "Book Synopsis Club". Monthly we will choose (and when I say 'we', I mean 'truly and solely only myself') a different book synopsis to read and discuss. We can achieve intellectual snobbery in mere minutes! It'll be like 'Good Will Hunting', and we're all little Matt Damons! How you like them apples?
Without further ado, month one's book synopsis is for 'Don Quixote' by Cervantes. You can find it under 'Plot Summary' on the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_quixote
Now that I have cured the too-longedness that ailed you, you are ready to enjoy sitting at a Starbucks, sipping a Grande Mocha Choca Latta, comparing 'Quixote's disillusionment' with 'the cultural climate of corporate America'. Take THAT, corporate America!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Blogs of the World
Without further ado:
The Dog Blog
http://caravanxavier.blogspot.com/
This one is in another language, so I'm not sure if its the dog blogging, or the owner. I like to think that it's the dog, personally.
The Venezualan Twilight Blog
http://twilight-fans-venezuela.blogspot.com/
I was so excited when I found this one. It showed me that women are crazy about vampires that aren't vampires across the entire world. I think there's a homemade Twilight fan video on there somewhere.
The Really Old Instruction Manual Blog
http://techlitwug.blogspot.com/
This blog highlights "Wind up gramophone literature". Do I need say anything more?
The Weird Penguin Game Blog
http://cppalscheats.blogspot.com/
I have no idea what a Club Penguin Pal is, or why they need hockey helmets...
The Post-It Note Art Blog
http://thepostitproject.blogspot.com/
This one isn't really bad. I mean, I can appreciate some good Post-It Note art as much as the next guy. But at this point, isn't it a bit contrived? I mean, now when your pen touches that bright yellow paper, you know it's going on your blog. What happened to Post-It Note art for the sake of creating Post-It Note art. Maybe it's my disillusion with the genre?
The Animals That Should Eat Each Other But Instead Hang Out Blog
http://letsbefriends.blogspot.com/
I'll let this blog speak for itself: "touching photos of unusual animal friendships".
The "Coach" Blog. Yep, Like the TV Show
http://coachfox.blogspot.com/
I don't ever remember Coach being very good. And even if I did, I wouldn't have blogged about it for A YEAR AND A HALF. What!?
Man, I'm going to lose so many readers to these other blogs. Then my traffic will plummet from 3 readers to 1*, upon which my ad revenue will drop. I'll be forced to cancel my blog, and apply for a job working on "Strange Fruit and Vegetable Combinations: The Blog".
* Statistics include myself.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
I'm a Zimbabwean Millionaire
You poor saps are probably at work today, but I don't work anymore since I'm absolutely loaded! To celebrate I bought myself a Big Gulp. It only cost me seventy-five million Zimbabwe dollars! But when you're this loaded, who cares?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
How I Became So Cool
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
HOA Lotta Fun
Alas, the top lights are now down. I am getting the low ones off tonight. HOA, if you are reading this, please forward my "Best Christmas Lights" prize check to my address of record. Sure, I left them up for a month after the "Holiday Decoration Takedown Order: We're Serious" went into affect, but that's because they were so freaking high up there. I mean, I didn't see any of the other neighborhood pansies braving death and mutilation, overcoming their animalistic (and quite reasonable) fear of heights, to serve a Christmas-time feast of lights for kin and stranger. I gave the people what they wanted, watt-loaded illumeals, night after night after night. And for that, I applaude myself. Thank you very much, me.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Word of the Day: Bellicose
Bellicose - adjective
warlike, eager to fight, hostile, quarrelsome
My examples:
The bellicose nation warred often with its neighbors.
"Your bellicoseness will see you dead. I fear sooner, rather than later," said Shawn.
The raider's bellicosity was feared throughout the unified lands.
Monday, February 25, 2008
My Reading List
Last Few Books I Finished:
Amulet (graphic novel)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
The DaVinci Code
This gives you some perspective on my "finishing" habits. I read pop-culture novels at a breakneck speed, so that I can talk about them with everyone else.
Books Next to My Bed:
Eye of the World (currently being read)
A Game of Thrones (I read the prologue like once a week)
Mistborn (I really want to finish this)
The Historian (like halfway)
Banewreaker (I've been working on this for years)
Books Next in Line to be Next to My Bed:
(these sit on the shelf in my bedroom, yearning for their turn on my nightstand)
The Stand
Elantris
Some book about elves, by a woman. I can't remember their names...
The Children of Hurin
Books I Bought, But Now Sit in Boxes:
Middlemarch
Don Quixote (Don Quixote was a steel driving man...)
Actual Reading Goals:
I want to finish Eye of the World, then Mistborn. Then I really, really would like to read Game of Thrones, all the way through. I mean, there's midgets to be had there, right?
This next section has nothing to do with books:
I was bummed Ellen Page didn't win for best actress. I mean, I knew it was a long shot, and I knew that Diablo Cody would win for screenplay, but Ellen Page's Juno was fantastic. I mean, the best actress award is usually "Hey, middle aged actress who's put in a good career" (Ladies in movies I don't watch) or "Hey, popular actress who finally does something serious" (Julia Roberts, Halle Barry, Reese Witherspoon). I know I'm partial here, because Juno was the only movie I saw that had an actress nominated, but it's hard for me to imagine someone performed their character better.
On the same note, I'm still angry Amelie didn't win ANYTHING in 2001. How does that happen?
In conclusion, I need to read more, Ellen Page is hawt, and Amelie was fantastic. There.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Gangliness
Today I was reading Penny Arcade (because that's like the first thing I do when it's Wednesday), and I have to believe they were talking about "Twilight" in their comic. It's this vampire book, where the vampires aren't vampire-esque at all. Instead, they are more like Gucci models, or whatever. They can go out in the sun, I hear. And they probably eat garlic, likely at a trendy-Seattle restaurant. These books, if you haven't seen their black covers, adorned with flowers or whatever, loom largely in full racks at your local bookstore. I would have to say that 90% of the women I know have read these things, so I'm just noting the phenomenon that likely has the books sitting in your wife's car, as I'm typing this. Beware, the next books they take up will be full of hairless werewolves who are dangerously-beautiful, fighting off their primal instincts to finally have a real relationship with their last intended victim. We'll call her Denise, and she can be gorgeous too.
Stardust, the book, was written by Neil Gaiman. Who knew? Well, probably lots of people. This is news to me, even though I saw the movie like 6 months ago. I'm pop-culturally retarded, so my bad.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Eye of the World: Early Chapters
How far along am I? Rand has just gotten back to Emond's Field after the Trolloc attack on his farm house.
The first thing I remember thinking when I read EotW the first time, was how much the beginning was like The Fellowship of the Ring, and the flight of Frodo and the other hobbits to Bree, and then Rivendell. I got that feeling again as I was reading the beginning chapters. I have since read that Jordan purposefully created the Two Rivers to be similar to the Shire. What he wanted to do was begin like Tolkien, then see where he could go with it.
All of this is perfectly fine with me, I imagine there aren't many fantasy stories that don't borrow ideas from myth, and Tolkien might as well be myth to a lot of us. He was dead before I was born, even. Jordan borrowed many elements of his stories to use as skeletons for his characters. Rand as Tyr, Mat as Odin, and Perrin as Thor/Perun, etc. Many of the Forsaken are named similarly to demons from various traditions. Jordan could then flesh these characters out creating something new, from a framework that has existed for a long, long time. When reading, we might deep down feel a sense of grandeur at these characters, because some elements that make them up are ancient, or just as good as ancient. Sometimes we know where we've seen these parts before (A Short Cut to Mushrooms, from FotR) and sometimes it lies on the edge of remembrance, just out of reach (do I really remember Tyr from Norse mythology?).
The point of all of this is that I see the value in borrowing from other mythos while creating a new one. Fantasy is a giant web of myths, always being spun out from the center by new creators.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Fun With Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Reader-Book-Holder-Paper/dp/B000EX3N5C/ref=sr_1_44?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1202867185&sr=8-44
Make sure you read the Customer Reviews. I couldn't stop laughing.
Amazon reminded me of the next gadget I want, that I don't really need. It's called the Amazon Kindle, and really it's just a fancy schmancy eBook reader. It downloads your content wirelessly when you get it from Amazon. The cool thing is that you can subscribe to newspapers and magazines, and when a new issue is released, it's automatically transmitted to your Kindle. Bam, wake up and have your New York Times already on your eReader. Amazing!
Of course, this is a first generation Kindle, so it's likely larger than it needs to be, and more costly. Still, it looks promising.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Ni Hao!
It's absurd...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Terry Goodkind is a Jerk
"What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be-and in so doing spread my readership to completely new groups who don’t like and wont ready typical fantasy. Agents and editors are screaming for more books like mine."
This is old stuff, but I've just read it for the first time. It looks like he used to write "normal" fantasy, read "Anthem" by Ayn Rand, and now writes genre-transcending super lit. He's the new James Joyce, and Wizard's First Rule is Ulysses!
What I don't like is that he is obviously put off by the stigma of being a fantasy writer. Then, instead of aiding in the solution by standing up for his work and his genre, he adds to the problem by demonizing fantasy as thoughtless pulp, "tired" and "empty". You'd think he'd notice he was riding a wagon when he invented the wheel.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Get Free (e)Books!
Eye of the World: Prologue
I imagine that if you are reading this blog, you've probably already read this book, but I'm putting a spoiler warning right here. You have been warned.
I remember the first time I read the book, the prologue confused me. It's set long before the events of the main storyline, and centers on a madman. Lews Therin has just slaughtered his family and friends, during the grips of insanity, and wanders around some sort of destroyed castle or whatnot. Then Ishamael comes, and delivers a moment of clarity to Lews Therin, so that Lews Therin will know what he has done in his insanity. This is all explained later in the series, but initially I remember that I really had no idea what was going on.
I think the prologue was fantastic, this time around. Lews Therin is clearly insane, and I enjoyed the dialogue Jordan uses to get this across. He keeps calling for his wife, who is lying dead in front of him. Even better, when Ishamael shows up, Lews Therin is worried that his wife will be cross if she cannot entertain the guest, who happens to be the most dangerous of the evil Forsaken, come to destroy him.
When Lews Therin is granted sanity, and teleports off to blow himself up, we are given our first glances at the magic system that is central to the Wheel of Time. This is the best thing about the entire series (the magic, the insanity, Saidar and Saidin), and I wish Jordan had concentrated more on it in later books, and less on travelling circuses and nude flights through the dream world.
As far as writing goes, I really enjoy Jordan's style. I think he is quite masterful with his vocabulary, although he is sometimes droning when it comes to description. I think some people probably like that, though. I also noticed that he names everything. Anyone who comes on the stage, and even some characters who are only seen in passing, are given names. I find this to be distracting, often, but it does give his world a depth. I'm just not sure if it's one small reason I always find myself drowned when it comes to later books.