Dolphins are Clever

Cat's Cradle review

So I'm trying out goodreads. Blogging some of my reviews. Most of my web presence recently has been twitter or goodreads reviews, hoping to change that, but in the meantime at least I can add those things to my blog.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am unsure how I arrived at the ripe old age of 33 without ever having read this book. Or even heard of it. I believe was deprived for the lack. Ignatius J. Reilly may be the most interesting and entertaining protagonist I've ever encountered in a novel. He is both right and decent and introduced me to all that is proper in theology and geometry as well as the importance of being in touch with one's valve. Actually he's awful, but in the most entertaining way possible. And it's not just him, the whole book is full of extremely unique characters with plot threads that dance around ignatius as he stumbles around town in search of employment. Gah, my meager words don't even begin to do it justice. If you like great dialogue, if you like interesting and crazy protagonists, then read this book immediately. And then hug it. and love it. And keep it. It's so good.

As a side note, in the character of Ignatius John Kennedy Toole manages to lampoon just about every arrogant internet nerd with absolutely no self-awareness wallowing in online forums that I've ever come across. Either he is a mad prophet of the future, or he distills a personality type that probably always exists in the male population in some percentage, just in the 60's all they had were big chief notebooks with which to scrawl their grandiose ideas in between masturbation sessions. Read the book, you'll see what I mean.

goodreads

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Again, I'm not sure how I got to be 33 without reading Kurt Vonnegut. I think I've been living under a rock. This was a great book, kinda weird, well written, in a sub-genre I have an affinity for. Who could have thought that the people who are acclaimed as great writers are actually great writers?

Ricky Gervais singing to Elmo.

Cute and funny.

Real guys don't look at explosions

Beatboxing flautist

hat-tip to andrew Sullivan

This is totally awesome.

Movie Dump Tuesday

First, an oddly charming nicely done version of some teenager singing a split-screen duet with himself. Nicely timed and charming. Ish. I kind of think everyone would do a little better doing something completely narcissistic as a way of helping you like yourself. Well, at least the people who struggle with that sort of thing (cough, cough)



Second, but not least, Devin Townsend in Vampira, which is one of my favorite songs right now and a very funny, Oingo Boingoish video (and yes, the oingo boingo vibe is one reason he appeals to me). Anyway, only anti-matt seems to like devin that I know of, but I feel compelled to share anyway.

Oh John Ringo NO

Dont' actually read this book review, if you don't want to be nauseated by what some men get off on, but "Oh John Ringo NO" or variations thereupon may be my new favorite reaction to bizarre, misogynistic men.

mandelbrot in 3D

Via Amphigory,

the Mandelbulb for all your 3D fractal needs.

Praise be the tweet

Cancelled!

So, after doing my bills last night and getting very depressed not only over the state of my debt in general and how much I've spent just this month, I decided to cancel my Tivo services, which I wasn't using anyway since I haven't even plugged in so much as an antenna since I moved to Portland, and also my Champions Online subscription which I'm not using. And then started looking around my house for things I could sell. And then got depressed reading about how hard it is to make any money I have from selling the comics I have right now. Anyway, long story short, money sucks.

All Nerd

This one probably won't mean much to anyone but me. Well, most poetry doesn't mean much except to the author. Anyway, enjoy. Or claw your eyes out to save your soul. Whichever you prefer.

All Nerd
by Soylent H

Spinning in my head, swirling:

all doubt
all pain
all sad

Scratching lines on the door, howling:

all rage
all angst
all despair

Standing on the roof, shining:

all fear
all hope
all brave

Coruscating bands of energy, singing:

all creation
all destruction
all change

Shimmering waves of power, humming:

All Potential
All Nothing
All Things

A beacon of omniscience, becoming:

All I want
to be
is the universe

Great Falls to Portland

For those of you who enjoy motion sickness, here's a really bad video of my drive from Great Falls to Walla Walla to Portland. There's lots of shaking due to poor camera work in some parts and it's just my digital camera's movie function so it doesn't look great, but I took quite a bit of footage and figured I should at least show some of it. Share and enjoy.

OMG

Oh my god, I just found they released a sixth book in the Hitchhiker's Guide series under a new author. And he's signing books this Thursday night at powells. Oh my god! I don't know how I feel about an authorized sequel by another author . . . it's all just happening so fast.

Oh my god!

no words

I don't know what to add to this little old man's statement about gay rights, years and years after seeing action in every major engagement in the second world war.

My least favorite word

Okay, time to punish you all with some poetry. Believe it or not this didn't come from a particular place of angst. I had just finished having a conversation about how much the feeling mentioned at the end of the poem sucks and then decided to write a poem exploring different reactions to that feeling/situation. I think I'm posting it now because it's not particularly relevant to my current situation so I'm not giving anyway any secrets. Anyway, like it or not, here it is. As for me, I kinda like it.

My Least Favorite Word

There is a swamp
where black things romp
and the air is thick and dank

There is a spot
where things drop to rot
impressions where they sank

There is a pole
in this dark hole
with a sign that's old and blighted

“This is the muck
where I get stuck
when XX XXXX XX XXXXXXXXXX*”

*I am afraid these words are covered in goo

There is a forest
where bullfrogs chorus
and the wind is soft and gentle

There are flowers and bees
the grass sways in the breeze
and the redwoods rise monumental

There is a sign
all covered in vines
not written by someone excited

“This is where I go
where I learn to grow
when XX XXXX XX XXXXXXXXXX**”

**The same words as before, they are covered here too

There is a moon
that you won't get to soon
it's as far as a rocket can travel

There's a simple clear dome
more outpost than home
with a yard of regolith and gravel

There is a flickering display
inside the landing bay
next to scorch marks of engines ignited

“This is where I stay
because I must get away
when my love is unrequited.”

Awesome?

I find this site oddly moving. I must be over 30.

Typhoooon!

Stolen again from Andrew Sullivan, a time lapse video of a typhoon passing through Hong Kong. Gorgeous.

Who the hell is Alan Grayson?

Okay, this pic of a member of congress, somewhat insane according to Matt Taibbi, grilling a representative of the federal reserve on how much of their activities are on the up and up is extremely awesome. I've never heard of this guy, but he's like a deranged congressional vigilante. I love him.

Green Lantern Lives!

Okay, so after all my complaining, I finally got around to reading, in this order:

Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: No Fear
Green Lantern Corps: recharge.

If you've ever been the least bit interested in green lantern stuff, now is the time. These new stories blow away anything that came before. Great characters, great plots, fantastic artwork, epic SF, it's beautiful. Everything I've been wanting out of Green Lantern but have never had. I was giddy while reading them in certain parts. A fantastic reboot of the franchise. Well worth your time and hard earned dollars. If you are at all interested in the new Green Lantern Stuff, start here. The best stuff DC has put out in years.