A Variety of Topics
I have been wanting to mention a few things for a while but due to the sheer volume of life combined with apathy, I simply haven’t gotten around to it yet. Alas, procrastination is an art that one can only practice so far. Eventually we must step forth. Arggg!
First on the agenda is a few new comics and a video on my son’s Skepticomic page. He comes and goes with pet projects. He’ll be off making movies or writing scripts for plays and not draw comics for a couple of months and then suddenly crank a few out in a day. These are not much science or skeptically based, but they are firmly rooted in a twelve-year-old-boy’s view of life. If any of you don’t know what that is, it may be quite a shock so I apologize in advance. The movie is embedded here from YouTube and I’m sure he would appreciate a few comments. If you hit the Youtube icon in the corner of the video, it will go to a bigger version there and you’ll be able to leave a comment. Make his day.
The second thing I wanted to talk about were some of my new favorite sites on the net. Several readers will recognize them, especially as they are the authors. Sometimes excellent sites just get overlooked for a while. These are good, interesting and funny sites deserving of mention here and elsewhere. Most importantly, they offer a view of life that I find new and refreshing not only from different walks of life but often from different continents altogether.
First is the Dixie Flatline. Now any reader of this site will be familiar with the site’s author, Daz, a frequent commenter here. Daz offers a dollop of English sensibilities, albeit radical ones, mixed with a healthy dose of humor, science and science fiction. Like his comments here, his writings there are pithy, pointed and often stabbingly funny. He has a way of turning a phrase into comic perfection. He also has a nose for finding stuff on the net that are brilliantly funny. In addition, I have ever seen anyone else except myself combine their view of a skeptically based world and the reading of SciFi. If any of you out there think the science fiction is a useless pastime, Daz and I would disagree, strongly. It was my first look at an atheistic mindset. It opened doors that have never shut. Daz’s site is worth checking out.
It’s funny how the commenters on this site have started to become more like a family than a group of widely separated individuals. I have begun to care deeply about what they think and how they are doing. They are the non-nuclear family I wish I’d had growing up. And I say this with little idea of who they are and what they look like outside of their writings. Daz is hilarious and his heart is in the right place as is Amy, the Yokohamamama. Amy’s writings here are often crystal clear and enlightening. She has an ability to say things with a clarity I truly envy. Daz and I’ll be arguing with a theist and Amy will politely but firmly give her opinion in a way that makes me think, “Damn it! Why didn’t I say that!” Or more accurately, “Why didn’t I say it like that!” While I’m trying to sort out the metaphoric thumbs of my mind she slices through to the core.
Amy’s site is a view of American mother living in Japan. Her posts are cute, insightful and well-written, ranging anywhere from Manglish, mangled Japanese to English translations, to life in Yokohama and the beauty of the world around her. She makes the mundane beautiful. BTW, she is also the author of the Book review Doubt: a History on this very site.
Truly, Amy and Daz are Gems, the kind of people you wish were around you constantly. They have and, hopefully, will continue to broaden and enlighten me, make me more of a Blessed Atheist. Someday, we will have to meet in person. A few beers and the hours of joyful conversation would be wonderful. Someday. Right after I win the lottery… that’d be some indefinite time after I bought my first ticket. Back to that bank robbery thing…
Lastly is Textuality by Larry Tanner. Mr. Tanner is a brilliant writer covering life from a Jewish/Atheistic point, again another viewpoint I am unfamiliar with. He is a refreshing blast and his post deserve more attention. The blog’s topics range mightily over fields stretching from science to poetry and nearly everything in between. I suggest you read several posts together to get a true taste of the literary flavor there because, like myself, Mr. Tanner’s topics often cover several posts and can get quite involved. I love how one will be an atheist finding the meaning of life and next will be on Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.” Eclectically perfect.
Awww, thanks KK (now I’m all drawing in the dirt with my toe).
And thanks for the link to Textuality–how did I not see that before? Just popped over there, and will be popping back over after I get the laundry hung up and bang the futons (housework in Japan is neverending. *sigh*)
Oh yeah–Daz and I have been trading TED talks. Here’s one that you’d like, and maybe everybody here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically.html
Enjoy!
Ted talks are always amazing. I have listen to dozens on my ipod and seen several dozen more on the comp. The quality can come and go, but for the most part I have been very impressed.
Here’s my favorite http://www.ted.com/talks/publisher_felix_dennis_odes_to_vice_and_consequences.html
*blushes and looks uncomfortable*
You described Amy to a T, mind. I’d like to mention Paul from York, too. He’s not as frequent as some of us, maybe, but he’s usually spot-on when he does speak.
Will you two stop with the TED, already? There’s only so many hours in the day…
(Okay, Okay, I’ll watch those two…)
KK–just watched the Felix Dennis one. How did I miss that! He reads poetry better than anybody I’ve ever heard. Very cool–very moving. Thanks!
Just a short one, this, but good, none the less.
http://www.ted.com/talks/bobby_mcferrin_hacks_your_brain_with_music.html
And more pertinent to this blog…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/video/2009/dec/19/terry-pratchett-religion
Daz–just watched the Terry Pratchett. Priceless! He is *so* funny, and would you believe I’ve never read anything of his? Where should I start (just listening to him, I’m already addicted…:))
KK–the bank robbery thing. You’re going at it all wrong! Look at this (copied from Unreasonable Faith):
A 57-year-old city man who proclaimed himself to be “a non-violent bank robber” allegedly walked into the Broadway branch of the Adirondack Trust Bank this morning (Wednesday) and handed a note to a teller that read, “Give me all your money and God will love you.”
Believable affirmability…
That’s a tough one. Have you read much fantasy? The obvious start would be the first novel, The Colour Of Magic. The downside is that it’s very much a genre novel. Th upside is that it introduces a major character, who appears here & there later on in the series. If you don’t mind starting at the deep end, and want to skip the more genre novels, I’d say the third one, Equal Rites.
Full list here…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld#Bibliography
Gawd, I sound like a geek when I get onto this subject!
“, I sound like a geek when I get onto this subject!”
Daz, you make that sound like a bad thing. Geeks run the world. And should.
Thing is though, KK, when I get onto music or fantasy & sf I skate very close to becoming Comic Book Guy in The Simpsons… The only way to shut me up is to strap my jaw shut. Or wait ’til I get thirsty and wave beer under my nose… (*Not* lager!)
On the subject of geekiness, do you write your own page-code? Been trying to work out how on earth you managed the curved corners on your panels in Internet Explorer. Ive got code that does it in all the other major browsers, but not IE.
Hope you don’t mind me adding my two pennies to the conversation
Putting “Science Fiction” and “useless pasttime” in the same sentence should be illegal.
Oh, and Terry Pratchett is a god (if you pardon the expression!)
““Science Fiction” and “useless pasttime” in the same sentence should be illegal.”
I’m pretty sure it’s an oxymoron anyway.
Just because Pterry’s a god, doesn’t mean we have to go around believing in him…
Heh, true.
His books are like onions to use a shrek metaphor. I read them when I was younger and got various jokes and references, as I’ve gotten older and my knowledge/life experience increases then I spot other references and social commentary.
And I meant to say last night, thanks KK for your blog. I’m mostly a lurker but a regular reader.
Off to check out your recommendations now
Welcome aboard Clare. Good to have you… Even if you’re a lurker!
And Daz, All Comments are welcome here, pertinent or not. SciFi lead me to my atheism. It is truly the fifth column of our movement and, therefore, absolutely apt in these discussions.
BTW, I am ashamed to say that I haven’t read a single Pratchett Novel. Sorry Daz! But with these recommendations, I’ll be sure to starts a few this winter.
As a completely off topic book, my brother in law lent me War by Sebastian Junger. He was an embedded journalist in a battalion in the most active area of Afghanistan for over a year. The book is an honest and frank appraisal of what volunteer soldiers living in the worst shit imaginable become like. This book and the new documentary Restrepro are done by the same people and follow the same soldiers. I’ve read several glorifying WW2 books and several hypercritical Vietnam books. This one finds its own course, not reviewing grand strategy or why they’re there. Junger only deals with the people and gives some great insight on what makes them tick. I admit that I can’t put it down. It’s funny and horrifying, wonderful and tragic.
Damn, I wish I could write like that. I need to see Restrepro now.
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I’ve added your links to the ever-growing list of things I ought to read, thanks!
I’ll also jump on the Terry Pratchett bandwagon. At one point I owned most of his books. They’re fantastic.
Well! That settles it then–Terry Pratchett, as many books as my brother-in-law will let my sister load him up with…
This is The Blessed Atheist Bible Study? Or Buy All the Books Study…:))
“All the Books”
Want!
Make sure you get Small Gods. That’s religion-based and thereby makes it pertinent to this blog… (cough)
Just a side note:
When I was buying them (prior to being able to order things online), some were not available anywhere but Britain.
My favorite character was always DEATH. (Also Death of Rats! SQUEAK.)
I’m just gonna pop in and add my support to the must-read-Pratchett bandwagon too. Brilliant author. My favourite has to be “Good Omens” by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, both spectacular authors.
And I’m still here too KK, just been cursed with rather sparse access to the internet these days. Keep up the great work.
Dave, Good Omens brilliant. How did the rest of us not mention it? *face-palm*
Also, If anyone has children they want to read to/with, Nation is a must-buy.
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Blimey, I’ve never seen so many nested comments.
Clare, if you like references, particularly literary, may I recommend Jasper Fforde’s ‘Thursday Next’ series?
KK, did you read the book of ‘Band Of Brothers’? Very good stuff, and not the usual empty heroics. I’m currently reading Cornelius Ryan’s ‘A Bridge Too Far.’ I read it in my early teens, but I suspect I paid more attention to the action parts back then. I’m quite impressed. Forty pages in and so far it’s dealt only with the German view. Much better than the fat stupid clown/leather-coated evil nazi stereotypes they reverted to in the film. Though I shouldn’t be surprised at that, I suppose.
Alice, My favourite swaps between being Granny Weatherwax and Sam Vimes. Maybe that’s ’cause they’re both cynical old gits, rather like myself…
After some consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that Death is my favorite due to the curious naivete coupled with the worldliness of the character. (Rather unlike myself, I expect.)
Alas, I’ve read little but economic or socio-political texts for the past few years. :/ There’s not enough fiction in my life.
An intriguing description–my desire to read these is now bordering on desperate…may be time to break out the plastic…
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Totally with you on Jasper Fforde … just started reading Shades of Grey which is rather odd but good in the usual way his books are.
I finished that a couple of weeks back ‘Rather odd’ is putting it mildly, but it’s good. I’d be interested in any ideas you have about the origin of the Rules. I’ve got my own pet theory, but I won’t tell you now in case it influences your thinking.
“A cynical old git…”–don’t you believe it, Clare:)) Daz has a good review up at his site (click on “My Books”) of Jasper FForde’s “Shades of Grey”, which sounds great. In that review, he links to the Wiki article about the Thursday Next series, which I’ve just come from reading, and now I’ve a hankering to read that, too… needing a TimeTurner here… The more literary, the better, I say–I loved Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently books for that reason:))
Dirk Gently suffered from Adams’ famous procrastination, though. Fine until the last chapter, then a sudden rushed ending that left me feeling like ‘huh, what just happened?’
True–the first one was going along swimmingly, all Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Bach and Electric Monk, and then the end came, and I half expected to turn the page and find an alternate Clue-like ending. Almost as though his editor had snatched it away, saying, “Right–good enough! I’ll take that!”
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Hey, KK–btw, thanks for the link (or rather, remention) of Textuality:)) Very nice, clear arguments, and refreshingly non-religious posts on Whitman (nice to get away from Yahweh for a while, eh).
Yeah, I enjoy the hell out of him. Oh Amy, you are so right about being nice to get away. Don’t get me wrong for I appreciate Yahweh as a never-ending source of material, but goddamn, does that imaginary invisible space-giant get on my nerves at times.
For the first time in my life I auditioned for a play last night. My son is broadening my horizons. Painfully at times, but he’s doing it.
It’s a Christmas Carol, ironically enough, but my work schedule seems to allow only plays at that time of year, and alas, they all are Christmas related. It was a choice between that and the Screwtape Letters so I think I made the right choice. They’re doing Twelve Angry Men in the spring, but I’ll be in full slavery mode by then.
I auditioned for Scrooge or Marley, but we’ll see. It went pretty well and I admit, and we had a ball.
Who’d a thunk it!
Thank you! CS Lewis came up in a quiz the other day and it reminded me that there was one I wanted to read, but I couldn’t remember what it was. Soon as you said ‘Screwtape Letters’ I remembered.
KK, do you ever stop? Your life must be a whirlwind!
Alright everybody–do you think KK would make a better Scrooge or a better Marley! I would say Scrooge, but does Scrooge say things like “WTF–my hairy white ass!” ?
KK–awesome! Hope you get one part or the other! And if you do, it’s going up on YouTube, right?
)
“does Scrooge say things like “WTF–my hairy white ass!”?”
Maybe it’s the hip-hop version…
I’m with you. Scrooge for sure. Not that KK is anything like Scrooge himself. It’s just that I can see him in the part.
Right–we say this based on KK’s recent supporting role in the Zombie flick:))
@Dave–ahhh! Everybody but me has read Discworld! Waah! (brief tantrum, accompanied by foot-stomping and gnashing of teeth…)
Have got hold of The Colour of Magic…am immersed. You know, I keep a little notebook of Gibbon quotes that make me laugh or think. And I’m thinking I’m going to have to have a little Pratchett notebook to carry around for boring train rides, too:))
“…all the stars in the sky which were, obviously, also carried by giant turtles. When they arrived they would briefly and passionately mate, for the first and only time, and from that fiery union new turtles would be born to carry a new pattern of worlds. This was known as the Big Bang hypothesis.”
OMG–I’m already in love with this! He. Is. Brilliant.
Does Scrooge say things like “WTF–my hairy white ass!” ? Only backstage and only to those over thirteen.
As to the Scrooge and Marley Question, Daz I am a bit like Scrooge but Marley looks like a ball, but there were several excellent actors there so we’ll see. I’ll just be happy to get a part. I hope both my son and I get to participate together. That’d be an excellent bonding experience.
Incidentally, My wife’s family has been good naturedly calling me Scrooge for years because of my lack of enthusiasm for Christmas and my refusing to attend any Christmas events where presents were exchanged. I have some weird phobia about receiving gifts. Yeah, I know weird. Don’t ask. Now, everyone gives to charity and I go.
My lack of Terry Pratchett knowledge is odd. I’ve read thousands of book in my life including, at least several hundred Scifi and fantasy and now I feel nearly illiterate for my lack. Damn. Well, where should I start? Give me a hint.
I’m equally ignorant, KK:)) I can’t believe, between me, my sis, and our next-door-neighbor, that we none of us never happened upon the Discworld series. Was it not promoted as much in the US or something?
Start with The Colour of Magic–it’s always best to begin at the beginning (which you may say like Glinda if you like:))
I’d recommend you start at the colour of magic. His later books are, if possible, better than the earlier ones in my opinion but this doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. There are many characters that appear in different books and I think it helps to have read them in order. You can pick up any book and enjoy it on it’s own but I think you get more from them once you get to know the major players through various books.
Hey, KK–OT, but you left a comment at my blog the other day about Miyazaki (to which I gave a long, geeky reply:)). Anyway, it got me thinking about something I’ve wondered about before, so I’ve posted it as an open question. Since you’ve seen Spirited Away (anybody else who’s seen it is welcome to reply over at Yokohamamama as well), would you mind reading the question in the post and leaving an answer there? If you’ve got a few minutes, I’d be much obliged:))
(sorry–replying to myself here) KK–thanks for commenting on the miyazaki question! I’ve put an update on that post today if you’re curious about how the name-stealing scene reads to someone who speaks Japanese:))
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Seeing as this thread’s strayed all over the place anyway, I don’t think there’s much harm in me posting this here.
I’ve made a little trivia quiz, if anyone fancies a go..
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/thedixieflatline/rants_4.htm#quiz_01
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