I recently discovered the six-word memoir, here at Smith Magazine. I suppose I can quote myself here, since the site says I keep the copyright but anyone can quote me for non-commercial use. Anyway, here are my inaugural entries:
Six Word Memoir:
"Who needs money? ...guess I did."
"Wondered why. found answer. I forgot"
On Love and heartbreak:
"We thought not, yet still were." (this one I'm proud of)
All are attributed to Benjamin D. Plume, aka me.
I just hope I don't end up accidentally plagiarizing. At only six words, it seems that would be easy. I would think a lot of entries end up at least very similar without one stealing another's work.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
File Under "NoYDB"
Or, "None of Your Damn Business." Rather, none of our damn business. For once, I am in support of an action taken (or in this case not taken) by Sarah Palin.
I'm sorry, but this is supposed to be private.
Voters need to be informed regarding who they're voting for in a democracy, but no one should be asked to release their medical records to the public.
I'm sorry, but this is supposed to be private.
Voters need to be informed regarding who they're voting for in a democracy, but no one should be asked to release their medical records to the public.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Top 10 Sci Fi shows
This isn't based on anything, or for any particular reason. I haven't blogged in a while, and I was watching Babylon 5, and it got me thinking about my all-time favorites. so here we go:
10 Alien Nation
9 Futurama
8 Star Trek: Voyager
7 Babylon 5
6 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
5 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4 Star Trek: The Next Generation
3 Angel
2 Battlestar Gallactica (new version)
1 Firefly
Not quite making the list were Sliders, Roswell, Andromeda, and Third Rock from the Sun...and the other two Trek Series. Again, this has no basis in objectivity, just what I personally found appealing. I would probably include the X Files had I ever really watched it.
10 Alien Nation
9 Futurama
8 Star Trek: Voyager
7 Babylon 5
6 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
5 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4 Star Trek: The Next Generation
3 Angel
2 Battlestar Gallactica (new version)
1 Firefly
Not quite making the list were Sliders, Roswell, Andromeda, and Third Rock from the Sun...and the other two Trek Series. Again, this has no basis in objectivity, just what I personally found appealing. I would probably include the X Files had I ever really watched it.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Science, politics, and stupid people
First, let me say, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh. h. hhhh.
I am so tired of the refusal to accept scientific discoveries simply because they might alter the status quo. I am tired of closed-mindedness, and of people who blindly follow the wrong leaders in their thinking. I am tired of politicized science, and yes I admit that it happens on both sides of every issue. Would you like to know what I'm talking about? Browse there, and read some of the links. Fascinting stuff.
To the sheep, I raise this question: whom do you find more trustworthy? A politician whose job requires dissembling and dishonesty, and often open lying...and a majority of whom use their clout to get away with violations of the law? Or a scientist motivated by a desire for knowledge, whose job requires by its very nature honesty, open-mindedness, and clear reporting? Of course of late the line has been blurred, as both left and right have dipped their hands into science, using money, power, and threats to coerce scientists to manipulate results.
Still, if a staggering majority of the scientific community holds a similar position on something it seems only reasonable that they are correct, especially at times when the opposite view is held by a majority of elected officials (see: climate change from 2000-2004). It would seem to me that the majority of political influence on science would have to come from the party in power. If that is still not enough to tip the scales, don't you think the position of the scientists is the stronger?
Both scientists and politicians are often brilliant, but the former are brilliant at discovery while the latter are brilliant at manipulating human minds. Again, which do YOU find more credible?
Here is a brief and incomplete history of political (and religious, which really amounts to the same thing) opposition to science. Let's see if there is a trend.
Heliocentrism: Philolaus hypothesized in the 4th Century BC that the Earth moved. In 1543 Copernicus's work was published (posthumously) even then it was forced to contain a preface stating that it was merely "mathematical convenience" and not reality. It was not until the 17th century that it was accepted by the church (and hence, the western leaders) as correct that Earth revovled around sun. So, 2000 years...I don't have that kind of time to wait for people to admit truth, and anyone who fails to do so is an enemy of knowledge.
An intersting fabrication, not so much of science but of history, is this. Man, I was taught in school, as an undeniable fact, that the Catholics thought the world was flat...how unbelievably depressing that truth can be shunted so easily...
In 1543 Vesalius counted ribs in men and women, and was met with fierce controversy...shouldn't men have one fewer than women if God made Eve from Adam's rib? Anyone want to count now? Why was this one even a problem? I mean, even for literal-minded morons it would seem to make sense that Cain and Abel would be born with the normal number of ribs.
King James I said the following in regard to smoking: "A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmfull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse." It took until 1964 for the Surgeon General of the US to point out how bad it was. Even then the tobacco industry and its stakeholders tried to convince the public otherwise.
That last link also mentions the 10-year delay of plate tectonic theory, because it was "classified military information" relevant to "underseas warfare."
I could go on, but the idea is that there are always those who would oppose new science for selfish reasons, or to preserve the status quo, and those fools are at last proven dramatically and completely wrong. Does anyone (sane and reasonable) now dispute the Solar system, human rib count, the hazards of tobacco, or plate tectonics?
Now, two major controversies of science face us. Both have obtained scientific consensus, although opponenets deny the existence of such a consensus in either. One is opposed politically, the other religiously. They are climate change and evolution. The arguments against scientific consensus come from people who do not know what the phrase means.
I will not go into the details of why either of these theories is clearly correct. The point here is that history is on the side of the scientific community. Why can't we accept science now, so that those who worked for it can realize its benefits, instead of rationing those benefits only to their distant descendants?
I am so tired of the refusal to accept scientific discoveries simply because they might alter the status quo. I am tired of closed-mindedness, and of people who blindly follow the wrong leaders in their thinking. I am tired of politicized science, and yes I admit that it happens on both sides of every issue. Would you like to know what I'm talking about? Browse there, and read some of the links. Fascinting stuff.
To the sheep, I raise this question: whom do you find more trustworthy? A politician whose job requires dissembling and dishonesty, and often open lying...and a majority of whom use their clout to get away with violations of the law? Or a scientist motivated by a desire for knowledge, whose job requires by its very nature honesty, open-mindedness, and clear reporting? Of course of late the line has been blurred, as both left and right have dipped their hands into science, using money, power, and threats to coerce scientists to manipulate results.
Still, if a staggering majority of the scientific community holds a similar position on something it seems only reasonable that they are correct, especially at times when the opposite view is held by a majority of elected officials (see: climate change from 2000-2004). It would seem to me that the majority of political influence on science would have to come from the party in power. If that is still not enough to tip the scales, don't you think the position of the scientists is the stronger?
Both scientists and politicians are often brilliant, but the former are brilliant at discovery while the latter are brilliant at manipulating human minds. Again, which do YOU find more credible?
Here is a brief and incomplete history of political (and religious, which really amounts to the same thing) opposition to science. Let's see if there is a trend.
Heliocentrism: Philolaus hypothesized in the 4th Century BC that the Earth moved. In 1543 Copernicus's work was published (posthumously) even then it was forced to contain a preface stating that it was merely "mathematical convenience" and not reality. It was not until the 17th century that it was accepted by the church (and hence, the western leaders) as correct that Earth revovled around sun. So, 2000 years...I don't have that kind of time to wait for people to admit truth, and anyone who fails to do so is an enemy of knowledge.
An intersting fabrication, not so much of science but of history, is this. Man, I was taught in school, as an undeniable fact, that the Catholics thought the world was flat...how unbelievably depressing that truth can be shunted so easily...
In 1543 Vesalius counted ribs in men and women, and was met with fierce controversy...shouldn't men have one fewer than women if God made Eve from Adam's rib? Anyone want to count now? Why was this one even a problem? I mean, even for literal-minded morons it would seem to make sense that Cain and Abel would be born with the normal number of ribs.
King James I said the following in regard to smoking: "A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmfull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse." It took until 1964 for the Surgeon General of the US to point out how bad it was. Even then the tobacco industry and its stakeholders tried to convince the public otherwise.
That last link also mentions the 10-year delay of plate tectonic theory, because it was "classified military information" relevant to "underseas warfare."
I could go on, but the idea is that there are always those who would oppose new science for selfish reasons, or to preserve the status quo, and those fools are at last proven dramatically and completely wrong. Does anyone (sane and reasonable) now dispute the Solar system, human rib count, the hazards of tobacco, or plate tectonics?
Now, two major controversies of science face us. Both have obtained scientific consensus, although opponenets deny the existence of such a consensus in either. One is opposed politically, the other religiously. They are climate change and evolution. The arguments against scientific consensus come from people who do not know what the phrase means.
I will not go into the details of why either of these theories is clearly correct. The point here is that history is on the side of the scientific community. Why can't we accept science now, so that those who worked for it can realize its benefits, instead of rationing those benefits only to their distant descendants?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Just a couple of random colliding brain cells
1) Now that so many documents require only the last 4 digits of a SSN, in an effort to tighten securtiy, won't that just make the last four a coveted piece of information? Now one can be scammed with only 4 digits, instead of 9.
2) Any job worth doing may be worth doing well, but when you find yourself forced to a task not worth doing, you might as well half-ass it. Then you'll save energy for those worth doing.
2) Any job worth doing may be worth doing well, but when you find yourself forced to a task not worth doing, you might as well half-ass it. Then you'll save energy for those worth doing.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Nomenclature
In a fit of inspiration (or silliness, depending on your point of view), I decided to rename my blog. For one thing I was never satisfied, even remotely, with the "Deep and Shallow Waters" moniker. For another, I wanted the title to speak at least in part to what this blog is about. Since it wasn't about much of anything except a collection of thoughts, this was no easy task.
The significance of the new name is this: As a collection of my thoughts, this blog is nothing more than personal reflection. Of course everyone's reflections are unique, but I feel that mine are often further out of the vein than most. That isn't to be a braggart, but it has been observed that my mind is a little strange. Too true. Everything that bounces around in my head certainly comes out at a different angle, redirected by my sense of humor, my cynicism (which isn't ever-present but can be strong), my tendency to search for middle ground, the war between my realist and idealist sides, or one of my other many eccentricities. Since thoughts are reflections, and reflections bent are refractions, then what are skewed thoughts but refractions? Hence, I unveil "Reflections are Refractions."
The significance of the new name is this: As a collection of my thoughts, this blog is nothing more than personal reflection. Of course everyone's reflections are unique, but I feel that mine are often further out of the vein than most. That isn't to be a braggart, but it has been observed that my mind is a little strange. Too true. Everything that bounces around in my head certainly comes out at a different angle, redirected by my sense of humor, my cynicism (which isn't ever-present but can be strong), my tendency to search for middle ground, the war between my realist and idealist sides, or one of my other many eccentricities. Since thoughts are reflections, and reflections bent are refractions, then what are skewed thoughts but refractions? Hence, I unveil "Reflections are Refractions."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time
Specifically, The Eye of the World
I just finished my fourth (it might be fifth) reading of this book, and I have to say that I am now more impressed with it than I had been in previous reads. I thought it was pretty great before, so that's no small praise.
There are, of course, the things the book was acclaimed for: a rich world full of deep characters moved by exciting events. The pacing in this one is very brisk, unlike some of the later installments (which I still like, but after about Book 6 they lack the same punch). Jordan really seems to do a good job with his female characters, for a male writer. He comes at it from both sides on likely gender issues in a society with that level of technology. The Tolkien elements are there, but fresh and sometimes hard to identify as such because he managed to stick to the formula but be unique.
What impressed me the most, though, was how thoroughly planned Jordan's Third Age world is. In book one he foreshadows events and themes from books 2-11 (and things we haven't even seen yet), and the manner shows that he didn't just retroactively decide to use things, in most cases. To any WoT readers who stumble upon this blog (an unlikely ocurrence, I suppose) I strongly recommend reading the series once, reading This FAQ, and then starting again with Book 1. I know this seems like a lot, and it won't make sense to do it this way if the series is complete by the time you finish, but I feel that it is the best way to get everything out of the experience.
What follows has what some might consider spoilers, so if you don't like those stop reading. Besides, this won't make any sense to you if you haven't read the books yet anyway.
Did you stop reading yet?
Are you sure?
One more warning!
I lied, here's another:
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
OK, so below is a list of things I hadn't caught before that are part of the impressive, if sometimes smart-alecky, foreshadowing that goes on.
Mat, before leaving Emond's Field: "battles interest me!"
The chapter where Padan Fain shows up has a Dragon's Fang as its icon. This should tell you something is up with him from the start.
In Rand's first dream, I believe we get a glimpse of "The Song," but Rand forgets. This leads me to believe Rand will find the song, along with the circumstantial evidence that he is the prophesied one for the regular folk, the Aiel, the Seanchan, the Sea Folk, so why not the Tinkers? Sure some of the other people are reborn heroes, but Rand is the only one we know has Age of Legends memories bouncing around in his skull, even if he is insane.
With the information that the dude claiming to be Ba'alzamon in Rand, Mat, and Perrin's dreams is actually Ishamael, it becomes pretty obvious that he was loose during the whole third age, and responsible for the Trolloc Wars and for the bad parts of Artur Hawkwing. Sounds like that "doom yet to come" is the Return, and is supposed to tip the scales in the Last Battle.
I am just, in general, impressed with how many of the little quirks of the way the WoT world works that show up before you know what they are. Unless you have one heck of a memory, you won't remember them all for what they are later without a second reading. For example, all the little ta'veren pulls that show up, tel'aran'rhiod and its connection to the "wolf dream," not just Min's visions but her attitude, what Bayle Domon has floating along in that boat of his (not to mention all the things in the world he described, we still haven't seen that island with a humming web over it), and how the myths of Randland are the realities of our world and vice versa, demonstrated from the very beginning.
Also interesting that he begins to establish, all the way back here, the relationships between Aiel, Tinkers, and Ogier...and the Seanchan to Artur Hawkwing, and the way male/female channelers can work together assuming they both exist.
It's also interesting that the other boys joke about Mat being Aemon reborn when he starts shouting in the old tongue...it seems that Mat is someone else from Manetheren reborn, rather than the king himself, but it is also a healthy little bit of foreshadowing.
END OF SPOILERS
I guess the most impressive thing is that he weaves over 150 named characters, and the number of unnamed folks with something to say or do probably brings the total over 200, into the tapestry of eight major characters, all while describing so much of a vast world, without ever really seeming overwhelming. Unlike LOTR, which just has a list of Kings and Dwarves and lord knows what all else, each character is identifiable and you can tell which ones are significant and which ones you can relegate to unimportance. I mean, 150 names! but there still is little trouble keeping them straight, and when any show up later in the series it's easy to pick them out. This gets harder in later volumes, because you end up with hundreds and hundreds of names, spread out over 15 or so nations, Aes Sedai (split into two major camps), the Kin, Sea Folk, Aiel clans, Whitecloaks, Asha'man, good guys/bad guys/indeterminant guys, etc.
OK, I realize that at this point I am rambling solely out of boredom, and my efforts would better be directed elsewhere.
I just finished my fourth (it might be fifth) reading of this book, and I have to say that I am now more impressed with it than I had been in previous reads. I thought it was pretty great before, so that's no small praise.
There are, of course, the things the book was acclaimed for: a rich world full of deep characters moved by exciting events. The pacing in this one is very brisk, unlike some of the later installments (which I still like, but after about Book 6 they lack the same punch). Jordan really seems to do a good job with his female characters, for a male writer. He comes at it from both sides on likely gender issues in a society with that level of technology. The Tolkien elements are there, but fresh and sometimes hard to identify as such because he managed to stick to the formula but be unique.
What impressed me the most, though, was how thoroughly planned Jordan's Third Age world is. In book one he foreshadows events and themes from books 2-11 (and things we haven't even seen yet), and the manner shows that he didn't just retroactively decide to use things, in most cases. To any WoT readers who stumble upon this blog (an unlikely ocurrence, I suppose) I strongly recommend reading the series once, reading This FAQ, and then starting again with Book 1. I know this seems like a lot, and it won't make sense to do it this way if the series is complete by the time you finish, but I feel that it is the best way to get everything out of the experience.
What follows has what some might consider spoilers, so if you don't like those stop reading. Besides, this won't make any sense to you if you haven't read the books yet anyway.
Did you stop reading yet?
Are you sure?
One more warning!
I lied, here's another:
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
OK, so below is a list of things I hadn't caught before that are part of the impressive, if sometimes smart-alecky, foreshadowing that goes on.
Mat, before leaving Emond's Field: "battles interest me!"
The chapter where Padan Fain shows up has a Dragon's Fang as its icon. This should tell you something is up with him from the start.
In Rand's first dream, I believe we get a glimpse of "The Song," but Rand forgets. This leads me to believe Rand will find the song, along with the circumstantial evidence that he is the prophesied one for the regular folk, the Aiel, the Seanchan, the Sea Folk, so why not the Tinkers? Sure some of the other people are reborn heroes, but Rand is the only one we know has Age of Legends memories bouncing around in his skull, even if he is insane.
With the information that the dude claiming to be Ba'alzamon in Rand, Mat, and Perrin's dreams is actually Ishamael, it becomes pretty obvious that he was loose during the whole third age, and responsible for the Trolloc Wars and for the bad parts of Artur Hawkwing. Sounds like that "doom yet to come" is the Return, and is supposed to tip the scales in the Last Battle.
I am just, in general, impressed with how many of the little quirks of the way the WoT world works that show up before you know what they are. Unless you have one heck of a memory, you won't remember them all for what they are later without a second reading. For example, all the little ta'veren pulls that show up, tel'aran'rhiod and its connection to the "wolf dream," not just Min's visions but her attitude, what Bayle Domon has floating along in that boat of his (not to mention all the things in the world he described, we still haven't seen that island with a humming web over it), and how the myths of Randland are the realities of our world and vice versa, demonstrated from the very beginning.
Also interesting that he begins to establish, all the way back here, the relationships between Aiel, Tinkers, and Ogier...and the Seanchan to Artur Hawkwing, and the way male/female channelers can work together assuming they both exist.
It's also interesting that the other boys joke about Mat being Aemon reborn when he starts shouting in the old tongue...it seems that Mat is someone else from Manetheren reborn, rather than the king himself, but it is also a healthy little bit of foreshadowing.
END OF SPOILERS
I guess the most impressive thing is that he weaves over 150 named characters, and the number of unnamed folks with something to say or do probably brings the total over 200, into the tapestry of eight major characters, all while describing so much of a vast world, without ever really seeming overwhelming. Unlike LOTR, which just has a list of Kings and Dwarves and lord knows what all else, each character is identifiable and you can tell which ones are significant and which ones you can relegate to unimportance. I mean, 150 names! but there still is little trouble keeping them straight, and when any show up later in the series it's easy to pick them out. This gets harder in later volumes, because you end up with hundreds and hundreds of names, spread out over 15 or so nations, Aes Sedai (split into two major camps), the Kin, Sea Folk, Aiel clans, Whitecloaks, Asha'man, good guys/bad guys/indeterminant guys, etc.
OK, I realize that at this point I am rambling solely out of boredom, and my efforts would better be directed elsewhere.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)