Saturday, September 24, 2011
Top Killer of Octopodes
Top killer of Octopodes are stairways. Going up or down, encountering a Big Baddie in an adjacent tile, and not being able to get away. Happened to me in the Orcish Mines. My fault... I should have cast Swiftness.
Some Writers
Some writers seem to fit me like hand and glove.
I can't resist Mary Renault and Gore Vidal.
Two other writers I like include Tolkien and Patrick O'Brian.
With the collected works of these four writers, I could endure the centuries, locked away in Vampire Castle. Of course, it would be nice to have a phone conference with the sole survivor, Vidal, while he lives, and if he felt the desire to interview a vampire (with apologies to Anne Rice).
I can't resist Mary Renault and Gore Vidal.
Two other writers I like include Tolkien and Patrick O'Brian.
With the collected works of these four writers, I could endure the centuries, locked away in Vampire Castle. Of course, it would be nice to have a phone conference with the sole survivor, Vidal, while he lives, and if he felt the desire to interview a vampire (with apologies to Anne Rice).
Friday, September 23, 2011
Favorite Line in Dungeon Crawl
My favorite activity in Dungeon Crawl is stabbing. The response the game offers on a successful stab is amusing. Here's one. "The helpless ogre fails to defend itself. You dice the helpless ogre like an onion!" Most satisfying.
Netflix
Netflix is catching a lot of flak in the media. Here's the real reason why. They are caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand they want to provide the maximum amount of shows at the minimum price, whether via DVD or streaming. On the other hand you have the Entertainment Studios that are worried about people copying those streams. It is easier to copy a stream than to copy a DVD, from what I gather on a cursory examination. Also the "unlimited" spec is really a tad too generous if you ask me. There really is no foolproof way to protect copyrighted media. Where there's a will, there's a way to copy. Every hacker knows this.
I'm not sure what the solution will be, but I do sympathize with Netflix. I think their hands are tied by the policies of the studios.
I used to use Netflix, but their content selection does leave a lot to be desired. If all movies of more than a year old were available for streaming, it would be worth it, even if Netflix charged $.50 per hour, which I think is fair enough.
I'm not sure what the solution will be, but I do sympathize with Netflix. I think their hands are tied by the policies of the studios.
I used to use Netflix, but their content selection does leave a lot to be desired. If all movies of more than a year old were available for streaming, it would be worth it, even if Netflix charged $.50 per hour, which I think is fair enough.
AMD
I read the guy in charge of AMD's Products Group is leaving. I don't know anything more about that than what the article states.
But as far as AMD's products go, I feel AMD missed the boat on low-power processors. The wave of the future, or actually of today, is energy efficiency and a small footprint. I feel that AMD does not offer enough, today, in the 45 watt and below segment of the cpu market, whereas Intel has some of the latest Sandy Bridge processors that only consume 35 watts.
Otherwise, I'm definitely an AMD fan, although not a stock fan (not referring to shares, but cpu cooling--oh, never mind).
But as far as AMD's products go, I feel AMD missed the boat on low-power processors. The wave of the future, or actually of today, is energy efficiency and a small footprint. I feel that AMD does not offer enough, today, in the 45 watt and below segment of the cpu market, whereas Intel has some of the latest Sandy Bridge processors that only consume 35 watts.
Otherwise, I'm definitely an AMD fan, although not a stock fan (not referring to shares, but cpu cooling--oh, never mind).
Speed of Light Repealed
I was taught in school that the speed of light in a vacuum was absolute and could not be exceeded by anything.
Turns out that may have been wrong.
Science is always revising and improving itself. Religion does, too, to be fair, but it's a bit more resistant to change.
Turns out that may have been wrong.
Science is always revising and improving itself. Religion does, too, to be fair, but it's a bit more resistant to change.
Right On
Good editorial from an unexpected source. Irish Central?
Every once in a while, I encounter the unexpected, reason and logic.
Every once in a while, I encounter the unexpected, reason and logic.
Just Damn Unlucky
I could be among the middle class today; I was just damn unlucky. I've achieved perfect records in so many different arenas, but there's always that one misfortune or coincidence that deprives me of the cheese at the end of the maze.
I think it's fair to say I'm unlucky. I had the bright intuition to buy gold when gold was cheap, $300/oz., in fact I imagined my dead grandfather (he was keen on investments) whispering in my ear, "Buy gold with every spare dollar at your disposal, now," but after buying the gold, I double-guessed myself after reading magazine articles about the invulnerable, infallible, reliable then-soaring stock market, and I sold most of my gold on Ebay, typically for the starting price with no bidding. (As we know, Ebay sucks.)
I almost got accepted into nursing school with my academic record and great score (99) on the entrance exam, but there were two grades from twenty years ago that, I suspect, nixed my chances, along with my lack of prior medical experience. Everyone encouraged me to go back and take those old classes over again and volunteer at a local hospital, but you know what, that's a lot of sacrifice combined with the $30K price tag of nursing school, money that I don't have to spare. Used to be the government helped out poor nursing students, but all that money dried up after the wars, and it never was enough anyhow.
I guess I've got a lot of "almost-wons" to my credit. I almost got a decent job up in Vermont. Spent about a dozen hours filling out applications & questionnaires and responding to emails and conducting telephone and a webcam interview. Nothing. Not even an email saying sorry, we passed you by. I don't mind so much, though. I guess some jobseekers get bitter and bite back when they receive those "Sorry" emails. They shouldn't. Sorry is better than silence. Silence leaves one wondering if the game is still on.
Back in the day, I almost got accepted into graduate school, in fact I was accepted, and my generous parents offered to foot the bill in full, but my stupid morality got in the way. For one thing, I balked at the cost ($15k for living expenses and additional for tuition), knowing that my Mom hated her job and my Dad was retiring. It seemed to me I would be asking them to make a huge sacrifice, and that caused me to scrutinize the curriculum closely. I felt that most of what graduate school was teaching was crap. I perceived some, not all, of the same criticisms that Gore Vidal expresses far more eloquently in his essays and interviews. Probably I should have swallowed my reservations along with my pride and just held my nose and scored an easy Ph.D., because it would have been awfully easy for me. Then I'd have a relatively cushy academic job at some state school or technical school somewhere, much easier that the demanding programming jobs I worked after abandoning grad school.
What I did with computers, I don't think many people could do. It wasn't easy, even for people who live and breathe tech. There was a great deal of skull sweat and cold sweat trickling down the neck at 3 AM in the office as millions of dollars are contemplated at stake. I pulled it off though, all of it, somehow. That does give me satisfaction, even if no one remembers or cares at all (water under the bridge). Put in a situation of crisis, I performed, which means I'm a good soldier. But I suppose that's not valued anymore in today's economy, today's world.
I did have a taste for drama in the younger days, unlike today. I remember the head of the program at grad school calling me up on the phone to ask me why I hadn't paid the fees yet. I guess head count was down, student quality was poor, and I looked good enough on paper to justify a personal phone call.
I indicated I was not interested, that I had changed my mind, and she wanted to know all of the reasons why with as much detail as I could offer. I told her my opinions of the program, which pretty much dovetail with Gore Vidal's, although I had not yet read him on the subject. I had just formed my own opinion after lengthy reflection. She was infuriated and declared that I would never be permitted into the program while she was head, or dean, or whatever it is. She paused for about five seconds, expecting me to mend the rift I suppose, and when I didn't, she concluded that I was not interested in her program anymore, and asked me if that were so. I confirmed. We never spoke again. I imagine I was blackballed or put on some list at that particular university, but it didn't matter. She's probably retired or dead by now, but I don't have any plan on doing the grad school thing now. It's a bit late in the game for that, I think, and there's just no money to help with tuition or any other costs.
I think it's fair to say I'm unlucky. I had the bright intuition to buy gold when gold was cheap, $300/oz., in fact I imagined my dead grandfather (he was keen on investments) whispering in my ear, "Buy gold with every spare dollar at your disposal, now," but after buying the gold, I double-guessed myself after reading magazine articles about the invulnerable, infallible, reliable then-soaring stock market, and I sold most of my gold on Ebay, typically for the starting price with no bidding. (As we know, Ebay sucks.)
I almost got accepted into nursing school with my academic record and great score (99) on the entrance exam, but there were two grades from twenty years ago that, I suspect, nixed my chances, along with my lack of prior medical experience. Everyone encouraged me to go back and take those old classes over again and volunteer at a local hospital, but you know what, that's a lot of sacrifice combined with the $30K price tag of nursing school, money that I don't have to spare. Used to be the government helped out poor nursing students, but all that money dried up after the wars, and it never was enough anyhow.
I guess I've got a lot of "almost-wons" to my credit. I almost got a decent job up in Vermont. Spent about a dozen hours filling out applications & questionnaires and responding to emails and conducting telephone and a webcam interview. Nothing. Not even an email saying sorry, we passed you by. I don't mind so much, though. I guess some jobseekers get bitter and bite back when they receive those "Sorry" emails. They shouldn't. Sorry is better than silence. Silence leaves one wondering if the game is still on.
Back in the day, I almost got accepted into graduate school, in fact I was accepted, and my generous parents offered to foot the bill in full, but my stupid morality got in the way. For one thing, I balked at the cost ($15k for living expenses and additional for tuition), knowing that my Mom hated her job and my Dad was retiring. It seemed to me I would be asking them to make a huge sacrifice, and that caused me to scrutinize the curriculum closely. I felt that most of what graduate school was teaching was crap. I perceived some, not all, of the same criticisms that Gore Vidal expresses far more eloquently in his essays and interviews. Probably I should have swallowed my reservations along with my pride and just held my nose and scored an easy Ph.D., because it would have been awfully easy for me. Then I'd have a relatively cushy academic job at some state school or technical school somewhere, much easier that the demanding programming jobs I worked after abandoning grad school.
What I did with computers, I don't think many people could do. It wasn't easy, even for people who live and breathe tech. There was a great deal of skull sweat and cold sweat trickling down the neck at 3 AM in the office as millions of dollars are contemplated at stake. I pulled it off though, all of it, somehow. That does give me satisfaction, even if no one remembers or cares at all (water under the bridge). Put in a situation of crisis, I performed, which means I'm a good soldier. But I suppose that's not valued anymore in today's economy, today's world.
I did have a taste for drama in the younger days, unlike today. I remember the head of the program at grad school calling me up on the phone to ask me why I hadn't paid the fees yet. I guess head count was down, student quality was poor, and I looked good enough on paper to justify a personal phone call.
I indicated I was not interested, that I had changed my mind, and she wanted to know all of the reasons why with as much detail as I could offer. I told her my opinions of the program, which pretty much dovetail with Gore Vidal's, although I had not yet read him on the subject. I had just formed my own opinion after lengthy reflection. She was infuriated and declared that I would never be permitted into the program while she was head, or dean, or whatever it is. She paused for about five seconds, expecting me to mend the rift I suppose, and when I didn't, she concluded that I was not interested in her program anymore, and asked me if that were so. I confirmed. We never spoke again. I imagine I was blackballed or put on some list at that particular university, but it didn't matter. She's probably retired or dead by now, but I don't have any plan on doing the grad school thing now. It's a bit late in the game for that, I think, and there's just no money to help with tuition or any other costs.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Some Women
Some women, very few indeed, have just enough testosterone to trip my wires. From a distance, anyhow. I went to a concert tonight and got the eye from one of the players on stage. After several exchanges of glances, she was even so bold as to nod. I thought it most strange, amusing, unlikely, delightful, and impossible at this point in my life, and thank goodness for that. The last one I knew too well did not go well. Butch women tend to have ex-girlfriends. . .
I've sometimes wondered about the possibilities, but I think the reality is that both of us are seeking something that is not quite right, or only right enough for one night, and it is unstable for that reason and cannot endure. She will find or has found already another she. Perhaps in earlier times such a connection was more practical and had enough advantages.
I've sometimes wondered about the possibilities, but I think the reality is that both of us are seeking something that is not quite right, or only right enough for one night, and it is unstable for that reason and cannot endure. She will find or has found already another she. Perhaps in earlier times such a connection was more practical and had enough advantages.
College Degree is Worthless
I found this article about America's Lost Generation interesting but differ with their appraisal of a college degree's value.
College degrees are worthless. Companies demand not only a degree, but ten years of RECENT experience. Otherwise, you might as well not apply. You're just wasting your time.
A high I.Q. is irrelevant. Good grades are without value. Hard work is an object of scorn. Education means nothing.
Work is not permitted in the U.S. anymore. The jobs have been outsourced to China, India, Russia, and other of our "friends".
I see no reason at all to hope for a better future. All the signs are ominous, to anyone who is paying attention.
History does provide us with a road map, however, of just how horrible things will become.
College degrees are worthless. Companies demand not only a degree, but ten years of RECENT experience. Otherwise, you might as well not apply. You're just wasting your time.
A high I.Q. is irrelevant. Good grades are without value. Hard work is an object of scorn. Education means nothing.
Work is not permitted in the U.S. anymore. The jobs have been outsourced to China, India, Russia, and other of our "friends".
I see no reason at all to hope for a better future. All the signs are ominous, to anyone who is paying attention.
History does provide us with a road map, however, of just how horrible things will become.
Ebay Sucks
Ebay is a buyer's market. The only buyers out there are dealers who expect to buy at wholesale price. Typically, no bidding takes place anymore. Instead, people watch until the auction is just bout to end, then bid the lowest.
What I dislike about Ebay the most is that they rip the seller off on shipping. When I say, charge the buyer for shipping a package, I mean, charge the buyer for shipping a package. The buyer should cover the whole cost--no, not handling, just the postage and delivery confirmation.
I decided to bail out of an auction this morning because Ebay decided to charge the buyer only 60% of the shipping cost, with me making up the difference*. I refunded the buyer's money immediately. But now I am liable to get hit with what's called a "Final Value Fee" from Ebay, that is, Ebay takes its customary 20% cut, whether or not I cancel the transaction. It's all up to the buyer. I don't know, I might even get a "negative feedback" if the buyer is angry, which would immediately terminate my interest in selling on Ebay. I would probably end all my ongoing auctions and just forget about Ebay or start over with a new account later. Negative feedback is bad for business, especially for a really small volume seller like me. A big volume seller could care less.
The odds on Ebay are really stacked against the seller. I've been ending auctions left and right because I notice that I'm not really making that much money after Ebay takes its lion-size cut. I'm doing a lot of work, but getting next to nothing in return. I had my fill of that maintaining a web site for a bunch of cranky seniors. The final prices of most auctions are really good for the buyer, but not that good for me. And auctions that aren't a real bargain tend to fail. That is because Ebay sucks. The only buyers on Ebay today are sharp-nosed dealers that expect you to take a haircut and like it.
What I dislike about Ebay the most is that they rip the seller off on shipping. When I say, charge the buyer for shipping a package, I mean, charge the buyer for shipping a package. The buyer should cover the whole cost--no, not handling, just the postage and delivery confirmation.
I decided to bail out of an auction this morning because Ebay decided to charge the buyer only 60% of the shipping cost, with me making up the difference*. I refunded the buyer's money immediately. But now I am liable to get hit with what's called a "Final Value Fee" from Ebay, that is, Ebay takes its customary 20% cut, whether or not I cancel the transaction. It's all up to the buyer. I don't know, I might even get a "negative feedback" if the buyer is angry, which would immediately terminate my interest in selling on Ebay. I would probably end all my ongoing auctions and just forget about Ebay or start over with a new account later. Negative feedback is bad for business, especially for a really small volume seller like me. A big volume seller could care less.
The odds on Ebay are really stacked against the seller. I've been ending auctions left and right because I notice that I'm not really making that much money after Ebay takes its lion-size cut. I'm doing a lot of work, but getting next to nothing in return. I had my fill of that maintaining a web site for a bunch of cranky seniors. The final prices of most auctions are really good for the buyer, but not that good for me. And auctions that aren't a real bargain tend to fail. That is because Ebay sucks. The only buyers on Ebay today are sharp-nosed dealers that expect you to take a haircut and like it.
* - I had set the auction up to perfection with the exact weight of the item, but Ebay decided to bill the buyer only $11.28 for shipping when it really cost 17.88. I guess Ebay figured the Post Office would give me a break since I write nice things about it in my blog. I don't know why Ebay wants to rip me off on shipping. But I don't play that game. If I don't get my Final Value Credit, then all my auctions are going down. It's ridiculous I should have to go through the whole rigamarole due to an error on Ebay's part.
DCSS
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup really is a work of art. I'm glad it is still alive and still changing.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Business Criminals are Scared of Ron Paul
The reason the media refuses to cover Ron Paul is that the media's owners know he would win the general election and change things.
Business Criminals
It seems to me that rich criminals who defraud the government are far worse than petty thieves.
I believe the federal government could resolve much of its financial problems by hiring more investigators to go after the business criminals in our society. Seize all their assets, shut down their operation, and in a couple years, there would be no need to do anything about the budget crisis. The only reason that the country is in trouble today is due to rich business criminals stealing from the government and from working people. They only care about themselves and never can get enough money. The rich, overfed bloodsucking parasites must be removed from the Republic's fur before things will get better. There are just too many idle criminals at the top feasting at the public trough. Of course, they point the finger at working people and say, through their mouthpieces at FOX News, that workers need to be punished for working.
I believe the federal government could resolve much of its financial problems by hiring more investigators to go after the business criminals in our society. Seize all their assets, shut down their operation, and in a couple years, there would be no need to do anything about the budget crisis. The only reason that the country is in trouble today is due to rich business criminals stealing from the government and from working people. They only care about themselves and never can get enough money. The rich, overfed bloodsucking parasites must be removed from the Republic's fur before things will get better. There are just too many idle criminals at the top feasting at the public trough. Of course, they point the finger at working people and say, through their mouthpieces at FOX News, that workers need to be punished for working.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I Like George Lopez and Kathy Griffin
Celebrity motormouths Kathy Griffin and George Lopez are adorable. I think the two of them would make super-babies.
It's a pity Kathy is past the child-bearing years. The world will be deprived of her progeny. So much worse for the poor old world. I would like to ask her why she didn't. It is the only question that occurs to me when I watch her.
She is a rare flower that only blooms once in a hundred years. The nineteenth century had George Sand. Perhaps Kathy is the spiritual sister of George Sand. Or maybe she is not quite as deep. Sand laid Chopin.
Griffin is quick and as cunning as the best of them. I also believe she is good, although it is a choice; she could have been wicked if she had wished to be so. There is genuine goodness in her heart, a warmth that makes her attractive to those who value such a thing.
It's a pity Kathy is past the child-bearing years. The world will be deprived of her progeny. So much worse for the poor old world. I would like to ask her why she didn't. It is the only question that occurs to me when I watch her.
She is a rare flower that only blooms once in a hundred years. The nineteenth century had George Sand. Perhaps Kathy is the spiritual sister of George Sand. Or maybe she is not quite as deep. Sand laid Chopin.
Griffin is quick and as cunning as the best of them. I also believe she is good, although it is a choice; she could have been wicked if she had wished to be so. There is genuine goodness in her heart, a warmth that makes her attractive to those who value such a thing.
Pakistan Owes the U.S.
Pakistan has been stabbing the U.S. in the back for a long time. Since they have taken so much American taxpayer money, they should refund it. We should present their leadership with a bill for all previous monies given to them since 1970, along with an interest rate of 10%, with the demand that the entire bill be paid in full within one hour. After it is paid, Pakistan can rejoin India, which enjoys a more competent government.
The Death Penalty
The death penalty often makes the news, usually connected with a horrendous murder. I am neutral on the subject, with due respect for both sides of the issue, although I believe capital punishment must be reserved for murderers, and their guilt must be ironclad, and the judicial process transparent and clean, and the execution relatively painless and dignified. I believe murder by violence or murder by proxy are equivalent, and murder by proxy may indeed be worse. If a business sells a product that kills while knowing that it kills and going to great lengths to conceal its lethality, then its owner is a murderer of multitudes by proxy, and how is he any better than a stabber or a shooter? No, he is worse, he is more cunning and dangerous by far.
It is difficult for me to sympathize with the plight of a convicted killer. It seems to me the guilt, in any person with a functioning conscience, that would come from extinguishing or marring innocent lives should make such a killer welcome the death penalty, rather than fear it. I don't condone torture, but on the other hand I don't see any travesty arising from taking the killer's life. It may have a therapeutic effect upon the victim's family and it does carry historical and cultural weight. It is a way of deterring survivors from pursuing ancient vendetta. How much better to let justice take its slow, methodical course!
I think modern forms of the death penalty are too elaborate and therefore liable to malfunction for a variety of reasons. Such methods as lethal injection were designed by people who are not competent engineers in any sense of the word. Ethical forms of capital punishment include beheading, shooting, and hanging. These methods are easy to understand and to execute. A competent engineer knows the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). To expect prison guards to have a Ph.D. in medicine is unrealistic.
It is difficult for me to sympathize with the plight of a convicted killer. It seems to me the guilt, in any person with a functioning conscience, that would come from extinguishing or marring innocent lives should make such a killer welcome the death penalty, rather than fear it. I don't condone torture, but on the other hand I don't see any travesty arising from taking the killer's life. It may have a therapeutic effect upon the victim's family and it does carry historical and cultural weight. It is a way of deterring survivors from pursuing ancient vendetta. How much better to let justice take its slow, methodical course!
I think modern forms of the death penalty are too elaborate and therefore liable to malfunction for a variety of reasons. Such methods as lethal injection were designed by people who are not competent engineers in any sense of the word. Ethical forms of capital punishment include beheading, shooting, and hanging. These methods are easy to understand and to execute. A competent engineer knows the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). To expect prison guards to have a Ph.D. in medicine is unrealistic.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Discovering Trolls
Having given up on Octopodes after my twentieth fatality, I've rediscovered Trolls in Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, and I must say, they are a viable race in almost any class, even Wizards. For the moment, I'm partial to Hunters, because five +1 boulders for throwing is quite a generous armory to start out with.
What I love about Trolls is that they are perfectly suited to a game with tons of items, because their high Strength permits them to carry a ton of stuff, and Crawl is not lacking in food, either. When you come right down to it, Crawl is an inventory game, and managing inventory in an effective manner is all-important.
The only problem I've found with Trolls is a strategic one: should I stick with claws or specialize in Maces & Flails, eventually progressing to a giant spiked club? I'm leaning toward the giant spiked club, but hate to think about life without a shield.
What I love about Trolls is that they are perfectly suited to a game with tons of items, because their high Strength permits them to carry a ton of stuff, and Crawl is not lacking in food, either. When you come right down to it, Crawl is an inventory game, and managing inventory in an effective manner is all-important.
The only problem I've found with Trolls is a strategic one: should I stick with claws or specialize in Maces & Flails, eventually progressing to a giant spiked club? I'm leaning toward the giant spiked club, but hate to think about life without a shield.
Republicans Aren't Finished Ruining America Yet
The right-wing has for a long time set its gun sights on the Postal Service, because the USPS serves working people a thousand times better than the for-profit options, the execrable UPS and FedEx.
The Postal Service takes no money from the government; it is a self-sufficient branch of the government. It delivers mail to the customer every day except Sunday, picks up mail at the customer's house*, and delivers a letter for forty-four cents, and a postcard for substantially less. It even has outposts in rural areas. Imagine a private, for-profit shipper doing any of these things.
I'm in favor of the USPS raising rates for businesses if they need to. Companies that mass-mail solicitations should be charged more than what they are charged now, because they are mailing pointless garbage, scams and frauds that in nine times out of ten are deposited directly into the garbage and then the landfill. There is no good mailing poor people credit card solicitations; that is an act of predatory evil. I suspect businesses are not being charged enough, and that is the real reason the Postal Service is in financial trouble today. Of course, the mainstream media always suggests cutting services to the working class.
The Postal Service takes no money from the government; it is a self-sufficient branch of the government. It delivers mail to the customer every day except Sunday, picks up mail at the customer's house*, and delivers a letter for forty-four cents, and a postcard for substantially less. It even has outposts in rural areas. Imagine a private, for-profit shipper doing any of these things.
I'm in favor of the USPS raising rates for businesses if they need to. Companies that mass-mail solicitations should be charged more than what they are charged now, because they are mailing pointless garbage, scams and frauds that in nine times out of ten are deposited directly into the garbage and then the landfill. There is no good mailing poor people credit card solicitations; that is an act of predatory evil. I suspect businesses are not being charged enough, and that is the real reason the Postal Service is in financial trouble today. Of course, the mainstream media always suggests cutting services to the working class.
* - Many are unaware that the Postal Service will even pick up packages at your house, and all you have to do is leave them on the front porch. To activate this service, you must register online on the Post Office web site and schedule a pickup. They only perform this service for Priority Mail, however, so it may cost a couple dollars extra to mail that package, but it will get there faster, too. I love that service and use it extensively. No more trips to the Post Office! You can even purchase postage online nowadays.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
I Like Gore Vidal
I like Gore Vidal's fiction and nonfiction very much, but my admiration for his abilities is tempered by the realization that he'd not approve of much about me. Gore's witty and warm, but kind of cranky, or at least that's the impression I have gotten from reading about a hundred pages of his reviews of novels, essays and authors. He disapproves of academia, taking particular exception to the social sciences and English. Maybe he has a point, indeed, but I'm the product of academia, had a great time in academia, and feel like an academic. For all the faults Vidal gleefully points out, I like academia and it likes me, because I seldom made less than an "A" and liked all my professors except the incompetent few. And few really are incompetent. Vidal is wrong there. Just because he's so clever, he belittles the efforts of others, as though they are nothing, when they are not, they are helpful in many ways that Vidal neglects to consider. A professor is not necessary for a self-driven reader such as Vidal, no, he is an exception. But most students are not Vidals. They are not anywhere close to being a Vidal. A professor is very useful to those students, and they would not, perhaps, otherwise learn. It is better for all to learn, than some, and more so in a democracy.
This is just one example of the many areas I part company with my hero. So I like Vidal, but take him with a grain of salt. I like salt.
This is just one example of the many areas I part company with my hero. So I like Vidal, but take him with a grain of salt. I like salt.
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