The last dream I had was March 17, 2022. It was about a friend, an old friend, one of my best friends. In the dream, he was digging a swimming pool foundation with a backhoe. As it came to pass, that was the night after he died. I had called three days before and he … Continue reading The Last Dream
Tag: David Foster Wallace
My Favorite Books: ranked by others
was something I looked into the other day, over the holiday. Because I am curious and think this way. How do my favorite books, 83 so far, rate with others on Goodreads? I've been a member of the popular online booksite since 2006. Everyone can list the books they read, rate them (1 - 5 … Continue reading My Favorite Books: ranked by others
George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”
It's true! Or a David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest 100 years 'prior to'. I was introduced to Shaw's play Pygmalion (1914) sixty some years ago. When my mother took me by the hand and made me accompany her to My Fair Lady, a modern version of the theater performance, staring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. I can't recall … Continue reading George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”
The Perfect Storm Hypothesis
is an idea I agree with. In essence it is: What happened could not have have happened in any other way than it did. I first encountered it in a personality theory class. Raymond B. Cattell, an English/American Psychologist (1905-1998)) devised a theory, a formula, for why individuals do what they do. He was a … Continue reading The Perfect Storm Hypothesis
Metrics for Year End Review
It's coming on Christmas and then the new year. That means it's time to start reflecting on the year past. I've done this for a number of years now and have come up with a new, quantitative way, to systematically, synthesize my analysis and reflection. Hopefully this will lead to better, or at least improved, … Continue reading Metrics for Year End Review
Hunger of the Pine: Teal Swan
What is the hunger of the pine? And who is Teal Swan? That all depends. Hunger of the Pine is both a song and a book. According to the author, Alt-J, and Miley Cyrus, of the song - it's a metaphor for the yearning, or pining for love or a loved one. The author of the … Continue reading Hunger of the Pine: Teal Swan
Living at the Edge of the World: Homeless
Living at the Edge of the World is a story about a young girl who lived underground (mostly) for five years, in New York City, from 1986 to 1990. In her own words (mostly) with the help of journalist, Jamie Pastor Bolnick. President Donald Trump recently said he wants to put a woman on the moon … Continue reading Living at the Edge of the World: Homeless
The Magpie Cafe: Summer Update
I still haven't given names to my new friends - the magpie birds who I share this habitat with. There are at least a dozen nests, nestled in all manner of trees, that surround the apartment complex where I nest. The birds are more reliable and stable than my human neighbors. Friendlier, too. Despite having … Continue reading The Magpie Cafe: Summer Update
Karen and Dagny: Election 2020
Who are you? A Karen or Dagny? Election 2020 hinges on that? Or so Krystal Ball has said. I think she hit that fucking nail square on the head. Karen as defined by Krystal (Damn, the synchronicity/irony is mind blowing) is a "Facebook suburban empathy mom". Formally Formerly known (in Election 2004) as a "soccer … Continue reading Karen and Dagny: Election 2020
The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm was a phrase made popular by journalist Sebastian Junger, with his 1997 novel and subsequent major motion picture. The subtitle is: A True Story Of Men Against The Sea. I think the phrase applies now as then. You can read my review of the book here. The perfect storm describes a confluence of circumstance … Continue reading The Perfect Storm