Tim's Bloglet - Thursday 10 October 2002

We have an iBook! We haven't named it yet. Not wanting to appear shallow is a silly reason to buy ugly things. _
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06:06:12 PM, Thursday 10 October 2002

Rereading Mansfield Park: Mrs. Norris in Harry Potter is certainly named after Mrs. Norris. This strikes me as a bad Austen reference; the only things they have in common are vindictiveness; and even that is being unfair to the human Mrs. Norris.

I get angry remembering that recent film adaptation which conflated Fanny Price with a young Jane Austen. The only Jane Austen heroine less likely to write these books was Jane Bennett. They tried to make Fanny satirical and superior, where she should have been a sickly, nervous wreck. They had her glowing with inner virtue, where she should have been simply trying to be a good girl. Mrs. Bertram being a drug addict was okay, but tossing in sex scenes and adding a raped slave for good measure was just terrible. It was a feminist post-colonial movie dressing up as Jane Austen. I don't mind feminist post-colonial things as a rule, but Jane Austen really is not the place for it. People who think they like Jane Austen because she was a proto-feminist are simply wrong. Its an easy kind of mistake to make; when something is wonderful, you assume it must agree with you.

The Ang Lee Sense and Sensibility is the only really good adaptation I've seen, though Clueless and Bridget Jones Diary were very good as well, and true to the spirit, if not the letter. Can anyone recommend any others? The poor production values and terrible supporting acting in the BBC Pride & Prejudice really put me off it.

My one quibble with Bridget Jones is that it has the good and noble Darcy rescuing the sad pathetic Bridget, while its vital that both Darcy and Elizabeth look like idiots. _
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02:18:35 PM, Thursday 10 October 2002

"We are the rats in the garbage of the western world; we are the rats in the garbage of the western world; we are the rats in the garbage of the western world so lets dance."
-Magnetic Fields _
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12:11:52 PM, Monday 7 October 2002

The Atheneum: A 3 story marble building housing a very old private library with a real card catalog, current up through 1998 when they moved to computers, and 150,000 volumes, including the complete works of Patrick O'Brien, Thomas H. Huxley, Edmund Burke and Schiller, and that was just stuff that I noticed browsing. A rare books room. It smells wonderful. No web presence that I can discern. About 3 blocks from our apartment. Old carrolls in wierd corners. Lots of marble busts of boring looking people. Wrought iron railings. I think I'm in love.

Also, the local grocery store sells Der Spiegel. Glossy ads in a language you only half understand make good puzzles. _
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09:53:36 PM, Saturday 5 October 2002

I could swear Donovan says "Hurdy-Gurdy Hurdy-Gurdy Hurdy-Gurdy Heidegger" at one point. Also, "First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is." I don't know my brain feels it necessary to pop that phrase out every few days, but I hope it stops. Its all because my father used to buy old 8-tracks at the flea market. _
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09:31:30 PM, Thursday 3 October 2002

"The cover story asserts that there are only two plausible reasons for our attacking Iraq instead of, say, North Korea: oil and Israeli interests."

Kevin Phillips laments that Washington conservatism is now run by the axis of Wall Street, big energy, multinationals, the military industrial complex, the religious right, market-extremist think tanks, and Rush Limbaugh.

The latest issue of The Nation? No, the first issue of American Conservative, Pat Buchanan's new magazine. Not only are their lines being stolen by their enemy, but Christopher Hitchens finally abandoned them.

I think this is Schadenfreude. _
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09:09:38 AM, Wednesday 2 October 2002

Last week I saw two movies, Fast Runner and Spirited Away. They were both good, both worth seeing, but seeing them so close together made me realize why I don't like Authentic things. Fast Runner was very authentic, which made it fascinating; It didn't shy away from the unappetizing aspects of stone-age life; but because it was so Authentic, it didn't feel that it had to be well-crafted. The story didn't need to be well told, because it was ancient. Such films wear poor production values as a badge of honor. The acting was patchy, the exposition could have been handled better. I hate it when movies make me struggle to find out what every single character knows, and call it mystery. While Spirited Away didn't have a wasted moment, every detail was just delightful. Its the kind of movie where even the scenery made me laugh with joy.

It was much more human than Princess Mononoke; friendlier, less grand. Easier to think about. Metaphors everywhere, every little joke tying back to the themes of the movie. Makes me happy the way Jane Austen novels make me happy. _
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11:35:13 PM, Tuesday 1 October 2002

Okay, so this weeks Buffy Intro was Run Lola Run. Was last weeks intro some movie or other? I'm glad Spike mastered complete sentences and sarcasm again, though he really needs to learn how to keep his shirt on. Maybe its a Vampire with a Soul thing. _
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09:26:09 PM, Tuesday 1 October 2002

I periodically ride the commuter train to work, and am having difficulty finding the line between throwing money away and theft. They sell 12-ride passes, which they punch every time you ride the train. Sometimes the conductor doesn't come by, so it doesn't get punched. Should I keep track of how many free rides I've had and discard the ticket early? If I was planning to pay on the train, should I buy a ticket when I get to the station, in order to pay for my free ride? One conductor punched the ticket in the wrong place; should I count that punch, or try to pass off the ticket hoping the final conductor won't notice it? Sometimes the chad hangs on; is it wrong to smooth it back down? They don't keep track of where you disembark; could I get buy a cheaper pass to use on the way home? When does following the rules become cheating the system? _
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01:19:46 PM, Tuesday 1 October 2002

Rupert Murdoch's latest plot to conquer the world: American Candidate, along the lines of American Idol. From the director of Austin Powers. Will they get a rude Briton to critique? Thatcher hasn't been doing much lately, and I'm sure Rupert is a fan. _
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05:59:14 PM, Monday 23 September 2002

I've been listening to NPR call-in shows lately; and was formulating a theory; angry or thoughtless callers always, without fail, use the word media at some point. The converse is nearly true. However, there was an exception today. Someone called in and chanted "No War in Iraq" 10 times and then hung up. This is the sort of thing I hate. If it were so obvious, he should have explained why, not try to outshout the radio. Its simply trying to form a mob, drown out debate bury anyone who wants to think about it. And the thing is, it works. People pulling stunts like that helps spread the idea that there is nothing to think about, that they can simply get angry. _
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04:57:20 PM, Monday 23 September 2002

I just saw Waterfire. Basically, at sunset they light a lot of fires in the middle of the two canals that meet downtown; but its very different from what I expected. I hadn't imagined all the crackling of the fires, or that the heat would be noticable from shore. I didn't expect so many contented people. There were also performance artists hanging around, including one who looked to be a magician, but was actually just doing origami and giving it to kiddies. (Hmph... I can make oragami fish too) There was also mostly bass-drum free world music mixed with opera and the occasional Arvo Part sort of thing, which was a bit distracting. It was trying to be high art, put together by the wine and cheese crowd by a serious artist sort, but really it was just a community campfire, and it was lovely. I'm miffed that I didn't see the Morris Dancing, though. I did see the Morris dancers as they were leaving; the world would be a happier place if everyone wore bells. The people doing bike tricks nearly made up for it. They would have been better if they'd been wearing bells, though. _
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09:29:33 PM, Saturday 21 September 2002

Riding trains for 3 1/2 hours a day is wonderful for reading discipline. The cost of the commute in books approaches the price of the train tickets. I need to find a good library. _
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04:13:23 PM, Friday 20 September 2002

"The Iraqi people are repressed." I don't think thats quite what he meant. Heck, maybe it is. They're just too darn shy to wave those american flags. _
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11:45:19 AM, Wednesday 18 September 2002

"The Iraqi people are repressed." I don't think thats quite what he meant. Heck, maybe it is. They're just too darn shy to wave those american flags. _
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11:45:16 AM, Wednesday 18 September 2002

"There is no question but that...(Insert fact here)" I'm listening to Rumsfield's congressional testimony. Thats a use of english I've never heard before. It's kind of cute. I really hope the phrase "A WMD attack" doesn't catch on, though. (Weapon of Mass Destruction).

SImply listing atrocities in an offhand manner doesn't work. A few well documented atrocities, along with believable outrage and demands for investigations and so forth, possibly even using the ICC would be much better, public-relations-wise. I find it depressing that we can't win a public relations war with Iraq. You'd think democracy would produce governments that were good at dealing with the media and convincing people to support them, if nothing else.

Rumsfield at one point said that people who wanted significant criminal-trial type evidence before an invasion were thinking in a 20th century way, rather than a 21st century way, and then went on to talk about appeasement of Hitler. I wish they'd stay away from that analogy. There is a belligerent state being appeased by the international community as it settles leftover scores from a previous war, and its not Iraq. War might be necessary in Iraq; I'm willing to believe that a failed or failing state is the whole worlds problem, but I wish we weren't being such yahoos. _
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11:42:31 AM, Wednesday 18 September 2002

Its like that game show: You can either have $50 dollars, whats behind door #1, whats in Al Capone's Vault, or whats underneath the great pyramid! _
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07:58:17 PM, Monday 16 September 2002

I inadvertently plugged my printer adapter into my DSL modem, at which point it made a small noise and expired. I have previously done similar things to short-wave radios and portable tape decks. Adapter plugs would be a good place for universal standards. _
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06:27:23 PM, Monday 16 September 2002

Anti-Radiation Dockers: Am I missing something here? Cell phones only emit radiation when they're in use, yes? I mean, unless they're sending out a tracking signal for the FBI, or some such.
And if they actually blocked the radiation, wouldn't they block the incoming signal from reaching the cell phone?

This is a good example of two things: Why advertising health claims need to be very carefully regulated, and why its so hard to do science properly in medicine. People are literally dying for cures, so will try anything before the research has been done properly. They now think Equal causes cancer and Saccherine doesn't; traditional margarines, full of trans-fats, are now worse for your heart than butter; Eggs don't raise cholesterol, There were just a series of studies that failed to show any benefits from stretching, either for muscle soreness or to reduce the chance of injury. Gaah. _
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02:05:54 PM, Sunday 15 September 2002

I had thought my problem with Bush speeches was his uncomprehensing delivery, but reading his Op-Ed was equally painful. Its partly all the buzzwords, but mostly that he doesn't address any of the criticisms, he doesn't debate, he simply says everything again, throwing in buzzwords in an attempt to placate his enemies. Its bloated, ungainly. The Gender Warfare/Chivalry is particularly odd: "We believe that the deliberate murder of innocent civilians and the oppression of women are everywhere and always wrong. And we refuse to ignore or appease the aggression and brutality of evil men." _
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08:22:10 AM, Thursday 12 September 2002

Found on a danish website.
Eminem - Cool eller snot?
Opbl�st nar
Cool
Lille dreng i store bukser
Psykopat
Den st�rste mega-stjerne

I can't explain why I find scandinavian languages amusing. Maybe the Muppets are to blame. _
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07:09:27 PM, Wednesday 11 September 2002

I've got Blair Envy. The BBC World aired his speech to a hostile meeting of the Trade Unions this morning. Even if you disagree with him, at least he makes the argument, clearly, reasonably, and publicly, rather than slinking around sneering as our leaders prefer to do, whining about executive privilege and what-not. (Cheney, Rumsfield, Bush, Fliescher, they all sneer constantly... At least Ashcroft doesn't, he just looks sullen) I wanna articulate leader. Bush isn't even a good figurehead; he can't give a speech without looking like a deer in headlights, he can't give a press conference... _
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07:49:15 PM, Tuesday 10 September 2002

Twice now my DSL has gone useless, only to revive while I was waiting to talk to a customer service rep. I'm starting to think its a fiendish plot. _
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07:22:33 PM, Tuesday 10 September 2002

Cheney is back in the Secure, Undisclosed Location. I hope, years from now, they open it up and offer tours. And yes, the domain is taken, by a completely random bit of Flash animation and dog pictures. _
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03:00:13 PM, Tuesday 10 September 2002

The Carrie Tower, as seen from our porch. It was built in 1904 on the corner of Brown campus as a Memorial to Carrie Brown by Paul Bajnotti of Turin. "LOVE IS STRONG AS DEATH", apparently. I don't know quite what to make of that. The clock is stopped at half past 11. _
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02:15:38 PM, Sunday 8 September 2002

There is a modern art festival in town for the next few weeks. Yesterday David Cole, a 26 year old Brown graduate, was knitting with two backhoes downtown. It was really fairly boring. 3 people, the artist with a big hook looping the Kevlar around the needles, and two backhoe drivers, communicating by hand-held radios. It had taken him 2 hours to get this far. No clicking, no dexterity. He had red and blue as well, I don't know what he was knitting. Amongst the gawkers was an old man playing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" on a little electric organ. The problem with conceptual art is that you actually have to do it, and doing stupid things is never as much fun as thinking about them. _
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02:02:10 PM, Sunday 8 September 2002

From the way he watches the Construction workers across the street, I'd say my cats sense of scale is a little off. _
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07:12:55 PM, Friday 6 September 2002

The advantage of deadbolts isn't security, but that they're idiot-proof. This morning we were sitting on our lovely 3rd story porch, when the wind caught and slammed the door. It was locked, and we didn't have our keys. Even if we had, the key to the porch doesn't match the key to the front door. Fortunately, the stairwell has a window out onto our porch, so we popped out the screen, and climbed through. At this point we realized that we still didn't have our keys, and even if we had, the front door was chained. Fortunately the maintanance guy (also the landlords son) was easy to track down, and had a master key which fit the porch. The cat however, was stuck out on our lovely sunny porch for 20 minutes, and was panting and yowling in an inelegant manner. He's now recovering in the laundry basket. _
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10:33:24 AM, Thursday 5 September 2002

Driving a small moving van for 2 days made me realize how to reduce demand for SUV's; get freight off of the highways. In a larger vehicle, you feel more substantial; something trucks will notice, rather than something that needs to manuveur around them. _
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11:28:56 PM, Wednesday 4 September 2002

We should get some rugs, if simply to improve the cats acceleration. _
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11:18:01 PM, Wednesday 4 September 2002

Ahh, a highspeed unmetered internet connection. Now I can relax again. _
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11:16:48 PM, Wednesday 4 September 2002

Carmen on the Common." Its free, its a friendly opera, its an excuse to go to Boston, and its a pleasingly accent-dependent pun. I'm excited. _
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03:15:32 PM, Wednesday 4 September 2002

Today I took the train to Cambridge, worked for 3 hours, and came home. I think it just might work. On one hand, I don't see myself doing this for the rest of my life, on the other; it means not having to work on my resume. (My job being taking medical claims databases and gleaning either information or pretty graphs from them). _
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06:34:19 PM, Tuesday 3 September 2002

I did not expect to meet Mr. Rippey at the Providence Place shopping mall. I was surprised. _
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08:24:15 AM, Monday 2 September 2002

We're here! A few days later than planned, but still. No time to blog; using NetZero. _
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09:13:51 PM, Saturday 24 August 2002

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