:
Bookish: SATURDAY EYE ON (5#) -
# Ooh, a rare treat: Karen Russell's book, new over there, is reviewed by Catherine Taylor. Karen is from Miami or Coral Gables. Says Taylor: "strongly reminiscent of Angela Carter but wonderfully confident and refreshing in its own right." She liked it! [grkr]
# Linguistics: David Crystal travelled around England in 2005 to research if and how accents and dialects of the UK have been changing. [grdc]
# Natasha Walter reviews Khaled Hosseini's new book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, follow-up to his novel The Kite Runner. [grkh]
# The End of Innocence: In an extended and contemplative essay Pankaj Mishra explores how 9/11 impacted writers. Have they succeeded in capturing the new world order? [grpm]
# More: in the Guardian Review.
...
Saturday, May 19
:
PASADENA VIA CURRY WIRE -
The outsourcing of some local
reportage at Pasadena Now is
getting a lot of buzz on the net.
One blogger has posted a page
of Compiled Links about it. [elp]
I predict the issue is going to end up
as a skit on Saturday Night Live. It's
only a matter of time. And the skit
will have, no doubt, a zany touch.
...
PASADENA VIA CURRY WIRE -
The outsourcing of some local
reportage at Pasadena Now is
getting a lot of buzz on the net.
One blogger has posted a page
of Compiled Links about it. [elp]
I predict the issue is going to end up
as a skit on Saturday Night Live. It's
only a matter of time. And the skit
will have, no doubt, a zany touch.
...
Friday, May 18
:
Bookish: LITERARY LISTS (#2) -
Do Literary Lists have any value?
If you have the time and opportunity to wander around a book store, you may not need them very much. I love to browse, but sometimes it isn't possible. The lists can be helpful in giving you an awareness of new writers you might not come across otherwise. These are the 2 latest lists. You may even want to save them for your own personal future reference:
# "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its first shop, Waterstone's has predicted the next generation of superstars. Jonathan Brown reads between the lines." [indep]
# Granta List: Best Young American Novelists. Christopher Tayler reviews the list and he's been keeping score. [tgraph]
...
Bookish: LITERARY LISTS (#2) -
Do Literary Lists have any value?
If you have the time and opportunity to wander around a book store, you may not need them very much. I love to browse, but sometimes it isn't possible. The lists can be helpful in giving you an awareness of new writers you might not come across otherwise. These are the 2 latest lists. You may even want to save them for your own personal future reference:
# "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its first shop, Waterstone's has predicted the next generation of superstars. Jonathan Brown reads between the lines." [indep]
# Granta List: Best Young American Novelists. Christopher Tayler reviews the list and he's been keeping score. [tgraph]
...
:
SoFlo: NINJA ATTACK update -
RPG Discovered: Did a Bad Guy
Come Out of Cyberspace?
The Hollywood FL woman, Mrs McReynolds,
who was murdered by a guy dressed in an
all-black ninja-type outfit, was active with
her husband in an Internet Role Playing Game
called EVE Online. Her handle: Beachie88.
:: Miami Herald ::
...
SoFlo: NINJA ATTACK update -
RPG Discovered: Did a Bad Guy
Come Out of Cyberspace?
The Hollywood FL woman, Mrs McReynolds,
who was murdered by a guy dressed in an
all-black ninja-type outfit, was active with
her husband in an Internet Role Playing Game
called EVE Online. Her handle: Beachie88.
:: Miami Herald ::
...
Thursday, May 17
:
SoFlo: SINISTER SAFARI PARTY -
*Broward's public defender says the city of Fort Lauderdale is throwing homeless people in jail on flimsy charges, and he wants it to stop...
"If you are following the rules you have nothing to worry about from the prosecutor or the police,'' Mayor Jim Naugle said.*
The Mayor is lying by omission; his town has become notorious for a sinister form of entertainment there: hunting down, beating up and murdering homeless people. He conveniently didn't mention vigilantes. The facts speak for themselves.
A good article by Diana Moskovitz which
provides lots of contextual facts. [mherald]
...
SoFlo: SINISTER SAFARI PARTY -
*Broward's public defender says the city of Fort Lauderdale is throwing homeless people in jail on flimsy charges, and he wants it to stop...
"If you are following the rules you have nothing to worry about from the prosecutor or the police,'' Mayor Jim Naugle said.*
The Mayor is lying by omission; his town has become notorious for a sinister form of entertainment there: hunting down, beating up and murdering homeless people. He conveniently didn't mention vigilantes. The facts speak for themselves.
A good article by Diana Moskovitz which
provides lots of contextual facts. [mherald]
...
:
Florida: A BAGMAN'S LAW -
Three consumer and community groups have urged the Governor to veto Bill HB 1277 permitting "property managers" to require tenants to pay fees equal to two months rent if they move out early, asserting that it would enable landlords to collect rents from two tenants for the same space.
"Sometimes people have to leave an apartment because the landlord just won't make repairs, the complex isn't safe any more or they may even have to move for a job or military service..."
They don't even know who owns some of these apartment complexes, which can be used to cache illicit funds for foreign criminals, Drug Lords or even Triangle terrorists.
It is already common practice to pay 3x the rent up front in order to rent the apartment: one month security deposit plus the first and last month's rent.
The housing situation in
Broward County is horrible.
:: Tampa TBO ::
...
Florida: A BAGMAN'S LAW -
Three consumer and community groups have urged the Governor to veto Bill HB 1277 permitting "property managers" to require tenants to pay fees equal to two months rent if they move out early, asserting that it would enable landlords to collect rents from two tenants for the same space.
"Sometimes people have to leave an apartment because the landlord just won't make repairs, the complex isn't safe any more or they may even have to move for a job or military service..."
They don't even know who owns some of these apartment complexes, which can be used to cache illicit funds for foreign criminals, Drug Lords or even Triangle terrorists.
It is already common practice to pay 3x the rent up front in order to rent the apartment: one month security deposit plus the first and last month's rent.
The housing situation in
Broward County is horrible.
:: Tampa TBO ::
...
:
BRIT THINK TANK:
IRAQI DOOMSDAY AT HAND -
A Chatham House report called Accepting Realities in Iraq says that Iraq faces the prospect of collapse.
As a society, I'd say that Iraq has already collapsed and needs to reconstitute itself.
But the modern nation state is a corporation. And this corporation still exists; it's just having problems functioning. Nations have emerged from colonialization and from occupation and from the Iron Curtain. Iraq is in the process of transitioning from dictatorship.
When you read this report, you should do so with some perspective. No doubt it will be much discussed. [bbc]
...
BRIT THINK TANK:
IRAQI DOOMSDAY AT HAND -
A Chatham House report called Accepting Realities in Iraq says that Iraq faces the prospect of collapse.
As a society, I'd say that Iraq has already collapsed and needs to reconstitute itself.
But the modern nation state is a corporation. And this corporation still exists; it's just having problems functioning. Nations have emerged from colonialization and from occupation and from the Iron Curtain. Iraq is in the process of transitioning from dictatorship.
When you read this report, you should do so with some perspective. No doubt it will be much discussed. [bbc]
...
:
MORE DOPE UP AMERICA -
*Buying prescription drugs illegally
over the Internet is on the rise in the
United States, according to witnesses
testifying before a Senate panel yesterday.*
The article mentions OxyContin, Vicodin
and Ritalin but doesn't mention steroids.
:: By Gregory Lopes ::
-- WashTimes --
...
MORE DOPE UP AMERICA -
*Buying prescription drugs illegally
over the Internet is on the rise in the
United States, according to witnesses
testifying before a Senate panel yesterday.*
The article mentions OxyContin, Vicodin
and Ritalin but doesn't mention steroids.
:: By Gregory Lopes ::
-- WashTimes --
...
Wednesday, May 16
:
SoFlo: LOOSE LINKS (4#) -
# "Broward County's population is
expected to grow by almost 400,000
in the next 13 years, county planners
say." If they don't destroy it first. [sent]
# Eric Deggans reports the redesign
of local news publications. [feed]
# "There ought to be a website for
reviews and discussion of Florida books."
There is now! [bookrev]
But their blog is just getting started.
...
SoFlo: LOOSE LINKS (4#) -
# "Broward County's population is
expected to grow by almost 400,000
in the next 13 years, county planners
say." If they don't destroy it first. [sent]
# Eric Deggans reports the redesign
of local news publications. [feed]
# "There ought to be a website for
reviews and discussion of Florida books."
There is now! [bookrev]
But their blog is just getting started.
...
Tuesday, May 15
:
CYBER CONNECTS (2#) -
# Conference announced for this Friday
on internet censorship and filtering,
according to Richard Sambrook's Blog.
# Cyberstalker: Fan of music group
goes way overboard; researched and
written up by David Kushner. Some
readers may find this article fascinating,
while others may get bogged down. [wired]
...
CYBER CONNECTS (2#) -
# Conference announced for this Friday
on internet censorship and filtering,
according to Richard Sambrook's Blog.
# Cyberstalker: Fan of music group
goes way overboard; researched and
written up by David Kushner. Some
readers may find this article fascinating,
while others may get bogged down. [wired]
...
:
Bookish: HIS WAR -
Colby Buzzell was awarded
the £5,000 Lulu Blooker prize for
My War: Killing Time in Iraq, which
was voted the best book of the year
based on a blog. It triumphed over
110 entries from 15 countries.
His listed "literary idols" are:
Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S Thompson
Ed Pilkington provides a brief
sample of Buzzell's writing.
:: Guardian Books ::
...
Bookish: HIS WAR -
Colby Buzzell was awarded
the £5,000 Lulu Blooker prize for
My War: Killing Time in Iraq, which
was voted the best book of the year
based on a blog. It triumphed over
110 entries from 15 countries.
His listed "literary idols" are:
Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S Thompson
Ed Pilkington provides a brief
sample of Buzzell's writing.
:: Guardian Books ::
...
:
DADULLAH'S ZOMBIES -
During an interview conducted only
24 hours before Dadullah was killed,
he "stated that American and British
Al-Qaida recruits are in the midst of
planning and training for new terrorist
strikes in their home countries,"
Evan Kohlmann reports. [conterror]
...
DADULLAH'S ZOMBIES -
During an interview conducted only
24 hours before Dadullah was killed,
he "stated that American and British
Al-Qaida recruits are in the midst of
planning and training for new terrorist
strikes in their home countries,"
Evan Kohlmann reports. [conterror]
...
Monday, May 14
:
OUTSOURCING -
Smoke and Mirrors -
News coverage of Pasadena California's
Municipal Council meetings and related
matters will be outsourced to Bangalore,
India, for Pasadena Now.
I can only hope it will be written
in that wonderful Hinglish dialect
vernacular which will keep it fresh!
:: EditorsWeblog ::
...
OUTSOURCING -
Smoke and Mirrors -
News coverage of Pasadena California's
Municipal Council meetings and related
matters will be outsourced to Bangalore,
India, for Pasadena Now.
I can only hope it will be written
in that wonderful Hinglish dialect
vernacular which will keep it fresh!
:: EditorsWeblog ::
...
:
BY THEIR HANDS
& THRU THEIR EYES -
Often one of the first things Iraqi readers
turn to in newspapers is their political
cartoons which deal with a wide range of
subjects: corruption, kidnappings,
government inaction and the U.S. military.
Short feature from:
:: USAToday ::
...
BY THEIR HANDS
& THRU THEIR EYES -
Often one of the first things Iraqi readers
turn to in newspapers is their political
cartoons which deal with a wide range of
subjects: corruption, kidnappings,
government inaction and the U.S. military.
Short feature from:
:: USAToday ::
...
:
TROG NOTES -
Josh Gitlin is calling for a
truce between Book Reviewers
(on paper) and LitBloggers.
But maybe Vinnie in the basement
isn't interested in making nice...
Only Time will tell...
:: LATimes ::
...
TROG NOTES -
Josh Gitlin is calling for a
truce between Book Reviewers
(on paper) and LitBloggers.
But maybe Vinnie in the basement
isn't interested in making nice...
Only Time will tell...
:: LATimes ::
...
:
IT WAS A DARK & STORMY NIGHT...
Guy Dammann recently asked
readers of the Guardian Books Blog:
"What's your favourite first line?
Don't judge a book by its cover. First
sentences are fair game, though."
The first response in the comment thread was predictable; it was the opening line of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Yes, I agree, it's a classic.
But once past that standard, there are a number of other familiar picks people often come up with like the beginning of Camus' The Stranger, and so forth.
It seemed to me the occasion called for something more. And so I'll share with you one of my own personal favorites:
*It is a curious thing that at my age-- fifty-five last birthday-- I should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I come to the end of the trip! ...
Because I am going to tell the strangest story that I remember... At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a petticoat in the whole history.*
This is the beginning of
King Solomon's Mines
by H Rider Haggard.
And, for the benefit of some of my readers who drop in to my blog via satellite from back of the beyond, somewhere near the Khyber Pass or even more remote, as you are wont to do, I shall provide you with a link to the online text of the book on Project Gutenberg :-)
Just in case the evenings where you are seem to drag on with only the sporadic call of a hyena or the yipping of jackals running past your window to punctuate the time, now you can plug into the Victorian Era, a hundred years ago, to read a great, old-fashioned, rip-roaring yarn. Enjoy!
:: Gutenberg E-text #2166 ::
...
IT WAS A DARK & STORMY NIGHT...
Guy Dammann recently asked
readers of the Guardian Books Blog:
"What's your favourite first line?
Don't judge a book by its cover. First
sentences are fair game, though."
The first response in the comment thread was predictable; it was the opening line of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Yes, I agree, it's a classic.
But once past that standard, there are a number of other familiar picks people often come up with like the beginning of Camus' The Stranger, and so forth.
It seemed to me the occasion called for something more. And so I'll share with you one of my own personal favorites:
*It is a curious thing that at my age-- fifty-five last birthday-- I should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I come to the end of the trip! ...
Because I am going to tell the strangest story that I remember... At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a petticoat in the whole history.*
This is the beginning of
King Solomon's Mines
by H Rider Haggard.
And, for the benefit of some of my readers who drop in to my blog via satellite from back of the beyond, somewhere near the Khyber Pass or even more remote, as you are wont to do, I shall provide you with a link to the online text of the book on Project Gutenberg :-)
Just in case the evenings where you are seem to drag on with only the sporadic call of a hyena or the yipping of jackals running past your window to punctuate the time, now you can plug into the Victorian Era, a hundred years ago, to read a great, old-fashioned, rip-roaring yarn. Enjoy!
:: Gutenberg E-text #2166 ::
...
:
CONSPIRACY THEORIES (4#) -
in the news today . . .
# Eurovision 2007:
Everything Eurovision [bbc]
Eurovision Cold War [tdm]
Song contest spawns controversies.
============================
# Fatima: 90th anniversary [times]
The Three "Secrets of Fatima"
*The Vatican tried yesterday to
draw a line under a conspiracy
theory... that it was harbouring
details of the predicted apocalypse.*
============================
# Freemasonry and
Glasgow's Necropolis [herald]
...
CONSPIRACY THEORIES (4#) -
in the news today . . .
# Eurovision 2007:
Everything Eurovision [bbc]
Eurovision Cold War [tdm]
Song contest spawns controversies.
============================
# Fatima: 90th anniversary [times]
The Three "Secrets of Fatima"
*The Vatican tried yesterday to
draw a line under a conspiracy
theory... that it was harbouring
details of the predicted apocalypse.*
============================
# Freemasonry and
Glasgow's Necropolis [herald]
...
Sunday, May 13
:
EGYPT'S INSULTING BLOGGERS -
On May 10th, Judge Abdel Fattah Murad
added another 29 new blogs and websites
to his earlier list of 21 websites for allegedly:
"defaming Egypt, insulting President Mubarak
and himself," making a total of 50 - for the moment.
:: Nora Younis perma ::
...
EGYPT'S INSULTING BLOGGERS -
On May 10th, Judge Abdel Fattah Murad
added another 29 new blogs and websites
to his earlier list of 21 websites for allegedly:
"defaming Egypt, insulting President Mubarak
and himself," making a total of 50 - for the moment.
:: Nora Younis perma ::
...
:
LOOSE LINKS (3#) -
ISLAMIST INSULT PATROL
SLAMS DOWN ON TUFTS:
Eugene Volokh explores the case.
============================
CONRAD BLACK TRIAL update:
"This week Black took more blows, these delivered by David Radler, his partner of 38 years, an admitted liar and now the prosecution's star witness."
:: Summary written by:
Ann Woolner for Bloomberg.
============================
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER: David Cameron, the Tory leader, left his £1 million home in Notting Hill to spend two days living with a British Asian family in Birmingham.
"Pictures of Mr Cameron sipping tea with the family resembled a scene from the Kumars at No42, the hit BBC comedy series about a British Indian family who take in famous guests for the night."
...
LOOSE LINKS (3#) -
ISLAMIST INSULT PATROL
SLAMS DOWN ON TUFTS:
Eugene Volokh explores the case.
============================
CONRAD BLACK TRIAL update:
"This week Black took more blows, these delivered by David Radler, his partner of 38 years, an admitted liar and now the prosecution's star witness."
:: Summary written by:
Ann Woolner for Bloomberg.
============================
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER: David Cameron, the Tory leader, left his £1 million home in Notting Hill to spend two days living with a British Asian family in Birmingham.
"Pictures of Mr Cameron sipping tea with the family resembled a scene from the Kumars at No42, the hit BBC comedy series about a British Indian family who take in famous guests for the night."
...
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