the frig blig

I recently read two sci-fi novels: Blindsight by Peter Watts (2007) and The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (1970). The Watts book was an impulse buy at the bookstore; the Vonnegut book I had enjoyed reading some 30-odd years ago and picked it off my shelf upon hearing of the author’s death. I figured, age might give me different perspective since my first read. And, reading his work as hommage to a favorite author.

Since I found myself reading these two books simultaneously, I gave myself an assignment to contrast and compare the protagonists of each book, Siri and Unk. Similarities: both had mental issues; both were earth-born space travellers; both were tragic. Differences: Siri was a trained professional, Unk was an unskilled undisciplined man unaware of how he was used by others. Etc. But I cancelled this assignment, there is no need to complete it and turn it in.

Contrasting the two novels themselves, Watts’ book explores more scientific themes, and has a more serious tone. Vonnegut is funnier, and handles larger philosophic themes such as the purpose of life, what it means to be human, and religion.

I must note that Sirens of Titan bears several striking similarities to the later work Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, published nine years later. Gotta think Adams was inspired by KV, but it’s too late to ask him (he died in 2001).

[The following guest entry is written by Mortimer Brown of Lutz, Florida.]

Let us stipulate that Mr. Imus’ characterization of the Rutgers womens basketball team as “nappy-headed hos” is abominable, insensitive, racist and sexist.

Now let us engage in a ‘mind experiment’; we need not ride a light beam a la Einstein, something simpler. Let’s envision the basketball court where the Rutgers team, even though losing, is receiving accolades from their fans for their fine performance. Coming down from the seats and towards the court walks a FAMOUS PERSON, a well-known rap artist. As he arrives within earshot of the team, he stretches out his arms for an embrace and calls to them, “C’mon here, you nappy-headed hos.”

What do they do?

Scenario 1: They look at one another, scream in girlish glee and rush toward the FAMOUS PERSON to bask in his limelight and embrace.

Scenario 2: They look at one another, frown in disgust and hold back tears evoked by the comment.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

According to today’s New York Times, lawyers for two men charged with illegally ejecting two people from a speech by President Bush are arguing that the president’s staff can lawfully remove anyone who expresses points of view different from his.

Two members of the audience at the President’s speech, Alex Young and Leslie Weise, say they were ejected because of an antiwar bumper sticker on their car. They are suing forum organizers Michael Casper and Jay Klinkerman for violating Young and Weise’s right to free speech.

Isn’t it ironic when this same President uses phrases like “our commitment to democracy” in speeches touting foreign intervention. Where is that commitment at home?

To date, the US government has spent over 400 billion dollars and 3000 lives on war against Iraq. Forget for the moment that Iraq never attacked our country. And that our government lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction.

How much printer’s ink and computer bandwidth has been spent on the US’s global war on terrorism as practiced by ‘Islamic extremism’ as President Bush put it? According to him and assorted think tanks and pundits, fundamentalist Muslims in nations such as Iran and Iraq are waging a war of terror on Christian nations such as the US and Britain, the zionist nation Israel, and non-muslim African nations. It’s Muslims vs Judeo-Christians, they say, appealing for even more guns, money and soldiers in this ‘war with no end’.

On the other hand, fundamentalist Muslims have much in common with fundamentalist Jews and fundamentalist Christians. If they ever figure that out, we could end up with a war of terror waged by the religioso karass against secularists.

Of course that war has been with us for centuries, the army of god vs the unbelieving heathens…it goes back at least to the crusades (11th century) and the various Christian inquisitions which started about the same time. But the organized religions have their schisms, as do the nation-states. One wonders if multinational corporations play religions against each other, just as they do nations via the time-tested ‘divide and conquer’ stragegy.

So let’s enjoy this delightful historical period before religious fusion while we can. While President Bush closes speeches with lines such as ‘In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America’ I am grateful he has not thus far made church attendance mandatory. If there was a god, he would have prevented such an incompetent man from seizing the Presidency and wasting so many lives.

Thai scientist Songpol Somsri crossed more than 90 varieties of durian in order to create “a fruit that he says smells as mild as a banana,” according to today’s New York Times. This is so 21st century, and so wrong.

In honor of real durians eaten by real people, I offer this limerick (per Suzan’s suggestion):

A foodie-in-training from Burien
for dessert, ordered one frozen durian.
When it started to melt
and he noticed the smelt
he became a past-tense epicurean.

-fgb, April 2007

I first heard jazz guitarist John Scofield back in the 1970s and wasn’t impressed. Technically proficient but passionless, I thought. Twenty years later I heard his ‘A Go Go’ CD at a friend’s house and was blown away. With Medeski Martin & Wood as backup, he was phenomenal both as performer and composer. That recording became my favorite CD of 1998.

So I had to catch his trio last night at Jazz Alley. With Steve Swallow on hollow-body electric bass and Bill Stewart on drums, they opened either trying too hard or wailing, I couldn’t tell which. JS paraded a dirty sound, which continued into the 2nd tune ‘Green Tea’ (from AGG). By the third tune ‘Strangeness in the Night’ he was way into the music. This was a new tune with at least 3 sections (ABCBA) and his new material really drew him out. Bassist Swallow sounded as old as he looked; he certainly had chops and was melodic but he didn’t insert any breathing spaces or dirtiness into his solos, alas. Drummer Stewart was nice and energetic.

Choice of material was all over the map, from Cole Porter’s ‘Everything I Love’ to the Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ — heh, it could have been gimmicky but in fact was a terrific jazzy rendition that rocked with crazy chords. ‘House of the Rising Sun’ made me question his choice of material again but by this time I suspected it’s all just musical vehicles to JS…he had his way with / inside of / around the form. It could be any old tune, it doesn’t matter, he takes it to outer space.

Another ballad had JS emanating exquisite phrasing and tasty chords with complexity. Just when I was lamenting that Swallow hadn’t played anything longer than a quarter note all night he started playing mellow phrases with some space.

Before it was over JS was recording loops and playing with himself, proving the geezer’s down with technology. He transitioned into the predicted uptempo number for a big crowd-pleasing finish, performed with style, elan and effects — another tune from AGG, and like the others it’s a springboard for flying, diving and swooping. To make the evening complete Swallow plays some whole notes (!) while Stewart pounds it out in pull-out-the-stops fashion.

Originally the word ‘desktop’ probably referred to the top of a physical desk. The software company Microsoft started using the word to refer to the portion of a PC’s video display “underneath” any open “windows” (the word ‘window’ originally referred to a physical pane of glass in a ‘wall’). The PC desktop optionally contained ‘icons’ (originally meaning ‘pictures’) to startup programs, and/or ‘wallpaper’ (originally meaning actual paper on an actual wall). This was pretty much the meaning of ‘computer desktop’ for PCs running Microsoft software for many years…

Comes now “Windows Desktop Search”, a (free download) search tool from Microsoft. It actually searches your entire PC file system, not just the desktop. In fact, since there’s a limited amount of desktop real estate, you really don’t need a special tool to search it. Nevertheless this search tool displays ‘Search Desktop’ in it’s little text box. So now the desktop apparently refers to the entire PC file system…? Wassup with that?

Now that the Supremes have ruled that the EPA is empowered to regulate CO2 emissions, what do you think the Bush administration will do next? I predict one of the following:

1. pay lip service to the ruling but instruct the agency to recommend minimal regulation;
2. play passive/aggressive by issuing extremely harsh regulations to foment a backlash;
3. ’stay the course’ by doing nothing as long as possible.

Oh when my head
commence to hurt
oh when my head commence to hurt
Lord I don’t wan be in that number
when my head commence to hurt.

After 50 years of denial I can finally admit I have a head problem.
The ‘m’ word applies to me, golly gee.
One modest solution provided by modern medical science:
can you say ImitrexSumatriptanSuccinate? I knew you could!

There’s a pain on the right, ba doom dome dump!
Now it’s moved to the left, ba doom dome dump!
Now it’s back on the right, ba doom dump dang!

Actual ISS patient instructions snippet:
If you have risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, strong family history of heart disease, or you are postmenopausal or a male over 40), you should tell your doctor, who should evaluate you for heart disease in order to determine if sumatriptan succinate is appropriate for you. Although the vast majority of those who have taken sumatriptan succinate have not experienced any significant side effects, some individuals have experienced serious heart problems and, rarely, considering the extensiveness of sumatriptan succinate use worldwide, deaths have been reported. In all but a few instances, however, serious problems occurred in people with known heart disease and it was not clear whether sumatriptan succinate was a contributory factor in these deaths.

Considering that suicide is honorable in this day and age, no worries.

It came on me in the middle of the night. Last night’s dinner: potstickers & greens, followed by tea & cookies. Ba doom dome dump! And the temperature dropped, oh yes it did! Ba doom dome dump!