Book Review (Miss Marple, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich)

Oh, dear God. I have got to be more inventive with my selections.

Miss Marple - The Complete Short Stories is fun, but repetitive. I guess this collection is an argument against collections. Agatha Christie had a great receipe: mix a variety of personalities, add a pinch of murder, have the least likely suspect be the killer, and make sure the old lady is always the one to figure it out.

Every . . . single . . . story works itself out in this fashion. Every one. It's fun for the first five or so, but after that...well, normally, I don't return a book until I've finished it. This one's going back to the library.

I should say something nice--Christie paints wonderful personalities with their little indiosyncrisies. They're great little Victorian vigniettes.

(Ooooh. Double V-words.)

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich...I haven't finished either. I'm returning it because I ran out of renewals. I'm on page 1160 of 1500, and will check it out later. For now, I need a break.

SaveWCAL

I should have posted this awhile ago, but please, even if you're a random person that's stumbled across this website, sign the online petition here to save this radio station.

WCAL is a classical-format radio station supported by St. Olaf College, my alma mater, and one of the few truly independent radio stations left in the U.S. The college came up with a lame-ass excuse to cut the strings with the station, so it most likely will be transferred to Minnesota Public Radio in the next few months. Transfer=put out of its misery.

Actually, WCAL deserves more credit (and the college less) than I've given it/them in this post. I'll try adding more later.

Obviously, I disagree with this move, and ask you to lend your name to the list of protesters. Your choice. Thanks for your time.

Jon Stewart is my new personal hero.

My major in college was Media Studies. It was one I created myself, and so was probably lacking, when compared to genuine media studies programs at other universities. Since graduating, I've mostly ignored everything I learned about media and spin--but Jon Stewart is making me excited about it again. He recently (yesterday) went on CNN's Crossfire and insulted the hosts to their face for not actually doing 'social work' on the show, when they have 1) the ability 2) the responsibility to do so. I encourage you to find a video file (usually via Bit Torrent) of the program, if you missed it. If you did see it, then this quote from Bill Moyer's show NOW will have all the more meaning.

I think Jon Stewart has become a man on a mission. Godspeed and best of luck.

[VIDEO CLIP]:
Stewart: But we are at war, and we here at THE DAILY SHOW will do our best to keep you informed of any late-breaking...humor we can find. Of course, our show is obviously at a disadvantage compared to the many news sources that we're competing with… at a disadvantage in several respects. For one thing, we are fake. They are not. So in terms of credibility we are, well, oddly enough, actually about even. We're about even.
[END VIDEO CLIP]

STEWART: I feel bad looking at that. I mean, I don't mean to disparage. There's tremendously talented, smart people in the news industry.

MOYERS: But I look at that, and I think there's no hope for me.

STEWART: Well, that's why I'm here today. This is really an intervention, Bill.

MOYERS: I'm ready.

STEWART: No.

MOYERS: You need a straight man?

STEWART: It's got to start. I am the straight man. That's the beautiful thing about being on my show.

And on Crossfire yesterday, he was the straight man. I don't think he was trying to be funny, or to pull a publicity stunt. I think he was genuinely trying to do Important Work.

Book Reviews (I, Robot - Asimov)

If you don't know me, I read a lot. So much so, in fact, that I'll often forget I've read a book. Consequently, a majority of my posts are going to be book reviews. I think.

So to kick it all off, here's the synapsis of I, Robot by Isaac Asimov.

A journalist is doing a cover story on Susan Calvin, the first robophsycologist for the U.S. Robots & Mechanical Men Co. Through a series of interviews, Asimov plays with his "3 Laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, 2) A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law, 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Not the deepest reading I've ever done, but it's a fun read. A passage of particular note:

"Every period of human development, Susan" said the Co-ordinator, "has had its own particular type of human conflict--its own variety of problem that, apparently, could be settled only by force. And each time, frustratingly enough, force never really settled the problem. Instead, it persisted through a series of conflicts, then vanished of itself, --what's the expression--ah, yes 'not with a bang, but a whimper,' as the economic and social environment changed. And then, new problems, and a new series of wars. --Apparently endlessly cyclic."

I've been working on The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for the last, oh, month or so, and am only half-way through it. Better get creaking.

--T$

1st Post

Howdy.

I'm Tyler, and this is where I'll be posting anything I want to talk about.

*end transmission*