We’ve suspected for some time that there are squirrels living in our attic. We used to think it was mice, but they were very loud for mice, then we saw them running in through a hole outside. We never did manage to see them, but now that it’s winter, they’re staying up there all the time, so I went up to look and I saw them.
I just saw this movie tonight with some friends. It’s a powerful film about a man who, though dedicated and hard working, finds himself in a difficult position having to crawl his way back out. It’s that kind of film which plays the emotional card so hard, that you just feel like a heel during the movie for being happy at all, while there could be people existing in the world like this.
In all reality, he’s probably better off than the rest of us. Having faced his hardship and overcome, he’ll probably never dread sitting at the desk day in and day out. I guess he probably doesn’t have to sit at a desk anymore, but the rest of us will. Thus I decide not to feel pity for the man, which he probably doesn’t want anyway, he certainly had the drive to overcome his difficulties, I feel pity for the man who doesn’t have that drive. For those who are content to lay by the side and drift. I wish there was a place for those people, but America is so fast paced, they are often left by the wayside.
It’s definitely a movie worth seeing, and while it’s most certainly over-dramatized, I imagine living through some of those scenes is a far cry from simply watching them on screen.
Slashdot linked to an article in New Scientist today theorizing about a possibility to create a Harry Potter like cloak of invisibility: http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn10816.html
I’ve always been pro technology, never counting myself among those who think that creating technology takes something away from humanity (including jobs). But here is one piece of work that I hope never leaves the realm of science fiction. A cloaking device could only be used for evil, and most surely would, whatever the practical application intended for. Perhaps we could beautify our cities by hiding the many less aesthetically pleasing artifacts that we need for survival, perhaps by the time we achieve this technology we would have space ships that need cloaking for protection from alien races, who knows? But I for one hope that along with the technology to bend light around an object, comes the technology to detect things using techniques more sophisticated than our own eyes.
This is the second Heinlein novel that I’ve read, and after beginning it, I found out that it was his first. The introduction states that many of his later novels share common ideas and themes with it.
I think that this is the oldest novel I’ve ever read. It was written sometime in the 30s, the exact date is not known. We can only guess based on remarks made later in life by the author. Heinlein never sold the novel himself, and was busily destroying his manuscripts of it from his death bed. Stories he never sold nagged at him endlessly. Only by luck was a copy of it found and published.
The novel itself is full of ideas from the post depression era in which it was written. Even though it is set in 2086, women are treated somewhat poorly, and post depression attitudes are plainly present. He does manage however, to capture a sense of the future, even one which I can wonder at.
The book is full of economics. He presents a theory of economics in which members of a nation which over produced would receive a portion of this value in cash every cycle. In the book they called it a heritage payment, and it was enough to live on without working. The idea has it’s roots in real life, going by the name of Social Credit. Some nations have even attempted to implement it. The main character of the book, who is actually a person from the 30s who somehow managed to travel through time to the year 2086, is of course very confused, and he runs the gambit of doubts about such a system with an economic professor of the day. It’s very interesting to read, especially if you’re interested in economics.
Unfortunately, the system relies to heavily on the idea that human are inherently good, hard working people who would probably work whether they needed to or not. I tend to take a dimmer view of humanity. Such a system would lead to utter laziness by all involved. Perhaps most would still work, but it certainly wouldn’t be the hard work, the unpleasant work, and I doubt anyone would ever challenge themselves at the work they do. Still, it is an intriguing idea.
More intriguing however, is the insight you get into Heinlein’s life. I read once that writing a book is like standing naked in front of a large crowd of people. You can’t hide anything, and this novel is a great example of that. Heinlein’s motivations and desires are all laid bare. He paints a picture of humanity unlike any I’d ever considered, and though the novel was hard to get through, it was worth it.
I actually read these words in a Time magazine article in reference to the “investigation techniques” used by the Bush administration in Guantanamo Bay.
I was waiting for new tires on my Subaru, an unfortunate consequence of the fact that you can’t simply replace one tire on an all wheel drive vehicle, you have to replace all four of them. It wasn’t entirely clear in the article whether the author was being sarcastic or not, perhaps it was necessary to disguise it to get it past the Times editors, but I was mildly disgusted by the phrase. I suddenly felt like I was in the novel, 1984 getting a healthy dose of doublespeak from a party member.
What disturbs me more is that we let it go on. Even now the President is asking for power to try captive terrorists under some sort of military tribunal, though the administration has some other clever way to phrase it so that they can ask the Supreme Court once more for permission, having been denied once already.
I’ve always looked back on important world shaping historical events like the civil rights movement and compared myself with the good people, with the ones who stood up for what is right. Now I wonder what history will say about our time, and which side I will have been on.
In truth, I still struggle somewhat with my own political viewpoints. I used to cop out of having an opinion, stating that I didn’t have enough information, that all I had was propaganda from both sides, the politicians, and the news media. Neither one being particulary partisan, I regarded the information I was getting as inaccurate. But I don’t think that’s really working for me anymore. Just because I don’t have the information I think I need, I should still have an opinion. Being part of a democratic nation means being part of the decision making process. I should be out gathering new facts if I think the ones I have are insufficient.
I also struggle to place myself on the conservative/liberal line. I have friends who lean liberal, and others who lean conservative. I seem to lean based on who I’m spending the most time with. Lately though, I think I’ve finally formed an opinion of my own, thankfully. Our society’s greatest value is in our relationships with each other. That said, preserving community value (not values, I mean simple, raw community worth for the benefit of members) over individual freedoms is more important, and that places me on the conservative end. And while I’d rather not label myself, especially with the mucking about that the GOP is putting our country though right now, it seems difficult not to in America.
I’ve just been turned on to a new author, Robert A Heinlein. He’s a Bradbrury-esque (or maybe Bradbury is Heinlein-esque) science fiction author from the days when science fiction topics were simple. Mars and time travel pretty much covers it. It was much easier to thrill readers, but the novels from the great authors such as Heinlein are still fantastic today.
Such is Stranger in a Strange Land. The great thing about the book is that it’s not about the usual cliche science fiction topics. It throws Mars into the mix, but that’s only to introduce new ways of thinking and new philosophies. The author shows understanding of the idea that science fiction is an exploration of humanity (though he probably invented the idea, along with Asimov and other amazing authors)
The characters in the novel are so extremely lifelike. Mike, who goes through a rather rapid transition from child to man, expresses emotion so cleanly. Appropriate for a man who grew up among those non-human, never gathering emotional hinderances like baggage that most of us do. For an author to write a character like that simply astounds me.
Stranger in a Strange Land is a book for anyone, though an open mind is required for some chapters. Such readers are rewarded with rich environments and emotion not often found in so few words.
I should have posted about this a long time ago. I saw a documentary about the Dixie Chicks. It was very good, and even though I don’t really listen to country music anymore, I still listen the Chicks fairly heavily. Granted I got into them because of a girl, but that was so long ago, I hardly remember it.
Anyway, the movie is about the fiasco when Natalie said that she was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas to a British audience. The backlash in America was so strong, that people were driving bulldozers over their Dixie Chicks cd’s and country radio stations all over were refusing to play their music, even when listeners requested Dixie Chicks songs.
The movie of course, describes all this in vivid detail, and shows what the band members were going through. It can plainly be seen in the movie that the band suffered terrible strains because of the incident, though I doubt any would admit it. Natalie was perfectly happy to turn from the country audience just as they were turning from her. Emily and Martie however, are more plainly desirous to stay with their country roots, where they have been singing for over twenty years.
Lucky for their fans, they have stuck with singing and released another album, which is highly showcased during the movie.
For my part, at the time the Chicks made the comment, I had mixed feelings. I recall even saying some similar comments to some of the anti-Chick interviewees of the film. Now suddenly, I feel like an ultimate proponent of free speech and applaud Natalie for her bravery. But so does most of the country at this point, so I wonder how influenced I am by the mood swings of the majority. I am just glad that all of that drama stregthened the band’s relationship, instead of weakening it.
By the way, my roommate and I just decided that our street will be called Broadway, since it has no name.
Well, I’m taking the computer science GRE tomorrow. I haven’t studied a bit. I had full intentions to do so, but I decided that if my full time experience in the field isn’t enough, then it’s a stupid test.
Really, I think I’ll do fine. I did very poorly on the practice test, but that’s because I didn’t know that you’re penalized for wrong answers, so I put something down on every question, even if it was a guess. Now I know better. I’m kind of excited, I really like test taking. I like a chance to prove myself and be rated among others. It’s probably stupid. I’m never as high as I want to be. Maybe it’s because I never study.
Regardless of how well I do tomorrow, I don’t think it will change my life goals significantly. I’d still really like to be doing something else, which is writing. This little blog is about all I write, and it’s pretty pitiful. I’ve always promised myself that I wouldn’t be one of those people who goes around saying they’re going to do something and never does it. So I rarely talk about writing anymore, hoping one day I find some desire to actually do it.
Still, I would like to do well and have a chance at going to the University of Utah, perhaps working on the minibus there.
Wish me luck!