Recent Readings

Since I last posted about reading Joyce, I have read:
Freakonomics, by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt
Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie

Freakonomics was fairly disappointing, but perhaps that is only because I had such high hopes from it. It's publicity mainly comes from its startling assertion that the crime drop seen in the mid-90s occurred because of the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that struck down laws outlawing abortion. If you have not heard this claim, the reasoning is that introducing abortion prevented a generation of mostly poor, unwanted children from being born. And since this demographic is the one most likely to commit a crime, crime decreased. Overall, the argument makes sense to me, but I don't think it should, nor was it intended to, change people's opinions on abortion since they run along moral lines, which this information does not affect. The downfall of the book, though, is that the rest of its chapters are less intriguing, though the chapter on cheating in Sumo wrestling was pretty interesting.

Bastard out of Carolina was the best book I've read of recent. It details the struggles of a girl coming of age in a poor family and the repercussions of the sexual, emotional, and physical abuse she suffers from her step-father. It was very clearly semi-autobiographical, as its raw details were too harrowingly realistic. This topic is very difficult for me, so it was an emotional read. Still, it was not an overwhelmingly dark book. Also, it offered a psychologically nuanced view of several characters where it would have been easy to have pushed them to be as expected. Overall it was well done, yet not quite breathtaking.

Ender's Game was somewhat of a disappointment, but also very enjoyable. Since it is regaled as the greatest sci-fi book of all time, I met it with certain expectations. To a certain extent, it met them. The story was gripping, its world was interesting enough, and it managed to interest me by its sci-fi gadgetry without becoming carried away. Ultimately, though, Ender fails as an intriguing character. Oddly enough, he was too messianic for me. Real people have flaws; they fail, at least at times. Ender was always the best. At everything, quasi-immediately. I almost got suckered into reading the rest of the series, but decided it was more worth my time to just read the plot summaries on wikipedia. I'll wager I was right about that.

Lastly, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress was moderately interesting, though mainly not for its literary qualities but for the section of history it captures. It takes place during the Cultural Revolution in China during the early 1970s, which, since is was also mildly autobiographical, makes for a good read. If you are unfamiliar with this section of history, spend a little time here. The anti-intellectualism and blind pastoral obsession with the simplicity of peasant life wrecked the country for years, and it's worth investigating the reasoning and events that led up to this movement.

I have also started Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, by Nick Flynn, and The Blind Assassin, but Margaret Atwood, but neither book was able to hold my interest. Please post if you have read either of these and would recommend them.

A Fall Into Decadence

So, I bought a Playstation 3 this weekend... For many of you, this may illicit no reaction; for others, those of you who are gamers, will see this as a good decision; for fellow blogger and blaggart Mike, it no doubt generates scorn (oh how I miss Mikescorn). For me this was a rather difficult decision. On the one hand, it is an expensive luxury during a time when many are in need. Yet I know that that line of reasoning can be taken too far, and that buying luxuries for yourself is necessary and good, as long as it hasn't become the focus of your life. I debated about it for awhile, but eventually I decided to go for it.

Here was my path that led to the PS3 (and the path that led my lovely wife to okay the purchase). For Christmas Sara and I went to Philly to visit my mom. My brother, his wife, and my two cool cousins came as well. My cousin Tim brought his PS3, and I remembered then how much I enjoyed wasting time playing video games with people. Also, we saw Planet Earth on BluRay, which was breathtaking, to say the least. Then, during our trip in Chicago I was quite impressed with James's setup. Through his PS3 he was able to watch the streaming video from Netflix, which includes a lot of movies and tv series, on his TV. We're planning on cancelling our cable soon because of the cost, but I really enjoy unwinding after work by watching TV or a movie, which this setup allows for less money (well, the PS3 is expensive, but we're only paying Netflix $10 a month) and no commercials. Lastly, the PS3 is a fun way to keep in touch with friends who live across the country.

I was worried that I would be sucked into spending too much time in brainless activity, but last night, the first night I had the PS3, I quit after an hour of playing and read for awhile. I guess I have a little self-control afterall. We'll see if it lasts...

Travels in the Windy City (I wonder if anyone still reads this)

Yes. It has been over two months since I last posted. Shameful.
Worse, I have not finished Ulysses since my taunting post that proclaimed that I would maim that beast or die trying. Worst, I have actually put it down for the time being to read a few other books.
Nonetheless, it is time for an update. For those of you who did not hear of the ice storm that swept through the midwest, there was an ice storm. It swept through the midwest. In all seriousness, it was one of the worst winter storms in Fayetteville history. Mostly, our lives were just inconvenienced since we only lost power for a day, but many people lost power for over a week. Several-inch-thick coatings of ice weighed most of the branches down so that the trees looked inverted, with downward, ground-seeking limbs. It was eerie and devastating, as power lines and houses were damaged by countless upturned trees and broken-off branches. But it was beautiful. When the sun was out, it hit a whole panorama of glistening ice, as far as you could see. Check out my wife's blog entry about it. There are a few pics here as well.
That was a few weeks ago. Last week, as Fayettevillians were still cleaning out the debris (and they still are), Sara and I treked to Chicago for a writing conferencs and to visit my college friend (asian) James and his lovely wife Mandy. It was great! We spent a lot of time just roaming about and trying new restaurants and in the evenings we hung out with James and Mandy and played games. Also, we got to hear some great writers read their work, among them Marilynne Robinson (of Gilead and Housekeeping fame), Dorothy Allison (Bastard out of Carolina), Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suckcity), Donald Hall (former Poet Laureate), ZZ Packer, Joe Meno, and Aleksander Hemon.
The most engaging reading was Friday night. It featured Dorothy Allison, ZZ Packer, and Joe Meno, and it had a performance by Mucca Pazza, a circus punk marching band (yes, that's right. This thirty person ensemble had elements of all three of those ingredients). All three readers were great, though I have to say I was surprised by Dorothy Allison's piece, which began with a raucous "Frog F-ing!" and went on from there.
The highlight of the trip was probably Saturday night. James, Mandy, Sara, and I went out for some Chicago-style pizza and then headed to the Signiture Lounge, a bar at the top of the John Hancock building. We were on the 95th floor, and the view was staggering. Seeing skyscrapers dwarfed from above is a bit dizzying, but still spectacular.
Anyways, it was a full week, but not overwhelming. A good vacation.

Hear the Angel Voices

Christmas has never caused any spiritual stirrings in my heart. This might be because I didn't grow up in a religious home. That isn't to say that I never went to church when I was a kid, but it wasn't part of my regular routine and I was never in church on Christmas.

For some this is a deeply emotional experience to reflect on how God, the supreme author of the universe, took on the body of human frailty in order to redeem his people who desperately need him. I can relate to that, but on December 25th I feel no stronger about this than on the other 364 days of the year. Don't get me wrong. I still get excited about Christmas, but it is frustrating because I want to connect with what is being discussed in church, and each year it is a struggle for me to do so.

That being said, I am enjoying Vintage's Advent series called The Invasion. The militaristic overtones are not accidental. The Jews of Jesus's time viewed the coming of the Christ, or the Messiah, in these terms. He would be the one to restore the kingdom of David and establish a kingdom without end. But the kingdom of God came in such unintuitive trappings: not in power but in weakness; not with military might, but with love and grace. So often we come to think of God's kingdom in these earthly terms.

I was driving home the other day and I was, somewhat shamefully, thinking about my Christmas list. I get really excited about the gifts I give people, but I also get excited about the ones I'm going to receive. I'm a game junky, and I asked for a lot of games that I am excited to play with my family and friends. But as I was thinking about these things that I would be getting, I saw a father and son walking in the cold. The father had a satchel and he held the child's hand as they walked across the street. It didn't look like they had anywhere to go. It was cold then, and it's even colder tonight.

Maybe Christmas is a good opportunity to realize how entrenched we can become in our own microcosms.

Time to Put the Beast to Rest

For a long time now it has stood mocking in the shadows--a huge, lurking, lumbering colossus. It's facade appears impregnable, daunting. With haughty, cocked eyebrows it challenges me, dares me, to approach. I have circled around it, held trophies before it (The Sound and the Fury, Brothers Karamazov, Dante's Inferno, the list goes on. Even Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, letting it know that I meant business), yet to no avail. I knew there would come a time, must come a time, when we entered the ring together and didn't leave until I was overcome or victorious, reeling with blood-stained hands, but finally thankfully free of this oppressive weight, this fetter that would not loosen nor let me wander, holding me locked in its incessant gaze. And always the ridicule, the insufferable hints that I would fail, would fall before its awful presence. But I will not retreat or cower any longer. I have grabbed this villain, this demonic plague, by the throat and I will drag it to the ground and silence it, and I will not leave until I see myself in its lifeless eyes...

I have started James Joyce's Ulysses, the towering giant universally acclaimed as the greatest literary production of the last century. Let the battle begin.

At Long Last...

Last night as I watched McCain's concession speech, I caught a glimpse of the man who could have captivated America and beaten Obama. I was touched by his call for unity and his patriotism. Then, I watched Obama describe the past century of America and thought about how insane it is to think that there are voters alive today who were denied the right to vote at one point. I would not have voted for Obama just because he was black, just as I wouldn't have voted for Hilary just because she's a woman, but I am glad that we have elected a black man, finally. We have come a long way.

Regardless of how you feel about the candidates, I think we can all agree and be glad that this madness has ended. And all the people said, "Amen!"

Five Thirty Eight

Continuing this political thread, I am have recently discovered the website Five Thirty Eight. Its name derives from the amount of electors in the electoral college, and its purpose is to accurately predict the election.

"How is this site different from other compilations of polls like Real Clear Politics," you ask? The website addresses this:
There are several principal ways that the FiveThityEight methodology differs from other poll compilations: Firstly, we assign each poll a weighting based on that pollster's historical track record, the poll's sample size, and the recentness of the poll. More reliable polls are weighted more heavily in our averages. Secondly, we include a regression estimate based on the demographics in each state among our 'polls', which helps to account for outlier polls and to keep the polling in its proper context. Thirdly, we use an inferential process to compute a rolling trendline that allows us to adjust results in states that have not been polled recently and make them ‘current’. Fourthly, we simulate the election 10,000 times for each site update in order to provide a probabilistic assessment of electoral outcomes based on a historical analysis of polling data since 1952. The simulation further accounts for the fact that similar states are likely to move together, e.g. future polling movement in states like Michigan and Ohio, or North and South Carolina, is likely to be in the same direction.

Basically, this is the most sophisticated election projection that I've seen. Right now Obama has a 95.7% chance to win the election, and the most likely scenario has him with 52% of the popular vote and 344.1 electoral votes (with 270 needed to win the presidency). The website also predicts that Democrats will come away with 57 seats in the Senate, though there is a 33% chance that they will reach the filibuster-proof 60.

I am interested to find out how accurate these projections are come Tuesday.