Scott Douglas’ Terse Bloviation

Archive for the 'Mindless Musing' Category

2012 Completed Book #17

Blindness by Jose Saramago

One-sentence review: One’s second Saramago novel is an easier reading experience than the first.

I’m unsure whether to watch the movie adaptation. It might ruin the version that’s in my head.

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When I Am King You Will Be First Against the Wall

  • Leaf blowers
  • Snow blowers
  • Texting drivers
  • Shouters in restaurants
  • Knowingly deceptive political advertisers
  • Environmentalists with a ton of kids
  • Smokers who use the ground as an ashtray
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The Bard and The Feelies

“If all the year were playing holidays, To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish’d for come, And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.”
Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Henry IV

In other words, I’m quite enjoying the new Feelies album, their first in 20 years. You put it on, you think, “Yup, that’s a Feelies album, happy to hear it repeatedly.” I wonder how much of that is because of their sparse output. If they had been putting out records every two years the last two decades, would it be more, “Eh, another Feelies album. Why do I need to get it?”

But they didn’t, so the new one is a welcome ennui ameliorator.

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Neologism Watch

Yesterday Stacey had a piece of coconut cream cake at 5:30 p.m., two hours before dinner. I called this “pressert.” Did I make up a fun word?

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Reconstruction of the Fabled Records

While running the other evening I was feeling especially fatigued and the song “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” came to mind. So when I got home and started the usual 13-hour post-run routine I put on the album it’s on for the first time in years. Damn, that’s good stuff! I love dredging up something from the archives and finding it still speaks to me. In this case, I was thinking, “Wow, that’s really held up well for being 15 years old. Wait, it’s 25! Holy telescoped time, Batman!”

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I Was Born Several Centuries Too Late

From A Geography of Time:

Until the Industrial Revolution, in fact, most evidence shows that people showed little inclination to work.

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Little Hits o’ Pleasure

I’m in one of those stages with no big projects or adventures or cool trips to look forward to, so I need to remind myself to not forget quotidian items that reliably pierce the clouds. Ten off the top of my head:

  1. Solo trail runs.
  2. Trail runs with friends.
  3. First 83 cups of coffee in the morning.
  4. Dinner with Stacey.
  5. Harold Mabern at full force.
  6. For some reason, merino wool tops make me very happy.
  7. A good chai is nice.
  8. Interesting e-mail exchanges.
  9. Perusing Slate.
  10. At some point during the day, each of the pets does something that makes me smile.

Your list?

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Helpful Hints From Smelloise #3

Actually, this time I seek rather than provide the advice on stupid household minutiae: A quandary over ecofriendly dishwashing submitted to the environmental site Grist.org.

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No Thank You!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/07/travel/1207-SKI_3.html

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Helpful Hints From Smelloise #2

Don’t bang car doors into the place on your shin where you have a bump from an ancient stress fracture, especially if you are about to drive an hour and use the shin muscles the whole way to work the gas pedal.

Also, the easiest way to peel ginger is with the side of a spoon.

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