Something Else to Consider?

It occurs to me that no matter what anyone says, the government is a big part (if not the biggest part) of the problem with regards to the current economic situation. After all, the government decided to dabble in the mortgage market, came up with some rather insane idea, and implemented its strategy of the course of a couple of decades. Now, let’s not argue or even waste time considering the rights or wrongs of that. The point is, given that they put the taxpayer at risk playing this game, I wonder if the taxpayer shouldn’t step back and say, thanks but no thanks with regards to the government jumping in with both feet to try to “rescue” the situation. Really, they don’t know how deep the water is, or if there are sharks, or if it is water they’re jumping in to. (might be toxic waste they’re headed for)

Just something else to consider.

Published in: on October 9, 2008 at 6:25 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Something To Consider?

In light of the current economic situation and government panic, please consider this passage from Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged:

“Do you wish to know whether that day is coming? Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion – when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that it does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality. It will not permit a country to survive as half-property, half-loot.”

Published in: on October 8, 2008 at 8:27 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Alhambra’s Lion Fountain

When visiting the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, one of the must-see items is the lion fountain.

I first became aware of the Alhambra when I read Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra. Many people don’t know that Irving was responsible for one of the earliest conservation efforts of historical sites. He traveled to Spain, rode from Seville to Granada, and found the Alhambra in a sorry state of disrepair. His book was a huge seller during his time, igniting the imaginations of people in various countries. One of the most amazing things is how his writings remain relevant more than a hundred and fifty years later. His discussion of the Spanish character, the context in which the Alhambra exists, and his interpretation of the sight ring true. It is interesting to read how travel was conducted all those years ago. It certainly makes me appreciate all the conveniences available in the current age.

Published in: on October 7, 2008 at 2:24 pm  Comments (1)  
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Neal Stephenson Takes The Long Road

Neal Stephenson writes long, very long, books. And that’s how I like them. I’ve read his Baroque Cycle as he calls his three books that begin with Quicksilver, continue with The Confusion, and wind up with The System of the World. Each of these books runs beyond 800 pages, giving the reader plenty of words for the cover price.

What I enjoy about Stephenson’s books is the integration of historical events and characters with the fictional ones. He weaves these two seamlessly, supporting them with facts, so that in the end its one giant story about the world. While not all of it is true, it could have been. I prefer this to science fiction or fantasy books, neither of which have I been able to get through. (Exception: Jules Verne) Furthermore, Stephenson is not afraid to take detours to flesh out the context of the action. Too many books I read today drop the reader in from space without a decent explanation of the setting. The writer expects the reader to know what 1950’s Dublin is all about, or what’s going on in terms of present-day European skullduggery, or how religious practices of some distant tribe create social mores. Sorry, I have quite a diversity and depth of knowledge, but it is your job, dear writer, to create the world of your story for me to read. If that takes a few more pages, please, indulge me. After all, I didn’t pay the cover price to read a magazine article.

Yes, that was criticism in the previous paragraph. Some critics have lambasted Stephenson for not editing or condensing his work. My humble opinion is that he should leave it the way it is or add more. I mentioned his work in an early post about the “brevity cult” (his term). Well, the “brevity cult” is alive and well in this era of attention deficit disorder. However, just because some people can’t stay focused doesn’t mean the rest of us should be short changed. Good characters and enthralling plots don’t bog down in long books; they engage the reader, giving him solid footing to travel along the novel’s journey.

So, Neal Stephenson takes the long road. I’m right there with him.

Published in: on October 2, 2008 at 12:16 pm  Leave a Comment  
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