Sunday, October 19, 2008

A speed read creed

I have a mild case of book ADD. Throw in a few newspapers and magazines, and I have a problem no ritalin can cure.

Here's what I've been reading lately:

John Adams by David McCullough- Wow. One of my favorite books I've ever read. I'm sure I will post about it in the future.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin-I've read it before, but I'm getting more out of this reading.

The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book-I read a couple of pages of quotes everyday, marking my favorites.

LSAT study guides (logic games and logical reasoning)--fun fun...

The Book of Mormon--it's true.

Forbes magazine
Conde Nast Portfolio
American Speeches
Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor
An Idiots Guide to Cold Calling
The World's Greatest Letters


New plan of action: I need to read slower to get more out of the books I take on. Also--I probably need to throw in some fiction. Any suggestions? (I'm not interested in Grisham, Dan Brown, Stephanie Meyer, and the like...)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

iPod iPod iPod iDunno

OK. I'm usually not materialistic. But I've had my eye on a new iPod. I think it would cheer up my commutes. I'm sick of KTAR's "Detour Dan," the same five country songs (seriously KNIX...play some older stuff or at least mix in some Garth Brooks or Alan Jackson), and I am done listening to local pundits predict what's going to happen during the next debate (no really. I'm done. Because, well, so are the debates...).

I've justified buying an iPod in my mind. But...they're so expensive. And I'd have to choose. Do I get a touch? A nano? An iPod classic? It's all so confusing.

How can I expect to know what I want in life if I can't even decide what I want in a portable electronic device?

Friday, October 10, 2008

Adhesive Shout Out

Do you know what's underrated?

Gorilla glue.

Just gettin' the word out.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

A New Blog

I'm disgusted with politics. I'd rather eat cooked spinach than take another serving of Presidential Canidate Rhetoric.

So I'm seperating my political thoughts from my personal blog.

The new blog is http://davespoliticalnotebook.blogspot.com.

Enjoy.

Monday, October 6, 2008

"Dogs and Cats, Living Together, Mass Hysteria"

The flow of credit has stopped, the Dow is crashing, the dollar is weak, stagflation looks inevitable, the government still cannot pass a bill without adding greasy layers of pork, and to top it all off, I ruined my chicken broccoli three cheese alfredo sauce last night.

These are tough times. Hard to predict what will happen next. Just ask any analyst--economic or political.

However, we can be certain about some things.

An economic depression would be grim, but it would not change the reality of immortality. The inevitability of the Second Coming is not affected by the unpredictability of the stock market. Political despots make this world very ugly, but they cannot touch the better world to come. Thus the things of which we can be most certain are also those things which matter most.
--Elder Neal. A Maxwell

Monday, September 29, 2008

Our Moldin' Corral

For years, American's have had a feast of easy money. All kinds of buffets--especially Aunt Fannie and Uncle Fred-- wanted to take us in as customers and let us try our hand at the fat of the land. Like the dulled football spectator watching the game with a box of Cheez-Its, we kept thrusting our hand in the bag for a couple more. But then--during the fourth quarter--the box was suddenly empty.

The end of the day found us a fattened and, oddly enough, still hungry for real food. We reached for our wallets to pay for our past meal so we could then order another, but were surprised to find that we hadn't the means to pay.

And the bank-buffets? They were all out of food to give us. All that's left is an empty kitchen, a pile of sloppy leftovers--ranch dressing encrusted salad plates, a few morsals of bad canteloupe, a piece of t-bone from the steak--a bbq stained shirt,and a stomach that's been stretched from our years of overeating.

Luckily, there's that trustworthy and efficient Dietician, ol' Uncle Sam, willing to sweep up our dirty plates, hide them away in a doubtlessly magical kitchen, and order us some new dishes, a fresh set of flatware, and another round of drinks. Banzai! Bon appetit!

But...wait? Who's going to wash the old dishes?

Best not to think about it now. They'll get clean. One of these days...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Stratford-On-Avon


--the name of the village has been shoveled into my mind time by English teachers in my formative years. I heard the name at least once a year (whenever Shakespeare came up. It seemed that my teachers loved to throw in this town name as that one little piece of tidbit that they remembered from their college days). I had no idea what "on Avon" meant, and I always tended to confuse the Stratford scene with my few other associations of England, most notably the Disney animated feature Robin Hood. So, in my mind, I pictured Stratford on Avon as a village in a forest glen populated by bald-headed friars and lyre-strumming roosters.

I am in a bus driving back to London from the modern Stratford. The green and beauty of the countryside keeps me awake--I don't want to fall asleep and miss the scenery.

By nature, I am always skeptical of "tourist traps"--places of historical merit that are so full of artificial atmosphere and "pay here for a look" that the solemnity or majesty of the area is swallowed up in capitalism. The Tower of London was such a place for me. I feel like I am wasting time anytime there are more glass display cases and usheres hurrying you along than there is seconds an hour. Stratford had a little of the tourist trap atmosphere, but felt it was very honest in its identity. Sure, the "shrines to Shakespeare" shop got a little tiring--a Shakespeare bra? Shakespeare insult magnets? Come on guys. The energy of the town was genuine, despite the kitsch.

My visit to Shakespeare's birthplace was rushed because of the large afternoon crowds. However, the guides were very helpful and friendly. One of them even too k time to leave his station and show me some of his favorite signatures in the "autograph window."

Stratford was an enjoyable place, but once I'd visited shop after shop of Shakespeare gifts, I couldn't help but thinking , "What? All this for Shakespeare?!!??" Perhaps I'll be convinced by the end of this term that Shakespeare really deserves the magnets, mugs, lingerie, postcards, plates, pens, cards, and chocolate bars.