Reactionary

Bad:
1. Popular fiction books having an annoying propensity to *hedge* so much so that it sounds fake and done on purpose to suit the author’s purpose. While we all know everything in a novel is done to essentially fill a writer’s purpose, please make it transparent and so it doesn’t slap you in the face as you read it. The Patronus (it’s changed!!!) thing in the most recent Harry Potter was so badly done that even I noticed it and I never notice anything since I never even try to guess ahead and take things as they’re shown to me when they’re shown to me. But that part rang like a bad, bad note. The whole book ended up sounding like a lot of throat-clearing and arranging the pieces for the final act. People did things out of character and suddenly without pacing or warning. It read like alternating between some boring schoolbook and the headline news on steroids. Hurry up. Wait! *Yawn*. Slow down! As much as I disliked it, though, the truth is I’m hooked enough to know what happens, since that’s the one reason I read fiction. No, not to be impressed with the literaryness of someone’s book, but to know what happens. Are you listening, everyone else who’s an ill-paid writer because they write boring as hell books?

2. People who like to play the poor misunderstood genius. Listen, other people don’t like you because you’re a freak. You’re not gifted, or talented or whatever else you think you are. You’re just a freak who looks bad, so stop whining. It doesn’t make you special to be oppressed. Don’t assume everyone who’s successful is just a talentless wench who slept her way to the top. If other people think you’re a loser, you probably are.

3. People with a cause who want to save the world. Unless your name is “Bono”, don’t you dare stop me on the sidewalk in the 90 degree heat. News for you, all the causes you support have little basis in fact as if all were to be fulfilled, they’d cancel each other out (feed the world, cure all disease, protect the environment, support differences, see the sameness in everyone). All politicians aren’t evil, money-hoggers. Politics is the ugly duty of running the world. Someone is always going to get run over by someone else. So unless you’re Bono, don’t sell me your heart-rending stories of children starving in whichever part of the world you’re interested in right now.

Good:
1. The humidity broke today.

2. This computer and its operating system and David Pogue rock the free world.

3. Dice che il fiume trova la via al mare… Dice che come il fiume, che come il fiume… E non so piu pregare… Dear Bono, you have completely blown what’s left of me away. You are amazing.

P.S. There are a lot more words written into the “Bad” section, but bad things are easier to go on about. The last one shifts the heft squarely on the side of the “Good”, though. What a performance. What an arrogant, overconfident… beautiful thing to do.

Posted on July 20th, 2005 under General, Life •  Print •  Email • RSS 2.0 feed • Both comments and pings are currently closed