David Lynch on catching ideas

"Ideas are like fish"

David Lynch and Donovan discuss "catching" the ideas embodied in their art in this video, which also includes clips from their films and music videos. (There's some brief footage of the Beatles in India, too.) It reminds me that the first words heard in Lynch's Twin Peaks are "Gone fishing."

Word of the Day: cavil

Word of the Day

cavil (v)

To object in a trivial way or for trivial reasons

"Tutor: ....So, in a word, you stand head and shoulders above the ruck and, what's more, you could hold a chair of philosophy or architecture in a great university. And yet you cavil at your lot!

Orestes: No, I do not cavil. What should I cavil at? You've left me free as the strands torn by the winds form spiders' webs that one sees floating ten feet above the ground. I'm light as gossamer and walk on air."
--Jean Paul Sartre, The Flies

Every weekend, I find a spider web in the same place in the backyard shed. I have to break it to get to anything in there, but it always comes back. I've started to feel sorry for the spider, but also impressed by its persistence.

Quote of the Day, from The Great Gatsby

Quote of the Day

"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and
creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness, or
whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess
they had made."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The complete idiot's guide to the way I feel

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Way I Feel

Can't think of a thing to write about. Feel empty.... Two people in my family recently lost their cell phones. Feel out of touch.... Wall Street's house of cards is collapsing. (Associated Press today: "...a glass panel near the top of a Bank of America skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan fell more than 50 stories onto the street below and shattered.") So many people saw it coming years ago, but nothing was done. Feel queasy.... Found out that all the stuff I was supposedly recycling at the office -- papers, cans, etc. -- is actually being thown in the regular trash by the building staff. Feel frustrated.... Listening to WFMU, "free-form radio." Feel odd, but ready to dance.... Saw a beautiful sunset tonight. Felt transcendent....

Falling Man...or Flying Man?

Falling...or flying?



This image, which I've posted before, gets more Google hits than just about anything else on this blog. I can't decide if he's falling or flying, terrified or ecstatic -- although that contraption he's strapped to doesn't look too effective.

Brain Dump

Brain Dump

Go for the gold coin operated vending machine part two by two three blind mice eat cheese sandwich shop till you drop dead in the water park the car in the lot of money is the root canal boat dock your pay the piper. Face the music hall monitor your blood pressure point your gun barrel of monkeys around the world class clown suit yourself. Pass the salt water fish fry the egg cup of coffee pot calling the kettle black tie event horizon. Fasten your seat belt one out of your mind your own business meeting someone new age before beauty.

The most alien place on Earth

Is that Earth?

Feast your eyes on the "most alien-looking place on Earth":

Socotra Island

It seems like an obvious location to shoot a low-budget sci-fi movie on location. No sets to build! Love those dragon's blood trees.

Word of the Day: salubrious

Word of the Day

salubrious (adj)

Healthful

"You'd better be. If he loses his temper and throws us off the case, we're going to have to start looking for new premises in a less salubrious part of town."
"I didn't think there was a less salubrious part of town."
"My point exactly."

--Alastair Reynolds, Century Rain

A new word I just heard on CNN: "Palintology" Ha ha...

Words used at each convention

Word Count

Here's a New York Times word-balloon graphic, showing the frequency of words or phrases ("health care", "taxes", etc.) mentioned at each of the recent political conventions:

The Words They Used

It also shows the number of mentions by each major speaker. Interesting that Democrats mentioned 9/11 more than Republicans.

My short story published in The Hudson Current

Word are flowing out....

My short story, "Vanilla", appears in the current issue of The Hudson Current, in print and online: Back Page