Too Absent Herald

For someone who doesn’t even own a real pillow, I have terrific difficulty falling asleep when staying over a someone’s place. I usually tuck-in with a book; and, in some cases, this has become habitual. At chez Kovacs, I read Hannibal, at Gammon’s it’s usually one of Beth’s Naval narratives, though last time I read the Narnias. And at Gerard/Decker’s it was always Graham Greene’s The Quiet American.

Over time I had to buy myself copies of these books (except Narnia), and I just happened to pick up the Greene today.
Now that I’ve told you all the above useless information, I’ll go further.

Since I didn’t “study” literature in school, I’ve had to rely on finding such modern classics through reading and [tag]serendipity[/tag]. I “found” Greene through reading David Halberstam’s The Best and the Brightest, which I started in 9th grade and never did finish (maybe tonight).

Well, the Greene was as solidly and sharply good as Halberstam promised. It’s so good, in fact, that, though I always intend to read more of him, I end up just re-reading The Quiet American.

On writing, Where's my Jetpack? (a great title!) has a post about just what “you, me, them, everybody, everybody”- might be trying to do by typing these light, bloggy words. They quote Greene, who set himself a goal of a mere 350 words per day: “I have no talent. It’s just a question of working, of being willing to put in the time,” which I think will go on my wall. The post ends with this observation. And I’m thankful for it, because it got me to write, tonight:

I always encourage creatives to keep something on the side that no one else has a say in. Paint, draw, [tag]write[/tag], compose, or perform. Keep your skills sharpened. I think that’s why so many of us blog now.

There’s a similar sentiment in an older post at Ollieman about getting past needing tools, software, or a lecture series. Just write!

A movie + photo mash-up:

Director’s Office-CIA Headquarters-Day

Adm. Greer:All right. What’s important enough to get you on a plane in the middle of the night?

Jack Ryan: British intelligence obtained
these pictures two days ago.

She’s the Red October, the latest Typhoon class.

Adm. Greer: Big son of a bitch.

Jack Ryan: 12 metres longer than the standard Typhoon-class; 3 metres wider.

Adm. Greer: What are these doors?

Jack Ryan: Those doors, Sir, are the problem. I don’t know what they are, neither
do the British. Perhaps our friends in Murmansk have come up with something new.

I certainly have my hands full with the cat. But I was just reminded of how I planned to get a hedgehog as a pet. I did a lot of reading and finally determined that my place (a house in Annapolis so old that there was space between the floorboards that it could’ve crawled through) was just not safe.
Anyway, I’ve been getting in touch with people as I plan for next year’s Put Up or Shut Up North American Tour (aka relocating).
One of the gems so far is finding J. Spooner. And you just have to see one of the sites he works on. If you have a canine you care for, nothing but the best (and I do mean Best) will do: Pupstyle.

If perfection in design is a unity of form and function then Ollieman might be the perfect non-commercial website.

New York Toilets a handy guide, posted by a SJC alumna. I spent last weekend with the security-locked marvels in the Lincoln Bldg. This is a handy guide for elsewhere.