They're sucking me dry

So I went to the dentist today. She had several suggestions for me, totaling about $3500. What? Are you in mad screaming pain? Not at all. Feel great. It's just a cavity here, a "deep cleaning" there, a procedure she really likes that's not covered in my plan, another procedure she really likes that's not covered in my plan, another procedure ... you get the idea. It adds up.

I was not in a receptive mood to hear her proposals, since I shelled out $520 yesterday to replace the catalytic converter in my beautiful '91 Camry. This expense (and an earlier expense of $230) was made necessary by the state of Illinois, which requires that my car be able to pass a super-strict emissions test. Allow me to preempt Special K by acknowledging the wonderful cumulative effect that this enforcement has on the air quality in the Chicago area, no doubt extending the lives of millions, possibly including mine and my wife's. That makes me feel better.

No, it still kills me.

Greek New Testament audio

Here are some sites with the GNT read aloud:

Marilyn Phemeister's reading: Uses Westcott-Hort, distinct southern accent

Greek Latin Audio: Sounds like more of a classical pronounciation than Koine--a bit hard to follow for beginners. The reader is talented, though--smooth pronunciation of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew availible on the site.

Jonathan Pennington: you have to pay for this one. Selected readings.

Why do they sound so different? Delve if you dare into the debate:

Pronounciation Guide: Fascinating for phonologists; four major ways to pronounce Greek, with audio files. HT: Susan Jeffers.

Big Weekend

So no blogging. First there was the summit with Linus, Danger, and Mama Bear. We didn't draft any resolutions, but a fun time was had by all. Mountain Dew, chips and beef sticks--the spirit of the Gimble lives. Then there was an enjoyable wedding--probably the best time I've ever had at a wedding where I knew absolutely no one. The groom wants some writing experience, so I told him he should get a blog. I've also been told to get on facebook, so at some point I'll be doing that. Just random artless narration of my life and intentions here. [30 seconds pass as Chaka attempts to formulate less artless conclusion. Sigh.] And I'm cool with that.

I'm surfing some blogs...

And finding cool things to post and fellow bannockburn bloggers. Hat tip for this one: fellow linguist J.C. Calhoun. What genre of movie would your life be? Hopefully better than mine.

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh. You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum. Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Places I've been

You can make your own map here.

Hat Tip: nelmezzo

More DVC

I'm looking forward to discussing this book more in the days to come. I've already discovered that my opening line, "It's a page turner, but really badly written," doesn't seem to resonate with people. Steyn's article nailed for me a couple of the qualities of the book that epitomize its weaknesses. But out of the three people I talked to this weekend about the book's poor style, zero, count 'em, zero noticed the clunkiness of its prose. So am I just being elitist?

And the crucial flaw of the Da Vinci code revealed!

It's apparently formulaic and illiterate. Who knew?

Contents of presidential letter revealed!

That Lileks thinks he's so funny.

This Fargo he is so fond of is now on our list.

The Missed Opportunity

Now, this is not the time or place to launch a full scale critique of Episodes I-III. Others richer in wit and time have already undertaken that. I will never pen a comment as insightful as Lileks on The Sith Hits the Fan (or whatever it was called), that the dialogue would be dramatically improved if delivered in Al Jolson voices (Hold me Ani! Hold me like ya did back on Naboo!). Nonetheless, here's my humble contribution.

Let it be admitted that the storywriter's task for Episodes I-III was not straightforward. He would have to tell the story of Vader's rise and fall in a way that made the audience sympathize with and understand him. The trajectory of the plot, like that of all tragedies, would be inevitable; but ideally, the audience would feel the thrill of the possibility that this time, it wouldn't really happen.

This thrill was at no point acheived in the nearly nine hours of Episodes I-III.

It hovered above the audience for one brief instant but dissipated within a few minutes. In the heady days of 2003, I sat in a darkened cinema and watched Count Dooku make his pitch to Obi-Wan. He spoke of a dark conspiracy afoot in the leadership of the republic, which his breakaway systems were rallying against. Obi-Wan of course did not believe him (would you believe Alan Lee?) and the plot ran on as we knew it would--the Jedi with their backs turned to Palpatine until he let them have it between the sixth and seventh rib.

But imagine for a moment, that Dooku had been telling the whole truth. Imagine that the breakaway systems were not just another Red Herring (that should have been the title of Episode I) but were actually aligned against Palpatine. Imagine the Jedi, faced with a choice between these rebels and the Republic they were sworn to defend, torn with indecision. The audience knows that the Rebels are ultimately the good guys--we direct all our mental energy at getting them to join the rebellion. But again, would you believe Alan Lee? So after much angst, maybe even some intra-Jedi violence, they snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, choosing Palpatine and the status quo.

Then he sticks it to them.

You wouldn't need John Williams' score to carry that scene. You could run it with "Chopsticks" as the soundtrack and some people would still tear up.

Utterly unoriginal

Ok, you've probably figured out by now that the inspiration for my posts are all derived from other people's writing, but Brandon's post about Han Solo prompts me to note a few things.

1) My dad is Han Solo

2) The entire prequel trilogy could have been saved for me if Han Solo had somehow been included. Put his dad in--you did it with Fett. Put him in as a shoot-first-and-leave-your-money-on-the-table toddler. I don't care how, but get him in there. But Lucas refused. Why? Because he hates Han Solo. And us.

3) I've got to go now but my biggest Jeremiad is yet to come.

Heard on the radio today

A better example of a song that says a lot of meaningful things but just isn't quite right artistically.

This song will be sung at the end of the world

So I just got out of my first live performance of Mozart's Requiem. It's difficult to choose a highlight from a piece like this, but the Dies Irae expresses the truest, most earnest emotion that has ever been heard in musical form. Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, the Big Lebowski is listening to it when he summons the Dude to tell him that Bunny's been kidnapped, but try to drive that picture out of your head. Listen to it once and read the words below:

Dies irae, dies illa
(Day of wrath, that day)
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
(Will dissolve the earth in ashes)
Teste David cum Sibylla.
(As David and the Sibyl bear witness.)

Quantus tremor est futurus
(What dread there will be)
Quando judex est venturus
(When the Judge shall come)
Cuncta stricte discussurus.
(To judge all things strictly.)

See the entire lyrics here

Censorship!

Brandon is apparently unhappy with my postings to Piratevilletown. He's not approving any of my comments.

Gondor needs no king

And if you want to know why, check out the answer here: http://boromir-gondorneedsnoking.blogspot.com/

Are these good lyrics or not?

What do you make of this song by Natasha Bedingfield that I've heard a lot on the radio recently? Is it too self-consciously "artistic" or does it actually have something to say about the life of an artist?

E.g., the recurring build-up to the chorus uses a few too many cliches for my taste. Make up your mind: is it far away or not?

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin

On the other hand, I found this section to be rather insightful:

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes

I view blogging itself as an attempt to undermine that conditioning and just start writing. What do you think?

A riddle

I'm posting like crazy today. Must be finals. I have a question for Brandon (in addition to the one on Ask Chaka. I look to you as my firearms expert to comment on my post). Are you Faramir?

On a lighter note

Lileks is good today (link to the right). Skirting the edge of profundity, in ways I can only dream of doing. How can you write literature in a blog, especially without sounding like a pretentious buffoon? (see preceding post) Lileks knows how.

A Perplexing Day

So my award, which really isn't that major, allowed me to meet the president of our university. I got to talk with him a little over coffee and later at lunch with other people who were being honored. I have to say that it was exciting, but also a little unsettling. Maybe even dangerous for the soul. When I arrived at my school last year, I was no one. I didn't know anything about the school, I had virtually no scholarships, hardly any background in what I was studying. I knew that there were "insiders" who had access to scholarship money and the advising of the "high-powered" professors, but I wasn't one of them. Now, all of a sudden, I seem to be an insider, and it kind of freaks me out. It could be a lot worse; my school is the kind of place where power is worn lightly. Our president is a great example of a man who leads with sincerety and humility. But when you're borrowing money for school (or fundraising for a school), it's hard not to think about how you can leverage connections and acheivements into money.

God deliver me from turning calling into money.

How does the expression go?

I am now the recipient of "a major award."

Move on Tobias

I'm really only writing this so that Tobias isn't the topmost post on the site. I'm disappointed to see that Brandon has adopted a predictable Jolly Roger motif instead of the flamboyant Funke, but I guess I understand. His icon makes a bit more sense from a design and usability standpoint.