Superdome Rumors Denied

I found this article (Echo Chamber in the Superdome: A Louisiana National Guardsman explains how he dealt with false rumors being piped into Ground Zero of Hurricane Katrina) through Ethos the other day and I found it quite interesting. It was written over three weeks ago so it's not quite "news".

The Count of Monte Cristo

I accidentally started reading The Count of Monte Cristo the other day. I'd read the book many years ago but my stepdad had taken it off the shelf and was reading it while he was visiting the other day. So instead of putting it away I started reading the first page and I was hooked. Seriously, on the first page. I had to read on. So now I'm about 150 pages into it, just by reading a little now and then. I'm not a big reader. I'm more like a wannabe reader. I love books and own bunches of them. I love book stores and libraries. I just don't like reading so much. It's always seemed like work. But more recently I've been able to make my way through several books very quickly. Part of the reason it often seems like work is because I normally choose non-fiction. But reading fiction is definitely more fun. The funny thing is, it's still challenging. In this book in particular, the story takes place in another century, in another country (and was also written in another century, country, and language) so I am having to infer a lot about history and geography based on the details mentioned. I have a pretty good-sized vocabulary and yet there are words I'm not familiar with, or sometimes usages that I'm not familiar with, so I'm learning all sorts of stuff as I read. And it doesn't feel like work. I haven't read a book like this in so long. The quality of writing is so much higher than what you get in a magazine, newspaper, or blog. (I've paused here for several minutes trying to figure out how to describe the writing.) It's poetic. It gets inside of me. It inspires me. The author has me wrapped around his finger and I will follow him wherever he takes me, no matter how grotesque a scene or suspenseful a moment. If you haven't read some good classic literature for a while, I highly recommend it. I think I am going to have to make sure I read a good classic like this every once in a while.

Just as a note: I am reading the abridged version. The reviews I read at amazon.com all recommended the full version despite its length.

Word Verification

Just a note that I am now using word verification for comments. You'll just have to type in the letters you see before you leave your comment. This prevents comment spam. (I got an automated comment within 60 seconds of posting my last post!)

New Song

It's kind of funny. One of my reasons for starting this blog was to post songs I write as I write them. I started out posting a few I had already written to give myself a headstart. And then... And then I didn't write anymore. So now I have one I'm working on and I want to finish but I keep dragging my feet. So I am posting the chorus now as a down payment. I am committing to finishing this song! And it better be before Christmas since it is Christmas themed. Here is my the chorus to "Angel's Invitation":

By an angel's invitation
I'm here tonight.
In this dark and dreary stable
Shines God's hope-filled light.
And though I'd never dreamed I'd be here
In all my imagination,
How could I refuse
An angel's invitation?

Help Curb the Litter Problem

Thursday I sat down to pay my bills. Inside my bill from the City of Fresno Utilities Department was a little flier stating "Join Mayor Alan Autry in curbing the litter problem in Fresno." It went on to explain why and how you shouldn't litter. I'm not sure that a notice like this is going to prevent a litterbug (Is that a word you're only supposed to use as a kid? I don't know.) from littering. (Litterbug's unlikely thoughts: That was a delicious hamburger. Well, I'll just throw the wrapper down here... Wait a minute! Mayor Autry said to put stuff like this into a garbage can. I'll put this into one of those conveniently located trash containers!) But that's not really my point here. What I was thinking as I read this notice was how just the day before I was taking a walk in my neighborhood and there was garbage all over the streets and sidewalks. I live in a neighborhood that is normally very clean. So why all the trash? Because it was trash day. You know, the day when the city sends their trucks to pick up each can sitting at the curb and turn it upside down emptying most of its contents into the truck. Every house has litter in front of it by noon on Wednesdays. And the people I pay to do this for me are asking me to keep the place clean! I was a little irked by this (as you might be able to tell) so I wrote a letter to the mayor (and cc'd the Solid Waste Division) asking for his help to "curb the litter problem in Fresno."