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Pay it Forward with a deck of cards, a review of Markus Zusak’s I am the Messenger

I am the messenger, by Markus Zusak
When Ed Kennedy happens to be in a bank while its held up, due to the sheer incompetents of the robber he’s able to capture him until the cops arrive. He’s written about in the local papers,, interviewed on the radio, and then his life goes back to normal, which basically means he spends his days driving a taxicab and his nights playing cards with his friends, who are almost as shiftless as he is.
Then he gets an Ace of diamonds in the mail, with three addresses on it. When he goes to the addresses, he realizes that whoever sent him the card wants him to help the people at each address. A lonely old lady, a teenager with no self-esteem, and a woman who gets raped every night by her husband.
I wasn’t wild about this novel. Its well written, with realistic characters, and the voice of the narrator is believable and funny in a righ, world weary sort of way.
The plot starts out interesting, but as more cards arrive in Ed’s mailbox, along with more people to help, the book slows down. After the fifth or sixth person is introduced who Ed is supposed to help in some small way, it begins to feel like Zusak is telling the same story over and over again.
I was never outright bored by the book, but the plot is always dictated by the card Ed gets, and the omniscient person who keeps sending them.
I was starting to think that maybe USA would never tell the reader who sent the cards and why they sent them, but luckily this isn’t the case. Everything’s revealed at the end, although this revelation provides more questions, and not enough answers.
The book is worth reading for character and action, but if you want definitive answers to all the questions the book poses, you definitely won’t get them.
The book suffers from a plot that is riddled with coincidence and serendipity. At first this isn’t a problem, but later on it becomes grading. The book picks up slightly towards the end, when Ed is directed to help his group of friends and his mother, but the sense that everything he does is inevitable never goes away. The book’s message of hope is sweet, the narrator is funny, but the plot drags it down to something only above average. Still worth a read, if you’re in it for atmosphere and Idea’s, however.
Author’s web site. http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/
three out of five stars.

2010
04/04
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Polaski on Polaski. Either Gay sex with my twin, or an interview with myself.

I was lucky enough to get the chance to sit down with Jason Polaski for an interview. He usually doesn’t give interviews, but it helps that we’re the same person. I have indulged in the ultimate act of arrogance. I have interviewed myself, and the really sick thing is that I actually enjoyed it a lot, I babbled on to myself for quite a while. The interview’s below. Jason asks the questions, Polaski answers them.

Jason. So, how bout you introduce yourself.
Polaski. This is stupid as shit. Its a gimmick.

Jason. Yeah, but its your gimmick, so why don’t you go ahead.
Polaski. This is a goddamned stupid thing to do, but ok. I’m Jason Polaski, I go to college at the university of Connecticut, and I’ve started a bblog.

Jason. Speaking of that, what’s up with the blog anyway? Whose going to read it?
Polaski. That’s what I’m trying to find out. You hear about these guys who get millions of hits every day, and they aren’t even famous or good looking, at least, they weren’t famous before they had a blog. Its just Joe shmow, or Jill Shmill, for that matter, and they decided to post about begonia’s or there yeast infection or politics or books or whatever and suddenly they have this huge following. I wanted to see if starting from absolutely nothing I could achieve something like that, or at least modest success.

Jason. So what’s the blog about.
Polaski. Search me.

Jason. No, seriously.
Polaski. Seriously, I have no idea. The title of it is Pages and Rages, because I read a lot of books and get pissed off about a lot of stuff, and because those two things are the most prevalent things in my intellectual life, I figured it was a natural starting point. But honestly, if I spend more than fifteen minutes thinking about it, I’ll probably end up posting it. Whatever occupies my interest will be blogged about which cuts down on the blog’s coherency, but will keep me amused.

Jason. So what’s the reaction been like so far?
Polaski. Shit. Seriously, I’m about to pull a Phoebe Prince.

Jason. Right. So lets get to the personal stuff. You got any religious views.
Polaski. Yeah, but they aren’t flattering.

Jason. Can you elaborate on that?
Polaski. Its all shit. Its all just a big mythology, doesn’t matter what the religion is.

Jason. So you hate religious people.
Polaski. Not at all, some religious people are nice, some of them are friends of mine. I just view the entire thing… Like model trains. Some people go nuts over model trains. They have entire countries of model trains, schedules, different engines. They go down to the basement and tinker with the things. When they ask me if I want to take a look, I do, but just a look. I’m not going to go look at model trains all the time, because that’s not my thing. I respect there interest, even if I think its a little weird, but its just a part of there life I don’t really care to be involved in. That’s basically how I feel about religion.

Jason. OK, political views.
Polaski. Somewhere between a rightward leaning fiscal conservative and a leftward leaning social democrat. I hate the moral majority, hate the socialists claiming to be democrats. Its complicated. Sort of libertarian, but some libertarians are also crazy. Economically, I’m pretty conservative, I want low taxes, free markets, that kind of thing, but socially, I want really the same thing. The government to allow any action that doesn’t hurt anyone. I’m for legalization of pot, guns, abortion the death penalty and I really hope that smoking indoors is brought back before next winter.

Jason. So sort of libertarian.
Polaski. Yeah, in a lot of ways. The government should stay out of a lot of things. Mairage, for example. Its not the governments business who marries who, or whose fucking whom. It shouldn’t be a concern. I also think the government shouldn’t be fucking about with companies too much. Corporate taxes should be low, and regulations should be made to address a need, not to craft policy. Companies shouldn’t be allowed to hurt people, by poisoning the environment or starting monopolies, but they shouldn’t be gelded just to appease the spirit of Ted Kennedy. But I also think a lot of spending is extremely vital in certain area’s like defense and education, which a lot of libertarians will disagree with. I think the government should be very involved in some things, and really leave other’s alone.

Jason. Got a favorite brand of cigarette?
Polaski. Anything without a filter, or newports. I smoke a pipe, cigars, and hookah. Really, if it burns and has nicotine, I’m down.

Jason. Favorite drink?
Polaski. Beer, either Coors or Guinness, anything cheap on tap. Gin and tonic, good red wine. I hate shots of straight liquor, but always end up pounding them anyway.

Jason. What do you like for music.
Polaski. Mainly shitty rap. I love going to clubs and listening to awful rap music, it sets the perfect atmosphere for what I’m looking for.

Jason. And what’s that?
Polaski. No comment.

Jason. Any other music you’re into besides rap?
Polaski. I’m really digging a lot of classical lately. Bach’s the shit, can’t go wrong with anything by Bach. Vivaldi, similarly is great. Beethoven is also solid. Handle, Montiverty, and lately I’ve been listening to a lot of misorski.

Jason. OK, so part of your blog is about books, what do you read?
Polaski. Honestly, I’ll read anything. Its a matter of what I can get my hands on. I was stuck reading books written before 1950 a year or so ago, so I read them. But if have my choice, a lot of science fiction and fantasy, and a lot of biography and history. Some mystery, some other random stuff that doesn’t necessarily have a category.

Jason. Any final remarks?
Polaski. Read the blog. Tell your friends. Make me rich. I’m on twitter as Jasonpolaski, follow me there for pithy updates

Jason. Thank’s for the interview.
Polaski. Shut up, jackass, this is the beginning of multiple personality disorder. It creeps me out.

2010
04/03
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thought’s on Phoebe Prince, the late outlier who killed herself because of bullying

An outlier is a number that doesn’t match the rest of the data points from the set. so if we have 1, 3, 5, 7, and 39122, the final number is the outlier. Regrettably, Phoebe Prince, a fifteen year old girl who killed herself in January, is that type of outlier, a number that doesn’t match the rest of the set.
The girl, who allegedly took her own life in response to bullying, (way to let them win,) has cropped up in the media a lot recently because her bullies have been charged with all sorts of things, mainly charges revolving around harassment andstocking. This, in the main, is right and proper, serious bullying should be dealt with.
The thing that interests me is Phoebe’s unorthodox reaction to being bullied. A lot of people are bullied, and most of them are, luckily, still alive. Some tiny proportion kill themselves, some tiny portion go columbine and shoot up a school, but most come through the experience.
When I read about Phoebe prince in the news, my first question was, “why couldn’t she hack it?” Sure, the bullying was more intense than usual, but still. I’m not trying to come off as an ass hole, although some will see this post as assholish in the extreme, I’m just wondering why some people have thinner skins than others.
I think a little bullying is good for a person. I don’t think teachers should ignore bullying when they see it, but when someone walks up to you and calls you an ugly freak, or something like that, it strengthens you, lets you know the world isn’t full of puppy dogs and butterflies. I find this situation regrettable, but sad on so many levels. Bullying is a phase, a run through fire. Talk to most people who finished high school and they’ll tell you it sucked. No one ever feels like they fit in, and life in high school is skewed towards the now, it feels more important than it really is.
While bully prevention is the rage in the media and among educators, teaching kids how to react to bullying should be just as important, the message should be, “it really won’t matter. In less than four years, it’ll all be over.”
The major reason I can’t summon up waves of sympathy for this girl like so many others can is that she was an outlier, she couldn’t deal with something that thousands of kids find a way to deal with every day. If every kid who was bullied shot there tormentor or committed suicide, we’d have a lot less bullies and a lot fewer kids alive to be bullied, but that doesn’t happen.

for an impartial summary of recent events, and the things which led up to the suicide, see this link. http://tinyurl.com/yzjn6me

2010
04/03
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review of the Maker’s by Cory Doctorow, wonderful read!

The Maker’s, by Cory Doctorow
Cory Doctorow has written an odd and quirky novel, a novel mainly concerning itself with idea’s. Trying to explain how this is done is complicated, and if I had twenty pages in which to review this book, I’d still end up oversimplifying all the notions he brings up, but just some of the things he examines are micro loans, predicting America’s future, emerging technology, sociological affects of high-speed Internet connections, the affects of cheap materials on the economy, and copyrights affect on creativity.
That might make the novel sound boring, but its not at all boring. Its engrossing, compelling, and extraordinarily readable.
The novel is too multi-faceted to be about one thing, but it focus’s on two inventors and the reporter that follows them around, chronicling what they invent, and how they invent it, the financial backing they get, and thousands of other things.
I haven’t read a novel so quirkily twisted in a long time, and more than anything, as I said above, its a novel of idea’s. The plot is there, and its an interesting plot, but its overshadowed by the sheer wealth of “what if” questions that can be found within the book.
Doctorow’s future America is bleak, but utterly fascinating to read about. Obesity is cured, but unemployment is running rampid, the Internet is almost free, and new technologies are springing up all over the place.
Doctorow has a wonderful ear for language. His writing hops from formal to informal, contemplative to crude, all to serve the needs of the story.
Some of the politics lean a bit leftwards for my taste, but every issue is delt with in an intelligent fashion, so I can’t say that it bothered me too much.
His characters aren’t overshadowed by the idea’s they discuss but enlivened by them. They all felt real to me, and they act in ways true to life. You care what happens to them, and root for them against the odds, even sympathize with the antagonists.
If you’re looking for something new and different, a novel which breaks from most conventions of science fiction, then give the Maker’s a try. Its not an easy read, but I haven’t been so captivated by a novel like this in a long time.
author’s web site http://craphound.com/
yes, its seriously called that.

five out of five stars

2010
04/03
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suicide note.

April fools! Made you look, though. I think if I ever were goinng to commit suicide, I’d definetly do it on an April fools day, I mean, how shitty would people feel if they saw a suicide note and didn’t look at it for weeks? Wonder if anyones done that.

2010
04/01
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Book review Acceleration, Graham Mcnamee. chasing a killer while running from demons.

Acceleration, by Graham Mcnamee is a calmer read than one might expect from the summary. Duncan, a high school student, working a summer job at a lost and found, finds the misplaced diary of a serial killer and decides that he must stop him from killing. While its true the novel has its tense points, including one nail bighting scene where Duncan hides in a killing room, the book is much more contemplative than one might expect.
The books short, and in between its action set pieces, it moves languidly, giving the protagonist time to examine his perceived failures and the direction his life is currently taking. The novel jumps between these two plots, stopping a killer and worrying about things like college, an ex girlfriend, and a dead girl that Duncan worries he failed to save from drowning.
In addition, Duncan’s two friends, one a bit of a hoodlum, and the other a boy with a mutilated left arm, struggle with there own problems, brought to life by concise and vivid writing.
The novel is worth reading, as both a character study and as a thriller. If you’re looking for a quick read, go right ahead and buy this.
Author interview about Acceleration. http://www.booklounge.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440238362&view=auqa
amazon page for acceleration. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/191-7905910-2781413?qid=1270149078&a=0440238366&sr=8-1

3.5/5 stars

2010
04/01
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That crazy pope! My opinion of the catholic church drops to an alltime low as spattering of bullshit increases

in this reuters article, http://ow.ly/1tFpi the catholic church twists and turns more than Jesus must have while being hung up on the cross to try and spread the blame for the chronic abuse of helpless children farther than they’ve spread the gospil. Do we get humility from the Pope? Nope. Not at all, just a vatican insisting he’s emune from all criminal prosicution as a head of state. Disgusting. You better believe if Jesus was real he wouldn’t stand for bullshit like this.

2010
04/01
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can you solve this riddle?

I am slim and tall,
Many find me desirable and appealing.
They touch me and I give a false good feeling.
Once I shine in splendor,
But only once and then no more.
For many I am “to die for”.
What am I?

A

N

S

W

E

R

B
E
L
O

a cigarette
not that hard, but sort of clever.

2010
04/01
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the coolest kids on twitter, ten reasons why its a barren landscape of shit

I recently got twitter. Why, I don’t know, but its proven addictive. I’ve added pundits, comedians and friends to the list of people I follow and have been informed and amused, also have wasted a lot of time. I found a sight that lets me keep track of the most popular people on twitter, the sight shows who has the most followers, and the results are depressing. It seems that everyone who might have funny micro bursts to throw out onto the Internet isn’t actually popular.
The top ten list is as follows.
1. Ashton Kutcher. I was hoping this would be one of those things where I was shocked by how witty and interesting Kutcher’s life was through profound or funny tweets, but its not, just a bunch of confusing conversations with other people who I assume are famous and babble about earth hour. Yawn.
2. Britney Spears. Oh, god, Britany writing and sharing it with the public. I thought the few songs she helped write would have put an end to that idea. Maybe this way she won’t have another kid, she’ll be too busy trying to look up the definition of “the” in the dictionary.
3. The Ellen show. What, being live on TV every day for an hour isn’t good enough?
4. Barack Obama. You better have many more important things to do than tweet. Even a publicist should be doing something more worthwhile.
5. Lady Gaga. second person who isn’t straight on the top ten. Yayh diversity.
6. Oprah. More daytime TV on twitter. Jesus god.
7. Kim Kardashian. This makes sense. She needs to have a quick way of leaking the next sex tape as quick as possible. When you aren’t fucking on camera, what’s your job? What do you do? I care so little that I don’t even feel like wikipediaing it.
8. John Mayer. Stay out of my head, John!
9. Twitter. How medda.
10. Ryan Seacrest. Ah, the personification of douche.

Its a combination of high school, where the pretty people were most popular, and some sort of youth retreat, where people like Ellen and Oprah were popular for being nice. Oh, god, shoot me in the face.

2010
04/01
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this liberal’s heart has bled on my shoes

So I read this article in the Times yesterday, and I have to say, based on this that SANDEEP JAUHAR is one misguided person, can’t tell if that name is male or female. The articles linked if you want to read it, but I’ve excerpted the relevant points below.

“Why should we pick up the tab when so much disease in our country stems from unhealthy behavior like smoking and overeating?”
That’s a very good question. I would answer that we shouldn’t, but SANDEEP has other idea’s.

“personal responsibility is a complex notion, especially when it comes to health.”
First, putting health aside for a moment, personal responsibility is not a complex notion. You can choose to watch NBC or CBS, choose to do well in high school or flunk out. You can choose to buy paper plates or plastic plates. So, no, personal responsibility is not a complicated notion. But
S says its even more complicated when it comes to health, so lets see why.

“Unhealthy habits are one factor in disease, but so are social status, income, family dynamics, education and genetics.”
OK, one and a half of those is right. Genetics is beyond a persons control, and income, while not beyond a persons control can’t be fixed quickly enough to buy a medication that might be needed right away. Furthermore, the only actual factor which can be said to contribute to disease is genetics, unless the disease is scurvy and the reason for the scurvy is not being able to afford food.

“Patient noncompliance with medical recommendations undoubtedly contributes to poor health, but it is as much a function of poor communication, medication costs and side effects, cultural barriers and inadequate resources as it is of willful disregard of a doctor’s advice.”

Disregard of a doctors advice can only be willful. If you forget the advice, you call and ask for it again. If you, for whatever reason decide not to follow someone’s advice, that’s willfully disregarding it. Medication cost, that’s a fair point, but the rest of those reasons are codswollop.

“A few years ago surgeons in Melbourne, Australia, were refusing to provide heart and lung surgeries to smokers… the problem is that punitive measures to force healthy behavior do not usually work.
It’s the context of people’s lives that determines their health,’ said a World Health Organization report on health disparities. So blaming individuals for poor health or crediting them for good health is inappropriate.”
More bullshit. Lets take three causes of death. Heart disease, lung cancer, and some vague thing like old age. For the context of this conversation, lets say old age just means you die at about eighty-five and no one saw it coming because of some long term health issue.
If context dictates health, then everyone lacking money and education should die young and of the same thing, that is, everyone who you’d call conventionally stupid would smoke, or, if that’s overly simplistic, everyone who you would call stupid would smoke if their parents did. But neither of those things are true. Rich people smoke, poor people smoke. But all of those people know that smoking causes cancer, and they choose to do it anyway.

If context dictates health, then the most educated should be the most healthy. Not as a group, but as individuals. But that isn’t true. Not everyone at the gym has a college diploma, or a high school diploma for that matter. There are unhealthy doctors, and there are healthy people who work for Phillip Morris.
The reason I’m writing about this article is because its notions of personal responsibility are so crazily skewed. Everyone is responsible for there own actions. It doesn’t take very much to know that overeating causes one to get fat or that smoking causes cancer. As long as someone knows the risks of a behavior, then they and they alone are held responsible for the consequences of that risky behavior.

2010
03/31
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