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Thursday, October 19, 2006
Falling in
I just visited William Gibson's blog for the first time, a move inspried by my ever-growing adoration for his books in general and Pattern Recognition in particular.
For those of you who are unaware, Gibson is my Woodstock. Well, something like that anyway. His novel, Neuromancer, was the first to win all three major sci-fi awards: the Hugo, the Nebula and the Philip K. Dick. It is also my favourite book of all time, bar none.
The best part about liking Gibson is that while I might genuinely believe that nothing will ever make me feel as charged and excited as I was when reading Neuromancer for the first time [a feeling only slightly diminished after the 20th reading], his other novels don't dissapoint. They live up to the hype, with various degrees of sucess.
Take Count Zero for instance. Jesse [McWaters] and I still quote random passages of that to each other. Entire paragraphs, even. A section of sky detached itself from the perfect bowl of the airport ceiling... [I think that's how it goes. I think I left my copy in Montreal, and have been hunting for a new one ever since].
I'm writing about all this because I think Gibson reveals a lot about me. I like reading / books / literature a lot. Why and how does he make such an impression?
I wonder if it has something to do with when the novel was published. I was just beginning to become aware in 1984, and I've notice that things (songs, images, even furniture) from that time evoke a disproportionately strong feeling of happiness. Edie Brickel and the New Bohemians make me happy, even when they're singing about junkies.
Anyway, all this adoration has led to some transference / attachment, of the variety usually reserved for music and video stars. I wonder if Gibson likes the Be Good Tanyas? I'll be he does, and if we ever met, he would like me too.
For those of you who are unaware, Gibson is my Woodstock. Well, something like that anyway. His novel, Neuromancer, was the first to win all three major sci-fi awards: the Hugo, the Nebula and the Philip K. Dick. It is also my favourite book of all time, bar none.
The best part about liking Gibson is that while I might genuinely believe that nothing will ever make me feel as charged and excited as I was when reading Neuromancer for the first time [a feeling only slightly diminished after the 20th reading], his other novels don't dissapoint. They live up to the hype, with various degrees of sucess.
Take Count Zero for instance. Jesse [McWaters] and I still quote random passages of that to each other. Entire paragraphs, even. A section of sky detached itself from the perfect bowl of the airport ceiling... [I think that's how it goes. I think I left my copy in Montreal, and have been hunting for a new one ever since].
I'm writing about all this because I think Gibson reveals a lot about me. I like reading / books / literature a lot. Why and how does he make such an impression?
I wonder if it has something to do with when the novel was published. I was just beginning to become aware in 1984, and I've notice that things (songs, images, even furniture) from that time evoke a disproportionately strong feeling of happiness. Edie Brickel and the New Bohemians make me happy, even when they're singing about junkies.
Anyway, all this adoration has led to some transference / attachment, of the variety usually reserved for music and video stars. I wonder if Gibson likes the Be Good Tanyas? I'll be he does, and if we ever met, he would like me too.
# posted by Spot @ 3:40 p.m.
0 comments
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Where the love goes
I've been thinking a lot about long term relationships lately, for a variety of reasons. A few close friends have been breaking up, which brings up the inevitable "Why? Why? Why?". I think it's important to deflect this painful question to the more constructive "What next?", but in the quiet that follows I have to admit: it's a good question to ask.
I still don't know why my first committed relationship didn't work. Why indeed? The dumped face an icky dichotomy:
In some ways it's easier to believe I'm the problem: at least I have some control over me.
Getting past all that bitterness and drama, I think it's important to think about this stuff even when you're sailing smooth seas. Right now I'm trying to develop a marriage that I hope will last a lifetime. With so few good contemporaneous relationships to look to, it's difficult to figure out what qualities I should be developing or emulating.
It's sort of similar to my last post, actually. I know a good marriage [like a good budget] will require sacrifices, I just don't know which ones to make. And you only get to do this once.
I wish life were more like Knights of the Old Republic. I'd save every time I have to make a decision.
Non Sequiters are my speciality :)
I still don't know why my first committed relationship didn't work. Why indeed? The dumped face an icky dichotomy:
- I wasn't sexy / smart / independent / dependent or rich enough, or
- I'm fine, they're scum... and I feel in love with them.
In some ways it's easier to believe I'm the problem: at least I have some control over me.
Getting past all that bitterness and drama, I think it's important to think about this stuff even when you're sailing smooth seas. Right now I'm trying to develop a marriage that I hope will last a lifetime. With so few good contemporaneous relationships to look to, it's difficult to figure out what qualities I should be developing or emulating.
It's sort of similar to my last post, actually. I know a good marriage [like a good budget] will require sacrifices, I just don't know which ones to make. And you only get to do this once.
I wish life were more like Knights of the Old Republic. I'd save every time I have to make a decision.
Non Sequiters are my speciality :)
# posted by Spot @ 5:44 p.m.
0 comments
Monday, October 16, 2006
Itchy feet
I'm nostalgic for Hong Kong this morning. My family went over in 2002 to visit Emilie: it was the best family vacation we've ever had.
I miss it, even though I was only there for maybe 7 days. I think I want to travel again.
It got me thinking, when will I do that again? When I'm being self-indulgent I dream about honeymooning in Paris - I really love that city. But maybe Hong Kong would be even better.
And maybe I should pay off my student loans before even thinking about spending that kind of money.
It's a tough reasoning process. I can be quite responsible: Dad was so thrilled when I went to McGill: he budgeted 10K a year for tuition + living expenses, and I came in well under that. No shopping and no travel.
Now I think that might've been a responsible time, but I might've missed something important. I'm capable of making sacrifices, but how can you be sure it's worth it? In 10 years, will I remember our honeymoon in Paris [or HK], or will I remember paying off my loans?
Well, the budget will dictate. For the record though, debt is the worst thing ever. Once you're spending more than you make, what's the difference?
In other news, my feet were actually, physically itchy when I started the post. I think it's psychosomatic. Our cat Sookie has been behaving oddly this past little while: she woudn't stop grooming an area at the base of her tail, to the point where she was getting a little bald spot. Last night we discovered what might be ticks.
As Dan put it last night, removing ticks from a dog is about 1000 times easier. We didn't have any luck getting them off of her and she's still pissed at us. Now I'm worried about ticks.
My feet itch.
I miss it, even though I was only there for maybe 7 days. I think I want to travel again.
It got me thinking, when will I do that again? When I'm being self-indulgent I dream about honeymooning in Paris - I really love that city. But maybe Hong Kong would be even better.
And maybe I should pay off my student loans before even thinking about spending that kind of money.
It's a tough reasoning process. I can be quite responsible: Dad was so thrilled when I went to McGill: he budgeted 10K a year for tuition + living expenses, and I came in well under that. No shopping and no travel.
Now I think that might've been a responsible time, but I might've missed something important. I'm capable of making sacrifices, but how can you be sure it's worth it? In 10 years, will I remember our honeymoon in Paris [or HK], or will I remember paying off my loans?
Well, the budget will dictate. For the record though, debt is the worst thing ever. Once you're spending more than you make, what's the difference?
In other news, my feet were actually, physically itchy when I started the post. I think it's psychosomatic. Our cat Sookie has been behaving oddly this past little while: she woudn't stop grooming an area at the base of her tail, to the point where she was getting a little bald spot. Last night we discovered what might be ticks.
As Dan put it last night, removing ticks from a dog is about 1000 times easier. We didn't have any luck getting them off of her and she's still pissed at us. Now I'm worried about ticks.
My feet itch.
# posted by Spot @ 9:38 a.m.
0 comments
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Birthday... of Death!
Ahhhh! Did I miss Arran's birthday?
Ever notice how birthdays pile up? My mom reminded me on Wednesday that I've missed one grandmother's birthday and was about to miss another. Have I missed more?
Probably. Well, definitely, considering how often I send birthday cards [twice a year. Mom and Dad]. What, you mean all my other friends were born on particular days too?
I get resentful when I think about this stuff. It's like the great gotcha of the relationship. But actually I'm really angry at myself. Come on girl, get it together.
Maybe I can just send a bulk mailing to everyone all at once. A very happy un-birthday to you. Yeah, and it'll be better than if you had sent it on their birthday because it would be unexpected.
With creative thinking like thise, who needs to be considerate?
Ever notice how birthdays pile up? My mom reminded me on Wednesday that I've missed one grandmother's birthday and was about to miss another. Have I missed more?
Probably. Well, definitely, considering how often I send birthday cards [twice a year. Mom and Dad]. What, you mean all my other friends were born on particular days too?
I get resentful when I think about this stuff. It's like the great gotcha of the relationship. But actually I'm really angry at myself. Come on girl, get it together.
Maybe I can just send a bulk mailing to everyone all at once. A very happy un-birthday to you. Yeah, and it'll be better than if you had sent it on their birthday because it would be unexpected.
With creative thinking like thise, who needs to be considerate?
# posted by Spot @ 11:32 a.m.
0 comments
Monday, October 02, 2006
I get by with a little help from my friends
Thanks go out to Eddie without whom I might never known the terrible Sailor Moon truth. At a moment when I was desperate for some procrastination, Eddie and YouTube came through. As a recovering Moonie, this is exactly the sort of relapse I needed.
Relapses are good when you're preparing for a very public mock trial, aka the Smith Shield. It's funny - the more I watched the first season of Sailor Moon, the more I identified with Usagi/Serena. Here I was, faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable factum (legal writing, ugh), and instead of working diligently I was... watching anime. Plop two ondango on my head, film me as I come tearing around the corner (late for class again) and you've got an episode right there.
Anyway, the factum's in. And I'm much happier now. It's nice to still be "good" at something, even in law school. Life lesson: the further up the ladder you go, the more mediocre you start to feel. When everyone else in your class is bursting with brains, your own smarts become less and less noteworthy. Thankfully, Mr. Kyte and room 104 come through, even seven years after the fact.
Speaking of which, guess who's co-coaching the Jr. High Sacred Heart Boys this year? Yours truly. It's more fun than I thought - they're just starting out, but they're really interested. They don't meet that often, so it's not much of a time commitment. And it feels suprisingly good to be doing something gratis. I volunteer lots, but it's always on school/career related stuff. Not exactly for the good of the community. This is something that I can honestly say I didn't do for myself. Horray.
PS: if you're in Halifax on Wednesday, you can/should come to the Smith Shield. It's open to the public, and we're going drinking after: you can't go wrong!
Relapses are good when you're preparing for a very public mock trial, aka the Smith Shield. It's funny - the more I watched the first season of Sailor Moon, the more I identified with Usagi/Serena. Here I was, faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable factum (legal writing, ugh), and instead of working diligently I was... watching anime. Plop two ondango on my head, film me as I come tearing around the corner (late for class again) and you've got an episode right there.
Anyway, the factum's in. And I'm much happier now. It's nice to still be "good" at something, even in law school. Life lesson: the further up the ladder you go, the more mediocre you start to feel. When everyone else in your class is bursting with brains, your own smarts become less and less noteworthy. Thankfully, Mr. Kyte and room 104 come through, even seven years after the fact.
Speaking of which, guess who's co-coaching the Jr. High Sacred Heart Boys this year? Yours truly. It's more fun than I thought - they're just starting out, but they're really interested. They don't meet that often, so it's not much of a time commitment. And it feels suprisingly good to be doing something gratis. I volunteer lots, but it's always on school/career related stuff. Not exactly for the good of the community. This is something that I can honestly say I didn't do for myself. Horray.
PS: if you're in Halifax on Wednesday, you can/should come to the Smith Shield. It's open to the public, and we're going drinking after: you can't go wrong!
# posted by Spot @ 10:22 a.m.
0 comments
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