THE DAY
Other than work and walking around with a head filled with cotton, not a lot happened today. I haven’t made much time to look at news–or it might be that there’s almost nothing going on in the world today that really either piques my curiosity or truly surprises me. Uhm . . . wait, let me see . . . random bits and pieces . . . well, look at that: finally, a poll suggests Republicans are embarrassed by their party. About time. I’m not a Republican, and I’ve been embarrassed by this guy for months. So, no surprise, I guess, unless you count the machinations Republicans on the Hill are going through right now to try and find reasons to support this candidate who is completely unfit to be president. (Don’t believe me; go read David Brooks. He says it better, anyway.)
Let’s see what else. Oh, well, this is interesting: James Patterson wants to make books even shorter for people who don’t like to read. I wish the guy a lot of luck; I really do. He already sells gamillions; he’s got a stable of writers (and good for him, really). I personally don’t like his style at this point, though I thought his early Alex Cross books were quite good. But now I can’t read him because he–and a lot of thriller writers who have followed in his footsteps–have not only winnowed the narratives until they’re razor-thin, they are virtually only plot-driven (so how he thinks he would winnow that further, I don’t know; you can go through an entire Patterson book and not know what someone looks like). I also have trouble with the choppiness of his writing. Every “chapter” is really just a scene. So instead of those little asterisks or ### to signal a scene change, you get a new chapter, like, every three pages. I can never settle into a rhythm (and forget listening). In the end, what I think he’s doing is returning to the practice of making chapbooks for adults. He’ll find a readership
I’ll tell you what really surprised me, though it happened last night: Wisconsin’s buzzer beater, pulling it out in the last two seconds last night of a game that they really ought to have lost (because, c’mon, they hadn’t made virtually any three-pointers for the whole bloody game) shocked my socks off.
Does Wisconsin really deserve to be in the Sweet Sixteen this year? I don’t know; the team isn’t as good as last year’s, but this is a game where seconds matter and they got this far before pulling it out. So we’ll see. I honestly don’t think they’re going to beat Notre Dame. OTOH, Notre Dame won their game by a point…so I guess anything can happen.
Once March Madness is over, though . . . the drought between now and football starting up again stretches loooong.
On another note, the husband and I were talking about the whole election cycle thing, just in terms of whether the season is too long or if parliamentary systems that other countries have are somehow better because the uncertainty in terms of elections is shorter. The government dissolves; people campaign; people vote. Sometimes you have enough votes for a majority; sometimes you have to form a coalition. It’s always seemed a tenuous way to run a government, but these parliaments have been around for a long time, and it certainly makes it easier to throw the bounders out.
But the husband had an interesting take. In his eyes, the lengthy process allows for people to really get to know (and get tired of) politicians, and he thinks that’s better. He’s probably got a good point. I can be as reflective and considered as the next person, but my nature is to jump in, do something, move on. It’s probably why I really enjoyed and did so well in the ER, and would have likely ended up as an ER doc if that had been a specialty back when in the Dark Ages when I trained. (It wasn’t. Only PAs could choose an ER track. If you wanted to do ER as a doc, you had to either finish an internal medicine residency or general surgery. That’s cool . . . but, honestly, ER is its own beast, as residencies have finally figured out.)
So maybe this means that if Trump is elected–boy, does that send a shiver down my spine because I’m assuming he’s the nominee (I feel the same shiver if we get Cruz)–I should look for countries with parliamentary systems. Hmm . . . Australia looks good.
And, yes, worked on an outline. Still doing a lot of reading for the other. That’s okay, but I have this feeling that I will finish one first and start that book while I outline this one. You know, so long as I’m writing something . . .
WRITING OUT LOUD
DEAD MOUNTAIN (placeholder title)
Day 1: 1500 (outline)
Day 2: 0 (outline)
Day 3: 0 (outline)
Day 4: 0 (outline)
Day 5: 0 (outline; soon, I swear, soon.)
Day 6: 0 (yeah, yeah, yeah; articles)
Day 7: 0 (articles; it’s okay)
Day 8: o (ditto)
UNTITLED SF BOOK
(Previously had 1500 in outline)
Day 1: 2400 (outline)
Day 2: 2400 (outline)
Day 3: 2000 (outline)
Day 4: 2000 (outline)
Day 5: 0 (Nu, I was busy)
Day 6: 2400
Blog Post: 960
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What I’m Watching:
Nothing. Swam.
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What I’m Reading:
A chapter on SCRU (the NPS’s Submerged Cultural Resources Unit; i.e., they’re an elite underwater archaeology team, which is so totally cool, I can’t even begin to describe it). An article on Chinatown’s human trafficking in sex slaves, and then the beginning of a very interesting book on the intersection between Ojibwe religion and Catholicism. All fodder and grist for that proverbial mill, really.
***
What I’m Listening to:
No audiobooks, but a very nice Big Band station. Just in the mood.
Now, if only my cold would go AWAY.
