This is an interesting book that I’m disappointed by only because it’s not the book I wanted to read. That is, not the author’s fault. An interesting, useful, book nonetheless.
(University of Chicago Press, 2015, trade paperback, 260pp)
Olson’s book is about narrative, and science — but only science in terms of writing paper abstracts and press releases. About telling the ‘story’ of new scientific results.
Two items today that fit neatly together. They are illustrations of demographic trends that seem always to align. Red states, religion, support for authoritarian politicians, disapproval of abortion, disapproval of certain books, distrust of science, and lack of social services. And higher death rates.
I’ve never belonged to any kind of reading club, or ‘book club’ in the sense of a group of people meeting every couple weeks to discuss a book they’ve all read. (A recent example in pop culture is the movie The Jane Austen Book Club, based on the novel by Karen Joy Fowler.) For one, I’ve never been a ‘joiner’ of clubs or groups. (In all the years I lived in Los Angeles, I never once visited LASFS, the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, which met weekly at a clubhouse in North Hollywood.) For another, I have lots of books to read on my own, too many to consider interrupting my plans for the agenda of some club or group.
Busy this afternoon with a long zoom meeting concerning a certain magazine and its future.
The meeting went longer than I’d thought.
For now, here’s a photo of a vintage car we saw a couple weeks ago on a walk through Shepherd’s Canyon, a bit north of us.
A collection of saves from the past two or three weeks. This first one has been around for a while, and of course speaks to the evidence of psychological studies…
In particular, about a GOP congressman’s hypocrisy concerning his son’s gay marriage, how the Republican witnesses at the Jan. 6th hearing abandoned their jobs only at the last possible minute, and how people in red states have a distorted view of life in blue states.
This is a 2019 book, self-published, subtitled “A Brazen Guide for Sane Americans to Bypass Trench Warfare and Win Our Life or Death Struggle for Civilization.” This is a book full of sound and fury, an expression of Brin’s rage and frustration at the current political situation. It’s derived largely from his blog, Contrary Brin, which has been running since 2004, and was put together in something of a rush apparently in order to be published before the 2020 election.
Imposter Christianity, imposter conclusions, imposter patriots, imposter politicians.
CNN, John Blake, 24 July 2022: An ‘imposter Christianity’ is threatening American democracy
A take on the obvious observation that so many Christians say they believe one thing while in fact doing exactly the opposite.
The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Fish, 21 July 2022: William Shatner Sounds Off on ‘Star Wars,’ Latest ‘Star Trek’ Shows During Lively Comic-Con Appearance
Heavy.com, Eric Pesola, 22 July 2022: Is Shatner right? Is Roddenberry ‘Turning In His Grave’ Over New ‘Star Trek?’
