Against the Machine... A review.

I have no intentions on sharing my book reviews as a common practice here, but this turned into a rant that I had to share.   Enjoy.  :)

The book was "Against The Machine - How the web is reshaping culture and commerce - And why it matters" by Lee Siegel.

"If you aren't looking for a rant, then here is my quick view... Read this book.

If you want the rant, please continue...

Before you look further at this review, please note that the below comments are not pointed at those of you who run video blogs or book reviews on YouTube... I am looking more at the lack of quality in the majority of what is out there... I will explain...

I have long believed that part of society's problems stem from the way kids are being "dumbed down". This is not to insult all the teenagers who are out there reading and making a difference. I am talking about the ones who mindlessly mill about on YouTube, watching videos of some idiot jumping off of his house and breaking a leg. This is today's entertainment. This is what our children are taking part in. It's a mad marketplace for who can outdo the last person and get the most page hits. (I know a 13 year old who has a steady income from their mash-up videos... I praise the ambition and use of technology, but I really never wanted to see 2-pac and Elvis in a duet.) This is the society we are bringing them in to.

What happened to books??? We are on one the great social sites in history as its focus is the written word. Other sites are secondary to me. I love the written word and crave the experience and knowledge it brings. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Epic Rap Battles and Bad Lip Reading and KEXP's concert series, but do we really need 10 people doing the same thing and then having it repeated by hundreds of others? No...

This is why this book appeals to me. I don't agree with every word, but he makes a great point. We have turned Self-Expression into a profitable business based on how many people "like" you... It's High School all over again. We thrive on ridiculous entertainment and skip all of the great knowledge that exists on the World Wide Web. 

The author attacks the Blogosphere as something that is completely against actual news and is more self indulgent. I disagree. As a blogger, I like being able to write some thoughts out there. If someone reads them and cares, cool. If not, also cool. I am sharing my struggle to write a book with world and if the only person that reads that is me, then it is. 

I see his points though. We really have become socially lazy. We don't go outside or walk around to meet people. We go to dating sites, which we are all happy about when we start talking to someone and then meet them and think, "This isn't who I was talking to." We don't mingle anymore. We base our popularity on how many friends we have online, not in real life. (I have over 800 friends on Facebook. With very few exceptions, these are people I have known in real life first. About 90% are from my time in the Army.) 

We share thoughts with people online and, in some strange way, experiences, but the veil of who I am online versus who I am in reality is up and firmly stuck in place. 

I think what I take away from this book more than anything is that we, as a society, suck at being ourselves and meeting people. Would it kill us to go out into the scary world and meet some people? No. Would it hurt us to abandon our YouTube channels. Maybe... (If that is your primary income then keep Vlogging.) 

Mr. Siegel and I see face to face on one main thing: We need to get out and experience life again.

This is an excellent, thought provoking read. Worth the time..."

Research and a trip to work... For no reason.

So I forgot that I switched days with a co-worker and went to work this morning.  I was my usual 2 1/2 hours early and sat out back reading Heinlein and making notes for the book.  At 11am, I went into work only to realize that I wasn't supposed to be there.  The next bus didn't leave until 2:45pm, so I did what any semi-strange, intellectual with a big mouth would do...  I went to the Library.

Checked out two books for research purposes and then came home to clean.

I will say this...  The nice part about a post-apocalyptic setting is that you can embellish a bit with future details, however the basis for how things happened needs to be based in strict scientific reality.  Thus more research ensues...

Joe

Edit...

RIP:  E.L. Doctorow   See NY Times link below...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/books/el-doctorow-author-of-historical-fiction-dies-at-84.html?_r=0

Short and sweet.

So a quick update.  

I've been researching various subjects, including the long term effects of nuclear fallout.  This is all part of my big push to write a multitude of short stories that interconnect with the main story.  So some stuff is happening. ;)

Reading Stranger in a Strange land. Great so far.  

Last thing.   Accidentally stabbed myself with a box cutter cutting down a re-shaped box at work.  (You can stop laughing now.)

Goodnight people. 

Joe

Thank you Stephen King!

I just wanted to share the review I put on Goodreads of Stephen King's On Writing....

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"Is there an expression that suits this better than, "WoW!"

I have read quite a few books on writing. Most are boring. Some are more like textbooks. Some promise instant riches. Very few make me want to write more or generally help me break through issues. I know of three such books that have done this for me. One is Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird which made me feel as though anyone with the right mindset and the willingness to put in the work, could be a good writer. The second is Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing, which inspired me to explore unknown worlds and challenged me to write even more. Third... Well, then cam Mr. King...

Stephen King has always been somebody I admired. Whether for his writing or for the movie adaptations of his writing or his brief cameos in all of those movies, Mr. King is an inspiration. He comes from humble roots, has struggled to make ends meet and never forgets where he came from. He wrote one of my all time favorite novels, The Stand, and two of my all time favorite movies are based on his work, Misery and The Shining. (I know Mr. King was actually not a fan of the Jack Nicholson adaptation of The Shining, but damn was Nicholson awesome...) And let's not forget Shawshank!!! The man is a legend, so when he speaks about writing, you listen...

This book is a complete reversal of every other writing book out there. There is no cheering section and writing exercises. (Well, maybe two exercises...) This is a no bullshit, welcome to my life, story telling workshop with the Grand Master himself. He doesn't try to sell you on anything, he just puts it how he sees it. Whether you agree with him or not, he tells it how he feels it. 

No matter what, there are two rules:
1 - Read a lot. (41 so far this year. He suggests around 80 a year...)
2 - Write a lot. (Need to work on this myself...)

I personally see this as a must have for anyone wanting to write for a living. It is full of great advice and resources for new writers. Part story of the man, all story! Great, amazing, fantastic book!"
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So yes...  I loved it...

More notes made for Epic story....  Little by little.

Ok, off to bed with me.   (Hahaha...  Like I can sleep!)

Joe

Revisiting an old friend... a.k.a. an old story...

So I printed all of my notes for my massive Post-Apocalyptic epic.  Keep in mind that this has been developing for just over five years.  I started putting this together in Afghanistan in 2010 under the direct influence of Fallout 3 (Thank you Bethesda!) as well as the band Coheed & Cambria.  (The story of Claudio Sanchez developing an entire world through their music was mind-numbing.)

This story has been on again, off again for five long years...

So here we are again.  This time, I am looking to study my notes and write short stories about the people, events, places and things involved in the story.  The goal is to weave these together at some future point, creating a cohesive book...  At least this is what I got from Brian Herbert's advice.

Hopefully, I will stick to it...  This could be the way forward.

SNHU should kick off around the end of September.  This means I will be in classes that will force me to write.  If given any free reign, I will develop the story throughout my classes and submit the pieces for review...  ;)

Finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  Pretty damn awesome book.

Started Stephen King's book, On Writing....  :)

And now a song that's in my head...

"Been talking about the way things change,
And my family lives in a different state,
And if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate,
So if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate..."

Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart

Goodnight people.

Joe

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier in the morning before the bus ride.  

More reading and other fun stuff...

So I finished my 39th book of the year (and incidentally 16th Kurt Vonnegut novel overall) this morning.  I also started Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" this afternoon.  I've been reading a lot and my Goodreads account is faithfully following along.

I still think Goodreads is the best social media site ever.  The fact that you can interact with people, but most of us ignore each other for the books, is phenomenal.

Work is nuts...  Had some crazy and rude people over the last few days.   It makes for interesting writing material...  Speaking of which....

So I was on the bus, heading to work.  An old man who I had seen multiple times before was already on board and the driver had just stepped out to stretch.  The old man sat quietly and then calmly said to nobody, "Well, it's gonna be our time to die pretty soon..."   I don't think he even knew I was there and I was so taken aback that I couldn't even say anything.  I just watched him with a sad curiosity.

During the ride, the old man started having an outward but silent argument with someone.  He waved his fingers and made fists in the air while he mounted a verbal assault on the ears of no-one that could hear him.  This continued sporadically throughout the bus ride.  Punching the seat with little to no force, he stated some very harsh words in imperceptible grunts.

I couldn't help but to feel sad for this man...  He may have relived some of his life while at the same time accepting his mortality.  Intense stuff...

Hopefully he is still around for a bit.  

Hopefully I take a lesson and get off of my third point of contact to write...

We will see...

Joe

New fire, a bus ride and the future...

So, I have been toying around with the advice given to me by author Brain Herbert.  When I asked him some weeks ago, "How do I stop myself from writing and then hating what I wrote halfway through?", he responded, "Start with short stories and build it from there."   This is pure genius.

So with that, I have been panning through my old notes for my massive Post-Apocalyptic 3-4 book novel that I had started 3-4 years ago.  Now, I am looking at it with renewed vigor.  The places I can go with the multitude of short stories is staggering.   Let's see how this goes...

On the bus today, two people who link up on the bus every few days or so, met again today.  Both are around 18 and male.  One is a "MMA" fighter in training and the other just wrecked his 10 speed.  The conversation, which I tried desperately to ignore, was something like this...

"Bro, it was a gnarly hill."
"Yeah, I bet.  That place is hella sketchy."
"Yeah, I so wiped it at the bottom.  I was covered in blood."
"You could've died bro...  Heh, heh."
"Heh, heh...  Yeah..."

The MMA guy then went on to advise the other with a tale of why not to drop acid and then drive 10 miles.  

Needless to say, the collective IQ of the remaining passengers had dropped at least 60 points prior to the MMA guy leaving.   If these teenagers are our future, then we are screwed...

The future is perking up some.  Or at least it will be shortly.  Things are happening that I will speak of later, with one exception.  I am enrolling in school again so that I can get my BA in English finally.  Yay...  Go Me.   ;)

Finished Poetics by Aristotle and Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke this morning.  I was then sad because that was the only two books I had brought to work.  Nothing for my break or the ride home...  :(

Anyway...   Goodnight peoples.

Joe

And then there's this...

So I have been reading more than writing.  I know...  Sad.  Good.  Weird.   Don't know where the funk is coming from.  Maybe it is lack of sleep...  Maybe stress...  Working a retail job with my background is not exactly glorious and I am still on the hunt for new employment.  I keep pushing...

Maybe I can find something writing...  Maybe...

Think I'm going back to college again.   Probably online this time.  English degree is in my sights.

Finished Vonnegut's Player Piano.  Fantastic, of course.  Makes you re-look at humanity.

Working on Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End.  

Final Fantasy XII is still being a pain and interrupting writing time.  As is reading.   As is stressing.

Something's gotta give, right?

Goodreads is still my favorite Social Media site.  

There is a Beer called "Hoppy Bitch" that I tried tonight.  4 of 5 stars!  It was delicious.  Very hoppy as would be expected by its name.

I guess that's it.   Just trying to find some light at the tunnel's end and feeling like the tunnel is caving in...

Push forward, right?  I will...

Joe

Writing, Hunting, etc...

So it's been a couple of days since I last worked on the story.  This happens from time to time.  You get fueled, fire forth and then sputter around for a few days.  After it kicks back in and off we go....

I have been reading like crazy.  In the last five days I have finished:

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuinn
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

Currently I'm working on Vonnegut's Player Piano.

I am also hunting for a way to write and make a living.  That hunt is interesting.  I think I misspelled "doesn't" on the last cover letter.  (I'm pretty sure I put "Dosen't".)  I am guessing the irony alone will keep me from that job.  Who knows, maybe they will think it's funny.

Back to hunting...

Joe

Another quick one.

Up to 46 pages today.  Moving at a decent pace.  I swear I will post something more blog like shortly.  

By the way, things went well today.  

Joe

The Head And The Heart is still amazing.  

Quick update...

39 pages and counting.   Short update.  Long day tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

Joe