New Phil Henry album!

You like music? Then you'll love these guys. 8 days left to get in on this already fully funded Kickstarter. Just visit

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/philhenry/phil-henry-macguffin?ref=discovery&term=Phil%20henry 

and let the good times roll.

As of 9:46 pm EST June 19th, 2023

 

Interesting. Well...to me. Why do The French like me so much? I've not written extensively about the place...and those Braudel entries only garnered about 100 hits apiece, so it's not that. 

And the word "Singapore" has only appeared twice in my 1,820 published posts, yet I seem to have a pretty good following there. (Especially as of late, with 1.18K hits courtesy of Singapore in the last 7 day--to which I say, "Terima kasih." Or maybe "谢谢." Or "Romba Nandri". "Alamak!"???)

At any rate, it's nice to know that some of the messages I've scrawled, stuffed into bottles, and pitched into the ocean have found haven on far off shores. It's not the writing life I've been dreaming of for the past 50+ years...but at least it's something.

谢谢

It's Alright, Ma, I'm Only Reading

"Some men...believe that if they only insist loudly enough and long enough, the obvious will retreat and the impossible will somehow come into being."

Fantastic Voyage 2: Destination Brain by Isaac Asimov

ADDENDUM 

This just in--same book:

"His ambition consumes him and if extremism will advance his plans, then he is prepared to be an extremist."

DDR: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Volume I:  27 + 534 = 561 

Volume II:  5 + 500 = 505

Grand Total: 1,606 pages

And hey...that's longer than Bleak House! Looks like a good 53 days' worth, give or take.

So let's go.

Day 1 (DDRD 2,048) June 10, 2023

Read to page 5. And for the first time (and keeping in mind that this is my 31st Volume) I read an Introduction that was intelligent, informative, and which didn't insult Dickens. Thank you, Lionel Trilling. I was so imoressed, in fact, that I requested one of Mr. Trilling's books--The Liberal Imagination--from the library.

As for this Introduction... Trilling made reference to a drawing used as a Frontispiece for Freud's Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis which sounded interesting, and since this is the 21st Century I was able to find it in just a few seconds:

Yet another example of why we need properly annotated versions of Dickens' books.

Also in the Introduction, Lionel Trilling has this to say: "...what for Dickens is the guardian of love in society, art." (XV) That seems pretty fucking profound to me.

BTW: Just calculated that including Little Dorrit, I now have 3,477 pages of Dickens left to read. If I keep to my current 30 pages a day rate, that means I will finish in 116 days...which is well before the end of the year. Woo hoo. If I had the energy, I'd go back and figure out how many Dickens pages I've read so far...but I don't. 

Maybe mañana.

Day 2 (DDRD 2,049) June 11, 2023

Read to page 35. Sorry to say that I haven't gotten into this one yet, but there was this: 

"...blustering assertion goes for proof, half over the world." (13)

<coughTRUMPcough>

Day 3 (DDRD 2,050) June 12, 2023

Read to page 67. Was aiming for 70, but had an accidental THC intake which made it impossible to read. No, really. It was an accident.

At any rate...I got caught up in the storyworks today. For one thing, we met Little Dorrit(around page 50), and she's an interesting character. Not, as I assumed, a child, but a young woman (early 20s) who is very short. And shy--won't eat in front of others, for instance.

Some other Dickens Fun:

When describing a rather ancient bed, Dickens observes that it is "a bedstead with four bare atomies of posts, each terminating in a spike, as if for the dismal accommodation of lodgers who might prefer to impale themselves."

And speaking of furniture...there's also this:

"The furniture, at once spare and lumbering, hid in the rooms rather than furnished them...."

Oh, Charlie Dickens...you so funny!

Day 4 (DDRD 2,051) June 13, 2023

Read to page 100. Getting to know Little Dorrit, getting to know all about her."

Day 5 (DDRD 2,052) June 14, 2023

Read to page 130.

Day 6 (DDRD 2,053) June 15, 2023

Read to page 170. Encountered--not for the first time--the word "bran-new." And overcame my laziness to see what Merriam-Webster had to say about that. Turns out that it is (or was) an acceptable variation of "brand-new," which was derived from the idea of a "brand," a piece of wood afire, and something being newly drawn from a forge. Hot stuff, eh? You can read the whole story at 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-history-brand-new#:~:text=Brand%2Dnew%20has%20been%20used,a%20piece%20of%20burning%20wood.

Day 7 (DDRD 2,054) June 16, 2023

Read to page 200. Some pretty slow bits here...but it picked up at the end, which makes me want to read a few more pages.

Day 8 (DDRD 2,055) June 17, 2023

Read to page 232.

Day 9 (DDRD 2,056) June 18, 2023

Read to page 260. Y'know, seems like this story drags a bit when Little Dorrit isn't on stage. Fortunately she's on stage much of the time.

ADDENDUM: Church. Early. 280.

Day 10 (DDRD 2,057) June 19, 2023

Read to page 310. You know, it strikes me that the non-Little Dorrit portions of this book are kin of like an inferior version of Bleak House. That's not good.

Day 11 (DDRD 2,058) June 20, 2023

Read to page 340. Y'know, it's been a shitty day, so maybe I should refrain from any judgmental statements for awhile...but as much as I love Dickens (and the character of Little Dorrit), I am beginning to fear that this book is not very good. And perhaps worse than that: that it might be boring. Say it ain't so, Jim. Say it's just collateral damage from the shitstorm. Say tomorrow's going to be a better day....

Day 12 (DDRD 2,059) June 21, 2023

Read to page 370.

And I have now concluded that my initial assessment was correct: this novel is boring. Strange, though, in that I looked up some online reviews, and they all sang the novel's praises, some saying it was amongst Dickens' best. Then I Googled "Little Dorrit Dickens boring," and found some kindred spirits: "The account of the Barnacle family going round and round in circles, producing nothing but red tape, became excruciatingly boring." (https://booksplease.org/2021/12/20/little-dorrit-by-charles-dickens/)  So there's that, at least. Now there's just this little matter of 1,250 more pages to read....

Did Dickens invent stream of consciousness? Check this out:

"‘Really so sorry that I should happen to be late on this morning of all mornings because my intention and my wish was to be ready to meet you when you came in and to say that any one that interested Arthur Clennam half so much must interest me and that I gave you the heartiest welcome and was so glad, instead of which they never called me and there I still am snoring I dare say if the truth was known and if you don’t like either cold fowl or hot boiled ham which many people don’t I dare say besides Jews and theirs are scruples of conscience which we must all respect though I must say I wish they had them equally strong when they sell us false articles for real that certainly ain’t worth the money I shall be quite vexed,’ said Flora." (347-348)

Day 13 (DDRD 2,060) June 22, 2023

Read to page 400.

On page 387, Dickens introduces a character named Refrigerator...who makes things turn very cold. Say what??? I'm pretty sure that electric kitchen appliances didn't come in until the 1900s, so...wuzzup?  Well, A quick Google reveals this:

refrigerate (v.)

1530s, "to cool, make cool," a back-formation from refrigeration, or else from Latin refrigeratus, past participle of refrigerare "make cool or cold." Related: Refrigerated; refrigerating. Earlier words in the sense of "to make cold, to cool" were infrigiden, infrigidate (both early 15c.). Middle English had refroiden "to cool" (anger), mid-15c., from Old French refroider.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/refrigerator

So there it is. And yet another reason this book begs to be annotated.

Day 14 (DDRD 2,061) June 23, 2023

Read to page 433...which means a mere 100 pages to go in Volume I. 

Day 15 (DDRD 2,062) June 24, 2023

Read to page 460. A real slog today.

Day 16 (DDRD 2,063) June 25, 2023

Read to page 490. You know, I've been thinking about Thomas Pynchon lately. In my early days...last year of high school and shortly thereafter...I went through The Crying of Lot 49, V., Gravity is Rainbow, and a bit of Slow Learner before I pooped out, but I never lost interest in him, and have often thought about having another go at his work. Maybe The Complete Works of Thomas Pynchon would be a fitting successor to The Complete Works of Charles Dickens. I guess it's a bad sign that I'm thinking about this when I still have a half-dozen Dickens volumes to go, but...well, Little Dorrit is not a thrill a minute. I'm ready for something else...but unfortunately I'm not even halfway through this thing at the moment. Sigh.

Day 17 (DDRD 2,064) June 26, 2023

Read to page 520. A slog. But tomorrow ill finish this Volume, and then there are only 505 pages (17 days) standing between me and A Tale of Two Cities.

More stream of consciousness before there was stream of consciousness * :

Flora’s tenderness was quite overcome by this, and she launched out among the cups and saucers into a wonderful flow of tears and speech.

‘I declare,’ she sobbed, ‘I never was so cut up since your mama and my papa not Doyce and Clennam for this once but give the precious little thing a cup of tea and make her put it to her lips at least pray Arthur do, not even Mr F.‘s last illness for that was of another kind and gout is not a child’s affection though very painful for all parties and Mr F. a martyr with his leg upon a rest and the wine trade in itself inflammatory for they will do it more or less among themselves and who can wonder, it seems like a dream I am sure to think of nothing at all this morning and now Mines of money is it really, but you must know my darling love because you never will be strong enough to tell him all about it upon teaspoons, mightn’t it be even best to try the directions of my own medical man for though the flavour is anything but agreeable still I force myself to do it as a prescription and find the benefit, you’d rather not why no my dear I’d rather not but still I do it as a duty, everybody will congratulate you some in earnest and some not and many will congratulate you with all their hearts but none more so I do assure you from the bottom of my own I do myself though sensible of blundering and being stupid, and will be judged by Arthur not Doyce and Clennam for this once so good-bye darling and God bless you and may you be very happy and excuse the liberty, vowing that the dress shall never be finished by anybody else but shall be laid by for a keepsake just as it is and called Little Dorrit though why that strangest of denominations at any time I never did myself and now I never shall!’

*  Little Dorrit: 1855 - 1857, Ulysses: 1920

Day 18 (DDRD 2,065) June 27, 2023

Read to page 534 (14 pages), which is the end of Volume 1. Something happened in the last part of this Volume which completely inverts the plot...and the characters as well, especially as one humble and sweet character seems to be instantly transformed into a snobby asshole. Might bode well (as in less sloggy) for Volume II. Might not, too, though.

Read to page 12 (17 pages) in Volume II. Actually this seems to be off to a decent start. Here's hoping that holds true.

Day 19 (DDRD 2,066) June 28, 2023

 

Read to page 51. A few extra pages today. In part because I was sitting in a waiting room for a bit, but--dare I say it?--I think in part because Volume II doesn't suck as much as Volume I. Knock wood, of course.

Oh, and this--

"...it seemed to her as of those visions of mountains and picturesque countries might melt away at any moment...." (41)

                       --actually made me feel like going back to work on my last attempted novel for a few minutes.

Sigh.

Day 20 (DDRD 2,067) June 29, 2023

 

Read to page 85.

And still a distinct lack of suck. Also, here's a bit which amused me: 

'I think, father, I require a little time.’

‘Papa is a preferable mode of address,’ observed Mrs General. ‘Father is rather vulgar, my dear. The word Papa, besides, gives a pretty form to the lips. Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes, and prism are all very good words for the lips: especially prunes and prism. You will find it serviceable, in the formation of a demeanour, if you sometimes say to yourself in company—on entering a room, for instance—Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes and prism, prunes and prismin

ADDENDUM: Read to page 95. Which I only mention because it looks like I'm back to squeezing in some extra pages, which seems like a good sign.

Day 21 (DDRD 2,068) June 30, 2023

 

Read to page 130. Hopefully it's just a bit of a lull, but this chunk of pages was very slow.

I've been thinking about the Kafka and Dickens book I bought some one ago, which I pulled out to read at some point in the near future. When I bought it, I didn't see what these two fellers could possibly have in common, but now I'm thinking that between Bleak House's court of law and this book's Circumlocution Office, we co indeed have something akin to the mysterious bureaucracies of The Trial  and The Castle.

Day 22 (DDRD 2,069) July 1, 2023

 

Read to page 161. Was actually going to read a little more, but got stoned instead. (Heh, heh: I got Stoned and I Missed It.")

Day 23 (DDRD 2,070) July 2, 2023

 

Read to page 190.  Uh-oh. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it was just a lapse on Dickens' part. But Today's Thirty was decidedly terrible, horrible, no good, very bad.

Day 24 (DDRD 2,071) July 3, 2023

 

Read to page 260. Which is a lot of pages (70). Unfortunately it's indicative of the vast amount of Wait Time that I had today, not an up shift in quality. No, it's still THNGVB, alas.

But on the bright side (I always look on the bright side of life), I did pass the halfway point today.

Oh, just realized that I forgot (and wanted to keep) this: 

"I am not in the way of knowing much that passes outside this room, and the jingle of little worldly things beyond it does not much interest me...." (146)

Day 25 (DDRD 2,072) 🎆🎇July 4, 2023🎇🎆

 

Read to page 291. The story was a little more engaging today, I'm glad to say.

Day 26 (DDRD 2,073) July 5, 2023

 

Read to page 320. Today was pretty ok, too. Especially the deep dive into Miss Wade. Speaking of...the Charles Dickens Museum (https://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/explore/miss-wade) thinks that Miss Wade is a Lesbian. 😮 Goodness Gracious!

ADDENDUM: Had another go at it, and read to page 350. Definitely less sloggy. Actually, not sloggy at all.

Day 27 (DDRD 2,074) July 6, 2023

 

Read to page 380. Decidedly slog free. Think ill have another go later on today, matter of fact. Meanwhile, here's a word I'd never heard of before thus morning: 

si·moom

/səˈmo͞om/

noun

a hot, dry, dust-laden wind blowing in the desert, especially in Arabia.

(https://www.google.com/search?q=simoom&oq=simoom&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l7.5753j0j4&sourceid=silk&ie=UTF-8)

Day 28 (DDRD 2,075) July 7, 2023

 

Read a bit more yesterday, but not sure where I stopped...400-ish. Picked up this morning and read to 433. And since I've already read the End Notes (pages 499 & 500), that means I have a mere 65 pages to go! Hell, I could finish that today...with ease since it's been good reading for some time now, and we're on the cusp of A Mystery being solved.

News as it happens!

As it happens: as of 8:33 pm, read to page 444. That might be it for today.

Day 29 (DDRD 2,076) July 8, 2023

 

Read to page 477. 489 498...= The End.

No defining details (and thus no spoilers), but how's this for vivid detail:

"...his head had been shivered to atoms, like so much glass, by the great beam that lay upon him, crushing him."

That Charlie!

This was far from my favorite Dickens, but the second volume was at least good. You could probably skip the first volume, though.

Onward!

DDR Day 1 to 1,000: 13,449 pages read, 13.45 Average Pages Per Day

A History of Philosophy Volumes I - XI

History of Civilization in England Volumes I - III

Miscellaneous and Posthumous Works of Henry Thomas Buckle Volumes I - III

Civilization and Capitalism, 16th - 18th Century Volumes I - III

The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip IIl Volumes I - III

This Happened In My Presence: Moriscos, Old Christians, and the Spanish Inquisition in the Town of Deza, 1569-1611

The Stolen Village: Baltimore and the Barbary Pirates

Peat and Peat Cutting

+

DDR Day 1001 to Day 2000:
(1) Leviathan 63 days, 729 pages
(2) Stalingrad 27 days, 982 pages
(3) Life and Fate 26 days, 880 pages
(4) The Second World War 34 + 32 + 40 + 43 + 31 + 32 days = 212 days, 4,379 pages
(5) Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming 10 days, 572 pages
(6) The Great Bridge 25 days, 636 pages
(7) The Path Between the Seas 29 days, 698 pages
(8) Blake: Prophet Against Empire, 23 days, 523 pages
(9) Jerusalem 61 days, 1,266 pages
(10) Voice of the Fire 9 days, 320 pages
(11) The Fountainhead 15 days, 720 pages

(12) The Pacific Trilogy: Pacific Crucible 23 days, 640 pages
(13) The Pacific Trilogy: The Conquering Tide 28 days, 656 pages
(14) The Pacific Trilogy: Twilight of the Gods 31 days, 944 pages

(15) Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence 13 days, 304 pages
(16) Toward Jazz 18 days, 224 pages
(17) The Worlds of Jazz 13 days, 279 pages
(18) To Be or Not...to Bop 14 days, 571 pages
(19) Kind of Blue 4 days, 224 pages
(20) Kind of Blue: Miles Davis and his Masterpiece: 5 days, 256 pages
(21) Miles: The Autobiography 16 days, 445 pages
(21) A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album: 8 days, 287 pages
(22) Ascension: John Coltrane and His Quest 8 days, 304 pages
(23) Living With Music: Ralph Ellison's Jazz Writings 11 days 325 pages

(24) The Pickwick Papers 28 days, 983 pages
(25) Oliver Twist 16 days, 542 pages
(26) Nicholas Nickleby 27 days, 1,045 pages
(27) The Old Curiosity Shop 22 days, 753 pages
(28) Barnaby Rudge 24 days, 866 pages

(29) Master Humprhey's Clock 4 days, 145 pages
(30) Martin Chuzzlewit 32 days, 1,045 pages
(31) American Notes 10 days, 324 pages
(32) Pictures From Italy 7 days, 211 pages
(33) Christmas Stories Volume I 10 days, 456 pages
(34) Christmas Stories Volume II 15 days, 472 pages

(35) Christmas Books 17 days, 525 pages

(36) The Annotated Christmas Carol  7 days, 380 pages

(37) Dombey and Son 30 days, 1,089 pages

(38) Sketches by Boz 22 days, 834 pages

2nd 1K Total: 26,834 pages (to SBBII) = 28.76 Average Pages Per Day

Grand Total: 40,273 pages, 20.83 Average Pages Per Day

(39) David Copperfield 21 days, 1,092 pages

(40) The Uncommercial Traveller 12 days, 440 pages

(41) A Child's History of England 10 days, 491 pages

(42) Reprinted Pieces 14 days, 368 pages

(43) Miscellaneous Papers Volume I 18 days, 542 pages

        + 25 pages Bleak Hose and 9 pages Miscellaneous Papers II = 2,000 days' worth.

2nd 1K Total: 29,801pages = 29.8 Average Pages Per Day

Grand Total: 43,250 pages, 21.625 Average Pages Per Day

(44) Miscellaneous Papers Volume II 28 days (don't count, while reading BH), 494 pages
(45) Bleak House 37 days, 1,098 pages

494 - 9 = 485 + 1098 - 25 = 1073 = 1,558 pages towards 3K...in 37 days, for a daily rate of 42+ pages (!).

(46) Hard Times 11 days, 459 pages

(47) Little Dorrit 29 days, 1,606 pages

McAlister's Deli: Retracting the Paean

Five years ago (April 29, 2017) I wrote "McAlister's Deli: A Paean." It was mostly a comment on how the business did a great job of hiring special needs folks and treating them right. And it ended with a suggestion that "you" should support McAlister's and eat there whenever possible.

I retract every word of that post.

A few hours ago--literally: six hours ago as I write this--I received a call from my son's manager saying that tomorrow would be Joe's last day, because she had to cut 50 hours from her payroll, and Joe's one hour per week had to go. I asked if Joe could volunteer, do the same work for no pay (which is the way he started there). She said no.

Joe had worked at that McAlister's longer than any other employee there--including his manager. Twelve years.  He almost never missed a day, always gave advance notice when he did, and after work ate his lunch there every week...thus pretty much cancelling out his pay, since he made so little.

And he was given 20 hours' notice that he was being fired.

Most autistic people--and certainly Joe--rely upon schedules, regularity, dependability. Something that happens without notice is somewhere between a tragedy and a disaster. (No hyperbole.) It often ends with destruction and violence. It always ends with suffering.

Ten years. Twenty hours' notice.

Fuck McAlister's. Please don't eat there if you can avoid it.

Dawn Landes

Last night my daughter Jacqueline asked me if we could go to a concert in Indianapolis...the site of two of our previous concert experiences. I checked to see if there was anything interesting going on there, and when I came up empty I started looking at some Louisville venues. After some fruitless searching I remembered that one of my former students, Dawn Landes, had an upcoming concert at The Whirling Tiger. I'd thought about going, but when my #1☀ told me he wouldn't be able to accompany me (because he would be playing some gigs in the Vermont area), I decided not to go. But if Jacqueline wanted to go...well, I'd do pretty much anything for my girl. I asked, she assented, and I thought, "I'm going to see if I can find Dawn's first 'album'--a cassette tape I'd bought from her 25 years ago or so. The album was entitled, Toys For Men, and had a picture of Dawn standing beside a sign for a boatmaker, said sign emblazoned with the words Toys For Men. 

This morning as I was driving with Jacqueline to the hospital where we volunteer, she asked me about the Dawn Landes concert. And I immediately thought, "I've got to look for that cassette tape." Because I thought it would be a kick to take it to the concert and ask Dawn to autograph it.

I then came to a stop light, and when I looked over to the lane next to me, I saw this: 

Add to this that I have lived in Louisville for 43 years, and have never seen this truck before...nor any facsimile...and that I was a good 21 minutes away from the location of Marine Sales and Service when I saw this vehicle.

So I'm thinking I'd better go to this concert, right? But first I've got to find that tape.

DtrUMpB

On MSNBC's Deadline: White House, Neal Katyal just described Donald Trump as "too dumb to play dumb."

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