Everything Bad is Good For You

Parents can sometimes be appalled at the hypnotic effect that television has on toddlers; they see their otherwise active and vibrant children gazing silently, mouth agape at the screen, and they assume the worst: that television is turning their child into a zombie. The same feeling arises a few years later when they see their grade-schoolers navigating a video game world, oblivious to the reality that surrounds them. But these expressions are not signs of mental atrophy. They’re signs of focus.

2005’s Everything Good is Bad for You by Steve Johnson is a challenge to the idea that pop culture is ruining our brains. Mainstream television shows are quantifiably more complex and mentally demanding than the shows of previous decades, and video games test and develop our problem solving skills better than ever before. Definitely worth reading.

Am I Achieving My 2010 Goals?

Ouch. I just looked up my goals for 2010 and I am NOT doing well. Here’s my progress so far.

1. Read 12 Books – Easily completed this already. A few I listened to using Audible.com and I read the Purple Cow on my iPhone with the Kindle app.

So far I’ve read
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Ed Tufte
Priceless by William Poundstone
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
Daemon by Daniel Suarez
The Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Start with No by Jim Camp
Born to Run by Chris McDougall
The Road by Corman McCarthy
The Long Tail by Chris Anderson
The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki

I’m still working on Under the Dome by Stephen King and Envisioning Information by Ed Tufte. Under the Dome is so big I can’t bring it with me when traveling. I’m about halfway through Ghost War, but I don’t know if I’ll finish it. It’s great, but it will take me forever.

2. Run a sub 23 minute 5K – There is no way this is happening this year. I ran one last month and my time was 25:14. I think I can get down to 24:30 in a month and I’m ok with that.

3. Write 5 Songs – Total failure. I really thought I’d be able to do this, but song writing has escaped me this year. I haven’t written a single new song. In fact, I’ve probably only written 2 in the last three years. Sad. I’ve been getting the bug to start playing more, though.

5. Finish my House – Well, I sold it so does that count? It sold in two days, which was awesome.

6. 6 batches of beer – Fail. I have a batch brewing now, but it’s my only 2010 batch.

So I’ve completed 2/6, but really failed at 4. Better luck next year!,

A Prayer for Owen Meany

THE DISCIPLES ARE STUPID – THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS, THEY’RE A BUNCH OF BUNGLERS, THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO BELIEVE, AND THEY EVEN BETRAY JESUS. THE POINT IS, GOD DOESN’T LOVE US BECAUSE WE’RE SMART OR BECAUSE WE’RE GOOD. WE’RE STUPID AND WE’RE BAD AND GOD LOVES US ANYWAY. – Owen Meany

After a few restarts I finally finished John Irving’s, A Prayer for Owen Meany.? It took me an embarrassingly long time to get through the 600+ page novel about fate and faith, but it’s a blindingly original and thought provoking book.? I don’t know why I put the book down so often, but maybe it’s because the ideas took that long to sink in.? John Irving created a world that is both real and fascinating, centering around Johnny Wheelright and his best friend, Owen Meany.? Owen’s known in town for his tiny size, weird voice, and his harsh opinions.? The end is beautiful, sad, and inspiring.

I highly recommend it.

Damn the Free Chapter

Two and a half years ago I finished Neal Stephensen’s Cryptonomicon. I liked it, but it took forever to finish. Well, fast forward to today and I just finished the prequel, Quicksilver. I got the book for my 27th birthday and it took me a year and a half to finish! I probably never would have read it, but the free chapter included with Cryptonomicon sold me. Damn you. Not that Quicksilver wasn’t good, but it’s almost more impressive as a thing. I can appreciate a mountain without having to climb it or a bridge without having to jump off it.

I’ll be 80 by the time I finish the whole series.

Typically I flop between fiction and non-fiction, and I just started reading the Selfish Gene. Usually the fiction goes by faster, but in this case I’m devouring it.

Two and a half years ago I finished Neal Stephensen’s Cryptonomicon. I liked it, but it took forever to finish. Well, fast forward to today and I just finished the prequel, Quicksilver. I got the book for my 27th birthday and it took me a year and a half to finish! I probably never would have read it, but the free chapter included with Cryptonomicon sold me. Damn you. Not that Quicksilver wasn’t good, but it’s almost more impressive as a thing. I can appreciate a mountain without having to climb it or a bridge without having to jump off it.

I’ll be 80 by the time I finish the whole series.

Typically I flop between fiction and non-fiction, and I just started reading the Selfish Gene. Usually the fiction goes by faster, but in this case I’m devouring it.