In Defence of Pugilistic Reporting – a mini media manifesto for our time

I often listen to BBC World Service. The BCC, though far from flawless (and what human thing ever could be?), is nevertheless world renown for its excellent journalism, which incorporates a technique that I’m just old enough to remember was once common in American journalism, but has become rare to the point of near extinction—antagonism. […]

We’re going to need a bigger handbasket.

There’s been a lot of debate lately about What To Do about global warming. After a great deal of consideration, I’ve arrived at a conclusion that may be wrong (in more ways than one) but which seems most consistent with What’s Probably Really Possible: nothing.

Like a reed in the brine, I will bend.

[Originally published October 2009] I spent the better part of today talking to people about school, in both Hartford and New Haven (thankfully much more the latter), and at some point I mentioned “underwater basketweaving,” as an example of a particularly narrow and useless major. The fellow I was talking to laughed, because he’d often […]

Bad writing, bad editing: Why good books fall short of greatness

I originally published this in December 2009 elsewhere, and happened to feel it was worth reposting. The following is mostly a detailed rant, and mostly about one book, so if you skip it you’re not missing much. What has happened to editing for professionally published fiction? Don’t the houses care any more? This summer, I […]

Where are they?

Radio Goo Goo: A rage-filled rant about NPR’s cancerous canary in a coalmine

NPR’s believes their younger listeners are childish and stupid. And the evidence is that more than a few of them are.

Busted

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War By REDIRECT[1] U.S. Air Force, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3758877

Bumpfist

Stewardess: “Sir, you need to fasten your seatbelt.” — Mohammed Ali: “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” — Stewardess: “Superman don’t need no airplane, either.”

Drunk Pizza – The costs of convenience

“I love Amazon 1-Click ordering. Because if it takes two clicks, I don’t even want it anymore.” ~ Jerry Seinfield

The Bert Within

“You’ve become an adult when you start siding with Bert instead of Ernie.” ~ redditor Keubic

Invisible Accordion

Author: Spillway