Bad books on writing tell you to “write what you know”, a solemn and extremely false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.
Friday Quote – Henry Hazlitt
The whole gospel of Karl Marx can be summed up in a single sentence: Hate the man who is better off than you are. Never under any circumstances admit that his success may be due to his own efforts, to the productive contribution he has made to the whole community. Always attribute his success to the exploitation, the cheating, the more or less open robbery of others. Never under any circumstances admit that your own failure may be owing to your own weakness, or that the failure of anyone else may be due to his own defects – his laziness, incompetence, improvidence, or stupidity.
Buffalo Murders
I’m not sure what to say on this that hasn’t been said in previous murders. The dude was sick and found an ideology that encouraged his desires. Blasting his name and picture all over the media is giving him what he wants. Politicians and the chattering class will use this to gain advantage. The same talking points will be debated. No solutions will be found.
And we’ll do this song and dance again.
Wednesday Links
Turning to the continuing fiasco that is the NRA, John Richardson over at No Lawyers, Only Guns and Money that Allen West has agreed to run against Wayne LaPierre for EVP of the NRA.
Lawrence Peterson, over at his Battleswarm Blog agrees that WLP needs to go, but West might not be the best person to clean house.
Randy Weaver passed away last week. I agree with McThag that he wasn’t the hero some in the gun community make him out to be. That didn’t mean he or his family deserved what happened to them.
Speaking of notable deaths, Fred Ward passed away last week as well. Tremors had a lot more influence on a young Derek Ward’s taste in movies than I like to admit. And Tremors 2.
To end this post on the lighter side, Lego is releasing an Optimus Prime set in June. And it transforms! I’m interested, but $170 is a little steep for me at the moment. Got things to save up for.
Monday Fiction – One Sentence Story
I’m cheating this week by using a prompt I saw on the Book of Faces awhile back.
Can you tell a story in one sentence?
Starships are rarely prepared to handle trained martyrs.
Friday Quote – Ron Paul
The most important element of a free society is the rejection of the initiation of violence.
Colors, Colors, Colors
After a year in Ward Manor, The Wife is starting to decide on painting. She’s contracted out the stairs, which is smart. The contractor’s wife came over to select colors for the stairs. As well as the rest of the house. I’m kinda listening as The Wife and the color person are going through various shades of gray for the downstairs.
Me: ”Wait, did you say there’s a shade called Dorian Gray?”
Color Lady: “Um, yeah.”
Me: ”What does it suck the life out of us to look freshly painted?”
Nervous laughter. I don’t think Color Lady got the reference. Which is a common thing.
Some Lighter Links
First, from the Volokh Conspiracy is a list of audiobooks on European history. Part 1 Part 2
Now, on to Robotech. The feeds have been full with Sony choosing Rhys Thomas to direct the live action movie. I’m still in the “not believing until it hits the theater” camp. At least they have someone who is used to working within an IP.
Still, if the Robotech movie happens, Gizmodo has a guide to watching the series to prepare. I’d probably just binge the whole series again.