So, in the continuing quest to read only Important Books (This is a lie. Mostly), I'm currently working my way through Mein Kampf (This earns me lots of nice looks on the subway). Seeing as how this is where Hitler essentially laid out his masterplan, it may be the most important writing of the 20th century. This is a label it earns solely for the contents, however, as the prose is considerably less competent than, say, that last sentence. Hitler's preferred method for writing is extremely stream-of-consciousness. Not in the Joycian, Everything I'm Writing Has Significance That You Couldn't Understand With A Team Of University Professors To Assist You (Especially If They Teach Science) way. More like the I Can't Organize My Thoughts, So I'll Write Them In The Order They Appear Inside My Brain way (Kind of like, say, this blog). This makes for a frustrating read most of the time, the rare exceptions being the places where it leads to unintentional comedy (The best of these so far being the part where Hitler, discussing his academic upbringing (I could have been a great artist, but I was far too good at architecture to waste my gifts concentrating on another discipline) states that he was always turned off as a youth by anti-Semitic tracts because they failed to address the issue scientifically, and then one page later states that Jews produce "nine tenths of all literary filth, artistic trash and theatrical idiocy". It must be scientific! There are numbers in it! Holy [avocado]!). Where the book earns its keep is in Hitler's discourses on propaganda and nationalism, both of which are presented well and, in light of the uses he later put both these tools to, should be underscored by the Jaws theme music. Anyway, the real interesting moments of the book come when I'm reading something of this sort and find myself thinking "Hey! That's a good point!" Which is instantly followed by the thought "Awwwww. I just agreed with Hitler."
So that's fun.
Showing posts with label [Stupid] alphabetical tags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label [Stupid] alphabetical tags. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Manifesto:
Greetings and salutations. It is with great pleasure (Mostly on my part. After reading an opening as bad as that one is, there can be no pleasure on your part) that I welcome you to this little piece of the internet, where I will write pretty much anything I feel like, and possibly some things I don't (If I'm feeling overly masochistic). Odds are the majority of postings here will be about things that make me happy (The Red Sox, books, alcohol, (crappy) jokes that are probably offensive to anyone with good taste) or things that make me more [globalized] than they probably should (Hell if I know, Julio Lugo). There will be way too much baseball and way too many digressions, and nothing resembling coherency. So why should you come here? Off the top of my head, probable reasons include you (personally) knowing me and/or being related to me, a strong inclination towards incoherency or a dislike of yourself, or possibly a lost bet. I'm not sure which of these applies to you, but if all three do, then may God have mercy on your soul. Amen.
So welcome! It's great to have you (personally) here, and I hereby pledge that if I ever figure out these computer things any better, I shall track you (personally) by your IP address and steal your identity.
So welcome! It's great to have you (personally) here, and I hereby pledge that if I ever figure out these computer things any better, I shall track you (personally) by your IP address and steal your identity.
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