David B. Coe's Blog, page 22
January 16, 2012
A Post About Writers and Ambition
Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, C.E. Murphy, and Kalayna Price, among others. The post is called “On Writing: The Value of Ambition,” and it’s about different sorts of ambition and how they influence our writing. I hope you enjoy it.
January 15, 2012
Movie Night With Our Daughter
Last night, my wife and I introduced our older daughter to a couple of classic movies. It was a cold night, we a had a fire burning, had just finished a nice dinner, and we were looking for something to do. (The younger kid was sleeping over at a friend's house.)
The first movie we suggested was The Sting (1973, directed by George Roy Hill). Our daughter was a little skeptical -- she didn't think it looked like something she would enjoy. But my wife assured her that at worst she would get to spend a couple of hours looking at Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and that seemed to convince her. She wound up loving it. I mean LOVING it. All the twists and turns, the rising tension, and, yes, the vintage eye-candy. I was reminded of just how great a movie it is. I happen to like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the first Redford/Newman collaboration, even more, but still, it was a pleasure to watch it again.
After watching The Sting, we could have suggested just about any movie, and our daughter would have gone along with it. But we were on one of the American Film Institute sites -- 100 greatest movie quotes, I think it was -- and there were so many quotes from Casablanca, that we decided to watch that one. She didn't like Casablanca quite as much; it's a bit more dated, a little slower. Still, she did enjoy it, and was quoting it time and again today.
For me, one of the great pleasures of parenting, particularly as my kids get older, is introducing them to some of the things we enjoy: our favorite foods, our favorite places, and our favorite movies. Last night was loads of fun. I'm looking forward to having another movie night some time soon.
The first movie we suggested was The Sting (1973, directed by George Roy Hill). Our daughter was a little skeptical -- she didn't think it looked like something she would enjoy. But my wife assured her that at worst she would get to spend a couple of hours looking at Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and that seemed to convince her. She wound up loving it. I mean LOVING it. All the twists and turns, the rising tension, and, yes, the vintage eye-candy. I was reminded of just how great a movie it is. I happen to like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the first Redford/Newman collaboration, even more, but still, it was a pleasure to watch it again.
After watching The Sting, we could have suggested just about any movie, and our daughter would have gone along with it. But we were on one of the American Film Institute sites -- 100 greatest movie quotes, I think it was -- and there were so many quotes from Casablanca, that we decided to watch that one. She didn't like Casablanca quite as much; it's a bit more dated, a little slower. Still, she did enjoy it, and was quoting it time and again today.
For me, one of the great pleasures of parenting, particularly as my kids get older, is introducing them to some of the things we enjoy: our favorite foods, our favorite places, and our favorite movies. Last night was loads of fun. I'm looking forward to having another movie night some time soon.
January 12, 2012
Winter's Back
After mild temperatures and rains that made it feel more like March than early January, winter has finally returned to Tennessee. And the old man seems ticked off. The rain that was falling earlier has coated everything with a thin but treacherous layer of ice, and the wind is howling, blowing hard, sharp shards of snow in every direction.
I think this will be a great night to start a fire, open a bottle of red wine, and settle in with a good book. Wherever you might be, I hope you're keeping warm.
I think this will be a great night to start a fire, open a bottle of red wine, and settle in with a good book. Wherever you might be, I hope you're keeping warm.
January 11, 2012
My Daughter
I watched my younger daughter swim in a meet tonight. She competed in several events -- 50 meter backstroke, 50 meter butterfly, 200 meter individual medley, a couple of relays -- and swimming as a seventh grader in a high school meet she came in second in several of her events; one of them she won. Her middle school team won one of the relays (against other middle school teams) and came in second in the other. And she set middle school records for her school in the back and fly.
Yes, I'm bragging. So sue me. But I'm also blown away by her abilities in the pool. Because I can barely swim at all. All through my childhood and adolescence I was actually terrified of the water. Watching her swim, watching her blow other swimmers away in the pool is such a thrill for me, in part because I could never even dream of doing what she does. It's an odd and wondrous feeling, admiring my child for something she can do with ease and I can barely do at all. To say that I'm proud really doesn't begin to cover it. I love both my daughters more than I can possibly say. As they get older though, I am finding that I not only love them, I also admire them, and in a way that's even more gratifying.
Yes, I'm bragging. So sue me. But I'm also blown away by her abilities in the pool. Because I can barely swim at all. All through my childhood and adolescence I was actually terrified of the water. Watching her swim, watching her blow other swimmers away in the pool is such a thrill for me, in part because I could never even dream of doing what she does. It's an odd and wondrous feeling, admiring my child for something she can do with ease and I can barely do at all. To say that I'm proud really doesn't begin to cover it. I love both my daughters more than I can possibly say. As they get older though, I am finding that I not only love them, I also admire them, and in a way that's even more gratifying.
January 8, 2012
Watching the Giants, part II
Turns out the entire team showed up. Nice game, guys.
Watching the Giants
So the Giants are playing the Falcons for the right to play Green Bay at Lambeau Field. In January. And this is supposed to motivate them? The defense looks good so far; the offense is showing few signs of waking up. More later.
January 7, 2012
My Day At Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge just outside of Dayton, Tennessee (where the Scopes Monkey Trial took place back in 1925) is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers in east Tennessee. Every year during the winter, thousands of Sandhill Cranes stop here, congregating in the rich waters of the refuge and feeding in nearby cornfields. In recent years, a few Whooping Cranes, among the rarest birds in North America (there are only about 500 left in the wild) have joined the Sandhill Cranes, making Hiwassee Refuge a birding hot spot. And this year, a single Hooded Crane, a species endemic to Asia that has never before been recorded in the U.S., has been seen feeding with the other cranes.
Today I drove out to Hiwassee to see if I could catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime bird.
Most of the Hiwassee Refuge is closed off to visitors, but the observation deck offers excellent views of the river and the surrounding corn fields. It was a beautiful day. Clear, warm, breezy. Sandhill Cranes were everywhere, their guttural trumpeting calls filling the air. Hooded Mergansers, Gadwalls, Ring-Necked Ducks, and even a few Snow Geese floated on the smooth waters. Half a dozen Bald Eagles -- two adults and several juveniles -- patrolled the skies, and at one point one of the adult birds caught a fish that would have made any angler proud. It was huge; five eagles fed on it.
A single Whooping Crane -- a young bird -- made an appearance, and strutted in and out of view throughout the day.
But all the birders there today were hoping to see the Hooded Crane. There were dozens of us on the viewing platform -- there have been dozens there every day since the Hooded Crane first appeared. Usually, even with its deserved reputation as a great birding spot, the refuge attracts a fraction of that number. Birders are friendly people, and this crowd was no different. We waited for hours for the bird to show up, and even as our impatience grew, the mood on the platform remained friendly and fun. I met a couple who had come to Tennessee all the way from Chicago (people have come from all over the U.S. to see this bird; some people have visited from Europe). I never learned their names, but they were great to hang out with all day.
I would love to say that the day ended magically, that the Hooded Crane swooped down into the river late in the afternoon and gave us all great views of a true rarity. But the bird didn't show up. I suppose that in a way that makes the day a disappointment. But that's not how it felt. I saw Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles, ducks and geese, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. A kingfisher, resplendent in blue and white and rust, entertained us with acrobatics over the water. Bonaparte's Gulls, their wings flashing white and gray, wheeled and glided above the cranes. Great Blue Herons waded solemnly in the shallows. Sometimes the rare birds show up; sometimes they don't. But at Hiwassee, there is always something to see.
Today I drove out to Hiwassee to see if I could catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime bird.
Most of the Hiwassee Refuge is closed off to visitors, but the observation deck offers excellent views of the river and the surrounding corn fields. It was a beautiful day. Clear, warm, breezy. Sandhill Cranes were everywhere, their guttural trumpeting calls filling the air. Hooded Mergansers, Gadwalls, Ring-Necked Ducks, and even a few Snow Geese floated on the smooth waters. Half a dozen Bald Eagles -- two adults and several juveniles -- patrolled the skies, and at one point one of the adult birds caught a fish that would have made any angler proud. It was huge; five eagles fed on it.
A single Whooping Crane -- a young bird -- made an appearance, and strutted in and out of view throughout the day.
But all the birders there today were hoping to see the Hooded Crane. There were dozens of us on the viewing platform -- there have been dozens there every day since the Hooded Crane first appeared. Usually, even with its deserved reputation as a great birding spot, the refuge attracts a fraction of that number. Birders are friendly people, and this crowd was no different. We waited for hours for the bird to show up, and even as our impatience grew, the mood on the platform remained friendly and fun. I met a couple who had come to Tennessee all the way from Chicago (people have come from all over the U.S. to see this bird; some people have visited from Europe). I never learned their names, but they were great to hang out with all day.
I would love to say that the day ended magically, that the Hooded Crane swooped down into the river late in the afternoon and gave us all great views of a true rarity. But the bird didn't show up. I suppose that in a way that makes the day a disappointment. But that's not how it felt. I saw Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles, ducks and geese, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. A kingfisher, resplendent in blue and white and rust, entertained us with acrobatics over the water. Bonaparte's Gulls, their wings flashing white and gray, wheeled and glided above the cranes. Great Blue Herons waded solemnly in the shallows. Sometimes the rare birds show up; sometimes they don't. But at Hiwassee, there is always something to see.
January 4, 2012
Young Voters and Ron Paul: An Odd Match
As the 2012 Presidential race shifts into high gear, something unexpected is happening on the campaign trail. Young Independent and Democratic voters who are disappointed in President Barack Obama are turning to Republican Libertarian Ron Paul as their candidate of choice. This is not merely odd, it’s irrational. It’s like a vegetarian giving up on her favorite restaurant because it serves too much meat, and then going to McDonald’s.
As someone who has been, at times, deeply disappointed in the President, I understand the impulse to look for a more attractive option. But I would urge young voters to take the time to learn what Paul and his candidacy are really about, rather than allowing themselves to be seduced by his most attractive positions. There is more to Paul than meets the eye, and it would be dangerous for any voter, young or old, to ignore the totality of his (mostly) strict Libertarianism.
Though my own children don’t always believe me when I say this, I was once young, too, and I understand the allure for college-age voters of a candidate who promises to end U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts AND simultaneously put an end to the so-called War on Drugs. Some even claim that Paul would legalize marijuana and other illegal substances, though if you actually listen to what he says about this, his answer is not quite that simple. He wants the Federal Government to get out of the business of regulating drugs and leave that task to the states. That would probably result in some states allowing people to stoke up a doobie, but not all. Still, as I say, I can see what young voters find attractive.
The problem is, like religious fundamentalists who follow to the letter the text of the Bible or the Torah or the Quran, Paul is a political fundamentalist who believes that the Federal Government should take on NO responsibilities that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution. He wishes to see the Departments of Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce and Interior eliminated. He believes that Federal health care expenditures should be shifted entirely to the states in the form of block grants. He believes that Federal lands should be sold off. He believes that energy policy should be unfettered from Government regulation.
Well, you might say, that sounds a little extreme, but what’s the big deal? There’s probably a lot of waste in those programs. Maybe those steps are a good idea.
Okay, let’s look at what they really mean. Get rid of the Department of Education? Paul’s Libertarianism would mean an end to the Federal Student Loan Program, an end to Pell Grants, an end to Federal Student Financial Aid. In Ron Paul’s America, if you can’t afford college, that’s too bad.
Remove Federal regulation from the energy industry? Ron Paul believes that global climate change is an elaborate hoax. He would end all Federal investment in alternative energies and would allow oil drilling in the most sensitive coastal and protected lands our nation possesses -- offshore areas along the Western and Southeastern shores, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, protected lands around Yellowstone National Park. He would also reduce regulation of nuclear power, clearing the way for more the construction of new nuclear plants.
To be fair, I should add here that Paul does not say that he will drill in Yellowstone or ANWR. He doesn’t need to because the issue is dealt with in his budget. I mentioned that he wants to eliminate the Interior Department and sell off Federal lands. In other words, he wants to do away with America’s National Park system and network of wildlife refuges and sell those lands to private interests. One assumes that he would want to see those lands still under some sort of protection, but that’s not clear in anything he says. And given that he opposes all government interference with the private market, it’s hard to see how he could enforce the protection of those precious areas.
How deep does Paul’s aversion to government “intrusion” in our lives go? Pretty deep. He would slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, eliminate nutrition programs for impoverished women and children, and privatize such crucial public safety programs as Air Traffic Control and Airport Security. Don’t believe me? Go to his website and read his budget. He has expressed his belief that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- the most significant legislative achievement of the decades-long struggle for racial equality -- was a mistake.
Now his Libertarianism is not SO extreme as to allow no exceptions. In fact, there is one really big one. While he opposes all government intrusion into business, into areas of public health and welfare, into conservation and environmental stewardship, he is perfectly willing to allow the Federal Government to dictate what a woman can do with her body. He is vehemently opposed to abortion rights and supports the immediate reversal of Roe V. Wade.
Look, if you support Ron Paul because you have considered the totality of his ideology and agree with him on the issues, fine. We differ in what we want for this country, but I respect your right to make an informed political choice. But if you support Ron Paul based on one issue or two, or because your buddy told you that “he’s like Obama only better,” you have to take a closer look. You might not like what you find.
As someone who has been, at times, deeply disappointed in the President, I understand the impulse to look for a more attractive option. But I would urge young voters to take the time to learn what Paul and his candidacy are really about, rather than allowing themselves to be seduced by his most attractive positions. There is more to Paul than meets the eye, and it would be dangerous for any voter, young or old, to ignore the totality of his (mostly) strict Libertarianism.
Though my own children don’t always believe me when I say this, I was once young, too, and I understand the allure for college-age voters of a candidate who promises to end U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts AND simultaneously put an end to the so-called War on Drugs. Some even claim that Paul would legalize marijuana and other illegal substances, though if you actually listen to what he says about this, his answer is not quite that simple. He wants the Federal Government to get out of the business of regulating drugs and leave that task to the states. That would probably result in some states allowing people to stoke up a doobie, but not all. Still, as I say, I can see what young voters find attractive.
The problem is, like religious fundamentalists who follow to the letter the text of the Bible or the Torah or the Quran, Paul is a political fundamentalist who believes that the Federal Government should take on NO responsibilities that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution. He wishes to see the Departments of Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce and Interior eliminated. He believes that Federal health care expenditures should be shifted entirely to the states in the form of block grants. He believes that Federal lands should be sold off. He believes that energy policy should be unfettered from Government regulation.
Well, you might say, that sounds a little extreme, but what’s the big deal? There’s probably a lot of waste in those programs. Maybe those steps are a good idea.
Okay, let’s look at what they really mean. Get rid of the Department of Education? Paul’s Libertarianism would mean an end to the Federal Student Loan Program, an end to Pell Grants, an end to Federal Student Financial Aid. In Ron Paul’s America, if you can’t afford college, that’s too bad.
Remove Federal regulation from the energy industry? Ron Paul believes that global climate change is an elaborate hoax. He would end all Federal investment in alternative energies and would allow oil drilling in the most sensitive coastal and protected lands our nation possesses -- offshore areas along the Western and Southeastern shores, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, protected lands around Yellowstone National Park. He would also reduce regulation of nuclear power, clearing the way for more the construction of new nuclear plants.
To be fair, I should add here that Paul does not say that he will drill in Yellowstone or ANWR. He doesn’t need to because the issue is dealt with in his budget. I mentioned that he wants to eliminate the Interior Department and sell off Federal lands. In other words, he wants to do away with America’s National Park system and network of wildlife refuges and sell those lands to private interests. One assumes that he would want to see those lands still under some sort of protection, but that’s not clear in anything he says. And given that he opposes all government interference with the private market, it’s hard to see how he could enforce the protection of those precious areas.
How deep does Paul’s aversion to government “intrusion” in our lives go? Pretty deep. He would slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, eliminate nutrition programs for impoverished women and children, and privatize such crucial public safety programs as Air Traffic Control and Airport Security. Don’t believe me? Go to his website and read his budget. He has expressed his belief that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- the most significant legislative achievement of the decades-long struggle for racial equality -- was a mistake.
Now his Libertarianism is not SO extreme as to allow no exceptions. In fact, there is one really big one. While he opposes all government intrusion into business, into areas of public health and welfare, into conservation and environmental stewardship, he is perfectly willing to allow the Federal Government to dictate what a woman can do with her body. He is vehemently opposed to abortion rights and supports the immediate reversal of Roe V. Wade.
Look, if you support Ron Paul because you have considered the totality of his ideology and agree with him on the issues, fine. We differ in what we want for this country, but I respect your right to make an informed political choice. But if you support Ron Paul based on one issue or two, or because your buddy told you that “he’s like Obama only better,” you have to take a closer look. You might not like what you find.
January 2, 2012
This Year's New Year's Post at MW
Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, Kalayna Price, and others. The post is called “On Writing and New Year’s Goals: Conquering Our Inner Demons,” and it’s pretty much self-explanatory. I hope you enjoy it.
December 12, 2011
A New Post About Holiday Gifts for Writers
Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, Kalayna Price, and Edmund Schubert, among others. The post is called “This Year’s Holiday Gift List For Writers,” and it offers some suggestions for the writers on your holiday gift list. I hope you enjoy it.
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