Jan Notzon's Blog, page 29
December 10, 2016
Choices
Ah, to have it all! That was the meme of the 1980s. But I find that life is about choices. Arthur Miller wrote a play about that called "The Price". You want to be rich? Famous? Well, now in my senior years I realize that it requires sacrificing other things (and then, you may not get it, anyway). There's a quote from a movie called "Tombstone" where Doc Holliday is on his deathbed and Wyatt Earp visits and tells him he just wanted a "normal life". Doc, at the end of his, replies: "There's no such thing as a normal life. There's just life."
Sounds rather trite, even tautological, but I think there's great wisdom in it. Even day to day, I wish I could write every day, but that abnormal "life" gets in the way.
Then again, I'm lucky I can write at all, lucky to have a reasonably well-paying job, a home, a yard (which took a lot of my time today). Another choice would be to live in an apartment and have no yard to bother about. Then I'd just have to deal with noisy neighbors.
Choices
Sounds rather trite, even tautological, but I think there's great wisdom in it. Even day to day, I wish I could write every day, but that abnormal "life" gets in the way.
Then again, I'm lucky I can write at all, lucky to have a reasonably well-paying job, a home, a yard (which took a lot of my time today). Another choice would be to live in an apartment and have no yard to bother about. Then I'd just have to deal with noisy neighbors.
Choices
December 2, 2016
Plus Ça Change
After the murderous savagery of the Stalin regime could no longer be denied, excused or rationalized, the American (and I suspect other countries's) Left was demoralized
David Horowitz, one of whose books I recently read, was a founding member of the new Left of the '60s. He swore he would not lie or rationalize the way his parent's generation had for the Soviet Union (he was what's called a "red-diaper baby"). Then he got involved with The Black Panther party. He knew the members intimately enough to call the organization "Black Murder, Inc.". He recounts drug-trafficking, extortion, shake-downs and murder, sometimes simply because a member felt insulted. He also has spoken to members who have recounted acts of brutality against their own members for disloyalty that defy imagination--including bullwhips, one of the most horrible iconic instruments of slavery.
I recently picked up a Socialist friend from the airport who told me one of the highlights of her trip to California was A VISIT TO THE BLACK PANTHER MUSEUM.
A museum to a brutally criminal organization? To me, that is the equivalent of a museum dedicated to the Nazi Party. And now, all of their crimes are being whitewashed EXACTLY AS THE STALIN REGIME'S WAS.
The French have a wonderful saying "Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose. Or, as George Santayana put it, "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
David Horowitz, one of whose books I recently read, was a founding member of the new Left of the '60s. He swore he would not lie or rationalize the way his parent's generation had for the Soviet Union (he was what's called a "red-diaper baby"). Then he got involved with The Black Panther party. He knew the members intimately enough to call the organization "Black Murder, Inc.". He recounts drug-trafficking, extortion, shake-downs and murder, sometimes simply because a member felt insulted. He also has spoken to members who have recounted acts of brutality against their own members for disloyalty that defy imagination--including bullwhips, one of the most horrible iconic instruments of slavery.
I recently picked up a Socialist friend from the airport who told me one of the highlights of her trip to California was A VISIT TO THE BLACK PANTHER MUSEUM.
A museum to a brutally criminal organization? To me, that is the equivalent of a museum dedicated to the Nazi Party. And now, all of their crimes are being whitewashed EXACTLY AS THE STALIN REGIME'S WAS.
The French have a wonderful saying "Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose. Or, as George Santayana put it, "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
November 27, 2016
Extraordinary
I just finished a most extraordinary novel: "The Sea Wolf" by Jack London. It is a truly gripping tale of the essential shiang-haiing of Humphrey Van Weyden, a self-described "gentleman" (i.e., as Captain "Wolf" Larsen says, "standing on his father's legs": living on his father's inherited fortune).
Captain Larsen is the most fascinating character, as Van Weyden describes him, an absolute "materialist". He has a totally amoral, social Darwinist vision of life. He is, for lack of a better term, an absolute beast, rejecting any higher goal than individual desire. It is a rather frightening portrayal. One thing that can be said for him is that he is true to his non-spiritualist philosophy unto his last breath. There is no deathbed confession.
The only complaint I have is of my own ignorance: there is so much sailing jargon and mechanical description that I wanted a glossary and illustrations of topsail, foresail, jib, watch-tackle, shears-tackle, etc, etc.
Still, it is an incredibly engaging story of savagery and mayhem that, astonishingly, turns into a love story. And, it is a love story in the genteel Victorian sense, when there were actual ladies and gentlemen who respected their honor (honour, for my friends across the pond). I know, I know, I'm a dinosaur.
It reminds me of the movie "A Walk in the Clouds": They had to put it back immediately after WWII to make credible the protagonist behaving with the "honour" he does.
Captain Larsen is the most fascinating character, as Van Weyden describes him, an absolute "materialist". He has a totally amoral, social Darwinist vision of life. He is, for lack of a better term, an absolute beast, rejecting any higher goal than individual desire. It is a rather frightening portrayal. One thing that can be said for him is that he is true to his non-spiritualist philosophy unto his last breath. There is no deathbed confession.
The only complaint I have is of my own ignorance: there is so much sailing jargon and mechanical description that I wanted a glossary and illustrations of topsail, foresail, jib, watch-tackle, shears-tackle, etc, etc.
Still, it is an incredibly engaging story of savagery and mayhem that, astonishingly, turns into a love story. And, it is a love story in the genteel Victorian sense, when there were actual ladies and gentlemen who respected their honor (honour, for my friends across the pond). I know, I know, I'm a dinosaur.
It reminds me of the movie "A Walk in the Clouds": They had to put it back immediately after WWII to make credible the protagonist behaving with the "honour" he does.
November 18, 2016
The Power of the Media
Similar to (I believe) most people, I had always bought the Hollywood line, expressed in film after film, that the "Red Scare" was an unconscionable witch hunt in which thousands of innocent people were harassed and even destroyed by malicious false allegations.
Thanks to a novel called "A Quiet Life" I have been inspired over the last month or so to do a little fact-checking. The latest book, make that TOME, I'm engaged with is "Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America".
The extent of the Soviet web of American informants is truly astonishing. Even in the Manhattan Project, there were at least 5 American citizens (no, Klaus Fuchs was a naturalized British Austrian, I believe) who informed to the Soviet Union. Those are only the ones who've been identified. There were spies in the State Department, Treasury, the OSS, the White House itself, the Signal Corps, Aviation, etc, etc. And this is all confirmed by documents from the KGB itself!
It is amazing to me how warped a vision we get from Hollywood, with paeans to Dalton Trumbo, an unrepentant Soviet agent, John Howard Lawson, Will Geer, et. al. (And I loved Will Geer in The Waltons!).
There were those like the Rosenbergs who were at least committed beyond defecting. But the vast majority vehemently denied their involvement and hid behind the "I'm a victim of a witch hunt" scenario.
It makes me wonder what other myths have been popularized by the media.
Thanks to a novel called "A Quiet Life" I have been inspired over the last month or so to do a little fact-checking. The latest book, make that TOME, I'm engaged with is "Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America".
The extent of the Soviet web of American informants is truly astonishing. Even in the Manhattan Project, there were at least 5 American citizens (no, Klaus Fuchs was a naturalized British Austrian, I believe) who informed to the Soviet Union. Those are only the ones who've been identified. There were spies in the State Department, Treasury, the OSS, the White House itself, the Signal Corps, Aviation, etc, etc. And this is all confirmed by documents from the KGB itself!
It is amazing to me how warped a vision we get from Hollywood, with paeans to Dalton Trumbo, an unrepentant Soviet agent, John Howard Lawson, Will Geer, et. al. (And I loved Will Geer in The Waltons!).
There were those like the Rosenbergs who were at least committed beyond defecting. But the vast majority vehemently denied their involvement and hid behind the "I'm a victim of a witch hunt" scenario.
It makes me wonder what other myths have been popularized by the media.
November 5, 2016
Inspired
Since reading Natasha Walter's "A Quiet Life", I've been inspired to know the history of the Communist movement and Soviet Espionage in general and the Cambridge ring in particular.
To that end, so far I've re-read "Dupes", by Paul Kengor, which I highly recommend, "The Black Book of the American Left" (David Horowitz), another I rate five star (and quite personal for me since I basically followed his trajectory, and for much the same reasons).
I'm now reading "Stalin's Englishman", the title of which I read incorrectly, thinking it was "...Englishmen" (it's actually a biography of Guy Burgess, one of the Cambridge 5). I'd rate that a 3, because it covers more of his private life rather than dealing with his motivations and dealings with his Soviet handlers.
There is so much history to know. Having read "The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye view of world History, I'm aching to know more and more. It is invaluable in understanding how we got here and where we're headed.
Unfortunately, I'm not very optimistic.
To that end, so far I've re-read "Dupes", by Paul Kengor, which I highly recommend, "The Black Book of the American Left" (David Horowitz), another I rate five star (and quite personal for me since I basically followed his trajectory, and for much the same reasons).
I'm now reading "Stalin's Englishman", the title of which I read incorrectly, thinking it was "...Englishmen" (it's actually a biography of Guy Burgess, one of the Cambridge 5). I'd rate that a 3, because it covers more of his private life rather than dealing with his motivations and dealings with his Soviet handlers.
There is so much history to know. Having read "The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye view of world History, I'm aching to know more and more. It is invaluable in understanding how we got here and where we're headed.
Unfortunately, I'm not very optimistic.
November 3, 2016
The Saga Continues
Well, I gave up and went to Office Depot to get a paper copy of one of my plays scanned on to a flash drive, figuring that would be safest.
Well, the attendant put the whole 71 pages to be scanned and the machine started jamming, pages of my play were coming out folded, then accordioned, and as she pulled them out, she placed them folded on top of each other so the creases were permanent.
I said, "What are you doing to my play?" She calmly replied, "Oh, that's just because there are so many pages, sir." My master print copy was now worthless.
I showed it to the manager and he ran off a copy for me. I had to make sure all the pages were there and, lo and behold, one page didn't get copies. So, it had to be inserted in the file and copied onto paper, which, fortunately, the manager knew how to do.
Do you think technology just doesn't like me?
Well, the attendant put the whole 71 pages to be scanned and the machine started jamming, pages of my play were coming out folded, then accordioned, and as she pulled them out, she placed them folded on top of each other so the creases were permanent.
I said, "What are you doing to my play?" She calmly replied, "Oh, that's just because there are so many pages, sir." My master print copy was now worthless.
I showed it to the manager and he ran off a copy for me. I had to make sure all the pages were there and, lo and behold, one page didn't get copies. So, it had to be inserted in the file and copied onto paper, which, fortunately, the manager knew how to do.
Do you think technology just doesn't like me?
November 2, 2016
Reversions
I've taken a large leap to the previous century, unfortunately. I have numerous plays on paper that I had on disk which got corrupted. So, I tried to scan and each time the scanner has stopped working before I can finish. I got Adobe Export PDF and the export to word so mangled the text that it was unusable. This is over 3 afternoons I've been trying to scan and file one 70-page play. (I hope you all don't mind my venting). So, I tried combining the partial files and found that I have to buy another program from Adobe. Needless to say, I'm loath to try that company again.
This afternoon I tried to get through scanning the whole 70 pages again and got to p. 67 when the scanner stopped working (after 2.5 hours) and erased the complete file.
God, I love technology!
This afternoon I tried to get through scanning the whole 70 pages again and got to p. 67 when the scanner stopped working (after 2.5 hours) and erased the complete file.
God, I love technology!
October 23, 2016
Paul Kengor's "Dupes"
I'm sure I will be excoriated for this blog.
Do people who enjoy fiction have an aversion to cold, hard facts? I wonder. The facts revealed in Paul Kengor's "Dupes" are decidedly uncomfortable for me. For I was one of those "dupes" during my young adulthood in the rebellious '60s.
While unspeakable atrocities were being committed by the Soviet Union and Communist China (estimates of 100 million innocents slaughtered), I marched under the banner of naming America as the origin of evil. This, while true evil was committed by those I revered. It was (and is) so popular to "blame America first".
Kengor gives us an extremely well-documented account of how that thinking was implanted and spread by Soviet agents and their dupes--again, of which I was one.
What I find truly sad is that those Soviet-inspired and unrepentant terrorists of my generation (Bill Ayres, Bernardine Dohrn, Paul Rudd, Kathy Boudin, Jeff Jones, et. al.), perpetrators of horrific violence, have taken over the education industry and indoctrinated our youth with their thoughtless ideology. It is one that has no use for facts. It is incompatible with individual liberty. But few seem to care; the idea of freedom (for those who enjoy it) is considered passé. The cry is now for equality: equality not of inherent worth, but of results, a measure that must be imposed.
I wish this book could be required reading for college freshmen. But I know that will never happen. And that is a shame.
Do people who enjoy fiction have an aversion to cold, hard facts? I wonder. The facts revealed in Paul Kengor's "Dupes" are decidedly uncomfortable for me. For I was one of those "dupes" during my young adulthood in the rebellious '60s.
While unspeakable atrocities were being committed by the Soviet Union and Communist China (estimates of 100 million innocents slaughtered), I marched under the banner of naming America as the origin of evil. This, while true evil was committed by those I revered. It was (and is) so popular to "blame America first".
Kengor gives us an extremely well-documented account of how that thinking was implanted and spread by Soviet agents and their dupes--again, of which I was one.
What I find truly sad is that those Soviet-inspired and unrepentant terrorists of my generation (Bill Ayres, Bernardine Dohrn, Paul Rudd, Kathy Boudin, Jeff Jones, et. al.), perpetrators of horrific violence, have taken over the education industry and indoctrinated our youth with their thoughtless ideology. It is one that has no use for facts. It is incompatible with individual liberty. But few seem to care; the idea of freedom (for those who enjoy it) is considered passé. The cry is now for equality: equality not of inherent worth, but of results, a measure that must be imposed.
I wish this book could be required reading for college freshmen. But I know that will never happen. And that is a shame.
October 4, 2016
Atwood redeemed
While I thought The Handmaid's Tale was basically political correctness on steroids, it was written a long time ago and is the only other Atwood I've read. The Blind Assassin, on the other hand, is truly great in my humble opinion. Review below.
The Blind Assassin
by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
12121037
Jan Notzon's review Oct 04, 2016 · edit
really liked it
Read in September, 2016
I rather agonized between a 4 or 5-star rating. If I could, I'd give it 41/2. It's an extraordinary story, rather bleak, as Atwood tends to be, but an incredible family saga, with major world events having their keen and often painful effects.
The prose is frequently delicious, the insight into relationships prodigious and the wry, sometimes sardonic sense of humor at times delightful, at times biting, but always appropriate.
For any lover of literary fiction and the complexity of human relationships, I highly recommend it.
The Blind Assassin
by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
12121037
Jan Notzon's review Oct 04, 2016 · edit
really liked it
Read in September, 2016
I rather agonized between a 4 or 5-star rating. If I could, I'd give it 41/2. It's an extraordinary story, rather bleak, as Atwood tends to be, but an incredible family saga, with major world events having their keen and often painful effects.
The prose is frequently delicious, the insight into relationships prodigious and the wry, sometimes sardonic sense of humor at times delightful, at times biting, but always appropriate.
For any lover of literary fiction and the complexity of human relationships, I highly recommend it.
September 25, 2016
Huck's values
I just finished "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". I think Mark Twain is one of the most inventive authors I've read. I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir in saying that.
One thing I was struck by, though, was how socially-imposed values can be so perverse: Huck actually feels guilty for NOT turning in Jim. He thinks that to do right, he must return someone else's "property"! Yes, a different time with different values, but it is arresting to me.
While I don't believe in the summary rejection of all societal values, it is amazing to me how some socially-imposed ones can be so perverse.
Of course, he does the humanitarian thing in the end, but to feel guilty for it is astonishing. I suppose that kind of thinking has led to perversions throughout history, i.e.: follow orders regardless of how horrific they may be. And we all can name examples.
One thing I was struck by, though, was how socially-imposed values can be so perverse: Huck actually feels guilty for NOT turning in Jim. He thinks that to do right, he must return someone else's "property"! Yes, a different time with different values, but it is arresting to me.
While I don't believe in the summary rejection of all societal values, it is amazing to me how some socially-imposed ones can be so perverse.
Of course, he does the humanitarian thing in the end, but to feel guilty for it is astonishing. I suppose that kind of thinking has led to perversions throughout history, i.e.: follow orders regardless of how horrific they may be. And we all can name examples.
