This song is dedicated to writers with W.I.P.’s (works in progress) everywhere.
You know — like something that’s 75 or 80 percent finished, but lacks a proper ending. You just KNOW you need to finish it … even if it’s for no other reason than the sunk costs fallacy. (You’ve already invested so much time and effort!)
I’ve got two such projects. Let’s make a pact. I’ll finish mine if you finish yours. (I almost wrote “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” and that’s weirdly Freudian. I’m glad I caught myself.) Anyway, we’ll ALL be winners, so we ALL get the shiny red hats.
Now WIP it
Into shape!
Shape it up!
Get straight!
Go forward!
Move ahead!
Try to detect it!
It’s not too late
To WIP it!
WIP it good!
[Update: oh god, now this song is in my head and won’t stop! Send in Credence Clearwater Revival immediately!]
Although I suppose Roanoke’s characteristic iron-rich dirt looks more tan than red today. It still was a canvas for some of nature’s eye-catching patterns.
Man oh man, I would have loved to play on that Jurassic-looking soil with my toy dinosaurs when I was six years old.
There’s a terrific interview over at Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine with my good friend and colleague, Dennis Villelmi. Dennis speaks at length about his career as a writer, from his early inspiration by the works of Clive Barker to his current work on The Bees Are Dead.
Dennis has always been a creator to watch, and he remains one of my favorite writers. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of the processes behind his unique and baroquely dark poetry.
I just started the Twitter hashtag #spaceforceselfies to troll Donald Trump’s planned “Space Force.” Just take a shot of yourself in any sci-fi getup to parody an eager recruit. You get extra points if you work in a gag directly at the president’s expense within the photo.
This could be a lot of fun if it gains traction among the cosplayer crowd. I’d go first, but I haven’t the slightest idea how to make a costume.
I’d love to figure out a way to make a convincing costume for the Mobile Infantry depicted in Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers.” This … this might actually just be an elaborate excuse for me to dress up as “Starship Troopers.”
So I just managed to catch the first episode of Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Who Is America?” (2018), and it was predictably jaw-dropping. (I recently ran a couple of clips here at the blog that Showtime had released concurrently with the show’s July 15th premiere.) I’d rate the first episode a perfect 10 for being both hilarious and an absolutely biting half hour of … prank comedy? Subversive documentary? Performance art? I think any of those labels might apply in varying degrees, depending on how you view Cohen’s work. It’s wacky stuff.
I opine that Cohen is a creative genius. We can all debate the ethics of the imposter interviews that are his trademark (and there were a couple of moments during 2006’s “Borat” that made even me squirm). But nobody can deny that the man is exceptionally good at what he does. And I don’t think that his success derives from the false personas he adopts when sitting down with political figures. (There are several new ones that he’s created for the show.) They are funny by themselves, but not hilarious, and countless comedians can perform a character. (One of Cohen’s creations, the “Finnish Youtuber,” even reminds me a little of Dana Carvey.)
Cohen has something more. If I had to guess, I’d say that it’s a skill set that matches closely with that of any standard con-artist, allowing him to gain his interviewees’ trust to an extreme degree. I’m willing to bet that he works hard at building rapport with his subjects long before the cameras start rolling, and that the feckless nature of his false identities further puts them at ease.
Anyway, Episode 1 features interviews with Bernie Sanders and Trent Lott. A clip from the Sanders segment is below. He acquits himself far better than other participants, although I also think Cohen went far easier on him. (There isn’t actually a joke at Sanders’ expense; it’s really just Cohen’s character clowning.) The humiliating interview with disgraced Sheriff Joe Arpaio doesn’t appear until Episode 4, but I just had to include it here.
This is utterly bizarre, utterly funny stuff. I highly recommend it.
Here are three things you can do to show that support.
You can state that you oppose the president’s repeated statements that those news agencies he determines are “fake news” are not “the enemy of the American people.”
You can condemn threats of violence against news reporters.
And you can state your support for unfettered access to White House press briefings for all credentialed reporters, whether they are considered to be right-leaning (like Fox) or left-leaning (like CNN).
And you can share your stance with other Americans. In the Information Age (or Disinformation Age, depending on how you view it), your voice will reach farther than ever.
Hey, gang. This site’s web address is now “ericrobertnolan.com.”
I’m not sure if this will affect anyone who might have the old address bookmarked, so I thought I would let you know. (I know you can’t bear to go without my unique brand of online nerdery.) 😉
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 