November Salmagundi
November
Besides the autumn poets sing,
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the haze.
A few incisive mornings,
A few ascetic eyes,--
Gone Mr. Bryant's golden-rod,
And Mr. Thomson's sheaves.
Still is the bustle of the brook,
Sealed are the spicy valves;
Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The eyes of many elves.
Perhaps a squirrel may remain,
My sentiments to share.
Grant me, O Lord, a sunny mind,
Thy windy will to bear!
-Emily Dickinson
(That poem feels appropriate)
(Also, we recommend reading the poem aloud if you can when you see it. It makes it more powerful.)
Hello readers!
We sincerely hope you're all hanging in there. We're doing ok here in SoCal. Not much to report on the writing front. We'll share an update as soon as we can about our next project.
As winter works its way in, and things feel colder and darker (perhaps both literally and metaphorically), we are jumping in with a little mishmash blog of bits and bobs. The plan is to share some good news in the world to counterbalance all the vitriol, along with a few lighthearted clips to brighten your day. Since November is halfway over, we'll skip the fun facts about the month.
 |
| Emily Dickinson is pissed about no November fun facts |
Let's start with some good news, eh? Here are two things happening in the world that you may have missed.
We love all things space, fiction and non-fiction--from Carl Sagan to Issac Asimov. So when we saw this story we had to share it. Some plucky Japanese engineers created a satellite the size of a coffee cup that's made of magnolia wood. As more and more countries get involved with satellites and space (there are an estimated 2k launches taking place every year for the next decade), debris is threatening to rip up the ozone layer we just fixed. You see, when satellites re-enter Earth's orbit, they burn and release tiny alumina particles. Those particles stay in the atmosphere for years. And as that happens more and more, the cumulative effect could be devastating. But if you could replace the alumina with wood, you'd have a much cleaner burn.
In outer space wood can't be set on fire due to the lack of oxygen. Also no one can hear you when you scream. Wood can't rot due to the lack of moisture. And the lack of microbes mean it can't be eaten up. The little satellite, named LingoSat, will orbit Earth for six months as a test of its durability. Good luck, little guy!
When we read the news this morning, we thought we were reading an actual Onion article. But no, this isn't satire. The Onion bought Alex Jones' InfoWars at a bankruptcy auction. If you don't remember who Alex Jones is, congratulations. This monster got famous for peddling conspiracy theories and phony supplements. Most infamously he claimed that the Sandy Hook massacre was fake, telling millions of people that crisis actors staged it so that America could enact more gun control. That resulted in grieving families being harassed and threatened. The resulting legal battle, now twelve years old, came to a near conclusion today when the Onion purchased InfoWars with the support of the Newtown families. Poetic justice--you love to see it. A lawyer for the families said "Our clients knew that true accountability meant an end to InfoWars and an end Jones' ability to spread lies, pain, and fear at scale." The surviving Newtown families, who created the gun-control lobbying group Everytown for Gun Safety, will be the exclusive advertiser for the new site. Huzzah!
Feeling better yet?
Let's keep it going.
Here are two clips that made us double over with laughter:
1) The Front Fell Off
This first clip is a sketch from John Clarke and Bryan Dawe. They are an Australian duo who created a satirical interview program called Clarke and Dawe that always had Dawe interviewing Clarke. You can tell these two are practiced professionals. The timing, the speech patterns. When this resurfaced years later, people thought it was real. That's when you know you've hit on some good satire.
2) The Count, Censored
This one, while admittedly a little juvenile, hits hard. What we love about this clip is that you get it right away, but for some reason it keeps getting funnier and funnier. Hammering the same joke repeatedly somehow makes it better. Enjoy.
If you're not feeling better yet, there's nothing else we can do.
That's all for now friends.
Be good to each other.
Until next time,
~2authors
Comments
Post a Comment