From Chapter 2 of Oliver Twist: The members of this board were very sage, deep, philosophical men; and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered—the poor people liked it! It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer … Dickens on Philosophers
Because he thought having a protagonist tell the whole story, through dialogue, that should’ve just been left as narration was a good idea. And he thought it was another good idea for the protagonist-narrator speak just like Joseph Conrad writes, which is nearly impossible given for anyone, much less someone not trained in elocution, large-content … Slapping Joseph Conrad’s Editor in the Neck
The story below is a work of fiction. He was on edge all week from finals. Miko had sensed it, and urged him up to the hilltop on a cool weekday night on a break, away from the campus lights. He watched, weary and passive, as she assembled the telescope, her pale deft hands grasping … Story: Faster Than Light
The story below is a work of fiction. With the adults, and most of the neighborhood kids, occupied with the block party outside, John fumbled with the lighter in his bedroom. He finally managed to keep it lit without burning his fingers, and ignited the cigarette that stood straight out of Victoria’s mouth. Chris looked … Story: It’s No Wonder
The story below is a work of fiction. All thirty employees gathered in the carpeted lobby for the first public beta play-through of the game. Becky, the project manager, won—she would say “lost,” after the fact—the shortest straw and was player one. Silence during the opening cinematic, and a quick cut to the gameplay, an … Story: The Soldier Has No Gun
From Ethan Frome: It was during their night walks back to the farm that he felt most intensely the sweetness of this communion. He had always been more sensitive than the people about him to the appeal of natural beauty. His unfinished studies had given form to this sensibility and even in his unhappiest moments … “Orion down yonder”
The Wisecrack Youtube channel has a great video on the philosophy of Ghost in the Shell (the original one). It’s actually a very Western movie because it’s Hegelian through and through, and Hegel is as Western philosophy as it gets. I left a comment on the video that I will cross-post here, for those interested. … The Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Mustafa sat proudly at the back of the rock outcropping, a paw—with just enough claw extended make the warning explicit—held firmly on the back of Sarabi’s neck. The mandrill, that neurotic mystic, walked out to the edge of the outcropping and held up Mustafa’s infant son, Simba, for all the gathered animals on the ground … Story: How It Should’ve Gone
The story below is a work of fiction. Alice was the person in the audience least willing to be called upon, so naturally the magician volunteered her for his first trick. Seated on the stage chair, being so close to the magician—she forgot his name but he looked like a Mark—wasn’t as embarrassing as she … Story: Magicland
Jill has decided to serialize her new book, The Minäverse, and you can read the first chapter here. Jill was kind enough to send me an ARC* and it’s definitely a good ‘un if you like absurdist sci-fi, a la Douglas Adams and that other author of that one book I can’t recall right now. … The Minäverse by Jill Domschot
tl;dr – I don’t want bread Stop with all the sandwiches for breakfast. Not everything has to be in sandwich form; you’re not leaving some moral culinary duty unfilled if you don’t serve sandwiches all the time. If you really must have sandwiches on the menu, the very least you can do is offer normal … Attn: Restaurants That Serve Breakfast, Please Take Seriously and Enjoy this Unreasonable Rant
They forced him into a blind date, claiming that her fetish for chefs would warm her to him. She was described as a Kirsten Dunst lookalike, which in his mental filters was synonymous with “looks like Kirsten Dunst plus 50 lbs,” or “looks like Kirsten Dunst with severe exotropia,” or “looks like Kirsten Dunst with … Third Person Dreams Means I Have Disassociative Issues
For his 40th they gave him folders of printed photos and transparencies. There was a machine, from a different era, where he had to insert the photos to be projected for everyone’s amusement. He had to do it himself; that was part of the fun. Some photos were animated. Others, inappropriate, and not in the … Taste the Memories – A Coca-Cola Commercial
That is, I actually like it: music and lyrics. The original is here, but I like the version posted below a little bit better. Note the lack of the word “I”; it’s only used once. Yes, I (heh) know…David used “I” plenty of times in the Psalms—what, is God’s word not good enough for me? … A Worship Song I Don’t Hate
Everything has to be something else. Actually, everyone has to be something you don’t expect. When everyone can be anything, nothing and no one becomes interesting. Novelty walks by and it’s a sore—tamp down on that bump of discoloration until it’s flat. It isn’t so bad that some men are smarter than most women, it’s … A Room Temperature, Gray, Lumpy Mush
It was a decent dystopia—it really wasn’t one…I was just the only person to know the context and the coming flood. I met a friend, I think from high school, in the multilevel city. He was pushing a small food cart. He opened the lid and tried to pass off the floating heads as meatballs, … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 7
There was an Hispanic lady at the Chinese takeout place. I don’t know how I knew that. I tried my rudimentary Spanish on her, and she responded back with salsa-flavored friendliness. She knew I made an effort. I almost jumped the counter to tell the cooks my order because I thought that was customary. Someone … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 6
Here’s a spoiler alert: zombies are tied to their lands, like feudal serfs in Medieval Europe. If their “lifeland” is doing well, they are going to be coming at you like strongmen. They draw energy from prosperous earth. A solution: drop every dead body far away from where they died so they will end up … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 5
Her car is full, but that’s not the reason she leaves you on the side of the road. The scenery is pleasant enough, though. You end up back at the gymnasium bleachers soon after and take a nap on the top bench. You fall asleep wondering why there are so many snack food wrappers sticking … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 4
The skeleton king sidestepped discretely to one edge of the throne room, and up a wall. He had made a mess of things, right in front of the dais, on the strip of crimson carpeting: a pile of bones. His confused courtiers gathered around the pile. The king disappeared into a dark corner of the … I Don’t Know What This Is, Part 3