Monday, February 03, 2003

Pattern Recognition "The sky above the port was the color of television tuned to a dead channel." With this great line began the literary career of William Gibson, a prophet 10 minutes ahead of his time and one of the most important authors of the last years of the 20th century. In person, the Great Man resembles Icabod Crane, and he reads with the enthusiasm of William Burroughs after a big night out with the Wild Boys. The author's own oddly-compelling anti-charisma notwithstanding, his new novel Pattern Recognition seems to find him in fine form (I'll report back in about a week with the complete lowdown).  It is a departure for Gibson in several ways - most notably because it is set in the here-and-now, since the shape of our technology and society appears to have now completely filled the ugly mold that cyberpunk dug for it in the 1980s. It also features a linear narrative from a single character's point of view, a welcome innovation in my opinion since Gibson's trademark multi-camera storytelling techniques had grown a bit stale in his last several outings. Gibson read to a packed house (90% male) at the University of Washington's Kane Hall auditorium, where he plowed laconically through the first several pages of his latest book and delphically orated in response - more or less - to questions from the audience. The organizers of the event then had the supreme bad judgment to allow someone to interview Gibson as he was signing for the (very long) line of people who had plunked down their $24 for the hot-off-the-presses new hardcover. As a result, most people were cheated out of that brief but personal moment of interaction with the author, who becomes basically a piece of equipment programmed to replicate his signature. (Sorry - in my blog, I get to vent). 9:35:42 PM    Emphasize This! [] “We were somewhere on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold…” In honor of the always-welcome appearance of Hunter S. Thompson in Salon this morning, today’s theme honors the self-styled doctor of Gonzo Journalism.   Even Paranoids Have Real Enemies Most people who are paranoid about the American political system aim high: conspiracies of money and power, crooked officials, bent judges (or Justices), voters intimidated by fraud, lies or violence. But what if the fundamental apparatus of democracy were itself corrupt – that is, the voting machines? Read this and see if you sleep better tonight.   When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro Going to see grizzled ex-cyberpunk William Gibson read from his hot-off-the-presses new book Pattern Recognition tonight. Interesting how Gibson and his cohorts are credited with accurately predicting the shape that technology (particularly the Internet) would take, but receive few kudos for just as accurately describing the economic, social and political dislocations that would result from it.   Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail Former Colorado Senator and HST buddy (which may be his most compelling qualification) Gary Hart continues to act like someone who wants to be President. If he can somehow manage to put the baggage of 15 years ago behind him, he offers one of the more compelling combinations of brains, political skill, and sensible positions on both foreign and domestic issues of anyone in the Democratic picture. At the very least, his re-emergence as a visible public figure is a welcome addition to the debate.   Send Lawyers, Guns and Money One musical figure I always associated with HST is the singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, both because of his work and the sensibility behind it. Zevon was recently the recipient of a very bad diagnosis and probably won’t be with us much longer, but he seems determined to get the most out of whatever time he’s got left.   Generation of Swine According to this piece from the Times of London, British swineherds are now required to provide their pigs with toys for “environmental enrichment.” The story, which reads like a bad Monty Python routine, is apparently on the level – farmers who fail to provide recreation for their pigs will face fines up to £1000. 9:16:15 AM    Emphasize This! []

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