Chuck Palahniuk’s work is really something of a canon. Don’t be confused by all the different character names and crazy plot twists that happen from one book to the next; it’s really all part of the same story. Just because they have different names and different problems and different scams (and they all have scams) […]
The Dirty Nitty-Gritty Truth of The Policeman’s Beard
Earlier I mentioned a book allegedly written by a computer; that book is The Policeman’s Beard is Half-Constructed. In trying to find the title of the book, I inadvertently stumbled across the revelation (which I’ll admit isn’t exactly earth-shaking) that the book, contrary to the claims of its introduction, was probably not written entirely by […]
Posted by Ben on May 26, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/the-dirty-nitty-gritty-truth-of-the-policemans-beard/
Real Violence
A study by a Johns Hopkins team of 97 boys and girls showed that exposure to photos of real gunshot wounds can significantly influence youths’ attitudes, making them less likely to believe that aggression can solve conflict, and probably also less likely to resort to violence in any instance: “Our study suggests that the kind […]
Posted by Ben on May 26, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/real-violence/
A Loving Story of the Po-po and their Lamborghini
I honestly think I prefer the Murciélago, but, you know—you take what you can get. “Italian police took possession Friday of a sleek, 500 horsepower, two-seater Lamborghini Gallardo, which can hit a top speed of 185 miles per hour. “The sports car, painted in the police’s distinctive blue and white colors, comes complete with a […]
Posted by Ben on May 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-loving-story/
Ruthless Reading
On Hotmail this morning (and possibly earlier), there’s a blurb in the one side-bar that says, How to be a Ruthless Reader. Curious, I investigated. Suffice it to say, the tips are far from helpful. Here are my own tips for Ruthless Reading. First, lull the book into a sense of complacency and false security […]
Posted by Ben on May 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/ruthless-reading/
Tigers, Wal-Mart, and Schwarzenneger (Oh My)
In Thailand, Buddhists find that tigers and humans can live together in harmony. Not only that, but the tigers, which live in a Buddhist temple, also coexist with the “monkeys, horses, deer, peacocks, geese and wild pigs” that live in the same area. The tigers are fed dog food and, if the article is to […]
Posted by Ben on May 24, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/tigers-wal-mart-and-schwarzenneger/
The brilliance of robotic pharmacy solicitations
I almost deleted this comment that showed up on one of my posts without a second thought—it’s kind of the standard-issue blogspam that shows up from time to time—but then realized that, maybe, just maybe, it’s actually brilliant: and it’s not as if all that tramadol doesn’t corrected in the studio soma nowadays anyway! I’m […]
Posted by Ben on May 24, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/fioricet/
It ends with Lila and Sal
It ends with Lila and Sal. They’re at the center of the action. That’s how it ends.
Posted by Ben on May 23, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/it-ends-with-lila-and-sal/
Palme D’Or
Congratulations to Mike and the fine crew who helped craft the yet-to-be-released documentary Fahrenheit 9/11; the movie won top honors at the Cannes Film Festival.
Posted by Ben on May 23, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/palme-dor/
Cicada, My Cicada
If you happen to live in the eastern US (and possibly elsewhere), your local paper’s doubtless run numerous cicada-themed stories, probably something along the lines of, “well sure nobody really likes them but this only happens once every 17 years (and by the way, you can eat them)”, maybe even with like a 8×8″ color […]
Posted by Ben on May 22, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/cicada-my-cicada/