NaNoWriMo

It is time to dust off that novel in the bottom drawer. NaNoWriMo is back again.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's not sponsored by any corporation or some sort of government organization- it's just something somebody thought they would try and spread about by word of mouth, and has managed to survive for the past 5 years. The goal is to start writing a novel November 1 and finish 50,000 words by midnight November 30. I did a count of all the posts I made to all newsgroups on which I was active for a couple of days and added in all of my email- I could create the word count quite easily. It's only 1667 words a day.

But I've tried it for the past two years. My first year I hit 30,000. On December 1, I realized what I had written was total crap and I pitched it. My second year, I hit 18,000, which was worse, but the quality of writing was better. That's the novel I still have sitting in my bottom drawer. This year, who knows. I'm not very optimistic about my prospects- this year I'm actually employed for one thing.

But I love the whole idea. It's a yearly nag in my brain to actively spend time doing something I love to do- namely spend time writing. I wish everyone had some thing that came along every year and reminded them to go spend some time doing something for themselves to help increase their happiness.

But I wish sometimes it was a longer month. About as often as I'm glad that NaNoWriMo isn't in February.

(used lines instead of words- I have to count lines for my job, and for the novel, it's only words, which is much less)

I�m not a pundit but I play one in the Blogosphere

The release of the Osama bin Laden tape yesterday brought out all the pundits and pundit wannabe�s who were trying to find the hidden meanings and motivations in the words of Osama. I quick trip to over to MEJ will show you that I was a guilty as anyone. The pundits on the right saw the tape as an endorsement of Kerry while the pundits on the left saw it as an endorsement of Bush. Trying to get into the mind of Osama bin Laden is a bit like trying to get into the minds of Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What motivates a psychopath? Do we really have anyway of knowing? The timing of the release would lead us to believe Osama was trying to influence the election. Like Ted Bundy, Osama bin Laden is a very intelligent and manipulative psychopath. Can we really apply the rules of common sense and logic to determine the motivations of the Osama bin Ladens and Ted Bundys of the world? I suspect not; so in the end it all boils down to spin, but that's what pundits really do anyway isn't it?

Update
Atrios chimes in on this subject.

Yes, Virginia, there was an Adam

This is a book review for those who don�t still live on a flat earth and are curious about where we came from. In his book The Journey of Man, Spencer Wells reveals how developments in the science of population genetics have made it possible to trace the migrations and history of humanity over the last 60 thousand years. The subject is very complex but Wells is able to make it simple without being simplistic. As in any such study there is a lot of speculation but Wells, to his credit, makes it clear when this is the case.

Genetic clues would lead us to believe that there was an Adam in Africa about 60 thousand years ago. Cultural anthropology would tells us there was probably more than one Eve. This Adam had a very important mutation, one that resulted in additional short term memory. This change resulted in a human that was better able to respond to the environment but more important it allowed humans to do syntax. Communication went from one or two words to complex sentences vastly improving communication and changing the human race forever.

About 50 thousand years ago changes in the climate made it both possible and necessary for humans to begin the migration out of Africa. The genetic information would indicate that there were two major migrations and Wells describes these migrations in detail.
If you are curious this is a good read. Much of it is speculation but it seems to fit the evidence.

Cross posted at Middle Earth Journal

How do you like living in a Banana Republic

Foreign Observers Ready to Monitor US Elections

On Thursday, short-term observers from the OSCE arrive in the United States. For the first time ever, a foreign organization will be officially monitoring a US presidential vote.

In teams of two, the observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be deployed across the country. They will monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results at all levels.

The OSCE traditionally observes voting more in ex-Soviet states and emerging democracies. But while the US is a far cry from Kazakhstan, the mission's input is now necessary after a series of balloting problems in Florida sowed chaos and confusion in the US presidential race in 2000.

I don't know about you but I find this is pretty sad and embarrassing. We invented this stuff and now a group that has been monitoring elections in Kazakhstan is coming here to monitor our elections. It is indeed a sad day.

Hello

Jazz has invited me to drop in from Middle Earth once in awhile to rant. As it says over on the right sidebar I�m a registered Independent or as we are known as here in Oregon an unaffiliated voter. I�ve already voted, as have about half of the Oregonians, since we all vote by mail, no polls on Tuesday.

I was a manufacturing engineer for most of my life but since I don�t speak Chinese I couldn�t follow my job there. I am now able to do what I really wanted to do anyway, digital art. If you are interested a few of my pictures can be found here. Go to Search by Artist find Ron Beasley and click on GO.

Like Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers I don�t hold organized religion in very high regard. I find the Christian right in this country to be a frightening phenomenon and can�t understand why anyone would want to return to the 14th century.

In addition to being an engineer I have a degree in Earth Sciences (geology) which I find fascinating. Because of that understanding of Earth History I have some views on global warming that make me unpopular on both sides of the issue and will probably discuss it at some point here. Living in Portland I am about 40 miles from a volcano that is currently erupting. You will find updates on that over at Middle Earth Journal. It gives me a break from politics.

A brief rundown on how a feel about some current issues can be found here. More latter.

And now for Something Completely Different

I suppose I should introduce myself as well. Unlike Jazz, and the other gentlemen, I don't read a lot of blogs. I don't read a lot of the news. I just don't like to. What goes on tends to make me worried and depressed, and then I'll fret. So I tend to ostritch about what is going on. I watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and I read the editorial funnies. If I find myself going, "huh?" in response, then I go research what I am not understanding. Or I'll peek at pertinent link that Jazz or Mu feel like sharing with me. Otherwise, I avoid the news.

I used to work for a newspaper. I was a copyeditor and page designer. I mainly did the Living Section, but I've helped with every section. I have watched the newsroom while a big story is breaking, and chatted with the editorial staff. Yes, I still have nightmares. But I did love doing that kind of work on a deadline like that.

As far as my beliefs go, I do think that if you don't vote and you are able, if you don't vote, you shouldn't complain. Even if you are just writing in Bill and Opus, like I did for the first election I was able to vote in, at least I exercised my right to vote. I strongly encourage everyone to do the same.

I have three layers of belief. The nearest and dearest to my heart is the ideal way things should be. How things really ought to be if everyone just followed the rule of being nice to one another. I try hard to get things more like this, but I'm only one person. I can't move a lot of things, but I what can do, I usually do. It is easy to talk about the ideal situation and how things should be. But this isn't very realistic. The 2nd layer tries hard to blend what my ideals are with what is. And the third layer is more along the lines of Jonathon Swift.

For example, I do not like the death penalty. What right have we to kill anyone? How does that not make us a killer too? And what if they were wrongly convicted? (Yes, I realize you've seen all of those arguments before). The realist in me understands the costs involved in separating the convict from the rest of society for the protection of society and the hope of reformation, and I'm willing to pay it. And yes, I still have hope of reformation. And the cynic that can agree with the death penalty as a deterent to other crime, thinks that these criminals ought to be executed publically and to heck with cruel and unusual punishment laws. Perhaps we could have them do some sort of extreme sport with messy results, or just pay per view hangings ala concerts. Unfortunately, I think that would only encourage really stupid people to commit more crimes, in order to appear on television. Perhaps allowing the victims' families to determine punishment may be a better option- it may be even better television.