If that really matters to you.
To me at least, one of the biggest appeals of reading is turning over every word. Actually spending some time with the text. Having fun with it. I mean reading is supposed to be fun after all, isn’t it?
So I’m a little put off by this guy’s implication that slow readers are somehow missing the boat. But there are definitely times when I’ve wanted to get some slab of deathless prose a lot quicker.
And this guy’s advice is actually pretty interesting. Basically, you want to read in jumps, not straight lines. Track the jumps through focus points and, ultimately, synthesize all those focus points into a coherent take away thought for the paragraph.
But don’t the details make the paragraph? Well, sure. They can. But there’s lots of writing where the details really don’t mean jack squat. So for that next TPS report … I’m so doing this, man.
Whatever: You can read 3,000 words per minute!
TV: In the ‘how hasn’t this happened yet’ category …
Nickelodeon announced plans today to unveil a new logo this fall, the company’s first re-branding in 25 years.
The move comes in advance of the network’s 30th anniversary (Really? 30? Jeez, I’m old …) and will replace the iconic “splat” logo with a yet-to-be unveiled trademark.
Apparently the discussion was pretty serious business, as Variety reports:
“In asking ourselves if everything could live under the splat, we decided that the splat was dated,” she said. “It just couldn’t be done in a streamlined way.”
“Living under the splat.” Interesting. Well re-brand away guys, it’s about time. But I do have one request … please don’t can the slime. Thanks.
TV: In case you were wondering …
The trailer for season four of Heroes is out. And it looks decent.
Unfortunately, it seems like the pseudo-deaths are going to be just as high this season as they were in seasons 2 and 3. But you know what? I really. Don’t. Care.
HRG is (still) kicking ass and I’m pretty confident the story line with Sylar and Nathan (Sythan) is going to be good.
Scary: We’re all walking blind …
… No really.
According to an article published in New Scientist, the average human loses about 6 seconds of information per minute due to blinking.
That’s pretty amazing considering how the numbers add up. Take, for example, a typical person with a waking time of about 16 hours. Using the 6 second rule, they’re missing out on a staggering 96 minutes of visual information every day. Math nerds, feel free to check me on this, but I think I did the equation right.
So what’s going on when your waking brain is on a visual holiday? Well, I’d like to think it’s the special time when elves from the parallel 11th dimension visit our world, steal our shoes and Slim Jims and roast bratwurst sausages on our grills, but … unfortunately it seems the actual answer is a bit simpler. Your brain’s just trying to process all that visual data it’s taking in.
And most humans process this visual data in remarkably similar ways. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo, discovered that, in groups, people tend to unconsciously adapt collective blinking patterns.
Researchers studied subjects during movies and found they tended to blink nearly in unison. They would hold back their eyelids during intense action sequences so as not to miss a moment, but when the drama died down, they’d nearly all breathe (or blink, in this case) a collective sigh of relief.
Oh and on a sidenote, if you feel scandalized about the rising price of movie tickets – here’s some more salt to rub in the wound. You know that 150-minute film you paid $10.50 for? Well you’re going to miss about 15 minutes of it due to blinking. Sorry.
Journal Reference: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/
Space: A few things you may not have known about the Apollo 11 Mission
…Or may not have wanted to know.
- Neil Armstrong may have been the first man to walk on the Moon, but Buzz Aldrin was the first man to urinate there. While millions watched on live television, Aldrin relieved himself a tube fitted inside his space suit.
- After returning to the landing module, Aldrin accidentally broke the switch used to activate the ascent engines. After initial concern they managed to activate the switch using a ball-point pen.
- One of President Nixon’s speechwriters had prepared an address entitled: “In Event of Moon Disaster”. It began: “Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay to rest in peace.” If the launch from the Moon had failed, Houston was to close down communications and leave Armstrong and Aldrin to their death.
- When the astronauts took off their helmets after their moonwalk, they noticed a strong smell, which Armstrong described as “wet ashes in a fireplace” and Aldrin as “spent gunpowder”. It was the smell of moondust brought in on their boots.
Whatever: Random Blatherations
In light of me having nothing coherent to say I’ve decided to spell out some things that have been cycling around in my head the past few weeks. And I’ll do it all using the magic of bullet points!
- East of Eden is one of the greatest American books ever written. Hands down. And yeah, it’s better than Grapes of Wrath. Shut up, it is. Now don’t get me wrong, Grapes of Wrath is certainly an outstanding book. And if we’re talking road novels here, it just might just be one of the best American books ever written. That being said, however, Grapes of Wrath is a bit overrated, especially when viewed in in light of the full spectrum of Steinbeck’s later work. Steinbeck billed East of Eden as his epic masterpiece. The capstone of his career, and, well, it is people. It’s his best writing. It’s his best story. And the dialogue and characters are simply unforgettable. Thou mayest want to check it out, I think you’ll enjoy it.
- Battlestar Galactica’s ending didn’t suck. (Spoilers ahead.) This statement is mainly prompted by Brad Templeton’s ranting essay in which he makes the case that BSG’s conclusion was, in fact, “the worst ending in the history of on-screen science fiction.” I’m assuming Templeton said that just to incite tempers, and that’s fine. But I mean really Brad? Really? The worst ever? Did you see Transformers? (To be fair, I didn’t.) What about Hancock? Newsflash: They sucked hard. A lot harder than BSG. I’ll even put my neck on the block and say BSG’s ending was, in fact, pretty damn good. Yeah, you have to block a few things from your memory — namely, the “150,000 years later” bit and the closeup cameo of Ron Moore’s head. But here’s some advice to all the haters: erase those scenes from your memory (I know it’s tough). I’ll always remember the show as ending with the panoramic shot of Adama atop the mountain surveying his new home and finally getting that much sought after rest. If you remember it there you’ll have fond memories of the ending as well. Heck, you might even tear up a bit.
- Another TV thought — season three of Heroes isn’t as bad as everyone says. Let’s get some perspective here. It’s a show about people flying, shooting fire from their hands and sawing open heads using telekinesis. Stop taking it so seriously. Sure, some of the dialogue is cheesy. And the whole “But wait! (S)he’s not really dead!” trope is annoying. But I’m still pretty interested in most of the characters. Well, okay, I really only care about Hiro, Sylar and HRG, but whatever. It’s still a cool show. I’m glad it got renewed and I’m (sorta) excited about what’s in store for season four.
- This month’s edition of Fantasy and Science Fiction is one of the best I’ve read in years. I won’t spoil any of the stories (I’ve posted a few blurbs about them here), but there’s a lot of good writing this issue. Check it out.
- Summarizing random ideas in bullet points is a lot easier than trying to graft out a coherent narrative. I will remember this. Because I am lazy.
Mustache: John Oates & J-Stache
John Oates’ mustache is a total douche. But it also happens to be the genius behind one of the greatest singing duos of our time.
Ride the mustache in this incredible trailer for Oates’ upcoming cartoon, “J-Stache.” (Yes folks, this cartoon is real. Incredible, right?)