Catcher in the Rye

Excerpt below from "Catcher in the Rye" (1951) by J.D. Salinger:

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye, and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy."

I always liked "Franny and Zooey" (1961) better, for some reason:
"Let's just try to have a marvelous time this weekend. I mean not try to analyze everything to death for once, if possible. Especially me. I love you."

This same week, Howard Zinn, historian/social activist and the author of the "People's History of the United States" (1980) also passed away:

Young and old were taught that anti-Communism was heroic. Three million copies were sold of the book by Mickey Spillane published in 1951, One Lonely Night, in which the hero, Mike Hammer says: "I killed more people tonight than I have fingers on my hands. I shot them in cold blood and enjoyed every minute of it. . . . They were Commies . . . red sons-of-bitches who should have died long ago. . . ." A comic strip hero, Captain America, said: "Beware, commies, spies, traitors, and foreign agents! Captain America, with all loyal, free men behind him, is looking for you. . . ." And in the fifties, schoolchildren all over the country participated in air raid drills in which a Soviet attack on America was signaled by sirens: the children had to crouch under their desks until it was "all clear."

Yay for the Aussies!

An Australian news team managed to broadcast probably one of the very few hopeful moments for survivors and rescue efforts from the earthquake in Haiti.

The Haitian translator for the news team and others dug out a baby they heard crying in the rubble. In true broadcaster fashion, the anchor held her up for the cameras.

NBC Head Ducks as Conan's Rolls

Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC-Universal, says NBC is in the process of "releasing" Conan, during an interview with Charlie Rose. That was a doozy of a dice roll that went off of the table, flipping around time slots like that.

According to Zucker, Jimmy Fallon would take O'Brien's place. If, that is, O'Brien doesn't want to roll over and play catch, which the host might demonstrate the suggestion for his audience at some point.

Dipping into Your Company's Ink

Oh, Johnny. Tsk, tsk.

Biker Chicks are No Match for Multiple Personality Disorder

Why wasn't Katey Sagal nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Gemma in "Sons of Anarchy"?

Building Blocks

Love how it works! Lego ad from 1981.

Watch Where You Search

Obama supports Google in its discussions with China in refusing to administer search restrictions on the site. And if necessary, back out their presence in the country altogether.

China has been reported to have its own cyber-hacking crack effort at attempting to get into the networks of American defense and technology firms through Google. And a recent statement from China's Foreign Ministry indicated Google should follow the rules as a law-abiding international presence in China.

Chinese citizens left flowers in memorial for Google at its headquarters in China in response to the firm's possible departure, which is both touching and strange. Google's main competitor, Baidu, is assumed to benefit from Google's absence, except for the likelihood that Baidu will end up competing with smaller players and the internet market overall in China would take a blow.

How do you restrict internet searches? No Facebook? That's like trying to police cyberspace, the final frontier. Nowadays, forget the moon. Not to mention, search filters are probably a total pain in tech-speak to maintain, from Google's perspective.

There is a Situation

The New Yorker has a feature on the allure of "Jersey Shore", which is in fact On the Radar because one of it's reality TV stars, Snooki was punched out at a bar while on camera. To think, this probably happens all the time, but it's not that really that interesting unless there's a camera there.

The feature/review makes the point the show does little to uncover American pop cultural myths through its typical reality TV stereotypes, i.e., "Guidos" or "Guidettes". Indeed, "Jersey Shore" at its heart (or lack thereof), portrays its stars as tanned and fixated on their hair, with thick accents. Are they all Italian? Probably not, but it's an easy stereotype to associate. And so goes the conundrum of reality TV: It's meant as a window into an unknown world for viewers, and often what ends up happening instead is equivalent to watching a train wreck.

There should be something else to dwell on from this show, shouldn't there, besides drunken escapades and steamy Jacuzzis? As long as viewers enjoy succumbing to their voyeuristic impulses, it's only reasonable there is some justification in indulging their curiosity over the world unknown. Not sure if this is really accomplished by following the cast as they own their will to live through self-tanner. But maybe I'm answering my own question.

Yet, there is a significant detachment from reality in watching ordinary people, (albeit the word ordinary is debatable), live their lives in the box o' wonder that is TV. Staid by the promise of short-lived celebrity and a microwaveable meaningful existence, Dante never had it so easy.

Talking the Talk with Sarah Palin

America thanks you, Sarah Palin. At least, the America that favors its news commentators to pose with the American flag in running shorts.