Beckett...

I attempted reading some Beckett recently. I found a copy of Three Novels which consists of Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable. I slogged through Molloy and started into Malone Dies. At this stage, not only was it completely destroying my brain, but I felt like it was a lot like the novel I had just finished. I gave up frustrated at the anti-novel approach. I get that he was trying to subvert the normal structures of character, plot, and the basic narrative, but after a while it felt very pointless and a waste of time. It takes a lot for me to stop reading a novel. I feel the same about finishing books as I do about cleaning my plate at dinner.
Anyway, having a coffee and pastry in Cafe du Soleil (at Fillmore and Waller for those who know SF) this morning, I was reading through The Onion and came across this article which made me laugh out loud. I'm sure the guy sitting next to me thought I was nuts.

COBRA II

I am reading COBRA II which goes into great detail about the lead up to the Iraq war.

It seems to slant to the right but appears to be driven from a fact-based point of view. I find it interesting after only about 80 pages how spot-on many of the senior officers were during the planning phase. They were starting to see problems with the numbers of troops needed to keep the peace after the initial defeat of the Iraqi forces, problems with building up the country afterward, etc. All issues that have turned out to be problematic. It is an interesting phenomenon in organizations that choose to toss out years of developed experience and wisdom for an untested philosophy. How sad that so many lives had to be lost at the expense of not listening to our own military leaders.

An intersting quote on the slant of the book:

The British, who had a more punctilious attitude toward international law, declined to participate in the Southern Focus operation on the grounds that the United Nations resolutions that were used to justify the patrols of the no-fly zones did not authorize bombing to smooth the way for an invasion.

The tone implies that their inclination toward the rule of law is somehow quaint.

What's in a name?

My dad used to call me Icky. It's a play on my first name.

My wife is from Ireland and is often fond of saying, "You're getting on my wick." It's another way of saying "You're really starting to bug the crap out of me."

I also liked the tie-in with bailiwick.

First entry

Having read many blogs over the past several months, I decided to throw my hat into the ever growing ring.

Most of what I will post here will be about politics and current events but I will also write about books I am reading (or plan to), my wife and kids (I have three), life here in San Francisco, film, games (I am co-inventing a board game with my brother), or whatever else takes my fancy.

At this stage, I am not quite sure what I expect, but at the very least, it will be good to have the chance to vent and share ideas with others. Hopefully I will have some interesting conversations as a result.

Cheers, Icky