The Fearless Blogger

image credit: Magh

Since I’m Jewish, curious, and a procrastinator I had no choice but to follow the link included in this tweet (Confession: I’m checking Twitter and now blogging instead of cleaning my kitchen.)

In his essay on protecting the printed word, The Electronic Book Burning, Alan Kaufman compares the current shift towards electronic media (and the resulting impact on small bookstores) to a Nazi pogram (and the resulting murders of  99 Jews, imprisonment in concentration camps of 25,000-30,000 Jews and the destruction of 267 synogogues [source]):

the awful scene [that] is reoccuring everywhere: venerable, much beloved bookstores closing and that portion of the populace who cherish books—an ever-shrinking minority—left baffled and bereft; a silent corporate Krystallnacht decimating the world of literacy.

And I thought I’m dramatic!!

Granted, I’ve never written, much less published, a book, so it’s perfectly reasonable that I don’t share such strong views on the value of the medium over the content.

That said, although understanding Kaufman’s background helps add a bit of context to the essay’s metaphor, somewhere in between the comparison of the destiny of inanimate objects to human beings and the correlating comparison of market-trend and consumer-driven business decisions to the calculating, hate-filled “Master Plan” of the Nazi’s, his message gets a bit lost.

image credit: Patrick Correia

Before you think I may be over-reacting, I’ll share some additional passages from the essay:

Like any product, the book must run harder and faster in the marketplace or else fall and die. And the books are falling. Only the fittest now survive. While mid-list authors drop in the snow, blockbuster thrillers and middlebrow memoirs and diet books huff their way forward. Soon, though, they too will drop. The idea is for no one to be left standing. All physical books must go up the chimney stack. Such was the methodology of the SS who forced their prisoners to run naked races round and round the barracks yard in the Polish winter, a race that no one was meant to win.

The book is fast becoming the despised Jew of our culture. Der Jude is now Der Book. Hi-tech propogandists tell us that the book is a tree-murdering, space-devouring, inferior form of technology; that society would simply be better-off altogether if we euthanized it even as we begin to carry around, like good little Aryans, whole libraries in our pockets, downloaded on the Uber-Kindle.

Rather than add my commentary as to whether I agree if books are “despised” or with the author’s view of proponents of electronic media as “hi-tech propagandists”, I’ll share a bit more from the essay:

Not since the advent of Christianity has the world witnessed so sweeping a change in the very fabric of human existence. Behind the hi-tech revolution is an idea of Progress that in many regards resembles the premises of Christianity itself. The superseding of the new way over the old, of the New Testament over the Old Testament, the discrediting of the traditional as inferior or even evil, a sense of powerful excitement about the revolutionary, and of course, most importantly, the promise of heavenly immortality over the temporal limitations of the wasting physical body—the accursed haptic book versus the blessed Holy Ghostly Internet—all these earmark the hi-tech pogrom against the book.

Hmmn.  Let’s continue, shall we?

Heinrich Heine, the early 19th century German Jewish poet, wrote: “”Where they burn books, they will ultimately also burn people.”

OK. Well, the above quote from the  closing paragraph actually resonates with me.

And then it is quickly overshadowed by one last final metaphor:

The advent of electronic media to first position in the modern chain of Being—a place once occupied by God—and later, after the Enlightenment, by humans—is no mere 9/11 upon our cultural assumptions. It is a catastrophe of holocaustal proportions. And its endgame is the disappearance of not just books but of all things human.

Just a thought here.  As a general practice – regardless of the comparison one is attempting to illustrate – the adjective “mere” is not probably not an appropriate adjective to be paired with “9/11″.  The expression “too soon” comes to mind (among other expressions, I won’t get into!).

I appreciate the value of the printed book as an art form and small bookstores as a culture.

All the same, I think the comparison is a stretch.  And frankly a bit offensive  - insensitive at the very least.

That’s just me though.
What do you think?

Read it here:
THE ELECTRONIC BOOK BURNING by Alan Kaufman (Evergreen Review No. 120, October 2009).

ADD and Loving it Trailer from TotallyADD.com on Vimeo.

ADD & Loving It?! takes a humorous approach at tackling a sometimes sensitive topic: living with Adult ADHD.

ADD & Loving It?! is a refreshing, witty and inspiring documentary about adult Attention Deficit Disorder (also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD). The one-hour film . . . is hosted by actor/comedian Patrick McKenna and written, produced and directed by fellow comedian, Rick Green.

ADD & Loving It?! explores and explains the disorder by following Patrick’s journey for a diagnosis so he can confirm what he’s always suspected – that he has ADD. Along the way, Patrick and his wife Janis open up about their challenges and struggles, something Janis admits “we’ve spent our whole lives trying to hide.”

The documentary strikes the right balance of covering a wide range of information while delving just enough below the surface to feel you’ve learned something of substance.

Short and fast-paced, it’s a worthwhile watch for folks with ADHD  as well as their family members and significant others.  I’d recommend this as a “must watch” for anyone whose been recently diagnosed for a quick dose of the understanding, self-empathy and acceptance that you’re going to need.

Personally, after taking time to watch it on my own, I made a point to watch it again with my sweetie.  Then I made sure to send the link to my mother to watch.

You can currently view the documentary here. (I believe it will be eventually available through TotallyADD.com)

If you’ve had the opportunity to watch “ADD & Loving It”, I’d love to hear your impression of the film.  Please share your opinion in the comments below.

Rick and Pat in Dundas Square from TotallyADD.com on Vimeo.

image credit: Sarah Rydgren

While I don’t feel the need to hide my ADHD, I don’t feel the need to hide behind my ADHD either.

This blog is my outlet to share my interests with the hope that others might find them interesting.  It’s where I stash my collection of ideas, resources and experiences – an eclectic assortment of things humorous, helpful, and/or enlightening. If I’ve benefited from something, it belongs here to give others the chance to benefit from it too.

I’m not “ADHD GIRL” and this is not “AN ADHD BlOG”, so I’ve never felt compelled to include anything ADHD-related in the collection. At least not until recently.

These days, understanding and managing my ADHD is pretty much a full time job for me. My current priorities revolve around finding the right tools and learning the right skill sets to help me structure my life to allow for my brain’s “quirks”, instead of constantly fighting against them.

As a result, I find myself holding back from adding the majority of my recent ideas, resources and experiences to the others in my collection; since more often than not, they are in some way, shape, or form, related to ADHD. MY ADHD to be specific.

image credit: Lauren Murphy

I’m growing less comfortable with this approach, however.

If The Fearless Blogger is intended to be a reflection of my interests, omitting the chunks related to ADHD twists that reflection into something you’d get from a fun house mirror.

Furthermore, I’m holding back information and experiences that someone else might benefit from – or perhaps even find comfort with.

I’m choosing to change that.

As of today, I’m adding a new flavor to the blog.

My hope is that while it may not be the flavor you were craving when you initially stopped by, you’ll be able to appreciate (or even enjoy) it nonetheless.

image credit: Sarah Macmillan

If you live in SoCal and are without Halloween plans  (and with a disposable income) look no further – I have the scoop for you (thanks to YouTheDesigner.com)!

The Skinny

Silverlake Conservatory of Music announces its fifth annual “Hullabaloo” fundraiser will be held on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. Ben Harper will perform. The event, dubbed the “Halloweenabaloo,” will take place at LA’s historic Union Station. Doors open at 6 PM for a special “Kids Hour” of music, trick-or-treating and Halloween celebration. At 7 PM, the first of the evening’s musical performances will begin, continuing throughout the evening.

Music, Halloween excitement and performances from SCM co-founders Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and “Tree,” a/k/a SCM Dean Keith Barry along with special musical guests Ben Harper, Linda Perry and others will highlight the Hullabaloo festivities including costumes, masks, observation of “El día de los muertos” traditions plus food and family fun.

The Cause (Silverlake Conservatory of Music)

Reacting to the disappearance of music education in the curriculum of many public schools, Flea and Tree (Keith Barry) founded the non-profit conservatory to provide a place where young people in their community could learn and enjoy music. The school’s website states, “The mission of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization, is to facilitate basic music education. Our primary focus is on the youth of the community but all are welcome and encouraged to participate. The Conservatory offers private music lessons at a reasonable cost and grants scholarships to children in need, providing free lessons and instruments. The study of music enriches the life of the student as well as the community and society.” Nine years after opening, the school serves about 600 students (about a quarter who are on scholarship). Students enjoy access to private lessons, instruments, summer camps and group ensembles.

More details, including how to get your hand on some tickets, are posted here (by YouTheDesigner.com)
And if you act quickly, you may still have time to enter to WIN a pair of tickets to the event!*

*Disclosure: I’ve entered the contest and plan on winning it. :-) So enter at your own risk- set your expectations accordingly!

Today I discovered what just may be my favorite e-cards ever!

As I was nosing around the CDC website, perusing the latest H1N1 information (isn’t that how everyone spends their evening downtime?) I noticed they’ve included an H1N1 social media page.

Awesome sauce! Not sure if you know this about me but:

PANDEMIC + CDC INFO + SOCIAL MEDIA(!) =
IRRESISTIBLE TO FARYL

I happily clicked away.

That’s when I noticed this section:

Send Friends & Loved Ones Swine Flu Wishes!

No Way! Excellent!

I’m not sure what I was expecting to see, but the CDC didn’t let me down.  Caring friends and family can select from a variety of “occasions” ranging from Autumn to College Health to Disabilities to Halloween to Salmonella to STDs and more.  They even have “Congratulations on Your New Pet” and Valentine’s Day cards!

This is a small sample of the selection the Flu category has to offer:

Just a Sampling of Occasions You Can Choose From

My particular favorite is the Father’s Day card:

You can't make this stuff up.

Not impressed?  Just wait – there are animated cards as well.

How many times has this happened to you? Your best friend is getting married tomorrow. Here you are, a bridesmaid, and what with sharing all the joy and festivities and excitement – you forgot to buy a card.

I’ve totally been there.

Well, fear not, my friend – the CDC to the rescue!!

This Wedding Card even features a soundtrack (one that bears a bit of a resemblance to the Tonight Show theme)!

What Bride Wouldn't be Overjoyed to Receive This?

There are too many options to post screen shots of them all here.

Some of my other favorites:

• Wishing You a Seizure-Free Day
• I Got Tested – Did You?
• Here’s to an Alcohol-Free Pregnancy!

The list goes on and on . . . You’ll just have to visit the site yourself so you can choose the one that’s the perfect fit for your special day.

Feeling down because no one’s ever sent a CDC card to you?

Well turn that frown upside down!  Because I care!

That’s right! I created a card just for you!
View it here!