Something That Happened.

I have a fair idea about what Charles is talking about (though I still don't know what "tokenizing" is), but that's not why I stopped reading his article. The following phrase caught my attention so I ended up copying and pasting it into Google:

"Zend Avesta" "english translation"

I wanted to see what the translation would reveal. I have no idea what Zend Avesta means, though the term Zend sounds vaguely familiar to me (and I think it has to do with software). It sometimes bothers me when I don't know what something means and I feel like I should. I still don't entirely know what it means: I simply glanced at the search results. Perhaps I should be more concerned with not knowing the meaning of "tokenizing", since it's clearly a scripting term, as I've often found it within the context of articles regarding computer programming. (For those of you not following that last sentence: scripting = programming, more or less.) If I'm serious about learning how to program/script, I should know all about tokenization by now.

Anyway, after that quick detour I returned to Charles' blog and read the rest of his story. I even used his copy 'n' paste code to link back to his article. (See the link above.) Now I await his response. This is how blogging works sometimes: Call and Response. Like making music, except it's nothing like that. Anyway, there's not always a response. In fact, in my case there's rarely ever a response, but that's okay because I never know how to respond to a response anyway.

Side note: Day before last I hinted that I was somewhat inspired by Nick Sagan's story, and I was, but now I'm inspired by Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running. Oh, wow, what a voice this man has. What a story and what a voice. This one has me laughing and (nearly) crying all the way through, and I want to share it with my dad. I think he'll really enjoy it. I want him to hear the audio version, but I don't know if he can put up with listening to a story for long. He has to listen to Mr. McLarty tell the story (which, by the way, is Mr. McLarty's own). He's hilarious -- what terrific characterizations! So real. His own creations, of course, which probably explains why they're so good. Reading the book simply won't be as pleasurable. So if I can recommend one audio book this year, I'd say get this one, it's that good. If only I could tell a story like this one, and in the way this fellow tells it...

Technorati Tags: something that happened, Charles Iliya Krempeaux, tokenizing, scripting, Zend Avesta, Ron McLarty, The Memory of Running

Labels: audio books, books, commentary, distractions, Ron McLarty, scripting, storytelling

Never located those library books I lost, one by Philip K. Dick and the other titled Doing Nothing, the latter of which seems to be my biography. Dick's book was getting very interesting; maybe I can find a copy of the book in e-book format online so I don't have to wait until I have the cash on hand to pay the library for the book. I'm a good citizen, generally, and I plan to pay the library what I owe. Anyone know where I can locate some e-books? You know, the kind that aren't DRM'ed? (Hey, I'm already paying for the freaking book! Don't you dare ask me to pay twice.)

Labels: books, consequences, cost of living, drinking, losing things, Philip K. Dick, Tom Lutz, what I'm reading

Mau II was brilliant, and shortly after reading the final pages I had the happy fortune of discovering the Philip K. Dick book I'd been waiting for had now arrived at the local branch of the public library. So on the bed is the book, Ubik, a book Benjamen Walker has clearly been inspired/influenced/or something by. (I wonder if he really tattooed the cover of the book onto his arm? If so, it's a good thing he didn't go with the cover of the edition I'm holding, a tacky and hideous image for the Vintage Books edition.)



Here's a not-quite-so-rare-anymore-now-that-it's-on-YouTube-and-perhaps-the-DVD-of-A Scanner Darkly interview with the writer.

Labels: Benjamen Walker, body art, books, cover art, interviews, Philip K. Dick, Ubik, what I'm reading

I'm compelled to post a quote, nearly any quote that has to do with writing, from Don DeLillo's Mao II. Here's the one I've chosen:

The only way to be in the world was to write himself there.

Yeah. That's a good one. As thought, it seems, by the hostage, the poet prisoner.

Labels: artistry, books, Don DeLillo, Mao, quotes, short post, what I'm reading, writing

I've been extremely busy lately and haven't been able to post as often as I'd like to. Be sure to visit my other blogs, Transmitting To Earth and Some Links Are Better Than Others, as I rotate my posting between them.

By the way, I found Todd Stauffer's blog, or at least the one for his book the one for his book. In a previous post I and others had mentioned the difficulty of finding his blog. Well, now we have it.

Labels: blogging, blogs, books, technology, Todd Stauffer

The links to other blogs (in the side panel at left) are all new, using a service called Blogrolling. Thanks to Todd Stauffer's book Blog On for explaining how to use the service. I enjoy Mr. Stauffer's writing style and would like to read his blog, if he has one, but I couldn't locate one, and it seems that others have had this same problem.

Labels: blogging, Blogrolling, blogs, books, Todd Stauffer, writing

So Steinbeck's East of Eden was chosen as the first selection in the return of Oprah's Book Club. I always knew Oprah had good taste. I tried to get mom to read East of Eden a few months ago, but she showed no interest and didn't get very far in the novel. As soon as Oprah recommended it, though...let's just say I'm not going to hear the end of it until I find her another copy. The last one came from the library -- the only copy the city of Los Angeles Public Library has -- and it looks like someone else has it now. So it's off to Half.com to see if I can get a copy.

Labels: books, John Steinbeck, libraries, short post