White Noise by Don DeLillo




Don Delillo's book is thought provoking so here are my thoughts:

My girlfriend, Genevieve, in the year 2000, asked if I had read White Noise by Don DeLillo. I had not. But I answered, in order to keep my self looking smart and deep, "Yes I have."
Then she asked me a follow up question, "What about the grocery store, what do you think it means? The Illumination of light makes everything bare."
I mumbled "Awesome."
My standard response is always "Awesome." But is it really awesome or not. Now sixteen years later, I have read "White Noise" and was glad for the experience.

White noise is a term from communication theory which describes a random mix of frequencies over a wide spectrum that renders signals unintelligible. The above discussion was an airborne toxic event. My words were mere static to Genevieve's desire to discuss a cool book with her boyfriend. I added to Genevieve's statically charged "White Noise." My lack of honesty was the spark to light an airborne toxic event. Airborne toxic events have happened every time I have been a poser, and acted more intelligent than I am.

One time a friend asked me if I had read James Joyce's Ulysses. I told the friend that it was a must read, and spoke very highly of it. So my friend read the book and hated it. I had not even cracked the spine of the book, so what was I doing recommending the book. My friend was left with an awful taste for Joyce. And I came away feeling like a cheat.

White Noise is speaking from our asses. We fling shit upon memory. We fling shit upon our friendships. We become a smelly outhouse full of half truths. DeLillo is trying to tell us to wake up from all of the static we have filled in our stories. We want a way to break thru so we desire true Icons, but Icons are filled and deadened by mad men static. I buy my car because of those darn cute hamsters who drive my car in a KIA advertisement. The ads layer programmed noise around a core of nothing. We are left deluded. Deluded meaning to be amused to death. What is then real? What is the core of truth? Why is the grocery store is the savior of civilization? The blinding consumed light of capital enrichment frames our middle income lives.
The book white Noise is tremendous, and a call for us thoughtful readers to wake up. We must wake up before the Semi-Truck runs down that child riding a tricycle across a highway.




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Book review: Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre.

Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre




I hate to admit it but I love romance novels. I hope this does not kick me out of the Old Boys Club in Lakeland Florida, but I was probably not in this club anyway. As I was not born her nor did not go to school here in Imperial Polk County Florida. Here is a review with no spoilers, I hope its a good valentines gift to all of you romantics out there.

The draw to this romance was the role of Quincy depicted in a novel. My wife is from Monticello Ga./Fl. Monticello is not to far from Quincy. Actually, my mother in law worked in Quincy for quit awhile, my brother in law played baseball matches in Quincy, and yes I have been to Quincy... even if it was for a short time. So, I wanted to see if Alessandra Torre got the feeling of this region right. Torre gets the little nuances that makes this part of the country interesting. She does quit a great job of describing the things that make Quincy work. She also gets the correct bitter flavor that the locals would hold against a Hollywood Man like Cole Masten.

Cole Masten, decides to take a role that will be filmed in Quincy Ga. or Florida. Summer Jenkins live in Quincy. She is not a Southern Belle but she is southern... like a glass of her Sweet Tea. Summer finds Cole an annoyance at first, then the romance blossoms. This love story is mixed well with local lore and jealousies, the coca cola millionaires, hold the cards of value in this town. Summer is not one of these original 65, she was not even born in Quincy, so this makes her an outsider/insider in this Southern Town.  Okay bad metaphor alert: Summer, the character, is like a strong Summer day, warm, kind, beautiful, but can turn into a deadly summer storm.

Will Cole will be wooed by the warm summer breeze,  or will Cole be destroyed by a Summer Tornado?  Will Cole choose the Hollywood pleather, or find true Hollywood Dirt in Quincy Georgia/Florida?
This book was a fun, and sometimes reading is just for fun anyway.  The romantic emotions were vivid, and came alive due to an abundant amount of  full of passionate prose.   For those who blush at lusty intersections, this read may not be for you.  But if you like your mind spiced up, this book will deliver big and large.
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Happy Valentines Day.



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How to Write TO Friends

Question: How does one Increase Writing to Friends and Family

I love writing letters.  And, yes its an archaic practice, one that is dying.  But, letters are romantic, exciting, and something Charlie Brown oh so wished for.    An email is forgettable but a letter can be forever.  So, I have devised a new way to write to more people than just my select few.

I love randomness, and variety but often feel like I am trapped into a habit forming milieu. I utilize games of chance to help break out of my stale environment.  The game I created utilizes the app random number.  The app creates a random number which corresponds to a certain number on list, and then I write to that person.  So if you see a note from me, just out of the blue, know your number has come up. 

Thanks Gregory D. Rothbard