books & gifts

I love the Ann Arbor District Library's free book cart. Today I picked up Milton's Paradise Lost & Complete Poetry and Selected Prose, Aristotle's Poetics, Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy & The Case of Wagner, and Dante's Inferno. I'd just mentioned to lameautarch that reading Kafka's Metamorphosis had rekindled my desire to read more classics, so this happy find goes far in satisfying that hunger.

In a complete change of subject, I wanted to correct my list of Christmas gifts: sarahmichigan gave me, in addition to the book of stamps (which will definitely come in handy), an attractive pocket-sized notebook and two gel pens. I don't know if she knew I loved gel pens, but I certainly do. It was a splendid gift package and I thank her for it.

In addition, lameautarch purchased The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio & Dorianne Laux, a how-to poetry primer with many creative exercises. He knew how much I wanted it because we were wandering around Borders together and I jumped up and down when I saw it on the shelf. I am very grateful to have the title in my poetics collection.

Edit: Now I have another book on my to-acquire list: Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within by Kim Addonizio. Damn you, Amazon.com!

seen in actual_liberals

Critics of Obama way off base on this one

Yes--the not-so-bright, would-be terrorist from Nigeria got though international and domestic security mechanisms supposed to have stopped him long before the jerk lit his underwear afire before landing in Detroit. And yes--the incident happened during the administration of President Barack Obama. But the sniping at the president by Republicans, including former Vice President Cheney, and by conservative radio and TV commentators, borders on--if not passing into--asinine.

The tone of the comments do not give me hope about the political future.

(no subject)

N.J. Senate defeats gay-marriage bill

Portugal parliament approves gay marriage

Mind-reading systems could change air security: Technological developments can blur line between security, civil liberties -- The article rightly brings up Minority Report (one of the few Tom Cruise movies I like).

EU divided on use of airport body scanners

Alba & Oak Bend

Oak Bend Review has chosen to include "Correspondence" in its next issue, while Alba has seen fit to take "I." from "A Work in Progress".

(no subject)

Vice President Biden's mother, Jean, dies at 92

now that's a deal

MagicJack's next act: disappearing cell phone fees

The company behind the magicJack, the cheap Internet phone gadget that's been heavily promoted on TV, has made a new version of the device that allows free calls from cell phones in the home[.]

The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses. [...]

YMax Corp. [...] plans to start selling the device in about four months for $40[.] As before, it will provide free calls to the U.S. and Canada for one year.

The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.

The size of a deck of cards, it plugs into a PC, which needs a broadband Internet connection. The device then detects when a compatible cell phone comes within 8 feet, and places a call to it. The user enters a short code on the phone. The phone is then linked to the magicJack, and as long as it's within range (YMax said it will cover a 3,000-square-foot home) magicJack routes the call itself, over the Internet, rather than going through the carrier's cellular tower. No minutes are subtracted from the user's account with the carrier. Any extra fees for international calls are subtracted from the user's account with magicJack, not the carrier.

This may shake things up.

Edit: Of course, buyer beware. Thanks, fadedpaladin.