Having read all three of Stieg Larsson’s novel trilogy featuring his super heroine Lisbeth Salander, and having seen all three of the Swedish movies adapted from those books as well as the American version, I have arrived at one conclusion.
The Swedes win, at least when it comes to the first film adaptation of the trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Read more: A Smorgasbord of Kinky Sex
I have written often about the three questions invariably asked of authors. The first two engender simple and straightforward answers: “When do you write?” A simple answer suffices marking the time of day; the second question is “How do you write?”
Perhaps a bit of embellishment is needed on that one, although many of the writers I have talked with reveal their preference for the computer, with some still hacking away on old manual or electric typewriters or writing by hand. Not that it really matters in terms of quality. I use a computer.
Read more: So Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Above all, running for the office of President of the United States in today’s climate requires a massive ego, a “skin” impervious to criticism, a quick response tongue, a willingness to be intellectually stripped down to total transparency in today’s sliced and diced universe of information, and a fearless and courageous inner core. A partial affliction of madness helps.
Watching the Republican candidates submit themselves to the withering and excruciating debate process seems an exercise in self-flagellation. Indeed, it is easy to offer an unkind assessment of these people willing to take the plunge and expose themselves to this process, but then, nobody is twisting their arm and they should know what to expect.
Read more: Sex and Other Political Matters
A number of my friends have returned from their Thanksgiving holidays with their families with a general complaint. It goes something like this:
There was a complete lack of face-to-face communication. Family members seemed far more interested in communicating with their electronic devices and the teenagers, especially, spent their time texting, poring over their apps, watching TV shows or playing computer games. There was little or no face-to-face communication. We began to feel as if we, in person, were completely irrelevant to the lives of some of our family members, especially the younger folks; and had the distinct feeling that we were drifting away from them on a sea of indifference. All in all, it was a very discouraging family gathering.
Read more: The Smart Phone Addiction
