Salon: “It’s a dry humor that’s much needed in a book whose underlying subject matter — kidnapping, lying, sexuality, victimhood, being universally misunderstood — is uncomfortable stuff. But as funny as these asides are, they also come off a little bit snotty and arch in a book that prizes style over plot.”
Year / 2006
Leave It To Italy To Impute a Different Form of Hairdressing
Don’t Worry. In Two and a Half Years, You Too Can Have Gawker Rip Your Idea Off.
Gawker’s Unethicist (2006)
Miguel Cohen’s Unethicist (December 2003)
Miguel Cohen’s Unethicist (January 2004)
Excerpts from Adam Pasick’s Notebook
BBC: “Reuters has opened a virtual news agency in the Second Life online world. The bureau will be staffed by Reuters media correspondent Adam Pasick who will report on the lives and business dealings of Second Life’s residents.”
Excerpts from Adam Pasick’s Notebook
18 October 2006, 3:30 PM
Arrived today, chatting with avatars about getting set up in Second Life. First avatar knew nothing about Iraq situation, but told me he was “really bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and that his parents had imposed a curfew. Second avatar, named “gonowhere43,” advised first avatar of intricate method to sneak wi-fi access from neighbor and thus play Second Life on laptop after bedtime. gonowhere43, who is a 34 year old network administrator, steered me to suitable patch of land and conspiracy theory site in answer to my questions.
19 October 2006, 8:40 AM
Well, my house is now set up. gonowhere43 offered to sublet some space, knows a few loopholes with the insurance people. Nice of him. Still worried about first avatar, whose name was a series of unusual ASCII characters I can’t remember. Hope he’s not in trouble with parents.
20 October 2006, 4:42 PM
Went to the Marketplace to see if I could get a sense of the economy. Pitched incessantly to buy many Creations. One avatar followed me out of boredom, asked me to be his friend. Told him a joke. He responded, “LOL,” and then left me alone. Still trying to work out exact exchange rate for Linden Dollars. Seems to be major underworld here. Some people are online as much as thirty hours at a time. What the hell did I sign up for? What does Reuters expect out of me?
21 October 2006, 2:42 AM
Logged in SL and found new home vandalized. Words in living room read “GET OUT NEWBIE!” Crude picture of ass on couch. Asked gonowhere43 for advice. He tells me this is par for the course, the work of a clan fond of victimizing new users. Have sent email to Linden Lab, but have received no response.
23 October 2006, 1:15 PM
Looks like Carrot Top will be performing near the Marketplace in a desperate effort to claim geek credibility. Carrot Top has been offered $10,000 in virtual property, insists on Vegas treatment. Have asked gonowhere43 about this, advises me that journalists don’t stand a chance.
26 October 2006, 7:42 AM
Now finding “first life” to have problems. Girlfriend tells me I spend too much time in SL, doesn’t understand. Was about to sit down and talk with her, but great deal on Edwardian mansion came up that I had to nab. Girlfriend left, won’t return phone calls. But life is pretty good in SL. Think I can live here forever. Thank you, Reuters!
Roundup
- Over at The Rap Sheet, someone has somehow convinced James Ellroy to blog: “I’m James Ellroy, the demon dog of American literature, the author of sixteen books, twelve novels, a full length memoir, a book of short stories and two journalistic collections. Masterpieces, all.” Only the demon dog himself could get away with such argot. (via Sarah)
- The Kenyon Review joins the list of this year’s awards who hand out honorariums to the obvious choices. Could Philip Roth be next?
- A new biography may solve the mystery of Agatha Christie’s 11-day disappearance. What was it? In a nutshell: quaaludes.
- More on the Bechdel/Thompson fiasco from the Marshall Democrat-News. (via Brockman)
- Ursula K. Le Guin on the new Susanna Clarke book: “These are all elegant, entertaining stories, and many readers will be untroubled by the airy incoherences found in ‘The Ladies of Grace Adieu.’ Or else, they may simply say, with Tom Brightwind, ‘Who cares?'” Count me in the latter camp. (via Gwenda)
- SF Site has the scoop on a remarkable new overview of Philip Jose Farmer’s work.
- Better late than never: Paul Collins on the closing of CBGB.
- This week’s New Yorker offers a new story by Aleksandar Hemon.
- America’s Ten Dumbest Congressmen. What? No Lieberman?
- Bill Murray was bored. So he ended up hanging out with college kids. “The alcohol ran out very quickly when word got round that he was with us.” In other words, being in the presence of Bill Murray causes people to drink.
- Bon Jovi and James Brown at the same time? Wrong. So very, very wrong.