worldmegan

I’m currently listening to Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Quote 00:29:27:

“Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that people would like the world to work, whereas economics represents how it actually does work.

So far, extremely entertaining (and madly informative in all kinds of neat ways).

I drove through Youngstown again today on my way from Austintown to Warren and found myself drawn again out of curiosity to the site of yesterday’s fire. My father mentioned earlier today that it had been the Youngstown Mattress Company, and he’d heard something on the news; some information from the Vindicator is here, if you’re interested. No one was hurt, which makes me feel better about my mad urge to take photos.

In LiveJournal we were discussing why people are drawn to disaster the way I was (and in other, more perilous or more intellectual ways). I got three really interesting comments and I’m not going to link to the LiveJournal accounts in question, just to preserve privacy, but let me know if ya’ll don’t mind and I’ll link here.

There were very valid points: That a) people want to know if a disaster is going to affect them in some way, including the worry that there are family or friends involved; b) people want to help, to make a difference, and when presented with the opportunity they will make that attempt; c) people are aware of the sensationalism and scandal surrounding any disaster and want to be able to say they were involved or nearby when it happened.

The ones that struck a chord with me, however, were the following: That d) people are drawn to things that are different or new, things outside our normal experience; and e) the fascination with destruction is a human trait, especially when there is no personal stake or responsibility attached.

For me, these are really pertinent. I know why I went toward that huge pillar of smoke. It was Big, and it was Powerful, and it had Energy. It wasn’t the badness of it, or any kind of goodness I saw in it – it was completely neutral and completely primal. I am absolutely drawn to things and people with these qualities, because they speak to something within me that feels that it is Big, and Powerful, and has Energy. The primal goddess Megan – the World Megan. (Hey, who knew I was heading in that direction, huh?)

To a lesser extent, I wanted to know what was going on so I could tell others. I believe strongly in the power of bloggers to spread important news and I do want to be a part of it if I can. I don’t think the Media as an entity or even most news sources available process and provide information quickly enough for our particular subsect of internet addicts, and that’s something bloggers can remedy with a little vigilance!

I do have some photos of the gutted wreck of the Youngstown Mattress Company, and I’ll post those when next I have my camera connected. I feel very sad for the fellow in charge and I hope that somehow he is able to make up for this whole awful situation. If I hear of any pertinent donation opportunities, I’ll post that here too.

Thanks for your thoughts, my darling LJ friendsies (including Dave Klegman, who mentioned that he didn’t mind a link!)

I drove through Youngstown on my way home this evening, and discovered a massive, billowing, black cloud of smoke towering over downtown.

I saw it first from the highway and managed to miss my exit. Do you know why I missed my exit? I was taking pictures. Aren’t our mothers supposed to teach us not to take pictures while driving on the highway?

I grabbed the next exit and headed back towards the carnage, clicking photos the whole way. Most of them I couldn’t see, but I got a lot of them and some of them might even tell us what was on fire. If you have an idea, please let me know.

Take a look at the photostream here – just click ‘Next’ until there ain’t no more black smoky pictures to look at. I even dredged up a nice narrative. So read those captions, Faithful Visitors.

I searched the local news sites and Google News and I have found just about nothing. The two fires I did find don’t seem to have anything to do with what I was seeing. I don’t really know of any Youngstown bloggers who are interested in (or capable of?) covering this sort of thing, so I am casting about for information. If you know anything, please comment!

I will post more when I know more.

As an addendum to the photostream, I did try to take more pictures, but I was (no. 1) trying to avoid being a nuisance at the scene of a disaster and (no. 2) afraid, as ever, of getting in trouble. I’d make an awful action news reporter!

As sleepy as I was last night, I went out to Steak & Shake in Niles with Missy and Marty and Lori. I didn’t eat anything, but I did manage to dump a spoonful of hot fudge on my shirt from Lori’s dessert. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess. You may or may not have noticed, but I took a couple of pictures. Hee hee. :}

This week has been lots and lots of catching up from Dad’s heart attack and subsequent hospital stay. I swear I almost just typed ‘hotel stay’. And really, the food is pretty dependable at the hospital, and it’s nice and quiet. And… I have stories that belie both those statements. You just wait, you’re gonna laugh like woooooo. :-D Don’t let me forget to tell you them. Promise me!

I guess I’m a little flaky today, with all the storms and the work to do. I still have my exercise tape to do, some cleaning downstairs, and probably visiting with Gramma.

A nosy little robin just landed in front of my office window and stared incredulously at me. What the hell was he looking at? I work at home, I’m allowed to still be in my pajamas. Harrumph. There’s something going on with the birdies today. They seem particularly busy. Because of the storms?

In other news… ‘Make something up’ ?? I’m gonna wring her neck!

Em has a pretty new flyer that she made herself for her next two gigs. Look familiar?

I’m hoping to be in New York at the end of the month (if I’m lucky), in which case I might get to see the Cutting Room gig. If not, I may go to Marcon in Columbus. I suppose I’ll have to wait and see which one is more likely!

Yes, I did realize that I never followed up on my Dad’s situation in any sort of organized entry. (Not on any blog, in fact!) And that’s bad of me, and I’m going to remedy it.

Tomorrow.

Okay, I’m kidding. I’ll remedy it now. Dad is pretty much fine, though he’s still recuperating and is tired more than usual. He came home from the hospital and very slowly things started getting back to normal. I suppose they’re not quite normal yet, but what is normal? I’m not likely to know what normal is, so I’m not going to hold my breath. ;}

Something else of note is that Em sent me another sample from her upcoming photo sets. I added it here (it should be obvious, right?). We haven’t actually seen the photo sets for these samples yet but theoretically we will soon. It looks like they’re going to come out really good, though!

Today was a pretty good day; I got some things done and I spent some quality time with family. I even found a neat article about a new film with Adrienne Barbeau and Nick Brendon. “Unholy”is as good a name for a horror flick as any, and it sounds like it’s going to be good. However, don’t read the article if you’re not willing to risk spoilers, since it definitely contains a handful or so.

Today with my mother and grandmother I watched HBO’s film about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the beginnings of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, the first warm water rehabilitation facility for polio patients. There was a great deal of walking and running imagery all through the beginning of the movie was very poignant (of course). Would it have been so poignant, I wonder, if I hadn’t already known he lost the use of his legs?

Kenneth Branagh is simply amazing. We already know this. He’s so full of humanity, human emotion, human feeling, human this and that and the other thing. Kenneth Branagh is chock-full of acting goodness. I always watch his movies with at least some modicum of fascination, and I can’t take my eyes off the screen.

Furthermore, I had no idea Cynthia Nixon was such a good actress. I realized this very, very early on in the film. Of course, I’ve only seen her in Sex and the City… but still. She’s wonderful!

Some notes:

• Does anyone else get the impression that FDR was stricken with polio as divine punishment for his marital infidelity? Most of you will already know that I have progressive views on fidelity of any sort, but I still got this feeling from the script…

• “...And make it a feast? Here’s a five-spot.” Wow. Just… wow.

• How authentic do you think this script was written to be? I rather wonder. How much can you condense a great story before it becomes fiction? Are all great stories fiction, regardless of their authenticity?

• It’s such a pleasure to see Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless. I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything but O Brother, Where Art Thou... and he’s just so good.

• I am continually blown away by the quality of HBO offerings. The scripts, the acting, everything is absolutely amazing. Carnivale is another example of television at its finest. I really think I need to see Deadwood soon.

• “When I can walk, I’ll run.”

I wanted the film to go on much longer than it did – I would’ve sat here for three more hours to watch the rest. Hell, they could’ve covered the years before his presidency and each re-elected term. I was really enjoying myself! And I think if this is released on DVD, it’s going on my wishlist. Especially yummy television.

clique
n.
A small exclusive group of friends or associates.
intr.v. Informal cliqued, cliqu·ing, cliques
To form, associate in, or act as a clique.

claque
n.
A group of persons hired to applaud at a performance.
A group of fawning admirers.

I suppose I would be tempted to apply both definitions to the first word, but that just ain’t how it is. I love Dictionary.com.

From The Crock of Gold, by James Stephens:

To the lonely house in the pine wood people sometimes came for advice on subjects too recondite for even those extremes of elucidation, the parish priest and the tavern. These people were always well received, and their perplexities were attended to instantly, for the Philosophers liked being wise and they were not ashamed to put their learning to the proof, nor were they, as so many wise people are, fearful lest they should become poor or less respected by giving away their knowledge. These were favourite maxims with them:

• You must be fit to give before you can be fit to receive.

• Knowledge becomes lumber in a week, thereofre, get rid of it.

• The box must be emptied before it can be refilled.

• Refilling is progress.

• A sword, a spade, and a thought should never be allowed to rust.

The Grey Woman and the Thin Woman, however, held opinions quite contrary to these, and their maxims also were different:

• A secret is a weapon and a friend.

• Man is God’s secret, Power is man’s secret, Sex is woman’s secret.

• By having much you are fitted to have more.

• There is always room in the box.

• The art of packing is the last lecture of wisdom.

• The scalp of your enemy is progress.

Holding these opposed views it seemed likely that visitors seeking for advice from the Philosophers might be astonished and captured by their wives; but the women were true to their own doctrines and refused to part with information to any persons saving only those of high rank, such as policemen, gombeen men, and district and county councillors; but even to these they charged high prices for their information, and a bonus on any gains which accrued through the following of their advices. It is unnecessary to state that their following was small when compared with those who sought the assistance of their husbands, for scarcely a week passed but some person came through the pine wood with his brows in a tangle of perplexity.