The intellectual equivalent of a ham sandwich.

Archive for December, 2013

Inferno, by Dan Brown

Recently I read my first Dan Brown book. The book I read was Inferno, which is one of the Robert Langdon books (the same main character in Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code).

Apparently Dan Brown’s character Robert Langdon is known for a few things:

  • Stirring up controversy with “facts” that are included in the books
  • A page-turning action story
  • Annoying amounts of descriptions of buildings and history in the middle of scenes where it makes no sense (which is basically the entirety of the book because the story is fast-paced but the narration is not)

Here is a paragraph from the book (this could be considered a spoiler so … feel free to skip this):

Langdon hurried toward them, although as an architecture enthusiast, he found it almost unthinkable to rush a trip along the Grand Canal. Few Venetian experiences were more pleasurable than boarding vaporetto no. 1 – the city’s primary open-air water bus – preferably at night, and sitting up front in the open air as the floodlit cathedrals and palaces drifted past.

Meanwhile someone is chasing him with a gun or he’s on fire or whatever, something is happening that makes this kind of reminiscing normally associated with coffee and lazy days slightly out of place.

This book is an example of something enjoyable that is wrapped a coating of annoying. I remember a quote from The Office where Michael Scott has an interesting story for once and Pam says that Michael realizes this and is taking even longer to tell the story because he knows he has everyone’s attention.

To me, that is Dan Brown.

Attn: Ellen (12/18/13)

Front

Ellen149a

Back (apologies for my handwriting!)

 Ellen149b

The text of the postcard is

Dear Ellen,

You know what’s ironic? If you say to someone, “I don’t really like trick questions … Do you?,” that person will assume it’s a trick question.

Sincerely,
DumbFunnery.com

Why am I doing this?

Are Doctors Too Well Respected in America?

I hate to be the one to say this – but I think we’re giving a little too much kudos to doctors these days. Look at all of the controversy around health care. Who is a primary player in all of this? Gee, I don’t know, maybe DOCTORS?

Look, doctors are useful, I am not saying they’re not. But I just think we should take a step back and examine just how high of a pedestal we have placed them on.

For example, the other day I was driving to a secluded area to go for a jog and I must have driven by at least half a dozen streets named after doctors. How insane is that!? America, what are we doing to ourselves?

First there was Circle Doctor Street. That’s fine, I guess. I mean, who was this Circle Doctor? Or was it a person who was a doctor of circles? If so, what’s that mean? If it instead was or is someone’s last name, what country are you even from?

Then I was driving past Saint James Doctor. Then Callaway Doctor.

That’s another thing, when we name roads after doctors, why do we reverse their names? Shouldn’t it be Doctor Circle? Doctor Saint James? Doctor Callaway? (And really, Doctor Saint James? Someone named their child Saint? Come on, people, that’s a tough name to live up to.)

Look at this, another overly praised Doctor. Boyden, pft, I bet you’re not that good.