Paulo Coelho Says “Follow Your Heart”, Pisses Me Off

I should know by now to distrust a novel that declares it will “CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER” and has discussion questions at the back.

At first glance The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho seems like a story I would like. A young shepherd in Spain has a vision and sets off on a journey to Egypt to find a mysterious treasure that awaits him, learning along the way that his goals are possible even if everyone around him says they aren’t. I’ve done my share of dream-chasing and I love a good quest story, so I should have eaten this up.

But while I did read the whole thing in one evening, Coelho only managed to annoy me. First of all, he’s so determined to shoehorn a lesson into every scene that I can’t immerse myself in the journey. It also makes it seem like Coelho isn’t sure what his point is. Should the shepherd trust strangers or shouldn’t he? Does the crystal merchant need to take that pilgrimage to Mecca or not? And why is each nugget of wisdom explained to me like I’m an eight-year-old no matter which character is talking?

Official Spokesbird

Okay, name me another country that would take a joke like "shagged by a rare parrot" and embrace it so completely that the FREAKING PRIME MINISTER gets in on it. Hint: You can't.



Rachel Maddow has been all over this story today, so I have to tell you, it's a proud day for all New Zealanders.

More information about Sirocco, our Official Spokesbird for Conservation, can be found at www.spokesbird.com.

Pretty Much Sums It Up

Bad cyclist, bad.

From the "Oh Geez, I Actually Wrote That" File

May as well be up front about it, really.

When I was in college, I was obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. I mean like "watched Fellowship of the Ring twelve times at the cinema" obsessed. Embarrassing to admit, but I was studying computer science at the time and the LOTR films came out right in the middle of Finals Week and I NEEDED ESCAPISM OKAY.

So I was idly reminiscing about it today and I remembered this:

The Story of Legolas and Enoreth

That right there is a complete, novel-length LOTR fanfiction story about Legolas Greenleaf, written by me. And a satire, no less. Fanfic about fanfic, how meta.

I'm blushing just looking at it, but you know, the story has its moments. The bit with the talking raccoon still makes me laugh. Poor Legolas, the Mary Sues will be the death of you.

I once wrote Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fanfiction too, but damned if I'm going to show you where that is.

The Art of Travel

Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel:

If we find poetry in the service station and motel, if we are drawn to the airport or train carriage, it is perhaps because, in spite of their architectural compromises and discomforts, in spite of their garish colours and harsh lighting, we implicitly feel that these isolated places offer us a material setting for an alternative to the selfish ease, the habits and confinement of the ordinary, rooted world.

New Year's Resolution

This year, I will stop creating blogs and then abandoning them to starve to death. Poor blog. *pets*

10 Things I Love About Rachel

Last September, thanks to the rollercoaster ride that was the presidential election, I developed a sudden, intense interest in politics and current events. At about the same time, a cheerful, snarky lesbian named Rachel Maddow became the official Fresh New Face in cable news, getting her own primetime news show on MSNBC.

One year later, The Rachel Maddow Show is a hit. It's one of the few TV shows I ever watch, and the one show I never miss. So in honour of TRMS's birthday, here's my take on why she's so important.

1. She's my daily affirmation that women can be intelligent, analytical, calm under fire, assertive, ambitious, and successful - all while wearing sneakers.
2. Like me, she taught herself to read when she was a child. (Unlike me, she was four, and she taught herself using the World section of the newspaper.)
3. She hates fashion, which makes it okay for me to hate fashion. Seriously, ever since she's been on the air I've been so comfy. And she's unconventionally beautiful, which is my favourite kind of beautiful.
4. She's a proud, patriotic liberal in an age when liberals are still accused of hating America.
5. She debates conservatives (when they're brave enough to come on her show) without yelling, interrupting, or being rude. The worst she'll do is laugh at them, which is enough to drive some of them nuts.
6. She taught me the meaning of the word "cogent". I love the fact that her arguments are always to the point, thoroughly researched, and persuasive. If you agree with her, she's an invaluable resource; and if you disagree with her, you can have a truly constructive debate about it.
7. She's a dork. She reads comic books, watches EuroVision, is fluent in lolcatspeak, and devotes a regular segment of her show to science breakthroughs.
8. The shoes, obviously.
9. Sometimes during her show, when she is interviewing someone, you can hear her emphatically underlining things and scribbling notes with a pencil. This is adorable.
10. She's gay, and it's no big deal - which is a huge deal.