What do you do when your image is overexposed? Mess with it, of course.

I was out this morning taking pictures of the Ashford Dunwoody construction. This image shows where the contractor is moving fill from its current location to the new ramp. The lighter color dirt is original virgin Georgia earth, undisturbed since back before that guardrail you see was constructed. The reddish dirt is the newer stuff that was placed on top of the virgin earth (fill!) in order to build up the ramp that has that guardrail. It’s really not that exciting, but there is also a significant difference in density between the lighter dirt and the darker. I walked up and gave it a kick with the ‘ol boot.

This is the old Georgia Power building at the corner of Forsyth Street and the MARTA tracks, right across Forsyth from Five Points Station. Nice crop of trees.

I cannot for the life of me figure out the meaning behind this mural. “Please God, suck me dry?”

This is the back of a building that fronts on Marietta Street in downtown Atlanta. What caught my eye was the amount of refrigeration on the roof. That’s a lot of air handling. Turns out it’s an IT network company. Guess they want to keep their electronics nice and chilly.

I’ll be there all day. Come out and see us, and see how the construction is coming. The interchange is just down the street. I’m proud to say that this is my project, and it’s looking well. The big weekend is (depending on weather) June 1 – 3, 2012. That’s when the contract will switch the interchange from it’s current partial clover/diamond configuration to the diverging diamond.

I find it fascinating that the commentary on his original essay and on the followup postings, both at the Whatever and at the reprint on Kotaku, have focused almost exclusively on items that didn’t seem to be the point. Let me summarize my perception of Scalzi’s article:

• I, John Scalzi, have been trying to find a new metaphor for White Privilege
• Here it is

The whole point to his essay is stated in the first sentence:

I’ve been thinking of a way to explain to straight white men how life works for them, without invoking the dreaded word “privilege,”…

The rest is an elucidation of a method for describing why white people, white male people, and especially white straight male people have it easier in America, all other things being equal. The furor that erupted in the commentary was amazing to me because it seemed that most people either didn’t read the article and just knee-jerked their way to a response, or didn’t get it.

For the record, I think this is a good metaphor. It has flaws, yes, but it’s overall a good one. However, where I think Scalzi missed the mark, and especially so in his reactions to comments, is two fold: He didn’t emphasize enough that he was searching for a way to describe privilege without using the term, and he didn’t acknowledge that there is a fundamental assumption behind the whole edifice, that being the existence of white privilege.

Again, for the record, I think he’s spot on in his description of things being easier if you’re born male, and straight, and white. Do I think “White Privilege” exists? Yes, but that term is so freighted with baggage that it’s not useful to have a conversation surrounding it. Thus, the essay. We just came back to that first sentence I mentioned.

The comments on Kotaku and the Whatever seem to indicate that this is a topic that, like Social Security, can’t be discussed in a reasonable fashion in the public square. People have their opinions and some stick by them no matter the situation.

I’ll end by emphasizing what I got out of the essay:

Outside environmental factors, wealth of parents, genetic inheritances and other factors, if you are born White, Straight, and Male in America, life will be easier for you than if you were not. Personally, I think that’s a statement of fact, rather than opinion.

1. If you come back hours later, it’s because you stayed to read the comments.

It’s not the highlight of my childhood, but it’s a fond memory, along with all the other times playing baseball and soccer.

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Jennifer and I went to see Casablanca in the theaters yesterday. We saw it advertised when we were seeing Lockout last weekend. Jennifer expressed interest in seeing it and I told he that if she couldn’t find someone else to go, I would gladly accompany her, but it wasn’t my first choice of entertainment.

We went, and it was great to see Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart on the big screen. Casablanca is a good movie, which I have seen before, but it’s not my top choice for movie watching. None of those types of movies are. I’d rather watch Super Troopers¹ than Casablanca.

I told a friend about this and we got to talking about choices for entertainment. My choice can generally be summed up as “escapism”. I read, watch TV, and go to movies to have fun, not to worry about grand geopolitical ideologies or deep thinking. When I want those topics, I head for the news stand or CNN. I want a popcorn muncher of a movie, or a TV show where I can laugh with the characters, or at least be entertained by the machinations of the drama. I need a story arc, even if it’s contained solely within an episode, or a single movie. Conflict has it’s place, but when it’s the be-all and end-all, it tends to drag.²

Let’s talk about recent movies, books and TV shows³ that I like so you can get a feel for my tastes:

This list should probably clue you in about what I like to see or read. It’s not all inclusive of course, and the number of “buts” and exceptions that I might throw in are enormous⁶. In retrospect I probably should have included a “meh” column, but that’s too much work.

Another illustrative list is comprised of movies⁷, TV shows, and books that I will not see or read because I just don’t care to, no matter how “quality” or “classic” they are:

• Ulysses (I can’t believe anyone reads this voluntarily)
• Atlas Shrugged, Les Miserables, War and Peace and all other EFT⁸ books out there that are more about philosophy than story.
• Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, Moby Dick, The Jungle, other “classics” that are typically high school literature books
• 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is an exception to the “never seen it” rule. I’ve seen it, it was awesome, but I never want to watch it again.
• The Battleship Potempkin
• Bladerunner (see 2001 above)
• Schindler’s List
• Diary of Anne Frank
• 1984 (movie or book)
• Anything authored by Salman Rushdie
• Lolita
• LOST
• Grey’s Anatomy
• The Office (either version)
• Something Wicked This Way Comes⁹

I read or watch for fun. I don’t like to have to wrestle with soul-tearing conflict while I’m immersed in a fictional world. I remember distinctly when I started (and never finished) reading Atlas Shrugged and just couldn’t get past the fatalistic depressive mood that was set in the first few chapters. Likewise, the second and third books of The Hunger Games. They start depressing and end depressing, so my opinion is “what the hell’s the point?” If I want depressing, well the war news or the election coverage isn’t too far away.

At the end of the day, I want to watch or read something that I’d want to watch or read again, not just to say that I did. I’ll leave that for the connoisseurs or the professional critics.

1. Well, maybe not Super Troopers, but definitely Ed TV
2. The TV show House is something I’ll specifically call out here. I don’t understand why people like that show. It’s conflict for conflict’s sake. I don’t care for it.
3. Recent also being defined as “recently released to Netflix streaming.”
4. Although this is coming very close to a “not like” in my book
5. My relationship with David Weber’s books is complicated and difficult to break down. I thought about not including this, but it might give me something to point to in a later posting.
6. For example, the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series: I love it. This defies my “popcorn” requirement stated above.
7. As a part of the research for this posting I went to 101 102 Movies You Must See Before… by Roger Ebert, figuring that he’s an authoritative source on movies.
8. Enormous Fucking Tome.
9. Although this is a favorite book of a good friend of mine, so I might crash through it someday

• Brewed beer
• Brewed more beer
• Pulled back muscles so badly that I couldn’t walk upright for five days
• Killed and killed again a subset of the poison ivy that rampantly grows on our property
• Been amazed by the size and heft of the felines that occupy our house and graciously allow us to pet them
• Not blogged very much
• Seen several movies
• Watched a great deal of Warehouse 13
• Started playing Minecraft again
• Generally lived suburban American professional life with all of its attendant chores, tasks, processes

For May I’ve set a couple goals. One of them is to write a bit more consistently. Most of the writing I’ve been doing has been for work and honestly most of that isn’t exactly scratching the writing itch. I’ve put together a list of blog fodder topics which I plan to hit. A number of them are things I’ve already had on the docket (beer, poison ivy, cats) but as noted hadn’t gotten around to it yet. I also plan to put out a call for random topics to write on. That will be announced shortly. There is no set word count for a day; I’m not going to set myself up for an arbitrary goal that I might find it difficult at times to meet. However, there should be a lot more content on the blog in May and if not, well you know I’m not hitting this goal.

Another goal will be to heal. I’ve had some recently physical ailments which have required time and effort. A long-lasting rotator cuff thing and now a back thing. The only race I currently have scheduled is in August, but I need to be healthy for that.

A third goal will be to continue my existing goal of decluttering the house. This has been going on for a while and while adding new hobbies doesn’t help, at least I’ve made room for it through a concerted and successful garage cleaning effort.

On to May! Look for more stuff here at the land of random Bill-related-stuff!

I cracked a bottle a week early. Tastes good! Very hoppy, of course it is an IPA.

TITLE 3. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
CHAPTER 5. MALT BEVERAGES
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
O.C.G.A. § 3-5-4 (2011)
§ 3-5-4. Production of malt beverages by a head of household for consumption within own household

(a) A head of a household may produce 50 gallons of malt beverages in any one calendar year to be consumed within his or her own household without any requirement to be licensed for such purpose. No malt beverages produced under this subsection shall be sold or offered for sale. Malt beverages so produced shall not be subject to any excise tax imposed by this chapter.

(b) For purposes of this Code section, a single person who is not a dependent of another person for purposes of Georgia income taxation shall be considered a head of a household.

My wife will be happy to know that she is not legally allowed to make beer now that I am doing so, as only the “head of household” is permitted. She’ll also be happy² to know that I have accrued the title Head of Household by virtue of brewing my first batch of beer. I think I will require her to call me that if she drinks the brew.

Using that handy-dandy search engine that LexusNexus provides, I looked for “head of household” inside the GA Code. With the exception of this particular code section, this term is not defined within state law. Of course, I’m not a lawyer and I cannot speak for what court cases or precedents or stone tablets define this term, but I find it interestingly stone-age that only the Head of Household may do this. What about a 21 year old who hasn’t moved out yet? Misdemeanor! What about a husband-wife crew who might brew separately? Misdemeanor!

I am aware that this is way overreacting to something that would probably not be enforced. If Jenn decides to brew some beer, I doubt the black helicopters will descend, however it is an interesting journey into the actual wording of the laws under which we are governed.

Don’t you agree?

1. It’s quite an adventure if you’ve ever perused your state laws on alcohol. Especially in those states that still have blue laws. I was only looking for brewing regulations.
2. For some values of “Happy”. You’ll probably want to look up the term “Outraged” in a competent thesaurus.