Miscellaneous: Miscellany

I’m going to open this post by linking to the FEMA-approved list of Hurricane Katrina-related charities. There are many things I could say about Katrina and its aftermath. Instead, I’ll point you toward the charities list again and stick to what I do best: the frivolous.

Like mocking vanity publishers. Several of these companies buy space in the New York Times Book Review, which is the only publicity their titles get. I seek out these ads because the copy is always a treat. It seems to be written by artificial intelligence software that has studied English as a second language.

Consider this gem-like prose from last Sunday’s ad:

“Fasten your seat belt for a truly unique experience. A one-chapter diatribe, XYZ is an alluring and startling look at one man’s adventures in living. Biting and emotional, acidic and humorous, it is a lively biography interlaced with moments of unsettling despondency.”

I do love a good one-chapter diatribe. And unsettling despondency is my favorite kind. Consider my seat belt fastened.

In other news, as an alumnus of Boston University’s College of Communication, all I can say is this: if you don’t put Howard Stern on the wall of fame, you can’t put me up there, either. It’s that simple.