{"id":53,"date":"2005-01-01T01:36:12","date_gmt":"2005-01-01T07:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/index.php\/2005\/01\/01\/hear-a-second\/"},"modified":"2009-07-07T22:24:17","modified_gmt":"2009-07-08T03:24:17","slug":"hear-a-second","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/01\/hear-a-second\/","title":{"rendered":"Hear a second?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hear a second for the First?<\/span><\/h4>\n
Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock<\/span><\/h6>\n

Jan. 1, 2005:<\/strong> I won’t look back to a year ago in the Brick. I try not to look back on much. There might be too much I might regret. Any regrets are too many. Besides, as cautious as I can be (though I take more risks than lots of similar people I know, a few truly life- or lifestyle-chancing risks) to spend time regretting is a waste mainly because I spend so much time on the hypothesizing and conjecturing side. At some point early on, planning is a stalling technique.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I were to look back, I recall that in that January page is some sort of resolution of more frequent Brick entries. Brick wasn’t so bad in 2004, I am certain without checking. Oh: It began in December 2003.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hate New Year resolutions, for as a continual if not obsessive plotter and a regretter, I also make resolutions continuously. Yet we must acknowledge the magic of beginnings. The Jewish New Year has no stated resolution tradition, but it is implied, in closing the book on the old year. The whole period from Selichot through Sukkot provides only a little liturgical anticipation of coming lunar year. This is probably because people don’t need reminding, compared to the impulse to forget to seek the forgiveness of others which is commanded to be done.<\/span><\/p>\n

To truly close the old year and right wrongs does leave one ready to start anew. Rosh Hashanah or spring’s Passover or Jan. 1, doesn’t matter. Even pessimists can begin fresh dreads. If you have a lot, then you can be said to running on a dreadmill. <\/span><\/p>\n

Be that as it may, I resolve for 2005 to create and upload more Brick thoughts (see how I avoid “blog”?), and shorter ones wouldn’t hurt, either. 600 words each would be more comfortable to read; 750-900 is my instinctive essay length so brevity will be lovely challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have below three links I meant to put in the December 2004 page. To be honest I put them here because now is when I got around to it. How honest is this, though? Readers should be cautious of all of us, even the ethical ones. I’ll be uploading this on the 2nd. This morning’s newspaper says a columnist is not writing today. This means she took a day off last week. Radio, even NPR from a fan who accepts its veracity, even-handedness amid human error, uses a similar sleight of hand to imply immediacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

I meant to get this off on New Year’s Day. I’m close, aren’t I?<\/span><\/p>\n

A week ago today — I do mean Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,<\/em> my employer, published my book review<\/a>. This should download without fee-based registration, unless Little Rock has “improved” the Northwest Arkansas link.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are two ways to access the obituary of my mom. Each comprises all of that day’s notices so scroll down or do a word search on “Pollock.” The Times Record<\/em> of Fort Smith <\/span>[Link to obit has expired.]<\/span>. The Northwest edition of the Demzette<\/a>.<\/em> I wrote it, deliberately in the dry style newspapers share. If you didn’t know Mom, the adjectives of a brief tribute wouldn’t convey her in 9-point type that smears so why mock or sap later opportunities I will take following reflection. -30-<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hear a second for the First? Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Jan. 1, 2005: I won’t look back to a year ago in the Brick. I try not to look back on much. There might be too much I might regret. Any regrets are too many. Besides, as cautious as I can be (though I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[18],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-53","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technical-difficulties","tag-columnist"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":137,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/07\/lead-the-press-to-water\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":0},"title":"Lead the press to water","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"July 1, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Friday, July 1, 2005: In this morning's papers, we read again of local officials asking people to informally not waste water, before conservation steps are ordered. Again, they say there is no shortage, just that it's summer and yada, yada, yada. In previous summers, though,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News, Spin"","block_context":{"text":"News, Spin","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/news-spin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":142,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/05\/leash-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":1},"title":"Leash life","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"May 18, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Wednesday, May 18, 2005: Instead of speaking out of turn, here is a Brick. While sketching with some others in Gulley Park at twilight, a family approached: a mom, two boys and a dog tethered to one of the kids. Intelligent kids, you could tell.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life Lessons"","block_context":{"text":"Life Lessons","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/life-lessons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":105,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/10\/excuse-708\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":2},"title":"Excuse 7.08","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"October 30, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005. At some point toward the end of every month, I the Brick layer consider its worth. Blogs, especially those using services and their templates (e.g. Blogger etc.), seem to be one long Internet page then at some point weeks months earlier\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technical Difficulties"","block_context":{"text":"Technical Difficulties","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/briefs\/technical-difficulties\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":159,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/02\/plug-the-spin-spin-the-plug\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":3},"title":"Plug the spin, spin the plug","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"February 2, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005. It seems fruitless and self-serving to merely write stuff that's a reaction to stuff. Stuff. Stuff. Stuff. Last month, I threw a Brick that Johnny Carson in death deserves all the credit for talent, longevity and knowing when to leave the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Culture"","block_context":{"text":"American Culture","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/american-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":125,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/08\/non-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":4},"title":"Non-post","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"August 4, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you really care? Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005: Just to get the month rolling with a freshly laid Brick, let's note the delay was due to family coming to visit the first of the month. Details such as the visitor was one brother and not a flock of kin, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technical Difficulties"","block_context":{"text":"Technical Difficulties","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/briefs\/technical-difficulties\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":117,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/03\/a-secure-site\/","url_meta":{"origin":53,"position":5},"title":"A secure site?","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"March 22, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Tuesday, March 22, 2005. How can you tell if a Web site is not secure? It's easy to tell. Hey, who are you? What do you want? Can I believe you? Will you like me? They are after me, don't say they're not. What's that,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technical Difficulties"","block_context":{"text":"Technical Difficulties","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/briefs\/technical-difficulties\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1514,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53\/revisions\/1514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}