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Friday, September 22, 2006
You see, here's the thing... I know. My blog needs to be watered and fed. It's not getting any TLC. It's languishing like the sad brownish ficus plant in my living room. (I tried to attach a photo of said ficus, but my computer kept crashing). In my defense: I recently obeyed the first commandment of Biblical living. I was fruitful. I multiplied. My wife gave birth on August 24. And that has been a tad distracting. Wait, there's more! I’ve been furiously working away to finish my next book, The Year of Living Biblically. I've decided to write the book on computer, not etch it in stone tablets, but it is still taking a good chunk of time. So when I finish my book in the next couple of weeks (God willing, of course) I'll return to my duties as one of America's top 17 million bloggers. I promise. This time I mean it!
posted by A.J. Jacobs at 12:53 PM
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21 Comments:
Hello, A.J. I saw you today on Oprah. I have to admit, "a guy who read all the volumes of the Encyclopedia" doesn't bring a very interesting image to mind. However, when watching, you had a very funny personality about you, and I liked that.
I heard that the volumes you read were of Encyclopedia Brittanica. And that made me wonder what you thought of Wikipedia (as I'm a member of Wikipedia myself). And when I looked your name up in it, I found that you were apparently actively contributing to articles in Wikipedia. I thought that was really great because I thought maybe you'd be on the "Brittanica" side of the fence. The Wiki-haters, if you will.
Anyway, I look forward to whatever public appearances you have planned in the future. Take care!
I saw you in Oprah, expect to get famous.
Aww, I missed the Opera appearance.
Me and my girlfriend love you to death. We often find references like your book in our daily lives; except with your book, not the Encyclopedia.
I can't wait for your next book, I absolutely love the premise.
Less than three for those rare few good writers.
I know Oprah IS important and all, but congrats on the new baby seems more in order!
So congratulations, seems like having babies for you is as easy as falling off a blog!!!
Congratulations on the new baby! I trust mother & child are doing well? All our blessings to your family.
Like Antoshi, I would very much love to hear your take on Wikipedia. I spend more time there than I do at Google these days.
Peace,
Jamie
A new monkey-face (my term of endearment for children) is much more important than blogging time, so you need not explain yourself there. I would much rather play with a monkey-face (you'll get used to it) than blog (write, lesson plan, teach or other daily activities).
I think you've mentioned (admitted) before your Wikipedia use (maybe in your book?), but obviously, we'd like to hear more. I am currently allowing my students (10th grade Swedish kids) to use it for their researching projects. My feelings are, they're going to anyway, why not at least acknowledge it as (most of the time credible) source and move on. We had the "Wikipedia Talk", though, and they are supposed to fact check.
One of my students thought New York was 11,000 years old. Hope she didn't pull that off the Wikipedia.
By the way, missed you on Oprah (I am currently in Sweden), but I hope it went well. She didn't make you cry, did she?
though I am not a woman, I caught a few minutes of your Oprah appearance last week - nice going! and congrats on the baby....
looking forward to the new book/collection of stone tablets....
Who's Oprah?
Congratulations on the baby! Yeah! Baby! Yeah!
Can't wait for the next book. Should be interesting.
Cheers.
Congrats on your loin fruit! Babies are rather delicious and sweet, except when it's 2am and they're screaming, at which time they become more like jalapenos on crack. Of course this is when you get to practice "uconditional love;" A fabulously tricky spiritual principle that isn't supposed to get easier when said loin fruit hits adolescence, but which apparently pays off somewhere around their midtwenties, just in time for us to glide over the hill with peace of mind.
I really enjoyed The-Know-It-All; looking forward to reading about your year of biblical living. If you really get into the OT, you may find there's room for a reality TV show there. Seriously.
I'm writing a book called, "Memoirs of a Book Flirt," and it's about books, life, breastfeeding (preferably in public,) politics, religion, Gray's Anatomy -- er, I mean the state of medicine today, parenting, culture, relationships and being a modern woman. I thought the last topic would be of special interest to you ;)
Seriously, I'm looking for some feedback on the draft and eventually an agent. Would you be interesting in taking it for a spin? Memoirs of a Book Flirt will be much easier on the eyes than Brittanic; also I promise there are lots of breast references, and some parts are even funny.
If you're interested, email me @
jemilakmonroe@yahoo.com
Best Wishes,
Jemila
ah, this new book sounds interesting, if only to satiate the minds of all my friends who say things like "back in biblical times, they had 500 concubines." although something tells me you didn't slaughter goats or try to part lake mich when you visited oprah.
which my girlfriend saw you on, by the way, and said, "hey i saw that guy whose book you read on oprah." looks like you upped your profile, for sure.
I would really like to see the clips of you on Oprah, A.J. but I have no idea how to go about getting that. Any clues?
Can't wait for your new book, and congrats on the little one!
First of all, congratulations on the baby. I had my first child last July. It's a dramatic change. You go from getting a full nights rest, unless you have insomnia, to begging for just a solid three hours of sleep. At least we did. You also get bombarded with bottles, and toys, and those monotonous Baby Einstein DVD's. You're a champ.
I wanted to say good job on completing the dictionary. If I get some free time maybe I'll do something like that someday. I enjoyed the book, not necessarily for educational reasons but for the humor that it provided during long work hours.
I cannot say that your book enlightened me dramatically but it made me think of how much time we (meaning I) waste watching television or doing other mundane things that don't develope us in any way. Maybe our purpose is to improve ourselves continually in all ways.
Thanks,
Harley B.
From washington
Hello A.J.,
first: Congratulations on your newborn! :o) I am right now in the "Q"-section of your book (The know-it-all) and just read that the cellphone rang at the quodlibet BBQ confirming the pregnancy - so starting to read your homepage I guess I do not have to keep my fingers crossed for you guys any longer....
But basically I wanted to ask: where can a german gal ask to have a word corrected in your UK version of the book? Or do you really say "Zweiback" in the states? Cause in germany we have "zwieback", and googleing the word zweiback also led to sites describing zwieback recipes.
Even some Kansas Mennonites write Zwieback.
And last: Thank you so much for this gorgeous book! It is hilarious - I often sit in the train commuting to Frankfurt and laugh out loud.
But I am really curious if you made it to the Millionaire, so I better stop writing and get on reading.
All the best from Germany,
Alexandra
September 2006?! Okay, I just linked to you from my blog, but that means you have to type on here.
I'm confused! The postscript to your book says "Jasper Kheel Jacobs was born March 11, 2004." But you say he was born in August? What's the deal with this disparity?
Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but was surprised to see your grammar errors on page 206, under the entry for "mime", where you write "Well, actually, it's not-so-glorious past. More like it's lascivious and demonic past."
Yikes! Someone (not necessarily you) needs a lesson in the difference between it's and its.
Sorry, just nit-picking.
Overall, loved the book -- congratulations on its success and the birth of your son (whenever that did happen!).
I've decided to give up on you AJ. It's been too long.
What a guy! My wife was watching Oprah today while I sat doodling on my laptop. I turned up and saw your face for the first time when I heard Oprah say, "and here's A.J. Jacobs, the man who has read the complete Britannica volume!" You inspire me to keep dreaming, man. I have such aspirations for my future - you affirmed to me that it is indeed possible to reach high and attain. The neat thing about this is that your impact on the world has just began to take shape... you're gonna be so big you won't know what hit you.
I am not worthy...
Hello!
A.J. Jacobs, boy does that name have a ring to it. Anywho, I saw you on Oprah and I was amazed from your attempt in trying to become the smartest guy in the world. It's an incredible plan for anyone who wishes to excel in their studies, which really motivates myself to learn something new any chance I get. I couldn't imagine how much hard work and prepping it would take for someone to memorize and encyclopedia. So, kodos to you!
I've come to learn that if there is a question that anyone has, you are the one to ask, so I have a little question that needs an answer. Well, I know that you can only use twenty-five percent of your brain, so how is it that you are able to store so much information in yours?
This question has been bugging me ever since I learned about geniuses such as Einstein, Galileo, and yourself. If you could personally tell me the answer to this question I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, and good luck in your future endeavors.
Hi A.J.! Congratulations on the twins!
I am eagerly awaiting your next book.
I never did send off that copy of The Know It All for you to sign, but at this point, I figure you are busy enough without pesky fans bothering you with such things...
Hope all is well!
Sincerely,
Irina
AJ, you haven't gotten back to your blogging duties.
But, I want to say that you certainly did finish your book. And as a guy hanging out on the Vine, I think it's one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a while. So, thanks.
You'll certainly hear more of my thoughts later.
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