holiday entertainment ideas

December books.
Renegade: The Making of Barack Obama is a journalist’s close-up view of the campaign for the US Presidency waged by team Obama. The author was granted access to Obama’s inner sanctum.
Insights into the President’s early life, career and philosophy may be found in his (Obama’s) two books: Dreams from my Father, and The Audacity of Hope.

For a bit of science, Stephen Jay Gould’s books are often interesting and educational. The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox explores the relationship between the sciences and the humanities.

Richard Feynman offers his thoughts on a variety of things in this collection of anecdotes told in plain oftentimes humorous conversational language. Surely you're joking, Mr Feynman! is a delightful book packed with a variety of fascinating stories. Some challenge existing conventions, others relate run-ins with authority or bureaucracy, and still others are just personal tales of normal everyday life though told in a funny mischievous way.

There’s also David Suzuki’s insights in his book "The Big Picture" which not only identifies the problems facing our planet but at the same time proposes solid, science-based solutions.

Haruki Murakami’s book on running is a leisurely read. Apparently one can ask: "Why have I never done that?" No not about running, but reading Murakami.

The music hound book on folk music is best enjoyed while listening to some good folk music - such as Salidummay.

December CDs.
There might be some music from this set below to suit one’s taste during this holiday season.

There’s a good balance of swing music, some blues and folk and pop and country, and by both male and female performers.
Maybe 2 or 3 songs from each CD is worth a listen.

Summer has blossomed down under so i might give Enya’s ‘And Winter Came’ a spin too.
For a bit of music video, i have got my hands on some Leonard Cohen Dvd’s.

This other set of music CDs has a bit of Reggae and Blues which are fine.

There’s also more pop music cds which are just pap, though some have good music in them too.

november reading list

“Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils” Cyril Connolly (English critic and editor, 1903-1974)

This set i think’s on the way to the returns bin. They’re all overdue and now accumulating fines for poor poor pitiful me. Except for the ‘running’ book and the ‘back-breaking’ book and the fruit & vegies book and 'the wild American' book, i’m thinking i skimmed through the stuff before. maybe. not sure?

Must be the onset of old age.

Dawkins' latest book received positive critical reviews and also some negative comments.

A couple of cds here too but not much to choose from. There's 2 or 3 okay tunes by Fogerty, but I’d rather listen to the blues...

Altho that running book taught me one thing: “eat less move more”. Sounds like a good motto. If only i read it when i was in my 20s. Then i wouldn’t have this back problem to be worrying about. I might just go home and plant camote, or fruits and vegies.

That wild American Kristofferson has a lot to do with it. like him am still running from my devils... “move more eat less”. Okay. i hear there’s a mountain fun-run somewhere. Or is that over and done with.

Oh yeah been there done that. I told you i was young once.

“When chill November's surly blast make fields and forest bare.” Robert Burns (Scottish national Poet of Scotland, 1759-1796)

Growing a moustache can make one forget to pay bills and mortgages and debts and other necessary modern evils.
So it is that this next pile of books remains unread.

Stephen Hawking's history book remains a must read, and to reread every now and then.

A book by an Englishwoman Fern Elsdon-Baker attempts to balance the shrill commentary from the writings of Richard Dawkins, by offering a thorough impartial and enlightening perspective.

Women do have wit. And some have wit more wicked than others. As a playwright said: "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Plenty of evidence of that. In the little red book here. and no it's not Mao's.

Samuel Clemens continues to entertain to this day.

An autobiography by David Suzuki provides an insight on his influences and what shaped the career and life  of Canada’s foremost environmentalists.

The Italian intellectual and novelist Umberto Eco appreciates beauty and writes on it so beautifully, and i can only ohh and ahh and not um but to echo.

There are pearls of wisdom found in the centuries-old 'art of the samurai'. Hai.

Ford county by Grisham is a collection of short stories. To fill in the time - if you’ve got time to kill. He won’t mind that will he?

Billy Bragg is an English singer-songwriter who put his thoughts to paper. The result is a book that is an eye-opener for those of us who haven’t been to England, or even to those who have been there and live there but are somehow deaf and blind to other than mainstream news and entertainment.

Let’s see now the mo looks ugly marto bro.

reading during camping

Life in a work camp in the Southern Downs of Queensland could be so monotonous and boring.
an endless cycle of work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep again, work, fart, work, eat, drink, be lonely, etc.
and on it goes.
Three weeks am on this work cycle for. Ah no rest for the wicked!

So to break the monotony, and the loneliness, I tried checking out the sights and the local wildlife...
I'll have some notes on these later, but for the time being, I also need to stimulate the mind else it will go stale, if not mad.

There are some good ideas and reading in the above set.

One just has to separate the chaff from the grain.

Naomi Wolf is an advocate of feminist causes and progressive politics, but her recent book The Treehouse deals more on the inspirations that her father impressed on her, and the wisdom and practicalities necessary in the continuing evolution of an activist to a pragmatist.

And one can find inspiration not just from their parents, but also from the great thinkers, speakers, writers, scientists etc. Listen also to the dull and the ignorant, for as the poem goes: they too have a story.

The set below includes entertainment and popular musical culture.
I may have mentioned Dawkins' book A Devil's Chaplain before which covers Science, Darwinism, Religion, tributes to departed friends, other essays etc. It's worthwhile.

David Suzuki's The Sacred Balance keeps popping up. There must be something in it too.

cd sleeves & bookleaves for October eves

This month Martin is going to the Southern Downs of Queensland for deliveries to another pipeline project.

I have been working a bit of late in that State, that i am quite tempted to move up there. But i have to consider my situation, so i will stay put in the northern rivers of NSW. For now.

But to keep me company for a couple of weeks, i sought out some items. I probably will not bring the lot but at least 2 or 3 books and 2 or 3 cds should be ok.

I hear it’s getting warmer up there – the banana benders’ way, so i won’t need too much warm and bulky clothing.

There ain’t much in the way of musical entertainment, but a bit of bluegrass is okay.
There’s Gillian Welch, Tim O’brien, Nickel Creek, Alison krauss and even Dolly Parton on the bluegrass cd.

Pearl Jam can rock as hard as anyone but i’ll settle for the less noisy Sarah Blasko.

It's October so it's brrr in some parts of the world, and grrr in the derrier end as the weather heats up and  ##%%(* is unfurled.

Mark Twain would have seen and experienced such in his time passing through down under. He recounts this as 'The Wayward Tourist'.

A more recent arrival (a first generation asian-aussie and Oxford man Tim Soutphommasane) attempts -albeit with a slant - to show how patriotism may be reclaimed: as former NSW Premier Bob Carr says: "...we need books like this to remind us that Australian citizenship belongs to us all."

Phil Dowe's Galileo, Darwin, and Hawking: is a welcome attempt at modern arguments, so that we might take part in contemporary debates with a more balanced view in coping with these issues. Dowe, a lecturer at the University of Queensland  begins by applying the criteria (naturalism and religious science) to various philosophical issues raised by religious and scientific explanations, including knowledge and power, the anthrophic principle, and the effects of chance on a religious understanding of the world.

september readers

I knew a Susan once. I wonder how she is these days? haven't seen her in 20 years actually.
oh yes those were the days. can't even remember where she's from.

A couple of Susans in this set. both are mean writers and just mean - in a good way. Just like the Susan from the Cordillera that i used to know.

Susan Sontag was an author and political activist. Her last published book Regarding the Pain of Others uses photography to back up her points.
I like this quote of hers:

I guess I think I'm writing for people who are smarter than I am, because then
I'll be doing something that's worth their time. I'd be very afraid to write
from a position where I consciously thought I was smarter than most of my
readers.

Susan George is also a political scientist, writer and an activist. In Another World Is Possible If , George proposes how we can indeed reach that Other World. This is in
George also advises against violence or reactions to the 'all-too-common illusions.'

Shifting the balance of power in favour of citizens takes a hard-headed
understanding of globalisation, knowledge of the adversaries who prevent change,
intelligent organisation, and exciting yet practical proposals and strategic
thinking.

Feynman is one of the more celebrated and revered scientists of modern times.What Do You Care What Other People Think? consists of reminiscences in which Feynman presents his life as a series of humorous stories. Prepared as he struggled with cancer, it was the last of his works. The book provides great insights into his mind and life, as well as how to deal with the inevitable with vigor and grace.

The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet by Freeman Dyson is a smallish book, based on lectures in 1997 and which allows him to share his thoughts. Dyson discusses these now current tools of scientific revolutions and their future consequences. Dyson also offers his perspective on the issues and questions facing the world.

For music revisit Paul Simon's Graceland.




I think i reviewed this other set before. but am not sure.

That's what a muddled mind does.

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river...
(balili river i think, or was it the bued?)

homer's read lists july & august 09

august 09 blog pt 3 some august writers and reads



This collection includes some august writers.

Monbiot is a provocative writer whose ideas have attracted great debate. His book “the age of consent” is just one of those that question the status quo. This book challenges existing political systems and structures while questioning their relevance in addressing global inequalities.

“Beyond the brink” is a sequel to an earlier book by Australian farmer Peter Andrews. This deals with restoration of landscapes destroyed by human activity. Andrews proposes what is now referred to as 'Natural Sequence Farming' - a rural landscape management technique aimed at restoring natural water cycles that allow the land to flourish despite drought conditions. This is based on the principle of reintroducing natural landscape patterns and processes as they would have existed in Australia prior to European settlement. There are lessons here that may be applied to our denuded vegetable mountainside farms in the Cordillera.

The controversial Hitchens champions Orwell as only he can. Orwell's Victory is a good addition to understanding one of the great writers.

Idries Shah on Sufism is a great resource into other teachings, faiths and cultures – a must for modern societal harmony and tolerance.

I heard of Doris Lessing even before she won the nobel prize but didn’t really read her books. ‘The golden notebook’ is one of her better known works, and i still have only read a few pages of it. However her essays in “Time Bites” are very entertaining, educational and worthwhile.
Doris Lessings' - Doris’ lessons in good literature, in which she mentions a few of her favourite authors, are worth checking out. This book pointed me towards Idries Shah.

Arthur Clarke is my (and apparently everyone else's) favourite science-fiction writer. I have enjoyed reading his books over the years, even some of his collaborations with others. A collection of his non-fiction essays is in “Greetings, carbon-based bipeds!”. As with all the great science writers, Clarke is very enjoyable as well as informative and quite thought-provoking.





August blog pt 2 August bedchambers reads






First the books on numbers:

“Pythagoras' Revenge” is an enjoyable mystery novel - a gripping thriller intended for a broad audience, a quality book that somehow intertwines mathematical theories and philosophy into a clever and fun work of fiction.

The other book of numbers “Wonders Of Numbers” is fascinating and full of delight. a collection of common and unusual problems of varying difficulty that will entice almost anyone to pick up a pen and paper to work out a solution.

Now to the latest in music:

“Home Before Dark” is Neil Diamond’s follow up to his previous album, a collaboration with Rick Rubin. Sadly only a couple of tunes here measure up to his past achievements.
There’s nothing that’s not already been said of Bob Dylan. So on his latest album “Together Through Life” here are some comments by better informed and qualified quarters.
Rolling Stone: It is a perplexing record. 10 new songs in Dylan's vividly battered singing.
Uncut: a gas, a riot, a hoot.
Mojo: a purple patch of renewed vigour, consistency and a new record seemingly out of the blue. a record about love, its absence and its remembrance.


August blog pt 1 July's reading supplies






Another mixed bag – I like variety, for July’s peek and pry supplies.
There’s items on poetry, writing and general literature. A couple of fiction books round up the set.
Joyce’s “Ulysses” is considered as one of the most important works of modern literature. The book attracted controversy and scrutiny. It also ranks top or near top of lists of the best English-language novels. It’s a challenge to even start reading Ulysses for this lazy blogger. Believe me i tried reading this book so many times before, but i just cannot go past the first few pages. I really should buy my own...

The other book in the fiction category is actually a historical novel. “1421” is a book based on snippets of actual events and people. The plot of the book is that China discovered the world. Various sectors have debunked this hypothesis. Wikipedia lists some detailed criticism. Various other sites exposed the "1421" myth. Articles describe the book as: a fairytale, amateurish, a poser, unsubstantiated, “an example of how not to (re)write world history”, etc. But hey, it has generated a lot of interest and has sold lots of copies. So it must be good for the author.

Bryson’s Dictionary is a useful one. It is a good addition as a reference tool for pedants and recreational bloggers alike.

'The Ode Less Travelled' is a worthy book. It is instructive, witty and informative.
The Top 500 Poems' is a well-presented book. It claims to be a collection of the best 500 poems, based on the choice of critics, editors, and poets. These are the 500 poems we know or want to know. Now if i could only understand poetry.
For listening pleasure: see next blog.

homer's read lists june 09

june 09 blog pt 2 june ventilations

June is upon us or nearly gone actually. Where’d the month go? Well lest Juno vent her ire on me, as in the ‘aenid’, here’s another paltry offering.

It’s mostly a bit of everything and to those intending to marry, there’s no wedding theme songs here, but a bit of good music from a couple of cds.

A group of cardinals have put out their latest album. Their pope or prime cardinal is called ryan adams. I liked his old homily er old song called ‘my sweet cordillera’ or is that ‘my sweet carolina’?. well am goin' to cordillera in my mind.

Bruce Springsteen is still working on a dream, good song that – onya bruce.

And now the books: not a lot there – an odd mixture in fact.

David Cromwell chronicles the reminiscences of an old spy, and that’s about the only book i enjoyed in this set.

Hunter S. rambles and one is better served with Kerouac or even Steinbeck.

The Wolf girl demands liberty, and reveals a few shenanigans in the so called 'democratic' American society – nothing new there but certainly worth reading.

There’s a book about Socrates’ six questions. I am still working out the question to the answer “blowin’ in the wind” (vide douglas adams), so i’ll pass on this.

Am travelling north again soon. Have to earn my keep.

First we take Brisbane, then we take Eastern Queensland.

June 09 blog pt 1 may you have reading ideas
The shelves are bare this merry month of may. So it’s very lean pickings for good reads.

I picked up what i could.

There are some ideas in Steven Pinker’s book "Stuff of Thought". Pinker himself is not afraid of bringing up ‘dangerous’ ideas. Dangerous ideas in the sense, not of being harmful but rather, of statements that challenge prevailing thought. He encourages the exploration of relevant ideas: those that exclude lies, propaganda, conspiracy theories and misplaced technology. Read Pinker. You’ll know what i mean.

Peter Watson’s book 'IDEAS' are a summary of thinking from ancient times to the time of freud.Watson tells ideas from prehistory to the present day, beginning with how the earliest ideas might have originated. All the obvious areas are tackled the Ancient Greeks, Christianity, astrology, the soul and self and beliefs, Islam & the Crusades, the Renaissance, the scientific revolution, the age of discovery, Shakespeare, the Romantic period, Darwin, to Freud right up to the the internet. Watson looks at the development of simple ideas, language, family and writes about philosophers, artists, scientists, inventors, poets, historians etal, and how their ideas have shaped our lives and thinking.

I then looked into some old american folk music. Sadly there is no more of this music these days.

The Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories About Nature by David Suzuki and Peter Knudtson speaks to the necessity of respecting, honoring and retaining the wisdom found among indigenous people around the world who have gained the ancient wisdom of respecting and caring for the Earth in environmentally wise ways. The important message found in this book is that recognizing Nature's sacred balance and keeping its equilibrium, maintains ecological sustainability and supports our survival.
They could easily have doubled the size of their book had they gone to the philippine cordilleras for some sage igorot advice.

A bit of sci-fiction is LeGuin’s ‘left hand of darkness’ which is about 99% fiction and 1% science. It is a popular book but somehow i felt short-changed.

There's also some easy listening music, and a recent 'discovery' fromthe author of 'the three musketeers'. Or you can try Pynchon's penchant for Joyce-like literature in a book about linemen.

The rest of the pile are just props.
oh but remember to revisit stories from king arthur's court.