Vehicle For Dissertation

A Short Review - The Penultimate Peril - Lemony Snicket

2005-10-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

And here it seems we find the penultimate book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I did find it necessary to look up the word "penultimate" which, of course, means next-to-last.

The ending of The Grim Grotto was rather exhilerating to me. The idea of the tables turning and the Baudelaires finally finding a member of V.F.D. (Kit Snicket) waiting for them in a taxi after their boldness in spurning Mr. Poe's further involvement. I am not really going to say what happens in this book play by play but I'll try and give an idea of what it does and doesn't do.

The whole idea of the tables being turned doesn't seem to carry over to this book. The siblings relationship with Kit is short lived and though it seems like things will come to a head on Thursdays V.F.D. meeting at the last safe place. L.S. himself tells us at one point that we have reached the denouement though I am just as confused as to if I agree as the three siblings were with the chaotic gathering of so many characters from their recent lives at Hotel Denouement.

When one reads this you'll find yourself flooded with more information that does little to elucidate. The Baudelaires father is named Bertrand (I don't recall if this was previously known), Count Olaf became an orphan because of poison darts, the Baudelaire parents were given poison darts by Kit Snicket at a performance of La Forza del Destino, the Baudelaires may have a previously unknown sibling** and so on.

**I say this because near the beginning of the book reading the reversed sentence(s) one reads that they were being watched as they sat outside Hotel D by a previously unknown sibling. Come to think of that however I beleive it is in reference to Dewey Denouement who they meet later in the book. He was the triplet brother of Frank and Ernest the hotel managers. One a villian one a volunteer. It is never revealed which is which.

All in all it seems this twelfth book raises a great many questions without revealing a great deal more. It also seems somewhat chaotic. I wish it weren't so long until Book the Thirteenth. It is going to have to be thick volume to clear up everything half revealed so far. It seems the Village of Fowl Devotees (at least the crows) or the eagles from the Mortmain Mountains will have something to do in the next book as they are featured in the last illustration flying in on the horizon. Of course in The Grim Grotto a hot air mobile home was on the horizon and it is only mentioned in TPP. If you've read the other books I've no doubt you'll read this as well however I don't think it will answer your questions.

Little Star - Girlyman

2005-09-22T12:54:00.000-05:00

I can't remember now where I first heard the song This Is Me. It was on the radio but I tried and I can't remember whether it was online or on the folk hour of a local station. I do know that I first found the group Girlyman while looking around on CDBaby.com. That was before their latest CD, titled Little Star, came out. I checked out the audio clips and their website and though they seemed interesting but a little weird also. I still think a couple things are a little weird...But I like their sound. Evidently nothing really caught me when listening to the clips from Remember Who I Am. With Little Star its different (I need to check out RWIA again also).

My whole impression with Little Star is based on the 2 minute audio clips you can hear on CDBaby and on reading the lyrics on their website. And like I said I did hear This Is Me in its entirety once. I think they do an excellent job. Vocally and instrumentally. Lyrically there is a clarity combined with a certain vagueness that mirrors the feelings I often find myself experiencing.

Girlyman.com

Listen on CDBaby...

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

2005-09-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

The name Wuthering Heights sounded appealing...Besides I'd read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. To be upfront with how I felt on finishing the book: I felt rather disappointed. It was an interesting read. The problem I had is that I didn't really have any characters to like. You know how some books or movies have these adorable, brave, beautiful or otherwise worthy characters for whom you as the reader develop a regard. This was not like that. The history of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange covered some three generations causing some confusion since names were similiar or identical at some points. Mainly though when I was getting on a likely basis with the young Cathy Linton she goes through her transformation on becoming Mrs. Heathcliff and then further when her relationship with Hareton Earnshaw changed so drastically...

It is certainly a classic book and a good read, I just don't find it one to become particularly attached to. I bought it to take on a trip (for airport reading) and it will join Jane Eyre on my book shelf but not exactly the same place in my reading heart...

Weather and Water - The Greencards

2005-06-27T10:51:00.000-05:00

The Greencards new album (above) is due to be released on the morrow... I just heard them for the first in the past week. In case you didn't know they've been touring with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Musically (and perhaps lyrically) they are similiar to Nickel Creek (they make the comparison themselves) but vocally I find them quite different. The group consists of Eamon McLoughlin on fiddle, Kym Warner (mandolinist) and Carol Young with bass. I believe Kym and Carol (both Australians) cover most of the vocals...

You can listen to the entire album on CMT.com or...

Interviews and several songs played at FolkAlley studios in NE Ohio can be found on FolkAlley Extras.

Last but not least...The Greencards website.

(Updated 5-26) More Info on Nickel Creek's "Why Should The Fire Die?"

2005-05-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

According to the Nickel Creek news page and this eBay listing (no longer a valid listing as of 5-26) we have a look at the titles of all the tracks on their upcoming (August 9th) album. The listing on eBay describes a "back disc" evidently a prerelease recording. While it doesn't have the graphic packaging it does list the track titles and running times (presumably they are correct). The songs are as follows:

1. When in Rome
2. Somebody More Like You
3. Jealous of the Moon
4. Scotch & Chocolate
5. Can't Complain
6. Tomorrow is a Long Time
7. Eveline
8. Stumptown
9. Anthony
10. Best of Luck
11. Doubting Thomas
12. First and Last Waltz
13. Helena
14. Why Should the Fire Die?

The track Anthony is a Sara Watkins piece. To my knowledge it'll be the first Sara-written-song on their albums so far. I'm certainly looking forward to the albums release...Until then you might want to check out some album art and photos at:

Nickel Creek Publicity Photos

Heard on FolkAlley - Moe Berg: The Song

2005-05-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

Story songs are often quite interesting. I never remember hearing of Moe Berg before hearing this one and if I did I certainly didn't know that he was a spy, baseball player, professor etc. During WWII he worked for the OSS trying to find out if the Germans were getting close to obtaining "the bomb." He later worked for the CIA as well.

From May to mid-December, Berg hopped around Europe interviewing physicists and trying to convince several to leave Europe and work in America. At the beginning of December news about Heisenberg giving a lecture in Zurich, Switzerland reached the OSS, and Berg was assigned the task of attending the lecture and determining "if anything Heisenberg said convinced him the Germans were close to a bomb." If Berg came to the conclusion that the Germans were close, he had orders to shoot Heisenberg; Berg determined that the Germans were not close. (read more about Moe Berg here...)

Chuck Brodsky's album Radio contains the song I heard about Moe Berg. The clips below don't give you much but its a little...

Moe Berg: The Song Clip 1

Moe Berg: The Song Clip 2

Brothers Karamazov Revisited @ ThinkBlog

2005-04-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

I have the book Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky on my "to read list" (though I can't remember why or where I first noticed him) so this post from ThinkBlog caught my eye. Looks like The Brothers Karamazov could find its way to that same list. The following is an excerpt from the post. (The first paragraph is a quotation from the book)

Lamentations comfort only by lacerating the heart still more. Such grief does not desire consolation. It feeds on the sense of its hopelessness. Lamentations spring only from the constant craving to re-open the wound.
Such a good word. I have thought much of David's sorrow over the prospect of losing his son; or, more broadly, on the ancient Jewish customs of grief at large. Namely, there is a set period of mourning, and then it's over with. You move on. You stop complaining and worrying and fussing over it. You are able to look back on X time in your life and you remember that you have fully grieved the loss, whatever it is, and so do not need to continue to be sad. What an enormous insight into the nature of depressive psychology, and how true! (continue this post reading here...)

I thought this was interesting. I'd wondered before about the times for mourning observed by Biblical figures but it never really occurred to me why it might have been customary to mourn the death of a person death for such a specific number of days.

Nickel Creek's New Album Finished

2005-04-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

According to Sara's journal entry, Nickel Creek has completed their latest album. She says:

...Oh yeah - the record is completed, mixed and mastered! It will be called Why Should The Fire Die and the release date is August 9th. Horrah!...

I thought it'd be out sooner than August though. Nothing to do but wait though. The title is a departure from the style of their previous ones. Why Should The Fire Die is more similar to Chris Thile's Not All Who Wander Are Lost than it is to the debut album, Nickel Creek, or This Side. I know from another journal entry that there's a track titled Best of Luck and that there were seventeen songs in consideration, but that's about all the info I have on their latest project, so far...

Found this a bit later:

Chris Thile talks about the new album

Eight Cousins - Louisa May Alcott

2005-04-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

The book Eight Cousins begins with an orphaned girl of "no constitution" tearfully contemplating her future among her many aunts. And as the title suggests, she also finds that there are many cousins as well. All boys, creatures with which she'd no positive experience.

It didn't really strike me until I finished it but this is a very moral story. Rose, the main figure of the narrative, is improved in health and character by the influence and care of her well-traveled Uncle Alec. She in turn becomes something of a benefactor to Phebe the maid and an example of good character to her seven "cousinly relations."

I actually don't object to "moral stories." It is just that when written in a certain fashion they become so very condescending to both the reader and characters within the book. In a way you might call the works of Charles Dickens "moral stories" because the honorable folk are always brought to happiness and fulfillment while such misers and villains as Mr. Ralph Nickleby and Mr. Quilp either hang themselves or fall into the river at night. Laddie, by G.S. Porter elevates good character and values but with humour and mischief that I find much more endearing than the formal narration which L.M. Alcott uses in this book.

Interestingly enough Louisa May Alcott also wrote some quite different type books under the name A.M. Barnard. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia.org:

...A lesser-known part of her work are the passionate, fiery novels and stories she wrote, usually under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard. These works, such as A Long Fatal Love Chase and Pauline's Passion and Punishment, are of the type referred to in Little Women as "dangerous for little minds" and were called "potboilers" or "blood-and-thunder tales" by Victorians. Their protagonists are willful and relentless in their pursuit of their own aims, which often include revenge on those who have humiliated or thwarted them. These well-written works with an uncommon point of view achieved immediate commercial success and are highly readable today.She also produced moralistic and wholesome stories for children..

Hopefully I don't betray excessive repulsion...I like reading so well that it is rather hard to label a book "bad" or "boring" so I label this one as such: "below average."

You can form your own opinions with a look here:

Eight Cousins Online

About L.M. Alcott

The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

2005-04-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

When I began this book it was with the clear freshness of one who views pleasant scenery in an unfamiliar place. Alexandre Dumas, though known to me by name, was an unfamiliar author and I found myself quite quickly drawn into the era he writes of. In the opening chapter of The Three Musketeers one can feel as a person appearing by magic in the town of Meung. The citizens are all rushing to some sort of uproar in various states of armament. Dumas explains that such occurrences were common in that French town in those days. There were battles between nobles, there were robbers and Huguenots and so on. They all caused trouble so it was not an unusual site to see the citizens in their current defensive posture.

The cause of the commotion was the arrival in Meung of a young man, one Monsieur D' Artagnan. This young man, from Gascony, was on his way to Paris seeking Monsieur de Treville and a position with the King's Musketeers, of whom the said Monsieur de Treville was commander. His father had sent him on the journey with the advice that he should waste no chance of facing an opponent in a duel. He was to take all insults as an affront to his honor and avenge them with the sword. This advice he took quite seriously and had put it into practice against an insolent gentleman at the inn of Meung who had mocked his steed. A crowd convened because of the fighting which was over shortly with the result that D' Artagnan was taken to an inn room unconscious.

The hero of the story recovers, of course, but Dumas has already cast the edge of a shadow over the Gascon. It is the shadow of the Cardinal and his agents with whom he will strive against more courageously (and effectively) later.

Despite having witnessed his father's injunction to make no hesitation concerning dueling, it is somewhat comic how readily D' Artagnan got into such situations. After arriving at the headquarters of the King's Musketeers he promptly schedules a duel with three of these worthy gentlemen, specifically: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Athos because he was lectured on manners (among other offenses), Porthos for a quite similar reason, and Aramis for an indelicacy concerning a handkerchief. The duels were never fought since the Cardinal's Guards intruded on the event, though only to their own hurt. This circumstance, however, bound the four men together as friends for the rest of the narrative.

Though fiction, this work is also partly history. The author sets the characters in the past and gives them a part to play in the events we now call: “history.” D' Artagnan and his friends become deeply involved in covert court matters working on the side of the Queen (Anne of Austria) who was persecuted by Cardinal Richelieu and distrusted by King Louis XIII. The shadow of the Cardinal's agents, introduced in the first pages, returns seeking to trap the Queen and her admirer, the Duke of Buckingham . The arrogant man D' Artagnan had seen in Meung reappears, along with the vicious Milady (also known as Lady de Winter) who D' Artagnan becomes dangerously fascinated with.

Dumas explains that those times were morally different than the times in which he was writing. It becomes very apparent around midway through the book as things become quite treacherous. All the friends, excepting Athos, have mistresses. Since D' Artagnan's mistress is in the Queen's service they are in peril of the Cardinal's spies which leads the young Gascon to play the double-agent with Milady. I was rather glad to be through with the double-crossing of this section. In truth I was getting exasperated with D' Artagnan since after Madame Bonacieux, his first mistress, was kidnapped, he went on to become perilously associated with Milady who was a conspirator in the kidnapping. He was on the brink of a chasm and was destined to walk along that brink through the remainder of the chronicle.

Historical events interfered with the proceedings in Paris. Huguenots and other rebels were entrenched at La Rochelle and the English were engaging in the fight. The musketeers and other soldiers (D' Artagnan was actually not yet a Musketeer) left for battle. The friends are imperiled by Milady's attempts at revenge besides the intermittent fighting with the enemy. Athos reveals his past associations with Milady and they all strategize ways in which to defeat the schemes she and the Cardinal develop. Since this is historical fiction not everything can end happily ever after. The musketeers succeed in getting out a warning, but Milady is able to bring about the Duke of Buckingham's death despite efforts in opposition. After this the rebelling elements are suppressed by the forces of the King and Cardinal.

As I said previously, unlike many books by Dickens or other writers the conclusion doesn't bring joy to all the heroes and woe to the evil characters. This, of course, is not the end of the story of the four friends so the comparison is not complete. There is some degree of retribution on “the evil side”, in other words: on the adversaries of D' Artagnan and friends. However, the men also suffer some tragedy to themselves.

Alexandre Dumas was able to write in a way that, for myself in any case, is quite engrossing to read. The historical aspect is also pleasing since I like to familiarize myself with those occurrences besides just enjoying the narrative. As I mentioned when I began, one is drawn into the story until you “see” both the characters and the culture which forms their environment.

The Three Musketeers @ Wikipedia

The Three Musketeers @ The Online Literature Network

The Plot Against America - NY Times Review

2005-04-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

I've read about this book written by Phillip Roth a few times in the past several months. Perhaps it's time to read it??? This NY Times review I came across is quite extensive and interesting. In short (in case you didn't know) The Plot Against America is an alternative history based on the election of Charles Lindbergh as President. Lindbergh was to some extent a Nazi "sympathizer" and his election could have drastically changed the course of WWII, the 1940s etc. He was, according to this review, actually discussed as a presidential nominee at one point.

The Plot Against America :: NY Times Review

26 Miles - Sean Watkins

2005-04-07T21:26:00.001-05:00

Despite my favor for the group Nickel Creek, I've so far only posted concerning individual members. Back in January about Chris Thile's album Not All Who Wander Are Lost and now concerning 26 Miles by Sean Watkins.

Sean plays the guitar (mostly) on the group's recordings as well as singing lead and harmony vocals. 26 Miles is his second solo project and differs from the first, Let It Fall, in that there are only three instrumental tracks instead of the almost exclusive instrumentals on that first album. I've had my eye on this CD for some time and finally got one off of eBay.

The songs here are similiar to those you'll find on the album This Side. Musically I like This Side better and of course the vocal variety is missing (remember I'm coming from the perspective of hearing the group together) although Sara Watkins does do some of the harmony vocals on the song Locking Doors. That reminds me... I was looking at the tracks on Deceiver by Chris Thile and the songs on this CD and was wondering why they both have tracks titled Locking Doors and On Ice. Turns out to be because of "The Game." You can read more about that and a short explanation behind each song (pretty neat) at this link to Sean's website and in the bio section.

I think my votes for favorite songs go to:

Letters Never Sent

Hiding

26 Miles

And virtually all the rest! Read more at the links below:

Sean Watkins Website

26 Miles Lyrics

Underneath the Stars - Kate Rusby

2005-04-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

Kate Rusby's Website

My comments pending...

Worrisome Wallpapers...

2005-04-04T16:59:00.000-05:00

If you know how to properly define, "worrisome wallpapers", then you may be interested in clicking here to obtain some. With all due respect...

Set #1

Set #2

Around The World In Eighty Days - Jules Verne

2005-03-30T09:41:00.000-05:00

Do you see anything wrong with this cover photo? I had the impression, from where I don't know, that Mr. Phileas Fogg traveled at least part of the way in a balloon. Maybe it's from one of Verne's other stories... But this here cover. As you can see the fellow is driving some sort of unreliable looking automobile. The problem is Mr. Fogg and his servant, the honorable Passerpartout, traveled mainly by rail, ship and elephant. Oh well... Don't judge this book by this cover!

This has been on my reading list for a while. I liked it but it wasn't as exciting as I supposed it would be. Mr. Fogg is entirely too staid and mechanical to do justice to his outlandish name. He only seems to wake up at the very end, in time to marry Aouda so that the story can end happily ever after. Ahh...but I'll not be too critical. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the situation of the Detective Fix. Following a man around the entire world to find he isn't the crook...

Around the World in Eighty Days @ The Online Literature Network

Laddie - Gene Stratton-Porter

2005-03-30T09:40:00.000-05:00

I started reading Laddie quite a long time ago. It was barely a start though. I'd never gotten past the 30th page, I don't believe. Not for lack of will or because it was boring but because I began reading it during a few moments spared from work and never took the step of borrowing it so I could complete it.

It took longer to read than I expected (which is good). I guess I underestimated the length of the narrative based on the size of the book. I'm sure you can find plenty of summaries or reviews with a little search so I won't do that. I'll just mention what I thought as I read it.

The two things that I think of foremost after reading Laddie are these: It's so very funny and, Laddie (Little Sister's big brother. Little Sister is the narrator) is just such a man it's kind of disconcerting. As to the humor... Leon (another older bro) was the big source of that. My favorite scene is when he was reciting the verses he'd memorized for the Sunday service at church. He selected texts that applied to various people in the congregation and quoted at them rather than to them. You can read that section here... The story related to the tramp\robber, "Even So" was also funny. And Leon's memorable farewell to Miss Amelia...

Now about Laddie... Since the narrative is by Little Sister (a great character in her own right) the perspective on Laddie was from her view. As she said, "Laddie does everything well...". I suppose it was just somewhat challenging to encounter him with his manhood of a kind not so common now, it seems. At least I couldn't find it in me...

I'll certainly have to sample some more of the writings of Gene Stratton-Porter. My quite a name... It seems necessary for writers to have such names doesn't it?

If you'd like to read Laddie I recommend find a copy at the library but if you don't mind reading online or wanna see some excerpts you'll find the whole thing at the link below.

Laddie @ Project Gutenberg

Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink

2005-03-24T18:11:00.000-05:00

I actually read this before Rainbow Valley so we're slightly out of order here...Doesn't matter too much, though I do like to keep them in order.

I wonder how many guys in my demographic group have read Caddie Woodlawn...Well this one has. It reminds me some of the Little House (L.I. Wilder) series and also of The Great Brain (John D. Fitzgerald). Somewhere I got the idea that Caddie was this really wild pioneer girl so I was surprised that, though her mother thought her lacking in refinement, she wasn't really what I'd call "wild". I'd seen the movie before and she played some jokes on people and would rather stick with her brothers than be in the house "ladylike" but thats about it. It was pretty much the same story in the book.

It was a very short read but nice and easy and relaxing. Easy books are nice between the complicated or factual ones you know... Below is a link to a timeline of events in the area were the Caddie Woodlawn story is based. Give a click...

A Menomonie, Wisconsin Timeline

Rainbow Valley - L.M. Montgomery

2005-03-22T17:15:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, I hadn't been overly pleased with my first reading of Rainbow Valley. Perhaps because I'd skipped Anne of Ingleside. In anycase I felt that the whole story had gone to far from the Blythes and was focused almost completely on the Merediths. That is indeed the case. But this time I didn't mind. I liked it quite a lot. The young Blythes get a fair amount of coverage but Gilbert is almost erased from the picture as far as dialogue. I can only think of one place where he had anything to say...

I think Faith was my favorite of the Merediths. One wonders though, if anyone could possibly be quite as abstracted (or distracted) as Mr. Meredith. Of course he woke up a bit in the later part but he was very absent minded to begin with. In anycase... there are my little comments. You can read excerpts or the entire work at one, or both of the following links...

At Project Gutenberg

At "The Other Place"

Home - Dixie Chicks

2005-03-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

I really didn't know that this group would have so many songs I liked. I'd heard Landslide and Travelin' Soldier back when they were "hits" but nothing else...Until hearing Top of the World in "the usual way". That one got me to looking for the CD at the library...

I'd say that Home is more folk and less country than what I expected to hear. Which is quite a good thing for me. They've even got Chris Thile playing mandolin on a couple of these songs (A Home, More Love & the instrumental only, Lil' Jack Slade). Speaking of the mandolin...I like the instrumentation throughout the album, mandolin and otherwise. My top four are most likely:

Top of the World

Landslide

Travelin' Soldier

A Home

And I'll give an honorable mention to Godspeed since rather liked it as well.

(Note: The links open with Windows Media Player. A couple are the full song, which aren't quite what's on the CD, and some are partial clips. All links I found "out there").

Les Misérables - Victor Hugo

2005-03-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

I was extremely pleased to find a copy of Les Misérables for only twenty-five cents at the local Goodwill. I've made a few decent finds there. The only trouble is that, as I later found, mine is the abridged version. Abridging a book is a good way to irritate me. I just think it is pointless to cut out sections of a perfectly good book! If I want to skip some I'll do it myself! So needless to say I wasn't pleased. I like it well enough but I wonder what I missed? I guess I'll have to read the complete work some time...

Since I'm not up on French I wasn't too competent with the names of the characters or, for that matter, the title. I suppose I'll have to look up the pronunciation. According to the wonderful Google translator it means "poor wretches". Of course you get the general idea since "Les Misérables" looks like "the miserable".

This is the first of Hugo's works which I've read. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is now most definitely on the to read list. Towards the end of the narrative it began to remind me very much of the Dickens books I read as the author revealed the ties linking Jean Valjean, Marius and the hero-turned-criminal, Thenardier. As usual... I recommend it!

Les Misérables at The Online Literature Network

Anne of Ingleside

2005-03-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

I finished this "Anne book" recently but had never posted anything concerning the subject. There isn't a great deal to post but I like to keep track of what I've read.

This was the missing book in the series for me. I had read all the way up to Anne's House of Dreams and somehow skipped to Rainbow Valley. So coming back after several years I was curious what my reaction would be.

I liked Anne of Ingleside well enough. I think it better than what I remember of the next book which seemed to leave Anne quite behind. Each of the children get their due attention but I think I took the most liking to the affairs of Nan and Di. Particularly Nan's commitment (well meant but unnecessary) to walking through the cemetery after dark and Di's complications in friendship with Jenny Penny...

Nickel Creek: Photos from the studio

2005-03-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

Nickel Creek has a new album coming out sometime here...for now they've put up some photos from in the studio. Take a look...I wonder when to expect the CD??

Alison Krauss - Now That I've Found You

2005-02-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

A conversation with a friend brought this album to my always-searching-for-music-I-might-like consiousness. I heard one of her songs on FolkAlley.com recently which reminded me to look up one of her albums and see if it was available from my favorite source. And it was. Of course I got this one in preference to a newer album because of the recommendation from the said friend.

I really didn't quite know what to expect as I had heard virtually nothing of her (yes, the one song on FolkAlley). This of course, is a collection, and from '95 at that. So her sound my have changed in this span of 10 years. I'm rather ignorant despite the fact that she is a rather well known personage.

Anyway...enough of that. My evaluation was at first quite mixed. I liked the first track but the second quickly jarred me out of that pleasent feeling, and so on. After more listening I have decided that I like it best when she sings low and soft. In that character her voice reminds me of Nichole Nordeman, who's singing I like rather well in general.

After more listening I have selected a few tracks to present as my choice favorites, as usual...

The middle pick is the previously unreleased Broadway. My third choice, I Will and the best of all (maybe)...
In the Palm of Your Hand.

If you want to hear the others that I liked fairly well and those that I didn't like (Oh, Atlanta), you click this link to Barnes&Noble or go to some other site. The links here open in Windows Media Player.

Google Search: "Now That I've Found You Alison Krauss"

The Way I Am - Jennifer Knapp

2005-02-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

The first music I heard by Jennifer Knapp was A Diamond In the Rough, a collection of some of her works. Some of them previously unreleased. Since I liked what I heard I got a copy of The Way I Am through my usual channels. (Usual channels sounds more interesting than: “from the public library”).

Besides just her voice, I like Jennifer's writing \ singing style. It seems to convey meanings and thoughts without even completing a sentence. For instance in Breathe On Me the resurrection is portrayed simply by:

“Testimony Come Now, Quickly,
Whisper In My Ear:
Celebration
Peace At Last Not Far Away,
Empty Sheet,
A Borrowed Grave:
Salvation
Come Freedom, Come
Come Freedom, Come”


Many of the songs seem wistful and conscious of being only human,
prone to trouble,  yet in the hand of God.

My favorites could be as follows
(Note: I fixed these links. I had run out
time before and hadn't set them to play
the sample clip. It opens in WMP):

and

Of course I like virtually all of them on the CD with one exception: Light of the World. For a ridiculous reason too! It includes some various people quoting Scripture. That is perfectly fine. However, the first time I heard it I wasn't expecting a different voice just talking and it gave me a start. I've pretty much skipped that track ever since! But really any of the Knapp albums are a good listen. I'm waiting for my copy of Kansas to come in...

Gotee Records (look in the “Artists” menu for: Jennifer Knapp).

The Fall of Baghdad - Jon Lee Anderson

2005-02-21T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is a very fascinating book on Baghdad before, during, and after the war, or perhaps I should say after the initial war. Probably the most interesting book on the war in Iraq that I've read so far. The other two books I've read on the subject are based on the experiences of an embedded journalist (In the Company of Soldiers) and a hostage (Escape in Iraq). This book, however, is from the vantage point of a journalist who stayed in Baghdad during the war.

The neat thing is the variety of people who the author (Jon Lee Anderson) had contact with throughout the book. They ranged from Sabah, his loyal (usually) driver, to the descendants of the man who killed Col. Leachman in the 20s, to Ala Bashir the artist and favored doctor of Saddam Hussein. In fact the author suspects that he may have seen Saddam in Baghdad and his friends who knew the dictator thought it was quite possible that the man he saw was indeed Saddam.

While I didn't find much new or startling information here, save some history I didn't know, the “picture” it gives of Iraqis and the now dissolved government, is quite insightful.

NPR Interview

Google Search: “The Fall of Baghdad Jon Lee Anderson”

Miracle of November: Madrid's Epic Stand, 1936

2005-02-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

I realized not long ago that, while I knew some amount about pre-WWII Europe, I knew little about Spain. When I saw that Dan Kurzman had written a book on the war in Spain during the thirties I looked it up.

It was quite different reading this account because, well, I didn't know what the outcome was! Usually when reading history you know at least in a basic sense what happened at “the end”. I, however, couldn't remember whether Franco had attained power or exactly what happened when the Spanish civil war faded into WWII.

Reading Miracle of November was somewhat confusing at times because of the number of names and groups you need to keep straight as you follow the narrative. I got it worked out pretty well by the time I was halfway through. It's just that there were so many different groups fighting within the two main opponents in the war. For example: on the side defending Madrid (against Franco and “the rebels”), were anarchists, communists, the Loyalists and the militia consisting of citizens of the city.

As usual the author follows several figures throughout the narrative. They include generals on both sides, leaders and members of political groups involved, a priest and a few foreigners from Britain and America. It gives you a good idea of the scene from many different vantages points.

So...I found out that Franco did eventually win and became the “head of state”, probably in a large part due to the fact that Hitler was backing him while Stalin had ceased to back the government as he had at the start of the war.

Anne's House of Dreams

2005-02-14T17:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it's my fifth L.M. Montgomery book finished this year. It is, I'm afraid, the last in the series I will like. I have yet to read Anne of Ingleside though perhaps it will be just as good. I just know that last time I read the series (approx. 5 years ago) I didn't think much of Rainbow Valley (#7). It wasn't about Anne! At least hardly... That might have been okay if only the new characters were as endearing.

I tend to think that this book has some of the best characters in the whole series. Captain Jim is someone it seems you wouldn't mind knowing. I wish I could read his life-book. Cornelia Bryant and Leslie are quite good too. Marilla, however, almost fades from view now that Anne has moved from Avonlea... Isn't it fun? Making the books seem like reality. I almost begin to think of the events as historical facts.

In any case if you've any interest in seeing the book online here is my usual link to Project Gutenberg:

Anne's House of Dreams

The Tragedy of American Compassion

2005-02-08T17:01:00.000-05:00

I saw a reference to this book while reading Bush's Brain and, like usual, put in a request at the library.

The Tragedy of American Compassion by Marvin Olasky examines the change in attitude towards what is sometimes called charity, compassion, welfare or other things. Basically it's how society looks at poor and/or homeless people and what obligation the better off do, or do not, have towards them.

There was a lot of activity in the charitable arena at the turn of the last century, and this book notes many of the methods of various New York organizations as well as others around the nation. Much debate centered around whether charitable assistance was a right that the “economically depressed” deserved or something that could cause perfectly capable people to become careless and “pauperized”.

Many of the late 19^th century groups determined whether potential beneficiaries of their help were truly needy by using “work tests”. By performing some service (often helpful to others in need) applicants for aid could show that they were committed to doing something about their situation themselves and weren't just looking for a handout.

Probably the greatest loss you see when contrasting now and then is the lack of personal involvement. In small communities folks new each other and their situations well and thus could help in a way that was beneficial. In more urban society such kindness often becomes impersonal and the balances in place when personal knowledge is in the picture easily disappear. There is more potential for abuse by both the giver and the receiver.

Somewhere (Mr. Olasky points to the sixties-seventies) government financial assistance became a right instead of a last resort. The transfer of the responsibility from citizens to the government, of supporting those in need, had been in process for a long time. However, it was now seen as something owed rather than given or lent.

Charitable organizations also used to be free to emphasize the change of the inner person as a necessary part of the change from reliance on alms to self-sufficiency. Now, if they receive government support, such establishments must not “discriminate” in any way or promote faith in God and renewal of spiritual life through Jesus Christ as an important part of gaining independence. Since assistance is now a “right” it seems to be the “correct” thing to give it out indiscriminately. Be tolerant! But I won't start on tolerance...

This is definitely an interesting work. I would say the best chapters are the first few and the last few. Several chapters in between are full of examples from the turn of last century that, while informative, become redundant.

New links added...

2005-02-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

I've added a few new links in the past two days. Under the "Music" section you'll find one for Kate Rusby's website. I've heard her albums Hourglass and Underneath the Stars and like them both a lot.

There's also Fivacious. A cool group of a cappella singers from California who I met last summer. They have two CDs out: In the Key of Love and Snow Down On Me.

Under the "Literature" section I added a link for Project Gutenberg. They have a large collection of online books from various authors.

So scroll down to the "Links" section on the left or check 'em out in this post...

More newly completed books...

2005-02-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

I know I've already posted concerning two of the other L.M. Montgomery books but... I just get started on a series or author and keep reading their writings. So, I've just finished Anne of the Island as well as Anne of Windy Poplars.

I finally solved a small mystery I had. Around the same time I read Anne of Windy Poplars for the first time I also read Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. Very connected stories don't you think? In the fourth book in the series Anne visits one Miss Minerva Tomgallon who lives in a house her family has held for some six generations. There were a great many tragic deaths in the family which she pronounced to be on account of a curse on her family. I specifically remember the part where she mentions here grandfather (or great-grandfather, I'm not positive). He had fallen down some stairs and broken his neck on some festive occasion.

I pictured the Tomgallon mansion to be virtually identical to The House of Usher and thus confused the two stories as well. When I read The Fall of the House of Usher again I expected to hear of the old gentleman who had tumbled down the stairs and any number of other unfortunates who suffered like tragedies. However I didn't read anything of them. I couldn't figure it out. There was of course the rather demented Roderick Usher and his sister who was pronounced dead quite too soon.

When I began the chapter in which Anne visits Miss Minerva Tomgallon I soon realized that I'd finally figured out my small mystery. The Tomgallons were similar to the Ushers but belonged to L.M. Montgomery not Edgar Allan Poe.

For some reason Project Gutenberg doesn't have Anne of Windy Poplars available in the same format as the other books. It's there but all on one page instead of in chapters. Pretty inconvenient when your looking for one particular section. They do have Anne of the Island in chapter format.

Anne of the Island

Anne of Windy Poplars

Finished: Dude, Where's My Country? by M. Moore

2005-01-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well I've finished it. It was interesting, aggravating, accusing, probing and profane. No doubt I'd have found some or most of it funny had I the "correct" viewpoint.

My basic opinion of the whole work is that M.M. is bringing up issues about "the Right" and accusing them of having an agenda of domination. The problem is that "the Right" says virtually the same thing of "the Left". "You have an agenda". It seems that Moore has a problem with all the administrations since I'm-not-sure-when. Anyway I think I'll run into a dead end there. Let me note a few things I agree with him on and some I don't. You'll notice a lot of these are from one chapter because he had a nice list that gave me a good "agree" - "disagree" set. I've put quotes around, uh, the quotes. And added a few comments of my own.

Agree:

"The sun is good for you" (pg. 190)

"SUVs are not inherently evil" (pg. 191)
Manufacturers should and can make more fuel efficient internal combustion engines.

"We ("the Left\Liberals") have a namby-pamby way of saying things" (pg.192)

"Animals don't have rights" (same pg. as above)

America is much too dominated by corporate interests (Chapter 7 and throughout the book)

Osama bin Laden isn't\shouldn't be so hard to get (pg. 120)

Disagree:

"Being Republican is suicide" (pg. 201)
I don't think you can vote strictly by party. Look at the person running. Their character etc.

Statistics don't tell everything
He uses a lot of statistics on many subjects. Statistics aren't extremely reliable in all cases. And they're based on what people say not always what they do.

"All roads to ruin lead through him" (Bush)
Don't be ridiculous. I think the nation has seen some much worse times. He hypes\invents the badness of Bush. If Canada looks so good please move there and don't complain about the USA so much.

The Republicans are all about watching out for the wealthy
I don't think this is strictly true. Who was the wealthier candidate in this past election? Republican does not = rich nor does Democrat. There are all kinds of people.

Well, that's certainly not an all inclusive list. But it's an example. If you'd like to visit his website...here it is: Michael Moore.

Next read: Dude, Where's My Country? - Michael Moore

2005-01-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

That is the book that's on the shelf. I guess I'm gonna read it next. I don't know... it seems to clash with the book I just finished (see below). I kind of like to say the title aloud though. You know. Like, dude, uh, where's my country? I am biased though. Against him....

Anne of Avonlea

2005-01-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

It of course follows that, having just read Anne of Green Gables, now I must read the next book in the chronicles of that person. And I have.

I don't really know if I should like the first or second book better. I think though that I like them each, it's only that they are slightly different. Anne of Avonlea finds our favorite character a bit more mature, never mind a few years older, and, less girlish I suppose. But I'll not perform a book review. That isn't really my aim. If you've read them then you have your own opinions and I wouldn't want to spoil them. But I do like to chronicle my readings. Here are a few excerpts I thought funny:

From Chapter 5:

"I'll try to," gasped Anne, choking back a wild desire to laugh. "I know by experience that it's very unpleasant to have one's name spelled wrong and I suppose it must be even worse to have it pronounced wrong."

From Chapter 14:

"Oh, no, there is nothing like that in the catechism, Davy."

"But I tell you there is," persisted Davy. "It was in that question Marilla taught me last Sunday. `Why should we love God?' It says, `Because He makes preserves, and redeems us.' Preserves is just a holy way of saying jam."

"I must get a drink of water," said Anne hastily. When she came back it cost her some time and trouble to explain to Davy that a certain comma in the said catechism question made a great deal of difference in the meaning.

To get the humor I guess you'd have to read those in context. Which you can do here: Anne of Avonlea at Project Gutenberg. And it might not strike you funny at all. At any rate...

Chris Thile's: Not All Who Wander Are Lost

2005-01-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

CD cover...

This is my second-latest-CD. The latest hasn't arrived yet. My familiarity with Chris Thile's music started at a dulcimer festival (Dulcimer Days in Coshocton, OH) where I picked up the CD This Side by Nickel Creek, the group of which Chris is a member. On the back cover was a photo of three musicians about my age. And one of 'em was holding a mandolin. Before then I'd never heard much mandolin let alone exciting mandolin playing. So I made a mental note to check the album out at the library. Eventually I bought the album Nickel Creek and then Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

If you've read Tolkien's works you probably caught the reference in the album title:

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost;

the old that is strong does not wither..."

The CD is the third solo project Chris Thile has done. The mix of instruments and feeling with which they're played really makes this a great listen. Sometimes I find all instrumental recording to be slightly boring compared to those with vocals, or a mix of instrumental and vocals. Not the case here. I especially like some the accents add by the other insturments included. Dobro, saxophone etc. Let's see... If I were to pick my favorite tracks I think I'd go with:

Big Sam Thompson

Bridal Veil Falls

You Deserve Flowers

and...

Sinai to Canaan, Pt. 1

You can listen to clips of all the tracks at the Sugar Hill Records site or the Nickel Creek website.

Anne of Green Gables....a second time

2005-01-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

By way of illustration...

I first read Anne of Green Gables (and most of the following books) about five years ago. I pronounced it one of my favorite books though, that is actually not so significant as it could be for, I like a great many books. But nonetheless, I certainly found it no worse for a second reading.

While I could not be so bold so as to presume to be "a kindred spirit" with Anne I greatly enjoy her imagination. I think L.M. Montgomery did a very good job conveying Anne's feeling in dialogue. I can just "hear" the italics. There must be something about imagination for it seems several of my favorite books contain a great deal of it. Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Amulet by E.Nesbit... The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis... and perhaps others.

You'll find a couple of Anne of GG related links below:

Anne of Green Gables at Project Gutenberg

Prince Edward Island: Virtual Green Gables

Escape In Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story

2005-01-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

The cover photo...

I saw this book at the library a few weeks ago and remembered reading news about Mr. Hamill's kidnapping. So I picked it up and started scanning through it. I "scanned" for so long I decided to take it home and give it a full read.

The book, by Thomas Hamill & Paul T. Brown, begins with a prologue describing Tommy's farm raising and leads up to the circumstances which led to his taking a job as a KBR trucker in Iraq. The prologue gives a good background for the rest of the book. This isn't one of those that goes way back and works forward, finally arriving at the main narrative.

The account of the ambush and following kidnapping are followed by a relation of his experiences while being held at various locations and by different people. It's interesting to get an inside look at the different Iraqis who "handled" him. Some were fairly considerate, (he gave them nicknames like: Wimpy, The Silent One and Curly) and others, like "The Guards on Death Row", were the masked, hard, guerrillas that usually come to mind. The last chapters get very repetitive, however that is exactly how his days were: redundant. It's great to see how he kept up his mental strength and faith in God despite physical problems (he was shot in the arm during the ambush).

And of course you always want the guy to escape! He does. I always like to find out the story behind the headlines. This was a good chance to do it.

Link added for The Memory Hole Blog

2005-01-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

I've added a link to The Memory Hole Blog to my "Links" section on the left. The blog and site are, in their own words, dedicated to: "rescuing knowledge, freeing information". Edited and published by Russ Kick the site has a lot of out-of-the-way, sort of Orwellian information on various suppressed or forgotten subjects.

FolkAlley.com: Folk, Traditional, Celtic and World Music

2005-01-11T23:28:00.000-05:00

If you like any of the above types of music you may find some more you'll enjoy at FolkAlley. You can listen online through their site (if your registered) or with Windows Media Player. If you use WMP (like I do) you'll need to search for Folk online radio stations. Below are a few links to some of my favorite musicians I've found through listening to FolkAlley and WKSU in Kent, OH.

Kate Rusby, Nickel Creek, Lucy Kaplansky and Dervish.

Literary Resources on the Net

2005-01-06T18:28:00.000-05:00

These pages at Literary Resources on the Net have a great many links to book resources and author bibliographies available on the Internet. You can find information about authors and historical knowledge in ethnic categories such as: Latino, Irish and Native American literature.

In the Company of Soldiers

2005-01-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

In the Company of Soldiers

This is the latest book I've completed reading. In the Company of Soldiers by Rick Atkinson gives a perspective on the involvement of the 101st Airborne Division in the invasion of Iraq. The author gives an inside view of the division, mainly at the command level of Lt. Gen. William S. Wallace, Maj. Gen David H. Petraeus and the Brig. Generals and Colonels under their command.

The book is well written (the author won a Pulitzer Prize for his book An Army At Dawn) and is worth reading if you're interested in more detailed accounts of the war than you'll find in the news and periodicals. It does not, however, seem to have the same urgent, first-person portrayal of combat that can be found in other books I've read. Specifically Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden or The Hunt for bin Laden by Robin Moore. The closest this book gets to them in the first-person combat narrative is in chapter 14 (At the Gates of Babylon).

Nonetheless this is a good book especially for those who'd like a look at how the Gen.'s made tactical decisions and their performance under the pressure of sending their men on dangerous operations. Mr. Atkinson toughed through the same sand storms, camps, etc. as the men he portrays and I'd say he did a good job overall in writing this volume. Give it a read if it's down your literary alley.

You can visit the book's website and read other opinions (I haven't read any yet) or listen to interviews. In the Company of Soldiers Website

The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906

2004-12-30T19:41:00.000-05:00

The book cover...

It was quite surprising to me to read the earthquake news from Asia very shortly after requesting this book, Disaster! The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 by Dan Kurzman, from the library. This recent quake brought devastation by water where as the San Francisco quake triggered massive fires.

I'd only a vague idea of the 1906 disaster and decided to read up on it, especially after seeing the author. I've read a few of Dan Kurzman's books before and found them to be to my liking. He narrates the events through the perspectives of characters such as Mayor Schimtz attempting to keep himself out of jail by appearing a hero; a couple who go ahead with their wedding plans despite the quake and fire and a Chinese teenager despairing of his life until shown some unexpected kindness. There are many others of course, I think you get the idea. Definitely a good historical narrative.

Take a look at The Literature Network

2004-12-30T19:05:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in reading a short story by authors like O. Henry or Rudyard Kipling The Literature Network is a good place to look. They also have full length works such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Prince and the Pauper by M. Twain.

The list of authors contains some 90 names in classic literature. A short bio is included for most, if not all, the writers.

http://www.online-literature.com/

Vehicle For Dissertation - Tech Edition

2004-12-30T10:44:00.000-05:00

I decided that including computer \ IT info with books and music might be a bit of a confusion of interests. So I started a new page: Vehicle For Dissertation - Tech Edition.

If your interested in the computer stuff rather than literature and music here is the link:

http://vehiclefordissertation2.blogspot.com/

Welcome!

2004-12-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

This is, as you may have noticed, the first posting. I have begun this as an experiment and learning experience and we shall see how it goes.

The topics to be carried by this vehicle will, for the most part, encompass the topics of literature (I am an avid reader), music (another interest; I play the Mountain Dulcimer) and Information Technology (I am a freelance computer consultant, CompTIA Certified Professional and a student). What a combination!!???

My introduction being complete, I will conclude....here.