Well, some details are needed. Google Alerts had the title "Download Lonely Planet chapter" and I, for some crazy reason, thought it was a free download of the whole chapter. Anyway, you can download the first two pages of the chapter for free and buy the chapter for $2.10 US, which seems like a good deal.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Download the Gangwon chapter from Lonely Planet
Not much more detail needed here: Lonely Planet is offering their Gangwon Chapter as a preview to the book.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
updates on e-books
Three of Korea's online English papers discuss e-books today (well, still in the headlines today - the articles could be a day or two old).
The Herald describes how e-books and reader devices have helped the publishing industry:
The Joongang discusses how Sony has chosen to keep it's reader device dedicated to reading, and not add a variety of other features.
Although I do like the idea of carrying one device that can do everything, in practice it often seems a challenge for me to shift between features or use two at once. I guess people better at multi-tasking will feel differently, but I don't mind the idea of having a device that only offers books (and magazines and textbooks...) for reading. If I want to jog or walk with music or a podcast, I won't want to carry a full-size e-book reader, so I'll need a dedicated MP3 player anyway.
The Times describes a serious problem with using e-book readers in class. Korea has worked to set up electronic whiteboards - that function as a computer screen you can write on -and e-books for the students to carry that will be lighter than a stack of textbooks. Those textbooks are copyrighted and the copyright holders aren't interested in offering the material in an easily copiable format.
It does seem poor planning to spend all that money to set up the framework and not check up on the content. Still, there will be no e-book content if there are no e-book readers. Perhaps the government were attempting to be visionaries, leading the market and the market itself failed in taking advantage of the opportunity.
I've been writing a lot in the last few weeks about e-books but still have no plan to buy one. Partly, the price is holding me back and partly the range of books and their prices are holding me back. I don't understand how a paper version of a book is only a little more expensive than the e-version. There is no need to print the books or store them or transport them; the price should be significantly lower.
The Herald describes how e-books and reader devices have helped the publishing industry:
The year started off poorly for booksellers.
The outlook for the overall publishing market was largely negative in January. The economy was in the doldrums, and readers put off book purchases.
Kyobo, the country's biggest bookstore chain, said its preliminary yearly sales rose 8.9 percent from 2008, helped by the stronger-than-expected revenue from e-book sales. The lackluster figure illustrates that books sold in electronic form were the main drivers for growth.
While offline book sales remain stagnant, publishers and IT companies began to pay attention to the potential of e-books. Even though there have been a handful of attempts to kick-start the potentially huge market in the past few years, writers, readers and publishers have not paid much attention. That changed dramatically this year.
Device makers such as Samsung Electronics and iriver introduced new e-book readers, raising the possibility that Korea might see a boom in the new platform in the near future following the success of Amazon.com's the Kindle in the United States.
The Joongang discusses how Sony has chosen to keep it's reader device dedicated to reading, and not add a variety of other features.
NEW YORK - The way Howard Stringer sees it, Sony’s digital e-readers should focus on the printed word and making reading “comfortable,” even though the consumer electronics giant could turn it into a multimedia machine. Stringer, chief executive of Japan’s Sony Corp, admits there is a lot of “energy” behind Amazon.com’s Kindle, which is seen as the leader in a burgeoning market for portable reading devices.
As speculation grows that Apple Inc. may introduce a tablet-style computer that could also address the e-reader market, Sony could differentiate itself by adding more powerful chips, displays and media features to the pocket sized readers.
But Stringer says that, given the nascence of the market, it is smarter to wait and see how consumer warm to the current makeup of the devices.
“The consumer will tell us if this format is comfortable and helpful and convenient and all those things before you start plowing on a thousand apps or making the ‘Vaio Reader,’” Stringer said on the sidelines of a press conference in New York on Thursday.
Although I do like the idea of carrying one device that can do everything, in practice it often seems a challenge for me to shift between features or use two at once. I guess people better at multi-tasking will feel differently, but I don't mind the idea of having a device that only offers books (and magazines and textbooks...) for reading. If I want to jog or walk with music or a podcast, I won't want to carry a full-size e-book reader, so I'll need a dedicated MP3 player anyway.
The Times describes a serious problem with using e-book readers in class. Korea has worked to set up electronic whiteboards - that function as a computer screen you can write on -and e-books for the students to carry that will be lighter than a stack of textbooks. Those textbooks are copyrighted and the copyright holders aren't interested in offering the material in an easily copiable format.
The government plans to have digital devices replace books and blackboards in schools, a transition it claims will open a new chapter in education. However, the ambitious e-learning initiative appears to have been derailed from the start, with a problem that is less about technology than it is with content.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has spent 300 billion won (about $255 million) to install "electronic blackboards," or interactive monitors for showing electronic content, in 256 middle and high schools across the country.
However, these neat screens don't see much use in classrooms, as the e-book content to replace printed textbooks is non-existent.
Critics ridicule the government for putting the cart before the horse, spending lavish money on the e-learning equipment when there has been little progress in plans to convert state-authorized textbooks into digital formats.
It does seem poor planning to spend all that money to set up the framework and not check up on the content. Still, there will be no e-book content if there are no e-book readers. Perhaps the government were attempting to be visionaries, leading the market and the market itself failed in taking advantage of the opportunity.
I've been writing a lot in the last few weeks about e-books but still have no plan to buy one. Partly, the price is holding me back and partly the range of books and their prices are holding me back. I don't understand how a paper version of a book is only a little more expensive than the e-version. There is no need to print the books or store them or transport them; the price should be significantly lower.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
E-books in the classroom
I have mentioned E-books and their readers (by 'reader', I mean the electronic device, like Amazon's Kindle. Hmm, I wonder how many ---er words now refer to electronics, rather than people. Computer, Rice steamer, Typewriter....) at least once on this blog, and have been considering getting one for years.
Although my Korean language studies have stalled, I think e-book readers would be great: many allow you to store a book and an MP3. You could easily read and listen at the same time.
Also, as an opinionated person, I often want some evidence close-to-hand to support my claims.
Finally, I love to read and even if a book file were as expensive as a paper book, I would save on postage. If/when I start my Masters, having the necessary books in a convenient device instead of going without-
I am unlikely to visit the University in question often - will be very valuable.
The Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is looking at e-books for Elementary school students.
Korea envisions digital school books ushering in a new chapter in education. Now, if only government authorities could find a company to make e-book readers for the schools to use.
Another company offered to build the readers for 900,00 but they offered "an inferior device". I would love to see the readers in question. The top-of-the-line Kindle goes for around 400,000 won so I guess these ones would have homework and some interactive capabilities. a commenter at the Korea Times article described how American test users were unhappy with the ability to take notes. I think most readers have some bookmarking, and highlighting functions as well as the ability to take some notes.
The Herald is also looking at e-book readers:
Although standardization is an important issue, the thorniest issue I know of is sharing books and efforts to stop same.
At No substance, All Eloquence, Clay discusses the problems with Digital Rights Management (DRM, software that controls what rights you have toward your MP3 files, e-books, and videos). Quoted with original bolding:
Did someone talk about DRM? Cory Doctorow must not be far away.
Hmm, after a second glance, it is still Boingboing, which Doctorow is editor of, but Rob Breschizza wrote the article I am currently looking at.
I remain interested in buying one and I like iriver's other products but it remains difficult to choose. The keys are 1) owning the book (or it being clear that I don't), 2) able to read a variety of formats - I want to read text files, PDFs, HTML and whatever formats Amazon and others use and 3) the ability to take notes easily. I don't need many other features - I am willing to do my up and down loading connected to my computer so I don't need wireless capabilities - but having an included MP3 player would be nice.
Although my Korean language studies have stalled, I think e-book readers would be great: many allow you to store a book and an MP3. You could easily read and listen at the same time.
Also, as an opinionated person, I often want some evidence close-to-hand to support my claims.
Finally, I love to read and even if a book file were as expensive as a paper book, I would save on postage. If/when I start my Masters, having the necessary books in a convenient device instead of going without-
I am unlikely to visit the University in question often - will be very valuable.
The Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is looking at e-books for Elementary school students.
Korea envisions digital school books ushering in a new chapter in education. Now, if only government authorities could find a company to make e-book readers for the schools to use.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is planning to spend 18 billion won (about $15.5 million) to establish e-book infrastructures in 110 schools in rural communities around the country, where the digital transition is to be tested first.
However, there are concerns that the project could be derailed. The consortium that the government picked to provide the e-book readers, led by LG Dacom (LG Group's fixed-line telephony unit) and American computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP), is showing signs of bailing.
More than 9,800 e-book devices are required for the project, and the government insists it won't be spending more than 1.1 million won for each unit. However, LG Dacom and HP are finding it hard to keep the price of the device below 1.3 million won.
Another company offered to build the readers for 900,00 but they offered "an inferior device". I would love to see the readers in question. The top-of-the-line Kindle goes for around 400,000 won so I guess these ones would have homework and some interactive capabilities. a commenter at the Korea Times article described how American test users were unhappy with the ability to take notes. I think most readers have some bookmarking, and highlighting functions as well as the ability to take some notes.
The Herald is also looking at e-book readers:
For starters, Samsung Electronics, the country's biggest electronics firm, unveiled an e-reader that attempts to mimic what Amazon's Kindle can do, except for the U.S.-based bookseller's already sizable library. The smaller yet recognizable Korean firm iriver, known for its MP3 players, also put out a similar e-reader armed with a 6-inch screen and QWERTY keypad.
The e-book reader initiatives by the major device makers have helped create a growing list of news articles about the fledgling market in recent weeks, and Korean publishers are now duly set to focus on the topic of digital publication in the forthcoming Paju Bookcity Forum (www.pajubookcity.org), which will kick off its two-day run on Nov. 19 under the theme of "Evolution of Books & Future of Digital Publication."
...
...experts said the e-book market in Korea will confront many difficulties before taking off. Among the thorniest issues are the standardization of e-book formats and new practices for copyright arrangements regarding e-books and other new platforms.
Baek Won-keun, chief researcher of Korean Publishing Research Institute, said that publishers will struggle for a while to come up with a viable vision about the act of reading itself at a time when other options such as video gaming, Web surfing and mobile texting are widely available. "At the heart of the problem is that people are spending less time reading books in general and we have to think about whether we can persuade them to read books again by offering a digital version."
Although standardization is an important issue, the thorniest issue I know of is sharing books and efforts to stop same.
At No substance, All Eloquence, Clay discusses the problems with Digital Rights Management (DRM, software that controls what rights you have toward your MP3 files, e-books, and videos). Quoted with original bolding:
So long as DRM is used in digitally delivered literature, it will never be “permanent” in the way a wood pulp-based text is. So long as its possession is revocable, an e-book will only ever exist as a disposable, ephemeral set of data, unsuitable for the sort of long-term collection we build upon our bookshelves.
Did someone talk about DRM? Cory Doctorow must not be far away.
Hmm, after a second glance, it is still Boingboing, which Doctorow is editor of, but Rob Breschizza wrote the article I am currently looking at.
I recently talked to Sony's Steve Haber, President of Digital Reading, about its flagship ebook reader. Named the "Daily Edition," it hits stores next month. Notwithstanding differences between each manufacturer's respective libraries, it offers all the best features of its main rival, the Kindle. But Sony says it offers one thing that Amazon won't: actual ownership of your books.Breschizza also compares a few readers:
Sony's new reader also features a 9" display, page-changing swipe gestures, annotations and a cellular connection to download new titles on the go. At $400, however, it's as pricey as the top-of-the-line Kindle DXthat it resembles; Sony already has a new generation of cheaper e-readers out which lack the fancy features and big screen.
Barnes and Noble announced its own reader, the Nook, a few weeks ago. At $260, it's competitively priced and has a secondary LCD display. It also focuses hard on consumer-friendly features that Amazon seems unwilling to indulge: in its case, books can be shared between devices and even with friends. Not all books will be available, and shares are limited to 14 days at a time.
I remain interested in buying one and I like iriver's other products but it remains difficult to choose. The keys are 1) owning the book (or it being clear that I don't), 2) able to read a variety of formats - I want to read text files, PDFs, HTML and whatever formats Amazon and others use and 3) the ability to take notes easily. I don't need many other features - I am willing to do my up and down loading connected to my computer so I don't need wireless capabilities - but having an included MP3 player would be nice.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Kipling spider is vegetarian?
I am a big Kipling fan.
I have read and re-read the Jungle books and look forward to reading them to and with my son. Kim is another I frequently return to. Captain's Courageous, Stalky and Co and more filled my childhood. As an adult, I have enjoyed The Day's Work and the childhood favorites over again. I doubt I have read all he wrote but I am trying to.
You might think I would be happy that a favourite author has been further immortalized by having an animal named after him. I would be, but, a vegetarian spider? How about a toothless bear (or tiger, in keeping with Kipling's connection to India)? A venomless cobra?
Alright, reports are it is intelligent and as physically active as anyone who is also a fan of Spiderman (and I am) could wish. I guess it would have to be radio-active to be coerced to bite someone.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tidbits
I don't see any strong story for the day, so here are a few things - Korea and Gangwon related, that caught my eye.
My most recent post was about swine flu and the need to constant care to prevent illness. Today, I have learned that the eighth victim of Swine Flu was from Gangwon Province. The 64-year old woman went to a hospital and:
The hospital treated her with anti-viral medicine for five days, after which she tested negative for the flu, but she finally died of secondary complications from bacterial pneumonia, the ministry said.
I wonder what the anti-virals were. As most people know, there is no cure for viral illness - no cure for the common cold, for example - but the symptoms can be treated. Anyway, it seems the flu weakened her immune system and allowed pneumonia to take hold. I am not Korea-bashing here, but I wonder if she caught pneumonia at the hospital itself. This happens all the time, around the world.
Anyway, there are now 10,000 Koreans sick with swine flu.
At my university, we no longer need to line up and have our temperature taken to enter the campus. I do need to continue asking each class if anyone is hot and sending them to the campus nurse. With Chuseok coming up, we were reminded that we could not leave the country due to infection fears. I presume going to Seoul and eating from the same dish with a dozen family members is still okay.
---
I find this funny and I don't even care if the elephant did it.
| Police yesterday said they are probing whether an elephant at the zoo inside Children’s Grand Park in Seoul threw a stone at a woman. The Gwangjin Ward Police Station said, “A woman surnamed Kim reported to police that she was hit by a stone thrown by an elephant.” |
---
Yawn:
By Oct. 15, Pyeongchang will submit a proposal to host the 2018 games to the International Olympics Committee, which will narrow down its choices to three to four final candidates by June. IOC members will visit those finalists between February and March 2011, prior to making their decision at a general assembly in Durban, South Africa on July 6.
---
E-books in Korea
Major S. Korean publishers, bookstores create e-book firm.
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- A group of major publishers and on- and off-line booksellers in South Korea founded an electric book firm on Wednesday, the new publishing body said in a release.
I've been watching NUUT, a Korean brand of E-book reader device, for the last few years. I would totally buy one if I could get content easily without DRM - I don't feel the need to share the books, but I would want to move the e-book from my computer to my reading device, to new computer.... I have a habit of reading a book several times and I frequently buy non-fiction specifically to access at different times in the future.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
any taller and we will be calling God's wrath upon us.
Books aren't just for reading, you know. I built a little apartment building for his dinosaurs to live in last night. It was fun to build, fun to look at and lots of fun to knock down. It's also fun to build ever taller ones.I guess we'll be going outside with a wheel-barrel for the next one. And a lightning rod to deflect the bolts sure to come against our presumption.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Something that makes me wish I lived in Seoul
Seoul isn't so bad. I lived on the slopes of Mount Gwanak for a year and enjoyed hiking the mountain once a week so I could get some kind of nature fix.
On the other hand, the crowds really got to me. I don't like even Sokcho's E-mart on Saturday afternoons and all Seoul is like that all the time.
I prefer Sokcho and can always visit Seoul once in a while.
One of the few things that could change my mind has appeared in the Herald (the link looks good but that's never certain with the Herald - excerpt below). Turns out, there are several libraries with English books in Seoul.
Excerpts:
Jeongdok Public Library
At the Jeongdok Public Library there are a little more than 4,500 books in foreign languages, nearly 3,800 of which are non-fiction, and all of which may be taken out of the library's facilities.
The library has 25 different magazine titles available for foreign visitors, including Time, Newsweek, Reader's Digest and National Geographic.
...
Namsan Library of Korea
The Namsan Library has a little more than 12,000 books in English, and more than 1,300 of among them have been purchased since 2007.
All registered members of the library can borrow books here. To register, an alien registration card is required for expats.
...
National Assembly Library
The official library of Korea's National Assembly offers about 263,680 non-fiction selections, plus about 2,000 fiction publications in English....To get there, take subway Line 5 to Yeouido Station, leaving through Exit No. 2.
Visit www.nanet.go.kr/english for more information.
There were one or two other libraries listed as well. I know a continuing education library in Sokcho has children's books in English. I wonder about other libraries locally. Kwandong University's library has a (relatively) large, and varied, selection of English books, all thirty years old and older. I'll try to update this as I find out more.
Friday, February 06, 2009
This book is going on my wishlist!
Who wouldn't want "Chemical Shifts and Coupling Constants for Silicon-29 (Landolt-Bornstein: Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology - New Series) (Hardcover)"?
I hear you can find it at used books stores for, like, $7000 less so that's probably how I'll go.
Really, read the reviews!
Via the Loom.
I hear you can find it at used books stores for, like, $7000 less so that's probably how I'll go.
Really, read the reviews!
Via the Loom.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Exceptions to Godwin's Law
This story is a few days old now but I'm approaching it from a slightly different perspective (although no less shallow, as I think about it a bit).
A woman called a bakery in New jersey and asked to have a cake made for her son with his name on it. Normally that would be no problem but the child's name is Adolph Hitler Campbell. According to the article, his sister is named Julie Aryan Nation Campbell. Clearly, the parents have problems.
Now, the reason the story is affecting me a few days late is because a coworker (and good friend) lent me a book, My Father's Keeper, about a group of children who have similar last names. Ah, their names aren't similar to each other, but similar to the young Campbell boy. There are the children of leading Nazis. These children carry the names Hess, Bormann, Goring, Himmler and others.
I imagine there could be humourous exceptions to Godwin's Law, but mostly I am trying imagine doing anything in Germany and giving your name and wondering about the looks you get. If I heard a person were Jimmy Bormann, I wouldn't particularly care, but I would recognize Goring or Himmler and certainly have questions inside.
Oh, info on Godwin's law here. Basically, the law states that anytime someone in an argument compares their opponent to Hitler, they are known to have lost the argument.
I may post a review of the book when I finish it.
A woman called a bakery in New jersey and asked to have a cake made for her son with his name on it. Normally that would be no problem but the child's name is Adolph Hitler Campbell. According to the article, his sister is named Julie Aryan Nation Campbell. Clearly, the parents have problems.
Now, the reason the story is affecting me a few days late is because a coworker (and good friend) lent me a book, My Father's Keeper, about a group of children who have similar last names. Ah, their names aren't similar to each other, but similar to the young Campbell boy. There are the children of leading Nazis. These children carry the names Hess, Bormann, Goring, Himmler and others.
I imagine there could be humourous exceptions to Godwin's Law, but mostly I am trying imagine doing anything in Germany and giving your name and wondering about the looks you get. If I heard a person were Jimmy Bormann, I wouldn't particularly care, but I would recognize Goring or Himmler and certainly have questions inside.
Oh, info on Godwin's law here. Basically, the law states that anytime someone in an argument compares their opponent to Hitler, they are known to have lost the argument.
I may post a review of the book when I finish it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
My son's bookshelf: 우리아빠는 방귀왕
Special note: I bought a three-pack of Weihenstephaner (Germany's oldest brewery) beer -it came with a cool glass! I just finished the 'Kristall Weissbier' which was okay; I really like the dunkel, though. It's a 500 ml bottle so there be some (more than usual) non sequitors and such.
I continue to try to learn Korean, in fits and starts. I intend to make another start (I don't want to have a fit - what does 'fits and starts' mean, anyway?) and, along with other material, intend to read books from my son's bookshelf. To add structure to my reading, I will post commentary about one book a week here.
I already do read his books, of course. Around half of his book shelf consists of English books and sitting sideways, on top, is Dinosaurs, which will be a great book for him in five years. Until then, I will be reading it and showing him pictures on occasion. I read the rest with him; that was clear, wasn;t it?
Click to embiggin the photos, as you like.
Anyway, the bookshelf itself came with, I don't know, about forty Korean books for pre-schoolers. Some have no text, others include stickers with words (in hangeul, of course) to affix next to pictures.
I read for him Where the Wild Things Are, which frightened him after a mere four pages on his first glimpse, but also these Korean books. He has seen all of them, I think, but I am not sure I have. Normally, I check out a few pages and tell him an English story that approximates the Korean one. I do this for the same reason I need to learn Korean; my reading is slow, mechanical and my accent is terrible, but also because he gets a lot of Korean content in the day anyway. After eight+ hours at a Korean-only 어린이집 (Korean daycare), he has enough trouble communicating with his dad in English.
Let's start with a funny one:
My first note is I need to understand the Korean use of our (우리). One can find '우리나라' (our country), '우리말' (our language) and other terms, even when the sentences are given to foreigners. The book title, Our Dad... clearly is not about your dad and my dad both, what's with this 'our' business?
Okay, so father and son are going to a 'father and son day' at the kindergarten. They sing and do artwork together, making a paper flower.
색종이 - coloured paper
종이 - paper
간식 - snack
Then comes some tumbling.
구르다, 구르기를 - roll, tumble
Oh my gosh, dad farted - a lot!
아빠가 멋지게 구르기 시작했어요. 그때 뿌앙! 뿌앙! 뿡뿡뿡! 방귀가 터져 나왔어요.
Dad began to tumble. B-rap, B-rap, B-rrrrap! Dad farted a lot.
The boy is very embarrassed.
창피해! -embarrassed.
It turns out dad is sick. An ambulance takes him to the hospital.
I am not too clear on the next bit. A nurse tells the family something, finishing with, "He should fart after his next meal." "방귀가 나와야 밥을 먹을 수 있어요."
The boy prays, "Please let dad have a good fart."
마침 -luckily
마침내 - at last.
Finally, dad farted. Yahoo! Our dad's farting!
Next week: Robot wars! - It's more touching than it sounds.
Added the next morning: I think the dad's name must be Harold. That let's me make the sacrilegious comment, "Our father, who fart in heaven, Harold be thy name." There, I feel better.
I continue to try to learn Korean, in fits and starts. I intend to make another start (I don't want to have a fit - what does 'fits and starts' mean, anyway?) and, along with other material, intend to read books from my son's bookshelf. To add structure to my reading, I will post commentary about one book a week here.
I already do read his books, of course. Around half of his book shelf consists of English books and sitting sideways, on top, is Dinosaurs, which will be a great book for him in five years. Until then, I will be reading it and showing him pictures on occasion. I read the rest with him; that was clear, wasn;t it?
Click to embiggin the photos, as you like.
Anyway, the bookshelf itself came with, I don't know, about forty Korean books for pre-schoolers. Some have no text, others include stickers with words (in hangeul, of course) to affix next to pictures.
I read for him Where the Wild Things Are, which frightened him after a mere four pages on his first glimpse, but also these Korean books. He has seen all of them, I think, but I am not sure I have. Normally, I check out a few pages and tell him an English story that approximates the Korean one. I do this for the same reason I need to learn Korean; my reading is slow, mechanical and my accent is terrible, but also because he gets a lot of Korean content in the day anyway. After eight+ hours at a Korean-only 어린이집 (Korean daycare), he has enough trouble communicating with his dad in English.
Let's start with a funny one:
---___---___---
First story: Our dad, the king of fartingMy first note is I need to understand the Korean use of our (우리). One can find '우리나라' (our country), '우리말' (our language) and other terms, even when the sentences are given to foreigners. The book title, Our Dad... clearly is not about your dad and my dad both, what's with this 'our' business?
Okay, so father and son are going to a 'father and son day' at the kindergarten. They sing and do artwork together, making a paper flower.색종이 - coloured paper
종이 - paper
간식 - snack
Then comes some tumbling.
구르다, 구르기를 - roll, tumble
Oh my gosh, dad farted - a lot!아빠가 멋지게 구르기 시작했어요. 그때 뿌앙! 뿌앙! 뿡뿡뿡! 방귀가 터져 나왔어요.
Dad began to tumble. B-rap, B-rap, B-rrrrap! Dad farted a lot.
The boy is very embarrassed.
창피해! -embarrassed.
It turns out dad is sick. An ambulance takes him to the hospital.
I am not too clear on the next bit. A nurse tells the family something, finishing with, "He should fart after his next meal." "방귀가 나와야 밥을 먹을 수 있어요."
The boy prays, "Please let dad have a good fart."마침 -luckily
마침내 - at last.
Finally, dad farted. Yahoo! Our dad's farting!
Next week: Robot wars! - It's more touching than it sounds.
Added the next morning: I think the dad's name must be Harold. That let's me make the sacrilegious comment, "Our father, who fart in heaven, Harold be thy name." There, I feel better.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Bits and pieces
I don't have a single strong topic to write about but here's a bit of a grab bag.
O-bama! As a Canadian I followed the election closely didn't feel I needed to probe too deeply into the issues - I can't vote for either one. Now that it's over; well, I was torn between the candidates for the weak reason that I am anti-bush (and therefore pro democrat) but McCain had showed a fun side on the Daily Show, so I liked him. Anyway, Sarah Palin was one of the factors that made me pro-Obama. Not the only one, but the final one.
Anyway, congrats to Obama and wow, McCain had a great defeat speech.
Elections are going on at my university and that means costumes -of course! There were several cows, a few crocodiles and a tiger. I borrowed a cow costume for a quick photo -at bottom left, you can see this group is supporting team 3 (names covered) for pres and VP. I'm not sure why I didn't choose the croc suit. Last year there were superheros (and a brave, outnumbered teacher/ninja).
Here is a sleeper from a third year class.
Gangneung is hosting a UCC - User created content - contest. I think it is for tourism and will give more details soon.
Giant author (both tall and famous) Michael Crichton passed away Tuesday. I have reviewed a few of his books here but not of my favourite pair; Jurassic Park and its sequel. They were fantastic with a remarkable blend of real science and adventure. (Reviews of Next and State of Fear.) I read many but not all of his books and will try to get to Andromeda Strain soon.
O-bama! As a Canadian I followed the election closely didn't feel I needed to probe too deeply into the issues - I can't vote for either one. Now that it's over; well, I was torn between the candidates for the weak reason that I am anti-bush (and therefore pro democrat) but McCain had showed a fun side on the Daily Show, so I liked him. Anyway, Sarah Palin was one of the factors that made me pro-Obama. Not the only one, but the final one.
Anyway, congrats to Obama and wow, McCain had a great defeat speech.
Elections are going on at my university and that means costumes -of course! There were several cows, a few crocodiles and a tiger. I borrowed a cow costume for a quick photo -at bottom left, you can see this group is supporting team 3 (names covered) for pres and VP. I'm not sure why I didn't choose the croc suit. Last year there were superheros (and a brave, outnumbered teacher/ninja).
Here is a sleeper from a third year class.
Gangneung is hosting a UCC - User created content - contest. I think it is for tourism and will give more details soon.Giant author (both tall and famous) Michael Crichton passed away Tuesday. I have reviewed a few of his books here but not of my favourite pair; Jurassic Park and its sequel. They were fantastic with a remarkable blend of real science and adventure. (Reviews of Next and State of Fear.) I read many but not all of his books and will try to get to Andromeda Strain soon.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Dawkins and Fantasy Books
I have been reading of Dawkin's disapproval of the Harry Potter series.
I found statements like these:
I am disappointed by this if it is the case. I have to wonder if it is because I think he wrote the intro for one of Philip Pullman's books (His Dark Materials).
What I have found from his own lips is a concern that stories of magic and fairies may turn children away from science (he was careful to say this needed to be studied, not that it was definitely the case).
The American Scene quotes C.S. Lewis:
A commenter at TAS said:
I take this to suggest discomfort with knowledge of how tiny humankind is in the universe and how coincidences are simply that, there are no deep connections of the sort fairy tales suggest.
I don't think I ever thought there was. I hoped there was but my reading of fantasy made me, if anything, more interested in science. Alchemy led to chemistry in my case.
A video of Dawkin's discussion can be found at his website.
If he is arguing against fantasy stories, I have to agree with Tripp (books are my only friends), who quotes Alan Jacobs: "...this is suspiciously like the argument of the fundamentalists against whom he regularly fulminates. Jackass." The final word, may be Tripp's own.
I found statements like these:
Richard Dawkins has a new crusade: he has declared war on fantasy - especially works of fantasy for children.(theamericanscene)
...now he is campaigning against Harry Potter (and children's fantasy in general)! Apparently all this magic nonsense is turning them away from science.(booksaremyonlyfriends)
I am disappointed by this if it is the case. I have to wonder if it is because I think he wrote the intro for one of Philip Pullman's books (His Dark Materials).
What I have found from his own lips is a concern that stories of magic and fairies may turn children away from science (he was careful to say this needed to be studied, not that it was definitely the case).
The American Scene quotes C.S. Lewis:
Long ago, C. S. Lewis wrote, “About once every hundred years some wiseacre gets up and tries to banish the fairy tale.” Why? “It is accused of giving children a false impression of the world they live in. But I think that no literature that children could read gives them less of a false impression. I think what profess to be realistic stories for children are far more likely to deceive them. I never expected the real world to be like fairy tales. I think that I did expect school to be like the school stories. The fantasies did not deceive me; the school stories did.”
A commenter at TAS said:
It's that children who read it may come to have a worldview in which the emotional resonance of magic, mystery, deep underlying forces in the world, the numinous, the ancient, the vast and complex, the deeply meaningful, and humans' relationship with all these things are necessarily tied up with the specific sort of magic and medievalism that finds such prominence in children's literature - or at least tied up with things being other than a rational look at the world suggests that they really are.
I take this to suggest discomfort with knowledge of how tiny humankind is in the universe and how coincidences are simply that, there are no deep connections of the sort fairy tales suggest.
I don't think I ever thought there was. I hoped there was but my reading of fantasy made me, if anything, more interested in science. Alchemy led to chemistry in my case.
A video of Dawkin's discussion can be found at his website.
If he is arguing against fantasy stories, I have to agree with Tripp (books are my only friends), who quotes Alan Jacobs: "...this is suspiciously like the argument of the fundamentalists against whom he regularly fulminates. Jackass." The final word, may be Tripp's own.
Friday, October 24, 2008
books
I sometimes wonder about my taste in, well, media. I guess that I am not particularly discriminating. I find that I am also easily swayed by other's opinions. For example, I loved the movie Cloverfield and visited a few of the associated websites before and after watching. Later, upon reading reviews, I began thinking, yeah, that was strange, the four of them, one the others hardly knew, going into the city, especially after the girl inflated and blew up. Would that guy really have filmed the whole thing? Maybe it wasn't that good?
Anyway, in some respects my opinions are easily swayed.
Case in point, I read the first ten books of the Left Behind series. I went in not expecting a lot, mostly just curious what the hullabaloo was about. I finished the ten and wasn't nauseated (I stopped at ten because later books in the series were not available at that library. I wouldn't have paid for them and perhaps that made my expectations a little lower - Woo-hoo free- crappy, but free- books!) I noted a few things strange about them wasn't really put off by them and never really articulated my problems with the books clearly.
Slacktivist is critiquing the series around ten pages a week. It took him a few years to finish the first book and should start Tribulation Force (book 2) in November. He has really articulated the many, many problems the books have.
I told you I was easily swayed. My opinion has changed from "they aren't terrible" to "they are completely terrible".
In my defence, Slacktivist has an evangelical background, of a different sort than the authors, that lets him understand their religious message better than I. He is mostly upset by the appearance of glee the 'heroes' have that many will burn in Hell. There is a strong feeling of "I told you so. Nya-nya!" in the book.
The other problem, one I had noticed, was how things were so normal in the book. Every child under the age of ...well, around puberty, is gone from the Earth as are all the Real Christians. Between one and two billion people. In addition, many cars and planes crashed as the pilots disappeared. The world is in chaos - for an hour or so.
A character is wandering around an airport after the Rapture (which took these many people away) and outside the window crashed aircraft are burning and pilots are trying to land other jets amid the wreckage. The character meets a doctor who is 'bored' and offers to treat the character's head wound. I guess the doctor didn't look out the window at the hundreds of people who needed his help.
No one seems to notice, a day or two after the Rapture, that all the kids are gone. Another character's house is robbed and his son's toys are stolen - why? There are no children and no babies will be born for the next nine months.
Anyway, the books are bad but the blog is great. Slacktivist.
--__--
I just finished reading Mean and Lowly Things, a description of a researcher's work and troubles collecting snakes in the Congo. Although the descriptions of the insects and parasites are off-putting, this researcher is living the life I thought I would be when I was young. As with the researcher, I had a fascination with snakes from my early childhood. As she is from Ontario, we even saw many of the same snakes. For some reason I ended up here in Korea but vicariously feel I was there with her catching snakes, venomous and not, in trying conditions.
Quirks and Quarks interview - bottom of page.
--__--
I grew up catching snakes but also reading Farley Mowat, who probably caught snakes, but certainly dozens of other animals, in his childhood. I loved his recollections of his childhood and his wolf research. There have been claims that his stories are more fiction than fact. He may have spent only two weeks studying wolves rather than a year and a half.
Wikipedia:
"The Toronto Star has written that Mowat's memoirs are at least partially fictional. In a 1968 interview with CBC Radio, Farley admitted that he doesn't let the facts get in the way of the truth (Canada Reads). Once, when Mowat said that he had spent two summers and a winter studying wolves, the Toronto Star wrote that Mowat had only spent 90 hours studying the wolves."
As I grew older, I learned that he was, well, an out-sized personality. A friend of the family, in the OPP, was seconded to guard the Premiere of Ontario. At an event, they met Mowat, who drank directly from the punchbowl (or some other hijink). In the car, after the event, the Premiere and the guard agreed he was a bit of a jerk (sterner language was used but I forget and am concerned about privacy).
While at university, I had a lab instructor from Memorial U (in Newfoundland). I mentioned that Mowat was a hero of mine and he was upset and amused, but held back, protecting my naivety. They don't care for him much in Newfoundland.
Anyway, I have huge, fond feelings for him and his work and felt terrible when I saw the write up for Otherwise. "Product Description
A Canadian icon gives us his final book, a memoir of the events that shaped this beloved writer and activist."
His final book? I know the guy's in his eighties, but 'final book' sounds, well, final. I want him to relax and enjoy life, but I feel sad to see the door closed and slammed shut. So far as I know, by the way, he is still alive.
--__--
On the topic of books that make me feel sad about their authors, Terry Pratchett has a new one out. Nation looks interesting and I will probably get it when it comes out in softcover. I am not a serious Pratchett fan but read a book or two of his a year - at that rate, it will be many years before I run out; he is remarkable prolific. But also, he has Alzheimer's Disease.
Wikipedia:
"On 11 December 2007, Pratchett posted online that he had been newly diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which he said "lay behind this year's phantom 'stroke'." He has a rare form of the disease called posterior cortical atrophy, in which areas at the back of the brain begin to shrink and shrivel.[12] Pratchett appealed to people to "keep things cheerful", and proclaimed that "we are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism."[26] Leading the way, Pratchett stated that he feels he has time for "at least a few more books yet."...
All the best to him.
Anyway, in some respects my opinions are easily swayed.
Case in point, I read the first ten books of the Left Behind series. I went in not expecting a lot, mostly just curious what the hullabaloo was about. I finished the ten and wasn't nauseated (I stopped at ten because later books in the series were not available at that library. I wouldn't have paid for them and perhaps that made my expectations a little lower - Woo-hoo free- crappy, but free- books!) I noted a few things strange about them wasn't really put off by them and never really articulated my problems with the books clearly.
Slacktivist is critiquing the series around ten pages a week. It took him a few years to finish the first book and should start Tribulation Force (book 2) in November. He has really articulated the many, many problems the books have.
I told you I was easily swayed. My opinion has changed from "they aren't terrible" to "they are completely terrible".
In my defence, Slacktivist has an evangelical background, of a different sort than the authors, that lets him understand their religious message better than I. He is mostly upset by the appearance of glee the 'heroes' have that many will burn in Hell. There is a strong feeling of "I told you so. Nya-nya!" in the book.
The other problem, one I had noticed, was how things were so normal in the book. Every child under the age of ...well, around puberty, is gone from the Earth as are all the Real Christians. Between one and two billion people. In addition, many cars and planes crashed as the pilots disappeared. The world is in chaos - for an hour or so.
A character is wandering around an airport after the Rapture (which took these many people away) and outside the window crashed aircraft are burning and pilots are trying to land other jets amid the wreckage. The character meets a doctor who is 'bored' and offers to treat the character's head wound. I guess the doctor didn't look out the window at the hundreds of people who needed his help.
No one seems to notice, a day or two after the Rapture, that all the kids are gone. Another character's house is robbed and his son's toys are stolen - why? There are no children and no babies will be born for the next nine months.
Anyway, the books are bad but the blog is great. Slacktivist.
--__--
I just finished reading Mean and Lowly Things, a description of a researcher's work and troubles collecting snakes in the Congo. Although the descriptions of the insects and parasites are off-putting, this researcher is living the life I thought I would be when I was young. As with the researcher, I had a fascination with snakes from my early childhood. As she is from Ontario, we even saw many of the same snakes. For some reason I ended up here in Korea but vicariously feel I was there with her catching snakes, venomous and not, in trying conditions.
Quirks and Quarks interview - bottom of page.
--__--
I grew up catching snakes but also reading Farley Mowat, who probably caught snakes, but certainly dozens of other animals, in his childhood. I loved his recollections of his childhood and his wolf research. There have been claims that his stories are more fiction than fact. He may have spent only two weeks studying wolves rather than a year and a half.
Wikipedia:
"The Toronto Star has written that Mowat's memoirs are at least partially fictional. In a 1968 interview with CBC Radio, Farley admitted that he doesn't let the facts get in the way of the truth (Canada Reads). Once, when Mowat said that he had spent two summers and a winter studying wolves, the Toronto Star wrote that Mowat had only spent 90 hours studying the wolves."
As I grew older, I learned that he was, well, an out-sized personality. A friend of the family, in the OPP, was seconded to guard the Premiere of Ontario. At an event, they met Mowat, who drank directly from the punchbowl (or some other hijink). In the car, after the event, the Premiere and the guard agreed he was a bit of a jerk (sterner language was used but I forget and am concerned about privacy).
While at university, I had a lab instructor from Memorial U (in Newfoundland). I mentioned that Mowat was a hero of mine and he was upset and amused, but held back, protecting my naivety. They don't care for him much in Newfoundland.
Anyway, I have huge, fond feelings for him and his work and felt terrible when I saw the write up for Otherwise. "Product Description
A Canadian icon gives us his final book, a memoir of the events that shaped this beloved writer and activist."
His final book? I know the guy's in his eighties, but 'final book' sounds, well, final. I want him to relax and enjoy life, but I feel sad to see the door closed and slammed shut. So far as I know, by the way, he is still alive.
--__--
On the topic of books that make me feel sad about their authors, Terry Pratchett has a new one out. Nation looks interesting and I will probably get it when it comes out in softcover. I am not a serious Pratchett fan but read a book or two of his a year - at that rate, it will be many years before I run out; he is remarkable prolific. But also, he has Alzheimer's Disease.
Wikipedia:
"On 11 December 2007, Pratchett posted online that he had been newly diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which he said "lay behind this year's phantom 'stroke'." He has a rare form of the disease called posterior cortical atrophy, in which areas at the back of the brain begin to shrink and shrivel.[12] Pratchett appealed to people to "keep things cheerful", and proclaimed that "we are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism."[26] Leading the way, Pratchett stated that he feels he has time for "at least a few more books yet."...
All the best to him.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Book Review: "Next" by Michael Crighton
I read a few dozen books a year; it's strange that I feel compelled to review Crichton's work and not many of the others.
I should review more books as they keep this blog in the public eye somewhat. My most popular post, with a steady five or six hits a week is the review I did of Guns, Germs and Steel.
Anyway, I have been a fan of Crichton since Jurassic Park. After that book, I went back and read many of his previous books, although not Andromeda Strain for some reason. I enjoyed them all, although State of Fear least of all.
In my review of State of Fear, I stated that Crichton's book are both adventure stories and careful discussions of current issues in science. Typically, both are interesting but even if you don't care for the lecture, the story is thrilling on its own.
This is not true with Next (I couldn't get a link in Firefox and had to use Explorer to do so). In this book, the issues of owning cell lines and genes is examined. There are two transgenic animals - one is a terrifyingly strong chimp-boy who comes to the rescue with monotonous regularity, and a man whose cells are owned by a Californian University along patent disputes, genetic cures and organ smuggling.
There are probably more situations brought up - there are, in fact, too many. In the middle of the book, in two places, a doctor who sold his sperm to a sperm bank is sued by his genetic daughter because he had a gene that increased te likelihood of addictive behavior. His lawyer advises him to settle and this thread in the story is never revisited.
Elsewhere in the story, the daughter of a main character, sixteen years old, is selling her eggs to a clinic to make money for "breast implants". This vignette ends with the parents being angry.
Yet, elsewhere, a coroner is selling body parts without permission.
These three stories are interesting indeed, but disconnected with the main plot line. Doctors from UCLA saved the life of a cancer patient simultaneously using new research and performing new research. They do save his life but his genes are patented - the university owns them, he does not. He becomes involved in corporate espionage and researchers from the university hunt down his family because they carry genes owned by the university. This story is exciting and well done, but it is somewhat hidden as Crichton tries to show all the other confusing and dangerous aspects of genetic research.
Another target of Crichton's concern is the poor job journalists are doing in explaining and researching the issues. Almost as a running gag, he includes clips form newspapers discussing whether blonds will go extinct through the book.
As a further explanation of why I am posting a review, there are two mentions of the infamous Dr Hwang Woo-seok, the cloning researcher who falsified research. See, the book mentions Korea so it is acceptable grist for this mill.
I should review more books as they keep this blog in the public eye somewhat. My most popular post, with a steady five or six hits a week is the review I did of Guns, Germs and Steel.
Anyway, I have been a fan of Crichton since Jurassic Park. After that book, I went back and read many of his previous books, although not Andromeda Strain for some reason. I enjoyed them all, although State of Fear least of all.
In my review of State of Fear, I stated that Crichton's book are both adventure stories and careful discussions of current issues in science. Typically, both are interesting but even if you don't care for the lecture, the story is thrilling on its own.
This is not true with Next (I couldn't get a link in Firefox and had to use Explorer to do so). In this book, the issues of owning cell lines and genes is examined. There are two transgenic animals - one is a terrifyingly strong chimp-boy who comes to the rescue with monotonous regularity, and a man whose cells are owned by a Californian University along patent disputes, genetic cures and organ smuggling.
There are probably more situations brought up - there are, in fact, too many. In the middle of the book, in two places, a doctor who sold his sperm to a sperm bank is sued by his genetic daughter because he had a gene that increased te likelihood of addictive behavior. His lawyer advises him to settle and this thread in the story is never revisited.
Elsewhere in the story, the daughter of a main character, sixteen years old, is selling her eggs to a clinic to make money for "breast implants". This vignette ends with the parents being angry.
Yet, elsewhere, a coroner is selling body parts without permission.
These three stories are interesting indeed, but disconnected with the main plot line. Doctors from UCLA saved the life of a cancer patient simultaneously using new research and performing new research. They do save his life but his genes are patented - the university owns them, he does not. He becomes involved in corporate espionage and researchers from the university hunt down his family because they carry genes owned by the university. This story is exciting and well done, but it is somewhat hidden as Crichton tries to show all the other confusing and dangerous aspects of genetic research.
Another target of Crichton's concern is the poor job journalists are doing in explaining and researching the issues. Almost as a running gag, he includes clips form newspapers discussing whether blonds will go extinct through the book.
As a further explanation of why I am posting a review, there are two mentions of the infamous Dr Hwang Woo-seok, the cloning researcher who falsified research. See, the book mentions Korea so it is acceptable grist for this mill.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Letters: I'd complain if I were hung with a gold rope!
Amazon,
Firstly, thank you very much for sending me my order quickly. I am very excited about reading these books.
However, I would like to quote from two portions of an email I received from your company:
Although I am happy to have received my books nearly a month earlier than I expected, the difference in dates is so great that I am a little annoyed. Now, I have to do something with Masuro's stupid charity books; I had to pretend to be grateful for his loan of his books (and I was, with the expectation of having to wait more than a month for my order) and now what do I tell him? What if he asks me about the content of his books?
sincerely,
Kwandongbrian
Masuro,
Honestly, I am enjoying The Omnivore's Revenge. I am likely to use some of the content in my ecology class this summer so it is both interesting and useful. I haven't started the f&SF magazine yet, but you know I am a fan.
Firstly, thank you very much for sending me my order quickly. I am very excited about reading these books.
However, I would like to quote from two portions of an email I received from your company:
Sent: July 2, 2008 11:24:05 PM
...
Shipped via Standard Int'l Shipping (estimated arrival date:
07-August-2008).
Although I am happy to have received my books nearly a month earlier than I expected, the difference in dates is so great that I am a little annoyed. Now, I have to do something with Masuro's stupid charity books; I had to pretend to be grateful for his loan of his books (and I was, with the expectation of having to wait more than a month for my order) and now what do I tell him? What if he asks me about the content of his books?
sincerely,
Kwandongbrian
Masuro,
Honestly, I am enjoying The Omnivore's Revenge. I am likely to use some of the content in my ecology class this summer so it is both interesting and useful. I haven't started the f&SF magazine yet, but you know I am a fan.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Books
I'm out of fresh reading material and of the books I have that I do reread, I have already done so. I have a new order coming in from Amazon - What the book was out-of-stock or something for a few of my choices - but they won't arrive for a few weeks.
What to do?
I do have some podcasts to catch up on but, while I enjoy them while exercising or commuting, I much prefer books when the option is available. When I have books, I get a backlog of pods to be listened to but when I don't have books, I am searching for new pods halfway through the week. That's where I am now.
Here's what I've read recently (purchase links are to What the Book):
Quantico, by Greg Bear. I chose this book on Tripp's lukewarm endorsement. I normally enjoy Bear's stuff so I thought I'd chance it. I liked it. The story is of a time slightly in our future and about two generations of FBI agents tracking down a domestic terrorist. A major part of the book is the infighting between various federal agencies, while some cool and horrible weapons are used. Purchase.
Finding your inner fish by Neil Shubin. My friend Patrick, who is concerned that there aren't enough transitional fossils, this is the book for you. A non-fiction book on evolution, it describes why we humans are the way we are. It even explains why men get inguinal hernias - of special note to my family. Purchase.
Various books by Neal Stevenson. I actually didn't care for his Baroque Cycle but clearly found something of value there seeing as I have since read Snow Crash (fantastic!), Cryptonomicon (very good), and Zodiac (very good). In the Baroque Cycle, a character would step through a doorway into a seventeenth century street and Stevenson would paint, with marvellously fine detail, what the character was experiencing. There was a remarkable texture to the descriptions. Unfortunately, and this is purely from my recollection, when Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling occurred, and it did quite often, the excitement seemed mired in the details. The future queen of England is being chased down a street and her lover leaps from one horse onto her pursuer's horse - thrilling but only afterwards because I was still processing the details of the street. Purchase (books by Stevenson)
Snow Crash had everything. It is funny and satirical, it smoothly meshed fantasy and science fiction, it had conspiracies, chase scenes and wild sword fights. I borrowed it from a friend and will probably buy it for myself to read again sometime.
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. A biography and not my regular sort of reading material at all. I bought it because the guy was interviewed on CNN and thought my wife might be interested in it. She started it but became busy with other stuff. I read it because there was nothing else in the house. It makes me wonder; I think that Jenkins guy was a traitor to defect to North Korea but feel Li made the right decision. I guess that's an example of my prejudices and the propaganda I was exposed to. Purchase.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler. An attempt to read a classic. Well, I succeeded, so I guess it wasn't an attempt. I don't read a lot of crime fiction and this didn't move me to read more. I hope I will not be shunned for dismissing Chandler like this. Purchase.
The Drawing of the Dark, by Tim Powers. Its a sort of Arthurian retelling set in Vienna in the 16th century. I first read it in high school and have reread it many times. This is one of the few Powers books where the hero ends the tale still retaining all his extremities - I think the hero of Forsake the Sky ends up being a multiple amputee and to lose a few fingers is to get off lightly. He, the hero that is, does take quite a beating, none the less. Purchase.
To help me out, send your used books to KwandongBrian at Kwandong University.
What to do?
I do have some podcasts to catch up on but, while I enjoy them while exercising or commuting, I much prefer books when the option is available. When I have books, I get a backlog of pods to be listened to but when I don't have books, I am searching for new pods halfway through the week. That's where I am now.
Here's what I've read recently (purchase links are to What the Book):
Quantico, by Greg Bear. I chose this book on Tripp's lukewarm endorsement. I normally enjoy Bear's stuff so I thought I'd chance it. I liked it. The story is of a time slightly in our future and about two generations of FBI agents tracking down a domestic terrorist. A major part of the book is the infighting between various federal agencies, while some cool and horrible weapons are used. Purchase.
Finding your inner fish by Neil Shubin. My friend Patrick, who is concerned that there aren't enough transitional fossils, this is the book for you. A non-fiction book on evolution, it describes why we humans are the way we are. It even explains why men get inguinal hernias - of special note to my family. Purchase.
Various books by Neal Stevenson. I actually didn't care for his Baroque Cycle but clearly found something of value there seeing as I have since read Snow Crash (fantastic!), Cryptonomicon (very good), and Zodiac (very good). In the Baroque Cycle, a character would step through a doorway into a seventeenth century street and Stevenson would paint, with marvellously fine detail, what the character was experiencing. There was a remarkable texture to the descriptions. Unfortunately, and this is purely from my recollection, when Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling occurred, and it did quite often, the excitement seemed mired in the details. The future queen of England is being chased down a street and her lover leaps from one horse onto her pursuer's horse - thrilling but only afterwards because I was still processing the details of the street. Purchase (books by Stevenson)
Snow Crash had everything. It is funny and satirical, it smoothly meshed fantasy and science fiction, it had conspiracies, chase scenes and wild sword fights. I borrowed it from a friend and will probably buy it for myself to read again sometime.
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. A biography and not my regular sort of reading material at all. I bought it because the guy was interviewed on CNN and thought my wife might be interested in it. She started it but became busy with other stuff. I read it because there was nothing else in the house. It makes me wonder; I think that Jenkins guy was a traitor to defect to North Korea but feel Li made the right decision. I guess that's an example of my prejudices and the propaganda I was exposed to. Purchase.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler. An attempt to read a classic. Well, I succeeded, so I guess it wasn't an attempt. I don't read a lot of crime fiction and this didn't move me to read more. I hope I will not be shunned for dismissing Chandler like this. Purchase.
The Drawing of the Dark, by Tim Powers. Its a sort of Arthurian retelling set in Vienna in the 16th century. I first read it in high school and have reread it many times. This is one of the few Powers books where the hero ends the tale still retaining all his extremities - I think the hero of Forsake the Sky ends up being a multiple amputee and to lose a few fingers is to get off lightly. He, the hero that is, does take quite a beating, none the less. Purchase.
To help me out, send your used books to KwandongBrian at Kwandong University.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Is an overly-insistent claim of averageness pretentious?
I haven't written much in the last few days so I thought I would write about an idea for a book I had involving myself and a friend.
My friend is very much into photography. I feel a little strange saying that because I was into photography, not quite to the same extent, but still enthusiastic and willing to put extra time and money into taking the perfect shot. It must be said that I thought the perfect shot could be taken simply by taking many photos of the same object. I remember using a roll of 36 to shoot three or four things and how disappointing it was, weeks later, to open the pack of developed photos and see the same tree or bird ten times in a row, slightly different, all good, but nothing exciting.
Anyway, I know more about photography now but don't pursue it in the same way anymore.
My friend, married but childless has a set of relatively high-end cameras. I said he was childless, but really he has adopted the cameras and treats them much as I treat my little guy.
He is also taking a photography class and studying the work of famous photographers (and more than just the nudy photos!)
His work has taken him to look for interesting contrasts in light and texture and, well, I'm not sure what.
And that is the idea for my book.
Last year, around this time, we went to a temple in Sokcho and took many pictures. One thing that stands out for me, though, was the way he turned his back on the white-capped mountain, with its bits of green and new purple flowers, and ignored the riot of colours of the temple and instead shot a twisted bit of rusty wire.*
This is what our book would be about. We would go to beautiful places and I would shoot, in a generic style but clearly and mostly competently the backgrounds, while he would shoot the light under a door pushing away shadow, or, um, something. I would also shoot him at work, although most of those shots would be of him behind his camera pointing at something not caught in the quality of my photo.
The whole book would display his artiness and my lack of comprehension. To put us both in a negative light, his pretentiousness and my wilful ignorance. The auteur and the layman, the specialist and the generalist.
In the course of the book there might even be a character arc. Would I become more knowledgeable and begin to understand what the heck my friend was thinking or would he, uh, whatever the lessening of his character of photos would be?
My suggestion for this book to him didn't go well. He's not interested. Oh, well.
If any publishing execs are reading this and interested in the concept, offer me money and I will try again to win my friend over to the idea.
My friend is very much into photography. I feel a little strange saying that because I was into photography, not quite to the same extent, but still enthusiastic and willing to put extra time and money into taking the perfect shot. It must be said that I thought the perfect shot could be taken simply by taking many photos of the same object. I remember using a roll of 36 to shoot three or four things and how disappointing it was, weeks later, to open the pack of developed photos and see the same tree or bird ten times in a row, slightly different, all good, but nothing exciting.
Anyway, I know more about photography now but don't pursue it in the same way anymore.
My friend, married but childless has a set of relatively high-end cameras. I said he was childless, but really he has adopted the cameras and treats them much as I treat my little guy.
He is also taking a photography class and studying the work of famous photographers (and more than just the nudy photos!)
His work has taken him to look for interesting contrasts in light and texture and, well, I'm not sure what.
And that is the idea for my book.
Last year, around this time, we went to a temple in Sokcho and took many pictures. One thing that stands out for me, though, was the way he turned his back on the white-capped mountain, with its bits of green and new purple flowers, and ignored the riot of colours of the temple and instead shot a twisted bit of rusty wire.*
This is what our book would be about. We would go to beautiful places and I would shoot, in a generic style but clearly and mostly competently the backgrounds, while he would shoot the light under a door pushing away shadow, or, um, something. I would also shoot him at work, although most of those shots would be of him behind his camera pointing at something not caught in the quality of my photo.
The whole book would display his artiness and my lack of comprehension. To put us both in a negative light, his pretentiousness and my wilful ignorance. The auteur and the layman, the specialist and the generalist.
In the course of the book there might even be a character arc. Would I become more knowledgeable and begin to understand what the heck my friend was thinking or would he, uh, whatever the lessening of his character of photos would be?
My suggestion for this book to him didn't go well. He's not interested. Oh, well.
If any publishing execs are reading this and interested in the concept, offer me money and I will try again to win my friend over to the idea.
---___---
* While at the temple, he did take a few landscape photos and some shots of me. Naturally, for the sake of the book's concept, we would focus (pun intended) on our differing styles. Naturally too, the photos of me were well done - a challenge with my features and terrible poses in front of any camera, but expected with his skills.---___---
Oh, if my unnamed friend wants his name here, please leave a comment or an email ( although I am worried the hypothetical publishing execs might try to cut me out of the deal if they know who you are and can deal with you directly).
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Do I, or should I, admire Larry Niven?
I certainly do admire many of his books. Ringworld and Footfall are two of my favourites and could be used as supplements to high school or first year university physics classes.
In Footfall, a novel about the invasion of Earth by elephantoid (not exactly elephantine - not giant, but elephant shaped) aliens, the US government gathers a group of Science fiction writers to provide outside-the-box ideas and suggestions on how to fight the aliens.
Such a group -the sci-fi writers, not the aliens - does exist. Their acronym is SIGMA and it means something important, I'm sure. At a recent Sigma meeting (the link took me to the article i wanted, a quarter of the way down the page), Niven told Homeland Security that to keep hospitals financially viable, they should create rumours in Spanish that the hospitals are killing patients and harvesting organs. That would drive away illegal aliens (of the human sort) who typically don't pay for medical services and keep the hospitals available for legal citizens.
I learned of this from Boing Boing -do I need to hat-tip a blog that in one day will have more visitors than I ever will?
Kevin has been ahead of the curve in questioning Niven's current relevance.
The Baen free library has a recent book by Niven, Fallen Angels. The book is passable but the library is great. It offers the first or first few books in various Science Fiction or Fantasy series' for free. There are also a few freestanding books by prolific authors to get you interested in their work.
In Footfall, a novel about the invasion of Earth by elephantoid (not exactly elephantine - not giant, but elephant shaped) aliens, the US government gathers a group of Science fiction writers to provide outside-the-box ideas and suggestions on how to fight the aliens.
Such a group -the sci-fi writers, not the aliens - does exist. Their acronym is SIGMA and it means something important, I'm sure. At a recent Sigma meeting (the link took me to the article i wanted, a quarter of the way down the page), Niven told Homeland Security that to keep hospitals financially viable, they should create rumours in Spanish that the hospitals are killing patients and harvesting organs. That would drive away illegal aliens (of the human sort) who typically don't pay for medical services and keep the hospitals available for legal citizens.
I learned of this from Boing Boing -do I need to hat-tip a blog that in one day will have more visitors than I ever will?
Kevin has been ahead of the curve in questioning Niven's current relevance.
The Baen free library has a recent book by Niven, Fallen Angels. The book is passable but the library is great. It offers the first or first few books in various Science Fiction or Fantasy series' for free. There are also a few freestanding books by prolific authors to get you interested in their work.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Arthur C Clarke has gone to the geo-stationary satellite in the sky
(Masuro, that's how you use a metaphor)
Its strange. I am a big fan of science fiction and have the scientific background to appreciate hard S-F but have not read one of Clarke's books and have read only one of his short stories*.
I will read another one soon. Trip has a link to one available online (also here).
Here is a funny story about me that very slightly relates to ACC. Nearly twenty years ago, I travelled around the world with a long stay in India. I remember (and I know how ridiculously naive (or worse) this sounds) that I wondered about travelling to Sri Lanka and knocking on ACCs door. I reasoned that few foreigners go to Sri Lanka, and even fewer of them would be Science Fiction fans, that he would welcome my visit and invite me into his home. Imagine if I had gone to that much trouble and met the man and had him ask, "Which book do you like best?"
---___---
* The story I read involved a character, also named Arthur Clarke, living in Sri Lanka and the story involved the Russians putting satellites above the US and beaming high quality TV, including pornography (I think) to defeat the Americans...somehow.
Its strange. I am a big fan of science fiction and have the scientific background to appreciate hard S-F but have not read one of Clarke's books and have read only one of his short stories*.
I will read another one soon. Trip has a link to one available online (also here).
Here is a funny story about me that very slightly relates to ACC. Nearly twenty years ago, I travelled around the world with a long stay in India. I remember (and I know how ridiculously naive (or worse) this sounds) that I wondered about travelling to Sri Lanka and knocking on ACCs door. I reasoned that few foreigners go to Sri Lanka, and even fewer of them would be Science Fiction fans, that he would welcome my visit and invite me into his home. Imagine if I had gone to that much trouble and met the man and had him ask, "Which book do you like best?"
---___---
* The story I read involved a character, also named Arthur Clarke, living in Sri Lanka and the story involved the Russians putting satellites above the US and beaming high quality TV, including pornography (I think) to defeat the Americans...somehow.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Gore's Peace Prize has Sci-fi story written all over it.
I think it's great that he received it and his work regarding global warming is something I respect. I don't mean science fiction as works of bad literature and worse internal consistency.
Still, as I understand it, he received the Prize for educating people about global warming so the world's people can do something about. This will reduce water scarcity in the future. More water available to more people will reduce wars fought over this resource.
Al Gore has won the Peace Prize for reducing conflict in the future - how cool is that?
Partial text of the award can be found at the Panda's Thumb.
Still, as I understand it, he received the Prize for educating people about global warming so the world's people can do something about. This will reduce water scarcity in the future. More water available to more people will reduce wars fought over this resource.
Al Gore has won the Peace Prize for reducing conflict in the future - how cool is that?
Partial text of the award can be found at the Panda's Thumb.
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