Biljana's poems: Protest

Biljana's poems: Protest: {EAV:27b9216b11804a5a} Do you understand? Do you? Paradox clashes between the absurdly stupid and the stupidly absurd. But it takes a c...

Biljana's poems: Optical Illusion

Biljana's poems: Optical Illusion: Here is there. Over there is just not right. Reading behind a mirror. Looking for the trick. The double vision. The candle. The shadow....

George Orwell: My Kind of Socialist

George Orwell: My Kind of Socialist

WordPress SEO Hosting Google SEO Zoekmachine Optimalisatie

WordPress SEO Hosting Google SEO Zoekmachine Optimalisatie

A friend of mine, Berrie Pelser, from social media, operates this service.

Fear Is the Mind-Killer

TEDxCMU -- William Gahl -- Medical Mysteries and Rare Diseases

The FDA portrayed weaving it's obstructive and turns out deadly bureaucratic web.

TEDxCMU -- Luis von Ahn -- Duolingo: The Next Chapter in Human Computation

This is truly inspirational, innovative, funny and why TED is such a learning force!

Amazing Screen Technology : Samsung Flexible AMOLED

Now this is cool beyond belief!

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Another example of why I love Ken Robinson, he thinks outside the box we've all been squeezed into and comes up with creative, positive solutions.

Where You Meet Good People

I'm not as eloquent as Randy. My message is don't be a carp and dwell with the bottom feeders!

Intercity Broadcasting - Powered by MainstreamNetwork.com

Intercity Broadcasting - Powered by MainstreamNetwork.com

Finally a good old R&B, soul, reggae station on the Toronto GTA airwaves. I personally have been waiting a long time.

Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed | Video on TED.com

Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed | Video on TED.com

TED presents topics that no one else sees fit to share. Everyone I watch teaches me something about what I didn't know I didn't know.

I think that just understanding that is a huge step towards knowledge. That could be one of the most fundamental memes created and have

long lasting and cumulative effects. A stepping stone that can be created no other way!

James Patterson

Despite Stephen King's charge that he's not a real author I think the guy's work is excellent. He always paints a scenario in a very lean, yet descriptive manner. As a result it's usually a quick read due to the lack of denseness.

I've consumed at least eight of his previous novels. Right now I'm reading THE POSTCARD KILLERS and have DONT BLINK next on my list. He has an easy going style that apparently translates well to the public. Each work is done with a guest author which I think adds a depth or familiarity to the subject at hand.

Literature ultimately has to entertain and I think he does that very well. I guess I'm not a real reader Stephen. Somehow I couldn't get through your last tome, UNDER THE DOME, even though I thought THE STAND was a masterpiece.

Inside Google Books: "Game of Thrones" Author talks about Dwarves, Drag...

Inside Google Books: "Game of Thrones" Author talks about Dwarves, Drag...: Posted by Oliver Chiang, Google eBooks It was an epic geekfest that could only be matched by the likes of a Comic-Con or a Star Trek conv...

George seems like a down to earth guy and talks very easily about the process of writing, selling the written word for adaptation to television and his past journeys into script writing. Don't worry he gives NO SPOILERS.

Anonymous takes down darknet child porn site on Tor network

Anonymous takes down darknet child porn site on Tor network

A wonderful coup by the group being maligned in the press for their other activities. Continued actions such as this will go far into ingratiating themselves with the public.

We all know that governments have agendas separate to their citizens' well being. Anonymous could and should show all of us other better ways of doing things.

Fighting fire with fire never works. Water douses the flames, eventually.

Dave Chappelle

I saw a post on FB today and it was a clip with an interview by James Lipton of Dave. The entire session was about 1 1/2 hours long, 10-10 clips.

Initially it started mundanely enough, where he was born, parents, schools, influences but then more revealing as it progressed. He related some things that have happened to him the last year. But with a clarity and honesty that isn't very prevalent in media these days.

The more into the interview he and Lipton ventured the more intriguing Dave became, as sort of a anti hero. I think he points out some things that we as WASPs don't understand, but through comedy can comprehend, just barely. As he stated the dialogue needs to be started. And if this nation (USA) is to become the greatest nation ever, a clarity, honesty and transparency needs to exist about who we really are.

You can judge for ourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nihoa4z8wgl&feature=related

ScienceDaily: Nanotechnology News

ScienceDaily: Nanotechnology News

I watched a program on CBC last night that totally fascinated me. It was called NANO TECHNOLOGY, a three part

presentation to be shown over three weekly episodes.

This new multi faceted engineering of material at the atomic level seems to be able to touch every aspect of life.

The effect it can have in medicine and construction seems to be amazing. However it showed one possibility that,

to me, seemed a bit creepy. Creating virtual friendships, perhaps even three dimensional, that have none of the 'pitfalls'

of the human kind. That is you can 'raise' a virtual child without argument and error. Wait a minute! Isn't a virtual

entity an avatar? Aren't the errors and pitfalls of raising a child inherent to the learning process, FOR both?

At the end of this, the first hour, only one flaw was highlighted. A scientist in the UK pointed out that there are

loose, debris type, atoms at the end of construction, that could be hazardous. The only thing I can think of comparing

it to is asbestos fibre, and the resulting asbestosis.

Great presentation! It got me thinking long after it was over.

Could Apple TV Use Siri? - Technology Review

Could Apple TV Use Siri? - Technology Review

October 13th and with all the Blackberry issues still forefront in the news some positive reinforcement is needed today.

We are at the point where the technical devices we use have been using 'their own' intelligence for some time.

Actually millions of lines of human created code; but now are able to respond to voice command. The next evolution.

Governments through programmes, with human assistance so far, are trying to pre empt targeted activity.

THINGS I NEED YOU TO KNOW ABOUT STIEG LARSSON

Any fan of his series THE GIRL IN THE DRAGON TATTOO series will be at least vaguely interested. I'm one of them; I found the series exciting and interesting as well as a good mystery.

Eva Gabrielsson, his partner of 30+ years before his untimely passing tries to clarify his world view, principles, and inspirations and tantalizes us as well by alluding to a fourth completed book found on his laptop.

At the moment his family is in the process of securing control of his estate, now huge due to the popularity of his works. She is, according to Swedish law, not entitled since they weren't married.

Whatever the motivation, this read of under 200 pages, is interesting to one of his fans, me!

GHOST IN THE WIRES

I finished reading the biography of Mitkin's exploits versus mainly western based phone companies and their computer systems. I don't consider him to be a black or white hacker by modern day definition. He didn't travel via the internet, infiltrate, exploit and/or ruin the capacity to operate.

He became a 'phisher' as many, even including Wozniak and Jobs of Apple fame. It was in the challenge of the task that he fed his pride. He says that he didn't do it as a criminal enterprise even though there were funds made so he could devote more time to his 'craft'. His method was not an electronic intrusion but the oldest scam in the world, what he called 'social engineering' or more commonly called flim flam, confidence, or misrepresenting oneself to gain information. It was then that he used his talents as programmer to gather assets. He clearly was hooked on the game and paid dearly for it. But, in the end, his crime does pay as he morphed himself into doing what clearly was an obsession. He does now what he did before incarceration FOR corporations, to show they can ratchet up their security against people like him! Life is strange!

It was an interesting book depicting a modern day tale of 'the wild wild west' theme.

New history.

Sorry, another comment on something I saw on TED by Adam Ostrow this time. He was talking about that soon there will be 1 BILLION people globally on social media. And they have one thing in common. All will die!

He hypothesizes about the implications that will mean since we know that anything posted will last forever, somewhere. I thought about how profound that is and can be in my interests such as history and family history. Imagine having access to our ancestors from 100,200 years ago. Imagine our children, ggggchildren having access to our videos logs centuries in the future. I don't think, for the most part, it will affect our daily lives much. Sort of like a reality show having numerous cameras documenting our every move. After desensitizing ourselves to their presence they no longer exist, virtually.

Sometimes though having too much information is more dangerous than a scarcity. So creating a clarity for them in the future will be a mirror of what we have now to work through. After all reacting history, for Winston Smith, was a full time occupation.

Just something more for some of us to contemplate!

peterradzio: Botany of desire

peterradzio: Botany of desire: Are you smarter than a plant? A different look at plants through their 'eyes' with Dr. Pollan. http://pbs.org/botanyofdesire/

Botany of desire

Are you smarter than a plant? A different look at plants through their 'eyes' with Dr. Pollan.

http://pbs.org/botanyofdesire/

Ed Boyden: A light switch for neurons | Video on TED.com

Ed Boyden: A light switch for neurons | Video on TED.com

Fanciful thinking or predicting the future?

Helping the blind to see, the epileptic to control seizures, uploading and downloading memories.

Wonderful, fascinating scary stuff!

But, science fiction has become science fact once or twice before!

Hasn't it?

Joshua Walters: On being just crazy enough | Video on TED.com

Joshua Walters: On being just crazy enough | Video on TED.com

Where else on the web would you get a presentation such as this? It portrays the true awesomeness of TED

and similar venues.

We still have the option of watching it or turning it off depending on our comfort level.

But in my libertarian state of mind issuance of the message is as important, or sometimes, more.

The beauty and stability of a free society:CHOICE!

Start distancing Canada from UN | Editorial | Opinion | Toronto Sun

Start distancing Canada from UN | Editorial | Opinion | Toronto Sun

The UN is an extension of the failed League of Nations when America was still astute enough to recognize a leftist globalist scam for what it was.

It is not a place for peaceful discourse but along with WHO, World Bank and others places developed to global domination.

Person of Interest

A new show called "Person of Interest" starts tonight. I'm sure a true statist will tape this series and watch it every waking moment. This is 1984 on steroids. Apparently a computer can watch, log and predict human actions before they happen! Sounds great doesn't it?

As of this moment humans haven't fared so well to thwart any human misdeeds as they happen let alone before. Not even Philip Dru as imagined by Colonel House could have conjured up this vision of tomorrow. It's going to be a great show for me because of the premise. I just don't know if I'll be watching good science fiction or impending science fact!

To Serve and Protect — the State - Wendy McElroy - Mises Daily

To Serve and Protect — the State - Wendy McElroy - Mises Daily

I, in my naivete, used to think they were and have been in the past. However as I age and see their actions more and more

my opinion has changed. I regret to say that my rose coloured glasses have fallen off! Sad.

New learning site

I was browsing about on the internet and came across a new, to me, site that is similar to TED.

I love TED and the variety it offers to a layman like myself. There are things presented that I would never have come across otherwise. It's surprising the vastness of subjects that interest me.

The new site is: http://worldsciencefestival.com/videos ENJOY!

CBC Threatens to Sue Developer of Canadian Radio Player

CBC Threatens to Sue Developer of Canadian Radio Player

Once again the bureaucratic head of the government does what it does best.

Interferes with free enterprise.

John Beard proudly proclaims in the House of Commons that they (actually we the tax payer)

support the CBC to the tune of $1.5B annually! Then they go after a citizen for violating copyright

of something we collectively own!

How to Get Your Medical Device into the Apple Store - Technology Review

How to Get Your Medical Device into the Apple Store - Technology Review

Necessity is the mother of invention:Socrates: reiterated by Frank Zappa.

Technology can be scary, but, at the same time, awesome.

A friend of mine, now deceased was in a conversation with someone when an article caught his eye in the newspaper.

It was showing the foibles of modern weaponry's inaccuracy at the time. He noted that with a little tweek of already

known science he could exact a strike to within inches of the target. Why don't you was then the question. He said I could, but that doesn't mean I would!

Here we are on the threshold of complete health care as it should be; pre-emptive and preventive, not reactionary and profitable.

Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation | Video on TED.com

Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation | Video on TED.com

Rethinking the system! Only on TED! Great isn't it?

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS-no spoilers

It might seem a bit jaded but this series, SONG OF FIRE AND ICE, gets better as it traverses the middle aged civilization of Westeros and the lands around. The intrigues, conniving and treacheries of royalty are constant and ongoing. One thing can be said for sure in the instalments of this series, and that is, everything is so unpredictable. Favoured characters have no immunity from any of the foibles of their actions or of those opposed to them.

Some of the characters have morphed from being banish to goodish while others have descended and elevated accordingly. George

RR Martin leads us along his plotline and then dashes what seems to be the predicted outcome. I have thought, hoped many times that a main character receive justice, all for naught.

The fantasy part of this series is always implied and does not manifest until a moment least expected. There are major shifts that happen in this instalment, A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. Some are welcomed and in his true fashion so far, some not. Book 5 has not lost any of the lustre created by the preceding four and leave me an anticipation of the final two. Once completed they will be missed but I have no expectation a nice neat ribbon will be tied upon this literary package.

I disagree though with the statement that one reviewer called him the American Tolkien. He is so much more! I believe Tolkien's work to be a morality play, while Martin's work is elevated to near reality using the fantasy mode as allegorical. There is no black or white delineation.

As one character relates in a paragraph three quarters of way through. he says that maesters, the royal advisors that know all, are the real power in 'the game of thrones'. Truly a succinct testimony to reality in our world.

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story | Video on TED.com

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story | Video on TED.com

This video tells the story of how memes are created and fostered to obscure the truth.

It also shows the danger of history being written by the victors.

So, if you want your story to be told, correctly, YOU must write it!

Thank you, once again, TED, for providing untold narratives.

Matt Damon Talks Contagion

Is this life imitating art or a prophetic tale?

[X]Pendapalooza – paying it forward on Empire Avenue | Domino Oracle blog

[X]Pendapalooza – paying it forward on Empire Avenue | Domino Oracle blog

ALTRUISM at it's best. This Saturday 10AM - Sunday10AM.

Angry Birds

I went through life quite naively not affected by computer games since I left the world of Window

driven machines. After all I now have a MacBook Pro and before that an iMac. I briefly dabbled with a free backgammon game sponsored by Nabisco Foods and a Go game as well, but managed to curtail extensive overuse of my spare time. In other words, no obsession.

My only exposure to this game to this point had been someone I know had it on their phone, and mentioned it only in passing. That is until Google+ posted a variety of free games on their site.

I'm not into shooting zombies, killing enemies (real or imagined), building farms, cities, racing cars, boats or air planes, or going on extensive quests. But, this simple slingshot game, pretending I'm a trebuchet operator is addicting!

No wonder it's a worldwide hit and becoming one of Finland's major exports. Finally I'm fitting into the popular demographics! Usually I'm so iconoclastic! Level 2-21 was particularly vexing to me and I spent lots of time wasting activity/improving my skills. Alternating moments of enhancing and annoyance is a result of the audio provided. But, damn it, smashing glass house with full sound is so much fun!

Animation

Playing online action games is not one of my passions; however I can marvel at the strides made to make it appear more lifelike. The blending of real life and animation verges on that threshold.

It gets me thinking that not too far in the future news broadcasts could very well be presentable enough to be thought of as real. Just like photoshopping is now by the undiscriminating public.

The ramifications and inferences of that could be catastrophic!

At present digital games are training a generation of players to be assassins, snipers, and varied

hit men or murderous martial artists. Books like THINK AND GROW RICH and EMPIRES OF THE MIND show us that the brain does not distinguish between make believe and reality.

Exactly what type of this fruit will this activity bear?

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

At the beginning of this video I didn't understand fully the subject matter but by perservering through the graphics and speech it started to dawn on me. I must be one of those individuals that need it shown to them as well to comprehend some complexities. This way, at my own pace, I can integrate it.

I found that to be true in other subjects as well.

It has profoundly changed my views on education and pointed out some of the benefits to allowing youth the time to search out their interests and strengths. As he correctly points out it is in those personal moments that innovation truly blossoms!

Thank you RSA Animate.

Inside Google Books: "Game of Thrones" Author talks about Dwarves, Drag...

Inside Google Books: "Game of Thrones" Author talks about Dwarves, Drag...: "Posted by Oliver Chiang, Google eBooks It was an epic geekfest that could only be matched by the likes of a Comic-Con or a Star Trek conv..."

In case you missed it elsewhere for all those of us hard nosed, FANatics of Fire and Ice series. ENJOY

Ed Boyden: A light switch for neurons | Video on TED.com

Ed Boyden: A light switch for neurons | Video on TED.com

This is one of the beauties of the internet these days. Any topic that piques our interest is available for further perusal and investigation.

Even subjects we beforehand had no exposure, knowledge or interest. If we make ourselves available and become receptive serendipities occur!

The glory and wonder of it all!

It gives credence to the dictum: We don't know what we don't know!

Ignorance, most times, is not bliss!

Take the cultural elitist test | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun

Take the cultural elitist test | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun

A very apropos and succinct article by Gerry outlining the situation leftists and all other free spenders that have been ravaging the public purse.

Mandarins of governments beware! When he's right he's right. And, in this instance, the left hand will know what the right hand is doing. That's what concerns them!

But, in this also, there needs to be restraint and common sense. We can do without the journeys into world policing and trying to bolster our 'elitist' world image.

But that comment is for another blog.

AGAINST ALL ENEMIES

A typical Tom Clancy action novel which this time melds Taliban-Mexican drug cartels-Navy Seals- DEA plus a few more alphabet feds.

My take on the situation is that it's a never ending 'war' fuelled by drug prohibition and escalating profits. However it does give the federal government police forces 'carte blanc' when it comes to procuring funding and justifying tactics normally not allowed. Even to the point of joining forces with old enemies to combat new ones. I think the days of distinct heroes and villains are over as they have been in reality for a long time.

As a novel it presents both sides accurately I think which makes it quite the adventure. The editorializing has been completely my own invention.

I used to devour his past novels like RED STORM RISING, PATRIOT GAMES and RAINBOW SIX, but perhaps my literary tastes have changed since that time. It was, this time, an interesting read instead.

Child Porn Bill Cloaks Fed Data Grab

Child Porn Bill Cloaks Fed Data Grab

Another part of the shell game legislation plays in the big picture of control. We are of no significant influence or concern until aggregated, or aggravated!

INVICTUS

I just finished watching the dvd again with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. Great movie!

Clint Eastwood, the director out did himself with this one! The depiction of Nelson Mandela is memorable!

But then when you mention Nelson Mandela to me you have a captive audience. I have read his book and am inspired by his struggle to grasp victory and honour from dismal circumstances. I agree he is a faulty human being but his accomplishments are not! And should be a cornerstone marker for delineating success over pride, pettiness and corruption.

It is one of my favourite movies and would readily watch it over and over.

Feast for Crows

Westeros; King's Landing.

Cersei is ruling, or thinks she is, the land in Tommen's stead. She is one of the most adept connivers in the series. However there are nuances that escape even her manipulations. She comes face to face with an enemy that she can neither comprehend nor vanquish. In this state she makes a seemingly innocent deal to neutralize an immediate crisis. However this might have unforeseen and unwanted consequences.

Once again Mr. Martin keeps us guessing which twist will lead us where and what character, main or insignificant, will survive to the next tale. However I felt a foreboding in this fourth book of the Fire and Ice series not felt in the earlier parts.

Book 5, 'Dance of the Dragons' is the next instalment I can hardly wait to consume. Then there are only two more books slated to complete the series. I don't know what i'll do waiting for them to be written and released!

THE LONG WALK

Subtitled ' The True Story of a Trek to Freedom' is a somewhat understated comment to what Slavomir Rawicz actually went through. After finally reaching his prison for the next '25' years he and friends embark on an escape. It takes him almost the equivalent distance as his trip from Moscow to Siberia.

Much of his recollection, is as he states, memorable because of their condition. It definitely is an extraordinary act of will completed only due to their group effort.

Well worth the read, especially if you think times are a bit tough lately.

What I got from this is that, to some, freedom, is well worth the effort. Any effort. At all times!

Purpose of posts

I'm in the process of this blog trying to present some of the books that are in my reading schedule. However I try not to give a running commentary of the plots with those readings.

I think I'll leave that to the publishing marketing departments. If it's a synopsis you want this is the wrong place. I think knowing those things might elevate your status around the water cooler but eviscerates the experience of actually reading the novel.

It's hard to experience things when you already know the characters, plots and outcome before they expand.

That has been readily evident in my reading of George RR Martin's SONG OF FIRE AND ICE. All former assumptions have been put to the test and have changed from beginning the series. I believe it would be an affront to the author to do otherwise. Isn't that the reason we read them after all?

storm of swords

I said this before, this series has more twists and turns than a pit full of vipers. Oh wait. That's exactly an apt metaphor explaining this third volume of the series! At the start of the series I made some assumptions that have been proven wrong many times! Characters assumed to be hateful and heartless have morphed into semi moral beings while others have not. Trying to figure out which has been, for me, useless and counterproductive. At 1100+ pages there is the usual fare of carnage while the nature of treachery has been cranked up to a newer level. How the author could orchestrate it into such a symphony is beyond my capabilities, but not my respect of his craft.

Rumour has it that the next volume, FEAST FOR CROWS, is the best of the series. I can hardly wait!

Game of Thrones addendum

Yesterday, Canada Day, I went to visit my son and grandchildren.

Much to my joy and luck there was a mini marathon, five episodes, of the HBO series playing. I was able while they were out watching fireworks to watch, uninterrupted, the first installments.

Good thing because they're of the age I wouldn't be able to if they were here. That's due to the content and language.

I loved it; especially with all the printed page now being presented visually, still fresh in my memory. I wonder how I would have coped though without it. It is especially tough to keep up with all the twists and turns without the lengthy explanations available in print.

But because of the vast reader audience already I imagine they're presenting mainly to the 'converted'. It was certainly a massive undertaking and I appreciate it. If just to deepen the impression in my mind's eye, visually.

Clash of Kings

This is the second in the series by George RR Martin about the goings on of the nobles within the fictional domain of Westeros. It describes the foibles and intrigues of people who answer to no one. As a result tyranny rules supreme and basically everyone is looking to usurp everyone. The minions, common folk, exist to serve and be fodder.

Once again I must state that this is a fantasy novel but must offer a caveat:in my humble opinion there are themes and inappropriate behaviour portrayed, sometimes graphically. This of course will make the books 'required' reading for teenage boys. In describing it as JRR Tolkien like is I think a misnomer and somewhat misleading. But they are well plotted, I believe historically believable, and still a good read!

There are two things guaranteed; each male nobleman wants to be king, and has a personally qualified reason why! The result of this overabundance of pride makes all the other characters run for cover and just try to survive. The survivability of any character, major or minor, is not

easily determined. Anything can happen, and does!

My opinion of nobility doesn't become enhanced at the end of this read, and some of my favourites within the novel weren't the ones I would have chosen after reading the first installment, 'Game of Thrones.' Surprisingly so I might add.

My suggestion before undertaking this series a romp through 'The Prince' by Machiavelli and 'The Screwtape Letters' by CS Lewis might be helpful!

I'm looking forward to undertaking the next in the series. From what I've read I'm sure it will be an adventure also!

Wonder by Robert J Sawyer

{EAV_BLOG_VER:c11f818517213f70}

This is the third volume of the trilogy of WAKE, WATCH and WONDER. It is an apt conclusion to the hypothesis of an emerging internet consciousness. Along the way Sawyer deals with our many very human foibles and depicts some morality plays.

Spoiler alert: there is no blood and guts however it is still very suspenseful and believable.

Without giving plot away they are a good read and well worth the time investment. I'm looking forward to his project!

Robert's other fictional enterprise became FLASHFORWARD became a series and I think this series could easily become a feature film. It would be very timely given all the real life scenarios present these days.

Well done Rob Sawyer!

Adjustment Bureau

Matt Damon was in this one. There's no killing in this one, no explosions, so that will filter out and bore a lot of the population. The plot is about futuristic central planners that control social aspects of our lives, not financial ones.

There is a moral to the story and since I like science fiction it's easy for me to "like" it. If I were to scale it between 1-10 I would give it a "6".

Valhalla Rising

Whatever it was I didn't get it!

I'm sure that it wanted to depict circa 1400 as a boring, violent, bloody time. But if you're into dialogue, heavy plot and action this is not for you. If there was a higher purpose to the film I wasn't astute enough to decipher that.

Perhaps this is another man's milieu, but not mine. I watched it in five segments of time hoping

for it to get better.

GoT 3

Just finished reading the first of the series. There's lots of twists and turns along with a few roundabouts added. It typifies the adage "if it wasn't true no one would believe it", but unfortunately, due to human nature, vastly understated.

Sprinkled within the tome are lots of approaching plots and intrigues. However in my searching to get hold of the second volume I read some plot spoiling summaries. But, I still can't wait to continue onward through his storytelling experience. George Martin's style here is through the individual characters and I've become connected. It shows in the details that he's involved as well.

The journey, so far, is well worth the investment of time.

game of thrones blog2

I'm well into the book now, 632 pages, and the plot is certainly thickening. It's not exactly what I expected, but then if it was I wouldn't be this far into the book. Maybe I'm a little slow but trends are appearing to me now. The problem is: that they might not go as I think. That's happened already a few times. Thankfully!

The machinations among the main characters are sometimes riveting because of their humanity or lack thereof. The twists may surprise you, maybe not. The characters, main and supporting, have changed for me as far as their likability to me. Some surprisingly so!

If I had of known the plot beforehand I might not have read it, but thankfully being naive has it's benefits!

Hopefully without any plot spoilers this has been helpful.

game of thrones

I've started reading a book I downloaded from the library online. I have 21 days in order to read the 800+ pages. How sweet is that? I thought I might have difficulty in that time frame given the genre; fantasy, but to no avail. After the first 238 pages after a day and a half it appears that not to be a problem.

The novel? The first instalment of GAME OF THRONES. More to come!

another rant

Sorry for the second Hawking mention in a row. Although I make no apologies for being a Christian and follower of the principles of Jesus Christ I'd like to respond to his assertions.

Firstly any opinions we have, without harming others, are relevant and true, from our perspective. For, I believe perception is reality. That's my chosen delusion and it works for me.

Secondly, the so called fantasy of the supernatural is not so strange. Let's compare it to science.

Reality is stranger than fiction.

M-theory is the search for existence beyond our mundane 3 or 4 dimensional world. It is proven by mathematical theorems apparently. I'm no mathematician but they say it works. Good enough for me. However we can't conceptualize this reality!

Unfortunately reality is determined these days by whoever receives grant money from the government. The search for anything that would disprove a convenient truth are starved!

Who's looking for the boogeyman now?

global warming resurgence

What a great story; must be slow. Just as the climate warming theory gets shot out of existence, it morphs into climate change theory. Just as we laugh away the conjectures of a delusional fringe Christian preacher's "rapture" revelation, news reporters are calling the recent storms "apocalyptic"!

It's reported that there are an inordinate amount of natural catastrophes manifesting lately. Of course it's all due to our interference with pollutants into the atmosphere. The lack of a theory that this is a part of a global cycle has not been postulated!

It can't be the profit that can be made to "remedy" the situation.

Maybe it's just my cynical delusion caused by what Steven Hawking refers to as a "fear".

respect and creativity

Kudos to TED and TEDx, those snippets of wonderful video time available on You Tube!

What an alternative and variety to the pablum offered on broadcast television, 500 channels of Blue Glow.

I, certainly would never have thought up some of the diverse topics presented! It depicts the vast diversity and creativity present in the our society. All because we have the freedom to choose!

What a concept that is!

Who would have thought you could grow plants on a plastic sheet? A Japanese scientist that's who! It can be stretched over barren sand dunes, and even concrete to become horticulturally viable! Amazing.

Who would have thought of using a type of mushroom, a fungus, to clean up oil spills! Certainly not the oil companies who are utilizing toxic absorbents, or the company selling it to them!

Who would have thought to allow children to teach themselves via internet whatever subject they desire to learn? Not the statist, monolithic, entity known as public education! Or as I refer to it: public indoctrination.

What a creative, diverse,and viable species we are!

All we have to do is stop concerning ourselves about what WE think everyone else SHOULD be doing.

Little thing isn't it?

If we can't respect our fellow man, WHY should he respect us?

Sing it Aretha!