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Nov. 6th, 2016 09:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI told my uncle on FB, that I don't like it very much as a forum. I feel very exposed on it. And much prefer the earlier forums such as blogger and livejournal and dreamwidth. What I didn't say is that there's a narcisitic component to FACE BOOK that makes me uneasy. I'm not fond of Twitter either, but then I was never overly fond of chat-rooms. Went into one once on a Buffy fanboard, got overwhelmed and left right quick. I need time to formulate my thoughts, edit, and post. Also it's become insanely political at the moment, my ex-boyfriend and half the people from my Church are currently in Pennsylvania fighting to get people to vote. But I really don't want to talk about politics any longer. For my own sanity and yours...let's declare this a politcal free zone for a bit, shall we?
Finally got to the newest book in the series of books that I've been re-reading. ie. The only book in the series that I hadn't read it, because it was published a month ago. It's called "Magic Binds" and appears to be wrapping up the series. While there could be a book after it, it's doubtful. I think the writers are probably ready to move on -- although I'm not sure their publishers and fans will let them. That's the brick wall that Jim Butcher and GRR Martin have run into. It's also why not being signed to major publishing contract for a series of books is not necessarily a bad thing.
Feeling very grateful I did not go down that road with "Doing Time on Planet Earth".
Magic Binds is rather good in places, feels rushed in others. The metaphors and mythology continue to be fascinating, but I think the writers aren't quite sure what to do with some of the characters or just have too many of them?
After Magic Binds, which I'm almost done with, I've decided to read "My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante", the first in the Neopolitian Novel Quartet. I'm waiting to buy the others based on how I feel about this one. Rec'd it to my mother. It's about two female friends in Italy after the second World War, and takes them up to the 1990s, I think. According to Amazon it's by Elena Ferrante/Anne Goldstein, so is Anne the translator? Apparently, I just googled her. She's a star translator of Italian fictional works.
Also bought a few Lapham's Quarterly's -- which are hefty literary and non-fiction anthology, that have no advertising. Edited around a theme. The first are critical writings, essays, and historical writings on Alexander Hamilton, the musical Hamilton in comparison to the actual history, etc. The next is writings on "Flesh" including writings and essays by people such as Helen Keller, DH Lawrence, Emile Zola, Carvaggio, Maquis de Sade, and Silvina Ocampo. And the final one is "Luck" which includes Emily Dickinson, Ralph Ellison, Plutarch, Richard Dawkins, Iris Murdoch, Albert Einstein, Blaise Pascal, Jeanette Winterson, and Andres Serrano amongst others. I've decided to read these instead of the internet or watching the news. Bought them from "The Center of Fiction" and added my name to their email list.
TV wise? I'm binge-watching "Longmire" - a modern Western Mystery series that focuses on a friendship between a 50 something sheriff and his best friend, a fifty-something Cheyenne Indian, named Henry Standing-Bear. It's rather good and I highly recommend it. I'm on S4. It started on A&E, got cancelled and picked up by Netflix.
I have enough tv shows saved on my DVR that I can blithly ignore the news for the next three days. It helps with the stress and anxiety. I just want to know the weather, and the rail report.
Taking Monday off, and we already have Tuesday off -- as election day. Many government agencies do.
Doctor's appointment on Monday, church today -- the kids are going to talk about their trip to Romania, I think, and I have small group ministry after -- where we discuss one of the minister's sermons. Then training on the new purchasing/contract database upgrade on Wed and Thursday. Hopefully, in the midst of all that I'll get a little work done. Not to mention writing. I've managed to push out a little of 1000 words to date. The writing is not coming easily this month -- far too much stress.
Finally got to the newest book in the series of books that I've been re-reading. ie. The only book in the series that I hadn't read it, because it was published a month ago. It's called "Magic Binds" and appears to be wrapping up the series. While there could be a book after it, it's doubtful. I think the writers are probably ready to move on -- although I'm not sure their publishers and fans will let them. That's the brick wall that Jim Butcher and GRR Martin have run into. It's also why not being signed to major publishing contract for a series of books is not necessarily a bad thing.
Feeling very grateful I did not go down that road with "Doing Time on Planet Earth".
Magic Binds is rather good in places, feels rushed in others. The metaphors and mythology continue to be fascinating, but I think the writers aren't quite sure what to do with some of the characters or just have too many of them?
After Magic Binds, which I'm almost done with, I've decided to read "My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante", the first in the Neopolitian Novel Quartet. I'm waiting to buy the others based on how I feel about this one. Rec'd it to my mother. It's about two female friends in Italy after the second World War, and takes them up to the 1990s, I think. According to Amazon it's by Elena Ferrante/Anne Goldstein, so is Anne the translator? Apparently, I just googled her. She's a star translator of Italian fictional works.
Also bought a few Lapham's Quarterly's -- which are hefty literary and non-fiction anthology, that have no advertising. Edited around a theme. The first are critical writings, essays, and historical writings on Alexander Hamilton, the musical Hamilton in comparison to the actual history, etc. The next is writings on "Flesh" including writings and essays by people such as Helen Keller, DH Lawrence, Emile Zola, Carvaggio, Maquis de Sade, and Silvina Ocampo. And the final one is "Luck" which includes Emily Dickinson, Ralph Ellison, Plutarch, Richard Dawkins, Iris Murdoch, Albert Einstein, Blaise Pascal, Jeanette Winterson, and Andres Serrano amongst others. I've decided to read these instead of the internet or watching the news. Bought them from "The Center of Fiction" and added my name to their email list.
TV wise? I'm binge-watching "Longmire" - a modern Western Mystery series that focuses on a friendship between a 50 something sheriff and his best friend, a fifty-something Cheyenne Indian, named Henry Standing-Bear. It's rather good and I highly recommend it. I'm on S4. It started on A&E, got cancelled and picked up by Netflix.
I have enough tv shows saved on my DVR that I can blithly ignore the news for the next three days. It helps with the stress and anxiety. I just want to know the weather, and the rail report.
Taking Monday off, and we already have Tuesday off -- as election day. Many government agencies do.
Doctor's appointment on Monday, church today -- the kids are going to talk about their trip to Romania, I think, and I have small group ministry after -- where we discuss one of the minister's sermons. Then training on the new purchasing/contract database upgrade on Wed and Thursday. Hopefully, in the midst of all that I'll get a little work done. Not to mention writing. I've managed to push out a little of 1000 words to date. The writing is not coming easily this month -- far too much stress.
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no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 03:17 pm (UTC)I've sworn off talking politics, too. It's bad enough that I can't escape political commercials on the major sites here on the net.
I hope you can get a little writing done on your days off.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 11:53 pm (UTC)Exactly. It's not how I think. I tried it in more than one location, and it never worked. The video game company that I worked for was into them. (I kept getting lost.)
Discussing politics is very similar to discussing religion, or so I've found - it's not rational. I find myself fighting with someone's perceptions of how they think the world should be or is, in their heads. A person that I spoke with today put it very well -- he said that often he thinks people are projecting their own fantasies onto the candidate, not seeing the reality. He tutors a bunch of Syrian refugees in Pennsylvania. None can vote, but they are all supporting the candidate who wants to deport them. Which is mind boggling, except when you realize that candidate fits their cultural ideal, and they can't get past that. So it's impossible to discuss it with them. You are fighting their beloved fantasy. Religion is similar -- it's someone's deeply held beliefs and values, ingrained, and emotional.
I'm streaming Longmire on Netflix to avoid them. FB is still problematic, but at least everyone I friended on FB either agrees with me, or doesn't discuss politics.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 03:45 pm (UTC)I didn't love the Ferrante--I stopped midway through the first book. It may just have been the wrong time for me to be reading them--I know a lot of people love them. We'll be glad to hear what you think.
FB right now for me is one long political argument. I like it for seeing friends and family that aren't nearby, but I sort of think I may have to close it down until after the election.But like a bad lover, it keeps pulling me back...
no subject
Date: 2016-11-07 12:00 am (UTC)Yup, having a similar experience. Although at least the people I've friended on it, either aren't discussing politics or are strongly promoting Hillary. It's only their friends, who comment on their posts, that I have to occasionally deal with. There's something to be said for ignoring the comments on your friends posts on FB.
I know that I can't win a political argument on FB, it's FB.
The fourth season of Longmire is rather interesting, they resolve things a lot faster than expected and the story gets a bit darker in places. But I'm loving it, and I adore the characters, even the villains are interesting.
Will let you know on Ferrante, haven't tried it yet.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-07 12:09 am (UTC)If Ferrante is a translator, why did she need a translator? I mean couldn't she have done it herself? Wouldn't she have preferred to?
I have to say that I agree with the writer of the New Yorker article, I'm not sure I care. Of course I haven't read the books yet...
no subject
Date: 2016-11-06 05:18 pm (UTC)