Pale Blue Dot

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a brilliant volume by Dr. Sagan, full of facts, wisdom, and foresight. The subtitle "A Vision of the Human Future in Space" is perfect. It is filled with hope, cautions, challenges, and inspiration. In just one sample of the multitude of wisdom contained in this book, speaking of our descendants who will make their homes elsewhere in our solar system, he writes:

"I do not imagine that it is precisely we, with our present customs and social conventions, who will be out there. If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves. Our very existence in that distant time requires that we will have changed our institutions and ourselves. How can I dare to guess about humans in the far future? It is, I think, only a matter of natural selection. If we become even slightly more violent, shortsighted, ignorant, and selfish than we are now, almost certainly we will have no future."

I highly recommend this treasure as required reading for all who are able to read it.  Loved it. Six stars!

ps. inspired to read it by this quote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot#Reflections_by_Sagan

View all my reviews

questions that demand a response from "religion"

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read by any of the famed "Four Horsemen of New Atheism". I would like to read at least one selection by each, but this is my first. I heard Hitchens interviewed a while back on NPR, prior to his death, and found (not surprisingly) that I was in agreement with most of his criticisms of religion. I read this book hoping to get an accurate picture of his views. I was initially disappointed as I started into it, because while the author points out valid issues, he does so in a ranting way. But as I finish (perhaps gaining the ability to "filter out" the ranting), I find in the book an excellent summary of the case against religion, as well as a good (certainly not complete) collection of the questions that should be asked of religion. And a response should be demanded by thinking people of reason. Aside from the ranting style of this book, i see it as a good starting place for people who are genuinely seeking Truth, rather than staying satisfied with dogma and delusion. In ending, a nested quote from the book:

"The true value of a man is not determined by his possession, supposed or real, of Truth, but rather by his sincere exertion to get to the Truth. It is not possession of the Truth, but rather the pursuit of Truth by which he extends his powers and in which his ever-growing perfectibility is to be found. Possession makes one passive, indolent, and proud. If God were to hold all Truth concealed in his right hand, and in his left only the steady and diligent drive for Truth, albeit with the proviso that I would always and forever err in the process, and to offer me the choice, I would with all humility take the left hand." - Gotthold Lessing, Anti-Goeze (1778)

View all my reviews

Pattern Recognition

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story, and loved the way it was told. William Gibson is a brilliant writer and becoming one of my favorite authors. I had a hard time putting this one down. Excellent story, recommend highly. Great writing!

View all my reviews

Tigana

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tigana is a really good book. it is a great imaginative story with interesting characters and themes, and unexpected plot twists and turns. The ending was delightful (not all happy, but a delight), as well as the last ~100 pages building toward it. I was left somewhat disappointed overall, however, with the quality of the writing. To me, this felt like an excellent story that the author was not quite ready to write. Given that this was one of his earlier works, and that I've also read a truly excellent and epic example of his later works ("Under Heaven" - 5+ stars, fantastic) my assumption is that his style and expertise in story telling was still growing and evolving at the time Tigana was penned. That aside, it's a great story and well worth the time to read.

View all my reviews

Delta Rae: One Take Live

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has been on my to-read shelf for years, and I finally got around to it, prompted by a quote from the author posted on a college friend's Twitter feed. Some books, perhaps most books, I have learned to read at a faster pace, reading for concepts, ideas, plot sequences, etc. When reading in this way, sentences are read at a glance as opposed to word for word. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is different. All the way through, I found myself reading every word. The higher altitude method would not do for me, I wanted to savor every word. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a beautifully and intelligently written meditation and memoir about life, death, nature, the world and physical universe; how to experience and understand them and how we relate to the world in which we live. Nothing is sugar coated or kept behind the curtain. Our natural world is portrayed in all its wonder and horror, and we are invited to consider what it all means, and where we fit in. After I started reading the book, I looked up Annie Dillard on the Internet and was astounded to find that she was in her late 20's when she wrote this masterpiece. I loved it, and I recommend it to all. This is my first book by this author, but I'm now anxious to read and savor more.


View all my reviews

saying hello to ourselves

Annie Dillard writes about watching an elusive muskrat on Tinker Creek...

"... he never knew I was there. I never knew I was there, either. For that forty minutes last night I was purely sensitive and mute as a photographic plate; I received impressions, but I did not print out captions. My own self awareness had disappeared; it seems now almost as though, had I been wired with electrodes, my EEG would have been flat."

"... I have often noticed that even a few minutes of this self-forgetfulness is tremendously invigorating. I wonder if we do not waste most of our energy just by spending every waking minute saying hello to ourselves."

cool.

photo credit: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com via Wikimedia Commons

pick up a penny

"It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get."

 - Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

great ending to a great trilogy!

Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

what a great ending to a great trilogy! Loved it. Gibson's writing is fast moving and intriguing. The story is fantastic, characters are amazingly real considering their futuristic context. Loved this trilogy, hope to re-read someday.

View all my reviews

great writing

excellent!

"Kumiko would remember the alley always: dark brick slick with damp, hooded ventilators trailing black streamers of congealed dust, a yellow bulb in a cage of corroded alloy, the low growth of empty bottles that sprouted at the base of either wall, the man-sized nests of crumpled fax and white foam packing segments, and the sound of Sally's bootheels."

p.163 Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson

Count Zero

Count Zero by William Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Count Zero" grabbed me from the first chapter and it was hard to put down. This second of William Gibson's "Sprawl Trilogy" (first book is "Neuromancer") is fast moving, intelligent, fascinating, and very well written. The three plot lines in this story are each interesting and compelling in their own way, and converge near the end in an exciting conclusion. I loved this book, and am excited to read the third in the trilogy "Mona Lisa Overdrive"! (and then to re-read all three again) I highly recommend this book!

Falling Upward

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading Father Richard's e-mail meditations for several years, this is the first book of his I've read. This is an amazing book. It is both challenging and encouraging at the same time! It gives a glimpse into where we have been, and who we are to become as we move into the second half of our lives. It is helping me make sense out of the course my life has taken, and shed light into where my life is headed. It is encouraging to see that changes in life that seem crazy from the first half point of view make so much sense moving into second half living. I am looking forward to re-reading this book with a group of close friends, sharing reflections on how each of our lives have moved as is described so well in this book. I heartily recommend this book to aspiring and newbie second halfers (myself included!) A must read and re-read.

View all my reviews

the picture says it all

NC Hops and Roots Fest

This sounds like great fun!
NC Hops and Roots Fest

• Music!
• Lizzy Ross Band
• NC Craft Beers
• Vino!

finally finished Les Misérables!!!

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finally finished Les Misérables, all 1463 pages of it! Wow, what a story! After having seen the Liam Neeson movie, and falling in love with the story, this unabridged version added so much depth and richness to the story. It was exciting to read the "back story" of so many of the characters I already (thought I) knew, and to meet other characters that were left out of that movie. This must be one of the most classic stories ever written. I especially enjoyed the additional depth of understanding obtained from the MANY discussions of history, politics, customs, philosophy, religion, etc. I fully understand why abridged versions of this story exist, the story itself is a subset of the rich contents of this volume. I loved this book, it is one of the best I've ever read. I wish that I had time to read it again... maybe someday. I'm especially glad that I read this before the upcoming movie release of the Broadway version of this story. I am excited to see the upcoming movie from the perspective of having read this classic work in it's entirety. Six stars to this book. Wonderful story.

View all my reviews

Please join with us to fully sponser Birtha!

Please join with us to fully sponser Birtha!
More info: https://www.facebook.com/abluehallway
Note from Andria:

Dear Friends,  

“Birtha” the NC CowParade cow I’m painting is well on her way to being finished. She has begun her work being transformational in many lives including mine as I thoughtfully place every brushstroke onto her surface. Her stand resonates constantly as she was designed to be a “life giver”. Her concept is simple: “to give life, love and rebirth.” She’s about giving. Along this journey these past few days I have had visitors and phone calls that revolve around being a community – a community that gives from the heart, that believes in making a difference. Birtha was not sponsored by a corporation or organization, i.e., sponsored by an entity that runs our way of life. I am earnestly working to raise the $5000 sponsorship level so that her plaque reads: “Sponsored by the People'.” Birtha is a community cow. In my endeavors as an artist I have created my art to be tangible to everyone. Art is meant to be shared and enjoyed by every walk of life, and to this day I am proud to say my art brings joy to many homes, families, and public arenas where I have donated murals. 

What always brings me encouragement about the choices I have made as an artist is that it is never accomplished without a group of people with like minds and big hearts, people who not only believe in me, but are willing to become a part of something bigger than themselves. In our final stretch to meet this sponsorship goal I reflect on the people who have backed this effort thus far. They are people like you: people that still believe that we can make a difference in the lives of others who have critical illnesses, whether it be physical or emotional, believing that miracles can and do happen. 

This particular fund raiser NC CowParade is reaching for a goal of $300K – $500K to assist critically ill children and their families at the NC Children's Hospital. The effort of Birtha’s sponsorship is to facilitate an opportunity for everyone to take part in her existence. When she is completed by this Friday she will go and meet up with over 80 other cows from the Triangle area. Just envision that you get to say “that’s my cow! I helped make her possible!” Birtha is a gift: she is a gift for me to give to you and everyone who will enjoy her presence while she’s on parade. Then in three months she will go up for auction as and her proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospital of NC. 

Please consider being a part of this vision, that we all can make a difference. And while $5000 seems like a lot, especially during this time or economic hardship, many donors equal much money. We have currently raised $1000 with the assistance of twelve donors. Our time frame is short now, but I believe we can and will do this 

While I have been painting I have been thinking about parents I know who have lost their children. Children who are losing their parents. Husbands and wives who long for a child. I think about the joy my young son brings me and the challenges my husband and I went through to bring him to this planet, and the risks we take everyday to give him a world that he will be proud to live in. 

In closing, if your hands are tied but your heart is open to feeling then you have given. And if we meet this goal and you see Birtha somewhere around town with a plaque that says sponsored “By the People”, embrace yourself and know that you are the people. 

Blessings,
Andria Linn

More info: https://www.facebook.com/abluehallway

Yum?

This was NOT on the menu at my daughter's wedding at Sugar Hollow!

Our dreams

In fact, were it given to our eye of flesh to see into the consciences of others, we should judge a man much more surely from what he dreams than from what he thinks. There is will in the thought, there is none in the dream. The dream, which is completely spontaneous, takes and keeps, even in the gigantic and the ideal, the form of our mind. Nothing springs more directly and more sincerely from the very bottom of our souls than our unreflected and indefinite aspirations towards the splendours of destiny. In these aspirations, much more than in ideas which are combined, studied, and compared, we can find the true character of each man. Our chimeras are what most resemble ourselves. Each one dreams the unknown and the impossible according to his own nature.

- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (Charles Wilbour translation 1862, p. 585)

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a delightful story. It is a hybrid of historical fiction and satirical comedy. The writing is fresh, funny, and at the same time, respectful and serious. The author researched the history and culture well, and spun a thoughtful and fun tale of the Gospel According to Biff. This story should be included in everyone's New Testament Canon. I loved it, and highly recommend it. Thanks Amy for loaning me this copy to read!!!!

View all my reviews

Review: Same Kind of Different as Me

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a heartwarming memoir about, as the subtitle says, "A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together". It contains some eye-opening details about the reality of poverty and homelessness. It also shares an inspiring story of some folks who made a difference. A wholesome story that is ripe to be made into a "Christian" movie or a TV movie. I liked the dual point of view method of telling the story.

View all my reviews

Book: Neuromancer

Neuromancer by William Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I regret not having taken the time to read this brilliant tale before now. Gibson tells an excellent story with skill, creativity and intellect. Reading it so late in the game revealed to me just how much influence it has had since 1984 when it was first published. Neuromancer deserves the classic status that it has been awarded. I'm looking forward to reading it again and highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

Book: The Rise of Christianity

The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries by Rodney Stark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fascinating. It is academic, well researched and thorough, yet very accessible. I highly recommend this to anyone even casually interested in the subject. Sheds much light on the validity (or lack thereof) of the "Christian" church we experience in Western culture today.

View all my reviews

NO on NC amendment one!

On Tuesday, I am voting against North Carolina amendment one. The purpose of government and the constitution is to protect the rights of ALL people, NOT to force the religious or sociological opinions of some people upon everyone. I will not support an amendment that allows the views of some to be forced upon others.

ps. an earlier NC amendment regarding marriage... Wake up people, let's not do this again!
http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/index.php/2012/01/17/an-earlier-constitutional-amendment-on-marriage/

Technical civilization

"Technical civilization is the product of labor, of man's exertion of power for the sake of gain, for the sake of producing goods. It begins when man, dissatisfied with what is available in nature, becomes engaged in a struggle with the forces of nature in order to enhance his safety and to increase his comfort. To use the language of the Bible, the task of civilization is to subdue the earth, to have dominion over the beast."

"How proud we often are of our victories in the war with nature, proud of the multitude of instruments we have succeeded in inventing, of the abundance of commodities we have been able to produce. Yet our victories have come to resemble defeats. In spite of our triumphs, we have fallen victims to the work of our hands; it is as if the forces we had conquered have conquered us."

Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, page 27

The Sabbath

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel is one of the most beautifully articulated books I've read. The depth and breadth of Heschel's insight flow in almost poetic prose. His thorough understanding and personal embrace of Sabbath unwrap for the reader a concept that for many has been merely a source of legalistic obligation, or a much elusive time of rest. The philosophical separation of time and space as described in this book is mind opening, and provides a worldview that has the power to transform one's life. One can feel the peace of Sabbath while reading! I'll definitely be re-reading this book many times

Noah's Ark

well worth the listen. Listen carefully and think about it... really think.

Brendan: A Novel

An enchanting story about one man's search for Faith. There are lessons for all, especially for those whose search is over (or so they think).