November was a fabulous month of reading. I easily breezed through two lengthier tombs by two of my favorite well-established authors and was not let down. I interjected these weightier books for a short soliloquy on routine written by an up and coming Japanese author. We’ll start with that one: Convenience Store Woman is a very odd duck story. It skims the surface over a number of character quirks in Keiko, a 36 year old woman living in Tokyo. These have served to isolate her from her family or build any normal relationships; she comes off as borderline autistic. The monotony and routine and easily followed behavioral manual at the convenience store job harness her to the real world, and … Read More
Study Mode
There’s been a new drive ignited in me recently. I can blame this entirely on my longstanding interest into the Crusades. As I’ve mentioned, I have become fully invested in the History of the Crusades* podcast. It not only follows a linear timeline but interjects occasionally with episodes coinciding, such as the individual rulers, kings and queens, Egyptians, Mongols, Latin Christendom, The Knights Templar, etc… Through the search bar option in my podcast app, I’ve been able to track down other podcasts with overlapping themes (e.g. The History of Byzantium) or just download a specific episode (e.g. A Knight’s Tale via The History of England podcast) It is a prolific rabbit hole either way. I mention this because it’s exciting; … Read More
I had a dream last night…
In one scene I was being led through a vacant, all white -from carpet to ceiling, studio apartment. There were high ceilings and nooks built into two walls. Apparently I was looking for a place to move. I found myself wondering if I could insert my rather tall bookshelf into one of the nooks. In each room I pondered if this broad, eight foot high piece of furniture would fit; on which wall it should sit flush against. In another scene I was sitting at a large, oblong, dark wood table in the center of a room with brown wall paneling and squatter ceilings. To the side of this, there was a tall receptionist desk in front of a window, … Read More
Documentation of September 2018
I kept my head down generally. Minus a few emotionally enraged post on facebook, I was relatively quiet on social media. I thought a lot about the music. It’s all in the context and of circumstance. What life am I living, who am I hanging around? I’m really not participating in that world; forks in the road. As much as I enjoy writing, honestly, I rarely listen to music or sing anymore. This is the sad truth. Why would I want to produce another song(s). It’s a thousand dollars in the hole. From start to finish, studio time to final mixing. So I ask myself what’s the cost benefit. It’s too expensive just for arts sake. I’m saying don’t hold … Read More
Documentation of August 2018
From the Books category in my menu… Barely read a thing. Listened to ALL the things. This may be the shortest edition on read books ever. I finished two. A measly two. Another Daniel Silva after saying I was taking a break from him, but it turned out to be my favorite so far. The Confessor. Reading it happened to be coincidentally timed with the recent Vatican revelations. Except in the book’s plot, they’re hiding how complicit they were with the Nazis in Jewish genocide. I tried reading Artemis, the second sci-fi by the very talented author of The Martian. I just couldn’t get into it. The plot sounded good; maybe it will appeal to some of you. However, it did confirm … Read More