Monthly Archives: October 2012

Too Easily Distracted

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My unfinished review of J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy” is weighing heavy on my mind. Also, I’ve been wanting to post a remembrance of Sen. George McGovern, who passed over to a more peaceful place on Sunday, at the age of 90. And I have another “power in a box” review waiting to be written, about the new Kindle Fire. Nevertheless, I’m distracted by the sound of distant thunder. Hurricane Sandy is heading north with potential to rearrange the Eastern Seaboard. The hurricane is the blip on the radar that I cannot ignore. — John

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Table For Two, Atlantic Hotel, Berlin, MD

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This post by another blogger ends with a thoughtful prayer. Click on “read more” to see the entire post and the prayer. It’s not very long.  — John

cherylhuffer's avatarLife As I Understand It.

I was perusing MSN’s homepage, and I found a slideshow on war-torn Libya.  I could not help but be struck with a sense of awe while looking at this picture.  Take a moment and just look at the details.  Please.

In a world with so many modern advances– cancer research, clean energy, cell phones, and the Internet– I struggle with the idea that people feel the need to destroy cities and kill people to “win.”  Aren’t there more 21st Century ways of dealing with problems?  The destruction in this picture represents a total disregard for life and progress.  And what does all of this destruction accomplish?

The fact does not allude me that when and where we are born is not a choice.  I am lucky that my house is not one of the bombed apartments in this picture.  Right now, I have pumpkins and scarecrows in my yard.  I am celebrating autumn and anticipating Halloween…

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Sunday Photos: A House, Somewhere On The Eastern Shore

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Nature reclaims a house by the side of the road, in the middle of a cornfield, somewhere on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Amazing but true. Wonder why this sad old house was abandoned, and how long ago?
Yep, it’s a house, or it used to be.
Surprise, another wing on the back, still mostly visible.
Up close, the brick foundation posts and the exterior wall are clearly visible under the vegetation.
Porch roof has collapsed to the ground in front of the house.

— John Hayden

Finished Reading ‘The Casual Vacancy’ — Now The Hard Part

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Stayed up way late last night (nothing unusual about that) and finished “The Casual Vacancy.” I reached that point where you’re so close to the end, you don’t dare put it down.

Adventure stories have a chase scene near the end, to step up the tempo and raise the suspense.

Mysteries have a detective following the evidence, piecing it together, closer and closer, the danger mounting, until . . .

J.K. Rowling’s wounded and wounding humans wander in circles, running away, crossing paths, reversing direction . . . not seeing the obvious until it’s too late . . . the sirens come . . . bringing them all together, sort of, . . . and they find themselves . . . and each other . . . or not.

Whew! A great novel. Now all I have to do is find time to write a review that’s worthy of the author, the book, and the characters.

— John

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So Many Books, So Little Time

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I haven’t forgotten about my unfinished review of J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy.”  I’m on p. 448. The pace of the story is picking up as I near the end @ p. 503. It’s a wonderful book tracing an intricate web of human interactions, hypocrisy and deceit. I haven’t written another interim installment of the review (the first part is here) partly because I hardly know where to begin.

And partly because I’ve been busy with so many other projects, like trying to become a photographer and to improve this blog. Hard to believe I’ve written 12 posts on other subjects in the intervening days. Casual Vacancy, despite its length, is a book I would easily finish in two days (and enjoy more) if only I could sit down and read it straight through.    Continue reading →

Politics Out of Control: Somebody Please Say ‘Amen’

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Did anyone notice the color of the carpet on the debate stage?  It was an almost blinding shade of bright red? Unusual color to see anyplace but on a fire truck. Don’t believe I’ve ever seen a carpet of that color before.

The logical explanation is that the debate planners didn’t want you to see the blood on the floor.

Yes, I recused myself from criticizing the debate performance of President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney. But I have to say I’m appalled by the state of American political discourse in general. Maybe we should skip the debates and select the next president by mixed martial arts in a cage. Or if that’s over the top, maybe an old-fashioned fist fight with civilized rules and a referee.

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No Debate Criticism Tonight

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I hereby recuse myself from analyzing the debate performance of President Barack Obama, Gov. Mitt Romney, and moderator Candy Crowley. I reserve the right to criticize the performance of the cable TV commentators. Their constant analysis of the debates in the past few weeks has been over the top.  — John

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Nations, City-States And Corporations In The New World Economy

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Can Scotland separate from Great Britain? 

The age of empires is long since over. The Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the British Empire are history.

Can it be possible that cohesive nations are on the brink of extinction, sort of slow-moving dinosaurs not well adapted to survive in the hyper-fast digital age and the internationalized economy?

NPR News reports today that Scotland will hold a referendum in two years, with the approval of Great Britain. Who knows what the voters will decide?

Large federations covering vast land masses are subject to powerful Centrifugal forces.    Continue reading →