From Smiler, with Love.: May 2008

May 31, 2008

Quotes of the Day

Since I’m immersed in books and reading these days,
I thought it would be fitting to share a few of my favourite
quotes about books:

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed on and digested.”
~Francis Bacon

“There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away.”
~Emily Dickinson

“The difference between literature and journalism
is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read.”
~Oscar Wilde

“If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t
been written yet, then you must write it.”
~Toni Morrison

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend.
Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
~Groucho Marx

“The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of.”
~ Billy Collins, from his poem “Forgetfulness”

“From the moment I picked up your book
until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter.
Some day I intend reading it.”
~Groucho Marx

“This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force.”
~Dorothy Parker

May 30, 2008

Something to Read?

What you’re looking at here ladies and gentlemen is a device that can make a person travel in time and space, provided they know how to operate the machinery of course. I was so excited when these books arrived yesterday that I just had to grab a photo to show them off while they were still fresh. They’re virgin books. No human has yet laid eyes, much less fingers on their pages, the spines are still stiff, as if standing at attention, and when you open them for the first time... the most wonderful fragrance of inks and presses and binding glue come to greet you, as if to say “I was made especially for you, enjoy your travels”. Ah yes. Buying new books is a big indulgence, but for me that pleasure of having a pristine copy to hold as I lose myself in prose is almost a necessary luxury. With used books there are always marks of usage (and sometimes much worse!) left behind the previous owners and trying to imagine how such smudges came to be greatly distract me from focusing on the story. So I tend to avoid used books unless they’ve been loaned to me by someone I know. After all, you wouldn’t let a complete stranger just walk off the streets and onto your couch unless that person came with some kind of references, would you? I rest my case.

The only problem with shopping for books is that I’ve developed a new addiction which is completely benign though does take up all my time, though will no doubt prove useful somehow down the line. Having just recently gone through the experience of shopping at Amazon (dot-c-a in my case), I only just this week discovered I my personalized store with the constant stream of recommendations based on the latest books I’ve either purchased or put on my wish list. Well most of you know all about that, but it’s all new to me, because up till now I was quite happy encouraging a Canadian company by shopping at Indigo.ca, which is in many ways similar to Amazon (including the pricing) but they lack this dynamic recommendations list feature and it simply blows my mind. So for the past few days I’ve been going through the list over and over again as it changes and while I cross reference with other lists to see which books have ranked best and according to what criteria (wouldn’t want to leave that sort of decision solely up to Amazon would we?). Truly, it’s become a kind of video game to me only this one suggests authors, topics and titles that I probably would not have known about otherwise. I can tell you my wish list is mushrooming out of control and I can’t see how I’ll make the time to read everything on it, but that’s hardly the point. The pleasure is in compiling the list.

For those who like to know this sort of thing, here is the list of titles found in the pile seen above (from top to bottom):

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
Why Beauty Is Truth: A History of Symmetry, Ian Stewart
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Naked, David Sedaris
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
Baltasar and Blimunda, José Saragamo
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Márquez
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pic by Smiler

May 29, 2008

Thirteen Things About “My Name is Red” [#25]

Lately I’ve been submerging myself in some excellent books, and I’ve also been enjoying reviewing them in the loose format that Thursday Thirteen allows. “My Name is Red” by Nobel prize laureate Orhan Pamuk is a dense tale recounted by many complex and surprising characters, all of which are connected in some way. Among them lurks a murderer who must be found before he strikes again. But of course there’s much more to it than that. Here are 13 things I thought I’d share with you (and which won’t spoil your experience should you decide to read it):

1. The novel takes place in Istanbul during the late XVIth century. During this period the Ottoman empire and the strict followers of Islam were doggedly following traditions while many coveted the modernity they witnessed in Europe, where the Renaissance masters were creating lifelike paintings the likes of which had never been seen before.

2. There are two intrigues in the book, the first and most obvious being: figuring out who killed a character called Elegant Effendi, a miniaturist. As for the second intrigue... I’m still trying to figure out who “Red” is supposed to be.

3. Miniaturists are artisans who’s work consists in illuminating manuscripts. They made very tiny paintings since they only had the borders of the pages available to them as they had to work around calligraphy. As is explained in the book, miniaturists were praised for their skill and technique but were greatly discouraged from developing a style or trying something new. In fact, they were expected to make exact reproductions of the various elements from older works. For example, it was considered that there was only one way to draw a tree, or a cloud, so that if there were several horses on the same illumination, they were all expected to be rendered in the exact same way.

4. The murdered miniaturist had been working on a special and secret project with three other miniaturists, who all fall under suspicion for the murder of Elegant Effendi, since it is clear that he’s been murdered for a reason connected to their project. The other miniaturists are called Olive, Stork and Butterfly and why they are called that way is explained in the book.

5. The novel’s construction is such that the narrative switches from one character to another in each chapter. Among the non-human characters who get to tell us their part of the story there is a corpse, a gold coin, death, a horse from a manuscript, a dog, and the colour red. I found it very interesting to hear about the motivations of all the characters from their own point of view — even the murderer speaks to us — however, he takes care not to reveal his identity.

6. At the heart of the novel is a book commissioned by the Sultan. He calls on Enishte Effendi to produce this task, rather than Master Osman, who is chief of the workshop. This exacerbates a bitter rivalry between the two masters since Enishte uses the miniaturists from the workshop to work on this project. To add insult to injury, Enishte Effendi has decided to illustrate this manuscript in a Renaissance style. Although the Sultan is in favour of the project, it is considered an affront to Islam by conservative individuals and religious leaders alike.

7. So in essence, people are willing to literally kill each other over a question of drawing style. I wonder if that would happen nowadays.

8. There are no animals in this story, unless you count the illustrations of horses that are referred to quite often, and eventually become the object of much scrutiny, as it is believed that the particular horse they are looking for will be the key to finding the murderer. I love horses, I really do, but that was a lot of talk about illustrations of horses and I found that section of the story a tad longish.

9. Black, one of the principal characters, harboured a love for a woman called Shekure for twelve years before getting a chance to see her again, which happens at the beginning of the novel. They exchange notes, (thanks to the help of a colourful cloth merchant called Esther). Their quickly developing love affair is mostly a complicated and frustrating one. Shekure is apparently very beautiful, which is just great, but in my opinion is a sad excuse for putting up with her crap. That’s all I’m sayin’.

10. Pamuk really really really enjoys composing loooooong lists of things. Usually exquisite and/or quite exotic things. Fortunately it doesn’t happen too often. It just seems to. That being said, I loved the book.

11. Apparently it was quite common for miniaturists to go blind when they were old because of all the effort on their eyes their work demanded over the years. This form of blindness was so common in fact, that some masters actually blinded themselves deliberately so that they too could be revered as truly great masters.

12. The story of Hüsrev and Shirin, which is of Persian origin, comes up often in the story since it’s a story that Black and Shekure enjoyed as children, and also because it was a very popular subject seen in many manuscripts. It seems illuminations during this time were usually based on the Persian style.

13. As I understand it, there was a lot of boy love going on during the Ottoman Empire. Pamuk makes mention of it quite often as something that seemed to be acceptable in those times (or perhaps it was mostly among miniaturists?). Also perceived as normal was an astounding amount and of violence and cruelty. Not that there is any relation between the two.

Illuminations:
Hunt (top)
Arifi, Guy-u Chawgan. From Sarai Albums. Istanbul, 1539.

Sultan Murad II at Archery Practice (bottom)
Huner-nama ('Book of Skills'). Istanbul, 1584. Hazine 1523

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May 28, 2008

Spunky Lady

I never thought that I would envy and 84 year old lady her spunk and energy. I should interview her to ask just how she does it. I invite you to watch this unmissable show. I’ll be right over there taking a snooze.

May 27, 2008

Quote of the Day

“I do not mean by creativeness merely self-expression—writing a poem or painting a picture. I mean by that word something entirely different. Creativeness, reality, God, or what you will, must be a state of mind in which there is no repetition, in which there is no continuity through memory as we know it. God, or truth, must be totally new, unexperienced before—something which is not the product of memory, of knowledge, of experience. Because if it is the product of knowledge, it is merely a projection, a desire, a wish, and obviously that cannot be what is true or what is real. Reality must surely be something unimagined, unexpressed, totally new; and the mind which would discover such a reality must be unconditioned so that it is truly individual.” ~ J. Krishnamurti

May 26, 2008

DIY Made Easy

My landlady helped me put up a medicine cabinet in my bathroom today. This is a big event because for the past eight years I’ve been getting by with a framed mirror which looked nice enough but wasn’t at all practical. And then about eight months ago there was this big crash in the middle of the night which ended up being caused by the mirror, which had apparently had enough of hanging there. It miraculously didn’t get shattered so had since been leaning up against the wall behind my sink. When I moved in here (eight years ago), they did have a cabinet up but the thing was ancient and kind of revolting. The plastic was yellowed and the frame on the mirror had a plastic fake wood texture which was kind of retro, but still just too horrendous. I kept looking for cabinets over the years and just never found one that I liked which would fit in my tiny bathroom. A few weeks ago I had a bit of a brainwave and decided to make a little salvage project out of that dingy old cabinet and with my can of mat silver spray paint it went from drab to fab in no time! I usually avoid asking for help unless it’s absolutely necessary, but I’m glad I did, otherwise it would probably have taken another six months to get it installed. So basically if you leave out all the months and years it took before getting to this point, it all got done in a real jiffy! Now I can’t stop looking around to see what else I could spruce up with all that silver paint I’ve got left over. I’ll find something eventually, I’m sure.

May 25, 2008

The Great Escape

Who hasn’t done their fair share of experimenting with escapism over the years? Sometimes, it’s veered towards the not so wholesome for me, while other times I became so fixated on being fit and healthy that my form of escapism involved pushing myself (too) hard and didn’t end up feeling like escapism at all. I’m not so much escaping into exercise and yoga lately, even though I really do want to get back into that groove. But nope, these days I’m mostly escaping into my books (reading those I’ve got and researching those I want to read next), there’s a bit of drawing that gets done, and then (and it feels strange to admit it): there’s night time television. I’m absolutely obsessed with cop shows and doctor shows. Not all of them mind you, I’ve got my favourites but whichever one it may be, there’s something irresistible with that whole formula — the show always starts with people either dead or on the brink of a horrible death, and they always always manage to resolve things within 50 minutes. While it’s not like everybody lives happily ever after, at least you know who the bad guys are, or what strain of horrible bacteria paralyzed the patient this week. The sense of closure is addictive — because let’s face it, how many big problems get solved like that in real life? — I can even coast on that closure sensation several minutes after the show has ended, sometimes even more. It’s a good high.

The whole nighttime television thing started at my grandmother Sonia’s. We’d sit the three of us in a row, my grandmother, me and my father on her couch at her flat near Haifa, watching cop shows which had Hebrew and Arabic subtitles at the bottom of the screen. I specifically remember being all of ten years old and watching Charlie’s Angel, and how grown-up it made me feel that I was allowed to watch it, even though it was a little bit scary for a naive young girl, and even though it would always finish well past my bedtime. Now, fast forward to nearly three decades later and I still feel like I’m just a kid. And somehow watching Law & Order, House and CSI New York still gives me that feeling that I’m doing something slightly naughty — since of course I haven’t asked for anyone’s permission — but that’s precisely what makes the whole thing just a little bit more fun.

May 24, 2008

A Quote and Some Insights

“Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors.”
~ Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863 – 1938)

I wasn’t familiar with Stanislavsky before, but this quote of his really resonated with me. Looking him up, I discovered just how influential he was in shaping the acting techniques actors use up to this day. While I’ve left behind my own vague notions of becoming an actress someday, I have been thinking quite a lot about my role in life; those roles that are within my range, those that are more of stretch, those I’ve turned down, those I just don’t have the right attributes for, those that just might be a good fit and those I’ve never even considered before. In terms of work, I’ve always positioned myself to play one of the lead roles, but have been wondering ever since I’ve been on sick leave if perhaps my ambitions made me push myself too hard? I ask myself, “maybe it would be okay to play smaller part?” But I find it hard to conceive that I’d be able to tolerate that for too long. I’m still in no position to reevaluate and look at all of that too closely. Just dwelling on the topic, as I am now, makes me feel nauseous and dizzy. It’s amazing really, how loaded such a seemingly simple quote can be. I don’t know what kind of actor or director Stanislavsky was, but I’m not surprised he’s managed to leave behind such a strong legacy.

Stanislavsky was a Russian actor, theater director, and creator of the Stanislavsky acting ‘System’ which was later adopted by many of Hollywood’s greats, such as Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, James Dean, Benicio Del Toro, Elizabeth Taylor and Hilary Swank to mention just a few.

May 23, 2008

Who Would Eat an Elephant?!*

It’s been a day. Just a day. Not an especially good day, not an especially bad one, not a productive day, but I wasn’t a complete sloth either, no big breakthroughs, no progress, no extra baby steps taken or bites chewed off my metaphorical elephant, but no gloomy moods either, no feeling like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I wasn’t especially adventurous, but was still intellectually curious. The only reason I’m writing about this day, is because if I don’t make some sort of effort to remember it, it’ll surely vanish into a hazy blur of countless unmemorable days, and that’s just a shame. Because I find there is poetry in the ordinary. Ordinary is actually kind of exotic to me (but much less exciting obviously). So I guess one could say that as far as learning to appreciate the ordinary, the ho-hum, and the un-extraordinary I’m doing really well. And now that I’ve written that last sentence I’d better not dwell on the implications of what I’ve just said too much because I’ll surely end up wanting to shoot myself (but that’s never been an option as far as exit strategies go for me, so no worries).

What did this day look like? Dim, it looked... dingy, even. It started out with just barely enough light, but not quite, as I was waking up the intermittent sweet sounds of a roaring chainsaw were going on endlessly. How I managed to sleep through that for more than one minute, I don’t know. I’m a very resolute sleeper I guess. That blasted thing sounded like it was about to break into my bedroom, and then when I looked out the window, I saw they were in fact just outside my window and in the process of doing a horrible number on my tree, like a real horror show. My beloved tree, which stands in my neighbour’s yard and which up until recently, provided me with a beautiful lush canopy of green leaves which had the merit not only of giving me privacy, but also of bringing me straight to the edge of the ocean - the rustling leaves sounding exactly like waves dissolving onto the shore. So I guess you could say I spent the morning mourning the tree. In truth, it’s a very old tree, and a huge one (maybe 6-8 stories high where my building has only 3) and I could tell it hadn’t been doing well — the leaves just hadn’t fully come out as they should have this spring, and it had occurred to me that if it were to say... snap, in a violent storm for example, there were fairly good odds that the tree might have toppled onto my roof and shattered through my windows, killing both Fritz and I in the process, which really would have been a great tragedy — one which might easily been avoided had they cut down the tree to begin with. Sigh. I could tell the workmen didn’t give a damn one way or the other. For them, it was just another annoying tree to get out of the way. Sad.

I wanted to go outside, I’d promised myself I’d go outside today, I even had a little pile of things to bring along since I had errands to run — I was going to cash a cheque from the federal govt. for a tax refund, which yay! only not, because the provincial govt. is claiming three times as much with interest of course. Did you know that Canadian taxes were supposed to be collected only as a temporary measure to help through the war (I’m not sure which — The Great War or WWII obviously) and then they simply continued collecting without asking or telling anyone? Which means they’ve been robbing us all those years, the bastards. In any case, after taking care of that, I wanted to drop by a gourmet shop at the market to get a new bottle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, since they have quite an amazing selection, though I’m sure I’d end up getting a couple of other things since they happen to have an amazing selection of everything gourmet you can imagine. After that I had considered continuing just a little bit further and taking a walk along Lachine Canal, which is where I started to get confused in my planning because then does it mean I should bring the camera or not? And should I get my groceries on the way back instead so that I’m not juggling with my olive oil as I’m trying to take a shot?

But none of that mattered in the end since I felt a little bit sickly today and it was freezing outside (and in the apartment as well) and there were intermittent bursts of rainfall which looked more like sheets of rain. In short, the weather was particularly uninviting, and although I’ve been dying to put on my Wellingtons and go muck about in puddles, it just wasn’t that kind of day. It was more the kind of day where, walking along Lachine Canal, the winds would have torn the hood off my head (I’d have known better than to take an umbrella), and then my hair would have wildly flapped about till it got cold, wet and stingy, the better to whip furiously at my face and eventually end up plastered onto forehead, eyelids, cheek, nose and mouth in a most disgraceful arrangement, looking like a hairdresser’s nightmare.

I decided an indoor escape was in order and spent hours upon hours poring trough book lists and suggestions and then reading about books that I’d like to read someday. I even actually read a book. I only point that out because it never escapes me as I’m considering all these possibilities of future reads that I could actually be reading instead. How I’ll ever get through my wish list, I don’t know, but that’s not really the point and it’s not something I intend to spend much time worrying about. I’ve got plenty of other worrying to do.

* A mouse: that’s why elephants are so scared of them.
How does a mouse eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
Doesn’t take take a long time?
Yes, very, but the elephant doesn’t mind as long as
there are lots of good books to read.
I knew elephants were smart, but they can read too?
No, but neither can George W. Bush.

Photo of polo playing elephant in the rain
courtesy of Tom Claytor

*******

These pictures here? That’s a bit of silliness I toyed with. imagechef.com lets you to pick from a selection of photos and customize the text — Their image selection is... limited, but it’s perfect stuff for a rainy day.

May 22, 2008

Thirteen Things About Elephants [#24]

“Did I ever tell you how I shot a wild elephant in my pyjamas? How he got into my pyjamas I’ll never know.” ~ Groucho Marx

It so happens that I tend to love all animals, but elephants are really really special. Their longevity is impressive, living up to 70 years old, and of course their physique is imposing; their sheer size and weight, that trunk with some 40,000 muscles, not to mention their big brain which makes them so smart. Lately, Rosie the elephant in Water For Elephants single handedly rekindled my elephantine passions. As a result, I’ve been trying to sketch elephants this past week or so, which is more difficult than I thought. Here is some elephant trivia:

1. The African and the Asian elephants are the only two surviving species of what was in prehistoric times a diverse and heavily populated group of large mammals including mammoths and mastodons. Today’s elephants are threatened by hunting and habitat destruction.

2. An easy way to tell African and Asian elephants a part is by looking at their ears. African elephants have very large ears while Asian elephants have much smaller ears.

3. In Buddhism, the Elephant is a symbol of the strength of the mind and embodies the boundless powers of the Buddha which are miraculous aspiration, effort, intention, and analysis. Ganesha, one of the best-known and most worshiped of the Hindu deities, is widely known as the Remover of Obstacles. His image, with the distinctive elephant head, is found all over India.

4. Jumbo The Elephant was a very large African bush elephant from French Sudan, born in 1861. He was eventually sold to P. T. Barnum in 1882 for $10,000. His name, “Jumbo” eventually entered popular jargon to signify “very big”. Jumbo was indeed very big — his height was claimed to be approximately 4 meters (13 ft) by the time of his death — but his size is often greatly exaggerated in depictions of him. My father had this image of him when I was a small child and I took care of framing it since (click to enlarge).

5. “I have a memory like an elephant. In fact, elephants often consult me.” ~ Noel Coward

6. Much of elephant behaviour points to their extraordinary intelligence. Their brain is larger than any other land mammal’s. Much like humans, elephants use and make tools and show a range of complex learning skills and behaviors. In elephants, the large amount of cerebral cortex, especially in the temporal lobe, and the well-developed olfactory system, structures associated with complex learning and behavioral functions in humans, may provide the basis for such complex skills and behavior. Here’s an interesting BBC Science & Nature article about elephant intelligence. The saying that elephants never forget has been backed by science: see this BBC News article.

7. Fossil records suggest that the elephant has some unlikely distant relatives, namely the small, rodent-like hyrax and the “sea cow”, better known as dugong.

8. Hansken (1630 - 1655) was a female elephant that became famous in early 17th century Europe. She toured many countries, demonstrating circus tricks. This chalk sketch is one of four made by Rembrandt when he saw her in Amsterdam in 1637 (click to view larger). In the 17th century, it was believed that elephants had very advanced intellectual abilities. Following Pliny, it was thought that the elephant was the nearest to man in intelligence, and that elephants could understand speech, follow orders, and had a sense of religion and conscience. Pliny even reports that an elephant had learned to write words in the Greek alphabet. Hansken didn’t qiote live up to these expectations, but she still had a few tricks in her bag.

9. “My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It’s in the apartment somewhere.” ~ Stephen Wright

10. An elephant joke is almost always an absurd riddle or conundrum that involves an elephant. Sometimes they involve parodies or puns. Elephant jokes were a fad in the 1960s, with many people constructing large numbers of them according to a set formula. Elephant jokes are often made up of a series of connected riddles, resulting in compounded absurdity. Here are some examples:

Q: How many elephants will fit into a Mini?

A: Four: Two in the front, two in the back.

Q: How many giraffes will fit into a Mini?

A: None. It’s full of elephants.

Q: How do you get two whales in a Mini?

A: Along the M4 and across the Severn Bridge.

Q: How do you know there are two elephants in your refrigerator?

A: You can hear giggling when the light goes out.

Q: How do you know there are three elephants in your refrigerator?

A: You can’t close the door.

Q: How do you know there are four elephants in your refrigerator?

A: The Mini is parked outside.

~
There was an old man in France who used to get up every morning at five A.M. He would then go and sprinkle a white powder on the roads. When he was asked what he was sprinkling on the roads, he answered that it was elephant powder. The person then remarked “But everybody knows that there are no elephants in France!” to which he replied “I guess it must be working then!”
~
It was a boring Sunday afternoon in the jungle so the Elephants decided to challenge the Ants to a game of soccer. The game was going well with the Elephants beating the Ants ten goals to nil, when the Ants gained possession. The Ants’ star player was dribbling the ball towards the Elephants’ goal when the Elephants’ left back came lumbering towards him. The elephant trod on the little ant, killing him instantly. The referee stopped the game. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you call that sportsmanship, killing another player?” The elephant replied, “Well, I didn't mean to kill him — I was just trying to trip him up.”

11. Hanno (1510 – 1516) was the pet white elephant of Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de’ Medici), and the subject of the book The Pope’s Elephant: An Elephant’s Journey from Deep in India to the Heart of Rome by Silvio A. Bedini. He was the gift of King Manuel I of Portugal on the Pope’s coronation. He became a great favourite of the papal court. Trained to kneel, dance, weep, and trumpet on command, Hanno led parades, entertained at public festivals and was commemorated in paintings, poetry, and sculpture. For Pope Leo’s detractors however, the elephant became a symbol of Roman corruption. Two years after he came to Rome, Hanno suddenly fell ill, was given a purgative, and died on June 8th 1516, with the pope by his side.

12. A white elephant (also known as albino elephant) is a rare kind of elephant, but not a distinct species. Although often depicted as snow white, their skin is normally a soft reddish-brown, turning a light pink when wet. They have fair eyelashes and toenails. The expression “white elephant” is also used to refer to a rare, expensive possession or gift that is a financial burden to maintain.

13. Did you know there are elephant painters? As in: elephants who paint? If you don’t believe me, just watch this or this!

“When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time” ~ Creighton Abrams

Elephant sketch and “Jumbo” photo by Smiler
Sketch of King Manuel I riding Hanno, from title page of Leitura Nova. 16th century.
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May 21, 2008

Best Blog About Stuff?

Do I have what it takes to win a Blogger’s Choice Award in the Best Blog About Stuff category? Only YOU (and yes, that means YOU) can determine that! I’ve been told by a most kind voter that the voting site might lead to some confusion, so I thought I’d clarify the process for you right here. Of course explaining it takes more time than actually doing it, but here goes:

Click on the green button below — it leads to a page containing information about my blog and the current number of votes (12 as I write this). There’s also a yellow box inviting you to vote. Click on that, or click the “Log In” or “Sign Up” links at the top of the page.
If you’ve previously used that site, just log in (and skip to step 3). If you’re a new user you’ll be invited to create a new account. This is simply a measure taken to ensure there is no cheating on the votes, you will not receive any spam or unwanted emails.
Once that’s done, you should be taken back to my voting page. If not, simply type in “fromsmilerwithlove” (one word) in the search bar. You’ll see the name of my blog with an menu — please choose “Best Blog About Stuff” — of course you’re free to vote in other categories as well, but it’s not necessary.

Voilà, c’est tout! Merci d’avance!
And that’s it! Thanks in advance!
Bonus: unlike a politician, I won’t be making promises I don’t intend to keep. And if you ask me for a similar type of favour and I will gladly reciprocate.

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

May 20, 2008

Music on My Mind

I’ve had Souad Massi’s music on my mind all day, and though finding a quality video showcasing her talent is no easy feat, this should do.

May 19, 2008

Quote of the Day

“These rough sketches, which are born in an instant in the heat of inspiration, express the idea of their author in a few strokes, while on the other hand too much effort and diligence sometimes saps the vitality and powers of those who never know when to leave off.” ~ Giorgio Vasari

I had every intention of doing a bunch of sketches of elephants today and got a bit discouraged after the first attempt which I ended up overworking. This quote reminds me that I need to start again and again and again and not get too caught up in getting it “right”. If I come up with something worth showing, I’ll post it soon.

Searching for the Ultimate Book List

This weekend I did some Googling to see if I could find the “ultimate” book list. The Telegraph recently published 110 best books: The perfect library. As is the case for most other list I’ve looked at, this one met will much criticism in the comments section — starting with the choice of the books and authors, the facts that it has strong anglocentric and Western biases and that modern writers are poorly represented. Among the many mentions of “books and authors that should have been included”, such as Virginia Wolfe, Dostoievsky and Kundera, to name just those three, a great number of readers were predictably offended that the bible hadn’t been listed. Ayn Rand’s books were also sorely missed by her legions of American fans.

Finding a “definitive” book list is an impossible quest. A list of 100 books can hardly cover all the amazing literature that’s been written since the 18th century (if we decide to limit at that) and there’s bound to be a bias according to who has compiled the list. There are a number of lists based on “Dr. Peter Boxall’s 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die” (from the book by the same name) to be found on the internet, but even with this significant increase, no one seems to agree on that list being complete either. Some lists lean heavily towards the classics while some tend to favor modern novels (more rare, though seems to be the case on the “1001 Books” list). Lists can greatly differ depending on whether they’ve been established by experts or by a poll of readers — such as BBC’s The Big Read compiled in 2003.

One of the more interesting lists I found while doing research for this entry is The Guardian’s Top 100 books of all time (compiled in 2002), which is a “list of the 100 best works of fiction... as determined from a vote by 100 noted writers from 54 countries.” Again, with that number of books, the selection is quite limited, but it’s refreshing to find selections from Nigeria, Portugal and Iran in the mix.

After spending quite a bit of time looking at all these lists, it hasn’t escaped me that I could make better use of this time by actually reading. The book which is currently holding my interest is called My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. Although Pamuk is a winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, I have yet to see him listed on a “best of”, though I would definitely add this book to my personal list of greats. Based on all those lists, I can hardly consider myself “well-read”. But then again, there’s a large portion of classics that I either don’t remember reading, or that I have no interest in taking up to begin with — whether they are “must reads” or not. For some bookworms, bragging about how many or the “right” books they’ve read seems more important than the enjoyment of the books themselves, turning even the act of reading into some sort of race. As for me, I’m sure no one will mind if I take a few cues here and there and then make up my own list as I go along.

Advice from Mark Twain on how to start a library from Spectator.co.uk: “Mark Twain was not an enthusiast of Emma and Pride and Prejudice. ‘The best way to start a library,’ he advised, ‘is to leave out the works of Jane Austen.”

May 17, 2008

Insight

When I think of all the years and months I spent looking for true love in the course of my life, it saddens me a little. Not so much because I didn’t find what I was looking for, but rather because I think of all that time I could have put to better use. All the books I could have read, photographs taken, drawings I could have drawn, ideas and seeds I could have planted in the ground. I was determined to beat the odds, that I would find love according to my own schedule. What I found has come and gone and now that it’s all said and done, I’m left wondering why I felt compelled to keep searching far and wide, when all along I was doing just fine on my own. There is something ironic about the fact that I’ve found this perspective while going through a major depression. But I guess that’s the way it goes, you never do know where your next insight is going to come from.

May 16, 2008

On Making Plans

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinem

Last night after consulting my Job Jar, I came up with a great list of things from Friday morning to Sunday. It truly is a wonderful list, filled mostly with fun things, healthy things, useful things, and so on. One of of the items I picked was to go have a walk with my camera, something I haven’t done for quite some time now, and I planned on getting up at a reasonable hour today and start my day with the walk, since getting outside seems to be the most challenging thing to do for me these days and I’m always putting it off until it’s too late. But this morning I suppose my body and mind decided otherwise because neither alarm clock nor cat running amok nor guilt could rouse me and I just lay there in bed captive to my dreams, well into the afternoon as has been the case all too often these days. I do realize that parents of small children fantasize about that sort of thing, but I inevitably end up feeling like a lazy sloth, no matter how much catching up I do the rest of the day.

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” ~ John Lennon

I just love that John Lennon quote. It seems there are two schools of thought when it comes to planning: those who live by the book and believe life is only effectively experienced with a clear plan and a firm destination, and those who choose to go with the flow, recognizing that no matter how many plans we make, life always gets in the way. Then of course, there are those who fall somewhere in between the two groups, as I do. So while I admit that being lulled by my dreams and sleeping through a better part of the day is a very poor excuse for not having followed through on my plans today, if I’m to believe what Gloria Steinem says (“Dreaming... is a form of planning”) I could let myself off the hook and say perhaps I needed that extra dreamtime to form the right sort of plans — tailored to what I’m actually capable of delivering, while still challenging me a little. That line of reasoning certainly helps me do away with the guilt, but it somehow seems too convenient. After all, the only flaw I can see with my “to do” list was that there were far too many items on it, and there was no way I could have managed to accomplish it all in three days, which would have been demoralizing.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” ~ Lao Tzu

I just started an excellent book last night called My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, the reading of which I’m dying to pursue today, and I really feel like starting a new drawing as well — two things which were not featured on my exhaustive task list. Which means I’ll have to make choices. Either I stick to the plan because I decide than an arbitrary list of items is what will determine how I use my time over the next couple of days, or I adapt the system as suits me best and do away with the obsession of ticking off as many boxes as possible to gain a sense of accomplishment. It’s not like I’m trying to prove anything — no one is grading on how many items I manage to cram into my day, I’m not on any kind of schedule, and there is certainly no set destination. Can you tell I’m trying to convince myself really hard here? The upside is I suppose all of this makes me a good traveler according to Lao Tzu’s philosophy, which happens to be the one that suits me best for now. No Plans, and in No Rush to Get There* R Us. I’m sure there are plenty of Highly Efficient People out there to keep the machine going in the meantime.

* wherever “there” happens to be

photo: www.listography.com

May 15, 2008

Illustration Friday: Electricity

I based this drawing on a Man Ray photo aptly named Electricity (1931). I used dry pastels this time — the first time ever as far as I can remember, and I can’t say I’m enamored with that medium. I’m not crazy about the final result either, but what I am happy with is that I’ve gone out of my comfort zone and experimented a little which to me is the whole point of participating in Illustration Friday.

To view other my other Illustration Friday entries, click here.
To view other participants’ work click here.

Drawing by Smiler

May 14, 2008

Thirteen Things about Water for Elephants [#23]

After finishing the novel Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Monday night, I was tempted to start reading it all over again, but someone had already put another book in my hands (The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster) and suggested it as a follow-up. I’m more than halfway through Auster’s book already, yet find myself still steeped in the ambiance created by Sara Gruen, and her characters are still very much present with me. There’s no question that I will read it again; I just can’t wait to plunge into Gruen’s world again, filled with complex characters and interesting layers of meaning, as well as her treatment of topics I’ve always found fascinationg: the world of the circus and depression-era America. Here are 13 random things about Water for Elephants that come to mind:

1. Our protagonist, Jacob Jankowski, claims to be ninety or ninety three (he’s lost count so he’s not sure). He is currently residing in an old folks home which he hates, and is retelling the story about a three-month period that marked a huge transition period. The story goes back and forth between the prohibition 30’s and the present as Jacob reminisces about events that occurred 70 years ago.
2. Young Jacob was studying at Cornell University to be a veterinarian and was close to graduating when a family tragedy struck and changed the course of his life forever.
3. Sara Gruen actually started writing this story during NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November and is a challenge inviting all aspiring and established writers to write a 50,000 novella in 30 days. I participated last year but I don’t think you’ll be seeing a book as a result of that experiment.
4. Jacob joins the circus by coincidence. He jumps on a train one night after walking out on his final exams. He only realizes where he is the next morning when he sees the train cars emblazoned Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth.
5. As soon as the circus folk find out about his studies, Jacob is hired as the official circus vet and becomes responsible for the traveling menagerie, which includes (but is not limited to): a lion with no teeth, a friendly monkey called Bobo, a panther, a giraffe, an orangutan, 10 Arabian show horses (5 white, 5 black) and a loveable smiling elephant — who may be the smartest or the dumbest creature ever — called Rosie.
6. The circus folk described in his book are so colorful and the daily drama that makes up their lives so all-pervasive that it quickly became clear to me that most of the action happens on the train. The show itself is just a small part of their daily routine.
7. Even though all this is taking place during prohibition, there are vast amounts of alcohol consumed on the train — for some it’s moonshine and Jamaican Ginger Extract (also known as jake) while others enjoy fine bourbon and champagne. It’s a miracle they all manage to stand up after their drinking binges, let alone do balancing acts.
8. One character, a rustabout known as Camel, suddenly loses the use of his hands and feet. This is attributed to his lifelong habit of drinking jake. The drink, although considered toxic, was especially popular during the prohibition, being cheap and readily available. Although there are no precise numbers, it’s estimated that jake paralysis apparently affected between 30,000 and 50,000 victims. There was no known cure at the time.
9. Jacob gets involved in a dangerous love triangle with a beautiful married woman who’s husband happens to be a violent sociopath (described as a paranoid schizophrenic towards the end of the book). This relationship eventually leads to the truly spectacular demise of The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. I’m not spoiling anything here, as this particular scene is featured right from the start in the prologue.
10. As Jacob learns about the hierarchies within the circus — workers treated as cattle and performers enjoying preferential treatment which is doled out according to how important to the show they are considered — he is continually confronted to the brutality and injustice the workers are subjected to, for instance worker’s wages being held back indefinitely when funds are low (while performers still receive theirs) and the practice of “redlighting”, a term used to describe the throwing of circus workers off the moving train as a punitive measure or simply to avoid paying them.
11. It quickly becomes clear that Jacob truly cares for and loves animals, but there are all too many sickening passages where his nemesis takes out his uncontrollable rages with vicious and repeated beatings of Rosie, who is probably much too smart and much too stubborn for her own good but certainly doesn’t deserve that sort of treatment.
12. In an interview with the author, Sara Gruen at the end of the book, she explains how she went about to do her research and what some of her inspirations were for this story. She confirms that the biblical story of Jacob in the book of Genesis was one layer that people might read into.
13. I just finished reading the book a couple of days ago, but I already miss Rosie terribly. I wonder if my landlords would mind me keeping an elephant in my flat?

Did I mention how much I enjoyed this book? I really really did. So far, my favorite of the year.

May 13, 2008

Quote of the Day

“I often think that the night is more alive and more
richly colored than the day.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

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May 12, 2008

Critter Love

Cybèle, Sacha-Cannelle, Ezra, Fritz, Perle, Isis, and Daisy — these are the names of just a few of the animals, both real and fictional — that I know and love. That particular menagerie is composed of cats and dogs and... an elephant, though I tend to take a shine to most every critter in the animal kingdom that I come across. This one up here is no exception. I’ve forgotten how he came to be mine, though I have faint recollections of a shop with beautiful artifacts having a closing sale. Yes, he’s just a small sculpture and I have no idea what kind of creature he’s meant to represent or if he’s the product of the artist’s imagination, but every time I look at him, he makes me smile. I am often tempted to sketch him, just for the pleasure of exploring his sinewy lines over and over again. The advantage this little guy has over many of the animals I know is that he can keep perfectly still for long stretches of time, unlike Fritz for example, who refuses to keep a pose more than 3 seconds at a time. This might explain why you are more likely to see drawings of this inanimate critter again before catching a glimpse of a drawing of Fritz; the little devil even manages to wriggle around when he sleeps.

May 11, 2008

This is for you...

... because you’re fierce

... because you’re my friend.

This is true everyday but Mother’s Day is
as good an occasion as any to tell you again...

I love you.
xx

Top photo: Nobert Rosing for National Geographic
bottom photo unknown

May 10, 2008

Quote & Drawing

“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”
~ Albert Camus

Drawing by Smiler
Conté on dark paper

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May 9, 2008

Mullah Nasrudin: Moon or Sun?

Nasrudin is sitting in a café. One of his neighbors says,
“Hey, which is more practical - the Moon or the Sun?”
“The Moon, of course!” Nasrudin says without thinking.
“But why?” “When do you think we need light more -
in the daytime or at night?”

Photo by miss insomnia tulip, Flickr

May 8, 2008

Thirteen Things About Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke [#22]

I just finished Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell in the wee hours of the morning. It was a very satisfying read and I considered writing a book review of sorts, but then realizing that today is Thursday and that I hadn’t participated in the Thursday Thirteen last week, I thought I’d do a list of 13 Things about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell:

1. The book looks a little bit intimidating what with it’s 800+ pages, but you quickly forget how huge it is once you get into it — except for the wrist strain you might experience from holding it up.

2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell are the two main characters of the book. We’re introduced to Mr. Norrell first, who quickly establishes himself as the only magician in England. Later on, he meets Jonathan Strange who becomes his pupil.

3. We’re repeatedly told that Mr. Norrell has the most comprehensive collection of magic books in all of England, with a library containing some four or five thousand volumes. These books are the only source of existing knowledge for anyone who wants to practice magic. One of the reasons Norrell’s collection is so large is that he’s acquired all the magic books on the market over the years — mainly to ensure that no one else has access to them — and he guards them jealously. He eventually lets Strange read some, but by no means all of them.

4. Norrell & Strange are much like Jekyll & Hyde. Where one is reclusive, insecure and intent on doing things “by the book” (Norrell), the other is gregarious, outgoing, and all too willing to experiment and push the envelope (Strange). They are like two sides of a coin alternatively enjoying each other’s company and openly engaging in feuds.

5. The book takes place in the early 1800's during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Norrell and Strange are eager to put magic at the service of the British army in order to defeat the French. Though they meet with much resistance at first, eventually the Duke of Wellington makes good use of Jonathan Strange’s growing talent (which is largely attributed to the forty or fifty books he’s managed to wrangle from Norrell as well as his own inventiveness).

6. It quickly becomes quite clear that the kind of magic that is performed by a “real” magician in this book has nothing to do with the kind of lame lounge acts that passes for magic in these parts; there’s not a hint of a playing cards, top hats or bunnies. The author has taken every liberty so that what is called “magic” is in fact more akin to the order of miracles.

7. One of the reviews on the front cover of the book says “Ravishing... superb... combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austen into a masterpiece of the genre that rivals Tolkien” ~ Time

8. If you want to raise someone from the dead, all you have to do is summon a faerie who will demand as payment half the person’s remaining lifetime and a left pinkie finger.

9. Unlike what I learned from faerie books as a child, faeries can be male and can also be incredibly superficial, vengeful and bloodthirsty creatures who can and will make anyone’s life a living hell... just for the heck of it.

10. You don’t have to be English to appreciate English magic and/or this book. In fact, Susanna Clarke has done a brilliant job at recreating the scenery and settings, the clothes, the sights, the smells, that you are easily transported the 19th England, whether you’ve been there or not.

11. I enjoyed the storytelling, the prose, which read very much like a 19th century book, the overall pacing, the little details such as ancient spelling on some words and the use of “footnotes” which serve to further inform the reader about English magic, yet did find that all this sometimes weighed the story down.

12. The critics part 1: “Clarke's narrative is a studious pastiche of leisurely, discursive 19th-century prose, complete with archaic spellings (...) and a copious use of faux-pedantic footnotes. The result is a sort of Jane Austen Powers. (...) If the book ends up as engaging rather than riveting, cosy rather rather than visceral, that represents a distinguishing mark of its sub-genre as opposed to a flaw in the author's craftsmanship.” ~ Charles Shaar Murray, The Independent

13. The critics part 2: “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is at heart a book about the present’s relationship to the past. In its pages Clarke takes the accepted fabric of English culture and inserts just a single new thread: that during the Renaissance, magic actually worked. (...) What makes the novel so impressive, however, is Susanna Clarke's flair for pastiche and her astonishing explanatory footnotes.” ~ Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

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May 7, 2008

The Tortoise And The Hare (epilogue)

The lesson of The Tortoise And The Hare as interpreted in the article which I posted yesterday is a valuable one — especially in an age where speed and efficiency are the most highly praised qualities — but it has always left me wondering what to make of those individuals who are alternatively faster or slower than most. I wonder about that because I myself have spent the better part of my life switching between turtle and hare behaviour, depending on where my energy cycles took me, or as the doctors would say, depending on which end of the bipolar spectrum I happened to be in. I’m wondering about all this because I find myself in a place that feels unnatural to me and which I suspect is in large part due to the medications I’m taking. It’s not so much that I think there’s anything wrong with being slow of body and mind, but lack of motivation is not easily overcome and I’m constantly expecting the energy surge to kick in as it always has before so I can get up and start making up for lost time, do all the things I want to do and get my self-esteem back. I could always count on that before, and now that it’s been taken away from me “for my own good” I find myself having to learn to function with only half of the tools that I came equipped with in the first place. No easy task.

My mum and I have had many exchanges about this since she knows me better than anyone, and even though I agree with her practical point of view, it doesn’t change the fact that I feel stuck. Like a dog tied to a pole after it’s spun it’s way around it to free itself, only to find it’s run out of chain and is choking stuck. How to explain to the dog that it’s tied down for it’s own good when the animal remembers the joy of running careless and free? How to explain to someone who is capable of being a turtle and a hare, and also a horse, dolphin, buffalo, eagle, frog, wolf, deer crow or antelope (among others) and isn’t bound to any of those creatures that from now on she must live solely as a turtle, and a particularly slow one even by turtle standards? With all due respect to the self-loving turtles out there, how do I make peace with the fact that someone else has chosen that I’m better off being slow when I’m happiest being fast (or at least free to roam)? I hope you forgive me for all this self-pity, and I know I’ll eventually surmount it but I guess I’m not done mourning the parts of me that I happen to love most.

May 6, 2008

Mullah Nasrudin - The Book

While on a trip to another village, Nasrudin lost his favorite copy of the Qur’an.

Several weeks later, a goat walked up to Nasrudin, carrying the Qur’an in its mouth.

Nasrudin couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the goat’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!”

“Not really,” said the goat. “Your name is written inside the cover.”

The Tortoise And The Hare

The classic tale of the tortoise and the hare reminds us that different people take life at different speeds and that one way is not necessarily superior to another. In fact, in the story the slower animal ends up arriving at the destination first. In the same way, some of us seem to move very quickly through the issues and obstacles we all face in our lives while others need long periods of time to process their feelings and move into new states of awareness. For those of us who perceive ourselves as moving quickly, it can be painful and exasperating to deal with someone else’s slower pace. Yet, just like the tortoise and the hare, we all end up arriving at the same destination eventually.

People who take their time with things are probably in the minority in most of the world today. We live in a time when speed and productivity are valued above almost anything else. Therefore, people who flow at a slower pace are out of sync with the world and are often pestered and prodded to go faster and do more. This can be not only frustrating but also counterproductive because the stress of being pushed to move faster than one is able to move actually slows progress. On the other hand, if a person's style is honored and supported, they will find their way in their own time and, just like the tortoise, they might just beat the speedier, more easily distracted person to the finish line.

It's important to remember that we are not actually in a race to get somewhere ahead of someone else, and it is difficult to judge by appearances whether one person has made more progress than another. Whether you count yourself among the fast movers or as one of the slower folks, we can all benefit from respecting the pace that those around us choose for themselves. This way, we can keep our eyes on our own journey, knowing that we will all end up together in the end.

~ Adapted from a DailyOm article, from December 27, 2007

Every day I receive this kind of inspirational article from DailyOm. This one in particular spoke to me today. And while it’s an interesting article, they don’t mention anything about people who alternate between being tortoises and hares, as I have. Those individuals must be particularly rare. I definitely know what category I’m in right now. What about you?

Illustration from Project Gutenberg

May 5, 2008

Ever Been This Tired?

That’s the kind of day it was for me.

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May 4, 2008

Off-Kilter

Just a quick entry tonight. I went to bed with a headache last night and when I woke up this morning, the headache had worsened and I felt the symptoms of a cold. I hadn’t had a cold in the past 18 months at least, and seeing how isolated I keep myself and the amount of vitamin C I get, what with my freshly squeezed grapefruit juice every morning, have no idea how I could have caught it. To top it all off, it was grey and gloomy outside and the apartment was freezing, so I just stayed toasty under the covers and wafted back into sleep with Fritz lying on top of me. I was late afternoon by the time I woke up again, at which point I had every intention of doing something with myself, but soon realized my brain had turned to cottage cheese, a condition which apparently could only be alleviated with a long nap, again, with Fritz laying on top of me. After getting all that sleep, of course I felt out of sorts and the best I could manage this evening was to make myself a delicious salad and watch Dexter, Cold Case, and House reruns on TV. Can’t be a champ every day I guess (but my salads really do rock).

May 3, 2008

Domestic Luxuries

Not to say that I’ve turned into Martha Stuart all of the sudden, but I am getting some pleasure out of small domestic tasks these days. Normally, this is no fun at all because a) I don’t particularly like cleaning/tidying and b) I always end up taking on too much, with every task growing exponentially, which means I end up racing around to finish, only to end up in an exhausted heap and feeling completely inadequate. So. One thing at a time. I’ve decided if I’ve done one thing in my day, it’s a good day. Two things, even better. Three things, wow, I’m a champ (and so on).

One little luxury I indulge in is ordering my groceries over the phone. There’s a supermarket downtown which usually has a nice selection of produce and so once a week, I call them, tell them exactly what I need — and anyone who knows me understands the level of detail that must involve — I’ve actually taught one of the shoppers there how to pick produce for me (it took time, but it was well worth it). An hour or two later, there’s a delivery boy at my doorstep. Love it. Why I haven’t always done groceries this way is beyond me. Yesterday I decided to make good use of the waiting time and cleaned the fridge while it was almost empty. It was well worth it — having a full and neat fridge inevitably gives me the fleeting impression that all is well in the world.

A more serious treat comes in the form of the The Laundress products I ordered online this week. They’re luxury laundry supplies which are biodegradable, made with natural ingredients, and of course, not tested on animals. They also have addictive scents which is what keeps me wanting more. I discovered The Laundress when one of my all time favourite luxury stores—known as Caban—had their going out of business sale, with some products at up to 80% off. I had purchased the whole line then and used them with such parsimony that I managed to stretch them out over two years!!! I’m such a big fan that I wrote a glowing review last year too. Just recently I was quickly running out of the last drops of suds and decided buying more of those products, even at full retail price is a good investment for me. Just seeing all the bottles neatly laid out on the shelf above the washer makes me feel better when I’m not having the best day. So as it turns out, happiness doesn’t come in a pill, it actually comes in suds. Whatever works, I say.

May 2, 2008

Nice Exposure

Once again, one of my photos is being featured on A photo a day from planet earth today. They’re always looking for material and they publish all kinds of images, from travel shots to closeups of details, plants, people, animals, you name it, so if you have some photos you’d like to contribute, don’t be shy to send them in! The submission process has been greatly simplified since they created a Flickr group, which means if you’re already on Flicker, it only requires on click. To join: http://flickr.com/groups/planetearthdailyphoto. If you’re a photo enthusiast and you’re not yet on Flickr, I highly recommend you join. It’s really the best way to store/organize/share your photos and view images from around the world, and you can join for free! If you can’t be bothered with Flickr right now, they also accept email submissions. For more details visit A photo a day from planet earth. This message has not in any way been sponsored by Flickr or it’s affiliates.

Talking Cats

This post will probably be best appreciated by fellow cat lovers. The first video was sent to me by my uncle yesterday, and then when I started digging around on YouTube a little bit, I found a whole bunch of talking cats. On some videos the cats sounded like they're actually saying words but that seemed fake to me so they didn’t make the cut. I’m inspired to try teaching Fritz how to sing a song — now wouldn’t that be special?

May 1, 2008

Books to Stock Your Library With if You Don’t Read But Want to Appear Smarter Than You Are

I love me a good book list. As I was telling my friend Jodi Cleghorn, I have a complicated relationship with book lists. On the one hand, book lists are good reminders of the great books I’ve read and all the many books I’ve yet to discover. On the other hand, I’m always disappointed to realize how few of the listed books I’ve actually read or remember reading. The following list comes to me via the aforementioned Jodi Cleghorn. It is apparently a list of 106 books that people have bought but have never gotten around to reading. In other words, books that people buy to make themselves look smart. I myself can’t quite afford to do that so obviously don’t own them all so am hoping that my intelligence is increasing with each book that I do read. I’ve indicated which of these books I own in italics those that I’ve already read are in bold, and those that are underlined are the ones I would like to read sooner than later but do not currently own.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke (I happen to be reading it right now. Can’t put it down even though it’s 800+ pages and weighs a tonne)
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy. I read it a couple of times (1st time being at age 12)
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Read it 20 years ago and will read it again this year)
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien
Life of Pi : a novel, Yann Martel (own it, read it, have every intention of reading it again)
The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco
Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Ulysses, James Joyce
Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
The Odyssey, Homer
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
The Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
The Iliad, Homer
Emma, Jane Austen
The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood (recently finished reading it for 2nd time)
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (this one’s been on my wish list for a little while)
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books, Azar Nafisi
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West, Gregory Maguire
The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer
The Historian : a novel, Elizabeth Kostova
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce
Love in the Time of Cholera. Gabriel Garcia Marquez (want to read it again this year)
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (looking forward to a 2nd reading)
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
Foucault’s Pendulum, Umberto Eco
Middlemarch, George Eliot
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
Dracula, Bram Stoker
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess (started reading it and got scared by the end of page 1. Might give it a try again someday)
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
The Once and Future King, T.H. White
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel, Barbara Kingsolver
1984, George Orwell
Angels & Demons, Dan Brown
The Inferno, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey (I’ve seen the movie countless times, does that count?)
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift
Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (started reading and couldn’t get into it)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
Dune, Frank Herbert
The Prince, Machiaveli
The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir , Frank McCourt
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy (I’ll be reading this one soon)
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present, Howard Zinn
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
Dubliners, James Joyce
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Slaughterhouse-five, Kurt Vonnegut
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley (I also have Lady of Avalon and Priestess of Avalon waiting on my bookshelf)
Oryx and Crake : a novel, Margaret Atwood (I usually enjoy her books, but I couldn’t connect with this one so didn’t finish)
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed, Jared Diamond
Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
The Confusion, Neal Stephenson
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

Persuasion, Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger
On the Road, Jack Kerouac
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything, Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig
The Aeneid, Virgil
Watership Down, Richard Adams (saw the movie as a kid and it made an indelible impression.)
Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien (read it as a child)
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
White Teeth, Zadie Smith (read On Beauty but not this one)
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas

Which ones did you read? Which will you steer clear of?

List updated on 20/02/09

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