I made it back to Manitoba safe and sound this weekend. [yay]
There will be a new book review soon but I'm busy lately with driving 2400km back here and this roller derby tournament Toban Tussle which I'm officiating with.
I'm still looking for suggestions for Our Crazy World Series 2 starting later this summer.
-Horace
[anyone in southern Manitoba should come to the PCU Centre in Portage La Prairie and watch some roller derby]
Saturday 12 July 2014
Wednesday 2 July 2014
Updates and a review
Just some news on what's goin on with me right now. The wireless internet in my room is now disconnected because I am leaving to go back to Manitoba in 6 days so I'm making this post in a nearby MacDonalds. Yay me. Also due to matters of convenience I will be doing my uploads on Wednesdays now instead of Mondays as I have been doing.
On Canada Day (Canada's 147th birthday) I read The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. I found this novel in the discount bin in a local book store outlet and figured it was worth getting for $6.99. I procrastinated about actually getting around to reading it, I didn't think it would be all that good... Wow how wrong was I. The Time Keeper is easily the best fiction novel I have read all year (about 10 so far). I sat down and read all 222 pages of story in 4.5 hours. It is that good. Way better than the John Green books I have read, not that his are bad, but Mitch Albom is just another level above him.
Picture this: try to imagine a world in which we were entirely incapable of measuring time. There is no such thing as time, hours, seconds, minutes, none of that had been thought of. Pretty hard right? But we are the only species on this planet which pays attention to time. Deer, dogs, dolphins, no animal cares what time of day it is except people. Many animals only care if its night or day, if that. What if we had never developed the capability of measuring time? What then?
These questions are wrapped into and absolutely brilliant and powerful story in The Time Keeper. This is a small fiction novel with a big impact and I suggest everyone read it. I've already given my copy of it to my coworker.
Stay awesome!
-Horace
On Canada Day (Canada's 147th birthday) I read The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. I found this novel in the discount bin in a local book store outlet and figured it was worth getting for $6.99. I procrastinated about actually getting around to reading it, I didn't think it would be all that good... Wow how wrong was I. The Time Keeper is easily the best fiction novel I have read all year (about 10 so far). I sat down and read all 222 pages of story in 4.5 hours. It is that good. Way better than the John Green books I have read, not that his are bad, but Mitch Albom is just another level above him.
Picture this: try to imagine a world in which we were entirely incapable of measuring time. There is no such thing as time, hours, seconds, minutes, none of that had been thought of. Pretty hard right? But we are the only species on this planet which pays attention to time. Deer, dogs, dolphins, no animal cares what time of day it is except people. Many animals only care if its night or day, if that. What if we had never developed the capability of measuring time? What then?
These questions are wrapped into and absolutely brilliant and powerful story in The Time Keeper. This is a small fiction novel with a big impact and I suggest everyone read it. I've already given my copy of it to my coworker.
Stay awesome!
-Horace
Thursday 26 June 2014
Our Crazy World series 2: open
So after an intermission (while I move back to Manitoba mainly), I will be planning a second series of Our Crazy World. I am open to suggestions for what books to do in this one. Expect to see it after July. Also considering a philosophy series and a theology series... Maybe.
Let me know.
-Horace
Let me know.
-Horace
Monday 23 June 2014
Long Walk To Freedom
At midnight 24th of June, 2014, I read the 625th page of Long Walk To Freedom (Nelson Mandela's autobiography)... Well roughly midnight... and I have to be up at six...
Anyways, Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela as he remembers it. Mandela's life is one of struggle, having come to age in the oppressive, racist apartheid system. From early adulthood Mandela fought for the freedom of not only his fellow Africans but all non-white peoples of South Africa.
Anyways, Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela as he remembers it. Mandela's life is one of struggle, having come to age in the oppressive, racist apartheid system. From early adulthood Mandela fought for the freedom of not only his fellow Africans but all non-white peoples of South Africa.
The life of Nelson Mandela is an inspiring one. Having studied and become a lawyer he and his longtime friend and fellow freedom fighter Oliver Tambo opened the first black-owned law firm in South Africa. Mandela got into politics via the Africanist National Congress, although the government was white-only. The ANC fought for equality of all races in South Africa, which came with fierce retaliation from the federal government which wound up imprisoning Mandela for 27 years!
Mandela left prison in his seventies in the mid early 1990s, emerging into a different, yet far too similar South Africa than the one he left prior to his incarceration. Mandela's life was filled with struggle and tragedy but he did eventually end apartheid and the white minority's rule of the nation (no spoilers there).
Although at times it does feel like Mandela's memory of his life was rose tinted and favored him, it is not as bad as it could have been in those respects and it is obvious that people had kept this book from sounding too dreamy that in regards to Mandela. Overall the book is great and it would be impossible to shorten it from its 625 page format without omitting valuable details of Mandela's life. The final few pages of the book are also a fantastic, poetic and resonant end to an amazing story. This book is definitely a must read and hopefully you don't have to read it in two weeks like I just did.
This concludes my first mini-series: Our Crazy World. Although I didn't plan on it there is an underlying theme to this whole series and I would encourage you to figure it out, I will reveal the answer next Monday (a holiday for me), after which I will take an intermission to read some of the books I have and travel back to Manitoba where I normally reside before I start any more mini series. There will be a second 'Our Crazy World' and I am open to suggestions for it.
Thank you for reading.
-Horace
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Long Walk To Freedom: halfway there
I know it's Tuesday and I normally post on Mondays, but I was super busy last night. So now I am roughly halfway through Long Walk To Freedom (about p.312). Long Walk To Freedom (LWTF) is Nelson Mandela' autobiography.
So far in LWTF, Nelson Mandela has grown up, gotten a law degree, and started fighting the oppressive South African apartheid system. He's been to jail a bit and divorced from his first wife. So far his life has been inspirational, he co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first african-owned law firm in South Africa.
I'm sure this sounds a bit dry as a review, but it's really an update, since I'm only midway in this book. So far it is good, although my hand does get tired from holding it. Something I don't like is that the next chapter begins immediately after the previous one ends, just my own peeves.
If you're a skilled reader I dare you to pick this one up and finish it by monday when I finish off the book and begin my intermission.
-Horace
So far in LWTF, Nelson Mandela has grown up, gotten a law degree, and started fighting the oppressive South African apartheid system. He's been to jail a bit and divorced from his first wife. So far his life has been inspirational, he co-founded with Oliver Tambo the first african-owned law firm in South Africa.
I'm sure this sounds a bit dry as a review, but it's really an update, since I'm only midway in this book. So far it is good, although my hand does get tired from holding it. Something I don't like is that the next chapter begins immediately after the previous one ends, just my own peeves.
If you're a skilled reader I dare you to pick this one up and finish it by monday when I finish off the book and begin my intermission.
-Horace
Monday 9 June 2014
Radio Congo
When someone mentions 'Congo' what do you immediately think? For most of us the first thing that springs to mind is an image of war and child soldiers. In his book Radio Congo, author Ben Rawlence paints a much different picture.
Author Ben Rawlence had heard of a tin mining city in central Belgian-Congo which was a model european city in the heart of a jungle and is compelled to find it on foot starting at Goma on the border to Rwanda. Rawlence's journey brings him into contact with many locals of Congo including Pygmies, Banyamulenge (Congolese Hutus), Muntu (Congomen), various aid workers and armed forces. There is still some conflict in Congo, there are still Rwandan soldiers who have settled in Congo and the Congolese national army which is trying to rout them back to Rwanda. The Muntu and Banyamulenge do not get along and sometimes clash. Aswell there are also militias-turned-warlord called Mai Mai militias which terrorize sections of Congo, but from Rawlence's journey from Goma to Manono he was not once shot at despite being a white Brit in central Africa. He wasn't even mugged or robbed.
Rawlence adequately portrays Congo as a country with an uneasy peace, trying to make the best of the situation they live in. The most surprising face of the people of Congo are their incredible hospitality. Do not get the impression that everything is fine and dandy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still hunger problems, poverty, exploitation and the occasional violent clash. Congo is a nation recovering from devastating wars, but it is recovering and it's people are making the best of a bad situation.
The radio stations in Congo are a valuable asset to the nation's recovery. Entire towns and villages will tune into a broadcast to hear news from their country or from abroad. Television is rare in Congo, Rawlence encountered maybe three in his whole journey. Electricity is scarce but a battery powered radio requires little juice to power. The radio broadcasters, most of which volunteers, spread the news of the world to their people and the people cling to their radios to hear the news.
Radio Congo was an inspiring novel, as I read it I felt a need to participate in assisting in Congo's recovery, even if I don't know how I could. Personally I find most relief efforts short-sighted. Often relief means handing out some food and money, but to me I think a relief effort should set people up to become self sufficient so that no more relief will be needed and the wealthy relievers can move on to help another group in need. To me what is needed in places like Congo is teachers, to teach primary schools, set up education systems and teach new teachers to replace them. I this the natives of a country could protect themselves from exploitation and develop a future free of internal war.
Next up in Our Crazy World is Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography. Due to the sheer size of this book, part 1 will be next Monday (16th) and part 2 will be the Monday after that (23rd).
-Horace
Author Ben Rawlence had heard of a tin mining city in central Belgian-Congo which was a model european city in the heart of a jungle and is compelled to find it on foot starting at Goma on the border to Rwanda. Rawlence's journey brings him into contact with many locals of Congo including Pygmies, Banyamulenge (Congolese Hutus), Muntu (Congomen), various aid workers and armed forces. There is still some conflict in Congo, there are still Rwandan soldiers who have settled in Congo and the Congolese national army which is trying to rout them back to Rwanda. The Muntu and Banyamulenge do not get along and sometimes clash. Aswell there are also militias-turned-warlord called Mai Mai militias which terrorize sections of Congo, but from Rawlence's journey from Goma to Manono he was not once shot at despite being a white Brit in central Africa. He wasn't even mugged or robbed.
Rawlence adequately portrays Congo as a country with an uneasy peace, trying to make the best of the situation they live in. The most surprising face of the people of Congo are their incredible hospitality. Do not get the impression that everything is fine and dandy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still hunger problems, poverty, exploitation and the occasional violent clash. Congo is a nation recovering from devastating wars, but it is recovering and it's people are making the best of a bad situation.
The radio stations in Congo are a valuable asset to the nation's recovery. Entire towns and villages will tune into a broadcast to hear news from their country or from abroad. Television is rare in Congo, Rawlence encountered maybe three in his whole journey. Electricity is scarce but a battery powered radio requires little juice to power. The radio broadcasters, most of which volunteers, spread the news of the world to their people and the people cling to their radios to hear the news.
Radio Congo was an inspiring novel, as I read it I felt a need to participate in assisting in Congo's recovery, even if I don't know how I could. Personally I find most relief efforts short-sighted. Often relief means handing out some food and money, but to me I think a relief effort should set people up to become self sufficient so that no more relief will be needed and the wealthy relievers can move on to help another group in need. To me what is needed in places like Congo is teachers, to teach primary schools, set up education systems and teach new teachers to replace them. I this the natives of a country could protect themselves from exploitation and develop a future free of internal war.
Next up in Our Crazy World is Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography. Due to the sheer size of this book, part 1 will be next Monday (16th) and part 2 will be the Monday after that (23rd).
-Horace
Sunday 8 June 2014
Our Crazy World #2
I've been thinking of doing this mini-series again. This time I intend to focus on leaders of nations/empires. I have a few books in mind but I am still open to suggestions to include if anybody out there has any ideas.
If you know a good book, or one for Africa or South America as I haven't any covering those regions yet please do suggest them in comments
If you know a good book, or one for Africa or South America as I haven't any covering those regions yet please do suggest them in comments
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