Habemus Papam

I just heard on the radio that a new pope has been elected.  As of yet, exactly who has been elected isn't known.  The smoke signals only tell us so much.  I heard that there's a decent possibility that a Canadian cardinal, Marc Ouellet will be the first North American to receive the honour.  The patriotic part of me hopes for this, but on the other hand he's conservative by Catholic Cardinal standards which is quite a few shades too conservative for me.

I understand that it's possible to bet on papal elections.  I'm not one to gamble; I hate losing money far too much but I think that if I were to bet on anything, it would be this.  For one thing, part of the fun would come from the fact that the opportunity comes so intermittently.  For another thing, historically it's been quite difficult to anticipate who will be chosen.  This means, I would think, that there's a better chance of getting a good payout by supporting a dark horse.  I would think that the odds are not going to be quite as accurate as other forms of gambling, such as sports gambling where there's much more historic precedent to base the odds on.  Plus, it seems like a good way to get an idea of what sort of people are in the upper echelons of the Catholic Church.  I'm not sure if such knowledge provides any practical benefit, but it couldn't hurt to know it.

Thinking about this lead me to a rather brilliant and novel novel idea.  The plot would involve a scandal where the mob rigs the papal election in order to cash in on gambling.  Boom.  It seems like a safe bet that today's public would go mad over that plot.  Aspiring writers, you're welcome.

I've included some artwork courtesy of Calvin French.  The text at the bottom reads, "I once was only a cardinal.  Now I am Pope."  Crayon is an underutilized medium among artists, I feel.

I should also mention that the new pope has been announced, formal cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina.  I applaud the liberality of the cardinals in being so bold as to choose not just a non-Italian but a non-European pope.  Glad I didn't vote on this election.  I suspect I would be out some money.

How To Change

I recently read/am reading two books, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and What Good is God by Philip Yancey.  Philip Yancey is one of my favourite authors and The Seven Habits is one of my favourite books, one that I'm now reading for the second time.  It was interesting though, because of something I realized only through my concurrent reading of What Good is God.

In it, Yancey describes several different places where Christianity is making a positive difference in peoples' lives.  Maybe my favourite chapter was the one that described Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and the role spirituality plays in their treatment.  One of the steps in the Twelve Step program is admission that you are an alcoholic and that you are unable to overcome alcoholism.  (Perhaps that's two of the steps, I don't know)

In any case, members are instructed to seek help from a higher power in order to stay sober.  Of course not everybody agrees with this mentality.  However, it does a beautiful job of leveling the members.  All come together from a place of weakness and humility.  There is no need for posturing or pretension because everyone is on an equal plane, one of mutual dependence and support.

In The Seven Habits, the reader is implored to self-improvement through personal effort.  In the same way that the alcoholics are urged to change their behaviour during the meetings, the reader is urged to change her behaviour and to adopt the seven habits through force of will.  Success comes from within, rather than from beyond.

The two ideas are diametrically opposed and yet I want to accept them both.  Both have merit.  Both, if taken unrestrictedly, lead to dangerous positions.  There is the risk of accepting a victim's stance if you agree to the alcoholic's inability to change but if you think change comes entirely from within there can be big psychological penalties for failing in one's attempts to change and judgement for those who keep destructive habits.

Well, I've just about lost interest in writing this post.  I just thought it was interesting to see these two ideas side by side.  Makes you wonder.  (Well, makes me wonder at least)

On Underwear and Good Living

Yesterday as I was getting dressed I realized that it was time to throw out the pair of boxer shorts I was wearing.  Retiring underwear always follows the same routine.  One day I look down and all of a sudden realize that my underpants are well past their prime.  I never notice the first little hole or two, so finding several large holes always comes as a surprise as if everything deteriorated in one final washing.

These underwear were however, if not special, at least notable.  There are, in my experience, two ways of getting new underwear: they arrive in my stocking at Christmas or I buy them on that day when I realize I don't want to do laundry but nor do I want to wear the same underwear for even another moment.  These underwear did not arrive in either way.  These ones came to me almost miraculously.

One summer while spending time with my sister and brother-in-law Lisa showed them to me and asked if they were mine and had become mixed up in her laundry.  I was certain that they weren't mine but Luis was equally certain they weren't his.  They had just appeared somehow with the rest of Lisa and Luis' laundry.  Lisa told me I could keep them.

Wearing underwear that isn't mine is not something I ever liked the idea of.  However, I do like things that are free.  However, I don't like intimate second hand clothing because, well I don't have to explain do I.  Anyway, I eventually reasoned that my discomfort was mostly in my head.  I've often slept in hotels without a thought of the sheets that have enveloped other slumbering bodies, or even worse, non-slumbering bodies.  I've gone to restaurants and used forks that have been in countless other mouths.  So if those boxers have been washed with lots of detergent in extra hot water, what's the problem?

So I wore them.  I never liked them.  They were always last in my underwear rotation.  First my comfy MEC boxers, then some well-fitting cotton ones, then the ones that are prone to giving me a wedgie and then finally, if there's nothing else available, I'd use these ones.  They were last because, what bothered me more than the fact that they were second hand, was that they were Playboy boxers.  On the front of the elastic was the iconic bunny.

I don't understand why people would want the Playboy's emblem on their clothes.  When I was in Spain I remember often seeing young girls who had Playboy T-shirts and I always thought it was the saddest thing.  Now there are a few things that Hugh Heffner, Playboy's founder, is known for and therefore called to mind by the bunny.  Perhaps these are the images that one wishes to evoke by sporting Playboy clothing.

The first is sex with beautiful young women, many beautiful young women.  I suppose that biology dictates that at a base level, there's something attractive about this.  However, Hugh Heffner is now in his eighties and has continued his playboy lifestyle, sometimes simultaneously having multiple girlfriends who are young enough to be his granddaughters.  Whatever mystique there is about being a playboy suddenly seems like a dirty farce, about as attractive as second-hand underwear.

To a certain extent, Heffner is also famous for luxury living.  He lives in the Playboy Mansion and enjoys the finer things in life.  This for me is more tempting than sleeping around with hordes of lovely nubiles, but it's not what really tempts me about Heffner's lifestyle.

Hugh Heffner is famous for wearing pyjamas all the time.  Silk pyjamas.  Although I wouldn't necessarily say that I want to wear pyjamas all day every day, I know myself well enough to know that it's a habit that I could easily fall into.  I am naturally somewhat lazy and can spend the day undressed and unproductive just through inertia.  I don't like this quality and therefore I often have to talk myself into being more productive.

So, today I throw out my Playboy underwear, gratefully because wearing good underwear is an important first step towards having a good day.  I know that throwing the underwear out won't automatically make me productive but it's a good reminder of what life I don't want to have.  Heffner can try to sell the desirability of his playboy lifestyle but I'm not buying it.

That being said, I should remain mindful of the fact that I didn't buy my Playboy underwear; it just fell into my lap so to say.  I need to make sure that the pyjama lifestyle does not.  (So far I haven't had to worry about either wealth and luxury or beautiful nymphomaniacs falling into my lap.)

Recommending Book Part II

So yesterday's post inspired me to see if there are other authors who have published lists of their favourite books.  What I did find is a page that had 40 famous people name their favourite books.
Of course the question of what is your favourite book is really difficult, at least for people who don't like lying.  Because as we all know, the real question is, "what book do you like that will win you respect for liking?"  It's a safe bet that someone will be tempted to answer Ulysses, by James Joyce and that same person will be lying.

Confession time.  Writing my list yesterday made me think of a book that challenged what I thought about nuclear weapons.  That book did not make the list because it's The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy.  Not much respect earned for reading that book.  Or John Grisham's The Chamber which challenged what I think about capital punishment.  I'd like to include the caveat that I read both these books when I was considerably younger, but that's disingenuous because I still like books that are almost certainly merely escape fiction.

So I've thought of a more objective criterion for measuring my favourite books.  It has its own flaws, but adds a different perspective.  I should mention that my list yesterday was specifically not a list of my favourite books, but ones that have influenced me the most.  This blog is more a list of books that I've enjoyed the most, sort of.

Here's a list of books that I've read multiple times.

I would guess I've read each of these at least four times:

Flint, Louis L'amour
Blue Like Jazz, Don Miller
Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton
Reaching for the Invisible God, Philip Yancey
Yeager: an autobiography, Chuck Yeager
Treasure Island, R.L. Stevenson
A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
In a Sunburnt Country, Bill Bryson
The Lost World, Michael Crichton
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, Farley Mowatt
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Adrian Plass
and perhaps some of the Harry Potter novels.

If I include at least three times read there's a bunch more Bryson, Mowatt, Yancey, Crichton and some Clive Cussler I believe.  I've probably read a couple of Terry Pratchett novels three times, certainly twice.  The Godfather would be on the list and probably some Lee Strobel books.  If I were to guess, there are at least a dozen Louis L'amour novels that I've read at least three times.  Also the Hobbit.

A list of books that I've read at least twice would include a few dozen Louis L'amour, most Crichton books, several Grisham books, several Clive Cussler and a fewTom Clancy.  It would have some Sherlock Holmes stories, several James Herriot stories, maybe some Ken Follet.  It would include both  Brave New World and 1984, all the Harry Potter books except the last one, some Leon Uris and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

So what are my favourite books?  Tough question.  I can tell you that I'd happy to read many of the books I've listed above again; I don't know if that's true of The Brothers Karamazov!  When asked my favourite book though, many of those listed above would not be mentioned, they're just too shameful!

Recommending Books

I recently took a trip to goodreads.com and saw a list of the "best christian books" as voted by users.  I looked up good christian nonfiction because I'm tempted to think that good christian fiction is an oxymoron.  (The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass being a shining counterexample)  The first book was Mere Christianity, which I have no problem with.  Second was a book by Francis Chan that I haven't read, but I'm certainly sceptical about its position in the number two spot.  Third was one of the Lee Strobel apologetics books.

I'll forgo a in depth critique of the list.  Let it just suffice as another damning example of the ills of democracy.  It's a nice idea to give everyone a voice into choosing what are the best books, but the end result is an uninspiring list.

In contrast to the goodreads list, I went over to Philip Yancey's website where he has a list of his favourite books.  Now I understand that I'm pretty biased towards Yancey, and his individual point of view cannot offer the breadth of opinion that a democratic list would, but regardless his list is far superior.

In many of his books, Yancey describes how these authors and books have shaped him and consequently I've chosen to read many of them.  It's interesting to find what influences people, especially when it's a person you admire.

It made me think about what I'd include if I had a list of books that had most shaped me, if only by challenging my way of thinking.  Upon short reflection, here's my list.  I've spent little to no time ordering it.  Books with asterisks are those I read because Phil recommended them.

1. *Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton
2. Reaching for the Invisible God, Philip Yancey
3. What's So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey
4. Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder
5. Shake Hands with the Devil, Roméo Dallaire
6. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John LeCarré
7. Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
8. *Becoming Human, Jean Vanier
9. The Practicing Mind, Thomas M. Sterner
10. Lullabies for Little Criminals, Heather O'Neill

I think that I should read more of the books that Yancey recommended.

A question for my either of my readers.  If you could choose one person, whose list of book recommendations would you pick?

A Self Indulgent Post For A Self Indulgent Medium

Maybe my favourite Hockey Night in Canada: After Hours involved an interview with hockey legend player Paul Bissonnette.  The interview was hilarious.  Although he plays in the NHL his real fame is from his twitter account where his true skill as a comedian is revealed.  For as he loves to point out, he's spends most games riding the pine.  However, he is a true champion of the twitter world.  

For whatever reason I remembered him the other day and decided to do a search of his funniest tweets.  There were some good ones for sure and I realized that I do miss one aspect of facebook and that's the joy that comes from writing a really clever facebook status.  Considering this, perhaps I should get a twitter account.  Maybe later.  Anyway, I thought that it might be fun to go back and make a list of my best status updates and post them here.  This may seem like the height of arrogance but not if you consider that I only have three readers.  Anyway, I made the sacrifice of temporarily reactivating my account and going through several years worth of material.  There are, you may notice, some common themes.  I hope you enjoy.  

Adulthood so far has been overrated, except for the scotch. 

Ed Smith is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, and gentle but when it comes to Halloween chocolates sitting beside him, it's just not enough.

Ed Smith is no longer an amateur crastinator.

Ed is drinking beer on a Monday afternoon. So far he likes being a student. 

Ed Smith is not getting any better at thinking before speaking.

Ed is writing his paper, because it's due tomorrow and he's only just begun. The fool.

Ed started writing his paper, then decided to nap again. He's now back on track, with an obvious detour via facebook.

Ed wonders why the man in the mirror still has that ridiculous moustache.

Ed learned a lot of things at school, but not how to study.

Ed read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and decided to avoid ambition.

Ed prefers the french press to the bench press.

Ed is... er, well, he is, umm, the thing is, he's well, he's eloquent.

Ed hasn't heard a thing of Karen Gomyo for a while; however, Julia Fischer is playing at the Orpheum in Vancouver the day after Valentine's...

Ed thinks that an 8:00 am class, dimmed lights while watching a movie, comfy seats combined with a lack of sleep is more than any man could resist.

Ed types his fb status updates at 50 words per minute and his essays at 5 minutes per word. sigh.

Ed looks at cookie dough the same way a drunk looks at booze. Ed fell off the wagon.

Ed received his first pair of TOMS. Really it is a great gift. Not only do I get a free pair of shoes, but I can also give the impression that I have a well developed social conscience without having to spend a dime.

Ed is off to collect the empirical data on his study, "How not to prepare for exams."

Christmas? Tomorrow? I haven't started shopping yet! I gotta get to the liquor store.

Ed learned that sometimes when he's told that his nephew wants a hug, what his nephew really wants is his post constipation diaper changed. Rookie uncle mistake, giving him that hug.

Academic research: The desperate search to find a scholar who writes, in a peer reviewed journal, the view that you already hold.

Should I not be proud that my nephew is beating up the other kids in his play school?

It's a sign of my stress levels when I walk past the xbox on the way to do homework and I'm not even tempted.

Ed is burning dinner. (Stupid Facebook!)

Ed is starting a collection to help send a needy stalker to Victoria to see Karen Gomyo play. Make cheques out to Ed Smith. (Not eligible for a tax receipt.)

Ed is making a quiche and making a mess, but mostly making a mess.

Ed is thirsty. His two available options are water and beer. Tough choice.

Ed likes to act, and then consider consequences. Or at least that's what he does.

How do you spell bottomless money pit? C-A-R.

Ed didn't plant any trees today, but he did plant some bullets into some tree boxes. The money isn't as good but it's infinitely more rewarding.

Ed has been killing mosquitos all night; so why don't they fear him?

Ed wants peace in his heart but he wouldn't turn down world peace either. Or a piece of pie.

Ed curses the addictive qualities of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Ed wonders with George W. out of office, who the world is going to blame its problems on.

Ed studies for his midterms and hopes for a miracle. Two, actually.

Ed used to be a horrible procrastinator but a Tetris demigod. Now he's just a horrible procrastinator.

Ed is a horrible procrastinator, and not too shabby at Tetris.

Ed is a horrible (or excellent, depending on how you look at it) procrastinator and for the moment he has the highest Tetris score amongst his friends."

Ed tries to care more about his midterms next week than being bumped by Laura into second place in the Tetris world.

Ed changes his mind more often than his underwear.

Ed runs on mango power. See the man go!

Ed thinks that if time were actually money, then he'd spend all of his in the dollar store.

It isn't really procrastinating... It's not wise to jump too quickly into this important assignments, especially when they're so BORING!

Ed wonders for how many days it's acceptable to wear a pair of jeans without washing them. He hopes it's more than six.

Ed wonders if he can sue facebook for failing his courses.

Ed wonders what Sarah Chang will find less unattractive: scruffy looking stubble or clean-shaven but with a moustache.

Ed can't remember the last time he showered. It's not planting season so that means it must be nearly the end of the semester. (Don't argue. That's what it means)

Ed thinks that a double scotch on the rocks would go quite well with his exam preparations.

Ed wonders if he can get academic credit for his clever facebook comments.

Ed feels that an education is very important but evidently not so important as: napping, facebook, playing peek-a-boo with his nephew on video chat, playing halo with roommates, eating junk food, watching youtube videos and checking out hockey scores.

ted.com: all the joys of procrastination with less guilt!

Ed plants trees by day, scarfs ice cream by night. Life is sweet. 

Ed doesn't think that coffee is enough. He needs a kick in the @ss. 

Ed is going to unfriend everyone who has more friends than him. It's an ego thing.

While waiting for the bus this morning I was struck by a fortuitous epiphany, "Why go to class at all?""

When it was my textbook, I couldn't be bothered to read it. Now I'm voluntarily reading it instead of reading my textbook for the course I'm currently enrolled in.

Nothing sucks the joy out of a really good exam score like knowing the whole class did equally well.

I want there to be lots of trick or treaters so that we won't have any left over candy. However, every time that some come to the door I have another chocolate myself. I feel ill.

Went to Starbucks today and gave my one year old nephew the last few drops of my caramel frappuccino, in a stroke introducing him to three evils: sugar, caffeine, and corporate branding. I felt a bit like Satan. Boy did he smile though. Sometimes when I'm riding the bus I like to play a little game where I let myself drift off to sleep, gambling on the fact that I will wake before I pass my stop. The really exciting part is when I wake up it often takes me a little while to recognize where I am. Today I arrived home a little later than usual, but well rested.

Sometimes the cute little granny that you meet at the bus stop is actually a horrible racist.

Having trouble getting homework done. The best option is to go to bed and wake up early when there will be real pressure to complete the assignment.

(From a post early in December when I was sporting a large beard)  

Yesterday I went to the grocery store and I bought a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and deodorant. The till clerk looked at my purchases and then looked at me (my beard) and asked, "So, they getting you guys to fill your own hampers this year?"

I may have led some of you astray with my previous status update. I wouldn't say that I lied. Perhaps though, a more honest status update would be: "Yesterday I went to the grocery store and I bought two toothbrushes, two packages of toothpaste, soap, shampoo and deodorant. Then I went and used the self checkout." It's still funny, right?

I just found out that my cell phone wasn't working today. It's fixed now but it means that all those Valentine's Day texts that were sent to me didn't arrive. Feel free to resend.

I strongly feel that people who have it as a viable option, should commute with public transit rather than with personal vehicles that clog up roadways and pollute the air. After 5 minutes of waiting for the bus in -24 weather, my principles were gone. I would have gladly driven a two stroke H2 rather than wait another minute in that weather.

I must be at least 500% more efficient the last few hours before an assignment is due. Logically, it's actually a waste of time for me to do work ahead of time.

I passed a nice house the other day with a big Ford 4x4 parked out front, large motorhome in the driveway and the white, middle aged owner leaving on his Harley Davidson. When I saw this and the NDP sign on the lawn I realized that I'm not in Alberta anymore.

When wiping your bottom while in the woods it's best to avoid touching sappy trees immediately prior.

The mosquito's natural predators aren't nearly gluttonous enough, imo.

Unlimited ice cream is a little bit better than you think it is.

My two year old nephew loves the Beatles!!! He loves Ringo Starr that is. Well, to be honest I guess he loves Thomas the Tank Engine as narrated by Ringo Starr.  It's a start though.

It's difficult to write a paper when you don't understand the topic but it's easy to surf facebook. It's less easy but more satisfying to go eat something.

I'm starting fasting now. Not for noble motivations but pragmatic. I'm going to a churrascaria tonight.

FYI- Running a half marathon is considerably easier than walking down a flight of stairs the day after.

I thought that cutting my own hair might be a good way to save some money. Perhaps it's just a way.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are all well and good, but both would at best come a distant second or third to cold beer. Granville Island's Winter Ale is a probably the second best thing about winter, after hockey.

I think fruit flies are so called because they're so fruitful, especially in my kitchen. So glad I'm not Jain.

My New Year's Resolution: Publish a book. It's going to be a self help book titled "Cutting Your Own Hair: For Dummies" because I feel that the title should speak to the target audience.

During class today the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree came up. I felt that it would be an appropriate time to use the "God hates figs" joke. If the stony silence following was any indication, I was wrong.

I don't know too much about women, but I have noticed that when the topic of firemen comes up they get a bit flushed and start playing with their hair. I also know that when my toaster caught fire this morning, I didn't call the firemen for help, I dealt with it myself.

I like walking through the university library and seeing the percentage of people who are using their computers to surf facebook. Part of the reason is to see how many times I can be astounded by the same phenomenon, and partly because the hypocritical guilt later forces me to study when I'm at the library.

It's time for me to make a personal budget. That way I can judiciously set aside money for wine.

Back in high school I was a bit homophobic. I'm glad that I'm over that, for the obvious reasons of not cutting myself off from countless wonderful people and other ills of bigotry, but also because I really like homo milk.

Sometimes my laziness is unhealthy. Like when I say to myself, "I should go exercise, but I'd rather not." Sometimes it's healthy, like the times I say to myself, "I want some ice cream, but the store is too far away."

Oh Karen Gomyo! I thought I was over you!

After some careful introspection and two bowls of empirical research, I've reached the conclusion that eating homemade ice cream is better than beating Jeff Dyer and Rich Lange at the Hustle for Hunger.

They say that when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade. I usually just add a shot of Baileys to the morning coffee

I'd like to submit evidence that democracy isn't such a great idea. 
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.Best_Books_Ever 

Just interrupted my studying with a little gin and tonic break. This doesn't bode well for my brilliant refutation of the philosophical garbage that is Humean Supervenience."

It's easy to know that it's time for bed when one writes sentences such as "If there is no convincing reason to believe that the laws are grueistic, then there is no reason to believe that they are in fact grueistic." Goodnight and good riddance.

I guess one this this degree has taught me is to never scorn a philosophical position until after I've tried to write a paper refuting it. It's always a little painful going in for the coup de grace and realizing that my position is the vulnerable one.

Plato, Aristotle and Hume are all well and good, but when I want real philosophy, I read Terry Pratchett and Jorge Luis Borges.

Despite my love of puns, I really get irritated at the frequency with which the leek box bottoms break open.

Sometimes I try to think important thoughts just so I have something to post on my status update.

I'm not the first to state that our education system is deeply flawed. Children are unique but schools have a one size fits all mentality. I, for example, in response to my mediocre or late assignments, should have probably been beaten mercilessly. Maybe then I would have been able to get assignments started before the eleventh hour. (11:23 pm, to be specific)

Well I didn't beat Jeff Dyer or Rich Lange, but I did achieve my real goal of finishing before all the women.

100% of 3 year old nephews polled, think Uncle Ed is pretty awesome.

Research indicates that it's about 10 hours before the deadline that I get worried enough to sit down to write the paper and about 5 hours before that I actually close the irrelevant tabs and start writing. This strategy works fine except when there are two papers due at the same time. My fear works concurrently rather than consecutively so about 10 hours before the papers are due I get worried enough to sit down to write...

I went to work this afternoon with a serious sleep deficit but as I was stocking onions I realized that I was in a good mood. I think that there's something therapeutic about working with fruits and vegetables. Plus, if you're alert you can generally produce a good food pun.

So I'm feeling like my vote this morning went to the best candidate for our riding. I'm basing my judgement on my comprehensive election research. "Hey Clement, whom should I vote for?"

Maybe the biggest failing of university is the fact that nobody has told me what salutation to use when addressing professors in emails. I generally spend about 15 minutes trying to decide. I think I'm just going to always use "Dear". Retro is cool, right?

If you go long enough without shampoo, hair gel becomes redundant.

I'm working up in Fort MacMurray and staying at an oil sands camp. This morning I spent all breakfast trying to figure out what language the guys at the table beside me were speaking. Finally I realized English, but with a Newfie accent.

They have pretty stringent rules up here on the mine site. I feel that they've eliminated all the major hazards except perhaps the sartorial risk that is wearing denim on denim.

I made up a joke this evening. "Why should you never knit in a barn? Because you should never cast your purls before swine!"

Taking work boots off 18 hours after putting them on feels pretty good but smells pretty bad."

Found my cell phone charger after a month of having a dead phone. Turned it on to find that in that time I had received one text message. And people wonder why I hate paying cell phone bills!

Books

I love books.  I love bookshelves.  I love old, comfy chairs with afghans thrown over the back.  If there's an extra chair I'm happy to have a cat sleeping in one of the chairs.

I think the invention of the internet has dulled my love affair with books.  There's an immediacy to receiving emails that, from my perspective, seems to have dulled my attention span.  Whereas once I could sit and read for hours without distraction now I generally have to consciously refocus every few minutes in all but the most enthralling of books.  That's partly why I'm so glad to have quit facebook; I feel like it was altering my mind in a literal way.  Something is always happening on facebook and that knowledge often tricked me into believing that I should always be aware of what that something is.

Two weeks ago I spent several hours discussing books with some friends.  Favourite books, books that we wanted to like but didn't, and general thoughts about literature.  It was most satisfying.  I think that reading, while generally a solitary pastime, should be accompanied by social discussions.  I think most lessons contained with books are lost if they are not discussed with others.

I want to read more.  Not in the way people say things like "I should exercise more", or "watch less TV", the sorts of things that are perceived as beneficial but are actually like chores.  I love reading.  Sometimes I just need to remind myself of that fact.

As far as blog posts go, this one is rather pathetic.  I'm hoping that this is one of those things where "it's the thought that counts".  In any case, without posting to facebook it's doubtful that I'll have many readers.  What I mean to say is, "this blog post is for you Steph!"  Hopefully I'll have something better to write soon.

Here's a picture of roughly what sort of library I'd like.  It's too nice, and there aren't enough books either.  Plus the books are too pretentious looking.  I'd like paperbacks as well as leather tomes.  The chairs, rug, fireplace and old man are all features that will someday be part of my library.