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Friday 3 August 2018

Mind Fog

I've been reading too much and writing too little. Even with my very limited posting schedule -- Mondays and Fridays -- I'm having trouble putting words together because my head is lost in what I've been reading.

Aside from the novels I've been inhaling like spring air, here's the scoop on my other reading . . . and PLEASE don't think I expect anyone to go to every, or even any, link -- the list is only to provide a glimpse of the things that have been on my mind, and if you see anything that catches your interest, the link is there to pursue it.

. . . A long, long, long piece (as in nearly 80 pages if you copy/paste it into a Word document to read at your leisure, which I did, but when you eliminate the pictures, it's only 67 pages) from The New York Times Magazine (Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change) on global warming and how we failed to do anything about it thirty years ago when we had a chance to make it better. Note: Be aware that if you do not have a subscription, you will have five free views of the New York Times sites per month before you are blocked from further access. I've only made it through the first 25% at full power reading and the rest at a skim, and it's pretty depressing, so be aware of that also.)

. . . A very readable and understandable piece on blockchains, also from The New York Times (so it will count in your five free articles per month), here: Confused About Blockchains? Here's What You Need To Know

. . . A rather shocking piece on crows that perhaps you shouldn't read if you like crows and want to keep thinking well of them: Ne'crow'philia: Why crows sometimes fornicate with the dead which pretty much tells you what it's going to address

. . . A piece on Amelia Earhart's final SOS call from Mother Nature Network which is described as "haunting" and I don't think anyone would disagree

. . . Many, many politically tinted pieces, probably too many, and I'm going to not link to any except this one from Brookings Institution, an American research group which is considered to be non-partisan, evidenced by the fact that it is referenced equally by both conservative and liberal politicians (Source: Wikipedia). Don't let the title put you off when you get there. I found it rather comforting.

. . . On the lighter side, this piece from a few weeks ago that still makes me roll my eyes: These 'Extreme Cut Out' Jeans Cost $168, But At Least They Have Pockets (from Huffington Post) and this one as well: So, Now There Are Upside-Down Jeans No One Asked For (from MSN Lifestyle).

. . . Followed by yet another eye-roller, this time about how a good girl has gone bad: Marie Kondo wants you to buy more boxes (from TreeHugger)

. . . And finally, this from ThoughtCo: Calculating How Many People Share Your Birthday which, it turns out, does not have a straight-line mathematical answer


And since we can't have only words, words, and more words on a Donkey post, let me leave you with this:


I have never tested this statement myself, but I completely trust this cat. Wouldn't you? (source: icanhas.cheezburger.com)


 Have a good weekend, my people, and (sneaking this in here for the stalwarts who read the whole entire post, you are the very definition of dogged, aren't you?) the name of the book whose ending so horrified me that I didn't want to mention it last week is Handle With Care, by Jodi Picoult. I felt better about both the book and the author after getting a thoughtful comment from Diane Henders, suggesting that the author didn't set out to disappoint me (or any other reader); believe it or not, that hadn't occurred to me (time for another eye roll, right?). But as an excellent author herself, Diane was able to bring that point of view to the table and temper my reaction to Picoult's book. Thanks, Diane :) (You can find Diane's blog here and home page, including a link to her book information, here. Have a read; she'll lighten and brighten your day.)


38 comments:

  1. I saw the article about climate change but did not read it. I couldn’t take the depression. I’ve been reading the Canada Reads books for this year, much later than ususal due to an problem with my eyes. Hope to get them fnished this summer though.

    Have a great weekend Jenny.

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    1. I'll have to check out that list of Canada Reads books. I have a list of historical fiction by Canadian authors that looks good, too. I hope your eyes are doing better now. Having eye issues is always a scary thing.

      The article on climate change, although very sad, is something I wanted to read, as much to get to know the people who warned us as anything else, so I will soldier on and finish it.

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  2. Yes. Always trust the cat. Always :)

    I have read that book by Jodi Picoult! Now I totally understand. I was also very disappointed in the ending. And slightly annoyed. Okay, maybe a little more than slightly annoyed.

    Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Cats are highly trustworthy :D

      Ha ha! I was more than slightly annoyed also, which I will take every opportunity to say! Actually the on-line reviews were divided about 50/50 as far as I checked. So some people liked it. Just not you or me :)

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  3. I know what you mean about juggling all that reading. I read a lot, including the NYT each day, but I didn't make it to any of those articles because I just don't have time!! I'll try to take another look. That global warming story sounds awfully depressing. I remember Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes" worrying about global warming in the comic strip decades ago.

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    1. There aren't enough hours in the day to read! The Head Scheduler Person needs to do something about that :)

      While the global warming story does tie my stomach in knots, it's good to read about the men who raised the alarm and marvel at their persistence.

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  4. Those please from Amelia are heart wrenching.

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    1. Aren't they, though? And to think they were dismissed as not real. She must have been in such despair.

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    1. Yes! Yes we do! I thought of you when I read that, because you are the only person I know, on- or off-line, who does!

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  6. Of course I trust that poor deprived cat.
    Love your eclectic reading too. Braver reading than I have managed this week.
    I read a couple of Jodi Piccoult's books. And stopped. She writes well but her plots (and her take on them) seem to be designed to be controversial/confronting/topical. Slick? Anyway not an author for me. I hope your weekend is relaxing and some of the fog ebbs away.

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    1. "Poor deprived cat" - ha ha . . . that's what they all think, isn't it? :)

      I'm not a big Picoult fan, either -- even before this particular book. We had a whole bag of her books lent to us, unasked, and I want to tell the truth (that I read them) when they are returned . . . The ironic part is that while this one wasn't outstanding, it wasn't bad -- until the last few pages. In my opinion. :)

      I hope you can relax this weekend also, EC.

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  7. Thank you so much for the mention! :-) I didn't mean to make it sound as though you "should" have liked or even tolerated the ending. Sucky endings JUST SUCK and it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks of them - you're the one reading and having your own reaction.

    I've never read any of Jodi Picoult's work, and I have to say that now I have no desire to try. If 50% of the reviewers hated the ending, that's about 40% too much evidence of suckage for me. ;-)

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    1. No no no! I didn't take that from your comment at all. I was glad to get another POV that helped me not be so . . . angry, I guess, because that's how I felt. Now I can be disappointed but not angry. Know what I mean? That's a GOOD thing!

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    2. That sounds good to me. :-) I was really hoping I hadn't sounded preachy. It's so hard to convey the proper tone with typed words!

      Hey, I see that you read "A Man Called Ove" - I thought it looked good but I haven't gotten to it yet. Did you like it?

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    3. I did like it, very much, but I liked another of his even more -- Beartown. I'd recommend both of them!

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    4. I am reading Beartown at the moment. And am yet to read one of his books which I don't enjoy. And marvel at. And think about.

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  8. I've been catching up on the reading I missed while I had no internet access, but you can only do so much of that before you wonder if your eyeballs might fall out...
    And since I am so happy with the way they were repaired in 2015, I don't want to push that one too much.
    I hope your weekend is relaxing and you get your reading situation squared away.

    -Doug in Oakland

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    1. Probably I need to be thinking about taking better care of my eyeballs, too :) I always know I read too much online when my eyes are dry the next day. Enjoy your weekend!

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    2. Those "jeans" are even worse than these, and I didn't know that was possible...

      https://www.upi.com/Clear-Knee-Mom-Jeans-baffle-online-Nordstrom-shoppers/2581489496178/

      -Doug in Oakland

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    3. LOL - at least they're *only* $95!!!

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  9. So whilst you were reading all these intellectual articles I was reading about Demi Lovato's overdose, how to sell more on ebay and Justin Bieber's wedding plans. :D

    But at least I wasn't looking for cat memes. Actually, maybe I should.

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    1. I wish I had the head to read about selling on ebay. The few times I attempted, it felt like I was trudging through molasses. Really. I'd like to sell some of our stuff but I just can't wrap my head around the necessary knowledge.

      Are you slandering cat memes?! ha ha!

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    2. P. S. It's not usual household stuff, it's ancient Peanuts books and Red Rose ceramic animals and things like that. Does that sell on ebay? I can't even figure THAT out from looking . . .

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    3. just post an ad and see what happens!

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    4. I don't want to end up losing money and I'm afraid I will do so if I don't read all the rules and fine print! Ugh.

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  10. That is quite the reading list, jenny_o. I read the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly so I got that going for me. I should read more but I guess I just like turning my brain off at night and watching movies with Kyle. Have a great weekend.

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    1. Everybody has to turn their brain off, Mr. S. Novels do that for me. I used to watch TV with my kids but I drifted back to books a few years ago. Enjoy your weekend with the kiddos!

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    1. Ha ha! It's not the sleep that suffers but the housework :)

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  12. Thirty years ago there was a very powerful doco on climate change. I dont remember the name of it but I remember being powerfully affected. I have tried hard to live sustainably ever since. There were many who mocked me at the time and I would be tempted to say "I told you so" only it's not a gloating matter.....

    I admire your reading, I can no longer bring myself to be informed

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    1. Getting people to understand is so frustrating, but now it's just plain scary too. We are seeing it happen.

      I'm fortunate to have only my husband and I to look after now, so I have more time to read than I did for many years. That gives me time to read the heavy, hard-on-the-head stuff and also read lighter stuff to take my mind off it. And sometimes I feel like you and just can't do it for awhile. It seems to go in cycles.

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  13. That's a list of serious reading you have here. I'll refer back to it when all the decluttering is accomplished. :)
    However,and this says everything about me, I did look at the $168 jeans story and was convulsed with laughter.
    As for licking chicken wire - yuk!! Stupid cat.
    And finally, I'm with Diane Henders on Jodi Picoult.
    Alphie

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    1. I NEED to be decluttering instead, to be honest!

      I didn't list all the non-serious reading I do because it usually goes in one eye and out the other, but I couldn't get those jeans scrubbed out of my brain :)

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  14. I get so upset about the way man has treated this wonderful earth. Today on the radio they were talking about the plastic AGAIN. talk, talk and get nowhere.
    As for the upside down jeans, well, someone will wear them if they become fashioable. lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. The strangest things have been worn in the name of fashion, eh? :)

      I don't see any hope for world leaders to agree on action in time to save our planet. It will be up to scientists, and I'm not sure they can do enough to overcome man's natural selfishness.

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  15. Interesting, especially about the crows.

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