August 31, 2008
New Day, New Blog
I've decided to create a little web site for my art hobby. Check it out and let me know what you think. It's just thrown together, and will be better over time, but I just wanted to get the main pages in and put stuff on there so it wasn't so bare.
Cards by Carin'
August 29, 2008
Reading for Leisure #7: Essex and McKitrick
Essex, Christopher and Ross McKitrick (2007): Taken By Storm: The Troled Science, Policy, and Politics of Global Warming. Key Porter Books, Toronto.
This was a book that was written by two scientists which specialized in weather related science. For example, one was a climatologist. For two scientists, they sure forgot to write a thesis in the beginning, for i went the entire book not know exactly what they were against. Were they against the politics of climate change or did they not believe in it at all? At the end, they finally say both. However, the lack of road mapping made that obscure for the most part.
Also, I find they had their audience confused. They described everything from politics to math with childish examples, but assumed that pointing that out those facts automatically made them right. they never fleshed out their arguments, because they were so caught up in describing things. dont get me wrong, describing the math is important too, but they seemed to have forgotten to argue their point effectively.
They also didn't not rebut at any time augments which might be said about their point of view, which any one you had to take an essay class in first year uni (and these guys didn't) would know you must do to make an effective stance.
the excessive sarcasm was funny at first. but after 300 and some pages, it was a bit much and tasteless.
So what the book ultimately summarizes is that 1) there are good scientists who don't think there is proof of climate change and they are not on the fringes. 2) the studies that are used to show there is evidence of climate change are not really that good. 3)politicians dont know what they are talking about when they say "global warming" 4) any thing that politicians are doing to curb climate change (if it was happening) wouldn't help any ways. 5)climate change is just a scare done with bad science and bad politics.
In the end, I could agree with much of what they said, but I some how think there is still a global warming, and they could not properly convince me of that, based on what i've said above about their argumentation. Ultimately though, this book seems more for the 'converted', since it doesn't reach out to the 'believers'. I was left with many questions that they didn't even attempt to consider.
This was a book that was written by two scientists which specialized in weather related science. For example, one was a climatologist. For two scientists, they sure forgot to write a thesis in the beginning, for i went the entire book not know exactly what they were against. Were they against the politics of climate change or did they not believe in it at all? At the end, they finally say both. However, the lack of road mapping made that obscure for the most part.
Also, I find they had their audience confused. They described everything from politics to math with childish examples, but assumed that pointing that out those facts automatically made them right. they never fleshed out their arguments, because they were so caught up in describing things. dont get me wrong, describing the math is important too, but they seemed to have forgotten to argue their point effectively.
They also didn't not rebut at any time augments which might be said about their point of view, which any one you had to take an essay class in first year uni (and these guys didn't) would know you must do to make an effective stance.
the excessive sarcasm was funny at first. but after 300 and some pages, it was a bit much and tasteless.
So what the book ultimately summarizes is that 1) there are good scientists who don't think there is proof of climate change and they are not on the fringes. 2) the studies that are used to show there is evidence of climate change are not really that good. 3)politicians dont know what they are talking about when they say "global warming" 4) any thing that politicians are doing to curb climate change (if it was happening) wouldn't help any ways. 5)climate change is just a scare done with bad science and bad politics.
In the end, I could agree with much of what they said, but I some how think there is still a global warming, and they could not properly convince me of that, based on what i've said above about their argumentation. Ultimately though, this book seems more for the 'converted', since it doesn't reach out to the 'believers'. I was left with many questions that they didn't even attempt to consider.
August 20, 2008
Reading for Leisure #6: Swann
SWANN, Leonie (2008): Three Bags Full. Translated by Anthea Bell. Anchor Canada, USA.
This book I purchased based on it's cover. It was blue and yellow and had sheep on it. I was in a small mystery book shoppe store in the Glebe and when the description on the back said the sheep solve the mystery of who killed their shepherd I bought the book immediately. Then when i opend the book i found that on each right-hand page there is a little drawing of a sheep in the corner. When the pages are flipped, the form a prancing sheep across the pages!!! SO FUN!
The first hundred pages are a bit slow as the sheep do a lot of grazing. However, the author pokes fun at human nature enough that it kept me going until the sheep finally did something.
The book was really enjoyable because the author writes the story in such a way that my reading experience really paralleled their adventure. This really makes reader feel like a part of the flock. For example, the shepherd had read them stories a lot which is why they are so clever. So when they were trying to solve the mystery, one of the big questions was 'what kind of story is this? a love story? a mystery? a horror?' The real mystery of this novel wasn't who killed the Shepherd- that's just a trick. But by the end you find in fact it was a love story all along and not a murder mystery.
It's hard to explain without spoiling the ending, or with you not knowing the subtle philosophical ramblings of the sheep. But i will say that i fully recommend this novel for reading.
This book I purchased based on it's cover. It was blue and yellow and had sheep on it. I was in a small mystery book shoppe store in the Glebe and when the description on the back said the sheep solve the mystery of who killed their shepherd I bought the book immediately. Then when i opend the book i found that on each right-hand page there is a little drawing of a sheep in the corner. When the pages are flipped, the form a prancing sheep across the pages!!! SO FUN!
The first hundred pages are a bit slow as the sheep do a lot of grazing. However, the author pokes fun at human nature enough that it kept me going until the sheep finally did something.
The book was really enjoyable because the author writes the story in such a way that my reading experience really paralleled their adventure. This really makes reader feel like a part of the flock. For example, the shepherd had read them stories a lot which is why they are so clever. So when they were trying to solve the mystery, one of the big questions was 'what kind of story is this? a love story? a mystery? a horror?' The real mystery of this novel wasn't who killed the Shepherd- that's just a trick. But by the end you find in fact it was a love story all along and not a murder mystery.
It's hard to explain without spoiling the ending, or with you not knowing the subtle philosophical ramblings of the sheep. But i will say that i fully recommend this novel for reading.
Reading for Leisure #5: Gard
GARD, Jim (2002): The Small Investor: A Beginner's Guide to Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds. Ten Speed Press, Toronto.
I read this book to get a well round knowledge of investments. I already new the basics and how they work from working as a teller at the bank, but I really didn't know much about the evaluating part of stocks and bonds. So this was a good book to flesh out all those numbers and get some suggested readings for further knowledge and good places to look for information. I'm glad I read it, and the author had a fun writing style. :)
I read this book to get a well round knowledge of investments. I already new the basics and how they work from working as a teller at the bank, but I really didn't know much about the evaluating part of stocks and bonds. So this was a good book to flesh out all those numbers and get some suggested readings for further knowledge and good places to look for information. I'm glad I read it, and the author had a fun writing style. :)
August 19, 2008
Reading for Leisure #4: Leto
LETO, Julie Elizabeth (2000): Good Girls Do! Harlequin, Toronto.
It took me so long to get through this book because of the terrible writing. However, Once i got to the sex scenes in chapter five i completed the book in three blinks of an eye. By the end of the book i was okay with it, mostly because i happened to fall upon one that included safe sex in the fantasy.
Let's start from the beginning: I suddendly decided one day that I was going to write a romance novel. "but," i thought to myself "i need to know what one is like". if you read my previous posts, you'd know i read a how-to book in april or may. i found this romance in my laundry room and picked it up because it was about a sexologist. wonderbar!
okay, so the quick and dirty plot (and i say quick, because there isn't much plot, and dirty because it's about sex) is that a sexologist who advocates for abstinence from sex. She is nominated for "Most Virtuous Woman on Campus" when her blabbing sister tells the school paper the contents of her high school diary. It reveals that Miranda the sexologist had a bad experience when she was young and hasn't dated since. She thus temperarily looses her credibility since the students say if you dont date it's much easier. they want her to prove she can remain virtuous in the face of temptation. of course the hot psyc prof Dr. Noah Yeager offers to temp her on a fancy date. They both like each other, but what with Miranda all virtuous and Yeager all respecting that, neither of them so much as kiss by the end of the date.
Her virtu remains intact, and the next day while gardening in her sister's slut outfit just for fun, Noah comes by for some action. She accepts and he pleasures her to orgasm with a watering hose. he leaves with blue balls out of total gentlemanly respect, which convinces Miranda that he loves her.
His hang up is that he breaks girls hearts and doesn't want to break hers and so wont admit he loves her till the end of the novel. but in the mean time they both want to screw any ways, and arrange a one-night-stand at a fancy resort. they have sex in the rain, and in the end she wins her virtue award and noah asks for her hand in marriage.
OKAY! so the reason i liked this novel was because the author make a one night stand virtuous for a woman. Miranda's feeling in the book is that she loves noah so much, that she must respect his decision and let him be the one to come to her if he can open his heart. She loves him tho, so wants to live in the moment and enjoy one glorious night of burning hot sex which must take place in the rain so as to not set the place on fire. on top of that Miranda and Noah include condoms in the sexual play despite the fact that it's fantasy and every thing else about the novel is contrived. The author also has the characters talk about fetishes!
I am really proud of the author for incorporating good sex habbits into characters that exist inside a highly restrictive universe. She manages to plant msg in her readers or reaffirm them while pleasing the publishers with a hot blond and a tall, dark, handsom man who are always rich and marry in the end.
This renews my interest in the possibility of writing a romance novel. Perhaps i'll put a few more on my reading list to get the story rhythm down.
It took me so long to get through this book because of the terrible writing. However, Once i got to the sex scenes in chapter five i completed the book in three blinks of an eye. By the end of the book i was okay with it, mostly because i happened to fall upon one that included safe sex in the fantasy.
Let's start from the beginning: I suddendly decided one day that I was going to write a romance novel. "but," i thought to myself "i need to know what one is like". if you read my previous posts, you'd know i read a how-to book in april or may. i found this romance in my laundry room and picked it up because it was about a sexologist. wonderbar!
okay, so the quick and dirty plot (and i say quick, because there isn't much plot, and dirty because it's about sex) is that a sexologist who advocates for abstinence from sex. She is nominated for "Most Virtuous Woman on Campus" when her blabbing sister tells the school paper the contents of her high school diary. It reveals that Miranda the sexologist had a bad experience when she was young and hasn't dated since. She thus temperarily looses her credibility since the students say if you dont date it's much easier. they want her to prove she can remain virtuous in the face of temptation. of course the hot psyc prof Dr. Noah Yeager offers to temp her on a fancy date. They both like each other, but what with Miranda all virtuous and Yeager all respecting that, neither of them so much as kiss by the end of the date.
Her virtu remains intact, and the next day while gardening in her sister's slut outfit just for fun, Noah comes by for some action. She accepts and he pleasures her to orgasm with a watering hose. he leaves with blue balls out of total gentlemanly respect, which convinces Miranda that he loves her.
His hang up is that he breaks girls hearts and doesn't want to break hers and so wont admit he loves her till the end of the novel. but in the mean time they both want to screw any ways, and arrange a one-night-stand at a fancy resort. they have sex in the rain, and in the end she wins her virtue award and noah asks for her hand in marriage.
OKAY! so the reason i liked this novel was because the author make a one night stand virtuous for a woman. Miranda's feeling in the book is that she loves noah so much, that she must respect his decision and let him be the one to come to her if he can open his heart. She loves him tho, so wants to live in the moment and enjoy one glorious night of burning hot sex which must take place in the rain so as to not set the place on fire. on top of that Miranda and Noah include condoms in the sexual play despite the fact that it's fantasy and every thing else about the novel is contrived. The author also has the characters talk about fetishes!
I am really proud of the author for incorporating good sex habbits into characters that exist inside a highly restrictive universe. She manages to plant msg in her readers or reaffirm them while pleasing the publishers with a hot blond and a tall, dark, handsom man who are always rich and marry in the end.
This renews my interest in the possibility of writing a romance novel. Perhaps i'll put a few more on my reading list to get the story rhythm down.
Vegan Recipe- Must try for ALL
My Complete Book of Raw Food ed. by Lori Baird has a lot of time consuming recipes. However, the soups section caught my interest for two reasons. One, i really like soup. Two, the raw food soups are super fast to make. Most of the soups are: take ingredients and blend. That's my kind of recipe.
"Raspberry Cream Soup" is my favorite recipe in the book (granted the only one i've tried). The recipe is by Elysa Markowitz. Big thanks to Elysa, you-health-nut-you. She makes living delicious!
Raspberry Cream Soup
3 cups of orange juice (one orange is about 1/2 a cup)*
1 1/2 cups of raw cashews
1 box of raspberries
1 orange sliced
1. Squeeze orange juice.
2. Blend orange juice and cashews.
3. Add half the box of raspberries and blend.
4. Add rest of raspberries to 'broth'
5. Garnish with orange slices.
*note: I used only two cups of orange juice for a really creamy texture.
"Raspberry Cream Soup" is my favorite recipe in the book (granted the only one i've tried). The recipe is by Elysa Markowitz. Big thanks to Elysa, you-health-nut-you. She makes living delicious!
Raspberry Cream Soup
3 cups of orange juice (one orange is about 1/2 a cup)*
1 1/2 cups of raw cashews
1 box of raspberries
1 orange sliced
1. Squeeze orange juice.
2. Blend orange juice and cashews.
3. Add half the box of raspberries and blend.
4. Add rest of raspberries to 'broth'
5. Garnish with orange slices.
*note: I used only two cups of orange juice for a really creamy texture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)