That was pretty funny, yes.Originally Posted by roylayer
But, no, it's just that when I read about a piece --say, for instance, the First Symphony--I have to go listen to it a bunch, and read it again and again, esp. Swafford's analysis.
I may have to stop doing that, or I will literally pay a fine. LOL
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
Just finished Terry Gilliam's autobiography. Pretty entertaining, but nothing earth shattering. Now on to the type of book that I seem to go for regularly these days, and that would be science history. This one is called The Tale of the Duelling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean, about the history of how scientists figured out how the human brain functions. He has written a couple of other books that are highly recommended if you are into that kind of thing, The Disappearing Spoon (about the various chemical elements in history) and The Violinist's Thumb (about the history of genetics). He apparently has a new one on the way called Caesar's Last Breath, about air and what is in it.
"Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth. ". Ludwig van Beethoven
In the thumbnail I was trying to figure out who that old lady was.
Finished George RR Martin's Armageddon Rag and TBH, I thought this was going to veer satanist/fantasy-like (TBH, Stephen King's endorsement on the back cover hinted it that way), but it stays semi-police thriller. I hadn't realized that, although the action was happening in the early 80's, the book was that old (mid-80's), but it ends up being a fairly good novel... Surprised it hasn't been adapted on the silver screen yet.
=======================
I've started the first novel of the Mars Trilogy called Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson....
It's about the terraformation of our sister planet (the following chapters are called Green Mars and Blue Mars
The trilogy dates from the early 90's and TBH, the dates mentionned are a bit of a turn-off since KSR says the first man landing on Mars date from 2010 (just Like Bladerunner is supposed to happen in 2054, which soon will be a discredibility as well) , but other than that, it will be an extremely long trip (3 x 700 pages long). Most likely, I'll finish it by the time we'll actually land on Mars.
Last edited by Trane; 11-30-2016 at 09:16 AM.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
hahaha yeah sort of missed out the book title: 'Tony Iommi' . Sorry for that.
"Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth. ". Ludwig van Beethoven
Also bought 'The Tao Of Physics' by Fritjof Capra - A parallel between the modern physics and the oriental philosophy.
"Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth. ". Ludwig van Beethoven
Just finished IQ a debut novel by Joe Ide. Really good detective tale with IQ the initials of the protaganist , a black innercity (LA) youth with a gift for deduction. Great charactors with depth , overall a nice twist on the genre, for what its worth I recommend it.
Now started Razor Girl , the new one by Carl Hiiaasin. Looking good so far.
Grind by Mark Maynard - a collection of short fiction stories that takes place in and around Reno, Nevada
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
1st Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child.
fiction: Moby Dick I'm finally getting around to it and a third through.
non fiction: In Search of the Multiverse: Parallel Worlds, Hidden Dimensions, and the Ultimate Quest for the Frontiers of Reality by John Gribbon
I just started and is for the layman without equations, but so far so good at page 50. I think a good first book if interested in the multiverse angle of cosmology.
The Circle by Dave Eggers. A colleague at work gave this to me with high recommendation about a year ago. I put it somewhere then promptly forgot about it. While looking for something else, I found it, and started to read it. Not bad at all. I'm about a 100 pages into its 400 pages. I like it. It's about a young woman who joins a utopian Internet company that appears to be trying to rule the world. I have to quote South Park here now, "Simpsons did it!" I'm finding this book (from 2013) to be very much like a Simpsons episode from about 7 or 8 years ago in which Homer is lured away to a utopian nuclear power plant in which the owner, Albert Brooks, is trying to rule the world.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
I just added this one to my list last week. Looks really interesting. I like the "hard science" SF, and this seems to fit in well with my narrow taste in SF.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Reading this now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
It won't be visible through the air
And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973
Keyboard for Dummies, since I got my first electronic keyboard, and it's a lot different than Hammond organ, which is what I played years ago.
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Laura
Almost done. Very intelligent, talented individual. The Man From U.N.CL.E. was my favorite as a kid. Still watching episodes currently. Vaughn dated Natalie Wood! A Fortunate Life for certain. He was the last of The Magnificent Seven as well.
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The Troop by Nick Cutter
This is like a combination of Lord of the Flies, and Outbreak. Scoutmaster Tim takes his half dozen of early teen scouts to remote
Falstaff Island for a weekend survival retreat. On the first night, they are joined by an incredibly emaciated man who can not stop
eating. Soon it id discovered that his voracious appetite is due to internal parasites. (of course, modified and engineered by the government
on a trial basis). The contagion (worms) spread easily via physical contact. Things break down, and it becomes a battle for survival.
I am a long time horror fan, and am pretty hard to phase. However, Cutter is so deliberate in detail, and paints such a graphic visual, that I found myself
actually squirming at times as he described the violence, or gore.
Highly recommended to horror fans! A cover endorsement by Stephen King said it "scared the hell out of him".
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
I stopped temporarily Red Mars, because I've got to proofread Strabberry Bricks' new version, and I got also J Coe's Expo 58 (borrowed from the library) on the back cooker as well.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Sounds like a great read. Added to the list.
This one from Cutter also sounds pretty good, too.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
It is a good read. As Lou said it gets ya squirming.
Written very much in the style of S King's Carrie.
DtB
Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
Just started reading this one. The book itself is a beauty with lot of special items and I'm sure the story will be fine too. Watch the scary trailer:
On my Amazon list of things to get
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
I'm definitely looking forward to this too. Reading some 'sinopsis' of it in the web I come to realise that this book and the book by Fritjof Capra that I mentioned above share common evidences - based upon the modern physics experimental evidences of sequences of spontaneous physical 'appearance' and 'disappearance' of the most elementary subatomic nanoparticles ever discovered, the scientific community comes to a better understanding of the BIG-BANG, as well as of today's universe expansion, thus presupposing a contraction of it too, up to the point of its 'death' (which encompasses the comproved existence of the so called black holes.) These experimental discoveries also open discussion of a perfectly possible simultaneous birth or death of different universes.
Last edited by Rick Robson; 12-17-2016 at 09:18 AM.
"Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth. ". Ludwig van Beethoven
I'm definitely looking forward to this too. Reading some 'sinopsis' of it in the web I come to realise that this book and the book by Fritjof Capra that I mentioned above share common evidences - based upon the modern physics experimental evidences of sequences of spontaneous physical 'appearance' and 'disappearance' of the most elementary subatomic nanoparticles ever discovered, the scientific community comes to a better understanding of the BIG-BANG, as well as of today's universe expansion, thus presupposing a contraction of it too, up to the point of its 'death' (which encompasses the comproved existence of the so called black holes.) These experimental discoveries also open discussion of a perfectly possible simultaneous birth or death of different universes.
Last edited by Rick Robson; 12-17-2016 at 09:17 AM.
"Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth. ". Ludwig van Beethoven
I took Capra's class on the Tao Of Physics right after he published the book (UC Berkeley, 1970's). Very interesting guy, a lot of his physics analogies came from his skiing experiences. He basically required students to take the class on a Pass/Not Pass basis (rather than for an A-F grade). I did an extra-credit report on sound waves created by tape loops for the class, featuring my own version of a Frippertronics demonstration.
Oh, and my current bit of reading literature is Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee." Seems appropriate right now, considering all the troubles going on up in North Dakota with the Bakken Oil Pipeline. The dark side of USA history is revealed quite dramatically in this book, and right now that dark history is repeating itself.
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