tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11813344325088787372024-02-18T20:09:37.488-07:00Author J WashburnAt the blog of J Washburn, author of SONG OF LOCKE and ECKSDOT, you'll find the musings of a renaissance man, including tips on writing fiction and nonfiction, news and thoughts about the tech world, and some sneak peeks of his books.J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-73374547498923116232020-06-18T15:36:00.001-06:002020-06-18T16:33:46.796-06:00Eulogy for My Big Brother<div id="mc_embed_signup">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me, Tev, and our youngest brother, ~high school</i></td></tr>
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I get emotional when I talk about deeply meaningful things. And that means this speech might be ten minutes of me standing here weeping in mournful silence. So I brought my new wife up here with me, and she’s going to read whenever I can’t. Losing Tev has been so hard for me, and I’m grateful to have had her companionship and support as I’ve suffered through this loss. </form>
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Now let me tell you about my big brother Tevya. He was born on July 4, 1981. Ever since, that holiday has been extra special for me and our family because it’s a time to celebrate the things Tev loves, including fireworks and cheesecake. </form>
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He was the oldest of eight children and was the best of big brothers. In so many aspects of life, he led the way for me and our siblings, blazing a trail through many of the difficult unknowns that life had in store. As a kid, he led the way through scouts, for example.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dad, me, Tev</i></td></tr>
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At a court of honor, Uncle Ted once shared a Bible verse with Tev and I: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Even back then, I recognized that my big brother had vision. He could see a wider perspective than me, which made him a resource I depended on. Of course we still got in plenty of fights along the way, often on the basketball court. And he recently told me that one of the worst insults I ever hurled at him was when I said, “You betrayed Neverland.” The truth is that, if not for Tev, I never would have glimpsed Neverland in the first place. And he, with the epic scope of his vision, was one of Neverland’s noblest.<br />
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He taught me most of the important things a kid needs to know, like how to find the best GI Joe guys at yard sales, and how to build Legos way outside of the specs. He was an avid reader from a young age, with a penchant for historical works, and I think reading had a big impact on widening his perspective. I remember him blazing through Louis L’Amour books and wishing I could keep up, which I did not, but it left me with a firm conviction that reading was important and that I could have the same perspectives as my brother by reading. When Tev was in his pre-teens, Dad brought home an old work computer, a Tandy 1000 or something, and we’d load floppy discs into the front, click that latch down over the top, and boot DOS games like <i>Mega Man</i> and <i>Black Cauldron</i> that ran so slow they were barely playable. It sparked Tev’s fascination with technology, which continued throughout his life. He was the go-to tech expert for many of us here. He also grew into a movie aficionado and loved <i>Indiana Jones</i> and <i>Star Wars</i>, which became central to our sibling culture. In fact, I’m wearing my Luke Skywalker socks right now in Tev’s honor. He admired Spielberg and Lucas in particular, and that led Tev to become an amateur filmmaker and media guru. <br />
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Tev served a mission in California’s Long Beach from 2000 to 2002, setting a valiant example for six of his siblings to follow later on. After returning home, he resumed his college career at BYU-Idaho. There he established a group of friends that became a support network for me and some of our other siblings when we came to college after him. A few of my best friends today I met through Tev. At school, he still dabbled in filmmaking and also earned a degree in History, developing his love for past cultures and events. He was named after a character from the musical <i>Fiddler on the Roof</i>, a man who talks to God, and Tev was that sort of man too. His name also created a special place in his heart for Jewish culture and their ancient temple rites in particular. He became a gospel scholar, and he published many of his findings and thoughts in essays on SacredSymbolic.com, a site he created and through which he shared personal and heartfelt insights with friends and loved ones. He loved learning, and that passion connected him with other people. As we became adults, he introduced me to many of my favorite books, including <i>The Anatomy Peace</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This picture of him and me playing Ultimate with his face turned away really haunts me. </i></td></tr>
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While at school in Rexburg, Idaho, he met Jill, his lovely wife, in a family home evening group he and I were in while roommates. He’d always been shy and often spoke candidly about his struggle with social anxiety. That meant he hadn’t gone on a ton of dates before meeting Jill, but he quickly won her over with his sincerity and goodness. In fact, he surprised some of us by finding such a catch as her on what almost seemed like his first try. There was certainly some daring, some courage, required to pursue her, but I’m confident he could see the victory beyond the struggle, and that drove him forward. After a few months of courtship, they were married for time and all eternity on December 29, 2007, in the Boise Idaho Temple. </form>
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Together they began adventuring, and they moved a few times between Utah, Idaho, and Washington. Tev often talked about a book called <i>Essentialism</i>, which he lived by, and that made the vagabond lifestyle a lot easier. He and Jill loved the outdoors, and together they saw many beautiful hikes across the US. They also prioritized relationships with their immediate and extended family, making lasting memories with all of them. It was very clear to me that he had his priorities right.<br />
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I mentioned Tev’s vision. It’s something I have always admired about him. He never let his perspective be constricted by what was plausible or by what could readily be seen in front of us. When we were kids, he and I were building Star Wars Legos long before there even was such a thing. We built X-Wing starfighters with pieces that had never been designed to sit at an angle like that. And then one day he got this big idea that he pitched to me: “I want to build a Y-Wing,” he said, “one that is to scale for our action figures.” That was much bigger than a Lego guy. I immediately responded with practicality: “Won’t that make it almost as big as our bedroom?” “It won’t be quite that big,” he said. And with that, he and I got to work, putting it together with cardboard, Bic pens, and duct tape. Although we never quite finished the project, his vision left on me a lasting impression. It didn’t matter if something was hard. What mattered was whether you had the vision to pursue it. And he maintained that same creative vision throughout his life. To me, being an entrepreneur always seemed ideal but much too risky. But not for Tev. He had too much imagination to let fear stop him. He built several successful online businesses, including one called wpXPRESS where he created, maintained, and serviced websites for clients around the world. It was not an easy feat, which made his victory all the more impressive, but he got that business to fly. Pursuing that pushed him out of his comfort zone in many ways, socially in particular, and he became a poised, graceful guest on podcasts and other forums. Having seen his struggle with social anxiety up close made this another especially noteworthy success. He earned the respect and admiration of his partners, employees, and clients. </form>
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For years he dreamed of living a Tim Ferriss lifestyle and having the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. It was another epic dream that most people might consider unrealistic and out of reach. But Tev went for it. In 2019, riding the wings of his entrepreneurship, he became a “digital nomad,” and he took his family on an unforgettable adventure across MesoAmerica for nearly a year. It is another example he set that I will never forget and another way I have been inspired to be like my big brother. </form>
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Tev’s most important calling in life was to be a husband and father. As the oldest of eight kids, he’d gotten lots of practice with children. When he was a young father, I watched him interact with baby Colter, and Tev was the most tender and kind parent I have ever seen. He taught Colter to be the same kind of caring big brother that he had been. Tev was and is proud of who his kids are turning out to be.<br />
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Then abruptly, unexpectedly, suddenly, Tev was called away. And we have been left to struggle with the grief of seeing such a hero depart from our midst. Since that dark day, the words of an Irish folk hymn have kept coming to mind, and they feel like they are Tev’s own words: “But since it falls into my lot that I should rise and you should not, I’ll gently rise and softly call, goodnight, and joy be to you all.” I keep thinking about him constantly, and I feel heavy sorrow in the void of his absence. It’s scary.<br />
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I used to get scared at night when I was a kid. I’d be down on the bottom bunk, with the covers pulled tight around my face, with only a small hole left so I could breathe—a barely safe place. And my big brother Tev’s voice would come from the top bunk, and he’d tell me it was going to be okay. He’d tell me I didn’t need to be scared. To be honest, I didn’t believe him. The monsters in the darkness were too immense. I couldn’t imagine eventually getting over it as he told me he had done. I felt sure I’d be just that scared forever. But he turned out to be right, and I stopped being scared when I got a little older. </form>
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Now that same thing just happened again. I feel scared. The void left by his absence seems like a monster in the darkness, too immense to escape. From my perspective, my small, mortal, hurt perspective, I don’t see how I’m going to be okay with him gone. And I’m sure that same feeling is amplified for Colter and Ellie and Lorelai and Ezra and especially Jill. It feels like it’s going to hurt this bad forever, that life will be just this scary forever. Because all we can see from here is that Tev is gone.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tev gave a speech with "Memento Murry" as the punchline, a great joke and a chilling reminder.</i></td></tr>
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But he taught me an important lesson during our epic Lego battles, as the light side and the dark side went head to head. He said, “The good guys always win.” </form>
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It usually gets pretty dark in every story, and it seems for a moment that all is lost. But Tev was right. The good guys always win. And if we could see things from where Tev is now, we would see that. </form>
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He loved studying the temple. He taught me that the ceremony represents a path leading upward. In the ritual, you cross through a veil, leaving one place behind, and you enter a celestial room, meant to represent heaven. If you’re thinking that means a cloud or a pyramid of gold, you’re not thinking big enough. You need vision like Tev’s. Think of Gondor from Lord of the Rings, a massive structure, and multiply that by the mythological Greek Empyrean and Valhalla of the Vikings. He’s in a place so grand and so epic we can’t hardly conceive of it. And from there, his perspective is different. His vision is wider once again. He can see all the way from one end of eternity to the other. </form>
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And I’ll close with what I think he would say to his family if he were here: “I know it hurts. A lot. And it’s okay to feel that pain. I’m feeling it with you. It’s going to be hard for a while, the hardest thing you’ve ever faced. It will seem like a long time too. But if you could see what I see, if you could only read the whole story like I can now, you would know that it’s going to be okay in the end. The good guys win in the end. They win. I can see it from here. Everything will be okay. And in the meantime, I’ll be with you, like Obi-Wan, guiding you on your hero’s journey, till you make it here too.”</form>
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Amen.<br />
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<i>Tevya’s friends created a campaign for loved ones to show their support for his wife and family: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Tevya%E2%80%99s%20friends%20created%20a%20campaign%20for%20loved%20ones%20to%20show%20their%20support%20for%20his%20wife%20and%20family:%20https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn." target="_blank">https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn</a>. </i></div>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-81402527310149018452020-05-19T15:05:00.001-06:002020-06-18T16:32:56.274-06:00Obituary for James Tevya Washburn (4 Jul 1981 - 12 May 2020)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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James Tevya Washburn passed away on May 12, 2020, dying unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism that led to cardiac arrest at age 38. He is dearly missed by his wife, Jill, and their four children: Colter (10), Ellie (8), Lorelai (4), and Ezra (1).<br />
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Tevya was born on July 4, 1981. He earned a degree in history from BYU-Idaho, where he met his lovely wife, Jill Miller, and they were married for time and all eternity on December 29, 2007, in the Boise Temple. Professionally, he built a successful online business. In 2019, he became a “digital nomad,” taking his family on an unforgettable adventure across MesoAmerica for nearly a year. His most important calling in life was to be a husband and father.<br />
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The public viewing will be held on May 21, 6:00 - 8:00pm, at the Zeyer Funeral Chapel. The funeral will be held on May 22, 1:00pm, at the Melba Cemetery.<br />
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Tevya’s friends created a campaign for loved ones to show their support for his wife and family: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn">https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn</a>.<br />
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<br />
<b>Extended Version (678 words)</b><br />
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James Tevya Washburn passed away on May 12, 2020, dying unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism that led to cardiac arrest at age 38. He is dearly missed by his wife, Jill, and their four children.<br />
<br />
Tevya was born on July 4, 1981, the son of Jim and Sonya Washburn. He was named after a character from the musical <i>Fiddler on the Roof</i>. He became the oldest of eight children and was the best of big brothers. In so many aspects of life, he led the way for his younger siblings. He was an avid reader from a young age, with a penchant for historical works. When Tev was in his pre-teens, his dad brought home an old work computer, and that began a fascination with technology that would continue throughout his life. He also grew into a movie aficionado and loved Star Wars and Indiana Jones, which endeared him to Spielberg and Lucas. That later led to him becoming an amateur filmmaker and media expert.<br />
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He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California Long Beach Mission from 2000 to 2002 and there made lasting friendships. After returning home, he resumed his college career at BYU-Idaho where he earned a degree in History and further developed his deep love for past cultures and events. As a religious scholar and devotee, Tev published heartfelt essays on <a href="http://sacredsymbolic.com/">SacredSymbolic.com</a> and shared these insights with friends and loved ones.<br />
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It was at school in Rexburg, Idaho, that he met his lovely wife, Jill Miller, through a family home evening group. After a few months of courtship, they were married for time and all eternity on December 29, 2007, in the Boise Idaho Temple. During their wonderful years together, they moved numerous times between Utah, Idaho, and Washington, and shared in a variety of outdoor and overseas adventures. They also prioritized their relationships with their immediate and extended family, making lasting memories with all of them.<br />
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Professionally, Tev built several successful online businesses, including one called wpXPRESS where he created, maintained, and serviced websites for clients across the globe. In his youth, he had struggled with social anxiety and preferred to avoid the public spotlight, but his profession pushed him out of his comfort zone, and he became a poised, graceful guest on podcasts and other forums. Through this online community, he earned the respect and admiration of his partners, employees, and clients.<br />
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Tev’s most important calling in life was to be a husband and father. Together, he and Jill raised a family of four: Colter (10), Ellie (8), Lorelai (4), and Ezra (1). In 2019, he became a “digital nomad,” taking his family on an unforgettable adventure across MesoAmerica for nearly a year. Jill said this of the experience:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I am in awe of the tender mercy it has been to spend our last year together travelling the world with our little family and creating so many beautiful memories. It was a growing experience for all of us, but over the past few months I was keenly aware of the growth I witnessed in Tevya. He came alive as we were finally living our dream, exploring ancient places, and living the essentialist lifestyle that he had worked so hard for so long to afford us. My love for my best friend deepened as we took teamwork to a whole new level. He was thoughtful and calm, strong and tender, generous, funny, dependable, and smart. He is a fantastic father who had a special relationship with each of his children and loved teaching them the gospel.”</blockquote>
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The void left by his passing has been deeply felt by the many people his life touched, and the legacy he left behind will be lasting.<br />
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The public viewing will be held on May 21, 6:00 - 8:00pm, at the <a href="https://www.zeyerfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/James-Tevya-Washburn?obId=13386479#/obituaryInfo" target="_blank">Zeyer Funeral Chapel</a>. The funeral will be held on May 22, 1:00pm, at the Melba Cemetery.<br />
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Tevya’s friends created a campaign for loved ones to show their support for his wife and family: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn">https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn</a>.<br />
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-14887681916664312112020-02-06T13:45:00.000-07:002020-05-27T18:40:59.729-06:00🙊 Secret Lost Chapter of STARCHILD 1 (⚠️ Spoilers ⚠️)<br />
While sitting in my Analytics class, I drew this <strong>concept art from <a href="http://starchild2.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">STARCHILD book 2</a></strong>. (Don't tell the profe.) More news about book 2 coming soon. I'm getting super excited about it.<br />
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<img data-cke-saved-src="https://mcusercontent.com/d0d03cd34f2e8bd28ba25b118/images/7803f5de-ded2-4ff4-9bbc-1981cbc22f6c.png" data-file-id="5035461" height="236" src="https://mcusercontent.com/d0d03cd34f2e8bd28ba25b118/images/7803f5de-ded2-4ff4-9bbc-1981cbc22f6c.png" style="border: 01px solid #a2a2a2; height: 236px; margin: 0px; width: 560px;" width="560" /><br />
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Now, here's the kicker: I recently wrote this <strong>EPILOGUE to <a data-cke-saved-href="http://starchild.jwashburn.com" href="http://starchild.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">STARCHILD book 1</a></strong>.<br />
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<strong>DON'T READ IT</strong> unless you've already finished reading book 1. It contains major spoilers. Major!<br />
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Okay, you've been warned.<br />
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🙊<br />
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<strong id="docs-internal-guid-3496a606-7fff-9a99-79d7-c16ad7273039">EPILOGUE</strong></h1>
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Dray heard her voice. </div>
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The voice of the girl. </div>
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It was tinny, all treble and garbled: the speech she gave to rouse the populace. Kalhette wasn’t supposed to have survived. Now they were re-broadcasting her in celebration, talking about her like talking about a miracle. Dray felt the urge to find the speaker and smash it. </div>
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He walked down a thoroughfare, amid people celebrating with food and song. Twilight fell over his hood, which cast a shadow across his face and the red cloth covering his missing eye. He didn’t want anyone to recognize the Lord Admiral walking among them. </div>
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Technically, he had won. The Renegades, under his leadership, had claimed the victory, which meant the PSD had lost. This was good. It meant the galaxy’s dominant power had become a little weaker, a little more susceptible to a change in regime. It meant it was time for Dray to ascend. </div>
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And yet he had failed: The girl survived. </div>
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Blackserpent was supposed to die too, his dropship exploding midair as he escaped the sozo, taking the secret of Dray’s betrayal with him. But the plan had failed. </div>
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Dray had failed. </div>
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The problem wasn’t that the girl had survived. The problem was that Dray’s former self had survived. He was reaching for the future while still gripping remnants of the past. He had tried to murder her in secret so he could maintain his position with the Renegades. Worse, he had clung to memories of his most beloved—which left him with a glimmer of sympathy for the girl. Even with one eye, he could see that she didn’t deserve to die, but she needed to for a higher cause. So far, he hadn’t proven himself ruthless enough to see the covenant through. Which would keep him from what Lethos had promised: Only in becoming the most powerful mortal in the galaxy could Dray save the galaxy from injustice. </div>
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Half measures wouldn’t do. He had to fully enter the tomb of his ambitions. He would sacrifice what the zhani called spirit. He would purge the sympathy from his soul. </div>
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His old self would not survive. </div>
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The transformation would not be fast nor simple, but he would see it through, no matter the cost, till he’d laid his old self to rest and become new, transformed, capable of being what the galaxy needed him to be. And he knew exactly how this transformation would begin. </div>
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As he walked into a side alley, he pulled up a black cloth over his mouth and nose. Best not to be recognized. He refrained from letting his eye glow, but he could sense figures behind the doors of the alley, prepared to trap him should things go afoul. The crooked walls rose high on both sides. A strange smoke made the air seem pale. </div>
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At the back corner, where the light hardly reached, a dark miin sat on the ground in a meditative stance, eyes closed. In front of him was a colorful blanket, on which sat silver jewelry and gemstones. One of his six paws held what appeared to be a twig, the end of which glowed with the tiniest ember. He put the twig between his teeth and sucked in. Then, opening his eyes, he breathed out a puff of smoke and said, “Greetings.” </div>
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“Dorf zarooq,” said Dray.</div>
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“Who sent you?” asked the miin. </div>
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“Shauu.” </div>
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“It wasn’t Shauu.” </div>
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“It came through Shauu.” </div>
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“I suppose that’s true. How much do you want?”</div>
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“What have you got?”</div>
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“About three fifty mils for seven hundred.” Not getting up, the miin handed Dray a wide, silver bracelet with jade stones across its face. “It’s not real stone.” </div>
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Dray took the bracelet and pulled it close to his remaining eye. </div>
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“You need a knife to open it. That slot there on the seam.” </div>
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Dray pulled out a knife and carefully pushed the blade in the crevice till the first fake stone gently popped open. Inside was a slender shard of kerse, glinting in the dim light. This substance would be the beginning of his transformation, though not the end. “This is all you have?” </div>
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“For now. If you want more, I can get more in a few cycles.” </div>
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“I want more. A lot more.” Dray closed the bracelet and hid it in his pocket then pulled out a stack of fiat coins. </div>
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As the miin reached out, he said, “You’re lucky I’m still accepting these.” </div>
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Dray released the coins, and they clinked down. “The PSD hasn’t fallen yet.” </div>
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The miin put the fiats into a leather purse. “They fell at New Kingstrong.”</div>
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“That’s only one city.” </div>
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“The revolution could spread across Solace, maybe across the galaxy.” </div>
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“What makes you think so?” </div>
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The miin nodded to a poster hanging on the peeling alley wall. “The Prophetess will finish the job.” </div>
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Dray did not respond, and the miin’s hopeful words hung in the air. </div>
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Dray walked up to the poster, staring at it with one eye. This, the only thing in the alley that wasn’t dilapidated, showed the girl on it, a candid shot from the side, a thin light on her face, and she stared down at something with the insight of a sage. Some sort of victory propaganda. </div>
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Without a word of reply, he lifted his knife to the image.</div>
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The miin’s ugly face expressed horror, as if he sensed the deeper evil at play in this quiet moment. </div>
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Dray put the metal point to the flesh of the girl’s neck. Slowly, precisely, he dragged the blade, cutting through the paper.</div>
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The metal scraped harshly against the brick as he slit her throat. </div>
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The miin looked as though he were about to vomit.</div>
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“We shall see,” said Dray.</div>
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===<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-49336753056063823152019-07-16T09:59:00.000-06:002020-06-18T16:32:44.709-06:00Is this new novel better than Star Wars? <img height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_COqny6iCI8WqiOopkmpyixoaYY5I5cxbaUejhThyphenhyphenptiyHJU-neSc-a6WjSherRpjPmdvmFFLze6vEwW0dhgkNAN2f_ys0oWKhPTpg47LfYrBNBkr_JGo7-K8CH5Iomw6YLv2Dd4q7e5/w1663-h1249-no/" width="640" /><br />
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<b>When I was a kid, I adored Star Wars. </b><br />
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I knew all the characters' names, including Ponda Baba. What kind of a geek knows that? Me. By age 7. I even had his action figure. He's the punk who loses his arm in the cantina.<br />
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I was in deep.<br />
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And for good reason. Star Wars transformed a generation. <b>It deserves its legendary status.</b> Its archetypes come from a story that belongs to all of us. I love the heart of it--the mythical aspects, the heroism, and the epic struggle between light and darkness.<br />
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But I got a little disenchanted with it as I grew up. (Just a little.) <b>You have to admit that some of the later films got less mature.</b> (I'm looking at you, Jar Jar. And don't get me started on Canto Bight.) <a href="http://books.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">As an author</a>, I began to see some missed opportunities too--not when Star Wars was bad, but when it wasn't as wholly itself as it could've been. I'll give you one small example. (And please forgive me if it sounds like I'm dissing on Episode IV--I actually love that movie.) Princess Leia's home planet gets blown up by the Death Star--BOOM!--and all we get out of her is a mild, "NO!" That's it. I wanted more. I wanted to feel those millions of voices crying out in terror, like Princess Leia surely must have. I wanted to see her crying alone, caught unawares when needed on the battle deck, morose and distraught. I wanted to see the devastating repercussions of losing her family and friends. We miss that entire arc of her character. <b>The loss of Alderaan is epic! But we hardly hear any echoes of that epicness. </b><br />
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I still adore Star Wars.<br />
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But as I got older, I wanted more from it. <b>I wanted the best space opera to go deeper, to reach even more of its potential.</b> I wanted to explore those types of characters more. I wanted to witness not only the heroic actions but the philosophies behind them.<br />
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And that's why I wrote <a href="http://starchild.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">STARCHILD</a>.<br />
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<img height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr0HbYNttuvgOSeknxz3uR0RLcszNRzvi1TeQtejAjUF1qeyJ7qncNbQVHOxGJIe6IaulVEENwBMhucBUO_WWpL9MQxixCwnxr3NMu2Flgg6D6BSmWJtzgxqYT6P7leID2TLBGsCZVwvE/w1663-h937-no/" width="640" /><br />
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You may have already seen the tagline: "It's a story for people who grew up with Star Wars but who wanted Star Wars to grow up too." It's an audacious claim. At least a little controversial. <b>To be clear, I'm not saying Star Wars isn't spellbinding. I'm saying what we haven't yet seen may also leave us spellbound. </b><br />
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Here's a story you might not have heard: <b>George Lucas loved the Flash Gordon TV show as a kid</b> (see <i>George Lucas: A Life</i>). It inspired him to make a space opera of his own (Star Wars), which he actually called his "Flash Gordon thing." Can you believe that's what he used to call Star Wars! He built on what he loved as a kid and took it to another level. STARCHILD has a similar backstory. Rather than detracting from the Star Wars mythos, it magnifies it, giving us another chance to become lost in a galactic epic. I'm not sure STARCHILD makes the same leap as the gap between Flash Gordon and Luke Skywalker, but I hope it does.<br />
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<b>STARCHILD is an homage to a great predecessor, and it's much more than fan fiction.</b> The story dives into the hearts of a cast of lovable (and loathable) characters. The galactic setting is exquisite, and it’s based on actual scientific discoveries, with worlds like you’ve never imagined but which likely exist in our own galaxy. The magic system is based partly in fact and might have you personally testing whether it’s real. The story itself is a fast-paced ride that will leave you hungry for more adventure, and luckily, the sequels are already here.<br />
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The full synopsis is below. If you're on the fence after that, most readers decide by reading just the first chapter, which you can preview <a href="http://starchild.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">free on Amazon</a>.<br />
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I'm excited to hear from you in the comments below and in your reviews on Amazon!<br />
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And thank you for being a reader.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://starchild.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa-zqqKGJ_Uixpv85bkJthK916wBn4Vow-4zA4sKlgpL3b9PCigboSEMRYWrDDsJ8MLEqQtDbRXHoJ4l6O7A5qyCKgJw6BSIFLnC_hkLOVGt_v3Yr_PbyP8obzv5341F2BWO6hkolzaiA/s640/Facebook-Ad-11-Starchild-1-ADS-1080x1080.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<h4>
It’s a story for people who grew up with Star Wars but who wanted Star Wars to grow up too.</h4>
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<b>Tyranny rules the galaxy.</b><br />
<br />
President Taiberos controls the interstellar gates, regulates the media, and monitors the civilians. Like the grip of his cybernetic hand, he maintains a relentless hold on the populace, keeping anyone else from gaining too much power. And the power he hates most of all is the magic of <b><i>the Song</i>—a force so strong it flows out as light from the eyes.</b> His Witch Hunters kidnap and torment anyone with such abilities.<br />
<br />
And the people are afraid to fight back. Afraid to stand together.<br />
<br />
Afraid to rise up.<br />
<br />
Still, a planet named Solace is poised to counter these fears and strike against the tyranny. One person holds the key to calling its citizens to arms: <b>She’s a radiance named Kalhette.</b> But she too has been kidnapped—and is being held prisoner in the infamous depths of Building 13.<br />
<br />
Only the most daring rescue might save her, and the consequence of failure is death.<br />
<br />
<b>Yet a small team of rebels dare to try.</b><br />
<br />
Their mission requires a Bloody Wing: a priceless alien artifact with the power to travel outside the interstellar gates, off the grid, beyond regulations and the grip of the Witch Hunters.<br />
<br />
So the rebels enlist a man who stole one of these ships from Taiberos himself—<br />
<br />
<b>A renegade pilot named Starchild.</b><br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
STARCHILD is the story you’re looking for.<br />
<br />
If your favorite space opera (wink wink) hasn’t quite lived up to your expectations lately… If you value flawed heroines, deep villains, mind-blowing plots, and spectacular worldbuilding, then this is it, the story you’ve been waiting for.<br />
<br />
STARCHILD dives deep into the minds of an <b>unforgettable cast</b> of lovable (and loathable) characters. The <b>galactic setting</b> is exquisite, and it’s based on actual scientific discoveries, with worlds like you’ve never imagined but which likely exist in our own galaxy. The marvels of the <b>magic system</b> will make you envious, and its basis in fact might have you personally testing whether it’s real. The story itself is a <b>fast-paced ride</b> that will leave you hungry for more adventure, and luckily, the sequels are already here.<br />
<br />
Get ready for a reading addiction <b>like you haven’t experienced since you were a kid.</b><br />
<br />
The moment you open the book, you’ll be transported away at lightspeed.<br />
<br />
So, are you ready to take an intergalactic leap?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-35576628489570011152017-03-15T14:00:00.000-06:002017-03-15T14:00:39.973-06:00BOOK REPORT: Hamilton The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzT2Q86sdv_HyXR7FBLFPFCV98TJNAJRs3ta-A6L8VygXd_h8LYUC-gKzXPsfCoQg6_Z8Z9Si47rrdhj_8HcLcpu0NG1ZALrAG_Ka5MeH7xEuKZVxDF9ut9xjEt6aH1ulD0AT8MstywFu/s640/hamilton-revolution.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br />
In 2016 I wrote a bunch of book reviews for dozens of books.<br />
<br />
Writing them was fun, and a few of you readers seemed to really like them. But they took a lot of time to create, which is something I don’t have a lot of. This year I’ve decided to transform my book report strategy. <b>Instead of reviewing every book I read this year, I’ll only give you brief pitches for the top 10%</b>.<br />
<br />
But if you want to know about every book I read, follow me on Twitter: <complete id="goog_1795348144"><a href="https://twitter.com/jtraviswashburn" target="_blank">@jtraviswashburn</a></complete>.<br />
<br />
Having said that, <b>I skipped one book report in 2016 that I’m excited to share with you</b> (it just took me a long time to create—producing a video is hard!). It’s for a book called <a href="http://amzn.com/1455539740/?tag=jwashburncom-20" target="_blank">HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION</a>. It’s a short book by Lin-Manuel Miranda about writing his famous musical. Instead of writing a report, I decided to record a track for you. <b>This seemed like a better way to pique your curiosity.</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pL30_icAmno/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pL30_icAmno?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>As you'll notice in the video, I bleeped out a few words. </b>This musical has a lot of adult themes throughout and some colorful language. Make sure you check that against your tolerance level before you sink $1000 dollars on tickets.<br />
<br />
Thanks for being a reader/listener!<br />
<br />
-- J<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-77543412116360734432017-02-02T13:16:00.000-07:002018-03-16T08:45:15.447-06:00When will the sequel to ECKSDOT / SONG OF LOCKE be released? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJeoAODBJrspTgBOUZrdPpOGL2osum7qaYf4Xn6uV7N5_XCPWyaWf1Yomc9rxvPQivZehhPxT-kMtIsqEqNJPlxxinrAEDaPaM7eYHn19fEQVGOped0rJeMArpNFrwJahzouHhVsYvyy-/s640/Starchild-Once-upon-a-time-wallpaper-3000px2.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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I’m currently working on a space fantasy called STARCHILD. It will be a trilogy of novellas. </div>
<br />
<b>So why did I start a new series rather than finish an existing one? </b><br />
<br />
It’s a business decision: The goal is to earn enough money to switch to being a full-time author. Which will mean I can publish books for you faster.<br />
<br />
The first consideration is the limitations of a sequel. <b>A sequel can only sell a percentage of what its predecessor sold.</b> So if I write LOCKE: AZURE WINDS, it won’t sell more copies than I’ve already sold of LOCKE: DARK EMPYREAN. And while I’ve sold a couple thousand copies, it’s not enough. The same goes for ECKSDOT and its sequel METAMORPHOSIS. Of course, if I finish a series, that will make people more likely to buy the first volume, right? True. Which leads to my next consideration: how long will it take to finish each series?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9zpx3Zta4NTwkTON52pTGvnTDdtSl7ReAtZGGcfm-PfBasZ9h3z8kT7fMo0rmaaofiQbPwMIe1mwsui6800sfPk9oImfBZsrQCVQMgpHRY7w-79gqLOmnD2ANZ-3DjWy8YYmONfbYQQJ/s640/IMG_20170202_103021_14.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br />
SONG OF LOCKE is 135k words long. If I write miraculously fast, I might finish the next book in 1 year. So it’s a minimum of 2 years to complete the series (but, let’s be realistic—it’s probably more like 4). ECKSDOT has 4 volumes in the series, so we’re talking 3 (or 6) years to complete the series. But with STARCHILD I’m taking a different strategy. Each episode will be a novella about 50k long, or 150k total. Basically I can write all three of those in the same amount of time it would take to write one sequel. <b>So I asked myself, which would sell better: a middle novel in an unfinished series, or a trilogy of novellas in which the first one is free?</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1ievRmw20ZeLvcUphPyH1C6bqwChTADziZSxau_1oNsfpzY_JDYr_Md8Bzx_Jxga8ZFa4leJmI-RIeH1gTmyuT9UzTjVfqQRRXrOjsWkLQUBV5yTwg78ODcjCaAZXRhHYvqIMchJ_xqD/s640/IMG_20170202_095039_564.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br />
In sum, writing STARCHILD is (hopefully) a 1-year project. It will give me a quick route to a marketable, finished series, which I imagine will help sales. That income will in turn give me more writing time, which means the sequels you’re dying to read will come out sooner. This schedule just means those sequels will have to wait one extra year. <b>The good news is that I <i>will</i> finish—I promise.</b> Patience, young padawan. And even with this delay, I expect to finish before George Martin finishes GAME OF THRONES. And probably before Sanderson finishes THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE too.<br />
<br />
<b>Besides, you’re going to love STARCHILD.</b><br />
<br />
So, what do you think of this plan?<br />
<br />
J<br />
<br />
(P.S. Oh, and by the way, after I finish STARCHILD, I’ll have readers vote on whether I should finish SONG OF LOCKE or ECKSDOT next. That should be fun to see.)<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-44819763732604524402017-01-03T13:34:00.000-07:002017-01-03T13:34:06.074-07:00My favorite books from 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Mwjnk_4VHROB3rCnBWasBjLvm9GjHA68Tck8ka6qYXMYhBG7CQMW4SiaYd0US3VyzzMDu7jqAokF66vmlk-Caf-3ups2P6lp5Kqq3-08TCzopFHTazz2PpKjTYlcRFenytBH75KmHEqe/s400/The-Revenant.jpg" width="282" /></div>
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<b>Better-than-the-movie: THE REVENANT</b> by Michael Punke<br />
(But I also enjoyed the movie.)<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilS3pfL2H7wkZlwoymy340THbe1tzBExsg64cuiFS0a6vL22r7FelNAEXO2VezlDU7WZhbBVU8HhqVQCd3crEn4MwjqzkDzX5DpGqzDd4-adJvSRyL74Y40xLjN-L_jBtJknSjk_SagMI/s320/rackham-Twilight-of-the-Gods-copy-wagner-without-words.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<b>Best mythology: THE RING</b> by Richard Wagner<br />
(Love how it inspired Tolkien!)<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wKKLoEEhS9t54DZtsHXeRBBeL2m8wyswoxeFvYZNtb0DRM9ByPUuzZJ6vcbmFtu8IqERLzXX5u0kUk0WK9-d1TtJ1PN2jZxg89IPVDOiNcSMNzHOCuoEpc93taQYuxse8ht589kEF3Q5/s400/SHOGUN+book+cover+by+James+Clavell.jpg" width="260" /></div>
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<b>Best manly read: SHOGUN</b> by James Clavell<br />
("I yield to karma in all its beauty!")<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVS1xUuk5t-DF6Akswym8WlHLeGAeHUf2j7J8Z5i_n3NOcsyJLSxLZRYmKsZLEVtdFRmbiKnlawM5ve4V9CRcGKmIoRJ0rbpStZBnrqcD7FfD3xl1UpXFJRb5pJIkf-dojcI0Lfz40R6U/s400/lost_city_z_book_cover_01.jpg" width="266" /></div>
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<b>Best nonfiction adventure: LOST CITY OF Z</b> by David Grann<br />
(Basically an Indiana Jones adventure in real life.)<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdzqFKyKa0WAtGXt7I0BvWQsOwtfCEE2vljhkqhbhzst279Ha6geU5sN-I-nQ2PdpM07HZlaL-cqY1vkNCHHwWQndlKFp2RDfqqq4GuAPdS2Wi1rvcuk7YjztuTnUkEPR6h_Z8UhLRonF/s400/altas-shrugged.jpg" width="250" /></div>
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<b>Most challenging to my beliefs: ATLAS SHRUGGED</b> by Ayn Rand<br />
(Seriously, I'm still mulling over these ideas...)<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9kQXK_JDwRWjJg5L8SZyC4mv8qTb2LCXj5RbZx6sQGjnCqn_3sPUpqYqhNBhn9Fpi8dd5vbGHdl9G1UDptXYZMd3KstielOC336UoTE25vtBC6Nhd7kb-8OKyCq3eJNzvR55EWYp9CQh/s400/Les+Miserables+Book+Cover+edited.jpg" width="241" /></div>
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<b>Best rebel yell: Enjolras from LES MISERABLES</b> by Victor Hugo<br />
(Such a great book, and it's okay if you read the abridged version.)<br />
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TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2016: <b>36</b><br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-9634581544502113622016-12-25T08:00:00.000-07:002016-12-25T08:00:08.609-07:00MERRY CHRISTMAS! I got you something... FREE rebel ebooks of LITTLE BROTHER and HOMELAND<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_FW4OTNtMERHM0EaJvHUwsday5EUvkg4yPUGBDrRdMfE0pTxRXxmysC0kXir79nXFHbIvAeIuN6OcsWfeDS9q_62nFmHQ05OcNrECvIciJ0AwbXL_AXheSJG3GrMk2DqpRQk9LgQv0_Q/s1600/little+brother+cory+doctorow+18dxmfqicsqlsjpg.jpg" /><br />
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I watched a documentary about Edward Snowden called CITIZENFOUR. It includes tons of raw footage of Snowden in his hotel room after his escape from the U.S. but before he made his intentions known. The pacing is actually a little slow, and yet <b>it’s pretty exciting to see a real-life fugitive in that vulnerable moment—just before the point of no return</b>.<br />
<br />
As I watched that movie, I caught a glimpse of a novel on Snowden’s nightstand called HOMELAND. I Googled it and found out that it’s the sequel to a young-adult novel called LITTLE BROTHER. The title is a reference to Orwell’s 1984, and <b>the book is about a kid who fights an overreaching, surveillance-state government</b>. It’s the exact sort of thing you’d expect Snowden to be reading.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7xTMGNmbOJ6FTdAmNZHAq1Up9CMeRU0V_vUYmf8HS6A9B-XG71ZSzQ4P4X1oTIUGOPYqcQTYIGv0i-AQG0ZObU6HrpJJCBVTbu4DmkGys8kRV2Ob-4LLWnmY26Nii15Gf4cvXcBGrgNb/s1600/Attack-Scene-in-Little-Brother+cory+doctorow.jpg" /></div>
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Now, in lieu of review…<br />
<br />
It only has a tiny bit of sci-fi in it (but I was impressed that the author basically predicted Pokemon GO). The book hails tech and geeks. A few things even reminded me of READY PLAYER ONE, but this book is much rougher on the edges and more realistic too. (That means it has a little swearing and some scenes I think a few of you will prefer to skip.) Mostly it’s about terrorism, hacking, and fighting a police state. There’s definitely some propaganda in its tone, but there’s plenty of good stuff too.<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQupsjVr3UVVUdVMoAMJb06UU0PEURIp6HJ1FnVQMZPugl7KRmVzy288dS7eHpiMvoFhwfxVPw16h8y0PXx14YkA1LWJoP84y2frWQPpPIg4BSF1EniuQAgArZxyBDWL9mGjxgn5agBZq/s400/little+brother+cory+doctorow+Interrogation.jpg" width="265" /></div>
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<br />
Who is he? Well...<br />
<br />
The guy who wrote LITTLE BROTHER is named Cory Doctorow. And he’s a man who believes in open-sourcing things. Which means he gives away his books for free. (He also sells them, by the way, and they’re available for purchase on Amazon and Audible.) <b>Which means I can legally pass them along to you as a Christmas gift (/discovery)!</b> Pretty cool, huh? I know they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but a few of you will love them.<br />
<br />
So here you go.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0LuDGvEmEgJREZGTl9RVnhPY2M" target="_blank"><b>LITTLE BROTHER download</b></a> (and <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0LuDGvEmEgJTTl5ZWVWaWc3ZW8" target="_blank">mobi</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0LuDGvEmEgJSElVT2h6ZVBWcVU" target="_blank"><b>HOMELAND download</b></a> (and <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0LuDGvEmEgJSkl6cWl0V2NOVTg" target="_blank">mobi</a>)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Now you have something to read on your new Kindle / phone / tablet / Chromebook.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas. : )<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-80451366963283561132016-12-19T13:24:00.000-07:002016-12-19T13:24:33.577-07:00BOOK REPORT: Their Eyes Were Watching God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
A close friend recommended <i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i>. It’s one of his favorites.<br />
<br />
<b>This is a character drama. It’s not about lost cities, black holes, or spaceships (which is mostly what I’ve been reading lately). It’s about people.</b> Specifically black people in Florida a century ago. A woman named Janie is the protagonist. I appreciate characterization in a novel more than concept, plot, or setting. So I liked this one.<br />
<br />
I love that the author shows you characters so vividly yet quickly (it’s a pretty short read). You see a lot of personality, but she doesn’t draw it out. It packs a lot of punch in not a lot of words. Zora Neale Hurston is a fantastic writer. Her diction throughout is poetic, exemplified by the paragraph from which the title is drawn:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. <b>They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.</b>”</blockquote>
<br />
<b>I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator is incredibly talented.</b> She sounds distinguished as she’s reading the poetic sections, and then she’ll transform while reading a character’s prosaic dialog. I was super impressed, and I listen to a lot of narrators, so I would know, ha ha.<br />
<br />
The theme is about finding meaning in life through love, through trusting people, but through being respectful to yourself and your own delights as well, summed up in this quote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.”</blockquote>
<br />
<b>This is a book I would quickly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading.</b><br />
<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-10281733395856376352016-12-16T13:28:00.000-07:002016-12-16T13:28:21.539-07:00BOOK REPORT: Einstein's RelativityMan, this book was over my head.<br />
<br />
And yet, it drove me to Wikipedia. So let me share a few of the things I learned.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Einstein developed his theory of <b>Special Relativity</b> first. It’s mostly about space and time. And it says that any two events which are separated by a spacetime interval (a 4D distance) will have variance based on the viewer’s inertial point of view.<br />
<br />
What! Yeah, it’s dense. Here’s a down-to-earth example.<br />
<br />
Say you have two perfectly accurate atomic clocks. One stays on earth, sitting on the ground right next to where you are now. <b>The other goes up to the International Space Station, which is zooming along at 17,136 mph!</b> After two years of these clocks traveling at different speeds, the one in space will be about 0.02 seconds behind the one next to you on the ground. So the faster one moves relative to the other, the greater this discrepancy becomes.<br />
<br />
No, this isn’t just a crazy theory. <b>This actually happened to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Avdeyev" target="_blank">Sergei Vasilyevich Avdeyev</a>,</b> who spent over two years in space zooming along at insane speeds, and when he came back he was 0.02 seconds younger than he ought to be.<br />
<br />
Einstein’s second big theory was called General Relativity, and it’s about gravity. It says that spacetime gets curved by the energy and momentum of matter. General Relativity actually says that the closer you are to a source of gravity, the slower your time will go.<br />
<br />
So let’s go back to our two atomic clocks. This is another actual experiment they’ve done. You put one atomic clock on a mountaintop, further from earth’s center of gravity, and you leave the other on the couch next to you. The one next to you will tick slightly slower than the one on the mountain. <b>Because of this same effect, they’ve calculated that the core of the earth is 2.5 years younger than the crust where we live.</b> More gravity means slower time.<br />
<br />
Of course, these are all relatively small numbers. But scifi geeks known that as you go faster and heavier, the effects become greater, <b>like you see when Ender travels at lightspeed (<i>Ender’s Game</i>) or when Murph’s dad lands on Miller’s Gargantua (<i>Interstellar</i>).</b><br />
<br />
Einstein also says that it’s impossible to say in an absolute sense that two distinct events separated by space occur at the same time. Meaning if the speeds and distances are just right, to one person A might happen before B, and to another B might come before A. See this chart:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
You’re thinking that’s pretty weird. But it gets crazier.<br />
<br />
Imagine you’re in Spaceship X and out the window you see Spaceship Z come zooming by at something close to lightspeed. And let’s say you can see a clock inside the other ship as it passes. To you, in Spaceship X, it would look like your watch is ticking just fine and the clock in Spaceship Z is ticking really slowly.<br />
<br />
<b>Now, common sense would tell you that if his watch looks slow to you, then your watch would look fast to him. But relativity is relative. </b>Meaning it doesn’t matter whether you think your ship is moving at light speed and the other one is parked or if you’re the one parked and the other is moving. The only thing that matters is how you seem to be moving in relation to each other. And you’re each moving fast in relation to the other. So that means if someone in Spaceship Z saw your watch, it would look, to him, like it was also ticking really slowly!<br />
<br />
<b>This blew my mind. It doesn’t seem to fit. Or didn’t, until I read this metaphor.</b><br />
<br />
Imagine you had a clone. And you magically shrunk this clone so he was about as big as a sylphe. (That’s a thumb-sized being, if you haven’t read <a href="http://freelocke.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">SONG OF LOCKE</a>). He seems very small to you. And when he looks at you, you seem very big, even though your size hasn’t changed. This example shows a literal change of scale.<br />
<br />
Now imagine you have another clone, and he’s still your same size, but you order him to climb to the top of that mountain in the distance. To you, he now looks very small. But does that mean you will look very large to him? No. Because he is also seeing you across the same vast distance.<br />
<br />
In short, you appear large if seen within handshaking range, but you appear small if seen from a great distance. It’s not actually a paradox then, is it?<br />
<br />
If I’ve piqued your curiosity for more of this stuff, take a look at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsCbaXn6Jew&t=19s" target="_blank">Ladder Paradox</a>, which will teach you about length contraction at high speeds!<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-50002738806410254832016-11-15T13:27:00.000-07:002016-11-15T13:27:57.817-07:00New Book Release: WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO SKYDIVING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
<br />
I went skydiving a few weeks ago.<br />
<br />
I’m an author, so naturally I wrote about it.<br />
<br />
<b>The narrative is visceral, like you’re experiencing it all along with me.</b> In fact, one of my readers thought it was so vivid, he said, “I feel like I’ve actually been skydiving now.”<br />
<br />
If you want, you can now <a href="http://skydiving.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank"><b>buy it on Amazon for $2.99</b></a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks for being a reader!<br />
<br />
-- J<br />
<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-48304709416951395172016-11-10T13:28:00.001-07:002016-11-10T13:28:41.485-07:00BOOK REPORT: Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs by Lisa Randall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
Dark matter is a type of matter.<br />
<br />
It’s not dark in color. And it’s not evil.<br />
<br />
It’s actually more like transparent matter, meaning it doesn’t interact with light or anything else on the electromagnetic spectrum. At least not in a way that is strong enough for us to detect. At least not yet. So dark matter kind of goes on its merry way, ignoring us. <b>In fact, odds are that you’ve had a few particles of this transparent matter pass right through you sometime in the last hour.</b> Yep, it’s true. Dark matter is crazy stuff.<br />
<br />
But dark matter does have mass. It’s a real substance.<br />
<br />
In fact, about 27% of the total mass and energy in the universe is dark matter. So nearly a third, right? Which doesn’t seem like too huge of a number. But guess what percentage ordinary matter takes up? You know, ordinary matter, like carbon atoms and H2o and the other stuff we can touch… Ordinary matter is only 5% of the universe! That’s means our whole planet is a pretty unusual occurrence when you glance around space.<br />
<br />
So if we can’t see dark matter using light or infrared or Superman vision, then how do we know it’s even there?<br />
<br />
<b>Imagine someone tossed a backpack and you tried to catch it, but it ripped out of your grip and crashed into the floor so hard it broke the concrete.</b> Your natural reaction would be, “What’s in your backpack?”<br />
<br />
This same thing is going on in the universe. Galaxies twirl around themselves and interact with each other in a way that suggest there’s something heavy that we can’t see. So scientists are asking the universe, “What’s in your backpack?”<br />
<br />
They’re not sure what it is, but they know a few things about it, like that there’s a lot of it and that it doesn’t interact with light. So they decided to call this mysterious thing dark matter. It’s just like the thing hidden inside the bag—we see its effects, but we haven’t gotten a good look at it yet.<br />
<br />
This is what <i>Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs</i> is about.<br />
<br />
<b>Want to know my favorite part of the whole book?</b><br />
<br />
The author, Lisa Randall, speculates on dark matter and dark energy, which leads to her wondering about dark light and dark life. <b>In other words, she, a famous particle physicist and an atheist, believes there could be a type of life with actual mass that is right next to us but undetectable!</b> This, to me, sounds exactly like she’s describing the spiritual realm from <i>Avatar: the Last Airbender</i>. A famous scientist is saying this is possible! Amazing.<br />
<br />
I have to say that had I read this book before writing <a href="http://ecksdot.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">ECKSDOT</a>, the story might have turned out different. (But don’t worry: I have no regrets.)<br />
<br />
In conclusion, this is an interesting book. Oh, and aside from dark matter, it gets into comets and meteoroids and the Kuiper Belt, which sounds cool but wasn’t quite Stephen Hawking good.<br />
<br />
Still, a fascinating read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S. Dr. Randall reminds me of Ellie Arroway from my favorite book/movie CONTACT.<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-74621169651453213662016-11-04T14:00:00.000-06:002016-11-04T14:00:24.975-06:00BOOK REPORT: Star Wars: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farmboy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
This was a fun, quick read.<br />
<br />
The beginning is told from the perspective of Princess Leia—the opening scene on the rebel ship and the droids taking a secret message in search of Ben Kenobi. <b>Then the viewpoint switches to Han Solo, and you see his surprise when a strange old man chops off somebody’s arm in a bar.</b> This perspective continues through the whole Death Star tractor-beam and rescue of the princess part, Act II, so you get to see lots of Han’s attitude and get a better understanding of why he’s so concerned with money (Jabba!). The last section, the Death Star trench run, is told from Luke’s perspective. The movie favors Luke’s perspective throughout, so <b>it’s cool to get more depth from these other angles.</b><br />
<br />
The author digs deeper into a couple of things that get skimmed over in the movie. For example, Leia’s whole home planet gets destroyed in the movie, and we only see her mourn for a couple seconds and then it’s never mentioned again. In this book version, this is a lingering theme, which seems more true to human character. The same is true of Bigg’s death. Although I still think Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are a little underplayed.<br />
<br />
I have the movie of A New Hope memorized, which made me appreciate this retelling. <b>I can imagine the film could be pretty awesome if it were rebooted.</b> That’s not to say it might not also be dumb, but I do think the story could grow with some added creativity and interpretation.<br />
<br />
<b>I’d recommend this book to any young readers</b> who love Star Wars but don’t read very often.<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-82711168384674903122016-10-27T14:00:00.000-06:002016-10-27T14:00:54.292-06:00BOOK REPORT: Cryptonomicon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
Tim Ferriss recommended <i>Cryptonomicon</i>.<br />
<br />
I was expecting a thriller. Something like Dan Brown with more tech.<br />
<br />
Turns out it was quite different.<br />
<br />
Mainly it surprised me by its tone. I expected a business-like narrative, gray suits and red ties. Instead, it’s hilarious, filled with wryness (“dry, mocking humor”), much of which is from the narrator, but a lot is from the characters as well. It actually reminded me of Mark Twain, sort of an “I’m cleverer than all this and all of you.” <b>I found myself laughing aloud as I went, quite often. Really, props to Stephenson for his wit. </b><br />
<br />
I was also duly impressed with how he weaves together his plots. One plot follows a U.S. Marine during WWII as he discovers Nazi treasure in a U-Boat. Another arc follows this Marine’s Japanese counterpart/enemy. Another storyline follows Alan Turing and a few other brilliant code-makers and breakers (have you seen The Imitation Game?). And a last takes place in the modern world, deals with internet cryptography, and collects the pieces lefts by the other (historically earlier) timelines. <b>These plotlines all play out simultaneously.</b> I felt ungrounded and lost in the first quarter of the book, not knowing who to empathize with and relate to. But once I gained a footing, I really liked the weaving.<br />
<br />
But despite the impressive plotting and clever diction, <b>I quit listening right around 50%</b>, which was a little too far already. Why? It was too crass. Too many base and sexual topics. Oh, and it was sprinkled with strong language.<br />
<br />
Tim Ferriss doesn’t like to apologize for the rough language on his podcast, so he probably won’t understand this critique. Sidenote: this isn’t the first time I’ve been underwhelmed by his fiction tips (<i>Zorba the Greek!</i>). I guess we’re not quite aligned on what we like. It’s not that I find it offensive, Tim, and I’m not making a moral judgement against you. I’m just saying I’d rather talk about something else. It’s the same with bathroom functions. Yes, humans use the restroom frequently, but that’s a detail I’m glad to skip over in a book. Thank you very much.<br />
<br />
Aside from that, this was a great book. Hats off to Neal Stephenson.<br />
<br />
If you’re a sensitive reader looking for a better option, read <i>Catch-22</i>.<br />
<br />
By the way, I love titles, and that’s partly how <i>Cryptonomicon </i>caught my attention. But it’s one of those you have no idea what it means till you’ve read it, so I’ll explain. In this story, the Cryptonomicon is a book (or rather a collection of papers) on cryptography that the protagonists both use and compile as they go.<br />
<br />
There you have it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
<br />
FYI to my readers, this is the 27th book I’ve read this year. (Yes, I’m still counting it, since I got through around 300 pages worth.)<br />
<br />
Here’s what’s coming next, a group of sci-fi-ish titles to help me prepare for STARCHILD. I’d love to have you read along with me!<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Star Wars: A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farmboy</i> </li>
<li><i>Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs</i></li>
<li>Issaac Asimov’s <i>Foundation</i></li>
<li>Einstein’s <i>Relativity</i></li>
<li><i>Their Eyes Were Watching God </i></li>
</ul>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-35592063221508120572016-10-19T14:00:00.000-06:002016-10-19T14:00:38.346-06:00Book Report: THE NAME OF THE WIND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
Seven different people recommended <i>The Name of the Wind</i> to me.<br />
<br />
That never happens.<br />
<br />
Which inevitably led me to high expectations.<br />
<br />
I haven’t read a ton of fantasy. I love <i>Lord of the Rings</i>. I’ve also read <i>Game of Thrones</i> and tons of Brandon Sanderson. Aside from that, I’m a little unfamiliar with the genre. Oh, <a href="http://freelocke.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">I wrote one too</a>.<br />
<br />
Anyways. My reading history and all the raving reviews made me expect a sweeping epic about the battle between good and evil. The beginning of the book starts in this direction. There’s some terror on the road, which leads villagers in a small inn to telling stories around a hearthstone. It reminded me of Tristram and <i>Diablo</i>. But the initial setting is simply a frame for the actual story. Kvothe, the main character, starts relating the tale of his life, beginning with his boyhood.<br />
<br />
And that story is a more mundane drama. I don’t mean that as an insult, just as the opposite of an epic. (In fact, I rather like compelling stories about mundane, real-life problems.) Kvothe’s main conflicts deal with earning and spending money, social battles with an arrogant bully, and winning the heart of a potential girlfriend. Mundane.<br />
<br />
It’s also a relatively slow, meandering narrative. Almost like a D&D campaign, with one conflict rolling along into another without a strong central crux. (I read that Patrick Rothfuss is into D&D, by the way.) All in all, you spend 600 pages reading, and you’ve really just gotten through act I of a much larger story.<br />
<br />
That said, it’s still a pretty enjoyable book.<br />
<br />
For example, when Kvothe defends himself in front of the nine sages on the university council (something akin to Harry Potter at Hogwarts), I’d just arrived at work and had to keep listening to know how the scene ended. That doesn’t happen to me often.<br />
<br />
So, yes, I liked it. And I’m excited to read the sequel. But, just so you know, it’s not on my top 10 or anything.<br />
<br />
Oh, and I liked the magic system, how it had particular rules, and how the characters cared to learn those rules and put them to their advantage. (That’s one thing that bothers me about Harry Potter—that these kids have nearly limitless power at their fingertips, so easy to grasp, yet they treat it like it’s a boring history lecture; it would be another thing if it were more difficult than simply saying a magic word.)<br />
<br />
A couple small things bugged me, like the fact that no one had heard of “the Common Drakus” before. This creature is too extraordinary and living too close to humans to have been anything less that the stuff of popular legend. Denna and Kvothe’s relationship seemed a little weird to me too, that their only problem is that they never communicate. I hate finding that in stories. It’s frustrating. But maybe it’s more true to life than I’d like to admit.<br />
<br />
<i>The Name of the Wind</i> is a good book. A fun book.<br />
<br />
I think you will like it.<br />
<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-49034389337803864122016-09-27T14:00:00.000-06:002016-09-27T14:00:05.558-06:00BOOK REPORT: Crucible of Doubt by Fiona and Terryl Givens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
My buddy Tom bought me this book for my birthday. <i>The Crucible of Doubt</i> gathers philosophy, poetry, and reason together into a treatise for those who doubt their faith in God. It is written by the Mormon couple Fiona and Terryl Givens. They cite classic literature throughout to support their perspective; in lieu of that, I’ll share with you four of those:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<b>My hosanna has come through the great crucible of doubt.</b>” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
—Fyodor Dostoevsky</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<b>When I am grateful, I tend toward a higher mental (and spiritual) state.</b> I take things—people, order, air, roundness, everything—less for granted. Hence I notice things otherwise invisible to me. It is as if I have a sixth sense, taking in more context, more reality.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
— Philip Barlow</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Even if there be no hereafter, I would live my time believing in a grand thing that <i>ought </i>to be true if it is not. And if these be not truths, then is the loftiest part of our nature a waste. Let me hold by <i>the better</i> than <i>the actual</i>, and fall into nothingness off the same precipice with Jesus and Paul and a thousand more, who were lovely in their lives, and with their death make even the nothingness into which they have passed like the garden of the Lord. I will go further, and say <b>I would rather die forevermore believing as Jesus believed, than live forevermore believing as those that deny Him.</b>” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
— George MacDonald</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<b>Our Creator would never have made such lovely days</b> and have given us the deep hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, <b>unless we were meant to be immortal</b>.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
— Nathaniel Hawthorne</blockquote>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-24899719516088966892016-09-20T14:00:00.000-06:002016-09-20T14:00:13.560-06:00BOOK REPORT: Happiness by Matthieu Riccard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman, earned a Ph.D. in molecular genetics—so his origins are based firmly in science and intellect. When he began searching for a missing piece, he found answers in Buddhism.<br />
<br />
<i>Happiness </i>is a scientific look at obtaining the supreme emotion, which he defines as follows:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“By happiness I mean here a deep sense of flourishing that arises from <b>an exceptionally healthy mind</b>. This is not a mere pleasurable feeling, a fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an optimal state of being. <b>Happiness is also a way of interpreting the world</b>, since while it may be difficult to change the world, it is always possible to change the way we look at it.” </blockquote>
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<br />
<br />
He includes parables from the buddhist tradition and personal stories. <b>Here’s one that reminded me of Avatar Aang:</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I remember one afternoon as I was sitting on the steps of our monastery in Nepal. The monsoon storms had turned the courtyard into an expanse of muddy water and we had set out a path of bricks to serve as stepping-stones. A friend of mine came to the edge of the water, surveyed the scene with a look of disgust, and complained about every single brick as she made her way across. When she got to me, she rolled her eyes and said, ‘Yuck! What if I’d fallen into that filthy muck? Everything’s so dirty in this country!’ Since I knew her well, I prudently nodded, hoping to offer her some comfort through my mute sympathy. A few minutes later, Raphaèle, another friend of mine, came to the path through the swamp. ‘Hup, hup, hup!’ she sang as she hopped, reaching dry land with the cry ‘What fun!’ Her eyes sparkling with joy, she added: ‘The great thing about the monsoon is that there’s no dust.’ Two people, two ways of looking at things; six billion human beings, six billion worlds.”</blockquote>
<br />
One of my favorite metaphors was this: Imagine the sea roiling and enraged with giant waves. Now dive beneath that surface and discover that underneath the water the sound and fury and motion have all been stilled. <b>That’s the inner peace that Po from Kung Fu Panda was looking for</b>, the deeper stillness that exists even during immense storms.<br />
<br />
By the way, as of this writing, <b>I have meditated for 10-15 minutes for 227 consecutive days</b>. (This was inspired by <i>The Happiness Advantage</i> and <i>The Power of Now</i>, two of my favorite books.) Mostly I do breathing and presence exercises. But this book helped me understand compassion meditation better. If you want to know more, I plan to write an essay about meditation at some point, as soon as I reach Nirvana. In the meantime, here’s the foundational principle: To my understanding, <b>all meditation rests on meta-consciousness, that is, being aware of what you’re thinking about</b>. Again, I don’t expect you to deeply grasp it in this review, but here’s a preview from a master:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Buddhism... stresses enhanced awareness of the formation of thoughts, which allows for the immediate identification of an angry thought as it arises, and for its deconstruction the next instant, <b>the way a picture drawn on the surface of water melts away as it is sketched</b>.”</blockquote>
<br />
I really like Buddhism. It has taught me a lot of cool concepts, for example, the perspective on self-control:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“If a sailor looses the tiller and lets the sails flap in the wind and the boat drift wherever the currents take it, <b>it is not called freedom—it is called drifting</b>. Freedom here means taking the helm and sailing toward the chosen destination.”</blockquote>
<br />
Okay, that’s all I got. Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
<b>If you have friends who will like these book reports, send them here: <a href="http://theinformant.jwashburn.com/">http://theinformant.jwashburn.com</a>. </b><br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-89519642452340233042016-09-14T14:00:00.000-06:002016-09-14T18:15:43.967-06:00BOOK REPORT: Tom Sawyer (plus a crazy story from my childhood)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
<br />
<b>This is a true story.</b><br />
<br />
When I was a kid, our neighbor’s cat died.<br />
<br />
My little brother and I found it freshly expired. (I promise we didn’t kill it.)<br />
<br />
I was about 10 years old, which means my brother must’ve been 6. That made him the perfect sidekick. I told him to call me Tom, and I called him Huck. When Mitch was around, we called him Joe Thatcher, but Joe wasn’t around for this one.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn’t want to touch the dead cat, so we got a plastic bread-bag</b> and stuffed the fluffy corpse inside. And we felt awfully lucky to have found it—because we’d read <i>Tom Sawyer</i>.<br />
<br />
We made a plan to sneak out at midnight to use the dead cat, only we hadn’t yet made a ladder for sneaking out the bedroom window. It would’ve been easy enough to just walk out the back door, only that wouldn’t have been proper, and we wanted to do things proper.<br />
<br />
Over the next few days, we built a ladder out of a couple sapling trunks and baling string, thanks to what we’d learned about lashing in Cub scouts. It was pretty wobbly, but at least it was tall enough.<br />
<br />
Putting the ladder against our window meant going to the side-yard, which had enough trees and shrubs that it never got much sunlight. Think Mirkwood.<br />
<br />
And crawling between the brick wall and the unruly junipers meant entering an alleyway of spiderwebs. Also, any time we touched the junipers, stuff would fall down the backs of our shirt necks. We squinted and braved our way forward, using a stick to clear our path. Then we deposited the ladder in its place below our bedroom window. We also pulled the screen off.<br />
<br />
I promise, this all really happened.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, our bedroom had a window in the <i>back</i>-yard too, which was completely clear of foliage. But, again, that was too easy. It wouldn’t be proper.<br />
<br />
My brother and I slept on bunk beds. I had the top. And it was the perfect dock for climbing down and out the window. We stayed awake, talking quietly so mom and dad wouldn’t come shush us and give us a talking to. At a quarter to midnight, we crawled outside into the night. The moon wasn’t full, but it was bright.<br />
<br />
We ran down through the front yard, across the street, and into the cow pasture where we’d left the cat in its plastic bag behind the shed.<br />
<br />
“Oh, gross!” I said when I smelt it.<br />
<br />
As we approached, we realized it wasn’t a bag of fluff anymore. It’d had gained a layer of juice. You can image our faces.<br />
<br />
We jabbed a long stick at the bag till the end caught. When we lifted the bag, the cat didn’t flop around anymore like it used to. It stayed in the exact same shape, stiff as a board. We carried it about 20 feet from the shed to roughly the same spot dad had buried a dead calf not long before. We dug a shallow grave and put it in.<br />
<br />
Even if we’d had a ripe cat, we hadn’t planned beyond midnight, so we decided to head back inside.<br />
<br />
We climbed our wiggly ladder and crawled into our beds, giddy about having been out so late. We didn’t feel bad about how things went down either.<br />
<br />
<b>We’d probably waited too long to do anything with the cat’s spirit anyway.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>If you understand that passage, then I suppose you’ve already read and loved </i>Tom Sawyer<i>. If you haven’t read it, well, that’s the sort of escapade you’re in for. There’s murder and romance and other intrigues. Mostly it’s a solid character novel. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I’ve probably read </i>Tom Sawyer<i> four times, which includes the times my parents read it to us. The most recent was just this year. This book really shaped my childhood. (Sometime I’ll tell you about baking knifes into pies and digging under foundations to rescue prisoners.)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I’ll quote just one passage—so you’ll know what a dead cat’s good for:</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Why,” said Huck, “you take your cat and go and get in the graveyard ‘long about midnight when somebody that was wicked has been buried; and when it’s midnight a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can’t see ‘em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe hear ‘em talk; and when they’re taking that feller away, you heave your cat after ‘em and say, ‘Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I’m done with ye!’ That’ll fetch ANY wart.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Sounds right,” said Tom. “D’you ever try it, Huck?” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“No, but old Mother Hopkins told me.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Well, I reckon it’s so, then. Becuz they say she’s a witch.” </blockquote>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-89106186990375380472016-09-08T14:00:00.000-06:002016-09-08T14:00:23.273-06:00New book release: MY 7-DAY FAST<br />
<b>I made a goal to not eat any food for seven days.</b><br />
<br />
I’m serious. No food for a whole week.<br />
<br />
<b>Why would anybody do that?</b> Well, I answer that question in an essay I wrote about it.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
People have been surprised when they read the essay. They say things like this:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I loved reading this! It was <b>an intense page turner</b> which doesn’t happen in non-fiction for me very often. It is also full of really useful health concepts in an easy-to-understand format that <b>still has me thinking about it</b> long after finishing. I plan to read it a second time!” — A. J. </blockquote>
<br />
Several people told me they opened the book planning to just read a couple pages, but they got hooked and had to finish. (It’s about 30 pages long.)<br />
<br />
You can <a href="http://fast.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank"><b>buy MY 7-DAY FAST for $2.99</b></a>. Or, <a href="mailto:me@jwashburn.com" target="_blank"><b>email me with your promise</b></a> to post an honest review, and <b>I’ll send you a review copy for FREE</b>.<br />
<br />
Thank you for being a reader! Can’t wait to hear what you think!<br />
<br />
J<br />
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<br />
<br />
Imagine there’s this ant. Tiny little ant.<br />
<br />
No, an ant isn’t small enough. Imagine something smaller. An egyptian mite. Super tiny. Have you seen those things? They’re right at the edge of my visual range. Like pixels but in real life.<br />
<br />
<b>Imagine this teenie-tiny little mite weighs so much that his bulk makes him sink right into the earth.</b> And then all the earth’s matter starts to collapse inward on top of him into the hole he’s creating.<br />
<br />
And imagine this mite radiates energy, so much energy that he’s white hot, like he’d melt your face off. Or he’s as hot as a nuclear explosion that happened three feet away from you. Or as hot as the sun, which is a whole collection of nuclear bombs in one.<br />
<br />
Now imagine this mite is so dense that when light particles attempted to bounce off his red exoskeleton (which is what photons do to just about everything) the light gets sucked in by so much gravity that it never comes back out, turning this guy perceptibly invisible. Sayonara light.<br />
<br />
These mites do exist. There’s one at the center of our galaxy. (It’s called a black hole, even though it’s white hot.) Only I under-exaggerated all of his characteristics. He’s actually much heavier, much, much hotter, and much, much, much smaller.<br />
<br />
That’s a lot of mite packed into such a small space.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
<br />
I wrote that bit above, but it’s based on principles I learned from <i>A Brief History of Time</i> (or re-learned, since this isn’t my first Hawking rodeo). Incidentally, I read <i>A Brief<b>er</b> History of Time</i> directly after, not realizing that it’s basically a second edition of the original book, with a few things updated here and there. But this book is heavy enough that two readings back-to-back is actually a good way to do it. <b>If you only read one, I recommend the <i>Briefer </i>version. </b><br />
<br />
Hawking was born exactly 300 years to the day after the death of Galileo. That’s one fun fact, which Hawking sprinkles throughout his cosmic narrative—like his being late for free plane ride because of rain. <b>His personal voice makes the science a lot more fun.</b> (And my master’s thesis, Look Your Reader in the Eye, which has a fantastic title, is about that very topic.)<br />
<br />
Just three more tidbits and I’ll leave you be.<br />
<br />
First, did you know that <b>the substance of our universe is mostly matter and energy that’s completely transparent and unobservable</b>? It’s called dark matter and dark energy. Check this out:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Second, take a look at this drawing of a street. You’re in the car in the middle. Do you agree that the relative speed of the bus above is 30 mph and the relative speed of the bus below is 90 mph? Well, guess what. <b>Light doesn’t follow this rule.</b> If we transformed the two buses into bolts of light, and if your car in the middle were a pretty fast spaceship, the relative speeds of both beams of light would be equal to each other (both would be exactly the speed of light). It’s a mind-bending paradox.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9Fqyf5MyKe43z2rruLit1qbikVc7M-YG1EWXnynWCP-qmdJYX7B6bcgw3tTiq3ksw8GgByV8n7M85ACANYZCITkbGe_LbfuTHA9Bh2xpYT1TpzXtIp1Cak52j3zo0vmRzDdPsBsfbt_T/s640/IMG_20160727_184445_615.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Third and last, in quantum mechanics there’s something called the “uncertainty principle.” It means that quantum particles have a fundamental unpredictability about them. And this isn’t just about how they can’t be observed carefully. It’s their very nature to be unpredictable. I think that’s super cool. The opposite of unpredictability is determinism, meaning every reaction always has an explainable cause. Determinism suggests that you can predict everything based on simple actions and reactions. But <b>the uncertainty principle says that there’s more to life than just reacting in direct response to what acts on you</b>. Instead, you, like the quantum particle, can make choices and go in unpredictable directions based on your will rather than on predictive causes.<br />
<br />
<b>This is one of my favorite books.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>If you love science, <a href="http://amzn.com/0553385461/?tag=jwashburncom-20" target="_blank">you should check it out</a>. </b><br />
<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-64204365003901240922016-08-16T14:00:00.000-06:002016-08-16T14:00:10.932-06:00BOOK REPORT: The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtIV-lVkmGSf5nedO78NdswCKUNMUVecXcu69-9J36eaAi_3jbVyCCVi3ykfuw31-5ellhs_-AutI796ca-63rfocG4fC2VN1doKTZup3NOS10Df5tlgKOyUanxyZbI-UHZkmKuzCrrau/s400/2016-08-15-screenshot.png" width="256" /></div>
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<b>TL;DR: <i>The Anatomy of Peace</i> is about getting your mindset right toward yourself and other people. It's about a problem that we all have, a central problem, which is actually very hard to recognize and resolve. But I consider it the Holy Grail, the greatest quest we can chase as mortals.</b></div>
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I read <i>The Anatomy of Peace</i> every summer to celebrate my birthday. I've done this for the last 7 years or so. And I always invite my friends to join me. It's kind of a rare thing, but occasionally I have a friend who accept the invitation, which I consider the summit of birthday gifts.</div>
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<b>I hope the fact that I read it yearly says something to you</b>, because I don't have time to do it justice today. This is at the top of my top-ten non-fiction books. It inspired Chapter 73 in <a href="http://ecksdot.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">ECKSDOT</a>. (where Nate confronts Rudge). It also inspired a lot of themes in <a href="http://songoflocke.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">SONG OF LOCKE</a>, like how the sylves and elves see or don't see each other.</div>
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Here's a five minute video that will give you an idea of its concepts.</div>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S0w4DWxeU8Y/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0w4DWxeU8Y?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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And next year, I'll invite you to read it with me :-) </div>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-52672240857283231152016-08-09T14:00:00.000-06:002016-08-24T14:38:44.836-06:00BOOK REPORT: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow<b><br /></b>
<b>TL;DR: I read this because I’m hooked on the musical. An excellent biography about the ten-dollar founding father and the building of America. Made me realize our nation is a miracle.</b><br />
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<h2>
If you love the Hamilton musical, read this:</h2>
<i>I couldn’t help but underline words that I heard in the play. It was like playing HAMILTON BINGO. (There are a lot more than these, but I won’t bore you here.)</i><br />
<br />
“Hamilton carried a heavy dread of [OH!] <u>anarchy</u> and disorder that always struggled with his no less active love of liberty.”<br />
<br />
“He... soon made his first friend: a fashionable tailor with the splendid name of <u>Hercules Mulligan</u> [UP IN IT; LOVIN’ IT].”<br />
<br />
“President Cooper also looked <u>askance</u> [HE’S PENNILESS] at the political protests mounted nearby.”<br />
<br />
“Thus, Hamilton’s mission was [THE SITUATION IS] <u>fraught</u> with a multitude of perils.”<br />
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“Though he did not endorse Gates [OUTRAGE] <u>outright</u>, Adams fretted that idolatry of Washington might end in military rule.”<br />
<br />
“Tens of thousands of onlookers gaped in amazement as the shattered British troops marched out of Yorktown and, to the tune of an old English ballad, “<u>The World Turned Upside Down</u>,” moved between parallel rows of handsomely outfitted French soldiers and battered, ragged American troops.”<br />
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“Hamilton inhabited two <u>diametrically opposed</u> [FOES] worlds.”<br />
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“Adams’s wrath against Hamilton was understandable, but he immediately stooped to personal insults and called Hamilton a ‘<u>Creole bastard</u>.’ ”<br />
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Burr is said to have remarked, “Had I read Sterne more and Voltaire less, I should have known <u>the world was wide enough for Hamilton and me</u>.”<br />
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Penned by Hamilton: “Adieu <u>best of wives and best of women</u>. Embrace all my darling children for me. Ever yours, A H”<br />
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<h2>
If you love the founding fathers, read this: </h2>
<br />
<b>A passage where Chernow describes Washington’s heroism:</b><br />
<br />
America’s idolatry of George Washington may have truly begun at the battle of Monmouth. One of America’s most accomplished horsemen, Washington at first rode a white charger, given to him by William Livingston, now governor of New Jersey, in honor of his recrossing of the Delaware. This beautiful horse dropped dead from the heat, and Washington instantly switched to a chestnut mare. By sheer force of will, he stopped the retreating soldiers, rallied them, then reversed them. <u>“Stand fast, my boys, and receive your enemy,”</u> he shouted. “The southern troops are advancing to support you.” Washington’s steady presence had a sedative effect on the flying men.<br />
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<br />
<b>Two bold quotes from Jefferson: </b><br />
<br />
“I hold it that <u>a little rebellion now and then is a good thing</u>… and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” <br />
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“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”<br />
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<br />
<b>Hamilton’s words on government debt:</b><br />
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“[I] ardently [wish] to see it incorporated as a fundamental maxim in the system of public credit of the United States that <u>the creation of debt should always be accompanied with the means of extinguishment</u>.”<br />
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“[Progressive accumulation of debt] is perhaps the NATURAL DISEASE of all Governments. And it is not easy to conceive anything more likely than this to lead to great and convulsive revolutions of Empire.”<br />
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“To attach full confidence to an institution of this nature, it appears to be an essential ingredient in its structure that <u>[a federal bank] shall be under a private not a public direction, under the guidance of individual interest, not of public policy</u>.” In short, he was a libertarian, ha ha. <br />
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Fisher Ames added an insight on well-meaning people who don’t understand economics: “A gentleman may therefore propose the worst of measures with the best intentions.”<br />
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<b>Chernow’s words on our two-party government:</b><br />
<br />
“The Federalists saw themselves as saving America from anarchy, while Republicans believed they were rescuing America from counterrevolution.”<br />
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“Where Hamilton looked at the world through a dark filter and had a better sense of human limitations, Jefferson viewed the world through a rose-colored prism and had a better sense of human potentialities. Both Hamilton and Jefferson believed in democracy, but <u>Hamilton tended to be more suspicious of the governed and Jefferson of the governors</u>.”<br />
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I find myself clinging to both of these perspectives. <br />
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<br />
<b>On Hamilton’s Christian faith:</b><br />
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“For Hamilton, religion formed the basis of all law and morality, and he thought the world would be a hellish place without it… [In his later years,] he experienced a resurgence of his youthful fervor, prayed daily, and scribbled many notes in the margin of the family Bible.” — Chernow<br />
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Hamilton believed in a happy afterlife for the virtuous that would offer “far more substantial bliss than can ever be found in this checkered, this ever varying, scene!”<br />
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“I have examined carefully the evidence of the Christian religion,” Hamilton told one friend, “and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity, I should rather abruptly give my verdict in its favor.” To Eliza, he said, “<u>I have studied [Christianity] and I can prove its truth</u> as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.”<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-32943425194009290692016-08-02T14:00:00.000-06:002016-08-02T14:00:27.222-06:00BOOK REPORT: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (Part 2)<br />
<h2>
ADDITIONS</h2>
<br />
There was just so much I loved about <i>Les Miserables</i>. That first book report was the essentials.<br />
<br />
Below are some side characters and tangents I wanted to comment on. Also, I’ve condensed and then quoted some really long passages that I just thought were amazing. So give these a read if you don’t have time to read the whole novel. And give these a re-read if you’ve already read the book. (That’s sort of why I’m posting them here, so I can refresh my own memory down the road.)<br />
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Now for part 2 of my <i>Les Miserables</i> book report:<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfy90hhyphenhyphenkkttel2CsDWNy3Nj3lKQofYJgzNE385f3UyZ90OnS9dNHXhNdRDxvL1lbqzdirscmG7BjGQdXzlvDJUR3fbop3gWaQoMGi4so7BwB9xyy4TUvRGCdqpoiH2Sjka7D2L-1et2J/s400/Les-Mise%25CC%2581rables-International-Poster.jpg" width="295" /><br />
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<h2>
THE NARRATOR</h2>
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I love the narrator’s voice. He’s almost a character in his own right.<br />
<br />
He says things like, “I’ve forgotten the name,” which makes him into a real person. Or things like, “He did not see them again, and throughout the remainder of this sad history, neither shall we.” It’s as if we’re hearing the story from our grandfather while sitting around the hearth.<br />
<br />
He’s humorous as well, with descriptions that add both character and humor: “Madame Victurnien was fifty-six years old and wore a mask of old age over her mask of ugliness.” Or “...Her husband, a knave of some calibre, a ruffian, educated almost to the extent of grammar...”<br />
<br />
And often the narrator waxes eloquent while pontificating on a point:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only. The rest is only the rest, and comes afterwards. <b>Nothing is more real than these great shocks which two souls give each other in exchanging this spark.</b>”</blockquote>
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<h2>
THE INSPIRATION?</h2>
<br />
The narrator said one phrase, which I loved, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether it had inspired the daemons in Phil Pullman’s His Dark Materials:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“It is our conviction that if souls were visible to the eye we should distinctly see this strange fact that each individual of the human species corresponds to some one of the species of the animal creation; and we should clearly recognise the truth, hardly perceived by thinkers, that, from the oyster to the eagle, from the swine to the tiger, all animals are in man, and that each of them is in a man; sometimes even, several of them at a time. Animals are nothing but the forms of our virtues and vices wandering before our eyes, the visible phantoms of our souls. God shows them to us to make us reflect.”</blockquote>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfHIHfg4qGGG3ex3Hy408OBCYVdAUgUl1C44haEWkkJCgx37DnGD-VGUhaRXhfueUI91gW4FsHAkdOKbKBLdvF3oq7OhRh0N39YE102agiwsjgIpj72H55DW9wKrIMhLMfKr7gAz38Yky/s400/les-miserables-2012-poster-big-edited.jpg" width="266" /><br />
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<br />
<h2>
GAVROCHE</h2>
<br />
To me, Gavroche is one of the lost boys, straight out of <i>Peter Pan</i>. And one of the most endearing features of his character is that he carries a pistol with a broken hammer—just like a kid pretending to be a grown up.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Little folks are good for something then! That is very lucky! I will go! <b>Meantime, trust the little folks, distrust the big.</b>” — Gavroche</blockquote>
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<br />
<h2>
THE WEDDING SPEECH</h2>
<br />
I loved this speech by Monsieur Gillenormand at the wedding feast. I think you will too:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Listen to me; I am going to give you a piece of advice: Adore one another…</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The philosopher’s say, ‘Moderate your joys.’ I say, ‘Give them the rein. Be enamoured like devils. Be rabid…</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Can you love each other too much? Can you please each other too much?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Can you enchant each other too much, charm each other too much? Can you be too much alive? Can you be too happy?...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Live boldly for one another, my-love one another, make us die with rage that we cannot do as much, idolatrise each other...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“So act that, when you are with each other, there shall be nothing wanting, and that Cosette may be the sun to Marius, and that Marius may be the universe to Cosette. Cosette, let your fine weather be the smile of your husband: Marius! let your rain be the tears of your wife. And may it never rain in your household. You have filched the good number in the lottery, a love-match; you have the highest prize, take good care of it, put it under lock and key, don’t squander it, worship each other, and snap your fingers at the rest.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“Be a religion to each other. Every one has his own way of worshipping God. Zounds! the best way to worship God is to love your wife. I love you! that is my catechism. Whoever loves is orthodox.”</b></blockquote>
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<br />
<h2>
ON WEDDING NIGHTS</h2>
<br />
This is a passage from the narrator at the close of the wedding festivities:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“There was tumult, then silence. The bride and groom disappeared.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“A little after midnight the Gillenormand house became a temple. Here we stop.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Upon the threshold of wedding-nights stands an angel smiling, his finger on his lip. The soul enters into contemplation before this sanctuary, in which is held the celebration of love. There must be gleams of light above those houses. The joy which they contain must escape in light through the stones of the walls, and shine dimly into the darkness. It is impossible that this sacred festival of destiny should not send a celestial radiation to the infinite.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“Love is the sublime crucible in which is consummated the fusion of man and woman; the one being, the triple being, the final being, the human trinity springs from it.</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“This birth of two souls into one must be an emotion for space. The lover is priest; the rapt maiden is affrighted. Something of this joy goes to God. Where there is really marriage, that is where there is love, the ideal is mingled with it. A nuptial bed makes a halo in the darkness. Were it given to the eye of flesh to perceive the fearful and enchanting sights of the superior life, it is probable that we should see the forms of night, the winged strangers, the blue travellers of the invisible, bending, a throng of shadowy heads, over the luminous house, pleased, blessing, showing to one another the sweetly startled maiden bride, and wearing the reflection of the human felicity upon their divine countenances.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“If, at that supreme hour, the wedded pair, bewildered with pleasure, and believing themselves alone, were to listen, they would hear in their chamber a rustling of confused wings.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Perfect happiness implies the solidarity of the angels.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“That little obscure alcove has for its ceiling the whole heavens. When two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near each other to create, it is impossible that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“These are the true felicities. No joy beyond these joys.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Love is the only ecstasy, everything else weeps.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“To love or to have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life. To love is a consummation.”</blockquote>
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<h2>
THE SACRIFICE OF ENJOLRAS</h2>
<br />
Enjolras is a man of ideals and heart—a caring youth, willing to make nearly any sacrifice to bring forth a greater good. At one point, the rebels must take a sniper shot at a cannon gunner, and this heart-wrenching dialog ensues:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“He is at most twenty-five years old; he might be your brother.”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“He is,” said Enjolras.</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Yes,” said Combeferre, “and mine also. Well, don’t let us kill him.”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Let me alone. We must do what we must.” And a tear rolled slowly down Enjolras’ marble cheek. At the same time he pressed the trigger of his carbine.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The flash leaped forth. The artillery-man turned twice round, his arms stretched out before him, and his head raised as if to drink the air, then he fell over on his side upon the gun, and lay there motionless. His back could be seen, from the centre of which a stream of blood gushed upwards. The ball had entered his breast and passed through his body. He was dead.</blockquote>
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<br />
<br />
<h2>
WHAT HORIZON IS VISIBLE FROM THE TOP OF THE BARRICADE (i.e., THE SPEECH OF ENJOLRAS)</h2>
<br />
And, last, here’s a large chunk of the battle speech given by Enjolras:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The situation of all, in this hour of death and in this inexorable place, found its resultant and summit in the supreme melancholy of Enjolras.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Enjolras had within himself the plenitude of revolution; <b>he was incomplete notwithstanding, as much as the absolute can be...</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He was standing on the paving-stone steps, his elbow upon the muzzle of his carbine. He was thinking; he started, as at the passing of a gust; places where death is have such tripodal effects. <b>There came from his eyes, full of the interior sight, a kind of stifled fire. </b>Suddenly he raised his head, his fair hair waved backwards like that of the angel upon his sombre car of stars, it was the mane of a startled lion flaming with a halo, and Enjolras exclaimed:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Citizens, do you picture to yourselves the future? The streets of the cities flooded with light... to all, labour, for all, law, over all, <b>peace, no more bloodshed, no more war… a dawn of truth, corresponding with the dawn of the day...</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Listen to me, then, Feuilly, valiant working-man, man of the people, man of the peoples, I venerate thee...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Thou art going to die here; that is, to triumph...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Citizens, whatever may happen to-day, through our defeat as well as through our victory, we are going to effect a revolution. Just as conflagrations light up the whole city, revolutions light up the whole human race...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“From the political point of view, there is but one single principle: the sovereignty of man over himself. This sovereignty of myself over myself is called Liberty...</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“If liberty is the summit, equality is the base...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“Equality, citizens, is not all vegetation on a level, a society of big spears of grass and little oaks; a neighbourhood of jealousies emasculating each other; it is, civilly, all aptitudes having equal opportunity; politically, all votes having equal weight; religiously, all consciences having equal rights...</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We might almost say: there will be no events more. Men will be happy. The human race will fulfil its law as the terrestrial globe fulfils its; harmony will be re-established between the soul and the star; the soul will gravitate about the truth like the star about the light…</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Yes, instruction! Light! Light! all comes from light, and all returns to it...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Friends, the hour in which we live, and in which I speak to you, is a gloomy hour, but of such is the terrible price of the future. <b>A revolution is a toll-gate.</b> Oh! the human race shall be delivered, uplifted, and consoled! We affirm it on this barricade. <b>Whence shall arise the shout of love, if it be not from the summit of sacrifice?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Here day embraces night, and says: <b>I will die with thee and thou shalt be born again with me...</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“This agony and this immortality are to mingle and compose our death. Brothers, he who dies here dies in the radiance of the future, and we are entering a grave illuminated by the dawn.”</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Enjolras broke off rather than ceased, his lips moved noiselessly, as if he were continuing to speak to himself, and they looked at him with attention, endeavouring still to hear. There was no applause; but they whispered for a long time. Speech being breath, the rustling of intellects resembles the rustling of leaves.</blockquote>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-31518454663643038422016-07-26T14:00:00.000-06:002016-07-26T14:00:45.436-06:00BOOK REPORT: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpvWc3Yv__92LhA1DA3MU4A-IrycrW7hXrc-sMWMs1wLyWm-I3l5pKRQqg-E8oR6VTupEw3g2FA8P1VT4uNiFDSiiMDRG-5u6h7M6k7TS3unU8co0933oHuZ6z_efK2McyDnqhzpYhSqG/s400/Les+Miserables+Book+Cover+edited.jpg" width="241" /><br /><br /><br />
Long time no see! It’s because this book took me so long to read.<br />
<br />
<b>TL;DR: Man, this is such a story! Sometimes I think it must not have come from a mortal but some higher place.</b><br />
<br />
<h2>
<br />INTRO</h2>
<br />
You’ll find Les Miserables on lists of the longest novels ever. In fact, it’s the longest book I’ve ever read, at 655,478 words. That’s five SONG OF LOCKEs! Five! Insane! I’ve had readers complain that Locke was too long! If you combine all the books and essays I’ve published, it’s still not as long as Les Miserables!<br />
<br />
Like many of you, I’ve been meaning to read this forever, but it seemed like such a chore. When I was a kid, I could never read long books. And even still… But now audio helps a bit. (This one I “read” partly in audio and partly in the ebook.)<br />
<br />
I read the Wilbour translation. He uses the words like janitress (a female janitor), which seems a precise translation. I love this. We Americans are unfortunately abandoning our gender-based nouns. Incidentally, I like to use words like photographress and paintress too.<br />
<br />
You’ll hear people complaining about the chapters where Hugo goes on and on about the sewers or Waterloo, and that’s a fair critique. As I started, the first seven chapters were about the Bishop’s house—his chairs, his locks on the doors, the paintings on his wall, and I was like, “Oh, no.” With so little plot and so much exposition, I had a tough time focusing. But they were short chapters (which is how I like to write too), and so I felt like I was progressing quickly. Around chapter 10 came a brief subplot about a dying atheist, and I finally felt engaged with the narrative. After that it was all downhill. Except for the sewers. And Waterloo.<br />
<br />
<b>Mostly I love this book because it’s about seeing people as people, seeing the good in people through the anguish and strife, and loving them for their humanity, and then making sacrifices in order to honor that love. </b><br />
<br />
This phrase in particular summed it up for me:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“If there is anything more poignant than a body agonising for want of bread, it is a soul which is dying of hunger for light.”</b></blockquote>
<br />
In this case, I think light is more than knowledge (which is the typical metaphor). I think he’s talking about warmth and love. It is one of many lines that really struck me.<br />
<br />
For the rest of my book report, I’d like to focus on characters, mostly with quotes, but with a few commentaries of my own as well. Here goes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
THE BISHOP</h2>
<br />
First we meet the Bishop.<br />
<br />
When I watched the Liam Neeson and Hugh Jackman movies, I came to the conclusion that the Bishop had told a noble lie in order to save Valjean from prison. As great as that act would be, it turns out the Bishop’s heart was so pure he had already gifted the silver, and, in fact, all that he had, to Valjean:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome. And do not thank me; do not tell me that I take you into my house. This is the home of no man, except him who needs an asylum.<b> I tell you, who are a traveler, that you are more at home here than I; whatever is here is yours.” — Bishop Myriel, a.k.a. Monseigneur Bienvenu</b></blockquote>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r4TOVMk-3EszHDJf3BjPH-GVH3tUSWa6zvgi9nwQmw4KeDs54sVffbtD9giAIhAEIDdVr4_eDS68myaBq3t1uUZaK9r-0hBae_cv1Pd3rTm9JRRwK0Xg0pHZb5Wi7B_kW76l6u0LMKIn/s400/Les-Miserables-character-poster-Hugh-Jackman.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
JEAN VALJEAN</h2>
<br />
I have a brother who has the name Jean, and what a character to share a name with!<br />
<br />
It’s through Valjean’s trials that we see a distinctly Christian narrative. For example, the narrator says God attends the moment when Valjean makes his choice between being a demon in paradise or an angel in hell:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Alas! what he wanted to keep out of doors had entered; what he wanted to render blind was looking upon him. His conscience. His conscience—that is to say, God.”</blockquote>
<br />
Valjean is a man who, in the end, is “transfigured into Christ.”<br />
<br />
As he tries to get to the courthouse to incriminate himself and save an innocent, he is tormented both physically and spiritually every step along the way. Even though he’s unsure he wants to go through with it, he presses on, because “his highest duty was not towards himself.” And I find these dilemmas interesting—because all he has to do is stand still, do nothing, and the tide will turn in his favor. But, he feels it will be to the detriment of his soul. So he sticks to his motto:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“The highest justice is conscience.” — Jean Valjean</b></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<h2>
JAVIER</h2>
<br />
Javier is truly a villain. Ironically, I struggled to see his humanity.<br />
<br />
He wasn’t just short sighted by nature, but kept his mind closed on purpose, stubbornly ignorant of the suffering of others, which was spotlighted so overwhelmingly at Fantine’s deathbed. In that moment, “Jean Valjean put his hand on that of Javert which held him, and opened it as he would have opened the hand of a child; then he said: ‘You have killed this woman.’ ”<br />
<br />
Javier felt that his lack of pity was justified by his rightness with the law, and so he remained blind to the higher justice that Valjean could see:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Without suspecting it, Javert, in his fear-inspiring happiness, was pitiable, like every ignorant man who wins a triumph. Nothing could be more painful and terrible than this face, which revealed what we may call all the evil of good.”</blockquote>
<br />
He does the “right thing” for the wrong reason. Which is why I love the contrast of the nun who lies (a “wrong thing”) for the right reason:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“She lied. Two lies in succession, one upon another, without hesitation, quickly, as if she were an adept in it. ‘Your pardon!’ said Javert, and he withdrew, bowing reverently. Oh, holy maiden! for many years thou hast been no more in this world; thou hast joined the sisters, the virgins, and thy brethren, the angels, in glory; may this falsehood be remembered to thee in Paradise.”</blockquote>
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<br />
<h2>
FANTINE</h2>
<br />
Fantine’s story is so painful. Really. My soul ached as I read it.<br />
<br />
My tribute to her is brief, and hopefully thus more poignant:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“God is kind.” — Fantine, at the end</b></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<h2>
MARIUS</h2>
<br />
I love Marius. I love his passionate perspectives—on life, on rebellion, and even on debt:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Marius had never given up for a single day. He had undergone everything, in the shape of privation; he had done everything, except get into debt. He gave himself this credit, that he had never owed a sou to anybody. For him a debt was the beginning of slavery. He felt even that a creditor is worse than a master; for a master owns only your person, a creditor owns your dignity and can belabour that. Rather than borrow, he did not eat.”</blockquote>
<br />
But mostly I love the way he sees Cosette:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“Sometimes, beautiful as was Cosette, Marius closed his eyes before her. With closed eyes is the best way of looking at the soul.” — Les Miserables </b></blockquote>
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012665990266761983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1181334432508878737.post-27858192580020394022016-05-31T14:00:00.000-06:002016-05-31T14:00:04.554-06:00New book for sale: I'M JERRY SEINFELD by J Washburn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD36UjZ0fssN4YR7mSG4ONiPdzjg3kZkpot50f9vz3_G1cUU7hK824-9caUjWw1S3idQAodK82LrBdxxEhhO55JUTi5mQSmCYS2WCCruXWZci0092eOOzVBasTvd0WSW-ZKq8o8baRQG6-/s400/I%2527m-Jerry-Seinfeld-book-cover.jpg" width="263" /></div>
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I have an announcement to make: My latest book is out!</div>
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It's called I'M JERRY SEINFELD: AN ESSAY ON COMEDY. Here's the synopsis: </div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Don’t read this book if you’re fat. Or if you hate reading. Or if you hate Jerry Seinfeld. Or me. Or fat people. Or nudity. And definitely don’t read it if you liked my other books. Or if you’ve had enough funny business. Or if you’d rather have a 99-cent hamburger. Did I mention fat? Come on, George, you’re such a cheapskate.</blockquote>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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It's not really like anything else I've written. That makes me scared to share it with the world, but, hey, that's what I do. My beta readers gave amazing feedback. Now it's less offensive with more consistent flow. <b>It's about making your life better through comedy, and reading it might give you a lasting insight or two.</b></div>
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<b>It's <a href="http://seinfeld.jwashburn.com/" target="_blank">available on Amazon for $0.99</a>. </b></div>
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Thanks for being a reader! Looking forward to reading your reviews.<br />
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-- J<br />
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