October 30, 2004

All Saints Eve Eve - Reading Reporting

     I've finally finished Pascal's Pensees. They were very, very good. Very reminiscent of Jonathan Edwards. I'm thinking maybe Edwards read them at some point. So, I think perhaps I'll dive into the work of Edwards for a while. I also finished Timequake and Hokus Pocus by Vonnegut. They were really good. I think I enjoyed Hokus Pocus the most out of what I've read of Vonnegut's works.
      I finally got a copy of Christ in the Old Testament; Old Testament Appearances of Christ in Human Form, by James A Borland. I got it used from Abebooks.com. It was a good read. It was formatted like a thesis, and very thorough. Thus, it was also pretty dry. But overall and excellent book. I also finished Paul  by E.P. Sanders. This is a "New Perspective on Paul" book. I find there are alot of interesting things, and many I do not agree with. One of the most interesting things is that Sanders rejects Luther's Simul Justus et Peccator, because it is a concept foreign to Paul, but later in the book, states that there is an 'anthropological dualism' which prevents people from doing the good that the law requires. Mindbender.

October 29, 2004

Final Fantasy 5

I've been playing Final Fantasy 5 lately. It's kindof like my fascination with Terry Brooks and the Shannara genre, but with role playing games. Final Fantasy 5 is an RPG by Squaresoft that came out for the Super Nintendo in 1992 (in Japan). The unofficial English translation was first released sometime around the mid 90's. It was completed sometime during 1998. This title was one of the first to be entirely translated by fans so its left quite a mark in classic gaming history. Squaresoft thought about bringing over FF5 to our shores but decided to bring over FF6 instead. In 1999 they finally decided to bring over; they released it as a part of the Final Fantasy Anthology.

October 25, 2004

Reading report 10-25-4

     Recently finished The Story of Philosophy by Wil Durant. Some good insight on a selection of philosophers. Also finished The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. That was interesting, especially with an election looming. And also finished The History of the Kings of Britian by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Which I am reading for a side project. Which I am hoping to turn into a book one day. I've also been really enjoying Pascal's Pensees.
     I also picked up Timequake and another paperback by Vonnegut, Hokus Pocus. I also am still reading Louis XIV by Durant still. And perusing through those World Book Encyclopedias (circa 1980).

October 19, 2004

Wanderlust

Driving 500 miles a day for the last six days, minus saturday; I am now feeling as though I should not drive so much. Really, it was great to go to my friend Sameer's wedding. It was an awesome wedding! There was a string quartet, something like fifteen groomsmen, and the reception settings had more glasses than forks! And it was great to go to comedy sportz in Hollywood, with the General. It was great to visit Ken and Michelle, and see all the Southern Californians that I've missed while away. It was great to stay at the Fly Factory in Pottervalley with Chris. It was great to visit Salem for a month, too. But best of all, it is great to be back in Idaho.

October 14, 2004

West Coast Tour '04 - Autumn Rally

Off to California, via Pottersville. Then to Santa Clarita, and hopefully to comedy sportz in Hollywood. Then on Saturday, Sameer's wedding. Then, I will be retracing my steps... all the way back to Idaho.

October 11, 2004

Seattle

I have returned from Seattle. And am currently in Salem, Oregon. I rode around in the Boar's Head delivery truck as Matt dropped off meat products all over north seattle up to the Canadian border, eh! Then we went to the greatest coffee spot outside of Italy;
http://www.caffelusso.com/
It was awesome. And, they ship coffee, so feel free to get in on the action. Although half of the action is talking to the roaster to zero in on coffees of interest to the imbiber. The next day we went and saw the movie, Napoleon Dynamite (my second viewing). An excellent movie, especially if you grew up in a small town in the west.

Pascal Quote

Man is obviously made to think. It is his whole dignity and his whole merit; and his whole duty is to think as he ought. Now, the order of thought is to begin with self, and with its Author and its end. Now, of what does the world think? Never of this, but of dancing, playing the lute, singing, making verses, running at the ring, etc., fighting, making oneself king, without thinking what it is to be a king and what to be a man.

October 6, 2004

Salem

Well, pretty much as soon as I got to Salem, things took an unexpected turn. So, I don't know if I'll be staying. C'est la vie. In other news, an apartment was pointed out to me, and that job at Old Navy i've been thinking about getting is open, and they are hiring. So perhaps I'll stay in Salem. God has a plan, and maybe that means to be in Salem for a while.This weekend, starting today, I'm off to go visit Carpenter in Seattle. He has found the Greatest Coffee house/Roaster in Seattle. Better than the Crooked House of former days, I hear. Then the next weekend, I'm headed down to California for my friend Sameer's wedding. I'm going to stop at Aplet's in Northern California for a day, and perhaps he will ride down to LA with me.

Book Review 10-6-4

     Finished coming up for air. a little dark humor for the pre-WWII Britian era. It was alright, and reminded me of Vonnegut. He used some vivid descriptions ofthe main character and the oddities of life in general. I didn't like some of his subject matter, and the first half of the book kindof dragged until he got to his war experience.
     I also finished the anthology of English Romantic Literature. I found some great poems in there that I liked. Particularly, I Am by John Clare. There was also some great stuff by Byron, as usual, and Percy Bysshe Shelly.     I picked up some great books to peruse through of late: The Story of Philosophy, by Wil Durant. Another book that is about the New Perspective on Paul. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rosseau. I also picked up Pascal's Pensees / Thought's, though I'm looking for Provincial Letters.