I wasn't going to write today being that tomorrow is Easter and I didn't think that I would have time/energy/interest but as I was cleaning the house for guests tomorrow, I was inspired.
The only time I really watch t.v. is when- 1. my husband is watching something and I want to be near him; or 2. I am doing some chore that lets me multitask. Today, the second option came up. I was folding laundry and so I put on one of my favorite prerecorded shows, "I Survived". Has anyone seen this show before? As much of a scaredy-cat as I am, something about this show captivates me.
The episode was on a specific hostage situation in Bogota, Colombia. Three Americans (two interviewed) were working with the American and Colombian governments to extract information on the drug cartel going down. This is specifically interesting to me because the book I had just finished reading, My Colombian War, is very much a part of this fight. The FARC had taken these hostages for nearly 6 years! It was an amazing story of survival and not just because of the connection I was able to make. I thought, therefore, that I would pass this information on to my followers. lol, I have none as of yet... but I am going to stay positive thinking that there are other people out there who like this kind of stuff.
Because I do not know exactly how to link a site to this blog, and also because I am not sure if a link would even exist, I am going to have to hope that you are able to find the episode. (I am going to try, but am about 99.99% sure I will fail regardless.)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. I know, the agnostic celebrating Easter seems a little absurd, but it is not the religious connection that draws me in. Rather it is the family time that comes from it all. I do not discount the biblical history of Easter, I do believe Jesus existed and that this time of the year holds great significance for the Christian religion.
Before I get too involved in talking about something I am very much a minority for/against, I will reiterate my blessings to have a wonderful Easter and a beautiful Spring-like week!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Religion/Belief?
Already not writing every day... lol. But. BUT. The reason is more that I am kind of blahing this book right now. The name of it is The Religious Case Against Belief and it is by James P. Carse.
So far I have read 59 pages in 2-3 days... that says a lot first off because I can usually read that much in an afternoon. It isn't so much that the book is "religious" (Christian-sided, I feel). I have no problem reading religious books as long as they are good (I have been agnostic/atheistic since I was a child) It is that in the 59 pages that I have read so far, the author has basically said the same thing over and over. And over. And over... What he repeats is his entire thesis- why belief isn't the same as religion. He uses examples from the French Revolution, the American Civil War, Martin Luther (heavily), and other well-known eras that help prove his case. However, it is the same conclusion each time. Martin Luther's abjuration, for instance, is used to illustrate how if Luther and Charles V had vocalized that both were equally capable of where/whom to place papal authority, then perhaps the entire Protestant/Catholic schism could have been avoided.
Um... duh... I'm sorry, I am not 1. Christian; 2. an expert in this area of history; But, seriously. Yes, we can all make a pretty safe hypothesis that the "belief" of who holds papal authority was the key point here. Period. Yes, it was that particular belief and yes, every other person (CHristian/Buddhist/Maoist/etc) is capable of coming to a different conclusion. Basically, I keep waiting on the punchline, but it is the same ancedote in different shoes every time.
So instead, I am going to write about how my 4 year old daughter has already picked out my next book for me to read. Can you believe that she chose The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky?! That's my girl! Perhaps more shocking is that I haven't actually read it yet.
Thus, I am going to dive into Russian mid-19th century and back to some history that I am more familiar with! I have a feeling I will be much further than 59 pages by tomorrow to write again.
Maybe one day I will pick up The Religious Case again...
So far I have read 59 pages in 2-3 days... that says a lot first off because I can usually read that much in an afternoon. It isn't so much that the book is "religious" (Christian-sided, I feel). I have no problem reading religious books as long as they are good (I have been agnostic/atheistic since I was a child) It is that in the 59 pages that I have read so far, the author has basically said the same thing over and over. And over. And over... What he repeats is his entire thesis- why belief isn't the same as religion. He uses examples from the French Revolution, the American Civil War, Martin Luther (heavily), and other well-known eras that help prove his case. However, it is the same conclusion each time. Martin Luther's abjuration, for instance, is used to illustrate how if Luther and Charles V had vocalized that both were equally capable of where/whom to place papal authority, then perhaps the entire Protestant/Catholic schism could have been avoided.
Um... duh... I'm sorry, I am not 1. Christian; 2. an expert in this area of history; But, seriously. Yes, we can all make a pretty safe hypothesis that the "belief" of who holds papal authority was the key point here. Period. Yes, it was that particular belief and yes, every other person (CHristian/Buddhist/Maoist/etc) is capable of coming to a different conclusion. Basically, I keep waiting on the punchline, but it is the same ancedote in different shoes every time.
So instead, I am going to write about how my 4 year old daughter has already picked out my next book for me to read. Can you believe that she chose The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky?! That's my girl! Perhaps more shocking is that I haven't actually read it yet.
Thus, I am going to dive into Russian mid-19th century and back to some history that I am more familiar with! I have a feeling I will be much further than 59 pages by tomorrow to write again.
Maybe one day I will pick up The Religious Case again...
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Introduction
Hi. This is my first blog entry and thus, it is a bit awkward. I guess the most useful subject to talk about would be just my self... not sure if I want to do that, but okay:
I turn 30 years old in a couple of months; I have 2 daughters, a husband, and a life in Northern Colorado. My passions include reading, writing, and learning (not exclusively). Per suggestion of my amazing sister, FranniePantz I have decided that I want to venture forth into this crazy globalized world. Sorry, I am not a fashionista like my sister, but I do read some great books and I love to learn (and teach). I thought this would be boring to the majority of bloggers, but my sister truly thinks I might find some people into the same stuff I am, so I am gonna give it a go!
My New's Year's Resolution this year (I know, haha no one keeps those), is to read at least 3 books every month. So far, I have been okay with this mission; unfortunatley, this month though, I have 8 days left and have just started my second book today. I want to write about the books I read, the history behind them (I rarely read fiction, and even then there is always history there, too), and I want to encourage myself along the way.
So far this year, I have read a handful of good books; An Infinity of Mirrors, My Colombian War, Red Scare: A Study in National Hysteria 1919-1920, Alone with the Devil, Close Range: Wyoming Stories, and Ghandi's Way to God. I have currently started reading The Religious Case Against Belief.
My favorite so far has been An Infinity of Mirrors, which is a historical fiction written in the 1960s by Richard Condon. It takes place in Nazi-infused Europe, specificlly Germany and France. It is a love story, perhaps, but most importantly, it is enriched with details of life during this tremendous era of history. The book was so good, that I even wrote an email to my history professor/chair department head/advisor at University of Northern Colorado to recommend it to her. I hope she reads it and likes it as much as I did.
The last book I read is a biography by Silvana Paternostro, My Colombian War. This is another fabulous read; Paternostro is a talented writer, painting a vivid picture of her life torn between the developing country of her birth and that of a NYC journalist.
So, I think I am going to write as I read in these books. Instead of going back and reviewing these last ones I have mentioned, I will start at my current read, The Religious Case Against Belief. Here is the thing: I have three bookcases full of books I have bought/acquired that I continue to add to... I have some major catching up to do before I will allow myself to acquire more. That being said, though, I work at a thrift store. in processing. I am the first person to see anything that comes into the store; I find lots of treasures and that most definitely includes books. I may or may not already have a small stack of books that I have set aside to get with my next paycheck...
My sister writes in her blog pretty much every day. I mean, she might miss a day or two here and there, but she is committed. I am gonna just go for a "one day at a time" deal here. Surely, though, I am not the only one who enjoys reading books that I learn from.
Therefore, in the words of Paule von Rhode, "Franz! Set to!" Time to get reading!
I turn 30 years old in a couple of months; I have 2 daughters, a husband, and a life in Northern Colorado. My passions include reading, writing, and learning (not exclusively). Per suggestion of my amazing sister, FranniePantz I have decided that I want to venture forth into this crazy globalized world. Sorry, I am not a fashionista like my sister, but I do read some great books and I love to learn (and teach). I thought this would be boring to the majority of bloggers, but my sister truly thinks I might find some people into the same stuff I am, so I am gonna give it a go!
My New's Year's Resolution this year (I know, haha no one keeps those), is to read at least 3 books every month. So far, I have been okay with this mission; unfortunatley, this month though, I have 8 days left and have just started my second book today. I want to write about the books I read, the history behind them (I rarely read fiction, and even then there is always history there, too), and I want to encourage myself along the way.
So far this year, I have read a handful of good books; An Infinity of Mirrors, My Colombian War, Red Scare: A Study in National Hysteria 1919-1920, Alone with the Devil, Close Range: Wyoming Stories, and Ghandi's Way to God. I have currently started reading The Religious Case Against Belief.
My favorite so far has been An Infinity of Mirrors, which is a historical fiction written in the 1960s by Richard Condon. It takes place in Nazi-infused Europe, specificlly Germany and France. It is a love story, perhaps, but most importantly, it is enriched with details of life during this tremendous era of history. The book was so good, that I even wrote an email to my history professor/chair department head/advisor at University of Northern Colorado to recommend it to her. I hope she reads it and likes it as much as I did.
The last book I read is a biography by Silvana Paternostro, My Colombian War. This is another fabulous read; Paternostro is a talented writer, painting a vivid picture of her life torn between the developing country of her birth and that of a NYC journalist.
So, I think I am going to write as I read in these books. Instead of going back and reviewing these last ones I have mentioned, I will start at my current read, The Religious Case Against Belief. Here is the thing: I have three bookcases full of books I have bought/acquired that I continue to add to... I have some major catching up to do before I will allow myself to acquire more. That being said, though, I work at a thrift store. in processing. I am the first person to see anything that comes into the store; I find lots of treasures and that most definitely includes books. I may or may not already have a small stack of books that I have set aside to get with my next paycheck...
My sister writes in her blog pretty much every day. I mean, she might miss a day or two here and there, but she is committed. I am gonna just go for a "one day at a time" deal here. Surely, though, I am not the only one who enjoys reading books that I learn from.
Therefore, in the words of Paule von Rhode, "Franz! Set to!" Time to get reading!
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