In my spare time

Just being on Council has almost forced me into the habit of looking at the pros and cons, the plusses and minuses, and to really simplify, the good and bad of just about everything. I think that stems from the fact that we are end, as we should really, to put a lot of consideration into all of our decisions, regardless of magnitude or lack thereof. There are times I still find those issues weighing on my mind even in the wee hours of morning (probably thinking about them constantly has something to do with my being awake at the wee hours).
Just the sheer mental drain of deliberating and dwelling on work-related issues, in addition to the gobs of reports and memorandums we peruse, tends to cut into what was previously one of my favorite hobbies besides travel, reading. Like travel, whether you do it for pleasure or for work makes a huge difference in the amount satisfaction gotten. Whereas I was good for three of fours books per month p.c. (pre-Council), my reading appetite now gets by on one. Being ever the fan of variety, I usually alternate fiction and non-fiction. Here is what I’ve read recently:

“Creation” by Gore Vidal

Aside from James Michener’s “Hawaii” or Norman Mailer’s “Ancient Evenings”, I’ve not read much historical fiction, which is odd considering my fascination with history. This was also the first book I’ve read of Vidal’s, once again odd since I made it almost a life’s goal to read at least one book from every prominent writer of the modern era. At nearly 600 pages, the length of this book did little to keep me from being engrossed. Basically, “Creation” follows the life of Cyrus Spitama, a half-Greek, half-Persian priest of some old and forgotten religion. His life takes place during the 5th century, and as an ambassador of the Persian empire he has the good fortune to witness the major political events of what was then considered the center of the world. He is sent to old India and China (called Cathay in old times) to help try and create what would eventually become the legendary Silk Road. Evidently, around this time not only were Confucius and Buddha still kicking around, but so were Xerxes, Pericles, and Sophocles. Cyrus meets and gets to know almost all of them. What makes “Creation” so fascinating is not only the personalities, but the fact that if true, and I get the impression Vidal must have done an exhausting amount of research to write this, politics back then were not all that different than today, not only in Grand Ronde, but everywhere.

“The Science of Good and Evil” by Micheal Shermer

Call me an oddball, but psychology and human behavior absolutely fascinate me, enough to where over the last few years I’ve read probably half a dozen or so books on the subject. This book was my latest, and having been published in 2006 is one of the newer books I’ve gone through. Just as a note, the book that truly sparked my fascination with this was Robert Wright’s “The Moral Animal”, which I would recommend for anyone who wants a read that at times is so startling and powerful one has to pause after some paragraphs just to accept and ponder what was just written. Shermer’s book isn’t quite as shocking, but there are some chapters that truly engross the reader. There are also points he makes on some of today’s most sensitive issues, like animal rights, infidelity, and the role of religion in government the genuinely cause you to sit up and say “Gee, I never really thought of it that way before!”. All in all, worth your time if you have a real interest in sociology and/or psychology.

Film

I hardly watch television. Discovery Channel’s “Planet Earth” series recently forced me to make a habit of plopping down for two hours every Sunday night, but other than that few shows other than “Survivor”, “The Simpsons”, or Oregon Ducks Football and Basketball will lure me to the couch, or in my household, papasans. Most of my T.V. time is passed making use of my Netflix and Blockbuster D.V.D. subscriptions. I also occasionally drive on down to the theater.
If anybody is interested…

“300”

Okay, this is a film with probably more appeal to men than women. Nonetheless, this is the definition of entertainment. I love that more filmmakers are going for style points in their movies. And I also appreciate that there is little reluctance to go over the top these days, with a wink. “300” does all that in recounting a comic book, oops…I mean graphic novel version of the battle at Thermopylae in old Greece. For whatever it’s worth, I inadvertently was reading “Creation” at the time this movie came out, which of course deals with the Persian empire and Xerxes, whom the Spartans were fighting in this movie. One of those odd coincidences I suppose.

“The Prestige”

A rivalry between fictional magicians in late 19th century London is a pretty narrow subject, but this film keeps you quite interested. Of course, I’ve liked most movies that had either Hugh Jackman or Christian Bale. More importantly, the director here, Christopher Nolan, has made some of my most favorite movies this century, like “Memento”, “Insomnia”, and “Batman Begins”. Strangest of all, David Bowie plays that famous scientist Tesla. That’s right, David Bowie.