BOOKS: Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun walk through the origins of colors used in dyes, paints, etc. The history and the descriptions of her journeys to the various ancient sources of different colors were fascinating. However, I do question the wisdom of traveling to the saffron fields in Iran, the lapis lazuli mines in Afghanistan, and coastal Lebanon (in search of purple dye from shellfish) considering the current turmoil in those areas.



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BOOKS: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a delightful and heart-warming story!  It was filled with likable people, a sweet story line, and bits of Kenyan history.  I also enjoyed the info/descriptions of the various birds of Kenya. The book cover gives and excellent description:  "A beguiling novel that does for contemporary Kenya and its 1000 species of birds what Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies Detectives series does for Botswana".



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BOOK: Terror and Consent by Philip Bobbitt

Terror and Consent : The Battle for the Twenty-first Century by Philip Bobbitt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I started writing this post last year and couldn't find an adequate way to finish it. I just couldn't consolidate my thoughts enough to put it together and show how impressed I was by the ideas presented in it. Since then, as I have watched the changes and discussions taking place in the U.S. and in Europe, I have been even more impressed. I would highly recommend it for anyone who would like some insight into recent political and economic events and also the increasingly bitter and polarizing divisiveness that seems to be tearing our county apart.



It saddens me to see the increasing anxiety and fearfulness about the economy and the future of our country that I see in myself and in others. This seems concerning because historically most countries have not made the wisest choices when their people have been afraid and anxious about their future.



Anyway, it was a fascinating book about how the nature of terrorism has changed in response to the market states beginning to emerge from the current order of constitutional nation states. I also enjoyed his previous book "The Shield of Achilles" (about how the types of legitimate orders of states have changed over time.).



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MOVIES: Shall We Dance?

You rated this movie: 4

Average of 229,072 ratings:

3.8 stars

I just finished watching the original Japanese version of this movie. I enjoyed the American version but the story seemed to make more sense in it's original Japanese setting. Afterwords, I had to wonder what had impressed me so much about the movie (in both versions). The storyline and the acting were "ok" but they weren't anything spectacular. Yet, there was an idea behind it that was somehow captivating.

Perhaps, I enjoyed watching the story of a likable, dedicated and serious man who loves his family but is discontent with his life. There isn't anything specifically wrong except the sense that something is missing. Then, he suddenly finds something that brings him to life. At first, he mistakenly believes another woman can fill the emptiness. Then he explores his passion for dance alone without involving his family and without realizing the effects his distance is having on his family. He is generally more alive but something is still "off" because he has shut his family out of this "shameful" part of his life. He eventually comes to realize that his passion for dance can actually bring his family closer together.

He realized he was wrong about his idea of having to choose between his family and dance. It wasn't about leaving one option in order to find happiness in the other. He discovered he was most fulfilled when he involved his family with his passion for dance. This is when he finally becomes the man he has always wanted to be.

THOUGHTS: Facebook and an Old Friend

What a joy it is to unexpectedly meet up with an old friend! My family lost contact with a dear friend a few years ago (due to various moves along with email and phone changes on both our parts). Every so often we would hopefully ask each other if we've heard from her and we were saddened when we had not. We tried various searches without success.

Then, fairly recently, I joined Facebook on a whim. I had seen our son using the program and had assumed it was mainly for teens and young adults. However, after noticing a few friends at work using the program, I thought I would check it out. It has been awesome! I have been amazed at the number of old friends from high school who have contacted me. Also, it has reunited us with our lost friend/sister. A few days after signing up, I was surprised to see a message from her! Of course, I immediately called my parents. They were so excited that they let their breakfast burn because they were so eager to check their computer for messages. Facebook has been such fun and easy way to keep in contact with people.