tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46501791758469700852024-03-23T11:15:39.731+01:00miki d'kolanmikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-31431811239037463322023-11-06T02:08:00.000+01:002023-11-06T02:09:49.158+01:00Howling Wolf<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU7/vukbund.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="712" src="https://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU7/vukbund.jpeg"/></a></div>mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-12866113775436402122023-10-08T17:48:00.001+02:002023-10-08T17:48:50.775+02:00Ruins of timeFor so long<br>
we are not,<br>
That when underground gods<br>
grind the continents together,<br>
our names do not figure<br>
in the lists of missing.<p>
We are missing<br>
in the ruins of time.
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-59705597986737729272023-07-25T23:32:00.004+02:002023-07-25T23:36:14.640+02:00Sky, memory<p>Memory of a sky, <br>
other planet's sky<br>
with flowers and rivers<br>
impurity included,<br>
chases me.<br>
<br>
A memory of sky,<br>
pure and clear<br>
with stars shining, twinkling,<br>
planets stalking them,<br>
haunts me.<br>
<br>
A sky of memory,<br>
blue and vivid<br>
with clouds dancing<br>
and birds balancing,<br>
kills me.<br>
*
</p>mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-74576183192213210202023-07-25T23:26:00.001+02:002023-07-25T23:37:49.567+02:00Bern runsBern is an essential Swiss city: expensive not only for Eastern Europeans, kind of polished, kind of not boring, kind of full of relaxed locals, svimming in the fast white-green waters of Aare river.<br>
<br>
Bern turns out to be a kind of depressive city for me, still have to understand why. Both times I visited it, it made this impression. And it should not, so many young people, students, around, so lively and lovely, no irony. Must be just so different from my Eastern Europe experience that it is unfathomable?<br>
<br>
To add some novelty and try to break the depressive air, this time I gave myself experience of running along the river, between two pedestrian bridges, from one side of the city to the other. Highly recommendable!<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU6/bernruns23.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="466" src="http://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU6/bernruns23.png"/></a></div>
It gives you an excellent view to the city. The red one was 12 km of pure pleasure, the blue one a bit shorter, 10km. Make certain you find the exit to the river and just enjoy! The path is good and you can divert to the city at many interesting places, if you feel so.<br>
<br>
Walking the streets and seeing the views later, with them already in your legs, gives another perspective.mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-40116005500037291802021-12-10T12:27:00.004+01:002021-12-10T12:30:15.461+01:00Digital arf***<br>
Ah my dear<br>
analog doggie,<br>
<p>
you are the last<br>
I am walking alive.<br>
The next longtail<br>
will be digital.<br>
<p>
Says St. Greta<br>
of Dirty Air<br>
you are really bad<br>
to the world balance,<br>
gassing out of<br>
front and behind!<br>
<p>
One day,<br>
my digital I<br>
will walk<br>
analog dog<br>
to keep the balance<br>
of air and metal.<br>
***mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-58634047376413823302020-10-15T18:58:00.005+02:002023-07-26T00:12:00.108+02:00Air and water
<p>
From all the sides of the world,<br>
their world,<br>
they are trying to convince us<br>
that the air we breathe<br>
and water we drink<br>
<p>
are expensive,<br>
really expensive,<br>
<p>
that they, just they,<br>
have even better brand<br>
made in America<br>
made in Switzerland<br>
Made in Luxembourg<br>
Made in Heavenly Heights,<br>
<p>
and that we, yes, we!, have to<br>
pay pay pay to<br>
<p>
breathe<br>
drink<br>
live.<br>
<p>
Go to hell, bastards, my<br>
<p>
air<br>
and<br>
water<br>
<p>
are there where<br>
you, yes, you!,<br>
<p>
can not<br>
even dream.<p>
<pre><img style="width:700px; height: 400px;
"src="http://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/SHA/pgvidoostra.jpg"alt="gf"
</pre>mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-31454727611131682152019-12-21T17:56:00.003+01:002020-12-15T22:29:05.470+01:00Gigabyte P34 screen repairThis Taiwan made machine is great tool not only for gaming, but also for my professional use-as a numericist I do numerical simulations of stars.<br />
<br />
Mine is quite ancient, 2013 machine with i7-4700HQ processor and very decent GTX 760M graphics. Ultra-slim, 1.4kg weight and Dual Thermal module for sufficient (but loud!) cooling-even in Taipei heats it holds the machine cool. In difference to similar MAC machines, it has a decent number of USB and external monitor/projector slots, and also features ethernet slot.<br />
<br />
The only minuses I found with this machine are loud cooling fans, and risky screen hinges.<br />
<br />
Loud fans I got used to, but hinges... destroyed it. The first sign of trouble was this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdPOPnWgRhKhllcz2I10XM9xALwV94il9nIcoskWJzCaODpbwdYuD8zBExT0c39EUZ2eHDQ9vsUQq_KVY7whyxhhLExVIl4fd_NnEBz1z8Hruu_gTYtmYWTxkkPy3y6j0cCguJCrPyeSJ/s1600/wlapt0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdPOPnWgRhKhllcz2I10XM9xALwV94il9nIcoskWJzCaODpbwdYuD8zBExT0c39EUZ2eHDQ9vsUQq_KVY7whyxhhLExVIl4fd_NnEBz1z8Hruu_gTYtmYWTxkkPy3y6j0cCguJCrPyeSJ/s400/wlapt0.jpg" width="179" height="400" data-original-width="163" data-original-height="364" /></a></div><br />
One side of the screen just went wrong. Very wrong. First there were coloured stripes, and then just nothing. Matrix entered my life.<br />
<br />
It was really a bad idea to put 14'' screen on two poor thin metal connections supporting the thin plastic part-yes, those two small squares at the bottom left and right, with two small holes, are the main construction elements of the screen connection to the lid!: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkQvRdIGBUugN9ysqp5AB96qYUBlt1zUhcX7r45DETGG14hVfLgsn9GRxtuiwtyQHuZZGRF1IKbB6A99k71p25p9TCBDM6jX_JegpfJ6beXriKVgNBSiS1M3jrpbxLCJLlH3jhyphenhyphency2jJI/s1600/wlapt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkQvRdIGBUugN9ysqp5AB96qYUBlt1zUhcX7r45DETGG14hVfLgsn9GRxtuiwtyQHuZZGRF1IKbB6A99k71p25p9TCBDM6jX_JegpfJ6beXriKVgNBSiS1M3jrpbxLCJLlH3jhyphenhyphency2jJI/s400/wlapt1.jpg" width="400" height="94" data-original-width="788" data-original-height="186" /></a></div><br />
I really do not know what the RD was thinking when doing it. It had to break at any time, especially if one would handle it a bit harsher. With mine, it broke after 5 years, so it was not so bad. But then, I was really careful opening/closing the lid. Also, I was not using the machine every day, as I had a decent workhorse desktop at work.<br />
<br />
Since otherwise I was very happy with this machine, I decided to extend its life as a laptop, not use it only in the desktop mode with the monitor.<br />
<br />
I detached the plastic cover-be careful with wires, not to break any when un-sticking the front cover (use e.g. old credit card to get below it-and got to the screen itself.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdR6Anw6e5yvYqIwZ1nBMxQkDzGssCNsD0mIhNWV-2SnhSs-B6NC1RCumRspTl55pnychMBrjhcW6yoo1ryTDc8pSinTIq7s3YtYJZUc5yK5oF9uItYrfJT0pIEm6Dl9VidnU6ReIhq4K/s1600/wlapt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdR6Anw6e5yvYqIwZ1nBMxQkDzGssCNsD0mIhNWV-2SnhSs-B6NC1RCumRspTl55pnychMBrjhcW6yoo1ryTDc8pSinTIq7s3YtYJZUc5yK5oF9uItYrfJT0pIEm6Dl9VidnU6ReIhq4K/s400/wlapt2.jpg" width="400" height="68" data-original-width="693" data-original-height="118" /></a></div><br />
I tried to press the plastic bar with electronics in the powering of the screen to see if the problem is there-yes, something inside got broken obviously. At this point the only what remains is to find exactly the same screen. Information found online told me that this sticker on the screen has all needed to buy the new one:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVryINGT0G7ouRwwc634j7E3Sg5BbisyJIUQs7NLH0OSkE9UPWD9TwrusGgffX28KBO6bv9RD8-8ZbvlTk5R6cPddJaY6MirFBbhEGiRFoxOoA3BTVRJ-Z9Kh6m5uiHbzAawi5sCMnJB5v/s1600/wlapt1c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVryINGT0G7ouRwwc634j7E3Sg5BbisyJIUQs7NLH0OSkE9UPWD9TwrusGgffX28KBO6bv9RD8-8ZbvlTk5R6cPddJaY6MirFBbhEGiRFoxOoA3BTVRJ-Z9Kh6m5uiHbzAawi5sCMnJB5v/s400/wlapt1c.jpg" width="400" height="170" data-original-width="503" data-original-height="214" /></a></div><br />
Just in case, when ordering, make certain to mention to the seller the number of pins on the main connector (30 or 40, mine was 30). The new screen, found online from a private provider, costed of the order of 100USD-not so bad, when the new machine would cost above 1000 USD. I think it pays off to make a repair if the cost is of the order of 20% of the price of the new one. Sure, the professional latop repair thought different, and they would not improvise, so I had to do it myself.<br />
<br />
Next task is to find a way to attach the new screen so that it would not be so poorly attached as the original one. The original frame was a bad idea even when new. Now, broken in pieces, it needed serious refurbishing. I did not want to waste time on obtaining the complete new lid or parts, because I found the original construction seriously botched.<br />
<br />
My son is a magician of making and repairing things, so he helped: a robust aluminium frame, 2 screws through the each corner of the original metal cover of the latop. Luckily, hinges were strong, so he could put screws through them. Now the LCD was just inserted into such prepared frame, and fixed into its original position with the original screws, but not working as a construction element any more. <br />
<br />
He also made the frame little extended towards the keyboard at the front, so my keyboard does not remain imprinted on the screen when I close the lid (this was another annoying thing, but not unusual for extra-slims, and I was preventing it inserting a piece of material always when closing a lid).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tL6kz7gL7_4p1sK8-RO-44aD_7h3uT4TeNc7n7uD7Xt2GKZj_wkodDtOG7UopSlYXtGkwdZM5FBDwUVZVqeeslObV4NQgSyA9CCswAkseXCO7_MuDR0appVSwUK10CH5tEO22ILN6JOv/s1600/wlapt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tL6kz7gL7_4p1sK8-RO-44aD_7h3uT4TeNc7n7uD7Xt2GKZj_wkodDtOG7UopSlYXtGkwdZM5FBDwUVZVqeeslObV4NQgSyA9CCswAkseXCO7_MuDR0appVSwUK10CH5tEO22ILN6JOv/s400/wlapt3.jpg" width="400" height="271" data-original-width="394" data-original-height="267" /></a></div><br />
Now this initially gently looking ultra-slim became a heavy-metal looking laptop:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYPGHPlhRfmP-l66NJAH_zcrhmm3H8mSNkMdxNuXTdiEVswGDrVPVjqHyr6feyNf0SPDfQQz1Ox-Ux_MesuJTj95lSL6T6u3G2I7XijdGaSL6PwAf3oJjROtFGZ8IeR2IOxAlexGcPgRt/s1600/wlaptfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYPGHPlhRfmP-l66NJAH_zcrhmm3H8mSNkMdxNuXTdiEVswGDrVPVjqHyr6feyNf0SPDfQQz1Ox-Ux_MesuJTj95lSL6T6u3G2I7XijdGaSL6PwAf3oJjROtFGZ8IeR2IOxAlexGcPgRt/s400/wlaptfinal.jpg" width="400" height="225" data-original-width="797" data-original-height="448" /></a></div><br />
It weights maybe 20 gr more, because of the additional frame and a bit of plastic, but I think it was worth doing. One should respect electronics, and not dispose of it just because of the mechanical failure of the badly constructed box.
ps.28.11.2020: the left corner near the screen hinge broke, again, bad plastic. I could not close the lid without supporting it carefully, and had to temporarily install U-shaped metal brace that it would not go apart. Gigabyte, invest in better plastic and more robust construction, your R&D really failed here. So, laptop had to go again into the son's hands. To fill in the gap after broken screw holder he put some plastic and two new screws:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYncBGv81MR1E8SDUA_zbtpkmQfpdxERTY9GLRQvaAIAcno1qemihzMc5kyRPAZyHxgQN70VarFElHYcg4akeOnHCoIycw88SYFMFI3kd9tUWPL0gEbyVRpp_bv6pzNKgjz_AMXF3h0rCW/s800/gbytepopraa.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYncBGv81MR1E8SDUA_zbtpkmQfpdxERTY9GLRQvaAIAcno1qemihzMc5kyRPAZyHxgQN70VarFElHYcg4akeOnHCoIycw88SYFMFI3kd9tUWPL0gEbyVRpp_bv6pzNKgjz_AMXF3h0rCW/s400/gbytepopraa.jpg"/></a></div>
With a bit of simplest cosmetics it became useable laptop again:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCeS27B7DOkNWCyVrb3lzbjtrdPDVbi8WGLNGNkoP2sdoxbB1ZhsAwij8R-yOLm3DKxmHoiJWreT76H4oHDk0xuTRxl3Xh2-zNKO2MOysESXuvT0uBPgjoQC4IDGQJbyPr6isV6qXER9V/s1000/gbytepopr.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCeS27B7DOkNWCyVrb3lzbjtrdPDVbi8WGLNGNkoP2sdoxbB1ZhsAwij8R-yOLm3DKxmHoiJWreT76H4oHDk0xuTRxl3Xh2-zNKO2MOysESXuvT0uBPgjoQC4IDGQJbyPr6isV6qXER9V/s400/gbytepopr.jpg"/></a></div>mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-69333499137699306322019-04-18T23:28:00.001+02:002020-11-28T23:24:18.721+01:00Averatec Buddy HS-103 CMOS batteryIf you'd ever need to change the CMOS battery in 10 inch Averatec Buddy HS-103, you might wonder where it could be.<br />
<br />
A youtube post instructing about disassembling the machine from one Korean user is easy to find, but is it really needed to go that far to change the battery? Unfortunately, yes, as one needs to reach the motherboard.<br />
<br />
It is easier than it looks, just make sure you undid all the screws.<br />
<br />
Beware to unscrew the middle screw keeping the keyboard, from the opposite side of the machine!, youtube post did not dwell on this enough and I found myself needing some time to understand where is the problem.<br />
<br />
To reach the battery, you do not need to disconnect the keyboard cable, it is safer to just lift the upper part of the machine, not to disconnect the cable. <br />
<br />
The battery is here:<br />
<a href="http://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU2/averatec_buddyHS103.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://web.tiara.sinica.edu.tw/~miki/Blog/EU2/averatec_buddyHS103.jpg" width="400" height="231" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="462" /></a><br />
<br />
It is a standard flat CR 2032 battery, covered with a protective foil, just remove it (and put back after inserting the new one).<br />
<br />
I really appreciate this little machine. After more than 10 years of use, it still runs nice (under Linux, sure!), especially after adding 2GB RAM. Its hardware is really robust! Good job, Uniwill!<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-75132375553599143572018-07-19T20:18:00.001+02:002018-07-19T20:22:39.995+02:00Oksanen's "Purge"There are books which should not be written. And for certain not by their<br />
respective authors. "Purge" by the Estonian/Finnish writer Sofi Oksanen is<br />
one of those.<br />
<br />
Superbly written text gave me shivers not once and, to be sure, the above<br />
statement is all about the content, not about the author's skill. It is<br />
expressing my frustration by the topic.<br />
<br />
The story is simple and all too known: people caught in the historical<br />
events, killed, raped, tortured and psychically tormented by the effects of<br />
that.<br />
<br />
Intertwinning of the 1990-ies story with the events about and after the WWII<br />
is a less usual mixing, and Oksanen ingeniously does it. Together with the<br />
family which is a multiple victim of war, the grand-daughter becomes a victim<br />
of human trafficking and forcing to prostitution. In effect, she becomes<br />
equal to the previous victims of war.<br />
<br />
Why I wrote a young, too young writer Sofi Oksanen (being at the beginning<br />
of her 30-ies when writing it!) should not write such a story? She is describing<br />
the bestiality of men. And women. In her writing I felt the vibes of Jens<br />
Bjorneboe, another chronicler of human bestiality. He perfidly and exactly<br />
noted down, jotted down, what disgusting things small bears can do to the other<br />
small bears. It is not something a young person should know.<br />
<br />
But obviously she did. And what to do with it.<br />
<br />
What strikes in her writing is the fact that she knew so well to put equal the<br />
suffering of both "sides". There is no sides when it comes to suffering,<br />
especially the suffering of war and its aftermath.<br />
<br />
It all is abomination, and it is something so well shown in this writing.<br />
Tormentors were, are the tormented, criminals are, ironically, merely the<br />
executors of justice.<br />
<br />
Who could like such a world? And it is the reality of too many, too many people.<br />
<br />
Goodbye to Reason, indeed!<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-75805379750969645872018-05-18T22:17:00.001+02:002018-05-21T10:20:43.751+02:00Lawrence Durrell's "Judith"The unpublished novel by this of Masters, published in 2012 (he died in<br />
1990), was written at the beginning of 1960-ies as a screenplay for the<br />
Paramount Pictures movie by Daniel Mann featuring Sophia Loren. At the end,<br />
Durrell withdrew from the movie production (probably unsatisfied with the<br />
needed changes). The similar fate was with his earlier engagement with the<br />
Twentieth Century-Fox in the making of the "Cleopatra".<br />
<br />
While still working on it, Sophia Loren asked Durrell to change the main<br />
character, played by her, from the Lady-professor to the wife and mother,<br />
as "she is not an intelectual type", and he did so, producing two parallel<br />
texts, which he was considering to publish as a "Double scenario" book,<br />
which did not happen, he abandoned the text.<br />
<br />
His success as a writer after the publication of "Justine", the first part<br />
of "The Alexandria Quartet", brought Durrell offers of work on the<br />
screenplays, but he was more focused on his artistic work than such<br />
ventures. Still, as in his top writings, in those "side works" he also<br />
investigated thoroughly the locations and state of matters and paid attention<br />
to the structure of the work. "Judith" was a part of his 2nd tier works,<br />
which, for him, was a kind of fermentation of thoughts and rest between the<br />
major works. Durrell was a compulsory writer, and needed many vents for his<br />
artistic personality.<br />
<br />
I met with people who considered Durrell mildly, if not strongly<br />
anti-semitic, based on some of his writings. But, of his 4 wives, 2 were Jewish,<br />
and I do not remember ever reading any evil statements or feelings he would<br />
express... But then, he did not belong to the overly politically correct writers, <br />
and some of his comments could be taken out of context and presented in this or<br />
that way. When writing about French Resistance in "The Avignon Quintet" in not<br />
exactly glorifying terms, or similarly about Arabs in many of his works, he did<br />
not show any hate or animosity. Only normal contempt for the human stupidity where<br />
things could, with a little of clear thinking, be easily converted into something<br />
constructive, not destructive, as it was usually the case.<br />
<br />
In "Judith" he did exactly the opposite from anti-semitic, from every line<br />
one can feel his sympathy with the Jewish case, and contempt for the<br />
surrounding circumstances of the birth of the Israel, from the collapse of<br />
the British Mandate to the petty plotting of the Arabs.<br />
<br />
I do not know much about the events of the Mandate, and especially the fact<br />
that Israel was fought for, not plainly given by the world main players, was<br />
appropriately exposed in "Judith". My impresion is that the fight Israel won<br />
at the time against Arabs gave the country legitimity as any other country,<br />
including my own Croatia just recently...and the rest is in the hands of<br />
more or less dirty politycs. Israel is a fact. As are Arabs, and a sensible<br />
solution for the problem is to be found, or there will be more and more of<br />
the senseless killing.<br />
<br />
I learned a pile from the book, and if Durrell is not the most exact of the<br />
historians, I never found him being an evil one. In difference to the too many<br />
of the "official", and in fact doctrinary, historians, or rather propheths of<br />
the one or other national identity.<br />
<br />
This book, published only recently from the writings in his documentation,<br />
definitely deserves its place between his other works. He considered it of so<br />
little artistic value that he even did not publish it, but many authors would<br />
love to be able to have such a work in their meter or so of the books on the bookshelf.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-21109302521433206512018-01-06T01:01:00.000+01:002018-01-06T01:05:09.024+01:00Ph.K.Dick's TransmigrationAs I predicted in the recent <a href="http://mikidkolan.blogspot.com/2017/12/pkds.html">post</a><br />
I could not resist to torture myself and read the third-and the last,<br />
thanks to the Skies!-part of the Ph.K. Dick's "VALIS" trilogy:<br />
"The transmigration of Timothy Archer". In fact the trilogy's<br />
final part was supposed to be "The owl in daylight", his unfinished<br />
novel, for which he collected advance money from the publisher. But<br />
he died before he even thought out the plot or defined the<br />
characters. There is a discussion about the "Trilogy", but<br />
PKD himself called "The transmigration..." part of the trilogy, <br />
because of the common theme. <br />
<br />
It seems with time of writing the subsequent novels, PKD's amount of<br />
amphetamine or whatever he was using was getting smaller, as the amount<br />
of unreadable religio- pornography decreases somewhat towards the end of writing.<br />
<br />
In the first part, his use of ink on VALIS is large. In the 2nd part VALIS<br />
is mentioned only two times, and in "The transmigration...", his final<br />
completed book, it was not mentioned at all. "The transmigration..." was<br />
nominated for the best SF work in the year of his death, 1982, but I think<br />
it must be like a hommage, more than the real value of the book.<br />
<br />
Timothy Archer is an Episcopal Bishop, who really transmigrates<br />
into not being bishop any more, but taking a lover. He gets<br />
obsessed with find and translation of Zadokite scrolls, where is<br />
a notion from 200 years before the Christ, which invalidates the<br />
meaning of him as a son of God. Plot is set in 1980, and starts<br />
with the killing of John Lennon.<br />
<br />
The book is characterised as postmodernist and philosophical. I would<br />
not call it none of this, but just a product of an ill mind. It might<br />
be philosophical only for someone who learns philosophy from PKD and<br />
history from Dan Brown. Which is not so bad, it would mean (s)he at<br />
least reads something, not just stare in the screen.<br />
<br />
So, in 2017 I succeeded in reading the VALIS. Was it worth the effort?<br />
<br />
No, it was not.<br />
<br />
Except if we follow the Marxist "learn your enemy" advice, where<br />
"enemy" is for me the claim that VALIS would be one of top heights of the<br />
PKD's writing. True, it has valuable moments, as PKD was, definitely,<br />
a good writer. But good writing can not hide the heavily troubled<br />
personality. PKD produced VALIS after a spiritual experience, which he<br />
would not attribute to medication/drugs use. I think that such text could<br />
be brewed only in the USA, and later it is accepted (more or less) elsewhere<br />
based on the placebo effect of ... thinking.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-50632323052329873892017-12-25T14:44:00.000+01:002017-12-26T01:30:51.075+01:00Orphan of Asia"Orphan of Asia" by Zhuoliu Wu is a strangely modern book-from 1945.<br />
It is my second reading of this book, after almost exactly 8 years, and<br />
I still had a lot to learn. After 2009 I spent a substantially different<br />
5 years in Taiwan than the previous 5 years, and learnt it from the other angle.<br />
With the distance I have now, 3 years after returning to Europe, I start<br />
seeing the experience of Taiwan in yet another light.<br />
<br />
The book was written in Japanese language, at the time when Japan was<br />
just ceasing to be a heavenly ruler of Asia, and some other more earthly<br />
masters went into ruling it. Taiwan just stopped being the Japan proper,<br />
and soon became a dumping place for Chinese failures of Nationalists:<br />
Kuomintang party of China took over, with help of their beastly losers.<br />
But this is still to befell on Taiwan- in the time of writing, it is a<br />
Japanese backwater, where Masters are teaching their underlings to be<br />
human, that is, Japanese.<br />
<br />
Taiming, a boy from the mountain village, knows nothing of it-as<br />
was, and still is, the case with so many a Taiwanese boys (even at<br />
the age of over 50) today. He starts his classical Chinese education<br />
with a master in the mountains, an opiate addict, who lives a virtual<br />
classical Chinese life in a seclusion. Boys play, but also soak into<br />
the mind-narrowing classical learning. Which, after all, is what makes<br />
Chinese being Chinese: an anachronism, almost an atavism, which survives<br />
until today because of sheer powers of life.<br />
<br />
Nothing less could explain how such an impenetrable culture, which<br />
virtually prevents dissemination of knowledge to its population (c'mon,<br />
15 years of hard work just to learn to read and write?!). Probably the<br />
explanation is that for a human society to thrive, having only basic<br />
education is better than giving wide knowledge to everyone-it just brings<br />
problems. It is much, much easier to govern a stupid, uninformed mass of<br />
people, than a well educated body of citizens. This is why Heavenly Empire<br />
of the Country of the Middle was one of the last empires to fall. And when<br />
it fell, it fell to a similarly stupefying mindset, which immediately brought<br />
caricatures (in bad taste) of any free minded thought.<br />
<br />
Taiming actually succeds, he goes to Japan to study, but because of his low<br />
(=Taiwanese) background, fails to obtain appropriate position in the<br />
Japanese driven society. He is utterly rejected.<br />
<br />
When he moves to China, he is rejected doubly, as a Japanese subject, but<br />
even more as a Taiwanese. To be able at all to work in China, he has to<br />
hide that he is Taiwanese, so low is the esteem his compatriots have in China.<br />
<br />
The fact of being a Japanese subject at a time of WWII, complicates the<br />
things, and he has to flee back to Taiwan. Interestingly enough, he did not<br />
make a fame there-people of his stature, with university diplom from Japan,<br />
were not many. But again, as a non-Japanese he did not really have a chance,<br />
and his lack of zeal for sacrifying his life on the altar of Imperium, did<br />
not help. He was conscripted into army, and went into fight on the mainland,<br />
but so disgusted he was with what he saw there-and from the hands of his own<br />
army, Japanese soldiers-that he just went crazy, literally, and was<br />
repatriated as inept for the service.<br />
<br />
Back home, he recovered, but with a new distance to everything going on<br />
around him. He went to introspection again, and slowly, painfully, he<br />
allowed to himself to be what he really is.<br />
<br />
But this does not stop the course of history, and Taiwan did not get well in<br />
the troubled waters. When his family suffers, Taiming feels he himself was<br />
responsible for it-as the best educated person from his village, he should<br />
do more to protect them. In his introspective way he takes the blame and<br />
goes crazy, this time for good. For him, a Taiwanese, immersed in the<br />
deeply troubled identity of a non-nation, the historical moment was too<br />
much.<br />
<br />
In the first reading I more saw his troubled, confused personality, than the<br />
persistence with which he tried not to succumb to strong currents of history<br />
around him. And fails. As Taiwan eventually failed in the XX ct., and is<br />
only now, with the new, globalized generation, trying to define some new<br />
identity. It will not be anything like what their forefathers could imagine<br />
or approve, but this, exactly, is how the rough waters of history tumble the<br />
ideas of the past into the reality of the future: sometimes they are<br />
crashed and cast anew into a completely new form, which would be impossible<br />
to predict at the previous level. A bit like we can not predict what will<br />
come of the outspring of a family in few generations-they will find their ow<br />
way.<br />
<br />
In my life, I saw one re-birth of a nation, in my own country. But Croatia<br />
had a history of a 1000 years, and even a pre-history (although, as it<br />
usually goes, mixed with plenty of mythology) as a well defined Slavic<br />
tribe. So, in not too good times of cronysm, rampant primitive<br />
ultra-catholicism and general decay of values going on there since its<br />
birth, there always remains the virtue of "we are ourselves doing it to<br />
ourselves, so we probably deserve it".<br />
<br />
"Taiwanese" were never a tribe, and definitely were never a defined<br />
nation. It is, today, a nation to be born. That is, if Chinese Communist<br />
Party will be too busy with itself to allow for it. On the other side, they<br />
would never profile as a nation if there would not be a contrast and<br />
fearsome Big Red Brother accross the sea. How they will fare the troubled<br />
waters remains to be seen. I would give a credit to some of the youth there,<br />
who do not want to fill the Party lines, and prefer instead a more<br />
self-introspective mode. Which is today not less dangerous than it was in<br />
the Taiming's time. Levi'Strauss was wrong, History, some new one, just starts, and<br />
it is completely unpredictable.<br />
<br />
There is another level in this book, which might be useful to Western expatriates<br />
who find themselves puzzled by the inconsistencies in the Taiwanese everyday life.<br />
They survived in Taiwan from the first half of the XX ct., and the writer removes<br />
well the obscuring layers of history from some of them.<br />
<br />
In the Columbia University Press edition, this book was a part of presenting<br />
Taiwanese writers at the beginning of the Millenium. It was a good effort, but not<br />
so easy to follow as it was not easy to find the books. Now, when it became easy<br />
because of online bookstores, I will follow the other publications, to learn more.<br />
This is one of the virtues of the new times, with which modern Taiwan fares better<br />
than in the old, obscure and elitist ways.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-63969495665708825222017-12-02T21:04:00.000+01:002017-12-02T22:11:36.577+01:00Divine invasionIn a previous post, <a href="http://mikidkolan.blogspot.com/2017/05/phkdicks-valis.html">Valis,</a><br />
I prophetically wrote that I will go after continuation of Philip K. Dick's<br />
"Valis", after I recover from the bull-shit of the 1st book. I am a certified<br />
masochist, and I like PKD's writing, really, even when it shows he used too<br />
much of illicit chemistry at the time of writing.<br />
<br />
So, there I was, "The Divine Invasion". As usual for PKD, it kicked off<br />
magnificently, with humans living on another planets as a senseless<br />
guardians of the senselles colonization of the extrasolar worlds across<br />
the Galaxy. And yes, they are dead, as PKD liked to have them. Or almost<br />
dead, as they are held in criogenic suspension until organs for replacement are found.<br />
<br />
In "Valis", God, who was a girl, Sophia, dies. Here it is reborn, in a<br />
virgin conception which happens on another planet. Emmanuel, the boy, is<br />
folloved closely by Elias, who is a beggar even in the alien planet. The<br />
conception happened under the auspicion of the local alien god of a small<br />
hill, Jah. Did we hear the story anywhere? But PKD, helped with tonnes of<br />
good psychodelic, produces a well informed and, yes, readable version of the<br />
story from The Scripture. It is definitely one of the best rendering of it<br />
which I read. Halleluyah, Philip.<br />
<br />
Emmanuel the kid devised a way to forget his own godly plans, so he could<br />
exist in the real world, but is permanently having flashes of reminding, as<br />
do the people around him. He is guided around by a little girl-Athena,<br />
Diana, he guesses, but it shows to be his own adversary-or angel-a less<br />
known Talmudic being. Belial himself appears as a small stinky black goat-and<br />
is killed by a Linda Fox, pop singer, who is the angel, appropriately.<br />
<br />
Still, even if less than it was the case with the first part of the trilogy,<br />
the book is full of references to the Old Testament, and reads for long pages<br />
as a Jehova Witness text. Not that lenghty and disturbing the flow of the story<br />
as in "Valis", but still, unnecessary. A pity PKD, or his editor, did not<br />
remove that.<br />
<br />
I was asking myself what to hell do I get from this reading, should I not just<br />
throw it away. No, I am a masochist, obviously.<br />
<br />
I acquired the third part, and the beginning reads really well. Good for me and<br />
the world that PKD did not produce more of it!mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-90947484847810704092017-11-16T04:29:00.001+01:002017-11-16T22:35:26.641+01:00Vegetarian reading HemingwayBeing vegetarian, to read and, even more, to enjoy reading "Green hills of<br />
Africa", a classical Hemingway hunting narrative-which in this case is a true<br />
biographical text, not a novel, might seem awkward. Indeed, it brought<br />
some mixed thoughts to me at certain moments. But then, I am a descendent of<br />
shepherds, who were not exactly softies, when it comes to killing, skinning<br />
and eating sheep. Vegetarianism is, in my native part of the world, still<br />
unusual choice.<br />
<br />
So, my focus was rather on writing, than on blood.<br />
<br />
Hemingway writing is at his best here. The way he writes is above<br />
skin, meat and horns. It is life itself.<br />
<br />
I liked that he had doubts, at some moments, about his right to kill...but he<br />
justified it easily with "it is natural, going on all the time here in the wild,<br />
and my single killing to million killings happening in the same time does<br />
not add nothing".<br />
<br />
What is so good in Hemingway's description of killing? Nothing, he keeps it<br />
clean, he defines a good kill as a chirurgical work. What is good is his<br />
conveying of emotions, his way of description...one can be lazy, ignorant,<br />
thick-headed with him, or moved, motivated, furious...drunk.<br />
<br />
Describing the natives and nature, he is impartial, very realistic. I like the way how<br />
he sees them, I think I would try to do the same. Not abstract their<br />
humanity, but also not assuming too much. It is a real clash of<br />
civilisations, and he could equally well visit some other inhabited planet<br />
anywhere in the Galaxy.<br />
<br />
Yes, he is a hell of a writer-is, as reading a good writer is like a<br />
discourse, even when (s)he is centuries dead.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-54932576359679849202017-10-22T20:06:00.003+02:002017-10-22T20:10:53.522+02:00"We Have No Idea" by J. Cham & D. Whiteson PhD (Piled Higher and Deeper) Comics is a Jorge Cham's art work since the<br />
beginning of the Millenium, and is alive and kicking. This Caltech graduate<br />
made life funnier for many a student gnawing through her/his study<br />
experiments and university (lack of) life.<br />
<br />
In addition to comics, Jorge worked on movies and books. I read the book<br />
"We Have No Idea", which he published together with physicist Daniel<br />
Whiteson, trying to show-off not so much what we do know about physics, but<br />
what we do NOT know. And when they write "do not know" it means really,<br />
completely and deeply not having any idea what to hell is happening there.<br />
<br />
Like it is with Dark Matter and Energy, why is Gravity so different from<br />
other forces, number of dimensions, why the speed of light is the largest<br />
one around, are we alone in the Universe,... and many, many other questions,<br />
which you for sure asked yourself or your physicist friend.<br />
<br />
The book is funny, full of witty and cheeky puns, and very accurate. It is<br />
not your usual gibberish from the newspapers or even "scientific"<br />
periodicals. It is a rather well-informed text, from which even a<br />
professional physicist can learn. Or at least have some fun with well and<br />
fun posed questions, and some answers.<br />
<br />
Jorge Cham advertises it as a book for 10 yrs old to PhD's, and he is right,<br />
it is fun for everyone who likes to pose questions at the edge of our<br />
knowledge. Or in the middle of it.<br />
<br />
It is challenging, and true, to think that we are, with all our<br />
sophistication and Academia, only at bare bones od Science. Some later<br />
generations will look at us like we now think about Ancient Greeks or Middle<br />
Ages priests doing science, offering explanations for the miracles of the<br />
world. It is hard to exaggerate the responsibility of every one of us, who<br />
had or have the luck, chance and privilege, to work in some of the branches<br />
of Science, for the spreading of the good (and, sometimes, bad) news of<br />
Science.<br />
<br />
If scientists are not doing their job in explaining Science to the public,<br />
false prophets are taking over, and the dark knights of ignorance are always<br />
ready to overcome the bright side of the powers of nature. Jorge Cham found<br />
his way, for the good and delight of many a reader.mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-7602660664262153852017-10-04T23:59:00.000+02:002017-10-05T00:10:01.044+02:00Drakulic on Mileva Einstein: Theory of SadnessA well chosen title, as a physicist I was immediately drawn to the book.<br />
Unfortunately, what followed did not justify (my) expectation.<br />
<br />
I write this 2 days after Einstein's Theory of Relativity finally<br />
was awarded the Nobel Prize-in fact, its last experimental check.<br />
<br />
Einstein himself was awarded the Nobel Prize for other contributions, though<br />
the most important test of his theory of gravitation had already been made<br />
at that time. However, Relativity did not seem attractive enough, Academia<br />
establishment did not quite believe it.<br />
<br />
Today they trust Einstein unconditionally, for everything that this little man has<br />
predicted in equations, persisted. In fact, this last confirmation of gravity waves,<br />
even himself would have troubles to swallow, because he thought the gravity waves<br />
did not carry any energy, so they would not have any effect on the matter through<br />
which they pass. A. Trautman, a Polish physicist, proved him wrong in a paper<br />
stating that gravitational waves do carry energy and were, consequently,<br />
measurable. But, stubborn as Einstein was, he never accepted it and in effect<br />
hindered early development of that part of physics.<br />
<br />
Similar stuborness costed his family and hinself a lot. But one is expecting<br />
some trouble from a genius, no?<br />
<br />
Einstein's biographies have passed a full circle of biographies of great<br />
men: from the saintly idealization to the ugly muds of private life. I hoped<br />
that S. Drakulic would do it the way I liked in eg. her writing about Dora<br />
Maar. The task to present Albert's shadow/wife is a proper one<br />
for this writer.<br />
<br />
She started well, showing the beginning of a common life, somewhat similar<br />
to Marie Curie biography. But shortly afterward, the three-dimensional character<br />
loses its depth. In the end, only the two-dimensional picture with<br />
the broken cover remains,<br />
<br />
Maybe it was the problem with the available material, the letters? That would be<br />
strange, the legacy behind Einstein should be big and enough to gather more<br />
data than this mentioned in the book. Or some of it was destroyed? If so,<br />
the author should find a way to describe the reasons for the lack of it in the<br />
book. This would maybe explain a kind of plain feeling about characters.<br />
<br />
Even so, it clarified to me how Einstein came to his theories, in discussions<br />
with Mileva and other friends of their student circle. I could hardly<br />
imagine him to do it any other way than in heated discussions. Also, I was<br />
suspecting that Mileva helped greatly in writing, ordering the material in<br />
articles.<br />
<br />
In his family life with Mileva, Einstein did what even in theory would not hold<br />
water, even less so in practice. It had tragic consequences. He was not<br />
enough mature to think about person he has from the other side, a<br />
potentially depressive and insecure person. He should support Mileva much<br />
earlier to be on her own, not push her down. Then he would also have gained<br />
more freedom of action, which obviously he needed.<br />
<br />
Mileva's father commented well when the marriage finally came to an end,<br />
that he respects Albert as a scientist and father of his grandchildren,<br />
but that he noticed early that he was not good as a husband. And he was not, <br />
as he did not show enough concern for either Mileva or the children.<br />
<br />
Mileva had unrestrained support from her father in paying for her study, which<br />
for that time, early 20th century, was not a small step for the Balkans.<br />
Albert did not ignore her needs either, in the early days. She actually<br />
was of a troubled psyche, with a strong tendency to depression. And<br />
insufficient self-confidence.<br />
<br />
And lack of luck, chronic lack of happiness.<br />
<br />
Really a pity, with a bit more happiness, she could have been like<br />
Marie Curie, she had the ability to be. It's sad to see someone's potential<br />
crumbled under the pressure of everyday life.<br />
<br />
A bit more information from documentation would not hurt in this book. Or a<br />
description of why the author could not get to it. This way, there remains<br />
a broken picture from the book cover:<br />
<br />
Except if... maybe that's the only way possible? Mileva Maric was just that,<br />
a broken existence? <br />
<br />
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mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-18915732415132202422017-10-03T20:22:00.002+02:002017-10-03T20:24:24.402+02:00Svetlana Hramova: "My wrong You"My Russian, learned at times when there was no money for<br />
mathematics and physics textbooks from the West in Yugoslavia, with time is<br />
expanding to literature reading. During the recent visit to St. Petersburg,<br />
I bought a book of the currently popular author in Russia, Svetlana Hramova.<br />
<br />
It is a new time for Russia, so we have to finally move to its new literature,<br />
away from the Cvetaeva, Ahmatova, Dostoevsky, and alike Saviours of the Soul<br />
of the World.<br />
<br />
The book "My wrong you" would be good for a crime scenario. "Life<br />
coach", a young woman with a bit of personal history on the subject of<br />
love and life, finds happiness with a man with which she should not spend<br />
a minute, regarding her own rules. Love is happening in a minute, sex too.<br />
The book is +18, but still, the emphasis is on emotional, not physical.<br />
<br />
This work would not be much more than a romantic novel, if the author would not<br />
mix into the text many comments and quotes from Simone de Beauvoir.<br />
<br />
Simone was an icon of the feminism. In her life she gave her unconditional<br />
love to only one man: American writer Nelson Algren, who gave her first<br />
orgasm in life, sometime in her late 30's, and remained a lifelong love.<br />
<br />
But she could not live with him, because she was needed to J.P. Sartre.<br />
<br />
Hramova consider the life story of Simone an ultimate failure, a lack of<br />
courage to take action, love and be loved. Woman in a novel does not make<br />
such a mistake: she surrenders completely, immediately.<br />
<br />
I know almost nothing about Simone de Beauvoir, but this seems to me a good<br />
way to learn, through the fragments of her letters. Already with it this<br />
booklet fulfilled its role.<br />
<br />
In addition, she also gave me insight into post-feminism in Russia. This is<br />
interesting in itself, because in social realism women had a very ... real<br />
role, even in the Soviet Orthodox environment, they were not left to be only<br />
a decoration in men's world.<br />
<br />
This cultural jump was too big for only the 20th century, so it has a<br />
continuation today.<br />
<br />
Also, it was worth for a little update of my Russian. Now I'm ready for<br />
some other book in that language. Whenever I can, I read the original,<br />
even if I would need 5 times more time. It's a very good brain massage. <br />
<br />
Ha ... last month I brought from home a bilingual edition of Lu Xun's "Ah Qu",<br />
let's see you now, maestro, when will you manage to read THAT in the<br />
original version?!mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-28985017627913201052017-07-24T23:40:00.000+02:002017-07-24T23:40:01.476+02:00Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's"This book for quite some time escaped my attention, but finally I got hold<br />
of English original.<br />
<br />
I feel Raymond Carver coming here, in the Capote's style. Telling a story seems so<br />
easy in his execution. I also feel Boris Vian here, probably because of the<br />
lightness of being of a main character.<br />
<br />
It is a woman, a young girl in most of the story, escaping definition. Being<br />
orphaned early and married at 14 (not in India, but outback USA, we are<br />
speaking period just before the WWII), and later sweeping the world with<br />
unbearable, youth irresponsibility, it is a perfect character. Not a beauty,<br />
but an attractive personality, she is the one who could capture imagination.<br />
And so she does, for some people who met her, and follow her story as much<br />
as it is possible to follow.<br />
<br />
I will not be re-telling the story here, it is a short one and charming to<br />
read. I will rather ask myself why it is that such a character would halt our<br />
mind in admiration? Is it because it is a personification of youth? Freedom<br />
itself wandering the world?<br />
<br />
Is it? She did not, obviously, have an easy life. But she kept the<br />
lightness... so, is it the vitality, which captivates us? Eternal longing<br />
for child in us, re-discovering good in the world every day, and ignoring<br />
the bad?<br />
<br />
I will leave it to you to decide, book is a good read.<br />
<br />
I will only add here that Capote's short stories, of which there was an<br />
example in four stories added to the thin volume I had, also seem to be<br />
worth attention. It was a pleasure to read them, little jewels.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-27068080517100506502017-07-01T00:19:00.002+02:002017-07-01T14:14:27.434+02:00Coetzee's BarbariansReading J.M. Coetzee's "Waiting for the Barbarians" one can not escape the<br />
reverend precursors: Cavafy and Buzatti.<br />
<br />
The first wrote a poem which imprinted the Barbarians for ever in the stone<br />
of our culture. The second played magnificently with the waiting itself,<br />
Barbarians lost the importance.<br />
<br />
Coetzee bravely put his foot in the door, already closing, to down on us his notion<br />
of the Barbarians. No, it is not the tribes who are to smithen us into the<br />
dust of our cities. No, it is not the wind hurling through crumbling<br />
pyramids, after the last of the defenders falls. Not the flames of<br />
Alexandria Library. It is not even ourselves, barbarized and inflicting the<br />
doom of the Empire onto ourselves.<br />
<br />
Barbarian is the Time, Barbarian is the ossification of Evil in us,<br />
Barbarian is the knowledge and skill, when abused. Barbarian is the<br />
gluttony, the hedonistic, Ego of ours, fed by the blind ...stupidity. And<br />
cruelty, born of the degeneration, brought by the luxuries of the Empire.<br />
<br />
Through a Magistrate of the Empire outpost, a benign, slow administrator,<br />
Coetzee shows the hopeless nature of Good when it meets the Evil. It is<br />
overriden, raped, exorcised to the level of being laughable.<br />
<br />
A Magistrate is not without his guilt, but he was, as all benign creatures,<br />
just doing his job, more or less successful. He becomes problematic at the<br />
times of trouble, when the sickly torturers of the Empire come to effect.<br />
<br />
Coetzee's Magistrate fells prey to his humanity: he is imprisoned and<br />
ridiculed to the death of his old himself.<br />
<br />
There is nothing surprising in the fall of the Magistrate. Those who are<br />
high, fall low. What is more surprising is Coetzee's creation of the<br />
another tenure for the fallen administrator.<br />
<br />
Was it because of his humanity, being closer to nature than stiff<br />
brutality with which the Third Bureau treated the opponents, creating them<br />
in the course of "investigation", rather than trying to understand them?<br />
Brutal force never tries to understand, it seeks to break, destroy. Humanity might<br />
fail, but if given chance, it creates hope, it does not destroy it.<br />
<br />
What about the case when there is no chance, when humanity plainly does not<br />
help? It is wrong to think this way: it might not help against outside enemy,<br />
but it is in fact the last resort of a falling Empire, it establishes its<br />
moral right.<br />
<br />
Even if it would remain only the empty letter in a chronicle,<br />
it is worth maintaining it. Probably it goes back to Kant's "moral law in<br />
us", which, however ancient it might seem, still prevails. Until we get<br />
eaten for breakfast by some senseless heptapedic cosmic travellers.<br />
<br />
Coetzee created a valuable addition to the notion of Barbarians. It is a dense read,<br />
and I am yet to see how it withstands the battering by time, but I am, indeed, impressed by his writing skills. A master.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-80208246675473902492017-05-19T23:41:00.001+02:002017-05-19T23:44:50.615+02:00Yan Pradeau: "Algèbre""Maths is fun!", often exclaims over-eager (usually young) teacher, and<br />
people tend to shrug at her/him and turn to their infinitely more interesting<br />
gossip or politics or trade-exchange pages.<br />
<br />
But in France, mathematics is serious business since centuries, and French<br />
school, by its personalities, certainly IS fun, indeed.<br />
<br />
Recently I had pleasure to read Yan Pradeau's "Algèbre", a short booklet<br />
about one of most controversial French mathematicians of the XX<br />
century-Alexander Grothendieck. As it often goes, he was also one of the<br />
best mathematical minds of XX ct.<br />
<br />
About him even to say "French" is over-statement, as he<br />
was barely French, acquiring the nationality only at older age (in 1980-ies,<br />
and he was born in 1928, in then Prussia). Most of his life he was<br />
stateless, as his documents were destroyed in 1945, and he was reluctant to<br />
obtain the other nationality, because of conscription obligation.<br />
<br />
Following his parents, he was of an anarchist and pacifist political<br />
orientation. His father, A. Schapiro was of a Hassidic Jewish origin, from<br />
the borders of Ukraina, Belarus and Russia, and mather was of a German<br />
protestant origin (his surname is by her). Both were from a rather bourgeois<br />
background, but were declared, and fighting, anarchists of the leftist colors.<br />
<br />
Alexander was a mathematical autodidact, and he brought novel generalizations<br />
in geometry and algebra after the WWII. One thing which is well exposed in<br />
the book, and which I was not aware of before, is that in the world wars<br />
expired whole generations of mathematicians, and there remained a profound<br />
vacuum in moderinzation of the discipline in the XX ct. Works of people like<br />
A.G., alone and through group Bourbaki which was organized to promote the<br />
program of novelization of mathematics, were instrumental in this. A.G. was<br />
a kind of celebrity in French mathematical world in 1960-ies and 1970-ies.<br />
<br />
Genius had it's price here, A.G. became more and more controversial in<br />
1970-ies, fighting against militarization of the society in the Cold War.<br />
In 1980-ies he completely abandoned the society, secluding<br />
himself in a mountain village of few ten inhabitants. But he was not idle,<br />
he was productive in "philosophical" writing of dubious value.<br />
<br />
There is lots in the story about Groethedieck which is new to me, and I will<br />
try to learn more about group Bourbaki. I was not aware of the program they<br />
pursued, and their achievements. And today in Physics we often use results<br />
of their work.<br />
<br />
It is a kind of irony that I was recently living in the place where was important<br />
centre of this movement-in Orsay, near Paris, and nearby Burres-sur Yvette,<br />
and I did not know anything about this part of the history of the place.<br />
The very paths I was walking, running or biking, were taken by those people,<br />
not so long time ago. It certainly added an additional spice to my reading, as<br />
also the fact that it was my 2nd book read in French.<br />
<br />
Definitely a good read, I warmly recommend it.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-62426450388557999022017-05-14T22:44:00.001+02:002017-05-14T22:44:33.897+02:00Myrna Zezza's "How to build a Lasting, Loving Relationship"Reading self-development handbooks is not my usual treat. Well, sometimes<br />
one has to give them a chance. Recommended by a good friend, who is a<br />
therapeutist herself, I gave a chance to Myrna Mazzola Zezza's "How to build<br />
a Lasting, Loving Relationship". Subtitled, totally appropriately,<br />
"The blueprint you were never given".<br />
<br />
True is that we learn a pile of knowledges in school, and in private life we<br />
learn how to plant flowers, drive bicycle, motrocycle or a car, repair<br />
engines, build houses etc., but we never get any significant instruction on<br />
how to make a successful relationship. At most we get a life-instruction how<br />
NOT to do it, by our parents or, through trial and error exercise,<br />
ourselves.<br />
<br />
Myrna Zezza gave a complete, step-by-step guide through the process.<br />
<br />
I was drawn to a book, when checking about it online on recommendation of my<br />
friend, by the model for relationship which was used: a house. Building a<br />
house of love, writer teaches us about importance of fundament, walls and<br />
roof. She does not forget about cement, glues and all what holds it<br />
together, she even thinks of catastrophes, critters and insurance!<br />
<br />
Building of self-esteem is also an important part of our relationship with<br />
others.<br />
<br />
Model is like this: foundation is Communication, walls are: Common purpose and<br />
values, Trust, Appreciation and Clear agreements. Roof is Commitment.<br />
<br />
Love is nails, screws, bolts and glue (obviously an American house in warmer<br />
parts of USA-author herself lives in Hawaii), holding the house together.<br />
<br />
Basements and interior spaces are also important, those are different<br />
arrangements a couple makes in their daily life about work and spending free<br />
time, still preserving the core of their relationship.<br />
<br />
Termites and other critters can easily destroy even the best house if not<br />
eradicated effectively, so any misunderstanding or trouble should also be fast and<br />
effectively removed from an relationship.<br />
<br />
Homeowners insurance is something what in relationship is given by a support<br />
group like family, colleagues, friends... Author even finds, at the end, a<br />
place foe House blessing, which might be a wedding, but can be any other<br />
ritual a couple chooses. Most of us usually starts from this...but it is not<br />
by chance, I believe, given at the end of this book. Life is a learning<br />
process, all through.<br />
<br />
When definitely too American that I would really like it, this book is a good<br />
guide. I might comment away in my head some sentences as "eh, easy to write<br />
this in California or Hawaii, come to Balkans!", but since the book is<br />
addressed to a developing individual, not given as a school of thought or<br />
perception of reality, we are free to take from it what we find useful. And<br />
it is really a trove of useful points about each of us and relationships in<br />
which we enter, often without really knowing what we want from it, or how to<br />
achieve what we want.mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-4295408687023538292017-05-02T15:22:00.001+02:002017-07-01T15:31:17.739+02:00Ph.K.Dick's "VALIS"On my conquest of PKD's world, with reading of "The man in the high<br />
castle", "Ubik" and "Do the androids dream of electric sheep", I took on his<br />
"VALIS"=Vast Active Living Intelligence System.<br />
<br />
It starts benign, a psychedelic world of 1960-ies, with only some glimpses<br />
of danger, enrolled in weird names of the characters, like Horselover Fat or<br />
Mother Goose.<br />
<br />
Then it bores one immensely through almost Jehowah Witness-like boredom of<br />
religious blobbering through hundred or more pages-here I almost threw it<br />
away, really. I do not think I met the writer (or the editor) who would not<br />
cut out such a ghastly nonsense, even if it would occur to anyone to<br />
actually write such stuff down!<br />
<br />
Luckily I was patient, as at the end of a tunnel, there came a light! And<br />
patient I was, indeed! The writing seemed as if an adept of mish-mash of<br />
Christianity, Buddhism and Gibbon did not succed to come up to digest the <br />
Message for the lazy American reader. Such a reader would not dare to read<br />
Caesar directly, but preferred to look, with some curiosity, at the vomit of<br />
it after the painful burps of the afore-mentioned adept.<br />
<br />
So, after nonsensical, psychopatologic religious bullshit of a pity character<br />
bent after his feeling of guilt for not being able to help to his<br />
energetic vampire friends to survive their psichological or body illness,<br />
story started to be interesting.<br />
<br />
That is, if we can consider actual waking up to the world in which the Christ<br />
himself is alive and kickin' somewhere in California, and the cypher from<br />
apostolic Christians from Roman times finds the audience in the time of<br />
Vietnam war. The society is formed, which consists of four individuals, who<br />
cram to the airplane to visit the Christ, and who just happen to gather unter<br />
the motto "Fish can not use guns".<br />
<br />
Oh ghosh. Just writing it on paper is ridiculous, no?<br />
<br />
Well, obviously not completely, if it comes from a master writer like PKD.<br />
I survived through reading it for (too) many a page, carried by a sheer hope<br />
that scores of people who claimed it to be a good work, were not complete<br />
idiots, or that it all was not just an internet scam of the bigot Jehowah<br />
Witnesses.<br />
<br />
Towards the end of the first volume of Valis, there is a beautiful story of<br />
2 year old girl Sophia, who herself seems to be a voice of God. Not "seems",<br />
she IS a voice of god, she knows things nobody else could now. PKD gives<br />
some of his most hillarious lines here, pure joy to read!<br />
<br />
Sophia eventually dies accidentally, or chose to die accidentally, but there<br />
is a new child to be born, from the same parents-who are crazy weirdos, but<br />
seem to have a place in the cosmic maze. The Rhipidon society is closely<br />
following.<br />
<br />
At the end of the book is a list of 50 premises of the World and definitions<br />
which are supposedly put there to help, but they rather scared me. They are<br />
obviously a make of crack-pot. No discussion. I am quite afraid to go to the<br />
2nd book of Valis, but probably I will be persistent, as I usually am, to<br />
fathom the depths of Horselover Fat.<br />
<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-45962374432928431832017-04-06T21:10:00.003+02:002017-04-06T21:11:18.532+02:00Gombrowicz's "Pornografia"Continuation of my re-reading of Gombrowicz.<br />
In "Pornografia" he is at his best, intentially<br />
controversial and bulversing. It is amazing to see<br />
how he constructs the pervert tension of old against-or<br />
along-the young.<br />
<br />
Author creates the twisted reality of the story through<br />
actions of older guys towards a younger couple. Which is<br />
the more pervert: marriage of old guy to a much younger<br />
girl, or their action, which in effect, prevents it? Older<br />
guys try to make young couple into lovers, although themselves<br />
are not even thinking about it, being friends from childhood.<br />
The reason for such action of older guys is that they would<br />
like themselves to couple with young, but since they can not,<br />
then at least they try to sublimate their will through action<br />
on them.<br />
<br />
Gombrowicz would not be himself if he would be simple:<br />
there is a parallel story of Polish reality in WWII, when<br />
AK (Armia Krajowa=National Army), which is different than<br />
AL (Armia Ludowa=People's Army), acts against one of its<br />
detractors. It was not a little to write about AK in 1950-ies,<br />
as its role was negated by communist government-the only heroic<br />
army could be the Red Army of USSR. Again, today it is all<br />
too easy to forget the historical reality of Gombrowicz's<br />
writing.<br />
<br />
"Cosmos" and "Pornografia" are essential Gombrowicz. In<br />
them he creates (erotic) reality of usual things and events, and uses<br />
it to build tension in the fabric of that reality. Masterpieces which<br />
only a tense mind like his could produce. <br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-51396552625039868452017-04-04T21:48:00.000+02:002017-04-04T22:18:21.824+02:00Coetzee's "Diary of a Bad Year"This is a diary of strong opinions. Author presents it as a series of essays on<br />
free topics, with the self-censorship turned "OFF".<br />
<br />
Coetzee is an South African writer living in Australia. The main character<br />
of this book is an esteemed Australian writer of foreign air, so much so<br />
that the beauty he fell for calls him Senor, as if he would be of South<br />
American origin. <br />
<br />
That the book would not be simply boring, a litany of musings of a boring<br />
over-intellectualized old prick, author spiced it with real life: a hot<br />
chick. An inovative move in the book, like a magician's stick adding<br />
something of a Peter Pan in the story.<br />
<br />
It starts with the introduction part where the strong opinion about<br />
origins of the state, terrorism (it is dated 2005 to 2006) or anarchy is<br />
presented along with trivia from his everyday life. After some 20 pages,<br />
the hot chick gets the bottom of the page for herself. Then it becomes,<br />
page by page, a three-fold story. At the end, she takes two of the three<br />
windows of the page, in one conversing with the author, in another with her<br />
boyfriend or herself.<br />
<br />
Most of the text is by the old prick who could not do anything else with the<br />
hot chick than to employ her as a typist. His hands tremble too much, his<br />
other organ would not tremble even with heap of Viagra, but his brain is as<br />
attentive to a woman beauty as a man's brain can be.<br />
<br />
A woman shows to be not an empty shell. Her boyfriend, with whom<br />
she lives in the same buliding as the author, is a predator investment<br />
consultant. He shows also to be an emotional predator, and encounter with<br />
the Senor, in effect, produces their split.<br />
<br />
The (platonic) relationship between the author and his typist introduces new<br />
vistas, and affects their lives. The relationship is real life, blood and smiles.<br />
<br />
Interesting texts, innovative methods... Coetzee is not in vain one of most esteemed<br />
authors in English literature. His biography itself is amazing, definitely worth<br />
reading, check it online.<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4650179175846970085.post-13701628486230868412017-01-23T18:26:00.002+01:002017-01-25T19:42:13.270+01:00Gombrowicz's "Cosmos"In my re-reading of Gombrowicz, I came to "Cosmos". It is a very Polish story<br />
in its topic and form. But, as Gombrowicz likes (or has) to do, it is breaking<br />
of the world in pieces. Reading the meaning of sparrow corpse<br />
hanged in the bush, an arrow in a ceiling (is it an arrow in a ceiling?),<br />
reading its pointing (or not?)... it is like reading a horoscope. Or not<br />
reading it, but making it.<br />
<br />
It is obvious that Gombrowicz is close to quite an absurd theater, a child<br />
of his time. If there would not be a WWII, which extracted and exaltation<br />
and a decision from him (to dupe the pathetic patriotism and remain<br />
himself), Gombrowicz would not have to bear the weight which was not crafted<br />
for him. He could remain a rather abnormal Polish writer, and enjoy the air of<br />
worldliness. He could die not too far from his birth place, eventually. But,<br />
since he WAS pushed to an extreme, and had balls to follow it, he became a weirdo<br />
in a life, not a theater, of absurd. In which people behaved much more insane<br />
than any of the characters in his drama!<br />
<br />
Gombrowicz does not need a defence, his works explains him the best. Most of<br />
the mediocre mass who criticised, or ridiculed him, is long forgotten. He is,<br />
and will be, recognized as an unique bard, trubadour of insanity of<br />
closed or open door, turning wheel or pointing of the pinky.<br />
<br />
mikidkolanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03611558539075040534noreply@blogger.com0