31 May 2007

chaos theory

complex systems are so fascinating... recently, in a book i was reading, a character's not-too-successful pick-up line was chaos theory - the girl was the strange attractor that was disrupting the stability of his system, and he was forced to move towards her - while it may not be the greatest pick-up line, it does in fact speak very aptly to inter-personal relationships, very non-linear dynamical systems... the strange attractor is never the same twice, but is always within a certain range... people act certain ways but never exactly the same as the time before... and then there is the butterfly effect (not the bad movie)...

"The 'Butterfly Effect', or more technically the 'sensitive dependence on initial conditions,' is the essence of chaos." ... but there are patterns within that chaos...


i totally believe that everything is connected - i always have - but it completely fascinates me that a down stroke of a butterfly's wing can cause a hurricane 10 years later on the other side of the planet ... it makes one re-evaluate ones actions a bit, knowing the immense, chaotic effect they could have...

27 May 2007

summer reading...

While we are on the subject of reading i thought i would talk a bit about summer reading... it is that time of year after all... and as i know there are foodies in the small readership that i have here, i thought i would start with a food book... Two for the Road by Jane & Michael Stern is a memoir with a fun look at travel and american food, including: shopping for souvenirs in maximum security prison gift shops ... enrolling in bull-riding school taught by a rodeo champ ... feeling no pain in the drinkingest bar in the West ... ceremonial burial of pants that suddenly don't fit any more ... trying to dispose of the foulest food in the history of travel ... and much more...


If you are looking for something a little more serious
, try God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens... i have not read it, but i plan on getting a copy as soon as the publisher reprints it - it is so popular that the first printing has sold out...





And for those of you who know me, you know that no summer reading list would be complete without a little romance... Nora Roberts' new full-length hardcover, High Noon, comes out July 10th and i can hardly wait... just 'cause i own all her books does not mean i am obsessed, just loyal...





What will you be reading this summer?

17 May 2007

advice to those who live with book lovers...

It is our belief that bookworms are born, not made. You know who we mean. The kid who sneaks in a paragraph when Mom’s back is turned. The child who devises an elaborate under-the-covers flashlight system because when it comes to sleep versus finishing a chapter, well, sleep isn’t all that important. The one who, despite her parents’ vehement arguments to the contrary, believes that reading outside is playing.

True bookworms are rare. If you are unfortunate enough to live with one, we’re sorry. All we can do is assure you that there’s nothing that can be done. There is no twelve-step program to cure reading addiction. You can try to take away the books. It’s a waste of your time and energy, but we won’t stop your fruitless endeavor. You’ll learn. Those stacks of books are a book lover’s security blanket. They are important. (Booksquare)

so you see there is really no advice to be had, just acceptance... love us for who we are =)

04 May 2007

in other news...

so a bit of an update on the grad school front - i have been awarded a full time tuition waiver - this award will make grad school about 90% less stressful as i will not be constantly worried about money, or at least not as worried about money anyway...


on the literature front i have become re-enamored with the snarkiness that is Anthony Bourdain - currently i am loving the nasty bits, a delightfully jaded look at life, travel and food - three of my best things - his voice is fabulous and, well, snarky, and as those who know me will attest, snark is also one of my best things - it is the perfect book for me =)