I Remember Some More Than Others

I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.
―  Ralph Waldo Emerson
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On This Day In:
2017	Creating Reality
2016	Come, Read To Me Some Poem
2015	Exceeding Service
2014	Still Learning
	Hospitality
2013	Execution Not Intensity
2012	Charles Carroll Of Carrollton (The Only Catholic Founder)
2011	Life Works
	Pay Like Hell
	Prosperity Finds Its Way Up

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Happy New Year — 2018!

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
―  Jorge Luis Borges
Do not be afraid to fail.  Be afraid to accept that who you are right now is all you are going to be.
―  John Bingham
From his book: “Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life With Running“
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
―  Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
From his novel: “Mother Night“
I am nothing special, of this I am sure.  I am a common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life.  There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough…
―  Nicholas Sparks
From his novel: “The Notebook“
[Happy New Year’s Day to all!  The years are beginning to run together (pun intended).  This year, my resolutions are (in addition to yesterday’s post) to read more books and to try to be more consistent in my working out so I can (hopefully) grow my mind as I shed my waist.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2017	Happy New Year — 2017!
2016	Happy New Year — 2016!
	Remembering My Brother
2015	Happy New Year — 2015!
2014	Happy New Year – 2014!
2013	Another New Year’s Thought (In Case It Rains)
	Happy New Year – 2013!
2012	Best Wishes For 2012!
	Where Did You Spend New Year’s Eve?
2011	Happy New Year (2011)!!

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Beneath The Tree Of Wisdom

I’ve read the words of men who walk where understanding grows: who’ve passed beneath the tree of wisdom and had its shadow grant them peace, briefly though it be.
Look in their eyes and you will discover glimpses of eternity.  With them you sense the present is infinite, and events the actors which provide a change of scenery.  In life there are many theories but few explanations.  With time I discovered that we will know more than we can say, and understand beyond our powers of expression.
—  Peter Wells
From his blog: countingducks   at:  http://countingducks.wordpress.com/
The specific post is: Beneath The Tree Of Life  at:  http://countingducks.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/beneath-the-tree-of-life/
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On This Day In:
2016	Something Authentic Happened
2015	Back On The Bricks
	On, Rocinante!!
2014	Changing Frequently
2013	Trifles
2012	Simple, Ordinary And Wonderous
2011	Humane Writers

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Two Good To Be Real

“Walden Two”  (1948©, 1976©)  —  book review
This is another “classic” book (novel) I’ve wanted to read for some time.  No, it’s not the original “Walden Or Life In The Woods“, by Thoreau, or its sequel.  It is the fictional description of a “scientifically” created utopian community used by the author (B. F. Skinner) to promote his theories about (what is now known as) applied behavioral analysis.  It was Skinner’s belief that most of an individual’s actions (and cultural preferences) are determined by the environmental factors / variables / cultural norms one is exposed to.  While Skinner did not start the nature vs. nurture debate, he did go some distance in promoting his side (nurture) of the argument.
Basically, the novel revolves around an academic who is approached by two students to find out if stories about Utopia’s are real or even possible.  They have heard of one (in the professor’s class) and wonder if the professor would approach the person who organized it (the utopian society) so they could visit it.  The professor writes to his old friend who agrees to host them (the visitors) for a time.  The group of visitors ends up being the original professor, another academic / current friend, the two students and their two girl-friends.  The visit is to “Walden Two” – a play on Thoreau’s Walden which uses the sequence / numeric (two) instead of the “also” (too).  In other words, “we follow, but we are not the same.”
The “visit” allows the author to present his theories about how to “properly” arrange a society so it can maximize leisure time as well as efficient productivity to generate just enough to cover more than what the society needs, but never to exceed requirements so much that people do not have time to be and to become themselves.  As an example, everyone is “expected” to do a certain amount of work / chores, and you receive “credits” for the time spent doing them.  The “jobs” average to four hours per day and the remainder of the time is yours to use any way you see fit – eat, sleep, art, play, whatever…  The job credits are scored based on the number of staff who want to do the job, which presumes fewer folks want to do “harder”, “more tedious”, or “dirtier” jobs.  This, in turn, means you can earn your four hours of credit in less than four hours of work.  The “science” comes from the statistical analysis of how many folks ask to do the job.  Of course, the majority of jobs are also shifted periodically (again using analysis) to even out the more favorable jobs, too.  For those, you have to work more than four hours to get the four hours of credit.  The “surplus” generated by efficient productivity is used to deal with external entities – to pay taxes and for buying supplies which cannot be generated within the society.
This pretty much covers the general economics of the utopia.  The social engineering and politics are also covered and they are what was found so objectionable about the book that it was banned in some places.
Can man play God?  Can we make life so pleasant that free will becomes a lost / legacy concept?  Can we eliminate greed and/or the desire to rule others?  I don’t know.  My instinct is to say “no”.  And if we could do any of these things, is it a society I would want to live in?  Again, I don’t know…  But the book sure did make it sound appealing.  What happens to the six visitors?  I’m afraid  that would be telling, so you have to read the book to find out…
Final recommendation:  highly recommended!  This is a book which made me think about my own values and what I’d be willing to give up in my “society” to have a civilization where wealth was not the “be-all / end-all”.  If nothing else, that (“it made me think”) is a pretty good description of a “classic”.  …And, of course, quotes / excerpts will follow in good time.  (LOL)
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On This Day In:
2016	Learning Subtle Differences
2015	Dog Eat Dog World?
2014	And Sometimes Blogs About It
2013	Outside-In
2012	They Are All Perfect
2011	Delegation – The “How-To’s”
2009	Diet Update and Other Bits & Bobs…

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Soothe, Inspire And Recharge

Don’t underestimate the real cost of a book, as it is not found in its price, but in the investment of your most precious commodity — time.
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Never underestimate the power of a good book to soothe your soul and inspire you.  Reading books is like recharging batteries, giving you new life with which to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
—  Peter Cawdron
[Found on one of the blogs I follow:  “THINKING SCI-FI”  located at:  http://thinkingscifi.wordpress.com/
The specific post is at: https://thinkingscifi.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/the-value-of-books/
Well worth a visit.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2016	Aren’t We?
2015	Cold Embrace
2014	Delightful
2013	Apprenticeship
2012	Curtain Rods
2011	A Living Force
2010	BART Rides – A Tipping Point

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A Good Habit

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.
―  Maya Angelou
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On This Day In:
2016	The Minds Of Trumpism
2015	Expressing Nonsense
2014	A Real Fight
2013	Unravelling
2012	I Resolve
2011	Practice, Practice, Practice
2009	Phoenix Trip (Sept ’09)

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Or Revisiting A Blog Site

There’s nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over.
–  Gail Carson Levine
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On This Day In:
2016	Alas, Too Often The Latter
2015	Either / Or
2014	Memorial Day – 2014
	Perfection
2013	Memorial Day Video
	Equal = Equal
2012	Congrats, Nephew!!
	Doggie Vision Networks
	The Flash: Omnibus
	JLI: vol 1
	Flash: Rebirth
	Burning Images
	What Do You Believe?
2011	Are We Still At War With The Poor?

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