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Malachai Constant
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PostSun Nov 15, 2015 6:13 pm 
Last Places - A Jouney in the North by Laurence Millman A travel book where the author followed the path of Vikings from Norway, Farole Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland. Reminders of the Northwest hockeygrin.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Mike Collins
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PostSat Nov 21, 2015 11:37 pm 
wolffie wrote:
this courageous book basically hangs out the dirty laundry of Islam, providing a level of detail and analysis that only an apostate scholar could know.
I am not quite sure why you or anyone would want to read about "the dirty laundry of Islam". I am writing this entry from Marrakech, Morocco. Yesterday a woman passed us on the street dressed entirely in the whitest clothes she had available, including white shoes. This is done so that those who pass her on the street will know immediately that her husband died recently. Strangers can then assist her with comfort during her time of grief. In Morocco there are currently blood drives to help the French in the wake of their recent tragedy. My guide who attended the mosque yesterday told me that the sermon given by the Imam warned against fanaticism. That is the clean laundry of Islam and engaging in that discourse will be much more healthy for someone as it brings them into the fabric of the world community rather than the ragged fringes.

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tmatlack
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PostSun Nov 22, 2015 2:51 am 
Emerald Mile and John Wesley Powell's Journals for use with my high school students...sorta a then and now journey by dory down the Grand Canyon. Clay Jenkinson is doing his JWP today in Seattle. Wish I could go. MC: Have you checked out Farley Mowat's thesis in his book The Farfarers? He says there might have been some pre-Viking, Euro visitors to the new world using the far north island hopping technique. Tom

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostSun Nov 22, 2015 3:46 pm 
My last 2 books I totally lost interest by midpoint. Really disappointing with "Tracks." I liked the movie, but the book is depressing (because the author is depressed most of the time). Now I'm reading "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi, sci fi that a friend recommended. Interesting, different premise than I've ever seen. Opposite of "Ender's Game." Instead of kids fighting intergalactic battles, the elderly have their consciousness transferred to young, genetically engineered bodies and fight with various aliens throughout the cosmos for control of planets to be colonized.

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Mike Collins
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PostTue Nov 24, 2015 3:29 pm 
Mercator-The Man Who Mapped the Planet by Nicholas Crane tells the tale of Gerald Mercator who solved the dimensional conundrum of how to project a spherical globe onto a two-dimensional map. His solution has proven the test of time and Martian cartography has been displayed with Mercator Projections by NASA. The author weaves the vicissitudes of Mercator's life that included imprisonment during the Inquisition as well as the plague to enliven the biography of this fascinating man.

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Toni
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PostTue Nov 24, 2015 9:11 pm 

There is no Planet B
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wolffie
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PostTue Nov 24, 2015 11:29 pm 
Mike Collins wrote:
I am not quite sure why you or anyone would want to read about "the dirty laundry of Islam".
I apologize for choosing a lousy metaphor. It might be better to say that Warraq collects and distills the scholarship illuminating the embarrassing history and theological roots of this religion, which are about as firm as those of Birnham Wood -- yes, this may sound bigoted, but the criticism is quite eqalitarian and applies mutatis mutando to several other of God's books, and it comes from Muslims (well, apostate Muslims -- apostasy being a capital offense) who are horrified by what their religion has done and is doing. Terrorism is only one of their many concerns, BTW. They are attacking the core beliefs and scriptures and history -- now that I think on it, "dirty laundry" may not be such a bad metaphor. Although I think it is necessary and obligatory to critique people's ideas and beliefs (that's how science is supposed to work), we must try not to conflate the ideas with the people. Don't let religious disagreements get in the way of the human relationship (ad hominem attacks are illogical and essentially violent). That can be difficult. Historically, religious wars seem to be among our major talents. Marshall Rosenberg (Nonviolent Communication; Compassionate Communication) instructs effective techniques for doing this, but it takes practice and most of us were taught other ways of communicating. Warraq has authored several books, including "Virgins? What Virgins?".

Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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wildernessed
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PostWed Nov 25, 2015 3:09 pm 
Population Wars Good read from the leader of the punk rock band "Bad Religion" with a significant background in geology, archeology, and paleontology.

Living in the Anthropocene
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mike
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PostWed Nov 25, 2015 3:33 pm 
wolffie wrote:
theological roots of this religion, which are about as firm as those of Birnham Wood --
Since Birnam Wood has disappeared except for 2 trees do you mean that the roots are shaky? (like those of every other religion)
Birnam Wood
Birnam Wood

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Bedivere
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PostWed Nov 25, 2015 3:43 pm 
Dan Simmons "Endymion" Follow-up two-book series to the previous two book series "Hyperion" and "Fall of Hyperion." A little over 1/2 way through and it's not nearly as good as the Hyperion books. it's not bad, but I keep hoping it will get better.

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lookout bob
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PostSat Nov 28, 2015 12:25 pm 
just finished The Wright Brothers......a most magnificent book about the birth of flight. I highly recommend it if you like non fiction cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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Stella
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PostSun Nov 29, 2015 10:20 pm 
I was given Short Night of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan as a gift when it was first published. At the time it didn’t grab me and so I set it aside until this fall when my book club chose it as the November read. As with the Big Burn, Egan has brought to life a time in local history, and in this case, a remarkable character. I knew of Edward Curtis but I had no appreciation for the extent of the photographic and publishing legacy he dedicated his life to. I am very glad to have read this book as it has given me a better understanding of NW history and what is possible with perseverance. After Shadow Catcher I switched back to fiction and have just finished The Painter by Peter Heller. Overall I really enjoyed the read and will pick up Heller’s Dog Stars from the library. The descriptions of the paintings and their allegorical meaning is engaging. The literary method reminds me of Robertson Davies' Cornish Trilogy.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostSun Nov 29, 2015 11:21 pm 
olderthanIusedtobe wrote:
Now I'm reading "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi, sci fi that a friend recommended.
Finished it, really liked it. It's the beginning of a series, got the next one on wait list from the library. In the meantime I read another of Scalzi's that is a one-off--"Fuzzy Nation." Apparently it's a reimagining of a sci fi novel from the 60's called "Little Fuzzy" by H. Beam Piper. I know nothing of the original source material, but this book was very entertaining. I'd say I'm hooked on Scalzi now and anxiously anticipating the next one I can get my hands on.

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Mike Collins
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PostMon Dec 21, 2015 1:08 pm 
Westward to Alki-The Story of David and Louisa Denny by Gordon Newell recounts the history and contributions of the Denny family of Seattle. If you enjoy reading about the history of Seattle then it is a good book to warm you up for the cold rainy weather that is with us now.

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cdestroyer
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PostTue Dec 22, 2015 10:03 am 
vince flynn, robert crais, sue grafton, marcia muller, robert parker, micheal connelly

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