Old Tech, New

I have used a wireless keyboard and mouse for many years, probably since they first arrived in the technoverse. Last week my son, Alex, got a new keyboard having neon colors, tactile keys, and a cord.

I was suitably impressed with the keyboard, and the price seemed doable. I went to Amazon to find my own magical tech. I found both a keyboard and mouse for less than he had paid.

Today the equipment arrived. There was some concern over USB ports on my computer, but I made it work with minimal rearranging. I had so forgotten the speed of a wired mouse. Speedy, speedy. The keyboard will take some adjustment because I have used an ergonomic one for so long.

I am so glad I did this. The speed of the keyboard is an upgrade, as is the mouse. The fun thing is the sound of the keys. I did not realize how much I had missed it. The neon glow is a plus.

Sometimes we lose when we go with the new technology. Retro can be the way to go.

A VERY OLD BOOK

Riffing off an Amazon review title, I so propitiously encountered.

A VERY OLD BOOK

Reader beware, herein lie
Monsters of dastardly mien,
You may be captured, captivated,
Made prisoner for the space
Of these many pages.
I would not read it were I you,
I did not, in truth, finding its words
Many syllabic, poetic, strange
To my modern eyes and sensibility.
It seemed akin to Dickens, Emerson,
Perhaps Poe and Thoreau, whom
I thought all left in the distant past
When what I read was for lessons,
Not for pleasurable entertainment
Initiated on my fancy whim or choice.
No, dear reader, hear, hear,
This tome is best left shoved
To the back of the shelf, covered
In ages, layers of sooty dust,
Let it be, let it lie, you have no need
Of it, nor would ever I, it is a burden
To be left without perusal alone.
Do not open the covers, do not see,
What treasures I could not ascertain,
Join me in my startling refrain
This is a VERY OLD BOOK,
Herein lie dastardly monsters
Of highly developed vocabulary,
Read At Your Own Dire Risk.

Five Reads Reviewed

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson is 880 pages and engrossing. It is a space odyssey written by one of the most engaging writers of our time. Ever thought about what would happen if the moon ceased to exist in wholeness?

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair was a book I read 75%. My reason was graphic and gratuitous sex. I cannot go for that.

Mine by Robert R. McCammon is 516 pages. A book by a horror virtuoso that some may have missed. His work is in the same league as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice.

Writing the Life Poetic by Sage Cohen is 301 pages and has excellent exercises which will get one writing. She covers a lot of material in this short treatise.

Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann is 353 pages set in the time of kings, queens, knights, and jesters. Tyll is an interesting character with a bit of magic attached.

I read these books in June and give all of them five stars except A Touch of Darkness which did not suit me. If you like that sort of thing, it is a fine example.

I have read sixty-eight books this year, and I have to catch up with posting them.

The Out Option

For some time, there has been speculation about what it would be like to leave Facebook. I have long felt I contributed much more than I gained, making the proposition much less than profitable in a relational way.

I deactivated my account a week ago and have also abandoned Twitter and Instagram. A lot of consideration went into these actions. It was not the choice of a moment.

The time I have gained is tremendous. I am not subject to the harmful material posted by others and have freedom from politics—more than that, the bombardment from advertising is gone.

All my social media has come to seem frivolous, and of little value, so I temporarily quit. Whether I go back is to be seen.

I joined the social networks to build a creative platform, and none of it seems applicable in that regard. The freedom from the tyranny of having to participate and the quantity of time I recovered are strong incentives to opt out permanently.

So, I am reporting from the outside, and the scenery looks gorgeous.

Reading List

Wild Lands (Book 2 of Savage Lands) by Stacey Marie Brown, 297 pages, Five Stars.

The Art of Prompt by Camerson Monhagan, uncertain page count, 2500 prompts, Five Stars.

The above are my final reads in March.

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April 2021 – 12 Books

Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson, 460 pages, Five Stars; I have read several books by this author, and all are wonderful.

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins, 390 pages, Five Stars; I like stories about books, libraries, and strange things.

Darke by Rick Gekoski, 321 pages, Four Stars, deals with grief and isolation and is well done, a bit dark and depressing.

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore, 376 pages, Five Stars, you should read this; it is a romp.

A Witch In Time by Constance Sayers, 449 pages, Five Stars, is a story that invites deep thought.

The Secret Life of Books by Tom Mole, 239 pages, Five Stars, explores how books mean more than just what they say.

Tears of Amber by Sofia Segovia, Kindle First Read, 487 pages, Five Stars; is a story of how a family survives a war.

D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber, 304 pages, Five Stars, a story of what might happen if someone made a letter of the alphabet disappear.

Unexpected by Jozua van Otterloo, 100 pages, Four Stars, an inspirational book, I would give Three Stars because it has many errors and I copy edit. However, the stories and references are very appropriate.

The Abundance by Annie Dillard, 288 pages, Five Stars, everything I have read by her is grand.

The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, 298 pages, Five Stars, is another story about grief, how we blame ourselves and involve others in attempted resolution. Booker Prize Winner

Ilium by Dan Simmons, 752 pages, Ten Stars, I mean, Five Stars, I love this author. I read Drood, Flashback, Black Hills, and I will read others. I think he is not as well recognized as he should be. His Horror is bone-chilling, his Syfy is riveting, his writing is literary and superb.