Angie > Recent Status Updates

Took a little break from this to listen to another cat book. I needed space from all the dislikable people. I have found it a little disappointing that the cat in this story has become disassociated with the cat world.

A bit odd (to my perspective), off-putting and engaging simultaneously.

Started listening to this. First introduction by the honorable John T Morgan is full of superlatives.

I have been reading about the accusations by multiple people about one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. The accusations at this point seem credible and abhorrent. It is very disappointing to find out that someone whose art has been formative in one’s life is a despicable predator in his personal life; for me it taints the work. I have removed him from my “top 10 fav authors” bookshelf.

Seneca does seem pretty petulant sometimes for a guy who doesn’t believe in getting upset by circumstance.

The nature and value of friendship. If you wish to be loved you should love. Cultivating friendship for the sake of friendship is worthwhile, but one should be whole within oneself. The difference between feeling your troubles and overcoming them, and not allowing oneself to feel troubles.

Listening to this on Penguin Classic Audio, I did as the introduction suggested and skipped it, moving straight to the first letter presented. My expectations were open - and I really enjoyed listening to it. It starts with advice not to be higgledy-piggledy in one’s reading habits. 😄😄😄 I better not let him see my Goodreqds! 🤣

I’m too slow and have lost my library check-out on this. Now I have to wait on hold till it is available again. May go pick up a physical copy so I can continue. I think learning will be less difficult too, with a book that I can turn pages on.

I must admit that the Grand Universal Theory with the ludicrous acronym GUT has crumpled my mind up like wadded up gum wrappers. By the end the talk of quarks and anti-quarks, annihilation, spin, colors, reversing time, etc, etc; it became quite a foreign language. I will definitely need to get something a little more remedial about those things if I want to understand. Moving on to black holes now.

The characters and story are as entertaining as the movie.

Force carrying particles? — and they have mass? I think I’m going to need to listen to this section again.

Ok, they are detectable as waves: photons.

I am definitely exercising my brain here. Interesting and some of it challenging to grasp.

More detailed explanation of some things than in the Brian Greene book. The concepts are somewhat difficult to grasp and require active thought. Interesting and stimulating.

Listening to this by Phoenix Audio books, read by Michael Jackson (no, not that Michael Jackson.) I was immediately turned off by it, because the reader’s accent and style seemed so “snooty” so much so that it feels like a caricature of a posh person. Also, it felt like it had been sped up, chipmunks style. After slowing it down to 75%, I gave it a chance and am now getting used to it. Content interesting!

Interesting discussion of the self and consciousness

Listened to first 4 “lessons.” Short and in some ways simple, so far the lessons focus more on the history and development of the field of physics than I expected. The descriptions of the theories described are very basic, I find myself wanting more explanation for understanding. Still, finding this interesting, useful, and worthwhile.

“In the fullness of time, black holes will waste away too.”

Been going slowly, my collection of particles changing in response to the input. Very understandable explanations, but still need to trackback some. Now on the more familiar territory of story, myth, culture and religion I am able to keep pace with the author.

Enjoyably understandable

A philosophical work grounded in science. I liked the introduction which laid out the intent and plan of the work. I am not sure that he is correct in his repeated assertions that only humans recognize death. Evidence seems to indicate that other animals including great apes, elephants, dogs, cats, birds, and many others mourn their dead; which, to me, would indicate some sort of understanding of death.

Fascinating glimpses of history and interesting introductions or reintroductions to feminist and socialist philosophers. Still not loving the narrator’s voice for this. The accent is off for an American author speaking from an American perspective. I wish that the data and discussion were a bit more structured. But I think most will enjoy the more conversational style.

Still feeling a bit weird about the disconnect between the reader’s accent (now thinking Australian? - I’m getting Olivia Newton John) and the author’s voice.
Interesting content, challenging, somewhat unsettling — a lot of track-back to ensure my brain’s full engagement.

Just started listening to this and I’m having a bit of trouble with the upper class British accent (just feels snooty), but I found it even harder to deal with the accents she puts on to read quotations, I’m just not a fan of dramatizing the readings. However, super pleased with the author’s note & preface talking about vocabulary, semantics, sources, and structure 💕💕

I ❤️ Jefferson’s ideals, at least he professes to be unafraid of democracy.

🤦‍♀️ The alien & sedition acts. So disappointing.

The complexities of the politics of that time and the enmity that came into the political discourse is a lot to think over. On the one hand they seem quite paranoid about everything. Anything they didn’t agree w/ was going to be the end of the independent republican union, but it’s not paranoia if it is justified, and since the govt. system was new, it was not known what would be good and what would be damaging.

Have I mentioned to ones that I am not a fan of Hamilton? Seems lucky for all of us that he never was able to be President.

Do I like John Adams because he is so gloomy& contrary all the time? 🤔 After all, growing up I loved Eeyore and Oscar the Grouch… it may just be my natural tendency 😁😆