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Review: Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes My rating: 5 of 5 stars A very immersive and thought-provoking story Why did I give this book 5 stars? What can I write about it? Well, I floated between 4 and 5 stars. What made me tip the scale was my immediate feeling that I was an observer in the story, not solely a reader. I found the transformation of the protagonist, Charlie Gordon - as illustrated by his writing in his progress reports - to be an especially effective narrative device. The story was so organic and straight-forward, that I felt transported to another time and place. Perhaps that result was also due to my empathy with the protagonist Charlie Gordon and my identification with the academic environment, where most of the narrative took place. Some members of my extended family are mentally challenged. I couldn't help but think of them when I read about Charlie. Also, my dad worked with mentally challenged young adults at a clinic when he was
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Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not as action-orientated as I thought it would be, but it's definitely a thought-provoking work about military service, structure, operations, and command. To a lesser extent it was about politics and warfare. My only negative criticism of this work is that the amount of dialogue, especially in the second half of the book, took away from potential action and suspense. I know what to expect when I approach a work by Robert A. Heinlein, just as I would for Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke. If I want a sci-fi read which is military and/or action-orientated, I will go with Heinlein. If I want a sci-fi read which is more contemplative or intellectual, I will choose Asimov, Clarke, or Ted Chiang. Additionally, to approach a work by Heinlein expecting it to be attune to current cultural sensitivities is folly, plain and simple. If I read a book by Heinlein is that going to make me Heinlein? No! I did not see this work as i
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You Can Go Your Own Way

I believe that some problems in our society may be due to not enough time carved out for, or appreciation for having creative outlets. Also, the desire to be precise over all else. Precision is important, of course, but I see an abundance of online comments and threads about how to play the guitar or bass exactly like so and so. When I was learning guitar and bass as a teenager, there was tablature notation, but even that wasn't 100% precise. There are so many Youtube videos with note-for-note duplication and or attempts to do so, and unfortunately there are plenty of viewers who criticize others for not being 100% on the mark. To a "T" my guitar and bass player heroes would recommend for players to take the best of what they had heard, but in the end carve out a unique identity.
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Is it Social Anxiety or Something Else?

Perhaps I made the mistake of referring to an "introvert problem"  in it, but it has been interesting to receive friends' responses to a newspaper article about my struggles with general and social anxiety disorder. Some responded to me "you don’t strike me as introvert, you are friendly and sociable". An employee in another department even responded by describing me as “outgoing”, but he saw me in small groups during the college's Service Day or “Hoo-rah Day". I responded to him that for me it is very contextual, if I’m in a comfortable setting with a friendly audience, I'm more likely to feel at-ease and engage. I like to help others feel comfortable, and if that involves me being social, that’s what I attempt to do. However, I prefer not to compete with others for attention, and if there are too many individuals competing for attention or for their voice to be heard, I’d rather be somewhere else. It’s very interesting and sometimes troubling
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To not fear fear itself

I always enjoy an opportunity for some creative output; I have been thinking about something post reflections on, maybe the recent death of Irvin Kershner and memories of the Star Wars saga, my love for 1970's and 1980's sci-fi movies and TV, or something else about pop culture. However, perhaps something more personal is fitting. As I have crossed into the early stages of middle age, I have reflected on how my attitudes about things have changed over the years, namely fear. Probably many of us have an (inborn?) aversion to public speaking (I still can't believe that it is rated higher than death on some surveys ). Speaking of death, I recall being scared to such while speaking in front of the class in high school. As I recall it was American Literature with Mrs. Brimmer and I may have read the Robert Frost Poem "The Road Less Taken" . Man, I was just so nervous with all of the classic symptoms: racing heart beat, sweaty palms, etc. Looking back at it I can'
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Made anywhere but here..

I used to think it was silly when the WalMart Sam's Choice brand placed "Made in the U.S.A." on pop cans and cookies. How could these products be made anywhere else? Well, I guess you never know nowadays. Low and behold last week on a return trip from Maryville MO I noticed a package of Mini Chips Ahoy labeled as being made in Mexico. Also, a few months ago I needed to find some non-latex bandages for my wife. Out of curiosity I first checked out the Band-Aid brand - made in China. Another brand, Curad was also made in China, but I felt relieved and happy when I found out that Nexcare bandages were still made in the U.S.A. Hopefully these will continue to be. I thought that food and drink, and health and beauty aids might be the last bastions of made in the U.S.A. but apparently this isn't even the case anymore... P.S. My purpose with this post isn't to encourage isolationist type thinking, but that many things we take for granted may not necessarily be so. As a
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Chicago Highlights

A few weeks ago I attended the Innovative Users Group Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Even though I had visited the " Windy City " a few times before, this was my first time to have an extended stay downtown. I initially had some hesitations about getting around in a big city for a conference, as the largest conference location I had been at previously was in Minneapolis and I was in walking distance from most things I needed at the time. However, I can honestly say that the Conference and visit to Chicago were definite blessings. This travelogue and diary of sorts is probably mainly of interest to me, but maybe I might have some gems of insight to share. 4/17 - left from Ottumwa IA to Chicago via Amtrak's California Zephyr . It had been about 10 years since I had traveled via Amtrak, and this was my first time to have a major hub as a destination. It was an amazing experience to walk between the Amtrak behemoth engines at Union Station - with the sights of their
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