Glossolalist Historicity in Modernity & Fivefold Continuationism

 God's Generals

by Roberts Liardon

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

I had no idea the church Body had such a colorful historicity.  This book deals with that history in the period of the late 19th century to the late 20th century.  I don't know why we do not reference these people and the movements they were part of more often.  How the past fades, the past fades in our memories.

I am most impressed with the people who have the least flaws.  The people who seemed to truly seek God's will in their life for the entire span of their lives — they ran with patience.

John Alexander Dowie was portrayed as an immensely powerful man, who was also immensely stubborn.  He held Chicago in the palm of his hand, for a season.  His stubbornness was they key to his success and his failure.  How a man could come to believe he was Elijah, then on his death bed reveal with his last words his belief that he was Jesus, is simply beyond me.  Perhaps he had had a stroke—surely he could not become so deluded naturally.  Zion, Illinois is a place I would like to visit one day, simply out of curiosity.  

Marie Woodworth-Etter was portrayed as the most saintly person in the book.  I believe it is for this reason that she held such influence on people—especially future ministers.  The trance phenomenon surrounding her ministry is fascinating.  I would like to find more books—and wow, would I like to find her own rare works which Liardon mentioned he has copies of!

Evan Roberts was a strange man.  He so sought to live in the Spirit that I see him as a man that was lost in a fog in this world.  How bizarre was his relationship with Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis!  Success brings them out of the woodwork.  If only it were not for her, I wonder how Roberts' life would have differed.  I too wonder if the dark poetry found upon his death in his notebook has ever been published.

Charles F. Parham, in my opinion, should have stayed away from Zion, Illinois.  Wilbur Voliva certainly had it in for him with his sodomy accusation.  So many of these men and women seemed to thrive on adversity, seeking it until it finally did them in.  Persecution seems to do very many Christians in.  Here are my thoughts on the matter:  Had Parham's enemies had real proof of his being arrested for sodomy, they would not have posted signed confessions, but the actual police report.
 
William J. Seymour and Azusa Street are probably the most widely circulated nouns in charismatic circles.  This was the first I had really delved into the story.  I am shocked at the ultimate fate of the Azusa Street Mission.  It seemingly all hinged on Seymour's interpretation of sanctification.  I believe the actual consequences that stemmed from his belief, show how his doctrine was flawed.  Here too is a point—padlocking is indirect criticism, with much more severe undertones than direct criticism.  Seymour wasn't quite logical when it came to this.

John G. Lake was one of the most impressive figures here, in my opinion.  It is very sad what took place in Africa.  Out of Africa...

Smith Wigglesworth was a very impressive fellow as well.  His belief that "True faith confronts, and it is ignited by initiative" motivated him to achieve amazing acts.  Faith + Compassion = miracles. 

Aimee Semple McPherson was very strange — Hollywood strange made even more strange by Pentecostal strangeness.  A fascinating life.

Kathryn Kuhlman is contained within my mother's library.  I'll have to investigate.  Poor Kathryn finally rid herself of "man problems".  I did not know that she had risen to such secular realms in the late 20th century.  Those clips too would be interesting to dig up.

William Branham is one of the most intriguing people in the book.  It is the strange lights, the angel beside him, the paranormal picture, the vibrating hand.  The supernatural surrounded this guy; and yet he wanted to teach.  He felt, looking around him, there was not enough substance.  Tragic.  I believe had he gone about being taught in a proper way, God would have given him his heart's desire - to be a teacher.  Unfortunately, in this area Branham was an idiot, from the Greek "idiote" —full of his own foolish thoughts.  The picture with the anomaly over Branham's head is chilling.  I would like to collect more on the life and ministry of Branham.

Jack Coe was quite a guy for God.  I find it very amusing that the US Army kept sticking him in psych wards.  This didn't phase him though!  It was also entertaining, Coe's obsession with tent-size.

My Uncle, The late Reverend Boyd McClaren traveled with A.A. Allen and W.V. Grant.  He was Allen's morning speaker.  He eventually left Allen due to his drinking.  It is my opinion that Liardon does not have very good information pertaining to Allen's drinking.  He downplays it, making it seem to be mostly a conspiracy against his ministry.  Allen had quite a ministry, whether he was a raging alcoholic or no.  

I have not touched upon the true substance of this book.  That is, God's calling, the answer, stepping out in faith, and where that leads to.  By the evidence provided, we can believe that it leads to being filled with the Holy Spirit, and miracles of an amazing variety.  The stories within this volume are priceless.

Think About What You Are Thinking About

The Battlefield of the Mind

by Joyce Meyer

 Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese  

A drawing point for me to this book was that chess pieces were on the front cover.  I find it odd that someone chose to have the white king submitted, while the black king stands victorious over him.  What is this symbolic of?  Before I get lost in this, I'll move on. 

Joyce Meyer is either loved or hated, as are many TV evangelists - there are not many inbetweens.  I guess I fall inbetween.

This book is very simply written.  It is double-spaced and comes in at 278 pages.  The bibliography consists of the "Random House Unabridged Dictionary", "Strong's The New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible", "Vine's An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words", and "Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary".  "Battle Field of the Mind" has sold over 2 million copies.  People are essentially simple-minded.  Isaac Asimov stated that his objective in writing, was to write as simply as possible, being as clear as possible.  Well done then, Joyce, good and faithful servant.

The contents of "Battle Field of the Mind" are broken into three parts:  "The Importance of the Mind", "Conditions of the Mind", and "Wilderness Mentalities".

The main message found here is to "think about what you are thinking about".  Various scriptures taken from the Amplified Bible, as well as King James, are spread throughout the book, validating Meyer's teachings on the mind.

Though I was not impressed with Joyce's writing style, I appreciated her insights, and her knowledge of the Bible.  Certainly, there are things here to think about, and think deeply about. 

Confessing not only covers our sin, but also helps us to recognize and analyze where it is that we are habitually falling into sin.  Socrates tells us "A life unexamined is not worth living."  The writer of Proverbs tells us "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."  By examining our thinking, our minds, we are better able to examine our lives.  As Joyce states more than once:  "The mind is the battlefield."

All was well with Joyce and I until I came to chapter 10, within which she argues that reason is an abnormal way of thinking, and that reason leads to confusion.  I believe she takes Matthew 16.8, James 1:22, Proverbs 3:5, and 1 Corinthians 2:1,2 completely out of context.  Paul said he resolved to know nothing among us except Jesus Christ.  Without reason, we could not recognize Paul as being paradoxical - he is truly one of the most logical and intellectual writers in the bible!  Joyce's book here was written using reason, which, in the image of God, we were gifted with (granted she used a smaller portion of reason in her writing than say, Charles Spurgeon).  So, this chapter, in my opinion, needs to be completely trashed and rewritten.  Reason is not abnormal thinking.  It is a wonderful tool without which we would only have religion. 

Myer Pearlman states that "theology literally means 'a treatise or reasoned discourse about God'.  Theology, or doctrine, may be described as a science which deals with our knowledge of God and His relations to man.  We call theology a science because science is the systematic and logical arrangement of certified facts.  Theology consists of facts relating to God and Divine things, presented in an orderly and logical manner. 

Religion comes from a Latin word meaning 'to bind'; religion represents those activities which bind man to God in a certain relationship.  Theology is knowledge about God.  Thus religion is practice, while theology is knowledge.  Religion and theology should go together in the balanced experience; but in practice they are sometimes separated so that one may be a theologian without being truly religious and on the other hand one may be truly religious without possessing a systematic knowledge of doctrinal truth.  'If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," is God's message to the theologian.  'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth' (2 Tim. 2:15), is God's message for the spiritual man."

Is that not brilliant?  Bravo!, Mr. Pearlman, Bravo! 

Joyce Meyer, we do not need to fear reason - it will not lead to atheism, unless applied in earnest to atheism (which should then, if the logician is honest, in the very least, lead the atheist to agnosticism). 

We are to apply our Godly ratiocination to his Word.  I don't know how Joyce reasoned herself into such an unreasonable reasoning of reason.  I don't think it's just her.  I think that the Body of Christ is terrified of logic, and sees it as cold and terrible.  This is why they are called "religious folk".

After Chapter 10 of "Battle Field of the Mind" I truly began to appreciate the depth of Meyer, which at first appearance, to me, seemed shallow.  This is the beauty of the book - and the same beauty can be found in the gospel.  It seemed to me too, that by the end of the book, Joyce's vocabulary was expanding, and her prose growing sharper (I realize that she has written over 70 published books). 

There is a lot of information covered in the book that I'd like to get into.  Reading it once seems a shame, therefore, in this case, unlike the cases of many other books, a workbook would be preferable—I'll be keeping my eye out for one. 

Joyce points out many historical facts of the bible, including that it was an 11-day journey the Jews had to cross over into the promised land - God kept them in the wilderness for 40 years; in turn, her "Wilderness Mentalities" section was quite insightful. I think her favorite word at the time of writing this was "exhortative" — she used it much.  I too enjoyed the little tales of trials in her personal life, and the wisdom she gleaned from them.  I hear she is writing fiction now - which I'd be interested in reading.

I might point out another oddity in the book, which I found highly entertaining.  In Chapter 15, under "Meditate and Be Healed", Joyce states that:

 "My appearance has been changed during the past 18 years.  People tell me that I actually look at least 15 years younger today than I did when I first began to diligently study the Word and make it the central focus of my entire life." 

It is quite common knowledge now that Joyce Meyer has gone under the knife (I thought she was hotter before, as a friend told me I was the type that would always choose the before pictures on those infomercials, and he's right)...

The Nexus-6 Brain on Snuff

 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

By Philip K. Dick

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

One is more impressed when one reflects upon the fact that this novel was first published in 1968. 

The sense of post-apocalyptic destruction was real for me; quite depressing.  I had just finished Kevin J. Anderson's "Ground Zero".  Fallout that creates chickenheads.  It hits too close to home.  I think that radioactive dust is here today, only it's not radioactive dust—it's of a varied nature and borne from the muderous Android logicians in power.  In our Universe, they won, so to speak.

I believe Mercerism was the World Religion Dick based upon Christianity.  Was it the Antichrist's religion or the Returned Christ's religion?  Very interesting about Buster's revelatory news expose.  Something in me suspects the latter, giving Dick's alleged real-life trip to the Roman Empire.  Mercer told Deckard that it was the curse, the defeat of Creation that caused men to do bad, knowing it was bad.  Mercer speaks of the sin nature; he nearly directly quotes Romans 7:15.  I wonder if Dick had read Romans, as he claimed to not have read Acts.  When Buster proclaimed Mercer fake, showing brushstrokes, he revealed not that Mercer did not exist, but that Mercer was only a man in a leading role with a greater power guiding him.  Pure preaching and great stuff.

The Androids you must feel...empathy for.  It was an epiphany when the Nexus-6 Rachael drunkenly stated that she felt empathetic towards herself.  That is consciousness in the midst of evolving.  I suspect that Earth and Mars will be transformed by the next generation of the Rosen Association's products.

I loved the animal quest side-scenes.  It was so novel!  Yet, like the entire novel, it was quite dark and depressing, as the setting of a post-nuclear world war should be.

Frail Pale Philosophers & Their Dead Women

Castle Eppstein

by Alexandre Dumas

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

In the beginning I felt that this novel of this black french fellow Dumas was a bit too much romance; not at the very beginning, for I adored Count Elim and his adventure. Wheels within wheels here. Everard and his woods intrigued me. It was bizarre, his "mother religion" mixed with Christianity—a parallel to Catholicism. I have nothing really bad to say about the novel. I enjoyed it very much—so much so, that I stayed up to finish it at 4 AM. I can perfectly see the demesnial forest , the castle wall, the Red Chamber and the secret entrance to the tombs...

There is one thing I do not like however: that is that poor Everard didn't get Rosamund in the end. She chose to continue in her saintly mother role, leaving Everard to once again make powerful the name Eppstein. I would bet, 10 to one, that — irony of ironies! — he ended up with that Lucile dame.

Ms. Goodrich (who translated Dumas from the french and wrote the afterword) piqued my curiosity much by writing of Dumas' hired ghost writers. It quelled my anger a bit that Ms. Goodrich didn't write some horrible introduction, but at least had the good sense to make it an afterword. My anger rose, as Count Maximilian's, when I came to begin digesting that afterword. It was horrible, in my opinion. And yet, there were some intriguing things within it. I came up with her obituary, which is also interesting and horrible (in that it's an obit):

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06275/...

I plan to read many more of Alexandre Dumas' works.

Mulder and Scully's Enika Atoll Vacation

The X-Files

Ground Zero by Kevin J. Anderson

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

I had not read Kevin J. Anderson before this (I've made it to the 5th of Frank Herbert's original 6 Dune novels).  I had collected many of Anderson's books, and had started reading his blog around the release of his and Brian Herbert's "The Winds of Dune".

Recently on his blog KJA is doing a series of writing tips which is to be a part of a lecture he'll be presenting in Superstars Writing Seminar.  Wish I could go...  Anyway, in one of his posted tips he mentioned that he had written "Ground Zero" in six weeks, which piqued my curiosity.

I had been in love with Gillian Anderson (whoa, is there a relation?) when X-Files was airing and a HUGE fan.  I had sort of fallen off of that cart even before the movies were released.  I never have seen them, though I haven't seen most movies.  That being said, when I first started reading "Ground Zero", I could quickly tell that the magic wasn't there for me anymore.  Scully and Mulder seemed as faded ghosts of the past, and I was really beginning to regret picking up the book in the first place.

This all changed around page 100, where things were picking up.  The historicity of nuclear warfare in the Cold War era was interesting if not disturbing.  KJA really didn't make you feel sorry for any of the people mysteriously murdered, besides perhaps the 2 guys way down below ground.  The old guy maybe, if he hadn't been such a patriotic grouch.  His horse definitely.

I disliked that Scully went to Berkeley at all, but am excited that consequentially she may be a closet hirsute.   It wasn't the same as when Philip Dick talked of Berkeley.  Yes, I do realize Scully is only a character.  Speaking of which, I just remembered when the X-Files series turned sour for me.  It was upon hearing that Gillian Anderson was pregnant with her first child.  X-Files was never the same for me.

My favorite chapter was 22—

Ryan Camida Residence,
Waikiki, Oahu,
Tuesday, 11:17 P.M.

I was carried upon a wave of nostalgia to Magnum P.I. and Charlie Chan's Hawaii.  At this time within KJA's novel, there had also sparked for me a remembrance of things past.  I exalted in KJA's description of Mulder's apartment, gloried in Mulder and Scully's Chinese takeout dinner, and was vividly envisioning Director Skinner's bald pate.

I'm glad I came, as the dead past was not helped to bury its dead, but enlivened a bit.

Hawthorne, James, and the Chowderarians

 Ghost Story

by Peter Staub

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

 

I have collected quite a few Peter Straub novels, but had not cracked one.  What finally did it for me was MacDonald's, in a round about sort of way.  I had just picked up Ray Kroc's biography.  He was the paper cup salesman who founded MacDonald's fast food chain.  I was standing in my library, perusing for an hour or so, trying to pick out something to read.  It was between the aforementioned title, Henry James, Flaubert, and Bentley Little.  I was in the mood for horror fast food.  I picked up Straub's "Julia" (my girlfriend's name), and then put it back down and picked up "Ghost Story".  It was published in 1980 (the year of my birth).  I opened the book to a page and saw the word "MacDonald's". 

In the opening kidnapping, we are led to believe something truly horrible is taking place between a young girl, and what we may have guessed was a pedophile.  "He ties me onto him when he sleeps!"  The sense of gloom and mental instability within Don is as heavy as a damp moldy blanket.

I really enjoyed my visits within the Chowder Society.  I couldn't help but think of Ricky Hawthorne as Mr. Pickwick, surrounded by fellow Pickwickians.  I envied their company and Sears' cigars.  The setting really had a classical feel to it.  Stella was sure to ruin that, as Mrs. Bardell had ruined Pickwick's fun.

The entire novel felt like a long and jumbled train ride, with some cars only loosely attached (wow, were a lot of cars lost).  Nevertheless, the train's engine never failed, and a destination was reached.  When we reached it, I laughed out loud.  Straub's sense of humor is fantastic, and a really nice quality to have as a horror writer (I'm reminded of Sears' compliment to Ricky).

I'd like to digress on a few things that piqued my interest.  Firstly, its pretty obvious that Ricky's true marriage was to Sears (indeed, Ricky feared physical intimateness with Sears—which he shouldn't have, because Sears was most obviously not that kind of bachelor); and yet, in the end, Ricky without objection lets Sears march off into the unknown, alone.  One could argue, both of them knew that it was their fate, I suppose.

Secondly, I get the feeling that Straub isn't that fond of women.  Look at Stella, and at the antagonist.  I get the creeps thinking of all the incarnations of A.M., with her feminine intelligence and beauty, malevolent eyes, and sneering faces.  It may be more accurate to say that Straub distrusts beautiful women.  It's a different story with Milly Sheehan (she sure is ignorant and a snoop though) and the poor mother of Jim Hardie.  The most heart-wrenching character is Helen Kayon from Berkeley.  She too betrays us (Don) in the end.  Stupid Don.

Lastly, I would like to touch upon the wisdom which pertains to writing that Straub illuminates us with.  We see the first glimpses of this with Don's academic life.  The digressions on Hawthorne, Crane, Chaucer (something is extremely erotic about big Helen and her Chaucer in the library—Chaucer and his nether eyes and such).  Really, this comes to a head just before the book ends.  Straub reveals the secret of Hawthorne and James, whilst missing Poe.  He tells writers that we must apprentice ourselves to the the masters, who after so long "come up fresh as flowers". 

I really did love the ending.  Throughout, evil had a bit of a ridiculous undercurrent, and the end did not deny this, but embraced it.  Leaves you with a taste of faeries.  A wasp.  It was hilarious.  That security guard!  HAHAHA!

Bel-Shamharoth's Failure or What Manner of Wizard is This

The Colour of Magic

by Terry Pratchett

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

I had decided that I hated Discworld until I reached page 100 in "The Colour of Magic", where suddenly things became interesting.  What was before page 100?  Muck.  What was after page 100?  Three episodic adventures pertaining to Rincewind the alleged wizard and tourist Twoflower whose imagination is able to summon dragons (at least whilst visiting Wyrmberg).

Only having read now the very first Discworld novel, I really don't see what all the hubward hubbub is 'bout.  Granted, there were many curious novelties, witticisms, fantastical and cultural references, and weak attempts at humor.  I do not find In-Sewer-Ants funny, neither do I find Echo-gnomics funny.  I would however had found something really nasty said about taxes to be hilarious, such as Rincewind saying "Taxes?  Of course!  Ownership of anything is a damned fallacy!"  Let's just stick with fantasy.  No horrible intrusions from real life, please.  I will say that I found Pratchett's metaphysical machinations interestingly elaborate, and I do wonder where he garnered such descriptions of the magical...

I was somewhat offended at Pratchett's handling of Barbarians.  I felt Hrun was a direct jab at Robert E. Howard.  In the end, one fantasy is as asinine as the other, no matter how seriously it doesn't take itself.  You may think that I'm too serious, and can't handle a joke.  How would you feel if some jackass parodied Gandalf?  And really, we have enough comical Conan emulators already.

I believe that all of the hype set me up for being let down.  I'm not a huge fantasy person, and it may be a while before I return to Discworld, though one day I shall return, to find if "The Light Fantastic" is worth damning.

I will admit to feeling some weak draw here, but it seemed to fizzle out at the plunge over the Edge, where the novel simply ends.  If I want to read something which does not conclude, simply ceases with printed words until the next installment, I'll go for Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The God-Seeking Godless of GRRM

Nightflyers 

by George R. R. Martin

Reviewed by Aaron DeWeese

I made the mistake of thinking that this was a novel with six chapter titles. It is not. George R. R. Martin's "Nightflyers" is a novella followed by five more shorts.

This was my first GRRM.

The very first sentence of the very first story turned me off of him. Sentence eleven of the same page, same story—pg 1, "Nightflyers"—solidified my dislike of the story and its author.

I understand that George thought he was being witty with his first sentence—doing as Horace had suggested writers do long ago; though if George tried, he could not come up with a first sentence that would be more inflammatory to what IS around 33% of the world's population.

The first sentence of "Nightflyers" was very much in memoriam of that prideful and ignorantly cynical humanist Erasmus. The eleventh sentence was even more like Erasmus. I don't know why the Erasmus' of the world are driven to place their cruelty upon that which they have no faith in. I am justified in bitching out-right about it, because I am forced to digest their sneak-attacks in the likes of Sci Fi novellas, books for children, and television (all of which GRRM has infected by the grace of the masters).

It would have been more productive for the now cancerous Christopher Hitchens to have spent his time on atheism, if atheism consisted of anything other than laughing at creationists and prodding them with the intellectual sticks which they have hoisted in place of their God-given phalluses. It would have been more productive for GRRM to stick to Sci Fi, instead of using it as a platform to proclaim Jesus of Nazareth long dead and turned to dust with Kleronomas when volcryn passed close to Daronne.

Now.

As I was saying, I wasn't impressed with "Nightflyers". You have the token black woman, some damned demon of a mother that probably is the likeness of GRRM's mother, and some weakling son. What I DID like about it was when the demon mother used telekinesis to animate the dead. Every story here contained zombie like characters. Speaking of which...

The second story, "Override" was by far my favorite. You have blue collar corpse handlers with dead-man crews working an alien planet for peculiar crystals. It was great. I loved it.

The third story, "And Seven Times Never Kill Man" I disliked. It centered around religion. Go figure. I couldn't make heads or tails out of it—which makes sense. Atheists don't have an understanding of any other faith but the faith that they place in atheism. I believe Martin uses religion as atheists claim believers use religion—as a toy.

"Nor the Many-Colored Fires of a Star Ring" was fairly exciting, but the end was sagging.

"A Song for Lya" I had a love-hate relationship with. Again with the religion. It was like a woman—very emotive and wordy.

It is said of GRRM that his works are dark and cynical. I like that. I may come back for more, being somewhat of a sadist.

Hyacinth's Library or Bucket's Books

People who try to pretend they're superior make it so much harder for those of us who really are.  -Hyacinth

Visit:

The Official Keeping Up Appearances Fan Club & Forum

As an enormously obsessed American fan of Roy Clarke's Keeping Up Appearances, I have for several years now had an interest in Hyacinth Bucket's library — that most holy shelf which contains the spiritual teachings of the Bucket woman —that shelf which we are teased with at the beginning of each and every episode of five seasons.  I finally decided it was time that I set out to do a bit of investigative reporting. 

As you can see, after careful inspection, there are in fact a total of seventeen books visible on Hyacinth's shelf.  

The sixteenth book, second from far right, remains a mystery wrapped in a dark-olive-green cover — that is to say, it has no print on the spine, making it quite hard for those viewers amongst us that would have gleaned knowledge and power from that one.  Oi! 

The first book from the left is quite a hefty tome, with black binding, and without cover (I believe to the left of that book is a small white porcelain piece with an engraved plaque attached to its base — if you can read the plaque let me know what it says!).  You can plainly see the superimposed gilt initials "GP" or perhaps, "PG" at the base of the book's spine.  

I had first thought of the name "Post", which is synonymous with etiquette here in America (or was at one time or another).  I then came up with the name of Pullbrook and Gould — the renowned London florists.  I think it highly likely that this mysterious book of Hyacinth's is a publication of these smart society florists, who were founded in 1956 on Sloane Street by Lady Susan Pullbrook and Rosamund Gould.  Notwithstanding, until I find one of Pullbrook and Gould's publications which matches this picture (which I have not), I cannot say exactly what it is there on Hyacinth's shelf, other than quite a long read.

If you are reading this and should happen to know what the title and author of either of Hyacinth's "mystery" books are, it would be a great relief to myself, as well as to many another of the four flower sister fans (Daisy, Rose, Violet, and Hyacinth), if you would be so kind as to share your knowledge.

HYACINTH’S LIBRARY

1.  ?  (Please contact me if you know!)

2.  Jonathon Brostoff:  "The Complete Guide to Food Allergy and Intolerance: Prevention, Identification, and Treatment of Common Illnesses and Allergies Caused by Food"

 3.  Joyce Robins:  "Writing Letters for All Occasions (Hamlyn Help Yourself Guide)”

4.  Don Aslett:  "How to Win at Housework"

5.  Charmian Watkins:  “Book of Soft Furnishings”

6.  Moyra Bremner:  “Modern Etiquette”

7.  Barty Phillips:  “Daily Mail Book of Household Hints and Tips”

8.  Rona Coleman and Sylvia Pepper:  “The Encyclopedia Flower Arranging”

 9.  Doris Pooser:  “Always in Style”

10.  Carole Jackson:  “Colour Me Beautiful: Discover Your Natural Beauty Through Colour”

11.  E.O. Parrott:  “How to Become Absurdly Well-informed About the Famous and Infamous”

12.  Laurie Graham (With Cartoons by Gray Jolliffe):  “Getting It Right:  A Survival Guide to Modern Manners"

13.  Donald Law:  Herbs for Health and Flavour

14.  David Nickerson:  "English Furniture"

15.  Roger Tilley:  Playing Cards




16.  ? (Please contact me if you know!)

17.  Ernest James Mackett:  "Chessmen"




I must say that I had some small help from an Amazon list and a forum list on the subject of Hyacinth's book list.  However, neither of the lists were close to complete or even entirely correct in what was listed.

It would have been a great deal more trouble that I would have gone through without Google and the consensual hallucination known as the "interwebs".  Also, Paint.Net is a nifty little piece of freeware from Washington State University which really opened the doors of perception into Hyacinth's shelf.


I would also like to point out the three consociated titles published by BBC Books:

1.  Roy Clarke and Jonathan Rice:  "Keeping Up Appearances:  Hyacinth Bucket's Book of Etiquette for the Socially Less Fortunate"

2.  Roy Clarke and Jonathan Rice:  "Hyacinth Bucket's Hectic Social Calendar"

3.  Harold Snoad:  "It's Bouquet — Not Bucket!:  The Story Behind the Making of an Extremely Popular Situation Comedy"

Also, another read:

Michelle Street:  "Everybody Loves Hyacinth:  The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Up Appearances" 



I know that true fans will also want to have a looksee here:  Royal Doultan!


The following is the high definition video within which I captured screen-shots.  Enjoy, and for God's sake, Keep Up Appearances!  ( ^_- )

Cloud Reading, Sky Fishing, House Atreus

Orestes of House Atreus

Go Down to the Water, Old Worm, Moneo Awaits

The 4th in Frank Herbert's Dune series.

I was astounded at the fate of Leto II! Peering into the depths of his psyche through the snippets of his Stolen Journals was fascinating. I found that there are more quotes worth quoting here than in any of the 3 previous Dune novels; and with the multi-consciousness that made up Leto II, that would only be the logical case. Example:

"Paradox is a pointer telling you to look beyond it. If paradoxes bother you, that betrays your deep desire for absolutes. The relativist treats a paradox merely as interesting, perhaps amusing or even, dreadful thought, educational." -Leto II

and:

"Unceasing warfare gives rise to its own social conditions which have been similar in all epochs. People enter a permanent state of alertness to ward off attacks. You see the absolute rule of the autocrat. All new things become dangerous frontier districts—new planets, new economic areas to exploit, new ideas or new devices, visitors—everything suspect. Feudalism takes firm hold, sometimes disguised as a polit-bureau or similar structure, but always present. Hereditary succession follows the lines of power. The blood of the powerful dominates. The vice regents of heaven or their equivalent apportion the wealth. And they know they must control inheritance or slowly let the power melt away. Now, do you understand Leto's Peace?" -The Stolen Journals

The rebellious Siona called him the Ultimate Cynic. I believe cynicism can in rare cases be healthy. I was unimpressed with Siona and her rebels. Their motives were not very clear, other than to overthrow the worm and get at his spice hoard. I think the resulting consequences will be something in juxtaposition to the consequences of the revolution Lenin, Trotsky, and friends bore (note that the old Imperium is basically non-existent in the God Emperor's time)—I mean that the revolutionaries will find themselves wishing the old Worm was back in the end. The difference here is that unlike the Tsar and Tsarina, the God Emperor planned very carefully his own demise and the rise of the Atreides who could not be seen.  Bleh, hope he knew what he was doing...again.

It is obvious that Siona was cruel and filled with hate. I can see her playing the future role of Stalin. At the end of the novel Duncan Idaho came to an epiphany. I do not understand why he then aided Siona. I enjoyed the entire novel but for the scene in Tuono. It reminded me of the old Westerns. I was disappointed. Certainly Herbert gave us strange twisted humor here with Nayla (I would wager that in life Herbert had a bit of a Rabalasian Nun-fixation—and really, who does not?!). I had been expecting Leto II to at last submerge into the desert sands, releasing his sand trout. I cannot say that I am disappointed in the death of Hwi Noree. I only wished Siona had preceded her.

Now it is obvious to me that the etymology of Moneo is "Neo Moses". Neo means "new, recent, revived, or modified". In Hebrew, Moses means "he who was drawn out" or "he who draws out", in Egyptian, the word for water, mo, and the verb to save out of water, `uses'. I do hope those sand trout survive!

There is much for a Bible scholar to ponder here, as well as, of course, much Eastern philosophy. At times I became nostalgic of Machiavelli's "The Prince". I believe The God Emperor was not all evil, but mostly good. He was certainly not as evil as the aristocracy of today. As Leto II put it:

"Safaris through ancestral memories teach me many things. The patterns, ahhh, the patterns. Liberal bigots are the ones who trouble me most. I distrust the extremes. Scratch a conservative and you find someone who prefers the past over any future. Scratch a liberal and find a closet aristocrat. It's true! Liberal governments always develop into aristocracies. The bureaucracies betray the true intent of people who form such governments. Right from the first the little people who formed the governments which promised to equalize the social burdens found themselves suddenly in the hands of bureaucratic aristocracies. Of course, all bureaucracies follow this pattern, but what a hypocrisy to find this even under a communized banner. Ahhh, well, if patterns teach me anything it's that patterns are repeated. My oppressions, by and large, are no worse than any of the others and, at least, I teach a new lesson."

BAM! Fra Diavalo, Kick It Up!

Emeril's
KICK IT UP!

Red Pepper Sauce


Julia's Review:
 
Aaron opened the bottle and gave me my first cracker topped with fried canned ham and a goat cheese.  I could taste the fire first thing.  It made my mouth all warm instantly.  Emeril's is not extremely hot and I found it not at all overpowering.  I could smell quite clearly the pungent vinegar.  I was surprised at how mellow the pepper taste was. Less spicy than  some sauces.  Better than TxsPete.  Could very well be my new favorite sauce for eggs and popcorn.  3 peppers


Aaron's Review:


Having tried nearly all the local grocery store's (Ingles) hot sauces, I spotted something on sale for $2.19—Emeril's KICK IT UP!


As Julia mentioned, we ate it with pig flesh and goat cheese.  Not a combination that I am likely to repeat in the future.  Nevertheless, it was pretty tasty.


I believe the ingredient that kick's this Louisianan hot sauce up is garlic (or gaaahlic).  I'll probably come back to Emeril Lagasse's hot sauce when I spot it on sale again.  It's only 5 FL OZ of liquid pepper, so it won't last long with us.


The box contains a recipe for Emeril's Kicked Up Remoulade.  It calls for a second Emeril product.  What caught my attention was under the recipe:


      Want something easy?  Add a tablespoonful to a serving of jarred spaghetti sauce — you just made it "Fra Diavalo" (not to be confused with Fra Diavolo).


That sounds like something I must give a go.  I think it will work especially well, with this sauce's garlic kick.  I give it 3 out of 5 peppers.


I came across an interesting factoid:  


The "Emeril Empire" of media, products and restaurants generates an estimated US$150 million annually in revenue. 

Wizard's First Rule or The Seeker Bites Apple

I remember years and years ago coming across Terry Goodkind novels at a flea market, I believe it might have been.  I'm afraid that at the time I had him confused with fantasy author Terry Brooks.  I had not and have not read much fantasy—still have not read Brooks books; though admittedly, since reading Cervantes "Don Quixote", I have slowly been picking up interest in the genre.

My obliviousness to Goodkind, Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and "The Sword of Truth" novels remained until one day I came upon the tv show "Legend of the Seeker", which of course, I found out was based on Goodkind's fantasy novels.

Now, since the beginning I have been a fan of the television shows "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (remember the rare N64 game that was available only through Blockbuster?) and "Xena: Warrior Princess" (I had the Xena N64 fighting title too).

I must say that I did not immediately take to the tv show "Legend of the Seeker".  I don't take to many tv shows at all.  It grew on me.  When enlightenment came (partially due to the beauty of the actresses who play Kahlan and Cara), I jumped completely on board when I came across the 1st novel in the series.

I was absolutely delighted with "Wizard's First Rule".  It was strange being vaguely familiar with the characters already, yet not at all disillusioning—in fact, just the opposite.  I was a bit wary of jumping into something 836 pages long, but wow!, did they fly by!

I was a bit shocked at what an excellent writer Goodkind was.  I wonder if he is a wizard...  Not once did I find reading a chore!  The story of the Seeker is truly magical.  I have fallen in love with the characters.  Together with the tv fantasy nostalgia, the wizards, Confessors, Mord'Sith, dragons, Gars, border guards, underworld creatures, vile princesses—just WOW!  Most of all, I love Richard's Westland forests...& Kahlan. ( ^_- )

Can't wait to continue the series.  I plan to finish the novels before completely immersing myself in the tv show (don't want to spoil it!).

I feel a bit like I should go into the story, but it is of such epic proportions, I feel I can only do it justice by bragging on it!  Quite a time Richard had there with Denna...  Read it!

'The Fish Tank' and 'The Orchid'

I believe the author's note explains some of the dementia I experienced throughout the novel—it was the result of the author doing too much "whittling". 

From the first sentence through about chapter two, I felt as if the words were mesmerizing me, that I was experiencing each word, sentence, and picture painted in complete fullness.   That wore off—I'm not sure what it was...

The W.H. Auden excerpt from his poem 'HORAE CANONICAE' makes it clear that Delany's novel was realized within that poem; or, at least it sure is a well-fitting shoe.

I felt as if though I was not getting a clear picture of everything going on in the novel; that confusion was being borne to sort out later in the sequels; that their was after the initial chapters a certain pervading abstractedness.  The sequels may have sorted things out; and I am interested enough in The Dead City to read them.

I very much liked the idea of the forest people—made up of giants, little people, and even odder mutations from the radiation, such as Tloto—living apart from a horrid society of aquarium-slaves and bourgeoisie.

I also was impressed with Telphar, the city which builds and maintains itself.  I was very pleased to find the same type of anarchist ideals flowing here that flow as a cool, refreshing, and very much awakening stream in the novels of Dick, Heinlein, Wilson, et cetera.

As stated, Toromon is an Empire, and the Queen a bitch.  War was the solution to their self-fulfilling economic crisis.  It's an old story...  Gads at that poisoned fish and the death it reeked!!

It just struck me that the intensity and at times fog-like abstractedness that comes and goes may be explained by the following wikipedia quote on Delany:

"Delany has published several autobiographical/semi-autobiographical accounts of his life as a black, gay, and highly dyslexic writer."

As this was my very first Delany novel, I find that I am intrigued by what other other-worldliness may be penned by a "highly dyslexic writer" whose vision is set upon the future.

Wheel in a Wheel or This Way Up & Out

Witness the lives of a King and an Engineer, thousands of years apart; as their vision is born.

This is a beautifully written book of the future and past. I only wish the present had Clarke's enthusiasm for either— If so we did, I'm sure that the orbital elevator would already have been built; but alas, I live in the world of the strange delusion, where promising engineers and scientists have strange accidental deaths or are enlisted to create weapons of war.

At any rate, the completed vision of this book is that of a space station that encircles earth. Connected to it are six orbital elevators. It is a beautifully symmetrical picture. I'm surprised that a sci fi tarot deck has not been done with this vision as the Wheel of Fortune—hey Dune has an unofficial tarot...

Gold & With Morocco Boots or A Wolf in the Vineyard

First and foremost I must rain fury down upon the head of M.A. Crawford, not for his translation, but for the infuriating introduction.  I cannot understand these types of egotistical introductions that try to reveal the entirety of the story while simultaneously critiquing and commenting on the true intent of the author before the reader has cracked the 1st page.  These all to common of introductions only make sense, and do not anger the reader, after the story has already been digested.  These sordid types of introductions should not be called introductions and should not be read before the reading of the book, as they will most certainly contain spoilers.  I skimmed Crawford's horrid intro over as quickly as possible (which was not in a short while, due to it's maniacal length) while silently fuming.

I found myself at first disgusted my Monsieur Grandet.  I then came to realize that he was absolutely correct in everything he did (aside from not enjoying his wealth in any other way but to clandestinely stroke it).  I came to despise Eugenie Grandet.  Why would I do that?

What was it that Eugenie first saw in her cousin Charles that sparked her love for him?  It was the flash of materialism personified. 

Had her love been sparked for Charles upon his fall, and been borne out of pity, I might not despise her so, and yet...  She is her father's daughter.  His fall only gave her justification to feel what she already felt for Charles.

Her sense of her own awakened independence, her goodness, her uniqueness, her saintliness—all false.  She was and is an ignorant and sheltered girl who was twisted not by the love of money but by the love of something infinitely more silly—the woman's concept of gilded romance.  Eugenie was a youthful Don Quixote in panties, Charles her Dulcinea, except in this case Dulcinea was no ragged plump farm girl but a realized and not idealized Dulcinea, all the more tempting.

Her fall was due to her worshiping the image of a fancy-pants'; as her father so often pointed out, "a vagabond with morocco boots."  Not only is Eugenie ignorant, she is shallow.  Love at first sight!  Ta ta ta ta!  Though Eugenie is "in the world though not of the world", as Balzac tells us, her reasoning and her actual actions show us that she is indeed "of the world".  She is false tenderness, I say—cracked.

Monsieur Grandet, though cruel and immoral, is true to himself and his own set of economic laws.  I fancy him as London's Wolf Larsen landed ashore.  I like him, though he is evil.  He is in the world, of the world, and he conquers the world.

If anyone is worthy of God's heaven, who is "in the world, not of the world", truly it is Mrs. Grandet, Eugenie's dear mother.  She is blameless but for the single lie she told to protect her daughter.

Nanon is an interesting character.  I don't trust her.  Certainly she is not bourgeois, though she ends up an elite, which certainly must have been an odd thing to behold.  Nanon was the wolf's right arm.  When the wolf was not looking, Nanon was up to all sorts of innocent mischievousness.  Though loyal, she is not trustworthy.  She is both wolf and lamb and more ignorant of the world than Eugenie, though she is full of worldly wisdom.  I find her somewhat of a paradox, and quite disturbing, as paradoxes are not suppose to exist in reality.  Goofy lovable zombie is a term that comes to mind...  I'm weird I guess.  Most people would say that Nanon, if not Eugenie, is the most lovable character in the book.  She creeps me out.  Eugenie pisses me off with her shallowness.

Poor Charles.  Charles is a typical example of man.  I look at his life as more of a tragedy than Eugenie's; not because of money, love, and opportunity lost, but because of the depth of the cataclysmic chasm into which he fell, and what monster crawled forth into the world from it.

Plumb Bob Goes To Work or Triangulation For My Keys

If you just so happen to be in acquaintance with any octogenarians, nonagenarians, or perhaps the rare centenarian, you have a access to a "well" of information.

My late uncle, the Reverend Boyd McClaren, was one of the original old timers. About dowsing, he had this to say: "Willy Warren could take a coat-hanger and find water just like that, every time", he would say snapping his fingers while looking overly serious. "In the old day, dowsing was God's way of providing water for survival".

Water dowsing, I have witnessed with my own eyes. I have no doubts as to the validity of this type of divination. I have no theories as to why it works.

I could digress on divination at length. For instance, biblically, the casting of lots was a form of divination—to divine the will of God. There is also much controversy around Jacob and what his servant called "his master's divination cup". This hints that Jacob may have practiced scrying, which was not uncommon amongst the Jews at the time.

About this book... This was my introduction into Pendulum Dowsing. Mr. Lonegren was quite instructional as well as being interesting in his writing. There were times in which I felt preached at a bit. I mean that Lonegren, at times, came off a bit "New Agey", conjecturably professing the nature of the universe. In this sort of book genre, it is a forgivable sin, even an expected one.

"The Pendulum Kit" is a great introduction to the world of dowsing and it covers quite a bit of ground for such a small read!

Zenobia, Woman Who Needs Not Saving

 

This authorized Book Club Edition edited by Karl Edward Wagner is schweet! Included are quite a few extras—a couple of illustrations, tidbits from Howard's personal letters, editorial digressions on the mysterious chapter 20, et cetera...

At the start of Howard's only Conan novel, I became a bit distraught. I thought, "My God, why am I reading this?" Within a few pages things really took off and I was entrenched.

Scattered throughout are several brilliant little one or two sentence epiphanies of Conan's (this novel denoted the end of the middle-aged barbarian's known career). Upon discovering them, you think to yourself, "Wow, that is truly an exquisite example of simply stunning prose".

The story is character rich and keeps you guessing (despite the canabilization of previous Conan stories of Howard's). I was quite pleased at the appearance of vampire Princess Akivasha.

The chapters in which massive war scenes are described reminded me quite a bit of Josephus, Tacitus, Lord of the Rings.... My favorite chapters however were those in which Conan was alone, in a dark dungeon, with his own thoughts and his blade. Lovely and nostalgic.

The Homecoming of the Homunculus or Go 'Round the Long Way

First let me say that I very much enjoyed Christopher Ricks' introduction. I am usually only immensely angered by introductions—this one, however, was fascinating. Also, the notes are delightful, and quite lengthy, as the novel is encyclopedic in knowledge.

Walter and Captain Toby Shandy have become quite dear to my heart. I am still in the dark as to Toby's groin injury. I wonder if Mrs. Wadman's curiosity was ever satiated? I fear they were married.

This novel is such a work of genius that it would be ridiculous for me to attempt to review it in earnest. I feel a bit like Tristram did in that "I don't know where to begin".

I will say that I had planned to paste a picture of Gillian Anderson onto the blank page in which the reader is to draw an idealized lady. The marbled pages were over my head.

The novel is quite chaotic—wheels within wheels, digressions within digressions, time jumps, geographical jumps, et cetera. The thread which is consistent in its time scheme throughout the novel are the 2 wars against France.

Of all of the novel's events, of all Tristram's own commentaries, I enjoy most the angry philosophical rants of Tristram's well-read father, Walter. Both Tristram and Laurence are very odd fellows, which is why we love them! I also love that Sterne and Tristram were quite fond of Don Quixote.

Wilbraham Crescent or It Backs Onto Itself

 

Back in 2007 David Suchet had spoken of wanting to complete the filming of all of the Poirot stories by 2011, in which he will have turned 65.   In February 2009 it was announced that another series of four stories has been commissioned by ITV. The four novels comprise "The Clocks," "Three Act Tragedy," "Hallowe'en Party," and "Murder on the Orient Express".

I can't help but think what a rather "Poirotless" film "The Clocks" would be.  It was not until page 112, Chapter 14 that Poirot first made entrance into "The Clocks".  I can't help but think of Agatha Christie's feelings towards the little Belgian, viz.

By 1930, Christie found Poirot 'insufferable', by 1960, she felt that he was a 'detestable, bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep'. Yet Christie claimed that it was her duty to produce what the public liked, and what the public liked was Poirot.

I should hope that I would never feel as a writer about my creation as Christie felt of Poirot.  I can only imagine what she would have created if she killed Poirot off and pursued the writing of which her heart was in. Perhaps, I am glad that she did not.

It was nice of Christie to include Poirot at the end of this story again, to give us the mystery solved.

I very much would like to visit the quaint Wilbraham Crescent one day (which backed in onto itself); though not to visit a blind communist, such as Miss Pebmarsh; nor crazy cat ladies, such as Mrs. Hemmings; and certainly not to visit Sheila Webb, as I absolutely despise her stupid lying face.

I can only agree with Detective Inspector Dick Hardcastle in his opinion of Colin Lamb and his marriage—the man has lost his marbles.

Wheels within wheels within the Crescent that backs in on itself.  That's what made this mystery worthwhile, as well as the short but sweet appearance of Hercule Poirot.  Also, I am a fan of clocks, which are made up of wheels within wheels; and I very much enjoyed Poirot's further elucidating us on the appearance of such clocks, as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of crime fiction.  Unfortunately Hastings was in South America, I believe it was.