Dress Up Day

I wasn't quite sure what was up with the Scottie Pippin jersey. I guess it came from the neighbours.

How Canadian Are You? (Quiz)

Here's a little quiz. This sort of things get old quickly, but I thought it was worth a blog post.

You are 91% Canuck!

You rock, you are an almighty Canadian through and through. You have proven your worthiness and have won the elite prize of living in a country as awesome as Canada. Yes I know other countries think they are better, but we let them have that cuz we know better than they do, eh?

How Canadian Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

2008 Pinewood Derby Cars

After taking a year off, we're back in the Pinewood Derby groove for 2008.


Where have you gone, Gary Gabelich?
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

I saw Cry, the Beloved Country in the library and picked it up. It was one of those "I've heard of the title, but don't know anything about it" selections. I thought it was famous for something, but wasn't sure what.

The book is set in South Africa in the middle of the 20th century; after WW2, but before apartheid became official government policy. It tells the story of a rural black Anglican priest, Stephen Kumalo, and his journey to the "great city" of Johannesburg. He travels there in search of his younger sister and his adult son. Both of them moved to the city from their small village, and little had been heard of them since.

The book contains a look at life in South Africa. However, it also contains themes that have been common amongst all peoples undergoing industrialization. What happens when one way of life (the traditional South African village) is damaged, and what does the city and modern society offer as a replacement? Thinking about it, one of my favourite novels is No Great Mischief, where one of the themes is the collapse of the extended family in modern society. The same themes are examined here. Either this is fertile ground for a novelist to write a great novel, or perhaps it's just a theme I enjoy seeing explored.

One site has Cry as the #101 English-language novel of the 20th century. I say it's better than that. 5 stars.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Have you felt that the recent novels you've read all seemed to be missing something? I mean, did you ever think, "That book was OK, but it sure could have used some more good, old-fashioned cannibalism"? If so, then The Road is for you.

The Road tells of the post-apocalyptic journey of a father and his son. And, it must of been a doozy of an apocalypse: in addition to other problems, apparently virtually every living thing on the planet has died, except for a handful of people. The only mention of non-human life in the book was a few mushrooms and a stray dog. So, ones options are, shall we say, limited.

The focus of the book is the relationship between the father and son. It's well-written, and is the type of book about which a reviewer might say, "Though the darkness, one sees such a spark of beauty." Don't believe that. This is the most depressing piece of fiction I can recall. It seems to me that it's more likely to mess with your mind in a negative way than it is to uplift the reader.