Monthly Archives: October 2011

The Pentagon by Steve Vogel

The Pentagon: A History by Steve Vogel My rating: 4 of 5 stars I bought this book in August 2008 as part of my ongoing effort to learn more about the American “military-industrial complex”. It turns out that there are … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Thursday 27 October 2011

THU 27 OCT 2011 ca. 1:00 pm LOUTET PARK We’re up here so that Kimmie can finish spraying fixer on the shoes she’s prepared for Robin’s Halloween costume: Dorothy’s red shoes from The Wizard of Oz: a cheap pair of … Continue reading

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The Orion Mystery by Robert Bauval & Adrian Gilbert

The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids by Robert Bauval My rating: 4 of 5 stars My personal introduction to the Great Pyramid of Giza was in January 1982, when I traveled to Egypt. At that time there … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Wednesday 19 October 2011

WED 19 OCT 2011 ca. 10:30 am GRANVILLE & BROADWAY The black steel bench is cold; the thrum of traffic is insistent, loud, and close. I’m facing east across Granville Street while Kimmie has her teeth cleaned back on Burrard … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Tuesday 18 October 2011

TUE 18 OCT 2011 ca. 1:00 pm NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT LIBRARY There’s a plasticky smell here, exhalation of the naugahide chair. It’s soft and cubic, a kind of nondescript taupe color, maybe a tad yellowish. There are four chairs in … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Monday 17 October 2011

MON 17 OCT 2011 ca. 1:45 pm SAFEWAY PARKING LOT The sun is hot and bright, but the air streaming by is cool, scented faintly with sweet baked goods or rubber. The lot is nearly full; cars prowl like great … Continue reading

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The Idea of Justice by Otto A. Bird

The Idea of Justice by Otto A. Bird My rating: 5 of 5 stars This short monograph sets out to clarify—not to resolve—the ancient idea of justice and thereby enable the reader to recognize and compare different arguments on and … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Thursday 13 October 2011

THU 13 OCT 2011 ca. 12:30 p.m. AMBLESIDE BEACH Sitting with Kimmie in the direct sunshine. We’re on a little wooden bench on the paved esplanade whose bronze plaque reads: Robert Fiddes & Family West Vancouver Pioneers Behind me is … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Wednesday 12 October 2011

WED 12 OCT 2011 11:50 am MOM’S DRIVEWAY Have just pulled in for lunch, have a few minutes for a sketch. A sense of dark-green forest with holes in the roof through which light shines. Mail carrier strides up the … Continue reading

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the science of story

The writer receives the commandment: “Know thy genre.” According to Robert McKee, it’s not possible to do a competent job of writing a screenplay (or, I would suppose, any other kind of dramatic work) without a deep understanding of the … Continue reading

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