Don’s Blog

I’ve been a reader (and big fan) of The Economist for over 18 years.  Although not a “light read” it’s easily the most informative and in-depth news magazine in the world–with the only draw-back being that it’s expensive…

However right now there’s a great deal for a short-term subscription for those of you that want to give it a try…12 issues of The Economist for only $15!  (approx. what two issues would cost at the new-stand.)

https://www.economistsubscriptions.com/mail/ca/

Promotion Code:  68C2 

(Warning:  it’s an expensive habit once you become addicted.)

I just finished reading the best novel that I’ve read in the past few years–and thought I should share it with those of you who are reading my blog…

Karen Connelly’s “The Lizard Cage” is lot of reading (hardcover, 500 pages) but is definitely worth the effort.  For those of you who have not heard of her, Karen Connelly is a Canadian author whose first book ”Touch the Dragon” was a journal of her experience as a Rotary Exchange Student in Thailand in the 1980s (and won a few literary prizes.) 

I’ve included a summary of the story below–although I should point out that it doesn’t really do justice to the book as it’s her writing style that really makes this book a great read.

In her long-awaited first novel, Karen Connelly recreates the world of a Burmese prison, and of the country’s tumultuous years in the late 1980’s, when millions of people rose up to protest against the brutality of their military government. This is a story of human resilience, love and humour — a potent act of empathy and witness.

Inside his solitary confinement cell, Teza, who once electrified the people of Burma with his protest songs against the dictatorship, now applies his acute intelligence and Buddhist patience to finding meaning in the interminable days. Arrested by the Burmese secret police, cut off from his family for the first seven years of a twenty-year sentence, he searches for news and human connection in every object and being that is grudgingly allowed into his cell.

Despite his isolation, Teza has a profound influence on the people around him. His integrity and humour inspire the conscience-ridden senior jailer to radical change. His very existence challenges the brutal authority of the junior jailer, perversely nicknamed Handsome. Even though his server, the criminal Sein Yun, sees compromising Teza as his ticket out of jail, the singer befriends him, and falls into a trap of forbidden food, conversation, and the most dangerous contraband of all, pen and paper.

Lastly there’s Little Brother, an orphan who’s grown up inside the jail, imprisoned by his own deprivation. Teza and the boy are prisoners of different orders, but their extraordinary friendship frees both of them in utterly surprising ways. Overturning our expectations, Karen Connelly presents us with a world that celebrates human spirit, and spirit itself, in the midst of injustice and violence.

Source:  http://www.karenconnelly.ca/book_details_the_lizard_cage.aspx

Back in November I wrote about “Peer to Peer Financing.”  As predicted, it’s now coming to Canada–and it’s a homegrown version.

CommunityLend.com has a website now–but it looks like it will be fall before they will be operational.  Not much info at the website–but the National Post has a story on the company.

It’s that time of the year again…more details about the Rotary Club of London’s “Elegant Rummage Sale” can be found at:

http://www.rotarylondon.org/rotaryrummage.html

Right now we are looking for donations, but don’t forgot the sale itself (May 12-13 at the Western Fairgrounds.)

For the longest time, I have found that it is easier for me to fall asleep if I am listening to a spoken-word program on the radio.  Music would keep me awake–but spoken-word programming worked well whether it was an afternoon nap or at late at night.  However, finding good spoken-word programs on the radio is sometimes a challenge (unless you’re willing to listen to AM talk radio.)  As a result, I started downloading audio files on the computer and then playing them back through a FM transmitter–I could then ensure good quality programs at anytime of the day.  Now that podcasting has taken off in the past year, this is even easier to.

I’ve listed some of my preferred programming below–as for downloading podcasts, you can do this manually or use software to automate the task (either Doppler or iTunes should do the trick and some RSS Readers can handle podcasts as well.)

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

- lots of programs here, I listen to “Quirks and Quarks”, “Best of Ideas”, “Dispatches” and “Best of The Current” the most often

NPR (National Public Radio)

- lots of programs here, I really like “Here on Earth”, “Think”, and “Foreign Dispatch”

RNW (Radio Netherlands)

- all the programs are good (and are in English)

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

- despite being the “BBC WorldService” they’re not strong on the podcast front yet but “Documentary” is pretty good

TEDTalks (Technology, Entertainment, Design)

- some really good podcasts here (videocasts as well), Bjorn Lomborg on Jan 2, 2007 should be mandatory listening

Pop!Tech

- similar to TEDTalks, more really good podcasts

IT Conversations

- more “nerd” oriented than the others–but “TechNation” is suitable for non-nerd listeners

EconTalk

- only recommended if you have a strong interest in economics