Cherry and I have started hiking again! check out: Higganum Reservoir.

 But, wanting to participate in upcoming One Book events, I plugged away. I got through Level One, almost half of the book, before I just had to stop. Personal preference aside, I appreciate the author’s concern about environmental and social future, based on where we are heading. However, I found it a frightening commentary on today’s society when a cult hero promoting virtual violence and escapism is idealized.

Certainly, the IOI were greedy bad guys. But the hero, James Halliday, founder of OASIS, promoted escapism into a virtual reality devoid of genuine contact with any living beings. His programs also eliminated motivation to fix what was wrong ‘out there’ (exception for Art3mis) and I would classify them as equally misguided and highly disturbing.

Eventually, I read the last few chapters to see if I missed anything important. Is it redeeming that Halliday suggests a little dose of reality or control of OASIS even to the point of shutting it down? To me, it came as a minor footnote at the end. Cline evaded a golden opportunity to make a powerful statement when explaining the Halliday/Og falling out. Instead of a philosophical difference (video games vs educational tools), he pinned it on the girl.

Using video games to avoid the real world has the potential to lead to devastating results – here in Connecticut, think Newtown. With the goal being to kill the enemy, these games addictively increase adrenaline levels, letting players become superheroes and lose track of time and reality. Escapism at its highest. Research isn’t clear that violent video games lead to violence but it’s intuitive that they don’t promote collaboration, cooperation, or brotherly love.

 Personally, I’d rather live in the real world and spend my reading time with something either more inspirational or meaningful.

Reblogged from Beth Lapin's A to Z Blog 2013:

Messages: [1]

»         Smell out trouble before seeing it

»         Root around to find solutions

»         Find lost objects

Sensing a problem before it becomes one gives us time to prepare, perhaps even nip it in the bud. It allows us the opportunity to confront a situation with a clear mind, instead of muddled thinking that often comes during a difficult situation.

Read more… 140 more words

I’m taking on the A to Z Challenge again this year — Please check it out and follow: A to Z Blog Challenge: Animal Spirit Guides for a Good Life.

Take a restorative look at some Eye Candy.

I was riding the train to NYC, when I decided to reread The Secret Garden, which my (adult) daughter had downloaded onto my Kindle. I vaguely remembered the simple plot, written in 1911 by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and thought it would be entertaining. Was I surprised to see where this book took me!  Read more: The Secret Garden.

Last Thursday, Cherry and I set out to hike the final portion of the Menunkatuck Trail at Long Island Sound. We met at 1:00pm at Chittenden Park on Seaside Lane and headed north with one car to the trail head on Clapboard Hill Road. Reaching the Sound.