Catfish: Volumes 41-45, Page 2

I like some country music, and wish I could be exposed to more. Hearing compilations is a great way to become more exposed to country music; unfortunately, this compilation did not help me find more country artists to listen to.

  Various Artists

  1999:70’s Rock Volume 2. St. Laurent, Quebec: Madacy Entertainment Group, Inc.

  Not a first resort cd, but better than I thought. Some of the tunes sound familiar.

  Various Artists

  1998:Now That’s What I Call Music. Beverly Hills, CA: Virgin Records America, Inc.

  I played “Barbie Girl” by Aqua too many times. I am probably on the extreme other end of what Barbie is like, but the song may have been tongue in cheek, though it would be good to dance to for the with it folks. Radiohead’s “Karma Police” intrigued me by the title, but the sound of the song didn’t hit it off with me.

  Yankovic, Weird Al

  1988:Weird Al Yankovic’s Greatest Hits. New York, NY: Zomba Recording Corporation.

  As a satirist myself, who has occasionally written song parodies, I admire and dig Al’s parodies, which he is ever so proficient at.

  Books

  Albert, David

  2003:Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery: A Journey of Original Seeking. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.

  I am in an interesting position to review this book: a few years ago I dated a woman who was homeschooled, and now I work in a public elementary school. David, like many homeschoolers, raises a lot of great points and he does have a lot of wonderful ideas. I do think he is too hard on the school system. I know that some institutions need to be removed entirely and others yet need to be reformed. After much thought I believe our education system is one that needs to be reformed rather than abolished. Albert does have points about arbitrariness of the school system, its rigidity and pressure, and its teaching of blind obedience to authority; authoritarianism, and the belief that an education degree is somehow magical. But I would challenge him on the notion that the elementary school I work at accepts someone as unconventional as me. I surely don’t agree with all the philosophies of the educational system, but I am generally inclined to be tolerant of that which accepts me. I didn’t think an elementary school would be the place for me, but now I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Sure, the educational system has defects. Some of what I am asked to do doesn’t make sense nor is it ultimately morally right, and much of the rest makes so much sense and I wouldn’t understand how someone could be against it. I would have liked to see Albert address that. Although I might want to make a career out education if such works out, I think I would be inclined to homeschool any kids I would have. Albert has a romantic view of life and it is ideal for kids.

  Bessant, Annie

  1952:A Study in Karma. Adyar, Madras, India: the Theosophical Publishing House.

  A short book which really added no additional insight to my understanding of karma. About the only contribution was the idea that national disasters suck in those with bad karma and avoid sucking in those with good karma. Books on karma are hard to find, so I was stuck with this one, and since it was short it was worth reading, but otherwise, not much is here.

  Bodian, Stephen

  1999:Meditation for Dummies. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

  The author suggests one’s total perspective changes when one meditates, and I’m not sure I want such a perspective. The author, like other Buddhists, condemns anger and hatred, and I believe some is in order. Though I do think meditation could serve you and me well, when used in a balance with some good healthy hate and anger. I would have loved if the chapter “Meditation for Healing and Performance Enhancement” was longer or at least more emphasis was placed on such. Although, I would love for meditation to yield these benefits for me, there are other positives to the practice as well, and meditation as an endeavor is worthy of consideration.

  Dalai Lama

  1994:A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications.

  Although the particulars in places may not mesh perfectly with me, I really like the concept of a bodhisattva. I think it would be neat to try to be a bodhisattva without embracing Buddhism entirely. On page 94, the Dalai Lama says the human body is just waste. Marvin Olasky criticizes such a depiction of the human body in a book reviewed below. I think Olasky may have a point when he suggests that the human body is something much more magnificent and amazing than that. The Dalai Lama says “Once mature, it [the body] is made up of blood, flesh, organs, and bones….Why then are we not repelled by the body, which is wholly made up of disgusting elements?” Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. On page 106-107, he expounds on ideas which seem very similar to the servant leadership philosophy, a concept derived from Christianity. This would be one example of what the religious scholars consider to be the similarities across the religions, especially when folks compare Buddhism to Christianity. On page 107, he suggests that treating others well will give one the karma to “be reborn as kings and leaders”. In other parts in this book, he condemns fame, leadership, and power, so exalting the reward would seem to contradict his ideas, though he does say that our good deeds should not be done with the idea we will get a better future life plight. I found disturbing that the Dalai Lama considered one possible punishment for bad behavior in this life is to be born as mentally disabled in a next life. Some people say being mentally “disabled” is not really a punishment since, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise and least of all, there are advantages to most every situation. In the above reviewed audio tape by the Dalai Lama, he states that abortion might be justified if the child would be handicapped! Abominable!!! One of the big themes of this book, and Buddhism in general is the idea of “there is no self” or at least we should not recognize the self. I am not sure this is preferable. Ayn Rand’s Anthem offers a different perspective, as they say, about the evils of a society where people lose the self. That book made its point on my brain and in this matter; I think Rand’s way is preferable to the Buddhist way.

  Davis, Leslie

  2002:Always Cheat: the Philosophy of Jesse Ventura. Minneapolis, MN: Tell the Truth Books.

  As the book sets out to do, it makes Ventura look really bad, particularly for the alleged bribe he gave to another Reform Party candidate to be. In part of the book, the author went off on a digression about the corruption of the Ramsey County attorney’s office. Some mention of that was perhaps necessary for context purposes, but it was a sidetrack that deviated from the purpose of the book. The book succeeds in the sense it makes Ventura looks bad, which all in all, is something the opponent of anyone could do, but you could say it fails on the ground, that it has not totally convinced me that Ventura is so bad. Ironically, some of the words and actions of Ventura which opponents cite to make him look bad make him look good in my book.

  Demi

  1998:The Dalai Lama: A Biography of the Tibetan Spiritual and Political Leader. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

  A glorified biographical sketch, but probably good for kids.

  Dyer, Wayne

  2001:There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

  After hearing a couple of Dyer’s audio tapes, I thought I would try one of his books. Since he has published many, deciding which one was a hard decision. Choosing this particular book was a good move. Dyer’s spirituality is very eclectic incorporating Hinduism, Catholicism, Sufism, among others. As eclectic people usually are, Dyer is very tolerant of the variety of people and ideas. Dyer claims a) nothing is evil because God created it all and God is entirely without flaw b) energy is what determines it all, and c) spirituality is indispensable. In here he attempts to define spirituality and his contribution is fabulous. On page 9, Dyer suggests one of the essential characteristics of spirituality is looking inside ourselves. It would seem that such would b
e introspection rather than introversion. One can certainly be introverted without being introspective and probably introspective without being introverted. After reading the book, I can’t believe spirituality to Dyer is solely introspection, but it is a big part of it. Add this to the thoughts in Kasl’s If the Buddha Dated, and you get a real good picture of spirituality. Throughout Dyer refers to the spiritual as “faster energy”. I found this very interesting since I have thought when one slows down in life one is most spiritual. It was as if Dyer anticipated such a thought, because on page 136, he makes the point that we must slow down in order to receive the speed of spirit. I was extremely happy to see Dyer condemn drinking according to his spiritual worldview. He suggested that drinking is a unhealthy “energy field” and that intoxication is an anti-spiritual state. His personal examples were wonderful. In one place, Dyer was talking about how he told his students he was going to be published even though he had never been published and new authors usually were not embraced by the big publishers. His point in describing this was to show us if one has positive thinking, one can achieve a lot, which I do believe is true. Although Dyer is a far cry from being cocky, that particular behavior did seem self assured. I just can’t even attempt to say something will happen for sure in the future and I surely can’t promise I will succeed at something. Throughout, Dyer believes one should “be open to everything and attached to nothing”. I would just modify it to say “open to most everything and attached to almost nothing”. I don’t think it’s virtuous to be open to absolutely everything and I do think some attachments are appropriate. We don’t need to be nit picky with his semantics, because overall, the concept is a sound approach to living. Elaine St. James said that if one reads uplifting books before bed one has positive dreams and if one reads books with darker themes, one has more negative themes. I have observed that when I listened to an audio tape about a spy, I had bad dream. A time or two after I read Dyer’s book, I slept sound and woke up feeling very refreshed and wonderful. Perhaps, she is on to something. Dyer seems like the person that would accept pretty much all of us, even the outcasts and that type of acceptance is admirable. I think I need to read another Wayne Dyer book.

  Ganeri, Anita

  2003:Sacred Texts: The Guru Granth Sahib and Sikhism. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media.

  This is probably just the second book I read on Sikhism, which is something I have not been much aware of for most of my years here. I am surprised to learn that it is considered a major religion, at least by the people who put together this book. I like the Sikh ideas of equality of the sexes and aversion to cutting the hair at all. This book unlike the other book did not focus on just Sikhism in general but instead it focused on its scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.

  Ganeri, Anita

  2003:Sacred Texts: The Tipitaka and Buddhism. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media

  Splendid if a little on the short side.

  Gonzalez-Balado, Jose

  1996:Mother Teresa: In My Own Words. New York, NY: Gramercy Books.

  As one would expect, this work is full of love and wise advice. I was pleasantly surprised to read Mother Teresa expressing some post-capitalist sentiments. In one excerpt of her words, she expresses how she and her sisters will not receive compensation for their work because such creates improper motives. That was so refreshing! Too bad, the rest of the world does not see it the same way. I strive for post-capitalism and was pleasantly surprised to see Mother Teresa affirm it.

  Greenleaf, Robert

  1979: Teacher as Servant: a Parable. New York, NY: Paulist Press.

  This work is a parable just like James C. Hunter’s The Servant, which both serve as a complement to each of their other books, Servant Leadership, and The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle. The lessons from it are not quite as explicit as in The Servant, but I believe the lessons are apparent. This book is a bit drier and less well written than the Servant, which I imagine is due in part to the time period it was written in, but even so, it is still a fine work. I do not agree with all of Greenleaf’s recommendations, even though he’s one who is often credited as starting this whole servant leadership idea. A couple of Buddhist thoughts were expressed toward the end, but I could not tell exactly if the comments were supportive of Buddhist ideals or not. Overall, the work uplifted critical inquiry, questioning of authority, and the whole idea of “creating institutions where everyone comes in contact with the institution is better off, to serve and be served by the institution”. Particularly profound was a very counter-intuitive critique of philanthropy presented in the chapter on foundations. In this chapter, it suggested that if one does not create a scenario where both parties give and receive instead of one party just receiving. I agree with this entirely as I resent situations where the other party acts as if he or she has everything to teach me and I have nothing to offer.

  Heider, John

  1985:The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age. Atlanta, GA: Humanics New Age.

  In some ways, the leadership advice in here was similar to James C. Hunter’s books on servant leadership. Though Hunter articulated it more clearly and went into more intricate detail. The first half or so went into me well; the second half or so for some reason was not as easily digested. It could very well have been something external to the book, like a different mood during each day. The book seemed to repeat itself. Furthermore, there is just something about Taoism that doesn’t quite work for me (though it certainly has some benefits).

  Hobe, Phyliss

  1990:Lovebound: Recovering From An Alcoholic Family. New York, NY: NAL Books.

  I think I have read enough books on ACOA. This book billed itself as different from the rest, and indeed in some ways it disagreed with common approaches, but it is surely not pathbreaking. I hate it when people act as something is path breaking when it is not. Nevertheless, her efforts are good and she helps us recognize the severe problem of adult children of alcoholics. The stories in here are something one can probably never get enough of since the stories demonstrate the evil of alcohol.

  Jones, Rodney, Charles Sevilla, and Gerard Uelman

  1987:Disorderly Conduct: Verbatim Excerpts From Actual Court Cases. New York, NY: W-W Norton and Company.

  I read the sequel to this work, Disorder in the Court, which I much enjoyed. I learned of this work, yet could not find it for quite awhile. Then at a Twin Cities library, I finally did. The book had a bad odor to it, but otherwise it rocked.

  Kasl, Charlotte

  1999:If the Buddha Dated: A Handbook for Finding Love on a Spiritual Path. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

  I listened to the audio tape of the author’s other work, If the Buddha was in Love. I found it useful to some degree, but this one was extremely useful. I like how she emphasizes eclectic spirituality, since I am eclectic all around. If the Buddha was in Love was more abstract than this work, which is perhaps why I preferred this one. Also this one is geared to where I am at. I dig her type of spirituality. We need spirituality and thoughtful books on love and romance are due. This book is exemplary.

 

  Kummer, Patricia

  2003:Enchantment of the World: Tibet. New York, NY: Children’s Press.

  After listening to that tape of the Dalai Lama, I became intrigued about Tibet. I know some leftists are big on the Free Tibet movement, so I wanted to learn what this Tibet was like.

  Mack, Joshua

  2002:Karma 101:What Goes Around Comes Around and What You Can Do About It. Gloucester, MA:Fair Winds Press.

  When I read this book, I was in that “flow” which psychologists talk about, which I attribute to the well written nature of the book and the ever fascinating topic. It was fast reading and it was ever deep. I needed a karma fix and this book provided. I am not sure if karma exists, though I sense that it might, and I fear it if it does. I have never seen karma covered to the utmost pros
aic extensions possible. The “Karma Do’s and Don’t’s” in a sense could be interpreted as flip, but in another sense, which I’ll accept, are demonstrations how every act is supposedly influence by karma, even the smallest acts you might not think anything about. For example, on page 27, “Karma Do: Replacing the empty roll of toilet paper. …..Karmic Don’t: Putting the empty carton of orange juice back into the fridge”. I was on the internet looking for more books on karma and fortunately discovered the existence of this work. I requested it via interlibrary loan, and fortunately it was available to me. Good move, me: because this is the best book on karma around, and I doubt I can come across a better one. Joshua Mack should get lots of great karma for writing this superb work. Few books draw you in as much as this one, even the best of the best.

  Miller, Kathy

  1984:Out of Control: A Christian Parent’s Victorious Struggle with Child Abuse. Waco, TX: Word Books.

  This woman was not very patient, but it was good that she eventually developed some patience. I suppose all of us lack patience to some degree or another, though usually not as much as her. She’s definitely Christian to the bone. It sure is interesting that even after she admitted this child abuse, there was no legal action. I say if there is legal action for one, it should be for another, though sometimes certainly it is better to not be so crazily hard on people.

  Olasky, Marvin

  2004:The Religions Next Door: What We Need to Know About Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam – and What Reporters Are Missing. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers.