Jonathan's Blog: One geek's way in the universe

And in true sinewave42.com style, they’re late.

1. Keep a diary
I tried to do this last year, and I kept it for four or five months in total. I’d like to try again, and I’d like to try to keep it up for the whole year.

2. Blog more
Yeah. I tried to do this last year as well. Hopefully I’ll do a little better this year. I’m going to aim for a minimum one/month, but I’d like to try and do more.

3. Read some books
OK, so I already do quite a lot of this. But there are quite a few books I’d like to read, but need a bit of motivation to get started on, and I’d quite like to read some books I otherwise wouldn’t. I’ll post a partial list here, and I’ll keep an updated list as well, because I’m bound to think of others later.

• On Liberty, JS Mill;
• Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes;
• Paradise Lost, John Milton (at least try it);
• Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger;
• Twilight, Stephenie Meyer (for teh lulz);

I’d also appreciate suggestions. If you comment below or otherwise contact me with a suggestion, and I can reasonably get hold of the book, I’ll make it a resolution to at least give every one a go.

There are fewer than last year, but hopefully I stand a better chance of keeping them. Hopefully.

Addendum, later that evening: As a corrolary to 2 and 3, I will try to review at least some of the more interesting books I am reading.

6 responses.

1. Sean Whitton
   January 13th, 2010 at 7.23 pm #

   The Republic of Plato;
   Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter;
   The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy.

   All I can think of right now, sorry.

2. Jonathan
   January 13th, 2010 at 8.38 pm #

   Thanks for the suggestions. On the trilogy: can I have an author? I’ll read the first, then the others if I like it.

   J

3. Sean Whitton
   January 13th, 2010 at 8.56 pm #

   http://tinyurl.com/yavbleu will give you the author of the series (and more). I read it and enjoyed it a long time ago. Several moments still stick in my head. It’s a world where magic is there, but practiced by precious few, the rest of the time being somewhat low-fantasy. The scene in which magic is first actually unleashed is therefore very memorable (and emotionally charged due to the circumstances). The plot and world are very LOTR-like, actually, but in a good way. Or so I thought at the time.

   You are not permitted to use the word Corollary when a) you can’t spell it (I spelt it wrong until very recently…) b) you don’t do proper Maths :P

4. Jonathan
   January 14th, 2010 at 11.33 am #

   OK, owned on the LMGTFY. In a non-technical context like the above, corollary is perfectly acceptable given that it logically (in the colloquial sense) follows simply from the premises. The spelling is unforgivable though :(.

5. Jonathan
   January 14th, 2010 at 11.37 am #

   Also, Sean – how many times do I have to remind you that Gödel should be spelt Goedel when ö is unavailable?

6. Sean Whitton
   January 14th, 2010 at 2.53 pm #

   Touche. Sorry about Goedel.

   Corollary is acceptable, obviously, I’m just messing about… What’s worse is how I now speak as I write Maths proofs, e.g. ‘note that’ has a much higher frequency in my speech than it used to.