Just read a short book that was very interesting and could be to many on this forum: A Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.
The title is a little misleading and it sounds more sinister than it really is, but it does provide a highly intriguing insight into the effect that 9/11 had on the American psyche and how this change affected their behavior towards Arabic-looking foreigners in the States which then affected how these same foreigners viewed America. Its an easy, quick read, small little thing that fits in your back pocket while you travel, but more intelligent than your average travel-read.
The title is a little misleading and it sounds more sinister than it really is, but it does provide a highly intriguing insight into the effect that 9/11 had on the American psyche and how this change affected their behavior towards Arabic-looking foreigners in the States which then affected how these same foreigners viewed America. Its an easy, quick read, small little thing that fits in your back pocket while you travel, but more intelligent than your average travel-read.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Interesting indeed. I just read an article in National Geographic about the now Arab Christian Minority in the Middle east and how they are oppressed by the Muslim majority and when they move West for jobs and freedom they are assumed to be Muslim just because they are from the Middle East.
Onhell said:
Mhm, it's quite sad isn't it? I try not to make assumptions about religion when I see people from the Middle East, but it is hard sometimes not to put them all under the blanket of Islam.
Back to the subject of the thread: just finished recently the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke. If you haven't read it, you should, regardless if you've seen the movie or not (probably especially if you've seen the movie). Don't want to give anything away, but I'll never look at another black monolith the same way again
. Also read a dreadful book called The Illuminator by a Ms. Vantrease, set in the Middle Ages. It's not dreadful in the sense that it's badly written, or that it's a bad story, it's just an awful insight into the religious and feudal oppression that existed. True, it is a work of fiction but it still made me damn happy I wasn't born in the Middle Ages, no matter what social hemisphere I would have been born into. It makes one wonder why the peasants even bothered to live at all, death would have been a boon compared with life. But it is a well-written book, so I do recommend it.
Recently finished a book I think many people have read or might be thinking of reading: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
I don't want to give anything away other than I thought it a powerful and moving book, the kind that stays with you for the rest of your life. I highly recommend it, it's well-written and the subject matter of the fate of women in Afghanistan in the past 30 years is highly relevant to the situation today. It certainly helped me get a grip on the complicated mess of that country. When you do read it though, have a box of tissues at the ready.
I don't want to give anything away other than I thought it a powerful and moving book, the kind that stays with you for the rest of your life. I highly recommend it, it's well-written and the subject matter of the fate of women in Afghanistan in the past 30 years is highly relevant to the situation today. It certainly helped me get a grip on the complicated mess of that country. When you do read it though, have a box of tissues at the ready.
Well, I'm finding that so many threads I am interested in have just stopped at some point. But I love books so I'll try to add to this one.
And connect it to Maiden!
Anybody ever check out the history behind some Maiden songs?
After hearing Paschendale I wanted to check out some WWI stuff. I have read something of it before I heard the song. In the US here, it seems like it's the forgotten war.
So recently I read the memoir "The Last Fighting Tommy" by Harry Patch. (He died recently but was the last trench fighter from WWI.) It was a pretty cool book and gave some great details about the fighting then. I kept hearing the Maiden song in my head in the chapter about the battle.
Now reading the recently published Ted Kennedy memoir, True Compass. Only a few chapters in, but it's very interesting. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth (not that I hold that against him), so it's kind of interesting to read about his growing up. Such an incredibly different way of life for those with means.
Also a lot of interesting insight into how that family was. As a liberal, the Kennedys always seemed like gods to me, and the myths of Camelot didn't help. This book really humanizes them.
Also a lot of interesting insight into how that family was. As a liberal, the Kennedys always seemed like gods to me, and the myths of Camelot didn't help. This book really humanizes them.
SinisterMinisterX said:
Oh that sounds like a good book. I'm a big Kennedy fan (my favorite was Bobby Kennedy). I realize that, yeah, they were a very privileged family, yet I think they tried to live with a high degree of social and ethical responsibility towards the world. Like they thought their privilege meant they should serve and give back. So many people these days who have a ton of money should do the same.
alas, I am not one of those with tons of moolah. Although I try to do what I can and whatever, donate etc.
I hope you don't mind my saying, it's nice to see a metal fan who's not a rampant conservative! I don't know it just seems that many are.
Well, now I'm on to a book by Salvatore Scibona called The End. It's pretty cool, language wise, really unusual, and the writer jumps the story from different points in time to different characters, so I really have to hold on to the narrative at some points or it's like er, what just happened there?
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
jmpoet said:I hope you don't mind my saying, it's nice to see a metal fan who's not a rampant conservative! I don't know it just seems that many are.
That's news to me. I always thought that Country music was the conservative kind of music. (If you'll permit me to stereotype).
jmpoet said:I hope you don't mind my saying, it's nice to see a metal fan who's not a rampant conservative! I don't know it just seems that many are.
SMX is our most liberal liberal.
jmpoet said:I hope you don't mind my saying, it's nice to see a metal fan who's not a rampant conservative! I don't know it just seems that many are.
That is likely true for the US.. but I've noticed that European metalheads are very diverse in their political opinions. You'll also see this reflected on this board. I guess our most conservative members by American standards here would be Deano and cornfedhick, but I'd never consider either to be raging Republican partisans.
Not to mention that by European standards, I'm rather conservative, while by American standards, I'd probably be a communist.
Genghis Khan said:
That's news to me. I always thought that Country music was the conservative kind of music. (If you'll permit me to stereotype).
I reckon it is conservative! (I did try to qualify my above post a bit by saying 'it seems to be'! But I really don't want to seem to be sterotyping anybody either.)
And then it's that location thing! Country music coming frm the American south, ends up being pretty conservative, especially now I think. I would have no idea what the artists themselves think, but they certainly try to appeal to that demographic. Metal seems to rise up out of industrialized 'rust belt' areas and blue collar workers can be as conservative as rural people. There I go with the words 'seems' so that I don't sound too polarizing. Well, I don't want to pigeonhole anyone.
Sometimes circumstances and environment decide it, sometimes not.But my friend is English and fairly liberal and a metalhead, so I agree with Loose Cannon, that Europeon music fans are maybe more diverse, possibly more liberal.
I think that's where Maiden are, fairly medium level liberals, anti-war and whatnot. Although I'm not sure what take others may have on that . . .