Friday May 9, 2008 4:10 am Lethbridge Alberta

This page last updated on: Thursday, May 22, 2008 3:12 PM

It is - 2 C with a high forecast of +6 C. Sunrise 5:55 Sunset 21:01 Hours of daylight: 15:06

snow
9:15 am

A. Morning Musings

I am getting up a little earlier than I would like, but at the moment I am wide awake.

The weather remains cool with wet snow and rain forecast for later this morning. So far we have avoided the precipitation. Thank goodness we moved the plants into the garage yesterday. It looks like they may stay there for a couple of days.

Another good day for a cup of hot coffee and a little mathematics. I have an appointment at the Ugly Mug for 8 am.

I bought a small mathematics set (compass, protractor, triangles) yesterday. I am looking forward to making a few of the regular solid geometric shapes out of cardboard so I can twirl them around and become more familiar with the results of various transformations.

I have also been spending an hour or two during the last few days playing with the mid-level New York Times crossword puzzles. I like the combination of puns and clever word games that the puzzles incorporate. This does not appear on any of my tables that account for time on Learning activities, but maybe it should. If so, then I need a new category called something like games & puzzles. I will think about that for a bit. That reminds me, I bought an interesting book just before I last left for Australia: "The Book of Games: Strategy, Tactics and History". I really should get back to playing a little Go. I will need a new background color for this activity:

I also expect to finish reading "The Interpretation of Murder" today. Normally I would begin my day with some quiet maths, but I am anxious to complete the novel at the moment and achieve closure on that activity.

Here is a portion of today's Rumi quote:

A love-lion grazes in the soul's pasture,
...
All that world-power wants, really, is this weakness.

Learning Category	Planned Activities for Today	Time
Literature	Begin morning with a Rumi reading
Literature	Complete reading "The Interpretation of Murder" by Jed Rubenfeld	1 hr
Mathematics	Make notes on symmetry - 11	1 hr
Puzzles & Games	New York Times crossword puzzles	1 hr
Literature	Begin reading "Late Nights on Air" by Elizabeth Hay	1 hr

B. Actual Learning Activities

6:40 am

I have complete reading "The Interpretation of Murder".

The Interpretation of Murder

Jed Rubenfeld

This summary illustrates one of my truisms, which is that a book is not so much good or bad as it is an interaction with the reader at a particular moment in time.

For me, the time was not right for this book. I was very impressed with its detail: both of New York in 1909 as well as the intricacies of the actual plot. Yet at the same time I did not really enjoy the book. Perhaps it was because I was struggling with a cold at the time, and perhaps it was because I was beginning to reawaken my interest in mathematics and was finding the book a distraction. Then again, maybe it was the weather.

I found myself getting lost in the details of the plot. It became a distraction rather than a puzzle that I wanted to solve.

Notwithstanding the information on both Freud and Hamlet, I found the book lacked any interesting insights into human thought, emotion or behavior.

I would rate it 3 out 5, in large part out of admiration for the plot.

Tags: novel, USA, mystery

Now for a little recreational puzzle solving before going for coffee.

2:20 PM

I have made a good start on a new Canadian novel about a collection of personalities living and working in Yellowknife at a tiny radio station.

I have been procrastinating about doing more maths today. Let's see what happens. .... nope.

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Friday May 9, 2008 4:10 am Lethbridge Alberta

A. Morning Musings

B. Actual Learning Activities

6:40 am

2:20 PM