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The Jevlir Caravansary

Author: jevlir

  • DVD: The Lord Peter Wimsey-Harriet Vane Collection – Strong Poison / Have His Carcass / Gaudy Night)

    Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter mysteries are among my favorite mystery books, so I was happy to find this collection of videos. I have to confess that I really didn’t like Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey, but Edward Petheridge is much more convincing in the part. Harriet Walter is a convincing Harriet Vane.

    The story follows the books fairly closely. I truly have no major complaints about the videos. Of course the Harriet Vane stories have the fairly odd set of echanges between Wimsey and Vane as Wimsey is determined to marry her, while she is determined not to marry.

    I recommend these DVDs to fans of Dorothy Sayers without reservations.

  • DVD: The Fountainhead

    I have always appreciated The Fountainhead both for its literature and philosophy. As a Christian Bible teacher, there are obviously some differences between my philosophy and that of Ayn Rand, to put it mildly. I have always wondered why her philosophy had to be so strongly opposed to theism. Obviously it was opposed in many ways to Christian theism, but theism, or perhaps deism, can be nothing more than an assertion of ultimate order in the universe in different language.

    I recently discussed some of the particulars of the character of Howard Roark that I like and dislike in my post Can one Like both George Bailey and Howard Roark? I think there is a mistake made both by supporters and opponents of Ayn Rand, and that is that to have absolute and true values one must be on one extreme or the other, that one is either totally selfish or totally unselfish, independent or dependent, has integrity or completely falls apart. Of course, that is part of Rand’s message. She doesn’t believe that “middles” are possible.

    I believe in balance and integrity at the same time, meaning that one finds the correct point, which may or may not be one of the extremes, and then stands for that point. There are things which society may ask of me, and which I should choose to give, but society as such doesn’t own me. I have rights to my creations, but at the same time I may recognize that no matter what I construct I have learned some things from other people.

    In The Fountainhead, Rand has Roark appear almost as if from nowhere. Family doesn’t exist. Early education and nurture doesn’t exist. Roark just appears. This picture is much better in the book than in the movie, in my view. It is something that attracted me to the book in the first place. There is an annoying tendency of families and friends to claim every accomplishment of their relations as their own, to point to every talent and ability as coming from somewhere on the family tree, and giving no individual credit to a child and his or her creativity. That combines with the expectation that the family owns part of that creative product, that the child who succeeds should help the large number of relatives who have failed. The Fountainhead goes to the opposite extreme. Roark comes from nowhere, stands alone, owns everything.

    But are the extremes the only option? I would suggest that some of what I am has come from my parents. Some has come from teachers and friends who have guided me along the way. But some of what I am, and all of what I have made of that comes from me, me in relationship to God, and belongs to me and not to anyone else. Where I lean in Rand’s direction is that I need to be the one to make that choice. That is sometimes going to involve me handing off some of the glory of achievements, or even the ignominy of defeats to others when they are truly responsible. But at the same time it will involve me taking responsibility for both to the extent that is really true.

    Contrary to Howard Roark, I see a positive value in teamwork. This is not the teamwork that wrecked Cortlandt before Roark blew it up. Rather it is teamwork where each makes a known contribution and is acknowledged for that. That is the type of balance that I would look for, and that is the reason that I can appreciate The Fountainhead, while disagreeing in substantial ways with its author.

    After many, many years, and several readings of the book, I finally brought myself to see the movie yesterday. The movie is well done in that it keeps the theme of the book intact, as one might expect of a script written by the book author. Some of the events are changed in order to make it a reasonable length movie. Gary Cooper is wonderful in displaying Roark, and the remainder of the casting is good. I personally still prefer book form for presenting material of this nature. I like time to think about scenes and using my imagination on them. But if one is to present such a book in movie form, this is a good way to do it. If, like me, you’ve resisted getting the movie because you normally don’t like such things, go ahead and get this one and watch it. I found it immediately available via Netflix, and it was a pleasure to watch.

    If you haven’t read the book, consider doing so before you watch the movie. The Fountainhead is a book that should provoke thought, and you should have time to think as you go through it.

  • Audacity Audio Software

    In my continuing quest to find excellent open source or freeware applications that I can recommend I ran across the audio editing program Audacity. Well, actually I needed a program to create some MP3 files for a podast (Running Toward the Goal) and after some searching I chose this one.

    In any case, I have thus far found it to be an excellent tool, and well worth considering before you either pay money for something you haven’t tests or use one of the random quality sound file editors that come with sound cards. I’m not very sophisticated with audio, but this has made it simple for me to do the type of basic editing I do, such as removing portions of a file to clean it up, converting the file from WAV to MP3 or the reverse, and so forth.

    I’ll be adding it to my recommendations for free software.

  • Book Series: Lord Meren Mysteries

    I recently re-read Eater of Souls by Lynda S. Robinson, and as a result remembered that I’d intended to read more. So I immediately found what I could at the local library and I’ve thus far gone backwards to read Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing. I’ve got a couple more sitting on my “to be read” shelf.

    I’m not sure why I didn’t follow up on this series at the time I first read one of the books. Normally when I like a series I head straight to the library and/or bookstore, fill out the list and work right through it. It can’t have been because I didn’t like the books–I love them. With some knowledge of Egypt (I have a year of Middle Egyptian reading from graduate school), I’m able to really appreciate the feel Robinson gives to characters and culture. As she notes, many times she has to settle controversies, and I would assume also fill in gaps in our knowledge, but she has done so consistently and in such a way that the culture seems very realistic.

    I especially like the way that Lord Meren searches for signs of magic and includes killing by magic as one of the possibilities for means in murder cases, as of course an ancient Egyptian would have. But many modern authors would have some difficulties keeping the viewpoint authentic. Robinson does so successfully in my view.

    Family relationships, religion, culture, politics, and ancient warfare all combine to create the background for this exceptional series. The key characters of Lord Meren, his adopted son Kysen, and the remainder of his family would be interesting wherever they were placed, and the mysteries would be interesting no matter what the background.

    This is truly an exceptionally enjoyable series of historical mysteries. I strongly recommend it.

  • Book: Danger in the Shadows

    I tend not to like books that have too blatant of a spiritual purpose. If a book is written to teach a lesson, I don’t like it. If it’s written to entertain, and happens to teach one or more lessons, I’m happy. I don’t mind if the characters are people of faith and that this shows up as part of the story.

    My first introduction to Dee Henderson was in the O’Malley series. Those books seemed to me to fall a little too far into the first category–each one leads up to the conversion of the lead character. The stories are decently interesting, however, so I was still willing to read them. Nonetheless it took a few positive comments from my wife before I was willing to try another. That book is Danger in the Shadows.

    While the characters in this story are people of faith, who live it, talk about it, think about it, and are shaped by it, the story remains the focus. It’s a solid story of suspense. One interesting thing I noticed, however, is that the conflict seems to occur entirely between the good guys and the bad buy. The good guys get together in a most amazing way. There is substantial emotional, spiritual, and romantic conflict, but the major characters seem to manage it with few arguments.

    If you like J. D. Robb, you may be disappointed here as the intensity is somewhat less, at least there is less action and more thinking.

    I rate this a 3.

  • Blog: Cory Doctorow’s craphound.com

    I’m working on locating more interesting writing blogs to include in the blogroll, and here is the first. Cory Doctorow is a professional fiction writer with three novels (that I read about on his blog) and some short stories (including a short story collection). He has another collection coming soon.

    He posts a good deal of news on his blog but also some short fiction, including When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth. The link there is to his announcement that the story is appearing in The Rake, along with links to previous podcast entries. I think one would need to be a bit net savvy to enjoy this story, but other than that it’s good fun.

    His books are:

    I have to say that the first short story didn’t rocket him to the top of my reading list, but it did pique my interest, and I’m definitely going to take a further look at some of the novels and I’ll add his blog to the blogroll.

  • Daniel and the Village Elders

    Note: This is a short story sort of in the style of the apocryphal stories of Daniel. Not all such stories are consistent with the basic Daniel story in the Biblical book, but I have tried to stick with what can be fitted in. I have added references for the two Biblical laws that Daniel cites, though you can be certain he didn’t quote chapter and verse from material that hadn’t been so divided at that time.

    * * * * *

    It was evening as Daniel approached the village, one of the camps occupied by Judean exiles. He was returning from a mission for King Nebuchadnezzar, and as was often his custom, he hoped to stay with his own people for the night before returning to the palace the next day. But tonight was to be different.

    As he approached the entryway to the village–it would be too optimistic to call it a gate–he could see that the elders were gathered. A young man was standing there with head hanging, clothing torn and dirty, and a large bruise on the side of his face. A few paces away toward the gate was a body crumpled, and apparently ignored. Two men, better dressed and uninjured stood next to the young man. One of them was speaking.

    “. . . He struck down our servant, slipped from the tent, and when he saw Azariah here he began to run toward the gate. He’s the murderer, alright, and he should be stoned. He probably raped her as well!”

    Daniel saw a gleam of triumph on the man’s face that didn’t fit with the sorrow that would accompany losing a loved one or even the concern over financial loss that would result from losing a valued slave. There was clearly something wrong here–besides, that is, the shameful treatment of the body. He doubted there was a Levite in the camp to explain the law to the people and help see that it was carried out. He looked at the body. There were specks of blood on the clothing, but he could no sign of the type of blow that would kill someone quickly. The head appeared to be whole, where it was not covered by cloth, and there was no large mass of blood.

    “Pardon me, my lords,” he said. He could see them calculating how to react to him. He was dressed as a Babylonian courtier, but he addressed them in Hebrew. That left them uncertain as to how to react. Exiles were left pretty much to manage their own affairs, and they would see no reason for a Babylonian to interfere. But a Babylonian official who spoke Hebrew might be different.

    “Yes, my son?” said the man in the center who appeared to be the village chief. He looked old enough to Daniel that it was likely he had been an elder back home.

    “Is it permitted for a visitor to ask a question?”

    “He’s an outsider! What does he have to do with our laws?” The witness who had just finished speaking jumped in before the elder could speak. Daniel could see that had been a mistake as the elder reacted to this challenge to his authority.

    “He can speak,” said the elder. “We must hear everything before we condemn someone to death.”

    Daniel turned to the witness. “Do you swear by the God of Israel that you personally saw the things to which you testified just now?”

    The man hesitated. “I saw them,” he said.

    The elder spoke again. “Do you swear that by the God of Israel? That’s what you were asked.” He looked concerned.

    “It’s true,” he said. “But I didn’t see everything with my own eyes.” He looked angrily at his companion. “I’ll take your word, but I won’t swear by the God of Israel and testify falsely.”

    “So you believe what you said is true, but you didn’t see it with your own eyes?” The elder was now angry.

    “Yes.”

    “But we still have two witnesses who say that this young man killed the girl,” said one of the other elders.

    “Only one witness,” said Daniel. “Only one person witnessed the event and can properly swear and give testimony.”

    The second elder spoke again. “But do any of us doubt the veracity of Ehud, our countryman? Surely we still know that this young man is a murderer. We cannot release him!”

    The chief elder hesitated again.

    “My Lord,” Daniel spoke again.

    “You may speak,” said the chief elder. He enjoyed the respect that this young man gave him. He’d been prepared to be angry at the intruder, but now he noticed that this young intruder was the only one giving him the respect he was due.

    “The law says, ‘A single witness shall not be sufficient to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing. At the word of two or of three witnesses shall the accusation be established’ (Deuteronomy 19:15). Only one person witnessed the crime, and it cannot be established by the testimony of one who did not actually see the crime.”

    “I disagree. We are here in a foreign land. We cannot afford to break trust with our fellow countryman Ehud. I believe his testimony, and I will take the word of his companion in establishing his testimony,” said the second elder.

    “My Lord, may I ask another question of the witnesses?” Daniel’s voice was respectful, and he clearly addressed the chief elder.

    “Go ahead.”

    “With what weapon did the young man strike the girl?”

    “With an axe,” said Ehud quickly, as his companion’s mouth opened and then closed.

    Daniel walked over to the body. He knew that what he was about to do was shocking. He settled in his mind that he would not be staying in these people’s camp that night. Everyone else might forget, but he remembered such of the laws as he’d learned before he was taken into exile. There was no priest and no temple to go to for purification, but he’d do what he could do after he had handled the corpse.

    He reached down and tore the robe from the back of the victim, leaving her back exposed as a gasp went up from the gathered villagers. The gasp was for his audacity in handling the body and in uncovering her in that way. But then there was another gasp as the gathered people saw that the girl’s back was beaten to a pulp, with pieces of her clothing still clinging to the wounds. Everybody could see in a moment that she had not be killed with an axe, but instead had been beaten to death.

    It took only a few moments for the verdict to be given for the accused young man to be released. The girl had no family there, but the elders determined to bury her properly.

    The chief elder turned to Daniel. “Can we not convict this man of the murder of the girl?” he asked, now convinced of Daniel’s wisdom and learning.

    “Not unless there are witnesses that he was the one who beat her. But you can convict him of bringing false testimony. The law also says, ‘You shall do to him as he planned to do to his brother’ (Deuteronomy 19:19). We do not have a temple, but I think it would be right to follow this law even here.”

    Ehud’s face turned white as he heard the village elders, one after another, agree to the verdict based on their own witness to the false testimony.

    All in all, thought Daniel, it was not the restful evening he’d hoped for. But justice was done, however unpleasant.

  • Psalm 103 as Blank Verse

    OK, here’s another try at transforming a Psalm, in this case, by putting it into blank verse. There are some wonderful parallelisms in Psalm 103, but a great deal of that impact is lost on English readers. Here I try to present the message in blank verse, which provides some meter. I’m still sticking fairly close to the thought structure of the Psalm as it is. As I have time I may play around some more and try to create additional translations using other poetic forms.

    May all I am from deep within speak blessings of my God!
    Oh let me not forget the things my God has given to me

    He it is forgives my sins.
    He it is who heals my ills.
    He it is my life redeems.
    He it is his grace pours out.
    He my life with good things fills.
    He’s the one renews my strength.

    My God does right and justice gives for all who are oppressed.
    He showed his servant Moses ways and deeds he knew were right.
    My God is kind, he will abide, his anger slow to show.
    His accusations soon will end, his favor then we’ll see.

    Our sins are great, but mercy’s more, our guilt receives his grace.
    As heaven’s far above the earth, so grace exeeds our fall.
    As far as east is from the west, so far transgressions sent.
    As parent cares for wayward child, so cares our God for us.

    Because he knows just who we are; recalls that we are dust.
    We’re like the grass that fades and dies, like flower that blooms then fails.
    A wind may blow and then it’s gone, it’s roots cannot be found.
    But my God’s grace forever stands, his justice never fails.
    To those who keep his covenant, to those who do his word.

    Let angels, every power who does his word come bless my God.
    Let all the host who serve and do his will come bless my God.
    May all that he has done in every place he rules come bless my God.
    May all I am from deep within speak blessings of my God!

  • Book: Runner

    William C. Dietz is primarily an author of military science fiction and he’s outstanding in his portrayal of military action. I’ve previously written a couple of notes on his book For Those Who Fell, and since reading that book I’ve been quite quick to check his books out of the library or find them on bookstore shelves.

    In many ways I like the story in Runner better than the military science fiction. The characters are very engaging, the action is good, and the theme very enjoyable. Yet I think Dietz is not quite as good at this type of story as he was at the military material. He seems less able to create the transitions, and more of the book seems to be there just taking up space. But that is really a small complaint, and I might not have noticed except for the much tighter structure of his military stories.

    Overall, I strongly recommend this book (4+ out of 5), and intend to continue to read books by this author as they are available.

  • DVD: The Shaggy Dog

    Most of the time when I don’t like a movie I just don’t review it. But in this case, I make an exception. I like many Disney movies. They’re generally fun, you don’t have to take them too seriously, and yet they’re at least enchanting.

    In this case, I’m not sure whether there was a good idea in there somewhere. There may have been, but it was obscured by an enormous pack or just ordinary ideas or even bad ones. There were a few funny scenes, but they weren’t connected together to make a really funny movie.

    All in all, I didn’t find any of the characters all that attractive. I didn’t find the story very consistent or suspenseful. By the time the movie ended, I really didn’t care particularly what happened to any of the folks. The dog is pretty, and probably nice, but we didn’t see much of that.

    I think this has to count as a rare “miss” for Disney in producing engaging movies for the whole family. (Note, except for boredom, there’s nothing here that should be a problem for family viewing.)