Mixed Media

Posted by: Ali on: March 1, 2007

• In: Books | Movies
• 1 Comment

When my husband, Chad, first read about this book I think he was a little surprised to find out there were more people like me. 🙂 I was really excited about it, but of course it’s taken me this long to read it. I’m about half-way through, and although I can’t say that I agree with him 100% (much to Chad’s relief), I can say that I am really enjoying this book. It’s great to see some of your half-formed ideas fully explained, and your crunchy beliefs adequately defended. I just finished the chapter “Home” and really loved it. I’ve always dreamed of buying an old Victorian house and renovating it, and this chapter just convinced me that I absolutely need to stick to that dream. Maybe not a Victorian, but an old house with charm… maybe a bungalow (those are more common around KC). Anyway, here are a few points from the “Crunchy Con Manifesto” that I particularly like:

#6 A good rule of thumb: Small and Local and Old and Particular are to be preferred over Big and Global and New and Abstract.

#7 Appreciation of aesthetic quality- that is, beauty- is not a luxury, but key to a good life.

#9 We share Russel Kirk’s that “the best way to rear up a new generation of friends to the Permanent Things is to beget children, and read to them o’ evenings, and teach them what is worthy of praise: the wise parent is the conservator of ancient truths…. The institution most essential to conserve is the family.

Just finished this book a week or so ago.  I know the movie got bad reviews, but I’m looking forward to seeing it now.  I would recommend it to younger readers…  I can’t say that it was a book I couldn’t put down, but who doesn’t like a fantasy/dragon book every once in a while?  🙂  Oh, one warning: don’t listen to this on cd as I did.  The narrator is so bad at the dragon voice that I cringed almost every time she (the dragon) spoke.  Maybe I can’t even give this a fair review just because of that, but I’m trying to take it into consideration.

Chad and I watched Stranger than Fiction last night.  He already reviewed it on his blog, and I agree with what he said wholeheartedly.    We really liked it!

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