KiYun Roe: Interests

The Empty Ocean

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 15:19:42 GMT

Way back last May I mentioned putting The Empty Ocean on my list of books to read, and I have just finished it. The tale, my friends, is bleak and depressing, but I hope that we can still do something about matters. I am a consumer of fish and other seafood products, and I hope to remain so, but the devastation to sea stocks perhaps means that our children will not have the same pleasure. Apparently we treat marine life the way we treat any other resource--which means that we apply all of our skill, energy and technology into harvesting it until it is gone. Catches everywhere are decreasing (even precipitously in places) despite techniques that can harvest fish from thousands of cubic miles of ocean at a time. Read The Empty Ocean to learn about this story that is not nearly well enough known.

Amazon Hacks

Sat, 31 Jan 2004 15:49:37 GMT

Apparently, there's a whole industry around leveraging Amazon.com's name, starting from using Amazon's database and generating referral fees to working with Amazon's special features like recommendations and Wish Lists. I've ordered my copy of this book.

Try RealRhapsody

Sat, 31 Jan 2004 01:47:51 GMT

I've blogged about Rhapsody before. If you're connected to the Internet most of the time, as I am, then a program like Rhapsody is a great deal, because it lets you listen to as much music as you want for a low monthly cost. Sure, it costs more to buy tracks and save them to your computer, but most of the time, I don't bother with that. There's too much music in the world to buy all of it.

The Menu - New Haven web site

Thu, 30 Oct 2003 15:35:50 GMT

There's, like, a whole web site for this book with discussion boards and everything. I agree with one person who suggested that the book slammed Fresh Taco unjustly. Fresh Taco is not gourmet food, but it's inexpensive and tasty. It probably depends on what you get.

The Menu - New Haven

Fri, 24 Oct 2003 19:42:41 GMT

Spotted this in a local bookstore. We really do have some fine restaurants around here. That wasn't always the case--I remember when New Haven was the pits back in the 80s.

Amazon.com announces full-text search

Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:14:31 GMT

"Starting today, you can find books at Amazon.com based on every word inside them ..." (See How It Works for more information.)

Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt

Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:45:12 GMT

This is a fascinating book about our national debt and more. It covers the development of the entire fiscal structure of the U.S., discussing such topics as banking (and debts), taxation, and the separation of powers established by the Constitution. This is really a fun romp through U.S. history from the perspective of economics, business development, and fiscal policy.

Recent activities

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:49:09 GMT

Just catching up. The six or so entries below describe some things that I did over the past few weeks.

Chocolat

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:42:38 GMT

Juliette Binoche is amazing.

Matchstick Men

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:42:19 GMT

Hanju wanted to see this movie. I've been looking forward to it for weeks. There are something like three stories going on at once, and somehow none of them disappoint. There's the con, of course. There's the story of a man coming apart under his neuroses. And there's the story of a single man suddenly confronted with raising a teenage daughter. It could have been a mess, but the combination of a brilliant screenplay and perfect casting keeps everything on track.

Remember the Titans

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:41:29 GMT

Quite a relief after Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Saw them the same night with PJ and Lawrence.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:40:51 GMT

Wow. Intense. Very stylish. A bit too much to take with its incessant close-ups and slow-motion examination of guns, explosions, and gore. It was a bit of a relief for it to end. I loved Johnny Depp.

Life of Pi

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:39:17 GMT

I liked this book a lot. I really did. It's very well-written with entertaining bits of humor and obscure zoological facts. It's a magical adventure. The main character, Pi, is imaginatively conceived. However, all in all, I do not understand why this book won the Booker Prize. I enjoyed it very much, but I have to believe that there were more worthy books published this year.

Raspberries!

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:37:46 GMT

Hanju and I picked 4.61 pounds of raspberries. It didn't look like all that much sitting at the bottom of the buckets we were carrying. As soon as I started washing them at home, it became clear that it was an immense amount of raspberries. Good with vanilla ice cream.

Peace Like a River

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 05:28:55 GMT

Read this book last weekend. Beautifully written, lyrically so. Thoughtful and intimate. It feels like it takes place outside of the normal boundaries of time and space and yet remains very real in many details and in the experiences of the characters. The characters themselves are warm, full of color, and original. They are entrancing. The whole thing reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird but not in a copycat way.