Surfwaco

Visual and Audio Bliss

December 19, 2010 • 5:55 pm 0

Surfwaco Spotting in Thailand!

Every now and then we folks here at surfwaco like to get off our butts and do good things. Like this, a picture of a Surfwacoan taking a stand overseas.

jbthiering

Filed under: Misc., Travel, Uncategorized, Green, Reaching Out, Travel

December 16, 2010 • 5:50 pm 1

Top 10 Books of 2010: Part 2

At long last, your sleepless nights spent anticipating the arrival of Surf Waco’s Top 5 Books of 2010 are at an end!

5. 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is a very strange but very enjoyable book. Loaded with symbolism and historical metaphor, 100 Years chronicles the trials and tribulations of the Buendia family in fictional Macondo. The village of Macondo is a metaphor for Colombia, but no knowledge of Colombian history is necessary to enjoy this unique book.

4. Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway’s classic book on bullfighting is as easy to read as one of his novels. As much a reflection on life and death as on bullfighting itself, this is Hemingway at his best. I recommend reading The Sun Also Rises either right before or right after this book.

3. Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game) by Hermann Hesse

Also known by the title Magister Ludi, Das Glasperlenspiel is Hesse’s magnum opus. Whether you have read any other works by Hesse or not, this book is a must read. It starts a bit slow, but is well worth the effort of getting started. It is also one of Hesse’s longer books. Read it anyway.

2. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

This is the first and only Solzhenitsyn book that I have read so far, and I enjoyed it enough to buy another of his books that is 500 pages long with the daunting title of Cancer Ward. One Day is a short book that can easily be read in an evening. It follows Ivan Denisovich through a typical day as a prisoner in a Soviet forced labor camp. Read it in your cozy house and be thankful you aren’t in Siberia laying bricks.

1. The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Perhaps the greatest book of practical philosophy ever written. As Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius was the wealthiest and most powerful man in his world. This book is something like a personal journal chronicling his struggle to stay humble and true to his Stoic values. Generations of great men have praised The Meditations as a golden book of wisdom. This is a book designed to offer everyday guidance, not an esoteric philosophical system. The Enchiridion of Epictetus is a nice companion toThe Meditations (and is only around 40 pages).

Now get off the internet and go read a book!– TCN

Filed under: Literature, Uncategorized

December 15, 2010 • 7:09 pm 0

Top 10 books of 2010: Part 1

As promised, here is the first half of my Top 10 Books of 2010. Again, these are not the ‘greatest’ books that I read over the past year, but the ones I most enjoyed reading and think that others might enjoy as well.

10. The Odd Thomas Series by Dean Koontz

This is a series of four highly entertaining books, with another three promised for the future. These are not the books to read for literary merit, but for a quick, enjoyable trip outside of reality. They feature a cast of unusual characters, with the star being Odd Thomas (first name Odd, last name Thomas). Odd possesses the unique ability to see ghosts and is accompanied by the spirit of Elvis for most of his adventures. Each book is in the neighborhood of 400 pages but reads like a book half that length.

9. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

For fans of the movie, this book is a must-read. If you haven’t seen the movie, this book is a must-read (and then rent the movie). This is detective fiction at its best, with crisp, hard-nosed prose written by a former private eye. The protagonist, Sam Spade, is a classic anti-hero. Think Han Solo in the 1930’s. The style of this book also lends itself to quick reading.

8. I, Claudius by Robert Graves

Consistently ranked among the top novels of the past century, I, Claudius is the gold standard of historical fiction. Written as the autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, this book traces his remarkable life from birth as a cripple to his acclamation as emperor. The sequel, Claudius the God, finishes the story. Graves is a master of English prose, and both books remain highly readable nearly 80 years after their publication. Even if you aren’t a Roman history buff, these books are worth a read.

7. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche’s novel about the fictional philosopher Zarathustra (not to be confused with the real Zarathustra, aka Zoroaster) is well worth the effort. This is a book in the vein of Plato’s Republic, where the use of a more literary form (rather than plain philosophical prose) makes you question how much is Nietzsche’s own philosophy, and how much is the wily German thumbing his nose at the credulity of his readers. This book was also the inspiration for a ”tone poem” by Richard Strauss (featured in the opening sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey).

6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

This is one of those novels that has it all—look-alikes, murders, love, long-lost family members, and long-standing vendettas. Dickens is a master of the novel form, creating realistic characters and unforeseen plot twists against the wild backdrop of the French Revolution. If you have been meaning to read some of the classics, this is a great place to start.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of our list tomorrow– TCN

Filed under: Uncategorized

December 14, 2010 • 11:21 pm 0

Mr. W

This is so sad and then awesome! It’s refreshing to watch a commercial that treats you like an intelligent human being.

-DO

Filed under: Misc.

December 14, 2010 • 4:54 pm 2

Honorable Mention Books of 2010

For my first contribution to the wonder that is Surf Waco, I will offer my Top 10 book list for the past year. My goal for the year was to read 100 books. Though I live in Dallas now, I stayed true to my Wacoan heritage by falling short of my goal at 65. The top 10 are not the 10 books that I think are the greatest (how do you compare Shakespeare or Plato with Hemingway or Solzhenitsyn?), but rather the 10 that I most enjoyed reading and think will most appeal to our faithful fellow surfers. I will begin with 5 honorable mentions, books that I thought deserved a word but didn’t quite make it to the hallowed 10. Tomorrow will see books 10 through 6, and Thursday will feature the final five.

Honorable Mention Books of 2010:

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

This one took some determination, but I persevered through seven volumes and came out the better for it. This is, simply put, the greatest work of historical writing of all time.

When in Doubt, Mumble by James H. Boren

Jim Boren was a great friend and mentor to me during high school. One of the most humorous political satirists that ever put pen to paper, Jim’s first book displays his wonderful combination of biting wit and kind spirit. Jim passed away this year, and I wanted to honor his memory by reading a book that would have been featured on the Daily Show if it hadn’t been published decades before today’s satire showcase came into existence.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This book could easily top any list, and lands on the honorable mentions only because I read so many other books for the first time this year. If you haven’t read this, go stand in the corner for 15 minutes as punishment and then buy a copy and read it. Tonight.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Although technically Young Adult Fiction, this book is a thrilling dystopian picture of the future that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. My 8th grade students insisted that I read it. I am happy to admit that they were absolutely right about this book.

Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse

If you haven’t read much (or any) Hesse, do not start here. Read some of his longer works before moving on to this more slender volume. This book is both simple and sublime. It paints a fantastic picture of the loneliness and disillusionment we all feel when we make the erroneous assumption that nobody else is going through the same difficulties we are. The fact that it involves a Secret brotherhood spanning all of time and imagination that includes the likes of Mozart, Plato, and Don Quixote makes it all the more interesting. Tinged with the Eastern mysticism of Siddhartha, displaying the same zest for life as Narcissus and Goldmund, and offering the same concerns over the direction of his contemporary world as Das Glasperlenspiel or Steppenwolf, this book is a wonderful and succinct encapsulation of the world according to Hesse.

–TCN

Filed under: Literature, Uncategorized

December 13, 2010 • 6:22 pm 0

Surf Waco’s Favorite Mode of Transportation

Surf Waco’s Second Favorite Mode of Transportation

Honorable Mention:

jbthiering

Filed under: Uncategorized

December 13, 2010 • 12:50 am 3

Nondestructive Graffiti: Swoon / Knitta

“meant to disappear”

Swoon is a NY-based street artist whose relief print cutouts of life-size figures populate some of the city’s loneliest alleys. After hand-printing her images on recycled newsprint, she uses home-made wheat paste to tag “walls, doors, the backs of stop signs, the base of light poles, utility boxes, trash bins,
sidewalks, rooftops, the frames of subway car advertisements, etc.” Her prints are, in her own words, “meant to disappear.” Unlike this well-known street artist who ended up directing a marketing campaign for Saks 5th Avenue, Swoon has no book, website, or online store – but the MoMA has purchased five of her prints. Check out Walrus TV’s documentary short on Swoon below – it’s well worth ten minutes of your time.

**Update: Another post on Swoon (in St. Louis) can be found here

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“a little more warm and fuzzy”

Knitta Please is an Austin-based collective of “yarnbombers” that was started in Houston (Arcade Fire’s city with no children) in 2005 by Magda Sayeg. Perhaps a tad more mainstream than Swoon, Knitta Please does have a website, a blog, and a flickr stream. All is forgiven, because they were behind the amazing three-dimensional A R T at Austin City Limits this year.

Next week we will feature some of Waco’s very own street artists – most notably the prolific gentleman responsible for the cave-painting-esque syringes marked with HEROIN sometimes spelled HERION.

In the meantime please check out more images from Swoon after the jump.

✖ DO

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