Holocausting everyone
I have finished reading Jonathan Littell’s The kindly ones, 1026 pages in the Norwegian translation, a remarkable book, even if I retain some scepticism on the psychology level. SS officers need not be personal killers, like the protagonist in this book, yet Littell’s way of treating this theme can also be seen as a way […]
Egypt with fire in her eyes
It may be strange to post to this section through a kind of extended “beat poem”, but OK here it is. Egypt with fire in her eyes Home is where the heart is But when there is no work, no food, no future – there is no home Egypt has arisen with fire in her […]
Depend on me
The once-successful Norwegian group Babel Fish, relocated to Florø Melody Grand Prix, was voted first place into the final yesterday, with a father’s love song to his child, Depend on me.
Galileo’s Dream
Kim Stanley Robinson is one of my favourite storytellers, stretching from Californian light to Mars explorations, and he does not disappoint, this time. The book travels a difficult terrain for a sf writer, the historical novel, but there, Robinson excels, giving Galileo flesh and blood, a very good (and possibly quite accurate) portrait. The weakest […]
On programming
Programming, by my work research method, is like living in a house being renovated. For doing something simple one must move fifteen things and find three. Or, a car that is being fabricated, with modifications between each turn. – Øystein Gullvåg Holter
Facing the Holocaust: Jonathan Littell’s The kindly ones
OK I admit I am guilty. I put this book on the shelf for two years, despite getting a copy as a gift (from Preben Z. Møller). I am a delayed reader of this bestseller. Why? I did not want a muddle of postmodern thinking and real fact (I thought). I already had a large […]
Sounding great
Amazing sound Check out the Nik Bartsch Ronin: Lllyria, recent ECM vinyl album (2 x 180 g LP). The music is good. But what catches the ear is that the sound is outstanding. I never had this much dynamics from an ECM LP before. Something must have happened in the studio. Listening to the album […]
2010 albums
I am not sure about the best albums of 2010 and won’t say anything about that. This text is only about music that I have enjoyed, that has grasped out to me, in some way. Gayngs: Related, a great album for pursuing some central pop ideas. Some work out quite good, others so and so. […]
Tools ‹ ogholter.no — WordPress
Tools ‹ ogholter.no — WordPress.
Zappa once more
Despite his puerile, provocative and sometimes sexist lyrics, there is no escaping that Zappa remains a musical giant. Give him the right (underpaid) orchestra, and he would perform on his guitar like a time machine. Amazing fact: I steered ar0und Zappa for fifteen years, 80-95, after an early interest, having got tired of the man’s […]