This is the forth book of the series. I was a bit weary at the beginning as I thought it was going to be a boring continuation (like it was my last Dune book). But it hooked me and read it voraciously. I was surprised how quickly I finished it. I liked how all the parts are faced at the end and the goals they want to achieve plus how different are the personalities of each character.
It was interesting after four books, that is the first time it is mentioned alien life and robots. Thinking this is sci-fi based on a very far future I should have noticed that very early on the series but still it is really engaging with all the twists.
This book was a gift from a very good friend. It has been an interesting read as it has helped me to put labels to my own behaviours and explain some situations in my last (and only) relationship.
The book states there are mainly three type of behaviours in relationships
Secure: comfortable with intimacy and communicating.
Avoidant: dont want to get to close for fear to lose independency
Anxious: too preoccupied and overthinking the relationship, requires lot of closeness.
In my case I am mainly avoidant, and I realised that my ex-girlfriend was anxious. And funny enough, it seems the statistics say this is the common common couple because there are few “secure” in the market and relationships between members of the same group are really uncommon. I actually laughed at this! But I think it is quite true.
The goal is not becoming overnight a secure person but to communicate needs from each side to make the gap smaller.
And from other side, people evolve, change for good and bad. So if you are secure doesnt mean you are always going to be secure, if you attachment fires in a weird way to you can end in a bad situation.
While reading this, I was analyzing myself and my former relationship and was funny how many things started to make sense.
Another thing, attachment is not love. That was a relief. Before my former relationship, I got hit by another person and that made me feel like a puppet, I felt like nothing and I hit rock bottom. But that helped me to work on myself seriously. And this can happen to anybody…
And bad attachments can be difficult to break…
Although, this is not just extremes. I think I have been secure in several points but now I have understand myself better and I think I would act better in a new relationship.
As well, this knowledge helps you to filter potential partners or actual ones. So it can help you to improve your relationship.
At the end of the day, (as usual, I am always trying to find the universal truth in books), everything is reduced to communication. Express your needs openly. Make the relationships a two way street that goes to places.
This is a dish that I thought I would never taste neither cook as always saw it with more than squid. Until I went to Galicia with friends and one day we ate arroz negro in a restaurant. I didnt see anything that could give me an allergic attack, although I wondered later on the day if they had used fish stock… but I survived 🙂
So based on that experience, I decided to try it myself at some point. And that was today. I found a video that matched my expectations of using only squid. I bought a couple of things I missed (nothing special) and already had the squid ink I bought online.
Ingredients:
400g frozen squid rings
1-2 tsp of squid ink (or more)
1 bunch of spring onions chopped
1 pepper chopped: I used an orange one.
2 cloves of garlic chopped (I forgot to add it!)
2 tsp of tomate paste
500m of boiling water with a vegetable stock cube
200g aprox (or a bit more) paella rice
1-2 tsp of turmeric
salt
Process:
In a hot paella dish, drizzle a bit of olive oil. Add the frozen squid rings. Add a pinch of salt.
Keep stirring until you have crust in the bottom of the dish. Not burn!!! Drop the heat to medium-low.
Add the spring onions and pepper. Mix continuosly, dont allow to burn!
Add the tomate paste and mix.
Add the rice and mix well for 1 minute or so. Dont allow to burn!
Add the vegetable stock with the boiling water. Add a pinch of salt.
Add the squid ink with a bit of boiling water to be sure it is not solid.
Be sure the paella dish is completely black (In my case I should have added 1 more tsp of ink)
Add the turmeric and mix. Taste it! Dont move the rice any more after this.
Increase heat to high for 5 minutes aprox. Be sure you move the paella dish to be sure the heat is spread out evenly so the rice is cooked everywhere.
Drop the heat to medium.
Wait until most of the water is evaporated. With a tsp, try a bit of the rice to be sure it is cooked. You should be able to scratch the bottom and get the extra flavour!
Remove from heat, and let it cool for a minute. Ready to eat!
Garlic Mayo
200ml sunflower oil
1 egg
2 chopped garlic cloves
salt
1 tbsp of vinegar
1/4 lemon juice
Process:
Put all ingredients in a tall glass and use a hand blender.
Blend and taste! Need salt? Lemon?
Put in a bowl and to the fridge
For my first time, really happy, better than I expected! Just add more ink next time 🙂
This is nothing new. I have made gazpacho for several years, it always taste nice but somehow I felt it wasnt as good as the ones I tried back home. And to be honest, I never bothered looking for a video…. I followed kind of the recipe from Simone Ortega.
But yesterday, I did my best by far!!! The difference, just three super ripe and juicy tomatoes!!! They filled nearly half of my jar of the blending machine with juice once I crashed them a bit… So this is just a note for the next time. Buy good tomates, they are a bit more expensive, but they are worth every f* penny Mazinger.
Ingredients:
3 super ripe/juicy tomatoes. Peel them
1 red pepper, try to peel it
1 green pepper, try to peel it
1 onion
1 cucumber, peel it.
2-3 cloves of garlic.
salt + pepper
1-2 tbs of vinegar
100ml olive oil (aprox)
a bit of paprika
splash of water (optional- not necessary with good tomatoes)
Process:
Put everything in the blender. Mix until everything is smooth.
Just finished the third book fo Dune. At some points was quite engaging about all the conspirations, unexpected events, etc. But all the dialogs about the dreams, mixing souls, pass/future were a bit dull as they looked like repetitive. Looking for the next one but I am bit concerned as I guess a bit the next plot…
This book was in my to-read list after all the “conflicts” about people rejecting vaccines during the pandemic. As far as I remember from school, this book was important in the French Revolution and used on most European democracies and constitutions . So I was curious about how the situation would have been managed under the rules of the social contract.
I am was quite surprised that book was quite thin but it was sometimes quite dense (like a good old tiny-letter contract…) and difficult to follow. There are many comments about Sparta, Venice, Jewish law and mainly Rome. And comments from other authors mainly Montesquieu and Maquiavelo.
In general, I consider JJ Rousseau a pure romantic. It seems man is good by nature and the common will makes things fall into its place… As the goal of this contract is to maintain the human freedom in the society. As well, this contract proves that the right of the strongest doesnt work. And political parties are not good!! As well, only in the social contract you can have real (private) property. I struggles to understand the difference between Sovereign and state. A good point expressed is legislation needs to been understood by the people. So it is very important how the language is used to express ideas. So I was quite surprised by that, looks like a genuine interest to reach the masses and he was aware of that difference. Too, the proportion of inhabitants per land benefits different political systems. And the legislator looks a like a special human being that is going to the best for Society. That’s for me one the “most” romantic things in the book. It reminds me a bit to the dictatorship of the proletariat. That is not going to work because Man is not good by nature.
There is a division of power between legislation and executive. Legislation is based on Equality and Liberty (and you add Fraternite’ = France 🙂
It is important of the number of magistrates in a government. It is curious because I think this happens nowadays with parliaments and civil servants.
I expected the book to be mainly focus in “democracy” but when reading about the classification of governments: democracy, aristocracy and monarchy. The best gov is mainly based on the size of the country. So democracy works best in small countries because leaving in a demo”crazy” requires “you” to be a very active part of the government. And looks like it is not very well suited for me… There are three types of aristocracy: natural, elective and hereditary, considering the “elective” the best. That for me, it is kind of the current democracies. We vote for somekind of elite and the govern for us….
And in any kind of government, the challenge is to put the good people in the correct post.
It is interesting that as well, based on the economy and weather!, different types of government are most suitable! And a government is not forever. It needs to change, that is a good thing we do, as power corrupts (man is not good by nature…) And it is very important to have periodic reunions to check on the status (like in Rome) and there shouldnt be a fix capital city so that keeps everybody on their toes regarding the government matters as it is something you can ignore.
Money is showed as a chain, so nothing really positive from an active member of society as it distracts you from the main goal: group will. As well, wealth can make you ignore your responsibilities in the social contract and with too much wealth, you have poverty. Another thing that doesnt work well as you can buy votes, etc etc.
One interesting point is that dictatorships sometimes are needed but must have a fix short term. This is mainly when there is agreements.
A nice quote: “It is easier to conquer than to rule” – true story
Interesting things I found is the death penalty is accepted. I am not sure if I understood well but considers God as the source of Justice.
There is a section about “censorship” that is mainly to keep morality… I wasn’t very sure about this.
And the last part talks about religion. And the conclusion is clear, religion is not compatible with politics! 🙂 It puts as example mainly the Catholicism with Rome.
It is a very dense book of ideas and likely I have left many ideas out and not sure If I am understood all. But it is worth it. At the end, based on this book and myinterpretation, people should have follow the government advice about vaccination. But I feel biased anyway because that was what I was trying to verify.
