Related snippet from the archive.

• The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) by Ursula K. Leguin. Although this book is set on an imaginary planet of ice (where characters wear great fur outfits), it covers topics of racism, cross-cultural understanding/misunderstanding, fear and acceptance of difference, and political intrigue. The chapters alternate between two culturally different characters’ points of view as well as some historical background to each of them. A beautiful story.
  
• A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010) by Jennifer Egan. This book has won some awards- and rightly so. I enjoyed the setting (and critique) of the American music industry. I also found the book quite moving, sad in places and I suppose bittersweet. Each chapter is set in a different time frame and/or location through the eyes of separate, but interrelated characters. I cannot seem to do this book justice so you may wish to read The Guardian review to get a better idea. Not recommended for the Kindle – apparently the powerpoint diary chapter doesn’t display well.
• The Year of the Hare (1975) by Arto Paasilinna. A hilarious story about a Finnish journalist who isn’t enjoying his boring city life and unexpectedly drops out of conventional society. He rescues an injured hare and takes it with him on his trip into the wilderness- picking up part-time work and saving cows from bush-fires along the way.

The Disappointment

• IQ84 (Books 1-3, 2009-10) by Haruki Murakami. This book was not the masterpiece it was supposed to be. I felt I could hear (read?) the voice of an author growing into an old conservative Japanese man. The main female character seemed stereotypically oppressed. (Maybe this is just a realistic interpretation of the position of the female in Japanese society.) On one hand, she was sickenly obsessed with her image and clothing and on the other, she was a driven, tough, intelligent vigilante. This book has some stange fantastical moments. It is written well and weaves together seemingly separate characters in an enjoyably slow, yet engaging, pace. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it is just a conventional love-story dressed-up as fantasy. You are much better off skipping the 900-odd pages and going back to the author’s earlier work The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1998).

The Old Favourite

• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1998) by Haruki Murakami. I never thought I would read books twice, but I really do love this novel and re-visited it in 2011. It is a very creative, unique and well-told story. There are alternate realities included.

Speculative Fiction with a Drop of Fantasy

• Parable of the Sower (1993) by Octavia E. Butler. What happens when corporations take control of water supplies; poverty, fear and violence is on the rise; and people live in compounds to protect themselves? In a not so distant future, a teenager leaves her compound, in search of a better life. It’s a believable situation with a fantastically strong, positive female lead-character on a journey.
  
• Transition (2009) by Iain Banks – Oh what a fast-paced and thrilling action-novel this is! There is lots of movement and surprise in the story. There is a torture scene I skipped, but apart from that, highly recommended.
• The City & the City (2009) by China Mieville – This modern author has some very fascinating ideas and a fascinating first name. This book made me think about space in a new way. It also made me think about 3D modelling and computer games. Lastly it made me think of Arthur C. Clarke’s The City and the Stars which is a mind-blowingly futuristic novel for 1961, a classic which I prefer over The City and the City. In Mieville’s book I found the dialogue between characters too artificial. There was also something about the writing style which irked me.
• The Female Man (1975) by Joanna Russ – I don’t really know what this book is about. I was trying to catch up on female sci-fi authors and discovered this one about several time-travellers of ambiguous genders. It’s a weird book. I heard it was radical for its time. I found it quite radical.
• Vermilion Sands (Short-story collection, 1971) by J. G. Ballard. Interactive/replicating sound sculptures, flying stingrays, flying machines, plants which respond to music, disturbed women. Nice creative Sunday afternoon stuff.
  
• The Drought (1965) by J. G. Ballard. There is a character named “Quilter” in this story who adorns himself with a dead peacock. It is a queer (odd) and compelling read – as most Ballard novels are. Instead of trying to escape the situation which has brought hardship, the central character immerses himself within it. I love reading Ballard and have to make sure I evenly pace myself with his novels- unfortunately no new titles are going to be published posthumously.

Crime / Thriller

• In the Woods (2007) by Tana French. Irish crime. I got sucked right in to this compelling crime book. Lots of interesting characters, especially the investigating detectives. Very good entertainment.
• The Broken Shore (2008) by Peter Temple. Australian crime. Short, punchy writing style with great descriptions of regional communities. Very good.
• Garnethill (2007) by Denise Mina. You can read my polite review of a shit book here. Extremely poorly written.

This photo is best viewed whilst listening to this:

Feel the power.

Wow. What does it all mean? I’m sure you’ve got your own opinion, but here is mine:

• One of my friends identifies strongly with Pan the Piper.
• Having over 40 pairs of sock is not common, however, I can’t exactly reduce numbers when busily coveting woollen 80′s beauties such as these:

• 1 in 4 respondents have mended a sock recently. Well done, we should all do this more often.
• Weather variations were not taken into account for the survey. Especially the weather in Calgary. One friend kindly pointed out to me that living with huge weather variations has a direct effect on the number of socks and shoes required to undertake daily activities throughout the seasons. Think skate socks*; casual mid-calf height socks; casual, cotton, summer ankle-height socks; wicking athletic socks (for running & cycling); calf-height dress socks; trouser socks; tights; pantyhose;  and Christmas socks.
  *20 year old threadbare socks usually make the best skate socks.
• The most common amount of stocked undies is between 10 and 20 pairs. I seem to be stocking an abnormally high amount of undies. (40+)
• There are many reasons why a pair of undies become a rag. Refer answers to question 5.
• Nearly 70% of respondents believe they can carry out all their daily activities with just 5 pairs of shoes! Let’s give some shoes to the op shop- if weather permits!
• Some people probably don’t wear t-shirts to work like I do. I have lots of t-shirt because I don’t have many formal “top” options. My brother and I surely must be in the group of respondents who have over 30 t-shirts.
• For my 18th birthday, a group of close friends gave me soft cotton bonds t-shirt with a print of a Snoutling jeromii fish on the front. I was only just able to throw it in the rag-bag this year when a gigantic hole expanded to the breast area of the t-shirt. I kept wearing that t-shirt for 18 years.
• Throwing stuff out is difficult, because even the most everyday items (such as socks) evoke memories of bygone eras and the fun experienced at that time. (I used to ride a skateboard in those red and brown socks.)
• One friend was disappointed that there was no room in the survey for general comment. This is because the free survey at SurveyMonkey contains only 10 questions. I ran out of room for comment, but am happy to summarise her extra contribution here:
  She really does love her socks and undies. She has a selection of undies made from comfortable materials. She has a pair from NYC with diamontes which look very fancy, but were a bargain because they were purchased from Century 21. Her favourite undies are a pair which go right up over her bellybutton. She wears them on days when she is relaxing and doing comfortable things. “They are like the undie equivalent of an afternoon nap.”

This is a photo of a lawyer’s front window. “Uttering” means to put forged money into circulation. I had to look in the dictionary for that one.

I created a survey to in an effort to consider my own needs and wants and to compare them with others. I am, after all, a self-confessed spy-bird who enjoys going for walks around the neighbourhood hoping people have their front blinds open so I can see whether there is an appropriate flower arrangement in the lounge room or an oversized TV. Rather than coming to your house to look in your sock drawer, I thought it would be simpler and more fun for you to complete an online survey. (That is, of course, if you are willing to participate.)

Separately, yet adjacent to this musing, I recently read the Book “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.” by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. I realised I did not have a serious hoarding problem, but the book assisted me to make more of an effort to take unused items to the op-shop. Perhaps this survey will form a personal inventory of your things. You might be encouraged to consider what will stay and what will go, and how often you really need to buy a new pair of shoes.

The survey has 10 multiple-choice questions. It will take about 3 to 7 minutes, depending on the accuracy of your counting. Survey participants are anonymous, however the general results will be published in Snippets in November.
Click here to take survey

Dear Snoutling,

Thank you for your email of 25 September 2011. You have expressed concern regarding the advertising recently installed at Parliament station and we welcome the opportunity to respond.

Network Advertising
Under the terms of our Franchise Agreement with the State Government, we are entitled to sell advertising space on the train network and contract advertising companies for this reason.

The current advertising at Parliament station was installed on a one month contract term and will soon be removed.

Your comments regarding the nature of the advertising at Parliament, in that it is all-encompassing, have been brought to the attention of our Contract Manager and will be considered when future advertising contracts are being considered.

You have further advised that you find the advertising offensive and we therefore respectfully advise that complaints regarding the nature of advertising should be made in writing to the Advertising Standards Bureau.  Complaints against the advertiser, in this case Telstra Corporation Ltd, can be made via the following methods:

• Online:             www.adstandards.com.au
• Postal:             The Advertising Standards Bureau
  Level 2, 97 Northbourne Avenue
                          TURNER   ACT   2612

Should the Advertising Standards Bureau find that any advertising breaches advertising standards, prior to completion of the current contract, we and our contracted advertising companies would be happy do remove the offending advertising.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

Yours sincerely

Case Resolution Manager (Metrotrains)

I didn’t buy anything.