Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: rules

  • Love Rules, Meditations for Cello and Piano

    Love Rules, Meditations for Cello and Piano

    Wells Hanley and Noah Hoffeld have, after many years working together on various occasions, finally put their prodigious talent into a framework known as Bodhiheart and released their first album, Love Rules Meditations for Cello and Piano, a sumptuously rich series of compositions to delight and enchant.

     The addition of Mark Egan, fretless bass and Arjun Bruggeman, on tablas and world percussion lends a specific depth of emotion to the ‘cello and piano’ that takes the music out of the world of classical and places it firmly into the world of relationship with spirit; exactly what they wanted to achieve.

    Several years ago an improv session set the wheels in motion. Sometime later they realised they both had a deep and long time commitment to meditation and the spiritual life, which has led to the creation of a fusion of sound that is soothing, delicate, and deeply relaxing.

    In many ways the music reminds of the mood music created to set the scene, to entice the journeyman into a world of sumptuous bliss, where daydreaming of the impossibly possible, is perfectly natural.

    Each piece is charming in its soft beauty, delighting the ear, soothing the heart and gentling the soul. As the title says, the work is a meditation for Cello and Piano and it truly is, as without a doubt, trying to write words to fit the beautiful pieces is challenging, as one drifts off to another place where the mind remans in neutral, while simply absorbing the complex and deeply enriching sound.

    Track after track woos, entwines and reaches out with a gentle melody, each piece complete within itself but making a cycle of sensual pleasure. Perfectly perfect is the simply way to describe the complete work.

    Indulge yourself and relax into Bodhiheart’s spiritual meditation for one hour of perfect bliss with Love Rules Meditations for Cello and Piano and then push replay again.

  • School Rules Are Optional: The Grade Six Survival Guide 1

    School Rules Are Optional: The Grade Six Survival Guide 1

    Perhaps School Rules Are Optional; The Grade Six Survival Guide 1 from Alison Hart should come with  parent alert built in for any parents who have children beginning year six, as Jesse and his friends certainly do redefine what going to school is all about as they front up to a new school term and year as the top group in the school.

    It is only the first 30 minutes of the new term and Jesse is already is a bit of a pickle as he realises that maybe he could be the new School Captain, something he really does not want to be, he has Mrs Leeman as his class teacher, who in his opinion is simply antique,  he has lost his special Grade Six jumper, Mum won’t be at all happy about this at all; and so begins term one with the school at Assembly, sitting in a boiling hot gym waiting for the announcements to be made before they can get out of there and get into fresh air.

    Alison Hart has capture exceptionally well the first day angst that comes with the beginning of a new school year when the rules are about to be changed, more responsibly is expected from the children and how, some children simply can’t help being themselves.

    The role of the teachers had been carefully created as people who care but have learned to cope with the unexpected; like the day when the toilet block seemed to explode with water, naturally it has to be the girls toilets, the camp that Jesse so desperately did not want to attend that went terribly wrong but came out classed as pretty special and so much more that does or will or could occur in any school, given time and young, fertile minds.

    Kamp for Kids turned out to be everything a school camp is not supposed to be; there were goats everywhere to begin with and then things quickly went downhill from there, or did they as invention became the name of the game and survival, cold, mud and heaps of fun became the everyday norm. What a term it was turning out to be  as Jesse made a new friend, several actually and in the process of term one learned much about who he was and how true friends support each other when the going really does get tough, at least in the world of grade six!

    Reading School Rules Are Optional: The Grade Six Survival Guide 1 as an adult and grandmother there are so many laugh out loud moments that totally relate to raising children, especially those who do think outside the square, don’t always do the expected and come armed with loads and loads of charm.

    As a first novel from Alison Hart School Rules Are Optional: The Grade Six Survival Guide 1 is a deliciously funny, laugh out loud, often cringe worthy tale of life through the eyes and emotions of a grade six boy and his friends, as they learn to negotiate life with all of its left and right turns. I can’t wait for the next installment of Jesse and his friends as term two surely has to commence sometime soon, even though I am slightly grown-up!

     

  • Never Say Die: The Hundred-Year Overnight Success of Australian Women’s Football

    Never Say Die: The Hundred-Year Overnight Success of Australian Women’s Football

    The ‘Matildas’ have become the pride of Australia in the field of football; they have exceeded all expectations to become a force in women’s football. This wasn’t always the case!

    Fiona Crawford and Lee McGowan in their book ‘Never Say Die’ track the story of Australian women’s football; their substantive international achievements and domestic challenges. The book not only highlights how in the early days the key hindrance was men; their lack of interest, support and even sabotage, but also the role of many very determined, committed women.

    Despite all obstacles put in their way, these passionate women were tenacious and dedicated to the cause of having women’s football truly accepted. The inclusion of their stories gives the reader insight into the many obstacles placed in their way and the steadfast manner in which they moved towards their goal of equality for the women players.

    The authors document and highlight the popularity of the women’s game over 100 year and anecdotally explain the reaction of the all-male authorities. This gives the reader a greater understanding of the trials and tribulations which needed to be overcome by the talented women players.

    Through dedicated research of archives and interviews with players, administrators and fans, the authors have been able to publish a book, which will long be used as an authoritative reference for those wishing to understanding the development of women’s football.

    I highly recommend this book to not only readers who are sports fans, but also to those who wish to obtain a greater understanding of women’s struggle for equality and recognition. From its grassroots games organized over one hundred years ago, the struggles of women to become fully accepted in the football world as equal partners is still on going!

  • Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life The thankless art of being correct

    Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life The thankless art of being correct

    What started out a joke, could be easily considered as the breakthrough book on modern day etiquette, as delivered by comedienne Kitty Flanagan in her latest book, 488 Rules for Life, a book which could possibly become the arbiter of modern day manners, for those who care to discover that there are indeed manners, or at least rules for just about everything in life, whether you knew it or not.

    As she rightly says when she was presented with the fact that there were ONLY twelve rules for life, ‘That’s madness, I have more than twelve rules just for the bathroom.’ And yes, she really does, as you will soon discover.

    Feeling it was her next mission in life, Flanagan set out to write down all the many rules she considered as essential to being able to survive the modern times we all live in, with a modicum of decorum, as well as preventing continually annoying at lot of people.

    After some considerable though she has made finding the right rule out of the 488 very easy, as the book is clearly divided into sections which contain the basics and then the more complex aspects of the rules, which you may not already know, and if you do will simply reinforce the veracity of the rule!

    Now some of this is tongue in cheek, but some of it is not, as you will discover in the section Fruit, which has its own ‘sealed section’ for reasons which will become clear once you have availed yourself of this advice, and why not. In all the etiquette books and society standards over many, many years, fruit was always an issue to be addressed.

    There is another ‘sealed section’ devoted to Wedding Speeches which, as most of you have been to a wedding or three in their time, probably needs no explanation, but is something that should be presented to anyone in danger of committing a terrible social ‘faux par’ by not following all the rules!

    Funny, irreverent, and poking fun at the rules, or rather lack of rules in today world, rules which over generations, even centauries have set the stands by which society operates and setting the boundaries many dare never cross for fear of social ostracization, 488 Rules for Life contains so many elements of truth about how we, as a modern society, go about living what we consider a pretty courteous life!

    By the end of this ‘comprehensive guide to modern behaviour’ Flanagan’s hope is that you will be a better person, and understand all the rules. By doing so you will also help others become socially law abiding citizens of the world who manage to do the almost impossible, change society and by doing so, will make it a far less irritating place in which to live and carry out what should now be considered as the essential rules to guide you through life, hassle free, with the confidence to know you got it right!

    Note: Flush Pause Check (FPC) about the loo: No bare bums on tables – not what you thought, its about parenting: and a final word as rule 372 states: If you tell guest not to bring anything, don’t be annoyed when they don’t bring anything!!!!!!

    No, you’re not finished. There are more rules after this one………

    You got it! Right!

  • The Book of Me

    The Book of Me

    How much better can it get than a Book of Me, all about you and designed to be tailor made, by you for you!

    As this is a workbook there is so much fun you can have filling in the gaps, creating your own drawings, giving scope to what you think your room, or your house, or back yard could or should look like, if you had the say.

    These is also a great page for working out your finances in regard to how much you could earn by carrying out some simple household chores for  Mum or  Dad or even Grandma or Grandpa. You could earn some much needed funds for your holiday that you can also plan out in this fab book.

    Things just keep getting better and better as you go through the pages once you get to the bit that called Slippery Slope, Err, perhaps you better not tell your Mum about this one until you have tried out a few! Remember to make sure what you are going to do is safe– not silly!

    On one of those days that you are SO BORED, there is a little bit on page 61 that lets you record your belly button fluff, and work out just how hairy your Dad is; is he as ‘bald as a coot’ – if you are not sure what a ‘coot’ is, it’s a good one to look up, or a hairy as the Abominable Snowman – also one to look up. Page 116 is all about Get on the Case – not what you expect at all and maybe will give you a clear look at what really can hide in your pencil case.

    You must, of course, be between the ages of 8-11 years old to use with this book, you will have a heaps of fun, learn lots of things you never really ever wanted to know, fill in travel time, if you are going to travel somewhere or the days when there’s ‘nothing to do, Mum’ having AWSOME fun, which is all about You!

    How good can it get!!!!! Well ……actually it could be all about ME!

  • Marge and the Pirate Baby

    Marge and the Pirate Baby

    Marge is the babysitter that most children would love to have. She is small, has rainbow hair, and has amazing ways of planning fun and games. Her two charges, Jemima and Jake love to have Marge to babysit, but they fear she may have met her match when she has to look after their cousin, baby Zara. Marge is totally unfazed by Zara and insists that pirates love babies and that they all should become pirates and behave accordingly. When there is a loud noise, followed by a putrid smell, code brown is put into operation.  Everyone cooperates.

     This is the second book for children that Isla Fisher has written. It is filled with fun, adventure and imagination, as well as lots of big words. The book contains three stories, Marge the Pirate Nanny, Marge and the Stolen Treasure, and Marge and the Wacky Wedding. Each story involves the children being away from parental control, and needing to manage their own behaviour and issues, as well as baby Zara’s. Marge is never at a loss to follow mum’s rules, even though she has to assure Jake that sun cream also repels lions and tigers.

     The illustrations are frequently scattered throughout the stories, and add to the humour. The sight of Nanny Marge doing a bomb in the local swimming pool is fun. The text is a good size with varying sizes according to the situation. When Zara cries, the WAA-OOOH can almost be heard. The language is well chosen, and Marge has the children spellbound when she tells them “I haven’t been this hot since I galloped across the Arabian Desert on my black stallion.”

     For emerging readers these would be wonderful stories.  There is a comfortable resolution to problems, the house is always spotless when Mum comes home, and the children love the ideas that Marge brings to them. She has rules, but always makes sure that there is no need to break them.