All posts by Torben Jensen

The Bucket List

Reading,
A public list in Cork, Ireland.
A public list in Cork, Ireland.

The bucket list, supposedly named for the stuff you need to do before you ‘kick the bucket’, is a great tool for planning your goals; be it reading, places to see, dishes to cook or books to read. For reading, I keep several lists that I have compiled over time (divided by topic/interest). I do kinda like the Amazon 100 Book to Read in a Lifetime list, but only because its aim is long enough for me to actually get through it. I have like 40 years left to get through the last 94. Continue reading The Bucket List →

Out in the world (writing)

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SONY DSC
Light and stylish!

At the time of writing, I am literally throwing stuff into bags and suitcases, missing it by mere meters, then picking it back up, folding it nicely and wondering why the hell I would be throwing anything into a suitcase. Pack nicely and thou shall be rewarded with nicer clothing and less broken gadgets. I’m heading to Budapest for some rest and relaxation, but hoping to get some writing in (like a few blog posts and other creative outlets). Continue reading Out in the world (writing) →

Censorship (I said BAN that Book)

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myticketBefore I go off all ranty and stuff, I would encourage you to go skim this wiki page on books banned by governments. It’s not only depressing, but also discouraging that governments, normally not considered oppressive or totalitarian, are on this list. Time to get ranty then. Continue reading Censorship (I said BAN that Book) →

“THERE’S NO JUSTICE, said Mort. JUST US.”

News, , ,
Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Sir Terry Pratchett died today and I’m not entirely sure what to do right now. My condolences to the family for their loss. It’s hard to fathom the loss I feel right at this moment, like a part of what made this world great and beautiful has been taken from me. From us. My childhood, adolescence and adult life was shaped by his books, his wit and humour made me laugh and cry, think and observe. Continue reading “THERE’S NO JUSTICE, said Mort. JUST US.” →

How Can You Spend 7 Hours on TvTropes?

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tvtwlampshadekcblueLet me answer your question with a questions; How could you not? Besides, 7 hours in one sitting is but a drop in a bucket compared to the time I spent reading Wikipedia and other Wikia sites, so don’t you complain about a mere 420 minutes on TvTropes. It could be worse… I am sure there are several recreational drugs that are more addictive and fun than TvTropes.  Continue reading How Can You Spend 7 Hours on TvTropes? →

Gateway Literature

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First onBooks-are-a-hard-bounde is free. Thats what they told me. Well, actually they told me that I could only get six items or less from the library at any one time, but they were free in that I still had to return them every 4 weeks for renewal. That was my gateway into reading, letting me loose in a wonderland of forbidden knowledge and experience. Yes, this was pre-internet. Didn’t get my first computer until 1994 and back then Google was still a fantasy land far far away. Continue reading Gateway Literature →

Being sick, Changing focus and Harry Potter

Humour, News, , ,

keep-calm-drink-fluids-and-carry-on-writingAs it so often happens life has taken a stroll down cough-cough-sneeze-sneeze lane, so the articles I am working on have taken a back-seat in favour of hot tea, tissues, x-box and staring into the middle distance. I hope to be well enough to finish off a bunch of stuff for the coming weeks and keep up consistent output on this blog.

Also, the content of this blog will change ever so slightly to focusing on three things: Continue reading Being sick, Changing focus and Harry Potter →

Combine Reading and Running (like a BOSS!)

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SONY DSCPlease please please, pay attention to what you’re doing when you’re out there. The dangers faced by runners outside, like cars and trucks, other (blind) runners, roaming dingos, impromptu Bollywood shows and the odd ice storm, should not be made more severe by cutting off one of your primary senses. And if you run with a book held out in front of you, then you are just begging to be nominated for a Darwin Award. With that said, if you the type of person who needs to be distracted from the running bit of running, then audiobooks (and podcast) are one way forward. You get to add a bit of narrative enjoyment to an otherwise dull activity. So… Continue reading Combine Reading and Running (like a BOSS!) →