Candide and Philosophy

Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a report about Candide, the satirical and philosophical novel written by the infamous Voltaire. Candide is a tale written about the titular character, Candide, and how he moves through a few extremely bad years and a criticism of karma, religion, optimism, and philosophy as a whole. It is an interesting read, which has a very hard time letting a character stay dead for any length of time, but is still somewhat fun as a satire and certainly an interesting peak into the views of Voltaire.

Candide, an illegitimate nephew in a baron's castle, has to survive, with the help of his optimistic philosophy passed on from the scholar Pangloss who raised him, a host of horrors. He gets banished for kissing the Duke's daughter, Cunégonde, and must make it through the outside world. Along the way, only one good religious abbot exists who helps Candide, but he ends up dying after also taking Pangloss under his wing. Some of the obstacles before Candide include the inquisition, false heirs, scamming merchants, and constant traveling and slavery. At times, however, the events takes a step into the background for frequent discussions between the characters about philosophy, until the climax where Candide finally marries Cunégonde and the entire cast ends up farming so much that they run out of time to philosophize, which is treated as a good thing.

As a whole, the tone is much stronger than the story. Voltaire is very forefront in his views on philosophy, the church, wealth, and unreasonable optimism, and states them using his characters as mouthpieces often. It's preachy, but it is not as horrid as other obvious political analogies. The ironic and satirical writing gives a tongue in cheek feel that makes it not grating to read, as if Voltaire himself isn't taking his points all that seriously either. All in all, it's not the worst book written by a someone with a point to make, and it's worth the read if you're interested in either Voltaire or simply an excellent philosophical satire. Adventure Van, out.

History of Chocolate

 Chocolate has become a commonplace, especially in American culture. Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache, and chocolate covered candy bars are all quintessential flavors that everyone knows. Most people don’t mind that most common types of chocolate products have Parrafin Wax in them (1), and associate the flavor with sweet delicacies. But this now baseline flavor that we see as the opposite of vanilla was once locked to only one region, where it was harvested by the Olmecs, then the Mayans, and finally by the Aztecs, where it was used as both a currency (2) and was to be taken with chili peppers (3) rather then with nougat.

The beans were first used as a drink, dried and ground before being mixed with water to create a strong, bitter and invigorating drink. Cacao fruits were also used as an item to trade. They were a gift from the gods, and were valued higher then gold among the Aztecs, being an upper class chocolate that lower classes would only consume during special events (3), whereas those such as Kings would drink gallons at a time. The name of this drink, Xocolatl, is potentially the source of the English word for Chocolate (2). But how did the Cacao bean become the Cocoa fruit and become widespread in places such as the old world?

There are conflicting theories as to the way it travelled. There are some claims that Christopher Columbus “found” the fruit by intercepting a trade ship and brought them back with them, or that a group of friars presented them to the king as a gift (3). Another major player would be Hernando Cortes, during their domination of the Aztec empire, who noted down information about the fruit and pushed for the construction of slave powered Cacao plantations in the newly conquered land (4). However, there is no solid proof for who or how the fruit truly first arrived on old world soil. It is much easier to track once it became commonplace, however.

In Spain, once the Cocoa (a misspelled variation of Cacao which stuck in the English language (2)) fruits first arrived, they were initially used as medicine. However, being a bitter taste the Spanish were not used to, they looked to sweeten it, using sugar or honey to offset the taste. This made it a much more appetizing drink for the Spanish courts and upper class, and soon cemented it as a sign of status and culture. However, Cocoa retained the regal roots from the Aztecs by still being unattainable to the lower classes. It took centuries of technology to reach a point where anyone could taste chocolate.

Coenraad van Houten is credited with this change. Being both a chemist and an engineer, Coenraad discovered how to use Alkaline salts, making a powdered chocolate that mixed with water much easier then the previous methods. Alongside that, he (or his father (3)) invented the Cocoa Press, a hydraulic way of separating the cocoa butter from the cocoa beans. These two changes in the preparation of chocolate made it suddenly easy to mass-produce chocolate powder, which made the prices go down and therefore let everyone enjoy chocolate. This also made chocolate much reasonable to experiment with, which brings us to our current view of chocolate bars instead of Cocoa powder (2). 

Advancements came quick for chocolate after the invention of the press, after staying stagnant for centuries. J.S. Fry and Sons are credited with the creation of  the first chocolate bar in 1847. In 1876, Daniel Peter was the first to add dried milk powder to the chocolate powder, creating the first milk chocolate. A few years later, the Nestle company was made to bring this creation to the populace. In 1879, the Conch machine was invented by Rudolf Lindt, a device that gave us the texture we’re currently used to. It was at this point where the progress in chocolate began to slow, as we reach the type of chocolate we see today (3).

However, although chocolate is a fantastic taste and it is good to see it commonplace instead of reserved for the highest echelon of society, there has always been a history of slavery tied into chocolate. From Hernando Cortes’ installation of plantations and the enslavement of the natives (4), to the current epidemic of over 1.5 million children being used to cultivate chocolate today (5), there is still an intense problem that needs to be focused on. Although it is completely possible for slave-free chocolate to be made and used, Nestle and other companies continue to exploit this fact (3). It’s our job to keep this in mind and push for better regulations so we can eat chocolate, truly guilt free.

(1) Bliss, Stasia. “Does Your Chocolate Contain Wax?” Guardian Liberty Voice, 31 Aug. 2016, https://guardianlv.com/2013/08/does-your-chocolate-contain-wax/.

(2) “A Brief History of Chocolate.” BBC Bitesize, BBC, 14 Sept. 2021, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zngsqp3.

(3) “History of Chocolate.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 Dec. 2017, https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate.

(4) “HERNANDO CORTES: DISCOVERER OF COCOA?” We Create Beautiful Travel-Inspired Chocolate., Cocoa Hernando , 7 Jan. 2013, https://www.cocoahernando.com/hernando-cortes-discoverer-of-cocoa/#:~:text=Hernando%20Cortes%20was%20a%20famous,first%20European%20to%20discover%20chocolate.

(5) Slave free chocolate. Slave Free Chocolate. (n.d.). from https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/

 

Book Report = The Ancient Mesopotamians

The Mesopotamian were the first civilization that we know of. How was it possible? The cradle of civilization, two convenient rivers, like the Nile, that would flood and let the make the crops grow, which would otherwise be a bleak desert.. The names of the rivers were Tigris and Euphrates. The Mesopotamian culture depended on these two water sources to make the beautiful farming land that was needed. With the water, they were able to begin storing up food and water until there wasn't any worry of having to move. Building solid houses and capturing and penning animals made them the first civilization.

The Mesoptamians had a large culture, and had lots of stories. The most well known is the Epic of Gilgamesh, and plenty of other stories. They would carve down on stones stories that would otherwise be still carried on words or, worse, gone! Fortunately, with them having enough time to settle down and carve stuff, they 'wrote' it down for fun, giving us the story of The Epic of Gilgamesh. They also wrote down other stories, such as When On High, The Rebellion of the Gods, and the Great Flood.

(From 4/28/15)

A Curious Mind

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog about A Curious Mind, by Brian Gazer and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind is less of a book and more of a collection of the Brian's stories about his life and all the people he has met in his job as a Hollywood Producer. It's an amazing insight to some of the more famous and infamous minds of recent history. He includes the work it takes to get to a meeting, how it feels, and of course, the meeting itself with people like Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, and Princess Diana. They also gave insight into their own life experiences with less famous people and more important problems they faced. It's also filled with fun tidbits and gossip about some celebrity life, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Adventure Van, talking out.

When the Moon was Ours

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on When the Moon was Ours, written by author Anna-Marie McLemore. An urban fantasy tale with very interesting and as far as I know, unique ideas. It's one of the better written books I've read that both has good fantasy and has good LGBTQ+ representation without making it the entire focus, I've been hoping for more casual representation and this gives me good hope about that. The magic and story is well done, it's well crafted and balances the tone very nicely, and all in all was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely give it a go if urban fantasy is your cup of tea.

 

Adventure Van, smelling the roses.

The Cruel Prince

Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on The Cruel Prince, written by Holly Black. It follows the story of three people kidnapped into the world of fae politics. The supernatural has always been an interest of mine, as well as politics, and this was an interesting read. It was convoluted at points, but honestly, that fits for the subjects covered. There's some murders that don't seem required, but again, I think it works.
 It is well done for being a glimpse into a fictional world that works much differently then anything we can relate to it. I enjoyed the read and think it's certainly worthwhile to invest your time in.

Adventure Van, plotting and scheming.

Darius the Great is Not Okay

Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on the semifamous book, Darius the Great is Not Okay, written by Adib Khorram. The book received a lot of attention and is required reading in some areas, due to a tactful covering of a multitude of topics that are most certainly relevant to today's era.  I did enjoy reading it, and I think it was well done, although I cannot say with any authority how some of the more sensitive subjects (depression, cancer and foreign religions) are handled. In my opinion, the ending was a bit too clean, but I can't say that I want or enjoy more mundane or "bad" endings in circulation when it comes to these kinds of books.

Adventure Van, traveling to the unknown.

Truly Devious

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on Truly Devious, the mystery book Maureen Johnson wrote. It follows Stevie, a true-crime self proclaimed "detective", going to Ellingham Academy to solve the cold case mystery of what happened to the founder's family and themselves. Although the mystery itself is not solved in this book alone, it is a three book series. There are some interesting deaths and a decent mystery here, however, there is also a very questionable romantic subplot at play that I can't say I was a fan of. The flashbacks to while the crime was still ongoing are well dispersed across the book and don't hold up the flow, although the first death in the very first part of the book felt almost gratuitous and almost threw me off the entire reading. Still, if you're into school mysteries, this is one of the more well thought out variants.

Adventure Van, investigating.

One of Us is Next

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog about One of Us is Next, the sequel to One of Us is Lying written by Karen McManus. It is, as is the previous book, a murder mystery centering around the same cast, this time focusing on a mysterious game of Truth or Dare that turns deadly. I found it to be somewhat less compelling then the previous book, characters acted strangely and some situations could have been entirely avoided with just some forethought. I always have a problem with stories that need to dumb down their characters to advance the plot, so that is a personal gripe. Beyond that, though, the actual writing was on par with the original, with good scene descriptions and well paced (if somewhat predictable) twists. I wouldn't recommend it if you only somewhat enjoyed the previous book in the series, but if you really enjoyed One of Us is Lying then it is a good sequel that will still keep you hooked.

Adventure Van, daring out.

Journey To The Center of the Earth

 Adventure Van here with a book report on Journey To The Center of the Earth, written by Jules Verne. Although some more scientifically or geologically inclined may know that traveling to the center of the earth is by no means a feasible feat for humans to accomplish even with our modern tools, and that we wouldn't have much to look forward to even if we did manage to get to the lava core of the planet, it has been and still is a common trend to wonder what sort of unknown magic or history lurks below us. In this appropriately named book, we follow Axel and his uncle, Professor Lidenbrock, venturing down below the earth in Iceland and discovering all the prehistoric beasts, strange structures, and the fate of the bold adventurer who came before them. It is not an extremely long or complex read, being just under 300 pages, but it has an intriguing writing style and is well thought out in the execution. It is certainly worth an afternoon read if you get the opportunity and the time.

Adventure Van, excavating away.

The Mythos of Greece and Rome

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog on the collection of translations in The Myths of Greece and Rome, by H.A. Guerber. I've always been interested in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and religion, and it is one of the more famous ancient religions (there are still some who practice it, but it has certainly died down from previously being the ruling mythology over multiple countries.) Greek and Roman mythology are remarkably similar, in so much it's fairly easy to see when they just changed the names of a god and slapped on a new beard and called it their own. However, all of that is pretty basic lore of the subject. I especially enjoyed the book, due to how it's been translated, sorted and not 'explained' in a traditional manner.

The translation is always the most important part of any old text. The translator has a tremendous amount of power, especially when translating religious texts (there's a reason translators for holy texts are usually carefully checked by the ruling class), but the book is one of the more unbiased translations of the Greek/Roman mythos that I've read. There are some points where they actually don't translate a statement that could have multiple meanings and interpretations, and instead goes into an explanation about the separate meanings and how they could relate to the story. This is a huge change from some translations I've read, where the only one spoken of in the text is the one that the translator thought was correct. It's also sorted in a way that gives a solid timeline, both giving background and potential events at the time of conception for the myth or folktale, while keeping it in the "godly" timeline of which events happened when if you look at the stories from a literal perspective. All in all, a very good book for an intermediate grasp on the mythology of ancient Greece and Rome.

Adventure Van, singing out.

Meditation

 Hey guys, Adventure Van here! Sorry for the long wait. Meditation is a useful mental health tool that is easy to acquire as long as you have some spare time. Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used many times over the years to help enhance the mental state of the user, calming and giving more calm and rational thought. Some people prefer to mediate by closing their eyes in silence, others meditate by watching scenery and sounds from nature, and some meditate by ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response videos. It's also very important to do to keep you mentally healthy, and it's in fact better to do in short sittings like two or five minutes instead of forcing yourself to sit through a full thirty minutes. I would highly recommend calming noises or music and just sitting still for a few minutes right now, and then slowly readjusting how much time you spend on a daily basis for what's comfortable for you. Just two minutes at the start and end of each day can really make a difference in how you function!

Adventure Van, signing out.

Email Scams

Email Scams. You know them. You've gotten them before. The famous Nigerian Prince, the Russian Bride, and all those lotteries you win without ever having signed up for. The problem is that they're all fake, and they all have very dangerous consequences for those that fall for them. A common misconception is that only the greedy would ever fall for scams like them, but it's really the hopeful poor and the elderly that suffer the most from these ruthless scammers. It's honestly quite depressing, and the stigma against those who get scammed often stops them from being able to find the support they need afterwards and can at times lead to them being vulnerable to being scammed again. In this report, I hope to go over some of the common warning signs and how to both avoid and cope with scams.

First, the best way to keep your email secure is to not use it very often. Simply giving your email out to hundreds of sites will eventually lead to one being shady or one being hacked. Keep your professional email clean from sites you don't need active updates from, and use a different email you won't mind getting spammed for other, less important sites. Another way is to use the site haveibeenpwned.com, which is an amazing site that searches for any lists that your email could appear on. If you fear that your address may have been leaked, checking it in this site will help confirm or deny it, which can be quite useful for knowing when to block and when to abandon ship.

When you do, inevitably, get scam emails, the most important thing is to never click on a link they send. It's always more wise that even if you got a completely non suspicious email, you should go to the site that claims to have sent it first unless you asked for the email (i.e. a password reset email). Another careful thing to consider is the formatting. Some phrases are quite common in scam emails but would never be used by the official company, as well as plenty of other problems such as typos and formatting errors. This isn't because the scammers are stupid, however. Often, these mistakes are purposefully made so that they don't accidentally hook someone who'll think critically about it further down the line and waste the scammer's time.

If you do get scammed, realize there's no shame in it. If scamming wasn't a successful profession, there wouldn't be as many scammers as there are. Don't fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy and think that even if you've already dunked 5,000$ into a scam, maybe it's real and the next 1,000$ payment will pay off. It won't happen. Ask for support from others if possible, and search for ways to make sure it never happens again. The chance of you being reimbursed for any damages from scamming is nonexistent, so don't trust any emails that come claiming that they're anti-fraud or will pay back the money you stole, as it's a common scam to get two payments off the same mark. Sadly, the best thing to do when you've been scammed is to pack it up, report any legal information of the scammers (bank numbers, pseudonyms or real names, addresses) to the appropriate authorities, and keep a critical eye out for any future emails or other too good to be true offers.

Adventure Van, signing out.

Redwall

 Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a blog on Redwall. Redwall is a book written by Brian Jaques, one of my favorite childhood authors. I was lucky enough to get yelled at about reading Redwall in school, because it was higher then I was supposed to be able to read. Redwall is an enticing original tale about a war between mice and rats. It follows Matthias, a young chosen one on his quest to explore and unite the abbey against the threat of Cluny the Scourge, and features fantastical world-building, interesting concepts, and a compelling and well made story line that still holds up for me even now, over 10 years since I first read it. I'd recommend anyone read it, no matter the age in question. It's just that good of a book and a series.

Adventure Van, signing out.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a book report on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams. This is, by far, one of the greatest tongue in cheek science fiction novels ever written, and I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that. I've always enjoyed both it and the movie that was made out of it, because the humor and style of writing and flair Douglas uses in his work is hilarious and at times emotional. The absurdity of it all is what makes it, making it completely unneeded to find logical explanations for things that other science fiction authors would need to delve into pages of reasoning for. And it does a good job of it, I'd highly recommend it for anyone who either plans to write comedy or scifi, or just wants to read a good romp of the same genres.

Adventure Van, someone else's problem.

Odyssey

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog on the Odyssey. Written, or more so told, by Homer, this is one of the most ancient and famous stories out there, only being beaten in age by stories as storied as The Epic of Gilgamesh. Despite that, it's a fun look into the mythology of ancient civilizations. It's also a good look into the viewpoint of, if not the storyteller, of those that transcribed it in how they dealt with it. The story is filled with interesting antagonists, a well made hero that has both flaws and positives, and handles the topics of death and disgrace quite well. Even without being read as a direct sequel to the Iliad, it's a good story completely on it's own and I highly recommend anyone who has managed to never read it before to at least give it a shot before dismissing it. Different translators often also put different twists on the text, meaning even if you have read it before, it's always interesting to read another variant of the same tale.

Adventure Van, sailing away.

Bridge of Birds

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a book report on Bridge of Birds, a book written by Barry Hughart in 1984. Despite the many pitfalls of dubious content it could have fallen into as an European author writing using Chinese mythology as the base, the book is respectful and yet still takes it's own imaginative takes and uses for it's source. The characterization used is amazing, and the way the keys to the plot are slowly handed over to both the main characters and the reader for solving the main mystery is well written. The descriptions and interconnections of the chapters makes it feel more like reading a movie then a book, and I'm not saying that in a bad way. I would highly recommend checking it out when the opportunity is given.

Adventure Van, following the dragon.

Going Postal

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on Going Postal, a book by Terry Pratchett. A continuation of the famous Discworld series, this is one of the more popular stand alone installments. It features lovely writing and world-building as well as stellar characterization. It follows Moist Von Lipvig across his trials to forlornly reopen the Post Office, as well as multiple other compelling subplots. It both delves into the ideas of how human psychology works. It's a gripping fictional story that I enjoy both reading and listening too on a regular basis. It also changes a lot of common tropes on their head, up to the "final confrontation" being done completely in character and therefore not happening at all. It's a truly amazing book that anyone should read, especially since despite being in a series it's a very good read on it's own.

Adventure Van, mailing out.

Candide

Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a report about Candide. Written by the one and only Voltaire, this is a book about the balance of optimism and pessimism in the world. A satirical tale about the titular character, Candide, and the balance in his interactions with the world. The two combating factors are, in fact, the teaching of the tutor Pangloss that he had as a young child and the horrible events of the world that befall him as he moves on with his life. Pangloss claimed that the world they lived in was world is “the best of all possible worlds” and Candide takes that to heart with unfaltering optimisms even after going to war, being flogged, having his money stolen and many other events, especially when comeuppance arises. It's a cautionary tale against both being too pessimistic and too optimistic, and it is completely satire where no one really dies unless they actually deserve it. It's quite funny and at times a bit harsh, but it's definitely worth a read in any time, including now. If you get the opportunity, try to check it out.

Adventure Van, sailing away....

War Girls

Hey guys, Adventure Van here with a report on the book War Girls. Written by Tochi Onyebuchi, this is a futuristic tale involving war and all sorts of fantastical mechanical suits and technology. It has a realistic portrayal of war as well, including the ideology that neither side is truly good or evil, and what roles personal bias and loyalty can play to both keeping one either true or blinded, depending on the point of view used. It helps humanize and keep a grounded tone even while still going into the deep end with all sorts of amazing technologies and prosthetics. The use of prosthetic, and disabilities as a whole during the book, is well written and done well in terms of story. It is also a great book in terms of not having a white protagonist, which is something that really needs to happen more often. I feel even though it may be interpreted differently by different views, it is definitely a well written book that deserves much more publicity. It isn't a book I'd recommend to check out if you get the chance, try to actively seek out an opportunity to read it.

Adventure Van, walking out.