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Kitten update

2012-01-27T17:28:00.001-08:00

So. Let's see. We took Inkwell the kitten to the vet on Wednesday afternoon and he got medicated and such. Wednesday night he was clearly not feeling well, few meows and no purring. Thursday morning, just about nothing. He didn't want to get up, didn't eat, and when I checked the bathroom I discovered that he'd barfed all over behind the toilet. He also had diarrhea. He was very lethargic all day, and just didn't eat much of anything.

About 11 am I called the vet again to report on his worsened condition, and she said that a kitten should not be vomiting like that. The diarrhea and lethargy were also very bad signs. So she prepped me for the worst, telling me about the feline version of parvo, which is nearly always fatal. She explained that the big problem, since he had diarrhea, would be dehydration. She suggested getting some Pedialyte to try to get him back up to normal hydration levels.

So we got some Pedialyte, and tried to feed him again. But he really wasn't eating much of anything. And he wasn't moving much. And he wasn't purring at all. I had him laying on my stomach for a time, and was afraid at least a couple of times that he had died right there.

In addition, he developed a drool. Massive drool. Big blobs of it coming out of his mouth. And I took to wiping it up constantly, which annoyed him a bit. Add in the eyedrops, and I think the poor guy probably hates Eric and me now.

Well, I left him some kibble in Pedialyte last night, and it was gone this morning, he'd eaten the lot. I gave him some more, and he showed no interest in it, but when I came home for lunch he was up and meowing and he clearly wanted more.

So I gave him more, then a little more. And watched him eat and drink while I was home. I was elated.

After covering an event, I decided I wanted to check on the cat and rushed home. He was curled up in his box, refusing to move. Back to sad kitten again. I left him some more food in the bowl and went back to work a little worried.

When I got home this afternoon, Eric had fed him again and he'd eaten it all. However, he hasn't pooped since this morning, so I'm a little worried that he overdid it and is likely to throw up again.

So Inkwell is now curled up on my left arm. He seems happier today, he's eaten a lot. I'm still worried about him, but I no longer think he's about to die.

Inkwell isn't so well

2012-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have learned a number of unexpected lessons since ... acquiring... a kitten the other day.

Kitten farts smell really, really foul.

Black cats are dust-bunny attractors.

When cats eat too fast, they tend to vomit.

It's hard to sleep when you are worried about a cat.

Anyway. Inkwell the kitten settled into the spare bathroom without too much fuss, and we let him out to roam the house whenever we were home. On Tuesday that meant in the morning when we were getting ready for work, at lunchtime when I came home to check on him and eat and in the evening.

In the morning he was ok, seemed happy enough. At lunchtime I noticed his left eye was a little wonky, kind of winking. Other than the eye he seemed pretty happy, running around and trying to keep my hands from eating lunch, since hands are supposed to feed him. He also tried to get milk out of every part of my body he could reach. Including, at one point, my nose.

Dinnertime his eye was looking a little worse, but the vet is only open during the day, so I tried not to worry. I figured if it didn't get better overnight, I'd call the vet and take him out there. Then he threw up. Lots of barely digested dry cat food all over the floor. I swear the pile he made was bigger than he was. We cleaned it up, put him in the bathroom to rest, and then when I went to let him out he wouldn't come out. He seemed really uncomfortable and sad, and didn't leave his box inside the bathroom at all. I was worried. I didn't sleep well last night.

Breakfast this morning his eye was completely shut and there was a gross little discharge in it, but otherwise he seemed much better. He was purring again, and meowing. And he came right out of the bathroom when I opened the door. I wiped away what I could from his eye, and gave him a small portion of food.

I wasn't able to get him to the vet until this afternoon, and they immediately put a lotion in his eye to help clear it up. We have the lotion and will have to attempt to apply it to his eye again tonight. The vet said something like, "he might lose that eye," which made me panic a little. I hope not, because Winkwell isn't nearly as good a name.

After I described the throwing up and other stuff, they agreed with me that he was probably eating too fast, but gave him something that was applied to his neck that would deal with roundworms and earmites, which they noticed he had.

Looking a little bedraggled and unhappy with his treatment at the vet, he's now somewhere in the house, probably with Eric.

At work today, the man who found Inkwell in his car came back with a bag of catfood and some cat treats and toys, and thanked me again for taking the kitten in. The ad for "FOUND CAT" has now run for two days and we've gotten no response. *sigh* Eric may end up killing me yet.

Inkwell the Cat

2012-01-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

As Eric posted, we've been adopted by a cat, sort of.

At work today, I heard Marnie say something about how cute the cat was, and so I wandered out to see what was up. On the counter was the cutest little black kitten, with four muddy paws, shivering.

Turns out the kitten had just been discovered under a car in the parking lot. It apparently hitched a ride in the undercarriage of a car, because the mud was definitely not something it picked up in our parking lot. I petted it for a bit, and Marnie and a customer started discussing how much I needed a cat in my life. I could tell that the guy who had found the kitten really didn't want to deal with it, so I agreed to take the kitten to the vet.

Besides the mud on all four paws, the kitten was coated in motor oil from being in/under the car. When you petted it, oil ran onto your fingers.

So we found a box and put the cat into it, and I popped it into my car and drove out through the snowy roads to the vet. At the vet I quickly learned that the kitten was a he, about 3 or 4 months old, in pretty good health. Certainly well fed, and very socialized. He needed a bath, and the vet suggested an exam. So I went back to work to finish the day's writing, and the cat stayed with the vet to get cleaned and checked out.

After work I picked up the little guy, now dubbed Inkwell, and took him home, since somebody has to take care of him while we try to find out if he's already somebody's pet. Eric and I installed him in the guest bathroom for the time being, and after I finished taking photos at the basketball game today I let the cat out to wander the house.

He seems to rather like Eric's lap. He also doesn't like to be picked up, at all.

We have a cat!!!

2012-01-23T19:07:00.002-08:00

Eric, here, giving a Gjovaag household update. We seem to have been adopted by a cat! I don't know all of the details, but this little black kitten was found at the newspaper, all covered in oil, so that when you petted him, he left inky black spots on your fingers. That, and where he was found, led to him being dubbed Inkwell. Laura took him to the vets and got him cleaned up and trimmed, and Inkwell is now in our guest bathroom with all of the proper cat fixtures. We're currently planning for this to be a temporary stay, and the paper is running an ad to find him a home. But he is a cute little fellow, and very personable... (although I think I hear him scattering kitty litter around right now...)

Best explanation of SOPA/PIPA argument I've seen

2012-01-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

This video has the most straightforward explanation of why SOPA and PIPA are so hated by the majority of internet users. I can only hope that my article can make this problem with the way these things are written clear enough without coming across as biased.

CYMB #14

2012-01-21T09:44:00.001-08:00

Blessing #14 - My Husband

Happy birthday, dear hubby! I met him online a couple of decades ago, and now we've been together quite some time, enjoying each other for the most part.

I love his strong support and his kindness through my toughest times. Anyone who can put up with me for long deserves a great deal of praise. I love when he makes us breakfast, and adore him for doing most of the cooking.

I'm proud of how he just manages to get along, despite all the difficulties in life and despite all the disappointments. He's my joy and happiness.

I'm very blessed to have Eric as my husband.

CYMB #13

2012-01-20T20:27:00.001-08:00

Blessing #13 - I made it to 40

So here I am, 40 years old. Who would've thunk it?

Happy Birthday to me

2012-01-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

Yup, today is my birthday. I've finally reached the big four-oh. I counted twice to make sure. Yup. Still happening.

It's melting, melting!

2012-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

But not fast enough, sadly...

Today Eric had a day off school, though I headed to work. I came home a little early because the research I was doing could be done at home. We know the local district will be two hours late tomorrow, and there's a decent chance it'll be canceled again if the freeze tonight is solid.

And hey, tomorrow is my birthday. I'm hitting a millstone. Or is that a milestone? Whatever, I'm hitting 40 tomorrow. Wow. I'll post something about that tomorrow.

Hey, Who Turned Out The Lights?

2012-01-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Gone Dark?

2012-01-18T05:39:00.002-08:00

If many of your favorite websites are dark today, they've done it to show you how the internet will be if Congress has its way and tries to stop piracy with a scorched earth policy. Today, at least, the 'net will be useless. If the anti-piracy legislation is passed, that's how the 'net will always be.

Snow?

2012-01-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

I was at church, sitting in the foyer, when I glanced out the window and saw a few snowflakes straggling down from the sky. I said the word aloud, "Snow?" and a little child went running to the doors, and then back to her parents, yelling, "It's snowing!" For the next five minutes various little children ran around the foyer, pointing out the glass doors. Others ran out into the snow, which fell a little harder for a bit. Some of them were jumping up and down with glee. Then the snow slowly started to weaken, less and less, until there was finally nothing again. The excitement died with the lack of snow, and I think I even heard a little one complain about the sun breaking through the clouds.

We're under a winter storm watch now. The watch is, as I recall, less serious than a warning while it has more potential for chaos than an advisory. We're two days out from what might become a serious winter storm. First one since I've become a reporter. We'll just have to see if it actually happens.

CYMB #12

2012-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Blessing #12 - Automobiles

Wow am I glad I don't have to walk everywhere. Admittedly, I probably could use more walking in my life, but there are a lot of places I wouldn't be able to get to in a day without a car. Especially here, where everything is spread out.

Offside Coin

2012-01-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

A very cool new set of coins has been released in the UK to celebrate the Olympics. The best of the lot is probably the Soccer Coin, which tries to explain the offside rule.

Despite my love of coins, I think it's fairly unlikely that any of these will end up in my hands. All of them are very cool, though.

CYMB #11

2012-01-11T20:27:00.002-08:00

Blessing #11 - Blankets

They are warm, sometimes fuzzy, they wrap around you, and you can snuggle in one with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book and rest. I really am blessed to have blankets to curl up in.

As an aside, I know I'm not going to keep up this daily pace forever, so don't be surprised when I miss a day.

CYMB #10

2012-01-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Blessing #10 - Word Processors

So, as I'm writing my articles today, I vaguely noticed how many changes I kept having to make. And at some point, later in the day, I started to think about typewriters and how it used to be, back in the day. Back when so many writers had to use whiteout instead of backspace.

And I realized that I'm really freakin' blessed to have word processors. My writing style tends to be: type it out, erase half of it, rewrite and type up the new, adjust three or four words, stare at it, then move on to the next paragraph. Then three paragraphs later rewrite the first paragraph and move the fourth paragraph up to the lead.

Anyway. It's really nice to have word processors.

CYMB #9

2012-01-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

Blessing #9 - Fiction

I enjoy fiction, the imagination of others shared with me. I enjoy the ideas that people come up with, and the way they explain those ideas. I like having the ability to read those books and watch those movies. The world would be a much sadder place without the ability to disappear into a good book.

A Sunday Review

2012-01-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

TV this week:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Crisis 22,300 Miles Above Earth!" - The JSA with the JLA all having a happy little party together. I really quite enjoyed this one. Good stuff, including Aquaman.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Four Star Spectacular!" - I'm not all that impressed with this one. Four short stories, and at least a couple of them were more-or-less crap. Not pleased.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Mitefall!" - Well. Huh. Not that I mind a Batmite story, but the abrupt appearance of another goofy character was a bit of a surprise. The in-joke with Aquaman's voice was irritatingly amusing. So. That's the end? Pity. It was a good run.

Young Justice: "Revelation" - An interesting story about the importance of the team. This version of the Joker is really quite horrific, but then I think we knew that already.
Young Justice: "Humanity" - Good to know that Red Tornado isn't the mole, but what does that mean for the rest of the team?
Young Justice: "Failsafe" - Holy Moley, as Captain Marvel might say. That was totally unexpected and stunning. And yet it made a great deal of sense. The whole team went a little crazy there. Wow.
Young Justice: "Disordered" - I'm glad that the events of the previous episode weren't ignored in this one. The experience that they went through definitely would affect them, possibly change them, and it only makes sense for them to still be smarting. Add the Forever People to it, and whee!
Young Justice: "Secrets" - And there is Secret, finally. Not in the same excellent form as in the comic, but at least she's there. And Harm as well. This was a great episode, particularly the inclusion of Zatanna. The Halloween party subplot was fun as well, but the appearance of Secret was one I was really looking forward to seeing.

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 11: Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life (Dec 1916-Jan 1917) - Indy and Remy have to travel across brutal African landscapes, battling disease and hunger. This was a terribly brutal, and yet that's just how it might have been. I was impressed by the strength of the supporting cast in this one. The entire thing was really touching, and as good as half the movies available out there that are supposed to be features. Some really good moments of cinematic drama as well. And seeing Indy really question the war and its goals so completely also was a nice moment.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Nov 9th
Mister Terrific #3 - Still uneven and strange. All the beats are there, all the story points, it all fits together... and yet it doesn't.
Green Lantern #3 - I do not like Sinestro, but this makes him almost seem sympathetic, right up until that final panel. Even then, it appears to not be Sinestro's fault. Hmmm.
Resurrection Man #3 - I don't recall ever liking the Body Doubles in the original series so many years ago, but I have to admit they are kind of fun in this revival.
All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #13 - Lots of Robin in this one. A slightly surprise ending, but not really. I mean, it IS Batman.
Nov 16th
Green Lantern Corps #3 - Scary nasty guys, powerful guy risking everything... this was actually a surprisingly good issue of a series I didn't think I was enjoying. Good.
Justice League #3 - I hate hate hate this visual representation of Aquaman. Sideburns are dreadful, jewelry is tacky, chain is boring. I want my Aquaman. How can this version of Aquaman be from the same writer of the regular series?
Young Justice #10 - Not enough Aqualad. I liked the resolution, though. Nice twists at the end.
Northlanders #46 - Brutal, again. I'm going to have to reread the Icelandic Trilogy, or at least this part of it, when it's done.
Sergio Aragones Funnies #5 - I loved the piano story. Very Sergio. And the autobiographical stuff is always cool. Awesome book, with plenty to make you go back and keep examining the backgrounds. Heck, the cover alone is worth an hour, minimum.
Nov 23rd
Dark Horse Presents #6 - Ok, not the whole book. I only really got this for the Beasts of Burden story, like I got #4. And it was worth it, darn it. I loved what the tale was meant to do, and how it succeeded. The final panel just totally cracks me up. I want another Beasts of Burden series!
Usagi Yojimbo #142 - I wonder about Usagi's dedication at times, but no one can doubt that he saved the day for that clan in this one.I really enjoyed this story, and every time I wonder if every story in his universe has been told, there's another tale. I'm always looking forward to the next issue of this book.
Aquaman #3 - I'm not sure what to make of Mr. Shin, but it could be a neat addition to the mythos of Aquaman. I do like the look of this version. He's literally out of place, and trying to be what people expect him to be. He only relaxes when he's with Mera. Very nice work on the art
Green Lantern New Guardians #3 - Lots of fighting, not a lot of progress.
Doctor Who #11 - I'm not really fond of the art, but the story was fun enough. I love the kiss. Heh. Poor Rory.
DMZ #71 - Wow. I wasn't sure what I'd be seeing in this one, but there it is. Someone has to take the fall, and Matty is man enough to do it. One more issue, right? Wow.
Nov 30th
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #3 - I don't really remember all the details from the book, but the Wizard pulled some fast ones on the Mangaboos there, didn't he? As we got to the next land, I vaguely recalled some of the bits, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they play out in this version.
Tiny Titans #46 - Aqua-Ohs! Yay! And a mysterious lady who is obviously poking fun at something to do with the new 52, right? Right.
Fables #111 - Oooh, so we have a North Wind. And a non-flying monkey in a lot of trouble. And I'm really wishing we could afford all the trades so I could catch up with this series. I think I mostly know what's going on now, but there is more background I want to read.
Green Lantern The Animated Series #0 - It seems odd to me to start out a new Green Lantern version with Red Lanterns... but then, I'm old. Nifty. All the strange things I think because I'm so old now compared to modern fans. *sigh*

This week's comic book related review is DC Super-Pets: Heroes of the High Seas by J.E. Bright and Art Baltazar. When a whirlpool threatens Atlantis, Aquaman and his pets go to the rescue. The fact that this has Ark in it made me squee madly. ARK! Aquaman's Golden Age sidekick! Yes, Topo and Storm are awesome, but they included Ark! I like the silly Black Manta pets, too. Reminds me a bit of Ursula's pets in the Little Mermaid. As for the story and all, this appears to be an excellent book for young readers. It's almost a chapter book, but with plenty of illustrations. The spacing on the text is wide and comfortable. A good thing for an Aquaman fan to have, and a good book for young readers in general.

My library book this week was The Monstrumologist: Isle of Blood. Will Henry and his strange master seek out the ultimate monster. I was not really surprised that this book had a lot of the same issues as the second book. Will's narrative is no longer straightforward horror, but he's talking about growing up, mentally and in other ways. The story is pretty gruesome, but I thought it was amazing anyway. A very neat adventure. Another thrill with this third volume was the framing story within the framing story. In the main framing story, Yancey talks about trying to track down the real Will Henry, but within the story Will Henry also frames the tale with his own introduction. Altogether a very interesting story, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Agatha Christie this week was Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, published in 1975. Hastings rejoins Poirot at the site of their first case together in England for Poirot's final battle against evil. Oh wow. Oh my goodness. That was ... not what I expected from Poirot at all. And yet, so very much like him. Almost exactly like him. It's one of those things that is totally unexpected and yet completely consistent. Wow.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

CYMB #8

2012-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Blessing #8 - Chocolate

There's a reason the scientific name of Chocolate actually means "food of the gods" and it fits well enough, I suppose. In any case, I'm very grateful to have chocolate in my life, and very happy that it's available to me on a regular basis.

I try not to overindulge as it's all the more sweeter when you haven't had any for a time. But again, availability makes that difficult.

When I was a child I needed sweetened chocolate, but as I got older I started to enjoy dark chocolate, and now a 70% blend is my favorite type.

CYMB #7

2012-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Blessing #7 - Sunshine

I'm from Seattle, and while the sun does shine there, much of the time the area is overcast. Since moving to Eastern Washington, I've really learned just how nice it is to have sunlight almost every day. It's not a small thing.

So, today my thoughts are with the beautiful sunshine flowing in the windows.

CYMB #6

2012-01-06T18:29:00.002-08:00

Blessing #6 - Christmas Lights

Sorry, very silly one for today, but I can see my Christmas tree still sitting in the front window (I'll take it down soon, probably). The lights and the beauty make me happy.

So I'm thankful for Christmas lights, even in January.

CYMB #5

2012-01-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Blessing #5 - My job

I just want to emphasize that these are not in order of importance to me. Seriously, I'm going to be "saving" a few of my blessings for appropriate days. So I'll go to this one now instead of visiting some blessings that might be more important to me.

I only got my job this past August, and it's already by a LONG shot the best job I've ever had. It's also better than most of my days of education, which is saying something because I loved school.

I've done so much as a reporter. I've gone up in a balloon, I've interviewed various interesting people, I've attended meetings I never would have set foot in otherwise, and I've written a lot of words. And since I ALWAYS wanted to be a writer, since I was in first grade, this job really works for me. I'm not just doing writing, I'm doing interesting writing that pulls the world closer for people.

And I haven't even mentioned how much this job has assisted us with our finances. I mean, the job means that we don't have to move, it means that we can start paying off debts. It's stabilized our lives.

So, yeah, I'm really blessed to have my job.

CYMB #4

2012-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Blessing #4 - My Siblings

Well, I plan on going into each of them in greater detail a bit later, but let me get this out of the way. I have four sisters and two brothers, and despite some disputes and disagreements, I love 'em all and I'm pretty glad I grew up with them.

Growing up in a large family taught me a lot. Perhaps more than I'll ever realize. But as a group, I'm pretty happy with my family.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

2012-01-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.

I did a very short review of this book in my Sunday Review, but I wanted to go into a little bit more detail even though the book won't be out for another six months (July 10, 2012), which means the sequel will take even longer, much to my despair.

I got my review copy from Netgalley.com, after pretty much begging for one. I think I annoyed whoever was in charge of review copies enough to send me one, and I am forever grateful to that person.

Those of my readers who once read Amy Unbounded, back in the days before Hartman moved on to prose, will definitely recognize the setting of this book. It does, in fact, take place in Goreed, and there are a few characters who appeared in Amy Unbounded who show up in this book. Also, if you've read Belondweg Blossoming, you will have a very good understanding of some of the political issues that show up in this book. In fact, if you haven't read Belondweg Blossoming, get yourself a copy before they vanish entirely and read it. Then you'll be ready to enjoy Seraphina all the more.

Ahem.

If you have no desire to read a graphic novel, even one as excellent as Belondweg Blossoming, you may still enjoy Seraphina. The book is about a young woman, a strong female lead is always good, with a dreadful secret. She acts and feels and responds like a real person, which is always important. The secret is suitably dreadful, the lengths she goes to in order to hide it are believable, and the results of those events are also nicely portrayed.

Being a fictional universe with many years of history, Goreed is well developed as a world. The saints come across as being things that real people would deal with in a real world, the religion is fleshed out enough to get the motivations behind people's actions. The hierarchy, the music, the whole city of Lavondaville... it all works. You can't help but get the feeling there is more out there in this world than you are reading about, and that is a very good thing.

And then there are the dragons.

I won't go into any great detail about them, but Amy Unbounded fans already know what I am thinking about as far as dragons go. The divide between humans and dragons is much more apparent here than in Amy Unbounded, but perhaps you need to read it to get what I'm saying. Hartman makes that divide both real and painful to watch, and that's where a great deal of the strength of the book comes from.

In my earlier review I compared this book to the Chalion series by Bujold. Seraphina does not delve as deep philosophically, but there are some powerful questions being asked within it's pages about identity and loyalty that will make a reader think. Bujold is one of my favorite authors of all time. I suspect Hartman will be on that list sooner rather than later. Heck, Amy Unbounded alone has her close to the top, Seraphina is better than Amy in many ways (though I will forever miss that wonderful artwork).

If you enjoy young adult fiction, particularly fantasy that isn't too fantastically crazy, this might be a book for you. If you enjoy gentle romance, this might be a book for you. If you liked Amy Unbounded, you absolutely MUST pre-order this book today. Heck, I've read it and I'm going to pre-order it as soon as I have money. Indeed, I'm going to get the hardcover, and read Belondweg Blossoming while I'm waiting for it.

CYMB #3

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Blessing #3 - My Mom

First off, Happy Birthday, Mom!

Ahem. My mother is a fantastic lady who managed to raise seven children in times that were tough. She did what she could, with the knowledge available to her at the time.

Mom taught me a number of important lessons in life, and started me out right. She was a great cook and her recipes still affect me today. She still quilts and knits and makes things, and that has led me to have a great respect for people who are Makers. I tend to admire folks who work with their hands, and much of that is due to my mother.

Mom used to make our clothes. We wore stuff that was sturdier than store-bought, and goodness knows there were times we needed it. My mother also made my wedding dress, including the lace.

Mom read to us rarely, but I still think of her as the scholarly one. In part because she subscribed to National Geographic and let us look through those magazines as kids. If I had a school assignment I was never afraid to ask her for help, because she always knew where to go to get more information. For a time she taught a class in church called "Cultural Refinement" (I think) in which she taught about other cultures. One of the things she would prepare was a dish from another country for the class members to eat. She had to try the dishes on someone, and having seven children to serve as test subjects meant that we got to try a lot of strange food as kids. I still appreciate that early experience in open-mindedness.

Mom read a lot. There were always books laying around the house, and they were usually mom's. If I brought a book home from the library, there was a good chance it would disappear for a couple of hours so mom could check it over. She wasn't overt about it, but she kept an eye on what her children did. She kept us out of trouble, as much as a mother could.

I could certainly go on, but I think I'll stop there... I'm extremely blessed to have my mother.

Count Your Many Blessing (CYMB) #2

2012-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

Blessing #2 - My Dad

Now, I'm not cheating here. I did say yesterday that I was blessed with great parents, but that was more about how they work together. Today I'm gonna focus in on my father.

He's a gruff man with a sneaky sense of humor and a grin that lights up a room. He worked very hard all his life to provide for a large family, and somehow he made it through. The burden on his shoulders was great. He worked the swing-shift at Boeing, and he was gone for a lot of my childhood... except for Sundays. He was always there on Sunday to set a good example for his children.

I don't remember him as a big scholar-type, but I remember him reading to us children more than my mom. In fact, I can still recall curling up on his lap while he read big books to us over and over and over again. In fact, I'm not sure how he endured having to read the same books repeatedly. Again, he managed.

There were times I resented him. As a teenager my rebellion was passive-agressive, and there were occasional showdowns and arguments. But despite it all I still loved him. He continues to set an example to me today, even if he doesn't realize it.

I am extremely blessed to have my father.

Count Your Many Blessing (CYMB) #1

2012-01-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

I've been challenged to think about the many blessings I have in life. So here's my first one.

Blessing #1 - My Parents

I've been remarkably blessed to have a great father and mother who have been together all my life, who raised seven children together, and who are still together today. They were not perfect, no one is, but they did their best given the circumstances and knowledge they had. Considering the parents some children must deal with, I'd say I'm pretty blessed with what I got.

New Year Review

2012-01-01T00:15:00.000-08:00

So, how did 2011 go? I had five goals for 2011, and I managed three of them. Not a horrible percentage. So I guess I ought to figure out what I need to do for next year...

1) Get back into the habit of losing weight. That includes calorie counting, exercising, or whatever else I need to do. No more excuses.

2) Write steadily on 750words.com. I don't necessarily need to write daily anymore, since I'm writing daily at work. But regularly, at least.

3) Get back to blogging regularly. I'm going to aim for three times a week at the minimum.

4) Update the Aquaman page/wiki at least once a month or so, once I've got it updated with the last six month's worth of information *sigh*.

5) Continue to grow and learn in my job. I love it, I am having the time of my life, I want to learn more.

Happy New Year, everyone. And goodnight.

Lynnae's Orange Biscuits

2011-12-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

This is the recipe as it was printed in the Daily Sun News of Sunnyside, WA on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. It was printed at the end of a column about responses that reporters get, written in response to a request for the recipe. The column was not published on the website of the newspaper.

Lynnae's Orange Biscuits

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cup orange juice
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 scant teaspoon salt
7 to 8 generous tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cups milk

Combine butter, orange juice, sugar and orange peel in saucepan. Cook and stir overmedium heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour into 9x13 baking pan.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until finely incorporated. Add milk, stir until dough follows fork. Knead on lightly floured board until dough holds together, being careful not to over handle the dough, roll about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with soft butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll as for jelly roll. Cut into slices, place cut side down in orange juice/sugar mixture in pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For the record, I haven't received any response to that column yet. We'll have to see if it happens. However, I did go ahead and make the recipe today for my brunch. Since Eric isn't here at the moment, I halved the recipe. It came out excellent. It feels a little like blasphemy, because mom usually made more than one batch and halving it ... wow.

Orange Biscuits are best served fresh out of the oven with a side of eggs and sausage. They are best on Christmas Day, served after presents have been opened. To serve, scoop up one or more of the biscuits with a large spoon and turn them over onto a plate, so the orange sauce is on top. Use the spoon to capture more orange sauce in the bottom of the pan and dribble it over the biscuits.

In the unlikely event you have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge until somebody eats them. They can be heated for about a minute in a microwave oven to get back much of their glory.

See this post for the story on how my mother came up with the recipe. If you make these, PLEASE let me know. I want to hear what you think. For me and my family it is not only an excellent breakfast, it's a cherished tradition. But I love to hear other opinions.

Why I'm Not Posting

2011-12-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

I keep meaning to write posts, and I keep delaying. The main reason is that I'm busy working, and once I get home I'm not really all that inclined to do more writing.

The secondary reason is that I'm still getting the hang of being an actual journalist, and I don't want to mess up and write something I really ought not to be writing about here. At the moment I don't think many people who read my work in the newspaper are aware that I also have a blog, but I'm sure that will change if I do anything stupid.

So why don't I talk about my Christmas... that's a fairly safe topic.

Christmas Day
Eric and I got up lazily when we felt like it on Christmas morning. We attended church together, and once home we made orange biscuits using my mother's recipe. And yes, it was a "we" effort. Eric made the sauce, then helped me roll up the biscuits. The orange biscuits were REALLY good, and there's a story about them I'm going to tell as soon as I'm done with the main Christmas day events.

After our late breakfast/brunch, we opened presents. We did not get presents for each other, but both sets of our parents sent a package, so we opened those. From my in-laws I got a few months supply of my dark chocolate and some other very nice gifts. From my mother (and sister, I gather) I got a flying shark. We watched the second half of Gone With the Wind, which I had never seen before. And that was about it.

Orange Biscuits
Now, a few days before Christmas I wrote a column in the editorial pages about what Christmas means to me, and mentioned (twice) the scratch-made orange biscuits that my mom used to make. The column was printed on Wednesday, and on Thursday I got a call from a person VERY interested in the recipe for the orange biscuits. So I contacted mom, asked her permission to print it, and wrote up a column on responses I'd gotten to my writing since coming to work for the newspaper. Mom promised to send me an updated version of the recipe that included changes she just automatically makes when she makes them herself, but forgot to write into the recipe.

So I got the updated recipe before Christmas and decided that before I print it, I ought to at least make it again for myself... and it was delicious. I told Mom so, and she told me how the recipe came about. I may end up using it for a future column, but I don't think so. So I guess I'll write that little tale here for everyone to enjoy.

Mom said she was working at the hospital when she turned 16, and there was an older lady who worked in the kitchen who made the pastries and such, and had her own corner of the kitchen. Mom said the woman's orange biscuits were a favorite, and when she made them she wouldn't allow anyone in her corner, jealously guarding her secret recipe. But the biscuits, oh, they went fast when they were put out. So mom did some experimenting. She started with a fairly standard cinnamon roll recipe for the biscuits, and worked on the sauce, altering it and adding to it and trying to get the balance just right. Eventually she came up with the recipe that had her children scrambling for the stuff every Christmas morning, and remembering the dish with awe and happiness.

Flying Shark
Whew. Now, on to the flying shark. I mentioned on this blog that I wanted one a few months ago, and my mom came through with flying... er... sharks. I was tickled, but not really sure what to do with the thing. I mean, a flying shark!

So yesterday after I got off work, Eric and I went down to the grocery store and got it filled with helium. The folks at the store weren't sure how much to charge, because it's a tad larger than the typical 18 inch mylar balloon. So they charged me $5, which I felt was reasonable, and I went home with the very light and amusing shark which Eric dubbed "Bruce".

Once home, I attached the various bits and bobs to the thing that make it fly properly. It was a bit of a job, and I messed up some of it. But overall I didn't do too bad. The quality of the equipment seems really flimsy, but it was made to be very light so it can fly, and I think it's not all that bad. Ask me again once it has run out of helium and I have to refill it. Once I was done I used the remote to chase Eric around the house, although he didn't really run. Bruce is fairly ineffective, bumping up against people instead of gripping and shredding with his painted-on jaws.

The shark seemed heavy enough to stay put, as it wasn't really floating above the couch. When we went upstairs to bed, the shark was downstairs, sitting on the back of the couch looking very calm and collected.

In the morning I got up and opened the door to our bedroom and screeched a little, slamming the door. Eric asked what was happening, and I opened the door again to see Bruce the shark floating at eye level right outside our upstairs bedroom. I couldn't really think of Eric pulling that particular trick on me, and besides, Bruce was floating, so it was fairly clear he'd gotten up there on his own.

When I posted about the event on Facebook, Garret posted this link to a similar story with a less happy ending.

Shark at Work
This morning I decided that I couldn't possibly take Bruce to work, and didn't. I did tell my flying shark story to my office mate, and she was a little amused and more bemused. At lunchtime I debated, but not for long. I couldn't take Bruce in my car, so I took Eric's car back to work with Bruce in the back seat.

Once at work I spotted one of the gals in the ad department in the parking lot and enlisted her help in getting the flying shark safely into the building. It really does not like being outside in the wind. It feels very much like it's going to blow away no matter how hard you hold onto it. She got me into the press room, which is the large part of the building where the printing press is set up. It was running off today's paper when we got in, and I let the shark go immediately and used the remote to make it swim around the air in the large room. It was very neat, as there was plenty of room to maneuver in there. The folks of the press room were amused at Bruce, and then we took him down the hall.

Word got ahead of me, so the ladies in the front office weren't at all surprised to see the floating shark, but we hid Bruce around a corner and waited for the other ad gal to walk down a corridor before the shark swam out at her and startled her good. No one else was really surprised until my editor came back from lunch, then my office mate and I managed to get him while his back was turned. I was afraid for the health of the shark for a bit there, but the editor returned it in one piece.

I also managed to startle one of the other reporters, and got the publisher making jokes about land sharks for some time. I overheard the ad lady I surprised telling someone on the phone that "one of the reporters is attacking people with her pet shark!" I was warned not to leave Bruce in the office overnight, as other balloons had moved around enough to trigger the alarm. Which was fine with me, I had no intention of leaving him there, but at least I had a bit of fun.

The editor suggested I take the shark to the senior center tomorrow, since I'm headed over there for a story. Hmmmm....

Anyway, that's my tales for the moment. I'll endeavor to write more regularly now, if I can just get my willpower working again.

Famous People Go See "Wicked"

2011-12-21T05:12:00.003-08:00

A new series! Number one: Mark Evanier.

Simon's Cat for the Holidays

2011-12-20T07:03:00.002-08:00

A Sunday Review

2011-12-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

My NetGalley book this week was Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. A gifted young musician attempts to hide her dark secret while trying to solve a major mystery. Rachel Hartman is best known in my circles as the writer and artist of Amy Unbounded. But with this novel she's taken the plunge into a different world, and in the process fleshed out Amy's world unexpectedly. Yes, the novel is set in Goreed, no, Amy does not appear. But a couple of other familiar characters do, and the result is something that will please Amy's fans while still appealing to a whole new audience. I can't speak to the details of the book yet, though I plan on writing a more thorough review. Let's just say this is the kind of book that you read once, set aside for a bit, then reread with a great deal of joy. I haven't found such an appealing read in awhile, and I'm actually excited that I'm going to read it again. Parts of the novel remind me of Bujold's Chalion series, in a good way. And parts are very much Hartman's old style, also in a good way. I want to read the sequel, and my only real regret about this book is that the official edition won't be out until summer. In the meantime, get ready, fans of Amy Unbounded will want to read this, fans of young adult fiction will want to read this and fans of well-designed fantasy worlds will want to read it as well. Put it on your wish lists now.

This week's comic book related review is Brody's Ghost Volume 1 by Mark Crilley. A total slacker wins a staring contest with a ghost, and suddenly is drawn into an unexpected world. I like the art, of course. Not Crilley's old style, but it's still got that strong sense of storytelling and clean lines. The main character is kind of annoying, but he grows on you. The ghost... well, she's really annoying, but that's the way she needs to be for the story to work. If you are looking for Akiko, you won't find it here. But this is something just as good in its own right.

Agatha Christie this week was Postern of Fate in 1973. Tommy and Tuppence move into a new home, only to find mystery is still around them. I enjoyed this final tale of the pair of investigators. I like how they casually talk with one another, so linked. And I figured out some of the mystery, although not all of it. I regret that I'm so close to the end of Christie's works. I wish I could do what Holly did in Red Dwarf and just erase my memory of the whole lot and start over again. They are that good. I wonder if there are any mystery writers out there that even come close?

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Flu Shot

2011-12-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

The first time I got the flu shot, I got violently ill soon after. It's hard to remember after all these years, but I was pretty sick. It had to be coincidence.

The second time I got the flu shot, I got violently ill soon after. Again, it was a long time ago, so I don't remember exact symptoms, but they matched the flu pretty closely. Despite a real possibility that it was coincidence, I resolved to never get a flu shot again.

The third time I got the flu shot, I was talked into it by my doctor. And sure enough, I got violently ill soon after. As with the other times, it was long enough ago that I don't remember it too clearly, but I recall complaining to my doctor that I'd gotten the flu from the flu shot. I again resolved to not get a flu shot again.

This year, many years after my last flu shot, I chatted with a Department of Health official as part of my new job as journalist (four months, yay!) and she was really curious about my story. She suggested it might have been the formula used, which has changed in the last few years. She asked me to consider getting a flu shot and seeing if it happened again, and reporting it all to her. I didn't have money for the shot, nor did my insurance kick in until later, so I waited and thought it over very carefully.

Yesterday I saw my doctor (insurance, yay!) and when she asked if I wanted a flu shot, I said yes, explaining my history with the thing to her. So, at 2:15 on Dec. 15, 2011, I got the latest flu shot. We will now see if I get any symptoms at all, and after a month I will report to the health official and let her know how it went.

So far, so good.

Just an Update

2011-12-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

It's been cold here. Not as cold as I've ever felt, but certainly a bit chilly. I'm experiencing freezing fog for only the third or fourth time in my life. It's strange, like snow that doesn't fall, just sticks wherever it feels like.

In the last week I went to Rotary (guest speaker was sick), the Port meeting, a grief ceremony at a local hospice, a Christmas celebration to interview a former member of the Billy Graham crusades, a local business that's being sold soon and this morning I went to a cemetery for a wreath laying ceremony in the freezing fog. I've also had a mammogram, had blood drawn, interviewed one of our carriers about her efforts to self-publish a book of poems and listened to a telephone town hall with politicians whose ideas I mostly disagree with, then had to write a fair article about the call. Today I still have a museum open house and basketball games to go to, and tomorrow I need to attend a VFW dinner. And that's just this week.

I have LEGO advent calendars, TWO of them, but I haven't had time to sit and enjoy them. I also haven't had time to put together the Winkie Newsletter, which has given a couple of people a bit of consternation, I know. I'm working on it!

Monday morning, I'm going to have a minimum of seven stories to write up before 10:30 am, which is one reason I've started on as many as I can right now. Thank goodness for basketball coaches who get back to you quickly! All of my teams and the team I'm taking over while one of the other reporters is on vacation have two games each this weekend.

So life is busy. And I'm enjoying it, mostly, quite a bit.

Spam Attack!

2011-12-06T06:45:00.002-08:00

I think the spammers believe I'm gone from here, because they are doing their best to load up my comments with unsolicited commercial links. Ha. Good thing I moderate.

Sorry I haven't written more. Been surprisingly busy.

Wish List Thoughts...

2011-11-30T15:42:00.001-08:00

I don't expect any presents this year, but I thought I'd update my mental wish list. My needs have morphed a little since I got my job, and I want to get my head straight on what I really need versus what's a nice fantasy versus what I want.

On the need list is mainly new clothing. I've got enough shirts to last for a bit, but by next spring I'll want to get more. The real urgent areas are pants and shoes. I've been wearing jeans to work, but I only have enough pairs to last a week. I'd like more variety and more security.

As for shoes, well... I've got good ol' walking shoes with mesh sides which won't do me much good in the coldest winter, nor are they really that useful for visiting dairy farms with the attendant hazards of such places. No, I really need a good pair of shoes or two. To complicate matters, I've been wearing men's shoes for the last few years because my feet are too wide for normal women's shoes and finding the wider sizes can be tricky. So I get to pick from men styles, which is a plus and a minus. I also ought to find something I can use in the snow, because the odds are good I'll need to walk it in soon.

I think those are the only things that fall into the really need category, and Eric and I will be taking care of them as soon as the finances allow for it. So as far as real needs go, I think I'm in pretty darn good shape. On to the nice fantasy!

My biggest fantasy item now is a camera. Not just any old camera, as I've got a decent little Nikon CoolPix that works in an absolute pinch. No, I need a digital SLR camera that I can use for work with at least two lenses, one for normal photography and one for sports, and an external flash. And while I'm dreaming I would also want a nice case (like a sling bag) to put it in.

See, the problem at work is that we've got five reporters. Two of those reporters have their own cameras, while three use the in-house cameras. And there are only two in-house cameras. Leading to a lot of juggling schedules when all three of us need a camera on the same night. As I said, my little Nikon works in a pinch (for non-sports), but I'd love to kit myself out with a decent camera of my own so I wouldn't have to worry about camera availability.

The in-house cameras are both Nikon D50s, a model that has been superseded. But the cameras and their lenses work well enough for our jobs. I've considered looking for a used D50, but even used they are around $300, and that's out of my league. The newer version, the D3100, rings up at about $600 with only a normal lens. And it's considered a lower end camera. The sports lens could be upwards of $200, and I haven't even found an external flash for it.

In short, I know I'm not going to get a good camera, but I continue to fantasize about it.

Moving on to just regular wants... well, there's all the normal stuff. I have couple of Amazon wish lists full of junk that would make me temporarily happy. My regular wish list has a bunch of books and other merchandise I want. My Kindle Books wish list has a lot of Kindle books I hope to get, most of them I'm just waiting for price drops on. I also have a Longshots wish list of stuff I don't expect to ever get. I also have the normal wants of chocolate and such, but honestly, most of my wants and needs are actually met. I don't want much, so I don't expect to get much.

In fact, looking at what I've just written, I realize I'm in pretty good shape. Sometimes just stopping to count your blessings makes everything seem better.

A Sunday Review

2011-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

TV this week:

Young Justice: "Terrors" - Not much Aqualad in this one. In fact, it's pretty much all about Superboy and Miss Martian figuring each other out. I really liked Icicle Jr in this one.
Young Justice: "Homefront" - Again, not much with Aqualad. This is a siege story with the focus on Robin and Artemis. There is an intriguing bit about Aqualad trying to find the mole on the team, and I wanted a little more of that particular plotline. Maybe next episode.
Young Justice: "Alpha Male" - Aqualad's leadership of the team is questioned as they recover from Red Tornado's treason. I liked that he's got self-doubt, and I like better that the team finally got over their anger and listened to him. Oh, and Captain Marvel was a kick, too.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Powerless!" - Captain Atom is a jerk, but I'm not sure that he deserved a serenade by Aquaman. I don't think anyone deserves a serenade by Aquaman. Still, fun little episode, even with the singing.

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 10: Phantom Train of Doom (Africa, 1916). Indy and Remy arrive in Africa but miss their train and end up having a series of adventures. This is slapstick Indy style, in the best way. Remy makes for a good straight man when they are together. And when they aren't, the story still rollicks along thanks to the frontiersmen. As usual, the extras are educational. This is a pretty good one.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Oct 5th
Grimm Fairy Tales: The Library #2 - Well, not what I was exactly expecting. I thought the various folks would remain divided in different stories, not come together so quickly. That's a positive. And the final splash reveals why Eric wanted this series. Yup, Oz-related.
Justice League International #2 - Booster just isn't that great as a leader in the best of times, so I'm not sure I like how this is leading to him growing into the role. Then again, we're always complaining that the super-heroes never get to evolve, so I guess this opens some possibilities.
Stormwatch #2 - Still not liking this book. I just haven't got a grip on the characters, and J'onn isn't the man he used to be. So I'm just a little lost. We'll have to see if it builds into something I enjoy.
Oct 12th
Mister Terrific #2 - Confusing and more than a little disjointed. I'm following the book, but there's so much more this could be, it's a constant disappointment.
Green Lantern #2 - I do not like Sinestro, but he's got a point about Hal. And he's way better at being a Green Lantern as well. It'll be very interesting to see how Hal deals with this situation.
Resurrection Man #2 - I'm really curious to see where this is going. No memories, fine, new powers each time, fine. Body Doubles back in action, fine. Where's the rest of the backstory? I hope it starts to come out soon.
Northlanders #45 - Well, that was a interesting time jump and a dangerous twist. But wouldn't there be more than just a brother and sister? I mean, there must be cousins and such that also lay claim to the name. I swear, this book always makes me want to do research.
SpongeBob Comics #5 - No Mermaid Man. Overall, cute and funny.
Oct 19th
Justice League #2 - Still no Aquaman, and the whole thing is a bit too X-Men for me. Persecuted heroes, boo-hoo. That isn't the DCU I like.
Green Lantern Corps #2 - Um. Ok. Still not enough information for me to know whether or not I'll like this story.
Tiny Titans #45 - Aqua-Cow. Playing soccer. But not Aqualad, not even any Aqua-ohs. *sigh*
Young Justice #9 - Why is Captain Atom sending the team to investigate his own past? Still, fun little set up for what promises to be an interesting mystery. I liked reading about Kaldur's father. Makes everything fit just a little better into the world of DC. And confuses things a little more, too. Still, a neat touch.
Fables #110 - I bet I would find this a lot funnier if I knew what a Yoop was. Still, pretty funny. I like the characterizations of the other cardinal winds.
Doctor Who #10 - If a Time Lord's consciousness cannot survive in a human body... of course we know that already with Donna. So this is going to be strange. At least we don't have to listen to some ridiculous switched voices.
Sergio Aragones Funnies #4 - I love the whole Hallowe'en theme of the cover, and how Sergio pretty much dismisses it right off in the book. I admit my favorite bits are the "Young Sergio" stories, and while I'm not a big marionette fan, Sergio almost made me one with his lovely tale. His enthusiasm and joy shine through the pages to the reader.
Oct 26th
Aquaman #2 - I love seeing Aquaman in civvies. And out of civvies. Er. That didn't sound quite right. Ahem. Aquaman is called in by someone who clearly believes in him, which is interesting. The reactions to Aquaman vary a lot. Some think he's a joke, but the deputy clearly understands his abilities, and the diver in the water has the same feeling I have: "I'd kill to breathe underwater without this gear." A very strange finish though. Does the spit paralyze?
Green Lantern New Guardians #2 - Everyone is annoyed at Kyle. That's nothing new. Not good news about Ganthet, though.
All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #12 - All the spooks come out for Hallowe'en. And Batman admits to not liking it. No surprise there. As for the bad guy, had him pegged right away.
DMZ #70 - Wasn't really expecting that to happen. It makes a great deal of sense, but I still wasn't expecting it. Huh. Not much more to go now.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #2 - Ah, I remember the picking of the queen. And the piglets. I seem to recall the Oogaboos once dressed up as the piglets. Sort of. Anyway, the Wizard and Dorothy make the logical choice at the time. I think I remember what happens next, though.
Nov 2nd
Justice League International #3 - Progressing nicely. I like the team, overall. Ok, not a big fan of Guy, but you can't have everything. Once again I'm confused by how much of the old universe is still intact in this reboot. I guess at some point we'll all have it figured out.
Stormwatch #3 - Nope, still not feeling it. I don't know any of the characters, which makes it really hard to jump in. I'm beginning to get a sense of them, but it's slow. I liked the city avatars. Gotham fit particularly well.
Legend of Oz: The Wicked West #1 - I really hope this is mostly set up, because as a plot there's not a lot there yet. We enter the story three years in, with Dorothy and her trusty horse Toto trying to find the remnants of the yellow brick road so they can make their way to the Emerald City. And shoes? No, six-shooters in this one. Possibly a great deal of fun, but there wasn't much plot-wise in this issue. Just a lot of scene setting.
Usagi Yojimbo #141 - It's the 200th issue of the stand alone comic book! And the back cover of this issue is rather impressive. Making the layout work with the wraparound covers must have been quite a job. As to the story itself, I enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed how the jizo eventually did play a part. A good story for the 200th. Here's to 200 more!
Peanuts #0 - Um. It's peanuts. I wasn't sure I'd like someone else doing strips, but it's not too bad overall. I'm curious to see more.

My library book this week was The Curse of the Wendigo (Monstrumologist Book Two) by Rick Yancey. Young Will Henry travels with the monstrumologist to Northern Canada to find and bring back a fellow monstrumologist, and in the process learns a lot more about his master. The first book was all about fighting monsters, very clear and obvious monsters that had specific goals and were battled with specific methods. This book, which is more divided into pieces than the first book, is much more about the monsters of the mind. Whether or not the Wendigo is real the process is real, and Will's documentation of it is chilling. In the end, I was not as pleased with this book as with the first, but I'm still interested enough in Will's story and the amusing framing sequence to give the third volume a look. Not a book, or series, for the faint of heart. I would not even classify it as young adult, as the events are fairly nasty and graphic. But definitely a good horror tale for people who enjoy the genre and like some mystery in their Victorian style reading. Just read the first book first.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

2011-11-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

A Sunday Review

2011-11-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Sep 7th
Grimm Fairy Tales: The Library #1 - Fun start. There's a great deal of potential in the "poor little rich girl" story alone, add in the mystical and we've got ourselves a possibly fascinating mini-series. If the series ends with daddy realizing he hasn't paid enough attention to his kids and trying to be a good father... well, that's how this sort of series always ends. Maybe we'll get something more creative. Probably not. For the record, we picked this up because of the potential for Wizard of Oz content.
Justice League International #1 - Despite attempts to create a new universe, this still feels like we were dropped into the middle of a story. I don't know all these characters, but I guess I'll get used to them.
Stormwatch #1 - Well, finally we got our J'onn. So he's part of a shadowy group that is saving the world from the sidelines now. Nifty. I'm going to take a wait and see attitude on this book.
Usagi Yojimbo #140 - The finish to the mystery tale started in the last issue. I loved it, as usual. I don't think there's been any issue of this book I didn't like, and very few that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
Sep 14th
Mister Terrific #1 - A bit of a mess. The art is weak in places, the story seems to hold together but never really gels. So it's a mild disappointment. I hope it gets better. Fingers crossed.
Green Lantern #1 - Ok, so some of the old universe is still in place in the new DC Universe. The whole adventure with the darkest night and brightest day apparently happened, and the war of the lanterns. I'm not sure I like that, because it starts the book out as a resolution to a cliffhanger. I guess we'll wait and see.
Resurrection Man #1 - A new twist on the old story. I think I'm going to really enjoy this series. I hope it goes on for a long time.
All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #11 - A time travel adventure. I love the cover, and in fact enjoyed the story as a whole. Fun stuff.
Sergio Aragones Funnies #3 - I honestly haven't got anything more to say about this series. I mean, really. If you like Sergios work you absolutely MUST get this. If not, eh.
Sep 21st
Dark Horse Presents #4 - I only got this for the Beasts of Burden short. I've only skimmed through the rest of the stories. I enjoyed the Beasts tale, and I'm glad I pre-ordered the next one that will have them in it. Pity there isn't a regular Beasts of Burden ongoing.
Green Lantern Corps #1 - John and Guy dealing with Earth not being their home anymore, illustrating why super-heroes have secret identities. Not too bad. Didn't like the final splash... or rather non-splash.
Tiny Titans #44 - Crosswalks of doom? I love this book. You know it. It just keeps me happy when I'm not sure what to think of things.
Young Justice #8 - Artemis. Learning a lot about her, but I'm still not sure what to make of her. I want to rewatch the series so far and reread the comics... not going to happen. Not enough time, but it's got me interested.
Fables #109 - I admit I'm much more interested in the Oz side of the story than the winds side, but finding out that Ozma gave the prophecy was a nice touch that tied them together. I think we should have been getting this book from the start. Hindsight is 20/20.
DMZ #69 - Matty continues his tour of the Five Nations while a bridge, literally and figuratively, is blown up. Huh. Not sure what to think of this one.
Northlanders #44 - Brutal as usual, along with the strange bits of slavery and not slavery. When is slavery not slavery? Hard to say. But this is a brutal book and not for kids. Wow.
Simpsons Treehouse of Horror #17 - Fun as usual. Some strange stuff in this one. Overall, a good issue of the ongoing series based on the ongoing series of episodes of the very ongoing animated series.
Stan Lee's Soldier Zero #12 - And so it ends, with a fight and a discussion. I'm not sure if I liked it. I know I didn't hate it, so that's something. Maybe I'll get the continuation, if there is one.
Sep 28th
Aquaman #1 - Yes, I finally read it. It took me long enough. I enjoyed it too. The art is sweet, the expressions on Aquaman's face perfect for each of the situations he is in. The storyline has a little bit of promise, but alien underwater creatures popping up from under the floor of the ocean only to discover the new world above has been done a couple of times already, both poorly and not so poorly. The twists need to be big for this one to work for me. I'm going to just cross my fingers and hope for the best, but I can say that I really enjoyed this issue and I'm looking forward to the next one, which is already in my pile waiting to be read.
Green Lantern New Guardians #1 - Kyle's getting a little too much, isn't he? I'm surprised that everyone would assume he's a thief, though. Very strange.
Doctor Who #9 - Kevin just totally cracks me up. And his appearances here are great. The whole mind control aspect was mildly annoying, but it all worked out better than I would have expected it to in the end. Fun stuff. I like the tourist aspect of the whole thing as well. Heh. Kevin. Heh.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #1 - Good start to a book I hardly remember. I do recall liking Jim and Eureka, so I'm hoping for some fun as this gets going. Actually, I seem to recall the start of this book being rather creepy. So far, my memory is correct.
Futurama Comics #57 - I normally don't bother to read this book, just let the hubby enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of the show. But the steampunk aspect was just too funny a twist to pass up, and I actually mostly enjoyed the book.

My Kindle book this week was Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware. This Kindle book, currently available for free, is a zombie romp for young adults. The story is about a couple of teenagers who run away from home just in time for a zombie invasion to cause their hometown's evacuation. On their return, they have to clear the town of zombies before the government decide to sterilize the town by other means.

The characters are fairly strong, but they are typical teenagers. They aren't quite old enough to drive, they snap at each other and don't understand each other, and they take over the local Walmart as a fortress against the zombies. Fortunately for them, the zombies aren't too smart, as I wouldn't rely on any Walmart product to keep a zombie out. The adventures the kids have are logical. We follow them from their first discovery of the zombies to their eventual attempts to return to normal life.

What was interesting is how the main character grows and changes through the book. He's a typical teen at the beginning, but rapidly figures out that he doesn't know much, and yet manages somehow to deal with both his ignorance and his embarrassment at his own ignorance. When the initial pair are joined by a nerd who has all the answers, the main character defers to him when needed and is gratified to get respect back. The relationships between the characters took this book from a typical zombie romp up a notch.

The only big downside I found was a lack of distinctive voice for the second character in the book, the lead character's best friend. There are times when I confused their speeches because they both spoke with much the same voice. The nerd had a nicely distinctive way of speaking, and his growth was decent as well, but he was still the nerd.

The science in the book is also a joy. It isn't complicated science by any means, but it is nicely explained and would be enough to inspire some kids to try making their own little zombie bombs, I bet. All in all, I really did enjoy the level of fun and sophistication in the book, and found myself satisfied at the end.

But wait, there's more! Once you reach the end of the book there are two bonus stories added for your reading pleasure: "Hobgoblin Horror" and "Bloody Mary". The first is about two boys visiting an old man at a nursing home, and listening to the war stories he tells. The second is about a popular sleepover game that maybe isn't as innocent as it seems. The first story was better than the second, if only because the ending of the second story left a few questions about what had happened. Anyone unfamiliar with the game might be left clueless despite the exposition delivered in the story. But both were good horror tales to read on Hallowe'en night, which is when I read them, so I'll give them credit for that. Definitely a book worth checking out if you have a chance.

I've read a couple of other stories by Ware, and was offered this book for review before it was offered free at Amazon.com. So far I've enjoyed all of Ware's efforts to some degree, and I look forward to reading more.

Agatha Christie this week was Elephants Can Remember from 1972. I got this one. I got the whole thing, motive and everything. It's the first one I can honestly say I figured it out as soon as I had the hints, and not at the reveal. Anyway... Poirot is asked by the mystery writer Mrs. Oliver to investigate an apparent suicide pact from over a decade ago. I love reading Christie's MarySue character, and this was a good one for her. The insights into society and how a person was expected to act were lovely to read about. Reading some Christie again after a break was like putting on a warm winter coat during the first freeze. I want to read all the rest right now, but kind of want to save them for later as well.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Fixing Stuff

2011-11-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

So my recliner broke. It's an old recliner, needs to be reupholstered, but I enjoy it and I liked reclining and getting my feet up. When it's not reclining, it's a rocking chair, and what broke was the piece that keeps it from rocking while you've got your feet up. The result was that I'd put my feet up, and the chair would tip forward because the weight was now concentrated at the front.

Now, I've had a little success fixing things. I fixed the legs on the couch, and repaired a hatstand. I also fixed the legs of a coffee table. And most recently I fixed the doorknob of the front door. So I thought, what the heck.

I turned the chair over and looked at the mechanism. Most of the thing is really solidly built, but it was fairly clear what was wrong as there was a comparatively tiny wire hanging loose from a, er, ratchet thing. I looked at where the chair had been sitting, and there was more of the wire. Ah. Broken.

So I took the wire, both pieces of it, down to our local Ace Hardware and showed them to the first guy I spotted. He walked over to a bin and pulled out an identical sized wire. Same width, same bendiness, a bit long for what I needed. But otherwise perfect. $2 for the wire, and I headed home.

Shaping the wire into the spot where the old one had lived was easy. Cutting the wire... not so easy. In fact, even with our wire cutters I was unable to cut the stupid thing. I called Eric down to help, and he was unable to cut it. So I looped the wire around a second time.

Then I tried out the chair. The ratchet clanked as the wire pushed it against the gears, and the chair held. I had fixed my chair!

I'm not a handyperson, but I have my moments.

Kindlation!

2011-11-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

So. I got my new Kindle yesterday. I ended up getting a Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers. I found, from the basic Kindle that I got as soon as it was announced, that I didn't mind the special offers at all. And I realized, eventually, that I wanted a Kindle with a keyboard, and not the new Touch, so I canceled my order for the Kindle Touch and got myself a good ol' Kindle 3 aka Kindle Keyboard.

Have I lost you yet?

As long-time readers of my blog know, I was given a 1st generation Kindle by Eric's grandmother (THANK YOU GRANNY WHO!) and I love the thing. I mean, I adore it. It's a fantastic device with a handful of design flaws that were later worked out. I literally used it once a day for the first six months I owned it, and then at least five or six times a week after that.

But I knew I would want a new version of the Kindle eventually. I just couldn't justify spending money that we didn't have on the thing, not when I had a perfectly good first generation Kindle. So I tried not to think about it. Until somebody introduced me to Swagbucks. At first I thought it was a scam, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. At that point I didn't have much to lose.

Swagbucks is a service that rewards people for doing marketing-type stuff for a variety of companies. The marketing-type stuff includes watching ads, filling out surveys, completing "offers" and more. Spending money earns you the bucks faster, but the neat thing is that it's possible to earn bucks without spending real money on it. Which is what I did. I started doing Swagbucks on March 17th, and by the end of the month had earned enough bucks to get a $5 Amazon.com gift card (AGC). I quickly earned more, and every month since then I've gotten the maximum five $5 AGCs I can get in a month. That was $25 a month in AGCs, and one month I also earned a $50 AGC.

That was how I got my two new Kindles. If you want to learn more about Swagbucks, please feel free to register via my link (yes, I get a little credit for referrals) and then check out Swagging 101 for information on how to get going. I strongly recommend using a throwaway e-mail account (I use one from a free service) and don't complete any offers that require a mailing address (I gave my address to Swagbucks, though, just not to outside companies).

Anyway, getting back on topic, once I had a method of paying for the new Kindle, I decided to wait until Amazon.com announced the 4th Generation Kindle, as the 3rd Generation had been out awhile. That gave me time to build up a nice nest of money with the AGCs, and it gave me plenty of time to think about what I wanted. When the new Kindles were announced, I considered my options very carefully.

I didn't want the Kindle Fire because it is backlit, and the biggest reason I like the 1st Gen Kindle is that I can read it without eyestrain. Computers eventually make my eyes hurt. The Kindle is more like a book. So the Fire inspires zero interest in me as an ebook reader.

So, I had well over $200 in my account, and I had the choices of the Kindle Touch, the new basic Kindle, and the Kindle Keyboard which had already been out for a year. I decided to get a Kindle Touch, and pre-ordered a 3G version. Then, after some thought, I realized I didn't need the 3G, and ordered the wifi version instead. I suddenly had more money left over, and I used that to order a Kindle Basic with the thought that now Eric would have his own Kindle, and I could have one, and we'd both be happy.

The Kindle Basic arrived, and I loved it. I got the original 1st Gen Kindle set up for Eric, and played exclusively with the new Kindle. I had named the original Kindle "Box" after the handheld computer in Star Cops. After getting a new one I renamed it "GrannyBox" and named the new, basic Kindle "BabyBox".

BabyBox has a lot going for it. It's TINY compared to GrannyBox, and it's able to use Active Content (aka Games!). It has collections, so I can easily view and store a lot more books. In fact, keeping with the idea that all my Kindles are for Eric's use as well, I created collections called "Laura's Reading" and "Eric's Reading" to make sure we could keep our stuff handy.

After playing with it for awhile, though, I realized I really missed the keyboard. The pop-up keyboard just didn't cut it for me. And I knew the Kindle Touch would have the same issue. I also read a scathing review of the basic Kindle that basically pointed out that for $20 more you can buy a Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers and get a lot more functionality. While I didn't entirely agree, I eventually realized that I didn't want to the Kindle Touch anymore. At the very least, I could re-order and save myself $40 by getting the version with Special Offers.

Ah, the Special Offers. Instead of the pretty woodcut "screensavers" like the original Kindle, you get ads. But they aren't terrible ads. In fact, some of them are quite creative. In addition, some of the offers are pretty good. One of the first offers was for a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card for $25. In addition to the advertising on the screensavers, the Special Offer Kindles also have an ad banner on the main book list. This reduces the number of books or collections you can see in the main screen, but it's only there. It doesn't show up if you are looking at books inside collections, and there are absolutely no ads inside any book.

So I was seriously considering just getting the Special Offers version of the Kindle Touch. But then I suddenly realized that if I got the Kindle Keyboard I could get it immediately AND have the keyboard that I was missing so much with BabyBox. So I canceled the Kindle Touch order and instead ordered a Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers. Considerably cheaper, and it arrived in less than a week.

Anyway, to make a short story long, I love both my new Kindles AND my old one. I have been enjoying the ability to play games on the new Kindles, and also have GrannyBox with another book or two on it to read elsewhere. I have the ability to take notes on the new Kindle, Keybox, with Notepad. Pretty sweet. And I'm still earning more Swagbucks so I can get the 5th generation Kindle, whatever it turns out to be.

So, I plan on doing a picture comparison of all three Kindles soon. As soon as I can get myself to take all the needed pictures.

Went out today...

2011-11-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

...visited this place and have now updated the directions to our house to have people stop there before coming to our place to get chocolate-covered bacon strips for Eric and I. If they are out of the bacon though, I should suggest people get a piece of fudge, or a death by chocolate, or something else for Eric and I to share.

Anyway, we stopped there on our way to Costco and each tried a chocolate-covered bacon strip and a truffle. I was really really pleased with the bacon, and the blackberry truffle I had was excellent.

Not quite Live-Blogging Hallowe'en

2011-10-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

So, the first Trick-or-Treaters arrived at 5:40 pm. We were ready, and had the decorations up. We just hadn't turned on lights yet. So we did that as the first four kids were still walking away after saying "Thank you!"

Eric had bought six large bags of candy at Costco. He thought each one had 150 pieces in it, making 900 pieces. Based on our rough counts from the first three Hallowe'ens we've lived here, I thought we might make it through the night with those six bags, but I wasn't sure. As it turned out, Math teacher Eric made a critical error that made sure we'd get through the night.

The density of T-or-T'ers was the usual, tons coming in waves, stumbling over each other, falling down in the yard as they tried to wander to the next house in their masks. I saw a few repeaters as well, and when I could I called them on it. I don't think they were daunted.

I tried to count, at least through the first hour. From 5:40 to 6:30 we got 193 T-or-T'ers, give or take a couple. The first bag, which we thought would only have 150 pieces in it, instead lasted for well over 200 pieces. I checked the bag after and realized it never had a count, just "varies" for the number of pieces in the bag.

We had three of one type of bag, and three of another. I looked at the types of candy in each of the bags and decided that we would use up "Type 1" first, and it was Type 1 that had more than 200 pieces per bag, maybe as many as 250 per. The "Type 2" bags had a count of 150 on them... so instead of 900 pieces, we had over 1050! Eric had thought both types of bags said 150, his critical error, so about halfway through the second bag I stopped worrying about running out.

I lost my count of kids somewhere around 275 when a run of about 50 kids happened. I am not kidding. 50 kids. All at once. Lining up and pushing their way to the door. I lost count because a girl leaving the porch stepped into the yard and fell over a pipe-thing that's been in the yard since we moved here and is probably some plumbing thing, but the poor girl didn't see it and tripped, and I was busy asking some boys who had just finished to help her and make sure she was ok. All the while, I was handing out more candy to kids crowding the door. When the rush stopped I realized I had no idea how many kids that was. All I know for sure is that the kids kept coming.

We started the fourth bag about 2 hours after the first T-or-T'ers had arrived. Guessing that the first three bags had over 200 pieces each, we got at least 600 kids in the first two hours, probably a bit more. But right about the time we opened the fourth bag, the crowds eased up. It is a school night, after all.

It's now almost 9 pm, and we have gotten a few sporadic clumps of kids out late. It's definitely too late to be out, as a lot of people have already turned off their lights and locked the doors. Seems to me that prime T-or-Ting time is 5:30 to 7:30. If this is how it "normally" is, I think we'll be able to handle it in the future. I'd gotten all depressed and pretty much given up on Hallowe'en because I hated closing the door early. It's much better this year with some candy left over!

Ok, summary of costumes. Lots of superheroes. Mostly Batman, a scattering of Superman and Green Lantern, a number of Batgirls. Some Marvel heroes, mostly Iron Man. There was a Hulk and a Wolverine without claws. We saw some Oz costumes, 3 Dorothys, one Wicked Witch and one Glinda. A number of M&Ms. Lots of ninjas, but thankfully not as many Scream masks this year. I grew to hate them last year. There was one clever Scream mask, a scarecrow scream. If I'd seen more than one I would have gotten annoyed at it, but I only saw the one.

A lot of kids recognized Eric as a teacher this year. Last year at this time he'd only been teaching in the district for a few weeks. This year he's been at it a full year and was familiar to a lot more students. Eric had to remind a few kids that the Hallowe'en 'magic words' are not "Hey, Mister Gjovaag!" but "Trick or Treat!"

Every once in awhile when a kid said "Trick or Treat" we'd ask them for a trick. This stumped most of them, and amused me to no end. After all, Hallowe'en has become a sanitized version of its former self thanks to the candy aspect, and today's kids don't even know why the saying is "Trick or Treat" or what kind of a threat it is.

More than a few teenagers, and some younger, showed up at the door without a costume. We'd have them come up with a costume on the spot. I suggested that one was a lawyer, and he took it up immediately. Another one I suggested librarian, and she reluctantly decided that was ok. I'll just say I was amused.

A number of the little kids had difficulty navigating the step up to the door. Eric suggested we build a ramp. I suggested we build a ramp and have a hand reaching out from the side of it to match our "monster under the house" sign. It would be funny, but a lot of work to make sure it was safe. Probably won't happen.

Well, it's 9 pm. We made it for the first time. We could even leave the lights on longer if we wanted. A little boy just arrived right after 9, one of the late ones for sure. I don't think most kids are going to be out this late now. I'm feeling pretty happy.

I'm going to estimate close to 800 kids. Based on the amount of candy we have left... hrm... possibly a bit more than 800. If those first three bags had as much candy as I suspect they had, maybe as much as 900. But not much more than that.

A Sunday Review

2011-10-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

TV this week:

Doctor Who: "The God Complex" - I really felt for them, ending up in a 1980s hotel. Hard to imagine a worse time and place. Kind of freaky just on its own. Then you add in the fear rooms. Yikes. I seem to recall the Doctor having to break someone's faith in him before this, shades of Curse of Fenric anyone?
Doctor Who: "Closing Time" - Wow. I really really really like Stormageddon. And Craig made for a really really good companion in this one. In short, this was a really fantastic episode for the moment just before the end of the series. So I just had to wonder what was going to happen in the next episode with the intriguing name.
Doctor Who: "The Wedding of River Song" - The only way this works is if time's wibbly-wobbly removes memories from some people as they go along. Or adds them. Or something. But while I was watching it, the strangeness didn't bother me and I just wanted more. So I guess that's cool. More? Soon?

Sarah Jane Adventures: "Sky" - It was far harder to watch this, or at least to start watching it, than I thought it would be because I knew we'd only get three stories, then it was over. But the tale of the baby who affects the power grid took me in, and I was soon enjoying it just like I was supposed to. I was a little surprised at the end, but not stunned, I guess.
Sarah Jane Adventures: "The Curse of Clyde Langer" - Bits of this one definitely didn't make sense from a perspective of the whole alien confined thing, but the premise was so neat (as well as the special effects) that it almost didn't need to make sense. A lot more about Clyde growing up in this one. I liked it a lot.
Sarah Jane Adventures: "The Man Who Wasn't There" - I suspect that if we'd gotten the other three episodes of the series, which were set before this one, then we would have gotten a sense of how Sky was getting nervous of Luke, and Luke was feeling replaced by Sky, and the whole relationship of the two at the beginning of the episode would have made more sense. But it still worked as it was, and I loved the way the kids made Serf dance. I bet the actor had either a fantastic time or the worst time ever performing that role. The end of this one made me cry, but I cannot think of a better memorial to Elizabeth Sladen than being forever remembered.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Aug 24th
Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Sinestro #1 - This might have worked if it had actually come out before the movie, and before the book that it talks about as coming soon in the end. Maybe. But coming out as late as it did... bleah.
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13 - So not impressed with Guy Gardner, but then I'm not much impressed with Batman in this one either. I guess I'm just not much of a Green Lantern fan.
Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3 - Sweet and sad. Not much else to say about this one, really.
Action Comics #904 - More of the strange Doomsday plotline, not real excited about it. Kind of glad it's all over.
DC Retroactive: Justice League of America the 90's #1 - I'd forgotten that I don't really much like the Giffen League, and haven't read enough of it to be familiar with the characters. So I was confused, amused, and in the end bored. The back-up story didn't fit the tone of the new story at all.
DC Retroactive: Green Lantern the 90's #1 - I read Kyle's stories as they came out, sort of. I recall a lot of the whole thing, so I understood this one. Not bad for a Kyle Lantern story.
Superman Beyond #0 - Nice story. Of course, I'm just happy to see Aquagirl again. I was going to say that there wasn't much Batman for being Batman Beyond... but it's not Batman Beyond, is it?
Justice Society of America #54 - A bit annoying how the writing and art tried to misdirect and yet failed because it was completely obvious that misdirection was happening. Otherwise, not too bad. I think I'll mostly miss this book.
Young Justice #7 - The secret origin of Artemis? I liked it. Even if the team was barely in it, and I don't think Aqualad made any appearance aside from the cover. I still liked it.
Northlanders #43 - Again, I wish I had remembered the previous issue before getting into this one. But once I *did* remember, well, that all came together. Brutal story.
Doctor Who Ongoing V2 #8 - Multiple Doctors, multiple everyone, I understand the solution, but I really need to reread the previous issue to remember why it works. Not a bad series, per se, just annoying.
Doctor Who Annual 2011 - Four little stories. The first one was just bizarre. Second one was a nice little peaceful one that made me happy. Third was strange mix with the companions and the Doctor and references to adventures we aren't going to see in detail. The fourth was a start to a new adventure with the new companion that I really didn't expect, so it'll be fun. No, seriously, I though the new companion was a joke.
Aug 31st
Flashpoint #5 - So, that's how it all ends... and begins. Because the Flash changed a little something in the past, everything changed in the entire DC Universe. It'll be interesting now to see what those changes are. Now I just need to catch up on my comic reading and I'll know.
Justice League #1 - No Aquaman, metahumans hunted and hated by the authorities. Not impressed, not yet. And, sorry, Vic is a Titan. I'm having a very difficult time accepting that he'll be a member of the League and J'onn won't. I wonder if the Flash will undo this universe if it doesn't sell well enough.
The Power Within - A part of the It Gets Better project, which talks about how kids are bullied and mistreated, usually for being gay. A very strong little story. I felt for the kid, but that last panel was a nice moment.

My short story this week was Tanglefoot (A Story of the Clockwork Century) by Cherie Priest. I read Boneshaker some time ago, and loved it. I plan to read the rest of the books in the Clockwork Century series as soon as I can get time. This short story actually preceded Boneshaker, and it's strikingly good, terrifying and heartbreaking all at once. Since it's free and available online, and not very long, I suggest you read it and decide if you like it yourself.

My Kindle book this week was Robert's Rules of Writing: 101 unconventional lessons every writer needs to know by Robert Masello. I admit it, I "buy" every free book I can find on Amazon.com. Most of them I'll never read. But once in awhile a true gem is turned up, and this book qualifies as such a gem. A good book to read in pieces, each lesson is short and sweet. And the lessons are surprisingly good, too. Excellent little chunks of advice, written up in an understandable way. Some of this advice has already benefitted me in my new job. Other bits I plan to use later, as I can put them into practice. But it's certainly a book worth reading if you want to be a writer and need some helpful hints.

Fortean Times #278 (September 2011). Nice cover, classic style with that lovely ghost look. I liked the cover article as well. It was a good analysis of the Time Slip and what likely happened for real. I'd heard the original story of the two ladies who "traveled back in time" once before, but the research this article lent to the experience and to the events surrounding it made it much more interesting.

Strangedays has the usual round up of insanities. The poor woman who can't eat anything but rice reminds me of health issues that people all over are experiencing nowadays. Health issues make me shudder, and there are plenty of them in the first pages of this issue. The Durham Hum interested me quite a bit. I've heard of drumming and droning in some places that drive people nuts before, so it's always intriguing to hear about another one. The tribe that has no concept of time is a good one, if it's true. I can't quite understand it myself, which makes me doubt its veracity. Stories like that always make me think that the person doing the studying is misunderstanding something critical. I love Fortean Follow-ups, and wish that more articles got followed up on. There's a lot of fun garbage in this magazine that I would love to read more about later. I like the two Dutchmen who both are preparing for the end of the world, but not particularly well. The death page is particularly morbid this month with a complementary article to Strange deaths.

I liked the Science article about talking with animals. Nicely thought out and argued. Ghostwatch was properly chilling with the first story of the ghostly bus passengers, and I thought the black dogs article was fun... particularly since I've seen a "black dog" once, myself. Alien Zoo has some good bits as well, but then I like Cryptozoology. Mythconceptions was an interesting look at how Britain views itself, and how people in Britain view history. The Archaeology section was as deep as usual, with a particularly tragic story of remains found in a medieval well. Classical Corner is about suicide, which is not my favorite topic, but eh. The UFO files had some good stories, but nothing that jumped out at me. The Random Dictionary was about mysterious disappearances, and again had some good critical thinking.

I wasn't sure what to make of the Canine Intellectuals story, except that it ties in with the Science topic. There's a good review of the British Library exhibit "Out Of This World: Science Fiction but not as You Know It" that made me sort of wish I could go see it, but also sort of glad I didn't. A good short article on the Art of Bruce Pennington that should have had more examples of his art.

The rest is as inspiring as usual. Good forums, good reviews, good letters to the magazine. If you aren't getting this mag, you don't know what you are missing.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Updated...

2011-10-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

I finally updated my Firefox to the most current version, and my Thunderbird. I had resisted updating for quite some time... I was on a virtually obsolete version of Thunderbird, and my Firefox was fairly old. Both updates required multiple updates to reach the current versions. By that, I mean I would update, then the software would completely update again, then again.

I think I've got Firefox almost to where I want it. I had to download an add-on that made my status bar reappear, since I was not happy with the new garbage the developers decided to put in. I have some issues with the general layout as well, it just seems slightly wrong somehow. I think I was on that previous version a few years too long.

Thunderbird is going to take some getting used to. I don't like the tabs at all. I suppose I'll adjust, but I'm a grumpy old techie. I like neat stuff, but I don't like dramatic changes to stuff I use regularly.

I also want to write up a review of the new $79 Kindle I got. I really want to compare it to my old Kindle, which I still love. I think I shall do a full report, with pictures, soon. If I can get the time.

A moment in time

2011-10-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

While waiting to turn left at a stoplight, I watched a car zoom into the intersection on a stale yellow to turn left in front of me. I got a very good look at the driver's face as he made the turn. I was a little surprised to see shock on his face, and watched as he rolled his eyes wildly. A glance in my rear view mirror showed me the reason behind the strange expressions, as there was a cop right behind me.

I laughed the rest of the way home.

Journalism vs Blogging

2011-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Some journalists blog. Some bloggers are journalists. But a standard blog is NOT journalism. It is much more casual, and lacks editorial oversight. By the same token, a newspaper's website is not a blog.

I just thought I'd make that clear. It's been a very long week.

A Sunday Review

2011-10-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Aug 17th
Green Lantern Corps #63 - Yawn. Humans are the bad guys. Racism in the corps. More nonsense. Will these stories ever be resolved? Hard to say. Do I care? No.
Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #3 - Not what I was expecting, really. In fact, I fully expected the cliffhanger of the previous issue to be resolved with blood and Hal. Good stuff, actually.
Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 - At first I was afraid it wasn't supposed to be read after the last Emperor Aquaman, but it all became clear eventually.
Justice League of America #60 - What was that? A summary, or something else? It was more of the same of this team that I never liked, barely got through, and am glad is going away. Will they be remembered? Yeah, probably, but not by me.
Power Girl #27 - What kind of idiot doesn't take Power Girl's speed into consideration when calculating how she will respond to multiple crises?
Zatanna #16 - Ok, I know she's a responsible magic user, but if she just *has* to be home, why'd she bother with the flight and not just, you know, "ekat em emoh, won!"?
Tiny Titans #43 - Aw yeah Aqualad! Aw yeah Mera doing laundry! Aw yeah Aqua-Ohs! Happy happy! Dang, I love this book. Silly and fun with very little worries about continuity. I definitely like having a book or two like this in my monthly pull.
Fables #108 - A child will be a king, and some folks are sneaking into Oz. I think I'm following the story, but MAN I want to get the first few volumes in trade format so I can really catch up to what's going on.
DMZ #68 - So Matty has to go around an see what the Five Nations of New York are, and he's starting in the "first" nation. What would the place be like after a decade of war, occupation and constant death?
Sergio Aragones Funnies #2 - What can I say? If you like Sergio's art, you want this book. Period. If you don't, well... what the heck is wrong with you?
Soldier Zero #11 - Wow. Pretty intense stuff, but hey, I thought they were hanging out in the Northwest, why would the rain be caused by the aliens?

My Kindle book this week was Seattle Quake 9.2 by Marti Talbott. When Seattle is hit by a major earthquake, ham operators and a small local radio station work on spreading information and saving people. I purchased this book based on the description and the sample, and because at the time of purchase it was only 99 cents, which is a good price for what looked to be a good read. It was worth every penny.

The start of the book is split between two storylines, one about a private investigating firm monitoring a woman they think is a man's missing, once thought dead, wife and the other about the local radio station. While the storylines never quite merge, the distant between them evaporates once the earthquake actually hits. What pleased me as a reader is how much I really cared about the resolutions to both storylines as the book came to a close.

There is one major flaw in this book that threw me out of the story every time I hit it. Perhaps I'm being pedantic, I'm not sure. But I have NEVER heard anyone refer to the Alaskan Way Viaduct as the "Alaskan Freeway". I've heard it called Alaskan Way. I've heard it called the Viaduct. I've heard it called 99. I've heard a lot of different names for it, but in all the time I lived in Seattle and its environs (and I'm a Seattle native), I never heard any regular person on the street call it the "Alaskan Freeway" so every time a character in the book referred to it by that name, I stopped and thought, "Where the heck is this person supposed to be from?" because they sure aren't a native.

Other than that, though, it's a darn good read. The descriptions of the locations were good enough to figure out where people were and the descriptions of the devastation were terrifying, all the more so because they are clearly based on reality. I was amused that the Kingdome fell, but only because it places the book firmly in the realm of fiction and dates it to between July 1999 and March 2000.

The driving force of this book and what made it a compelling read was the characters. From the woman trapped in a high-rise to ham operators I cared about what happened to them, and found myself mourning the dead along with the characters. The very good depiction of ham operators made me realize just how important such people would be in an event like this. Yes, we have the internet, but when all communications are cut off, what then? Radio still works, and the hams get through where the rest of us would fail. So I felt a sudden desire to find myself a ham radio and get a license.

Definitely a good read, and one with few enough flaws that unless you are a pedantic Seattle native, you are probably going to enjoy it quite a bit.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

2011-10-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

October 22, 2002 --- October 22, 2003 --- October 22, 2004 --- October 22, 2005
October 22, 2006 --- October 22, 2007 --- October 22, 2008 --- October 22, 2009
October 22, 2010
Nine years of this blog's existence... It accomplished what I set out to do. I wanted to write for an audience, and I wanted to write regularly. It was a lot of practice, and it helped me considerably to prepare for my current job. Writing every day meant that I was ready when I got hit with jobs that required daily writing.

Speaking of writing, my second Word Nerd column is up. Now I need to come up with another one.

I do have some blogs in the works. I got a new Kindle and plan on doing a review of it soon, comparing it to my first gen Kindle. I also intend to write my reviews of the last few Doctor Who episodes and the last season of Sarah Jane Adventures. And I'm slowly catching up with my comic book reading, although I'm about a month behind still. I haven't yet read Aquaman #1! That's what happens when you get a freakin' cool job that swallows 90% of your time.

I've been at my current job for two months and a week. And I still love it.

Trick or Treat for UNICEF online!

2011-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody. Eric here. You may know me from such blogs as "I Am a Teacher" and "The Wonderful Blog of Oz". Well, today, I come to ask for your help. For the past few years, through my Oz website, I've tried to raise funds during the Halloween season for Trick or Treat for UNICEF. In previous years, I've raised twenty dollars. That's not per year, that's total! So this year, I've decided to try something different: I'm telling people about it! (I know, radical concept!) So, consider this me telling you about it. If you can spare a dollar or two (or, better yet, five or ten or so) to help children around the world, take a look at my donation page. Thanks, and feel free to spread the word. But hurry! It all ends on Halloween!

A Sunday Review

2011-10-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

I'm behind on reviews because, well, because I'm writing a lot more now, but on deadlines and subjects I don't choose, so it's harder to find time for me to write about other stuff. I'll try to get little reviews done as I have time, but my Sunday Reviews may be spaced out a bit more than they used to be...

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 9: Demons of Deception (Verdun and Paris, 1916). Indy serves as a motorcycle courier before getting leave in Paris. A lot of dramatics in this one, as Indy carries orders that will result in the deaths of men he likes and admires after his report from a spy mission is ignored. Even more dramatic in its presentation is the Mata Hari scenes, where she has flash-forwards. Indy comes across as a jealous and controlling boy, not at all as cool as he usually manages to be. Very interesting storyline, very sad results.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Aug 3rd
Flashpoint #4 - Absolutely brutal finish to this one. I'm not liking the Reverse Flash at all. But then, I never have. And Aquaman... it's nice that Barry thinks he can get through to him. Nice and naive. I think it's all gone too far to pull back now.
Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #3 - Pet peeve: Magicians burning themselves out at the end of a story. I mean, seriously. How, exactly, can she be so certain that she's never going to be able to use magic again? Can she see the future? I don't think so. Other than that, not a bad ending.
Flashpoint: Deathstroke the Curse of Ravager #3 - Aw, a happy ending. No Aquaman in this one, but at least it was an interesting way to finish the storyline.
Batman Beyond #8 - Wow, more on Inque than we ever got in the show, although it never contradicts the show (which Eric's been rewatching). This isn't a Batman book so much as the complete origin of Inque and her current life. Good issue.
Usagi Yojimbo #139 - YAY! Inspector Ishida! Murder mystery! Intrigue! Excitement! And a really really bad poet! Ahem. Enjoyed this one, yup.
Aug 10th
War of the Green Lanterns Aftermath #2 - Blah. Does this mean the whole thing is finally over and we can get back to regular stories now? No more endless crossovers?
Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #3 - Heartbreaking, as over and over the characters are given chances, but fail to come to the right conclusion. It's desperately true to the characters in some ways, particularly Vulko. If Vulko is evil enough to create the doomsday device in this world, he's evil enough to use it.
DC Retroactive: Justice League of America the 80's #1 - Not really happy with this one. Yeah, Aquaman has a lot of focus, but it seems to be a bit too much angst for me. Eh, not bad.
DC Retroactive: Green Lantern the 80's #1 - I don't know. Again, it wasn't bad, but I think I'm not that interested in the 1980s, I think.
Birds of Prey #15 - A sort of disappointing ending, but not a terrible story overall. I just wish the gals had a better send off than this. I'm going to miss them.
All New Batman The Brave and the Bold #10 - Hilarious tale from the viewpoint of a henchman. It seems unlikely that Batman would have time to be so interested in one person, but let's face it, this is what we want batman to be. Love the Aquaman appearance.
Spongebob Comics #4 - No Mermaid Man in this one, but the book is overall fun so I'm not too disappointed.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Occupy... what?

2011-10-15T18:35:00.002-07:00

I admit I didn't take the Occupy Wall Street movement seriously at first. In fact, I still have a little trouble thinking of it as a true movement, although I've been very impressed that the occupiers haven't resorted to violence and rioting here in the United States. Should it devolve into that... well, that's what I've been expecting all along, I guess. So I'm finding myself more and more impressed despite my misgivings that any sort of sit-in will ever change the way we conduct politics in the United States.

There was a bit of a story today. I've seen a video, but it shows the aftermath more than the actual event. Apparently some 30 or so people decided to protest big banking by going to their bank, Citibank, and closing their accounts all at the same time. I approve of the closure of a bank account, though I'm not sure going in all at once is a good idea. In their case it certainly wasn't, as they were locked in by the bank security and police were called. The police arrested 24 of the protesters for "trespassing," which makes little sense to me, including a woman who, in the video, showed that she was a customer and that she was leaving. It's distinctly possible that innocent non-protesting customers got caught up in the chaos.

Now, here's the thing. I don't know what those people did in the bank.

They claim* that they went in peacefully and quietly and got in line to close their accounts. The bank manager panicked and told them to leave, so they started to leave. But then bank security locked them in, so they were stuck until police arrived to arrest them. If that's the truth, then Citibank REALLY screwed up, and should be sued for false imprisonment, the police should be sued for false arrest and the customers should get a nice, fat payout from Citibank and the NYPD.

*Update: An account from one of the protesters. They didn't get in line and they didn't leave when asked. They were making a commotion.

The bank claims** the protesters were conducting a sit in and didn't leave when they were asked. But the video shows them locked in the bank, and shows a woman who had left the bank being dragged back into it. If they'd been asked to leave, why were they locked in? How long was the event? Were they sitting there for hours, or just a few minutes before the security locked them in? Were the protesters being disruptive?

**Update: Citibank's Statement. Second update: Citibank changed the statement, removing this line: "To be clear: no one was arrested for closing an account; we didn't lock people in our branch - the police decided to close the branch; and we didn't ask for anyone to be arrested - that is a police decision."

Without some crucial facts, I don't know what to think of the event. I do think the way the woman is dragged into the bank in the video is extremely unprofessional of the policeman/security guard who does it, and he should be reprimanded at the least, fired at the worst.

Overall, I'm still not sure what to think of the whole protest thing. But if I had any money in Citibank, I'd be pulling it out already. And I only wish I could get my mortgage free of Wells Fargo, although that isn't likely to be possible any time soon. I'm glad we dumped BoA (aka Bank of EVIL) years ago, and I will never do business with that company again if I can at all help it.

There's some kind of movement to close down all bank accounts with big banks and move to credit unions on November 5th. I'd suggest that if you plan on moving your account, do it now instead. I'm betting the banks will claim there's a run if everyone does it the same day and shut down for a week or two (so make sure your bills are all paid up and you have enough cash to get by even if you don't plan on closing your account). But I whole-heartedly support moving your money to a local bank or credit union and taking some power away from the big banks that ruined our economy then took taxpayer money to "fix" it, and never did. Vote with your dollars.

I'm a Columnist Now

2011-10-14T21:10:00.001-07:00

It's weird enough to see my name in print in a newspaper, but to have a column... wow!

My first editorial is up, with the overall title of "Word Nerd", which is what we finally decided on after quite a bit of discussion and even a tiny bit of argument. The editor, who is old-school, didn't want me to use the word "nerd" in the title, as he felt it would be detrimental to me. I explained that I'm a nerd and I accept it and that I don't at all consider it a negative, so he finally agreed.

I asked for column title suggestions on Facebook and got a lot of really good suggestions. "Gjovaag's Gjottings" and "Laura Borealis" were in serious contention for quite some time, until the editor made it clear he was hoping for something that didn't have a name in it. That sunk "Gjovaag's Gjournal," "Laura's Log," "Gjovaag Log" and "Laura's Lore".

My editor also wasn't keen on "Exile From Seattle" and "From Out of the Rain," which I liked but he felt would limit me later on. I re-used the second one as the title of this particular column, because I couldn't NOT use such a great title (which actually fits the subject) that's also a bit of a meta-textual reference for some of my fellow Doctor Who (Torchwood) fans.

The subject of my first column is about the recent changes in my life, particularly what I've seen since becoming a reporter in a small town. The title refers to both a physical and emotional difference in my life. My second column is written already and is about the thing I miss most about Seattle, which may not be what anyone thinks.

I've put up a photo of my column box, which will be appearing on all my future columns. I reduced the size to make it look better. Unfortunately, reducing it far enough that the picture doesn't bother me makes the text unreadable. If you want it full-size, you'll just have to subscribe to the newspaper.

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2011-10-13T15:39:00.002-07:00

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Links! (I'm not dead yet)

2011-10-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

If you recall Katie, who was teased for her Star Wars thermos, then you'll be delighted to hear how Katie was treated at GeekGirlCon.

Check out these 33 scary stories available on-line.

Removing DRM would reduce piracy. Those determined to steal will do so regardless of DRM. But most people would rather be honest than dishonest, so punishing the honest as if they are already thieves just results in frustration and, eventually, piracy.

Do you have a cool lunch bag? Here's ten cool ones, including some anti-theft sandwich bags.

The following sound clip is from the Bachmann soundbite at Bad Lip Reading. Be sure to check out the others, they are really odd and amusing (most disturbing: Michael Buble's "Russian Unicorn"). But this clip... this one just consistently cracks me up:

And lastly, for my Mom.

Little Linkdump

2011-10-04T17:31:00.002-07:00

I want one.

Alternative Disney Movie Titles

Superheroes at Sea World.

Every Day a New Adventure

2011-09-27T18:51:00.006-07:00

So, I went up in a balloon on Friday. On Saturday I went to a street fair and a soccer game, both to take pictures. I went to a "night glow" Saturday evening, and watched hot air balloons fill a stadium and glow. My pictures made the front page of the Monday paper and filled a two-page spread as well.

Yesterday I went to the Central Washington State Fair, and again, just went to take pictures. I got a number of decent shots. Each remaining day of the fair, I'll have one picture on the front page of the paper.

The weekend before last I covered a car show and rode along in a 1953 Chevy Bel Air Convertible on the most perfect weather day we've had all summer. I took some pictures there, too. Note: any picture on that site published after August 15th with "lg" in the file name is one of mine.

This morning I interviewed a veteran of WWII and Korea for two articles about Honor Flights. I was scheduled to interview a well-known Seattle ex-politician, but he canceled his trip over here. I have to do three more interviews this week alone, two of which I have utterly no idea who I'm going to talk to yet.

Since I started at the paper, I've interviewed a Hospice director, a kindergartener, a new business owner, an elementary school principal, a manager at Les Schwab and two dairymen at their dairies. I've written PR briefs, serious articles, and even got a headline with the word "poop" in it published (much to the delight of someone involved in that story). My opinion column may start up soon. I've had three working weekends, and have one more before December, plus this weekend I'm working for my old boss in Seattle AND taking pictures for my paper while I'm out there. I've got at least two more photo pages coming up in the next three months, possibly more if people keep helping me out like they've been! A huge thanks here to Carolyn Ibis, who saved my bacon with a great story and photos just when I needed them.

I was thanked today by one of the people I interviewed recently, and thanked profusely by another person who I interviewed on my second day on the job for the article I wrote. I've been given a handful of free meals and some giant blackberries. I've learned how to photograph sports, although I'm still crappy at it. My writing is steadily improving by having an editor marking my pages in red on a daily basis.

I freakin' LOVE my job. I never ever thought I'd write that. But I do. I love my job. I hope I can keep it until I can't function anymore.

Up, Up and Away...

2011-09-26T20:28:00.001-07:00

When my alarm went off Friday morning at 4:30 a.m., I woke into a slightly strange world. I was just afraid enough of the morning's planned event that I didn't want to get up, and just excited enough that I couldn't be held by the fear. This morning I'm going on a balloon ride.

Now, I'm not really afraid of heights. At least, I don't think I am. But I've had trouble in situations where I'm high up. What usually happens is a mild panic attack, followed by deep dread and fear until I can convince myself I'm safe. So when my editor gave me this assignment, I was worried that I'd have trouble on the flight. Not that I was truly afraid, just that I was worried that I might have an attack and be unable to accomplish my job.

I got ready quickly, I needed to be at the airport in Prosser by sunrise. I had packed the camera bag the night before and grabbed my old bicycling jacket that can be scrunched up into a small pack to be worn around the waist. I hugged Eric tightly, not wanting to go, then finally got myself into the car and out on the road. The weather was perfect, calm and clear. Any hope that the flight might be canceled due to the weather evaporated before I got to the airport.

The drive is not that long, so I didn't have too much time to worry along the way. I found the airport with only one wrong turn, and a parking attendant with glow sticks directed me to the right spot to park. It was pitch black except for occasional headlights. I got my gear out and slowly walked down the line of cars. I said "good morning" to a guy just standing by his car looking as nervous as I felt, and we talked a little. He was volunteering for a crew and didn't know where to go just yet. Finally he noticed the grandstand and pointed it out, and I headed out there to see if I could meet up with my pilot.

The grandstand wasn't really that grand, but they were playing good music from the 50s and 60s, and I signed my waiver. The organizer told me who I was to ride with, a fellow by the name of Greg Miller out of Boise, Idaho. Then the organizer took off to deal with something else leaving me to wait and wonder.

I got to talking with some of the folks hanging around, particularly the people sitting in folding chairs they'd brought, waiting to see the show. One of them knew Miller, and told me his balloon was called "I'll Fly Away Two" and had a black top and colored stripes on the sides. Which didn't help that much, because although it was getting lighter the balloons weren't even unpacked yet, most of them. As we continued to talk, she spotted Miller in the crowd and pointed him out to me. Fortunately for me, he was wearing a distinctive orange sweatshirt and was thus easy to find.

Before she spotted him, I noticed two black helium balloons let loose, one at a time, and everyone started shouting "PIBALL!" My source explained that the piball (pilot ball) is a way of seeing the air currents just before you go up. Literally every eye was on those balloons as they rose.

I introduced myself to my pilot and he pointed out his crew and said to wait by his balloon, as the pilot's meeting was about to start. So I headed over and started snapping pictures along the way. The light was *almost* good enough to justify taking shots, and I was just hoping to get something worth publishing in the paper. I introduced myself to his crew, and they told me a little of what to expect, and then we talked a bit while waiting for Miller to come back. The balloon was partially rolled out and already connected to the basket. The lines were all set up proper, and the burner had been secured in place. When I first looked at the basket, all I could think was, "How on earth are we going to fit in that tiny thing?" It was minuscule. Well, I'd find out. I took pictures, lots of pictures, and waited.

My ride slowly inflates, with lots of people taking lots and lots of pictures.

I'm going to point out now that I also had my personal camera on me for the trip, and all pictures on my blog were taken with that camera. After I'd taken as many pictures as I could of a particular scene with the professional camera, I'd try to pull out my personal camera and get a few shots. The shots I got with my own camera were not nearly as good, but I still managed to get a couple of neat images.

Sorry about the blur... two people hold the envelope open while another person stands and holds the fan steady.
You can see the burners waiting to be lit.

The balloon next to us turned on their fan and started to inflate. The process is simple, inflate the balloon with regular air using a fan. Then heat the air with the burners. Then fly. It doesn't get much simpler than that, really. So I watched with great interest as the first balloon, next to us, inflated and then turned on the burners. I was shocked by how much heat the burners put out. I mean, I was expecting heat, but not that much. It was warm from 30 feet away. I wondered if I would be hot in the balloon instead of cool. My own balloon was inflating by that point, so I concentrated on getting pictures, and tried not to question anything.

I was impressed by the moon all morning, and happy that I got it in an image.

I wish I'd thought ahead of time that I wouldn't need my camera bag on the flight. I should have left it in the car. The tiny space we had meant that it was a problem during the flight, which it should not have been. I should have stuffed my pockets with what I needed and just left the bag behind. I will know for the future, if I ever go up in a balloon again.

The interior of my ride as it is still inflating.

Anyway, once the envelope was inflated, the crew of I'll Fly Away lifted the basket up onto a frame that held it and the burner at the correct angle. Then Miller lit the burner, and the air inside the envelope slowly heated. Ok, it wasn't terribly slow. It seemed like it, but it wasn't bad. The balloon slowly lifted from the ground, and up into the sky. Then it was up! Stable and beautiful against the blue morning sky.

I got to climb in first, after Miller (who was in the basket when it tilted fully up). Then Miller invited a crew member along, since there was only the two of us. Which made it three, but it was fine. There was actually just enough room for three and my bag to fit just fine. Another balloon was practically on top of us, so we waited for a bit, then the ground crew moved us a little to get a clear space. This movement was a big deal to Miller, and turned out to have a major impact on our flight. The balloon next to us made the river... we didn't.

A look back as we leave the airport. The Prosser bridge is center right, and the buildings at the center are Chukar Cherries headquarters.

Going up I felt the first mild panic when we were about 50 feet over the ground. I grabbed the edge of the basket and took a couple of deep breaths, and looked out instead of down, as the women I'd talked with earlier had suggested. The feeling passed. The second attack was while I was trying to get a good shot of the airport and the other balloons launching. Again, I grabbed the edge of the basket and took deep breaths. I don't think the other two even noticed I was having trouble. The attack lasted only a few seconds. The third attack happened while we were passing over kids waiting for a school bus. This one lasted a little longer, because for the first time I actually was looking down when the attack started. Again, it was only 10 to 15 seconds, then it was gone for good. For the rest of the flight my only annoyance was the encumberance of my camera bag. By the end of the flight I was leaning over the side to get better shots, and utterly unafraid of looking straight down from the balloon to the ground.

We never got close to the bridge, despite our pilot's best efforts, but we got some lovely shots of other balloons headed that way.

There is nothing quite like a balloon ride. You are open to the wind, but there is no wind. You are in the sky, but the ride is so gentle that you hardly notice. You may as well be on the ground, it's so stable and solid... except for the fact that you are looking down at the world. And I say that it's stable and solid while you are standing in a wicker basket. Think about that. The basket creaked under us as the pilot moved around, but it still felt very solid. It was strange and beautiful.

I guess the best way to describe it is that you are not moving at all, it's the world moving around you. The balloon is suspended in the moment, and the world falls away, and rises, and strands you in the air. You aren't flying, you just are, and the ground eventually comes back and you land. But there is no sense of movement while you are up there. You are just there, everything else is moving around you.

There were moments when we thought we might make it to the river, but we ended up hovering over the same fields for most of the ride.

Miller was determined to get to the river, where we could do a splash and dash. That's when the basket touches down in the river, and is carried a little by the current, and then the pilot heats the air and UP you go. But we didn't make it to the river, a great frustration to Miller, as more than half the other balloons did make it. We watched from afar as they dipped into the river. To make the frustration worse, most of the balloons that made it to the river also managed to get back to the airport, which I gather is unusual.

The chase team watches us from a road while the crew chief checks how wet the field is. In the field to the left is a horse that we spooked.
The long shadow on the field is from another balloon.

We ended up hovering over a turkey farm for a long long time. Another balloon set down in the field near us, and Miller said he didn't want to set down there because it was so wet. He kept trying to catch the elusive wind so it would carry us over the river, but we kept flying over that same field and farm for ages. While a balloon is at the mercy of the winds, the pilot can affect movement by getting to a particular altitude. Miller would spit over the side and watch to see how it moved, trying to get into a current that would carry us the way he wanted to go.

This picture has Mount Adams in the background and the shadow of our balloon on the ground.

So we ended up hovering for a long time while our pilot attempted to get us to the river. The chase crew kept asking him where he was going, and when he would set down. We finally set down on the road next to the very wet field. A family was out watching balloons, and two men from the family grabbed the balloon as it came down and hauled it to the right spot on the road. After determining that the weeds alongside the road had dangerous stickers on them, the crew pulled the balloon into the next field over, and then the ride was over.

Chase crews spend a lot of time wondering where a balloon will land.

I got out (with some difficulty) and took more pictures as the balloon was deflated and put away. It was fun and amusing. There were nine people in the return car, they said, although my brain doesn't recall that many. There were more people in the back than I thought would fit. As we got back to the airport, the crew chief (who was driving) started blasting the William Tell overture on the truck radio.

The Prosser dogs were barking their butts off at the balloons, including the two here who followed us as far as they could
and barked the entire time.

At one point, a horse was spooked by us flying over and Miller called down, "easy there, easy, it's ok" and the horse calmed. The local cows completely ignored us. Dogs were barking constantly as we fly over. People waved from their houses, and we waved back. The man who owned the field we landed in seemed utterly delighted to see the balloons landing there, but didn't turn off the irrigation sprinklers. The family was happy to see us up close as well, although one little girl was a little overwhelmed by the balloon.

The goal of the balloons was to reach the river and float near the bridge.

Would I do it again? Yes. I wouldn't make it a high priority, though. It was fun, but it was much like anything else. I suppose if I knew I'd get to the river, I'd be willing to try it once more. Maybe I'll get a chance if I stick around with the paper long enough.

I finally got to the point where I could look straight down from the balloon without fear or vertigo,
but this picture was taken by holding my camera over the edge of the basket.

So I got home surprisingly early, and settled down to write my report. I wrote the whole thing to be edited later, knowing that I couldn't post until after the weekend. Then I checked the pictures I got on my professional camera. The first few pictures were great, then I got to the images with sky in them, and saw some sort of squiggles on the image. It looked like dirt or dust, and I figured that it must be on the display. But as I flipped through, I found that the dust changed from picture to picture, so I panicked and called the photographer at the paper. He told me to bring the camera in to be checked.

Sure enough, there was a problem with dust, but he said it wouldn't be a big problem. It sure looked like a nasty problem to me, but there was nothing I could do about it. He did something to clean the camera and took my pictures off the card, and I went home, as I was working on Saturday for most of the evening, so I got most of Friday off. (Update: You can see and possibly purchase more of my balloon photos that I took with the good camera here, but you can also see the dust problem on some of them.)

A shot of the balloons as they scatter from the airport.
The black balloon in the upper right is the POW/MIA balloon, which flew longer than the others, tethered at the airport at the end.
In the lower right, the pink-topped one is a hand-painted fairytale balloon.

Saturday morning I dragged Eric down to the launch, partly because I wanted better pictures for my spread in the paper and partly because I wanted him to experience the thrill just the once. I also really wanted a good picture of "my" balloon on my personal camera. Eric took my camera while I took pictures with the work camera, and Eric got this image for me...

This is the balloon I flew in on Friday, as it's getting ready for launch on Saturday.

I have a handful more images, but I haven't got them ready yet and would like to post this, so I'll probably put them up later, as I have time and inclination.

No, not my video

2011-09-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

But you can bet this song has been going through my head for well over a day.

Eric and I went out to watch the launch this morning, and get more pictures since the ones I took yesterday with the professional camera had dust marks. I cleaned the camera last night, and what I took today looks good. We also took pictures of the balloon I went up in yesterday, and some more of the balloons all gathered. It was fun.

Tonight I get to take pictures of the "night glow" (and a soccer game this afternoon). I hope I do well enough. I've got two pages of paper to fill with these photos. The photographer at my paper said most of the pictures I took yesterday will still work, but I don't want to take too many chances.

I Survived the Balloon Ride

2011-09-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

Smartphone? Maybe Not Yet

2011-09-20T06:49:00.001-07:00

I was beginning to have serious problems keeping track of my calendar. I can easily update my Google Calendar at work and at home in front of my computer, but since I don't have a smart phone, I couldn't access the information in the calendar away from my desk. My paper calendar book was rapidly becoming a mess from updating venues and dates, erasing events I wasn't actually going to, and other minor issues. So I began to think I needed a smartphone.

Yesterday when I got home I started researching, seriously, smartphones. And found that Eric and I are grandfathered into a calling plan that keeps our cell phone service fairly cheap yet very nice. Any change to that plan would immediately add $20 to our bill. Add in a data plan for a smartphone for another $30, and we'd be adding $50 to our bill every month. Which, frankly, seems ridiculous to me.

There are other options, but I have a very very good phone that I've had for a very long time and love very much, my trusty LG VX8300. If LG still made this phone, I would buy nothing but it for my phone for the rest of my life. And last night it proved its worth yet again.

Using the same cable and program (BitPim) I used to import ringtones, I was able to import my Google Calendar into my phone. Yup. A later version of BitPim than I had before can be set up to import Google Calendar. I'm only two years late to the game, but I only recently have gotten enough of a life to need a calendar. Better, I was also able to import my working schedule into Eric's phone, so he can keep track of where I'll be!

Disadvantages: I have to manually update the phone when I make changes to the calendars. Advantages: It doesn't cost us a penny more and keeps me almost entirely up-to-date, and it's something I already carry with me everywhere (so I won't keep leaving it behind like I did my paper calendar book).

Sadly, I know my VX8300 can't last forever. But until it dies, I've got all the tech I need in it. Once again, thank you LG, for a fantastic product.

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!

2011-09-19T06:20:00.002-07:00

Stop Forwarding...

2011-09-18T20:43:00.002-07:00

It's Holy Pasta Week!

2011-09-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sep 15-19 is "Holy Pasta Week"
What's Your Pasta Tonight?

A few links...

2011-09-14T07:04:00.001-07:00

Best Cat "house" Ever.

I want a felted light-up Dalek.

While I have no doubt that electro-magnetic fields can have some minor effect on human brains, I'd need a lot of double-blind studies proving it before I'd believe in 'Wi-Fi allergies'.

Women who fought in the Civil War.

And this video shows what humans are capable of if they work together in an emergency, although I cringed terribly at the ankle-drag. Still, not sure how else they could have gotten him out of there. The video is from a car/motorcycle crash, and the man in the suit is apparently the driver of the car, still a little stunned. This happened in Logan, Utah. via.

UPDATE: Here's another version in case YouTube doesn't work for you, and another news story. The biker is in satisfactory condition now, with "a broken femur, broken tibia and pelvis, burns on his left foot and abrasions to his forehead". The woman who got down on her stomach yelled, "He's alive!" which is what brought people back to save him.

A Sunday Review

2011-09-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

TV this week:

Torchwood: Miracle Day: "The Blood Line" - And so it goes, and Torchwood is, as usual, a step ahead of everyone else. The funeral scene was heart-breaking, especially considering who was there. And that finale... whew. Plenty of plot-threads to pick up if someone should make another series.
Doctor Who: "The Girl Who Waited" - Considering how long Rory waited, I'm not sure Amy has anything at all to complain about. Bitter Amy is spooky. I prefer the regular Amy.

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 8: Trenches of Hell (Somme and Germany, 1916). And Indy gets into war, the civilized way. He's a good guy, but wow, war was simply insane. His adventures and bravery were interesting to see, as was his capture and escape. He gets that escape bug early. I love how he just happens to run into a ton of famous and later famous people as he goes. It's just very like him to waltz through history.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Jul 13th
Green Lantern #67 - Huh. Definitely not the way I was expecting the whole thing to end. What payment for all that hard work Hal did? Yikes.
Green Lantern Corps #61 - There's way more to John Stewart than planet-killer. I hope we get more of this type of tale someday. He's an unfairly abused character.
Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 - Wow. A new origin for Aquaman woven from his Silver Age origin with great skill. And it's got steampunk Vulko in it, too, looking like a toady to the old King. I'm really loving this book. But then, I always loved Elseworlds and Aquaman has NEVER gotten this great an Elseworld treatment before.
Flashpoint: Deathstroke the Curse of the Ravager #2 - Aquaman is very brutal in this world, and I think that's all this book is trying to say about him. Ouch.
Birds of Prey #14 - I want to read the next issue right now. I haven't been so curious about the end of a story for some time. I love Zinda.
All New Batman The Brave and the Bold #9 - Hawkman and Hawkgirl are good in this one. I particularly like that final splash page showing what she's been up to while he's out wandering.
Northlanders #42 - Ouch. Be careful what you do to a child, they may learn the lesson entirely too well.
Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #4 - About how I expected the whole story to end, but nicely done as it turns out. The reasons for everything were fleshed out very well, too. A good story.
Jul 20th
War of the Green Lanterns Aftermath #1 - What happened to Sinestro is quite a little surprise, but what's going to happen to him is far more interesting. I used to really like Soranik, now I'm just not sure about her.
Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 - And now we know what happened. And why Diana is wearing the same helmet Mera was wearing (euwww!). Brutal, and depressing how each misunderstanding built on the last.
Justice League of America #59 - Is this horrid story over yet?
Power Girl #26 - Heh, Power Girl Convention. Heh. Cosplayers. Heh. I would have thought a few more would have done variants on the design. That could have been cool. I like the little kid. Heh.
Zatanna #15 - Ouch. Nasty from the start, and really nasty what she does to them at the end.
Tiny Titans #42 - I'm just gonna say this issue is bizarre and leave it at that. *snerk*
Cinderella: Fables are Forever #6 - Ew ew ew ew ew. I agree with Cindy, I threw up a little in my brain. But this is definitely not over, as that's not how the Fables universe works.
DMZ #67 - Into the final storyline, and there's a lot left to happen despite the seeming ending to the war. Looking forward to the final few issues.
Sergio Aragones Funnies #1 - I need about another two weeks to look at all the artwork closely before I can judge this book! No, kidding... it's one that will be great on rereads because of the detail, but as it stands it's really good already. If you like Sergio's work, just get this book already.
Soldier Zero #10 - Um, wow? Are we going to get some sort of resolution now?
Jul 27th
Green Lantern Corps #62 - Kyle and Soranik... not a great relationship to start with, apparently much worse now. Yikes. And the Pink Lantern has learned a valuable lesson about interference.
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #12 - So that's it? Send out Guy and the problem is solved? I can't buy that no other Lantern was able to come up with that solution before.
Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2 - Um, cool? Sorry, just not really impressed with this one for some reason.
Action Comics #903 - More Doomsday nonsense. Is it over yet?
DC Retroactive: Green Lantern the 70's #1 - Was it just me or did none of the stories in this have conclusions? There was a Green Arrow tale... that didn't really get resolved. And a Green Lantern tale... that didn't get resolved. Then the classic GA/GL tale that led into a much longer story.
DC Retroactive: Justice League of America the 70's #1 - Ok, if the GL book annoyed me with the lack of resolution, let's not talk about the incredibly annoying reprint in this book. Sheesh. At least the main story wrapped up nicely.
Justice Society of America #53 - Ah, so now we know what the city is, and what it has, and what's going wrong. Now, will we get a solution before the new universe jumps into effect?
Young Justice #6 - Superboy's battle within is deflected by Robin's internal origin recap, since he can't tell his teammates Batman's secrets. Not much happens in this one.
Fables #107 - I can't quite figure out where this fits in the whole storyline. Maybe we really do need to get the previous volumes.
Doctor Who Ongoing V2 #7 - Sontarans are clones, so they can only be used to the chaos. But what can you do with a dozen or more Doctors?

My Kindle book this week was No Good Deed by Mary McDonald. Mark Taylor has an antique camera that can help him predict the future, but when he tried to prevent 9/11 he gained some unwanted attention. I got this book for free, but there was a LOT of positive chatter about this book before I got my hands on it. The first half of the book is about Mark being suspected of being a terrorist, and what that means for his life. The second half is about putting that life back together. The amazing thing is how the book manages to treat the subject with respect and dignity, and allows questions to remain about the morality of the actions of some of the characters. The urge to preach had to be nearly unbearable. I found it a difficult read due to my own strong opinions on some topics, and yet I can't complain about the presentation. You may find you really disagree with the book, possibly regardless of your political viewpoint, which makes it more balanced than 90% of the stories on this subject out there. Not a book people will want to read lightly, but it is fiction and the end is definitely feel-good escapism.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Some Links

2011-09-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

What teachers really want to tell parents.

Why Walmart produce is horrible. Yet another reason to completely avoid Walmart, along with how they ruined Vlasic and Rubbermaid (YouTube link).

A "cure" for shingles?

A pug in memory of Buddy.

Jack Be Little...

2011-09-05T17:29:00.001-07:00

The tiny pumpkins growing in my garden are "Jack Be Little" pumpkins, and they are both decorative and good eating. I decided to try one today, following a "recipe" found on this page.

Basically, I cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin, scooped out more insides than it could possibly have held (transcendentally dimensional pumpkin goop!), put in some butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F in a pan with a little water in the bottom.

Didn't work. Well, sorta worked. It needed another good 15 minutes, and maybe I should have poked around the edges to let it bake better. The bits that were cooked were REALLY good, but the bits that were not cooked... ug. Let's just say it needs to cook until tender, not just until it appears to be tender.

There are a ton of recipes for the little guys all around the web, and they were fun to grow, if heart-breaking when one vine died off suddenly and possibly early (a massive windstorm followed by heavy rain hit and killed half my garden, right after I posted the last update). So I think I'll try them again next year and hopefully I'll have enough on the other vine this year to give this a try again. I think they would make fantastic desserts if they were properly cooked all the way through.

I also learned that this type of pumpkin can be taught to grow up a trellis, like a tomato plant, so next year I might try that so I can get the plant growing up as well as out. I have big plans for my garden next year, but I need to sit down and actually plan it out along with what I need to do and when. My biggest goal is to get proper irrigation in place for next year. I hope I'll have the time and the money to do it.

Oh yeah, one more thing I learned about these. Do NOT grab them by the stem until they've been properly cleaned and scoured. They have needle-sharp tiny thorns and they will get you and they will hurt. Wear gloves and cut them three inches from the fruit, and pick up by the fruit. Ouch ouch ouch.

A Sunday Review

2011-09-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

TV this week:

Torchwood: Miracle Day: "The Middle Men" - A really good cliffhanger in this one, but the rest of the episode was a little slow. Jack meets with the PhiCorp COO. Gwen saves her father. And everyone sort of just accepts that category 1 has got to happen. Depressing.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: "Immortal Sins" - So much better, now that we finally get to see Jack in history doing what Jack was always best at. And now we can understand some of what it happening, even if it doesn't make a lot of sense yet.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: "End of the Road" - That null field... does that mean that Jack is immortal while in it? A strange and cool episode, with a terrible cliffhanger ending that made me whine for the next episode.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: "The Gathering" - And finally it's all coming together, quickly and solidly (though two months passed "in universe"). I'm still not sure what The Blessing is, even after seeing it, but that effect with Jack's blood was impressive. Pity about the mole in the CIA that's going to complicate life for Rex and Esther. But with one more episode, I'm really looking forward to the end.

Doctor Who: "Let's Kill Hitler" - I didn't figure it out right away, but once it happened, I recognized that it was completely obvious. Rory rocks in this one, as he so often does. A good piece of the puzzle, but still just part of the ongoing puzzle.
Doctor Who: "Night Terrors" - This was supposed to be scary. It was creepy, but I didn't find it particularly scary. The giant peg dolls were very nicely done, as was the morph into them. I love Rory's comments about dying again. That was a good moment, coupled with Amy's logic.

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 7: Love's Sweet Song (Ireland and London, 1916). On his way to World War I, Indy stops in Ireland then meets suffragettes in London. This had Eric's favorite scene from the original series, when a suffragette and Indy have a discussion in a number of languages. I enjoyed the whole thing, with Indy in his prime falling in love and causing trouble, and getting in the middle of the action even when he doesn't want to be. A fun one, and the extras are always educational.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

Jul 6th
Flashpoint #3 - Enter Superman, the stalwart heart of the DC Universe. Nice interesting take on him.
Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #2 - Ok, that's not exactly what I expected to happen with Sinestro, but I'm just not surprised. He's always been all about control.
Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #2 - And so Traci starts her quest in earnest. This was a great look at what happened to some of the other characters we know and love. I particularly like the priest.
Batman Beyond #7 - Wow, you know, I quite liked this one, as it tied up a lot of loose ends and yet left at least one more mystery to solve. Very nicely done.
Ozma of Oz #8 - And so ends the saga of the Nome King and Ev. Like most of Baum's books, the party at the end seems to take as much time as half the adventures within! Still, a very fun read. Looking forward to the next series.

My Kindle book this week was Bane, King by His own Hand by Kathleen and Hal Zucati. I got this book as a gift from my sister because she's friends with the authors. I admit I wasn't impressed at first and it took me a long time to read. Part of that is because it's a long book, very much in need of a good edit. Part was also because the formatting for the Kindle isn't very good. In fact, saying that it's pretty darn bad would be true. But despite formatting issues, the book itself isn't bad. In fact, it's surprisingly well written, if overlong. The main character, Bane, comes across early in the book as unlikeable and egotistical, but eventually wins people over, including this reader. There are plenty of adventures and fascinating characters. Most of the annoying aspects of the book are resolved by the end of the story, which is more than I can say for some books. The ending leaves the characters open for a sequel but stands alone. For $2 on Kindle, despite the formatting problems, it's worth a look.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Each Day I Go To Work...

2011-09-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

...I imagine that the honeymoon will end. And each day the job just gets better. True, the workload has increased each week and I'm terrified I'm going to screw up, but I've gotten great support and I can look at the newspaper each day and see what I've been doing, there on the page (and on the website, though not as obviously (I rewrite a lots of press releases that don't have bylines)). I'm still a cub reporter, the lowest of the low, and I have a long way to go before I'm going to feel confident. But I feel more happy with my work than I have in many, many years.

Now, I'm wondering what I'll be saying about the job in another month or two...

The DC Relaunch

2011-08-30T18:05:00.002-07:00

Some Links

2011-08-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Peter David showers in a hurricane.

Todd Klein and his cats were fine.

You know, a steampunk version of this vampire killing kit would be even more cool than the real thing in some ways.

I've linked to this before, but it's so good I'm linking to it again: Spider Robinson's story on why copyright must expire.

I really don't know why this amuses me so much.

Stepford Plants Report

2011-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

I really haven't got a lot to say about the garden right now. It's overgrown, ripening, and I have harvested plenty of zucchini to make lots of bread. And tomatoes. I haven't gotten a usable pepper yet, but I might. And there are pumpkins spreading out across the yard, although some seem to be dying for no reason, and I'm not sure what type of pumpkin they are...

So, enjoy the pics, after the break.

Starting from the closest to the front door, Pumpkins:

Then the Peppers, practically overgrown by volunteer tomatoes from last year:

And Tiny Tim Tomatoes:

The Moneymaker tomatoes fight the Zucchini plants for dominance in the rear spot:

And lastly, the trees are just getting along...

Why I Haven't Been Blogging

2011-08-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

How Many Can You Identify?

2011-08-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

click for bigger image - via

A Sunday Review

2011-08-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday again? How'd that happen? I just got through with Monday...

With my new job, my Sunday reviews may get a little sparse for a bit. I'm not going to complain, and I hope you don't either. Once I'm fully back into the swing of things, I'm sure I'll get to reviewing more, because I'll get back to reading and watching TV again. In the meantime I guess I'll dip into my backlog of reviews.

This week's comic book related review is Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster by Ursula Vernon, fourth book in the Dragonbreath series. Danny and Wendell find a bat drowning in a swimming pool and go on a Batastic adventure to help it. I love these books. They are funny, sweet, and have characters that are consistently amusing when they aren't downright funny. Now we can add "educational" to the list again with this installment, as the information about Bats in this book is almost comprehensive for a kids' book. Of course, then there's the bat monster... but still, worth it both for the fun and for the education. I know of two more books in this series already, and I've already put in for them at the library. My reviews of Dragonbreath #1, Dragonbreath #2, Dragonbreath #3.

My Kindle book this week was The Alto Wore Tweed (The Liturgical Mysteries) by Mark Schweizer. Hayden Konig lives in a small town in North Carolina playing the organ at the local church and acting as the town's police detective, and has to solve his first murder as the Christmas season is starting. I got this book free; someone surprised me with it as a gift. I had put it on my wishlist after reading a positive review of it and hadn't really thought of it since then. But once I had it on my Kindle of course I read it. And it was a good, fun read. The main character, Hayden, is one of those unlikeable men who has enough of a sense of humor to redeem himself. His view of the world isn't the most comfortable and his ethics are a little questionable, but the humor that infects everything he does from his dreadful would-be detective novel to the silly events in the town makes the book worth it. The central mystery itself wasn't too difficult to solve as the clues were all around, but the way it was solved in the book was both hilarious and heartbreaking. Schweizer is no Agatha Christie, but he doesn't need to be with the characters and town he's created to work with. A fun story, worth checking out... especially if you love music and don't mind gentle jabs at church politics.

Wanna see what I'm doing at my job? I want to reiterate that the opinions expressed on this blog and all my websites are my own and don't reflect those of my employer.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Flying Shark! I Want!

2011-08-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

via

CameraPhone Zen

2011-08-20T02:39:00.002-07:00

CameraPhone Zen

2011-08-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

Links!

2011-08-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books according to voters on NPR.

A nationwide class-action lawsuit has been filed that claims Apple Inc. and five of the nation's top publishers illegally fix prices of e-books.

Super Mice

The Problems with Tidal Power. Be sure to read the last line of the article (it made me giggle).

I want these signs on freeways.

Pug for the linkdump.

Work

2011-08-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

My policy on this blog has been to not talk about work, as I've been burned before. So I'll just say that I started my new job today, and had an excellent day. I hope to be there a long time.

There are jobs, there are good jobs, and there are great jobs. I think this one will very soon qualify as a great job. Let's hope I'm up to the task.

Review - Hellboy Volume 11

2011-08-15T04:22:00.001-07:00

Hellboy Volume 11: The Bride of Hell and Others by Mike Mignola and various others.

Release date: October 12, 2011, pre-order now! I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

This is a collection of previously published material. It includes "Hellboy in Mexico," "Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil," "Hellboy: The Bride of Hell," "Hellboy: The Sleeping and the Dead," "Hellboy: The Whittier Legacy," and "Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish". All were written by Mike Mignola, with a variety of artists on the visual chores. Each story is prefaced with an introduction by Mignola that tells where he got the idea for the story and when it was originally published.

If you aren't familiar with Hellboy, don't worry. It isn't really hard to figure out. Each story is capable of standing on its own or contributing to a collection like this. All you really need to know is that, despite his appearance, Hellboy is a good guy. And, again, it's made obvious early on.

The stories are nicely varied in this collection, giving a decent overview of the Hellboy universe. The Mexico story was both funny and tragic. The Double Feature had a terribly freaky framing sequence with a couple of nice little stories. The Bride story was the usual misdirection and a character that was actually fairly sympathetic, although evil. The Sleeping story added a LOT to the Hellboy world, and if you know much about that world, you'll understand what I mean. The Whittier story was probably the weakest of the lot, with a bunch of frenzied activity in a handful of pages that wasn't as easy to follow as the other tales. Buster Oakley was just plain hilarious. My favorite story was probably the first, as the mix of sadness and fun just worked for me.

I was introduced to Hellboy many years ago by my hairdresser, and I started to love the character almost immediately. Readers unfamiliar with him may find him hard to like, but I promise you won't have trouble understanding the stories. If you already enjoy Hellboy, this is a must get. If you haven't met him yet, it's not a terrible place to start. Definitely recommended.

A Sunday Review

2011-08-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

My book this week was McGooster & McGyman Begin Their Adventures by Pat Rochkind (Author) and Patricia A. Wozniak (Illustrator). Having my nephew visit for a week was interesting, and I tried to give him reading material and such, but I was surprised when he returned the favor by loaning me this book to read. He knew I like cats, and this is definitely a book for cat lovers. The title characters are two kitten brothers who are moving into their first home and have to learn what it's like to be house cats. They have a series of experiences and misadventures, make new friends, and even throw a wild party. While it's a chapter book in many ways, the large format makes it kid-friendly, and there are enough illustrations to break up the text and amuse the eye. The copy loaned to me was well-worn and has clearly been read repeatedly. This would be a fantastic read-aloud book, especially if the family has cats. I'd love to see the next adventure of these two great characters.

This week's comic book related review is Hikaru No Go v23. Ok, yeah, I cried. It's the last volume of an excellent series, what do you expect? I got the chills, too, at the final words of the main story. What a series! I tried to pick up Go while I was reading it, but it is a difficult game for someone on her own to figure out. Someday, maybe. But in the meantime, what a fantastic series. All about growing up and so different from so many other comics. This series is HIGHLY recommended by me to anyone who wants to read a good comic, one in which characters learn and change, and one that does eventually end.

Haunted Collector - Another show I decided to try, with a lot of trepidation. This one amused me a LOT, as the guy who is the focus of the show thinks that hauntings are generally caused by items and so his goal is to find the item in the house that is haunted and remove it, putting it in his own haunted museum. If the activity doesn't stop, the item is returned. So here's the episodes:

"Haunted Bayou/Library Ghost" - I was absolutely delighted when the crew started the investigation during the day, including getting a nifty EVP. You don't always have to wander around in the dark. The first case is a rental house that can't keep renters because of the hauntings, and they find a gun buried in the crawl space and remove it. The second case is a library that is so haunted that the kids who use the building are scared. I love when they go into the basement and the guy tells his daughter, who is creeped out, "You've dated things creepier than this basement!" They eventually remove a typewriter, which seems to calm the problem. (Addendum: The gun was returned to the people in the first case, according to several online sources, but I don't know if any of the problems in the house were resolved).
"My Mother's Ghost/Paranormal Predator" - The first case is a mother who thinks her child is being haunted, possibly by her own recently deceased mother. They eventually remove the deceased's prized music box. No result for this case is reported in the show. The next one also has a child being scared, but there are a TON of items in the place, so they eventually remove an antique cane gun and three shark jaws. The reports of the hauntings decreased.
"Burning Spirits/Ghosts of the West" - First case was a New Mexico alehouse with different kinds of spirits (yeah, they make that joke). They locate an old detonator for explosives and remove it. The second case is a hotel in the "Wild West" that scares people so much they are losing customers. The stories are fantastic, as ghost stories often are. They can't find anything to remove, as the most likely culprits might be bullets lodged in the ceiling.
"The Sanitarium/Firehouse Phantom" - The first case is a rental house that once was a sanitarium. They find a broken poison bottle in a crawl space, which they remove. As is normal, we don't get a follow-up on the results for the first case. The second case is a museum that used to be a firehouse and is having stuff move on its own, including an old firetruck that took off down a street without a driver. They find a mourning brooch which they remove from the building and apparently calms the activity.
"Uncivil Spirit/Revolutionary Ghost" - The first case is the story of a house that seems to date back to the Civil War, where a bullet was found that apparently caused a haunting. They remove some Civil War items found in the back yard. The second story involved a young man living on the site of a Revolutionary massacre who was being tormented. Eventually they determined that he was the trigger item for the hauntings and suggested he move. He did, and the hauntings stopped.
"Slaughterhouse Ghosts/Supernatural Sword" - First case is a haunting of horses. A woman lives in an old barn that has been converted to a house, but had tons of stuff left over from the barn days. Horses were being scratched in the night. After learning the place was a slaughterhouse, they remove a skinning knife. The second case is a man who has driven away his family after being scratched and injured, to the point of blacking out. He's got some strange items in the house, including a hearse. They eventually find a Salem Cross painted on a floor under a carpet, and take some swords he has collected. No follow-up to say what happened in this case.

Conclusion: The ghost hunting itself is either not very rigorous, or we aren't seeing enough of it due to editing. There is not enough debunking (although we do see some). I've been spoiled by Ghost Hunters. In addition, the removal of "haunted" items seems rather questionable. I had to look online to find out that he gives the items back immediately if requested or if taking the item doesn't help, and that he attempts to "exorcise" them while he has them. That should be stated clearly in the show, because it seems strange that he's got this huge basement museum of supposedly haunted items, some of which seem to be somewhat valuable. The worst problem is the lack of follow-up for the initial case in each episode. It would help a lot if there was information about what actually happens in the future.

Fortean Times #277 (August 2011). I like the cover, except for the big "Alien Invasion" headline, which makes it look a little tacky. The cover article is about the concept of life throughout the universe, called panspermia. The article is written by an advocate of the idea who at times seems to be trying to convince the reader by repetition of facts. It's not a bad theory, but the article could have used a little help.

Strangedays starts off with magic in politics and robbery (same thing?) and moves to some neat photos of lucky escapes. The usual selection of the weird and wild includes a poor couple whose honeymoon took them to Munich just in time for a blizzard, Bali just in time for a monsoon, Perth just in time for wildfires, Queensland for a cyclone, Brisbane for flooding, Christchurch for th earthquake, Japan for another earthquake, and finally found peace in China. Whew. There's also a handy list of failed doomsday predictions.

The Science section is about cold fusion, and the research that continues to be done on the subject. Alien Zoo talks about Russian Kiwis and re-created Yeti artifacts. Ghostwatch is about ape and pre-human ghosts. Archaeology has a bit on Hawass and his difficulties after the government troubles in Egypt. Classical Corner is about 18th century slang. Mythconceptions tells the tale of Camembert cheese. Konspiracy Korner is so far out there I'm not sure what it was about (birthers? Muslims? Tuning forks?). The UFO Files has a reasonable UFO sighting by a young man who came up with a reasonable explanation for it. Police News has a story about an unsolved murder from 1896.

One of the main articles is about Hermetics and their influence on Western civilization, starting with the story of Galileo and why a solar-centric view might have been extremely dangerous to the Catholic Church because of Hermetic texts, which contradict Catholic traditions. It's a compelling article, almost enough to make me seek out the texts to see what the fuss is about. Another article is about the Cosmati pavement in Westminster Abbey, which is an interesting story but didn't really give me more than a strange impression of art.

The Forum has a remarkably stupid article about the Old Man of the Mountain of New Hampshire. Another Forum article is about Kate Bush. A third talks about Jack Kirby, and the influences on him while helping to create the X-Men. The reviews are solid, as usual. Nothing that has to be on my wish list, but a few good items. I love the letters. Another good issue, with a cliffhanger ending in the cartoon, even.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

CameraPhone Zen

2011-08-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Review - Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

2011-08-12T03:58:00.001-07:00

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case.

Release date: September 28, 2011, pre-order now! I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

My interest in this is fairly obvious. I grew up in the area where the Green River Killer stalked, and I heard about the killer during times of my life when it hit pretty hard. When they announced his capture, I posted an entry in my blog about it that summed up my feelings. It was unreal. It would always be unreal. For me, the Green River Killer was a bogeyman that haunted the background of my world. And his capture never seemed to satisfy the need I had for closure. So I went into this book hoping it would wash away some of that childhood terror for me.

This book mostly follows Tom Jensen, the father of the writer and a member of the Green River Killer Task Force. Tom's life is sketched out in jumps through time, and then we get to the capture of the Killer and his plea bargain deal. My biggest issue with the book was the scattered nature of the timeline. The whole thing was flashback after flashback. It could have worked, but for some reason it managed to confused me more than once. The worst problem is how the prologue starts with the Killer, then the first chapter jumps to Tom. For a page or two I thought we were reading about the Killer's early life. That made Tom a disturbing character from the outset, something I really don't think the writer was going for. That was pretty much my only complaint though. The jumps through time made this a hard book to follow in places but the information and feeling in it... well, that was important.

Particularly the emotion. We get to see Tom as a man who has worked hard to bring this killer to justice, and we get to see him finally face off against the murderer and ask him the questions that we all wanted to ask. We see him break down, like any sane person would, when finally confronted with what the killer truly was. And we see his exhaustion and sense of relief when his part in the whole thing was finally over.

Did this book exorcise the nightmares? Perhaps. I see the killer more as a very sick man than a supernatural being of terror. I see how regular people reacted to him, and struggled to find and stop him.

For the record, I have no problem with the killer spending his life behind bars instead of dying. Dying is easy, and a much kinder fate than he deserves. Let him live to be 100 with no hope of release.

Review - Moon Shot

2011-08-10T03:56:00.001-07:00

Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Apollo Moon Landings by Jay Barbree, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.

I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

I've always loved the stories of how America made it to the moon, and I wanted to love this book. But it is fatally flawed. The whole first half reads more like a jock bragging about his exploits than an inside history of one of the greatest technological achievements of mankind. Perhaps the flaw is actually in the men who lived that history, but this book makes them into unlikable hotshots. The second half covers the events, but jumps through major events to get to some of the less significant ones.

From a sheer historical perspective, the book does deliver on some of its promise. The timeline of events is clear enough, the little anecdotes sometimes add but often detract from the narrative. The made-up conversations are enough to make you want to throw the thing across the room. It's a loose and wild book. If you like reading about astronaut antics in a strange half-PR style, this book is for you. If you just want information and facts, go somewhere else.

The book tends to focus on the two astronauts that are listed as co-authors. While that's not a bad thing because they were both heavily involved in the space program until the end of Apollo, it also seems to dismiss some of the other accomplishments or at least gloss over them. Don't get me wrong, they are mentioned, talked about, given space. But, for example, leading up to Apollo 13 the focus of the book is on Deke and Alan's medical issues and Alan being on the next mission, rather than the men of Apollo 13. I can understand why, but that makes this less a book about the trip to the moon than a book about Alan and Deke's involvement in the lunar program.

I really wanted to love this book. It isn't a bad read, but it's not good enough for me to call it great.

Tuesday Linkage

2011-08-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

There will be no more Amy Unbounded. That's the bad news. The good news is that Rachel will tie up the cliffhanger best she can, and that she has other stories set in Goredd for us to enjoy.

Rioters damage comic shop. Forbidden Planet looted. The news from London is terrifying.

"Our Earth is degenerate in these later days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; every man wants to write a book and the end of the world is evidently approaching." (via)

Now this is a crappy landlord situation. Wow.

Most awesome Preschool Teacher ever.

I've been using Swagbucks to earn some Amazon.com gift cards. As of today, I've gotten $190 in gift cards without spending a cent (though my spam e-mail is getting hammered), and have enough for another $15. I've pretty much got my new Kindle when it comes time to buy it!

Safety Man! (he will haunt your dreams)

Play with cats online.

Pug for the Linkdump

Review - Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships

2011-08-08T03:45:00.001-07:00

Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.

I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

If you aren't familiar with Mike Mignola's work, the blocky art can be a real turn off. I was turned off when I first encountered Mignola's artwork on an Aquaman cover many years ago. But since then I've read a bit more of his work, and come to appreciate his style and what it conveys. This book has that style, a deep feeling of horror and beauty at once. It works extremely well for this book.

Lord Baltimore is on the hunt, following a major vampire who is responsible for the plague that ended the Great War. This book details his visit to a town where he is helped by a woman who wants to escape the boredom and sense of waiting for death. Despite his warnings, she follows him, and learns exactly who and what he is.

The story is set in a Europe just after WWI has been ended by disease. Worse than a normal disease, some of the dead rise to kill the living. That's the horror part. Or at least a portion of the horror. There's much much more to it. Baltimore is an anti-hero with very good reasons for doing what he is doing. His unwitting follower sees more than any sane human would want to see. And there is lots of action in the form of fighting monsters and lots of atmosphere and build up to the fighting of the monsters.

If you like horror at all, this is worth a look. You should also seek out the Free Comic Book Day short story that also features Lord Baltimore, as it will tell you even more about what's happening in this world. I'm not a huge horror fan, but I think I'll be keeping an eye out for this series as it continues. It's just really well done.

A Sunday Review

2011-08-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

TV this week:

Torchwood: Miracle Day: "Escape to L.A." - Ah, it's painful to watch characters making really stupid mistakes. But then, that's how real life works some times, too. Really stupid mistakes followed by other people paying for those mistakes. I like how they are keeping Rhys and Anwen in the show, but at the same time I'm not liking it at all. It seems like there wasn't a lot of forward progress in this one, so we'll have to see what happens next, if it gets a bit better.
Torchwood: Miracle Day: "The Categories of Life" - Ok, so they are categorizing people into different slots depending on how "alive" they are. And there is a deep and terrifying secret to the overflow centers they are sending "dead" people to. This was a painful and scary episode. Disturbing in almost every way.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "Pawn of Shadows" - Best line of the series so far, Shaggy says, "Yeah, like, we've been teenagers forever" when giving advice to writer HP Hatecraft on current teens. That's just before the most scarring event of the series so far happens. Angel gets really involved in this one, and the end is a bit of a surprise. One more episode? I'm kind of excited to see it!
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "All Fear the Freak" - Final episode. The group investigates Fred's dad, as the friction of the group comes to a head. Secrets are revealed, stories are told, and the series ends with the possibility open for a second (or more) season. Wow. Best Scooby-Doo I've ever watched. I'd gladly watch a second season.

This week's comic book related review is Aquaman: Death of a Prince. This collection features some of the most classic of Aquaman's tales, including Aquaman being deposed from his throne, Aqualad learning about his parentage, and the death of Arthur Jr. This is a very nice complete package, and I can say that those stories have probably never looked better. It's one of the best collections I've seen in a long time, and well worth it for Aquaman fans and just general comic book fans as well.

Agatha Christie this week was Nemesis from 1971. Miss Marple is called upon by a dead man to solve a mystery without any clues whatever, and agrees. Of course, the clues start arriving once she's signed on, and eventually she figures it out. I didn't. Anyway, this isn't her best, but it's not a bad Marple story. I feel like her writing is in a bit of a downward slide, but I hope that's just my misperception. There's a scant handful of novels left for me to read, and a bunch of short stories. I'm sure I'll continue to enjoy them because even the worst Christie mystery tends to be a bit better than average.

Finding Bigfoot - I was a little doubtful about this show, having heard allegations that parts of the hunt were misrepresented by the production crew to increase drama. I don't "believe" in Bigfoot, but I do accept the possibility of it existing. There's not enough evidence to prove anything, though, which is the problem. And that's the conceit of the show. The group is trying to prove that bigfoot exists by finding real scientific evidence. The catch-22 is that if the group proves the existence of bigfoot, the show is over... and we'll hear about it on the regular news before the show can air. So the fun of this show is the stories that people tell, because the show itself can never prove anything. Anyway, on to the episodes:

"Swamp Ape" - This episode starts with a family who is having night visitations and think they are being stalked by a bigfoot at their home in North Florida. The team spends the night, and has inconclusive experiences. The group then visits the Seminole nation and discuss the beast with some members. Then they follow-up on three witnesses in South Florida and do another search, this time with cool remote control drones.
"Bigfoot Crossing in Georgia" - Neat story about a cop with a passenger who spot a bigfoot crossing a road and catch the thing on the cop car's dashcam. The video is, of course, too grainy to use as proof, but it's still cool. Of course, they make someone run across the road in the middle of the night to try to duplicate it. Not dangerous at all, ha. They talk to some more witnesses, including one that isn't credible because he's easily led, then wander around the forests in the middle of the night.
"Caught on Tape" - A thermal video taken in North Carolina Uhwarrie National Forest seems convincing until the team duplicates the video almost perfectly... which they justify with a bunch of excuses. Then there's a chase up a hill that apparently was a human and the crew knew it, but they presented it as a mystery. At a townhall meeting they heard some good stories and follow-up on a few. I'm liking Ranae, as she's the only one properly skeptic.
"Fishing for Bigfoot in Oregon" - Another video, this one in central Oregon, that isn't exactly convincing at all. But the team goes and risks their lives in the middle of winter to duplicate the video, then hunt the bigfoot in the middle of the night. Again, Ranae is cool... Cliff and Bobo are ok, but Matt is actively annoying. Anyway, another area, another meeting with the locals to hear stories. The best part of the show by far, even if some folks are clearly not credible.
"Frozen Bigfoot" - Ah, my home state. The team goes to Southwest Washington, the Silver Star peak in the Cascades, in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. They go to investigate some interesting pictures taken by a hiker a few years ago, and are able to duplicate the images pretty well, although not perfectly. They go to Yacolt for another town meeting, get some more cool stories. I like them deploying the goosecam and the disguised canoe, hilarious. This is a funny show.
"Alaska's Bigfoot Island" - This one is a little different, as a community calls the bigfoot hunters in because a town is feeling threatened by unknown animals. They start with a witness to footprints and running around in the forest at night. Then another town meeting! Lots of good stories, particularly with the natives whose families have been in the area for centuries.

Conclusion: Overall, not a bad show, but not one that I would be inclined to watch much, especially if that Matt guy stays on it. It has a good format, but I need more skeptics like Ranae before it's truly watchable. I'm interested in bigfoot, but watching a couple of guys screaming in a forest in the middle of the night just isn't that interesting.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist

Oh, what the heck... Another Linkdump

2011-08-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

Get a Trim!

Cthulhu Ski Mask.

A moment of silence for William Sleator, one of the first authors I ever met. He was gracious and explained himself to eager students, and made his visit to my school one of the few highlights of middle school.

If you really like your Bujold, there's now a fan-compiled Reader's Companion to A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Experimenting with Linux.

How about 15 Wonderful Words with No English Equivalent.

What I want from a restaurant website vs what most restaurant websites give.

Even when I'm annoyed at them, I tend to respect truckers. That truck driver you flipped off? Let me tell you his story.

Wow. Just Wow.

Spider-Moose.

And the ever-present pug picture: Pug Life, or When Pugs Go Bad.

The Shed Cat Problem

2011-08-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

I like having cats around. I like seeing them, I enjoy their presence, and I know they take care of a lot of annoying pests that I'd really rather not have to deal with. They are also stinky, messy, and damage my garden... so I'm not a complete cat fan. I just generally fall on the "like" side more than the "dislike".

This spring, while preparing my garden area, the cats became the temporary enemy because they left cat seeds in my garden plot. They also annoyed me recently by using my grafted plum tree as a scratching post. But I have finally started to see their feline faces and take pictures of them in action.

Once you've taken pictures of a creature repeatedly, and dubbed it with a name (even one as boring as "Shed Cat One"), you take a sort of ownership of it. Not a real ownership, just an investment in the life of the creature. And I'm afraid that's started to happen to me.

I've started to put out water for them. I draw the line at food. I will not feed them at all; they aren't mine and I couldn't afford it if I wanted to. But water in the temperatures we tend to get around here? Another reason to put out water is to keep them from using the soaker hoses as their water source, thus hopefully keeping them out of the garden plot. So water, yes. Food, no.

I'd gotten used to the two main shed cats that I've seen around. The Black and White (Shed Cat One) and the Golden (Shed Cat Two). I was beginning to get a little concerned about the cats, because I noticed they are extremely skittish. While SC1 is getting used to me, I can't get within five feet of it without it dashing off. I've surprised SC2 twice by getting close while it was asleep, and it really doesn't like me because of it. I am not sure these cats have owners, which would mean I'm dealing with feral cats. And I have massive issues with feral cats... namely the fact that they tend to make more feral cats...

This morning, my worst fears were proven as probably true. I went out to turn on the watering, and spotted SC1... or at least I thought I did. Then I spotted SC1 again, running in exactly the same spot. I turned in shock, and a moment later, with SC1 still sitting near the shed, the second SC1 came out the other side of the shed. The second SC1 had more black than white, and slightly stubby legs and a shorter tail. I went in to tell hubby-Eric, then watched out the back window... and saw this.

Three Shed Kittens. We have Shed Kittens. And they are darling. They are so cute I want to just eat 'em up. It was all I could do to not go out and try to capture one to snorgle. Shed Cat One was watching over them carefully, monitoring them as they played. And they dove in and out of the space beneath the shed so often it was clear that was almost like home to them.

I want them to live a comfortable life. I don't know if they actually belong to anyone. The fact that this is the first time I've been certain I've seen two of the kittens makes me wonder if they have another home. I don't particularly object to them living in my yard part of the time, but I would really like to know if they are being properly cared for, and if they are properly neutered to keep them from making more kitties (I somehow doubt it).

They are so cute. My heart just about stops when I see them frolicking. I want to go out and join them. And yet they are clearly very skittish and not fond of humans.

I'm not sure what to do. I suppose the first step is to find out if they have owners, which would mean going around to all the houses in the neighborhood and asking if they own these cats. For an Aspie like me, you might as well ask me to jump off a cliff. I called the Humane Society, although I'm not fond of them, to ask for advice. They said they would check them out for $8 each. And if I needed to capture them, they would rent me a trap for $8 a day, with a $50 deposit. Yeah. Right. I haven't got that kind of money now, and while I'd like to make sure the cats are neutered I just cannot afford it.

So, I've got two problems with the shed cats. One: I don't know if they belong to anyone in the neighborhood, and I'm too terrified to go around and ask. Two: If they do turn out to be feral, I can't afford the costs of trapping them and getting them neutered.

Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Review - All Different Kinds of Free

2011-08-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann.

I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

Margaret Morgan is a free black woman living with her husband and children in Pennsylvania. But her life is shattered when the family that owned her parents decides to kidnap her and her children into slavery. This book backs away from the Supreme Court ruling of Prigg v. Pennsylvania and looks instead at the woman in the center of the case, and what being sold into slavery meant for her.

I wanted to like this book. I had fears from the start that I wasn't going to like what happened in it, but I wanted to enjoy the book itself. Jessica McCann is a good storyteller, and the action moves at a good pace, but there are a few issues with the writing itself that made it hard for me to get through. The story jumped from viewpoint to viewpoint a little jaggedly in the beginning, and the writing level is slightly simplistic for such a powerful message. The grammar is a bit choppy, as well, but that might be deliberate. For a first novel, this isn't bad. For such an important and ignored story, it's just ok.

My biggest issue with the book was that I thought I knew what the ending would be, based on the historical record, and so was bracing myself for it... but it never really came. And while the tragedy throughout the book certainly lived up to the pain, it never really felt like it bleed through to the reader. Horror after horror, but it just didn't leave an impact. And while I cheered at the end, it felt a little too tacked on to be real. If I sound ambivalent about this book, that's because I am.

In the end, just remember that this book is a fictional guess at one way Margaret's life might have gone. To be honest, I'd really like a follow-up from a serious researcher of a historian who can find out what really happened to Margaret Morgan. The author made an attempt, but I would like someone else to give it a try. Sadly, that information may not exist.

Stepford Plants Report

2011-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of things have happened since I last wrote about the garden. I got a few more pictures of the shed cats and I also took a picture of freshly harvested zucchini that became my lunch. I also finally cut the fence around the plum stick in half and put half around the grafted plum in back. But today, today I harvested some zucchini:

The gigantic one in the middle was under the stalk, about as hidden as it could be. Only its enormous girth gave it away enough for me to find it and, with hubby-Eric's vital help, cut it loose and pull it out. Yikes! In any case, I still have one and a half loaves of zucchini bread from my first bread effort to eat, so these will be grated, drained, and frozen.

Right, back to normal reporting... The plum stick in the front yard now seems much more free without the fencing going up all the way around it.

There is still enough fence that people hopefully won't stumble over it accidentally. Since the neighbor kids left, I'm much less worried about them trampling it in my yard. So I'm fairly happy that I was able to cut the fencing and put it around the other plum tree.

The second plum tree looks a little better, to me, with the fence around it. I like having it partially protected, and hopefully completely protected against the threat that was damaging it.

As you should be able to see in the next picture, the tree was all ripped up from the cats using it as a scratching post. I think it wouldn't be a bad thing to find them something else to use as a scratching post, but for now the tree itself is protected, and that's what's really important.

The cutting and such itself was a new thing for me, and didn't turn out to be as difficult as I was afraid it would be. I found wire cutters in our toolbox that hubby-Eric and his dad used when they put up the fence, then I counted out to halfway and started snipping. It took me a few minutes, and it was hot in the sun, but once I got the hang of it the cutting itself wasn't hard at all. I bent the wires down after snipping them, and left the sharp ends on the top side so I could pound them into the ground. That meant I managed to stab myself while putting the fence up around the grafted plum, but it wasn't too bad. Only a little blood.

The Tiny Tim Tomatoes are spreading out in their area. I really should find another piece of fencing and try to convince them to grow up it, but I don't really know how. Maybe I'll have something planned out in advance next year. The plants are really low to the ground with solid stems, but they have hidden treasures.

They hide the tomatoes inside, under the protective layer of leaves. I'm very pleased with the amounts I've been getting, even though I've been having to prune away not ripe tomatoes (which I then leave in a bowl on my counter to see if they'll get ripe) just to make room for more tomatoes.

Both the pepper plants are now producing lots of little tiny peppers, and I really need to figure out when to harvest these suckers, because I'm certain I'll need to do it sooner rather than later.

The Moneymaker tomatoes are finally showing fruit. If the poor plant wasn't in imminent danger of being taken over by the zucchini, I'd be very pleased with it indeed.

And here's the zucchini. It grows every day. While harvesting gourds today, hubby-Eric and I actually removed a few stalks. It didn't seem to make a difference.

So, can you guess how many zucchini are in the above picture? I don't know the answer, because I'm sure I didn't find them all.

The pumpkins are spreading out nicely, and the only concern I have is preventing them from growing up under the siding of the house. The more ground they cover, the happier I'm going to be. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I finally caught a pumpkin blossom before it bloomed. It's quite a pretty little sight, like a mini-pumpkin waiting to be born. I'm very happy with the pumpkins. I think I'll have to grow some next year.

And here's the last of the harvest. These are the Tiny Tim Tomatoes that I pruned away, with the hopes that some of them will become ripe. While I'm very pleased with the Tiny Tims, I wish I'd had a better idea what to do with them before I let them grow outward. Ah well, hopefully I'll have next summer to perfect my gardening skills... if only we can stay out here!

Linkdump

2011-08-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

Ten Things You Should Know Before Moving to Seattle.

Have you seen The McBain Movie?

A typeface designed to help dyslexics read.

The Renton Police bring down the Streisand Effect upon themselves. I grew up in Renton. I wouldn't have known a thing about this... except the police decided to bring attention to it.

Ten Things Not to Say to a Depressed Person. And since that's a downer, read this next: Ten Supportive Things I'm Glad Somebody Said to Me, from the same author. Via.

The Oldest Unsolved Seattle Police Homicide.

I'm sure you can spot a Monty Python reference from a mile away.

Aim for the Stars.

It's not a Bloggity linkdump without a pug.

Review - The Last Dragon

2011-08-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay.

Release date: October 11, 2011, pre-order now! I got my advance copy via NetGalley.

It's hard to say whether I've read more "dragons are the enemy" or "dragons are our friends" books over my lifetime. Coming into this one, I wasn't sure which it would be, but it became clear enough quickly enough.

I was completely entranced by this book. Draw into the story by the artwork, I felt myself carried along by the story right until the end. The characters are fantastic, described in a few words and with just a few lines of dialogue then filled out with the art into recognizable people. Within a few pages I was feeling comfortable and at home in the village. The art successfully treads that thin line between being too fanciful to work in a graphic story and too explicit to work as fantasy. I was delighted throughout, and only wished that I had the hardcover in front of me instead of a pre-publication PDF so I could fully enjoy the double-page spreads.

There are moments when the action jolts from one scene to the next, or a character seems to know more than she ought. But those are few, and the fantastic artwork pretty much covers for any slight flaws in the writing, just as the strong writing covers for any slight flaws in the art. This is an exquisite work, and one that I would be honored to have on my bookshelf.

The New Justice League Dust-Up

2011-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the new Justice League in a promo image released in June:

And here's another promo picture of them (click for bigger):

This was originally the cover to Justice League #1. But DC changed it. These are the covers they just announced. The one on the left may look similar, but look a little closer.

Wonder Woman has lost her pants! She's now wearing briefs... classic underwear, instead of the elegant leggings she was wearing in the original images.

So a reader of ComicsAlliance decided to rectify the problem, using that first promo image I showed:

Honestly, I don't mind Aquaman's look like that at all, though the boot tops need a little work. In fact, I'd love to see the whole Justice League run around like that for a few issues just to show how incredibly impractical it is. I mean, this whole thing with women not wearing any armor and always showing so much skin makes NO sense in a superhero world. At least Mera (in most of her incarnations) is smart enough to cover up.

CameraPhone Zen

2011-08-03T04:17:00.002-07:00

Linkdump

2011-08-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

More information about stolen Brent Anderson artwork.

JSA returning? Good news for hubby-Eric, if true.

Of course, I entered the Space Needle contest. I actually would prefer to win dinner at the Space Needle, but a trip into space would be cool, too.

Holy Carp in a Koi Pond! Poetry on-the-fly is a beautiful thing.

Tangible versus Intangible.

I'd try it. Depending on what the frozen Han Solos were made of... (click image for full-size)

NPR wants you to vote for the top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy titles. Not a bad list to choose from, although some of my favs were missing.

Historic Crayola Rainbow.

Don't you hate it when your whole day is Shatnered?

It appears that 92% of Gingrich's Twitter Followers are fake. I wonder how many of mine are fake?

Wait, these aren't pugs... they aren't even dogs... er...

Right, well for the in-laws: Things that Confuse a Pug.

CameraPhone Zen

2011-08-02T09:09:00.002-07:00