Fine, okay, it's a blog already!

I've been wrapping up the last book of the Star Wars New Jedi Order series, The Unifying Force. As far as hobbies go, this one is pretty benign. And for a book series that has had its ups and downs, it sure the heck finished on a high quality note. Just figured I'd share that in case you are really full of spare time and nothing else to do.

Well, Mom has sent along some newspaper clippings from the Galva and Kewanee papers. If I can either get to a scanner or find a way to obtain them in some other way, I'll post them up.

I've been kind of busy on a temp job I've had, which has just wrapped up. Maybe some more work from it later, who knows. In the meantime, I've been accumulating links like a mad man.

From our pal Evil Ned, a site that hurts the mind as much as it tickles the funny bone.

From the land of delusion, we learn that the Maoists' Long March was shorter than we've all been told, CBS is a weak-willed pack of chumps when it comes to presidential biography type flicks, and Canadians are in on this Nigerian email scam business.

In other news, Rhode Island is apparently a rampant comparison yardstick used by writers. Another article tackles the curious nature of champion Kenyan runners, and yet one more approaches that oft-asked question (presumably someone was asking it), "What if Guy Fawkes' bomb had gone off?" Yes, these stories vaguely interest me. Move on if they bore you to death.

From the tech desk (fine, my same cluttered desk), we have a story on the guys who research map info for Mapquest and one about presidential candidates' websites.

Speaking of that bunch, there is a game at Slate where you can narrow down your candidate of choice called Whack-a-Pol. At Kuro5hin, there is a slightly tongue-in-cheek article on why Bush is not using Jesus as his inspiration as he has so often said.

Surprising at it may seem, Howard Dean actually said something I agree with. In dealing with was basically a heckler in Iowa who accused him of "mean mouthing" Bush, Dean pretty much told him to shut up and sit down. Here's the part I agree with: if, as Republicans would have you believe, disagreeing with the president is unpatriotic, then when does it become illegal to have any dissent at all? Sorry people, I'm not about to goosestep down to the voting booth and vote "Ja!" on the second term. I've got a right to think for myself and I'll support anyone who does so, even Howard Dean if it comes to it.

This is kind of becoming old news and hopefully the story will flesh itself out as more than a figment of one man's spiteful imagination, but apparently our administration was always planning to pick a fight with Iraq. Personally, I hope the story is false as it just means Bush has absolutely zero respect for our military; thinking it to be a toy to mop up what he perceives as his father's mistake. Pathetic.

Checking in on my note for Windows 98 users. Support has been extended for that product until mid-2006. So no need to panic.

Our fascist pals at the RIAA had resorted to hiring ex-cops and having them parade around as "music police", busting anyone selling bootleg CDs and the like. Excuse me, but am I the only one who sees people pretending to be police officers a highly illegal and unethical means of doing business?

This story just cracks me up. I can't imagine how the kid did it.

Anyone remember the old qbasic game where you threw exploding bananas at one another? Here is a Windows-based version of it.

Being a Astros fan as well as a Cubs one is like having boils and chicken pox at the same time most years, but this news brings some tentative hope for next season.

Incidentally, the topic today borrows its name from Aaron MacGruder's treasury of Boondocks comics, which I keep meaning to put in a permanent link on the WebComics section. I've posted the occasional strip up here and will likely do so from time to time. Its usually topical and almost always irreverant.

Case in point:

(And yes Craig, I've been properly chastised and promise to eat beef again.)

I may have mentioned this one to a few of you before, but I was walking through a Barnes and Noble the other day and ran across Walter Mosley's Futureland on the bargain shelves. Granted, its fiction, but very good, plausible fiction of our world in the near future. For $6 you can't go wrong and I hope a few of you take the time to at least peruse the book.

Other tech news. The BBC reports on your damn dirty ape computer. Jim Rapoza from E-Week usually comes up with great articles, but this one on the business model against pop-up ads is one you may be able to use if you answer to someone about a website.

Don't believe that corporations are meddling with government? This story about the MPAA basically writing speeches for California's AG will hopefully wake you up.

Extra stuff: Christopher Hitchens rips Spain a new one for trying to leave us high and dry in Iraq. A story on why I don't eat seafood. And, for once, a lottery winner who actually deserves it.

So, I'm on page 10 of Had Enough?, James Carville's new book and I figured I might as well recommend it to you already.

We'll start off with the political stuff and move in to the fun stuff later, okay? Slate has a couple articles dealing with Bush's attack ads and his continued screeching that anyone against him is against the United States. There's also another one on how the truth doesn't seem to matter to the current White House and one on the cancer that is Karl Rove.

Here's a story on how the government is attempting to kill our First Amendment. Yes, the Janet Jackson thing was out of line. But tell me how you plan on silencing Howard Stern discussing sex (which is a natural thing, right?) and then let the Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh types preach slander and hate without any repercussions. It just doesn't seem fair to me.

Martha Stewart's daughter says prison will be bad for her mom and she shouldn't have to go. I say, "Great!" It should be as awful for her as it is any convicted liar and thief.

I can't remember if I mentioned it earlier, but I love the new Nike ad where sport stars are playing sports we don't expect to see them playing. Here's a story on it and a link to the ad if you haven't seen it.

What else? Oh yeah, this should probably make your day if you've ever dealt with a city government.

How's your pool? No, not swimming. College basketball. Mine is fairly okay but that Michigan State loss kind of messes me up. In any case, here's a story on the history of the terms involved with March Madness.

As you've noticed, haven't been posting much lately. Worked a very long week in northern Nevada last week and just basically didn't have the time to post. I'm 75 miles northeast of Fargo this week and freezing my butt off again. Actually, it's not too bad. That said, I woke up on the flight in and was surprised to see both earth and sky a pale white shade. It's beautiful in it's own way; though something I definitely haven't seen for a very long time. Nice to step out of what's "normal" and remind myself of what winter looks like. Then again, I'm nowhere near acclimated for this anymore so, yeah, I'm pretty cold.

Anyway, I haven't been keeping up with the news much. Have a few links to speak about, but that will be at a later date. This time around I just wanted to cover some books I've been reading. Being on the road, waiting for planes, riding on them, catching cat naps and calling them a good night's sleep leaves me time to kick back and read. I figured I have this books topic and never use it. So here goes. And, hey, don't forget to use the comment feature. I know a fair amount of you visit. The traffic is there. Don't be afraid to contribute.

First off from It Came from the Library is Bread and Roses (yeah, I know I'm using bookstore links. look at your own library). It's the story of a 1912 textile strike and paints a picture of a working world far and away worse than what we live it. Books like this really remind you of how much we owe those who came before us.

I can't say I've ever read a Walter Mosley mystery, but I love his sci-fi work. His latest, The Wave is no different. A good interesting read for those who want to check it out. I won't give away the plot but you could definitely curl up with this one for a night or two.

Next up are a couple books I'm still working on. One of them coming via Ray at work. He saw a PBS special called Alone in the Wilderness, about a guy who moves into the wilds of Alaska, builds a cabin and tries to live off the land. The book, One Man's Wilderness, is a book based on the same subject. So far, a good read.

Last, but not least, is My War, a book by milblogger Colby Buzzell. Once again, so far, a good and fairly from the heart and gut read.

That's all I've got. The Salton Sea is on and I've got some flurries falling outside the window. I'm going to make some cocoa and enjoy the both of them. Then, of course, read a few pages and head off to sleep.

In the interests in feeding your mind, if not necessary in a useful way, I give you the following.

I was meandering around the bookstore the other day and saw that one of my favorite sci-fi trilogies has been re-issued. So, I figured I'd share the books with you.

Basically, the storyline involves a guy named Marid Audran, a layabout turned person-of-note as the trilogy moves on. It's set in a dusty city in the 23rd century, a time where Islam is ascendant and the West is pretty much a decadent waste of contentious mini-states. Basically, the nightmare world being created by the Bushites I imagine; though the stories predate his ilk.

In any case, since I've now signed up on an affiliate plan, if you plan on buying these books, kindly use the links provided. Or, do like I do and pick them up at the library. You can always buy them later if you learn to love the stories as much as I do.

When Gravity Fails

Fire in the Sun

To be published later this year:

Exile Kiss

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror

Admittedly, my tastes run counter to a lot of what the rest of you would consider normal.

That said, you're already here so you must be a bit twisted. Welcome.

In any case, got some fluff reading for you. Books that are the progeny of a couple of blogs/websites I have enjoyed.

First, we have Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Now, let's be blunt about this: Tucker Max is not a nice guy. He does not have healthy attitudes towards women, or people in general - his friends specifically. That is what makes his stuff funny. If you are overly judgemental, easily antagonized, and have a respect for all humans, avoid this book.

If you enjoy frat boy humor and inwardly cringing at finding the wrong thing funny, click the following link:

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

Next we have the Darth Side. First there was the blog last year about the life of Darth Vader through his perspective. It was a damn funny read. Now it is all portably collected as an e-book. If you haven't given it a thorough read last year, download the PDF and give it a try.

Oh, one more thing. I've been getting people addicted to this game for weeks. Now it's time to share. It's called The Swarm and falls right into the sick humor motif I started this entry with. Click, download, and enjoy you sick bastards.

It is Banned Books Week here in the US, dedicated to making sure conservatives don't destroy knowledge and entertainment in the efforts of appeasing their hate-filled, dogmatic version of God. Google has a page devoted to keeping literature alive.

Daily Lit is a service that will send you sections of literature in your email, in just enough good-sized chunks that you can read quickly in a day. Then you can get a bit inspired and wait (im)patiently for the next day's selection.

As for myself, I've been reading my usual batch of sci/fi and political stuff, along with a tech manual whenever I can concentrate long enough to dig into it. Just for fun, I wanted to highlight a few of them. Who knows? You might even be interested in following my lead.

First off is the "Dies the Fire" series by S.M. Stirling. Imagine a world where technology just basically goes away. Humans are left in a pre-steam, pre-industry environment. Stirling takes us through the lives of various groups who revert to near-Middle Ages society in order to survive. The last book just came out recently and the first two are in paperback for you cheap-skates. Or just use the library.

Dies the Fire

The Protector's War

A Meeting at Corvallis

Going along with the beyond normal theme, I really, really enjoyed the next book. Titled World War Z, it follows the oral history of a zombie war. Yes, zombies. Basically, Max Brooks has made a name for himself in zombie literature. The book is smart, well thought-out, and actually keeps your reading as the author covers the improbable and unimaginable. It literally reads like a Studs Terkel collection.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

And don't read this without the companion guide which started it all. I sent it to Tom as a gag gift and got a copy for myself as well.

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead

That's all for now. Yes, I do read weird stuff but it keeps me sane when on the road.

Alright, I keep getting asked about what I read and what I could recommend to people.

I've created a few lists here and there but with little motivation to polish it up the way I want to.

Thankfully, the internet has complied and found the solution to my little problem. Head here to my shelf at Shelfari, a new service that allows you to list books you like. I've added a few and haven't done much past that.

Sign up yourself if you wish to and we can compare notes.

Great, another project.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned the following book earlier but I'm gonna link it again and give you some new related info.

While driving around doing some errands today, I heard a story on Living on Earth about Lawrence, MA, a run down mill town. Apparently, an old wool mill is being renovated with green technologies and will eventually be a mixed residential and commercial area you can move into.

This interests me as I had read Bread & Roses last year, covering the textile strikes in 1912 in the city of Lawrence. Knowing that the city is finally getting some interest in renovating its historic area puts a smile on my face. I hope the project succeeds very well.

Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream

I finally got around to reading If Chins Could Kill by Bruce Campbell. Had a blast reading it. Check it out if you have ever had an interest in this guy's acting. And if you don't, why do you even read my blog?

If Chins Could Kill

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this, but I'm glad I finally did. The book is Chasing Ghosts by Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), which I have commented on before.

Basically, the story is about Rieckhoff's experiences in Iraq in 2003 and how he came about founding the IAVA. Besides being a honest read, it is also a good book to boot.

In any event, get the book, preferably from the organization's site itself.

According to a recent study, over a quarter of Americans did not read a book last year.

Of those who do read, men read about five books a year. Hell, I think I'm reading five books RIGHT NOW!

And, inevitably, religious books and romance novels are what get picked up by the average reader. I don't what to say to that.

I've managed to knock out a few good reads lately and wanted to share with you.

From the founder of Lonely Planet, a book about visiting the countries no one is supposed to go to. Actually, the stories are benign and nowhere as evil as your local fearmongering politicians would like you to believe.

From the world of internet news and keeping an eye on the media (not to mention a tongue in cheek), comes the following book from the founder of Fark.com about how the news is the way it is today. Sadly, nothing encouraging, but at least I have a better look on what to look for.

S.M. Stirling's Emberverse trilogy really interested me and I've recently gotten around to giving them a re-read. The first of the second trilogy follows the journey of many of the children of the protagonists of the early books as they grow into adults. A great alternate Earth concept and good writing to boot. Pick up the first three books (I linked to them awhile back, just check the Books category) and then pick up this one. Also, head over to the fan site for Stirling and start reading the early sample chapters for Dies the Fire if you want to try-it-before-you-buy-it.

Last up is William Gibson's latest book, Spook Country. The godfather of cyberpunk literature finally comes back even closer to our modern, post-9/11 paranoid world and gives his take on meta events as only he can. Don't just take my word for it, read Josh Ellis' review in last week's City Life.

Barnes & Noble changed their affiliate program and their link setup frankly sucks hard these days, so I'm now using Amazon and likely will turn to Borders once they cut the cord with Amazon, whenever that will be.

So, spent some time this weekend watching Blue Planet on the Discovery Channel. Always interesting catching a nature show. And just plain damn cool.

In any event I've been reading a lot of environmental stuff lately. Some interesting, others not so much. I wanted to link you to some of the titles in varying degrees of interest and readability.

First off is The World Tomorrow. Not so much a call to arms but a pictoral of what could happen to the Earth under various conditions.

Even more interesting is Alan Weisman's The World Without Us, an imagining of what the world would be like if we just up and disappeared. I saw him on the Daily Show recently and picked up the book this weekend. Highly interesting and thought provoking. I recommend you give it a shot.

A lot drier of a read but chock full o' information is the Little Green Handbook. Since it is a bit harder to read I haven't gotten too far into it but I'll keep plugging away at it.