Book Review: "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess

Where to begin? This novel, my brothers, has many concepts which I, your humble narrator, shall try to cover and maybe intrigue you enough to go out and read the book on your oddy knocky. Oh wait before I continue with more of this "Nadsat" language maybe that's where I should start. Not only did Anthony Burgess create a novel that gave us a philosophy of freewill and choice makes us human, but he also created his own language. Actually the language was a mix of slang and some borrowed foreign languages..



This language or slang used by the "humble narrator," Alex, is called Nadsat by Anthony Burgess. It is a form of slang the young folks use in the book. It is a mix of modified Slavic words, Cockney rhyming slang, derived Russian (like "baboochka"), and words invented by Burgess himself. One of Alex's doctors explains the language to a colleague as "Odd bits of old rhyming slang; a bit of gypsy talk, too. But most of the roots are Slav propaganda. Subliminal penetration." The use of the slang makes for a very interesting read. The context in which the words are used make it easy to pick up what is being said, so the reader is not left in the dark. I found myself using some of the slang in my everyday use. If you would like a guide to Nadsat there is a nice listing here: http://soomka.com/nadsat.html.



So with that little bit of fun out of the way let's talk about the title of the book. When I viddied the movie...see I slipped into Nadsat...when I saw the movie, I never really understood the title "A Clockwork Orange." But the book has the explanation. The explanation was left out of the movie as was several other important features which I may try to list in this review. Basically you have to understand the term "A Clockwork Orange" and the rest of the story really fits into place. The author, Anthony Burgess explains it in the introduction to the book like this:

"A creature who can only perform good or evil is 'a clockwork orange' — meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with color and juice, but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil; or the almighty state."

So knowing that the author is British and the term for a wind-up toy is a clockwork toy, really explains the idea presented in this story.



Another aspect of the book left out of the movie was also left out of the original American release of the book, and that is the great 21st chapter. First of all the number of chapters is significant in that at the age of 21 a person is "of age" and well into adulthood. So that age of 21 may give you a hint of the missing final chapter. (at least missing from the American version and the film.) That hint would be that the narrator and main character Alex comes of age and actually becomes a fully functioning adult. The book is written in first person so Alex is constantly referring to himself as "your humble narrator" throughout the book as the reader you get the feeling he is trying to fool you into thinking he's humble, but that's furthest from the truth. However, when you get to the final chapter you realize he did become humble. The book was re-released in 1986 in America with this much needed 21st chapter.



The book is separated into 3 sections and this is how I shall summarize this great book for you.



Part 1: Alex's world


The book is set in that popular not so distant future which all Utopian or Anti-Utopian books are presented. In this section we get a feel for the violence capable. Alex and His droogeys go out every night and wreak havoc on the world with ultra-violence which includes beatings of innocents, burglary, and rape. There are also gang fights between others which are full of the ultra-violence. The reader also finds that Alex is fond of classical music, especially that of Ludwig Van Beethoven. Alex and company frequent a bar which does not sell liquor but rather a concoction known as milk plus. The plus being synthetic mescaline or other drugs. We also find that Alex is only 15 years old and rules his household by keeping his pee and em (pop and mom) scared of him. He also gets visited by a social counselor , P.R. Deltoid, who gives the reader the clue that Alex has been in trouble before and the next time he will be doing Jail time. During this section his droogs become disenchanted of having Alex as their leader and leave him at the scene of a botched robbery to be picked up by the police.



Part 2: The Ludovico Technique


This section covers the time when Alex is sent to prison. Apparently the murder of the botched robbery victim is enough to try him as an adult. In prison He feigns an interest in religion, and amuses himself by reading the Bible for its lurid descriptions of "the old yahoodies (Jews) tolchocking (beating) each other", imagining himself taking part in "the nailing-in" (the Crucifixion of Jesus). Alex hears about an experimental rehabilitation program called "the Ludovico Technique", which promises that the prisoner will be released upon completion of the two-week treatment, and will not commit crimes afterwards. This Ludovico Technique is pretty much a simple brainwashing. Alex is injected with drugs that make him violently ill and as he is ill he is forced to watch movies of violent actions much like what he took part in in the first section of the book. This in turn makes it so that anytime he sees or thinks of violence he becomes ill and therefore must do good. A side effect noted here is that the soundtracks to the movies all featured classical music "to create severe emotional response." This in turn now makes it so Alex gets ill when hearing his favorite, Ludwig Van.



Part 3: After prison


Fully "rehabilitated," Alex is released from prison and sent out to become a common law-abiding citizen. Troubles first come up when Alex returns home to find his parents have rented his room to a young man and no longer has a home to return to. Alex is forced to take to the streets. He finds himself in a public library and one of his former victims recognizes Alex as the one who beat him up and the patrons of the library begin to beat on Alex. Due to his conditioning he cannot fight back and becomes ill and tries to escape. Just as he is about to escape the police arrive. Well things don't get better here. The officers are one of Alex's former droogs "Dim" who felt wronged by Alex, and one of Alex's former enemies, "Billy Boy." Due to a shortage in the police force they have recruited thugs off the street to wipe out crime. Dim and Billy Boy take Alex out to the country and beat him up. Once again Alex can't fight back. Alex left to die in the country, wanders to find help and finds a home in which the resident is a good Samaritan and helps Alex. This good Samaritan is again one of Alex's former victims, and also the creator of an anti government book titled "A Clockwork Orange." The author's name is F. Alexander. F. Alexander decides to use Alex to thwart the re-election of the government by showing how the police beat him up and that he has no freewill and cannot defend himself thanks to the conditioning. In the process of preparing Alex for the unraveling of the government, F. Alexander finds out that Alex is the one responsible for his wife's death...F. Alexander now seeks another revenge, to kill Alex. The attempt fails and Alex ends up in the hospital. While in the hospital the current government finds F. Alexander's plan and decide to bribe Alex to keep him from spreading anything negative about the government.



Now for the final "missing chapter" of the book, Alex finds that the violence and such are no longer his way of life and he wants to be normal and have a family. And all the violence is waved off as the thrill of youth.



This book takes a stab at many social statements, the corruption of government and police, what determines humanity and where does religion and culture fall in the forming of the human psyche. Not only some fun reading but as Bill Cosby used to say, "You may learn something, if you're not careful."

"Hunters of Dune" by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Well here it is the book that either ticked you off or brought relief. Many Frank Herbert and Dune Fans were offended by the conclusion of this book. Yet there were also many that were relieved to see that the many unanswered questions from "Chapterhouse Dune" were finally answered, at least started to be answered. Herbert and Anderson have put the final Dune book which was simply title "Dune 7" into 2 books. The two authors are working from the many notes and highlights left behind when Frank Herbert passed away in 1986.

Okay at this point I should warn anyone reading this that from this point forward there will be spoilers. This will be a review of the book with a bit of discussion as to whether or not the series is continuing in the direction Frank Herbert intended. So if you don't like to know the ending until you read it then you may want to come back to this posting.

First of all let's give a synopsis of what goes on in "Hunters of Dune:"

There are many different plots and subplots going on in this book. In a sense it is a return to the plots within plots and secrets within secrets that Frank Herbert introduced to the reader in the original "Dune" book. Another aspect of this book is that it is filled with lots of excitement and action much like the first book. However one of the many aspects of Frank Herbert's writing compared to the writing of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, is that of the big action scenes. Frank Herbert was a bit like Shakespeare in that the main actions or sometimes death and destruction would happen "off-stage" or better yet, in the reader's mind. Like for example the destruction of the planet Rakis (Arrakis, Dune), this only gets mentioned and the no-ship moves on. However when it comes to Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, especially Anderson, they have to write the action out and fill with all sorts of scenes. In fact that is just what they do in the opening of this book, to give a complete writing of the destruction of Rakis as seen through the ghola memories of Miles Teg. This also explains why the book that was originally called book 7 is now two novels.

The book takes place on several areas and planets in the universe, with the bulk of the action happening within the wandering no-ship, beyond the known universe where "the enemy" is getting ready to attack humankind, the Bene Gesserit home planet, Chapterhouse and Tleilax, the home planet of the extinct Tlielaxu masters and now under the rule of the Honored Matres.

The story as left off in the last book by Frank Herbert is that after the the God Emperor died the Universe was at a standstill with no more spice. Humanity scattered to the far reaches of the universe to find alternatives to the spice and to spread out the home base of humanity. The Honored Matres return to the central universe spreading destruction in their wake. They have two main enemies they wish to destroy. They are the Bene Gesserit and the Tlielaxu Masters. The reason they want to destroy the Bene Gesserit is so they can learn how to adjust their body chemistry to combat the biological weapons thrust at them by the great enemy. They no nothing other than conquer and destroy and diplomacy is not a choice. The reason they destroy the Tlielaxu Masters is because the the Honored Matres are formed from Bene Gesserit and the God Emperor's Fish Speakers and the freed women that were destined to be Tlielaxu Axlotyl tanks. This is how the Tlielaxu create the gholas and the spice substitute, turning the women into tanks for growing life or for chemical processes.

The half Bene Gesserit and half Honored Matre Mother Commander Murbella, is trying to combine the forces of the Bene Gesserit and the Honored Matres in order to destroy the enemy that will soon be coming to destroy humanity. She is met with much resistance from the Honored Matres who feel there is no way to destroy the enemy. Since the Honored Matres are the ones that alerted the enemy of the presence of humanity, they have first hand knowledge. The Honored Matres also have stolen some weapons from the enemy and use these to destroy on their escape across the universe. These "Obliterators" were used to destroy Rakis and are at times used to threaten the Bene Gesserit. Eventually Mother Commander Murbella does destroy the rebel factions of all the Honored Matres and prepares to do battle with the enemy.

In the meantime the escaped no-ship continues to try and find refuge from the war between Honored Matres and Bene Gesserit while at the same time avoiding the tachyon net set out by the enemy to capture the no-ship. The enemy wants the no-ship because the Kwisatz Hadderach is onboard, however we are not let on to know which passenger is this super-being. The ship is populated by Sheanna, the Bene Gesserit that can control the sandworms, The Mentat ghola Duncan Idaho, the Miles Teg ghola, Bene Tlielax Master Scytale, several renegade Bene Gesserit witches and 4 Futars rescued from the Honored Matres on Gammu. The Futars are a mysterious half cat half human being created to hunt and destroy Honored Matres. They are created by Handlers who are later found out to be Tlielaxu Face Dancers. Scytale also holds a great secret. He carries a null entropy tube, containing cells carefully and secretly collected by the Tleilaxu for millennia, including the cells of Tleilaxu Masters, Face Dancers, Paul Atreides, Duke Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, Chani, Stilgar, Leto Atreides II, Gurney Halleck, Thufir Hawat, and other legendary figures dating back to Serena Butler and Xavier Harkonnen from the Butlerian Jihad. The Bene Gesserit on board the no-ship which has been named the "Ithaca," debate and decide to bring back gholas of Paul, Jessica, Chani, Stilgar, Liet Kynes, Thufir Howat and Leto II. But an attempted assasination on Leto II and a warning from prescience to Sheanna puts a stop to the further growing of gholas.

On Tleilaxu the Face dancer, Khrone working for they mysterious Daniel and Marty, grow gholas of Baron Harkonnen and Paul Maud'dib. This gives Daniel and Marty the backup for a Kwisatz Hadderach in case they can't catch the Ithaca. Yes it turns out that Daniel and Marty are the enemy. Which, and here's the jagged little pill, in turn they turn out to be the Evermind Omnius and The independent Robot Erasmus, who were "defeated" in the Butlerian Jihad.

This brings us to the point that creates a bit of turmoil among Dune fans. Many fans have a hard time accepting that the enemy is robots. But if you look at it this way it may be a little easier to swallow; They are not just robots but thinking machines. The entire Dune universe is based on the idea that there are no computers and that thinking machines were defeated in the Butlerian Jihad. So I ask what better enemy than one that humanity has forgotten and even taken for granted.

Well the entire run of the Dune Univers will be coming to an end in August of 2007 with the release of "Sandworms of Dune" so until then, try not to be mad at Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. In my opinion they have made the Dune universe more fun and brought it to a point where we, as fans aren't left wondering.

"New Rules, Polite Musings from a Timid Observer" by Bill Maher

Okay first of all, the rules are not new because the book was published in 2005. This makes some of the issues dated but for the most part many of Bill Maher's "polite musings" are right on the number. Now with that in mind some of this book is just not funny. It's sad to say that it seems Mr. Maher is funnier when he's talking than writing. But this book has enough fun parts that it makes up for the bad.



I will warn you that most of the book is taking jabs at the Bush administration and Republicans in general. I, being a complete independent when it comes to politics, didn't take offense but I will tell you some of it just got to tiring to read. Another that seems to be in the sights of Bill Maher's rules are the media and celebrities. Now these I found myself agreeing with 100%. I really think the media is no longer media but entertainment and spends way too much time on celebrities. So when he would jab at these topics I was right behind him saying, "Yeah, you tell 'em, Bill."



One example of some of the hit or miss rules is the "Face Reality" rule:

"Stop being shocked when reality TV contestants [notice he doesn't say stars] turn out to be wife beaters, drug addicts, shoplifters and porn stars. They're letting us marry them to strangers and make them eat eel shit. They don't have the gene for shame---that's why they're on reality shows."

See that one I can stand behind, but didn't find it funny, I expected more funny.



One that I thought was funny and made a point was the "Bulletin Bored" rule:

"We don't need a FOX 'News Alert' every time something explodes in Iraq. It's a war -- breaking news would be when stuff stops blowing up. Until then, we'll assume Baghdad is jus tlike Lindsay Lohan -- getting bombed daily."

So while this book has it's funny moments it also has some lame moments. My advice just watch Bill Maher live and that'll be enough. Also the "Polite musings from a Timid Observer" section of the title of the book is very misleading, these musings are not polite nor is he timid in his observations. One final point... the book is a very fast read...it is written in small blurbs, so it could be a nice bathroom reader.

"Blaze" by Stephen King...er...um...I mean Richard Bachman

It's kinda funny that even the throwaways by Stephen King are good reading, and that's exactly what this story is, a throwaway. Before I explain that, let me explain more about Mr. King's pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The Richard Bachman pseudonym was derived from crime author Donald Westlake's pseudonym Richard Stark (King later used that name as the character in "The Dark Half") and the band Bachman Turner Overdrive. When King would write under the name of Richard Bachman the stories were dark crime novels. He even created a history to this character and a phony picture appeared on some dust jackets. But later once Bachman was outed as King....he would use old photos of himself.

So, knowing that Bachman is "known for" crime novels, this new book "Blaze" won't let you down. Also knowing that it will have that Stephen King read helps. Back to the issue of Throwaway. This book was originally rejected by King and recently rediscovered in some archives. King updated it and made some edits and found that it made for a pretty good book. I definitely agree with that. The book is a fun romp in the criminal world with a Stephen King meets John Steinbeck feel.

The character Blaze is Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. He's a "Big 'un" and a bit brain damaged thanks to his father throwing him down some stairs. To remember this abuse Blaze has a dent in his forehead. Blaze is sent to an orphanage and lives out his youth with constant abuse from the school master and math teacher Mr. Coslaw or known to the kids as "The Law." The back story of Blaze's youth and his adult life with his friend and co-hort in crime George, is told through a series of chapter flashbacks as the main story takes place. The characters of Blaze and George are very much like Lenny and George from John Steinbeck's classic novel "Of Mice and Men." But told with a Stephen King twist, George is dead, but lives on to guide Blaze through ghostly visitations.

The main story revolves around a plot to kidnap Joe Gerard a baby to the extremely rich Gerard family. George and Blaze were cooking up the idea of one last big con to get them to retire, and this kidnapping is their ticket. The plan is to kidnap the baby (babies can't identify the kidnappers) and get a few million dollars and go to Acapulco. Well George is killed during a gambling argument leaving Blaze to take care of himself and to carry out the plan. Blaze is constantly assisted by George in the planning and when the police are close to catching Blaze, George warns Blaze.

Another turn in the plot is that Blaze becomes very fond of the 6 month old Joe and decides to collect the ransom and keep the baby. Without giving away too much of the plot it becomes yet another Stephen King heart tugging story.

Completely away from the story but worth mentioning, Stephen King has pledged that the proceeds from this "throwaway" novel to be donated to the Haven Foundation, which supports freelance artists.

"Scar Tissue" by Anthony Kiedis (with Larry Sloman)

Pretty much gone are the days when rock n roll stars trash hotel rooms or take advantage of groupies with fish caught fromthe motel room window. With today's stars like Chris Daughtry it's a clean cut, but rock on image. Not so with Anthony Kiedis the front man for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The problem with this Chili Pepper is that his rock-n-roll lifestyle started before he became a rock star. In fact his troubles started when he was a mere 14 year old kid growing up with his drug dealing part time actor dad, John Michael Kiedis aka Blackie Dammet.



Growing up near Hollywood would seem to scar any psyche but with Anthony it created a drug problem and juvenile delinquency that would go on to haunt him into his late 30s. Anthony even spent time staying with Sonny Bono and where Sonny would try to be a positive male role model, Anthony rebelled. Anthony developed a dependency on Cocaine and Heroin long before he had a musical career that could fund such an addiction, and would have to break laws to support that addiction.



The "semi" autobiography "Scar Tissue" tells in Anthony's own words about his growing up in a broken home and then finding musical soul-mates, forming one of today's hottest bands and the constant checking into rehab to overcome a life time of cocaine and heroin addiction that as any recovering alcoholic/drug user knows is a day by day struggle. Anthony's story also covers the tragedies of losing the Chili Pepper's First Guitarist, Hillel Slovak, becoming friends and then losing Curt Cobain.



The book does leave you wondering whether or not he finally has "licked" the addiction but a line from the book hints that maybe he finally he has:

If you want to be a strong swimmer or an accomplished musician, you have to practice. It's the same with sobriety, though the stakes are higher. If you don't practice your program every day, you're putting yourself in a position where you could fly out of the orbit one more time. The good news is that being in recovery is a blast for me.

So if you want to read of the struggles not just of an artist but of an average Joe then you may want to pick up this book. Also it's fun to read about all the artistic struggles of the band and even Anthony's desperate search for the perfect woman. A little clue here, this is also the key to his constant slipping in and out of sobriety.

"Chapterhouse Dune" by Frank Herbert

Okay, Dune fans, this is it, last Dune book written by Frank Herbert. Published in 1985, "Chapterhouse Dune" left more questions than answers. Frank Herbert died in 1986 and left a legacy of some of the greatest Science Fiction and Literature, but many fans want to know if "Chapterhouse Dune" was how he wanted to leave things or not.

Before we talk about the questions left unanswered, I'll give you a synopsis of this book.

Ten years after the events in "Heretics of Dune" have left the planet Rakis/Arrakis/Dune completely destroyed by the Honored Matres the mysterious enemy from the scattering. Mother Superior Odrade has grown a ghola from the cells of her Father, Miles Teg, the greatest bashar the Bene Gesserit have ever known, to combat the Honored Matres. The ghola of Teg is now 10 years old and his memories are about to be awakened by the ghola of Duncan Idaho. This quite fitting in that the "original" Miles Teg is the one that awakened the memories of the ghola Duncan Idaho.

Also on the Chapterhouse planet the Bene Gesserit are planning to create a new Dune. Thanks to Sheeana they smuggled to Chapterhouse from Dune a sandworm. The sandworm was used to creat sandtrout which are slowly converting Chapterhouse to a desert planet.

Also smuggled back to Chapterhouse on the "no-ship" is the last remaining Tleilaxu, Scytale. Scytale, unbeknownst to anyone (except the reader), has implanted in his chest a nullentropy tube containing the cells for many Tleilaxu masters and many of the past famous persons from the Dune novels, including Paul Maud'dib. For his safety Scytale has given the Bene Gesserit the secret of axolotl tanks, the tanks used by the Tleilaxu to creat gholas and the genetic equivalent of spice.

Duncan Idaho is "haunted" by 2 mysterious figures throughout the book that seem to be observing him through a net. These could be Tleilaxu face dancers. They are revealed at the end of the book to be Daniel and Marty, and that face dancers were never ruled by Tleilaxu masters. Daniel and Marty were supposed to guide Duncan, and the others to some sort of path. But at the end of this book Duncan escapes in the no-ship with some rebel Bene Gesserit, some sandworms, Scytale, Sheeanna, and Miles Teg.

So as you can see there are many questions that end the Dune series, as written by Frank Herbert, such as:
1. How are Daniel and Marty to affect the future? (Many fans believe these two characters to be Frank Herbert and his wife, Eileen written into the series)
2. What is to come of the "Renegades" in the no ship?
3. What will happen now that the Bene Gesserit and the Honored Matres are merging.
4. What is the mysterious force that forced the Honored Matres to return in fear from the scattering.

Now the good news is that Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have teamed up and have been and are writing "Book 7" based on an outline and writings left behind by Frank Herbert. However due to the massive amount of information left behind Book 7 has been written into 2 books: "Hunters of Dune" and "Sandworms of Dune." Hunters of Dune was published last year and Sandworms of Dune is due out this August (2007). So the next book I'll have reviewed for you will be "Hunters of Dune" while anxiously await the release of the series closer "Sandworms of Dune"

Highlander

Okay this is sooo cool. They've taken the mythos of Highlander (the movies and tv series) and combined them with my favorite medium ANIME.
below is a video of what to expect.

New Music Scott & Aimee

Scott & Aimee is comprised of Scott Russo of Unwritten Law fame and Aimee Allen. Together they have a very unique music style and sound that doesn't sound like every other band. They mix pop rock and maybe a little reggae/ska. Aimee has a great voice that just oozes with passion and emotion Their new album, Sitting In A Tree is a rockin'(at times) and laid back (at the same time)collection of music. You have to give these guys a listen. you can sample some of their sounds at:

www.scottandaimee.com

Band in a Bubble: Cartel

Paris

"An Accidental American" by Alex Carr

Nicole Blake just wants to live her life in solitude. Her faithful dog and her in a cottage in France seem like the perfect way to do it, but soon her past is coming back to her and in full force. In this novel of mystery, intrigue and espionage, Alex Carr weaves a tale that takes you in directions you may not be expecting.



Nicole has served some prison time for her career of choice, forgery. With a con-man American father it is the expected life for her. But Nicole has relationships with people that have made her life a little more exciting. Her former lover Rahim Ali another expert forger is now a suspected terrorist and the CIA wants him. To get him they recruit Nicole. She hasn't seen him since before being sent to prison but she takes the "job" more out of curiousity and the surprise that he could even be a terrorist.



I will warn you at this point in the story I was worried that it was going to turn into a spy/love story. But the twists and turns that author Alex Carr weaves into the story through flashback sequences the book soon becomes a book you can't put down until finished. Even when finished I had to go back and re-read some chapters...out of intrigue.



The setting of the book is just before the recent war in Iraq and jumps back and forth from the Beirut bombing in 1982 and the Gulf War of the early '90s. With the history of the region and the superb characterizations the novel becomes a very believable story. In the back of the book there is an author's note on the bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut, and if you are not familiar with the history of the region it is good to read this before reading the book. However the history is well told in the book so that it is incorporated in the story so the reader actually learns a little about history while reading some great action.



Another aspect unleashed in the story is the roaming around in the city of Lisbon. There are times where the book almost seems like a Dan Brown novel, in that you want to grab a map and trace the character's steps through the town. In fact the Author has included a city map of Lisbon and Beirut in the beginning of the book.



So grab this book, sit back and be prepared for an exciting ride in counter-terrorism and CIA double-crossing. I will warn you that the first 2 or 3 chapters build the story and may seem a little too much to get through but once in Lisbon the action never stops.

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

So how proud are you of your heritage? Being a descendent of Irish, Scottish and Native American I can say it is a very shakey descendency and it's a wonder I even came to be. I have always been curious about my Native American ancestors, but that part of the family tree seems to only be passed down through family stories and not written anywhere. I have some cousins that easily pass as full blooded Indians. I have a cousin who was the Chief Prosecutor for the Navajo Nation, I'm not sure what he's doing now. For a while he wanted to open an Indian Motorcycle dealership on the reservation, so he could be an Indian selling Indians to Indians in Indian country. I thought it would be a worthy venture.



Anyway, back to my original question. It seems as though being a white person is really starting to be tough. It's amazing what evils the white race has done under the guise of religion or even worse "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny was a phrase that expressed the belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean by the white race. It's amazing how many humans were wiped out for land. Most of these humans were here first. How would you feel if today, Middle Easterners came to our land and said we would like to buy your land, if you don't sell it we will kill you. Then after we give them some they form concentration camps and force all white folks to live there. These camps also provide no food or shelter and the dark-skinned folks would supply scarce foods, in hopes of starving us out. That is exactly what white settlers/pioneers and explorers did to the Indegeneous Natives on the North American continent. And it is all documented and researched in the book "My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown.



Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was first published in the United States in 1970. Dee Brown incorporates a number of eyewitness accounts and official records offering a scathing indictment of the U.S. politicians, soldiers, and citizens who colonized the American West. Focusing mainly on the thirty-year span from 1860 to 1890, the book was the first account of the time period told from the Native-American point of view. It demonstrated that whites instigated the great majority of the conflicts between Native Americans and themselves. Brown began searching for the facts about Native Americans after he met several as a child and had a hard time believing the myths about their savagery that were popular among white people. Brown published his book a century after the events took place, but it was a timely publication, since many U.S. citizens were already feeling guilty about their country's involvement in the Vietnam War. Brown's book depicted, in detail, the U.S. government's attempt to acquire Native Americans' land by using a mix of threats, deception, and murder. In addition, the book showed the attempts to crush Native-American beliefs and practices. These acts were justified by the theory of Manifest Destiny, which stated that European descendents acting for the U.S. government had a God-given right to take land from the Native Americans.



One of the many aspects that was the destruction of the Indian Nations was the fact that the U.S. would create these treaties in order to gain land that had some value, move the Indians to land of no value, and when the "other land" was found to have value, break the treaty and start the cycle over. There are many great quotes in this book that can help summarize the rest of this review.



From Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces. Keep in mind it was the Nez Perces that saved the Lewis and Clark Expedition from starving and provided fresh horses.

"It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food; no one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sic and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever."

To show the arrogance of the politicians of the time this is from Governor Pitkin, governor of Colorado:

"My idea is that unless removed by the government they [the Indians] must be necessarily exterminated."

And this response by Senator John Logan to Sitting Bull's apology for not trusting the white man:

"The government feeds and clothes and educates your children now, and desires to teach you to become farmers, and to civilize you, and make you as white men"

"Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade" by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know. Now that may seem like a book that says BORING!!! but I'm here to tell you Slaughterhouse-Five is a very entertaining book.

Billy Pilgrim is "unstuck in time" and time travels back and forth to what seem like random points in his life. Most of the book is spent during World War II in which Billy is a harlequined prisoner of war. Forced to wear strange clothing to keep warm he may seem like a clown but Billy is one of the most fortunate, especially when he and other prisoner's are moved to Dresden just before the Allied firebombing of the "non-military" target. At the new camp which is a former slaughterhouse turned into a prison, Billy and the other prisoners have a pretty easy life as far as most horror stories of prisoners of war go. But once the Allies start firebombing then Hell is unleashed on Earth.

Ther are many other aspects of Billy Pilgrim's life that are worth noting, especially since he keeps time travelling back and forth between them. The night before his Daughter's wedding, which is also the night he is abducted by aliens from Tralfamadore. On Tralfamadore Billy is kept in a zoo where the Tralfamadorians can observe an Earth creature. They also teach Billy some important lessons on life. One being that all time exists at all times. A weird concept but let me try to further explain, the Tralfamadorians are not limited to 3D vision like us their visual skills are 4D. For example, they don't see the stars in the universe as a dot in space at one time but rather where that star exists at all times, so space looks like spaghetti strings of light. Also humans aren't 2 legged creatures but 8 legged with all the legs of youth through old age. "The Tralfamadorians tried to give Billy clues that would help him imagine sex in the invisible dimension. They told him that there could be no Earthling babies without male homosexuals. There could be babies without female homosexuals. There couldn't be babies without women over sixty-five years old. There could be babies without men over sixty-five. There couldn't be babies without other babies who had lived an hour or less after birth. And so on. It was gibberish to Billy."

So when something exists, it always has and always will. This also leads to the great saying by the Tralfamdorians "So it goes." "When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in a bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes'." This is said throughout the book anytime someone dies or death is mentioned. At some times in the book this is quite funny, like when some critics are discussing whether the "novel" as a literary form is dead. Even when the champagne is dead, So it goes.

Also on Tralfamadore, the aliens wish to see human reproduction in action and abduct a famous movie star Montana Wildhack, who was also known to do some "blue" movies. She seems to be the only one that knows Billy time travels, or rather is "unstuck in time."

One of the most profound anti-war statements is when Billy watches a war movie forward and backwards over and over. The bombs return to the planes and eventually are returned as various minerals back into the earth. And the bullets are sucked out of victims back into the guns.

While Vonnegut may say his books have no characters, this book is filled with some great ones. There's Kilgore Trout the science-fiction writer that appears in other Vonnegut novels. Trout may not be a good writer but his story ideas are superb. Billy's wife, Valencia Merble, Billy's heavyset wife and mother of Billy's two children. Billy remains rather distant from her. She dies of carbon monoxide poisoning following a car accident on her way to the hospital where her husband is sent after an airplane crash. She never appears without a candy bar in her mouth/hand. Edgar Derby, an older man who pulled strings to take part in the war. He is in the German POW camp with Lazarro and Billy. He is sentenced to death for stealing a teapot in the Dresden corpse mines and executed by a firing squad. Vonnegut considers his ignominious death high irony. His son is also a soldier. He is referred throughout the book as "Poor old Edgar Derby." Roland Weary,a weak man with dreams of grandeur who weakly 'saves' Billy multiple times (despite Billy's protests) in hopes for glory. This leads to their capture as well as the loss of their warm winter clothing and boots. Eventually Weary dies of gangrene while on the train to the camp, and blames Billy with his final words. Paul Lazzaro, another POW. A sickly, ill-tempered car thief from Cicero, Illinois who hears Weary's dying words and eventually has Billy killed in revenge for the death of his friend Weary, many years after the war. He has a mental hit list and claims he can have anyone "killed for a thousand dollars plus traveling expenses".

There are many more but let me tell you pick this book up and give it a read. You'll soon see why it is a classic. If you prefer audiobooks there is a great unabridged version read by Ethan Hawke.

Point 1 rocks

Every so often I just love to rock out....kinda brings back the youth.
Although at my age the headbanging leads to after pains but it's worth it.

Well there's a new band out that I thought I'd share with you I've been a member of their I-squad and have been really rocking out. The band is Point 1. They have a new album out now "Unlucky Stars" and so far my favorite song is "Oxygen" Kinda a mix of Marilyn Manson and Alice in Chains and a little Nine Inch Nails thrown in for good measure.

Their myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/pointone
If you wish to join the i-squad just click on the graphic below. BTW, the i-squad is where you can get cool swag by spreading the news.

American Dad DVD awesome

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy is not the feel good book of the century. But then again it could be. It seems like the continuous desolation, and destruction created in this book will never end. However, someone is always "carrying the light," which means that if you let this book absorb you as you absorb it you will learn that it is not always futile and that life has a meaning.

Yes all that was what I got out of a book where a man and his son are walking a long a road in constant survival mode in a post-apocalyptic United States. Cormac McCarthy paints a great prosaic picture of what it means to be one of "the good guys." The man and son are just trying to head south to warmer weather. The land is covered with ashes from some apocalyptic destruction that is never explained other than it was all burned. The "how the land got that way" is not important. This story revolves around the man and son surviving and avoiding roving bands of murderers, cannibals and "bad guys." They will succeed because they are the "good guys" and they are "carrying the light."

Normally in my reviews I will warn you that there will be spoilers in the review. This book really has nothing to spoil (that may be a spoiler in itself), also the reading of this book is the true reward. Not only is the story great but the words used to tell the story are so beautifully composed that at times it feels as if reading or hearing music. The flow is perfect as if you are there with the man and boy.

The man spends a lot of time in the story apologizing to the boy. Most of the apologies are for things the boy has seen or events they have to endure. Although deep down inside you get a real feeling of the older generation having to apologize to the younger generation. There are times in the book where I felt I would read this book to my 6 year-old son, but there were times where I felt it was too much. I have always felt strongly about making sure my son gets the most out of life, after reading this book, I am influenced to make sure that happens even more so.

This is a book you have to read. If for no other reason than Oprah says so and put it in her book club. Okay, really this is a great book and I'm glad to see she brought this to the attention of many that would have passed it by, it will give you a different view on life. I think it also helps you decide if you are a good guy or bad guy.

Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert

First of all, Wow! what a book. This book not only was a page turner but it had lots of pages to turn. The book takes place 1,500 years after the reign of Leto II, the God Emperor. Arrakis, Dune has returned to being the desert planet, thanks to the sandtrout of Leto II's destruction bringing back the sandworms from extinction. The planet is now called Rakis. Another planet of note, Geidi Prime, former homeworld for House Harkonnen is now known as Gammu.

The empire fell into chaos before the return of the sandworms, due to the scarcity of spice. This created the "Scattering" in which many of the population sought the extreme edges of the universe to find other sources of spice or to expand the location of humanity. As the books opens many people have returned and have changed. There is a new force to deal with, the Honored Matres, they are very similar to the Bene Gesserit but the Matres use sex as a weapon and force of rule. The Bene Gesserit and Bene Tleilax see this as threat and somewhat team up to fight these Honored Matres.

The Bene Gesserit have been using gholas of Duncan Idaho through the years but the Tleilaxu always assassinate the ghola. This time will be different, the Bene Gesserit have a plan. But, as it seems so do the Tleilaxu. They have "programmed" the ghola to kill the Bene Gesserit "imprinter" that tries to imprint him to guarantee his loyalty to the Bene Gesserit.

In the meantime on Rakis, a child is discovered by the priests that can control the sandworms. The Bene Gesserit hear of this and immediately take over Rakis, in order to make the child, Sheeana, a Reverend Mother, and maybe to breed with the Duncan ghola.

The Honored Matres also find this out and seek to destroy the ghola and the girl and Rakis. So with many battles to ensue we are introduced to a retired Bashar, Teg, who is brought out of retirement to not only guard the ghola but to awaken his memories due to Teg being the exact likeness of Duke Leto I. After awakening the ghola Teg, Reverend Mother Lucilla, who was supposed to imprint Duncan before the awakening, and Duncan are discovered on Gammu and have to go underground to get to Rakis. Teg is captured and tortured by the Honored Matres but during the torture some strange powers are awakened in him. He is able to speed his body and mind outside the normal flow of time, and able to destroy all occupants in a Honored Matres stronghouse. He then steals a no-ship (which is a ship undetectable by all, including prescience vision) and takes Lucilla and Duncan to Rakis.

On Rakis, Reverend Mother Taraza dies and passes her memories to Reverend Mother Odrade. Odrade has aligned somewhat with the Bene Tleilax in order to combat the Honored Matres. Odrade has started the process for Sheeana to become a Reverend Mother. Teg and company arrive and provide transport in the no-ship for Odrade, Lucilla, Duncan, Sheeana and a captured sandworm back to Chapterhouse while he stays behind to fight the Matres and as it turns out Rakis is destroyed.

The Reverend Mothers bring the worm to Chapterhouse in order to turn it into another Dune.

Okay, only one more Frank Herbert Dune book to go. Dune is destroyed but the sandworms still live.

Jody Raffoul

JODY - FREE Download 'Give It Away'
If you were lucky enough to be at one of Jody's live shows over the past 12 months you may well have picked up a FREE CD sampler. Well, 15,000+ CD samplers later Jody decided he wanted to find a way to share his music with new fans from around the world in places where he has not yet played. So here it is, the aptly titled "GIVE IT AWAY", a 5 song E.P. for you to download absloutely FREE! - Click on the banner above! Join the i-Squad and get some great free music.

For a Great demo watch the video below

God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

Before I summarize the story there are a few things that need to be mentioned about this book. First this book takes on a different feel from all the others written by Frank Herbert. The reason behind this is that the book is mostly written in first person, from the view of Leto II the God Emperor. These are in the forms of stolen journals and other journals Leto keeps for future generations. The other Dune books contained quotes from other sources to highlight chapters, but this one relies on the quotes to tell the story. Another thing about this book is that it jumps the reader 3,500 years after the book Children of Dune. The Universe has changed as can be expected. Dune, now known primarily as Arrakis, is a plush fertile planet with rivers and rain. The exception to this is the small area Leto has set aside for testing the Atreides. And finally in all Frank Herbert's and even in the books by his son, Brian, women are a very strong presence. They are the true rulers behind the men. Even more so in this book. Leto's army of "Fish Speakers" is all women. The reason for this in the book is that in general women mature faster and that in order to protect life one must create/adore life and women achieve this through the act of childbirth.

Now for the story, again I'll warn you there are spoilers here.

Leto II, after 3,500 years as Emperor, has continued into his metamorphoses of becoming a sandworm. The only human features left are his arms and hands and his face which is contained within a sandtrout coweled area. This metamorphoses is part of the Golden Path that his father Maud'dib could not do. This was done to ensure the contiuation of humankind. While this concept is not entirely clear, it is stated that humankind would have become basically lazy and would have killed itself off, if the God Emperor had not been ruling. Leto while being mostly sandworm, still rules from Arrakis, where the sandworms and sandtrout are extinct. Leto has a horde of spice which he uses as rewards for the others in the universe. Due to this shortage of spice, space travel is kept to a minimum. The Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit, the Ixians and the Bene Tlielax all compete for their spice rewards.

The Ixians are still creating machines and have all but broken the rules of the Butlerian Jihad, in which "No machine shall be constructed in the form of the human mind." The Ixians are trying to create a machine to replace the Spacing Guild navigators in folding space. The Ixians also have a device called the "no room" in which all is hidden from Leto's prescient vision. In this room they create Hwi Noree, a woman who can conquer the only known weakness of the God Emperor, LOVE.

Duncan Idaho is still around for this novel, but still only a ghola, the Tleilaxu have cloned many Duncans for Leto. Leto likes the company of the Duncans although many have died mysteriously, at the opening of the book one is to assassinate Leto as programmed by the Tleilaxu. But being mostly sandworm, nothing can kill the God Emperor, except water, which that is a secret none yet know. So this Duncan dies and his replacement is suspiciously readily available. The Duncans are commanders of the Fish Speakers, Leto's all woman army.

Leto also has his own breeding program to keep the Atreides bloodline alive and to continue the species. The latest Duncan is to breed with Siona, daughter of Moneo, the Emperor's right hand man and sometimes confidant and heir to Atreides bloodline. Duncan, however, will not be "the Emperor's stud."

Duncan falls in love with Hwi Noree and with this fighting in his conscience he teams up with Siona to assassinate the God Emperor as he comes to his wedding. In the fighting Siona kills Hwi and Duncan is heartbroken. They then cause the worm to fall into a river where the sandtrout all separate from his body and he dies.

This summation of this immense book is very short, when compared to all the information contained in this installment into the Duneverse. This book takes more patience than any of the others to get through but in my opinion with all the philosophies this one tackles it is even more worth it.

As a side note I know there is a great spoof of this book in an episode of the cartoon "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy." In this Mandy has evolved into a worm like creature and runs the universe from her Cinnamon mines and she keeps a constant clone of Billy to entertain her. If you ever get a chance to check it out the episode is titled "Mandy the Merciless."

In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders

Okay I think this is going to be my first not so good review. Normally when I read a book I will put it down if it is bad, and in doing so will not feel inclined to review it. However there was just something different about this book that I had to press on. A lot like when I read "Moby Dick," okay really that was just something I wanted to achieve.

George Saunders' book "In Persuasion Nation" is a collection of short stories that push the absurd. I will admit that some of the stories are actually quite funny such as "I CAN SPEAK" and "My Flamboyant Grandson." The strange thing about all the stories in this book are they either hit or miss. The stories are very futuristic in feel. They also are written in such surrealism that the messages some contain are hidden. Yes there are some good philosophical messages in these stories. Messages about society's impulse to be popular and "in" and a message or two about how media and advertising go a bit too far. Some of the messages are so well hidden that the story itself becomes boring.

Yes there are some extremely boring stories in this book. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would have to rate this book right in the middle at 5. At times there is some great storytelling and wit but equally there are times when it is just plain boring and seems like a chore to read.

The story "I CAN SPEAK" is written as if it is a letter to a customer who purchased an "I CAN SPEAK" system which is a mask to put over the heads of infants to make voices come out. This makes it look like the customer has a smart baby. The letter written to the customer explains how the system only gives that appearance and that it is great. This is one of the funny stories.

I guess what it comes down to is, check this book out from the library. I can't recommend purchasing it.

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

About 10 years after the events of "Dune Messiah," the children of Emperor Paul Maud'dib are aware of their future and fate of humanity under their guidance. Leto II and Ghanima are young of age but being "pre-born" they have all the knowledge of mankind and prescience vision which allows them to forsee what events will guide humanity. The Golden Path must be followed by one of these children of Maud'dib but which one? The Golden Path is one in which Paul could not take.

In the meantime Dune continues to become "green." Many sections of desert have standing water and clouds can be seen from the Guild's highliners in space. The ecology of Dune is changing to allow growth of plant life. The problem with this is that it could lead to the extinction of Sandworms which are the source of spice and spice is what keeps the the Universe running.

House Corrino is making an attempt at regaining the throne by training tigers to attack Leto & Ghanima and then put Farad'n on the throne. But Farad'n does not really seem to like what is done in his name by his mother. He then banishes his mother upon the arrival of Lady Jessica and Lady Jessica begins training him in the Bene Gesserit way. All this time they are trying to betroth him to Ghanima, who believes the assasination succeeded and killed Leto. Leto, however is seeking out Jacurutu in order to find the Golden Path.

Alia has pushed along the religion of Paul Maud'dib in order to gain power for herself. This is not entirely her doing, because she becomes possessed by the memory of Baron Harkkonen. A mysterious figure makes his appearance in the city to tell the people of the abomination of worshipping Maud'dib. This person is known only as The Preacher. The Preacher however is Paul Maud'dib returned from the desert.

Leto learns that the Golden Path is to transform his human self by merging with the sand trout (the "larvae" of the sandworms).

Once again Frank Herbert creates a novel that continues with the great science-fiction action and intrigue, philosophical discussions and ecological warnings.

The Thin Red Line by James Jones

I live in the small town of Robinson, Illinois. Back in the mid 80s while I lived there the only claim to fame was that it was home of Heath candy bars. While in the Navy I would buy Heath bars just so I could show my shipmates that my hometown was printed on the back of every wrapper. Sometime in the 90s the Heath plant was bought out by Hershey and now the wrappers just say Hershey....but the town still smells like chocolate year round.

I didn't come back into town until my 15th high school reunion and met what would soon be my wife...yeah, a high school sweetheart marriage. I eventually moved back into town and now work at a small radio station in a neighboring county. Every day I kept noticing this sign which was put on the highway just as you enter town stating Robinson is hometown to author James Jones. This sign was put in place in the year 2000 and the town has pretty much now rallied around being hometown to this author. I was not familiar with who James Jones was, I had heard the name but never read any of his books. I did know he wrote "From Here to Eternity," but I never read the book, it is rather thick and well I really hated the movie. (Maybe the Frank Sinatra as actor is what turned me off.) With the town of Robinson being proud of this author, I thought I'd look into some of his other works.

I immediately went out and rented the 1998 release of "The Thin Red Line," and as far as war movies go, I was impressed. I then looked on paperback swap to find James Jones' books, and found the hardcover of "The Thin Red Line." Now, after reading it, I'm going to tackle some other James Jones books. This book at first was hard to get into, mainly because the perspective of the story changes from person to person as the storyline and battles continue, like a mosquito sampling from each soldier through the campaign to take the island of Guadalcanal during World War II.

The story covers "C for Charlie Company" as they arrive at the island and all the skirmishes against the Japanese over fictionalized hills with names such as "The Dancing Elephant," "The Giant Sea Slug," and "The Giant Boiled Shrimp." The changing perspective of story eventually masterfully achieves a great story line in which all aspects from officers to enlisted men weave into a novel that captures the attention. I felt like I was in the war with these men. I was surprised at the rough language used in the book, I know it is a reality in "war-time" and military personnel but for a book published in 1962, it must have been strong for such a "tame" time period.

If you like war stories, you'll love this one. If you would like to try reading a war story and get a feel for what a soldier feels, you can't go wrong with this book.

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

About 10 years after Paul Muad'Dib gains the throne as Emperor of the Known Universe, the threat of the Jihad in his name still persists in Paul's prescient visions. Paul does everything to keep that Jihad from continuing, because this path can only lead to stagnation of the human race.

In "Dune Messiah" there continues that great Frank Herbert trademark of "plans within plans within plans." So with more patience this book can be very rewarding. The entire "original" Dune series is comparable to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy, in scope and adventure.

In this book one of the many plots/conspiracies involved is that of reversing the events that led to Paul being emperor. This conspiracy is led by remnants of the displaced House Corrino, the Bene Gesserit who have lost control of their Kwisatz Haderach, the Spacing Guild, now utterly beholden to Paul, and the Bene Tleilax. They all scheme to kill Paul who has not produced an heir to the throne. In doing so a "ghola" of Duncan Idaho is grown by the Bene Tleilax and given as a gift to Paul. (A ghola is a clone, in this case of Duncan Idaho, one of Paul's closest confidants and mentors.) As time progresses it is found that this ghola named Hayt, actually has the memories of Idaho. However Hayt is sent to be the destruction of Paul Maud'Dib.

The reason Chani has not given Paul an heir is that Princess Irulan has been slipping contraceptives into her food. This causes Chani to think she is barren and she seeks out ancient Fremen fertility drugs. This cause her to become pregnant with twins.

At the time Hayt is to kill Paul he cannot do it, his conditioning is broke because of the memories of Duncan's love for Paul and House Atreides. Now an ally Hayt-Duncan, helps to stop the execution of Paul's newborn children.

In the meantime some Fremen Traitors use a Stone Burner to destroy a house that is faithful to the Maud'Dib, causing Paul to be blinded. This furthers the religious fervor behind Paul because with his prescience he can still "see." It is through this prescient vision that Paul thwarts the Tleilaxu face dancer's attempt at killing Paul's 2 children, Leto II and Ghanima. These children are as Paul's sister Alia, in that they are born fully aware of their prescient powers of being Kwisatz Haderach.

After this Paul goes by the way of Fremen tradition, where all the blind shall go to the desert as a sacrifice to Shai Hulud. Alia and Princess Irulan then raise the children to be heirs to the throne when they come of age.

Again this is simply the outer layer of the onion which is the Duneverse. Many plots within plots, plans with in plans and some great philosophical discussions hidden within a science-fiction novel. Next I move to "Children of Dune"...so be prepared for the ongoing adventures of Dune.

Dune by Frank Herbert

When Frank Herbert wrote "Dune" in 1965, it was something different. Although Dune was accepted and read by the same circles who read Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, "Dune" represented a new kind of science fiction. Asimov’s and Clarke’s works were original but stylistically plain—all one needed was a futuristic idea. Dune combined the basics of science fiction’s trademark futurism with strong literary and social ambitions. The novel boasted an elaborate epic plot and intricately developed characters with quasi-mystical powers such as telepathy and precognition. It also featured a bold ecological message and even a little sociological equality mission hidden within.

Dune proved that literary science-fiction novels could be more than thinly veiled social satires, such as George Orwell’s 1984 or Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange. Like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dune presents us with a self-contained world, complete with its own races, religions, politics, and geography. Herbert introduces this new world and then adds a fascinating and intricate story, with vivid characters and scenes bolstered by an underlying ecological message. Dune has become the central masterpiece of science fiction, just as The Lord of the Rings is to the genre of modern fantasy.

Set 10,000 years after the Butlerian Jihad, dune takes place in a future where interstellar travel is achieved through folding space. This travel is not without a price. The universe depends on what is known as Spice Melange. The Spice, prolongs life, gives some individuals prescience, is a highly addictive recreational drug and enables the Guild navigators to Fold Space. The universe has come to rely on Spice so much that the slightest upset in the flow of spice is felt throughout all the universe. The major fault in all this is that the Spice is found only on one planet, Arrakis (Dune).

The Atreides family headed by Duke Leto Atreides, has just been assigned governorship of Arrakis by Emperor Shaddam IV, a position previously held by the sworn enemy to the Atreides, the Harkonnens. As is with all of this book there are plans within plans within plans. The emperor wants to rid the universe of the Atreides because they are becoming too popular with the Landsraad, the league of planets. By sending Duke Atreides to Arrakis, the Emperor hopes to seal their fate and let the Harkonnens destroy House Atreides.

The Harkonnens attack the Atreides and kill the Duke, but not before the Dukes Concubine, Lady Jessica, pregnant with the Duke's daughter, and the Dukes son and heir Paul Atreides escape into the desert of Arrakis, to a land ruled by the Fremen. Before we talk about the Fremen, Paul must be explained. Paul's mother the Lady Jessica is a Bene Gesserit witch, she was ordered to bear a daughter to the Duke but disobeyed to give the man she loved an heir. The Bene Gesserit have been interbreeding bloodlines for thousands of years to create the Kwisatz Haderach, a superbeing that can be in all places and times at once. Paul is that Kwisatz Haderach.

The Fremen are the desert people of Arrakis, they are working to make Dune a planet of life. By secretly creating water basins and plantings, they are wanting to change the face of Dune to a planet with water and abundant life. Doing so could destroy the Sandworms which are the source of the Spice.

Paul becomes the leader of the Fremen due to his supernatural powers and the religion of the Fremen, in a final battle he takes back Dune with himself as Duke and dethrones the Emperor.

That's it in a nutshell, but this book is more like an onion with layers upon layers of plots, subplots and messages. A great classic novel in the literary and Science Fiction worlds.

Last 4 minutes of Battlestar Galactica.

Okay First point: What a great season finale...talk about more questions than answers...plus we have to wait until 2008??!?!?!?!?

Second the song in the background is "All Along the Watchtower" performed by Bear McCreary the composer for the show. I hope he releases it as a single.

Finally...the song is a BOB DYLAN tune, not a Jimi Hendrix song...Jimi did a cover of it and it was a really good cover but he didn't write it. And worst of all It is not a Dave Matthews cover of a Jimi Hendrix Song. Jeez. get a life folks and learn something.

Watch the last 4 minutes....they are awesome.

House Corrino (Prelude to Dune book 3) by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

Book three of the prelude to the original Dune series answers many questions, but also leaves some unanswered, which is good. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, to be honest to the Duneverse could not try to explain it all away, that is one of the many features of the Original Dune novels by Frank Herbert that keeps the reader intrigued, and makes the the books more adventuresome, the philosophy is within the reader.

In this book the Emperor of the known Universe, Shaddam IV has devised a plan with his right hand man Hasimir Fenrig, to create a synthetic form of the Spice Melange. In doing so he will hold even more power over the universe. As you may know, the Spice extends life, and makes space travel possible and is only found on one planet, Dune (Arrakis).

On the machine planet, Ix,Tleilaxu "scientists" use slaves and prisoners as part of a horrific plan to manufacture a synthetic form of melange known as amal. If amal can replace the spice from Dune, it will give Shaddam what he seeks: absolute power. However the amal is not quite right. Adjudica the Tleilaxu that has created the amal, has not run adequate testing but has been taking the amal and has been dosing the Sardukar guards with the amal and gains some control over the Emperor's terror guards. Also we learn how the Tleilaxu use women to become living tanks to produce the amal, thus explaining why there are no Tleilaxu women.

Duke Leto Atriedes, grief-stricken yet unbowed by the tragic death of his son Victor, in an assassination attempt is determined to restore the honor and prestige of his House, has his own plans for Ix. He will free the Ixians from their oppressive conquerors and restore his friend Prince Rhombur, injured scion of the disgraced House Vernius, to his rightful place as Ixian ruler. In doing so Leto leaves his home planet of Caladan unguarded. Hearing of this and in order to save face The Beast Rabban (Harkkonen), attempts to conquer Caladan, but the master of assassins and Mentat to House Atriedes, Thufir Howat devises a plan to keep any attackers at bay.

Meanwhile, Duke Leto's concubine, the Lady Jessica, obeying the orders of her superiors in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, has conceived a child that the Sisterhood intends to be the penultimate step in the creation of an all-powerful being. Yet what the Sisterhood doesn't know is that the child Jessica is carrying is not the girl they are expecting, but a boy. Jessica's act of disobedience is an act of love -- her attempt to provide her Duke with a male heir to House Atreides -- but an act that, when discovered, could kill both mother and baby. Learning of the heir to house Atreides, House Harkkonen's mentat, Pitor Dufries attempts to kidnap the baby.

Like the Bene Gesserit, Shaddam Corrino is also concerned with making a plan for the future -- securing his legacy. Blinded by his need for power, the Emperor will launch a plot against Dune, the only natural source of true spice. If he succeeds, his madness will result in a cataclysmic tragedy not even he foresees: the end of space travel, the Imperium, and civilization itself. With Duke Leto and other renegades and revolutionaries fighting to stem the tide of darkness that threatens to engulf their universe, the stage is set for a showdown unlike any seen before.

This book has a great storytelling and a great culmination of many battles that as you come to the end you won't want to put it down.

100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37) by Bernard Goldberg

Some of you may be wondering why did I pick up this book and read it. Well honestly, I at first thought it would be a great "get-to-know-the-enemy" book. But after reading some choice sections I found myself agreeing with many statements from Mr. Goldberg. He does preface the book with the idea that not everyone will agree with everyone listed. I guess I'm one of those everyones.

Most of the book is just a big list of anyone that has ever bad mouthed George W. Bush. So according to Mr. Goldberg if you bad mouth the president, you are screwing up America. It may sound as if I'm oversimplifying the book, but that is pretty much most of the people listed. However, there are some of the people listed that I found myself agreeing with.

So let's put the Bush Basher's aside, and focus on the parts of the book that actually took some thinking and some genuine bravado to bring out in the open. Oh, wait first, to give away the ending the #1 person is Michael Moore. On most of the people listed in the book Mr. Goldberg writes up a page or two about how/why they are screwing up America. A few of the folks listed are an exception. Michael Moore is one of the exceptions. All Mr. Goldberg does is print Mr. Moore's picture and puts stars around the number one. I guess he's got a personal vendetta against Michael Moore.

There are a couple of others that don't warrant a full write up they are: #95 Courney Love & #90 Michael Jackson. Courtney's write up is simply one word, "Ho." And as for Michael Jackson....I think we can all agree he didn't even deserve a write up.

It is weird that the worst write up in the whole book is one who registered enough to have his name to be on the cover of the book, Al Franken. The write up on Al Franken is really nothing more than childish banter. Mr. Goldberg fakes an interview with Al Franken and the only words out of Al Franken's side of the interview are basically "Liar" or "You are Lying." It wasn't even entertaining.

Now for the ones I really agree with. All the people in the news media and entertainment field, (especially gangasta rap). Mr. Goldberg comes from the news media and even won Emmys for the news program "48 Hours." I think that makes him qualified to speak enough on this topic. His complaint and mine, is that the news media has shifted to infotainment and news no longer matters. The media thinks the public is dumb and thinks that 2 straight weeks of talking about Anna Nicole Smith is news and no other news needs to be aired. Okay this book was published before Anna died and, in fact, Anna is #53 in his book, but that is a recent example of what has gone wrong with the news and many of the ideas presented when discussing the people in the news industry. Yes, he names names.

For the entertainment field, let's focus on gangsta rap. While I am one of the first to champion freedom of expression in the arts, and that music should reflect a culture, I'm not one to say that the negatives of that culture are the reflections needed. In gangsta rap it is great to sing/rap about how many Ho's, bitches or skanks you can slap and make do anything you wish. They love to push that women are worthless except for one thing, and that the almighty bling is where it's at. All I can say is C'MON!!!!

Okay, there's my rant. Back to the book.

So as you can see this book can rile you up no matter which side of the fence you are on. Left or Right, you will cheer and jeer at Mr. Goldberg.

(Prelude to Dune Book 2) House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson

Once again a Dune prelude book chock full of information leading up to the novel originally written by Frank Herbert. This book takes place approximately 20 years after the Book "House Atreides" and about 30 years prior to the original. I will attempt to summarize the many plotlines with out giving away too much but I do warn you that some spoilers will exist.

Shaddam Corrino IV is the emperor and his Bene Gesserit wife, Anirul produces only daughters, leaving him without an heir to the throne. The emperor is aware of the Bene Gesserit ability to determine the sex of their children and grows annoyed at Anirul for not giving him a son. Along with this stress factor for the Emperor the Tleilaxu have yet to produce a synthetic equal to the Spice Melange. This was the reason the planet of Ix was taken over and House Vernius went renegade.

Dominic Vernius is still in hiding as a renegade but his children, Kailea and Rhombur, are living with Duke Leto Atreides on Caladan. Leto arranges fro Rhombur to take in a concubine from the Bene Gesserit, and Kailea becomes Leto's concubine. Kailea gives birth to Victor the son of Leto and heir to House Atreides, but due to politics and the fact that Kailea is considered renegade Leto cannot marry her. Besides, the Bene Gesserit have other plans with Jessica, the daughter of Vladimer Harkonnen and a Bene Gesserit witch. Leto does arrange to have a lady-in-waiting to help Kailea. Kailea's lady-in-waiting, Chiara, is actually a Harkonnen agent sent to poison Kailea's mind against Leto. Kailea and Chiara scheme to assassinate Leto thus making Victor the Duke and Kailea a Regent. But the plan backfires and the planned explosion kills young Victor and mutilates Rhombur. Kailea then kills Chiara and commits suicide unable to face what she has done.

The Tleilaxu offer to make a ghola,a clone, of Victor in exchange for the barely alive body of Rhombur Vernius. Leto ultimately refuses, after much soul-searching, knowing that the Tleilaxu intend only harm towards House Vernius. Instead, Leto hires Dr. Wellington Yueh, an expert in the field of cybernetics, to fashion a cybernetic replacement body for Rhombur. Leto and Jessica fall deeply in love, leading Jessica to decide to conceive a son for Leto's sake, directly disobeying the Bene Gesserit's order that she have a daughter.

Baron Harkonnen grows weaker due to his disease, but he becomes more vicious, destroying his half-brothers life (figuratively first then literally). A Suk doctor determines the cause of the illness is from the Bene Gesserit he raped. Harkonnen seeks reveng on the witches but through mind tricks they show him who is really in charge. Meanwhile, the Baron's brother, Abulurd, uncovers an illegal stockpile of spice on Lankiveil. Rather than turn his brother in to the Emperor, Abulurd, a benevolent ruler and the polar opposite of his brother Vladimir, uses the stockpile to benefit his people. Upon discovery of this, Glossu Rabban, Abulurd's firstborn son, strangles his father to death, an act which earns him the nickname of "Beast." Baron Harkonnen also kidnaps Abulurd's other son, Feyd-Rautha, and tries to raise him as his own.

We are also introduced to Gurney Halleck. Gurney's village is raided and his sister is taken away. He later finds she is forced to work in a "pleasure house" for the Harkonnen military. He tries to rescue her but is capture and made a slave. He then tries to attack Rabban, but is outnumbered and Rabban punishes him by killing his entire family. Gurney escapes to Salusa Secundus to help Dominic Vernius with his attacks against the empire.

Dominic learns of the atrocities going on on Ix and gathers all his stockpiles of atomics to the south polar region of Arrakis in order to deliver them to the homeworld of the Emperor and destroy the House Corrino. But his plan is discovered and the Sardukar guards are sent to stop him. Instead he detonates the atomics destroying most of the south pole area of Arrakis.

Gurney Halleck learns of this and goes to Caladan to pledge himself to Duke Leto Atreides.

On Arrakis it is learned that the Bene Gesserit have been mixing with the Fremen in order to blend prophecies of the Qwissatz Hadderach and the myths of the Missionaria Protectiva.

And this is only scratching the surface of this wonderful adventure into the Duniverse. Now for House Corrino, the final book of the prelude to Dune series, and one book closer to Dune.

Battlestar Galactica Season Finale

First a brief synopsis of the final episode, then some random thoughts.

WARNING!! spoilers exist, do not continue if you don't want to know.

President Roslyn, continues to have Kamallah induced hallucinations, this time she shares the hallucination with the ships 2 "known" cylons. The hallucinations reveal nothing except to protect the half human/half cylon baby Hera.

The trial of Gaius Baltar continues, the attorneys, Lee Adama and Romo Lampkin discuss the possibilities of motioning for a mistrial. Baltar wants the trial not a mistrial. During the proceedings Lampkin motions for a mistrial and calls Lee Adama to the stand. Adama gives a great speech as to how everyone has committed crimes and have been forgiven. That the trial is basically just a farce searching for a scapegoat to send out the guilt. Gaius is found not guilty.

Commander Tigh, Chief Tyrol, The president's assistant, and Starbuck's husband Sam Anders are all hearing the mysterious music. Then when the fleet makes the final jump to the nebula, all ships in the fleet lose power at the same time these four are drawn to the music...which turns out to be a modern version of the Bob Dylan Tune "All Along the Watchtower." They each are quoting the opening lyrics from the song as they are drawn to a central point. All four enter a room and realize they are cylons.

The cylons make an appearance just as the fleet regains all power and the vipers are scrambled. Preparing for battle Lee Adama puts on his flight suit and takes a viper. He then sees an unknown bogey and persues only to find.....Starbuck!!!!

Starbuck says it's really her and that she's been to Earth and will lead them there.

So now we have to wait an entire year. Talk about frustrating. Holy cow what a cliffhanger.

SCI FI has renewed Battlestar Galactica for a full fourth
season, commissioning 22 hour-long episodes of "the best show on
television." This will include a special two-hour extended event that
will air during fourth quarter 2007 and be released on DVD by Universal
Studios Home Entertainment. Production will resume in May with an eye
toward a early 2008 season premiere.

Now for the random thoughts. I don't think the 4 that gathered are cylons. I believe it may be more "spiritual." I believe also that there may have been more happend to those 4 on New Caprica than they remember.

As for Starbuck....oooh...she may be a cylon...what do you think?

If you would like to join the conversation...since we have a year to discuss this..join our group

http://galactica.gather.com

Prelude to Dune book 1: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

I'm getting closer to the original "Dune" novel written by Frank Herbert in both books and in timeline. "House Atreides" is one of the first sets of Dune novels written by Herbert (Brian) and Anderson and takes place 35 years. The three prelude novels, House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino cover the rise of the houses to the powers the held in "Dune."

An aging tyrant emperor rules the known universe, Emperor Elrood Corrino IX, and his son Shaddam IV, cannot wait for him to die, so that Shaddam may become emperor. He and his minion, Hasimir Fenrig devise a slow poison to kill off the old man so Shaddam may sit in the "Golden Lion Throne."

While this is going on Elrood has some schemes going that could change the universe. Spice Melange, only found on Arrakis (Dune), is needed for the Space Guild to fold space, it prolongs life, and is highly addictive. "He who controls the spice, controls the Universe." So Elrood has set out to devise an alternative to spice. Teaming up with the genetic scientist race of the Tleilaxu, Elrood has commissioned them to develop the newly engineered spice. As payment to the Tleilaxu, Elrood plans a takeover of the machine planet IX, where in place are the facilities to for such a genetic engineering feat. To do this the House Vernius must be defeated. Instead of being defeated the house goes renegade, meaning they are no longer supported or recognized by the league and are criminals. The children are sent to Calidan to live with Duke Paulus Atreides. They are raised along with the Duke's son, Leto Atreides.

The Bene Gesserit discover they are only 2 or 3 generations from the Kwisatz Haderach a prophesied messiah figure. But first they must get Baron Vladimir Harkonnen to "donate the genetic material." The first union of a Bene Gesserit sorceress and Harkonnen is deformed and must be repeated. This time Harkonnen violently rapes the sorceress and in the process she curses him with an incurable disease.

Paulus Atreides dies during a bullfight with a drugged Salusan Bull, and Leto becomes Duke. Harkonnen has developed a ship that renders itself invisible, and frames Atreides for an attack on the Tleilaxu.

In the meantime on Arrakis, Dune, Pardot Kynes a planetologist sent by Emperor Elrood, arrives on Arrakis and begins his duties there. He starts to dislike the Harkonnen rule there, and is getting more and more interested in the native Fremen of the desert and the possibility of terraforming the planet. Pardot is discovering more and more proof that some time, long ago, Arrakis was covered with giant oceans, and gets curious about what changed the climate to what it is today.

Once again another book filled with lots of material lots of action and great political interaction. This Dune series just keeps getting better and better.

Legends of Dune book 3: The Battle of Corrin by Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson

This third and final book of the "Legends of Dune" series wraps up all three "Legends" books with a bang and a preparedness for the Dune Universe. I will warn you fellow reader that this review will contain some spoilers but trust me the reading of the book will still keep you going even if you have a hint as to what may take place.

In their mission to explain some of the mythos created by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have created a great set of prequals to the Dune Universe in the 3 "Legends of Dune" books. There is some great science-fiction writing in these books. Some "Dune"/Frank Herbert fans have been upset by the addition of robots into the Dune Universe by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, but if you really read into the books the hints have been there that there is something more to the thinking machines and I think with the "Legends of Dune" Series they have explained enough to still fit in with Frank Herbert's philosophy.

This book takes place 100 years after the beginning of the Butlerian Jihad and about 100 years before the forming of the Guilds, and is separated into 2 parts. Basically the Jihad is still going on but this time the thinking machines with some help from some human traitors, develop a biological weapon to destroy humanity. This scourge is a virus that can wipe out at least 50% of a planets population within a couple of weeks. Once the humans find out that the source of the virus is the evermind Omnious and the thinking machines, it is too late. However a miracle prevention and almost cure exists within the Spice Melange. Now with humanity spending all it's efforts on healing, Omnious gathers all his warships to the planet Corrin for one final attack to destroy all humans. This plan is found out just in time and while all the ships are gathering on Corrin preparing for launch. Jumping to action, Vorian Atraides uses what few (still unreliable) space-folding ships are available and begins nuking all the unprotected synchronized worlds, destroying all but Corrin. At Corrin rather, than destroying the planet the Jihadi warships put a scrambler field around the planet which destroys all gel circuitry machines entering or leaving the planet. Thinking this puts an end to the thinking machines reign of terror, the Jihad is considered over and won by the humans.

However, this still leaves 2 enemies of humanity the thinking machines on the planet and the Cimeks. Although the cimeks numbers are dwindling and are only down to 3 of the original Titans, they are finding new recruits for the new-cimeks.

The Army of the Jihad is renamed the Army of Humanity and once again the League of nobles become complacent. Vorian Atreides is constantly warning the league of problems that could come but he is ignored. Also the Xavier Harkkonen is still viewed as cowardice and as a traitor, for his assassination of the Patriarch of the Jihad, Iblis Ginjo. Vorian is the only one that knows the truth and tells Xavier's grandson, Abulurd Butler the true story. Abulurd takes on the name Harkkonen and starts a committe to reinstate the name.

With 2 enemies and the humans once again becoming lazy, you know the battles aren't over. Instead of giving away too much by only talking about fighting, let's talk about some of the many sub-plots throughout this book. In the Dune Universe, pretty much all the books there are lots of things going on that in order to catch them all sometimes it takes re-reading the book, and, trust me, that's where the fun lies in these books.

The space-folding is still dangerous and not fully acceptable to all as a legitimate means of space travel. Many ships have folded into stars, asteroids or other celestial bodies or have just plainly disappeared. Norma Cenva soon discovers that the Spice Melange holds the key to navigating the space-folders, by opening the human brain potential...but in the process the human doing the guiding loses their humanity...especially with their physical bodies.

The Sorceresses of Rossak are cateloging the bloodlines of humanity in order to keep the human genes "clean." But a mutated form of the virus has hit Rossak, threatening to destroy all they have worked for. Vorian Atreides' grand-daughter, Raquella Berto-Anirul, becomes miraculously healed of the scourge and during the process has visions and her mind alters to that of a sorceress, and she forms what will become the Bene-Gesserit in which the human bloodlines will be kept going.

We can't leave out the Fremen on the planet Arrakis (Dune). They become split and some want to start selling all the spice to offworlders while some still hold to the visions of Salim Wormrider, that the spice is the life of Arrakis. So the actual Fremen become more militant while some Zensunnis set up commerce with offworlders.

The robot Erasmus has trained Gilbertus Albans to use his brain as a machine would. In the process Erasmus has discovered what the love of a parent must feel. In the training of Gilbertus, Erasmus has created the first Mentat. What will later become the human computers.

Yes, all this in this final book in the series, but, it is such a great read that to become immersed in this universe it creates the urge for more. So, after reading the 3 Legends of Dune books, you have 3 Prequals to Dune, 6 Frank Herbert novels, then one more book, "Hunters of Dune," written by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, that takes place after the 6th Frank Herbert Novel, "Chapterhouse: Dune." Then if you get around to it, August 2007 will see the release of the final book in the Dune Universe by Herbert & Anderson, "Sandworms of Dune."

So the fun has just begun.