Book & Beverage: "Martian Time-Slip" By Philip K. Dick

It's time to break out the Tassimo brewer and sit back with a novel. This time around I recommend that you use your brewer to brew up a little "Twinnings Chamomile herbal Tea" because you are going to need the relaxation after the stress of dealing with some very complex actions going on in this book.

First of all the master of Science Fiction, Philip K. Dick. returns to Mars for the Setting of "Martian Time-Slip." In this near future version of Mars, Settlements have moved in to tame the wilderness. Society is limited to survival only near the canals of Mars. The rest of the planet is a dry desert. Mars does, however have it's natives, here the Martians are called Bleekmen. The Bleekmen are very human but were settled on Mars at the same time humans began life on Earth. Dick doesn't really go into too much explanation as to where they came from, just that they are. They are not unlike the Aboriginal people of Australia, in that they are dark-skinned and have a rock which holds a religious importance to them.

The settlers on mars have repeated the ideals of the settlers in the new world of North America in the beginnings of the USA, in that they have somewhat enslaved some of the Bleekmen. In the case where a Bleekman is in service of the settlers they are referred to as "tamed Bleekmen." Many of the colonies have a connection to nations on earth, Israel and the United States being the largest and the United Nations is maintaining firm control over the colonies of Mars and due to the constant threat that the Earth could be blown up at any time through nuclear war.

In another aspect of the novel, Dick takes a bit of a jab at the psychiatric community and even claims psychoanalysis as "vainglorious foolishness." Many of the characters of this book could be seen as mentally ill in some form or another, in fact the main character Jack Bohlen is schizophrenic. The schools on Mars are very strict about teaching to those that are in any way mentally ill and it is the Israeli colony that houses a special school / camp for the mentally ill. Here is where the main theme of the book takes off.

One of the mentally ill children is thought to be out of sync with time. One greedy man, Arnie Kott, wants to take advantage of this and use the child, Manfred Steiner, to predict the future. The rumor is that the U.N. will be developing housing for new settlers in the Franklin D. Roosevelt mountains on Mars. The Bleekmen that live there are moving out because this has already started. So Arnie through the help of Jack Bohlen and Manfred Steiner gets sent back 3 weeks in time to prevent this from being a U.N. venture and one of his own ventures so he gets rich from it. But true destiny and fate cannot be changed, at least not in Arnie's sense.

Throughout the book the physics of time travel rise up to make you wonder if it is possible or not. Here's where the chamomile tea comes in to place. You may need to rest your brain after all that trying to figure out time travel. In fact there are sections that are repeated with only little changes that show that you cannot deviate too much from the timestream, so as you are reading the book and you get to a point where you say to yourself, "I have already read this," either you are time-slipping yourself or it's just Philip K. Dick's creative venture of describing time travel. Either way sip the tea and relax.

"A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. Dick

Okay, so sue me...I'm on a Philip K. Dick trend. I recently discovered the creative and philosophical writings in his stories and am hooked. This recent book is yet another Dick story that has been turned into a movie. The movie "A Scanner Darkly" was released last year and had mild success but the beauty in the movie was the creativeness in the filmmaking process.

But just like any other book turned movie, there are some missing points and of course the books are just plain and simply better.

This book is a very interesting look at the drug culture, but done in a sci-fi view. This poignant, at times, story takes place in a near future dystopian California. In this culture the police work mostly undercover to track down dealers. The idea is not to bust the small time dealer but to reach their source. Here lies also a bit of a corporate twist on things. It seems that the drug of choice that is wiping out people's free will, not to mention brain functions, is Substance D. Substance D addicts when gone to far experience a split in their brain hemispheres where they then suffer from shared delusions, thus losing all hopes of being a functioning member of society. Then they seek recovery from New Path, a facility which specializes in substance D patients.

Throughout most of the the source of Substance D is thought to be imported from Russia. But as it turns out Substance D has a darker secret.

The title is a reference to a passage in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13, which states:

"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

The scanner part of the title is that the main character Agent Fred is ordered to keep a close eye on Bob Arctur, who is suspected of being high up in the eschelon of dealers. Well, the twist is that Agent Fred's undercover self IS Bob Arctur. He wonders if the scanners will see him clearly or darkly. In Chapter Eleven of the novel, Bob Arctor / Fred, thinks to himself:

"What does a scanner see? I mean, really see? Into the head? Down into the heart? Does a passive infrared scanner … see into me — into us — clearly or darkly? I hope it does see clearly, because I can't any longer these days see into myself. I see only murk. Murk outside; murk inside. I hope, for everyone's sake, the scanners do better. Because if the scanner sees only darkly, the way I myself do, then we are cursed, cursed again and like we have been continually, and we'll wind up dead this way, knowing very little and getting that little fragment wrong too."

This book is full of some really funny stuff at times. Many of the "drug induced" conversations between Bob Arctur and his stoner roommates are just hilarious, such as when one buys a 10 speed bike from a "street vendor." They count only 7 gears so how can it be a 10 speed? 2 in front and 5 in back, 7. They then have to go out on the street to ask a "neutral" party how many they count, this neutral party explains the process, but the conversation beforehand is simply hilarious.

The book also has many poignant sections, especially when dealing with those who have succombed to the finality of Substance D. One of my favorite quotes here is when Bob Arctur is taken to New Path due to destroying his brain, he is called a loser by the staff. Donna, Bob's girlfriend, then tells the staff, "It is easy to win."

The book is also based loosely on the author's real life experience and at the end the book is dedicated to Philip K. Dick's friends that "didn't make it." At this point he lists his friends by name and how they were affected by drugs...most of them deceased.

"Abducted to Oz" By Bob Evans and Chris Dulabone

With the legacy of Oz originating from L. Frank Baum, and continuing through many authors since, It doesn't seem be dying out too soon. Bob Evans and Chris Dulabone are proof of that especially with this book "Abducted to Oz." "Abducted..." takes the Oz stories and brings them to today's times. While most of the Oz stories take place around the early 1900s this one takes place around the time the book was published, 2000.

The story is that Graham is minding his own business, preparing for an evening of algebra homework, when a wicked witch reaches out of his mirror and pulls him into Oz. This witch however is the witch from the movie and not the one actually created by L. Frank Baum. (movies always change the books some way) Where did this witch come from? Well it seems as though Dorothy was visiting Oz on the anniversary of the event in which she "destroyed" the wicked witch, Allidep. And through an unfortunate accident in magic and mayhem a float representing the witch came to life.

Graham escapes the witch and then travels toward the Emerald City, encountering an alien presence along the way, and taking on a traveling partner named Telly. Telly is a robotic-looking creature with a television set for a head. Among the Ozites that are encountered in this book are the Cowardly Lion, the Woozy, and a beautiful unicorn named Jeanne-Marie, whose story is sure to touch your heart.

This book has some great moments that reflect the true quality of any Oz book. It also throws in some references to modern pop culture to keep it up to date.

The book has a limited availability so here is a link as a free download:
http://manybooks.net/titles/dulabonec1012710127-8.html

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Many of you may remember the movie version of this book starring Harrison Ford: "Bladerunner." The movie became a cult favorite and yet still didn't cover all of the concepts of the book.

The book takes place in a post-apocalytpic world in which due to the radioactive fallout, Earth's citizens are asked to emigrate, one incentive is that each emigrating family will receive a custom-built android servant (colloquially referred to as an "andy"). Here's where the trouble begins. Many androids escape the Earth colonies to return to Earth and avoid slavery. On Earth those that have chosen to stay behind risk the chance of radiation causing permanent damage and in order to combat the gloom have mood organs which the citizens can simply dial up whatever mood they want for the day. Also a new religion, Mercerism has taken hold and the citizens worship through a device called an empathy box. In this they witness the fable of Wilbur Mercer who had the power to bring animals back from the dead. The government destroyed that power by using radiation on the part of his brain that allowed him that power. This forced Mercer into the "tomb world." He strives to reverse the decay of the tomb world and ascend back to Earth by climbing an enormous hill. His adversaries throw rocks at him along the way (inflicting actual physical injuries on the adherents "fused" with Mercer), until he reaches the top, when the cycle starts again.

The runaway androids must be destroyed and this story centers around a bounty hunter whose job it is to destroy the "andys." Rick Deckard, an active bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department, prepares for a typical work day. He feeds his electric sheep as per usual to prevent his neighbor from suspecting its true nature. Meanwhile, his wife spends her days at home under the influence of the empathy box and mood organ.

At the police station Deckard learns that the active senior hunter Dave Holden has been incapacitated by a Nexus-6, the most advanced and humanistic type of android created to date. Deckard is chosen to find the six remaining Nexus-6 models in the San Francisco area. This also is where the main theme of the book is carried. The androids are incapable of empathy, so through a series of tests to determine empathy, an android is discovered. However, Deckard starts to wonder whether he is an android because he can kill or "retire" the androids with no empathy. When he does realize he has empathy toward the androids he then decieds he cannot do his job. The battle within himself and the empathy discovered in Mercerism allows us all to realize what it takes to be human.

Great Sci-Fi, and a rather fun book to read.

"Fire Bell in the Night" by Geoffry S. Edwards

I'm going to start this review out with one word, "WOW." The American Civil War was never a topic I cared to read about, but this book has changed all that.

Set against the backdrop of a nation headed toward civil war, Fire Bell in the Night is a page-turner. The story centers around trial and one young reporter's efforts to discover the truth. During his time in Charleston, S.C, New York reporter John Sharp is constantly being reminded he is an unwanted guest, from the moment he steps off the train throughout the rest of the book.

Filled with historic details of the time, Fire Bell in the Night explores the explosive tension between North and South, black and white, that gripped Charleston, in the summer of 1850. John Sharp is sent to Charleston to cover the trial of Darcy Calhoun. Darcy is accused of harboring a runaway slave. The attitude throughout the city is that he is already guilty and will hang for his crime. This seems a harsh punishment, but this is the chance for the South to send the North a message.

As the trial begins, John finds out that not everything is as it appears in the city of Charleston. A series of mysterious fires in white establishments brings the state militia, a curfew for the black population, and rising tension at the courthouse. To unravel the city's secrets, Sharp must enter Charleston's plantation society, where he is befriended by one of Charleston's three wealthiest citizensTyler Breckenridge, owner of the Willowby plantation. He also develops a bit of a love interest for Tyler's sister, Clio.

Geoffry S. Edwards' use of language immediately pulls the reader into the story, throughout the book the writing created an atmosphere so thick that I swear I could hear the background sounds and smell the atmosphere of the events. He also is able to convey all aspects of the different sides of what led to the Civil War, and at the same time creating some very poignant moments.

Be prepared to just sit back and enjoy a great book.

Sit Down & Shut Up

The U.S. Senate just told us to sit down and be quiet. They passed a resolution condemning MoveOn.org and it has one purpose: To intimidate all of us who care about ending this war. To send a message that anyone who speaks unpleasant truths about this war will pay.

To make everyone--especially politicians--think twice before they accuse the administration of lying. Every day, our brave men and women are dying in a bloody civil war this Senate has done nothing to stop.

They couldn't even pass a bill to give soldiers adequate leave with their families before redeploying. But they're spending time cracking down on a newspaper ad?

We can't let that happen. I just signed a statement telling Congress that they won't intimidate me, and I'm going to keep speaking out until they force an exit strategy out of this awful war. Can you join me?

http://pol.moveon.org/fightback/?r_by=11268-8092066-P93Ybl&rc=confemail

Thanks!

Galactic Pot Healer by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick, the author whose books that have been turned to movies have become cult favoritesis one of the more forgotten science fiction authors. Movies such as "Bladerunner" (based on "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep" and the movie "A Scanner Darkly" from the book of the same name. This book seems somewhat different than other Dick novels. "Galactic Pot Healer" still carries the anti-utopian future earth theme as do many of his books, with the government taking more control of its citizens. However, this book goes a bit further, in this book the reader is taken off Earth and introduced to some of the strange life-forms that exist in the universe.

Joe Fernright is a pot-healer, meaning that he can heal or mend ceramic pots. This is more of a hobby for him because his main job for the totalitarian Earth government consists of him sitting in a cubicle all day. Not really doing much of a job, he spends his time playing games with members of other countries in which they run titles of books through various language translation computers and have them translated back to English and try to decipher the original title.

At this time Fernright's services as a pot-healer are requested by what we find out to be a deity (of sorts) called Glimmung. It seems Glimmung is recruiting beings from all over the galaxy with various skills in order to raise an ancient cathedral from the ocean floor on Plowman's Planet. The other "recruits" are just as depressed and repressed as Joe Fernright.

The catch it seems is that the project is doomed to fail, even the attempt to raise the cathedral will result in death of all involved. At least this is what is believed by the Kalends, a species gifted with precognition who are constantly writing a book that supposedly foretells the future, one which inevitably is proven right. Glimmung is determined to continue with his struggle, even when the book predicts certain failure. This existential position allows Dick to explore the idea of fatalism. Glimmung is repeatedly compared to Faust, mainly in conversation amongst the protagonists.

With some really interesting fantastical characters and some fun Philip K. Dick wit and wordplay this book becomes really a fascinating read. From the sci-fi view it is full of great characters and from a philosophical view it combines a quixotic adventure, some psychological horror, and deliriously paranoid theology.

"Dark Rivers of the Heart" by Dean Koontz

Once again I revisit a past novel by Dean Koontz. In "Dark Rivers..." (published in 1994) Koontz not only uses his greatest character molds but uses cases from the "real world" to make a story chilling. The character molds are a man that is a former cop/military as the lead character, a love interest of a woman with a shady past and the villain, an agent of a shadow government. Oh, and we can't forget a loyal canine.

In this book Spencer Grant has a mysterious past which involves a father who is a psychopathic murderer and artist and a large scar on his face. Spencer's companion is Rocky, a mutt who's past also seems shaky in that he is a very timid (at times) dog. Spencer falls for a mysterious woman, Valerie, who works at a bar called "The Red Door." (the name of the bar becomes important later in the novel). When Valerie doesn't show up for work Spencer suspects something. He goes to her home to find it "never lived in" and as he explores the house the only decoration he finds is a photo of a cockroach nailed to the wall. Just as he's examining the photo a stun grenade shatters the window and a S.W.A.T, team or what appears to be a S.W.A.T. team, attacks the house. Spencer escapes the house and thus begins his life on the run and trying to find this mysterious Valerie.

Valerie it turns out is on the run from a rogue/secret arm of the government after trying to expose them. This shadow agency is made to cover up errors from other agencies. Koontz uses real world flubs from agencies as the background to make this story believable. Flubs such as, "Ruby Ridge & David Koresh." In what could be a Texx Marrs conspiracy book, Dean Koontz creates a novel of never ending edge of your seat action.

Koontz also takes the time at the end of the book to point out that the technologies discussed in the book are real as well as the forfeiture laws of the government. Throughout the book one gets creeped out by the possibilities of how "Big Brother" is always watching. But then at the end when the real truth is found out it makes the book more creepy.

But don't let that disturb you, this book has got lots of action and the great Koontz creepy factor.

"The Forest Monster of Oz" by Bob Evans and Chris Dulabone

Evans and Dulabone have created a very nice book to go along with the history of Oz in this book "The Forest Monster of Oz." Now for those of you only familiar with the movie, I highly recommend reading the original L. Frank Baum books and see what fun Oz really is. The original books always had some sort of lesson to be learned and a very unique wit and humor. With the "Forest Monster..." Evans and Dulabone carry on that torch with skill.

In this book we see the return of the giant spider that was defeated by the Cowardly Lion in the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and his transformation to good. Here is the first thing that if you are only familiar with the movie you miss out on. Basically, the forest monster, the giant spider, was destroyed by the Cowardly lion in chapter 21 of the Wizard of Oz book. Evans and Dulabone bring him back to life as can only be done in fairy tales and comic books, and they do it in a manner that it is believeable, maybe a better word here is acceptable. In that not that you would really believe a spider can come back to life but that this one was magical to begin with. This forest monster is seeking revenge on the Cowardly Lion and is now wreaking havoc by sapping the energy of all the animals of the Lunechien Forest.

Lunechien residents, including the simply named Elephant, Tweaty (a bird), Nibbles (a mouse) and two owls, seek the aid of the newly ascendant Ozma to defeat the monster. In the quest to overcome the spider, we meet an interesting array of Ozites: the Saber-Toothed Light Bulbs (just picture that), the marshmallow inhabitants of a marsh kingdom, and the warring Schnozzles and Stinkfeet (a very funny war between those that stink and those that have sensitive noses).

The book is also laced with puns and wry humor as is traditional with the Oz books. For example, a tiger speculates that the spider's monstrous size may be attributable to "the humans' constant littering, or maybe a military experiment gone haywire". After a careful build-up, however, the primary conflict with the monster is resolved. In the process, Ozma is confronted with an interesting moral dilemma, on the caliber of her ethical decision not to battle her enemies in The Emerald City of Oz.

Throughout this book we are taught through the many campaigns and confrontations the ideals of acceptance, individuality, and multiculturalism.

In keeping alive the humor, wit and sweet characterizations of this original American "fairy tale"-- they not only pull it off, but there is an individuality too that's very hard to describe in "The Forest Monster of Oz". The "courage to be an individual" is well taught.

What really happened...

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

"Night Chills" by Dean Koontz

Well, I brought a book out of retirement to get some good ole goosebumps. And as usual Dean Koontz delivered. This book was originally published in 1976, but many of the ideas could still happen and it still can create some "Night Chills" for you. Some of the aspects such as lack of cell phones and outdated computers exist in the story, but there's still a lesson for modern times here.

This book has it all, an evil mad scientist, zombies (not the dead eating flesh type), big business corporate greed, a little government cover-up, and a couple of war heroes to save the day.

Dr. Ogden Salisbury, a scientist that was abused as a child, has developed a chemical that will enhance the mind's ability to be influenced by subliminal commands. We've all seen them, look at that magazine ad for alcohol you will find references to sex listed throughout the pictures if you know where to look. Now though, these can be used to completely bend a person's will. First it needs tested. To be tested several things are needed, corporate backing to mass generate the formula and the subliminal messages in print, tv, radio and movies, military support (but of course not that can be linked back to the government), and test subjects.

Dr. Salisbury has put the chemical into the water supply and food supplies for the small town of Black River, Maine. This is a company town built to support the logging mill in that city. Being self sufficient and reasonably secluded from the rest of the world, it is the perfect location. Then once the chemical has been introduced, the subliminal messages for the "Key/Lock" program begins. This program creates the perfect zombie/automaton out of any human able to read. To activate the zombie like trance and get the subject to do what he wishes the phrase "I am the Key" is used, to which the subject responds, "I am the lock." Then the subject will do anything asked, including murder a young boy.

Paul Annendale his 11 year old daughter Rya and his 8 year old son Mark take an annual trek to Black River to rough it in the woods. When they arrive in town their old family friend Sam Edison and his daughter (a love interest of Paul's) tell the Annendales about a strange "flu" going around. The whole town has been having night chills.

These chills turn out to be terrors after Mark observes Dr. Salisbury raping the police chief's wife as the chief and his 8 year old son watch. Dr. Salisbury orders the police chief to kill Mark. Rya watches this scene in horror and runs to her father and from there the action never stops.

Writing with extreme intesity, as with all his books, Dean Koontz never lets go in this novel that deserves some revisiting. Plenty of action, suspense and terror.

As a side note I find it quite interesting that all the subliminal programming involves sex as do all the subliminal advertising found in magazine ads. Are we that obsessed with sex as a culture to let it be our downfall? It's amazing what kind of questions Dean Koontz can evoke.

"The Magic Sneakers" by Robert J. Evans

If you were given a super power would you use it for good or for selfish reasons? Peter Parker's Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." Would that be your motto?

That is just the issue that Jimmy Burton is faced with when he goes to buy new shoes for school and soon discovers his shoes give him the power to fly. Jimmy immediately wants to show off and then thinks twice of it. After all if he showed off then everyone would want to have HIS shoes. So maybe he could just use them a little in sports to be better. But that wouldn't be fair to the other players who practice. As you can see Jimmy is faced with a dilemma.

In this book Robert Evans takes us on a journey on deciding what is good and what is bad. The adventures he takes us on are fun but at the same time give a little lesson on morality. At one point Jimmy does tell his best friend, Billy, and Billy starts telling Jimmy what "WE" could do. So a little lesson on greed jumps in.

One of the neat parts of this book is the turn it takes about halfway through when Jimmy and Billy decide to have some fun with the sneakers. Jimmy is caught on camera flying above the ocean near Santa Monica Pier and soon the Pentagon is involved. Jimmy is whisked away to Washington D.C. where the President tells him how this power could be used for good but we can't let the other nations get it. So Jimmy has a HUGE decision to make, would the U.S. use this power for good or war, and should he reveal his secret. Jimmy "hijacks" a tank and flies it back to California to pick up his parents and his best friend. (Yeah, you read that right "flies a tank") He then returns to the Pentagon and decides to tell the secret, but Jimmy meets a mysterious Major Flynn, who says he can get the shoes back.

Jimmy is guest of honor at the White House where he spends the night in the Lincoln bedroom and meets the great man himself, or at least the "ghost" of Lincoln. He also meets 2 aliens and they then talk about how the Earth is not quite ready for the power in the shoes.

Now at this point the book becomes interesting in that it could be best described as a youth version of "The Celestine Prophecy" with a little of Deepak Chopra mixed in. I will leave this up to you, the reader, to find out the fun in this one.

All in all this book is a fun read and a pretty quick read surprisingly. With all the adventures and in depth discussions of physics and the universe you just can't put it down. I highly recommend this one for anyone with children ages 6 - 16 a little something for all the kids in that range.

"The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier

First let me clear up a question that everyone who has seen me reading this book has asked, No, it is not about the Grateful Dead. Okay, that out of the way let me tell you about this really nice book.

One of the things about this book is that it is actually 2 stories (if not 3) wrapped into one. The first and unifying story in the book is that of the "City." The concept of the "city" is based on the traditions of many African communities to believe that after you die your soul is held in a place as long as someone is alive to hold you in their memory. When there is no one left to remember you, your soul moves on.

One of the things I'm going to do is go back and reread this book and read it as 2 different books. This is easily done by chapter breakdown. The odd number chapters carry the story of the "City" and the even number chapters cover the experiences of Laura Byrd in Antarctica.

The "City" is introduced as a thriving community where people who have died have happily met loved ones and carry on normal lives. What they did in life they continue to do in the city. A blind street beggar has arrived and talks of having to cross vast amounts of sand, as though through a desert. Everyone pretty much ignores him as they did back when he was "begging" in front of Coca-Cola headquarters. Everyone is carrying on a normal life after death when one day the population disappears. One man who taught journalism at a major university has been printing a paper for "The city" and goes out to deliver his papers and finds there is no one left to read. He then begins to wonder where everyone went and begins searching the city. He then finds a woman and the blind beggar. They at first think they are the only ones left in the city. After some extensive searches it appears this may be true. But when they hear gunshots they follow the sounds to find the city's Monolith park has a few hundred people gathering together. Many have said that people they were with just disappeared. A few newcomer's to the city give a hint as to what has happened. It appears that a major virus sent out by terrorists has killed the earth's human population. The disease known as "the Blinks" has wiped out humanity on Earth. But why are these people left in the city?

As days go by a few people begin to talk and they all find out they know/knew Laura Byrd.

The even numbered chapters in this book cover the story of Laura Byrd. Laura and a team of 2 other scientists have been sent to Antarctica by the Coca-Cola company to find out if the water from the glacier melts (the world's last known clean water) would be good to use to manufacture the Coca-Cola products. The team's radio antenna gets destroyed by winds and the other 2 members trek to a known Antarctic monitoring station to find a replacement and get help. Laura is left alone in the tent and after a few weeks she realizes the other two will not be coming back. She then takes off for the station. At the station she discovers graves in the snow and a log that describes the deaths and the pandemic that has destroyed the world's population. She also discovers that the other 2 members set out to another monitoring station to look for life and a working radio. She then sets out to find them.

The beauty of this book is the story of Laura and her trek across the snow and ice covered territory of Antarctica and the discovery of what caused the pandemic. Then the interweaving of this story into the story of "The city." This book has a great spirituality feel to it as well as a futuristic warning. Some great wordsmithing from Kevin Brockmeier creates a novel that keeps you wanting to read more.

"Terrorist" by John Updike

John Updike's novels always seem to open up a window to life, especially to American life. With the life of Harry Angstrom (Rabbit) revealing many things about the American psyche through the years to even "The Witches of Eastwick" and exploring greed. This book is no different.

We all remember 9/11 and how it affected our lives and the questions we asked: "Why us?" "Who could have done this?" and "Why the innocents?" John Updike gives us something of an answer with this book, "Terrorist."

First he explores many aspects of American life through the many characters, an overweight housewife, the cheating husband (who is also a guidance counselor in a high school. The cheating husband is also a Jew that has lost his faith and has lost faith in the "youth of today." The fallen morals of America are explored through, not only the cheating husband but the woman he cheats with is the mother of Ahmad, an intelligent "Arab-American" that gets sucked into his religion so far that he is prepared to martyr himself.

I think the biggest aspect of this book is the fallen morals of American society. It is a very hard look at who we are (we being mainly Americans) and what the rest of the world may think. This book also explores a little into the Islamic faith and how religion in general can brainwash it's members.

As with all of John Updike's novels the dialogue is not only very realistic but also the dialogue between the characters suck you into he story and never lets go.

"Under Milkwood: A Play For Voices" by Dylan Thomas.

Back in college I was earning my degree in Radio / Television Broadcasting (from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, Go Salukis) and it was recommended that I take some voice classes from the Theatre department to help create a midwest / neutral accent. I had a pretty good Southern accent at the time, after all I was born in Louisiana and raised in Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma. I took an intro to Voice class taught by Alex Chrestopolous, who in hindsight taught me alot, at the time though, he was a pain in my arse. The stuff I learned in this class has been priceless and even got me interested in declaring a double major, thus earning a Bachelors degree in both Theatre and Radio/TV Broadcasting.

The most fun I remember in the class was when we as a class performed "Under Milkwood." I have been and always will be a fan of Bob Dylan and finally getting to read/perform someone who influenced Robert Zimmerman to change his name, I was intrigued. I fell in love with this play. I have since read it a few more times and this latest time I read it along with hearing it performed on an audiobook. The audiobook's narrator was Richard Burton so that made it even more enjoyable.

The basis of this play is that we are introduced to a small Welsh town and get to know the citizens and what they do to pass the time. Basically this is a big gossip column with some beautiful language. We are introduced to each character as they sleep by eavesdropping in on their dreams. And then progress through the day with their daily activities, including the scandalous and sweet. We then leave the village as they bed down for the night.

The language behind this is simply beautiful. If you read the play you can feel the rhythm and emotions of the words, but better yet seek out a performance you can listen to. The many voices really create an atmosphere in which it is easy to get lost.

Basically the play is poetry in motion and flowing without pause.

"Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk

We've all been there tired of our job, tired of our boring life. Well that's pretty much what gets the ball rolling in this novel by Chuck Palahniuk. I've been reading other novels by Mr. Palahniuk and decided to revisit the book that got me interested in him in the first place. Actually it was the movie of the same name starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, that got me interested in the book. This also launched my Edward Norton fanboy phase...but that's another blog altogether.

The narrator in this story is not only sick of his job and his boring life, but he's also seen that he's not the only one. Most people try to cover it with consumerism. This book sets out to prove we are not our jobs, we are not the stuff we own. But what are we?

To discover this the narrator crashes these self help groups, like "men with testicular cancer" "Brain Parasite survivors" and others. Somehow he never gets discovered as a "tourist" to these groups. But one day he runs into Marla. Marla seems to be a tourist just like him. He's upset with her because knowing she's a fake keeps him from "enjoying" the groups and his insomnia returns.

He then meets Tyler Durden. Tyler Durden is an artist at deviant behavior. Tyler has many low paying jobs and performs strange tasks just to create general mayhem. Examples of these are: splicing scenes of porn into Disney movies, Urinating in soup tureens where he works or urinating (or just stating that he urinated in) perfume bottles in which the catering company he is a waiter for is catering a party. Then the narrator's condo blows up and he has to move in with Tyler in a run down house on Paper Street. There are no other houses for miles around so they can do pretty much what they want. The house leaks when it rains, so much so that they have to turn off the electricity in the house when it rains to avoid any accidents. So going with this all the narrator has left is the few changes of clothing that were lost and then recovered by an airline. So has he sunk to bottom yet? No.

They then find that neither one of them have got into any fights in all their lives. So they fight each other. They then realize what it feels like to be human through the pain. Pretty soon they start fight club. In which all the men in the club are not who they are in the real world, but an individual on the fighting floor. Pretty soon black eyes, scars, stitches etc. begin to appear on people in the narrators every day life. But has he hit bottom yet?

In order to discover his humanity he first has to reach bottom. But first he and Tyler need money. So they make soap. Render the fat and mix lye and "ta-da" you have soap. But the fat they render is Marla's mom's fat that was liposuctions so Marla could get her collagen injections. It seems Marla and Tyler become a thing after Tyler saves her from a fake attempted suicide.

Well the soap is a huge success that they go to stealing liposuctioned bags of fat from a medical waste dump. The biggest buyers of the soap are big name, high end department stores. So basically he's selling the rich folks the same fat they pay big dollars to have removed. This money from the Paper Street Soap Co. goes to fund the next project. Project Mayhem.

Project Mayhem is one step further from fight club in that the members go out to show the world that they are not their jobs. They do things like destroying art, or fancy cars etc. At one point one of the narrators friends gets killed doing a Project Mayhem assignment. It's also at this point that Tyler Durden disappears. The narrator searches for Tyler, everytime he goes to a fight club everyone calls him "sir" and when asked if they've seen Tyler they all ask "Is this a test, sir?"

We then discover the secret to Tyler. In order to stop Project Mayhem (which has now reached nationwide) the narrator shoots himself with Tyler's gun. The book closes with the orderlies saying we can't wait for your return and Project Mayhem will soon be bigger than ever.

For those of you that have read the book or even seen the movie, you know the secret of Tyler Durden...but I will not give away that secret. It's more fun discovering that on your own...especially in the book. But I will list for you the rules of Fight Club and Project Mayhem. In the meantime discover Chuck Palahniuk, he's got some great lessons on society in this book.


The Rules of Fight Club

1. You don't talk about fight club.
2. You don't talk about fight club.
3. When someone says stop, or goes limp, even if he's just faking it, the fight is over.
4. Only two guys to a fight.
5. One fight at a time.
6. They fight without shirts or shoes.
7. The fights go on as long as they have to.
8. If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.

The Rules of Project Mayhem

1. You don't ask questions.
2. You don't ask questions.
3. No excuses.
4. No lies.
5. You have to trust Tyler.

"Blank: Book 1" Story and art by Pop Mhan.

Tokyopop has started another Manga series that creates some fun and mystery. Blank is actually a "Manga - Like" book, I say this because Pop Mhan is an American citizen that immigrated to the US at the age of three from Thailand. Most Manga books are Japanese artists and writers. You can also not call this a pure Manga because of the way Pop Mhan draws his character's eyes. Pop Mhan is best known for his work in comics such as "Batgirl" and "SpyBoy."

This book follows the misadventures of Blank, a screwed-up secret agent with a serious lapse in memory, and Aki, the confused tomboy whom he has sworn to protect, as they go deep undercover in that most dangerous of territories: high school! Basically Blank doesn't know who he is but for some reason he is supposed to protect Aki. Another feature of Blank is his strange powers. He's indestructible and able to fight with exceptional skill. He can also influence some people to do what he wants, but not Aki.

Between cramming for classes, mixing it up with the school thugs, and uncovering a dark plot laid by the terrorist organization Raizen, the two may just fall in love - if they don't kill each other first! The whole story line is just introduced in this book so it looks like this could be a very fun series. There is plenty of action and comedy, and a little (very little) romantic interest helps also. I think the romantic interest may be hindered by the fact that Blank is a bit of a pervert. Any girl that walks by immediately distracts him.

So if you are a Manga fan this book should get you hooked on what may be a good series from Tokyopop.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling

Okay I finally got around to reading the final installment in the life of Harry Potter. I had to wait for the kids to get through it before I could even lay my hands on it. I could have been selfish and read it first, but any reason to get someone else reading is good for me.

First of all it is sad to see that Rowling has decided to end the series, but really where else could she have gone? I guess there could have been some college time for Harry, but that whole Voldemort trying to take over the world thing needed and end, and you could only drag it out for so long. 7 books was plenty for that. I think all the spoilers have been out long enough that I won't be giving too much away when I say the following: You can tell it is the last of the Potter series because the last chapter of the book jumps to 19 years later. Anytime this happens it is the end.

Okay let's give a synopsis. Well some really cool characters die, an evil villian turns out to be a good guy, Harry dies and we finally learn what Dumbledore was doing all those years. Oh and we get to meet Harry's parents.

Now for those of you that have read the book you can see I didn't lie, but some of the above is not quite as it seems.

Harry is about to come of age in which he can do magic anytime, but until then he has many protection charms that keep him safe from Voldemort. Once he comes of age then Voldemort begins his attack. In the time between the last book and this one Voldemort has pretty much taken control of everything, many Death Eaters are members of the Ministry of Magic and Severus Snape is now Headmaster at Hogwarts.

Harry is not returning to Hogwarts because of the task Dumbledore passed on to Harry before he dumbledore was killed by Snape. Harry, Ron & Hermione must hunt down and destroy all the Horcruxes. These are magical items in which Voldemort has placed a piece of his soul so he can never be fully destroyed. Destroy all the Horcruxes and then Voldemort can truly die. However Dumbledore never told Harry what or where these were or even How to destroy them. One was a locket that Harry has been carrying. Dumbledore destroyed one. So it seems there are more for Harry & friends to destroy after they track them down.

At the same time Voldemort has found out that his wand is powerless against Harry's wand. He thinks this is because they are the twin of each other. So Voldemort is seeking out one of the three deathly hallows, the Elder Wand. This wand is passed on from wizard to wizard but only when one wizard beats the other. There are many myths and children's stories about this wand and Voldemort thinks it will give him ultimate power.

In looking for the Horcruxes, Harry discovers the myth of the 3 deathly hallows, one of which he already holds, the cloak of invisibility. These are magical items passed on through history that give the holder the power to cheat death. The other deathly hallow which hasn't been mentioned is the resurrection stone. Apparantly Voldemort doesn't know of the 3 hallows because he turned the stone to a Horcrux.

After Harry has tracked down all the Horcruxes he finally has to battle Voldemort. A huge battle at Hogwarts ensues in which many more interesting characters die and Harry eventually dies. Okay he doesn't really but it looks as though he does. I will not give away too much because this book deserves your attention, as do all of the Harry Potter books.

J. K. Rowling created a stir with the Harry Potter books but I think most of all she also made reading cool for youth. So no matter what happens in the books it looks as though not only creating a great story and some really awesome characters (good and bad) she has brought reading back to today's youth. Oh and even some of us adults that love to read a good story. I see these books living forever.

In closing I would just like to say, "Thank you, J. K. Rowling, for some great reading for all ages."

"Haunted" by Chuck Palahniuk

I'm on a Chuck Palahniuk binge right now and I am glad of it. I first read one of his books back in 1999. It was "Fight Club," I was so impressed with the movie that I had to read the book. In fact I took my wife (at the time we were "dating") to see this movie to get her response, and based on her response we got married and have been happily married ever since. Yeah there's more to Fight Club than just beating up people (a lot more). But this is about "Haunted." Once again I've read another great novel by Chuck Palahniuk.

This book is branded as a "novel of stories." Which is to say it is a novel with 23 short stories interwoven through the plot of the book. The basic premise is that 17 individuals are "recruited" to attend a writer's retreat. A time away from the world to write that big masterpiece. Each of the would be writers at first seem just like normal people. Through the book they are referred to by nicknames. These nicknames are based on the stories they tell throughout the book. All except Mr. Brandon Whittier the old man (or is he) that "hosts" the retreat and his "assistant" Mrs. Tess Clark.

Here are the nicknames and stories and a brief description of each:

Brandon Whittier -"Dog Years", "Obsolete" -A wheelchair-bound rich man who owns the abandoned theatre and hosts the writer's retreat. Though he appears to be a very old man, he is in fact a 13 year old boy who suffers from progeria.

Tess Clark -"Post-Production", "The Nightmare Box", "Poster Child", "Cassandra" A failed amateur porn actress who has become Whittier's assistant to learn what happened to her daughter Cassandra at Whittier's last writer's retreat.

Saint Gut-Free - "Guts" An abnormally skinny man who lost part of his lower intestine in a masturbation accident.

Mother Nature "Foot Work" A reflexologist and homeopathic therapy expert who was once employed in prostitution based around her skills with reflexology. She has joined the retreat to escape the mafia, who are out to kill her for abandoning her job and being an accessory to the murder of her friends pimp.

Miss America "Green Room" A pregnant model who wants to become famous.

Lady Baglady (Evelyn Keyes) "Slumming" A rich woman who, along with her husband, used to pretend to be homeless to get over her boredom with being rich. After she and her husband witness a crime leading to the murder of a wealthy Brazilian heiress, her husband is murdered by the captors, and a string of homeless people are murdered in the search for her. She comes to the retreat to escape the people who want to kill her.

The Earl of Slander "Swan Song" A reporter who murders a former child star in order to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning article about his victim's hidden habits and supposed suicide.

The Duke of Vandals "Ambition" An amateur artist who sneaks paintings into museums. He later becomes a respected professional when he murders a famous artist as a favor to the man who funds the other artist. He has come to the retreat to escape the same fate as the other artist.

Director Denial "Exodus" The director of a police station. She brings with her a cat named Cora Reynolds, named after its former owner, a co-worker who killed herself trying to stop police officers from using anatomically correct dolls for sexual purposes.

Reverend Godless "Punch Drunk" A former soldier who, with a group of other soldiers, raises money by lip-syncing in drag and allowing people to assault him in order to fund a war on religion. This has to be my favorite story with some great humor and a very dark message.

The Matchmaker "Ritual" A man who dresses similar to a cowboy. He convinced his wife to marry him after hiring a male prostitute to ruin her idea of the perfect man.

Sister Vigilante "Civil Twilight" A religious woman who carries a bowling ball with which she may or may not have killed people.

Chef Assassin (Richard Talbott) "Product Placement" A professional chef who murders critics who write negative reviews of his cooking and blackmails knife manufacturers by threatening to tell the world that he uses only their knives to commit his deeds.

Comrade Snarky "Speaking Bitterness" A woman who is critical of other women's looks. When she was a child her parents divorced and her mother continually warned her that her father might sexually abuse her. This, however, never occurred but because of it she has been wary and critical of men for her entire life.

Agent Tattletale (Eugene Denton) "Crippled" A man who becomes temporarily crippled and tries to cheat the company he worked for out of worker's compensation after he recovers. After killing a man who was collecting evidence on him for the company, he takes that man's job and is almost killed by a woman who he spied on.

The Missing Link"Dissertation" A member of the Chewlah, a tribe of people who are, according to local rumor, able to transform into sasquatches..

The Countess Foresight (Claire Upton) "Something's Got to Give" A woman with psychic powers. She was arrested for murdering a man who she believed murdered Marilyn Monroe. She now wears an electronic tracking bracelet as part of the terms of her parole.

The Baroness Frostbite (Miss Leroy) "Hot Potting" A former employee of the White River Lodge who lost her lips to frostbite while trying to save someone from an accident at the hot springs nearby.

Miss Sneezy (Lisa Noonan) "Evil Spirits" A woman with chronic sinus problems. She claims to carry an incurable disease, and that she escaped from a government isolation facility. This one rings of Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death."

This book really is almost a spoof of all the "crap" you see on reality TV. Several strangers working together, forming alliances and competing for a prize. The prize here is the "masterpiece" to be written. They all get locked in and start creating their own horror. When the food goes bad, well they have to find food somewhere.

Basically you take Stephen King, Clive Barker, Edgar Allen Poe and sprinkle in some H.P. Lovecraft and this is what you get in this novel. Some of the stories contain dark humor that Chuck Palahniuk which is, it seems, a specialty of his, and some are haunting. They all, however have a great message about humanity.

As a little added bonus the paperback features a glow in the dark cover. And if you prefer audio books the audio book has sections read by many talented voices including my favorite, Scott Brick. Other readers include: Erik Darling, Arthur Morey, and Lorna Raver.

"Survivor" by Chuck Palahniuk

First of all...WOW!!! This book is definitely something that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go...even at the end you want more. "Survivor" is written by Chuck Palahniuk, the same author of "Fight Club" which was made into a great movie starring Ed Norton and Brad Pitt. Now as you may or may not remember "Fight Club" had a hidden message about how consumerism was destroying the world. Keeping to thatm "Survivor" has a not so hidden message about Religion, Celebrity status and again the consumerism are destroying human kind. Spoilers to come...so be warned.

Also like "Fight Club" this book begins at the end. Even the chapters appear in reverse...more of a countdown. At the opening of this book Tender Branson the last known survivor of the Creedish religious suicide cult, and Spiritual Leader of the world, is in a 747 he hijacked and is going to crash it into the Australian Outback. Before the ultimate end of his life he leaves a permanent record (on the plane's flight recorder, the "black box") about how he got to where he is and why he is not a mass murderer.

As Tender tells his story in the final minutes before the plane crash, it is unfolded how he became a victim of what I will call Americanism. Tender is a member of the Creedish religious sect, which, as the story unfolds, is discovered to be a front for white slavery. The first born male of every family is named Adam and all the other males are named Tender. All the females are named Bitty until they are married. All of the Tenders and most of the Bittys are sold to rich families as housekeepers. All their lives as children their education consists of such lessons as etiquette, and cleaning and household chores. The cult/sect appear as though they could be Mennonites.

When the sect/cult's secret is discovered by the FBI the entire sect commits mass suicide on their farm compound in Nebraska. The survivors that were sold to slavery slowly follow suit. The government sets up a Survivor retention program in order to keep the rest from committing suicide. Tender Branson is one of these survivors and soon becomes the only one.

Once it is discovered he is the only one the story really starts to rock and reel. A marketing agent then starts controlling Tender's life turning him into a Religious Leader. Tender becomes popular because of ideas that the public thinks are his but are actually the Agent's ideas, like his autobiography, the Book of Very Common Prayer (a book of prayer that will make life easier my favorite is the prayer for getting out of traffic), and the Tender Branson Sensitive Materials Sanitary Landfill (a 20,000 acre [80 km²] repository for America's outdated porn). As his popularity grows, Tender wants to kill himself in front of the whole world; but he can't find the right time to do so. So, he puts it off for later.

Before all this Tender has set up a Suicide hotline...okay, actually he prints up a bunch of stickers for a fake suicide hotline that is his personal phone number. Everyone that calls him he simply says, "Kill Yourself." This goes on until he is visiting the tomb of one of his "victims" and he meets the "victim's" sister, Fertility Hollis. Fertility Hollis has a great gift, She knows everything, she can see the future.

Tender's popularity starts to wane; and the Agent tells him that he needs a miracle to stay famous. Fertility meet's him in a men's room in a restaurant in Spokane, Washington (because she knows). She gives him a prediction to tell on TV that the public will notice when it comes true. It does, and Tender becomes even more famous as he uses Fertility's psychic powers as his own.

But Tender still wants to escape, especially when he finds his older (by 3.5 minutes) brother Adam is still alive and killed off all the Creedish survivors and all the people in Tender's life, and is now after Tender. The police suspect Tender of the murders and when Tender's agent is found murdered, they seek to arrest him...but not before a big show at halftime of the superbowl. But Tender gives one last prediction and the entire arena goes into turmoil and Tender escapes. Only to be stuck with Adam and Fertility. This leads to a cross country escape in a very unique mode of transportation (read the book to find this one out). Ultimately Tender is aboard a plane by himself getting ready to crash in Australia.

The humor in this book is dark, but funny. Okay, disturbingly funny.

Like this conversation between Tender and his agent:

This one time, the agent asked me where I saw myself in five years. Dead, I said. I see myself dead and rotting. Or ashes, I can see myself burned to ashes. I remember I had a loaded gun in my pocket. Just the two of us were standing in the back of a crowded, dark auditorium.

'I see myself dead and in hell.'

I remember I was planning to kill myself that night. It was the night of my first big public appearance. I told the agent, I figured I'd spend my first thousand years in hell in some entry-level position, but after that I wanted to move into management. Be a real team player. Hell is going to see enormous growth in market share over the next millennium, and I wanted to ride the crest.

The agent said that sounded pretty realistic.

Poets & Pornstars

Poets & Pornstars are the real deal. For over 2 years, the band – Hal Ozsan (vocals/guitar), Sally Hope (bass), Domo (guitar), Randy Austin (keys) and Dave Plesh (drums) – has dominated Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, playing to sold-out crowds every time they take the stage. They opened for Guns ‘N’ Roses at KROQ’s Inland Invasion, played to 15,000 fans with Bon Jovi, and toured the country with Veruca Salt. The band has also shared the bill with Radiohead, Buckcherry and Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes). Now the group is ready to bring their electrified 3-chord rock to even more fans around the country with their self-titled, debut album on August 21. The LA times may rave about their “chest-pounding” songs but the real testament to their buzz isn’t the critics – it’s the scores of screaming fans at each show.



Right now they are on tour with Tesla
8/21 TBD LA


8/28 Providence, RI TBD w/ Tesla


8/30 Hampton Beach, NH TBD w/ Tesla


8/31 Albany, NY TBD w/ Tesla


9/4 Boston, MA TBD w/ Tesla


9/6 Sayreville, NJ TBD w/ Tesla


9/13 NYC, NY TBD w/ Tesla


9/14 Baltimore, MD TBD w/ Tesla


9/19 New Orleans, LA TBD w/ Tesla


9/22 Austin, TX TBD w/ Tesla


Their website is:
http://poetsandpornstars.com/

Perry Farrell's Satellite Party

Well folks Perry Farrell is at it again. Creating a new band with a unique sound has always been his forte'. Look at the past with Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros what unique talent those bands had. Not only talent but a unique sound to boot. Satellite Party definitely has all that and more.



From the man who brought us Lollapalooza, the music never stops this time his band is full of surprises just check out this lineup:


Band Members


Perry Farrell
Nick Perri
Carl Restivo
Etty Farrell
Jordan Plosky


Satellite Party guests include:


- Flea & John Frusciante from Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Fergie from Black Eyed Peas
- Peter Hook from New Order
- Hybrid
- Thievery Corporation
- Peter DiStefano from Porno For Pyros
- Harry Gregson Williams (Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom of Heaven)
- Jim Morrison (one of his last vocal performances--previously unreleased)


The most unique aspect is the reworking of the Jim Morrison Vocals...now how is that going to be pulled off in concert? I'm not sure, but if anyone can it will be Perry.


You can check out their myspace page for some of the new music and tour dates:
http://www.myspace.com/satelliteparty


If you are enough of a fan you can join the i-squad and get yourself some swag while promoting this cool band. Just click on the banner below:

"Summer Knight: Book 4 of the Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher

Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can't pay his rent. He's alienating his friends. He can't even recall the last time he took a shower.

The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.

And just when it seems things can't get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can't refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him — and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen's right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen's name.

It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case.

No pressure or anything...

I think pretty much all that can go wrong with Harry does. In this book Harry faces a rain of toads, a war between Summer and Winter, A hearing by the White Council which could result in his death, and to make matters worse an old girlfried shows up only to create problems.

The book opens up with Harry still trying find a cure for Susan his current love, and only the second woman he's ever loved. The cure is to cure her of vampirism. In the last book she was partially transformed into a vampire. He has let his hygiene go and his apartment's a mess. However he is getting help from the alphas, you may remember they are the group of college kids, oh yeah and they are lycanthropes.

Harry is soon hired by the Winter Faerie Queen to find out who murdered the Summer Knight. Everyone thinks it was the Winter Queen but she knows she is innocent and if the real killer is not found out there could be a war between the Summer and Winter Faeries. This could only lead to one victor and whoever comes out on top the world could either enter another Ice Age or a time of exponential growth. Now the growth may sound good but remember it also sounds good to E Coli and other bacterium.

This book is another turning point in the series in that Harry admits to Murphy everything there is to know about the supernatural world. Taking her under confidence to tell all the inside info Harry is risking a lot. However it is yet another time we see the almost human weakness of this wizard in that he needs outside help. Murphy is a bit taken aback but soon recovers and is there to help Harry in any way.

We are also introduced to members of the White Council of Wizards. There are some nice characters here including Harry's Mentor, Ebenezer McCoy. Ebenezer was Harry's assigned mentor after Harry killed his Uncle Justin. Also more of the story of Harry's falling out with the White Council and the Death (in self defense) of Uncle Justin.

Yet again another great book in what is turning out to be a great series of books. The humor in these books just makes them more fun.

Sidney Poitier uses the "F" word, or my review of "The Measure of Man"

"The Measure of A Man" by Sidney Poitier

Okay first off the man in the movies always seemed so refined and classy, well he is that good of an actor. After a lifetime of having to deal with racism and poverty, Sidney Poitier found his way. And the way he did it and maintained his dignity is the true measure of a man.

Growing up on Cat Island in the Bahamas the Poitier family were poor tomato farmers. But one thing about being poor is the situation. A person can be poor on an island and not even know they're poor, however bring that same person into a city and with the urban sprawl and communities in neglect the being poor smacks you right in the face. On Cat Island there were numerous plants and trees that bore fruit that anyone could go and pick and spend an afternoon munching. Also fishing can create a nice bounty of food. Another aspect of Poitier's life on the island is that the community would help each other.
When young Sidney's family was affected by the tomato embargo of the Bahamas, they had to relocate to Nassau. This is where the young Sidney discovered racism and exactly how poor he was.

The life in Nassau was still nothing compared to moving to the racist country of the United States. After having to move to Miami to live with his brother, Mr. Poitier took on a job as a delivery boy. He soon discovered that the southern racism affected him. All blacks were to use the back doors to houses. When one delivery, he didn't realize this "Jim Crow" law would affect him until he tried to deliver to a rich white woman at her front door and later the KKK would threaten his family.

The book then goes on to explore the life of Sidney Poitier's career in movies and theatre and the boundaries he had to overcome to be where he is. Many parts of this book are great explorations of an actor and his craft while at other times a glance at how backwards a racist society can be.

My favorite quote from the book is the one that shows that Mr. Poitier is just as human as you and I.

While "expectations" meant "the sky's the limit" for those favored, that interpretation should never be expected to apply in cases like mine. I listened intently until each point had been driven home. Then I said "Fuck You," in the nicest way I could.

That quote pretty much sums up how he overcame all obstacles in his life. I think this book really can help a person to realize that life is not handed to them. It only comes about from what you CHOOSE to do.

"Grave Peril, Dresden Files book 3" by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden's faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you're the only professional wizard in the Chicago area phone book

But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: the spirit world's gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble — and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone — or something — is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc.

But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself.... .

In this installment of the Dresden files The wizard named Harry is found fighting ghosts. But It seems as though the ghosts are all more active and dangerous than they have ever been. In this book Harry finally gets some help, in the form of Michael. It's never really clear what exactly Michael is, other than the "Fist of God." He's like a cross (no pun intended) between a Knight Templar, Knight of the Round Table and an Archangel." Michael carries a great sword called "Amoracchius," in the hilt of this sword there is a nail, said to be from "The Cross."

This book seems to be a turning point in Harry's career and the storyline that will seem to be coming in the series. In this book we get to learn a little more of Harry's past and also get to take a couple of trips into the Nevernever. The Nevernever is home to all things that go bump in the night, and is only mentioned in the 2 previous books. Also Harry finally realizes and admits he's in love with Susan. But this realization may come a little too late.

Michael, Harry and Lt. Murphy had worked together to stop a wizard that was using his magic for killing. The demon that wizard summoned up was powerful but with all of them teamed up they killed the demon and took the wizard in to police custody. But something has happened in the case and the police will not talk to Harry about it.

Soon all those involved are being attacked by something evil. Harry and Michael deduce that since the veil of the Nevernever is is being stirred up (all the ghostly activity) that the veil is thinning. Thus allowing all this evil to be unleashed. Thinking that the demon is now a ghost and nearly unstoppable Harry and Michael think the demonghost is seeking revenge.

It is learned that Harry's godmother, the faerie Leanansidhe, (yes Harry has a Faerie Godmother) has made a bargain with Harry in his youth and owns his soul. But Harry is not ready to give that up. So she is trying to take it from him and make him her slave. In a battle with the demon ghost, she shows up and heals Harry of his wounds, saying she wants him alive. Harry gets the sword Amoracchius and prepares to attack Lea in revenge. However, Michael warns him (too late) that the sword is not to be used that way. The sword is then picked up by Lea and she leaves. Leaving Michael doubting his faith.

At the same time Harry receives an Invitation from Bianca, a vampire, to attend a costume party to celebrate the appointing of Bianca to the Red Court. The Red Court is one of 3 courts of Vampires and Bianca is to be head of the Red Court. We learn that The Black Court is weak and disappearing. Harry and Michael attend this party. Michael comes as a Knight Templar and knowing Lea will be attending the celebration hopes to get Amoracchius back. Harry comes dressed as a vampire...except he's a "cheesy" vampire and all the other vampires do not find this amusing. Harry's girlfriend Susan forges an invitation hoping to cover the story of the century for her newspaper, but finds out since she was not invited she does not get the protection afforded the actual invitees.

At this party it is learned that the Red Court and The Black Court have teamed up to start a war with the Wizard's White Council, in which Harry is a Member.

The final battles ensue and the book's climax comes with great anticipation.

With the driving wit and sarcasm of Harry Dresden and the wonderful action created by author Jim Butcher this book is yet another masterpiece in the Dresden files.

Stargate SG-1 Season 10

Now available on DVD

For 10 seasons, they have traveled to the edges of the unknown, protecting mankind against ancient enemies and fighting for the freedom of our galaxy. Now… the adventure of a thousand lifetimes launches onto DVD with Stargate SG-1 Season 10 , available July 24 from MGM Home Entertainment. This historic season celebrates the much-anticipated 200 th episode, making it the longest consecutive running science fiction series on television, surpassing The X-Files and every series of Star Trek . Evolving into a global phenomenon, the Stargate franchise reached galactic dominance with Stargate SG-1 which can be seen in over 120 countries and launching the popular spin-off series Stargate Atlantis , Season 4 now airing on the Sci-Fi Network; Two Stargate DVD premiere films scheduled for world-wide release in 2008, “Stargate: The Ark of Truth” and “Stargate: Continuum”; and “Stargate Worlds,” a multi-player online video game. Stargate SG-1 is a fan-favorite due to an outstanding chemistry between its cast, which includes Saturn Award winners Richard Dean Anderson (1999, Best Genre TV Actor) and Amanda Tapping (2005, Best Supporting TV Actress), as well as Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis and Michael Shanks. The intrepid travelers are joined in their unforgettable endeavors by two-time Golden Globe® and three-time Emmy Award® winning actor Beau Bridges , as well as sci-fi veterans Ben Browder and Claudia Black, from Farscape .

Check out the video below for behind the scenes:

Yet another great comic turned movie....

That Frank Miller is just awesome and a graphic novel (aka comic book) turned movie has been Hollywood's saving grace. So with Frank Miller's 300 turned to movie you have got not only a cinema classic but a classic all around. Check out the following press release:

Get ready for a cutting-edge, heart-pounding, visual masterpiece on July 31st when 300 arrives on DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video. Based on the stylized graphic novel from icon Frank Miller ( Sin City ), 300 is an epic action-adventure about the 300 Spartan warriors led by the heroic King Leonidas who challenged Xerxes and his massive Persian army at the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. Facing insurmountable odds, they fought to the death to defend their honor and freedom, inspiring all of Greece to unite against the enemy.

From visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder (upcoming The Watchmen , Dawn of the Dead ), 300 combines stunning live action with virtual backgrounds and features spectacular performances from Gerard Butler ( The Phantom of the Opera, Reign of Fire ) , Lena Headey ( The Brothers Grimm, The Cave) David Wenham ( The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ) and Rodrigo Santoro ( Love Actually, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle ).



The 2-Disc Special Edition and hi-definition versions are loaded with over 90 minutes of thrilling extras, including additional scenes and revealing featurettes on the real-life Spartans. With the HD DVD Combo, experience the entire film with “blue screen” picture-in-picture running throughout the feature and special commentary by Zack Snyder, plus an exclusive strategy game “Vengeance and Valor.”

300 will be available on Single Disc at $28.98 SRP in both widescreen and full frame formats. The 2-Disc Special Edition DVD will be available in widescreen format for $34.99 SRP. The HD DVD Combo will be available at $39.99 SRP and the Blu-ray Disc version will be available at $34.99 SRP.

“An incredible visual ride.”

- Jeffrey Lyons, NBC'S REEL TALK

“Mind-blowing.”

- Susan Wloszcyna / USA TODAY

SYNOPSIS

The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.

DVD ELEMENTS

The 2 Disc Special Edition features over 90 minutes of special features including:

• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed

• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors

• FRANK MILLER's vision realized on film

The HD DVD COMBO features the following special features:

• BLUESCREEN PICTURE-IN-PICTURE VERSION: Director Zack Snyder Compares the Pre-CGI-Enhanced Version to the Finished Film

• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors [in High Definition]

• FRANK MILLER's Vision Realized on Film [in High Definition]

• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed [in High Definition]

• WHO WERE THE SPARTANS?: How the Actors Built Their Characters Based on Spartan Customs [in High Definition]

• WEBISODES: Go on Set with the Cast and Crew

• Exclusive to HD DVD Game Vengeance and Valor: Lead More Spartan Warriors into Battle Against Xerxes' Forces and Test Your Combat-Hardened Knowledge of Tactics and Strategy

• PICK YOUR FAVORITE SCENES: Assemble Your Favorite Clips and Create Your Own Montage

• WEB-ENABLED FEATURES: Cool Mobile Downloads

The Blu-ray disc features the following special features:

• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors [in High Definition]

• FRANK MILLER's Vision Realized on Film [in High Definition]

• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed [in High Definition]

• WHO WERE THE SPARTANS?: How the Actors Built Their Characters Based on Spartan Customs [in High Definition]

• WEBISODES: Go on Set with the Cast and Crew

• COMMENTARY by Director Zack Snyder – and MORE!

Street Date: July 31, 2007

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Running Time: 116 minutes

Rating: R (for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity)

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POINT 1

"Fool Moon: The Dresden Files Book 2" by Jim Butcher

So If you are wondering whether the wizard by the name of Harry is alive or dead, I can tell you there are at least 8 more in the series to go and well he is the subject. But let me tell you this one is close...It seems as though the common chapter opening in this book is "I woke up." just after a life threatening event. Oh by the way this is the wizard Harry Dresden, not the other Harry, I haven't read that book yet. I'm in line after 2 of my kids...so I'm reading another wizard Harry's series. And of course this one is geared more for the adults anyway.

Okay, this is only book 2 in the series, but oh my gosh, the action is intense. In "Fool Moon" Harry Dresden is up against werewolves. But the late show werewolves aren't quite the way Harry's werewolves are. For one thing there is more than one kind of werewolf, as Harry finds out, there are: hexenwolves, lycanthropes and loup garou. (The book explains the difference!) The loup garou is the nastiest beast of them all and in this book Harry goes up against all the types found in the book. (Actually no book just Harry's spirit computer, Bob.)

The events in "Fool Moon" take place 6 months after book one and well it's not the best of all situations for Lt. Karrin Murphy. After the events in the first book Murphy is under investigation by Internal Affairs. They believe she may be in cahoots with mobster, Johnny Marconi. After all how do you explain a dark wizard blowing people's hearts out of their chests, other than magic. Anyhow there seems to be a series of murders during the days of the full moon for the past 2 months. Harry is not called in until the 2nd month and after one of Marconi's bodyguards is the victim. Harry does confirm that it is werewolves, but can't offer too much else, he didn't pay attention much during that part of his training. Also the crime scene is immediately interfered with by FBI agents, led by Agent Denton, and Denton is quick to inform Murphy she is out of her jurisdiction and that she shouldn't be bringing Harry in on this.
Harry and Murphy are followed as they leave the crime scene as Murphy drops him off at his home. Harry does a spell to track the owner of the blood found on the crime scene only to be led to a seedy part of Chicago by the University where he finds a "gang" of college kids arguing. Their leader, Tara, then comes in and says they are being watched. A chase goes on and Harry is attacked, but only slightly by a wolf, before finding Murphy outside, she had followed the car that followed them.

After consulting with Bob, the spirit assistant to Harry, Harry finds out enough about werewolves to scare him. To scare a wizard takes a lot. Harry then brings his information to Murphy, but she is being question by I.A. and Agent Denton offers to take the report in to her. After Harry leaves one of the other FBI agents approaches him and asks, "Are you for real?" After Harry tells his standard answer of hire me and find out. The agent gives Harry a lead. This lead is a group of lycanthropes. Well then Johnny Marconi gives Harry another lead and this points to a loup garou. Without giving too much away a group of hexenwolves are also involved...but you may be surprised as to where.

Besides the edge-of-your-seat-staying-up-all-night-because-you-can't-put-the-book-down action, the book also delves into some heavier subject matter. The big one is the issue of trust. Lots of questions of who to trust from Harry trying to find out who's who and from Lt. Murphy as to whether Harry is on the up and up about helping the police.

After all that is said and done...this is simply a great fun read.

"Night" by Elie Wiesel

Much of mankind's history is fraught with tragedy so severe that it is almost unbelievable. Some simple yet severe examples have happened in only the last 2 centuries. The destruction of the race of Indigenous Americans, Indians, and the slaughter of the Jews during the Holocaust. These things should never be forgotten, lest we repeat them (to paraphrase, Santayana). Elie Wiesel has captured his experience in the book "Night." The amazing thing is that this book, with only 120 pages or so, captures so much emotion, destruction, sadness and loss of faith to cover many lifetimes.

I will warn you this book will play on your conscience long after the book has been read. The amazing and tragic events of the German slaughter of the Jews during World War II really makes one question humanity. This book follows the life of Elie Wiesel during the time period when his family was removed from their home in Sighet, Transylvania by the Germans in 1944 to the Auschwitz concentration camp and then to Buchenwald. Every terrifying event builds onto the other to help destroy a family and to kill Wiesel's innocence, and to eventually destroy his faith in God.

The German SS soldiers take over his village and begin shipping out all Jews to Auschwitz. Upon arrival at Auschwitz Elie and his father are separated from his mother and sisters never to see them again. Keep in mind when this all begins he is only 14 when he enters a concentration camp where the stench of human bodies being burned and the vision of babies being thrown into burning pits changes his life. He and his father then begin their 3 year fight to stay alive living on meager food scraps and having to do labor for the Germans.

One phrase that seems to stick out in this book is when the family is warned that the Germans are exterminating the Jews, Elie's father asks, "Can this be true? This is the 20th century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world remain silent?" In his prize acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize for this book, Wiesel says we must continue to fight for human rights and that we must never be silent again.

Trust me, this book will create an overwhelming sorrow deep within. Maybe enough to not allow such actions to ever occur again. I will be assigning this book to my home-schooled step-son and I will be very curious as to see his response.

"In the Spirit: conversations with the spirit of Jerry Garcia" by Wendy Weir

Okay this is one of those books that may make folks cringe or say that woman (Wendy Weir) is crazy. But I do have to say that there's a lot in this book to be gained. The premise of the this book is that it is a collection of conversations with Jerry Garcia's spirit by Wendy Weir, sister to Bob Weir, the other "frontman" for the Grateful Dead.

I will try to point out the good and the bad of this book, but it's one of those books that I'm on the fence about. First of all the conversations are not actually with the spirit of Jerry Garcia but rather Jerry's Oversoul, which is like the guidance counselor for the souls as the spirit incarnates to flesh. Before I go any further, yes this is one of those "new agey" books that talks about the betterment of mankind by being kind to one another and to the earth. So if you are a Deadhead and expect some insight on the band and Jerry, there really is none of that. However If you are looking at saving your spirit and creating a better Gaia, and you are a fan of the Grateful Dead you may have some fun.

The use of the Grateful Dead lyrics to emphasize points and the whole aspect of Jerry's Oversoul spreading love to the world does open the ideas to a different audience. I will say at this point though, that there are other books that explain these ideas better. "The Celestine Prophecy" and anything by Deepak Chopra will probably give you more info and actually have more of a real world feel.

I was let down that there was no insight into the band with this book, but I do appreciate the love heals message. One other thing I got out of the book is an explanation as to why the show I saw in 1987 in San Francisco for the Chinese New Year totally sucked. Earlier that day Bob Weir's dog died and well let's just say the show suffered because he was not in good spirits...I can forgive that.

Thank you Jerry for the music, but don't let people use your name this way.

"Storm Front: Book one of the Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher

A wizard by the name of Harry needs to earn money and make a living. So what does he do? He sets up shop in Chicago and hangs out his shingle to let the folks know he is a wizard for hire. No this is not Harry Potter after he has graduated from Hogwart's. Rather this is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, one of the coolest wizard characters ever created. Jim Butcher has created a great character and a fun series of books subtitled the Dresden Files. So far there are 8 in the series; Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, and Proven Guilty. Storm Front being the first in the series seemed a good place to start for me. The series of books has led to a TV series on the Sci-Fi channel "The Dresden Files." The TV series has left a lot out that was in the books but as a set of side stories it covers the feeling behind the books. In fact, in episode 8 of the tv series they somewhat told the story of what happens in Book 1.

One of the neat things about this book and the series of books is the format they are written. Remember the old Film Noir detective movies. Where the detective narrates the cases and stories? This is exactly the way Jim Butcher has written this series. Harry Dresden tells the story in Film Noir style. Another way to describe the story telling would be to say if Stephen King were to write about Harry Potter as a private dick in 3rd person narration. But then that doesn't adequately describe what's going on. In general this book was extremely fun to read and I can't wait for the next.

Okay here's the basic story; Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire, solves missing person cases and such and on occasion helps the Chicago P.D. with some of their rather strange cases. Lieutenant Karen Murphy the director of Special Investigations out of downtown Chicago calls Harry in when something doesn't seem right. But Harry still needs to pay his bills so he takes on cases on the side to supplement the rare job from the police.

In this book, Harry is first contacted by Monica whose husband has taken a recent interest in magic and gone missing, Harry sets up an appointment to meet with her and immediately after Lt. Murphy calls Harry to bring him in on a case of a double murder. Harry hurries to the grisly murder scene so he can get back in time for the appointment. At the scene he finds a man and a woman in a hotel room, whose bodies are entwined in a passionate moment, except for both of their hearts have been exploded from the inside blasting a large hole in each of their chests. Harry immediately finds that a strong wizard has done this and decides to help Murphy. One of the victims is a body guard for the notorious crime boss, Johnny Marconi. On his way back to his office Harry is bullied into a limo in which Johnny Marconi offers to pay for Harry's services. Rather, Marconi wishes to pay for Harry not to investigate the murders.

After turning Marconi down Harry meets with Monica who explains that her husband is missing and that his recent interest in magic may have led to his demise.

Harry Dresden then becomes swamped in 2 cases which become intertwined and lead him into a battle with demons, vampires and a dark wizard. During the process we meet many of Harry's friends and enemies. Bob the spirit familiar which serves as Harry's supernatural computer (since any technology decides to stop working when a wizard is near), a tabloid reporter who falls in love with Harry (thanks to drinking a wrong potion), Morgan the Deputy for the White Council who threatens Harry with death if he should stray on to the wrong side of magic due to Harry being on "probation" for an unexplained murder of his mentor.

Lots of fun and lots of action. Get started on this series now. Yes, the books are better than the tv series.

"... just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face."

Book Review: "Errors and Omissions" by Paul Goldstein

Michael Seeley an alcoholic attorney is entering a personal and professional abyss. His career as an attorney has been focused on the artists who wish to keep their art, a lot of pro bono work but he also works for a large firm in New York City so he also works for some corporations who still pay the bills by trying to sometimes cheat those same artists. Michael Seeley mainly wants to fight for the little guy.

One of those corporations wants Seeley. United Pictures, a huge movie studio, still has the rights to its cash cow, the Spykiller series, now coming up on its eighth installment. However due to a recent Supreme Court Decision the author's carry rights and not the Studios. Before a sequal can be made the original author needs to give permission to the studio to use the story. What appeared to be a simple legal brief, however, takes Seeley back to the Hollywood of the 1950s when blacklisted writers were forced to conceal their identity to sell scripts—a practice that muddies the Spykiller pedigree for United. Soon, Seeley finds himself in a violent tug-of-war among studio bosses, the screenwriter's union and long-forgotten blacklist victims. Sharp dialogue and a well-formed main character more than make up for a shortage of action and a finale that could use a bit more kick. Goldstein, who does a fine job of breaking down complicated moral, ethical and historical issues to understandable nuggets, has laid the foundation for what could be a strong franchise.

In this novel the reader travels from New York city to Hollywood and then to Germany to track down the original author of "Spykiller." All the time Seeley is wondering where his loyalties lie, with the studio or with the little guy, the author. Also the twists and turns of who's the good guy and who is the bad guy keeps this page turner an exciting read.

Great book for someone who likes a whodunit or a legal mystery. The nice thing about this book is that it opens up a chance for the author to have an ongoing series with a character that could lead a series of books.