RIS

My Sisters Keeper....

2009-11-02T15:41:20Z

I have been so busy with everything else going on, I haven't been reading near as much as I used to. I did read My Sisters Keeper and it was a great book.

This book highlights the true bond between sisters even though one is constantly out shinning the other one.

And as always....Jodi Picoult grabs your attention from page one and keeps it throughout the entire novel.

MY SISTERS KEEPER

Jodi Picoult

Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

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Strange Bed Persons....

2009-10-06T20:46:40Z

This book was pretty cute as most all of Jennifer Cruise's books can be.....of course it is a mondern day romance novel and this one even has a little political spin.

If you're looking for something not too serious, this is a funny one for you

Strange Bedpersons

Jennifer Crusie

Enjoy!

Happy reading!

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#66 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

2009-11-05T04:21:08Z

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

J. K. Rowling

Read because: I liked it the first time.

Borrowed from: the Sacramento library

Rating: 8 out of 10

Synopsis: This sequel brings back the young wizard-in-training to face suspicious adults, hostile classmates, fretful ghosts, rambunctious spells, giant spiders, and even an avatar of Lord Voldemort, the evil sorcerer who killed his parents, while saving the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from a deadly, mysterious menace. Ignoring a most peculiar warning, Harry kicks off his second year at Hogwarts after a dreadful summer with his hateful guardians, the Dursleys, and is instantly cast into a whirlwind of magical pranks and misadventures, culminating in a visit to the hidden cavern where his friend Ron's little sister Ginny lies, barely alive, in a trap set by his worst enemy. Surrounded by a grand mix of wise and inept faculty, sneering or loyal peersplus an array of supernatural creatures including Nearly Headless Nick and a huge, serpentine basiliskHarry steadily rises to every challenge, and though he plays but one match of the gloriously chaotic field game Quidditch, he does get in plenty of magic and a bit of swordplay on his way to becoming a hero again.

My review: Ah, the adventures of the young Harry Potter continue. Again, I listened on audio book and fell in love all over again with Jim Dale's reading. He just brings everything to life. Also, he sounds exactly like Maggie Smith. Which is weird and awesome. This book is a little more intense than the first, especially toward the end. The characters are expanded more in this book, as are the growing mysteries surrounding Voldemort and Hogwarts. It's was also really well-paced -- unlike some of the others in the series, this one doesn't really get bogged down in the middle (I'm talking to you, Deathly Hallows). Plus, we get to see more of Ginny. And I just adore her. (Finished 10/13/09)

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Mainers Repeal Gay Marriage Law...

2009-11-04T17:37:33Z

Maine-Yes-on-One

Bangor Daily News - our newspaper for Downeast Maine - is reporting that Mainers voted to reject the law passed by the State Legislature earlier this year yesterday. It seems Mainers have decided they won't move into the 21st Century yet.

With 87% of the votes in, 53% voted "Yes" on Question One, while only 47% voted "No". A very close vote, to say the least. Which, to me, shows that not all Mainers are against equality for all Maine Citizens.

No doubt we will have to rehash this again in another couple of years. As those who believe in equality here in Maine won't rest until Gay Couples are given the same equality under the law as Straight Couples.

The rest of the Initiatives on the ballot were as follows:

Question's Two(excise tax) and Four(Taxpayer Bill of Rights - TABOR) were defeated.

Question Three(repeal of the school consolidation law) rejected.

Question Five(Medical Marijuana Law) passed.

Question Six(Transportation Bond) passed.

Question Seven(to change the State Constitution) defeated.

And there we go. That is how Maine voted this year. Some of the results I'm happy about, others I'm not, but that's how it works. The people of Maine spoke with their votes, and that is the end of it - at least until the next Election.

Until next time...

-Wil

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Look at the Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut

2009-11-01T03:59:02Z

Look at the Birdie

Look at the Birdie is the second posthumous collection by Kurt Vonnegut. The first was Armageddon in Retrospect, which came out last year.

I thought this collection was a lot better than Armageddon in Retrospect. Armageddon had some good stories, but there were a few I wasn't crazy about. I really enjoyed every story in Look at the Birdie. It's a very solid collection.

Here's one of my favorite passages, from the story "A Song for Selma" -

Ernest Groper, the physics teacher, joined the group. He was a rude, realistic, bomb-shaped man, at war with sloppy thinking. As he transferred his lunch from his tray to the table, he gave the impression that he was obeying the laws of motion voluntarily, with gusto - not because he had to obey them but because he thought they were darn fine laws.

I read somewhere that one of the next posthumous books by Kurt Vonnegut will be a collection of letters. I'm excited for this, I've read some of his letters and I really enjoyed them.

Look at the Birdie is currently available from The Book Depository for 50% off.

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Destroyermen - Into the Storm...

2009-09-23T21:32:01Z

Into the Storm: Destroyermen, Book I

Taylor Anderson

This is another novel I read during the Vox-Amazon problem. It was the last one I read before they repaired it, I believe.

Anyway, I had been looking at this novel on and off for the better part of two years, wondering if I should take the chance and just buy it. Unfortunately(or Fortunately, I suppose), novels from my favorite authors were released and I bought those instead. As I was already following those series, and wanted to read the new novels badly.

I finally bought this novel - the first of a series - about a month ago. I started reading it the very day it arrived, and I couldn't put it down. I read it in less than 24hrs. It was an amazing read. A mixture of World War 2 naval history, alternate universe/timeline, and fiction.

It takes place aboard an old "four-stacker" destroyer - a left-over from World War One. The name is derived from the four smoke stacks(and the engines) they carry. They were light, fast, and rolled like a dead whale in rough seas, but the brave men who served aboard them fought them well when it counted.

This story takes place near the beginning of America's involvement in World War Two. The United States is woefully unprepared for the war, having to use older mothballed ships - like the four-stacker destroyers of World War One. The United States even sent quite a few to Great Britain during the Lend-Lease Program under orders from President Roosevelt. They weren't much, but that was all that could be done at the time.

Anyway, this story takes place in the Java Sea. The Allied Forces in the area are almost all older warships, the Pacific being the dumping ground for many of the older ships and 'bad eggs'. The actions of many of the battles mentioned at the beginning of the book are almost all factually correct, however, the author took a creative license to write his story - as many fiction authors do.

The ships our main characters are aboard are the USS WALKER and USS MAHAN - both being the four-stackers I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. However, the USS WALKER and USS MAHAN(both ships were indeed real) never served in World War Two. The USS WALKER was scuttled(sunk) seventeen days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the USS MAHAN was scrapped in 1931.

Another ship that was mentioned as being in the battle in and around the Java Sea was the Imperial Japanese Ship AMAGI. She also, never saw action in World War Two. She was scrapped by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1922 after an earthquake badly damaged her during construction. If she had been completed, as some of her sister ships were, then she would have been about the same size as the IOWA-class battleship - very powerful ship. The AMAGI's sister ships were converted to carriers before the war, just incase you were wondering.

Now, in this story, all three ships are in use by their respective governments. The American four-stackers are escorting the British cruiser HMS EXETER - along with several other destroyers - to Australia(eventually), however, they are being followed by a Japanese force(including the AMAGI) that is hell-bent on stopping them. A series of attacks by the force behind(a combined attack from the air and sea) are able to slow the EXETER down enough for the force behind them to get closer.

With that, the Japanese ships are able to use more of their guns to attack the beliegered fleet. The destroyers turn to make a smoke screen between the EXETER and the Japanese force. Now the Japanese are firing blind at the Allied Fleet. Eventually, the enemy closes and wounds the EXETER badly. The commander of the EXETER orders the rest of the destroyers to make a run for it while the EXETER fights it out with the Japanese. But the gesture is futile. Eventually the four-stackers find a squall - a bad patch of weather that they hope to hide in, and lose the Japanese. But the AMAGI and a Japanese destroyer stand in the way.

The American destroyers can think of only one thing to do. It's dangerous, and they most likely won't survive, but they do it anyway. They attack, firing everything they have, and then firing torpedoes at close range at the Japanese ships. The Japanese destroyer is hit by torpedoes meant for the AMAGI - the commander of the destroyer having ordered his ship to take the hits instead - and is destroyed. Both American destroyers are damaged now, the MAHAN severely - her bridge destroyed and much of her forward section useless junk and is now commanded by the ship's engineer(all other officers having been killed).

The WALKER orders another attack, the ships splitting up and moving along either side of the AMAGI, firing away. Soon after, they are into the squall, but it's unlike any squall they had ever been in. The wind and rain begin to act funny, and then there is a falling sensation. Then bam, they aren't in Kansas anymore Toto. =P

Takes them a bit to figure out they aren't in their world any longer, but they figure it out when they see dinosaurs on an island that once held humans.

This story was fantastic. I will be reading it again shortly, as I read it so fast the first time. I highly recommend it for those who like alternate history, alternate universe, fiction-type novels.

Until next time...

-Wil

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Aries 1-X Rocket Test Flight...

2009-10-29T01:54:09Z

Ares 1-X Rocket Test Flight Launch

Today on NASA-TV I watched the successful launch of the Aries 1-X Rocket's test flight. It went beautifully. Future versions of this rocket will help send our astronauts back to the Moon and onto Mars(and points beyond). Thought others of you interested in Space Flight and the on-goings of NASA would like to see this as well, if you missed it earlier today.

Here's the link to the official site at the NASA home page: Click me. And an excerpt:

Outstanding teamwork was the theme of the Ares I-X postlaunch news conference as the successful flight test was discussed.

"I can't say enough about this team," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "They've been together probably a little over three years now, and they went from a concept to flying this vehicle in that period of time, which is the first time this has been done by a human spaceflight team in a long time."

Referring to the weather, which was the only issue of the day, Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley said, "We were ready when Mother Nature was ready, and we took our opportunity and what a great outcome. We're very proud of the result."

"It was a spectacular day," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "The vehicle flew even better than we expected."

"It is just a fantastic day," said Launch Director Ed Mango. "The team really excelled. I can't say enough about the folks who worked together to go make this thing happen. It was a great team, and as you can tell, it was a great vehicle."

NASA's Ares I-X test rocket lifted off at 11:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a two-minute powered flight. The flight test lasted about six minutes from its launch from the newly modified Launch Pad 39B until splashdown of the rocket's booster stage nearly 150 miles downrange.

You can find more information at the link I gave you.

Until next time...

-Wil

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Stuff I've Read

2009-10-27T16:18:30Z

I realize I haven't updated any of my summer, and now, fall, reads. And I've just discovered that the amazon search for books is gone nutty. Anyone else notice this? Did I miss the memo?

So instead of pictures, there's titles to be had! In some cases, I have something to say. In others, not so much.

Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives by Wendy Horder Alsup.
A quick and easy read. In my opinion, she stuck to the 'majors' of theology and left, in my opinion, most of the grey areas alone, left to be each person's grey area. The book was clear and basically laid out in this fashion: If you believe x about God, then your behaviour should reflect that, usually looking like y.
The thing is, this stuff isn't limited as being only 'for women.' She explains in the prologue that she's encountered an attitude out there in Evangelical Christendom (at least the North American version) that theology, or the 'deep stuff,' is more for seminary scholars and the men and most women just prefer to find straightforward application through the Scriptures. This book is to help women realize that theology can actually be very applicable to one's life. Thus the subtitle. However, I couldn't help but feel that by addressing this subject with her title, she was almost reinforcing the attitude that there are some books for men and some for women when it comes to theology. If she were to change some of the pronouns and minor references, this book would be equally as applicable to men. Would they not benefit from such a book?

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis

You'll find this book in the children's section. It's an autobiographical tale of growing up as an artist in Checkslovakia during Communisim, done in sketches and photographs. I never knew that the people of that country were very close to establishing freedom in the 1960s (I think it was '68), until the Russian army came in. A quick and worthwhile read.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

A quick read, dealing with a lot of heavy stuff, but not in a heavy way. Does that make any sense? As I was reading, I was thinking about how this could work really well in a classroom - say for Grade 10s. I haven't seen the movie; would anyone recommend it?

The Vertias Conflict - by Shaunti Feldham

A re-read for me about fictionalized spiritual warfare at Harvard. Engaging.

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough

It's twenty years after the closing of Pride and Prejudice and Mary suddenly finds herself with freedom when her mother dies in the opening paragraphs of the novel. She decides to research and write a novel about the poor of England. Of course we learn what has become of the Darcys, Bingleys, Wichkhams and Kitty and their offspring and friends. There is child slavery, mystery, murder, hidden identities, and intrigue to be had. When it comes to fan lit, I liked it as much, if not more, than The Darcys and The Bingleys, though each takes the story at a different angle with one being more comic and the other more serious.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Thought I'd see what the fuss was about; after all, she's on to number 14, or is it 15 now? It was darker than I had thought, and wondered why the reviews raved about the comic element to the tale; it was lost on me. However, a friend has let me know that the others aren't quite as heavy as this one, so maybe one day I'll give number 2 a go.

Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith

Another installment of the serial McCall Smith writes and publishes regualrly in the Scotsman about a circle of individuals either living at, connected with the flats at number 44 Scotland Street. MC-S is as witty as ever with plenty of insights into human nature and the world we live in.

Oh, and I got through the last couple of Harry Potters novels in thos 2 months, too.

August and Autumn to come.

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Hanns Heinz Ewers German Text Online

2009-10-24T13:16:30Z

Hanns Heinz Ewers German Text Online

Very little Hanns Heinz Ewers material is available online these days and in addition to my translations I'm trying to make it easier for those that prefer to read the original in German to find online material. The following texts have been made available courtesy of:

Harvard University, Rochester University, University of Toronto, University of California and Google digitized books.

They are offered as ebooks now in the public domain in the United States and Canada. I have simply gathered them together into one place where they can be found more easily.

You will need to go to my website: http://anarchistworld.com/hannsheinzewers/ewers.htm for the links at the bottom of the page. They will not load as scribd documents. Enjoy!

Alraune by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1911

Der Zauberlehrling oder die Teufelsjäger by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1909

Das Cabaret by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1904

Ein Fabelbuch by Theodor Etzel and Hanns Heinz Ewers 1901

Deutsche Kriegslieder by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1914

Der gekreuzigte Tannhäuser und andere Grotesken by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1916

Die verkaufte Großmutter by Hanns Heinz Ewers 1922

Steinerne Herzen by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 14, Detroit (Michigan) 12.11.1898

Errare humanum? (Ps: Nazi) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 19.11.1898

Mein Liebchen, die Malerin by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 16.09.1899

Rote Flammen part 1 by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Rote Flammen part 2 by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Pferdebahn und Sperling by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 21.10.1899

Schatten by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 28.10.1899

Der Fall Sternberg (Ps: I.H. Bergfeldt) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 04.11.1899

? ? ? G (späterer Titel: Sphinx) by Hanns Heinz Ewers "Der arme Teufel", 15, Detroit (Michigan) 19.11.1898

Die toten Augen part 1 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 2 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 3 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Die toten Augen part 4 (mit Marc Henry) by Hanns Heinz Ewers Bote & Bock, Berlin 1913

Das Wundermädchen von Berlin Schauspiel in vier Akten by Hanns Heinz Ewers Georg Müller, München 1913

Hans Krüger-Welf "Hanns Heinz Ewers. Die Geschichte seiner Entwicklung." Leipzig 1922

Der Roman der XII 1909 includes Hanns Heinz Ewers

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Omaha Beach Vet Speaks Out on Gay Marriage...

2009-10-23T20:21:33Z

Philip Spooner - www.EqualityMaine.org

No words are needed to speak for this brave gentleman of World War Two. He does that quite well all by himself, and I shall leave it at that but for these words; Bravo, Mr. Spooner. Bravo. *salute*

Until next time...

-Wil

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