Book Review: The Land of Painted Caves

Alright, not what I have been planning to write about, but still something that needs to be written. Finally got through the last book in the Earth's Children series. And I've spent the day trying to figure out how to put it into words.

Jean Auel's Earth's Children has been a favourite series of mine since I first read "Clan of the Cave Bear" in 8th grade. That was a while back. The concept captured my imagination, and the storytelling was beautiful. Ayla was a wonderful character, the Clan was amazing, Jondalar was a role model, and the Mamutoi were fascinating. I loved pretty much everything about the first 3 books. The 4th book was enjoyable, but retraced the steps of the 2nd book. And then it really started going downhill. The 5th book finally had Ayla with Jondalar's people, and it was such a letdown. Conflicts weren't fulfilled, tension wasn't built, and it was generally a boring book.

The latest book, "The Land of Painted Caves" continued the downhill trend. And I really hate to say that. There were some really amazing ideas that got completely lost in the rambling of the first half of the book. Characters that were half remembered got more time and random thoughts than the main characters, flashes of tension were simply glazed over and some completely forgotten about, and the first 300 pages took me a month to get through. Yes, I was doing other things too, but stil, if it had been entertaining, then I would have read more and faster.

The second half of the book was a bit better. I really loved the descriptions of some of the cave paintings, especially Chaveaux, but even some of those seemed halfway done and not fully fleshed out. When the novel actually starts to have conflict that is cared about, things happen so quickly especially compared to how slow the first half of the book was. There were parts where I was on edge, nail biting because of how wonderfully written parts were. If the whole book had been like this, then I would have been raving about this book as opposed to pointing out its weaknesses.

The ending though felt rushed and incomplete. I had thought that this would be the last book, but if it isn't, then I do hope the wait for the next isn't as long and it isn't as much of a letdown.

Coming up will be a blog about the news stories of the past few weeks. I'm prepared to be hated.

Movie Review: Thor

Alright, after some time for it to sink in, and a couple of cakes made in the mean time, I'm going to try a spoiler free review of Thor. First off, let me say, best comic book movie since Iron Man, at least. Maybe even Batman Begins. It was that good. Rest of the review will be attempting to put a finger on what it was that made it so good.

First off, it felt completely epic. Kenneth Branaugh brought his Shakespearean touch to the super hero movie. It felt like a great dramatic story, with all the highs and lows and feel of a great work of art. Yes, other people could have directed this, but I don't know if they would have captured the scale of it the way that Branaugh did. It felt classy yet didn't lose the fact that is was based on a comic book, so was funny and light at times. It was just beautiful to watch. Asgard was amazing to look at. And unlike so many other movies, sets were built which added a feeling of realism to the movie. It was nice to see actors interacting with a set instead of just having it projected behind them. Yes, there was a lot of blue screen work as well, but the actual set work was amazing.

Further along those lines, the costumes were absolutely amazing. Thor's armor was beautiful, and Loki's armor even more so. The rest almost matched those two. Except for Odin's. There were some things that I really loved about it, but other parts just didn't seem to work for me. But that was the only one that had that problem. And everything else about Odin made up for the not as cool armor. Heimdahl's armor still gives me chills thinking about it.

Thirdly, the acting was top notch. When Anthony Hopkin's arguably turns in the weakest performance, that's saying something. And his performance just had times where it didn't work. Most of the time he was an amazing Odin. But Loki was the scene stealer. The actor was just amazing, conveyed both the good and bad in his character. Truly Loki Silver tongue. Natalie Portman was fantastic as always, as was Stellan Skarsgard. The cast chemistry was just amazing and they all seemed to play off each other really well.

Then comes the story itself. It give something that isn't found in too many movies, shows, or books even. A dual Hero's Journey is so rarely done well, especially in what most people would consider a light fun movie. But I can't think of any off the top of the head that do it as well as this one follows both Thor and Loki. The only thing that comes close is the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent. I think that Thor did it much better.

I don't feel like I can say much more without giving too much of the story away, but it was totally amazing and I would recommend everyone go see it.

Updates and other things

It's the last week of the month, so I've been spending the mornings and early afternoons at the local soup kitchen. Haven't had as much time to work on things as much as I would like. But it's a good thing to do and will hopefully pay off in the long run. I have however gotten a bit more done on my scarf.

On the other hand, the season premier of Doctor Who was amazing!!!!!! Totally mind blowing and has me counting the hours to to second half of it. Really need to know what the hell is going on!

In other TV news, I'm really loving HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation. It's been really close tot he book so far, while not being overwhelming to those who haven't read it yet. Plus it's got Sean Bean and Lena Headley in it, which should be enough to sell it for everyone.

I was really enjoying the Borgias as well. But I missed last week's episode and haven't caught the newest one yet either. Jeremy Irons is just amazing, as always.

Alright, will write more on the important stuff later. So much to say but so many emotions involved in pointing out the stupidity of people. lol

Feeding addiction

Again, I've been a horrible blogger. I've been feeding a new addiction instead of being a good boy. Bad James. But here's a progress report on what I've been up to. :D

Book Review: The Exile

I'm still trying to make up my mind about this one. It's a graphic novel set in the Outlander universe. Hell, it's set within the first half of the novel Outlander. So the story is a very familiar one to fans of the novels. The point of view however is completely different. Instead of focusing on Clair's point of view, this is told mainly from Jamie and Murtaugh's view points.

I will say, that I do love the way the story is told. Murtaugh has always been my favorite character, and to see inside his thoughts for once was an interesting experience. There was a layer of the story there that I never picked up on from the novels, though I wonder if it was there. Won't tell what it is fr spoilers sake, but it was a revelation into the character of Murtaugh. It was also interesting to get Jamie's view on things. I had forgotten how young he was at the beginning of the saga. So different from the man at the end, but the similarities are there as well.

The part that keeps me up in the air is the art style. I honestly can't make up my mind about it. It tells the story wonderfully and it is gorgeous, but it doesn't quite suit the story in my opinion. The highly Asian influenced style, and it just doesn't click with the Scottish story. It is beautiful to look at however. The depiction of Claire is spot on. Jamie is young and handsome. But Murtaugh just doesn't look rough enough. In none of his panels does he really come close to looking the way that I pictured him. He's just too soft and good looking. lol I take that back, the opening pages are exactly how I pictured him, but there aren't any close ups there.

Overall, if you're an Outlander fan, go pick this up from the library at least. Give it a shot. You'll finish it in well less than a day. And if you like it, then go get it. There's probably a Borders closing somewhere near you and they have it 50% off. Well worth it.

Book Review: Songs of Love and Death

Time for another book review. After stretching it out as long as possible, I finally finished the last in this fantastic collection of short stories. There isn't really much I can say about this. Found a couple of authors that I'm going to have to look up other works. But the fact that it's a collection of short stories by authors like Neil Gaiman, Diana Gabaldon, and Jacqueline Carey, edited by George R. R. Martin should be enough to convince anyone who is a fan of sci fi and fantasy to give this a shot. Like all collections, some stories stand out more than others, but I can't say that there were any that I just didn't enjoy reading. There is a lot more of the love than death than the title would suggest, however. There weren't any that were just plain morbid. Gabaldon's and Carey's stand out above the others. They fill in several areas that fans of their writing will really enjoy. Gaiman's story was his usual mind trip of wonderful prose. But all around, if you don't buy this book, at least go to the library and check it out. It's really fantastic and I recommend it all around.

Again, I've been bad

Once more I've been a bad blogger, reneging on the promise I made to myself and anyone else who does keep reading this, that I would be blogging regularly again. So much going on, so many things that I want to talk about, but unable to to figure out where to start, I've paralyzed myself again. I'm awful, and I know it. So much has made me angry, and riled so much emotion, and that is a position that I hate writing from. What it adds in passion, it takes away from the logic and reason of the argument. And while sometimes the raw passion is a good thing, with most of the things I enjoy writing about, it is a downside.

But, where should I start? Most pressing in the news at the moment is Libya. So why not start there? If I could pick one place in the world to be right now, this would be it.

Revolution has finally caught up with Gadhafi. He was the bogey man for a while when I was a child. The man responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. The first world leader that I can remember being talked about as funding world wide terrorism. Of course this was at the time when we were supporting Saddam in Iraq. lol But now the people have risen up in a long overdue rebellion. Rebellion against a corrupt regime is always a good thing. Even I didn't dare imagine that what started in Tunisia and Egypt would move to the country that is sandwiched between them.

But what is the point of rebellion? It is to topple the unjust and replace it with something better for the people. Not necessarily something better for the world. Due to the impact that the rebellion is having on oil prices, the temptation is there for intervention from the outside. There are calls for UN and US air strikes, mobilization of ground forces, and the whole 9 yards. Iraq has shown that doesn't work. Is Gadhafi as bad as Saddam? Yup. Has he treated his people with the same kind of disdain? Yup. The difference is that in Libya the people have risen and are willing to go as far as it takes to topple a corrupt leader.

A light hand is needed in dealing with situations like this. Should the world abandon the rebels to whatever the army may do to them? No way. but support should be subtle, under the table. Not overt shows of force and occupation. Self determination has been the correct policy of international relations since the collapse of the British Empire. Imperialism has no place in the modern world. Support for just revolution should be offered without condition, without expectation of pay back, but for the simple fact that it is the right thing to do.

A heavy handed military response would feed the anti Western sentiment in the Islamic world. It would fuel the fires of radicals that have been taking arms and preaching jihad for years. But an Islamic country that rises up against a cruel dictator, that chooses a western style democracy, the way of life that is raved against, is better than any publicity or propaganda that we can throw out about ourselves.

Alright, that's enough of a rant for now. Agree? Disagree? Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment and let me know.

On happenings in Egypt

Alright, first political rant in a while. Bear with me if the language isn't up the par with some of my previous posts.

Alright, if you've been under a rock for the past couple of weeks, a revolution has started in the Islamic world. It started with the overthrow of the government in Tunisia. Things seem to be progressing well there, and I have high hopes. But their revolution was quickly eclipsed by uprisings in Egypt. The reason that Egypt gets more coverage than Tunisia, aside from the population and strategic importance, is that more people in the US know basically where Egypt is. Yeah, we're a special people aren't we?

Back on point, Egypt for the past...half century at least, has been ruled by strong willed presidents who have taken on the power of dictator. The most famous being Nassar, but most recently Mubarak. Dictators provide stability in a part of the world that doesn't know stability without a strong hand. The western idea of democracy and country is still a relatively new concept in the middle east. History has shown that the area goes to chaos quickly when a strong leader is removed, or a strong stabilizing government. Be it empire or monarchy or dictator, strong leaders have been the only way to provide stability.

The cost of this stability, however, is what are thought of in the western world as basic human rights. The idea of democracy is so entrenched in our way of thinking that it is hard for a westerner to see things through a different set of glasses. What we don't realize though, is that it has taken over 300 years for us to reach this state. Less than 100 years ago, most of the region was ruled by one of the European empires, before that various other empires. Egypt stands out as being relatively independent for a good chunk of that time. Left to their own string of dictators.

Am I saying that revolution is doomed to fail in Egypt? Far from it. I think of all the countries in the middle east that Egypt has the best chance of forming a stable democracy. It has a lot of western educated professionals, western influence is stronger than in most countries (even if it is mostly due to tourism), and it has a history that almost predates time itself. It has seen more changes than most other parts of the world could imagine.

However, revolution is always a dangerous proposition. Iran was an extremely westernized country prior to their revolution in the 1970's. Now it is one of the most isolated and feared and hated countries in the world. The strongest opposition to Mubarak is an Islamic radical group that would turn back the clock in Egypt and make it another Iran. Democracy is more than just mob rule, though mob rule is the easiest thing to achieve. They would more than likely set up a theocracy in the guise of democracy. Another set of dictators, but with seemingly popular backing.

How will things work out? I don't know. I personally would like to see a British style parliamentary system set up with an American style constitution in place. A set of checks and balances set up to ensure long term stability. But level heads need to prevail. Inciting a riot is easy, creating a proper government is much harder.

If you haven't figure out yet, yes, I do believe in a distinct right and wrong and that some cultures and governments are better than others. Relativism has it's place, but is highly overrated and used by western culture today.

Book Review: Fool Moon

Alright, onto another book review...Yeah, I know, I probably read a bit too much. But it's fun. haha This time, book two of the Dresden Files, Fool Moon.

The story itself was quite good. If you can't guess, paranormal book, moon in the title, werewolves play an important role. But unlike most books in the genre, Butcher takes a much wider and more interesting view of werewolves. And it was one of the things that I really loved about it. Different cultural perspectives on werewolves, and a fantastic combination of different themes comes together and works extremely well. Two thumbs way up to Butcher for his fresh take on a genre cliche.

Dresden also gets a good bit of character development. He still seems a bit flat at times, but is growing. His backstory begins to get fleshed out and I'm interested in seeing where it is going. I do love him though. He's a character that bleeds, that has limitations. There is room for growth, but it seems like Butcher is going to stay within the rules of his world so far. (Unlike some authors with their heroes. *coughHamiltonBlakecough*)

Yeah, I know, not the best review again, but I'm still working on getting back into writing. Give me some more time and I'll get back up to speed. :) Stick with me until then. But thumbs up to the book, looking forward to getting the next. Fun, entertaining, and pulls you into the story, that's what I look for in books generally and this one fills them nicely. If you like paranormal thillers, give it a shot.

Double book review

Alright, going to do something different and do two reviews at once. The books in question are "The Gathering Storm" and "The Towers of Midnight," which were originally intended to be one book. They are 12 and 13 in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and the first two written by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's death. They are amazing reads and probably my favourites of the series so far.

I won't try and explain the plots or what happens, but the tension that has been building for most of the last 3 books at least is finally resolved in a wonderful matter. I was actually surprised by some of the occurrences and the style it was written in was fantastic. Sanderson's writing is obviously different from Jordan's, but I thought that it flowed much better. Sanderson jumped between characters more often, which made it easier to remember who was where doing what, where, and with whom. The convergence of characters added to the sense of release as well as serving to build more tension for Tarmon Gai'don. Overall, they were a fantastic pair of books that really highlighted the skill of Sanderson as a storyteller and of Jordan's epic tale. Two thumbs way up above the clouds.

That is not to say that the books were perfect. The only real complain that I had was the chronology of the story was all messed up. In "Towers" particularlly, the story jumped back and forth in time with jumps between character. It was a almost impossible to tell what was happening when. It had me really screaming and pulling my hair out at times. Because the story was so enrapturing. I'm not sure if it was the author's fault or the editors, but that was the only real complaint I had at all.

Now comes the hard part. After over a year of reading, 13 books, and many dollars down, I finally have caught up in the series and have to wait 10 months till the next book comes out. lol Not the longest I've waited for a book in a series, but still, a bit frustrating. lol AT the same time, something to look forward to.

A slow week

I haven't written much this week, but it's been one of those weeks. The snow came Sunday evening a week ago, and have been stuck in the house since then. It has been hair pulling out crazy time. And nothing really has jumped out aside from that. Though it wasn't as horrible as it could have been. Bjorn was hilarious in the snow. So much at home with himself in a way that I wish I could be. But this is not my season, not my time. Hell, probably not even my place in a more philosophical view. But it was fun playing with the puppy. Otherwise, I've just been reading too much and staying by the fire to try and stay warm. lol Emphasis on try. Have I mentioned yet I hate the cold?

Timelessness

First week of a new year is generally one of reminiscence and this one has been no different. Sometimes good things, sometimes not so good, but this one has been one of the better times. Two coincidences got me seriously thinking about some serious and not serious things. Well, serious for nerds and dorks, not so much for others. But I've never claimed to be more than a nerd so... Firstly, BBCA began showing The X Files. Secondly, Ovation TV did Firefly all week. Two shows that I loved and were critically, if not popularly acclaimed during their run. But watching the first few episodes of the X Files just made me shake my head. Everything seemed so dated and out of touch, so different from the groundbreaking show of the time. Yeah, it was the only American Sci Fi on TV at the time so that made it stand out. But everything just seemed so bad looking back. Fun, but bad. On the other hand, Firefly is just as new, fresh and mind shattering as watching it the first time. This got me thinking about what the difference was in the two shows. Why does one hold up while the other show its age?

The first thought was the setting. The X Files starts in the early 90's and is very much set in that time. No cell phones, big bulky computers, no laptops....the devices of moder life that are so hard to imagine life without. Firefly is set in the future, space travel, all kinds of flashy stuff imposed over the old west...just crazy stuff. But then I discarded that from watching Buffy. Extremely time set, just as corny as the X Files, but somehow it holds up much better. MASH is kinda the same. Set in Korea, the lack of things is just as foreign, but most episodes are just as hilarious now as they were when it originally aired. So setting isn't the difference.

Writing then? Yeah, every episode of Firefly is a masterclass in writing and it took the X Files a while to reach their stride. Could it be that just good writing makes the difference? That's probably 99% of it. Those early episodes of the X Files were just not creative and pretty blahly written. But they tapped into something that had been untapped for such a long time. There were other bad sci fi shows out there when the X Files started, but none tapped a moment in time better than the X Files. And that moment then passed.

I guess that's 90% of what was going through my mind. Yeah, still working on getting myself better with words. I had this whole big idea in my head about what makes something good and bad and everything in between. But it all boils down to some things are just good and some things aren't. lol Oh well, hopefully with practice the loquaciousness will return. Feedback is always welcome.

Book Review: Storm Front

Finally picked up the first book of the Dresden Files. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting another set of guilty pleasure books, but it was actually really good. The plot was well thought out and the characters just pulled me in. Dresden is a wonderful change up hero from most urban fantasy. First off, he's male. In a genre dominated by female sex pots, lesbian vampires, and teenage idiots, a male nerd hero is a nice change up. Secondly, he's just a damn fun character to read. Great sense of humour and seriousness, intriguing background and just all around an interesting character. Don't wanna give too much away, if anyone hasn't read it yet, but needless to say it was a fun story read.

Yeah, still working on getting my mind back to making words into sentences that make sense. lol But I will recommend the book highly. Two thumbs way up.

New Year's resolution

Alright, I'll be the first to admit, that the last year I was a horrible blogger. Swung back and forth between too angry to blog about some things and just too lazy and awful to blog about others. Changing that for this year and hopefully going to get back into the writing rhythm. So keep tuned for the usual political rants, book reviews, movie reviews and everything else in between. Mostly, the manic ramblings of this weirdo.

Happy new years and best wishes to anyone else who is still out there. :)

Baking After Midnight

Alright, since I have been lazy and haven't made a post about it, and I've been guilted into it by the one I have pledged my minion services to, here is the official blog announcement of the formation of Baking After Midnight. Inspired by a comment made by a high school friend who I haven't seen since graduation (thank you wonders of Facebook) and encouraged by my mistress, it is a group dedicated to the wonderful idea of staying up too late and baking. Cookies, cakes, various other forms of sweet or savory nibbles, all are welcome to join.

Not really sure where it's going to go, or what is going to happen with it. It started as just a lark, a bit of a laugh between friends, but it actually seems to be gaining interest. Thinking of starting another blog, dedicated to the group, encouraging more recipes to be shared, I honestly don't know. All the good ideas have come from the Wicked one. lol As well as the very cool artwork that graces the group. Mucho thanks to her for the support and encouragement, as well as to Heather for planting the idea seed.

Dunno what else to say about things. Tell your friends and everyone else to come join Baking After Midnight.

Sports and other things of the like

I've never been much of an athlete. Yeah, I played tennis and I fenced and I was above average in both. With fencing, a good deal above average. But I have never played baseball or football or any of the other sports that the average American male played growing up. But I do love some sports, and I highly admire the idea of sports representing more than just the mere athletic contest.

The Winter Olympics were a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed watching them more than I probably should have. It is however, majorly disappointing to see the role that professional athletes have come to embody in what used to be an amateur undertaking. It used to be amazing to watch people who dedicated their lives to perfecting a sport where the monetary gain was negligible for the simple love of the game. Pro hockey, baseball, and basketball players don't belong in the Olympics. They have an arena to shine in that is beyond the hopes of the average competitor. I can understand the draw but it detracts from the purity of the symbol of the Olympics, at least to me.

On the other side of the coin, the Winter Parlympic games have been going on over the past couple of weeks. I haven't watched much, but it is amazing to see. The Paralympics are games run parallel to the Olympic games for physically handicapped athletes. Completely different from the Special Olympics, these are competitors that train as hard as any other athlete and the sports are as cutthroat and hard fought as any in the world. I watched clips of cross country skiing where paraplegics competed with people with amputated arms. It was amazing to think about the effort that it would take to ski 20k like that. The most impressive was visually impaired biathlon. Yup. Blind shooting and skiing. It was amazing to watch without knowing how it was done, but finding out made it that much more mind boggling. Look it up. If that doesn't make you whistle, then there's something wrong with you.

Now on to other sports. I've wanted to write something about Tiger Woods for a while now, but haven't really gotten it to meld in my mind. People, get over your racism. If it was a basketball or football star who cheated on his wife multiple times, the story would be 2 minutes and then forgotten. The fact that he is the greatest golfer in the history of the game, black, and liked white women has blown the thing completely out of proportion. No one is willing to say it, but it is simple racism that has made this "story" stick around as much as it has. It isn't a shocking story of an athlete behaving like a jerk; it's a story of an athlete behaving the way athletes are encouraged to act from a young age. If anything, it should be more evidence that the classic sense of marriage is antiquated and should be abandoned.

And on to one more kinda sporty topic. NASCAR. A couple of weeks ago one driver intentionally wrecked another, and admitted to it. People were shocked that such things went on and called for massive penalties for those drivers who did such things. What people forget is that that is part of the 'sport'. Take a bunch of hyped up rednecks, put them in cars that fly, and then expect them to behave like anything other than rednecks is an idiots hope. Wrecks are the most interesting thing about driving in circles anyway. It satisfies the place that chariot racing had in ancient Rome. Can it get out of hand? Yes. Is it dangerous? Definitely. The danger is why people watch and why people do it anyway. Reasonable restrictions are already in place and there is no need for more.

Kinda along the same thread, baseball season is just around the corner. The most disturbing trend in baseball recently, even more so than the overuse of steroids, is the death of the brush back pitch. Pitchers are warned and ejecting for coming inside on batters, giving the batter the distinct advantage. Sorry people, baseball is more than just the home run. The inside pitch has been a staple since the first days of the game. It is a way of giving the pitcher some way to control what the batter does. Can it get out of hand? Yes. But there should be a use of common sense in situations where it is used.

Alright, that takes care of a rambling blog that has been building for a while. Gotta admit, it feels good to write. Hate doing it on this dying computer, but hey, that's the price right? Look back soon for another political rant. Those are always fun.

Mistakes

"Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody's perfect." Those are two of my least favorite phrases in the English language. Yes, people make mistakes, that's just a given. But people who use it as an excuse for not attempting perfection really piss me off. However, that isn't the point of this entry. Smart people, wise people, those who try hardest for a goal make mistakes that dwarf those of normal people. It is part of what makes them great and one of their biggest weaknesses. That's why they must try even harder to think things through, especially those with influence. And now we're getting to the main point that I am trying to make with this entry. I've been mulling the ideas for several days now, thinking of parallels with the past and how we can avoid mistakes in the present and future.

Throughout history, the smartest, the most influential have been the ones to make mistakes that set progress back for years. Look at the founding of the United States. This country was founded by one of the most exclusive brain trusts to ever attempt to found a country. Unlike the monarchies, oligarchies, and tyrannies of the past, they had the foresight to frame a republic with a document that is still relevant over 200 years later. They set forth rights, duties, and a balanced government that was only imagined beforehand. It was a beautiful thing and the Constitution is still one of the most perfect documents in the history of the world. But even the true geniuses who founded this country were unable to imagine an economy without slavery. They accepted a great injustice for the sake of stability and economics. They sacrificed what was right, what a majority of the framers saw as a wrong, for the sake of holding onto the power and economy that slavery fueled. In less than 100 years the country was fractured over the issue, half the country unable to foresee an economy without clinging to the past, the other pushing the economy and future forward. The right and wrong of the issue was secondary justification.

The economy pushed by the Northern states had its own problems. The slavery was by circumstance and less formalized, but it was a step in the right direction. It was far from perfect, and is the direct ancestor of the problems we face today. The coal and oil powered industries that pushed the economy of the future are now 100 years out of date. The current powers that be cling to the past because it is simpler and they can't imagine an economy not driven by gas powered cars and coal burning power. They hide behind fear of instability that pushing forward will bring. Cost and difficulty are the excuses people hide behind, refusing to acknowledge the rightness of change. It isn't that the people in power are stupid, they are smart, but they are making the same mistakes that the founding fathers made with slavery. Yes, the attitudes are changing, but still people, smart people, cling to the past.

There are other examples that can be made, but that is the parallel that stuck in my head as most appropriate. Smart, intelligent people, refuse heath care reform because they don't see the necessity. Financial geniuses don't see the problems with the banks because they are blinded by their own attempts to cling to power and wealth. They aren't idiots, they are just fools. Progress needs to be made and what is right must be done for the sake of everyone. Those who hold back progress and who use their influence to scare people into voting against their self interest are as close to evil as really exist in the world.

Too long without writing

It's been too long since I've written anything here. A full month without a blog post and the new year is well under way. I decided to forgo the long and rambling one that no one would give a damn about because seriously, I know no one enjoys reading the reminiscing of a loon. But finally things have come to a head and more needs to be said than has been. This will probably ramble, and might not be coherent, but here it goes.

Last week the Supreme court overturned over a hundred years of precedent and ruled that corporations could donate without limits to political campaigns. They justified this by arguing that it was an unjust limit on free speech to force limits on donations. This is possibly the worst decision the high court has handed down since Bowers-v-Hardwick. I am against limits on the first amendment more than anyone I know, however this is a foolish argument to make. It places political office up to the highest bidder and means that politicians will jockey even more for big corporate donations. We might as well just give up democracy right now. The argument however is incomplete. If corporations have that much of a right to free speech, then how are the limits on language and nudity on network television justified? Can corporations now make false claims about their products because of their freedom of speech? A lie is a lie and corruption is corruption.

The court has always ruled that certain limits on free speech must be placed for the order of a well run society. Making terroristic threats, shouting fire in a crowded building, inciting a riot...all of these have been deemed reasonable limits on freedom of speech. Allowing unlimited corporate donations is more dangerous to the stability of the country than any of those other 'reasonable' limits.

In other news, the man who sold dowsing rods to the army and Iraqi government as bomb detectors has an arrest warrant out for him. Yup, it isn't a story that has gotten that much publicity here, but it is one that needs to be told. A guy sold 84 million dollars worth of bomb detecting wires to the army and was going to get away with it. He still has the backing of the Iraqi government, even though there is no proof that the dowsing rods work. And there is evidence of bombs going off in areas that have been 'swept' by the detectors. If you believe in dowsing, you're an idiot. The fact that the government has spent that much money and lost so many lives on a load of horseshit should piss people off more than anything. But instead the news would rather cover Sarah Palin's keynote speech at the tea party convention, or American Idol. Way to go news people. You know what's important.

Also recently, a lot has been made about Ted Kennedy's former senate seat going to a Republican. Many were surprised at this and others have been making a big deal about the backlash of the people against the raving liberal policies of the Obama administration and the Democrat controlled congress. Once again these people are making a mountain out of a molehill. The fact is simple: the woman that was the Democratic candidate in the special election was a bitch. She rubbed people the wrong way, pissed people off, and came off as generally a snob in a part of the country known for snobbery. Her track record was one filled with foolish mistakes and idiotic tendencies. I mean, the woman wouldn't even shake hands at her own rally and gave off the air that it was foolish for her to think about standing out in the cold to shake hands with the little people. It was simply a case of the wrong person being nominated and no one willing to stand up and say that. She was a fool and people are stupid for not seeing that.

Alright, not sure how much of that actually held together, but there it is. Feels good to put something out there again. Can feel my mind atrophy when I go so long without. Perhaps the bug will hit again soon. My fingers are crossed for such at least.

Fear and Panic in the 21st century

As the new year approaches and the unwitting start of a new decade rolls around on the calender, it seems appropriate that the major event in the week before the end is an attempted and failed terrorist attack. An incompetent flunkie failed to blow himself up on Christmas day and once again the panic is raised. New regulations are thrown about without thought and the idea that safety is more important than liberty is flying around conversations much more lightly than it should. This panic is the defining characteristic of the past decade, and it frightens me much more than terrorism ever has.

On one of the national news shows last night they did a piece on the full body scans that have been proposed as mandatory and are in use at several major airports throughout the US. These scans show what amounts to a nude image of the person being scanned to the monitor. The person being interviewed said that this tech would have been able to spot the bomb that the most recent bomber used when other methods failed. And then claimed that acceptance of an invasion of privacy like this was the way to handle it. While it might be true that it could have spotted the bomb, acceptance of a violation of personal privacy is never the proper way for a modern society to cope. Freedom and liberty must be the first considerations. And to have a life size nude picture broadcast against your will is a violation that shouldn't be accepted. Yeah, the choice to show yourself like that should be allowed and not condemned at all, but to be forced to against your will is akin to rape. Why not make everyone just fly naked? It would be much more fun.

The other argument that has been voiced loudly recently is to adopt the more direct profiling system that Israel uses. The argument is pure effectiveness. Israel openly profiles, openly bans and searches people without cause except the profile, and they have not had a successful hijacking in nearly 30 years. I cannot argue against the effectiveness of the policy. But liberty and justice for all was not what Israel was founded on. It is what the United States is all about. Israel has let the terrorist win by sacrificing the freedoms of a modern society in order to maintain safety. It makes the country paranoid and leads to a list of human rights violations and half the population of the area being completely disenfranchised and a cycle of violence that continues on and on. We are supposed to be better than this. We are supposed to be the shining example of freedom and hope and liberty and justice for the world to aspire to. A country founded on reason and thought, not panic and fear. When we sacrifice these ideals then it is the same as letting the terrorists win.

The thing is, the bombing attempt could have been prevented by people just doing their jobs now. He was on terror watch lists, which should have flagged him. He was known to have attended terror training camps which should have had him under surveillance. His own father called the US embassy and said that his son should not be allowed to fly. Good police work, people doing their jobs, and following up leads that weren't obtained by any violations of privacy rights should have stopped this man. The question should be why didn't it? Is it a sign that we need more people working for security? Is it a sign that the people who are working security need to do their jobs better? Is it part of a plot to make Obama look like a weak liberal pussy? Ok, yeah the last is a bit facetious but still, the point stands. We as a society, as citizens, must ask these questions and not get caught up in the panic that is so easy to be swept up in. We must find solutions that fit with our laws, our national constitution, and the idea that perfection is obtainable.

Alright, those are my ramblings. Leave some love or leave some hate. The next one might be a last 10 years in review type blog that is extremely emo and laughable for most of you. But hey, it's my blog and I can write what I want to.

Meeting Neil Gaiman

Would have written this sooner, but the experience took a couple of days to settle in. It was amazing.

Have to start by setting the ambiance. Going to Atlanta, a fog set in, the kind that we never see around here. Middle of the afternoon, the clouds seemed to touch the ground, a gray blanket that wrapped goosebumps around your arms. A picturesque fog that belonged across the pond, not in Georgia. It never rained until much later, but the fog stuck around. Waiting out in it for the couple of hours before the doors opened just heightened the anticipation. We waited behind a girl who was knitting a Doctor Who scarf, and another girl who I swear I lived in the same dorm as in college.

The doors finally opened and the crowd filed in and filled a large auditorium in no time at all. They even opened up an overflow room with a live feed of Gaiman talking. The place was packed and the anticipation heavy.

Then finally, the introduction was made, with the amazement at the audience for a 'children's author's audience' and Gaiman came out. He made jokes about the weather, then took a book from a kid in the audience, and did a reading from "Odd and the Frost Giants." First off, wow. I'd seen films of him reading, but it doesn't prepare you. He reads so wonderfully well. Made me want to go out and buy audiobooks just becuase he reads most of his own. Hypnotic, colourful, and had this 30 year old hanging on the edge of his seat like he was 3. Secondly, he takes Norse mythology and turns it into children's books. If that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is.

After reading a couple of chapters, he answered audience questions. Mostly regarding "Coraline," "The Graveyard Book," and "Odd". Though the meaning of life did come up, and he answered in a way that was possibly better than the standard 42. The question that stands out though was about "Coraline." He was asked where he got the idea for the button eyes. His honest answer was that he couldn't remember, but that whenever he finally got his rectangular, box shaped time machine, before flitting off through time and space having all sorts of adventures, he would go back to around 1991 and ask himself if he had thought of the button eyes yet. Then would tell himself to remember when he did because that would be the most popular question in the future. Yeah, it's much funnier listening to him tell it. The other question that stands out was also about "Coraline" and the answer involved asking at his local bookstore about "gothic horror for 5 year olds," the looks that brought about, and the decision to write his own.

Following the Q&A session, he read a chapter from "The Graveyard Book." It was the chapter where Bod goes and asks the poet for advice. If you've got a copy, go look it up and imagine the enthusiasm that Gaiman read it with. It was wonderful to listen to. The fact that it was one of my favorite scenes in the book was just icing on the cake.

After the second reading, the signing began. They let the families with children go first, and then did the rest by rows. It went smoothly, or at least the first part did. We were sitting in the second and third rows, respectively and were in the first group of rows called. The line was moving quite quickly, but there were enough people there that he was probably signing all night. Talking to him was amazing, even though I almost stumbled over my tongue and sounded like an even bigger fool than normal. My brother gave him an engraving he had done for a project of Morpheus and Daniel, which got sincere praise and left him still walking on clouds. Hell, when we left, all three of us were giddy as schoolgirls.

It was a wonderful experience. Neil Gaiman has no right to be as amazing a person as he is. That much talent wrapped up in a nice guy. If you're not reading his stuff, go find some now. If you are, then yes, he is as awesome as he seems.