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Banned, for your safety.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
3:46AM - GUH Book 20, 21
This is my third try at this post. This time without bitching about Warner's 55MPH speed limit (what a great idea!)...guh
Title: The Way Things Ought To Be
Author: Rush Limbaugh
ISBN:
0-671-75145-x
Publisher: Pocketbooks
Format: Hardcover, Non-Fiction, 304 pages, 1992
This one is a tough review to do. For one thing, this is basically a collection of rants on specific issues. As such, Rush says some good (and right) things. He also says some things that sound weird. Since he was writing from a different period, he also talks about a young Al Gore, Rodney King, Gorbasms, and liberals. Lots and lots of liberals.
The problem with Rush is that he makes logical leaps. He takes one issue that seems silly, expands on it, hits it home, and then applies it to the whole. THAT is where he becomes problematic. If he just used the word some in front of liberals, he'd be in a lot less hot water. The other problem with Rush is that he sees Americans in few flavors, which is problematic. I see America as a collection of single issue (primarily) voters, and non-voters.
He does hit it on the head when he talks about social-utopians. He also acknowledges the age of Earth. Rush is usually pretty sanguine on religion (IE, his conservatism doesn't flow from it)...which probably also pisses off his critics, since he cannot be called an ignorant person spouting off things based upon faith. There goes a lot of easy bashing.
All in all though, he makes too many leaps, and the book is not the greatest. His listeners will lap it up, and while I used to listen to it, I didn't lap it up. However, it wasn't bad. It sits squarely in the middle.
Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars
Meanwhile, this happens... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art
Yes, kids were given detention for not simulating prayer to Allah. That is like, un-American. Wait, it is Britain.
Do this in America, and flip Islam for Christianity, and see if there is an ACLU person pissed off. They should be.
Title: The Greatest Generation Speaks
Author: Tom Brokaw
ISBN:
0-812-975308
Publisher: Random House
Format: Hardcover, Non-Fiction, 272 pages, 1999
The Greatest Generation spoke. Too bad they spoke too long. This book kills its good purpose by being way, way way too long. This was one of the last books my grandfather read. Pity it couldn't have been a bit better.
I'd still suggest this book to someone patriotic, or interested in WWII. Just buy a lot of coffee to keep you awake through parts. Strangely, no cursing in this one.
Rating 2 out of 5 stars
Friday, June 27, 2008
4:37AM - The bus runs over another...
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2
Obama dropped another person down quickly. This guy just went poof. I guess he's cleaning up shop.
Hopefully they didn't off him...
3:24AM - Club Applebees, and books 17 and 18
Tonight Jenn and I went to go get some grub at Applebees, since it is one of the few places open after 10. When we arrived, they had security guards at the door. Apparently, it is a club on Tuesday's and Thursdays, complete with dancing and a DJ.
Thankfully, they still serve food.
So we ate, and watched a crowd grow larger, and more exposing, and drunker. Jenn got free drinks, I did not drink. She drank one drink.
It was...weird to say the least. Unexpected might be a better term.
Title: Life Everywhere
Author: David Darling
ISBN:
0-465-01563-8
Publisher: Basic Books
Format: Softcover, non-fiction, 224 pages, 2002
This is a science book for the masses. Rarely going to the extreme, and rarely boring, this book posits that life is rather common in our galaxy, and complex life may not be impossible. This book is seemingly a reaction to "Rare Earth" a book I bought with this off of Amazon a while ago (I also got a book I'm currently reading, on alien science in the deal). This book rejects Rare Earth, and also discusses how Guillermo Gonzalez, a scientist bent upon a creationist viewpoint, has tempered the argument. Basically, a biased scientist has helped to create and mold the Rare Earth argument, another afront to science on the basis of faith (perhaps).
Aside from those tiffs, this is a good book, and well worth reading. It opens your mind to new ideas, and it also explores how truly diverse, and interesting, life on Earth is. Especially single celled organisms behaving intelligently, and working in multiples. Good stuff.
Rating 4 out of 5 stars. It needs to bulk up to be serious, but for the masses, this is gold.
Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
ISBN:
0-553-57340-4
Publisher: Bantam Books
Format: Softcover, fiction, 835 pages, 1996
This was the start of a mistake. I do actually like FANTASY. I just don't read much. Mostly because it is always a trap. I once read a Dragonlance novel. Part one of 60 or something. Fantasy novels LOVE to give copius sequels. It seems like EVERYONE wants to tell a tale, but they aim really, really high. I get sick of them.
George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice is the same trap. But I bought all 4 books thinking it would end. I peaked on the last page of book 4, and saw the word sequel. GAH.
But alas, I read this book. It is very good. If you are in for a long series, get it. It has drama, violence, bloodshed, and grotesque detail. It paints a grim world, and doesn't stop painting the grim. It posits a world of war, caused by the collapse of a king.
I suggest reading it. But don't be afraid of the appendix. It helps explain small unimportant characters.
Rating 4 out of 5 stars
So that's that. Book 19 and 20 should be coming soon. Then, I'll be halfway to my yearly goal.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
2:46AM - why?
Why is it that I feel more poor holding a real job than I did when I made 6 dollars and hour working in college?
1:11AM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371
Best police sketch ever...
12:36AM - Wolverine...frogs?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2534667
Yes, frogs that bring up claws on demand. Awesome stuff.
Monday, June 23, 2008
8:57AM - The real energy crisis...., and the end is nigh! and then hope...
http://www.forbes.com/energy/forbes/200
Folks, the NIMBY crowd needs to accept blame for a lot of these problems. Then again, a little energy efficiency might help too.
Also...the end is nigh. Well, the news seems to think so...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080622/ap_
Even so, a battered public seems discouraged by the onslaught of dispiriting things. An Associated Press-Ipsos poll says a barrel-scraping 17 percent of people surveyed believe the country is moving in the right direction. That is the lowest reading since the survey began in 2003.
Good thing we have a long time frame for that data.
Meanwhile, some hope...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/e
Yes, this is genetically modified, but it produces fuel. Hey, if it works...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
1:07PM - Conservative Memoirs...Book 16
This book is on the conservative list for the summer. I picked it up for 1 dollar at the Salvation Army. This book is very recent, to boot. I remember seeing a 60 Minutes interview about this topic last year.
Title: My Grandfather's Son
Author: Clarence Thomas
ISBN:
0060565551
Publisher: Harper
Format:Hardcover, Non-Fiction, 304 pages, 2007
Coke cans. Anita Hill. The truth of all that will probably never be known. That a smear campaign occured, there can be no doubt. The liberal spin machine was very powerful then. Is Clarence Thomas a great person? Who knows. Did he do those actions? Given that the majority of his coworkers said Anita Hill was a terrible employee, probably not. But hey, she probably got a book deal out of it...
http://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Truth-Po
Yup.
But ya. This book is interesting in many ways. It showed how low Clarence's beginnings truly were. It also showed how his grandfather, with his tough personality, really did mold his grandson. This is a good first half book. When he hits Washington, Clarence has disavowed his early days, his radicalism, and his marxist ideas. By the end of the book, he is praying daily with Senator Danforth to be confirmed. This book should be read to understand the guy, but take it with a grain of salt.
On another note, it is sad that abortion seems to be the only issue that the Supremes are supposed to care about.
Rating 3 out of 5 stars. A decent tome, but he may overdue his harshness on his personal life to compensate for other things.
Monday, June 16, 2008
1:41PM - DEBT-FREE! Book 15
Title: Become Totally Debt-Free in Five Years or Less
Author: Gwendolyn D. Gabriel
ISBN:
0-970-302207
Publisher: Brown Bag Press
Format: Softcover, non-fiction, 245 pages, 2000
Cheapskate. Usually this word is reserved for the Scrooges of the world. In this book, the author wants us to embrace our inner cheapskate. The problem with this book is that the author is simply...not very good. The volume is too short on important things, and too long on non-important things. Finally, the author stresses her personal experience so often that it begins to seem like she's writing a self-aggrandizing book, not a book on improvement. More troubling, she seems to place value in eliminating all consumerism. That's fine for a few individuals, but our economy would tank if everyone took this to heart.
But, aside from those problems, this book is even more troubled. It advised people on buying DIAMONDS, and claimed her 3500 dollar purchase was sweet, since it is valued at 10,000. How about telling people to skip diamonds?
The advice in this book is ridiculous, the book has silly lines like "Read a section every day", while it took me two days to finish this book. I'd say skip it, especially since her advice on EVERYTHING she covers is...to GO TO THE LIBRARY AND FIND A BOOK. So, do that, and skip this worthless bile.
Rating 1.5 out of 5 stars Way too annoying to be useful.
More problematic. My wife borrowed a book from the library for too long, and my card has been suspended. UGH.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
5:44PM - Sad ideas...
The biggest fear I have of an Obama presidency is his utter, and overwhelming, power. He's a leftist and he'll have a full Democratic Congress, the power to appoint some more Supremes, and of course, the power to CHANGE America.
http://reason.com/blog/show/126983.h
In 2 years he could lay the groundwork for something as big as the New Deal or the Great Society. And just as damaging.
But, more to the point...with the Democrats holding out on confirming nominations to the Federal Reserve (on 14 year rotations), he may also be able to put an instrument that is supposed to be beyond normal political control into his control.
Hello inflation, and low interest rates forever.
Combine this with his desire to heal the Earth, give the poor "great jobs", and so forth, and we have a guy who might just need to come back to Earth. Obama, you are not Jesus. Don't act like you are the savior.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
12:18AM - June 30
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_e
In case I'm not here, one must remember that almost 100 years ago, this happened.
Imagine if it had been over a populated city?
12:00AM - Pac attack! Reality TV sucks more
http://gizmodo.com/394501/guy-hacks-h
Pacman the roomba. The colors are a bit off, but the idea is really cool.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/cleavers-t
That's an interesting piece there. Strangely, The Simpsons end up as a good family some of the time, despite the trials. Family Guy, well, it really isn't about the family too much, but even that show, sometimes.
But these reality shows. If they're as bad as billed, it is basically like watching porn.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
11:19PM - Truly a great generation- book 14
Title: The Greatest Generation
Author: Tom Brokaw
ISBN:
0-375-50202-5
Publisher: Random House
Format:Hardcover, Non-Fiction, 415 pages, 1998
The Greatest Generation was a book given to me from my grandmother after the passing of my grandfather, and avid reader. He was just slightly too young to serve in the war (he served right after), but his brother did serve during the war. This book is long, and it starts to get annoying in some parts. Though the stories are varied, the experiences, and the sentiments of the generation, seem to stick. Problematically, Brokaw claims many of this generation were selfless. That was true for the time. Today, however, many from this generation are calling for increased public assistance. And that's before we talk about the generation that came right after, the babyboomers.
Or today's generation, which is mocked in a new book
"The Dumbest Generation."
But yes, all is not well, and I speak from personal experience. Then again, it seems humanity is blessed with great potential for good and intelligence. Instead, it rarely seems to care to use it. But this generation did do a bunch of good. They deserve credit and respect for their actions. However, as they would expect of Americans today, no one deserves a free pass.
Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars...a decent work, but a bit long at times.
6:55PM - Film History lost?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2491651
A huge fire burnt big parts of Universal.
Piracy, strangely, might be a hopeful way of preserving these things.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
1:55AM - Official Hurricane Prediction
I'm predicting nearly 70 major hurricanes this year. Hopefully some media group will pick up my prediction so I can gain more funding for more research.
I'm also blaming global warming.
I love Colorado...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2489537
Friday, May 23, 2008
6:15PM - Ugh
Conservatives sure do have some problems. Namely, many will give up arguing things and run to their own kind (liberals do this too sometimes). The problem is, LJ is slanted towards liberals. SO, conservatism ends up filled with trolls, and few people defend and fight there.
I may just need to spend more time there. Or less.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
10:50PM - Book 13, oh my
So I've been off the nets. I've also started reading two new books, as well as this short title. This book went quickly. I liked bits of it. The other book, Greatest Generation, is going okay. However, it is a long book (or feels long). The other title is the beginning of a 900 page each four part series...a game of thrones. We'll see.
Title: Winning The Future
Author: Newt Gingrich
ISBN:
0-89526-042-5
Publisher:Regnery
Format:Hardcover, Non-Fiction, 270 pages, 2005
This book is basically a calling for action. Newt lays out 10 pressing problems in the world, and his solutions to them. Some are rather overblown (like religion in America, or judges), while some could use length (what exactly counts as patriotic education?). However, in general thrust this book shows the kind of thing that Republicans should be all about. Instead, they'll move further from a new contract with America.
At least they won't do want Pelosi tried to do, and fail miserably quickly. Ewh.
I'd recommend this book to anyone, either to get angry, or to get ideas.
Rating 4 out of 5 stars
Sunday, May 18, 2008
6:12AM - Book 12
Title: Guns, Germs and Steel
Author: Jared Diamond
ISBN:
0-393-31755-2
Publisher:W.W. Norton
Format:Large Softcover, 494 pages, 2005
This originally is a fascinating book. It discusses why some societies crushed others early on in history, and the advantages they have. But then, things go bad. It drones on into theories (especially on inventions) and other things that don't seem to gel with the research done. It works out well in some aspects, especially pointing out how many domesticated animals existed. However, it seems to leap at times, like suggesting that those same animals solely lead to diseases that were deadly (what about malaria?). It seems like a half-well done book. It also puts you to sleep in the middle. I do suggest it to others. Just with a lot of caffiene.
Rating 3 out of 5 stars
2:13AM - GTA
Grand Theft Auto IV is really, really good.
Though at the same time, it is awful. Especially kidnapping. Overall, the game is extremely well done. Sadly, the actions you do in the game are extremely dehumanizing. Yes, the universe they've created allows for these sorts of things, but still.
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