Book Review: Rogue Angel

Rogue Angel: Destiny by Alex Archer

I first saw Rogue Angel on an endcap at Barnes & Noble and thought it looked interesting (good cover: hot chick with a sword), and the back cover made it sound interesting. I went home and looked it up, and found it was part of an ongoing series. I picked up the first volume off of PaperBackSwap, and I will get the other volumes soon!

The main character, Annja Creed (pronounced Anya?), is one of those Dirk Pitt-type characters that can, and has, done it all. She's a young, attractive, somewhat experienced archaeologist - has studied martial arts and can hold her own in a brawl, can free-climb a rock face, knows how to use guns, etc.

She also has an unusually strong fear of fire, which hints at some history of the character.

If you combined Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series and Sara Pezzini from WitchBlade, you'd get Annja Creed. Great combination of action, the supernatural (or at least some hints of it), and a little history.

This is purely fluff reading - and I give it a high rating because it's just so enjoyable.

The "author" has a blog for the series, but it hasn't been updated in months. Alex Archer is apparently a pseudonym used by two guys co-authoring the series.

From the Publisher
An ancient order tied to the Vatican . . . A blood fortune buried in the caves of France . . . A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil . . .

Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudin hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny: a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to
protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his
own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race
across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the
ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the
shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

Book Review: Rogue Angel

Book Review: Tonopah

Tonopah by Christopher A. Lane

I first read Eden's Gate by this author a few years ago and thought it was pretty good. I saw Tonopah on the bookshelf at my local Christian book store and thought about purchasing it several times over the years, but never got to it. Recently, it came up on PaperbackSwap, and I grabbed it.

In the book, a high school teacher with delusions of being an archaeologist takes some of her students on a day-long dig in the Tonopah Range in the Nevada desert - Precariously close to an old nuclear test site, which just happens to be being used currently for.... well now, that would give away the ending wouldn't it.

The teacher and her students find things buried they shouldn't and a small group of military men stationed on the range become involved with her and the chase is on. Throw in some bungling thugs, car bombs, the FBI, conspiracy theories, and creation science vs. evolution and you've got an interesting read.

I was a little disappointed with the outcome of the story. I was hoping for something more involving the creation/evolution part of the story - but that was really just a plot device to kick start the action of a pretty normal action story.

From the Publisher
She found the fossils out in the
sun-baked Tonopah desert, along with more trouble than she'd ever dreamed of . .
. . If Melissa Lewis had known that she and her three high school students were
trespassing in a restricted military zone, they'd have left before they ever
stumbled across the fossilized bones. As a creationist in paleontology, Melissa
suspects she's onto something incredible. What she doesn't know is that she's
under surveillance by U.S. Marines. And that's just for openers. Her discovery
has also placed her in the cross-hairs of hired killers. And it's about to sweep
her into a deadly vortex of top-level government scandal, FBI investigations,
high-tech military maneuvers, and nuclear testing. Through it all, one thing
becomes abundantly clear. Someone will do anything to gain possession of
Melissa's fossils. Between Melissa and a hit man's bullet stands only her faith
. . . and one courageous marine. But can he protect her from circumstances
deadlier than the brutal Nevada desert? From the best-selling author of
Appearance of Evil and Eden's Gate comes Tonopah: gut-twisting action woven with
insights into the origins of the world and the relationship between personal
choice and eternal destiny.

Author Biography:
Christopher A. Lane is the author of Eden's Gate and the best-selling Appearance
of Evil, as well as several children's books, one of which was awarded the Gold
Medallion. He and his wife own Alpha-Omega Productions, which provides media
reviews to subscribers. They live in Colorado Springs with their
children.

Book Review: Tonopah

Another Alphabet Meme

This alphabet meme is about homemaking.  Rubi and I share the "homemaking" because we both work outside the home. Rubi still does most of it though.

 

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
Rubi had a Pampered Chef apron, and has a custom apron for her craft shows... but we don't use them while cooking.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
My favorite thing to bake is cake.

Clothesline – Y/N?
Electric Dryer, baby!

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Fried Pillsbury biscuit dough is the closest I get. I do that about once a year.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Load the Dishwasher at least once. Probably do a load of laundry.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
I wish!!  We had one that we had bought used. But it was a hassle to use because it wasn't frost-free.

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Absolutely.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
Rubi.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
I let Rubi do it because I'd probably burn something.

 

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Oh yes. Where? The kitchen table. The top of my dresser. The rocker in our room, the sofas, the computer desks...

 

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
In-progress. Cabinet doors are in the garage ready to be painted white. Cabinets in the kitchen are ready to be painted white.  New grey counter top is in the garage ready to be installed.  Ugly floor and walls are ready to be redone.
Any one care to help us cover the expense of these things?  Use the Paypal donate button to the right, and thanks!!

 

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
I love sitting down to a meal with my family.

Mop – Y/N?
Rubi gets to do that.

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
Uhm.... what?  I have bungee cords for securing the lawn mower in the back of the minivan - those are part nylon. I don't wash them.

 

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Our oven doesn't have a window.  So the door gets opened.

 

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
We have two aluminum (or some kind of metal) pizza sheets that have many holes to help the crust get done faster. I use those or nothing at all.  We have a pizza stone - but the crust never gets done adequately on it.

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
NAP!!!!

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
It's a big white cabinet in the kitchen will several cook books and several loose pieces of paper with recipes printed on them.

Style of house – What style is your house?
I guess it's a ranch-style house that a previous owner decided to add-on to, and did a really bad job of it.

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
Tabletop and papertowels thank you.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Dishwasher detergent and empty storage bin - waiting on cabinet doors to be painted and reattached.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Whenever Rubi gets to it or asks me or one of the kids to do it.

 

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
All of them.
I think a better question would be how many loads do you do each day. Five people in the house makes for a ton o' laundry.

 

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
Sometimes. 

 

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
I mow. I occasionally use the weed eater.
I'm excitedly awaiting the day Elizabeth is old enough to learn to mow.

 

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Depends. Sometimes it's dishes, or laundry, or doing a quick clean-up in the kitchen when I get home from work.

 

 

Another Alphabet Meme

The Alphabet Meme

Carrie posted this and I thought it looked fun.

 

Action – Favorite action movie?
Die Hard.

 

Beautiful – Most beautiful performer?
Natalie Portman

 

Comedy – Favorite comedy (TV or movie)?
Movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

 

Drama – Favorite drama (TV or movie)?
TV: Bones

 

Event – Historic event that kept you riveted to the TV?
Probably 9/11. 

 

Favorite – If you could only own and watch one DVD the rest of your life, what would it be?
Can I make a DVD myself and compress a bunch of stuff down onto a single DVD so the picture quality is poor but I've got several hours of stuff?  No?  Dagnabbit... Alrighty I'll pick something: 

 

G – Favorite G rated movie?
The Muppet Movie

 

Head over heels – Which star were you in love with when you were younger?
Erin Grey from Buck Rogers and Silver Spoons.

 

Ice – Did you see the “Miracle on Ice” live (tape delayed) in 1980?
Huh?

 

Justice – Did you watch any of the famous O.J. Simpson chase down the freeway?
...yes...

 

King of the Thriller – Favorite Hitchcock movie?
I don't think I've seen a Hitchcock movie.

 

Laettner – Did you see Duke’s Christian Laettner make the winning shot against Kentucky?
I'm guessing this is a basketball question since it's Kentucky - but I really don't know what you're talking about.

 

MP3 Player – Do you own one?
I did - but I traded it in for a portable CD player because that works better with all the crazylong podcasts I listen to in 12-minute intervals.  The MP3 player I had made it extremely difficult to fast forward through hour-long podcasts back to the spot where I left off listening.  The CD player resumes right where I left off, even if I turn it off.

 

Never get enough – Which movie have you watched the most times and how many times have you seen it?
Star Wars. I can't county how many times I've watched that.

 

Opie – Opie or the Beaver?
Never watched either.

 

Pride and Prejudice – Do you prefer A&E or 2005 release?
Girly movie/book.  No thank you.

 

Quality – Best TV show of all time?
I feel compelled to say "Firefly". But what about Gargoyles? A cartoon series with a series-long story arc that had a definite beginning and end.

I'm sure ratings and whatnot would say MASH, and that was an excellent show.  I can't pick one.

 

Remote control – Who is in charge in your house?
Duh... me!

 

Super Bowl – Game or commercials?
Commercials if it's on near me.  If it's not on, I don't care.

 

Television – How many in your house?
One.

 

Ultimate – Who is your favorite movie star?
Don't have one. I watch movies for the stories, not the actors. Though a good actor can make a good movie better. Like Sean Connery or Bruce Willis or Will Smith (well... not even Sean Conner could make Highlander 2 a good movie).

 

Victory – The best sporting event/game you’ve watched live on TV?
Sitting down with my son Alexander and watching motocross on a whim just because I came across it while flipping through the channels.

 

Walkman – Did you ever own a Sony Walkman?
Yes.

 

X – Movie you wish you had never watched?
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm sorry Rubi (and all the other fans out there) - that was just wrong...

 

Yesterday – How many hours of media did you consume?
Yesterday?  About an hour and a half.  Rubi and I watched part of American Idol and then House.

 

ZZZ’s – Best music to fall asleep to?
Classical/Instrumental music.

 

 

The Alphabet Meme

huh? It's Almost February Already?!

Last week was nuts! 

 

In between the normal hectic schedule of running hither and yon during the school week and a regular working schedule - we got our taxes filed and got our tax refund back. Just in time for an almost $300 repair bill to our minivan - which we traded in that very day for a brand-spankin' new minivan.

 

Interesting story that.

Or annoying...

 

Wednesday, Rubi said "Let's go look at new minivans." Our van at the time we had pretty much driven the life out of. We bought it used with some 30k miles on it - and promptly added 120k on top of that in the 5 or 6 years we had the van.  We replaced the transmission about 4 years ago. For about the past 6 months the tranny has been slipping any time it's been cold. Transmission problems, on top of the high mileage, has made the van a money pit and we've been talking about getting a new one for awhile now.

 

As Rubi and I both had a couple of hours completely to ourselves Wednesday afternoon, Rubi suggested we go van-shopping.  So after treating ourselves to a nice quiet lunch with no kids, we went to our usual car dealer and didn't find anything.  The next day we again had a little time to ourselves. So we went to another dealer across the "money-saving bridge", as the advertisements say, into Henderson, Kentucky . We found a brand new minivan with the few features we absolutely had to have and little more with a price we were willing to pay.

 

We got the paperwork started at the dealer and called our bank to start the paperwork on their end - this was right before I had to go to work, and close to the end of the business day on Thursday.  The next day- Friday, we played phone tag with the bank and the dealer trying to get all the pieces of the puzzle together - plus we had other errands to run that day too.

 

Early Friday afternoon, we went to the bank to fill out some paperwork before they could do the final loan approval We signed that stack of paper and went back out to our van to leave.

 

The van wouldn't start. 

 

Let me rephrase that. The key would not turn.

 

At all.

 

The steering wheel moved. The tranny was in park. No apparent problems.

 

The ignition just wouldn't budge.

 

I literally tore apart the plastic molding around the steering column to get into it to see if there was something simple I could fix.  Heck - I even banged on the ignition and kicked it! 

 

Nothing!

 

Now it's not so early in the afternoon and close to school letting out. And we're on the other side of town from our home, our kids school, and our other vehicle. And the van we are about to trade in has just broken down.

 

Call a tow.  Call my dad for a ride to go get our other car. Call the school to put the kids in after-school care. Call the mother of our carpool kids to arrange alternate transportation.  Tell the repair shop to please put a rush on the repairs because we're supposed to be trading that van in for a new one sometime today.

 

The flatbed arrives and drags our van onto the back (since the ignition wouldn't budge, we couldn't put the car in neutral). Dad drives us to get our car. We go get the kids from school. I take everyone home and go to the salvage yard to pull a replacement for the plastic molding I ripped off the steering column. Hey, that only cost me three bucks! Go back home, pick up the family. Drive back across town to the bank to get the check for the new van 10 minutes before the bank closes.

 

Drive to the shop to get the old van literally two minutes before they close - in fact, after we paid and drove across the street to where our van was, the guy was turning out the lights and locking the door at that part of the business. We quickly clean out the van of our belongings and throw the piles of stuff into my car and park my car on the lot of the garage - and I replace that plastic piece on the column.

 

Then we drive to the neighboring town where we are to purchase our new vehicle - almost draining the gas tank in the process.

Is that a bad thing? Trading in a vehicle with practically no fuel in the tank?

 

Then we spend the next hour completing the paperwork there, signing over the check, and twiddling our thumbs while they get the new van cleaned up for us. (Shouldn't they have had that done before we got there?) Now it's almost, if not shortly after seven o'clock Friday evening as we drive our brand new minivan off the dealer's lot. We drive back to the shop so I can drive my car home and I stop and get pizza on the way home since no one has had dinner yet. Rubi's asleep by 8:45 - just after the kids get to bed.

 

The new van had twenty-seven miles on it Friday night when we pulled off the lot. By Sunday evening it had about a hundred and ten miles on it.  It still smells new inside though!

 

The only requirements we had when we started looking around were Stow~N~Go and Rear Air - everything else is a bonus.  We've never had a brand new vehicle. We've always bought used or "program cars".  And we've never owned a vehicle with an in-dash CD player - we've been stuck playing cassettes.  We traded in a 1999 Purple Dodge Grand Caravan (Dodge said it was "Amethyst") and drove away with a 2007 Silver Dodge Grand Caravan with Stow~N~Go Seating, CD/Cassette player, tinted windows, Rear Air, Power Doors and Windows, and that's about it. 

 

 

 

huh? It's Almost February Already?!

What is McPerilous5

Again with the MCF Answers, I must come up with the correct questions or suffer a humiliating defeat.

1. A one-inch vertical scar.
What is shorter than a two inch-vertical scar?

 

2. Fat Albert.
What wouldn't fit in a can, so they went with a prince instead?

 

3. Initially, I was convinced there were two different actresses.
What do Paris Hilton and Ashley Simpson in have common?

 

4. “Can you dig it?”
To what question must you always answer, "Duuuude!"

 

5. 010010000110111101110111001000000111011101101111
01110101011011000110010000100000011110010110111101
11010100100000011101110111001001101001011101000110
01010010000001110100011010000110100101110011001000
00011100010111010101100101011100110111010001101001
01101111011011100010000001101001011011100010000001
10001001101001011011100110000101110010011110010011
1111

 

010101110110000101101001011101000010000100100000010101000110100001100001011101000010011101110011001000000110000101101100011100100110010101100001011001000111100100100000011000010010000001110001011101010110010101110011011101000110100101101111011011100010000100100001

 

6. Donald Sutherland.
Who is not Gary Busey, or Kiefer Sutherland.

 

7. A rap battle.
What kind of contests do little old ladies have during December?

 

8. Because he's just that white.
Why was Jim Carry's "In Living Color" Vanilla Ice imitation spot-on?

 

9. “Ice Ice Baby, to go, to go...”
What should have been Vanilla Ice's destination?

 

10. You would explode on contact.
What is one possible thing that could happen if you shook hands with a version of yourself from another dimension/reality?

 

11. Mash up leaves in a plastic bucket full of water.
What is the name of the song that combines the music and lyrics of a song featuring leaves, a plastic bucket, and water?

 

12. His black costume.
What does Darth Vader wear to formal events?

 

13. A room full of college girls in their underwear.
What is the answer to a question if asked correctly would get Kevin in sooo much trouble?

 

14. No, I'm 98% sure that she already knows that story...
Will you tell your mom what she had for breakfast?

 

15. They would be stone by day.
What is the curse on the Gargoyles in the eponymous cartoon series?

 

16. Terminator 3.
What is the name of a movie with a number in the title?

 

17. He was there to show kids people like him could be handicapable, and to explain alien technology to aliens.
What is the life-long goal of Wally from the Dilbert comic-strip?

 

18. The dimwitted son of a garbage man.
What is a curse you'll never hear on the Disney Channel?

 

19. It was impossible to land.
Why didn't it sea?

 

20. To get an “Innie”.
What is the goal of the game "No Outties!!"

 

Note:  I went silly this time - even though I know some of the questions MCF may have been looking for in his responses. Plus, I read a few of the other entries before I ever got around to considering mine (and they had better answers to some of the questions - even the silly answers).

 

 

 

 

What is McPerilous5

Colts!!

Go Colts!! Bye-Bye Bears.. sorry if I'm offending anyone, but the Bears don't have a chance!! They haven't won in 21 years!! So anyway, Go Colts!!

Colts!!

The Quiz Everyone Else Is Taking

Because everyone else around the 'net seems to be doing it...

You know the Bible 98%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

I just wish the quiz told you afterwards which questions you got wrong.

The Quiz Everyone Else Is Taking

Weekend

This is my real weekend, my one Saturday and Sunday off from work that I get every 6 weeks. I'm using my "real weekend" to recover from a nasty cold that has had me sleeping as much as possible the past few days. I felt so bad that I actually used two sick days to stay at home so I didn't pass on to my coworkers whatever I have. I'm feeling a little better today - better than I have the past 3 or 4 days.

Hopefully the friend Elizabeth had sleepover last night won't wake up tomorrow with whatever I have. And hopefully I'll feel like going to church tomorrow.

Today - I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to spend what's left of my day doing hardly anything, apart from dorking around on the computer and putting away laundry.

I've got a couple of books I'm going to post short reviews on soon. And I swear there was something else I wanted to post about, links I've found recently or something, but I can't remember what it was right now.

Weekend

Kev: The Unlikely Hero

What Fantasy Archetype Are you?
The Unlikely Hero You are the Unlikely Hero! Others like you are Frodo (Lord of The Rings), Young Aurthur (arthurian Legend), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Peter/Susan/Edmund/Lucy (Narnia), Richard Mayhew (Neverwhere), Harry Potter (Harry Potter) and Richard Cypher (Wizard's first Rule). You were happy to just live out your life as a peaceful schoolboy/farmer/wood's guide. But alas, greatness was thrust upon you. Don't let the hordes of The Totally Wicked Villain get you down, you have your Seasoned Veteran Friend to protect you and you almost always end up with the Pillar-of-Strength Love interest. Heed you Mentor well and keep your chin up, hero! You are simple, humble and kind but possess great potential for truly inspirational heroism, bravery and strength in dark times.
Take The Quiz Now!

Kev: The Unlikely Hero

No Title Found

Hi everyone. it's 12:21 p.m. so. very. sleepy. need. advice. from. dad. So anyway, a classmate's spending the night so I dont have much time. Just wanted to say wish me luck tommorow at my cheer thing-a-ma-bob. Today during recess we watched the construction workers in their cars nearly smack are window with a bucket of rocks. Saw one of them walk into the porta-potty and walk out. Blah-Blah-Blabbity-Blab-Bob. and it was ( not ) the most interesting thing i have ever seen. ok, E out.

No Title Found

I'm inviting you to MyPoints

		Kev invites you to join MyPoints
		MyPoints is the Internet's leading online shopping rewards program. You'll earn free rewards for shopping online at all of your favorite stores, for taking surveys and for simply reading email. It pays to be a MyPoints member but it's free to join. Kevin says: I've been a MyPoints member since 1998. In that time, I've earned close to 30,000 points. I usually earn enough to redeem them about twice a year. And I usually redeem them for Barnes&Noble gift cards. It's well worth clicking the links in the occasional email from them!
		Click here to join MyPoints and earn up to 100 Points instantly. Get Points for doing your favorite online activities like shopping! Redeem your Points for thousands of gifts.
	MyPoints.com 188 Embarcadero, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © 2004 - 2006 MyPoints.com®. All rights reserved.

It occurs to me that you might need my email address to sign up as a referral from me (I get points if you sign up and start earning up points). If you do - please use this email address:

--> kev bayer 9 1 1 at sigecom dot net <--  but run it all together.

 

Thanks! 

(I love free stuff!!)

 

I'm inviting you to MyPoints

Questioning MCF

MCF again gives us the answers.
We must struggle to plum the depths of his mind to find the correct questions.

1. From toxic waste.
Where did the TMNT get their mutations?

2. Toes.
What does MCF chew on in his spare time?

3. I kept flashing the biggest, cheesiest teeth-displaying smile I could after each reading.
MCF, How did you charm all the old ladies at mass last Sunday?

4. Future Ted tells his kids to practice abstinence before marriage, while present Ted was sleeping with a girlfriend who had yet to tell him she loved him.
What is Ted's plot-line in the next Bill&Ted movie?

5. George Takei.
What Star Trek actor is going to play Hiro's dad on the way-cool, must-see NBC show Heroes?

6. 24.
Besides Heroes, what is another show MCF is looking forward to starting?

7. 30.
How many toes does MCF have?

8. Accidentally turning and whacking a mentally-challenged girl in the head with a metal pipe.
How did MCF cure his future wife of a sad disability?

9. A tank full of hot girls.
10. A tank full of unspeakable insects.
What are two trials on Fear Factor that MCF could not pass?

11. Greg Lee.
Who is the estranged half-brother of Bruce Lee?

12. I was afraid of getting water on my face.
MCF, why didn't you drink out of the water fountain in high school?

13. ...23 38 61...
What was MCFs high school locker combination?

14. Smaller than a nickel, but larger than a dime, and brown.
How did MCF desribe the size of the spider that, had it bitten him, might have given him superpowers. Really.

15. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start.
What is the code to get 9 lives on Nintendo's Contra?

16. Grant filing the meat.
What did MCF say to Rey's request to allow him to begin filing the meat?

17. James; Sean; Charles.
What were the first names of the 3 lesser known Beatles?

18. Her nipple.
What did Brittany, I mean Lindsay, I mean Paris, I mean Janet Jackson show to the world?

19. Tamers.
What kind of professionals should Sigfried and Roy have hired more of?

20. A pickle suit.
What costume did Ron Stoppable once wear to try to avoid a love-struck Kim Possible?

Questioning MCF

Time for some changes...

Dad's comment inspired me, - Evil grin - , alright here we go ( MCF, I'm not trying to copy, it just seems cool ) I hope Dad or Mom does this, and i'm only doing 10.


1. Exclamation points

2. A little worm

3. soccer and cheer

4. Hey ernie, its your bathtime!!

5. Nicolae Carpathia

6. the shiny silver miny-van

7. Cats

8. llama's

9. 45 minutes

10. chocolate chip cookies

Alright I know some of these are easy, but if anyone posts this on their blog post a comment so I can see it.

Time for some changes...

Well.

That's a barbershop quartet. A barbershop. quartet? Singing...an...Ewok song? Well, okay. [shrug]


Look, there's Elizabeth. And she really, REALLY loves the exclamation points.

Alexander: Terribly smart, is participating in a reading program at school, tested at a 3rd grade reading level. (He's in kindergarten.)

Catherine: Charmed Alexander's k-garten teacher the other day, by asking "Can I be in your class next year?" Cute, cute, cute.

Me: Job opportunity that is a dream. I'm looking into it. Hoping I'll get it and that we can work out all the kid-wrangling that is involved, because it'll be a bit tricky. Coaching cheerleading for the next 7 weeks. Teaching 4th grade girls at church after school once a week. Sleepy.

Well.

Shameless Self-Promotion

I read the LiveJournal of an author of SF&F novels, notably in the Trek and Buffy-verses, among many others and his own.

 

In one of his latest posts, he invited his readers to ask questions - just about anything goes.

 

I asked "Can you make me a character in one of your stories?".

 

He replied in the affirmative, but noted that my LJ username is not my real name (or anything close to it as my LJ username is hi__there). I replied giving him my name and mentioned that I'm pretty much me everywhere on the 'net except on the various Firefly forums where I'm "CapnFatPants".

 

He replied again with "Okay, really didn't need that much info..... *chuckle*"

Too funny.

 

 

Shameless Self-Promotion

Seven reasons

Here are seven reasons I should be posting:
1. I just want to say, if you want this to make sense, read the post below it!!
2. I haven't posted in two days!! And I dont want to end up like Mom and Dad!!
3. I love exclamation points!!
4. I want to know if anyone knows where Kid-style meme's are!!
5. I want to ask if anyone didn't know that MCF stands for mysterious cloaked figure!!
6. Lub nub, orie dora!!
7. >_< Are we done yet?
And to show, I'm back!!

Seven reasons

My Ears Are Bleeding!!!

That is just... too funny.
Force this upon - I mean share this with everyone you know. You can't be the only one to enjoy this - you have to let others in on this.

Actually, I still like Meko's disco version better where he breaks it down in the middle and raps C3POs story of his adventures with the rebellion to the Ewoks.

My Ears Are Bleeding!!!

Kev B. wants you to join his network

You're Invited. Hi there, Heard of Gather? It's a place to share what's on your mind -- whatever it might be. Articles, art, commentary . . . it's all welcome. And so are you. You've been invited to join Kev B.'s personal Gather network. Kev says: "Here's an invite to join Gather. I've started crossposting my bok reviews there - but there's a gazillion other things to read there too." Connect with Kev B. here. You can keep up with all Kev B.'s latest updates at kevbayer.gather.com. The Gather Team gather.com

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Kev B. wants you to join his network

Book Review: Odyssey

Odyssey by Jack McDevitt.

I've liked just about everything I've read by Jack McDevitt.
His SF stories have action, suspense, mystery, intrigue, and most definitely character and heart. His characters are real, and we come to car about what happens to them.

This is one of the "Priscilla Hutchins" books, set relatively early in the exploration of the galaxy. Hutch is basically the main character of these stories, or at least the driving force behind the stories. In the "Hutchverse" the galaxy isn't teeming with life, but there is evidence of other civilizations. Man hasn't met a contemporary space-faring civilization yet. There have been hints - abandoned spaceships, monuments, etc. Odyssey features what may be the first evidence of another co-existent spacefaring race - and they don't like our science experiments!

The "Hutch" story line is apparently set to wrap up in a forthcoming novel called Cauldron.

Book Review: Odyssey

Book Review: Dragon Avenger

Dragon Avenger: The Age of Fire, Book Two by E. E. Knight.

This is the sequel to the most excellent Dragon Champion, Book One of the Age of Fire Trilogy.
Dragon Avenger follows Wistala, the sister of Auron the main dragon character from the first book and her adventures as she grows up in man's world. Where Auron became a fighter and tries to make a place for himself in the world of dragons, Tala wants to avenge her father, but eventually makes a place for herself in man's world.

This book is at least as good as the first book and I'm tempted to say it's even better. But I liked the first one so much I can't really bring myself to say that. The books are definitely equals.

The author is at work on the 3rd book in the Age of Fire trilogy which will follow the life of the 3rd dragon-sibling.

I can't wait!

Book Review: Dragon Avenger

Movie Meme 2007

SFSignal posted the following movie meme - so I'll do it too.

The list of 2007 genre movies follows. It's sorted alphabetically since release dates change and are geo-centric. Titles are pulled from Dark Horizons, SciFi Movie Page and IMDB.

Highlight the genre movies you are anticipating, as follows:
- BOLD for movies you want to see in the theater
- ITALICS for movies that you'll wait for the DVD release
-Red font for movies I care nothing about seeing.
-Green font for movies I've never heard of.

28 Weeks Later
Alien vs. Predator AVP2
Arthur and the Invisibles
Fanboys
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Ghost Rider
Halloween
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass
I Am Legend
Meet the Robinsons
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End
Resident Evil 3: Extinction
Shrek the Third
Spider-Man 3
Stardust
Sunshine
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Astronaut Farmer
The Dark Is Rising
The Invasion
The Martian Child
The Mist
Transformers
Underdog

I haven't even heard of some of those movies!
I will definitely see Transformers at the theater - maybe opening night if I can swing it. Hopefully they'll do a midnight a showing - that'd make it easier.
Rubi and I have made it a point to see that last two Spiderman movies in the theater - so we'll probably make a date of that.
I haven't seen FF1 yet, but the trailer for Rise of the Silver Surfer rocks! So I'll be seeing that at some point - most likely on DVD.
I haven't heard much about Underdog, so I don't know if it will be like the Rocky & Bullwinkle and the Scooby Doo movies, or if they'll take it a little more serious. Either way - that's a definite not in the theater.
TMNT: I'm torn, I'd like to see it on the big screen, but I rarely get to see movies in the theater so I don't want to "waste" my movie going time when I might use that for a date with Rubi. After I see the reviews, maybe I'll be able to take my kids to see it (at least Alexander), but I think probably he's not old enough for it yet.
AvP2 I will definitely wait for DVD. In fact, I'll probably read the novelization first - because I don't like gore, and if the book mentions too much gore, I'll probably just skim through the movie for the good parts.
I've heard good things about Fanboys, but again: I only get to go to the theater a limited number of times each year, usually on dates with my darling wife - so I have to save those up for the movies that really count. TF is the exception to that, unless Rubi wants to geek out with me.

I'm just waiting til Elizabeth is a little older. We'll make her babysit so Rubi and I can go out on dates more often!

Movie Meme 2007

Hi everyone!!

Hey everybody!! Its my first time on the blog and i just got a new e-mail address! Just wanted to say "Hi!!"! ( I am in love with exclamation marks.)

Hi everyone!!

Aging Gracefully

I was browsing the groups at Gather and saw a group for 30somethings.
I didn't join.

 

I've never really thought about being "30something".

Thirty just wasn't a "milestone" for me when it happened a few years ago.
Now, I fully expect an "over-the-hill" party when I turn forty - and to be much closer to a full head of gray hair.
I've been married for well over a decade. I've got three great kids. Occasionally I realize than my oldest daughter is less than a handful of years away from high school. 
Then, for a split second, I panic.

 

Being 30something hasn't really been a consideration in my life. I still feel like I'm 20something, and occasionally act like I'm still a kid. However, seeing the way kids behave these days makes me feel old. And saying that makes me sound old. - Yes, I used to walk up hill both ways to school in the snow.  Really. I had to walk down a hill and up a hill to get to school. To get back home I had to walk down a hill and up a hill. And I always walked to high school until I could drive.

 

Occasionally I'll look at what traditional-aged college graduates these days are capable of and realize that I'm not capable of keeping up with them. They have current, formal education in things I only dabble in (computers) or the technology of things I used to do has completely passed my experience level. In a writing class in college, we used top-of-the line computers and computer programs. A 286 PC and a DOS writing program. PCs now - sheesh, I can't even do the math on how much faster they are now than then. What do you multiply twelve by to get close to four thousand?

 

I used to work in radio broadcasting. When I left that business, they were just starting to put the commercials on computer and do some editing on computer.  Now everything is on the computer. The songs, the jingles, the commercials, even the announcer is often on computer (they used to be "canned" when I was in radio - usually on CD or cart, occasionally on the computer). If I, for some reason, went back into radio, I'd need a complete education on the equipment. Granted, I have some foreknowledge going in better than someone who'd never been in the business - but not much (at that has never really mattered, but that's a rant for a different day).

 

I get an alumni magazine from my college. In the back is a "Where are they now" section that updates the status of alumni: marriages, births, deaths, promotions, etc. I see graduates listed from 2006 in there.

 

Wait - 2006?!  That was this, I mean, last year! Ten years after I graduated!

 

Thinking about continuing this any further is starting to depress me: the condition of friends I had in college, the age of my nephews and niece, my opinion on things, things I find myself thinking or saying.

 

I'm old!!

 

 

Aging Gracefully

What To Expect In 2007

What can you expect from The BayerFamily Blog in 2007?

 

In no particular order:

-More pointless yet mildly entertaining memes.

-More answers to MCF's questions (or questions to his answers).

-More annoying log-in problems with Blogger.

-My oldest daughter will start blogging here soon.

-Hopefully, so will Rubi.

-The occasional Bayer Family update.

-Maybe even the occasional picture.

-Hopefully more short book reviews from Kev.  (The reviews will be short, the books will be of various lengths).

-On-going tweaks to the blog template (ooh. how. exciting....)

 

Any suggestions?

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

What To Expect In 2007

Happy New Year

So I'm 20 minutes late.

It's busy here. I swear everyone knows what a gunshot sounds like - especially when it's really fireworks.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year