Some Randomness

Just went yesterday to see "Fantastic 4." It was fun! Pure cheesy comic book action with no redeeming value at all. It was great! Go to a matinee but see it on the big screen because the special effects really were cool.

I have been reading again and decided to post my personal reviews - again.

I just finished last night several manga books - Eerie Queerie, Naruto and Inu Yasha. Well, they are all fun but they are manga books. If you are not a fan of manga, do not pick them up. And if you are homophobic most definitely do not pick up Eerie Queerie. It was cute, especially since the poor characters are all such terribly confused teen boys.

I also read A New Leash On Death by Susan Conant. I enjoyed it, but that is mostly because I found the technical information about dog showing rather interesting. The story itself was nothing great and there was lots of dull prose, but for a beach read, I'd recommend it. The other book by her that I read is Scratch the Surface, a Cat Lovers Mystery. I preferred that book because there was more depth to the characters.

Then I read Ann Stuart's Black Ice. I enjoyed that except for 1 minor detail. OK, I understand that the main female character has been thrown completely to the wolves and the only 1 who might save her is another wolf who is technically a good guy. His big problem is that he has been playing international spy too long and is no longer sure who is wearing what hat, himself included. So here he is, all burned out, ready for a change, longing for a home, and in walks this innocent who sets of all his hormones. The adventure progresses, he saves her, she is willing to let him go because he is a lone wolf (GAG!), but he chooses to stay with her.

OK, that is sweet and wonderful. The problem is that there is no way this relationship will last. Come on! This is a man who has killed numerous times, is burned out, ready to sleep with 1 person, in his 30's - traditionally an age when the male gender decides to settle down - and here is someone he knows is safe. Gee, what a thrill that has to be for her. Here is Mr. Macho, who while he has literally saved her ass numerous times, is a serious bad ass with intense communication issues. Completely unbelievable.

And despite all my anti-ranting, I still say it was a fun book to read. I have already requested several of her other books from the library and am looking forward to reading them.

Next, I was playing on-line & at http://www.baen.com they have a schedule of upcoming releases. The one that I am sincerely looking forward to reading is John Ringo's Ghost. The excerpt published on-line is a bit on the graphic side for my taste and knowing that the main character considers himself a rapist in thought if never in deed is not the way to win brownie points. However, what happens in the 1st 9 chapters is interesting enough that I really do not care. The fact that the hard ass main character re-names the college co-ed's Bambi, Thumper & 1 other name I can't recall is just a bit of sarcasm that I enjoy.

Besides Ghost, I am also looking forward to David Weber's At All Costs. I am a fan of th Honor Harrington series, though anything involving a cat tends to grab my interest. It is just a pleasant bonus that the series is well written and the characters are interesting. The majority of what I read, the sequence of events and sarcasm/humor is what makes the book. Weber is 1 of the few author's who has characters whose evolving maturity and experiences are what makes the books so fascinating.

Let's see, what else is going on . . .

I am going to be giving the hunting dog to a good home once I find one. I keep thinking about what I would do if I kept her, but there is no way I can afford the medical care she needs now, let alone everything that goes with owning a dog. I will be moving in a few months and I do not know where to. I might be moving in with my Mother. Since there is already 3 cats & a dog there, adding my 3 is going to be a headache, a younger dog is not going to help matters at all. If I manage to find a better job and move some pace closer to the new position, that will mean greater pet deposits. Unless I am lucky enough to get a position paying well over $70k, I do not think I will be able to afford those deposits any time soon.

I am constantly beating my head against the wall as it is trying to figure out how to keep food on the table for myself, forget anything else. And what makes it truly depressing is that I still can't lose weight! I have barely anything resembling human food in my house, do not eat out at all, my indulgences tend to be carrots with hummus any more, yet I can't drop an inch let alone a pound. There is something definitely wrong with this scenario.

I have been paying attention to the news and all, but it is just so depressing. I am grateful that the London bombing had such a small number of deaths, but there were deaths. What is the point? What is the point of suicide bombers and bombers in general? It does nothing but piss people off, destroy resources that everyone uses, and generally accomplished nothing because as a rule of thumb, humanity tends to rebuild bigger and better.

If the land gets so bad that there is nothing to rebuild on? Move! So what if the entire country is now a mined waste land unusable by anything but the cockroaches. Everyone, pick a country and relocate! Lord knows humanity has done just that often enough. In case anyone forgot, we all come from nomadic tribal cavemen societies. Many come from nomadic tribal societies still - just look at the Native American tribes. It was not until the great settlements that it back a literal rule they had to stay on a set piece of land. Those famous Mongolia hordes really are not that far back in our history. Bandits of all stripes are an infamous example, both past and present. All of American history is a running example of what can happen when you screw up in 1 location and move some place else. Look at the Irish. They had the Great Potato Famine and America got its police force in exchange for giving all the Irish immigrants a new home and a chance.

Yes, I am being facetious and glib. Sue me. But it does not change the fact that blowing yourself up and numerous others really accomplishes nothing. I will always wonder why these suicide bombers think that they will go to a paradise. No one has ever come back and confirmed that why, yes, blow yourself up in the name of Allah to remove the capitalist pigs from this country, and you will go to the perfect paradise and be honored above all others. Reality check please! I would want that in writing, notarized, and blessed by a rabbi, priest and anyone else, including the IRS.If disappointed, I would sue for false advertising. But that is just me & my cynical untrusting self saying that.