BMEWS
 
Sarah Palin is the only woman who can make Tony Romo WIN a playoff.

calendar   Monday - July 25, 2016

Desiderata, and the Road Back

I know I’ve been away from posting. If I’m honest, the events of the last month or so have been overwhelming. Just when one revelation of Hillary’s true colors comes, more police blood flows through the streets. Then comes a Jihad attack, speeches at the RNC, and yet more.  To follow them is one thing, that is my duty; but to try detailing at them all and post has been quite another.

But right now I am sitting on a bed in the home of one of my uncles, about to leave the paternal family with his

DESIDERATA

GO PLACIDLY AMID THE NOISE & HASTE & REMEMBER WHAT PEACE THERE MAY BE IN SILENCE. AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly & clearly; and listen to others, even the dull & ignorant; they too have their story.


Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain & bitter; for always there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideas; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all acidity & disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees & the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is un-folding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be Happy.


I suppose this is what I really needed after all this time, and it did speak to me a lot given where I am now. In all the many ways. For those who are interested, Desiderata is Latin for “Things Desired”, and I suppose it is fitting for it.

The poster claims it was found in a Church in 1692. As it turns out, that is about as accurate as Madame Clinton claiming she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary for his climbing of Everest. In short, it’s a bit off. If 250~ years is a bit.

It was actually written in 1927 by a guy named Max Ehrmann, who really does strike me as one of those great cases of unexamined brilliance. He’s well work checking out; ditto for his other works.

But as for me now? I think I’ve caught my bearings and am prepared to carry on.

It’s good to be back.




Posted by Turtler   Canada  on 07/25/2016 at 12:46 PM   
Filed Under: • FamilyLiteratureMiscellaneousPersonalPhilosophy •  
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calendar   Monday - April 06, 2015

TRolling Stone Retraction

“Failures At Every Level”

Rolling Stone Magazine forced to retract fake gang rape story about UVA Fraternity

Great. Now, let’s see immediate firings from the top down. Or else this is all BS.

Rolling Stone magazine late Sunday formally retracted a discredited story about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity house after an independent review dubbed the article a “journalistic failure.”

The review, undertaken by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism at Rolling Stone’s request, produced a 12,000-word report that documented lapses in standard journalistic procedure at every level of the magazine during the reporting and editing of the story.

Two of the report’s authors, dean Steve Coll and academic dean Sheila Coronel, were scheduled to discuss their investigation at a news conference Monday in New York.

“I think the real casualty of the report is the University of Virginia’s trust in journalism,” said Abraham Axler of New York City, president of the university’s Student Council. “I don’t think any University of Virginia student going through this will ever read an article the same way.”

Oh, so this is now a teaching moment? Well I can’t say that’s a bad thing, although it was a stupid way to get there, and the lesson ought to be hammered into every student in the country, not just a few frat boys at UVA.

The report, published by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and commissioned by Rolling Stone, said the magazine failed to engage in “basic, even routine journalistic practice” to verify details of the ordeal that the magazine’s source, identified only as Jackie, described to the article’s author, Sabrina Rubin Erdely.

On Sunday, Ms. Erdely, in her first extensive comments since the article was cast into doubt, apologized to Rolling Stone’s readers, her colleagues and “any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article.”

In an interview discussing Columbia’s findings, Jann S. Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone, acknowledged the piece’s flaws but said that it represented an isolated and unusual episode and that Ms. Erdely would continue to write for the magazine. The problems with the article started with its source, Mr. Wenner said. He described her as “a really expert fabulist storyteller” who managed to manipulate the magazine’s journalism process. When asked to clarify, he said that he was not trying to blame Jackie, “but obviously there is something here that is untruthful, and something sits at her doorstep.”

Ach, crivens. What a load of rotten neeps. Oh noes, the poor wee professional journalists were led astray by “truthiness” but we forgive them. It’s not their fault!

Like Hell. Pay the piper. Pay the iron price. Fall on your swords.

In a statement responding to the report, the University of Virginia’s president, Teresa A. Sullivan, described the article as irresponsible journalism that “unjustly damaged the reputations of many innocent individuals and the University of Virginia.”

Mr. Wenner said Will Dana, the magazine’s managing editor, and the editor of the article, Sean Woods, would keep their jobs.

In an interview, Mr. Dana said he had reached many of the same conclusions as the Columbia report in his own efforts to examine the article, but he disagreed with the report’s assertion that the magazine had staked its reputation on the word of one source. “I think if you take a step back, our reputation rests on a lot more than this one story,” he said.

Yes, true. Trolling Stoned‘s reputation rests on the gullibility of a bunch of pot befuddled teens and twenty-somethings buying your rag and buying into your bull because it’s so cool. Plus you put hot chicks and popular musicians on the cover.

Shall the world start digging now? It’s not like back issues don’t exist, and probably most of them digitally at least for a decade’s worth of issues. How much scrutiny would all your other extreme stories hold up to, if subjected to intense investigation? And then what? Will you have to hand out papal indulgences by the bucketful, forgiving all for their “fake but not even really accurate” efforts?

Nobody takes the fall here? Nobody? Failures at every level, yet nobody is to blame? Nobody is held responsible? What are you, 3 years old?

Worthless fish wrap then. Not even good for rural toilet paper.

This is all BS.

UPDATE: And now the lawsuits begin. Good. 


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 04/06/2015 at 08:11 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat LeftistsLiteratureNews-Briefs •  
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calendar   Monday - October 20, 2014

Robert A. Heinlein

“I happen to be of an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman—which means I can be a real revolving son of a bitch when it suits me.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 10/20/2014 at 04:31 PM   
Filed Under: • LiteratureMilitary •  
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calendar   Saturday - September 06, 2014

More history and culture, less cucumbers!

Now for something completely different—culture.

The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan, overall commander of the British forces, had intended to send the Light Brigade to pursue and harry a retreating Russian artillery battery, a task well suited to light cavalry. Due to miscommunication in the chain of command, the Light Brigade was instead sent on a frontal assault against a different artillery battery, one well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire.

Although the Light Brigade reached the battery under withering direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, the badly mauled brigade was forced to retreat immediately. Thus, the assault ended with very high British casualties and no decisive gains. (Wikipedia)

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and released his famous poem the same year.

What not many know (I certainly didn’t) is that Lord Tennyson lived long enough to record some of his poems. Yes, the audio is poor. Recorded on wax cylinder. Lord Tennyson reads ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.

What makes this worthwhile is that the author is reading his own work. I’m still trying to find a date for this. I’m sure you’ll agree that it is very early. He died 6 October 1892 (aged 83)

Poem below the fold.

See More Below The Fold

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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 09/06/2014 at 04:55 PM   
Filed Under: • HistoryLiterature •  
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calendar   Saturday - August 09, 2014

Untidy Creatures

“…as though some very large and untidy creature, perhaps a dragon, had quite recently suffered a series of disappointing bowel movements in the vicinity...”

— Bored of the Rings

image
This is art?


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 08/09/2014 at 01:38 AM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Saturday - July 19, 2014

Quotes from my reading

His gaze went straight for the gun. As he lunged forward, I snatched it out of his reach, swung my arm back, and plowed the barrel into his heart. His eyes went wide, and he looked down at the gun protruding from his chest, touched the trickle of blood oozing from the wound, frowned in confusion, swayed once on his feet, then toppled backward.

Clay stepped from the forest, looked down at the man, and tilted his head.

“Hey, darling,” he said. “That’s cheating. Werewolves don’t use guns.”

“I know. I’m so ashamed.”

—Clayton Danvers and Elena Michaels, from Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

“Stalking them,” I said. “Scouting for weaknesses.”

“Exactly. Now, I wasn’t worried he’d do anything. I was very strict on that point. No devouring classmates.” Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Other parents warn their kids not to talk to strangers. I had to warn mine not to eat them.”

—Jeremy Danvers, from Stolen by Kelley Armstrong.

Probably being redundant here, but the book’s main characters are werewolves. Stolen is the second book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series.

“It’s the driver, not the car.”

“You’re on. First one to Montreal gets to pick where we run tonight.”

“One catch,” Clay said. “We have to play safe and stay in sight. If I can’t see you in my rearview mirror, I’m slowing down.”

“Rearview mirror? Baby, you ain’t seeing me through nothing but the windshield.”

He grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

—Clayton Danvers and Elena Michaels, from Stolen by Kelley Armstrong


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 07/19/2014 at 09:30 PM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Thursday - April 10, 2014

Don’t Cross The Streams

As all fans of the old movie Ghostbusters are aware, crossing the streams of the ionizing plasma gun could cause “all live as we know stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light”. Which is about the strongest warning you could make for “don’t do that!”.

It is also well known that some things just don’t mix. Oil and water. Immiscible. Yup, there’s even a word for it.

Yet, a tiny corner of the music world exists where “mash ups” are born. Songs made up of two or three other songs, laid down over each other. And sometimes this works quite well.

One of the more recent trends in restaurant cooking has been fusion cuisine. The tastes of one cultural style of food married to those of another. And sometimes this also works quite well.

Over at American Digest, Gerard Van der Leun, he of the memorable name, gives us a section of his poetic opus The Book of Days; this segment being called The Valley of Shells and Bones.

It’s his own work, but I think I can taste a bit of mash up here. Seems to be a good taste of Shelley with a piquant spicing of Kipling. You’d think those flavors would fight each other, but in Van der Leun they develop into an entirely new taste. Poetic fusion. I like it.

“What scaled and feathered fetish
shakes awake our loamy sleep?
Who opens these sealed vaults
where clotted dust obscures the golden masks
clamped tight upon our dreaming faces
now drowned in tinted musk?
Here where the spiders curl
and chitter in our crystal lockets.
Here as time’s mouth leeches out
our blood and brain and bids
our leather skin to tighten
in on our staring sockets,
and bind our breath that once
laughed and gasped within the dusk?”


      Here is your thin, tin trowel
      and here your sable brush
      for prying loose these mitered stones
      and sweeping off the dust
      that sifts between these shaken dreamers
      like paling ebony snow
      as you squat above the site
      where you worshiped once below.
      Thrust your torch through shattered walls
      and map the stains on stone
      to explicate these distant deaths
      from strewn patterns of bone.


The distance that such deaths define
Is measured by that ageless path
That winds up from the sea’s last limb
Meandering to the blood’s demands,
And, rolling over shells’ sharp rims,
Finally finds its well-worn way
To midnight’s flaming brands
Where vacant, lusting faces stare
From behind masks of whitened clay.


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Posted by Drew458   United States  on 04/10/2014 at 03:12 PM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Friday - October 14, 2011

Think and Grow Rich

Some of you know that I’ve been unemployed since April. I quit. Voluntarily. Which means I’m not eligible for unemployment welfare. I quit knowing that. I also knew I had savings to fall back on. And, ultimately, I can cash-out my retirement funds. Sure I’ll take a tax penalty for early withdrawal. But under Obamanomics, seems like the lesser evil in view of the massive inflation Obamanomics is already causing. Not to mention that Democrats are already considering seizing retirement accounts (401(k), IRAs, etc) to bolster Social Security. Take the money I saved and run!

Meanwhile, between jobs I’ve been rereading the classic Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it to you. Back when I was a dance teacher, the boss started off each day by having us read, out loud, passages from Think and Grow Rich. It’s a highly motivating book. Especially useful in the demotivating Obama misAdministration.

I’d just like to offer this quote from the book:

During the first World War, a Chicago newspaper published certain editorials in which, among other statements, Henry Ford was called “an ignorant pacifist.” Mr. Ford objected to the statements, and brought suit against the paper for libeling him. When the suit was tried in the courts, the attorneys for the paper pleaded justification, and placed Mr. Ford on the witness stand for the purpose of proving to the jury that he was ignorant. The attorneys asked Mr. Ford a great variety of questions, all of them intended to prove that while he might possess considerable specialized knowledge pertaining to the manufacture of automobiles, he was, in the main, ignorant.

Mr. Ford was plied with such questions as the following: “Who was Benedict Arnold?” and “How many soldiers did the British send over to America to put down the Rebellion of 1776?” In answer to the last question, Mr. Ford replied, “I do not know the exact number of soldiers the British sent over, but I have heard that it was a considerably larger number than ever went back.”

Finally Mr. Ford became tired of this line of questioning, and in reply to a particualrly offensive question, he leaned over, pointed his finger at the lawyer who had asked the question and said, “If I should really want to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer any question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, why I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?”

There is certainly was good logic to that reply.

That answer floored the lawyer. Every person in the courtroom realized it was the answer, not of an ignorant man, but of a man of education. Any man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it…

Being between jobs, I’m reading this again for uplifting motivation. Books like this tell me that–to coin a phrase–Yes, I can! Apologies, I know it’s close to a slogan our misAdministrator-in-Chief used. But note the difference: ‘I can’ vs ‘We can’. I’m taking responsibility if I fail. Those that follow the ‘We’ model will point fingers at others when they fail. See the current Occupy (insert city) protests.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 10/14/2011 at 11:08 AM   
Filed Under: • EditorialsLiteraturePersonal •  
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calendar   Saturday - October 01, 2011

Terry Prachett tribute!

This guy sent me an email. He likes my Big Bang Theory that I posted on YouTube about a year ago. I like his post, so let me show you it.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 10/01/2011 at 02:29 PM   
Filed Under: • CelebritiesLiterature •  
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calendar   Sunday - August 28, 2011

What’s Christopher reading?

Actually, I read David Eddings books several years ago. But I’m now listening to the audiobooks. It’s amazing the little things you miss while reading that are hilarious if you actually hear them.

The audiobook is the Seeress of Kell. The fifth book of the Mallorean series. I just listened to this exchange in the audiobook and had to pull up my copy of the ebook to verify. They read it right:

And then, almost as if his memory had summoned her, the blindfolded Seeress of Kell emerged from the room in which the ladies had been conferring with their dressmakers. Immediately behind her came Ce’Nedra, clad only in a very short chemise. “It’s a perfectly suitable gown, Cyradis,” she was protesting.

“Suitable for thee perhaps, Queen of Riva,” the Seeress replied, “but such finery is not for me.”

“Ce’Nedra!” Garion exclaimed in a shocked gasp. “You’re not dressed!”

“Oh, bother that!” she snapped. “Everyone here has seen undressed women before. I’m just trying to reason with my mystical young friend here. Cyradis, if you don’t put on the gown, I’ll be very cross with you–and we really need to do something with your hair.”

The Seeress unerringly took the tiny queen in her arms and embraced her fondly. “Dear, dear Ce’Nedra,” she said gently, “thy heart is larger than thyself, and thy concern doth fill mine as well. I am content, however, in this simple garb. Mayhap in time my tastes will change, and then will I gladly submit to thy gentle ministrations.”

“There’s absolutely no talking to her,” Ce’Nedra said, throwing her arms in the air. Then, with a charming flirt of the hem of her chemise, she stormed back into the room from which the two of them had emerged.

“You ought to feed her more,” Beldin told Garion. “She’s really very skinny, you know.”

“I sort of like her the way she is,” Garion replied. He looked at Cyradis. “Will you sit, Holy Seeress?”

“If I may.”

“Of course.” He waved off Toth’s almost instinctive move to aid his mistress and guided the girl to a comfortable chair.

“I thank thee, Belgarion,” she said. “Thou art as kind as thou art brave.” She smiled, and it was like the sun coming up. She touched one hand to her hair. “Doth this really look so ugly?” she asked.

“It’s just fine, Cyradis,” he told her. “Ce’Nedra sometimes exaggerates, and she has an absolute passion for making people over–me, usually.”

“And dost thou mind her efforts, Belgarion?”

“I suppose not. I’d probably miss them if she didn’t try, at least.”

“Thou art caught in the snare of love, King Belgarion. Thou art a mighty sorcerer, but methinks thy little queen hath a more powerful sorcery yet, for she holds thee in the palm of that tiny hand.”

“That’s true, I suppose, but I don’t really mind all that much.”

“If this gets any more cloying, I think I’ll throw up,” Beldin said gruffly.

Beldin the Sorcerer is really funny, because at the end of the book, things get very cloying for Beldin.

A short intro to Nadrak society. If you buy a Nadrak woman, you just own her. Period. She got half of the sale price. You did NOT get any conjugal rights. Nadrak women carry at least four knives, which they are adept at using if you get too amorous. Now if you buy her, with the option to marry, she first will check you out. Then, if she agrees, at some point after you buy her she will surrender her knives to you. That’s her marriage vow.

So Beldin the Sorcerer buys Vella, and has to borrow money from Belgarath the Sorcerer. In full view of everybody, Vella immediately surrenders her knives to him. While all of the ladies present are crying, Beldin juggles her knives and makes them disappear. “I don’t need these.” he says. Then he leads Vella to a nearby hilltop, teaches her how to turn into a blue-banded hawk, and they both fly away, never to be seen again.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 08/28/2011 at 08:41 PM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Saturday - May 28, 2011

Bait

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been re-reading Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos books. This quote comes from book eight, Dragon:

“It seems to be the cause of all this unpleasantness; either the weapon, or the fact that he stole it, or…”

She waited. “Yes? Or?”

“Or something entirely different that I have no clue about. I always have to include that as one of the possibilities.”

She looked at me. “Well, you seem to be out of danger, and I have better ways to spend my time than to be interrogated by a Jhereg, so you’ll have to excuse me.”

“Hugs and kisses to you, too.”

She gave me a glance and floated out of the room. I carefully sat up, discovered that doing so hurt, and began looking around for my clothing.

“On the little table at the foot of the bed, Boss. You’re going to need a new shirt, and your trousers have some bloodstains.”

“All right. Feel like shopping?”

“Going to buy me something?”

“Like what?”

“Catnip.”

“Catnip? Does catnip affect you? When did you––?”

“Probably not. But I don’t want to eat it myself.”

“Then why––?”

“Bait,” said Loiosh.

Loiosh, Vlad’s pet venemous dragon, likes cats. Who knew? Oh yes, just to make it clear, Vlad ‘talks’ to Loiosh psionically. Their conversations are always in italics.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 05/28/2011 at 04:50 AM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Wednesday - May 25, 2011

More Vlad Taltos,

This quote is from the eleventh book, Jhegaala.

“Sit down,” I told him. He did, looking at me. I couldn’t identify all the emotions that passed over his face, but he was, at least, upset. That could mean anything.

He sat down and folded his hands in his lap. “What is it you wish of me, Lord Merss?”

“You talk, I listen.”

“Talk about...”

“History, Father. Not so ancient history.”

“History of—?”

“When a Count and a Baron went to war over whether peasants would be working land, or working in a paper mill.”

His eyebrows went up. “You would seem to know a great deal about it already.”

“You mean, more than those who believe stories of demons being summoned, and the ultimate war of good and evil, and barons who bathe in the blood of virgins?”

“Well, yes.” He smiled a little. “Didn’t quite buy that, eh?”

“I don’t believe in virgins.”

“Yes, I guess that is a bit hard to take, isn’t it?”

I don’t believe in virgins either. An easily curable disease.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 05/25/2011 at 09:23 AM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Thursday - May 19, 2011

Iorich, Vlad Taltos 12, the deleted scenes

I don’t know how many of you have read Steven Brust. His Vlad Taltos series is a must-read for any fantasy buff.

Anyway, at the end of the book twelve, Steve Brust included some ‘deleted scenes’.

DELETED SCENES

Various scenes had to be deleted for length or content. I thought some of you might be interested in them. They may appear when I release the Director’s Cut of this book. But don’t hold your breath.

—SKZB

Prologue, Outside Whitemill, Page 13

I pulled the arrow from my eye, hearing myself scream. At that moment, a blast of magic from one of them hit me, and I saw my leg fly off at the knee. I fell to the ground, reaching for Lady Teldra, but one of them came in with an ax and took my right hand off at the wrist.

The air seemed to take on an odd golden shimmer, and I heard the Necromancer’s voice come out of nowhere. “Through the Gate, Vlad. Hurry!”

“Uh, what?”

“You have to get out of here, Vlad. You’ve landed in a Tim Powers novel.”

I moaned even as I felt the Gate form.

Hard gray walls appeared around me, and I heard voices speaking a language I didn’t know. “Am I going to be safe here?”

“Well,” she said, “Not, you know, safe exactly.”

“Whose novel are we in now?”

“Uh ... John DeChancie’s, Vlad. Best I could do on short notice.”

I whimpered. “You couldn’t manage Louisa May Alcott?”

Chapter Two, Imperial Palace, Page 51

“I’m glad you’ve offered,” said the Empress. “Yes, there is a service you could do.”

“I’m listening.”

“Far, far to the East—well beyond the kingdoms you know—there is ancient evil that is gathering power to itself. Its power comes from an Amulet of Evil that dates back to before the beginning of time. The power of the Amulet grows with each act of cruelty, or thoughtlessness toward another, or abuse of power, or greed. The sell-out of the writers’ strike didn’t do it any harm either. Soon it will become unstoppable, and using it, the ancient evil will enslave the entire world forever. You must destroy the evil, and take the Amulet and cast it into the Place Beyond Time.”

I nodded. “All right.”

It took six weeks to get there and an hour to do the job. Fortunately, I was able to teleport back.

“It is done,” I told Her Majesty.

“Thank you, Lord Szurke,” she said. “Evil has been banished forever.”

“Until the sequel, you mean.”

“Of course.”

I shrugged. “Just proving I’m willing to serve Your Majesty.”

Chapter Five, Dzur Mountain Stairway, Page 103

“Well met, friend.”

I looked around, and noticed a splotchy brown cat on the landing just above me. I stared at it.

“Something wrong?” it said.

“What the hell are you?”

It rolled its eyes. “This is a fantasy novel. I’m the obligatory talking cat. Get a clue.”

“Boss, can I—”

“Sure.”

When Loiosh and Rocza had finished their meal, we continued up the stairs.

I feel this needs some explanation. Loiosh and Rocza are Vlad’s small, venomous, flying pet dragons. Usually perched on his shoulders. Loiosh can talk to Vlad mentally. Such conversations are in italics.

Chapter Seven, South Adrilankha, Page 143

“Boss, isn’t there supposed to be a scene here making fun of the old ‘weapons that drink souls’ thing that always comes up in bad fantasy novels?”

“Loiosh, in case you haven’t noticed, there are weapons that drink souls in these books.”

“Oh. Yeah. Good point. Guess we stay away from that one, huh?”

“Probably best.”

Chapter Eleven, South Adrilankha, Page 209

“Maybe I’ll go walk up to the cottage and ask for sanctuary,” I said. “And then maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt. Wait. I wouldn’t say that.”

YOU JUST DID.

“I don’t care. I wouldn’t say that. It isn’t even a Dragaeran idiom.”

IT IS NOW.

“That’s stupid. There aren’t any monkeys here.”

SO NOW YOU’RE AN EXPERT ON DRAGAERAN FAUNA?

“I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

THAT’S WHAT I DO.

“Yeah, you and Tom Cruise. Just lose the monkey bit, okay?”

I LIKE IT.

“You also like it when I figure out how to get out of those messes you put me in. Now, you want me on your side, or not?”

YOU WANT TO BE ALIVE AT THE END OF THIS BOOK, OR NOT?

I sighed. “Maybe I’ll go walk up to the cottage and ask for sanctuary,” I said. “And then maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt.”

Chapter Fourteen, Outside the Imperial Palace, Page 262

I cut through the park, smiling at all the butterflies. I started skipping. It was such a beautiful day. A puppy barked playfully at me and I stopped to pet it. It seemed so happy, I couldn’t help but sing a cheerful song to it before I went on my way, still skipping.


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 05/19/2011 at 03:39 AM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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calendar   Wednesday - March 02, 2011

I won!

I don’t know if many of you are fans of Graphic Audio, but I’m here to tell you that I won a freebie GraphicAudio product. I have absolutely no idea of what they are going to send. Probably some product line that hasn’t been selling well.

But I’m on their email list and am a customer. Last week I got an email stating that the first twenty people who scored 90% on the quiz would get a gift from GraphicAudio. I took the test; it was about Anya Creed and the Rogue Angel series. I scored 100%. Not because I’d listened to the GraphicAudio books. I’ve read about 15 books in the series. I will say I was appalled to find out that the books were published, admittedly under another imprint, by Harlequin Romance.

Back to Graphic Audio. I highly recommend the Deathlands series. And the derivative Outlanders series. The Rogue Angel series is good, but I liked the books better. If there are any Simon R. Green fans out there, they did a very good job on ‘Blue Moon Rising’. Blue Moon Rising is hilarious while still being very serious. Our hero rescues the dragon from the princess. But that happens later. The first clue that this is abnormal fantasy is that our hero rides a unicorn. Remember, we’re talking about a Prince here. And remember what legends say about who can ride a unicorn? And did I mention that the unicorn is gay?

Regardless, at the end of the book our hero, Rodney, is no longer qualified to ride a unicorn! That’s the princess’ fault. But she and the dragon are still with him. The same dragon he rescued from the Princess. 


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Posted by Christopher   United States  on 03/02/2011 at 09:00 AM   
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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