NewYear, New Old Stuff

Another Year Starts

And hopefully a better one. The first week is a little slow. Less old back bathroom as it slowly goes away to make room for the new. Going to advertise in the newspaper next week. The Skilled Trades Business Services section in Craigslist is just too full of over-posters and fly-by-nighters. There's one guy who has as many names as I got fingers and toes, if not more.

Some Borrowed Books

Two good reads by Jim Butcher, Storm Front which is about a wizard set in Chicago, ala Sam Spade. This is the first of a series. Solid read, has organized crime, black and white magic , including vampires, which makes for a fascinating mix. In the best pulp detective fiction tradition, our hero does not have a smooth time of it. He's perpetually broke, gets beaten up now and then, and is in trouble up past his neck.

The next is Captain's Fury. Note that this is the fourth of a fantasy series, The Codex Alera. No flat spots but a good run all the way through, somewhat more traditional fantasy with a touch of the Roman Empire even down to Latin names. Being later in Butcher's career and that he is more successful, the author's name is at the top and the title is at the bottom in font half the size. Usually this means that the author is grinding out the same tired plot but with with different names and places. Not in Jim Butcher's case, each book is as good as the last, and the reader gets a fresh plot.

P. T Deutermann, The Firefly. A terrorist/assassin is going to do something really bad. Granted, many a tree and much ink has been used to make many a book with this very old plot. Deutermann refreshes it however, and it is a reasonably paced well written tale. Many twists and turns so it isn't dull. Worth borrowing. I still like his sea story better, The Scorpion in The Sea, and have marked that as an addition to my permanent collection.

Harold Coyle and Barrett Tillman, Harold Coyle's Strategic Solution's inc./Prometheus's Child. First off, the dust jacket shows a picture of the USS Wisconsin firing a broadside. Nowhere in the novel is a mention of any navy ship, let alone a battleship. Also the Wisconsin is now part of a museum and is a permanent exhibit in Norfolk, Virginia. It's definitely retired from active duty.

Harold Coyle has always been a little behind the times. He was writing about the Cold War going hot when the entire East Bloc was collapsing under its own weight. This tale is about a private security agency undertaking training and later an operation in Africa and later on, action on the high seas. Considering how Blackwater and other private security firms made the news last year in a very un-positive light, it's doubtful if this will ever be the case in real life. However it's a good read for a slow day.

The 401 K? What 401K?

It's now an IRA. It's going to be mostly Dodge and Cox Stock Fund with some bonds. However, the "adviser" thinks I'm way too aggressive in investing, being a hundred percent stock. Not really keen on bonds, since the Fed is turning the dollar into toilet paper instead of just letting the subprime mess work itself out on it's own. Ah, we shall see. At least the Time Warner stock will be history. Seven years I had it and it's done better then a loss but not by much.

The Biz.

Someone wanted me to replace a shutoff valve for a toilet. No big thing but the house water shutoff wouldn't. I was certain the valve would break before it would close, causing much flooding that could only be stopped by shutting it off at the street. Yikes. No need to test my liability insurance like that.

The Eye

I can actually read with it. Well, up to a point. Definitely no small print right now. Slight double image but I can focus most of it out. The lens must have been displaced when the iris was damaged. Not going to get that fixed though. Eyes just do not like being messed with. It's bad enough having to watch out for retinal detachment and glaucoma without making it worse.

Finally, Thinning The Herd

Iowa Caucus today. Polls that really count. Opinion polls are useful up to a point, per se, a business deciding if to go with scented spark plugs or pastel brake pads for instance. Politicians deciding to trot out empty promises on cutting taxes or drugs for everybody, another example.

The Presidential Hopeful Candidates herd is way too large, and over the next two months will get some much needed culling. It has been so bad, some were found as far north as Alaska.

Bah Humbug

Santa Go Home

It's the holidays. I despise this time of year. The weather sucks. Christmas music, and that strange thing that this place has, fake snow. Red and green which really clash. All sorts of gift suggestions which involve spending money.

I'm canceling Christmas. Maybe next year. Just not in the mood.

More Borrowed Reads

I read another Stephen Hunter book, Hot Springs. Just like the last one, goes right along, and not only that, very well written and researched. The town in the title was a mecca of gambling and other fun in Arkansas. Any more and I'd ruin it.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. Fantasy if one tries to pigeonhole it, but much more than that. It was well written and an engrossing tale of two thieves who while taking what was not theirs, try to do some good. Worth borrowing.

The Eye

Another day to be spent at the eye clinic. I really think at this point, all my left eye needs, is time. Hopefully they can cut me down to a month or more for visits. The eye-drops can go too.

The Back Bath

I chucked two plate glass mirrors at the landfill. The wallpaper tool is AWOL. I think it got loaned, or it's in the depths of a closet.

The demolition can start. The tile floor is not a keeper. The door needs to be sanded and repainted. The trim is almost as bad as what was in the front bath but at least not flesh toned. Habitat will benefit of course, two towel racks and a small cabinet. Pictures soon....promise.

Borrowed Book Reviews

The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter was a most enjoyable read. Fiction of course. Very well written and no dull spots. It's like a printed version of Kill Bill 1 & 2. Worth borrowing.

I finally found a copy of The Path Between The Seas by David McCullough. It's been on my list of great reads and I wanted to revisit it. Someday, hopefully, The Power Broker by Robert Caro. Just doesn't seem to be at the library recently.

Alternate history used to be interesting but I just couldn't get into 1634: The Bavarian Crisis by Eric Flint and someone else. Back it went, barely opened.

Things in General

Da Blog

So the counter isn't ....counting. One more shot at it, and it's gone. I'm going to mess with the heading as well. Also the colors aren't what I like. I'm thinking about Google Adsense but not really keen on advertising. If done, it would be a small presence.

Job Hunted?

Explored Apex and environs, was scoping out a drive in job before I drove in. I kept on driving by and then my phone rang. Drug test. Cool. Getting somewhere. Hopefully, employment. Not much coin but at least I'll have withholding. Also waiting on the business license, that should show up soon. Then to get the liability insurance. Part time business, see how it goes, if well, then full time business.

Scam

The Do Not Call list has got to be worthless. Yet another call. Job hunting is also getting kinda horrible. The sleaze balls and con artists have taken to posting jobs on the main search engines. At least on Craigslist, we can flag them, and I do flag them. If it ain't a job, don't bug me. A lot of it is people looking for door to door sales suckers. Ugh. Wouldn't be such an issue, but a lot of crap gets posted and a lot of "employers" are scraping the public resumes. Looking forward to taking mine private.

Poly-Ticks

Hillary still way ahead....Edwards still way behind. Obama in the middle. He's just too, well, perfect. Just doesn't seem to have enough warts. What is he hiding?

Republicans still have no clear front runner unless one counts Guilani, and that only because he raised a ton of money. Mitt Romney still in the news....not good for him, ever since he did the American Vacation thing with a dog in a carrier on top of a station wagon.

My Townhouse

The townhouse is in a state of arrested repair. It's waiting on more income. The back bath is going to need about six hundred dollars total. The chimney chase will probably take a thousand. The lower level floor needs rosin paper, flooring, and two back doors. Insulation as well. The whole thing needs repainting again. The one good thing about the whole mess, is that it can be done piece-meal, a hundred or so bucks at a time. The labor is free. Once done, it goes on the market, and I'm free. At least a year or so. No rush, real estate market still shaking out.

Book Reviews

Sean Williams, The Resurrected Man. Good read, usual sci fi future but written quite well.

Kevin J. Anderson is currently doing the Saga of the Seven Suns. Humans inadvertently start a war when turning gas giants into stars. Goes on from there. Good beach read and well worth borrowing from a library. Latest book in the series is Of Fire and Night.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I've read the book. I've listened to the radio series. I have both the BBC television series and the new movie on DVD. Each different but all well done. I even had his PC game, Starship Titanic. Doesn't work anymore, even my antediluvian W2000Pro is too modern for it, but when it did, it was pretty good. Still, if one gets bored of thumbing a ride among the stars, there is his series about Dirk Gently, a Holistic detective. Not only worthy of borrowing from the library but worthy of purchase from a bookstore, used of course.

More Reviews, More Borrowed Books

First up, The Android's Dream by John Scalzi. Flows well, excellent plot, and obviously an homage to one of the truly great sci-fi writers of the twentieth century, Phillip K. Dick and his book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The editing wasn't great, missing a few "a"s, "the"s, and "to"s. Minor annoyance at most. Worth borrowing.

Dan Simmons, Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion. Well done, four novels that can each stand on their own. Read in the order given for best enjoyment. I award them the status of buy if at a used book store. Not a lowly rank but kinda up there at the top.

The Sons Of Heaven by Kage Baker. I liked it. She's a solid writer. It's best after reading all the other books about Zeus Incorporated first.

Robert A. Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson, The Senate Years. There is no finer wordsmith then Mr. Caro. I have the complete set in printed form in my bookcase. I'm eagerly awaiting the Presidential Years and hope he does not write it posthumously. Not only do you get LBJ, but pocket biographies of the people around him, excellent explanations of the institutions they served in, and all so, so, well written. Add to that, Caro is clearly a dispassionate observer who lets the reader see just how complex a character LBJ was.

Nonambition

Nonambition

I wish I could say I have done something of note, but not in the last few days. The Garage-House has more wallboard up. Not ready for it yet, but this time, the HVAC people wanted places to put their return and supply. So, three more pieces on the walls. New guy, A, from the Great Lakes. He sez it's really bad up there economy-wise.

My two cheap baths....nada, zilch. Did nothing.

Job search.....on hold till after the week.

Borrowed Books Reviews

One decent book from the way back when, Way Station by Clifford Simak. Well written, won quite a few awards in 1963. It was republished on his 100th birthday. A refreshing change from the regular "fast food" reading ground out by, well, hacks.

Example of "fast food" reading, State of the Union by Brad Thor. Formalistic thriller and at times, one gets the feeling they are reading a Neiman Marcus catalog. That or authors get paid for product placement. I got about fifty pages and closed it, never to return.

Hot enough for Us? Yep.

A hundred and six today. Boss was working on the Garage House in the morning but only because the solar people were showing up. Yesterday four of us were putting up walls. Boss and I and G are all eligible for AARP membership. Could call it the Geezer Construction Society. Ah well. We are all in good shape as opposed to office people. Average middle-aged cubical dweller would have been dead. We just drank, perspired, and kept going.

Interview went well but think it's gonna be awhile. Leaving tomorrow for Northern Virginia. My best friend is in the hospital. Had a short chat, will see him tomorrow or Saturday. May comeback on Monday if he and his better half need help.

Cheap bathrooms, what did I do? Nada. Nix. Nothing. Ah, I did spend money. New toilet fill valve and flapper, four half inch CPVC caps,two wax rings and last but not least, two shiny new straight valves that can be glued into the CPVC pipes. Forty dollars and forty cents. I hope I have stock in Lowes, they certainly get a good chunk of my income. When I get back from my travels, the plan is to put the new parts in the back bath toilet, replace the half bath toilet with the new 1.6 flusher that's been camping in my dining room, and then demo the front bath. Weather and money permitting.

Well, this lazy sod needs to start charging batteries.

I tried to read The World Without Us. Big disappointment. My apologies to Amazon for being late. They should have lost the book. Gave it to my nearest relative with the hope I never see it again.

More Borrowed Books.

Yes, more library book reviews.

Clive Cussler, Trojan Odyssey. One of the last books that he wrote himself. Moves right along but it has issues. When he has a charactor using a water ski or a watch, we get to know the model, maker, and specs. Almost reads like a product catalog at times. Almost thinking literary product placement here. Even the good guys were one dimensional. Raise The Titanic is probably the best of the lot.

Eric Flint & Ryk E. Spoor (or is that Ricky's poor?) , Boundary. Semi decent hard science fiction. Refreshing after all that alternate history in 1632, 1633, 1634, and finally, 1635. Mankind finds martians, well sort of. Don't want to spoil it. Definately worth checking out.

Michael Flynn, Fire Star & Rogue Star. Near future space opera, well written but mildly dated. Who even owns a VCR now? Still, worth borrowing.

Robert Silverberg, The Longest Way Home. Almost a YA (Young Adult) book. Skip this one. Recommend his Majipoor Cycle series instead. He is a good author but not this time.

Robert Silverberg, Roma Eterna. Collection of stories set sequentially in which the Roman Empire never died. Not bad but not great.

Borrowed Book Reviews

Jim Butcher, Cross Fury. Genre is fantasy. Third in a series about someone who can't do magic in a world where everyone else can. Good read, realistic charactors, but the bad guys are somewhat one dimensional. He mostly writes about a magical detective. This is the Dresden Files series. Not bad but not worth buying. Get it from the local library.

John Edwards, Home: the Blueprints of Our Lives. Nonfiction, edited stories about childhood homes of people. No blueprints either, just stories and pictures. Couldn't even get into it. Back it goes.

PT Duetermann, Scorpion in The Sea. Did I say before it's a great read? It's going back since it's a library book. Good techno-thriller sea story, written by a guy who knows his stuff unlike other techno-ignorant thriller writers.

Harry Turtledove Settling Accounts: The Grapple. Alternate history in which the South never fell. WW2 and the Confederacy is emulating Nazi Germany, complete with the Final Solution. General Patton's in here too with the soldier slapping incident. The first one he did was good. This series is getting tired and the South has risen enough. Read like a trainwreck. It's bad but you don't want to stop.

Melanie Rawn, Kate Robertson, and Kate Elliott, The Golden Key. Fantasy, about a society where everything legal is recorded by art. Surprisingly good even with the usual fantasy placeholders. Also very reminescent of the Rennaissance and the great Italian families such as the Medici and the Borgias.

Borrowed Books Reviews

Turned in all my library books but one.

That would be P.T Duetermann's The Scorpion in the Sea. Excellent book and it was his first. He's done other genre since then, mystery and detective, and even naval fiction. This is a well told sea story of going against great odds, as a maverick captain takes his old steam powered destroyer out against impossible odds, fighting not only the usual expected enemy, but also that one we know so well, politics. Truly fine. If you can find it, worthy of addition to anyone's permament collection.

The ones that went back.

Tom Clancy's Red Rabbit, Published 2002. Set when Jack Ryan is posted in England, right after Patriot Games. I tried to get into it but just couldn't. Kept going back and forth from Moscow to England. Right about the 100th page back it went. The best Clancy is the early stuff, Cardinal of the Kremlin, Red October among others.

Kotzwinkle, The Amphora Project. Sci-Fi about immortality and a junkyard moon. It was somewhat reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut.

Garcia's Casual Rex, a novel about a P.I who is a velociraptor. It still doesn't stop him from going through all the trials and tribulations that befall most P. I. 's including having to pay the rent and being used for target practice. Gives him a rather sarcastic slant on life. Good read, especially as a beach book.

There was one other but it was not memorable enough for here. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Going to the Library.

One of the perks of being temporarily retired, is using the library. I spent almost ten years working for a library system. Being "retired", spending money on books is a real no-no. A review of some of the stuff I borrowed.

James Rollins, wrote Ice Hunt, Black Order, Sandstorm, and a few others. Not a bad read. Kinda like literary fastfood. Funny how things always seem to burst into flame in his novels. Black Order, it was the churches catching on fire. Fire Marshall Bill Burns comes to mind when I read his stuff. Decent writer, much like Clive Cussler, with the notable exception that he is still writing his own stuff.

Larry Niven, The Ringworld novels, namely the second through fourth. Plenty of staying power even after all these years. Well written. In his later years he did farm some stuff out. The Kzinti can now be found in eleven books, called the Man Kzin Wars. The writing in those can range from excellent to "why am I reading this?".
The early stuff is best, though it can be said of Niven, there are no bad books.

Drew Karpyshyn, Darth Bane, Path of Destruction, novel about the rise of the Sith Lords. Mediocre, formulaic, wordy. Another licensed, branded Star Wars franchise novel. Readable if the snow is a foot deep outside and one has no pressing issues to attend to.
Still, a lot of good authors have been given their start by writing for Star Wars and some even got their start on Star Trek. After grinding out a few novels set in those "verses", they break away and start turning out the good stuff.