Friday, May 07, 2010
Amberville
** Amberville by Tim Davys. Fantasy.
I've linked to the Sony Reader Store for two reasons: 1) it's where I got the book, and 2) while I usually link to Barnes & Noble, I was irritated that their e-book was marked "These items ship to U.S. addresses only." I am really, really tired of things that don't ship to APO addresses, particularly when there's no actual shipping involved. Sony didn't have any trouble letting me download the book. Take last week, for example. I got an email from Sears (Sears! I order from them all the time, and they're excellent about APO shipping) saying they couldn't ship to the address I'd given them, and would I like them to ship to my daughter in Texas (whose phone number I'd used because they won't allow anything other than a 10-digit phone number) instead. I sent off a scathing reply. Didn't get an answer back, but the next day there was a your-order's-been-shipped email. *sigh*
Got a little of the subject there. Sorry.
Okay, the blurb, so I don't have to synopsize:
What does it mean to be bad?Stuffed animals. Okay, I could possibly get into that, if there were any good reason for the characters to be stuffed animals. There isn't. If there were some reason for the type of animal each character was, or if perhaps they didn't get hurt as easily because they're stuffed animals, or if there were a connection with our world, there might be a point. But there just isn't. In fact, most of the time, it's hard to remember that they are stuffed animals, until some detail smacks you over the head (like the disembowelment scene, where it's stuffing being pulled out instead of intestines). And then it pulls you out of the story because you'd forgotten they were stuffed animals.Eric Bear has it all: a successful career, a beautiful wife, a blissful home. He knows he's been lucky; a while back, his life revolved around drugs, gambling, a gang of stuffed-animal thugs, and notorious crime boss Nicholas Dove.
But the past isn't as far away as Eric had hoped. Rumors are swirling that Dove is on the Death List and that he wants Eric to save him. If Eric fails to act, his beloved wife, Emma Rabbit, will be torn apart, limb by limb.
With a nod to the best of noir and the wisest of allegories, and interlaced with greed and gangsters, Amberville depicts an alternate world that mirrors our own realities and moral concerns, and reminds us of the inextricable link between good and evil.
Even without the inexplicable stuffed animals, the story is pretty bland and straightforward. Eric Bear (could the names be any less inspired? first name followed by type of animal. wow.) ultimately has to choose between the two people he loves the most, but... ***semi-spoiler*** that choice is rendered moot--it's not unlike the vampire books where the hero spends the entire book trying to come to terms with what he is, then at the very end the good fairy poofs him back to human more or less on a whim--not due to any effort on the hero's part.*** If it hadn't been on my e-reader, the book would have hit the wall at that point.
There's not even much suspense in the search. The bad guys are just randomly bad, and there's very little motivation for any of them except for Nicholas Dove, who, of course, doesn't want to die.
What kept this book from being a complete waste of time (at least it wasn't a waste of money--it was a freebie) were the differences in POV between Eric, his brother Teddy, and Emma. I did enjoy seeing that what each character believed was not the entire story, and how it differed drastically among them.
Bottom line: with a few minor tweaks, this could be a decent children's story. The format, stuffed animal characters, and the whole death list mechanism would fit that genre much better.
Labels: 2 stars, books, fantasy
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Theory #46: Health and fitness and motivation
I get a whole bunch of health newsletters in my email. On the one hand, it's made me more knowledgeable about health issues. On the other hand, though... I can see why so many people just throw up their hands and say the hell with it. There's so much contradictory, outdated, and impractical advice out there, it's impossible to follow all of it.
The one that irked me the most this week: "it's impossible for women to build large muscles." If the author of that article had been sitting here, I'd have punched her in the nose. And then asked her why all my shirts were too small when I got home from basic training. It wasn't fat that made my arms and chest larger. Grrrr.
Then there's the one that says exercising any less than an hour a day, every day, is pointless. I have to wonder what they're trying to accomplish there. Okay, now I do exercise an hour a day most days (I skipped today because it's cold and rainy and I'm just seriously exhausted, but it's my first day off since last Friday), but it took me quite a while to work up to this. If I were just starting out, and if I weren't seriously cynical about health advice, this article wouldn't motivate me to jump right into an hour a day--it would make me believe that the 20 minutes I had the time and energy for was pointless, so I shouldn't even try.
The most hurtful article this week asserted that neither stress, birth control pills, menopause, nor stopping smoking caused weight gain. Reported weight gain associated with these events was instead due the the women failing to compensate by reducing their caloric intake and increasing their activity. Excuse me? It seems to me that if you have to change your diet and/or exercise levels in order to keep from gaining weight, it follows that it does cause you to gain weight. If I'm feeling charitable, I can assume that the author was trying to say that it's possible to keep from gaining weight from stress, etc, and that she was just a really bad writer. But mostly, I just think she's a size 0 with a high metabolism, a natural ectomorph, who likes to feel smug.
You've got to love the articles about healthy alternatives to favorite foods. Do they really think there's going to be a rush of people bringing bowls of roasted cauliflower to movie theaters instead of buying popcorn?
The comments on the healthy-living websites are just as bad. One memorable comment on a recipe screamed (in all caps) "SUGAR IS POISON! DON'T MAKE THIS RECIPE!" The amount of sugar in question? One teaspoon. That's five grams. Granted, most of us eat too much sugar, a lot of which is unnecessary, but one teaspoon of sugar stretched across four servings is not going to hurt anyone.
My theory, based on reading at least a hundred health-related articles and newsletters in recent months, is that a lot of them aren't trying to improve the general health. It's elitism. People like to feel superior. So whatever it is they have going for them, whether they were born into a wealthy family, are naturally thin, belong to a certain religion, live in a certain country or neighborhood, are tall or attractive or outgoing or smart, that's the highest virtue. It's human nature to feel pride in whatever it is we feel sets us apart. And I think if we're all honest with ourselves, if we have any self-esteem at all, we do feel superior about some things. And that's okay. I think it's necessary for self-esteem, as long as it's limited, and accompanied by empathy.
What's not okay is using that to make others feel bad, or worse, to sabotage their efforts to better themselves. I don't think the woman that wrote the these-things-don't-make-you-gain-weight article wanted to help other women struggling with weight gain. I think she wanted them to gain weight. That way she could continue to be superior. Granted, there's no way she even thought that to herself. But if your motivation is to help women who've gained weight because they stopped smoking, or who are concerned about doing so, you're not going to do it by accusing them of gluttony and sloth.
Likewise the various recommendations for vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. Nearly every article I've read--and it's significant that each article focuses on just one nutrient--says you shouldn't take supplements, not even a multivitamin--you just need to eat... have you ever added up all the stuff you'd have to eat to manage all the recommended daily allowances? Good grief. So what's the motivation? Why give us impossible recommendations? None of them are willing to say you can skip the walnuts one day or have fewer than six cups of green tea (and this along with the four cups of coffee I recently read was recommended, the eight cups of water, the glass of red wine, and however much skim milk the pundit-of-the-day espouses). Call me cynical, but I think they're not making serious recommendations. I think they're just trying to sound like they know it all. And I think they want people to fail, because then they can continue to feel smug and superior. (Well, it's too bad that you got cancer, but you only drank five cups of green tea a day, so it's your own fault.)
Hmmm. Maybe the better answer is that I should stop reading health newsletters.
***Note: Actually, I take all of this with a grain of salt (okay, virtual salt, because I don't need the extra sodium), make my own decisions, and pretty much believe in the gospel of moderation.
Categories: Theories
The one that irked me the most this week: "it's impossible for women to build large muscles." If the author of that article had been sitting here, I'd have punched her in the nose. And then asked her why all my shirts were too small when I got home from basic training. It wasn't fat that made my arms and chest larger. Grrrr.
Then there's the one that says exercising any less than an hour a day, every day, is pointless. I have to wonder what they're trying to accomplish there. Okay, now I do exercise an hour a day most days (I skipped today because it's cold and rainy and I'm just seriously exhausted, but it's my first day off since last Friday), but it took me quite a while to work up to this. If I were just starting out, and if I weren't seriously cynical about health advice, this article wouldn't motivate me to jump right into an hour a day--it would make me believe that the 20 minutes I had the time and energy for was pointless, so I shouldn't even try.
The most hurtful article this week asserted that neither stress, birth control pills, menopause, nor stopping smoking caused weight gain. Reported weight gain associated with these events was instead due the the women failing to compensate by reducing their caloric intake and increasing their activity. Excuse me? It seems to me that if you have to change your diet and/or exercise levels in order to keep from gaining weight, it follows that it does cause you to gain weight. If I'm feeling charitable, I can assume that the author was trying to say that it's possible to keep from gaining weight from stress, etc, and that she was just a really bad writer. But mostly, I just think she's a size 0 with a high metabolism, a natural ectomorph, who likes to feel smug.
You've got to love the articles about healthy alternatives to favorite foods. Do they really think there's going to be a rush of people bringing bowls of roasted cauliflower to movie theaters instead of buying popcorn?
The comments on the healthy-living websites are just as bad. One memorable comment on a recipe screamed (in all caps) "SUGAR IS POISON! DON'T MAKE THIS RECIPE!" The amount of sugar in question? One teaspoon. That's five grams. Granted, most of us eat too much sugar, a lot of which is unnecessary, but one teaspoon of sugar stretched across four servings is not going to hurt anyone.
My theory, based on reading at least a hundred health-related articles and newsletters in recent months, is that a lot of them aren't trying to improve the general health. It's elitism. People like to feel superior. So whatever it is they have going for them, whether they were born into a wealthy family, are naturally thin, belong to a certain religion, live in a certain country or neighborhood, are tall or attractive or outgoing or smart, that's the highest virtue. It's human nature to feel pride in whatever it is we feel sets us apart. And I think if we're all honest with ourselves, if we have any self-esteem at all, we do feel superior about some things. And that's okay. I think it's necessary for self-esteem, as long as it's limited, and accompanied by empathy.
What's not okay is using that to make others feel bad, or worse, to sabotage their efforts to better themselves. I don't think the woman that wrote the these-things-don't-make-you-gain-weight article wanted to help other women struggling with weight gain. I think she wanted them to gain weight. That way she could continue to be superior. Granted, there's no way she even thought that to herself. But if your motivation is to help women who've gained weight because they stopped smoking, or who are concerned about doing so, you're not going to do it by accusing them of gluttony and sloth.
Likewise the various recommendations for vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. Nearly every article I've read--and it's significant that each article focuses on just one nutrient--says you shouldn't take supplements, not even a multivitamin--you just need to eat... have you ever added up all the stuff you'd have to eat to manage all the recommended daily allowances? Good grief. So what's the motivation? Why give us impossible recommendations? None of them are willing to say you can skip the walnuts one day or have fewer than six cups of green tea (and this along with the four cups of coffee I recently read was recommended, the eight cups of water, the glass of red wine, and however much skim milk the pundit-of-the-day espouses). Call me cynical, but I think they're not making serious recommendations. I think they're just trying to sound like they know it all. And I think they want people to fail, because then they can continue to feel smug and superior. (Well, it's too bad that you got cancer, but you only drank five cups of green tea a day, so it's your own fault.)
Hmmm. Maybe the better answer is that I should stop reading health newsletters.
***Note: Actually, I take all of this with a grain of salt (okay, virtual salt, because I don't need the extra sodium), make my own decisions, and pretty much believe in the gospel of moderation.
Categories: Theories
Labels: theories
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Link of the Week
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/04/10/GA2009041001969.html?sid=ST2009070901266
What's an Easter basket without Peeps? If you're inclined to play with your Peeps, these dioramas might give you some inspiration. But love them or hate them, you have to enjoy the whimsical creativity of some of these artists.
This is a link to the third Peeps Show. The page also has links to the first two: (1 and 2). By the time this posts, there may even be a fourth. If there is, I'll add it.
Categories: LOTW
Labels: cool links
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday Morning Meme
Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?! "Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drank alcohol?" 35 questions for the people who are a little older...Tag me when you finish.
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
car repairs
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Bombay Restaurant in Einsiedlerhof. There's something very sensual about Indian food.
3. What do you really want to be doing right now?
sleeping! It's Monday morning--do you even need to ask?
4. How many colleges did you attend?
two: University of Michigan, and University of Maryland.
5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It was the only clean one in my pajama drawer that a) was warm enough (i.e. not a tank top) and b) I didn't need to wear a bra with.
If you're asking why it was in my drawer--it's an old comfy long-sleeved henley of Carl's.
6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don't pay attention much. Over here, we just put $$ on our card and then fill up the tanks until we need to put more on.
7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Since I was already awake (I've developed an annoying habit of waking up 10 minutes before the alarm goes off, but I stay in bed until it does, dammit!), I was most concerned about turning it off before it woke Carl up, because otherwise he'd dash into the bathroom ahead of me. (and then go back to sleep for another THREE FREAKING HOURS! No, I'm not bitter. Why do you ask?)
8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Well, since I fell asleep while reading, it was probably something about the current read: Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz.
9. Do you miss being a child?
Not really. I like my life now.
10. What errand/chore do you despise?
Scrubbing the tub, and dusting the rock collection. Neither of which gets done nearly as often as they probably should. Eh. Do it yourself if it bothers you.
11. Get up early or sleep in?
I'd love to sleep in, but these 5:15 mornings have killed my ability to do that, even on weekends.
12. Have you found real love yet?
Oh, yes.
13. Favorite lunch meat?
roast beef
14. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
I never go to Wal-Mart. They're not in Germany anymore because Germany requires companies to allow their employees to join unions. Hah. Even in the States, I don't go there. I loathe Wal-Mart.
15. Beach or lake?
Beach.
16. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
The ceremony thing, or the practice? I see no point to the ritual, but think that the concept of making a commitment to someone you love is an important one. I find stories about people discovering they're "not really married" because the priest/minister/rabbi/judge/whatever was a fake to be ridiculous.
17. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
I've never watched either one, and don't really want to.
18. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Stephen Colbert.
19. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
You mean, while I was driving, have I ever run into anything? No. But I've been in 3 accidents, one as a driver, two as a passenger.
20. Ever use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Nope. And never for an unintended purpose either.
21. Ring tone(s)?
Whatever came with the phone. Which I never use. I'm not even sure I know how to unlock it.
22. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
When I had braces as a teen, I was fanatic about brushing immediately after eating, and I always had a toothbrush in my purse, so probably the strangest would be restaurant bathrooms, or maybe by the water cooler on a picnic.
23. Somewhere in California that you'd like to go, but have never been?
I've never been to California. Someplace quirky and off the beaten path. I'm not so much into the usual touristy things.
24. Do you go to church?
No.
25. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Career.
26. How old are you?
49
27. Do you have a go-to person?
Probably Carl.
28. Are you where you want to be in life?
In some aspects, yes. I'm a work in progress in others.
28. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Scooby Doo, Rocky & Bullwinkle
29. What about you do you think has changed the most?
Being more comfortable in my own skin. I know who I am and make no apologies for it. I don't bend to make myself fit to anyone's expectations or wishes like I did when I was young. (stealing Deb's answer because it's a good one!)
30. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
God, no.
31. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Occasionally, but less and less often.
32. Did you ever own troll dolls?
No.
33. Did you have a pager?
No.
34. Where was the hang-out spot when you were a teenager?
No clue. If there was one, I was unaware of it.
35. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Oh, sure. They're less trouble-prone than I was, definitely, but I was never the instigator.
Categories: Meme, AboutMe
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
car repairs
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Bombay Restaurant in Einsiedlerhof. There's something very sensual about Indian food.
3. What do you really want to be doing right now?
sleeping! It's Monday morning--do you even need to ask?
4. How many colleges did you attend?
two: University of Michigan, and University of Maryland.
5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It was the only clean one in my pajama drawer that a) was warm enough (i.e. not a tank top) and b) I didn't need to wear a bra with.
If you're asking why it was in my drawer--it's an old comfy long-sleeved henley of Carl's.
6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don't pay attention much. Over here, we just put $$ on our card and then fill up the tanks until we need to put more on.
7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Since I was already awake (I've developed an annoying habit of waking up 10 minutes before the alarm goes off, but I stay in bed until it does, dammit!), I was most concerned about turning it off before it woke Carl up, because otherwise he'd dash into the bathroom ahead of me. (and then go back to sleep for another THREE FREAKING HOURS! No, I'm not bitter. Why do you ask?)
8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Well, since I fell asleep while reading, it was probably something about the current read: Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz.
9. Do you miss being a child?
Not really. I like my life now.
10. What errand/chore do you despise?
Scrubbing the tub, and dusting the rock collection. Neither of which gets done nearly as often as they probably should. Eh. Do it yourself if it bothers you.
11. Get up early or sleep in?
I'd love to sleep in, but these 5:15 mornings have killed my ability to do that, even on weekends.
12. Have you found real love yet?
Oh, yes.
13. Favorite lunch meat?
roast beef
14. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
I never go to Wal-Mart. They're not in Germany anymore because Germany requires companies to allow their employees to join unions. Hah. Even in the States, I don't go there. I loathe Wal-Mart.
15. Beach or lake?
Beach.
16. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
The ceremony thing, or the practice? I see no point to the ritual, but think that the concept of making a commitment to someone you love is an important one. I find stories about people discovering they're "not really married" because the priest/minister/rabbi/judge/whatever was a fake to be ridiculous.
17. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
I've never watched either one, and don't really want to.
18. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Stephen Colbert.
19. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
You mean, while I was driving, have I ever run into anything? No. But I've been in 3 accidents, one as a driver, two as a passenger.
20. Ever use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Nope. And never for an unintended purpose either.
21. Ring tone(s)?
Whatever came with the phone. Which I never use. I'm not even sure I know how to unlock it.
22. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
When I had braces as a teen, I was fanatic about brushing immediately after eating, and I always had a toothbrush in my purse, so probably the strangest would be restaurant bathrooms, or maybe by the water cooler on a picnic.
23. Somewhere in California that you'd like to go, but have never been?
I've never been to California. Someplace quirky and off the beaten path. I'm not so much into the usual touristy things.
24. Do you go to church?
No.
25. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Career.
26. How old are you?
49
27. Do you have a go-to person?
Probably Carl.
28. Are you where you want to be in life?
In some aspects, yes. I'm a work in progress in others.
28. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Scooby Doo, Rocky & Bullwinkle
29. What about you do you think has changed the most?
Being more comfortable in my own skin. I know who I am and make no apologies for it. I don't bend to make myself fit to anyone's expectations or wishes like I did when I was young. (stealing Deb's answer because it's a good one!)
30. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
God, no.
31. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Occasionally, but less and less often.
32. Did you ever own troll dolls?
No.
33. Did you have a pager?
No.
34. Where was the hang-out spot when you were a teenager?
No clue. If there was one, I was unaware of it.
35. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Oh, sure. They're less trouble-prone than I was, definitely, but I was never the instigator.
Categories: Meme, AboutMe
Labels: about me, random memes
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Link of the Week
It's just like the title says: odd things. From anti-gravity monuments to R2-D2 mailboxes, Stephen King's house and Harry Houdini's grave, blogger J. W. Ocker presents various odd things he's seen.
It's like a mini-encyclopedia of the odd.
Enjoy!
Categories: LOTW
Labels: cool links
Monday, March 08, 2010
Monday Morning Meme
The Handwriting Meme
Found this on Forgetfulone.
RULES -
1.) Go ahead, get a piece of paper and a pen. Prepared? Okay!
2.) Write a pangram* in your language. Sign your paper with your first name or your nickname (not your signature!!!). You can also include your blog URL if you want to.
3.) Take a picture, or scan the paper.
4.) Post it on your blog! Leave a comment here (or a trackback) once you have posted.
5.) Link back and tag - don’t be shy!
* A pangram, also known as holalphabetic sentence, is a sentence that contains all letters of the alphabet at least once. “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.” is a common example in English. There are pangrams in all languages - for a little inspiration spy *here*. Feel free to use one of these common examples or come up with something on your own.
Categories: Meme, AboutMe
Found this on Forgetfulone.
RULES -
1.) Go ahead, get a piece of paper and a pen. Prepared? Okay!
2.) Write a pangram* in your language. Sign your paper with your first name or your nickname (not your signature!!!). You can also include your blog URL if you want to.
3.) Take a picture, or scan the paper.
4.) Post it on your blog! Leave a comment here (or a trackback) once you have posted.
5.) Link back and tag - don’t be shy!
* A pangram, also known as holalphabetic sentence, is a sentence that contains all letters of the alphabet at least once. “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.” is a common example in English. There are pangrams in all languages - for a little inspiration spy *here*. Feel free to use one of these common examples or come up with something on your own.
Categories: Meme, AboutMe
Labels: about me, random memes
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Link of the Week
If you like South Park--and who doesn't?--this site lets you create your own South Park character.
Here's mine:
I made one earlier, but I couldn't find where I'd stored it, so I made a new one. Doesn't matter--the other one probably wouldn't have fit my current mood.
Have fun, and post pictures of the ones you make!
Categories: LOTW
Labels: cool links
