Lovecraft Circus / Book Reviews

I know I promised book reviews, but I don't really have time today.

Let me just say that if you are from Chicago you will not like Mr. Konrath's books because of the many gaffs and mistakes in details about our fair city.

What I do like is the audio book, in fact that is the only reason I listened to the second book. There are two readers, a man and a woman who read the male and female parts respectively. You would swear that there are about ten actors though. They are that good. I love the man's south side accent (showcased when he reads the Herb Benedict parts).

Some of the mistakes I remember off the top of my head:

1. Chicago does not have smog. Smog is smoke and fog. Chicago has smoke certainly, but rarely fog and not the temperature inversion you need to combine the smoke and fog and cook them together. You can see the stars from Chicago, they are obscured by LIGHT POLLUTION, but not smog.

2. People in Chicago NEVER call a Pizza a "PIE."

3. People in Chicago don't even know what a Hogie is (or how to spell it), let alone would ever eat one. In Chicago you eat ITALIAN BEEF SAMMICHES.

4. Chicagoans would never refer to a "highway" in this way, "I 90 otherwise known as the Kennedy." They would say, "the Kennedy, otherwise known as I90." This is a minor one, but it just didn't ring true.

5. There is no 53rd Street in Evanston.

6. Gary, IN is not 40 minutes from Chicago. It is 25 miles from the Loop, but is just the width of Hammond, IN from Chicago's south-east side. Chicago goes all the way to the Indiana border down there. I suppose that the main character, Jack Daniels is Loop centric, but that's no reason to say that Gary is further than Joliet, IL or Lake Forest, IL.

7. In the Chicago Police Department the Detectives do not have graded ranks (ie. Detective 1, Detective 2, etc.)

8. In the CPD detectives operate out of Areas, not districts (though I do give the author credit for not putting the CPD in precincts) and belong to the Bureau of Investigations.

9. The CPD Bureau of Investigations is commanded by a Deputy Superintendent. Deputy Superintendents are sometimes referred to as Dep, but the Superintendent is never referred to as the "Super."

10. "Feebies" is a VERY derogatory term for the FBI agents and is rarely used if at all. It would be like using the "N" word often and in mixed company. You just don't do it.

11. Chicago cops wear STARS, not "badges." He got this wrong in the first book, Whiskey Sour, but sometimes got it right in Rusty Nail.

12. The biggest one of all, Evanston is not on Chicago's west side. I don't know how or why Joe Konrath decided to move the home of Northwestern University. I have to think that he did it consciously, because he thanks a dozen people in his acknowledgments. One of them had to know where Evanston is.

Okay, that was pretty much the meat of my review anyway. The audio books are worth it for the theatrics, but the books, though suspenseful and high tension, just don't have enough Chicago rightness about them.

I don't know how to let Mr. Konrath know about his slip-ups. Maybe you gentle readers can help.

I'll give you another Cthulhu image if you do...

Random Cthulhu

Do you remember Bozo's Circus?

Da da da da da da da da da duh duh da DUM!

Aw, we'll have to try again, it's an elder god, erm I mean Don't-Care-Bear-ulhu.

Tomorrow I'll have a review of Joe Konrath's books: Whiskey Sour and Rusty Nail.

I should say, I'm going to point out da tings he got wrong about da cidy of broad shoulders my friend.

Children First Indeed

Mrs. Prop is "out of town" (she's in Chicago and since we live in Mundelein, which isn't even in Cook county then technically she's out of town, even though we live in "Chicagoland" and she is really only 45 minutes to 6 hours away depending on rush hour).


That means that I took off of work to be with the little Props (hence the first image today) since we don't want them to be home alone while I'm at work (I really like the bloody handprints, that's a nice touch).

I have also been naughty. I was supposed to take this time on my own to edit my mystery story, write a new story and do prep work for my NaNoWriMo novel. Instead I've monkeyed around on the computer doing almost anything but.


This is me perusing the Necronomicon instead of doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Nothing but trouble can come from this. Mark my words.





Oh, and I'm supposed to be working on Halloween decorations. I'm not one of those people who think Halloween is the second coming of Xomercial Xmas. No Xmasy lights and cutsie stuff like that. I have a giant spider and a house-hugging web (made of 1/4" nylon rope so it can't get away). The spider is up, but the web isn't yet (of course the spider goes up first so she can "spin" the web).

I'm also building a new UFO. My attempt last year was destroyed (probably aliens who didn't want it known exactly what their crafts look like).

Finally, I have been away from this blog (and Miserable Donuts) for several days. I know you gentle readers have been holding your breaths, thinking, "when will he return, is he alright, have dark cultists captured him, or Nayrlathotep?" That's why I'm regaling you with all these Cthulhuloid images today.

Fear not, well, okay fear, FEAR A LOT!

Friday Cthulhu

Tonight is SciFi Friday Night. It's also scout night.

How do these go together? Whell, when I was a young Boy Scout Dr. Who was on channel 11 on Sunday nights.

Now that I'm an older Girl Scout leader there is a new Dr. Who and he's on the SciFi channel on Friday nights.

All of this made me think about the movie for which today's Cthulhu image is a poster. Apparently a SILENT, black and white movie has recently been made based on HPL's short story "Call of Cthulhu." I'm going to try to find and see it.

Anyone out there know if it's out and where it can be found?

Giant Garden Gnomes of Doom

I showed this image to someone at work today. I was planning on using it for my wallpaper for October.

He said that that conical things in the middle ground looked like giant garden gnomes.

Drat! There goes my image of this. I can't look at it and think scary thoughts anymore, all I can see are harmless porcelain oddities.

That reminds me of the first time I actually saw The Shining. I was in college and I had a goofy friend that quoted the movie all the time (redrum, redrum). When I finally saw it myself I was laughing at all the reminders of my friend.

Peeps Cthulhu

I found this elder sign made from old Peeps candies and thought it was pretty cool.

I'm feeling better today about my "writing career." I guess I won't give up on it.

Maybe the sugary candy evil made me do it.

Speaking of that, I've been eating junk again. I had ice cream yesterday (promised myself a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough when I ended my 90 day work out program). Today I had Nutella on a bagel, then another bagel with butter, then a quarter bag of Lite popcorn, but with Butter Buds. I also had a double quarter pounder with cheese, fries, a double cheeseburger and a Coke (yes a real Coke, not diet).

Funny that only the Nutella tasted as good as I remembered. Good thing I was planning on ending the eating madness after today anyway.

Rejected!

I submitted my story "Lest Too Light Winning Make the Prize Light" to Apex, a scifi e-magazine, and it was rejected.

Ugh, in 18 years of writing I have made a grand total of $10 dollars.

Take me now Cthulhu!

Go Bears!

I have no idea what this photo is of, or who it is, but the guy next to Cthulhu is wearing a green and gold tee-shirt so maybe he's a Packer fan about to meet his timely end.

Bears beat the Packers 27-20, amazing. The stars must have been right I guess.

Favre is now tied for most carreer interceptions (with one time Bear George Blanda).

Any day the Packers loose is a good one, any day the Bears win is better and any day the Bears beat the Packers is GREAT!

Saves?!

I'm not sure what Cthulhu saves (this is from a site called Spkiemarket), but maybe it's an oximoron like Cubs win.

This seemed like a good one for Sunday.

BTW, I wanted to say thank you to all the fallen Firefighters and all those who risk their lives every other day. My family has a long tradition of firefighters and I feel a certain kinship (two of my brothers and my dad are firefighters).

Saturday Morning Cthulhu

It's Saturday morning and I woke up with such a headache. I had some crazy dreams last night. It must me my new pajamas. They were made in some place that starts with "R'L" something.

My Dad just had surgery Thursday and we are going to visit him and my in-laws. I see lots of driving in my future.

Wow, I'm psychic now too!

Evil Election Results

They sure did vote for a lesser evil. My biggest little Prop lost her election.

She had a lot of good issues and an actual platform, but alas, grade school elections are all about popularity (maybe they all are, but I'm not that cynical yet).

The good thing is she went to the teacher moderating the Student Council and asked that her campaign promises be honored. The teacher told her that she could take charge of them and made my little Prop the Commissioner of Suggestion Boxes.

So, although she lost she is still on the council (Kobayashi Maru) and still able to honor her promises. I'm so proud!

Cthulhu Election Day

Today (Thursday) was election day at my little Props' school.

My oldest is running for Secretary. So, like da good Chicagoan I am I voted a couple o' times and I made sure all my dead realitaves voted too. If all my daughter's ward captains did their jobs she should be fine. Da results come out Friday.

Dead people voting is very Lovecraftian, don't you think?

Who do you think would win in a fight between Da Coach and Da Elder Gods my friend?

It's Cthulhu Time Again

It's that time of year again. That time when the stars are right, I'm getting geared up for NaNoWriMo, the weather is changing and even that which cannot die lies sleeping.

Anywho, I've been exercising like crazy because of that P90 Challenge and it's almost over (I promised myself a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough).

Now it's time to edit my "summer" mystery project (so I can sell it for big dollaro$), and work on my Halloween decorations.

I'll post photos of my big spider and her web once they're up.

I'm also going to try to rebuild my UFO (cross your fingers and pray to the god of your choice).

I haven't talked about Rugby and the RWC because I've been too busy. There is the working out, but I have also changed departments (meaning more training and a new qualification for me) and I have changed shifts (I'm now on 3rd, 2230 - 0700 Sunday through Thursday).

I volunteered for the change at work. It's a good career move and it works better with the little Props' schedules.

I have finished Harry Potter Book 7, but I didn't want this to become a Harry Potter site. If you want to discuss it, I'd be glad to though.

Funny that even though I'm retired from the Active Guard, I don't really have any additional time.

A big chunk of my old unit is being called up to go to Iraq in the 4th Quarter and I'm going to try to help the Family Readiness Group (they support the families of folks that are deployed). Our FRG was WOEFULLY inadequate when I went to Afghanistan and I want to fix that.

Rugby RUGBY RUGBY!!!

The RWC (Rugby World Cup) started today at 1:00PM my time.

I programmed my STUPID TV to tape the France v Argentina AND the USA v England and it didn’t work!!!! I’ll figure that dang thing out yet.

There are 48 games total (so I still have 46 more to get it right) from now until October. I’m rooting for New Zealand (Ka Mate!) since the USA will be lucky to win one game.

I had gotten the cable (then satellite) package that had Fox Sport World especially because they had Rugby. That was how I saw the last RWC. A year ago or so FSW was castrated and became Fox Soccer Channel (they removed almost all their Rugby). I was dieing, but now Mrs. Prop (God bless her heart) found out that we have Setanta Sport channel in our package. They claim they’re carrying all the games.

Can you say Woo Hoo? I knew you could.

Also, on Miserable Donuts there is a very nifty video of yours truly playing Rugby in Champaign – Urbana two weeks ago. I’m wearing number 1.

Potter Clarification

The previous post contained a prediction made a couple of days before the seventh and final (by my prediction) Harry Potter book came out.

I wrote "opinions" which now seems like my review of the book after I had read it. I have not finished the book, but the day after it came out I searched the web to find out if my predictions were correct.

Number 1, we'll have to wait on. Numbers 3 and 4, that Dumbledore is alive and Snape killed the horcrux were both completely wrong. Numer 2 though, was spot on and by far the most important one in my mind.

Another thing, I commented that The Order of the Phoenix omitted the part of Snape's memories where Lily (Harry's mom) saves Snape from James Potter's teasing. Now, in light of the last book that seems like either a bigger gaff than before OR it was planned to avoid reminding people of the relationship between Snape and Lily and thus providing one more clue that Snape was not evil.

So, who's read the last book and what do they think?

Prop on Potter (and Flyboys)

I just saw Flyboys. I'm glad they made a WWI fighter pilot movie, but I wish they'd have been just a little more historically accurate. For instance, all the Germans are flying Red Triplanes. I'm pretty sure Red was rare if not unique to Baron Von Richtoffen. I caught a few other things out of place, but it was enjoyable. I was going to rip it up for historical inaccuracy, but there are already enough sites that have done that. This site is VERY specific.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – I watched this two days ago. I didn't put any spoilers in it so don't worry.

Well, they did at least one thing very right. In the book, I feel that Harry whines throughout. I just felt like slapping him in the book. In the movie it is better balanced and is shown less as whining and more as frustration. I really appreciated that.

Three things really struck me.

The actors are too old for their parts. I think that's been said other places before ad nauseaum, but unfortunately it's true. My remedy would be to skip the sixth movie and jump right into the seventh. I think the sixth movie will be anticlimactic after all is revealed in the seventh book anyway. All the suspense and good storytelling (finally) will have paid off already.

The second thing is that there are scenes where some of the actors don't have lines. Jenny [EDIT: Ginny] Weasley goes through the entire movie and the only things she says are her spells and curses. It looks to me like the director felt that we all needed to see those characters, we wanted to see them, but there just wasn't enough time in the film for their storylines. I don't know enough about filmmaking to give an answer, but I can see if it is wrong and this was wrong.

They left out some small, but I thought important points. I am not a dyed in the wool fanatic and I don't have all the books memorized. I read that book so long ago that I forgot what happens in it and I get things mixed up between the books, so you know that if I spot an omission it was probably something memorable. The biggest one of these is when Harry gets into Snape's thoughts and sees his father teasing and bullying Snape when they were both in school. What they don't show is how Lilly, Harry's mom, saves Snape. I think they should have left that in.

That said, I enjoyed it, especially since the tickets were a gift (my opinion is that Jo Rowlings has enough of her own money and I'm not going to give her any more of mine). It had some really great wizard battles and some pump your fists kind of scenes. I recommend it (especially if you can get it for free).

Now I am going to make public my opinions on the seventh book. Mark these down and note the date:

1. The seventh book will be the LAST of the Harry Potter books. I do not think it will be the last book set in that universe, but I think that if J.K Rowlings decides it is the last book there is no force in the world that can change her mind, but I also think that she loves that universe (or world if you will) too much to leave it.

2. Snape is a Dumbledore man. That's right, no quibbling about it, no reservations. Snape is a Dumbledore man. I don't know how he got out of the oath he made, but I do know that he didn't kill Dumbledore. I even have a theory of how he made it look like he killed him, but didn't. Rowlings had been trying with very poor effect to paint Snape as a bad guy and she finally found a way to do it convincingly. It is still the Snape that is loyal however.

3. Dumbledore is not dead! He explained it all to Malfoy. Dumbledore told Malfoy that they could make it look like he was dead. It was all a set up by Dumbledore, in front of two of the most unimpeachable witnesses (Harry and Draco).

4. Snape actually killed the horcrux of Voldemort. That's what he was aiming the curse at, not Dumbledore. I guess this is a minor thing after the other three, but I had to say it, it may be important.

Any questions?

The Camera Adds Ten Pounds (I swear, at least that many)

Well, I just started an exercise routine called P90 (by Beachbody). It is supposed to last for 90 days, 6 days a week and you start out by taking a photo of yourself.

My God! I swear that's not the person in my mirror! How come I don't look that bad when I'm shaving?

I'm going to use this as the wallpaper to my home computer. That way, every time I sit down to use the computer I'll say to myself, "get up quick and work out, now!"

I'll spare you my stats, but I do still make the body fat percentage for the Army.

In the movie The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible works out after his first trip to the island. He lifts trains and such, just like my workout routine. After that he measures his waist, he's happy that it's down to 39" but when he goes to E to get his suit fixed she says, "My god you've gotten fat."

HEY! That's right about my waist size. I was always offended. Now after seeing these photos I'm saying to myself exactly what E said.

Serenity Review

SPOILER - SPOILER - SPOILER

I want to get this over with from the get go, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE.

I went to the library and grabbed the TV series. The little props and I enjoyed it very much (I enjoyed it almost as much simply because they enjoyed it). So, when we ran out of episodes (too quickly) I picked up the movie. We decided that the movie might be a little too much for little prop eyes and they didn't watch it (I'm glad they didn't), but I did.

I am disappointed and happy.

I'll talk about the things I liked first.

It was actually Sci-Fi! I'm so glad the Western part fell behind the actual SF. The TV series was often TOO Western and they could very easily left the "boat" behind. The stories didn't need the science to make them work. The movie could not have worked if the science weren't involved (okay, it could have worked with magic, but ANYTHING could work if you just say it was magic). This is what defines SF and I am so glad they finally got that right.

As a writer I have to say, I'm glad they weren't afraid to kill some of the main characters. Yes that's right I'm glad they killed main characters. That isn't a bad thing in and of itself. I know that sometimes it just works. If you are too in love with the characters to kill them then they could stop being real in your story. You remember when MASH stopped letting the characters be real in the story, about the time Winchester came along. To me that also happened in Angel in the second season. They didn't let that happen too much in this movie and I'm glad.

I liked the Shepard's death. He shot down the ship, he managed to keep himself alive long enough to talk to Mal, he gave Mal good advice and then he died. He had a good death. I'm not happy that any further Firefly/Serenity things cannot have Ron Glass and his Shepard character, I'll miss him, but his was a good death.

I didn't like what they let the River character become (played by Summer Glau, which we all thought was funny, that River was played by Summer). She ended up being Buffy the Reaver slayer. What the heck was that? She was a weapon, okay, but a mental weapon. In the TV series she shot three people, but she did it with math.

I listened to Joss Whedon's comments for the big, River vs. the Reavers scene and he even said he didn't know why all his movies/TV series involve a super powered adolescent girl. I don't know why either, maybe you should get help (that's why I chose the photo I posted here: no River).

Two other minor problems about River, why did the reavers stop shooting during her big fight and couldn't you have used some different makeup to at least TRY to make Summer Glau look 17 still?

The song was gone. It was very charming to hear my six-year-old walk up the stairs to her room singing, "Take my love, take my land…" I missed the song.

Now comes the proverbial straw…

Wash's death SUCKED! Not because he died, and not just in how he died, but in everyone's reaction and especially in ZOE'S LACK OF REACTION!

That was wrong, wrong, wrong. I listened to Joss Whedon's commentary for that part too and he said that he had to fight Gina Torres (Zoë) to get her not to react. Hey Joss, she got it right!

I said the Western thing got on my nerves. I said that my three young daughters liked the show. What made the show good was the characters and how they worked with each other. I loved the fact that Zoë and Wash (Alan Tudyk) were married. I didn't realize it until the movie, but Zoë had actually taken his name. I love that.

I'm a sentimentalist and a romantic. I didn't want them to be lovers; I wanted them to be husband and wife. In the episode "War Stories" you got to see that taken to the extreme. I loved that. The bond between a husband and wife has got to be as strong or stronger than any other.

They completely lost that in the movie. Zoë doesn't EVER mourn Wash. Okay, she's tough. She was shook up. It made her move too close to the reavers and get cut. She stabbed one reaver kind of a lot. I expected at least that. It made sense, she was tough, she had been through the war and had seen many of her comrades die, but COME ON! She was more broken up when that nut job that used to be in their unit got himself shipped to them as a dead body and eventually did die than she did when her husband, her soul mate, her better half died.

Not only did he not get the chance to have an heroic death like Shepard Book, fighting to save everyone else, making the ultimate sacrifice, but now I have lost all respect for the Zoë character. How can you respect anyone who can't cry for their spouse's death?

That ruined the movie for me.

Oh yeah, and in the movie, the spaceships make noise in space. UGH!

Prop Future

I may update this as we go.

Things I think we will do or have in the next 100 years:
1. Looks like we will put a base on the moon.
2. Base on Mars
3. Surgically implant phone/web in our heads
4. Use hollowed out asteroids as space habitats (spabitats) in earth orbit
a. Turn one of Mars' moons into a spabitat
b. Use spabitats in the asteroid belt
c. Start building spabitats in Jupiter orbit
5. Space elevator
6. Virtual reality morass (I think virtual reality (video games) will slow down progress as people get too wrapped up in it and eventually it could destroy civilization because too many people will refuse to deal with reality).
7. Nanomeds – medical treatments will be performed by molecular robots that are programmed to do certain things (go into a cell and rewrite the DNA etc.)
8. Required genetic screening for all fetuses
9. Genetic manipulation (improvements) of humans
10. Cloning of human body parts in order to prolong life (at age 60 you get a whole new set of lungs, heart, liver etc.)
11. Find life on Europa
12. Faster than Light (FTL) Communication will allow contact aliens through some sort of string theory/quantum communication method that is completely separate from any electromagnetic detecting (the answer to the Fermi Paradox is, "they're on the other line"). We will exchange a lot of knowledge, but never come in contact.
13. Send out the first starship, which will be a generational starship built of a spabitat.

Things I think we will not do (and may never do):
1. Teleport (transporter = impossible)
2. Faster than light travel (impossible). No hyperspace, no warp speed, just plain old moving from here to there in real space/time.
3. Space battles will not occur or will only occur close to space habitats. The "shore batteries" that are used for defense against meteors will be too effective for shipboard weapons and the sensors of a large stationary object will far outstrip any ship. Ships will all be subject to "shore battery" from so far out that ships will be "covered" by shore at all times. Battles will be with infantry in space suits or inside space habitats.
4. Establish colonies ON any of the other moons.

New Prop-Time

I just started a new schedule at work. I am still trying to figure out my non-work schedule around it.

I'm now working 1500-2330 (3:00PM to 11:30PM). That means the little Props don't need daycare for the summer, hooray!

It also means that I start work four hours after the people who report to me and stay at work three and a half hours after the last one leaves. Well, I'm moving to a different department soon (hopefully) so they'll have to learn to live without me.

Pictures of a Retired Officer

Major John was very kind and took a few photos of me at my last National Guard drill. My unit gave me the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) as a career award.

I also earned an Army Commendation Medal for my efforts during the Warfighter Exercise we attended in January of this year.

Major John also gave me the very generous gift of the uniform in the photo. Officers have to buy their own uniforms and although the theory is for an initial issue of a complete uniform change (like changing from BDUs to ACU) the officers are supposed to get an issue or a uniform allowance, they will field the ACUs to deploying units, then enlisted and then officers. I don't expect they would have gotten to me any time soon. MJ says now I have a complete set of uniforms (BDUs, DCUs, ACUs, Greens and Blues) for my "Mr. Incredible Room."

I was also given a pair of cigars by the one and only Illini5 of Salerno. He is known by many names, The Man from Salerno, Mayor Webb, Webbie and The DIS.

I am very grateful and now, as a soldier at least I will "just fade away."

I have been reading The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara. It is the story of the American Revolution and I am inspired. I must find some way to continue my service to my country. I'll keep you posted dear reader.

SO Much to Talk About

Well, on Mother's Day Saturday I refereed again. I haven't posted on it because I have had a very lot to do. I'll get into all of that.

I reffed in a tournament in Fox Valley (IL) and I did one game. My heels were healed enough and they didn't give me any trouble. The game was between the Chicago Dragons and Oconomowoc (WI). Oconomowoc won 57-0. There were a little shenanigans, but mostly it was a cleanly played game and nobody got hurt. I was a touch judge for a couple of other matches. I don't know if I am improving or if my abilities as a ref are entirely based on how difficult the game is to ref. Anyway I'm done for the season. I may be done forever. We'll see.

I'm trying to write a mystery short story and get it published with the help of friends at Miriable Visu. There is a password only section there so we can read, discuss and critique each others' work. If all goes well I will be able to sell my story to a large market magazine and make a few pennies.

I went to National Guard this past weekend. This is where the real meat of this post is and may need more than this post to work out. This was my last drill. I had submitted my letter requesting transfer to the Retired Reserve, from the Active National Guard as of 21 May 07.

Barring WWIII I will probably never be in the active service of our country again. This is the part that really feels funny. We are in a war. You may not look at it that way, but I do. There are folks out there that are being deployed 4, 5, 6 times and I've only gone Federally once. It seems like I'm not pulling my weight. I made a promise to Mrs. Prop that I would never go again, but that doesn't make me feel any less guilty.

Don't get me wrong, I am VERY glad to be done with that. I don't feel old because I'm "retired" and I will not miss it. I never LIKED doing it.

I felt a sense of pride, patriotism, and duty, but I NEVER did it because it was fun. I did it to pay for college, I did it for money, I did it to help end the Cold War, I did it to help flood victims, guard against potential rioters, to help hurricane victims, to defend liberty and to make this a better world. I did it for my country, for my comrades, for my children, wife and my family.

I started as a helicopter mechanic when I was 17 and still in high school. I finished as a Major and I think I was well thought of and could have continued to get promoted if I had stayed. My goals when I entered the service were to pay for college, to become an officer and to stay in for 20 years and retire.

I received tuition for four years at the University of Illinois and earned a BA there. I was commissioned on 8 Jul 89 after five years of trying and three commissioning programs. I received my letter stating that I had 20 years completed when I was deployed to Afghanistan and on stop loss. In the end I had 23 years, four months and seven days.

I now have to find a new way to serve.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I had a Girl Scout camping trip this weekend. I have a Rugby game to ref next Saturday, I have a contest story I have to do for MV and I signed up for a summer writing project for MV, for which the first draft is due by Sunday. Can't go into any details right now, but I'll try to inch my way along with the Empire Beyond Mars serial...



In the meantime check out this badge I made (in about two minutes). I'm going to send it over to Anotherealm (for which I just re-registered also) and see if they adopt it.

Empire Beyond Mars 1

This is a new story serial I'm starting. I'm going to add to it as I write it, so it should build and build, I hope.

Let me know how you like it. It's sort of Space Opera meets Burroughs.


EMPIRE BEYOND MARS

"It wasn't really broken, just unsnapped. I snapped it back. It should be fine now."

"Thanks ever so much Rusty," Janet Brewer cooed as Rusty Ferguson shimmied his way out from under the BMW convertible of the captain of the cheerleaders.

Rusty would be the first to describe himself as a "lump." He was large and soft, red and freckled. Janet was just the opposite, small and firm, dark and smooth.

"You're better than a brother Rus," she reached up and hugged his neck while pecking him on the cheek. "Hunter gets out of football in only an hour and I had to make sure I got him a new shirt. That boy needs two mothers."

Rusty nodded while he wiped his hands on a rag.

"Can I give you a ride anywhere?"

"No thanks," he said reluctantly. "I have to get to work and DDI is the opposite direction from the mall."

"I'll see you in band tomorrow morning then," she said as she slid into the driver seat. They both played clarinet and sat next to each other.

He waved until he couldn't see her and then went and unlocked his bike from the rack. He had had to build his bike from spare parts left from his four older brothers, but it was still pretty good.

Rusty worked after school at Diversified Dynatechnics International. DDI had been established and was owned by Doctor Ares Greene, MD who started the company a dozen years earlier to further the studies of his own favorite professor. The building itself was a one-story facility in a semi residential neighborhood of Chicago with a small parking lot big enough for only about a dozen cars.

When Rusty arrived he saw Dr. Greene on the roof. They waved to each other and Dr. Greene called him by name.

Dr. Greene's being on the roof was not as strange a sight as it might have been. The DDI building was a green building. The bricks were especially made to be environmentally friendly, the south-facing wall was angled so that the solar panels on it could collect the maximum amount of energy and the ceiling was planted with grasses and shrubs that fed the goats that lived there. There were also several windmills and some other features that Rusty suspected, but was unsure of, like the building may have been tapping into and using geo-thermal energy.

Inside the lobby Rusty stood aside as several of the full time workers departed. Three women and two men who all worked in the administrative side of the company went through the scanner and wished him a good day.

Two guards operated the scanner. They were very large and very stoic. Although Rusty knew their names were Bob Montgomery and Kent Cox he also knew that speaking to them about anything except security was worse than a waste of time.

"Are you taking you bag with you?" Bob asked, as one of them always did.

"No, I can check it," Rusty handed his school bag to Kent, who put it through a scanner before locking it in an airport style locker behind the guard desk.

"Step through the scanner please," Bob said.

Rusty went through the scanner. This was not an ordinary metal detector, but the most sophisticated piece of security equipment invented by the staff at DDI itself. The scanner did scan for metals, but also for anything with a density high enough to be an effective weapon. It also scanned for health signs, similar to a lie-detector. His DNA; retinal scan; ears; finger and toe prints were on record. They were all scanned in the time it took Rusty to walk the two meter length of the machine. Once Bob and Kent were satisfied that the subject was an employee they would issue an ID. The ID had a photo from that day and was actually a computerized transceiver that let the guard force know where the subject was and what he was doing at all times.

Rusty clipped on his ID, hazarded a, "have a nice day" and walked briskly to his lab.

Prop on Pope, Again

I posted a story about Pope Benedict XVI earlier today on Miserable Donuts, but that wasn't the first story I saw about the Pope today.

The original story that drew my attention Vatican-way was the one that Daddy Ben (I don't think he likes me calling him that, but I wonder what the translation services would do with it, don't you) is approving a "study" that has concluded that we really don't know diddly about Limbo and therefore babies and really nice non-Christians who never got the chance to get baptized (like Moses and such) may actually be able to get into Heaven.

I couldn't actually read the report since I don't have a subscription to the journal (Origins Online, I won't include a link there since you can't get in any more than I can) in which it was published, but it seems a bit, oh I can't remember the technical term, so let's just call it, goofy.

The idea was "originally" that JC came to free us from Original Sin (that Adam listened to Eve in the Garden of Eden when she listened to the snake). Everybody is a sinner and the only person who was even born without the sin of the original father was the Virgin Mary (the Immaculate Conception). Original Sin was a "Mortal Sin."

Trouble is, Limbo is a bit like Purgatory. Purgatory, the nuns used to tell us, is the place you go to burn off whatever Venial Sins you had on your soul when you died, before you could get into Heaven (anyone except infants with a Mortal Sin would get a one-way ticket to furnace-ville). You could get out of Purgatory (my grandmother used to tell us) if someone on the "outside" (still alive) offered up Graces they earned to your salvation. This led in the middle ages to the sale of a certificate that you had devoted your Graces to a particular loved one, otherwise known as Indulgences (remember old Marty Luther and his tacky list on the door).

Well, I figure that if babies don't get baptized they only way they can get into Heaven is by other people's Graces (actually I think they don't go anywhere since I don't believe in Hell, Purgatory or Limbo, but that's another story) or the whole thing collapses. I mean if they'll let any old (or very young) punk into Heaven, Original Sin or not, then why the heck do we need Jesus anyway?

Also, and I think this is a much more real "danger" it opens the way to the Church giving the nod to abortion. In far future 'studies' I they'll say it's okay to kill the fetus if the mother prays really hard and she was going to die if she didn't get the abortion.

I wonder if they really want to open that level of hell?

I Failed to Fail!

There it is in all its glory. I am now the proud owner of a USA Rugby Level I Referee certification!

I told you I wouldn't post again until I got it and I have. It even has my correct name on it.

Mrs. Prop will be so proud, no scratch that. She will be relieved, happy that I am not going to spend anymore time on that silly thing (this year).

As you may know, I have already reffed one game and TJed (Touch Judged) another. That may seem like the cart being before the horse, but I agree with you. I don't understand, but it did seem to work out.

I actually won't have a rating until I have passed the test (which I have) and been evaluated while reffing a game. I don't know exactly how that works, but that next step will have to wait at least another week as I am going to my little brother's Naval Retirement Party tomorrow.

Na Ah Not Gunna Do It.

Wouldn't be prudent so I won't post again until I here back from the testing folks at USA Rugby. I'm going to send my third and final try at the Rugby Referee Level 1 test in and I'll get back to you later.

I'm also not going to tell you that I'm working on a new serial. It will be called Empire Beyond Mars, but you won't know that until I actually write Episode I and post it. It wouldn't be prudent to say something like that with no product to back it up.

I am currently writing a Horror SciFi story for Apex and then I'm going to write another for Alien Skin's new contest. Along with that and the officially unannounced Empire Beyond Mars, I'm going to edit "Lest Too Light Winning Makes the Prize Light" based on input I got at Mirable Visu.

So, nothing much on my plate right now. I'll get back to you when I have something solid.

Failure, Failure and More Failure

Failure seems to be the theme for March. I failed the Rugby Ref test and then sent in corrections and still didn't pass yet. I did find out that one of my answers wasn't wrong so now I only need two more right answers out of four and I'm really sure I know the answers.

I also failed to do 50 hours of editing on my book, Guya Principal in March. That was part of NaNoEdMo. I'm really disappointed in that. I've got loads of excuses, the above-mentioned Ref test, two-three day drills with the National Guard and on and on. The point is I didn't do it. Now I have to keep going and my plan was to start working on new stories and submitting queries with the book. That's on hold.

I'm not doing so well with my New Year's Resolutions. I planned on submitting 12 short stories to PAYING publishers. I haven't sent one yet. I planned on making 6 queries with my book. It's not ready yet. I planned on swimming 100 miles (not that hard if I had a chance to swim at all, it's just two miles a week).

I also planned on retiring from the Guard at April's drill. They're having a hail and farewell and a bunch of awards handed out next drill so I would have been there anyway. I might as well get paid, but this means I'm not out yet.
Let's hope next week shows an upturn. I'm optimistic.

We Did It!

I refereed my VERY FIRST EVER RUGBY MATCH yesterday.

I am very pleased. I was unsure of how I would do. I'd been having trouble with the test and any practice quiz I could find on the web and I couldn't understand why I couldn't put it all together.

My biggest fear was that I would be so confused and present such a useless pressence that the players would take the matter into their own hands and start retaliating for things I didn't call or didn't call correctly.

Well, that didn't happen and it went rather well. I was asked to come back which is always a good sign.

I say that "we" did it becuase I was impressed with the way the young men and coaches of both teams, Lake Forest and UIC knew the game and conducted themselves. They made my first game much easier than I had expected. A big thanks goes out to them.

The result? Well Lake Forest (home) won 48-0.

I was questioned once on a call, at half time and the player turned out to be right (I checked my lawbook which was close at hand). I told both teams what the law really was and that we would play it that way after that. I was also asked by one of the coaches to watch the lineouts for not throwing straight. I think I cleaned that up pretty well after that.

So everyone had an enjoyable game of rugby and no body got hurt through mallace. I think there were a couple of concussions, but that's nothing really. This is Rugby.

One man did have a broken jaw and I hope he gets well soon.

Still Editing

I learned that Editing is not the same as Proofreading and that Proofreading should happen only after Editing.

Editing is moving stuff around and adding stuff to make the story stronger and increased emphasis where you want it. That takes me sitting down for longish periods of time to get into the story.

Proofreading is just checking spelling, grammar, word usage and continuity. That's easy and can be done in as little as 30 second chunks.

This makes things a whole lot harder. I'm having trouble getting enough time together unfettered so that I can get into the story and be productive. Please wish me luck.

I FAILED!

I failed the Rugby Ref exam.

I don't understand how I am not capable of understanding this stuff. I got an 81% and you need a 95%. I would have sworn I had gotten a 100% as I put the page and law reference by each question in my book.

I get two more chances, but if those references aren't right I don't know what could be the right answers!

On top of that, how am I supposed to be able to make instant decisions on the field if I can't figure out the laws in an open book test?!

I know I'm not stupid. Is there some sort of trick to this?

It Has Started

Well, I started NaNoEdMo. I'm going to try to do 50 hours of editing this month before it's through.

This means that there will be even less blogging around here. You can help me though. Please comment on the chapters that appear here of Guya Principal. That's the book I'm working on right now (see the post immediately preceding this one for links).

I got some good comments earlier from an anonymous poster that I am already using in my editing. You could be a part of it too.

Thanks.

New, NEW, ALL NEW!

I have a new PDA, a new NaNo, a new email and a new image.

New PDA - My old Tungsten T5 died and I bought a new Palm Tungsten TX.

New NaNo - I joined NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month). I will be attempting to do 50 hours of editing on my latest novel, Guya Principal. Wish me luck.

New Email - I have a new email address and I finally got DSL. HOORAY! I can finally work on-line at home! Let me know if you need the new address, but for now the old one will forward your messages.

New Image - The University of Illinois, my and Mrs. Prop's Alma Mater has cowtowed to the NCAA and outlawed Chief Illiniwek in all his aspects. Well, they can't make me bend my knee to non-sensical Political Correctness. We are going to continue to use the name Illini here and the image of the Chief (as inaccurate as it is) will continue to be honored here.

ADDITION: If you click on the word "Addition" it will take you to a site that has a petition to try to stop Alumni donations in ways that benefit Athletics. I think this is a great way to put our money where our mouths are and to try to get other people's money in our mouths too.

Happy Feast of Saint Valentine

Today is the Feast of Saint Valentine, or St. Valentine's Day. I want to take this opportunity to say publicly that I love Mrs. Prop. I know that's not much of a Valentine, but I got her some cards too.

Did you know that St. Valentine had nothing to do with romance or lovers, but that in the middle ages the saint's feast day became associated with romance, because in England February 14 is when the birds mate?

By the way, how come gansta's now-a-days don't have enough class to name famous inter-gang exchanges after famous days. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre sounds so poetic don't it?

I think if we put it up along side equivalent current situations (drive-bys and such) that we would see if for what it was, not something romantic, but something low-down and criminal.

Hooray for the Cops and I'll say a prayer for you.

PS: I just found out that my Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass says that today is the feast of St. Cyril, Monk and St. Methodius, Bishop. What? I never heard of those guys? I think the Catholics are missing the boat today.

Happy Darwin Day

Wow, what a day. It's Lincoln's AND Darwin's Birthday. I didn't know they were the same day. It's kind of ironic you know.

I guess if you don't care about American presidents, or the United States as a singular entity, or the abolition of slavery in said country, then you can celebrate the other day, or not.

When I was in OBC I had a friend named Ray from rural TN. One day his parents came to visit and we all went to dinner in their van. At one point Ray said, "Hey, Ma, Bill is an Anthropology Major."

I just knew this was going to be trouble, but I, like Hercules, had to meet my fate.

She said, in a most innocent tone, "Anthropology, do you believe in evolution?"

I replied in the positive. To that she spun round in her chair, put her finger in my face and said, "WRONG!"

I'm just happy she didn't throw me out of the van.

"I was made in God's image," she said, "and God don't look like no damn monkey!"

Well, I didn't debate her (we hadn't eaten yet and there was still a good chance that Ray's parents would buy) but I'd be more than happy to debate it here in the comments.

Unless of course you only admire Mr. Darwin for his study of finches.

And oh, by the way, I agreed with Mr. Lincoln too, so bring on that debate as well.

RUN DAMN IT!

You may have come here from Miserable Donuts where you saw one of the two images that were burned into my little gray cells and here you will find the other one.

These images and two things I have to say will be the last I have to offer on the matter and I will move on and complete the healing process.

RUN!

Thomas Jones got 7.5 yard a carry, but they only ran 19 TIMES! "We're a running team." - Lovie Smith. My butt! If they had established the run they would have won the game. I realize that they were awful in almost every phase of the game, but they were in it for a very long time. Had they run when they had the lead they would never have lost it. Does running work? Ask the Colts, they ran 46 TIMES! And they have Manning!

This point is a little more subtle and maybe only a sub-point of the other one. If they had run the same gameplan that they ran against the Saints I think they would have won.

As I said, they managed to work their way down to being horrible in all phases of the game. They started out good on Special Teams (Kickoff return for a touchdown), Defense (interceptions and fumble recoveries) and even offense (big Thomas Jones run, Grossman actuall had a passer rating of somewhere around 120 in the 2nd quarter when Mannings was only about 85), and then lost it, so there is plenty of blame to go around.

Here is an image however that I think summed the Not-So-Superbowl all up:

It was a Train Rex!