Well, it seems as though the linky I was using for the Read the Bible 2012 challenge has disappeared from the web. :-/ It’s been replaced with some mom advice site… I didn’t even get an email so I had no idea the linkies weren’t working. I’m going to start looking for a new linky solution. Preferably one I can host on this site! If you know of any solutions let me know, please! Until then, just sign up in the comments: By the way, because of the horrible mistake I made in switching to Simply Linked (before it randomly turned into MomAdvice) I don’t even have a list of who signed up. :-( I have a few people in the sidebar and one or two in the comments, but if anyone signed up after my last check (a week or more ago) I don’t know. In fact, the only reason I found out that they weren’t working was because I had a friend request on GoodReads from a new participant. I realized it had been a while since I checked the lists and wanted to add her to the sidebar. :-/
Back of the Book: HOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD? To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright. But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa’s world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world. . . . Pages: 320 Published: 1968-07-?? Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that Lessa “blurring” herself is never really explained. Through context you realize she’s got some telepathic powers, but it’s never really addressed. The very best thing about this book is DRAGONS! Oh sweet heaven there are dragons! And an entirely new planet! I love visiting Pern. ^_^
Back of the Book: It’s 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They’ve been best friends almost as long – at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh’s family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they’re automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn’t been invented yet. And they’re looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they’re forced to confront what they’re doing right – and wrong – in the present. Pages: 356 Published: 2011-11-21 Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that it’s over a little too quickly. I would have liked to see some continuation of the relationships after the climax of the story. The very best thing about this book is how amazingly Facebook is portrayed and somewhat oversimplified due to the fact that the characters are simply plunked down in a 2011 Facebook instead of having watched the progression of the site (and the web in general) over the years. Also, best quote ever: I’m going to be mentally ill in fifteen years, and that’s why my husband doesn’t want to be around me.
Back of the Book: Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. But now, after centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison, and all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx’s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison. Previous books in this series: “Fablehaven” & “Rise of the Evening Star” & “Grip of the Shadow Plague” & “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary” Pages: 593 Published: 2010-03-23 Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that this is the end. The very best thing about this book is Bracken! And his true identity. ^_^ I can’t give anything away, and not because it would ruin the story, but because it would be cruel to deprive a first time reader of the suspense and excitement! :-D Happy reading, this series was well worth it! o_O
Back of the Book: In her haste to flee the palace before the magic of the fairy godmother loses effect, Cinderella leaves behind one clue to her identity. Pages: 44 Published: 1974-09-12 Format Read: real book The very worst thing about this book is that they eliminate the first shoe shattering. That was one of those “oh no!” moments in the movie that really worries us as youngsters, but they didn’t include it in the book. :-( The very best thing about this book is the simplicity of it. It’s enough to hold the attention of a two-year-old (or a 27-year-old – me) because the story is fun, but simple. I read this to my niece twice last week before her naptime and she loved it! So did I, for that matter! She was even more excited that the copy I read to her was hers to keep. :-) What can I say? My girl takes after her Aunt Lishy in her love of books!!!
Back of the Book: Brace yourself for a shocking secret. Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain unrecovered. More preserves face destruction as the Society of the Evening Star relentlessly pursues new talismans. Reading in Patton s Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to a vault housing one of the artifacts. In order to retrieve it, the Knights of the Dawn must enter a death trap a dragon sanctuary called Wyrmroost. The mission cannot proceed without stealing a sacred object zealously guarded by the centaurs. Anybody seen Seth? The race is on to acquire all five of the artifact keys to the great demon prison. Will the Knights of the Dawn conquer Wyrmroost? Who can stop the Sphinx? Can Vanessa be trusted to help? What artifact will be found next? Find out in Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. Previous books in this series: “Fablehaven” & “Rise of the Evening Star” & “Grip of the Shadow Plague” Pages: 535 Published: 2009-03-24 Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that Seth still is dashing off into trouble. True, he thinks things through a little better this time, but he still isn’t listening to his elders… It’s a bit frustrating that one of the messages seems to be that “as long as you can justify it and it turns out okay, you can break the rules.” The very best thing about this book is Gavin. This was completely unexpected for me, although Raxtus’s big part felt a little rushed.
Back of the Book: Very strange things are afoot at Fablehaven. Someone or something has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. Seth discovers the problem early, but as the infectious disease spreads, it becomes clear that the preserve cannot hold out for long. In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. The Sphinx has always given sound advice — but is he a traitor? Inside the Quiet Box, Vanessa might have information that could lead to a cure — but can she be trusted? Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another hidden artifact. Will the Society of the Evening Star recover it first? Will the plague eclipse all light at Fablehaven? Previous books in this series: “Fablehaven” & “Rise of the Evening Star” Pages: 487 Published: 2008-04-21 Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that some scenes are a bit more rushed than I would like. The very best thing about this book is Patton and Lena. I can’t say more due to potential spoilers, though.
Back of the Book: At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother Seth find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three specialists — a potion master, a magical relics collector, and a mystical creature trapper — to help protect the property from the Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. The Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world. Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble? DeLaina’s Review on Goodreads.com: The themes in the book are excellent too. For example, the girl is a rule-keeper and the boy is a curious mischief-maker, and one of the central themes is obedience. At the end you figure out that a measure of disobedience was necessary to set in motion the events that eventually lead to the ultimate demise of evil, which could not have happened otherwise. Fascinating!!! (read the entire review here) I chose this book, obviously, because it’s the second in the series I’m currently reading. (The first is reviewed here.) Literary Merit: The conversations and the way the dialogue is written is wonderful. The books are written pretty well in general, but the conversations come across as genuine. There’s nothing unusually stilted about the relationship between Kendra and Seth. In fact, half of their conversations remind me of conversations I’ve had with my siblings. The detail of the world tends to vary, in my opinion. There are times when I can clearly picture the scene as it unfolds, and other times when it’s not so clear. Individual characters are usually detailed fairly well, while a setting not so much. This is understandable and allows my imagination to fill in the blanks, so to speak, but it seems inconsistent because other settings are extremely detailed. Plot: The plot is simple, but strong. For adult readers, you can usually see where the story is going, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. Younger readers, for whom the story is intended, shouldn’t have that problem which will make the twists and turns extremely exciting! Characters: Kendra is one of the main characters. She’s about 15 years old in this book (maybe 14, but I’m pretty sure it’s 15) and she’s a goody-two-shoes. She’s also a tattle-tale, a bookworm, and fairykind. (Read the books and you’ll understand that last part.) Seth is Kendra’s little brother. He’s around ten or eleven years old, and he’s a bit of a dare-devil. Courageous, reckless, and somewhat self-centered, he tends to cause a ton of trouble. He is almost the opposite of his sister, but he does have a good heart. There are tons of characters in this (and the other) books, but I’m not going to list [read full post]
Back of the Book: For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite. Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken — Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good — powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most. Pages: 351 Published: 2006-06-14 Format Read: ebook The very worst thing about this book is that the main characters tend to cause their own problems. If they simply followed the rules, there would be many fewer problems… But, then there would be no book! The very best thing about this book is the way Mull writes conversations. They come across, usually, as very realistic. Well, assuming you aren’t taking into account the content! :-p
This book is mostly about pedophiles, sex dolls, and pheromones. I’m just going to leave it at that… Oh, and there are two not-so-surprise endings at the end! :-p Pages: 36 Published: 2011-08 Format Read: real book
We learn a bit about alternate realities in this book. And we see a zombie fall in love and watch Rumble Bee team up with a not-quite enemy again. Pages: 32 Published: 2010-08 Format Read: real book
Soo, there’s a little hanky-panky going on between enemies, some Mexican wrestling, and giant armed panda bear. If that isn’t enough to peak your interest, Randy reveals a secret about heaven on the last page! ^_^ Pages: 40 Published: 2009-08 Format Read: real book
First of all, I love the opening page. Randy opens up with a horribly awesome joke, a red guy, a blue glowing man, and a green goblin thing. That one strip alone was worth the purchase price to me! This particular page is available on the Super Stupor! website, by the way. Also, Arch-Angela is amazing! She cracks me up more than any other character. Except, maybe, Punchline. Pages: 20 Published: 2008-08 Format Read: real book
I feel as if I’ve been in a super stupor for the past few days. I’m lethargic, brain dead, and just sort of floating along. Last night was inventory night at work. For over 11 hours we scanned, counted, uploaded, caffeinated, audited, rescanned, re-uploaded, and finally finished. I won’t lie, I could do inventory all day every day and not be bothered. My problem was that we had to do it overnight! I’m getting on in years and I’m just too old to be staying up all night! Yes, all night. From 5:45p Tuesday evening to 5:00a Wednesday morning we were inventorying. On the plus side, I think we did well. :-) Anyways, this post isn’t supposed to be about my super stupor. This post is about Randy Milholland‘s Super Stupor comic books! In case you haven’t heard of Randy (in which case, shame on you), he created the Something*Positive webcomic. I recently bought the four pack of comic books and finished reading them a little earlier today! They were incredible! Funny, obscene, interesting, a little disturbing… In short, everything I expect and love from Randy! ^_^ I won’t lie, I’ve only occasionally read the Super Stupor comics that are available online. I’ve been meaning to read through them all, but never found the time. That being said, the comic books don’t disappoint! Here are a few mini-reviews about each book! Updated – 2012/01/12 I forgot that I had promised myself that no matter how short the review was they would all get their own post. So I just split them all into their own posts… Click the cover pictures below to read them all. :-)
This is my second year doing this challenge, and I fell two short. I was a little disappointed, but I did my best. :-) #1 “Changelings” by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough #1 “Maelstrom” by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough #2 “Lost Love, Last Love” by Rosemary Rogers #2 “Bound by Desire” by Rosemary Rogers #3 “Bumped” by Megan McCafferty #3 “Wither” by Lauren DeStefano #4 “The Constant Princess” by Philippa Gregory — recommendation #5 “The White Plague” by Frank Herbert #5 “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director’s Cut” by Jhonen Vasquez #7 “Disney’s Alice In Wonderland the Graphic Novel” by Alessandro Ferrari #7 “Urban Gothic” by Brian Keene #8 “This World We Live In” by Susan Beth Pfeffer #8 “Savage Desire” by Rosemary Rogers #9 “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J. K. Rowling #9 “Dark Fires” by Rosemary Rogers #10 “Sweet Savage Love” by Rosemary Rogers #10 “Wicked Loving Lies” by Rosemary Rogers #11 “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” by J. K. Rowling
This is a common issue with TV shows, both older and newer shows. For some reason, the soundtrack of the shows is always a lot louder than the dialogues. Why is this?
So what happens when the execs don’t think they’re getting the reaction they want at the right points in the plot? They don’t fix the plot…they turrrrrnnnn up the volume. Should have the same effect, right? Seriously, they just turn it up and figure that the louder it is, the more of an impression it’ll make on you – the viewer. And besides, maybe the less of the dialogue we can actually hear, the better!
Loud TV
It’s extremely frustrating, especially consider that I’m partially deaf, to have to either have the TV extremely loud to hear the dialogue, or to have to keep adjusting the volume. It’s possible that my TV has an option to normalize volume levels somehow, but the TV came with the house and the previous owners didn’t leave the manual if they even saved it.
For the most part, I avoid this problem by not watching much TV, and what I do watch is usually on my computer through netflix or other such means. However, the problem also exists with DVDs. As 67alecto says on the above mentioned Askville page, I usually resort to subtitles and closed captioning to make sure that I don’t miss any dialogue. It tends to bug people, though, to have the words on the screen. I’m not sure why, because it rarely if ever blocks the action, but there’s usually a fair amount of bitching whenever I turn the words on.
Closed Caption Logo
So, why is this such a problem? I’m a bit scattered and short on time today, but this is what I’m thinking about.
Lately I’ve been having random dreams. A few weeks ago I dreamed my teeth were falling out and that I had fake ones. Last night I dreamed that a siren kept going off in my ear, but that was probably Lissie’s meowing.
To dream that you have rotten or decaying teeth forewarns that your health and/or business is in jeopardy. You may have uttered some false or foul words and those words are coming back to haunt you.
Ren's Rotten Teeth
And as for the fake teeth I had:
To dream that you are wearing dentures indicate that you are not being completely truthful in some waking matter.
So, apparently my dreams mean that I’m a liar and/or something bad is coming. Awesome…
Last nights dream about sirens gives us this:
To hear sirens in your dream signifies a situation or problem that is giving you much stress. The sirens may serve to get your attention and focus on the problem at hand.
I still stand by my statement that Lissie was my siren. Although, if we go with that theory, she was trying to get my attention so that I would focus on petting her! ^_^
So, what kind of dreams have you had lately? Anything interesting, disturbing, or just plain crazy?!
So, I’ve been catching up on “The Big Bang Theory” recently. That means I started with season one, episode one and am now on season four, episode ten. This series constantly makes me think.
Mostly I think, “hmmm, these guys are fairly stereotypical nerds and they’re constantly referencing movies/tv shows that I know I would enjoy if I ever got around to watching them.”
So, my very short Thoughtful Thursday consisted of me trying to determine what show to watch (start to finish) after I’m caught up with TBBT.
The Big Bang Theory
I decided on “Star Trek: The Original Series” mostly because I’ve never seen any Star Trek episodes and because all except for two episodes from this show are available on Netflix. Also, I’m sure I can find the remaining two episodes elsewhere on the internet. :-)
So, yeah, other than conversing with a coworker about our mutual desire to put our children into Catholic schools, that’s about all that’s actually occupied my mind today.
So, it’s really not all that unusual for an Atheist to read the Bible. I know plenty of us who have. I think it probably is a little unusual that an Atheist is hosting a reading challenge to read the Bible, though.
I could be wrong, but I think all the challenge participants are Christian.
Anyways, I’ve read the Bible a few times, but I’m not one of those people who can randomly spout off verses or who remembers, “Oh, the book of xyz was all about random topic.” That’s just not how my mind works. I can process the information, I can retain the specifics that I fins interesting, but when it comes down to minute details, well… The Bible certainly isn’t Harry Potter! :-p
Cool video time!
I actually came across that video while looking for a good image for this post! o_O I just couldn’t not share it!
There have been a few posts about my Atheism and whatnot, that somewhat sum things up about my beliefs, specifically this post: Beliefs as an Atheist. Yeah, good title for that post, huh? :-p
Epicurus Quote
So, that’s all my thoughts about hosting the Bible reading challenge… Yeah, kind of short, but I’m being distracted by cute kitties playing in laundry and between the laundry baskets!
So, today is Thoughtful Thursday… You know, one of those new day memes that I’m going to use to try to post a little more regularly. So, what am I thinking about today?
Well, if you happened upon my site yesterday, you’ll know that I participated in the internet strike/blackout. If you look at the upper right corner of your page, you’ll see a “STOP SOPA” ribbon. It’s kind of small. :-/ When I get a chance, I’ll either find a new plug-in with a different/larger ribbon, or see if I can edit the plug-in that I’m using to display that ribbon to make it larger.
By the way, Wednesdays will be “Wrathful Wednesday” but I figured SOPA deserved my wrath yesterday, so instead of a post I joined the strike! ^_^
Don’t know what SOPA and PIPA are? Where the hell have you been?! Obviously not on the internet! For crying out loud, people – even Wikipedia participated in the strike and blacked out for the day!
Fine, you don’t know what they are… Watch this video:
Okay, did that clear a few things up for you? Good.
So, what do Anonymous and MegaUpload have to do with SOPA and PIPA? Well, MegaUpload was taken down today. There are plenty of news articles available to see the who, what, when, where, and why of MegaUpload’s demise, but considering how certain events happened before the passing of SOPA and PIPA kind of proves that these bills are unnecessary.
And Anonymous, oh those kids… They decided to retaliate. I’ve been watching their twitter and reading various articles/claims and whatnot about their antics. These guys took down the FBI site along with several others!
FBI Down -- click for larger image
Anonymous, while entertaining me, isn’t really doing much for the cause. Granted, this will cause the uneducated masses to panic, as I mentioned on the social networks. You know what, xkcd says it better that I ever could…
So, yes, essentially, all Anonymous is doing is a little bit of cosmetic vandalism, but the masses will assume that the world is doomed, the FBI has been hacked, all their personal information is now in the hands of criminals, and whatever else they can imagine that would be bad for them…
Anonymous
So, yeah… There’s been just a little bit of everything centered around the internet, piracy, privacy, and vandalism today. On one of the videos I watched there was a comment that said something like this:
Child: Grandpa, how did World War 3 start?
Grandpa: Well, the feds took down a site called MegaUploads, so a group called Anonymous took down the feds.
That quote isn’t quite right because I don’t remember which video it was on, which commenter posted it, or even which site the video was on, but that was the gist of it. I thought it was pretty darn funny. Especially since Anonymous is calling this Cyber War 2012.
So, that’s pretty much it for the war coverage… Now onto something that really made me happy!
AirDroid! ^_^ When I got my new phone (Motorola Droid Pro) I immediately downloaded several apps. When my niece wanted to play with it, I looked for several age appropriate (she’s only two) games. Most of which received the rating of “I don’t like that one” from her. Well, while she was wanting to play with it, I didn’t take the time to uninstall the apps that she didn’t like. I had tons of apps downloaded just for her that she didn’t like at all and I wasn’t looking forward to uninstalling them one by one on the phone. No matter how awesome it is, it just isn’t as simple as doing things on a computer.
So, hoping beyond hope, I hopped onto the Android Market on my desktop to see if I could delete them off my phone from the website. Well, I couldn’t. I did discover that I could install apps to my phone from my computer, though. I think I installed 20 new apps while playing in the market. :-p Then, finally, I did a search for the type of app that I didn’t believe would exist. An app that would allow me to manage apps from my computer.
Low and behold, AirDroid was there. AirDroid was free. AirDroid miraculously installed itself with a click of the mouse. :-p AirDroid let me access my phone from my broswer and lets me do all kinds of interesting things, including uninstall apps from my phone! Now, while uninstalling them I do still have to click “okay” on the phone, but everything else is done from the browser! I love it!
AirDroid
So what do I think about AirDroid?
If you have an Android, you should have AirDroid! ^_^
Seriously, though, I love this app! I was able to drop my ringtones into the correct folder and before AirDroid, I didn’t even realize they were in the wrong folder! I thought I just hadn’t put them on my phone yet! I can also back up apps, pictures, files, and put things onto my phone as well. The only requirement is that your phone and computer have to be on the same wireless connection.
So, here ends my first “Thoughtful Thursday” and I think I dropped enough of my thought in your lap for one day. What about you?
Hey guys, this is my solution to linky problems. Add your link manually here! You can still leave a comment on the main page for the Read the Bible 2012 challenge, of course (it's encouraged) but drop your link here so that it can be added to the blogroll!
This widget automatically drops all links in the "random" category, so once a week or so I'll move them to the correct category so that they'll show in the list of participants below.
