Wow, it's been quite a while since I've posted here.  During that time, I finally moved out of my parent's house and got my own place.  I'm renting a two-bedroom apartment all to myself.  I got to say that I like it so far.  I've been waiting for this for a long time so it's nice to finally be on my own.

Also, today is my 29th birthday.  I've ( Read more... )

While I was mowing the grass this afternoon I may or may not have seen a brown recluse spider on my shed.  According to the encyclopedia there are several kinds that look very similar to the brown recluse so it may not have been that kind.  Still give me the creeps having poisonous spiders around.  Have I mention I hate spiders?  Intellectually, I ( Read more... )

Drove to Davenport, Iowa today (about an hour away).

Came home and went to work.  Because of damn Labor Day tomorrow's warehouse truck was delivered today.

Came home, eat supper and mowed the lawn.

I thought Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest. 

Plot is a little predictable and the comparison to the conflicts between Christianity and Islam is a little too close for my comfort, yet I really liked this book. The author did a good job creating tension and making the world believable.  I rather enjoyed the political intrigue which felt like reading ASOIAF.  I also liked the exploration aspect ( Read more... )

My near new (2006) Impala has a FlexFuel engine meaning it can run on both normal gasoline as well as E85 which is 85% ethanol.  Today I filled up with E85 at the new pump in town.  There has been a fair amount of "debate" on the differences between E85 and regular gasoline,  from energy efficiency to pollution, but basically it boils down to this ( Read more... )

It was fairly good for a first novel.  A very interesting and unique piece of worldbuilding; basically a Caribbean steampunk novel set on another planet.  I liked the caribbean flavor of the story and background as well as some of the intriquing characters, however, the book didn't really grab me. I'm not sure why. I still plan to read the next ( Read more... )

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk ( Read more... )

I found this book to be quite good. The worldbuilding is well done and I really loved all the various cultures in the book. Characters are remisicent of GRRM; black, white, gray, and all the colors in between. Characters are neither good nor evil, all with their own motivations and ideals ( Read more... )

It's been hot and very dry here.  In the last two days, we finally got some rain.  Got hail too.  Two big thunderstorms with rain coming down in buckets and like to drown a man if he doesn't keep his head down.  Then sunny the same afternoon.  Weird. 

I finished Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch last night.  It was pretty darn good.  The plot is pretty straight forward: Locke and Jean are in the midst of a new scam when once again they land in a royal mess, which leads to them becoming pirates.  Of course, half the fun is how the deal with and get off of it.

RSURS did not have the novelty ( Read more... )