Blog 365

I set up a group for people who do thursday thirteens as a part of Blog 365.  If your doing both check out this link and join in..

http://blog365.ning.com/group/thursdaythirteen

About me

So Onedia reminded me that I really hadn’t filled out anything at all about myself. I was thinking of what to write and really didn’t have any clue. So I’ve decided to do it like an FAQ all about me.. So with that in mind I invite everyone who reads this blog to ask me four questions. I’ll be answering them all in the about section…

Thanks for your help everyone

Variable Star

So in 1955 Heinlein wrote an outline for this book, then put it aside to work on other things.  Years later the family and estate of Robert Heinlein, turned the outline over to Spider Robinson to finish.  All of the profits from the book go to a fund established to reward people who push towards manned space flight.

Reading through it was an interesting experience for me.  I’m a huge fan of both Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson.  So as was reading through it I often found myself forgetting for a time who it was written by and feeling like I was reading a real Heinlein book.  Of course it would rarely lasted very long Spider would drop some wonderful pun or take a couple of pages to describe some musical instrument in great detail.

All in all the book was a joy to read and a must have for any Robert Heinlein or Spider Robinson fan.  As for people who are not fans of either of those authors, I encourage you to stop reading this blog right this minute and go read either of those authors.    You are truly missing out on a great read.  The only negative I would say about the book was about a 75 pages in, the whole story took a serious left turn and I had a really hard time reading through it. I also wanted to comment on the characters, I really enjoyed the main character and some of the secondary ones were really well rounded and detailed.

Blog 365

So I was surfing around on the net and Thursday 13 list and came across a challenge.  I love a good challenge, so of course I signed up.  The basic challenge is this, one blog post a day.  It’s that simple.

 A post is a post doesn’t matter how long or how short.  No internet access write it on paper then.  The challenge starts January 1st. 

So sign up and join the excitement

HALO 3 and Xbox Live

So for the first time last night I tried Halo 3 online.  I went in to one of the lobby’s not having a clue what to expect and then I looked around and found a basic game in the “Basic Training” Area.  The basic idea seemed to be about capturing territory from the other team.  Although am not completely sure how that was supposed to be done.   At one point I found a flag completely undefended and wasn’t able to do anything with it.  Suggestions?

So over the course of about half an hour I must of been killed about 15 times and I think I may have killed other players two or three times.  But was a BLAST!  I don’t remember having that much fun in a thrity minute in a way that I can talk about in public in a long time.   If you have an Xbox get Halo 3 and get Live.

 Hope to see you online soon. Drop me a comment if you have an Xbox and want game together

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen Blogs I intended to write over the holidays but didn’t! 1…. Variable Star So apparently in 1955 Robert Heinlein, wrote an outline for a story called Variable Star saddly it was never written.  Recently the estate turned the outline over to Spider Robinson.  He has since finished and published the book, am less then a 100 pages in but it feels like am reading Heinlein and I love it.  In fact the book is sitting open beside me calling to me as I write this.. 2…. National Treasuries – Book of Secrets Not a bad movie, very enjoyable in fact.  I just found that I really had to put my suspension of disbelief in to overdrive.  Here is a guy, a smart guy granted but without any training as a thief or Spy who can break in to Buckingham Palace, and sneak in to the Oval office.  It was a little to much for me.  Hopefully the sequal about the contents of page 47 will be better and a little more realistic. 3…. Work on Christmas Eve So I had to work christmas eve day.  I had the week off before hand I come back to work for a day, only to get two more off afterwards.  It was pretty silly, I had put in for the day off but it had been denied.  I started at 1045 and was offered to go home due to service levels by 12 o’clock.  In the end I opted to stay and let people who celebrate christmas go home.  I think the strangest thing where the calls from people just before we closed at 6 o’clock just asking random questions about their bills. 4…. Lonely & Sad Christmas Trees On Christmas Eve we headed out with some friends to go see National Treasures Book of Secrets at the local mall.  It’s become something of a tradition among a small group of us.  On the way thru the parking lot we drove past the live Christmas trees out side of Zellers.  My wife commented on how sad that looked The remaining trees leaned against the fence, gaps inbetween them likely had held trees that had been sold already.  So now on Christmas eve these trees had no hope to be sold.  They wouldn’t be with a family Christmas Morning, or Yule or any of the other holidays that had trees.  These poor trees who had been grown only to be cut down and sold, these trees wouldn’t even get to do that. 5…. Recycling Christmas Cards It’s become something of a tradition in my household to recycle Christmas Cards. Basically what we do is encourage people in our work to give us any cards they have recieved over the holidays and we take and cut out the pictures from them turning it in a gift tag for the next year.  Anything we don’t use get recycled.  We get some great gift tags out of it, and do our part to make sure that the rest of the cards get recycled. 6…. Weight and Weightloss I guess this time of year everyones thoughts turn to their weight and weight loss.  So Monday morning before work my wife and I went to the local walk in clinic and used there scale.  I’ve been a big guy for years but didn’t know just how big until then.  I want to say I was hugely shocked but I think that would be a lie.  It was a little higher then I thought but not by a lot.  Now it’s time to seriously do something about it.   I’ll keep you all posted 7…. Boxing Day sales In Canada we have a thing called Boxing Day on the 26th of December.  I’m not really sure what the orgins of it are but now adays it’s about the great sales.  People have been known to line up early Christmas day to be the first person through the doors and get the best deal.  This year we went out with three friends and hit up a number of great deals.  I only wish we had had more money for shoping. 8…. What I got for Yule New Journal, Movies(including Season 1 of Rome), Sweater, Xbox 360 elite, Sigg Water Bottle, Red Paper Clip book, A set of Candles and Charcoal for the Alter, A painting, Tarrot Deck, a framed Photo 9….Found Memories of the Holidays Spending time with the family, working with the wife baking and getting things ready for Yule and Yule Dinner.  Having Christmas Dinner with some good friends. Watching the excitement in my grandson’s face as he opened his presents. 10….Gaming Consoles So I know have a PS2, a Wii, and an Xbox 360, So I’ll be posting the odd commentary on different games and such. 11….1 Red Paper Clip – The Book You might have heard about the Guy who started out with one Red Paper clip and traded his way up to a house in Kipling SK.  Well he’s put out a book, it details some of the stories around the various trades and the different events over the year of trading.  Its a wonderful feel good story, and offers some interesting deails as well about everything that happened.. 12…. The time freeze around the Holiday About a week before the holidays time freezes.  It might happen eariler depending on your own life and what your involved in.  You put aside your own personal projects and plans to get ready for the holidays.  I always feel a great sense of relief after the holidays when I can try and get my own life back on track. 13….I have a Secret but I can’t tell yet

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Blessed Yule one and all

Thursday Thirteen #2 – Books to Read in your life

Thirteen Books to read in your life time As I write this list, I have given myself certain rules to follow first I have eliminated all series. The various series that I have read and feel other people should could be a 13 of there own. Secondly I don’t pick peoples faiths and refuse to try and put mine on other people. 1….Stranger in a Strangeland by Robert Heinlein An investigation in to human nature, as the main character discouvers and explores his own humanity. 2….The Moon is a Harsh Mistress By Robert Heinlein Some important social and ethical lessons, with a great story 3….Last Chance to See By Douglas Adams Douglas Adams travels around the world with a Photo Journalist visiting the homes of the endangered species. With their adventures written in a style that could only have been done by Douglas Adams. It’s a great story and very moving.. 4….Starship Troops By Robert Heinlein A wonderful book about social responsibility and responsibility to the community at large. 5….Love you Forever By Robert Munsch If you haven’t read this story, just read it and you will understand 6….Animal Farm By George Orwell Power Corrupts,absolute power does too 7….Go Ask Alice By Beatrice Sparks This is the only book I was ever assigned in High School that I raced through and found that really enjoyed. 8….Religious Text of Choice Whatever your faith is, your should read as much as you can about it. 9….The Religious Text of a faith you don’t understand or That you are taught is evil or wrong No matter your faith is, there always seems to be a faith that it is opposed to in someway in opposition too.  If you want to be opposed to something at least try and understand it first. 10….A travel guide to your own City I’ve lived in the same city my whole life.  But when I read a travel guide about my own town,  I really learned a lot from it. 11….The importance of Being Ernest By Oscar Wilde This one is included because of just how much joy it brings me every time I read it.  I hope it brings you the same. 12….A book of your choice Take a minute and post a comment and share your favorite book 13….Something you have written By You Everyone should take the time to write something.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Batman the Dark Knight Trailer

WOW!! if you haven’t seen this well check it out…

Golden Compass – Part 2

I got a little reminder on one of my posts earlier this evening that I had forgotten to come back to it and finish sharing my thoughts.  Sorry about that, so I want to take this opportunity to finish it up.

I very much enjoyed the movie,  I have no background on the story.  I’ve never read the original story, but after seeing the movie I do plan too.  But back to the movie itself.  The story did at times leave a few things to be desired, and it felt like it was skipping over some important details.  The biggest one and perhaps the most glaring one was about the main character of the story.  A woman known to be of some standing and in league of “Bad guys” shows up at the school and invites an apparent ward of the school on a trip.  So the school then not only sends her on her way with this woman, but they give her an irreplaceable, 1 of a kind and am going to say magical Compass.  Something the bad guys have destroyed all the rest of.

I loved the technology of the universe.  The sky ships, the over sized steam boats, and the clock work little robots it all had a slightly steam punk feel to it.  Sadly it was without the steam part however.  The company that did the special effects left them looking very believable.  The only part I was disappointed in was the two scenes where they show the line of guards at the northern base with there wolves.  They looked like a bunch of bad clones of each other

Can Sam Elliot play anyone that does wear a cowboy hat, carry a rifle and act like something out of a Western movie?  I mean sure he does it well, hell he does damn well and is damn sexy doing it too.  But its a bit of tight casting.

I also wanted to comment on the Polar Bear character.  His introduction was interesting, seeing him running through the city was great, and only matched by the Polar Bear fight scene later in the movie.