This weekend. Big game against Michigan this weekend. Get pumped. We have to win this one in order to get into the playoffs. After we win, because Oberlin football is #1, we’re gonna chug some brewskies, play some pong, find where the bitties are at, and if worse comes to worse there’s always some cube to be played. But I don’t deny it’s going to be hard with my arm not working so good, they are going to have to rely more on Chase, we are co captain QBs. But it’s going to be crazy. GET PUMPPPPPEEEEEDDDDD

-J

La Tromba (Original Mix) by Chris Lake and Lys, It’s at the top for a reason, you’ll understand. Golden Banana Award Winner

Autumn (Extended Dub) by John Dahlback, if you don’t already have this, you need it. Very different from Autumn (extended mix) which we have praised so much in the past but still. It’s Dahlback, you know it’s amazing.

Valleybrook (Extended Mix) by John Dahlback, Amazing. Just incredible, he’s definitely one of the best out there. DON’T MISS THIS ONE.

Lumnox (Nom De Strip Remix) by Dave Spoon, I mean we really should be applauding Dave Spoon for this one, but I like the small adjustments that have been done in this remix.

Dj Fronter Temptation Ep, if you like that techy tech shit, you gots to get on this.

Temptation (Original Mix) by Dj Fronter

Temptation (Steven King Remix) by Dj Fronter

Temptation (Tony 15 Remix) by Dj Fronter

Puntos Y Senales (Original Mix) by KZR, Crazy production. If you want to hear something really trippy, you gotta get this. Amazing production. (LINK FIXED)

Toxic Is Dead (South Central Remix) by Toxic Avenger, I need to eventually post the original too, but this should keep the electro people who for some reason don’t already have this satisfied.

Apple Pie (Hippopulation Creamy Remix) by Bit Thief, gotta love it. Fidget should never die.

From the Marooned in Marin blog, November 7, 2009.

“GOP House Call II Rally at Capitol — Pictures and Video”

There was a much smaller crowd than was there Thursday, but many who were from states close to the DC area turned around and came back.

I’m currently uploading video of some of the speakers. Here’s some photos until then.”

I AM A YANKEE FAN. I love my Yankees. Normally, I never mention sports whatsoever on Metal Odyssey, however, tonight is special. The New York Yankees are Major League Baseball’s WORLD CHAMPIONS! I am so proud of the Yankees, 27 World Series titles… wow. Holy Cow!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND THEIR FANS!!

HIDEKI MATSUI A.K.A. GODZILLA – UNREAL GAME! YANKEE HERO FOREVER!!

TOO MANY NEW YORK YANKEE WORLD SERIES RECORDS TO MENTION!!

GOD BLESS DEREK JETER! A REAL CAPTAIN!

DEREK JETER – 175 CAREER POST SEASON HITS. HOLY COW!

27 WORLD SERIES TITLES! HOLY COW!

ANY MOMENT… A MAGICAL MOMENT AT YANKEE STADIUM!

THANK YOU MR. STEINBRENNER FOR GIVING THE FANS SO MANY GREAT YANKEE PLAYERS OVER THE YEARS!

#1 OWNERSHIP IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HISTORY – THE STEINBRENNER FAMILY!

HOW SWEEEEET IT IS TO BE A YANKEE FAN!

The Red Sox Nation could not comprehend 27 World Series titles. The Red Sox Nation can continue to groom great ball players for the Yankees… we will always take them. Thank you, Red Sox, for not resigning Johnny Damon, Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs in past years. All three of these great Yankee heroes are Yankees World Series Champions.

Hey, Steven King… repeat after me… NEW YORK YANKEES, WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS.

Hey, Ben Affleck… can you say… NEW YORK YANKEES, WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS? HUH?

Hey, Big Papi… can you say… 27 World Series Championships? I didn’t think so. Try again.

Hey, Jason Varitek… can you say… Jorge Posada has way more World Series rings?

Hey, Curt Schilling… can you say… New York Yankees, 27 World Series Titles? C’mon, try…

WHO’S YOUR DADDY! WHO’S YOUR DADDY! WHO’S YOUR DADDY! WHO’S YOUR DADDY!

THANK YOU PEDRO MARTINEZ, FOR STARTING GAME 6 OF THE 2009 WORLD SERIES! ALL OF US YANKEE FANS KNEW WE COULD COUNT ON YOU!! WHO’S YOUR DADDY?

TRIVIA TIME: HOW MANY WORLD SERIES RINGS DID TED WILLIAMS WIN? UM, “0″. ZERO.

Oh, by the way… say goodbye to the AROD curse, Red Sox Nation. Plus, as a Yankee bonus… the Yankees win their 27th “record” World Series in the first year of their brand new ballpark. Can the Red Sox Nation say – brand new ballpark? Uh, nope. All that the Red Sox Nation knows is their old, decrepit ballpark also known as the “little league field” of Major League Baseball. Fenway Park… it’s a junkyard compared to the NEW Yankee Stadium – home to the WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS.

Why have I spent so much time here bugging on the Red Sox Nation? Due to the fact that this same Red Sox Nation has been a cocky, arrogant, wide eyed bunch of band wagon fans that thinks the sun sets and rises over their aging team and junkyard, uh, I mean Fenway Park. Someone remind the three stooges up in Boston, (you know, the owners of the Red Sox), that they need to start dumping some of their AGING ballplayers if they want to even think about competing on the Major League level. Theo who? Where’s Manny? Whatever happened to Nomar? Hey Boston, can you say… GLUM NATION? Or, try this one on for size… JEALOUS NATION? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, ho, ha, ha, ha. Um, ha, ha again.

NEW YORK YANKEES! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD! #1! THE VERY BEST! 27 WORLD SERIES TITLES! HOLY COW! NEW YORK YANKEES ROCK!

I don’t know if any of you out there are big fans, but Steven King has a new book coming out this month called Under The Dome.  If you pre-order it before the 4th on Amazon it’s only $9 for the hardcover, but if you wait it’s $35.  That’s 26 dollar’s off!  Wow!  Check it out here.

Man I’ve never felt so much like Billy Mays.

Oh I am really quite excited by the news that Stephen King and Scott Snyder are making this awesome looking vampire comic. Illustrated by Rafeal Albuquerque – whose art I have taken an instant shine to – American Vampire will be released by Vertigo and looks like a stellar collaboration.

Vampires are always awesome (unless featuring in overhyped and overvalued teen franchises – sorry Twilight series, you’re good at what you do) so I have high hopes for what looks like an original take on the mythology.

When I was very, very young I used mouldy old black sheets found in the garage to try and transform my bunk beds into a coffin. I’ve left a lot of that early Vampire infatuation (largely sparked by the hilarious The Reluctant Vampire novel) behind, but I’m not quite over it yet and comics like this are sure to just carry on feeding the addiction.

OK so top three books I’ve ever read in the Fiction department, and this is tough for me because I’ve read a lot of really good stuff, but I’m going to have to nail it down to three:

  1. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

  2. The Long Walk, by Steven King (writing as Richard Bachman)

  3. Destination Void, by Frank Herbert

Any of those will mess with your head, which I love and which Severine hates (still can’t get her to watch Memento again, she was off kilter for three days)

Well, I must say I am very pleased that it is Obama, not Twitter, who received the Nobel Peace Prize! I know there is a lot of criticism around, even in FB threads I can see people disagreening with this choice. But I think it’s not about ‘well deserved’ in this case, it’s about responsibility this award carries with itself. Obama is good in speeches but he is also gradually introducing changes. Closing Guantanamo was a big thing – for some of us, activists – a miracle! Great step towards what can be achieved to fight for human rights all around the world. We all know it is not easy to introduce changes, and it’s not easy to clean up the mess after few years of irresponsible management of a country. But everything Obama says and does, everything he represents is of a great importance to us all. And maybe I do not agree with the imperalistic and very individualistic mentality embeded in American though since the early times of that country, I do however support smart management of that thinking. If US President is an icon, let him be. If he gradually makes the Change for good – let him do so.

And times like this are the best times for us to point out next steps! Amnesty International has congratulated Obama his award and initiated great action where ten very influencial personalities have made their statement about torture asking Obama to investigate into the times before March 2009 and learn from the mistakes of the past. I fully support each of their letters, and I hope you will find a second to read, sent and spread the word about this project. I think our voice matters just as much as Obama’s.

Legend had it Hemmingway kept witty comebacks and bon mots in his moustache just in case he'd need them.

As a tremendously successful novelist (and beloved personality), I have a very specific routine for when I to write. I’ve often found a routine helps trigger the “artist’s mentality” in one’s brain. I’ve transcribed the lecture I normally give on this subject alone in my bedroom and offer you the text version here.

I begin my routine early, ‘round 5am. It’s the early bird that catches the massive book deal and multi-media royalties package plus international rights. After rubbing the sleep from my eyes I sit at my massive writing desk hewn as a single piece from a 150-year-old oak I fell myself. You see, this was the tree under which my (original) wife and I first met. This tree held a lot of sentimental value to me, which is why I killed it and now write on its dead hide. That wife and I are no longer married, but true to our first meeting under that mighty oak, I still keep her under the desk.

The best desks are carved from the mightiest of trees. They also have some nice desks at IKEA.

Once I’ve reached the desk, I sharpen every pencil I own to a point of .0056 mm (I measure this with a vernier caliper. You want to be a writer? You better get yourself a caliper!

Steven King’s Caliper. Responsible for The Stand, Stand by Me and that other Stephen King book no one can stand. Also, it’s haunted.

I set everything on the desk, the calendar, my mug of tea, etc at a perfect 90 degree angle with a T-bevel (once again, you want to be a writer? Get one.) Then I write a couple of letters to the Black Entertainment Network regarding my daily report of what I found on their network to be “minstrely”.  I take a sip of tea, now perfectly cooled, and look down at my legal pad. Then I begin yelling. I yell at the legal pad until the words of my next blockbuster novel appear on it.

After two or so hours of yelling, I look up to the “Hang in There Kitty!” poster I keep for inspiration above my desk. “Yes,” I tell myself, “you hang in their kitty.” I think the kitty represents the inner resolve within all of us and I believe “hangin’ in there” represents writing New York Times bestselling novels. Of course, your “hanging in their” may differ from mine. Perhaps your “hang in there” is more prosaic. Perhaps yours is building a rather good ham sandwich or resisting stalking your ex-girlfriend on facebook for an entire day. Whatever your “hang in there” may be, I think we can all learn a lot from this brave cat.

Unnecessary

(I do realize there is a certain contradiction in choosing this hanging kitty as my mascot of endurance as the poster is very old and the cat on it is most certainly dead by now, having endured a cruel lifetime of hanging outside that photographer’s window – but don’t tell my inspiration that!)

When the legal pad resists conjuring the words, I shame it, chide it, and even use passive aggression on it (“it must be nice to be such a distinct color of yellow. If I’m not mistaken, that is the color of cowardice, yes?”) If the pad still resists, I give it the cold shoulder treatment. We don’t talk for a half hour or so. If I’m feeling particularly vindictive, I’ll stoke its jealousy by parading about with another, newer legal pad, gallivanting about my writer’s room and acting like I’m having the time of my life.

(Laughing as though the legal pad just told a hilarious joke)

“Oh new legal pad, you’re funny! You always know how to make me laugh. With you I feel so young!”

If all else fails, I finally pick up a pencil and get to writing. And by “writing” I mean I repeatedly stab the pad until it creates the words. After all, its paper–a substance over which man holds complete dominion. We made the paper by pulverizing trees with our claws and fangs, it should obey our commands. Are you gonna let some measly tree pulp tell you that you can’t be a writer? Than get out of the writing kitchen, because it’s too hot for you!

You see, life is all about seizing opportunity. For example what a boon it must have been for that “Hang in There Kitty!” photographer to awake one day to find the hope and motivation for an entire generation symbolically clutching for dear life just outside his bathroom window! This is what I am talking about with seizing opportunity. Some people in this situation might see a desperate animal, while those of us more attuned to seeing the breaks life throws us can practically smell the novelty calendar.

If words still fail to appear, I return to my muse: alcohol. I usually keep a fifth of spiced rum in my writing lair. Here’s a tip, I spice the rum myself by taking regular rum and adding whatever spices happen to dwell in my spice rack at the moment: sage, thyme, nutmeg, what have you. What, did you think I buy the “pre-spiced” rum? I’m an internationally beloved author, not a steel baron!

How much muse is enough muse? That’s particular to each individual writer, but as a rule of thumb I find once I start “losing time” the creative pump is adequately primed. What happens next is the magic of the craft. No writer can truly tell you what happens once they “get into the zone” but I can tell you I usually wake up in my underwear, shivering under my writer’s cot, my fists clutching glow wand and lottery tickets. When I stumble over to my writing desk I find a brand new, award winning chapter of my next book waiting. Resplendent in my success, I spend the rest of the day on the Internet spreading rumors about Maya Angelou running a human trafficking/sex slave operation.

Hoy sale a la venta en Beatport el último trabajo de Steven King, 3 Beats, editado por SAS se edita junto a 3 remixes de diferentes productores como DJ Care, Alejo Loaiza y Electronic Drums Project.

Ya puedes adquirir cada uno de estos tracks en Beatport junto a otros temas exclusivos de SAS.

Beatport had released a new Steven King production, 3 Beats, edited by SAS with 3 different remixes from producers such as DJ Care, Alejo Loaiza y Electronic Drums Project.

You can purchase each of these tracks on Beatport with other exclusive releases from SAS.

“Shit! It’s all over…oh well, never mind. Beer?“

The business end of the 2009 AFL season is here and those teams that harbour finals and/or premiership aspirations are busy plotting their course for September. But for clubs that are struggling with injury and/or no hope of finals action, the last remaining weeks of the season will be tough work. But before these players start throwing in the towel to focus on what dress to wear on Mad Monday, they should spare a thought for blokes like Kangaroos veteran Adam Simpson.

And TWAAAANG goes the calf muscle!!! At least Adam Simpson’s final ever training session was memorable…

Simpson announced his retirement early last week with his final game to be played on the Friday night against Carlton. Problem was…he injured his calf at his final training session, a mere 24 hours before the Roos were due to play! This didn’t stop Simpson from taking his place in the side and although Carlton managed to spoil the party, Simmo’s effort to play was clearly the highlight of the night.

…

Hang on, that looks like…no, it couldn’t be…Yes, it is! It’s Brad Ottens playing football!!!

The mighty Geelong Cats may appear to be limping towards the finals yet they keep finding ways to win. But a rare Brad Ottens sighting was probably even bigger news than the victory – whether he plays in September, or just how good he will be, is still unknown but the Cats sure do need him!

…

Richo’s comeback game consisted of nine minutes of footy and a couple of hours of sitting around.

Is Matthew Richardson limping towards the finish line of his AFL career? His comeback game for Coburg in the VFL didn’t go so well and for a guy who is 34 years old, out of contract, coming off major hamstring surgery and playing at an unsuccessful club looking for a new senior coach, showing he can still play AFL right now is pretty damn important, yes? So when Herald Sun hack Mark Robinson rants about how Richo shouldn’t bother trying to play again in ‘09 on Channel Seven’s AFL Game Day show on Sunday morning, what was the response from fellow panelist and former Tigers coach Terry Wallace?

If only there was somebody with just the tiniest amount of knowledge about Tigerland that could help Mark Robinson understand why Richo needs to play again this year. Anybody? Anybody that might just be sitting next to him?? Anyone whose name rhymes with Jerry Schmallace???

Nothing! Nada! Zip! You could hear crickets in the background! When Terry is forced to explain why his time at Richmond went to crap, you can’t shut him up on how all the decisions at Tigerland (made by people other than him, of course!) contributed to his lack of success. But a situation with a guy he actually coached for four-and-a-half years and was directly involved in the decision on how Richo should approach his comeback (because he was the actual coach when the injury occurred) yet he has absolutely nothing to say about this? Is this why he just walked into media gigs within minutes of being sacked? How does this even happen???

…

Rugby league player Karmichael Hunt kicks that funny-shaped red football at Broncos training. Looks like he needs all the practice he can get…

But the club that is currently limping towards (or out of) the finals race which is the biggest surprise? Is it Hawthorn? Is it Essendon? No…try the Brisbane Broncos! They just copped the biggest hiding in their illustrious history and are in danger of missing the NRL finals…for the first time since 1991! But I’m sure the Broncos players are going all out to win and are not distracted with kicking AFL footballs at training because their young star is leaving the code to join the new AFL franchise on the Gold Coast. This kind of thing happens all the time…no, wait! It hasn’t happened before? Hmmm…

…

The Games:

Cheer up, Drew Petrie…at least you get to play another game next week! What about poor Simmo?

When Carlton play on a Friday night, two things usually happen – Robert Walls writes (yet) another article about the Blues and they get beaten. This time only one of those things happened…and there was no way Wallsy could write about anybody else! The Blues spoiled the Adam Simpson party though it was far from convincing or attractive. In fact, the Roos could quite easily have claimed victory and placed Carlton’s finals hopes in real jeopardy. They will probably make it now…but will they be any good once they get there?

…

Brad Johnson claims the Bulldogs games record from Chris Grant…while that old bloke in the background is still pissy that he doesn’t hold it because he was sacked and forced to finish his career at Fitzroy!

It was Brad Johnson day for the Western Bulldogs and his teammates sure didn’t let him down. They didn’t let Lindsay Gilbee down either, standing up for him on what must have been a tough, tough afternoon! Fremantle weren’t too concerned with their lack of success at Whatshishead Stadium…as they have little success wherever they go!

…

You think these Cats are happy about the win? Just wait until Cam Mooney joins in…he lurves a good man-cuddle!

The Adelaide Crows went to the regional centre of Geelong looking for a genuine footy scalp and a top-four spot. They almost got it…if only they knew how to stop those baldies! These Cats might be thin up top and down back for the moment but they are working together to earn wins and second spot behind the undefeated Saints is a great place for them to be.

No four points, no big scalp, no long-term memory. Can somebody help these Crows take off their boots? They all seem to have forgotten how to do it!

…

Alan Didak takes an overly-dramatic dive to try and con a free kick from the umpires…

…which was more reminiscent of Brazil’s Rivaldo than Aussie Rules…

…yet the Brisbane Lions guy is a loser? Seriously??? Pot – Kettle!

With The Big Announcement and a ninth win from ten matches, Collingwood are back to their smart-arsy best and are setting themselves for the top four. The Lions looked primed for the upset after Browny’s accidental head clash left Simon Prestigiacomo groggy but the skipper struggled after the main break when he had anywhere between three and five defenders pushing back on him. If only Jono Brown had another big forward to help him out…

…

Um, your shoulder is probably not meant to do that! But, in typical St Kilda-2009 good fortune, Steven King was able to keep playing.

I tipped Sydney to knock off the Saints, ending the quest for The Perfect Season and possibly becoming the only tipster in Australia to pick all eight winners for the round. The Swans lost by one lousy point! And St Kilda’s season has been so outrageously blessed that The Age is now writing feature articles about that little twerp Milne!!! I’m so depressed…

Mickey O misses a sitter that might have cost his side the upset of the season, and my perfect tipping round. Yep, thanks for that…

…

Jade Rawlings learns something new about Richmond in the dramatic win over the Dees…Nathan Brown prefers to be on top!

Dean Bailey could barely believe it…and neither could I! Richmond managed a great escape with the win over Melbourne courtesy of a goal after the siren from Jordan McMahon. Coach Rawlings knew that McMahon would be fine taking the match-deciding kick despite his regular displays of bad decision making…highlighted by his decision to leave the Western Bulldogs for Richmond two years ago!

…

Perhaps Channel Seven showed this match in ten-minute delay in case Ricky Olarenshaw’s head overheated during his hyper-speed quarter-time summaries!

There must be a logical explanation as to why Ch.7 would bother broadcasting the Port Adelaide-Hawthorn match into Melbourne with a slight delay…or is Adelaide further behind the time than we realise? Otherwise, we live in a world where dickheads like Kyle and Jackie O broadcast live when they need a delay (actually, they need new jobs!) but the biggest sport in Australia is not ‘live’? Crazy!!! Anyway, Port Adelaide won and find themselves in the top eight…well, for this week at least.

…

A first-gamer kicking goals to help the Eagles win? Forgive Callum Wilson for he knows not what he does!

What? The West Coast Eagles won? But aren’t they meant to be ‘tanking’? Well, yes…if you paid any attention to lazy hack journos who throw out the ‘T’ word willy-nilly with no substantial thought behind it. There is clearly a problem rewarding defeat with a priority draft pick but  when you lose by less than a kick in round 17, it’s not ‘tanking’. And when you beat a top-eight side (at the time of the opening bounce) to register a fifth win for the season, giving up your entitlement to the priority draft pick, it’s not ‘tanking’ either. Using the ‘T’ word inappropriately actually helps Andy D with his ‘media beat-up’ argument! Maybe those guys at the Herald Sun are just struggling a bit themselves…limping to the finish line, perhaps?

Z amerykańskim autorem Deanem Koontzem mam do czynienia po raz pierwszy i muszę przyznać, że jego książka pt. „Watchers” zrobiła na mnie bardzo przyjemne wrażenie. Zadanie miałam o tyle utrudnione, gdyż była to pierwsza moja książka przeczytana w całości po angielsku.

Historia jest logiczne i ciekawie napisane. Brak jest błędów w fabule, bardzo szczegółowe precyzyjne opisy zdarzeń, dobry zarys psychologiczny. Chociaż książka jest na wskroś amerykańska, jednak powiedziałabym, że jest to w pozytywnym tego słowa znaczeniu. Nie wiem, dlaczego, ale nie przepadam za Stevenem Kingiem, gdyż ma pewną manierę pisania, która mnie trochę zraża, natomiast Koontz? Nawet pokusiłabym się o stwierdzenie, że jest lepszy od Kinga, chociaż zdaję sobie sprawę z tego, że tutaj, wielbiciele Kinga mnie zaszlachtują…;-). Historia miała w sobie nie tylko pierwiastek nadprzyrodzony, który aż prosił się o zastanowieniu się nad naszą kondycją ludzkości, ale powieść również była wzruszająca, dowcipna i oczywiście groźna. Polecam na wakacje!

La Coka Nostra “Straight Illin” feat. Steven King & Skam Off of the La Coka Nostra mixtape “The Audacity of Coke” Hosted by Statik Selektah & DJ Eclipse You can download that here —–> http://www.zshare.net/download/62392060afaedd6a/ La Coka Nostra “A Brand You Can Trust” In Stores July 14th…Make sure you get that. Click the image below to download “Straight Illin”

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No doubt there are rational Republicans around the United States. And no doubt those who are just wish Steven King would fade into the woodwork and blink into a black hole. He is an embarrassment to humans, let alone the Republican center, if there still be such a thing.

King it seems, thinks it best to alienate black voters much as he has gone out of his way to alienate immigrants, Latinos to be exact, and certainly gays.

You’ve heard me rant about him before, the sad excuse we have for an elected representative in the 5th district of Iowa, (far north west to be exact.). I’m finding it hard to understand how there could be enough deluded people in Iowa to vote for the jerk, but sad to say there is. Since we know that such things occur in other parts of the country, Iowa surely doesn’t stand alone, but it still is embarrassing to think one of your own political representatives is the laughing stock of the rational world. He is featured quite often on Keith Olbermann, “worst person of the week.”

The downward spiral of the GOP continues apace with King’s latest outrage. He stands alone as the sole person to vote against the House resolution recognizing that the Capital building was constructed in large part by slaves. Steve thought it “unbalanced.” Later he amended his defense somewhat. Somehow the civil war dead didn’t get enough coverage to suit him. And he assured Larry King that he had read nearly everything written by Martin L. King, and “agreed with almost every word.”

Yeah, sure, I believe that, and I’m sure you do too. This from a man who scores 100% from both the NRA and the various “family value” institutes around the country.

Whatever, the cipher on the butt of Iowa went just a bit too far with this latest ugly rant, and I decided that even though thankfully I don’t live in the 5th district, I’d send the Congressman a piece of my mind. I have included the e-mail I sent to him from his own little site. If you care to, send your own greetings. Just google his name with Rep. in front, and the first hit will be his congressional website.

Representative King:

Once again you have seen fit to embarrass the state of Iowa with your lowbrow politics. Refusing to vote to honor the work of slaves on the Capital is but the latest of your awful and ugly rhetoric. Your defense is as usual devoid of reason.

This is of course a pattern with you. Your racism is well known from the recent election in which you consistently referred to President Obama as Barack “Hussein” in an attempt to prejudice voters, to your unseemly depiction of immigrants as drug dealers, murderers and drunk drivers.

Your recent attempt to vilify our Supreme Court as people who should resign simply because you are unable to understand the basic legal rights of our GLBT communities, is just another of many such rants at everyone who doesn’t perceive the world in the strange and fundamentalistic manner that you do.

You claim to defend the unborn, yet support any and all treatment of prisoners held without trial or charge in this country.

You sir, are not only operating with insufficient brain power, but you have the sensitivity of a snake.

You can be assured that I will do all that I can to convince others to vote against you in your next election, through my blog. You are an embarrassment to the fine State of Iowa which has a fine record of supporting individual rights long before the rest of the country catches on.

I can only thank the good Lord that you do not represent me. I seriously would have to think about moving. I hear Alaska has need of a Governor. Why don’t you try up there. You’ve become the laughingstock of Washington and the media. Do us a favor and slink out of town.

By the way, I’m not some college liberal, but a 59 year old married woman in rural Iowa.

This letter will be posted on my blog.

Sherry Peyton

I couldn't find an image of Kevin Jennings, so I used one of Ken Jennings—because Obama is putting America's values in Jeopardy!

Obama saved the country from the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, but apparently he’s more interested in preventing financial decline than moral decline. His latest violation of traditional American values? Appointing educator/anti-violence activist Kevin Jennings as his so-called safe-school czar. Why is that offensive, you ask? I’ll tell you why: Because Jennings is a homosexual, and has a history of pushing the homosexual agenda.

“His life’s work has been the promotion of homosexuality, even in elementary schools,” complained Iowa Rep. Steven King, a brilliant conservative who insists he has plenty of gay friends.

In a shocking twist that could have been pulled from one of Rep. King’s popular horror novels, Kevin Jennings actually wrote the forward to a book called “The Queering of Elementary Education”—proof that like Obama, he wants to queer elementary education.

So yes, Obama saved the country from the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, stabilizing a rapidly crumbling economy in a remarkable last-minute save, but in appointing Kevin Jennings, he has made it clear that he does not believe gay students should be violently beaten at school. Call it the Queering of the White House.

I can report that there are no swat teams surrounding the meadow and no bull horns calling me to come out with my hands up. I woke up, you see, to find that I am part of the “most destructive force in America.” In a word, I am a feminist.

Indeed, I am the cause of most of societies ills, according to that bastion of rectitude, the ever busy body Phyllis Schafly. (Bet ya thought she had kicked the bucket by now eh?)

Ms. Schafly, who no doubt absolutely would hate the use of Ms., spoke at the “How to Take Back America” conference. Course, that kinda says a lot already, since I think it fair to say that that little phrase is fast becoming code for you know what in America. Plenty of the usual Republinuts, like our own Stephen King, and Michelle Backmann, are attending and offering ways and means as to how to get rid of THAT BLACK MAN.

Ms. Schafly, who regrettably has not stayed home and taken care of hubby and hearth, as she ardently urges other women to do, has determined that most all of America’s ills lay at the doorstep of women who actually want the same options as men in the world. Not to be says Ms. Schafly. According to her, women and their pesky desire for equality account for drugs, illicit sex, abortion, and on and on. All being tied ultimately to fatherless homes, which Ms. Nutcase associates with feminism. Don’t ask me how, I’m not venturing into that bat-heads brain case!

Not to be outdone,  Mikey Huckabee, and Joe (I’m soon to be a Rhodes Scholar) the Plumber were also in attendance. If you think this is just tame Rethuglican posturing, think again. One spokesperson, Kitty Werthmann told her audience that:

If we had our guns, we would have fought a bloody battle. So, keep your guns, and buy more guns, and buy ammunition. [...] Take back America. Don’t let them take the country into Socialism. And I refer again, Hitler’s party was National Socialism. [...] And that’s what we are having here right now, which is bordering on Marxism.

Yeah, you heard that right. And this is being attended by Mike Huck? Wow, it just goes to show you that the GOP will offer anybody to blame rather than themselves for being out of power, and will engender any kind of hate in order to get back on top.

To be fair, this stuff, along with Huck’s plea that we dump the UN, appeals to varying sorts within the right wing hodgepodge of wingnuttery. Some, as we clearly see are outright racists. Others are mislead and misinformed right wing religious types. They especially like the Schlafly rhetoric for it falls within their self-interpreted beliefs that women should bow to the better abilities of men to run things, both public and private. Equal but different they say. Yeah, and that’s surprisingly a lot like separate by equal if ya recall, and I know you do.

Speaking of which, I keep getting either comments or messages from folks who deny being racists but can’t abide by the President for all sorts of reasons. My answer is always the same: nobody called you one. If you feel you were attacked, then perhaps you better look closer to home, like who’s wearing your clothes. I have said, and I will continue to say that a segment of this anti-Obama stuff is clear racism. Some is just generated by the GOP who catch unawares some of their less stellar intellects in the core religious base. Some, a small number, have real and legitimate arguments to make, and ones we should hear and think about.

Mostly,  no racist wants to think of themselves as such. That’s why quirky ways of reading scripture that let you off the hook are scooped up by the religious right to justify their condemnation of all sorts of good things, like health care reform. I mean, excuse me if I can’t buy the argument that you won’t be for health care reform until somebody shows you where Jesus said government should take care of the poor. I’m not buying that as legit, I’m seeing that as just a nice mask you’ve developed to be greedy and selfish and not have to feel guilty about it.

But, on the other hand, being the source of  most of what’s wrong in America isn’t all bad either. At least I an help take the heat off an embattled president who now has to defend a tiny little grade school somewhere who sang a song about him and how we should all pitch in and help. Fox is up in arms at the “indoctrination” to say nothing of their certifiable maniac Glenn who screams that he has FILM. And of course no mention of the fact that another school did a song of a similar nature about Bush after Katrina. Can you see that there might be a conspiracy of wackos here folks?

By the way, just so you know where I’m coming from: I see Grassley and Huck as purely taking advantage of situations they hope will rebound to their political credit. Grassley for sure knows better but is being pushed mercilessly by his party, dangling the chairmanship of finance before his drooling lips. Huck is trying to position himself as the “moderate” right winger for Iowa in the 2012 primaries. Michelle Backmann and Steven King are true in the blue crazier than aunt Maggie on a good day, believers in the alternative universe they inhabit.

Just sayin’.

As most people know these days the game is played and won in the midfield. Geelong and St.Kilda have most arguably the 2 best midfield’s in the game. So when the 2 teams go head 2 head today in what should shape out to be a cracking match it will be, MIDFIELD V MIDFIELD. So I will look at how the midfield’s should line up against each other and see the battle’s inside THE BATTLE!

# 2 Steven King V #24 Mark Blake

This will be one of the most intense battle’s ruckman V ruckman, enemy V enemy. After King took Blake’s spot in the memorable 2007 Grand Final, Blake would always find a way for revenge. Today is Blake’s day and if Blake can get the wood on King early. Bye, Bye St.Kilda. Winner: Blake (Geelong)

 #38 Clinton Jones V #29 Gary Ablett

Jones V Yablett. Tagger V Gun. Saint V Cat. Ablett is clearly the best of the best, but if Clint Jones can stop Ablett and help the Saints win the flag surely Jones has to be the best of the best. Obviously not. Last Time Jones went head to head with Yablett, Ablett had 27 touches but weren’t that effective as most of them were in the back half. Ablett kicked 2 goals though and today in a low scoring game Jones can’t afford Ablett to be kicking goals. Winner: Ablett (Geelong)

#7 Lenny Hayes V #45 Cameron Ling

Hayes V Ling. Last Week Hayes was on fire. Bursting through the middle, evading tackles, hitting players lace out and most importantly kicking a crucial goal. Hayes will have to be stopped. Hayes is a great and courageous player and deserves a premiership for his great ability. But premierships don’t come easy, but I believe if Hayes does what he did last week, he’ll be very hard to stop. Winner: Hayes (St.Kilda)

#26 Nick Dal Santo V #3 Jimmy Bartel

Leader V Leader. Bartel has already been here, done that but Nick Dal Santo won’t leave without a fight. I thought this would be a great match-up. Both ball winners and both outstanding talents. I’m not sure if Dal Santo is ready to live the dream but I think he could. If and when St.Kilda win, Dal Santo will have been a huge part of the victory. Dal Santo has shown the way to all the youngsters at St.Kilda this year and after he was dropped last year his game has improved to new heights. Winner: Bartel (Geelong)

#22 Farren Ray V #11 Joel Corey

Last Year, Ray was an average player at the Western Bulldogs and this year Ray and St.Kilda have taken his game to a new level. Ray has shown his true potential this year and today will be a real challenge. I believe Ray can play on a star player like Corey but I’m not sure if Ross Lyon will agree. Ray needs to play his normal game and he’ll get through. Ray is my roughie for the Norm Smith. Winner: Ray (St.Kilda)

#11 Leigh Montagna V #14 Joel Selwood

Selwood has played 3 seasons now and played in 3 Grand Finals. I believe today he will have to do it the hard way and play on prolific ball winner Leigh Montagna. Selwood has been great in his last 2 Grand Finals so there is no reason why he won’t be the difference today. Montagna needs to concentrate on winning the ball but also make sure that Selwood does not get hold of him. If any of these players make an impact on the scoreboard, the other will get a big spray. Winner: Montagna (St.Kilda)

The Winner: Saints 3-3 Geelong

“Boy, you sure made the coffee strong this morning, dear.” This as I yawn and peer through lidded eyes at GMA. “I don’t know that it’s any different that usual,” the great one replies.

“Well it was falling out of the grinder when I lifted off the top, so I knew it was gonna be strong,” smiling weakly. I saw a look of “oops” fall across his face. “Ummm, perhaps that was mine.” Mine being the caffeinated stuff, which I have long since abandoned as making me too wired, and upsetting my delicate digestive mechanism.

An hour later, I have completed my walk in record time, and am deeply ensconced in Genesis, trying to see the myriad differences between creation story one and creation story two. My mind is flying, reeling really among the possibilities, and now, I’m really not sure at all what “made in the image of” means.

I have the urge to write, yet know, I’m not nearly ready to tackle THAT topic. I start in the Google reader, skimming the stories, vaguely aware that I am looking for a few in particular, stories I want to consider. I make the mistake to visit Randal’s L’ennui melodieux. Not knowing French, I still have no idea what that means, though the word l-ennui is vaguely familiar. In any case, I don’t recommend that site when in a full-blown caffeine mania. I actually understood his post “Naked in front of the Computer.”

You see, I almost never understand Randal’s posts, which takes nothing away from the fact that mostly they are brilliant. He is writing as art personified. Like Justice Black, I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.

With that post, I realized that my mind, going off in several directions at the same time, could not focus on one issue long enough to write a post about. Thus you get the hodgepodge of trivial and snappy snapshots of reality. At least my reality. The human brain is exceptional in it’s ability to hold, simultaneously, several thoughts at once, some of them in direct and obvious logical opposition (witness the fundamentalist mind –if you can call it that–which is required to do that 24/7–but no we are NOT going there again. I’m looking for a treatment for THAT addiction as well.)

Moving right along, switching gears, about facing, and other metaphors that come to mind. I always obsess happily about our utterly infamous and undoubted resident wing nut Stephen King, R-IA, (may God forgive us our sins). He is always good for a profoundly stupid remark. Yesterday he was quoted as saying that the best vote he ever made in the House was his nearly singular opposition to Katrina aid. Imagine that. Today he is quoted as saying that gays marriage is a “purely socialist concept.” No even, I with my high-speed brain cells this morning, don’t care to get into the ugly morass of a mind that could concoct such bull-crap. Be my guest. Read more here.

***

Meanwhile, spinning on a dime, and managing quite well, thank you, not to fall. . . over, I present a recipe. This time of year one’s thoughts turn to slow cookers and comfort food, and this is definitely that.

One can imagine doing all sorts of outdoorsy things, like planting fall mums, raking leaves, (yeah right) and coming inside for cocoa (yeah right) and taking in the wafts of yummy meaty goodness slowly melding together in the crock pot.

If such thoughts are yours too, and no doubt they are, then let your fingers do the walking over to Baking Delights and pick up the recipe for Slow Cooker Red Cabbage and Sausage.

***

With all due and I do mean due, respect to our tinfoily friends on the extreeeemmmme right, one of their oft cited, but never explained objections to gay marriage is that it will “destroy the sanctity of marriage.”

Well, yes, but, exactly what do that mean Mable? Nothing much it seems, but dang it sounds good. Words can, it seems, be put together in nice sounding ways that appear to point to deep thought, when in fact they bespeak no sense at all.

In other words, ya can’t destroy what don’t exist! And according to recent statistics,Die vorce is alive and well and on the climb and not, repeat NOT in the states that allow same sexers to marry.

Of deeper concern, since I live here, is a recent poll, (saw it I swear but have dumped the site already) in Iowa, that showed that something like 92% of Iowans don’t feel,  so far, threatened in their marriage because of Iowa’s new marriage decree that allows same sex wedding bliss. I can testify as well, that so far, I’ve not been hounded by lesbians wanted to “hook up” nor has the Contrarian been solicited by hoards of men wanting to cuddle behind the tractor. Nope, hasn’t happened. Course this will do nothing to stem the gasps and horror among the “bible told me so” folk.

***

And the winner in the category “gag me with a spoon” is. . . . Mackenzie Phillips and her revelations that “Dad and me were lovers!”

Now, it’s hard to know who to blame for all this. I’m inclined to blame the druggin’, which I understand was beyond the pale, over and above, topped out, even the Stones can’t come close to these folks in over indulgence.

The Contrarian recalls reading where Cass showed up in the Caribbean somewhere with a quart jar of acid one vacation time. These are seriously f**ked up people.

One could of course simply blame dad for all this, but really, Mack admits she was nineteen, yes you heard that right, at the time of the first incestuous meeting, and AND it continued for a record ELEVEN years. I’d say she is somewhat complicit? This doesn’t make any of it other than sordid, wrong, abusive, and a host of other things, but lordly, it sure taints any desire to hear “California Dreamin’ ” any time soon don’t it?

***

Yeah, I know, you wish I would go on and never stop, but hey, I can’t feed your addiction all day long ya know. I hear one of the big pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer perhaps is working on a drug to wean ya off me. If I can get a cut of the that action, I’ll gladly add my opposition to the Democratic health care reform movement. Greed does trump the common good. I can be bought! But you knew that already. Blessings, and well, I’m off to rain caffeine craziness upon the rest of my household.

Umpires: Ryan, McBurney, Rosebury 

All The Odds:

Outright: St.Kilda $2.40 Geelong $1.58

Line: St.Kilda +8.5 $2.05 Geelong -8.5 $1.74

First Score: St.Kilda point $3.75 St.Kilda goal $3.60 Geelong point $3.50 Geelong goal $3.25

First Goal Scorer: Riewoldt $9 Chapman $9 Mooney $10 Johnson $11 Koschitzke $11

Most Disposals: Ablett $2.80 Hayes $6 Montagna $7 Corey $7.50 Bartel, Dal Santo $8

Leading Goal Kicker: Riewoldt $3.75 Chapman $5.50 Mooney, Johnson $7.50

Teams:

Geelong vs. St Kilda
B:Darren Milburn – Matthew Scarlett – Corey Enright
HB: Tom Harley – Harry Taylor – Andrew Mackie
C: Joel Corey – Cameron Ling – James Kelly
HF: Jimmy Bartel – Cameron Mooney – Steve Johnson
F:Travis Varcoe – Tom Hawkins – Paul Chapman
Foll:Mark Blake – Joel Selwood – Gary Ablett
Int:Brad Ottens, Shannon Byrnes, Max Rooke, David Wojcinski
Emerg: Shane Mumford, Simon Hogan, Mathew Stokes

St Kilda
B:Jason Blake, Zac Dawson, Steven Baker
HB: Brendon Goddard, Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert
C:Farren Ray, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
HF:Andrew McQualter, Justin Koschitzke, Clint Jones
F:Stephen Milne, Nick Riewoldt, Jason Gram
Foll:Steven King, Leigh Montagna, Adam Schneider
I/C: Luke Ball, Raphael Clarke, Sean Dempster, Michael Gardiner
Emg:David Armitage, Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt

In: Dempster
Out: Robert Eddy

Player Profiles:

GEELONG

#2 Tom Harley Games: 197 Goals: 12

#3 Jimmy Bartel Games: 156 Goals: 96

#4 Andrew  Mackie Games: 105 Goals: 60

#5 Travis Varcoe Games: 55 Goals: 51

#6 Brad Ottens Games: 209 Goals: 238

#7 Harry Taylor Games: 42 Goals: 6

#9 James Kelly Games: 146 Goals: 63

#11 Joel Corey Games: 198 Goals: 61

#14 Joel Selwood Games: 69 Goals: 23

#17 Shannon Byrnes Games: 75 Goals: 58

#20 Steve Johnson Games: 129 Goals: 250

#21 Cameron Mooney Games: 191 Goals: 250

#24 Mark Blake Games: 78 Goals: 11

#26 Tom Hawkins Games: 42 Goals: 57

#29 Gary Ablett Games: 167 Goals: 217

#30 Matthew Scarlett Games: 227 Goals: 16

#33 Max Rooke Games: 133 Goals: 56

#35 Paul Chapman Games: 174 Goals: 238

#39 Darren Milburn Games: 255 Goals: 90

#40 David Wojcinski Games: 152 Goals: 48

#44 Corey Enright Games: 174 Goals: 49

#45 Cameron Ling Games: 203 Goals: 113

ST.KILDA

#1 Jason Gram Games: 100 Goals: 51

#2 Steven King Games: 233 Games: 83

#7 Lenny Hayes Games: 213 Goals: 71

#10 Steven Baker Games: 177 Goals: 34

#11 Leigh Montagna Games: 121 Goals: 68

#12 Nick Riewoldt Games: 181 Goals: 397

#13 Adam Schneider Games: 140 Goals: 159

#14 Luke Ball Games: 141 Goals: 58

#15 Michael Gardiner Games: 157 Goals: 100

#16 Raphael Clarke Games: 56 Goals: 6

#18 Brendon Goddard Games: 136 Goals: 54

#19 Sam Gilbert Games: 60 Goals: 12

#22 Farren Ray Games: 99 Goals: 37

#23 Justin Koschitzke Games: 141 Goals: 170

#24 Sean Dempster Games: 81 Goals: 13

#25 Sam Fisher Games: 119 Goals: 13

#26 Nick Dal Santo Games: 167 Goals: 88

#27 Jason Blake Games: 160 Goals: 33

#32 Andrew McQualter Games: 58 Goals: 29

#38 Clinton Jones Games: 49 Goals: 15 

#43 Zac Dawson Games: 36 Goals: 2

#44 Stephen Milne Games: 187 Goals: 377

Key Match Up’s:

Clinton Jones V Gary Ablett

Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett just simply has to be stopped by Clinton Jones if the Saints want to win on Saturday. Last Time they met in Round 14 Ablett had: 101 SC points, 27 disposals, 70% efficiency, 4 clearences, 2 goals and 8 goal involvements. While Jones collected 22 disposals of his own and managed to hurt Ablett on the scoreboard, kicking a goal.

Nick Riewoldt V Harry Taylor

Harry Taylor has had the wood on Saints big man Nick Riewoldt in recent times. But the chances are that where ever Riewoldt goes he will be taken by 2 or 3 Cats. The Cats said they would not attack Riewoldt because of his damaged knee, but if I were Roo I would keep an eye out for any big bumps. Riewoldt took 7 contested marks last week against the Dogs, hopefully Taylor can limit the amount of marks because if Riewoldt is let off the leash, the Cats are in danger.

Lenny Hayes V Cameron Ling

Last Week Lenny Hayes tore the Dogs to pieces. Several clearences and his bag of tricks really hurt the Dogs. He scored a crucial goal and scored a huge 179 SC points. In Round 14 against Geelong Hayes racked up 33 touches and got 174 SC points next to his name. Hayes just has to be stopped.

Coaches Corner:

Ross Lyon

3 words: Stop Gary Ablett

Mark Thompson

St.Kilda’s zone has held teams to extremely low scores this year. It is similar to the zone that Sydney set up in 04, 05 and 06 when they made 2 Grand Finals. As Ross Lyon used to be an assistant at Sydney, you would imagine that is where the zone came from. Geelong needs to either use perfect kicking effciency or handball their way through the zone. Geelong needs patience and if they do St.Kilda will be having problems.

How They Will Win:

For St.Kilda to win Gary Ablett must be stopped. For Geelong to win Hayes must be stopped. But thats not all. There is plenty of other ways that either team can win. First of all: Last Year Geelong got the wobbles, missing numerous chances from set shots and from normal play. Geelong and St.Kilda for that matter must kick straight. Cam Mooney must keep his cool in front of the big sticks. Mark Blake will be up for this game as 2 years ago Steven King took Blake’s spot in the side. King will now be in the reverse role, playing against his own team-mates and more importantly against Mark Blake. Blake and Ottens will have to stop Gardiner and King floating forward as Geelong should have already learnt. St.Kilda have been the best team all year but….

THE WINNER…

Josh = Geelong by 8 points. Norm Smith: Jimmy Bartel.

Ben = Geelong by 14 points. Norm Smith : Nick Riewoldt

“…Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” ~Steven King

don't eat ME! here, take the boy!

R

Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher

Bud: It appears we may have a problem of some magnitude here…

After a big storm, a strange mist descends on a small town, bringing strange creatures along with it.  A group of people is trapped in a supermarket, and as things get worse and worse, they become as big a danger to each other as the creatures outside are.

Going into this movie, I had heard about its…shall we say, ‘interesting’ ending via the internet.  So some of its impact was lost on me, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the movie.  It’s actually a fairly effective thriller, with a lot of tense moments and a good lead performance from Thomas Jane as David.

David is in town with his young son and the neighbor that David has often had quarrels with.  They end up stuck in the store along with a large group of people, one of which is Mrs. Carmody, played by Marcia Gay Harden.  She’s the usual way-over-the-top religious doomsayer that I assume is meant to symbolize religious – in this case Christian – hypocrisy.  She seems to preach about fearing God out of her own selfishness rather than love, and while I know people like this do exist, I’m kind of tired of seeing it in movies.

Aside from her antics, most of the performances are pretty solid, even if most of the characters are one dimensional.  They’re here to push the plot along, and they do that well.  The movie rarely drags (thank you, director Frank Darabont), and despite its limited locations, I didn’t tire of the scenery and sets.

I did have a little bit of a problem with the creatures in the mist.  They were fairly standard.  They reminded me of some of the odd things that emerged from the ground in the 2001 movie Evolution.  The explanation of their origin didn’t make much sense either – and wasn’t really necessary in my opinion.

Still, the movie delivers the goods when it comes to creepy creatures killing off characters in creative ways (say that five times fast!).  I just wish the movie would have taken the opportunity to make me care more about – or at least believe – the characters than I did.  But that ending almost makes up for it…

Patience.

10 – 1.3 for dull creatures – .8 for the Mrs. Carmody character and performance – .7 for generally thin characters + .1 for the ending = 7.3

So how many people out there once upon a time read Steven King novels and gave up? I know I was one of them but the idea of Steven King writing a Zombie novel was too good of an opportunity to pass up and I was hoping that this would be much like his earlier work that got me into horror so long ago.

I will be honest with you this little review comes after the second time reading this book through (first time was about eight months or so ago). The first time I had finished it my opinion wasn’t very high on the book but it has changed this time around….well only a little. However I had to give it another chance, maybe I was too hard on it the first time around.

The concept is so easy to imagine (and frightfully possible… to an extent) with people talking on their mobile phone receive what is known as ‘the pulse’ which sees them turn into violent and crazy zombie-like people, charging after others and attacking them. The only ones not to turn are those without access to a mobile phone and those lucky enough to be in direct contact with these ‘phone crazies’. While they may not turn into something imagined from Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, imagining something more along the lines of the modern-day Zombies is close to what we have here, or what we begin with.

Of course the story we have isn’t completely original and fans of any form of Zombie media have seen it all before but King managed to keep me reading from the first chapter all the way to the end as we follow the star of this story Clayton (Clay) firstly survive the pulse at ground zero then go looking for his son. Along the way he meets other survivors and it isn’t long before this basic zombie concept soon evolves as we see that these mindless zombies are actually evolving and changing as the days go by and it is soon that they begin to manifest into something much more sinister with their own agenda themselves.

A lot of the book has references to 911, how people have evolved themselves and become so reliant on technology but I guess what I wanted from this book wasn’t exactly what King wanted. Don’t get me wrong the book itself is an enjoyable read and if you are a fan of his old work you would be crazy not to pick this one up but if you are a fan of the zombie genre you might be a bit confused with the spin he puts on the concept (not saying that it was a bad thing….just different).

My favourite attraction to the genre is the initial outbreak, I love reading how it starts with the first reactions to just how down right crazy the world would get and the first few chapters are full of this violent crazy zombie outbreak and will have you not wanting to put the book down. Unfortunately it begins to slow and even the ending itself is going to leave people to make their minds up on just exactly what went down and how does the human race manage to survive this time around. It was good to see King try his hand at a large-scale event such as this and I think I might be inclined to go and seek out some of his other work I had left behind.

I am intrigued with this blog business and decided to try my hand at it again later this same day. When the newness wears off, it might seem like a chore but for now like any other “First” it seems exciting and full of promise. I learned from a fellow writer and experienced blogger that it is necessay to put some keywords in one’s blog so that it would get hits. What could be more popular now than the book titles of Meyers’ vampire series? Yet, I am not using the titles as a tease since I want to comment on them. I know that Steven King poo-pooed Stephenie Meyers’ writing abilities while he praised Rowling’s. My thoughts on that mattter are that King is a bit of a snob. True, Rowling’s vocabualry is extensive and very British and her imagaination is vast and fantasy -oriented as is KIng’s mind, but frankly I as a middle-aged adult prefer Meyers’ work. Her vampires are not so far out. Basically, her novels are love stories. In Twilight , we are reading the modern day story of Romeo and Juliet and the reason the love is forbidden is not that Romeo is from the wrong side of the tracks like Tony in West Side Story but that Romeo has a tragic flaw– he’s a blood sucker! So, the handsome but pale lover has his own Sylla and Charybdis to choose from. He wants to love the gal but he also wants to bite her and kill her. Ah, what to do? In the second book, he turns suicidal to save her. And she appears suicidal ( just like Juliet) Again, a dilemma as a reader wonders how a vampire can die but apparently there is a way. And we get to know Jacob better in New Moon. He is like Juliet’s Paris. He is an acceptable suitor for the girl but he also has a flaw- he turns into a werewolf that likes to attack vampires. Ah! Belle is also between a rock and a hard place. What I think is amazing is that Meyers can create such images and such three dimensional characters using a very unsophisticated vocabualry. I think this takes real writing skill!