text:
The Kingdom of Montenbourg - Government Ministries
His Majesty Government of Montenbourg
His Majesty's Government, commonly referred to as the Montenbourg Government, is currently formed of MPs from the Classical Monarchist and Liberal Party.
Prime Minister of Montenbourg (Statsminister): Hon. Xävier Bettel (LP)
Deputy Prime Minister (Statsministers ställföreträdare): Margot Wallström (LP)
Minister for Finance: Claire Ünderwood MP (CMP)
Minister for Home Affairs: Morgan Jöhansson MP (LP)
Minister for Foreign Affairs: Elizabeth McCörd (LP)
Minister for Defence: Francis Ünderwood MP (CMP)
Minister for Justice: Alexander Grimaldi MP (CMP)
Minister for Education and Culture: Gustav Fridolin (LP)
Minister for Health: Bernard Sanders MP (LP)
Minister for Rural Affairs: Sven-Erik Bucht (LP)
Minister for Children and Family Development: Helle Thörning-Schmidt (LP)
Minister for Trade and Business: Cara Carletön-Fiorina (CMP)
21 September 2017, His Excellency the Prime Minister of Montenbourg
"Good Evening my fellow montenbourgians and a warm hug to our brothers and sisters in the United Kingdom. I have just been informed by our embassy in London the terrorist attacks occurred in the British capital.
I would like to extend my condolences to the families who lost there lives in this disastrous event. Our whole country is in grief after such a terrible loss of lives and we extend all possible aid, our nation will be pleased to do, thats why we put at the disposal the sending of the Montenbourgian Peace Corps to help in the medical aid and also we call for the creation of an international fund for the victims.
As my friend the Prime Minister of Decreta Mrs. Carolina said "Terrorism is not something we should turn a blind eye to. We all need to cooperate in order to prevent massacres like the one we have witnessed today. It is our responsibility, to honour our dead." Therefore, our government will also be collaborating thoroughly with the British investigations.
Also I would like to add our efforts to elevate this topic to the European Union, this afternoon I chaired a meeting with the Montenbourg Security Agency, which sees some threat level in the region, meaning there is a limited threat of terror but it still terror. His Majesty police forces will continue to work closely with the Intelligence Agency, National Guard, and the Army, to counter threats to our national security. For now as His Majesty Prime Minister, I would ask all of us to remain vigilant, but never scared or frightened by terror. United we stand with our British brothers and sisters wishing them every success in overcoming the tragedy that has befallen them.
My prayers are with Britain and its victims.
God Save our King!
26 September 2017,
"HM Government sees with deep concearn the invocation of article 50 by the State of Turkmenbaijan enlisting the treaty of the European Union and by this is leaving the Union. HM Government believes that if Turkmenbaijan or any state decides to organise an EU exit, we as a member nation we will not see it as something positive because His Majesty Government believes of preserve the rest of the European Union and not to sending the message to all member nations that you can decide to leave without any consequences, thats not what the Union stands for.
HM Government calls all member nations to work at the European level of the how in the handling of this situation and secondly be extremely rigorous about the consequences of leaving the EU. This will not be a game where the Exiters can maximise their interests without taking into consideration the EU's. HM Government stance is clear we don't want a sort of tailor-made approach where the Exiters will have the better of the two worlds. Because it will be a big incentive for all the members of the club to leave or to kill the European ideas. And this European ideas as Her Majesty Queen-Consort Grace of Montenbourg has declared on the European Economic Summit "Are based on common responsibility and solidarity and that's the critical point – especially when we speak about immigration. The agenda of the European Union is beyond this exit... with opportunities for expansion, job creation, investment and above all continued peace, and that should not be derailed by the exit negotiations. We believe in a strong European Union, but we also pursue that we want to minimise any major impact to our economy and that impact has consequences.We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity. Breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine are curing illnesses and solving problems that prior generations thought impossible to solve. But each day also brings news of growing dangers that threaten everything we cherish and value. Terrorists and extremists have gathered strength and spread to every region of the planet. Rogue regimes represented in this body not only support terrorists but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity. To put it simply, we meet at a time of both of immense promise and great peril. It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights, or let it fall into a valley of disrepair.
We have it in our power, should we so choose, to lift millions from poverty, to help our citizens realize their dreams, and to ensure that new generations of children are raised free from violence, hatred, and fear.
This Union was founded in the aftermath of two world wars to help shape this better Europe. It was based on the vision that diverse nations could cooperate to protect and unite their sovereignty, preserve their security, and promote their prosperity. We believe in this and we defend this with all our heart.- HRH Queen Grace of Montenbourg"
United is Europe because we stand strong together not divided."
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
3 October 2017, His Excellency the Prime Minister of Montenbourg
"Good Evening! His Majesty's Government congratulates His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Artabanos, on his re-election. This vote is a landmark achievement definitely. We look forward to working with the Imperial Inimican Government in matters of trade in the coming years, and continue our friendly and amicable relations between the Kingdom of Montenbourg and the Empire of Inimicus. "
The Rt. Hon. William Anderson, MP
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenbourg
Montenbourg last edited by
3 October 2017
His Majesty's Treasury sees as positive the data put out by the European Central Bank about the wider European economy. We call the ECB to see the work of HM Government in achieving results and building a country that works for everyone, also the impact that Monten Pound means to the European Union. We anticipate in the coming days as the Treasury begins the process of building a Budget, to be presented in November.
His Majesty's Treasury will continue to pursue and advocate for policies that will grow wages, grow the economy, new investment and build jobs in Montenbourg.
The Rt. Hon. Claire Underwood, MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
17 January 2018,
"HM Government sees with gratitude and years of service the nomination of our European Councillor Lady Emma Granger, 2th Baroness of Montague for Comissioner of Foreign Affairs of the European Union as optimal for the continuation of progress in the Union and the benefit of mutual relations.
HM Government applaud and encourage the nomination of Lady Granger"
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
7 February 2018,
"HM Government congratulates Commissioners Stuart, Clinton-Mezvinsky, and Drake on their election. Montenbourg is honored and grateful to have had this chance to represent all Europeans in this consequential election. We greet the nations of Angleter, Australia and the Duxburian Union with its highest and distinguished consideration and felicitation.
HM Government applaud and encourage the work of the Comissioners for a better and united europe"
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
28 February 2018,
His Majesty's Government stands in union of heart with the Government and people of Omnibus. This acts have no place in our beloved Europe. Our Most Gracious Kingdom call europeans to stand up against terrorism. His Majesty's Government deposit its trust in the Government of Omnibus on bringing these terrorists acts to justice.
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
1 March 2018, His Excellency the Prime Minister of Montenbourg
Prime Minister William Anderson speaks at Bosco University as he launches a review of post-18 health services and funding.
"Good Evening my fellow Montenbourgians and a warm hug to our European brothers and sisters. I have just been informed by our European Councillor the 2th Baroness of Montague Lady Emma Granger about the advance of our European Universal Healthcare Act such an example to follow in the advance of Human Rights, as Montenbourg healthcare system is universal, free and accesible to all, so Europe is following our lead.
Shamefully, our European Union remains the only major region on earth that does not guarantee health care to all europeans. Because as my friend His Majesty Secretary of Health the Right and Honorable Bernard Sanders said we believe in Montenbourg that health care is a right, not a privilege.
As Europeans we should be able to go to the doctor when we need to, without worrying whether we can afford it. We should choose our doctors and hospitals without worrying about network restrictions. We deserve health coverage for all of us, paid for based on our ability to pay, not what the market will bear. I'm proud the European Council has recognize our motion of the European Healthcare Act, and I look forward to working and talking with other heads of government into promoting Eurofederalism as a key for a better Europe and enact this Act into law. Because Europeans deserve better! It's time.
God Save our King!"
Rt. Hon. William Anderson MP (CM)
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
3 March 2018,
His Majesty's Treasury welcomes the data put out by the European Central Bank about Montenbourg's economy, and indeed the good news about the wider European economy. These demonstrate that HM Government is achieving results and building a country for everyone, europeans and montenbourgians. We anticipate this economic output in more jobs and living wages for all montenbourgians.
His Majesty's Treasury will continue to pursue and advocate for policies that will grow living wages, expand investments and building trade deals with other European countries.
Rt. Hon. Claire Underwood MP (CM)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
3 March 2018,
His Majesty's Government sees with positive eyes the visit of our majesty the Queen at Omnibus, we are in the hope of new trade deals and friendship with these brother nation.It is a goal for friendship between our two nations, and proves that Europe is a region of friends.
His Majesty's Government also accepts the invitation of the The Government of the United Kingdom. Believing also that we can strike for trade deals and forge closer bonds between Montenbourg and Great Britain because in stability and friendship there is hope for a united Europe.
Rt. Hon. William Anderson MP (CM)
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
Press Release
4 March, 2018
PM visit to UK
Prime Minister William Anderson will visit the United Kingdom from Monday 5th to Wednesday 7st of March.
The Prime Minister will visit UK from Monday 5th to Friday 7st of this month, where he will be received by Theresa May, UK Prime Minister.
This will be his first visit to UK as Prime Minister.
Her visit is expected to cover a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including working together to support the rules-based international system and the promotion of free trade and liberal-democratic values.
The Prime Minister's visit will focus on cooperation and human rights cooperation, and trade and investment opportunities.
He will be accompanied by a delegation of the royal household for future official visit and business leaders drawn from a range of sectors. The delegation will showcase the strength of Montenbourg business, the shared confidence in the Montenbourg-UK economic relationship, the EU, and the potential for future growth.
Melany Cornwell
Press Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office
Press Release
04 March 2018,
The Kingdom of Montenbourg is pleased of the invitation made by the United Kingdom of the Rt. Hon. William Anderson, to London and the Royal Visit. In response to the invitation made by the Royals of the United Kingdom, His Majesty the King has graciously accepted the invitation to the State Dinner and reception, the Royal Household will respond soon to announce the visit and its specifications in the eyes of this Royal visit to the United Kingdom, a its ceremonial welcome. Two planes will arrive on 5th March, the Royal Air with the monarchs and the Carrier One with the Prime Minister.
In addition to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Grace II, I the Prime Minister will be accompanied by:
- the First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, The Rt. Hon. John Adams
I look forward to our talks since and advising that this visit shall be extended till Tuesday.
The Rt. Hon. William Anderson, MP
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenbourg
08 March 2018,
HM Government finds the instability state of Omnibus as a matter of awareness to the international community and the plot made against the President of Omnibus Shane Raimi. HM Government grants the asylum to Shane Raimi. HM Government understands that as a consequence of Raimi determined defense to freedom, democracy and the rise of nationalism in his homeland, we understand that in any given moment, a situation may come where his life, safety or personal integrity will be in danger.
The Rt. Hon. William Anderson, MP
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
Montenbourg last edited by The United Kingdom
9 March 2018,
Foreign investment almost doubled in 2017.
In 2017, Foreign Direct Investment registered a 48.3% growth compared to 2016, reaching €62.6 billion, according to the preliminary results of the montenbourgian economy published by the Motenbourg Royal Bank (MRB). The sectors that attracted the largest commercial, tourism and real estate investments, detailed the report, which at the same time highlights that the remarkable level of income reached was largely influenced by the sale of shares by the Montague National Brewery to foreign investors.
Rt. Hon. Claire Underwood MP (CM)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Montenbourg last edited by
9 March 2018,
The Government has today set out plans to strengthen information sharing between police, social workers and healthcare professionals to tackle child abuse and neglect, and to improve joint working and decision-making. Building on the ambitious programme of reform to the children's social care system, the Home Office and Department for Education have responded to a joint consultation, 'Reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect', which sought views on how to best protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect in all its forms.
The consultation sought views on issues relating to the child protection system, specifically proposals to introduce additional legal duties for professionals and organisations working to protect young people. These proposed changes to the law included mandatory reporting of any concern relating to child abuse by practitioners, and a duty to act, whereby individuals could face professional or criminal sanctions for failing to take appropriate action where child abuse was known or suspected. The consultation received a response of more than 760 responses from social workers, police officers, local government, children's charities, educators and health professionals, victim support groups, and other members of the public.
Of these responses, the majority disagreed with introducing new statutory requirements. Nearly 70% felt mandatory reporting could have an adverse impact on the child protection system and 85% said it would not in itself lead to appropriate action being taken to protect children. Only 25% were in favour of a duty to act, and less than half that number (12%) supported introducing mandatory reporting.
The evidence received does not demonstrate that either of the proposals would sufficiently improve outcomes for children. Rather, feedback suggests that these additional measures could risk creating unnecessary burdens, divert attention from the most serious cases, hamper professional judgement, and potentially jeopardise the vital relationships between social workers and vulnerable families in their care.
Montenbourg already has a higher rate of reporting than countries where such duties are in place, and the evidence from serious case reviews, Ofsted inspections and the consultation responses does not suggest there is a systemic problem.
Instead, the majority of respondents (63%) were in favour of allowing the Government's existing programme of child protection reforms time to embed before considering additional statutory measures. Reflecting on considering the current child protection system, respondents called for better joint working between different local agencies, further work to encourage new and innovative practice, and better training for practitioners.
In direct response to sector feedback, the Government has today confirmed that it will:
- prove coordination between agencies involved in keeping children safe through better information sharing – implementing stronger safeguarding arrangements locally, as well as clearer, stronger national statutory guidance;
- publish revised Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance to make clear the roles and responsibilities of the agencies involved in protecting children from abuse and neglect;
- build on its successful campaign, a new phase of which will launched in March 2018;
- continue to boost the professional development of social workers and practitioners by improving training, accreditation and regulation, supporting them to better protect children and promote their welfare; and
- consider the current legal framework to assess whether it is sufficiently robust in terms of criminal offences for concealing child abuse and neglect.
The government's consultation is the latest in an active and broad reform agenda, which includes a 200 million Monten Pounds investment in innovation, legislation and cross-governmental working.
Rt. Hon. William Clinton MP (CM)
Secretary of State for Education
9 March 2018,
HM Government calls to the European community to address the grave situation of instability that is happening in Omnibus. The fact that only natural born Omnibus citizens should be allowed in Omnibus and any that are not should be labeled as "undesirables" taken by peacekeepers and deported out of the country, its abhorrent into the eyes of the international community and the aggression this represent to human rights. Omnibus its creating a humanitarian crisis. And discriminating by reinstating the death penalty and banning guns from anyone who is not a natural born citizen of Omnibus. These are European citizens, HM Government calls the European Community to address this grave situation. Omnibus authorities are adopting a series of practices, norms and judicial decisions aimed at denationalizing people, migrants.
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
18 March 2018,
HM Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been monitoring the situation in Omnibus, and we issue to all our nationals and Europeans an advisory that taveling to all areas of Omnibus is unsafe because of high levels of insurgent attack. This attacks due to instability have targeted official Omnibus and Montenbourg government convoys and compounds, foreign embassies, military installations, commercial entities, non-governmental organization (NGO) offices, hospitals, places of worship, restaurants, hotels, airports, and education centers due to the political instability. . We strongly advise against the travel to Omnibus at this time and the outbreak of a disease that has been deemed incurable by the authorities in Omnibus.
Montenbourg Embassy's ability will provide routine and emergency services to Montenbourgian citizens in Omnibus. We will provide evacuation options from Omnibus.
Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Omnibus, the Royal Aviation Administration (RAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR).
His Majesty's Government will be seeking sanctions on the businesses of Vladimir Rhaegar and the financial assets of him and his associates, including the freezing of assets in Montenbourg banks. HM Government will continue the asylum to President Shane Raimi, as our government believes its leader has been part of a coup.
HM Government is open to dialogue with other nations to bring forward a solution to this crisis.
God Save The King!
Rt. Hon. Catherine M. Banks MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Press Release
26 March, 2018
As head of HM Government, and personally I give my special thanks to the Rt. Hon. Catherine Banks for her perdurable service heading the FCO, I must say that mantaining high during all these governments has been good for the sustain of our Foreign Relations. HM Government accepts her resignation, and awaits the formal declaration of His Majesty the King. We call the Council to submit their applications for a new Secretary of state for Foreign Relations.
The Rt. Hon. William Anderson, MP
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenbourg
27 March, 2018
"Good evening everyone, the country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise, perhaps the biggest in our history. A decision held by our coalition, and a scandal. This afternoon in this room, from this chair, I testified before the Office of Independent Counsel and the grand jury. I answered their questions truthfully, including questions about my private life, questions no Montenbourgian citizen would ever want to answer.
I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that.I can only tell you I was motivated by many factors. First, by a desire to protect myself from the embarrassment of my own conduct. I was also very concerned about protecting my family. The fact that these questions were being asked in a politically inspired lawsuit, which has since been dismissed, was a consideration, too. Still, I must take complete responsibility for all my actions, both public and private. And that is why I am speaking to you tonight.
Now, this matter is between me, the two people I love most -- my wife and our daughter -- and our God. I must put it right, and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to do so. Nothing is more important to me personally. But it is private, and I intend to reclaim my family life for my family. It's nobody's business but ours.
Even prime ministers have private lives. It is time to stop the pursuit of personal destruction and the prying into private lives and get on with our national life. Our country has been distracted by this matter for too long, and I take my responsibility for my part in all of this. That is all I can do. Now it is time -- in fact, it is past time to move on.
We should be proud of the fact that we trust the people for these big decisions.We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we've governed there are times when it is right to ask the people themselves and that is what we have done.
But the Montenbourgian people and the Coalition have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction. I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming days but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.
This is not a decision I've taken lightly but I do believe it's in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required. Delivering stability will be important and I will continue in post as counselor of the new CMP Prime Minister with my Cabinet for the next three months.
The Cabinet will meet on Monday.
We will also continue taking forward the important legislation that we set before Parliament in the King's Speech.
And I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to advise him of the steps that I am taking.
The Montenbourg people have made a choice, that not only needs to be respected but those on the losing side of the argument - myself included - should help to make it work. Montenbourg is a special country - we have so many great advantages - a parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issues about our future through peaceful debate, a great trading nation with our science and arts, our engineering and our creativity, respected the world over.
And while we are not perfect I do believe we can be a model for the multi-racial, multi-faith democracy, that people can come and make a contribution and rise to the very highest that their talent allows.
I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it for 10 years and I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed. Thank you very much."
The Rt. Hon. William Anderson, MP
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenbourg


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STAMFORD, Conn. -- Stamford's new Superintendent Earl Kim, just like all the other new hires in the Stamford school system, attended the two-day orientation held at Westover Magnet Elementary School last week.
"Theoretically I could be exempted, but you lead from the front," said Kim, who has served in the Marine Corps. He said it was a valuable experience for him to take part in the sessions, where he could learn more about teaching strategies and theories. There is also the personal element, he said.
"It's great to just meet the people who work in our school system who have been hired as this fresh crop of teachers," Kim said. "Really an impressive group."
Classes start for Stamford students on Thursday.
Kim comes into the system that was rocked by a sex scandal involving a Stamford High School teacher that ultimately saw a shakeup in the most senior levels of the school district.
Former Superintendent Winifred Hamilton retired Dec. 31 in the fallout of the public scandal that began July 2014 when English teacher Danielle Watkins of Norwalk was arrested. She was sentenced to five years in prison in March 2015 as part of a plea deal for having sex with a student and supplying him with marijuana throughout the 2013-14 school year.
Principal Donna Valentine and Vice Principal Roth Nordin were arrested in October 2014, and charged with one misdemeanor count of failing to report to the state Department of Children and Families the allegations involving Watkins. Each was granted accelerated rehabilitation in November 2014, which will allow them to have no criminal record if they have no further legal problems.
Valentine and Nordin were ultimately removed from their positions.
Kim acknowledged that it was a difficult time, but he said the work of teachers and other staff continued to be at a high level.
"A lot has happened in our district, but at a certain level," he said. "In our classrooms and in our schools a lot has happened but it is positive."
"I think at one level it was difficult for the district, at the upper echelons," he continued. "But what I have seen here in the two months that I have been here is that the most vital work of the district: the professional learning around strategies for integrating English language learners into the classroom, strategies for addressing the needs of special education students while at the same time meeting the needs of students who are ready to soar those things have been going on notwithstanding all the atmospherics that have been going on that we read about in the papers."
After his service in the Marines, Kim, who was born and raised in Hawaii, started his teaching career in New Jersey, ultimately rising to become a superintendent in Verona and Montgomery Township.
For the last four years, he was Head of Schools at Kamehameha Schools, in Honolulu.
He said he isn't implementing "anything new out of the box" but said Stamford's senior leadership, including principals and assistant principals, will go through a visioning and longterm planning that he said will also engage the community.
"We are building on the work that has already started," he said. "It's a privilege to be here and to be of service to the students and staff of this community. We have terrific people working in Stamford and they have done great work."
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subset: commoncrawl


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FTII, SRFTII to receive Rs 300 mn for status uplift
05 Feb, 2008 - 01:00 PM IST | | 219 Reads
MUMBAI: The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata are to receive a Rs 300 million aid to convert them into world standard institutes.
This was announced by union minister for I&B, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi during his visit to this city in connection with the seven-day 10th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF-2008) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films.
Dasmunsi also said he would talk to Doordarshan to start a dedicated channel for documentary films and give a one-hour slot on a DD channel on Saturdays for classical artists and singers.


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They have been used as resting places and makeshift gyms. They have also helped inebriated people get home and helped a mayoral candidate navigate the city.
Now, Citi Bikes are popping up on wedding days.
As reporter Matt Flegenheimer writes today:
In a conspicuous sign that frustration is giving way to acceptance, the public bikes have been welcomed into that most personal corner of civic life, the wedding.
At times, they have assumed the role of post-ceremony, honeymoon-bound transportation, missing only a "Just Married" placard on the back wheel. Photographers have compiled small portfolios of two-wheeled work, as the bikes have begun to appear, Waldo-like, in the albums of couples in reception regalia. And for those who have crossed the Atlantic to be married in New York City, accompanying snapshots of the bikes have become a must, joining Grand Central Terminal and the Brooklyn Bridge as oft-used backdrops.
We here at CityRoom would love to hear your Citi Bike wedding story.
Please leave a note in the comments section sharing your story, and please mention if you have any photos, videos, Vines, Instagrams or other media that we might not be aware of yet. A reporter or producer will follow up in the coming days.


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I guess, I'll let the lot of you decide just what these are the ramblings of.
Anyways, we've gotten the house mostly unpacked, and have finally gotten that wonderful cable package which includes high-speed internet. Let me tell you, I am glorying in the feel of once more being connected to the world at large.
Of course, this brave new world that I've managed to stumble into (colloquially called Madison) does provide some interesting odds and ends. First, there is an active Star Wars group in the area. Secondly, there are a number of used bookstores (one just down the street from me). And finally, I'm still amused by the architecture of the place.
Of course, my boys are enjoying themselves here as well. For the past two days we've been dodging my eldest boy's Galactic Heroes, and of course there is this:
Yes, that is my son coming back from the backyard, lightsabre in hand, looking for all the world like a fine rendition of Darth Emo. Of course yesterday evening, me and the boy there went out into that backyard and proceeded to smack the two sabres together. I looked over to the door to find my beloved taking photos of that.
I fear that they'll soon find their way to MySpace or something similar.
Or worse, she used the video option.
Anyways, related to Star Wars, I do have a few books I need to procure in that particular franchise. And then read and write up reviews for them.
Leading on to my other bit about reviews, and the fact that I need to finish up my reviews for Hal Spacejock and His Majesty's Dragon, and I should be adding The Jade Throne to that list in just a few days as well.
Finally, on the anime front, I've so far behind I could cry. Sadly (well, not really sadly, but you get the idea) I've managed to inundate myself with the potential for anime. I now have Anime Network On Demand and Adult Swim On Demand, in addition to having a handy-dandy DVR these days to record anime when it comes on for later viewing.
I so love technology.
But, AnimeMonday has nothing at all for tonight as they're caught up in the Halloween mishmash of stuff. Next week (Nov. 5) has Karas The Revolution airing. It's a movie, so I'll give it a try. The week after that we go back to our regularly scheduled broadcast.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Rambling of a....
I guess, I'll let the lot of you decide just what these are the ramblings of.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 12:14 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rambling
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Suddenly Sci Fi
Well, physically, I have completed the move from
I'm all giddy like.
I mean it's been days upon end without the 'net and that sucks big time, and then couple that with the fact that it's been cold and rainy all week, and that means the boy is going a bit stir-crazy, and driving my wife bonkers as well. I mean, we have that big yard, and it's too cold and wet to banish… err… send him out to play in it. Regardless, I managed to get the TV and DVD player hooked up, just in time for my son to watch our brand new copy of Meet the Robinsons, ah, the future as Art Deco.
Personally, I still cringe at the thought.
Anyways, I've been horridly neglectful of all things online while I systematically ripped apart my life and began the long process of rebuilding it in a highly-divergent way. The good news is that I have a few reviews to put together for the site, including ones for Hal Spacejock, His Majesty's Dragon and The Jade Throne. Also, I'll hopefully be getting my copy of the Death Star novel sometime this upcoming week. Then, I have two stories that were emailed to me (they're online in blogs) which I'll take a peek at and write reviews for.
But back on the digital cable/DVR bandwagon, I now have the ability to record shows without the hassle of tapes, so expect me to be more interested in the television. Also, I should have access to the OnDemand library of anime from the Anime Network. That should be interesting.
Speaking of anime though, I came across a website in my RSS Reader this morning entitled AnimeThat. An interesting concept, basically it's a link index for animes that appear on VEOH or YouTube. At first I was highly interested, but as I read more, including their legal notice, I realized that it wasn't quite as interesting as I had initially hoped.
Sadly, I'm lacking anything really interesting here beyond this. After all, I've been without TV and the Internet for a bit, and to top it all off, I didn't even get my PC set up until last night (and I've still not hooked up my printer or scanner).
But, come Sunday morning, I'll have my lifeline back, and once more be able to immerse myself in the heady flow of information and digital images.
Good times…
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 2:31 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday Morning Rambling....
Well, it's another Monday morning, and yet again time for some more random thoughts from yours truly.
First and foremost, be aware that I've don't have a lot of time these days, as I've stated in the past, I'm in the midst of moving, and lack a lot of time, what's worse is that all of my books and movies are in various boxes, save for two novels: Hal Spacejock and His Majesty's Dragon. Speaking of Hal Spacejock, Simon Haynes, the author of the series, runs monthly contests on his website for free copies of the novel, I can't tell you encourage you enough to go here and apply. Second bit about Hal Spacejock is that I've finished the novel and am in the midst of writing the review. Like everything else in my life at the moment, it's rather slow going.
There are two episodes of Noein tonight, two episodes next week, and then AniMonday takes a week off for Halloween. While I should get to watch tonight's episodes, I'm not certain that I'll have cable yet for next weeks. Nor am I certain that I'll have internet next week to actually update the blogs.
Other anime news, there are a few SF based series out this season, including Dragonauts and Blue Drop. I'm not certain how many episodes of Blue Drop I'll watch, as the manga it is based on is yuri, but the first two episodes of Dragonauts do look good. Outside of that it's the usual mish-mash of anime tropes, with a healthy dose of magical/fantasy based ones. Lastly, we can't forget Key's Clannad, which is the same folks that created Air and Kanon, is out there and being shone. As always from the Key/Kyoto Animation folks it's some beautiful work.
Saturday, I had a cute story to put up here about my kids and something one of them said that was highly Star Wars-ish, but apparently I didn't write it down and thus I've forgotten exactly what it was.
Finally, as is to be expected, I've once more given up on television. I don't know what it is, but most shows on there just don't hold my attention. Most of the time, I'm happy about that, but occasionally, I do wonder about what the rest of the nation is doing in relation to entertainment. I mean, one of my good friends told me that Flash Gordan had come up with an actual plot line. Anyways, I think it might be because, despite some things being labeled SF, most things that are show, really aren't. Anyone else has thoughts on that?
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 7:42 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Misc
Friday, October 12, 2007
The New Captain America
Marvel.com has revealed the new outfit for Captain America to mush gushing love from their PR department. Understandable, because that's what PR departments are for. It's a design by the undeniably wonderfully artist Alex Ross.
Personally, I'm of two minds of the thing. Part of me WANTS to like the outfit, but in the end, I fear it's just giving me a headache. I liked the chain-mail outfit, but I can see the appeal of this new body armor version.
What I don't understand is the need to include a gun and a knife.
Cap was supposed to be this great hero who embodied the American Ideal, which included not being an offensive hero, but rather a defensive, reactive.
But, I guess that's more the modern age, and even after a while, I can handle the gun.
At least until I read the article, and the reasonings for the inclusion of the gun. Ross said this about the new design:
It's a more brutish interpretation, at this point, for the modern age.That annoyed me. A lot.
Rather than having a hero that did things the old-fashioned way. The way of the non-brutes. We now have another dark, depressing hero who is willing to kill to defeat the bad guys. Ho-hum.
If I had wanted that, I'd have read the Punisher.
Bad form, Marvel.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 8:01 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Superhero
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Darth Bane: Rule of Two Covers
I guess that the Rule of Two is now the official title for the Darth Bane sequel, because that's what the Official Site is reporting in addition to the front/back covers.
Go see!
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 8:49 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Star Wars
Do You Read Your RSS Feed?
I spent all last night goofing off with some friends who were in town from Kentucky, top that all off with the packing, and I managed to not read or watch or even think about SF last night. A sad state of affairs to be certain, but one that appears to be the case.
So, when I got up this morning and went to consider which bit of text I was going to put up this morning, imagine my surprise when I had nothing. Zilch. Nothing at all. In shock, I rushed over to GoogleDocs and hunted for unposted reviews.
And came up with the exact same thing.
So, what's a SF/Geek blog to do on such things? Why turn to GoogleReader of course!
So, the first thing I stumbled across was an article at Mania.com entitled Video and the Anime Star. It's an article discussing AMV's (Anime Music Video) and specifically the AMV Hell series. Sure, it ultimately ends up as a nearly 800 word endorsement for AMV Hell, but it's still an interesting read.
Next there's the stuff about a new version of Land of the Lost, one starring Will Ferrell and promises to be as funny as a broken nose. That same website also posted an interesting article about Fox's well-known hate of all things SF. Frankly, I think they're still upset that George Lucas talked them out of the licensing rights to Star Wars.
In the "oooo, I want" category, there's reports of a new near-mint copy of Detective Comics #27, which debuted Batman, surfacing and getting into the market place. One has to wonder why my parents/grandparents couldn't have kept such things for me to find in various and sundry attics. Oh well.
And finally, we're still getting fallout from the brouhaha over the SFWA's illegally formed DMCA take down notices to SCRIBD. Specifically, Phywriter.com is reporting that Dr. Burt (who I still think just wants money out of SCRIBD for his content search algorithm) has lost his objectivity and attacked Doctorow over this situation. What's saddest is that Burt used the Critters.Com newsletter to push through that particular attack against him.
I've got to admit that I'm highly interested in this whole situation. The latest is Dr. Burt and Jerry Pournelle talking about Doctorow's repost of a story by Ursula Le Guin that he found on Ansible.
One which he had edited to strip most of it away once he discovered that she didn't want him re-posting the article. And he didn't even need DMCA take-down notices to do so.
Of course what amuses me is that Burt and Pournelle are whining that Doctorow's posting just happened to create all these pirated copies of the Le Guin piece, forgetting that it was posted in its entirety on another website first.
The final thing is an interesting comment that Pournelle wrote in regards to the Le Guin issue:
One presumes that Doctorow will plead his copyright violation was a mistake. It is not an explanation that he would accept from SFWA.Frankly, I believe that it is not an explanation that he should accept from SFWA. Burt in his rush to push out DMCA takedown notices did two things wrong:
- Did not obey the LAW in ensuring that he had the right to take down every requested document
- Did not obey the LAW in how he formed his DMCA takedown notices
Pournelle has also written that he's surprised that so many people are jumping up to defend pirates. I'm confused by that statement, and surprised that someone who builds software, and in theory should know how the internet works, would make such a statement.
First, let us remember that SCRIBD is NOT a pirate. They are a file share repository. Huge difference. This is how SCRIBD describes themselves:
Scribd is a Silicon Valley startup creating technology that makes it easy to share documents online. You can think of Scribd as a big online library where everyone can publish original content, including you!Then consider that they don't generate content. Nothing on their website is theirs. All they do is provide the tools used to share the data. It's the same way that BitTorrent, Flickr, YouTube, and thousands of other sites work. It's a business model that the DMCA protects by saying that a website is not responsible for what the users of that website pushes up to its servers.
Part of the idea behind Scribd is that everyone has a lot of documents sitting around on their computers that only they can read. With Scribd we hope to unlock this information by putting it on the web.
Calling SCRIBD a pirate because their users post copyrighted works to the site is the same as calling Wal-Mart a thief because they take your money.
Sure, from a certain point of view it's true, but it's not the whole truth.
SCRIBD provides a perfectly legal function, and can be used as described in their TOS and their "About Us" in a perfectly legal manner. In that same way, they can be used in an illegal manner. But again, the DMCA protects them, provided that they obey any and all legally created DMCA takedown notices.
Well, that's all the time I have for this today as I've got to get to work, and have a few other odds an ends to do. But, I do wonder what everyone else thinks about this whole SFWA issue.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 8:02 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Review: Shakugan no Shana
Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ, Shakugan no Shana or literally Shana of the Blazing Eyes) originally started life as a light novel (basically, it's an illustrated novel aimed primarily at children). Then in 2002 it was translated into a manga, and got the anime treatment in 2005, and even generated a couple of video games. This review though is for the movie version released in 2007. The synopsis on Anime-Source for the 2005 anime is listed as thus:
Not long after he had entered high school, Sakai Yuji's normal days were finished. He saw something strange on his way home; people were frozen in fire, and a monster looking like a large doll assaulted them. When he was about to be killed, a girl in black cloth holding a large sword appeared, and cut the monster into halves. Although Yuji pulled though the crisis, the girl informed him of a hopeless fact..... He's already dead.Fortunately, it fits the movie just as well as the anime. The movie basically tells the story of the original novel. How that fits in with the first season of the anime I'm unsure as I've not seen it.
Anyways, the plot is a decent bit of fantasy fluff, building up to the big fight in the end. For what its worth, it's a decent plot. There's nothing exciting or necessarily new about it, but it's handled efficiently and is well done.
For the characters, there are three main characters. The first is Sakai Yuji, who is the male protagonist. He's an average high school student, at least until he discovers the little fact that he's dead.
Second is the female protagonist, named by Yuji as Shana. She's a "Flame Haze" someone who fights the creatures that are going around eating the existences of regular humans.
Finally, the antagonist is called the Hunter, Friange (at least if I remember correctly). Truth be told, we're not given a whole lot of characterization for him, which seems to be a bit of a drawback with things based upon light novels.
Probably the character who gets the most characterization growth is Shana herself. At the start of the movie, she considers him an object, and considers herself about the same. It is Yuji, and his need to humanize her, that she acquires a name and slowly comes to accept Yuji as human.
Artwork is really well done. Of course since it is a movie, that is to be expected. The character designs themselves I liked, and enjoyed the particle effects that her hair and eyes would take when she was in "powered" mode.
As usual, I was fairly oblivious to the music.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie. There were a few scenes that served no purpose outside of fan service but that was just lingering too long on a character's legs or something similar. At the moment, I'm hoping that it'll provide enough of a background that I can understand the second season of the anime and not feel hopelessly lost while watching it. Yet standing on its own as a movie, it's a fun story, with great characters.
In the end, I have to give this a 3.5 out of 4.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 7:03 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Ani-Monday for October 8
Okay, last night was Ani-Monday as usual. I didn't watch the first two episodes they offered, but did manage to watch two episodes of Noein. The first was about Huraka's capture by Shangri'la, while the second deals with another of the Dragon Knights coming back to Huraka's time plane in order to destroy Karasu. She then disconnects herself from the pipeline and stays behind in this time plane with Karasu.
So what does all that mean? I have no clue. All I know is that I'm still enjoying the series.
Anyways, next week we have two more episodes of Virus Buster Serge and two episodes of Noein. This state of affairs will last the rest of October, with us getting a movie on November 5 (Karas: The Revolution) and November 26 (Black Jack). Mixed in with those movies are more Serge, Noein and a single episode of Street Fighter Alpha.
After Ani-Monday went off the air last night, I grabbed up my DVD of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu) volume 1 and spun it up on my PC.
Have to say that it was quite enjoyable. Now, all I've got to do is convince the wife that I need the rest of the series.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 7:59 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Anime
Monday Morning Rambling
As those who read this thing over the weekend knows, I'm in the process of moving, and spent the weekend in my new city hunting for a house. While there, I did buy a DVD, and pointed out to my wife how lovely a ForceFX lightsaber would look on all those mantles we saw. When I went to watch the DVD (as I was in dire need of an anime fix) I discovered that the WinXP laptop I had with me did not come with DVD playback codecs, despite the fact that it contains a DVD player. I was less than pleased with HP over that, of course it's probably not their fault as that's a company laptop, so it probably got left off on purpose. Which also explains why I didn't bother downloading a codec for playback. Of course that gave me more time to read, so it was a fine trade off.
But I digress.
SF-wise, I don't have a lot to report. I'll have finished reading Hal Spacejock this week, so I should have a review of that up for you kind folks soon. Second thing is that last week there was a bit on Gizmodo about a 21 foot X-Wing model that was designed to fly with solid-state rockets. The kind that are in model rockets and all. Well, they launched it, and you can see it here. I found it... amusing.
Beyond that, I've got nothing.
Of course, on the anime front, we have Ani-Monday tonight, though I'll only be watching the last hour of it, to catch the two episodes of Noein. As far as fansubs are concerned, this weekend must have been the great release date for the fall series. I come back, and find a whole host of things with 1's by their names. What new shows I downloaded are:
- Clannad
- Goshuushosama Ninomiya-kun
- Da Capo II
- Shakugan no Shana Second
- Blue Drop
Then to top that annoyance off, I've also just downloaded the Sky Girls and Nanaho StrikerS series so that I can watch and review them as well (because I was starting to lack in the animes that I was watching regularly). Sky Girls is a 12 episode series that's finished airing already while Nanaho is at least 25 because that's the last release they made. I'm still waiting for ef-A Tale of Memories to get released, but there's been no movement there.
Oh well, in the end it's not that important.
On final note, don't forget that Transformers and The Invisible get released on DVD on October 16, and Spider-man 3 on Octorber 30. In re-release news Poltergeist and A Clockwork Orange are getting special DVD editions pushed out this month. What movie are you eagerly anticipating as an arrival on DVD? If any.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 6:14 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rambling
Friday, October 5, 2007
If you've been paying attention then you'll remember that we're in Jackson doing some house hunting stuff. Well, after dinner (yummy sushi!) we thought it would be a good idea to drive around a bit, do things like locate the local Salvation Army corps. Well, we drove past the mall, and decided to stop. While wondering around, I spied an FYE. I like FYE, unfortunately, we lack one in Pensacola. Well, I went wondering, and found myself in the ANIME section.
That's when I spied it.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya volume 1 on DVD.
It's not surprising that I found it, after all, they even have one of those plastic placards for it. What is surprising is the price. It had a big ole $9.99 sticker on it. I've been wanting to see this series, so I quickly snatched it up and bought it.
Anyways, while we were checking I saw something else.
A Luke Skywalker ForceFX Lightsaber. I picked up one in the box, and then the guy behind the counter turned around and snatched up the display model, and passed it over. So, there I was, a big smile on my face, swinging around that ForceFX saber. I've long loved the Master Replica lightsabers, and since I first heard about them have wanted one. I've always wondered which I'd want more, the limited editions hilts or the ForceFX sabers. Frankly, the answer is both, but unfortunately, my money is needed elsewhere.
Well, my wife finished buying the DVD and her CD and walked over to me. She frowned, and asked "Just where do you think we would put that?"
I looked up at her, and realized something. Every house we looked at today had a fireplace. So, I grinned at her, and answered with full honesty, "Why, it goes on the mantel dear."
She just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 9:18 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday Morning Rambling...
Well we're here in the middle of Mississippi, and are about to go forth to look at houses. I'm about a third of the way into Hal Spacejock and am enjoying it. More on that in a week or so. Of particular interest is that Mr. Haynes autographed it for me as well. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I didn't notice it at first. It was on the second page, and I just didn't see it until today when I was flipping through the front pages looking for publishing dates (which since it's an Australian novel, happens to be at the back).
My own obliviousness aside, I'm on a slight dearth of good SF news at the moment. I'm a bit too tired to think critically enough to generate new essays, and since I'm just under 5 hours away from my desktop and my own internet connection, I don't even have any anime's to watch this weekend. Oh well, sometime soon I'll get caught up on Nanaho StrikerS, Sky Girls and actually watch School Days.
This month we are going to get some new Star Wars novels and Transformers comes to DVD. I'm happy about that. I got a great kick out of that movie, though my son was a bit... bored during the first hour or so of it. Basically, the entire portion of the movie where there were no Transformers. Got so bad, that he was asking to go home. Maybe it just needed more spaceships.
While looking through the cable company information, it is possible that I could get the Anime Network VOD channel. I can imagine it now, all anime all the time, and it's included in the price of Digital Cable. I can hear my wife groaning already.
Alas, time to go to the hotel's lobby and get some breakfast before the realtor arrives.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 6:16 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rambling
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Review: Sōkō no Strain
Sōkō no Strain (奏光のストレイン), also written out in English as Soukou no Strain, is a 12 episode anime series that ran from November 1, 2006 until February 14, 2007. This is a scifi/mecha/seinen show, which means it's basically the same thing as a prime-time drama here in the States. This is one of those cartoons that I'm talking about when I say that not everything animated is for children. Interestingly enough, this particular anime plays with some of the standards for its genres/demographics. For example, most mecha series are populated by a predominately male cast, while here it's predominately female, and most of those men are killed off. Especially if they're romantically interested in the lead character.Anyways, Anime-Source.com has this as a synopsis:
Ralph Werec becomes a highly respected pilot and the best "Reasoner" of the military. The one now following his footsteps is Sarah Werec (his sister). Hoping that they once again will meet, Sarah trains to become a respectable Reasoner. During schooling, the area she resides in goes (sic) under attack, and she loses important colleagues. She becomes reunited again with her beloved brother; however, she discovers that he is instead the enemy.Frankly, that describes the first episode nearly perfectly, which of course sets up the series, and the main conflict of Sara needing to find out why Ralph has done what he did. That overarching storyline of conflict between siblings is the basis of a number of the episode's plots, and frankly is incredibly emotionally damaging for the lead character.
Who of course is Sarah Werec (and goes by the name Sarah Cruz after her brother attacks Grabera). She starts out the anime as a fairly well adjusted young woman, who seriously wants to see her brother again, which means going to the front lines of the war as a Reasoner. She was pretty much the best of her class at Grabera, with a close circle of friends/squad-mates, including a romantic interest. But after the massacre at Grabera she develops into something of a moody, introvert, and loses her status as a Reasoner. It is from this state that she must once again climb from the ranks of the lesser pilots to a Reasoner. Yet despite everything she suffers, she is completely focused on learning the truth. She wants to know what happened to her brother, and once she starts to learn, that translates exactly into a desire to stop her brother at all costs. Of particular interest is Sarah's love life here. She seems to be oblivious to the males who are interested in her romantically, and then they die. Frankly, it's emotionally draining, and even during a re-watch session of this anime, I felt bad for the girl.
Opposite of Sarah is her brother Ralph. I complained the other day in my review of The Stonehenge Gate that that novel was in dire need of a antagonist. Well, Ralph here fits the bill perfectly for an antagonist. While his motives start out mysterious, they are defined by the end of the series, additionally, he propels Sarah on the course of the anime. He is the reason she fights so hard to get to the front lines-at first just to see him again, then to ask him why and finally to stop him no matter the cost. Frankly, he's one of the better villains that I've come across recently. Insane enough to be fun, but understandable enough to remain fully human.
The remaining characters all have well defined personalities, but we don't get to spend as much time with them (outside of Lottie and Emily) as we do with Sarah. Frankly, the wikipedia entry details these characters better than I would, so just go read about them there if you're interested.
Since this is a mecha series, we need to talk a bit about them. Basically, there are two types: Strains and Tumors. The Strains are used by the Union forces (the good guys of the series) and Ralph Werec. They're piloted and in general very powerful things. Tumors are used by the Deague (the bad guys here), they're fully robotic and display hints of a swarm intelligence. The final bit of robotic technology is also Union, and those are the Gambees, they're the "worker bees" for the Union, but much slower and less-advanced than the Strains.
The art is well done, but the battle scenes could have been better, they tended to be a series of lines and then explosions. One bit of realism found here that I liked was the fact that most of the mechas here were all the same, which is a far cry from traditional mecha series where everyone has a customized robot. Additionally, I love the character designs, especially for the lead and the rest of the "Space Squadron" that she joins up with after she becomes Sarah Cruz.
Of course, outside the pretty pictures, the character development, the fighting or even the mechas, the emotions and situations which the characters find themselves in are the diamonds for this show. The lead starts out happy, with her MIMIC (a couple of her brain cells removed in vitro , and raised to help a Reasoner control a Strain) and a wide circle of friends. Before this episode is done, that entire world of hers is shattered. Her MIMIC destroyed, her friends dead, and her name slandered all because of the actions of her brother. Then it is from this, emotionally devastated, point, that the character really starts to suffer.
I can admit that I like this show. A lot. It does have pretty pictures, but above and beyond that, it has a great plot, and wonderful characters. The only drawback to the series is the occasional ecchi-factors. They served no true purpose for the characters or plot, and are there merely as fan-service. I can understand the reasoning that it was put in, after all, this is a show that ran at night, aimed at men 18-30 years old. Yet understanding why something is there is a far cry from there being an actual need for it being there.
In the end, I'll give this a 3.7 out of 4, with that .3 drop being solely due to the unnecessary fan-service.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 9:52 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Used Bookstore!
In my continuing research into my upcoming move, I'm doing random searches on the internet as I think up of things that I'm interested in. This led to my discovery of Galaxy of Stars SF convention. I'm still wondering about the legitimacy of that particular con. I think it would be so awesome to have a con to go to, but at the same time, I'm hesitant to throw money at that company in order to do so.
Oh well, back to my continuing research and NET adventures in moving.
Today, those searches have led to my discovery of a store in Ridgeland called the Bookshelf whose website claims to have 125 thousand paperback/hardback books in stock. You should see the people around the office cringe at the happy dance I'm doing.
Of slightly less interest is the Book Rack, which has stores in Jackson, Clinton and Pearl. I'm less interested because their website describes them as a paperback reseller. While I don't mind paperback, hard covers are what I really like.
Much to my wife's dismay.
And my back's dismay as I pack them all up and move the boxes around the apartment.
Google gives a few more returns for used bookstores, and also remember that a lot of these used bookstores don't have websites. So it's highly possible that there's all sort of used books for me to peruse and get. I mean, I've been wanting a copy of Niven's Ringworld for a while now, yet neither of the two used bookstores in this town has a copy, though it has been months since I've been to one of them as it's out of the way.
And just to make this post a bit more SF related, DrewK has updated his blog over at SW.com saying that he's handed in the manuscript for the PoD sequel to the powers that be. I can admit to looking forward to this novel. In fact, I'm doing another of those happy dances that gets me odd looks from co-workers. Additionally, the blog lists a December 26 release date for the novel, so I won't be getting it for Christmas. Now Boxing Day...
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 12:27 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Review: The Stonehenge Gate
Well, this is the final review of the last batch of books I got out of the West Florida Regional Library, and will probably be one of the last book reviews that I write for a week or so (tomorrow's review of the anime Sōkō no Strain will be the last review until I can get settled in a new house). I'm in the midst of moving, so I have very little time. I am reading Hal Spacejock but since I'm spending a lot of time packing most of my reading this week will probably be at the end of the week as we go on a house-buying trip to our new city.
But all of that is neither here nor there. We're here to talk about Jack Williamson's 2005 novel The Stonehenge Gate (ISBN: 0765308975). It's a moderate sized novel, with the hardcover edition clocking in at 316 pages. The dust jacket blurb reads:
A dark mystery has been buried beneath the sands of the Sahara desert since the beginning of time. In a basement in New Mexico, four poker buddies find reason to believe that a startling secret is out there...You know. I wanted to be excited about this. I did. Really. Sure, this is a story that has been done before; one of my favorite movies, and my third favorite Heinlein novel uses a similar concept. Of course they're not done exactly the same, but I just loved Stargate and while I know that not even Stargate originated the concept of linked gateways to different locations (as it's been a fantasy trope for many-many years now, and Heinlein used it in SF the mid-fifties), I think that Stargate did it best (though, like I said, I am fond of Tunnel in the Sky).
These four amateur adventurers are about to uncover the key that could unlock the vast reaches of the universe.
A sudden burst of curiosity propels mild-mannered English professor Will Stone and his three friends to the Sahara to excavate a site where radar has evidently detected huge, assembled stones hidden beneath the sand. There they stumble upon an ancient artifact that will change their lives, and the world, forever...a gateway between planets, linking Earth to distant worlds, where they will discover wonders and terrors beyond imagining.
Jack Williamson, the dean of science fiction writers, weaves an exciting tale that takes the friends to the far corners of the universe. One leads an oppressed people to freedom. Another uncovers clues that could identify a long-dormant civilization of immortal beings. Now each traveler must play a crucial role in unraveling an ancient mystery, the solution to which may reveal the true origins of the human race.
If they can just survive their journeys back to earth...
But, all that aside, this is still a review of this book, and despite the overt similarities, I'll try to not allow my love for that particular movie impose on this review.
The plot of this book is simple. Four friends find these stones that look like Stonehenge, and will take you to various worlds. At which time they get separated and start spending a lot of time plodding around the universe trying to find one another and earth. Basically, it's Stargate mixed with Sliders (I know I said I would try to not let my love impose on the review, but that's a comparison, so it's fine). Execution wise, there's nothing wrong with this plot. It is pushed forward relatively swiftly but a decent pace does not always make a good read. After all, no matter how well a plot is executed, piss-poor characters can leave it quite dead.
The primary character here is Will Stone, professor of English at some university in New Mexico, with his three co-protagonists. He's an odd duck for POV character, in the fact that he's not a scientist, he's not athletic. In short, he's not the sort of person that one usually reads stories about. Frankly, he's a bit of a boor, and I didn't particularly care for him one way or the other. Which lead to a serious lack of dramatic tension in those parts of the books where we're supposed to care for him.
Will's poker buddies are as follows: Derek Ironcraft (astronomy & physics), Lupe Vargas (archeology) and Ram... well, it was something, but I couldn't find it in the first dozen or so pages when I looked for it. Nor is it explained exactly what he teaches. Ram is said to have assisted Vargas on a dig, but I think that's as close to anything as it gets. Sadly, because the story is in first person, and Will's that person, we don't get a lot of characterization from these guys. Of course compared to the various antagonists that pop up throughout the story, these four have well defined personas, with unique views, thoughts and emotions all succinctly expressed.
Yes, that was sarcasm.
Settings though... ah, the beautiful settings. There are some beautifully described settings in this book, but for an English professor, this guy sees a lot of things. Truthfully, it's just another point deducted from the character, as he's an English professor. Now, if he had been an art professor or someone who taught something like mechanical engineering or biology, or basically anything where he would be constantly looking at the environment, and trained to notice details, well, it would have made sense. Yet, Stone is an English teacher - and please don't think I'm smacking on English teachers but let's be honest, unless they have a background in art or some other details-oriented field, most people don't see the details unless they're specifically looking for something. Things would be shoved into pre-existing concepts, rather than new detailed analysis. For example, most people would see a forest, and thus describe it as trees, as opposed to a description on the types of trees appearing most predominately, the lone tree that is different different colors of bark, etc.
Oh well.
Beyond that, the mechanics were well and good, I can't remember anything that my mind flagged as an issue.
In the end though, I just didn't like this book, and am extremely glad that it came from the library rather than a purchase I made at the bookstore (even the used bookstore which I frequent). The lack of a dedicated antagonist left us without a sense of something happening, and that coupled with the poor protagonist made me not even care when he was in danger from one of books mini-antagonists. Those two influences, cancel out the well wrought mechanics and execution of the plot itself, leaving me with a lackluster feeling about the book in general.
Frankly, I just did not like it that much, so I have to give it a 1.0 out of 4.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 10:33 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Ani-Monday for October 1
Well, last night we got the first two episodes of Virus Buster Serge. Frankly, I was highly disappointed. This anime was produced back in 1997 so I'm not sure what I was expecting. Scratch that, I was hoping for something as interesting as Ghost in the Shell. Wikipedia offers this synopsis for the series:
In the year 2097 in the city of Neo Hong Kong, man and machine have melded nicely and the city has been blooming with technological advances. However, an entity that takes over the machines called the Virus is becoming a problem. For this problem, there exists the organization STAND equipped with their Gears (machine suits) led by the mysterious Raven. The latest member of the team is Serge, a man who cannot remember his past and thought joining STAND and confronting Raven would help him better understand. Little does he know how important he will become to the whole Virus conflict.From it I had thought there might be something interesting. Yet nooo... we get horrid character designs, fan service and female characters who occasionally display cat's (or maybe vampire) teeth and wear thigh-high go-go boots as part of their duty uniform (as opposed to the body armor they use during combat situations). Then to top all of that off, it was boring.
I was very sad, as I was hoping for two solid hours of interesting anime, but I was bored by the first episode, and struggled to watch the second. To be honest, I was probably more focused on the pc monitor than the television during it.
But hey, at least we got two episodes of Noein last night, which were great as usual.
In the first episode, Memories, we get to see Yuu being jealous of the attention that Haruka pays his older self, Karasu. Additionally, we get some emotional angst from Haruka as her powers flip her through time and then a heart-to-heart between Karasu and Yuu makes him realize a thing or two. The final bit of happening here involves Haruka learning a bit more about her power, what's she capable of, and what she's able to actually see in relation to her past. It's a nice break from the action of the previous episodes, and furthers the characters rather decently.
For episode two of Noein (SHANGRI-LA), we get to see a bit more of the main antagonist of the series, Noein. We're right on track for the usual track for these animes, in that the early antagonist has now joined forces with the heroes, as the real bad guy appears. Additionally, the action appears to be ramping up again, and it promises to be a fun ride. Well, at least that's my hope.
Next week, we get two more episodes of Virus Buster Serge and then two more episodes of Noein. What that means is that I'll probably once more resort to watching a single hour of Ani-Monday's fare and ignore Virus Buster Serge, I just wish they hadn't pushed Noein back to the 11 PM slot.
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 8:35 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Anime
Monday, October 1, 2007
Monday Morning Rambling...
Monday morning has once more reared its fearsome head, depriving us mere mortals of our beloved weekends. I did have a sci-fi based story about my eldest son all ready to go yesterday, but for some reason, this morning, my mind's drawing a blank when I try to recall what it is. As for my youngest, we tried on his Halloween costume on Saturday, and I've got to say it's great! We'll have pictures of it up later on this month.
Personal news is that I'll be moving from Pensacola, FL to Jackson, MS to take a new job. Later this week, we're taking the weekend for a home-hunting trip, so we'll see how much time I have at the end of it to do anything site-wise. Expect no, to little, updates the week of Oct 15th as that is the week we're actually moving.
This week on Animonday, we have two episodes of Noein in the last hour, but for the first hour we get the first two episodes of Virus Buster Serge. It's a mecha series, which Wikipedia provides this as a synopsis for:
In the year 2097 in the city of Neo Hong Kong, man and machine have melded nicely and the city has been blooming with technological advances. However, an entity that takes over the machines called the Virus is becoming a problem. For this problem, there exists the organization STAND equipped with their Gears (machine suits) led by the mysterious Raven. The latest member of the team is Serge, a man who cannot remember his past and thought joining STAND and confronting Raven would help him better understand. Little does he know how important he will become to the whole Virus conflict.We'll have to see how well it comes out. Speaking of mecha anime though, I re-watched the anime Sōkō no Strain (奏光のストレイン) over the weekend (like I really had time for it) and will be putting up a series review sometime soon. Anyhow, here's what Anime-Source.com has to say about it:
Ralph Werec becomes a highly respected pilot and the best "Reasoner" of the military. The one now following his footsteps is Sarah Werec (his sister). Hoping that they once again will meet, Sarah trains to become a respectable Reasoner. During schooling, the area she resides in goes under attack, and she loses important colleagues. She becomes reunited again with her beloved brother; however, she discovers that he is instead the enemy.Well, that's enough about that.
On the review front, I've finished The Stonehenge Gate and have started Hal Spacejock. As I mentioned above, I'm taking a trip this weekend, so I'll probably be reading Hal Spacejock during that drive.
Scifi.com has an interview with Adrian Paul (Highlander: The Source) regarding the future of the Highlander franchise in light of the death of William Panzer (the creative side of the duo that produced the original film) earlier this year. Personally, I'm hoping that they'll let it die a slow, comfortable death, surrounded by its family and friends. After all, there's only so many times a franchise can be kicked and mauled by raving tigers before the fans decide it's not worth watching the next bit of drivel produced.
Though what really irks me from that particular interview is this quote attributed to Paul:
They do have an animated series that they're about to launch, which lends it to a younger [audience].Someday, I really, really hope that the general populace of North America will get it through their collective thick skulls that animated does not equal children's. There are a number of anime's that I wouldn't let a young child see, just because they're not emotionally ready to deal with the things being shown and the themes of the series--and that's even before we get into a discussion on ecchi or hentai.
That said, how much younger of an audience do they expect for a franchise who's prime gimmick is the chopping off of other people's heads?
Posted by Stephen Wrighton at 8:30 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rambling


text:
Iranian Journal Of Public Health
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Maghull Labour Action Team has received calls from concerned parents for traffic calming on a busy Maghull road.
Kris Brown who is a Maghull Labour Action Team organiser and Labour's candidate for Park Ward at the local elections, has met with families who action is urgently needed to slow the vehicles on Green Lane.
The parents say the road is an "accident waiting to happen".
Kris said he has seen cars travelling in excess of 50 mph along the short stretch of road between Liverpool Road South and the roundabout on Westway.
Kris said: "Green Lane can be a busy road at the best of times, but it is obviously very busy during the school run times.
"This can make it very difficult for parent to get their children to and from school.
"But one of the biggest problems is cars hurtling along Green Lane far in excess of the speed limit.
"What the parents have said to me is that they would like to see some form of traffic calming."
Kris has contacted Sefton Council's Technical Services Department to discuss the parents' concerns.
Kris said: "We need to have some form of traffic survey carried out on the road before any action is taken to ensure we come up with the right solution for this road.
"Ideally we have a proper pedestrian crossing installed instead of just the small island which we currently have.
"But having spoken to the parents and watched the traffic on the road, one thing is clear, action is needed to slow the speeding motorists and also to make crossing the road a lot safer."
Maghull MP Bill Esterson said he understands himself just how difficult it is to cross the road.
Bill said: "I have to cross that road everyday when I'm taking my children to school so I know just hard it is to safely get across.
"I fully endorse what the parents have said about the safety and I support their call for a pedestrian crossing.
"I am asking Sefton Council to make this a priority."


text:
I'm not very good at going into Simpsons garden centre without buying something.
Today I bought some raspberry plants.
Never grown them before, planted them on the allotment this afternoon. They are an early summer variety which means they fruit on last years wood, which means no fruit this year.
Something new to look forward to next year though.


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One of the fascinating aspects of Spotify is the social sharing of music.
One dreary Tuesday night, Hard French DJ DJ Carnita shared his Lonely Ladies of Soul playlist.
Always one to indulge in friendly competition, our own Larry Jones decided that the internet was big enough for two Lonely Ladies of Soul playlists.
Here's hoping as Winter turns to Spring, you'll enjoy these two playlists.


text:
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text: Here's a fantastic talk from Alibaba founder and CEO Jack Ma. He is changing China's entire landscape for Ecommerce and online networks. In the video below, Jack Ma speaks to a full house at Stanford about his lessons in life, business, entrepreneurship and social good. The talk is in Mandarin but there are subtitles. So sit tight and stay focused:


text:
Management Process: Planning and Controlby Alexander F. Dinsmore, Manager; Environmental Engrg. Dept., Brown and Root, Inc., Houston, Tex.,
David Burgoine, (M.ASCE), Controls Mgr.; Project Mgmt. Services Dept., Brown and Root. Inc., Houston, Tex.,
Serial Information: Issues in Engineering: Journal of Professional Activities, 1981, Vol. 107, Issue 4, Pg. 269-279
Document Type: Journal Paper
The principal stages of the management process—planning and control—are explored. These are reviewed and then applied to the preparation of a major environmental report for a proposed nuclear power plant. The planning stage for a project has six principal steps. The first is the definition of the work. The second step is an identification of those responsibilities that must be performed. The allocation of these responsibilities is the third step in the process. The completion of these steps allows the project plan, the fourth step, to be prepared. The development of the project organization then follows. At the conclusion of this fifth step, the manpower requirements and project costs can be determined. The final step is the establishment of the project administration functions and preparation of the necessary procedures.
Subject Headings: Power plants | Environmental issues | Nuclear power | Terminology and definition | Business organizations | Construction costs
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
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text:
Marine Link – Official information source for the U.S. Marine Corps showcases news and bios on high-ranking officers.
Marine OnLine – Resource for individual personnel records and documentation. Active duty, Reserve, Active Reserve, Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) and Retired Marines can sign up.
Navy Knowledge Online – Available to the Navy and Marine Corps: Active, Reserve, Civil Service, Delayed Entry Personnel, Naval Academy Midshipmen, Retired, and Retired Reserve.
Marine Corps Unit Directory – All commands and units are organized alphabetically.
LIFELines – Network for Marine, Navy and Coast Guard personnel offers information on command and community support services, news, and multimedia broadcasts.
Marine Corps Community Services – Aids Marines and their families worldwide. Find out about personnel benefits, family help programs and other support services.
Marine Corps Expeditionary Units – Link to individual units, or get a full background MEU organization and history.
Marine Corps History and Museums Division – Dive into the rich history of the U.S. Marine Corps with photo galleries, articles, retrospectives and event updates.
Marines Corps League Listings – Find links to Marine Corps League headquarters around the nation.
Marine Corps Reserve Officer's Association – Learn about an organization that's committed to the interests of the Marine Reserve Officer Community.
Women Marines Association – Non-profit association is dedicated to preserving the contributions and history of women in the Marine Corps.
Young Marines Listings – Find links to Young Marines headquarters around the nation.