Reading anything?

[theedinburghbteam]

I started reading this a few weeks ago, and it's pretty damned good. Always been interested in the Vietnam War, but these stories of secret missions is pretty mindblowing.

[AndyC]

Reading a couple of books at once, kind of alternating back and forth.

A nice introduction to Picaxe microcontrollers. It does a very thorough job of explaining how to use and program the chips. I'm reading it for a couple of separate ideas that converged when I saw how simple and versatile microcontrollers are.

I want to do a little robotics project with my daughter over the winter. I'd like to involve her in designing and building a little wheeled critter that will explore the house while avoiding furniture. Apart from a few components, I should be able to scavenge the materials from broken toys and the usual bunch of plastic and wood scraps, assorted hardware and junk I keep around. That in itself should be educational. If that works well, we might move up to a hexapod and scare the s**t out of Mom.

The other reason is I wanted to install a zone controller and dampers on the HVAC system in my shop, so the two rental units and I can have separate temperature control. My commercial tennant is only in half as much as I am, and the whole building currently has to be heated 24-7 because of the apartment upstairs. I figure I can put a serious dent in my heating bill, and make everybody more comfortable, but a commercially available zoning system could cost me over $1000. I figure for under $200, I can build my own controller with a microcontroller, write my own software to control the furnace, AC and dampers, and use RC servos as actuators.

The other book I'm reading is this one.

It's about a recent and particularly nasty native occupation of a housing development in Caledonia, Ontario. My wife's family has roots there, so it's been of particular interest. It's also just up the road from Newt. I knew it was bad down there, but this book is shocking me with the kind of anarchy they had, thanks to the government and the police leadership totally screwing up in the name of political correctness and covering their own asses. Imagine a situation where the police have lost so much credibility with the public that a cop tries to write somebody up for a seatbelt infraction, and the guy tells him to f**k off and do his job, then leaves as bystanders applaud. And that was the townspeople, not the occupiers.

[Newt]

... It's also just up the road from Newt. I knew it was bad down there, but this book is shocking me with the kind of anarchy they had...

Thanks for that, Andy.  It is a shocking situation.  We have had some 'spillover' effects here too - we're only 45 minutes away and within the original disputed zone.  People outside the area obviously have have no idea what it has been like to have two-tier justice in effect.  It is amazing to me how little of the true situation was allowed to 'leak out' - and what did just made the non-occupiers look bad in the media.  It especially got a bit hard to take, having busloads brought in from far outside (Toronto and other centres) to tell the locals how wrong (and evil) they are, based on incomplete and biased information.  The current atmosphere of distrust is distressing.  (Won't get into the astonishment that the former OPP Chief is being lauded as an upholder of "law and order" and in line for a cabinet post!   ) "Helpless" it is; and a horrible feeling to live with.

[Rev. Powell]

Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis.  Bought it as a present for my nephew, but I'm trying to finish it before I wrap it up for him! 

[trekgeezer]

Reading my first William Gibson novel (Spook Country).    I should say I'm wading through it, the guy's style not exciting me much.  I guess it will help things out when I figure out what the story is about. 

I will finish it though, I like to always finish what I start.  Never know what will happen if you don't finish. 

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es.

A triple dose of King. All in graphic format.

"The Stand"
Just the 1st vol. so far. The least confusing, but also the least interesting, so far, of the three. Actually, (IMHO) this one has the least interesting story of all the King novels I've seen. And the so-called government cover-up stretches credulity to the breaking point, if not pass it.

"The Talisman"
 With Peter Straub. Again, just the 1st vol. so far. The most confusing, but also the most interesting, so far, of the three.

"The Dark Tower"
In 5 vols. Read 'em out of order. Vol. 4, then vol. 1, and then, finally, vol 5. Yet to read vols. 2 and 3. Actually, I found vols. 4 and 5, a better read than vol. 1. Vol. 4 slightly better than vol. 5, because the humor works better in vol. 4. Of course, these 5 vols. then leads to the graphic series "The Dark Tower: the Gunslinger," which I have yet to read.

Of course, "The Stand was a TV miniseries." "The Dark Tower" is to be a theatrical film released in 2013. And "The Talisman" is to be a TV miniseries for airing on TV in 2012.

Next time: ?

[Neville]

I loved "The talisman" and its sequel, "Black House". Peter Straub is a hell of a writer, but sometimes his writing is just too hard to follow. His works with King are easily his most accesible.

If you feel tempted to check out Straub's books after reading "The Talisman", my favourites are "Mystery", "Shadowland" and "Ghost Story". "Ghost Story" is maybe his best-known book, but of the three I mentioned it's the one I had more trouble reading it. Too many dry spots, but in the end it's worth the effort.

[BTM]

I just got done reading John Dies In the End by David Wong.

A very interesting, but often surreal book.  And, since it's the one written by the main editor of Cracked we're talking here, so the word "penis" and variants thereof are mentioned about 100 times.  All in all it's a pretty entertaining book, more creepy than outright scary IMHO, and there's a couple of twists near the end I certainly didn't see coming.  

[AndyC]

... It's also just up the road from Newt. I knew it was bad down there, but this book is shocking me with the kind of anarchy they had...

Thanks for that, Andy.  It is a shocking situation.  We have had some 'spillover' effects here too - we're only 45 minutes away and within the original disputed zone.  People outside the area obviously have have no idea what it has been like to have two-tier justice in effect.  It is amazing to me how little of the true situation was allowed to 'leak out' - and what did just made the non-occupiers look bad in the media.  It especially got a bit hard to take, having busloads brought in from far outside (Toronto and other centres) to tell the locals how wrong (and evil) they are, based on incomplete and biased information.  The current atmosphere of distrust is distressing.  (Won't get into the astonishment that the former OPP Chief is being lauded as an upholder of "law and order" and in line for a cabinet post!   ) "Helpless" it is; and a horrible feeling to live with.

Getting a little farther into the book, I really understand what you mean about the true situation not making it outside. In the papers, it just seemed like the trouble was in and around an empty subdivision. Right now, I'm reading the accounts of people with homes between the reserve and town who were living under what amounted to an occupation by a hostile paramilitary force. And I'm amazed that it wasn't a big worldwide news story when OPP riot and tactical units were forced to retreat after the badly planned raid that basically escalated the whole thing. Just totally insane that something like that was allowed to happen in Canada, and all because cops weren't allowed to do their jobs in the normal way. I'm blown away by this book.

[RCMerchant]

Reading through a bunch of graphic novels I got at the library:

Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 8-11 (Vol. 11's artwork is shocking not finished at all.  You can still see the pencil lines that were not inked over)
Ultimate Galactus (Contains all of the mini-series)
Justice League of America Vol. 1-4 (The new series starting with Tornado's Path)
Justice Society Vol. 3-5
Ultimate X-Men Ultimate Collections 2-3

I just got done reading Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Vol 1 and Vol 2! Great Kirby artwork! Ever notice how the Thing looks like John Agar in HAND OF DEATH?



 tink Stan and Jack were B movie fans! The story line for BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS mirrors the HULK origin!

[BTM]

It's about a recent and particularly nasty native occupation of a housing development in Caledonia, Ontario. My wife's family has roots there, so it's been of particular interest. It's also just up the road from Newt. I knew it was bad down there, but this book is shocking me with the kind of anarchy they had, thanks to the government and the police leadership totally screwing up in the name of political correctness and covering their own asses. Imagine a situation where the police have lost so much credibility with the public that a cop tries to write somebody up for a seatbelt infraction, and the guy tells him to f**k off and do his job, then leaves as bystanders applaud. And that was the townspeople, not the occupiers.

You might want t post a review of the book on Amazon.  There's only a single one star review and that's just because the idiot was bithcing about how much the kindle version of the book costs (and he makes no mention of rather or not he actually READ the book in question.)

[Newt]

I'm blown away by this book.

There was a general feeling of relief and even celebration when this book came out.  I have only one problem with it: from what I have seen, people in general are taking away the impression that the conditions described in the book have been resolved as of 2010. That it all ended in 2010. Nothing has been resolved; nothing has changed; the situation is on-going.  There simply has not been much recent activity.  Local expectations are that there certainly will be more 'incidents'.  It is very scary how quickly the rumor mill gears up and that cannot be good for anyone. 

[AndyC]

I'm blown away by this book.

There was a general feeling of relief and even celebration when this book came out.  I have only one problem with it: from what I have seen, people in general are taking away the impression that the conditions described in the book have been resolved as of 2010. That it all ended in 2010. Nothing has been resolved; nothing has changed; the situation is on-going.  There simply has not been much recent activity.  Local expectations are that there certainly will be more 'incidents'.  It is very scary how quickly the rumor mill gears up and that cannot be good for anyone. 

There is definitely that impression, even halfway through, although a recurring theme is that every time things start to seem hunky-dory, some new violence breaks out. There's no way that amount of resentment can be allowed to build up without it poisoning the community for years. All the fault of law enforcement for turning it into something it didn't have to be.

Are you planning to read the book? Seemed like everybody down that way was rushing out to buy it. My mother-in-law was here for a visit last week. She grew up in Caledonia (she's a Douglas, in fact, so the history is kind of personal), and was kind of surprised I was already reading the book. I almost bought her a copy for Christmas, but I can't be sure she didn't go out and buy one already. I do regret getting the Kindle version, only because my wife will want to read it too, and a paper copy would be much easier than lending her the whole Kindle.

[Flick James]

Just starting The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul. Yes, I'm a bonafide supporter of this man.

[Rev. Powell]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "Faust."  I wanted to read the play that inspired THE APPLE.