Picaresque Life

366 Photo Challenge, Day 44

2012-02-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Dipping a sweet potato fry in ketchup. When she ran out fries, she just went for the ketchup.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 43

2012-02-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Licking her spoon.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 42

2012-02-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Brushing her teeth.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 41

2012-02-10T22:53:00.000-05:00

Nothing quite kicks off a weekend like dental work.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 40

2012-02-09T22:17:00.000-05:00

This lasted for maybe two minutes.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 39

2012-02-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

Not quite focused (understatement), but it's hard to get this shot with a phone. Blanket and pillow.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 38

2012-02-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

Botan.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 37

2012-02-07T04:37:00.001-05:00

Yeah, oops.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 36

2012-02-06T00:04:00.000-05:00

Pebbles.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 35

2012-02-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

You wouldn't typically expect to find this in a podiatrist's office.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 34

2012-02-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

How to ensure your office gets painted.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 33

2012-02-02T22:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, those are Christmas decorations and it's the 2nd day of February.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 32

2012-02-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Karis' version of "The Thinker."

366 Photo Challenge, Day 31

2012-01-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

Trying to drink bath water .

366 Photo Challenge, Day 30

2012-01-30T22:15:00.000-05:00

Elliptical.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 29

2012-01-29T22:39:00.000-05:00

Offering Grandma a blueberry.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 28

2012-01-29T00:05:00.000-05:00

I definitely bought new toothbrushes today.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 27

2012-01-27T17:31:00.001-05:00

Ghost Rob.

Holga Pinhole lens/13 second exposure, no edits.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 26

2012-01-27T00:52:00.000-05:00

Matthew Perryman Jones.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 25

2012-01-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

This is going to end with either a smile on my face, or a riot on route 1.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 24

2012-01-24T19:54:00.000-05:00

Blocks.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 23

2012-01-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Karis really likes her fake iPhone.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 22

2012-01-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

Glove monster.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 21

2012-01-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

Organized closet, doubled in capacity: check. Karis helped (kinda). Rob really helped by installing the extra shelving.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 20

2012-01-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

One of the benefits of taking a class with someone related to the owner of Wall's Bakery. There were two of these boxes.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 19

2012-01-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

11 hour work day plus a lunch "break" in which I mostly worked.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 18

2012-01-18T22:32:00.000-05:00

Watching blue's clues, of all things.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 17

2012-01-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

New hat.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 16

2012-01-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

Rolling on the floor.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 15

2012-01-15T23:50:00.000-05:00

Baby curls and pjs.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 14

2012-01-14T21:29:00.001-05:00

Forget green chili, I'll have blueberries.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 13

2012-01-13T19:31:00.003-05:00

Foot molds.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 12

2012-01-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

This was posted on our office bulletin board. Perhaps someone is hinting too much?

366 Photo Challenge, Day 11

2012-01-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

Nose.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 10

2012-01-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

Diagnosis: 2 Heal Spurs.

Treatment: Custom Orthotics. For life.

Boo.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 9

2012-01-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

Rain --> Snow --> Slush

366 Photo Challenge, Day 8, Take 2

2012-01-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

For those of you who say screen captures aren't real photos (Rob).

366 Photo Challenge, Day 8

2012-01-08T22:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight's soundtrack. Thinking it should have been higher than #6 on my list from last year.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 7

2012-01-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Organized pantry, check.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 6

2012-01-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Slingo/no think kind of day.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 5

2012-01-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

This guy at the bus stop hits branches through the fence with a stick. For like 10 minutes give or take a few.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 4

2012-01-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

So that's how a washing machine works.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 3

2012-01-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

I wish they would have notified us about this deadline BEFORE it actually expired.

At least it only mildly complicates things for me.

For now.

366 Photo Challenge, Day 2

2012-01-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

Scared by Dad's laughter

366 Photo Challenge, Day 1

2012-01-01T23:45:00.003-05:00

KenKen and Sunday Night Football

Top X in 2011

2011-12-31T23:02:00.000-05:00

Yeah, ok I'm a little late this year, but here goes:

Albums

6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

It's everyone's absolute favorite. I like it, just not to the point of it's absolutely amazing, or at least yet.

5. Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song

Definitely the candy album of the year. I absolutely love the first four tracks.

4. The Dodos - No Color

Drums. Love the drums. Falling asleep on the way to work? I play this album.

3. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

I really, really like this album. I think it's the best one of theirs in a while, and I'm a big fan.

2. The Decemberists - The King is Dead

Almost my number one. Way better than Hazards of Love, and very American Folk Rock. Yes, indeed.

1. Wye Oak - Civilian

First album I've heard of theirs, and I love it, for sure.

Books

Yeah, for the most part, these books weren't published in 2011. I'm usually late to the game. In no particular order:

The Lost Gate - Orson Scott Card

Fantasy from a SciFi writer that I really like. Very good.

Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

I really liked how Sanderson picked up the series, and am really looking forward to the publication of AMoL. Really. It's now in editing!

How to Read a Book - Mortimer Adler

As if you thought the others weren't geeky enough. But for real, this was a good book.

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

I read it finally! And it's way better than I expected. And I love when the hobbits go back to the shire and show Saruman who's boss. Movie didn't show that now, did it?

Real Marriage - Mark and Grace Driscoll

Yes, I consider it a favorite. I really did like it.

Yep, it's been an interesting year for sure. I didn't really get to listen to an awful lot of new music, and listened a lot to my old favorites. My total reading also suffered somewhat. And I also watched the entire latest imagining of Doctor Who and Torchwood. That is, from Eccleston through Smith. I blame its awesomeness on my not reading about 10 books or so. And, on to the new year!

Real Marriage

2011-12-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

I'm not new to reading/hearing Driscoll's teaching on this subject. His "Peasant Princess" series was ongoing through my engagement to my husband and we dutifully listened each week as part of our marriage counseling. So for the most part, this material was not new. It was that sermon series that spawned several conferences, which eventually led to this book. I guess that the only thing that really changed in that time period was my change in life from single to married to married with a kid. And while I never really forgot what was presented before, it was definitely a good thing to read it again in light of Mark and Grace's experience through its teaching to numerous individuals.

So that being said, I realize Driscoll can be a bit controversial. And really, I'm sure most people have already formed an opinion either way and wouldn't give this a fair reading. I tried to read this with an open-mind, and here are my conclusions thusly.

Audience: This book assumes you are a Christian and are either married or pursuing a heterosexual marriage with a fellow Christian. The book does not address if one or neither of you are a Christian, though you would not be harmed per se in reading it. I would thoroughly encourage reading it if this is the case. If you're involved in a homosexual relationship, it is very blunt about its wrongness. If you were involved in one in the past, it doesn't address so much as progressing in healing from it, other than you need to be up front with your spouse and seek counseling.

Material: The Driscolls approach the material beginning with a redacted personal example. From there, they progress through the steps they took in forgiving each other and growing together as a loving, married couple. They make no excuses for the difficulty in this process, but it is oddly encouraging in a way. This book is very practical, but not so much in a do this and you'll get this outcome sort of way. The truth is, if you want your marriage to be better, you have to work at it. Period. And ask for God's grace throughout the entire process.

And yes of course for the controversy... there is a "can we do x" chapter. Its level of shock is probably relative to your age, experience and upbringing. That's pretty much where I'll leave that one, as I'm sure others will sensationalize it quite to death. I do question the inclusion of cosmetic surgery, but I suppose it's there because people really do have that question.

Overall, I really did appreciate the book, its anecdotes and the like. And for sure, they reference a lot of other good marriage books, some of which I have read or are on the shelf to read. You'll want to read those as well, but this book is definitely one you'll want at the top of the stack along with them.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

First round of gifts, Light Show

2011-12-16T22:06:00.000-05:00

What I learned for the next time I shoot Christmas lights:

1. You really need to be able to get out of the car, or at least get to the window that's open for you. Also, tripods are a good idea too.

2. Shutter speed is tricky. You don't necessarily need a quick one, but even if you have a tripod, you get a lot more "glow" effect (as in the one above Karis in the car). Also, if the lights are timed to music, the quicker the lights are, the more you're likely to get only a portion of the lights in the picture.

3. Setting the white balance to account for the lights definitely makes everything that isn't those lights look blue. I'm not sure what setting I should use to go for people and Christmas lights in the same shot.

House Facelift, Part 6

2011-12-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

Just some painting and touchup work to go, but as far as roof, windows, etc, everything else is finished!

Karis and Santa, 2011

2011-12-04T17:08:00.002-05:00

House Facelift, Part 5

2011-12-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Almost done! Just a bit more soffet and the gutters to go, with a bit of paint (i think)!

The Frying of the Turkey

2011-11-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

Note the chicken.

And again.

All of these were taken with the Holga lens, and are unedited.

Trying out the New Holga Lens and Filters

2011-11-23T17:26:00.000-05:00

All of these are straight out of the camera. Biggest takeaway is that this lens is best suited for sunny days or at least with a flash.

One of the first shots.

messing with flash settings.

triangle-looking filter.

blue filter.

posing, as if this shot were taken in the 70s.

love the low quality of this one.

House Facelift, Part 4

2011-11-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

House Facelift, Part 3

2011-11-12T19:34:00.001-05:00

House Facelift, Part 2

2011-11-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

The House Gets a Facelift, Part 1

2011-11-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Fyodor Dostoevsky

2011-11-02T07:05:00.000-04:00

When this book became available, I was reasonably excited to read it. I absolutely loved Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, and I wanted to read more about Dostoevsky himself. If there is one thing that I've learned about the books published in this series, it is that they are hit and miss. There have been more hits than misses, in my opinion, even in taking the short format in consideration. Leithart's book is in a different category on its own, in that he wrote it in a story format, or what he calls "conversations." I know that this does not necessarily mean that he didn't research the information to the extent that other biographers do, but I cannot get over the possibility that something is fictionalized. If I wanted to read a conversational biography, I would have looked for one. It was pretty difficult to get into, and perhaps a second try would be better with the knowledge of what I was getting into. The first time though, not so much.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Halloween Outtakes

2011-10-31T21:58:00.000-04:00

Tolkien

2011-09-07T23:18:00.000-04:00

I am sure that by now, most people are at least vaguely familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien; or at least perhaps his books and/or movie adaptations. (Small confession: I never finished reading LOTR. I did, however, manage to read The Hobbit) I did find this book somewhat enjoyable to read. Horne did present a clear biographical sketch of Tolkien's life from the death of his parents, his service in WWI, and of course, the writing of his stories and novels. There were a few things that I would have approached differently (i.e. the first of two Harry Potter references was completely unnecessary, as in, a pot calling the kettle black situation), but these were thankfully restrained in number. I did learn slightly more about Tolkien's relationship with C.S. Lewis, and was instructed about its' cooling over time. Overall, I found the book to be quite accessible and would recommend it Tolkien fans as a short introduction to the man behind the hobbits.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Surprised by Oxford

2011-08-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

I generally don't choose to read memoirs, much less to review. I suppose the title hit me, as I have to admit in some small way I dreamed what it might be like to get a Rhodes scholarship. Those, however, are allotted to insanely brilliant people that are simply in a league among their own. That being said, I shouldn't have been surprised by the intellectual depth that Weber wrote into this book.

But I was. Probably not as much as she was surprised, although.

Weber attended Oxford on a Canadian Commonwealth scholarship in the mid-nineties, and studied Romantic literature. What she did not intend was to study the Bible. Throughout her first year of studies, she recalls her thoughts, discussions and objections to Christianity as a then-agnostic. What ensues is a thoughtful journey, and thoughtful as in coherent arguments. Really, it was a bit refreshing to read about someone's honest and deep searching as opposed to some "it felt right" story, etc.

Overall, this was a very good book. I thought it would take me a while to get through it at more than 400 pages; it didn't though, as I wanted to see how it all ended.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

In which I learn how to use GIMP.

2011-07-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

Over the long weekend, I finally got a chance to "mess around" with my camera. These are attempts at editing those messes.

Karis and JFK's grave site.

More of Arlington.

A foot.

A wooded and bricked path.

And a wharf on the Potomac.

On a side note, GIMP really reminds me of Photoshop. Pretty much everything that I've read as far as "instruction" seems to hold for both programs, which is very exciting.

A follow-up...

2011-06-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

And so after the last time I re-read Harry Potter, or at least books 6 and 7, I was inspired to read Aeschylus. Nearly two years later, I finally did read the Orestria and really enjoyed it.

The only problem?

My translation wasn't J.K. Rowling's translation. So I didn't have the same quotation. Needless to say, the Libation Bearers was incredibly good (didn't think I'd say that), and I am thus inspired to re-read book 7 again. Maybe it's because Part 2 of the movie is coming out soon, as well.

And finally, when I am ready to let the Potter-verse fade into memory, alas, apparently it is not quite dead.

It's weird, but I can't say quite yet that I am excited. Maybe I will be when they announce whatever it is.

Galileo

2011-05-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

I recently received Mitch Stokes’ Galileo, and finally got a chance to read through it. Overall, it was definitely a good read, and was presented clearly and honestly. Stokes does a great job of recounting Galileo’s life and pursuits in an easy-to-understand manner. He could have easily taken a couple of different stances: (1) Galileo was just pure awesome, or (2) the church was just trying their best. Stokes did neither, and I appreciated it immensely.

Galileo is most known for his support of the Copernican view of the universe, namely that the sun is at its center, and that the planets, including Earth, orbit it. While this might not cause an argument today, this was a huge cause of debate at its origin. The Catholic church took concern, especially with the passage in Joshua 10:12-13:

"Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Galileo’s argument was that:

[I]n order to adapt itself to the understanding of all people, it was appropriate for Scripture to say many things which are different from the absolute truth in appearance and in regard to the meaning of the words...the authority of the Holy Writ has merely the aim of persuading men of those articles and propositions which are necessary for their salvation and surpass all human reason, and so could not become credible through some other science or any other means except the mouth of the Holy Spirit itself.

After several years, the Catholic church still wasn’t buying it, and [spoiler] Galileo avoided burning at the stake by being sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his days.

The church’s position was officially changed in 1992, over three centuries later.

Now remember, this was in the day when the church controlled basically everything. I can see why they would be concerned with interpreting Scripture differently than in times past. If you give in to one thing, it could lead to another follows the slippery slope argument.

However, the point was raised that there are two revelations: the general (being nature) and the special (being Scripture). How can it be possible that they would contradict if both lead back to God in truth? So in Joshua, it appeared that the sun and moon orbited the earth, as it would appear today. But in reality, the earth orbits the sun. While Scripture reflects the understanding of that time, nothing about the core message of the Bible has changed or has been refuted by learning that our solar system is heliocentric.

I don’t mean to rant, but there are still debates between science and religion which end up basically with name-calling. I do not want to devote the time or the energy to my view points, but merely want to pose the question: in the end, does it matter?

As another note, Galileo was considered to be a “good Catholic boy.” He was also the father to three out-of-wedlock children, and the church was surprisingly silent. He was also named a member of the clergy at some point. Even then, it appears, people picked their arguments.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Defiant Joy

2011-03-24T13:02:00.000-04:00

Kevin Belmonte's Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton is the latest book that I have chosen to review, and seemed a natural pick, as I've tended to steer toward biographies lately. I knew a little about Chesterton going into the book, which basically consisted of his writing of the Father Brown books and my own reading of about half of Orthodoxy. I expected a biography at the beginning, but it seems that I misread the book's description, or billing by the publisher, which says that this book is a "powerful narrative of Chesterton’s life through his literary accomplishments." My wording for it would be more along the lines of "a short general survey of Chesterton's work, with a little biographical narrative that sets it up."

This is not necessarily a bad thing; I like reading reviews about books. My guess is that some people do, but that most probably do not. It was just not what I expected. I have some common interests in his critical literature of other authors, but this book did not make me want to go read them. You could say that my main criteria for a biography is this: does it make me want to go and read further about the person, read their books, etc. I do want to go back and finish Orthodoxy and I wouldn't mind reading through Father Brown, but I just wasn't inspired to from this book. I still really do not know that much information about Chesterton the person, and honestly, couldn't tell you whether or not he was Catholic or Protestant until around 200 pages in (maybe I missed it, that could be my own fault). It was an ok read in the end, but it wasn't riveting.

On This Day...

2011-01-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

Over the past few book reviews, I've discovered that I might have an interest in biographies. This book has 365 mini-biographies, and at least is able to point you in the direction of an interesting person to read about. Morgan has set it up as a devotional, and every day is dedicated to a single page snippet of a person's story. Seven days into the book, and it is pretty enjoyable. The entry for 1/6 is about Spurgeon, and having recently read a biography about him, the entry itself feels extremely short. But I don't have any complaints about it, because it is meant not to be exhaustive. If anything, I hope to gain a basic knowledge throughout the book about different historical persons, which might lead into wanting to read a more in-depth biography on an individual(s). Overall, I think it will be a pretty decent read.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze.com. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

2010 Wrap-Up

2010-12-30T13:58:00.000-05:00

I have been in the habit previously to post end-of-year lists of books & cds that I enjoyed over the year. Today, it's a shortened list.

I should go through all the albums from the year and give a list. I'm going to be lazy though, and just put down the one that I enjoyed the most. That goes to Arcade Fire - The Suburbs. If you haven't listened to it, you can thank me later.

As far as books go, this is probably the most prolific reading year I've ever had, and probably the last. Or at least for the next 18 or so years. The biggest discovery of the year: I like fantasy better than science fiction. And yes, I heard your groans and the slapping of palms on foreheads.

I made it through the first 10 books of the Wheel of Time series. Only 3 to go! (Or at least 3 published ones to go, the last comes out in November.) I have enjoyed the series that has been touted as being on par with Tolkien. Once I finish the series, I think I am actually going to read LOTR, just to see if it's true. And yes, I haven't read LOTR. But, I am theoretically halfway through it, but will need to restart the series. This book, Crossroads of Twilight, is the most 1-star reviewed book on goodreads I've ever seen. But, if I had waited 3 years to read it and didn't have 3 other books beyond this one, I probably would have been mad too. I honestly feel for the poor fellows who started reading this series in 1990.

Grossman's The Magicians is definitely worth a read, but is not for those still stuck in Books 1-2 Harry Potter or Narnia. It's really good, and I hear there's a sequel somewhere along the way.

My chick-lit of the year: Sense and Sensibility. It was way better than Pride and Prejudice. And I didn't much like the sea monsters version because it detracted from the original. You normally don't hear me say that.

My one political read of the year: Trueman's Republocrat. It truly is worth reading, and it makes me want to go back and read through the history of Britain's 3-party system. There were also some blog posts that surfaced about the same time I finished the book about elitism in youngish people and libertarian viewpoints. I was planning to respond, but I ended up being not that concerned. Go read, especially you political types.

Oh my. Best book I think I read this year. Just take my advice and get it. Now.

What Zoe has been teaching Karis

2010-12-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

Zoe:

Karis:

The Bloodlight Chronicles: Reconciliation

2010-11-13T17:34:00.000-05:00

I realize this is a bit of a branching out from the other books that I have reviewed in the past, and that most people who read this probably couldn't care less about the genre. In receiving this book, I agreed to post a review to the publisher's website, but I want to expound a bit more here.

The storyline: there's an alien virus that has infected a select portion of humanity that gives them eternal life. Who wouldn't want that right? But, the kicker is, no one can figure out how to catch the virus, and it seems there are a few "select" people who can get it. It is here, where Zakariah wants to find an activated virus to give to his son, Rix, and goes through some pretty spectacular things in process. Also playing a role in the background is an attempt by some other people in reaching the singularity, because (darn it) they aren't capable of getting the virus.

Merits of the story: Stanton is best known for his short stories, and one can easily see why. The entire book reads like a short story. I'm not trying to bash the plot line, it is interesting, but it could be more developed. The story could easily be stretched out into a longer novel for the better. It actually could be turned into a screenplay quite easily and has action sci-fi potential, but not quite at blockbuster level. I would have preferred more details, but it is readable as is. Stanton pays homage to Heinlein, and has an almost Bowman-turned-Star Child incident, but not quite. With that being said, it is a decent read, but I'm not overwhelmed with it.

The ideas raised in the book intrigue me, as does the general "singularity" aspect in science fiction and more increasingly attempts in science fact. On the surface, I see vague similarities with the general ideas in postmillenialism. But I am in no way educated enough to adequately explore this in a book review. I will, however, state that science fiction can be a "religious" experience/yearning for some people. It seems we're all searching for some thing at the end, that being in fact or fiction.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "Shelf Monkey" for ECW Press, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of ECW Press. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Anne Bradstreet

2010-08-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

Yes, this is my third review of a book in this series. I really do like the short introductions to the person being written about, and they allow insight into historical figures without a ton of effort. At the point of hitting "request," the only thing that I knew about Anne Bradstreet was that she might have been a Puritan poet. Turns out, she was, and she had a very interesting life and was heavily involved in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay colony.

While Kellogg does go through her life and snippets of her poetry, he presents a great amount of information dealing with Puritan life, the founding of the colony itself, as well as the relationship between England and the colony. I really enjoyed reading about the colony before the infamous Salem witch trials, which is practically the only event associated with this time period (though Bradstreet lived prior to the events) and the Puritans in the area. It did, though, briefly discuss the Sarah Hutchinson trial dealing with antimonianism. I've heard the term several times, and this book encouraged me to look it up finally. Wikipedia is not the place to do this, where it basically led me to question how one could believe in Sola Fide at an extremity. (Links provided at the bottom to save you some more in depth searching). I'm still a bit confused on the finer points, but I think it can be summarized as believing that faith through grace allows us to completely not follow the law, instead of the traditional belief that law is followed as evidence of faith through grace.

In total, this was an easy read and was very informative. If you're not that into poetry, it might not be for you. Though if I ever run across a volume of Bradstreet's works, I would definitely be tempted to purchase it.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze.com. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Jesus Manifesto

2010-08-20T10:32:00.001-04:00

I judge books by their covers, or more specifically, their subtitles. It's not every day that you see "restoring the supremacy and sovereignty of Jesus Christ" as an available subtitled book for review, so I ordered it immediately. This book does not disappoint, as it preaches Jesus, only Jesus, and always Jesus. That being said, I enjoyed the read and admired the authors for approaching the topic with great zeal. Sure there were some things that I did not like about the book, but for the most part, I believe these were personal preferences about how I would have liked to have seen things approached differently.

Sweet and Viola call out the majority of "evangelicals" on their making other things priorities rather than Jesus (such as the selling of the church to political causes, implementing social justice without incorporating the gospel, extreme fundamentalism, etc.). I do appreciate their message, but it does seem a bit forced at times. At a couple of points, they try to downplay doctrine as an essential study. Yes, there are the crazy disciples of doctrine who argue for finer points and don't truly love Jesus, but I believe they are rarer than what this book would make them out to be. That being said, if you do love Jesus, wouldn't you want to learn doctrine? Isn't it essential to continue learning about Jesus and being able to support your beliefs when discussing them with others?

All in all, it was a decent read. But, I would consider it to be a Piper-primer. There are more in-depth books out there, but it is a good start if you're looking to begin studying supremacy and sovereignty.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze.com. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Latest Round of Sonogram Pics

2010-07-02T11:17:00.000-04:00

She's put on a little weight; less ET-looking at least.

No clue where the flexibility comes from. Womb pilates?

Foot shot.

And a nice pic of her legs.

Meet Karis Grace

2010-05-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

We're having a girl and we're naming her Karis Grace! For those of you who are learned in Greek, yes, we do realize that Karis means Grace. So why Grace Grace?

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

Also, when Rob and I were dating, we talked over baby names. It turns out that he wanted to name a girl Grace, while I wanted to name one Karis. Without further ado:

Here's the shot where we decided on how to spell Karis. Pronunciation: care-iss.

We caught her sucking her thumb!

Rubbing her eye!

This is not her most flattering picture. Kind of like ET without really big eyes.

Aww.

Getting Cozy.

And one last shot.

There were, of course, all the pictures that the ob wanted. None of them are as cute as these, or as distinctive. Other takeaways: she now weighs approximately 9 ounces and appears to have all vital body parts and organs. Definitely exciting!

Baby's First Real Photo Shoot

2010-03-30T20:29:00.000-04:00

So we went for a couple tests today, and as far as we know of, everything looks good. But here are the takeaways:

In order to take some measurements, the tech had me cough a few times to make the baby move one way or another. After this, I realized that I have been traumatizing the poor kid for the past few days with this nasty head cold. Now I don't want to cough.

Isaac Newton

2010-03-27T14:55:00.000-04:00

I saw this book listed for review, and was somewhat intrigued. Sure, I had to learn Newton's three laws and his gravitational law (or at least I knew how to solve test problems with the formulas, don't ask me how they work). But I realized that I didn't know anything about Newton himself, so I ordered the book.

First off, I found the book exceptionally accessible. It was very easy to read, and even gave explanations for some of the concepts that Newton is best known for. What I hadn't realized, however, was that Newton actually spent more time studying theology than he did either math or science. It was a very real thing for him too, and factored into how far his studies took him. Newton considered his study efforts to be worshipful, and so sought to do this to his fullest (here is a note for a student to take). I had no clue about this aspect of Newton's life, much less his refusal to take orders in the Anglican church over a disagreement in a doctrinal issue (to the extent that he would have stepped down from his post at Cambridge).

I found the book to be highly engaging and entertaining. Stokes could have easily heightened the material, but it is not written lowly either. Overall, it is very well-written, and I would recommend it to anyone for a light read.

**As a further note, I might have slightly disclaimed the "encounters" series on the last review. I feel fully now that it depends on the author's intent and writing. That being said, if you're looking for a short biography that is faithful to the subject, pick Newton over Bunyan.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze.com. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

John Bunyan

2010-03-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

First, I must tell you that I've never read The Pilgrim's Progress or any other biography on Bunyan. Therefore, without any prior "knowledge" about the subject matter, I found myself quite intrigued with this book. It is short, and its chapters are short, thus it leads to reading in spurts quite well. I enjoyed the book, which can best be described as an entry into Bunyan's life in a historical context. Just reading the brief snippets of Bunyan's life is exciting in itself, as his story is quite compelling. Belmonte's language usage mostly reminds one of an extended history essay, and its citations lend well to that. But, I do not find the book to be inaccessible to any reader in its language. The only thing that I am missing is a deeper look into Bunyan's theology and doctrine, which had to have shaped his core being to such an extent in order to survive his imprisonment that led to The Pilgrim's Progress. There is no room in the book for that, so I am left wanting to read another biography and Bunyan's works for a more complete picture. So while I enjoyed the book, it is introductory at best, besides being intriguing in its subject. I would recommend the book, but only for setting a historical framework in the reader's mind. The book seems to be a good fit in the "Encounters" series, as you get to meet the subject briefly, but you don't get to know it fully.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy free of charge to read and review. The thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Thomas Nelson or BookSneeze.com. This is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Voice

2010-02-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

This title is being billed as a "retelling" of the Bible that involves translation and elaboration. The only problem is that you can't have the best of both worlds and truly stay honest with the text. Now, I wholeheartedly approve of the use of commentaries, footnotes, and other materials to help with understanding the scriptures, but The Voice takes this to a whole new level.The text is written as screenplay that includes what can be described as stage directions, which clearly show who is speaking and to whom.Also, there are outlined boxes inserted between sections of text that discuss what is occurring in the text. As for these, they are almost unnecessary due to the style of language actually used in the text (more below).And lastly, italic type is inserted into the text directly. The reasoning for this is described in the preface as "these words or sentences in italics may contain information that would have been obvious to those originally addressed in the Gospel or letter...and are meant to help the reader better understand the text without having to stop and read footnotes or a study guide." This is not the first translation that tends to go for ideas as opposed to a nearly literal translation. This is not necessarily bad, but there can be many problems with this. The italicized portions can steer one's understanding of the passage, and playing the part of a commentary could in fact be dangerous. I question the "obvious" factor quite seriously. That being said, if this was promoted as a paraphrase of the Bible, I would find it a little easier to live with. It's the elaboration that does it. Take for example Matthew 4:2-3:

Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. After this fast, He was, as you can imagine, hungry. But He was also curiously stronger because of His fast. And so He was able to withstand the devil, the tempter, when he came to Jesus.

The Devil: If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. (The Voice)

And here is the ESV:

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." (ESV)

It is amazing that absolutely none of this is in the text. No, I don't know Greek. But this is in no other translation that I have ever seen. Therefore, I strongly disagree with the additional verbage being added to scripture. Like I said previously, if it can be shown to be historically accurate that Jesus was stronger when he fasted (which I doubt) and described in detail in commentaries or footnotes that is one thing. But adding it in between the inspired words of God is uncalled for.

Oh, but I forgot to mention, commentaries and footnotes are not in vogue with the emergent crowd.

The "About" section tries to detail this out, but the reasoning behind it is sketchy at best. From page ix:

As Western culture has moved into what is now referred to as postmodernism, Chris [Seay] observed that the way a new generation processes ideas and information raises obstacles to traditional methods of teaching biblical content. His desire has grown to present the Bible in ways that overcome these obstacles to people coming to faith. Instead of propositional-based thought patterns, people today are more likely to interact with events and individuals through complex observations involving emotions, cognitive processes, tactile experiences, and spiritual awareness...Hence, out of that early vision comes the need in a postmodern culture to present Scripture in a narrative form.

Narrative is not bad, necessarily. If you say it is a paraphrase, fine, I would maybe read it devotionally from time to time for a change. But nowhere is this claimed, and I have a problem with that. I could continue to rant here about that whole emotional/spiritual awareness claim, but at this point I am way over my suggested 200 word count. That is for another time and place. So is the fact that The Voice is intent on crafting "products and experiences" for today's emergent postmoderns that include film festivals.

I know that I've harped on its lack of being described as a paraphrase. Their rebuttal would probably come in the form of page ix:

We have take care that The Voice is faithful and that it avoids prejudice. Anyone who has worked with translation knows that there is no such thing as a completely unbiased or objective translation. So, while we do not pretend to be purely objective, we asked our teams to seek to be as faithful as possible to the biblical message as they understood it together.In addition, as we partnered biblical scholars and theologians with our writers, we intentionally built teams that did not share any single theological tradition.Their diversity has helped each of them not to be trapped within his or her own individual preconceptions, resulting in a faithful and fresh rendering of the Bible.

I still, however, disagree and say that not being purely objective does not equate to faithful rendering. In addition to this, certain heady theological terms such as "baptism," "repentance," and "salvation" have been changed throughout the book into more common terminology. Take for instance, Jesus' baptism by John. The first instance of βάπτισμα is translated as dunk, with each successive occurrence translated as cleansing. Certainly, I take exception to this, as well as to the fact that "apostle" is translated as "emissary." While these terms might be difficult to understand at first, there are no equivalents in the common language today that bring the implications and meaning behind the words that exist. Therefore, you are missing the idea behind the term if you do not learn what the term is and what it means. Also in my perusal, "repentance" was found to be translated as "path" and "Christ" was translated (many times) as "Liberating King." Christians do have their own vernacular, but that is because it is different from other things presented as substitutes.

If you're still reading this, I have one last thing to leave you with, and that being namely, this translation of Romans 8:28-30:

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to create something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. From the distant past, His eternal love reached into the future, and He chose those would be conformed to the image of His Son. God not only knew which part they would play, but He chose them especially to be united with His Son, the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters. All His chosen ones have been called to a different destiny to experience what it means to be justified and glorified together. (The Voice)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (ESV)

I do not recommend this book.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers and/or BookSneeze.com, and was provided a copy to read and review.

Fiction Review, 2009

2010-01-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

A little late for posting before the end of the year, but better now than never. So a short list of some of my favorite reads for the past year:

First, Pride and Prejudice, which I thought would never be on my list of favorites, and it took months to get through, but it was a really good book in the end. It even has peaked my interest in maybe picking a similar book soon if not only just to broaden my horizons.

And for laughs, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is just hysterical. It adds deadly arts to the original, and even takes out a tiny bit of wrath on your least favorite characters.

Next would be CS Lewis' Space Trilogy, or at least the first two of the three. Out of the Silent Planet was a little difficult to get into, but by the end, it went really quickly. The real gem, however, was Perelendra. It is here that Lewis went into great detail into Eden v2.0. and discussed outright ideas that only pieces were hinted at in Narnia. It is a bit more comprehensive than most scifi that I've read recently, but definitely in a good way. Really looking forward to wrapping up the series soon.

And last would be the James Potter Series. It is the first bit of fanfiction I've read, but it is well-written. Chapter installments of the third book have just begun, and I'm excited to see how the story shapes up. This is definitely worth your time, but please make sure you've read HP first.

The Gospel According to Lost

2009-12-28T13:36:00.003-05:00

With the return of Lost in February, fanboys, including myself, are eager to see how the show concludes, and whether or not all the questions it raised will be answered (probably not). Seay does provide useful character studies of several main characters, chiefly, being that of John Locke, who can be summarized neatly as a doubter who lives by faith, but steps into a messiah-like role himself. The similarities and differences of Locke vs Jack and Jack vs Sawyer are also examined at length. Overarching themes of the show are briefly discussed, such as good and evil and the "shades of gray". The Gospel According to Lost does not provide spoilers, and even criticizes to an extent the idea of them, unless one has not seen the most current episodes.

To be honest, I doubted the title upon first reading it, knowing very well that it would take a lot of reaching to pull out The Gospel from Lost. And I was not disappointed, but found that others could be misled from the content. Other philosophical and/or religious "guides" to pop-culture works tend to study the various viewpoints that can be recognized as underlying story content. Seay details allusions to biblical passages and concepts that appear valid upon recollection; these allusions are not clear-cut by any means. I am not convinced that "Darlton" uses the Bible as significantly as what is gained from this book.

While reading this material near the end of a long show hiatus, the book does give nice summaries and a bit of theorizing to the approach of the final season. If the reader takes this at face value, nothing is lost. But one should not try to decipher The Gospel from Lost. Concepts taken from the Bible can shed some light on the show's themes, but readers must be careful not to give credit where it is not due. Points of The Gospel are written throughout the book, but appear almost as an afterthought and do not flow with the material chiefly presented. Overall, the book is alright, but not spectacular.

Disclaimer: Recently, I signed up to be a "book review blogger" for Thomas Nelson publishers, and was provided a copy to read and review. You can find more information about doing thus here.

Top 10 Albums of the 2000's

2009-12-14T13:10:00.003-05:00

In my opinion. That means that these 10 albums, released in the past ten years, got the most play-time on my iPod and still to this day, are queued. So, if you're ever looking to recommend music my way, these albums are most likely the best ones for comparison. In several cases, the artists had more than one album that I really enjoyed, so I picked the best album from each in order to have 10 different bands.

10. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (2007)

An album with lyrics typical of a lot of people in my generation (see Uniform). Sad, but educating. All while being upbeat and catchy at the same time.

9. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (2006)

This was the album (among her several) that I first heard, and the other ones are good. I'm stuck on this one, though, seeing it live at Cat's Cradle. She manages to confuse John the Baptist with the Apostle John, which is funny and catchy at the same time (John Saw That Number).

8. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (2007)

Cryptic, ironic, satiric. A really good album, and fun to sing to.

7. The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)

Ben Gibbard + electronic stuffs is really good. Just ask Iron & Wine (copycat) and UPS.

6. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire (2004)

A band from our neighbor to the north, which opened for Death Cab in Raleigh in 2005. They weren't that spectacular live, but the album itself is really good. Also, point for which I'm glad mp3's became popular and accessible: it's hard to find their stuff in big box stores, and indie places are just expensive.

5. Sigur Ros - Takk... (2005)

Discovered this group from Iceland on the indie Target endcap. Yes, that one. How they were there, and I managed not to hear about them until then, no clue. Other albums that rank up there, and were excluded for band variation only, are (Untitled)(2001), Hvarf - Heim(2007), and Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust(2008). Jonsi, the lead singer, is supposed to be working on a new ambient album with his boyfriend. Jury is still out on that one, though.

4. Death Cab for Cutie - The Photo Album (2001)

Yes, I like their major label stuff. I really like Transatlanticism. But I love classic Death Cab. Notice how I define classic in reference to a band formed in the '90s. Both of the albums linked are even too old and independent for mp3s at Amazon, so you ought to try iTunes if you're not familiar.

3. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

Words, right now, just aren't coming to mind for this band. I just really like the Neighborhood songs, and all the others. I hear rumors of a new album soon (yay!).

2. The Decemberists - Picaresque (2005)

This is band for people who like to read a lot of fiction and fairy tales. You also must possess a like of pirate stories. Also included is The Crane Wifeand their latest release Hazards Of Love, which made my list for albums of 2009. Witty and smart lyrics, and a truly entertaining live experience.

1. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)

Absolutely wonderful. The sophomore release, Antics, was really good too. Also rumors of a new release. I regret missing the live show at Cat's Cradle. Sigh. But still, this is one really good album.

Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

First off, that was a quick year. Second, do you realize we're starting a new decade in a few weeks? I'm planning on a best albums of the 2000s post, so I'll give you time to formulate your list so that we can argue appropriately. But for now, by no means is this list extensive. It consists of music that was interesting enough for me to buy this year (i.e. bias) after hearing about it from elsewhere (website bias). So my top 9 albums of 2009 are:

9. Islands - Vapours

Third album release, as weird as ever. Still possesses that "island" sound. Oh, and these people are crazy in concert, should you ever decide to attend one (you have been warned).

8. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Very mellow, works somewhat well in providing a relaxing atmosphere given end of fiscal year chaos.

7. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

She has an amazing voice. I don't care for the last "song" (Marais La Nuit) but the rest are really good musically (lyrically, eh, not my thing on this album). Overall, really good.

6. Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome

No acoustic, a lot of electronics, and just enough controversy to keep things interesting. Add in a whirlwind trip to Vienna, and you get yourself some memories.

5. U2 - No Line On The Horizon

Craziest. Concert. Ever.

4. The Decemberists - Hazards Of Love

Not their best work to date, but it's a rock-opera. Seriously. Possesses a couple of really catchy songs.

3. Matisyahu - Light

Really good.

2. Regina Spektor - Far

A great follow up to her last album. I'm still not crazy about the seals or dolphins or whatever that is.

And Finally...

1. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

I absolutely love this album. Intriguing lyrics. Great harmonies.

blogworthy?

2009-11-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

twitter is so quick and effective, and blogging seems almost cumbersome. i can post a quick link, thought, or albeit "status" in the time it takes me to log into blogger. i guess the real question is whether or not the topic is worth the extra time/editing.

i guess that's why so many bloggers link to their blogs in their tweets. rss is more effective for continuous readers, twitter for the casual reader. i realize this is a bit jumbled; i should have turned it into a tweet-series.

The new dog bed

2009-11-13T21:50:00.001-05:00

She looks comfy. This is the attempt to keep her off the furniture. Oh, and her new diet includes rubbermaid and insulated starbucks cups.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tinkering with new apps

2009-11-06T15:35:00.001-05:00

Edited photo of Zoe using photoshop mobile and...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The "Naked" This's

2009-10-22T08:59:00.003-04:00

It feels like years have passed since I last updated this blog. To prevent future "what was I doing?" wonderings:

- Brooke got an apartment
- That whole jeep starter incident (aka i have "the touch")
- Zoe really likes rope toys
- Zoe's favorite new person said to feed her beef & rice twice daily
- Washing machine hose fail
- Lady bug infestation, mass suicide

I think that mostly covers it.

U2, field level

2009-09-30T00:14:00.001-04:00

U2, field level
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Meds

2009-09-07T23:02:00.003-04:00

Long story short, I've traded in my yaz for a couple of blood thinners, one of which comes in vial form. Rob's been giving me the shots twice daily without fainting. The awesome part, though, is that they gave me my very own biohazard container.

Zoe Bee

2009-09-02T17:53:00.001-04:00

Zoe Bee
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Highlights, Road Trip Days 1, 2

2009-08-29T23:33:00.013-04:00

Getting into Baltimore.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast = Amazing. Cinnamon Roll was really good too.

Just in Case.

Bridge Shot.

Love Park.

Bandaid and Fry.

Pat's was the clear winner in the cheesesteak race.

Geno's was a bit flashy.

Up close on a Geno's steak.

Philadelphia City Hall.

10th Pres.

Redskins. Lose again when we show up.

Zoe tackles Rob

2009-08-27T20:52:00.001-04:00

Zoe's new ball, after 2 hours

2009-08-27T20:26:00.001-04:00

Leftovers on a Monday

2009-08-17T13:44:00.003-04:00

Today, we had a new person start at work. A fully-trained person that is. I now have effectively two less items to hassle with, which has somewhat made my day.

After a Target promo-labeling ordeal, Rob and I scored the first season of Mad Men for cheap. So far, it is pretty interesting. The only thing I didn't realize, however, is how loose people in the '50's were with their morals. You can score both seasons from Amazon on either dvd or bd for $50, which seems to be a decent bargain.

And on a final note, I would like to say that if you took my advice on a serial book being posted online, I had no idea that there would be anything posted with, erm, stuff such that was posted this past week. Never saw it coming, and while I have read some previous items by the same author, I did not glean any information to suggest that this would be the case. I like the beginning of the story, but I'm not sure where it's going... especially with all that nonsense. It's pretty weird. I don't think I can officially recommend it any more. So much for recommending serial novels, eh?

Cherry Pie

2009-08-02T22:22:00.002-04:00

Cherry Pie
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Self-pitted, homemade crust. Super sweet because costco had sweet cherries on super sale, not sour ones.

Random Readings

2009-07-23T10:06:00.003-04:00

I've come across a couple of nontraditional "books" that are available online that I have found interesting (or so far at least).

The first would be the serialization of Cory Doctorow's latest book Makers. It's posted three times a week online for your enjoyment, with an eventual 81 total postings. That should get you through October, if you're interested. So far, I'm a fan. You can check out the index here, and I would suggest either bookmarking it or setting up an rss feed for easier reading.

Second, after re-reading Harry Potters 6 & 7, somehow I ended up on a wikipedia article about Harry Potter fandom, and ran across the somewhat popular fanfiction novel James Potter and the Hall of Elders Crossing (pdf link). Quite ambitious and entertaining, but seriously spoiler-laden if you haven't read the series. Here's a direct link to the sequel, James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper, which I haven't read yet, but imagine that I'll get around to it sometime soon.

A new leaf

2009-07-15T18:47:00.001-04:00

A new leaf
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

It's funny, the things that make you want to read Aeschylus

2009-07-13T09:13:00.003-04:00

Oh, the torment bred in the race,
the grinding scream of death
and the stroke that hits the vein,
the haemorrhage none can staunch, the grief,
the curse no man can bear.

But there is a cure in the house
and not outside it, no,
not from others but from them,
their bloody strife. We sing to you,
dark gods beneath the earth.

Now hear, you blissful powers underground -
answer the call, send help.
Bless the children, give them help now.

--Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers

Birds, round 2

2009-07-08T17:00:00.001-04:00

Birds, round 2
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Brooke ate a whole ray's hellburger

2009-07-04T22:39:00.001-04:00

Brooke ate a whole ray's hellburger
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Ha

2009-07-02T15:38:00.001-04:00

Ha
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3

Reformed Chicken Bog

2009-07-01T19:28:00.001-04:00

Reformed Chicken Bog
Originally uploaded by dukiekirsten3