The Dragonstone (1996) Dennis McKiernan
This is a good book, but not my favorite Mithgar books. Unlike other books set in Mithgar, there almost no characters from other books. Aravan is mentioned in passing, the great dragons make an appearance, and Vanidar accompanies Arin for awhile, but mostly the characters in this book appear only in these books. Which makes this an ideal Mithgar book with which to start into the series.
This is wonderful!
(via Making Light)
I’m off this week. Small vacation.
We will return you to your regularly scheduled blogging next week.
If you’re bored at work, I suggest a perusal of my weblog.
ADDENDUM the First:
Blogroll. Not weblog, BLOGROLL. Jeesh.
So, my parents went to protest the President’s speech, and they were not arrested—in fact it doesn’t look like anyone was arrested, which is good. My mom said there was a good turnout, and that three protesters actually got in, turned their backs to Bush when he came in, and then walked out when he started talking. According to her—and to the radio—you could hear the protestors throughout Bush’s speech, which is pretty good, considering that he’s usually described as very isolated from protestors. And from what I heard on the radio, the cheers during his speech were half-hearted at best.
My mom said she knew tons of people there, including Dr I and his wife, and they had a nice time. Someone from the Elkins paper interviewed my dad apparently, but I haven’t seen any papers, so I can’t tell you if they got their pictures in any papers.
This morning on the radio I heard an interview with Charlene Marshall, who said she was disappointed in the speech. Which is pretty polite of her I think. I think when I see Gwen Marshall, I’ll have to ask her if she went with her mom, and what she thought.
I was pleased that WVU chose to allow protestors that close to the President. With all the hooplah over the “Free Speech” areas, I figured that WVU might just arrest anyone protesting on University property, but things went well and there don’t seem to have been any arrests, so I’m pleased.
Next time we see the Campus Cops who work at Health Sciences, we’ll have to ask them their opinion about the whole thing. I’m all but certain that every single WVU Officer was required to work, same for all the city police, sheriff department, and local state police. With all the overtime, I can only imagine what this did to already strained budgets.
I haven’t heard much more about Rove et al pushing Capito into a Senate run, but my Mom said she saw lots of pro-Byrd signs (one of the sings that I put up was BYRD 2006) in addition to anti-Bush signs, so despite the fact that they want to take out Byrd, it looks like he still has plenty of support, at least around here. Which is probably unsurprising, considering all the money Byrd has brought into this area and into this state. While it looks like National Guard units will be moved out of the state despite Bush lauding our Guard and Reserve units during the campaign. Though I figure South Dakota should be even more insulted. They voted in a Republican senator only to lose their base, and one of the biggest employers in the state. Gotta love the loyalty shown to those who supported Bush in the last election.
But really, I was glad to hear that the protest went well, and everything was civil. One of the things that I hate so much about the current political climate is the amount of bile and invective that are thrown about the political stage. Both sides are so polarized that no one is listening to anything the other side is saying, and many times with good reason. One of the many lessons I learned from the BBSes was that the more shrill and hostile you became, the more you were ignored. But actually listening to the other side, and conceding their good points made them more receptive to listening to what you had to say.
Not everyone of course, and not all the time, but I found that when true discussion happened, everyone learned, and everyone had their minds changed about some portion of the subject, even if it was just learning that those on the other side were not all hot head lunatics. And I ended up partaking in a lot of good an interesting discussions, learning a lot, and having my mind changed about any number of subjects. And we managed to talk about all the subjects you’re supposed to avoid: God. Religion. Abortion. Gun control. Sexuality. Free speech. The Death Penalty.
And I eventually learned and understood both sides of the issue, and saw that the arguments on both sides had validity. (In fact I can–and have–argued either side of several of those issues, solely for the sheer joy of debate.)
I really miss those discussions. I love Making Light, but often the discussion there is preaching to the choir. Obsidian Wings is nice, however at times I find the voices on the far left and the far right a little too negative. And too often posts are stated in absolutes, which leaves no room for discussion, for listening to what the other side has to say, and for addressing the problems of the other side.
Unless I am willing to accept that my opponents belief system has validity, then I am not truly willing to engage in debate, and neither side will get anywhere. Which is the point that American politics is rapidly reaching. As long as choruses on both sides shout down opinions they dislike, and brand those with whom they disagree as traitors, we will continue to accomplish nothing.
“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
For me the idea of civilized debate has always come down to this. My opponent has a right to speak, and civilized discourse says that as long as both sides are being polite, I owe my opponent the respect of listening to what they are saying, because only then will I be able to convince them of the validity of my own argument.
Word of the Day
Kleptocracy
n
A government characterized by rampant greed and corruption. [Greek kleptein, to steal + CRACY.]
The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Voyage of the Fox Rider (1993) Dennis McKiernan
Dennis McKiernan is another author I appreciate for his ability to write duologies and single book fantasies. Of course as the Mithgar books all have the same setting, and contain recurring characters, I suppose that gives him the luxury of being able to continue in a known world, yet I do not believe that you need to have read any other books to appreciate this book. For the most part (excluding the very last Mithgar book) I believe that you can enter the story at any point and be comfortable.
Which is, I think, a fantastic skill, and one that I wish more fantasy authors had.
We’re gonna go again! Woo!
ADDENDUM the Second:
How is it that I, who didn’t read comics and was restricted in what I was allowed to watch on TV, knew that Gotham City was “New York” and Michael did not?
ADDENDUM the First:
It was even better the second time. I already knew where the scaryish bits were, so I could concentrate on the story.
I also caught some things that I missed the first time, so the story made even more sense.
Even cooler, I finally understand precisely what vambraces are and how they work. I also understand the advantages of leather armor over metal armor. (But, Kevlar–better yet.) Suddenly Aerich is that much cooler.
However, I’m still bothered by one thing.
SPOILER:
(more…)
Small Vices (1997) Robert B. Parker
Okay, so I didn’t totally resist, but I’ve limited myself to just Small Vices, which is one of my favorite Spenser books. Small Vices was my introduction to Spenser.
It is also the reason I have some small affection for Burt Reynolds.
Happy Birthday Kathy!
And also to me!
1) PRESIDENT BUSH TO DELIVER FOURTH OF JULY SPEECH IN MORGANTOWN FROM WOODBURN CIRCLE
President George W. Bush will deliver his Fourth of July message mid-morning Monday on WVU’s Downtown Campus, White House officials confirmed today (June 30). A ticket is required to attend the event and can be obtained free of charge by calling the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau at 292-5081 in Downtown Morgantown. More to come on this event Friday.
Okay, I obviously need to make some yard signs for this occasion. Any suggestions (that won’t get me sent to jail)?
ADDENDUM the First:
Gina: Are you sure you don’t want to go to jail?
Me: Yes.
Gina: Well, I can’t cook, but I could bake you a cake with a file in it!
Me: A Word file?
This is why I love Teresa at Making Light.
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