Say hello to "Dude." He's the resident, outdoor house cat. I guess that would make him the yard cat. He and I are kind of in the same boat. We are both staying as a guest of some really cool people in Tampa. I'm not sure how Dude wound up here (I doubt that is was a layoff like the kind that caused my life to tailspin out of control), but then he is a cat, and one can never take a cat for granted. I like Dude because he is a jumpy guy, like me. He's always alert, but almost too alert. You can pet him if he chooses, but make one sudden move and he will teleport his little kitty self about 40 feet away from you before you can say "whoah"

Zero History

Zero History by William Gibson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Once again the master has opened my eyes to a future world that is moments away, and in some cases already here. Gibson's edgy, terse prose keeps the writer focused like a driver in a speeding car. If you blink, you will miss something. I have always found his lack of words and reliance on the reader's awareness to be a fantastic style of writing. You may feel as though you are lost somewhere in the middle (and unless you are in Gibson's mind, you probably Are), but all of the various plot lines come together in the end with such meticulous precision as though Gibson is a neurosurgeon and he is just finishing up rewiring your brain. "Zero History" goes places that are all around us, and shows us a world that most of us would never think to look for.
Bravo, Mr. Gibson. Once again - a novel worthy of the finest collections.



View all my reviews

Of Blood and Honey

Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read a LOT. I could not wait for this book to be released and once I got my copy I completely devoured the story in 3 days. This is, without a doubt, the best historical fiction that I have read in the past decade. The story was magnificent, the setting was so well written and done so with such phenomenal character development that one is quite genuinely transported back in time. I could not put this book down. With each page I was further transported back to the scenes. Each and every one of the senses was awakened by the cleverly crafted prose. The historical research done to accomplish such an amazing story was monumental.

I was slow to write anything in Goodreads - but I am already Eagerly awaiting the next novel from Stina Leicht. I long to see what other amazing tales reside within this author's mind.

With this one novel she has ascended to the top of my bookshelves to reside alongside Neil Gaiman and William Gibson as one of the best fiction writers of this century.



View all my reviews

New Tunes

Mellow Winter ... DJ Raven

1. Portishead - Pedestal
2. Colide - Frozen
3. Lush - Undertow
4. Massive Attack - Angel
5. Kosheen - Damage
6. Skinny Puppy - Antagonism
7. Technoir - Requiem
8. cEvin Key - Running
9. Front 242 - No More - No More
10. Skinny Puppy - The Centre Bullet
11. Dead Can Dance - Yulunga (Spirit Dance)
12. Goldfrapp - Slippage

Powerlifting Mix

1. Celldweller - Switchback
2. Ayria - Horrible Dream (Glis Mix)
3. Aiboforcen - Confusion (Pride & Fall Mix)
4. Terminal Choice - Be Like Me
5. Icon of Coil - Everlasting
6. Funker Vogt - Black Market Dealers
7. La Vogue - Somebody New
8. Rotersand - Storm
9. Sam - 24 Stunden
10. Seabound - Coward
11. Unheilig - Auf Zum Mond
12. Pulse Legion - Wasted Redemption
13. Implant - Slowly Mutating
Identifier: DjRaven-The666Mix
Mediatype: audio
Licenseurl: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/rs/
Publicdate: 2009-10-08 01:15:24
Addeddate: 2009-10-07 23:36:12
Keywords: Industrial; Gothic; Dark

Creative Commons license: Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Serbia

Recovery

DJ Raven - Recovery

1. Cure - Like Cockatoos
2. Delerium - Flowers Become Screens
3. Angels & Agony - Forever
4. 4 Non Blondes - Morphine and Chocolate
5. Allison with One - While Drifting
6. Ministry - Faith Collapsing
7. Technoir - All Too Much
8. Malaise - Sometimes I Dream
9. The Gathering - Liberty Bell
10. Unhelig - Discover the World
11. Peter Murphy - Deep Ocean, Vast Sea
12. Abney Park - Dear Ophelia
13. Zeraphine - In Der Tiefe

Running

I've lately taking up running. And, contrary to questions I have been asked; No. There is no one chasing me, and Yes. My car works fine.

On the morning of July 4th I ran the Music City 5K in downtown Nashville. This was my first official, register for, sponsored, national event. (Again a relative was even more baffled that I actually PAID to run). I must say it was an amazing feeling. After a 5k loop that crossed the Cumberland River twice and looped part of Broadway, I was quite pleased to walk away with a final time of 30:09. I came in 7th in my 'age group' - of only 18, and 99th overall.

I cannot begin to describe how liberating it felt to cross that line (and to still be alive). Not too shabby for a crusty ol' monkey. I ran 6 miles the week leading up to the race and took one day off. Yesterday I ran a 2 mile paved loop - and came away with 20:29. This morning I did another 10 minute mile. My current goal is to get to an 8 minute mile. I have a new passion. ...and for once, it's GOOD for me!

Since moving to Nashville I have dropped 55lbs, and gotten rid of nearly every vice, save Rum. After last night I am pretty firm in the conviction that the Rum is going to be shelved too.