I was recently taken to task for shooting at “pictures of real people.” I recalled that fallacious accusation when I unpacked the targets I ordered for the fun day at the range coming this weekend.Do these qualify as “pictures of real people”? Aft…
The first Fredericksburg Brew Fest took place this past Saturday at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds. I picked up a couple friends early and we arrived to claim our place near the start of the line before the gates opened. Once in, we picked up our shake…
A convective line did come through the Roanoke valley Thursday evening (10/17) but the action was too little and too late. I was able to sit at a local perch and watch as the low level scud and the mid level clouds scooted in different directions…
Today’s frontal passage – accompanied by a developing surface low pressure – may provide a brief period of chasing excitement in western VA late this afternoon. The limiting factor as usual in the fall is very little instability, with CAPE values…
So, it was only Tuesday. Why save all the fun for the weekend? If your life is like ours, weekends are usually too busy for relaxing over good beer anyway. Since we had a free evening, Colleen and I invited Checkered Flag to join us for dinner and beer…
We made it out to the range Monday afternoon. After setting set up a few targets, we enjoyed a good laugh over the “government official” targets.
Enough joking about that, time to shoot. Given the recent rule updates, practice was limited to standing …
No further comment necessary.
[ This content originated at Musings Over a Pint ]
The winners at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver were announced this weekend. Fourteen medals were awarded to Virginia breweries. That’s up from the count of thirteen last year. In addition to the beer awards, Devils Backbone and brewer Jason …
Brilliance by Marcus Sakey
Brilliance covers some of the same ground that Greg Bear covered in Darwin’s Radio. In the 80’s, some kids started being born with exceptional mental capabilities. These “abnormals” are seen as a threat by some in the 99%. The government gets involved and starts treating these citizens very much like we treat Muslim Americans today. The government and the media are in cahoots to suppress the truth and position the abnormals as dangerous. Then it gets really interesting. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but not counting some advanced tech that we don’t quite have yet, nothing in this book seems that far-fetched. And that is sort of scary once you understand the depth of the conspiracy in this book. It’s the first of a trilogy. I’m looking forward to the others.
Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
So why did a young college graduate from an upper middle-class family give everything he owns away and spend several years living the like of a hobo, before finally dying in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? Krakauer can’t give us that answer, really nobody can. But he does bring Christopher McCandless to life as he tracks his journey to Alaska and tries to shed some light on what he was thinking. A fascinating and engrossing read.
The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling
Meh. This book got a lot of press due to JK Rowling releasing it under a pseudonym. She spends so much time describing every little scene in detail that the plot suffers at times. I would read chapters at a time and feel like nothing happened. I did finish it, and the ending had a nice twist.
The Human Division by John Scalzi
Set in the Old Man’s War Universe, The Human Division revolves around a bunch of new characters embroiled in a classic spy type thriller with somebody from the inside leaking information, formidable new challenges for the Colonial Union, and plenty of Scalzi’s trademark wit and snark. This is a fun addition to the OMW universe, and the ending definitely set up another book.
The Complete Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant
This is generally considered one of the best military autobiographies ever written. It’s a well deserved reputation. As a first person history of the Spanish American and Civil Wars, it is invaluable. Grant is an entertaining writer and writes in prose that is clear and easy to understand. I think it’s fair to say that without Grant in charge the Civil War may have turned out differently. Grant probably would not agree as it’s clear from the book that he thought the Confederate cause was doomed from the start. Also interesting was the revelation that he thought he missed a chance to capture Lee’s Army at The Wilderness. He barely acknowledges his time as President, probably because he is generally considered in the bottom quartile of US Presidents.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
In 2003 software developer David Miller quit his job and started walking north from Springer Mountain, VA. He didn’t quit until he made it to the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve walked maybe 100 miles of the AT on various day hikes. I greatly enjoyed this book. It’s inspirational, even though he does a good job of capturing the drudgery of walking all day in the rain on the AT. You get a real sense of the community that develops among thru-hikers on the AT. It’s recommended for anybody that has ever daydreamed about doing what David did.
Brilliance by Marcus Sakey
Brilliance covers some of the same ground that Greg Bear covered in Darwin’s Radio. In the 80’s, some kids started being born with exceptional mental capabilities. These “abnormals” are seen as a threat by some in the 99%. The government gets involved and starts treating these citizens very much like we treat Muslim Americans today. The government and the media are in cahoots to suppress the truth and position the abnormals as dangerous. Then it gets really interesting. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but not counting some advanced tech that we don’t quite have yet, nothing in this book seems that far-fetched. And that is sort of scary once you understand the depth of the conspiracy in this book. It’s the first of a trilogy. I’m looking forward to the others.
Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
So why did a young college graduate from an upper middle-class family give everything he owns away and spend several years living the like of a hobo, before finally dying in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? Krakauer can’t give us that answer, really nobody can. But he does bring Christopher McCandless to life as he tracks his journey to Alaska and tries to shed some light on what he was thinking. A fascinating and engrossing read.
The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling
Meh. This book got a lot of press due to JK Rowling releasing it under a pseudonym. She spends so much time describing every little scene in detail that the plot suffers at times. I would read chapters at a time and feel like nothing happened. I did finish it, and the ending had a nice twist.
The Human Division by John Scalzi
Set in the Old Man’s War Universe, The Human Division revolves around a bunch of new characters embroiled in a classic spy type thriller with somebody from the inside leaking information, formidable new challenges for the Colonial Union, and plenty of Scalzi’s trademark wit and snark. This is a fun addition to the OMW universe, and the ending definitely set up another book.
The Complete Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant
This is generally considered one of the best military autobiographies ever written. It’s a well deserved reputation. As a first person history of the Spanish American and Civil Wars, it is invaluable. Grant is an entertaining writer and writes in prose that is clear and easy to understand. I think it’s fair to say that without Grant in charge the Civil War may have turned out differently. Grant probably would not agree as it’s clear from the book that he thought the Confederate cause was doomed from the start. Also interesting was the revelation that he thought he missed a chance to capture Lee’s Army at The Wilderness. He barely acknowledges his time as President, probably because he is generally considered in the bottom quartile of US Presidents.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
In 2003 software developer David Miller quit his job and started walking north from Springer Mountain, VA. He didn’t quit until he made it to the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve walked maybe 100 miles of the AT on various day hikes. I greatly enjoyed this book. It’s inspirational, even though he does a good job of capturing the drudgery of walking all day in the rain on the AT. You get a real sense of the community that develops among thru-hikers on the AT. It’s recommended for anybody that has ever daydreamed about doing what David did.
