Summer Reading List (Update #1)

I set up a reading summer list.  Since we’re now officially into summer, I figured it was time to check back in and talk about how it’s going.

The Adventures of Sneax & Elaina Emboo (Part 16)

Our Story So Far:
Sneax and Elaina went to collect on a debt for Draks, but found more than they bargained for.  Luckily for them, they met Nathaniel, a half-fire elf mercenary, and his companion Maleeka, a giantess of unknown origin.  But it turns out that Nathaniel works for Draks as well, and that he's in Wanderhaven to take Sneax to Ellesburg, a tiny timber town lost in the hinterlands of the Kingdom's northern frontier.  Sneax soon finds herself on a ship with her new companions, her friend Elaina far behind.

But that's only the beginnings of Sneax's problems.  Soon she and Nathaniel realize that the so-called "deal" Draks worked out is really more of a rescue mission.  They and their companions soon find themselves heading north, into the wilderness in search of the goblin bands who've been raiding the local logging settlements, cutting off the flow of valuable timber to the heart of the Kingdom far away.  

To say the least, their first battle doesn't go to plan...

Happy Father's Day!

May the Force be with all the fathers out there...always. pic.twitter.com/OmO7hBpQjJ

— The Id DM (@TheIdDM) June 19, 2016

5 Things on a Friday: Mad Science is Back!

Crazy week.  The world recoiled in horror, and then the Internet tore itself apart.  I lost my patience pretty quickly, and honestly, if it weren’t for my responsibilities as Information Systems Officer for my class from West Point, I probably would have deactivated my Facebook account.  I can handle the lunatic ramblings of the Twitteratti because for the most part I don’t know those people.  Who cares what a bunch of sports writers and comic book artists and writers think about the news of the day?  No one, really, and that’s fine.  However, I do know the folks on Facebook, and as a result their “arguments” get to me.  Because no one ever learns anything, and also because…  

Who wants to watch their friends argue?

I certainly don’t.

Now, you may say that keeping a column like this is exactly like posting an argument on Facebook, and maybe it is.  The difference, at least in my mind, is that this site is mine, that folks who come here have done so voluntarily to hear what I think.  I’m not twisting anybody’s arm, and--truly--my feelings aren’t hurt if you like me but not my writing.  In the same way that we can be friends but don’t have to work out together in the weight room, we can also be friends, and you can ignore my blog.  It’s okay.  I get that it can be political.  For what it’s worth, I’ve been trying to do less politics of late, but readership has gone down as a result.  So I’m going to need to find a balance in there somewhere--hopefully without coming off too hypocritical.

The Bridgeport Bluefish & the Ballpark at Harbor Yards

The Bridgeport Bluefish are a professional baseball team in the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.  Though not affiliated with Major League Baseball, Atlantic League play is generally described as being about on par the AA’s of the Minor Leagues, and indeed, many Atlantic League players have Major League experience.  The Bluefish play home games at the Ballpark at Harbor Yards, a small stadium in downtown Bridgeport adjacent to both the Bridgeport train station and the Arena at Harbor Yards.

The Adventures of Sneax & Elaina Emboo (Part 15)

Our Story So Far:
Sneax and Elaina went to collect on a debt for Draks, but found more than they bargained for.  Luckily for them, they met Nathaniel, a half-fire elf mercenary, and his companion Maleeka, a giantess of unknown origin.  But it turns out that Nathaniel works for Draks as well, and that he's here to take Sneax to Ellesburg, a tiny timber town lost in the hinterlands of the Kingdom's northern frontier.  Sneax soon finds herself on a ship with her new companions, her friend Elaina far behind.

But, of course, that's only the beginnings of Sneax's problems.  Soon she and Nathaniel realize that the deal Draks worked out is really more of a rescue mission.  They and their companions Zelda and Maleeka soon find themselves heading into the wilderness in search of the goblin bands who've been raiding the local logging settlements, cutting off the flow of valuable timber to the heart of the Kingdom far away...

TV Review--Voltron: Legendary Defender

Dreamworks' reboot of the 1984 cartoon series Voltron: Defender of the Universe came out on Friday, June 10th, on Netflix.  This was an event that had been marked on the calendar at our house.  We've been looking forward to it for quite some time.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe

6 Things on a Sunday: On Reaching “Peak Sequel”

I had a draft of this post ready for Friday, but I hated it.  After taking out several of the political articles and adding some other, hopefully lighter fare, I like it better.  

But I still wouldn’t say that I like it.

It seems like all the news is depressing, and sharing depressing news doesn’t do much for me.  However, it’s also true that the stuff that I like is rarely what speaks to others, so who knows?  Maybe you guys will think this is a masterpiece.  That's life sometimes.

Summer Reading List: West Point and its Graduates

The Summer Reading List project was by no means meant as a military history exercise.  My goal was to put together a list of novels and histories that would not only teach me something but also expand my literary horizons.  It was fun because some of my friends got really into it.  By the time I was done, I had what I felt was a very good list.

I’m expanding the project because of a conversation I had last week on Twitter.

There should be a class on Old Grads in war. And what they did/who the fought/who they rolled over, etc.

— Drunk Old Grad (@DrunkOldGrad) June 6, 2016

We want to talk battle at the operational and strategic level, but never get down to study the individual West Point graduate and actions.

— Drunk Old Grad (@DrunkOldGrad) June 6, 2016

There may be a definitive list of books about West Point graduates (“Old Grads”) and their actions in service to the nation, but if there is, I’m unaware of it.  Regardless, I’m a sucker for a good history (historiography) project, so...  

The Adventures of Sneax & Elaina Emboo (Part 14)

Our Story So Far:
Sneax and Elaina went to collect on a debt for Draks, but found more than they bargained for.  Luckily for them, they met Nathaniel, a half-fire elf mercenary, and his companion Maleeka, a giantess of unknown origin.  But it turns out that Nathaniel works for Draks as well, and that he's here to take Sneax to Ellesburg, a tiny timber town lost in the hinterlands of the Kingdom's northern frontier.  Sneax soon finds herself on a ship with her new companions, her friend Elaina far behind.

But, of course, that's only the beginnings of Sneax's problems...

It's Monday. That rarely ends well.

Happy Monday, everyone!  Get fired up!

Eh.  I give up.  Today's news is a litany of failure and despair.

5 Things on a Friday: Trouble on Rogue One

Happy Friday, everyone!

It was a short week at our house, and yet it still felt incredibly full.  How the Hell does that happen?

Summer Reading List

I asked for summer reading list recommendations last week and was overwhelmed by the response from my friends on Facebook.  I read a lot of epic fantasy—sometimes mindless, sometimes intellectual—a fair bit of science fiction, and an occasional mystery or historical text.  My goal for this list, then, was first to find books worth reading and to then expand my personal reading horizons.  

What I’ve learned is that a lot of my friends have interests that’re broadly similar to mine.  However, a few made decided efforts to push me outside my comfort zone.  Most of the recommendations are listed below, in something like the order I’m hoping to try to get to them.  Some of that will depend on when I find these books at my local library.