To Progressives, both academic and amused,

To Progressives, both academic and amused,
I understand that we both wish to lay claims to certain famous historical figures, presenting them as supporters of our causes. Because our aims are mutually exclusive, I have formatted a proposal that would end the fighting and benefit both of us.
In the three areas we debate the most—art, history, and literature—we shall each choose the figures we prefer and then allow our opponents free use of their choices, as we may freely use ours. For example, in the arts, I offer you Dali, Matisse, Warhol, Pollok, and their contemporaries. We shall keep Michelangelo, Monet, and Jacque Louis David. The rest shall be divided in a similar manner.
As we turn to the history books, I offer you Genghis Khan, Confucius, John Smith, Harding, Roosevelt, and Karl Marx—we request George Washington, Queen Elizabeth I, Phyllis Whitley, George Washington Carver, Ronald Reagan, David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael…and while I’m thinking of it, you may have the Kennedys too. All of them.
Finally, authors. You can have John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kate Chopin, William Charles William, Stephanie Meyers, and Tennessee Williams. We claim Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, Shakespeare, and Ted Dekker.
Do whatever you wish with your share of the past, but keep your sexual interpretations away from our side. I have my sword drawn and my pen in hand, and I shall defend their honor against all comers, be they fanfic writers or feminist, homosexual activists or humanists. I shall maintain the purity of friendship and the value of absolutes with every breath I take.
Sincerely,
A young conservative citizen.

Story Engineering

I have precisely two books about writing fiction: Bird by Bird and No Plot? No Problem?, so I picked up Story Engineering by Larry Brooks with excitement--until I read the prologue online.
Anyone who's been writing for a while will have glimpsed the two extremes on the planning spectrum--meticulous outliners and seat-of-the-pants-writers (pantsers). Brooks comes down firmly on the side of outliners. When he does acknowledge pantsers, it comes across as throwing a teething ring at a toddler to shut him up while the 'adults' get serious. He also doesn't allow for multiple protagonists, unhappy endings, or non-protagonist main characters. Furthermore, I found his use of Top Gun and Da Vinci Code examples extremely exasperating.
I give this book no stars because I disagree with it (and therefore am reluctant to finish it), but it was well-written and easy to follow.
I received this book for free as part of Thomas Nelson’s Blogging for Books program, but was not required to write a positive review.

From a new fan

From a new fan to long-time devotees,
In one sense, the distinction is arbitrary; after all, we love the same things. The wonderful sound of the TARDIS materializing, the constant calamities, the wonders of time and space…the eccentric, confounding enigma of the Doctor.
But there is also a gap—between those whose Doctor is Tom Baker and those whose Doctor is David Tennant, those who sport celery and those who promote bow-ties, those who exalt Sarah Jane and those who praise Rose. It is, in one sense, a generation gap, with fifty to thirty-year-olds on one side and college students, teens, and kids on another. The groups may overlap, but the classic and the new are not automatically melded.
I belong to the latter group, and will confess that some of us are vehement defenders of the new series. to the abrupt dismissal of the classic canon. But there are those of us are willing—even eager—to explore the classic series: to laugh at the Sixth Doctor’s final words; to cry at Susan’s departure; to nibble a Jelly Baby and trip over a thirty-one-foot scarf.
So guide us into the older halls; tell us the older sagas as best you recall. Be patient with us when we mistake Ian or Harry for the Doctor because he’s closer to the age we’re accustomed to seeing, when we laugh at the bubble-wrap Wyrm of “The Ark in Space,” when we wonder why the sonic screwdriver isn’t as frequently used.
It will be a mutually beneficial relationship, after all: you can gasp at the kissing scenes while we mock the screaming of the old assistants.*
Sincerely,
An appreciative newcomer




*Maybe the screaming is why he never kissed any of them. Would you want to kiss someone who nearly burst your eardrums on a regular basis?

The Impossible Astronaut

I will be irregularly posting responses to series six of Doctor Who. I will be assuming that readers have already seen it--so no spoiler tags or plot summeries

I'd seen a lot of promotional materials about how this was supposed to feel like a finale--the "what-else-can-possibly-go-wrong" feeling.
It delivered.
The first ten moments are a rollicking adventure, full of shoutouts ranging from 18th century France to Hogan's Heroes, Laurel and Hardy, school buses, John Wayne, and 1950s American diners. But less than ten minutes it, someone dies.
I knew from teasers that either Rory, Amy, River, or the Doctor died in the opener--and after a check of the TV Tropes Sorting Algorithm of Mortality., I guessed Amy was the one. But I was so wrong.
As he walked up to the lake, I was mentally screaming--no, no, not him--but it didn't work. Karen Gilrean was absolutely amazing--and her scenes on the Confidential really were heartbreaking. The funeral scene was even worse--Murray Gold's brief song was gut-wrenching painful, and really added to the tragedy.
Of course, in classic Moffat fashion, we are wrenched the other direction moments later as River, Amy, and Rory walk into a diner and met...the Doctor (Rassilion, that sounds like a bad joke. No wonder River slaps him.)
From there, it's a madcap adventure, ranging from Nixon's Oval Office to the Space Center, and raising even more questions about River Song, Amy, and...oh, the Silents?
Did you forget the Silence?


What was I just saying?

To Be Pefectly Honest

Veteran author and speaker Phil Callaway is no stranger to daunting challenges. He has been laughed at—repeatedly—by large crowds of people from Halifax to Hong Kong. He fathered three children in three years, spent much of last year on airplanes built by the lowest bidder, and flipped an out-of-control ATV, which doesn’t mean he sold it for a profit. So who better than Phil Callaway to boldly accept a challenge that would make the average person run and hide?

Phil promised to tell the truth for an entire year, and he wasn’t joking. Twelve months later, his journal was crammed with successes, near-successes, and outright failures. During his year-long experiment with veracity, he made a disastrous financial investment, fielded hundreds of intrusive questions from friends and strangers, attended a thirty-year class reunion, and waded into possibly the most revealing—and hilarious—situations he has ever documented.

Find out what happens when a follower of Jesus does his level best to always tell the truth. There is no doubt you’ll be entertained. But don’t be surprised if you are left with a question: how might your life be changed if you sold out to the truth—with no exceptions? The premise of this book drew my attention right away--the author agreed to go without telling a lie for a whole year. I found a quick, amusing read--not a theological book for any means, but a good conversation starter for people of any belief system.

My Sarah Jane

picture by Andy's Art on Facebook

Some people will always remember where they were when they heard Michael Jackson died. I was in the library today, not doing anything in particular when the Facebook page “Doctor Who and the Tardis” posted the news that Elizabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith in “Doctor Who,” died of cancer.
She wasn’t the first companion I saw—that honor goes to Amelia Pond. But from the day I saw her in “School Reunion,” I realized that there was more to the Doctor than I’d seen in the revived series. He had a history, a past, and she had been part of it. She was my bridge into the Classic Series—I started watching John Pertwee and Tom Baker just to see her. Now the Fourth Doctor is one of my favorites.
Her role in the new series was amazing too. Besides “School Reunion,” her other appearances in The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End and The End of Time were amazing. Even the brief TV clip about her saving the hospital in Turn Left was a tearjerker, because it was so real.
Even though her spin-off “The Sarah Jane Adventures” was intended for children, I found it just as inspiring as the parent series. Several of the episodes, especially “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith” could have gone toe to toe with NuWho favorites and ties. Her character was a great, identifiable woman. Not all of us will travel with the Doctor, but we can all look for adventure in our own lives.
I saw amazing things, out there in space--but there is strangeness to be found, wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure too... you just need to know where to look.
Sarah Jane Smith regularly tops polls for the favorite companion, and it’s obvious to fans why. She has a sense of adventure, quick-thinking, and a refusal to give up. For all these things, we will miss her. Our Sarah Jane.

Link to Interesting Post

Observations: Lord of the Time Lords
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 by Kaci Hill
Rambling Introduction
Yes, that’s exactly the reference it appears to be. 0=)

Just for reference, this is a bit of a throw-back to Inherently Religious (Some things are sacred by default, no matter our efforts to ‘secularize’ them) and Speculating Faith (The Speculative genre should be the safest place in the fiction world to ask ‘what if,’ and that includes discourse on what God is not)....

Read the whole post at Lord of the Time Lords

Breath of Angel

When the young priestess Melaia finds a winged stranger in the courtyard, myths and legends come to live before her eyes. It’s hard to classify this novel: is it sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural thriller? It doesn’t fit into a neat little category, and isn’t any worse for that.
Its main fault is the complex web of plots Meleia falls into. It’s difficult to keep track of character’s motives and alliances, and some of Meleia’s history is slightly cliché, but I found Breath of Angel to be an enjoying read. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book through Waterbrook Media’s Blogging for Books program, but was not required to write a positive review.

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas
“Do Hard Things” is the title of the Harris twins’ bestselling book, but it could also be the summery of Abby Sunderland’s story. After her older brother Zack sailed around the world, Abby decided to follow in his wake. Even though her attempt ended when a wave rolled her boat and snapped her mast, it didn’t mean the end of her story.
The book is written in three points of view: Abby’s, a third-person narrator, and that of the crew that came to her rescue. The different sections are marked by icons and easy to distinguish, creating a nice balance between wide-angle views and intimate details. The sections written by Abby are gripping, full of enough details for even a Midwestern landlubber to feel the salty spray of the towering waves.
The book also makes it clear that this was Abby’s idea, not a fame-attempt by her parents. I was thoroughly impressed by her determination and energy. This is one girl you who wouldn’t be satisfied with a trip to the mall—she’s ready and eager for more.
I received a free copy of this book through Thomas Nelson’s booksneeze program, but was not required to write a positive review.
“Do Hard Things” is the title of the Harris twins’ bestselling book, but it could also be the summery of Abby Sunderland’s story. After her older brother Zack sailed around the world, Abby decided to follow in his wake. Even though her attempt ended when a wave rolled her boat and snapped her mast, it didn’t mean the end of her story.
The book is written in three points of view: Abby’s, a third-person narrator, and that of the crew that came to her rescue. The different sections are marked by icons and easy to distinguish, creating a nice balance between wide-angle views and intimate details. The sections written by Abby are gripping, full of enough details for even a Midwestern landlubber to feel the salty spray of the towering waves.
The book also makes it clear that this was Abby’s idea, not a fame-attempt by her parents. I was thoroughly impressed by her determination and energy. This is one girl you who wouldn’t be satisfied with a trip to the mall—she’s ready and eager for more.
I received a free copy of this book through Thomas Nelson’s booksneeze program, but was not required to write a positive review.

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