A top Navy supply officer has been fired for an episode involving
public drunkenness and nudity at a conference with defense contractors earlier this year, according to published reports.
Source: Navy admiral reportedly fired for public drunkenness, nudity at conference | Fox News
I sure hope he had a good time, because the hangover and his ruined career had to hurt.
“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.”
—Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita
“Shadow had done three years in prison. He was big enough, and looked don’t-fuck-with-me enough that his biggest problem was killing time. So he kept himself in shape, and taught himself coin tricks, and thought a lot about how much he loved his wife.”
—Neil Gaiman, American Gods
I am very honored to have been awarded medalist honors for psychological suspense in the New Apple e-book awards. Congratulations to all the winners: http://newappleliterary.com/2015ebookwinners.html.
Here’s my review of the mid-season finale in 189 words or less. There may be a spoiler, but it’s not likely to matter.
The Good: Best line ever spoken from a mother to her young son: “Pretend you are somebody that’s not scared.”
The Bad: Where did the ants come from? I understand the metaphor. The zombie herd is about to devour Alexandria. I get it. But a trail of ants making it to the second floor bedroom to devour a half-eaten cookie is beyond heavy-handed.
The Ugly #1: I am tired of Morgan. I really wanted to see the wolf hostage eliminated. However, I am really disappointed with Carol’s timing. All that said, I refuse to believe that Carol could be suddenly struck incompetent and fail so miserably. The result is just another instance where the writers chose plot over character.
The Ugly #2: Sam, listen to your mother and stop calling for her as you weave through the zombie herd. She is holding your hand. Perhaps she should have been more direct and told you to pretend you were someone who shouldn’t be fed to the zombies.
I occasionally change the order based on my mood, but it’s been awhile since anything as broken into the top 10.
I generally juggle two or three titles from my reading list at any given time. That was not possible with Chemicals; this novel demanded my full attention. This novel reminded me how much I hate that stories must have endings. Especially great stories. Especially stories filled with rich and vivid characters such as those created by Erica Crockett. I missed them immediately, even the evil ones. I wanted to keep reading.
Chemicals is certainly a deftly articulated social commentary that is hauntingly prophetic. But I was impressed with the writing itself. I am a fan of writing as a craft. I am sometimes insanely jealous of great writing. The latter applied for Chemicals. I was captivated by the narrative. It’s one thing to create some complex characters and tell a great story. It’s far more difficult to do that using a third person, attached narrator in the present tense. Erica overcame the restrictions of that single point of view by delivering evocative dialogue, careful plotting, and a strategic use of time to develop the characters and move the story. The immediacy was powerful and effective. A writerly triumph indeed. Chemicals was also filled with sentences I wish I had written. To list a few…
But above all, I enjoyed the subtle moments this story provided. A simple note from Louis to Aberdeen was my personal favorite. This moment was earned in pieces—a careful crescendo—and provided an emotional punch to punctuate the bond between the two. Similarly, the novel was full of tiny, exquisite mysteries that held my attention long after the words were read. Even now, I catch myself pondering about Sani and formulating theories on how Hurt knew Walter’s name.
Bottom line: Chemicals is a great story. Erica Crockett is a gifted writer. Highly recommended.
Follow Erica on twitter (@EricaCrockett) and visit her website (ericacrockett.com)
I was not certain what to expect from either a “religious mystery” or a “religious thriller.” I was intrigued and lulled as the story unfolded, slowly drawing me into the complex intersection of memory and perception. It was story about lost innocence, partially repressed memories, memories that should have been repressed, and, ultimately, how those memories distort over time, sometimes becoming clearer, sometimes murkier. A line that resonated with me for quite a while: “History wants to teach me something, serendipitously begging me to learn.” Jael had much to learn, and yes, of course there was a mystery to solve and some thrills along the way.
Julie Ann Hacker penned a subtle and effective plot to propel the story. She made deft use of a journal to provide detail and depth both to the story and to her main character, Jael. I have seen similar devices overused or misused in the past, but not so here. Hacker also delivered some haunting imagery that made me stop dead, re-read, highlight, and read again. A bible as a step stool, a pleasantly repeated image of brown paper bags, and some downright creepy family photos, just to name a few.
A few of my favorite lines:
Bottom line: The Dead Dance Faster is well written, evocative, and highly recommended.
Follow Julie Ann Hacker on twitter (@JulieAnnHacker) and visit her website (julieannhacker.com)
Like to size up the cranium that once held the brain behind Macbeth, Hamlet, and roughly 1,500 words we still use today?
Source: Truth of ‘Shakespeare’s skull’ to remain a mystery | Fox News
I can’t really
say that I blame them for denying the DNA test. The skull has no inherent power other than to those who believe it is his. Either you believe it or you don’t. When it comes to Shakespeare legend, I personally prefer the famed Juliet statue in Verona. It’s a shame that it is apparently gone now too. There is something comforting about rubbing the breast of Juliet for luck.
What shall we do with a drunken sailor? Don’t give him control of a huge cargo ship, for starters.
Source: Drunk Russian sailor crashes 7,000-ton ship – CNN.com
Why does everyone have to pick on drunken sailors all the time? Where’s the Drunken Sailor Anti-Defamation League when you need them? A completely politically-correct title could have been “Russian ship not engineered to adequately sustain poor human performance.”
