Insurgent by Veronica Roth (4 Stars)
Tris finds herself in a fight again, this time a completely different kind of fight. Instead of fighting to get into a faction, she is fighting to find out the truth, and free society from the lies that have kept them enslaved. Tris is willing to give up everything to stop Jeanine from keeping the truth from them; Tobias, family, factions, friends, and her own life. Her sacrifices could mean freedom, or a future unknown.
The plot just gets thicker in this installment to the Divergent series. Veronica knows how to make you twist and turn with every page. She keeps you on the edge of your seat. Her characters have depth, and change as the story line demands it. I do agree with her assessment that Tris should have shown much more grief over the loss of her parents, even the betrayal of her brother. That being said, everyone grieves in different ways, so it is hard to bottle up reactions and say everyone should react in this way. I love the ending as it brings things together and sets up for a dramatic next novel.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Sunday, October 1, 2017
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (3 Stars)
Hazel has been battling cancer for quite sometime. Unable to breathe on her own, she relies on a breathing apparatus to help her do what most take for granted. She is in a routine that works for her family, until she meets Augustus Waters. He has been cancer-free for a while, at the cost of his leg. He provides her with happiness, something she did not even realize she was missing. Wrapped in an author who may not be what he seems, they find comfort in his novel. Life seems to be looking up again, until it all fall apart.
This is the second John Green book my wife and I have read together (Paper Towns being the other), both books seem to have the same basic issue; John Green likes to use big words. His use of big words distracts from the plot, his characters use these words in sentences where people would not use them, and he makes it seem commonplace. In the end this just comes across as ostentatious and pretentious. Rant over.
His characters are well rounded and have depth rarely seen in novels these days. The situations they are in are heartwarming at times, and heart wrenching at other times. Loved the overall plot and how things flowed. I do wonder what his obsession with his characters egging cars is? Although in this novel it was rather amusing. I must say with both this book and Paper Towns, I enjoyed the movies more than the books, a rarity for me.
Would I pick up another one of his books? Probably not, although I know many out there who would disagree with that!
Hazel has been battling cancer for quite sometime. Unable to breathe on her own, she relies on a breathing apparatus to help her do what most take for granted. She is in a routine that works for her family, until she meets Augustus Waters. He has been cancer-free for a while, at the cost of his leg. He provides her with happiness, something she did not even realize she was missing. Wrapped in an author who may not be what he seems, they find comfort in his novel. Life seems to be looking up again, until it all fall apart.
This is the second John Green book my wife and I have read together (Paper Towns being the other), both books seem to have the same basic issue; John Green likes to use big words. His use of big words distracts from the plot, his characters use these words in sentences where people would not use them, and he makes it seem commonplace. In the end this just comes across as ostentatious and pretentious. Rant over.
His characters are well rounded and have depth rarely seen in novels these days. The situations they are in are heartwarming at times, and heart wrenching at other times. Loved the overall plot and how things flowed. I do wonder what his obsession with his characters egging cars is? Although in this novel it was rather amusing. I must say with both this book and Paper Towns, I enjoyed the movies more than the books, a rarity for me.
Would I pick up another one of his books? Probably not, although I know many out there who would disagree with that!
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent by Veronica Roth 4/5 Stars
Beatrice has been in her faction her entire life. She is now 16 and must decide if she stays or changes factions, leaving her family behind. She soon discovers she is different, a dangerous truth that she does not understand. Making the decision she moves to Dauntless. A decision that will affect every aspect of her life.
The book was not quick moving until the very end, but it was captivating in its own way. I did enjoy the movie more, but the book does fill in more character-wise. They all seem to be well developed characters and have intricate backgrounds. The plot does move along at a good pace and keeps your attention. The plot is fairly deep and that shows in the conclusion. Set up nicely for the next novel in the series. Overall a great read, that I would recommend to young adults especially, but anyone who likes thrillers or futuristic novels.
Beatrice has been in her faction her entire life. She is now 16 and must decide if she stays or changes factions, leaving her family behind. She soon discovers she is different, a dangerous truth that she does not understand. Making the decision she moves to Dauntless. A decision that will affect every aspect of her life.
The book was not quick moving until the very end, but it was captivating in its own way. I did enjoy the movie more, but the book does fill in more character-wise. They all seem to be well developed characters and have intricate backgrounds. The plot does move along at a good pace and keeps your attention. The plot is fairly deep and that shows in the conclusion. Set up nicely for the next novel in the series. Overall a great read, that I would recommend to young adults especially, but anyone who likes thrillers or futuristic novels.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Eagles of the Empire: Invictus by Simon Scarrow
Invictus BY: Simon
Scarrow
3.5 Stars
I haven’t done a review in quite a long time, so please bear
with me as I try to get back into the groove.
Cato returns home to Rome and does not get the reception he
was counting on. His wife has died and now he must get to know a son he has
never met. As his world crumbles around him, he gets the call to go back into
the line of duty. Trying to prevent Hispania from leaving the Roman Empire.
They are up against a cunning rebel leader who will stop at nothing to stir up
rebellion in the colony.
This was off to a slower start than I am used to with Simon
Scarrow novels. I did enjoy seeing the personal side of both Cato and Macro as
it really assisted in their character developments. It did take quite a while
to get into the book and I would not recommend starting with this particular novel
in the Eagles of the Empire series. Once they do reach Hispania things pick up
pretty quickly, but by this time you are a third of the way through the book.
When the fight begins it is up to Scarrow’s usual standards, he has a great way
of keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the battle. Scarrow’s
research on these lands and the time/event he is telling of is always impeccable
and shines through. The conclusion of course leaves room for another
instalment. Overall a good read, just wish he had found a way to make the first
third more attention grabbing.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Darkness
Lately things have been a real battle for me. I have been diagnosed with depression, PTSD, and OCD. None of which really surprised me. I have been struggling with this for a really long time, and am finally getting the help I need. Discussing it with someone else, and seeking help was the single most difficult thing I have ever chosen to do. Wrote the following poem.
Darkness
Pain, sheer agonizing pain, invisible to the naked eye, yet more
devastating than the obvious
Sharp shoots from nerve endings as pricks try to distract
and relieve what is trapped within
Wish that physical hurts were enough, but are dim in comparison
to decades of trauma
Darkness, sadness, despair, all destructive and yet I
embrace them with knowing arms
Light, happiness, hope, all long gone, flittering moments in
time, cherished yet forgotten
Locked away within my head, a voice which commands, nay
demands to be triumphant
Control must be kept, giving in only in brief moments of
weakness, shame swift to follow
Shadows of darkness creeping around the fading edges,
nipping at the very heels of sanity
Battle lines drawn, wavering, slowly falling, entrapped by
inevitable losses, destroyed
Fear, desperate freezing fear, the unknown future, not
trusting the brain to do what’s right
Pain whispers from within, calling out, screaming to be
unleashed, set free, chains rattled
Tears, wish they would flow, yet not to be found, long since
drained, emptied, dried up
Fingers clawing, grasping for a hold, something to keep
afloat, drowning in snaring gloom
Eclipsed, falling into the abyss, lost in the blackness,
claustrophobic as the walls close in
Blindness, unable to see a clear path, confused by the thick
fogginess covering the road
If anyone else is experiencing depression and wants someone to talk with, please feel free to comment on this with contact info.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Proposed Draft Changes and The Oilers
Whenever you hear anything about the NHL draft, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Edmonton Oilers of course! Why is this? Because season after season, draft after draft, the Edmonton Oilers take either first overall or a Top 5 pick. Does it ever seem to help them in any way? No. Year after year they still wind up on the bottom. This will be discussed in more detail later on.
When one team consistently gets Top Pick or Top 5 Picks, it leaves the other teams without. This hardly seems like the right way to operate a draft, not by any intentional fault of the NHL, or any league, but it does leave one to wonder if there is a better way to setup a draft? In any conversation where draft comes up, there is a lot of talk about reformation. The most commonly proposed reforms would be in the amount of Top 5 Picks one team should be allowed to receive within a 5 or 10 year span. Limiting these picks would spread out the wealth and prevent one team from consistently receiving and ruining prospects. Which leads to the proposed draft changes, and this can be applied to any league or level of hockey.
Proposition: No single team should be allowed to receive more than 2 First Overall Draft Picks within a 5 year span, and a maximum of 3 in a ten year span. Never in back-to-back years. Secondly, no single team should receive more than 3 top 5 picks within a 5 year span with a maximum of 5 in a ten year period.
These changes would allow for teams to still be in the bottom consistently, get their picks, but prevent teams from abusing the system. It also prevents teams who have a tendency to destroy prospects from hindering growth of players within the NHL or any league. In theory, a team who gets Top 5 Picks should be able to turn their team around within a 3 year period. For example we could look at Pittsburg and Crosby, Washington and Ovechkin, Chicago and Toews, Florida and Ekblad, Los Angeles and Doughty. These teams have all managed to turn into Cup winners or Cup contenders just by drafting high. They did not wallow in the bottom. Which is exactly what the draft order was supposed to do for these teams, give them a shot at winning through rebuilding.
Which brings me to the topic of the Edmonton Oilers. Once again, we see them in the bottom. They have moments of brightness, followed by moments of sheer disaster. Granted they have McDavid injured, but with all the Top Picks on that team they should be able to fill the gap. Are they capable of recouping their season? Yes, but sadly they are incapable of doing so without McDavid. So what is the issue? The issue is the culture of losing they have developed. Once this culture has been developed, it becomes a part of them, difficult to overcome. They stop believing they can score, connect the pass, make the save, prevent a player from getting position. Once it gets in their head, its stuck. Success can't be had by those who believe it can't be had. It takes a good coach, with a lot of player shuffling to drive this culture from a team, and transform them into a winning contender.
Edmonton needs to stop relying on the thought of what the next Top Pick will get them, and focus on what they can do with the picks they already have in their system. Who can they shuffle around to develop and bring in a winning culture. Which players they need to design another rebuild around. Draisaitl, Hall, and Nurse would be great choices for this. Which veterans can they trade a younger prospect for to bring in leadership. Trade Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakapov, suck up your losses and move on. Young people need leadership, not just from their coach, or GM, but from the ice level as well. This is something Edmonton has been sorely lacking, a good leader. The main problem with having so much star power on one team is that they all want, and rightly so, the limelight. As a result they don't mesh, and don't play well together.
They also need to quit taking a player just because he is ranked high. Think of the team's needs. If you need a defenseman, pick one in the draft, don't take the forward because he is ranked one higher. If you need a goalie, draft one, or give something decent up for a decent acquisition. Quit throwing goalies under the bus and blaming losses on them. Get the team to play in front of them, without offensive and defensive support, a goalie will find it very difficult to save a game.
When one team consistently gets Top Pick or Top 5 Picks, it leaves the other teams without. This hardly seems like the right way to operate a draft, not by any intentional fault of the NHL, or any league, but it does leave one to wonder if there is a better way to setup a draft? In any conversation where draft comes up, there is a lot of talk about reformation. The most commonly proposed reforms would be in the amount of Top 5 Picks one team should be allowed to receive within a 5 or 10 year span. Limiting these picks would spread out the wealth and prevent one team from consistently receiving and ruining prospects. Which leads to the proposed draft changes, and this can be applied to any league or level of hockey.
Proposition: No single team should be allowed to receive more than 2 First Overall Draft Picks within a 5 year span, and a maximum of 3 in a ten year span. Never in back-to-back years. Secondly, no single team should receive more than 3 top 5 picks within a 5 year span with a maximum of 5 in a ten year period.
These changes would allow for teams to still be in the bottom consistently, get their picks, but prevent teams from abusing the system. It also prevents teams who have a tendency to destroy prospects from hindering growth of players within the NHL or any league. In theory, a team who gets Top 5 Picks should be able to turn their team around within a 3 year period. For example we could look at Pittsburg and Crosby, Washington and Ovechkin, Chicago and Toews, Florida and Ekblad, Los Angeles and Doughty. These teams have all managed to turn into Cup winners or Cup contenders just by drafting high. They did not wallow in the bottom. Which is exactly what the draft order was supposed to do for these teams, give them a shot at winning through rebuilding.
Which brings me to the topic of the Edmonton Oilers. Once again, we see them in the bottom. They have moments of brightness, followed by moments of sheer disaster. Granted they have McDavid injured, but with all the Top Picks on that team they should be able to fill the gap. Are they capable of recouping their season? Yes, but sadly they are incapable of doing so without McDavid. So what is the issue? The issue is the culture of losing they have developed. Once this culture has been developed, it becomes a part of them, difficult to overcome. They stop believing they can score, connect the pass, make the save, prevent a player from getting position. Once it gets in their head, its stuck. Success can't be had by those who believe it can't be had. It takes a good coach, with a lot of player shuffling to drive this culture from a team, and transform them into a winning contender.
Edmonton needs to stop relying on the thought of what the next Top Pick will get them, and focus on what they can do with the picks they already have in their system. Who can they shuffle around to develop and bring in a winning culture. Which players they need to design another rebuild around. Draisaitl, Hall, and Nurse would be great choices for this. Which veterans can they trade a younger prospect for to bring in leadership. Trade Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakapov, suck up your losses and move on. Young people need leadership, not just from their coach, or GM, but from the ice level as well. This is something Edmonton has been sorely lacking, a good leader. The main problem with having so much star power on one team is that they all want, and rightly so, the limelight. As a result they don't mesh, and don't play well together.
They also need to quit taking a player just because he is ranked high. Think of the team's needs. If you need a defenseman, pick one in the draft, don't take the forward because he is ranked one higher. If you need a goalie, draft one, or give something decent up for a decent acquisition. Quit throwing goalies under the bus and blaming losses on them. Get the team to play in front of them, without offensive and defensive support, a goalie will find it very difficult to save a game.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Life As I know It
Maybe I am just feeling sorry for myself, but my life and hospitals just seem to be permanently entwined. Lets see...Panic Attack... hospital, Heart procedure 1... hospital, heart procedure 2... hospital, extreme rib pain as a result of heart procedures...hospital (and no this chronic pain has never left my side, pun intended, since that day), seizure...hospital. And that brings me to today, return of symptoms that led up to my last seizure (minus the seizure thank the Good Lord)...hospital. And by hospital I mean overnight stays, I wouldn't count all the day trips.
Now that this has been discovered to be a chronic condition, they are taking this much more proactively than the last time. Without getting too graphic I will outline how it went last time, which was 2 years ago. Started out with a whole lot of internal bleeding, pain in my abdomen, bouts of diarrhea and constipation, and migraines. I also had lower back pain with varying levels of severity, I couldn't stand or walk at times from the pain. This led into not being able to keep any food down at all, whether liquids or solid. Meals became torture. Eating a quarter of my normal amounts of food, just to solve a hunger my body told me was there, only to have my body reject the food it demanded. The answer was to eat extremely slow, which leads to cold and disgusting food, and bland unseasoned food (which for someone who loves to season his food and have flavourful food, this really is torture). Even then it was a battle to keep my food down. which ultimately led to dehydration and drop in potassium levels. I ended up having my first seizure and after many tests they came up scratching their heads and leaving me with no answers, which was frustrating considering it took me off work for 3 months. Co-operators, curse their souls, would not give me a penny due to it being a "mysterious illness", they required a "diagnosis" in order to give any money. So I went back to work before ready just to get the funds flowing again. eventually just cleared up on its own, and life went on with no answers. Left me 15 pounds lighter, which took me a long time to regain.
A few weeks back it began to flare up once again. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, migraines(but they never did stop), slight internal bleeding, and lower back pain. After seeing the doctor, she sent me to see a "specialist". He wanted to wait a few weeks before doing any tests, and didn't really listen when I was in to see him. Then the vomiting and nausea began again. Back to tiny bland meals. Have gone from 145 pounds down to 140 pounds again. I told my family doctor this today and she told me I was going into the hospital, as answers come faster while in there, and she does not want another seizure. Understood, but during the most busy selling season at work, this comes as really tough.
While here though, the nurses have been really nice, but keep trying to diagnose what I have, which is just confusing things. I wish they would leave that for the doctors who are trained in such matters. They have put me on a fluids only diet, which sucks as I am starving! But alas I wait to hear from them in regards to what is going on. My Family Doctor has 3 suspects, Chrone's is her number 1, colitis, and very minimal chance of colon cancer. Hopefully God will provide them with speedy answers and results so that I can get back to being at home with my family. As well as return to work so I can do what I enjoy, selling.
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