grigorian.com do you want my money or not?

Perhaps if one is trying to sell someone a product they should make sure that their shopping cart actually works instead of deleting items when you navigate away.  This is not a browser or cookie issue because it fails to work in FF, IE and even on my iphone.  I used their contact form but it's been 72 hours still no reply.  Pathetic.

Goodbye Stargate Universe

It's official. Not that I'm surprised or for that matter particularly care. It was telling how little John Scalzi would talk about it. Considering he does like himself some self promotion.

Nelson's spy by A. J. Scott

Nelson's spy by A. J. Scott a rather curious reprint. This is the biography of Nelson's chaplain written by his children. The modern addition slaps on a controversial title and an introduction which does its best to make mounds out of molehills. Scott by his own admission in letters and diary entries included the text describes translating documents, interrogating witnesses and performing activities with friends of England. He seems to have been much closer to a intelligence officer than anything else.

Recommended only for the Trafalgar obsessive.

The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me by Ben Collins

The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me by Ben Collins let me put it to you like this. There are few books I read that could be longer and I would enjoy them. This could be 5 times longer and I would. Collins gives a lot of dirt on Top Gear. Clarkson is that much of a jerk, Hammond is that crazy and yes May is that boring. Interspersed throughout the show stories are vignettes about his military service, racing career and private life. This is simply a must have for any Top Gear fan.

Highly recommended!

What do you mean I still have a blog?

Ok, ok, ok I know it's been pretty dead around here. I'm not going to make any grandiose predictions about how it'll be in the future but I will try to do a little better. In the spirit of that and because I need more page views Emma Watson's legs.

303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron by Arkady Fiedler

303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron by Arkady Fiedler this is a new translation of a book first published during WWII. It covers the experiences of a squadron of Polish fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain. It tells a few accounts of combat as well as chapters describing the bravery of the other personnel. Apparently the book is taught in schools back in Poland and I can understand why. This new edition contains new photos, appendices and explanatory notes from the translator. Not exactly a book you would want to use in a scholarly paper but a good read.

Recommended.

Note:This book was provided through Librarything's early reviewer Program.

What?

Apparently two 24 year olds and a 28 year old is considered kiddie porn.  We're through the looking glass here people....

Chuck

Looks like they're going to try to increase the ratings through T and A [Yvonne Strahovski's legs in particular not that I'm complaining] and campy humor [the entire store as a CIA hideout, the graphics].  The upcoming Stacy Keibler guest shot will be epic.

Now that's a lawsuit

Harry Popper condoms company sued by Warner Brothers for Harry Potter infringement.

Anyone remember the hysteria about high voltage power lines?

Parents have fit over Wi-Fi in school.

PEARL and OpenBook 9.0?

Has anyone used the new PEARL camera with OpenBook 9.0?  If so how well does it actually work compared with a flatbed scanner.  As far as the number of errors is concerned?  I keep finding the same information about how wonderful it is but nothing remotely independent.  Curiously with all of these camera designs I keep thinking they're missing something.  How exactly do you hold the book open?  Only the most abused hardcovers I have will actually stay open by themselves.

The Inheritance by Simon Tolkien

The Inheritance by Simon Tolkien this is a courtroom drama combined with a search for part of the true Cross. First the good, the writing is excellent . This is occasionally bordering on literature. Unfortunately the characters are all unlikable. By the end of the book I was hoping that they would all be punished somehow. Even the characters I was supposed to feel sorry for I really didn't. There seems to have been a lot of work done as far as making things technically accurate particularly with the trial. The problem is the ending doesn't really work. It's as if the trial, which was the center of most of the narrative was an afterthought in the conclusion.

Not recommended.

Note:This book was provided through Librarything's early reviewer Program.

SFWA does something right

I've been pretty hard on SFWA over the years so I might as well point out when they do something right. Night Shade Books on year probation.

Harlan Ellison runs screaming from the Internet

Over this?  Seriously?

Harry Potter actress attacked by family

Afshan Azad who plays Padma Patil.