If you want to buy via Amazon.com please order The Gathering Dark via the advert on the right side of this blog.

Book review: The Bumper Book of Government Waste 2008 by Matthew Elliot & Lee Rotherham

Marty’s Musical Meltdown: Pawbox, Carnival of Souls, Gang Green, Carlton Walker & more
Some of the latest CDs out there.

Plus I have reviewed What’s wrong with Islam? and the anime-like Vision of Rage.

Music Review: Guns and Roses, Rick Wakeman, The 69 Eyes and Scum

Twenty-Four Hours with an Apple Touch

Lighter and thinner than the iPhone, Apple’s Touch is the newest member of the Apple family of neat products.

And finally an excellent gothic novel called The Wolf’s Lament.

Palawan
C D Williams

A little under 250 pages with a nice tropical scene on the over might lead you to believe that this was a fluffy little novel about romance in the South Seas. And that is just the point of the cover, to lure you into this rip-roaring thriller with Islamic terrorists and ‘Nam vets. Locals as diverse as the lush tropical jungle of the Philipines and Sin City aka Las Vegas add to a nice mixture here.

This is a great thriller that never once drags anywhere. The pace is quick, the novel is well laid out and the editing is better than most mass market paperbacks. The fact that Williams has pulled off a timely terrorist thriller with more pace and less verbiage than the mighty Tom Clancy is to be applauded.

This is a perfect novel for someone flying from the East Coast of the US to Vegas. A perfect travel novel that has enough to get you distracted but not enough to get turgid. I highly recommend this novel and feel almost intimidated that this is Williams’ debut.

The novel would make a perfect movie, as long as Williams could make sure the baddies stay the same. Methinks there is a great script right below the surface. Let me assure you that it does not read like a script made into a novel.

If you are in search of a good novel to while away a few hours before you sleep at night might I suggest Palawan?

I recently read Podhoretz book World War IV and was most impressed by it. While it says little new for many of you my clever readers it might be rather eye opening or some. Sandbox has written an interesting piece on the book that is worth a good read.

The Nazi Hunter is a nice pacey thriller about a man who chases ageing Nazis on behalf of the US government. He works for an arm of the Department of Justice tasked with finding war criminals hiding in the US. The man is called Mark Cain and his notoriety provides him with a case that comes in on two legs.

Along the way he picks up a couple of neo-Nazis who want to kill him for being a Nazi-hunter and a Jew. These neo-Nazis are about as hackneyed and clichd as possible. One of them is ex-army but cant seem to muster any competence in killing the main characters. The journal of one of them that ends each chapter is, however, a good glimpse into the mindset of modern neo-Nazi, whether he be American or from Central Europe.

The sub-plot involving these two dolts trying to set off a truck bomb ala Oklahoma in DC seems stuck in and a bit weak, but its a device that gives a reason for Cains father going with him on a research trip to Europe. Cains girlfriend, the toughest of the three, ends up coming along for the same reason.

Anyway the main raison detre of the book is well done and the hunt to prove a leading tenor is a former SS death camp operative is both fascinating and moving. Cains Jewishness and his work also add an interesting element as he reconciles both with having a personal life.

In total the book is well written and pacey. It’s surprisingly short and the author takes great pains to make sure that it never drags at all. My minor niggles aside, I would recommend this book from the veteran Reuters journo Elsner. I am looking forward to whatever his imagination musters next.

For a debut novel it is to be admired and there is a clear talent behind the words. Oh yes, I should add that any writer will enjoy the amusing dig at literary agents that ends the book. Quite biting in fact, and no doubt accurate about some in the trade.

As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.

Music Reviews: Pink Floyd, Vital Remains, Of Hearts & Shadows, Rick Wakeman, Black Metal and More

Yet, another bumper edition of the column. Have to keep my suppliers happy you know?

He reads too!

Book Review: Moon Age Daydream by Shaun Von Dragen
In a nutshell this is a Faustian cyberpunk noir sci-fi thriller.

Book Review: The Nazi Hunter by Alan Elsner
A pacey thriller about a man who chases ageing Nazis on behalf of the US government.

DVD Review: Shooting Michael Moore
While this might not be the slickest documentary of all time or the cleverest, it achieves what it sets out to do.

Oh and his game playing produces reviews too: Need for Speed: Carbon and

The True Story of the Bilderberg Group
by Daniel Estulin

The title says so much and so little about this book. Much of its contents can be gleamed from other sources and much of the grainy photography seems to bare little resemblance to the actual contents of the text. They seem to imply that powerful men & women know each other and are seen in public shaking hands. Other photos depict groupings of the rich and powerful guarded by armed security. I am still wondering what exactly the big deal is about this? Does the author not understand about the threat of terrorism? Would be have the same gripe about security guards outside a nightclub full of a-listers?

Read more @ BNN.

Victoria Times Colonist:

Vancouver pot advocate Marc Emery and co-author Dana Larsen—who manages a Vancouver company that sells marijuana seeds by mail-order—have penned a pot-filled parody of the Harry Potter boy-wizard saga entitled, Hairy Pothead & The Marijuana Stone.

The book is set for release on Oct. 20 and follows the high-jinks of Hairy, “an ordinary boy—until he is rescued by a biker, gets a glass bong, rides the magic bus, lives in a Cannabis Castle, attends Hempwards School of Herbcraft and Weedery, learns to play Qannabbi, does battle with an evil policeman, and smokes tons of fine marijuana.”

According to the book’s website: “Hairy Pothead is a hilarious and subversive parody which will be enjoyed by anyone who gets a kick out of cannabis.”

Yeah, I went to the website, where you can read excerpts; and I think you will definitely require large—possibly fatally large—doses of ganja to find this lame ripoff funny. Let’s hope they get their asses sued off. Now that’s entertainment.

Over to you, Ms. Rowling.

the blog québécois

Culturism
by John Kenneth Press

There was some worry on the BNN list that his book might be racist of some sort and I can report that there is not a hint of racism anywhere in this book. In fact it goes to great length to decry racism in all its forms. Which as one might imagine is a good thing. About the only good about this book to be honest.

First of all the author praises the Puritans. Yes that lot of evil zealots who were so bad that they were driven out of England after Cromwell & Co killed the King and plunged the nation first into two bloody civil wars and a wave of cultural destruction not seen in England ever again. It rivalled the Taliban in Afganistan once they took over. The Puritans executed whomever they didn’t like, were misogynistic, barbaric in their punishments and about as authoritarian as one could imagine. The Puritans are not be admired but scorned as the evil they were. The US nation grew out of the settlers in the 13 colonies not thanks to the Puritans but despite that branch of Protestant lunacy.

It is this cultural authoritarianism that Press admirers so much in Puritans and those that followed them in American history. He adds the Abolionists to those who were inspired by the Puritans; however that does not save the rest of those who the author admires. In addition to the Puritans he admires those zealots that managed to persuade the nation to ban alcohol in the early 20th century. Funny he fails to mention that organised crime and drug smuggling as it now constitutes itself was born during Prohibition. There was no such thing as organised crime before that era and we never got rid of it.

The other fails to distinguish between those that use & abuse the power of the state to control people’s behaviour ala the Puritans and praise-worthy organisations like “Friendly Societies”. It seems groups of people getting together to force everyone how they see fit is all good.

This is new face on paternalistic authoritarianism. While the word freedom is mentioned in this book very often; there are more calls for the limitation of it. The author believes that individualism is a bad thing and that the culture should dominate all aspects of life. Hence his praise for the Puritans.

Ironically the Conservative Party of the UK would find much to like in this book as this is the approach they are taking currently under Cameron’s leadership. Like all paternalists, the author believes that individuals are incapable of making correct decisions for themselves and thus the hammer of the state to make it for them.

Once could even see what Press is proposing as a cultural fascism. The scary thing is that he has written this book as a “text-book” of sorts. You know one of those text books that makes the same point over and over again?

Yes, American culture is worth defending but not at the cost of everything that makes America a great country to hail from. Mark this idea down as one of the many bad isms out there.

Crossposted @ BNN.

As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.

The Waters of Andros
by Madsen Pirie

Hot on the heals of his first two novels; comes his third that is set on the planet of Andros. Andros is a water-centric planet with few land resources and an economy that is dependent on the sea. The planet affords its natives with a fairly fast recovery rate and some degree of self-healing. This is lucky for Mikhail the main character as he gets into his fair share of scrapes in this 142 page book.

For an adult this book is a page-turner and one that will probably read in one sitting. Its short but pacey enough to keep a younger reader going as well.

Now from the sea and ecosystem theme you might be lulled into thinking this is a caring and sharing envirosocialist morality allegory for earth and climate change. Its not, but I won’t tell you how lest I ruin the tale. Lets just say that assumptions of the guilty would prove to be wrong.

There is something going distinctly wrong in the sea causing animals all over the planet to go a bit nuts and lash out at anything. Add to this the annual sea dinosaur race festival and you know things are gonna get hairy.

As with Madsen’s past two novels the book is well written and there is great attention to detail. Unlike the last Rowling effort there is no sign of grammar or spelling mistakes, surely a must for a book aimed at the young adult. Unlike the latest Harry Potter it doesn’t plod along in the middle either.

My favourite of three books remains the same; but it is good to see that Madsen is able to write in three different genres with equal ability and quality. Clearly a purchase of all three books for the young reader in your life would be a good tip for this Christmas.

You will find it hard to find three better written books in the young adult market.

Junk Medicine: Doctors, Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy
Theodore Dalrymple

I have always found Dalrymple to be a boorish authoritarian who uses his medical past to encourage the banning or limitation of every bit of human behaviour. With that in mind I was rather shocked at the libertarian approach, well save the last few paragraphs where he come down on the anti-legalisation side, of this book. Just before this he quotes John Stuart Mill from On Liberty on the subject of personal responsibility.

Instead of taking the common meme of addicts, superficially heroin addicts, as victims. He makes his clear his belief that they are whinging connivers who seem to believe we should feel sorry for them because they were idiotic enough to become a smack addict. He clearly demonstrates that just because you are in a room with someone doing heroin does not mean you become an addict, neither does it necessarily follow on that if you do heroin you will become a hard core junkie.

Heroin is not a magical and satanic substance that draws it victims in. An addict or user has to decide to take the drug and then snort or inject himself. No other party is responsible for that act but them.

He does take to task both writers old and new who have romanticised heroin use whether it be Thomas De Quincey, Coleridge or Burroughs. He examine there attitude towards all that entails the consumption, addiction and withdrawal from the drug. He maintains, based on hard evidence, that unlike alcohol, coming down from heroin does not put one in physical harm.

He also has words about those that are part of the addict industry. Those who empower and gain from making addiction out to be a disease and malady deserving of our pity. He has quite a good bit of experience in the field having treated addicts in a prison. He holds that clinics that coddle addicts are dong more harm than good and may even be putting their addicts is almost as much danger as had they been continuing on the smack.

Oh yes and like instant jihad syndrome it isn’t only the poor and downtrodden that become addicts and try to make you feel sorry for them.

I was thoroughly enthralled by the absolute brutal honesty of this book. I shall refer to it the next time I am in a discussion about addicts where I am portrayed as uncaring and without proof.

Smack addicts do not deserve your pity. They, and those that coddle them, deserve your disdain, angst and scrutiny. Don’t fall for the carrying and sharing p.c. rubbish. They are the source of their own destruction.

As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.

Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) [Adult Edition]

Like everyone else who has the smallest smidgen of enjoyment of Harry Potter I was looking forward to reading the last of the series (allegedly). In fact, I received Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at noon today and promptly sat down and read it cover to cover in one sitting. This 600-page fantasy reads rather well, it has to be said, flowing nicely along at a good pace. It’s dark and bloody, but then again what do you expect with Voldermort kicking around?

Alas, one could argue that therein lies the problem. There are not really any of the plot twists and turns that one expects from Harry Potter books. In fact, one could argue that must of it was rather predictable in extremis. That is not to say it is not a rather enjoyable romp through the final tale of the boy wizard. One thing that strikes one throughout the book is that it is rather visual, almost cinematic. The book was clearly written in a manner that would not make it too terribly hard to turn into a script.

J. K. Rowling seems to have recovered the part of Hermione and she is not a whining teenager anymore. She does have a strop, which is a bit of predictable foreshadowing to the end of the book, well rather, the epilogue of the book. There are a lot of loose ends that are tied up rather well for all the characters, although I have to say that I was disappointed to see one of my favorite characters in the whole set of tales, Hagrid, reduced to a bit part in this novel. In fact, truth be told, much of the book only really revolves around the core three, which one might have expected.

Many people have wondered and asked me about Potter’s eventual fate. In response I offer a well known phrase from another author of another series of tales, as I quote from the Necronomicon:

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is probably not Rowling’s best book in the series and adults might find it to be a bit thin at times. It reads a bit rushed, and there are some spelling errors and plot glitches. But taken as a whole series, Rowling has done something only few other authors like Tolkien have done. She has created a series of books that can be read by child and adult alike and enjoyed in similar but slightly different ways. One just has to wonder if Rowling will be allowed to finish with Potter and what she has planned for her next novel.

Crossposted @ Blogcritics. The fanboyz and girlz are out in full force trashing anyone who dares criticise the latest book. And boy are some of them touchy. I got taken to task for suggesting that those who said fast readers should read it again were being snide.

Update: Harry Potter is Zionist conspiracy.

Got it, read it and reviewed it. All I have to say is that it ain’t her best edited or written book. The review is up.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Deathly Hallows is dark and bloody, but then again what do you expect with Voldermort kicking around?

Christopher Hitchens absolutely blasts Shirley Williams for her pathetic statements about the Salman Rushdie affiar. We have heard about it since Thursday and now we can now enjoy it in its glory. Boris Johnson also makes a complete arse of himself partly; but saves himself when it comes to the actually rioting about the book. As far as I am concerned its the best Question Time I have ever seen.

I am sure that you are all well aware that there is a Harry Potter book about to drop, especially if you have been anywhere near a bookstore of late. Now I have read all of the books and even reviewed most of them for blogcritics.com In fact I seem to remember that I got quite a bit of flack from Harry Potter fans when I dared to suggest that the last one was not the best of the series. I thought Hermione came across as a bit one-dimensional. She is a great character and it would be a shame to see her shuffled out of the way.

Now like everyone else I am looking forward to the next instalment of the series as much as anyone else old. I am less enthusiastic about the movies, but then that is the case with any movie baring a very few. The Harry Potter phenomenon is quite amazing really and its great to see a book that gets so many children and adults reading. I am sure its rather rare at any time that there is a book that is so fondly read by both parents and children alike.

Naturally that has been blast back from a few of the more puritanical of Christians who want to ban children from reading the book on the grounds that there is suddenly a huge rise in people joining Wiccan groupings of varying types. And we get closer to the re-release of the next book there will be more of this sort of nonsense.

I am sure I will do, as I did last time, the same thing when I get the next novel. I will promptly sit down, TV off, and read the thing cover to cover in one sitting. Then I will rush to write a review and start to watch the fur fly.

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows is comingwill be you be able to resist the temptation to get on board the broomstick?