O-Dark-Thirty

An early book on Samurai training has been successfully deciphered. Sadly, most of the secret techniques were not explicitly discussed (hence the "secret") so we might never know how the best samurai managed to jump to the top of buildings and fly across tree-tops. Hey, I watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and loved it. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/08/29/1th-century-samurai-training-text-deciphered/ We could use some good samurai troops, too, I think. I like this essay by K.T. McFarland on Fox News concerning what the USA options are as a response for the chemical attacks in Syria. Mr. Obama faces some tough choices, and no doubt it will force the world to look at all of us in new ways once again. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/08/29/obama-got-only-five-options-when-it-comes-to-syria/ I don't know why a chemical attack on citizens seems more horrible than the multiple military attacks the Syrian government already perpetrated on its citizens....

Toon Town is closing down. That a virtual world that has now been around for a decade. I don't know where the population of a virtual world goes when the world closes down. Virtual heaven? http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/tech/gaming-gadgets/closing-toontown These devices are designed to help you survive a natural disaster. Most of them are just small self-enclosed receptacles that will (supposedly) keep you alive until help arrives or you emerge from the disaster. It makes me think of something my brother told me once. When he was in the Army Reserves they drove around in the forests for the weekend on four-wheelers and in Humvees and practiced digging holes and burying themselves. In case of disaster. I guess that's so nobody else needs to come bury you after. The only device I liked was the solar water purifier. http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/26/tech/innovation/in-the-middle-of-a-natural I have to admit, even though I get seasick, the title caught my eye. Who isn...

I just read absolutely the BEST Self-Publishing Post I ever read. It wasn't mine , but I don't care. If you ever even THOUGHT of writing a book, read this post by Claudia . You'll love it. I follow Claudia's blog as well as James Altucher's. I'm glad I do. Once you read the post, you'll be glad I do too. You're welcome. I followed most of the instructions, though I struggled from a point of significantly less experience than Claudia and James. Still, I did pretty well publishing my book. I see a few points in her post I'll take a closer look at. My book,  My Mother-in-law Misadventures , is still available on Amazon , both paperback and electronic.

I just finished reading the first eight books in the Star Force Series by B. V. Larson at Amazon. Okay, so far these are the only available books in the series, but it is clear from the end of the eighth volume that Larson plans to write more. There's this one little thing he hints at during that last book … The Star Force books are not Heinlein and I have to think that anyone who makes that comparison is not really thinking about it. Larson's books are fast-paced and full of action. Honestly, I don't think you can go three pages without something blowing up - and that's the kind of book it is. These books are fun, pretty quick to read and full of action. These are what I consider popcorn books - I'll read them, but they don't change my life or make me think of the world differently. Some of the reviewers say the characters are pretty two-dimensional, and I heartily agree with that assessment. That doesn't automatically make a book good or bad, in...

No budget for clothes, apparently We watched a movie on Netflix last night. Called AE: Apocalypse Earth , the movie stars Richard Grieco (haven't seen him in a while) and Adrian Paul as Lt. Frank Baum (really? Oz anyone?). When Adrian Paul appeared in the movie I thought it couldn't be him because he looked so young, but Darling pointed out it is Netflix so the movie could be old. Turns out it was made in 2013! So he still looks good. His love interest (he always has one) is Lea (the first movie for Costa Rican actress Bali Rodriguez), a native of the planet the team crash lands on. Okay, it wasn't the best film, but it sure wasn't the worst I've seen. The ray guns were pretty cheesy, but IMDB says it only had a million dollar budget, so overall, for the price, that's pretty good. Since the networks cancelled Primeval: New World , Darling and I decided to watch the original series ( Primeval ) on Netflix.  So far I like it pretty well. Fox News ha...

Jake Powning has an interesting story of the crafting of a classical Norse sword (I think that's right) with six other swordsmiths from around the world. Called Arctic Fire 2013, the story is fascinating. The blade is hidden somewhere in the world. "All you have to do to win the sword is to be the first to solve a two-part riddle: What is the name of the blade, and where is it buried?" http://www.arcticfire2013.com/Home_Page.php Good luck on that one. Email me if you win. That's just cool. I never considered smithing of any type to be a beginner's trade. I mean sure, you might be able to hammer a piece of metal, but shape it? That's practice. The right metal for what you're making? Practice. Get it the correct hardness? Practice again! Now what? Practice! I can see why a person should be an apprentice first. It's too bad I didn't live two hundred years ago or more. I might have been an apprentice blacksmith. I suppose I might also ha...

Blacksmithing In my previous post I put a link to a blacksmith that crafts items for Hollywood and mentioned that I was always fascinated by blacksmiths. My sweet cousin (who always posts Anonymous) responded to me with: wish I would have known about your interest in blacksmiths years ago, I would have taken you to my Grandma Hunt's place and showed you my grandfathers blacksmith shop, he had passed away many years before but the bellows still laid on the cold forge, hammers and tongs atop the well worn anvil and the horseshoes he fashioned were hanging on square headed nails along the beams. the shop has long since been torn down, but the tools of his trade are stored in my aunts shed..it was always a dream of mine to display them in a sort of mini museum to honor his memory....someday....wish you could have seen it. This made me ponder my (supposed) love of blacksmithing as a craft. Part of it stems from all my reading, of course. Many fantasy novels have blacksmith...

I just needed a good picture. I've been fascinated by blacksmiths my entire life. This guy has too. When Hollywood Needs Shiny Instruments of Death, This Blacksmith Delivers I don't get a good feel for the universe. It just seems too … big … for my brain. These guys think this picture helps. I didn't think so, but you might. 3-D Cosmic Map Helps You Wrap Your Brain Around the Universe’s Weirdness   There are a lot of sources for the date of the next iPhone. I'm not sure I care anymore. My date is sometime in October, when my plan is up. Next iPhone coming Sept. 10, sources say   I'm still looking for the next phone. This review helps, a little. Motorola Moto X   I haven't yet found any tech that helps me live healthier. Movement required, and push-backs from the table. Those I have trouble with, and no amount of tech (besides a killer robot) will help me with that one! Tech That Helps Me With Healthy Living   Oatm...

When I saw a picture of Wired's Mech at Comic Con I was in awe. This is worth a watch if you have a few minutes and like exoskeletons (who doesn't?). Business Insider has a nice list for this morning. I'm not sure I really care about all ten things they list, but they are nice to know. Four of them are about Jeff Bezos buying The Washington Post. The two that caught my eye were the fifty people that showed up to volunteer for a one-way trip to Mars and a third-party Apple iPhone power cable electrocuted a woman to death . 10 Things You Need To Know This Morning In Tech Wired's Gadget Lab lists seven things they love, including the new Nokia Lumia 1020, a phone with a 41-megapixel camera. I researched that phone the other day. Too bad it is a Windows Phone 8. All the Awesome Stuff We Loved This Week Crowd Sourcing I might have to back this project on Indiegogo. I certainly want some of these when they hit the market!  This Little Sticker Works Li...