RMD*

*Rams of Mass Destruction

According to an article in NewScientist, rams may have been the world's first biological weapon.

Ancient written texts from the Middle East may reveal that the use of biological weapons dates back more than 3300 years, according to a new review.

The historical documents hint that the Hittites – whose empire stretched from modern-day Turkey to northern Syria – sent diseased rams to their enemies to weaken them with tularemia, a devastating bacterial infection that remains a potential bioterror threat even today, says the review.

Experts caution that more evidence is needed to firmly establish that the Hittites intended to spread disease using the animals. But they add that if this proves true, it might represent the earliest known use of biological warfare.

Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, can pass from animals such as rabbits and sheep to humans through various routes, most commonly through insects such as ticks that hop between species. The bacterium responsible for tularemia, Francisella tularensis, causes symptoms ranging from skin ulcers to respiratory failure.

Modern medication can stop the tularemia from becoming fatal. But without proper antibiotic treatment, about 15% of infected individuals die, says Siro Trevisanato, a former microbiologist who has delved into the ancient texts.
Hittite plague

Tularemia is rare in many countries today, but remains a problem in some countries including Bulgaria, says Trevisanato, now based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

He believes tularemia is to blame for a deadly epidemic dubbed the "Hittite plague" which raged through the Middle East in the 14th century BC. Around 1335 BC, letters to the Egyptian king Akhenaten reported a pestilence in Simyra, a Phoenician city near what is now the border between Lebanon and Syria.

The texts describe a terrible illness causing disabilities and death. Most tellingly, they mention that, because of the plague, donkeys were banned from being used in caravans.

According to Trevisanato, this indicates that the people living in the city were hit by tularemia. The disease can infect donkeys and the insects that they carry, so preventing the use of donkeys for transport may have been an attempt to quell its spread.
Roaming rams

A decade later, the Hittites to the north attacked the weakened area around Simyra. "The Hittites were able to steal booty, including animals, and brought the animals home," along with the tularemia the livestock harboured, Trevisanato explains. Not too long after, the Hittites themselves apparently began to suffer from an epidemic of tularemia.

History seems to have repeated itself a few years afterwards when another ancient people, the Arzawans from western Anatolia, saw the weakened Hittites to their east and decided to strike. "They thought, if we attack now, we can push the border back to where we want," Trevisanato says.

But strangely, during this period of warfare between 1320 and 1318 BC, records indicate that rams mysteriously began appearing on roads in Arzawa.

The Arzawans took the sheep to their villages and used them for livestock breeding. Soon after, though, they began to suspect a link between the appearance of the animals and the terrible disease ravaging their communities.

"They started wondering 'Why do these rams start showing up on the road?'" says Trevisanato. He believes that among the Hittites, "somebody must have had the bright idea" to send diseased rams over to their Arzawan enemies.

Ultimately, the Arzawans were so weakened that their attempt to conquer the Hittites failed.
Modern threat

Trevisanato's theory is intriguing, says Jonathan Tucker, at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, DC, US who studies the use of chemical and biological weapons.

He points out that there is no vaccine for tularemia and that experts consider it a "possible or likely biological warfare agent" in the present day.

Still, in order to consider the rams as a true biological weapon, evidence is needed to clearly prove that the Hittites understood the full ramifications of these animals towards their enemies, says Mark Wheelis, at the University of California, Davis.

"The intent would have to be not to just freak the enemy out, but to actually transmit disease," he explains. Until such intent to spread disease is proven beyond a doubt, Wheelis says any theory is speculative.

Journal reference: Journal of Medical Hypotheses (DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.03.02)

I love Wheelis' equivocating. Why would the site of sheep "freak the enemy out"? Unlike today, sheep and horses and other animals were rather common sights. No special trip to the farm or petting zoo were needed for little Hittite boys and girls to get back to nature.

I'm pretty convinced that the Hittites got the baaasic ramifications.

Another reason I like My Name is Earl

So, NBC decides to have a "green week." All week long NBC programs are supposed to have an ecological theme. I think the culmination is supposed to be 30 Rock, where Al Gore himself makes an appearance. At least in the clips they showed during Earl, the Goracle seems able to poking fun at himself (well, he let the writers do it).

On Earl tonight, the warden (Craig T. Nelson) puts Earl in charge of doing a "Scared Straight" show and picking three other convicts to take with him to the school.

Seems they'd tried busing in a class once, but it ended rather badly as a little person threw a kid in a washing machine and tried to board the bus wearing his uniform. So now they're gonna take the show to the schools.

Half-way through the program, the warden suddenly, and irrationally commands Earl to give the Scared Straight show an environmental theme -- make it green.

So Earl says something like: won't that seem a little out of place, kind of shoe-horning something in that has nothing to do with the show is about?

But of course the warden overrides him.

So later, as they're getting ready to go out, one of the prisoners says he's going to mention that while he's sorry his footprints lead the cops to him, he feels even sorrier about the large carbon footprint he was responsible for. And another prisoner says he's going to tell the children that he the thing he regrets the most about dumping the body is the littering.

Funny show.

Food, Glorious Food

Sometimes I run across something and don't have the time to put it in a blog here, so I save it.

Then I forget about it. Then something reminds me and I find it again.

Today, I ran across a blog called The Pioneer Woman. She's a Los Angeles native who married a rancher, loves the life and loves to chronicle her life in words and pictures.

More to the point of this blog, she also has a blog called The Pioneer Woman Cooks, plenty of recipes with step by step pictures of the food being prepared. If you aren't hungry after scrolling through a page or two, you aren't human!

This blog reminded me of a book review from USA Today online. It's about a book called America's Best Lost Recipes: 121 Kitchen-Tested Heirloom Recipes Too Good to Forget. And since they put several of the recipes in the review, I guess I can include a few of them here:

GRANDMA SYLVIA'S SALT BUTTER COOKIES
Cookies

•2 large egg yolks

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•1 teaspoon whiskey

•16 tablespoons (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

•2/3 cup granulated sugar

•21/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the yolks, vanilla and whiskey together in a measuring cup.

2. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the yolk mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour and beat until incorporated. Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls and space half the balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Filling

•1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

•1/4 cup water

•2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Combine the chocolate and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.

2. Turn half of the cookies over (flat-side up) and spread with about 1 teaspoon of the filling. Top with another cookie. Let the filling set until hardened, about 20 minutes. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Makes 36 cookies

Notes from the Test Kitchen:

These cookies have a wonderful sandy texture and rich butter flavor. The chocolate filling is a sweet complement to the simple cookie. Be sure to use a fresh or cooled baking sheet for each batch.

CORN OYSTERS

Serves 6

4 medium ears corn, husks and silk removed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 quarts vegetable oil

1. Grate the kernels from the corn into a medium bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Using the back of a knife, scrape any pulp remaining on the cobs into the bowl with the grated corn. Stir in the flour, cornstarch, eggs, salt, and baking powder until well blended.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until it registers 350 degrees. Carefully drop 13 to 15 heaping tablespoons of batter into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until the corn oysters puff and are golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add more oil to the pot if necessary and heat to 350 degrees. Repeat with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the corn oysters with salt. Serve immediately.

Notes from the Test Kitchen: Use only fresh corn for this recipe — frozen corn is too dry to produce a creamy batter. The key to this recipe is getting the oil temperature just right. Above 360 degrees and the exterior of the "oysters" will darken quickly before the interior is cooked through. Too low a temperature (starting under 340 degrees) and they will be sodden with oil. Avoid guesswork by using a deep-fat thermometer. These corn oysters are great with fried fish or any barbecue — serve with tartar sauce, hot sauce, or maple syrup.

Oh, heck. One more:
VIDALIA ONION PIE

Serves 6 to 8

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced thin (about 3 cups)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Use favorite pie crust, the single crust one listed here, fully baked and cooled, or as a shortcut option, use Pillsbury Just Unroll Pie Crust. If using Pillsbury dough, follow package instructions to prebake pie shell at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure to prick dough with a fork before it goes into the oven.

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon chives in a large bowl, then add the reserved bacon and onions.

2. Pour into the prepared pie shell and bake until the filling is puffed and cracked around the edges and the center barely jiggles when the pie is shaken, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon chives. Serve. (The pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Single-Crust Pie Dough

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

1. Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and continue to process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does. Form the dough into a 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it into a 12-inch circle and fitting it into a pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp the edges and freeze the unbaked pie crust until firm, about 30 minutes, before filling or baking.

4. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake until the pie dough looks dry and is light in color, 25 to 30 minutes. For a partially baked crust, transfer the crust to a wire rack and remove the weights and foil. For a fully baked crust, remove the pie weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 12 minutes longer. The pie crust may be cooled completely or used warm, according to the particular pie recipe.

To Make Ahead: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling. A fully baked pie crust can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in foil, for up to 2 days.

Happy reading!

The Death of the Grown-up

An excellent book which traces the blurring of distinctions between childhood and adulthood in contemporary society.

It starts out with an overview of childhood. leading to a discussion of how the concept of the teenager is a relatively recent development.

Booth Tarkington's novel Seventeen was the first that dealt with teenagers specifically, but even then teenage years weren't seen as a separate period but more as a transition period where the aspiration was to become an adult. The main character's goal in the book was to borrow his dad's tuxedo -- a symbol of adulthood -- to impress a girl.

West pinpoints the beginning of the concept of "teen years" as a state distinct and separate from childhood and adulthood to the period just after WWII. Eventually, this emphasis leads to the elevation of the teenager years to a desired status, where before becoming an adult was the goal. By the fifties, being and acting like a teenager is a goal unto itself.

Which then leads to the wish to live in the teen period as long as possible, leading to a blurring of the lines between childhood/teen/adult behavior. That is, children who are encouraged by their peers (and advertising) to behave as teens at younger and younger ages. The slutty dress, acting out of sexual behavior, knowledge beyond their years.

What the book doesn't mention that I think is a factor also, is all the hormones that have been pumped into meat. It is common now for girls as young as 9 to begin developing prematurely. I'm not sure if something similar is happening with boys. The media don't seem inclined to report on it and everybody seems pretty unconcerned. I guess since they're already being pushed to sophistication, that their bodies are being pushed also by chemicals doesn't seem to matter.

To get back to the book, this same elevation of the teen years leads to the wish to remain in it for as long as possible. We're seeing "adults" in their twenties and even thirties who wish to avoid responsibility, to play and have fun over settling down, working on a career and, most important, parenting.

Since many people start their childbearing years in their late teens and twenties, we're getting parents who don't want to parent. That, coupled with the children who are expected to be preternaturally sophisticated, means we're getting people of all ages who engage in adult pastimes without the judgement or common sense to handle it.

The book goes on to trace how our lack of responsibility leads to a breakdown of boundaries, continual lowering of standards of decency and behavior. No sense of shame or knowledge of what is inappropriate. "Who are we to say X is bad" or immoral or wrong. With relativism, no type of behavior is better or worse than any other type of behavior.

This has lead naturally to cultural leveling (IE, no culture is better than any other culture) has lead to a loss of cultural identity. It's our biggest handicap when dealing with the Islamic threat. Since they know what they believe and we don't, we're at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting them.

To quote from the book:

There is a hollowness to the whole enterprise that is embodied by the captain's relativism, a barren chamber where the empty slogan "war on terror" echoes on without meaning. That is, terror is a tactic. You don't make war on a tactic, you make war on the people that use it. Imagine if FDR had declared "the war on sneak attack" or the "war on blitzkrieg." It doesn't make sense and neither does "war on terror." And not only does it not make sense, it also uncovers our biggest handicap going in: that perilous lack of cultural confidence, that empty core at our heart. Where an empty core has nothing with which to refute the absurdity of Bush=Hitler, an empty core has nothing with which to define "a war on terror." Who are we to say . . . who we are fighting . . . and why? p.143

Unfortunately, the book doesn't give much in the way of solutions. There are still plenty of people, I think, who become adults, even if it is later in life. But are there enough of them? And if adulthood is postponed until after 30, will they be too late to make a significant difference? Will there be enough people willing to to turn things around?

Carnival of the Insanities

My submission for this week's Carnival was picked up! It's the second link on #16 -- a little news item from Massachusetts.

Iran fined $2.65 billion for terrorism

From the AP:

Iran must pay $2.65 billion to the families of the 241 U.S. service members killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, a federal judge declared Friday

I know I shouldn't be flip, but my first thought was, "I wonder if they'll pay it all in pennies."

Of course Iran isn't going to pay anyway. They've never taken responsibility for the bombing and they've ignored the trial.

The ruling allows nearly 1,000 family members and a handful of survivors to try to collect Iranian assets from various sources around the world. Finding and seizing that money will be difficult, however, and the families are backing a law in Congress that would make it easier for terrorism victims and their families to do so.

And as much as I think countries should be held responsible for acts of terrorism, the idea of monetary restitution doesn't hold much appeal.

It seems very primitive, harkening back to the days when a criminal could pay a "blood price" for murder or maiming and avoid punishment. And it reduces human life and suffering to a dollar figure.

I do see the need for restitution to help families recover from the loss of income caused by the murder or injury of providers. But it's not punishment and shouldn't take the place of punishment. Especially when it's on the grand scale of terrorism.

I suppose it's something. And in cases of terrorism, it's hard to pin down the true perpetrators.

Courts can pass sentence, but they can't force introspection or regret on the part of the perpetrator. Court mandated "apologies" make me grind my teeth. Without true repentance, it's just empty words. I'd sooner the judge sentence someone who's wronged me to wear a diaper and sing "I'm a Little Teapot" in a very public place. At least that would give me a good laugh.

You Gotta Laugh

Spammers are a constant problem at one of the websites I monitor. There are usually five to ten spammers a day who try to register, but we have it set that they need admin approval to activate the account.

Usually I delete them with emotions varying from resignation to exasperation. What's the point of registering for a site which doesn't permit you to post your links and pics unless you're approved? And when you add it all up, I'm spending a chunk of time on these jerks that would be better spent contemplating my navel or picking my teeth.

But today, as I took a look at the registration info, scanning the info the 'bot has submitted, which consisted mostly of sites promising to enhance an important piece of male anatomy, I did a double check of the spammer's "name":

"weepricle"

Look at all those idiots

The best song on The Simpsons Sing the Blues CD.

It's a minor thing, but speaking of longing to release the hounds...

I was browsing through the DVDs that are going on sale this Tuesday. There's an obscure D. W. Griffith/Lilian Gish silent film being issued, which had a one-star review because the reviewer was angry at Amazon. According to this reviewer (who shall remain nameless here):

Amazon is at it again! They are selling a DVD that won't be release for sometime soon. Also, Amazon has pirated the complete Criterion Collection--Buyer Beware!Don't buy from Amazon! Boycott Amazon!

This review was posted on August 24th. A bit overwrought about a four day wait, though of course I doubt this reviewer intends to buy the DVD. "Reviewing" it is just his way of registering his complaint against Amazon.

The director and star are long dead and beyond caring about a one star review. But it's still inappropriate and -- dare I say it? -- stoopid. And it isn't just products from deceased authors and film makers that get this treatment.

The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel got a one-star because the reviewer was angry that Amazon hadn't delivered it yet. Never mind that the book was three months from its release date. The idgit didn't bother to check that out.

Of course I complained to Amazon, as did several others, and it was taken down. But who knows how many people see a one-star and don't bother to check out the review, assuming that the reviewer got an advance reader copy or demo track or something?

Since I was feeling snarky, besides reporting this review to Amazon, I also composed a comment which will remain up until the review comes down:

First: Amazon lists products as soon as the info becomes available, which can be months before the product is actually out. Many people (myself included) see this as a good way to discover that something (a book, DVD, whatever) is going to offered for sale someday. I don't really care that it can't be shipped to me the second I see it.

Second: by putting one star here, you're unfairly giving a poor rating to this DVD, not to Amazon. If it is Amazon you're having the problem with, why bring down someone else's work?

"Surrounded by idiots, outnumbered by boobs. An office full of morons, a planet full of fools. Is it any wonder I'm singing, singing the blues."

Hello, Deathly Hallows

I can't call this entry "Goodbye, Harry," since it's more like "Hello, Last Book." But it's the beginning of the end. I won't say goodbye to Harry, Hogwarts, the wizarding world and all the other memorable characters J.K. Rowling has created until I've reached the last page. And I can't even put it off. There are too many people out there who will trumpet the news of how the series ends. Some way too soon. There have already been possible spoilers, even the whole text, supposedly, laboriously photoed and uploaded to the web.

But eventually people will feel free to talk about the book, assuming (correctly) that everyone who cares will get and read the book as quickly as possible. Since there's no escaping the end, I may as well read on. At my own pace though; not too fast, not too slow.

As I'm sitting here typing, the parties are about to get underway at bookstores. I'll be heading out in about an hour. I don't want to get there too early, since I'm too old to join in the games and trivia. I'll give myself time to shop around a bit. They start lining people up at 11:30.

Since I was in the area earlier today, I picked up my "place in line" bracelet. They go by colors. I'm silver -- the second group which will assemble. But I don't know how many constitute a group.

They're also having a couple of prizes: the chance to be first in line and a chance to win a poster of Deathly Hallows book cover, signed by the artist. I'd rather have the latter; I'll get the book soon enough being there at midnight.

This is probably the last time I'll head out at this time of night to get my copy of a book as close past midnight as I can. There's one other series I would do this for: The Destroyer. But a book series has to be phenomenal for the demand to be so great that book stores stay open for a midnight release. And The Destroyer, as good as it is, will never appeal to such a large cross section of people.

Big Brother Hits Our Taste Buds

They're on the march again. The PC police. The "we know what's best for you" brigade. The "government must legislate for your own good" crowd.

First it was the anti-smoking laws which grew from mandatory non-smoking sections in restaurants to outright banning of smoking. Then new laws extended the no smoking areas to in and around schools and finally in all public buildings.

Then some states decided fireworks should not be sold to private citizens. They were too dangerous, they reasoned. Some people were blowing their hands off or burning themselves and others.

Then some state Supreme Courts decreed it was okay for the local government to snatch private property "for the good of the majority."

But now, they've finally gone too far. Though New York is a liberal state, residents of NYC are a diverse, opinionated freedom-loving group. NYC is filled with gourmets (or maybe gourmands would be more precise?).

The link is from Power Line, since the full Wall Street Journal article is subscribers only.

It seems the enlightened beaurocracy of NYC has passed a law banning artificial trans fats in restaurants and other food venues. What's the outcome? Isn't the alternative more healthy? I can hear you asking.

Yes, but at what price? According to the WSJ article, one restaurant owner remarks:

"The French fries look like they've been standing on a steam table for an hour when they have not," says Mr. Gounaris, who ditched his partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening for a trans-fat-free soybean shortening five months ago in preparation for the ban, which took effect Sunday. Fried chicken doesn't get as crispy in the new oil, Mr. Gounaris complains, and the fries are pale and limp....

Non-crispy fried chicken. Pale and limp fries.

Don't laugh. It could be your city/state next, if this abomination is allowed to go unchallenged. The health food Nazis are dancing with joy and waiting for the public to show its apathy and resignation to what it feels is the inevitable encroachment of the Nanny state. They're waiting for NYC citizens to give up without a fight. Then, they will begin to work on other city and state governments.

It'll never pass in the South. They fry everything, they own guns and they don't take kindly to Yankees pushing their ways on them.

But I can see the people in my blue, blue state rolling over and taking it. My only hope is that NH holds strong, though with so many MA residents moving up there for the beneficial tax breaks, the pussification of NH may not be long coming.

Perhaps if detractors equated the sheep like acceptance of the limp fries with a permanent flaccidity in a certain organ?

New Interview with Warren Murphy and Jim Mullaney

The Trades has followed up their review of The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel with an interview of the authors.

An excerpt:

The-Trades: We're starting with a renumbering of the books, so let's fill in the new readers: Who is Remo Williams -- or, more to the point, why is Remo Williams?

WARREN MURPHY: Dick Sapir and I decided we wanted to do an adventure series starring an American hero. But we were just getting our feet wet for the first time -- neither of us had tried a book before -- and, believe it or not, Remo started out as a guy named Bernie, who was a crime-fighting psychiatrist in New York City. It didn't take us long to figure out that that this was just el stinko, so we splashed around and finally decided to do blue collar and cop, and the pieces came together and it turned out to be Remo.

Check out The Trades for much more about the past and, more important, the future of The Destroyer.

The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel Review

We're getting down to the one month mark to Guardian Angel publication. This first review, by The Trades website, should be joined by others soon.


Lee Goldberg has also linked there. The more sites and exposure, the better.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

In 1886, Lady Julia Grey's husband dies suddenly of heart disease which runs in his family. His cousin, Simon, is similarly afflicted and not expected to live much longer either. Lady Julia quickly settles into the life of a widow, but then she receives a visit from Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective who tells her that her husband Edward had been getting threatening notes and had hired him shortly before his death to look into the matter. He hints that her husband's death may not have been natural, prompting Julia to begin an investigation that uncovers things about her husband and her life that make her realize she never really knew him -- and herself -- at all.

When I picked it up, I was a little leery of beginning a 500+ page book by a first time author, but Ms. Raybourn's writing style is clear and flows well. Her main characters are interesting and well fleshed-out and she fills her story with secondary characters who are strong enough to be main characters in their own books. I loved how Julia moves from wanting a conventional life, in contrast to her wildly eccentric family, to becoming a little more her own person. And I like how Ms. Raybourn does it without making Julia a true eccentric -- just a mite more unconventional than she envisioned herself wanting to be at the beginning of the book. I'll be interested in how her budding romance with the moody, secretive Mr. Brisbane develops.

It's a great start to a great series, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is 20 years old. He lives in a small California town where he's content to work as a fry cook and lives very simply. He has to live an uncomplicated life with the things he can control -- job, car, money, ambition -- because the gift that he can't control would otherwise drive him crazy. Odd sees dead people and believes that with his gift comes the responsibility to use it to help them. He can also see creatures he's dubbed bodachs -- malevolent spirits who feed off violent death.

The book gets off to a quick start with Odd running down a rapist/murderer but that's only the beginning of a really bad day. While at his diner job he spots an odd-looking stranger who's being followed by more bodachs than Odd has ever seen together in one place. He realizes that something very bad is about to happen in the town and that only he, helped by a few people he's told about his gifts, can prevent disaster.

My favorite so far of the books I've read this year. I don't care much for horror. H. P. Lovecraft's stories give me the creeps and I've enjoyed several of Stephen King's books although they don't scare me. Supernatural beings don't frighten me because I know I'll never really be threatened by vampires, zombies or ghosts and ghouls. A few mystery books have scared me. Psychotic killers and mass murderers do exist and it's mostly a matter of luck whether you'll cross one's path. But horror and mystery stories that have human murderers tend toward the bloody with gross descriptions that depress more than frighten me.

Dean Koontz's books are all in the horror section. I guess that's the only way to classify them and it's probably better for Mr. Koontz; if all his books are together it makes them easier for people to pick up. But I don't consider this book horror any more than I do Stephen King's The Green Mile. Supernatural fantasy? Not exactly a mystery though Odd has to find out who the killer(s) are and the location of the violence in time to prevent it. Suspense definitely.

But why try to categorize it. Odd Thomas is a wonderful story -- suspenseful, sad, funny -- set in a small town full of eccentrics whom I came to care about and hoped wouldn't die (except Elvis, who is already dead as the story begins). And of course Odd himself, with his simple narration, determination to do right and sad backstory.

The Haunted Rectory by Katherine Valentine

The St. Francis Xavier Hookers (they're a rug hooking group -- get your minds out of the gutter) begin work on their new rug for the church's spring raffle, not realizing that with the death of the old pastor, the evil he contained in the rectory has now broken free. It will be up to the new priest, Father Richard Mello, and Jane Edwell, who is hiding her psychic gift, to exorcise the demon once and for all. But they can count on the help of the Hookers, who unite against the threat.

I enjoyed this, though it was a bit odd, kind of a combination of Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote meets the Exorcist. Ms. Valentine has a tendency to tell to much instead of show. For example, Jane acts nervous about the ladies working at the rectory, but instead of revealing Jane's gift gradually through her actions as the plot goes along, the whole thing is explained up front. One of the women becomes possessed, but it's wrapped up quickly at the end and she suffers no lingering trauma, although a young girl who is mentioned in Father Mello's back story, who has also suffered possession, had to be committed to an institution even though the exorcism was successful.

In spite of this, I'd recommend it. The camaraderie amongst the ladies rings true and the bits of humor ("Now Vera, don't tease the demon") make it worthwhile.

Script Frenzy

The same people who run NaNoWriMo have planned something called Script Frenzy. The first in what should turn into an annual event launches next June. I decided to participate since I first heard about it, but it didn't occur to me until the last few days why I ought to do it. Visuals and descriptives are a problem for me.

In my first novel, most of the time you couldn't tell what season it was (kind of important to know when your novel is set in New England) or anything that made one city distinct from any other city or setting.

I tried to do better in my last NaNo novel, and I did improve. But I think by working on a script, it will force me to think more visually and -- hopefully -- cross over to my novel writing.

My contemplations on imagery began with a book I read recently, a book with great visuals, but one that has elements difficult to convey in a screenplay. I began thinking of all the books I'd read and how some of them had been turned into movies and how sometimes I wished they hadn't cut certain parts, or shot scenes differently. And I began thinking about ways I would shoot the opening of this book, how I could condense the beginning into a sight-dependant form that, while different from the novel's, still have the same impact.

Script Frenzy has to be totally original. We're not even allowed to use anything we've written as a novel or short story. But I'm considering writing an adaptation of that book for practice, even if I don't do a complete script.

Of course, I have to find time between finishing my 2006 NaNo novel, collaborating on a novel which is in the plotting stages right now, and working on my blogs and web site. If only I didn't need so much time for my procrastination...

The Black Sun by James Twining

Tom Kirk an ex-CIA agent and art thief who, in this sequel to The Double Eagle, has gone into the legitimate antique business. When a series of bizarre robberies and murders that point to the Kristall Blade, a group of neo-Nazi extremists, the British Secret Service (MI6) tries to recruit him. But he isn't interested until he learns his old enemy, Harry Renwick, is involved.

I'm so-so about this book. On the one hand, it is an interesting topic: the search for a treasure that was hidden by a group of Nazis at the close of WWII. But the main characters really didn't hold my interest. Tom spent too much time agonizing over the past; his business partner wasn't that well-fleshed out; and Dominique, Tom's possible love interest (if he ever allows himself to get close to her) even less so. She's beautiful, poised, and intelligent, but there's nothing that makes her memorable.

There's one character who comes in toward the end: Viktor -- the Russian crime boss -- who makes the last third of the story come to life. She (yes, Viktor's a she) has an interesting background and made me care about her. Which made it harder when Twining used her for cliche fodder.

The book kept the action moving briskly, but not so briskly that I didn't wonder how they seemed to solve mysteries that people had been looking into for sixty years so quickly. Also, about halfway through Tom realizes that Renwick's following him, letting Tom solve the riddles for him. And yet, Tom doesn't take any more precautions once he knows this, just keeps trying to pinpoint the location of the treasure.

Not a bad book, but I don't recommend it.

A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry

Dominic Corde and his wife Clarice are elated when he becomes the temporary vicar of the small village of Cottisham while Reverend Wynter is away on vacation. Everything seems perfect at first. It's a beautiful rural area with warm and welcoming villagers. The couple even entertain hopes that the situation might become permanent. But then Clarice discovers that Reverend Wynter isn't on holiday; something more sinister has transpired.

This is the fourth in Anne Perry's Christmas-themed mysteries, which feature minor characters from her other series. My only problem was, with this one, remembering who Dominic Corde was (he's Charlotte Pitt's former brother-in-law, widowed when her eldest sister is murdered in The Cater Street Hangman -- the first Pitt mystery). He did turn up in another of the series, but it's been almost ten years and it took me awhile to get enough info from this book to remember him.

Not an overly complicated plot, since these Christmas mysteries are more novelettes, but not overly thin either. She manages to give readers several strong suspects and a plausible reason for the murder. Anne Perry has a way with characters. Even her minor ones are fully realized, interesting, and sympathetic people.

Perhaps this won't be as enjoyable to those who have not read the main series first. On the other hand, it serves as a good introduction to her style and, at 208 pages, is a quick and entertaining read.

Death Match by Lincoln Child

The computer dating system at Eden, Inc. guarantees the perfect match. They've never failed to find the ideal life mate for anyone they accept for their service. Although all the couples match high on compatibility, there are the rare "super couples" -- those who match 100%. When one of those couples commits double suicide, the company calls in Christopher Lash, an ex-FBI forensic psychologist, to determine what caused their aberrant behavior. But when a second super couple dies, Lash begins to suspect murder.

Interesting thriller with a strong main character. I found the explanation of the psychological tests interesting, the computer tech less so. Spoiled by a rather predictable ending, though not so implausible given the advances in computer intelligence. Worth reading.

Critique of Criminal Reason, by Michael Gregorio

An historical mystery set in 1804 Prussia. The main character, Magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis, is called from his small town to Konigsburg to investigate four seemingly random murders. The only connection is that the victims are all found kneeling with no visible injury. The public, already nervous about the possible invasion of Napoleon, is thrown into a panic, attributing demonic powers to the killer.

Hanno discovers he has been recommended by his mentor, the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who had encouraged him to study law as a way to atone for the guilt he feels over his brother's death. He must unmask a serial killer before anyone knew that such a criminal existed.

He is helped by Kant, who in this book uses his philosophical tenets to invent what would become forensic analysis of crime scenes and the psychology of the killer. Elderly and frail, he gives Hanno nudges in the right direction, though Hanno is inclined to trust the usual methods of brutality and torture at first.

Gregorio does a good job of invoking the atmosphere of early 19th century Prussia, from the damp cold to the casual cruelty -- from the filthy table and blood encrusted knives of a bewitching abortionist to the filthy beds and blood encrusted apron of the barrack surgeon. Hanno wavers from believing the killings to be the work of pro-Bonapartists trying to foment chaos and fear to wondering if it might be witchcraft. He gradually begins to see the merit in Kant's methods.

The book is worth reading, for the atmosphere first, and for the mystery which kept me guessing until close to the end of the book. There are a few surprising revelations which I won't hint about here.