...what REALLY grinds my gears...

I used to have a really bad temper. Over the years, I noticed a great difference in how I handle things and people that have pissed me off. Before I'd hit them first and ask questions later. Call it the Brooklyn in me. Today, since things have "changed", I'll hit while asking questions think about the severity of the actions then decide what's the best way to handle the situation. But as much as I've changed and resisted the urge to act before thinking by buying a taser-gun to use on all of you slowly, there are still things that friends, family, strangers and the entire human population do that grind my gears. And I present the first part of THE list of: Gear Grinders.

• Over-the-phone silence - I love being on the phone because I automatically assume or know beforehand that the individual I'm calling is not going to bore me halfway to death with their bullshit going to have some interesting things to tell me. Or if not just that, I'm going to have some wildly inappropriate things to say something crazy to share or laugh about because that's just who I am. Don't call me if I'm going to be forced to listen to you (or me) breathe or listen to myself think. I can do that all on my own, thanks. 

• Being ignored - I give everyone my undivided attention or whatever is left of it after being split between you, her, him and them. So if I've seen you tweet or change a status in up to 30 minutes from when I hit you up, I'm not going to make a scene but I will definitely feel a kind of way because you were just there and now you're not? If you're going to vanish, at least do like Houdini and completely vanish. Don't leave evidence that you were never gone. 

• Phone Tag - You're it. I'm it. Now you're it. Wait, no I'm it. I remember that game in a playground, running around trying to touch the parts of kids our age run to base to escape being "IT". Now, 10-13 years later, here we are doing that on our phones.  You called me and I picked up right when you hung up. I call you back and you miss it. -___- You call me and/or text me to call you back right away. I follow instructions as per the text message and annoyed v-mail to no avail. Who should be upset right now? Me. Why? Because you wanted to talk & now you're playing hot potato with this? Beat it, c*cksucker.

• Blatant interrupting - Some people are just rude on purpose. Others don't know they're being rude until they're corrected. And they take the correction and do what they can to fix what they have done that was wrong. But here's to you all that this  correction-application does NOT apply to. I repeat, this method to right your wrongs does NOT apply to you. In the middle of a conversation, you rude muthaf*ckahs ones will interject time after time about your life, trials and tribulations. This really is hilarious to say but "No one asked you" (thanks Dr. J). When it's time for you to speak, you'll know. You want the mic? Let's go back in the day and raise your damn hand. Stop interrupting so damn much. Go eat and suck on something phallic.

• Complaining - Now, I know everyone complains. Even the people who say they don't complain, really do it. So that rules out the general type of complaints that are not borderline banshee wailing. All these "Woe is me" characters who feel the world has to stop because they just got a splinter, stubbed their toe, etc. can all go play in rush hour traffic. Some just whine too damn much and I really am tempted to crack out a violin (thanks again J). Pick the tune. Life can't ever be that bad for you to whine and yammer like that. Two thumbs down q(-_-)p

I'm pretty sure there are things people do that annoy you. This is the first five in a new random series called The Gear Grinders. Trust me, there will be more. But what do you think about this list of five? I just hope you don't say some things that will appear in the next TGG post. But share your thoughts anyway.

I wouldn't purposely do it to you so you doing it just disrespected me. Don't get sonned

Suki

Source: http://drsuki.blogspot.com/2010/08/gear-grinders-i.html

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The Stormcaller, by Tom Lloyd
Paperback: 449 pages
Publisher: Pyr, ©2008
ISBN: 978-1-59102-693-8
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: PeterWilliam

From the back of the book: In a land ruled by prophecy and the whims of Gods, a young man finds himself at the heart of a war he barely understands, wielding powers he may never be able to control.

Isak is a white-eye, born bigger, more charismatic, and more powerful than normal men...but with that power comes an unpredictable temper and an inner rage he cannot always hide. Brought up as a wagon-brat, feared and despised by those around him, he dreams of a place in the army and a chance to live his own life. But when the call comes, it isn't to be a soldier, for the Gods have other plans for the intemperate teenager: Isak has been chosen as heir-elect to the brooding Lord Bahl, the white-eye Lord of the Farlan.

The white-eyes were created by the Gods to bring order out of chaos, for their magnetic charm and formidable strength make them natural leaders of men. Lord Bahl is typical of the breed: he inspires and oppresses those around him in equal measure. He can be brusque and impatient, a difficult mentor for a boy every bit as volatile as he is.

But now is the time for revenge, and for the forging of empires. With mounting envy and malice, the men who would themselves be kings watch Isak, chosen by Gods as flawed as the humans who serve them, as he is shaped and molded to fulfill the prophecies that circle him like scavenger birds. Divine fury and mortal strife are about to spill over and paint the world with blood.

The Stormcaller is the first book in a powerful new series that combines inspired world building, epoch-shattering battles, and high emotion to dazzling effect.

Well, that's more than a mere blurb, but it does pretty much cover the main plot points. And a fine plot it is. While the info dump/assimilation quotient goes above average here, there is a Dramatis Personae at the end of the book for the reader to untangle all of the various personages walking through the storyline, as though it were a subway station. The faction tracking portion of keeping the plot straight was a bit difficult due the double-edged sword of: 1) info dump and, 2) lack of information on things that will probably be revealed in later installments. Other than the aforementioned potential snags, the plot of the story is engaging. The story elements of the setting (or world-building, whatever) have a nice mix of the imaginative and the "tried and true."

The characters really work for this tale. One could conceivably describe the characters as Eddings-esque (as a categorization and/or a possible criticism), but it would be more fair to describe them as being withheld from unnecessary over-complication and, yet, still vibrant. Each character carries a key emotive role, for the reader, and it worked in this instance.

The tale is third-person in nature, even during several key dreamscape sequences. One gets the sense that the author was attempting to veer away from the third-person during the dreamscape sequences, but didn't completely commit to doing so.

Overall, a very fun read and debut. One which shapes and stores an expectation for the next book in the series.

Characters - 8
Plot - 9
Style - 7

Overall: 8/10

Source: http://speculativebookreview.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-stormcaller-by-tom-lloyd.html

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AUTHOR: Emily Rodda (AUST) (2000)

NOTES: Deltora Quest 1: 8-book series. ~ 120 pages, 16 chapters, medium/small print. The characters must solve puzzles that children will delight in (mirror-image writing, people talking backwards, riddles). Some parts could be quite scary for some young children.
Deltora Quest 2: 3 books; Quest 3: 4 books.
Also includes How to Draw Deltora Monsters/Dragons books, Deltora Quiz book, Tales of Deltora, Deltora Monsters.
Includes a website, card game, video game, cartoon (anime).

ISSUES: good vs evil, friendship, trust, responsibility, courage, coming-of-age.

PLOT: A group of young people search for the keys to release their land from the clutches of the evil Shadow Lord. In their travels they must discern good from evil, and learn that what you see initially is not always the truth.

AGES: 8-12 GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure RATING: 5 stars

Source: http://journeyofalibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/07/deltora-quest-series.html

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Dragon Ball Z was the first anime I saw when I went to Japan, this was back in 1993. I lived there for over a year and DBZ had already been running for almost four years when I started watching. DBZ started out as a manga (like most anime) and became a T.V. show around 1989. The series follows the adventures of Son Goku and his children from his childhood through adulthood as they train in martial arts and explore the world in search of the seven mystical objects known as the Dragon Balls, which can summon the mystical dragon Shinron who could grant 3 wishes. The wishes could be used for anything like bringing back the dead, to granting immortality. Due to their incredible power the dragon balls attracted a wide variety of villains, both alien and human which Goku and his group of warriors had to defeat.

The show was broken into three seperate series first was Dragon Ball which chronicled Goku's childhood. Then Dragon Ball Z the most popular which dealt with his adulthood and growing martial arts expertise, and finally Dragon Ball GT which dealt more with his children and descendant than Goku. He makes appearances throughout the show, but due to a curse he was reverted to the child form he had in Dragon Ball. Recently DBZ has been re-mastered and released as Dragon Ball Kai, which changes the original footage and story.

Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one of the most popular manga series of its time in both Japan and North America. It enjoys a high readership, with over 150 million volumes of the series, has 17 feature films and was ranking number 12 among the best anime series of all time in 2006. Below I posted a small clip of one of the best fights in the series Goku vs. the Galactic warrior Freeza. Peep the part where he bitch slaps the taste out of Freeza's mouth...if that doesn't get you hooked on the series then the fight with Goku vs. Perfect Cell will.

Source: http://atasteofvinum.blogspot.com/2010/07/dragon-ball-z.html

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