I knew this would happen, its always the same way. Soon after (or even before) Thanksgiving is done, then on go the Christmas decorations here and far. Oh, but this has a way of being depressing. "Its too rushed" , I say. "It ruins the mood", I also say. I go through these complaints and whining every year, I moan about the over commercialism this, and the frantic schedule that -- and it could have a way of really wearing a person down. And I don't' mean the person on the other end of all my bitching and venting! But yeah, them too!

I'm wrapping up an article on Christmas, so I've had all these things on my mind even earlier than usual. But what the crux of my article is about - finding what really is significant behind our holidays -- buzzes in my mind like a cheerful but persistent goody-two-shoes. Remember the movie Animal House? When Pinto has the girl in his room, and is getting advice from his conscience? The Devil saying...."F#*k her! And the angel ...Well, saying not to.

I keep hearing the angel (how fitting) telling me.."Remember the good!" The angel also says, "remember the Alamo", but that I don't' quite get. But really, I have this voice in my head, reminding me that there is something wonderful coming. OK VOICE --You got a good point there! I get it! I'll try to be of good Cheer!

So, voice not withstanding, I continue bravely into the fray of the holiday season. (cripes, my wording isn't exactly sweetness and light is it? 'bravely'? 'into the fray'? Could I be any more, pessimistic?

Anyway, today I wasn't in the best mood when I was out on errands, but I swear this did NOT color my reactions to what I saw.

There's a new decoration in town kids. Yep, right here in River City. You probably have seen these fancy huge blow up type things that have been popular the last few years. They have pumpkins, witches, turkeys, Snowmen, elves, the works. Sadly they don't work so well for the condo set. Anyway...

There's this twist on the blow up decoration. One word: SnowGlobe. OK maybe that's two words, sorta. But really, there are now these big blow up snowglobe thingies. Yeah, exactly! It's some sort of holiday figure, with a HUGE (plastic I guess) sphere, and real stuff blowing around inside. I'm pretty sure it's not real snow.

Today I saw three of them.

It's really pretty amazing, but immediately I knew I would never EVER get one.

Too expensive? I don't know. Too gaudy? Ah, maybe, but it IS pretty cute.

Perhaps, toooooo trendy?

Bingo!

Yeah, I'm weird like that. If everyone else has one, I develop an immediate distaste for it. Maybe I'm just jealous because I didn't think of it first. Could be. I'm not sure. All I know is that why do I want to copy someone else? Why do I want to do the cookie cutter thing? ::Shiver:::. Remember those outdoor Christmas lights that give a sort of icicle effect? You affix them so they hang off the edge of the roof. Sort of neat looking, but once I saw more than one display, I made the mental note to not include it in any sort of holiday decorating theme EVER in my lifetime. EVER.

Kind of funny, especially if you know me and have been to my house. Yeah, I do follow fashion somewhat. I have hung on the coattails of some sort of decorating trend or another. My clothes are not terribly outdated. I have a DVD, MP3, GPS... I buy brand names. I wear Eddie Bauer and Victoria's Secret. I have not yet uttered, "that's how I roll", and now that I typed it, it's just too silly, but I try like heck to keep up.

Just not with the Joneses.

HOLY TURKEY LERKY BATMAN - It's Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

(First posted on Blogcritics.org)

The morning started out tense – trying to get the four of us out the door for a 9:00AM showing of the long-awaited Harry Potter flick. I know, Nine O’clock A-bloody-M. It was a school deal you see. My fifth grade son came home with the news a few weeks ago, that his school had a deal going with a local theater to get all us ‘muggles’ tickets for this special showing. It seemed worth it, despite the early show time. Of course, when this morning actually dawned, it was a little bit harder to be excited about seeing the show, especially for my high school son. “Why do we have to go so early…grumble, grumble.”?

So, we actually leave somewhat on time – rare for us – and we’re on our way. A slight snag in the travel as there is a blocked entrance ramp to the high way. So we find a roundabout way to get onto the highway only to find that the lane we want is blocked off by cones. Shortly before the exit, we slip through the cones, and right into a police roadblock. Yikes!

An officer motions us to pull over, and then proceeds to practically interrogate my husband as to why he thought he was special enough to ignore the cones and do what he wanted. “What if there was a road crew working here, and you didn’t see until too late, and you killed someone. Yeah, he said exactly that. Then we couldn’t find the vehicle registration, and I was ready to cry, when the officer – referring to my youngest in the back seat – “Look, you’ve got a young kid – do the right thing from now on.” Yes, he let us just go, but made us feel like we were just a beat away from a violent criminal career.

About two minutes later we’re pulling into the parking lot, and I suddenly remember where our special ‘muggle’ tickets were. At home. On top of the refrigerator – Not With US.

Now I really started to cry. “I’m sorry, I left the tickets at home, I forgot them!” For a second no one spoke, and then I ask my husband to drive me to the front door so I can run inside and see what I can do. Luckily everything worked out and we were let in without having to purchase new tickets.

The movie started right away, without the usual ‘coming attractions’, and the first scene happened to be a very dark one. Dark in plot, dialogue and just plain dimly lit. So it was hard to see what seats were left available, and we ended up sitting in the second row in front. I’ve done this before, sat in the very front of the huge screen, and not just for any movie – but for something guaranteed to be metaphorically huge as well. Like this summer’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Anyway, into the ‘Fire’. I’d read the book last year, and managed to remember most of the crucial plot points. I thought I was prepared for the experience, but the movie was still overwhelming. I had not paid strict attention to any write-ups or reviews of GOF, because I knew the family and I would be going regardless. As I sat watching some horrifying scenes unfold, I started to remember comments I’d heard about GOF. “Dark”…”definitely deserves its PG-13 rating”…”not for younger viewers”. Also, this was the part of the Potter series that was to have the big “D”--The death of a Hogwarts character. And when that part came, the reaction was audible. There were real sniffles and tears in the rows behind me.

Over all, the movie was very good, and quite long at 157 minutes. The Rowling book was over 700 pages, so there was a lot to incorporate onto film. Certain areas were going to have to be glossed over, or eliminated all together. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a real explanation of the Veela, the entrancing and exceptionally beautiful creatures that had the ability to captivate males. They first appeared as some sort of performing mascots during the Quidditch World Cup games in the earlier part of the book. I would have liked to have seen where one of the boys, can’t remember if it was Harry or Ron, was practically climbing out of their seat (in the nosebleed section no less) because they felt the effects of the Veela.

Speaking of male-female attractions, much – and I mean MUCH -- has been said about this being the movie where all the hormones start to zing and zip and zoom. It’s pretty much true. Though the story moved right along, I couldn’t help but be aware of how all the ‘kids’ have grown. Even Ron Weasley’s older brothers Fred and George looked cuter than I remembered. I noticed the hormonal thing especially with Ron and Hermoine. They both seemed mighty uncomfortable with themselves and with each other. Seeing how the characters were supposed to be 14 years old, that’s about right.

The twist to this installment in the Potter stories was that a long dormant event, the Tri-Wizard Tournament, was to be re-established and this year, be held at Hogwart’s School. Two visiting schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were to have representatives as well as Hogwarts participating in the dangerous tourney. Because of the impending risk of the three tasks, an age limit of 17 is imposed. Of course Harry Potter (remember, he’s only 14) ends up in the game (you know he would), along with the other Hogwarts entry Cedric Diggory, and Victor Krum (who is also a legendary Quidditch seeker) from Durmstrang and attractive Fleur Delacour, from Beauxbatons. Interesting note about Fleur, she’s part Veela, and Kate Winslet was rumored to be have been originally cast in the role. Instead the part went to Clémence Poésy who kept reminding me of a slighty younger Clare Danes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. She did fine.

Even with a yet another director at the helm, Mike Newell, who turns out to be the first British director in the Harry Potter franchise, the movie works well. (Trivia Note: Newell actually ‘passed’ on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.) Several key scenes were exactly how I imagined them from the book. The attack on the camp after the Quidditch cup, including the appearance of the Death Eaters and the Dark Mark. Also the opening ceremonies at the Cup games, the stadium, the whole vibe, was just immense. The Yule Ball, and all the angst leading up to it were done perfectly, and also a great chance for Emma Watson as Hermoine to play ‘dress up’.

The scene near the end, as Harry squares off against flat-faced Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), again follows the book nicely, but the Priori Incantatem spell that occurs when their two wands intersect isn’t really explained.

To say much more would probably give away too much, especially if you've not read the book, but what I can say, is that Moaning Myrtle makes another appearance in GOF. Poor girl though, I really don’t remember her being that horny in the book.


So, it was quite the emotional day, between the rushing, the police standoff, the lost tickets, and the movie itself. I recommend The Goblet of Fire, just take your time getting there.

(Originally posted on Blogcritics.org)

CD Review: Pink Floyd Tribute, Back Against the Wall.
(The Purple Pyramid, a division of Cleopatra Records, 2005)



What do Ian Anderson, Ronnie Montrose, Tommy Shaw, Billy Sherwood and Malcolm McDowell have in common? They and others well known artists performed on the September, 2005 release of Back Against The Wall, the tribute CD that celebrates the mystery and wonderful weirdness of Pink Floyd’s 1979 concept album, The Wall.

The main producer behind this effort is Billy Sherwood of “Yes” fame. In an interview with Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited, he said, “I knew The Wall like the back of my hand because it was basically the soundtrack to my childhood…The idea was to stick to the script because it is such a great piece of work in terms of it’s writing and content. The challenge was to figure out how we could stick close enough to the script that we don’t change what we all know and love about The Wall but at the same time let the personalities of those we bring in shine.” He’s also been at the helm of other tributes. The Songs of Pink Floyd was released in 2002, and he was also involved on Dragon Attack, a Queen tribute, A Salute to AC/DC, and Crossfire to honor Stevie Ray Vaughn.

The first time that I heard Back Against the Wall, I was a little taken aback...I noticed it first when I did not hear the trademark ‘sigh’ that marks the end of “Another Brick in the Wall” pt. 2 and the beginning of “Mother”. As I played tracks over, between TW, and BATW, I finally did hear the ‘sigh’, but it was different! I really sensed this disparity with the vocals on “Young Lust”. Something was wrong. It wasn’t exactly like Pink Floyd. I know, I know, “No Shite Sherlock”, is what you’re thinking. I might reply, “Of course it’s not bloody Pink Floyd, it’s someone covering Floyd.” And you’d then say, “Oh for crying out LOUD”. This isn’t just a:snivel:::cover. This is a tribute. And you would then proceed to lightly box me about the ears and knock my head and mutter, “Hellooo, McFly? McFly?” And I would nod my head, nothing left to do but check my expectations at the door and let go.

And this is what I find:

Overall, I think the there is more concentration on the instrumentals on BATW. They also sound cleaner, which is probably due to over 20 years improvement in recording technology. Here are a few observations and comparisons between the original and Back Against the Wall, in no particular order:

I like the original vocals slightly better on “Nobody Home”, but the piano on BATW is - well, it’s nectar. By that I mean beautiful.

“Empty Spaces” has still has that great menacing sound in the opening chords.

“In the Flesh”, still communicates the same bigotry, but the vocal delivery is more gleeful on BATW, which makes it that much more malicious sounding.

Good instrumentals on “Waiting for the Worms” Vinnie Caliauta on drums, and a wonderful organ solo by Keith Emerson.

“Run Like Hell” What can I say. My disappointment is purely a personal gut reaction. It’s technically fine, but this is one of those songs that for me needs to be the original. Actually, the original “Run Like Hell” is one of my favorite songs, period – not just within the realm of Pink Floyd. And it was altered. But this is my own personal burden to bear.

“One of My Turns”, is different, but yet so familiar. The inane prattling of the female groupie in the background, though done by a different actress, is the perfect foil to Pink’s melancholy channeled by Tommy Shaw’s voice.

“Is There Anybody Out There?” – Nice beginning, more of that menacing stuff – but what sets this one apart is Ian Anderson’s flute -- it evokes such sadness.

For those that especially loved the tracks that got the big radio play from The Wall, such as “Comfortably Numb”, and “Another Brick in the Wall”, pts 1, 2 and 3 – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Close enough to the original, but with a few extra goodies, like Steve Howe’s guitar solo on “Another Brick in the Wall”, pt. 1.

I was in college when The Wall was released. Back in 1979, the music was astounding. 25 years later, it is still astounding. The thing about Pink Floyd, and others of the progressive/space rock genre, is that the music was always held up to be some sort of prophetic message. The significance of The Wall took hours of wonderful analysis; between the music, lyrics and of course, Gerald Scarfe’s album cover art. This reworking of the original on Back Against the Wall will send the listener into yet more contemplative study of what Roger Waters really was trying to say.

Eddie Guerrero

RIP

1967 - 2005

Minneapolis, MN

Eddie Guerrero, the "Latino Heat" pro wrestler was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday morning November 13, 2005. He was found by his nephew Chavo and hotel security, after Eddie failed to respond to his wake up call. Early autopsy results show massive heart failure, most likely due to Eddie's past life style of hard partying. He had recently celebrated four years of sobriety, but the past claimed him regardless. His widow Vickie said this:

"It was from his past – the drinking and the drug abuse. They found signs of heart disease. She (the examiner) said that the blood vessels were very worn and narrow, and that just showed all the abuse from the scheduling of work and his past. And Eddie just worked out like crazy all the time. It made his heart grow bigger and work harder and the vessels were getting smaller, and that’s what caused the heart failure. He went into a deep sleep.
As soon as they saw his heart, they saw the lining of his heart already had the heart disease. There was no trauma, and Eddie hadn’t hurt himself in any way. It answered a lot of questions. I knew Eddie wasn’t feeling very good for the last week. He was home and kept saying he wasn’t feeling good and we thought it was just “road tired.” So we thought he just had to rest. It answered a lot of my questions, too, because he was just so exhausted. She said it was normal because the heart was working so hard..."

WWE's site has more of the story.

I havn't followed pro wrestling much at all, except more recently when my two sons started watching WWE's Raw and Smackdown. Now I can name many of the faces, and it's such a lousy feeling to know that one of the most vibrant and exciting (and somewhat annoying) stars will be gone forever.

Vaya con Dios Eddie

Listen.

Read.

Think.

Communicate





Check this out. I've been doing background reading for a Pink Floyd tribute CD. But that's not important right now.

Once upon a time, an intrepid little Usenet alt.music.pink-Floyd group was entrenched in the mysterious puzzle presented by the Publius Enigma. I've read emails and original Usenet postings scattered over various Pink Floyd websites. These cats were into it. That's pretty cool, but it makes me wonder, when all that concern and brainpower and dedication is channeled in one conundrum -- what can't they accomplish, what can't they win? Yeah, they are workin' it.

Imagine -- if you will -- that that braintrust is handling your spleen, your tax deferments, replacing your rotting foundation or coddling your transmission, then it's good to be you, yes?

If you could harness all the energy fired in those alt.music.whateverbandyouplease little synapses, then...Wow!

We need to send them to G8, We need them on the Beltway, in our schools - we need them in every tech support call we make, damnit.

Musicologists? Detectives? Whatever you call them, we need them.

Until then:

Listen.

Read.

Think.

Communicate

The Haunting of Me.


I suppose there is the standard definition of the word 'haunting' or 'haunted'. No, I'm not going to go look them up. Typically though, haunting connotes something scary, or at the least something to make you a bit anxious.

I am haunted by music. I am struck to the core, when I hear certain tunes. It doesn't have to be scary, or even anxious rending.

Certain songs though, just make you feel --- what? Ah, I guess it doesn't matter what it makes you feel, just as long as you ARE feeling.

Yes, it's the feeling, isn't it?
Plenty of music makes us feeling nauseous, or a step closer to epilepsy even. Much of it is wonderous though.

"Amazing Grace". Yeah, that IS amazing. The song is beautiful in its simplicity. In the same Christian vein is "Thy Word" Amy Grant does a good turn at this. Even better is to hear a room full of 13 - 17 year olds singing right along with her. The same kids that just raved on about My Chemical Romance, or their plans to see Aerosmith. The same kids that pelted you with snowballs on the last retreat. Those kids, singing their hearts out to "Thy Word".

Wondeous indeed.

Speaking of Aerosmith - and there's alot of great tunes there - but let's get into "Walk This Way". It's all of what Aerosmith was and is meant to be. Rockers at the first, last and in between. Sassy, loud, confident rockers. Sung by themselves, or with Run DMC. Sung in an arena, or lip-sync-ed in someone's bedroom. An invitation to a party -- to walk this way.

So cool.

This would be cheating - but there's a ton of stuff I just love on the Love Actually sound track. What haunted me though? That Dido song, of all things. "Here with Me". The song had plenty of airplay, and it was 'ok'. After seeing the movie though, now I freakin' love it! That's the thing though, after seeing certain songs connected with a fresh story - it makes a difference.

Just like one of my favorite U2 songs, "Streets Have no Names". The music video that accompanied this song depicted of a brazen act of just saying, "What the F(*k". The band was taped playing on a rooftop, the setting was downtown L.A., and the mood was defiant fun. As a friend of mine says, "Don't ask for Permission - ask for Forgiveness" - and U2 was playing without permission and eventually got silenced.

It's gotten too late to be coherent here, but the music is still there; doing its haunting thing.

Some Good News!

A while back I had posted a request from a musician (and personal friend). He was asking for CD buyers to be mindful of how the purchase of Cosmic Orgasm would be linked to Red Cross donations.

Here are the results of that fundraising effort.


"Last night the donation program came to a close andthe funds raised were sent directly to the Red CrossDisaster Relief Fund thru their local Portland Oregonbranch. In the end, it raised a total of $165,060 overthe last seven weeks! Cd Baby also donated $40,000 oftheir own! For a Grand Total of $205,060!!! Thank Youto the customers, artists, and Cd Baby! Peace, Aaron"Spaceman Spliff" "


Good Stuff, eh?

So so so, yes I know. It's been too long and time has gone on ...and on.
It's with heavy heart that I must confess -
Life has been a bit of a mess.

Nothing drastic, nothing vile -
Just the usual stuff that happens to most
Kind of consumes us for a while.

Then please continue, go on about your life
See, I'm here! Despite the strife.
And just in case you wondered, or cared

Poetry ain't my strong suit
Really just did it -- on a dare.

Something I realize I need to address before too much more time passes. When I ran my lil' movie quiz of September 7th though I did supply the answers; I never mentioned who the top winners were.

So, now with a flourish and drumroll, yaddah yaddah yaddah --

Eowyn and The Duke both got top honors.

For the most recent quiz of September 28th, Eowyn is in the lead. But it's not too late to enter!


And for my teaser question of Sept. 24th,

" What do Ian Anderson, Ronnie Montrose, Tommy Shaw, Billy Sherwood and Malcolm McDowell have in common?"

These gents join other music greats on the Back Against the Wall tribute CD that revisits the work of Pink Floyd's The Wall. CD review forthcoming.

That's it for now.

Quiz Time Again!

These shouldn't be too hard : )~


1. "...the soft glow of electric sex"

2. "I've got a bad feeling about this"

3. "...and the schnozberries taste like schnozberries!"

4. "Sometimes you just gotta say, 'what the fuck' "

5. "At my signal - unleash Hell"

6. "Quid pro quo!"

7. "Are you stalking me? Because that would be super"

8. "I'm gonna give you to the count of 10 to get your ugly, yellow, no-good keister off my property before I pump your guts full of lead! One, two, ten!"

9. "Fuck Grandma"

10. "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony."

Fun with Words.


Jambalaya. This is a fun word. It's exotic enough to be interesting, yet not foreign enough to be scary. It sounds like what it is, something fun and filled with good spicy stuff. Say it with me... "Jambalaya" It is reminiscent (and some say derived from) of the word, paella. Of course, I can't think of paella without thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer is invited eat paella with Mr. and Mrs. Costanza. Another explanation is that the word comes from the french "jambon" (hambone) and the West African word "Ya-ya" (rice). Works for me.

What do Ian Anderson, Ronnie Montrose, Tommy Shaw, Billy Sherwood and Malcolm McDowell have in common? "Stand still Laddie!" We'll take questions at the end. You know what I mean.

Next.

Am I getting too old? No, I don't think so. No. But - I need to wear my glasses more and more. For the close work, reading. OK that's normal. But - it's hard to read a menu in a restaurant. The lighting is a little low. So, what's the big deal?

Its these websites. Some are a pain to read? Does no one else see this? Seems to be mostly bands' websites. Of all the websites I tend to visit, the rockers seem to be the hardest to read. A tiny font size, and the text and background colors don't contrast enough, and I'm like blind by then.

Speaking of bands, same thing with the CD covers, lyrics, production notes. Too small! Too hard to read. Change the colors. Hey you groovy young musicians, psst...Some of your listening demographic is a bit -- more mature. Actually we probably take up more of your pie chart than you realize. Bigger font please!

Other than that it's all fine. It's good. I guess.

An excerpt from my forthcoming CD review of The Dropkick Murphys' The Warrior Code.

" “Your Spirit’s Alive”, the first track, is a bit of a tease. It starts out sweet and slow, just pipes and piano. Someone like me, who loves all that folk Celtic stuff will smile and say, “Ahh.” After 20 seconds though, the rest of the instruments come in and the beat just about triples, with the Murphys shouting the lyrics, “We are the ones who will never be broken, we are the ones who survive…” And someone like me, who loves the punk likes of Green Day, Quiet Riot metal, or Sublime ska will smile and say, “Ahh”, again."

I sure wish I could get the whole damn thing done. But life is interrupting. : )

Something to consider:

Here is another article by Annie Jacobsen; following up on her Terror in the Skies series. I've not read every part of the series, but I have read enough to know that the public (and no, not just the American public) needs to be more aware of what is going on around them.

Awareness, not just of fellow flight passengers, but of our political leaders' actions as well.

Can we be aware without profiling? Probably not. It stinks, but I think we need to be a little less politically correct.

Can we be aware without questioning what the government does? NO. Iraq, oil, FEMA, 9/11, WMD's, contrails/chemtrails -- look around, read, research, ask questions. Some things are whack, some are real, it won't be easy to gauge the truth, but asking questions is the start.

Is this all exhausting? Yes.

Should that stop us? No.

Is it me? Or is Man on Fire really kind of sucky? I actually tried to change the channel, and I think the batteries are worn down in the remote - so now I'm looking for new batteries.

Anyway, I have only seen parts of it, I can't really sit down yet and give undivided attention to it - so, to be fair, maybe it's OK. I don't know though, so far, it's just not that great. So, someone tell me, should I bother trying to see the whole thing?

Something that my writing group and I will be investing in, or better yet, starting a grown up version of these. For when those good ideas strike!

OK - I know y'all waiting for answers, here you go.


"I get compliments on the hyphen." Unlce Buck

"Because we are still alive." The Matrix Reloaded

"It was a good death." The Last Samurai

"Life moves pretty fast, if you don't slow down
and look once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller's Day Off

"Dooodie!" Caddyshack

"I'm sorry John, but you're going to have to run
again...Ruuuuuuuuuuuun!" The Minority Report

In Good Company: A Review of Company Man.
By Mary K. Williams

(cross posted to www.blogcritics.org)

Company Man by Joseph Finder: New York, St. Martin’s Press. 2005. 215 pgs.


You know a book is good when it gets inside you. When you think about what is going on with the characters when the pages are closed and wonder how any one of them might handle a certain situation. In Company Man, Joseph Finder has created such characters. He's also created a tensely paced believable thriller.

Nick Conover is a recently widowed CEO of a large office-furniture plant in Fenwick, MI. When we meet Nick, he’s trying to deal with his two children, 16 year old Lucas and 10-year-old Julia in the aftermath of losing their mother, Laura. Aside from family sorrows, Nick has to continually please the corporate owners.

Because of pressure from the home office in Boston, he’s had to lay off about five thousand employees resulting in nearly the whole town hating him. On top of everything else, a shadowy stalker has been breaking into his family’s home to vandalize it with frightening graffiti. Before long, his worlds collide and in uncontrollable circumstances, there’s also now a dead body and a cover-up to contend with. Business deals begin to collapse, and Nick’s life becomes even more strained as homicide detectives begin to investigate the case.

Joseph Finder isn’t a stranger to the corporate thriller. His 2004 novel, Paranoia, was on the New York Times Bestseller list, as well as High Crimes, the 1998 legal thriller turned major film (Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Jim Caviezel).

A former Yale Russian Studies student and Harvard instructor, Finder started his literary career with a book called, Red Carpet: The Connection Between the Kremlin and America’s Most Powerful Businessmen. This book, an account of Dr. Armand Hammer’s connections to Soviet intelligence, nearly led to a libel suit by Dr. Hammer against Finder. Soon enough though, the facts against Hammer were verified when the walls of the Soviet Union began to crumble and archived intelligence surfaced.

Because perhaps of Finder’s connections in the intelligence world (he’s a member of the AFIO, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers), he seems to have excellent instincts and timing regarding his espionage subject matter. In his first fiction novel, The Moscow Club, he told the story of a KGB driven coup against leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. The book was published in 1991, six months before the real event.

In 1994, Finder published his second novel, Extraordinary Powers, about the discovery of a Soviet mole positioned in the upper echelon of the CIA. Just days after this book came out; Aldrich Ames was named as one of the most notorious CIA moles in history.

When the subject matter is the corporate world, Joseph Finder still on top of his game. Company Man gives us all the shades of big business life, from cube farms to outsourcing to a Warren Buffet / Berkshire Hathaway type ownership. Finder does thorough research for his stories, and it shows in Nick Conover’s on target interactions with his teenage son, as well as his thoughts about his dead wife, Laura. Finder shows us the human failings in Nick, guiltily finding fault with Laura’s decorating choices --

“The first graffiti had appeared on the heavy, ornate ash-wood front door, which Laura had deliberated over for weeks with the architect, a door that had cost a ridiculous three thousand dollars, a fucking door, for God’s sake”

-- instead of simply elevating her to sainthood, just because she’s deceased.

The author still keeps things real, as homicide detective Audrey Rhimes enters the scene. Company Man’s book jacket and other PR blurbs mention this character as having “her own, very personal, reason for pursuing Nick Conover.” However, as the story unfolds, I didn’t view Rhimes this way. It’s no secret that her husband has been laid off from Stratton, and his subsequent drinking and general surliness provide tension and a nice secondary plot line. But Finder’s depiction of this woman is not of someone who is itching to get the guy who soured her marriage, instead she almost reminds you of Tommy Lee Jones’s “Sam Gerard”, the U.S. Marshall in The Fugitive. Gerard just wanted to do his job, and get the bad guy. The Rhimes character is just as single minded as Gerard. And in both cases, as the investigation process widens to include other possibilities, Finder makes Audrey Rhimes is smart enough to follow every lead.

The bottom line on Company Man? A very enjoyable read.

I came across this report today, and found it very interesting. The author, Annie Jacobsen, has been also doing an ongoing investigative series related to airline safety post 9-11. She found enough information to publish a book, Terror in the Skies: Why 9-11 Could Happen Again.

However, this particular news report is about the work that a group of Federal Air Marshalls performed in the most dreadful of situations during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

This is just one report of one group of heroes. There are many many more who have been doing necessary work in the Gulf States. One is a young man from my town, and dojo.
Will Minior was to start his freshman year at Loyola University, and instead he learned how to run a shelter. Minior has since returned to Massachusetts to attend Stonehill College, but no book learning will compare to some of the tough lessons he learned those days in New Orleans.

(cross posted to www.blogcritics.org)