Brilliant Viewpoint on Why Mass Shootings Keep Happening

I saw this post,credited to Morgan Freeman, on Facebook and it strikes me as a brilliant take on why these mass shootings keep happening.

Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened yesterday :

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.

 

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."

Star Trek Trailer

The trailer for the new Star Trek Movie, Into Darkness, is available to watch online at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408101/.  It looks like a pretty good movie from the trailer.

The movie is due out in May of 2013.

GI Joe-Retaliation Trailer

GI Joe, the Rise of Cobra, was a great movie.  The sequel, Retaliation, looks good from the trailer, and features Bruce Willis.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.gijoemovie.com/#/videos/trailer

Amazon Affiliation

I have affiliated my website with Amazon (as you can probably tell from the banners).

If you want to support this website and shop at all on Amazon.com, the next time you go to shop on Amazon please link to it through a banner on my website.

Thanks

Now on Amazon Canada, Brazil, and Japan

A Whisper in Space and Big Damn Love Story are now on Amazon's Canada, Brazil, and Japan site using the links below:

Amazon Canada:

• http://www.amazon.ca/2-PACK-Whisper-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B009EIBGO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355085342&sr=8-1 (2 Pack Whisper in Space & Big Damn Love Story)
• http://www.amazon.ca/Damn-Story-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B008EP3I1Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355085370&sr=1-1 (Big Damn Love Story)

Amazon Japan:

• http://www.amazon.co.jp/Whisper-Space-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B005IGUN9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355085638&sr=8-1 (A Whisper in Space)
• http://www.amazon.co.jp/2-PACK-Whisper-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B009EIBGO8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355085638&sr=8-2 (2 Pack Whisper in Space & Big Damn Love Story)
• http://www.amazon.co.jp/Damn-Story-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B008EP3I1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355085665&sr=8-1 (Big Damn Love Story)

Amazon Brazil:

• http://www.amazon.com.br/Whisper-Space-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B005IGUN9Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355085888&sr=1-1 (A Whisper in Space)
• http://www.amazon.com.br/2-PACK-Whisper-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B009EIBGO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355085888&sr=1-2 (2 Pack Whisper in Space & Big Damn Love Story)
• http://www.amazon.com.br/Damn-Story-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B008EP3I1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355085914&sr=1-2 (Big Damn Love Story)

 

New Board Game---There Will Be Zombies

I just got wind of a new board game, being styled as and RPG board game that needs no GM.  The game is goingto be called "There Will Be Zombies."  The game will be available for online play via a platform called iTabletop.

Information can be found here: http://itabletop.com/HotProjects/GAMEThereWillBeZombies.aspx

A video that explains the game can be found here: http://www.indiegogo.com/DeadfordFalls

Sean Maher Talks About Serenity Sequel (Firefly)

I just read this article where Sean maher speculated about the possibility that Joss Whedon will make a sequel to Serenity.

http://screencrush.com/firefly-joss-whedon-serenity-sequel/

Frankly, I couldn't agree more with his thoughts.

Red Dawn---My Review

I just got back from seeing the movie Red Dawn, which was released today after a significant postponement (Official Move Website). 

To see the official trailer, click here (Official Trailer)

For those who weren't aware, this movie was originally scheduled to come out last November.  In the version they originally shot, they had China as the villain who invades the U.S., but they realized after production that they stood to loose huge DVD sales in China.  To remedy that, they switched it so that North Korea was the villain.

This movie was done in a similar style to the Red Dawn I grew up watching, which was released back in 1984 (IMBD http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087985/), which had a host of future celebrities in it, including Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen, and Lea Thompson.

The new version features most of the same characters, with Jed Ekert (Chris Hemsworth/Patrick Swayze) as the leader of a band of insurgents, fighting the army that has invaded our country.  Matt, Robert, Erica, Toni, Danny, and Daryl are all still there.  The character known only as Aardvark has been replaced by a couple named Greg and Julie.

The movie was heavy on action, as you would expect. All of it was very well done, with good production work that looks much better than the original.

The theme of the movie was drastically different.  The original movie was really about the futility of war, and while there is a sense that the Wolverines are making a difference, the futility and attrition ultimately win out as two survivors escape to Free America.  Colonel Bella in the end has a chance to kill Jed (Patrick Swayze) but seesthe futility of that and instead turns away (and we never do find out what happened to Jed).  The new movie has a stronger sense of duty to fight the invaders, and the sense that they are making a clear and significant difference is portrayed in a much stronger fashion.  War is not portayed as a futile effort, but instead as an unavoidable and necessary effort given the circumstances.  The sense of constant danger is very well done as well.

The storyline was good, and much more developed than the original.  Among action movies, it was one of the deeper storylines that I've seen.  It was also an original storyline, and not a retelling of the original storyline (a.k.a. Footloose, which was redone in a horrible fashion)  I won't give away any details, but I will say they did a good job with it.  The ending fits with the theme of this version (I won't give it away, don't worry).  I will tell you that more of the Wolverines are alive at the end of the movie, though several have died, and the final battle surprised me.

The movie ended in a way were the possibility that the story could continue exists, and I wouldn't mind seeing the story continue.

I probably will see this movie again in the theaters, and Igive it 4 stars (on a 1-5 scale) for a movie of its genre.

Lastly, and most importantly...

The chair is against the wall
The chair is against the wall
John has a long mustache
John has a long mustache
(Yes, we hear those lines again)

Author Page on Amazon.com

I have now set up an author page at Amazon.com.  You can find it at
https://www.amazon.com/author/daviddrizzit.  I'll ue this page as another source for sending out information about my books and ebooks.

Song of the Lonely Mountain---From The Hobbit

This link (http://www1.rollingstone.com/hearitnow/player/neilfinn.html) will take you to a page that has the offical ballad of the upcoming Hobbit movie, which is called Song of the Lonely Mountain.  It is performed by Neil Finn.

My initial reaction upon hearing the song is that it has a very interesting feel to it.  The song seems to give the impression of someone on a rugged and grueling adventure (matching the theme of the movie well).  I enjoyed it.

For those who don't remember the ballads from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, they were:

• May It Be---Fellowship of the Ring (Enya) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljm5225B_cg
• Gollum's Song---The Two Towers (Emillana Torinni) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkXbzffVl44
• Into The West---Return of the King (Annie Lennox) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24fGmWG6kpg

 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Jurney (Trailer)---Updated

Here is a link to the yahoo movie page that has the trailers for the upcoming Lord Of The Rings movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  Here is the link (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey/trailers/).

From the official website, regarding the schedule for future movies:

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, andthe third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” slated for July 18, 2014

Enjoy, it looks like it should be a great movie.

Settlers of Catan Table

Every now and then I find something that is really cool, and have to share it.  Today I found this cool gaming table built to serve as either ageneral board game table, or as a table for the board game Settlers of Catan.

At $330, the table is a good value.  You can find it at http://www.tableofcatan.com/tables/settlement-series/settlement-series-table-color-stained-birch.  Upgraded tables are available for a little bit more money.

Of course, if you have no idea what Settlers of Catan is, you need to go to your nearest retailer and check it out immeditely.  Even Target and Toys R Us are now selling it, along with Barnes and Noble and most board game stores.  Here's a link to the game on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353270403&sr=8-1&keywords=settlers+of+catan)

World War Z---Trailer (Zombie Movie)

OK, I just found out about this movie, saw the trailer and it does look very good.  It is called World War Z, and the Z stands for Zombie.  The movie has Brad Pitt as the major character, which is a high profile choice, even though he's notoneof my favorite actors.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aALfQZMgI2s.

The movie comes out in June of 2013.

Excellent Zombie Movie

I just watched an excellent zombie movie, Zombie Apocalypse.  The movie was made in 2011, and is very realistic.  No cheese, just pure adventure as a group of survivors makes their way through Los Angeles, trying to get to the last safehaven, Catalina Island.

Here is a link to the movie's listing on IMDB---http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1876547/

The most notable cast members are Ving Rhames and Taryn Manning.  Check it out if you dare.

If you like this movie, something else you might enjoy: Finding a Safe-haven (Brenna's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse, Book 1), by Amber Starks

Also, see my list with the rules for surviving Zombieland from the movie and related commercials.

Red Dawn---Theatrical trailer

This link(http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/red-dawn-2010-2/trailers/) will take you to the trailer for the upcoming movie, Red Dawn. 

This is a remake of sorts, though unlike many remakes it seems from the previews that they have made a mucher deeper plot than the original.  Most remakes turn out to be disappointing word-for-word reproductions of the original, lacking the zesk that made the original so good (consider The Karate Kid or Footloose).  So needless to say I am pumped to see this movie.

The original was set in the early 80s, with a schlew of stars including Patrick Schwazi, Charlee Sheen, and Jennifer Grey.  Their townin Oklahoma is invaded by Cubans and El Salvidorians, part of a Russian invasion of the American midwest.  Seige is laid to cities like Denver, while small towns see all of their key people locked up in "re-education camps."  The high school students, 8 of them, fight the invaders and slowly die off, until only 2 escape to Free America.

Chris Hemsworth leads this bunch, and based on the previews it should be quite a show.  This time it's the North Koreans.  Originally they filmed it with the Chinese leading the invasion, but they wanted to sell themovie in China, which strictly regulates the content its citizens can see.

The movie comes out November 21, and is rated PG-13.

 

The Difference Between Science and Global Warming

Dear Mr. Al Gore

It's time we have a heart to heart discussion about the difference between science and global warming.

You say that most scientist agree that we are in the process of destroying the planet.  Unfortunately for you, science is not about the consensus of opinions of scientists, it's about cold hard scientific facts.  Remember just a few hundred years ago it was the consensus of all scientists, without exception, that the Earth was flat, and was the center of the universe.  The someone disagreed with that consensus,and ultimately proved everyone else wrong.

Gravity is scientific fact.  The theory behind gravity says that if I take a solid object, hold it 3 feet off the ground, and let go of the object, the object will fall.  Science (combined with math) will not only predict that the object will fall, it will tell us exactly how long it will take to fall, what speed it will achieve during the fall, etc...  It will not only predict these things, but these predictions will be precisely right, every single time, and the predictions will be made in advance of events, not in reaction to events..

Global warming has produced numerous predictions, but none of them so far have been accurate.  For example, after Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, Global Warming "scientists" predicted that we would continue to have more serious hurricane seasons each subsequent year.

That didn't happen.

Instead, we had several years of relatively mild hurricane activity.  The reactionary prediction of global warming "scientists" didn't come to fruition.  The "science" behind global warming failed to predict hurricane Katrina, and then failed to produce a predicable result subsequent to the hurricane.

Now, a category 1 hurricane arrived late in the season and met with a cold front.  After it hit a part of the country that rarely sees hurricanes, Mr. Gore is again making the prediction that global warming will cause more severe hurricane activity.  The problem is, yet again, the prediction is in reaction to events, rather than before events.  Moreover, a category 1 hurricane is not unusual activity.  Several category 1 hurricanes hit North America each year.

A review of historical data provided by the National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastint.shtml) shows that the most severe storm to hit the U.S. between 1851 and 2004 was in the year 1935.  Of the 18 category 4 and category 5 hurricanes to hit the U.S., only 3 occurred during my lifetime (I'm 40).  Katrina obviously need to be added to that list, but is still number 2 behind the 1935 hurricane (http://www.americasbestonline.com/index.php/pages/top10hurricanes.html).

Of course, global warming could not possibly have been the cause of the 1935 hurricane.

Of course, the ultimate proof that global warming is a farce is the name change.  First it was global cooling, then global warming, then global cooling, then global warming again.  Now, it is called global climate change to hide the fact that they don't know if the Earth is getting warmer or colder.

 

Another Opinion on Disney/Lucasfilm Deal

This article (http://www.egotastic.com/2012/11/the-5-best-and-5-worst-things-to-expect-from-a-disney-made-star-wars-movie/) on egotastic was interesting, the 5 best and 5 worst things about the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm.  It makes quite a few good points.

Other articles about the Disney Buyout of Lucasfilm:
http://whisperinspace.blogspot.com/2012/10/disney-buys-star-wars.html
http://whisperinspace.blogspot.com/2012/10/more-details-on-lucasfilmdisney-deal.html

More Details on Lucasfilm/Disney Deal

I wrote a little bit ago about the deal Disney struck to buy Lucasfilms, and produce new Star Wars Movies (http://whisperinspace.blogspot.com/2012/10/disney-buys-star-wars.html).

Some more details on the Lucasfilm/Disney deal can be found here (http://www.nbcnews.com/business/disney-buying-lucasfilm-will-release-new-star-wars-movie-2015-1C6761343)

Key Points

• Episode 7 will berelease in 2015
• Disney Acquires Lucasfilm, ILM (Industrial Light and Magic), the rights to the Indiana Jones Franchise, and Skywalker Sound.
• Lucas, as soleowner of Lucas Film, gets $4 Billion (yes, billion with a B) dollars is cash and Disney stock, and will become a 2.2% owner of Disney.
• Lucas will be a creative consultant, which basically means he can give ideas and vision, but Disney can complete ignore him if he proposes wasting valuable film time on an unispiring love story (a.k.a. Episode 2).

I still view this as a great and exciting development, hopefully I won't be disappointed.

 

Disney Buys Lucasfilm & Star Wars, Movie in 2015

I just read about this today, and think it is great news.  Disney has bought Lucasfilms, and announced that they will begin making Star Wars movies, the first one coming out in 2015.  I have to tell you that I am pumped about this because Disney is great at making great movies.

The first Star Wars trilogy was awesome.  The second trilogy, the prequels, were a massive let-down that led to parody songs like "George Lucas Raped Our Childhood." (youtube --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzDIClx-_pY).

Disney is great at making movies fans want to see, and they won't make movies in a vacuum where nobody wants to stand up and say "Excuse me, Mr. Lucas, this sucks."  This article on Wired.comput it more eloquently than I can (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/10/disney-star-wars-new-hope/).

I feel like after the prequels I shouldtry to stay cautiously optimistic, but I want to see good Star Wars movies, ones where Han Solo Shoots first, where nobody steps on Jaba's tail, and where we don't get bogged downin an uninspired love story.  There was a grittiness about the first trilogy that hopefully will come back with Disney now at the helm.

I posted more info in a later article (http://whisperinspace.blogspot.com/2012/10/more-details-on-lucasfilmdisney-deal.html).




 

Highlander Remake

I just stumbled across this article this morning.  Apparently, they are going to make a new Highlander.  This won't be a continuation of the story, but instead a remake of the first movie.

Ryan Reynolds will play the role of Connor McCleod, which could be a good casting decisions.

Read more about it here (link here).

Personally, I like the idea of the Highlander franchise getting a resurgence.  But a lot of the remakes I have seen lately have fallen way flat of the original (see Footloose, the Karate Kid, etc...), where the plot is verbatim the same but the subtle nuances that made te story work so well have been overlooked. 

Hopefully the Highlander remake will be better than Footloose.  Us Highlander fans desaerve a good movie, and not a cheap copy.

Ebook 2-Pack

I am now selling both of my ebooks as a 2-pack, available now at Amazon.com and Amazon.UK. 

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/2-PACK-Whisper-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B009EIBGO8/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1348226101&sr=8-11&keywords=whisper+in+space

Amazon.UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/2-PACK-Whisper-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B009EIBGO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348226263&sr=1-1

If you haven't purchased either of my books yet, this is a great, economical way of picking up both at once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber Starks' First Book

My publishing house, FHR Publishing, has just posted some info on one of the story's they will be publishing, by a good friend of mine, Amber Starks.  The info they posted was written by Amber herself.  You can read the story here (link here).

She is describing her book as being in the post-apocalyptic genre.

S.H.I.E.L.D. TV SHOW

Joss Whedon has named his marvel comics TV Show, S.H.I.E.L.D.

ABC will air the show.  For more information, read the article here (link here).

No word yet on who will be in the TV show, or which big names we might see.  I still am looking forward to this with great anticipation.

Sequel to Doctor Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog confirmed

Whedon is confirming that a sequel is in the works for Doctor Horrible.  This is great news.

Read more here (article here).

I am absolutely looking forward to this.  No timetable is listed, but I'll keep watching for one.

New Young Adult Novel

Here's a new novella aimed at young adults, called Weighted.  It's by an author names Ciara Kinight, is selling for $1.99 in Amazon.  It is described as a post-apacolyptic work of fiction geared towards young adults.  I would encourage everyone to check it out.  I bought a copy, and will post more information after I read it.

http://www.amazon.com/Weighted-The-Neumarian-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B008ZTD5BO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345552757&sr=1-1&keywords=Weighted+by+ciara+knight

Microsoft Office Alternative, OpenOffice is Free

My laptop is dieing.  The "i" key sticks, so that sometimes when I type fast, it doesn't register and words like "Bikini" look like "Bkin" when I look back at what I've typed.  The battery is now dead, so I can only use it when it is pugged in.  The light that tells me when the bluetooth is on has burndt out.  And since it it 7 years old, it is too slow to run my favorite video game.

With that inmind, I bought a new netbook at Walmart for only $220.  It won't play video games, but it is perfect for surfing the web and writing my books.  The only problem is, it doesn't come with Microsoft Office preloaded.  For $120, I can download them, but that's a good chunk of change.

So I go online, and look for alternatives.  Wordperfect is even more expensive, so I rule that one out. 

Then I find OpenOffice.  It's free, and word compatible. I had heard of OpenOffice before, but had never seen it.  Reading through the description, it's exactly what I need.  It also has the equivalent of powerpoint and excel built into it.  I download it, and fire it up.  I open up my latest book, which I had saved in Word format, and there it is.  I type a bit, hit the save key, and it saves to Word format.

Call me a convert, no more buying overpriced Microsoft software for home use.

You can download it here:  http://www.openoffice.org/. 

Some Great Ebooks by Independent Authors

Ebooks make great, affordable reading, and here are a few recommendations, all of which were written by new, up-and-coming authors. Looking at the descriptions, each of these look like they are well written and exciting:

A Whisper in Space - David C. Drizzit ($.99 Kindle Edition)

http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Space-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B005IGUN9Y/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1314061090&sr=8-6

Big Damn Love Story - David C. Drizzit ($3.99 Kindle Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Damn-Story-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B008EP3I1Q/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Hawk of May (Down the Long Way 1) - Gillian Bradshaw ($9.99 Kindle Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Hawk-May-Down-Long-ebook/dp/B003YFJ4VE/ref=pd_sim_kstore_9


Felix Faust (the Arcane Insurrection - Dexter Morgenstern ($.99 Kindle Edition)http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00896N19E/ref=pe_160490_25378790_pe_vfe_dt1


Lady Grace: A Thrilling Adventure Wrapped in the Embrace of Epic Love - Sandy Nathan ($3.99 Kindle Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084F4MOI/ref=pe_160490_25378790_pe_vfe_dt3

Quicker (an Ell Donsaii story) - Laurence Dahners ($2.99 Kindle Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ORQO7W/ref=pe_160490_25378790_pe_vfe_dt8


Neverfound (Seven Masks) - Katherine Velthuyzen ($.99 Kindle Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Neverfound-Seven-Masks-ebook/dp/B008N6VU7A/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_1_2


Happy Reading!

Magazine celebrating Writers

I just learned about an interesting magazine that celebrates writers, called InspiredViewpoints.  On initial view, this looks like a great production.

Here's the description from their website.

InspiredViewpoints, a magazine that celebrates creators of all Genre. A collaborative venture to foster community among creative professionals.

More information can be found here InspiredViewpoints.

First Independent Review---Book 2

The first independent,unsolicited review of my 2nd ebook, Big Damn Love Story, was posted on Amazon.com.  The reviewer gave it 4 stars out of 5.  Here are a few key quotes:

"He does a good job with characters for the most part. " 

"While it is not firefly it is like a cousin of it. It has the same type of feel. It did not really bog down like many new writers do." 

"...it is better than fan fic and hits the same notes as firefly without being a direct ripoff. "

 The reviewer does note that there are a few spelling errors throughout the book.  I spotted several during proofreading by obviously missed a few.

Read the full review and buy the book on Amaon.com or if you have a nook, go to BarnesandNoble.com

 

Big Damn Love Story---Now Available

My second novel, Big Damn Love Story, is now available for purchase.

Amazon --- http://www.amazon.com/Damn-Story-Adventures-Spitfire-ebook/dp/B008EP3I1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340758769&sr=8-1&keywords=big+damn+love+story

Barnes and Noble --- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-damn-love-story-david-c-drizzit/1111813760?ean=2940014631556

 

Who is Miles Knighton

Who is Miles Knighton?

He is a complex man, with many positive and negative traits, and I thought I would start to give a picture of his personality.  Besides being my main character, he is the Captain of the Spitfire, a man who shoulders great responsibility.  He is a bit of the anti-hero, like Sherlock Holmes or House.

Some of his positive traits include:

• Loyalty---Miles is extremely loyal to his crew.  We'll see this develop a lot more in future books.  Miles makes a choice to keep Taro around, despite his obvious deficiencies and transgressions, out of loyalty to him.  He even displays a level of loyalty to Sabina, someone he absolutely loathes, when he refuses to fly her captor and her to Magistrate Seagrave.
• Self Reliance---The last thing Miles will ever do is look to someone else for help. If he can't find a solution he can enact on his own, he'll start handing down orders to his crew, but the last thing he'll ever do is ask for help.
• Analytical---Miles always tries to think through a problem and find the solution.  He looks for the patterns in how others behave, and the deviations.  He gathers information so he can make the best decision.
• Altruistic---Miles may not always obey the law, but he always obeys his conscious.  He has a very clear sense of right and wrong.  When he sees the defenseless little boy Zhiyuan being chased by mujees, he feels compelled to intervene on the boys behalf.  He also lets a medic tends to the wounded without fear of being harmed.  He pursues Santagello so relentlessly partially because of the heinous nature of his crimes.
• Perseverance---Miles faces many obstacles in his journey, and never gives up working to overcome them.
• Leader---Miles is a born leader.  In any crisis, he is always giving directions, and keeping others on task.

Some of Miles' less desirable traits include:

• Vanity---Miles his vain, about his appearance, his way with women, and his title as Captain.  He sees himself as attractive and confident.  He later delays their chase so he can flirt with a random stranger named Velda, and forgets all about a gunfight when he sees the attractive medic.
• Temper-mental---Miles can loose his temper at times.  We see this when he scolds Taro about getting involved with a passenger, and when he scolds Colorado when she doesn't refer to him as Captain.  He also has a low tolerance for negativity, and flares his nostrils anytime someone whines or complains.

 

 

Whisper in Space---Introduction

Here is the introduction I am adding to my first book, A Whisper in Space:

I’m Miles Knighton, Bounty Hunter extraordinaire and Captain of the Spitfire, my pride’n joy transport ship.  Here’s my lot in life.

Right now I have a few holes in my crew, which is causing me some angst.  Navigator’s always been the toughest spot for me to fill on my crew; I just seem to have no luck with them.  Right now I am relegated to going without.  It might not hurt to find a good doctor either; it seems pretty regular that my crew has wounds that need patching.

My pilot, Suttie, has flown with me for nearly 20 years, fought in the war with me as well.  His real name is Sutherlan, but that’s a mouthful.  He’s a damn good pilot, and he’s the best shot I had ever seen.

My mechanic’s a pretty-boy named Taro.  He’s pretty useless in a fight, and pretty flighty to boot.  Worse, he doesn’t seem to know his head from his backside when it comes to fixing my ship.  As soon as I can find an adequate replacement, he’s off my crew.

I’m chasing a goon named Santagello, a real low life son-of-a-bitch.  He’s pretty elusive, as I’ve been chasing him for a good long spell, but I think I’m wearing him down.

I also have a decent herd of passengers, though they tend to be quite a nuisance and one in particular is downright annoying.  Still, they’re paying their fare, and as the old saying goes, “All work is good work.”

Whisper in Space & Big Damn Love Story (2 book value-pack)-Amazon.com
Whisper in Space & Big Damn Love Story (2 book value-pack)-Barnes& Noble.com

 

Big Damn Love Story, Introduction

Here is the introduction to book 2, Big Damn Love Story, which will refresh reader's memories of what happened in book 1.

I’m Miles Knighton, Bounty Hunter extraordinaire and Captain of the Spitfire, my pride’n joy transport ship.  Here’s my lot in life.

I finally got my crew together after a heap of hard work.  My pilot, Suttie, has flown with me for nearly 20 years, fought in the war with me as well.  His real name is Sutherlan, but that’s a mouthful.  He’s a damn good pilot, and I used to say he was the best shot I had ever seen.

That was before I met Ah Lam.  That little Chinese girl is all manner of deadly.  I’d be foolish not to sign her on, so I made her my security officer.

My mechanic’s a pretty-boy named Taro.  He’s pretty useless in a fight, and pretty flighty to boot, but I think he’s finally getting better at fixing the ship.

Navigator’s always been the toughest spot for me to fill on my crew; I just seem to have no luck with them.  My latest is a girl named Colorado, though that’s also a mouthful, so instead I call her Smiles, because when I met her she was smilin’ from ear to ear.  In our last gunfight she got shot, another example of my bad luck with navigators.  Hopefully she’ll pull through; otherwise I’ll be without a navigator again.  Before she fell unconscious she told me I’m her dad.  I’m not sure I totally buy that, but it could be true.

I might finally have a doctor.  She’s amazingly attractive, and I think she’s got a crush on me, but shipboard romances can get complicated so I might be best to fly without her.  Still, good doctors are hard to find.

Meara’s a trader who rents a shuttle from me.  She’s also very attractive, but she’s way too unscrupulous for my tastes.  That woman’d sell her own mother if the offer was good enough.

I almost forgot about the kid.  He ain’t really good for nothing ‘cept eating food, but I won’t toss him out on his ear, to fend for himself.  Even I’m not that cruel.

We’ve been chasing a scumbag named Santagello, a real piece of work who likes to kidnap teenage girls and sell ‘em as doxies.  We finally caught him, now we just got to turn him in and collect the bounty. 

We take on other jobs too.  As the old saying goes, “All work is good work.”

Big Damn Love Story on Amazon.com
Big Damn Love Story on Barnes & Noble.com

 

The Women of Firefly

I just found and interesting article on one of the women of Firefly.  It is part of a series called "The Women of Firefly" and is written by a blogger named Gabriella.


Zoe is one of my favorite characters as well.

Big Damn Love Story---Cover

Here is the book cover for Big Damn Love Story.

Big Damn Love Story---The Cover Blurb

Here is the coverjacket marketing blurb for Big Damn Love Story:

 

Love can be dangerous.

 

For Miles Knighton, Captain of the Spitfire, shipboard romances are something he’s always tried to avoid. They bring complications and dangerous distractions, and distractions are something he doesn’t need right now.

 

Instead, he needs to focus on the job at hand. He has captured the vile slaver Santagello, but doesn’t have enough fuel to make it to the drop point. To earn some badly needed money, he takes a job protecting a town from mujees.

 

But too many distractions are in play at the moment. Besides taking aboard his former lover and finding a stowaway, the Captain has to help his daughter return to health after taking a bullet for him, while learning how to be a father.

 

The worst distraction of all is the doctor tending to his daughter’s gunshot wound, Zell. A woman of undeniable beauty and unending compassion, the doctor has cast her lot with his crew, and in doing so has placed herself in greater danger than she could imagine.

 

With so many distractions working against him, what tragic consequences will befall Miles and his crew?

 

Big Damn Love Story is a full-length novel, and the sequel to David’s smash debut novella, A Whisper in Space.

Whedon Discusses Bringing Back Firefly

In this article (link here) courtesy of Blastr.com, Joss Whedon discusses how he could bring back Firefly.  Unfortunately, it sounds like his remarks were tongue and cheek and not realistic.

Sorry folks.

The Guild

If you haven't been introducedto "the guild" yet, issomething every gamer and nerd like me should make sure to check out.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/season-1-episode-1-wake-up-call/y0qa87vk?from=sharepermalink-facebook&src=CPPlayer%3ashare%3afacebook%3auuids

Basically, it's a web-series about agroup of MMO gamers who meet in real life.

Interesting Book

I saw this book review online, and this book looks intriguing.  the book is called "Break Out" and is written by Nina Craft, and the review was written by Jorce Lamb of USA Today (link here).

if you get a chance, check out this review and pick up a copy of the book if it looks interesting.

The People vs. George Lucas

This article on Big Hollywood talks about george Lucas, and how he views fans as the reason he stopped making Star Wars movies.  Interesting, there is no chance fans hated episodes I and II so much because they sucked!!!

Mesaah thinks George screwed up when he made Jar Jar Binks!!!

Read the full article here (link here).

"The Philosophy of Joss Whedon" Book available

I just read an article on examiner.com (link here) mentioning a new book that is now out called The Philosophy of Joss Whedon.  A initial look appears to be very promising, and I would encourage everyone to check it out.

The book is available through the Kentucky Press (link to buy book here).

Since a lot of Joss' works are sources of inspiration for me and the things I write, I am definitely looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of this.

"Focused on the philosophical musings evoked by Whedon and company's rich televisual, filmic, web, and comic book texts, the collection proves simultaneously accessible and substantive, while also confirming and extending a substantial body of work by the community of Whedon scholars. Most commendably, the authors' manage to teach readers-students, professors, and fans-just as much about Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sartre, and Nietzsche as about Malcolm Reynolds, the spaceship Serenity, Cordelia Chase, Billy/Dr. Horrible, and Caroline Farrell/Echo."

Info on Firefly MMO---Still a Possibility

MTV.com on January 5 reported that the studio that was making the Firefly MMO has closed its doors. Full article here

Multiverse Studios was also making a Buffy MMO, but has been unable to operate profitably.

Fortunately, later that same day VG24/7.com reported that a new group, called Multiverse Foundation, has bought the source-code and is working on securing the rights for a Firefly MMO as their first MMO.  Full article here

If they get this game to market, I will definitely sign up right away, as I would love the opportunity to explore the verse' with River, Mal, Kaylee, Jayne, Wash, Zoe, Simon, Book, Inara, Patience, Badger, and all the other character from Firefly as NPCs.

A Portait of Sabina

I've decided to have Sabina return for book 2, and have increased her role and significance.

In my series, as in life, their are overt enemies, and less direct antagonists.  Sabina of course is the later.  In the first book, she starts as a nuisance, a pest who Miles contends with because she is a paying passenger.  She consistently demonstrates her wealth, along with her lazy, spoiled nature.  She also demonstrates her view that she is one of society's elite, better than commoners like Miles.  Later on, we learn that she has a past, one that has led to the placement of a bounty on her head, apparently by her husband.  We also see a very manipulative side to her come out on a few occasions.

Sabina's role is critical, adding tension to the story, along with twists and turns in the plot.

My inspiration for Sabina is drawn from a few individuals I have encountered during my life, people who really did act in ways that are similar to Sabina

In book 2, we'll explore more of her background.  Her return will be under unusual circumstances.  We'll see that there is a deadly side to her, as well as a softer side.

Reading E-books Without Buying an Kindle, Nook, or E-Reader

Whether it's my book or another fine work, reading an electronic version of a book is quickly becoming common.  Ebooks are significantly cheaper that print versions, and take up less space in the physical world.

If you read often, paying $89-$250 for an electronic book reader may be a good investment.  If, on the other hand, you only read occasionally, or if money is tight (the United States any many other parts of the world are still in a recession), buying an electronic device may not be a good option.

Fortunately, you can read ebooks without an electronic reader, and here's some ways how:

• Barnes and Noble (BN.com) offers free software that allows you to read Nook-books from your Ipad, Iphone, Android, PC, or Mac.  Visit http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/free-nook-apps/ for more details.
• Amazon.com offers offers free software that lets you read Kindle books from your Ipad, Iphone, Blackberry, Android, PC, Mac, or Windows Phone 7.  http://www.amazon.com/
• Smashwords offers the ability to download books to your PC in PDF or HTML format.  Visit www.smashwords.com for more details.

All of these options make ebook a more attractive option that a regular book. 

Still, for your favorite books sometimes having a physical copy is irreplaceable.