Book Review: Kidnapped

So Kidnapped goes down as my second book that I didn't complete.

All my life I thought of Kidnapped as a book about a boy that visited exotic tropical lands with pirates and adventure. Given that the book is about an English orphan displaced to Scotland, I think I was probably confusing it with Treasure Island.

 

There were three things that caused me to stop reading this book.

1-Uncommon vocabulary-I am talking random words that I couldn't even guess the meaning of.

2-Bland Subject- There was a lot of walking going on and talking. In someways it was like Catcher In The Rye.

3-Unlikeable hero- Despite getting halfway through the book I really didn't care for the main character. In fact I can't even remember his name!

I wanted really badly to like this classic novel. But in the end I stopped reading it in favor of God is Not One. A facinating book that I am going to write about soon.

 

 

Recommendation: Skip this one. Read Gulliver's Travels instead.

On Military Retirement

The proposed changes to military retirement were a hot button issue around the office. This article by Robert L. Goldich summarizes most of my feelings on it and this quote says it best.

 

 "Right now they [NCO's] stick around for 20 years because they know that the pot of gold at the end of the 20-year rainbow will be substantial and enable them to start a second career -- which they have to have, given that kids will be going to college and few men or women can actually live on military retired pay alone. Twenty-year retirement makes up with power what it lacks in subtlety. If we take it away as it stands, our NCO corps will hemorrhage. They will see correctly that the American people think their careers are no different than civilians who have an infinitely easier life. And one of the key factors in making our armed forces as outstanding as they are will be greatly damaged."

 

Dancing Travelers

I love round the world montages. I watch and think "someday I will see that" or "I have been there!". It gets me so excited about traveling. The best by far is Matt. His dance is so goofy and joyful plus he labels each location. His story is pretty cool because he got paid to travel the world and make his videos (LUCKY!).

 

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I ran across another today that caught because of the title "Dance Like No One Is Watching". It has more art (and better music) then Matt but is also obviously inspired by him.

 

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Why I Like NCIS

A guy in my office purchased a box set of NCIS episodes and we have all been watching them. Despite having seen most of the episodes I have found myself really enjoying re-watching them.

 Initially I didn't like NCIS. Mostly because the backdoor pilot aired on JAG and the NCIS team was accusing my beloved Harmon Rabb of murder. If they couldn't understand the awesomeness of Rabb well obviously these were not characters I could get behind!  I have long changed that initial opinion and I am happy that NCIS has become the highest rated scripted television show in America.  Indulge me while I explain how NCIS has won me over.

Excellent storylines
NCIS has consistently strong stories. One would think that a show based on only Navy/Marine related crimes would run out of stories. Yet NCIS manages to make this an asset. Not only do they have the traditional murder procedural episodes but they also have terrorist plots, kidnappings, arms dealers, obsessed serial killers and international intrigue. They also don't forget the past and their stories consistently intertwine and lead into each other.

Characters
There are shows that are all about the personal dramas of the characters. Sometimes it feels like the cases are mere subplot to the larger "will they, won't they" story arcs. But NCIS has managed to keep the show character driven without forgetting about the cases. The characters in NCIS feel real; people I could work with or be friends with. All of them have stories and lives beyond what we are shown in each episode. They have loveable quirks. Abby is a wonderful, brilliant contradiction. Ducky is a fountain of knowledge and random facts. Tony is a hero hiding in a class clown outfit.  Gibbs is a high functioning mute. But they are so well acted and written that these never feel superficial. They are whole people that are allowed to grow and change.

Fun
Watching NCIS is just fun. It combines high drama that is suspenseful, sad and poignant but it also takes the time to be a little goofy. From Ziva's syntax mistakes and random Ducky ramblings, to Abby who makes the forensics exciting, or even the understated Gibbs with his head slapping no-nonsense attitude there is rarely an episode without an opportunity to giggle.
 

Military
I am biased. I can't help it. I enjoy that NCIS highlights the men and women of our country that serve in the armed forces. I appreciate that they are also multi-dimensional. Sometimes the Navy Petty Officer is the hero and sometimes the villain.  Either way it can be a realistic glimpse into military culture and its members.

In nutshell that is why I like NCIS.  If you haven't seen it then you really should.

National Archives Blog

Found this cool blog and thought I would share. Everyday they feature something from the National Archives. I find this kind of stuff really cool. Pictures, documents and the other stuff in the Archives tell our nations history. Check it out at

http://todaysdocument.tumblr.com/

Book Review: Catching Up

Time seems to slip away and somehow, despite my intentions, I have again become lax in my blogging. I have kept up on my reading but haven't found time to write about each one. So to catch up:

Catcher in the Rye
Been meaning to read this for a long time and was pleasantly surprised. It is written like a confessional blog. I recommend it but be warned it is a bit depressing.

On The Beach
A classic science fiction that ends sadly if very realistically. To depressing for my current circumstances.

Mountains Beyond Mountains
Awesome biography on Dr. Paul Farmer-a true humanitarian and force for good in the world. Highly recommended especially if you liked "Two Cups of Tea"

The Forever War
Highly recommended. Fantastic science fiction that uses the relativity of space travel to great effect.

Under Heaven
A fantasy novel about a fictionalized Tang Dynasty China. I am not really big into Chinese history but I really appreciated the imagery and characters. It is a bit long but worth a look.

Up next: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Book Review: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman

Why I read it: Because I will read anything written by Neil Gaiman…anything!

Plot: Nobody Owens, a precocious toddler in modern Britain, is adopted by the residents of the graveyard to save him from the man that murdered his family. Growing up among ghosts from all time periods Bod has a series of adventures leading him eventually to the confrontation with the men that want him dead and the much more scary confrontation with growing up.

Style: True to Gaiman fashion the book is delightfully otherworldly, humorous, poignant and slightly macabre. There are many fun turns of phrase and interesting philosophical thoughts peppered throughout. At its heart this is really a children’s story suitable for ages 5 and up.

Thoughts: As previously mentioned I really like Neil Gaiman. So I had high expectations for this book. When in a cemetery I always find myself wondering about each headstone and the story behind it. Gaiman gives these headstones a story and an afterlife. Bod is a fun hero with uncanny abilities that he thinks are normal.

At times the book felt almost like a hodge-podge of separate stories. As we skim through Bod’s life, only touching on his most significant adventures. Obviously this was necessary since the story covers roughly 16 years of time. There are strong coming of age themes and I got choked up at more then one point. In the end it was a pleasure to peer into Bod’s exceptional life and wonder at the possibility.

Quotables:

"It is neither fair nor unfair, Nobody Owens. It simply is."

"Able to slip from shadow to shadow, never seen, never suspected. Free as air, fast as thought, cold as frost, hard as nails, dangerous as, as us."- Pronounced by a ghoul

"Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."

"He could no more hug Silas than he could hold a moonbeam, not because his guardian was insubstantial, but because it would be wrong. There were people you could hug and then there was Silas."

"You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing and there's nothing you can do about it."

If you liked... Gaiman’s Stardust or Coraline this is definitely up your ally. Also James and the Giant Peach and The Jungle Book.