A Saturday Title Rebus

This title sort of really went to the edges...good luck! I've decided to use my own collection now instead of random books coming across my work desk :)

Cryptogram Answer

The answer to last week's Cryptogram:


CLARA WAS STARTLED BY THE METALLIC CLANK AS THE LOCK ON HER CELL DOOR TURNED.

TWSPS ZSJ JUSPUWNM HR ULN ANUSWWBT TWSEO SJ ULN WYTO YE LNP TNWW MYYP UKPENM.

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

BookNotes: The Enemy and The Dead by Charlie Higson

I read the second book first, something I seem to be doing lately.

The Dead envisions a London that has either killed or turned into child-eating zombie like creatures everyone 16 and over. It starts in a boys school where the plague is new (just a week or so) and kids are fighting off the teachers who have slowly turned from protectors to raging slavering beasts.

The kids decide they have to try to get away from the school, hoping things are better in either the countryside or in London proper. The group splits, and is soon ravaged by younger zombies who overpower them and decimate their numbers. They fall back together under the protection of Greg, a former butcher with a young son who seems to have avoided the plague and who offers them a place on his bus, headed to London.

I thought the wide cast of characters were well drawn, and as they were inevitably picked off one by one, you really felt their loss. No character, no matter how likeable, was safe from being dispatched in a quick or spectacular manner.

If you like post apocalyptic novels, survival stories, or just adventures, you can't go wrong with this page turner.

The first book, The Enemy, which I read next, is a bit slower, characters not as well developed (in fact I had a hard time deciding who I liked and was rooting for quite a ways into the book).

The Enemy takes place about a year after the beginning of the zombie plague. Kids have holed up in a supermarket which they have reinforced, but they must go in an ever widening arc to scavenge for supplies.

On one of these runs they are ambushed by grownups, which is new behavior for these lumbering beasts. Their ranks are decimated, and their leader, who is the most engaging character, is fatally wounded. I think that Arran's getting taken out so soon before all the characters were established was a real flaw in this one. It just left a gap in leadership and someone to root for too early on. Hmmmm.

There are a few characters in The Enemy who are further developed in The Dead. There is a new book out in England in the series called The Fear which we won't get here for, what, a year? I hate those delays.

I suspect and hope in book three that many of our characters will come together in a nice climactic battle. I hate waiting so long for a sequel.

TVNotes: Kind of a Blah Week

Kind of a blah week in the tv trenches.

Dancing With the Stars

I thought everyone danced well this week, gone were the obvious flubs. I couldn't guess who might go but I was surprised when it was Kristin Cavallari. She (was) one of the most promising dancers. I do watch the show to see people gliding effortlessly across the floor looking wondrous. Luckily I am not attached to anyone this season so I don't mind so much seeing someone really good get popped because they lacked personal oompf.

Survivor

Stacey has got to be the grumpiest Survivor ever. I wasn't sorry to see her go at all. She never exibited any of the snuggly mom behavior I hoped for when she started. She was more like a scary "I'm to to whoop you" mom. Glad Christine beat her at Redemption so she can go poof from the show. Sheesh.

Person of Interest

Not a favorite episode, with a theme of returning vets robbing banks to make extra cash. Everyone was pretty unlikeable.
Small glimpse of Reese's old love (whom I had thought was dead) running into him and offering to try again with him.





Terra Nova

I admit I read all the reviews of the episode before watching and I was prepared to hate the episode, but I liked it. The family was much more normal and likeable, even the dad. They toned all the jerkiness out of everyone and it was more what I had hoped for in the first place--colonists dealing with the the incredible environment they were now living in. If they can stay on that path they'll be alright.

Testing a Maze

Click to enlarge

Just fooling around...

Literary Rebus

Cryptogram for the Cryptic

TWSPS ZSJ JUSPUWNM HR ULN ANUSWWBT TWSEO SJ ULN WYTO YE LNP TNWW MYYP UKPENM.

iPad @ the LIbrary

This isn't us! But off to the wilds of Wisconsin with you if you'd like to borrow a loaded iPad:http://mashable.com/2011/09/23/library-ipad/

Incorrect Email Distribution

On September 29th, you received two emails regarding the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Game Testing Program. These emails were sent to you by mistake. This was due to an internal error and not the result of hacking or malware. Please be assured that no personal information was compromised. We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused. Please note that receipt of these e-mails does not affect your chances to be invited to test the game at a later date.

Between now and launch, we will be conducting additional large scale Beta Testing Weekends where we will be inviting more people than ever before. Additionally we will be releasing even more information about the game as we gear up for launch in December. If you haven't signed up for game testing yet, you can still do so at www.swtor.com/tester.

Thank you for your understanding,
The Star Wars: The Old Republic team.



....at least they still have my name on file :)

This will be me...

No sub today with two back to back programs for families (and no lunch time for us in sight) and tomorrow afternoon four hours with no sub and just ever punier from chemo me. Somewhere the library gods are laughing...