Runs:
April 20: chadtheraddad ran 1.2 miles in 15 minutes.
April 21: jiels ran 2.7 miles in 30 minutes.

Running is going ok, looks like I can jog for 30 minutes. Not too bad I guess.

Hmmm, book quote, book quote, which one should I do?

Well, here’s something from Steven Erikson’s Deadhouse Gates.

“Don’t. No, Baudin. Say nothing of her.”
He drew a ragged breath. “You…”
Felisin waited, hoping the life would flee this husk, flee it now, before-
“You…were…not what I expected…”
Armor can hide anything until the moment is falls away. Even a child. Especially a child.

April 12, jiels ran 2 miles in 20 minutes.
April 14, jiels ran 2.75 miles in 30 minutes.
April 14, Chadtheraddad ran 1.5 miles in 20 minutes.

Mont said he’s been slacking so far this week. Plues, he recommends that Chad and I stop running inside on our treadmills and take it outside. Maybe when the weather gets better here I will!

Don’t have a lot of time to write this at the moment. But I’m going to post a great quote from my favourite author Glen Cook.

His followers expected him to laugh, or brag about this fulfillment of vengeance, but he did not. They expected he would now speak, for the first time in decades, and say something like, “Remember my mother in Hell,” but he did not. When at last he broke the long silence, he said only, “You have made me lonely, Royal Ilkazar,” and cast the torch aside. Head bowed, he turned and walked from the city slowly, leaving mercy or its lack to his followers.”

Until later!

April 7, jiels ran 2.2 miles in 25 minutes.
April 9, jiels ran 2.5 miles in 28 minutes.
April 9, Mont ran 4 miles in 57 minutes. Nice to see him running! And he’s kicking out butts.
April 11, Chadtheraddad ran 2.5 miles in 30 minutes.

Well, we’re out there running but some of us need to pick up the pace a bit I guess. Hoping to go for a run tonight so will probably update tomorrow again. Happy jogging out there!

First, some quick running updates.
April 2: jiels ran 1.7 miles in 20 minutes.
April 4: Chadtheraddad ran 2.0 miles in 25 minutes.
April 5: jiels ran 2.0 miles in 24 minutes.

As I get back to normal I’m definitely looking to push a few more miles out there.

Not entirely sure what to else to say but have a passage from a book I finished this weekend. It’s from the third book of Brent Weeks The Night Angel trilogy.

Lovers always wants to make a private world. Just you and me and nothing else matters. The truth is, everything else does matter. Your family, my family, the different ways we were raised, the obligations we have, the work we do – it all matters. A marriage can be a refuge, but I’d be a fool to ignore what and who I am now, and what and who you are. But the answer is no, I don’t want to marry you because I want you to help me. I want you. You’re worth more than all the rest of it combined. I’d rather serve in a hut with you than rule all the world without you.

The Night Angel trilogy is a fun, fast read. Each book was sped through within two days, as his prose style dares the reader to put them down. But when it’s finished I think it’s not a series to reread or remember. But thats just my opinion and I still think people should check him out if looking for a fun fantasy adventure. Considering he’s a new author, there’s a number of things that are surprisingly good in The Night Angel Trilogy. He’s only going to get better!

Not sure if I should do full reviews or just briefly touch upon the books I consume. Oh well, I’ll figure out something in time.

Here’s a new spin on an old song just cause. What is Love?

First, some quick running updates.
March 30: Chadtheraddad ran 2.2 miles in 30 minutes.
March 31: jiels ran 1.7 miles in 20 minutes.

I’m a little disappointed in myself so far this week but I have a cold and have been feeling pretty bad. It’s starting to clear up and I’m hoping I’ll catch up soon.

In other news, I finished chapter 1 of my novel Still Alive. Came out to just over 10,000 words and took a week and a half to do. Not sure how it reads yet but it feels good to see it done. Combined with my prologue I’ve written 18,000 words more or less in two and a half weeks. Have to say that this is the best start I’ve had yet on a writing project!

Just want to give a shout out to my brother Chad. Really enjoyed introducing him to Korean pop this week. If you haven’t heard anything by BoA or Hyori Lee yet and like bright, poppy female vocalists you should check them out.

And now here’s some powerful words from the only superhero comic you’d ever need, Hellboy.

From the opening scene of The Third Wish,

“Who Calls?”
“Three sisters. Come to ask three favors of the Bog Roosh.”
“And what price will you pay?”
“Tell us, grandmother.”
“Here is a nail. Drive it into the head of my Enemy.”

Here’s wisdom from a father, also taken from The Third Wish;

This is a grave. There is no honor here in broken tools and old bones, only in the deeds of our children.

I imagine it’s frustrating being a harbinger of the apocalypse,

“So you’ve had a dream that when I die the whole world gets destroyed and you’re going to prevent that…by killing me? You’re a genius.”

Here’s wonderfully chilling conversation from two of the most mysterious figures in Hellboyland, Sir Edward Gray and Mohlomi;

“Do you know what you’ve done?”
“What is life without risk. Now I’m ready to go with you. I will miss the grass and the animals, for I know there will be no returning.”
“Things will be worse now. You feel it?”
“I smell the smoke, the fire cannot be far behind.”

And fittingly I leave you all with the last words from The Island, so hauntingly beautiful when combined with Mignola’s imagery.

“Beware, Gruagach. Careful what you begin. This thing will echo down the years, to the ending of us all.”
“That may be. But if there must be an end, let it be loud. Let it be bloody. Better to burn than wither away in the dark. Not to go quiet, not to go unnoticed, oh, you gods of war, let it be war.”

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy has really transcended it’s medium, becoming something more than just a graphic novel or comic book. It has become Art in every sense of the word. Dare I even say, Literature? Well, that’s my opinion anyways. Check out Hellboy: Strange Places if you liked the quotes.

In other new’s I’m 5500 words in Chapter 1 of Still Alive. Which means I should have it done by thursday or friday this week. Not sure what I think of it at this point, although writing action scenes takes a bit more work than I expected. Dialogue is so much easier.

Also started working on writing my design for a space opera mmorpg. It’s been swimming around my brain ever since I first started WoW 5 years ago and I’m thinking it’s time to get some of it down. Who knows, maybe it’ll amount to something in the future….Ok, won’t happen but gives me something to do that’s fun.

Other things I want to do this week is start working on another story. Main reason why is I’m curious to see if I can work on two projects at the same time. Plus, I think it’s great practice and swapping back and forth should help my brain in some weird ways I think. I have this feeling….!

Soon as I get some more info from the other runners I’ll update again.

And here’s another passage!
Taken from Glen Cook’s Shadowline

A part of his mind watched cynically. How we love to play at being paladins, he thought. Hired killers pretending to be knights of the round table. Dragons slain. Maidens rescued. Ogres dismantled. No, no, that’s not really innocent blood taking the shine off the old armor. Just a spot of rust.

While enjoyable, Shadowline comes across like much of Cook’s other works, almost easily described as a Dread Empire novel in space. And considering it’s the first in a series it’s possible that this is nothing more than a grand introduction to the setting. Although it’s nice to see abit about the Ulants from A Passage to Arms again. Have to say though until the rest of the series comes out and we can see how Shadowline fits in context, if you like Glen Cook and crave some science fiction, reach for The Dragon Never Sleeps first. It’s a more rewarding read in my opinion. This is still a great read, well above most in the genre though. As they say, <3 anything Glen Cook writes.

And here's a song I've been listening to this week. Hope you enjoy!

And here we go!

Chadtheraddad ran 2.2 miles in 30 minutes.

Jiels did 2.0 miles in 23 minutes.

Mont‘s will be updated shortly!

And here’s a passage from Excession by Iain M. Banks as well.

‘All I knew,’ she said, ‘was the person he became when he was with me.’ She looked at Ulver. ‘I forgot what he was like all the rest of the time.’ She took Ulver’s hand in hers. ‘You’re seeing what he’s really like.’

It’s really not that sappy of a book, honest. And thought this quote was something people take for granted. We like to forget that people change around others, or we ignore it because we don’t want to tarnish what we believe we know and trust. It was nice to see it subtly slipped into novel all about the universe, time, and aliens. It stood out a little in a really good read.

In the meantime been reading a bit like usual. Finished Steve Erikson’s Dust of Dreams. Planning on writing about it a bit later. Also read Daniel Suarez’s Freedom tm. His sequel to the outstanding Daemon. These two were really good, and I’d even say a must read for anyone that wonders about the future of the internet. Really drives home how the net is it’s own evolving world and we have to be careful or it’ll leave us behind. Enjoyed it a lot. Here’s a quote:

When people became more reliant on multinational corporations than on their own communities, they surrendered whatever say they had in their government. Corporations are growing stronger while democratic government becomes increasingly helpless.

And here’s another one that I thought was good.

A procession of faces came to him. What was society, after all, but a group of people making up rules. At least on the darknet, it was a large group of people making up the rules instead of a small one.

Those interested should check out Freedom tm and Daemon.

And just to test the abilities of the blog here is a song I like from my favourite game of 2009. >

Finished in 4 days was Robert V.S. Redick’s The Rats and The Ruling Sea. Taking place immediately after The Red Wolf Conspiracy, events go from bad to worse to better to strange, all the while keeping the reader engaged and guessing. It’s not perfect but definately a cut above most fantasy while still sailing in familiar seas for those experienced readers of the genre. I’m eager to see what Redick will bring in the next saga of the Chathrand’s voyage. Here’s a couple of passages that impressed me.
From page 332:

I hear your laughter. The young scholars laugh too, and whisper: That old spook upstairs has gone sentimental, mixing up his memories and his dreams. Laugh, then. May your mirth last longer than a thunderclap, and your ironies, and your youth. In the end you’ll be left with ideas – nothing else – and one or two of you will have spent your lives working honestly to help the best ideas grow and flourish. My friends on the Chathrand were such people. That is why I must record their story before I go.
We are not blood and gristle and hair and spit. We are ideas, if we are anything at all. That part of us that was never truly living is the only part of us that cannot die. Now then, back to Bramian.

And from page 341:

‘I, Ma’tathgryl-eguar-child-of-the-south nameless-desireless-pitiless-all-these-are-prisons forward-and-backward perceive their plan, their venom, their cleverness-madness-debauchery-faith, perceive you, lidless-unarmoured-unskinned child-man, mind thrown open, with them, apart.’

“Why did you help me?” he said.
‘Shackles of certainty in a cage of desire in dead spindrift isle of self.’

The second book I’ve read lately is the 10th book in the Nightside series. The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny by Simon R. Green. The Nightside books started out as a guilty pleasure and have grown to become an enthralling addiction. While the quality changes from book to book, they never fail to leave me smiling and satisfied. I finished this in a day and am impressed with how the Nightside and John Taylor continue to grow and change while staying the same. Have to say I really hope that a certain someone isn’t dead. Here’s some quotes!

“Two good men and true, who never could agree to disagree. And here we are, at the end of a very long road, standing on the edge of the pit. How very Nightside. So, what’s it to be? My secret weapons against yours?”
“No,” I said. “For all you’ve done, and for all you meant to do, I’m going to beat you to death with my bare hands.”

From page 261.

And lasty, just because it’s amusing, from page 131:

“What is this wonderful new card skill, that you learned from a book?”
He grinned cheerfully. “Betting entirely at random, with absolutely no rhyme or reason to it. No thought, no studying; half the time I don’t even look at my cards. Baffled the hell out of them.”