The best show you'll ever see!
Ka promo from cirque du soleil
Uploaded by yannarnaud. -
Since some of you have shown interest in Kà, what is in all likelihood the best Cirque du Soleil production ever, here are two teaser trailers I found while looking for videos to show my friends and family.
As the commercial says: "You can see it. You can experience it. But you won't believe it!"
If these two short clips don't make you want to see Kà, you are made of harder stuff than I!:p I'd see it again a few times, my bank account be damned!
Patient Zero
When I was searching for a book to bring with me on vacation, Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero appeared to be exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. I'd been intrigued by this novel ever since Simon Spanton sent me an ARC last winter, but never found the time to give it a go.
I was expecting to read a big chunk of this book waiting at various airports and during my flights. But coming down with that virus in San Francisco meant that I could do little more than take it easy and read for a couple of nights. And boy was Patient Zero an entertaining read!
Joe Ledger is a hard-ass Baltimore detective. During a warehouse raid, he kills terrorist Javad Mustapha with two point-blank shots. To his consternation, Ledger is later picked up by government agents while enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, and he soon discovers that Mustapha apparently rose from the dead. Events escalate, and Ledger is recruited by the ultrasecret Department of Military Science to head a counterterrorism task force to help stop a group of Muslim fundamentalists from releasing a bioweapon capable of turning people into zombies on US soil. The plague is so virulent that it could lay waste to the entire country in a matter of days.
At first, I was afraid that Maberry would play the card of the usual Muslim crackpots/fuckwits. Yet the author obviously understands that terrorism is not always a black or white issue, and there are many shades of gray throughout the novel. Involving Western and American interests in the terrorists' scheme added a few layers to an already convoluted plot. I was also impressed with the zombies being the product of a prion disease rather than anything paranormal. In the end, Patient Zero is more a techno-thriller than a supernatural book.
Joe Ledger is a fun and interesting character. A little too bad-ass for my taste, but flawed enough to feel like a genuine fellow. Still, it's the supporting cast which really makes this a multilayered tale. Secondary characters such as Mr. Church, Major Grace Courtland, Amirah, Sebastian Gault and Toys all leave their marks in various ways.
Patient Zero is a page-turner, and Maberry maintains the pace from start to finish. This is a novel that grabs hold of you from the beginning and won't let go. Sharp dialogue and sardonic humor abound, making this novel accessible to anyone.
My only complaint would have to be that at times the action scenes get in the way of the storytelling. Fortunately, the battle scenes are not prolonged affairs à la Salavatore, so they don't take anything away from the plotlines.
Patient Zero is as thought-provoking as it is balls-to-the-wall. Which is quite a combo, no question! You'll find violence and excitement throughout, tempered by enough politics and scientific stuff to provide "meat" for this high-octane rollercoaster ride.
There's never a dull moment, which makes Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero the perfect book to bring with you on vacation this summer, or to keep you up past your habitual bedtime at home.
I commend this one to your attention. . .
The final verdict: 7.75/10
Viva Las Vegas!
Okay, so I'm back home and it sucks! Still sick, though I'm getting better every day now. I guess what I needed the most was calm and rest, two commodities that are unknown in Las Vegas.;-)
Still TKOed by that virus, I couldn't wait to leave frigid San Francisco for warmer parts of the USA. As I mentioned, I really loved the city, but the weather and the cold I had to deal with more or less put a damper on my stay. Still, I'll return at some point, this time with warms clothes to face whatever comes my way!
I've I told you how much I hate United Airlines? Charging 15$US to check in a piece of luggage!?! What the fuck!?! This was a multi-city, code-share ticket with Air Canada and United Airlines, but I'll be damned if I ever fly again with them on a domestic flight.
Anyway, reached Las Vegas in the afternoon. And after San Francisco, the heat hit me like a punch in the face. Nevertheless, the sun was out and I was happy. I even sweated outside, refusing to wait in the shuttle with the A/C on before it left to drop everyone at their respective hotels.
The recession is supposed to be hitting Sin City pretty hard, which is why there are all sorts of package deals offered at the moment. If you haven't been to Vegas yet, or if you've been meaning to come back, there has never been a better time. I simply couldn't believe it when I discovered that mid-week stays (Monday through Thursday) were up to 60% off the regular price, sometimes less if you book directly through the hotel website. Since the only time I spend in a room is while I'm sleeping, I was looking for the best value for my weak Canadian dollar (Imagine my surprise when I returned on Friday and realized that it went up while I was in the States, and it's nearly on par with its green counterpart!), and I booked at the Excalibur. You know, what with keeping with the whole fantasy theme! And at 36$ a night, it was a steal! I mean, I paid as much for a hostel bed in San Francisco!
Sick as I was (blowing my nose in a variety of napkins from Subway, Quizno, and McD's throughout my stay), I was sadly aware that there would probably be few late nights at bars and clubs. I had planned to see one Cirque du Soleil show -- perhaps two, depending on the price and availability -- and an excursion to the Grand Canyon. Other than that, I wanted to gamble a little, have dinner as a couple of nice restaurants, and then mingle and flirt a little, hoping to take advantage of that King-size bed in my room. But plans change while you're traveling. . .
After getting my shit together, I headed out and walked up the Strip to Treasure Island to see if there were any tickets left for the late show of Cirque du Soleil's Mystère. When I reached the box office, I realized that the early show would start in about 5 minutes, so what the heck. The cheap seats were 80$ with tax and service charge, but I thought I was only going to see one Cirque du Soleil show, so what the heck, right? Surprise number 1: They always ask for a photo ID when you pay by credit card in Vegas. Surprise number 2: Since I don't always want to carry around my passport, I usually carry around my ISIC (International Student Card) because because it's easier that way and it has my date of birth on it. Though it expired in 2008 (they never did check that), the card got me the unadvertised student discount and I got 35% off!
Mystère was my first Cirque du Soleil experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that I knew there would be more shows to see during my stay, provided tickets were still available. Especially if I could 35% off for each of them!
Of course, as is the case with everyone visiting Las Vegas, I spent a lot of time visiting the various casinos. From the Mandalay Bay down south all the way to Wynn to the north, I visited basically everyone of them. Those further north held little appeal, in any case. I would have like to check out a few off-Strip properties like the Rio and the Playboy, but I ran out of time. My three favorites are without a doubt the New York-New York, the Paris, and the Venetian. They all have a little something, no question, so it's kind of neat to take some time to check them all out. The MGM Grand and Planet Hollywood are nowhere near as cool as they try to make themselves look, though.
Armed with the knowledge that I could get a discount at some shows and the fact that I was too sick to sample the nightlife to its fullest (even though it was mid-week), I decided to attempt to see one Cirque du Soleil show per night. Yes, it would blow my budget. But hey, I was on vacation, you know!
So I saw the late show of Zumanity that second night at the New York-New York. Got the discount again (only available for the 10:30pm show, however), which was a blessing because this was more of a cabaret, burlesque kind of thing. A sexier and more sensual side of the Cirque du Soleil, this show can only be seen by adults. Not bad, if you are into the cabaret-style shows, but it has nothing on the other Cirque du Soleil productions. If you ever decide to go see that show, buy a ticket on the balcony. Otherwise, you might be selected to go on stage and make a fool of yourself in front of hundred of strangers. This is the most interactive Cirque du Soleil show, so consider yourselves warned.;-)
On my two last nights in town, I attended the most amazing shows I have ever seen. O, Cirque du Soleil's first mega-production in Vegas which has been running for a few years now at the Bellagio, was astounding. Leaving the theatre, I thought that I would never see something so spectacular in my life again. It was that astounding. And then I saw Kà at the MGM Grand on my last night. This oriental and gravity-defying show blew my mind. If you are ever in Las Vegas and have time for a single show, Cirque du Soleil's Kà must top your list. Looking back, I still can't believe how incredible it all was. As a Québécois, it's nice to see that such a small fry circus with such humble beginnings became a world-renowned powerhouse. Kudos to Guy Laliberté and his team for creating what has become the most popular circus on the planet!
Went to the Grand Canyon on my last day. Understandably, I couldn't miss out on that! But it's an unending 14-hour affair, and I was forced to wake up at 5:00am to catch my ride. We briefly stopped at Hoover Dam. But the bus is not allowed to park at the first couple of parking spots, so we were forced to take our pictures from afar. Then came the interminable ride to the Grand Canyon itself. It's a necessary evil, I know, and I was glad to have gone through it when we reached the national park. I booked that 180$ tour because it was the only one which allowed us to hike the trail for more than two hours before heading back to Las Vegas. So I marveled at the beauty of the Grand Canyon as I made my way from Mather Point to Bright Angel Lodge. I took over 200 photos during that 2-hour span, and boy was it great!
In the end, I didn't gamble a whole lot, mostly due to the fact that I spent about 600$ in Cirque du Soleil shows and that excursion to the Grand Canyon. Add to that the 200$ I blew at Abercrombie & Fitch, and that didn't leave me with a lot of money to waste in the casinos. Interestingly enough, I did manage to play for over an hour with a single dollar one night!
I have another two weeks of vacation coming up at the end of June, but I'm waiting for my credit card bill to show up in my mailbox to see if I can afford to go anywhere else! So the Hotlist will return to its regular programming. I read Jonathan Maeberry's Patient Zero while I was away (being sick meant that I didn't go out at all in San Francisco, which gave me ample time to read), so expect a review in the near future. This zombie novel was quite entertaining!
This week's New York Times Bestsellers (June 2nd)
In hardcover:Charlaine Harris' Dead and Gone is down one spot, finishing its third week on the charts at number 4.
Stephenie Meyer's The Host maintains its position at number 7.
J. R. R. Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is down nine positions, ending its third week on the NYT list at number 28. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Jim Butcher's Turn Coat is down thirteen spots, finishing its seventh week on the bestseller list at number 35. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
In paperback:
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies maintains its position at number 4 for its 8th week on the bestseller list.
Alan Dean Foster's Star Trek is down seven positions, ending its second week on the charts at number 22.
Charlaine Harris has five novels on the paperback bestseller list, ranking from number 7 to number 35.
Second excerpt from Mark Charan Newton's NIGHTS OF VILLJAMUR
Now that the novel is available, here's another extract for you to sample and see if Nights of Villjamur appears to be for you. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Enjoy!
--------------------
The hardest cynic, Investigator Rumex Jeryd thought, is often fundamentally the most romantic person, because he so often feels let down by the world. He couldn’t detect much romance in himself today, but all the cynicism he could wish for.
He could hear the rain driving against the old stone walls. He liked the sound: it reminded him of the outside world. Lately, he’d spent far too many days in this gloom, had begun to feel a little too disconnected from Villjamur. Everything the city stood for these days was something he found a struggle to perceive.
The rumel looked down at the returned theatre tickets in his right hand, then his gaze switched to the note in his left hand.
It read: Thanks, but it’s just all a bit too late, don’t you think? Marysa x
Jeryd sighed, his tail twitched. It was from his ex-wife. They were a rumel couple, and had been together for over a hundred years. There were benefits in not being human. Not only was rumel skin tougher, but because of their longevity they could take time with things, have some patience. As a rumel you never ended up running around frantically after matters. You let them come to you. However, it made his being away from Marysa all the more painful, because it was as if he’d lost half his life along with her.
He folded up the paper, placed it and the tickets in the drawer of his desk. He would have to find someone else to take to the production. Or not go at all, just forget about it.
The Freeze was going to be cold enough without spending it alone. He sighed.
She’d hinted she was going to leave him, before that final day, but that was during one of the months of fighting between groups of the newly arriving refugees and Villjamur’s far-right protesters, so a period where nothing really registered in his mind. The Inquisition had hauled in and executed several men - all disillusioned ex-soldiers of the Regiment of Foot - just to set an example, and it was known secretly that the soldiers were sympathizers with these extremists. But it all meant Jeryd had been ignoring Marysa.
She liked antiques. In a city as old as this there was a plentiful supply. Sometimes, she told him, she hoped she would find a grand relic, one that the cultists had overlooked, maybe make a fortune with it. But Jeryd had his head in the real world, or so he said. It was only his job, after all. He brought home the trauma of these ancient streets, carried it as his own burden. Keeping order in a city of over four hundred thousand individuals was partly his responsibility, and when he came home there she was: parading some new item around the house, telling him eagerly about what its history might have been, researching it in those pointless books she purchased.
A luxury! The Jamur society was the latest in an endless line of civilizations, and each had left their own funk and detritus. Of course, the cultists would have long claimed anything useful from the Dawnir remains. All that was left now was a hint that things were once greater - that life in Villjamur today was more primitive and less civilized than life under those ancient societies, the Qintans, the Azimuths, despite the city’s constant attempts to hide that under the veneer of Imperialism.
It was only natural the couple would drift apart. One night she looked right at him, through him, continued that fixed stare, as if she was weighing up there and then whether to leave him. There was no argument, no discussion, and he didn’t even want to ask in case he found out some harsh truth.
When the truth did arrive, it wasn’t such a bitter exit, and that somehow made things even worse. Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could hear her footsteps as she departed, the sight of her tail trailing out before the door finally closed. The stillness of the room afterwards. He didn’t think there was another rumel man involved. He supposed there had never been any real man in her life, which was why she went. She had left only a forwarding address, and an instruction for him not to follow her there.
Jeryd was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with his life.
Not only that, but those kids from further along his street had been throwing stones at his windows again. Every winter they’d regularly arc snowballs into the door, and he’d end up answering it to encounter nothing as they vanished with urban skill down lanes and backstreets. They knew he was a member of the Inquisition all right, and that prestigious honour only made him more of a target. He had become a badge of honour, a snowball medal, the ultimate highlight of their day.
Bastards.
He looked up from his desk in mid-yawn as his aide, Tryst, entered his office. ‘Work keeping you up late, Jeryd?’
‘Like always,’ Jeryd replied. ‘But I try my best.’
He studied the young human form of Investigator-Aide Tryst, though didn’t linger on his athletic physique, bright blue eyes or his thick dark hair. He wasn’t even envious, strictly speaking, but the young man was a reminder of times long past - a hundred years ago, or thereabouts, when Jeryd had kept himself trim. Still, Jeryd retained a sharp mind, and he had his experiences.
Something wasn’t right, however. ‘What’s wrong this time?’ Jeryd asked. ‘Is it about the promotions? You know I think you’re one of the best aides there is. You’re nearly family to me by now, but you’re a human - and rules are rules.’
Jeryd felt bad for not actually nominating Tryst to be promoted, considering the young aide had shown great promise, had done well to even achieve his current position. They’d worked on hundreds of cases together. Jeryd genuinely wanted to nominate him, but knew how the powers-that-be would frown upon it. Humans were simply not allowed to achieve senior positions in the Inquisition. They didn’t live long enough, and it was as simple as that. A rumel
averaged around two hundred years, which meant truly great wisdom could only be achieved by that species. It was an ancient ruling, decreed by the first Emperor, to help smooth over the uneasy coexistence of the two hominid races. You couldn’t break tradition, so Tryst would go no further.
averaged around two hundred years, which meant truly great wisdom could only be achieved by that species. It was an ancient ruling, decreed by the first Emperor, to help smooth over the uneasy coexistence of the two hominid races. You couldn’t break tradition, so Tryst would go no further.
‘It’s not that,’ Tryst said, with a glance to the floor. ‘That’s fine. I understand.’ Clearly, it was still a sore point, whatever he might say. ‘No, you’d better come and see for yourself. Warkur is out of the city, so they need you to take a look at the scene.’
‘I hope it’s not the refugees again,’ Jeryd said. ‘We could do without another scene there.’
‘No, not that. It’s a murder.’
‘Murder?’ Jeryd said, standing up, his tail perfectly still.
‘Yes. Very high profile.’ Tryst said. ‘We’ve only recently heard the banshee’s keening. It’s a councillor, this time.’
* * *
Randur studied the rumel investigator and his aide. They both wore official-looking robes in dark red, although the rumel wore brown breeches underneath, as if he never really liked his uniform. They were taking notes at the scene of the death, where Randur had been told to remain as a witness. He hadn’t encountered many rumel on Folke and now wondered if it was a result of their evolving alongside humans that resulted in both species becoming so alike in their thinking. Was it nature or nurture? It was probably a result of both.
The rumel was black-skinned, and you could see the coarse creases of age even from a distance, so Randur guessed he’d seen more than just a few winters. There were the usual rumel broad features with sunken cheeks, black, glossy eyes. He meandered around the alleyway as if with no real purpose, his tail waving back and forth with each step. Every now and then he’d turn his head to the sky, as if to check it for snow.
The iren behind was busy with traders and customers. A food stand was starting to cook thick hunks of seal meat, the smoke rising between the bridges and balconies higher up. Furs were available straight off the hide - bear, deer, lynx - so that you could craft them yourself in any number of ways. There were shoddy tribal ornaments and spurious island craftsmanship on display. They were manufactured on the cheap, but the people of Villjamur couldn’t tell or, if they did, they certainly didn’t show it.
Randur paid special attention to clothing, noting all the latest styles - tiny collars with little ruffs, pale earthy tones on the women that did nothing for them, two brooches worn where possible right next to each other. The swords people carried tended to be short messer blades, and he thought that they must be more efficient to kill with in the narrow corridors and pathways of Villjamur. The Inquisition had eventually sealed off the area around the dead body, and they were now beginning to erect wooden panels to hide the death scene.
The rumel approached him, a cool and graceful individual.
‘Sele of Jamur to you, sir. I’m Investigator Rumex Jeryd. Could you tell me your name please?’
‘Randur Estevu, from Folke. Just arrived this morning.’
‘You’re from out of town? I thought I could detect an accent. You speak Jamur well, though. I’m surprised the guards let you in.’
Randur shrugged, a lock of hair falling across his forehead.
‘Do you mind if I ask what you’re here for? People from outside aren’t generally admitted because of the Freeze, you see. We get all sorts of trouble here.’
‘Not at all. I’ve got employment at the Emperor’s halls, and I’ve shown my identification at each of the three gates. It’s all official.’
‘Right, well, we can’t ever be too careful. We’ve got a bit of a refugee problem, as you’ve no doubt seen on your way in.’
‘Yeah, poor guys.’ Randur pulled up the collars on his cloak. ‘Are you, y’know, letting them all in before the ice comes?’
‘It’s not up to me, but the Council assure the people of the city that the matter’s in hand though. So, can you now tell me everything you saw? Please, leave nothing out.’
‘Well, not much to say really. He came running and screaming from up there somewhere.’ He indicated an alley at the opposite end of the iren. ‘Beetles were already swarming all over his wound, then he just collapsed on the ground, right where he is now.’
The rumel scribbled some notes in a small book. ‘Nothing else that seemed odd or out of place?’
‘Everything seems a little odd to me today.’
The rumel grinned. ‘Welcome to Villjamur, lad.’
* * *
Jeryd crouched by the body, taking in the details of the wound, how the blood trickled across the cobbles. A while later he glanced up at Aide Tryst, who was stepping carefully around the confines of the alley. At the far end lay several broken frames and pots of paint from the adjacent gallery.
Around Cartanu Gata, especially where it intersected with the Gata Sentimental, nothing had changed for thirty or forty years, ever since it had been arrogated by the evening bohemians.
All along its lower walls were scribbles etched deep by knife blades over the centuries. Odes to lovers. Threats to all and anyone. Who watches the Night Guard? So-and-so sucks dicks. That sort of thing. Some of the cobbles were splashed with paint, too, and you could smell stale food despite the dampness. At night, lanterns cast long, feral shadows down here, and if there was no breeze the darkness was suffocating in such narrow confines. And there were always rumours of cultist-bred animal hybrids walking along here with awkward gaits before sunrise.
Weighing up all these possibilities, Jeryd was trying to build a picture.
Delamonde Rubus Ghuda. The victim - a human male, in his forties - was a senior member of the Villjamur Council. His ribcage had been open and exposed in a most bizarre way. The robes had just melted away around the wound, and some of his flesh appeared as if it had been scooped out. There were no traces of anything else around the corpse. Jeryd had never seen such an injury before. This made a difference from the usual crimes he investigated. An old rumel like Jeryd could easily become bored with his job: people only ever committed the same few misdemeanours. You had murders, usually affairs of the heart; people stole things because they couldn’t afford them; then you had the excesses of drug addicts. Generally it was about people either snatching more from life, or people trying to escape it completely.
But this crime had indications of something else . . .
Tryst paused alongside him.
‘Not a pretty sight,’ Jeryd observed.
‘Indeed not.’
‘What’s this?’ Jeryd shuffled over to one side, dabbed his finger to a cobble. A blue substance stuck to it.
‘Must be paint,’ Tryst suggested, ‘from the gallery. Load of paint pots stored back there.’
Jeryd stood up, wiped the finger on his robe. ‘No witnesses yet from there?’
‘I’ll get someone to ask questions. Knock on a few doors, maybe. I’m not hopeful, though.’
‘Get one of the others onto it immediately. I need to know if there was anything remotely strange going on here. Anyone unusual walking by. Any scuffles or swordfights, anything. And we need find out what he was up to last night and earlier this morning.’
‘OK.’ Tryst turned to go.
‘Meanwhile don’t tell anyone about this,’ Jeryd continued. ‘I’ll contact the Council myself, let them know. We can’t do with this getting out just for the moment. The people who witnessed him die didn’t necessarily realize his position, and I don’t want Emperor Johynn finding out via rumours. Bohr knows it’d just become part of a conspiracy in his head.’
Jeryd walked slowly to the far end of the alley, glancing up through the morning drizzle at three spires visible in the distance, and at the bridges that arced between them.
Tryst interrupted his thoughts. ‘Investigator, should we take him back to headquarters now?’
Jeryd slipped his hands in the pockets beneath his robe. He was studying the dead-end behind, where a heap of garbage lined the side wall of the gallery. Considering himself a man of the Arts, he had always wanted to visit all the galleries, but had never quite found the time for this one. Marysa had often mentioned it, painting a wonderful picture he never quite got to see. Then, again, she always did exaggerate. He’d seen far too much crime here over the years for
him to look at this part of the city with naivety. Especially nearby Caveside, where the buildings themselves breathed decay.
him to look at this part of the city with naivety. Especially nearby Caveside, where the buildings themselves breathed decay.
‘Yes, get him back now,’ Jeryd said. ‘We could do with wrapping this up as soon as possible.’
Joe Abercrombie contest winners!
Thanks to the cool folks at Gollancz, our three winners will receive a complimentary copy of Joe Abercrombie's excellent Best Served Cold. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.The winners are:
- Robyn McEwen, from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
- Esko Lakso, from Östhammar, Sweden
- Klavdija Ropas, from Vransko, Slovenia
Thanks to all the participants!;-)
Win an Advance Reading Copy of R. A. Salvatore's THE DAME
My days of reading R. A. Salvatore may be behind me, but the author is as popular as ever. Hence, I'll be giving away my ARC of The Dame to one lucky winner! For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
The vast road network of Honce, completed a decade before, had brought great optimism to the people of the land. Commerce could travel more freely and so could armies, and those armies, it was hoped, would rid the land at long last of the vicious, bloody cap dwarfs and goblins. For the first time, the many individual kingdoms, the holdings of Honce, would be brought closer together, perhaps even united. For the last few years, those promises had become a nightmare to the folk, as two powerful lairds fought for supremacy of a hoped-for united kingdom.
Bransen Garibond, the Highwayman, held little real interest in that fight. To him the warring lairds were two sides of the same coin. Whichever side won, the outcome for the people of Honce would be the same, Bransen believed. A journey north, however, taught Bransen that his views were simplistic at best, and that some things--like honor and true friendship-- might truly matter.
In The Dame, Bransen's road becomes a quest for the truth, of Honce and of himself, a quest to put right over wrong. That path is fraught with confusion and fraud, and a purposeful blurring of morality by those who would seek to use the Highwayman's extraordinary battle skills and popularity among the commonfolk for their own nefarious ends.
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "THE DAME." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Vegas rocks!
2 Pac Feat. Dr Dre - California Love
envoyé par Momo59-93. - Regardez la dernière sélection musicale.
Well, I've been having fun in Vegas thus far! Haven't been on the internet, for the rates here are crazy. Five dollars for 5 minutes!!!:-( Writing this on the sly at the Apple Store in Caesar's Palace's Forums Shops...
Still sick, but I'm getting better every day. It's 95 degrees here, so it's a world away from San Francisco.
I haven't really gambled yet, but I'm spending a small fortune. Went to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere the night I arrived, and saw Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity last night. Have tickets for tonight's performance of O, and will likely go see Ka tomorrow night at the MGM Grand when I return from my excursion to the Grand Canyon. Add to that the 200$ I just blew at Abercrombie & Fitch, and this Las Vegas stint is starting to cost me a bundle! But I'm having fun, so what the fuck!?!
Got to sign out, as the security guard is giving me the evil eye...
Win a copy of Karen Traviss' STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS: NO PRISONERS
Since I won't be reading this novel, I'm giving someone the chance to win Karen Traviss' Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
The Clone Wars rage on. As insurgent Separatists fight furiously to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine cunningly manipulates both sides for his own sinister purposes.
Torrent Company's Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous-and insatiably curious-Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon's newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active-and dangerous-rescue mission when Republic undercover agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.
Dispatched to a distant world to aid a local dictator facing a revolution, Hallena finds herself surrounded by angry freedom fighters and questioning the Republic's methods-and motives. Summoned to rescue the missing operative who is also his secret love, Pellaeon-sworn to protect the Republic over all-is torn between duty and desire. And Ahsoka, sent in with Rex and six untested clone troopers to extract Hallena, encounters a new and different Jedi philosophy, which shakes the foundation of her upbringing to the core. As danger and intrigue intensify, the loyalties and convictions of all involved will be tested. . . .
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "PRISONERS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Sick in San Francisco
David lee roth-california girl
envoyé par Docbuzz. - Regardez plus de clips, en HD !
I left Los Angeles last Thursday morning, sunburned and exhausted. That pub crawl really did me in, and that early wake up to catch that bus to the airport was brutal. But at 75 cents only to reach LAX airport, I couldn't pass it up.
I was aware that temperatures were a bit cooler in the San Francisco area to the Bay and all that. Touched down at San Francisco airport on Thursday a little past noon, and it was a glorious day. The sun was out, and there was a slight breeze blowing. All in all, it looked as though my stay in San Francisco, at least weather-wise, would be a wonderful as in L. A. Unfortunately, that was to be my last sighting of the sun. I was wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a T-shirt. When the clouds moved in as my shuttle took me to my hostel near Union Square, temperatures dropped down to about 63 degrees. Don't know how much that amounts to in Celsius, but it was definitely on the chilly side. All of a sudden, I felt as though I had landed in the UK.
The boozing of the night before and the lack of sleep coupled with that dramatic drop in temperatures hit me like an uppercut. That evening I knew I was going to be sick, and by the time I went to bed the cold symptoms were already making themselves known. To my consternation, I spent the last three days with a sore throat, headaches, runny noise, coughing, and a bit of fever yesterday. I haven't been this sick while traveling since I went to Amsterdam in 2004.
What the fuck!?! Isn't this supposed to be California??? It's hotter in Montreal, for crying out loud! Fuck me, people are wearing boots and tuques on the streets, and that's no fashion statement! Of course, since I was coming to California, I didn't bring any warm clothes. Hence, I only have a long-sleeve shirt and a windbreaker with me, which likely didn't help improve my condition.
Being this sick (I got so much stuff coming out of my noise that I borrowed a roll of toilet paper from the hostel to carry around in my backpack -- nothing is more chic than grabbing that roll and blowing what feels like all my bodily fluids in that toilet paper!:-/), I sadly lacked the energy to do everything I wanted to do in San Francisco. Which is too bad, because this could well be the most beautiful city in the USA. After visiting ulgy and dirty Los Angeles, it was great to wander around what appears to be a gorgeous blend of Paris and New York City.
Met three French guys in L. A. who were staying in San Jose for a couple of days before returning home, so we hooked up to visit Alcatraz. At 26$ it's an expensive attraction, for sure, yet it's a cool and interesting visit. The audio tour is just long enough to be informative and entertaining. Pier 39 is a bit of a tourist trap, but everything is well-done. To a certain extent, wandering around the city is one of the best things to do in San Francisco. The area around Union Square is very nice, and walking around Market Street reminded me of my travels to Paris. Understandably, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the Powell Street cable-car turnaround. Weird that for all the technology in the world, a burly black man and a small Asian guy (don't know if it's for show, but it's always an unlikely pair) turn the trolley around by hand on a revolving wooden platform.
Did the Lonely Planet walking tour in my guidebook, which took me across Chinatown, Italian North Beach, up the Greenwich Street Steps to the top of Telegraph Hill (sick as I was, this probably wasn't a great idea), and then on to the top of Russian Hill and Nob Hill. Somehow, temperatures found a way to go down to 61 degrees that day. The skies remained overcast, and the French guys and I didn't see a single ray of sunshine the entire afternoon we spent at Golden Gate Park. Similar to Central Park, it's a neat place to visit. But we figured it must be grand when the sun is out.
They wanted to go out on both Friday and Saturday night, but I elected to sit these ones out, hoping to get better in the process. My condition has indeed improved as I write these lines, but I'm far from feeling good. And since it's going to be suffocating when I land in Las Vegas tommorow afternoon, I'm hoping that taking it easy tonight will help this unit get back to full capacity or close to it. Shared a drink with the guys at the Urban Tavern at the Hilton Hotel, but that's as much action as I've gotten in San Francisco, I'm afraid. . .
Since it was gray and cold and foggy every fucking day since I got here, I kept my visit to the Golden Gate Bridge till the very end. Feeling a bit better, I started my day at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this morning. By the way, can anyone tell me how a urinal placed on a pedestal can be considered art. Then I made my way to the Golden Gate Bridge. It would surely have been wonderful had the sun been out, but it nevertheless was quite an experience to cross what just might be the most popular bridge in the world. The views are not as great as those from the Brooklyn Bridge, but it certainly was a cool afternoon.
Though the weather did everything it could to make me hate San Francisco, I ended up enjoying it immensely. And I will be returning, for sure. Just have to figure out when I have to bring my ass over when it's warm enough to wear shors and flip-flops. How can it feel like the beginning of April when we're a day away from June!?! Being sick prevented me from doing as much as I initially planned to do, so I will definitely come back. There are other parts of California I wish to see, so I guess a return trip to San Francisco will be in order.
Next stop: Las Vegas!;-)
James Enge's BLOOD OF AMBROSE
Since there was some interest in this book during my last poll, I'm giving away one of my copies of James Enge's Blood of Ambrose (Canada, USA, Europe).
Here's the blurb:
Behind the king's life stands the menacing Protector, and beyond him lies the Protector's Shadow...
Centuries after the death of Uthar the Great, the throne of the Ontilian Empire lies vacant. The late emperor's brother-in-law and murderer, Lord Urdhven, appoints himself Protector to his nephew, young King Lathmar VII and sets out to kill anyone who stands between himself and mastery of the empire, including (if he can manage it) the king himself and his ancient but still formidable ancestress, Ambrosia Viviana.
When Ambrosia is accused of witchcraft and put to trial by combat, she is forced to play her trump card and call on her brother, Morlock Ambrosius—stateless person, master of all magical makers, deadly swordsman, and hopeless drunk.
As ministers of the king, they carry on the battle, magical and mundane, against the Protector and his shadowy patron. But all their struggles will be wasted unless the young king finds the strength to rule in his own right and his own name.
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "AMBROSE." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Underwhelmed in L. A.
When you've traveled around as much as I have, you are aware that few destinations can actually meet the expectations you have. It's a fact of life, and no worries about it. Actually, most of the time the city/region, while not being what you thought it would be, will nevertheless amaze you in ways you could not have foreseen.
Hence, I never make a big deal about expectations and I try not to have too lofty ones when I board a plane for a new destination. Some cities like New York City, Paris, Berlin, London, Riga, yada yada yada, will blow your mind, whatever you expected. Others, like Brussels and Zurich, leave more than a little something to be desired.
Los Angeles falls into a special category. No matter what you think it's going to be, it's far from that. We all have that glamorous image of the city in our minds, but L. A. is everything but that. Every traveler you meet prior to getting here tells you not to expect too much or you'll be sorely disappointed. Those who are visiting L. A. right now are all a bit underwhelmed. With the thousands of tourists who visit L. A. every day, it strike up conversations with dozens of random strangers all the time. And what we all have in common is a mild to a major disappointment in what L. A. turned out to be.
It's not all bad, mind you, and I'm having fun nonetheless. It's just that Los Angeles is nowhere near the sort of city I envisioned. Which is partially my fault, and partially the fault of the media who sell us the glamorous, star-studded image of an amorphous giant of a city that is dirty and ugly for the most part.
For that reason, man am I happy to have book accomodation in gorgeous Santa Monica, two blocks from the beach. In a way, the oceanfront portion of Santa Monica is the Los Angeles everyone comes to see and experience. Ask everyone staying here, and they'll tell you that it's the shit. But go up Santa Monica Boulevard toward the L. A. proper, and things quicky dissolve before your eyes. Plus, the public transportation, though cheap and efficient, takes forever to go anywhere because we have to rely on buses that get stuck at every fucking traffic light. From Santa Monica to Hollywood, a mere 12 miles will set you back about an hour. An hour!!!!:-( And that's with the express bus, no less! Wherever you go, it will take you quite a while to get there. And driving is not much better, what with all the traffic you encounter along the way.
Still, for all the time it takes us to get somewhere, everyone here is happy to stay in Santa Monica. And I would recommend it to anyone planning on coming to Los Angeles. The pier is neat, though nothing to write home about. But you have long stretches of sandy beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Bars and restaurants along the 3rd Street Promenade. And the hostel, the H. I. Los Angeles-Santa Monica is a real bargain at about 34$ a night.
Spent my first afternoon exploring Santa Monica. Then made my way to Venice Beach. You know when you get there immediately. The Oceanfront Promenade becomes dirty, everything feels like an open-air flea market, and you can't really tell who's homeless and who's a resident. Tacky and kitch to an extreme seldom encountered, it nevertheless remains a must see. Just so you can realize how weird everything feels. And Muscle Beach was a major disappointment as well. Feels like a gym that has not changed its inventory since the 70s.
The second day was spent visiting Hollywood. They tell you that the best view for the Hollywood sign is at the end of Beachwood Drive. Don't believe that crap. Continue on to Ledgewood Drive till you reach its end, and then make a left on that street for unencumbered views of the famous sign on the adjacent hill. The Walk of Fame is nothing special, though it does feel kind of cool to be there and soak up the atmosphere. For the first time in my life, I actually caved in and had my picture taken with a pair of Stormtroopers in front of the Chinese Theatre.
The third day was devoted to Downtown Los Angeles. Most people told me to skip it, as it was supposed to suck big time. But I wanted to find out for myself, so I want. . . And realized that they were right on all accounts. Other than Grand Street and the Financial District and the area around Staples Center, L. A.'s downtown is quite lame. Fortunately, the day was saved when I elected to go to Beverly Hills. It's quite fun to walk along Rodeo Drive and the surrounding streets where all the posh shops are situated.
Though it cost a fortune, I went to Disneyland yesterday. Yeah, it was 117$US in total with the shuttle, but let me tell you that it was worth every penny. It sure did bring the kid out of me, and I had a total blast. Too bad the lines are so long that you can't go on all the rides. Yet we did more than enough to enjoy it to a degree that we had eyes as big as any child there!
Spent most of the day at the beach in Malibu today, and I unfortunately have the sunburns to show for it. We played volleyball and made the most of our time there. Sadly, no celebrities were spotted there, nor in Beverly Hills, or anywhere else.
In the end, although Los Angeles was nothing like I thought it would, I still managed to have a great time. I probably won't be coming back, though. But one can never say never, as the old saying goes. So who knows. . . L. A. might yet grow on me.
Flying to San Francisco tomorrow morning, and there's a pub crawl tonight. God I hope I'll get up on time to catch my flight!
Win a copy of Bruce Sterling's THE CARYATIDS
I've been intrigued by this book ever since I received the ARC. Unfortunately, I have yet to hear much about it. Which means that the novel is either flying under the radar, or it sucks. . . But the premise sounds quite interesting!
And since I own two copies, I'm giving one away! For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
Alongside William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, Bruce Sterling stands at the forefront of a select group of writers whose pitch-perfect grasp of the cultural and scientific zeitgeist endows their works of speculative near-future fiction with uncanny verisimilitude. To read a novel by Sterling is to receive a dispatch from a time traveler. Now, with The Caryatids, Sterling has written a stunning testament of faith in the power of human intellect, creativity, and spirit to overcome any obstacle-even the obstacles we carry inside ourselves.
The world of 2060 is divided into three spheres of influence, each fighting with the others over the resources of fallen nations and an environment degraded almost to the point of no return. There is the Dispensation, centered in Los Angeles, where entertainment and capitalism have fused with the highest of high-tech. There is the Acquis, a Green-centered collective that uses invasive neurological technology to create a networked utopia. And there is China, the sole surviving nation-state, a dinosaur that has prospered only by pitilessly pruning its own population. Products of this monstrous world, the daughters of a monstrous mother, and-according to some-monsters themselves, are the Caryatids: the four surviving female clones of a mad Balkan genius and wanted war criminal now ensconced, safely beyond extradition, on an orbiting space station. Radmila is a Dispensation star determined to forget her past by building a glittering, impregnable future. Vera is an Acquis functionary dedicated to reclaiming their home, the Croatian island of Mljet, from catastrophic pollution. Sonja is a medical specialist in China renowned for selflessly risking herself to help others. And Biserka is a one-woman terrorist network. The four 'sisters' are united only by their hatred for their 'mother' -and for one another.
When evidence surfaces of a coming environmental cataclysm, the Dispensation sends its greatest statesman-or salesman-John Montgomery Montalban, husband of Radmila, and lover of Vera and Sonja, to gather the Caryatids together in an audacious plan to save the world.
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "CARYATIDS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Tad Williams and Deborah Beale contest winners!
Our winners will receive a copy of Tad Williams and Deborah Beale's YA novel, The Dragons of Ordinary Farm, compliments of the folks at Harper Collins. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.The winners are:
- Beth Paulhus, from Ellington, Connecticut, USA
- Tammy Williams, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA
- Teresa Mayle, from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, USA
Thanks to all the participants!
Excerpt from David J. Williams' THE BURNING SKIES
Here's a teaser extract from David J. Williams' action-packed The Burning Skies (Canada, USA, Europe), sequel to The Mirrored Heavens (Canada, USA, Europe).
For more info about the author and this series, check out Williams' website.
Enjoy!
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Claire Haskell sits within a container within some spaceship. Darkness sits within her. The conversation with Matthew Sinclair has left her feeling sick. She thought she would have left the wreckage of her past life behind her by now, but it's only growing ever more insistent--Jason's face in the throes of passion, Jason's face as she killed him, his body contorted on the SeaMech's floor--all of it keeps replaying in her mind, and she wishes she could undo all of it. Her own weakness appalls her. But she can't deny that she'd sell out the whole world just to put the clock back three days. She'd throw in her lot with the Rain just to keep Jason alive.
But now he's dead. And she's thankful. Because it means the key to her heart's been thrown away forever. No one can hurt her anymore. No one can second-guess her while she takes stock of the whole game: the superpowers as they shore up their defenses, the endless gates of both those zones, those endless eyes scanning endlessly for Rain.
And for her. She can't see the Rain, though. She hasn't seen them since their defeat four days ago--in the minutes after that defeat, she got a read on them receding into zone like a leviathan fading beneath the waves: just a quick glimpse of scales and teeth, and then it was gone. She saw enough to realize just how much of a threat they still were. It worries her that she hasn't seen them since. It worries her even more that they might have seen her. That they might have found some way inside her, and she might not even know it. Even if she is Manilishi--that doesn't mean she can't lose.
So she takes what precautions she can. If the Rain retain some secret thing inside her--some secret key to her, in spite of all her precautions--they might see what's in her brain's software. They might see what's in her mind.
But they won't see what's on her own skin. They won't see what she's drawn upon it. Across the hours, in the oily darkness of the holds of spaceships, surrounded by the clank of machinery: she's pricked maps upon that skin, scarred that skin, painted it all in her own blood, all her calculations, all her strategy, whole swathes of the blueprint of zone upon her limbs and chest--both zones, and the neutral ones too . . . endless geometries of virtual architecture, endless coordinates in no-space. Insight's a myriad of bloody slashes all across her. Knowledge is no longer fleeting now it's etched upon her. She studies endless patterns. She's looking for what all the others may have missed. Twenty-four hours since the thwarting of war, and a nagging disquiet is stealing through her. Forty-eight hours, and that disquiet has become a fear unlike any she's ever known.
Now it's been ninety-six hours. The conversation with Sinclair's confirmed what she's been thinking. Now she's certain. She's so scared she feels like her mind's coming apart. Worse, as long as she was slicing herself, she was forgetting Jason. But now she's got nothing more to cut.
She's got nothing more to learn either. She knows exactly where she needs to be. Right where she is now. Crosshairs slide together in her mind. She feels herself start gliding forward.
Thanks to the folks at Pyr, I have 5 copies of the mass market edition of Joel Shepherd's Breakaway. The sequel to Crossover, Breakaway is another quality read! I've said it before and I'll say it again, give this series a try if you have yet to do so! For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "BREAKAWAY." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Brian Ruckley contest winners!
Our three winner will receive a complimentary copy of Brian Ruckey's Fall of Thanes, courtesy of the folks at Orbit. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.The winners are:
- Khaled Hassan, from Pasadena, California, USA
- Allan Wells, from Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland (Rulkez on sffworld.com)
- Valerie Smart, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Thanks to all the participants!;-)
THE DRAGONS OF ORDINARY FARM Preview
Follow this link to a PDF download of the prologue and the first seven chapters from Tad Williams and Deborah Beale's The Dragons of Ordinary Farm:Win a copy of Joe Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD
I have three copies of Abercrombie's latest for you to win, compliments of the cool folks at Gollancz. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "REVENGE." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.
Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.
Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.
Good luck to all the participants!
Jacqueline Carey contest winners!
Thanks to the folks at Grand Central Publishing, each of our winners will receive a copy of Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's Kiss (Canada, USA, Europe).The winners are:
- Charlotte Bloebaum, from Portland, Oregon, USA
- Cathy MacDonald, from Martinez, California, USA
- Brenda Carre, from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Natalie Collins, from Bakersfield, California, USA
- Beatrice Chan, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thanks to all the participants!
