gilstrac

I just finished Galaxy Outlaws: The Complete Black Ocean Mobius Missions, 1-16.5 It was what I would classify as a good read.  It didn't compel me to read it.  There were a couple of times I found myself not being able to put the book down but I wasn't really compelled to get through quickly. You see I listen to most of my books when I run, drive, shop or doing house chores. I never found myself fighting the urge to run further, drive in circles, shop more often or do more house chores.  That is not to say it was a good read.  It just wasn't a compelling read. I didn't really like the magic vs. star drive thing for star travel. Now, with that said, it did grow on me and in the end, I tended to enjoy it more. The whole magic thing just felt like a get out of jail card through most of the series. The characters even talk about how Mort (wizard) bails them out of bad plans but I am saying it is more a get out of jail free card for the story.  Back yo...

I would like to start posting my suggested strumming patterns. Why? Well, there are several reasons.  For me, I guess I have a strumming pattern disability.  Having, the patterns figured out helps me. I imagine if there was a  Metronome and it alternated between Up/Down that could help.  It wouldn't show you a pattern but it would help you figure it out riff repeater. I have been told you are supposed to keep your strumming hand moving up and down.  This does help to a point and maybe given time it will help a ton.  But for me, if I get off time, I tend to stay off time.  Do it right and hearing it right I am hoping it will help me connect the two so I can fix it dynamically. I would also like to get other input since I suspect in some cases I am still not correct. I realize there is more than one correct way and maybe no correct when it sounds good to the listener. So this is a song I could play at near 100% in master mode. I was playin...

I read and listen to a lot of books.   I am going to try my hand at some short reviews.  I am going to do this to help me bring order my takeaways, thoughts, and feelings and I hope sharing this helps and interests others.  I like fiction and non-fiction.  I go after science fiction and fantasy in fiction more often than not but like many other genres.  The non-fiction books include but are not limited to self-help, biographies, and history.    Now, these reviews are not intended to be comprehensive takeaways about the learnings, plots, and characters but more what stood out to me.  What I took away from it.  How it made me feel.  If this is something interests you read on: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit  By John E. Douglas I don't recall where or why I added this book to my library so I wasn't sure what it was about when I started it.   In one sentence: It is the story and career of...

Expeditionary Force Book 9 Valkyrie What can I say? It was getting a bit repetitive in the past book but I did enjoy this one. Bagel Slicer and stitching together wormholes were probably two I the things I like the most. I was a bit on the fence about "Skippy" the elder technology AI developing emotions but it grew on me.  They also set us up some new mysteries for books to come.  I would give this book a 6 out of 10.  I still say the first book of the series was the best.

No, Seriously, We May Finally Have a Drug to Beat the Common Cold : This pretty awesome and a clever way to attack the problem.

Android’s trust problem isn’t getting better - The Verge : I disagree with much of this article. I have owned both brands and I prefer my Android devices. I don't have a trust problem with Android. It matters not which brand you use, this is a cat and mouse game that has been going on for centuries. In the end, I am not willing to trade my individual control for protection.

Oklahoma teachers strike for higher pay, education funding | Fox News : Seems like the perfect time to address those needs for better accountability.  They need more money for sure but add in better ways to hold teachers accountable for performance.  I personally think accountability for performance goes hand in hand with parental involvement but there have to be ways to track this too.

Oklahoma teachers strike for higher pay, education funding | Fox News : Seems like the perfect time to address those needs for better accountability.  They need more money for sure but add in better ways to hold teachers accountable for performance.  I personally think accountability for performance goes hand in hand with parental involvement but there have to be ways to track this too.

8-year-old girl's rape, death in India sparks widespread protests mired in religious politics | Fox News : This is so  horrible.  The attackers need to be punished.  Death feels appropriate to me. I am so saddened and disgusted by my fellow human beings at the moment.

Police catch man in a crowd of 60,000 using advanced facial-recognition technology - Mirror Online : This stuff bothers me and it downright scares me in a country that represses individual rights. But I guess if you never had those rights, maybe you just don't value them.

Researchers Create Malware That Steals Data via Power Lines : Maybe, I missed it but you would still need to get the malware installed on the air-gapped computer. Seems very improbable, it also doesn't mention other complications like electrical noise, surge, or voltage protectors and etc.

The bottom line: One in three families can’t afford diapers. Why are they so expensive? | Features | Tampa Bay Times : I agree diapers are expensive. But the big problem here is Lalandria should have been on birth control and should be now. She was and is not in the position to be having and raising children.

Inside Oracle’s cloak-and-dagger political war with Google - Recode : Google is far from perfect but to say Oracle is the protector of the masses or that they have done more good for industry and consumers is nothing short of laughable. This smells of paid propaganda. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Why people keep buying Apple products : I agree with most this article.  The biggest drawback about the Apple decision is you give up freedom of choice.  I don't believe most people realize this until it is too late.

14 People In Massachusetts Suddenly Lost Their Memories. Could Heroin Be The Culprit? : T his is a sad example of what I tell my children regularly.  Some mistakes are too big to make and will change your whole life.

Torching the Modern-Day Library of Alexandria - The Atlantic : This is a great loss no one cares about.  A sad inefficiency of the system that will probably never be fixed in my lifetime.  I guess someone will uncover it for a 100 years when no really reads books anymore.

I got bumped from a flight. Then I sued - CNN.com : This is pretty much a joke.  The average would not see this outcome.  It has more to do with who it happen to rather than what happen. If you are a lawyer already, suing someone is much cheaper.

A virus, fished out of a lake, may have saved a man’s life : This would seem to have possibilities wider than just Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is resistant to antibiotics.  Why wouldn't this approach apply to flesh eating bacteria or other antibiotic resistant bacteria? Is there resistance different?

This drug just got the FDA's OK -- and an $89K price tag | KVUE.com : A drug sold for years overseas and they justify the huge price differential because of R&D.  That does not add up.

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