Exceptions To Reality- Alan Dean Foster

Tags

SF, short stories

Alan Dean Foster has been writing for some thirty-five + years now. He also does a lot of traveling around the world to exotic locations. Those travels invariably find their way into his stories and novels.

Exceptions To Reality is his latest collection of short stories. There’s a wide range of locations and types in this group.

He has stories set in Egypt, Australia, Hawaii, a space station orbiting Earth, a dingy alley, a ship at sea. He deals with literary characters in unusual situations, a man who dies every night and awakes refreshed every morning, a part native  American who can smell the flow of electrons and is able to know when a slot machine is ready to pay off(this gets a pair of hit men on his trail), and creatures of myth. He tells a modern version of a Cthulhu Mythos tale. There’s a new Pip and Flinx story, one featuring Jon-Tom Meriweather and his partner, Mudge, the otter. There’s a money broker working across parallel universes.

A nice mix.

Each story has a short introduction giving some idea how the story developed.

If one likes short Science fiction, you can’t go wrong here.

Poor Barry Bonds

Tags

growth hormones, steroids

Apparently, Barry Bonds’ feelings are hurt. He’s been invited back to Giants’ Stadium this weekend in a celebration of Giants outfielders over the years. They are doing it one position at a time. It aseems Bonds might not come because it’s not on his terms. He wants to play.

Boo-hoo Bonds.

Everything that’s happened to you in the past year is your own doing. From the steroids to the lying about it, you’ve continued to shoot yourself in the foot. It’s been said by more learned people than myself, but we’re a forgiving society. If you’d just came clean and admitted  that you screwed up, it would all be over. No upcoming trial for lying, your Hall of Fame spot would be secure. It’s all in jeopardy now.

You, Mark Maguire’s weak, “I’m not here to talk about the past”, Palmeiro’s denials, Clemens denials. Sosa’s denials.

No, we have no proof. We don’t really need it. No baseball superstar ever had stats going up as he got older. At least any that did it the right way. I hope none of you ever make it to the Hall.

My feelings mean nothing to MLB. But as far as I’m concerned, the all-time homerun champ is Hank Aaron. He did it with grace and style, honestly, and he was under much more pressure than the pampered athletes of today. I wasn’t lucky enough to see him break the record, but I was there for an August game against the Reds the year before to see him hit 710.

Roger Maris will always be the single season champ in my memory.

As far as I’m concerned, they could roll back every record broken during the steroid era and it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. I know, some of them might be legitimate. I don’t care. Those players knew what was going on and said nothing(it’s hard to hide something like that). I hold them culpable.

Of course that will never happen. Because Major League Baseball knew what was going on also, never mind their protestations. As long as no one knew and the bucks kept rolling in, they didn’t care.

Favre and The Packers-What’s next?

Tags

NFL, soap opera

Brett Favre was reinstated yesterday and reported to the Packers training camp. There was supposed to be a press conference last night to talk about it.

It was postponed to this morning as they were “still” talking. What’s up with that? The Commissioner ruled there was no interference from the Vikings. Is everyone trying to mend fences? Are they trying to hammer out a deal with someone. perhaps the Vikings, before they face the press?

I don’t see how, after everything that’s been said and done by both sides, Favre can remain a Packer. I’ve already heard the team has two factions: the older players wanting Favre, the younger players backing Rogers. That can’t be good. In a team sport, with all its intricate plays and defensive coverages, everyone has to be on the same page.

I forsee bad things for the team if Favre stays. That’s a hell of a thing to say about a man that’s been so important to the Packers for so many years. I don’t know how things got so bad so fast.

Well, I think I do. But the hardcore Packer Fan won’t like it.

Both sides have their faults in this unholy mess. But I put most of the blame on Favre’s shoulders. The “diva” attitude he’s displayed the last few years during the off season is the main cause. Will I retire? Will I come back? I’ll let you know when I decide. This will probably take a few months.

I feel the Packers got tired of standing around with their thumbs up their asses waiting for the great man to decide what he’s going to do. Put everything on hold. Brett hasn’t figured it out yet. It’s superego run amuck.

Will we have a resolution this morning? God only knows. Well, God and Brett Favre.