And now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

I was doing pretty good there for a while. Posting reviews of each book I read and keeping up with, if not daily, at least every other day blogging.

And then, disaster struck.

And by disaster, I of course mean I discovered Dragon Age: Origins on PS3 and was sucked in to a time sink of epic proportions.

This, in and of itself, should not have been such a big issue. But unfortunately, at the same time, my laptop self destructed and I found myself without regular access to a computer. Really, that's the main reason. But I prefer to blame Dragon Age (which I am still playing in anticipation of the release of DA2 later this month). If it weren't for Dragon Age, I would have made the effort to find a computer to use and get some blogs written anyway.

Now, I have a shiny new laptop computer with lots of cool laptop computer-type accessories one would normally take for granted. Like a functioning battery. And programs that aren't at least a year outdated because your OS can't run the newer versions. And the ability to NOT set things on fire.*

So, we now return you to your regularly scheduled programs.

*My laptop never actually started a fire. But quite a few batteries in that model were recalled for just that reason and my computer frequently overheated to the point of being able to scald skin…

In the News...

Amazon is a thief!

http://www.statesman.com/business/amazon-sues-texas-demands-tax-documents-1196837.html

Okay, maybe not a thief, but whether you love the online retailer or hate them, you can't deny that they are a force to be reckoned with. Personally, I'm not a fan, but I do business with them because it is convenient. I know this is sad. But there you go.

Now, the law states that online retailers must collect sales tax in certain states, including Texas. Logic says that Amazon should therefore be collecting sales tax in Texas. But they don't. This is a violation of the law. But Amazon is apparently above the law, as is evidenced by their unethical business practices in recent years*. So Texas has sent them a bill for uncollected sales tax, which I think is right and proper.

Amazon's response is, of course, to sue the state of Texas. As ridiculous as this sounds, and as much as I dislike Amazon, I have to agree with them on this. Texas is refusing to disclose the paperwork that led to the tax bill. I believe everyone is entitled to an itemized bill, and I don't agree with the state of Texas' argument that since an attorney prepared the paperwork that it is subject to attorney-client privilege. It's just silly to say that every piece of paper touched by an attorney is protected. If that were true, no trial in the country would be public. No court decision. If the President of the United States were a licensed attorney, no bill signed would be public. See? Silly.

So man up, Texas. Show your hand, and take Amazon to task for their blatant disregard for the law.

*Don't know what I'm talking about? Look up the various instances of Amazon deleting material off Kindle Devices without consent or notice, and their strong arm tactics when dealing with publishers.

You're Not Going to Believe This...

Have you ever seen a news headline that made you stop and tilt your head to the side like a confused beagle? No? Well, here’s one:

Saudi Arabian officials detain a vulture for espionage…

No, really. Government officials are concerned that A BIRD is a spy for Isreal. I think it’s great that Arab countries think Isreal is sooooo awesome that they have the animal kingdom on their side!

Welcome to 2011

Welcome to 2011!!

This year, I will be reviewing every book I read. It's a simple goal. It's also something I've never been able to keep up with.

2010 was a great year. I'm not going to go into all the details. Let's just say it was a good year and leave it at that. I didn't have a lot of free time, so I'm going to blame my lack of blog-age on that. Yeah, busy and stuff.

So, on to 2011. A blog review for every book I read, whether it be a new book, or an old book. And, I'm going to try to post about interesting news stories. Because I have a minor obsession with news and politics, and 2010 was a big year for both and I always thought I was missing something by not trying to start a conversation.

So let's get started.

The City is on Fire

So, as everyone has probably noticed, LA is on fire. Every year it seems like the second temperatures hit 100 degrees, blazes start up all over the city.

A few days ago, I was watching the news coverage of a fire near Long Beach (I can't remember the name of the actual neighborhood) that had sprung up about two hours earlier. This particular fire had spread incredibly fast, was already burning one home, and several others were threatened. The part that got me was the news reporter kept repeating that this fire was spreading so rapidly because it was in an area that hadn't burned in four years.

Now, that's not a great deal of time, as far as burn zones go. And the fact she was stressing the time over and over made me wonder: has this city become so jaded to natural disasters that four years without one is a long time?

And then, I think the next day, the Station Fire started up, in an area that hasn't burned in decades. Now that's a good chunk of time for brush and other fuel to build up. And as I'm righting this, it is only 5% contained, covering 105,000 acres, with over 50 homes destroyed and 5 people dead.

There is so much smoke in the air, my eyes are swollen and puffy, I'm congested, and I'm coughing a lot. And one of the ones in good shape. I keep checking for news updates on the fires around the city, because although my home isn't anywhere near a danger zone, I think it's important to know what's going on around you, especially when so many lives are being affected.

And I have friends telling me to quite obsessing. It doesn't affect me, so I should pretend it's not happening a mile from my front door. That I can't see flames from the freeway as I drive home.

So it's true. This city is jaded to natural disasters. And that makes me sad.