Monday, April 05, 2010

Sometimes the path isn't very straight...

18 comments:

  1. Howard would be first among firsts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. listener--we are in Fresno, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, in the Central Valley. Didn't feel a thing. This area is about as earthquake-free as it gets in California. And earthquakes aren't felt as far away as they are in the Midwest and some other areas of the country.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Howard would be first to find the center of the labyrinth,
    by not being distracted or persuaded otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Alan.

    Since it was felt in LA and I know some of our bloggers are down in San Diego, I thought it best to check in.
    Diving down Under the Wing now.

    Later Gators! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. TC is in San Diego. I haven't heard from her, but she might be aroundon FaceBook.I haven't been there myself for some time. I'll check.

    Bill, I agree that Mary doesn't give a very good account of Catholicism. That doesn't really surprise me, since I've come across a disturbing number of Catholics who know very little indeed about the faith they supposedly follow. Also, this isn't exactly the best time for Mary. Err, she's not thinking terribly clearly, especially about things like sin, guilt and innocence or good and evil. I agree though that it would make for better reading if she could be more decided. I also agree that it would have been better if Sawyer had somehow managed to make the religious and philosophical discussions further the plot and/or action rather than bringing them to a halt. Couldn't do it myself, but presumably it is possible.

    I do get the impression that Ponter's Homo Sapiens protectors do, largely inadvertently, show our species in, well, not the best light. Then again, if we're honest, we really aren't any great shakes. We have made and continue to make a lot of mistakes. We have done and continue to do a lot of really stupid things. It's not unreasonable for Ponter to grasp this, even if he doesn't stay here very long.

    BTW it seems the second volume, Humans was nominated for a Hugo.

    I think you might enjoy Starplex better. More action, no God talk that I recall, not to mention dolphins (I wish he had done more with them.) and a very interesting bunch of ET's.

    ReplyDelete
  6. listener, I messaged TC on FB but she hasn't responded. She must be busy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bill Thomasson4/05/2010 07:35:00 PM

    Yes, we as a species have made a lot of mistakes. Mostly through simple short-sightedness. What doesn't come through in the book is just how easy it can be to miss what's going on.

    I agree that Starplex sounds more my thing. I've checked, and Fictionwise doesn't have it. Maybe it's available as a Kindle edition.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oops! Didn't think of that. I have it from Audible.

    ReplyDelete
  9. To Cat, thanks for checking in. To all the dear, good people in the HEP community, I am alive in San Diego, if feeling rather down for the count, for the moment. Surgery on Wednesday showed cancer reoccurence far more widespread than the doctor had hoped, and he could not get clean margins. He closed me up without taking my facial nerve or part of my mandible for now, since that would rather radically affect my quality of life. We're going to discuss pathology reports and possible clinical trials. This is a rare cancer, so I'm not sure what is out there. Trying to go one day at a time. I look like a chipmunk on my right side and feel like I was kicked by a horse, but the pain is manageable. Sorry to dump, but that's where things are. The picture here on HEP today was good "therapy" for me. Just because there isn't a clear path to the future, doesn't yet mean there isn't one. As I lay on my sofa feeling sorry for myself yesterday, and the sofa started to shake, I had the absurd and now almost funny thought, "Great. Just great. First cancer, now an earthquake." No damage on that front though. Again, thanks for worrying.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bill Thomasson4/05/2010 10:28:00 PM

    tc ~

    Although we've hardly "met" -- I believe you had largely dropped off the blog before I became truly active -- you have my sympathies and best wishes. Speaking as a medical writer, I think your doctor seems to be taking the right approach.

    ReplyDelete
  11. So sorry to hear your medical news, tc. Certainly puts my own current self pity into perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  12. donna in evanston4/05/2010 11:06:00 PM

    Positive vibes coming your way tc. Wish I could do more. Sounds like you're getting good medical care.

    ReplyDelete
  13. TC, so much love from here to there. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bill Thomasson4/05/2010 11:48:00 PM

    I've checked Amazon, and the Audible version is the only one currently available (other than used). A new trade paperback is due out in September. I'll keep it in mind. Have to think about it. I already have so much on my "to be read" list ("So many books, so little time") that it may not make sense to stretch for somethings even if I think I'll like it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My first attempt at online karaoke
    http://www.singsnap.com/snap/r/c49eb1a4

    ReplyDelete
  16. tc--{{{Hugz!!}}} I agree with Bill--sounds like your doctor is being very reasonable, and to say that I wish you well is an incredible understatement, but words seem thoroughly inadequate.

    ReplyDelete
  17. { { {{ ♥ tc ♥ }} } }

    I've been checking your blog and FB, and all the while you were posting here. Thank-you for letting us know...as we are the caring Dean community! I am grateful to Cat for checking in with you.

    It's not the news we wanted. Still, Reality is a friend. Yes, the labyrinth of our lives takes us unexpectedly on a curving, often confusing path, but it's a labyrinth not a maze. The path is unpredictable but leads ultimately to the center. No matter where we roam, we cannot get lost.

    Sending love and prayers and vibes and also hope. ♥ XOXOXXX

    ReplyDelete