Running

I had about a week off from running again. I need to stop that and keep on 2 to 3 or even 4 times a week, but just can't seem to make that happen. I ran Tuesday at the little track at the community center, 11 laps to a mile. I put in 3 miles that night. Tonight, Thursday, I ran 5 miles at a park.

Tuesday's run was somewhere around 13 minute miles, can't really use the Garmin indoors, at least I don't use it then. Thursday was around 12 minute miles until the last one which was just under 13, so pretty happy with that. The park is flat so I really should get out and do some hills but figure just getting the runs in is probably more important at this point.

I can't remember what we have going on this weekend, but it seems like there is a lot of stuff so not sure yet if I will be able to get a weekend run in or not.

Culture Warrior--#57 finished

This is one of Bill O'Reilly's books. Not too bad since I am pretty conservative, many of the things he talked about kind of fit with my beliefs. His dividing the two sides into a Traditionalist vs Secular Progressives was kind of uncomfortable to get used to throughout the book. I am not sure if that is an accurate way to divide things up, but O'Reilly went into his reasons and made his argument.

Overall kind of good but there were some problems that I saw. He kept mentioning how he has been attacked and he certainly has, but that is really part of his business. While he mentions this also, I think he was playing this up too much. Also, I believe that he does take on issues for their possible ratings boost, not just because he believes he is fighting a "cultural war". Let's face it, even if you completely agree with him, you still have to admit that the ratings are his real barometer on how is is doing.

I have posted it on PBS, there were already 6 other copies, but I am the optimistic sort so I am hoping they move kind of quickly. Maybe a month or so I this one could be getting mailed out.

A Perfect Evil--#56 finished

I really enjoyed this book and it had enough twists & turns to keep the reader guessing throughout. It is about a murder investigation in Platte City, NE where a good looking FBI agent with a haunting past comes in to help the local sheriff, who is a good looking playboy. So maybe not great literature but a good read. This is book one in a series and I have book two somewhere around here also.

I actually found book 2 first at a library sale so ordered book 1 through a PBS deal. The NE connection made it an easy reason to get and the author being from NE is also kind of nice. I have posted this first book and I think there are like 40 some copies already on the system so probably won't be moving anytime soon but that is alright too.

Hot and Bothered--#55 finished

Surprisingly this was actually a pretty good book. I enjoyed the characters and liked the funny descriptions of how the lead character sees things. It is a story about a divorced woman trying to get her life together while raising her 2 kids. Her ex is still in the picture and takes his turns with the kids, so as a dad not so bad, but as a husband he failed cheating on her for several years before the marriage was ended. She does not really know who she is or what she should be doing with herself. A situation that seems to be common I would think, but unlike most women, she has her ex paying alimony so money is never a problem in the book.

Again though this book has some serious working through the problem type things going on, but mostly this is light-hearted kind of fun book to read. It has a happy ending and even her kids seem to turn around and like her too. I guess that ending is a little fluffy but was expected. A good read and certainly the best of any of these so called "romance" or "womens" type books I have read this year.

There were already a couple of copies on PBS so it is now on my Posted List, I would guess a couple of months or so. It should move since like I said it is a good clever book.

Climate of Fear--#54 finished

This book was actually a series of lectures by Wole Soyinka and it basically reads like a series of college lectures. Kind of dry and unexciting, but of course it is talking about terrorism both state sponsored and quasi-state terrorism. I really had a hard time concentrating while reading this book. It was unusual for me it seems, that the author mentioned very few names, it was almost like the listeners should have already known many of his stances so naming names wasn't necessary.

He made some very good points regarding a person's dignity and how that kind of ties into the whole terrorism idea. Also in the last chapter talked about fanatics mostly religious that were the most dangerous terrorists today. Again though, he mostly talked in general with little mention of individuals or groups acting today.

This book is a very short read, only 142 pages so it didn't take that long but I don't really think it was worth the time it took me to read anyway. Maybe in a lecture setting it would sound much better but just reading it left much to be desired for me. It is a PBS WL book, but only on 1 WL. That means there is a very good chance it will not be moving anywhere anytime soon if this 1 person out there doesn't want it. Of course it will also be the only copy in the system so maybe it would move eventually. Still waiting on Stolen Innocence to be accepted, 1 more day to wait for this person before it moves to the next.

Stolen Innocence--#53 finished

This book is about the FLDS, the fundamentalist Morman sect that still believes in plural marriage with most or at least many members living on compounds. It is a moving and very hard to comprehend book. I am still basically shocked to have read how these people let themselves be controlled by a few heads or one prophet. The brainwashing that goes on should be a crime in itself. I really cannot understand why there wouldn't be some kind of revolt, but I guess these are people raised from early on to only be thinking about the afterlife and not what this life is about. It is a really sad story, but also uplifting in the sense the author and many in her immediate family were able to get out.

I am still having a hard time understanding how the author's parents got involved in this whole thing, they were practicing Mormans and one of their sets of parents looked into the FLDS and that is what caused them to do so also. I just don't understand how a person with a college degree like their dad was able to be suckered into this organization and stay in it for the rest of his life especially watching all of the bat-shit crazy stuff going on. I just cannot comprehend that. I kind of understand those that are 3rd, 4th, 5th etc, generations of people involved in this, they don't know any other life and are brainwashed into thinking everything outside of FLDS is evil. I just don't understand how someone could join up unless they were sick people looking for plural marriages or underage girls or something along those lines.

It is certainly a moving book or maybe more like shocking in that I just cannot understand the mind sets in the book. I am glad that I am passing it on because more should know about what the reality is within this movement. I remember the news of the raid in Texas, same group FLDS. I also remember being somewhat sympathetic to them because it is their life to live, but now I see it is a brainwashed cult and the leaders deserve no sympathy. Maybe the individuals, like women and children but certainly not the leaders. I will be sure to follow this group in the future.

This is a WL book and I have already posted it, just waiting for it to be accepted. I have also received a request for the Johnny Cash book I had just finished reading too so I will be mailing some books out this week.

Run Thursday & Reading Update

Well, it was over a week but I finally got a run in--does this sentence even make sense, oh well. On Thursday Rose had VB practice and I was able to go to the nearby park to run. I did 5 laps which made a total of 4 miles. My times were pretty consistant as well, I think they were 12:23, 12:22, 12:11 and 12:33. I am very happy with these times. With a 3 day weekend now, I hope to get 2 runs in at least.

Crows Over the Wheatfield timed out on the first person's WL so it went to the 2nd person who immediately accepted it. That person is in Hawaii, my first book going to that state, kind of exciting in a nerdy mapy PBS sense. It was mailed with 2 others books. Once all delivered I will be up to 25 credits. I don't really want to order more books though because I already have so many that I need to read but I will still probably check out the Book Bazaar for deals anyway.

I am still reading Stolen Innocence, a book about a girl raised as a FLDS--the Morman sect that still believes in plural marriages & was forced to marry at age 14. So far this book just makes you sick in the brainwashing going on and you just want to slap the adults until some sense kicks in.

Also reading Climate of Fear a book that is actually published lectures of Wole Soyinka about basically terrorists and other governmental and as he says quasi governmental groups acting in the world. Kind of interesting but also pretty dry, but making my way through it.

Finally I am also reading Hot and Bothered, a kind of funny romantic type of thing. It is one of those books that I am keeping in the basement, don't really want to take upstairs and have everyone see that I am reading it, again kind of embarrassing. So far, and I am only 70 some pages in, it is a much more clever and actually funny book than the other romantic type books I have read earlier this year. I will have to see if this continues through to the end though.