On Finding Jon's Porn

Well, I did it. After yearning to read another short story by Alison Tyler, I bought the Kindle version of "On Finding Jon's Porn." Originally published in C is for Co-Eds, the story opens up with a procrastinating college gothy girl who realizes that her laptop is on its last bars. Luckily, the epitome of choirboy, Jon, is near by to lend a hand. Using Jon's computer, our gothy heroine decides that her paper isn't as interesting as taking peek into Jon's world. That is when she stumbles upon the holy grail on every man's computer - also known as the porn folder, for those of you who aren't catching on to my lame ass euphemisms. What she finds there startles her - not in a frightened way, but in the way that she realizes her own friend's secret desires. And what's a story about a naughty goth girl without some punishment?

Like I said before, in my review of her short story "Like a Girl," Alison Tyler has proven herself to me - not that she had to or anything - that she is more than capable of arousing her audience - did I already use that pun? The story was great from start to finish. Her descriptions - both visual and emotional - are so vivid that it's almost as if she's playing a pornographic film right inside my head.

If I haven't already said this, I believe Tyler has become my favorite erotic writer. And I do plan on purchasing more of her works. 

Thoughts on work uniforms

So I learned there would be several changes at work. Luckily, none of them affect my reading and writing. Of course, with the new team comes new players and managers I'll have to deal with. It also means - and this is the rumor - that we're getting new trainers. The last trainer was quite helpful with taming the boys, but now I'm thinking it'll just be me. I doubt the new trainers will be willing to aid me in my plight. No problem, it works for me. I've already hired my partner. I just hope he's up for the job. 

The trainers, however, a professional people. The last one was as well, but these belong with a local business. Or, again, that's how the rumor plays. Already in the early stages of the season, I'm imagining men decked out in medial scrub uniforms. 

Because I imagine the new trainers being in uniform, I'm beginning to ponder if I want spruce up my own "uniform." Usually, employees at the stadium have to wear a staff T and kakhi pants or shorts. Because I'm usually secluded in the clubhouses, uniforms are just a suggestion for me. In that case, I was thinking of purchasing some work shirts and pants so I don't ruin my own clothes. A part of me wants to consider dressing in scrubs because it's cooler and more comfortable than my usual get up. Thinking about checking out this link to see if I can find something that strikes my eye - http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/. I'm thinking something blue. Or black.

Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell

First of all, I'd like to thank the great people at Good Reads who gave me the opportunity of being one of the first readers of Mary Doria Russell's historical novel, Doc. For those of you who don't know, Good Reads hosts giveaways held by publishers and authors - from well-known authors to indie writers.

John Henry Holliday, better known as Doc Holliday in popular culture, was immortalized as a quick-drawing, drunk, gambling gunslinger in  movies like Tombstone and the docu-drama, Wyatt Earp. His been portrayed on screen by actors like Val Kilmer, Kirk Douglas and Dennis Quaid. But how much of Doc Holliday - as well as, his relationship with Wyatt Earp - do we actually know? He was made famous because of the shoot out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ, which only lasted less than a minute. Dime store novelists and Hollywood producers wanted more action, more thrills. Soon the mere dentist, slowly dying of consumption, was turned into a fiend, an anti-hero.

Mary Doria Russell set off on her writing adventure to capture the man, not the legend, unmuddied by media-created lies. And in doing so, she created an image of Dr. John Henry Holliday - the dentist, the good friend, the lost soul, the taker of those abandoned and less fortunate - that we would otherwise never have known - despite the evidence and literature that contradict pop culture.

Russell's novel isn't exactly a western, though it does have its feel. More poetic than a regular historical novel. She allows the reader to make judgments and comparisons - once in a while, flash forwarding us to the future persona Doc Holliday would hold.

When Dr. John Henry Holliday - a dentist who just established his practice in Dodge City, Kansas - is called to inspect the burned body of young John Horse Sanders, he calls foul play. Because Sanders is Negro, Bat Masterson disregards the death, calling it accidental. What doesn't make sense is, Sanders' body was found in the ashes of the Elephant Barn when he didn't own a horse. But in Dodge City, everyone is suspect. When Wyatt Earp returns from Texas, he learns of the death. Panged with guilt, Earp takes on the position of lawman for Dodge City, alongside his younger brother, Morgan. The event of John Horse Sanders' death draws the three men closer.

Mary Doria Russell gives us a look of life before Tombstone, something that is rarely done. She casts away any popular culture depictions of Holliday and the Earps, placing poetic prose in their place. The book hits shelves on May 3 and will be available in Kindle and Nook.

New Banner

I normally don't post banner updates, but I feel that I need to on this one. If you will notice on the right side of the screen, you'll see several banners from several affiliate programs. Some catch your attention more than others. The newest banner on the side comes from a coffee company called ROASTe. 

Well, I don't know about you, but coffee and books go pretty much hand in hand. I think it was a great decision to accept the offer from ROASTe. If you're a coffee addict, then you'll be please to hear that you can save $5 on your order if you use the coupon code, BLOGME5. Purchases over $35 will automatically get free shipping, as well.

So what do you have to lose? Great saving on gourmet coffee.

I Got Books in the Mail

As none of you know this - because I'm not very vocal about my personal life on this blog - my birthday was nearly a month ago. A few weeks ago, my friend Moises decided it was time that he gave me a gift - why did he wait until the end of March/beginning of April to buy me a gift, I don't know why. Because I showed interested in Cthulhurotica, he opted to buy me that. He asked for my advice, which I never like doing. So after he joked about getting me gay zombie porn, he purchased Lovecraftian erotic collection, as well as, Immanuel's Veins, which I've also shown interest in. 

This morning, I found the packaged in my mail box and I soared. I love getting books, especially if those books are a gift from a friend. Along with these books, I received two birthday cards from him plus two envelopes of seeds - sunflowers and marigolds - from the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company as an Earth Day Gift. I don't smoke, but I do love the freebies that company gives away.

I'll get to reading them after I finish the load of books I'm currently reading - compiled of Doc, Please, Sir and Hungry for Your Love. I've also been working hard on my own writing, which - as I've said several times already - has put a damper on my reading and book hunting. 

I promise to keep up the blog for the handful of you who skim these pages. With either book reports or book news. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Tunes You Need to Listen To

Sometime during high school, I was introduced to this little industrial - for lack of a better label - band called KMFDM. I wasn't much impressed - forgive me, I was a stupid teenager who thought Korn was the future of music (sadly, I wasn't wrong about this - we all remember rap-core, right?). After graduation, I was reintroduced to KMFDM and couldn't for the life of me remember why I didn't like them before. It went from "meh, let's play something else" to "holy shit, this is awesome!"

It was that path that led me to the music of Tim Skold - simply known as Skold. Some of you might remember him from Marilyn Manson, after Twiggy Ramirez left the band. With Skold in the band, Marilyn Manson released one of their greatest albums since Antichrist Superstar. He's known for his work in Shotgun Messiah, Skold vs. KMFDM and MDFMK. 

After the release of his first solo album - self-titled - Skold worked with the various aforementioned bands/projects. Mixed in these jobs, he worked on his own music - recording Disrupting the Orderly Routine of Institution demo, which was leaked onto the Internet as the Dead God EP without Skold's permission. And in December 2009, he released three songs on iTunes and Amazon, promising a new album in 2010. Well, 2010 came and left without any sign of a new album. 

On 12 April 2011, Skold dropped Suck, the first single to his long awaited album, Anomie. The single - available in both digital and CD format - features the title track plus four remixes by 16Volt, Combichrist, Front Line Assembly and Bitteren Ende, as well as, the three songs released in 2009 - "I Will Not Forget," "A Dark Star," and "Bullets Ricochet."

After listening to the single, it's hard to control my excitement. I'm shuddering from the complete orgasmic sensation that comes with listening to Skold's music. It's all I can do from going into a complete epileptic seizure from the goddamn awesomeness. 

Anomie drops 10 May 2011 and will be available in both digital and CD formats. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The New New Amazon Kindle

It so happens that Amazon is going to release "special offer" edition of their e-reader, the Amazon Kindle. This edition will slash of $25 from its $139 price - for those who despise math (like me), that's $114 - and will feature special screen savers from advertisers (note the image on your left). 

In a written statement found on their website, Amazon made the announcement:

We took our bestselling Kindle and made a version with special offers and sponsored screensavers. Companies sponsor the screensavers, you pay less for you Kindle. Plus, you receive offers directly on your Kindle that can save you more money, such as a $20 Amazon Gift Card for $10, 6 Audible Books for $6, and an album from the Amazon MP3 Store for $1.

Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen - they don't interrupt reading.

Using an app called AdMash - think Zuckerberg's FaceMash as featured in the Facebook bio pic, The Social Network - customers can choose which advertisements they want to see (again, note the image above). Using your preferences can also help hint to Amazon which advertisements you want to view: "For example, you can indicate that you'd like to see more or fewer screensavers that include elements such as landscapes and scenery, architecture, travel images, photography, and illustrations." 

So far, the advertisers include Buick, Chase, Olay and Visa, but I'm sure more are to stumble in as they realize the power of this new medium - advertisement in books? Who would've thunk it?

The new $114 Amazon Kindle is set to release on 3 May 2011, but is available for pre-order. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

I watched some movies

Country Strong

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester

Directed by: Shana Feste

Approx Time: 117mins

Genre: Country Drama

Rated: PG-13

A year after the tragic events of Dallas in which she lost her unborn child, fallen country star, Kelly Canter (Paltrow) finds her in a rehabilitation center where she meets Beau Hutton (Hedlund), a indie country singer who is known around the Honky Tonks he performs in. When Kelly's husband, James (McGraw) decides to pull her out of rehab for a comeback tour, both Beau and raising singing sensation, Chiles Stanton (Meester), join them as Kelly's opening acts. 

The story focuses on the relationships of Beau: the one he holds with Kelly and the budding relationship with Chiles. It's not hard to miss that both Beau and Chiles represent James and Kelly when they were just beginning. And not since Pure Country have I seen a country music film this heartfelt.

Overall rating: four stars.

Sucker Punch
Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens & Abbie Cornish
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Approx Time: 110mins
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Rated: PG-13

After being institutionalized by her abusive stepfather, Baby Doll (Browning) is sold(?) to some dancing crew - possibly burlesque - where she escapes to an imaginary world to do somethings that really never make any sense even after one practices suspension of disbelief.

The first movie I've walked out on since Corky Romano, Sucker Punch is just that - a sucker punch to its audience. What it lacks in originality, it makes up in camera angles, plotlessness, special effects and girls in skimpy outfits. I think the feminists were wrong in their argument. The crime against women here isn't objectifying, but torturing these actresses by handing them this shitty script that even Zack couldn't save. For shame that this movie was even made, let alone how it managed to skip by the obvious direct-to-DVD stereotype. It tries so hard to be poetic, leaving you wonder just how many clichés the production team thought they could squeeze into the movie without anyone noticing. It's just a pet peeve of mine when a terrible movie attempts to take itself so seriously.

The entire moral is summed up in one battlefield quote made by the Scott Glenn character, Wise Man: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Well, I'm not falling for the hype, Sucker Punch. Overall rating, zilch. You owe me stars.