Dann Todd's 'Dain Bramage'^**

Why They Are Hated

Mark Yost of the Minneapolis Pioneer Press recently wrote a column lamenting the ill will that many in today's military have for the mainstream media. He spoke about his experiences serving in the US Navy and how what was reported here at home didn't match any of his impressions while serving abroad.

He also talks about how the media is now focusing on body counts and bomb blasts to the exclusion of news regarding our progress in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Worth a read. It's worth double if you are a media type. Triple if you are an editor with control over the content of your paper, radio show, etc. Stop by Bugmenot to get a login and password.

by Dann 

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Cow Bell????!?!?!?

You may have caught some references to cow bells over the last week or so. Well, more likely, the reference is to needing more cow bell; singular. And unless you are a person with a bit of familiarity with Hollywood figures, NBC's Saturday Night Live, politics, and the Internet, you are probably scratching your head and wondering if the world has gone mad.

It hasn't. It might, yet....but it hasn't.

The famous and talented actor, Mr. Christopher Walken has announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States in 2008. I like Mr. Walken as an actor. He's done some outstanding work.

But you are still wondering......cow bell????

Watch this....[link].....yeah....cow bell.

by Dann 

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On Cindy Sheehan

I haven't been spending as much time blogging as I might have otherwise. And upon returning to the keyboard, my very first inclination is to leave the story of Cindy Sheehan alone. She has been grievously hurt by the loss of her son. That much should be clear to even the least compassionate among us.

And yet, having served, I fully understand the motivations of her son in joining the service and in seeking excellence in the way he served. I cannot look upon the growing collection of questionable organizations and other misfits that are using Mrs. Sheehan's grief to further their own agendas without wondering if their actions and objectives might not be tarnishing the gallant service of Mrs. Sheehan's son, Casey.

Perhaps I lack the eloquence required to offer comfort to a grieving mother while also protecting the valor of her son.

This evening I heard someone that did not suffer from such a lack. Mr. Stephen Mansfield read an open letter to Cindy Sheehan on NPR's All Thing's Considered. I believe that Mr. Mansfield has things just about right. Give it a listen.

by Dann 

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A Recent Book -- With Review

Steve Alten began a series about Carcharadon Megalodons returning to from the depths of the oceans. Megs are the big brothers to the Great White shark about which we've seen so many movies and Discovery Channel specials. Actually, Megs are the steroid using, pumping iron, and hanging out in radioactive water, gargantuan big brothers to the Great White shark.

His first book in the series (Meg) was and outstanding piece of work. He has really put his time into the research about Megs, shark behavior in general, and other essential subjects (i.e. deep sea diving) that make the books feels authentic. He draws you in with a layman's explanation of complex physical and biological issues, and then slams you back in your reading chair with a beast that has a taste for anything in the ocean that moves.

In 'Meg', a Megalodon is drawn to the surface while chasing Jonas Taylor in a small, deep diving submarine. Jonas got back in the sub in an attempt to chase away (or prove the existence of) the demons that had been haunting him for years since he panicked as the pilot of another deep diving sub. Back then he had surfaced too quickly in response to what he thought was a gigantic shark rising up under his sub, costing some men their lives.

Having accidentally lured the Meg to the surface, Jonas Taylor and friends spend the rest of the book trying to find ways to kill her.....before she decimates the Pacific Ocean.

Not to give too much away, but this Meg was pregnant, and Jonas ends up snagging one of her pups. Which leads us to....

His second book (Meg: The Trench) opens with the pup now a full grown Megalodon that has been kept in a gigantic tank for its entire life. And it happens to be female. This Meg hammers its way to the open ocean and resumes the decimation of the Pacific Ocean begun by her mother. Eventually, she slips deeper into the ocean in an attempt to find a suitable mate.

Jonas and his wife end up playing cat and mouse games at the bottom of the Pacific with dangerous critters swimming in the water nearby and dangerous critters occupying their submersible operations platform.

The book is well written, but I honestly can't say that I'd have stayed with it if it weren't for the fact that the first book made me care about the characters.

Which brings us to....

Meg: Primal Waters. As you might have guessed, we've got another prehistoric shark running around the Pacific turning large whales into nightly entrees. Or might there be more than one??

This third book concludes the series in style. It takes a couple chapters to get into it, but once it has you, it has you clear to the end. This time around, Jonas seems to have learned a thing or two about understanding your limits. Only to be blind-sided by a wild streak in his teenaged daughter and a malicious streak in one of his peers.

I highly recommend the series. Any of the three books will stand on their own, but together they are just great.

by Dann 

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