Author: SilentBen

Not often silent, but undoubtedly always Ben.

Return to Form

SilentBenLeave a comment

Obviously I’ve been a bit lax in posting lately – partially due to being on vacation last week, but also due to being busy and falling behind on such things. I am going to try to be more disciplined going forward. In truth, I owe it mostly to myself to do so (not to discredit my readership, but frankly I know that it is small and not very regular – if I’m mistaken, please let me know).

As I believe I’ve stated before, the main purpose of this blog is to act as a sort of digital journal. I post my thoughts and experiences as much for my own catharsis as for anyone else’s enjoyment. With less posts comes less release. And all work and no play … well you get the picture.

So I will try to be more vigilant and consistent in my postings. I will try to stick to my regular memes as best as I can. And I hope that you continue to enjoy my musings as much as I enjoy sharing them.

By the way, for those interested, my vacation entailed a trip to visit family in North Carolina. We spent as much time as we could relaxing in the pool. I finally caught Star Trek on the big screen with my dad (awesome reboot – looking forward to more from this cast). And the wife and I got to have a dinner without kids via a double-date with my sister – Brazilian steakhouse and nice strong drinks (good times). Thanks again to everyone for the hospitality.

Heading Unknown

SilentBen1 Comment

There once was a time I wrote poetry.
But alas, those days faded over time.

Has that spark gone away? Have I nothing to say?
Or have I just opted to stop trying to rhyme?

Maybe a haiku
They are sometimes interesting
But then perhaps not.

Now I stick mostly to puns and sarcasm as my literary devices of choice – if you say such prose is amateur, I’m really going to be hurt.

Go USA!

SilentBenLeave a comment

While I’m happy that I’ve been taking more of my veg time lately in the evenings to read and I’m enjoying playing on the Wii, I still need to occasionally have some form of entertainment that requires no input or effort from me.  Luckily it seems that I’ve found some things worth watching (besides the hundred or so movies in my queue) – USA Network original programming.  Here are my thoughts on a few of their shows:

  • Burn Notice – I know this is not a new show, but I never took the time in the past to give it a try.  This season (their third) I have and I’ve been really enjoying it.  The format is different and colorful and the writing is clever and has a good rhythm to it.  I may soon find myself picking up seasons 1 & 2 on DVD to catch up.
  • Royal Pains – I like this new show.  I like the talent in it, I like the drama of it (okay, at times it can be a little soapy, but it is early yet).  Apparently though, I cannot watch this show around my medically inclined family members – they tend to rip apart the feasibility of such shows (much as I’m sure I do with techie shows, but I tend to watch them anyway).
  • In Plain Sight – This seemed like it had potential when it premiered last year, but I never made an effort to catch it.  Now I’ve started catching it simply due to proximity to the other shows I’m watching and it too has drawn me in.
  • Psych – This show has long been a guilty pleasure of mine.  Sure the drama of it is far-fetched and the format tends to be a little formulaic at times, but I love Shawn Spencer in action and I can’t wait until this season premieres.

I’m also looking forward to Eureka returning to SciFi soon (or should I be referring to it as SyFy).  All in all this summer is turning out to be less stagnant that I’d anticipated.  And I guess it couldn’t hurt to go outside every once and a while too.

Farewell

SilentBenLeave a comment

Today a member of my team left the nest.  One of my colleagues, a woman named Maggy, opted to leave in order to go to grad school.  She was quiet, she got her work done and did it well, and she will be missed.  But I cannot fault her for her choice – higher education is, in a way, a higher calling and I can appreciate that.  I wish you the best of luck, Maggy.

Turn Coat

SilentBenLeave a comment

In a world where magic is secretly all around us and an entire kingdom of dark, supernatural elements live in realms both parallel and beneath Chicago, one man is fool enough to stand against his allies to defend his foes … wait, what?  It seems that that turns out to be the plotline of the latest volume in The Dresden Files series.  In Turn Coat, Harry finds a battered version of his long-time antagonist, the Warden Morgan, at his door looking for help and asylum.  It turns out that the White Council is hunting him down for the murder of one of their senior members.  Hmm, turn the man in who spent years trying to have him killed and be a hero, or hide him away and undertake the task of proving Morgan innocent without getting his own head lain on the chopping block (literally).  Tough decision.

It turns out that despite Morgan having been found standing over the victim holding the murder weapon and having recently gotten a bank deposit of several million dollars into his account, Dresden opts to give him the benefit of the doubt.  And in the process of trying to gather evidence in Morgan’s favor, Harry finds himself facing off with White Court vampires, White Council wizards, an army of men in gray suits, a skinwalker (one hell of a powerful and scary immortal creature, believe you me), and an island (you’ll have to read it to understand it).  In the scuffles that ensue, there are no shortage of casualties on the home team – both physical and otherwise.  But the prize at the end of the day is the posibility of revealing the identity of one of the members of the “Black Council”.

As usual, Harry manages to pull a lot of aces from the deck from which he is dealt (which is generally stacked against him) and manages to shake up the status quo with his own personal flare.  But I have to say the Jim Butcher went above bar with this one.  Turn Coat is one of the most exciting volumes of this series I’ve read to date – I got it for Father’s Day and finished it last night (that may not seem like much, but for me it is – I don’t read fast).  I don’t know what I’m going to read now that I’m up to date on the series.  I may have to see how Butcher fairs with his pure fantasy series.