Attributes of a TimeChaser: Witty, sarcastic, opinionated, loyal, sometimes spaztacularifically geeky.
Chasing Time for: 33 years
Nicknames, Aliases, Pseudonyms and Nom de plumes: TC, Toki, Times, Chase, Timey Boy, Old Man
Interests: Music, Scifi/Fantasy, Anime, Science, History
Major Fandoms: Doctor Who, MythBusters, Top Gear
Other Worlds
Some of you may remember that I challenged myself to read 75 books last year. I put the goal at 75 because I actually started in Fall '11. Even with a year and a quarter to work with, I still fell far short, only getting completely through about 30 books last year.
So for 2013 I'm starting fresh and challenging myself to read 50 books by the end of this year. And just for fun, I unofficially challenge anyone else who reads this and wants to attempt the same goal. Can any of you manage it? Will I this time? And which of us will come closest, reach the goal, or even surpass it?
Rules: Each book you read counts as one, except in cases of omnibuses where previously individual books are bound together in one volume. Those may count for each book included that you read.
EDIT ADDITION TO RULES:
To address some things from the comments...
- Re-reads are allowed.
- If you don't think 50 books is a practical goal for you, feel free to set your own goal (25, 15, 10, whatever).
I'll use this thread to keep track of my progress.
50 BOOKS CHALLENGE 2013 (UPDATED 2/4/2013)
1) The Confession of Brother Haluin - Ellis Peters
2) The Heretic's Apprentice - Ellis Peters
3) Dead Man's Ransom - Ellis Peters
4) Miserere: An Autumn Tale - Teresa Frohock
5) Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett
6) The Dark Wind - Tony Hillerman
7) Star Trek: Stargazer - Three - Michael Jan Friedman
So I bought a new laptop this week - I'll post a pic of it later - but I'm having problems using the comment boxes on theO using Internet Explorer. When I open comments on older posts, I can see them all fine, although rather than a pop-up box it opens as an entirely new screen. But when I want to leave a comment in a comment box that has no other comments, its just a blank white screen with no means of leaving a comment.
Has anyone else running Windows 8 had similar problems?
EDIT:
For now, fixed the problem by running Firefox, which I generally prefer over IE anyway. Comment boxes are working normally.
This is basically a rant, but if you are as frustrated with the state of current TV as I am, you'll understand why I'm doing this.
For some time now, I've been entertaining the idea that television is dying. Not in the way Star Trek thought it would, with the technology becoming obsolete, but because its drowning in ever increasing mountains of crap.
I've never been a fan of contrived "reality" shows, but at least for a while there were still some good channels that played good things. But now it seems they're succumbing to the overall attitude that has enveloped TV: appeal to the lowest common denominator.
TLC died a long time ago, with shows like Toddlers & Tiaras, Sister Wives, and whatever that Sarah Palin show was. There's other stuff like Dance Moms and the seemingly endless number of shows following the Kardashians.
But probably worst of all is how formerly great channels like Discovery and History have fallen, with trash like American Chopper (at least its finally canceled now), Moonshiners, Amish Mafia, Swamp People, all the different gold mining shows, and quack conspiracy theory crap like Ancient Aliens (this one pisses me off so much I'm even thinking of trying to start a petition to get it taken off the air). Most of these shows, as well as those mentioned in the previous paragraph, are just excuses to pass off adults acting juvenile as "entertainment". How is this entertaining? What is entertaining about incompetent people yelling and swearing and fighting with each other all the time? And while they promote these shows, they give less and less time to whatever is left that is still worth the time to make and watch, like MythBusters.
I also feel put off by how the majority of dramas are constantly trying to outdo each other in the "gritty/sexy" department. No, I'm not a prude, and I think when this sort of thing was just getting started it served its purpose to stretch the bounds of what the censors would and wouldn't let us see. However, now its just completely over the top, and I'm sick to death of it. This, like the reality shows, is just pandering to the worst aspects of humanity. I do believe that there is such a thing as too much of something.
So in this veritable desert of TV land, where there is little good left to watch, what have I started doing? Surprisingly, I've retreated to reruns of Touched by an Angel. Yep, me, the not-in-any-way-religious person is watching Touched by an Angel. I did used to watch it in its first run and enjoyed it, and now I just find it a breath of fresh air. Its a decent show with decent people trying to help others, and frankly I think TV could benefit to a return to this type of series.
Lets try and accentuate the positive instead of reveling in the crass and negative.
I've been reading in the news lately that people are up in arms over the fact that Subway's footlongs aren't exactly 12 inches. This started after one man in Australia actually took a tape measure and measured his sandwich, then took his anger to the internet.
... Its one bloody inch, people! What does it matter? And what sort of anal-retentive person actually measures their sandwich? JUST EAT THE DAMN THING!
Its mind boggling what ridiculous, miniscule things get people so irate these days. Its a waste of time and energy.
