cek.log

Geeky rants, raves, and random thoughts from Charlie Kindel...

The Four Rules of Firearm Safety
  1. All guns are always loaded.
  2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
  3. Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target.
  4. Be sure of your target and the backstop beyond.

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Books I read in 2009
Mostly writing this for my own (future) benefit…  These are the books I read in 2009 with ratings/categorization: Most were read on my Amazon Kindle (some on the DX, which I review here , others on my Kindle 2).  ***** means loved it. * means...
Posted: Feb 06 2010, 07:02 PM by charlie | with no comments
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Book: The Dead Hand – The Untold Story of the Cold War…
I haven’t posted a book review in a while. Not because I haven’t been reading, just because I’ve been lazy. My most recent book was The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy by David Hoffman. I had heard about...
Posted: Feb 06 2010, 06:50 PM by charlie | with no comments
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Peter F. Hamilton
Last year I discovered sci-fi author Peter F. Hamilton and have now read the following books by him on my Amazon Kindle 2 : The Night’s Dawn Trilogy : The Reality Dysfunction The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked God Pandora’s Star Judas Unchained The Void...
Kindle DX Review
Yesterday my new Amazon Kindle DX arrived and here are my initial impressions. I’ve owned a Kindle since November 2007 when they were first released. We currently own 4 of them: CJ has an original, Julie has a Kindle 2 , and I now have both a Kindle 2...
Mini Book Review – Use of Weapons (Kindle Edition)
I just finished Iain M. Banks’ Use of Weapons on my Amazon Kindle 2 . First book I read (actually I started it on my original Kindle and finished it on the Kindle 2). I don’t think I’ve read a Banks book before so I’m not sure where all the context around...
Best Free Sci-Fi...Ever!
I don't understand. I keep blogging about Cheesburger Brown and his amazing sci-fi books but he remains un-discovered. You would have thought this blog, which is read by billions dozens of people, would have elevated him to Asimov status by now ....
Kindl. Kindel. Kindle.
Back before the invention of the printing press my great, great, great grandfather came to the United States from Bavaria. His name was August Kindl. At Ellis Island the immigration officials added the 'e'...hence my family's name. We pronounce...
Book Review: Halting State
This was my first Kindle book. That's right Charlie Kindel bought a Kindle. I have to say it's getting annoying having everyone saying my name... Here's my quick review of Halting State by Charles Stross ... The big idea is an interesting...
Book Review: Scorpion Down
In 1987 I was an intern at IBM Federal Systems Division in Manassas, VA. I was working on testing the software for the AN/BQQ-5D bow-mounted spherical array sonar system for the SSN 688 Class (Los Angeles) fast attack nuclear submarines. This was shortly...
Book Review: Queen of Candesce: Book Two of Virga
Late last year I "discovered" Karl Schroeder when I read Sun of Suns: Book One of Virga . Recently he released the 2nd book of this series titled Queen of Candesce: Book Two of Virga and I finished it this weekend. Like the first book I thoroughly...
Book Review: Spook Country
Johnny Mnemonic, Neuromancer, Count Zero, Burning Chrome. All phenomenal stories. Some of my favorite reads. The Difference Engine & Pattern Recognition: I never finished them. They just didn't resonate with me. But I still will buy anything William...
Posted: Sep 07 2007, 06:31 PM by charlie | with no comments
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Bourne
I've always been a huge fan of Robert Ludlum. I started reading his books when I was in middle school. I don't think the Bourne trilogy are his best works. I think The Osterman Weekend was my favorite. But with the Bourne Ultimatum coming out...
Posted: Aug 05 2007, 08:36 PM by charlie | with no comments
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Book Review: River of Gods
Whew! I finally finished River of Gods by Ian McDonald this weekend. I categorize River of Gods as a “Great story but a PITA to read book”. Here's the deal: I shouldn't have to work to read a science fiction novel. To me “a great read” just flows...
Posted: Feb 05 2007, 02:37 AM by charlie | with 2 comment(s)
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Cheesburger Brown...rediscovered
Those of you paying attention will remember Cheesburger Brown . He's an insanely talented sci-fi author and artist who, two years ago, penned Simon of Space as well as Darth Vader's blog . Simon of Space was originaly written in the form of a...
Android Dreams
I recently finished John Scalzi's Andoid's Dream . I've said it before, but I've always been a huge fan of Robert Heinlein and John's writing reminds me of his. This book is John's 3rd sci-fi novel and his maturity over time as...
Posted: Jan 17 2007, 01:25 AM by charlie | with 2 comment(s)
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