CSFF Blog Tour - Karen Hancock's "The Enclave"

Hi all:

And now ... a blast from the past!

Remember when I used to post reviews here regularly? Well, for the next three days, I'm participating in another Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) Blog Tour, because they're featuring one of my favorite authors, Karen Hancock, and her latest novel, The Enclave.


I finished reading it last night at midnight and wow, it's not a book to read right before going to bed! What a boffo ending! Edge of your seat, gasping, cringing, and worrying up to the last few pages.

It's quite a departure from Hancock's four-book, Christy-award winning fantasy series, "Legends of the Guardian King," which shows just how imaginative Hancock is. Though she does manage to pull in a sword and scabbard at one point. ;)

This book is much more of a science fiction than fantasy book, because it is set in a genetics research compound in the Arizona desert and includes much lingo about the field of genetics, labwork, research grants, etc. Quite fascinating. Much more Michael Crichton than Frank Herbert.

It also reminds me of the Stargate movie and TV series in the way it brings ancient sarcaphogi into modern times, thus making this tale both a historical novel and a science fiction story at the same time. Great stuff!

Check out Karen Hancock's website and blog for more information about her new book and the wonderful "Legends of the Guardian King" series. I'll post links to my reviews of this wonderful series later in the tour.

I'll elaborate on my thoughts re: Michael Crichton and Stargate over the next three days, but in the meantime, here are links to the other blogs participating in the tour:

Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Heather R. Hunt
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Mike Lynch
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Elizabeth Williams

For the duration of the tour, I'll revert to my reviewing sign-off:

Enjoy!

hrh

IBD's Ed on Gov Palin's Op Ed on Cap and Trade

Hi all:

Here's what the Investor's Business Daily (IBD) editorial board has to say in response to Senator John Kerry's hit piece about Governor Palin's Washington Post OpEd:

Palin Vs. Kerry (And MoveOn.org)

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 4:20 PM PT

Politics: John Kerry, replying to an op-ed Sarah Palin wrote on cap-and-trade, suggests the Alaska governor "check the view from her front porch." What she sees from there, senator, is energy wealth going to waste.

The political death of Sarah Palin has been greatly exaggerated. In a devastating op-ed in the Washington Post, Alaska's governor exposes the cap-and-tax fraud that has nothing to do with earth's temperature and everything to do with government control of the economy.

She also exposes the stealth socialism ambitions of the Democratic left and once again points out the availability of abundant "shovel-ready" resources under America's soil, off America's shores and even in America's rocks.

Judging from the reaction from Sen. Kerry and the political arm of George Soros, one must ask: If Palin is spent as a political force, why is everyone on the left so worried and talking about her?

Kerry took to the ultraliberal Web site Huffington Post to object to Palin's description of "the president's cap-and-trade energy tax" as "an enormous threat to our economy." In Alaska, she wrote, "we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, energy and security."

Kerry, who opposed the Cape Wind project off breezy Cape Cod because a wind farm capturing energy from ocean breezes might spoil his view, went ballistic. In a thinly veiled reference to Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" skit, he repeated the warm-monger mantra that the "global climate change crisis threatens our economy and national security in profound ways" and that "Gov. Palin need look no further than the view from her front porch in Alaska to see how destructive this crisis can be."

What Palin sees is a cap-and-tax plan that will result in a "dried-up energy sector" that even the sponsors of the Waxman-Markey bill anticipate, or they wouldn't have included a provision providing $4.2 billion over eight years for newly unemployed energy workers.

It's not just the energy sector that will be devastated. Palin notes that "even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan." We have cited an analysis of Waxman-Markey by the Heritage Foundation that found unemployment will increase by nearly 2 million in 2012, the first year of the program, and reach nearly 2.5 million in 2035. Total GDP loss by 2035 would be $9.4 trillion.

Kerry responded that Palin failed to mention that "jobs in our emerging clean energy economy grew nearly 2 1/2 times faster than overall jobs since 1998." That's easy when you start from almost zero. Note that 1998 is also the year the earth started cooling, with not a warmer year since. There's even been snow in Malibu.

From Palin's front porch, senator, she can see "the largest private-sector energy project in history" — her "3,000-mile natural gas pipeline (that) will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America."

From Palin's front porch you can also see the 2,000-acre part of ANWR's frozen tundra that contains 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil (such estimates often underestimate actual yields) and that could supply all the oil needs of Kerry's Massachusetts for 75 years.

And from her front porch, Palin can see the Chukchi Sea northwest of Alaska's landmass. Awaiting development there, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, are 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or 30% of the world's supply, and 83 billion barrels of oil, 4% of global conventional resources.

MoveOn.org began e-mailing members Tuesday, asking them to fund a rapid response ad blasting Palin's op-ed. Soros' group said Palin was positioning herself as the face of conservative opposition to Obama's energy policy, telling supporters her op-ed was "a marvel of misinformation and outright lies."

What really hurts is Palin's truth. Kerry and MoveOn.org say Sarah Palin must be stopped. We say, drill, baby, drill.

IBD has published many editorials that are supportive of Governor Palin's energy independence efforts and specifically, the natural gas pipeline, as well as her national security views. In fact, they've coined the term "the Palin way" when talking about achieving energy independence.

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin's OpEd on Cap n' Trade in the Washington Post

Hi all:

Here ya' go, cap and trade in a nutshell in the fact-based opinion of Governor Palin. My comments:

1. As a writer and compulsive copy editor, let me say that I heart the proper usage of "affect" versus "effect" in paragraph 4. :)
2. I also love the use of the word "clobber" in paragraph 15 (or paragraph 3 from the end). I think that word choice hits the nail on the head of what a whack we'll receive if this appalling bill goes through.
3. And in the last paragraph, I'm amused by her claim that "yes, we can" achieve energy independence - just NOT with Obama's plan. Double :) :)

The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End

By Sarah Palin
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy. Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president's cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.

There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America's economy.

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

The Americans hit hardest will be those already struggling to make ends meet. As the president eloquently puts it, their electricity bills will "necessarily skyrocket." So much for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.

Even Warren Buffett, an ardent Obama supporter, admitted that under the cap-and-tax scheme, "poor people are going to pay a lot more for electricity."

We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.

In Alaska, we are progressing on the largest private-sector energy project in history. Our 3,000-mile natural gas pipeline will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America. We can safely drill for U.S. oil offshore and in a tiny, 2,000-acre corner of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if ever given the go-ahead by Washington bureaucrats.

Of course, Alaska is not the sole source of American energy. Many states have abundant coal, whose technology is continuously making it into a cleaner energy source. Westerners literally sit on mountains of oil and gas, and every state can consider the possibility of nuclear energy.

We have an important choice to make. Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama's plan will result in the latter.

For so many reasons, we can't afford to kill responsible domestic energy production or clobber every American consumer with higher prices.

Can America produce more of its own energy through strategic investments that protect the environment, revive our economy and secure our nation?

Yes, we can. Just not with Barack Obama's energy cap-and-tax plan.

The writer, a Republican, is governor of Alaska.

Here's the link to the story if you want to read other readers' comments.

Engage!

hrh

Governor Palin Resigns - Partial Comments Roundup

Hi all:

You've heard that Governor Palin is resigning. What do you think?

Consider these recent comments from people whose opinion I value:

Fred Malek (Republican DC mover and shaker, McCain's campaign finance guy):

# Sarah Palin took the high + courageous road, putting family, party, Alaska, + country ahead of all else. We'll hear much more from this star

# My blogged response to Vanity Fair, because I have seen myself how smart and serious Sarah Palin really is: http://bit.ly/1iMNkL

# Highly recommend @jimgeraghty's take on VF Sarah Palin hit piece: http://bit.ly/17Bw1n


Glenn Beck (radio and TV host, author):
* True about Palin dropping out and stepping down. GOOD. Get out of the system. Be a CREATIVE extremist as MLK said.


Mark R. Levin (Lawyer, radio host and author):
Palin is running for president, get used to it. (Audio below.)




Adam Brinkley (he of the Draft Sarah Palin for VP blog that is now archived in the Library of Congress):

Palin actually EXPANDED her Influence in Alaska Today

Are you ready to engage?

hrh