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A Sci-Fi Rumble in the Jungle

Tom Clementson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:31:17 +0000

Power up your Oso-11 heavy assault rifle and join Evan Gabriel’s team as they face a new threat on an old battlefield in Steve Umstead’s second novel in the Evan Gabriel Trilogy, ‘Gabriel’s Return’.

Picking up the story six months after the conclusions of the first book, Umstead instills in you a false sense of security and normalcy so that he can leverage his plot and jerk the rug out from under you and his characters. This book is loaded with more than enough hi-tech action but Umstead finds balance and depth by presenting a more complex plot and delves much deeper into his characters.

Click here for the full review

What Lockout?

Tom Clementson — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:21:29 +0000

A New York Times news alert popped up on my iPad today with a breaking story. Normally when those pop up I get a little nervous since it’s usually bad news and I am in Afghanistan after all, the center for the media’s constant doom and gloom coverage…but that’s another story.

No, this story had to do with the National Basketball Association players union turning down a deal likely resulting in a cancelled season. Something else written in there about it being the owners last offer, the union decertifying, blah, blah, blah.

Click here for the rest of the story

Looking at the numbers

Tom Clementson — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:35:00 +0000

Here’s where I normally write a few paragraphs on my hope for a good outcome at the weekly Michigan game. It’s usually laden with jabs at rivals, a little statistical insight on opponents and confidence that our head coach will lead the team to overcome.

Nothing against Wolverine head coach Brady Hoke or the fine young men on his team but I just don’t have it in me this week. I’ve spent the past several days trying to understand how an institution like Penn State University can be hijacked so completely that its most senior officials ignored criminal acts against children for ten years in order to preserve its reputation.

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Next steps – sorting out the aftermath at PSU

Tom Clementson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:57:41 +0000

Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News

I regularly follow Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski for his wit and humorous approach to covering the sports stories from my home state and around the country. I also spend a little time bantering with some of his colleagues on Twitter and e-mail because they are good, fun people.

Today, like many in the past week is not a day for banter or jokes. Bob’s words in his weekly column express what a lot of sports fans are feeling at the moment; confusion, outrage, sadness, and many other things that are about 180 degrees from the things we normally feel about the sports and teams we love.

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Reviewing Gabriel’s Redemption

Tom Clementson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:21:51 +0000

Gabriel’s Redemption by Steve Umstead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s suspense from the outset of Steve Umstead’s debut novel, and book 1 of the ‘Evan Gabriel Trilogy’, named for his main character. This is one of the better science fiction, action novels you’ll find out there whether indie or big market. Umstead is meticulous in establishing the back story for not only his characters but this futuristic universe while being mindful to maintain the pace and flow of his plot. Click here for more

Board intervenes, charts right path

Tom Clementson — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:22:22 +0000

AP Photo

The Penn State University board of trustees made a difficult and conscious decision to do the right thing in light of one of the worst scandals in sports history by firing their long-standing and revered head football coach, Joe Paterno. Click here for more

PSU scandal puts true colors on display

Tom Clementson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:04:55 +0000

AP Photo

You see the true colors come out in people in the midst of institutional crisis and with only a handful of days passed since the initial breaking reports centering on former Penn State football coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s horrendous acts on children, the colors seem to run the spectrum. Click here for more

A sickening lesson in sports

Tom Clementson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:13:25 +0000

The story from State College, Pa. gets worse as the clock ticks and if the charges of a cover-up by Penn State University officials wasn’t itself disgusting, the way some on the sports beat are covering this story places the exclamation point on one of the most horrendous stories in more than a decade. Click here for more

Tough Road Ahead

Tom Clementson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:20:49 +0000

I could rant about some awfully questionable calls at the
end of the Michigan – Iowa game Saturday, I could complain that the Big Ten may
have some issues with biased officiating for the home teams, I could say that
maybe a couple of non-calls in the endzone with seconds left may have made the
difference, but I won’t because it’s time to shake this one off. Click here for more

Taking back your vote – one ad at a time

Tom Clementson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:14:30 +0000

Could a new trend in politics be emerging? Could candidates actually be looking to reduce the billions they spend each cycle?

Photo by Denver Post

Read a great article in the USA Today by Martha Moore that addressed these questions as she reported the significant lag in ad buys by GOP campaigns during the primary season, instead opting to take advantage of free air time through the increased number of televised debates. Makes sense to me since most of the country has been forced to cut the extras in their budgets and in many homes, even cutting essentials.

Click here for the rest