At Rogue Blades: When Our Heroes are Flawed

My article at Rogue Blades this week talks about flawed, real-world heroes and that maybe we should cut them some slack because maybe, just maybe, we're the ones being overly judgmental.

Books read in 2021: No. 9 -- Between the Bridge and the River

by Craig Ferguson

Started: Feb. 13

Finished: Feb. 23

Notes: I'm in need of some fiction, so I turn to this novel. I know comedian Ferguson can write non-fiction, as I've read his excellent autobiography, so now I'll find out how he handles fiction.

Mini review: It's not easy to describe this novel. For one thing, the plot jumps around all over the place, especially early on, though by about the halfway point things begin to mull and the last half of the novel is easy to follow. Also, there are numerous characters, and it's sometimes not so easy to keep track of them. There are two Scottish men who were friends as boys but who part ways in high school, one who eventually becomes a television personality and the other who lives a rather dull life with a wife he does not truly love. One of them becomes something of a holy man, the other discovers he has cancer and falls in love, though I won't tell you which is which. Then there are the two brothers from the South in America, one who becomes a movie star and the other his manager, and eventually they go into the business of religion. And there are many other charcters, though those are the main ones. It all ties together somewhat in the end in what turns out to be quite the spiritual novel. If there's a message here, it's ultimately a simple one, "Help others." The title itself doesn't seem to make much sense until the end of this book, and there's definitely a spirituality there. I like that. I won't say this was a fun read, though there is some humor, but it wasn't a complete drudge.

Beer of the Week: Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

Beer score: 6.5

Company: Paulaner

ABV: 5.5
IBU: 16

A hefe-weizen is a type of wheat beer that has been conditioned in the bottle. This here beer is brewed and bottled by Paulener of Munich, Germany.

When you pour this one, it has a cloudy look to it with a bit of coloring that's somewhat amber. That being said, it's smooth and has a fruity taste that is cool at first but overpowering after a few drinks.

This beer would score higher for me if the fruit taste didn't come on so strong.

Still, it's a good sipping beer for dessert. You could serve this as a wine to non-beer drinkers and I think they would enjoy it.

At Black Gate: Revolt on Antares

This week at Black Gate I look back at an early TSR mini game, Revolt on Antares.

Beer of the Week: Geary's Pale Ale

Beer score: 7.8

Company: Geary Brewing Company

ABV: 5.2
IBU: 38

This one pours with a smooth copper color. The smell isn't overly strong, but there are definitely hints of the malt and hops with a slight cereal and caramel texture.

Going down, this is a solid, wet and frothy pale ale that isn't overly bitter. Has a little bit of a bitter kick when swallowing, but not much. Has a great flavor that's much like the smell with hints of bread and that caramel.

I like this beer, so yeah, I can recommend. You should try one.

Books read in 2021: No. 8 -- The Case for Faith

by Lee Strobel

Started: Feb. 5

Finished: Feb. 13

Notes: I love to study Christian apologetics, of which Strobel is known to be a major writer. That being said, I've read one of his books before and I wasn't a big fan, mainly because I felt he covered ground already covered time and time again by other authors. I'm willing to give him another try, though, and maybe there will be something new here for me to learn.

Mini review: Here Strobel attempts to answer a number of objections to Christianity through interviews with various experts on science, philosophy and religion. Strobel does a quality job of finding answers for the presented concerns, but I always feel as if his writings are a bit simplistic for my taste, that the answers aren't necessarily pat but that they're just touching upon the tip of the iceberg. Of course he's writing for a somewhat general Christian audience, but I prefer deeper material. I'm not opposed to reading more Strobel, but I think I prefer the works of the likes of Josh McDowell or even C.S. Lewis.

Don't throw away your heroes

This week at the Rouge Blades site, I write about throwing away your heroes and how it's best not to do so. To be more specific, I talk about when I left home for the first time and gave away my childhood comics, toys, games, and all that went with it. Sigh.

Concealed Carry: The 3 Speed Holster

I've not written a weapons post in a long while, but I've been excited about a recent purchase so I just had to share about it.

Like many firearms enthusiasts and those who carry concealed or openly, I'm always on the lookout for a new holster. A good holster, one that's just perfect for you, isn't always easy to find, and most gun enthusiasts will have a bunch of them, some they use and some they were disappointed with and are shoved back in a closet somewhere. To those who don't carry, being picky about a holster might seem silly, but it's actually quite important to have a good holster for safety purposes and for comfort and fit.
So, I'm always looking.

And recently I read about the 3 Speed Holster.

I was a little skeptical at first, but after ordering one and now wearing it some, I have to say I love it!

It straps around your waist and connects with a long velcro strap that you can cut shorter if you want. The actual holster is fitted to whatever you carry, in my case a Beretta 92FS, not a small or particularly light handgun. The "belt" is for inside-the-waistband carry but I don't see why it couldn't be carried outside the waistband as long as you're wearing a long shirt or something similar.

What made this holster stand out for me is that it can be worn by a big guy such as myself, and comfortable holsters for those of us who are plus sized can be especially difficult to find. That being said, the 3 Speed Holster isn't just for big guys, it's for all sizes, and when ordering you specify your dimensions.

Also, I love the fact you can wear this holster with practically anything, including sweatpants, which are notoriously difficult to find holsters or gun belts for.

So far my 3 Speed Holster is comfortable and molds slightly to the body. Also, it can be shifted up and down quite easily, so I suppose you could pull it higher up near your chest if you wanted.

Mine came with a slot for a spare magazine, but if my memory serves, you can specify not having the slot for extra magazines when ordering.

I love this thing. I don't know yet if it'll be my regular, go-to holster for pants and jeans, but I'll definitely be utilizing it for sweatpants and shorts and the like.

No, that's not my Beretta. This is a stock photo from the 3 Speed Holster company, but it's a good example of what they have to offer.

Beer of the Week: Andechs Export Dunkel

Beer score: 7.6

Company: Kloster Andechs

ABV: 4.9
IBU: 19

This German beer pours a dark copper color, and hits you right away with a strong caramel scent.

Upon tasting, that caramel flavor turns into a toasted bitterness on the way down. Just a tad too much carbonation for my taste, but not enough to ruin the drink.

Quite enjoyable.

My Black Gate article this week takes a look back to the 1980s, specifically to the tabletop roleplaying game "Lords of Creation" from the Avalon Hill company.

Books read in 2021: No. 7 -- The Second Book of Samuel

published by Zondervan

Started: Feb. 2
Finished: Feb. 4

Notes: As I just finished The First Book of Samuel, I thought I'd continue on here.

Mini review: This continues with David's life, leading into his old age but not quite to his death. Here can be found more beheadings and rapes and slaughters than any Sword & Sorcery story I've ever read, but most of this wasn't brought about by David himself, though he seems to have been a great war general. And despite his being loved by God, David is not perfect and sins in awful ways, though he and his people pay for it even after David shows contrition. In many ways, David's biggest faults are his loyalty to his family, no few of whom try to overthrow him or murder him and who do awful things sometimes even to each other. It is interesting to see the ancient writers of this book did not shy away from showing the hero, David, in a negative light when he deserved it.

Books read in 2021: No. 6 -- The First Book of Samuel

published by Zondervan

Started: Jan. 27
Finished: Feb. 2

Notes: Last year I began reading the Bible in bits and starts, so now I continue to keep at it. This book, and the one that follows it, are basically the story of King David's life.

Mini review: The Hebrews beseech the prophet Samuel for a king, and despite God's misgivings, Saul is decided upon. However, Saul sins against God, so God decides David would be a better king. Then much of this book entails Saul hunting to slay David and David time and time again either going into hiding or asking Saul why he wants David dead, to which there is no good reason other than fear and jealousy. In the end, Saul is killed in a battle that does not involve David, and this is pretty much where this book ends. David has not been crowned yet, but that's coming.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Schell's Pils

Beer score: 3.0

I've not had time of late to try some new beers or even to drink beer, but I have notes from a number of beers that are no longer in production. This is one of those beers, though the brewer is still around and produces a pilsener, just not this one.

This one was not a favorite, but I still always hate to discover a beer is no longer on the market. Even if a beer isn't for me, someone might enjoy it.

Anyway, this one was very light and sweet. It had a light yellow color to it and smelled of bread with a hint of maybe orange or lemon. The taste also had a bready quality along with the sweetness.

Not an awful beer but not a great one. Better beers are and were available, so maybe that's why this one is no longer around, but I still felt it was worth trying.