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Messages - Hero of Ages

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61
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: August 21, 2009, 06:31:27 AM »
I just finished Haze and Imager by L.E. Moddesitt.  The cover and blurb for Haze interested me, unfortunately the book just didn't live up to either.  It is very annoying when 2 or 3 times in the first 20 pages I find editing errors so bad that I couldn't even understand the sentence.  What is worse is that I'm not all that good at grammar and the like, and they were so obvious that I actually had to reread them 5 or 6 times before giving up and moving on.

Imager was much better, no editing errors that jumped out at me, and a story that actually lived up to my expectations.  I was even surprised by a few, not many, of the plot twists.  It was a decent fantasy story that hints at being a pretty good series (it is the 1st book in an announced series).

62
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Favorite Authors...Where does Brandon Rate?
« on: August 07, 2009, 06:12:06 AM »
Quote from: Champion Kaz on August 07, 2009, 03:27:39 AM
Best mystery writer is Arthur Conan Doyle

I would almost agree with you there if it weren't for Poe.  He basically invented the "modern" mystery story.  I just wish that he had written more than 2 stories.

63
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: August 01, 2009, 07:48:38 AM »
So it got bumped again huh??  It was originally supposed to be out in April 2008, then April 2009, then November 2009, now apparently next April.  Ahhhhhh, the waiting!!!!

64
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: July 29, 2009, 08:22:52 AM »
Quote from: little wilson on July 29, 2009, 05:45:19 AM
Granted,  I haven't read the Dreamer's series, but his Belgariad is actually pretty darn good. I mean, it's not the best fantasy, but it is a very good introduction to fantasy. And if you don't want to buy it, there are always libraries...

As for what I'm reading--The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I went and bought it at Hasting's the other day along with Hero of Ages (I was missing HoA in my collection, and saw NotW there too, so grabbed that). I like it so far. A lot. 'Tis good stuff.

Ditto Eddings' other series.

How far into Name of the Wind are you?  I won't say where I am in case you aren't there yet. (since I have read it before if you are past me it won't spoil anything)

65
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: July 28, 2009, 08:54:19 AM »
I just finished the Dreamers series by David Eddings.  I read 1-3 when they 1st came out but was greatly disappointed by the 3rd book so I didn't pick up the last book in the series until I was in Barnes and Noble a few weeks back and saw the 4th book on clearance for $4,98, so I snagged it.  Since it had been a few years since I read the others I started over and reread the entire series.  Books 1 and 2 are ok but not up to the old David Eddings standards (which should tell you something), 3 was disappointing (again) and 4 was downright bad.  **SPOILER**  Talk about Deus Ex Machina.  The series is about gods protecting their followers and territories but when the gods' gods stepped into the picture I had had enough.  ** End Spoiler**

The whole series was an easy read, I read it in my spare time at work, and finished all 4 books in about a week and a half.

After the disappointment of that series I decided to reread something that I knew was good so I am currently on my 3rd read-through of The Name of the Wind.  When I finish that one I have to decide which to read: Stranger in  a Strange Land (unabridged) or Ender's Game.  Decisions, decisions.

66
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Favorite Authors...Where does Brandon Rate?
« on: July 23, 2009, 09:24:46 AM »
EUOL is definitely near the top of my list of favorite authors along with Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, enuf said), David Eddings, Ben Bova, Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land [the unabridged version, naturally] is one of my favorite books of all time), Tolkien (The Hobbit is the 1st "High/epic fantasy I read over 20 years ago when I was 10 or so, and as such will always hold a special place in my heart), R.A. Salvatore, Dean Koontz, Poe (probably my favorite all around author, from poetry to short stories, fantastic), Neil Gaiman (if you haven't read Everwhere you are missing out), Le Guin (the Earthsea series is fantastic), just to name a few.

You may notice that RJ is missing. Yeah, so, I am one of the few that just couldn't finish reading his books.   I thought book 1 was good (enough so that I kept reading) but by the time I got about half way thru Lord of Chaos (book 6), I realized I just didn't care about any of the characters and wasn't interested in what happens next.  So I stopped reading.  Blasphemy, I know.  I own books 1-10 so I may eventually go back and start over again.

67
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Wheel of Time - for those that wanna read brandons books but not Jordans
« on: July 10, 2009, 08:56:24 AM »
Quote from: Tage on July 09, 2009, 09:52:10 PM
Heh, on a side note, I'm one of those people. I got about 100 pages into WoT book 3 and couldn't take it anymore. The stories were so slow and the main characters so annoying that I just gave up. It's not for everyone.

Wow, you didn't even make it as far as I did.  I made it about 1/3 of the way thru book 5 before I realized that, for the most part I really didn't care that much about the vast majority of the characters.  I put it down, intending to eventually start where I left off but now 4 1/2 years later I think that I would have to start all over again, and that is something I don't care to do.

68
Rants and Stuff / Re: General Religious discussion
« on: July 09, 2009, 08:51:26 AM »
Quote from: Epistemological on July 09, 2009, 01:02:59 AM
Quote from: sortitus on July 09, 2009, 12:48:35 AM
Second, the quote you gave merely says that people cannot get married in heaven. It says nothing about those who are already married.

I agree with this spirit of your post but I don't think this bit is right. You have to look at the context:

 23On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him,

 24asking, "Teacher, Moses said, 'IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.'

 25"Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother;

 26so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh.

 27"Last of all, the woman died.

 28"In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her."

 29But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.

 30"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."

By your interpretation of Jesus' words, the problem the Sadducees posed is never really addressed, because the problem is not about marrying after death. It is about marriage after death.

Look at it from an Authority (Priesthood) perspective.  The Priesthood is the power granted by God to act in his name and have it be as if HE issued the command.  We see that Jesus gave Peter this Authority and told him what was possible:

Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

Matthew 18:18
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Jesus had stated the same thing earlier:

Mark 10:9
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The same thoughts were states many years before:

Ecclesiastes 3:14
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it...

Mormons believe that Marriages performed in the proper way and in the proper place by those who have the Authority (Priesthood) have that promise that the bonds created will still remain in Heaven.

69
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: July 01, 2009, 09:11:33 AM »
I'm not sure that a lifeless could be made sentient, but maybe.

According to your theory about the returned, it is not possible for lifeless and awakened objects to return.  Since they don't have a will of their own they cannot command themselves to return.  And even if commanded to by the awakener, I still think that it would be to complex a command and too costly in the amount of breaths to be feasible.

To answer your question about why Vasher didn't use Kalad's Phantoms, he couldn't he gave up his "extra" breaths to the 1st God King, and they were passed down to Susebron.

70
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Information from Brandon from IF Signing *MAJOR SPOILERS*
« on: June 23, 2009, 05:58:33 AM »
Quote from: Andrew the Great on June 22, 2009, 10:33:37 PM
IHero of Ages, are you saying we should all just start trying to guess what the address would be for this awesome chart and hope one of us eventually finds it? I'm game, if you are   ;) .

Hmmm... I'm thinking more and more that I need to arrange to read Dragonsteel and ask Brandon for White Sands and such. But i digress. Glad that everybody found my report useful. I actually got RAFO'd much less than I expected to.

I understood him to be saying that it would be like an Easter egg.

I have a copy of White Sand that I would be more than happy to forward to you, with permission from EUOL or Ookla of course.

71
Books / Re: Favorite author
« on: June 22, 2009, 07:05:55 AM »
Quote from: Champion Kaz on June 22, 2009, 05:14:15 AM
Will someone explain to her that i am indeed a savage little man who does not adhere to the rules of civilization and by extension civility?

What he said.

72
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Information from Brandon from IF Signing *MAJOR SPOILERS*
« on: June 22, 2009, 12:01:08 AM »
Crap, I just remembered that he said that he may put the diagram up as a hidden link on his website.

73
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Information from Brandon from IF Signing *MAJOR SPOILERS*
« on: June 21, 2009, 03:54:35 AM »
When I spoke with EUOL he was pretty firm on the overarching shards books being 36 in number.  I had actually asked him about Hoid's connection with White Sand as I had noticed something during his story.  (Those of you who have read the preliminary White Sand will see the connection.)

He also mentioned that he has a diagram of how the books relate to each other and the shards.  He said that he may eventually publish it so we can see the connections, but that many more books would have to be written first.

74
Brandon Sanderson / Re: Questions to pester Brandon with?
« on: June 20, 2009, 03:06:42 AM »
Oh, I will most assuredly be there.  I don't know when I will show up (probably before it starts) or when I will leave (probably when the wife drags me out because I am hogging all of EOUL's time and no one else can get a word in edgewise, or when it is done (whichever comes first)).

75
Rants and Stuff / Re: General Religious discussion
« on: June 18, 2009, 06:59:10 AM »
Quote from: Skar on June 17, 2009, 06:18:18 PM
*Minor example concerning the murder of the prophet Joseph Smith.  I've read first hand accounts that explicitly state that Joseph had a pistol and fired down the stairwell at his assailants as well as a stick he used to attack them in self-defense before he went through the window. You will not find this in any of the "official accounts" of his death.  I suspect that is because the church leadership prefer, for some reason I personally can barely understand, the more peaceful version with the vigorous self-defense left out.

I always thought it was interesting that the church glossed over that as well.  In multiple accounts it was stated that they had a pepper-box pistol (a 6 barreled muzzle loading pistol to be exact).

In the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, he states that "...a man named Townsend...was one of the mob...[and] the pistol discharged by Joseph Smith wounded him in the arm near the shoulder..."

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