"Cat & Mouse" by James Patterson

Amazon.com Summary:

Alex Cross, the Porsche-driving doctor-detective-profiler-psychologist and single father of two must save his own life as well as the lives of his lover and family in a deadly game of Cat and Mouse. Cross meets up again with his old nemesis Gary Soneji, the ruthless, bloodthirsty megalomaniac from Along Came a Spider. Apparently, Soneji isn't too happy with Cross for putting him away and keeping him out of the violent crime loop for five years, so he's back with a bone to pick and a couple of fish to fry--or innocent bystanders to shoot, stab, or bludgeon. Soneji goes on a commuter killing spree in hopes of luring Cross down a bloody trail that ends at the good detective's own home. Cross is hot on the case and hot for Christine Johnson, his children's babe-a-licious principal who happens to be the widow of George Johnson, one of Soneji's victims. Never mind the coincidence; is Christine a bad-luck charm? Is there another killer? If so, is she or he in cahoots with Soneji? Once again, Patterson delivers a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that's sure to keep the pages flying.

After a bit of Star Trek, I headed back into the world of Alex Cross. This is a great book that kept me on the 'edge of my seat' a few times. And yet again... this is the point in my 'review' that I need to say.... somebody REALLY needs to talk to James Patterson about guns! I offer the following evidence...

Page 201: "I clicked the safety off the Glock."

Author: James Patterson
Narrator: George Guidall & Richard Feronne
Running Time: 10 hours and 32 min.
Book Rating:
Production:
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook -- I couldn't get this from Audible.com unabridged so I had to borrow it from the library. This Amazon link isn't the production I just finished. Mine was narrated by "George Guidall & Richard Feronne" from "Books on Tape"
Paperback

Yet another reason why you should trade your point & shoot for a DSLR...

Lake in the Hills Air Expo 2006 -- Click the image to enlarge

And YES Darren... I CAN zoom in enough to see the pilot!

This Day in History

May 27, 1937

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE OPENS

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning technological and artistic achievement, opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day--"Pedestrian Day"--some 200,000 bridge walkers marveled at the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco and Marin County. On May 28, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic.

Cam & Ronnie

NRANews.com's Cam Edwards interviewing Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms live on Cam & Company (NRANews.Com & Sirius Patriot 144). Ronnie is an excellent supporter of 2nd Amendment Rights. So much so that when California put a ban on the civilian ownership of .50 BMG rifles, Barrett Firearms instituted a policy of refusing to sell to or service rifles for any California Law Enforcement Agency until they change the law. Way to go Ronnie!

Wayne at the Members Meeting

"Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imzadi II: Triangle" by Peter David

Audible.com Summary:

Imzadi: to the people of the planet Betazed, including counsellor Deanna Troi of the Starship Enterprise, it means "beloved" and denotes a special closeness that can never be truly broken. Or can it? Best selling author Peter David explored the special bond between Troi and Commander Riker in his earlier novel, Imzadi. Now, he examines the heart of Deanna Troi from an altogether different perspective, as he reveals for the first time the full story of Troi's troubled romance with Lieutenant Commander Worf. At first glance, they cannot be more different. She is an empath, gentle and acutely sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. He is a fierce Klingon warrior, dedicated to a harsh and war-like code of honor. Brought together, however, by a common need to care for Alexander, Worf's troubled, motherless son, they discover hidden reserves of courage and compassion within each other and embark on an unexpected courtship, much to the suprise and discomfort of William Riker. But does Worf's future really lie with Deanna...or on a distant outpost called Deep Space Nine? And who shall Troi ultimately call Imzadi? Imzadi ll is a compelling story about an untold chapter in the history of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Not as good as the first one but still some interesting elements.

Author: Peter David
Narrator: Robert O' Reilly
Running Time: 3 hours
Book Rating: ** 1/2
Production: ***
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook
Paperback

Walther G22

US Cellular Arena - Milwaukee, WI

The National Rifle Association 135th Annual Meetings & Exhibits, Part II

Sunday, May 21, 2006
Again, I woke up at 4:30am, showered, got ready to go. I was informed by Dave via e-mail that he wouldn’t be going back up with me. Apparently he was too tired out from Saturday. Whatever.

Since I didn't have to pick up Dave, I took another way to Milwaukee. It was actually a much easier drive since I was able to get into downtown using the Kilbourn Tunnel.

Again, I arrived around 7:30am.

As I walked up the catwalk the guards in the middle of it informed me that they were told to only let staff pass to the inside of the convention center until 8:00am. No big deal... I'd sit outside with a cigar. I turned around, walked back towards the parking deck, took the elevator to the ground floor and walked to the front of the convention center. At which, I was able to walk right in with no problems. I walked around, bought a muffin and soda from one of the Levy stands and scoped out the location of the seminar I was going to attend.

It was called "NRA and the Media--A Forum for Straight Shooters" "A panel of three journalism professionals will discuss the media’s accuracy and fairness in their coverage of NRA and firearms’ issues. The panelists include: Wisconsin radio talk show host Vicki McKenna; Brian Patrick, professor of journalism and author of NRA and the Media, and Cam Edwards, host of NRAnews.com and author of many articles on Second Amendment issues. Moderated by NRA Board member Susan Howard."

The seminar was quite interesting. The three panelists were an excellent choice for a seminar of this nature. It was nice to meet Vicki & Brian and of course nice to see Cam again.

After the seminar I headed to the show floor...I had a lot to see. I veered towards Smith & Wesson again to see if there was any swag. Most disappointingly, there wasn't any. I talked to a S&W guy about the new M&P pistols. My main question was "When the .357 sig version comes out can we just buy the .357 sig barrel to drop into our .40 S&W M&P's?" The answer I got was "probably" He could commit to a firm "YES" but he said it will be most likely just a barrel replacement and at the very most a barrel + rod/spring swap. I asked when the conversion would be available. He said shortly after the .357 sig version is released. So around Aug/Sept. This was good news indeed. I took a peek at the Walther G22 (still a contender for my next rifle) and drooled over the new S&W M&P AR-15's.

After S&W I headed to where I left off yesterday so I could see every booth. I went up and down every aisle admiring most of what I saw. I basically skipped the outfitters since hunting has no appeal to me and concentrated on the firearm, ammo & accessory manufactures.

I had a great conversation with a guy at the Crimson Trace booth. They seem like nice people to deal with and I was able to play with a bunch of their laser grips on various models including the new Glock version which I had yet to see in person.

The guys at North American Arms were a disappointment. They weren't very friendly or responsive to questions which is shitty since I own 2 of their guns and I've never had a problem with their people before.

I had a quick chat with an absolutely HOT twenty-something at the SIG-ARMS booth. I was happy to take the pin & poster she was offering.

I spent some time at the Beretta booth towards the end of the day and noticed that they were selling off everything they had left at their 'store' at a LARGE discount. I picked up a Beretta 92FS Cleaning kit that was originally $20 for a mere $5. I was happy. They also had a lot of clothing but nothing appealed. I assume all of their hats were gone... cause at 75% off I certainly would have picked up a style or two.


I thought that Stoeger had the best looking booth. It had places to sit, plasma tvs and a fake fireplace, giving it a very lodgy feel. As my camera in my right and the heavy bag of catalogs/swag in my left were weighing me down... I took a few minutes to give my arms a break and relax in their booth a few minutes before continuing around that aisle.

My pick for “Best Unknown Company” (to me) was a company that can convert specific firearms (special barrel/rod/spring) into guns that you can target shoot inside your home using specialized ammo. It’s really interesting technology. The price is WAY to high right now but it’s a cool idea just the same.

After my last row, I headed back to the NRA Store. Picked up a couple of things, walked back to the car and headed home. The NRA Convention was a GREAT experience with lots of really great people (I was only 1 of 55,000 people who attended.)

I highly recommend going. I've already made my reservations for next April in St. Louis!

Midwest Airlines Center - Milwaukee, WI