Shot with Canon 80D
Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Lens
Powell Butte & Blue Lake
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Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Book Review: Devils in the Confessional by Channing Cornwall
Isaac is still a God-fearing man who denounced violence after his harrowing adventures in the previous tale and Kemal isn't the fastest gun in the Northwest so they then turn to the two most dangerous hombres they know; none other than Cullen Travers and Sadie Warner, who bested the entire Faceless Ghosts gang in book one of the series Hell Came with Her. Joseph Abernathy brings these two groups together, along with Isaac's brother Jacob and a couple others from Opulence in an effort to bring peace back to the mining town where men and women are being held hostage by the Coffin Killers and the unwitting gold baron Benjamin Fink.
There is a bit of setting up before we get to the altercation that ensues by the end of the story but the setup is worth it for the background needed to understand the new characters and the new stakes involved. Everyone has something to gain and something to lose from their decisions and the lives of dozens of people hang in the balance. Isaac and Kemal want to go back to their wives and children at their cozy inn and look forward to a move up north where they can be free from the racism that plagues their culture. Cullen wants to feel useful again doing the only thing he knows how to do, killing and Sadie just wants to make sure Cullen doesn't die being the stubborn bastard she can't contain that he is. The people of Opulence want their share of the golden cow. Fink wants his riches. Coffin Kain wants his retirement money and to make a name as the baddest gunslinger. Will they get what they want or just what's coming for them?
The author, Channing Cornwall, has crafted a compelling finale to the tale of the characters we fell in love with during the previous Western Sins books where the harsh realities of the lawless west are splattered against the walls of our minds' proverbial silver screen in great relief. This world is dark and cruel. Channing makes us hate the bad guys who are fucking horrible while making us love the good guys who are as noble as they come, even with their unrelenting flaws. While Devils in the Confessional has all the makings of a classic western tale it offers fresh struggles, suspenseful intrigue, and emotional depth.
I highly recommend finishing off your western sin with a confession of your own! Let me try again: No preacher can save you from the western sins in this confessional! Or: Even God won't pardon these western sinners, no matter how much they confess. Fuckin' nailed it!
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Photo Journal 5/25/2022 Blue Lake
Shot with Canon 80D
Tamron 70-300mm and Canon 100mm Macro
Blue Lake
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Monday, May 16, 2022
Photo Journal Joey's Cryptodermia 5/15/2022
Shot with Canon 80D
Canon 24mm Pancake and Canon 100mm Macro
Eugene, OR
Old Nick's Pub (Market of the Beast)
https://www.edwardsartanddesign.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jo3y3dwards/
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Saturday, April 23, 2022
Photo Journal 4/23/2022 Powell Butte
Shot with Canon 80D
Tamron 70-300mm and Canon 100mm Macro
Powell Butte
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Friday, April 15, 2022
Photo Journal 4/15/2022 Blue Lake
Shot with Canon 80D
Tamron 70-300mm
Blue Lake
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Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Book Review: The Acolyte by Nick Cutter
The Acolyte takes place in the dystopian city of New Bethlehem, a city much like modern-day New York or Chicago except that the governing body is controlled by a religious totalitarian regime that has made any deviation from Christian ethics a criminal offense. In order to combat crimes against the faith, they have created an enforcement agency with authority above all others. Jonah Murtag is one of these agents and he is 'The Acolyte' we follow throughout this terrifying tale of tyranny, treachery, and intrigue.
Murtag is a devout follower of the faith and even turned his mother in for her sins when he was a child. She was sent to a center where part of her brain was removed rendering her with the intellect of a child. Murtag and his fellow acolytes spend their days cracking the skulls of those who dare to break the rules set forth by the ancient text of the Bible. Gays are sent to reconditioning centers or they are otherwise eliminated. Atheists are arrested, taken to prison, or beaten to death in the process. Muslims and Jews are allowed to live in ghettos to continue having a large workforce but their children are forced to adopt Christian ways and no one is allowed to practice or hold onto any non-Christian religious traditions, symbols, or relics. Also, science is essentially gone as it provides a source of doubt and an alternative explanation to the word of God.
One night Murtag is tasked with being the bodyguard of the daughter of the most important man in the city, The Prophet. The Prophet runs the city and his family is the shining light of all that is holy until one night, when a terrorist self explodes, killing The Prophet's daughter and almost killing Murtag and his fellow Acolyte Doe. Murtag's sins begin with his lust for Doe, the first female acolyte, who turns out to be much more than just another follower. As the investigation into the bombing begins more bombs start to go off around the city and as Murtag gets closer to the truth he gets farther from his faith. As his faith devolves his humanity starts to blossom as he indulges in acts of compassion as well as sins of the flesh. He acts as a microcosm of the impending destruction that engulfs the city around him. As the city is torn apart so is his mind and by the end, he becomes what the powerful fear the most; a committed believer.
Nick Cutter writes in a very straightforward fashion with little in the way of colorful metaphors or long-winded internal diatribes. The chapters are short and continuous. The story is a relentless trek through a dark and dangerous realm full of the worst of what humans are capable of. It provides a stark example of how horrendous acts can be made justifiable with a strong enough belief in one's own righteousness. When power meets conviction anything is possible. This story is a huge allegory for the problems that come from religious dogma, totalitarian governments, and the inevitability of violent reactions to subjugation and tyranny.
This is a good book if you can stomach some very gruesome depictions and macabre situations. There were a few moments where I was genuinely disturbed and a little put off. It is very pulpy and like a certain type of horror, it paints pictures in blood to a degree that may not be for some. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a quick read that packs a big irreverent punch.
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