This is the second book of the Bronze Canticles trilogy. It had been about six months since I read the the first book and I found it very confusing at the begining to remember what had happened previously since the beginning of this book jumps forward a generation from the previous book.
Overall, the book was well written but not as interesting as the first until near the climax.
★★★☆☆
I read about this in the Metro News: A man and a woman were arguing in the parking lot of the Baccarat Casino in Edmonton. The man took off his shirt then punched the woman in the face. The woman collapsed and the man choked her until she stopped moving. Then he got up and kicked her in the face ten times, then walked around a bit to catch his breath before kicking her ten more times. Apparently the events of the incident are well corroborated because there was a crowd of people watching.
Guess what Edmontonians, if we don’t want our city to become a cesspool we have to treat it like it’s our city. Get involved.
The woman did not suffer any serious injuries.
I read about this guy last week that has a U-Pick ranch in Saskatchewan. You drive out to his ranch, pick a juicy looking cow (or possibly steer) from his herd; then a few months later he has it sent to a local butcher and you go and pick it up. This is a brilliant idea and I hope it catches on. From what I understand, most of the meat we buy in the grocery store has been raised under less than ideal conditions. Read a book called “Fast Food Nation” if you want to be thoroughly disgusted. I think it might even be a movie now, for those non-readers out there.
If this becomes popular it would encourage smaller herds for ranchers and the purchasing of locally raised beef (good things). Just try to ask the guy behind the meat counter at Safeway if you could visit the ranch and slaughterhouse where you steak spent its brief but glorious existence…
You can read more about it on the CBC or visit the website of Allin’s U-Pick Steak Farm. I expect that there are a fair number of ranches in Alberta that you can visit and order a side of beef from; they just don’t (yet) advertise themselves as U-Pick. So, give it a try.
Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap Stories by Randy Bachman
The Rough Guide to the Blues by Nigel Williamson