I've been a fan of Science Fiction author Orson Scott Card ever since I read his novel Ender's Game as a teenager. What a pleasant surprise when I and others in my family discovered his regular columns he writes, one titled Uncle Orson Reviews Everything for a local North Carolina newspaper, The Rhinocerous Times, and another column for The Ornery American web site titled War Watch. His columns are consistently enjoyable.

This week's War Watch columnn is excellent as usual. (Read it at http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2003-06-16-1.html) I won't say anything about the column other than that I must agree with Horsey. (That's a nickname my siblings and I bequeathed upon him, unbeknownst to him of course, total strangers living thousands of miles away from his home in North Carolina—although I did mention it to him during a book signing several years back in Provo, Utah as he autographed my books.) I think I could be persuaded, as something of a traditional Utah Republican, to vote Democrat if there were more voices like Orson's in the Democratic Party leadership.

I finished reading book number five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Like book four, it was a bit darker in tone than the first three. Author J.K. Rowling really did well capturing the moodiness of a teenager. Harry, 15 in this book, has a bit of a temper. The reader never quite knows for sure how much of this is just Harry growing up, and how much is the influence of Harry's nemesis, Voldemort. A delightful read. If only book six were out... *sigh*

UPS finally delivered my new speakers for my computer. My old pair had since retired to Hurricane, Utah, to the abode of my parents, since one of their speakers had a rattle or buzz that was incredibly annoying. A few weeks without speakers was beginning to wear on my nerves. I couldn't listen to my music while working! So I ordered Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers, a very nice THX certified pair of stereo computer speakers. Sure, I suppose I could have gone all out and got the 5.1 surround set, but I didn't want to empty my pocketbook quite that fast. Still, I wanted quality, and I know Klipsch by reputation. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic! They sound great!