He trashed my new favorite book!

[Typhoon1244]

Sorry, but I have to vent about this: who the hell is Michael Twokay of San Diego, CA? Anybody know him?

This guy wrote an Amazon.com review of Punk's Wing, a novel by fromer-NFO Ward Carroll. Read any of his books? Punk's War, Punk's Wing, and Punk's Fight are novels about modern naval aviation, and they are very very good. Better than (dare I say it?) Flight of the Intruder in many ways.

So then here comes this snot-nosed amateur reviewer:

Reviewer: Michael Twokay from San Diego, CA
I hate it when a good book is littered with inaccuracies that the author shouldn't have made in the first place and the editor certainly should have caught. Such was the case with Carroll's first book, "Punk's War," and sadly, continues in "Punk's Wing." Examples:

Pg. 19. Sandy's last name is "Koufax," not "Kofax."
Pg. 43. "Master Chief Aviation Technician (Air Warfare) Bobby Callaghan." No such enlisted rating. Perhaps he meant "Master Chief Avionics Technician."
Pg. 114. NATOPS is defined here as "Naval Aviation Training and Operations publication." It should read "Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization." This from a RIO?
Pg. 127. There is no enlisted rating "Avionics Electronics Technician." It is "Aviation Electronics Technician."
Pg. 257. Pilot engages the four wire, but Carroll has LSO dictating, "Three wire." No explanation.
Pg. 335. Reference is made to "Operation Enduring Freedom" beginning a few days after 9/11. The operation's original name was, "Infinite Justice." The name change came quite a while after 9/11.

1. I don't know how to spell Sandy Ko(u)fax's name...but it doesn't affect the book!
2. There are several types of "Master Chief Aviation Technicians." Twokay needs to get up to speed on this.
3. The author didn't define NATOPS. All Twokay is proving here is that he can't read.
4. The author didn't say "Avionics Electronics Technician." He said "Aviation Electronics Technician." True, the correct title is Avionics Technician, but the average reader won't understand that...so the author took the liberty of explaining the title. Big deal!
5. The pilot didn't engage the four wire...she was headed for it on short final. She ended up getting a three-wire. Again, apparently Twokay can't read.
6. The author doesen't say Enduring Freedom began a few days later. He describes it as being a couple weeks later! Twokay: read for comprehension, man!

(There...am I glad to have that off my chest!)

 

[wingnutt]

***digs in pocket, finds two valium and throws em on the table in front of Typhoon, then tiptoes away quietly...

 

[ms6073]

Look at the bright side, at you don't have to worry about whether or not the review was written by the author or an Amazon.com employee!

 

[bigD]

I tend to ignore on-line reviews for books, music, or movies unless the reviewer also writes for a newspaper or magazine.

People posting reviews to Amazon generally either really love the book, or really hate it. There's rarely any middle ground - as these people don't take the time to write a review. And unfortunately, the middle ground is where you'll find the most objective, well thought out reviews.

Yahoo movie reviews are the worst about this. You'll see 1000 reviews for a movie, and 995 of them either say, "this movie sux donkey balls" or "ohmygod i love this movie i wanna have hugh grants baby!" or some such crap. The other 5 have something meaningful to say.

Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to say not to get too worked up about an Amazon review. The beauty of the internet is that it gives everyone the same voice, but that also can be a curse because there a surprising number of idiots out there.

 

[mar]

Lunatics running the asylum

<<The beauty of the internet is that it gives everyone the same voice, but that also can be a curse because there a surprising number of idiots out there.>>

And the really scary part is that some of them *vote* based on information they got off the internet!

And by the way, yeah I know Mike Twokay, he's my brother.

Just kidding.

He sounds like a pedant--and not even a very good one at that.

I bet he votes Re.........--ah, nevermind.

 

[sky37d]

***digs in pocket, finds two valium and throws em on the table in front of Typhoon, then tiptoes away quietly...

And, maybe a couple of Prozack (but then I can't spell either )

 

[Typhoon1244]

***digs in pocket, finds two valium and throws em on the table in front of Typhoon, then tiptoes away quietly...

Thanks, dude. Got any lithium I can wash it down with...?

(In the words of George Carlin, "well I get pissed godammit!")

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Lunatics running the asylum

And by the way, yeah I know Mike Twokay, he's my brother.

"Great, I'm surrounded by as_holes!"
Dark Helmet, Spaceballs

 

[urflyingme?!]

Guys guys guys
Don't you know that Valium and Lithium aren't approved by the Administrator!

I'll just have to confiscate them and umm... ya.... cough