More cheating…

This time on SATs…

Teenagers are getting bogus ADHD diagnoses to score extra time in standardized testing exams — and numbers are surging after the tests were reintroduced by elite Ivy League colleges.

Parents are taking their children to doctors and psychologists for letters saying they have the condition or other mental disabilities, then getting as much as 50% more time to take the tests.

It can mean a 200-point boost to an SAT score, one expert said.

Full article, HERE from the NY Post.

What happened to just studying???

And with the crap being taught in the Ivy League schools, why would one want to go there?

I know I’m old, but I don’t remember either study guides or faked up medical diagnosis back when we took them. We were expected to study (on our on at home, no less) and it was one shot and done. No retakes that I can remember.

I guess the participation trophy crowd can’t stand to not get that one more participation ‘trophy’ of a high SAT score.

And pay way too much for a substandard education, qualifying them to ask if you want fries with your meal, unless you’re in California, where there won’t be any jobs for kids or recent grads because restaurants can’t afford to pay them $20/hr to show up when they want to work (if they bother to get up)…

But this administration is determined to ‘waive’ all those students loans, so ‘we’ can pay for them to get that edumacation… sigh…

The Short Stories…

Got the proof copies back yesterday and hit publish, so it ‘might’ be up sometime today as a paperback…

Sorry it’s priced at $14.50, but if I don’t put it that high, I actually lose money in some cases. That is because it is Print On Demand (POD), which costs more.

In other news, we ARE doing another benefit anthology for our local library, this one will be Cattlemen and Cowboys, and stories are due 30 Sept 2024. Sigh… I will be the POC and probably end up as the editor too… again…

It is for a good cause, supporting the kids summer programs!

Between the Haunted Libraries and Oil Patch Anthologies, we’ve made them almost $3000!!!

And honest reviews are needed! Your reviews ARE our advertising!!!

Thank you in advance!

A little humor…

Enjoy from the mouths of babes…

What Love means to a 4-8 year old… 
group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds ,

‘What does love mean?’

‘When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenailsanymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’

Rebecca- age 8

‘When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’

Billy – age 4

‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’

Karl – age 5

‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’

Chrissy – age 6

‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’

Terri – age 4

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.’

Danny – age 7

‘Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that.
They look gross when they kiss’

Emily – age 8

‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.’

Bobby – age 7

‘If you want to learn to love better , you should start with a friend who you hate , ‘

Nikka – age 6 

‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt , then he wears it everyday.’

Noelle – age 7

‘Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.’

Tommy – age 6

‘During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.’

Cindy – age 8

‘My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’

Clare – age 6

‘Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.’

Elaine-age 5

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford .’

Chris – age 7

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’

Mary Ann – age 4

‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’

Lauren – age 4

‘When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’  

Karen – age 7

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross..’

Mark – age 6

‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it , you should say it a lot. People forget.’

Jessica – age 8
And the final one

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry , the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard , climbed onto his lap , and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor , the little boy said , ‘Nothing , I just helped him cry’.

What if???

I will preface this by saying I consider myself extremely lucky in a number of ways…

The main one is that I’ve hosted suppers for now going on 7 years at my house every Saturday with an interesting group of folks. Friends, writers, shooters, pilots, photographers, and artists, all of whom are very well educated and the conversation(s) are always interesting, to put it mildly!

A lot of folks talk about ‘writing prompts’ from various places, but we get plenty from the suppers, along with quite a few stories or story ideas.

One night we were talking about the Middle East, Jerusalem, Halawa and hawaladars, the Chinese, and the Silk Road. I remember mentioning the Knights Templar as the first ‘banking institution’ in Europe based on their tax collection and money transfer scheme.

If you’re playing along at home, the Chinese did it first, in the 700s with coins deposited at X, a promissory note and collection at Y some time later along the silk road. The Muslims caught on in the 800s, with Halawa and hawaladars, which were based on social/family associations. The Templers got into the mix in 1000-1300 with servicing to anyone who was travelling or making a pilgrimage.

Soooo, I got to thinking about that and wondering what would happen if the Templer Bank never went away. What if it became a ‘secret’  private bank known only to high net worth individuals…

And set it in space…

Danny looked around nervously. “Are you sure this is the right way?”

Adhit chuckled. “Of course. The people we are going to see don’t, shall we say, advertise what they do.” They turned down what appeared to be a maintenance corridor in the old section of Gany Station, dimly lit by a couple of bulbs flickering in the overhead. “Ah, they are expecting us!” Adhit picked up his pace. “Come, come.”

“Expecting us? Where the hell are we? I didn’t bring enough gun to be in this part of the station.” His hand went automatically to his pistol as one of the two lights blinked out and one behind them blinked on.

Adhit stopped, and Danny almost ran into him as he palmed a reader next to a coded hatch. There was a click, and the hatch slid silently open, revealing a darkened compartment. “Come quickly. Three steps straight in.” Adhit tugged at his arm, and it reminded Danny just how strong Ghorka really are as he took the three steps. The hatch slid closed behind them as the lighting in the compartment came up slowly and flickered.

A tinny voice came from the overhead. “Mr. Gurung, welcome back. Are you here on business?”

“I am. I have a potential customer for you. Captain Danny Ortega.”

“Enter.” A panel in the blank wall slid open, revealing a spacious office. They walked in and Danny goggled at the opulence. A beautiful blonde sat at a desk to his right, and she said, “Welcome back, Mr. Gurung. Mr. Hawkins will be with you in a moment. Would you like your usual refreshment? And Captain Ortega, would you like a black coffee?”

Danny nodded dumbly as Adhit said, “Yes, please.” he glanced at Danny. “For both of us.”

A door opened and a silver-haired, mustached man in a three piece suit stood there smiling. “Adhit, good to see you,” he said in an English accent. He glanced at Danny. “And you, Captain Ortega. Please, come in.” He stepped back from the door and motioned graciously for them to enter.

Adhit gave Danny a gentle shove and propelled him through the door, then steered him to a chair in front of the desk. Danny reached out and touched it in wonder. “It’s…actual wood! How?” He rubbed the arm of the chair and mumbled, “Actual wood, and real…leather.” Looking up, he shook his head. “Amazing.”

The silver-haired man took a seat behind the desk and said, “I’m Arthur Hawkins. I understand you are interested in our product.” The blonde sashayed in, a tray in hand. Setting it on the desk in front of them, she smiled and left, closing the door.

Adhit picked up the cup on the left, took a sip, and sighed. “I miss real Earl Grey.”

Hawkins picked up his cup and smiled. “I’ll make sure you have a tin before you leave. Feel free Captain, the coffee is yours.” Danny picked up the remaining cup and took a cautious sip, then nodded as Hawkins continued. Suddenly all business. He slid a pad of paper across the desk to Adhit as he asked, “Is there a reference?”

Adhit nodded as he wrote L64C on the pad and pushed it back across the desk. Hawkins nodded. “That is an acceptable reference.”

Danny snapped, “He damn well—”

Hawkins cut him off abruptly. “No names. We never use other customers’ names, ever! Do you understand, Captain?”

Suddenly bewildered, Danny nodded.

“Answer yes or no, please.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m sorr—”

Hawkins looked at Adhit. “Are you representing the captain?”

“I am.”

“Very well.” He sipped his tea, looking at Danny as if measuring him, and Danny couldn’t help but wonder if he was passing muster. Hawkins finally said, “Captain, you want a private bank to handle the one hundred four billion credits they awarded you yesterday. Is that correct?”

Danny almost spit out his coffee. How the hell does he know the amount? He recovered and said, “It was… one hundred thirty billion credits, but yes, I want a private investment. Very private. I understand that is your specialty.”

Hawkins shrugged. “We are one of the better ones. And it will only be one hundred four billion credits. GalPat will take ten percent as a tax, and GalLaw will take ten percent as a recovery fee.

Danny sputtered, “They what? They get ten percent for…taking a damn check?”

Adhit laughed at his expression. “We didn’t discuss this last night, but yes, they do.”

Shaking his head, he asked, “How long…have you been in business?”

Hawkins quirked a smile. “Continuously for fifteen hundred thirty-eight years this year.”

Barking a laugh, Danny glanced at Adhit. “Really?”

“Yes, our oldest continuous account is…one thousand three years old. Now in the twentieth generation of that particular family.”

“So, what are you going to do for me, and how much is it going to cost me?”

Hawkins smiled. “First and foremost, we will protect your assets and you. We will make no links to you. No data miners or hackers can get to your assets here or anywhere else. Templar Bank will invest your money in various locations, and we see an average growth of three to five percent per year. Funds will be provided to you as needed via various means as required to support whatever lifestyle you choose. If, worst case, you are kidnapped and held for ransom, we will pay it and rescue you, your wife, or your child or children. Our recovery rate is ninety-nine point six percent on personnel and ninety-seven point three percent on funds.”

He took a sip of his tea and continued, “We charge one quarter of one percent of the principal per year. There are a number of specifics we will go over once you agree to go forward. Any questions?”

So I set it in Rimworld, since I already had characters that it worked for, and did a short story… Which ended up folded into a later Rimworld novel, Diversions. That actually killed two birds with one stone, as I hadn’t figured out ‘how’ I was going to solve the money dilemma Danny had.

I’m not saying this is the ‘right’ way to do things, but it works for me… LOL

Interesting…

And sadly over 140 dead at last count…

Russian President Vladimir Putin was warned of a terrorist attack in the days before the slaughter by ISIS-K terrorists at a Moscow theater.

U.S. intelligence had been tracking a cell of ISIS-K terrorists since November, according to sources in the intelligence community, and knew that the terrorists were planning an attack in Moscow. On March 8, the U.S. embassy in Moscow issued a warning of an “imminent threat” and told Americans to avoid venues with large crowds, like concert halls. 

Full article, HERE.

I believe ‘this’ head count of deaths is accurate, and horrifying at the same time. Terrorists attack the innocent to spread ‘terror’ among the population in expectation of changing the level of safety people feel.

The US has had for a long time a ‘duty to warn’ policy, even if the warning needs to go to an enemy. That was done this time, and apparently ignored, either by direction or considered a political ploy.

The truly sad part is that John and Jane Q. Public x140 who were just trying to enjoy a concert are now gone. Much like the Oct 7 attack on the music festival in Israel (both of which were ‘gun free zones’). And now people are wondering where/how the ‘next’ attack will take place and where…

Are we a possible target in the US? I have no doubt we are, and with the number of ‘get aways’ coming across the border, we have no real idea of whom/how many/from where terrorists are in the US right now.

Something to think about, and one more reason to carry every day if you can, because you never know ‘when’ you might need to protect yourself and your family.

It’s alive!!!

And I finally found it…LOL- The Short Stories

Click on the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

These stories were written for various anthologies I’ve appeared in, so there is a large variance in the tone and type of stories. I hope you enjoy this collection, and thank you for spending your hard earned dollars on it! There will be links at the end of the book for each anthology. You might want to check them out, as there are some great writers in them!
The stories-

Zero Dark 30
Cowboy Up
Wa-Ha-Ya
The Grandmaster’s Crypt
A Favor Owed
The Templer Bank
Home for Christmas
The Old Man
Déjà Vu

Oh yeah, and the last story is a new one, never published anywhere… Enjoy! 

Honest reviews please folks!

And yes, I’m back at work on the next Bell Chronicles, which will be followed by another in the Rimworld series.

Yay???

Hit publish last night on The Short Stories…

Not sure WHEN it will publish, but the paperback will wait until I get proof copies. And it was the usual two falls out of three to get through all the hoops. Sadly due to POD costs, the paperback will be $14.50 a copy, but the Kindle will be $4.99 as usual.

And it’s always interesting when you get stuff from readers!

An older reader, local to me, had his daughter give me this last night.

He likes staying ‘busy’, and it may not be perfect, but it’s the thought that counts…

And I truly appreciate that!

NYC strikes again…

Adams, the NYC mayor, is now suing bus companies…

A Texas bus company has agreed to stop busing immigrants to New York City after a lawsuit from Mayor Eric Adams.

Roadrunner Charters signed a stipulation letter agreeing to stop sending immigrants to New York City on Wednesday. The company was one of the spearheads of Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) effort to ship immigrants to Democratic-run cities.

Full article HERE from the Washington Examiner.

Lawfare seems to be the ‘mantra’ of the left now days…

Rather than owning the crap they brought on themselves, they are doing anything they can to force Texas to not send illegals to their ‘sanctuary cities’. Texas doesn’t have any way to put hundred of thousands of people up anywhere, and I wonder if Adams will start suing the NGOs that are sending these illegals to those same cities???

And the Fifth Circus has blocked Texas SB4 bill AGAIN… HERE.

Speaking of lawfare… Sigh…

 

Snerk…

Unilever has finally learned their lesson (after losing no telling now much money and customers)!

Multinational conglomerate Unilever, the owner of some 400 brands, announced Tuesday it is spinning off its ice cream business — including major names like Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Magnum, Popsicle and Klondike — after more than a century.

Full article, HERE from Fox News.
I’m surprised it took them this long to get rid of Ben & Jerry’s after the whole Israel thing.
And I’m betting whomever buys them WON’T let Ben & Jerry’s retain control of the board…
In other news, SCOTUS is allowing Texas to arrest and deport illegals…Cue the screaming on the left in three…two…

EW battles continue…

Electronic/cyber warfare is the ‘new’ norm, but this one is a ‘old’ trick…

U.K. authorities have confirmed that a Royal Air Force Dassault 900LX business jet transporting Grant Shapps, the U.K. defense secretary, recently experienced GPS jamming while flying near Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave. Russia has a known history of performing electronic warfare attacks in Europe and elsewhere around the globe, impacting both commercial and military aircraft, including uncrewed systems, as well as shipping. But it’s not clear if the Royal Air Force jet was specifically the intended target, or if it just passed through an area where a broad GPS disruption operation was focused, which is not uncommon in the area.

The Times of London was the first to report on the electronic warfare attack, which occurred on March 13 following a one-day visit by Shapps to Orzysz, northeast Poland. There, the secretary met with Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz at a military training site, alongside Polish and British troops currently participating in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24, NATO’s largest military exercise since the Cold War.

Full article, HERE from the War Zone. h/t Stretch

The problem here is that too many pilots today rely on GPS for navigation, and don’t really use other tools to cross check that the GPS is actually correct. Very few of the young pilots today have ever done dead reckoning navigation since they were in basic ground school, and celestial navigation equipment doesn’t even exist for most aircraft anymore. LORAN and Omega are defunct, and inertial navigation systems are now ’embedded’ in most of the GPS systems, and never used by themselves.

Also, many pilots don’t understand Schuler Cycle issues inherent in inertial systems… sigh…

I just hope the pilots and crews ‘wake up’ to what is going on, and start cross checking that their GPS is actually doing what it is supposed to be doing…