Interesting times…

Posted on by July 8, 2024

And not just here… sigh… I really don’t want to do ‘interesting times’ again…

First up, the Brits-

The UK election is official, and it’s all over but the shouting — and finger-pointing. With only two parliamentary seats left to declare their vote totals, Labour has won 412 seats to the Conservatives’ 121. A handful of other parties and independent candidates claimed the remaining 115 seats.

Some of the Tories’ most conservative members lost their seats, including Jacob Rees-Mogg and former prime minister Liz Truss. The Tories lost every single seat in Wales. It was such a drubbing that experts predict that now-former PM Rishi Sunak will resign as head of the Conservative Party as early as Friday.

Full article, HERE from PJ Media

Next are the French-

Paris — Election results show French voters have chosen to give a broad leftist coalition the most parliamentary seats in pivotal legislative elections, keeping the far right away from power. Yet no party won an outright majority, putting France in an uncertain, unprecedented situation.

President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance arrived in second position. The far-right, led by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party, came in third — still drastically increasing the number of seats it holds in the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament.

Full article, HERE from CBS

And of course we have an ‘issue’ or three here…

The Democratic Party is in the midst of coping with echoing calls for President Biden to bow out of the presidential race over concerns that his mental acuity has slipped and that he’s unable to serve as president for another four years if he wins re-election. 

As the party looks for potential replacements if Biden does in fact decide to conclude his political career, Vice President Harris sits atop the list of likely successors. Harris has a long history as a California liberal stalwart, serving as San Francisco’s district attorney in the early 2000s, then serving as the state attorney general under former Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown, and U.S. senator from the Golden State before her 2020 election as vice president.

Full article, HERE from Fox News

Soooo, three of the G7 are in the throes of political upheaval at the same time. Does anyone think China and Russia aren’t taking notes and figuring out what their options are?

Taiwan, Ukraine, other??? Iran making moves against Israel???

The list is long, varied, and chilling at the same time. And there is a G7/NATO summit in DC this week.

I really don’t have a clue what the administration’s stance with respect to NATO is, much less what our real relationship with Israel is.

All these ‘hot spots’, lack of leadership among the powers, and frankly, weak military leaders in all three countries makes me worry about what is coming before November, if not sooner.

Your thoughts?

Mondaze Humor…

Posted on by July 7, 2024

Golf funnies…

Posted at a golf club in Scotland..

  1. BACK STRAIGHT, KNEES BENT, FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART.
  2. FORM A LOOSE GRIP.
  3. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!
  4. STAY OUT OF THE WATER.
  5. TRY NOT TO HIT ANYONE.
  6. IF YOU ARE TAKING TOO LONG, LET OTHERS GO AHEAD OF YOU
  7. DON’T STAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS.
  8. QUIET PLEASE…WHILE OTHERS ARE PREPARING.
  9. DON’T TAKE EXTRA STROKES.

WELL DONE…  NOW, FLUSH THE URINAL, GO OUTSIDE, AND TEE OFF.
+++++++

Golf Quotes

These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball and hit it with the shadow.  ~ Sam Snead

I was three over today: One over a house, one over a patio and one over a swimming pool… ~ George Brett

Actually, the only time I ever took out a one-iron was to kill a tarantula. And I took a 7 to do that. ~ Jim Murray

The only sure rule in golf is – he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie.    ~ Mickey Mantle

I don’t fear death, but I sure don’t like those three-footers for par. ~ Chi Chi Rodriguez

After all these years, it’s still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye. ~ Chi Chi Rodriguez

The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree. ~ Brian Weis

Swing hard in case you hit it. ~ Dan Marino

My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered. ~ Lord Robertson

Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air. ~ Jack Benny

There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground. ~ Ben Hogan

Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20% of the time, you’re the best.    ~ Jack Nicklaus

The uglier a man’s legs are, the better he plays golf. It’s almost a law. ~ H. G. Wells

I never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers everywhere except on the course. ~ Billy Graham

If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play at it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.  ~ Bob Hope

While playing golf today, I hit two good balls. I stepped on a rake. ~ Henny Youngman

If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. ~Jack Lemmon

You can make a lot of money in this game. Just ask my ex-wives. Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work. ~ Lee Trevino

I’m not saying my golf game went bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they’d come up sliced.     ~ Lee Trevino

Notable quotes…

Posted on by July 6, 2024

More from the mil email chain…

Liberals claim not to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views. [William F. Buckley]

A Saxon can die without a murmer. A French man can die laughing. But only a Norseman can laugh as he kills. [George S. Patton Jr]

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. [John F. Kennedy]

George Orwell’s 1984 was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not and instruction manual. [Unknown]

If you spend time to teach kids right and wrong when they’re little, it’s much easier for them to grow up. And it shows you love ’em. [Roy Rogers]

The years between 50 and 70 are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down. [T.S. Elliot]

You spend 90 percent of your adult life hoping for a long rest and the last 10 percent trying to convince the Lord that you’re actually not that tired. [Robert Brault]

In war, opportunity waits for no man. [Pericles, c 495-429 BC]

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. [Ogden Nash]

You could say that the paparazzi and the tabloids are sort of the `assault weapons’ of the First Amendment. They’re ugly, a lot of people don’t like them, but they’re protected by the First Amendment – just as ‘assault weapons’ are protected by the Second Amendment. [Charlton Heston]

The only problem with capitalism is that it works so well that people think they don’t need it.” – Dan Held

An infected mind is a far more dangerous pestilence than any plague – one only threatens your life, the other destroys your character. [Marcus Aurelius]

When I was young, I was called a rugged individualist. When I was in my fifties, I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the same things I did then, and I’m labeled senile. [GB]

The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental. [John Steinbeck]

If you are willing to abandon your principles for convenience or social acceptability, they are not your principles. They are your costume. [Nitya Prakash]

The reliability of any system is inversely proportional to the square of its complexity. [Murphy’s Laws of Combat, Marion F. Sturkey]

You’ll have to pass it to find out what’s in it. [Nancy Pelosi]

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. [Voltaire]

The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. [D.H. Lawrence]

Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion. [General Norman Schwarzkopf]

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. [Douglas Adams]

The fatal fallacy of gun control laws in general is the assumption that such laws actually control guns. Criminals who disobey other laws are not likely to be stopped by gun-control laws. What such laws actually do is increase the number of disarmed and defenseless victims. [Thomas Sowell]

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. [Douglas Adams]

Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity. [Nelson Mandela. Fighter, Prisoner, President, Revolutionary]

Y’all enjoy!!!

Book promo…

Posted on by July 5, 2024

First up is the latest from Raconteur Press- Moggie Noir

Click the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

The question remains whether you should tuck into this volume in a comfy chair for a bit of adventure. Well, if you like cats, there’s more than a little of something you love in the pages or pixels herein because, instead of a bland all-two-legger cast, these stories feature felines as central or pivotal characters. If you are a fan of noir fiction, you’ll enjoy how these authors have explored this genre and maybe stretched the bounds of what you find familiar. Some are set in the 1930s, some are present day, and some are who-knows-when.

After all, who better than a cat might convey the contradictions of a ruthless killer enrobed in the most exquisite package of sumptuous fur with glittering emerald eyes? No one, see? Cats are the ultimate expression of the noir aesthetic, and we hope you will agree, but fasten your seatbelts: it’s going to be a bumpy read.

Next up is Sam Robb and the gang at Alpha Mercs with their first anthology- Minstrels in the Galaxy: Stories in the Key of Tull, Volume 1

The blurb-

Jethro Tull has an amazing discography, spanning everything from folk music to heavy metal. Over the past 50 years, their music has influenced generations of artists working in a variety of media.

Here, a dozen science fiction authors have spun their own Tull-inspired yarns. So belly up to the bar somewhere out among the stars. Grab yourself a drink, and settle in for some colorful tales from our minstrels in the galaxy. Stories of things that could have been, things that might have been…and of things that should have been, but never were.

Good reads, go enjoy the stories and the flights of fancy!

Grumble…

Posted on by July 4, 2024

Welp, we did our usual 4th of July meal (burgers/dogs/tater salad/beans, and…

Folks brought ‘extras’… and we had a few extra bodies (yea for friends coming to town)!

A good time was had by all, and we hit it about right on the amounts of things cooked! But…I was grilling when it was 107, so I was sweating my ass off! Thanks to all that pitched in to get everything done!!!

An hour later, the ‘cold front’ decided to move in and the temps dropped by 20 degrees.

Got things cleaned up and I headed for a shower and bed! I’m too old for this…LOL

Happy Independence Day!!!

Posted on by July 3, 2024
Today marks the 248th anniversary of America’s independence from Great Britain.  Although written centuries ago, The Declaration of Independence is a timeless document.  The principles of freedom and equality are what make our country great and inspire others to endeavor for the same liberties.

A bit of history-

Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

Of course in ‘many’ places fireworks are now outlawed, ‘official’ celebrations are being pushed to be ‘low-key’ as some might find it “offensive”, and we know about the various protests, etc…

This is a holiday that has been missed by far too many Americans while at sea, in the sandbox or deployed elsewhere around the world.  Take this time to thank a vet for all that they do – at home and abroad.  I hope today everyone will have the opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends and unwind.

My thought-  As far as the protestors of all types, well, screwem…

I’m PROUD to be an American, and PROUD of our heritage!!!

Light em if you got em…

Have a Happy and a Safe 4th of July, and MANY more!!!

Karma much???

Posted on by July 2, 2024

The timing of Vogue including First Lady Jill Biden on the cover of its August issue Monday sparked intense reaction on both the right and the left following her husband’s disastrous debate performance last week. 

The highly favorable piece from the liberal magazine with the cover line, “We will decide our future,” was already completed pre-debate, but was updated Sunday when Vogue spoke to the First Lady about President Biden’s future in the White House. Biden told the magazine that her husband “will always do what’s best for the country” and that her family will not allow the president’s brutal debate performance to define his presidency and will “continue to fight.”

Full article, HERE.

Just to be helpful, I’ll give you ‘this’ clue…

She like the power and prestige just like the woman in the picture…

Wow…

Posted on by July 1, 2024

Can you say unhinged???

I knew you could!

In their dissents from the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity, the court’s liberal justices suggested that the majority opinion allows for a slew of alarming scenarios — including a president ordering a Navy SEAL team to “assassinate” his political rival or even poisoning one of his own cabinet members.

The high court on Monday ruled 6-3 that a president has substantial immunity for official acts that occurred during his time in office. It’s a decision that has significant implications for former President Trump, whose prosecution on charges related to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach and alleged 2020 election interference spurred the Supreme Court to hear the case. 

Full article, HERE from Fox News.

The gloves have certainly come off for the left! This decision combined with the pathetic showing on Thursday night seem to have sent the left into panic mode and ‘imagining’ what they would like to do, but are blaming everything on Trump…

Your thoughts???

Back in battery!!!

Posted on by June 30, 2024

Made it home in one piece, glad to have made the trip, but TWO conventions back to back wore my tired old ass out!!!

TL;DR

Writer’s Cantina is a very small but very professional con! Limited spaces and time this year, but still almost 150 people attended. We were running from can see to can’t…

The schedule is HERE, for those who are curious. All the presentations I looked at were well done, lots of discussions both during and after.

Many thanks to Nathan Shumate and his volunteers for a job well done!

I did get to ‘sneak out’ Friday night and go meet up with my flight engineer from 40 years ago and his wife! We had not seen each other since 1998! And he still has his cover!!!

He’s getting ready to retire from his second career, and the wife is ready for him to be home more! We burned some steaks, spent some time reminiscing, and just enjoyed seeing each other again!

Back to the regularly scheduled brain dribbles tomorrow!

On the road again…

Posted on by June 27, 2024

Well, I’m out in Salt Lake City for Writer’s Cantina for a few days. Lousy flight out, we ‘bounced’ all the way from DFW… but I met up with Jonna and Mike at the airport and gave them a ride to their B&B.

I came back to the hot took a pain pill, and watched the debate.

I should’ve taken something a lot stronger… Sigh that was absolutely pathetic! If anybody believes that Biden is capable of serving as the president of United States, his actions or lack there of last night should, should disabuse them of that belief.

Anyhoo, more fun and better things to do today, at this little con! Good folks, and I expect some excellent panels on the business of writing!