Equine edition:
www.stallionsplus.com
and I thought for sure it was a male vitality drug. As if I need one, yeah, right...
William Stroock (as in Stroock's Books)
Saturday, December 31, 2016
2016 Predictions: A Review
Boy, was I ever wrong:
-Hillary Clinton will not be the Democrat Party nominee for President
-She will drop out of the race and site 'health reasons'
-Chelsea Clinton will lay the groundwork for running for office in New York State, possibly as the successor to Senator Charles Schummer
-Joe Biden will be the Democrat Party nominee for President
-Marco Rubio will be the next President of the United States
-Governor Nikki Haley will be the next Vice President of the United States
-Israel and Hezbollah will fight ten years after the last fight
-The economy will slip into recession
-Justin Trudeau will become a laughing stock
-Vladimir Putin will take the measure of Trudeau and shift his emphasis to the Arctic
-Everywhere Social Justice Warriors will be on the defensive
-The New England Patriots will win the Superbowl
-The Washington Nationals will win the World Series.
Ok, I was right about Social Justice Warriors and Justin Trudeau, and it looks like Chelsea Clinton but otherwise very wrong.
My 2017 predictions coming tomorrow!
-Hillary Clinton will not be the Democrat Party nominee for President
-She will drop out of the race and site 'health reasons'
-Chelsea Clinton will lay the groundwork for running for office in New York State, possibly as the successor to Senator Charles Schummer
-Joe Biden will be the Democrat Party nominee for President
-Marco Rubio will be the next President of the United States
-Governor Nikki Haley will be the next Vice President of the United States
-Israel and Hezbollah will fight ten years after the last fight
-The economy will slip into recession
-Justin Trudeau will become a laughing stock
-Vladimir Putin will take the measure of Trudeau and shift his emphasis to the Arctic
-Everywhere Social Justice Warriors will be on the defensive
-The New England Patriots will win the Superbowl
-The Washington Nationals will win the World Series.
Ok, I was right about Social Justice Warriors and Justin Trudeau, and it looks like Chelsea Clinton but otherwise very wrong.
My 2017 predictions coming tomorrow!
Magazine Publications: El Cid
As noted in other places, I've published nearly 100 articles in history magazines. The plurality of these came in Strategy & Tactics Magazine and its sister pubs, Modern War and WWII. For time 90 percent of my articles were there. When I realized this I scrambled to get in some other magazines.
This is a piece on did on El Cid, the 11th century Spanish warlord. Its the first article I got into Military Heritage and I was very excited to do so. They pay and edit better than anyone else, also one's articles don't languish in their hopper for years on end.
I like writing medieval stuff off the primary sources. In this case the primary sources on El Cid are a couple of contemporary chronicles + the Poem of El Cid. Traditional scholars, those stodgy mid-20th century types, would scoff at using the PEC as a source, but fiction often tells us much about a real subject. Wanna learn about life in say, Victorian Londom? Then read some Dickens; life in 20th century Mississippi, read some Faulkner. I like to use secondary sources, by all those fancy-dancy scholars with the expensive degrees to fill in details.
Basically, two thirds of Medieval Spain was run by Muslims, the northern third was Christian. El Cid's war for Valencia marks the beginning of the 400 year Spanish Reconquista which ended with Grenada in 1491 after which Ferdinand and Isabella needed to raise some cash so in 1492...see how history works that way?
In any event, here's my piece on El Cid:
This is a piece on did on El Cid, the 11th century Spanish warlord. Its the first article I got into Military Heritage and I was very excited to do so. They pay and edit better than anyone else, also one's articles don't languish in their hopper for years on end.
I like writing medieval stuff off the primary sources. In this case the primary sources on El Cid are a couple of contemporary chronicles + the Poem of El Cid. Traditional scholars, those stodgy mid-20th century types, would scoff at using the PEC as a source, but fiction often tells us much about a real subject. Wanna learn about life in say, Victorian Londom? Then read some Dickens; life in 20th century Mississippi, read some Faulkner. I like to use secondary sources, by all those fancy-dancy scholars with the expensive degrees to fill in details.
Basically, two thirds of Medieval Spain was run by Muslims, the northern third was Christian. El Cid's war for Valencia marks the beginning of the 400 year Spanish Reconquista which ended with Grenada in 1491 after which Ferdinand and Isabella needed to raise some cash so in 1492...see how history works that way?
In any event, here's my piece on El Cid:
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a Castilian mercenary who served Christian kings and Muslim emirs alike in late 11th-century Spain, was born in 1043 in the village of Vivar, about six miles north of the city of Burgos. His father was a respected soldier, taking several castles and winning at least one pitched battle in a war against Navarre in the 1050s. With his father’s military pedigree....continue at Warfare History Network
Friday, December 30, 2016
Looking into the Cabinet...
....That's actually a line from 'Shelter' by the 80's hair metal band Cinderella. Very underrated by the way but that's a subject for another post. Frankly I have no idea what 'To look into the cabinet it takes more than a key' is supposed to mean.
Anywho I've noted before that once again I'm writing about furious cabinet sessions and the like. I've sworn that one day I'll write a novel that doesn't have exploding tanks (hasn't happened yet) but it might be more interesting if I wrote a novel that doesn't have cabinet meetings.
Actually Castro's Folly doesn't have many, that's for sure. It was originally conceived as ground level view of things, and it is for the most part. We see Cubans on the ground in Nicaragua and Africa, South African tankers, Contra commanders, Honduran Army captains, and the like
I dunno, I just think a cabinet meeting is a good way to show what's happening and move the action along.
Another problem of redundancy is the combat itself. There are only so many ways to describe an exploding T-72. Doesn't the reader say to himself , 'Oh look, another turret spiraling into the air...' Maybe the reader doesn't. Its not like I said, 'What more X-wings! Goddamn it!' when I saw Return of the Jedi the first time.
In fact, back in the 80's and 90's, before the internet and Amazon or even Borders, I'd scower the book shelves looking for mil-sci fi. The 20 such novels I had read wasn't enough. I needed twenty one.
So maybe my readers need more furious cabinet sessions where President Bush is torn between the Hawkes like Kristol and Wolfowitz and the doves like Baker, where Maggie Thatcher is berating her poor subordinates, where the Politburo sees events slipping out of their control.
Enjoy!
Anywho I've noted before that once again I'm writing about furious cabinet sessions and the like. I've sworn that one day I'll write a novel that doesn't have exploding tanks (hasn't happened yet) but it might be more interesting if I wrote a novel that doesn't have cabinet meetings.
Actually Castro's Folly doesn't have many, that's for sure. It was originally conceived as ground level view of things, and it is for the most part. We see Cubans on the ground in Nicaragua and Africa, South African tankers, Contra commanders, Honduran Army captains, and the like
I dunno, I just think a cabinet meeting is a good way to show what's happening and move the action along.
Another problem of redundancy is the combat itself. There are only so many ways to describe an exploding T-72. Doesn't the reader say to himself , 'Oh look, another turret spiraling into the air...' Maybe the reader doesn't. Its not like I said, 'What more X-wings! Goddamn it!' when I saw Return of the Jedi the first time.
In fact, back in the 80's and 90's, before the internet and Amazon or even Borders, I'd scower the book shelves looking for mil-sci fi. The 20 such novels I had read wasn't enough. I needed twenty one.
So maybe my readers need more furious cabinet sessions where President Bush is torn between the Hawkes like Kristol and Wolfowitz and the doves like Baker, where Maggie Thatcher is berating her poor subordinates, where the Politburo sees events slipping out of their control.
Enjoy!
Friday Updates
Plugging along here.
Castro's Folly on sched for January.
Operation Pacific Storm stands at 30,000 words.
Getting Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom revved up again. At 40,000 at last count.
No action with Pershing in Command.
Ideas are coming.
Castro's Folly on sched for January.
Operation Pacific Storm stands at 30,000 words.
Getting Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom revved up again. At 40,000 at last count.
No action with Pershing in Command.
Ideas are coming.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
The New Middle East: The Case for Puitn
By Guest Blogger General Vladimir Vladimirovich, Red Army (retired)
My Dear Americankanski Friends:
Warm greetings, from St. Petersberg, Russia.
I write today as admirer of your great nation and all that it has accomplished.
On personal note I would like to say that my father Ivan Vladimirovich fought in Red Army during Great Patriotic War and met many of your fathers and grandfathers on banks of River Elbe. Father enjoyed himself immensely and spoke very highly of American GI.
But on to serious matter.
I write to America today about your involvement in Middle East. Since 1979 this region of despots and religious, how you say, Tooney Loons has given you nothing but trouble, would you not agree? From Ayatollah, to Colonel Qadhafi to Saddam to al Qaida, Taliban, Isis, on and on. Your president, wisely in my estimation, has decided to largely disengage from region. Oddly to this observer your president's one interest in Middle East remains, how you say, sticking it to your greatest ally, Israel. This makes no sense to me, but America has always been somewhat baffling to us in Soviet...er Russia.
In vacuum created by Obama has stepped our own President Putin. As I write this Russian forces are battling Isis in Syria and Iraq and establishing bases therein.
Let me, please, explain why I feel this is good for America.
Vladimir Putin is not man to make angry. He has shown this with intransigent Ukraine, no? Also Georgia. Forgive me, my American friends, I fear you think I mean your state of Georgia. No I mean Republic of Georgia on southern border of Russia. President Putin made mince meat of them, no? And only late intervention of your President Bush prevented complete collapse of Georgian nation. These are but trivialities frankly, compared to actions President Putin took in Chechnya. In his own words President Putin 'Cut it off, where it not grow back.' He flattened Grozny and killed thousands of Chechen fighters in process. He has rebuilt Grozny and put his own strongman in charge. This is great victory for Putin and great victory for Russia.
I know, you have two concerns. First, oil. Really, comrade, you still worry about this commodity when you have become world's largest energy producer? Why do you still think you need those, how you say, camel jockeys in Saudi Arabia?
Now your second concern, Israel. As Noted in this very space, Vladimir Putin is friend to Jews and had very productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu this year. Sure, there may be disagreements, but ask yourself who has treated Israel worse over years, Obama or Putin.
So I say, as your friend and admirer, why not let our President Putin deal with situation in Middle East? What have you to lose, America? He'll kill many terrorists, da?
My Dear Americankanski Friends:
Warm greetings, from St. Petersberg, Russia.
I write today as admirer of your great nation and all that it has accomplished.
On personal note I would like to say that my father Ivan Vladimirovich fought in Red Army during Great Patriotic War and met many of your fathers and grandfathers on banks of River Elbe. Father enjoyed himself immensely and spoke very highly of American GI.
But on to serious matter.
I write to America today about your involvement in Middle East. Since 1979 this region of despots and religious, how you say, Tooney Loons has given you nothing but trouble, would you not agree? From Ayatollah, to Colonel Qadhafi to Saddam to al Qaida, Taliban, Isis, on and on. Your president, wisely in my estimation, has decided to largely disengage from region. Oddly to this observer your president's one interest in Middle East remains, how you say, sticking it to your greatest ally, Israel. This makes no sense to me, but America has always been somewhat baffling to us in Soviet...er Russia.
In vacuum created by Obama has stepped our own President Putin. As I write this Russian forces are battling Isis in Syria and Iraq and establishing bases therein.
Let me, please, explain why I feel this is good for America.
Vladimir Putin is not man to make angry. He has shown this with intransigent Ukraine, no? Also Georgia. Forgive me, my American friends, I fear you think I mean your state of Georgia. No I mean Republic of Georgia on southern border of Russia. President Putin made mince meat of them, no? And only late intervention of your President Bush prevented complete collapse of Georgian nation. These are but trivialities frankly, compared to actions President Putin took in Chechnya. In his own words President Putin 'Cut it off, where it not grow back.' He flattened Grozny and killed thousands of Chechen fighters in process. He has rebuilt Grozny and put his own strongman in charge. This is great victory for Putin and great victory for Russia.
I know, you have two concerns. First, oil. Really, comrade, you still worry about this commodity when you have become world's largest energy producer? Why do you still think you need those, how you say, camel jockeys in Saudi Arabia?
Now your second concern, Israel. As Noted in this very space, Vladimir Putin is friend to Jews and had very productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu this year. Sure, there may be disagreements, but ask yourself who has treated Israel worse over years, Obama or Putin.
So I say, as your friend and admirer, why not let our President Putin deal with situation in Middle East? What have you to lose, America? He'll kill many terrorists, da?
Operation Pacific Storm Needs....
...a new title.
Of course, Operation Pacific Storm is what the Americans named their assault on the Kamchatka (spelled it right on the first try, thanks Risk!) Peninsula.
Also, I like the idea of something that 'rhymes' with Castro's Folly. Though I should say the American attack on Cuba is named Operation Southern Storm.
By the way, the physical proof for Castro's Folly is in the mail, so very, very soon on that one, people.
I Dunno, Hanoi's Blunder? Hanoi's War?
The 'final' volume in the series is called The Final Storm.
I put 'final' in quote marks because I'm still planning two novels that take place after the war ends. These are Thatcher's War (boy is Ireland really going to get it) and one about the election of 1992.
Though, that said, after the Final Storm is out, we're going on World War hiatus for a year or so. Sorry, but I got to write something that doesn't have burning tanks. [Whatever happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom has burning tanks-Ed].
Shut the fuck up, Ed.
[Yes, sir].
Of course, Operation Pacific Storm is what the Americans named their assault on the Kamchatka (spelled it right on the first try, thanks Risk!) Peninsula.
Also, I like the idea of something that 'rhymes' with Castro's Folly. Though I should say the American attack on Cuba is named Operation Southern Storm.
By the way, the physical proof for Castro's Folly is in the mail, so very, very soon on that one, people.
I Dunno, Hanoi's Blunder? Hanoi's War?
The 'final' volume in the series is called The Final Storm.
I put 'final' in quote marks because I'm still planning two novels that take place after the war ends. These are Thatcher's War (boy is Ireland really going to get it) and one about the election of 1992.
Though, that said, after the Final Storm is out, we're going on World War hiatus for a year or so. Sorry, but I got to write something that doesn't have burning tanks. [Whatever happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom has burning tanks-Ed].
Shut the fuck up, Ed.
[Yes, sir].
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Three Strikes and You're In
So Barry says he would have won a third term.
Sorry, my fellow conservatives, but he's right. The president is personally popular and in the the end your voting for the guy you want to see on TV every night. Hey, ladies think he's hot, right? Right.
This is nothing knew.
Our own Ronald Reagan said he would have won again. Not only would he have defeated that usher from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he would have ground him into dust and sold him off as fiber supplement (thanks P..J. O'Rourke).
Clinton wanted a third term. Sorry once again guys, but he would have beaten W. I dunno, Algore couldn't destroy W. maybe I'm underestimating my man. But I don't think so. Younger reader(s) should appreciate that in 2000 the nation was fat, dumb and happy in a way that it never had been before. Once we got out of the 2000's the 90's made the 80's feel like the 70's (thanks Dennis Hopper).
Which brings me to one of my favorite ideas for political reform: Repeal the 22nd Amendment limiting the president to two terms. One of my colleagues, known colloquially in the Stroock household as the Crazy Australian Professor, asked why we limited the president to two terms, it really handicapped him. Of course, she was coming off a decade plus of Prime Minister John Howard.
But she is right. The 22nd Amendment makes the president a lame duck midway through his second term if not before. It puts all kinds of pressure on to get things done in the last two years, the dreaded legacy quest. And it results in a mad scramble for the president's successor almost as soon as the 2nd term begins.
So give me three terms, but give it to me later.
Sorry, my fellow conservatives, but he's right. The president is personally popular and in the the end your voting for the guy you want to see on TV every night. Hey, ladies think he's hot, right? Right.
This is nothing knew.
Our own Ronald Reagan said he would have won again. Not only would he have defeated that usher from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he would have ground him into dust and sold him off as fiber supplement (thanks P..J. O'Rourke).
Clinton wanted a third term. Sorry once again guys, but he would have beaten W. I dunno, Algore couldn't destroy W. maybe I'm underestimating my man. But I don't think so. Younger reader(s) should appreciate that in 2000 the nation was fat, dumb and happy in a way that it never had been before. Once we got out of the 2000's the 90's made the 80's feel like the 70's (thanks Dennis Hopper).
Which brings me to one of my favorite ideas for political reform: Repeal the 22nd Amendment limiting the president to two terms. One of my colleagues, known colloquially in the Stroock household as the Crazy Australian Professor, asked why we limited the president to two terms, it really handicapped him. Of course, she was coming off a decade plus of Prime Minister John Howard.
But she is right. The 22nd Amendment makes the president a lame duck midway through his second term if not before. It puts all kinds of pressure on to get things done in the last two years, the dreaded legacy quest. And it results in a mad scramble for the president's successor almost as soon as the 2nd term begins.
So give me three terms, but give it to me later.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Metal Monday: Spousal Abuse Edition
So, I am blessed by Mrs. Stroock. Here's a great reason why. She's gone with me all kinds of heavy metal concerts: Def Leppard, AC/DC, lastly and most epically, Iron Maiden; the Somewhere in Time tour, 2008.
I couldn't get her to dress up like a trashy metal chick, but what'r you going to do?
Actually, our last concert was Def Leppard during the summer of this year. It was fun, we were the touchy-gropey married couple you see at these things. Which was nice. The last two concerts we went to we brought the Stroocklettes. They hated. Rotten kids.
Its not every woman who will go to a concert with her man, much less an Iron Maiden Concert. That's love, I tell you.
I offered to reciprocate and go with Mrs. Stroock to see one of her favorites, Peter Cetera and Chicago. She replied, 'With you? Not on your life.'
Now that's love.
I couldn't get her to dress up like a trashy metal chick, but what'r you going to do?
Actually, our last concert was Def Leppard during the summer of this year. It was fun, we were the touchy-gropey married couple you see at these things. Which was nice. The last two concerts we went to we brought the Stroocklettes. They hated. Rotten kids.
Its not every woman who will go to a concert with her man, much less an Iron Maiden Concert. That's love, I tell you.
I offered to reciprocate and go with Mrs. Stroock to see one of her favorites, Peter Cetera and Chicago. She replied, 'With you? Not on your life.'
Now that's love.
Boxing Day Q&A
Martin: Thanks for having me over, Will.
Prof Stroock: Call me Professor Stroock, goddamn it.
Martin: I really think...
Prof Stroock: Given you were canned from you last gig at MSNBC for those awful things you said should happen to Sarah Palin, maybe you should just shut the fuck up and do what you're told.
Martin: Quite right...Professor Stroock.
Prof Stroock: And I know you're faking that accent...Paki.
Martin: If you say so. Say, what's that pounding on the closet door over there?
Prof Stroock: Pay no mind to it. Let's get this over with. And please, won't you enjoy seem tea?
Martin: mmmm...thank you. Lemon-zinger?
Prof Stroock: Yes.
Martin: Now, you were pretty tough on President Obama and Samantha Power in that previous post, weren't you?
Prof Stroock: Damn straight.
Martin: Are you advocating then, more intervention in the Middle East?
Prof Stroock: Absolutely not.
Martin: But your harsh comments on Syria and Libya.
Prof Stroock: Yes, Barry royally screwed those up. Also Iraq. Also relations with Russia.
Martin: But you would not have intervened. And the banging on the closet door is getting louder.
Prof Stroock: No it isn't. And God no. I would not have intervened.
Martin: Despite your professed Necoconism.
Prof Stroock: I couldn't care less if the Arabs blow themselves to hell.
Martin: But the rise of Isis...
Prof Stroock: Isis arose because Barry abandoned Iraq and ignored warnings about Isis in Western Iraq.
Martin: How do you square this with your continued support of the Iraq war?
Prof Stroock: Campaign.
Martin: Huh?
Prof Stroock: Campaign, the Iraq Campaign. Iraq was part of Bush's War on Terror.
Martin: How many Iraqis were on the jets al Qaida used on 9/11?
Prof Stroock: Same number of Germans that were at Pearl Harbor, fuck-stick.
Martin: So what is it you do want?
Prof Stroock: I dunno. Let the Arabs blow themselves to hell, I don't give a crap. And let the Israelis help.
Martin: Now, to wrap up...
Prof Stroock: Thank god. More tea?
Martin: Please. I swear that banging on the closet is getting louder.
Prof Stroock: You're hearing things, Martin. This is the Earl Grey.
Martin: Delicious. Why Earl Grey and Lemon-zinger?
Prof Stroock: Those are the only kinds of tea I've heard of.
Martin: Why am I not surprised?
Prof Stroock: Shut the fuck up.
Martin: Anyway...in your book Israel Strikes: War of the Red Sea, you included a BBC journalist named Martin.
Prof Stroock: Yes.
Martin: Was that me?
Prof Stroock: Nailed it, Darwin.
Martin: One other question.
Prof Stroock: Shoot.
Martin: Did you have to make me an ass-slapping, intern snogging poof?
Prof Stroock: It was a moral imperative. Now get the hell out of here.
Martin: That reminds me, do you know what happened to the last journalist that came here.
Prof Stroock: No idea.
Martin: Hey I feel dizzy....why is everything so blury....
Prof Stroock: Heh, heh....
Prof Stroock: Call me Professor Stroock, goddamn it.
Martin: I really think...
Prof Stroock: Given you were canned from you last gig at MSNBC for those awful things you said should happen to Sarah Palin, maybe you should just shut the fuck up and do what you're told.
Martin: Quite right...Professor Stroock.
Prof Stroock: And I know you're faking that accent...Paki.
Martin: If you say so. Say, what's that pounding on the closet door over there?
Prof Stroock: Pay no mind to it. Let's get this over with. And please, won't you enjoy seem tea?
Martin: mmmm...thank you. Lemon-zinger?
Prof Stroock: Yes.
Martin: Now, you were pretty tough on President Obama and Samantha Power in that previous post, weren't you?
Prof Stroock: Damn straight.
Martin: Are you advocating then, more intervention in the Middle East?
Prof Stroock: Absolutely not.
Martin: But your harsh comments on Syria and Libya.
Prof Stroock: Yes, Barry royally screwed those up. Also Iraq. Also relations with Russia.
Martin: But you would not have intervened. And the banging on the closet door is getting louder.
Prof Stroock: No it isn't. And God no. I would not have intervened.
Martin: Despite your professed Necoconism.
Prof Stroock: I couldn't care less if the Arabs blow themselves to hell.
Martin: But the rise of Isis...
Prof Stroock: Isis arose because Barry abandoned Iraq and ignored warnings about Isis in Western Iraq.
Martin: How do you square this with your continued support of the Iraq war?
Prof Stroock: Campaign.
Martin: Huh?
Prof Stroock: Campaign, the Iraq Campaign. Iraq was part of Bush's War on Terror.
Martin: How many Iraqis were on the jets al Qaida used on 9/11?
Prof Stroock: Same number of Germans that were at Pearl Harbor, fuck-stick.
Martin: So what is it you do want?
Prof Stroock: I dunno. Let the Arabs blow themselves to hell, I don't give a crap. And let the Israelis help.
Martin: Now, to wrap up...
Prof Stroock: Thank god. More tea?
Martin: Please. I swear that banging on the closet is getting louder.
Prof Stroock: You're hearing things, Martin. This is the Earl Grey.
Martin: Delicious. Why Earl Grey and Lemon-zinger?
Prof Stroock: Those are the only kinds of tea I've heard of.
Martin: Why am I not surprised?
Prof Stroock: Shut the fuck up.
Martin: Anyway...in your book Israel Strikes: War of the Red Sea, you included a BBC journalist named Martin.
Prof Stroock: Yes.
Martin: Was that me?
Prof Stroock: Nailed it, Darwin.
Martin: One other question.
Prof Stroock: Shoot.
Martin: Did you have to make me an ass-slapping, intern snogging poof?
Prof Stroock: It was a moral imperative. Now get the hell out of here.
Martin: That reminds me, do you know what happened to the last journalist that came here.
Prof Stroock: No idea.
Martin: Hey I feel dizzy....why is everything so blury....
Prof Stroock: Heh, heh....
Samantha Power has Blood on her Hands
Schmuley Boteach, known as Celebrity Rabbi in Stroock World, makes an excellent point:
Remember, these are the people who lambasted President Bush's foreign policy. These are the folks who just knew W. was a disaster, what with Iraq and all. Not to mention his siding with Israel against the Palestinians. Us Neocons thought we could remake the Middle East. Where we right? I dunno. Bush liberated Afghanistan and won the war in Iraq.
Let's have a look at Barry's results, shall we? Iraq once again a sectarian mess. Libya a jihadist disaster. Syria, well...Russia ensconced in the Middle East. Iran running Iraq. All before Samantha Power wrote her Genocide book 'A problem from hell.' Hell of a job there, Samantha.
Ok genius, you may ask, what would YOU have done.
Well, for starters I'd have crushed ISIS right off. We're not talking about winning an insurgency but destroying an enemy. ISIS meet the 82nd Airborne and their friends the 1st Infantry Division.
I would have negotiated a status of forces agreement with Iraq something Barry failed to do.
I wouldn't have begun speaking about 'red-lines' in Syria and then done nothing to back it up.
I would not have negotiated with Iran.
I would have supported Israel against the Palestinians.
I would not have listened to Samantha Power.
Happy Boxing Day
Just imagine — there is a genocide going on for years in the Middle East in general and Syria in particular. It involves ISIS targeting Yazidis and Christians for extermination, and, in Syria, Shia Muslims joining Alawites to exterminate Sunnis. This is the classic definition of genocide where an ethnic group is target for annihilation.Read the rest at Breitbart.
The genocide reaches fever pitch in December 2016, just as the Obama administration, which hasn’t lifted a finger to protect 500,000 Arabs from being slaughtered, is winding down. Aleppo is in the news daily, as the world watches the horrors of bombings of civilians amid incalculable loss of life.
And what was Samantha Power, the great anti-genocide campaigner, doing while Aleppo and its residents were being reduced to rubble? Why, scheming against Israel, of course!
Remember, these are the people who lambasted President Bush's foreign policy. These are the folks who just knew W. was a disaster, what with Iraq and all. Not to mention his siding with Israel against the Palestinians. Us Neocons thought we could remake the Middle East. Where we right? I dunno. Bush liberated Afghanistan and won the war in Iraq.
Let's have a look at Barry's results, shall we? Iraq once again a sectarian mess. Libya a jihadist disaster. Syria, well...Russia ensconced in the Middle East. Iran running Iraq. All before Samantha Power wrote her Genocide book 'A problem from hell.' Hell of a job there, Samantha.
Ok genius, you may ask, what would YOU have done.
Well, for starters I'd have crushed ISIS right off. We're not talking about winning an insurgency but destroying an enemy. ISIS meet the 82nd Airborne and their friends the 1st Infantry Division.
I would have negotiated a status of forces agreement with Iraq something Barry failed to do.
I wouldn't have begun speaking about 'red-lines' in Syria and then done nothing to back it up.
I would not have negotiated with Iran.
I would have supported Israel against the Palestinians.
I would not have listened to Samantha Power.
Happy Boxing Day
Friday, December 23, 2016
Friday Updates
Pacific Storm is 20,000 words. Been doing some very interesting research into Australia's military. I have bent time a bit so that in this universe they still have a carrier.
Nothing new with Pershing in Command.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom is idle at the moment but looking good at 40,000. The Washington project is also idle but will be picking up strong in the new year.
We'll be adding a new feature next week, as we've noticed some of the magazines we write for or posting out stuff on line.
The second and hopefully final draft of Castro's Folly is back in the hopper.
Nothing new with Pershing in Command.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom is idle at the moment but looking good at 40,000. The Washington project is also idle but will be picking up strong in the new year.
We'll be adding a new feature next week, as we've noticed some of the magazines we write for or posting out stuff on line.
The second and hopefully final draft of Castro's Folly is back in the hopper.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Notes on Huma Abedin in the Wiener Doc
What is Huma Abedin? She has spent 20 years as a high profile gofer for Hillary Clinton. Bill officiated her wedding. Hillary says Huma is her second daughter. Both of her parents were highly educated members of the Pakistani elite. Her mother is a college prof.
Huma has no accent, which seems strange for someone who spent so much of her youth in Saudi Arabia.
Huma is classically beautiful with a pretty face, well made, and hourglass figure. She dresses the way this middle-aged father hopes his three daughters will one day dress, in a feminine way, but with nothing too short or tight. Huma is over all well turned out and splendidly appointed.
Through most of the doc, Huma never seems to crack an actual smile. There are times when we see her teeth, when she is baring her teeth to show happiness, but she never quite brings the corners of her mouth up.
She seems to maintain a certain distance from the camera, from the campaign staff, from Anthony.
She seems oddly distant to her husband. The only real incidence of spousal intimacy we see occurs in an elevator when she asked him about his pants and tugs at the pocket.
Huma is uncomfortable in front of the camera. One scene were she reads a statement in an event called 'Women for Wiener'. It is painful, almost as if she has learned public speaking from a bad public speaker; come to think of it....she has, hasn't she?
After the scandal breaks we see Huma, humiliated and twister. It's hard to watch. She's going through an existential crisis at the extreme humiliation brought onto her by a man who has betrayed her twice (three times now at the time of this writing). She says at one point that the scandal was, 'Like living in a nightmare'. By the end of the doc her soul has died. The most heart wrenching scene comes on election night when Sydney Leathers is attempting to ambush Carlos Danger Danger. Huma says, 'I am not going through the indignity of being confronted by this woman'.
Throughout the film Huma and Wiener deal with every matter by considering how it will look how it would seem, how would their actions play on TV that night?
A note on the staff. The office is filled primarily with young hipster types. Many of them no doubt went to the best schools, NYU, Columbia, etc. They have degrees in English (as if you needed to go 200K in debt to read Dickens), Poli-sci (even more useless), maybe Journalism help us god. They loved Stewart and Colbert, now Bee and Noah. With one notable exception, anyone who watches will see, the young women are badly made up and don't know how to carry themselves. The men, well, I wouldn't want to be a woman sleeping next to one of these guys if I thought someone was breaking into the house.
This is the point at which we are supposed to note how bad we feel for these young idealists. Bullshit these kids are smug know-it-alls and they deserve it. Like Huma none of them seem to actually know how to do anything. Nor do any of them seem to know anything. Like Huma They went to the right schools and met the right people. They are young fixers in proximity to power, like Huma.
As noted in a previous post, Huma went to work for Hillary right after graduating. That's 20 years in proximity to the supreme power in America, the House of Clinton. She has made her career being Hillary's gofer and all around lick-spittle and trading off her proximity to power.
Soon she will not have even that.
Huma has no accent, which seems strange for someone who spent so much of her youth in Saudi Arabia.
Huma is classically beautiful with a pretty face, well made, and hourglass figure. She dresses the way this middle-aged father hopes his three daughters will one day dress, in a feminine way, but with nothing too short or tight. Huma is over all well turned out and splendidly appointed.
Through most of the doc, Huma never seems to crack an actual smile. There are times when we see her teeth, when she is baring her teeth to show happiness, but she never quite brings the corners of her mouth up.
She seems to maintain a certain distance from the camera, from the campaign staff, from Anthony.
She seems oddly distant to her husband. The only real incidence of spousal intimacy we see occurs in an elevator when she asked him about his pants and tugs at the pocket.
Huma is uncomfortable in front of the camera. One scene were she reads a statement in an event called 'Women for Wiener'. It is painful, almost as if she has learned public speaking from a bad public speaker; come to think of it....she has, hasn't she?
After the scandal breaks we see Huma, humiliated and twister. It's hard to watch. She's going through an existential crisis at the extreme humiliation brought onto her by a man who has betrayed her twice (three times now at the time of this writing). She says at one point that the scandal was, 'Like living in a nightmare'. By the end of the doc her soul has died. The most heart wrenching scene comes on election night when Sydney Leathers is attempting to ambush Carlos Danger Danger. Huma says, 'I am not going through the indignity of being confronted by this woman'.
Throughout the film Huma and Wiener deal with every matter by considering how it will look how it would seem, how would their actions play on TV that night?
A note on the staff. The office is filled primarily with young hipster types. Many of them no doubt went to the best schools, NYU, Columbia, etc. They have degrees in English (as if you needed to go 200K in debt to read Dickens), Poli-sci (even more useless), maybe Journalism help us god. They loved Stewart and Colbert, now Bee and Noah. With one notable exception, anyone who watches will see, the young women are badly made up and don't know how to carry themselves. The men, well, I wouldn't want to be a woman sleeping next to one of these guys if I thought someone was breaking into the house.
This is the point at which we are supposed to note how bad we feel for these young idealists. Bullshit these kids are smug know-it-alls and they deserve it. Like Huma none of them seem to actually know how to do anything. Nor do any of them seem to know anything. Like Huma They went to the right schools and met the right people. They are young fixers in proximity to power, like Huma.
As noted in a previous post, Huma went to work for Hillary right after graduating. That's 20 years in proximity to the supreme power in America, the House of Clinton. She has made her career being Hillary's gofer and all around lick-spittle and trading off her proximity to power.
Thursday Q & A
Interviewer: Thanks for coming
Stroock: You're welcome.
Interviewer: In a previous post you claimed to have once been a White House intern.
Stroock: Yes
Interviewer: Were you a White House intern?
Stroock: Da, Comrade.
Interviewer: Are you speaking in that stupid accent because you think the Clinton's are communists?
Stroock: No. The Clinton's are crooks and sexual predators, but not commies. I just like to.
Interviewer: Moving on....
Stroock: Please.
Interviewer: I don't understand. These internships go to the best and brightest. What were you doing in 1994?
Stroock: Attending Wesley College and majoring in Fraternity.
Interviewer: So what made you among the best and brightest?
Stroock: Absolutely nothing.
Interviewer: So.....
Stroock: White House internships go to the best and brightest and the well connected, my sweet summer child. Don't forget the well connected.
Interviewer: You were well connected?
Stroock: [Laughs mockingly] No but my grandfather is.
Interviewer: Is? He's still alive?
Stroock: I know, right.
Interviewer: To whom was your grandfather connected?
Stroock: I'd rather not say.
Interviewer: Please?
Stroock: No.
Interviewer: So what did you do in the White House?
Stroock: I bounced around a lot. Answered phones. For a while I worked in that office that handles tour requests for senators. The REJECTED rubber stamp was fun to use on a request from a senator who had been in office for three terms and used to work for JFK.
Interviewer: Jerk.
Stroock: Yeah.
Interviewer: Did you meet Bill?
Stroock: Yeah, once. Oh! also Socks the Cat.
Interviewer: Oh my, Socks the Cat. Travelling among the powerful were you.
Stroock: Now there's no need to be condescending
Interviewer: Isn't there? Getting back on point. Any insights into Bill's White House?
Stroock: Yes. There were no ugly women.
Interviewer: None?
Stroock: None. Except for the token disabled ones. Yikes.
Interviewer: Asshole.
Stroock: Sorry, I thought you knew.
Interviewer: I think we're done here.
Stroock: Get the hell out of here!
Interviewer: Love too. One thing.
Stroock: Yeah?
Interviewer: Would it have killed you to wear pants?
Stroock: Don't act like you don't like what your looking at.
Interviewer: Hey, this door wont open.
Stroock: Heh, heh, heh.
Interviewer: Please sit down. Don't come over here! Wait...what are you...
Stroock: You're welcome.
Interviewer: In a previous post you claimed to have once been a White House intern.
Stroock: Yes
Interviewer: Were you a White House intern?
Stroock: Da, Comrade.
Interviewer: Are you speaking in that stupid accent because you think the Clinton's are communists?
Stroock: No. The Clinton's are crooks and sexual predators, but not commies. I just like to.
Interviewer: Moving on....
Stroock: Please.
Interviewer: I don't understand. These internships go to the best and brightest. What were you doing in 1994?
Stroock: Attending Wesley College and majoring in Fraternity.
Interviewer: So what made you among the best and brightest?
Stroock: Absolutely nothing.
Interviewer: So.....
Stroock: White House internships go to the best and brightest and the well connected, my sweet summer child. Don't forget the well connected.
Interviewer: You were well connected?
Stroock: [Laughs mockingly] No but my grandfather is.
Interviewer: Is? He's still alive?
Stroock: I know, right.
Interviewer: To whom was your grandfather connected?
Stroock: I'd rather not say.
Interviewer: Please?
Stroock: No.
Interviewer: So what did you do in the White House?
Stroock: I bounced around a lot. Answered phones. For a while I worked in that office that handles tour requests for senators. The REJECTED rubber stamp was fun to use on a request from a senator who had been in office for three terms and used to work for JFK.
Interviewer: Jerk.
Stroock: Yeah.
Interviewer: Did you meet Bill?
Stroock: Yeah, once. Oh! also Socks the Cat.
Interviewer: Oh my, Socks the Cat. Travelling among the powerful were you.
Stroock: Now there's no need to be condescending
Interviewer: Isn't there? Getting back on point. Any insights into Bill's White House?
Stroock: Yes. There were no ugly women.
Interviewer: None?
Stroock: None. Except for the token disabled ones. Yikes.
Interviewer: Asshole.
Stroock: Sorry, I thought you knew.
Interviewer: I think we're done here.
Stroock: Get the hell out of here!
Interviewer: Love too. One thing.
Stroock: Yeah?
Interviewer: Would it have killed you to wear pants?
Stroock: Don't act like you don't like what your looking at.
Interviewer: Hey, this door wont open.
Stroock: Heh, heh, heh.
Interviewer: Please sit down. Don't come over here! Wait...what are you...
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Huma! Huma!
Well Huma Abedin is in the news again.
Huma sounds like a fish, because it is a fish. My father, back in his halcyon days, maintained a 55 gallon salt water aquarium that included a Huma Huma, or as it was known in Casa de Stroock the 'Hinga hoongi'. Vicious little thing. When one dropped the feeder fish in the tank the Huma Huma would take a big bite out of the side and leave the rest for later.
Tell me Huma Abedin doesn't look like that fish.
I've been fascinated by this woman lately. She's the pathetic star of the Wiener documentary. Man do we ever feel her pain.
Of course she was caught in NYC a few days after the election walking down the street in tears.
Twenty years as Hillary!'s young Lesbian lover only to end up a loser.
Huma and I have a few things in common. Like me she was a White House intern. I was in '94, the summer before Monica.
Unlike me she parlayed this into a career, namely being Hillary!'s young Lesbian lover and gofer.
She applied to George Washington University. I applied to George Washington University.
Unlike me, Huma was accepted by GWU. I only lived there during the summers of '94 and later '95 when I interned for Senator William V. Roth.
For years now we've heard about how smart and talented is Huma. I guess. She was accepted to GWU. She was an editor at some sort of Islamic journal.
As noted above, Huma is in the news. Right now the Clinton people are turning their guns on her. She's the most vulnerable, after all. We doubt that Huma actually made any decisions during the campaign, that's not the role of young Lesbian lovers and gofers.
Well, for the first time in 20 years Huma is out in the cold. She hitched herself to her Lesbian mentor and crashed violently. Now she's got to get a job. On her talents and merits. Those are exactly?
She's about to be tossed out into the cold world by team Clinton. Poor thing. Climbing that career later only to fall off.
Maybe Anthony will catch her.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
The Neocon Strikes Back
The great lie of the Iraq Campaign was that it stokes terror, created terrorists, made enemies, and radicalized your every day Muslim.
Really, you think Saddam didn't have WMD? Do you also think the Moon Landing was faked?
I suggest that if seeing news one doesn't like is enough to turn your average Muslim into a suicide bomber, then well, that religion has a huge problem.
Of course, your sophisticated and classy continental nations stayed out of Iraq, and the Islamic War in general. France, Belgium, Germany haven't had much to do or say.
In the last 15 years Spain's been attacked, Britain, Australia, Canada, India, the US of course.
For a while smug continentals could claim that since they stayed our of le American's adventure, they weren't antagonizing the Muslim world.
Well, last night Isis completed the trifecta with a terrorist attack in Munich. This follows the horrific blood-letting in France this year and last, Nice, Paris, Charlie Hebdo...I dunno, it all merges together after a while. These nations were broadly unsympathetic to the United States, stayed out of Iraq and barely contributed anything to Afghanistan.
Still their streets are soaked in blood.
Hell of a lot of good it did them, eh?
I'd like to leave France, Belgium the Krauts with this motivational speech:
Really, you think Saddam didn't have WMD? Do you also think the Moon Landing was faked?
I suggest that if seeing news one doesn't like is enough to turn your average Muslim into a suicide bomber, then well, that religion has a huge problem.
Of course, your sophisticated and classy continental nations stayed out of Iraq, and the Islamic War in general. France, Belgium, Germany haven't had much to do or say.
In the last 15 years Spain's been attacked, Britain, Australia, Canada, India, the US of course.
For a while smug continentals could claim that since they stayed our of le American's adventure, they weren't antagonizing the Muslim world.
Well, last night Isis completed the trifecta with a terrorist attack in Munich. This follows the horrific blood-letting in France this year and last, Nice, Paris, Charlie Hebdo...I dunno, it all merges together after a while. These nations were broadly unsympathetic to the United States, stayed out of Iraq and barely contributed anything to Afghanistan.
Still their streets are soaked in blood.
Hell of a lot of good it did them, eh?
I'd like to leave France, Belgium the Krauts with this motivational speech:
Alt History War Game
Here is a review of a new war game, Nato Nukes and Nazis:
As it happens I had almost the exact same idea. This was spawned of course by Robert Harris' excellent novel, Fatherland, which portrays an American-Nazi Cold War in 1964. I was going to do the a NATO-Nazi conflict in 1980. Gerald Ford is president, Enoch Powell is the British PM. I toyed with it and even wrote 10,000 words or so, but it never really went anywhere.
I was mostly interested in what America in 1980 was like. There's no WWII, no Vietnam. So we see none of the social change that happened as a result. We're closer to France than Britain. Speaking of which the Empire is thriving. India is a dominion, Africa is similar to India in say, 1900, the Jewell so to speak. Nazi Germany is a broken down Socialist basket case, over extended and in decline.
Heck, I may still do it.
But not anytime soon.
It’s 1990, and the Third Reich lives. Ever since World War II ended with a compromise peace between Germany and the Allies, the Cold War has been waged between the Nazis and NATO.The game is designed by Ty Bomba and Joe Miranda of Decision Games, Modern Conflict Simulations and few other assorted outfits. I know both pretty well, having written for Decision Games for years.
As it happens I had almost the exact same idea. This was spawned of course by Robert Harris' excellent novel, Fatherland, which portrays an American-Nazi Cold War in 1964. I was going to do the a NATO-Nazi conflict in 1980. Gerald Ford is president, Enoch Powell is the British PM. I toyed with it and even wrote 10,000 words or so, but it never really went anywhere.
I was mostly interested in what America in 1980 was like. There's no WWII, no Vietnam. So we see none of the social change that happened as a result. We're closer to France than Britain. Speaking of which the Empire is thriving. India is a dominion, Africa is similar to India in say, 1900, the Jewell so to speak. Nazi Germany is a broken down Socialist basket case, over extended and in decline.
Heck, I may still do it.
But not anytime soon.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Metal Monday
So the previous post ending with Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' put in mind of Ozzie Osborne.
Being a Gen-Xr my intro to Ozzie came during his solo career. I vividly recall the constant airplay his 'Shot in Dark' got on MTV in 1986. During the late 80's one walked the hallways of one's school and saw metal T-shirts everywhere. Without a doubt the single most common T-shirt was the Ozzie Randy Rhodes 'Tribute' T-shirt.
Crazy Train is of course Ozzie's stock song, the one that will open news segments upon his death, which unbelievably hasn't happened yet. But my favorite is Crazy Babies:
Doesn't that riff just clobber you over the head?
For my money Blizzard of Oz with Jake E. Lee on lead guitar is his best album, but opinions can and do vary. No one is really wrong.
Now, when I was getting into metal I was vaguely aware that Ozzie had been in another group, but didn't really come to understand until '88 or so when MTV really began playing Sabbath in earnest. There was Ozzie, damn near looking like a hippy, singing Iron Man and Paranoid.
What a revelation. Think about that. On Metal's Mount Rushmore Ozzie's limey image gets chiseled on twice.
Being a Gen-Xr my intro to Ozzie came during his solo career. I vividly recall the constant airplay his 'Shot in Dark' got on MTV in 1986. During the late 80's one walked the hallways of one's school and saw metal T-shirts everywhere. Without a doubt the single most common T-shirt was the Ozzie Randy Rhodes 'Tribute' T-shirt.
Crazy Train is of course Ozzie's stock song, the one that will open news segments upon his death, which unbelievably hasn't happened yet. But my favorite is Crazy Babies:
For my money Blizzard of Oz with Jake E. Lee on lead guitar is his best album, but opinions can and do vary. No one is really wrong.
Now, when I was getting into metal I was vaguely aware that Ozzie had been in another group, but didn't really come to understand until '88 or so when MTV really began playing Sabbath in earnest. There was Ozzie, damn near looking like a hippy, singing Iron Man and Paranoid.
What a revelation. Think about that. On Metal's Mount Rushmore Ozzie's limey image gets chiseled on twice.
You Went Full Paranoid....
...Never go full paranoid.
Right now the Democrat Party is looking about casting blame for the electoral defeat of the goddess-empress Hillary! It;'s getting ugly.
So off the top of my head, Hillary! lost because of James Comey, or Russian hacking, or media bias (you can laugh yourself to death on that last one), sexism, ageism...did I miss anything?
Oh, and Fake News. That's my favorite.
All of these excuses add up to one thing: the Democrat party is is deep denial.
Or they're just nuts.
Look after 2012 we on the right looked at the disaster before and thought, 'Ok, let's figure out what we did wrong and never do it again.' There were no excuses. After 2008 we in the conservative movement looked around at the smoldering ruble that was our ideology and said, 'Ok, how do we fix and rebuild this?' We needed new ideas and leadership.
So why did Hillary! lose? She was an awful candidate and is an awful person. She was bereft of ideas, except for one big idea: herself. The Democrat Party is an organization of bi-coastal elites concerned with boutique issues that no one else cares about. They and Hillary! are seen as representative of a cocooned global elite, great for Wall Street, San Francisco and New York, but bad for Main Street.
Right now the Democrat Party is basically arguing that America sucks. Lemme tell you something, there guy. It's not America that sucks, it's YOU that sucks.
Right now the Democrat Party is looking about casting blame for the electoral defeat of the goddess-empress Hillary! It;'s getting ugly.
So off the top of my head, Hillary! lost because of James Comey, or Russian hacking, or media bias (you can laugh yourself to death on that last one), sexism, ageism...did I miss anything?
Oh, and Fake News. That's my favorite.
All of these excuses add up to one thing: the Democrat party is is deep denial.
Or they're just nuts.
Look after 2012 we on the right looked at the disaster before and thought, 'Ok, let's figure out what we did wrong and never do it again.' There were no excuses. After 2008 we in the conservative movement looked around at the smoldering ruble that was our ideology and said, 'Ok, how do we fix and rebuild this?' We needed new ideas and leadership.
So why did Hillary! lose? She was an awful candidate and is an awful person. She was bereft of ideas, except for one big idea: herself. The Democrat Party is an organization of bi-coastal elites concerned with boutique issues that no one else cares about. They and Hillary! are seen as representative of a cocooned global elite, great for Wall Street, San Francisco and New York, but bad for Main Street.
Right now the Democrat Party is basically arguing that America sucks. Lemme tell you something, there guy. It's not America that sucks, it's YOU that sucks.
My Sweet Summer Millennial
On Friday we took the Stroocklettes to Mrs. Stroock's company Christmas extravaganza. There was breakfast in which your author got himself a steaming cardboard plate of sausage and bacon [aren't you Jewish-ed], shut the fuck up, ed. [yes, sir-Ed], clowns, balloons, face painting, Santa, etc etc.
This being a northern New Jersey big-pharma company there was a long line of Indian kids waiting to get their pic with Santa and I thought, 'Hey, you're Hindu!' [again, aren't you Jewish-Ed] I said shut the fuck up, Ed. Itwas a lot of fun actually.
Interestingly, I saw these three Millennials. They were right out of central casting. Mid 20's. The girl was cute enough, red jeans, boots, white sweater. She was being followed/stalked by two young men. One was tall and lanky in the Millennial style with brown pants, a polo shirt and a light weight hooded jacket and scraggly beard. The other was of average height, dumpy, glasses, a not-a-beard face unshaven for perhaps two weeks, white and blue checkered shirt with jeans and a big belt.
Like I said, this trio was right out of central casting. If I were this pretty enough young woman, I wouldn't want to be sleeping next to either one of these guys if I thought someone was breaking into the house. Do a quick Google search for 'Pajama Boy'. There you go. That's what I was looking at.
Today the Electoral College meets and finalizes everything. We'll get an Alpha Male back in the White House.
He can't get there fast enough.
This being a northern New Jersey big-pharma company there was a long line of Indian kids waiting to get their pic with Santa and I thought, 'Hey, you're Hindu!' [again, aren't you Jewish-Ed] I said shut the fuck up, Ed. Itwas a lot of fun actually.
Interestingly, I saw these three Millennials. They were right out of central casting. Mid 20's. The girl was cute enough, red jeans, boots, white sweater. She was being followed/stalked by two young men. One was tall and lanky in the Millennial style with brown pants, a polo shirt and a light weight hooded jacket and scraggly beard. The other was of average height, dumpy, glasses, a not-a-beard face unshaven for perhaps two weeks, white and blue checkered shirt with jeans and a big belt.
Like I said, this trio was right out of central casting. If I were this pretty enough young woman, I wouldn't want to be sleeping next to either one of these guys if I thought someone was breaking into the house. Do a quick Google search for 'Pajama Boy'. There you go. That's what I was looking at.
Today the Electoral College meets and finalizes everything. We'll get an Alpha Male back in the White House.
He can't get there fast enough.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Dream of Californication
Via Richard Fernandez at the Belmot club California (uber ales) has certified its vote total:
Americans are the products of the worst school system in the developed world so most of us aren't getting this. The national popular vote is meaningless. Now before one starts crying about democracy, its working fine here. Hillary! romped in CA and the state's 55 EVs are being democratically allocated to Hillary!, aren't they.
I think of California more as a part of Mexico now, but whatever.
This is why we have the electoral college. Back in 1789 the Founding Fathers worried that a few big states, back then NY and VA, would dominate national politics. They needed to protect the smaller states for the encroaching tentacles of the big ones, hence the electoral college.
Sorry folks, a couple of blue metro areas don't get to dictate to the rest of the country.
There are some blue states that are passing laws delegated their EV's to the popular vote winner. That will last just as long as it takes for Republican to win the popular vote + the electoral college including, say Maryland's electoral votes. It will be freaking hilarious, in the same way that Harriet Reid killed the filibuster of presidential appointments.....
California certifies its results: Clinton 8,753,788 (61.7%), Trump 4,483,810 (31.6%), Others 943,997 (6.7%). Largest Dem margin since 1936.Hillary!'s margin in the popular vote (a meaningless tally) comes entirely from one state.
Americans are the products of the worst school system in the developed world so most of us aren't getting this. The national popular vote is meaningless. Now before one starts crying about democracy, its working fine here. Hillary! romped in CA and the state's 55 EVs are being democratically allocated to Hillary!, aren't they.
I think of California more as a part of Mexico now, but whatever.
This is why we have the electoral college. Back in 1789 the Founding Fathers worried that a few big states, back then NY and VA, would dominate national politics. They needed to protect the smaller states for the encroaching tentacles of the big ones, hence the electoral college.
Sorry folks, a couple of blue metro areas don't get to dictate to the rest of the country.
There are some blue states that are passing laws delegated their EV's to the popular vote winner. That will last just as long as it takes for Republican to win the popular vote + the electoral college including, say Maryland's electoral votes. It will be freaking hilarious, in the same way that Harriet Reid killed the filibuster of presidential appointments.....
Will's Good Idea for the Week of 12-18-16
World War 1990: Battle of Weser
I get asked periodically if I'm ever going to do a novel about the first two weeks of the war, something I have avoided.
The answer is no...probably.
But it might be worthwhile to explore the idea strictly form a grunt's point of view, say an American rifle company, a British medical unit there, maybe something describing the Dutch and Belgians in action, and of course, something from the commie point of view.
Will it happen? I dunno. If it does, its a long way off.
Here's where we are, since we missed the Friday Update. Castro's Folly is done and will be out in January. The Final Storm is done and needs editing, but it is finis. I am working on Pacific Storm now, 15,000 words and counting. Watch out for Aussies, Kiwis and their Hakas, Gurkha's and their Kukri knives, etc.
Once these three are completed, we'll be taking a break from World War 1990. But I still want to do a pair of novels about the aftermath. That will be a year or two away while I knock of a couple of other ideas.
Until then the reader will soon be able to enjoy Castro's Folly with my gratitude.
I get asked periodically if I'm ever going to do a novel about the first two weeks of the war, something I have avoided.
The answer is no...probably.
But it might be worthwhile to explore the idea strictly form a grunt's point of view, say an American rifle company, a British medical unit there, maybe something describing the Dutch and Belgians in action, and of course, something from the commie point of view.
Will it happen? I dunno. If it does, its a long way off.
Here's where we are, since we missed the Friday Update. Castro's Folly is done and will be out in January. The Final Storm is done and needs editing, but it is finis. I am working on Pacific Storm now, 15,000 words and counting. Watch out for Aussies, Kiwis and their Hakas, Gurkha's and their Kukri knives, etc.
Once these three are completed, we'll be taking a break from World War 1990. But I still want to do a pair of novels about the aftermath. That will be a year or two away while I knock of a couple of other ideas.
Until then the reader will soon be able to enjoy Castro's Folly with my gratitude.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Burning the Midnight OIl while Working on a Down Under Electrical Current
So in World War 1990: Operation Pacific Storm, we'll see a lot of Aussies. Now the question is how do I avoid getting all American about this? You know what I mean, when you American a foreign character. The Russians all swill Vodka, the Brits all say things like 'Fetch me a spot of tea, would you please' (a line that was in Arctic Storm until my British editor mocked it out of print), the Chinese are all vaguely philosophical and devious, etc, etc. For that matter the Americans are all loud and fat; am I right, people?
We'll be seeing a lot of Australians in this one. Prime Minister Hawke, Bomber Kim Beasley an assortment of SAS, sub skippers, ship captains, and Aardvark drivers, etc. There will be some Kiwis too. I guess the key is making sure they don't turn into Gandolf. Thank you, folks. Don't forget to tip your waitresses!
So, how do I avoid turning my Australians in Crocodile Dundee. First dilema, the American Aardvark driver, on detached duty to the Aussies walks into their barracks. What's playing on the radio?
The time has come.....
We'll be seeing a lot of Australians in this one. Prime Minister Hawke, Bomber Kim Beasley an assortment of SAS, sub skippers, ship captains, and Aardvark drivers, etc. There will be some Kiwis too. I guess the key is making sure they don't turn into Gandolf. Thank you, folks. Don't forget to tip your waitresses!
So, how do I avoid turning my Australians in Crocodile Dundee. First dilema, the American Aardvark driver, on detached duty to the Aussies walks into their barracks. What's playing on the radio?
The time has come.....
Rogueing
Well, just saw a news report about Star Wars: Rogue One. I have to say it looks fantastic. It looks like a return to the world of Star Wars. That is, think back to 1977. Star Wars was dark. That word was dingy, tired rundown, kind of like everything else in 1977. Just look at the TV shows of the time.
Here's one in NYC:
Here's Chicago:
Star Wars really captured that. Buildings are old. Ships looks cobbled together. Helmets are all dinged up. The old non-ass-clown George Lucas had a touch for these sort of things. Also he was a gear head, so he knew how to make the ships look real. Everything about that world, except the Death Star of Course, looked old and tired and worn out.
If they've recreated this look in Rogue One then bravo.
Here's one in NYC:
If they've recreated this look in Rogue One then bravo.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Tuesday Tally
World War II Movie Edition
After last week's Pearl Harbor commemoration and after seeing a flurry of WWII era films on TV, I thought a tally of my favorite such films was in order.
Here they are.
They Were Expendable: A John Ford classic with Robert Montgomery and John Wayne and a host of vets from what would become known jokingly as John Ford's Production Company. We see the men of a PT squadron fight and gradually die as the Japanese gradually ware down and ware out the Philippine garrison. They die slowly. John Wayne, who was harassed continuously by Ford, plays his man with energy and anger. Robert Montgomery is the straight and steady man. The movie doesn't end so much as gradually fade away.
Back to Bataan: Edward Dmytryk directs this one. This time John Wayne as Colonel Madden is the steady, while his friend and subordinate, Anthony Quin is the tense and angry man. As Andres Bonofocio, grandson of a Filipino revolutionary, Quin is torn between the war and his people and dying inside because he thinks the woman he loves is spouting radio propaganda for the Japanese. A nice bonus is Ms. Barnes, the Americans school teacher who is the heart of Madden's little rebel group. She's an old Philippine hand who just isn't impressed by all these army types or 'popinjay in uniform' as she calls Madden. This movie isn't just about the Yanks. Frankly Madden, Barnes and company are just backdrop. Back to Bataan is about the Filipino People and their courage in the face of Japanese occupation. A nice bonus here is some of the combat sequences, a Japanese attack in the opener, and the final battle for a crossroads at the end. Both are well done.
Air Force: Of course there was no air force, only the Army Air Corps. Air Force here means a force from the air. Imagine the title was Ground Force. Or Tank Force. There you go. I absolutely love this Howard Hawks picture. Its a well crafted movie. I mean, it looks good. Great plot about a B-17 (Mary-Ann) crew that flies into the war, first Pearl Harbor, then Wake Island and finally the Philippines. We have an all American multi-ethnic crew. The all American Captain 'Irish' Quincannon, baby-faced lead pilot, the cynical Winacki who washed out of flight school, a grizzled old mechanic who just wants to see his boy whose a pursuit pilot in the Philippines, Tex Raider, another pursuit pilot who hitches along for the ride, Munk Howser the Navigator whose father was a WWI, Weinberg the street smart New Yorker, a young radio operator whose mother sees him off, a Minnesota Farm Boy...you get the gist. The crew of the Mary-Ann fly from one adventure to another, emergency landings, Japanese air attacks, repairing the Mary-Ann as Japanese troops close in, etc etc. Just a wonderful and fun movie. My favorite. Modern special effects aficionados might laugh at the all the warship miniatures but they're well done and capture a boys imagination. The musical score is wonderful.
Notice a theme? They all take place in the Philippines and are loaded with Yanks in khaki and fry pan helmets. Men who are on their way to their doom
After last week's Pearl Harbor commemoration and after seeing a flurry of WWII era films on TV, I thought a tally of my favorite such films was in order.
Here they are.
They Were Expendable: A John Ford classic with Robert Montgomery and John Wayne and a host of vets from what would become known jokingly as John Ford's Production Company. We see the men of a PT squadron fight and gradually die as the Japanese gradually ware down and ware out the Philippine garrison. They die slowly. John Wayne, who was harassed continuously by Ford, plays his man with energy and anger. Robert Montgomery is the straight and steady man. The movie doesn't end so much as gradually fade away.
Back to Bataan: Edward Dmytryk directs this one. This time John Wayne as Colonel Madden is the steady, while his friend and subordinate, Anthony Quin is the tense and angry man. As Andres Bonofocio, grandson of a Filipino revolutionary, Quin is torn between the war and his people and dying inside because he thinks the woman he loves is spouting radio propaganda for the Japanese. A nice bonus is Ms. Barnes, the Americans school teacher who is the heart of Madden's little rebel group. She's an old Philippine hand who just isn't impressed by all these army types or 'popinjay in uniform' as she calls Madden. This movie isn't just about the Yanks. Frankly Madden, Barnes and company are just backdrop. Back to Bataan is about the Filipino People and their courage in the face of Japanese occupation. A nice bonus here is some of the combat sequences, a Japanese attack in the opener, and the final battle for a crossroads at the end. Both are well done.
Air Force: Of course there was no air force, only the Army Air Corps. Air Force here means a force from the air. Imagine the title was Ground Force. Or Tank Force. There you go. I absolutely love this Howard Hawks picture. Its a well crafted movie. I mean, it looks good. Great plot about a B-17 (Mary-Ann) crew that flies into the war, first Pearl Harbor, then Wake Island and finally the Philippines. We have an all American multi-ethnic crew. The all American Captain 'Irish' Quincannon, baby-faced lead pilot, the cynical Winacki who washed out of flight school, a grizzled old mechanic who just wants to see his boy whose a pursuit pilot in the Philippines, Tex Raider, another pursuit pilot who hitches along for the ride, Munk Howser the Navigator whose father was a WWI, Weinberg the street smart New Yorker, a young radio operator whose mother sees him off, a Minnesota Farm Boy...you get the gist. The crew of the Mary-Ann fly from one adventure to another, emergency landings, Japanese air attacks, repairing the Mary-Ann as Japanese troops close in, etc etc. Just a wonderful and fun movie. My favorite. Modern special effects aficionados might laugh at the all the warship miniatures but they're well done and capture a boys imagination. The musical score is wonderful.
Notice a theme? They all take place in the Philippines and are loaded with Yanks in khaki and fry pan helmets. Men who are on their way to their doom
Monday, December 12, 2016
Recount Redux
It seems Jill Stein's recount is going nowhere. It always was a load of crap. Just like 2000.
The Bush vs Gore recount still gets my goat.
Algore and the Democrats tried to litigate their way into the White House after the most qualified and brilliant candidate in history lost to the Bush family's second son. So
Here's what happened.
First Bush's margin of victory in Florida dropped to a few thousand and settled at several hundred.
Seeing this, Algore an his evil henchmen decided they could mount legal challenges. Their rallying cry would be alleged voting irregularities and such in Florida. It seemed people here and there had trouble with the ballot punch cards being used in certain Florida counties.
So Gore and minions claimed extensive vote suppression took place in Florida.
Never mind that the communists at the big networks first called Florida for Algore when the conservative pan-handle still had an hour to vote. There's your vote margin and then some.
There followed six weeks of ridiculous litigation.
It was cynical and evil and a sign of things to come.
The Democrat Party always claims voting irregularities when they lose. In 2002 when the African American head of the Dover DE school board was annihilated she said they were stunned by the voter turnout and margin of defeat and were investigating both. Of course, it was possible she was loathed by the electorate.
True story. As it happens that election happened the same day we buried my mother-in-law. My father-in-law voted and then buried his wife. Now that's a likely voter.
At least we got the Sore-Looserman bumper sticker.
So now the Dems are talking about alleged Russian influence.
As if that's a problem for the Democrat party. They and Moscow have been on the same side for 50 years now.
Metal Monday
Well, I'd just like to reintroduce an old story of mine, The Devil and Heavy Metal.
This is a supernatural story about the Devil (Louie to his friends) and his minion, Sven, trying to corrupt a heavy metal loving teenage girl. Turns out, though, there's something funny about the way she plays guitar and metal power-chords in general. Watch out, Sven, she goes to 11.
The Devil and Heavy Metal is also a period piece, taking place in the 80's with plenty of cultural references therein.
My favorite part, frankly, is Sven's complete inability to get the name of heavy metal bands right.
At some point this could be expanded to a short story compilation with the Devil and Sven trying to corrupt people throughout history.
We'll see.
This is a supernatural story about the Devil (Louie to his friends) and his minion, Sven, trying to corrupt a heavy metal loving teenage girl. Turns out, though, there's something funny about the way she plays guitar and metal power-chords in general. Watch out, Sven, she goes to 11.
The Devil and Heavy Metal is also a period piece, taking place in the 80's with plenty of cultural references therein.
My favorite part, frankly, is Sven's complete inability to get the name of heavy metal bands right.
At some point this could be expanded to a short story compilation with the Devil and Sven trying to corrupt people throughout history.
We'll see.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Will's Good Idea for the Week of 12-11-16
Nuclear Nightmares
This would be a collection of short stories about nuclear war.
Basically, having watched The Day After of late, and being obsessed with a game called Def Con, I have to say the subject interests me. For younger reader(s) its a generational thing. Nuclear war is not something you grew up with as I did.
Each story would be in a different scenario, mostly but not exclusively alternate history.
One story would deal with the aftermath of the United States utterly annihilating the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Heck there'd be a couple of stories there.
A few would deal with moral issues. Say we've stopped a nuclear attack with minimal damage and now how do we respond? Destroy the enemy completely? Nuke his capital?
Or I could just watch By Dawn's Early Light.
This would be a collection of short stories about nuclear war.
Basically, having watched The Day After of late, and being obsessed with a game called Def Con, I have to say the subject interests me. For younger reader(s) its a generational thing. Nuclear war is not something you grew up with as I did.
Each story would be in a different scenario, mostly but not exclusively alternate history.
One story would deal with the aftermath of the United States utterly annihilating the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Heck there'd be a couple of stories there.
A few would deal with moral issues. Say we've stopped a nuclear attack with minimal damage and now how do we respond? Destroy the enemy completely? Nuke his capital?
Or I could just watch By Dawn's Early Light.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Friday Updates
Not a whole lot to report.
Well that's not true.
Castro's Folly will go back to the publisher on Monday and defiantly out by January if not sooner. Wouldn't be the first time I published a book the week of Xmas.
Agent says no good news about Pershing in Command.
General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals is coming along ok, still working on the intro chapter about the colonies and what not.
I'll get back to WW1990: Operation Pacific Storm nex week. Its at 10,000 now I hope to put it on 20,000 by next Sunday.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom is coming along swimmingly. I've been working on a chapter about Jake with an advisory team in Iraq in 2008. I like it, though it seems I've turned Jake into Captain America. I might, might have a rough by the end of the month, we'll see.
Well that's not true.
Castro's Folly will go back to the publisher on Monday and defiantly out by January if not sooner. Wouldn't be the first time I published a book the week of Xmas.
Agent says no good news about Pershing in Command.
General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals is coming along ok, still working on the intro chapter about the colonies and what not.
I'll get back to WW1990: Operation Pacific Storm nex week. Its at 10,000 now I hope to put it on 20,000 by next Sunday.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom is coming along swimmingly. I've been working on a chapter about Jake with an advisory team in Iraq in 2008. I like it, though it seems I've turned Jake into Captain America. I might, might have a rough by the end of the month, we'll see.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Referring site of the day
Great White North Edition
www.xnwt.ca
Just wait till you Cannucks see what General Hillier and Canadian 1st Mechanized Division do in World War 1990: The Final Storm.
www.xnwt.ca
Just wait till you Cannucks see what General Hillier and Canadian 1st Mechanized Division do in World War 1990: The Final Storm.
No Need to Apologize
So the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Pearl Harbor, which I admit is a little weird. When my wife and I went to Hawaii in 2000 Japanese tourists were at Pearl harbor. Hell, Japanese tourists were everywhere. One afternoon I was the only American on Waikiki.
The signs to Pearl Harbor were printed in English and Japanese.
You didn't have any trouble finding it the first time, did you?
Then again it has been 75 years.
The Japanese government has announced that Prime Minister Abe wont's apologize:
The signs to Pearl Harbor were printed in English and Japanese.
You didn't have any trouble finding it the first time, did you?
Then again it has been 75 years.
The Japanese government has announced that Prime Minister Abe wont's apologize:
Why should he?
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will honour war dead but won't apologise when he becomes the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor this month, a top government spokesman said on Tuesday.
The move follows Barack Obama's historic May trip to Hiroshima, the first by a sitting US president, where he spoke of victims' suffering but offered no apology for dropping the world's first nuclear bomb.
Maybe the British should apologize for torching Washington in 1812? I know, France could apologize to Germany for Charlemagne's war against the Saxons in the 8th century.
I'd like to apologize to Amy Goodale for breaking her heart in 1989.
Abe's visit is a nice bit of reciprocity after Obama's visit to Hiroshima.
What good would an apology do? Was Abe a guard on the Bataan Death March or something?
We have moved on.
After the Tsunami hit Japan I explained to my daughter that Japan and America used to be bitter enemies. Now we were allies, and not just allies but friends. Our two nations and peoples actually like one another. That's not only remarkable after WWII but after the Japan Bashing of the 80's and early 90's. Younger reader(s) should see 'Rising Sun' for context.
So, Prime Minister Abe, visit Pearl Harbor, lay wreath, say a few words and move on.
You have nothing for which to apologize.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Tuesday Tally
Colossal Strategic Blunder Edition.
Inspired by Japanese Prime Minister Shinjo Abe visiting Pearl Harbor, the top strategic blunders in history:
Pearl Harbor: It was a Hail Mary, really, and Yamamoto knew they only had one chance to win the war. The Japanese had to strike a crippling blow against the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Did land a good punch? Yes. A knockout? You know the answer. They just pissed us off.
Hannibal's War on Rome: Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginian general and victory at Trasimine, Trebia, and the epic slaughter at Canne made a huge mistake even thinking he could win the war. Rome was no ordinary ancient society but a Democratic Republic with a one of the great armies in history, a people's army. The Romans suffered defeat after defeat and kept coming back.
Napoleon, 1812: C'mon, the man took on Europe's two colossi, Britain, another democracy that refused to give in, and Russia. Who think's invading Russia is a good idea? Russian arms, Prussian arms backed by the Royal Navy and the Royal sovereign did in the Corsican tyrant.
Athens' invasion attack of Syracuse: In an attempt bring Sparta to heel, Athens attacked Sparta's close ally (this was like Hitler declaring war on the USA in 1941), got bogged down and eventually defeated there. This led to Athens' collapse and eventually defeat at the hands of Sparta.
*Why not Hitler's invasion of Russia? Well, they damn near pulled it off, didn't they?
** Bush's invasion of Iraq? I still stand by it but am open to persuasion
Inspired by Japanese Prime Minister Shinjo Abe visiting Pearl Harbor, the top strategic blunders in history:
Pearl Harbor: It was a Hail Mary, really, and Yamamoto knew they only had one chance to win the war. The Japanese had to strike a crippling blow against the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Did land a good punch? Yes. A knockout? You know the answer. They just pissed us off.
Hannibal's War on Rome: Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginian general and victory at Trasimine, Trebia, and the epic slaughter at Canne made a huge mistake even thinking he could win the war. Rome was no ordinary ancient society but a Democratic Republic with a one of the great armies in history, a people's army. The Romans suffered defeat after defeat and kept coming back.
Napoleon, 1812: C'mon, the man took on Europe's two colossi, Britain, another democracy that refused to give in, and Russia. Who think's invading Russia is a good idea? Russian arms, Prussian arms backed by the Royal Navy and the Royal sovereign did in the Corsican tyrant.
Athens' invasion attack of Syracuse: In an attempt bring Sparta to heel, Athens attacked Sparta's close ally (this was like Hitler declaring war on the USA in 1941), got bogged down and eventually defeated there. This led to Athens' collapse and eventually defeat at the hands of Sparta.
*Why not Hitler's invasion of Russia? Well, they damn near pulled it off, didn't they?
** Bush's invasion of Iraq? I still stand by it but am open to persuasion
Monday, December 5, 2016
Castro's Folly Proof
Well the Castro's Folly proof is in.
I just love that cover, don't you?
I swear this is the worst part. That last reading, 265 pages just to weed out a typo here and there.
Actually I've already found that I spell a character's name 'Parades' and 'Paredes'. Its things like that one only catches on the proof. Don't ask me how the science works, but its real I tell you. With any luck this will be out in January, maybe even a little earlier.
Pressing on.
Monday Metal
During an early episode of That Metal Show, one of the hosts asked guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen who was a bigger influence on him, Zeppelin or Sabbath. Malnsteen replied, 'Deep Purple'.
Indeed, Richie Blackmore came up with the most famous riff ever, Smoke on the Water and some very innovative licks in Highway Star, for example.
For me, I think Come Taste the Band, made after Blackmore left, with a funk and soul influence brought by bassist Glenn Hughes and lead singer David Coverdale, is their best. But that is just a personal preference.
I prefer Richie Blackmore with Rainbow, fronted of course by the legendary Ronnie James Dio.
You want riffs, check this out:
Nice bridge too.
But this is just a warm-up.
Check this out. I love the warm up and another great riff:
Great bridge with the keyboards.
Hang on till Blackmore's solo, it epic, an underrated epic. There is nothing like it, and its one of my all time favorite.
Rainbow rocks.
Indeed, Richie Blackmore came up with the most famous riff ever, Smoke on the Water and some very innovative licks in Highway Star, for example.
For me, I think Come Taste the Band, made after Blackmore left, with a funk and soul influence brought by bassist Glenn Hughes and lead singer David Coverdale, is their best. But that is just a personal preference.
I prefer Richie Blackmore with Rainbow, fronted of course by the legendary Ronnie James Dio.
You want riffs, check this out:
But this is just a warm-up.
Check this out. I love the warm up and another great riff:
Hang on till Blackmore's solo, it epic, an underrated epic. There is nothing like it, and its one of my all time favorite.
Rainbow rocks.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Will's Good Idea for the week of 12-4-16
General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals: Ch 1
So right now I've been working on an intro chapter describing the colonies.
Basically in 1775 Britain's American colonies were the best place in the world to live. Land was plentiful, opportunity was everywhere. One could farm, or become an apprentice, or get a gig on a ship. A young man had myriad of options. He was stronger and healthier than his European cousins, even the English, and he was free. There was hardly any government, and barely any taxation.
The east he was hemmed in by the Atlantic, but this was no barrier. The colonies were an integral part of the empire and the Atlantic World. In three to six weeks one could sail across the Atlantic to Europe. A far more formidable barrier was the Appalachians and the wilderness beyond. While the French were canoeing the wide Missouri, the English had barely penetrated west of the low Appalachians. There was also the matter of hostile Indians. Though thin on the ground compared to the colonist the Indians were fierce and savage fighters.
The society of the colonies was English in character but with strong strains of Scotch-Irish, German, Dutchman and Swede. The official religion was the C of E, more or less, but a powerful Protestant band of 'new lights' were the religiously energetic people of the colonies. These were the bible thumping, fire breathing Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists who viewed the C of E as barely better than Rome. Catholics, in their eyes were superstitious peasants practicing witchcraft.
So right now I've been working on an intro chapter describing the colonies.
Basically in 1775 Britain's American colonies were the best place in the world to live. Land was plentiful, opportunity was everywhere. One could farm, or become an apprentice, or get a gig on a ship. A young man had myriad of options. He was stronger and healthier than his European cousins, even the English, and he was free. There was hardly any government, and barely any taxation.
The east he was hemmed in by the Atlantic, but this was no barrier. The colonies were an integral part of the empire and the Atlantic World. In three to six weeks one could sail across the Atlantic to Europe. A far more formidable barrier was the Appalachians and the wilderness beyond. While the French were canoeing the wide Missouri, the English had barely penetrated west of the low Appalachians. There was also the matter of hostile Indians. Though thin on the ground compared to the colonist the Indians were fierce and savage fighters.
The society of the colonies was English in character but with strong strains of Scotch-Irish, German, Dutchman and Swede. The official religion was the C of E, more or less, but a powerful Protestant band of 'new lights' were the religiously energetic people of the colonies. These were the bible thumping, fire breathing Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists who viewed the C of E as barely better than Rome. Catholics, in their eyes were superstitious peasants practicing witchcraft.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Redundancy is Redundant
I mean, how many times can I write about amphib landings. Will the Japanese attack on Vladivostok really be interesting if it looks and feels like the American landings in Cuba?
Do we really need another telling of a desperate battle?
The reader will notice as the series reaches in finale that NATO and co are squeezing the USSR in the Kola, in the Black Sea, and in the Pacific.
I think the premise is interesting as hell.
But writing about the same thing gets a bit tiresome.
It's one of the reasons why I've been working on Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom, or whatever the title will be.
Briefly, the book focuses on Jake and Patricia in 2008 with flashbacks beginning in the summer of 1991 bringing the reader up to speed. There will be action, heck atone point I pretty much turn Jake into Captain America. But mostly its character driven. Lots of emotion and what no.
No, I did not just come out. I just need to do something a bit different.
Do we really need another telling of a desperate battle?
The reader will notice as the series reaches in finale that NATO and co are squeezing the USSR in the Kola, in the Black Sea, and in the Pacific.
I think the premise is interesting as hell.
But writing about the same thing gets a bit tiresome.
It's one of the reasons why I've been working on Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom, or whatever the title will be.
Briefly, the book focuses on Jake and Patricia in 2008 with flashbacks beginning in the summer of 1991 bringing the reader up to speed. There will be action, heck atone point I pretty much turn Jake into Captain America. But mostly its character driven. Lots of emotion and what no.
No, I did not just come out. I just need to do something a bit different.
Friday Updates
Ok! Got the proof and the cover for Castro's Folly.
No updates from the agent on Pershing in Command.
I have started General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals
Pacific Storm is 10,000 words.
Jake and Patricia Bloom is 37,000 words.
No updates from the agent on Pershing in Command.
I have started General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals
Pacific Storm is 10,000 words.
Jake and Patricia Bloom is 37,000 words.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Stay clear of the Cabinet
One day I'll write a novel that doesn't have intense cabinet meetings.
That day is not today.
Ok, even I'm sick of them.
I guess the cabinet drama began with Israel Strikes where we had not only the Israeli cabinet but the American cabinet as well at lager-heads about the war. Heck, War of the Red Sea had cabinet meetings and Knesset intrigue as the leader of the opposition maneuvered against Prime Minister Eitan.
Lets see, so far in the World War series we've had intense cabinet sessions in Washington and London, of course, Bonn and now Canberra and Tokyo. Don't even get me started on the Politburo.
In Castro's Folly I've managed to limit these sessions to secondary working groups chaired by Vice President Quayle.
I don't know if the reader is sick of these. I guess I'm not, even if they get redundant after a while.
Hey, I feel like the reader has to understand how and why evens are taking place otherwise we're just landing troops at Matanzas for no damn reason.
Of course, the final novel in the World War Series will be nothing but political intrigue and all about the election of 1992 in the new world.
Not much room their for tanks and aircraft carriers there eh?
Of course one day I'll write a novel that doesn't have exploding tanks but that day....
That day is not today.
Ok, even I'm sick of them.
I guess the cabinet drama began with Israel Strikes where we had not only the Israeli cabinet but the American cabinet as well at lager-heads about the war. Heck, War of the Red Sea had cabinet meetings and Knesset intrigue as the leader of the opposition maneuvered against Prime Minister Eitan.
Lets see, so far in the World War series we've had intense cabinet sessions in Washington and London, of course, Bonn and now Canberra and Tokyo. Don't even get me started on the Politburo.
In Castro's Folly I've managed to limit these sessions to secondary working groups chaired by Vice President Quayle.
I don't know if the reader is sick of these. I guess I'm not, even if they get redundant after a while.
Hey, I feel like the reader has to understand how and why evens are taking place otherwise we're just landing troops at Matanzas for no damn reason.
Of course, the final novel in the World War Series will be nothing but political intrigue and all about the election of 1992 in the new world.
Not much room their for tanks and aircraft carriers there eh?
Of course one day I'll write a novel that doesn't have exploding tanks but that day....
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Crisis What Crisis
Speaking as a middle-aged father of three I endorse this with every fiber of my being:
Look, folks, I don't want to be 21 again.
I like being 43. I say this a year after getting a stent put in my heart and regular attacks of gout.
Youth is great, but after a while, being young gets kind of old.
A 'midlife crisis' is not a thing. It does not exist. A 'midlife crisis' is a lot of Balding Boomer pants dropping. It's been happening since the 80's, when the Balding Boomers realized they were no longer hip and 'with it' and the kids were really into this disco thing and didn't want to hear yet another story about 'the 60's, man'.
What’s the point of the midlife crisis? Not the actual experience, but the term. In the half-century since its coinage, “midlife crisis” has become a bloated catch-all thrown around reflexively to express our every unexamined bias, deep-seated fear and trite mockery regarding middle age. If we are going to understand our 40s in all their messy complication, we need to put the phrase behind us.
Look, folks, I don't want to be 21 again.
I like being 43. I say this a year after getting a stent put in my heart and regular attacks of gout.
Youth is great, but after a while, being young gets kind of old.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Dead Dictators
For reason's we need not get into, I have followed Canadian politics for about fifteen years now.
This time has seen the remarkable rise of one Pierre Justin Trudeau. The alleged son of former PM, and architect of modern Canada, Pierre Trudeau. Ah Pierre, now there was a great man:
His 'son' is a moron:
Good Christ.
let's take this to its logical conclusion:
-While controversial Pol Pot had visionary ideas on fighting urban sprawl.
-Say what you want about him, but thanks to Stalin there will never be overcrowding in Ukraine.
-Whatever Kim's other failings no one will ever be able to accuse North Korea of having an obesity crisis.
-Haile Mengitsu Mariam fought overcrowding in Eritrea.
-Though certain, ah....demographic groups were out of his favor, Hitler was one of the greatest dog enthusiasts of his time.
This time has seen the remarkable rise of one Pierre Justin Trudeau. The alleged son of former PM, and architect of modern Canada, Pierre Trudeau. Ah Pierre, now there was a great man:
Members of the Asian-Canadian community are demanding an apology from Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, following his comments on Thursday expressing admiration for China's "basic dictatorship."That's nothing. Via Small Dead Animals, checkout the official statement from the Prime Minister's office:
let's take this to its logical conclusion:
-While controversial Pol Pot had visionary ideas on fighting urban sprawl.
-Say what you want about him, but thanks to Stalin there will never be overcrowding in Ukraine.
-Whatever Kim's other failings no one will ever be able to accuse North Korea of having an obesity crisis.
-Haile Mengitsu Mariam fought overcrowding in Eritrea.
-Though certain, ah....demographic groups were out of his favor, Hitler was one of the greatest dog enthusiasts of his time.
-While some found him controversial, Stalin was one of the most impressively mustached dictators of the 20th century.
-Sure Genghis Kahn killed millions, but think of the multi-cultural paradise he established in Samarkand.
-Hey, no Alexander the Great, no Hanuka, just saying.
-Sure Genghis Kahn killed millions, but think of the multi-cultural paradise he established in Samarkand.
-Hey, no Alexander the Great, no Hanuka, just saying.
Anywho...
This man-child, I swear I'm looking at Aston Kutcher sometimes, had risen improbably through Canadian politics, taking advantage of 'his' family name and the thin ranks of the Liberal Party decimated three times by the mild mannered Stephen Harper. He's never held a job.
Justin's mom, Margaret had an affair with Rolling Stones' guitarist Ron Woods. While Justin looks nothing like Pierre, there is a decent resemblance between Justin and Ron.
Justin's mom, Margaret had an affair with Rolling Stones' guitarist Ron Woods. While Justin looks nothing like Pierre, there is a decent resemblance between Justin and Ron.
Not one goddamn word about President Trump, Canada. Not one goddamn word.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
High Fidelity
Well, timing is everything.
Castro dies, World War 1990: Castro's Folly is at the printer.
Ironically, in Castro's Folly, most of the sympathetic characters are Cuban the brothers Caridad, one in Honduras, one in Angola, one at sea and another managing the defense of Guanajay Ridge. Don't worry, you'll see. Then there is the young political officer, Flavio, who is ore interested in baseball than Marxism, and the grim commander of Guanajay Ridge's air defenses, Major Evora.
This one was a lot of fun to write. No one has every done WWIII the way I have in Castro's Folly. New ground for sure.
I am going to be optimistic and anticipate release in early Jan.
Castro dies, World War 1990: Castro's Folly is at the printer.
Ironically, in Castro's Folly, most of the sympathetic characters are Cuban the brothers Caridad, one in Honduras, one in Angola, one at sea and another managing the defense of Guanajay Ridge. Don't worry, you'll see. Then there is the young political officer, Flavio, who is ore interested in baseball than Marxism, and the grim commander of Guanajay Ridge's air defenses, Major Evora.
This one was a lot of fun to write. No one has every done WWIII the way I have in Castro's Folly. New ground for sure.
I am going to be optimistic and anticipate release in early Jan.
Will's Good Idea for 11-27-16
General George Washington and his Fighting Continentals
The author has a masters in American Revolutionary Studies, and he's always found it Ironic that he has published very little on the matter. There is this piece, on British parliamentary opposition to King, originally published in History Magazine.
Anywho this book will argue that Washington was not fighting a 'war of posts' as some have written. Nor was he pursuing a 'Fabian Strategy' as have written others.
No, Washington wanted to fight and constantly sought out battle. In 1776 he fought several major engagements, Brooklyn Heights, Manhattan, Trenton, Princeton. In 1777 he followed these up with Brandywine and Germantown and finally, in 1778 Monmouth.
Washington lost more battles than he won. His key to victory was strategy. He kept an army in the field, in being and gradually wore down the British until help arrived.
There are some real characters in the Continental Army. Nathanial Greene, 'the Fighting Quaker'. Lord Stirling the swashbuckling division commander. Henry Knox, the bookseller who had read on tactics and was therefore put in charge of the artillery.
Major chapters will include discussions about the militia (very underrated), the guerrilla war in the south (Mel Gibson was right in a lot of ways) and the British war effort.
This thing is a go.
The author has a masters in American Revolutionary Studies, and he's always found it Ironic that he has published very little on the matter. There is this piece, on British parliamentary opposition to King, originally published in History Magazine.
Anywho this book will argue that Washington was not fighting a 'war of posts' as some have written. Nor was he pursuing a 'Fabian Strategy' as have written others.
No, Washington wanted to fight and constantly sought out battle. In 1776 he fought several major engagements, Brooklyn Heights, Manhattan, Trenton, Princeton. In 1777 he followed these up with Brandywine and Germantown and finally, in 1778 Monmouth.
Washington lost more battles than he won. His key to victory was strategy. He kept an army in the field, in being and gradually wore down the British until help arrived.
There are some real characters in the Continental Army. Nathanial Greene, 'the Fighting Quaker'. Lord Stirling the swashbuckling division commander. Henry Knox, the bookseller who had read on tactics and was therefore put in charge of the artillery.
Major chapters will include discussions about the militia (very underrated), the guerrilla war in the south (Mel Gibson was right in a lot of ways) and the British war effort.
This thing is a go.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Friday updates
Plugging along on Pacific Storm, 10,000.
Jake and Patricia 35,000 and counting.
No word from the agent.
Or not good word anyway.
Fire on the (Israel) Mountain
Israel Strikes and War of the Red Sea feature a lot of terrorism against Israel.
Well, beginning yesterday terrorists have lit a series of fires across the nation causing several great conflagrations. While the fires are definitely terrorist arson it is unclear how much of this is a coordinated effort and how much is the work of copycats.
From a terrorism standpoint this move makes a lot of sense. After all Israel can shoot down any incoming rocket it wants. Attacking an Israeli school will get the jihadist a quick ticket to his 72 virgins. Israel teachers pack heat.
In Ian Slater's WWIII series (don't bother folks its not very good), KGB agents set Forrest fires in the United States.
I never had Hezbollah or Hamas do that in my books.
Which brings us to the next question, when will I wrap up the Israel Strikes series. War of the Red Sea ends with Shmuley Rosenzweig taking a dirty bomb from Quds Force commandos and walking back to his car.
Honestly I don't know.
When I was wrapping up War of the Red Sea I had a vague sense that the next fight would be with Egypt. But the Brotherhood is out of power at the nation is firmly in the hands of the army. They even had a referendum. As it happens my lovely and talented editor is married to an Egyptian man. He voted for al Sisi.
Turkey? I dunno. Again we see thawing relations between Hebrew and Turk.
So I dunno.
I thought War of the Red Sea was innovative in that it put the Israelis in a situation we don't often see them in. That is a naval conflict with a mini-amphibious invasion of Sudan. It was fun to write, that's for sure.
I don't really see the point of another mano-a-mano slug fest between the IDF and another nation. Besides, who's left?
I'm open to suggestions.
Well, beginning yesterday terrorists have lit a series of fires across the nation causing several great conflagrations. While the fires are definitely terrorist arson it is unclear how much of this is a coordinated effort and how much is the work of copycats.
From a terrorism standpoint this move makes a lot of sense. After all Israel can shoot down any incoming rocket it wants. Attacking an Israeli school will get the jihadist a quick ticket to his 72 virgins. Israel teachers pack heat.
In Ian Slater's WWIII series (don't bother folks its not very good), KGB agents set Forrest fires in the United States.
I never had Hezbollah or Hamas do that in my books.
Which brings us to the next question, when will I wrap up the Israel Strikes series. War of the Red Sea ends with Shmuley Rosenzweig taking a dirty bomb from Quds Force commandos and walking back to his car.
Honestly I don't know.
When I was wrapping up War of the Red Sea I had a vague sense that the next fight would be with Egypt. But the Brotherhood is out of power at the nation is firmly in the hands of the army. They even had a referendum. As it happens my lovely and talented editor is married to an Egyptian man. He voted for al Sisi.
Turkey? I dunno. Again we see thawing relations between Hebrew and Turk.
So I dunno.
I thought War of the Red Sea was innovative in that it put the Israelis in a situation we don't often see them in. That is a naval conflict with a mini-amphibious invasion of Sudan. It was fun to write, that's for sure.
I don't really see the point of another mano-a-mano slug fest between the IDF and another nation. Besides, who's left?
I'm open to suggestions.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Donald Trunmp Says the Media Sucks
So yesterday Donald Trump assembled the media in Trump Tower and berated them. Good.
Here is yet another article, this one at The Atlantic, about why the media sucks. Basically the media is run and staffed by ambitious young women, preening beta male college boys and homosexuals.
This is of course a transition (pun intended) from the old style media of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, donut eating fat guys.
When I worked at the Wesley College Whetstone the paper was run by a guy like that. He was a 30 year old army and air force vet who loved news. God he might as well have been my father. 30 years old!
When I worked at CNN Inside Politics the office was filled with young women hired by the middle aged director. Ok not everyone was young. Ahhhh Sasha Johnson. She was cute, athletic etc. She once inadvertently flashed me, getting out of a cab, a moment I will take to my grave. I never liked Kate Albright-Hanna or my boss Jane Caplan. Bear in mind the later, while writing on gun control, used to work for the Brady Campaign. Interestingly we were all about the same age. The difference was these were up and coming go-getters, I was some dumb schlub brought in to do scutt work, like run to FEC and get the list of contributions to the Elizabeth Dole campaign. I was less important than the interns.
For a while the polling director took me under his wing. Nice man, very smart, and a baseball fanatic as all good pollsters should be. Thank you, Keating Holland.
My father worked at NBC Nightly News from 1968 till 2005. He was one of the guys you could see in the newsroom behind Tom Borkow. There he is, right over Tom Brokow's shoulder:
My sister and I used to like to call him up during the broadcast and try to get him to scratch his ear or something. He wouldn't.
He saw the transition first hand. By the time my old man left the office was filled by hyper-educated young professionals who worked out during lunch and didn't expect to have to work after hours. These were hyper-successful fastidious types. As me old man said, 'I remember when we used to stub out our cigarettes on the newsroom floor and now I have to go outside to smoke.'
So President-Elect Trump is dead on hear. Don't be nice to them. Don't treat them with respect. They'e the enemy.
BTW, lots of media badmouthing in Israel Strikes: War of the Red Sea. There's a character named Martin, based on the terrorist sympathizer, misogynist, homosexual Martin Bashir.
“It was like a f–ing firing squad,” one source said of the encounter.Too bad it wasn't just 'like' a firing squad.
Here is yet another article, this one at The Atlantic, about why the media sucks. Basically the media is run and staffed by ambitious young women, preening beta male college boys and homosexuals.
This is of course a transition (pun intended) from the old style media of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, donut eating fat guys.
When I worked at the Wesley College Whetstone the paper was run by a guy like that. He was a 30 year old army and air force vet who loved news. God he might as well have been my father. 30 years old!
When I worked at CNN Inside Politics the office was filled with young women hired by the middle aged director. Ok not everyone was young. Ahhhh Sasha Johnson. She was cute, athletic etc. She once inadvertently flashed me, getting out of a cab, a moment I will take to my grave. I never liked Kate Albright-Hanna or my boss Jane Caplan. Bear in mind the later, while writing on gun control, used to work for the Brady Campaign. Interestingly we were all about the same age. The difference was these were up and coming go-getters, I was some dumb schlub brought in to do scutt work, like run to FEC and get the list of contributions to the Elizabeth Dole campaign. I was less important than the interns.
For a while the polling director took me under his wing. Nice man, very smart, and a baseball fanatic as all good pollsters should be. Thank you, Keating Holland.
My father worked at NBC Nightly News from 1968 till 2005. He was one of the guys you could see in the newsroom behind Tom Borkow. There he is, right over Tom Brokow's shoulder:
My sister and I used to like to call him up during the broadcast and try to get him to scratch his ear or something. He wouldn't.
He saw the transition first hand. By the time my old man left the office was filled by hyper-educated young professionals who worked out during lunch and didn't expect to have to work after hours. These were hyper-successful fastidious types. As me old man said, 'I remember when we used to stub out our cigarettes on the newsroom floor and now I have to go outside to smoke.'
So President-Elect Trump is dead on hear. Don't be nice to them. Don't treat them with respect. They'e the enemy.
BTW, lots of media badmouthing in Israel Strikes: War of the Red Sea. There's a character named Martin, based on the terrorist sympathizer, misogynist, homosexual Martin Bashir.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Politics and Art
So Mike Pence went to see Hamilton, he got booed and then the cast cluttered up the stage and made some big, self important statement.
Yawn...you're really not that important guys.
We all have opinions and they seep into your art regardless. Some people make political art and its brilliant. All in the Family was certainly political art and brilliant. It had a certain honesty to it and even challenged its own beliefs. Family Ties was not expressly political though a running gag was hippy parents Steve and Elise Keaton raising a Reagan-ite conservative son, Alex. Not once was Alex mocked or made to be the bad guy. Heck, the only political mocking occurred when Steve and Elise tried to revive their old hippy lives; Elise singing folk songs to an indifferent audience or Steven;s disastrous production of his 60's era play, and I swear I'm not making this up, 'A Draft Card for the Burning'.
As noted above, we can't keep politics out of our art even if we try. I don't try. My last novel To Survive the Earth, is the most political thing I've ever written. You know who Sarah Jane Wayne is, right? And yes, I think women with guns is hot.
That said, I've always worked hard to keep blatant political bias out of my books. Democrats like thrillers and alt-history two. This is a review of Operation Arctic Storm:
Yawn...you're really not that important guys.
We all have opinions and they seep into your art regardless. Some people make political art and its brilliant. All in the Family was certainly political art and brilliant. It had a certain honesty to it and even challenged its own beliefs. Family Ties was not expressly political though a running gag was hippy parents Steve and Elise Keaton raising a Reagan-ite conservative son, Alex. Not once was Alex mocked or made to be the bad guy. Heck, the only political mocking occurred when Steve and Elise tried to revive their old hippy lives; Elise singing folk songs to an indifferent audience or Steven;s disastrous production of his 60's era play, and I swear I'm not making this up, 'A Draft Card for the Burning'.
As noted above, we can't keep politics out of our art even if we try. I don't try. My last novel To Survive the Earth, is the most political thing I've ever written. You know who Sarah Jane Wayne is, right? And yes, I think women with guns is hot.
That said, I've always worked hard to keep blatant political bias out of my books. Democrats like thrillers and alt-history two. This is a review of Operation Arctic Storm:
I was leery when I first saw this book because I thought it was going to be another one of those teabagger right wing fantasies where Democrats, Muslims and other minorities are bad and only the white GOP has any common sense and guts to prosecute a war against the Russians, but to my surprise this author has decided to forego all that right wing junk that permeates novels like this and concentrate on telling a great story.That would have been too easy
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Will's Good idea for the week of 11-20-16
The Bastard
A novel about William the Bastard's conquest and subsequent rule over England.
We would begin in 1066 on the Battlefield at Hastings. This would be the book's first act. Form there we would cover the crisis years from 1067 till about 1072 where William turned back multiple threats from King Harold's brothers, the Norseman and King Malcolm of Scotland. Finally William's last years where he consolidated control till his death in 1087, leaving England a part of Europe with a Norman nobility in charge.
Damn, I like this one.
A novel about William the Bastard's conquest and subsequent rule over England.
We would begin in 1066 on the Battlefield at Hastings. This would be the book's first act. Form there we would cover the crisis years from 1067 till about 1072 where William turned back multiple threats from King Harold's brothers, the Norseman and King Malcolm of Scotland. Finally William's last years where he consolidated control till his death in 1087, leaving England a part of Europe with a Norman nobility in charge.
Damn, I like this one.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Friday Updates
Allll....rigggght....!
Finally feel like I got some momentum here, the wind at my back, so to speak.
Castro's Folly finally submitted. I'm thinking January. We'll see.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom has reached 30,000 words. Still hoping for a rough by the end of the year. We'l see.
Operation Pacific Storm, 5,000 words this week maybe this summer. We'll see.
Finally feel like I got some momentum here, the wind at my back, so to speak.
Castro's Folly finally submitted. I'm thinking January. We'll see.
Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom has reached 30,000 words. Still hoping for a rough by the end of the year. We'l see.
Operation Pacific Storm, 5,000 words this week maybe this summer. We'll see.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
How you got Trumped
The estimable Sean Trende writes a great analysis. Go read it.
Two salient points I think.
First, stop thinking that you've figured out politics that you have the winning formula. Politics never changes. Every four years you start at zero and have to get to 270 Electoral Votes. It's a 50/50 country, and usually is. Americans aren't prone to great political swings one way or the other and are inclined to split the difference.
Bottom line, the only difference between FDR and Reagan are small details.
Second, he goes into John Judis and Roy Texiera's The Emerging Democratic Majority, written in 2002. This is pretty much where the whole demography and destiny argument began. I vividly recall reading it and thinking, 'Oh crap.' Well how's that working out for the Dems?
I've got a counter to the Demo is Dest theory. Demography is destiny, but the Dems have reversed it. All these hipster douche-nozzle's rioting for safe spaces and safety pins, how many kids do they have? How many are they gonna have?
Me, I have three adorable little girls.
Any questions?
Two salient points I think.
First, stop thinking that you've figured out politics that you have the winning formula. Politics never changes. Every four years you start at zero and have to get to 270 Electoral Votes. It's a 50/50 country, and usually is. Americans aren't prone to great political swings one way or the other and are inclined to split the difference.
Bottom line, the only difference between FDR and Reagan are small details.
Second, he goes into John Judis and Roy Texiera's The Emerging Democratic Majority, written in 2002. This is pretty much where the whole demography and destiny argument began. I vividly recall reading it and thinking, 'Oh crap.' Well how's that working out for the Dems?
I've got a counter to the Demo is Dest theory. Demography is destiny, but the Dems have reversed it. All these hipster douche-nozzle's rioting for safe spaces and safety pins, how many kids do they have? How many are they gonna have?
Me, I have three adorable little girls.
Any questions?
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Wednesday Q&A With Will Stroock
Post Election Trump Edition
Q: How did you get the election so right?
WTS: I payed attention.
Q: Are you always right about elections?
WTS: Generally speaking, yes I am always right about elections. But I blew it big time in 2012.
Q: Are you a member of the Alt-Right?
WTS: No.
Q: What is the Alt-Right?
WTS I have no idea.
Q: C'mon.
WTS: I guess one could say its a lose amalgam of old time conservatives, Buchananites, Perotistas and some of the new Red Pill, Gamer-Gate types. See Milo, Vox Day, Mike Cernovitch.
Q: Ok, I guess.
WTS; Right.
Q: If you aren't in the Alt-right, what are you in?
WTS: The international Neo-Con conspiracy.
Q: What the hell is that?
WTS: We're the ones who subscribe(d) to the Weekly Standard. We have all these neat policy ideas. Also we supported invading Iraq as the first step toward winning the war on terror. Also we support Israel.
Q: Have you changed your mind on any of this?
WTS: Absolutely not.
Q: Iraq?
WTS: What, you think the world is better with Saddam Hussein in it?
Q: But the war, the money, the casualties.
WTS: That's war, boy.
Q: Chickenhawk.
WTS: Call me that again I'll fuck you up and cock slap your face.
Q: Really?
WTS: Try me, motherfucker. I'm 6-0 and displacing about 240 lbs. Anytime, bitch.
Q: Getting back to Neo-conservatism...
WTS: Please.
Q: Why are so many Neo-Cons Jewish?
WTS: Because of the international Jewish cabal secretly runs things. Also the Queen, the Colonel, the Gettys...
Q: No seriously.
WTS: I dunno.
Q: If you're a Neo-Con why did you support Donald Trump?
WTS: Mr. Trump is not Hillary. Also, he's our first Jewish president.
Q: What?
WTS: His mannerisms, his work life, his family, everything about him says 'How you doing Maury? Give me a bagel and a schmeer'.
Q:Wrapping up...
WTS: Thank god.
Q: Ah, yes. What do you think Hillary is doing now?
WTS: Her Majesty? Plotting her 2020 presidential run.
Q: Seriously?
WTS: What else is she going to do?
Q: You think she can win?
WTS: She won't even get the nomination.
Q: Why not.
WTS: Pretty hard to do when your dead. Even for a Democrat.
Q: Huh?
WTS: If the Parkinson's doesn't get her, the STD will.
Q: You're a mean bastard.
WTS: I'm sorry, I thought you knew.
Q: How did you get the election so right?
WTS: I payed attention.
Q: Are you always right about elections?
WTS: Generally speaking, yes I am always right about elections. But I blew it big time in 2012.
Q: Are you a member of the Alt-Right?
WTS: No.
Q: What is the Alt-Right?
WTS I have no idea.
Q: C'mon.
WTS: I guess one could say its a lose amalgam of old time conservatives, Buchananites, Perotistas and some of the new Red Pill, Gamer-Gate types. See Milo, Vox Day, Mike Cernovitch.
Q: Ok, I guess.
WTS; Right.
Q: If you aren't in the Alt-right, what are you in?
WTS: The international Neo-Con conspiracy.
Q: What the hell is that?
WTS: We're the ones who subscribe(d) to the Weekly Standard. We have all these neat policy ideas. Also we supported invading Iraq as the first step toward winning the war on terror. Also we support Israel.
Q: Have you changed your mind on any of this?
WTS: Absolutely not.
Q: Iraq?
WTS: What, you think the world is better with Saddam Hussein in it?
Q: But the war, the money, the casualties.
WTS: That's war, boy.
Q: Chickenhawk.
WTS: Call me that again I'll fuck you up and cock slap your face.
Q: Really?
WTS: Try me, motherfucker. I'm 6-0 and displacing about 240 lbs. Anytime, bitch.
Q: Getting back to Neo-conservatism...
WTS: Please.
Q: Why are so many Neo-Cons Jewish?
WTS: Because of the international Jewish cabal secretly runs things. Also the Queen, the Colonel, the Gettys...
Q: No seriously.
WTS: I dunno.
Q: If you're a Neo-Con why did you support Donald Trump?
WTS: Mr. Trump is not Hillary. Also, he's our first Jewish president.
Q: What?
WTS: His mannerisms, his work life, his family, everything about him says 'How you doing Maury? Give me a bagel and a schmeer'.
Q:Wrapping up...
WTS: Thank god.
Q: Ah, yes. What do you think Hillary is doing now?
WTS: Her Majesty? Plotting her 2020 presidential run.
Q: Seriously?
WTS: What else is she going to do?
Q: You think she can win?
WTS: She won't even get the nomination.
Q: Why not.
WTS: Pretty hard to do when your dead. Even for a Democrat.
Q: Huh?
WTS: If the Parkinson's doesn't get her, the STD will.
Q: You're a mean bastard.
WTS: I'm sorry, I thought you knew.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Cabinet Trumped
So far I like Mr. Trump's first two picks, Bannon as a top strategist, Preibus as chief of staff. Bannon is Trump's contact with the Alt-Right, Preibus is his man on the ground dealing with the GOP and the Establishment.
Smart and shrewd.
It's always fun to piece a cabinet together on paper, so lets get started.
Press Secretary: Laura Ingram, looks like they're headed in that direction, she'll understand the people facing her every morning are a nest of vipers. Traitors, communists, pederasts and perverts. Every last one of them should be locked up and given the Admer Luima treatment. Fuck them.
Secretary of State: Newt Gingrich. Newt is deeply flawed but really smart and I think this post would be perfect for a man of his knowledge and intellect.
Secretary of Defense: Mitt Romney. The DoD needs a turn-around artist, someone with vast experience working with large organizations. That's Mitt.
Secretary of the Treasury: Steve Mnuchin. Trump's finance chair and a former bigwig at Goldman-Sachs. Besides, one always wants a Jew handling the money.
Attorney General: Christ Christie. Tempting to make him Sec State, for the Fuck You factor if for no other reason, but the man was a U.S. Attorney.
FBI Director: Rudy Giuliani. The man is a goddamn national treasure and an experienced law enforcement official.
Secretary of Education: Dr. Ben Carson.
Secretary of the Interior: Sarah Palin. The westerners will love it, as will the cattle, farm and fracking people. She was the governor of Alaska after all. Frankly, the Fuck You potential is just to great to pass up.
Director of Health and Human Services: Not sure about a specific person, but I'd find someone who runs a hospital system. My wife could do this, she's a pill pusher.
Secretary of Energy: T. Boone Pickens.
Director of Homeland Security: Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He's looking for a gig.
Ambassador to the UN: Bobby Jindal. Former governor, smart as a whip, and I want to start work on the Indian community as a GOP constituency.
Smart and shrewd.
It's always fun to piece a cabinet together on paper, so lets get started.
Press Secretary: Laura Ingram, looks like they're headed in that direction, she'll understand the people facing her every morning are a nest of vipers. Traitors, communists, pederasts and perverts. Every last one of them should be locked up and given the Admer Luima treatment. Fuck them.
Secretary of State: Newt Gingrich. Newt is deeply flawed but really smart and I think this post would be perfect for a man of his knowledge and intellect.
Secretary of Defense: Mitt Romney. The DoD needs a turn-around artist, someone with vast experience working with large organizations. That's Mitt.
Secretary of the Treasury: Steve Mnuchin. Trump's finance chair and a former bigwig at Goldman-Sachs. Besides, one always wants a Jew handling the money.
Attorney General: Christ Christie. Tempting to make him Sec State, for the Fuck You factor if for no other reason, but the man was a U.S. Attorney.
FBI Director: Rudy Giuliani. The man is a goddamn national treasure and an experienced law enforcement official.
Secretary of Education: Dr. Ben Carson.
Secretary of the Interior: Sarah Palin. The westerners will love it, as will the cattle, farm and fracking people. She was the governor of Alaska after all. Frankly, the Fuck You potential is just to great to pass up.
Director of Health and Human Services: Not sure about a specific person, but I'd find someone who runs a hospital system. My wife could do this, she's a pill pusher.
Secretary of Energy: T. Boone Pickens.
Director of Homeland Security: Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He's looking for a gig.
Ambassador to the UN: Bobby Jindal. Former governor, smart as a whip, and I want to start work on the Indian community as a GOP constituency.
Monday, November 14, 2016
10 Years Gone
The title's a Zeppelin reference, of course...
There come times in a man's life when it appropriate to ponder and take stake.
This is one of those times.
Not because of the election, though.
Last night my daughter slept for the first time in her own room. Yesterday morning the furniture arrived. The day before I did some touch ups on the wall, having painted her room purple the weekend before.
Now, it was about this time ten years ago that I first painted that room. When Mrs. Stroock and I moved in, the room was a kind of brown/beige and she used it as her home office. With the impending arrival of our first child we converted it into a nursery. I painted the room a kind of light green, chosen by Mrs. Stroock of course. Me dad came down and assembled the crib.
Heh, yesterday I took that crib apart.
Ten years ago...I was 33. I had just really begun my writing career. I'd just had the lead piece in Strategy & Tactics #238 and #240 (Marlborough in the first and 1066 in the second). A Line through the Desert was freshly completed and being submitted to publishers. What a sucker I was.
My man W was president. We wondered if the Iraq Campaign could be won. The Dems, treasonous bastards all, had just taken control of congress. The term 'The Surge' was floating around Washington.
On a personal note my hair came down to my shoulders. I could play guitar but not much and not well. Certainly I couldn't shred the way I do daily now. I was a semi-permanent sub at Bernards High. My love affair with AC/DC was in high gear. I weigh less now than a did then.
Ten years gone, 90 magazine articles, eight novels one PRS guitar and three daughters later...
--Can't wait for the new Arrival movie. Of course 'Arrival' is a term used liberally in To Defend the Earth and To Survive the Earth. Coincidence? I think not. Legal Council has been retained.
There come times in a man's life when it appropriate to ponder and take stake.
This is one of those times.
Not because of the election, though.
Last night my daughter slept for the first time in her own room. Yesterday morning the furniture arrived. The day before I did some touch ups on the wall, having painted her room purple the weekend before.
Now, it was about this time ten years ago that I first painted that room. When Mrs. Stroock and I moved in, the room was a kind of brown/beige and she used it as her home office. With the impending arrival of our first child we converted it into a nursery. I painted the room a kind of light green, chosen by Mrs. Stroock of course. Me dad came down and assembled the crib.
Heh, yesterday I took that crib apart.
Ten years ago...I was 33. I had just really begun my writing career. I'd just had the lead piece in Strategy & Tactics #238 and #240 (Marlborough in the first and 1066 in the second). A Line through the Desert was freshly completed and being submitted to publishers. What a sucker I was.
My man W was president. We wondered if the Iraq Campaign could be won. The Dems, treasonous bastards all, had just taken control of congress. The term 'The Surge' was floating around Washington.
On a personal note my hair came down to my shoulders. I could play guitar but not much and not well. Certainly I couldn't shred the way I do daily now. I was a semi-permanent sub at Bernards High. My love affair with AC/DC was in high gear. I weigh less now than a did then.
Ten years gone, 90 magazine articles, eight novels one PRS guitar and three daughters later...
--Can't wait for the new Arrival movie. Of course 'Arrival' is a term used liberally in To Defend the Earth and To Survive the Earth. Coincidence? I think not. Legal Council has been retained.
Will's Good Idea for the week of 11-13-16
Middle East War 1995
SPOILER ALERTS below, so if you don't want to know how the Third World War ends, you know what to do...
The year is 1995.
The Third World War is over and the United States has won.
The Soviet Union is wracked by civil war in the north and and Islamic secessionist movement in the Caucasus. Gorbachev tries to hold things together, while Yeltsin wonders if it would not be best of the USSR were dissolved.
President Quayle ponders his reelection campaign.
Saddam is lord and master over much of the Middle East,having invaded Kuwait, later seized the Saudi oil fields, and renewed the war with Iran and won.
Of course, there's one last target that can not only make Saddam undisputed emir of the region, but a hero of the Arab world, Israel...
SPOILER ALERTS below, so if you don't want to know how the Third World War ends, you know what to do...
The year is 1995.
The Third World War is over and the United States has won.
The Soviet Union is wracked by civil war in the north and and Islamic secessionist movement in the Caucasus. Gorbachev tries to hold things together, while Yeltsin wonders if it would not be best of the USSR were dissolved.
President Quayle ponders his reelection campaign.
Saddam is lord and master over much of the Middle East,having invaded Kuwait, later seized the Saudi oil fields, and renewed the war with Iran and won.
Of course, there's one last target that can not only make Saddam undisputed emir of the region, but a hero of the Arab world, Israel...
Friday, November 11, 2016
You've been Stroocked
Yeah, I got it right. I saw the signs, yes, I saw the signs.
I honestly don't understand why so many people are stunned by Mr. Trump's victory.
Let's take this number by number, real slow, so that even a J-school trained media stenographer of the kind working at the Times or the Post can understand it.
1-There were plenty of polls that showed the following:
1.1- Trump locked up Ohio. He locked up Florida. By the last week Mr. Trump was campaigning in PA, MI, WI, and Minnesota. None of these states had gone GOP since the 80's. Minne-frakin-sota!
1.2-We've had five major elections in the western world in the last few years: the US midterms, Israel, Canada, Britain and Brexit. In four out of five of those races polls consistently underestimated conservative turnout. The one exception was Canada. Why Canada? Because there was no social cost for supporting Prime Minister Zoolander.
2- You need three things to win. Circumstances, candidates and ideas (thanks Rush).
2.1- Well, the circumstances for Hillary! were terrible, weren't they? The economy stinks. Our foreign policy is a wreck and it is really, really hard to replace an incumbent in your own party.
2.2 - Hillary! had all the charisma of a damp rag (to borrow from Mr. Farrage) and a low grade bank clerk, (to borrow from Mr. Farrage again). She was a horrible candidate. She's Bobdole without the Viagra.
2.3 - Hillary! had no ideas. Hillary!'s idea was Hillary!
3- We all got Trumped
3.1 He had circumstances.
3.2- He had a couple of very sloganable ideas.
3.3- He turned into a good candidate. He was fun and exciting.
4.0 Anecdotal
4.1- You could feel it. You could see the Trump stickers and the Trump yards signs. They were everywhere.
4.2- He packed them in, everywhere he filled arenas.
4.3- This made for a vast enthusiasm gap.
5 Trump was underestimated
5.1 He vanquished the best slate of candidates the GOP has fielded in a generation. Ted Cruz is picking up Trump's dry cleaning. Rubio wants to know what time his cheerleader wife should be at Trump's suite, and Jeb Bush's political skull is being used as an ashtray for Mr. Trump's victory cigars.
5.2 Yet still the Dems underestimated him. Morons.
You all listened to a bunch of number-crunchers with a lot of high-falootin degrees analyzing distributions and regression lines; I don't even know what that is. Old Washington hands assured us that is was over when the tapes came out (I'm looking at you, Chuck Todd, who I'm pretty sure interviewed me for a job at Roll Call in 2000). Mike Murphy and Bob Shrum assured us all Hillary! was gonna win. Check the resume's of those two clowns, see what they ever won.
Meanwhile, me with my on-line degrees, my little free blog, and my self-published books, saw what they couldn't.
Bow down. Bow down before me. Not because I have the sight, the clairvoyance, or even the Force. Bow down because I opened my freaking eyes.
Jerks.
I honestly don't understand why so many people are stunned by Mr. Trump's victory.
Let's take this number by number, real slow, so that even a J-school trained media stenographer of the kind working at the Times or the Post can understand it.
1-There were plenty of polls that showed the following:
1.1- Trump locked up Ohio. He locked up Florida. By the last week Mr. Trump was campaigning in PA, MI, WI, and Minnesota. None of these states had gone GOP since the 80's. Minne-frakin-sota!
1.2-We've had five major elections in the western world in the last few years: the US midterms, Israel, Canada, Britain and Brexit. In four out of five of those races polls consistently underestimated conservative turnout. The one exception was Canada. Why Canada? Because there was no social cost for supporting Prime Minister Zoolander.
2- You need three things to win. Circumstances, candidates and ideas (thanks Rush).
2.1- Well, the circumstances for Hillary! were terrible, weren't they? The economy stinks. Our foreign policy is a wreck and it is really, really hard to replace an incumbent in your own party.
2.2 - Hillary! had all the charisma of a damp rag (to borrow from Mr. Farrage) and a low grade bank clerk, (to borrow from Mr. Farrage again). She was a horrible candidate. She's Bobdole without the Viagra.
2.3 - Hillary! had no ideas. Hillary!'s idea was Hillary!
3- We all got Trumped
3.1 He had circumstances.
3.2- He had a couple of very sloganable ideas.
3.3- He turned into a good candidate. He was fun and exciting.
4.0 Anecdotal
4.1- You could feel it. You could see the Trump stickers and the Trump yards signs. They were everywhere.
4.2- He packed them in, everywhere he filled arenas.
4.3- This made for a vast enthusiasm gap.
5 Trump was underestimated
5.1 He vanquished the best slate of candidates the GOP has fielded in a generation. Ted Cruz is picking up Trump's dry cleaning. Rubio wants to know what time his cheerleader wife should be at Trump's suite, and Jeb Bush's political skull is being used as an ashtray for Mr. Trump's victory cigars.
5.2 Yet still the Dems underestimated him. Morons.
You all listened to a bunch of number-crunchers with a lot of high-falootin degrees analyzing distributions and regression lines; I don't even know what that is. Old Washington hands assured us that is was over when the tapes came out (I'm looking at you, Chuck Todd, who I'm pretty sure interviewed me for a job at Roll Call in 2000). Mike Murphy and Bob Shrum assured us all Hillary! was gonna win. Check the resume's of those two clowns, see what they ever won.
Meanwhile, me with my on-line degrees, my little free blog, and my self-published books, saw what they couldn't.
Bow down. Bow down before me. Not because I have the sight, the clairvoyance, or even the Force. Bow down because I opened my freaking eyes.
Jerks.
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