Is it done? I think its done. Its probably done.
It, of course, is World War 1990: ANZACs. 60,000 words or so. I had wanted to get the rough draft finished by the end of march and voila, there it is.
Now there's still a long way to go as far as editing and prep and what not. But we can report the rough draft is done. So we're going to let it sit for a little bit and then get to work.
William Stroock (as in Stroock's Books)
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
The Dem's Bench: Legacy Edition
Oh god, please say the buzz is true. Please let Chelsea Clinton run for public office. God, Hashem, if you let this happen I'll start going to synagogue again. Honest Injun and pinky swear.
It's not that I think a local Republican will beat her. He wont.
It's that I want to watch the media (those fake news experts) fawn all over themselves telling us how great Chelsea is. How qualified she is, how the depth and breadth of her experience working for mom and dad (her fake one, that is) and marrying into another Dem political family qualifies Chelsea for political office.
Also, I want to watch her on the campaign trail. It will be a challenge to see how vapid her stump speeches will be.
Honestly, what could she talk about in her life?
Let's review. She grew up in the Arkansas Governor's mansion and then the White House. When her fake dad was elected president and resigned the governorship the Clintons had no place to go. Then she went to college, and then grad school. She worked at NBC for a brief time (wonder what the network thought it was buying with that hire) worked at one of those investment firms for a bit, and then at mom and dad's charitable foundation.
Charitably [there's an interesting word choice-Ed] Chelsea has done absolutely nothing. Uncharitably, [that one's more accurate-Ed] she's a vampire princess.
Now I suppose Chelsea could run for a congressional spot in her new home district in New York State. Coincidentally this is my old congressional district. As it happens we know exactly where her mom and dad's (the fake one) house is. We have no idea where Web Hubbel lives. Anyhoo, this is small potatoes. Congresswoman Chelsea? Please. Why aim so low? We need Senator Chelsea. Chuck Schummer isn't going anywhere, so Senator Gillibrand is simply going to have to find something else to do.
We'll war game that in another post.
It's not that I think a local Republican will beat her. He wont.
It's that I want to watch the media (those fake news experts) fawn all over themselves telling us how great Chelsea is. How qualified she is, how the depth and breadth of her experience working for mom and dad (her fake one, that is) and marrying into another Dem political family qualifies Chelsea for political office.
Also, I want to watch her on the campaign trail. It will be a challenge to see how vapid her stump speeches will be.
Honestly, what could she talk about in her life?
Let's review. She grew up in the Arkansas Governor's mansion and then the White House. When her fake dad was elected president and resigned the governorship the Clintons had no place to go. Then she went to college, and then grad school. She worked at NBC for a brief time (wonder what the network thought it was buying with that hire) worked at one of those investment firms for a bit, and then at mom and dad's charitable foundation.
Charitably [there's an interesting word choice-Ed] Chelsea has done absolutely nothing. Uncharitably, [that one's more accurate-Ed] she's a vampire princess.
Now I suppose Chelsea could run for a congressional spot in her new home district in New York State. Coincidentally this is my old congressional district. As it happens we know exactly where her mom and dad's (the fake one) house is. We have no idea where Web Hubbel lives. Anyhoo, this is small potatoes. Congresswoman Chelsea? Please. Why aim so low? We need Senator Chelsea. Chuck Schummer isn't going anywhere, so Senator Gillibrand is simply going to have to find something else to do.
We'll war game that in another post.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
World War 1990: ANZACs
One of the fun things about this novel has been the research.
I know own a half dozen books about the Australian military and I must say, I'm impressed. Australia, as former Prime Minister John Howard used to say, is in a rough neighborhood. It also had and has several defense commitments.
During the Cold War Australian forces participated in all of Britain's actions in Asia and contributed units to the Vietnam War. Of course since 9/11, when John Howard again said, 'This is no time to be an 80 percent ally,' Australia has sent contributions to Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 1990 the Royal Australian Navy boasted twenty or so modern surface warships, two squadrons of F-18 Hornets, two squadrons of F-111 Aardvarks and the cadre to create three to four army divisions including a mechanized and an armored brigade.
This is a nation that takes its defence commitments seriously.
You'll love what they do in ANZACs.
I know own a half dozen books about the Australian military and I must say, I'm impressed. Australia, as former Prime Minister John Howard used to say, is in a rough neighborhood. It also had and has several defense commitments.
During the Cold War Australian forces participated in all of Britain's actions in Asia and contributed units to the Vietnam War. Of course since 9/11, when John Howard again said, 'This is no time to be an 80 percent ally,' Australia has sent contributions to Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 1990 the Royal Australian Navy boasted twenty or so modern surface warships, two squadrons of F-18 Hornets, two squadrons of F-111 Aardvarks and the cadre to create three to four army divisions including a mechanized and an armored brigade.
This is a nation that takes its defence commitments seriously.
You'll love what they do in ANZACs.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Tuesday Tally
Austrian Painter Edition
Alert readers have noticed we've written a lot about the Austrian Painter of late. With that in mind we are posting here the top questions that remain about the United States in the universe we are constructing.
1-Does the Great Depression still happen or is it just a serious economic calamity like the Panic of 1837, the Panic of 1873, the Panic of 1893, the 2008 Great Recession?
2-Is the Great Pacific War an Existential Conflict?
3-Are the social forces that began to tell in our 1964 show up in the Austrian Painter's 1964?
4-Having crushed Japan, what are America's chief foreign policy concerns?
5-Without participating in a major European conflict, what is America's relationship to Europe?
6-Is Britain still the boogieman in American eyes?
7-America is rebuilding Japan. Or is it? What else is America doing in Asia?
8-Is Imperial Germany an enemy, a rival, or a nation to whom America is indifferent?
9-How does America feel about Russia?
10-With no Great War, does America just up and invade Mexico?
Readers are invited to answer this questions or submit their own.
Alert readers have noticed we've written a lot about the Austrian Painter of late. With that in mind we are posting here the top questions that remain about the United States in the universe we are constructing.
1-Does the Great Depression still happen or is it just a serious economic calamity like the Panic of 1837, the Panic of 1873, the Panic of 1893, the 2008 Great Recession?
2-Is the Great Pacific War an Existential Conflict?
3-Are the social forces that began to tell in our 1964 show up in the Austrian Painter's 1964?
4-Having crushed Japan, what are America's chief foreign policy concerns?
5-Without participating in a major European conflict, what is America's relationship to Europe?
6-Is Britain still the boogieman in American eyes?
7-America is rebuilding Japan. Or is it? What else is America doing in Asia?
8-Is Imperial Germany an enemy, a rival, or a nation to whom America is indifferent?
9-How does America feel about Russia?
10-With no Great War, does America just up and invade Mexico?
Readers are invited to answer this questions or submit their own.
Monday, March 27, 2017
The Austrian Painter: The Great Pacific War
While the Second World War never happens in the Austrian Painter's world, there is no need for a general European war, after all, America and Japan still fight.
The Great Pacific War begins with Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent invasions of the Philippines, Alaska, and Hawaii. Having smashed the Pacific Fleet and taken America's most important Pacific bases, the Imperial General Staff assumes America has no choice but to sue for peace.
Rather than negotiate America fights on.
After the Japanese attack on the Panama Canal is repulsed America goes on the offensive. In the Central Pacific Douglas MacArthur leads the reconquest of Hawaii, landing on the Big Island and beginning a year long campaign to liberate all of the islands. At the same time Vinegar Joe Stilwell commands the island hoping campaign through the Aleutians.
From there as American industrial might begins to tell, Nimitz leads the attack on the Gilberts and Marshalls, while Stilwell comes south and attacks the Marianas. As these campaigns wrap up MacArthur descends on the Philippines. From his new bases in the Marianas Lemay and the 20th Air Force begin the long process of softening up Japan. Stilwell then lands on Formosa.
Even though the war is clearly lost the Japanese refuse to negotiate. MacArthur has long prided himself on avoiding casualties but thinks the invasion of Japan is necessary. Nimitz convinces the joint chiefs that blockade can force Japan to surrender. Nimitz seals of the island nation while Lemay pummels it from the air.
So begins The Great Starvation....
The Great Pacific War begins with Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent invasions of the Philippines, Alaska, and Hawaii. Having smashed the Pacific Fleet and taken America's most important Pacific bases, the Imperial General Staff assumes America has no choice but to sue for peace.
Rather than negotiate America fights on.
After the Japanese attack on the Panama Canal is repulsed America goes on the offensive. In the Central Pacific Douglas MacArthur leads the reconquest of Hawaii, landing on the Big Island and beginning a year long campaign to liberate all of the islands. At the same time Vinegar Joe Stilwell commands the island hoping campaign through the Aleutians.
From there as American industrial might begins to tell, Nimitz leads the attack on the Gilberts and Marshalls, while Stilwell comes south and attacks the Marianas. As these campaigns wrap up MacArthur descends on the Philippines. From his new bases in the Marianas Lemay and the 20th Air Force begin the long process of softening up Japan. Stilwell then lands on Formosa.
Even though the war is clearly lost the Japanese refuse to negotiate. MacArthur has long prided himself on avoiding casualties but thinks the invasion of Japan is necessary. Nimitz convinces the joint chiefs that blockade can force Japan to surrender. Nimitz seals of the island nation while Lemay pummels it from the air.
So begins The Great Starvation....
The Dem's Bench, Viable
Way out in California, so long as it remains part of these United States, the Democrats have a very viable and gifted candidate. We refer of course to the state's junior senator, the talented and lovely we must admit Kamala Harris.
Of course Harris benefited greatly from her relationship with California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. The two were a hot item for some time and brown oversaw her appointment to several state boards in the early 1990s.
Since then she's served in a variety of legal posts culminating with the state AG position. This she parlayed into a Senate seat.
Her views are utterly conventional for the Democrat Party and uninteresting. But what is interesting about Senator Harris is her background. She's black and Indian. Coupled with her womanhood, this is a three-fer for the Democrat Party. Check, check and check. If Harris 'comes out' during the next few years we'll know she's serious about 2020.
Of course Harris benefited greatly from her relationship with California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. The two were a hot item for some time and brown oversaw her appointment to several state boards in the early 1990s.
Since then she's served in a variety of legal posts culminating with the state AG position. This she parlayed into a Senate seat.
Her views are utterly conventional for the Democrat Party and uninteresting. But what is interesting about Senator Harris is her background. She's black and Indian. Coupled with her womanhood, this is a three-fer for the Democrat Party. Check, check and check. If Harris 'comes out' during the next few years we'll know she's serious about 2020.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
The End of Conservative Wonkery
The indispensable Steve Sailer wants to know what all the think tanks are for.
Good question. Watching the failure of Rynacare Sailer has had the same thought as we. That is, what's the point of all this conservative policy wonkery? Since the 1980s conservative think tanks have been cranking out ideas in the form of papers and books on everything from schools to tax reform to healthcare and on and on.
As mentioned in this space before, we're roughly the same age as Speaker (dead man walking) Ryan and we both came of age politically exposed to NR and the Weekly Standard and George Will. Ryan first served under the ultimate conservative policy wonk, New Gingrich, another failed speaker. When I was a young CR in the early 90's they passed out free copies of Jack Kemp's Liberal Cliches and Conservative Solutions.
We are wracking our brains here trying to think of a time when one of these ideas took hold and worked, or even was signed into law.
Remember President Bush's Office of Faith Based Charities? Neither does anyone else.
We know how No Child Left Behind has transformed education.
Hey, how did Bush's planned Social Security Reform work out?
Who can forget the success of President Bush's 2006 comprehensive immigration reform?
Look guys, I say this as unrepentant Neocon, this is the end. There will be no more conservative wonkery and ideas. We've failed. Our man is running the show and he's failed miserably. He should resign now and get a gig running a think tank..
Paul Ryan deserves no better.
Good question. Watching the failure of Rynacare Sailer has had the same thought as we. That is, what's the point of all this conservative policy wonkery? Since the 1980s conservative think tanks have been cranking out ideas in the form of papers and books on everything from schools to tax reform to healthcare and on and on.
As mentioned in this space before, we're roughly the same age as Speaker (dead man walking) Ryan and we both came of age politically exposed to NR and the Weekly Standard and George Will. Ryan first served under the ultimate conservative policy wonk, New Gingrich, another failed speaker. When I was a young CR in the early 90's they passed out free copies of Jack Kemp's Liberal Cliches and Conservative Solutions.
We are wracking our brains here trying to think of a time when one of these ideas took hold and worked, or even was signed into law.
Remember President Bush's Office of Faith Based Charities? Neither does anyone else.
We know how No Child Left Behind has transformed education.
Hey, how did Bush's planned Social Security Reform work out?
Who can forget the success of President Bush's 2006 comprehensive immigration reform?
Look guys, I say this as unrepentant Neocon, this is the end. There will be no more conservative wonkery and ideas. We've failed. Our man is running the show and he's failed miserably. He should resign now and get a gig running a think tank..
Paul Ryan deserves no better.
Will's Good Idea for the Week of 3-26-17
In the Austrian's Painter's world, Douglas MacArthur is a really big deal.
First off, he's the victorious commander of the Great Pacific War.
He parlays that victory into the presidency in which he serves two terms. MacArthur even wanted to serve a third term but was persuaded not to after a very public battle over the idea.
He's dies in 1964 and said death steals some of the thunder from the German Empire's commemoration of the war's 50th anniversary.
Our protagonist admired President MacArthur very much.
First off, he's the victorious commander of the Great Pacific War.
He parlays that victory into the presidency in which he serves two terms. MacArthur even wanted to serve a third term but was persuaded not to after a very public battle over the idea.
He's dies in 1964 and said death steals some of the thunder from the German Empire's commemoration of the war's 50th anniversary.
Our protagonist admired President MacArthur very much.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Filibuster This Grand Bargain
So Chuck Schummer wants to filibuster the Gorsuch nomination to the Supreme Court.
This is a horrible idea.
There's a deal to be had here.
Right now if we put the Supreme Court on a 1-10 scale, 1 being most left 10 being most right, it stands at a 5.5, maybe a 6.
Neil Gorsuch going to the court would not upend this balance at all. He's replacing Antonin Scalia who was very conservative.
Now, sooner or later one of the old leftist judges, I'm looking at you Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is going to croak. It might happen within the next four years. Here's what Chuck should do. He should go to his opposite number, Mitch McConnell and say, 'Look, you Kentucky rube, I won't filibuster Gorsuch. In exchange, if/when Ginsburg dies, you and Trump appoint a slightly conservative judge to replace her.'
Let's say replacement is a 5.5 or 6 on the Stroock Supreme Court Scale. There'd be no reason not to offer or take that deal.
Is it a great deal for McConnell and the GOP? No but its a good deal.
Is it a good deal for Chuck and the Dems. No. but its the best deal they'll get.
Otherwise, the GOP goes nuclear and when Ginsburg kicks it, instead of a squishy Harriet Myers type they're looking at Alito 2.0.
My deal doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
This is a horrible idea.
There's a deal to be had here.
Right now if we put the Supreme Court on a 1-10 scale, 1 being most left 10 being most right, it stands at a 5.5, maybe a 6.
Neil Gorsuch going to the court would not upend this balance at all. He's replacing Antonin Scalia who was very conservative.
Now, sooner or later one of the old leftist judges, I'm looking at you Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is going to croak. It might happen within the next four years. Here's what Chuck should do. He should go to his opposite number, Mitch McConnell and say, 'Look, you Kentucky rube, I won't filibuster Gorsuch. In exchange, if/when Ginsburg dies, you and Trump appoint a slightly conservative judge to replace her.'
Let's say replacement is a 5.5 or 6 on the Stroock Supreme Court Scale. There'd be no reason not to offer or take that deal.
Is it a great deal for McConnell and the GOP? No but its a good deal.
Is it a good deal for Chuck and the Dems. No. but its the best deal they'll get.
Otherwise, the GOP goes nuclear and when Ginsburg kicks it, instead of a squishy Harriet Myers type they're looking at Alito 2.0.
My deal doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
Friday Updates
No news on Pershing in Command.
We are tidying up World War 1990: ANZACs. Little remains to be written. Maybe another 5,000 words.
We are finishing up the ending section of Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom. We still have another section to write, though. Jake in Iraq in 2003 this will be straight forward. We also need to write up Jake's 2005 tour.
We are building the Austrian Painter's world. Lots of research. Fighting the Great Pacific War has been fun.
We are tidying up World War 1990: ANZACs. Little remains to be written. Maybe another 5,000 words.
We are finishing up the ending section of Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom. We still have another section to write, though. Jake in Iraq in 2003 this will be straight forward. We also need to write up Jake's 2005 tour.
We are building the Austrian Painter's world. Lots of research. Fighting the Great Pacific War has been fun.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Austrian Painter's 75th Birthday: What are the Yanks up to?
So let's say the Great War never happens, or more precisely Germany knocks out France in 1914 and Russia in 1915. We flash forward to our protagonist's 75th birthday in 1964. What's the United States been doing this whole time?
There is still a war with Japan at some point. It was inevitable. Perhaps that war is closer to Hector Bywater's The Pacific War, a piece of Clancyesque alternate history written in the 20's. Does this Pacific War go to the hilt? Or is it a series of wars that flair up every decade?
With no Great War there's no Isolationist reaction, but America probably still sees little reason to get involved in Europe.
Domestically in this 1964 we'll still see social change. Technology is still marching on. A woman's kitchen has been overtaken by gadgets and she's probably wondering why be at home. The Civil Rights movement is still in full swing. Still, there's no 1960's as we think of our own.
There's also no Cold War. That means no space race. We don't think we've seen the invention of atomic weapons yet.
One of the questions we've been dealing with is the Great Depression. Does it still happen? Roughly, we can say that mechanization will occur, leading to a drop in farm prices leading to a farm crisis. Stocks are still being bought on margin. There will most definitely be some sort of economic calamity, but will it be closer to 2008 than 1929? All lot of other things had to go wrong for the Crash of '29 to turn into the Great Depression.
Overall, in The Austrian Painter's world the United States is still very inward looking and lacks the post war dynamism that exited in our own 1964.
There is still a war with Japan at some point. It was inevitable. Perhaps that war is closer to Hector Bywater's The Pacific War, a piece of Clancyesque alternate history written in the 20's. Does this Pacific War go to the hilt? Or is it a series of wars that flair up every decade?
With no Great War there's no Isolationist reaction, but America probably still sees little reason to get involved in Europe.
Domestically in this 1964 we'll still see social change. Technology is still marching on. A woman's kitchen has been overtaken by gadgets and she's probably wondering why be at home. The Civil Rights movement is still in full swing. Still, there's no 1960's as we think of our own.
There's also no Cold War. That means no space race. We don't think we've seen the invention of atomic weapons yet.
One of the questions we've been dealing with is the Great Depression. Does it still happen? Roughly, we can say that mechanization will occur, leading to a drop in farm prices leading to a farm crisis. Stocks are still being bought on margin. There will most definitely be some sort of economic calamity, but will it be closer to 2008 than 1929? All lot of other things had to go wrong for the Crash of '29 to turn into the Great Depression.
Overall, in The Austrian Painter's world the United States is still very inward looking and lacks the post war dynamism that exited in our own 1964.
The Trumped up Budget
This is not a political blog.
Even so we are interested in some of the political maneuverings and goings on over the Federal Budget. We believe President Trump has outsmarted the Dems.
Here's how.
In the budget Trump eliminates funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, Public Broadcasting Systems, National Public Radio, and of course Planned Parenthood.
These are boutique agencies that most people couldn't care less about, but which feed the liberal's soul. Already I see my liberal friends posting articles and cartoons about the NEA or PBS and adorning their profile picks to I LOVE NPR buttons.
So they're going to fight tooth and nail over All Things Considered rather than defense spending.
This will use up precious bandwidth and further alienate Dems from the rest of the country. Trump even framed the question right, why should we make a coal miner pay for Masterpiece Theater? We have 500 TV channels. No one cares about Big Bird.
Even so we are interested in some of the political maneuverings and goings on over the Federal Budget. We believe President Trump has outsmarted the Dems.
Here's how.
In the budget Trump eliminates funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, Public Broadcasting Systems, National Public Radio, and of course Planned Parenthood.
These are boutique agencies that most people couldn't care less about, but which feed the liberal's soul. Already I see my liberal friends posting articles and cartoons about the NEA or PBS and adorning their profile picks to I LOVE NPR buttons.
So they're going to fight tooth and nail over All Things Considered rather than defense spending.
This will use up precious bandwidth and further alienate Dems from the rest of the country. Trump even framed the question right, why should we make a coal miner pay for Masterpiece Theater? We have 500 TV channels. No one cares about Big Bird.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Tuesday Tally
Douglas MacArthur Edition
General MacArthur's top five deeds and acts:
1-Going on the Offensive: Rather than sit back and defend, MacArthur decided to fight for Australia in New Guinea.
2-The New Guinea Campaign: After the bloodbath at Buna, which I should note gets mention in A March Through Hell, MacArthur realized that the best way to fight the Japs was to bypass their strongholds. In A March Through Hell, Sgt. Sam Sparta has a lot of choice words for 'that son-of-bitch, MacArthur.
3- Liberating the Philippines: To hell with his ego. MacArthur was absolutely right. By going to the Philippines America showed Asians that we would fight and stick. He liberated thousands of POWs and millions of people who had been under America's sovereignty.
4- The Reconstruction of Japan: MacArthur rebuilt the country without alienating the populace and turned it into an American ally. He handled the situation with the emperor perfectly.
5-Inchon: Rather obvious, but still, he executed an amphibious landing far to the north of the front and virtually destroyed the North Korean Army.
*MacArthur was no HQ general. He visited the front often. Heck, in the Meuse-Argonne he went forward to find out what was wrong with his own 42 Division's advance only to be 'captured' by a patrol from the 1st Division, which mistook MacArthur for a Kraut.
General MacArthur's top five deeds and acts:
1-Going on the Offensive: Rather than sit back and defend, MacArthur decided to fight for Australia in New Guinea.
2-The New Guinea Campaign: After the bloodbath at Buna, which I should note gets mention in A March Through Hell, MacArthur realized that the best way to fight the Japs was to bypass their strongholds. In A March Through Hell, Sgt. Sam Sparta has a lot of choice words for 'that son-of-bitch, MacArthur.
3- Liberating the Philippines: To hell with his ego. MacArthur was absolutely right. By going to the Philippines America showed Asians that we would fight and stick. He liberated thousands of POWs and millions of people who had been under America's sovereignty.
4- The Reconstruction of Japan: MacArthur rebuilt the country without alienating the populace and turned it into an American ally. He handled the situation with the emperor perfectly.
5-Inchon: Rather obvious, but still, he executed an amphibious landing far to the north of the front and virtually destroyed the North Korean Army.
*MacArthur was no HQ general. He visited the front often. Heck, in the Meuse-Argonne he went forward to find out what was wrong with his own 42 Division's advance only to be 'captured' by a patrol from the 1st Division, which mistook MacArthur for a Kraut.
MacArthur!
General Douglas MacArthur is a subject we've written about before. We are extremely critical of his actions in the Philippines. His conduct of the rest of the war is exemplary, though.
On a whim yesterday I watched MacArthur, the 1977 film staring Gregory Peck. I'd not seen it in something like 30 years.
This was Universal's answer to Patton, a movie we once loved (in 1992, when we played Captain Bracket in South Pacific, we modeled our monologue on Patton's),but have trashed in this space. As a drama and historical document MacArthur is a better film.
MacArthur is no hagiography. This movie pulls no punches and is at times very critical of MacArthur, showing his ego and his obsession with the press. His speech upon landing at Leyte is melodramatic in the extreme and we found it hard to watch.
That said MacArthur's words and actions during the surrender ceremony were perfect and well portrayed in this film. The general is also given credit for bypassing Japanese strongholds and avoiding casualties.
A note on the specs. They filmed MacArthur in technicolor using Panavision camera lenses. The effect is sooooo 1970's. It almost looks like an extended episode of Black Sheep Squadron. I found the intro scene on Corregidor utterly convincing. This too is true also when MacArthur tours a liberated prison camp. In another scene MacArthur reunites with General Wainwright and it is heartbreaking.
The film also does an excellent job showing MacArthur's reconstruction of Japan, a supreme act of statesmanship for which he does not get enough credit.
While one can't quite forget that one is watching Gregory Peck, he does give a fine performance of the man, capturing perfectly his ego and most importantly his mysticism. Peck does bear a striking resemblance to MacArthur.
If one is curious about the man and his campaigns, MacArthur is a good place to start.
On a whim yesterday I watched MacArthur, the 1977 film staring Gregory Peck. I'd not seen it in something like 30 years.
This was Universal's answer to Patton, a movie we once loved (in 1992, when we played Captain Bracket in South Pacific, we modeled our monologue on Patton's),but have trashed in this space. As a drama and historical document MacArthur is a better film.
MacArthur is no hagiography. This movie pulls no punches and is at times very critical of MacArthur, showing his ego and his obsession with the press. His speech upon landing at Leyte is melodramatic in the extreme and we found it hard to watch.
That said MacArthur's words and actions during the surrender ceremony were perfect and well portrayed in this film. The general is also given credit for bypassing Japanese strongholds and avoiding casualties.
A note on the specs. They filmed MacArthur in technicolor using Panavision camera lenses. The effect is sooooo 1970's. It almost looks like an extended episode of Black Sheep Squadron. I found the intro scene on Corregidor utterly convincing. This too is true also when MacArthur tours a liberated prison camp. In another scene MacArthur reunites with General Wainwright and it is heartbreaking.
The film also does an excellent job showing MacArthur's reconstruction of Japan, a supreme act of statesmanship for which he does not get enough credit.
While one can't quite forget that one is watching Gregory Peck, he does give a fine performance of the man, capturing perfectly his ego and most importantly his mysticism. Peck does bear a striking resemblance to MacArthur.
If one is curious about the man and his campaigns, MacArthur is a good place to start.
Blessed Are the Editors
My editor(PBUH) just took her Special Needs Educational Praxis test, you know for autistic and or emotionally disturbed students. She thanked me for giving her all that prep.
This was her recommended action plan for myself:
Just this week she told me that she had a dream about me. She began:
My editor says don't feel bad for her. After all she gets to go home. Now Mrs. Stroock on the other hand....
This was her recommended action plan for myself:
So upon conducting a functional behavioral assessment on you, I have concluded that the function of your bizarre behavior is attention seeking. So when I write up a Behavior Intervention Plan for you I need to replace that behavior with one that serves the same function. Maybe I could let you hand out the crayons before class ( only if you promise not to eat them) then every time you raise your hand and ask for help appropriately you get a reward. Therefore the target behavior is made extinct and the replacement behavior is positively reinforced.This clip very much describes our relationship. After all, she is a limey:
Just this week she told me that she had a dream about me. She began:
I had this weird dream last night that I...I'm thinking, 'Oh yeah....' But sadly, no:
...visited you in a psyche hospital. Before the nurse showed me the room you were in she said "Remember he is going to tell you that he is normal and that he does not need to be here, but they all say that so don't let him suck you in!Damn it.
My editor says don't feel bad for her. After all she gets to go home. Now Mrs. Stroock on the other hand....
Monday, March 20, 2017
Sliding off the Dem's Bench
We're at the end, I think, of the Democrat Party bench. No, I take that back, we've slid off the end and we're looking at what's left of the Dem's bench. We'll do a quick rundown.
Senator Corey Booker: Former mayor of Newark. I can't say what he actually did for or to Newark. He seems like a fine human. I think I voted for him when he ran in 2014. Or was it 2012? I dunno.
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Me white man, trade big wampum! Ahhhhhhahahahahah. Yeah, she's Native American alright, 1/32 if that. Privileged white woman and cultural appropriator. President Trump said yesterday that he hopes Senator Dances with Lies is the nominee in 2020. So do I.
Chairman Tom Perez: Former Sec of Labor and current head of the DNC. At least its not the Islamist Keith Ellison (D, Riyadh). I don't know what Perez ads except the Dems being able to check the Latino/Chicano box.
Hillary! Redux: No, not really. Syphilis, Parkinson's, alcoholism, or it might just be a bad slip and fall in the bathroom...I don't know what'll get her, but Hillary! will be dead by 2020. I'm serious.
Senator Corey Booker: Former mayor of Newark. I can't say what he actually did for or to Newark. He seems like a fine human. I think I voted for him when he ran in 2014. Or was it 2012? I dunno.
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Me white man, trade big wampum! Ahhhhhhahahahahah. Yeah, she's Native American alright, 1/32 if that. Privileged white woman and cultural appropriator. President Trump said yesterday that he hopes Senator Dances with Lies is the nominee in 2020. So do I.
Chairman Tom Perez: Former Sec of Labor and current head of the DNC. At least its not the Islamist Keith Ellison (D, Riyadh). I don't know what Perez ads except the Dems being able to check the Latino/Chicano box.
Hillary! Redux: No, not really. Syphilis, Parkinson's, alcoholism, or it might just be a bad slip and fall in the bathroom...I don't know what'll get her, but Hillary! will be dead by 2020. I'm serious.
The Austrian Painter's 75th Birthday: The World of 1964
So in the Austrian Painter's world Germany defeated France in 1914 and Russia in 1916. There has been no Great War as we think of it.
What else is missing?
No communist Revolution, no Nazis. No World War Two. No Cold War. No atom bombs. No space race. Britain is not bankrupted by two world wars.
At the heart of Europe stands the German Reich. She is rich and powerful. Culturally der Fatherland is a bit of a brute and showoff. But Germany is an economic powerhouse and a center of science and learning. She gets on well enough with Britain for they have the same concern, Russia. To that end Germany is the head of an alliance of Eastern European states against Russia. The number two nation in this alliance is Poland, followed by Romania and Hungary. It should be noted that the rump Austrian state has been absorbed into the Reich. Germany has a vast African empire centered on Congo, taken from Belgium as par the 1914 settlement. Its Syrian-Lebanon colony is a favorite vacation spot.
France is an economic basket-case which for the last four decades has been run by a series of despots each claiming to be the next Napoleon. She has lost a series of colonial engagements from Asia to Africa and is something of a laughing stock on the continent.
The British Empire is strong though a bit slow and stodgy. By act of parliament India was granted dominion status in 1950.
Russia is a dictatorship with a rump parliament and still decades behind Europe. The Germans roughed her up in the Great Eastern War.
America has little interest in Europe and is focused entirely on the Pacific. As Germany commemorates the 50th anniversary of its victory in 1914, America commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Pacific War. Japan mourns.
What else is missing?
No communist Revolution, no Nazis. No World War Two. No Cold War. No atom bombs. No space race. Britain is not bankrupted by two world wars.
At the heart of Europe stands the German Reich. She is rich and powerful. Culturally der Fatherland is a bit of a brute and showoff. But Germany is an economic powerhouse and a center of science and learning. She gets on well enough with Britain for they have the same concern, Russia. To that end Germany is the head of an alliance of Eastern European states against Russia. The number two nation in this alliance is Poland, followed by Romania and Hungary. It should be noted that the rump Austrian state has been absorbed into the Reich. Germany has a vast African empire centered on Congo, taken from Belgium as par the 1914 settlement. Its Syrian-Lebanon colony is a favorite vacation spot.
France is an economic basket-case which for the last four decades has been run by a series of despots each claiming to be the next Napoleon. She has lost a series of colonial engagements from Asia to Africa and is something of a laughing stock on the continent.
The British Empire is strong though a bit slow and stodgy. By act of parliament India was granted dominion status in 1950.
Russia is a dictatorship with a rump parliament and still decades behind Europe. The Germans roughed her up in the Great Eastern War.
America has little interest in Europe and is focused entirely on the Pacific. As Germany commemorates the 50th anniversary of its victory in 1914, America commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Pacific War. Japan mourns.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Will's Good Idea for the Week of 3-19-17
World War 1990: ANZACs missing thread edition.
Well, we're at 60,000 words into ANZACs. The battles are fought, the ships sunk, the Scorpion Tanks have kicked some booty, the standard Stroockian political intrigue has intrigued. Still, a few things are missing and we weren't quite sure what.
Then we realized that since a fair amount of action takes place in the Philippines we needed Philippine President Quarozon Aquino in there in some capacity, probably getting a talkin' to from the American ambassador, 'Listen honey, if it weren't for us...'
Also we need something or should I say, someone to wrap things up. How do you get the Vietnamese to stop? Who talks them into accepting some kind of ceasefire? In my estimation there's only one man for the job. I won't divulge name's, but lets just say he never let down Hunter S. Thompson.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Graffiti that Bench
We've noted before that the after 25 years of the House of Clinton treating the Democrat Party like one of Bill's Arkansas State Employees the Dems have bench problems. Or do they?
We now shift to the Big Apple. This is the city in whose shadow we have spent most of our lives. NYC is famous for many things, graffiti being one of them, hence the title of this post. The graffiti was one of a hundred quality of life issues that Rudy Giuliani focused on during his fabulously successful two terms as mayor. The left always mocked Rudy's 'broken windows' theory of crime management. Remember, they miss the old New York of Kitty Genovese, Son of Sam, the Burning Bronx, the '77 Blackout, etc etc. If the left could, they'd put the peep shows and porn shops back in Time Square.
This brings us to Mayor Bill De Blasio (Sandinista, Nicaragua). Like the previously mentioned Gavin Newsom of SF, Mayor Bill checks off all the right boxes and he comes with a few bonuses. He tried to get rid of the handsome cabs and he hates cops, plus, here's a big one, the city is going to hell again. The last time I was in NYC, unfortunately a few weeks ago, I saw bums laying in the streets and was accosted by a sqweeji man.
Ahhhh... that takes me back. I remember once in 1990 my dad and I went to a Yankees game, at night. Dave Eiland started but he came out with arm trouble to be replaced by Eric Plunk. After he gave up five runs I shouted, 'Hey Plunk! You suck!' to which me old man replied, 'Thank you for that editorial comment.' We were sitting next to a pair of drunk Puerto Ricans [in the South Bronx? You don't say? -Ed] In front of us were a bunch of Japanese businessmen, no doubt on a trip to buy some expensive real estate, and ironically, some Krauts. Yes, I had fun with that. Anyhoo, when we left the game me old man made a wrong turn, we went under a bridge after which my dad locked the doors. We emerged to be accosted by a bum trying to wash the windshield.
All that's left is for de-Blas to reinstall the porn shops n Times Square and we're good to go.
So de Blasio has definite appeal in the Democrat Party primary. Let's say he's got the old Howard Dean block locked up.
We now shift to the Big Apple. This is the city in whose shadow we have spent most of our lives. NYC is famous for many things, graffiti being one of them, hence the title of this post. The graffiti was one of a hundred quality of life issues that Rudy Giuliani focused on during his fabulously successful two terms as mayor. The left always mocked Rudy's 'broken windows' theory of crime management. Remember, they miss the old New York of Kitty Genovese, Son of Sam, the Burning Bronx, the '77 Blackout, etc etc. If the left could, they'd put the peep shows and porn shops back in Time Square.
This brings us to Mayor Bill De Blasio (Sandinista, Nicaragua). Like the previously mentioned Gavin Newsom of SF, Mayor Bill checks off all the right boxes and he comes with a few bonuses. He tried to get rid of the handsome cabs and he hates cops, plus, here's a big one, the city is going to hell again. The last time I was in NYC, unfortunately a few weeks ago, I saw bums laying in the streets and was accosted by a sqweeji man.
Ahhhh... that takes me back. I remember once in 1990 my dad and I went to a Yankees game, at night. Dave Eiland started but he came out with arm trouble to be replaced by Eric Plunk. After he gave up five runs I shouted, 'Hey Plunk! You suck!' to which me old man replied, 'Thank you for that editorial comment.' We were sitting next to a pair of drunk Puerto Ricans [in the South Bronx? You don't say? -Ed] In front of us were a bunch of Japanese businessmen, no doubt on a trip to buy some expensive real estate, and ironically, some Krauts. Yes, I had fun with that. Anyhoo, when we left the game me old man made a wrong turn, we went under a bridge after which my dad locked the doors. We emerged to be accosted by a bum trying to wash the windshield.
All that's left is for de-Blas to reinstall the porn shops n Times Square and we're good to go.
So de Blasio has definite appeal in the Democrat Party primary. Let's say he's got the old Howard Dean block locked up.
Friday Updates
We are pleased to say that World War 1990: ANZACs is at 60,000 words. The completion of the rough draft is near and we are hoping to start editing on 15 April.
Nothing new with Pershing in Command.
We are struggling on with Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom and that is now 50,000 words. Interestingly we have no idea how it ends but we got everything else.
We are thinking soon that we might begin writing the Austrian Painter.
We are experimenting again with digital ads. Check it out.
Nothing new with Pershing in Command.
We are struggling on with Whatever Happened to Jake and Patricia Bloom and that is now 50,000 words. Interestingly we have no idea how it ends but we got everything else.
We are thinking soon that we might begin writing the Austrian Painter.
We are experimenting again with digital ads. Check it out.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
On a Bench Carved from Redwoods
Yesterday we wrote about the Democrat Party's thin bench after 25 years of being the House of Clinton's play thing. We also noted that perhaps the best candidate on a thin list of candidates is the seemingly competent governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo.
We move on now to California. Incidentally I'm all for the secession of those west coast weirdos. Anyhoo, we were on record here predicting that the 2016 Democrat primary would be a bloodletting between Joe Biden and Governor Moonbeam. Whoops. Said Moonbeam is retiring and almost certain to be replaced by his Lt. Gov, Gavin Newsom.
Newsom is among other things the former mayor of SF, wonder how Dirty Harry would feel about that. As far as policy goes, right now he's promising to introduce a state single-payer system to California, that is state-socialized medicine. That's certainly a winner with his constituents. Other than that we've no idea what his policy positions are except that he can check off all the right boxes vis-a-vis the boutique Democrat Party issues. Gay marriage, pot, illegal immigration, grown men in the girl's room...you name it.
So there's another viable Democrat Party Candidate for 2020. Enjoy guys!
We move on now to California. Incidentally I'm all for the secession of those west coast weirdos. Anyhoo, we were on record here predicting that the 2016 Democrat primary would be a bloodletting between Joe Biden and Governor Moonbeam. Whoops. Said Moonbeam is retiring and almost certain to be replaced by his Lt. Gov, Gavin Newsom.
Newsom is among other things the former mayor of SF, wonder how Dirty Harry would feel about that. As far as policy goes, right now he's promising to introduce a state single-payer system to California, that is state-socialized medicine. That's certainly a winner with his constituents. Other than that we've no idea what his policy positions are except that he can check off all the right boxes vis-a-vis the boutique Democrat Party issues. Gay marriage, pot, illegal immigration, grown men in the girl's room...you name it.
So there's another viable Democrat Party Candidate for 2020. Enjoy guys!
Godzilla's Revenge
So the Japanese are freaking out about the NoKo's latest blustering in the Sea of Japan. They've dispatched a warship as a message to Kim. There's even talk that Japan may rearm.
What makes anyone think Japan ever disarmed?
This is one of the post-war myths Americans have, the notion that Japan is now a pacifist country with no military to speak of. Given Japan's strategic location during the Cold War it was a bulwark against Soviets in the Pacific. Of course today Japan serves the same purpose against China.
Let's Jake take a look at the Japanese military ca 1990 [1990, I wonder why?]-Ed?
In 1990 the Japanese air force flew nearly 200 F-15 fighters, 150 F-4 Phantoms and 70 F-1 fighter-bombers. At sea the Japanese boasted an advanced and powerful fleet. This included 39 destroyers, 18 frigates and 15 submarines. The Japanese also had 70 high-tech P-3 Orion anti-sub aircraft. In short, had the Soviets made a move in the Pacific, Japan had significant force with which to fight back, irrespective of American involvement.
What makes anyone think Japan ever disarmed?
This is one of the post-war myths Americans have, the notion that Japan is now a pacifist country with no military to speak of. Given Japan's strategic location during the Cold War it was a bulwark against Soviets in the Pacific. Of course today Japan serves the same purpose against China.
Let's Jake take a look at the Japanese military ca 1990 [1990, I wonder why?]-Ed?
In 1990 the Japanese air force flew nearly 200 F-15 fighters, 150 F-4 Phantoms and 70 F-1 fighter-bombers. At sea the Japanese boasted an advanced and powerful fleet. This included 39 destroyers, 18 frigates and 15 submarines. The Japanese also had 70 high-tech P-3 Orion anti-sub aircraft. In short, had the Soviets made a move in the Pacific, Japan had significant force with which to fight back, irrespective of American involvement.
Now this military has fascinated me for some time and even shows up in Operation Eastern Storm. World War 1990: ANZACs was originally supposed to be World War 1990: Operation Pacific Storm. But as we wrote we decided that the Aussies and Kiwis were a compelling story all their own and we struck all the Japanese sections. Don't worry, the Japanese will appear in some form in World War 1990: The Final Storm.
I mean, I grew up in post-WWII America. Come on now,
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Benched
For 25 years the Democrat Party has been the plaything of the House of Clinton. The price has been steep, of course. Just look at the White House.
Said fealty has also starved the Democrat Party of talent. After Algore in 2000 they didn't really have much of a bench. So in 2004 the Democrats turned to Jean Francois Kerry, a careerist who accomplished nothing in the senate but who fulfilled their Kennedy fantasies. Why Kerry served on a patrol boat and even has the same initials! Then of course came Barrack Hussein Obama. President Obama left a shattered Democrat party, a regional party with strong enclaves in the cities but nowhere else.
Forgive me for engaging in a bit of nostalgia, but my first presidential cycle was '88-'92. I was a Democrat myself back then, a Scoop Jackson type who wanted a strong military, hawkish foreign policy and activist Federal Government. Going into '92 the Dems had a deep bench. This included the above mentioned Algore, Congressman Dick Gephardt, Senator Bob Kerry (NE), defense hawk Senator Sam Nunn and a slew of others. As President Bush enjoyed high approval rating in the wake of Desert Storm, most of the Democrat talent wussed out. In '92 the Dem primary was an eclectic assemblage, Doug Wilder, Pauls Tsongas (for whom I voted), Tom Harkin, Governor Moonbeam and of course Bill Clinton, of whom normal people like me had never heard.
Back then the political will-he-won't-he of the day was centered on NY governor Mario Cuomo, whom traditional NE liberals were begging to run. He was always the governor when I was a kid. And in 1982 when Ed Koch challenged him for the Dem nomination for governor Cuomo's people printed up bumper stickers which read: Vote for Cuomo not the Homo. Alas he never ran.
This brings us back to the current Democrat Party conundrum. As it happens Mario's son, Andrew Cuomo is the gov and stories are circulating about himself forming an presidential exploratory committee.
Is he doing a good job? I hear about corruption scandals. I vaguely recall something about him caping yearly property tax increases at two percent or some such. Honesty I haven't paid much attention to my home state in a decade and half. One point of note. When I cross the Hudson I take the ancient Tappan Zee Bridge. Andrew's been building a replacement. Every time I cross a staggering amount of work had been done. Remember, it took them a decade just to decide how they were going to replace the World Trade Center. Andrew's getting a new bridge up in a few years. That in itself is impressive.
Maybe he would be an impressive candidate.
Said fealty has also starved the Democrat Party of talent. After Algore in 2000 they didn't really have much of a bench. So in 2004 the Democrats turned to Jean Francois Kerry, a careerist who accomplished nothing in the senate but who fulfilled their Kennedy fantasies. Why Kerry served on a patrol boat and even has the same initials! Then of course came Barrack Hussein Obama. President Obama left a shattered Democrat party, a regional party with strong enclaves in the cities but nowhere else.
Forgive me for engaging in a bit of nostalgia, but my first presidential cycle was '88-'92. I was a Democrat myself back then, a Scoop Jackson type who wanted a strong military, hawkish foreign policy and activist Federal Government. Going into '92 the Dems had a deep bench. This included the above mentioned Algore, Congressman Dick Gephardt, Senator Bob Kerry (NE), defense hawk Senator Sam Nunn and a slew of others. As President Bush enjoyed high approval rating in the wake of Desert Storm, most of the Democrat talent wussed out. In '92 the Dem primary was an eclectic assemblage, Doug Wilder, Pauls Tsongas (for whom I voted), Tom Harkin, Governor Moonbeam and of course Bill Clinton, of whom normal people like me had never heard.
Back then the political will-he-won't-he of the day was centered on NY governor Mario Cuomo, whom traditional NE liberals were begging to run. He was always the governor when I was a kid. And in 1982 when Ed Koch challenged him for the Dem nomination for governor Cuomo's people printed up bumper stickers which read: Vote for Cuomo not the Homo. Alas he never ran.
This brings us back to the current Democrat Party conundrum. As it happens Mario's son, Andrew Cuomo is the gov and stories are circulating about himself forming an presidential exploratory committee.
Is he doing a good job? I hear about corruption scandals. I vaguely recall something about him caping yearly property tax increases at two percent or some such. Honesty I haven't paid much attention to my home state in a decade and half. One point of note. When I cross the Hudson I take the ancient Tappan Zee Bridge. Andrew's been building a replacement. Every time I cross a staggering amount of work had been done. Remember, it took them a decade just to decide how they were going to replace the World Trade Center. Andrew's getting a new bridge up in a few years. That in itself is impressive.
Maybe he would be an impressive candidate.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Metal Monday
Belfast Rocks Edition
Anyone whose ever read A Line through the Desert knows Sgt. Jake Bloom loves hard rock. He'd love this band I'm about to talk about and you'll see them in the ALTD sequel.
Back in 2008 I saw three AC/DC shows on their Black Ice Tour. It was glorious. I caught the first show in Pottstown PA. The opening act came on, some band I'd never heard of. They opened with this:
I've been hooked ever since the first riff.
That band is the Answer, Belfast's answer to Rock and Roll glory. They sound like they came out of the 70's with grinding vocals reminiscent of Paul Rodgers and Free, and searing hooks, and guitar licks worthy of anything one might have heard on a retro-classic rock station. In fact I recently saw an interview with the lead singer and he was asked what his favorite hook is and he replied, 'All Right Now.'
Good lord he can sing.
Rise is their first album they've put out six all together. What follows is a listing of their first four albums with their best and or most interesting songs:
Rise A ridiculously good debut
Best Song: The first three. All hard hitting
Most Interesting: Memphis Water. A classic steel guitar blues song
Weakness: Minor, but there's really no 'stake' song, that one tune that holds down the whole album where the listener says, 'Yes, this is the one'.
Everyday Demons This is their best album
Best Song: Walking Matt. An anthem 'I'm not your walking matt'
Most Interesting: Comfort Zone. Sincere love overture, 'Can I embrace, a moment with you, don't need a lifetime a moment will do. Cause I missed my chance a thousand times before. I swear that I ain't gonna miss no more.'
Revival This one took a bit to grow on me, but now I love it
Best Song: Waste Your Tears
Most Interesting: Tornado. Sounds like its name, 'You're my tornado...'
New Horizon Heavily grunge influenced
Best Song: Call Yourself a Friend.
Most Interesting: Spectacular
Their latest is Solas, which is very different from their other work, but very good and very interesting. Imagine if Led Zeppelin's Presence was any good. There you go.
Anyone whose ever read A Line through the Desert knows Sgt. Jake Bloom loves hard rock. He'd love this band I'm about to talk about and you'll see them in the ALTD sequel.
Back in 2008 I saw three AC/DC shows on their Black Ice Tour. It was glorious. I caught the first show in Pottstown PA. The opening act came on, some band I'd never heard of. They opened with this:
That band is the Answer, Belfast's answer to Rock and Roll glory. They sound like they came out of the 70's with grinding vocals reminiscent of Paul Rodgers and Free, and searing hooks, and guitar licks worthy of anything one might have heard on a retro-classic rock station. In fact I recently saw an interview with the lead singer and he was asked what his favorite hook is and he replied, 'All Right Now.'
Good lord he can sing.
Rise is their first album they've put out six all together. What follows is a listing of their first four albums with their best and or most interesting songs:
Rise A ridiculously good debut
Best Song: The first three. All hard hitting
Most Interesting: Memphis Water. A classic steel guitar blues song
Weakness: Minor, but there's really no 'stake' song, that one tune that holds down the whole album where the listener says, 'Yes, this is the one'.
Everyday Demons This is their best album
Best Song: Walking Matt. An anthem 'I'm not your walking matt'
Most Interesting: Comfort Zone. Sincere love overture, 'Can I embrace, a moment with you, don't need a lifetime a moment will do. Cause I missed my chance a thousand times before. I swear that I ain't gonna miss no more.'
Revival This one took a bit to grow on me, but now I love it
Best Song: Waste Your Tears
Most Interesting: Tornado. Sounds like its name, 'You're my tornado...'
New Horizon Heavily grunge influenced
Best Song: Call Yourself a Friend.
Most Interesting: Spectacular
Their latest is Solas, which is very different from their other work, but very good and very interesting. Imagine if Led Zeppelin's Presence was any good. There you go.
The British Empire and its Commonwealth...
So it's Commonwealth Day.
We've made the point in this space numerous times and it can not be made enough.
Great Britain is the greatest force for good in the last 500. That goes for her colonies too. After all, Winston said, 'If the British Empire and her Commonwealth should last for a thousand years...' Of course the United States is not art of the Commonwealth but we are the guarantors of the British inheritance. That inheritance is Common Law, parliamentary democracy, free speech and free religion and a generally open way of seeing things.
We'll say it again. All the horrible ideas of the 20th century were hatched in the salons of Europe and all of those ideas were battled and destroyed by the English speaking peoples. Look at Normandy. Brits, Yanks, Cannucks storming the beach. Down in the Med, Kiwis and South Africans were fighting the Krauts in Italy. Meanwhile Aussies were slugging it out with the Japs in Borneo and New Guinea. A couple of million Indian troops were battling the Japs in Burma, as were the King's African Rifles.
Heck, look at Britain's post colonial conflicts in Asia, Malaya, Borneo, lots of Aussies and Kiwis again. They were with us in Vietnam too. With us again in Afghanistan as well.
We're all a little different. Think of the English speaking peoples as a far flung family. Britain is dad of course. American is the oldest son and he once had a couple of awful quarrels with dad. That was a long time ago and the oldest son helped dad out when he was having trouble with the neighbors. Canada is the 2nd oldest and never wanted to get in a big fight with dad the way big brother did. Canada tries to emulate dad and looks after him too. Australia is the rebellious and boisterous son. The 3rd son can be kind of embarrassing some times but he's a straight shooter, good and honest. As the youngest some New Zealand is sometimes forgotten, quiet, but carries on like dad all the same.
We've made the point in this space numerous times and it can not be made enough.
Great Britain is the greatest force for good in the last 500. That goes for her colonies too. After all, Winston said, 'If the British Empire and her Commonwealth should last for a thousand years...' Of course the United States is not art of the Commonwealth but we are the guarantors of the British inheritance. That inheritance is Common Law, parliamentary democracy, free speech and free religion and a generally open way of seeing things.
We'll say it again. All the horrible ideas of the 20th century were hatched in the salons of Europe and all of those ideas were battled and destroyed by the English speaking peoples. Look at Normandy. Brits, Yanks, Cannucks storming the beach. Down in the Med, Kiwis and South Africans were fighting the Krauts in Italy. Meanwhile Aussies were slugging it out with the Japs in Borneo and New Guinea. A couple of million Indian troops were battling the Japs in Burma, as were the King's African Rifles.
Heck, look at Britain's post colonial conflicts in Asia, Malaya, Borneo, lots of Aussies and Kiwis again. They were with us in Vietnam too. With us again in Afghanistan as well.
We're all a little different. Think of the English speaking peoples as a far flung family. Britain is dad of course. American is the oldest son and he once had a couple of awful quarrels with dad. That was a long time ago and the oldest son helped dad out when he was having trouble with the neighbors. Canada is the 2nd oldest and never wanted to get in a big fight with dad the way big brother did. Canada tries to emulate dad and looks after him too. Australia is the rebellious and boisterous son. The 3rd son can be kind of embarrassing some times but he's a straight shooter, good and honest. As the youngest some New Zealand is sometimes forgotten, quiet, but carries on like dad all the same.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Friday Updates
Not much to update really.
World War 1990: ANZACs is still at 55,000 words. That's 55,000 edited, fleshed out and refined words, I should say.
We are hopping for a summer release.
Working a bit on Jake and Patricia.
We are hoping for a fall release.
We'll see.
World War 1990: ANZACs is still at 55,000 words. That's 55,000 edited, fleshed out and refined words, I should say.
We are hopping for a summer release.
Working a bit on Jake and Patricia.
We are hoping for a fall release.
We'll see.
Indian Victory in Bangladesh
So I got my start writing magazine articles. Even though I've had a few out last year, I really don't do it much anymore. Writing in magazines has taken me as far as it's going to take me. The rates aren't great and you're at the mercy of editors who may well forget they even have your stuff (I'm looking at you Decision Games) only to see it flushed out a decade later (not kidding, Decision Games).
Anyway a lot of my stuff over time has found its way to various magazine internet archives. Below is Indian Victory in Bangladesh.
I wrote it just after the great Indian war hero Sam Manekshaw died in 2008 and I stole his name for my story about the 1st Indian Armoured Division battling aliens in To Defend the Earth.
Many of the photos in the article I got myself. I had to call India at five in the morning to do. Their defense mnistry's PR department was quite surprised. Overall the were very responsive and sent me the exact ten photos I requested.
Anyway here's Indian Victory in Bangladesh:
Anyway a lot of my stuff over time has found its way to various magazine internet archives. Below is Indian Victory in Bangladesh.
I wrote it just after the great Indian war hero Sam Manekshaw died in 2008 and I stole his name for my story about the 1st Indian Armoured Division battling aliens in To Defend the Earth.
Many of the photos in the article I got myself. I had to call India at five in the morning to do. Their defense mnistry's PR department was quite surprised. Overall the were very responsive and sent me the exact ten photos I requested.
Anyway here's Indian Victory in Bangladesh:
While India began a slow, steady climb toward a stable and prosperous democracy, Pakistan fell victim to military coups in 1958 and 1968. The coups, led by the West Pakistani military, only served to exacerbate the already growing rift with East Pakistan, which felt largely ignored and taken advantage of by the western part of the country. In the early 1960s, East Pakistanis, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, began agitating for reform and called for the ruling government in West Pakistan to relinquish control of all domestic affairs in the east. When Sheikh Mujibur’s Awami League won an absolute majority in the national assembly elections in the fall of 1970, the military government of General Yahya Khan refused to call the assembly to order and appointed a new military governor for the east. This move, in turn, sparked outrage in East Pakistan and led to massive and sometimes violent demonstrations....
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Vichy GOP
So with Paul Ryan's Obamacare repeal and replace bill its hard to avoid the conclusion that the Speaker doesn't get it.
In a lot of ways this is not his fault. He's the same generation as I, and he came of age in the era of Newt and W, Heritage policy papers, Weekly Standard movement journo pieces, and a slew of policy-wonk ideas. Paul Ryan has certainly loaded this bill up with those.
This reminds me of previous failed GOP big idea bills, W's Social Security plan of 2005, the immigration reform bill of 2006, the debt ceiling fiasco of 2011, Marco Rubio's own attempt at immigration reform in 2014; all loaded with ideas none of which will work.
Frankly Paul Ryan's bill is a surrender document. All that remains is for the Dems to ad their bits ala No Child Left Behind.
Fortunately both the GOP squishes like Senator Collins of Maine, and hardliners like Senator Paul of Kentucky pronounce the bill DOA.
President Trump is a deal maker of course and I suspect this bill will be negotiated and marked up to acceptability. But I've always been an optimist.
Look, Mr. Speaker, this isn't about tweaking medical delivery systems or medical savings accounts. This is about repealing the most vile piece of American legislation since the Fugitive Slave Act. You got the power, use it.
The Dems wouldn't hesitate.
In a lot of ways this is not his fault. He's the same generation as I, and he came of age in the era of Newt and W, Heritage policy papers, Weekly Standard movement journo pieces, and a slew of policy-wonk ideas. Paul Ryan has certainly loaded this bill up with those.
This reminds me of previous failed GOP big idea bills, W's Social Security plan of 2005, the immigration reform bill of 2006, the debt ceiling fiasco of 2011, Marco Rubio's own attempt at immigration reform in 2014; all loaded with ideas none of which will work.
Frankly Paul Ryan's bill is a surrender document. All that remains is for the Dems to ad their bits ala No Child Left Behind.
Fortunately both the GOP squishes like Senator Collins of Maine, and hardliners like Senator Paul of Kentucky pronounce the bill DOA.
President Trump is a deal maker of course and I suspect this bill will be negotiated and marked up to acceptability. But I've always been an optimist.
Look, Mr. Speaker, this isn't about tweaking medical delivery systems or medical savings accounts. This is about repealing the most vile piece of American legislation since the Fugitive Slave Act. You got the power, use it.
The Dems wouldn't hesitate.
Flip This
Via the intrepid and indefatigable Ace of Spades we have this bit of irony:
Ace makes a great point. In the time it took these gals to flip all the books around they could have cranked out a few thousand words in their magnum opus about angry feminists, disillusioned young women, urban hipsters, or some such.
One is further reminded of Herman Wouk's Caine Mutiny. The Caine of course has a novelist on board, the cynical Tom. When our protagonist Willie Keith takes over many of Tom's duties, he is shocked to learn how badly and inefficiently he performed them. Tom valued time above all else, time to write his novel.
Time people, make some. I know I do. Ok, today I blew it and let myself stay in bed all the way till 6:30. You can't blame me. Mrs. Stroock was too much of an alluring S beneath the blanket not to snuggle up to for a while. After that I got my coffee (life blood) and was writing this post by 6:40.
You think any of the gals in that bookstore or the ones who are cheering them on were up at 6:30 and thought they slept in? Look up what the feminist harpy Elizabeth Wurtzel was doing on 9/11. These people will sleep through anything.
Really, come on, girls. There's a fiction gap? I suppose maybe, for example, in historical literature. One suspects that most of your 19th century frontier novels were written by men. Most of the hardy frontier women were too busy, you know, with the household chores and just didn't have the free time of your modern, urban and hip young women with degrees from the writing program at Oberlin.
Have these gals been to a B&N lately? Have they seen the sea of romance novels, vampire lit and pastel clad tomes about pretty urban young women with great careers living in exposed brick apartments but still somehow single?
You know what there's a dearth of? Men's lit. That's why everyone I know who is writing about stuff men like (explosions, tits) is indy.
Hey, you want to write your feminist tome? I'm all for it. Get to work.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Trumped Up and out of the Bushs
So this whole 'Russian' narrative about President Trump has blown up in the Media's (the pervs) face, eh?
This weekend President Trump looked at this emerging scandal and came to the obvious and only possible conclusion: Barry bugged Trump tower.
Now this blog is not really interested in dissecting the day's political happenings per se, but we will note that we're having a great time watching the lying pedophile apologists in the Media have to either disavow their own reporting or confirm what President Trump already knows. Say it again: Barry bugged Trump Tower.
Had this happened during the Bush Admin, and lets even imagine that Jeb! was somehow president, there'd be furious denials, earnest recaps of how no one in the campaign had any dealings with the Russians, Jeff Sessions is just the best.... etc....etc...
You get what I mean.
Instead of hemming and hawing, President Trump simply stated the truth, once more: Barry bugged Trump Tower.
Narrative changed.
This story is now about the communist Media and Barry, did I mention he bugged Trump Tower?
Watergate this, Motherfuckers.
This weekend President Trump looked at this emerging scandal and came to the obvious and only possible conclusion: Barry bugged Trump tower.
Now this blog is not really interested in dissecting the day's political happenings per se, but we will note that we're having a great time watching the lying pedophile apologists in the Media have to either disavow their own reporting or confirm what President Trump already knows. Say it again: Barry bugged Trump Tower.
Had this happened during the Bush Admin, and lets even imagine that Jeb! was somehow president, there'd be furious denials, earnest recaps of how no one in the campaign had any dealings with the Russians, Jeff Sessions is just the best.... etc....etc...
You get what I mean.
Instead of hemming and hawing, President Trump simply stated the truth, once more: Barry bugged Trump Tower.
Narrative changed.
This story is now about the communist Media and Barry, did I mention he bugged Trump Tower?
Watergate this, Motherfuckers.
Morning Thoughts on the Wimin's Strike
So today is some kind of International Women's Strike.
The jokes write themselves...does this mean no nagging today?
Awwww...honey, are you mad?
In short feminists are miserable and they want all the women who landed husbands and have kids and houses and such to be miserable too.
But what about the women's lib movement you ask.
Don't kid yourself, Betty Friedan didn't liberate anyone, technology did. You know who got women out of the house? Whoever invented the clothes washer, the dish washer, the range oven, the vacuum cleaner and all the other household items that grandma kept house with after the war. Women got out of the house and went to work because there was no need for them to be in the house all day. Hey, there's a reason why the soaps come on at noon. The kids are school, the roast is in the oven, the dry cleaning has been picked up, and the Mrs. has a few hours to herself.
And let's get something straight, I did Mr. Mom duty with all three of my girls. So when it comes to taking care of babies and keeping house I know what the fuck I'm talking about.
Look, folks, I think most women would probably prefer having husband, home and family and getting into the workforce or going back to the workforce, when the kids are old enough. This whole feminism thing is for women of privilege who want to be doctors or lawyers or generals or something. I don't see any of them clambering to become plumbers or electrical linesmen.
No, the boys can do those jobs, am I right, Gloria?
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
World War 1990: ANZACs
As noted before ANZACs is 55,000 words and counting. The plot and narrative are done what remains is the wrap up, lose ends and details. For example:
-What do the Kiwi's call themselves?
-What do the Aussies call themselves?
-What do they call the Vietnamese?
-What is Vietnamese fighter-jock nomenclature?
-What exactly is the Soviet involvement here? Cam Ranh Bay is after all a Soviet naval base?
Etc....etc...
Ok, now here's a big one. Just how many Maori and Aborigines should be in the story?
Actually I've been writing ANZACs with a bit different style, limiting the number of Vietnamese characters. Usually when I write the cadence goes A then B, A then B and usually with scenes with one POV character. I've been having scenes open with say, an Australian tank commander, then onto a different tank entirely before shifting back to the tank commander.
Just trying to shake things up a bit. ANZACs will have the same feel as the others, but a slightly different cadence, say 3/4 time instead of 4/4.
They can't all sound the same, can they?
-What do the Kiwi's call themselves?
-What do the Aussies call themselves?
-What do they call the Vietnamese?
-What is Vietnamese fighter-jock nomenclature?
-What exactly is the Soviet involvement here? Cam Ranh Bay is after all a Soviet naval base?
Etc....etc...
Ok, now here's a big one. Just how many Maori and Aborigines should be in the story?
Actually I've been writing ANZACs with a bit different style, limiting the number of Vietnamese characters. Usually when I write the cadence goes A then B, A then B and usually with scenes with one POV character. I've been having scenes open with say, an Australian tank commander, then onto a different tank entirely before shifting back to the tank commander.
Just trying to shake things up a bit. ANZACs will have the same feel as the others, but a slightly different cadence, say 3/4 time instead of 4/4.
They can't all sound the same, can they?
Tuesday Tally
Modern Westerns Edition
This is a list of the best 21st century westerns. By westerns we mean law movies taking place in the west, but in the modern era.
No Country for Old Men: This is the Cohen Brother's masterpiece. In West Texas we have an innocent man in way over his head being chased by drug dealers, more drug dealers and the law, played magnificently by Tommy Lee Jones who stands in contrast to the Psycho-killer Anton Chigurh. The mood and feel of this film are just brilliant. As the protagonist Josh Brolin gives his best performance. (Ok this one takes place in 1980, which is important to the film's feel, but it was made in the 21st Century).
Hell or High Water: This one is in central Texas and follows two brothers on a crime spree, robbing the branches of a bank that's about to foreclose on the family ranch and then using their own money to pay them back. For mood we have the great plains of central Texas and all around towns are dying and homes are being repossessed. Jeff Bridges plays the law this time, to excellent effect.
Sicario: We follow Emily Blunt as an FBI agent completely over her head in the border drug war. The cartels are using terrorist tactics, the government is using Delta Force teams, the DEA is waterboarding suspects. This movie is almost anti-feminist. Played by Benicio Del Toro this time the psycho-killer is on our side, hunting down Mexican drug cartel king pins. Josh Brolin is a CIA spook running operations and gives another fine performance as a free-wheeling, free-spirit in flip flops.
True Detective Season 1: Marty Hart and Rustin Kohle track a satanic cult in western Louisianan. Hart is the straight man to Kohle's damaged, philosophical Kohle who with just a tweak could be in the satanic cult himself, and maybe he is. I was never a Mathew McConaughey fan, until this.
Again mood is key here. Oil refineries, meth dealers the grind of slow misery of southwest LA's poor. Watch out for anyone wearing anything yellow.
*I've read that a Sicario sequel is planned, Soldado. Please lord, make this happen.
This is a list of the best 21st century westerns. By westerns we mean law movies taking place in the west, but in the modern era.
No Country for Old Men: This is the Cohen Brother's masterpiece. In West Texas we have an innocent man in way over his head being chased by drug dealers, more drug dealers and the law, played magnificently by Tommy Lee Jones who stands in contrast to the Psycho-killer Anton Chigurh. The mood and feel of this film are just brilliant. As the protagonist Josh Brolin gives his best performance. (Ok this one takes place in 1980, which is important to the film's feel, but it was made in the 21st Century).
Hell or High Water: This one is in central Texas and follows two brothers on a crime spree, robbing the branches of a bank that's about to foreclose on the family ranch and then using their own money to pay them back. For mood we have the great plains of central Texas and all around towns are dying and homes are being repossessed. Jeff Bridges plays the law this time, to excellent effect.
Sicario: We follow Emily Blunt as an FBI agent completely over her head in the border drug war. The cartels are using terrorist tactics, the government is using Delta Force teams, the DEA is waterboarding suspects. This movie is almost anti-feminist. Played by Benicio Del Toro this time the psycho-killer is on our side, hunting down Mexican drug cartel king pins. Josh Brolin is a CIA spook running operations and gives another fine performance as a free-wheeling, free-spirit in flip flops.
True Detective Season 1: Marty Hart and Rustin Kohle track a satanic cult in western Louisianan. Hart is the straight man to Kohle's damaged, philosophical Kohle who with just a tweak could be in the satanic cult himself, and maybe he is. I was never a Mathew McConaughey fan, until this.
Again mood is key here. Oil refineries, meth dealers the grind of slow misery of southwest LA's poor. Watch out for anyone wearing anything yellow.
*I've read that a Sicario sequel is planned, Soldado. Please lord, make this happen.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Not Metal Monday, Kurt Cobain's Sweater Edition
It's hard to disagree with this list of the 25 most influential Grunge albums:
For younger reader(s) the four most important Grunge acts in order of import were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden and Alice Chains.
Even though nearly every alternative act of the day, especially those from Seattle, were all lumped together as grunge bands, the truth is that they each had their own style and sound. But at their core was some mixture of ‘70s hard rock and ‘80s punk, two genres that been at odds with each other and had different legions of fans. In other words, grunge made it safe for people to like both Black Sabbath and the Replacements, who, by the way, liked Black Sabbath.Its two biggest bands, Nirvana and Pearl Jam, served the same roles in the grunge movement as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones did during the British Invasion. One made the immediate impact but burned out quickly with a member still going strong
Ironically this is also the reverse list of musical talent. Nirvana was basically just a punk band while Pearl Jam sounded like a metal band that changed its sound just as metal was dying off. I think Sound Garden's Chris Cornell had the best vocals and musically was the most interesting. Alice in Chains is still around and produced the most diverse music.
Now, nothing Pearl Jam did after Ten and Animal matter to Grunge, I've never bought another one of their albums except the I got id single. Listen to those tracks and tell me these guys weren't influenced by metal.
I never liked Nirvana, man, but their MTV Unplugged performance is probably the most memorable of any Unplugged performance.
I'm glad the list mentioned Smashing Pumpkins as a top Grunge act. To be honest Billy Corgan insists they were always a prog rock band and he does love him some Rush, but those early albums were heavy on the power chords. Go listen to Rocket, it just rocks. 25 years after the fact I still get chills from the song.
Courtney Love and Hole of course make this list, and not just because they needed a girl.
To my knowledge there's never been a Grunge doc made except for the Grunge segment of Metal Evolution. None of these guys would admit to metal influence and a lot of that snobbery from the early 90's was still there. Come on guys, you're grown men. Other kinds of music are good too, even if you don't like it.
Courtney Love and Hole of course make this list, and not just because they needed a girl.
To my knowledge there's never been a Grunge doc made except for the Grunge segment of Metal Evolution. None of these guys would admit to metal influence and a lot of that snobbery from the early 90's was still there. Come on guys, you're grown men. Other kinds of music are good too, even if you don't like it.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
WTF 2000's
By 2000's I mean Millennials.
Look, folks, I've defended them in this space before, and I still maintain that most of the bad press they're getting; 1-only applies to the hyper-educated elite, and 2-is coming from Balding Boomers pissed off that they're old.
That said, when I read this I thought it was a joke:
I don’t know how to do a lot of basic shit. I can only barely use a cordless power drillI should note for record that author Chelsea Fagan is cute enough., and most baked goods I attempt come out with a texture somewhere between sand and the compressed wood chip material inside an IKEA end table. I still struggle with understanding a lot of financial concepts, and the minor repairs I’ve made on tears in my clothing end up looking like an offensive hobo Halloween costume. I’ve literally missed out on packages I was excited about being delivered because I was too lazy to go to the post office in another borough. I’m bad at a lot of stuff, and a lot of basic elements of being a ~functional adult~ still escape me, and I know that.
[Now why does that matter?-Ed]. What you have some other criteria for how I should judge women?
Like I said, I thought it was a joke, some kind of performance art. Then I saw this:
Get your car's oil changed? That's adulting. Cook dinner instead of order takeout? That's adulting.I first read that and thought, 'Well I don't do any work on my car and....' then I read it closer. They're not teaching these dolts how to change their oil, they're teaching them how to pay someone to change their oil.
And now a new school in Maine, called the Adulting School, is dedicated to teaching skills like these to fledgling adults so they can become successful grown-ups.
One day I'll write about what I was like in the 90's and how I transformed [did you just come out -Ed] Shut the fuck up, Ed,...how I transformed in the 2000's and became the man who is writing this blog post. I've always been pretty tough on the 1995-2000 Will. He was a pretty shiftless young man, lazy, unmotivated. Mostly he was a college dropout and was just confused as all hell.
For quick reference I was more or less the Seth Rogan character in the masterpiece, The 40 Year Old Virgin [Masterpiece? Seriously? -Ed] and Knocked Up.
Reading these articles gives me great pause. I may have been an idiot pool lifeguard in 1997 ($6:15 an hour), but I paid my bills. I could change a tire. I replaced the batteries in my smoke alarm. I may have eaten crap for dinner every night but at least I made it myself...etc. etc.
Perhaps I'm too rough on young Will?
Anyway, my advice to Chelsea [Did she ask you, motherfucker? -Ed] is to stop regarding Amy Schummer and Sarah Silverman as role models (you're Irish for the love of god), ask your mom for a few simple recipes, and never, ever sleep past 7 AM, even on the weekends.
You got a lot going for you, young lady. Smart, pretty [there you go again -Ed], yeah, because women hate being told they're pretty...let's make this happen.
Will's Good Idea for the Week of 3-5-17: The Austrian Painter
Alert and loyal reader Marky Mark want's to know why I'm toying with an alternate history that 'romanticizes' Hitler.
He's noticed something here in the title, The Austrian Painter.
This novel will take place in 1964, just like Robert Harris' excellent Fatherland. It's really about a world where the Great War never happens. Germany's great Schleifen Plan succeeds, knocking France out of the war and the next year they turn on and crush Russia.
In the aftermath Germany and Britain come to an understanding. Germany takes a small piece of France, a sliver of Belgium and all of Luxembourg. More importantly they take the Congo, French Equatorial Africa and Gabon, making them masters of Central Africa. In Eastern Europe they create Poland as as a bulwark against Russia. They probably stab Austria in the back to set themselves up as the guarantors of an Eastern Europe free of Russian encroachment.
Now remember with no World War One there is no World War Two. Basically in this world the march of 19th century progress continues. There is no communism, at least no Soviet Union. No nuclear weapons yet. Heck, there's no space program.
We welcome reader ideas as to what is and is not happening in this universe.
Now, the vehicle for this story is a 75 year old Adolph Hitler. Here he's the kindly old man down the hall for whom well meaning parents make their children do chores and drop off mother's home backed muffins and such.
Why do it this way?
Because I think its interesting. I think its science fiction. I think its thought provoking. We all no Hitler was evil. What if he wasn't?
That's alternate history.
He's noticed something here in the title, The Austrian Painter.
This novel will take place in 1964, just like Robert Harris' excellent Fatherland. It's really about a world where the Great War never happens. Germany's great Schleifen Plan succeeds, knocking France out of the war and the next year they turn on and crush Russia.
In the aftermath Germany and Britain come to an understanding. Germany takes a small piece of France, a sliver of Belgium and all of Luxembourg. More importantly they take the Congo, French Equatorial Africa and Gabon, making them masters of Central Africa. In Eastern Europe they create Poland as as a bulwark against Russia. They probably stab Austria in the back to set themselves up as the guarantors of an Eastern Europe free of Russian encroachment.
Now remember with no World War One there is no World War Two. Basically in this world the march of 19th century progress continues. There is no communism, at least no Soviet Union. No nuclear weapons yet. Heck, there's no space program.
We welcome reader ideas as to what is and is not happening in this universe.
Now, the vehicle for this story is a 75 year old Adolph Hitler. Here he's the kindly old man down the hall for whom well meaning parents make their children do chores and drop off mother's home backed muffins and such.
Why do it this way?
Because I think its interesting. I think its science fiction. I think its thought provoking. We all no Hitler was evil. What if he wasn't?
That's alternate history.
Friday, March 3, 2017
The Gen X Style
We've written before about Generation X and Balding Boomer excess. The last time we did so we made a reference to the Balding Boom getting old quickly while Generation X has not.
I mean, by 1985 your average Balding Boomer was wrinkled balding and overweight, clinging desperately to his misspent youth and on the verge of buying a sports care in an attempt to recapture same.
Generation X doesn't really look like that, the question is why?
I think for starters we're the first ones to come of age with a workout culture; aerobics, running, weights, and most Gen Xrs have kept it up. I know I have.
There's a lot of large, burly 40ish men out there. Between exercise and nutrition Generation X produced the biggest men in American history. By the time I was 18 I was as large as football players from the 1950s (6-0, 200). My grandfather used to give me all kinds of crap for looking like a piano mover and not some nice Jewish lawyer.
On the female side a lot of women differed motherhood for a while and thus aged differently. The exercise and nutrition have been great for the gals too. Look folks, in 1985 there were no MILFs. I'm proud and delighted to say that Generation X is full of them. God bless the modern fashion of form fitting jeans and boots.
Stylistically Generation X keeps it crisp. Nothing too fancy, T-shirt and jeans with a decent set of sneakers. Pressed shorts in the summer. At least that's how I role. I call it the 'Simon Cowell' look. [Did you just come out?-ed] You wish, motherfucker.
What a 50ish Gen Xer will look and feel like remains to be seen, but it will be seen soon...yikes.
I mean, by 1985 your average Balding Boomer was wrinkled balding and overweight, clinging desperately to his misspent youth and on the verge of buying a sports care in an attempt to recapture same.
Generation X doesn't really look like that, the question is why?
I think for starters we're the first ones to come of age with a workout culture; aerobics, running, weights, and most Gen Xrs have kept it up. I know I have.
There's a lot of large, burly 40ish men out there. Between exercise and nutrition Generation X produced the biggest men in American history. By the time I was 18 I was as large as football players from the 1950s (6-0, 200). My grandfather used to give me all kinds of crap for looking like a piano mover and not some nice Jewish lawyer.
On the female side a lot of women differed motherhood for a while and thus aged differently. The exercise and nutrition have been great for the gals too. Look folks, in 1985 there were no MILFs. I'm proud and delighted to say that Generation X is full of them. God bless the modern fashion of form fitting jeans and boots.
Stylistically Generation X keeps it crisp. Nothing too fancy, T-shirt and jeans with a decent set of sneakers. Pressed shorts in the summer. At least that's how I role. I call it the 'Simon Cowell' look. [Did you just come out?-ed] You wish, motherfucker.
What a 50ish Gen Xer will look and feel like remains to be seen, but it will be seen soon...yikes.
Friday Updates
Nothing new on Pershing in Command, a publisher is still considering it.
We are very pleased to report that after lopping 12,000 words off World War 1990: ANZACs we've gotten it back up to 55,000.
This is pretty much all I've been doing this week.
I've done a bit of research into the young Adolph Hitler for the proposed alternate history novel The Austrian Painter. The real question here is what happens after the Germans defeat France in 1914 and crush Russia in 1915.
We are very pleased to report that after lopping 12,000 words off World War 1990: ANZACs we've gotten it back up to 55,000.
This is pretty much all I've been doing this week.
I've done a bit of research into the young Adolph Hitler for the proposed alternate history novel The Austrian Painter. The real question here is what happens after the Germans defeat France in 1914 and crush Russia in 1915.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
A Casualty in the Culture War
A gentlemen who sent an unfortunate tweet during President Trump's speech has endured a lot of social condemnation, ostracism and now job loss:
I'm reminded of the Chick-Fil-A guy who lost his job after posting a video of himself harassing a Chick-fil-A employee at the drive thru:
Mr. Smith's transgression was a whole lot worse. Here we have part of the elite, the credentialed class harassing an hourly worker because he doesn't like her employer's policy on gay marriage or, something. It's hard to keep track of lefty priorities.
I hate these social lynch mobs. Of course the 20th Air Force hated firebombing Japanese cities but it had to be done.
Maybe when it happens to them enough the left will stop and we can all be rational again.
Until then its scorched earth.
Your rules Saul, your rules.
A former Hillary Clinton volunteer drew swift condemnation -- and lost his job -- after mocking the widow of a fallen Navy SEAL who was honored by the president during his congressional address Tuesday night.The man in question was not even a party flunky but a campaign volunteer who seems to opine a lot on political issues. He felt that Sgt. Owen's wife was being used as a prop and said so.
Dan Grilo, who said in his Twitter profile that he was a former volunteer for both Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, made the remarks after Trump paid tribute to Carryn Owens. She is the widow of U.S. Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, who was killed in a counterterrorism raid in Yemen last month.
I'm reminded of the Chick-Fil-A guy who lost his job after posting a video of himself harassing a Chick-fil-A employee at the drive thru:
I hate these social lynch mobs. Of course the 20th Air Force hated firebombing Japanese cities but it had to be done.
Maybe when it happens to them enough the left will stop and we can all be rational again.
Until then its scorched earth.
Your rules Saul, your rules.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Unraveling Further
This article by Kurt Schlichter, a few years old now, is one of the most important pieces I've ever read
Today in America, a despised minority that is really no minority is the target of an establishment that considers this minority unworthy of respect, unworthy of rights, and unworthy of having a say in the direction of this country. It’s an establishment that has one law for itself, and another for its enemies. It’s an establishment that inflicts an ever-increasing series of petty humiliations on its opponents and considers this all hilarious.
That’s a recipe for disaster. You cannot expect to change the status quo for yourself and then expect those you victimize not to play by the new rules you have created. You cannot expect to be able to discard the rule of law in favor of the rule of force and have those you target not respond in kind.
Mr. Schlichter goes on at some length pointing out the obvious. We'll get to that in a moment.
Much of what President Trump is going to do to the left and the government over the next few years is just fair play. Gorsuch is going to be confirmed, Obamacare will be repealed, whatever it takes.
Now over the last year or so we've seen leftist Black Block riots against Trump and Trump supporters. I expect that violence to get worse.
Here's the thing. These Black Block types are messing with the wrong people.
Here's a clip of Bikers beating the tar out of some anti-Trump protesters. Here's some bikers vs flag burners. Here's Gavin McInnes throwing some punches.
Even more remarkable are these clips of some pissed off ranchers standing down the Feds:
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