Bosch

When I read the Det. Bosch series, I always think of Humphrey Bogart playing the part.

"The Ninja" by Eric Van Lustbader

Like any novel, it starts of with its list of characters. As the story evolves, most of the them are killed off. It makes a compact story with few characters remaining at the end. It goes back and forth between two time periods: the 60's and the present. I thought it would be an exciting story but it just seemed to drag on. There were boring parts that seemed to have no end. Don't think I'll be reading any more in this series. 

Funerals

It seems that since I have been in my 70's, I'm always going to funerals. It's like a part time job, with meals.

Dreams

Forget the past and the future with its unknowns, live in the present.

"Ashes of the Elements" by Alys Clare

This is the second in "The Hakenlye" series. It has an exciting opening giving you an anticipation of what is to come. But it is light reading, silly at times. Perhaps the author, on realizing this, decided to spice up the story with sex scenes, the worse being a gang rape. She also is trying to push the nun into something sexual. Not a way to make the book interesting. Gave it three stars.

Scams

Not all scam criminals are stupid, contrary to what some law enforcement and newscasters tell us. Take for example telephone scam artists. Some have put a lot of thought into this and over the years have become quite successful. They have a good idea who will fall into their trap, the naïve and elderly. 
I received a phone call yesterday at 6:20 AM. A woman said she was from VISA and was calling to check on two charges to my card. If I wanted to question these charges, press two. I did. A man with an Indian accent answered the phone. I was hardly surprised. Yes, he could help me. All I had to do was give him my credit card number. I laughed and hung up the phone.

Jerk

Anyone can be a jerk. 
Minimum effort required.

Mail

Scraggly Hair Style

I don't like the new scraggly hair style. Looks like they are too lazy to comb it.

"Not Safe After Dark" by Peter Robinson

This is a collection of 20 short stories, three of them Banks stories and one of them a novella. Some of the stories were good and a few were better. The story I liked the best was 'Carrion'. Took me in, hook, line and sinker. The novella I had read as a stand alone story and it was also included in another short story collection. Gave it three stars.

"Frost at Christmas" by R.D. Wingfield

This is the first in the Inspector Frost detective series. It is the story of a missing child. I have read a number of  detective series and was looking forward to a new one, but that will not happen with this series. I didn't get very far into the book because i disliked the dialogue. Found it ridiculous. Gave it two stars.

Shout

Saw this product called Shout. I think you spray it on marks on clothing, then hold it up to your face and yell at it. Seems to work well. 

War

War is socially sanctioned murder.

First Love

One never forgets their first love .... Darn!

"When Eight Bells Toll" by Alistair MacLean

"When Eight Bells Toll" is a spy novel. It is characteristic of that genre written in the 50's. If you replaced the main character Calvert with James Bond, you would get a similar take on the book. It involves piracy on the coast of Scotland with the Secret Service to the rescue. The first part reminds me of the opening of a Bond film, instant excitement before the credits start rolling. Although the action was fairly fast paced, I was not too excited about the ending. The explanation for the sequences of events was long drawn out and tiring. Four stars for me.

Walking Piano

This is a 1988
Walking Piano
Magazine Ad with
Bobby Short
Measures 10 1/2" x 8 1/4"

Alberta

Saw this ad. Winter in Alberta. Experience it. My first thought was: You must be crazy.

This is a 1967  

Smirnoff Vodka  

Magazine Ad  

Measures 10" x 13 1/2"

The Bearded Wonder can climb small buildings with the help of a ladder.

The trouble with weather forecasts is that they are all different.

A Beard

A Beard Gives you Hair On Your Face not Intelligence.

Some Bamboo grow 3 meters in a day. That is a lot of meters.

Amazon promises 1 million new jobs in India amid tensions with government. Just what we need... More Indians on the phone.

Snowstorm

The thing about a snow storm, it releases you from all expectations for the day, except to shovel snow when it is finished.

John Crosbie

Watching the news on CBC. "You are now watching the John Crosbie special. I thought it was a musical or something. But alas, it was a funeral.

Prince Harry and Meghan

The amount of naivety in people never ceases to amaze me. It is said to be the charm of the innocent and the unsophisticated. I fail to find the charm in the lack of worldly knowledge. Believing in all they see and hear, especially on TV or over the Internet. The watchers of reality shows and the followers of celebrities spending their time enthralled by lies. Reality shows are scripted  and rehearsed. Even Survivor uses doubles.
What about Prince Harry and Meghan? Royalty, at least he is, but also celebrities. Being an actress, she was a minor celebrity before. It always amazes me how Royalty are attracted to actresses, like moths to a flame.
As a part of the Royal mob, they had duties, cutting ribbons at supermarkets and old peoples homes etc. I don't think they got paid extra if you discount the free food.
At the present time, Harry is busy studying his new religion. Converted by Meghan, to the American religion of greed. She took a look at these extra duties where there was no extra cash. Not the American way. Their time is valuable and should be compensated for. Here they are, Harry with his $40 million, her with her $5 million, the bank account not increasing while they sat on a potential gold mine. It would be so un-American not to cash in on her new status. Meghan must be embarrassed, her a Royal and having only $5 million.
This couple reminds me of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Remember them. He gave up the crown for her, another American and then backed Hitler in the hope of getting it back. They were the top celebrities of the time, invited to all the parties. Of course, if they did show up, they expected payment.
So now, the Royal couple move to Canada, in the first step of cashing in. They blame a number of reasons for the move, not forgetting the race card. With the move comes a security bill, which Canada has to pay, willingly it appears. It appears we want to help them fatten their bank account. I read an article yesterday from a newspaper journalist in Ont. He blamed the willingness of some to pay the security bill as stinginess. What an ass.

"The Night Fire" by Michael Connelly

In this book, Connelly has combined the characters of his three successes. Bosch, Ballard and Haller, working at times together, at other times working alone. It all ties together in the end to produce a great novel. Personally, this is be one of my favorites.

Voting

When voting, we are unable to make a good decision and therefore vote for those who cannot make a good decision.

Christmas

Before Christmas we have a fat bank account and a slim body. After Christmas we have a slim bank account and a fat body. 

"Blue Moon" by Lee Child

"Blue Moon" is book #24 in the Jack Reacher series. Always willing to help the down trodden, Reacher goes above and beyond to help an old couple being used and abused by loan sharks. I found the center of the book a bit boring, non events happening. It did pick up and Reacher seemed to go over to the dark side, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. As always, he moves on, but now caries the cloak of a thief and mass murderer. 

Whiskey Cavalier

This could have been a good series, if they had not gone the route of making it a comedy. I like spy comedies about as much as I like  WW 2 prison camp comedies. 

Political Correctness

Don't let political correctness stop you from saying or doing the right thing.

Stupid Person of the Year Award

They should have a most stupid person of the year award. My choice would be Prince Harry.

Work

Intelligence

Remember that when you are in the room with a doctor, he or she may not be the smartest person in the room.

1960 Pontiac

This is an original 1960
Pontiac Magazine Ad

Measures 14" x 10 1/2"

Medical Schools

In Canada, medical schools are more interested in who your relatives are than in your intelligence.

"Like A Virgin" by Peter Robinson

"Like a Virgin" is a novella included in a book of short stories. It relates to an case early in Bank's career when he was still in London, I find the interviews with both victims and aggressors, shorter and smoother, compared with the last books. As usual he seems to spend half of his time on the job and the other half in a pub. The story gives insight into his way of life at that time and reasons for the move north. Like a lot of books and movies, there is a broad hint of who an upcoming victim will be. Although there are a lot of bodies being tossed about, in the end, justice is served. And to top it of, the book was a good collection of stories. 

Deaf

Some people are deaf to what they don't want to hear.

Skills

There is a certain satisfaction in mastering a skill …. any skill.

This is an original 1891 Magazine Ad for Eastman Kodak Measures 2" x 4"

KFC

I can tell that KFC is back in the area. Saw my first discarded pop container on the side of the road.

"The Price of Love" by Peter Robinson

This is a good selection of short stories and a novella. They are not all Alan Banks stories, but a wide variety of other reads. Most enjoyable.

"The Bourne Ascendancy" by Lustbader, Eric Van

"The Bourne Ascendancy" is #12 in the Bourne series. One thing you can always say about a Bourne novel, there is never a dull moment or a lack of bodies. A surprise in this novel is that a couple of the bad guys actually go to jail. Bourne seems that he is always getting beaten to a pulp, but like Hulk Hogan, down on the mat, he raises his hand in the air and comes back from certain defeat.

"Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham

"Skipping Christmas", a book and a movie. This is a holiday theme book, a humorous reality check of Christmas. This is a fast paced book, a light read for the holidays. I wanted a something to read over the Christmas period and this fell into my hands. It elaborates on the time spent and the expenses involved to celebrate Christmas. It is humorous, making one think of their own festivities or folly. Through all the turmoil of the holidays, it does end up with the meaning of Christmas.

Doctor Shortage

I think we have lost a lot of potentially good doctors because of political correctness and multiculturalism.