Shortage of meat on the horizon so prices are going up. This is no surprise, we've seen prices going up forever. But, when have you ever seen prices go down? Once they go up, they rarely come down.
This is a book of Cold War intrigue but not a book to keep you up late to read the next chapter. To steal plans from a lab in eastern Europe, you would expect an elite team to be sent in or at least a James Bond. In this story, they are sending in a circus. The first thing I noticed was that the author was getting rid of characters fairly soon, narrowing the field for heroes. The main character is an aerialist and mentalist whose feats are far-fetched and greatly exaggerated. I find the character unlikable. The main female character is an inept CIA agent, chosen for her looks rather than her intelligence. It's an easy read and might even be considered a YA yarn.
I think my wife is a swear magnet. I'll explain. I'm watching a movie on TV and she will walk through the room. At that moment someone on TV will say the four letter word. It may be the only swear word in that movie but it will happen when she walks through that room. I'm thinking that as soon as I see her coming, I should cut the sound.
Funds for protection are always reduced in the times of peace when there are no problems. Why spend money on the military? It seems like such a waste. That money can be put to better use. Only hindsight will tell us what a mistake we have made. Of course then it is too late. And when the danger has passed? Have we learned a lesson? Probably not.
This is episode four in the James Ogilvie series. In this episode, the story confronts the subject of homosexuality in the British army and the stigma attached to it. Throughout the whole book, it is the underlying story with a sad ending. It starts of with Ogilvie getting away from crawling over dead bodies to take up teaching native recruits. Even then he still ends up at the Khyber Pass with snipers and skirmishers, outnumbered and fighting his way out. A good story with not as much blood and gore as usual.
This is the story of a washed up baseball player, now a petty criminal, neither career amounting to anything, looking for the next score. He meets his match with a seductress who pushes her boundaries and drags him along. It is not a western as I first suspected but tries to be a crime novel that comes off more like a bunch of juvenile delinquents. More talk than action.
It seems like a plague. Every time a reporter asks the guest a question, he is answered with, "That'a a great question." Can't they be truthful sometimes and say, "That's a stupid question." Or, "Why would you ask a question like that?" Makes me wonder if they are rewarded with a great answer.
For one reason or another, everyone has anxiety. The Corona virus may cause it now, we all had it before the virus came along. For some of us it may be caused by stress or financial concerns. For others, it is always a part of their daily life.
My wife gave me a haircut yesterday. It was kind of scraggy. She used the clippers on the back and did the rest with scissors. When she was finished, I rubbed my hand over my head and it didn't feel much different than when the barber cut it. I can't see it and no one else cares. At a time like now, I will hardly be seeing anyone. This is not the first time she cut my hair. She did it for a number of years. I can't remember why we stopped. Anyway, good for another month.
This is a slice of American history brought on by the depression, lack of education and alcoholism. Violence is a given. It follows the American tradition of making outlaws into folk heroes. It is a good story but I had a problem with the sequence of chapters. The numbers were in sequence but not the content. It kept jumping back and forth between the years making it hard to follow. If you like this era of history, you will enjoy the book.
Sometimes when a computer gets a virus, we give it a reboot. It appears the world is in the same situation. We have been given a reboot. I wonder if they have installed a new program and if it really works? Maybe the virus stays with us and we will need another reboot.
In a battle between good and evil, does good always win? I would like to think so but sometimes it may take a very long time, so that in some situations it seems that evil reigns supreme. True evil is eventually subdued but malice or hatred seem to go on indefinitely.
A headache from a hangover is an injury that is self inflicted. Theoretically you should be charged with assault. Then again, the headache is probably enough punishment.
"Long Range" is the 20th. installment of the Joe Pickett series. I've loved all these books and can't decide if this was the best so far. Lots of action and stories within stories. I was completely surprised to find out who the perpetrator was. The author kept me completely in the dark. It was an excellent story, well written and getting five stars.
During this lock down I decided to start a new hobby. And it is lip reading. What I found out was that I was really good at it when I kept the sound on up high. At other times, not so good. When the sound was turned off, the only word I really knew was the four letter word. They say, I don't know who "they' are but they seem to say a lot. Have you noticed that? Every time you turn around, it's, they say this, they say that. Anyway, they say that a person reads about every third word and just fills in the rest. Of course that means nothing if the person says the F word five times in a row.
I have this neighbor who lives around the corner from me. I think I've only seen him about three times in the past year. He has a hedge around his house, overgrown to all proportions so that you can hardly see his house and nothing of his yard. He is about 6' 6" tall and broad shouldered with a grey beard down to his belt. He also wears a kilt. When I first saw him, I thought to myself that if I had been an 18th. century English soldier in the highlands of Scotland and saw this guy running towards me wielding a broadsword, I would run like hell. Perception. The next time I saw him he was walking his dog. You're probably expecting him to have something like a Scottish Deerhound or such. I swear, I think that the weight of the dog leash was more than the weight of the dog. So now I saw him walking over the highlands with the tiny dog cradled to his Brest minus the broadsword. Perception. (A way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.)
