The Death of Kings (John Madden, #5) by Rennie Airth

 

A novel displaying good police work, the case evolving step by step but no surprises.

Ambush (Sydney Rose Parnell, #3) by Barbara Nickless

 

What I can say about this book is that it is continual excitement from beginning to end. Great book.

Hospital Visit

Had to pay a visit to the hospital last evening to get an x-ray of my thumb. A couple of weeks ago, it started popping out at the joint. I tell you that's a surprise when it happens. Went to the doctor last week and then I had to make an appointment for the x-ray. So now I wait for the doctor to call to see what this is all about. You don't know how much you use your thumb until you lose the use of it. A simple job like opening the button on my pants is difficult. 

Problem Solving

 

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to walk away from it. 

Political Message

 AH - CHOO

"I'm Joe Sneeze and I approve this message."

Point of View

No matter what your point of view is, you will always find someone who will say the opposite.

Rescued Fan

The other day I noticed my neighbor throwing out a vertical fan into the garbage. My air force electronics training makes me want to look at this. So I grabbed it and took it apart to see what the problem was. Usually these things need a spot of oil to unseize the motor. It wasn't the motor and the actual problem really surprised me. It was a blown fuse. The blown fuse didn't surprise me, it was the idea of having a fuse in a fan. Never seen that before. It was a small glass fuse and I couldn't find a replacement, so I used a larger glass fuse and hard wired it in. Worked like a charm and I have another fan. 

Commiting a Crime

 

One thing I learned from watching crime shows is that if you commit a crime, make sure you go to your job the next day. Police love to 

hear, "He didn't show up for work today."

 

Gossip

If you tell a secret or gossip about someone, no matter how far away they are, they will probably hear it. 

"Streets of Laredo" by Larry Murtry

When I started this book, I didn't know if this was a serious story or a comedy and whether I should continue reading it. Then the excessive treatment of the Mexican woman made up my mind. I just skimmed thru the rest of the book just to see who would meet their demise. 

Tim Horton's

I saw this ad on TV for Tim Horton's. It showed how easy it was to get a hamburger. The guy had a cell phone and on it was the picture of a hamburger. All he did was press a button and a hamburger jumped out. Now I would like to see that. But I may be out of luck there, I don't have a cell phone. 
I was at the Bank not too long ago and the cashier said I could do something with my cell phone. I told her I didn't have one and she almost fainted. Her mouth dropped to the floor and she had trouble speaking. When she finally recovered and asked me why, I asked her why I needed one. All she could say was but, but, but...

"Too Much Time": A Jack Reacher Short Story by Lee Child

Poor Reacher, he can even get in trouble when he is trying to be a good Samaritan, This is a Reacher novella. A great example of his deductive reasoning. 

"Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry

This is a long story, equal to three normal size books. If you are going to read it, be prepared for violence. It describes the life of cowboys, mostly during a cattle drive, where they are confronted by almost every calamity known to man.
It continually emphasizes the weaknesses of the cowboys and their frequent bouts of tears. A bunch of indecision makers concerned about what the others think of them. The women are the strong characters, nothing getting in the way of their goals.
The author has no remorse about the elimination of his characters, seldom dying in bed.

"Breakheart Pass" by Alistair MacLean

After I started this book I was surprised to find out it was a western. I did not expect it from this author. It was a very slow start and the plot was predictable. It was not a bad story but not what you call exciting. Not too many surprises. 

Tower of Babel

We all know that these days you can't believe anything you hear. All the broadcasted news has to have a spin on it. To bring us around to someone's way of thinking, hoping it will influence you next election choice. But this is nothing new, it's been going on forever. The Old Testament is notorious for it. Take for instance the Tower of Babel. There was such a tower and the rocks are now piled outside some city in Syria. In the Bible it says that God changed everyone's language so they couldn't cooperate to build the tower and were scattered. A great story but not true. 
At that time they used to make square pyramids. They were just square buildings. Each square added was smaller than the one before, so that there was space to walk around it. In other words, they were just hire rise office buildings. 
Nebuchadnezzar was the King at this time and he ruled over many lands and many languages. When he wanted a tower built, he would call in workers from all his kingdoms. They would come, speaking different languages, to build the tower. When they were finished, they were scattered, back to their own homeland. The other way makes a better story.

Love & Marriage

When you are young and in love, your loved one is everything. Then you get married and life hits you in the face.

"Badlands (Cassie Dewell, #2)" by C.J. Box

This is a modern western, fast moving with well defined characters. It has the background of cold whether in a North Dakota boom town rampant with drugs. Suspense builds at a good pace throughout the book and I had trouble putting it down. 
Cassie Dewell is a determined police woman who wants results even to the point of breaking the law. It wouldn't take much for her to slip to the dark side to get her desired results. She doesn't realize that she may have a kindred soul in her new superior. He knows her background and she may be just the kind of investigator he is looking for. 
Although in another state, she has not given up on the capture of The Lizard king, setting a trap in her spare time. 

T.V. Dinner

Food delivered to your door. The modern version of the T.V. dinner run rampant.

Roman Downfall

I can only read about the fall of the Roman empire, but I can watch it day by day as it happens in the U.S. I wonder if the Romans knew it was coming?

Movies

Speaking of time machines, which was yesterday, I doubt very much that man will go back in time. What we will have is the next best thing. And I'm talking about movies. We make movies now about history using actors and we get a glimpse of what history may have been like. I expect that in the future they will have computer programs, capturing all possible information about people and events and make a movie as close to reality as possible, without actors. It would be like watching the actual event unfold. Of course this will have to depend on the integrity of the producer. Hopefully the truth will be told.