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This Is Who We Are
The one thing you have to give to the GOP, they are well organized, and their messages no matter how toxic are specific and consistent. They have spent the past fifty years building towards this pivotal point in time. Half the states are controlled by maniac legislatures and governors intent on rolling their states back to the days of Jim Crow and women’s subjection, never mind more than half their constituents disagree with their policies. Those at the top both elected and not, are ramping it up every single day on every single media outlet. Make no mistake, they are winning the war of words with soundbites meant to inflame, intended to sow fear and fury, they are winning.
Before we proceed, let’s take a close look at what we are really talking about. For those who love this nation, who believe the words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the…
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Retro Quote – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy
“Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless.”
Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, On Life and Essays on Religion
My accompanied travelers
My life’s journey crossed significant bridges to become a college student, a military soldier, a husband, and a father.
I committed to a 25-year career that led me to my retirement bridge, crossing my abyss of excitement, fears, unknown possibilities, and imaginative opportunities of an uncharted world.
Other than consuming self-help retirement novels, I had no one individual who inspired or shaped my idea of retirement. I had ideas to conquer my bucket list of items, and I did. I settled into a permanent base camp of perpetual warmth and living near water to fulfill a dream.
As I nomadically travel around the US, I often reminisce about my ancestors and elder relatives who have died, never considering travel, let alone retirement, to enjoy outdoor leisure opportunities or hobbies beyond their careers of blue-collar work.
Oh, I’m sure they dreamed of retirement, but they live…
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Best Quotes of the Week – February 12, 2022
“The extremists have gone off the rails and chosen to endorse violence as ‘legitimate political discourse.’”
U.S. Rep Colin Allred, on a Republican Party resolution that downplays the January 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill as “legitimate political discourse”
“Throwing plastic into the sea is criminal. It kills biodiversity; it kills the Earth; it kills everything.”
Pope Francis, during an interview on Italy’s RAI
He added: “Looking after creation is an education (process) in which we must engage.” He also cited a song by Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos in which a boy asks his father why “the river no longer sings” and the father responds that “we finished it off”.
Francis also reiterated some key themes of his papacy, condemning excessive spending on armaments, defending the rights of migrants, and condemning ideological rigidity by conservatives in the Church.
Book Less
“I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [‘hard-core pornography’], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 1964
You know the old puzzle: if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, does it make a sound? Using that logic, if a book is published, and no one finds its content offensive, is it obscene?
Obscenity seems to be subjective. Right-wing extremists certainly feel that way, as they have (once again) assumed the role of moral overseer and decided they have the authority to determine what books are and are not appropriate for others to read. To we writers…
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Frank Mann, Aviation/Automotive Engineer
After the success of the book and film Hidden Figures which generated much deserved recognition for NASA employees Katherine Jonson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, the book with the eye catching title of Hidden Genius: Frank Mann, the Black Engineer Behind Howard Hughes came to our attention. It is the story of Frank Calvin Mann, as told by H. T. Bryer.
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Review of ‘Once Broken’
Jackie Martin felt abandoned after her father died when she was ten. As she grew older she became attracted to flawed men, leading to a relationship with Tony Salvucci, who abandons her after she become pregnant. She raises her daughter alone, determined to salvage her self-esteem and get revenge against Tony. Once Broken by D. M. Hamblin follows Jackie’s life over forty hears, as she learns the meaning of love and forgiveness, and how to live for the future regardless of the problems of the past.
A moving book that will, in places, move you to tears. I give it four stars.
Second Jacob Blade – Vigilante Has Brand New Cover
Book two in my Jacob Blade – Vigilante series now has a brand new cover. It’s still available, though, at the same great price of 99 cents. Check it out:
https://www.amazon.com/Jacob-Blade-Vigilante-Vengeance-Gunfighter-ebook/dp/B07MV9WZSY/
The latest Bass Reeves adventure
Get the latest adventure of Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves for your Kindle from Outlaws Publishing, LLC. Now available for only 99 cents. Bass is sent to arrest a young woman who has formed an outlaw gang that is terrorizing traffic on the Red River. You won’t want to miss this one.
Available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MP47117/
I’m in a new short story collection
It’s been a while since I wrote a short story. So, when I was asked to do one for a tribute volume to western author Scott Harris, I jumped at the chance. Believe it or not, my story was selected to open the book – how neat is that. A new offering from Dusty Saddle Publishing, and it’s quite a deal at only 99 cents.
Kindle version available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCNK39Z
Interviewed by Nick Wales on ‘Novel Ideas’
Read my interview with Nick Wales on his site, ‘Novel Ideas,’ talking about how I came to write westerns.
What Seeds Are You Sowing This Season?
Spring is finally here! Well, it has arrived in some parts of the U.S., it has certainly been missed here in Arkansas.
To sow a seed, in gardening terms is to get a seed ready to plant for something to grow. In spiritual terms, to sow a seed, means to give or do something for the purpose of growth.
There are 3 Ways I plan to Sow a Seed This Season:
Stewardship for my community, family and friends.
Self Care for me and my mental and physical wellness.
Surround myself with positive people and things.
If you’d like to see me chat more about sowing a seed, check out my video below:
Review of ‘Feasible Planet’
Have you ever wondered what one person can do to address the serious issue of climate change, and the danger that human-generated activities threaten life on this planet? If that sounds like too ponderous subject for you, then stop reading, because you will not be interested in what follows, or in the book, Feasible Planet by Ken Kroes.
An ambitious book that gives guidelines for more sustainable living, it cannot be read in a single sitting, and has many sections that those who just want it straight forward and unvarnished—or laden with too many complicated charts and formulae. If, however, you make it through, you will be better armed to help Earth survive.
At times, this book can be a bit overpowering, and it could have, I believe, gotten the message across with fifty percent fewer charts and graphs. Having said that, I still believe it is worth reading, and actually, strongly suggest that you do just that.
I received a free copy of this book, and give it four stars.
Charles Ray's Ramblings 