It’s the busy season, but what a delight that my third book of Summer 2024 is now available. SIMPLE GRIFTS by Max Cossack is a fun book to say the least. I have read every one of Max’s works, and was honored to be allowed to record this book. (I’ll be doing more in the coming months.) If you haven’t read/listened to any of his books, start today: he’s brilliant. Here’s the summary: Professor Soren Pafko has made a life and career out of lying, conniving, manipulating, and abusing everyone in his path. So far, it’s working great: he’s Chair of his College’s Department of Comparative Literature; he’s leader of the local chapter of the Democratic Communists of America; and when he wants to cheat on his wife, he’s got his pick of women who think he’s the second coming of Che Guevara. In short, his life is peachy. But when he flunks local yokel Gus Dropo’s teenage son for a politically incorrect classroom comment, everything in Professor Pafko’s world begins to go hilariously wrong.
Max has been banned by Twitter for being astute, honest, and sparing no fools. Check out his other books and buy them all. Then listen to them as icing on the cake.
I’ve been doing the Sub Tales books by Frank & Charles Hood for a couple of years now, and those characters keep writing them faster than I can record them. But I was almost caught up for a couple of weeks. Then I heard #5 is on the way, so I had to get busy. Sub Tales 3 is the latest one for your enjoyment.
Sub Tales 3 is the third entry in the “Sub Tales” series written by authors and brothers Charles and Frank Hood. The Hoods have established a niche in the storytelling of exploits both famous and obscure in the captivating history of the US Submarine Force.
Sub Tales 3 comprises 18 original lengthy stories that cover a wide variety of topics, historical figures, and eras. From tales of heroism and courage under duress to more lighthearted discussions about the Silent Service, Sub Tales 3 is crammed full of interesting details that are sure to please the submarine veteran or enthusiast.
You’ll ride with the legendary submarine captains Howard Gilmore and Whitey Mack.
You’ll circumnavigate the globe with the men of the USS Gudgeon and the USS Archerfish.
You’ll stand alongside the pharmacists mate tending to the medical problems of his fellow World War II submariners.
You’ll learn about the taming of the atom to create the first atomic bomb and then come to understand how one mans vision of the peaceful use of nuclear power came to transform the US Navy.
You’ll take detailed looks at the operations of the second US nuclear submarine, the USS Seawolf, learn about the amazing career of the man largely responsible for the rescue chamber that saved submariners aboard the USS Squalus in 1939 and go aboard the NR-1the unique mini-sub that combed the ocean depths.
Sub Tales 3 contains several heart-pounding tales of men skirting death aboard submarines; not all episodes ended well, but the brave actions of those who stayed at their posts or found novel ways to mitigate disaster will inspire you.
I’ve finished the coffee and scones and the breakfast extra, and now I’m listening to music on my computer. What was the breakfast extra? Why, a gallon of salty liberal tears.
The delicious tears are laced with schadenfreude, one of my favorite flavors. Who’s tears? Well, it’s a mix.
The first part of the mix is the flood of “journalist” tears caused by all of the ethnic, religious and sexually unknown speakers at the Republican National Convention. People I’d heard of, people I’d never seen, people totally new to me all came forth to speak about their hopes for the nation and why Donald J. Trump was the guy for them. Not paid shills, not screeching pink-haired misfits who aren’t sure why they’re mad at the world. In other words, people who share my values were on that stage and because they didn’t look like me the press went nuts. Obviously they were traitors because they’d left the holding pen where democrats keep their possessions.
The second wave of tears, an especially tasty blend from across the world, were those of people who had social media post bemoaning the assassins’ missed shot.
I worked for over 20 years for companies that held you responsible for your social media posts if you were in any way linked to the employer. Even a random comment about where you worked, even if not named, might be enough. If someone might figure out you worked for Zatox Enterprises by your photo taken at your desk, or some vague reference that gave it away, you fell under company disciplinary rules. I worked very hard to never even hint at who I worked for 40 hours a week.
But the fact is, I had another reason: the left would dox you and go after your job if you displeased them. Not that all pink-haired people are bad, because I know at least two who are pretty cool. Nope, it’s because the majority of the bitter misanthropes out there on the left do look that way. I needed that job, and thus my freedom to speak out was suppressed.
Consequently, when Libs of TikTok (https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok) posts tips on school teachers, nurses, city council members and the random cashier at Home Depot who have expressed their hatred for Trump by cheering on the dweeb who shot him, I love seeing them lose their jobs within a few days. Yup, it’s vindictive as hell. But they made the rules and now they get to live by them.
The fact is, if you let evil (like rooting for people that try to kill politicians) go unchecked, evil wins. Costing them their job seems fair in that they’ve doxxed and destroyed hundreds of conservatives and Christians for years. I suspect I’ll get a dose as a result of this blog. I’ll save them the trouble: I don’t care and I don’t work for anyone directly.
And thus, all that extra salt has boosted my blood pressure in a magnificent way. It has transformed me and I am a new creature:
Now, do what I just did: sign up to be a poll watcher and a volunteer to get Donald J. Trump back to the White House. It feels mighty good.
Once a job of serving their community by providing safety, police officers could rest relatively easy knowing their efforts were worth the sacrifice. However, over the past decade, the trade-offs between the rewards and risks of policing have increasingly sloped toward the latter. Today, officers are routinely being confronted with more pressure and scrutiny because of unfortunate bad actions by a few of their own. Then they still encounter constant threats of danger, and continued exposure to the darkest corners of society. It is no surprise that policing remains one of the most stressful occupations on the planet – stress that dramatically increases suicide risk among this population. There currently exists very little avenues police can turn towards for help with such a unique problem. This is detrimental because of not only the suicide risk, but it affects an officer’s capability of being the upstanding hero the citizens want.
This book was written by a police officer who, speaking from personal experience, and sourcing the help of trusted experts, walks anyone through the steps law enforcement officers can take to be shielded from having mental breakdowns and God forbid, become a suicide statistic.
Within this resource are five key methodologies proven to increase mental clarity as a police officer:
1. Acknowledging and counteracting the “warrior socialization” of police officers. You’re not a tough person – you’re a person.
2. Realizing the truth about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how to overcome it.
3. Uncovering the secret system of your mind that can make or break your mental health as a police officer.
4. Unraveling and addressing the numerous and often surprising contributors to on-the-job stress.
5. Introducing habits and strategies for developing the strongest defense against the traumas and other stressors involved with policing.
Recently, the former republic known as the United States of America, descended into third-world/banana republic status when the political party in power changed a number of laws so that it could legally persecute – er, prosecute – an ex-president. Only with the chicanery of changing the existing laws to allow the now-expired statute of limitations (It’s not a “statue” no matter how many times liberals use that word.) to be suspended was the prosecution even able to bring the case.
Fortunately for the prosecution, this paper-thin excuse for a criminal charge was thickened when the loving flour of judicial misconduct was added to the gravy. The lumps were still present, but the judge managed to flatten them enough with denial of witness testimony and bizarre jury instructions so that a jury chosen from a district that voted 95% against the former president could achieve their objective and convict him on the charges of – what?
The actual charges are still unknown, but the judge did assure us that if they found him guilty of any crime among the 34 brought to trial, it would elevate them to felony level, and thus allow the left and the press (but I repeat myself) to call him a convicted felon for the next five months leading up to the election.
That, in a nutshell is what just happened.
Now, if you read my blog, I’m guessing you know how I feel about prosecuting presidents for anything less than the murder of a bus load of nuns, using a spoon, on live television during prime time. It’s not done. Much as I loathe Obama and Clinton, and have some serious reservations about Bush, I think it’s horrible policy to prosecute your political opponents in this manner.
For one thing, it’s really hard to do the job of president if your every action (like using drones to kill United States citizens) is subject to criminal charges. Not just bad form, but awful in every way.
Our judicial system is one of the few things that separated us from the rest of the world. It has never been perfect, and has been used to persecute people, and groups of people, on occasion. I do have to say that in my lifetime, at least the first 50 years of it, things got markedly better every year. We eliminated, as a nation, some of the worst blights upon the legal system.
However, in the past 15 years, we have seen a steady stream of vindictive prosecutions meant to “get even” for some perceived offense. Instead of bringing people to trial based on a crime, their identification as the wrongdoer, and sufficient evidence to prove the offense, we’ve been on a wild toboggan ride into the trees at the bottom of the hill in pursuit of “getting people” we don’t like.
If you know me, you know that I don’t roll that way. If you did the crime you should only be prosecuted if they can prove it in court. Instead, and this has long been the case in federal court, prosecutors are not proving guilt, but instead making the defendant prove their innocence at the cost of their families, jobs, and wealth. This is the worst of all possible plans in my opinion.
If you are one of the ones gleefully laughing at Donald Trump for his conviction, I’d ask you to think hard about this: if they can change the laws to retroactively go after a billionaire former president, and screw him to the wall, what chance do you have if they target you.
I hope this conviction gets tossed. I hope we never prosecute another former president for anything short of the pile of dead nuns scenario.
