The following is the criteria I used for selecting my favorite books: I have to have read them at least twice, I have had to recommend them to someone else. And they have to have impacted my world view. And I really enjoyed them.
1. “The Stand” by Stephen King. He is at his best, great story, great characters, great setting.
2. “Sweet Thursday” by John Steinbeck. I love the characters, the voice, and the place. A simple story that captures the human condition.
3. “History of the English Speaking People” volume I-IV by Winston Churchill. He won a Nobel in Literature for these books. I have read all 4 volumes, twice. They tell how we got to be who we are. The History of WWII by Churchill is also great.
4. “The Sacket Brand” by Louis L’amoure I loved the William Tell Sacket character. He was the first hero I read about. He set the standards for all future heroes. I read every L’Amoure novel. Someone once said that these books were the male version of the romance novel. And I agreed, which shocked her.
5. “Farmers Freehold” by Robert Heinlein. I loved all of Heinlein’s books, but this one was more impactful. A man seeing what needed to be done and to hell with those who did not see it. The ultimate in self reliance.
6. “Alas Babylon” by Pat Franks. The first dystopian novel I read. The idea of normal people trying to survive a non-normal situation. Simple but deep.
7. “Lucifer’s Hammer” by Larry Niven. Again end of the world, but based upon science. The characters are intelligent, the situations real. A great “what if” Scenario.
8. “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by William McNeil. Where Churchill explained, the rise of the west from the Roman times forward. This explains the rise from hunter gathers to the rise of the Romans.
9. “Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling. Sharing the Harry Potter series with my family has been a great joy. This final installment did a great job of bringing closure. I especially liked the epilogue.
10. “Grey Seas Under” by Farley Mowat. This book about a tug boat in the Canadian Maritime Provinces came the closes to capturing my life while I was serving on Coast Guard Cutters in Alaska. It really talked to me.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
OWS
I would love to see the following: someone should approach the “Occupy Wall Street’ Protesters and tell one of the groups that they have to give up their tent space to a “Tea Party” demonstration group. That their space was being redistributed to someone else!!! I bet they would be very upset at the idea and claim it wasn’t fair.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Experiment in Dialog
“So Johnny, what you doing?” asked Dan,
“Not much” Johnny answered.
“So who you waiting for?” asked Dan as he looked around the street for anyone of interest.
Johnny just raised one eyebrow as if to say, that is more information than you need.
Dan looked at Johnny, in his black Pea Coast, and knit watch cap, leaning against the brick wall of the Seattle YMCA, watching the crowds walk by. Something is up he thought.
Johnny watched the young man, lightly hopping from one foot to the other trying to stay warm. Just go away kid, he thought.
“So have you seen Tig? He owes me money,” Dan said, looking hopeful.
Johnny reached into coat and pulled out a pack of Marlboro reds, taking a cigarette, he returned the pack and brought out a Zippo lighter from his jeans, a quick snap of the wrist and a flame lit his cigarette, he returned the Zippo to his pocket in one smooth move.He took a long drag on the cigarette, looked at Dan and said. “Don’t hold your breath, he owes everyone money.” Exhaling slowly, enjoying the taste, and enjoying the looks of disdain from passing pedestrians.
“Can you believe it, four more days of shore leave, what you planning on?” Dan asked.
“I’ll think of something”
“Have you been here before? I mean is there anything cool around here” Dan asked, leaning up against the same wall as Johnny, watching the crowds.
“Nope, yesterday was my first time in town on shore leave” he said, looking at his glowing cigarette.
They both watched a businessman walk by in a three piece suite and carrying a briefcase.
“Man, that has got to be the ultimate in a failed life” said Johnny, "just imagine, going to the same office every day for 30 years, looking out the same window, if you lucky enough to have a window. Then turning around going home, knowing you will do the same thing all over again tomorrow, carrying the same briefcase”. Johnny shuddered, “The ultimate Hell”
“I don’t know, it might be nice to go home to some nice little woman every night”. Said Dan.
Johnny just shook his head and shuddered again, tossing his cigarette into the gutter.
And there she was, right on time. The most beautiful girl that had ever existed thought Johnny. Pure innocence with just the right amount of sexy. A face of classic beauty; full of youth and grace, and a body made by the gods to tempt man.
“Hi Brandy” he said
“Hi John” She said, “You remembered”. Then she smiled, lighting up his world. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, “Thanks for last night, that was fun”
He stood there, his knees melting, and heart racing, looking at only her, not aware of anything or anyone else.
She grabbed his hand and said, “Come on, let me show you my town”.
He went, forgetting all about Dan and briefcases.
// End //
“Not much” Johnny answered.
“So who you waiting for?” asked Dan as he looked around the street for anyone of interest.
Johnny just raised one eyebrow as if to say, that is more information than you need.
Dan looked at Johnny, in his black Pea Coast, and knit watch cap, leaning against the brick wall of the Seattle YMCA, watching the crowds walk by. Something is up he thought.
Johnny watched the young man, lightly hopping from one foot to the other trying to stay warm. Just go away kid, he thought.
“So have you seen Tig? He owes me money,” Dan said, looking hopeful.
Johnny reached into coat and pulled out a pack of Marlboro reds, taking a cigarette, he returned the pack and brought out a Zippo lighter from his jeans, a quick snap of the wrist and a flame lit his cigarette, he returned the Zippo to his pocket in one smooth move.He took a long drag on the cigarette, looked at Dan and said. “Don’t hold your breath, he owes everyone money.” Exhaling slowly, enjoying the taste, and enjoying the looks of disdain from passing pedestrians.
“Can you believe it, four more days of shore leave, what you planning on?” Dan asked.
“I’ll think of something”
“Have you been here before? I mean is there anything cool around here” Dan asked, leaning up against the same wall as Johnny, watching the crowds.
“Nope, yesterday was my first time in town on shore leave” he said, looking at his glowing cigarette.
They both watched a businessman walk by in a three piece suite and carrying a briefcase.
“Man, that has got to be the ultimate in a failed life” said Johnny, "just imagine, going to the same office every day for 30 years, looking out the same window, if you lucky enough to have a window. Then turning around going home, knowing you will do the same thing all over again tomorrow, carrying the same briefcase”. Johnny shuddered, “The ultimate Hell”
“I don’t know, it might be nice to go home to some nice little woman every night”. Said Dan.
Johnny just shook his head and shuddered again, tossing his cigarette into the gutter.
And there she was, right on time. The most beautiful girl that had ever existed thought Johnny. Pure innocence with just the right amount of sexy. A face of classic beauty; full of youth and grace, and a body made by the gods to tempt man.
“Hi Brandy” he said
“Hi John” She said, “You remembered”. Then she smiled, lighting up his world. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, “Thanks for last night, that was fun”
He stood there, his knees melting, and heart racing, looking at only her, not aware of anything or anyone else.
She grabbed his hand and said, “Come on, let me show you my town”.
He went, forgetting all about Dan and briefcases.
// End //
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Why socialism has never worked
Socialism hasn’t worked since 2 tribes tried to live together. It requires a top down approach, someone in charge deciding who gets what and how much everyone else has to contribute. That might work when you had everyone related in a tribe, a feeling that you were all in it together, But once 2 or more tribes try to live in one civilization, and the feeling that the top man was not looking out for your interest, resentment set in. People start to worry that they are not getting their fair share, or they are contributing more than other. Everything falls apart. It is at that point that capitalism and the markets take over, obtaining what you want and need based upon what you can pay for, earning things based upon the value of your labors. The markets are non-judgmental, or at least should be. Once you start introducing monopolies, or insider preferences, or discriminations, favoritism, and old-boy networks then again people feel slighted, but at least under capitalism, they can set up their own systems and beat the game.
The People demonstrating in the “Occupy Wall Street” gatherings fail to realize this. Like a lot of the left, they see what they want, free stuff, equality of results, not equality of opportunity. Etc. but to give to one you must take away from another. Who decides? If it is other than the market forces, then their will be resentment, and no incentive to produce.
The People demonstrating in the “Occupy Wall Street” gatherings fail to realize this. Like a lot of the left, they see what they want, free stuff, equality of results, not equality of opportunity. Etc. but to give to one you must take away from another. Who decides? If it is other than the market forces, then their will be resentment, and no incentive to produce.
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