Call it what you will ... but MARK it!

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved,

and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,

though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Lt. Col. John Alexander McCrae, MD - Canadian Expeditionary Force

(Died January 28, 1918 at Boulogne France)

Here in the U.S., one doesn't see the poppies on people's lapels so much, as we used to when were children ..... One of the most ridiculous victories in America's 'war of drugs' was the declaration by 'drug czars' and their staffs that the poppy reminded people of addiction to drugs, rather than appreciation to those who gave the 'last full measure of their devotion' in service to their country. Such is not the case in Canada, England, and other countries that once formed the 'Commonwealth.' The paper poppies - and the fundraising for veterans' relief that they represent - have been prominent in photos and video the past couple weeks.

Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Veterans Day ..... call it what you will ..... but find some way to mark this day. Here, in America, the focus of the day has been expanded to honor all men and women who, throughout history, have answered their country's call to serve. There have been many in our own family, but - mindful of the origins of this particular holiday - I will tell the boys of their great-grandfather Frederick, a sergeant with the 102nd Balloon Company, U.S. Air Service, American Expeditionary Force, and his service in France during the First World War.

A prayer for Trump is a prayer for us all

Looking back over the weeks leading up to Election Day, as the idea circulated that response to election results might include protests, I noticed the focus was almost entirely upon candidate Donald Trump and his supporters. Little or no mention of candidate Hillary Clinton and her supporters ... but then, depending upon your news sources - and your personal views - there would be no cause for complaint from that camp, come Wednesday morning.

Which brought us to that Wednesday morning, and a 'Dewey defeats Truman' moment for the new century. So, what is the proper response to that moment, for Clinton supporters? Via texts, tweets, blog posts and online chat rooms, I've heard from a number of them - their outrage over the results, their fears over what life will be like 'with Trump in charge, their tears and their anger ... and from some, a call to hit the streets and share all of that with the general public.

I'd like to propose another response for supporters from BOTH camps ... prayer.

Me? I'll be praying as someone who entered the voting booth less-than-enthusiastic about both of the major party candidates for President, prepared to take a co-worker's advice to 'hold your nose, lean in and press one of the buttons.' I cast my vote ... and I wish that more people across the country could say. But now, it's time to deal with the results.

I shall pray that President Elect Donald Trump will be a better President than I expected him to be. I pray that he will be open to new experiences and new views, and that he will learn and grow from them. I pray that he will receive good advice and good counsel from those he chooses to be part of his inner circle, and that he will also keep his eyes and his ears, his mind and his heart, open to those outside that circle.

I pray for his success as President of the United States. As current President Barrack Obama said following a meeting with Trump at the White House, "If you succeed, the country succeeds." I was encouraged by the demeanor of both men following that meeting, and the tone of their comments about one another considering what has passed between them over the preceding years ... funny how your view of someone might change once you have ACTUALLY met that someone face-to-face, looked them in the eye and shaken their hand ... for all that has passed between them in those preceding years, this was their first ACTUAL meeting.

And so, I pray ... and I urge all of you who are open to faith, regardless of your religion or denomination, to do the same. And remember, there will be opportunities for ALL of us to speak and work towards helping our nation succeed.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... "Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places" compiled by J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec

In the course of a prolific career that traversed a wide variety of genre, British writer Arthur Conan Doyle created - for me, at least - three singular characters. Over time, those three have achieved varying degrees of popularity and shelf-presence.

I have read all of Doyle's stories of detective Sherlock Holmes, and almost all his stories of Brigadier Etienne Gerard. In contrast, I have read only one of his Professor George Edward Challenger stories ... but what a wonderful story it was! And I am not at all surprised that it provided much of the foundation for “Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places” a collection of short stories inspired by Doyle's brilliant, headstrong and physical academician.

The stories were compiled by J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec, and I strongly recommend reading their introductions before proceeding to the stories themselves. These intro’s provide a very good background from which many of you will learn something new and useful ... I know I did.

As for the stories themselves, it should be no surprise that some appealed to me more than others ... although the general level is good, and I recommend them all. It’s just that some were less successful for me than others. One of those was Guy Adams’ and James Goss’ “Professor Challenger & the Crimson Wonder,” which is related to us in the form of a series of communications between the story’s characters. It’s not a bad idea ... it worked very well for Lawrence Sanders’ “The Anderson Tapes” ... but here, not so well. Still, though, I was intrigued enough to want to finish the story and find out how it ends .. it was just a little harder getting to that end.

Some stories that appealed to me more were those that captured – even in brief snippets – some of Doyle’s original story, and the exchanges between its characters. There are several with brief exchanges between Challenger and Edward Malone that display thr professors disdain for the ‘dim-wittedness’ of people in general, and the journalist’s public education in particular. Another was Stephen Volk’s “Shug Monkey,” which closes with an exchange between Challenger, Malone and Lord John Roxton that very much captured the spirit of an exchange between those same three characters in “The Lost World” ... a spirit of work to be done and adventures to continue.

More than a century has passed between the publication of these stories and thr novel that inspired them. So it should be no surprise that the passage of time and concurrent development of science and technology is reflected in the vocabulary. I have no problem with that. I also have no problem – welcome it, actually - with the stories including female characters of strength, intelligence and initiative who are allowed to do more than just scold the professor, or wail when said scolding leaves them set atop a high dresser.

My thanks to Campbell and Prepolec for assembling these stories ... and inspiring me to seek out and read the rest of Doyle’s stories of Professor Challenger. I recommend the - both this collection of stories, and the stories that inspired them - to you all.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Love is in the air ...

Loading-up at H.E.B.

... well, green chile, actually ... same thing.

For me, September is one of those times where something touches and excites the senses, bringing fond memories to the surface, and setting me on the path to add yet another page to that particular 'fond memory' archive.

It's chile-roasting time in the southwest ... and love truly is in the air ... well, for me, at least!

The first page of this particular archive was entered more than forty years ago, when I made the move from northeast to southwest, bidding farewell to the Keystone State to pursue my education - and, eventually, my life - in the Land of Enchantment.

It was only a few weeks after my arrival, and the start of the fall semester, and I was on my way to class when I caught a whiff of something new, something wonderful in the air. It was still there after class, and I had some spare time, so I took Toucan Sam's advice ... "Follow your nose!"

That led me to a nearby K-Mart parking lot and my first view of a chile roaster, and my first taste of fresh-roasted green chile, harvested just the day before from the fields of Hatch, New Mexico (the Green Chile Capital of the Universe), and trucked overnight to Albukookoo.

Firing-up at Market Street

There was a hint of love in the aroma ... and the taste sealed it, beginning a passionate relationship that continues to this day, renewed each September when roasters set-up in parking lots of shopping centers around the southwest ... when I take a bag of freshly-roasted chile home to wash and package, some for now and some for later ... and when I think about the meals ahead - green chile stew/casserole/strata/enchiladas/quiche/cheeseburgers/chicken salad/pizza (especially with piñon nuts)/omelettes/queso/cornbread - you name it!

Something that touches and excites the sense of smell, bringing fond memories to the surface. For some, it's the smell of freshly-laundered linens drying on the clothes line, while for others it's bread baking in the kitchen, or a pile of leaves burning in the backyard. For me, it's the smell of roasting chile ...

... oh, YES ... love IS in the air!

My problem with Patriot Day

It's been just under fifteen years, now, that Joint Resolution 71 passed through the U.S. House of Representatives, then the U.S. Senate, then was signed into by law President George Bush, proclaiming September 11 as Patriot Day. This followed President Bush's proclamation of September 14, 2001 - just three days after the horrific terrorist attacks of '9/11' - as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. Personally, I think President Bush had the right idea in that proclamation, perhaps realizing that there was more to what we experienced that terrible day - and the days and years that followed - than just patriotism.

You see, I have a problem with labeling 9/11 as Patriot Day ... I believe there was so much more to those attacks, and to the response of people on-the-scene, across our nation and around the world, that was deeper than an emotional attachment to a nation.

I have no doubt that there were patriots among the firefighters who and police officers rushed into the Twin Towers that day. But they were also responding to a call of duty, fulfilling an oath they took upon graduation from the academy, with their hand upon a Bible, closing with 'so help me God.'

Was it strictly his patriotism that led Mychal Judge, O.F.M. - a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department - to enter the lobby of the World Trade Center North Tower, where he continued offering aid and prayers for the rescuers, the injured, and the dead until debris from the collapsing South Tower sliced through the lobby, killing him and many others?

On the far side of the world, I believe there was something more that patriotism at work when a Thai village delivered an illustrated letter of condolence to the U.S. Embassy in Bankgkok, for the people in America. and in the months following the attack, the Japanese government found a way to support America's war in Afghanistan with non-combat support troops, in spite of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution - drafted in the wake of World War II - that forbade use of Home Defense Forces abroad.

These are just a few examples ... I'm sure you can offer others ... and I welcome your contribution. You may also offer examples of how I'm wrong, that this 9/11 is aptly labeled Patriot Day ... I welcome those contributions, as well.

BUT ... whatever you call it, please find some means in your mind and in your soul, to mark this day.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Tesseracts Eighteen: Wrestling With Gods compiled by Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart

Don't let the title of Wrestling with Gods, a collection of short stories and poems assemble by Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart, fool you. It DOES provide an overlying theme for this latest installment of the Tesseracts series ... but it provides only a hint of what the reader will find inside.

The idea of wrestling with gods is an old, even ancient tradition ... just ask Jacob about his wrestling an angel, or Gilgamesh about his battle with Ishtar's bullish minion, or Sun Wukong about his smackdown with Buddha's palm.

Over the millennia, tablets have crumbled into dust and temples have been consumed by the jungle. But the belief in gods is still with us, and tales of conflict with said deities are still part of our shared literary tradition.

Wrestling with Gods is a good addition to that tradition. Story by story, we read of a protagonist's conflict ... with faith or religion, with family or community, with themselves or with a wide and colorful variety of gods and demigods, their priests and supplicants, their blessings and curses. These stories, their settings and their cast of characters are limited only by the imaginations of the contributors, and their ability to tell stories in a manner that draws readers in and entertains them ... which in this case is to say, 'unlimited.'

And the variety of 'styles' employed by the different contributors - their perspective, their language, their tone - was another attraction for me.

That's not say there aren't stories that will appeal to you more than others ... there were, for me. My favorites included "Mecha Jesus" by Derwin Mak, "Come All Ye Faithful" by Robert J. Sawyer, "A Cut and a Prayer" by Janet K. Nicolson, "Summon the Sun" by Carla Richards and “Ganapati Bappa Moriya!" by Savithri Machiraju.

That's just a small sample of the total offerings ... I'm sure you will find some favorites of your own ... and enjoy the book in general.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Railroad Rising: The Black Powder Rebellion by J.P. Wagner

I am told J.P. Wagner covered a lot of ground and a lot of topics in the course of his career as a journalist. Having 'been there, done that' myself, I suspect it left him with an appreciation for a broad range of interests.

That certainly appears to be the case in his first published novel, Railroad Rising: The Black Powder Rebellion. Fantasy, action and adventure, swords and sorcery? Check, check, check. Steampunk, royal court intrigue, love story? Check them all off as well.

The story follows the adventures of Cartog, a young nobleman far down in the line-of-succession, and far-removed from any prospect of inheritance. Accompanied only by Yakor, his faithful retainer and a formidable master-of-arms, Cartog has set off on a journey to find his fortune elsewhere and make his own way in the world, perhaps as a mercenary.

They ride into a small town seeking employment ... but instead find themselves in the midst of a what appears to be an uprising and attempted kidnapping. This is the first of a series of events that will involve Cartog and Yakor in a growing conflict and circle of enemies, as well as a growing prospect for advancement and circle of friends. It could lead to great fortune in the long term, or death in the short term.

"Railroad Rising" was an easy read and enjoyable enough, with a straightforward story line and simple characters. But I have to agree with other LibraryThing Early reviewers who thought it could have used some editing, and some polishing to the story and characters.

And we might have gotten some of that, had it not been for circumstances far removed from the realm of Cragmor, in our own real and mundane world ... "Sadly," we read in the book's postscript, "J.P. Wagner passed away in 2015, before the publication of 'Railroad Rising.'" It is something I read with regret as I finished this book ... I was looking forward to Wagner's NEXT book.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Living History: On the Front Lines for Israel and the Jews by Phyllis Chesler

WARNING: Reading Phyllis Chesler's book "Living History: On the Front Lines for Israel and the Jews" may be hazardous to your sense of well-being. It could lead to increased levels of skepticism. This, in turn could lead to a variety of side-effects ... a willingness on your part to question what we are told about the world around us, to make an extra effort to gain more information. You may even find yourself rejecting what 'everybody knows and believes,' in favor of a view that is more complicated, more detailed ... and perhaps more truthful.

These were my thoughts as I came to the conclusion of the book, a compilation of selected articles and essays Chesler composed over a 12-year period as she documented a growing number of incidents that form part of what she describes as a “slow motion Holocaust.” It is a theme that is familiar to those who have read Chesler's works in the past. This was my first introduction to Chesler, and I found myself engrossed, article-by-article, page-by-page. All of it delivered in a style that is clear, concise and compelling.

The incidents she documents have a growing range, occurring in a variety of social, educational and cultural settings around North America and Europe. They also have a growing level of shrillness, as denunciations of 'all things Israel' are encouraged ... and dissenting voices are discouraged.

And it's not just the talk. There is the way 'Middle East issues' are reported in the media. And there are the calls for excluding pro-Israeli attitudes from public fora, from universities, even from churches. Then there is the growing movement to call-out corporations that do business with Israel, and moves to divest investment funds from those corporation who won't go along.

An initial response might be something like, 'come on ... not really.' I was thinking that very thing, at first. But then you find yourself stopping, thinking, then recalling your own first-hand experiences ... as I did when my own Christian denomination began considering divestment from companies that do business with Israel ... JUST as Chesler reported.

There are still among us survivors of those years when the noun 'holocaust' became forever capitalized. Chesler's "Living History" will leave you with the unsettling thought that still another Holocaust may be in the works.

I strongly recommend this book ... with ample time to read it closely, carefully, and to occasionally set the book aside and consider what you've just read.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Dominions by James Hetley/Burton

Like many of the other LTER contributors, I found myself diving into Volume 2 of the "Bladesmith" series without first having read Volume 1. In my case, that did not pose any problems with my enjoying this book ... though it HAS left me wanting to go back and read Volume 1, as well as other books by James Hetley/Burton.

Has there ever been a time when we have not shared stories with one another about gods, their relationships with one another and their relationships with us? It is an ancient and colorful tradition ... one that I studied closely in my youth, and later in college as I pursued majors in anthropology and English literature. After reading "Dominions," I have to say Hetley's knowledge of those topics is deep and wide. Couple that with his experience and expertise in such diverse fields as wood and metal working, martial arts, mechanics and electronics (not to mention his skill at writing) and you have the foundation for some VERY good storytelling.

And "Dominions" IS good storytelling, as Mel and Al find themselves navigating dark alleys and dangerous battlefields in their own world and in alternate worlds they find through inter-dimensional Doors. In the course of their travels they encounter a variety of characters, and that includes a variety of gods ... but that's something Mel and Al are well-equipped to handle ... or are they?

And while their quest for a safe return to their own world continues throughout the book, there is also a growing quest for peace and justice, for a new standing in their relationship to one another, and for a good meal with a cold beer.

Whether you jump right into "Dominions" or start with Volume 1 ("Powers") of the "Bladesmith" series, I strongly recommend this read. My summer has been filled with more leisure time than I had wanted ... and I'm going to fill that time with more books from James Hetley/Burton.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

In the News ... "Dallas sniper attack: 'Our worst nightmare happened'"

AP Photo by LM Otero

• Please pray for us to redeem this tragedy with unity, to the glory of God

By Dr. Jim Denison
• Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

DALLAS, TEXAS - Dallas residents are waking up this morning to the deadliest day for police officers since September 11, 2001.

At 7:00 last night, protesters gathered in a Dallas park and began marching through the streets of downtown. They were responding to officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. The rally was peaceful; police officers were present and were conversing with the crowd.

Just before 9 PM, as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said, "Our worst nightmare happened" ...

 • read the rest of this commentary ...

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Downtime by Cynthia Felice

In her book "Downtime," Cynthia Fleece offers us a love story and a science fiction story ... maybe it's the guy in me, but I wish there could have been a little more 'science' in the story.

Don't get me wrong ... I enjoyed the read, and I recommend it to others. It's a recent addition to a long tradition of stories that illustrate the complications that arise when love blossoms across a disjointed time stream. Rod Serling tackled it 50+ years ago in "The Long Morrow" ... and before that, there was F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It's still makes for a good story today in films and television ... and in books like "Downtime."

My gripe about 'more science?' I blame it on my biblio-upbringing. Fifty-some years ago, my introduction to science fiction was through hand-me-down paperbacks of stories by Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clark, and later on some Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury ... good fiction, good storytelling, with generous doses of of good (if hypothetical at the time) science and technology added to the mix.

While I read through "Downtime," eager to get to the conclusion to see how the characters might fare and the story might end, I also found myself wishing for a little more detail on the jelly bean, the stellerator ... and, of course, that all-important elixer.

BUT, while I've devoted a lot of words to my little gripe ... it really is a LITTLE matter. All-in-all, I recommend "Downtime" to you as a good read, and a good addition to that tradition I mentioned earlier ... illustrating the complications that arise when love blossoms across a disjointed time stream. You'll want to read "Downtime" to the end ... and discover whether those complications might be overcome.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Colonel Stierlitz by Robin Wyatt Dunn

I needed to take a break after a few pages of Robin Wyatt Dunn's "Colonel Stierlitz" ... not due to any fault in the book itself, but to bring myself up-to-speed on the book's protagonist, the literary/television/film tradition from which Dunn drew the protagonist, and the original creator of that tradition.

I recommend those who want to read Dunn's novella do the same ... and I certainly DO recommend reading "Colonel Stierlitz."

Imagine a vodka-fueled, stream-of-SUB-consciousness journey through the heart and mind of a Soviet agent ... a journey that takes him around the planet (and even off the planet) ... as a man or as a horse, by himself or with an incredible array of companions, pursuing missions and activities that stretch credibility while fending-off antagonists that include Swedish agents, a reanimated Stalin, and Yulian Semyonov (that "original creator" I mentioned in my first paragraph).

Think of a cocaine-fueled Sherlock Holmes dating Irene Adler as he deals with Moriarty and Doyle, or a martini-fueled James Bond dating Miss Moneypenney as he deals with Blofeld and Fleming, and you have some idea of what to expect in "Colonel Stierlitz."

The novella is not for everyone ... if you wish an easy read, with a conclusion that ties-up all the ends nicely, I cannot recommend it. But if you would like to stretch yourself some, I VERY MUCH recommend it.

And really, 'stretching' can be a good thing for readers. I did it fifty years ago when I tackled Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49," and it was good for me. And while I do NOT place Dunn's work on the same level as Pynchon's, I certainly DO recommend "Colonel Stierlitz" to you as a stretching exercise, a glimpse into a bygone Russian literary tradition, and (most of all) a good read.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

The REAL “West Texas Investors Club”

Up until now, I’ve resisted the temptation to comment on “reality television” ... but now that genre has hit a little too close to home – quite literally – for me, and I find myself compelled to rear-up on my hind legs, step-up to the keyboard, and put in ‘my two cents.’

That ‘hit’ comes from West Texas Investors Club, which recently began its second season on CNBC (part of the Universal media family). The show’s website describes it as a series that takes place "deep in the heart of Texas, where self-made multimillionaires Rooster McConaughey and Butch Gilliam carved their fortunes from a harsh and unforgiving land. For the past several years, they’ve chosen to pass on that success by investing in promising entrepreneurs – but only on their turf and their terms." To me, it comes across as something of a mix of different ingredients ... a pinch of “Shark Tank” sprinkled lightly over huge portions of “Black Gold” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

Now don’t get me wrong ... I realize that one doesn’t watch reality television for the reality, but for the fun of somebody’s spin on what reality would be like if they were the master of the universe, capable of dramatic changes to the time/space continuum ... and that’s fine. I hardly watch it at all, except for a couple of cooking competition shows ... but I realize that it is a hugely-popular genre.

I watched the first three episodes of the first season of “West Texas Investors Club” ... but I probably won’t watch any more. I’m not questioning the sincerity of the show’s hosts, or their generosity in contributing a portion of their good fortune to business start-ups. What annoys me the most is in the production of the show itself, the context in which the show is presented, and how much of West Texas has been cut out of that context ... including what I would call the REAL West Texas Investors Club.

After a brief introduction by the show’s hosts, the episodes I watched would begin with the contestants’ arrival at Midland Airpark, a small airport devoted to private air traffic on the north side of Midland, a city of about 150,000-or-so in western Texas, in the heart of what we call ‘the oil patch.’ For private air traffic, Midland Airpark is a more convenient alternative to Midland International Air/Spaceport, ten miles to the west, which is devoted to commercial and military traffic, as well as additional private traffic.

This is where the context-cutting begins ... the contestants’ arrival at the airport is shot from a variety of angles and ranges that exclude any views of the south, where you would see a collection of high-rises in downtown Midland ... the business/government/social district that gave Midland its nickname, “the Tall City.” Those high-rises also provide reminders that investors have been busy in West Texas for the better part of a century, investing many millions in a variety of business start-ups ... and not just in the energy industry, either.

Not all of the REAL West Texas Investors – the ones who have been cut out of the reality television show’s context - contribute their good fortune to businesses ... they have a HUGE impact on the community at-large, in a variety of ways.

For example, once the show’s contestants have arrived at the airport, they are transported to the West Texas Investors Club in an old pickup truck with a good ol’ boy behind the wheel ... an opportunity for some in-the-cab exchange between the contestant and the driver, and a chance to get some insight into the contestant. During that portion of the episode, I’m watching the scenery going by in the cab’s windows.

More than once I have see brief snippets of the Midland College campus whiz-by ...

“MC” is a genuine testimonial to what the REAL West Texas Investors have contributed, but there’s no place for that in the show’s context. And that’s a shame ... not because I work there, but because it’s hard for me to accurately convey the full impact the REAL investors have made to their community over the decades, through their contributions to that college. There is the funding of buildings and programs, and the technology needed for those programs, both academic and vocational/technical. And then there’s the scholarships. Students that successfully graduates from a high school – public or private – in our county can apply for free tuition to this two-year, community college ... provided they have the grades, and commit to forty hours of service to a long and diverse list of approved non-profit organizations in the community ... all thanks to the generosity of the REAL West Texas Investors Club.

That same generosity can be seen in contributions to the building and capital improvement funds for those same non-profits, in monetary and in-kind donations to schools and churches, and in support for local museums, lecture series, entertainment venues and annual festivals that bring a broader range of culture to our admittedly-remote part of the country.

We interrupt this program for the following rant ... the first contestant on the first show was a young man who had developed a phone app for ordering drinks in busy bar situations ... I thought this was a GREAT idea for a place like Midland, Texas, where the labor market at that time was such that restaurants and bars were seriously understaffed. But why take it to Corky’s, in nearby Odessa, for testing? I’m as big a fan of Corky’s and its atmosphere as the next guy ... but I couldn’t help but think there were so many places around here where that app could have REALLY shown its advantages. But again, many of those places would not have fit the context created by the show’s producers ... okay, end of rant.

I wish the hosts of the television show nothing but luck in their new venture ... may the ratings gods continue to be more-than generous to you! But it wouldn’t hurt to zoom-out a little bit with your camera, and give viewers a more accurate context for where you are and what you’re doing ... and how you're not so much reviving a tradition, as you are contributing to an ongoing tradition that has lost no steam over the past century.

For everyone else, I hope that you’ll have a chance to come and visit us here in Midland, Texas, sometime. It’s a good town, and the gateway to some of the greatest country in the Lone Star State ... the Big Bend, the Davis Mountains, the Guadalupe Mountains, the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico. It’s a good place to visit, and a good place to live, whether you’re an old-timer or somebody looking for a fresh start ... thanks, in great part, to the REAL West Texas Investors Club.

NOT added to my virtual bookshelf ... The House of Fox by S.J. Smith

As I sit down to review S.J. Smith's "The House of Fox," I have in mind a line one hears in televised cooking competitions, where the judge has sampled a contestant's offering and says something to the effect of 'I admire your conception, but your execution left a lot to be desired.'

That's exactly how I feel after finishing "The House of Fox." Not a bad premise, to begin with - four friends lost in an otherwordly realm, their exploration of that realm and discovery of its true nature, and each finding their own means of acceptance or escape. Plenty of opportunity for developing the premise through humor and action (including prurient) ... but all is lost in Smith's devotion to excessively (and unnecessarily) detailed descriptions of said prurient action.

By the time I reached the final page and the story's conclusion, my response was 'meh.' I had long since stopped caring about the story or its characters.

And I DID reach the end, by the way. If it were up to me, I'd have stopped after a chapter or two. But under the terms of my accepting this book, I was obliged to read-and-review it.

I have done that ... and I am done with the book ... and probably done with anything else by S.J. Smith that may come my way in the future.

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NOTE: I received a free copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

I am PCUSA ... and PRO-Fossil Fuel ... another reason why

In the Presbyterian Church USA's debate over divestment of church funds from fossil fuel producers, there are some considerations that are not being presented, especially when it comes to oil and natural gas. Here is one I would like to present. Those who are demanding that we "Keep It in the Ground" may not realize ... it's NOT just oil we'd be keeping in the ground .

While it's true that a large majority of oil and natural gas is devoted to fuel for transportation and energy. There are a LOT of what we call petroleum by-products ... materials derived from crude oil (petroleum) as it is processed in oil refineries. Here is a partial list (compiled by Edmond, Oklahoma-based Ranken Energy) of an estimated 6,000 products made, in one way or another, from petroleum by-products ...

This is NOT to say that we continue to burn as much oil as we possibly can. Here is where a comprehensive energy package - one that includes oil and natural gas - comes into play. The power needed in factories to manufacture the products listed above could come from a wide variety of alternative energy sources whose availability has grown dramatically in recently years.

Another item I would like to submit for your consideration ... use of these petroleum by-products could actually help reduce your carbon footprint in some ways. Take local transportation for example ... think about getting around town with some petroleum by-products - bicycles and bicycle helmets, backpacks and athletic shoes - instead of automobiles.

This is one more reason why I am asking Presbyterian Church USA to consider redirecting their investment into responsible fossil fuels producers ... they are producing things we need and use each-and-every day.

Thank you for your consideration.

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NOTE: As the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA meets in Portland this month and considers demands for an immediate and total, blanket divestment of the denomination’s investment funds from “fossil fuel producers,” I have to ask ... is blanket divestment the answer? Shouldn’t we, instead, consider reinvestment of those funds into responsible – even moral – fossil fuel producers?

Let me give you some idea of my background - the context in which I am composing these posts. It’s important to the consideration – if any! – that you will give to what follows ...

For the past 32 years, I have lived and worked in and around the city of Midland, in the western region of Texas ... smack-dab in the middle of what they call ‘the oil patch.’ There is some cattle and some cotton in the foundation of this community, but most of Midland today is built upon the energy industry, and the production of oil and natural gas plays a major -even predominant role - in our local economy.

I do not work directly for the energy industry ... though I have been happily married those same 32 years to someone who is. As for me, I first worked in in this part of Texas as a contract archaeologist ... but my vocation has changed more than once with the ups and downs – especially the downs! – in the energy industry over the past three decades. So I have also worked as a television writer/producer, a newspaper reporter/editor, a website/social media manager, and for the past eight years in the public information and media office of a community college.

This has given me a tremendous opportunity to observe the industry ‘up-close and personal,’ as we used to say in the news business. I suggest that I might have more insight than some others into the industry, its people, its technology and practices, and the changes in said technology and practices. I have seen, reported-on and learned from – to borrow a phrase from a movie title – the good, the bad and the ugly of fossil fuel production ... and the beautiful, as well.

Let me qualify that last paragraph, though ... my experience observing fossil fuel producers has been exclusively with oil and natural gas. I have no such current experience with the coal industry, and I am not qualified to comment upon changes that may have taken place in their technology and practices. When it comes to coal, all I have to go on are the 50-year-old memories I have of that industry – actually, the remnants of that industry – in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area of northeastern Pennsylvania ... observations which helped set my course down the environmentalism path as a teenager way-back-when.

Anyway, that is where I come from. Where I am going, in the days ahead, is to develop my pro-fossil fuel thesis, and to suggest options for a position within the Presbyterian Church USA that still promotes protection and restoration of God’s creation, yet encourages responsible – even moral – energy production that includes fossil fuels. Thank you for your time in reading the above. I welcome any comments you wish to make in the space below ... regardless of your stance on fossil fuel production. It is my hope that this will be the start of a discussion among those who ultimately share a common goal, a common destination ... though for now, we may be reaching it by different paths.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Wild Card Run by Sara Stamey

It's been more than 75 years, now, since Harry Bates' short story "Farewell to the Master" closed with the realization of who (or what) truly is 'the master' ... bringing that story to a satisfying (or unsettling, or both, take your pick) conclusion, and setting readers off on a new path for thoughtful speculation.

Speculation over our control of technology - or its control of us - has fueled many contributions to the genre of science fiction over the years, and Sara Stamey's "Wild Card Run" is a good addition to that tradition.

It also serves as a good piece of detective fiction, as Ruth Kurtis is dispatched to the planet of Poindros by a cyberserf. It is NOT a trip Kurtis wants to make, leaving the many satisfactions of her current position at Casino, to return to the physically and emotionally stifling homeworld she fled years before. But she is left with no choice by the serf who seems to have found a way around cybernetic benevolence directives.

Once in the field, Kurtis has plenty of experiences that reinforce her original reluctance to return. But at the same time, she begins to make observations that draw her interest, and may perhaps tie-in to the unspecified problem she has been sent to investigate.

There is Kurtis' self-interest as well ... even as she pursues the mission of the CI back on Casino, she also finds herself being drawn into the mission of a Poindros-based movement, which may hold even less appeal for her than the dispatch that sent her to Poindros to begin with.

Page by page, chapter by chapter, the reader's interest is raised as well, with more than enough speculation over whether characters and events are truly what they appear to be. It carried me easily to the end of Samey's story, and has me looking forward to future installments of the promised "Cybers Wild Card" series.

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NOTE: I received a free copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.