Free Speech Under Threat

 

Free Speech is the ability of anyone to express their thoughts or ideas without the fear of repercussion, with very few exceptions - those opinions that have a likelihood of causing harm, like falsely crying FIRE! in a crowded building.

Vice President J. D. Vance was NOT promoting free speech when he addressed NATO. President Trump is NOT advocating for it. They are both advocating, time and again, for a world where their ideas and opinions are favored and all others are suppressed. This is the antithesis of free speech and the antithesis of freedom in general.

What are they afraid of? What anyone who tries to suppress other people's ideas are afraid of - that they're wrong and will be found out if opposing views are allowed to surface.

Already Trump has had to backtrack on inflation. It is up since he took office. His actions are, in part, responsible. His proposal for a "Riviera in the Middle East" has no solution to the Arab-Israeli issues. Tariffs are paid for by Americans. Vaccines do save lives, including, probably, Trump's own during the Covid pandemic when he got one of the earliest ones and later caught the virus.

But none of that is what they want us to hear. So they are doing their best to suppress those voices.

It behooves us, all, to resist this. If we do not there will soon be a time when we can not.

Here we go. Your rights are on the line.

 

The people now in control of all three branches of the United States government claim 

A. That they are Christian

B. That the Constitution should be interpreted literally, as the Founders intended

We will explore these topics as the next years unfold.

One theme of the slew of executive orders that were signed in the first few hours of the administration essentially halted immigration. This seems in direct contravention to the Christian motto, in the Bible, of "Love thy neighbor as thyself".

It seems there will be hypocrisy.

Review - The Last Stone by KAP Lowrie

 

The Last Stone is an enchanting tale with startling but enjoyable twists on several elements of fantasy stories. Elves? Check, but no pointy ears or amazing prowess with a long bow. Dwarves? Check, but no gnarled faces encased in gray beards toiling deep underground. Magic? Check but with a marvelously refreshing form of “gifts” discovered over time and mastered with practice. As interesting, to me, that this magic is the domain only of nymphs, male and female, who otherwise resemble everyone else! Evil King? Check, but with a very interesting psychological profile the reader only gets to see through the eyes (and the recollections) of those around our protagonist.

Finally, we have Amidale Stone. The Last Stone. Again, she is a common archetype – young, unknowing of her powers when we meet her, but prophesied to save the world of Karne. But she is not an archetype. She speaks to the reader and, as readers, we get to experience her frustrations, the unfairness of her situation, and her pain of loss.

The Last Stone is but an introduction to Amidale, to Karne, and to the battle unfolding between the plucky protagonist and the Evil King, Alaric. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Review - Cheat to Win

 

A tightly plotted series of short mystery novels has recently come to my attention. 

The protagonist, Connie Murphy, is a senior drug investigator with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Based, at least in part on the author's own experiences, Connie is dedicated to protecting public health and safety, but finds intrigue and danger in the course of what should be routine inspections.

Cheat to Win is the seventh installment of the Connie Murphy mysteries, though each is a standalone work and I would encourage you to jump right in!

Connie's pre-approval inspection at Triple A Labs was suddenly and unexpectedly cancelled. Days later, she discovers that their application has been completely deleted from the FDA files, and the FDA reviewer who was working on the application has disappeared. Connie must find out what is going on...

Cheat to Win is novella length (about 80 pages) and highly recommended. (Link to Amazon ebook). Click this link for all the Connie Murphy mysteries!

Review - The Tsar's Last Armada

Constantine Pleshakov's book is subtitled "The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima" and is truly a book of the 18,000+ nautical mile journey of the main Russian fleet under Admiral Rozhestvensky from the Baltic to its fateful meeting with Admiral Togo and the Japanese fleet.


Pleshakov concentrates on the personalities of Rozhestvensky and his subordinates as well as the top members of the Russian government. He hints that if the leaders in St. Petersburg had allowed Rozhestvensky to do what he wished the outcome may have been different. 


Far from the classical story of ships who left Russia piled high with coal and sailing urgently around the world to plunge unprepared into a hopeless battle, Pleshakov tells of long delays and lost opportunities, of bungled intelligence, and of political weakness and indecision. He also seems to share Rozhestvensky's view that the reinforcements he was forced to wait for actually weakened the squadron instead of strengthening it and that the level of talent in the upper naval officers of the Tsar's navy was minimal with very few competent leaders of rank captain or above.


There is also a fair handling of the wide class distinctions and the resulting political unrest in Russia as a whole, in the navy in general, and the "last armada" particularly. Pleshakov discusses this discrepancy in each situation the fleet found itself in, from forming to its ultimate destruction and the aftermath for the survivors. In the end even Rozhestvensky comes off wanting.


I found the book interesting and found it debunked, as noted above, some long-held misconceptions. It pays scant attention to the battle itself; if you want a battle history you do need to go elsewhere. It is a good stand-alone historical story; one needs no previous knowledge of the Russo-Japanese War, Tsushima, or the period to get the full impact of the book. 


It is also inexpensive. Copies are available on Biblio for as little as $3.97 including shipping.

Review - Even Seahorses are Free by Redding Walters

Redding Walters brings a unique, intriguing, and fascinating perspective and story-line to the romance novel.

Even Seahorses are Free traces the love history of Dr. Rebecca Beisonig, through the rather ingenious devices of a long drive up the Pacific Coast with a dead cell phone. As she drives she recounts her past loves and their shortcomings, as well as their high points. 

At her destination, she plunges into her work while re-discovering the depth of friendship with other women and fending off the advances of a "young stud" in which she knows she has no interest. In her rediscovery and soul searching she finally comes to terms with the lost love of her life, the value of female friends, and the end of her marriage that was never really fulfilling.  

Ms. Walters brings freshness to the novel. Her characters, from the very pregnant Barbie to the aloof Howard, are full and lively. They jump off the page to the point you can almost touch them. The story is both unique in the interplay of environmental science and the livelihoods that are often in conflict and in the love, lust, and conflict of Rebecca. 

The energy of the novel starts at a high level and allows the reader to briefly recover before driving to a new peak. Continuing to build as the story progresses with each peak being higher than the last. The ending is both satisfying and not quite how one expects.

Even Seahorses are Free is highly recommended. Available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

Poetry to warm a parent's heart

The Coming Storm (1987) 

by Cirenya

The air is still.

The clouds roll in. Dark, ominous.

Lightning flashes

Against the bronze horizon.

What did Daddy say?

His hand is warm.

Between the flash

And crack…count, yes.

One applepie, Two applepie,

Three applepie, four applepie,

Crack.

It’s nearer now.

“It’s the air separating

Then coming together.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

The wind starts.

It’s chilly.

One applepie, two applepie,

Three applepie,

Crack.

Closer yet.

We’d go in now.

Sit by the window,

Watch it come.

Pounding, bouncing

Off the pane.

Flash, crack.

I’m not afraid.

Daddy’s hand is warm.