Summing Up and Forging On

I don't understand why so many people celebrate mobster culture. Films like The Godfather and Pulp Fiction sicken me.

I understand your POV. I can trace back to the popularity of the movie Bonnie and Clyde. That’s where I recall that our (over 70 yr olds) modern cinema history the bad guy and extreme violence was glorified and bad guy was the hero. Of course, Bogart and Cagney and Robinson movies did that glorifying too. However, it was nothing like the ones you mentioned… or worse,…movies like Scarface where it was violence just for the sake of violence .

Speaking of Robinson. I recall him in the movie Little Caesar,after being shot, saying the famous line, “Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?”

Those old Cagney/Bogart/Robinson films generally make the bad guys pay. Even my hero Bob Dylan has a song that glorifies a criminal - Crazy Joe Gallo - titled "Joey." I love the song but don't confuse it with history.

Yeah. He also wrote a song about Rubin ‘‘Hurricane” Carter which helped him obtain a retrial and helped free him from prison!

But Rubin was never proven to be a killer. Some come up with posts to show he was not as nice a guy as the song (and Ruben's book) depicts, but that's really an example of saying he did X therefore it's okay to blame him for Y. There was no reasonable case for convicting him.

My book is finished. I am working to get it published. A collection of six stories. EndEarthers - "enters the room like a lighted stick of dynamite" If you are a socialist, decry climate change, a fan of dystopian stories, you might be interested.

My dog was a captured stray that was put in jail. I take that into consideration dealing with him. He had to make decisions for himself before they got him. Consequently, he doesn't like to be ordered around. He lets me boss him to an extent but I see it come out when I monitor his activities in the yard as an instance. He spends most of this time keeping the trees between me and him. If I can't see him I can't boss him. One thing I would like to do is to be able to call him and he will come to me even if he doesn't really want to. Unfortunately I don't know how to do that.

Use Food or some sort high-value treat bribes. It’ll work eventually if not immediately .

It blows my mind how both political parties always (ALWAYS) select the least humanitarian prospect out there.

I read a bit about actor Ben Johnson, who died this month. I always watched for him in the westerns but never remembered his name, no matter how I tried. Then I began associating it with a certain man part, which worked. Never forgot his name again. I don't think Ben would have been flattered to know this.

Ringo is the most destructive dog I've ever had. The daily rain since hurricane Beryl has water standing where it hasn't ever in my nearly 30 years living here. Ringo loves to body surf in it, making the holes deeper. I came out to look for him a bit ago and he had my new water hose partially stretched out and wrapped around a tree, pulling on it with all his might. By luck he didn't break off the faucet, which is glued on a PVC line. He unearthed the cable line and has been pulling at it. The worst destruction all in the space of an hour. I kind of understand why he was once a stray. But I gave him a l;love and brought him in after I did what I could about it.

One little annoyance that I could mention is my wife's habit of taking home packets of jelly from restaurants. I am about to spread the jelly we bought because we like it when she pours out a scad of packets. "Here's grape. Strawberry -" Sometimes I use a packet or two, but I don't really want to.

As a struggling writer I sometimes want to whine that family and friends witness the struggle; they know how hard I work at it; yet their tepid support fades when the actual completed product is available. They really don't want to know what the book has to offer. But in the ultimate scheme, it is not their place to push me across the finish line and I have no right to place a burden on them. I haven't really begun to promote the new release because not all the pieces are in place. I expect Monday will be the real launch where I try to stir some public interest.

I don't support Republicans or Democrats, but, if I wanted to win, my advice to both candidates is the same. Pick a young healthy looking man with no skeletons for VP. It would not alter policy one speck but it would excite the electorate.

When my book got published the publisher got it listed on nine book stores. But I didn't understand that Amazon is not so easy. It was included in the listing table but only the image appeared. Sales were not allowed. Even now one can search EndEarthers on there and find it. One just cannot purchase. I think I found the key. In a few days I will know.

Yes, Amazon has accepted it now.

About a year ago my Roku bit the dust, went tits up, bellyflopped in the Styx. I revived a nice TV to view via an air antenna. The free channels are heavy on irrelevancies and old series reruns. One can relive one's viewing history into the 50s. I don't think any 40s shows are being rerun. But my viewing history begins near the mid 50s anyway. Mostly the old shows have lost their luster. I let some run muted for sound just to glance at the screen occasionally to feed the need to keep old memories alive. Some that made the transition from radio to TV are less interesting with addition of film. I was upset when they picked a man so young to play Mat Dillon on TV. I never could reconcile Clayton Moore with the radio Lone Ranger, Brace Beamer. On radio, Hal Peary made the Great Gildersleve into a great program. His humanity showed through all the simple stories and funny characters. Willard Waterman took over the part and it became formula sitcom stuff. Making a TV version was sheer disaster. The only old show I still look forward to is Have Gun Will Travel. I do like that I get to see some very old movies.

The females in my stories mostly are strong women. I admire a strong woman, but I think what it is is that my men have a softness that woman's strength is necessary to balance them out. They can't be fulfilled without such a partner.

When my friend Dave was released from active duty I met him a time or two in town. He had a job in a shop and attended college. He said he was trying to eat to survive on about a dollar a day. Even in 1964 that's ridiculous. We met one time at a restaurant which advertised "All the spaghetti you can eat" for a low price. After I finished off my one serving, Dave ate serving after serving. After a time he had to look around back to find staff to serve more. I wish I had counted the number of dishes he ate. Salut, Dave. I hope you are well taken care of now, 60 years later.

When I compare Robert Kennedy to Robert Kennedy Junior I find it hard to believe the two are related.