Monthly Archives: April 2010

Amazon sheep

Posted on April 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Amazon sheep

My “helpful review” percentage has fallen again at Amazon. It’s now down to sixty-four percent. I had the temerity, you see, to give failing grades to some books almost universally adored, or otherwise take some contrary view. When you don’t run with the sheep at Amazon, a few of them will leave the herd long enough to nip at your ankles. Not that I care, frankly. I do the reviews because I enjoy doing them. They also are a way of promoting my own work, as anyone clicking on my name atop a review will be taken to my page with its profile stuff–including references to my two indie books.

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Posted in Library, Scribbles

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Adelsverein: The Harvesting

Posted on April 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Adelsverein: The Harvesting

As I am with all good books, I was very sorry when this one was over. This conclusion of the 2008 trilogy really wasn’t enough for me. How about a fourth book? Or more? Hayes loves her characters and makes us love them, too, and so we long to learn how the new generations will fare.

It helps to be versed in Texas history as she deftly insinuates her Germans and Americans into a lot of it, including in this volume the early cattle drives, the Indianola and Galveston hurricanes, and the tragic readjustment problems of some of the kidnap victims of the murderous Comanches. I am surprised to find just two Amazon reviews for the book. At least the sales ranks indicate that it and one and two are selling. They deserve a wide audience, particularly in Texas where they will best be appreciated. Bravo.

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Posted in Civil War, Library, Texana

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Hero of Fort Sanders

Posted on April 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Hero of Fort Sanders

Samuel_Nicholl_BenjaminColonel Samuel Nicoll Benjamin, West Point Class of 1861, was one of the very few Union officers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous bravery. He is one of the principal heroes of my historical Civil War battle novel “Knoxville 1863.”

Among other things the story chronicles Benjamin’s brilliant command of the three-sided, red-clay Fort Sanders during the November 29, 1863,  dawn attack by three reduced brigades under General Longstreet.

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Posted in Civil War, Library

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Horns to NFL

Posted on April 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Horns to NFL

Congrats to Earl Thomas (Seattle), Sergio Kindle (Baltimore), Lamarr Houston (Oakland), Jordan Shipley (Cincinnati), Roddrick Muckelroy (also Cincinnati), and Colt McCoy (Cleveland).

The daily is sputtering over McCoy, the winningest, etc. being a late, second round pick (long after Bradford and Tebow), but I’m not surprised. I still say he’s injury prone and I think we’ll see that in his (probably short) pro career.

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Posted in Scribbles, Texana, Texas Football

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Goose-stepping Wookies

Posted on April 23, 2010 | Comments Off on Goose-stepping Wookies

Those Iranians and their Gazan acolytes are really a hoot. You just don’t know fear until you’ve seen the Iranian wookie suits on parade. Apparently they think these hula-skirts-gone-beserk will be good camouflage when their day of military reckoning comes.

Forgetting all those airborne IR sensors cutting through to the heat of the matter. The Gazan string version is even more pathetic. It’s hard to take these people seriously, even under the best of circumstance. I’d say there’s a better than even chance they will turn their new nukes onto themselves.

Via Simply Jews.

MORE:  While we’re on the subject of fools: “Hush, Children–A Hollywood Moron Speaketh”

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Posted in Blogosphere, Israel, Scribbles, The War, Troops

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Save our Seals

Posted on April 22, 2010 | Comments Off on Save our Seals

That’s the sign me and Mr. B. kept seeing in a yard on Balcones Drive as I took him to and from basketball practices and games at WAYA (West Austin Youth Association). I figured it was just another hysterical Greenie. We have lots of them in Austin. We finally figured out it referred to this. The sign owners will be happy. But there’s still one two more to save.

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Posted in Iraq, Mr. Boy, Texana

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Alizee

Posted on April 22, 2010 | Comments Off on Alizee

3alizeeI may turn this into a photo blog yet. Meet Alizee, French singer, and uh…

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Posted in Library, Scribbles

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