These old (circa 1918) destroyer escorts were mostly sunk by 1945, but they feature prominently in a series of alternate-history novels I ran across the other day. Never cared for the genre myself.
Written by a North Texas history buff and movie extra who has a fan base so dedicated it likes to make models of the ships. That seems to be the way to sell books these days. Write a fantasy series, and keep ’em coming back for more.
Comments Off on Four-stackers
Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Texana
Tagged 4-stacker destroyer escorts, alternate history, Taylor Anderson, The Destroyermen
I think it was science fiction writer Charlie Stross who said that anyone wishing to settle Mars should first try settling the Gobi Desert in the winter while wearing a fireman’s respirator.
Somehow I doubt these folks would want to do that, but at least they have more imagination than the wretched politicians who have grounded the idea for so long. Meanwhile, we can hope the intrepid don’t go entirely alone either.
Comments Off on To boldly wish
Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Science/Engineering, Space
Tagged Apollo 12, Journal of Cosmology, Mars
At the University of Illinois they’re still lying about what happened to U.S. Navy Ensign Wesley Frank Osmus, sixty-nine years after he crashed his TBD Devastator into the Pacific in 1942.
Osmus did not, as the university claims, “die as a result of enemy action.” He was murdered by Japanese war criminals. Academia these days seems to be all of a piece. A sorry, prevaricating (when not actually lying) piece of cowardice.
Comments Off on “He died as a result of enemy action…”
Posted in Library, Scribbles, Troops
Tagged Battle of Midway, Ensign Wesley Frank Osmus, University of Illinois
One of these years, before they’re all dead, the Democrats who initiated, authorized and carried out the wire-tapping and bugging of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s private life ought to use one of these national holidays to ‘fess up and do some public hand-wringing.
Maybe one of the Kennedy children would speak out on behalf of the deceased wire-tappers and electronic buggers JFK and RFK? I know, it isn’t likely. Just s’posin’.
The Left’s favorite sanctimonious Baptist preacher, Bill Moyers, knows (and did) plenty in this and other regards for JFK’s successor Democrat LBJ. But it’s very unlikely the man some call J. Edgard Moyers will ever confess, let alone apologize. Nope, no mea culpas for Iago.
Comments Off on Wire-tapping Dr. King
Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Scribbles, Texana
Tagged Bill Moyers, JFK, LBJ, RFK, wire-tapping Dr. King
I love my Kindle 2. I bought well over a hundred books for it in 2010 and continue to buy them, usually from Amazon and always after reading the free sample.
But, sometimes, reading from the screen, instead of reaching out for the button that shifts the screen to the next page, I get an urge to turn the nonexistent paper page with my fingers. It’s fleeting. I smile and move on. And I’m not the only one.
Comments Off on The urge to turn
Posted in Library, Rancho Roly Poly, Scribbles
Tagged Kindle 2, urge to turn the page
With all that long, red hair, she’s as pretty as she sings in her latest, with a Baptist Church choir, no less.
Although I still like this old, self-produced one the best, for the pure Jewish soul of her own given name.
But, at seven albums now, there are plenty to choose from.
Comments Off on Neshama Carlebach: Rule 5
Posted in Israel, Library, Rule 5
Tagged Jewish Soul, Neshama Carlebach
Borders, it seems, is on the financial ropes. Stuck with stock it can’t unload and, so far, uncompetitive on ebooks. Will they be missed? Says Megan McArdle, not much:
“In the good old days of local bookstores, I frequently went without books that I knew I wanted, because it was such a pain in the butt to order them. Now if I know I want to read a book, I can do so in short order. Ultimately, this is a bigger boon than the occasional undiscovered gem–particularly since there are still libraries.”
Like me, she prefers the almost-instant Internet acquisition of a book you know you want via something like the Kindle, something no bookstore can match. Yet. If they want to survive, they’d better figure out how to beat Amazon at its game.
Via Instapundit, who notes that employee lefty politics may also be involved at Borders.
Comments Off on Bye, Bye, Bookstores
Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Obituaries
Tagged bookstores, Borders, ebooks, Kindle
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 