The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of,
by Dana King … The Shamus Award nominated Nick Forte series remains strong as
ever … great writing, which is what I look for most when reading anything. Nick
starts off with a Maltese Falcon redux with dialogue so good, I was seeing/hearing
Sydney Greenstreet throughout …
Obese and sexually perverted, Russell
Arbuthnot (I couldn’t pronounce it so I used Arby throughout) is playing the Kasper
Gutman character in a soon to premier one man play about the Falcon … he’s got
the diction and mannerisms down … he’s also got the actual/fabled (and treasured)
bird itself (or so he insists) … he’s been receiving threats, so his very
attractive middle-aged manager hires Nick to protect the famous actor for $10K for
2 weeks (not bad work if you can get it) … but something doesn’t sit right with
Nick …
and there are IRA issues and general bad guys in the mix … Nick has a
love interest on the police force (he’s a former copper), but he also has a kid
of his own and an ex-wife who gives him daily doses of agita. Fatso’s manager is years Nick’s senior, very sensual, and
the kind of woman he (and many others) is/are attracted to (her eyes do it, for
one thing) … the dialogue is superb, start to finish, in this fast-paced story
that has much to do with the bird … or does it? No spoilers here. Just know
that King is on his game big time with this wonderful read. I dare anyone to
read any of his books and not want to get hold of his others. Terrific writing,
end of story.
Ferguson … for those in denial of systemic racism in America, take
a gander at the statistics culled from the Ferguson Police Department … along
with risking their lives every time they left their homes (sarcasm attended),
many members of the Ferguson police force were having fun with e-mails that
tell as much of the story as does the one-sided statistical divide, one that
rivals any from the old south. How old? I suspect if all police departments
were investigated the way Ferguson was, we might see similar statistics south
and north of the Mason-Dixon line. Not to be unfair about it all, I’m also sure
it works both ways (the racist jokes/emails ... I've been called a cracker more than once for Sharpton bashing ... which doesn't bother me quite as much as being called a fat cracker).
So it goes.
Netanyahu … Oh, the drama … the sideshow the Republican Party
orchestrated in the form of an end run around the President last week, aside
from the entertainment value, was yet another drum beat for U.S. involvement in
yet another war in the Middle East. Netanyahu used the survival card at every
opportunity, rallying the yahoos in Congress to stand and cheer, while some
Democrats grimaced, and one turned her back.
Talk is cheap. Iranian zealots
have been calling for wiping out Israel for a long time now. They’ve also
called for “death to America” … somehow the two aren’t equated. We laugh at
such threats to America because we know a nuclear attack on us would require a
similar response, thus ending (for the most part) this absurd form of human
life as we know it. Israel has nuclear weapons. Does anyone really believe that
Iran, should they acquire nuclear weapons, would risk a response? The
suggestion that they might is NOT a justifiable reason to a) attack their
nuclear facilities or b) preemptively hit them with nukes … or why bother
waiting. You’re so sure they’re going to try and wipe you out? Really? So, what’s
stopping you from wiping them out first? Can you see the insanity here? Is it at
least on the horizon of your thoughts, Mr. Netanyahu?
Utah Congressman, Jason Chaffetz,
on national television last week said he’d “take out” Iran for the threat they
pose to Israel and America now. Does that count as a threat to survival? Does
Iran get to claim we’re looking to wipe them off the face of the earth now? Politicians
talk shit. They’ve been doing it forever. The one thing anyone can count on is
their ability to lie and spin facts in the direction they’re heading (usually
guided by the money behind them).
Netanyahu guaranteed there would be enormous
positive reverberations after we took out Saddam Hussein.
Okay, so how’d that work out?
The simple(ton) answer is to bomb
away … everyone who disagrees with us or our proxy in the Middle East gets in
line or else. Nation states don’t get to protect themselves unless we (or our
proxy) let them. With that mindset driving our policy there, is there really
any wonder why so many in the Middle East hate us?
Nobody denies Israel’s right to
exist. Nobody denies Iran isn’t to be trusted. Somehow, however, we and Israel
are to be trusted, hands down, end of story. A couple of FACTS for the untrusting
to consider:
We are the first and only ones to ever use a nuclear weapon in war ... and we did that twice.
We’re the ones who recently enough preemptively invaded two different
nation states in the Middle East.
And our net gain from those
fiasco wars? Instead of the enormous
positive reverberations Mr. Netanyahu guaranteed, aside from those who have
died and/or have been maimed, we average
22 American veterans a day committing suicide.
22 A DAY!
So, thanks, but no thanks to
another war in the Middle East.
So, for those who claim
criticizing American policy is traitorous (or that they’re self-loathing
Americans), try using caffeine with your morning coffee. We are exercising
democracy by questioning policy, which is OUR right (the same right we’re
always reminded of by those who point to the sacrifices our military makes “so
we can complain”). This goes for those who criticize Israeli policy as well.
We/they aren’t anti-Semitic. That’s as absurd as Al Sharpton claiming that criticism
of his opportunism and tax evasion makes us racist.
Larry David handled this wonderfully ... "You know, they got a mental asylum a couple of blocks down. I suggest you check yourself in ..."
For those so desirous of us going
to war, whether to support Israel, or for the sake of spreading democracy
throughout the middle east (that’s worked great so far—sarcasm again intended),
why not join the military and walk the walk? So many of our politicians who’ve
ducked their chance to prove their LOVE for America during Vietnam (Cheney,
Giuliani, et al.) are always so anxious
these days to send other kids to prove THEIR love of country. I call that
convenient patriotism. Same goes for those who claim that any criticism of
Israeli policy equates to anti-Semitism. Feeling extra passionate today? Join
up. Too old? I’m sure there’s a militia somewhere in the Middle East that will gladly
provide you with a uniform and rifle. From what I gathered at the IDF site, age
limits start from 26+ … I’m assuming that means way up (but I don’t know for
sure). And if you are too old or don’t have the right qualifications, you could
always go there and support the war effort up front and personal by doing
something more than using ALL CAPS to express your patriotism.
The point being, curb your
enthusiasm for war. At the least, try to understand that not all of the people
catching American missiles dropped during drone strikes and/or from American
bombers are terrorists. Try to realize that innocents killed in the Middle East
during and since our preemptive wars there view us as the terrorists, no matter
what label we put on our justifications.
So, Bibi, next time you need a stage
to win an election back home, feel free to use the Congress again … it’s been enhanced
as the theatre of the absurd since the party you court today (the GOP)
took over anyway.
Hillary’s e-mails … so let me go on record and state that I am not
a fan of the Clintons … in fact, it was Bill Clinton’s hard veer to the right
that chased me from the Democratic Party for the two elections after he took
his show on the retirement road. I’m not a fan of Hillary Clinton either, and I
once called her Satan (and caught flak for it) … why Satan? Because she appeared
to be willing to stick it out with Slick Willy for the sake of her own
Presidency. I thought she (and he) were big phonies back then and I haven’t
changed my mind an iota. I find it absolutely dumbfounding that as we go into
the next Presidential election cycle, we’re likely facing Bush v. Clinton yet
again. How the hell does that happen in a so-called democracy?
I trust no politician who a)
takes money from corporations (never mind foreign countries), b) flip-flops
with the political winds and/or c) has a proven record of absolute
duplicitousness … and Hillary hits the trifecta based on those caveats.
So, does that mean I turn back to
another Bush mistake? Not in this life. I’ve changed somewhat over the last few
months on who I’m willing to vote for … it’s one of two people now (it was only
one prior to this narrowing of the field to Clinton-Bush). I’ll vote for Bernie
Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. No Bernie, no Warren = no vote. To quote my
favorite coach ever … “It’s as simple as
that.”
Now, to the emails … Seriously?
She’s telling the State Department to release the emails she was willing to
release? No thanks.
Run Elizabeth, run!
—Knucks
In honor of what STILL appears to
be a Clinton-Bush Oligarchical 2016 slugfest …
