Charlie's Books

Charlie's Books
Buon Giorno, Amici!

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Leave the (political) party. Take the cannoli.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." Nelson Mandela

Right now 6 Stella crime novels are available on Kindle for just $.99 ... Eddie's World has been reprinted and is also available from Stark House Press (Gat Books).

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Planned Parenthood makes a BIG mistake … Book Review: The Razor’s Edge … and did you see Ovechkin’s game winner vs. the Strangers?

Amici:

Planned Parenthood shoots itself in the foot and energizes Bernie’s campaign.

It has to do with this: “Planned Parenthood, which has become an ideological minefield in the 2016 presidential election, said Thursday that it would endorse Hillary Clinton — its first endorsement in a presidential primary in the nonprofit’s 100-year existence.”


As I stated on Facebook, This is an absolute disgrace. We hope your daughter is very happy being a Hillary shill like her mom, but guess what, Bernie is going to win because corruption like this (your "endorsement") is why we're all donating even more to Bernie's campaign today ... you just lost a little more support than you had, honey ... and you can take that "honey" any fucking way you want. Ciao for now.

It’s not just because I’m a Bernie supporter (along with the millions of other Bernie supporters) why I was upset at this “endorsement.” But, like most Hillary endorsements, there’s a backstory that makes Denmark smell like the old Fulton Fish Market the day after Christmas (lots of leftover stinking fish that weren’t bought).

It was bad enough when Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.6 million-member American Federation of Teachers, backed her BFF, Hillary Clinton (even before a single debate), but Planned Parenthood receives most of its support from liberal-minded people, men and women alike … and none of us were happy to hear about this disgraceful endorsement. Setting aside the obvious connections to the DNC and Hillary Clinton, how about what Planned Parenthood is “supposed” to be about—women’s health issues. How could anyone from Planned Parenthood ignore the candidate seeking universal health care? Everyone who isn’t wealthy benefits from such a plan, but single mothers would benefit the most. It’s one reason why the Nurse Union endorsed Bernie Sanders.
 


 
Catching the whiff of stink from the Planned Parenthood endorsement of Hillary Clinton yet?

Without going through all the other suspicious endorsements the Clinton’s have gathered (to include monies from foreign countries that treat women like chattel, ignoring Hillary’s supposed support of women’s issues despite her past record of supporting her husband’s several sexual abuses of women), Bernie supporters were energized yet again by the corruption we see as typical business as usual by establishment politicians like Hillary Clinton.

So, we thank you, Planned Parenthood. I know I donated another $30.00 to Bernie’s campaign ($155 thus far, plus $10.00 to the guy running against Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Hillary’s other BFF). I’m sure many Bernie supporters did likewise. Whatever the DNC has in store if Bernie’s campaign actually eclipses “their” frontrunner, they can probably count on these kinds of corrupt moves, along with the lack of debates, the Saturday night NFL playoff debate schedule, the fugazy suspension of Bernie’s campaign, the media blackout of Bernie’s campaign, and whatever else they have up their sleeve, as the reason Bernie supporters may just blackout their nominee should they finish sabotaging Bernie’s campaign. I know quite a few people who have no intention of rewarding the DNC and/or their corruption, never mind Hillary Clinton.

Some of us are called the Bernie or Bust movement. I’m a proud member. So are my wife, daughter, and son-in-law. I suspect there are hundreds of thousands others who refuse to reward the kind of corruption that allows the two party system to screw the middle class into poverty. Sorry, we’re not buying the lesser of two evils bullshit argument. Not anymore.

 
IT’S TIME TO FEEL THE BERN!

 
The Razor’s Edge, by Somerset Maugham … want to get into the mystical, political, class warfare and maybe the early Hippie movement, then I suggest The Razor’s Edge … it pits a search for nirvana against the daily life struggles that consume most of us. Can the spiritual life be as rewarding as a winning $750 million dollar lotto ticket?

Hmmmm, as often as I’ve experienced the wonderful smell of fresh cut grass a day or so before football practice began, or when the brine smell of the ocean hit my nose at just the right time during a walk on a boardwalk, or when just holding my wife’s hand made all the difference in the world to me … or a good drum riff jamming with a band (Avi Wolf knows what I’m talking about), hitting a long ball home run, smashing my forehead into a running back’s chest, landing a perfect left hook, or a puppy smell, etc., (those are as spiritual as I’ve experienced, I guess), there always remained the rest of my day/night, which usually involved work of some kind, legitimate or otherwise.

So it goes.

I don’t mean to poke fun of the spiritual. I admire it no end, but I also know it’s something I’m too selfish to ever want to attain, never mind attempt to do so. The world can be a beautiful place, but all too often it isn’t and we have to make adjustments.

That said, this was a wonderful novel for the rest of what Larry Darrell dropped on those so anxious for him to join the parade of wealthy via nepotism. The experience of seeing a friend give his life for Larry during WWI changed his life and he’s no longer buying into life as usual. Larry wants to “loaf” and Maugham does an incredible job of allowing his readers to like just about everybody in this novel. Trust me, I’m no fan of snobs, but there were more than a few times when I admired Elliot and his ability to do the right thing when it counted (like bailing out relations destroyed by the depression).

I particularly enjoyed the female characters struggling to maintain some independence, and even when one or two gives in and marries for the sake of security, I didn’t mind as much as I thought I would. It’s difficult to identify with people with so much and their “troubles,” but Maugham managed to make me care.

No spoilers, except to say you’ll know the end before the novel begins, but that’s an author’s author’s note … so to speak.

I’m a Maugham fan, so make no mistake, I’m biased. It’s still highly recommended reading.

Get it here:

 
Alex Ovechkin … back when I was a Rangers fan (before they traded Cally to the Bolts and became the Strangers), I literally became nervous when the Capitals Alex Ovechkin was on the ice. The guy is a tenacious freight train that too often can’t be stopped. Today the Strangers played the Crapitals at the world’s most famous arena and although the Strangers managed 3 goals in the third period, they gave up the game tying goal with just 1.6 seconds left in the period/game. In overtime, after the Strangers nearly won the game twice, Alex Ovechkin took the puck behind his net and made his way up the ice, and I swear you could see the determination in his body language. He raced along the boards around two defensemen and seemed to will the puck into the net for the game winner (his second goal of the game). It was impressive. Very impressive. Glad the Bolts are done playing that guy for the season.

—Knucks

Listen to Susan Sarandon …