Bullet Points:
** YOUR ancestors, deciding where to settle.
** Housekeeping/writing – The updated, lightly edited paperback version of THE OLD WHORE should be live by the end of the week. I haven’t touched this for fifteen years, and it was an interesting journey going over every word again. As with some of my ‘fiction’, it’s also based in part on my experiences with various characters incorporated into the plot. The Macedonian part of the story is not fiction, nor are many of the sequences in St. Lucia. The PTSD kicked in a little as I re-read the story. The Black Knife is closely based on an actual person, for example. Nostalgia. If the story lives a little for you, that may be why. The information about Jesuit Ciphers likewise closely aligns with what I worked on in the post 2007 timeframe. Yes, the Prepublication Classification Review Board (PCRB)—formerly known as the Publications Review Board (PRB)—Took more than one run at it back then. PCRB is the part of the CIA responsible for reviewing and authorizing the publication of novels, books, and other materials. I was careful not to touch anything in this re-pub that impacted portions that PCRB redacted.
EXILES FROM EDEN, which is based on a true story, will receive a bit of a facelift with ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS. It was originally planned as a 3-book series. That didn’t happen primarily because I ended up doing other work that prevented me from following up. Because the principal characters and plot ‘happened” in the 90’s, I’m going to add another 10,000 +/- words to finish the saga as best I can. It may even be longer than that, but it will come after I’m finished with THE OLD WHORE and get that into print.
VENGEANCE AND RETRIBUTION, the fourth book in the duelist series, is one of those projects that I’m outlining and working on. I want it to do justice to the series, and it will be a significant undertaking once I let loose on it. Maybe by summer? Maybe later than that for a completed work.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog comments, there will be a third book (ACT III) in the Broken Toys Series. In terms of when I undertake that project, much depends on you, the readers, and your reviews of both Broken Toys and HUNGRY GHOSTS. I can’t stress enough that talking up the titles in social media, reviewing them, and so forth makes all the difference. I have a good idea of where I want to take the ACT III in that series, but it will be a significant writing challenge to present the plot elements in an engaging way without being hokey.
** (BBC) h/t Claudio – The Chinese government is set to ban people from storing the cremated remains of their loved ones in empty apartments instead of paying for expensive cemetery plots. The new law will put an end to “bone ash apartments”, which have grown in popularity as cemetery space remains scarce. Low property prices in the country mean that for many, it is more affordable to entomb the ashes of relatives in an empty apartment than pay for funeral costs. The legislation prohibits the use of residential properties “specifically for the placement of ashes,” as well as the burial of remains outside cemeteries and in areas where ecological burial is legal. Bone ash apartments are empty properties that family members of the deceased turn into ritual halls. Their loved one’s ashes are placed inside, and the space is turned into an ancestral shrine. The apartments are often identifiable by closed curtains or sealed-off windows, Chinese media have reported. Mourners are making the most of low property prices, which have fallen in China in recent years and were down 40% in 2025 from 2021. Meanwhile, cemetery spaces are limited and come with a temporary lease that must be renewed every 20 years.
** Acronyms – BOAT (Break Out Another Thousand); JEEP (Just Empty Every Pocket); FARM is also an acronym: Forfeit All Remaining Money.
** Lee and Lincoln – on slavery.
** NATO as an institution should be dissolved. The US can enter into defense pacts with individual nations. Those defense pacts can be more specific and tailored to individual circumstances, and can be changed over time if necessary. Spain and Turkey (as an example) don’t benefit the US at all. If they want to negotiate basing agreements, we can do that. If not, we can withdraw from those individually.
** Which is the best saddle rifle?
Identify the Aircraft
1
33 Built
2
3
4
(1) CP-107 Argus.
(2) Maybe a Mi-38.
(3) I’m thinking MiG-23.
(4) Pakistani F-7?
– Kle.
Excellent
1 – RCAF Canadair CP-107 Argus
2 – Russian Mil Mi-38T
3 – Soviet Mig-23 Flogger
4 – Pakistan Air Force Chengdu F-7PG
Exactly
NATO – My bet is that after wrapping p in the middle east President Trump will next turn is attention to the defeat of NATO. He will give them a time table that will define our exit point by the end of this term.
I am looking forward to the rivers of liberal tears running in the streets and the collective shit Europe and the UK will take.
KC3 (aka King Cider) and spouse are coming to try to patch things up with a state visit by the end of the month. I don’t see that happening the way that they want it to. The same would be true for most of Europe. The Germans seem to have made a U-Turn of sorts, which is encouraging. The Trump Doctrine is to restore the Americas to a joint sovereign council free (for the most part) from foreign influence. The narco thing will never go away, but the dominance of narco states will be eliminated. The Red Chinese and Russians will have to content themselves with Europe. I don’t see the Gulf States doing anything but embracing their relationships with the USA.
A dystopian novel would have Fortress America isolated from the Old World dominated by a despotic regime.
Oh wait. That was supposed to have been the 40’s.
Didn’t WW I start from a small regional flareup to what it became because of overlapping treaty agreements among the many European powers?
Why isn’t NATO the same set up?
Supposedly WW1 was because of “secret” treaties.
NATO is supposed to prevent attacks because of the open agreement.
Now the secret part seems to be that some attacks might be ignored.
“Minor incursions”.
94 v. Marlin: It’s hard to argue against a Saint John Moses of Browning design, but it’s my understanding that Zane Grey preferred Marlin lever actions. I’d about as soon argue with Randolph Scott (Randolph Scott!) as argue with Zane Grey.
Zane Grey’s preferred rifle was a Winchester 1895 chambered in .30 Govt(30-06) – He spent many years hunting Arizon’s Mogollon Rim area with a pair of them.
The caliber markings for the model 1895, designed to distinguish it from the 30 Gov’t of 1903 which was the original caliber. If you were unaware, the 30 Gov’t of 1903 had a slightly longer neck and a 220 grain, round nosed bullet. In 1906, the cartridge was modified to use a smaller, spitzer bullet at higher velocity, and a slightly shorter neck. Early US model rifles of 1903 were rechambered or rebarreled for the newer cartridge. Yes, that is our old favorite 30-06 Springfield by today’s shorthand.
My sons and I each have a Win. 1895 in 30-06. They’re great rifles!
Given that I live on top of the Rim where Grey hunted, I think that the 30-06 might almost be overkill. There are aren’t a lot of longer-range shots up here. I’m not anti- 06 in the least. Back in those days, there was just General Springs (where the Battle of Big Dry Wash was fought) and the Indian summer camps along the other springs up here. It’s generally flat with heavy Ponderosa cover on top of the rim. Yes, there are ridges where I live in the area that runs down to Clear Creek. There is almost no underbrush of any significance under the Ponderosas up here. Yes, it’s brushier in the lower country, but not so much on top.
The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries.
Maxim #37 : “There is no “overkill”. There is only “open fire” and “I need to reload.”
There’s always the Thompson Center rifle that you can change the barrel for the desired hunt. Of course, you have to be a good shot or very fast at reloading.
Dave
I own a Thompson Xentre with two barrels (among others).
It is about a five minutes to change barrels.
I pick what I am using depending on game, location etc
Bought it for trips where I fly to hunting area and weight is an issue on small planes. Mostly leave it as 30-06 and switch to .223 if I am chasing rabbits etc for dinner.
The Model 94 has one design quirk missing from the Marlin. With the Model 94 you must bring the hammer back slightly till you feel a “click”. This sets the safety. With one in the chamber, a Model 94 will fire if dropped on the butt. This happened to a man I loaned my Model 94. He was a passenger in a pickup, opened the door, the rifle fell out, went off, and put a hole in the pickup roof.
I have a 94 in .32 Win Spcl and another in .22.
The 32 is a fine gun, pricey ammo. But great delivery.
I love shooting the .22. It’s a tack driver.
And that’s true about the hammer safety, it’s not intuitive.
I have a Marlin 88 in .308 and a Marlin 37AS in .22.
I shoot the 37 more often.
Where to settle?: Heh. Seems Wisconsin was similar to Denmark and Norway, reminds me of that Keeler bit on Prairie Home, “We left Bergen, the most beautiful place in the world, to come to…Minnesota…what were we thinking?”
***
Always had a hankering for the Winchester lever action…likely [mostly] due to watching westerns during childhood. Never bought one tho.
***
NATO: When certain large foreign powers refuse to assist us and Israel in eradicating a bunch of nutjobs wanting our demise while their countries go to pot for all manner of reasons, then demand we come and save their sorry rear-ends, and we get to pay for their rescue…time to cut the cord. Apparently Britain has not learned a damned thing about prevention since another nutjob was running amok and we waded into the fray. Same goes for other. NATO is past its extended warranty coverage.
Asking the question of our ancestors and their choices…
Once every two years I enjoyed a summer JRTC rotation at Ft Polk in Louisiana.
There is a little town outside of Ft Polk (Leesville) that many of the TDY folk wondered why in the world they choose to settle in that location…
After much discussion and consideration, (Most of JRTC is boring, punctuated with furious and frightful activity)
it was agreed, by most, that the reason that Leesville exists where it does…
Is because THAT is where the wagon wheel broke.
MSG Grumpy
You have a point, MSG.
My dad was born and raised in California, PA.
The story is that the settlers were headed to California, but settled for where they settled and wrote home that they were in California.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Canadair CP-107 Argus
2. Mil Mi-38
3. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger
4. Chengdu F-7PG
Outstanding
“VENGEANCE AND RETRIBUTION,”
Wir können gerne warten.
You don’t have much of a choice, Boron.
On the CIA and whores, we have been watching the Netflix series Homeland. Is all fantasy or small elements of truth grouped into fantasy? Is the bipolar representation realistic?
I thought that Homeland was – weird – and detached from the bureaucratic reality. I’m not suggesting that you read The Old Whore (paperback edition) or that it will impart the reality of the 2009-2011 feel. The retired case officer (the old whore) featured in the story is not a poster child so much as he is a character cobbled together from a number of people who spent a life manipulating others into betraying their countries. There are a number of people who are a lot like Granger, Fish, and Thorpe (three different characters on the Outfit side).
Winchester vs Marlin. Concur, slim and light weight is the key. I have ridden with a model 94 in a leather scabbard, albeit only a few times just to get some experience as to how best to mount it. I did not shoot it. I choose right side, buttstock to the rear (I am right handed). That way you only have to account for it mounting and dismounting. Buttstock forward can possibly interfere with reins, tie rope, or if your horse throws his head around chasing some annoying insect. It is best angled to run under where your knee joint naturally bends. I understand that another rifle that works well is the Savage 99.
—
Just for the record, that model 94 got sold/traded to a new owner sometime back in my early 20’s. Around the early 2000’s, I came into possession of what was left of a garden variety Marlin 336 in 30-30. The buttstock was missing, among other ailments. I called 1-800-Marlin, and then shipped it off to have them swap/replace parts and return it to me as a full length, octagon barreled Cowboy model chambered in 38-55. Yeah, 38-55 is pretty much handload only these days, but I have that covered.
Larry’s two book cartel series which includes as the second book “The Old Whore” are good reading. Some of the darkest parts also are almost the craziest in a black humor sense. The note above on the Macedonians was absolutely stunning. The two book series would make a great movie.
*
“Exiles from Eden” you’ll learn about motorcycle gangs, misguided church leaders, and drugs. It starts out slow but quickly gains momentum. As you are reading, you’ll get drawn in. As you read, consider, based on actual events.
*
“Hungry Ghosts” has arrived from Amazon. Will start my read this weekend.
Thanks, Al.
Is the camo on the Mi-38T designed for warfare in a pixelated video game?
Yes, I think that it was.
That’s the best video resolution of Russian sensors…
– Kle.
Books in the pipeline; Adding more to Exiles in Eden is drawing me to purchase a paper copy. : ) Looking forward to re-reading this one. Read and left a review on the kindle version a while back. Of all the Novels of yours I’ve read, this one of the ones I remember vestante details. Maybe the location descriptions and the characters that I could personally relate to? As for Hungry Ghosts, will have to reread the broken toys due to my broken memory, then indulge in a paper copy of the sequel eventually. Yeah, I’m sad the Eden didn’t turn into a series as I’m sure there is way more to tell, but glad for you to hold to priorities and be at peace with 10k being sufficient to tell us ” the rest of the story”.
Having a couple examples of both i will say the only advantage the Marlin has is the closed top receiver. Certainly makes a difference in crap weather conditions. But… i still prefer the Winchester mainly for it’s svelte characteristics.