The Analects of Mudcat: The Human Race

“If you don’t believe it’s the human race, then you’ve already lost.”

~M.T. Bass

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Available at Amazon.com

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War of 1812 Flag

January 8, 1815 – A rag-tag army under Andrew Jackson defeats the British on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans.

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Hard Road MP3 Available at Amazon.com

Clear and Present Dangers……William James

“A sense of humor is just common sense dancing.”

― William James

Book Reviews in Review: 2018

Here are my favorite five of the books I reviewed in 2018—Man, there is a lot of good stuff out there:

 

About halfway through Noir, sweat started pouring out of me like beer at a Delta House toga party and my gut wrenched hard as if a Mike Tyson body shot found home.  I was afraid. I’d been here before. Like yesterday’s déjà vu redux.

I didn’t want to believe a book could be so cruel, like a dame, leading you on and leading you on, then leaving footprints on your stomach as she walks out of your heart.  Heels. Always in heels.

I was having a good time. What if it ended with a hard fall just like that? I shook it off and read on into the night. I had to…

As I closed my Kindle app and the glow of my iPad faded off into the foggy night, I took a long last look back…It was done. And it was good. Very good.

“You. Yeah, you. Author Guy. We’ll meet again, we will.  Soon.”

(5 of 5 Stars)

Link to Noir on Amazon

 

For me, The Dog Stars pushed quite a few personal buttons. Set on the Colorado Front Range. Check–lived there for ten years. Main character is a pilot. Check,–I am a Commercial Pilot & CFI. Has a dog named Jasper. Check–mine was a Siberian Husky. Influenza infused post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy. Check–who hasn’t read The Stand? (Hmmm, which also ends up in Boulder, Colorado…) Heller’s story has its own showdown between good and evil, but his story is much more personal than epic. The narrative style takes some getting used to at first, but craftily fits Hig’s tale perfectly, so stick with it. The awards won by the book were well-deserved. (5 of 5 Stars)

The Dog Stars on Amazon.com

Pretty presumptuous, eh, to write a book telling people how to live their lives…what with rules, for Christ’s sakes. Especially nowadays. And to use religious mythology to boot!

Peterson’s core premise is that stories which have survived for thousands and thousands and thousands of years with themes common across many different religions and cultures might actually have some value to human beings as guideposts for understanding life and making the best of it.  His lectures seem to be an earnest and forthright exploration of that observation.  12 Rules for Life attempts to put the results of his inquiries into practical action for individuals.

Whether or not you agree with Peterson’s musings, conclusions and prescriptions, a fair and open-minded reading of his book will yield thought provoking insights. (5 of 5 Stars)

Link to 12 Rules for Life  on Amazon

 

You know you’re reading “on the edge” when poultry meat processing has become a team sport rivaling the NFL and FIFA.  But, personally, that’s what I like about self proclaimed ne’re-do-well Green’s forays where no satirist has gone before. His plunderous bounty of crazy characters, turbulent plot twists and scalpel sharp barbs is a just reward.

As always, make sure your seat belt is snuggly fastened and your seat backs and tray tables are in their full, upright and locked position.  In the event of rapid decompression, place your oxygen mask on first–but, then again, there really shouldn’t be any children along on this ride. (5 of 5 Stars)

Link to Fowl Play on Amazon

 

I first met Dr. Brown in the Tin Goose Diner at the Port Clinton airport, when he came over to our table  to compliment our ride — the RV-7A built by my student’s dad in their garage. Since then, I’ve seen him speak a number of times and tell many of the tales recounted in this book.  He’s a great story-teller and Keep Your Airspeed Up is as close as you can get to being in the room with him.  What more can you ask of an autobiography?

Meeting someone who made history, as Dr. Brown did being one of the Tuskegee Airmen, is an amazing experience — heightened even more by our mutual passion for aviation.  We shared the boyhood dream of becoming a pilot.  What we did not share were the unfair headwinds of a racism that is nearly unimaginable now, more than fifty years downstream from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Keep Your Airspeed Up brought home the realities of that period of history to me in a way that no other book, movie or even Dr. Brown’s own “hangar talks” ever have before. But that was just the beginning of his long career in the Air Force and later in education.

Having shaken history’s hand, this book really is the next best thing to being there.  (5 of 5 Stars)

Link to Keep Your Airspeed Up on Amazon

 

 

 

Pat Benatar – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”

Well you’re the real tough cookie
With the long history
Of breaking little hearts
Like the one in me
That’s OK,
Lets see how you do it
Put up your dukes,
Lets get down to it
Hit me with your best shot
Why don’t you hit me
With your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire AwayYou come on with a “come on”
You don’t fight fair
But that’s OK, see if I care
Knock me down, it’s all in vain
I’ll get right back on my feet again

Hit me with your best shot
Why don’t you hit me
With your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire Away

Well, you’re the real tough cookie
With the long history
Of breaking little hearts
Like the one in me
Before I put another notch
In my lipstick case
You better make sure
You put me in my place

Hit me with your best shot
Come On, hit me with your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire Away

Hit me with your best shot
Why don’t you hit me with your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire Away

Clear and Present Dangers……Stephen Ambrose

“There are many rules of good writing, but the best way to find them is to be a good reader.”

― Stephen Ambrose

 

Led Zeppelin – “Good Times Bad Times”

In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man,
Now I’ve reached that age, I’ve tried to do all those things the best I can.
No matter how I try, I find my way into the same old jam.[Chorus:]
Good Times, Bad Times, you know I’ve had my share;
When my woman left home for a brown eyed man,
Well, I still don’t seem to care.Sixteen, I fell in love with a girl as sweet as could be,
It only took a couple of days ’til she was rid of me.
She swore that she would be all mine and love me till the end,
But when I whispered in her ear, I lost another friend, oooh.

[Chorus]

[Solo]

[Chorus]

I know what it means to be alone, I sure do wish I was at home.
I don’t care what the neighbors say, I’m gonna love you each and every day.
You can feel the beat within my heart.
Realize, sweet babe, we ain’t ever gonna part.