Friday, March 13, 2026

Martin Walker - The Authors List

Martin Walker is next on my Authors List at 8 of his novels I've read. He is a writer and former journalist from Scotland who writes crime detective novels that take place in a rural village in France. The books are always an interesting blend of police procedure, restaurant cooking, wine tastings, current events and local history.

All 8 of his novels I've read are part of the Bruno, Chief of Police series of which there are 18 novels so I still have a way to go.



The Martin Walker books I've read:

  • Bruno, Chief of Police, 2008 - Nov 2022
  • The Dark Vineyard, 2009 - Dec 2022
  • Black Diamond, 2010 - Feb 2023
  • The Crowded Grave, 2011 - Mar 2023
  • The Devil's Cave, 2012 - Jun 2023
  • The Resistance Man, 2013 - Jan 2024
  • The Children Return, 2014 - Jan 2025
  • The Patriarch, 2015 - Jul 2025

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Guinness at Coles

Becky and I went over to Coles tonight for dinner. They always have some St. Patrick's Day specials in March which we enjoy so we thought we would get over there before the rush this weekend. St. Patrick's Day is next Tuesday which means this weekend is the crazy time with the parade and all. We also have reservations next Thursday at Miras across the street so tonight it was.

I had their always wonderful Guinness Beef Stew dinner along with a couple of Guinness Stout drafts. Becky had one of their regular nice sandwiches. 

The bar was busy as usual on a Thursday night and there was a party upstairs. The place was highly decorated Irish style and tomorrow night there were promoting their annual Irish Blessing of the Kegs night at 7 pm. That was another reason we decided to go there tonight rather than tomorrow.

We had a great time as usual.

Larry McMurtry - The Authors List

Larry McMurtry is next on my Authors List with 9 books of his that I've read. I started out with Lonesome Dove in 1985 but it would be another ten years before I read another one of his novels. I finished reading the four novel Lonesome Dove series as each book came out. Then I went on with the Berrybender series of four books. There are a few other of his books I'm interested in checking out.

I really liked watching the Lonesome Dove television series. I also liked a couple of films made from his early novels... The Last Picture Show, Hud (Horseman, Pass By) and Terms of Endearment. 

Larry McMurtry books I've read:

  • Lonesome Dove, 1985 - Jun 1985
  • Streets of Laredo, 1993 - Dec 1995
  • Dead Man's Walk, 1995 - Jul 1996
  • Comanche Moon, 1997 - Apr 1998
  • Boone's Lick, 2001 - May 2001
  • Sin Killer, 2002 - Jan 2003
  • The Wandering Hill, 2003 - Jul 2003
  • By Sorrow's River, 2003 - Dec 2005
  • Folly and Glory, 2004 - Feb 2006

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Tom Clancy - The Authors List

Tom Clancy. Another writer on my Authors List with 10 books that I've read. The first one was Patriot Games I read in 1990 after seeing the Hunt For Red October movie. During 1990 I also read two other political thriller novels including Red Storm Rising and The Hunt For Red October. I would read a few more throughout the decade and the last book I read was a disappointment in 2002. No more since then. 

I did enjoy reading his books in the 1990's, 



Tom Clancy books I've read:

  • Patriot Games, 1987 - Jan 1990
  • Red Storm Rising, 1986 - May 1990
  • The Hunt For Red October, 1984 - Aug 1990
  • The Cardinal of the Kremlin, 1988 - Jun 1994
  • Clear and Present Danger, 1989 - Sep 1994
  • The Sum of All Fears, 1991 - Mar 1995
  • Without Remorse, 1993 - Sep 1995
  • Debt of Honor, 1994 - Nov 1999
  • Executive Orders, 1996 - Dec 1999
  • The Bear and The Dragon, 2000 - Aug 2002

Brother Jack McDuff - Kitchen Listening

Brother Jack McDuff has always been one of my favorite jazz musicians. I especially loved his soul jazz organ music from the early 1960's. It was wonderful listening to him playing on several of his albums from that time period today. I especially loved that two of them also featured the amazing jazz guitarist Grant Green too.

I got a lot more of his albums to play later too.

Today's albums:
  • Brother Jack, 1960 - with Bill Jennings
  • The Honeydripper, 1961 - with Grant Green
  • Goodnight It's Time To Go, 1961 - with Grant Green
  • Brother Jack Meets The Boss, 1962 - with Gene Ammons

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

The 2026 Trump War Mixes

One of my responses to the obviously illegal war that trump started to cover up all his other illegal activities was to post a series of protest song mixes that I reconfigured in my current Final Version hour and a half mixes. 

Here they are listed and with links to their posts. I posted them to Facebook and also put them up on YouTube Music. This is it for awhile but there could be 2 or 3 more. I still have some protest songs to use.

Protest Songs FV

Pasta Dinner

We had a nice pasta dinner Becky put together tonight with some nice sauce and lots of fresh veggies.

We had that wonderful French peasant bread with it spread with some delicious San Marco basil pesto from the Co-Op.


James S. A. Corey - The Authors List

James S. A. Corey on the Authors List with 9 books I've read. Actually this is a pen name for two science fiction collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck and together they have written a space opera The Expanse series over a ten year period. I have read the entire 9 book series and enjoyed it all very much. Started with Leviathan Awake in 2017 and finished with Leviathan Falls in 2022.

I've also watched all six seasons of The Expanse television series.



The books of The Expanse series I've read.

  • Leviathan Awakes, 2011 - Mar 2017
  • Caliban's War, 2012 - Apr 2017
  • Abaddon's Gate, 2013 - Apr 2017
  • Cibola Burn, 2014 - May 2017
  • Nemesis Games, 2015 - May 2017
  • Babylon's Ashes, 2016 - Jun 2017
  • Persepolis Rising, 2017 - Mar 2018
  • Tiamat's Wrath, 2019 - Dec 2019
  • Leviathan Falls, 2021 - Feb 2022

Monday, March 9, 2026

Michael Crichton - The Authors List

Michael Crichton is another author that I've read 10 books. The first one was The Andromeda Strain in 1974 followed quickly by The Terminal Man. It took Jurassic Park in the early 90's to get me back into reading his novels.

I also very much liked his movie Westworld from 1973 which he wrote and directed but wasn't based on a novel. Actually I've enjoyed quite a few films based on his novels and sequels.




His books that I've read:

  • The Andromeda Strain, 1969 - Feb 1974
  • The Terminal Man, 1972 - Aug 1974
  • Jurassic Park, 1990 - Jan 1991
  • Sphere, 1987 - Mar 1991
  • Congo, 1980 - Feb 1993
  • Rising Sun, 1992 - May 1993
  • The Lost World, 1995 - Aug 1995
  • Timeline, 1999 - Jun 2000
  • Prey, 2002 - Apr 2003
  • The Andromeda Evolution, 2019 - Aug 2019

War Is Over - Protest Songs FV

War Is Over. The 12th mix of my protest songs from albums in my collection. Now we are hearing that demented don is claiming that the war is over and he has won. But of course we know he is lying and has no idea about reality.

This is the last mix of this series for awhile.

War Is Over - Protest Songs
  1. War Is Over – Lowland Hum
  2. Recuperating From The War – The Autumn Defense
  3. How You Survived The War – The Weepies
  4. Love Vigilantes – Laura Cantrell
  5. Post-War – M. Ward
  6. Man At War – Daniel Johnston
  7. The Peace Song – Jesse Colin Young
  8. I Am Not At War – Luka Bloom
  9. Dirty Little War – Will Hoge
  10. This Is Baghdad – Bruce Cockburn
  11. 19 Miles To Baghdad – Lizzie West & The White Buffalo
  12. Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning – The Wrights
  13. Battle Of Armegeddon – Larry Sparks
  14. Men In A War – Suzanne Vega
  15. The War You Left – Joy Of Cooking
  16. War Song – Neil Young
  17. Get Up, Stand Up – Peter Tosh
  18. Redemption Song – Bob Marley & The Wailers
  19. I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night – Billy Bragg
  20. I Ain’t Marching Anymore – Phil Ochs
  21. Travelin’ Soldier – Dixie Chicks
  22. This Uncivil War – Gretchen Peters
  23. Battle Hymns – The Nightwatchman
  24. America – Simon & Garfunkel

Like a Summer Dinner

It was a sunny warm day. We took two walks today and saw a robin both times. It was 65 degrees in the backyard and in the sunroom it had temperatures reaching almost 80 degrees. 

So we had a summer-like dinner with veggie burgers, salad, guacamole and chips. Yum. 

The Story of Jamaican Music - Kitchen Listening

Today I played a 4 CD Various Artists set of reggae and ska collection titled Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music as part of my Kitchen Listening series. It was released in 1993 on Mango Records and provides a fabulous history of the island's music scene across the years and includes all the different musical styles with 95 songs. For a fan of reggae there are a lot of familiar tunes here but also some incredible deep cuts and amazing information about the music. Includes ska, rock steady, reggae, dub, dance hall and ragga. This box set runs a little over 5 hours. I have several other box sets of various artists reggae compilations.

I've been a big fan of reggae music since I spent some time in Jamaica in 1971 exploring the island's music scene while in the Navy. I would go on to visit many other islands and countries throughout the area of the Caribbean Sea where music and food was a great way to spend your time while on shore. The reggae and ska influence was everywhere down there back then. When I got out of the Navy in 1973 one of the first things I did was build up my reggae music collection.

First Robin

Becky and I went for a walk earlier today and while out and about we saw our first robin of the season on a neighbor's lawn. It looked happy to be here but we'll see how long that last. Usually we see our first robin in our backyard. I spent about an hour in our backyard sunroom where it was almost 80 degrees... but no robins there yet. The temperature in the backyard was around 65 degrees and sunny. 

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Gimme Some Truth - Protest Songs FV

Gimme Some Truth. Another mix of protest songs from albums in my collection. The war continues based on more lies, corruption and stupid fantasies. 





Gimme Some Truth - Protest Songs
  1. Gimme Some Truth – John Lennon
  2. 20th Century Man – The Kinks
  3. Question – The Moody Blues
  4. Fresh Air – Quicksilver Messenger Service
  5. Nature’s Way – Spirit
  6. Take The Star Out Of The Window – John Prine
  7. To Susan On The West Coast Waiting – Donovan
  8. We Seek No Wider War – Phil Ochs
  9. War Song – The Fugs
  10. Hey, Mr. Draft Board – David Peel & The Lower East End
  11. Draft Resister – Steppenwolf
  12. Who’s Gonna Win The War? – Hawkwind
  13. The War – Lee Michaels
  14. Draft Morning – The Byrds
  15. Talking World War III Blues – Bob Dylan
  16. If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song) – Peter, Paul & Mary
  17. Guantanamera – The Sandpipers
  18. Peace Will Come (According To Plan) – Melanie
  19. War In Peace – Skip Spence
  20. Love, Peace and Happiness – The Chambers Brothers
  21. Let’s Work Together – Canned Heat
  22. He’s Misstra Know It All – Stevie Wonder
  23. Wake Up Everybody – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
  24. Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley & The Wailers

3001: The Final Odyssey

Today I finished reading Arthur C. Clarke's fourth and final science fiction book in the Space Odyssey series that began with 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968. I had read the other two novels of the series back when they came out in the 1980's. The last book in the series was published in 1997 but somehow it was off my radar although I had did read his 3 volume series Time Odyssey in the late 2000's. 

I started reading 3001 just last week on March 3rd. So it took me six days to read this book. It was amazing and I don't know why it took me almost 30 years to get to it. 

I wrote about Clarke and his position in my Authors List here. This is now the 12th book of his that I've read. There is still one more novel of his that I want to read.

A Walk In The Zoo

It was a nice sunny afternoon for a walk but also a little chilly and windy. We did enjoy our walk very much and had decided it would be nice to visit the zoo. The zoo wasn't very crowded for a Sunday afternoon but we did enjoy our time there. We especially love seeing the small children running around the exhibits.

We did spend some quality time in the Rainforest Building and the animals seemed very active. Especially the monkeys and the birds. We spent close to an hour there and then headed back home. While walking down Russell we ran into our old friend Molly and stood around talking for awhile. It turned out that she was also just down at the zoo for a power walk and we just missed running into her there.

It is so nice to have the zoo so close to our home and as members we love making it part of our neighborhood walking routines.






Classic Blues - Kitchen Listening

I played some classic blues this morning from my collections of albums from the Smithsonian Folkways series of recordings. It went on for several hours and included such classic blues artists as Big Bill Broonzy, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee, Elizabeth Cotton, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Son House, Josh White, Lightnin' Hopkins, Victoria Spivey, and on and on.

This music made for a very pleasant morning and was much better than having any news on the TV. I have many more albums from this Smithsonian Folkways series and looking forward to playing more later.

H.G. Wells - The Authors List

H.G. Wells was a big influence in my lifelong love of science fiction both for reading his novels and seeing the movies based on his books. I read 9 of his books that included 8 novels and a collection of short stories.

The first book of his I read was The Time Machine as a teenager in the mid-1960's along with a few other of his novels. Then I read them again in the 70's along with some others. I read The Time Machine and War of the Worlds again just a few years ago. 

I saw the movie of the Time Machine in our neighborhood theater when it came out in 1960. I was 9. It was a double feature with the previously released War of the Worlds.

H.G. Wells books I've read:
  • The War of the Worlds, 1898
  • The Invisible Man, 1897
  • The Island of Dr Moreau, 1896
  • The First Men in the Moon, 1901
  • The Food of the Gods and How It Came To Earth, 1904
  • The Sleeper Awakes, 1899
  • The War in the Air, 1908
  • The Shape Of Things To Come, 1933
  • The Country of the Blind and Other Selected Stories, 1911

Saturday, March 7, 2026

There Is A War - Protest Songs FV

There Is A War and I'm still putting together mixes of protest songs from albums in my collection. The war is dragging on for a week now and there are more and more anti-war demonstrations across America and the world.


There Is A War - Protest Songs
  1. There Is A War – Leonard Cohen
  2. On The Border – Al Stewart
  3. Hoist That Rag – Tom Waits
  4. When The Battle Is Over – The Levon Helm Band
  5. Love Vigilantes (El-P Remix) – Duncan Sheik
  6. Line In The Sand – Lucy Kaplansky
  7. Holy War – Willie Nile
  8. War Zone – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
  9. Warhead – Section 25
  10. Leaders Of The Free World – Elbow
  11. Lovers In A Dangerous Time – Bruce Cockburn
  12. Present For The End Of The World – Good Old War
  13. Chicago – Sleepy Sunday
  14. War – The Jam
  15. Melt The Guns – XTC
  16. Warning Sign – Talking Heads
  17. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same) – The Specials
  18. Meet The Boys On The Battlefront – The Wild Tchoupitoulas
  19. Stop The War Now – Edwin Starr
  20. War – Lenny Kravitz
  21. Rumors Of War – Peter Tosh
  22. Blowin’ In The Wind – Stevie Wonder
  23. Imagine – John Lennon



Tana French - The Authors List

Tana French is next on my Authors List and I've read 9 of her novels. I discovered her in 2014 at a time when I was reading a lot of crime novels. She had been writing her own series of crime novels from her home in Dublin. The first book of hers that I read was In The Woods which only took me a week to get through and then I continued to read a couple more books in her Dublin Murder Squad series. Eventually I've read every novel she has written and look forward to a new one to be released later this month.



Tana French books I've read:

  • In The Woods, 2007 - Feb 2014
  • The Likeness, 2008 - Apr 2014
  • Faithful Place, 2010 - May 2014
  • The Secret Place, 2014 - Mar 2015
  • The Trespasser, 2016 - Jan 2017
  • The Witch Elm, 2018 - Nov 2018
  • Broken Harbor, 2012 - Dec 2018
  • The Searcher, 2020 - Jan 2021
  • The Hunter, 2024 - Jun 2024

Friday, March 6, 2026

Lives In The Balance - Protest Songs FV

Lives In The Balance. More war and another mix of protest songs from albums in my collection. A week of war, of lies and misinformation. Pathetic bullshit coming from a fascist regime of dumb ass hate filled incompetence. Hate & War.


Lives In The Balance - Protest Songs
  1. Lives In The Balance – Jackson Browne
  2. After The Garden – Neil Young
  3. Empty Sky – Bruce Springsteen
  4. Put Down That Weapon – Midnight Oil
  5. Between The Wars – Billy Bragg
  6. No More Losing The War – Half Moon Run
  7. Draft Daughter’s Blues – The Be Good Tanyas
  8. War Makes War – John Gorka
  9. No Man Can Find The War – Tim Buckley
  10. War Crime Blues – Chris Whitley
  11. Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
  12. World Leader Pretend – R.E.M.
  13. Lovers In A Dangerous Time – Bruce Cockburn
  14. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding – Matthew Sweet
  15. People Got To Be Free – The Rascals
  16. 1984 – Spirit
  17. The War Drags On – Donovan
  18. Foxhole – Television
  19. Hate & War – The Clash
  20. Living Through Another Cuba – XTC
  21. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
  22. Everybody Wants To Rule The World – Lucius
  23. Nuclear War (Version 2) – Yo La Tengo
  24. Masters Of War – Anika

Dinner @ Shango

Becky and I had a wonderful dinner tonight at Shango. An amazing crispy catfish fish fry sitting on a pile of delicious French fries. Becky had a nice shrimp po'boy. And of course I started things off with a cup of gumbo.

The service was great as usual. We also very much enjoyed the music on the sound system which was blues oriented and we especially liked hearing some Nina Simone. The restaurant was a little chilly when we first got there and we were sat along the front window which most of the year is a very nice table. However, we asked to have a table in a booth which of course they gave us right away and then they turned up the heat which made the waitress very happy. 

I had a nice glass of hefeweizen wheat beer Weisse from Grimm Artisanal Ales Brewery from Brooklyn NY. Actually two.

Robert A. Heinlein - The Authors List

Robert A. Heinlein - The Authors List. I read 11 books by this classic science fiction writer that included nine novels and two collections of short stories. The first book I read was Stranger In A Strange Land in 1975. Grok. It was a controversial book because of the free love and communal living situations. It was excluded from many school reading lists and banned from many school libraries.

I read 8 of these books during the period 1975-1976. The last book of his I read was in 1992.


The books of Robert A. Heinlein I've read:

  • Stranger In A Strange Land, 1961 - Apr 1975
  • The Past Through Tomorrow, 1967 - Jun 1975
  • Starship Troopers, 1959 - Aug 1975
  • Time Enough For Love, 1973 - Nov 1975
  • Glory Road, 1963 - Sep 1976
  • I Will Fear No Evil, 1970 - Oct 1976
  • Farnham's Freehold, 1964 - Nov 1976
  • The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, 1966 - Dec 1976
  • Methuselah's Children, 1958 - Sep 1987
  • The Green Hills Of Earth, 1949 - Nov 1987
  • The Puppet Masters, 1951 - Dec 1992

Markwayne at DHS

So who is this Markwayne guy that trump just appointed to head the Department of Homeland Security after he fired that puppy killer. Now we have the cabinet member Secretary of Homeland Security named Markwayne Mullin.

Here is a photo of him cowering in fear of the magas who attacked Congress on January 6th and trying to break into the hall where he was hiding.

Here are some other things about him...

He's the only senator in America without a college degree. No law degree.

He challenged a union leader to a fistfight during a Senate hearing. On camera.
In the United States Senate. Bernie Sanders had to tell him to calm down and act like an adult.

In one year while serving in Congress his personal wealth jumped $45 million.
One year. Forty-five million dollars. While making our laws.

He believes abortion should be illegal even if you were raped. Even if your life is at risk. He has said on the record that even if his own wife were dying in a pregnancy, neither of them would want an abortion. Now he gets to make that call for every woman in America now.

He found out he got the job on social media. Trump's announcement called him "a MAGA Warrior and former undefeated MMA fighter." That's the qualification. He hits people. No national security experience. No law enforcement background. No security, intelligence or emergency management skills. He never served in the military although he likes to talk about what "war" is like as if he experienced it. I guess he watched too many war movies on TV.

He now runs:
- ICE
- FEMA
- The Coast Guard
- The Secret Service
- Counterterrorism

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Long Dark Night - Protest Songs FV

Long Dark Night. Another mix of protest songs from albums in my collection. Day 6 of the trump regime illegal war.

Never had many Black Sabbath on any of my mixes but this one works. Sun Ra too. 


Long Dark Night - Protest Songs FV
  1. Long Dark Night – John Fogerty
  2. War Pigs/Luke’s Wall – Black Sabbath
  3. When The Generals Talk – Midnight Oil
  4. There’s A War Going On – The Brian Jonestown Massacre
  5. Holy War – Matthew Sweet
  6. War – Edwin Starr
  7. Nuclear War – Sun Ra
  8. War Ina Babylon – Max Romeo & The Upsetters
  9. The Guns Of Brixton – The Clash
  10. Throw Down Your Arms – Sinead O’Connor
  11. War Party – Eddy Grant
  12. War Dance – XTC
  13. New World – The Strawbs
  14. Lost In A Lost World – The Moody Blues
  15. Everybody Wants To Rule The World – Patti Smith
  16. Political Science – Randy Newman
  17. Call It Democracy – Bruce Cockburn
  18. First We Take Manhattan – Leonard Cohen
  19. Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner – Warren Zevon
  20. Masters Of War – The Long Ryders
  21. Living With War – Neil Young
  22. War On Peace – The Jesus and Mary Chain

PM with Dave Last Night

Dave and I decided to head down to the PM last night. I thought we might go down on Thursday but the weather forecast was for heavy rain in the evening and yesterday was such a beautiful day. So I contacted Dave and we made arrangements to meet down the street on the corner and walk over to the PM like we've done many times before.

I don't think I've ever been there on a Wednesday night before and was expecting it to be kind of slow. We got there a little after 6:30, walked in and the place was shockingly packed. There were no seats at the bar and no empty tables in the dining room. The back room was not in use but the rest of the place was full. We stood around for a minute or so when one of the waitresses offered us their station table and found us a couple of stools. So were were in a good spot to have our conversation.

I was really interested in getting updated on Tom L's condition which we talked about for awhile. Eventually we saw a couple of people leaving their seats at the bar and I claimed them. The waitresses were happy to have their station back in service and Dave and I moved to the bar. A little while later Matt G and his son came in to pick up some take out food. We talked with them for awhile. Dave and I both used to work with Matt at Canisius and it was nice catching up although I do see him occasionally as he lives around the corner from us. Eventually they got their food for the family and Dean, his son, took the food home while Matt stayed and hung out with us for another hour. He did order some food for himself and ate at the bar around the time we were leaving. We had a great time with Matt and he wants to get together with us again when we come down to the PM which we try to do once a month. 

So Dave and I were down at the PM for about two and a half hours and got home a little after 9.

Stephen King - The Authors List

Stephen King is next on my list of authors with 12 books that I've read. The first one was I read was The Shining in 1979. Over the next couple of years I read several more of his novels... Salem's Lot, The Stand, Carrie, etc. The last book I read in 2013 was the 11/23/63 time travel novel about the Kennedy assassination.

Stephen King has written 67 novels. An amazing number of books. I could keep reading a lot more of them but probably not.




Stephen King books that I read:
  • The Shining, 1977 - Jan 1979
  • Salem's Lot, 1975 - Mar 1979
  • The Stand, 1978 - Jul 1980
  • Carrie, 1974 - Aug 1980
  • The Dead Zone,1979 - May 1981
  • Firestarter, 1980  - Jul, 1982
  • Christine, 1983 - Sep 1983
  • Pet Cemetery, 1983 - Oct 1984
  • It, 1986 - Dec, 1988
  • Dreamcatcher, 2001 - Dec 2001
  • Cell, 2006  - Jun 2006
  • 11/23/63, 2011 - May 2013

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Eggs & Potatoes

Tonight for dinner we had some scrambled eggs and potatoes along with a nice avocado salad. Becky hasn't made any eggs for a meal in quite some time so this was a treat and it was very good. And of course I enjoyed it with some of that delicious Trader Joe's sriracha BBQ sauce. 

Redemption Song - Protest Songs FV

Redemption Song. A mix of more protest songs from albums in my collection. They keep on going and so does the war into day five.

The pic is Tel Aviv under a revenge attack.





Redemption Song - Protest Songs FV

  1. Redemption Song – Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
  2. Rich Man’s War – Steve Earle
  3. Cheney’s Toy – James McMurtry
  4. The Call Up – Chris Whitley
  5. Day After Tomorrow – Tom Waits
  6. The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash
  7. When The President Talks To God – Bright Eyes
  8. I Want My Country Back – Greg Brown
  9. Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? – Tom Russell
  10. Prayer For Peace – Dan Penn
  11. Handsome Johnny – Richie Havens
  12. Joe Hill – Joan Baez
  13. When The War Began – Pearls Before Swine
  14. What Did You Learn In School Today – Tom Paxton
  15. To Be A Killer – Wes Houston
  16. I Kill Therefore I Am – Phil Ochs
  17. Fortunate Son – Todd Snider
  18. Millenium Theater – Ani DiFranco
  19. Not Ready To Make Nice – Dixie Chicks
  20. War Is Hell – Nicole Atkins
  21. Empire – Dar Williams
  22. Why Can’t We Live Together – Joan Osborne

76 Degrees in the Backyard Cabana

Today was wonderful to be able to spend some time in our backyard cabana sunroom and I enjoyed every moment of that hour and a half. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 50's but the temperature inside the sunroom was 76 degrees.

I had to take off my jacket. I had the stereo on playing a CD and I had my tablet with me along with a book. I was also enjoying watching the birds and the squirrels do their things. This was only the second time this winter I was able to spend any time in the sunroom. I was out there for a brief time a few days ago but this was glorious. Over the past several years I had been able to spend many times throughout the winter enjoying the cabana but not this year.

I had also gone into the backyard and did some cleanup of branches and sticks that had some down over the winter. There were quite a few. And then I stopped to admire the flowers coming up... the snow drops. And amazingly I saw some bees on the flower blooms.

Later Becky joined me and was amazed at how warm it was in there.

More On The Atlantic Magazine

I've been reading The Atlantic magazine regularly now for a little over three months and have really been enjoying it. I first wrote about getting myself a subscription for my birthday here. I've been reading it almost everyday since either the print magazine, the e-mail articles or the online website and app.

One of the things I really am enthralled with is having for my go-to news source. Having the online subscription is much more beyond just getting the monthly print magazine or even just getting it online. The writers are constantly publishing articles about current events every day.

And now it is much more important because of the trump war in Iran.

I also really enjoy going back and reading articles from their online archives which go back to 1857. I did have a subscription to this magazine many years ago... decades ago actually. I liked reading it back then but there wasn't any online access at that time. Now it's a whole different ballgame. 

William Gibson - The Authors List

Next up on my Authors List is William Gibson with 13 books of his that I've read over the years. One of my favorite science fiction writers and an early innovator of the cyberpunk subgenre. He also coined the term "cyperspace".

I first read his cyberpunk novel  Neuromancer in early 1986 set in a near future dystopia and the first of a trilogy. I would go on to read almost every novel William Gibson has released including some short story collections.




Books of William Gibson I've read:

  • Neuromancer, 1984 - Jan 1986
  • Count Zero, 1986 - Jun 1990
  • Burning Chrome, 1986 - Sep 1990
  • The Difference Engine, 1990 with Bruce Sterling - Mar 1992
  • Mona Lisa Overdrive, 1988 - Sep 1992
  • Virtual Light, 1993 - Mar 1994
  • Idoru, 1996 - Dec 1997
  • All Tomorrow's Parties, 1999 - Oct 2000
  • Pattern Recognition, 2003 - Aug 2003
  • Spook Country, 2007 - Apr 2008
  • Zero History, 2010 - Mar 2011
  • The Peripheral, 2014 - Apr 2015
  • Agency, 2020 - Dec 2022

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

From A Distance - Protest Songs FV

From A Distance. Another mix of protest songs from albums in my collection. Day 4, mix 6. Starts off with that beautiful song of hope and peace and like the singer I can't comprehend what this war is for.



From A Distance - Protest Songs FV
  1. From A Distance – Nanci Griffith
  2. The End Of The World – Sharon Van Etten
  3. Talkin’ Bout A Revolution – Tracy Chapman
  4. Redemption Song – Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer
  5. Peace Train – 10,000 Maniacs
  6. Love Vigilantes – Iran and Wine
  7. Clampdown – Indigo Girls
  8. Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt
  9. My Youngest Son Came Home Today – Mary Black
  10. The Dying Soldier – Christy Moore
  11. Summer Before The War – Fairport Convention
  12. Chimes of Freedom – The Byrds
  13. Simple Song Of Freedom – Tim Hardin
  14. Draft Dodger Rag – Phil Ochs
  15. Sam Stone – John Prine
  16. Once I Was - Tim Buckley
  17. The Universal Soldier – Buffy Sainte-Marie
  18. Turn! Turn! Turn! / To Everything There Is A Season – Judy Collins
  19. This Land Is Your Land – Steve Forbert
  20. Girl In The War – Josh Ritter
  21. War – Joan Osborne
  22. Dad’s Gonna Kill Me – Richard Thompson
  23. I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama – John Lennon
  24. Time Has Come Today – Steve Earle & Sheryl Crow

Another Cara Black Novel

Last night I finished another Cara Black novel, Murder at the Porto de Versailles, and it was fantastic as always. I couldn't put it down. I read it in just a little over a week and of course I'm also currently reading a nonfiction history book and a biography.

It was a fascinating story with lots of twists and turns to the plot. Lots of interesting information about Paris culture, neighborhoods, cafes, parks, old buildings, etc. Lots of background history too.

This is book number 21 in the list Cara Black's novels I've read. Now I just started my 12th Arthur C. Clarke novel... 3001: The Final Odyssey which I somehow overlooked when it came out in 1997. 

James Ellroy - The Authors List

Another crime novelist on my authors list is James Ellroy with 12 books that I've read. One book, My Dark Places, was a biographic memoir by the author. The first novel I read by James Ellroy was The Black Dahlia in 1994 and then I read a couple more in the L.A. Quartet series the following months.

I really enjoyed his books. They went beyond the traditional classic crime noir fiction into something different, something new with a unique postmodern prose style. I really liked Brian DePalma's film of The Black Dahlia too.

There are a few more of his novels that I should put on my to-read list.

The James Ellroy books I've read:

  • The Black Dahlia, 1987 - Feb 1994
  • The Big Nowhere, 1988 - Mar 1994
  • L.A. Confidential, 1990 - Apr 1994
  • White Jazz, 1992 - Apr 1995
  • American Tabloid, 1995 - Jun 1995
  • Killer On The Road, 1986 - May 1996
  • L.A. Noir, 1997 - Jul 1997
  • The Cold Six Thousand, 2001 - Nov 2001
  • My Dark Places, 1996 -  Apr 2005
  • Blood's A Rover, 2009 -  Mar 2010
  • Perfidia, 2014 - Jan 2015
  • This Storm, 2019 - Nov 2019