Welcome to BOOK READERS HEAVEN! Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
Until further notice, this blog will be gone after over 25 years of ongoing book reviews and more...
It is IMPOSSIBLE for it to Continue when nothing works and it all happened after AI was shoved down our throats...
All I know IS that I have done nothing different! Yet each day I have to fight something changed to even get a new post CREATED... OR POSTED This includes, Google, Windows, Amazon, Facebook (SOMEWHAT since I already had to fight to get back on after losing 20 years of membership involvement, Pinterest, BlueSky, and LinkedIn (somewhat, since I already had to fight and failed to get them to remove a duplicate account...) and more...
I can longer get on sites I had been routinely posting on for well over a year... Speed is gone, inability to open sites...
We already know what is going on with talks with a president who is in it only for the money... I MAKE NO MONEY FROM MY BLOG... THERE ARE NO PIECES OF MONEY IN, AROUND, OR FROM ME OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO COMES TO THESE BLOGS...
It seems to me when no corporation cares about We The People, then why should we provide our creative energy for them to scrape and use...
I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired...
And by the Way, corporations who think they have a right to MY phone number are wrong... Especially since I CANNOT READ THE PRINT ON CELL PHONES!!! But, they don't care for the individual any more... as we all know by the minority of the United States Citizens who are suffering from those people who provide all the work at a minimum wage that has not been increased because of ONE POLITICAL PARTY... and we all know which one that is...
GABixlerReviews
Gabby
God Be With THE MAJORITY!!!
I even had a great book by Lauren Carr to share today...
How are these people getting away with this devastation?!
Mutebi marched over to where Zawadi and the two children were seated around John, who was lying in the dirt. Singing softly, Zawadi was cradling John’s head in her lap. Blood from John’s face had created patches of red in the dirt. Opening his eyes, John did not look at Mutebi glaring down at them. He looked instead at the bracelet Zawadi wore on her ankle. Shawni Juma had given it to her during the first meal they had eaten together. He smiled at the memory of the stew Zawadi had made with cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, and millet. Mutebi’s voice broke his reverie like a thunderbolt. “What do I do with you, John Okoro?” he bellowed. “Do I keep you, or do I kill you?”
He had never been a prayer kind-of guy, but right now he prayed God would allow him to put a bullet in Mutebi’s head. I’m guessing that’s not exactly an appropriate prayer, he thought with a glance upward. And after a quick squirt of water into his mouth, he put away the water bottle and began trotting again.
“How do I know I can trust you?” “Now, that’s funny, coming from a traitor."
Alex refuses to get on the helicopter? This is a no-win situation for me, but this isn’t about me. It’s about Larisa, Alex, Shawni Juma, and stopping some of the most depraved and evil men on the planet. So I mean it when I say we have no choice but to let her do this.” “Then our prayers go with you, Bill. They would have, anyway, but this time, you’re going to need them like you’ve never needed them before.
“Don’t, just . . . don’t, okay? I know you have to phrase things a certain way, but I don’t like hearing how little he matters in the scheme of things.” “You wanted me to be honest, so this is me being honest. It’s not how I feel personally, but it’s reality.”
“He said refugee camps were proof the world was overpopulated, and that his vaccines would eliminate what he called the world’s most useless inhabitants.” “He actually said that?” “In those exact words. He was referring to refugees when he said it, but I wondered who’s next on his list. The poor? The old? The sick? Everyone in Ohio? What I don’t understand is how all of this fits with him wanting to destroy America.
While Talanov was in Africa, physically hurt and running for his life, the love of his life was waiting in her bedroom to be married to another man... Talanov had sent her away, believing that he loved her enough to give her up so that she was not forced to be involved in his career choice where, she, too, would be in danger. He knew he could never go through that again, thinking of the moment his first wife was shot and he'd held her as she died...
This then, was to be the 5th book by one of my personal favorite authors. I found it much more compelling a read... This book may indeed include the normal thrilling scenes readers can expect but, this was so much more! Revelatory! Up-to-Date, Exciting, Unorthodox, and, most surprising, Within a family-like setting... A group of strangers who, in fighting for one cause--justice--had banded, and bonded, to become a loving group of people who would do anything and everything for those they loved--AND--for those in need, no matter where they are, or were...
“O God of all creation, Bless this our land and nation. Justice be our shield and defender, May we dwell in unity, peace, and liberty.” “You quote our national anthem.” “The English rendition is nowhere as poetic as it is in Swahili,” Wilcox responded. “Plus, what have we always said, you and I, since our very first meeting?” “That in spite of political whims, we will always stand together.” “Yes., and what was true then is just as true now.” Lesanu embraced Wilcox as his brother, and the two men smiled and shook hands.
Take for instance Talanov's boss... There is no doubt as we read that he considers Talanov as he would love his own son... Though both are strong-willed, they regret it later and come back together in forgiveness. Wilcox and Talanov were now working together. Kilo Tactical response team, otherwise known as KTAC, which had been created in a classified department within Directorate K of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or the NGA. Included on the team was another trusted friend, former KGB colonel, Aleksandr Talanov, whom Wilcox had recruited away from the Soviets back in the 80s.
This became very important when a helicopter was landing in the midst of that wedding that was going to be held later in the day... You see, that boss, Bill, had also been asked to walk Larisa down the aisle at her wedding... But, he had gotten a real shock when he'd gone to talk with her preparatory to that event... She was having second thoughts. And, of course, Bill had brought back memories of her love of Talanov...As they talked, the gardens were being destroyed, tables were being turned over and the helicopter had landed and they were looking for the head of KTAC... Just know, these are "the good guys..." Bill had heard the 'copter and knew it would be for him... He stood up and immediately Larisa thought of Talanov and jumped up as well... "I'm going too..." And, of course, Bill knew that couldn't happen... Larisa began to show her own "stuff" as she lifted up the long bottom of her white gown, and started running out of the bedroom and on to the helicopter, passing the family members, guests, and only stopping to whisper regrets and ran on to have the men in the copter lift her up, thinking she was going... Well, Bill tried, but ultimately, Larisa was on her way to help ensure Talanov was safe! Readers get involved as they watch Larisa tackle any man who is trying to once again tell her what "she" should do... And she wasn't having any of it! I was loving this... Here's my hero, finally meeting a woman who was not afraid of a hero loved by many for saving their lives... Larisa was looking for much more... You'll enjoy this romantic story plot within the family drama like no other you will hear about...
Take for instance, that Talanov is now a father of 3 children (adopted)--the oldest in her 20s and a super expert on all things computers... Talanov didn't have a choice. Bill didn't have a choice... It was now a time when using guns was no longer the most effective way to fight long-distance... And when you're heading into Africa, you'll not know what deadly bit of equipment will be flying toward you! Indeed, Bill had his own computer specialist, also with prolific skills, including using computer equipment, in planning out or obtaining what was needed for any respective crisis they were being called into... Readers will learn more about these two skilled women than from either Bill or other leaders of government... They were the experts that, if they know what they are doing, any leader will ensure he has available and in full support for responsibilities to actually come together for a win...
You know, folks, I was also surprised and gratified that Turner had moved forward to introduce, again from our daily headlines, what can happen when computers are moved into an aggressive mode... Specifically, it is only by the brilliance of the creators that those machines can actually perform to do exactly what needs to be done. AI will never, in my opinion, reach that level of independence. But, as shown with the rich villain leader, much damage can occur when the goal is destruction for greed and power...
This gives a public perception of him being a philanthropist because it looks as if he’s donating millions of dollars to charitable causes. For instance, his Endowment for the Arts and Sciences, which is a 501(c) non-profit organization, routes money to another of his 501s, his Foundation, which receives government grants for the support of humanitarian needs around the world, which in turn pays kickbacks to politicians who grant him government aid. His foundation then gives shipping contracts to OBLO Global Holdings, which is his shipping company, which supposedly transports aid to worldwide crisis areas. OBLO then donates massive amounts of money to the Endowment for the Arts and Sciences, and round and round it goes. That’s an over-simplification, but it illustrates how he doesn’t really give money to anyone, but merely circulates it among his NGOs. In the process, he pays himself and his political cronies huge sums of money. It also allows him to sink his hooks into every politician who votes to give his NGOs American aid money in exchange for kickbacks. If they try and jump ship, he ends their careers. Or their lives.” “So he’s in this for the money?” “To a degree, yes, but his primary motive is to make America the seat of global communist power. A prerequisite, as you might guess, is replacing America’s constitutional government with a communist form of government. This is why individual freedoms are under such attack, especially the first and second amendments. Stand out in your standing up, and you’ll get killed.” “I hear you there.” “Which begs the question: why risk your life doing this? There are safer ways to help.” “To be honest, I thought a research lab was where I belonged,” answered Shawni. “I loved the work and I knew I would be helping people. Then I came to Africa and I just . . . fell in love. Then I learned what Mutebi was doing and knew I had to put boots on the ground and do something. If they end up killing me, so be it.”
~~~~~~
Frankly, I was somewhat stunned when I read this--by the way, I've taken out most names of the bad guys. In such a complex book, there is no way, brief excerpts can lead you anywhere significant for potential TMI. Thereafter, I wasn't surprised about who the criminals included on their payroll... The thing about this kind of book, actions described are almost predictable, as if they are being used directly from today's headlines... if you're reading the right headlines, that is...
“Waiting is not doing nothing. It’s the deliberate act of choosing the right time to strike. So waiting is what we do. Can I count on you for that?” Shawni did not reply. “I need to hear you say it.” “I hate you right now, but, yes.” Talanov smiled because he understood Shawni’s frustration over the Okoros being treated like cattle. And not just the Okoros, but everyone in the cage.
“Boys with guns getting drunk.” “That doesn’t sound good.” “It’s not, but maybe they’ll keep drinking and pass out.”
“My God, they’ve got Stinger missiles,” whispered Talanov while Mutebi’s men cheered. “Brought by that white guy in the hat. Do you know who he is?” “A mercenary from South Africa...” answered Shawni. “When I first got here, I noticed him in the camps with an older white guy.” “What did the older guy look like?” “Seventies . . . stocky, gray hair and jowls.” “With a big scar on his chin?” “Yeah, but . . . how did you know?” “That man was...
Bill Wilcox had been asked to head up a rescue somewhere in Africa (to be determined). Immediately Wilcox took control and confronted the government representatives about the fact that the first rescue had failed due to sabotage from within the team. He demanded and got permission for his own team to be vetted and ultimately approved by Bill and Talanov, if they could find him alive... In other words, they had no idea exactly what kind of team support was needed, whether they found anybody still alive, or whether this team, somehow would also be sabotaged. But Bill had gone through this for many years... Four individuals were chosen for interview by Bill. Let's just say that if sabotage was tried, immediate action would be taken...
Readers will enjoy getting to know the team members, especially one black woman who started singing Redneck Woman until one of the men tried to stop her... Let's just say, for purposes of this post,,, she...won... Ultimately the final team were working on their own, because this book has many different major crimes needing attention...
Loss of freedom and humane living
Starvation and loss of life of average citizens of various African locations
Human Trafficking mostly of women and children, Death through Sexual Attacks, including gang rapes
Safety of the Victims, how and where they were being taken,
Gun smuggling and Internal criminals killing innocent citizens,
Provision of high power weapons for greater destruction
Control of all criminal actions by the rich and power structure,
Intimidation and threats against family members of officials/team members,
Control of businesses by intimidation and threats,
And a specific hit list of those working against criminality.
Finally, attempting the rescue of a researcher and Talanov, if still alive, who was seen falling out of the first helicopter that had been destroyed. The researcher had gained significant information which could be used to legally take action. Could the team find, retain, and actually achieve ownership and retention into a safe location?
Any other atrocity that is now taking place of inciting wars, threatening genocide, control by power rather than providing AID
If you think I have merely listed all that I've personally witnessed in our country at this time, you would be wrong...These issues are all addressed in one way or another in this fantastic look at reality by a man who, first, started traveling in Russia to smuggle bibles into that country and met the true-life Russian who chose, for himself, to not act to support what was happening by this dictator or that authoritarian, or this King, or that common thief and oppressor who uses violence because that's a choice...
Talanov had been trained to have no feelings about death. It was only when he learned about being free, in a democracy, that he began to not only feel personal freedom, but learned the pain that, seemingly everywhere, had those who had no emotional concerns about how others were treated... I admired Talanov as a hero in earlier books. In this book I found a man who I could trust, not as a hero, but as an individual who believes in justice--for all... A Perfect Man of the People!
So, of course, Turner keeps our hearts beating fast until the very end and I don't dare talk about any of that... So how to close, because of course I know what is to happen (Yay!) So, I will just point out that one of my favorite authors continues to up his game, and I believe this is already up for a movie? Of course I have no idea where his movies are shown... LOL not in my neck of the woods... Do enjoy this masterpiece of writing!
Photo: AI-generated depicting justice out of balance.
When the State Cannot Kill Cleanly - Justice is Out of Balance
I have spent much of my life thinking about death, not in the abstract, but in the way the state prepares to take a human life in the name of justice. For two decades, I worked as a criminal defense lawyer in Georgia. When I closed my practice, I had successfully defended five Black men from execution in the Georgia electric chair, the capital punishment method in use in the last century. I fought those cases hard because I did not want to stand inside the execution chamber in Jackson, Georgia.
And for all those years, I never did, not until I went as a layman to protest the execution of Troy Davis on September 11, 2011, a moment that still sits heavy on my spirit. In nine days, Troy Davis would have turned 59 years old.
I have been a lifelong opponent of capital punishment. Only once did I ever believe the death penalty might be morally justified. It was in the Dylann Roof case, where Roof murdered 15 members of a Bible study group at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 15, 2015. The church had invited him in for solace. Even then, I felt the weight of the question, not the righteousness of the answer.
Tonight, as I read the NBC News report on Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Gail Pike, I am troubled in a way that reaches back through every capital case I ever handled.
Because what Tennessee attempted was not an execution. It was a collapse of state power. Simply put, a process the state could not control.
The facts are stark. Witnesses reported that executioners injected both syringes of lethal injection chemicals, yet Pike “has not lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat.” Journalists heard her say, “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open” at 7:34 p.m. They saw her kicking her feet, snoring, and knocking off the sheets laid on her body. At times, the curtain was closed, and journalists could only hear sounds.
Twice, officials closed the curtains, hiding the process from public view.
An ambulance arrived at the prison and then left again as medical aid was administered inside the death chamber. Even the victim’s mother, who wanted the execution carried out, said simply: “It was a mess.”
This was Tennessee’s second failed execution this year. In May, executioners could not find a vein for Tony Carruthers, forcing a one‑year reprieve.
When a state cannot reliably carry out its gravest punishment, the punishment itself becomes morally indefensible. I have seen this system from the inside. I defended men the state intended to kill. I sat in rooms where prosecutors spoke casually about death. I sat with families who feared the phone call that would end their world. I sat with clients failed by every institution long before they ever met me. I saw the relief in their eyes when death was taken off the table.
In 2011, I felt the collective weight of protesters who had waited all day for a phone call from Justice Clarence Thomas that could save Troy Davis’s life. I’m still haunted by the collective murmur that erupted in the crowd when Ben Jealous announced that Thomas denied Davis’s last appeal, then Raphael Warnock emerged from the death chamber with the words, it is finished.
I also sat in policy discussions when Georgia considered eliminating electrocution in favor of lethal injection. We argued that capital punishment was cruel and unusual under all circumstances. The prevailing argument then was that lethal injection would be “more humane,” “more predictable,” and “less traumatic” for everyone involved.
But the Pike attempt shows what I suspected even then: the state cannot guarantee a humane death, not with electricity, not with chemicals, and not with any method that relies on human hands, human judgment, and human fallibility. As the Pike case shows, the body does not always cooperate.
The state’s spokesperson insisted Tennessee “followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution. They insisted Tennessee “followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol” and that the chemical “has consistently been effective.”
But the human body is not a protocol. It is not a machine. It does not always respond to chemicals the way the state expects.
When Pike remained conscious, breathing, and in pain after both syringes were administered, the state’s claim of “consistency” collapsed.
Let’s be clear, trauma cannot be separated from the process. Pike’s lawyers argued that being strapped down would trigger “severe mental suffering and superadded psychological terror” because she had been molested and raped beginning in early childhood: trauma the state did not dispute at a recent hearing.
Even if the chemicals had worked perfectly, the psychological harm was already built into the process. A humane execution is impossible when the process itself recreates the trauma that shaped the defendant’s life.
Here is the moral question we cannot avoid.
I defended men the state intended to kill because I believed, and still believe, that the death penalty is a power too great for any government to wield. It requires perfection from inherently imperfect institutions. It requires certainty from systems built on human judgment. It requires control over a process that cannot be fully controlled.
The Pike attempt proves this again. If the state cannot kill cleanly, it should not kill at all.
When I stood outside the prison in Jackson to protest the execution of Troy Davis, I felt the weight of every client I had ever defended. I felt the weight of every mistake the justice system has ever made. And I felt the weight of the question that has followed me my entire career:
What does it do to a society when the state kills in its name?
Tonight, Tennessee answered that question in the worst possible way. It showed us that the death penalty is not justice. It is not closure. It is not control. It is a system that fails publicly, painfully, and predictably.
When the state fails at killing, everyone involved carries the burden: the condemned, the victims’ families, the witnesses, the courts, and the society that allows it. I have spent my life fighting this system. Tonight reminds me why.
~~~~~~
Harold Michael Harvey is an award-winning photojournalist and a two-time award-winning author. He is a 2026 Barrier Beakers Award Honoree, presented by the James Wimberly Institute for Black Studies & History, for his book Fantasy Five: The Election of Macon’s First Black Councilmembers. Please follow him at www.haroldmichaelharvey.com and haroldmichaelharvey.com.substack.com.
My friend always has the right words to pinpoint many important issues. I personally have mixed feelings about capital punishment, especially as pinpointed by Harvey for serial crime actions, when I see so many deaths being, seemingly, performed by the government itself: Minnesota murders in our streets, murder of unknown people in South America waters, and, of course, the deadly war on Iran which was not approved by anybody... Especially when a supreme court has given this president total immunity while he's in office! Can we afford to allow any deaths, even seemingly justified, to this government as being immuned???
Things are moving much too fast, don't you think? ...And yet, extremely slow for the average citizen... I don't even consider myself average any more. I am old and very unimportant in the reality of today's world... And yet, I KNOW that in God's eyes, each one of His children are important to Him...
I have a best friend who takes me away from my home each week, maybe more if needed...She took me Tuesday of this week and, began with deciding which is first on our agenda. Time-wise, I was ready for breakfast, so we went to Bob Evans for a sit down... While eating we caught up with each other's activities, sometimes complaining, other times rejoicing when one or the other moves ahead just a little... That's what a best friend does... I know, because as the years have gone by, friends have become fewer, for one reason or another... Still, there is One who remains, always...
As we finished and I turned to the right, gearing up for getting up from the seat, I felt a woman come beside me, turn to my niece and say you take that arm; I've got this one... And, together they helped me to stand. The woman on the right told me to stand a while until I was steady--I realized that she probably worked as a caretaker or had learned how to help along the way... Then I reached over and hugged her and I whispered, "I'm so afraid for all of you--I can't help but stop, talk and hug the women who are targeted by DEI by this group of white male supremacists...even though I didn't say all those words..." I knew what she would say. She immediately starting talking about God, Jesus and that He would protect her... I know that in my heart...but my mind has seen and read too much... I tried to share, "yes, but..." and she would not listen--her faith was much stronger even though God has told me, "I've Got This..."
Still, I know that the average citizen has no idea what I've learned through my reading books written during this time... Too much "crap" is happening daily and I can't possibly get all the information out that should be available but is being hidden by political and wealth power like never seen in these united states and even spreading across the world geared for only one goal... Assimilate or Eradicate...
And with a series of specific books I had come to realize that through no fault of my own, I had become a lost sheep that was saved by my Shepherd, thankfully...
Just turning on the TV, reading a book, or hearing those who have to fight to bring us the news brings another bit of needed information Ithat adds to the depth and breadth of this relentless attack...Millions see it; many try to fight it; but do they realize what led to where we are right now in today's world? I'm not talking about history that explores the development of a new land of opportunit and then all events thereafter... I'm talking about, of course, my own perspective. For, let's face it, that is the only thing that we have to try to live within a world so large, often confusing, and definitely unfair... Even having a personal savior does not remove all of the issues that confront us on a daily basis. Some good, often funny, some not so bad...and then...today's reality...
Jen includes a fun look at AI from her perspective...I thought I'd try, so I did a general search on the new AI help site too. "Please provide legal status of Epstein Case..." Ah, apparently that has not been assimilated... Still, this presentation with Jen is one that provided me with info that I am interested in, so is included for this week...
I also realized this week that I had to forcefeed more information into my mind about AI. My best friend refused to consider any value--that was a clue... Then I continued to have to deal with site after site that had proceeded to stuff AI into our lives, while destroying those earlier much-needed methods by which computers had actually come to contribute to our lives over the last 20 years of so... But, now, that was not enough... So they chose to ignore all that had been given to us through computers and chose to burden us instead with taking it away--just like our personal rights have been destroyed or taken away through government control... They try to claim that this is bigger than any advancement in our history... Key is that each earlier achievement advancements were created for the advancement of humanity and while strange, they were wonderful and added to our lives.... Nobody wants to go back to the time when there was only ice blocks to help keep our food safe... Yet, these power seekers are doing just that... they are not working behind the scenes to accomplish. They are damaging what was created and stuffing trial-and-error into millions of lives...especially to the millions of us who had willingly taken their free platforms and became their guinea pigs...
Sure I had a need to work with Gemini, felt the thrill I had been trying to gain for 30 years or so I had explored in trying to improve my job skills and take on new responsibilities that required computer speed. But that is, really, just that--speed... It is not a true workmate where we collaborate and work to achieve something that is potentially important, is it?
And then this week I learned about one woman, with the knowledge in the technical side of computers that I had lacked. And I gained a reality directly from one technical person who said exactly what I had always believed... The computers are not the problem; The rich men leading their use are...Indeed, I have never blamed the computers for not being available to do the job I was assigned to do... It has always been about the usually, white men who routinely chose their own priorities... That, then, is today's reality, yet again, where men take away women's rights for medical care... Or take away the rights fought for and finally achieved for various human rights, such as color of their skin, who had to fight for rights from the white men who had once been the only ones considered to manage our new democracy... And so much more could be added, and we know and have seen it all being quickly destroyed through lies, loss of legal control, and all the safeguards needed to live in a true democracy for all of We The People...
One thing I already knew but had wanted to begin to move on with is "the connections" that I've built up just in the last decade, which I must say gave me the guidance and direction I wanted to share about in my life... Immediately, I picked one book... as the, you might say, first floor--the basis upon which I had begun to build my thinking, in a direction that I have not, perhaps, yet wanted to stray from. Because it made sense to me. Indeed I feel even stronger about it after the last decade of reading many other books... The title is The Light of the World: The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, by Tim Spiess... In fact, I have already contacted him and presently working on talking about his book...
At that Same Time, I must quickly point out that I have not taken the initiative to become involved further with Tim Spiess' movement
Known as "The Peaceful Revolution"
Rather that I learned enough from his books to confirm what I believed Already...
But, by learning so much, still worry about Accountability in Today's World
Can we find Faith, in an Age of Fear and Falsehood?
And Can it be our failure that we are now striving for a peaceful revolution?
Or whatever is happening now with all the protests, murders, loss of freedom, loss of rights that has apparently been stirring in a pot for decades
Or just ole greed and envy for power that has erupted by placing one man as president?
So, this is Friday of a week where I have also reconnected via his latest book with an author, James Houston Turner, and loving the book (500 pages, however, so it's taking more time than, say, to read a cozy...LOL)
And I've already given a negative review to Gemini on, would you believe, GMail?
And even in writing this post, I am once again unable to find help in dealing with something as minor as wanting to link to a past post that appears to now have what I consider a major error in Blogger programming... Who knows?
What I do know is that all of the tech giants have had a "dinner" with this president
And that, apparently, data centers are already being built even with the major protests and complaints...and, of course, without gaining approval from a House of Representatives who are once again on "leave..." and they seem to be built in areas with water problems (like dry areas!) Is this president leading to a new way to murder our citizens other than ICE, simply by declaring a race for the fastest who can win a race for AI???!!! With subsequent upheaval during construction and then ongoing?
And I have to ask, Even if we Win, will we be confronted with another Ballroom that could not be stopped and costing millions of dollars for something that nobody asked for or approved? Or really wanted?
The second book which created the basis for my beliefs I already know and will name next. And you will see that, say, the Tower that is being built will contain an unstable layer that "represents" perhaps thousands of years... Hopefully it will be next Friday that I'll be moving on in this endeavor...
Note: No, I couldn't understand this language, but I knew it was important history of the Yaqui... I hope it incites interest to at least some readers...
Good morning.
If there is anything I want to be remembered for, it's that I have grown into feeling like this. May God have mercy on me. Have a blessed day.
~~~
Almost midnight. Outside it's mostly quiet. My friend Homie the cat, is asleep on the couch.
What is the human being way? Is it a sacred way? Or is it not? All religions or rituals, ceremonies and cults, in theory are created by humans, to guide or lead humans to a higher power. But overtime become corrupted and the reverance for the Creator is set to the side. I believe the Creator is spirit. The same spirit that created the universe, the earth, and all living things on it, including human beings. That is where the truth of power and reality exists. This is what I believe. The human being's ways are imperfect. But I find where humans walk in a sacred way, they usually pray to the Great Spirit, in spirit and in truth. Just my thoughts tonight. If it makes any sense. A'ateaka yeu matchune.
~~~
(with my two sisters) I woke up a little while ago, and I can't go back to sleep. Got a pot of coffee brewing and it's still kind of warm inside. Burning sage. I was dreaming of my grandfathers and grandmothers. I feel blessed to have grown up with them around. Their generation is no longer here. But I have their memories that I will take to my grave. I lived so many years in the darkness. Not knowing about my ancestors. Not knowing where to look. I walked through the darkness to find the light over thirty years ago. When I got rid of the firewater. And the search began. I found my ancestors, and all the things that remain about them, leaving no doubt. It took decades of searching, frustrations, putting everything together to leave for our future generations. Through my veins they flow. They live. With that understanding becoming clear, I began to walk in a more respectful way. Reminded that I represent in my walk, all of those behind me. I've grown in many ways over time, like a baby learning how to walk. And it's been a humbling experience and a maturity. Not without shortcomings. Anyways, the coffee's ready. Catch you on the rebound. A'ho
RANCHO DE CENTINELA
I awaken each day
From the dream world
A place of all things possible
Alone
When taa'a, the sun, rises
Shining light on our world
Blessings my eyes
Thankful for another day
I eat alone
Think alone
Paing
Draw
Write
Alone
Spinning my wheels
Over this thing and that thing
Worrying over nothing
Stir crazy sometimes
Connecting the two
The middle of nowhere
Nothing sacred here
Only the earth below my feet
Fast food drive-throughs
Taco wagons
Quick Stops
Truck stop filling stations
Mission de Oro
A passerby's oasis
To fill up, piss and grab
A burger to go
This is nowhere
And nowhere
For me
Is like a dog
Without a bone
In the twilight zone
--Santa Nella Blues
Monolin Manny Moreno
City of Santa Nella. Hwy 5. California
SANTA NELLA WINDS
Almost all the time
The Santa Nella Winds
Like an unwanted visitor
Like a mean-spirited bully
Pound on the metal trailers
Banging them merilessly like
Loud clanging cymbals
Annoying for days and nights
Sandblasting everything in sight
A tall cottonwood
In solitide in a field
Of dry weeds in back
Clings tightly
To huge gnarled broken
Branches dangling
Reaching for the dry
Earth below them
When the winds bite them off
Like a hungry lion and I hope
They miss falling on my roof
--Monolin Manny Moreno
Santa Nella Blues
~~~
A VISION STANDS TALL
The bell tower of Mission de Oro
Is the tallest structure in Santa Nella
Jesus Monroy Garcia's Vision
He built and called Mission de Tesoro
Means treasure
On the very spot where
Tiburcio Vasquez spent his childhood days
For thirteen years I've seen it
Going out and coming in
Standing tall for all to see
The Vision of a man
Who never got to see
The whole Vision through
To build missions four
Hundred miles apart
From Alaska to South America
But this will do
--Monolin Manny Moreno
Santa Nella Blues
~~~
This is the painting of Manny that I have sitting next to me on a bookshelf as I work..
Of course, I have no idea what he was thinking as he created this...
But, for me, it represents the minutes, hours, months and years that he has worked, alone, to share His Gifts from God to all of us
What a treasure of history, of memories! His Life!
That's why I'm so happy and grateful that He Comes to Share
Here at Book Readers Heaven...
Indeed, I'll soon have in my hands the Manuscript
I want to read it... He has already agreed that once I get the copy, I will be able to share selected excerpts with all of YOU!
And, most importantly, he has allowed me to be very clear once again... Manny Moreno needs YOUR help to publish what I believe he sees as his personal memoir... Once he wants to ensure that he can proudly sell and have sufficient copies to provide anybody who wants to read and learn about a Yaqui American who has struggled living in a white man's world for many, many years... He has become a true historian for his family and has gathered as much as he can to provide documentation, pictures and more, through his words and writings, paintings, and other creative works... I am constantly amazed at every single precious artistic endeavor comes out of just one man... Imagine--two people from each side of this nation found each other--certainly a God Incident!
So right now, on Manny's behalf, I have brought together a little more of the pieces of brilliance that seem to appear right from the top of his beautiful mind so often... And ask you to think hard about supporting an elder of his people, who, in today's politics, is finding DEI mandates especially difficult and a total inability for him to publish, perhaps, his last book... At least that's how I'm feeling as I try to create my Open Memoir to be just published here on Blogger... I wish for him even more. That his book can reach far into the hands of our indigenous citizens' hands and minds to know that we care enough to ensure the history of ALL peoples' histories are not ignored or even banned--but read carefully so that we may grow more closer and actually learn to Love our Neighbors as God has shown We The People Are...
I'm finding new pictures he's created all the time...They are fascinating, don't you think?
This one tells what I just said about him, as I interpret it...He's working to represent his culture and his heritage all at the same time... Such Talent! Must be Shared!
Folks, I love to watch how our indigenous and other cultures celebrate their heritage, don't you? I'll be starting reading Manny's book soon. In the meantime, I'd like to suggest that you introduce yourself to a neighbor, a fellow United States Citizen who lives right around the corner online! Go out and introduce yourself and ask to connect! Right now! Find pictures of his ancestors, his drawings, and check out his stories, or just send a message or caring to your new friend!
Ok Folks, I just can't help it... I met James Houston Turner with his very first Talanov book... and I've been receiving personal messages from him to his fans every since... Like me, James had to stop for a period to take care of medical issues... AND, in his latest, I immediately noticed a difference in this book... which made me ever more excited! Hey, Sorry! If you've never got excited about a book or author, you, my friend, are missing a lot in your life, JMPO...
From the Front of the Book:
Forty years ago, a hero was born. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but that is when the real Aleksandr Talanov and I crossed paths. I do not know his actual name. Talanov is the name I gave him. I was an idealistic smuggler of Bibles and medical supplies behind the Iron Curtain, and in doing so, I attracted the attention of the Soviet secret police, the KGB. The world behind the “Curtain” was a dystopian police state that was very foreign to this small-town Kansas boy. And my humanitarian actions were perceived by the Soviets as a genuine threat, so the real Talanov, who was in the KGB, leaked word out of Moscow that I was on a watch list and in danger. I found the notion ludicrous, but I learned very quickly that it was not, especially when I was told he would be executed if his actions were discovered.
But he saw something in me that inspired him to take the risk, and thus was born the character of Aleksandr Talanov. I grew up in a time of heroes. Back then, the heroes in books and on television were usually squeaky-clean good guys. That is a far cry from reality, which I first noticed in Sunday school with many of the biblical characters I came to admire. Take King David, the shepherd boy who slayed Goliath. David had the heart of a lion – a man “after God’s own heart,” as it is recorded of him – but who was just as much a sinner as he was a hero. Which is the case with most of us: we are a messy blend of both. Thus, in Talanov, I worked to create a hero with flaws who was still undeniably a hero.
I admire heroism, where a flawed character puts the welfare of others above his or her own good, and usually at great risk. That is what the real Talanov did for me. My mom and dad were also among my first heroes and I am forever grateful for the world of adventure, love, and imagination they gave me. Sorry for all of the gray hairs I gave you, Mom.
Another of my real-life heroes was an American Indian athlete named John Levi. He and my dad were personal friends and I grew up on stories about “Big John” Levi. So, I nicknamed one of the characters in the book “Skee,” which was the actual nickname of Big John. I had the honor of getting to know Big John’s son, John Levi, Jr., and his wife, Mary, so the appearance of Skee in the book is my small way of honoring the memories of John Levi and his son, John Levi, Jr. Thanks also go to the Sieval family, of the Netherlands, whom I met on my first Bible smuggling trip and with whom I have visited on many occasions. This family continues to inspire me every day. Speaking of the Sievals, I wish to acknowledge Eelko and Marja Sieval for making it possible for me to produce my first feature film, Square Pegs.
Another real-life hero from my smuggling days was Josek, a man who had been exiled to the coal mines of Siberia simply for his faith. His integrity and grit will live forever in the character of Aleksandr Talanov. While imprisoned in Siberia, Josek would carve wooden figurines to pass the time. After his eventual release and return to Poland, we met on one of my trips, where he was so moved by my visit that he wept openly. He then went into his house and returned with a small wooden figurine he had carved in Siberia. The carving depicted a robed fisherman holding a fish. “This is for you,” he said. I still have Josek’s carving in my office, and I still remember his exhortation for me to continue “casting my net” on the other side of the boat.
There are also the heroic women I met at the Union Rescue Mission’s women’s shelter, Bethel Haven, where I once worked as a journalist. Several of these women, from Eastern Europe, were victims of human trafficking, and their stories opened my eyes to the reality of that monstrous crime. It was heartrending to hear them describe the abuses they had endured and how they had been traded and sold as slaves and sexual commodities. Their incredible grace and strength in the face of such adversity helped create the character of Larisa.
Those and other interviews also helped me create the character of Namazzi, whom you will meet in this book, and whose composite character represents the tenacity and faith of several survivors and observers of the Liberian Civil Wars, the Uganda Holocaust, and the Nigerian massacres. My challenge was how to capture the rawness of those testimonies without painting a picture that was too gruesome for this book. Reliving those testimonies made me uncomfortable, which is a good thing because I should be uncomfortable with those atrocities, which are still occurring in many parts of the world. I hope I did them justice.
Thanks also to my beautiful wife and best mate, Wendy, who embodies what it’s like to have a servant’s heart, to persevere unspeakable tragedy, and to meet each day with a joy and warmth I cannot adequately describe. Thank you for the inspiration and love you give me, and for catching a whole range of needed tweaks that helped make this story shine. I love you. I could not have done this without you.
And, because books are judged by their covers, I would like to acknowledge the graphic arts genius of Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs for yet another spectacular cover. Thanks also to Jon Whelan and Beau Wheeler for bringing Aleksandr Talanov to life in such a spectacular way.
Finally, I wish to say thanks to Yeshua/Jesus Himself, who saw fit to give me another opportunity at life when cancer threatened to end it back in the early 90s. I remember my grave diagnosis of having but 18 months to live. But I also remember the unexpected sense of hope that Wendy and I felt. A lot is said of faith, and while the lines between faith and hope sometimes blur, it is hope that keeps us pushing forward and not giving up, no matter how dark and grim life seems. That same sense of hope is one of the themes of this book.
And a final thanks to you, my readers. Without question, I wrote this book for me, since I’ve experienced many of the same dynamics. But I also wrote it for you. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Surprised? Don't Be... I consider Turner as one of the few Authors who actually work to promote each and every book and keeps in touch with fans... FYI
I'm now reading this book and really am so excited! Can't Wait to Tell you About it!
