Will's Good Idea for the Week of 2/15/26

A faire Sunday morn to Stroock's Books Christian readers across the English-speaking world. Except the Canadians. They cheat in Olympic curling. Screw them. 

Well goddamn, temps will be in the 40s and even hit 50 next week. Put on the Beach Boys tunes, fellas. We're having a heat wave. Man, all this snow is gonna melt. 

Arc of Ares: on the Sea, is still selling, though judging by rankings sales have probably peaked. If reader(s) have bought a copy, would they kindly note so in the comments? 

Man, moving copies of A Line Through the Desert is like pulling teeth. We've made some tweaks to the pricing, category and description. Will these do any good? One can market New Coke all one wants. People ain't gonna drink it.

We approach this week with a feeling of melancholy and [Ennui?-Ed], Ennui. 

Will's Good Idea for the Week of 2/15/26...the Grognard really wants us to write World War 1990: Battle of the GIUK Gap this summer. We dunno. We're not good at navy stuff (who's the guy with the thing?). That being said we did want to bring back USS Stirling, remember her? We wanted to write about truck convoys making their way across France. The Soviets invade Iceland twice, damn you Tom Clancy! We'd want to write about the Soviets attempting to break through the GIUK Gap picket line....Lots of ideas there. Lots of 'em.

We'll see. 

But before we can see, we must needs finish Thatcher's War and The Managua Campaign. There's three and a half months till Memorial Day....time to put on an 80s training montage and get to work. 

Saturday Updates

Good Saturday morn, you brave survivors of Stroock's Books. Also, happy Valentines Day. For Valentines Day we got Mrs. Stroock working hard, being an engaged father, and 32 years of love and loyalty. As for the girls, they're here, ain't they? 

We tried something different at the gym yesterday: elliptical followed by rowing machine, followed by elliptical, followed by rowing machine. Fifteen minutes per. It felt good, and so far, our knee hasn't exploded. Overall, we feel taut, based even. 

Iran: at this point, we expect to awake one morning to news of the combined American/Israel attack on Iran and chaos in the skies. We shall see. 

The Things.

Would one of you people please buy a copy of A Line Through the Desert?

This feels pretty superfluous, given our almost daily DOGE reports. Nevertheless...

We really don't know why we hate reading the physical proof of our novels so. But hate it we do. World War 1990: Ireland is coming along, slowly, but it's coming along. Meanwhile, the proofer is proofreading and progress is afoot. 

We spent all week working on World War 1990: the Managua Campaign. We are pleased. That meeting/briefing scene is more or less okay. World War 1990: the Managua Campaign is 32,000 words. 

Fek n Fook Friday

Aye, a fair morning, reader(s)* of Stroock's Books, and Shabbat Shalom. 

Back to the gym yesterday, thank the Lords of Kobol. We were utterly exhausted last night, with a headache to boot. No idea why. 

Trump says he expects a deal with Iran within a month, while dispatching USS George HW Bush to the Middle East. Trump's messaging is mixed, creating ambiguity. You people really think he's just shooting his mouth off on Iran? Pshaw. We think the man knows what he's doing, just ask Maduro. In any event Trump is assembling a mighty host in the Middle East. We shall see. 

DOGE Report.

Step by step, the Managua Campaign's meeting and planning scene comes together (Gen-X readers will see what we did there). Where stuffing a lot of information - Pan American force composition, the plan, admin intentions, etc, etc, into one scene.

We also wrote a scene where a man in Panama watches the USS New Jersey traversing the canal. This allows us to talk about, just a little, what was happening in Panama during the war. Fun fact, after action reports from the 80s reveal the New Jersey couldn't hit a mountainside. Bad shooting, Tex [Tex? She's the New Jersey-Ed]. 

On the Irish front, the readthrough continues. We're doing two chapters a day. This will be the last day for that as the chapters get larger hereafter. 

We will probably switch back to World War 1990: Thatcher's War next week. Probably. 

*[You've been doing that joke for a decade. Don't you think it's time to put it away?-Ed] Would it also be time to put you away? 

Through Thursday

A fine Thursday morning, you brave reader(s) of this most mid of mid blogs. 

The gout subsides further. All it took was one anti-inflammatory pill, reinforcing the notion that we actually had bursitis. We'll be hitting the gym this afternoon.  

So, the House passed the SAVE voter ID act. Bully for them. But the SAVE Act won't make it through the senate and even if it does, the Dems will just find a resistance judge to block it. The SAVE Act will spend the next 2-3 years tied up in court and won't impact the 2026 midterms at all. Still, the House GOP delivered something the MAGA hats wanted and wrong footed the Dems.

Theory...at some point one of these Resistance judges will hold a Trump DOJ lawyer in contempt and order him arrested. Trump responds by sending Homeland Security to arrest the Resistance judge. And away we go. 

DOGE report. 

Another chapter of World War 1990: Ireland read through. We remain pleased with what we are reading. Just little things here and there. That's the game. 

Every day the Managua Campaign set up chapter gets just a little bit better. [Why are you working on the Managua Campaign and not Thatcher's War?-Ed] Because we don't want to OD on the Irish and their infernal problems. 

Looking over A Line Through the Desert's Amazon page this morning, we think it's time to update the description, etc. Afterall it's been unchanged for...17 sod-bollocking years (thank you M. Steyn). In the meantime, won't some kind soul by a copy of A Line Through the Desert which took up two years of our life? This labor of love. This work for which we suffered so.

The Grognard really wants us to write World War 1990: Battle of the GIUK Gap this summer. We'll see.

Midweek Meh

Good morning, Stroock's Books associates. 

The gout subsides. Actually, we're wondering if this is bursitis. Bursitis also sucks. 

Temps will climb all the way to 40 today. Heat wave. We may do something stupid this afternoon. We'll see. Fun fact, we've now gone...let's count here...nearly eight weeks without a cigar (26, December). We're enjoying the streak, TBH. Nevertheless, one deserves a treat every once in a while, doesn't one? We'll see. 

Wow, a win for Trump and the nation as the January jobs report comes in at +130,000 higher than expected. We mention this because we saw the trade deficit is increasing (a sign that Americans are buying more imports). Locally, gas prices are inching upward, another sign the economy is going good. 

Here in New Jersey, our old Congressman, Tom Malinowski, was defeated by some Jew hating, Bernie acolyte whack job in the primary to fill the seat vacated by Governor Mikie Sherrill. Good. We hate when congresscritters move districts like that. Get a job, Tom. Anyway, NJ-11, meet your next congresswoman. 

Trump talks about an Iran deal while assembling a mighty host. Meanwhile the Israelis are planning to renew the war on Gaza. War is a lot easier to wage when they enemy isn't holding hostages. This is a point we made back when the original deal was inked. 

DOGE report.

Two chapters of World War 1990: Ireland read through. Just a few minor things here and there. Once again, that's the reason why we read the physical proof. 

We had an excellent morning with World War 1990: The Managua Campaign. We introed General Stiner arriving on the border to meet the various Honduran, El Salvadorian, Guatemalan, and Contra commanders. Pro tip, you can usually use an arrival scene to show troops massing, equipment, stockpiling of supplies, etc etc.  

Will's Good Idea for the Week of 2/8/26....No. No (but in Spanish). Nyet! Nein! Nay....World War 1990 the Managua Campaign should exclusively be about Nicaragua. [Meaning there should be a novel called World War 1990: Cuba?-Ed] Meaning there should be a novel called World War 1990: Cuba. Reminder. Had we written World War 1990: Castro's Folly today, it'd be two novels. 

However, we are reminded of the words of the President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Just because we can do a thing does not mean we must do that thing. Or as Lord Humungus once said, 'Just walk away...' We wrote that before we consulted some of you people. 

Tuesday Gouty

Good afternoon, Stroock's Books reader(s) whoever and wherever you may be.  

Baaaaah! More gout this morning. We may hit the gym anyway. Sitting around and doing nothing ain't doing no good. Pain is often a wonderful clarifier. Yeah, we wrote that a little annoyed. 

Trump meets with Netanyahu today. While US/Iran talks go on, Iranian rhetoric is decidedly defiant and bellicose. Meanwhile the US moves military assets into position. There are THAADs and F-35s in Jordan. TACO, Trumps detractors say, then he takes out Fordow and abducts Maduro. 

Were we Iran, we'd be more cautious. But the mullahs really don't have a choice but to talk smack, do they? The mullahs must act like the strong horse here, lest their battered people get any ideas. As we always say, the more bellicose the Arab's rhetoric, the more impotent is the Arab. Given their performance during the 12 day war, this blog believes the same is true of the Persian. 

We await events, but doubt Trump will make a bad deal just for the sake of making a deal, Barry Soetoro style. 

In the YooKay, Kier Starmer tries to quell a Labour Party revolt amidst calls to resign. Don't get too excited. Time was, UK leaders resigned out of a sense of honor. But that was the UK and this is the YooKay where the left is never held accountable. This blog remains skeptical Nigel would be any better than Kier. 

DOGE Report: We spent most of yesterday working on World War 1990: the Managua Campaign. The planning and set up scene is getting better. 

Go to Google Earth...the plan...One contra force under Dimas (look him up), will cross the border at Trojes and advance SW through the Nueva Segovia River Vally. Once Sandinista forces are drawn out, a second Contra force under Mike Lima (look him up), will cross the border at Ocatal and take the town, cutting off the Nueva Segovia River Vally. In this way the Honduran border is secured and the main battlespace is flanked prior to the primary advance.

In stage two, a Pan-American/Contra force will invade northwestern Nicaragua and advance southwest toward Managua under cover of American air support and naval gunfire. 

Proofreading of World War 1990: Ireland has begun in earnest. The proofer has the physical proof. We ourselves read the prologue chapter of World War 1990: Ireland.  Even at this stage we found a few things to fix. That's why one proofs the proof. Reminder, one must always needs be the last one to read one's book.

Super Bowl Post

Good Monday afternoon, reader(s) of Stroock's Books. 

Baah! Another gout attack. This time in the right knee. Too many pigs in a blanket last night. Mrs. Stroock always makes a fine Super Bowl spread. 

Super Bowl XL was unremarkable, meh, mid - in retrospect. But during the game we were entertained. 

The Seahawks' excellent defense exposed Patriot's QB Drake Maye, who looked overwhelmed and out of his depth the entire game. Bad picks and bad fumbles [Your phrasing implies there's good picks and fumbles-Ed]. The game's signature play is Maye getting obliterated and fumbling, with said fumble being returned for a touchdown (okay it was really an interception). 

Announcers Mike Tirico and Chris Collingsworth were good. We are aware that Collingsworth annoys a lot of people, but we don't have a problem with him.   

We didn't mind the Bad Bunny halftime show, but we didn't really know what was going on, as he sang in Spanish. His singing didn't strike us as very good, though. Guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, now they could sing. The production was well done and aesthetically interesting. Yes, there was a Latin theme and a bunch of Latin American flags, but heading those flags was the Stars and Stripes, which is important. That's just our in the moment, 'Were we not entertained?' reaction. 

Charlie Puth's national anthem was boring.  

The commercials were mostly unremarkable. This was the Super Bowl of AI and weight loss drugs. We did enjoy the Dunkin advert full of 80's sitcom characters. But we would, wouldn't we?

Moving on...

The great Stephen L. Miller points out that Substack is lapping up mainstream journalists and featuring them. That is, Substack is becoming a platform for mainstream media castoffs like Jim Acosta and Jennifer Rubin. The Bulwark and The Dispatch thrive there. Alert reader(s) will recall we've been toiling away on Substack for a couple of years now. Every day we wonder if we're wasting our time. Maybe it's time to leave Substack. If so, we'll leave in a blaze of glory. Let's see, who/what can we call gay and retarded today?

Related, on his AMA podcast, Miller asked our question, 'Would your beer league hocky team be competitive in the NOSHO?' We fanboiyed we totally fanboiyed.