Saturday Updates

Baah! Another rough night. Woke up after an hour and couldn't get back to sleep. We are annoyed and frustrated. We may do something stupid today like crack open a bottle and light an Arturo Fuente, our first in over a month [That would be self defeating-Ed]. 

No gym time. We hate that. We love the gym. We do love it so. We've blogged about this before, but Shane Gillis is right. Madam, we don't need to wear skin-tight butt-pucker leggings to the gym and neither do you. 

The Things.

We didn't look at Thatcher's War at all this week, by design. It's done, we think (said in an uptalked voice). We sigh forlornly. We are sick of Ireland, the Irish, the Troubles, the IRA, the Originals, the Provos, the UDA, the UVF, the IFF, the RUC, the UDR...you fucking people with your paramilitary groups that need their own paramilitary groups...Charles Haughey, Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness....Fuck all. 

We read the BAOR story twice yesterday. Is it perfect? No. No story is perfect and we'll not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. But it's good enough. 

Beta readers have read several stories and came away pleased. Any other takers? Confederates? 

The novel still needs one more story to kick it up 60,000 words. We've no idea. Here are the story themes: The Canadian DEW Line, a Soviet sub pulls up on an American town, a child left home alone, a young couple and their daughter dying, the BAOR, A man caring for his dying father, Soviet Salyut station, a Michigan Mom and her boys and ANG pilot husband, an Egyptian army officer, a hippy commune in the Berkshires, the return of Kenny and Aoife.  

The 5th nuke novel (how did we get away from the title?) is 55,000 words. 

No Tree, No Down, No How

Good Friday, Stroock's Books reader(s), and shabbat shalom. 

The Achillies is healing...it's healing. 

But we can't hit the gym till at least Wednesday, leaving us bored in the late afternoon. Every day we don't go to the gym we get weaker while our enemies grow stronger. 

So we wanted to have a few trees taken down up at the Stroock Northern Strategic Direction. We've worried one may fall across the canal and the other may fall on the house. This being Massachusetts we had to go through local Conservation Commission for permission. Paperwork included a map, geolocations, reasons for wanting to take the trees down, etc etc. 

At the zoom meeting yesterday commission members twice asked what was wrong with the trees, said the trees looked fine to them, and determined we needed to get a written report from a licensed arborist. Oh, and we must plant replacement trees. An arborist's written report, what's that gonna cost? and the new trees? After consultations with the Loyal Opposition and the King, we've decided to table the project.* It's just gonna be a whole can of warms, costly, costly warms.

Over at Hot Air, John Sexton writes with disdain, disgust, choose your adjective, 'People have embraced the belief that we should all be allowed to follow our whims without paying any price, and that others owe it to them to make that happen, even at the cost of their lives, if necessary.' Sexton goes on to talk about the widespread acceptance and celebration abortion and euthanasia. Click over to read of the horrors. The Pro-Life movement has utterly failed...

,,,Especially in Canada where their MAID program has euthanized 100,000 people in the last decade. Thems ain't no rookie numbers, not hardly. Think of the savings, this blog is sure Ottawa is terribly pleased. Congrats Canuks. 

Political note, national. PJM's Matt Vespa notes fake polls and bad polls. We agree. We also agree with Kurt Schlichter, who is always right, when he asks if Dems peaked too soon. The race comes down to a lot of bad candidate choices for the Dems, Texas, Michigan, Maine. And it's going to cost them. They'll still take the House though. So get reader for Speaker Temu Obama. 

Political note, local. A long write up on the NJ07 congressional race with a note that a couple of outside groups have pulled funding for incumbent GOP Tom Kean. We can report that Kean is still fighting mad on the internet and on TV, including buying ads during sporting events. He was well funded from the get-go. The last poll, a month old now, showed challenger Rebecca Bennet beating Kean 47-42. As noted in the Matt Vespa post, if polls are off just a little...Still, we'd much rather be Bennett. She's a great candidate. 

DOGE report.

The sub story really came along yesterday. Is it there? Almost. 

Still nothing on new nuke story ideas. Maybe there just isn't another idea in there [Preposterous!-Ed]. We'll keep thinking. As Qui Gon once said, a solution will present itself. 

We sent an article proposal to REDACTED about the US army in 1917. 

*For the record, we'd been working on the project for weeks. During all that time commission personnel were available and helpful. During the zoom meeting they were easy going and personable. Bottom line, they just didn't think there was anything wrong with the trees. If the tree experts aren't worried, why should we worry?

Will Goes Big

Okay...alright...we're doing much better now. We're taking steroids and wearing a soft cast and boot. We woke up once last night but the tendon settled down. We feel more or less human this morning. 

We got a death threat on Substack yesterday. Look at us. 

Canada has killed 100,000 people via its MAID assisted suicide law. Congratulations. 

In Israel, Gadi Eisenkot 'Vows to end Hamas rule in Gaza'. Okay, how? Renewed war? Would that be worth it, or feasible? Imagine the international opprobrium. Honestly the least worst option might be a pan-Arab force to run Gaza. But why would they want the trouble? Due note that Israelis have tried to return Gaza to Egypt a couple of times and Cairo wisely said la. 

At the Times of Israel David Horovits says, 'Unless the opposition steps up its game, Netanyahu, the PM of Oct. 7, could yet survive this election.' Quite right. Horovits is an incisive and fair columnist who absolutely loathes Bibi. In fact Horovit's current column is a pretty good case against the PM. But if the Israeli public really does dislike and distrust Bibi, shouldn't Eisenkot and the opposition be well ahead in the polls? Perhaps Bibi isn't as disliked and distrusted as the polls suggest? 

In our estimation, because a man 5,000 miles away has a good bead on the Israeli electorate, the October 27th election will result in a hung Knesset. After that, the politicians will have about 3 months to form a new government. If they fail, they'll just hold another election. This is probably what Netanyahu wants. He's a wiley bastard. 

Over at Hot Air, John Sexson talks about the revelation about the famous 1966 California big foot 'sighting'. Nut-graph, as the J-School losers would say, Big Foot isn't real. Probably. We'd like to take this opportunity to once again call out Canadian outdoorsman and wilderness survival expert Les Stroud's work in the field. In the teens, Stroud was filming a Survivorman episode in Alaska when hear a loud ape like whaling and something crashing through the woods like a freight train, his words. He'd never heard anything like it. 

Later Stroud began his Finding Big Foot series in which he, well, tries to find Big Foot. We strongly recommend the British Columbia and Alberta episodes. Filmed in the Canadian Rockies, these episodes are well produced, beautiful, and eerie. There is probably a rational explanation for what Stroud and companion Todd Standing* find in the woods, but we don't know what it is. If nothing else, these episodes are entertaining.

Political note, local. The Bridgewater/Raritan schoolboard has suspended superintendent Robert Beers for two weeks. The political battles will continue. 

DOGE report.

We were able to do a little work on the sub story yesterday. It's just about done. We've a few things to do to it. 

*Standing is a controversial figure and rightfully so. To say he jumps to conclusions is an understatement. Every knock, and every sound it seems, 'That's Big Foot!' Stroud is much more cautious and never concludes, 'That she blows!' Stroud asks questions and looks for answers. 

Wednesday Will Down

Good afternoon, Stroock's Books midweekers.

We had a helluva 12 hours. First our SUV died, on the streets of Somerville. After dropping Youngest Daughter off at dance, we parked on main to get a cup of coffee. Upon returning from the Donut the car wouldn't start. It's a dead starter, we think. We called a truck and were towed and dropped off at our preferred mechanic within an hour. Nice. 

On Christmas Eve, 1978 we were jumping from the stairs and determined to jump from the fourth step, like our big sister*. We jumped, stuck the landing, and bit a hole through our tongue. Our mother tried to get us to sleep by giving us some Nyquil, or some such. There followed the worst night of our life as our tongue throbbed in pain and we kept throwing up the Nyquil. 

Last night may have been worse. About the time our car was being picked up, our foot flared in pain. We spent the night on the couch in the most sustained, intense pain of our life, unable to dull it, unable to put a stop to it. We finally nodded off about 3 AM. We're back from the doctor. We have a case of Achillies tendonitis, a soft cast and boot. We've never felt more disabled. 

And just last week, after a summer of doctor visits, we remarked to Mrs. Stroock, 'No more doctors for a while.' We plan, god laughs. For as it is written, we plan, god laughs. 

Moving on...

Happy Battle of Hastings Day to all those that celebrate. Damn William the Bastard. Damn him. Reminder, England hasn't had a legitimate monarch since Harold Godwinson, Edward the Confessor's rightful heir. We've written extensively on Harold, William and the Normans. Some of our writing can be found here.

Today is also our first girlfriend's birthday. Ah, Kirsten. We shall take the image of your pretty blue eyes to our grave. There's a reason why A Line Through the Desert has to be in the spring of 1988. 

We got a notice from Blogger about new content guidelines effective 16 December. Do not be surprised if this blog gets nuked. What then? We don't know. 

DOGE report.

Several chapters of the 5th nuke novel have gone out and beta readers seem pleased.

*We've long accused our sister of shoving us down the basement steps because we got the last red popsicle, an accusation she denies lo these fifty or so years. Later we got her back by pushing a tower of blocks upon her, which chipped a tooth.  

Thank this, Canadians

Good morning fellow Stroock's Books citizens and happy Tuesday. 

We had a good gym session yesterday but once again our heel and ankle are sore. This is really starting to annoy us. 

We were remiss yesterday in not acknowledging Canadian Thanksgiving. We apologize to our fellow North Americans. 

Related, the Alberta Independence referendum is next week. Actually, it's a referendum to determine if they should have a referendum. We urge our fellow North Americans to vote Yes, Eh. 

Final Canadian post...if Alberta leaves Canada and joins the US, do the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampede join the NFL?

A report from The New York Post about American tourists overwhelming Disneyland Paris. When we did the family vacation to Paris in 2018, we spent a day there. The metro stop marks Disneyland Paris on the map with a set of mouse ears. We ourselves are no fan of amusement parks and view visits to them as tests of physical and mental endurance. But Mrs. Stroock is a stalwart Disney fan. Disneyland Paris did not impress her.

The Times of Israel says that one year after the ceasefire, such as it is, Gazans are lamenting the state of things in Gaza. Thousands are trying to leave, and it seems public opinion is turning against Hamas. Was drawing out and stalling the process part of Netanyahu's plan all along? And bear in mind that Netanyahu got a 'ceasefire' in which Israel retains the right to act against terror targets. So, knowing Bibi, probably. You know what the imams say. 

More Jews...someone at Ynet has been reading Stroock's Books, and calls for a unity government between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, with Bibi serving first. We endorse the parameters of this proposal 100 percent. These include no judicial reform (we can live with that) and a 10/7 commission (which is much needed). And please, a Haredi draft law. Oh, and get ready for President Netanyahu. If Shimon Peres (Quisling) can be president, then why not Bibi?

Political note, state: Hot Air is impressed with the GOP in the New Jersey senate debate last week. We didn't even know the debate took place. We've voted for Corey Booker at least once because why not? We'll vote for the challenger this time. Beege Welborn is right, Justin Murphy's hair is glorious. 

Political note, local, very local. My Central New Jersey describes the ongoing battle between one member of the Bridgwater-Raritan school board and superintendent Robert Beers. The current fight began when school buses were nearly an hour behind schedule during the first few days of the school year. We can personally attest to the lateness fiasco. This affair has gotten so big locally that they're talking about it in one of Oldest Daughter's classes at Rutgers. Last night the board convened a special session on the Beers issue. Further updates and a possible declaration of interest as events warrant. 

DOGE report.

We tidied up the sub story and have figured out how it ends. We think we'll keep it. 

In World War 1990: Thatcher's War we read through the battle of Dublin Airport and the Battle of Howth. We don't love them. And you can see the editing. But we don't hate them either. They may be just good enough. That is no small thing. 

Columbus was a Migrant

Another miss for Stroock's Books, yesterday. We don't got no good ideas no how. 

We spent yesterday morning cleaning and then getting the pontoon boat out of the water. We drove the pontoon boat onto the trailer skids, a skill we did not know we had. 

We took youngest daughter for a brief walk in the woods and discovered fresh evidence of bears. Needless to say we didn't go too far. Make a lot of noise, Les Stroud says. And so we do when trapsing through the Berkshire woods. 

Then we headed home in a constant downpour. [Aren't you geeking out about what the storm will do to New Jersey's ground water and reservoir levels?-Ed] We are, Ed. We are. 

We got home in time to see the Giants/Redskins overtime. The Giants said, 'Here, take the game,' the Redskins replied, 'Oh no, you take it'. We've never seen an ending like that.  We are reminded of the last Giants/Redskins tie, the Gus Frerotte game of 1997.* 

Speaking of the Redskins, Happy Indigenous People's Day. We kid, we kid. The Stroock House celebrates Columbus Day. The Stroock House celebrates the European discovery, settlement, and conquest of North America. 

That being said, the Thanksgiving Day play in Adams Family Values is hilarious. One should be able to laugh at oneself. 

We're trying to decide just how obnoxious we want to be on Substack about Columbus Day. It's one thing to celebrate the European conquest of North America, it's another thing to post 'The Scalping of Jane McCrae' and wish people a happy 'Indigenous People's Day', right? Right? We're getting soft in late middle age. Or cautious. Whatever. But damn it! Migrants have rights. 

Bla-bla Israel, bla-bla elections. We throw up our hands. Our best a hung Knesset in which the opposition cobbles together a government with Arab help (they're about 15 percent of the Knesset). We wouldn't lose sleep Prime Minister Eisenkot. 

Cornell Week, continued...we see a rash of stories of bad fraternity behavior, hazing, and old timers (such as us) reconsidering their fraternity days. We remained baffled a the overly aggressive hazing in the press. What's the point of brute aggression and humiliation? 

When we pledged in the winter of 1993, we had to watch an anti-hazing video. It was a lecture by a state attorney, and fraternity man, about prosecuting a fraternity for hazing deaths. When asked about his frat, the prosecutor replied, 'Excuse me, fraternity'. Damn right. He went on about brothers obsessed with hazing but little else The video always stuck with us. 

DOGE report.

About the only thing we know we're doing today is cleaning up the Battle of Dublin. 

At this moment, we don't quite believe in the Soviet sub story. We should finish it and send it off for beta reading. Sometimes one can over think and be over critical of one's work. 

*Under Jim Fassel the Giants went 10-5-1, won the division, and then blew a home playoff game against the Vikings in, like, the last minute and a half. This was only the second worst sports moment of our life. Worse would come in 2002, Giants fans know. Anyway, right now the NFC East is wide open and the Giants this season are lucky. But as the great Branch Ricky said, luck is the residue of design. Thank you coach Harbaugh.

Saturday Updates

Good morning from the pastoral splendor of the Berkshires. On the drive up last night we hit three 10 + minute traffic backups, which added an hour to the trip and annoyed us no end. 

Nevertheless we are here for a short sojourn and the putting away of the boat. 

We write this from the Morris Chair owned by out great grandfather, the man for whom we are named. 

It was 25 years ago next week that the Stroock family gathered at the Stroock Northern Strategic Direction. We note the 2001 gathering because we hadn't been to the house since 1996. We were living in Northern Virginia and didn't really have the time for the 6-7 hour drive. Also, in the summer of 1996 our grandparents put the house on the market. After that we didn't want anything to do with the place. They asked for $299,000, that's in nice, none-inflationary 1996 dollars. Needless to say, the house didn't sell.

The Things.

World War 1990: Thatcher's War is 78,000 words and is in the sit phase. This is it. This is the novel. 

We've one more story to read through in the 5th nuke novel. We need to finish the sub story. It's better than before but we're still rather meh about it. We dunno. Maybe we're just over thinking things [You? Overthink? Never. -Ed].