Various on the 24th

Our foot hurts. We don't know why. Could be gout, but it's not in the right place for gout. We proceed cautiously. 

Good morning, reader(s) and happy Thursday. 

We await our glasses. 

A nor' easter is all the talk here, but it looks like the storm will mostly be coastal and concentrate east of New York. Long Island is in for it, it seems. 

Every morning now we check in to see what ex-Mets' slugger Pete Alonso is doing for the Orioles. LOL, 41/110 and leading the league in both. Remember, the Mets could have resigned Alonso for 5/$155. Beat the Mets. Cheat the Mets. Step right up and defeat the Mets. Bring your kiddies. Bring your dog. Come on out and eat like a hog. 

Netanyahu will address the UN today. So speaks the leader of the Jewish state. 

Related...the last Israeli poll we saw showed....a hung Knesset. We're a month out and nothing has changed. Eisenkot is leading FWIW. We'd be fine with Prime Minister Eisenkot. Exit question, if Netanyahu and the right bloc are so unpopular, why can't the left bloc take him out?*

DOGE report.

We are 1/3rd of the way through World War 1990: Thatcher's War. So far we see only tweaks and corrections. The reading is awkward, like a bad date. This is bog standard. 

The sub story continues improving. Do note that writing is hard. 

We have a gig to write two short stories for next year now. One will be For Want of an Arrow, in which Harold wins the Battle of Hastings. 

*Ch14, the Fox News of Israel, consistently shows the right bloc winning, like 64 seats. 

Midweek Mellow (need to)

Autumn is here in full effect. Temps are in the mid-50s right now. The sky is overcast. The leaves remain green, though.  

Aye, a busy day yesterday. Among writing, taxiing and household chores we got glasses. Mrs. Stroock has advised one that one must needs stop driving oneself crazy about paperwork and waiting room times, etc, etc. Mrs. Stroock is always right. 

We've taken to posting, beneath local stories of ICE roundups on FB, 'I voted for this'. We enjoy the angry comments. When someone calls us stupid we reply, 'I have an MA, sir.' When someone spits invective, 'Madam, might I suggest you switch to decaf?' [Really, this is what you're doing with your time? -Ed]. Helps us warm up in the morning. 

Pete Alonzo has hit 40 + homers for the fourth time in his career, but the Mets didn't want him at 5/$155. Beat the Mets, cheat the Mets. 

Thank you, New York Giants, for your participation in the 2026 football season. We've seen this injury prone quarterback movie before. The Giants should draft a QB. 

DOGE Report.

Same. Things are moving along. The sub story is getting cleaner and better. 

We still need one more story in the 5th nuke novel. 

We are reading through Thatcher's War. So far, so good...so what, as Dave Mustaigne would say. 

We discussed with the Grognard the Marines' defense of Iceland in a possible GIUK Gap novel. But one must needs not get ahead of oneself.  Damn you, Tom Clancy. And damn you, Harpoon for all those scenarios where the Soviets controlled Iceland. 

Note: this post is this blog's 6500th post.

Wither Blue and Orange, Blue

Baaah, for some reason we're up at 0530....We're tired with a dull headache. We know, more coffee

Autumn has arrived. We wore a pair of blue jeans yesterday for the first time since...May, we guess. We always approach these moments with a bit of hesitation. [Not great fear and trepidation? -Ed]. No.  But the jeans buttoned just fine and required a belt. Phew. 

We lifted yesterday. The back is a little tight but we are otherwise okay. 

Jaxon Dart is out. Jameis Winston sucks. And the Giants are not in the Rams' league. 

Beat the Mets, cheat the Mets...In baseball news, Baltimore's Pete Alonso clubbed his 39th and 40th homeruns last night, seemingly to stick it to the Mets. Lol Mets. The Mets also suck.

We filled out paperwork for an eye exam last night but left much of it blank. These people don't need to know or hobbies or 'social history' to check our eyes. 

Kurt Schlichter (the colonel is always right) vivisects Karl Rove and what's left of the establishment GOP for supporting Democrat weirdo James Talarico in Texas. Okay we don't quite agree with the unnecessary swipes at W. But this, 'We had his back even when he wouldn’t defend himself because he was too much of a gentleman to respond to them calling him Chimpy McBu$hitlerburton.' W never did fight back.

Election night 2004 was a great night, 22 years on now. Whoa. But W's second term led to...not very much. No governmental reforms. No reduced federal workforce. An attempt at amnesty (defeated by the senate GOP). Profligate spending (he promised $60 billion to New Orleans after Katrina), etc, etc... 

This blog has no use for the GOP-e. Losers. You see, Karl, there's more to politics than winning elections. You've got to get stuff done.

Trump is getting stuff done.

DOGE report.

More good work on the Soviet sub story.

We began the next and last read through of World War 1990: Ireland. 

The Grognard grognarded The Managua Campaign. We'll review his notes later. 

Yom Kippur Interrupted

We got in a Judaism last night for Yom Kippur. Circumstances being what they are, we most likely won't be able to get in a Judaism this morning. 

Israel is shut down and we shouldn't even be blogging, oh well. 

There is talk of a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza to disarm what's left of Hamas. This strikes us as not worth the negative PR. 

NFL wrap: the Cowboys beat the Redskins. That's a game where whoever loses, we win. The Colts were surpisingly good in their loss to the Chiefs, especially given that when one plays the Chiefs, one also plays the refs. We counted three Taylor Swift sitings. Mrs. Stroock's Eagles won in the last minute against the hapless Titans. There are no style points in football. 

Political report, local: Tom Kean's campaign is getting signs out. But lots of people are putting Rebecca Bennett signs in their front yard. 

DOGE report. 

Lots of good work yesterday on the 5th nuke novel. The sub story is really coming along. 

Because we were feeling whacky, we sent World War 1990: The Managua Campaign to the Grognard, who, being a weirdo, read the 52,000 words in a few hours. The Grognard was pleased, he told us. 

We actually don't think we need a final White House scene in World War 1990: Thatcher's War. It's fine the way it is. 

We did some thinking about World War 1990: Battle of the GIUK Gap. Reminder, naval stuff is our weak point. Who's the guy in the corner manning the thing that tells the captain about the contact? 

Anyway, we'd need a US sub, a Soviet Sub, a Canuck P3 Orion, a Brit hunter-killer group, POV for the Soviet invasion of Iceland, POV for the US defense of Iceland, a Danish frigate patrolling Greenland.

Yes, we feel some ju-ju.

Will's Good Idea for the Week of 9/20/26

Ah, Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement. We wouldn't even know where to begin. We'll be hitting schul at 6. Then the big one comes tomorrow morning. First Yom Kippur at the new synagogue. 

Saturday wasn't too bad. 

We went to Barnes & Noble yesterday and walked the shelves looking for, we dunno. Whatever we were looking for, we didn't find it. 

We were bored with our workout. So for the first time in more than a year we lifted weights yesterday. We can still bench 300. 

We finally broke down and made an appointment with the eye doctor. 

We sent World War 1990: The Managua Campaign to the grognard. Why not? Soon it must needs be time to get back to work on TMC. Soon.

Which summons Will's Good Idea for the Week of 9/20/26.

Write now our work in progress release order is World War 1990: Thatcher's War, the 5th nuke novel, and finally World War 1990: The Managua Campaign. It's very possible all three roughs will be completed by 1 January. 

Which would clear the decks for a new project. One supposes one could spend December researching and then come into the new knew year ready to write Battle of the GIUK Gap, one supposes. Or something completely different. 

Oh, and we promised James Young a Medieval alternate history story. What if King Harold took one step to the right?

Saturday Updates

Baaaah! Another bad day. We're not optimistic about today.

Political note, national: we'd much rather be the Dems. 

The Things.

We've, we think, like, one more scene to write for World War 1990: Thatcher's War. This scene should end with White House political machinations, no? Ireland's been invaded. Certain objectives achieved. But the Irish problem is not resolved. No, there will not be a third Ireland novel. However Ireland will simmer in the background of upcoming novels. Thatcher's War is 79,000 words.

The Soviet sub story advanced a bit.

Almost There...

Baah. Another bad day, also largely self-inflicted. We had a rough night too. 

It's 9 AM here at the Donut, and we've been coming here so often the kid behind the counter knows out drink. 'Norm!' he shouts as we walk in. The one morning we thought we might like a muffin they don't got nun. 

Thomas Crowne Affair...we forgot to mention that Renee Russo has a couple of topless scenes in the 1999 version. We apologize for the oversight. This blog still prefers Faye Dunaway. Also, we learned that a new take starring Michael B. Jordan will be in theatres next year. One might be annoyed at the race swapping, but race never really mattered to the character. Why not a black version of Thomas Crowne? And Michael B Jordan is an excellent choice. 

More apologies....we were remiss yesterday in not marking the 2nd anniversary of Operation Grim Beeper. 

ME observances...Reports of Iran 'rebuilding' nuclear sights...Parts delivered to US missile assembly plant...Military heads hold secret meeting in Germany...Saudis ask Israel for help against Houthis...US admits it has weapons in space...Trump openly wonders if he should 'annihilate' the Iranians. Exit question: Rods from God at Pick Axe Mountain?

Political note, local: Rebecca Bennett is touting her independence from any party. Which is interesting. She's hammering Keane on TV and YouTube right now.

DOGE report. 

Nevertheless we did some excellent work on World War 1990: Thatcher's War. We still haven't figured out Captain Liam Cox's final scene. He's the hero of Derry but led the unit which arrested Gerry Adams. Ah there we go. Got it. 

We remain ghosted by REDACTED Magazine.