The Monday After the Sunday

It's Russia Week here at Stroock's Books. We promised/threatened to talk about Russia, our work for the Kremlin [I never know if you're joking-Ed] and our views on things Russian. So here it is.

We told our editor at Inforos, 'Maxim, if you guys haul off and invade Ukraine, we won't write for you anymore.' Maxim promised us there would be no invasion. Our last article was published on 21 February, 'Covid Wars Rage in America.' Like all of our work for the Ruskis, this was a damn good piece. We enjoyed the gig. We miss the gig. We miss lots of things we'll never get back. Inshallah. Maxim was kind enough to ask about the money he owed us. We told him not to worry about it. 

We didn't support Putin's war in Chechnya in 2000, his invasion of Georgia in 2008, and we don't support his invasion of Ukraine now. 

Still, Putin has earned our grudging respect. A dictator. An autocrat. Probably the greatest Russian ruler since Peter the Great. Younger reader(s) may not appreciate just how disastrous Yeltsin's reign was. The country fell apart and became a lawless, economic basket case that got its ass kicked by the Chechens. Putin restored law and order, defeated the Chechens and turned Russia into an energy superpower. Putin kills a lot of Islamic terrorists. 'If we find them in the toilet, that is where they shall die,' he once proclaimed. So Putin can't be all bad...

For the first time in years, Mrs. Stroock and I went to a bar to watch her Eagles play the Cardinals. We were having a pleasant time till this already half soused couple walked into the bar and sat behind us and spent the next three quarters arguing and bickering about everything. We said nothing. The woman was the type who would've started yelling and cussing, and the man would've been dumb enough to stand up and shout, 'You don't talk to my lady like that, asshole,' a word he couldn't stop using. We're too old to throw punches in bars.** Our burger was delicious, and we allowed ourselves not one but two pints of Guinness, anyway. The Eagles won 20-17. 

The Mets are still the Mets, we see. Just gag on it.

All this talk of imminent war between Israel and Hezbollah had us thinking. What if we wrote a third book in the Israel Strikes series, proceeding as if current events haven't occurred and treating Israel Strikes as a universe all its own? Originally we wanted to write a third novel about a war between Israel and a Muslim Brotherhood run Egypt. That got overtaken by events. But hmmmm....Israel Strikes: Sinai Armageddon.* A summer sneak in? We shall dwell on this. 

It's also Battle of the Roki Tunnel and Georgia Revolt Week here at Stroock's Books. We've read three scenes so far. One was bad, one was okay, one was great. At the moment we're thinking more is more. We really like out band of cutthroat Georgian paratroopers and their Muj hangers on. We'll be doing some light work on The New American Order too. Let's get that intro chapter done.

This is fantastic, the latest review of The Great Nuclear War of 1975:

Look, someone finally mentioned the Falklands adventure. We thought it was fun and plausible, and believed 75 needed a little action. But after the Falklands we bash the reader over the head with bleak, glum depressing scenes of death and despair. We accomplished everything we wanted to in 75. But ahead lies risk. The New American Order and The Aftermath of 1976 have a different theme and different tone entirely. Neither is nearly as dark as 75. 

In keeping with Stroock's Books Ruski theme, and continuing our shameless collusion with the Kremlin, we're going to repeat a Monday Metal. Say Bang!:

This song is interesting at first, but becomes steadily less interesting by the bridge. The refrain is good in the opener, but dumb afterwords. We've always loved how the obviously American music director told the band, 'Just do some Russian shit. You know, with the kicking.'*** If only they could have filmed this video in Red Square, or Williamsburg at least. 

*Last threw a punch 19 years ago, and that was fucking retarded. 

**Maybe there should be a Russian angle? We've already laid the groundwork for Israeli/Teuton military cooperation. 

***Reference.