PARROT PROSTITUTES

Prostitutes
A woman goes to her priest one day and tells him, "Father, I have a problem. I have two female talking parrots, but they only know how to say one thing."

"What do they say?" the priest inquired.

"They say 'Hi, we're prostitutes. Do you want to have some fun?'"

"That's obscene!" the priest exclaimed. Then he thought for a moment. "You know," he said, "I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots whom I have taught to pray and read the bible. Bring your two female parrots over to my house, and we'll put them in the cage with Francis and Job. My parrots can teach your parrots to praise and worship, and your parrots are sure to stop saying ...that phrase... in no time."

"Thank you," the woman responded, "this may very well be the solution."

The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest's house. As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage, holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them.

After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison: "Hi, we're prostitutes. Do you want to have
some fun?"

There was a stunned silence. Finally, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed,
"Put the beads away, Francis, our prayers have been answered!"

SUBTLE TRUTHS

Subtle Truths

 I read that 60,000,833 people got married in 2017. Not to cause any trouble, but shouldn't that be an even number?

 I find it ironic that the colors red, white, and blue stand for freedom until they are flashing behind you.

 When wearing a bikini, women reveal 90% of their body. However, many men are so polite they only look
at the covered parts.

 Relationships are a lot like algebra. Have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?

 America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but until Donald Trump ran for president, would not cross the street to vote.

 You know that tingly little feeling you get when you love someone? That's your common sense leaving your body.

 My therapist says I have a preoccupation with vengeance. We'll see about that.

 I think my neighbor is stalking me as she's been Googling my name on her computer. I saw her doing it
through the telescope in my upstairs office last night.

 Money talks... but all mine ever says is good-bye.

 I’m not fat, I’m just easier to see.

 If you think nobody cares whether you're alive, try missing paying a couple of monthly utility bills.

 I always wondered what the job application is like at Hooters. Do they give you a bra and say, "Here, fill this out?"

 I can't understand why women are OK that Macy’s has an older women's clothing line named, "Sag Harbor."

 The location of your mailbox shows you how far away from your house you can go in a robe before you start looking like a mental patient.

 I think it's pretty cool how Chinese people made a language entirely out of tattoos.

 Money can't buy happiness, but it keeps the kids in touch!

 The reason Mayberry was so peaceful and quiet was that nobody was married. Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney,
Floyd, Howard, Goober, Gomer, Sam, Earnest T Bass, Helen, Thelma Lou, Clara and, of course, Opie, were
all single. The only married person was Otis and he stayed drunk.

ROBOCALLS AND VETERANS

Dear Veterans and Stakeholders,

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continue to team up to combat illegal robocalls targeting Americans, including Veterans and their families.

Each year, the FCC receives more than 200,000 complaints about unwanted calls. While this may seem like a big number, it pales in comparison to the millions of robocalls being made each day. The calls interrupt dinners and family time; they flood landline and mobile phones. Scam calls frequently solicit money for fake charities, including ones claiming to support America’s Veterans - some even claiming to be VA representatives.

We know that scam activity increases during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, so the FCC and VA urge you to be vigilant. We offer the following tips to help you avoid unwanted calls and scams.

Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Scammers may spoof their caller ID to display a fake number that appears to be local. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.

Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, or passwords in response to unexpected or suspicious calls.

Be sure to set a password for all voice mail accounts to avoid being hacked.

Register your number on the Do Not Call List to block calls from legitimate telemarketers.

Ask your phone company about call-blocking tools and services for your landline phone, and check for helpful apps that you can download to your mobile phone.

Please help spread the word about robocall fraud among those who may need assistance particularly those who are frequently targeted by phone scams.

For more information, visit: fcc.gov/robocalls.

THE DIFFERENTIAL THEORY OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

THE DIFFERENTIAL THEORY OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (Snake Model)

Upon encountering a snake in the Area of Operation (AO)

Paratrooper: Kills the snake

Armor: Runs over snake, giggles and looks for more snakes.

Infantry: Ugh! Me See Snake. Me Like Snake. Ouch! Me No Like Snake.

Army Aviation: Has GPS grid to snake. Couldn't find snake. Back to base for crew rest and a manicure.

Ranger: Plays with the snake, then eats it.

Ranger (alt): Assaults the snake’s home and secures it for use by friendly snakes.

SEAL: Expends all ammunition, several grenades and calls for naval gunfire in a failed attempt to kill the snake. The snake bites the SEAL then retreats to safety.

Corps Artillery: Kills snake, but in the process kills several hundred civilians with a massive TOT with three Field Artillery battalions in support. Mission is considered a success and all participants are awarded Silver Stars. (Cooks, Mechanics, Legal Clerks etc)

Marine Recon: Follows the snake and gets lost.

Para rescue: Wounds the snake in first encounter, and then feverishly works to save the snakes life.

U.S. Special Forces: Makes contact with the snake, builds rapport, wins its heart and mind, then trains it to kill other snakes.

THE SEARCH FOR MAGGIE WARD by Andrew M. Greeley

THE SEARCH FOR MAGGIE WARD by Andrew M. Greeley

The Search for Maggie Ward is a poignant tale of love, loss, and faith set in the aftermath of World War I, from acclaimed New York Times bestsellling author and theologian Andrew M. Greeley.

Young Navy flier Jerry Keenan is supposed to be on his way home to Chicago, law school, and a postwar life that is socially acceptable to a well-off Irish Catholic family. Instead he is in Arizona delaying that homecoming while he wrestles with his memories of combat and the men he saw die.

That may be one reason an encounter with a girl at a Tucson lunch counter seems so appealing. Another reason is that she is mysterious, hauntingly beautiful, and very sexy—the perfect antidote for a troubled heart.

But just when Jerry realizes how much he needs Maggie Ward, she dramatically vanishes, or is taken, from him. And Jerry Keenan, in search of his destiny and his soul, must be willing to move heaven and earth to find the woman he loves.

"A fascinating novelist...with a rare, possibly unmatched point of view."—Los Angeles Times

"I enjoy reading Andrew Greeley. He spins wondrous romances."—New York Times Book Review

"Greeley has that elusive ability to tell a story so that you want to find out what happens next."—Atlanta Journal

ANDREW M. GREELEY was a distinguished sociologist and priest, an acclaimed scholar and college professor, and the bestselling author of The Cardinal Sins, They Brother's Wife, Ascent into Hell, Patience of a Saint, St. Valentine's Night, and The Cardinal Virtues. His dozens of other novels include the popular Father Blackie Ryan mysteries, and his nonfiction works include the highly praised Making of the Popes and Myths of Religion.

On sale December 31, 2018 from Forge Books. 9781250175168. $16.99.

HORIZON by Fran Wilde

HORIZON by Fran Wilde

A winged society faces the threat of ultimate extinction in Horizon, the thrilling finale to Fran Wilde's Bone Universe fantasy series.

A City of living bone towers crumbles to the ground and danger abounds. Kirit Densira has lost everything she loved the most—her mother, her home, and the skies above. Nat Brokenwings—once Kirit's brother long before the rebellion tore them apart—is still trying to save his family in the face of catastrophe. They will need to band together once more to ensure not just their own survival, but that of their entire community.

"One of the most fun, imaginative fantasy novels...I'm already anxiously awaiting her next book." —Book Riot on Updraft

"That rare bird, the follow-up to a highly praised first novel that doesn't just equal its predecessor's accomplishments, but exceeds them." —Locus on Cloudbound

FRAN WILDE is an author and technology consultant. In 2015, her first novel, Updraft, accomplished the rare feat of winning the Andre Norton Award for Best Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy while also being nominated for the Best Novel Nebula Award. Her short stories have appeared in Asimov's, Nature, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Wilde also blogs about food and genre at Cooking the Books, the popular social-parenting website GeekMom, and at The Washington Post.

On sale December 4, 2018 from Tor Books. 9780765377883. $17.99 USD.

Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Brother's Veteran's Benefits

Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Brother's Veteran's Benefits

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pled guilty yesterday to embezzling over $80,000 of his brother’s Veteran’s benefits. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

David Washington, 55, was appointed his brother's fiduciary to receive and manage benefits from the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Washington failed to submit accounting reports, which led investigators to question his management. Washington later admitted to mismanagement, including spending his brother's benefits for his own personal expenses. The total amount misappropriated was over $81,000.

“Our veterans have sacrificed enough and have earned every dollar this country provides them through benefit programs,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “It’s despicable to think that anyone, much less a family member, would steal benefits from a veteran for their own personal use.”

Washington faces up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced in February 2019. United States District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Gabe Wohl and R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.

Government Contractors Found Guilty in $11 Million Veteran Set-Aside Fraud Scheme

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Government Contractors Found Guilty in $11 Million Veteran Set-Aside Fraud Scheme

Company and owner fraudulently misused “service-disabled veteran-owned small business” status to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs and Army Corps of Engineers

SAN DIEGO, CA – A federal jury today convicted Andrew Otero and his company, A&D General Contracting, Inc. (“A&D”), on charges that they fraudulently obtained $11 million in federal contracts specifically set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

The evidence demonstrated that Otero had no military experience. Yet Otero (on behalf of A&D) and veteran Roger Ramsey (on behalf of Action) participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government by forming a joint venture (“the JV”) – and falsely representing that Action and the JV qualified as service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (“SDVOSB”). Based on the false claim to SDVOSB eligibility, the conspirators fraudulently obtained approximately $11 million in federal government construction contracts or task orders with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) and the Army Corps of Engineers (“ACE”).

As proven at trial, the fraudulent conspiracy involved set-aside contracts that could only be bid upon by legitimate service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses – a designation that did not apply to Otero or A&D. To appear qualified, Otero and Ramsey initially executed an agreement to create the JV (“the JV Agreement”), which stated that Ramsey’s company (Action) would be the managing venturer, employ a project manager for each of the set-aside contracts, and receive the majority of the JV’s profits.

However, as proved at trial, six months later, Otero and Ramsey signed a secret side agreement that made clear the JV was ineligible under the SDVOSB program. For example, the side agreement said the parties created the JV so that A&D could simply “use the Disabled Veteran Status of Action Telecom” to bid on contracts. The side agreement also stated that A&D – not Action – would run the construction jobs. They also agreed that “A&D will keep 98% of every payment; Action Telecom will receive 2% of every payment.”

In addition to the secret side agreement, the evidence demonstrated several ways in which the JV did not operate as a legitimate SDVOSB, but was essentially controlled by Otero and A&D. For example, although Ramsey (a service-disabled veteran) nominally served as president of Action and the JV, he actually worked full-time for another telecommunications company. Otero and A&D, not Ramsey, controlled the day-to-day management, daily operation and long-term decision making of the JV. Among other things, Otero and A&D appointed an A&D employee as the project manager for every contract and task order.

“Our nation strives to repay the debt of gratitude we owe to our veterans by setting aside some government contracts for veterans with service-related disabilities,” said United States Attorney Adam Braverman. “These unscrupulous contractors abused this program through a cynical and illegal ‘rent-a-vet’ scheme. They are now being held fully accountable for robbing truly deserving vets of important economic opportunities.”

All four defendants are also facing civil charges in United States v. Otero, et al., Case No. 15CV0441-JAH, a case alleging violations of the false claims act based on the similar misconduct.

The defendants were ordered to appear before U.S. District Judge John Houston for sentencing on February 19, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Kanter and Aaron Arnzen.

CORPORATE DEFENDANTS

A&D General Contracting, Inc., Santee, California

INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS

Andrew Otero El Cajon, CA

Criminal Case No. 17CR0879-BEN

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 1: Conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses (18 U.S.C. § 371)

Maximum penalties: 5 years’ imprisonment; 3 years’ supervised release; a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a mandatory special assessment of $10

Count 2-4: Major fraud against the United States (18 U.S.C. § 1031)

Maximum penalties: 10years’ imprisonment; supervised release; a fine of $1,000,000 per count ($5,000,000 total); and a mandatory special assessment of $100

Counts 5-7: Wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343)

Maximum penalties: 20 years’ imprisonment; a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a mandatory special assessment of $100

10, 14: False statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001)

Maximum penalties: 5 years’ imprisonment; a fine; and a mandatory special assessment of $100

AGENCIES

Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General

Man Who Lied About Combat Service for Second Time Sentenced to Federal Prison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Man Who Lied About Combat Service for Second Time Sentenced to Federal Prison

Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keith R. Hudson, 71, of Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months of home confinement for receiving $197,237 in benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after falsely claiming to be a veteran.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Hudson falsely claimed that he was entitled to VA benefits because he was a veteran who had been in combat in Vietnam. He even went so far as to claim that he had received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.

Hudson has committed the same crime in the past. In 2005, he was prosecuted in Connecticut for the falsely claiming to be a veteran in order to claim VA benefits. He was placed in pretrial diversion. He moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and in 2012 he applied to the VA in Charleston for benefits. He used the same falsified form from the Department of Defense, (a DD-214, “Report of Separation from Active Duty”) and claimed that he was in the Navy and saw combat as a medic, suffering wounds and other trauma. He claimed that he served from August 1, 1967, through October 31, 1971.

This was all a fraud. Hudson was never in the military. He never served in the United States Navy, nor did he ever see combat in Vietnam.

Hudson asked for a probationary sentence, claiming poor health and noting his age, previous bypass surgeries, and cancer. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel denied Hudson’s motion for probation and instead sentenced him to 1 year of confinement, in a split sentence. Six months of the confinement is to be served in federal prison, and six months is to be served as home confinement. Hudson was also ordered to pay $297,237 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Lydon emphasized the importance of this case for our country and for our community. “This is an egregious crime,” she said. “This Defendant trampled on the memory of those who have bravely served our country and suffered harm protecting us. Hudson not only stole from the taxpayers by taking benefits he did not earn, he also stole directly from veterans who served our nation and protected our freedom. Every minute of time he spent with a VA doctor or a staff member is a minute he stole from a real veteran. He took resources that the VA just cannot afford to spare. We are grateful to the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General for their investigative work on this case.”

Kim Lampkins, the Special Agent in Charge for the Veterans Administration Office of Investigations Criminal Investigations Division, said, "Those who defraud the VA harm all veterans. VA benefits are intended solely for those who have protected this nation’s freedoms. We investigate individuals who commit fraud against the VA and are dedicated to defending veterans who genuinely earned our support."

The case against Hudson was investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Kittrell of the Charleston office.

40,000 JOB OPENINGS IN THE VA MEDICAL

There aren't enough doctors or nurses for veterans, according new Department of Veterans Affairs data. The Veterans Health Administration, the branch of the agency that provides healthcare for about 9 million vets, has some 40,000 job vacancies.

The biggest shortages are in highly urban cities or rural areas, according to Stateline. The problem is worst in Delaware, Montana, and Colorado, where more than 20 percent of those jobs are unfilled. Utah, Oklahoma and Maryland also have high vacancy rates.

The trend is similar across the rest of the U.S. healthcare industry, too. In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected we’d see 1.09 million nursing job openings by 2024.

But experts say it's hard to recruit medical and dental staff for VHA jobs in particular. The hiring process is long, and the pay is lower compared to the private sector.

Lawmakers hope they can help fix this problem with the Mission Act, which President Donald Trump signed in June. It included funding so Veterans Affairs can budget for raises and forgive student loans to help recruit new workers. Until then, though, facilities with high vacancy-rates will likely still see wait times for appointments as long as 30 days — nearly five times as long as the wait at VA hospitals with the lowest vacancy rates.

Is Sex Work?

Is Sex Work?

A U.S. Marine Colonel was about to start the morning briefing to his staff. While waiting for the coffee machine to finish its brewing, the colonel decided to pose a question to all assembled. He explained that his wife had been a bit frisky the night before and he failed to get his usual amount of sound sleep. He posed the question of just how much of sex was "work" and how much of it was "pleasure?"

A Major chimed in with 75-25% in favor of work.

A Captain said it was 50-50%.

A lieutenant responded with 25-75% in favor of pleasure, depending upon his state of inebriation at the
time.

There being no consensus, the colonel turned to the PFC who was in charge of making the coffee. What was HIS opinion? Without any hesitation, the young PFC responded, "Sir, it ha
s to be 100% pleasure." The colonel was surprised and, as you might guess, asked why.

"Well, sir, if there was any work involved, the officers would have me doing it for them."

The room fell silent.

Firearm

Firearm

A woman pulled into the gas station to get some gas and went to pay inside. As she was walking in, she noticed these two cops watching a customer who was smoking while pumping gas. She saw him and thought, "is this man drunk, stupid, or just crazy?!!

With the police standing right there! Anyway, she went inside and paid. As she was walking out, she heard someone screaming, looked and saw the man's arm was on fire! He was swinging his arm and running around going... crazy!

She went outside, and the two officers literally had to take him to the ground and they put the fire out! Then they handcuffed him and threw him in the police car.

Being the person that she was she asked the cops what they were arresting him for. This cop looked her square in the eyes and said ... "WAVING A FIREARM IN PUBLIC."

Serenity

Serenity

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, 'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied....'Two years older than me'. 'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.. She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporters interviewing a 104 year old woman: 'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?'
the reporter asked... She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs and have fun finding them.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, 'For fast relief.'

The Senility Prayer: Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

This won't solve the problem, but it might help.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Communications Commission are teaming up to combat illegal robocalls targeting all Americans, including American vets and their families.

Unwanted calls account for more than 200,000 complaints to the FCC each year – a big number, but one that pales in comparison to the millions of robocalls being made each day. The calls interrupt dinners and family time, they flood landline and mobile phones, and they frequently solicit money for fake charities, including ones claiming to support America’s veterans, and even claiming to be representatives of Veterans Affairs.

Together, the FCC and VA urge everyone to maintain awareness of robocalls. Here are some quick tips on how to protect yourself:

• Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Scammers may spoof their caller ID to display a fake number that appears to be local. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, or passwords in response to unexpected or suspicious calls.
• Be sure to set a password for all voice mail accounts to avoid being hacked.
• Register your number on the Do Not Call List to block calls from legitimate telemarketers.
• Ask your phone company about call-blocking tools and services for your landline phone, and check for helpful apps that you can download to your mobile phone.

Finally, during the month when America celebrates its veterans, we suggest reaching out to fellow veterans -- especially the elderly, who are known to be particularly vulnerable-- -- and help spread the word about robocall fraud.

For more tips and other useful information, visit: fcc.gov/robocalls.

Stan Lee is gone.

Thanos has continued in his decimation of the Marvel Universe, but unlike many of them to be magically brought back to life, this one will not be.

It is a sad day indeed. So many wonderful memories, so many wonderful stories, another great one gone; I've Made Mine Marvel for almost 60 years, thanks for my wonderful 70 year childhood.

Public Service Announcement

Those of you who are placing Christmas lights/decorations in your yards, can you please avoid anything that has Red or Blue flashing lights together? Every time I come around the corner, I think it's the police and I have a panic attack. I have to brake hard, toss my bourbon, fasten my seat belt, throw my phone on the floor, turn my radio down, and push the gun under the seat. All while trying to put my clothes back on.

It's just too much drama, even for Christmas. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.🎄

(Please keep this up and pass on this post like I did...😉) I hope you got a giggle !

The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman

The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman

Two troubled homicide detectives race to find a serial killer in a town filled with surgically reformed murderers, in this captivating near-future SF thriller.

In a small religious community rocked by a spree of shocking murders, Detectives Salvi Brentt and Mitch Grenville find themselves surrounded by suspects. The Children of Christ have a tight grip on their people, and the Solme Complex neurally edit violent criminals – Subjugates – into placid servants called Serenes. In a town where purity and sin, temptation and repression live side by side, everyone has a motive. But as the bodies mount up, the frustrated detectives begin to crack under the pressure: their demons are coming to light, and who knows where that blurred line between man and monster truly lies.

Terminus by Tristan Palmgren

Terminus by Tristan Palmgren

Operatives from an advanced alien culture struggle to survive in medieval Italy, in the SF sequel to the astonishing Quietus.

The transdimensional empire, the Unity, has dissolved. Its rulers and agents have been exiled, stranded across a thousand planes of existence. Empires don’t die gladly. The living planarship Ways and Means has ended the Black Death ravaging medieval Europe, but it has bigger plans for Earth. Someone is trying to kill former Unity agent Osia. Spy-turned-anthropologist Meloku becomes a target, too, when she catches the planarship hiding the extent of its meddling. While they fight to survive, Fiametta – Italian soldier, mercenary, and heretical preacher – raises an army and a religious revolt, aiming to split her world in half.

Available from your favorite bookseller,Angry Robot Books.

Tesla Pick-up Truck

I want one of these

Be careful what you say

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 29, 2018


Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Bomb Veterans Administration Office


Jackson, Miss. – Undrey L. Jones, 48, Jackson, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to threatening to bomb the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Jackson, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge, James Ross, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, South Central Field Division.

Jones was charged in a one-count federal indictment on May 2, 2018. A superseding indictment was filed on June 12, 2018.

On February 27, 2018, Jones called the Veterans Benefits Administration Call Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jones identified himself by name and angrily demanded to talk to the Director of the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi. Jones became increasingly agitated during the call, and stated that he would "come up there and blow the building up," referring to the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Jackson. Jones used several expletives during this call. Jones was arrested on February 28, 2018.

Jones is set for sentencing on January 22, 2019 at 10:00am and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

"These charges underscore the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s commitment to the safety of the Veteran Affairs’ patient population, as well as its employees, guests, and facilities," said Special Agent in Charge James Ross.

The case were investigated by the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, Mississippi Homeland Security, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Madison Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. AUSA Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.

For your consideration...

Aarghhh

The Seven Forges Novels

The Seven Forges Novels

“Moore has created a brilliantly realised world here; his characters continue to get better with each book. It’s still exciting, it’s still fresh, and brilliantly vivid. Fantasy does not get much better than this.”
– Morpheus Tales

All four volumes of the extraordinary, and vivid Seven Forges series: epic fantasy to devastate your world. The whole brutal saga of Seven Forges, The Blasted Lands, City of Wonders and The Silent Army.

Collects the complete Seven Forges series: Seven Forges, The Blasted Lands, City of Wonders and The Silent Army.

The people of Fellein have lived with legends for many centuries. To their far north, the Blasted Lands, a legacy of an ancient time of cataclysm, are vast, desolate and impassable, but that doesn’t stop the occasional expedition into their fringes in search of any trace of the ancients who once lived there… and oft-rumoured riches.

Warriors from the hard-pressed land of Fellein go in search of the mythical people of the Blasted Lands – and are startled not only to find them, but that they were expected.

The emperor of Fellein is dead, and the newly-appointed commander may be the only one capable of keeping Fellein from annihilation, as former allies become a deadly threat. But out in the Blasted Lands, a more terrifying enemy emerges.

Open war rages between the kingdom of Fellein and the Sa’ba Taalor. Refugees seek safety and the leaders on both sides pursue their agendas while ancient forces take notice of the conflict and stir from their slumber.

The City of Wonders has been saved by nearly miraculous forces and the Silent Army is risen, ready to defend the Fellein Empire and Empress Nachia at any cost from The Great Wave of the Sa’ba Taalor.

JAMES A. MOORE is the best-selling and award winning author of over forty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, The Tides of War series (The Last Sacrifice, Fallen Gods and the forthcoming Gates of the Dead). In addition to writing multiple short stories, he has also edited, with Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, the British Invasion anthology for Cemetery Dance Publications. The author cut his teeth in the industry writing for Marvel Comics and authoring over twenty role-playing supplements for White Wolf Games. Moore’s first short story collection, Slices, sold out before ever seeing print. Along with Golden and Jonathan Maberry he is co-host of the Three Guys With beards podcast. More information about the author can be found at his website: jamesamoorebooks.com.

Time’s Children by D B Jackson

Time’s Children by D B Jackson

A time traveller trapped in a violent past must protect the orphaned child of a murdered sovereign, and find a way back to his own time in this astonishing epic fantasy novel.

Fifteen year-old Tobias Doljan, a Walker trained to travel through time, is called to serve at the court of Daerjen. The sovereign, Mearlan IV, wants him to Walk back fourteen years, to prevent a devastating war which will destroy all of Islevale. Even though the journey will double Tobias’ age, he agrees. But he arrives to discover Mearlan has already been assassinated, and his court destroyed. The only survivor is the infant princess, Sofya. Still a boy inside his newly adult body, Tobias must find a way to protect the princess from assassins, and build himself a future… in the past.

DO YOU THINK...

A Breach in the Heavens by N S Dolkart

A Breach in the Heavens by N S Dolkartvens by N S Dolkart

Wizards war against gods to save the world, in the electrifying conclusion to the Godserfs epic fantasy series.

The End Times have arrived. For over a decade, the sorceress Phaedra has had a single, vital task: to keep the world of the elves separated from humanity’s. But when her world experiences its first skyquake, it’s clear that something is very wrong. Has all Phaedra’s work been for nothing? She’ll need a new plan – and her friends’ help – to keep the worlds from smashing into each other and shredding all of creation. Unfortunately, not everyone likes the new plan. To the God of the Underworld, destroying creation doesn’t seem like such a bad idea…

COLUMBUS DAY

Happy Anniversary...

After being married for 45 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, "Forty-five years ago we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa-bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV. But hey I got to sleep every night with a hot 26-year-old girl.

Now ... I have a $1,000,000 home, a $45,000 car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 70-year-old woman. So I said to my wife "it seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things." My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 26-year-old girl and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve an old guy's problems!

Ever Wonder

 Ever Wonder ... Only in This Stupid World ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the Store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front

 Ever Wonder ... Only in this stupid world do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

 Ever Wonder ... Only in this stupid world do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters..

 Ever Wonder ... Only in this stupid world do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

 Ever Wonder ... Only in this stupid world do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in Packages of eight..

 Ever Wonder ... Only in this stupid world do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

 Ever Wonder ... Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

 Ever Wonder ... Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

 Ever Wonder ... Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

 Ever Wonder ... Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

 Ever Wonder ... Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

 Ever Wonder ... Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

 Ever Wonder ... Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

 Ever Wonder ... Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

 Ever Wonder ... Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

 Ever Wonder ... Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

 Ever Wonder ... You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

 Ever Wonder ... Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

 Ever Wonder ... Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

 Ever Wonder ... If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

 Ever Wonder ... If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

15 Things to think about

15 things to think about.

1. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?

2. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

3. If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

4. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

5. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car is not called a racist?

6. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

7. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians
denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

8. Do Lipton Tea employees take 'coffee breaks?'

9. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

10. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese
mothers use, Toothpicks?

11. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why
don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

12. Is it true that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?

13. Why isn’t tossing and turning all night considered exercise?

14. If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

15. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin dead at 76

Marty Balin, the co-founder of Jefferson Airplane and the band’s lead singer and guitarist, has died at age 76.

Billboard confirmed Balin’s death, although the cause is not clear. He died Thursday.

Review of Pain Management Services in Veterans Health Administration Facilities

Review of Pain Management Services in Veterans Health Administration Facilities
09/16/2018 08:00 PM EDT

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the request of several members of Congress to assess pain management practices including opioid prescribing and the treatment of substance abuse at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical facilities. The OIG found that pain management services were offered at most VA medical facilities, and nearly all facilities offered substance abuse treatment using either methadone or Suboxone®. While the OIG was able to characterize the distribution of pain specialists and pain clinics in VHA, a staffing standard was not identified that would allow determination as to whether this pattern of staffing sufficed to meet demand for pain services. Of the more than 5.7 million VA patients (non-hospice/palliative care) with at least one clinical encounter in fiscal year 2015, the OIG found that 16.7 percent were dispensed opioids. The OIG observed that 93.9 percent of this population had been diagnosed with pain or mental health issues and 56.7 percent of patients with both. The OIG assessed the frequency of higher-risk groups including those veterans prescribed opioid doses greater than 200 morphine equivalents per day or those prescribed both opioids and benzodiazepines. The OIG also examined other practices that reduce the risk of opioid prescribing including the frequency of urine drug testing, use of non-opioid pain treatments such as psychosocial and integrative health, and substance abuse treatment. The OIG made 10 recommendations to the VHA Executive in Charge related to state prescription drug monitoring programs, the number of patients on chronic opioid therapy on a primary care provider’s panel, pain management specialists, pain assessment tools, complementary and integrative health services, urine drug testing, concurrent use of benzodiazepines and opioids, and medication reconciliation.

Earthling Publications Newsletter

Earthling Publications Newsletter


Halloween Series book 2018...and 2019

Many of you have been asking about our annual Halloween Series book for this October. As I posted on Facebook a few weeks back, there won't be one this year, I'm sorry to say. Schedules for all involved parties just didn't synch up...first time in 14 years. I sincerely appreciate all the emails that have come in asking about the book, and I apologize for any disappointment. I am saddened too.

But...you can look forward to one next October....and why not reveal it now, a novel for which the contract was just finalized. James A. Moore will return to the town of Blackstone Bay one final time, in the third novel in the Blood Red trilogy: BLOODLINES. Jim recently told me that it will be "a final showdown between Jason Soulis and the town of Blackstone Bay, this time with the promise that one of the arch vampires will fall and never rise again. The detectives will be back, of course, and the secret reason for Jason Soulis's visiting the town repeatedly will be revealed. Let's call it a secret history written in sin." I, for one, am counting the days until Jim turns in the manuscript!


GLIMPSES finally at the printer!

A decade in the works and the deluxe edition of GLIMPSES is finally at the printer. (Seriously. Proofs are on their way to me as I type this.) The dustjacket is below. At this point, given there are several other less expensive editions folks can choose from, I've dropped the price of this limited edition hardcover from $85 to $75 and the print run from 250 to 100 copies. No slipcase. Signed by the author, with page ribbon marker, nice endsheets, etc. Foreword by Iain Matthews. A brilliant and comprehensive introduction by Richie Unterberger, award-winning rock music journalist, that is nearly 7000 words in length! With period pictures, one of which has never been published before (of Hendrix). Small print run. If you love this book, this is the edition you must have!

Earthling to publish NOTHING TO DEVOUR

Glen Hirshberg's latest and final novel in the Motherless Child series, NOTHING TO DEVOUR, just received a Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly (the first two books did as well) -- congrats, Glen! They say:

"It's quite a feat to write a vampire novel without ever once invoking the V-word, but Hirshberg does so with consummate skill in this wrenching third Motherless Children horror novel. His novel is a dramatic tour de force that compels reader sympathy for mortals and monsters alike."

We will be publishing a deluxe version of this book, with similar design details and cover art by Vincent Chong, early next year. There will also be an optional/separate special slipcase to hold all 3 books. More about this project in the coming months!

Thanks and all best,
Paul Miller, Publisher
Earthling Publications

BURT REYNOLDS HAS DIED

Burt Reynolds, whose blend of machismo and wise-guy playfulness helped him become a Hollywood action star in the 1970s, dies at 82

The Dreaming Stars by Tim Pratt

The Dreaming Stars by Tim Pratt

The crew of the White Raven returns to save the galaxy, in this brilliant space opera sequel to The Wrong Stars

Ancient aliens, the Axiom, will kill us all – when they wake up. In deep space, a swarm of nanoparticles threatens the colonies, transforming everything it meets into computronium – including the colonists. The crew of the White Raven investigate, and discover an Axiom facility filled with aliens hibernating while their minds roam a vast virtual reality. The treacherous Sebastien wakes up, claiming his altered brain architecture can help the crew deactivate the swarm – from inside the Axiom simulation. To protect humanity, beleaguered Captain Callie Machedo must trust him, but if Sebastien still plans to dominate the universe using Axiom tech, they could be in a whole lot of trouble.

Available September 4 from Angry Robot Books

Daughters of Forgotten Light by Sean Grigsby

Daughters of Forgotten Light by Sean Grigsby

A floating prison is home to Earth’s unwanted people, where they are forgotten… but not yet dead, in this wild science fiction adventure.

Deep space penal colony Oubliette, population: scum. Lena “Horror” Horowitz leads the Daughters of Forgotten Light, one of three vicious gangs fighting for survival on Oubliette. Their fragile truce is shaken when a new shipment arrives from Earth carrying a fresh batch of prisoners and supplies to squabble over. But the delivery includes two new surprises: a drone, and a baby. Earth Senator Linda Dolfuse wants evidence of the bloodthirsty gangs to justify the government finally eradicating the wasters dumped on Oubliette. There’s only one problem: the baby in the drone’s video may be hers.

Available September 4 from Angry Robot Books

Hidden Sun by Jaine Fenn

Hidden Sun by Jaine Fenn

An eccentric noblewoman scientist’s journey into a strange new land will change her world forever, in this enthralling fantasy novel.

Rhia Harlyn is a noble in Shen, one of the dozens of shadowlands which separate the bright, alien skyland. She has a missing brother, an unwanted marriage proposal and an interest in science considered unbecoming in her gender. Her brother’s disappearance coincided with a violent unsolved murder, and Rhia impulsively joins the search party headed into the skyland – a place whose dangers and wonders have long enthralled her. The dangerous journey brings her into conflict with a young rebel stuck between the worlds of shadow and light, and a charismatic cult leader who believes he can defeat death itself.

Available September 4 from Angry Robot Books

Coming in January

Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers by Joe Lansdale

Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers by Joe Lansdale, Subterranean Press $40-signed limited edition, $250-lettered edition, reviewed by Jim Brock.

Before there was BUBBA-HO-TEP there was a little fracas between Bubba and an outfit of Cosmic Blood-Suckers. Only the mind of Joe Lansdale could create "hive-minded, shape-shifting, vampire-like creatures from a dark dimension who have taken up residence in a New Orleans junkyard."

If you visualize as you read (as I do), I tell you it would take some serious stretches of the imagination to picture the action in this book. That is part of the genius of Lansdale that he can take us on such wild journeys in multiple genres and please us so vividly in each of them.

Joe Lansdale need bow to no one in coining a phrase. He generally does more in one page than many authors do in several chapters. Being a son of the south and a devoted reader, I love each and every one of them. Elvis' team against the Blood-Suckers is led by Colonel Tom Parker, a strategist named Jack, Elvis; right hand man Johnny (who also chronicles things), a descendant of John Henry (the steel driving man), a blind man with exceptional and valuable sight, and a female recruit and new pop star named Jenny (stage named Raven).

Done correctly this could be one hell of a movie. It already is one hell of a book. Since it was written by Joe R. Lansdale it couldn't be any less than fantastic.

Ed King Passes

Ed King, retired guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd has passed. He was 68. Besides being a master guitarist, he was the co-writer of SWEET HOME ALABAMA. It and FREE BIRD are probably the two most popular songs that have made the legend that is SKYNYRD.

Rest easy and say "Hello" to Ronnie and Steve for me.

NOHO GLOAMING... POEMS BY DANIEL KNAUF

From the creator of Carnivàle and writer/executive producer of Blacklist, comes a poetry collection from a cult icon. Daniel Knauf brings the darkness and surrealism fans have grown to love, but brings a vulnerability and intimacy that makes each poem memorable and enjoyable. It is noir with heart and a coda for the soul. Darkness and light vying for dominance in poems that go from personal and confessional to rambunctiously fantastical. A heady dive into the abyss of love and other monsters. Daniel Knauf is a true storyteller.


"Written as a soul song for longing, Knauf's collection is both a dream and an awakening." -Stephanie M. Wytovich, Bram Stoker award-winning author of Brothel.

"In Daniel Knauf's two-part composition of poetry, the first passage is a kaleidoscope of the landlocked in endless roles, trying to believe in true love/magic while submerged in self-destruction & redemption. The coda is more than curious, it's an adrenaline rush, a noir dance of the impossible, delivered straight-up in a splintered glass." --Linda D. Addison, award-winning author of "How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend" and HWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Knauf's poetry is cinematic, creating vast landscapes and scenes, on bridges, between land and sky. The multitude of characters create a rich, nonlinear story that mimics our memories, and our moments, and intertwines various worlds and moods, from all-consuming love, loneliness, superheroes, mythology, texting, technology, and Dante. Knauf is both direct and strangely surreal." -Joanna C. Valente, author of Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, and the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault

aVAILABLE FROM aMAZON.COM

Implanted by Lauren C Teffeau

Implanted by Lauren C Teffeau

The data stored in her blood can save a city on the brink… or destroy it, in this gripping cyberpunk thriller

When college student Emery Driscoll is blackmailed into being a courier for a clandestine organisation, she’s cut off from the neural implant community which binds the domed city of New Worth together. Her new masters exploit her rare condition which allows her to carry encoded data in her blood, and train her to transport secrets throughout the troubled city. New Worth is on the brink of Emergence – freedom from the dome – but not everyone wants to leave. Then a data drop goes bad, and Emery is caught between factions: those who want her blood, and those who just want her dead.

Forthcoming from Angry Robot Books

FEROCIOUS by Paula Stokes

In Ferocious, Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter—finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

“A total mind-bending thrill ride with a heroine that's as smart as she is strong.”—Lindsay Cummings, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Murder Complex

“A powerful, kick-ass girl caught up in a high-tech, twisty mystery. But buckle up! This thrill ride travels at breakneck speed.”—Justine Magazine

“Reading Vicarious is like tiptoeing across a field of landmines. Blindfolded. In other words, I loved this book!”—Victoria Scott, author of Titans

PAULA STOKES grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where she studied psychology and nursing. In between pursuing her degrees, she spent a year teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. Stokes is the author of several novels, including Liars, Inc. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

On Sale August 28, 2018 from Tor Teen. 9780765380975. $9.99 USD.

ENHANCED by Carrie Jones

Carrie Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Flying, presents another science fiction adventure of cheerleader-turned-alien-hunter Mana in Enhanced.

Seventeen-year-old Mana has found and rescued her mother, but her work isn’t done yet. Her mother may be out of alien hands, but she’s in a coma, unable to tell anyone what she knows.

Mana is ready to take action. The only problem? Nobody will let her. Lyle, her best friend and almost-boyfriend (for a minute there, anyway), seems to want nothing to do with hunting aliens, despite his love of Doctor Who. Bestie Seppie is so desperate to stay out of it, she’s actually leaving town. And her mom’s hot but arrogant alien-hunting partner, China, is ignoring Mana's texts, cutting her out of the mission entirely.

They all know the alien threat won't stay quiet for long. It’s up to Mana to fight her way back in.

“Witty dialogue and flawless action.”—VOYA

“YA readers, you’re in for a treat this week. Hilarious and action-packed, this novel is sure to be the perfect summer read.”—Bookish

CARRIE JONES is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Need series, as well as After Obsession with Steven E. Wedel. She is a distinguished alum of Vermont College's MFA Program and a volunteer firefighter in Maine.

On Sale August 28, 2018 from Tor Teen. 9780765336606. $9.99 USD

Invisible Planets, Chinese Science Fiction

Invisible Planets, edited by multi award-winning writer Ken Liu--translator of the bestselling and Hugo Award-winning novel The Three Body Problem by acclaimed Chinese author Cixin Liu--is his second thought-provoking anthology of Chinese short speculative fiction. Invisible Planets is a groundbreaking anthology of Chinese short speculative fiction.

The thirteen stories in this collection, including two by Cixin Liu and the Hugo and Sturgeon award-nominated “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, add up to a strong and diverse representation of Chinese SF. Some have won awards, some have garnered serious critical acclaim, some have been selected for Year’s Best anthologies, and some are simply Ken Liu’s personal favorites.

To round out the collection, there are several essays from Chinese scholars and authors, plus an illuminating introduction by Ken Liu. Anyone with an interest in international science fiction will find Invisible Planets an indispensable addition to their collection.

"These stories, along with the rest of the anthology, represent the best in both science fiction and works in translation, detailing situations that appear alien on the surface but deftly reframe contemporary issues to give readers a new view of familiar human experiences.A phenomenal anthology of short speculative fiction." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Greatly varied in theme and approach, all of these stories impress with their visionary sweep and scope...superb compilation." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

KEN LIU (translator) is a writer, lawyer, and computer programmer. His short story "The Paper Menagerie" was the first work of fiction ever to sweep the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards.

On sale August 21, 2018, from Tor Books. 9780765384201. $16.99 USD.

A New Civil War Novel

The fifth historical novel of New York Times bestselling author Ralph Peters's breathtaking, Boyd Award-winning Civil War series

Written with the literary flair and historical accuracy readers expect from Ralph Peters, Judgment at Appomattox takes readers through the Civil War’s last grim interludes of combat as flags fall and hearts break.

A great war nears its end. Robert E. Lee makes a desperate, dramatic gamble that fails. Richmond falls. Each day brings new combat and more casualties, as Lee’s exhausted, hungry troops race to preserve the Confederacy. But Grant does not intend to let Lee escape. . . . In one of the most thrilling episodes in American history, heroes North and South battle each other across southern Virginia as the armies converge on a sleepy country court house.

Capping the author’s acclaimed five-novel cycle on the war in the East, this “dramatized history” pays homage to all the soldiers who fought, from an Irish-immigrant private wearing gray, to the “boy generals” who mastered modern war. This is a grand climax to a great, prize-winning series that honors—and reveals—America’s past.

“For those who want to truly understand what the war was like for the men who fought and endured it, there is no better reference than Ralph Peters’ five Civil War novels . . . superbly researched, richly imagined, brilliantly written.” —America’s Civil War

"Epic . . . battles explode from Ralph Peters' pen . . . with his five-novel masterwork—from Gettysburg to Appomattox—Peters has become one of our most important historians." —Washington Times

RALPH PETERS is an award-winning, bestselling novelist; a retired U.S. Army officer and former enlisted man; the author of numerous works on strategy; and a popular media commentator. In uniform and as a researcher and journalist, he has covered numerous conflicts and trouble spots, from Africa to the Caucasus, from Iraq to Pakistan.

Renowned for accuracy and authenticity, his Civil War writing, under his own name and as Owen Parry, has won numerous prizes, including the American Library Association’s Boyd Award (three times), the Hammett Prize, the Herodotus Award, the Grady McWhiney Award, and the Meade Society’s Order of Merit. Peters was the recipient of the 2015 Andrew J. Goodpaster prize as an outstanding American soldier-scholar, and in 2017 he was inducted into the U.S. Army's Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.

His Civil War series, the Battle Hymn Cycle, spans five books: Cain at Gettysburg, Hell or Richmond, Valley of the Shadow, The Damned of Petersburg, and Judgment at Appomattox.

On Sale August 21, 2018 from Forge Books. 9780765371729. $17.99 USD.

ESPN's Pre-Season Top Ten

A short neurological test

1- Find the C below - Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
699999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999
999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999

3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist.
Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.

See You at Walmart

Yesterday, I wore my Korean War Veterans’ cap to Walmart. There was nothing in particular that I needed at the
world's largest retailer; but, since I retired, trips to "Wally World" to look at the Wal-martians is always good for some
comic relief. Besides, I always feel pretty normal after seeing some of the people that frequent the establishment.

But, I digress, . . . enough of my psychological fixations. While standing in line to check out, the guy in front of me,
probably in his early thirties, asked, "Are you a Viet Nam Vet?"
 "No," I replied.
 "Then why are you wearing that cap?"
 "Because I couldn't find the one from the War of 1812 . . ." I thought it was a snappy retort.
 "The War of 1812, huh?" the Wal-martian queried, "When was that?"
 God forgive me, but I couldn't pass up such an opportunity. "1946," I answered as straight-faced as possible.
 He pondered my response for a moment and responded, "Why do they call it the War of 1812 if it was in 1946?"
 "It was a Black Op. No one is supposed to know about it." This was beginning to be way fun!
 "Dude! Really?" He exclaimed. "How did you get to do something that COOOOL?"
 I glanced furtively around me for effect, leaned toward the guy and in a low voice said, "I'm not sure. I was the only Caucasian on the mission."
 "Dude," he was really getting excited about what he was hearing, "that is seriously awesome! But, didn't you kind of stand out?"
 "Not really. The other guys were wearing white camouflage."
 The moron nodded knowingly. "Listen man," I said in a very serious tone, "You can't tell anyone about this.
It's still 'top secret' and I shouldn't have said anything."
 "Oh yeah?" he gave me the 'don't threaten me look.' "Like, what's gonna happen if I do?"
 With a really hard look I said, "You have a family don't you? We wouldn't want anything to happen to them, would we?"

The guy gulped, left his basket where it was and fled through the door. The lady behind me started laughing so
hard I thought she was about to have a heart attack. I just grinned at her. After checking out and going to the parking
lot, I saw dimwit leaning in a car window talking to a young woman. Upon catching sight of me he started pointing
excitedly in my direction. Giving him another 'deadly' serious look, I made the 'I see you' gesture. He turned kind of
pale, jumped in the car and sped out of the parking lot.

And these people actually VOTE !!! What a great time! Tomorrow I'm going back wearing my Homeland Security
cap. Then the next day I will go to the driver's license bureau wearing my Border Patrol hat and see how long it takes
to empty the place. Whoever said retirement is boring? You just need to wear the right kind of cap!

See you at Walmart

SENIOR CITIZENS ARE THE NATION'S LEADING CARRIERS OF AIDS !

HEARING AIDS
BAND AIDS
ROLL AIDS
WALKING AIDS
MEDICAL AIDS
GOVERNMENT AIDS
MOST OF ALL,
MONETARY AIDS TO THEIR KIDS !
Not forgetting HIV (Hair is Vanishing)
[Source: USS Samuel Gompers | Harry Hudson | July 18, 2018 ++]

Heaven

Stormy Daniels and Queen Elizabeth went to the Pearly Gates on the same day, and both met with an angel to find
out if they would be admitted to Heaven. The Angel said: "Unfortunately, there's only one space available in Heaven
today so I must decide which one of you will be admitted." The Angel then asked Stormy if there was some particular
reason why she should go to Heaven.

Stormy took off her top and said: "Look at these, they're the most perfect breasts God ever created and I'm sure it
will please God to be able to see them every day, for eternity." The Angel thanked Stormy, and asked Her Majesty,
Queen Elizabeth the same question. The Queen walked over to a toilet, pulled the lever and flushed it without saying
a word. The Angel immediately stated: "Okay, your Majesty, you may go into Heaven."

Stormy was outraged and asked, "What was that all about? I showed you two of God's own perfect creations and
you turned me down. She simply flushed a commode and got admitted to Heaven! "Could you explain that to me?"
"Sorry, Stormy," said the Angel, "but even in Heaven, a royal flush easily beats a pair, no matter how big they are!"

a love for words

Lexophile describes those that have a love for words, such as "you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish," or "To
write with a broken pencil is pointless" An annual competition is held by the New York Times to see who can create
the best original lexophile. Here are some of the submissions:

 No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
 If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
 I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
 I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
 Did you hear about the crossed-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?
 When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
 When chemists die, they barium.
 I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
 I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
 England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
 Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
 This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I'd swear I've never met herbivore.
 I know a guy who's addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
 A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
 When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
 I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
 A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
 A will is a dead giveaway.
 With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
 Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
 Did you hear about the fellow whose entire left side was cut off? He's all right now.
 A bicycle can't stand alone; it's just two tired.
 The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.
 He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed.
 When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.
 Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.
 Those who get too big for their pants will be totally exposed in the end

Nine Important Facts to Remember as We Grow Older

God's Plan for Aging ….

Most seniors never get enough exercise. In His wisdom God decreed that seniors become forgetful so they would have
to search for their glasses, keys and other things, thus doing more walking. And God looked down and saw that it was
good. Then God saw there was another need. In His wisdom He made seniors lose co-ordination so they would drop
things, requiring them to bend, reach, and stretch. And God looked down and saw that it was good. Then God
considered the function of bladders and decided seniors would have additional calls of nature, requiring more trips to
the bathroom, thus providing more exercise. God looked down and saw that it was good. So if you find as you age,
you are getting up and down more, remember it's God's will. It is all in your best interest even though you mutter
under your breath.

Nine Important Facts to Remember as We Grow Older

#9 Death is the number 1 killer in the world.
#8 Life is sexually transmitted.
#7 Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
#6 Men have 2 motivations: hunger and hanky panky, and they can't tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.
#5 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.
#4 Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.
#3 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
#2 In the 60's, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.
#1 Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today may be a burning issue tomorrow.

Conversations with Caity & Candice: Sexism

Conversations with Caity & Candice: Sexism
by Caity Lotz and Candice Patton
COPYRIGHT 2018 FOR THE AUTHORS AND THE BARYON REVIEW.

THIS IS SHARED FROM SHETHORITY.COM, A NEW WEBSITE CREATED BY THESE TWO AMAZING LADIES TO SHARE THEIR AND OTHERS THOUGHTS ON A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS. AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE, THEY SAID "PLEASE SHARE" AND I AM DOING JUST THAT.

In these interview series we ask each other questions and try to get to the bottom of some taboo and controversial topics. We don’t have all the answers, but our hope to start a conversation. This is part of one of the series on sexism.

Candice: What’s one of the most pressing ways sexism and gender bias is affecting your life currently?

Caity: I think the biggest way it’s affected me are the expectations and limitations I put on myself as a result of it. I had self esteem issues when I was younger because I felt like I wasn’t pretty enough and as a result, I was letting people down and had less to offer to offer the world. I feel like little boys were encouraged to be successful, build businesses, invent things, and make their mark in the world. Which, granted is its own pressure, but at least it’s something you can work hard at and have a chance at achieving. Whereas there’s only so much you can do about the way you look. It took a lot of self work but I stopped associating my value with my looks. There’s an amazing quote that nails all of this on the head, “You Don’t Have to Be Pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.’”

Candice: I love that.

Caity: I hope things continue to change and little girls will grow up knowing they have so much more to offer than their looks. I have a 2-year-old niece and I try to always compliment her attributes rather than her looks. So instead of “You’re so pretty” I say “You’re so smart/kind/strong.” I want her to get attention for who she is not how she looks.

Candice: Yeah, my niece is 1 and a half and I try to do the same thing. She’s so beautiful (at least to me) and I worry that will be the predominant compliment she’ll get. Sometimes when that’s all you hear, you start to think that’s all you have to offer, so I want to be an influence in her life that reminds her she’s so much more than that.

Candice: We hear this phrase “toxic masculinity” more and more. I know I’ve experienced it in my personal and professional life. Have you? What do you want young men to understand about women and about toxic masculinity?

Caity: For those of you not familiar with the term, it’s about the negative effects created when a man is restricting his emotions and actions to adhere to strict male gender role. When men aren’t allowed to express all their emotions it all becomes anger, and they feel pressured to act as the alpha and assert themselves. I think it’s pretty easy to see how that could create problems. I’ve definitely felt the toxicity of it especially in relationships.

We talk a lot about how gender stereotypes negatively effect women, but it can be just as damaging for men. It’s like we make people fit in to a box with a label and if they don’t they are ostracized. So people over compensate and suppress their true-self, which creates problems for everyone. I think what’s happening right now with gender is going to be really good for the world. It’s like we are tearing down the gender walls and rebuilding it all to be more fluid and accepting.

Caity: I think sometimes about raising a son one day and how best to do it. What do you think is important for him to value and respect about women?

Candice: Our strength for sure. Our complexities. Our boundaries. What about you?

Caity: I hope by being a good mother he would respect women because he would respect me. If you teach him to be a good human he will be a good man (or whatever gender identity he decides to be). I think you would really enjoy this NYTimes article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/well/family/metoo-sons-sexual-harassment-parenting-boys.html

Caity: I didn’t realize some of the negative effects of sexism until I was older and then it was like a flood gate of realizations for me. From major to minor things that affected the way I thought, dreamed, and acted. What was the experience like for you?

Candice: I agree. My experience was similar. I didn’t really understand or see the negative effects of sexism till later in life. I’ve been thinking about feminism a lot lately and how I came to really care about these issues and why I didn’t see it as much when I was younger. And I realized a lot of it came from my father. My dad was always extremely proud and supportive of me. He believed I could do anything I wanted. He treated me just like my brother. My goals and limitations were never set by my gender (or my race for that matter). So I moved through the world subconsciously believing I could do whatever my heart dreamed of. And it wasn’t until I got older and into the real world that I realized other men and even other women didn’t think that way. I was angry. Feminism wasn’t something we discussed in my household, it was just a way of life in terms of women being equal. My parents shared responsibilities. Both parents worked. Both paid bills. And both were respected. And that was my model. So I was confused as I got older and saw that that wasn’t the norm everywhere.

Caity: Speaking of parents, what’s something your parents said to you when you were younger that was annoying but now you get it?

Candice: My mom would say two things that annoyed me. lol

“You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar” and “Pick your battles.” I think both of them speak to an issue I had when I was younger and something I’ve gotten better about. Naturally I’m a fighter. I believe in righteousness and justice. And boy would I fight. I wanted every wrong (at least in my eyes) righted. In my mind I had the energy to fight every battle and my mom said, “Candice as you get older you won’t have the energy, and you’ll have to choose.” Boy, was she right! I’m tired, girl.

So I’m conservative with my energy and my time. Not everything gets a response. Not everything gets a fight. And not every wrong gets righted. And that’s ok, because when the big battles hit in my life, you better believe I’m coming with everything I’ve got.

Candice: What’s been your relationship with women throughout your life. I know you have a lot of the same friends from when you were in grade school. How important is that to you? And how to you work to maintain those relationships.

Caity: My tribe! I would not be who I am today without my girlfriends. Most of my crew have been friends and entrenched in each other’s lives since grade school. I can’t even describe how grateful I am to have found such supportive, smart, spiritual, curious, and generous friends. They make me brave because I know they have my back. You (Candice) have met them, they’re the shit right?

Candice: Your friends are amazing!

Caity: I really do mean it when we say we want you in the tribe. We’re always looking to extend the family.

Candice: I accept this rose!

Candice: So you went to Italy recently and said you went to a restaurant that gave your boyfriend a menu with prices and gave you the “lady menu” without prices. How did you feel about this? I know for me there are traditional roles men and women play that I still very much adore and find beautiful. Holding open doors for example. I’m sure for men, as women become more self assured and independent in many areas of their life, it makes it hard for them to understand what things to keep doing and what to not. What are your thoughts on that? And what are a few traditional gender roles regarding men that you still find endearing?

Caity: Don’t forget, at the end of the meal they handed him the bill and me a cute box with cookies in it! I mean I loved it, but then I was like, wait am I not supposed to like it?! It is pretty presumptuous. What if I’m the one paying the bill? Or what if the guy wanted to split and now he feels pressure? I think we’re in an interesting time where gender roles are being blurred or redefined and we’re all just trying to figure it out. So it’s a good time to not be easily offended and have a lot of open dialogue.

It must be confusing for guys. “Treat me like a powerful capable woman, but also treat me like a delicate flower and take care of me. Take charge and be a man, but don’t tell me what to do.” A guy friend told me a woman got mad at him for opening the door for her, which I don’t think is fair. If it makes you feel offended having someone open the door for you than maybe just say, “after you, please” and hold the door for him.

Personally, I love it when a guy helps me with my bags, pulls out my chair, or gives me his jacket when I’m cold. I like the idea that the guy picking up the check, but I recognize that totally unfair to have to do all the time. All the sweet things from old traditions I like, but I’m not into the women can’t work, make decisions, and are basically property of men things.

Candice: I love chivalry as well. I find all of those gestures extremely endearing. I had a boyfriend once who would open the passenger door for me to get in and buckle my seatbelt and then kiss me on his way out. I loved it every single time. I think every woman is different though. For me personally I like a man who enjoys being chivalrous because I don’t think it takes ANYTHING away from my strength. I think once that occurs, then there’s a problem.

Caity: Ya, I do wonder if that means we’re trying to have our cake and eat it too? Though, when I think about it…I guess I do all those things for people as well. If my friend is freezing I’ll give them my jacket, I open the door for strangers, help if someone has lots of bags, etc. When I’m with my boyfriend, he usually prefers to be the one doing these things for me, and it makes us both feel good. Though he doesn’t mind when I pick up the check sometimes lol.

I think it’s just both finding ways to show your love, it can’t be one sided. Both people in a relationship need to feel like you’re taking care of each other. Those can be “traditional” ways if it works for you or you can mix it up. It’s up for you and your partner to decide.

Candice: Equal pay is such a big topic right now and one we’ve discussed on many occasions. Even recently it was discovered Claire Foy was getting paid less than her male co-star for The Crown in which she was clearly the lead. How do we assure that women are being paid equal to their male counterparts in industries like ours where the lines are blurry? What’s the biggest factor/hurdle in addressing equal pay?

Caity: It drives me nuts when people think that a wage gap doesn’t exist. There are so many layers to this issue it’s hard to explain, but it goes way beyond women just needing to not settle for less than they should be getting. It happens in every industry but I’ll focus on the one I know best. The entertainment industry works off a quote system, meaning your next job goes off of how much you got paid on your last job. Women and minorities have traditionally had fewer opportunities for leading roles, so less of a chance to get their quote up. So even as the tides start to change our quotes are a lot less so we get paid a lot less.

Candice: SAY IT LOUDER!

Caity: Lol, I’ll keep going then! A lot of the decision makers in the industry, who are mostly white men, either consciously or subconsciously view white men as more valuable than women and minorities. There is this very real feeling of, “You should be grateful, and if you don’t take this offer, we’ll find some other pretty girl that will.” Like it’s just filling the spot of “love interest” or “token black guy”. Like you’re easily replaceable. Now that we’re starting to tell more diverse stories and consumers are supporting it, we are seeing some real change. We still have a lot of catching up to do but I feel optimistic about the direction we are heading. We’ll see!

Candice: (singing) “PAY ME WHAT YOU OWE ME!” I love that song.

It’s an interesting time. I think #MeToo and #TimesUp and other similar initiatives have made people see that women are not afraid to speak up. I think it’s put a lot of industries on notice. Our voices are so powerful. We truly are stronger together. It’s still a complex topic though. I think we are conditioned not to speak about pay. It’s not “polite,” but you know what? Where has that gotten us?

I also think this is where our male counterparts can be a huge help to our fight. If they used their privilege to share information about their salaries and if they used their voices to fight for parity that would be huge asset in the fight for equal pay.

Caity: I may have gone on a rant there and I don’t want men to feel attacked, because that’s not what the feminist movement is about. So to all the men out there… We love you and value everything you bring to the table. When you see and treat us as equals, it allows us to be the best women we can be for you, ourselves, and the world. We’re all in this together.