Book Review: A Tan and Sandy Silence (1971)

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Brian Wright

Middle of the pack, lesser Travis, but good enuf
by John D. MacDonald

Frankly I don’t remember the plot too well on this one. Travis does reflect quite a bit on life and love, but these philosophical passages did not seem central as in so many others in the series. The plot involves a search for a missing person, a woman with whom Travis has had a relationship long ago… which ended amiably.

I would have to say this novel, which I believe is number 13 out of 21, reveals the beginnings of Travis’s anxiety over slowing down with age. As a salvage expert, McGee has made a career from helping people in distress. But in so doing—and not being a man of conventional methods—he runs into considerable danger and damage. Indeed it’s somewhat of a conventional ending to witness McGee suffering broken bones, cuts, gunshot wounds, knife stabbings, and even beatings. His adversaries are practically as physical as he is and sleazy cunning. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Gran Torino (2008)

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Brian Wright

Academy ignores one of the better ones (8.5/10)

Walt Kowalski: Oh, I’ve got one: A Mexican, a Jew, and a colored guy go into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, “Get the fuck out of here.”

Walt Kowalski: Take these three items, some WD-40, a vice grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone.

Walt Kowalski: [to Father Janovich] The thing that haunts a guy is the stuff he wasn’t ordered to do.

Walt Kowalski: [to Father Janovich] I think you’re an overeducated 27-year-old virgin who likes to hold the hands of superstitious old ladies and promise them everlasting life. Continue reading →

Brian’s Column: Notes to the 2d Edition of After 9/11 Truth

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Brian Wright

Accommodating Toto Worldwide and The Truman Prophecy

The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry… as the poet Robert Burns (1785) put it. So, too, the summary book I wrote on the 9/11 attacks and my concept of what actions best to take to achieve ‘truth’ most efficiently. Well, not awry exactly, but in need of UPDATE based on subsequent discoveries and actions. A significant part of those discoveries have been ‘of self,’ namely that yours truly, being a writer and affected by a modest engineering habit of mind, tends to look at the world a certain way. That is with a naive remote impartiality that says, “after solid study and effort, I see or have derived the following grand process that, if followed, will produce the desired result.”

The desired result, of course, in the case of 9/11, yielding general truth and freedom.

And if you read the Amazon review comments to After 9/11 Truth—excerpts of many of them are included as testimonials with this imminent second edition—those readers of my liberty and reason milieu do completely get the message. The problem is I want and need to cultivate a larger audience, which is what I thought my ‘engineering plan’ of the second half of the 1st edition would accomplish. Alas, people—readers and doers—are not items in an equation, however elegant or ironclad the solution appears. Continue reading →

Book Review: After 9/11 Truth, 2d Edition (2015)

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Brian Wright

Review and comments attending 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

It’s September 11, 2015, and we still have not had a fully empowered special grand jury investigation bringing indictments of legitimate suspects of the human species-altering crimes of the 9/11/2001 attacks. Still, something tells me that by this date next year, we WILL see such a development… and those truly responsible for the act—including foreign government personnel at the highest levels of military and intelligence organizations who acted as architects and prime movers of the plot—will be brought to trial, conviction, and justice.

In honor of the many victims of 9/11, including the thousands who have suffered and/or prematurely died from lung and other diseases from breathing the asbestos-laden air following the disintegration of the World Trade Center towers, I am slightly editing and also repackaging the original book into this latest edition (which will be available on the Amazon book link by the end of next week, 9/18/2015). Truly I am only making changes to how I am fitting After 9/11 Truth into the integrated truth movement… including my own movement I am calling Toto Worldwide. Continue reading →

Movie Review: W. (2008)

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Brian Wright

Accurate, devastating portrayal of Bush and the main Neocon players
in the late criminal enterprise (7/10)

George Herbert Walker Bush: You didn’t exactly finish up with flying colours in the Air National Guard, junior.

George Herbert Walker Bush: If I remember correctly, you didn’t like the sporting good store. Working for the investment firm wasn’t for you either, or the oil rig job.

Journalist: Mr. President, what place will you have in history?
George W. Bush: History? In history we’ll all be dead!

There’s so much more to this movie than Josh Brolin’s dead ringer simulation of the biggest, baddest wannabe of all time known as George W. Bush, but that’s a good place to start: I’m amazed that Brolin didn’t grab an Academy Award nomination—he did manage to pick up a couple of nominations from other critics’ associations. As a character study, there is none higher. Stanley Weiser’s story obviously comes from meticulous research, but you get the impression the writer practically grew up in the Bush household. Continue reading →

Donut Hole: Take Action for Michigan Analog Meter Choice Bill

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Brian Wright

The Time to Strike Is Now!
Urgent Call to Action

[From mailing by Smart Meter Education Network of Michigan]

House version will look like this: https://michiganstopsmartmeters.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/utility-meter-freedom-of-choice-bill-house.pdf

Senate version will look like this: https://michiganstopsmartmeters.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/utility-meter-freedom-of-choice-bill-senate.pdf

We’ve hit a milestone! A well-written Analog Choice Bill will be introduced in the House this month. It’s time to build a fire under our lawmakers. The bill has a great chance of success if every one of us participates in the actions outlined in this newsletter!

THE STRATEGY OUTLINED IN THIS NEWSLETTER COMES FROM THE MAN WHO IS BEHIND THE BILL. [Gary Glenn, representative of the 98th district (Midland and Bay counties) phone is (517) 373-1791, email GaryGlenn@house.mi.gov. Make sure to call or write to thank him for his work.] He says if we follow these instructions, the chances that this bill will be passed by the House and then the Senate are excellent. That requires every one of us to do our part.

If you want an analog opt-out bill to pass, you must participate. The lawmakers must see incredible grassroots support from people all across the state. That’s where you come in. We outline the strategy in this newsletter. Your participation is absolutely necessary if we are to succeed. Continue reading →

Guest Column: Economy, Key Issues

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Brian Wright

An incisive look from two experienced analysts
Initiated by Kay Augustin with followup by Pat Heller of Liberty Coin Service

Kay Augustin

Last October I was in Hungary walking the beautiful rolling hills and roaming their centuries old town squares. The people were very friendly and everything pristine. They endured invasions by the Turks for centuries. I wince at the images of the refugees marching past their peaceful farms and homes. The answer in my mind [to the problem of mass movements of people] is to stop ravaging countries. Most true refugees do not wish to leave their homelands. No winners except for countries wishing destabilization.

… initial thoughts:

Our US elections are ignoring a major fact–Immigration is a World Wide Problem fueled by US military action to wipe out Shiite and other heretical Muslim sects for the Saudis. For now, Israel is siding with the Saudis. Legalizing Marijuana will lessen violence in Mexico and people fleeing to relative safety. Continue reading →