We're waiting to hear whether or not the insurance company is going to total out Susan's truck for the accident that occurred the other morning. No one was hurt, but a real icy patch is the shadows of Cooper Landing proved a bit too slippery and the truck merged with the guardrail. It looks like the frame might be bent so there is a good chance they will total it. Truck belongs to Susan and it is our only transportation. Thankfully, she had renter's insurance so for 20-days we have an almost new minivan to drive around in. I actually fit in it and I'm really impressed with the vehicle. So, if the truck is totaled, we'll have to figure out how to get another vehicle for the clan or we'll be doing a lot of hitchhiking. So, I would appreciate your prayers in this. Thank you.
I'm sitting here, with "Dutchess" plopped in my lap. Half-Doxen and half something else of a small type canine, attaches herself to me whenever I am sitting or lying down. Always in hopes of a belly rub or the chance I might share my food with her. It's just weird to have a dog in your lap while typing, that's all I'm saying here....I know, how the mighty have fallen. I do love dogs though, that's one of the reason I was involved with the Air Force Patrol Dog program and "Cher", my patrol/narcotic dog was the smartest animal I've ever known. I keep a photo of her on my desk, along with other photos of family. Dog handlers in the military become very close with their hounds, as handler and canine often risk their lives together and a good dog will walk on fire for his or her handler. As I explained once before in the my journal, "Cher" saved my life during a drug raid. She took down a man who was determined to end my days so he could make his escape and was coming up behind me with a metal pipe. I'm sure he still limps from that attempt as Cher really liked taking him down. However, I doubt Dutchess would make a patrol dog as she is about 60 lbs too light and way to short. Still, she is a very loyal canine. We have 4 ankle biters, with the other 3 asleep on our bed. Not sure how that began and its a poor practice to allow, but once you go to sleep they just suddenly appear at the foot of the bed and even occasionally snore. Okay, enough on dogs, right?
Here's some news headlines you might find interesting and might want to check the stories out: Israeli Attorney General poised to bring bribery and corruption charges against Israeli Prime Minister just prior to the country's elections.... Germany reports stabbings and knife crimes at record high, with 4,100 knife related crimes in 2018, compared to 3,800 in 2017 and 400 such crimes back in 2008. During first 45 days of 2019 more than 500 such crimes reported by police.... All but 2 U.S. House Democrats fail to show up for their own hearings on Climate Change.... U.S. House Democrats lose "embarrassing" gun control amendment as multiple defections in their ranks....Ex-Israeli minister sentenced to serve 11-years in prison for spying for Iran....United Nations again accuses Israeli Defense Force for shooting children on Gaza Strip ( But I must ask, were these children bearing arms and shooting at the troops, giving them little choice. I'm reminded of the child troops created in the African tribal wars of the 1990's and still have. This gives a soldier little choice but to defend himself and his comrades when the kid has a fully automatic AK-47 in their hands. The shame goes to the Muslim fanatics who are creating this new army of child soldiers, not the Israeli Defense Force.)....British Parliament votes to ban all branches of Hezbollah.....Feds spend $267,946 studying "older same sex partner caregivers".... Democratic majority House passes new gun control bills, but not likely to clear through Republican senate.... 7.1 earthquake hits Peru, no word on damage or casualties yet....Oklahoma becomes 15th state to allow permitless gun carry (Same as Alaska)....Russia reportedly deploying conventionally armed missiles that for the first time are capable to striking targets deep inside the U.S.
With all the corruption and ankle biting going on in Washington D.C. I'm personally of the view that we should fire our congress and start fresh. Some of them are simply too old, such as Alaskan's congressmen who is 83 yrs old. Same with our U.S. Supreme Court, set an age limit and annual physicals to ensure early dementia or alzheimer's hasn't targeted them, for their decisions are just too important to take chances with. Pay our elected politicians far less then what they're making now, similar to military standards for senior officers. President Roosevelt paid his chief advisors $1 a year. While working for the state government in the 1990s, I saw a lot of brand new politicians entering the battle zone with big ideas, but within a year, in far too many cases, began their downward spiral of corruption. Many of them had new bills they wanted passed when they were voted in, but rapidly learned to get their bill through they would have to support another politician's bill. Corruption would start in that fashion as some of the bills getting passed really stunk. Our own congressman, who's been tied into a few offenses, and has almost no authority anymore in the various committees because of his age and rumors, is simply reelected because of the old boy Alaskan network. No, I am not a fan of the man and hopefully this next election, if he runs, he'll be retired and long remembered as a great Alaskan. For in truth, he did accomplish some really good things. Sadly, there's a lot of oil money in Alaska that reaches down into our House and Senate, and it tends to corrupt some of our people. But, it has been happening since the times of the great Caesars of Rome.
I might also add, since I'm in the mood to speak out, that this latest upsurge of antisemitism is becoming scary. We've elected to federal office 3 politicians who at one time or another openly expressed their anti semitic views, and one of them expresses it daily. There's others who remain negative toward Israel. Countries like Poland and Finland who were involved in the World War II persecution of Holocaust, now try to issue disclaimers. They are even allowing anti Semitic demonstration to occur on the grounds of these former concentration camps where millions of Jews were murdered. If we forget our pasts, we are bound to repeat the same offenses. The suspect who was drawing the Swastikas all over the walls in Germany ended up being a 12 year old, according to the police. Back when I was a kid we began removing God from schools and now Christmas programs cannot even display a baby Jesus in the manger scene. Yes, we as believers, know things have to get real bad before the Lord's return...it says it in the Word of God. The 20th century and all its wars became stepping stones in that direction. We're in our 19th year in Afghanistan and I recall how horrified the American people were that we had let Vietnam last 10 years. Now we hear talk of Venezuela and sending troops there because Russia and China support the tyrant President that won't allow his people to be fed by aid workers. He'd rather see them starve. These are all stepping stones we are making on our downward spiral and the rise of anti Semitism only adds to this. So, how do we pray. Make it worse so its over soon? These are questions I ask myself as I review the headlines and the waves of hatred spreading over the globe. Did our downward spiral begin with the murdering of our Lord....the crusades, or much later? Racism has become a focal point again, much like it was in the 1960s. At times like this I am really glad to be living in Alaska. But yet, all the dreams I had before writing "A Coming Storm" and its sequel, "The Final Challenge", (not yet in print), shows me how fast Alaska can become a final battlefield as millions of Chinese invade our beautiful state. I'll have to admit those dreams that just kept coming, rattled me some and the turn of events that have occured only substantiate what I wrote, as events are matching up with the info in my dreams of so long ago (2001). Now, it may not happen in my lifetime, but I've got great-grandkids now and I wonder what this country will be like for them? A seen of hatred, brother against brother over race and religion, and possibly starvation. Will it all gives me a direction of where to focus my prayers. And, I won't even get into that elderly man running for President who is a practicing Socialist....or George Soros....now that would make a great team for the White House. but Soros isn't a U.S. Citizen....yet.
Okay-okay, enough doom and gloom, and politics. Oh, if you're wondering I write this journal off the cuff, no notes except for the headlines and I rarely go back to edit it. You are getting my thoughts in the raw you might say. My disclaimer.
My beloved wife is amazed how fast I can type, but I taught myself and once, when I attended a typing class, I thought this crazy teacher was trying to break my fingers. Though I am overjoyed by the creation of spellcheck, when it works. I can't tell you how often I've messed up on contractions or using the right there,they're or their....and so on. This is why my books need editing. OH I go over them at least 4-times, but I still end up missing items. I'd love to be able to pay Susan, but she does it out of love for our family. And with her studies to earn her degree keeping her busy, my books are a bit slower in getting out. I wish I had paid more attention to my English teacher, but he didn't speak football. Reading "Ivanhoe" was pure torture and now years later, I enjoy such books. "I'm reading the "Deerslayer" at the moment and see the author as an early Louie L'moure ( I never get the spelling right for his last name, but I love his books.).
I'm going to sign off now, time to hit my manuscript. I'm working on the 4th book in the Arizona Ranger series. Right now the title is "Revenge at Superstition", but that is liable to change. Superstition is a legendary mountain range in central Arizona. Lots of reports of spooks, hauntings and murders. This was also a holy land for the Apache. I've been there a few times and found it an easy place to get lost in, and quite deadly if you didn't have enough water or food, or you happened to trespass on someone else's gold claim. The famous Lost Dutchman's mine is located in these mountains and hundreds of people have gone looking for it, some of them never being seen again. Dozens of human skeletons have been discovered and some bodies, but the gold remains either undiscovered or kept very secret. Two different stories about the gold....One is that it was an actual gold mine filling with gold and another that a very wealthy Mexican family returning home from selling off a massive herd of horses, took refuge in a cave during an Indian attack. They were reportedly all killed, but the Apache were in fear of entering the cave and all the gold coin the family had remained with their bones. Either one continues to bring the curious back.
May the Good Lord bless you this day and the days to follow. Let your heart not be hardened and KEEP THE FAITH! BILL.