The World as IE Sees It

With all that is going on in the country scandal wise, it is hard to just choose one on which to focus. But, I will try. This lack of privacy we’ve been joking about for years has become truth. Unbelievably, some are okay with it. They say it is necessary and all that rot. Fighting terror... blah, blah, blah. I have two words: Downward Spiral. Well, I do have more than just two, but I digress. There are those who say, “I have nothing to hide.” Is that the point? Do we need something to hide to want to keep our lives private? People do not install fences around their properties because they want to do something nefarious in their backyards. We want to choose what we share with others, not be forced to stand naked in town square. Well, at least that way we would know that we were naked in town square. The problem is that all of us are being treated like criminals. Unless we go to the airport, we do not know that every inch of our lives is being scrutinized. Our C

When I do research for my books, sure, I turn to internet sources and books for information. I also interview people who have experience with certain things and do or learn things for myself. One of my works in progress is the first book of a mystery series where an injured homicide detective turned PI has to relearn how to shoot. Recently, I went to a local pistol range to take a private lesson on shooting a handgun. It was my first time shooting any kind of gun. The instructor was surprised that I had never even shot a bb gun. I learned on a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The former Vietnam Marine started with basic gun safety. Although I wore a turtleneck, he warned me about wearing open necked shirts for future shooting. The empty shell casings are hot when they fly out of the gun and if you are wearing a shirt with an open neck, there is a possibility that the casing can hit your skin and burn you. (Always good to know.) At the shooting bay, he went over grip, stanc

As of this typing, Senator Rand Paul has been filibustering for seven hours so that Brennan will not be confirmed as CIA director. Texas Senator Ted Cruz and others have now joined him. There is something inherently wrong with the government being allowed to drone strike its own people on its own soil (let alone elsewhere). We should not fear our government. We should not be afraid or punished for speaking the truth, no matter how ugly it may be. We should not have to fear having our right to defend ourselves taken away. We should not have to fear that our privacy is a thing of the past. We should not have to live in fear. I applaud Doctor Paul and his efforts. I applaud Senator Cruz. Someone needs to say no. Actually, many more than one or two need to say no. No to this insanity. No to all this spending. No to eroding our rights. No to destroying our country. I may not be a lawmaker or hold any public office, but I, too, will stand and say no. Because of the fili

Every so often, I enjoy store-bought breakfast cookies with my morning coffee. When I was growing up, my parents would occasionally buy a certain brand of Italian-style breakfast treats. How I loved them. The soft anise flavored sponges and the S-shaped cookies were my favorites. They still are. Today, I decided to indulge in these cookies. Earlier than usual this morning, I headed out to my local really big super duper store to fill my tummy with some of the cookies I knew since childhood. After only finding four types of cookies made by that certain brand, they came home with me. As the cookies rested on the table, coffee beans whirred in the grinder. Hot water mingled with the oils, filling my kitchen with that warm, intoxicating coffee aroma. Wanting to satiate my Italian-style cookie craving, I began to cut the plastic coverings. When I grabbed the anise flavored sponges, my heart sank. Short of time and without thinking, I had put my trust in my really big super duper s