RandomPokestag:randompokes.org,2009-01-29:/pokes//22010-08-31T12:04:16ZSteve Dennie writes about his church, politics, sports, movies, books, and whatever else amuses him. Some people come to eavesdrop, and that's okay.Movable Type Pro 4.23-enReturn of "Billy, Don't be a Hero"tag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14142010-08-31T11:51:08Z2010-08-31T12:04:16ZLast night, while Pam and I were eating at MacAlister's Deli, I heard the song, "Billy Don't be a Hero." It took me back to 1974 when this anti-war song hit Number 1. It was originally recorded by Paper Lace,...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
Last night, while Pam and I were eating at MacAlister's Deli, I heard the song, "Billy Don't be a Hero." It took me back to 1974 when this anti-war song hit Number 1. It was originally recorded by Paper Lace, where it topped the charts in England. But before Paper Lace could release it in the States, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods covered it, and their version is what I remember. (The Paper Lace version stalled at 96 in the US.)
The song appeared during the latter years of the Vietnam War, when we were getting out. The mood in America was, "Let's cut our losses. It's not worth losing our sons in that no-account country." Kind of like people are now thinking about Afghanistan.
The song ends on a note of despair. Billy's fiance had been telling him, "Don't be a hero. Keep your head down. Come back to me." But in the midst of combat, he volunteers for a risky mission, and dies. The song ends:
I heard his fiancee got a letter That told how Billy died that day. The letter said that he was a hero. She should be proud he died that way. I heard she threw the letter away.
I was a junior in high school at the time. I loved that song; it told a good story and I could understand all the lyrics. (The same guy wrote "The Night Chicago Died," another great story-song, and one which did become a US hit for Paper Lace). I can still remember all the lyrics. When I heard the song playing last night, it all came back to me. I was mentally singing along with it.
The song was probably written with the Civil War in mind. That's how Paper Lace portrayed it on their album cover. Twice it refers to the men as "soldier blues," and one line says, "I need a volunteer to ride up and bring us back some extra men." Like, ride up in a Jeep? More likely ride up on a horse.
Yet, the song is anonymous enough to apply to any war. Especially unpopular wars. In "Star Trek: the Next Generation," Tasha Y'ar's death is described as an "empty" death, a death without real purpose, no heroics, no lasting meaning. That is how people had begun viewing Vietnam--an empty war, undeserving of American blood. Billy's fiance seemingly viewed his death as empty (though I'm sure Billy, and his fellow soldiers, didn't).
Are people beginning to view Afghanistan that way? Just another hopeless cause, like Vietnam?
I've been musing about that song's reappearance. Pop music often reflects what's happening in society. Is "Billy, Don't be a Hero" being revived, because that's how people feel about our two wars? We've been lauding our fallen as heroes, and they are. But will people begin telling their children and spouses and siblings, "Don't be a hero. It's not worth dying over there."
Give it a couple more years, with weekly American deaths in Afghanistan and no progress worth mentioning. Then some opportunistic group could re-record "Billy Don't be a Hero," and they may just have a huge hit. ]]>
Glenn Beck as a Christian Leader?tag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14132010-08-29T19:17:41Z2010-08-29T22:37:02ZWith Glenn Beck increasingly talking about God and Christ, and using the same terminology that Christians use, it's easy for Christians to assume, "He's one of us. He believes the same things." But he's a Mormon. The Mormons are adept...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
With Glenn Beck increasingly talking about God and Christ, and using the same terminology that Christians use, it's easy for Christians to assume, "He's one of us. He believes the same things." But he's a Mormon. The Mormons are adept at using our terminology, but giving it different meaning.
Now, he's using pretty specific terminology about salvation by faith in Christ alone, and he has presented the salvation message clearly on his show. Is he a born-again Christian living within the Mormon church? Is that even possible? Ed Decker writes, "Only after Beck announces that he is leaving the Mormon Church will I believe he is a Christian in a biblical sense." This is all very puzzling.
The fact is, Mormons differ substantially with Christians on every major doctrine. There is no compatibility. Mormonism is an entirely different religion. You can't be an evangelical Christian and a Mormon at the same time, anymore than you can simultaneously be a Buddhist and a Muslim.
Glenn Beck has an influential platform, and he declares himself as part of the Christian mainstream. He surrounds himself with persons with solid Christian credentials. Legions of Christians follow his program religiously. With Saturday's rally at the Lincoln Memorial, and his new group to organize pastors, Beck has positioned himself as a leader of Conservative evangelicals. As I said, it's very puzzling.
Richard Land, who directs public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, and who doesn't consider Beck a Christian, says he was stunned by the "Restoring Honor" rally.
"His shows sound like you're listening to the Trinity Broadcasting Network, only it's more orthodox and there's no appeal for money...and today he sounded like Billy Graham."
So it's important to know, when he throws around Christian lingo, what he actually believes. When he talks about Christ or God or salvation, don't apply your own understanding of that word. As long as he identifies himself as a Mormon, those words have a different meaning based in Mormon theology.
I researched Mormonism years ago, but had forgotten much of it. So I did a quick refresher study, wanting to be reminded of the fundamental beliefs of Mormonism. Listen to Glenn Beck all you want. Join his causes. Just be aware of what his religion is all about.
God. God was once a man named Elohim living on another planet, who became a god by following the laws of that planet's god. He then came to earth with his wife, and they produced offspring--Jesus, Lucifer, and all the rest of humanity. God is not a spirit, but has a flesh-and-bones body. Mormons say, "As man is, God was. As God is, man shall become."
God says in Isaiah 44:6, "I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me." Mormons don't believe that.
Jesus. Jesus was merely the first child of God. Lucifer was the second child, and you and I are equally children of God (Jesus is our oldest sibling). Jesus is now a god.
Trinity. Rather than God in three persons, the Mormon trinity involves three separate persons--the god who rules our planet, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (the only god who doesn't have a body).
Bible. The Bible is accurate only as far as it is correctly translated. Mormons believe it has been corrupted over the years. It is basically trustworthy, but not infallible like the other Mormon holy documents: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
Book of Mormon. An angel directed Joseph Smith to some gold plates, which he translated. The Book of Mormon is more authoritative than the Bible. It contains a lot of really strange stuff.
The Church. The church is the Mormon church with its organizational structure and laws, not the universal body of believers. Mormons view themselves as the true church of Jesus Christ. After Christ's death, the church fell into apostasy. When Joseph Smith came along in the 1800s, the true gospel hadn't been preached for 1800 years. Thomas A'Kempis, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley--all heretics.
Man. We exist as spirits in heaven until we are given human form as babies, at which point our memories of preexistence are wiped out. We all have the chance to become gods of our own planets.
Salvation. Mormons achieve perfection not through Christ's atoning death on the cross, but by works--by following the tenants of the Mormon church.
Former Mormon prophet Spencer Kimball wrote, "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation."
Christ's sacrifice is not enough to cleanse us from our sins. Good works are necessary. Also: There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. (Brigham Young wrote that only polygamists would become gods.)
Baptism. It's necessary for salvation. Your ancestors can be baptized by proxy, which is why Mormons are so big on genealogy research. (Christians believe baptism is an important ordinance, but not necessary for salvation.)
Heaven. Everyone will go to one of three levels of heaven. The Celestial Kingdom is for Mormons who become gods, the Terrestrial Kingdom is for moral people and lukewarm Mormons, and the Telestial Kingdom is for everyone else.
Hell. There is no eternal punishment. Hell is just a temporary place between death and resurrection. "Eternal damnation" refers to anything less than becoming a god.
Living Prophets. The head of the Mormon Church is a living prophet whose pronouncements carry more weight than scripture. Brigham Young believed his sermons were equal to Scripture. "I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture."
David Barton tells Christians to ask, "What fruit do you see produced by Glenn?...Christians concerned about Glenn's faith should judge the tree by its fruits, not its labels,"
That is a dangerous, dangerous attitude. It is not our works that make us Christians, but our faith in Christ. We can find good, moral people doing great work in every religion, including atheism. But their fruit doesn't make them fellow Christians.
Ed Decker describes the problem this way:
Beck = Christian, Beck = Mormon Mormon = Christian
Just because you like what Glenn Beck declares regarding President Obama and the Founding Fathers and everything else, don't assume that he is a brother in Christ.
Matthew 24:24--"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."]]>
Five Milestones Toward Adulthoodtag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14112010-08-24T13:08:42Z2010-08-24T13:54:43ZSalon magazine wrote about the five milestones that signify adulthood: The end of formal education.Separation from the family.Financial independence. Marriage.Parenthood. In 1960, 77 percent of women and 65 percent of men had passed all five milestones by the age of...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
five milestones that signify adulthood:
The end of formal education.
Separation from the family.
Financial independence.
Marriage.
Parenthood.
In 1960, 77 percent of women and 65 percent of men had
passed all five milestones by the age of 30. By 2000, fewer than 50
percent of the women and 33 percent of the men had done so.
We've heard this before--that all of these are being postponed to later in line.
I was musing about it regarding myself. I did the first three on time. I basically separated from my parents at age 19 when I moved across the country to start college. I ended my formal education at age 23, and went right into my career, thereby achieving financial independence.
Marriage waited until I was 33. Most people agree that postponing marriage can be a good thing, since you go into it with more maturity and resources. And parenthood ain't gonna happen, by choice.
So I've followed the traditional script pretty well. So did my two brothers (all five steps). I think it's a pretty healthy script, when you get right down to it.
The article notes that some people now refer to the 20s as "emerging adulthood," a stage people pass through on their way to full adulthood. I don't like that concept. In earlier times, people were getting married and having kids and starting careers at 16, and doing fine. Is there something about our culture that makes it more difficult for people to mature? ]]>
Book: "Dead Street," by Mickey Spillanetag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14082010-08-17T18:39:48Z2010-08-18T02:04:13ZI just read my first Mickey Spillane novel, and it's not at all what I expected.My image of Spillane goes back to the 1970s, when I was a teenage kid and would see risque book covers by such authors as...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1I just read my first Mickey Spillane novel, and it's not at all what I expected.
My image of Spillane goes back to the 1970s, when I was a teenage kid and would see risque book covers by such authors as Spillane and John D. MacDonald. Judging a book by its cover, I assumed they were tawdry, sex-filled books, and being a good preacher's kid, that didn't interest me. Besides, back then, all I cared about was science fiction.
But mysteries have been my primary interest for 20 years. About ten years ago I discovered the older pulp fiction and was delighted by the plots, characters, and relative lack of sexual content. Hammett, Chandler, Whittington, Goodis, Willeford--good stuff.
In 2004, a line of paperback hardboiled crime novels was launched called Hard Case Crime. Most feature covers which hark back to the golden age of pulp fiction, with beautiful women in peril, and not necessarily well-clad. The series, now up to 70-some books, features pulp fiction writers of decades past (Charles Williams, Gil Brewer, David Goodis, Brett Halliday), along with established or promising contemporary writers of the genre.
One of the first Hard Case Crime books was Stephen King's, "The Colorado Kid." I knew Stephen King, knew what to expect. It was a decent book (though he should stick to horror), and I decided to try other Hard Case Crime books. To this point, I've read 19 books in the imprint.
At Half-Priced Books, I came across "Dead Street," by Mickey Spillane. I started reading it last night, with ingrained assumptions, and was immediately hooked. The guy can write!
The story is told first-person by Jack Stang, a retired NYPD cop. Twenty years ago, his fiance was abducted by mobsters and presumed dead. Now he discovers that she was found--blind, and with no memory--by a veterinarian who took her in and cared for her. Bettie is now living in a Florida community populated mostly by retired NYPD cops and fireman, and the vet has arranged for Stang to move into a house next to her.
So he moves to Florida, immediately encounters Bettie, and long-buried memories are triggered. Bettie knows nothing about her past relationship with Jack, or her previous life in general. But scraps keep surfacing.
Of course, mobsters had abducted Bettie for a reason, wanting something she could give--but were foiled in their efforts. If they learn that she's still alive, they'll come after her. And of course, they do.
In trying to track down the mystery of why Bettie was abducted, Stang makes several trips back to New York. The story gradually unravels. There's action and killing. But there are also long passages where it's just Jack and Bettie talking. I'm very impressed by how Spillane constructed this book.
Spillane died in 2006, with "Dead Street" mostly done. Max Allan Collins finished it, using Spillane's extensive notes, and Hard Case Crime published "Dead Street" in 2007. It's really a wonderful book. with practically no sexual content and minimal obscenity (for a contemporary book). I couldn't put it down, and finished the 207 pages in half a day.
I don't know what Spillane's other books are like. Perhaps the Mike Hammer series, for which he's best known, is more in line with the slutty covers of that era. But maybe not. "Dead Street" had the restraint, sexual and otherwise, of detective fiction from the 1940s and 1950s, even though it was written in recent years. I need to spot-check another Spillane book to see if it delights me as much as "Dead Street" did. ]]>
Letter Jacket Glory Daystag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14102010-08-15T18:19:58Z2010-08-15T18:25:30ZMe and Jenny Vergon with our high school letter jackets. Be true to your school!This morning at Anchor, we had a schooldays theme. Pastor Tim recognized everyone who is attending school, and everyone who works in a school setting. The...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
Me and Jenny Vergon with our high school letter jackets. Be true to your school!
This morning at Anchor, we had a schooldays theme. Pastor Tim recognized everyone who is attending school, and everyone who works in a school setting. The message was directed to the younger children, who then all received a pack of crayons. We've been collecting school supplies for kids for a while, in cooperation with Grace Presbyterian. Those supplies were given out at Grace this afternoon.
After Tim passed out the crayons, the worship team did the Beach Boys song, "Be True to Your School." Two of us on the worship team remembered to bring our high school letter jackets--me, and Jenny Vergon. Jenny's jacket still fit great, but mine was pretty tight. However, I squeezed it on.
I played two years of varsity tennis at Tulare Union High School in Tulare, Calif. We were co-champs of the East Yosemite League both years. We then won outright in a playoff both years, thereby earning the chance to compete in the San Joaquin Valley championship, where we ended up 3rd or 4th each year. Glory days. However, the patches on our jackets still said "co-champs." I was captain my senior year, which gave me an additional star.
I always loved wearing that jacket. Even when I earned a college letter jacket after my freshman year, I preferred wearing my high school jacket with all the additional bling. Call me insecure. Yeah, I probably was. This made a skinny kid feel (if not look) like a real athlete.
Last summer, I threw out my college letter jacket after removing the big "H." The cheap lining in the sleeves was disintegrating, leaving red specks everywhere. A hopeless cause. But my high school jacket was still tucked away in a storage bin, where Pam located it last night before church. ]]>
Book: "Lake of Darkness" (Ruth Rendell)tag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14062010-08-14T16:07:19Z2010-08-14T18:39:17ZIt's easy to recognize Ruth Rendell's writing. The prose is elegant, and it's restrained, with strong emotions held in check. When violence occurs, it happens in an almost incidental way, without fanfare. The violence emerges from a well-defined character, and...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1It's easy to recognize Ruth Rendell's writing. The prose is elegant, and it's restrained, with strong emotions held in check. When violence occurs, it happens in an almost incidental way, without fanfare. The violence emerges from a well-defined character, and seems totally natural. The fact that she's a British writer completes the description.
I just finished my fifth Rendell book, "The Lake of Darkness." Martin Urban wins a large chunk of money and decides to give half of it away to selected people in need--a task which is more difficult than it would seem. Along the way, he strikes up a romance with a young woman named Francesca, who is quite a bit of a mystery.
Occasionally, the narrative switches to Finn, a strange guy caring for his demented mother. Finn is also a killer. The Finn and Urban storylines, obviously, eventually intersect.
The book moves along slowly, yet purposefully. Rendell develops her characters well, and you begin guessing where things are headed. I wasn't surprised by the ending, but I wasn't sure just where it would end up.
I prefer lots of action and less description. And yet, Rendell is such a doggone good writer that I'm perfectly willing to plod along with her. ]]>
Book: "Flood," by Andrew Vachsstag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14072010-08-11T01:36:35Z2010-08-11T01:40:12ZThis is the first of the 18 "Burke" novels by Andrew Vachss. It was first published in 1980. Now, all 18 books are part of the Black Lizard imprint from Vintage Books. "Flood" is the name of a young woman...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1This is the first of the 18 "Burke" novels by Andrew Vachss. It was first published in 1980. Now, all 18 books are part of the Black Lizard imprint from Vintage Books.
"Flood" is the name of a young woman who seeks Burke out in her quest to track down--and wreak vengeance on--a pedophile who calls himself the Cobra. Flood is highly trained in the martial arts, but lacks the know-how for navigating the New York City underworld, which is Burke's specialty.
Along the way, Burke deals with two mercenaries with a huge shipment of weaponry to sell, a pimp named Dandy who is beating on his girl, and a guy who makes snuff films.
I previously read the fourth book in the series, "Hard Candy." It's much grittier, darker. The Burke in "Flood" is squeamish about killing people, about leaving forensic evidence, and about using violence in general. Not so with the Burke of "Hard Candy." But "Flood" is the better book.
Andrew Vachss, in his 18 "Burke" novels, continually draws attention to issues of child abuse, pedophilia, violence against women, and other sexual abuse. Mention "pedophile," and Burke goes on the warpath.
Burke is an expert in urban survival and living beneath the radar. He runs with a collection of very interesting characters, including:
Max the Silent--a mute, hulking warrior from Nepal.
The Mole--a genius who lives beneath a junkyard.
Michelle--a transvestite prostitute.
The Prophet--an eccentric guy who is the closest thing Burke has to a father.
Now I'm going to read the 2nd and 3rd books in the series, and see if I want to read more. I suspect I will. ]]>
Book: The Long Goodbye (Chandler)tag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14042010-08-02T19:49:54Z2010-08-03T00:42:31Z"The Long Goodbye" is among my favorite Raymond Chandler books. The 9-volume Philip Marlowe series begins in 1939 with "The Big Sleep," and ends with 1958's "Playback." I've been reading the books in order, which means I have only "Playback"...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
"The Long Goodbye" is among my favorite Raymond Chandler books. The 9-volume Philip Marlowe series begins in 1939 with "The Big Sleep," and ends with 1958's "Playback." I've been reading the books in order, which means I have only "Playback" to go. Then I'm done, because Chandler died in 1959.
The book begins with Marlowe's accidental friendship with Terry Lennox. When Lennox's rich wife is killed, and everything points to Lennox as the killer, Marlowe helps Lennox flee to Mexico. There, Lennox apparently commits suicide. And the book moves on.
Marlowe gets involved with a self-destructive, alcoholic writer and his wife. This relationship consumes most of the book. Eventually, their story intersects with that of Terry Lennox. Then several varieties of nastiness commence.
The book moves along rather slowly, but not in a bad way. Chandler masterfully creates the smoky pulp noir mood; you can see steam arising from the LA streets at night. I found myself basking in the atmospherics, which is unusual for me.
And yet, this was a different Marlowe. The Marlowe of the previous books--snarky, smart-mouth--is gone. In his place is a more caustic, rude, humorless fellow who bears little resemblance to Bogart.
And gone are the Chandlerisms that make his books so delightful--the sentences, metaphors, and descriptives that stop you in your tracks every few pages. You must, MUST stop to re-read and admire the wordsmithing.
The only real flash of that Chandler came on page 82 with this line: "He was a guy who talked in commas, like a heavy novel." His earlier books are filled with such things. From "The High Window," for instance:
From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.
He looked as if he had been sitting there since the Civil War and had come out of that badly.
Out of the apartment houses come women who should be young but have faces like stale beer....people who look like nothing in particular and know it.
We looked at each other with the clear innocent eyes of a couple of used car salesmen.
She had eyes like strange sins.
A rather heavy perfume struggled with the smell of death, and lost.
There are websites devoted to Chandlerisms (like this one). But "The Long Goodbye" contributes next to nothing. It's just way too serious.
Don't get me wrong: it's an elegantly-written book, with everything you could ask of a novel. But the renowned Marlowe wit is missing, and I don't know why. ]]>
Book: "Brimstone," by Robert Parkertag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14052010-07-31T20:31:46Z2010-07-31T21:10:07Z"Brimstone" is Robert Parker's third Western involving Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. The books are told first-person by Everett Hitch, a West Point graduate and former Army officer who happily plays sidekick to Virgil Cole, a renowned gunfighter. The duo,...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1"Brimstone" is Robert Parker's third Western involving Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. The books are told first-person by Everett Hitch, a West Point graduate and former Army officer who happily plays sidekick to Virgil Cole, a renowned gunfighter. The duo, together for 20 years, bounce from town to town as mercenary lawmen. If your town needs cleaning up, they can get it done.
The first book, "Appaloosa," was made into a movie in 2008 starring Ed Harris as Cole and Viggo Mortenson as Hitch, with his ever-present double-barrel eight-gage. The casting was perfect. Every piece of dialogue in the three books I can see coming from the mouths of those actors (just as I can see Tom Selleck saying every line of dialogue in Robert Parker's "Jesse Stone" books).
For me, the centerpiece of the book is the relationship, and dialogue, between Cole and Hitch. They're a compelling duo, who understand each other deeply, can be blunt with each other, and never need to say much. Like Spenser and Hawk in Parker's premier series (yet not like them at all), Cole and Hitch are a unique, fascinating pair.
"Brimstone" begins with Cole and Hitch searching for Cole's love interest from "Appaloosa," Allie French. The find her working as a prostitute (as they expected). Will Cole keep her? Can she be redeemed? That is one thread of the book.
Cole and Hitch, with Allie in tow, hire on as town marshal and deputy in the fast-growing town of Brimstone. In these westerns, there is no mystery to be unraveled, as in the modern-day Parker books. Rather, everything leads to a showdown. The players are identified early, and you realize they will inevitably clash with deadly consequences.
In "Brimstone," the opposing force is Pike, a rich saloon owner with an outlaw past. Throw in a charismatic preacher with a God-complex, and an Indian killing people for no discernible reason (the only real mystery), and you've got quite a bit packed into 290 pages.
The book includes an excerpt from a fourth Cole-Hitch book, "Blue-Eyed Devil." I'm delighted. Robert Parker died last year, so I feared that Brimstone might be his last Western (though I had read that he had one additional book in each of his four series ready to go). Now, if they'd just get busy making "Resolution" and "Brimstone" into movies. ]]>
Book: Run For Your Life (James Patterson)tag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14032010-07-29T18:59:51Z2010-07-29T19:08:46ZSteve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1
"Run for Your Life" is the second installment in the Michael Bennett series, which James Patterson launched in 2007. Michael Ledwidge, one of the many writers under the James Patterson brand, wrote "Step on a Crack" in 2007, getting the series off to a thrilling start. But "Run for Your Life," which arrived in paperback this spring, fell flat.
Michael Bennett is an NYPD homicide detective with ten adopted kids. Yes, that's an unusual premise. After adopting all those kids, who represent several different races, Bennett's wife died. So he's left to raise them on his own, with some help.
In "Run for Your Life," Bennett goes after a serial killer who calls himself the Teacher. The targets are rich, pretentious people. I didn't find him to be a particularly interesting villain, and the killings didn't strike me as realistic in a place like New York City.
Of course, we can't ignore those ten kids. Flu was running rampant through the Bennett household, so every few chapters we would check back into the disease zone, seeing who was getting sick, who was getting better, etc., etc. It was very boring. I found myself skipping over those chapters. The flu drama just didn't interest me.
Then Ledwidge resorted to exactly the gimmick I feared: the family in peril. The Teacher comes after the Bennett kids.
Bennett, of course, gets his man, the family is safe, yada yada. But the book was a chore to get through, which is something I'll rarely say about a James Patterson book.
I'm not sure what Patterson/Ledwidge can do in the future with all those kids. In a mystery/thriller, they just get in the way. But they are central to Michael Bennett's life, so they must be included...somehow. ]]>
Book: The Winter of Frankie Machinetag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14002010-07-28T19:44:20Z2010-07-28T21:08:33Z"The Winter of Frankie Machine," by Don Winslow, is the best novel I've read this year. Better than "The Girl Who Played with Fire." The title character is Frank Machianno, a legendary mob hitman and enforcer on the West Coast....Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1"The Winter of Frankie Machine," by Don Winslow, is the best novel I've read this year. Better than "The Girl Who Played with Fire."
The title character is Frank Machianno, a legendary mob hitman and enforcer on the West Coast. Frank has left the mob life, and now lives quietly as Frank the Bait Guy, with a bait shop at the end of a pier in San Diego. He runs several businesses, takes care of an ex-wife and a current girlfriend, has a daughter, and does a lot of community work for which he's beloved.
The first six chapters (40 pages) go into great detail about what his life involves--the "winter" of his life. Those pages follow Frank through a single day. It's actually fascinating stuff and cements the character in our minds.
Then, at the end of that day, a couple guys from the old days show up, ask him to do something, set him up for an ambush....and Frankie Machine comes back to life. He's on the run, trying to figure out what's happening and why people are trying to kill him.
The narrative continually retraces Frank's earlier years, so we see his spring, summer, and fall. We'll resurface to the present, and then something happens that sparks a memory which may hold a clue, and back we go in time. In some writers' hands, this can be tedious. But Winslow handles it masterfully, seamlessly. Every single flashback is absorbing. And mixed among all of those previous events, you realize, is the reason he's now being hunted.
It's been a long time since I've seen a book so well crafted, so tightly written, so engaging. Frankie Machine makes for a fascinating protagonist. In retracing his early years, we see clearly that his legend is deserved.
Everything works out, with all the pieces falling into place, though you're really not sure how it's going to end.
This book was published in 2006 under the Black Lizard imprint. I read one other Winslow book, "The Life and Death of Bobby Z," which didn't impress me as much. But I've got two more Winslow books on my shelf, and I look forward to tackling them. ]]>
Praise for the Pancreatitis Diettag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14022010-07-25T15:24:44Z2010-07-25T15:25:07ZAmidst all the diet crazes out there--Atkins, South Beach, Dr. Poon, ad nauseum--I would like to add one more: the Pancreatitis Diet. In four weeks of walking and biking, plus moderation in eating, I lost 6 pounds. Not bad. Commendable,...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1 In four weeks of walking and biking, plus moderation in eating, I lost 6 pounds. Not bad. Commendable, in fact. But in just 9 days on the Pancreatitis Diet, I've lost 11 pounds.
The first four days are the hardest--no eating or drinking whatsoever, culminating in the removal of your gall bladder. But the first week of anything is usually the hardest. After you get over that hump, it's smooth sailing. Well, pretty much.
I have not had to eat from a strict list filled with foods I don't like, such as broccoli and cauliflower, and according to a strict schedule. No cutting out of a food group, because it's off-limits on Tuesdays. No embarrassingly peeling off the bun from a hamburger at McDonald's or scraping off the pizza toppings at Pizza Hut.
In fact, I've been able to eat anything I want. The catch is that I've really not wanted to eat. I've mainly wanted to sit on the couch and marinate in my sweat. But hey, I'm losing weight. ]]>
Three Bishops, Three Hospital Visitstag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.14012010-07-24T16:52:05Z2010-07-24T17:05:05ZLast week, on consecutive days, I received hospital visits from three United Brethren bishops, all of whom have been or currently are my boss. They've each racked up hundreds of hospital visits, maybe thousands, during their ministerial careers. I imagine...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1Last week, on consecutive days, I received hospital visits from three United Brethren bishops, all of whom have been or currently are my boss. They've each racked up hundreds of hospital visits, maybe thousands, during their ministerial careers. I imagine it's always a bit of a trick to "read" the patient and know how long to stay. These three visits were just right, but all different.
First came Ron Ramsey, last Monday morning. He was my boss (as bishop) 2005-2009, and now works on staff at Emmanuel Community Church. He learned that I was in Lutheran Hospital, so while checking on another parishioner, he stopped in to see me.
I was really pleased to see Ron. I was feeling okay that day, and by then knew they'd be removing my gall bladder that afternoon. I was happy that things were finally moving.
We talked some about my condition and a few other things. Ron affirmed me in various ways, and then prayed for me. I doubt that the visit lasted more than 10 minutes.
Bishop Phil Whipple, my current boss, came the next day around 12:20. The operation was done, and I felt great--so much pain was gone. I was very talkative, and no doubt kept Phil much longer than he planned to stay. In fact, we talked for 45 minutes. In two days, Phil would begin a five-week trip to the West, so this would be my last chance to see him in a long while.
We talked about my condition, but also about various work-related issues (though that was my initiative; he was just coming for a brief hospital visit). He, too, prayed with me before leaving. I really, really enjoyed the visit.
The next day, Wednesday, was not a good day for me. I felt pain much of the day. Amidst that, Bishop C. Ray Miller, the senior bishop when I started at the national office in 1978, appeared at my bedside. It was great to see him, but I think he quickly read my discomfort.
We talked for just a little bit. Twice he said, "I'm not going to make you talk." He affirmed me and my work, then put his hand on my arm and prayed for me. Then he left.
Sweaty and hurting, I lay back on that hospital bed and thought to myself, "That was the perfect hospital visit."
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All Things Worked Together for Less-Badtag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.13992010-07-23T19:20:22Z2010-07-24T16:32:07ZThis morning, from the comfort of home, I was reviewing my past week in the hospital, my bout with pancreatitis and having my gall bladder removed. Was there some higher purpose, or did it just happen? Where might I find...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1 I've never doubted God's goodness.
I've never doubted that God is for real, that I'm his child, and that he loves me deeply.
I've never doubted that he sometimes injects himself into my life circumstances for my benefit.
And I've never doubted the promise, "All things work together for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28, KVJ). The NIV version gives the verse a slightly different meaning: "In all things, God works for the good of those who love him." But though I read mostly from the NIV, I memorized that verse as a kid in the King James, so that's usually how I think of it. Either way, it's a good promise.
At the same time, I'm not one to find God's hand in every change of the wind. Some people see God "working all things" no matter what they do--traveling, buying groceries, selecting a cable company-- and are very quick to claim divine intervention. Not me. I believe we live in a fallen world where things happen for no other reason than, well, that's just the way it happened. Hurricanes and tornadoes strike, car accidents happen, and people get pancreatitis. Sometimes bad people prosper, sometimes good people prosper, and that's just the way it worked out. God had nothing to do with it.
And yet, I've never doubted that God does, indeed, inject himself into my world. Because I'm His Child, he pulls strings for my benefit. I've seen it way too much. If I tell you about it, it might sound like mere coincidence--as it would sound to me, if you told me the same story. I give much leeway for coincidence and circumstance in my life. But other times, I just know it goes beyond that.
This morning, as I reviewed the past week, God suddenly pointed out an area where, "Here's something I did for you."
I have Meniere's Disease, which brings on vertigo, imbalance, occasional vomiting. But in April, I had an operation, a shunt placed behind my ear to relieve pressure. This procedure has a high success rate. By the end of May, I was experiencing practically no symptoms of Meniere's. Not that it had gone away or been "cured." It just minimized all affects. During the past month, I've felt as if Meniere's had been vanquished from my life. That's how effective the surgery was (though Meniere's is tricky that way, and it'll raise its ugly head down the road).
In the past, it didn't take much to trigger Meniere's. When I tried drinking that nasty stuff for a colonoscopy a while back, vertigo kicked in and laid me out for the next day; the procedure had to be cancelled (and I've never retried it). So I can only imagine what the trauma of the past week would have done.
And yet, throughout my stay in the hospital--the four-day IV-only diet, the meds, the inflammation, restarting my digestive system, everything else--I felt absolutely no symptoms of Meniere's. No vertigo, no dizziness, no nausea. Nothing. Even when I drank some really nasty stuff prior to a test, Meniere's stayed at bay.
That's what God pointed out to me this morning.
"I knew this gall bladder problem was coming. Adding vertigo would have been a nightmare. So I got that out of the way."
Back in January, when I was in Honduras, vertigo kicked in one morning and I slammed backward onto a hard tile floor, hitting my head terribly hard. I haven't been able to find any reason God would let Meniere's arise while I was out of the country on church work. But now, I view that as God getting my attention. I'd been putting off this surgery for a year, and would have kept putting it off. After hitting the floor in Honduras, I knew it was time to get the operation done.
In addition, I needed knee surgery to repair torn cartilage in my left knee. That was done in early May, and by mid-June, all the pain was gone and I was biking and walking again. I wouldn't have liked facing both vertigo and knee pain, along with pancreatitis.
God knew all that. When pancreatitis hit, he intended to make it less-bad than it could have been. All things considered, my "best good" would have been to not experience any of this. But again, we live in a fallen world, and things break down, especially the body.
Now that I've explained it, you can easily dismiss it as a lot of coincidence and circumstance and reading of tea leaves. And I realize that, in the grand scheme of things, my ailments are puny. But I've lived way too long as God's child not to recognize when he gets involved.
God knows the "all things" part of my life, including what lies ahead. Sometimes he works them together for my good. In this case, he worked them together for my less-bad. I appreciate it.]]>
My Past Week at Lutheran Hospitaltag:randompokes.org,2010:/pokes//2.13982010-07-23T00:53:24Z2010-07-23T01:42:55ZPam and I had been walking at least 30 minutes a night for 25 straight days. We entered the 4-mile-walk of the Fort4Fitness event in late September. You're supposed to be able to walk the four miles in at least...Steve Denniehttp://randompokes.org/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2&id=1 On Thursday night, July 15, we did walk four miles--our longest jaunt yet--and did it in 76 minutes.
Back at the house, I drank a Gatorade on the back screen-in porch and was watching Jordi in the yard. Around 10:00, I felt a tightening sensation start around my belly and begin working itself up. It reminded me exactly of what I experienced last September, when I woke in the middle of the night with a tightness around my chest, and assumed I was having a heart attack. The pain dissipated in about 15 minutes, but I was still taken to the ER and checked out. Everything about my heart was fine. It was probably just acid.
So this time, I figured the acid was returning. I writhed on the bed for a bit, then on the floor, but it wouldn't go away. Nothing would stop the intense pain. Finally, Pam insisted she drive me to the Lutheran ER, and I was in no state to protest.
They put me in a room, did an EKG, took a blood sample, took my vitals...and left me there, writing in pain. Somebody would be along, they said.
The intense pain, the cramping, finally stopped after an hour. Things felt better for a bit. And then began what I can only describe as the worst-ever case of indigestion. I writhed in agony until about 3 a.m. "Someone will be along," I kept hearing, then that person would disappear and nobody would come for an hour.
Finally, I just insisted, "I MUST get out of here. I'm dead serious!"
So finally, a doctor from the hospital showed up, said she was finally able to shake free (after only five hours, how nice). Suddenly, things started happening. Other people were around me, an IV was inserted, pain drugs were given, and I was wheeled to a room on the third floor. Relief had come at last.
My experience in the ER was terrible, just terrible. But in that third-floor ward, I have zero complaints. The nurses and staff were fabulous. They know how to take care of patients at Lutheran. I've heard that from many people who have been patients there.
I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. The best treatment: let the pancreas rest. No food, no liquids. So from Friday morning until Monday night, I was fed only an IV drip. There was also strong suspicion that my gall bladder might need to be removed. A scan and an ultrasound showed "sludge" (as opposed to gallstones) in the gall bladder. This could be pouring across the pancreas, causing inflammation.
On Monday morning, they were going to run one more test, but a surgeon showed up and said, basically, "This test won't show us anything we don't already know. We need to just remove the gall bladder, and I can do it this afternoon." That sounded great to me.
Ever four hours, they would pump new painkillers into me. By Monday night, the painkillers (Zophan) wore off after three hours, and that last hour could be tough. Before the surgery, I went an extra 45 minutes beyond the four hours without any painkillers; that time in pre-op was reminiscent of the ER--writhing in agony. But finally they wheeled me into the OR, and I woke up without a gall bladder...and with a definite feeling that a center of pain was gone. I also had four holes in my abdomen. (The gall bladder was removed from a hole just below my belly button.)
Tuesday morning they started me on a "clear liquid" diet, which meant I had three containers of Jello and a grape popsicle. I had a lot of gas. Wednesday they bumped me up to "full liquid," which provided a few more options, including a vanilla milkshake which really hit the spot (twice). Today, Thursday, I was on the "transitional" diet, which allowed me to order scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and a slab of turkey for lunch. Plus another milkshake.
After lunch, I was released. Pam was already on her way to the hospital. I gathered up my stuff, and around 3 pm was home.
Right now, Pam is making some Spaghettios. That's about all I can eat right now. Ironic, that this will be my anniversary meal for 2010. Pam and I were married 21 years ago. I couldn't be happier to have her at my side. ]]>
I just read my first Mickey Spillane novel, and it's not at all what I expected.
It's easy to recognize Ruth Rendell's writing. The prose is elegant, and it's restrained, with strong emotions held in check. When violence occurs, it happens in an almost incidental way, without fanfare. The violence emerges from a well-defined character, and seems totally natural. The fact that she's a British writer completes the description.
This is the first of the 18 "Burke" novels by Andrew Vachss. It was first published in 1980. Now, all 18 books are part of the Black Lizard imprint from Vintage Books. 
Cole and Hitch, with Allie in tow, hire on as town marshal and deputy in the fast-growing town of Brimstone. In these westerns, there is no mystery to be unraveled, as in the modern-day Parker books. Rather, everything leads to a showdown. The players are identified early, and you realize they will inevitably clash with deadly consequences. 
"The Winter of Frankie Machine," by Don Winslow, is the best novel I've read this year. Better than "The Girl Who Played with Fire." 
Last week, on consecutive days, I received hospital visits from three United Brethren bishops, all of whom have been or currently are my boss. They've each racked up hundreds of hospital visits, maybe thousands, during their ministerial careers. I imagine it's always a bit of a trick to "read" the patient and know how long to stay. These three visits were just right, but all different.