Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The Borg are Among Us

The Borg are Among Us


Remember "Star Trek - the Next Generation"?  There was a parasitic culture called the Borg.  The Borg would roam the galaxy destroying other cultures and absorbing victims of all species into its networked collective.  Every Borg was networked into every other Borg.  Each individual Borg was only generally aware of its individual situation, being tied into the hive mind, working toward hive objectives.

Well, they're here.  They stand and walk, oblivious to everything but the hive which communicates through a hand-held cell phone.  With the passage of time, these automatons are becoming more common, not less.  Apparently, humanity's criminal class is not mugging these creatures fast enough.  The lack of situational awareness that make then vulnerable is compensated for by the fact that the population is being absorbed by the collective at a much greater rate.

You see them, mindlessly making their way, in elevators, on the street, everywhere.

What can the benefit be to such an existence?  Is the workforce really augmented with endless e-mails captured and sent on the fly?

Is ordinary existence really so unbearable without a never ending stream of cat videos?

Are we networking ourselves so diligently that we don't even notice the deterioration of our collective standard of living or are the Borg seeking a way to cling to the few remaining scraps?

What do they see when they gaze deeply into that tiny screen?  Is it a suitable substitute for a life?
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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Welcome to 2015 and to some new reviews of Brand Loyalty



Welcome to 2015.  May this year be kind to us all.

Thanks to these people who were kind enough to leave a review of "Brand Loyalty".


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brand Loyalty, January 3, 2015
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This review is from: Brand Loyalty (Matt Rommel Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
I just finished reading "Brand Loyalty" and must say that it was outstanding! Great plot, well developed characters and great editing!! I definitely recommend reading this book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read., January 3, 2015
This review is from: Brand Loyalty (Matt Rommel Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Thoroughly enjoyed the story from the first page to the last. Writing was well done with a great story line.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Read, December 20, 2014
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This review is from: Brand Loyalty (Matt Rommel Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Great character's. Good read. Would purchase book at full price. I read second book first making the end of the first book less believable, but it makes Rommel more human and less invincible. Still an author I want to keep reading. Love the main character.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Good to read, December 19, 2014
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This review is from: Brand Loyalty (Matt Rommel Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
An almost modern day Beauty and the beast, but such a gentle giant too, maybe it's more like the garden of the giant. I liked it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars On to the next., December 16, 2014
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This review is from: Brand Loyalty (Matt Rommel Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
I am totally hooked on Matt Rommel. Read
the second book right away and loved it, too. Can't wait till the third one comes outm.
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Welcome to 2015 - Some new "Beyond the Law" Reviews




Welcome to 2015, by way of housekeeping, there are some new reviews for Matt Rommel's adventures:

These are for "Beyond the Law"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Series, December 25, 2014
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Love the Matt Rommel books. He's a bit of an anti hero but I really like him. Not your normal dashing character but so much more to him than the looks and great body of a lot of guys. He's really great to read about. Please write more.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the first book in the series., December 22, 2014
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Hal (Canton, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Shorter and more succinct than the first book. Well written with enough dry wit to keep things moving along well. .
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed reading this very well written action tale, December 19, 2014
By 
Les (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
I really enjoyed reading this very well written action tale. It moves smoothly and the main characters are clearly developed. The hero is somewhat beyond believable, but he is likable and you root for him and want to believe. His battle is against a moralistically deprived mercenary corporation and that corporation shouldn't have messed with Matt or his friends. Highly recommended.
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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Catching up - Recent Reviews for "Beyond the Law"

For some reason, I find myself attracted to the favorable reviews...


5.0 out of 5 stars Love the first two, December 16, 2014
This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Matt Rommel is the perfect tragic hero. Ugly to some,violent,kind and moral. I am looking forward to the next book.
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1.0 out of 5 stars One Star, December 14, 2014
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Predictable!
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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best reads this year, December 8, 2014
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Amazon Customer (Farmington, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
This was one of the best books I've read this past year. It kept me glued to the plot throughout. The characters were well-rounded without being overexposed. The plot developed at a good pace and was believable. As I was going towards the end, I could not put it down, despite passing my normal bedtime by over an hour. Few books can do that to be.

I guess my best recommendation would be to let you all know that, based on my enjoyment of this book, I have purchased the first book in the series. I guess I'm hooked, which is not a bad thing.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A great follow up to the first book, December 1, 2014
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Left me wanting more and hoping there is a third book in its way. Rommel is a new kind of hero.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, November 24, 2014
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This review is from: Beyond the Law (Matt Rommel Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
This was a great book. It kept me on the edge of my seat through out. That is when I wasn't laughing out loud. I can't wait to read the next book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Monday, December 1, 2014

Swiss Gold Referendum Fails

By a landslide, the Swiss people have defeated a referendum that would have required the repatriation of Switzerland's gold and placed restrictions on the Swiss central bank preventing future sales.

The referendum was quite restrictive and the Swiss people may well have been wise to reject it.

Nonetheless, prior to the referendum, there was massive advertising warning of dire consequences should the measure pass.  This advertising was paid for by gold-trading banks and central banks.

It's almost as if these banks did not want restraints placed on the liquidation of what Swiss gold remains, and the continuation of unchecked printing of fiat Swiss Francs.


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Friday, November 21, 2014

Brevity, the soul of wit?

A San Francisco writer's group solicited input on new projects for local writers.  This was my chance to summarize not only the new work in progress, but the two previous Matt Rommel adventures.

 Drafting the third adventure in the Matt Rommel/Carolyn Kast series. 'Brand Loyalty' follows Carolyn through her desperate struggle to protect herself and her daughter, and 'Beyond the Law' brings Matt Rommel into a deadly struggle with America's most notorious mercenary corporation. This new adventure reaches into San Francisco's past for the sins and lucre that bring murder to the Palace of the Legion of Honor!
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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Sherlock Holmes - The Curious Incident of the US Court in the night time


A US court has ruled that Sherlock Holmes, along with many stories and novels are now in the public domain.  In other words, the copyright protection for these works has expired.  In other words, any lazy, no-talent bozo can use the prestige and literary luster of this character to mislead the public into a bad purchase.

I will concede the point that there are talented people who have dedicated themselves to the world of Sherlock Holmes and to the much beloved characters contained within.

However, think about it for just a moment.  In situations like this, who is more likely to be protected by this decision?

1) The talented, practiced, learned Sherlockian devotee?

2) The hack, corporate douche bag?

As a medical student Conan Doyle encountered a remarkable professor who demonstrated that keen observation and logical deduction could make the seemingly unknowable readily accessible.  Conan Doyle honed that experience into a literary experience that thrilled and dominated the Victorian era.

Along with parlor tricks of logic, Conan Doyle wove the Anglo Saxon paragon who became a symbol of late 19th century English manhood.  This took much time and cultivation.  Holmes became a burden to Conan Doyle and, eventually, a portal to literary immortality.

So now anyone and everyone has unfettered access to the name and character and experiences of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson?

Not everyone who writes is up to it.  Why must we endure such people and their efforts?

I do not sympathize with the estate of Conan Doyle.  I mourn for the rest of us who are to have cubic yards of literary sludge heaped upon us.

A talented writer (or just an ordinary, honest one) would invent his own characters and weave new adventures.

When I want to read the adventures of Perry Mason or Lam and Cool, I read Erle Stanley Gardiner.

When I want to visit with Travis McGee, I read John D. MacDonald.

When I am in the mood for James Bond, I read Ian Fleming.

Is this unreasonable?  Should one person's literary invention become another's schlock, all with the protection of the US courts?

Oh, well.


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