Old & Opinionated

December 23, 2023- Saturday Why write about Vincent van Gogh?  An artist who was not known during his time whose paintings became valuable after his death.  Why bother about him not in the context of his paintings?  According to the history we have, van Gogh cut off his ear on this date in 1888.  One historical account notes he may not have cut off his own ear and that it was severed in an ill-advised fight.  That account certainly doesn't lend itself to such flamboyance as the account that van Gogh cut it off himself.  That's much more fun to read.  It's what happened afterwards that is interesting.   He wrapped up his newly severed ear and presented to a woman who promptly feinted.  Rumor has it she was a frequented prostitute, but she may not have been.  Again, the story is better if she was a prostitute.  Van Gogh painted a self-portrait showing his bandaged ear and then admitted himself to an insane asylum.  That lead...

This book by Clive Cussler was originally published in the 1980's.  The book is about forty years old.  Having read other Cussler books, it is typical Clive Cussler.  Night Probe has the most ingenious man in the world as its lead character, Dirk Pitt.  Pitt is smarter than everyone.  Pitt knows how chain of command works so he can take the chain apart and put it back together again.  Cussler gives us a good historical event and builds a mountain of intrigue surrounding the event a hundred years later.  As a writer, Cussler knew how to pace his writing and build a story.  He sold millions of books in his lifetime and the popularity of the books showed how people appreciated his story telling and writing.  I personally think the books of Clive Cussler will stand the test of time and people will continue to enjoy the stories of Dirk Pitt at the masterful hand of Cussler.  That is assuming the new generations will continue to read novels wh...

  I Heard That Song Before- Mary Higgins Clark   I needed to read this Mary Higgins Clark Book in order to read something different from the same type of spy novel or international intrigue books I’ve been reading .  This gave me the change I needed .  It is a complicated murder mystery involving the medical phenomena of sleepwalking and long memories .  The primary character is an innocent young woman who marries a very rich man whose previous wife and a long-ago girlfriend were both killed .  There is mounting evidence against the rich man but of course, the obvious suspect is not the killer .  This book was released in 2007 but it reads well for 2023. I really enjoy Clark's mysteries and she does a good job in keeping the story moving so the readers doesn't get bogged down in details that don't really add to the story. I like Clark books as a change of pace in reading and this book definitely fit the bill for me. It was a good book but not a...

  The Exchange- John Grisham   This book took one of Grisham’s earliest characters and basically did a sequel to his second novel, “The Firm ”. Mitch McDeere finds himself enthralled in an international incident and sacrifices much to get a positive ending . Again, Grisham’s story is so good, one never loses interest in what is happening . He does not over describe settings or characters but slowly adds to those characters as the story progresses . The pace of his writing is still so good and such a benefit to me as a reader . My problem with Grisham's books is that they are just not quite long enough. I get so caught up in the story, I want it to continue. It’s just another great Grisham book.   Now I find out there is another Grisham book coming out in June 2024, Camino Ghosts. Are you kidding me. I have to wait another six months!

  All the Light We Cannot See- Anthony Doerr   This is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. My review of the book doesn’t make one bit of difference to anyone, but this was a wonderful book. The story was captivating. The characters were so original and believable. The characters reacting to the German occupation of Frances seemed so real based on historical accounts we have. I thought the descriptions of how the blind girl sensed the world around her was so engaging. There is a good chance I will read this book again and I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of taste. There are so many historical nuances in the book that can add to an individual’s knowledge of World War II. The story ended so well but I was so disappointed when it did end, I was enjoyin g it so much. Read this book!   

  December 8, 2023- Friday   Christmas is a great time of the year for most people. The music is different. There are different activities to attend. Special decorations are used to change our everyday scenery. Christmas is a great change of pace for society as a whole. It can help people break up the monotony of the usual week and give us something specific to look forward to being a part of.   We need to make sure we don’t forget this time of the year is not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. Purposefully look for people who may be struggling in their lives. See if there are ways you may be able to help. It may not necessarily be financial support. It may be a shoulder to cry on. It may be a listening ear and not a voice to hear. It may be a voice to hear.   Too many days we go through the days looking to accomplish our task list or to avoid doing things we find uncomfortable. A great 365 days per year exercise would be to look...

December 4, 2023- Monday The austere College Football Playoff committee made their end of the season selections for the college football playoffs for 2023.  Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama were selected to fight it out to see who gets the great trophy for 2023.  It's a great group for television ratings.  No Texas Christian University in the mix like last year.   Florida State University played their schedule and won all of their games.  They have a perfect record.  They were not included in the final four teams selected.  Why?  Those who made the decision are saying they are not the team they were before they lost their starting quarterback to injury and that is why they were not selected.  It doesn't matter the team won multiple games without the starting quarterback, including the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game.   The committee then selected the University of Alabama to be in final four instead of Flori...

December 3, 2023- Sunday   There is so much people do in this age designed to push back aging. I saw an actress on television this morning who I would not have recognized if I had not been told who it was. The actress had undergone such dramatic plastic surgery to appear younger than she is that you could not recognize who she was. She was formerly a very pretty woman. Now, she looks like an actress who has had very bad plastic surgery.   The vitamin and supplement businesses are worth billions of dollars because of people trying to find just the right mix of substances to keep their body in the best working condition. Then we have those who adopt the lifestyle of excessive exercise.   You don’t hear many people advocating moderation in all things and that includes moderation in personal relationships .   We live in a society that thrives on excess. It glorifies outrageous acts and thoughts. The media loves to promote this type of activity because othe...