Something Unusual in a Past Ritual

 "Wear the old coat and buy the new book."

Austin Phelps

Rituals.

Everyone of a certain age and comportment remembers The Book of the Month Club. Not the watered down 2025 version. The coupons and deals BOTMC. Four books for a dollar (you mailed in a card with actual stickers you pasted on) with the agreement that you'd buy four more over the next year...or something.

That deal was sometimes problematic, as any working-class parent would know. So a new book was a treasure, a moment to savor. This was especially true when it was a long-awaited offering from a beloved author.

The book arrived in the BOTMC box. It would sit for a day, sometimes more. Then, the kids in bed, the dogs settled... Pour a glass of wine, struggle with the box and open the cover.

The book binding crackled. New hard covers had a certain fragrance, of glue and paper. The tactile sensation and unblemished perfection of turning pristine pages was prelude to the ideas impressed in black letters on each page. Reading was not just an intellectual journey but a sensory bouquet.

So I buy an actual book from time to time, as I did recently. Social media puts one in touch with individuals who share interests (in history, here) and exchange opinions about books they have read. One person said he'd finished a particularly gripping account of a WWII bomber pilot, Those Who Fall, and recommended it.

It was available, used, on Amazon. There were no sticker perforations with which to struggle, no waiting "4-6 weeks." An envelope arrived within ten days.

The rituals today are simpler. Our kids are grown, the dogs have their niches. I'm retired and so the only question left to answer is...tea, or a restorative? I take a seat in the recliner, extend the porch for my reading and writing buddy and open the package.

The book has felt other hands. It is, in fact, a former library book that retained not just the dust cover but the due date card that showed it was checked out in 1999, 2003 and 2012. Stamped on the title page was the identity of the previous owner:

Post library, Dugway Proving Ground, Dugway, Utah. Property US Army

 What a long, strange trip this book has taken into my home. One wonders - is it possible that the personal observations of a B-17 bomber pilot have fallen so out of favor that it was read three times in 13 years on an Army post? Still... The author does not write in the modern manner - "Write the first chapters until you get to the action. Then, delete everything except the action scenes." He begins calmly, almost laconically. Tent living, eating military meals, flying out of bases that are rudimentary airports, even for the times.

Years after the war, this man sat down and memorialized a time that, he writes, "Something unusual happened to me."

Please, sir. Tell me more. 

Softly

 "I heard he sang a good song. I heard he had a style."

Killing Me Softly With His Song

Noting the passing of singer Roberta Flack.

It was impossible to walk down the hallway of a college dormitory in the early 70s and not hear Roberta Flack's clean, sinuous voice. She'd released a number of singles, each wonderful in its own right. Then came the song that made her ubiquitous.

It's not just a great song, with an involved and very music-business back story. It captures a world that escaped many at the time, and continues to be lost in the 60s/70s continuum many people think they know. Somehow, this woman from North Carolina grasped the deeper meaning of this elegant tune, married it to a lush arrangement and brought it to life.

The song was about singer/songwriter Don McClean, of "American Pie" (and so much more) fame. A young woman named Lori went to see McLean at a concert and left spellbound, having written her thoughts on a napkin. She reported all of this to her music collaborators, with whom she wrote a song.

When Roberta Flack recorded it... What a beautiful, expressive way she had with the words, with the melody, with the meaning. She sings with a vibrant vulnerability, at once lamenting and at the same time marveling at the genius of her subject.

He sang as if he knew me, in all my dark despair. And then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there.

 During an era when men were going off to war, when America was still wrestling with questions the 60s did not answer, Roberta Flack took a song about another artist, and made it hers. She took an idea, that there is beauty in the simple act of singing about how a musician can touch someone so deeply, and made it ours.

She had a long and successful career, charting popular songs into the 90's. She was still performing into the Twenty-teens. She passed this week at eighty-eight, another of those timeless icons who cannot be as old as the numbers seem to suggest.

There was a time - it doesn't really seem that long ago - when a young woman sang a simple song in such a compelling way that it never ages. That's the gift of music. That was the gift of Roberta.

 

 

A Beach Chair, A Restorative and A Puzzlement

 "We are tied to the ocean. And, when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." John F. Kennedy.

A real book.

Mostly now, I read a Kindle. Part of that reason is mercenary - all of my books are available in that medium and I should support it. Part of it is practical, that a hundred books on a Kindle is...the Kindle. Then, there is the "I'm in the mood for" moment when one can shop anywhere wifi is available.

But on the beach, the tactile appeal of real pages to turn draws me to bring a book on vacation to a beach resort in Mexico. And, so it begins.

We'd stopped at a new/used shop by our house the day before we left. Have you ever... I feel like Andy Rooney. Have you ever gone to a bookstore on just a general purchase mission and started blankly at the rows and rows of volumes? Even genre can be daunting. I glanced across the tomes until one caught my eye.

Mark Bowden. If you don't know him, he writes a good book. His most recognizable is Blackhawk Down, the story of an American military operation gone awry in Somalia in October 1993. It was turned into an excellent (if not entirely accurate) movie of the same name. I've seen him in person, doing a presentation at the University of Denver for his book about a battle during the Vietnam War. Smart, well spoken. Easy to read. That's it.

Well, about a third of the way through I began to question my judgment. It wasn't that the book is awful - in fact, it's well-written and informative. Bowden writes with an easy grace, descriptive without taking a microscope to the world he is trying to describe. He doesn't generally tell you what to think, or who the bad guys are. It's that, well, drones.

The book is a bit dated, copyright 2016. Bowden discusses the early evolution of both recon drones and those weaponized as particularized killers. Along the way he explores the legal underpinnings of their use, both on the battlefield and in places that are not technically (or otherwise) combat zones. And, you are thinking, this is a beach read? 

Right? I closed the book and set it aside.

My mind goes first to A More Perfect Union, with its strong and marginally legal drone applications. Did I handle the dilemmas posed by Bowden artfully, or clumsily? Does Bowden's legal assessment comport with mine?

It moves on to Amy 3, a work in progress as yet untitled. Am I contemporary in my thinking, up to date in the technology and current on the law?

And what, exactly, is the definition of sovereign?

I look out over the horizon. The deeper water is a dark blue. Closer to shore the water is turquoise. Palm fronds rustle overhead in the gentle breeze. By and by the young man working the beach bar will bring me another Tequila Sunrise to go with the chips, quac and pico I scored at the snack buffet. My mind drifts - it is 80 degrees, sunny and I'm with the love of my life at one of the best beaches in Mexico.

This is the definition of sovereign.

Retrospective

 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

I dunno. Getting all Dickens about 2024 seems... But, that line continues, "It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness." Maybe Dickens had a little Nostradamus in him.

In spite of my inattention, Bikecopblog had a remarkable year. We saw monthly numbers of about fifteen hundred, and moved toward 270K total views. In spite of my attention turned primarily to my website, some posts ("This Week's Scapegoats," eg) scored several hundred hits. One, an introspective about playlists ("A Place in the World") brought a comment from someone who'd found it during an internet search for something else. In a nutshell, Bikecopblog is popular in spite of its author's mediocrity.

Every year I commit to writing more in these spaces. Every year I am farther away from the years when I actually was a bike cop.

Every year I commit to finding things to write about where my years "on the job" help interpret the events of the day. Every year the events of the day become increasingly inexplicable.

So, this is what I will commit to this year.

I'm going to write. Joy is going to sleep next to me "on the porch." Sometimes, we are going to be at a campsite, or on the actual back porch. Some of what I write will appear here, some on my website, some in books (Amy 3, title TBD, will probably be released in 2025).

This is what works for me.

This Week's Scapegoat

“No amount of government spending can buy quality leadership.”

Dan Bongino

Following the murder/attempt murder/officer involved shooting in Butler, PA on July 13, much as been made of one photo - a woman law enforcement officer who was part of the detail that went to the aid of former president Trump, who got him to his vehicle and evacuated him from the scene. The many unkind things said about her do not merit repeating. Let me give an educated opinion, based on 35 years of law enforcement experience and two separate on-the-ground operations in conjunction with the Secret Service - she did fine.

No errors, omissions or shortcomings (if any) she displayed had the slightest effect on the events of the day. As President Trump is loaded into a large SUV, she holsters a drawn pistol (properly) and takes up a position on the vehicle's exterior. Everyone who knows anything about ambushes knows that a decent adversary scouts an egress route and plans a second assault there. Since no one knew whether the shooter, by then deceased, was acting alone, another volley of rifle fire might be directed at the departing motorcade at any moment. There she stood.

Before you decide to take sides in this, let me axe ya... "Is it for his glory, or yours?" Does criticism of this agent demonstrate  extreme insight into her job, or the biases of the critic?

Who Are We?

"Supporters claim applying the four-digit “merchant category code” to firearm-related purchases will help banks and payment companies alert law enforcement of potentially dangerous purchasing patterns." Fox31, May 1, 2024

6-27-203. Merchant acquirer - merchant category. EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2025, A MERCHANT ACQUIRER SHALL ASSIGN THE MERCHANT CATEGORY CODE FOR FIREARMS TO EACH FIREARMS MERCHANT TO WHICH THE MERCHANT ACQUIRER PROVIDES SERVICES.

"This is how we Colorado." @News9mm

I ought to write a book...

With much fanfare, and little apparent effect, the Colorado Legislature has passed, and Governor Polis has signed, a bill that...what? It isn't what the proponents say it is.

Aside from a lot of stilted and confusing labels and definitions, the legislature basically enacted a law that says that if you buy a firearm with a credit card, the merchant code has to note that it was a firearm. In the past (or present - the law really doesn't take effect for a year) there was no specific code for firearms. Apparently, guns were often labeled "sporting good" or some such. That changes next year.

What does "firearm-related" mean, as used in the Fox31 story? Nothing. A firearm under Colorado law is:

“Firearm” means any handgun, automatic, revolver, pistol, rifle, shotgun, or other instrument or device capable or intended to be capable of discharging bullets, cartridges, or other explosive charges.

The only reference in the law to "firearm-related" is to accessories and ammunition for the purpose of qualifying who has to ensure that the coding takes place. It is possible (given that I'm not all that conversant on retail sales) that a "firearms merchant" must code everything they sell as "firearms." A cleaning kit? Firearm. A Smith and Wesson baseball hat? Firearm. A hunting jacket? Firearm. One might run up a considerable bill on stuff, never buying a gun or ammunition.

If all of this is confusing, imagine how it might look to the credit card companies upon whom the politicians have suggested some oversight responsibility. Not only does the legislature give them zero guidance about what constitutes "dangerous purchasing patterns," this part of the apparent intent of the law isn't mentioned at all. What Colorado lawmakers have done is announce an oversight burden in the press that does not exist in the law.

What happens if a credit card company decides to "alert the authorities?" The legislature not only has given zero guidance or legal authority to the cops, it has (in other areas of the law) pointed out how certain kinds of immunity no longer apply in Colorado. Absent anything to the contrary, a police officer, deputy sheriff or state trooper showing up at someone's home inquiring about a "dangerous purchase" is just asking to be sued for infringing on a citizen's 2nd and 4th Amendment rights.

Let's play copper. An intelligent agency would not ignore the call from Mastercard (for example, only). on the well-grounded notion that the purchaser (it could happen) was planning something nefarious. But, they would be reluctant to send an actual officer, for fear that one thing would lead to another, and then you've got SWAT out there hoping no one got hurt. How about a card, sent to the purchaser's credit card address, with return postage applied?

"Hello _______. The Friendly Police Department has been advised you recently purchased __ firearms. Please indicate the reason(s) for purchase. 1) I wanted a gun. 2) I'm a homicidal maniac - how did you figure me out? 3) None of your business. Eff off."

I guess this is how we Colorado. Pass a law, congratulate ourselves and then watch as nothing at all happens. I have an idea for Colorado politicians hoping to have an impact on crime.

Provide money and training to officers so they can be more competent and capable, then back them when they act in good faith. That would be a change from what we've endured recently.

Push the Button, Max

 Love how editing makes you more confident with your book...but also, you want to set it on fire at the same time.

Kira Hawke

Lead us not into temptation... Yes, I think I've read that, somewhere. 

Kindle Direct Publishing, in an effort to be everything to everyone (because that increases sales, they said) has introduced a beta version of an AI-driven audible feature for qualifying books offered through their service. Wow, that's a lot to digest, huh?

Some readers need no introduction to the vices and virtues of having someone read you a book. I suppose there is something deeply psychological - back to those days when your twenty-something mom read bedtime stories at a time when (for most) life was an easy game. There is also something deeply convenient, of mowing the lawn, walking the dogs or doing laundry (right, dear?) listening to a book. 

The vice is how much the mind wanders in the process. It is an art, to know when to stay focused, when there are permitted lapses... Most of that is related to the ebb and flow of the reader - urgent words or inflections tells me to pay attention. Soft, meandering passages and I can half listen and half tell Joy she's a good girl for staying on the sidewalk.

Paying a professional voice actor seemed prohibitive, so I politely told people that, much as reading my own book into a recording device would cut down on costs, how many wanted to hear me winding my way through the intimate Adam/Karen passages we all know are there? The answer is usually "Eeewwww," which I interpret to mean no one.

Kindle's solution was worthy of a look, maybe a try. I wended my way through the requirements, uploaded a revised version (added a table of contents) of The Fort in the Harbor and waited. And, waited. Finally - I was in!

It seemed a snap. We chose a voice - female. Crisp diction, indistinct accent. There was a provision to review what the book would sound like and...

The first problem that appeared was one of venue. We were on a trip with our 12 year old grandson, sitting in a hotel room. It wasn't long before Karen was offering to rub, well you get the idea. Grandson was playing a game on the TV in his "den" but it is never obvious when kids are actually listening.

The second problem was one of pronunciation. Not all words were pronounced by my computer assistant as I intended. One - the name of an important character - had to be said a certain way for a later plot twist to make sense. My bold voice-in-a-box didn't know that. But, wait!

Never fear - there is a feature that lets me tell Ms. Big Voice how I want her to pronounce words. This is awesome, this is wonderful! I can even ask her to say it the same way ever time she encounters it. I'm in business!

And then, swiping the screen to save my work, and...

"Push the button, Max" is a line from the movie The Great Race. It is uttered almost exclusively by Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) while commanding his assistant Max (Peter Falk) to engage something mechanical - always with disastrous effect. Bombs exploded, periscopes took on a life of their own. A rocket sled with them aboard, meant to cover the "Measured Mile" at extreme speed, flew ballistically...until it didn't.

The last brush of the screen pushed the publish button. "Congratulations!" the screen informed me. "Your Audible book is live."

Well, okay. Apparently nothing kept me from continuing to work my way through the manuscript. It was tedious - I've read this book already, know how it ends - but writing for publication can be tedious. And then...

The Audible book was missing a whole section. Karen sees video of the deceased, in life. Her heart... Well, that part, something I was very happy with, was missing. What the hell?

I'd revised and uploaded the wrong file. Great.

Here's where the wheels really come off. Kindle - this is a feature, not a flaw - lets the owner of a manuscript make revision to it even after publishing. You'd think fixing typos, small gaffs and the like would only help going forward, but in fact if a reader's device is connected to the internet it makes changes to all of them. There are hundreds of copies of Fort out there, and now all of them contain the older version of the story, the one I didn't intend to publish. Fuck.

It was easily fixed, but... Now, the older version is stuck on Audible (they are trying to figure out what to do). All right.

It was an experiment. I'd say, even now, it was 60% successful. One observation - KDP isn't (yet) sophisticated enough to make the fine distinctions between characters that voice actors make, so dialogue can sometimes be confusing. There is a way to write it better - dialogue tags more often in place of structural cues - but that's for later books. 

I'm going to ask you to wait. I'll let you know when it's fixed. It's kind of fun to listen to the story, and if you do it as part of your subscription to Audible I get paid per page. It's just that I pressed the wrong button, and now I'm playing catch up.

At least I didn't blow up the Eiffel Tower.