FRIDAY STIR FRY - Common Sense

https://morguefile.com

I have made it a point not to get political on here or other social media.
But, I broke that pledge this last week, because I can't stay silent any longer.

I guess you could say Orlando was the last straw for me.

I've un-friended several people on Facebook. I just don't want to read their stupidity any longer. If the NRA and the 2nd Amendment are so far up your ass you can't be reasonable about some gun regulation, then I don't want to be associated with you. And if I lose some blog readers, so be it. 

I don't care if people own hand guns or hunting rifles. But, no civilian needs an automatic gun or one with a large magazine of bullets. Period. The only reason to own them is to shoot a lot of things fast. And in the last several years those 'things' have become humans. What is wrong with banning the sale of these weapons, especially to people on the "no fly list" or on a terrorist watch list? 

I've heard people say there is no use because there are already thousands and thousands of these guns out there. Okay, here's my reasoning. First of all, when our founding fathers wrote that amendment, they only had muskets. Slow to load muskets with not much range. They are probably rolling over in their graves at the fire power guns have now. Pretty sure not what they intended. 

Secondly, when elephants and rhinos were nearing extinction from the ivory trade, we banned the sale of ivory. Has that stopped all the killing? No, but it sure has slowed it down. A lot. And these animals are making a come back. Are humans any less important? 

We have to start somewhere people. Because this carnage is unacceptable. 

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Cats

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I've been babysitting my son and daughter-n-law's cat the last two weeks. I'm not a pet person. I don't mind doing this for them, but it's not something I would want to do every day of my life.

Pets are cute and adorable and a lot of people couldn't imagine life without them. I'm not one of those people. I think it's because I'm an only child. I enjoy my solitude. I guess I'm a bit selfish, also. I don't want to have to think about getting home to make sure the cat or dog are fed and watered and still alive.

Here are a few things I've learned about cats.

1. They don't give a crap about anything.
2. They will lay down anywhere they want, even the shower.
3. They have a look about them (like the one pictured) that indicates they want to kill you.
4. They don't take the word 'no' easily.
5. You had better have a snack, food, water, and clean litter ready whenever they want it.
6. Pretty sure they get annoyed when you meow back at them. 
7. My lap is no longer mine. It is a soft, squishy pillow for him.
8. Don't leave anything out you don't want them to get into, because they will.
9. They will not come when you call them - and finally.
10. If you don't pet them exactly where and exactly when they want, they will not leave you alone.

I'll miss him when he's gone.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Great New Read!

https://www.amazon.com/Rooftop-Angels-Enigma-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FZPTSVG?ie=UTF8&keywords=rooftop%20angels%20by%20tierney%20james&qid=1465139497&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Today I welcome a writer friend of mine Tierney James. Rooftop Angels is the newest installment in her Enigma series. If you like intrigue, international affairs, adventure, and suspense, you will enjoy these books. I can't wait to read my copy.

Discovering My Story, Rooftop Angels

I never know where my next story will originate. I believe world geography connects everything around us. I was a geo-teacher for National Geographic where we taught students 5 very important themes: Location, Place, Human Environmental Interaction, Movement and Region. This training brought such a love for the world community to my life that I tied it to everything I taught, wrote and read. In my mind’s eye the earth became a series of dominoes, balancing precariously on a shaky table where every action forced a reaction.

So when my father gave me one of his National Geographic magazines I found an article about the Wakhan Valley in Northern Afghanistan. As of today I think I’ve read it some fifteen times, and each time I’m captivated. After reading everything I could find plus watching numerous YouTube videos about this amazing culture I just had to include them in my Enigma Series. The things I learned about Afghanistan cemented my love of Central Asia. Its raw beauty and ability to survive wave after of invasion convinced me to put it on my bucket list. Rooftop Angels was born from a need to create a journey others could share and maybe begin to investigate for themselves, what is Afghanistan. Want to see more? Check out my blog http://www.tierneyjames.com/blog where I investigate the amazing land nobody knows.

Blurb:

When Tessa Scott wakes with blood on her hands in a rat infested shack in Afghanistan, she discovers six orphan girls and the Undersecretary of State counting on her for protection. Confused at how she got there or why a smoldering Black Hawk helicopter has crashed outside the village, forces her into yet another adventure of cat and mouse with the Taliban who intend to kidnap them. With the help of a Kyrgyz tribesman and his men, they elude the danger only to discover their protection comes at a price which involves marriage to the leader. An unexpected chance at new love outweighs the secret Tessa must now carry forever. Meanwhile Captain Hunter, an Enigma agent, desperately searches for her before she disappears on the rooftop of the world. A race against time and ruthless drug lords, who work with the U.S. government, create obstacles which change Tessa’s life in a way she never expected.

Biography:

Tierney has been in education for over thirty years. She recently stopped teaching World Geography for a nearby college to pursue her writing career. Creating a workshop for beginning writers, speaking at schools and serving as an officer in the writing group Sleuths’ Ink, are some of the work she does when not writing. With the creation of Winds of Deception, Tierney is now working with one of the crew members of USS Liberty in hopes of obtaining the Medal of Honor for him.

Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney has traveled across the world. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Africa, she ties her unique experiences into other writing projects such as the action thriller novel, An Unlikely Hero, the first in the Enigma Series. Winds of Deception is the second in that series. Living on a Native American reservation and in a mining town for many years fuels the kind of characters she never tires of creating. 

Website: http://www.tierneyjames.com

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Another Year Older

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Yep, another birthday came and went. I guess I should be happy to see another one considering my age which is ... let's just say older than dirt.

Best part about the day? My employer gives it off with pay. Yea!

I didn't do much. Watched oldie tv - Perry Mason and Matlock. Took a nap (because that's what old people do). And then went to my hangout for a free beer. I was in bed by eight o'clock. Exciting right? Bet you all are so jealous.

My son shipped me some items off my Amazon wish list, so I got stuff I needed and wanted. Good boy! Other than that, it was an ordinary day. No cake, no balloons, no fireworks. I do enjoy a good fireworks show but alas it wasn't to be.

Today, I'm writing, which is a good thing. No hangover like in my younger days. So, maybe I am not only older, but wiser.