John Adams by David McCullough - Book Review

A month or so back, I wrote a review of David McCullough's book 1776. Although I wasn't impressed, I did mention that I was still looking forward to reading his Pulitzer Prize winning novel John Adams. Now that I have, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I do still have a few issues with his writing style, however. There is no doubt he is an excellent researcher, but (IMHO) he seems to want to use every single fact or item he discovers, thus he tends to overwrite and fill his books with encyclopedic detail. Maybe he just hates to edit and can't bring himself to cut anything once he's committed it to paper. (I understand being somewhat that way afflicted myself!)

Some of the details are fascinating. Others are trivial, boring, and slow down the narrative considerably. For example, it's enough to say that Adams and Jefferson wrote tons of letters back and forth and often talked about such mundane subjects as the crops they were planting and how well or poorly they were growing. But is it really necessary to provide the entire text of several of those letters? Seriously? Two pages of Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, talking about planting potatoes?

(His writing sometimes reminds me of my own candid review of the classic Moby Dick, which I have called a wonderful 200 page adventure stuffed inside a 500 page encyclopedia on the whaling industry.)

Regardless, I would still recommend John Adams! It is part biography, part autobiography (so much of his own writings are used), part love story (I love Abigail too!), part history (a compelling inside look at the revolutionary times), and part political commentary (from one of the actual founding fathers!) Most of all it is a truly fascinating look at a great American patriot largely forgotten by history.

I confess to having very little prenvious knowledge of the man myself prior to reading this book. Here's what I know now. Adams was a huge driving force in pushing America towards independence from Britain. He had a great influence on the structure of our constitution advocating for three branches with lots of checks and balances. He was one of the most travelled men of his times representing our new country across Europe. As our second President, he worked to establish our navy and strived to keep us out of foreign wars. He was adamantly opposed to slavery, and he detested those who put party ahead of country!

On the personal side, he loved his family (particularly Abigail, his wife of 54 years), his God, and his country. He loved to read (and bought books as often as he could), and he loved to write. All in all, a very interesting man!

The most unexpected part for me was the obvious parallels between Adams and our current President. Without going into great detail, here are some points to ponder. Both John Adams and Donald Trump:

• Followed very popular Presidents
• Had to deal with an extremely hostile press
• Had to deal with extreme partisan politics
• Were called illegitimate (Adams won by only 3 electoral votes)
• Were actually called insane and mentally unstable by the press
• Were betrayed (and harmed) by members of their own administration who were holdovers from previous Presidential appointments

And those are just the tip of the iceberg! In summation, although long and occasionally tedious, I would still encourage you to read this one!

The Great TP Crisis of 2020

Toilet paper? Seriously? That’s what you’re hoarding for the apocalypse? I’m surrounded by morons.

So, the wife and I went to Walmart a few days ago on our weekly shopping trip and found tons of empty shelves. Unbelievable! By dropping in at HEB and then hitting the dollar stores, we managed to secure most everything on our list. Except for toilet paper. Again, seriously?

Now, let me back up a bit and remind you that I live in a fairly small community in a county with ZERO confirmed cases of the virus (and I honestly do pray that it remains so, although I strongly suspect that we will eventually see it reach closer to home).

But (or should I say Butt?), returning to the toilet paper situation. It may sound gross or inconvenient, but there are other ways of accomplishing that particular task. And since I already know how to wash my hands properly, even if I made a mess, I think I could survive. I guess what I’m saying is that toilet paper doesn’t seem to qualify (to me) as an absolutely essential item. It doesn’t make the top of my list anyway.

But thanks to the media and their insistence on ramping up the panic, people are losing their minds! I’ve seen enough videos online to convince me of that. Actual fights over toilet paper in stores? Crazy! Lines outside of stores with people waiting for hours to buy the stuff before the store runs out in the first few minutes they’re open? Insane! And don’t even get me started on the price gouging for bottled water and hand sanitizer. And of course, toilet paper.

And why? Because the media has convinced us that we’re all going to end up being quarantined in our homes for weeks or more. So, stock up, right? Screw your friends and neighbors who need to eat tomorrow.  Or wipe their butts. More important for you to have a fully stocked storm cellar and enough toilet paper to last half-way through the next century. Sadly, that appears to be the mindset of way too many people.

I guess what astounds me the most is the apparent priorities of the hoarders. What about non-perishables? Actual food items? If I really do get quarantined, I hope I don’t end up sharing a fallout shelter with these idiots! Guess we’d be eating paper products and washing it down with Ozarka and Dasani. I repeat – I’m surrounded by morons!

(On a serious note, pray for our country and our leaders. This goes beyond politics, or it should. Pray for those around the world who are suffering. We can worry about who to blame later, if that’s what you think is important, but for now, let’s just pray and help one another get through these trying times.)

Why I STILL Hate the Dallas Cowboys

Sadly, I must confess that I have many friends who suffer from the grand delusion that the Dallas Cowboys are still (or ever were) America’s Team. I have expressed my feelings for the Cowgirls in a previous post https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2018/05/why-i-hate-dallas-cowboys.html and for the most part, none of my opinions have changed.

Because of all these deluded friends, I can’t go on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram without being bombarded by all the latest news on the team. (Of course, as a proud member of the Dallas Cowboy Hater Nation #DCHN, I do get tons of hilarious posts and memes at their expense.) So with all the excitement of the upcoming free agency period, here are my current thoughts on the team.

Sign whoever you want, to whatever outrageous contract you want, it won’t matter – you still suck!

I think my friends have forgotten one simple undeniable fact – With Dak and Zeke and Amari and Witten and all those highly paid, over-hyped defensive players, the Cowboys went 8-8 last season! So seriously, who cares if they re-sign everybody. Didn’t help last year. Unless you count all those impressive wins over those weak teams with losing records (who also stayed home during the playoffs).

Now, they have made a huge upgrade at Head Coach with the hiring of Mike McCarthy. Even I will Clap (LOL) for that! So, maybe they will over-achieve and finish 9-7 this season. 

Meanwhile, QB Dak Prescott seems destined to follow in the footsteps of Tony Romo. Great statistics, Dak (Tony). I love having you on my FANTASY team. IRL, not so much! 8-8 remember? Take that huge contract, Dak (Tony) and while you single-handedly suck up a third or more of the salary cap for the entire team, stop complaining about not having enough support, or a defense, or whatever.

Speaking of contracts, Dak says no to $33 million a year and a guarantee of more than $105 million? (Supposedly, he wants to be paid more per year than Russell Wilson. https://thelandryhat.com/2020/03/14/dallas-cowboys-getting-moiney-wants/) Seriously? In what universe does Dak Prescott deserve to be paid more than Russell Wilson? Or anybody else in the top ten or fifteen quarterbacks in the league? 8-8 remember? Win some playoff games (or actually make the playoffs) and then we can talk.

Probably, he’ll end up signing the exclusive franchise tag (placed on him by the team) which will pay him somewhere around $31.6 million (way more than he is worth IMHO). And he’ll be mad and hold out and all because how dare they offer him such a puny amount. Again, his stats were great, but compare his numbers against those weak teams with losing records to the stats he put up against the better teams and you’ll see a significant difference. Anyone remember how well he played against the Eagles with the division title and a playoff spot on the line? Do you really want to pay top dollar for a QB who only performs well against bottom tier opponents? That’s how you go 8-8.

But hey, that works for me. Super Virus or not, as long as the Cowboys go 8-8 every year, we know all is well with the world!

The Blessing of Adult Children

A few weeks ago, my wife and I had the chance to spend the day with our daughter Caitlin. This past weekend, we traveled to Ft. Worth to visit our son Scott. Let me say, all the cute, sentimental internet memes are 100% correct! There is nothing better than seeing your children grow into responsible and kind adults. And having a good relationship with your adult children is definitely the best!

I suppose the term “adult children” is a bit of an oxymoron. They are adults, not children, but of course, a part of you will always see them as children and that is a blessing in itself. All those precious memories! And in later years, you get to tell them all those stories and enjoy the smiles as they remember (or not) those small moments from a shared and treasured past. And then, they grow up and turn into adults!

Even as we take pride in having done such a great job of raising them, we also thank God for providing such gifts, and we recognize the blessing of others who have helped so tremendously in their growth and development. Family, of course, the grandparents who loved on them as babies and toddlers. Uncles and aunts and cousins who loved them. And then, the teachers and mentors (at school and church) who helped guide them in their early years. Friends, ours and theirs, who encouraged them and supported them and still do.

And now, they are adults. As Scott and Caitlin’s parents, we are truly thankful to have good, strong relationships with them. (Sadly, not everyone can claim that bond.) Long conversations about books, and movies, and games, etc. are common. Sitting down for a cup of coffee and catching up on our daily lives can be magical. It is wonderful to see what they have become! And wonderful to know them and have them in our lives. I feel blessed and I am thankful. I pray that all parents of adult children would feel the same. So call or text your kids. Or your parents.  And have a great week!

The Party of Contradiction (Hypocrites)

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the Democratic Party is willing to nominate a Socialist (Communist) for President. I suppose it’s no wackier than anything else they do or say or believe. They do tend to speak out of both sides of their mouths fairly often. It helps, of course, to have the mainstream media as your sworn ally. Otherwise, someone might actually notice some of the glaringly obvious contradictions in the Liberal talking points.

Let’s look at a few.

Why don’t we start with the clear winner when it comes to contradictions. White people, ugh! Specifically old white people. And especially old white men. The worst. (According to the Libs, anyway!) So who are the Democrats considering for President? How about Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders, the two frontrunners? Sorry, but aren’t they both old and white. What about all that crap about how rich people are the problem? Wait, aren’t all of those guys millionaires? Except for the billionaire still competing for the job.

Another big contradiction? Liberals want the LGBTQ community to think that they are their biggest supporters. Just look at how hard they’ve worked to make those horrible Christians stop discriminating, perform gay marriages, and bake cakes and cookies for them! On the other hand, they want the terrible, horrible, no good, racist President to stop trying to ban Muslims from traveling here and setting up Sharia law. Can you say Open Borders? Of course, Muslims believe in killing gays (and Christians) for violating their religious beliefs, but can’t we all just get along? Surely increasing the Muslim population in our country won’t affect the safety of the LGBTQ citizens.

Speaking of open borders, where does it all end? Liberals want to welcome anyone and everyone, offering lots of free stuff for anyone who can get here. Meanwhile California has become the Homeless Capital of the US. I wonder how many people would walk thousands of miles to cross the border if they had to live in tents and crap in the streets? Oh wait, that only applies to veterans and other actual citizens. (And Conservatives are painted as awful people because we think we should take care of our own first, before we start offering to save the rest of the world.) And of course, no one seems to be concerned with anything that comes across the border, such as gangs, weapons, drugs, or maybe some super flu (Coronavirus).

Liberals are against the death penalty because life is precious and serial killers and mass murderers and pedophiles are people too. And it’s just wrong to kill people! (Or use enhanced interrogation techniques on terrorists just to save American lives.) But when it comes to aborting babies, well that’s different. Those aren’t really people, right? Just a clump of cells with no rights whatsoever?

Liberals are all for women’s rights. Unless you’re talking about sports where it’s perfectly okay for biological males to take trophies away from actual women as long as they identify as women. But then again, how can you believe in women’s rights when you can’t even decide what a woman is anymore? Remind me again, how many genders are we supposed to believe in now? (And how well do women prosper under Muslim Sharia law?)

Liberals are against guns. They believe the second amendment is an archaic policy that should be tossed out. And the government should have the right to come and get all those guns that belong to American citizens. Of course, that doesn’t apply to them. They have no problem with tons of armed security guards protecting their safety. I guess they think they are somehow more important than us regular, normal folks.

Liberals believe in climate change. And they’re willing to cripple the economy and plunge us back into the dark ages to save the planet! Just ask Greta. (We should all be ashamed of ourselves for upsetting her and stealing her future!) In case you haven’t heard, fossil fuels are bad. All those cars and planes will just have to go away. Unless you are a Liberal politician. Private jets are cool if you’re running for President and need to get to those campaign stops as quickly as possible. Again, all those rules and stuff don’t apply to them.

Liberals are against Capitalism. You know, the basic foundation of our country. They want to “fundamentally change” America. Wow! And they say stuff like this out loud! They try to dress it up with new names, but Democratic Socialism, or Communism, or any fancy title you choose is very much Anti-American. And it doesn’t work! Anywhere. But let’s face facts, Liberals are hypocrites. Capitalism has been very good for the Liberals who have entered politics. Look at the salaries (which are amazingly high already) and ask yourself, how did all these Congressmen become millionaires? Answer – Capitalism.

They earn (?) million dollar advances to write books that no one buys. (Ha Ha, have you heard the term Ghostwriter?) They give speeches for exorbitant amounts to corporations and foreign countries. They invest in the stock market (like Hillary) and somehow, without any inside info, make a killing. Or they start non-profit organizations (like Bill and Hillary) which become multi-billion dollar slush funds. Or they get their kids one of those Hunter Biden jobs. I wish I could find one of those jobs where I could get paid a million a year to attend a couple of meetings. But then again, my dad isn’t the Vice President, so I guess I don’t qualify.

I guess that’s why the Liberals love the idea of Socialism. The bottom line is that regardless of the system, they always see a clear distinction between themselves and the common people. Look at any communist or socialist country and notice where all the wealth and privilege are found. You’ll always find the government leaders living in their gated secure palaces with everything they need. Out in the streets where the bread lines form is where you’ll find the rest of us. Any guesses as to where Bernie plans to be?

(One final thought. I don’t care how much you hate Donald Trump, if you pray for our economy or the stock market to crash, and you wish that more people will get the Coronavirus and die, just so that you can win an election in November, then you are worse than just a hypocrite, you are a total piece of crap!)