Errata-tatta-tatta

     These are just a few personal notes. I’ve been getting a lot of email lately from readers piqued by certain comments I’ve made. As the political garbage is even more garbagy than usual, and Linda and the Colonel are doing a fine job of addressing it all, I decided that this might be an acceptable time to answer some of the questions I’ve been asked.

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Joy The Corvette.

     The day I sold her was a sad day, really. But there comes a time when one must admit to one’s limitations, and my physical limitations have worsened considerably since I acquired Joy. Inasmuch as the time is drawing near when I wouldn’t be able to get out of a vehicle that low-slung without external assistance, I decided the time had come for us to part company, that Joy might bring a little joy to some younger and more limber owner.

     Joy was fun to drive. I hoped to get more use out of her than I did: in part because of the Wuhan Virus and the associated shutdowns; in part because the C.S.O. didn’t like driving her; and in part because I have another fine car that’s more versatile and needs exercise just as much.

     But I shall remember her fondly.

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Joy the Newfoundland Puppy.

     I should never have agreed to this. I don’t think I’ll be getting a lot of sleep between now and the grave. But some decisions, once made, cannot be unmade.

     Joy is, in many ways, a joy. She’s already bonded to us both, very affectionate, and endlessly playful. But she seems to need to pee and poop about once an hour. You should see my back yard...no, strike that, perhaps you shouldn’t. Anyway, she gets us up in the middle of the night just about every night for that reason. The consequences of not responding to her cries are severe.

     The C.S.O. keeps saying that “she’ll get used to it.” (“She” meaning Joy.) I don’t know that I ever will. Does anyone have any advice about how to get a 12-week-old puppy to sleep through the night?

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Idaho.

     Yes, we really are preparing for a grand relocation. Our current target destination is North Idaho, the region around Coeur D’Alene. It will be my first move in more than forty years – but it’s not going to happen right away. Among other things, we have a house to sell, possessions and animals to make provisions for transporting, and finances to arrange for a major purchase. In all probability, it will be a year or more before we can pull the trigger. Moreover, events over that interval might change any or all of our intentions.

     Why North Idaho? Well, I have a long-distance friend there – Adrienne, who runs her own little corner of the Web — who’s spoken so glowingly about the area that I had to look into it for myself. I’ve liked everything I’ve learned about it:

• It’s a conservative sort of area;
• It has seasons much like New York’s;
• There are lots of Catholics and Catholic institutions;
• There’s plenty of space despite the recent surge in relocations to the area;
• The cost of living is less than here on Long Island;
• The homes for sale in my price band are quite impressive;
• And the folks there know what it will take to protect what they love.

     For a wonder, the C.S.O., who’s been adamantly opposed to relocating ever since we got involved with one another, likes it too. But as I’ve already said, it’s not going to happen this week. Stay tuned for developments.

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The Fiction.

     I recently decided that Amazon was not a sufficient retail channel for my fiction. Accordingly, as their current KDP Select intervals have expired, I’ve been moving my books to Draft2Digital, a publisher / redistributor that places books with all the significant online retailers, not just Amazon. If you prefer a retail outlet other than Amazon, chances are you’ll be able to find my fiction there fairly soon, if not right now.

     Amazon was instrumental in making the eBook a force to be reckoned with, and bless it for that. But the eBook can now stand on its own as a respectable medium, so it’s time to “go wide,” and thus to promote a greater degree of competition in that marketplace. Hopefully this move will also bring me a wider readership, though given my abysmal promotional skills, I can only wait and hope.

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Commentary.

     Yes, my op-ed stuff has been getting both shorter and less frequent. I’ve been doing this since 1997, and it’s begun to pall on me. How many times can I say essentially the same thing? How long can I keep doing it, seeing the country proceed on its wobbling, intermittently self-destructive course, and not become too frustrated to continue? The sense of futility, especially in light of the events of this year of Our Lord 2020, has become difficult to dispel.

     I’m not going to toss in my cards just yet. But don’t be surprised if my op-ed emissions dwindle still further. What’s the use? is a hard obstacle to surmount, especially for an old man with a seemingly endless list of tasks before him.

     At any rate, Liberty’s Torch will go on for a while longer, at least. I’ll keep writing. So will Linda, the Colonel, Margaret, Historian, and Dystopic. Hopefully our aggregated efforts will manage to keep you entertained.

     Enjoy your day, and Independence Day weekend.