ANGELS AND SAINTS

ANGELS AND SAINTS                             SCOTT HAHN
Posted:  July 16, 2014

Angels and saints. Catholics tend to think of them as "different" from the rest of us. They're cast in plaster or simpering on a holy card, performing miracles with superhero strength, or playing a harp in highest heaven. 
Yet they are very near to us in every way. In this lively book, Scott Hahn dispels the false notions and urban legends people use to keep the saints at a safe distance. The truth is that Jesus Christ has united heaven and earth in a close communion. Drawing deeply from Scripture, Dr. Hahn shows that the hosts of heaven surround the earthly Church as a "great cloud of witnesses." The martyrs cry out from heaven's altar begging for justice on the earth. The prayers of the saints and angels rise to God, in the Book of Revelation, like the sweet aroma of incense. 
Dr. Hahn tells the stories of several saints (and several angels too) in a way that's fresh and new. The saints are spiritual giants but with flesh-and-blood reality. They have strong, holy ambitions--and powerful temptations and opposition that must be overcome. Their stories are amazing and yet familiar enough to motivate us to live more beautiful lives. In this telling of their story, the saints are neither otherworldly nor this-worldly. They exemplify the integrated life that every Christian is called to live. 
Still, their lives are as different from one another as human lives can be. Dr. Hahn shows the heavenly Church in all its kaleidoscopic diversity--from Moses to Mary, Augustine to Therese, and the first century to the last century. 
Only saints will live in heaven. We need to be more like the saints if we want to live in heaven someday. Dr. Hahn shows us that our heavenly life can begin now. 
It must.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book opens up with Mr. Hahn traveling with his family and his son gets ill and is taken to a local hospital. It does not look like anything would see in the U.S. and though his son is in pain and discomfort there really is nothing they can do for him until the morning. For the rest of the night he prays and as a parent I know how that feels you want to take away the pain or discomfort from your child. The next day when the doctor comes in the pain is gone and so is the lump or bulge that he could feel the day before. He son was feeling better and the doctor told I don’t know if it was a miracle but I do know that since I have lived here in Assisi I do not ask why any more sometimes science does not have the answer. The power of prayer is important for everyone, even though this is a catholic book. Pray and reflection are in every faith, each has their own way to get there. Pray is important in my life and in my families as well for really I would not have them if not for pray and his power to change my life. For me every day is a miracle and I am able to see a miracle in our daughter, who the doctors said my wife and I would not be able to have children, so we adopted three. Then because of pray when our two youngest were graduating high we were there with a 6 mos. Old at 41. He answered our prayer on his time not ours, I look at it as he has a good sense of humor. There are many more in my life that is just one. The rest of this book is eight chapters of different Saints, each one is important in his or her own way. But I like that he wrote about Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine. His father died when he was 17 and then like any child went crazy, she followed him as much as she could praying for his conversion. He would father a child out of wed lock who would later pass away, he started following a sect called Manicheans. Later he would be led to Rome and Milan, for studies there he meet ST. Ambrose who helped him and guided him to conversion. So like a lot of mothers everywhere her prayers were answered and this is just one of the stories. For Catholics looking at the lives of Saints helps with reflecting upon what is happening in your life that day. This was a good book. I got this book from net galley.

CRISIS BY DESIGN

CRISIS BY DESIGN                                 JOHN TRUMAN WOLFE
Posted:  July 16, 2014

There's been a coup d'etat.It was not a mob of AK-47 wielding militia overthrowing a dictator in a third-world country.This one was different. On April 2, 2009 at a meeting of the G-20 in London, the fiscal autonomy of the United States (and other nations) was quietly turned over to a little known bank with a troubling Nazi past.The story of this coup sounds like something out a Ludlum novel, but this is real and John Truman Wolfe has documented one of the most enormous power grabs in history, the establishment of what international bankers call a GMA, a Global Monetary Authority. How it was done, who did it, and why, is the subject of Crisis by Design, a no-holds-barred expose of a takeover of the planet's central banks. Wolfe not only exposes the dark side of this operation, he tells you how you can protect yourself as well as what public policy actions need to occur to take back control of our national economic life.Wolfe does not spew economic psychobabble. Instead, he writes in a smooth and easy-to-understand style. And the message in clear-an international financial coup has occurred. We must protect ourselves as well as our national sovereignty.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

What I liked about this book is that Mr. Wolfe starts from the beginning back years ago when Greenspan was able to get regulations changed through congress with the President agreeing with him. I am not going to get into the politics because both sides voted to enact these reforms that started in the mid-90s, by then bank and lending houses had figured out how to work the system. We are now beginning the 2000s no one was really paying attention. So by 04 you had the repeal of the GLASS- STEAGALL ACT, which was put into place after the CRASH OF 29. THIS IS STILL NOT BROUGHT BACK BY CONGRESS OR PRESIDENT OR THE FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRPERSON NOW (WE HAVE A NEW ONE), any way part of what Greenspan did was allow investment banks to waive the rule that banks are required to maintain a certain level of reserves. Once the SEC was in agreement and congress passed the bill all of what Goldmansachs, BOFA, even the banks in Europe started to change the way they had been practicing for hundreds of years the house of cards was going to fall and when it did first in Europe we did nothing and even here a few insurance companies were helped out, but when the whole ball of works came down everyone just wanted to look at and still do at Goldman Sachs. Though I agree with Mr., Wolf on most things in his book and I guess I am just an average guy without a degree in finance the problem of these banks or finical institutions here in the U.S. is still were are open for another collapse! Congress, the Federal Reserve SEC and the President still do not want to enact the GLASS- STEAGALL ACT. Until they do we will have another failure. I know I got off point sorry. The problem is difficult to go through just one book he does a good job but you have to understand, if you look back in history we are tied and have been tied to certain European Banks since the beginning of our country. Even our most famous J.P. Morgan, who not only worked at a German bank graduated from a German University and when the government needed help to save off a bank rush President asked him for help and through his contacts was able to secure a loan from the bank of Rothschild. Even today Chase Morgan is still tied to a German bank the same one that Europe and U.S. helped because of 6.2 billion worth of bad loans or frauds. A lot of the same type of loans were made in the U.K. with unsecured monies. I know I got off topic a little but I really did enjoy the book for content and history. Too bad the real people who need to read it won’t. I got this book from net galley.

PATRIOT

PATRIOT                                                    A. S. BOND
Posted:  July 16, 2014

What would you do for your country? In Afghanistan, a US Army Patrol is devastated by an enemy with sophisticated weaponry, while in D.C., Pentagon staffer Scott Jenson tips off the ambitious young reporter Brooke Kinley about a billionaire businessman’s involvement in terrorism. But why is the White House determined to protect this businessman, and why does the answer seem to lie in the Canadian wilderness? In a dangerous journey to the remotest parts of the world and the darkest corners of men’s hearts, Brooke races to prevent a catastrophic attack on America, but can she uncover the real traitor?

Patriot is a pulse pounding, high octane adventure thriller with a heroine who is as happy running rapids as she is asking difficult questions at the Pentagon. For fans of Clive Cussler, Andy McDermott or Stella Rimington.
Advance Praise for Patriot:
“Patriot moves at a cracking pace, Homeland channelled by Bear Grylls... the name's Bond, AS Bond, watch this space“ Nick Hazlewood, Author of "Savage; the Life and Times of Jemmy Button"

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a fast paced story that starts out in Afghanistan, then takes you to D.C, New York, Canada with phone calls across to England. Scott the main character or one of them really without trying to gets some of his friends into life and death situations that were more than any of them thought they would be. Brooke the reporter does find someone to help her but he is also looking for his brother who happened to be in the same area before and now has gone missing. A lot of intrigue and wondering who you can trust and who is out to get you. I also liked the fact the story kept moving forward and for the sake of this story it stayed on track. There was no time for a love scene in the middle when you are being chased and people are trying to kill you and your friends. So for the sake of this story it all worked. The writing was good and the characters were good as well. Overall a good fast paced story. I got this book from net galley.

THE CITY

THE CITY                                                 DEAN KOONTZ
Posted:  July 16, 2014

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz is at the peak of his acclaimed powers with this major new novel.

The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

I used to read Mr. Koontz all the time but after a while the stories felt like they changed from his earlier stories. This story is a look at life in the big city any city, this story just happens to take place in New York City and is being told by Jonah. He describes for his life growing up and the few people that are in his life daily. Music is also important part of this story and gives a nice back ground. But the main story takes place in the 60s and growing up in that period it interesting now how many people are writing about that time, the music, the war, the protests, there was so much going on when you look back it brings you back to that time. One part was from 1967 when Apollo 1, when the crew was killed in the fire of the cabin of rocket. He goes through his own tragedies and other points from the 60s and then takes you to the day that changed his life and his friend’s life forever. This is a story of happiness at times and of loss and sadness and for what those were like and for some of the people who severed at the hands of others all of this happening in the 60s you looking at it through the eyes of a young boy being told by now a man being taken back to that time and reliving it through the telling of it through his story the city. Each city, each pair of eyes being different. A very well written book, I enjoyed it a lot. I got this book from net galley.

JOHN WAYNE: LIFE AND LEGEND

JOHN WAYNE: LIFE AND LEGEND        SCOTT EYMAN
Posted:  July 16, 2014

John Wayne was one of Hollywood’s most famous and most successful actors, but he was more than that. He became a symbol of America itself. He epitomized the Western film, which for many people epitomized America. He identified with conservative political causes from the early 1930s to his death in 1979, making him a hero to one generation of Americans and a villain to another. But unlike fellow actor Ronald Reagan, Wayne had no interest in politics as a career. Like many stars, he altered his life story, claiming to have become an actor almost by accident when in fact he had studied drama and aspired to act for most of his youth. He married three times, all to Latina women, and conducted a lengthy affair with Marlene Dietrich, as unlikely a romantic partner as one could imagine for the Duke. Wayne projected dignity, integrity, and strength in all his films, even when his characters were flawed, and whatever character he played was always prepared to confront injustice in his own way. More than thirty years after his death, he remains the standard by which male stars are judged and an actor whose morally unambiguous films continue to attract sizeable audiences.

Scott Eyman interviewed Wayne, as well as many family members, and he has drawn on previously unpublished reminiscences from friends and associates of the Duke in this biography, as well as documents from his production company that shed light on Wayne’s business affairs. He traces Wayne from his childhood to his stardom in Stagecoach and dozens of films after that. Eyman perceptively analyzes Wayne’s relationship with John Ford, the director with whom he’s most associated and who made some of Wayne’s greatest films, among them She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Quiet Man, and The Searchers. His evaluation of Wayne himself is shrewd: a skilled actor who was reluctant to step outside his comfort zone. Wayne was self-aware; he once said, “I’ve played the kind of man I’d like to have been.” It’s that man and the real John Wayne who are brilliantly profiled in Scott Eyman’s insightful biography of a true American legend.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book goes into every part of John Wayne’s life. From his parents and their moving to Palmdale CA. to him starting high school and meeting the girl who become the first Mrs. John Wayne. Josie they called her lived in Pasadena and was the daughter of a doctor they would have three children. They married after his football carrier ended at U.S.C. and he lost his scholarship the following year. By then he was just starting to work a little in movies. It would be a few more years before Stagecoach would be made and he would become a star. After a few more pictures and the third child was born he was living out of the house and their marriage for the most part was over. It would still be years before she would give him a divorce, she was a practicing catholic and she did not remarry until he passed. His next wife none of his friends wanted him to marry, she could drink and play poker with any man and usually win. This marriage did not last very long and they did not have any children. She actually made a mistake by taking him to court to try to get more money from him than what he first offered her, some oil leases, and a home, monthly payments. The judge gave her a home in Mexico they owned and alimony for a couple of years. She had a bad attorney. During this time he was still making movies sometimes three a year. He had this idea of never being out of the public’s eye. He started his own company called Batjac, which started sooner than I even thought it did because Angel and the Badman was one of the first movies produced by his company. Also found out that the Fighting Kentuckian was made earlier than I thought. I always liked that movie. Also goes into how he gave up some of his % for certain movies to be made and still RKO did not want to work with him or Ford which was part of the reason for their demise. From early on in his career Wayne wanted to do the Alamo and it would not be done until the 60s and with production costs and everything else the movie did not even break even. But the author shows you how a small company like Batjac is making money but needs one of the bigger companies for marketing and distributing especially worldwide and how they can come up with creative financing to make it look like the movie lost money. After Wayne divorced his second wife he married his third wife Pillar, they would have three children with her. She was an actress from Peru and a daughter of a Diplomat, she was 25 years younger than Wayne. They would never divorce which for some reason I thought they did, but after a certain age they were not living together any more. Some things I thought were interesting was that the night the movie Hondo premiered they went to a restaurant afterwards and Wayne was overheard saying when Mike Wayne was escorting his mother into the restaurant (Josephine, Wayne’s 1st wife)”That’s the finest women I’ve ever known”. He would never forgive himself for blundering into divorce and she always loved him as well. Even after he passed away he still gave her 3,000 a month for the rest of her life. This book has a lot of information to much to put in a review. I thought this was a great book into life of an actor who a lot of us grew up watching and I still enjoy his movies. A very good book. I got this book from net galley.

IT HAPPENED IN WISCONSIN

IT HAPPENED IN WISCONSIN            KEN MORAFF
Posted:  July 16, 2014

2013 Winner Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award General Fiction In an America ravaged by the Great Depression, a talented but ragtag baseball team sets out to change the world. Barnstorming the back roads and dusty ballparks of the Midwest, the Racine Robins rally fans to the populist cause, raising money for soup kitchens and strike funds even as they thrill small-town crowds and dazzle opponents on the field. Yet winning the hearts and minds of the people turns out to be easier for the players than facing the twin seductions of love and money, conflicting desires that threaten to derail everything they are fighting to achieve. After a sudden April snowstorm forces the Robins to find shelter in the Rockefeller hotel, events are set in motion that will change the way they view their team and each other. Can this tough, tight-knit group stay true to its great cause when ambition and longing come knocking?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This story begins like any story a man talking, but you find out a little while into the book the person telling the story is in a retirement home and he is telling a story of a year when he was traveling with a minor league baseball team in the north mid-west. He was a pitcher and as they were traveling he is telling the different stories that happened this one year. And the year it snowed so much that they got stuck in a town and all of the different happenings that was going on. Some of the players wanting to quit another getting married on the field before the game. Stories like that. Even some rich man trying to buy some of the better players. I found each either funny or sad but I think it is up to you the reader to come to your own conclusions. The person telling the story you never find out which person (name) he is, but I got the feeling he was looking back at being younger and the days were fun and care free. A very good baseball book. I got this book from net galley.

SING FOR ME

SING FOR ME                                 KAREN HALVORSEN SCHRECK
Posted:  July 16, 2014

When a good church girl starts singing in a jazz club and falls for the music—as well as a handsome African American man—she struggles to reconcile her childhood faith with her newfound passions.

Raised in the Danish Baptist Church, Rose Sorensen knows it’s wrong to sing worldly songs. But Rose still yearns for those she hears on the radio—“Cheek to Cheek,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”—and sings them when no one is around. 

One day, Rose’s cousin takes her to Calliope’s, a jazz club, where she dis­covers an exciting world she never knew existed. Here, blacks and whites mingle, brought together by their shared love of music. And though Rose wor­ries it’s wrong—her parents already have a stable husband in mind for her—she can’t stop thinking about the African American pianist of the Chess Men, Theo Chastain. When Rose returns to the jazz club, she is offered the role of singer for the Chess Men. The job would provide money to care for her sister, Sophy, who has cerebral palsy—but at what cost? 

As Rose gets to know Theo, their fledgling relationship faces prejudices she never imagined. And as she struggles to balance the dream world of Calliope’s with her cold, hard reality, she also wrestles with God’s call for her life. Can she be a jazz singer? Or will her faith suffer because of her worldly ways? 

Set in Depression-era Chicago and rich in historical detail, Sing for Me is a beautiful, evocative story about finding real, unflinching love and embracing—at all costs—your calling.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Sing for me is a story that takes place in the 30s and the lead character Rose sings in her church and her cousin decides to sneak her out of her apartment to go to a night club – speak easy. There when she does sing she blows them away with her voice and she was offered a job to sing there. The family could use the extra money because her sister has cerebral- palsy, were struggling. After she is there performing for a short while she begins to date one of the musicians and this causes problems for them in the neighborhood. But they work through that as well. This story touches many different issues but it always comes back to family and if your family is strong and works together you can walk through anything because you are doing it together. A very good book. I got this book from net galley.

GARAGE SALE DIAMONDS

GARAGE SALE DIAMONDS                    SUZI WEINERT
Posted:  July 16, 2014

Jennifer Shannon discovers hundreds of diamonds hidden inside an innocent garage sale purchase in McLean, VA. Terrorists, furious at their treasure's accidental inclusion at the sale, must wrest the diamonds back in order to fund their explosive plot against America. From the strife-torn Middle-East to the comforts of affluent McLean, conflicting philosophies clash with devastating effects. As danger to Jennifer and her family escalates, she must rely upon her ingenuity and inventiveness to hurdle the frightening obstacles thrown across her path. This mystery thriller is the second in the exciting Garage Sale Mystery series.



HUBBY'S REVIEW:

I liked this book, but not as much as the first story. Pretty much the same premise which I am okay with it just seemed much more going on in this story where the other story flowed a little easier and did not feel so complicated. I did like the inter action between the family characters the best. But it is a very entertaining read and is well written. I got this book from net galley.

WAR AND GOLD

WAR AND GOLD                                       KWASI KWARTENG
Posted:  July 16, 2014

In the sixteenth century, Spanish conquistadors discovered the New World. The vast quantities of gold and silver would make their country rich, yet the new wealth, which was plunged into multiple wars, would eventually lead to the economic ruin of their empire. Here, historian and politician Kwasi Kwarteng shows that this moment in world history has been echoed many times, from the French Revolution to both World Wars, right up to the present day, when our own financial crisis saw many of our great nations slip into financial trouble. Kwarteng reveals a pattern of war-waging, financial debt and fluctuations between paper money and the gold standard, and creates a compelling study of the powerful relationship that has shaped the world as we know it, that between war and gold.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This book starts with the explorers and the discovery of gold and silver from the South American Indians who were killed. He later explains how silver at one time was more valuable than gold and how all of these explores really were doing were looking for riches for their country or government for their next war. It seemed that early on that is what most countries were doing was fighting or trying to take over one another. He then explains how banking got started and how some of the biggest banks of today were started over 100s of years ago based on who was going to win a war or a big battle. They would send people out to observe and then report back so the bank could such money before the rest of the population knew the outcome. The Battle of Waterloo was one example. He then goes into how taxes came about and how after gold was discovered in California, it started to replace silver as the more valuable commodity. Things really started to change for at the beginning of World War one, or better the day the Prince and his Wife were assonated. The stock exchange in London and Germany closed and the one in London stayed closed for the rest of the year. This is when the U.S. had extreme growth from 1915 to 1917 over 1 billion dollars’ worth of gold was deposited into American banks while loans that Germany had taken out were not paid back and were never going to be. He then goes into how by the beginning of the 20s credit started not just by the banks but also GM. This is just one reason for the crash there are many others. But the U.S. still by then was a big player in the world and Europe was now feeling as well. After WWII he goes into another period of growth and how we got off the gold standard and then he leads us into today with China being a big player in the World. Overall a good big lots of information some parts drag a little but not all of history kind be exciting. A good book. I got this book from net galley.

Dezi's Australian Adventure Day 11 and Mama is counting...

Dezi’s Amazing Australian Advendture 20 days of fun she is on day 11

Let’s show you rather then tell you some of the things:

 sand surfing

 Blue Mts.

Host Family's Home

The Pittman's

P2P Friends

Feeding wild dolphins

Rescuing starfish

Snorkeling

Breaking boards with hands.

This has been eye opening for both of us.  Her as a young person going and us as her parents.  She has never traveled alone without us and never had to manage her own money and today she had to contact us that she was already out of money. As far as her ATM was concerned.  The reason that was bad was because before she left well I tried to get her to sit down and I would show her how to balance the ledger but she did not really want to be bothered with the whole thing.  So now she had to find out the hard way with her friends standing in line that the transaction would not go through.  I know that did not go over well but what can I say lesson learned today.  She is frustrated also that she can’t talk to us when she wants either but we tried to talk her into getting a phone plan so she could but she didn’t want to be bothered with it for it would be too much money and it would mean us being to connected.  I got it she did want us to close.  Now she is rethinking that too.  Plus she slipped and fell while she was on one of the outings at the beach, when things are slippery things happen and I think she broke her tailbone.  There is not much you can do for the tailbone so she will have to tough it out my poor baby.  Still she is having the time of her life and doesn’t want to miss a thing.  I can't say I blame her, can you look at these pictures and think any differently?