Author: Jack
I retired in 2008 and so I have more time now to devote to several of my interests The blog here is mainly for my interests in some current events but may have the occasional rant on other subjects. I have also decided to keep my genealogy posts and book reviews here instead of 2 additional blogs (and so simplify my life a little).

Donald Trump sets a record

Donald Trump sets a record

Posted on by Jack

This may be one of those records that stands forever or at least a very long time. A good example of this type of record is Lou Gehrig’s record of playing in 2,130 consecutive baseball games. This record stood for 56 years until surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles.

Donald Trump’s may be an even greater record. In over 200 years of US history, no former President has ever been criminally indicted as far as I know. But in just in a few months, Donald Trump has been criminally indicted 4 times.
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American Whitelash

American Whitelash

Posted on by Jack

First of all, I think this is a really good book.  It is also an important book.  The book is “American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress” by Wesley Lowery

Whitelash may not be a term familiar to all. Slang.net defines it this way:

Whitelash is a political term that refers to a resistance by white voters against social progress among minority groups.

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The Raging Storm

The Raging Storm

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About 4 years I decided to try a book by Ann Cleeves based liking the Shetland TV series which was based on a series of her books. The book I tried was the first of her Two Rivers series featuring Detective Matthew Venn.  Since then, I have read the second of this series as well as several from the Shetland and Vera novels.

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The Book of Charlie by David Von Drehle

The Book of Charlie by David Von Drehle

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I have long enjoyed David Von Drehle’s writing via several books, Time magazine, and the Washington Post. So when I read about The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man, I figured I’d like it.

To my surprise, it was available from Netgalley, my usual source for advanced readers, so I do thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book after publication.

David Von Drehle was thinking about writing another book and this neighbor proved to be a remarkable subject for many reasons. The neighbor was Charlie White MD whose long and remarkable life contains many useful life lessons for us younger folks. (The Retired Guy doesn’t get to include himself in that group very often.)

It is not a very long book (about 200 pages) and well worth your time. I recommend this book as an interesting blend of history as seen by Dr White and his philosophy of life in dealing with both change and challenges.

History on Abortion Laws – Roe v Wade

History on Abortion Laws – Roe v Wade

Posted on by Jack

Previously, I had written about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade. I do not believe an originalist interpretation of the Constitution makes sense or at least should not be the most important consideration.

But some Justices on the Court seem to believe that the interpretation of the Constitution and laws should be based on 18th or 19th century beliefs. Or guesses as to what we think was believed.

But here is a bit of the relevant history.
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Did the Supreme Court ignore the 9th and 14th Amendments in Roe v Wade ?

Did the Supreme Court ignore the 9th and 14th Amendments in Roe v Wade ?

Posted on by Jack

I read an interesting piece on 14th Amendment of the US Constitution today. It was written Heather Cox Richardson, an American history professor. We’ve only been free subscribers for a week or so and enjoy these articles.

It covers quite a bit but I just wanted to comment on one part of it:
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The Purple Presidency 2024

The Purple Presidency 2024

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I liked this book. I agreed with much of it but disagreed strongly with one part. I’ll get into that later in this review. It is the type of book that gets you thinking. The book is The Purple Presidency 2024: How Voters Can Reclaim the White House for Bipartisan Governance by C. Owen Paepke.

I thank both Netgalley https://www.netgalley.com and RealClear Publishing for the chance to read this before publication. The book will be published on June 13.

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Lessons for Long Term Investors by Richard Rodman

Lessons for Long Term Investors by Richard Rodman

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I enjoyed the book but don’t think it is right for everyone.   I think the target audience is people already invest with investment advisor or considering doing that but the book also has important messages for the rest of us who prefer do-it-yourself investing.

The book is “Lessons for Long Term Investors” by Richard Rodman.  I found it to be a quick and easy read.  The author has his own website at https://richardrodman.com/ where you can learn about him, this book, and his earlier book.

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Central Park West: A Crime Novel by James Comey

Central Park West: A Crime Novel by James Comey

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He’s lived it in the nonfictional real world and now he is bringing it to us in a great fictional story.

The book Is Central Park West: A Crime Novel by James Comey.  I thank both Netgalley https://www.netgalley.com and Mysterious Press for the chance to read this before publication. The book will be published on May 30.
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The Missing Woman by Jodie Lawrance

The Missing Woman by Jodie Lawrance

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Another good mystery by Jodie Lawrance. I had read and reviewed two by her a few years ago (https://www.jackreidy.com/blog/tag/jodie-lawrance/). So I was happy to see this available. I thank both Netgalley (https://www.netgalley.com) and Joffe books (https://joffebooks.com/) for the chance to read this before publication. The book is “The Missing Woman” by Jodie Lawrance.
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Debt Ceiling: Stupid or Unconstitutional

Debt Ceiling: Stupid or Unconstitutional

Posted on by Jack

At first it just seemed a bit stupid and a bit wrong.  Then the more I thought about it, I came to think that it was not only stupid and wrong but possibly unconstitutional.  Or maybe just outdated by more recent laws

Congress has the legislative power (see Article I of the U.S. Constitution).  They make the laws.  They say what will be spent and appropriate the funds. They would borrow money if needed.  Then the Executive Branch carries out the law (see Article II). A simple division of responsibilities.  It was designed by the Founding Fathers, enshrined in our Constitution, and worked well for over 100 years.

But Congress tried to improve things.  They passed a debt ceiling law which gave borrowing to the Executive branch which did make life a lot simpler for Congress. But they blocked the Executive branch  from exceeding a certain amount of debt for any reason unless Congress agreed to raise the debt ceiling.  It seemed kind of stupid but since the debt ceiling was always increased before it was exceeded, it did not seem to be a major problem.

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The Norfolk Beach Murders by Judi Daykin

The Norfolk Beach Murders by Judi Daykin

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An enjoyable mystery. I thank both Netgalley https://www.netgalley.com and Joffe books https://joffebooks.com/ for the chance to read this before publication. The book is “The Norfolk Beach Murders” and it comes out on May 11.

First, we meet Mu and Roger, a homeless young woman and her dog. Next comes the murder that they witness. And then we meet Detective Sara Hirst, who had been with the Metropolitan Police in London but inherited and moved to her father’s cottage in a coastal village. More murders.

We slowly learn how these murders fit into the larger picture and along the way meet a number of other characters. The story is well-written and told via several points-of-view. I found this to be a wonderful mystery and crime thriller.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

What I learned about investing from Darwin by Pulak Prasad

What I learned about investing from Darwin by Pulak Prasad

Posted on by Jack

I found this book fascinating. When I mentioned that, I was asked what I was reading. When I replied it was about ideas from evolutionary biology applied to investing, I was told I was probably one of 10 people who would find that interesting. I think it is more than that and I hope I am right.

The book is “What I learned about investing from Darwin” by Pulak Prasad and I  thank Netgalley (“https://www.netgalley.com/) for allowing me to read it before publication.  The book comes out on May 9.

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The Oxford Murders by Peter Tickler

The Oxford Murders by Peter Tickler

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I picked this one for 2 reasons. One is that I was preapproved at Netgalley so I thank both Netgalley (https://www.netgalley.com) and Joffe books (https://joffebooks.com/) for the chance to read this before publication. The second is I was a fan of Colin Dexter’s novels which were also set in Oxford. As it turned out this was very different from Colin Dexter’s novels but it was a great read.

The book is “The Oxford Murders” by Peter Tickler. It will be published May 2.
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The deadbeat caucus

The deadbeat caucus

Posted on by Jack

There is a group in the House of Representatives that does not want to pay the debts the federal government has borrowed to pay for past spending. An appropriate name would seem to be the deadbeat caucus. The group consists of 217 Republicans who voted for H. R. 2811. 4 Republicans voted against this bill and 1 did not vote. All Democrats voting opposed the bill.

I think if you owe a valid debt, you should pay it. I think most would agree. Those who refuse to pay the debt or want to make re-payment subject to conditions not in the loan are deadbeats’

I think there are valid arguments about what the government should spend going forward but refusing to re-pay loans already made unless you get your way for future spending negotiations is the wrong way to go about it.

The credit of the United States is at stake in this debt ceiling stand-off. If the deadbeat caucus has their way there will be catastrophic consequences. Reember this is not about future spending but about payinf debts we owe.

The bill does a bunch of other things which you may of may not agree with so it is definitely worth learning about it.