FIRST WITCH
Where shall we three meet anon?
In Atlanta, or Phoenix, or in Philly town?
SECOND WITCH
When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the election’s lost and won.
THIRD WITCH
That won’t be ere the set of sun.
FIRST WITCH
Where the place?
SECOND WITCH
Upon the courts.
THIRD WITCH
There to meet with Dem cohorts.
FIRST WITCH
I come, Atlanta.
SECOND WITCH
Phoenix calls.
THIRD WITCH
Anon.
THREE WITCHES
Fair is foul, and foul is fair,
Make all the votes say “Biden” there.
Posted by daddybear71 on December 7, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/12/07/macbiden-ii/
Posted by daddybear71 on December 6, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/12/06/musings-354/
Is this a ballot which I see before me,
The paper toward my hand? Come, let me change thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal ambition, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A ballot of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the Marxist-infiltrated braintrust?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I alter.
Thou marshall’st me the way that I was cheating;
And such an instrument I was to abuse.
Mine minions are made the fools o’ the other parties,
Or else worth votes a hundred thousand or more; I see thee still,
And on thy tally and summation gouts of votes,
Which were not so before. There’s no such thing:
It is the dirty business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one halfwit
Voters seem dead, and wicked media abuse
The curtain’d sleep; journalism celebrates
Pale Hecate’s offerings, and ignored mischief,
Alarum’d by his sentinel, the mob,
Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his blatant bias.
With Lenin’s ravishing strides, towards his design
Lies like a rug. Thou sure and firm-set cabal,
Hear not my ‘mistakes’, which side they favor, for sure
Thy very stones prate of my misdeeds,
And take the present election from the people,
Which now votes in it. Whiles I cheat, they win:
Votes to the knave of Obama too cold breath gives.
Posted by daddybear71 on December 5, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/12/05/macbiden/
Alma Boykin’s latest in her Familiar Tales series continues its unique blend of family and magic in Knowingly Familiar.
When Ghosts Walk . . .
Something moves. A Mesopotamian curse sends ripples through the magical community of Riverton. Mages André and Lelia Lestrang find themselves fighting ghosts from their past. The battle draws them closer to Master Saldovado and the clans, closer perhaps than Lelia’s heart dares to go. How long before Patrick Lee and Riverton’s other magic users demand answers about the clans? The Familiars are keeping the secret. For now.
But breaking ancient spells comes easily for shadow mages. Juggling parenthood, budgets, car repairs, school schedules, and a six-year-old daughter’s desire for a pet unicorn? (Or a house dragon, preferably pastel pink.) That’s difficult!
Lelia Chan and her family continue their adventures in life, love, and keeping the forces of ancient evil at bay in Knowingly Familiar.
The story follows the day-to-day happenings in a family that is inextricably intertwined with magic and its impact on the world. They do laundry, meet with teachers, and prepare to defend themselves against the wrath of ancient evil.
Like the rest of the series, this is a narrative driven by the relationship between the unique characters that Ms. Boykin has created and fleshed out. Lelia’s family life includes budgeting, juggling schedules, and teaching her older children about their magical talents. Her relationship with Arthur Saldovado becomes closer with each book in the series, and a very sweet, moving sequence in this book cements his role as her father figure.
Knowingly Familiar is a quick, easy read that will hold onto the reader until its last page. This far into the series, you really ought to start with the first book, but if you’ve enjoyed the other Familiar Tales, you’ll love this one.
Posted by daddybear71 on November 29, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/29/book-review-knowingly-familiar/
Posted by daddybear71 on November 29, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/29/musings-353/
“Dear God! Ammo’s become more expensive than a hooker!” – My Darling Irish Woman, walking out of a gun store where I spent a whole lot of money on not so many boxes of ammunition.
Posted by daddybear71 on November 27, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/27/quote-of-the-day-196/
For those of us in the United States, today is Thanksgiving. It’s our annual post-harvest festival where we gather to feast on turkey and all the trimmings, watch some TV, and just spend some time together.
Hopefully, we also take a few moments to reflect on the past year and give thanks for what we have.
Right now, even with everything going on in the world, my family has a lot to be thankful for.
I’m thankful that we are all healthy and whole in a year where that is not a given to too many people.
I’m thankful that both Irish Woman and I are employed and that our son does not have to go without in a year where that is not a given to too many people.
I’m thankful that I live in a country where we contest elections with words and legal filings, not with bullets and machetes.
I’m thankful that we’ve realized our goal of moving to a new home.
Finally, I’m grateful that I have this outlet and the many friends and family that it’s brought to me over the years. Y’all are a bright spot in a dark world, and you’re much appreciated.
So, for all of you out there, thank you.
Posted by daddybear71 on November 26, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/26/giving-thanks-4/
Posted by daddybear71 on November 24, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/24/musings-352/
From the “That Didn’t Take Long” Department – Spain’s Prime Minister has announced that he sides with Germany in a disagreement over how the European countries should plan their mutual defense. France has suggested that the Europeans should provide for their own safety, while Germany and other ‘allies’ believe that continued reliance on American NATO funding coordination was most economical important. The Prime Minister went on to say that he hopes that now that the American election is over, the two sides of the Atlantic alliance can ‘reestablish a positive agenda’. By this, of course, he hopes that the flow of American money and blood will return to pre-Trump administration levels, giving a positive upswing to the coffers of the various European governments who have been pressured to pay for their own defense since 2017.
From the “Butter, not Guns” Department – The European Union expects to be self-sufficient in the production of batteries for electric vehicles by 2025. Sales of electric cars on the Continent are rising even as overall automobile sales slump. It’s amazing how much can be done when you can rely on Poland and a few thousand American soldiers to keep Vladimir Putin from receiving deep-tissue foot rubs by Angela Merkel’s cute great-grandniece on the evening news without having to break the bank or get your own hands dirty. No official word yet on other European energy plans, although this reporter has been advised that they include truckloads of money thrown into huge furnaces at former coal power plants.
From the “All Animals Are Equal” Department – China has announced that it has eradicated extreme poverty within its borders. Their criteria included an average daily income of less than $1.52 a day and lack of access to basic services such as involuntary experimentation healthcare, constant monitoring over all public and private activities, and easy access to prison camps educational facilities. The Communist government claims that it has elevated 93 million of its people out of poverty in the last decade. In totally unrelated news, the government announced that its goal to provide 93 million inexpensive factory workers to the wealthy portions of its country has been achieved. In addition, Beijing unveiled a new plan to provide cheap land to wealthy investors in recently discovered, unpopulated areas in the Chinese hinterlands.
From the “Adventures in Gardening” Department – A Massachusetts man recently got a bit of a surprise when he unearthed a mortar shell while digging in his yard. Authorities were alerted, and the object was removed and destroyed safely. No word on how it came to be buried on the man’s property, but he now has the best excuse known to mankind for not doing yard work.
Posted by daddybear71 on November 24, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/24/news-roundup-258/
Alma Boykin continues her unique and enjoyable Familiar Tales series with Judiciously Familiar:
“By the Pricking of my thumbs/ Something wicked this way comes!”
“Caw! Caw!”
A raven the size of an eagle appears in Riverton. When it begins haunting Familiars, Lelia and André Lestrang have to decide if it needs their special attention. Lelia, battling fatigue and postpartum depression, juggles family, magic, and working at Belle, Book, and Blacklight. Her employer, Arthur Saldovado, too wonders about the raven and its meaning.
Something from the past stirs, something dark and deep. A new sorceress and the raven hint at dangers hiding in the shadows. Shadows perhaps too dark even for shadow mages to master.
The main character of the series, Lelia Chan, has come a long way since her introduction as a troubled teen trying to get her life together. Now, she’s a full time mom, wife, and shadow mage.
When Lelia got married and had her first baby, I was worried that Ms. Boykin would have to move on to another character to center these tales around, but she has done a masterful job of letting Lelia evolve and grow as the series progresses. We get to meet her new sons and see how being a mother has made her stronger and more dedicated than ever.
As I found in the rest of the series, a gentle humor runs through Judiciously Familiar. Additionally, the plot has a tension to it that builds to a crescendo in the third act. The pacing is not overly swift, but Boykin’s writing keeps the reader’s attention throughout. I worked my way through the book in a few hours of dedicated reading, but you can definitely take your time and savor this one in small bites, if you wish.
You definitely need to have read the rest of the series before starting this one, as Judiciously Familiar includes many characters and situations from earlier books that fit together in an intricate mosaic. By now, the Familiar Tales world is well fleshed-out, so treat yourself and enjoy them first.
Posted by daddybear71 on November 18, 2020
https://daddybearsden.com/2020/11/18/book-review-judiciously-familiar/
DaddyBear’s Den 