I skipped ahead in my project to read the Reacher series in order to Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher novel because I needed a quick read during the Holiday chaos. Reacher involves himself in a situation where an elderly couple find themselves deeply in debt to loan sharks. This morphs into a gang war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian criminals.

In order to wreck maximum havoc, Reach enlists a feisty waitress, a former Marine, and a former tank commander (now a Security consultant) to bring down the Albanian HQ–a lumberyard–and the Ukrainian home base. The body count grows and grows in Blue Moon as Reacher and his team confront groups of Bad Guys. Of course, the police are nowhere to be found so it’s the Wild Wild West in an urban setting. Sure, this is silly but it was the exactly right book to get me through the tumultuous time between Christmas and New Year’s. GRADE: B

I’m not an Adam Sandler fan, but Sandler somehow conjures up the performance of his life in Uncut Gems. Sandler plays manic Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler. Howard is a compulsive gambler (he loves NBA games!) and his betting losses have landed him in trouble with loan sharks and the thugs they employ as “debt collectors.”

I have never seen a more exhausting movie! Howard is hyper and constantly wheeling-and-dealing. Directors Josh and Benny Safdie ratchet up the action and stress in every scene. I thought Idina Mensel (of “Let It Go” FROZEN fame) gave a convincing performance as Howard’s long-suffering wife who’s ready to let Howard go and end their marriage. I loved Julia Fox, Howard’s mistress, as she both excites Howard and drives him crazy. And Boston Celtic great, Kevin Garnett (who plays himself), delivers a slam-dunk performance. The New York City Diamond District sparkles in this film. As Patti Abbott has pointed out, Uncut Gems is violent–but it will leave you breathless! GRADE: B+

Last week I did something I’ve never done before: I drove to the Seneca Niagara Casino’s new SPORTSBOOK and bet on the Buffalo Bills to defeat the Houston Texans. I got 2 1/2 points. Since sports gambling is legal now, I decided to experience the process. There were actually 83 different bets I could have made: total points (over/under), number of pass receptions, number of field goals, etc. But, I just went with a vanilla win/lose bet. It only took a minute.

During the Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans game, I was feeling really great about my bet on the Bills, especially when the Bills had a 16-0 Half-time lead. But, the Second Half was a different story. Mistakes, miscues, and mis-steps lead to a 19-19 score at the end of regulation. The Overtime quarter offered the Bills chances to win…but more mis-fires occurred. Congratulations to the Texans on playing hard from behind and winning a close Playoff game.

What did I learn? First, I probably shouldn’t have bet the Bills game. I should have bet the Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots game. Emotion skews judgment. If I bet again, I need to be more dispassionate and analytical. Do you bet on sports games? Now that it’s legal and available, will you make more sporting bets?

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Houston Texans 22-19 on an OT field goal. I’m bummed, but now I can’t wait until next year!

The Saints are favored by 8 points over the Vikings. The Vikings have been an up-and-down team all season. I think they’ll be down today. An easy win for the Saints!

The Seahawks are favored by 1 1/2 points in this game at Philly. The Eagles are by far the weakest team in the Playoffs. They are riddled with injuries. I think the Seahawks will put this game away early and move on in the Playoffs. And Russell Wilson has NEVER lost in Philadelphia! Who do you think will win today?

The Buffalo Bills take on the dangerous Houston Texans. The Bills are 3-point underdogs. The Texans can put up a lot of points with Deshaun Watson flinging the ball to DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. The Texans have also activated JJ Watt for this game. The last time the Bills played the Texans, they sacked Deshaun Watson 7 times…and still lost the game. I’ll be on the edge of my seat for this one!

In the late game, the New England Patriots face the surprising Tennessee Titans. The Patriots lost a rare Home Game last week to the Miami Dolphins so they’ll be fired up for this game. The Patriots are favored by 5 1/2 points. The Titans may make the final score close, but I think the Patriots will be moving on in the Playoffs after this game. Who do you think will win these games?

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert A. Heinlein was my favorite Science Fiction writer. I read all of Heinlein’s “Juveniles” and many of his short stories. Farah Mendlesohn’s The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein sums up Heinlein and his work in a detailed, satisfying fashion. I enjoyed Mendlesohn’s analysis of Heinlein’s “Future History” stories. She provides information I wasn’t aware of in her discussions of Heinlein’s novels. Many people think that Heinlein’s “Juveniles” ended with Starship Troopers (1959) but the series really ended in 1963 with Orphans of the Sky (a fix-up novel) and Podkayne of Mars: Her Life and Times.

I confess: my reading relationship with Heinlein soured after I Will Fear No Evil (1970). It was on shaky ground after Glory Road (1963) (I disliked the Second Half). Farnham’s Freehold (1964) and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) posed political positions I was uncomfortable with. I never read the rest of Heinlein’s novels from the 1970s or 1980s despite the fact they were Bestsellers. I found The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein full of information and solid critical perspectives. If you’re a Heinlein fan, this is a must-read! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Biography; 13
Chapter 2: Heinlein’s Narrative Arc; 73
Short Stories 74
The Juvenile Novels 87
The Adult Novels 96
Concludsions 104
Chapter 3: Technique; 107
The Cinematic 108
The Sidekick 122
The Engineering Effect 128
Time Tales 136
Chapter 4: Rhetoric; 145
The Sentimental 145
The Rationalized Fantasy 160
The Picaresque 163
Chapter 5: Heinlein and Civic Society; 181
The Structure of Society 182
Family and Childrearing 201
The Making of Society 223
Chapter 6: Heinlein and the Civic Revolution; 229
Revolution 229
Guns: An Aside 237
Disability 258
Chapter 7: Racism, Anti-Racism and the Construction of Civic Society; 263
How Many Non-White Character Does Heinlein Have? 263
Statements of Anti-Racism 281
Farnham’s Freehold 286
Slavery 303
Chapter 8: The Right Ordering of Self; 315
Personal Honour 318
Sexual Integrity 325
Sex and Sexuality 340
Chapter 9: Heinlein’s Gendered Self; 357
Heinlein Masculine Self 357
Heinlein’s Interstitial Self 368
Heinlein’s Female Self 383
The Craving for Family 404
Epilogue: The Cat Who Walked Through Genres; 415
Appendix 1: The Pattern of Publication; 431
Appendix 2: Names from Starship Troopers 432
First Publications of Heinlein’s Fiction (In Chronological Order) 433
Selected Non-Fiction by Robert A. Heinlein; 439
Bibliography; 441
Acknowledgements; 451
A Note on the Author; 453
Index; 455
Supporters 465

The end of 2019 wasn’t just the end of a year, it also marked the end of a decade. The New York Times published a list of the most influential movies of the decade. Check out their list below in alphabetical order. What were your favorite movies of the past decade?
AMERICA SNIPER (2014)
THE AVENGERS (2012)
BLACKFISH (2013)
BRIDESMAIDS (2011)
FROZEN (2013)
GET OUT (2017)
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (2013)
MOONLIGHT (2016)
OKJA (2017)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)

As we say good-bye to 2019, I thought that Nine Lies About Work might be a good book to reflect the confusing times we live in. Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall select nine “truisms” from the world of Work and show they lack realism and lead organizations astray. My favorite chapter is LIE #2: “The Best Plan Wins.” Today, things change so quickly, planning is tough to accomplish. Buckingham and Goodall stress information over planning. Whoever has the best information–accurate and reliable–will make better decisions. Buckingham and Goodall provide plenty of examples to illustrate their position.

I also enjoyed LIE #8: “Work-life Balance Matters Most.” Yes, it’s important to attend to both work and life after work. But, as Buckingham and Goodall show, work tends to require more attention and energy than non-work life. And, more rewards. I loved my job. Yes, there were annoyances but nothing I couldn’t handle. Because I enjoyed my job and earned a reasonable amount of money, my non-work life was enriched. If you want to understand how work, organizations, and people should operate for best results and maximum satisfaction, I recommend Nine Lies About Work. How do you feel about work? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 1
LIE #1 People care which company they work for 7
LIE #2 The best plan wins 33
LIE #3 The best companies cascade goals 51
LIE #4 The best people are well-rounded 77
LIE #5 People need feedback 105
LIE #6 People can reliably rate other people 133
LIE #7 People have potential 163
LIE #8 Work-life balance matters most 181
LIE #9 Leadership is a thing 207
Truths 235
Appendix A: The ADPRI’s Global Study of Engagement 237
Appendix B: Seven Things We Know for Sure at Cisco 247
Notes 261
Index 267
Acknowledgments 277
About the Authors 281

Lindy West scored a best seller in 2017 with Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. Now Lindy West is back with a new collection of rants titled The Witches Are Coming. In “Choosing the Lie,” West analyzes Donald Trump’s contention that the Mueller Report was “a witch hunt” and that “impeachment” is a witch hunt, and the Democrats’s investigations of his Administration are “witch hunts.” I was amused by “Is Adam Sandler Funny” because I don’t think he is…although I want to see Sandler in Uncut Gems. “Always Meet Your Heroes” starts with Lindy West admitting she’s addicted to Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Grocery Games and morphs into a scathing criticism of Chip and Joanna Gaines–from Fixer Upper on HGTV–and their church that encourages torturing gay men to turn them into “normal” heterosexuals. “Joan” reflects on the career of Joan Rivers, her ups and downs, and how she could have done more to help the feminist cause. The most powerful essay in this collection is “What Is an Abortion, Anyway?” where Lindy West describes her own abortion and the abortion it became on her HULU feature. If you’re in the mood from some funny and angry essays, I recommend The Witches Are Coming. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION: They Let You Do It 1
Choosing the Lie 21
Is Adam Sandler Funny? 38
Ted Bundy Was Not Charming-Are You High? 52
How to Be a Girl 65
Always Meet Your Heroes 76
Do, Make, Be, Barf 91
A Giant Douche Is a Good Thing if You’re a Giant 107
Gear Swap 122
Joan 141
Obsolescence Is a Preventable Disease 154
What Is an Abortion, Anyway? 165
Leave Hell to the Devils 180
Anger Is a Weapon 199
Magic Isn’t Magic 209
The World Is Good and Worth Fighting For 219
Long Live the Port Charles Whooping Cranes 233
Tomorrow Is the First Day 253
Acknowledgments 260