Carlos Hazday

LOL I wanted Ritch to be kind of a dick to basics and in his mind justify his actions. He may have done it a little too well.

Thanks, Jeff. It took me a while to introduce GLBT cadets, but I hope, Joel and Miranda make up for the delay.

The Pink Pistols, like a few other story arcs, were dropped when I didn't feel they'd add much or would clutter up the tale. Although there are several references to gun ownership in future chapters, I toned down it down. Firearm use and any potential counseling will play a big part in a future book. Not yet written LOL

I think some readers are so accustomed to me posting on Fridays, they miss when I do it on other days. Particularly outliers like this one. Glad you enjoyed it.

“EYES ON ME, BASIC!” Ritch’s shout made the cadet lift her sight from whatever she found fascinating on the ground. She finally locked eyes with him. “What’s so interesting about your shoes? You either look straight ahead, or at the person addressing you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, BASIC?” “Yes, sir!” Shoes properly placed on the painted footprints and shoulders squared, the woman appeared confident when he approached her, but her reply came out as a squeak. Her façade was on the verge of cracki

Second time in two days a senior moment has been pointed out to me. SHIT! I don't think CJ would in any way regret his actions. He knows what a gun's for and he's willing to use one to defend himself and those he cares about. Maybe when he does shoot somebody he'll need a little counseling. Did I previously mention CJ's not a pacifist? Duplicity may also be part of the equation. The claims by the Jan 6 insurrection participants they were following Trumps orders or were exercising first amendment rights make me believe they knew what they were doing and are searching for excuses. You don't attack police the way they did without knowing what you're doing. And when almost the entire Republican caucus appears to be fine with the coup attempt, it tells me those fuckers are as despicable as the rioters.

Everything I started to comment, I had a spoiler. I decided to simply enjoy the guessing from other readers this time

LOL You'll eventually find out his graduation was not marred by Covid. No pandemic in the CJverse. Plummer had to sign releases for E&W to run background checks when he hired them as accountants, the partners would have found out about his kid and discussed it. Money blinded him when pursuing Cesar's business. He and his employee are not atypical. Too many men forget to leave locker room talk behind.

My bad. Wrong country for that dictator, wrong dictator for that country.

I'm loving the conjecture from everybody, but I can't wait 'til Mann tells us what's really going on. At this pace, however, the wait for clarity might be longer than for the COVID vaccine.

@Parker Owens I keep asking some of the same questions and the bloody author won't give me anything! To quote @84Mags, HOLY SHIFT !!!

@BlueWindBoy Thanks for sharing. I read that book so long ago, everything but the title and the authors are faint memories.

Hunter Green, right. 2 years ago, at Daytona Bike Week, I paid attention. Bikers seem to prefer red, blue, and star spangled banner. I ended her? Lol but on the day of the wedding she shall rise and her light will shine again. And all the angels in heaven and all believers on 🌎 shall rejoice. I'm still looking for ice cream castles in the air. Best I've seen so far was a brownstone. Nice quote from JFK, don't recall hearing it before.

What are you talking about. Cliffhangers are essential to every story. A good author builds up suspense, pauses (so called cliffhanger), and completes the scene in the next chapter. If you were reading a completed book, there would be no wait. Of course, some of us like to leave cliffies hanging for a couple of years or books, but that's me. Wolf's too nice a guy to do the same. Damn Austin better not have gone and gotten himself blown up. I wouldn't forgive him. If he survived, I'll show him how happy we all are by spanking him.

@BlueWindBoy The shwarma and fine comments cracked me up. You think Disney would be interested in a crossover between The Avengers and The Squad? I just wrote a scene where someone touches a turtle in the Florida Keys. Legal or not, I think curiosity makes all of us try to touch animals while diving. I'm saving baccarat for when they visit Monte Carlo. What, did you expect me to call it the Wailing Wall? As for religion, shades of gray have not made a dent in CJ's black and white views of religion. As for the Nazis, wasn't Hitler fascinated by the occult and Germanic proto-religions? Or did Spielberg get his interest in the Ark wrong? LOL Wait until we get to the story set in Mexico. Talk about globalist environment. The expat rugby teams are a veritable United Nations when it comes to membership. Diplomats and employees of multi-nationals all over the place.

I think I mentioned the rowers running the stairs at one point. I had trouble walking them a couple of years ago. LOL Instead of J.G. Wentworth, I can refer CJ to my little brother. He's the CEO of a sub-prime lender. Or to Amscot. They only charge like 400% on their payday advance loans.

Kinky... Are the Bene Gesserit after CJ? Great, another bunch of people who'll recognize him as soon as he takes the stillsuit off.

Yeah, you know, insert peg into slot and vigorously move. A touch of WD-40 or other lubricant may help. I posted 8 stories in 2020, all but one part of the CJverse, none starring CJ. Do those count? The next book starring CJ (and Owen) will hopefully go live later this year. There's reason behind the madness when it comes to Owen's present. Personally, I carry the Declaration and Constitution on my phone. There's an app for that. And I've actually used it a couple of times to prove a point in discussions. You think CJ's read Dune? I always wondered why he likes to sit with a wall to his back. LOL If Ross had voted to convict Johnson, maybe we would have only needed one trial with the orange blob.

Ewing's riding high this morning. GU plays in the Big East Tournament Championship game later today. I caught the end of yesterday's game against Seton Hall. GU's been winning nailbiters.

What I want to know is if the President shows up at Ritch's graduation in 2024!

Thanks, bud!

Cesar was always gay. CJ's mother took advantage of him while he was drunk. That's described in the first book. Ajax Karalis is also bi. He's the guy Chipper plays with in NY. And with the girlfriend too. Cousin Randy and Ty were involved in a threesome with a chick, but once she returned to Russia, I've not mentioned them having sex with other women. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan I painted in a fairly positive light. CJ's objection to both was based on their stupid opposition to equal rights for the gay community. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen would have had a bigger presence in the story had she not retired. All of CJ's grandparents are Republicans. So's Brad! Yeah, Will's straight, but more straight characters in a story about Air Force cadets seemed appropriate. I did not want to turn this into another one of those stories where everyone's straight and two minutes after meeting a gay man they're on their knees. Will and his parents are registered Republicans. I'm sure I'm forgetting some. And even though my niece vociferously complained, I've had CJ and the dads trash Bernie Sanders or his supporters. If you look at most electoral college maps, Republicans control the smaller, landlocked states and Democrats rule in larger more cosmopolitan ones. That's where CJ lives and I want him to mostly reflect his community. Hell, Georgia, Florida, and Texas may soon turn blue. I'll continue to trash show both sides, but CJ's definitely a social liberal even if he has some conservative views. People who vote a strict party ballot, without regard for the actual candidate, disgust me. No wonder our country's so polarized. I keep looking for a Republican CJ can support, both Ileana and Marco were candidates for that, but I'm constantly disappointed. As much as I dislike her father and most of her positions, Liz Cheney may get a positive representation at some point. Not so much because she stood against Trump and his coup attempt, but because she had the balls to think before paying allegiance to the fuhrer. And if I write for long enough, I do have something outlined about CJ working closely with a Republican White House.

I've now read this chapter a minimum of three times. Each time, my heart beat goes up. Those descriptions of the flames, winds, and flying embers had me panting. Good job, dude.

I mentioned this before, elsewhere. I use Australia in my stories, and the place burns down. Same with Northern and Southern California, and Colorado. Anyone have a bully or despised person they'd like me to use their place as a setting?

Different fights. LOL I want Mann to finish POM so I can set him loose on writing that horrendous death for one of my characters.