A Baker’s Dozen

[Disclaimer:  I have not received as a promotional consideration any guitar or music related product, nor am I mentioning anything in this post to secure compensation / income for myself or the manufacturer(s) of the products mentioned.  I am only posting about this / these item(s) because I personally purchased it / them and am excited to be learning about music and playing guitar.  This is a long post…  You’ve been warned!    —    kmab]
Background:  If you’ve been following this blog for the last two years, you are probably aware I’m trying to learn / teach myself how to play guitar.  I began this journey in late 2020, when I decided to try, and, then in January 2021, when I purchased my first guitar.  Since then, I’ve gone deep into Guitar Acquisition Syndrome  (G.A.S.) and I now have thirteen!  So, yes, after a brief 25-ish months, I’m averaging about one new guitar every two months.  How’s that for “G.A.S.”?!!
My most recent purchase is:  “Idyllwild (by Monoprice) Full-Size 4/4 Spruce Top Classical Nylon String Guitar with Accessories and Gig Bag“.  This is the “bigger brother” of the “Idyllwild by Monoprice 3/4 Classical Guitar with Gig Bag, Natural“, which I bought back in June of 2021.  The 3/4 cost me (roughly): $43 and this full-size version cost: $75.  Despite the fact I feel like I’m pretty hooked on guitar at this point – “doubt I’d keep playing” was the main reason for buying “inexpensive” (re:  cheap) guitars when I started out.  I’m pretty happy with all of my purchases, but I’m STILL resisting the urge to splurge on an expensive “big-name” guitar.
This is my third “Monoprice” guitar and second “Idyllwild” brand guitar.  I have the two already mentioned (this and the 3/4) and I have one “Indio” guitar (by Monoprice).  That guitar is an electric “telecaster” style.  I guess, their electrics are “Indio‘s” and their acoustics are “Idyllwild“.
Start of review:
So, this (4/4 size “classical” acoustic) is the latest guitar I’ve purchased – as of March 2023.  It was ordered on 24 February and received on 1 March, so shipping was less than a week – an initial very good impression!  The box had a couple of slight (1in x 1in) dents in it, so that was a negative, but they did not necessarily have anything to do with the manufacturer / seller, so it’s merely a comment on delivery status.  (Note:  Virtually every guitar I’ve purchased has come with a slight – or not so slight – issue with the shipped box / container and NONE have resulted in a damaged instrument.  I may just be lucky…)
Per their site, this is what I received for $75 and change – all-in (including tax and shipping).
Strings:  6 – nylon;  the three bass strings are metal wrapped.  The strings do not feel “real”.  They feel like they should be on a $2 plastic, toy guitar, BUT though cheap feeling, they have held tune surprisingly well.  By not “real”, I mean they feel VERY thick.  They are BY FAR the thickest strings I’ve ever played on a guitar.  I don’t know what gauge they are.
Electronics:  N/A
Tuners:  typical chrome (three to a side, linked) classical tuners, but they neither look nor “feel” flimsy.  They also do not have dead spots (when you turn and nothing happens, then suddenly the gears seem to grab).  The tuners on the 3/4 were a “brassy” looking color.  I don’t know if they were actual brass.  I doubt it.
Neck Shape:  I’m not sure how to describe it.  It is WIDE.  The top is flat;  almost to the point of being concave.  I have very wide fingertips and this is BY FAR the most string separation I have on any guitar I own.  To be honest, I LOVE it!!  I have virtually NO bleed over from my fingers in ANY chord.  The down side, of course, is that any chord with a 6th string is much harder to reach.  I had thoughts of buying a twelve-string guitar and removing the extra strings, just to see what it would feel like to have room for my fingers.  This is no longer necessary.  I now know what it will feel like…
Neck Material:  Okume
Top Material:  Spruce / Solid
Body Size:  4/4, 39in total length
Body Shape:  Classical (no cut-away) Acoustic
Number of Frets:  19  (but the “upper range” 7 frets are virtually unreachable except for tapping)
Note:  the above image is from the Monoprice product site and I make no claim to ownership.
Fretboard:  no idea (unspecified)  Note:  As with most “classical” style guitars there are NO fret markers inlaid on the face of the  fretboard.  Unlike, most classical style guitars there are “dots” on the upper side (the base strings side) of the fretboard.  I don’t know if they are true inlaid or simply painted under the gloss varnish.
Frets Size:  2.2mm
Nut / Saddle:  Plastic (Minor tuning adjustments make the strings “ping” at the nut.  This means I need to “lube / graphite” the nut a little when I get around to changing the strings.)
Nut Width:  not stated;  but I believe it is “classical”:  i.e. 2 inches wide
Bracing:  not stated
Back / Sides:  No idea.  I am assuming it is Okume, like the neck, but I haven’t seen this documented.  I don’t know if the back and sides are solid or laminate.
Bridge:  no idea, but the saddle appears to be plastic (like the nut)
Pickguard:  none
Finish:  Natural gloss all over (including the full neck and headstock).  Wonderfully smooth to the touch!
Included Accessories:  Battery operated electric tuner, extra set of strings, 3 picks, strap, gig bag  (Note: the picks were NOT received and the strap is useless as there are no knobs to attach a strap to.  Most classical guitars are held, not strapped.)
Gig Bag:  Included.  This bag is ok considering the total price.  It is more than a dust cover in thickness (but with no padding at all), and it seems tough, (but not waterproof).  The zippers look medium weight and works smoothly.  There is also a zippered pouch on the front of the bag.  The bag is sufficient for most carrying about, but it is baggy (not form fitting) and offers only the slightest of protection.  It does not have a super sturdy handle or padded shoulder straps, but the straps are adjustable, so that’s something.  Lastly, the strap guides are metal – not plastic – as you would expect on a simple, unpadded gig bag.
Not mentioned on the site:
They give you an Allen wrench to adjust the truss rod which runs through the guitar’s neck.  The truss rod is accessed via the sound hole, so there is no visible clue on the headstock.  The neck is visibly straight;  not bowed one way or the other.  The top fret is 12, where the neck joins the body.  I believe this is why the nut can be tuned and open chords sound good, but the top frets are all uniformly (still) sharp ended and will be a devil to round (if I decide to make the effort).  (Note: it is my understanding that most “classical” style guitars do not come with a truss rod.  Also, you cannot put steel strings on a guitar meant for nylon strings. They lack the physical support to hold steel strings and you will most probably either severely bend or outright snap the neck off the guitar body when you try to tune it.)  As the intonation is already perfect, there is no need to adjust the truss rod.
Main Review –
First:  the guitar is light weight.  Even in the box, it feels weightless!
Second:  my first visual and hold – the finish is beautiful and the guitar does not “feel” cheap (or inexpensive) – except for the extreme light weight.  The top is blonde and the sides and bottom (body and neck) are a beautiful, dark honey-yellow color.  The fret ends do not extend past the neck edges (good), but they are not rounded, so they feel a little bit sharp.  This is the same as was true for the 3/4 purchased earlier.  The fret board surface seems slightly ash grey-ish – again, like the 3/4.  I believe it is supposed to be black.  Again, I think this means it is just overly dry.  I will add some lemon oil to it when I get around the rounding the fret ends.  The neck is good for relief (not bowed up or down) and is not warped.  As mentioned above, the string action is high at the high frets which I would have thought would effect the intonation.  It did / does NOT.  Once tuned, this guitar is the best intonated guitar I have EVER received.  It is PERFECT at open, 5th and 12th frets!!
Third:  the strings are new and appear wrapped enough to hold without slipping, but they are not excessive – as was true for the 3/4.  It is nit-picking, but the strings do not appear to be wound consistently – all left or all right.  In practice, this means they could vibrate against each other.  They don’t at the moment and it will be a simple thing to correct when I get around to restringing.
Fourth:  There are two very minor blemishes on the finish.  One looks like the side got a wide brush scratch and the other looks like a speck of something was caught under the varnish.  Both are virtually undetectable without very close examination.  There is no dip or lump in the varnish finish to provide a tactile clue there is any damage / fault.
Fifth: (exactly like for the 3/4) the “gig-bag” is a functional dust cover / carry-all.  It will NOT protect the guitar from any but the most trivial bumps.  Having said that, it is FAR better than one of the “gig-bags” I got for “free” with a more expensive guitar.  It has a handle and un-padded shoulder straps.  The straps are not long enough for someone my size to use, but I suppose they would be fine for a child or slender teenager.
Sixth: This guitar has very high action!  Visually, it is off-putting.  In practice, it is irrelevant!  The intonation is perfect at open, 5th fret and 12th fret AND the strings are very flexible and easily pressed.  Today was my second time using the guitar and I practiced for well over 2 hours with no discomfort to my fretting hand finger tips.  There is no buzzing (high frets) and there are no dead frettings.
Finally:  What this guitar reinforced was that nylon strings are extremely forgiving for longer (over one hour) practice sessions. The flat neck definitely has more room for my chubby fingers to practice scales and chords, but is only slightly more difficult to practice / play barred chords.
Recommendation:  I would highly recommend this guitar to any adult thinking of beginning guitar lessons who would like to learn guitar with an inexpensive “starter” guitar.  The fretboard may be too wide for children or adults with shorter finger lengths.  You may outgrow this within a year or two, but you’ll keep it handy and pick it up frequently because if it gets a little banged up, it can be easily (and inexpensively) replaced.  Like it’s little brother (the 3/4), I bought this specifically to keep laying around, for a quick pickup to practice (specifically finger-picking and classical style playing).  It will certainly exceed those simple requirements.   Caution:  unlike my inexpensive electric guitars and LIKE my other acoustic guitars, you should NOT purchase this thinking you will be able to use it for a “mod” (modification) platform.  Other than changing the strings and (maybe) polishing fret ends, there is almost nothing you can do to make this a “better” instrument.  Just bite the bullet and shell out for a more expensive replacement guitar when you get past what this has to offer.  Then, keep this one for when you go to the beach or camping.  Please remember if you pay full retail price, it is STILL only a $75 guitar.  Actually, “my” guitar was $75.  The “normal” retail price is $99 as of March 2023.
One final “comment” – which may sound unfair – this is a “listeners” guitar, more than a “players” guitar.  By that I mean if you play it, it feels good and sounds okay.  Not great.  Just okay.  But if you turn the guitar face so the sound hole is to your ear, this guitar sounds fantastic.  The difference is – to me – amazing and I repeat the exercise every time I pick it up.  I have noted this effect on my other acoustics, too, but nowhere near this level of difference.
Because my impressions / opinions of the guitar may change over time, updates to my reviews will appear on the specific guitar review page and not in a daily blog post…
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On This Day In:
2022	Putin Invades Ukraine To Recreate The Old Soviet Union
2021	Even If It’s A Nice View
	There’s A Calm Before The Storm
2020	First Steps – The (California) Primary Vote
	#IncompetentTrump Administration Faces A Pandemic
2019	Hearts Torn In Every Way
2018	Recently Seen On A T-shirt:
2017	Rhythmical Creation
2016	In The Beginning
2015	False Gods
2014	But Sometimes Careers Choose People
2013	Pretty Sure Of Uncertainty
2012	Face Reality
2011	Intelligent Luck

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Discovering Humanity

The joy of playing classical guitar extends beyond the prize (the perfect performance).  It’s the daily journey and how we travel it.  That’s where we find the gold.  That’s where we discover the humanity, in both the music and in ourselves.
—    Allen Mathews
Allen Mathews is a professional musician and classical guitar instructor who maintains a site located at:  https://classicalguitarshed.com/
Every Tuesday, Allen posts a quote (which may or may not be specifically about music).   He then goes on to tie the quote to a “teaching moment”.  Allen’s “Quote page” is located at:  https://classicalguitarshed.com/tuesday-quotes/
[Disclaimer:  Although I have viewed many of Allen’s videos and subscribed to his emails for over a year, I have not personally purchased any of his packages of instruction as I am merely dabbling in “classical” guitar to see what it’s about.  I have no other association with Allen or his site and have not requested permission to re-post this quote.  If he requests it, I will remove or substantially edit this quote.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Likely To Be Subtle
	My Temp’s Pretty High
	Scratching A Persistent Itch
2020	A Word Of Assurance They Are Not Alone
	Is #45 Still Crying?
2019	It’s Obvious
2018	Passed Too Swiftly
2017	On Our Wall (Part 1)
2016	Or The Ripples From A Good Life
2015	Titles And Reputations
2014	Unfolding
2013	Again
2012	Needs
	Damned
2011	Potter & Prejudice
	Blink, Blink

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A Life Well Lived, A Story Well Told

“The Curse Of Chief Tenaya”   (2002©)  —   book review
Today’s book review is for a historic fiction novel set in 1800’s.  The author is Craig J. Carrozzi.  It is about an Irish immigrant coming to the United States and making his life through the pre-, actual and post- “Gold Rush” in Northern / Central California.
Full disclosure:  Craig (the author) was a member of the football teams I played on while in high school in San Francisco.  After high school graduation, Craig joined the Peace Corps, returned to San Francisco to get his BA and then subsequently lived a good deal of his life in South America.  Like me, Craig was raised in San Francisco.  He is the author of five published books and numerous articles.  Of his five published books – one is about attending a SF Giants baseball game as a youth;  three are semi-autobiographical fictionalized stories about his time in South America;  and, this book (being reviewed) is about earlier days in Northern California.
The book’s main character is Jeremiah Ignatius McElroy.  He is born in Ireland, starts off as a hard life (potato famine and Yellow Fever), moves to the US (via Canada), travels across the country / continent and ultimately becomes a hunter and tour guide in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  His main geographic expertise is the high-country of Yosemite Valley and it’s “cousin”, the Hetch-Hetchy Valley.  He spends the winters in Oakland, CA with his widowed younger sister and her family.  Jeremiah is hired by a wealthy landowner to track down and destroy a Grizzly bear.
This is basically a “man’s” action book with a couple of interesting twists (interesting to me, anyway).  First, the current day action is interspersed with the growing-up portion of Jeremiah’s life.  The author / publisher uses the “trick” of italicizing the historical narration so the reader can clearly “see” when the author is talking about the past.  The second interesting aspect of the book is an obvious attempt to include “real” famous / historic literary figures in the story.  Hence, Jeremiah reads Ambrose Bierce columns in the daily newspaper;  drinks with Jack London in a bar; and, meets John Muir while up in the hills.
The “action” portion is the life of the growing up, becoming a man and then aging and preparing for old age;  but within the specific confines of the plot, it is the pursuit of a giant Grizzly which has been terrorizing cattle ranches in and around the Hetch-Hetchy area.
So, is this book any good?  Is it realistic in it’s character(s) and / or historic depictions?  Is it entertaining and / or interesting?  And, finally, do I recommend this book?
In short – the answer is YES, to all of these questions.  The book is relatively short (225 pages) and the story is a fast and well paced read.  I read it completely in one sitting and found it hard to put down for my own meals.  (This despite a good deal of delicious sounding meals through-out the book.)
In general, the book seems pretty accurate to very accurate in describing both people and locations.  I must admit, I felt the author let a bit of his own “politics” come into the attitudes and language used in some of the conversations.  One example is when Jeremiah uses the word “deforestation” in an extended dialogue.  I looked the word up.  The word is cited as first used around 1870, so it is possible Jeremiah might know it, but it seems to me, unlikely a hunter / trapper / outdoorsman / tour guide would know the word, let alone use the word.  But, these are very minor flaws in an otherwise well written work.  A brief clarification:  I haven’t spoken with the author in over 50 years, so I really have no idea about his “politics” or if they are reflected in the writing.  It’s just how I felt while reading the book.
And, “the Curse” itself?  Well, it created a “hook” and theme for the book, but I felt it could have been better fleshed out.  I’m not sure why I feel that way or how I might have advised the author to improve the story during development, but it (the “hook”, not the book as a whole) made me feel like I was reading a poor mix of “Dancing With Wolves“, “The Last of the Mohicans” and “The Deer Hunter“.  Very much like those movies, the ending is thought provoking rather than PollyAnn-ish uplifting.  A “Good” or “Bad” ending will then depend on the reader’s individual reaction to the ending.  The “curse” was from the last Native American Chief of the tribe (Chief Tenaya, a non-literary, but “real person” from the period) which lived in the Hetch-Hetchy Valley.  He pledged to haunt those who would despoil the tribes sacred lands (the Valley).
I found the book to be between “hard to put down” and “can’t put down”.  That’s quite a statement from this reviewer.  The descriptions of the skies, mountains, valleys, flowers and animals filled my imagination and reminded me of earlier outdoor travels and adventures from my own youth.
Final recommendation:  Very highly recommended if you are into “masculine” adventure type action stories with a historical setting.  Given I was raised in Northern California, I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of “old world” San Francisco, Oakland and the towns from the Bay Area to Hetch-Hetchy.  If you are prudish, be advised there is some minor sexual content, but I felt it was well within the boundary of character and story development.
Disclaimer:  I purchased this book at normal / sale price (for an old / used book) and no compensation has been provided to me by anyone for my opinions in this review.
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On This Day In:
2021	MAGA Choice: Reality Or Lies
	You Seem To Be
2020	A Good Reason To Blog
	Finally Enjoying The View
2019	Living Free
2018	Relative Imagination
2017	Thank You, Senator McCain (So Far Anyway)
2016	What About Friends?
2015	It Tastes Good To Me
2014	Others’ Footsteps
	The Not-So-Modern Samurai
2013	Doin’
2012	A Lover
2011	What Have We Found Here
	Words

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MAGAs Are The Real RINOs

[Disclaimer:  The following is an editorial / opinion piece I read about dealing with MAGA-RINOs.  I tried to pull out the relevant (IMHO), most important points, but I felt it fell apart as excerpts, so I am offering it in its entirety.  The article is the sole possession of the author (Peter Wehner) and the publisher (The Atlantic) and I am making no claim of ownership and I am seeking no personal or monetary benefit by re-posting the piece on my blog site.  I am offering the piece because it presents an opinion on a significant topic of our time and for our country:  “how should rational American’s deal with irrational Trump followers who have taken over the “name” of the Republican Party (GOP)?”  I will remove this post if I receive an objection from either the author or the publisher.    —    kmab]
That Donald Trump has acted recklessly and lawlessly, without empathy, as if he lives in a world devoid of moral rules, should surprise no one.  Some of us warned back in the summer of 2016 that Trump was erratic, unstable, and temperamentally unfit for office. He had what I referred to then as a “personality disorder.”  I believed then and I believe now that it is the most essential thing to understand about him. Trump in power couldn’t end well.
Trump never found a way to escape the antisocial demons that haunt him.  But here’s what turned a personal tragedy into a national calamity:  He imprinted his moral pathologies, his will-to-power ethic, on the Republican Party.  It is the most important political development of this century.
The GOP once advertised itself as standing for family values and law and order, for moral ideals and integrity in political leaders.  Such claims are now risible.  The Republican Party rallied around Trump and has stuck with him every step of the way.
Republican officials showed fealty to Trump despite his ceaseless lying and dehumanizing rhetoric, his misogyny and appeals to racism, his bullying and conspiracy theories.  No matter the offense, Republicans always found a way to look the other way, to rationalize their support for him, to shift their focus to their progressive enemies.  As Trump got worse, so did they.
Republicans defended Trump after the release of the Access Hollywood tape and alleged hush-money payments to a porn star.  They defended him when he obstructed justice to thwart the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and sided with Russia over U.S. intelligence during a press conference in Helsinki, Finland.  They defended him after learning of his effort to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election.  They defended him despite his effort to overturn the election by pressuring state officials to “find” votes and send fake electors, by wallpapering the country with lies, and by instigating a violent assault on the Capitol.  The ex-president continues to peddle the Big Lie to this day, and any Republican who challenges it is targeted.
Something malicious has occurred since Trump won the nomination in 2016.  Six years ago, Republicans jettisoned their previous moral commitments in order to align themselves with the MAGA movement.  Today, they have inverted them.  Lawmakers, candidates, and those in the right-wing media ecosystem celebrate and imitate Trump’s nihilism, cynicism, and cruelty.  What was once considered a bug is now a feature.
This is the result of individuals’ and institutions’ accommodation of one moral transgression after another after another.  With each moral compromise, the next one — a worse one — becomes easier to accept.  Conduct that would have horrified Republicans in the past now causes them, at best, to shrug their shoulders;  at worst, they delight in it.
How does that change play out in our politics?  Five years ago, leading Republicans were publicly critical of Trump’s statements following the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Now consider that just a few weeks after far more ominous actions by Trump — inspiring and provoking an insurrection — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy flew to Mar-a-Lago to grovel before Trump.  Initially, Republicans accepted the need for a bipartisan commission to find out what had happened on January 6;  since then, they have undermined every effort to uncover that day’s events and how central a role Trump played in them.
The 2016 Republican platform said, “The next president must restore the public’s trust in law enforcement and civil order by first adhering to the rule of law itself.”  Today, Republicans, in response to a lawful search of the home of a lawless ex-president, compare the FBI to the Gestapo and the Stasi.  Trump himself, during a rally, referred to the FBI and the Department of Justice as “vicious monsters.”  And no political party in living memory has done as much as the GOP to undermine civil order and the public’s trust in law enforcement, or to attack the rule of law.
In hindsight, January 6, 2021, was a milestone along not just one path of radicalization, but two.  Of course, it represented an unprecedented assault on democracy by the violent mob on Capitol Hill and the president who incited it.  But it also represented what turned out to be the last moment when Republicans considered repudiating Trump.  For a few days, party leaders seemed, at last, horrified enough to break with him.  But when McCarthy slunk to Mar-a-Lago, hat and apology in hand, and when then – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans backed away from Trump’s impeachment and removal, the moment was over, and a door slammed shut.  There would be no more wavering.  Today, the dominant faction in the GOP is not conservative in the American tradition;  it is authoritarian and revolutionary, like far-right parties in Europe.
Karen Stenner, a political psychologist and the author of the groundbreaking “The Authoritarian Dynamic”, argues that about a third of people across 29 liberal democracies seem to have a psychological predisposition toward authoritarianism.  The tendency exists on both ends of the political spectrum, though it’s more prevalent on the right.
Stenner defines authoritarianism, which she believes is about 50 percent heritable, as a deep-seated psychological predisposition to demand obedience and conformity — what she calls “oneness and sameness” — over freedom and diversity.  Authoritarians have an aversion to complexity and diversity.  They tend to be intolerant on matters of race, politics, and morals;  to glorify the in-group and denigrate the out-group;  and to “reward or punish others according to their conformity to this ‘normative order.’”
The danger, Stenner says, arises when that tendency, which is often latent, is activated by “normative threats,” a deep fear of change, and a loss of trust in our institutions.  She also made this point to my colleague Helen Lewis:  In normal, reassuring, and comforting conditions, people with authoritarian tendencies could be your best neighbor.  But those predispositions “are activated under conditions of threat and produce greater intolerance to differences.”
Donald Trump has made his supporters feel “permanently panicked,” according to Stenner.  He “never got past the constant-rage-and-fear stage.”  And it doesn’t help that modern life’s complexity is overwhelming for many people.
For those with authoritarian tendencies, Stenner says, there’s a need “to reassure them and calm them down.”  Her goal is “to help authoritarians live in peace with liberal democracy.”  We need to reintegrate, rather than triumph over and banish, the authoritarians.  Demeaning and dismissing a significant part of the country won’t turn out well.  And so the focus of her work is to find practical ways to bring “activated authoritarians” back from the brink, including by means of normatively reassuring messages.  The key, she believes, is to reduce the feelings of being threatened and to find the right language — language that is less alienating to those with authoritarian tendencies — to talk about things such as diversity and immigration.  She and the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt point out that moral elevation, the response we have when we witness virtuous acts, can also be helpful.
This approach is commendable;  my guess is that right now it might have sway with the minority of Republicans who are uneasy about Trump.  Perhaps, combined with an indictment of Trump, it might be enough to weaken the ex-president to the point where the Republican Party breaks with him.  But will its members break with the authoritarian tendencies that now define the GOP?
That seems unlikely.  The majority of the party has gotten more radicalized, more aggressive, and more conspiracy-minded, not less, since Trump left office.  The MAGA movement has provided many of its adherents with an identity, a source of personal meaning, and a cause for which to fight.  They have created a narrative in which they are heroic figures fighting malevolent forces.  They find psychological satisfaction in relentless conflict;  their lives seem more vivid and more purposeful within MAGA’s ever-combative frame.  Politics has become, for them, an ersatz religion.  In this activated state, they are not reachable by reason or open to amelioration.  In fact, many in MAGA world are looking for reasons to take offense, to feel victimized, to lash out.
There is an analogy to nature:  When a thunderstorm cloud has sufficient electrostatic charge, it has to discharge toward the ground.  If the lightning bolt doesn’t find one target, it will find another.  So will Trump supporters.
“We have a big faction of one of our two major political parties who wants to unravel our democracy because it no longer serves them,” Barbara Walter, a professor at UC San Diego and the author of “How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them,” recently told CNN.  “The reality is if you don’t say anything, if you stick your head in the ground, this makes it easier for those who do want to create some sort of authoritarian or strongman, minority-rule government — sort of what you have in Hungary — it simply allows them to do that more easily.  They can do it quietly behind the scenes when no one’s looking.”
I’m of two minds about all this.  I admire groups such as Braver Angels, which is attempting to bridge partisan divides, decrease affective polarization, and help Americans understand one another beyond stereotypes.  If we can help those with authoritarian tendencies reintegrate themselves into liberal democracy, we should certainly do so.  It’s important to hear perspectives that differ from our own.  And it’s imperative that we relearn how to talk with one another as fellow citizens instead of as combatants.
I also believe we should continue to stay in relationships whenever possible, including with family members and friends whose authoritarian attitudes have been activated, even as we look for the right moment and the right way to name our differences and express our disappointment with those who have aligned themselves with malignant political figures and movements.  We should speak with candor but not with malice, striving for grace as well as for truth.  It’s an impossible balance to always achieve, at least for me;  my frustrations can sometimes get the better of me, and perhaps they get the better of you too.  But the balance is still worth fighting for.
But even though we shouldn’t give up on individuals, I can’t escape concluding that the time for mollifying grievances is over.  In our political endeavors, the task is now to contain and defeat the MAGA movement, shifting away from a model of psychological amelioration and toward a model of political confrontation.  This is the model that Liz Cheney embraces, and so do I.
It requires defeating Trump Republicans at the polls, but it goes well beyond that.  It also means rallying the forces that must rise up to oppose authoritarianism by speaking honestly about the nature of the threat.  It means telling the truth about not just Trump but many of his supporters, who remain complicit in a corrupt and corrupting enterprise — one that is inflicting grave injury on our nation and its ideals.
MAGA supporters have had countless opportunities to take the exit ramp, and they have always found reasons not to.  At some point, when an enterprise is thoroughly corrupt, staying a part of it, helping it along, refusing to ever speak up, is not just a mistake in judgment;  it is a failure of intellectual and moral integrity.  This doesn’t mean that every area of a MAGA supporter’s life is devoid of rectitude, of course.  But it does mean that one important area is.  And that needs to be said.
So, no, I am not suggesting “giving up” on individual MAGA supporters, writing them off, throwing them out of polite society — even if I were in a position to do any of those things, which I’m not.  I am suggesting that much of MAGA world is authoritarian, that Liz Cheney is right to turn all her political energies to opposing it, and that containing and defeating MAGA — not hoping it will change, not placating its grievances — is now the No. 1 priority for friends of democracy.  Maybe we’ll succeed, maybe we’ll fail, but the mission is unavoidable.  And honorable.
—     Peter Wehner
From his editorial / opinion piece:  “There’s No Escaping the Truth About Trump:  The former president has imprinted his moral pathologies and will-to-power ethic on the Republican Party.“
The editorial appears in:  The Atlantic
Dated:  8 Sept. 2022
The editorial also appears online at:  https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/trump-republicans-authoritarian-tendencies/671366/
(There may be a pay-wall or required subscription to view the entire editorial online.  If you are financially able to support a local or national news source, please do so.  A strong, energized free press is one of the most consistent bulwarks for democracy and against tyranny.  And please make the effort to vote in the coming mid-term elections.    —    kmab)
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On This Day In:
2021	Access Is Good
	The Sun Is Shining
	No Recall
2020	Give Me A Minute To Think About That…
	November 3rd Is Coming!
	An Eye For An Eye
2019	Is #45 Warning Alabama Again?
	Day 11: 49ers Win
2018	Worry (x2)
2017	Still Working
	Gold In The Morning Sun
2016	Power Inside
2015	Sometimes I Feel Small
2014	It Slipped Away
2013	Corollary
2012	Working Retired
2011	The Web Is Not Authoritative! (Really?)

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5 In 6

About a month and a half ago I started playing a daily word / search / complete game:  “Wordle“.  It is a once a day game hosted on the New York Times news website.  Basically, you have six chances to figure out the five letter word of the day.  Incorrect letters appear as grey;  correct letters in the wrong location as yellow;  and, correct in the right location, as green.
As of today, I have only missed twice.  I have found it EXTREMELY addictive and also a great vocabulary refresher.  Highly recommended!
Here’s the link to the NYT site’s version:  Wordle – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
[Disclaimer:  I have nothing to do with the New York Times or the producers of the Wordle game.  I am merely offering this link / game as a suggestion of something I’ve enjoyed playing.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	The Principal Difference
	Picture Perfect
2020	So Sad, Faux Crowd
	The Spirit Is Willing
2019	And The Same For Blogs And Posts
2018	The End Of Asgard (For Now)
	I Learn The Hard Way Every Time
2017	For Some
2016	Fragile And Explosive, Provocation And Privacy
2015	Bound Up
2014	Economic Engines
2013	Weren’t You Supposed To Be Reading?
	Absent Friends
	Where I Stand
2012	Hangin’ With His P’s
	Help Save
2011	Six Facets Of Good Leadership

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It Worked For Me

Back in the 1980’s I developed a “repetitive stress injury” to my wrist(s) – mainly my right wrist, as I am right handed.  It happened due to overuse of a mouse while working on computers.  Back then it was more “popularly” starting to be called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  Of course, back then, there was no significant use of either term in the general populace.  The closest we (the public) came to it was “tennis elbow” and its cousin “golfer’s elbow / wrist”.
I was lucky and mostly got over it (RSI) by playing Aikido for a few years – where you do a number of wrist flexing exercises during warm-ups / before practice.  When I stopped Aikido, the symptoms began coming back and I went to a sports doctor (specialist) who gave me a sheet with wrist exercises to do several times a day.  He said it is more important to do a few repetitions several times during the day than it is to do a massive number in one long session.  He said he normally suggests using 1lb to 3lbs weights, but as I was muscular (back then), I should use 5lbs weights.  He added if a weight is not available, just use a book.  I’m in the process of going through some of the stuff I used to have in my work cubicle and found the exercise sheet so I’m offering the image of the exercise instructions to anyone who may have similar wrist issues.  (Click on the image for a larger and more readable version.)
Wrist Exercises for RSI Relief
[Disclaimer:  Please remember I am NOT a medical professional and the “tips” in this post are based on my positive anecdotal result(s) from a therapy recommended by a certified physician.  Consult your personal physician before starting any diet or exercise regime.
I recently drove by the location of his storefront office and it is no longer there.  He was older than me, so he’s probably long retired.  As such, I have removed his office information from the image.  I did a quick browse around the web to see if there were similar instructions / exercises available from a website I could provide attribution to.  I was not able to locate anything similar.  I am making no claim to ownership of the image and I am merely offering it up to help others in need.   —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	It Doesn’t Stop
	I Feel Like I’m Winning
2020	#45: 14.81 Lies Per Day
2019	Less Miserable Now
	So Near And Yet So Far
2018	I Doubt #45 Is Listening?
2017	Life’s Oddity
2016	Just Asking…
2015	Two Thoughts On Thinking
2014	From The Top, Please…
2013	You Are The Stars
2012	Just One??
2011	Anything But

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Scratching A Persistent Itch

Firefly RE01 Resonator (acoustic) Guitar   —   guitar review
[DISCLAIMER:  This product is being reviewed without compensation of any sort by the manufacturer.  I purchased the guitar with my own personal funds.  Also, nothing I say should be taken as anything but my personal opinion / observation, as I have VERY little knowledge of music or musical instruments.    —    kmab]
Background:   Since January of this year, I’ve been trying to teach myself how to play guitar – starting from scratch.  And by “scratch” I mean I have (had) little to no actual knowledge of music or of the guitar as an instrument.  Although I have owned a couple of guitars (and other instruments) in the distant past (back in my late teens / early twenties), I never learned how to tune them, let alone play them.  I “meant” to, but life got in the way, and they ended up lost in the mist of time.  I think I sold one and the other I simply left with a friend (who ended up junking it).  So, the sum of my musical “knowledge” base is what I know of radio / pop music and playing “air” guitar (again, in my distant youth).  … So next to nothing.
In January, I got my first (acoustic / steel string / dreadnought) guitar and began physically learning – as opposed to simply watching YouTube videos – how to play.  In (roughly) March, I purchased my second guitar (an electric guitar / stratocaster [aka: “S” type] knockoff) with a small amp.  In late May, I purchased my second acoustic (third guitar).  This one is a small (3/4 size) one with nylon strings.  The intent is to have a time and location friendly guitar.  “Time” friendly in that you can play a nylon string guitar for hours without seriously hurting your finger tips.  “Location” friendly in that I can take it most anywhere without worry about it getting knocked about (because it cost less than $50).  After this, at the very tail end of July, I got my second electric.  This one is a “Les Paul” (aka: “LP”) knockoff.  All of my guitars have been from different manufacturers and ALL are at the low end of the price range with “out of pocket” cost varying from $20 to $220.
I also borrowed my brother’s steel string acoustic.  It is not a dreadnought, but I’m not positive what type of guitar it is considered.  It is the same body shape and length as my dreadnought, but it is not as deep (wide).  I don’t know if dreadnoughts can have variable depth (so maybe it is).  Anyway, it came with steel strings and I swapped them out for nylon strings.  So, I now have a full-size acoustic guitar which I can practice on for extended time periods.  Having said this, my “normal” daily practice is 60 to 90 minutes.  This sounds like a lot (even to me), but it really isn’t that long.  The longest I’ve “noodled” has been about four hours while watching football on TV.
Start of review:
So, this (Firefly Resonator) is the fifth guitar I’ve purchased this year.  It was ordered online with no “expected date” – for shipping or for delivery.  (Yeah, I know it sounds shady…)  I was hoping for delivery in less than two weeks.  It was ordered on a Saturday and delivered on the following Thursday (yesterday).  Five days:  an initial good impression.  The box had a small (two-inch) tear in the exterior, but there was no damage to the guitar.  I add that I have grown increasingly concerned about shipping as I am constantly reading about damaged guitars being received.  Knock on wood…  I’ve been lucky so far.  On YouTube, the reviewers frequently say things like:  “Firefly is a very good company for shipping. They use double boxing and the guitars are packed in Styrofoam for safety.”  Well, that may be true for guitars sent to YouTube reviewers, but neither was true for me.  NO double box. No extra packing.  The guitar did come in thicker plastic wrap (not see-thru anyway) and it did have a cardboard neck / head brace.
(Click on images to enlarge…)
Per their site (https://guitarsgarden.com/collections/acoustic-guitar), this is what I got for $216.91 all-in (including tax and shipping).  Note:  the item price on the site is $189.91;  the difference is added shipping.
Features / Specification:
• Spruce Top, Mahogany back and side
• Bone nut, and nickel String
• Rosewood Fretboard
The site doesn’t mention it, but you get a truss rod Allen wrench included.
And, that’s it…  No gig bag (dust cover).  No strap.  No courtesy (marketing) pic.  Nada…  Compared to my other “inexpensive” guitars, which came with some or all of these “extras”, this will add well over 10% to the real / final cost once they’ve been purchased.
First reaction:  The guitar is beautiful!
Second reaction:  The guitar is heavy!
Strum…  Sounds okay to me.  Not in tune, but definitely different to a “normal” acoustic.  The guitar is BIG and surprisingly heavy.  To my mind it feels solid, but bottom heavy.  This is not a stand-and-play instrument.  At the very least, you MUST have a strap.  All the metal in the resonator pan (I’m not sure what this is really called / named), makes the guitar look incredibly “art deco” to my eye.  I’m loving it!!
I extend the guitar out bow and arrow fashion and sight down from the bridge and then up from the head-stock.  The neck is visually straight (no warping).  From the side the action (string height) seems a little high, but I’ve been warned (on YouTube) this is frequently true on resonator style guitars because some players will want to use a slide.
Strum…  Run my left hand up and down the neck.  Absolutely no, sharp fret ends sticking out (on finger or thumb side) and they all feel well rounded / smooth.  The fretboard doesn’t look dry or in need of oiling.  The strings feel smooth and new.  The neck feels smooth, polished and maybe just a bit thick / chunky.  (Note: this is a “playing” style / round neck resonator model.  Firefly doesn’t seem to stock them, but you can get models with a square / flat-ish neck which are meant to be played on your lap or a table in front of you.)  There are no scratches anywhere on the body or neck.  The finish / polish appears smooth to the eye and to the touch.  I look around the sound holes just to see what a “resonator” looks like.  It looks and feels solid.  I feel like I’m back on my first guitar because this is SOOOO different from my others.  I do notice there is a white residue of some kind around the two screened holes nearest the neck.  I don’t know what that’s about and I’m leary to give it more than a gentle scratch to see if it comes off.  Some does.  Some doesn’t.  (see image)
Glue residue?
Strum…  Okay, attach tuner and see how close it is to “shipped ready to play“.  Result:  not very.  Half the strings require less than 360° tuner turn, two – a couple full turns, one – multiple turns.  The good news is the tuners seem very steady / responsive and there are no dead spots or slips.  I do all six strings and then go back through them a second time.  All but the last are slightly off (expected).  Total time:  a couple of minutes (15 max).
Strum…  Open chords time…  Sounds different, but great.  A minor scale time…  Hmmm…  Something is not quite right.  The strings don’t “feel” right.  I look at the strings again from various angles (top and then up and down the neck).  The strings are not parallel.  The “D” string runs closer to the “A” string as it approaches the bridge. Hmmm.  I thumb the string and it sounds fine, but it is definitely wrong.  I hook my index slightly in front of my thumb just in front of the bridge and press…  There is a slight “nick” sound and presto(!) the string is in place and running parallel between the “A” and the “G“.  My guess is there is some slight groove the string is supposed to rest in and it wasn’t quite there when they shipped the guitar to me.  Anyway, it’s fine now!
Two additional points:  Action and Intonation.  Action is the height of the strings above the frets.  I’m not sure what the action is supposed to be, but it feels comfortable to me on both chords and scales.  Intonation is (as I understand it) if / does the guitar produce true notes up and down the neck – particularly at the nut and at the twelfth fret.  To my ear (and to the tuner) it is perfect – at the twelve, five and  seven frets.
Final thoughts:  This is a beautiful instrument and I look forward to learning its peculiarities.  I already feel like I’m playing an electric guitar instead of an acoustic because the sustain is soooo long.  And, yes, it does sound a lot like a banjo got crossbred with a guitar.  I imagine myself doing (learning) some Missouri / Louisiana style blues finger picking and sliding with this baby.  I can hardly wait!
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On This Day In:
2021	Likely To Be Subtle
	My Temp’s Pretty High
	Scratching A Persistent Itch
2020	A Word Of Assurance They Are Not Alone
	Is #45 Still Crying?
2019	It’s Obvious
2018	Passed Too Swiftly
2017	On Our Wall (Part 1)
2016	Or The Ripples From A Good Life
2015	Titles And Reputations
2014	Unfolding
2013	Again
2012	Needs
	Damned
2011	Potter & Prejudice
	Blink, Blink

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Learning And Teaching

Feynman Learning Technique:
1)  Take a piece of paper and write the concept’s name at the top.
2)  Explain the concept using simple language (show examples to demonstrate you know how the concept works)
3)  Identify problem areas in your explanation or examples and then go back to the sources to review the material / concept
4)  Pinpoint any complicated terms and challenge yourself to simplify them.
Several days ago, I posted a quote and made a comment about excellence in teaching.  (Why We Have So Few Personal Favorites )  Basically, my proposition was that it is extremely difficult to evaluate the competence and productivity of a teacher because of the number of variables and an inability to control them to a point sufficient to determine what are the tools we could provide the “most effective” teachers to make them better (or any teachers for that matter).
I never gave much thought about teaching until I joined the Army and they insisted I learn, participate in and practice “Performance Oriented Training” (POTs training) when I attended the NCO Academy in Frankfurt, Germany.  Essentially, POTs stipulates that until the student can perform the task, the training has not been effective.  There were three elements:  1)  the instructor demonstrates the task to be performed / explaining the objective of the task, the reason for the task, and each step necessary to complete the task;  2)  the instructor then walks / talks the student through each step as they (the student) follows along with each step;  and, 3)  the instructor asks the student to perform the task independently.  If the student fails in performance (step 3), the instructor must return to element 2.  Re-cycle through elements 2 and 3 until 3 can be accomplished independently.  At that point, the student can perform the task and the training has been effective.  (Of course long term retention of the knowledge / skill is a different matter.)
This training methodology served me very well during my working life / career as I was frequently called upon to instruct on topics in the military, and then as a civilian:  from credit card fraud prevention, to correspondent banking, to numerous Information Technology topics (basic trouble-shooting, using spreadsheets, using word processing applications, server and network administration, setting up databases, conducting data analysis and creating web pages to display the analysis / data).
Rather late in my career, I “discovered” (i.e. read about) Dr Richard P. Feynman (PhD) and his personal learning methodology.  Post-employment (i.e. in retirement), I’ve now watched bits and pieces of Professor Feynman’s lectures (on YouTube) and I believe his methodology is a civilian / academic equivalent of personal POTs training.  That is:  how we should expect to teach ourselves and verify our own knowledge / competency in a subject.  I shudder to think of the number of lectures / classes / training sessions I’ve attended where the instructor either did not have this level of personal expertise or expect the student to demonstrate understanding at the end of the session.  Which, (again) is why we remember our few “great” teachers over our lifetimes.
Disclaimer:  The list of four steps above are available in several books and on the web and the exact wording is neither mine nor exclusive to any specific source so I have not bothered to cite any “original” source.  I apologize in advance if anyone reading this feels I have used their exact language describing Dr. Feynman’s technique.
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On This Day In:
2021	Learning And Teaching
	Two Loves
2020	Does Anyone Else Look Forward To The Last Lawn Mowing ‘Til Spring?
	Only For You
2019	10,000 Tries
2018	Keep America Great – Vote This Tuesday
2017	Old Style Ear Candy
2016	Next Tuesday
2015	Wanna Trade?
2014	Brothers And Friends
2013	So Suddenly
2012	At The Center
2011	Live Long And Thinner
	Got Health?
2010	SF Giants – 2010 World Series Champions!!!
	52 – 54 – 56 – 58
2009	Diet Update
	Pictures from Chicago Trip…

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Strung Along

(Disclaimer:  this post is about the restringing of an Ibanez steel string acoustic guitar with D’Addario nylon strings.  The initial purchase of the string set was from my own funds.  A replacement 6th string was provided by D’Addario at no cost to me.  Otherwise, the company has provided no compensation for this post and has no influence on my opinions.    —    kmab)
A couple of months ago I borrowed a steel string acoustic guitar from my brother.  It has been unused for several years.
On first strum, I noted the strings felt rough and (I thought) “chippy”.  It struck me they were somehow rusted and the rust was flaking off when I went up and down the length of the strings.
I thought the guitar might still be manageable / playable, but I kept getting what I felt were splinters.
I decided to replace the strings.
I have two acoustic guitars which I own.  My very first guitar, which is also a steel string, and, a 3/4 size guitar which has nylon strings.  I love my steel string, but the 3/4 is the one I reach for for extended practice or lengthy noodling sessions because the strings are easier on the fingertips.  I, therefore, decided to try nylon strings as the replacements.
I went to my local music store and purchased a set of D’Addario “Folk Nylon” strings and swapped them with the steel strings.  As it would happen, the 6th string (the “low” E) snapped at the tuner while I was tightening / tuning the strings.  The other five tuned up fine.
I sent an email to D’Addario:  explained the situation and requested a replacement for what I felt was a defective string.  The following day, I received a response they would be sending me a new 6th string and a replacement set (for my trouble).
My initial thought was:  “Yeah, we’ll see.“
A week later (last Thursday), I received the string and set!!
The following day, I added the 6th / “E” string and tuned up the other strings.  Because I have experience with nylon strings I fully expected to be tuning and re-tuning – and this has been the case…  Nylon strings stretch a lot more than steel strings and the guitar reacts to the tension with its own movement, so the process is not a “one and done” deal.
Anyway, I’ve been noodling with the guitar each day.  Tune, practice, re-tune, etc.  Each day the changes are smaller and the time spent tuning is shorter.  I expect the strings will be fully set sometime this week.
Although I’ve changed nylon strings before, I don’t have any experience of fully tuning them.  The one time I did a restring, I only kept the guitar for a week before returning it to its owner (my daughter’s fiance).  I will say, when we last visited them, the guitar was (again) slightly out of tune, but that seems to be true for my steel strings (acoustic and electric), too, so I think it’s just a function of continuous tension for string instruments.
Now…  The main thing is what does it sound like.  Fantastic!!  The guitar has a deep, resonance it simply did not have with steel strings.  The notes last longer (the sometimes need to be muted) and there is a very sensual vibration from the guitar body / box, which I don’t really get from my first guitar.  It’s there.  It’s just not as resonant.  (Which basically means I’m now tempted to replace the steel strings on my first guitar with nylons once they come due.)  AND they feel excellent, too!  Nice and smooth to the touch.
I had never purchased D’Addario strings before as they are more expensive than my usual brand.  This excellent customer service means I will definitely consider them in the future.
You may ask why I chose them (a new string brand) to start off with as they are not my “usual” brand and I’m really into brand loyalty.  Well, I try to support my local brick and mortar businesses when I can.  The store did not have my usual brand in stock for this string type.  Pure accident / coincidence.
One closing note about restringing guitars:  it is NOT recommended you re-string steel string guitars with nylon strings.  The two string types have vastly different tensions and string diameter which means you may also have to adjust your action (the height of your strings above your frets).  It may also cause the neck of your guitar to bow somewhat in reaction to the decreased string tension.  This will mean adjusting the guitar neck via the truss rod.  These are relatively easy (sometimes) things to do, but you can seriously damage your guitar if you are not careful.
And you should NEVER replace nylon strings with steel strings (on a nylon string guitar) as this will almost certainly badly damage your nylon string guitar.  Steel string tension is MUCH higher than nylon and the internal reinforcement is simply not present in a guitar intended for nylon string use.  You will probably snap your guitar in half or pull the bridge off of the body.
In my case, I went from steel to nylon – NOT nylon to steel.  A word to the wise should suffice…
Oh, yeah.  Please remember ALL of my guitars are relatively inexpensive.  I am, therefore, in a position to play with them / modify them, just to see what happens.  I also have multiple guitars, so I can continue to practice each day even if I really mess up one of them.  Try to avoid doing anything today which will interfere with your practice tomorrow…
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On This Day In:
2020	The Responsibility Side Is On The Right
	Where Clear Winds Blow
2019	Define Your Life…
2018	It Is No Secret
	Day 25: When 4 or 5 equals 2
2017	Cowardly Defamation
2016	With No Allowance For Chance?
2015	Details
2014	Here’s One…
2013	Non-Fungible Commodities
2012	Hope And Tears
2011	Just Long Enough
	Meaningful Thoughts

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A Novel War

“2034: A Novel of the Next World War”  (2021©)  —  book review
The book subject to today’s review was written by Elliot Ackerman, James Stavridis Admiral USN (ret.).  Ackerman is a former White House Fellow and decorated Marine veteran.  Stavridis is, of course, best known as a four-star Admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.  Ackerman is a working journalist / opinion writer and both are authors of multiple books.  That’s pretty much their bonafides for writing a “future – history” about world war / combat.
This novel is set thirteen years in the future.  Putin is still in charge of Russia.  The U.S. has a female President from an Independent party.  And, we don’t really know much about anyone else in charge around the world.  We know China is pushing its claims in the northern Pacific, yet Taiwan remains an independent “nation” state.  India has somehow “resolved” the Pakistan issue in its favor, but we don’t know what that means for either India or Pakistan.  NATO is in disarray without strong U.S. leadership.  And, finally, Iran has had some success against Israel.  What isn’t exactly made clear, except Iran has somehow “freed” the Golan Heights.
Background:  The first third of this book was published as a special “full dedicated issue” recently in Wired magazine, which I subscribe to.  I have read EVERY issue of the magazine since inception back in 1993.  The company I worked for back in 2000 had all of the back issues on a shelf and I would “borrow” them one at a time, read cover to cover and then bring them back.  As far as I know, no one else EVER read any of them, as once I was hired, I kept the current ones on my desk and no one ever asked for them.  Shortly before leaving the company, I got a personal subscription and have continued reading them for the last 20 years.  Anyway, Wired‘s issue left you hanging with the promise of a future novel publication in March 2021.  My review is of the full publication.  This book was one of two I received as a birthday present from my wife.
And,…  This book is about a military conflict between China and the United States.  Supposedly, China is an ascending world power and the U.S. is a descending / failing world power.  China stages a confrontation in order to demonstrate its military superiority – and the world slips into war.
Is the book interesting?  Informative?  Entertaining?  Accurate – technologically, politically or militarily?  Is it worth the time to read it?  To be honest, the magazine promised more than the book delivered.  The answer to all five of those questions is mostly so-so…
It is a fast read at barely over 300 pages.  The problem is there isn’t much there – there.  I don’t know how much (if any) current military capability Ackerman has access to.  It is a given (to me) that Stavridis would have had nearly unlimited access (pre-retirement anyway).  The problem is, of course, the book would have had to be submitted to and cleared through State and DOD before it was published and neither agencies (nor the authors) would have been inclined to offer much useful information in a novel.
With nothing but the most general capabilities described we get a lot of implausible “magic” technology under the guise of “AI” (Artificial Intelligence) which seems to work perfectly and then not at all.  We get very poor strategic decisions / action by the U.S.; we get some oversimplification of other technologies (overseas internet cabling);  side tracks by Russia and Iran, which seem to have been added to make the conflict global rather than China vs. U.S.;  and then we get a couple of miracles at the end by India to conclude the novel / war.  That pretty much covers the “informative and accuracy” portion of this review.
What about interesting and entertaining?  Again, so-so…  There are five main characters: female American Admiral, male American fighter pilot, male American (Indian immigrant) NSC advisor, male Iranian officer (he ends up with various ranks), and the main Chinese (half-American) Admiral.  The story is told from each of their viewpoints.  (Yes, there are also another handful of secondary but important characters, but this is really about the big five.)
The problem I had was the number of characters made for a long, deep story which developed each character to the point where you cared about them without giving away too much plot / ending.  Unfortunately, this book is neither long nor deep, which meant you almost cared, but not quite.  And, again unfortunately, it was almost entirely predictable and therefore, while I finished feeling entertained, I didn’t feel satisfied – emotionally or intellectually.
Then is it worth your time, then?  Yes!  It raises the interesting question if military technology is useful if it is subject to (can be negated by) a less expensive counter-measure.  In this case, the apparent answer is that if the elephant is blinded, it is still an elephant and not easily overwhelmed.
Final recommendation:  moderate to strong.  This is not Tom Clancy or Sir John Hackett level political, military or strategy writing, but I did find it entertaining even if not informative or militarily consistent.  I’m grateful to have received it as a present, because I’d have waited for the paperback or a very reduced price before buying it myself.  So I got to read something almost literally hot off the presses…
Final disclaimer:  I purchased this book at normal / sale price and no compensation has been provided to me by anyone for my opinions in this review.
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On This Day In:
2022	Understanding True Achievement
2021	Avoiding Corners
	Nobody Knows
	A Novel War
2020	First Buds
	To Fly
2019	What If Nobody Believes Them Either
2018	It’s About Heart Not Skill
2017	Winning So Much I’m Already Tired Of It (Not)
2016	Punishing Red Binge
2015	Bits In The Soup
2014	More Beef, Less Bull
2013	Where Are Your Mountains
2012	Spherical Knowledge Of Hamsters
2011	Taking Stock Over Time

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