KAZAKHSTAN LIMERICK

There was an Eagle Hunter of Kazakhstan,
which sounds like Eagle was hunted by man,
but the Eagle goes hunting,
the man sits doing nothing –
It’s a sweet gig for Eagle Hunters in Kazakhstan.

DAILY PHOTO: Murals Around West Lake [Hồ Tây], Hanoi

A lotus blossom themed mural on a building on the east side of West Lake (Hồ Tây) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A cherry blossom mural on a wall near Hồ Tây (West Lake) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A mural of a calligrapher on a wall near the southeastern tip of West Lake (Hồ Tây) in Hanoi, Vietnam.

PERU LIMERICK

There was a Guinea Pig from Peru
who didn’t know just quite what to do.
He’d heard there were places
-- oh, so magical places –
where his kind lived as pets not as food.

PROMPT: Brands

Daily writing prompt
What brands do you associate with?

Unless and until they cut me a check, I have no “association” with any brand.

I believe loyalty to friend, family, and nation can all be great virtues, but loyalty to a corporation is just silly. (They certainly won’t be loyal to you when it conflicts with what is best for the profit margin.)

FINLAND LIMERICK

A hardcore Metal drummer from Finland
refused to be without his sticks in hand,
but then the poor slob
couldn’t work a doorknob,
missed gigs, & got kicked out of the band.

CANADA LIMERICK

There was a hockey player from Canada
who was entirely lacking in stamina.
He shot like a sniper,
but breathing was hyper,
He got outskated by dear old grand-ma-ma.

DAILY PHOTO: Mountain & Farmland in North Vietnam

Image

A view of mountain and farmland taken along QL3 in Cao Bang District of Northern Vietnam.

KENYA LIMERICK

There was a chill burglar from Kenya
who, as he worked, listened to Enya.
It lulled him to sleep,
a sleep far too deep.
He woke up where burglars, they send ya.

PROMPT: Do More

Daily writing prompt
What could you do more of?
Pie eating. I don't mean to be gluttonous about it, but I seldom eat a proper piece of pie. I'd say I get enough dessert, overall, but perhaps need to shift more of the balance of dessert in the direction of pie. Or maybe I just have a momentary hankering for pie, and this is all just meaningless rambles. I do not intend to build a pie-eating action plan, so things will probably remain as they are on the pie-eating front.

BOOK REVIEW: “War is a Racket” by Smedley D. Butler

War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated SoldierWar is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America’s Most Decorated Soldier by Smedley D. Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

PDF available online

This impassioned essay is a call for a more restrained — some would call it isolationist — application of military force. Regardless of how one might feel about the isolationist stance, you’ll likely be moved by the essay’s central premise that we have too much war because it’s profitable — not profitable for those who fight and die in wars but for businessmen and politicians.

Butler, a US Marine Corps General, was a fascinating character — a two-time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Philippines, Tianjin (during the Boxer Rebellion,) at various places across Central America and the Caribbean, and in the First World War in Europe. He was also a whistleblower about a plot to unseat FDR. Butler writes in a conversational style that exudes a commanding presence.

I’d highly recommend this essay for its critical insights by one of the most impressive Marine Corp officers of all time.

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