John T. Reed’s news blog

We noticed a pattern in our book sales around this time of year back in the 1980s: Sales of the Succeeding book went up..“Oh, people are using it as a Christmas gift.”.I wrote the book for my first son Dan (and later, his two younger brothers). He was entering high school where they start to put stuff in your “permanent record.”.I had made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot about how the world works and doesn’t. Also, the grown-ups who are supposed to teach this stuff—teachers, college professors, Hollywood—lie. They leave out the bad stuff. And plain lie...

Elizabeth Warren is officious..assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, especially with regard to petty or trivial matters."the security people were very officious"synonyms:peremptory · high-handed · commanding · imperial · overbearing · overweening · domineering · authoritarian · dictatorial · authoritative · lordly · assertive · dominating · [more]intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering..1: volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : MEDDLESOMEofficious people who are always ready to offer unasked advice.Officious is a tricky word as it seems like it might mean something like office or official. Instead, it is a word to...

I bought a portable generator three and a half years ago at Costco: Champion model 100155 9000 peak watts 7000 running watts dual fuel (gasoline and propane). Cost $900 something. I would have preferred just propane. I regard gasoline as extremely dangerous. Propane is also extremely clean burning. . I am not concerned about global warming but I expect burning propane instead of gasoline extends the life of the generator. I researched and wrote about CNG powered cars years ago. One advantage according to the owner of a CNG Honda Civic is the engine does not get dirty like a...

Hillary seems to be turning into “Nora Desmond”—really. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTT0LW0M_Y . At some point, Hillary needs an intervention. And I think she will get it soon, partly for her sake, but it will happen for the party’s sake. If she keeps this up unstopped, she may re-elect Trump. . When you think about it, the Deep State with all its “insurance policy” machinations and Comey press conferences during the campaign may have snatched defeat for Hillary from the jaws of her victory. Throwing a presidential election is not an exact science or an easy trick. If you try, you may...

Not being able to see the forest for the trees is an old description of a common diagnostic problem. It applies to the Middle East. . Donald Trump CAN see the forest and not be distracted by the trees. I keep trying to get readers to do the same. Forget ISIS and Assad and Putin and the Ayatollahs and all that. Just look at the general situation there since, say, about 1750. . Islam divided into multiple sects that hate each other is the basic permanent underlying theme. Oil was overlaid on that in the 1970s. Peak political power of...