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The Second Amendment
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An absolute must read for anyone who has even a passing curiosity about both the gun debate in this country, and how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution. While it does suffer from a touch of unnecessary snarkiness towards the end, it still does a wonderful job of covering pretty much all the bases in the history of this contentious subject. Of course, those who think they have a God-given right to own an assortment of machine guns are likely to find this book rather disagreeable, but they aren't really known for having a strong grasp on historical facts anyway.
  
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
1955 | Classics, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"This may be about the same time, sort of, in my life. It was The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, General Billy Mitchell, for maybe disobeying the orders of just how he should approach sinking Navy ships. The reason that that has a significance to me is that my father’s first assignment in the Air Corps was as an aide to Billy Mitchell in the Philippines, and that’s where he met my mother, my father met my mother. It’s told to me by the family that not only did Jimmy Doolittle bounce me on his knee, but Billy Mitchell did too."

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Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: War Cry
Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: War Cry
Jim Butcher | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
7
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Effectively entry #7.5 in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, this is thus set after the events of 'Dead Beat', with the White Council at war with the vampires of the Red Court.

Having been inducted into the Wardens ranks, Harry is sent off - with a few other such wardens - on a mission that proves (as always) to be more than it initially seems, with the tale then progressing into becoming effectively one of a siege.

I may be wrong, but I think this is also the first time it is made explicit that there is somebody behind the scenes pulling the strings ...
  
Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls
Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls
Scott Snyder | 2020 | Comics & Graphic Novels
8
8.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
For a long time now, I have avoided the New52. Largely, my opinion was tipped against it when I read of the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship (Lois? Lois who, dear sir?). From that point, my feelings towards anything New52-related as being as verboten as could be!

Lately, since getting back into DC with Bendis' Superman stories (yes, they are not perfect, but they are nowhere near as bad as I had initially anticipated), I have found myself rethinking my feelings towards the New52, especially as it was stated that the Superman/WW thing was a different Superman from a different Earth. With that rethinking, I began to read the beginning of the New52 Batman, starting with Volume 1.

The Court of Owls is a cool-ass concept! A secret order dedicated to controlling Gotham City, setting things in motion, helping to shape the city the way they saw fit? Yes, please. Yeah, sure, it messed a bit with Bat's origin, but I felt it added something to it. Something that we didn't know that we really did need!

And those masks they wore? Holy cow, they were so simple in design, yet decidedly creepy all the same! I could totally see Faction Paradox having some dealings with the Court of Owls, especially in regard to the whole "War in Heaven"!

The more I am being exposed to how Scott Snyder writes, the more I am finding myself becoming a very serious fan! I feel he has a good feel for both Bruce Wayne, as well as Batman - far more than Tom King has!

And, let us not forget all the awesomeness that was Greg Capullo's art! Dark, moody, with just the right amount of creepy and a fair amount of attention to detail! Solid work for sure!

In conclusion, I can't recommend the first volume of New52 Batman enough! I am looking forward to finishing the second volume to see how this whole "Court of Owls" storyline finishes!
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 7, 2022 (Updated Aug 7, 2022)  
True crime buffs, come read an excerpt from CODE OF SILENCE: INSIDE THE CASE THAT LED TO THE FIRST FEDERAL JUDGE TO BE IMPEACHED by Lise Olsen on my blog, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book - three winners.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-code-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Code of Silence tells the story of federal court employee Cathy McBroom, who had to flee her job as a case manager in Galveston, Texas, after enduring years of sexual harassment and assault by her boss-US District Judge Samuel Kent. Following a decade of firsthand reporting at the Houston Chronicle, investigative reporter Lise Olsen charts McBroom’s assault and the aftermath, when McBroom was thrust into the role of whistle-blower to denounce a federal judge.

What Olsen discovered by investigating McBroom’s story and other federal judicial misconduct matters nationwide was shocking. With the help of other federal judges, Kent was being protected by a secretive court system that has long tolerated or ignored complaints about corruption, sexism, and sexual misconduct-enabling him to remain in office for years. Other powerful judges accused of judicial misconduct were never investigated and remain in power or retired with full pay, such as US Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski and Kozinski’s mentee, Brett Kavanaugh.
     
Hopefully you have read Book 1 Court of Nightfall, it explains how far our lead heroine has come.

Scarlett is living a double life. Infiltrating the organization from the inside to bring corruption to its knees, she walks a fine line. Nightfall is the inner Scarlett let out to mete Justice. With a demanding schedule as a new Initiate she tries to balance training and her classes to move up in the ranks and saving innocents in their time of need.

Tears and Laughter, Warm Fuzzy Feelings and Heartache. You will feel those and more in this book. Can't wait to read Book 3!!!
  
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
2019 | Biography, Crime, Thriller
Excellent performances and respect to the true crime victims. (0 more)
Exceptionally interesting, shockingly horrific and really good watch
Excellent script and performances which are done with great respect. The film doesn't linger on the horrors of the actions of Bundy but rather concentrates on the working of him and his relationship with the family that he connects himself with. This combining with the slow burning crime running parallel lifts it from being a generic retelling of the Bundy story. It's great that it doesn't use gore to tell the story which makes the court scenes more horrific in the reveal of the murders.
An all round classy, respectful thriller.
  
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Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer, #6)
Karen Chance | 2013 | Paranormal, Romance
10
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tempt the Stars is great, even with the grief over one of my favourite characters. The way Cassie pulls Pritkin into her adventures despite his sentence of doom is run and heartbreaking.

We learn of a whole new side to the world, the witches and the Pythian court, which provides ana exciting more female empowerment. While vampires were quite gender neutral there was a heavy male presence and the mages were all male. Having the strong witches arrive and Cassie prove her place among them and growing and maturing in this book was an exciting turn that I look forward to in subsequent books.
  
Untouchable (2019)
Untouchable (2019)
2019 | Documentary
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Untouchable is a documentary film about Harvey Weinstein being a dirtbag. The whole situation is still highly disturbing, and the fact that the harassment/abuse was being covered up is disgusting. I found it interesting that people had been reporting it, and nothing was done.
My favorite interviewee was the former assistant that found out about it via court docs delivered to the office and up and quit. There were other assistants that quit too. I like people with conviction to stand up. But, too bad they were all paid off/signed noon-disclosure agreements.
It's an interesting documentary, though it is completely disturbing,
  
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Taylor Sheridan recommended The Insider (1999) in Movies (curated)

 
The Insider (1999)
The Insider (1999)
1999 | Drama

"Micheal Mann’s The Insider was one of the most influential films on me. The way that he can build tension with a movie about a court deposition. Just incredible. To study it from a filmmaker’s standpoint, he does things in there, breaking rules, and usually if you’re going to employ a method of camera operation, you’re going to employ that throughout. But there’s one scene where he brings in a steady cam, and he does shots with that thing that are just incredible, and you don’t even recognize that’s what you’re watching, when it’s usually one of the most telling methods of operating a camera, and one I don’t personally like."

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