Pairs & Cares

80 years ago today allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy, sounding the death knell for the Nazis. Many were teenagers thousands of miles from home. Many of those brave men would never see their loved ones again. The world will never repay the debt owed them. Photo from Google Images:

Is the congestion pricing cash grab finished in NYC or merely delayed due to election pandering? How will the planet survive without it?

Excerpt from a nypost.com editorial, edited by yours truly: “…’Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,’ ‘Didn’t Earn It,’ a new take on the acronym, has become an Internet meme, a buzz phrase on social media, and a conservative talking point on cable television, radio, and podcast.” Love it!… And this from an article by Nick Koutsobinas at newsmax.com: “Close to $40 billion has been withdrawn from ESG (environmental, social, governance) funds this year because of poor performance.”

It’s no longer Russian disinfo. Headline from foxnews.com: “Biden’s 2020 narrative about Hunter’s laptop shatters as his own DOJ enters it into trial evidence.” May the farce be with you… And the fix must be in, from FN: “Biden says he won’t pardon son Hunter, vows to accept verdict in gun crime trial.”

Pressed for something to read, I chose The Great Adventure of the Dirty Pair by Haruka Takachiho, illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, simple sci-fi. Set circa 2138, it is the story of two women in their late teens who work as Trouble Consultants, summoned when local authorities have failed. The tale is told from the point of view of the garrulous, hardnosed Kei. Her partner, Yuri, is quiet but equally lethal. They are sent to investigate an explosion that destroyed a large section of one of the galaxy’s largest businesses, located in the far reaches of space, to where mankind has expanded. Known as the Lovely Angels, the two are referred to as the Dirty Pair because of the collateral damage that has accumulated during their cases. That is the aspect I liked most about the book, refreshingly different from all those action flicks where few innocents are killed despite a hale of weaponry. The translation by Dana Lewis and John Thomas is smooth. The black and white illustrations are excellent. Although the girls long for male companionship, there is no sex. Published in 1979, it eventually spawned adaptations in all formats including radio. Sequels have followed. 15 users at Amazon have rated …The Dirty Pair, forging to a consensus of 4.3 on a scale of five. I’ll go with three. Here’s the cover. The ladies are riding their loyal, ferocious pet, which is something like a panther. Photo from GI:

My thanks to Mother Nature, who held off the rain and allowed the Anti-Inflation Book Shop to operate on this extremely muggy day; and to Jay, who bought CDs by U2 and Toni Braxton; and to the gentleman who purchased a hardcover in Russian.

My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

Read Vic’s Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza