James Pyles's Blog, page 99
January 5, 2019
The Return of Flight A-10
“There it is again. Let me put it on speaker, Richard.” Thirty-eight-year-old Kristen Hines was on assignment for the NSA at the RAF Ascension Space Communications facility on the mid-Atlantic island. Richard Porter was the fifty-five-year-old civilian division chief. As the static switched from Kristen’s headset to the speakers in the secure communications room crewed […]
Quoting: Calculated Risks
“Part of being careful is not to be excessively careful.” If a person is excessively careful about not doing anything unless he is absolutely certain of success, he will not accomplish very much. While we should be careful not to take rash risks, calculated risks are necessary for anyone who wishes to utilize his potential. […]
January 3, 2019
Book Review: Knight Training (The Steam Knight Book 1)
Yesterday, I finished reading Jon Del Arroz’s short story Knight Training, a small steampunk piece that’s part of his For Steam and Country universe. I won’t post these first few paragraphs at Amazon, but I feel it necessary, given the criticism I receive every time I mention Mr. Del Arroz on this blog, to say […]
January 2, 2019
From Up in the Sky
“What the hell?” Sixty-two year old millionaire Warren Hollister stared down the long gully carved in his quarry terminating at an unconscious man being put on a wheeled gurney by ambulance attendants. “It’s like I was saying. Thought he was dead, but when I checked, he was breathing,” gasped Jake Fischer, the Foreman. “Not a […]
Quoting: Turn Criticism into a Blessing
The biggest blessing for a person is when someone points out to him not only his strengths and virtues, but also his weaknesses and shortcomings. We see this in the Torah when Yaakov blessed his children before he died. Yet we see that he reprimanded some sons for having faults such as impulsiveness and acting […]
January 1, 2019
Dreaming on Such a Winter’s Day
William Blake knew he was in trouble when he saw the zebra unraveling like a ball of twine, especially since there shouldn’t be any free roaming zebras in the high desert southeast of Boise. “Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip,” he muttered to himself, pressing his hands on each side of his […]
Quoting: Never Give Up Hope
“Even if you are in the midst of great suffering, do not give up hope” (Pirkei Avos 1:7; Rashi). Life situations might at times seem so bleak and desperate that you see no hope for the future. You might tell yourself things like, “My life is a terrible mess, and I don’t think it will […]
December 31, 2018
Cult: A Brief Commentary on Actress Allison Mack’s Descent into Darkness
Guilty pleasures confession time. I used to be a huge fan of the television series Smallville (2001-2011). I’ve watched every episode at least once, and I love the theme song (YouTube). In case you don’t know, “Smallville” followed the adventures of young High School student Clark Kent for the ten years before he put on […]
Across the Hell Land
Gray-haired, burnt-skinned Santos had forgotten the number of times he had appealed to the Glow for an end to his journey through the hell lands. He couldn’t fool himself with the placebo anymore, and so as he put out the campfire and slipped on his rucksack, the dull pain in his right knee became his […]
Quoting: Don’t Despair
Even if a doctor says there is no chance of recovery, one should not despair. There are an extremely large amount of cases when doctors have given up hope and nevertheless the patient recovered. While it is irresponsible to disregard reliable medical advice when something practical can be done, doctors are only human and are […]
