Missive #788 Published 7 Sep 2026
Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. She’s the “invisible girl,” compelled to poke into her wealthy clients’ closely guarded lives. It’s a harmless hobby until Kit sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. In turn, it makes the couple—who might kill to keep their secret—dangerous to Kit.
Missive #787 Published 6 Sep 2026
Continuing The Federalist Papers
Federalist No. 81
The Judiciary Continued,
and the Distribution of the Judicial Authority
Author: Alexander Hamilton
To the People of the State of New York:
Missive #786 Published 5 Sep 2026
Sharpe has been sent by Wellington on a mission to Cadiz, now the capital of Spain, to rescue the British ambassador — who happens to be Wellington's brother — from a spot of undiplomatic trouble. The city has been blockaded by the French but is supported by the British from the sea. It contains a rare mix of pro- and anti-British citizens, diplomats, courtiers, adventurers, and spies. Sharpe's mission — complicated, undercover, and political — turns out to be completely different from the one on which he was sent. It brings him through the besieging enemy army to triumph in the Battle of Barrosa, where the British, deserted by their allies, defeat an overwhelmingly stronger French force.
Missive #785 Published 4 Sep 2026
155. Nasruddin’s Inshallah
“I’m going to buy a new donkey tomorrow,” declared Nasruddin.
His wife rebuked him. “You should say ‘Insh’allah!'”
But Nasruddin was feeling self-confident and refused to say “God-willing.”
The next day he bought his donkey.
“I’m doing fine on my own!” he thought to himself.
But on the way home, a snake startled the donkey.
The donkey bolted, throwing Nasruddin into the brambles.
Nasruddin was scratched, his clothes were torn, and his donkey was gone.
It was dark when Nasruddin got home.
He knocked at the door.
“Who is it?” his wife asked.
“Nasruddin!” he replied. Then he added, “Insh’allah!”
Missive #784 Published 3 Sep 2026
This book was published in 2016 the election year for Trump 1.0 and before Vance was elected as Senator from Ohio in 2023. If the book had been published after he was elected as Senator and certainly after he became Vice President it would not have been as well received as it was in 2016.
Missive #783 Published 31 Aug 2026
This is the second book in a trilogy with an author that is a cultural critic, historian and professor of English and American Studies. So, what you get is an academic's book written in the academic style with a profusion of quotes making it a long read. I read the last one in the series when I get around to it since the first two have been interesting although not easy reads.
Missive #782 Published 30 Aug 2026
Continuing The Anti-Federalist Papers
Federal Farmer XIV
by Federal Farmer
Missive #781 Published 28 Aug 2026
154. Nasruddin Needs New Shoes
Nasruddin wasn’t a wealthy man. His clothes were threadbare, and his shoes were even worse, much to Nasruddin’s shame. He wanted to buy new shoes, but he couldn’t even afford to pay the shoemaker to repair his old shoes.
A friend sought to console him. “Don’t worry, Nasruddin,” he said. “Your shoes may be shabby now, but God has promised that anyone suffering from need and want in this world will be rewarded in Paradise.”
“I was thinking about that,” replied Nasruddin, “and I realized there must be a lot of angels who are working as shoemakers there in Paradise.”
Missive #780 Published 25 Aug 2026
The big news is that we did NOT get any rain yesterday and my walking routes were mostly dry this morning. I went to the Adobe Bakery and Café yesterday morning and then stopped in Reserve to pick up some groceries at Jake's. Even more important was a package at the post office that had coffee and chicory in it. This is a new to me coffee roaster that also provides roasted ground chicory.
Missive #779 Published 24 Aug 2026
Despite the book’s immensity, Mumford’s discussion of actual cities is restricted to a rather narrow range. He concentrates on the ancient (mostly Mediterranean) world and then on Europe. He mentions that “I have confined myself as far as possible to cities and regions I am acquainted with at first hand, and to data in which I have long been immersed.” This is his preferred method, which obviously has its pluses and minuses; it does diminish the most obvious drawback of an enormous survey work by a single author, namely the attempt to cover subjects of which one’s knowledge is hazy or speculative in the interests of completeness. It’s somewhat surprising, though, that this lifelong New Yorker says relatively little about New York, or about American cities generally.