THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LVII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LVII

The single word “unseeable” ate at my foundations. Instinctively, I knew that word had nothing to do with nuclear power or any of what went on at the plant. The word didn’t refer, by definition, to something being unable to be seen because it was too secret to be...
The Tribe, From the Wilderness

The Tribe, From the Wilderness

THE TRIBE From the Wilderness by James Strauss   Alexandre Dumas, in one of his grand sweeping romance novels of all time, created the phrase “one for all and all for one.”  The phrase referred to the combined friendship and focused attitudes of four...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LVI

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LVI

I couldn’t sleep, but that was nothing new since the Nam. The doctors at the VA said that nobody could stay awake for days and nights on end but my time in the valley and then the nights and days after coming home had disproven that, not that my word about such things...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LV

Earlier in the day the weather had been so very Southern California that I hadn’t noticed it, as I ran around arranging everything I would need for the mission. However, when I was ‘installing’ the Bronco, once again, in between the giant beach cleaning machines at...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LIV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LIV

The tapes were proving to be a nightmare, not just because the job was boring and delicate but also because of the time. There was the beach patrol issue to be dealt with, as I was on at four in the afternoon and no real way out of not spending six hours, or so doing...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LIII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LIII

I lay in bed, my body wanting to fall into a restful and restorative sleep, but my mind was having none of that. In closing my eyes, I wasn’t taken back into combat, which happened only rarely and never when I was so tired. No, it was Gularte’s words about a possible...
The Death of the Future, From the Wilderness

The Death of the Future, From the Wilderness

From The Wilderness THE DEATH OF THE FUTURE By James Strauss   In one of the first ‘From the Wilderness’ articles written more than a year ago, I made a prediction that the forces opposed to both electric vehicles and automatic driving would face nearly overwhelming...
Death From Above, From The Wilderness

Death From Above, From The Wilderness

FROM THE WILDERNESS Death From Above By James Strauss The Internet can be a terribly accurate but often unresearched data base for things many people never think to research.  One of those things involves death by pilot suicide.  For example, between 2011 and 2021,...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter LII

I made no attempt to rise to my feet, as I lay next to the lapping water on the slanted ramp. The reddish dirty bag rope dangled from my right hand. When I’d been out in the pier-end restaurant with Shawna, neither she nor any of the members of the Dwarfs, really had...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter LI

THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter LI

I realized just how different Bob Elwell was, as I sat out at the end of the pier considering the coming dive. The simplicity of his plan, versus the overwhelming complexity of my own, amazed me. I’d given my plan only about a fifty percent chance of succeeding since...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter L

THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter L

The cat, Bozo, sat at the double doors, almost always open, as it was the morning, the cool breeze wafting in across his short, scarred by still strangely soft body fur. He looked out, although, what with the solid wood railing between him and the more distant outside...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLIX

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLIX

There was nobody at the Galloway restaurant when I showed up, half an hour before it was supposed to open. There were certain advantages and disadvantages I presumed in owning or running a restaurant and living in attached quarters. Lorraine was indefatigable, and Tom...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLVIII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLVIII

The three of us sat on the bench, our backs to Cobb’s smaller, but expensive yacht, and facing Richard’s larger and much more expensive yacht. It was readily apparent that the two boats were so closely slipped near one another out of deliberation rather than ignorance...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLVII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLVII

I sat still inside the idling Bronco, my mind twisting and turning about the call that had come in and the mission Gularte and I had just finished, except we hadn’t finished it. The call was beyond strange, as Chiefs of Staff for presidents of the country were about...
THE COWARDLY LION Book Two, Chapter XLVI

THE COWARDLY LION Book Two, Chapter XLVI

Gularte and I worked back and forth across our interconnected plots of sand, rolling over the state beach area without stopping, as the state guards didn’t much appreciate the beach patrol’s existence much less the mostly reserve officers that manned it. “It’s a turf...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLV

Gularte was there when I arrived. Ideas about how to do what I now felt compelled to do circulated around my brain, my tiredness from having not slept well at National Airport or being able to settle down once I got back as if I had never been there. Gularte and I...
The Star on The Cape, From The Wilderness

The Star on The Cape, From The Wilderness

THE STAR ON THE CAPE The world of me. The time of me. The expression of me. And the reflections by mass media that our entire consciousness is being overwhelmed by this intense and burning need by everyone to have the focus placed upon them and only them. This has...
FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Eleven

FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Eleven

FROM THE WILDERNESS Heat Also Rises By James Strauss   I hold advanced degrees in both anthropology and physics.  I think I have studied enough and traveled enough (122 countries) and dived deep enough (in every ocean and ‘sea’ on earth) to have some idea about what’s...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLIV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLIV

I sat facing both Haldeman and Ehrlichman, as I had in our previous session. They sat on the couch while I was in an overstuffed easy chair ninety degrees off the view of the ocean that they were facing. I didn’t make any effort to enjoy the stunning view, my full...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter XLIII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book II, Chapter XLIII

My wife told me that I had to let the incident between Gates and me go, or I might potentially ruin everything. My argument against that was simply one of trying to live in a state of helplessness. Following Vietnam, I was being made to feel like an important man by...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XLII

As soon as Bob was done talking the meeting turned into bedlam. “What kind of conclusion is that to come to?” Hoodoo asked into the maelstrom of everyone talking at the same time. “You have no basis in fact for any of your conclusions leading to that. We don’t know...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Ten

From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Ten

FROM THE WILDERNESS Billionaire Bastards By James Strauss   What are all the American courts, criminal, federal, state and civil trying not to tell the public? They are not only lying out of passively failing to discuss things of merit and fact, but they are also...
THE COWARDLY LION, BOOK Two, Chapter XLI

THE COWARDLY LION, BOOK Two, Chapter XLI

We stood outside in the rain and wind, Butch and I staring at the replaced aluminum doors on the side of his Airstream. It was as if they had never been gone. Butch walked forward the few feet to the two steps leading up. He opened the screen door, and then the main...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XL

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XL

The day grew ever darker and more threatening. I knew the storm wasn’t going to miss San Clemente, as it sometimes did. Living right on the shore wasn’t the best place on the planet to make weather predictions about I’d learned over time. I had little time to get to...
Alien Sense and Secrets, From the Wilderness

Alien Sense and Secrets, From the Wilderness

FROM THE WILDERNESS The Obvious Sense Behind Alien Secrets and UFOs By James Strauss   As an important field operations member of the Central Intelligence Agency for seventeen years I can honestly report that I never saw in real life something that could be termed a...
Alien Sense and Secrets, From the Wilderness

From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Nine

FROM THE WILDERNESS The Obvious Sense Behind Alien Secrets By James Strauss   As an important field operations member of the Central Intelligence Agency for seventeen years I can honestly report that I never saw in real life something that could be termed a current...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIX

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIX

Gularte, Richard and I gathered in the cabin of Richard’s luxury yacht. The interior was so well done in teak, stainless-steel and glass that it felt more like some exotic penthouse rather than the interior cabin of a medium-sized boat. Once again, I wondered where...
Veteran Priority, From The Wilderness

Veteran Priority, From The Wilderness

FROM THE WILDERNESS The Forgotten Soldiers By James Strauss   The nation spends about $88,000 for each living veteran who qualifies for its services.  Where does that money go?  Almost all of it for administration, care givers of all kinds, and facilities.  Direct...
Veteran Priority, From The Wilderness

FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Eight

FROM THE WILDERNESS The Forgotten Soldiers By James Strauss   The nation spends about $88,000 for each living veteran who qualifies for its services.  Where does that money go?  Almost all of it for administration, care givers of all kinds, and facilities.  Direct...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXVII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXVII

My first meeting with Paul, my shrink of questionable credentials and experience, had gone amazingly well. My first act of redemption, which he never truly defined, made me feel better about myself in spite of the fact that I wasn’t sure why. I’d bought in immediately...
The Plight of Reality, From The Wilderness

The Plight of Reality, From The Wilderness

FROM THE WILDERNESS Plight of Reality by James Strauss   The door into reality gapes open, swinging wide and then slamming shut, as pain and frightened alienation leave anyone left alive and standing…staring in paralyzed wonder at a closed surface once again veneered...
The Plight of Reality, From The Wilderness

From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Seven

FROM THE WILDERNESS Plight by James Strauss   The door into reality gapes open, swinging wide and then slamming shut, as pain and frightened alienation leave anyone left alive and standing…staring in paralyzed wonder at a closed surface once again veneered over with...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXVI

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXVI

Richard and I spent an uncomfortable moment staring at one another. He probably wanted to ask me if I’d recognized his famous guest, but he didn’t. I wanted to ask where the U.S. Marshals that provide security and protection for the United States Secretary of State...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXV

Gularte and Manning walked into the restaurant, both laughing as they crossed the short distance to my table. I didn’t smile when they took the available chairs on both sides of me. Lorraine appeared with ‘bad tea’ for Manning and a cup of coffee for Gularte. Neither...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Five

From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Five

SOSUS I is the acronym of the formerly top-secret array of ocean bottom sound sensing placements the U.S. has maintained during and following the cold war. These centers, many of them were manned, were built to find and follow Soviet submarines no matter where there...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIV

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIV

The ride on the freeway down toward and then through San Clemente was made in silence. I said nothing and neither of the women did either. I refused to look over at the Staff Sergeant as I felt that if I made the slightest wrong move the whole scene of which I had...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXIII

I walked on the cooling sand toward the Trestles railroad bridge, my mind clearing the web of fear the faux Claymore had brought down upon me. My thoughts were drawn back to a lesser fear. Richard. If Richard was the operative who had disposed of the troublesome...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXII

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXII

The quiet stillness in the restaurant was broken only by the regular ‘at sea’ noise coming in through the thin wooden walls and cheap sheet glass serving as spume covered windows. I took command of the group, as going any further, with respect to Richard’s loyalties,...
FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Four

FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Four

FROM THE WILDERNESS WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD By James Strauss   Our studies of the universe cause us to cower inward, as if pulling back from the cold harshness of a raging blizzard just outside.  We retreat to the warmth of our fireplaces, radiating with warmth and...
FromThe Wilderness, Article One Hundred Four

What a Wonderful World, From The Wilderness

FROM THE WILDERNESS WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD By James Strauss   Our studies of the universe cause us to cower inward, as if pulling back from the cold harshness of a raging blizzard just outside.  We retreat to the warmth of our fireplaces, radiating with warmth and...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXI

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXXI

The staff sergeant and I made small talk all the way to El Toro. It was normally a half hour drive, but the sergeant took his time, staying in the slow lane. His background was embassy duty, so he talked on and on about the different embassies and consulates he’d been...
THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXX

THE COWARDLY LION, Book Two, Chapter XXX

Marion Smoak was the head of protocol for the White House, or so the printed message delivered to my home by one of the compound Lincolns indicated. The time of the event, to be held at the San Clemente Inn, located not more than a mile from the Nixon residence...
From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Five

From The Wilderness, Article One Hundred Five

From The Wilderness WE ARE LITERALLY STANDING ON THE THRESHOLD By James Strauss The study of physics is the study of the way things are. Those questions we occasionally tussle over when left to contemplate life and its meaning, such as “how did we come to be here?”...