StanleyWheeler

Fun Facts: The Boston Massacre happened March 5, 1770. The British had sent more than 2,000 (some sources say 4,000) soldiers to occupy the city to enforce the various tax laws. Clashes between soldiers and colonists became more common as the latter's protests against British taxes often included vandalism against the stores of merchants selling British goods. When colonists attacked a loyalist's store in February, a customs officer living near the store fired on the crowd, killing an 11 year-old boy. On March 5, 1770, Private White was the lone soldier on guard outside a customs house on King Street. Angry colonists threatened him. He fought back with his bayonet. The colonists responded with snowballs, ice, and stones. In desperation, White called for reinforcements. Capt. Preston arrived with more soldiers. The situation escalated as the colonists struck the soldiers with clubs. Someone may have shouted, "Fire!" A soldier fired his musket. Others fired, killing five colonists and wounding six. The soldiers were soon arrested. Paul Revere produced a propaganda etching showing the soldiers starting the massacre.

John Adams represented the defendants and persuaded the judge to call a jury without any citizens of Boston in its composition. Preston and the soldiers were found not guilty of murder. Two soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and had their thumbs branded.

Of course, things went downhill in Boston from there. I'll save for another day a recitation of additional facts contributing to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Revolutionary Boston of 1775 is the rude eye of revolution which my characters must thread--or pass through--in the first book of my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire trilogy: Threading the Rude Eye. I am literally figuratively beside myself with excitement and anticipation as I near the conclusion of the third book, Clamorous Harbingers. The word count has marched close enough to see the whites of the eyes of 110K. I hope to finish with the climactic battle this week and wrap up the book and first trilogy at around 120K words. (I may be overly optimistic in my expectation to finish this week). In the second book, Power to Hurt, the adventure takes most of the characters out of the settlements and into the wilderness controlled by Indians, gryphons, and dragons. The characters re-encounter old enemies, and meet new terrors in Clamorous Harbingers.

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As you may know, the 4th season of Last Kingdom is out. I've watched via vidangel the first three episodes over the last couple weeks. I'm disappointed. Alfred died at the end of the third season, and his heir Edward has proved to be easily manipulated by his father-in-law. As for Uhtred, he has a son whose whiny and annoying characteristics are entirely overdone. The first two episodes of season four set up the beginning of episode three--which unfolded exactly as even the dullest of wits (including me) predicted. The rest of episode three suffers from an abundance of long, slow shots, prolonged (and not well done) mourning, and discussion with all the edge of my pre-sharpened mower blade. I'm confident that it will get better. I hated the beginning and first few episodes of season three--but Alfred's impending death and the potential turmoil which threatened to follow rekindled my interest. I would have been happier if the witch been left out of the third season entirely--hated that character and everything she did to that season. Maybe that's why I never commented on the show last season. Here's hoping for better episodes to come.

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I've long entertained the idea that Edgar Rice Burrough's The Red Hawk, book 3 of the trilogy that began with The Moon Maid, was the inspiration for the Star Trek episode "The Omega Glory." In THR, the titular hero leads his people, who have lived like the Americans Indians for generations, to recover the last of their land (in California) taken by the Kalkars, the invaders from the moon. In TOG,  the Yangs recover the last stronghold held by the Comms (or Kohms). The Yangs carry Old Glory and have the Pledge of Allegiance and The Constitution of the United States. I like both of these. TOG is routinely denigrated as "cheesy" for the battle-scarred Star Spangled Banner which makes it's entrance near the end of the episode.

As for me, it's my favorite episode. Morgan Woodward (in one of his two outstanding appearances on the series) nails the bad guy role of the Starfleet Captain Ron Tracey. He is my favorite villain of the series, and is one of Kirk's most formidable foes in the circumstances of the episode. Also, you won't find anything like this in any other episode:

As for TRH, it's not Burrough's best, but it is exciting and the ending features some unanticipated aspects -- a reconciliation and joining of forces after an enmity that has spanned several generations. The real fight is against the Kalkars, rather than with the humans whom they have manipulated and enslaved. As I mentioned in my discussion of The Moon Men, the Kalkars are stand-ins for the Soviets. I guess ERB was saying that while there can by no reconciliation with communism, there can be a reconciliation between peoples.