On slick trick

I recently bought The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy, which is about a war between Russia and China while Jack Ryan is president of the United States, which is something I haven't quite got used to. In contrast to James Clavell in Noble House, I believe Clancy is going to be sympathetic to Russia but not to China. In many of his books Soviets are portrayed as the enemy, but in many ways legitimately patriotic in that they do want to protect the Motherland, the rodina. He appreciates their professionalism. Some hate communism, but still want to protect their country. It's a slick trick. Of course in reality Russia and China seem to be getting along in the hate the US crowd, but I doubt it's so cozy behind the scenes. They don't share an overt political philosophy now, but in many ways maybe they are the same. They are greedy and practical, not just procommunist. The Russians don't pretend to be anymore, and China barely protends.

On chocolate strawberries

If there's any kind of candy people think is the ultimate, it's chocolate strawberries. I know there used to be a place in South St Louis famous for making them. I know once on my day job I went to another office there, and the women said they envied me for living so close to that, saying they'd be eating them all the time. Of course, they can always buy them. When somebody wrote an erotica story for me set in a hotel room in Paris set up for a honeymoon, it came with chocolate strawberries. Another erotic writer put them into a limousine as the candy of choice of the wealthy people who ride around in such limousines. Not me of course. Riding in a limousine to me means somebody has died, so I don't like that.