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MaryPage · January 06, 2025, 01:07:17 PM

On March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times. The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death of the president or a former president.

MarsGal · January 06, 2025, 06:19:42 PM

Here you go, MaryPage. The United States Flag Code. Sec. 7: Position and manner of display. See item (m) for info about flying the flag at half-staff.

https://www.legion.org/advocacy/flag-advocacy/flag-code

MaryPage · January 06, 2025, 08:20:47 PM

Thank you, Mars!
The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection -

(1) the term ''half-staff'' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;

MaryPage · January 06, 2025, 08:28:13 PM

The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection -

(1) the term ''half-staff'' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;

MarsGal · January 08, 2025, 07:34:45 AM

I finished with The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks the other day. It is not one of his best. While it is similar to books in his Culture series, it is not a part of it. Story threads disappeared and characters that popped in and out, some of them seemed to be left hanging in limbo. Too bad Banks never expanded on some of the scenarios or characters. I have to agree with some of the critics that it could have been written better. Many of the characters and scenes could have been fleshed out (not dropped in the middle of nowhere, so to speak) and in doing so, expanded into another book or two.

Now I am reading book one of C. J. Cherryh's three book Gene Wars series called Hammerfall. The main characters, who appear to be a bit insane, are sent on a mission. Desert setting. Not as mesmerizing as her Foreigner series, but interesting enough to keep reading. It wasn't what I intended to read next, but I was wondering why the book was marked read when I hadn't read it yet. Got into it, and kept going.

MaryPage · January 08, 2025, 10:31:35 AM

I still read British cozy murder mysteries. Do you recognize the name Anne Perry? She died a couple of years ago; 2013, I believe it was. Wrote 102 books! Made a fistful of money.
Well, here is the gritty revelation: She was convicted of committing murder herself at age 15!

Oh, & if this sends you to a book store or library to check her out, the series featuring William Monk as the lead detective is the best.

Marilyne · January 12, 2025, 02:38:37 PM

MaryPage: I read about Anne Perry's murder conviction! There are a number of articles online about it, that are very interesting indeed. It was shocking I thought, as she seemed to have no remorse whatsoever.
I've never read any of her books, but I did watch the Monk television series, and liked it.

I'm thinking about ordering a new Kindle, in hopes that I'll like it better than I did my old one? I'm having a hard time reading regular books now - can't get comfortable in any of the chairs round here, plus I can't see well at all unless the book is in large print.
If anyone has any suggestions as to their favorite Kindle type readers, or Audio devices, please let me know.

MarsGal · January 12, 2025, 06:15:48 PM

I don't think that is the same Monk, Marilyne. I liked the TV show too.

Gee, I am only half way through Hammerfall. It is longer than I thought. Interesting, but I am not that invested in the characters. I may not pick up books two and three of the series. One of the comments I saw about book two was that it is disconnected from book one, having little or nothing to do with what went on before.

I have a while to think about it, but several of the books that have been languishing in my wish list at the FLP are nonfiction. Three are by Alison Weir and are biographies of Mary Queen of Scots, Elinor of Aquitaine, and Elizabeth I. I read Antonia Fraser's book on Mary Queen of Scots eons ago, but a reread of her life won't hurt. There is also Nathaniel Philbrick's Travels with George, Washington that is, and Laurence Bergreen's Over the Edge of the World which is about Magellan's circumnavigation of the world. I've acquired quite a pile of non-fiction on the list that needs pared down.

MarsGal · January 16, 2025, 03:13:20 PM

I finished Hammerfall. It is mostly a long journey back and fore over desert terrain trying to save as many people as possible from an apocalyptic event. It also includes two so-called goddesses vying for control and a father/son feud. The "world destroying event sounds, to me, an awful lot like what the Chicxulub asteroid event did to the earth 66 million years ago. However, the goddesses attribute the disaster to aliens (as they themselves are) who want to destroy the world and inhabitants in order to destroy the gene manipulations and nanocytes that had been infused into some of the humans which greatly upset the Ondat (alien race who own the planet, apparently). The second volume begins several hundred years later, with some of the same characters, and is said to actually be better than Hammerfall. Hmmmm!

My new read is The Arkansas River (Rivers West Book 1) by Jory Sherman. This is the first of a Western fiction series (about 20 books by varied authors?) revolving various western rivers. I looked the Arkansas River up and was surprised to see that it runs west to east from its headwaters in the Colorado Rockies and ends in the Mississippi. I knew about it connecting to the Mississippi. I just didn't know it started the whole way over in Colorado.

BarbStAubrey · January 16, 2025, 03:24:18 PM

Looked it up on Amazon and it sounds interesting however, I still have not figured out how to listen to a book on my computer and it is not available to read in a Kindle version - looks like a series that is far more than introducing one of 20 rivers. Thinking on it that would make a great video series with photos of the rivers along its length that would include wilderness and towns and then throw in a bit about the early settlers - good way to introduce to kids various areas of the country that is a different location from where they live.

CallieOK · January 16, 2025, 03:34:58 PM

Marilyne and Barb, we lived ln Leadville Colorado for several years. The Arkansas River's source is a spring in the grounds of the Climax molybedum mine just north of Leadville. It is a mountain stream just west of town that our sons used to jump over!
When we moved to Oklahoma, they were amazed it had become a shipping channel from Tulsa to the Mississippi river.

MarsGal · January 17, 2025, 08:02:03 AM

Okay, my take so far is that Arkansas River is/was more likely directed to young folks, maybe of Boy and Girl Scout age. And yes, Barb, I can see now you mentioned it, that it would have made a good introduction to early exploration and pioneer history via the rivers of the West. It has a simple, straight forward dialog easy for a youngster to follow. So far, the characters are two young adults looking to set up a trading post on the Arkansas somewhere above Fort Williams and a Native American they rescued from a band of rival tribal members. It kind of reminds me of the early Westerns on TV like Death Valley Days, 20 Mule Team, and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. Not to mention the likes of Red Ryder, Tom Mix (my Dad's favorite), The Lone Ranger, Kit Carson, Roy Rogers (the earlier ones), The Adventures of Jim Bowie, and Davey Crockett. Gosh, this brings back memories. I just loved the Westerns when I was a youngster.

MarsGal · January 22, 2025, 06:25:52 AM

Okay, so now I am keeping in line with the Western theme and reading something called The Gunfighter by Robert J. Conley, who was a three time winner of the Spur Award and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas. I would describe the book as a comedy/parody.

BarbStAubrey · January 22, 2025, 07:00:29 AM

My two favorite current authors of mostly westerns are Cormic McCarthy and Larry McMurtry - both who died in 2023 - Cormic moved to the west from back east however most of his stories are set in range land or southwest mountains covered in rocks and coliche where there is seldom any place to hide in keeping with his characters who show all sides of their nature - the evil ones always have a streak or two of good and the Good ones always have a streak or two of bad - And then Larry McMurtry from Texas always has a streak of humor running through his stories - He is best known for Lonesome Dove where as Cormic's No Country for Old Men made a big splash when it too was made into a movie.

I've enjoyed several Native American authors however my current favorite is Louise Erdrich, a Chippewa - her stories I find easy to relate to the characters and storyline.

Marilyne · January 22, 2025, 10:43:32 AM

Barb, two of my favorite authors as well. I've read everything written by Larry McMurtry, and loved them all. His life story is interesting as well. He opened an immense book store in the small town where he was born - can't remember the name of the town but I think it was in West Texas? Thousands of books there from his private collection on display, as well as a section of books for sale. When I heard about it, I wanted so much to take a road trip to West Texas, just to see the store, and in hopes of meeting him. It never happened of course. I've always wondered what his wife did with the store and the books after he died. Will have to look that up.

My favorite of his novels is "The Last Picture Show". Made into an award winning movie in around 1980 I think? There are scenes in that movie that bring tears to my eyes, just thinking about it. Also lots of humor.

As for Cormack McCarthy, I didn't read the book "No Country For Old Men", but I did see the movie. It was good, but is not one of my favorites. I much preferred "The Road". Fabulous book and a great movie.

BarbStAubrey · January 23, 2025, 02:01:20 AM

Did not read the book, saw and didn't like the movie The Road - Probably because any of these 'after the world as we know it is destroyed' kind of stories just have me shaking my head - why - to me they are a downer that I just do not understand... why go there - and yes, the whole apocalyptic nature of the world did match what was left of the Man... the one I liked that was rough on the lead character, John Grady Cole, was All The Pretty Horses but then it was set in the West and in Northern Mexico.

Yes, Larry McMurtry in Archer City about 2 hours northwest of Fort Worth and only a half hour south of Wichita Falls - way up there in North Texas. I believe he was single at the time of his death - I don't remember if his then second wife died or they divorced - the book store was sold to the Archer City Writers Workshop, a non-profit - actually it was purchased by Chip and Joanna Gains - the power fixer upper couple from Waco - they did take some of the books - did their magic fixing it up then they sold it to the non-profit.

Marilyne · January 26, 2025, 01:49:07 PM

Barb, Thanks for the update on Larry McMurtry and what happened to his book store in Archer City. Interesting that it was purchased by Chip and Joanna Gaines, from Waco! I'm glad they fixed it up and sold it to the non-profit. I hadn't heard anything about them since their show ended on HGTV. I used to watch it all the time, and liked it. Then they kind of vanished for a while, and I got interested in the other "power couple" - Ben and Erin, from Laurel, Mississippi. I watched their show, "Home Town", for a long time, but haven't been it in a while - don't know if it's still on?

BarbStAubrey · January 26, 2025, 04:58:05 PM

Haven't seen their show but have and love Ben and Erin's book - and yes, Chip and Joanna are Mr. and Mrs. Waco - its a wonder they don't name the town after them - their footprint is huge.

RAMMEL · January 26, 2025, 07:32:54 PM

Quote from: Marilyne on January 26, 2025, 01:49:07 PMI hadn't heard anything about them since their show ended on HGTV.

Marilyne, it's still showing here in the NYC area.
I believe they bought HGTV. It is now the "Magnolia Network". Try to look it up by "Magnolia Network".

It's on right now. A show called "Fixer Upper".

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