Each month I will post Top-5 Lists covering a variety of topics: books, movies, foods, etc. If you have a topic you want me to provide a list for, contact me.
Top-5: Actors I Would Cast In A Shadow Tier Movie
Lance Bear Wolf - Martin Sensmeier
Martin Sensmeier is an American actor and model. Of Alaska Native and European American descent, he is known for playing various Native American roles. He starred in the 2016 remake The Magnificent Seven and had a recurring role as "Wanahton" in the HBO television series Westworld.
Elle Parker – Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress and producer. Lawrence is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide.
Kieran Kennedy - Steven Strait
Steven Strait is an American actor and singer. He is best known for starring as Warren Peace in the adventure film Sky High and as Jim Holden in the science fiction series The Expanse.
Thadeus “Gus” Morgan - Jeffrey Donovan
Jeffrey Donovan is an American actor. He played Michael Westen in the television series Burn Notice, and appeared in films such as Sicario, Hitch, Believe in Me, Changeling, and Come Early Morning. He played Robert F. Kennedy in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar and his brother John F. Kennedy in Rob Reiner's LBJ.
General Davidson - JK Simmons
Jonathan Kimble Simmons Considered one of the most eminent male character actors of his generation, his career spans over five decades of screen and stage. Simmons is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award. PS – never mind that Admiral crap in the picture….
Top-5: Coins
#5 US Secret Service – gifted to me by a friend. We didn’t have coins back then. We had pins, pens, cufflinks, tie bars, and ray bans in the rain….
#4 Kansas City National Security Center – Gifted to me by a reader. It’s a reminder of my time with USCENTCOM and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
#3 US Army SOCOM – given to me by LTG Mulholland for support of [redacted] programs.
#2 Richmond TX Police Department – presented to me by a friend who has helped guide the law enforcement aspects of my Shadow Tier series and the drug war along Texas’ southwestern border.
#1 US Army 20th Special Forces Group Airborne – presented to me by the Commander for outstanding performance during a [redacted}.
Honorable mention has to include:
The new Lance Bear Wolf coin. The new batch is inbound this month. If I owe you one, I will get it out to you as soon as they arrive.
The Maryland 50 years of Special Forces coin struck to celebrate our service to the state and nation.
Top-5: Charitable Foundations/Trusts/Non-Profits
#5 DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust
Formed in 1986, The Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust supports many programs for veterans and their families, including rehabilitation, research, and education toward improving mobility and physical and/or psychological limitations. Its grant program fulfills the needs of sick, wounded, homeless, or at-risk veterans.
#4 Fisher House Foundation
Since 1990, the Fisher House Foundation has built comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. The Foundation also operates the Hero Miles program and manages a grant program that supports other charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses, and children of fallen and disabled veterans. With over 96 Fisher Houses in operation within military and VA medical centers, the foundation has provided 455,000 families with lifesaving support.
#3 Hire Heroes USA
Founded in 2004, Hire Heroes USA provides personalized employment assistance to military personnel and their spouses. The free services provided by this non-profit include career coaching, resume writing, mock interviews, and mentoring. The organization also works with companies to hire and retain veterans. Hire Heroes USA has shown its effectiveness by confirming over 85K hires, recruiting 1450+ volunteers, and sharing 36K+ jobs on its board since its inception.
#2 Gary Sinise Foundation
The Gary Sinise Foundation is a charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans of the military. It operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Among its programs is the construction of specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans that are provided mortgage-free. From 2011 to 2021 the Gary Sinise Foundation has raised over $300 million for wounded veterans, first responders, and their families.
To date, the Gary Sinise Foundation has built 81 specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded heroes, served more than 1,000,000 meals to America's defenders across the country, and about 500 support concerts for our troops, sponsored by the foundation.
#1 Special Operations Warrior Fund
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s enduring promise to America’s Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Special Operations Personnel is to honor the fallen, and all Medal of Honor Recipients, by providing full educations and additional opportunities, “cradle to career” (preschool – college), to their children, ensuring:
(1) Comprehensive educational support including, but not limited to, academic advocacy, preschool and private school grants, tutoring, support for students with disabilities, college readiness programs, full financial assistance for up to a four-year post-secondary degree, access to our college to career transitions program, a commitment to cover educational costs for the surviving children of Special Operations Personnel whose spouses perish while the Special Operator is actively serving, while providing a variety of other practical programs and services.
(2) Provide immediate financial grants to severely combat-wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations Personnel who require hospitalization.
NOTE: A percentage of all Lance Bear Wolf signed books goes to this foundation When my Code Name Snowman series publishes, I will add it to my yearly contribution.
Top-5: Motorcycles
I do not ride on the street or highways anymore. Too many old people like me that have no awareness. I prefer to rip and break things in the dirt!
Regardless, here are my top-5 motorcycles.
#5 Harley Davidson FXSTC Softail Custom
A softail (shortened form of soft tail) motorcycle intentionally looks like vintage motorcycles with a rigid hard-tail frame that has a triangle of steel tubes at the rear axle, as on a bicycle frame, but on a Softail these tubes are actually a triangular swingarm, with the shock absorber(s) hidden, as opposed to clearly visible regular twin shocks on both sides of the rear wheel on standard bikes.
Since the introduction of the Harley-Davidson FXST Softail in 1983 as a registered trademark of the Motor Company, softail has become a genericized trademark for other models of cruiser motorcycles with rear suspensions hidden for retro style reasons. This was done even though the rear wheel was often hidden behind bags or exhaust pipes.
The bike is powered by a 1584 cc, Air-cooled, Twin Cam 96B engine that produces 87.90 ft. lbs. of torque at 2750 rpm. Unfortunately, the engine by itself is not able to produce enough torque suitable for long motorcycle rides . This is the reason why H-D paired that with a six-speed transmission.
This bike has a hidden rear suspension which is the most appealing feature of the Softail Custom ever since it was first launched. Overall, this bike has not gone out of style as it has been enhanced in variety and quality of paint which can be seen with smooth flowing lines on its Fat Bob fuel tank. Softail Custom is designed with a tufted king/queen seat that has chrome buttons and flows up an integrated one-piece passenger backrest. It is much more comfortable for both the companion and rider. This bike is garnished with a new low-profile front fender that hugs the 21-inch laced front wheel and tire.
The bike has a stunning look with its ape-hanger handlebar on the custom riser and the Fat Bob fuel tank with embossed leather tank strap and triple laid custom graphics. Its 200 mm rear tire and Bobtail fender add some bulk on the rear end, while the magnificent chrome details on the powertrain and oil tank create an enviable contrast with the black powder-coating engine.
#4 Triumph Bonneville T140V 750
The 650 cc capacity production T120 Bonneville was replaced in the early 1970s by the T140 Bonneville, the same basic machine but with a 750 cc engine. Refined from the later 'oil in frame' version of the T120, the first few T140s, designated T140V, featured a larger-capacity engine of 724 cc, a five-speed gearbox and indicators, but still retaining drum brakes and kick-start. Shortly after, the engine was further bored out to 744 cc and front disc brakes were fitted (using single discs until 1982). While originally intended for 'export only', the 750 Bonneville twin caused so much interest among visitors to the 1973 motorcycle shows, that Triumph decided to put the bike on the home market at the price of 679 UK pounds. In 1975, along with engine modifications, the gearchange lever was moved from right to left to comply with new regulations mandated for the American market and a rear disc brake fitted. Several T140 models followed, featuring various modifications and refinements including electric starting from 1980 until production ceased with the closure of the Meriden works in 1983.
#3 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV 750
The H2 750 was introduced in 1971, the culmination of Kawasaki's two-stroke project. Kawasaki said of the bike, "It's so quick it demands the razor-sharp reactions of an experienced rider."
Its engine displacement of 748 cc (45.6 cu in) produced 55 kW (74 hp) at 6,800 rpm. The engine was entirely new and not a bored-out 500. With larger displacement as well as less aggressive porting and ignition timing, the H2 750 had a wider power band than the 500 H1, though Brown said it was still "barely more practical" than the smaller predecessor, because Kawasaki had "done little" to address chassis problems, and so the bike was still prone to speed wobble. The 14 bhp (10 kW) gain over the 500 H1 put the H2's output well ahead of its close rivals, the air-cooled four-stroke Honda CB750 and the liquid-cooled two-stroke Suzuki GT750.
#2 Yamaha RD 350 café racer
The Yamaha RD350 remains one of the sweetest, most well-balanced two-strokes of the 1970s — and one of motorcycling’s great giant-killers, both on the track and the street.
“Yamaha 350 racers have been beating bikes with engines twice as big, and the street counterparts have gotten better and faster just as steadily.” –Road Test, 1976
The RD350 is a two-stroke motorcycle produced by Yamaha from 1973 to 1975. It evolved directly from the piston port (pre-reed valve intake tract), front drum-braked, five-speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5".
The engine is an air-cooled, parallel twin, six-speed (in some markets, such as the UK, the first model was sold in five-speed form), reed valve-equipped intake tract two-stroke engine. The bike is usually referred to as a sport bike.
All models were equipped with "Autolube" automatic oil injection, relieving the user from the need to mix gasoline and two-stroke oil.
Rim sizes are 18" WM2 (1.85") front and 18" WM3 (2.15") rear, both being of chromed, wire spoked steel construction. In the UK, rim sizes were 1.60 front and 1.85 rear.
Brakes are: single front disc brake and a rear drum brake, a combination described by Cycle Magazine as the best in its class.
The frame dimensions of the street 350 are very similar to the Yamaha TZ 250 and TZ 350 series factory road race bikes, differing mainly in weight and front fork rake – the RD being ~27 degrees and the TZ being ~25 degrees. The frames appear similar, side by side, with the street frame adorned with many brackets for the street equipment. The weight difference is substantial though, with the street-going RD frame weighing almost twice as much as the "TZ" roadrace race frame.
The stock bike made 39 bhp (29 kW) (32 bhp (24 kW) at the back wheel) at 7500 rpm[1] – very fast for the time.
#1 Norton Commando
Claimed power: 56hp (1972 Combat 65hp) @ 6,500rpm
Top speed: 116mph
Engine: 745cc air-cooled OHV twin, 73mm x 89mm bore and stroke, 8:1 compression (Combat 10:1)
Weight: (dry) 398lb
Fuel capacity/MPG: 3.2gal steel tank (2.6gal fiberglass tank)/45-50mpg
Price then/now: $1,479 (1970)/$4,000-$13,000
The 750 Roadster enjoyed a production run longer than any other variety of Norton’s Seventies superbike, with production running from March 1970 to October 1973. It’s also the most commonly found variety — though easy interchangeability also means that many Roadsters became Interstates, Fastbacks and other models. The Commando was introduced in April 1968. Styling was eccentric, featuring a swooping fiberglass gas tank, wraparound dual seat (orange on early bikes) and “boat-tail” rear bodywork.
Within a year, two offspring, the Models R and S had joined the Fastback (as it was now called).
The more conservative R model continued the Fastback’s exposed oil tank and low-level Atlas-type mufflers, but with a new shaped gas tank and more conventional dual seat. The S was the wild child, with buckets of chrome, high exhaust pipes on the left side with chrome heat shields and “peashooter” mufflers. These begat the Roadster, which was essentially the S model fitted with a low-level exhaust and upswept peashooters.
These numerous styling options highlighted the versatility of the Commando’s architecture.
From the beginning, all Commandos were built using the same flexible drivetrain mounting system, separating the engine from the frame to subdue its hammering vibration. Detail adjustments aside, any Commando could become any other variant by changing the seat, gas tank and side panels. So a Fastback could become an Interstate with the right bits. Relatively small run models like the Street Scrambler and Hi-Rider were thus easily accommodated on the production line.
So like all other Commando models, the Roadster featured the time-served 750cc OHV Atlas air-cooled parallel twin with its built-up crankshaft, ball and roller main bearings and single camshaft driven by chain and gears. A triplex primary chain drove the separate AMC 4-speed gearbox through a diaphragm spring clutch. The complete drive train was mounted to the frame with Isolastic rubber “bungs” inside steel bushings. Lateral movement was contained by shims between the bushings and the frame. So the drivetrain could move in two dimensions (up-down and back-front) but not side-to-side. With the shims properly set, the Commando was remarkably free of engine vibration at speed without compromising handling.
Top-5: Sci-Fi Books
I started reading Sci Fi in the early 60’s and it’s always been a favorite of mine. Yes, it has been eclipsed some by my love for thrillers from the likes of Don Bentley, Brad Taylor, Mark Greaney, Jack Carr, Andrews & Wilson, and others.
I might have also mentioned a time or two of my affinity for National Geographic. It was my tie into the real world when not reading Sci-Fi.
Let’s go from #5 to #1.
#5 – Starship Troopers by Heinlein. I was told to read it before attending the Army airborne aka jump school. An interesting story, okay the bugs are stupid, but within the story there are thoughts on team, unit culture, being called upon to lead, training, morality, and civic duty.
#4 – Foundation by Asimov. For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
#3 – A Brave New World by Huxley - Set in London in the year AD 2540 (632 A.F.—"After Ford"—in the book), the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that combine profoundly to change society.
#2 – Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein - Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever...
#1 – Dune by Herbert - Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family—and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism, and politics.
I have read all six that Frank Herbert wrote and all the others that his son Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson penned through 2016. I just found out there is a newer The Caladan Triology that I need to read.
As a side note: I give the Dune 1984 movie 3 stars. I give the 2021 Dune Part 1 - 5 stars and the same with the recent Dune Part 2.
Top-5: Places I Have Yet To Visit
#5 USA – Grand Canyon
I’ve flown over it and it was a good time for a window seat. I’ve driven around it and by it but never stopped. Lucky for me we are taking youngest grandson and daughter in law there in June. Of course, we will stop on the way to and way back in Vegas for some excellent restaurants.
#4 USA – South Dakota’s
The Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore are on the list as is Deadwood, Devils Tower and a stop over at Crow Agency before heading south and home. This trip isn’t fully flushed out like the Grand Canyon and Italy but it’s something I’ll be working on when I’m not writing or editing.
#3 USA – Alaska
I’ve traveled and trained in cold and scenic places like Canada and Norway, but there is something about the wild beauty of Alaska. That and there is a good likelihood of my fishing for Halibut and Salmon.
Bear, Moose, Killer Whales, more bald eagles than you can count – sounds like my kind of place. Maybe next year and timed with Aurora borealis would be sweet.
#2 USA - Key West
When I was on a SF dive team, we trained at several spots in Florida to include Tampa, Ocala, Homestead, Biscayne Bay, and as far south as Key Largo. It may be next year, but Elle and I are looking at flying into Charleston and taking out time driving down to Key West.
The allure is strong, and I immediately hear Southern Cross.
Good food, sun, beaches, and sailing. What’s not to like? And yes of course, I’ll be fishing for dinner.
#1 International – Italy
We are doing this trip in May. In three weeks, we will see Bath west of London, for a restaurant we’ve wanted to visit for a while now. Then it will be on to Rome for 3 days then Sorrento for 3 more. After the Amalfi coast we will head north to Cinque Terra for another 3 tough days on the coast. It’s steep so we’ll be burning off the calories we accumulated one the previous 9 days, right? From Cinque Terra we are on to Florence for, you guessed it, 3 days. Did I mention I’m an old thing and I like old things aka museums. Then it’s up to Venice for more food, canals and intimate dinners before heading back to the UK to stop by a company I consult with and heading home.
It's going to be a busy year with #1 and #5 for sure. ThrillerFest in NYC. Bouchercon and Killer Nashville in TN. The Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference in Denver. The Total Archery Challenge with Jeff Clark in Oklahoma, and a Punta Cana party for other grandson’s 21st
Top-5: Helpful Self-Publishing Sites And Products
#5 – Kindle Insider Training
200+ articles
113 videos
Great site for quickly coming up to speed.
#4 – Publisher Rocket
There is some science to picking the keywords that work for your book and finding the ones that will propel your book into the top ten in Amazon sales.
Unlike any other software, Rocket gives you real data that shows you exactly what Amazon customers type into Amazon, as well as how many people search for those keywords every month.
Using Rocket’s Keywords Feature, you will learn:
Which keywords shoppers type into Amazon
Estimated number of times customers type that keyword into Amazon
How much money the books that rank for that keyword are making
How many books are competing for that keyword
#3 – Browker ISBNs
Why should I buy an ISBN?
There are many reasons to purchase an ISBN for your title, including:
An ISBN improves the likelihood your book will be found and purchased
An ISBN links to essential information about your book
An ISBN enables more efficient marketing and distribution of your title
Most retailers require ISBNs
Correct use of the ISBN allows different product forms and editions of a book, printed or digital, to be differentiated clearly, ensuring that customers receive the version they require
An ISBN helps you collect and analyze book sales data
An ISBN ensures your book’s information will be stored in the Books In Print database
Books In Print is consulted by publishers, retailers and libraries around world when searching for title information
The ISBN conveys no legal or copyright protection, however, the use of ISBNs for publications is prescribed by law in some countries
In some countries a book will be charged higher tax if it does not have an ISBN
ISBNs are the global standard for book identification
How many ISBNs do I need?
You will need one ISBN for each edition and format of your book. The ISBN identifies the publisher as well as the specific book title, edition and format (hardback, paperback, ePub, PDF, Mobi, Audio…). Any variation of a book would require the use of a unique ISBN to identify it properly. This allows retailers to help the customer understand exactly which version of a title they are purchasing. So, you should consider:
How many book titles you are planning to publish
How many formats will each title be created in
Do you plan to publish future revised editions of these titles
And remember:
You can purchase ISBNs in advance and register your titles any time after they are obtained.
ISBNs never expire.
#2 – Atticus Or Vellum publishing Software
#1 – Author Friends Who Are Or Have Self-Published.
Sounds stupidly easy. As a self-motivated I-can-do-this kind of knucklehead, I have to remind myself that I have a lot of friends with self-publishing experience.
David Temple, John Stamp, Eric Bishop, and KR Paul to name a few. I jumped over a lot of time I would have spent in research by talking to them and others. As it turns out, it’s complicated if you’ve never done it, but It’s not hard, just time consuming.
Honorable Mention - If you suck at planning – go to Bookbaby for a six-month marketing and publishing schedule template. I also found value at Cravebooks.
Top-5: Reads of 2023
Brad Taylor – The Devil’s Ransom
I really liked the combination of insider threat, hacking, and man on the run. A complex and intriguing set of problems that Pike and Jennifer tackle the Task Force way!
Mark Greaney – Burner
Great to see Court and Zoya back together as they attempt to keep a man that has stolen records from a Swiss bank. Records that bad people and spy agencies alike do not want exposed.
Andrews & Wilson – Dempsey
An amazing intense and gritty story that has Dempsey playing the long game. He starts his infiltration via a Russian prison where he does what Dempsey does. Survive, make friends, and plans for the future. Once out the intensity and action jumps to another level, in Brian and Jeff style, to a very satisfying ending.
Jack Stewart – Unknown Rider – Debut Novel
Colt Bancroft must survive a dangerous game of spy-vs-spy, where trusting the wrong person could cost him his life. This is an excellent combination of state-of-the-art US Naval aviation and spying. Looking forward to the second book in the series.
TR Hendricks – The Instructor – Debut Novel
Derek Harrington, retired Marine Force Recon and SERE instructor is doing his best but it’s not enough. There’s a group that wants what he teaches, and the money will help. His instincts tell him there is something more going on. As he and a friend in the FBI close in on the group’s real intent, Derek goes from teaching to practicing as the students hunt him down.
Very Honorable Mention
Tess Gerritsen - The Spy Coast
John Adams – Second Term
Ama Adair – A New Game
Chris Hauty – Storm Rising
Eric Bishop – Ransomed Daughter
Still in my 2023 TBR
Steve Urszenyi – Perfect Shot
Don Bentley – Weapons Grade
I.S. Berry – The Peacock and the Sparrow
Top-5: Locations In Shadow Tier #3 (Pub. 2024)
MacDill AFB – Tampa FL
MacDill is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assigned to the Eighteenth Air Force of the Air Mobility Command.
MacDill AFB is also home to the headquarters for two of the U.S. military's unified combatant commands: Headquarters, United States Central Command, and Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command. Both commands are independent from one another and each is commanded by a respective four-star general or admiral.
Two additional sub-unified commands are also headquartered at MacDill AFB: Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command, commanded by a three-star general, and United States Special Operations Command Central commanded by a two-star general or admiral.
There are several additional special mission units on base to include the Joint Communications Support Element, a reported Navy SPECWAR command, and a special mission unit reported to be tied to US Special Operations Command (Shadow Tier)
Nearby Tampa is known for its lively night life and food scene. It has professional football and hockey teams along with being one of the locations for professional baseball spring training.
I lived on both the Clearwater gulf beaches side and the eastern suburbs side of Tampa.
The White House, Washington DC
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 when the national capital was moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
Construction took place between 1792 and 1800, with an exterior of Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he and architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe added low colonnades on each wing to conceal what then were stables and storage. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by British forces in the burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semicircular South Portico in 1824 and the North Portico in 1829.
Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901. Eight years later, in 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office, which was eventually moved and expanded. In the Executive Residence, the third floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades connected the new wings. The East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space. By 1948, the residence's load-bearing walls and wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame was constructed inside the walls. On the exterior, the Truman Balcony was added. Once the structural work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt.
The present-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, the West Wing, the East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which previously served the State Department and other departments (it now houses additional offices for the president's staff and the vice president), and Blair House, a guest residence. The Executive Residence is made up of six stories: the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, and a two-story basement.
My initial White House Communications Agency office was in Georgetown section of Wash DC and later at what is now called Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling near Defense Intelligence Agency HQs on the east side of the Potomac.
CIA Headqurters, Langley Virgina
[REDACTED]
I’ve been. That’s all I can say.
Havana, Cuba
Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba. It’ the country's main port and commercial center. The city has a population of 2.3 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of 728.26 km2 (281.18 sq mi) for the capital city side and 8,475.57 km² for the metropolitan zone – making it the largest city by area, the most populous city, and the second largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region.
The city of Havana was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century. It served as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas, becoming a stopping point for Spanish galleons returning to Spain. Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of capital in 1607. Walls as well as forts were built to protect the city.
The city is the center of the Cuban government, and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses and over 100 diplomatic offices. In 2009, the city/province had the third highest income in the country.
Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one: Old Havana, Vedado and the newer suburban districts.
Even in “retirement” my consulting prevents me from visiting Havana and Cuba in general. I’d like to go, with my wife of course, but maybe sometime in the future.
In ST-3 (Shadow Conspiracy – working title) it’s Wolf and Parker’s first stop – a CIA asset safe house.
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some 870 km (540 mi) southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over 1,023.8 km2 (395.3 sq mi), and contains the communities of Antonio Maceo, Bravo, Castillo Duany, Daiquirí, El Caney, El Cobre, El Cristo, Guilera, Leyte Vidal, Moncada and Siboney.
Historically Santiago de Cuba was the second-most important city on the island after Havana, and remains the second-largest. It is on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important sea port.
In ST-3, this city and to the northeast in Parque Nacional la Mensura is where Wolf, Parker, Morgan and the CIA assets find themselves and most of the action takes place.
Lance Bear Wolf’s Top Five Bows
#5 Crow/Apsaalooke Child's Bow and Arrow – not all the arrows were straight, especially the first five or six I made. My father made me stay with blunt tips, so I didn’t hurt anyone. But they did come in handy hunting rabbits.
#4 Browning Nomad Stalker 1 Recurve – my first real bow. My first harvest with it was a grouse. Never found the arrow that sailed through it, but it tasted good. I took my first deer and an elk with this bow.
#3 Bear Polar Compound – my first compound bow. It felt like cheating with the draw weight release.
#2 Hoyt Carbon RX-7 - My current Hoyt is quiet, lightweight, and ridiculously smooth. No bow has a stronger strength-to-weight ratio and can withstand the temperature extremes when I’m hunting. It’s super quiet and that’s a must have for me. Quiet, invisible, and deadly. It’s sorta my mantra.
#1 Crow/Apsaalooke Warrior Bow and Arrow – This one is in the National Museum of the American Indian. The next time mine sees the light of day will be when I send El Chapo to hell.
My kit is made of Otter skin/fur, wood, canvas, feathers, and wool cloth.
I make my own broadheads. I sent one to El Chapo to remind him I’m still on the hunt.
Top-5: Airplanes I Have Flown Or Jumped With Bonus Video
#5 DC – 3’s I’ve jumped lots of them around the world from barely flying to plush seats and rock and roll stereo. The only thing better is a turboprop with a large door. They will always be my nostalgic favorite.
#4 C-123 Provider the early Expendables movies plane. The fun thing about this aircraft is how slow it goes on a jump run. I once spun an Air Force major out the door to say hi. Man, he didn’t like it. I didn’t understand. He survived, didn’t he? I left him alone after the promise of a court martial for attempted murder…
#3 C-130s various models. 100K air miles plus miles in C-130s from what we call slicks to COMBAT TALONs to an AC-130 Spectre. Got to fly in the first C-130A model before it joined other C-130s in the Davis-Monthan AFB boneyard in Tucson AZ.
#2 PT-17C biplane. A PT-17 conversion with standardized Army-Navy equipment. Another fun aircraft that was owned by a former Navy pilot turned United Captain.
#1 F33C Bonanza F33A certified for aerobatics. The plane was owned by a friend with too much time and money. Leaving the plane in the middle of an aerobatics demo was a first. And flying it from DC to Tampa while he slept, was amazing considering I hadn’t completed my solo yet. He was nuts but not that nuts, he took off and landed.
Here are a couple that didn’t make the top five but were unique.
Antonov AN-2 – Russian jump training biplane. It has a door in the floor you can spot from when it’s -25 outside! If the darn thing starts, it gets to jump altitude quickly then essentially stops climbing.
Lodestar – also known as a Lodestall if you got too many people behind the wing root before the pilot was ready. One day at the drop zone, the pilot rolled the plane and on the way to jump altitude and most of the jumpers thought we were going to die. Three of us, including me, knew the pilot whose day job was testing US Air Force C-130s. I’d see the video of Dennis rolling a 130 and treating the aircraft like a Cessna 172 at very low altitude.
BONUS VIDEO
As much as I like jumping from altitude, the wildest ride and biggest thrill of my jump life was when the Air Force/Air Guard pilots practiced “NAP of the Earth” During one training mission we flew from MacDill AFB (Shadow Tier HQ) NAP of the Earth all the way up the blue ridge to a small drop zone in West Virginia. 825 miles at 500 ft max altitude.
Here is video taken from a C-130 that illustrates how these aircraft and in particular the special operations MC-130H COMABT TALON perform infiltration as low as 250 ft in inclement weather.
Top-5: Shadow Tier Leadership
Click to view larger image
#1 the commander of Shadow Tier. Marine Major General Eric Davidson. He was instrumental in the formation of Shadow Tier. As a career intelligence officer, he tracked Wolf and Kennedy as Wolf waged his war of revenge and tied the results to his actions. He used those results to influence leadership into forming Shadow Tier versus sending Wolf to Leavenworth Military Prison.
#2 is the deputy commander of the operations division Colonel (0-6) equivalent Lance Bear Wolf. Wolf is married to Parker and considers Shadow Tier his family, now that his is gone. His #2 is Gus Morgan who he trusts with his life. Wolf is in the fight of his life and for the Crow Nation he holds so close.
#3 is the deputy commander of the Intelligence division Lieutenant Colonel (0-5 promotable) equivalent Elle Parker. Parker is married to Wolf and took over the intel leadership when Kieran Kennedy was injured in a vehicle born improvised explosive device event. Initially, Parker was brought onboard to work counterintelligence but since has grown into an insider threat expert and tactical intelligence operator.
#4 is the deputy commander for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Colonel (0-6) equivalent Kieran Kennedy. He has been tasked to build out a Charlie squadron and supporting elements that operate out of the United Kingdom and have operational control (OPCON) over operations throughout the area of operations. Kennedy is a plank holder as Shadow Tier’s second “employee.” His funding comes via the CIA to which he is well connected.
#5 is the deputy commander for logistics and communications, computers and all things NSA related US Navy Commander (0-5) equivalent Mark Elliott. His responsibilities include making sure Shadow Tier operators and support personnel have the best and most advanced equipment and tools available for any type of operation, digital or kinetic.
Note: the term equivalent is used to denote a grade of rank and pay for the position. The only person in military dress uniform daily is Major General Davidson.
The Shadow Tier headquarters, shoot house, and logistics center are located on MacDill Air Force Base at the southwest end of the primary runway where the old SOCCENT building (former nuclear loaded B-52 ready center) is located on Google maps, Southshore Ave. Google is precluded from updating the map of MacDill per national security policy.
Top-5 Movies With Drug Cartels
Deciding the order of this top 5 list is harder than it should be. So, this month I put them in chronological order from oldest to newest. I do have a favorite and several that are a very close second. Can you guess what they are?
1994 - Clear and Present Danger
A United States Coast Guard vessel intercepts and boards a U.S. registered yacht in the Caribbean Sea. Evidence shows that the ship's previous occupants, American businessman Peter Hardin and his family, were murdered by the occupying Colombian crew. CIA analyst Jack Ryan learns that Hardin was laundering money for the South American Cali Cartel. Drug lord Ernesto Escobedo ordered Hardin's murder for embezzling millions in drug profits. U.S. President Bennett, Hardin's close friend, discreetly authorizes National Security Advisor James Cutter to initiate covert operations in Colombia to destroy the cartel.
Ryan is appointed acting Deputy Director of Intelligence when Admiral James Greer undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer. Ryan requests Congress increase funding to support Colombians fighting the drug cartels, giving his assurance there is no U.S. military involvement. Ryan is unaware that Cutter will use the funds to assemble RECIPROCITY, a special forces team recruited by CIA operative John Clark, and aided by Robert Ritter, the CIA Deputy Director of Operations. President Bennett sends Ryan to negotiate with the Colombian government to allow the United States to seize Escobedo's assets, including $650 million hidden in off-shore accounts. Escobedo's intelligence officer, Colonel Félix Cortez, secretly orders the Cartel to ambush Ryan's convoy. Jack survives, though several colleagues are killed, including Dan Murray and FBI Director Emile Jacobs. Cortez's identity is ascertained after he murders Jacobs’ secretary, Moira, who was an unwitting informant.
Escobedo, blamed for the attack, organizes a meeting with the other Cartel heads. RECIPROCITY discovers this and launches an airstrike on the meeting location. Escobedo and Cortez, en route to the gathering, barely escape unscathed. Cortez learns Americans were responsible and brokers a deal with Cutter: Cortez will kill Escobedo to assume leadership, then will reduce drug shipments to the U.S. and allow American law enforcement to make regular arrests to influence public opinion that the United States is winning the drug war. In exchange, Cortez wants the location of RECIPROCITY and all CIA support eliminated to establish his position within the Cartel. Cutter accepts Cortez's deal, then strands Clark's team, who are overwhelmed by Cortez's mercenaries in the jungle.
Unbeknownst to Cutter, U.S. surveillance monitored his conversation with Cortez. Ryan accesses Ritter's computer and obtains evidence regarding the illegal Colombian operations. Ritter, however, warns Ryan that because he obtained funding for the operation, Congress will hold Ryan solely responsible, whereas Ritter and Cutter have been granted President Bennett's preemptive pardons from any wrongdoing. Jack flies to Bogota to seek out Clark, unaware Cutter and Ritter have falsely told Clark that Ryan betrayed RECIPROCITY. Ryan and Clark team up after Clark realizes Ritter and Cutter deceived them both.
Ryan and Clark procure a helicopter and fly to RECIPROCITY's last known position. They find team sniper Chavez, who reports that most members were killed; Captain Ramirez and one remaining squad member were captured. Ryan meets with Escobedo and informs him of Cortez's deception, whilst Clark simultaneously commences rescuing his men who are being held captive in a coffee facility fronting Escobedo's cocaine operation. Escobedo confronts Cortez but is killed by Cortez's associate. Ryan narrowly escapes with Clark and the freed prisoners. Chavez kills Cortez during the escape, saving Ryan. Back in the United States, Ryan confronts President Bennett and refuses to help cover up the conspiracy. He testifies before the Congressional Oversight Committee about the recent events.
01 - Main Title - James Horner - A Clear And Present Danger - YouTube
2001 – Blow
George Jung and his parents Fred and Ermine live in Weymouth, Massachusetts. When George is 10 years old, Fred files for bankruptcy, but tries to make George realize that money is not important.
In the late 1960s, an adult George moves to Los Angeles with his friend "Tuna"; they meet Barbara, a flight attendant, who introduces them to Derek Foreal, a marijuana dealer. With Derek's help, George and Tuna make a lot of money. Kevin Dulli, a visiting college student from Boston, tells them of the demand for marijuana back home. They start selling marijuana there, buying marijuana directly from Mexico with the help of Santiago Sanchez, a Mexican drug lord. Two years later, George is caught in Chicago trying to import 660 pounds (300 kg) of marijuana and is sentenced to two years' imprisonment. After unsuccessfully trying to plead his innocence, George skips bail to take care of Barbara, who dies from cancer. Her death marks the disbanding of the group of friends.
While hiding from the authorities, George visits his parents. George's mother calls the police, who arrest him. He is sentenced to 26 months in a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. His cellmate Diego Delgado has contacts in the Medellin cartel and convinces George to help him go into the cocaine business. Upon his release from prison, George violates his parole conditions and heads down to Cartagena, Colombia to meet with Diego. They meet with cartel officer Cesar Rosa to negotiate the terms for smuggling 15 kilograms (33 lb) to establish "good faith".
As the smuggling operation grows, Diego is arrested, leaving George to find a way to sell 50 kg (110 lb). George reconnects with Derek in California, and the two sell all the cocaine. George then goes to Medellín, Colombia and meets Pablo Escobar, who agrees to go into business with them. With the help of Derek, the pair become Escobar's top U.S. importer. At Diego's wedding, George meets Cesar's fiancée Mirtha and later marries her. However, Diego resents George for keeping Derek's identity secret and pressures George to reveal his connection. George eventually discovers that Diego has betrayed him by cutting him out of the connection with Derek. Inspired by the birth of his daughter and a drug-related heart attack, George severs his relationship with the cartel.
All goes well with George's newfound civilian life for five years, until Mirtha organizes a 38th birthday party for him. Many of his former drug associates attend, including Derek, who reveals that Diego eventually cut him out as well. The FBI and DEA raid the party and arrest George. He becomes a fugitive, and his bank account—heretofore under Manuel Noriega's protection in Panama—is seized by Noriega. One night, he and Mirtha get into a fight while driving. They are pulled over by police and Mirtha tells them George is a fugitive and has stashed a kilogram of cocaine in his trunk. He is sent to jail for three years, Mirtha divorces him, and takes custody of their nine-year-old daughter, Kristina Sunshine Jung.
Upon his release, George struggles to maintain his relationship with his daughter. He promises Kristina a vacation in California and seeks one last deal to garner enough money for the trip. George completes a deal with former accomplices but learns too late that the deal had been set up by the FBI and DEA, with Dulli and Derek having leaked the nature and location of the action in exchange for pardons for their involvement in his prior action. George is sentenced to 60 years at Otisville Correctional Facility in upstate New York. He explains in the end that neither the sentence nor the betrayal bothered him, but that he can never forgive himself for having to break a promise to his daughter.
While in prison, George requests a furlough to see his dying father, Fred. His mother denies the request. George records a final message to Fred, recounting his memories of working with his father, his run-ins with the law, and finally, too late, his understanding of what Fred meant when he said that money is not "real". An old man in prison, George imagines that his daughter finally comes to visit him. She slowly fades away as a guard calls for George. The film concludes with notes indicating that Jung will not be eligible for parole until 2015, and that his daughter has yet to visit him.
The Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking - Blow Soundtrack - YouTube
2006 - Miami Vice
While working an undercover prostitute sting operation in a nightclub to arrest a pimp named Neptune, Miami-Dade Police detectives James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs receive a frantic phone call from their former informant Alonzo Stevens. Stevens reveals that he is leaving town, and, believing his wife Leonetta to be in immediate danger, asks Rico to check on her. Crockett learns that Stevens was working as an informant for the FBI but has been compromised.
Crockett and Tubbs quickly contact FBI Special Agent in Charge John Fujima and warn him about Stevens' safety. Tracking down Stevens through a vehicle transponder and aerial surveillance, Crockett and Tubbs stop him along I-95. Stevens reveals that a Colombian cartel had become aware that Russian undercovers (now dead) were working with the FBI, and had threatened to murder Leonetta via a C-4 necklace bomb if he did not confess. Rico, learning of Leonetta's death by telephone call, tells Alonzo that he does not have to go home. Hearing this, the grief-stricken Stevens commits suicide by walking in front of an oncoming semi truck.
En route to the murder scene, Sonny and Rico receive a call from Lt. Martin Castillo and are instructed to stay away. He tells them to meet him downtown, where they are introduced in person to Fujima, head of the Florida Joint Inter-Agency Task Force between the FBI, the DEA, and ICE. Crockett and Tubbs berate Fujima for the errors committed and inquire as to why the MDPD was not involved. Fujima reveals that the Colombian group part of the A.U.C. is highly sophisticated and run by José Yero, initially thought to be the cartel's leader. Fujima enlists Crockett and Tubbs, making them Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force deputies, to lead a deep undercover operation. They continue the investigation by looking into go-fast boats coming from the Caribbean, delivering loads of narcotics from the Colombians. They then coerce their Miami informant contact Nicholas into setting up a meet-and-greet with the cartel.
Posing as highly skilled drug smugglers, Sonny and Rico offer their services to Yero, the cartel's security and intelligence man. After a high-tension meeting, they pass screening and are introduced to Arcángel de Jesús Montoya, transnational drug trafficking kingpin. In the course of their investigation, Crockett and Tubbs learn that the cartel is using the Aryan Brotherhood to distribute drugs, and is supplying them with state-of-the-art weaponry, which they had used to kill the Russian undercovers. Meanwhile, Crockett tries to gather further evidence from Montoya's financial adviser and lover, Isabella, but ends up starting a secret romance with her while on a trip by speedboat to Cuba. At a club, the two dance closely, observed by Yero. Afterwards, Crockett and Isabella discuss the possibility and impossibility of running away together. Tubbs begins to fear for the team's safety with Crockett's fling. Those fears are soon realized as Trudy, the unit's intelligence agent and Rico's girlfriend, is kidnapped by the Aryan Brotherhood on Yero's order, who never trusted Crockett and Tubbs. The Aryan Brotherhood demand for Crockett and Tubbs to deliver the cartel's load directly to them. With Lt. Castillo's help and clues given by Trudy, the unit triangulates Trudy's location to a mobile home in a trailer park and perform a rescue, but she is critically injured when Tubbs fails to evacuate her before a bomb is remotely detonated by Yero. Soon afterwards, Yero reveals Isabella's betrayal to Montoya and captures her. In the showdown, Crockett and Tubbs face off against Yero, his men, and the Aryan Brotherhood in a shipyard at the port of Miami.
During the firefight, Crockett begins to call in backup. When Isabella sees his police shield and radio, she realizes that he is a cop. Betrayed, Isabella wrestles with Crockett until he subdues her. Tubbs guns down Yero as he attempts to shoot his way to safety. After the gunfight, Crockett takes Isabella to a police safehouse and insists she will have to leave without him. Isabella tells him "time is luck," holding out hope the fling can continue, but he tells her they "have run out of time."
Crockett arranges for Isabella to leave the country and return home in Cuba, thus avoiding arrest. Meanwhile, Tubbs is keeping watch on Trudy in hospital as she begins to awaken from her coma.
Nonpoint - In The Air Tonight (Official Music Video) - YouTube
2015 – Sicario
In Chandler, Arizona, FBI Special Agents Kate Macer and Reggie Wayne lead a raid on a Sonora Cartel safe house, where they discover dozens of decaying corpses hidden in the walls. Outside, an explosive booby trap kills two police officers. Following the raid, Kate is recommended for and joins a Joint Task Force overseen by CIA Officer Matt Graver and the secretive Alejandro Gillick, a Mexican ex-prosecutor turned CIA trained assassin. Their mission is to flush out and apprehend Sonora lieutenant Manuel Díaz, currently operating hidden in the US.
The team, which includes Delta Force operators, Deputy US Marshals, and CIA personnel, travels to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to extradite Díaz's brother, Guillermo. While crossing the El Paso–Juárez border, the team is ambushed by low-level cartel hitmen, whom the Americans swiftly kill. During the gunfight, Kate is forced to kill a Federal Police officer, and is left visibly disturbed by the violence. Back in the U.S., Alejandro tortures Guillermo and learns that the cartel uses a tunnel near Nogales, Sonora, to smuggle drugs. Meanwhile, Kate confronts Matt, who reveals that the real mission is to disrupt Díaz's drug operations so he will lead them to his boss, drug lord Fausto Alarcón. Unnerved, Kate asks Reggie to join her for support.
The task force raids a bank used to launder Díaz's money. After finding financial evidence, Kate and Reggie want to start a legal case against Díaz but are ordered to stand down to avoid jeopardizing the operation. At a bar, Reggie introduces Kate to Ted, a Phoenix Police officer. Kate and Ted become intimate at her apartment, but she realizes Ted is working with the cartel. In the ensuing struggle, Ted strangles Kate before Alejandro appears and subdues him. Alejandro and Matt brutally beat Ted to coerce him into revealing the names of other officers working for Díaz.
After the team learns that Díaz has been recalled to Mexico, they prepare to raid the tunnel near Nogales. Matt reveals to Kate and Reggie that their involvement is a technical necessity as the CIA is not allowed to operate alone within US borders. An angered Reggie tells Kate they should leave, but she insists on staying to learn about the mission's true purpose. As a gunfight with the cartel begins, Kate follows Alejandro into Mexico. She sees him abduct Silvio, a corrupt Sonora police officer working as one of Díaz's drug mules. Kate attempts to arrest Alejandro, but he shoots her in her Kevlar vest to subdue her before driving away with Silvio at gunpoint. On the U.S. side of the border, Kate confronts Matt, who explains the mission is part of a broader operation to consolidate the cartels into a single entity that the U.S. can more easily control. Alejandro, who previously worked for the Medellín Cartel, was hired to assassinate Alarcón, the man responsible for ordering the murder of Alejandro's wife and daughter when he was a prosecutor in Juárez. Alejandro kills Silvio after he stops Díaz's vehicle and forces Díaz to drive to Alarcón's estate. On arrival, he quickly kills Díaz and Alarcón's guards; finding the family seated to dinner, he kills Alarcón's wife and two sons, and then Alarcón.
The next day, Alejandro appears in Kate's apartment and forces her at gunpoint to sign a statement attesting that the entire operation was legal. As he leaves, she aims her pistol at him and Alejandro turns to face her, but she cannot bring herself to pull the trigger. In Nogales, Silvio's widow watches her son's football game, which is briefly interrupted by the sound of distant gunfire.
Sicario Soundtrack - The Beast - YouTube
2018 - Sicario: Day of the Soldado
A suicide bombing by ISIS in a Kansas City grocery store kills fifteen people. In response, the United States government orders CIA officer Matt Graver to apply extreme measures to combat Mexican drug cartels who are suspected of having smuggled the terrorists across the U.S.-Mexico border. Graver and the Department of Defense decide the best option is to instigate a war between the major cartels, and Graver recruits operative Alejandro Gillick for the mission. Graver also meets with PMC official Andy Wheeldon to secure mercenaries, helicopters, and encrypted communication equipment in order for the U.S. to maintain plausible deniability while combating the Mexican cartels.
Gillick assassinates a high-profile lawyer of the Matamoros cartel in Mexico City while Graver and his team capture Isabel Reyes, the daughter of Carlos Reyes (kingpin of the Sonoran drug cartel, rivals of the Matamoros), in a false flag operation.
Graver, Gillick and their team take Isabel to a safe house in Texas. They stage a DEA raid and pretend to rescue her, making her believe that she had been captured by the Matamoros cartel. They take her to an American military base while the team organizes her return to Mexico. They plan to leave her behind in a Mexican Federal Police depot located inside territory controlled by her father's rivals to further escalate the inter-cartel conflict. However, after they cross into Mexico, the corrupt police escort turns against them and attacks the American armored vehicles. In the firefight that ensues, Graver and his team kill 25 Mexican policemen to escape the ambush.
Amidst the chaos, Isabel runs away into the desert. Gillick goes after her alone while the rest of the team returns to the United States. Meanwhile, the American government determines that at least two of the suicide bombers in Kansas City were really domestic terrorists, not foreign nationals, and thus were not smuggled into the United States by the cartels. To quell tensions with Mexico, the Secretary of Defense orders the CIA to abandon the mission. Learning that Isabel witnessed the Americans shooting the Mexican police, the Secretary orders the team to erase all proof of American involvement by killing Isabel and Gillick. Graver in turn warns Gillick and orders him to kill Isabel, but Gillick refuses and turns rogue in order to keep her alive. Both have found shelter at an isolated farm in the desert for the night. Gillick knows that if they stay in Mexico, Isabel will be killed. With few resources, they disguise themselves as illegal immigrants and pay human traffickers to help them re-enter the United States. Graver and his team fly covertly into Mexico on Black Hawks, tracking a GPS device that Gillick has activated and embedded into Isabel's shoe.
At the point of departure for the border, Miguel, a young Mexican-American who has been recruited as a coyote, recognizes Gillick from an encounter in a Texas parking lot two days earlier. He alerts his boss who takes Gillick and Isabel hostage. As a gang initiation, Miguel is forced to shoot a hooded Gillick in the head. Upset by his actions, Miguel abandons the gang and walks off by himself. Graver witnesses the apparent killing of Gillick through live satellite imaging and his team track down and eliminate the Mexican gang, rescuing Isabel. Instead of killing her according to his orders, Graver decides to bring Isabel back to the U.S. and place her in witness protection. Meanwhile, Gillick regains consciousness and discovers he has been shot through the cheek. He is chased by a gang search party but he kills its members by throwing a grenade into the pursuing car.
One year later, a now heavily gang-tattooed Miguel is in the Texas mall where he first saw Gillick. He enters the office of his gang contact but instead finds Gillick waiting for him. Gillick says to an inscrutable Miguel: "So you want to be a sicario? Let's talk about your future."
Top-5 Knives
I like knives, large and small. Fighting knives and work knives. The knife I carry every day and the ones I’d never go camping or hunting without. The first knife that I remember my dad giving me, was a US issue Camillus in stainless steel. Utilitarian and tough. It endured twisting, prying, and cutting to no end.
As I got older my uncle who had served in the Pacific in WWII gave me his Army knife, another Camillus with leather grip.
Since the 60s I’ve had many other knives to include Swiss Army Knives of all sizes. Rigger knives with a parachute line cutting switchblade. Daggers like the Gerber MK I & II and a karambit my grandson made that I cherish.
On a daily basis, and when just fishing, I carry a SOG folding blade and occasionally a Leatherman or Gerber multitool.
When hunting I carry a folder and a larger fixed blade. Inside my ruck I carry a Swiss Army knife and a set of harvesting knives with replaceable scalpel like blades. If I’m hiking in deeper than a couple of miles, I also carry a multi-tool and some other weapon specific tools to fix my rifle or bow if I have a problem.
So, what are my Top Five knives?
In order from 5 to 1 they are:
#5 – Swiss Army Officer
So many uses. I keep it tied to my belt with 550 cord.
#4 – SOG Trident AT
This is my EDC and a workhorse of a knife. There are features that I hope I never have to use but I’m happy they are included. Paracord/seat belt cutter and glass breaker.
#3 – De Chima karambit
What can I say…it’s the first knife my grandson made.
#2 – Bo & Gary Randall - Model 18 Attack Survival 7.5inch blade
This is the model of knife I carried during my time in Special Forces. Mine has a compass inside the brass hilt cover. Inside the hollow handle I kept sutures, matches, some fishing kit, and snare line. It was particularly useful in South America and the Pacific northwest. I’ve built shelters, bush chairs, and hide sites. I’ve cleaned animals I’ve snared and fish I’ve caught. Rattlesnakes don’t like this knife. I consider myself lucky that I never had to defend myself with it.
#1 – Allen Elishewitz - Pike Logan Model
About a month ago I saw Brad Taylor talking about a knife he carried during his time in Special Forces. It was from a maker I’d not heard of, but I was really taken with the style and quality. Turns out Allen wanted to make the knife again and Brad had kept all his drawings and letters with Allen. So, the Pike Logan was born. Allen made 22. He had already sold 15 when I put one on hold.
I love my Randall. I believe Brad has one or two also. But this knife is on another level. As Brad mentions in his video, this is a new steel. It is lighter and the knife feels like it was made for me and my hands. If you’ve never held a small batch, hand made knife before do yourself a favor and check out Allen’s custom creations.
PS – Wolf says thanks!
Top-5 Books Used For Research For Lance Bear Wolf #2
#1 Rainbow Six – Tom Clancy
Ex-Navy SEAL John Clark has been named the head of Rainbow, an international task force dedicated to combating terrorism. In a trial by fire, Clark is confronted with a violent chain of seemingly separate international incidents. But there is no way to predict the real threat: a group of terrorists like none the world has ever encountered, a band of men and women so extreme that their success could literally mean the end of life on earth as we know it.
#2 Seeds of Terror (How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda) - Gretchen Peters
Most Americans think of the Taliban and al Qaeda as a bunch of bearded fanatics fighting an Islamic crusade from caves in Afghanistan. But that doesn't explain their astonishing comeback along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Why is it eight years after we invaded Afghanistan, the CIA says that these groups are better armed and better funded than ever?
Seeds of Terror will reshape the way you think about America's enemies, revealing them less as ideologues and more as criminals who earn half a billion dollars every year off the opium trade. With the breakneck pace of a thriller, author Gretchen Peters traces their illicit activities from vast poppy fields in southern Afghanistan to heroin labs run by Taliban commanders, from drug convoys armed with Stinger missiles to the money launderers of Karachi and Dubai.
#3 Narconomics (How to Run a Drug Cartel) – Tom Wainwright
How does a budding cartel boss succeed (and survive) in the 300 billion illegal drug business? By learning from the best, of course. From creating brand value to fine-tuning customer service, the folks running cartels have been attentive students of the strategy and tactics used by corporations such as Walmart, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola.
And what can government learn to combat this scourge? By analyzing the cartels as companies, law enforcers might better understand how they work—and stop throwing away 100 billion a year in a futile effort to win the “war” against this global, highly organized business.
Your intrepid guide to the most exotic and brutal industry on earth is Tom Wainwright. Picking his way through Andean cocaine fields, Central American prisons, Colorado pot shops, and the online drug dens of the Dark Web, Wainwright provides a fresh, innovative look into the drug trade and its 250 million customers.
The cast of characters includes “Bin Laden,” the Bolivian coca guide; “Old Lin,” the Salvadoran gang leader; “Starboy,” the millionaire New Zealand pill maker; and a cozy Mexican grandmother who cooks blueberry pancakes while plotting murder. Along with presidents, cops, and teenage hitmen, they explain such matters as the business purpose for head-to-toe tattoos, how gangs decide whether to compete or collude, and why cartels care a surprising amount about corporate social responsibility.
More than just an investigation of how drug cartels do business, Narconomics is also a blueprint for how to defeat them.
#4 Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty – Steven Light & Kathryn Land
From Connecticut to California, Native American tribes have entered the gambling business, some making money and nearly all igniting controversy. The image of the “casino Indian” is everywhere. Some observers suspect corruption or criminal ties, or have doubts about tribal authenticity. Many tribes disagree, contending that Indian gaming has strengthened tribal governments and vastly improved the quality of reservation life for American Indians.
This book provides the clearest and most complete account to date of the laws and politics of Indian gaming. Steven Light and Kathryn Rand explain how it has become one of today’s most politically charged phenomena: at stake are a host of competing legal rights and political interests for tribal, state, and federal governments. As Indian gaming grows, policymakers struggle with balancing its economic and social costs and benefits.
Light and Rand emphasize that tribal sovereignty is the very rationale that allows Indian gaming to exist, even though U.S. law subjects that sovereignty to strict congressional authority and compromised it even further through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Their book describes Indian gaming and explores today's hottest political issues, from the Pequots to the Plains Indians, with examples that reflect a wide range of tribal experience: from hugely successful casinos to gambling halls with small markets and low grosses to tribes that chose not to pursue gaming. Throughout, they contend that tribal sovereignty is the key to understanding Indian gaming law and politics and guiding policy reform—and that Indian gaming even represents a unique opportunity for the emergence of tribal self-determination.
As political pressure on tribes to concede to state interests grows, this book offers a practical approach to policy reform with specific recommendations for tribal, federal, state, and local policymakers. Meticulously argued, Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty provides an authoritative look at one of today’s most vexing issues, showing that it’s possible to establish a level playing field for all concerned while recognizing the measure of sovereignty—and fairness—to which American Indians are entitled.
#5 Opium for the Masses – Jim Hogshire
“Regarded as 'God's own medicine,' preparations of opium were as common in the Victorian medicine cabinet as aspirin is in ours. As late as 1915, pamphlets issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were still mentioning opium poppies as a good cash crop for northern farmers. Well into this century, Russian, Greek, and Arab immigrants in America have used poppy-head tea as a mild sedative and a remedy for headaches, muscle pain, cough, and diarrhea.
During the Civil War, gardeners in the South were encouraged to plant opium for the war effort, in order to ensure a supply of painkillers for the Confederate Army. What Hogshire has done is to excavate this vernacular knowledge and then publish it to the world—in how-to form, with recipes."— Michael Pollan
With Opium for the Masses as their guide, Americans can learn how to supplement their own medicine chest with natural and legal pain medicine, without costly and difficult trips to the doctor and pharmacy.
Top-5 Thrillers In The First Half Of 2023
Steve’s Top Five
As I write this, I cannot think of a better time to be a thriller genre fan. In no particular order here are my top five of the first half of 2023.
Andrews & Wilson have just published their latest in the Tier One series – Dempsey
The world is more volatile, unpredictable, and dangerous than ever before. To stop the architect of this chaos, Dempsey is given the most dangerous tasking of his career … a mission only he can complete against an adversary he must face alone.
After Task Force Ember’s successful intervention in Ukraine, John Dempsey disappears without a trace—with no notice or explanation given to his teammates. Spotty intelligence eventually places him in Russia where he is rumored to have been captured by the Russian FSB and is now presumed dead. Mourning his loss, Ember is forced to pick up the pieces, restructure, and continue their mission of keeping America safe. As the president’s “go-to” black ops asset, Ember is directed to find and finish off the Russian spymaster Arkady Zhukov and any last remnants of Zeta cell.
Unbeknownst to his teammates, Dempsey is very much alive and on mission. At the behest of Vice President Jarvis, he is deep undercover—in the heart of Russia’s nexus of organized crime and politics. For his mission to succeed, he will have to team up with a man who has been his adversary—the one man in all the world he most wants dead. The risks are higher than ever, as Dempsey pursues a high-stakes plot of Russian regime change. And if he fails, the Kremlin’s retribution will be swift and terrible and certain to drag the world into World War III.
Brad Taylor has just published his latest NY Times best seller - The Devil’s Ransom.
Pike Logan races to stop an insidious attack orchestrated by a man who knows America’s most treasured secrets.
Conducting a routine cover development trip to Tajikistan, Pike and Jennifer learn that Afghanistan has fallen, and there’s a man on the run. One that has done more for the United States in Afghanistan than anyone else. Pulled in to extract him, Pike collides headlong into a broader mystery: His covert company, along with every other entity in the Taskforce, has been hit with a ransomware attack, and there’s some connection between the Taliban and the hack. Given the order to track down the perpetrators, he has no idea that the problem set is much, much larger and more dangerous than a simple attack on his organization. That hack was just a test-run, and the real one is coming soon, engendered by a former NSA specialist in the U.S. government.
A man who wants to return to the bipolar world of the Cold War, the turncoat has cloaked his attack behind hackers from Serbia and Russia, and if successful, his target will alter the balance of power on the global stage. So far, the specialist has remained one step ahead of the Taskforce, but he has just made one massive mistake: hitting Pike Logan.
Mark Greaney has just published the 12th book in the Court Gentry series – Burner.
Court Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the number one New York Times best-selling Gray Man series.
When you kick over a rock, you never know what's going to crawl out.
Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He's stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he'll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he's tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he's being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA.
Court Gentry and his erstwhile lover, Zoya Zakharova, find themselves on opposites poles when it comes to Velesky. They both want him, but for different reasons.
That's a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it's not looking good.
Don Bentley’s Forgotten War will be released on May 2nd
A brotherhood born in battle is endangered by a deadly secret in the latest astonishing thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Zero Hour and Hostile Intent.
As a team, Matt Drake and his partner, Frodo, have watched each other’s backs through some very dark days. But one thing they’ve never doubted was their commitment to each other…until now.
Frodo has been accused of a war crime ten years after leaving Afghanistan. Matt is determined to prove his friend innocent, but what will he do when he finds that his closest friend has secrets he won’t share?
Jack Carr’s Only the Dead will be released May 16th.
Navy SEAL James Reece faces a devastating global conspiracy in this high-adrenaline thriller that is ripped from the headlines—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr.
In 1980, a freshman congressman was gunned down in Rhode Island, sending shockwaves through Washington that are still reverberating over four decades later.
Now, with the world on the brink of war and a weakened United States facing rampant inflation, political division, and shocking assassinations, a secret cabal of global elites is ready to assume control. And with the world’s most dangerous man locked in solitary confinement, the conspirators believe the final obstacle to complete domination has been eliminated. They’re wrong.
From the firms of Wall Street to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and Moscow, secrets from the past have the uncanny ability to rise to the surface in the present.
With the odds stacked against him, James Reece is on a mission generations in the making. Unfortunately for his enemies, the former SEAL is not concerned with odds. He is on the warpath. And when James Reece picks up his tomahawk and sniper rifle, no one is out of range.
Top-5 Goals for 2023
#1 Ensure our daughter-in-law and grandson are taken care of now and
into the future
#2 Ensure our daughter-in-law and grandson are taken care of now and
into the future
#3 Ensure our daughter-in-law and grandson are taken care of now and
into the future
#4 Get in shape for vintage MX and honor my son by getting the month and
day of his birth as my number
#5 Publish Shadow Tier #2
Top-5 Things I Love About The Holidays
5 – The time of year
Here on the front range and certainly up in the mountains it is a time of change. The weather leads the way as we get warm and sunny followed by snow then cool and gray, you get the sense, it’s ever changing. This is when I work to get my old body ready for the cold of real winter which is odd here in that it can be 20 and sunny and you’ll end up peeling layers off. Up in the mountains the cold air is flowing a great time for an extended hike with the horizon littered with beautiful snow capped 14K mountains. The snow and rain bring a Pacific Northwest feel and smell to the woods that is invigorating and refreshing. Once back at the cabin we have the post hike hot tub to work out the kinks before taking a nap in front of the fireplace. It’s not big or grand, but it works.
4 – Day after turkey sandwiches
Not sure what it is but home cooked turkey makes the best sandwiches. And you can fix them hot or cold. With or without cranberry and all the other wild things I’ve seen. Second to the sandwich experience is warming up a second lunch/dinner with all the leftovers. In our house we have to fight to make sure we keep some turkey and fixings for ourselves. The kids and friends love to help clean up, aka make themselves to-go packs. With the headcount up to 24, Elle and I have our work cut out for us.
3 – Supporting Veterans and local charities
We support veterans as we can through the American Legion by donating turkeys and hams and providing bags of basic necessities. Around Christmas we gather up bike donations and more food for families in need. Elle donates to Food Bank of the Rockies. We do a food drive in our condo building and the greater community. Now that we are essentially retired, we plan to donate our time too.
2 – Pumpkin pie
What can I say… I’d eat it year-round. I like medium density with deep pumpkin and spice flavor. Elle is making two. I asked for a third one just for myself, DENIED! Sweet potato pie is a close favorite from my time stationed in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It was easy to find once you got outside of the greater Tampa area. The one exception, Jimbo’s BBQ on West Kennedy Blvd. An excellent place I write about in ST-1 and ST-2.
1 – Family and friends
When I was younger, I liked family get-togethers over the holidays, more so at my aunts and uncle’s houses. My dad and I had a contentious relationship so eat and scoot was my MO. One aunt lived near the beach and one near the Eel River and local redwood mill. After the meal I’d listen to my uncle’s hunting stories then switch to my grandma Anderson and ask about her time with the Blackfeet in North Dakota. When the stories wound down, I would wander off to the beach or go fishing. During my twenties I spent several years during Thanksgiving skydiving in Florida, with a quick call on Thanksgiving and Christmas for proof of life.
It wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I started to appreciate getting together as valuable and irreplaceable time. My great grandmother who’d come across the southern states territories in a horse drawn wagon passed at 100. Then a decade later my grandmother died at 96. There was a period in my late forties where it seemed someone I cared for was passing every month. I look back now and see how loss drove me to value what I’d once taken for granted and even shunned.
Today I value spending time with family and friends with all their idiosyncrasies and mine in the great mixing bowl called life. It’s time for parties, food, drink and talking over each other. Our youngest grandson wants to help Nana with cooking and serving this year so the tradition of the kids helping continues, as does life.
Have a safe and happy holidays.
Steve
Top-5 Bucket List Items
#5 – Have a book made into a movie or TV series.
Regardless of any participation, having someone who sees one of my books as worth investing in would as the saying goes, be very cool! Very happy to see The Terminal List and The Gray Man make it to the screen. What do you guys think? Does Shadow Tier have what it takes? I mean come on, it’s a better story than most of the B movies filling up Netflix and Amazon, but just my opinion.
#4 – Africa Safari
I grew up reading National Geographic and watching Wild Kingdom. It fueled my love for travel, especially international travel. One of the few places left in the world that I want to go, camera in hand, is Africa to see large game animals up close and herds of anything from the air.
#3 – Drive Le Mans
I have been a fan of the 24 hrs of Le Mans since the sixties when Ford beat Ferrari. Traveling to experience the race firsthand is coincidental with wanting to drive the course. Looking at 2024 as my year to close out this bucket list item.
#2 – Be on Chopped with my wife
My wife can cook. She teaches cooking. So, I’m thinking she could drag my sorry “good with the BBQ and smoker” backside through at least two rounds. We’d kill 'em with our apps and main course, then fight like crazy in the desert round.
#1 – Travel the world with my wife - book research of course!
We have a trip to the Caribbean or Mexico we are looking at for this winter. We also are beginning to plan out my first time in Italy. One of the few places in Europe I have not been to and want to go. Thinking Rome, then driving up the west coast to Cinque Terre before taking the train northeast to Venice. From Venice to St Moritz Switzerland and then most likely north but that is still undecided.