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Where are the heroes of Lonesome Dove?

In my opinion, Lonesome Dove is a classic and Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae are two of the greatest characters ever created in American literature. I recently read Dead Man’s Walk and just finished Comanche Moon, the two novels that describe the early and middle years of the two heroes. I was anxious to read about how the two learned what they needed to know to be two of the greatest Texas Rangers that ever lived and I was also excited to read about some of the great victories they had during their primes. I was instead disappointed. The two books focus more on secondary characters and when they are discussing McCrae and Call, it appears that the two heroes are driven by the winds of chance and luck into their few successes. Furthermore, McMurtry tends to dwell on the two’s faults, seemingly to undermine the two beloved heroes. I read on and on through hundreds of pages hoping for a glimpse of the strength and courage displayed by McCrae and Call in the original Lonesome Dove, but when I reached the final page, I was only still hoping. What happened to the McCrae who charged into a camp of renegades by himself with only his Colt pistol? What happened to the Call that made his men quiver with the strength of his command? What happened to the McCrae who operated on his own knee while under attack of Indians? What happened to the Call who nearly beat an army scout to death in front of his very squadron? I did enjoy the character of Buffalo Hump that was depicted in the two books of Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon, but it was a crime what happened to two of my favorite characters. I should have left their lives prior to Lonesome Dove to imagination. Since Dead Man’s Walk (1995) and Comanche Moon (1997) were written so long after the original Lonesome Dove (1985), perhaps McMurtry felt pressured into writing the books and that he undermined McCrae and Call out of spite. Did he take the money and run? I’d bet on it.

An all time great

So Funny

Sabroso Viejo

It sits there staring at me with its beady little eyes, taunting me to make a move on its snide existence. My senses are heightened and my reflexes are coiled, willing me to spring them into action. I am a gunfighter in an old western shootout and at any moment my pistols will glimmer in the sun, unholstered in there assent towards a blazing smoking inferno of satisfying destruction, hammering down with the unrefrained cracking of pierced eardrums, drowning out the very battle cry bellowing from my mouth. Yet in my eagerness my mind is telling me that this foe can do nothing until I make my move. I trump the situation like the starting bell at a dog race, yet I am weakening to the demands of my enthusiasm to engage. Forcing my attention away by breaking eye contact with my enemy, I try to hold off my appetite until the opportune moment. But its aroma whispers to my senses, and the rumblings from my gastrointestinal break my concentration. Attempting a sneak attack, I slide my chair just slightly and pretend to reach out for a file, before pouncing on my foe like a cobra. The battle lasts mere moments. Thinking that this fight is entirely one-sided, I gorge myself on its lush palatability, ripping through him like a buzz saw with complete satisfaction. I laugh heartily in the ecstasy of victory. Yet what is that pinching at my intellect, small at first like a twinge at my forehead, growing slowly into a painful migraine? It is the realization that I have several hours to go in the cubicle sentence of my workday and I’ve exhausted my rations and that, indeed, my enemy has had the last laugh. A tear rolls down my cheek as I begin to walk across the hours of desert until I will finally arrive at the mirage of quitting time. The bitter sweet reality of it all stings like a Marciano jab to the kidneys. And as I let out a silent wail of remorse the truth whispers to my consciousness: If you make a lunch, don’t set it in plain view or you’ll end up eating it by ten in the morning!

Toothbrushing at Work

I was driving to lunch the other day and I was listening to Jim Rome as he was ripping on guys that brush there teeth at work and keep a toothbrush in their desk drawers. Well, guess what? I do that! And I don’t really understand what’s wrong with it. Do you get annoyed if a coworker brushes their teeth after lunch? I really don’t want to be the annoying guy in the office, but I also don’t want to smell like a Subway Sandwich all afternoon. I kind of feel like someone told me I'm the stinky kid in class.

Narrow Margins?

I need a new car. I kind of like this one that costs $12,875, so I was looking at financing for it. So, I can get a loan for 4.4% if I put down 30%, so my loan would be for $9,013, cost me $205 per month, and $833 in total interest over the life of the loan. So, if instead of paying cash for the car I get the loan and put the extra $9,013 in a bank account earning 3.0% interest, I would earn a total of $1,148 in interest and be ahead $315 at the end of the 48 months. Nice! No wonder we have a financial crisis.