'Big Bear's Big Boat' by Eve Bunting Book Review

'Big Bear's Big Boat' by Eve Bunting is a book about being true to

yourself. It's about a bear that has grown to large for his boat and needs to build a new one. As he builds folks come by and make suggestions. He follows them and finds that he has made something he doesn't want. 

Big Bear learns a lesson about how to take advice and how to live your life. It's a story with an important moral that we can all learn from.

Who should read this book? Everyone

Books read: 137 of 5000

Weekend Overnight Counselor

18^th August 2017

Dear (Employer),

I take interest in your position as a Weekend Overnight Counselor as I hold a BA in Psychology, have worked nights for more than ten years, and have four years of experience working with at risk youth in a residential setting. I can say that having been a Safety and Security Officer for four years I’ve experienced humanity at its most dirty, and I’ve learned something in the way of life skills. My clients always told me that I took the time needed to address problems that they had, provide a clear directive, and overall made them feel safe.

 I’m also the kind of man you’d want in an emergency. I’ve called for emergency services more than a hundred times, I know how to talk to 911 operators, and I know how to prevent clients from going into shock before help arrives. I’ve deescalated violent clients and talked people down from suicide. There is very little in this world that can surprise me.

Best,

Richard Leland Neal

'It's Your Choice: Moody' by Janine Amos Book review

'It's Your Choice: Moody' by Janine Amos is a book about being

moody and not screwing with other people because of your feelings. This is a great point to make because making other people moody will not help your being moody. 

This book has a few stories about moodiness and how one should deal with it in their life. 

Who should read this book?  Everyone.

Books read: 136 of 5000

Feeling Sick

8^th January 2012

Dear Cassi,

The first assignment I turned in to grad school was given a do over. I guess I should be glad they let me rewrite it, but I rather felt the teacher was less than tactful about the whole thing. I mean, she wanted a more “professional” paper, but we are just students.

   

It was my first paper for this school, and I had no idea what to expect. Not only that but I turned it in a full day before any other student. You would think that would have counted for something. I did turn the second copy in last out of the class I think, however, I was still within the standard due dates so I should not be penalized.

   

I’m so sick at this point that I can only work for a good forty minutes at a time. Around that time I need to stop and sleep some. I have no memory of ever coughing this hard, and that has to have a negative impact on my work.

   

I feel rotten and I perform in a rotten manner. The worst of this is that having one bad week in this grad school can have a much larger impact on your grade than in most other schools. I think the teachers are a little more understanding, but as a graduate student a C is no longer considered a passing grade.

   

To add insult to injury the two classes I have do not operate on the same standard for what is and is not acceptable in a paper. One class requires me to post the work in the forum and the other as an attachment. One class requires two page papers and the other five. The whole thing is a jumble of loosely fitting parts made to be a cart but swishing across the road hither and thither with no real direction.

I hope you feel better than I,

Richard Leland Neal

'An Alice in Bibleland Storybook: The Story of Jonah' Book Review

'An Alice in Bibleland Storybook: The Story of Jonah' is what is

what happens when you take acid and read the bible. It follows the story of Alice who owns a magic bible that transports her into the stories of the bible to teach her the lessons of the lord. 

This is a fine story save for the idea that some would say that all bibles are magic. I'm not that kind of person so I found this entertaining. 

The artwork is cartoon like and full color with the interpretations being holey literal. 

Who should read this book: Folks who want to learn about the story of Jonah. 

Books read: 135 of 5000

'Astronomy Now: A Look at Mercury' by Mary R. Dunn Book Review

'Astronomy Now: A Look at Mercury' by Mary R. Dunn is a

description of the closest planet to the sun. I have to admit that this is the kind of book I just can't get enough of because I love space, well made books, and all things geeky. This book is built to take a beating from kids and full of wonderful photographs.

Being a science book it is designed to inform not entertain. This just happens to be the kind of information I find entertaining. 

Who should read this book? Everyone.

Books Read:  134 of 5000

'Look and be Grateful' by Tomie dePaola Book Review

'Look and be Grateful' by Tomie dePaola is the simplest of all

ideas for a children's book. This is a book that tells you to be grateful for the everyday thing in life. 

Yes, we should be grateful for oranges and the sun. Does it say that other people go without? No, but the idea that we should be grateful for what we have is the theme of this book.

The artwork is light and simple with a childlike happiness that will warm your heart. This was definitely and enjoyably read that reminded me of how one should live their life. 

Who should read this book? Everyone 

Books read: 133 of 5000

The Dead Man's Ugly Couches

31^st January 2015

Dear Cassi,

       

So, Pickle had a busy day. It comes that he was to help Yule move and I’m not sure he accomplished that as he got into an argument with Pony Girl about McDonalds. Apparently, Pony Girl feels that rich people have earned their money and have a right to mistreat poor people.

       

That would be Pony Girl for you, evil to the core and justifying her own ill treatment of people by some half logic. So, now Pickle and Pony Girl are upset with one another and I have to worry over Pickle and his logistical needs.

       

This is particularly irksome and Pickle once promised that I wouldn’t need to drive him around in exchange for him ignoring the family’s poor treatment of me. Now he still turns a blind eye to things and I have to drive him around.

       

To add another level of odd, Pickle accepted two linking couches that once belonged to my deceased cousin. These are faded, ugly, green affairs, tainted with the smoke of cigarettes and holed with their burns. They are in some better shape than the couches in the house, but these simply don’t fit well and frankly are uncomfortable.

I would love to take a moment and sit down to reflect on things but there is no way I can sit down on a dead man’s couch and do so. At least I know those to can still fight.

Live every day, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal 

'The Inch High Samurai' Book Review

'The Inch High Samurai' retold by Ralph F. McCarthy is a little

book of Japanese folklore that goes about telling people not to let their faults slow them down. This telling has little in the way of danger and is likely not a full layout of the original story but is a perfect pep talk for your little person. 

The Japanese artwork is very nice, rich, and full of color. The book, however, is small for a children's book and is not an easy thing to read to your child if you want to have story time. 

All and all, this is a book that make the perfect gift for the child who loves to read. 

Who should read this book? Everyone. 

Books read: 132 of 5000

Play for the Right Reasons

6^th January 2015

Dear Cassi,

Being a man as large as I am it should be no surprise to you that I was encouraged to play football in high school. Never having a love for sports I agreed but it was a terrible fit. For one I was one of three white men on a team full of the kind of folks who boo the American flag and talk about how much they hate this country.

       

The players hated me for being who I was and the coach hated me because I wasn’t dedicated. Well, he felt that all players needed to have sixth period Physical Education and as I couldn’t take that class he never let me play. He couldn’t keep me off the team, though he should have, but he didn’t have to let me participate.

       

Now I was so large a man that when I did get to practice, when too few players arrived for us to scrimmage, I could stop the varsity team from moving the ball. As a freshman I was proud of myself for this fact, but it gave me no playing time. 

       

Then I would have made a poor player. I was large and bulky but slow, slow because of the depression that marred me, and slow because I was so big. If I had played I never would have been able to maintain for the game.

       

Then again, most of the players only preformed their drills when the coach wasn’t watching, and no one wanted to win so much as they wanted to play. I gained an experience from football but it was only the merest of anecdotes in my life.

Play for the right reasons, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal

'Andy and the Lion' Book Review

'Andy and the Lion' by James Daughter is an award winning book

that I found about to be discarded by the library.  It is a retelling of the old story of the mouse and the lion where a mouse helps a lion and is bettered for the action. 

This is a book designed with an old monochromatic aesthetic and line drawing. It's a fin little feel good story that will bring a smile to your child's face. Truly a fun read. 

Who should read this book? Anyone.

Books read: 131 of 5000

'The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer' Book Review

'The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer by Davide Cali is a

book about a boy and his summer that is so fantastical that only a child would come up with it. In the story the boy fights pirates, goes to space, and finds treasure. 

This is a book that is just plain clean fun and reading it may just make your day a little brighter. There are no real heavy morals and no big questions posed by the story. 

In addition, it is a very well made book that can stand some playtime by your youngster. The fantastical images are great for children and a lot of fun.

Who should read this book? Everyone. 

Books read: 130 of 5000

'Mimi Loves to Mimic' Book Review

'Mimi Loves to Mimic' by Yih-Fen Chou is a book about a young

child at that stage in development where they mimic the behaviors of their adults. Mimi does things trying to be like her parents and grandparents with mixed results. In the end the book is more cute than anything.

This is a nice bedtime story with no clear stance or heavy handed moral. It's just a fun book that will appeal more to the parent than the child. 

Who should read this book? Parents. 

Books read: 129 pf 5000

Dragging Along in My Ideas

5^th December 2017

Dear Cassi,

Dragging along in my ideas I have to clear my head of all the nonsense of high school, because this year my character, JonnyAmerican, will graduate. The funny thing is that I think I’ve gotten over high school. Every now and then a memory pops up that upsets me, sure, but that is more do to being reminded of other things that invoked the same emotions. 

The funny thing about memory is that you tend to remember the beginning and the end, but all that stuff in the middle gets fuzzy. Still then, I have not decided if Jonny’s younger brother, Nick, will be depicted as attending high school after Jonny. I really haven’t given nick an age at this point. Some of my memories could be attributed to Nick but the point is that at the end of this year I need to be focusing on Jonny after high school. 

My high school was a remnant of Cold War America with the mascot being originally a titan missile. The Titan family of rockets was the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operated by the United States, and they had been around since 1959 with the Titan I being taken out of service in 1965.

The Titans are now a thing of the past being retired in 2005, but even as I went to high school from 1994 to 1998 the namesake of the school mascot had been out of service for nearly thirty years. They had changed it to the Greek Titan by then, but the legacy of the cold war stuck. 

When this was adopted the Titan was a symbol of American strength. The missile was a great protector that kept the Russians from waging war against us. Then the Cold War ended in the eighties and so it had become a symbol of American decay.

At the main entrance to the school they had built a mock launch pad that looked like a bowl to hold a boiler flask. In this trees had been planted making the sculpture look like the ruins of some high tech facility.  That was my high school all right, a ruin of a better time inhabited by the ghosts of the past.

Rise from the ashes, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal

'The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy' Book Review

'The Adventure of Momotaro, The Peach Boy' retold by

Ralph F. McCarthy is a story from Japanese folklore about a boy who was born from a giant peach found floating in a river and then was adopted by an elderly couple.

The primary theam of the story is revealed in the second act when Monotaro puts together an army and has to work to make them get along. The problems are rather slim and the story is more feel good than anything else. Still, this is a children's book and being such it will have little in the way of substance.

Another point to understand about this book is that it is small and would be hard for a parent to read to a child for that reason. Something to be said is that this book has the Japanese calligraphy which is a plus.

Who should read this book? Everyone.

Books read: 128 of 5000

Only Your Cats

This is a letter from County of Los Angeles Animal Care and Control. Note that they say there is no evidence the suspect killed my animals. The suspect in this case admitted to killing cats but never admitted to killing my cats. 

Small Towns - Lenny Bruce

Meaning of Peace - Fred Rogers

A Smooth Sea - English Proverb

Show Me Something

15th October 2016

 

Dear Transitional Housing,

I have 18 years of experience in security and four of those with the homeless population of Los Angeles. In those four years with the homeless I specialized in working nights and de-escalation of violent clients. I dealt with juvenile offenders, gang members, and drug addicts with an attitude of mutual respect.

I’ve talked people down from suicide, worked with Police Officers, and done all kinds of things that would make most guards turn green. Further, I’ve given testimony in a Court of Law.

If you can honestly show me something I haven’t seen on duty my hat is off to you. I’m a well experienced Security Officer, and I figure your kind of work is just right for me.

Stay safe,

Richard Leland Neal     

What We Have - Fred Rodgers

Crazy Lady Attacked My Car

3^rd February 2015

Dear Cassi,

       

A crazy lady attacked my car. It wasn’t the only car she attacked, but the fact that it was my car puts me in a mood. This happened at work, and we have it all on tape, but it is unlikely the police will put much into searching for her because this is misdemeanor vandalism.

She came to the door just as the janitor was mopping the floor in the front there, and I leter her in thinking she was a client. She looked just like another one of our clients on the crappy video system we have. In fact, I’m not sure she wasn’t a client or a recent discharge from the shelter.  She knew the place and knew she had to be buzzed in.

 I knew there was something wrong when she grabbed the mop wringer from the janitors bucket and threw it on the floor screaming at him. I was on my feet at this moment going to help the janitor but as soon as I got through the first set of double doors she was gone.

The janitor and I looked at each other confused and then. I went back to my desk to see her on the cameras again. She was ripping the windshield wiper off my car. When she had succeeded in this she just walked off talking to herself.

Sometimes life is crazy,

Richard Leland Neal

'Religions of the World: I am Baptist' by Patricia Harrington Book Review

'Religions of the World: I am Baptist' by Patricia Harrington is what

it sounds like. This is a book designed to inform children about the Baptist religion. 

The more interesting points of the history are removed giving way to a book that is very watered down.

Now, I'll admit that I know little about Christians in general but I thought that all of them baptize. Thus this book could have been about many religions. 

Who should read this book? People who think their child may make fun of Baptists. 

Books read: 127 of 5000

Start Your Own Blog by Kristin Fontichiaro Book Review

'Start Your Own Blog' by Kristin Fontichiaro is a book about

starting your own blog. Well, duh. Again the big issue with teaching your children about starting blogs at a young age is that they may overshare and endanger themselves. 

The internet is a cruel place full of rude people and creeps. The idea of starting a blog may be a good one or may be a bad one, but remember that if you're going to permit your child to do so they need supervision.  

Now this is a well made book and very sturdy, so it has that going to it. 

Who should read this book? Teachers using a blog for their class. 

Books read: 126 of 5000

Bugs on the Move (Comparing Bugs) by Charlotte Guillain Book Review

'Bugs on the Move (Comparing Bugs)' by Charlotte Guillain is a

book for the young entomologist. It describes the movement of bugs, not just insects, and how they differ from one another.

As with the other books in this series this one gives you the most basic of information and it could really have so much more in those few pages. 

Past that it is a well made book with vivid photographs that any kid who loves bugs will enjoy. 

Who should read this book? Kids who love bugs. 

Books read: 125 of 5000

Movie Man

27^th October 2016

Hello Friends,

I saw your ad on Craig’s List and I happened to be a YouTube movie critic. It’s not that I’m famous or anything like that but having more movies to review would certainly help me out some and posting on your website should help promote my existing work.

Now, am I great at what I do? No, not really, I’ve tried to up my game over the years but I’m still a nobody in the business. I think this is a great opportunity for me to expand my review list with newer films.

I’ll enclose a link to my channel and you can see it for yourself.

Best,

Richard