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History

A nation looks at its health when it gauges its past. Uganda has had its fair-share of problems since independence, and when it gained independence its citizens were euphoric, and the day of independence is still celebrated each year. People are no longer celebrating with fervour. New oppressions have surfaced, dreams shattered, confidence for peace and liberty is scampered and is in short-supply.

Uganda has not been lucky for having a peaceful-time transition of power to cilivian rule. The political situation is still militarized. New realities have exposed fragments of upheaval within the political class. After independence voices cried out for new life and what they got was civil wars. If people had predicted what was to come, maybe history would be different. People can't even mention the toppled leaders by name or refer to mention their legacy, because word about them would result in a jail sentence.

Uganda has looked after its citizens unkindly and in a notoriously inhumane way. The treasury that citizens are supposed to rely on has become a trough for leaders and their cohorts, and there is a great lamentation to fix the borehole. History makes a nation what it is. Uganda has contributed to the British Empire and is a custodian of British interests.

Politics

The lowering of the Union Jack was the beginnng of a new birth of politics, and it was like a rich man leaving his house and possessions to his servants, not knowing when he will be back. Many false dawns have not brought the much anticipated freedoms of democracy. Military leaders have masqueraded themselves in civilain gear to appear as genuine to the cause and advance of democracy. Military leaders have exploited the army and police to suppress the opposition, and to muzzle them.

Politically speaking politics remains the reserve of the elite, and no due consideration is given to the politically dispossessed. No one cares for the downtrodden and all those deprived of power. No one has easy access to any media because everything is controlled, monitored, and micro-managed by the state authorities. People fear protesting as a way to expressing themselves. Because protesting would result in a vicious crackdown. Fear permeats throughout society and no one trusts his neighbour. Military leaders have become a personality cult, having access to all resources. The British controlled the wealth and a military leader has taken over plundering the nation for personal gain. ... (read more)

Featured Books

A Life in Search of Love

My Two Wives and Three Husbands
by S. Stanley Gordon
Savant Books

reviewed by Laura Roberts

"To people—gay and straight—who scoff at marriage, I say: Do not underestimate it."

Gordon's memoir covers his life and times as a gay man, from deep inside the closet to out and proud. Through he knows early on he's drawn to men, Gordon describes leading a double life to hide his proclivities from his traditional Jewish family. He marries not one but two women and fathers a child before he finally finds love with his first "husband" in 1961. Along the way he also gets caught up in show businesses, rubs elbows with celebrities, works his way through the ranks as an optician, experiences love and loss and love again, and lives his life by Mae West's philosophy: "I owe it all to dirty living!". ... (read more)

Divine Connections

Exultation: Erotic Tales of Divine Union
by Jacqueline Sa
Roots & Legends

reviewed by Caroline Blaha-Black

"The Pharaoh came to her and greeted her with joyous respect; he did not require her prostrate for him. She was his sacred equal in their task of divine union"

Jacqueline Sa bridges the gap between the physical and the spiritual in her stories of the sensual, sacred union with the Divine. The stories span many eons and exalt the enlightened human consciousness as the author weaves an intricate web of sensual love, unfinished projects from past lives, and pacts with the Divine Spirit. In the end the stories unite the male and female into being one with the Divinity. ... (read more)

A Survivor Among Us

The Survivors
by Amanda Havard
Chafie Press

reviewed by Susan Illis

"I, of course, knew the answer. To die, I thought. No, that wasn't it. 'Mortality,' I said, freezing as I realized that I had said it out loud."

Twenty-six children accused as witches in 1692 Salem were exiled and left to die in the wilderness. Fourteen of those survived, ceasing to age and establishing a cloistered community in Montana. A descendant of these Survivors, ethereal Sadie Matthau is determined to learn about the human world, and more specifically, how she can die. Like her elders, Sadie stopped aging as a young woman, becoming a perennial twenty-one year old. Permitted by the elders to read voraciously, her curiosity about the outside world—and her fear of being forced to breed—compels her to leave her family for a twenty-first century life. ... (read more)

Our Man on the Inside

Antoine Gold and the Rolls Royce and
Other Bankruptcy Short Stories
by Hal Taxel
Florida Academic Press

reviewed by Omar Figueras

"The whole thing could lead to a legal morass with the trustee caught in the middle of the muddle. / I like that: the middle of the muddle."

Hal Taxel's Antoine Gold and the Rolls Royce and Other Bankruptcy Short Stories is a collection of bankruptcy vignettes, some feeling more as creative nonfiction than fiction, as seen through the eyes of a U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee. From this place of privilege, the narrator takes the reader through a hilarious and witty ride through the circuitous route that is the U.S Bankruptcy Court system, and the How’s and Why's people utilize trying to justify their attempts in having to repay their debts. ... (read more)

The Alter Ego of the Universe

True Surrealism
by Christopher Klim
Hopewell Publications

reviewed by Thomas E. Kennedy

"I was not the type of guy who believed in the stars or premonitions. When people told me that they had lived past lives or received a signal from a dead aunt or a bunch of clouds arranged in a particular pattern, I tried not to laugh in their faces. However a few days ago, I discovered the alter ego of the universe."

The stories in Klim's new collection include tales of controlling women and ne'er-do-well men trying, well, to do well if they could; an upscale chef helping to prepare a condemned man's last meal; best friends who find themselves in a middle eastern battlefield; a rocket scientist on the drink who gets lucky; a heartbreaking and haunting tale of a neglected boy and what he learns from his runaway dog... (read more)

Inside the Theater

What We Do: Working in the Theatre
by Bo Metzler
Infinity Publishing

reviewed by Carol Davala

"What you will get here is an overview of the theatre, as a business, as an occupation, as a life style and even as a dream."

For anyone with theatrical aspirations or even a modicum of interest in theatre arts, Bo Metzler has written an invaluable book, offering a general yet extremely thorough introduction to the who, what, where, and how of theatre. Drawing on over forty years of experience from his own multi-faceted career, the author's overall compilation provides practical knowledge, forethought, and a wealth of personal insight. Throughout this intimate and artful portrait, Metzler candidly expounds the ins and outs, and rudimentary elements of the theatrical arena. ... (read more)

A Certain Revenge

Violence
by Timothy McDougall

reviewed by Russell Roberts

"Brutality against the innocent was usually pushed off the front pages nowadays in short order in favor of more easy to stomach fare, but Crotty couldn't count on that."

Noel Anderson is a Chicago-area builder who had a lousy childhood. However, thanks to his attractive wife Karen and daughter, Tristan Anderson's life has become an urban dream. Everything changes when three thugs who had earlier been at the house doing lawn maintenance come back when Anderson is not at home. They rape and murder Karen and kill Tristan. Anderson relies on the judicial system for justice, but is disappointed when the three plead to lesser charges and one even goes free. Anderson then embarks on a personal journey to rediscover a semblance of self, while never forgetting that the men who killed his family have yet to pay for their crimes. ... (read more)

Two Worlds Collide

The Land of Whoo
by Ryan O'Brien

reviewed by Wendy Strain

"Michael Henry woke up with a start from his vivid dream. In his dream, he had seen a messenger bathed in a white light... The strange messenger relayed a directive to Michael Henry without talking."

Intended for a young (10-12) audience, this book offers a positive story of friendship and courage under unusual circumstances. When Michael Henry and his new friend and neighbor Savannah discover a secret portal to another land, it will take all of their courage to survive the challenges ahead, but the challenges back at home are easily as great. The friends will need the skills and inner strength they've acquired in one land to save those they love in the other. ... (read more)

A New American Deal

I Am An Obama Liberal 
by Paul Siegel
Learning Society Publications

reviewed by Russell Roberts

"After Roosevelt was elected, I began to realize how important money was to the rich people in the country."

Paul Siegel brings all of his nine decades of knowledge and experience to bear in I Am An Obama Liberal. The book begins with Siegel relating how Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal helped his family. It then sweeps over the political landscape during the next 80+ years. Included are analyses of events that have influenced American society and politics, such as the rise of technology, climate change, and terrorism. Siegel's premise is that the former breakdown of left-center-right positions in politics is outdated. Yet the groups continue to fight, leading to today's paralyzing political polarization. ... (read more)

Inner Beauty

Wild Beau and Her Kittens 
– The Kitty Tales Trilogyy
by Peggy Krause
CreateSpace

reviewed by L.Alonso

"Spider Man looked at Momma's sunken-in eye socket and her chipped tooth and said, "How about ˜Beau?" I think it means "pretty" in French?"

The third installment in the Kitty Tales Trilogy, Wild Beau and Her Kittens centers around a feral mother cat named Momma, who is befriended by the series' regular feline characters: Soupy, Lila, Lola, Puff Puff and Spider Man. Momma grew up in the wild and her frail body shows harsh evidence of her brutal existence. She is riddled with fleas and ear mites. The tips of her ears and tail were lost to a frigid winter. She has a broken front paw which healed poorly and she is missing one eye. ... (read more)

A Parallel Universe

The Leap
by Blaine C. Readler
Full Arc Press

reviewed by Laura Roberts

"He should have painted his backside white instead, but that was all hindsight now."

Will's great-uncle has been trying to send him to another universe for the past four months. After 40 years of experimentation on Will's father, Uncle Bill finally gets it right and Will finds himself suddenly transported to a parallel universe a lot like his own. But instead of inventing microchips and super-fast computers, this society has spent its time building rocket ships, jet packs—and intense xenophobia. Having blown Russia sky-high with a nuclear bomb, the U.S. is the biggest bully on the block, and a group called the Central Intelligence Department (CID) is after Will and his uncle on suspicions of terrorist activity. Will quickly learns he's traded places with his double, Buck, and it's up to him to save his uncle—along with the rest of America—from a 1950s-era nightmare where taking the Lord's name in vain is a federal offense and the Civil Rights movement never happened. ... (read more)

Science Gone Amuck

Off the Grid: You Can Hide, But You Can't Run
by Blaine Readler
Full Arc Press

reviewed by Karyn Saemann

"'You have to kill the babies.'
'What are you talking about?'
'Lilly's babies. You have to kill them. They're monsters.'"

In the hands of a lesser writer, this story about the evils of bioengineering could have sunk into tedium and cliche, but Readler's talented hand spins a witty, intelligent thriller. Carl and Fels have relocated to a cabin in the mountains near San Diego. They say they're tired of the city but are really running away from the death of Fels' nephew and a mauled finger that has ended Carl's career as a guitarist. Fels continues to commute to her job at a San Diego genetics lab. ... (read more)

A Plan for the Golden Years

Retired? What's Next?
by Michael Bivona
iUniverse

reviewed by JAlpha

"Before retiring, it's wise to begin building bridges to things you are passionate about, so that when the time comes, you have a choice of which bridges you can comfortably take into the next phase of your life."

Some people transition seamlessly into their "golden years," while others have a tougher time entering into retirement, wondering what's next? In Retired? What's Next?, retired accountant, Michael Bivona shares his answer. Part memoir, part retirement guide, this is both informative and inspirational. Touching on essential aspects of retirement like remaining healthy, financial matters, preparing a will, finding part-time and or volunteer work, Bivona delivers practical, real-life advice and insightful reflections. ... (read more)

Hollywood Intrigue

To Kill the Duke
by Sam Moffie

reviewed by Michael Radon

"The Russians were not detonating their bombs near populated areas. The Americans were."

A slice of 20th-century silver screen Americana and alternate Cold War history, Sam Moffie's To Kill the Duke fictionalizes a Hollywood story that is already strangely true. The book largely follows the production of critical flop film The Conqueror, which cast John Wayne as Genghis Khan under the direction of former actor Dick Powell and with the financial backing of eccentric and iconic American figure Howard Hughes. Moffie ties this moment in American cinema with a story about the end of the Stalin era in the USSR and overseas Soviet espionage during some of the earlier moments of the Cold War. ... (read more)

A New American Splendor

Traces of Bliss
by Cecilia Velasegui
Libros Publishing

reviewed by Jenifer Kimble

"...the ancestral memories theory postulates that our DNA is encoded with specific memories from the experiences of our ancestors. I would say that Mrs. Hemieh has just demonstrated the extent of the details that one can unintentionally remember going back many, many generations."

In an affluent suburb of Los Angeles, several wealthy seniors inadvertently begin experiencing the tragic memories of their ancestors, following aromatherapy massage sessions with their trusted massage therapist. Mostly discarded by their blood relatives, or with none remaining at all, the seniors rely solely upon their trusted caregivers, each of whom are also full of unhappiness and despair searching for fulfillment and worth at the hands of their senior employers. ... (read more)