Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Friday, May 18, 2018

Blacklist Flops Again - Sigh

Well, I called it. The bag of bones, I mean. I had predicted those were the bones of the real Red Redington, and as of the season finale, it turned out to be the case. But even though I was right, that doesn't mean I liked the episode. Or even the series anymore. Which is saying a lot. Because at one point I dared believe The Blacklist was my all time favorite TV show.

Which is saying a ton. My all time favorite TV show returns to being Star Trek, tos, even though there were only three seasons, and only of which two were really good. The third season, of ST-TOS was only sporadically good, but good enough to return it to being my all time favorite TV show.

At one point Banshee took over that slot. But the last season of Banshee flopped big time, and I mean way more than the last season of Star Trek, tos. And this last season of Blacklist is even a worse flop than both. Which means this past season of Blacklist turned out to be a real stinker.

So...I had said that if I was right, and the bones in that bag were those of the real Red Redington, I would be okay with that as long as the James Spader character, (whoever he is) remained the real father of Lizzy. But Lizzy is acting like he's not. In fact she has now taken an over the top hating of Spader's character, so much so that she vows to "destroy" him, much like we had to suffer through in the season that featured "Mr. Kaplan's" sudden hatred of Spader's character.

I mean, that was bad enough. When I used the words 'suffer through' I meant it. Now, if the series continues next season, we'll have to suffer through another ridiculous storyline of a close associate of "Red" (this time his daughter, or supposed daughter, Lizzy) enacting a crusade of destruction of Red, or whoever Spader is supposed to be now. (From this point, I'll call him Spader Red.)

But really, I am so tired of this storyline. They can't come up with a different storyline than someone close to Red turning on him and trying to bring him down? I can't suffer through that again.

But the sheer stupidity is another factor. I mean, like, how many times has Spader Red saved Lizzy's life? At least half a dozen times throughout the duration of the series, I'd say. So does that mean saving your life mean's nothing? Apparently, to Lizzy it doesn't mean squat. Spader Red saved her life....I mean he SAVED HER LIFE....like a whole bunch of times, and all she has is hatred for him? And why? Just because she thinks he's not the real Red Redington?

This is all bullshit.  And btw, he saved Tom's life a couple times too. It was not Spader Red's fault Tom eventually died, it was his own fault. And oh yeah, Spader Red also saved the lives of every one of those FBI agents Lizzy works with, including Dresler and that FBI chief dude. They all owe their lives to Spader Red, and it all means nothing to Lizzy. Again. Bullshit.

One more thing. Why does Lizzy even believe that Spader Red is not her father anymore? It wasn't the NAME she was matched to with the DNA test in a prior episode of an earlier season. If I remember correctly, it was Spader Red's blood from which they made the match. That should mean that even if he's not the real Red Redington, he is still her real father. But Lizzy seems too stupid to connect those dots. But it's simpler than connecting dots. It's as simple as two plus two equals four, and Lizzy is unable to complete that equation? More Bullshit.

No, if Blacklist is canceled, I won't miss it. It's too stupid at this point. At least Lizzy is. And the only thing that can save this stupid show for me, is if Lizzy comes to realize that WHOEVER Spader Red is, HE IS STILL HER FATHER. And if that doesn't happen fast...I mean, like, within the first two or three episodes of the following season, I will quit this show once and for all.

The best Blacklist shows were when Spader Red and Lizzy were on the same side with a common goal, and a working relationship. I want to see Lizzy KNOW that Spader Red is her father, because he IS her father. Her real biological father.

Because you know what? If he isn't, then all five or six seasons will have been nothing more than bullshit. Being Lizzy's real father is the ONLY thing that can explain Spader Red's obsession with Lizzy. Otherwise, he's some kind of freak nutcase. And I don't want to believe I've been following a freak nutcase in a TV show over five plus seasons. That would be a joke on me. And that's not why I watch a TV show.


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