AuthorsDen: Reviews at a Glance

Recent Reviews for J.C. Callahan

Dating Sucks — But It Doesn't Have To (Book) - 2/21/2009 2:33:33 PM
Boy this is a tough one. I wrote a chapter dedicated to Internet dating and the mishaps that happened over the course of many years. This is what I learned: add 50 pounds and 10 years to the so called “recent picture” she sent you. That way you will never be disappointed.

Finding Cinderella (Short Story) - 1/21/2009 12:17:20 PM
This is a heart warming and romantic story. Although all of the hopeless romantics wanted a happy ending, this is the kind of experience that was worth having in life. Although he did not end up with her because he was married, at least for a little while it was the romantic experience that warmed the heart. I can't wait to hear and see more of your stories.

Finding Cinderella (Short Story) - 10/22/2008 3:03:43 PM
lovely work

Finding Cinderella (Short Story) - 10/21/2008 1:06:07 PM
I'm probably as disappointed as you were (not with the story, but with the fact that she was married). I am also a hopeless romantic and found this absolutely delightful and charming. This was heartwarming to think a man would go this route to find that one (again, sad face that it didn't end well). You're bound to find your Cinderella. Loved the story! Best to you, Elizabeth

Changing America: Government By the People (Article) - 8/18/2009 3:27:04 AM
C.J. it's all writen out in our Constitution. That is directions for properly operating our government. It works pretty good. The problem is we let people get into the government that find The Constituion gets in the way of their plans for dictatorship. In fact it even has a remedy for those who try to steal our freedom and liberties. It's called impeachment.

Changing America: We Need Another Political Party (Article) - 8/16/2009 5:19:01 PM
Right idea J.C. There is a new party that is growing in leaps and bounds every day. It’s not a political party,, because it’s members no longer believe that they can trust professional politicians with our government. It’s made up of independents and former democrats and republicans. It’s called the American People, and they are going to show everyone who is really in charge at the poles.

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 5/7/2009 4:33:47 AM
Auto Mongers: They will drive us all down the wrong road to ditches. Think about the 1950's and 1960's We had a Chevy Nova a good economy car and the Ford Falcon another economy car. America knows how to build great cars. Lately auto manufactures have been in bed with the Oil companies. Now the leadership in our nation is so corrupt that we are amazed that someone like Mike Huckabee is NOT one of the lot. He IS a celebrity for being a REAL AMERICAN and not giving way to all of the corrupt carnage around us. These political puppy dogs just pack on money on spending speed trains and jump on without even blinking their eyes! If I were president I would hire Retired Generals to inspect the banks and businesses with checklist of honorable requirements. If they don't shape up they ship out. Who needs a dying elephant who wants a blood transfusion????? Thanks for sharing, John Michael Domino

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 11/26/2008 10:12:51 AM
I inadvertantly stumbled across this piece in the course of editing some of my own things on the site, but I first thought, upon reading it through, "Aha! there's a kindred spirit!". My next thought was "I couldn't agree more." The phenomenon you began to address (the self-serving, greed-motivated machinations of the auto industry) has always been a favorite hot button of my own, but it is in a larger context merely symptomatic of the catastrophic metamorphosis America has undergone under what I shall call the ‘American economic model of democratic capitalistic materialism’ (whew…that’s a mouthful). The American system, originally held in nominal balance by the influences of classical economic theory, has in the decades since the Second World War become increasingly perverted by the appeal materialism has had for these same philistine corporate powers you reference, with regard to its potential for generating obscene amounts of profit for stockholders. Part of that transmogrification has been the result of socialisation of American citizens to endlessly consume (hate to sound like a SNL ‘conehead’ here, but it’s an apt allusion) mass quantities of material things. Taken to its present ludicrious extremity, we have produced a nation that now relies slavishly upon internal domestic consumption of products to keep our entire economy healthy. Within the constraints of this system, ‘consumers’ are now regarded as unpatriotic if they don’t remain addicted to consumptive habits and a lifestyle that is both enormously wasteful and environmentally insupportable. If that isn't perversely twisted logic, I can't think of anything that is! With specific regard to automobiles, most Americans are now ‘trained’ with Pavlovian precision to regard the purchase of a new automobile every few years as mandatory, when in fact today's modern automobiles will last many years with even minimal care and maintenance. The ‘car culture’ that has grown up through various collusions between urban planners, the oil industry, and automobile manufacturers has accordingly become a monster that feeds upon us all with an eagerness that would do justice to Prometheus’ vulture. Under that malevolent aegis, the auto industries have been encouraged (nay, handsomely rewarded) to follow self-serving objectives that are not only harmful to individuals, but monumentally harmful to the planet itself. As a dysfunctional economic symptom of the most serious sort, rampant American materialist consumerism needs to be recognised for what it is: a cancer that is rapidly and not-so-subtly destroying the quality of our lives and the fabric of American economic life. Americans also need to finally ‘get it’ that minimum impact human-scale economics MUST at some point obtain in our lives. I highly recommend a combined read of several authors to our hopelessly addicted ‘materialist’ fellow citizens who have fallen repeatedly for this unconscionable and unreflective American ‘consumer lifestyle’: 1) Ivan Illich (a social economist possessed of profound human insights); and 2) E.F. Schumacher (English economist and author of ‘Small is Beautiful’ and proponent of ‘human scale’ engineering). Thanks for stirring the crucible with some much needed reflective insight of commendable cogency.

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 11/23/2008 8:43:15 PM
GREED MONGERS$: In 1980 Cars-Frames Removed, Bumpers Removed,Firewalls & Trunks Removed-Shot In Burning Foamed Insulation,**G M C,CHRYSLER, FORD,Foreign Auto Makers Saved Literally BILLION$,Changed All Cars Trucks To 350 c.i V-8 CHEVY ENGINES... Then Raised Prices To $50 Thousands Still Can't Sell Cars Or Even Trucks--Do I Feel Sorry For These Bastards-Let Them All Go To Holy Hell.. ** Air Bags In Your Face On Way To Holy Hell In Your Own $50,000 Funeral (Caskets)Wagons.. In 1972 California(Mexifornia) Passed Laws That All Cars Must Have 15 MPH Impact Bumpers-LAUGH... Credit IlluminatingWrite... TRASK

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 11/23/2008 10:17:47 AM
well done

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 11/23/2008 8:13:58 AM
In every dysfunctional family there are children, through no fault of their own, made to shoulder unfair burdens. It is why there are no simplistic answers in this journey called life, commerce, and the economy. However, I enjoyed your article and look forward to reading your book. Regards ... Reginald V. Johnson

The Undoing of America: The Car Industry (Article) - 11/22/2008 8:23:26 PM
Phew! Your anger screams loudly from every paragraph. Few would blame you. I guess the question is, how does the US assist the victims of this fiasco - Joe the car worker, if you see what I mean. The average worker in the car industry is now held hostage by the people who made this happen. More broadly, the people of the US must consider abandoning a huge part of their industrial and cultural heritage - if the US with its huge economy can't produce cars then what can it produce? Personally, just for the sake of Joe average, I hope the industry makes it somehow. I've also worked kitchens and farmyards and worked hard through college - three times over my lifetime - but I've no beef with those who earn more for less intellectually oriented labor - after all, they merely take the opportunities offered. Hope it all works out. And yes, I really do understand your anger.

Greed & Gullibility: The Undoing of America (Article) - 11/17/2008 7:20:20 PM
Right you are J.C. Our worst enemy is us. There is a sucker born every minute.... and W.C. was right, "You can't cheat an honest man."