Happy New Year!
And a look at things ahead... including nuclear fusion.
Hi everyone.
This will be a fairly short newsletter. I mostly just wanted to — as part of a fireside chat (being that I’m typing this next to my fireplace) — wish you all a happy and healthy new year.
The vibe I received from a lot of friends and acquaintances (online and otherwise) was that 2022 was a pretty rough year — assuredly not as rough as 2020, and definitely not as painful as a lot of people in other countries had it (Ukraine comes immediately to mind), but “rough” in relative terms. Beyond this extended period of high inflation, many dealt with health and family issues, of which I can certainly empathize.
Some readers with good memories might recall me revealing, without much detail at the time, that 2022 started out not-so-great for the Dalys:
…we’ve been hit with one unexpected gut-shot after another that began literally on January 1. These last few weeks have been disheartening, and at times painful … let’s just say that if a runaway ice-cream truck were to suddenly crash through my office wall as I’m typing this, and one of my orbital cavities was impaled with the wrong end of a waffle cone, the predicament — at this point — wouldn’t feel particularly out of place.
While I still won’t get into all that was happening, I can report that things got quite a bit better… which was hopefully evident in the newsletters I wrote throughout the rest of last year. After all, I released a new book, took in the sights and sounds of Nashville, and got to swim with pigs in the Bahamas! Plus, my family is doing pretty well. I hope most of you reading this were also the apparent exception to the rule, and had a good year.
One side-note: 2022 did manage to land a quick jab on me right before the final bell. After somehow eluding the virus for almost three years, I finally got Covid. At least, I think this was the first time; who knows for sure?
My lone symptom was some minor congestion (which is pretty much gone now). I probably wouldn’t have even bothered testing if not for my wife experiencing more traditional symptoms. Our tests last Wednesday both came back positive, and the two of us spent the last days of 2022 at home, physically distancing from our kids (and everyone else). My wife had a bit rougher go of things than I did, and spent a good amount of time in bed, but she’s definitely on the mend. We look forward to getting back to our normal routines and habits in just a couple days (barring any surprises).
With all of the Covid chaos in China right now, it’s a good time to remember how fortunate we are in this country to have quality vaccines readily available at local drug and grocery stores. I can’t imagine how much worse my wife and I would have felt without them.
Looking forward into 2023, I have some exciting things in the works. In addition to finishing writing Sean Coleman #6, continuing my work with Bernard Goldberg and my publisher, and planning some fun trips for the first half of the year, there’s a new political-oriented project I’ll be a part of (that I hope I can talk about soon).
Looking well past 2023 for a moment, did you hear last month about that California lab that used lasers to achieve fusion ignition? It was an enormous scientific breakthrough that will likely lead to a sweeping change in how our nation (along with the rest of the world) produces and consumes energy in the future. We’re talking about clean, plentiful, self-sustaining energy, so yeah… this was (and is) a pretty big deal.
And as a matter of family pride, I’m now going to mention that my uncle, a real-life laser scientist (no joke), was part of that decades-long project — at that very lab — up until he retired a few years back.
When I was a kid, I always knew the man was a pretty big deal — a leading authority in laser-science. He even took my family on a tour of the lab when we visited him one year (I remember thinking the tacky floor-mats between lab-rooms were way cool). But at the time, I didn’t understand the true nature of his work, and just kind of assumed he’d been creating some Death-Star-like intergalactic weapon.
… Or maybe a hair-removal device.
But nope, as I recently confirmed, it was laser-fusion. And though my uncle doesn’t know this yet, I plan to ask him to do a Daly Grind interview about the project, his work on it, and the future of nuclear fusion. It would probably be an email-interview (if he agrees to it), being that he’s a man of few words, and my scientific shorthand isn’t exactly up to snuff, but I’m hopeful I can make it happen. Stay tuned.
I also plan on featuring lots of other Daly Grind guests this year. Last year, I spoke with actor Craig Bierko, Bald Guy Greetings founder and owner Ian Kalman, Hollywood writer/producer Alan Spencer, and professional wrestler Christopher Ford. I’ve enjoyed these interviews, and I hope you — the readers — have too.
I’ll close this week by thanking all of you for subscribing. I’m surprised by (and thankful for) how often I pick up new subscribers. I guess I must be doing something right with this weekly endeavor.
Again, I hope you all have a great new year! Best wishes.
Random Thought
Obligatory Dog Shot
“How’s the view from down there?”
Have you picked up your copy of RESTITUTION?
My new book “Restitution: A Sean Coleman Thriller” is out now! You can get it on Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Books-A-Million, and wherever else books are sold.
Interested in a signed copy? You can order one (or five) here.
Already read and enjoyed it? I’d love if you could leave a review for the book on Amazon.
Featured Vinyl
Hot off the press this week is “Think About It,” Drivin N Cryin front-man Kevn Kinney’s first solo album in over a decade. It was released last month, and the vinyl version arrived at my doorstep just a few days ago.
The album features R.E.M. co-founders Peter Buck and Bill Berry, and lots of other special guests. It was largely inspired by the solitude we all experienced during the pandemic. The music’s pretty low key, and includes stripped-down versions of earlier Drivin N Cryin tunes, along with new, original material. It ventures through blues, rock, country, and even some jazz.
It’s a great, soulful listen.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading today’s Daly Grind.
Want to drop me a line? You can email me at johndalybooks@hotmail.com, and also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter yet, please click on the “Subscribe now” button below. Doing so will get these posts emailed directly to you.
Also, if you’re not caught up on my Sean Coleman Thrillers, you can pick the entire series up at a great price on Amazon. And if you’re interested in signed, personalized copies of my books, you can order them directly from my website.
Take care. And I’ll talk to you soon!
Happy New Year Mr. Daly! I always look forward to the Daly Grind and to your contributions to Mr. Goldberg's website. Keep up the good work!