Month: October 2013

I had not considered the possibility Necessary Assets would be the medium to put me back in contact with so many former neighbors, friends, church members, and colleagues from the FBI. As we move through life’s journeys in our highly complex electronic society, we still don’t seem to be able to keep in contact with everyone we wish.

Bob Riley is an old class mate from Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland. He took it upon himself to put our class back in contact with each other not just to celebrate our past but to help insure the influence of the Xaverian Brothers on young men remains strong and viable in the future. He also took it upon himself to highlight my book to the class which resulted in many great email conversations among us. It was not much different from high school when we gathered to eat our lunch sandwiches in the outside school courtyard many years ago. I was hesitant for a long while to make the effort to go back to this community, and that period of my life, but now am so glad I did.

I heard from Ron Lombard, an old Shrewsbury, Massachusetts neighbor whom I had not been in contact with for over 25 years. Ron was the first to teach me how to fly-fish the cold, springtime streams of central Massachusetts. I have loved all forms of fly fishing ever since.  It was just nice to learn we had not forgotten each other over the years.

A daughter of an old golf buddy and fellow church member, Gerry Nugent, called to get a copy of the book as a surprise birthday gift for her father. A former FBI agent whom I had not seen in many years wrote a warm and insightful review of the book on Amazon. FBI colleague Vic Reuschlein and I had not communicated in over 45 years. How great it was to find a message from him on my web site.

As a young FBI agent, I was transferred from my home area in Maryland never to reside there again. That was in later years by choice. Much about contact with family and friends I was forced to give up. I believed then in the expression “you can never go back.” You just moved on.

These are only a few examples from my recent book experience. However, I now believe you can go back. It may never be the same but it can still be a rich, warm, and a wonderful experience. You feel guilty about not having stayed in contact over the years but we all know it is impossible. What is possible is to return and pick up the conversation where it left off.

The FBI is the lead federal agency in proctecting our cyber security within the US. Many federal agencies participate in this effort. This is the 10th year October is set aside to encourage citizens to learn more about how they can contribute to our national cyber security. Follow this LINK to the FBI news blog explaining the purpose of this effort and how each of us can contribute to our national cyber security. There are additional links to other government websites including information on how to report a cyber crime and how we individually can help protect our computers as we travel throug the cyber world.

Additionally the FBI website has a direct LINK to their cyber crimes investigation page which updates the public on the FBI’s effort against cyber crime.

Educating each and every citizen who uses a computer at home or at work on how to improve their cyber security is more a necessity today then ever before. Our lives and daily activities are more closely intertwined with the cyber world. What if your bank debit card did not work this afternoon. In fact no credit card of any type is working. The system is shut down because of a cyber threat or attack. How much cash do you have in your pocket?  Do you have enough cash for a couple of days, a week, longer?

Learn some simple steps you can take to join the effort to protect our national cyber environment.

The good news is that someone did have the correct answer for the origin and significance behind the wasp logo appearing on the cover of Necessary Assets. I regard it as bad news that our favorite sleuths Holmes and Watson failed in their effort. Watson somehow went down the wrong trail by reading Holmes’ monograph on bees and never came back. Holmes on the other hand got lost in ancient religious symbolism.

The correct link was provided by none other than Alan Ringgold who speaks several languages including some Italian. He noted that the wasp in Italian is a Vespa, the same spelling as the code name given to Maria Torino, the female leader of the modern Sicilian Mafia. It was “Vespa’s” sting that led to the discovery of The Engineer.

When I was discussing a possible logo with cover designer Leonard Massiglia, we initially both thought of the Italian motor scooter of the same name. However a draft cover with the image of a motor scooter for a logo just did not seem to fit the book. Mark Patrick on a motor scooter tracking down the terrorists just did not cut it.

I knew the motor scooter Vespa was named after the sound made by the very early model that “roared” down the streets of Rome. Its engine sounded like a wasp buzzing about your head. Hence the motor scooter was named a Vespa. It is now our logo.

More good news is all the positive feedback I have received from a cross section of readers commenting on Necessary Assets. Click Here to read some of the reviews on Amazon.

The bad news is the growing collection of lawmakers in Washington who seem to have lost all concept of the meaning of public service.