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 |   On a daily basis... things that bump around in my head and make me go... hummm! |
My new blog:
This is not just a collections of personal musing but it is a place where I can vent. Talking about daily events on the local, state, and national scene is my way of letting off steam so I don't come home and kick the dog! We are all the Captain of our own "Ship of Fools." We go where the current of the times take us and we do what we must to be able to sleep at night. Now this Captain will speak his mind about that current and about the ocean on which we each sail....... ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** {image: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** PLEASE MAIL ME YOUR VOTE FOR BLOGGER OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST. This is a shot of Me and Mel at our wedding. We were married in a simple ceremony on a deck overlooking Lake Livingston. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I am so proud of my new Siggy which was made by the very talented vivacious   . Thank you so very much for all the effort that went into this.** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** This was taken from the wall in the Blogville Post Office. If you see this fugitive, please do not approach, he is armed and stupid. Contact the Blogville sheriff's office at once, then take cover! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** } ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I have noticed, this past weekend, that many of my favorite bloggers were absent. They not only didn't write a blog, but they weren't replying to any either....what's up with that? Could it be that you people have a life? I'm gonna have to see if I can't rent one somewhere! As for myself, well I just enjoyed Friday and Saturday off from work, if you can call staying in bed the better part of two days fun...I never got out of the house even once, but I did manage to go into work today. My problem? Oh that's easy; I just had sinus cavities that swelled up to the size of goat bladders, became impacted with pounds of mucus, then slowly drained their content into my lungs! I have been retching and spitting up simi-liquid offal for three days now and I AM DAMNED TIRED OF IT!!! But, being a man who always looks on the bright side of any situation, I have figured out a plan that just might enable me to miss the pre-christmas shopping bloodlust. The way I figure it, all I gotta do is take NO MEDICINE whatsoever for the next few days and, at the rate I am going now, I should be safely in the hospital ICU by Thanksgiving. Of course I will have to be careful and leave explicit instructions to the doctor to have IVs in both my arms because if Wal-Mart discovers I have one arm and hand unencumbered by needles and lines, they will drag my hospital bed into the store and position me at the front door to hand out shopping carts anyway!!! You know, if I was a horse, someone would have already put me out of my misery...but no...I have to work retail, that means if I'm breathing....I'M THEIRS! LOL! OK, that really felt good. I love to whine excessively from time to time and just clear out the pores, so to speak...now I'm gonna go to bed and try whinning to Mel...that should get me a boot in the arse! You folks all have a good day and savor the quite before the holiday storm. |
| I read a really good blog entry yesterday by windacabout the opening day of deer season and it got me to thinking about the differences between deer hunting today and in the past. I was raised in rual Texas and I was fishing soon after I could walk. I killed my first deer when I was 11 years old. Hunting and fishing was a large part of my life and even though I lost my taste for hunting deer some years ago, I still have fond memories of what the hunt has meant to me over the years. The thing is, hunting has undergone a major change over the past 25 years and today it bears little resemblance to what it was when I was a kid. Back in the day--as us old farts are fond of saying--deer hunting was a challenging sport, much more so than it is today. Back then deer were hunted with dogs. The hunt itself was usually planned the day before with one hunter being designated as the "driver". This man would take the dogs and go to a prearranged spot that he had already scouted out. The place he chose was important because it would be near where deer, or their sign, had been seen. Once in position, the driver would turn loose the dogs and they would take to the trail of a deer whose track they had run across...the fresher the track, the closer the deer. The dogs would then chase the deer, hopefully, toward a line of "standers". The standers were the rest of the hunters who had taken up positions in front of the running dogs, in hopes of getting a shot at the buck. Now where I was raised, in deep East Texas, the land is covered in thick pine forest with very few open clear spots to get a shot at anything. Because of this, everyone hunted with shotguns and not rifles. Usually the only chance you ever got was going to be a very quick shot when the deer crossed your path, at short range. As you can readily see, this type of hunting resulted in more misses than kills and it was usually only the seasoned hunter or the really lucky amature who managed to bag a buck, much less one with a trophy sized rack. I mean, try to picture how tough it was to shoot a buck who was running flat-out as fast as he could go, who bounced into an open spot in front of you and was gone again in the span of three seconds....tough shot for sure. Now fast forward to today..... I don't know if it is like this in the rest of the country but down here hunters have taken the hunt to new levels of unfair science. Today's hunter prepares his killing ground months before season opens. He picks a wide open spot, he either puts up a deer feeder filled with corn, or he plants oats in a patch. Both of these gets the deer used to comeing to that spot to feed. Then the hunter erects a blind, or inclosed box stand at one end of the clearing...usually about 75 to 100 yards from the food source. Come hunting season, the hunter climbs up in his stand before daylight and he simply waits for the deer to come to the food. He then uses a high powered rifle with a powerful scope to take the deer. Using this method, and this kind of weapon, I really am amazed if a hunter ever MISSES the deer. The very last time I hunted was when this method was just becoming popular. I dutifully climbed up in a stand and sat there and waited for daylight. As soon as the sun came up three deer wandered down to the oat patch and begin to blissfully eat the tender, green shoots of oats. Well, I set there and leveled my rifle on a very large buck who had no idea he had only seconds to live.....I couldn't do it. I yelled "Bang" and watched all three deer bound into the surrounding cover and safety. I just could not bring myself to shoot the deer unaware like that...always, before, when I hunted, the deer had a better than even chance at escape. This just wasn't what I considered "sport". It was more like going to the supermarket and picking out a cut of meat. So I stopped hunting deer. Now don't get me wrong, I am not anti-hunting. I understand hunting and I have no problem with anyone who enjoys hunting. I still love the meat and sometimes I will have friends who still hunt bring me a ham after one of their forays into the woods. Just, for me, there was no enjoyment in this new way of hunting. The good thing is, there is still the hunting camp and the fun and fellowship found around a roaring campfire after a hunt...that has not changed and I still love to partake in that custom. |
| The following blog entry was inspired by the wonderful blog, today of Voxxylady . She is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. If you have reached a certain age and are still afraid of stating the plain unadorned truth of your beliefs, then something is terribly wrong. I have reached that age and I tend to speak plainly now of my own beliefs and it is nice not to worry anymore wither anyone agrees with me or not...this is who I am and what I believe..... The Christmas season is upon us. Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ....that is what Christmas is, you know. Dress it up anyway you want to but in the end what the holiday is about is commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, so get over it! Let me get something straight right from the beginning. I am a Christian. If you are NOT a Christian, I will not try to change you; that is a decision you have to make for yourself. By the same token, do not try to change the Christmas holiday to something it is not. Giving gifts on Christmas is a part of the holiday but for me it is not the main part. There is a large part of our population who would have all mention of Christmas be changed to the more generic "Holiday" as in "Happy Holiday" instead of "Merry Christmas". Well folks, that's just WRONG. It is what it is...a celebration of the birth of Christ. If you want a generic, gift-giving, holiday then pick any day of the year and make it GIFT DAY. Then celebrate your little hearts out. The bottom line is that you are free to believe or not believe in anything you so choose and I will never try to force my personal beliefs on you nor will I put you down for those things you do believe in......so please show me the same respect....let me have Christmas, it won't harm you, I promise. So, to my Jewish friends I say: "Happy Hanukkah" and to my black friends: "Happy Kwanzaa" and to my atheist friends: "Happy Day". Ok, its safe to come out now, I have put away the soapbox. |
Before I begin my blog today I would like to say a big "Thank You" to zwisis and schipperkefor the beautiful c-notes they sent me after learning of Crockett's death yesterday. I was touched beyond words by their thoughtful, kind sentiments. I would also like to thank Mavis Moog  and sultry for the beautiful memorials to crockett which they sent to Mel; she shared them with me when I got home from work last night. Oh and Schip and Forever sent c-notes to Mel also...you guys are the best! I would also like to give a special "thanks" to Solitary Man for mentioning our loss in his own blog.********************************************** You know, when I wrote the above paragraph, I meant it to be "off subject", then I was going to go on with my blog. That's the way I have always been; no matter what happens, I get on with business as usual. In this case though, I find myself unable to do that. So, this blog entry is going to be about my best buddy, Crockett. I cannot tell you how many times, in my life, that I have watched good friends die and simply carried on with what I had to do. I do not say this to brag...its just what had to be done at the time. Yesterday, though, was different. Even though I went to work as usual after Crockett died, I wasn't really there. I was reliving all the good times the two of us had shared over the past few years. I couldn't get him off my mind for some reason. For those of you who have stumbled in here for the first time, Crockett was just a big, chuckleheaded, ole Rottweiler...a dog......and my best friend. Mel, in her own blog, has told you all the story of how we came to meet Crockett and she told the story well so I won't touch on that. What she didn't tell you is what happened between Crockett and myself. Dogs are pack animals. They may live within a household of many people but they will bond with one person in particular. This person is their "Alpha", their pack leader. Little is known about how or why a dog will do this but it is a common trait of the animal. For some unknown reason Crockett chose me. From the very beginning, Crockett attached himself to me. At first, I pushed him away; I was never one to get too attached to animals. But, there was just something about the big lummox which demanded that I love him.....and I did. Most afternoons he would lay on the sidewalk and wait for me to come home from work. As soon as I would pull into the driveway and stop the car, Crockett was at the car waiting. I would open my door and he would stick his big head inside the car and demand some petting before I could get out and go into the house. When I went to bed at night, Crockett would come into the bedroom, jump up on the bed, on my side, and lay his big head on my chest for more petting, his large brown eyes would stare fixedly into my own. When he got all the petting he needed for the night, he would go down to the foot of the bed, again on my side, and lay down to sleep. This was his job. He was on guard, protecting his "pack" against any unseen danger and it was reassuring to know he was there. So our days together passed. We were comfortable together, there was no need of a common language we "conversed" on a differnt level, I believe. He knew when I was sick and he was always there with a gentle lick of his great tongue to comfort me. Today, my home feels much emptier without him laying at my feet. Even though I tried to carry on with business as usual, I just couldn't do it this time. The thing is....what I am feeling today is because of Mel. She is the one responsible for me being able to bond with a animal like I have. Before she came into my life, dogs were animals...a GOOD dog was like a good tool, you loved using that tool and you hated it when you lost the tool, then you went out and got another one when you needed it....but you really didn't connect with that "tool". Mel taught me how to not only give that kind of love, but to recieve it too. I love her even more for teaching me that. So, there you have it. I may have another dog companion in my life someday, but never will I have a replacement for Crockett. He has forever earned a place in my heart and my memory along side other human friends who fell before their time and who I had to leave behind. This one is for you, Crockett! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| First of all, completely off subject, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Solitary Man , the writer formally known as L.E. Moore. I also want to congratulate him on his yellow briefcase....I never even knew when he got that I have been so dang busy...sorry bud. It has been a total pleasure watching this gentleman grow in his writing and become such a vital member of this world we call WDC. I mentioned that I wanted to thank him, well if you will notice, I now have a really nice blue ribbon attached to my little blog and he was the one who gave it to me....thanks buddy, you really made my day. Now, as for my Blog entry today....I want to share something with you that I found both wildly funny and deeply distrubing at the same time. Distrubing because, even though it is meant as a joke, I can actually see it being true...now that's sad. Anyway...here it is...you decide how funny or how true it COULD be. ****************************************** HOW THE D-DAY INVASION WOULD BE REPORTED BY TODAY'S PRESS NORMANDY, FRANCE (June 6, 1944) Three hundred French civilians were killed and thousands more were wounded today in the first hours of America's invasion of continental Europe. Casualties were heaviest among women and children. Most of the French casualties were the result of artillery fire from American ships attempting to knock out German fortifications prior to the landing of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops. Reports from a makeshift hospital in the French town of St. Mere Eglise said the carnage was far worse than the French had anticipated, and that reaction against the American invasion was running high. "We are dying for no reason, "said a Frenchman speaking on condition of anonymity. "Americans can't even shoot straight. I never thought I'd say this, but life was better under Adolph Hitler." The invasion also caused severe environmental damage. American troops, tanks, trucks and machinery destroyed miles of pristine shoreline and thousands of acres of ecologically-sensitive wetlands. It was believed that the habitat of the spineless French crab was completely wiped out, thus threatening the species with extinction. A representative of Greenpeace said his organization, which had tried to stall the invasion for over a year, was appalled at the destruction, but not surprised. "This is just another example of how the military destroys the environment without a second thought," said Christine Moanmore. "And it's all about corporate greed." Contacted at his Manhattan condo, a member of the French government-in- exile who abandoned Paris when Hitler invaded, said the invasion was based solely on American financial interests. "Everyone knows that President Roosevelt has ties to 'big beer'," said Pierre LeWimp. "Once the German beer industry is conquered, Roosevelt's beer cronies will control the world market and make a fortune." Administration supporters said America's aggressive actions were based in part on the assertions of controversial scientist Albert Einstein, who sent a letter to Roosevelt speculating that the Germans were developing a secret weapon -- a so-called "atomic bomb". Such a weapon could produce casualties on a scale never seen before, and cause environmental damage that could last for thousands of years. Hitler has denied having such a weapon and international inspectors were unable to locate such weapons even after spending two long weekends in Germany. Shortly after the invasion began, reports surfaced that German prisoners had been abused by American soldiers. Mistreatment of Jews by Germans at their so-called "concentration camps" has been rumored, but so far this remains unproven. Several thousand Americans died during the first hours of the invasion, and French officials are concerned that the uncollected corpses will pose a public-health risk. "The Americans should have planned for this in advance," they said. "It's their mess, and we don't intend to help clean it up." Ok, so there you have it...a light hearted, tongue-in-cheek look at how the Normandy invasion would be reported if it happened today. Funny? Yes. Sad? Yes, again. Just thinking of the mess the media would make of that event makes my skin crawl. I am not the author of the above joke...but I wish I had been. Whoever wrote it was right on the mark. |
Don't ask me where this came from, I have no idea, but today I want to talk about writing...the different styles and the different methods. Bear with me; I won't be too long. There are two very different philophies of writing short stories and novels. The first one and the one that's been around a long time is: "Write what you know." In other words incorporate your life experiences into your writing and stay within that which you know something about first hand. Now this is fine, unless you happen to be a very young person who has not yet gathered to themselves a wealth of personal experiences. In that case your subject matter is sadly confined and will not be of much interest to older readers. I like the second school of thought on this subject: "Write what you don't know"... In other words research, research, research and teach yourself whatever subject you might wish to write about. Personally I like to mix a bit of both these methods. If, by chance, I am writing about something I know, then I readily use my own experiences but at the same time, if I chose to write about something new to me I am not confined by my lack of first hand knowledge. I merely emmerse myself in the subject and learn whatever I can. This allows me not only to write a story but it also serves to educate me and that is something I love....learning something new. Along with these two different methods of writing, there is also two different styles of writers. There is the writer who writes a novel and pretty much confines themselves to writing dry facts and not fleshing out their characters with much emotions. Even their discription of the land the story takes place in will be rather sketchy and incomplete. This type of writer tells you a story but you can't really SEE the characters or the land the story takes place in. The story, itself might be a great one but after you read it, you find you have been unable to make a connection. I personally like the writer who makes me SEE the scenes he writes. I can picture the character in my mind and I can actually see the action as it unfolds. I love it when a writer pulls me inside his character and makes me UNDERSTAND who the character is and WHY they do what they do. These are the writers I go back to time after time. You can find both of these types of writers on WDC and, depending on your tastes, there is something here for everyone. Some things I don't care for.... 1. I tend not to enjoy books written in the first person. I have found a few that were really enjoyable but not many. Now this is just my quirky taste. When I read a story in the first person I feel like the main character, whose voice we hear, is just telling his/her version of the story and I don't get a complete picture. 2.I hate it when an author writes like they are trying to impress the reader with their grasp of the english language. You know the kind I mean; their stories read like they took it out of a Thesaurus and didn't miss a page. Don't impress me with your language--impress me with your characters. 3. I hate mystery writers who don't connect all the dots. They will come to the end of their mystery and suddenly try to throw some impossible scenerio at you to wrap it up without ever explaining HOW it all came about. If you are going to write a mystery then build a foundation for the solving of the mystery and don't just let the hero pull the answer out of thin air. Ok, I have vented about writing enough for one day. What are your likes and dislikes in the books you read? Let me know what you think. |
| Did you know that there are still people in Houston, living in shelters? These are people from New Orleans who fled to Houston during the hurricane, Katrina. Two months and they have made no effort to leave shelters.... That is unbelievable to me. These people say they can't go back because they have lost everything to the storm. So, now they squat in Houston and let someone else take care of them instead of returning to their hometown and beginning the process of rebuilding their lives. I find this attitude repugnant. Anyone who feels the government OWES it to them to feed and house them because of a storm is just plain lazy. Yes, give them shelter during the storm, but after the storm has passed then it is up to the refugee to leave the shelter and return home. I have been in that position before. I had to flee a hurricane once and I lost everything to the storm. The difference is that after the storm passed, I returned home and started the long process of rebuilding my life. Was it easy? Hell no, but I did it and without money or aid from FEMA or the Red Cross. It's called taking responsibility for your life....something that is sadly lacking in today socity. America is fast becoming populated with people whose major goal in life is to get on the government dole. Their battle cry is: SOMEBODY OWES ME SOMETHING! If they fail in their major goal of getting on welfare, then their next best choice is to find someone to sue. Bringing suit for any real or imagined slight has become the latest "Grab for the Gold Ring" in America. This is the reason no one is willing to take responsibility for their actions any longer.... The new philosophy is: IT'S NOT MY FAULT! SOMEONE ELSE IS TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING! Because of this change in thinking, the country has become widely split into two factions.... those who want a welfare state and those who want a Free Socity, free of government interference. The problem is that the former group expect the latter group to support them. Personally I see the gap widening between these two groups and the resentment growing until it boils over, one day, into violence. This is what will ultimately bring this country to its knees. This is what will bring about a second civil war....not between the north and south but between the "I Will" and the "I Want" The I will work for what I have and the I want you to give me what I need. Not a pretty vision of our future, but its how I see it and I will be the first to tell you I hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am. |
| November 11, is the anniversary of the Armistice which was signed in the Forest of Compiegne by the Allies and the Germans in 1918, ending World War I, after four years of conflict. At 5 A.M. on Monday, November 11, 1918 the Germans signed the Armistice, an order was issued for all firing to cease; so the hostilities of the First World War ended. This day began with the laying down of arms, blowing of whistles, impromptu parades, closing of places of business. All over the globe there were many demonstrations; no doubt the world has never before witnessed such rejoicing. In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future observances: To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation. The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace. The President referred to the change of name to Veterans' Day in honor of the servicemen of all America's wars. ******************************************************* So, what our friends in the rest of the World call "Armistice" Day, we here in America call, "Veterans Day" and we include all veterans in all our wars in a day of remembrance. This is so American....we are such an inclusive country. We hate the notion that anyone could be overlooked or forgotten so we revamp a holiday to include those who served in ALL wars since the original Armistice Day. Now for years the focus of the celebration here in America was on the veterans of WW2 and not WW1. Maybe that was because of the differences in those wars. In the first world war, America played a small part. We did not enter the war officially until 1917 and the total losses of the American army in the war was put at 50,600. Compared to Britain and France, who lost 715,000 and 1,240,000 respectively, America escaped comparatively easy. I think what makes WW1 worthy of remembering this Veteran's Day is the fact that this war marked the first time our country stuck it's nose into a conflict between other nations in Europe. For better or worse, this action set the tone for American foreign policy that has persisted to this day. If America has become the world's policeman, as many complain, then this war marked its rookie phase....this is where we learned. It is a fact that World War One would have been won without American involvement, though maybe our entry served to shorten the conflict by a year or so. I wonder, though, what would the world look like today if we had stayed out of the fight and all the ensuing wars in later years...what if we had remained behind our borders and took care of only ourselves as the Monroe Doctrine urged us to do? I love questions like this. Perhaps it is the writer in me, who knows, but I think this question would make a great novel...where would we be today and what would we be like if we had chosen to adhere to the Monroe Doctrine? Well, we didn't so here we are, for better or worse, celebrating another Veteran/Armistice Day. Have a wonderful day and by all means.....REMEMBER. |
| As is my habit, from time to time, I would like to share some funnies with you that friends have sent me. So, without further ado....here are a couple you might enjoy. Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question?....What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was b etter than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first. The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life. Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding. The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half. Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night? Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments? What would YOU do? What Lancelot chose is below. BUT....make YOUR choice before you scroll down below. OKAY? Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life. Now....what is the moral to this story? Scroll down The moral is..... If you don't let a woman have her own way.... Things are going to get ugly ********************************************** This next one is for my buddies in Canada LOL! Canada in Space Canada entered the Space Age by launching its own spacecraft from Kanata, Ontario. It sent into orbit three astronauts and a monkey. Before blast off, each crew member (including the monkey) was handed a sealed envelope with the instructions that none of the envelopes was to be opened until the craft had attained orbit. The launch went well. When the craft was in orbit, the three astronauts (including the monkey) opened their envelopes. The monkey's letter listed the tasks he was scheduled to perform: 1. Recheck the fuel supplies; 2. Review the instrumentation; 3. Align the solar panels; 4. Recycle all urine for drinking purposes; 5. Check the automatic guiding systems; 6. Conduct the ten scientific experiments agreed upon. Then the three astronauts opened their letters. Each letter contained only one instruction: "Don't forget to feed the monkey." So there you have it....Just a bit of fun today and I hope I managed to make you smile. Ok, you can carry on with your day now. |
| Good Lord I have been busy! I mean, who the hell would have thought that publishing was such work!! Yeah, I know....we all KNEW it was work, its just that now I am immersed in the labor and it is daunting, to say the least. Anyway, I wanted to blog tonight and give you all an update on my progress. First....the stories..... I have recieved some great reviews and edit suggestions from many of you and today I started to impliment those edits. I was going to wait until Friday when I was off but I just couldn't keep my hands off the stories. As of right now I have 6 stories edited and ready to go: 1. Keeper of the Word 2. Mulligan 3. The Letter 4. A Midsummer's Night (fishing) Dream 5. Death Once Removed 6. The Challenge As I finish the final edit of a story I mark it "Private, For My Eyes Only" That way everyone can see the progress and can also see what stories need more help. This weekend I will tackle Journey Into Darkness. I got some really great edit suggestions for this one and it will take a bit of work on my part. By Sunday I would like to be halfway finished with the edit task. *************************************** BOOK COVER: I really appricate all the great comments I got when I posted the two covers Mel was playing with and now I have CC involved. He is going to come up with some of his original artwork to use in the cover. The whole process of choosing a book cover is a lot more involved than I ever thought it would be. ********************************************** I want to personally say a big THANK YOU to all of the members who have worked hard to give me some really great edit suggestions and I know, without your help, I would not be as close to done as I am right now...each of you have earned a mention in my "acknowledgements" page. ***************************************** Now, enough about me. I have a new member whom I would like to bring to your attention... katsy This lady lives in my hometown and she is one of the most talented writers of fiction I have ever known. I have finally convinced her to come into WDC and she just opened her port. She placed the prologue to a novel she is working on and I would love it if you could all visit her port and read her prologue and send her your thoughts on it. I promise, you will enjoy reading her words.Ok, that's it for me...I'm wasted. I have been sitting here doing the edits for three hours and I am starting to look cross-eyed...time to take a break. A final note here: ANYONE SEEN NADA? OR PLANNERDAN?? I am suffering missage of both these fine folks...oh and Dan, if you read this....Thanks for the suggestions on Journey Into Darkness...I will be tackling that this weekend. |
| For any of you out there who have read many of my blogs you will know I hate cell phones with a passion. Well, now I have one more reason to hate the damn things. Normally, on Mondays I would arrive home by 3:30 and spend some quality time here at WDC. Today it was after 5:00 PM when I made it home....thanks, in a way, to a cell phone. This all started three days ago. On a blacktop country road a school bus was delivering its precious cargo of children home after a hard day at school. The bus was stopped on the side of the road, off loading kids. The bus's red lights were flashing and there was a long line of cars behind the bus, stopped and waiting for it to finish unloading. In the state of Texas, all traffic, both following and oncoming, must stop when a bus is flashing its red lights...this gives the kids a safe path to leave the bus. Then, along comes this young lady from behind the bus. She was late, she was in a hurry and she was talking on a damn cell phone. Instead of stopping, she steered her car to the left and on the side of the road around the stopped cars and the bus. Two children, a boy 10 and a girl 7 had made it across the road and was standing on the side when the young lady, traveling about 50mph plowed into the children. At the last possible moment, the boy shoved the little girl away from the onrushing car and she was only struck a glancing blow which left her with a broken leg and hip.....the boy was struck full on and died of massive head injuries. The woman was talking on a damn cell phone....think about that....you kill one and injure another and don't even see it because you are talking! So today I was late getting home.....I had to go to a funeral for Alexander Pannel. His father works with me at Walmart. I had to sit there and watch two sweet, wonderful people go through the hell of burying a child. Both were emotionally crushed as you can imagine. I had to sit there and feel their desperate saddness without being able to help them. What can you tell a mother and a father at a time like that? All of this because a woman was late and didn't want to wait and she was talking on a cell phone and not paying attention to what was in front of her. A son is dead, a little girl is maimed and a woman's life is over.....they will punish this driver to the fullest extent of the law.... When she struck those two kids she effectively "killed" her own life...its done. And for what? Think about Alexander next time you are in your car and in a hurry to get somewhere. Think about him when your cell phone rings as you rush down a road.....think. I have buried too many children in my life.....there is no one I will ever need to talk to that badly and there is nowhere I will ever need to get to that badly. Thanks for listening. |
| This has been a shitty day....can I say that? Well, hell, too late now, its said! You see I have this condition which seems to have worsened as I chronologically advance...how's that for correct speak! Wouldn't want to say "as I get older!" Anyway...this condition...it consists of the need, the absolute necessity, of getting a minimum seven hours sleep a night. I have to get up most mornings by five a.m. to go to work and I tend to go to bed by 9:30 or so every night. Well last night, for some reason, I found myself sitting like a bump on a stump, in front of the dang TV at 10:30! Realizing my mistake, I jumped up and headed for bed and everything would have been fine had I been left alone until the alarm rang...I could have coped with the little bit of lost sleep...but that was not to be! As it happens, last night was Saturday night and Saturday night in Bubba land is when all the rednecks party.....stuff happens. First of all it was almost impossible to fall asleep; I was wide awake...wired. Add to that, Mel deciding the time was ripe for a little hanky-panky....well suffice it to say I didn't fall asleep until sometime after midnight. I was awakened about 3:30 Sunday morning by my Rotty, Crockett, going crazy and attacking the front door. Crockett's snarls and barks were enough to launch me out of bed yelling: "GOOKS IN THE WIRE!" After which I promptly fell on the floor. It is almost impossible to maintain my dignity while scrabbling about like a wounded crab, looking for my drawers with one hand and my shotgun with the other one! (here is where the whole "saturday night thing comes into play) By the time I finally got suitably dressed and found my trusty firearm....Mel was at the door and about to open it. I gave up...I told her "What the hell, if whoever it is means us harm and he gets past Crockett AND you....I'll shoot the turkey. She opens the door, while holding our crazed watchdog with one hand, and there stands this Bimbo on our front porch. "I'M LOOKING FOR ROBERT," She says rather loudly and a bit drunkenly. "HAVE YOU SEEN ROBERT!" Well, Mel patiently explained to drunken Bimbo person that, not only did we not know where Robert was, but we didn't even KNOW anyone named ROBERT! At this point I was standing on the other side of the door begging Mel to just let me shoot her once for the aggrivation said Bimbo had caused me so far.....Mel wouldn't let me...dang spoil sport. When last seen, the drunken Bimbo was cruising up and down the road peering into the ditches, presumably still looking for ROBERT! Well, we went back to bed and about the time I finally settled down....the alarm RANG! Time to get up and face the day! I went to work but I was suffering and I made damn sure smart arsed customers suffered right along with me....this part I think I will save for a future blog. The icing on the cake? Glad you asked. My relief was a half hour late coming in to work! FINALLY I GOT HOME! Did I say working overtime was the icing on the cake? My mistake....the real icing came just now when Mel brought my dinner in to me. She prepared a kind of chicken-pot-pie or stew. I HATE CHICKEN POT PIE! Am I gonna eat it? You bet your ass I'm going to eat the stuff. I may be cranky....I ain't crazy...The woman will hurt me! |
| Today has been quite productive for me, I am glad to report. I have finished implimenting the final edits to Mulligan, one of the short stories which will appear in my book. As the final edit is completed on each story I will mark it "For Your Eyes Only". When all twenty four are finished I will send them off to the publisher. Mel has been working on the book cover and she has come up with some really neat choices....all I have to do is make up my mind which one I want. Here is the first two examples of the pending book cover. Which one do you like best? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Let me know what you think. |
Off Subject: I want to give a special thanks to zwisis for answering my panic call for aid. She walked me through moving my short stories that I plan on publishing into a seperate folder. I would be lost without all the tech. help she gave me. So now all the stories are here....
Also a very special THANK YOU to Cassie Reynolds for her increditablely in-depth edit job she did on "MULLIGAN"  . ONE STORY DOWN AND 23 MORE TO GO!!********************************************* Politics......I HATE POLITICS! I dislike politicans and I distrust political parties. Of course I do not dislike equally, I admit it, I dislike and distrust liberals more than I do conservatives. Does this make me a conservative? No. To most die-hard conservatives I am way too moderate and for most liberals, especally the tree-huggers, I am all together too right-wing, reactionairy. So, I have made another big decision; I am going to run for President of the United States! I think I will run on the independent ticket so I can piss off both main parties, sounds right to me! I came to the decision to run for President after months and months of reading all the whinning and snotting of Left-Wing, liberal, tree huggers in blogs not only here in WDC, but on many other sites. I have decided to run on a rather unique platform. My platform will be called: YOU ASKED FOR IT--YOU GOT IT! Now I am going to try to explain my platform here so please hold your applause until the end. YOU ASKED FOR IT--YOU GOT IT! The platform of the people and by the people! I have spent the last seven years listening to people whine about a consertive president so now here is your chance....vote for me and get just what you deserve! If elected President I will make it illegal to ever cut a tree for use as lumber! People will henceforth live in Plastic homes. Just think of it, no more disappearing forests, they will all be safe and sound and will spread across this great land of ours! Of course there will be a SMALL increase of taxes to off set the subsidy we will need to pay the timber industry. If elected President I will turn over to the ACLU the task of metting out punishment for crimes! That way, within six months, the country's prisons will be EMPTY and we can then use them for low cost housing for honest people who need protection against the criminal element on the OTHER side of the prison fence! Futhermore, if elected to the office of President I will immedately call for the halt of all oil production and oil drilling in an effort to save the lives of countless earthworms, moles, toads and any other animal that may be traumitized by the invasion of their realm by the machines of man! This will also be done to stave off the next Ice-Age, Global Warming, Hurricanes, Earthquakes or any other weather anomily larger than a thunder storm. Of course this will mean a SMALL tax increase to off set the aid to destitute enegry mogals that may occour. I will then mandate that the country go to Horse power for travel and whatever oil we need, we will just trust our good friends in the Middle East to provide for us. We all know how closely they look out for our needs anyway. And, if elected, I will work to pass a law that makes it mandatory for the United States to pay repriations to all African-Americans because 250 years ago people we didn't even know, bought their decedents from black slave traders in Africa and brought them to America. Not only would I pay them money and appoligize, I would do as Louis Farracan demands and I would give them a portion of the United States for their own country! I was thinking of Detroit for that purpose. On this same issue I would also give back all the land west of the Mississippi to the Indians to repay the way we well and truely screwed them in the past with the exception of California, New Mexico, Arziona and Texas. These states I would turn back to Mexico since we took them from that country to begin with.....unless of course Mexico hasn't already taken possesion of these states before my election merely by swimming the river and taking up residence. Needless to say I would also introduce legislation to change the minium wage to $25.00 an hour and a 20 hr. work week for all workers! I would see to it that the government pick up the tab for any and all health care from the time of birth to death for all our citizens. If any citizen just didn't want to work at all I would make it a law that all their expences be paid by the government until such time they decided they WANTED to work again. Of course this would mean a SMALL increase in our taxs because by this time we would only have maybe 150 people in the whole country able to actually PAY for all my programs...but....YOU ASKED FOR IT--YOU GOT IT! So, what do ya think? Will I make a great president or what! All the problems I have heard people whinning about for the last seven years will be SOLVED! I hope I can count on your vote come election day! |
| Well the pressure is off. I no longer have to worry about a blue month and I must say it is kind of liberating in its own way. Now I will no longer have to sit and stare at the screen in a panic when the words just will not come to me. I have spent the last two days recharging my batteries and making some long range plans for my writing. I have decided, after talking to my buddy, PlannerDan, to publish my short story collection myself using one of the POD or Print On Demand publishing companies. At the same time I am going to ready my novel, Time of Troubles, to send off to the mainstream publishing companies. Now you might think that getting a short story collection ready for self publication isn't that much of a chore but there are many things that need to be done. First I have to review each story and decide on the order in which each story will appear in the book. I have read, that to be successful with a short story anthology, your stories had to be placed carefully for the reader. It was suggested that your strongest story be first with the second strongest somewhere in the middle. You must also place your longest story last. I am not sure I agree with all of that but I will put it together and see what it looks like. Secondly I have to write a Forward explaining to the reader something about my writing and what I am trying to accomplish. I think I have settled on a title for my work, Keeper of the Word: Stories From an Old Time Storyteller. One of my stories is named, Keeper of the Word and I might start out the collection with that story. I also need to write a short piece to run before each story to tie them together and to give some background for each. Now that I am into it I find it has become quite a project. The important thing is that I am looking forward to completing the work. Sadly though I have decided that once it is all together and the publishing company has been chosen, I will have to make all my stories in WDC which will be in the book, Private. My thinking here is that if anyone can read the stories here in WDC why on earth would they buy the book. Now, with this in mind, I need a favor from you my friends who read this blog. I would really appreciate it if you would go to my port and really review one or more of my short stories in a hard manner with an eye on any grammatical or spelling errors that are there.....this will help me to greatly when I am ready to make the final copy to send off. We have some great reviewers in here who do a heck of a job spotting mistakes and I would love to hear from each of you. I know that this is a presumptious request I have made and I will understand completely if any of you are unable to do it, after all, we are all busy with our own writing careers and Life in general. So, anyway, now you know what I have been doing and what I will be doing for awhile now and even though I might not be here everyday, you can rest assured I will be in as much as possible and I will be reading YOUR blog entries everyday. |
| Well this is it.....my last entry for the month of October and a ALL BLUE MONTH! The other day my buddy Dan wrote a blog in which he referred to me as a one time "Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine." and he wondered what had happened to me, alluding to the fact that I had somewhat changed since the days of my youth. Well I have changed. I have aged and matured and I am no longer that person. I am also not 20 years old nor am I the owner of six pack abs any longer...the abs are more like a case than a six pack. The thing is, I use to fret over this change in my body, but no longer. I EARNED the soft body and I earned the right NOT to exercise myself into a stupor. I no longer need the muscles and the lightning reflexes that came in so handy in my youth. Yes, my friends, I am a middle aged man and no longer a threat to anything but a cupcake now AND I LOVE IT. I have paid my dues and now it is time for me to relax, be a couch potato and above all, to be a crusty old crumdgeon. I have earned my opinions and by God now I can share them with others wither they want to hear them or not! So, no...I am no longer a warrior...unless of course you are planning on attacking a cookie factory, then I'm your man! |
| First, just let me say that visiting Dan and Linda was well worth the total of 9hrs. we spent driving. We had a truely wonderful time. You could never find two more cordial hosts than these two wonderful people and I look forward to our next visit. Now, having said all this, I must address a couple of social faux pas commited by my buddy Dan. First of all the bum tried to kill me while I was there. Now I have to hand it to him, he did not try just any manner of murder....no he got really creative with his efforts to visit mayhem on my person. His first attempt came at lunch time. He and Linda suggested we try this quaint little Italian restaurant in downtown Burleson and Mel and I went along innocently, little knowing what lay in store for us...well me anyway. We all ordered our choices for lunch. Dan insisted I try the Tortellini with Bolognese sauce, and being trusting like I am, I followed his advise and placed my order. Well my eyes almost popped out of my head when the waitress came back a bit later with this HUGE, steaming plate of food. I mean, there was enough there for three people and they expected me to eat all of that? Did I mention the hot homemade bread and the homemade cheese, garlic bread??? Well, not one to shirk a challenge, I dived into the food and finished a large portion of the meal. I managed not to succumb right there at the table and I even managed to remain more or less upright....nevermind the bright shade of green I turned. I SURVIVED HIS FIRST ATTEMPT! Though, to be honest, it will probably be years before I can once again watch a Sophia Lorine movie again without having flashbacks. Dan was really upset that I managed to survive his devious plan (he is a planner, after all) and he was quite put out when he had to help wheel me out to the car on a gurney....the waitress had helpfully started an antacid drip going in my arm...that is probably who I owe my life to. Well we all drove back to Dan's house and by the time we arrived there I had almost recovered from my ordeal. Dan, seeing my improved demeanor, decided to go right to phase two.... He suggested that he and I take the golf cart and tool around the neighborhood so he could show it to me along with the park and golf course that was nearby. I should have known better. I should have locked myself indoors and refused to come out...but like I said, I am a trusting soul. Linda and Mel were going to put Max on his leash and they said they would catch up with us later...I missed the big wink Dan gave Linda and Mel as we left....they were in it with him! Well we rode around the neighborhood a bit then headed out to the park. We stopped by the park lake while Dan tried to harm a few ducks floating there (I know CC, I was shocked too). After awhile Mel and Linda and Max caught up with us. It was then that Dan sprang the second part of his deathtrap on me. "Hey honey," Dan said innocently. "Why don't you and Mel take the golf cart on home and me and Tor will finish walking Max." I almost passed out when I heard this....WALK? Hell my legs barely worked after that huge meal and he wants me to WALK THE DANG DOG???? Well once again I foiled the evil Dan's plans. I mustered all my remaining strength, hitched my belt about my swollen stomache, and, grabbing Max's leash, I strode off purposefully......thirty feet later I fell flat of my face in an exhausted swoon! Max really didn't appreciate having to drag my prostrate body the remaining five miles back to Dan's house...not sure who bit me on the ankle, Dan or Max. I confonded all of them by still having a pulse when we got back to the house. After a few hours of laying around and recouping my strength I was once again able to stand and walk under my own power and Mel helped me out to the car and we bid a fond farewell to Linda and her murderous husband and headed back to East Texas. You can now imagine my horror when I read Dan's blog accusing me of "marking" his rug. After his repeated attempts to end my life he has the gall to accuse me of relieving myself on his goofy rug! LOL! Just wait till he discovers the little gift I left him behind his big scree TV! I'll teach him to try and kill me with food AND exercise!! ***************************************** Just a serious moment here.....DAN...LINDA....THANK YOU FOR A MOST ENJOYABLE DAY. I had a wonderful time and you two are just the best...next time dinner is on me though. |
| I know this is like cheating but, oh well. We are rushing around trying to get ready...we are driving up to visit PlannerDan and Linda today. So this is all I have time for. I promise to do better tomorrow. Ok, I'm outta here, the day is now marked offically BLUE. |
| With my background and family history you might expect me to be a card carrying member of the NRA (National Rifle Assoc.) Well I am not, nor will I ever be a member of this group. Now don't get me wrong, I fully support and believe in the right of every American to keep and bear arms. I can not, however, belong to any group that so steadfastly refuses to compromise. Such closed minded adherence to one idea is repugnant to me. Take, for instance, NRA's stance on assult weapons...they lump these guns into the catagory of "Sporting" rifles and that is ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason for the average citizen to own a gun like the M107 Barrett 50. Cal. rifle or the AK47 assult rifle or the M16 assult rifle. None of these guns are practical for hunting unless you are the type of person who would hunt rabbit with a hand granade. The Barrett 50 Cal. Is a state of the art sniper rifle with a killing range of over one mile. Loaded with AP (Armor Pierceing) rounds, this rifle can stop an armored car in it's tracks. Even if you shoot a bear with this gun you are going to have one messed up rug to display for your troubles. This is the kind of gun the NRA defends our right to own. Now I ask you, how can anyone in their right mind truely believe that we need this much gun to either hunt game or defend our home? This gun has one purpose. It is made to kill men and to stop agressive military movement...that's all. As for home protection I have one rule of thumb...if a gun can kill an animal, it can protect your home and hearth. A 12ga. shotgun or a standard hunting rifle of any caliber will do the job. We have no need of a gun that either kills at a mile distance or fires, fully automatic, a hundred rounds a minute. Because of the efforts of the NRA the Barrett and other assault weapons can be bought at any gun store like candy at the grocery store. Because of the efforts of the NRA we now have people coming to America from all over the world to LEGALLY purchase these guns to ship back to their country and use to fight guerrilla wars. Yes, I believe in our right to own guns but I also believe there is room for common sense. We need to outlaw assault weapons from our shores. So that is the reason I will never belong to the NRA. When any group becomes so blinded to compromise they cease to help with a problem and begin to hinder...that is what we have now, a hinderance to safty and not a help. |
| All of you regular readers are, by now, aware of the fact that Mel aka Mrs Tor is my wife and she has a rather all encompassing love of animals...all animals great and small. This fact has led to, shall we say, some humorous moments around our house. We are the proud owners...uh...parents of two large dogs, four cats, eight or ten fish...that number fluxuates...and one smart arse bird. As you can see, I am totally outnumbered in my own house. Now this number of animals would not be so bad if said animals actually ACTED like animals were supposed to act. Unfortunately, our little group firmly believes that they are human! Mel is the big reason for this misconception on the part of the creatures; she interacts with them the same way she would human children and this, of course leads them to behave in ways totally non-acceptible. Let me see if I can give you a few examples of how Mel has ruined our pet population..... First there are the cats...they don't act like any cats I have ever been around. You know how cats are; you call them and they come...IF THEY WANT TO, if it suits them. Not our cats. All four of them can be in another room and Mel will call them ONE AT A TIME, BY NAME...and that cat will come running to her. I have never witnessed cats react to their indivigual name in that manner before. Mel will also play "Fetch" with the cats...she will throw something and they will actually retrieve for her. She has each one trained to a half dozen commands. CATS DON'T DO THAT STUFF! CATS ARE INDEPENDENT! Well, not these furbags, they respond to her every word almost as if they understand what she is saying. Me? Hell I can call them until I turn blue in the face and they just ignore me. I can throw a toy for one of them to retrieve and he will just look at me as if to say: "Ok, that was cute, now go get it yourself." The dogs are the same way. She has our Rotty trained to SNEEZE on command. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sneeze on command? Try it some time. I have yet to master the trick myself. When it is time for the dogs to go outside she has trained them to ask politely...not demand. Mollie, our black lab will come up to her chair, place one paw on her leg and then turn and look at the door, thus telling her that she would please like to go outside for a bit. Mel even has the fish trained. If she wants to take inventory of the tank all she has to do is walk up to it and tap lightly on the glass....the fish actually line up to be counted! I have tried it....they just continue swimming randomly, paying me no heed at all. Now not everything is sweetness and light in her little kingdom. She has an ongoing battle with the bird who, as I have reported before, has begun to mimic the smoke detector everytime Mel goes into the kitchen. Now that is funny, Mel walks in the kitchen, and the bird starts making this BEEP BEEP BEEP call. "Shut up damnit, I'm not cooking yet!" Mel will yell at the bird while I collapse with laughter. I swear the bird gets this smug look on his little face when he does it too. Also, everytime a lizard gets in the house Mel has to rush to rescue it from the clutches of the cats who are quite resentful of being deprived of a play toy and they will pout for hours. All of this is totally alien to me. I was raised in a home where animals stayed outside. They were treated like animals, not members of the family and if they didn't have a purpose, a job, they didn't stay around long. I had never interacted with four legged creatures the way she does and it has been a learning experience for me. I must say, as funny and at times aggravating as it is for me sometimes, Mel has unlocked a whole new dimension of love to me. I now know how wonderful it is to look into the eyes of a dog and see the loyality and love shining back at me. I have seen consern showing in them when I don't feel well. Mollie, the Lab will come up to my recliner, actually jump up in my lap and lay her head on my shoulder. She will then softly lick my neck and face as if she is trying to make me feel better. The first time this happend I was amazed. First off here is this 70lbs. dog trying to fit in my lap and then, when she is up there, her whole body is trembling as if she is worried or frightened for me, then she will begin to softly lick my neck and face as if she is trying to make the pain go away....it is truely a wonderful experience. Yes, not only has Mel trained her animals to act human, but she has even trained me to act that way too....most of the time! |
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Congrats on 500 entries, and we are all looking forward to the sequel.
