The first Saturday in May. What does this date mean to you? Probably nothing, except that Spring has arrived, unless you live in California where it's been Spring for two months at least -- real Spring, not calendar Spring.
Ask any horse racing buff, though, and they'll tell you the first Saturday in May is the day of the Kentucky Derby since 1875. The twin spires. The first race of the Triple Crown. The Mecca of Horse Racing!
This story isn't about the Kentucky Derby or the first Saturday in May. It's about the Breeder's Cup and the first Saturday in November.
It was on this day that I ventured north to Louisville, Kentucky and Churchill Downs; about an hour and half drive. I had never been there, so I followed the map -- always a good idea -- and found the place, no problem. It was cool just being there.
I prowled the neighborhood, looking for a parking lot, but there didn't seem to be one. So, I ended up paying $10 to park on some guy's front lawn. The price was high, but it seemed to be the going rate. At least it was just a few yards from the entrance.
At the gate, they wanted $15. Fifteen dollars just to get in! I said to the gatekeeper, "I just want into the infield, not the Clubhouse!" He shrugged and said it was $15 no matter which entrance I took, so I forked over the $15.
As I started downward into the tunnel that takes you under the track to the infield, a female voice from behind said, "A little steep isn't it?"
I turned and looked at her as if she was an idiot. It was a slight downgrade, not steep at all. "Huh?" I said.
"Fifteen bucks just to get in," she said. "It's a little steep." And she smiled.
She looked to be somewhere in her mid to late twenties. Thick, long light-brown hair. A little overweight, though it was hard to tell with the raincoat and baggy pants. She was fairly pretty and seemed to be alone.
"Oh, yeah," I agreed. "Let's just hope we can win it back at the windows."
"Got any hot tips?" she asked.
"Not really. You?"
"'Fraid not," she pouted.
If I had any hot tips, I wouldn't have shared them with her. What good is a hot tip if you go around telling everyone? Her boyfriend then came trotting up from behind and, with a quick glower in my direction, whisked her away.
"Good luck," she said over her shoulder as her boyfriend tugged at her to hurry up.
I stopped at the first booth in the infield and bought a program. It cost $2.50, and I was already down $27.50 and hadn't even placed a bet! Oh well, that's the price of entertainment.
In case you don't know, the Breeder's Cup consists of seven races. It's the end-of-the-year championship day of thoroughbred horse racing, and attracts the best horses from all over the world. They offer gobs of money, which tends to entice the best that racing has to offer.
Each race has a minimum purse of $1 million. The Breeder's Cup Turf race offers $2 million, and the Classic offers $3 mill. The winner doesn't get all that. They only get 60%, with the rest divvied up amongst the next four or five finishers.
On the first race, the Sprint, I put a few bucks down on some horse whose name doesn't really matter. Ten minutes later, I was tearing up ticket. I skipped the next race, the Juvenile Fillies, since I'd never heard of any of the horses.
The third race was The Mile, and I put a little extra on this one since I had skipped the previous race. By the end of that one, I was tearing up a couple more losing tickets. Not a good beginning, and it's important to get off to a good start in gambling. Otherwise, you spiral into desperation.
Next came the Distaff, strictly for fillies and mares. Again, I lost. Then came the Juvenile, for 2-year-old colts and geldings. The betting favorite and only horse I'd heard of -- whose name escapes me now -- had odds of 3-5, making him not worth betting on. I bet on some other horse based on his name and the jockey. I lost again.
By this time, I had lost $60 of my $100 budget -- not counting the parking and program -- and was getting annoyed. I was paying $4 per beer -- Miller Lite, which I generally can't stand -- and $4 for a cheeseburger that even McDonald's would be ashamed of. It was time to get down to business.
Then I ran into that girl from the tunnel. She was standing twenty yards from one of the betting windows, watching the replay of the previous race on the big-screen TV.
"Got any hot tips?" I asked as I approached.
"Oh, hi," she said as if surprised to see me though I knew she wasn't. I had seen her glancing in my direction. "Well, my boyfriend says Lure is a sure thing," she offered.
"Lure, huh?" I said. "Yeah, he's won it the past two years." I didn't think much of his chances this year, but figured I would let her boyfriend blow his money on him.
Her boyfriend showed up a few seconds later to glower at me again before pulling the girl along after him. I hadn't noticed it before, but this time I saw the words "DAIWA" stenciled on the front of his black baseball cap. Daiwa makes fishing reels, which explained why he was so hot on Lure.
The girl smiled at me over her shoulder, but said nothing as her boyfriend dragged her off, like a caveman. I shrugged. Some women like cavemen.
Flattered by this girl's flirtations, I decided to do something bold. No, it didn't involve her. I decided to just blow the rest of my bankroll on the next race, the Breeder's Cup Turf, and then watch the final race as a pure, non-betting fan of the Sport of Kings, i.e., a destitute bum hanging out at the track. Women do tend to inspire me to do stupid things.
There were several quality horses in this race, the above-mentioned Lure among them. These were the best in the world on grass. The betting favorite, Missionary Ridge, was at even money. I didn't like his name or his odds, but he seemed like a pretty sure bet, and I was sick of losing, so I bet $20 on him. At least I should get the satisfaction of betting on at least one winner for the day.
With the remaining $20 of my bankroll I played a couple of hunches. That girl's boyfriend liked Lure at least in part because he liked fishing. Well, I like hockey and also in this race was Tikkanen, a horse named after the hockey star Esse Tikkanen. His previous race was a win in a major grass stakes race, and he was now giving 16-1 odds. Never again would I get such good odds on such a good horse, so I put $10 on his nose. I put the other $10 on a foreign horse who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's biggest race, earlier in the year.
And, guess what? My hunch bet Tikkanen won and paid $160! That one bet paid for all prior expenses and lost bets, and then some. I was happy but careful not to show it. There are people who hang out looking for big winners to mug. A hundred and sixty bucks is not big money, but these imaginary muggers didn't know I only bet $10. For all they knew, I'd be collecting thousands.
I hoped to run into that girl again, just to gloat and make her boyfriend look stupid, but no such luck. For the seventh and final race, the Classic, I followed the same thinking as on the previous race, putting $20 to win on what I figured was my best bet. On another hunch, I put $5 to win on a horse called Concern. I don't know what it was that told me to bet on him. His name just stuck out for some reason.
And, you guessed it, he won and paid $40! I was a happy camper all of a sudden. Again, I looked around for that girl, but she was nowhere to be seen, probably somewhere commiserating with her boyfriend over their losses.
Driving home to Nashville, I stopped for gas, still in Kentucky where they have Lotto and Power Ball. Feeling lucky, I spent $5 on a quick-pick Power Ball ticket. The jackpot was $10 million, which is small by Lotto standards, but I could always use $10 million.
And, guess what? I didn't win. Oh well. I was still $150 ahead, all told. Plus, I had fun, and had spent a day at Churchill Downs, the Mecca of horse racing.
This is a story 'bout a girl named Lucy Otherwise known as "The Rappin' Watusi" She lays down a beat that gets your toes tappin' If your toes get tired, let your fingers do the snappin' She says "Hey buddy, don't you be no square" If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair" Okay, so you've heard those words before, but she don't care. She's the girl next door Does that make sense? It just doesn't matter It just doesn't matter, it just doesn't matter So next time you see this girl, just say Sorry I forgot. Happy Birthday, anyway!
The Lazy Pug Cafe -- As recently as a few months ago, the Lazy Pug Café was nothing more than a dilapidated old two-story farmhouse. Set back just forty yards from the road -- closer than most out in the country -- it had a beautiful old weeping willow in front and a massive ancient oak tree out back. Abandoned years ago, the old estate's only purpose lately had been to serve as a sad but charming reminder of days gone by. Locals witnessing its resurrection these past few months were grateful someone was finally bringing the "old girl" back to life.
Another Way: Beyond the Status Quo -- Dobie wants to save the world. His old boss, Colonel Charonne, wants to stop him. While on tour in support of his "conspiracy solutions" book, he meets Kaylie -- a simple country girl who might be smarter than he is -- and they fall in love while enduring attacks at every turn. Can they outwit or at least outrun the Colonel's henchman, Major Watson? Will Kaylie succumb to Watson's subliminal messaging and choose him over Dobie? What's up with the blue alien? And what about the hit man that even Watson doesn't know about?
Last Train Out -- Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming 'homeland tour' to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close. Their only hope now is to catch the Last Train Out.
Operation Detour -- Riva, a beautiful young black ops agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own asset just to prove she can. When he loses both his job and his girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. When he decides to go out with a bang, she is afraid she hasoverplayed her hand.
Lottery President -- For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would buy a big house, travel the world and retire. Not Benny. He decided to take the money and run... for President. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it... from politicians. Retire? 'I'll retire when I'm dead!' he would say, not realizing so many people had a retirement plan in mind that would make him very dead. Welcome to the world of politics, Benny.
Here's one of my brothers reading my book, Lottery President. He seems to be enjoying it. I swear I didn't pay him to do this.
Temporary Insanity -- Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (typist). For his latest assignment, he thought he was taking just another temp job. He didn't anticipate Venelia and the Dynamos. The what?
"This novel might be "historical fiction" or "Faction" since it's created from facts (at least according to the Internet). It is a compilation of pretty much all current "conspiracy" ideas put in story form. There are 5 parts. It started with Ken who was unfamiliar with "conspiracies" being put into the world of them. He met a Daniel and the Daniel's sister, Margot, who were involved in a New World Order conspiracy. The story was how Ken jumped into the whole thing, how the New World Order came to be, how it affected the world, and how it was defeated."
"This story is about a group of teenagers cycling across the USA, from east to west along the BikeCentennial bike trail. The leader of the group had the enthusiasm for the trip but lacked knowledge, so he got a friend to help with that. Along with them is are two couples who are friends, a younger teenager who thinks he's a real racer, and another young woman who brought along her young cousin."
This one was pretty good. Once I got used to the narrative switching back and forth, by chapter, from first-person to third-person, I couldn't put it down. Really good plot. Here's a hyperlink to his web site: harlancoben.com
This one stank (and, yes, "stank" is the correct word here, not "stunk"). I'd read The Alienist by the same author several years ago, so I gave this one a chance. Bad choice. I don't know how many times I threw it down in disgust. I get that way when a book doesn't keep my interest. Anyway, click on the following hyperlink for a copy of its back cover on Amazon's web site. Something, probably its juvenile quality, tells me he wrote this as a teenager, dragged it out of the closet, and submitted it to his publisher merely for the sake of having something to publish. Its locale and discussions of terrorism are eerily prescient in light of September 11, but that's pretty much all it has going for it.
Yes, that Dave Barry. It was actually a good, funny, light-hearted action adventure novel. Maybe you've seen the movie they made out of it? Anyway, I'm always surprised when a novel can keep me interested and turning its pages, which this one definitely did.
It's been made into a movie. Maybe you've seen it? Anyway, the book is very well-written, and we don't say that often. It's about a Hollywood movie studio mogul and what happens to him after a disgruntled writer threatens to kill him. We can't really tell you any more without giving it away. All we can say is that, sadly, it doesn't end the way we would have liked. But it's still good.
I had heard it was good. But it's not, particularly. In fact, I'm pretty amazed it became a bestseller. It must be people's apparent fascination with lawyers that makes it so appealing. It sure isn't the writing. I'm a pretty tough critic, but I figure a bestseller should be well written. Call me crazy. The book starts off well, but by the end the whole thing gets pretty "hackneyed," as they say. Oops, after saying this, I just remembered that it didn't start off well. It was at least page 100 before anything interesting happened! The only reason I kept reading beyond that was because I had heard it was good! Oh well, the middle 100 pages are okay, I guess. Maybe the movie will be better.
This is a story in the style called rap that'll surely encourage an afternoon nap of a family of seven, their kids and their wives and something regarding their travels and lives.
Now first there was Greg, a Brooklyn-born lad; and then it was Lucy that Mom and Dad had. She was born at Sing Sing (no, not in the jail). They left the U.S., for Brazil they set sail,
and there in October, in the village Niteroi, number three joined the family, yes 'twas a boy: Estavao in Brazil, but in America, Steve; then eighteen months later all decided to leave.
'Twas São Paulo the city they all set out for, and there it was Don who became number four. But Brazil didn't like population explosion, so a return to America was the course chosen.
They reached California, all well and alive, and the four were then joined by a girl, No. 5. Virginia they called her, but Jeannie will do, a redhead addition to the Holmesian crew.
But that didn't end the family augmentation, for Doug soon joined the Holmes congregation. If six, why not seven, so Bill joined the crowd, and that was the end, no more were allowed.
Then Lucy left home, she went and got spliced, [line missing. intense investigation underway. ed.] and soon came a boy, Michael was his name, destined in time for disk-jockey fame.
Greg then thought married life would be dandy, so he wed June, had Aileen, Brian, Andy. Jeannie was next to leave the Holmes fold; she and John Brouns formed their own household,
and Tiffany and Thomas before long begat, also acquiring a horse, dog and cat. Next it was Don's turn, and to Reno he ran, plighting his troth with Doctor Diane.
Then followed Steve, the mathematician; now he and Denise await an addition. Five down, two left: it's Doug and it's who'll be next? D'ya think they ever will?
Surely this is the poorest of poems, but what d'ya expect for a family named Holmes?
Running in the rain isn't the pain a non-runner might think it would be I put on my jacket that has a hood, lace up my shoes, and stretching is good I open the door, expecting more as the rain comes sprinkling down My course is not planned yet, I'll try not to get my shoes wet I start out running a ten-minute pace as I feel the rain caressing my face There's that big house that has a mean dog I don't see him yet He doesn't like to get wet That driver doesn't see me he's gotten me all wet I trip over my shoe lace, fall flat on my face My jacket's no good, I'm soaked from my feet to my hood I've lost the key, oh woe is me I can see my house now, I think I'll walk After all, I've already run 3/4 of a block I crawl through the window, get dry and warm It feels good to get out of the storm Well, another day has come, I'll check to see what kind of day it'll be I think it will rain, I don't see the sun But I don't mind Running in the rain is such fun
The time has come for you to move on, but I'm sure you'll be missing us while you are gone; No more conversation with boss Catherine to really make you think, You'll miss your adventures with supervisor Stella who is always in the pink;
The daily reports from Lala about her bodily functions will cease, And without you here, Rose's appetite for report of deposit slips will surely increase;
Your detective skills will be missed you see, For where, oh where could April's keys be? Marsha's re-printing will continue to rise, No more pulling Maria's leg she's gotten wise;
Oh, the fun you'll miss when it comes to Joan, Your money tracing skills the best she has ever known;
Cheryl will have to learn how to speak and only use her mouth, And Tony's movie trivia one liners will have gone south;
Gina will have to remember her password each and every day, And Lila's whirlwind action in the control room well...we will all just have to pray;
Sandy will be lost without her "Young and Restless" buddy, 11:00 lunch hour will just be fuddy-duddy;
Jennifer's laughing we know you'll really miss that, No more funny Rosalinda stories, "DRAT!" And for me, the cash turn-ins just won't be the same, Your sense of humor is borderline insane;
The phone calls from customers that never seem to end, The pounds and pounds of plates to Sacramento you send;
I don't know how you will make it through a single day, The boredom you'll experience I just have to say...
Make sure you never call us on Wednesday mornings before 9:00, We'll all be busy learning and taking tests at that time;
You'll miss the lines for the bathroom stall, And the end of the day check-out free for all;
I guess you have been officially sprung from your cage, we had to do that so you wouldn't fly into a rage;
Rumor has it you'll be spoiling your granDChildren much more, And Elvis memorabilia, it will drive you to the store;
Frogs in the control room will all be packed away, I know, I know, you really want to stay;
We know you will really miss our DMV strife, But try real hard to enjoy your retirement life.
Putsy is the name of my co-worker and she is the control cashier in our office, we turn in all our work and money to her. She collects frogs and Elvis stuff. I read the poem in front of a lot of important people and Putsy thought it was very funny. Some of the lines in the poem only Putsy would understand. I am known as the person who can write poems in our office now. I think I found a new calling.
Joseph wore many hats in his life, the first one was of son, next an officer, a Dutch Marine, that to him was fun;
In Maastricht, in '49, he married his childhood love, now he was Tina's devoted spouse, and together they set up a nice, clean house;
8 years went by, his son, John, was born, 3 more years came daughter Ann, His kids grew up, John became a man, and soon he saw, he was my father-in-law;
A few years after that happy event, he put on a wonderful new hat, he had 2 super granDChildren, now he was an Opa, can you image that?
The Dutch club he belonged to, had him play St. Nicholas, and to Tiffany and Thomas, this show could not be missed;
Some knew him as Uncle, others as God-Father, helping everyone he could, it was never a bother;
As a leader, teacher, or supervisor, the hats fit him just fine, he was a great example, true to his every word and kind;
He called himself a Child-of-Christ, he led a Christian life, his concerns were of his family, and mostly of his good wife;
I'm honored to have known this man, his heart so big and warm, his smile could really light up a room, his death we will surely mourn;
Most everyone who knew Joseph, soon would call him friend, and every hat he has ever worn, fit him well, even in the end;
So now we all are gathered here, together, hand-in-hand, to say "Tot Ziens" and "Ik how van yow", to an extraordinary and loving man.
Hopefully. It snowed a good 5-6 inches Friday in and around Nashville. It wasn't good snowman/snowball snow, though. Not in our neighborhood, anyway. It was too crusty because of the freezing rain that came after. It made for great sledding, though, which Elizabeth and I spent several hours doing over the past few days.
The pugs hate the snow. The past two nights now, with the temperature only briefly above freezing on Sunday afternoon, the sidewalks and grassy areas are still covered by this crusty snow. There's just nowhere for a pug to poop. I had to rake out some of the snow in the back yard to create some grassy areas for them to go.
But enough about that. Now it's Monday morning, and we're looking forward to it being sunny and above 40F later today. I could have let today's sun do this for me, but I decided yesterday to go ahead and clear the snow off the driveway. It took my elderly neighbor just a few minutes to do what I'd been working on twice as long. I think my driveway is a bit bigger than his, but that's no excuse. I was using a garden rake and regular shovel. The key to his success was his snow shovel. Once he proved his superiority, with his wife looking on, unsmiling, he loaned me his snow shovel. As I told my other neighbor, Troy, it's amazing what a difference the right tool makes. Troy then borrowed it and did the same to his driveway.
Our street is on a hill. We're the first house on the right, going up the hill, so days like these are not too bad for us. For those at the top of the hill, however, it's sometimes impossible to get up and over. One such neighbor, who has a Boston Terrier -- that's how dog owners identify other dog owners -- made at least two attempts. At the time, Elizabeth and I were out on the driveway. I was clearing it, she was trying to build a snowman at the edge of it. A couple of times I had to tell her to come back to the safety of the porch in case any cars coming down the hill lost control and plowed into our yard. Anyway, this one Boston Terrier neighbor finally, after two failed attempts, sat and waited at the bottom of the hill for the sun to do its work and let a few cars better-equipped for the snow than his small sedan loosen up the ice for him. Finally, after about twenty minutes, he tried again, gunning it in front of our house where the ice was mostly melted. This time he made it, with a few neighbors like me looking on, rooting for him. A few minutes after that, his neighbor came down to get his SUV that he'd left parked at the bottom of the hill the day before. I missed it, but he apparently made it up the hill just fine, too.
Elizabeth did finally make a snowman, but she had to recruit Tara for the job. Tara wisely suggested trying it in the back yard because the sun had been shining there longer and softening up the snow, making that area much better for snowman building. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Elizabeth came running out to tell me to look at their snowman. I got video of her in front of it, but I think Tara has already posted a picture of it on her blog, Tara's Favorites.
Note from the author: This novel might be "historical fiction" or "Faction" since it's created from facts (at least according to the Internet). It is a compilation of pretty much all current "conspiracy" ideas put in story form. There are 5 parts. It started with Ken who was unfamiliar with "conspiracies" being put into the world of them. He met a Daniel and the Daniel's sister, Margot, who were involved in a New World Order conspiracy. The story was how Ken jumped into the whole thing, how the New World Order came to be, how it affected the world, and how it was defeated.
A story about a group of teenagers cycling across the USA, east to west along the BikeCentennial bike trail. The leader of the group had the enthusiasm for the trip but lacked knowledge, so he got a friend to help with that. Along with them are two couples who are friends, a younger teenager who thinks he's a real racer, and another young woman who brought along her young cousin.
I submitted a screenplay to Scriptapalooza today. See scriptapalooza.com. The first deadline is Friday the 5th. The real deadline is April 15. I think first prize is $10,000, but the main thing is that real Hollywood industry people read all the scripts, so even if I don't win the contest, I might still have my screenplay optioned or bought and made into a movie.
My submission is called Slight Detour. [Ended up being called Operation Detour.] The novel/novella version, available here, was panned by one brother (harshly, but I don't care) and one sister; given faint praise by my wife and her sister; and actually liked by my Dad and another sister.
Almost forgot, I also submitted that version to Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award competition last month, but didn't even make the top 1000 submissions. :)
When I saw that all of the judges were women, I knew I didn't have a chance. My story is geared toward guys, regular guys, not intellectuals and especially not pseudo-intellectuals (like that brother). So, I reworked it a little bit, especially the beginning, changed things around, added/deleted here and there and, voilà, it's a screenplay!
I don't expect it to win, I'm just hoping to get noticed (in a good way). They don't announce winners until August 15, so I'll probably have completely forgotten about it by then. :)
"These "rules" totally go against every prescription for writing success you'll hear as a young [new] writer from all quarters: the conformity-driven MFA system, the publishing industry's hype-machine, successful writers who act either like prima donnas or untouchable mystics, the marketing experts who seek to impose advertising rules on the writing product. Overpaid editors, illiterate agents, arrogant gatekeepers, and stupid reviewers want you to bargain away your soul for a pittance -- the bids in the market escalate downward, a reverse auction where you compete with the lowest of the low to be acknowledged as an entity that counts."
I've published a couple of books/novellas on Kindle recently: "Lottery President" is a political thriller; and "Operation Detour" is a darkly comedic adventure (or, the first half of it here, free).
Please tell a friend, so maybe I can do this for a living instead of working for one soul-sucking corporation after another. :)
You don't need a Kindle to read them, just the Kindle software.
Here's one of my brothers reading my book, Lottery President. He seems to be enjoying it. I swear I didn't pay him to do this.
The "elites" are adept at fooling themselves and others into thinking they know best. The superiority they bestow upon themselves is a convenient justification for keeping us "commoners" in the dark, and themselves in power.
OPERATION DETOUR Abe Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Facebook, Good Reads Riva, a beautiful young "black ops" agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own "asset" just to prove she can. When he loses his job and girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. But when he tries to go out with a bang, she is afraid she hasoverplayed her hand. Will either one of them survive?
LOTTERY PRESIDENT Abe Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Good Reads For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would buy a big house, travel the world and retire. Not Benny. He decided to take the money and run... for President. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it... from politicians. Retire? "I'll retire when I'm dead!" he would say, not realizing so many people had a retirement plan in mind that would make him very dead. Welcome to the world of politics, Benny.
TEMPORARY INSANITY Good Reads Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (glorified typist). For his latest assignment, he thought he was taking just another temp job. He didn't anticipate Venelia and the Dynamos. The what?
"Writing a novel and building a house are pretty similar when you think about it. For instance, most builders or homeowners spend a lot of time dreaming...
I'm as guilty as anyone about trying to add content to my blog just for the sake of content (because search engines look for and rate highly based on how "fresh" your blog's content is). But someone whose blog/newsletter I subscribe to has stooped to simply stating the obvious, maybe phrasing it differently, just to have an "interesting" topic of discussion. I guess it's no worse than what politicians and the "news" media do, but I don't want it in my inbox.
As an example, I received an email newsletter this morning talking about blog stats and how they should be read, and how bloggers just don't appreciate them as they should. "Did you know," the article asks (I'm paraphrasing), "you can virtually enter your readers' minds through a proper reading of your blog stats?" Like being a medium, I guess? Their point was that you can see what people are interested in and, accordingly, write more posts in that vein. No sh*t.
In other words, you see which articles are the most popular and you then write more articles on that subject. Wow, what incredible insight this newsletter writer has! I'm being sarcastic.
But enough ranting. I've been participating in and listening to Jeff Goins' TribeWriters course and have come to his "Reach" audio. In it, he recommends "reaching out" and "engaging" your readers. Good advice. He probably wouldn't advise writing such a grumpy post as I've just done, but oh well.
Anyway, I am hereby reaching out and engaging my audience. This assumes I even have one. He calls an audience a tribe, which I don't like at all. I'm not a tribal person. I like individuals, not groups or tribes or posses or crews, and especially not followers. Otherwise, he does generally give great advice. So, if you read this and it "resonates" or "rings true" or otherwise "floats your boat," please leave a comment, below. And of course you should always feel free to link to any posts or pages you find herein. Thanks!
Please support this website, should you be so inclined:
I've been following and listening to Jeff Goins's TribeWriters program, and he says an important aspect to successful blogging (at least as far as getting noticed) is to "guest post" on other people's blogs. Jeff is a great resource, by the way.
So, if you want to post something on my blog, pleaselet me know (by clicking the link to the left, or by leaving a comment). And if you want me to post something on your site/blog (free of charge), let me know that, too. Of course, you can always feel free to link to any of my posts or pages. Thanks!
Please support this website, should you be so inclined:
For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would buy a big house, travel the world and retire. Not Benny. He decided to take the money and run ... for President. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it ... from politicians. Retire? "I'll retire when I'm dead!" he would say, not realizing so many people had a retirement plan in mind that would make him very dead. Welcome to the world of politics, Benny.
Here's one of my brothers reading my book, Lottery President. He seems to be enjoying it. I swear I didn't pay him to do this.
New book out! Here's my Amazon Author's Page, where you can find both the paperback and Kindle versions of Lottery President and Operation Detour of your own. :)
The Kindle books are available through Kindle Reader software as well as on the Kindle itself.
I started writing a new story today. Can't say much about it except that it's pretty much sci-fi, though it might wander into religion and politics. So, yeah, it should offend just about everyone.
Then I took a break and started cleaning. Did a load of dishes. Vacuumed and cleaned the office carpet because not one, but two dogs threw up behind me as I wrote. Was that a commentary on my writing? Wouldn't be the first time.
I was so engrossed in the writing I didn't even notice their "commentary" until I got up for more coffee. I then gave a couple of dogs, not the same two, baths because they've been itching like crazy from both skin conditions and fleas. Once they dry off, I'll put some more Frontline on them.
Just wanted to give you an update 'cuz I know you're hanging on my every word. :)
UPDATE: And now, "just" six years later, it's finally out!
"Most of us write a little something everyday. It might be a grocery list, a poem, or a write-up on the infographic of the day. As we go through this daily ritual, however, we are probably not aware of the effects writing has on our brains."
I do some of my best work when I'm supposed to be doing something else.
Elizabeth this AM: Dad, can you get my other shoe outside? It's frozen to the ground!
My biggest worry, of course, is that I will no longer have anything to worry about.
Pulling my daughter in a sled on snowy sidewalk to friends' house, I turn around & see her waving like a beauty queen on a pageant float.
There's something just sad about a middle-aged man admiring himself in the mirror. But enough about me. Kidding. It was someone else.
Me: Can we throw this out?
Elizabeth: Fine.
Me: I see you've learned from your mom how to say "fine" without it meaning "fine" at all.
People need to be listened to -- preferably agreed with -- more than anything else. If you could do one thing for someone, that would be it.
9yo daughter buys painting at Walgreens, and says, "It's made in China. They're really good painters."
Wife tried to foist hazelnut creamer on me. Had to set her straight. I'm a manly man, and manly men drink their coffee black!
At Dr today the hot female nurse practitioner said "Wow" when I took off my shirt. Can you blame her? Too bad it was for wrong reason.
Life is like flying: You have to keep moving & make constant adjustments, but there's always time for a few loop-de-loops!
The person who knows that they're not innately superior to anyone is the better-informed person.
If anything is learned, it's not time wasted.
Life is so huge and full of problems. Luckily, life is so huge and full of answers.
Can someone please create an app that will block images of all recognizable politicians? My online world would be a better place.
Intellect is great, but don't fall too much in love with it. It's just one of several tools we have for navigating/creating our lives.
9yo explains the FIVE basic elements: Earth needs Water, making Air, causing Electricty, making Fire, put out with Water. Full circle!
Don't hate others for being different from you. Do you really WANT everyone to be just like you? I didn't think so.
IQ doesn't matter. The smartest people are those who make the best use of their time, energy and talents .. without being a**holes.
et cetera (a.k.a. "etc."): It's Latin for "blah blah blah."
Daughter made my day. I said a misbehaving PC was retarded, but I outsmarted it and fixed it. She said, "Of course you did. You're my Dad!"
Having friends is so much better than having enemies.
Having an Obama 2012 sticker is as bad as a Bush 2004 sticker. You didn't learn your lesson after their first term?
"Snowboard Cross" is definitely my favorite winter Olympics sport! But to add difficulty they should make them answer texts while boarding!
Watching TV weather alerts is always educational. I always learn of a town nearby I'd never heard of. This time it's Dull, TN! Wow.
"Be as smart as you can, but remember it is always better to be wise than smart. -- Alan Alda" My wife & I said this last night!
My 8yo daughter asking me to cook bacon & eggs, starts nodding her head, saying, "Yes." A natural-born manipulator. I'm so proud. :)
I realize I'm at the Y, with no expectation of privacy or "quiet," but I wish these women behind me would shut up! I'm trying to write! :)
Apparently girls rule and boys drool. Who knew? Makes sense, though.
U want heaven? Be an angel.
People aren't science experiments, they're works of art & should be treated as such.
As I was picking her up after school recently, Elizabeth got into the car and, very seriously, announced, "I can understand gibberish." I just cracked up, with that gasping-for-breath laugh. She said, "What?" And I said, "I love you. You're just so funny sometimes!"
8yo, talking about something she'll do as a teenager, pauses and adds, "But, you'll be dead by then." I just had to laugh. So sweet.
I remember when I didn't know what a "tweet" was, other than the sound a bird makes. It wasn't so long ago, either. Below is just a random list of tweets. Pathetic, I know, but I felt the need to put something new on the site. Anyway.
"
Saturday, July 20, 2013: Picked more blackberries this evening, just before dark, before it started raining again. Now I'm thinking about feng shui ... no, there's no correlation between the two. I'm just thinking of rearranging my office. Couldn't care less about feng shui ... and why is it spelled "feng shui" when it's supposed to be a Latin phonetic spelling? It should be spelled "fung shway." I think I ... am in the middle of a Twitter rant/monologue/brain seizure?, 140 characters at a time. :) And, no, I'm not drunk. If I COULD drink ... well, it doesn't matter. Those days are long gone. And, no, I don't miss it. Just like I don't miss TV. Both make you stupid. Anyway ... Enough rambling. I was just doing this as an impromptu writing exercise, or maybe that shoulda been "exorciscm?" :)
Sunday, July 21, 2013: Wordnik claims to be the most comprehensive English dictionary in the world. WordNik. I don't know about that, but I like it.
Thursday, August 1, 2013: 8yo daughter: I wish you'd work from home again. ME: Didn't make enough money. HER: What you need is advertising! You need more style!
Saturday, August 3, 2013: Feng Shui achieved! (Fung Shway, as it should be spelt). I rearranged my desk so my back's to the wall and I'm facing outward! Feels good! And I've got both monitors working again! I LOVE dual monitors! How'd we ever live without them... and cell phones... and smart phones and...
Sunday, August 4, 2013: Google's new City Experts program doles out free swag in exchange for reviews via @Pocketlint (https://www.pocket-lint.com/news/122707-Google-s-new-city-experts-program-doles-out-free-swag-in-exchange-for-reviews)
... 8yo daughter again, explaining the cheeseburger she's munching on: I'm eating this now so I can taste it later when I'm starving in church.
Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming "homeland tour" to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close.
Publishers and writing "gurus" preach that writers need followers. The problem is that emotionally-stable people don't want followers. They want friends, compatriots, people who listen, not followers. Especially zombie followers. They're the worst! :)
But seriously, I don't trust anyone who actively seeks followers.
"It would be amazing if I had any fans at all to help finance what I do! Thank you for (possibly) being one."
"For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would buy a big house, travel the world and retire. Not Benny. He decided to take the money and run ... for President. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it ... from politicians. Retire? "I'll retire when I'm dead!" he would say, not realizing so many people had a retirement plan in mind that would make him very dead. Welcome to the world of politics, Benny.
"Riva, a beautiful young "black ops" agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own "asset" just to prove she can. When he loses his job and girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. But when he tries to go out with a bang, she's afraid she's overplayed her hand. Will either one of them survive?
"Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming "homeland tour" to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close. Their only hope now is to catch the Last Train Out."
So, I'm lying on the bed with the pug Joey between my legs. No, that's not a figure of speech. I'm referring to an actual dog between my calves.
Anyway, the cat (Sunny) comes up, thinks about jumping across my legs to the other side, then decides to just step on me, then step on Joey, to the other side of the bed. #CatsDisrespectingPugs
"A politically-incorrect manifesto. Anti-corporate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world. His old boss, Colonel Charonne, wants to stop him. On his "truth tour," Dobie meets and falls in love with Kaylie while enduring attacks at every turn. Can they outrun Charonne and his minions? Will Major Watson steal her away? Is she too good to be true? And, what's up with the little blue alien?"
" Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming "homeland tour" to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close. Their only hope now is to catch the Last Train Out."
" For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would buy a big house, travel the world and retire. Not Benny. He decided to take the money and run ... for President. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it ... from politicians. Retire? "I'll retire when I'm dead!" he would say, not realizing so many people had a retirement plan in mind that would make him very dead. Welcome to the world of politics, Benny."
" Riva, a beautiful young "black ops" agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own "asset" just to prove she can. When he loses both his job and his girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. When he decides to go out with a bang, she is afraid she hasoverplayed her hand."
" Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (typist). For his latest assignment, he thought he was taking just another temp job. He didn't anticipate Venelia and the Dynamos. The what?"
"This novel might be "historical fiction" or "Faction" since it's created from facts (at least according to the Internet). It is a compilation of pretty much all current "conspiracy" ideas put in story form. There are 5 parts. It started with Ken who was unfamiliar with "conspiracies" being put into the world of them. He met a Daniel and the Daniel's sister, Margot, who were involved in a New World Order conspiracy. The story was how Ken jumped into the whole thing, how the New World Order came to be, how it affected the world, and how it was defeated."
"This story is about a group of teenagers cycling across the USA, from east to west along the BikeCentennial bike trail. The leader of the group had the enthusiasm for the trip but lacked knowledge, so he got a friend to help with that. Along with them is are two couples who are friends, a younger teenager who thinks he's a real racer, and another young woman who brought along her young cousin."
According to the Telegraph, anyway. An interesting list. Several if not most of these were that author's first published novel. I've actually read half of these, though it's been years. I should read them again.
A rent increase forced the owners of October Books to move locations in Southampton. They used a crowd funding campaign and loans to buy a former bank location about 500 feet down the street for $400,000.
"HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world."
Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (typist). For his latest assignment, he thought he was taking just another temp job. He didn't anticipate Venelia and the Dynamos. The what?Click here for more. Or, in this case, the whole thing, free! :)
Riva, a beautiful young "black ops" agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own "asset" just to prove she can. When he loses both his job and his girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. When he decides to go out with a bang, she's afraid she's overplayed her hand.
Aren't you glad we don't have any of those annoying pop-up ads asking you to join our newsletter? Ironic, isn't it, given that we are an "online newsletter?"
Please support this website, should you be so inclined:
"The Testaments by Margaret Atwood... wins this year's Best Fiction award for her long-anticipated sequel to the dystopian classic "The Handmaid's Tale." The book picks up the story 15 years after handmaid Offred's ambiguous fate in the theocratic nation of Gilead and continues the saga's dark contemporary resonance. In fact, Atwood's stated inspiration for her new novel is direct: "The world we've been living in."
If you've read any of my novels, please give them a review on Amazon (click the book's image, below or on the right, then click the "Write a Customer Review" button on its Amazon page, to the left), on Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you bought it. Thanks!
Leaving a review on iBooks is not easy. Here's instructions if you're using an iPhone or iPad. Apparently, you have to have an Apple device to even leave a review on Apple Books. That's annoying, but here are more instructions.
My latest short story, based on our real life pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey, the latter of whom is the only one still alive and barking. See www.amazon.com/dp/B085XM6QW8
The Lazy Pug Cafe was a dilapidated old two-story farmhouse abandoned years ago, lately serving as a sad but charming reminder of days gone by. With its beautiful old weeping willow in front and a massive ancient oak tree, Ol' Lightnin', out back, locals were grateful someone was finally bringing the "old girl" back to life. Come meet the pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey! There's cats and humans, too, but it's all about the pugs! After all, Pugs Rule!Go to Another peek at my books
Louis L'Amour once said he could write while sitting in the middle of the freeway. That didn't impress me at the time, but now it does.
Not one, but two dogs threw up behind me as I wrote. Was that a commentary on my writing? Wouldn't be the first time.
As I told these guys in the job interview, "If you're wondering where I expect to be in 5-10 years, I'll be making a living as a writer. Until then, I'll be a fantastic 'technical business analyst' for your company!" But they never did ask that question, or any of those typical, stupid, laboratory-derived interview questions.
The weird part is that I've always had this vague worry that what I write will come true. And then, I write a story about a guy getting fired, and guess what, I get fired in real life. I don't see my wife having an affair, though. And if she did, I really don't see her videotaping it. :) Of course, my previous story involved a guy who wins the lottery and runs for president, and that hasn't happened yet.
So now I'm writing books and doing this (tweeting). Getting my "brand" out there online, but I'm already getting sick of me. Self-promotion is not healthy.
Publishers and gurus preach that writers need followers. The problem is that healthy people don't WANT followers they want friends.
Why do all authors' official back sleeve portraits ALWAYS have them with their hand under their chin? Do like Madonna and strike a (new) pose.
Writers are often those who would otherwise be left out of the conversation. The only way they can get a word in is to write it down.
A bit of advice to myself (and any other writers out there): Once you've laid the groundwork of your story, come up with the main characters, basic premise, and rough outline, at some point you have to just let the story itself tell the story. You, the writer, are just the narrator. Try not to get in the way.:)
So much about writing novels, I've found, comes down to respect. Respect for the reader and their precious time. Respect for the authenticity and believability of the characters I'm creating. And most importantly, respect for reality; asking myself "how would this play out in real life?" Luckily, there are millions of ways something might play out, but it still has to fall within that realm.
Donald Trump's candidacy reminds me of my novel Lottery President (Kindle/paperback).Hopefully for his sake, it won't end the same. Here's one of my brothers reading it. He seems to be enjoying himself. I swear I didn't pay him to do this. :)
We've sold two (2) three (3) in the past three (3) months! Get your copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D9YCZPC while supplies last!If you've read any of my novels, below, please give them a review on Amazon or wherever you bought it. Thanks!
Turns out, leaving a review on iBooks is not easy. Here's instructions if you're using an iPhone or iPad. Apparently, you have to have an Apple device to even leave a review on Apple Books. That's annoying, but here are more instructions.
"Welcome! It's timely to stress that The Political Compass has been on the internet since 2001. The uniqueness of our take on politics is reflected in the gratifyingly enthusiastic reviews we've enjoyed in the national media of many countries from our earliest years -- as well as from many teachers and academics who continue to use our work."
People read fiction seeking clarity -- in the payoff at the end of the book -- so, one of the worst things a writer can do is to create confusion. People also read fiction for a taste of something better than their own reality. So, keep it clear and concise and, most importantly, interesting... without getting too implausible.
It doesn't have to be great, but it DOES have to be FINISHED. -- William Arthur Holmes
UPDATE: ...and then I saw where Lee Child had a better quote: "Don't get it right, get it written!"
Two of my ebooks are available free of charge all month (July) at Smashwords. The links are at the bottom of that page.
I've already "sold" five copies since yesterday as opposed to five copies over the past year. I guess the price is finally right. :)
Another Way: Beyond the Status Quo blurb: "A politically-incorrect manifesto. Anti-corporate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world. His old boss, Colonel Charonne, wants to stop him. He meets and falls in love with Kaylie while enduring attacks at every turn. Can they outrun Charonne and his minions? Will Major Watson steal her away? And, what's up with the little blue alien? Is it even real?"
Last Train Out blurb: "Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming homeland tour to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close. Their only hope now is to catch the Last Train Out."
From Doug: Dad, I'm still finishing the David Baldacci book, First Family, and then have his Hour Game to read, but with that recommendation, I'd like you to save it for me.
Don wrote: I just read the WORST novel I've ever read, called Son of Stone, by Stuart Woods. I've read his stuff before and it was OK, but I actually was rooting for all the Barringtons to get killed, then he killed the wife. I thought, cool, he's going to redeem the book by killing the rest of them. But alas, he stopped with the one. I actually sent him an email, which I doubt he'll respond to:
"I realize it's too late for criticism, but I am reading Son of Stone and, for the first time in reading your books, I am gagging. I'm on page 170 and not only has nothing of consequence happened, but it reminds me of those Richie Rich comic books I read as a kid. Golly, isn't life wonderful when you're super rich and everything's going your way? Here, have a million bucks, wow! thanks! you're super, no YOU'RE super,
have ten more! ah shucks, aren't we all swell? Maybe future books could be less fantasy-like and syrupy? And I'm pretty sure you can't legally change your date of birth, or people would be doing it all the time to retire early."
From Lucy: I also read that and agree that it was one of the worst books ever! I also used to like his stuff. In this book, you actually WANT the characters to get killed! Your email was right on target, but I'm sure they won't respond. I have only emailed authors a couple of times. I have emailed authors to tell them that the DMV doesn't include vehicle color in their registration database. Only one author responded: J. A. Jance. She thanked me. I also told her her story where a beagle protected its owner was ridiculous, because a beagle would never protect anything but itself or its food bowl. She replied: "Beagle; point taken."
Never use a long word when a short one will do. -- George Orwell;
Never use the passive voice when you can use the active voice. -- Orwell;
Know and understand your audience. -- Pierre Berton;
Recycle and read the good stuff before you write. -- Berton;
Honor the miraculousness of the ordinary. -- Andrew Morton;
Good copy = Draft minus 10% -- King;
Look at every word in a sentence and decide if they are really needed. If not, kill them. Be ruthless. -- Bob Cooper;
Remember: writing doesn't love you. It doesn't care. Nevertheless, it can behave with remarkable generosity. Speak well of it, encourage others, pass it on. -- Al Kennedy;
Basically, the writer, or any artist/creator, must create a world the reader wants to enter.;
Write to a quota. The key is to figure out what you can produce, then commit to doing that, week in and week out.;
Write/talk to one person, a friendly acquaintence, perhaps. You know them, but not especially well.
ALWAYS ASK
How is this character feeling?;
What are they thinking?;
Why did they do or not do that?;
What happens next?
STRUCTURE
Act I;
Opening conflict;
Protagonist shown in daily life, before the transformation;
Pick one, preferably, but you can always combine them
THEME
The theme of a story is a lesson or message the story is trying to tell us. Some stories have only one theme or message. Other stories have many lessons or messages.
PREMISE
Come up with one, such as "He was an expert on widgets and took it upon himself to rid the world of faulty widgets!"
SETTING
Where the protagonist starts out -- your story can stay here or move to other places.;
The setting is the WHEN and WHERE of a story.
CONFLICT
Contrary to what you would do in real life, CREATE PROBLEMS, LOTS OF THEM... with solutions.
CHARACTERS
The characters are who the story is about. A good character description includes:;
What the character looks like.;
How they act;
How they change
And all characters have relationships.
The Protagonist;
The main character of your story.;
supporting, first tier;
supporting, second tier
The Antagonist(s);
The person or thing that gets between the main character and his or her goal.;
hostile minor characters who function in making complications for hero
MOTIVATIONS
Goal (An important object);
What does your main character want?;
This object is very important to your main character and plays a crucial role in the story.;
secondary character wants ;
tertiary character wants
BASIC PERSONALITIES
Make a protagonist (or at least their goal) likeable;
To make a protagonist likeable, even one who's not a model citizen, give him an inner conflict such as should he be serving a greater good or satisfying his own self-interest. The sacrifice your protagonist makes to forego his or her own selfish desires and indeed serve the greater good is what makes him or her likeable.
PLOT
The plot is what happens in the story. Usually a character has a problem or conflict. The plot consists of the events that help the character solve or deal with a problem.;
Introduce protagonist and setting;
An important event. This will be a turning point in your story.;
issues/problems;
Point of tension, more conflict or problems;
blind trails by which the hero is misled or confused;
complicating circumstances;
Effort to stop (or out-run, out-do, out-wit) antagonist
QUESTIONS YOUR READERS ARE ASKING
what happens next?;
are all issues/conflicts (even the little ones) resolved?
CLIMAX/RESOLUTION (solution)
Seem to fail, then triumphant;
Happy (or appropriate) outcome... but not before several twists and turns.
And don't forget the (preferably) unspoken things like the moral of the story.
My latest attempt at monetization on BuyMeACoffee.com... until they cancel me for being politically incorrect.
To start things off, here's my first published work, and my most-recently published. "Work" sounds pretentious, I know. They're just a couple of novellas. See Temporary Insanity and The Lazy Pug Cafe.
Another attempt at political opinion, but with real world solutions, as it follows Dobie doing just that on his speaking tour. A lot of humor here, too, but with some definite ugliness. Also threw in an alien presence because, whether they exist or not, there are forces and energies in our world that influence us, for good and ill.
Anti-corporate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world from corporate titans like Colonel Charonne. The latter and his henchmen are determined to stop him. On Dobie's "speaking truth to power" tour, he meets and falls in love with Kaylie while enduring attacks at every turn. She is out of his league, and he can't shake the thought "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Will Major Watson steal her away? Can they outrun and outwit Charonne? And, what's up with that little blue alien, Semmy?
Yesterday, I had my first doctor's appointment in several years. Hey, I've been healthy. Shocking, I know.
There was a sign on the outside door saying masks required, and a sign on the interior door saying the same thing. The receptionist was wearing a mask. I introduced myself. She asked if I needed a mask. I said sure, she gave me one, and I just held it in my hand the entire time that we spoke.
When the nurse called me back, she said I didn't need the mask back there, if I didn't want. There's your proof it's all for show. Anyway, I said I didn't want to wear one because these masks don't block viruses. Unless you're wearing a full hazmat suit, don't bother. She laughed and said "We know. We all hate it, but have to follow hospital rules." I was at a satellite office near me.
The doctor then came in and said, "I'm glad you're not going to make me wear a mask," meaning if I was wearing one, she would feel obligated to wear one, adding, "We hate those things."
And the rest of the visit went very well.
Just wanted to put it out there that everyone knows these masks are a scam.
Having read all the Lee Child, Connelly, Ross D. McDonald, Marcia Muller, Sandford and Sue Grafton, I recently started reading Sara Paretsky, whose stories are set in Chicago. Pretty good. I also read a couple Patricia Cornwell, but don't like the old crime-solving coroner idea much.
Watch this video where one of the world's most respected vaccinologists admits that there are no benefits to the boosters. He's not taking the boosters. Why should you?
Dr. Paul Offit, MD is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and practices medicine in the Infectious Disease department at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and he also sits on the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC).
Check out this 1 minute video where Dr. Offit talks about the new bivalent booster and the 'scant evidence' and that the 'fix was in:'
Paul Offit admits he doesn't see the benefits of the booster. And if he can't find any benefits, it's probably because there aren't any. Click the image to watch the video.
The background
Several months ago, VRBPAC voted to approve a COVID vaccine novel booster formula that combined the mRNA instructions that targeted BA.4 & BA.5 - the two Omicron strains which circulated last spring and early summer.
There were no human clinical trials conducted on this booster. It was not tested on people. It was tested on just 8 mice. There is no long term data on what happened to the mice after injection. All the mice were challenged with Omicron and every mouse was infected showing that the vaccine had zero protection against getting the virus. The mice were sacrificed shortly thereafter because we don't want to know the long term effects. Don't ask't tell.
You will not find a bigger proponent of vaccines in general and the COVID vaccines specifically, in American medicine, than Dr. Paul Offit. He voted YES to give the COVID vaccines to all children, even babies as young as 6-months.
Why did Paul Offit vote No on the boostersYet when VRBPAC recently voted on the novel COVID booster, Dr. Offit voted no, because (in his own words) 'HELL NO was not a choice!'How? Why? What happened?
First, there was no trial to show that there are any clinical benefits at all. And any clinical benefits must be weighed against the risks.
Secondly, according to Offit, once you have your initial injection, you're already protected against severe disease so there is no additional benefit to a booster. In this MedPage Today interview, Offit explains:
The question is, does it matter? Because still it looks like you're protected against severe illness, so does it really matter to get that third dose? I would argue 'no.'
Thirdly, the FDA doesn't really want the outside committee members to actually review the scientific data. They just want them to vote yes so it looks like outside experts reviewed the data. The FDA provides hundreds of pages of material just days before the meeting giving the members an inadequate amount of time to review the data before voting on it. It's just another example of sham science: the panel is simply there to rubber stamp what the White House and FDA want to do; they are not there to protect the public.
Why is the government advocating for three or more doses when there is no evidence of a benefit?
The reason for three or more doses is because the press and the public health officials want you to get it. The science doesn't support it. But science doesn't matter. This is about compliance with orders, not protecting your health (or the health of others since even Pfizer admits that the vaccine doesn't protect against transmission).
In the MedPage Today interview, Offit admitted this:
I think this is now a three-dose vaccine for the most part, because that's the way the press and the public have handled it, it's the way public administrators have handled it.
In short, the booster was created to give the public the perception that the government is doing something to protect them.
Even pro-vaccine doctors like Martin Makary, MD are reposting this important video.
Watch the Offit video. Share. Spread the word.
Summary
You can never unvaccinate yourself.
Before you consent to take any vaccine, demand to see at least one all-cause mortality and morbidity study vs. placebo with at least a 12 month follow-up that are independently managed by multiple organizations with no financial ties to the vaccine manufacturers.
Currently, there aren't any vaccines where such a study is available. Now you would think that if any vaccine had a true cost-benefit, such studies would exist, wouldn't you?
If our Premiers want thanks, they're about two years too late.
At the start of this month, the Prime Minister called an end to emergency Covid-19 =C2=ADrestrictions, declaring that isolation periods are no longer necessary for those who catch the virus.
So it's basically a cold then!
All those people who went out and got jabbed up the wazoo must be feeling pretty outraged right about now.
All those people who missed weddings, and birthdays, and funerals must be feeling pissed off too.
Suddenly the Covid's not so contagious or bad that you can't be around others, even to say goodbye to a dying family member.
It only took politicians two and a half years to catch up to rational thinkers. Idiots.
The past two and half years have been a joke. We should never forget what they did to us.
Volteface
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said:
'It's time for us all to take responsibility for our actions, and get on with life to the greatest extent possible.'
Well thanks Dom. You forced my teenage son to get injected with a substance his parents didn't want him to be injected with, just so he could trial out for the NSW basketball team.
But now you're a fan of individual autonomy and personal responsibility? If you're looking for thanks, you're only about two years too late!
Mr Albanese said it was not the role of government to run 'every bit of people's lives forever'.
You don't say.
And, of course, you didn't say that when Mr Morrison was PM.
Where were you when Chairman Dan was erecting his ring of steel, and implementing his curfews, and militarising his police force, and arresting pregnant mums for Facebook posts, and banning golf, for God's sake?
Where was your commitment to civil liberties when Mark McGowan was jailing people for entering WA to watch a football game?
Queensland Premier Annastacia Pa=C5=82aszczuk tweeted:
'Mandatory COVID-19 isolation requirements will end on 14 October. I've just come out of the National Cabinet where we agreed to make this change based on the latest health advice.'
Inwardly, she must be seething.
Oh for the glory days when she kept her state locked up and its citizens locked in while the ALP flew planes pulling signs across the city sky reading: 'We are safe because she is strong'.
And by the way, why is mandatory isolation being scrapped on October 14 rather than immediately? Where's the health advice on that?
The Covid can get you right up until the 14th, then it just can't be bothered.
Premier Pa=C5=82aszczuk, what was the point of the $240m Wellcamp? Asking for a friend.
Still Not Happy
Mask fetishist Dr Monique Ryan MP " the Teal who famously scolded Liberals for not wearing masks only to be photographed at a function without her mask " is not happy with the end to isolation requirements.
She demanded to know the health advice upon which the decision was made.
'The public has a right to know how and why this decision was made,' she thundered.
Funny. I don't recall her demanding to see health advice that required Victorians not to play golf, or that banned children from playgrounds.
I don't remember her insisting the public had a right to know the science behind prohibiting old ladies from sitting on a park bench.
I don't have any memory of her wanting to see the advice governments based curfews on.
We're still waiting for the medical evidence that supported those decisions.
But now you ask for health advice transparency? Now? What a joke.
Victoria has a state election scheduled in November. There's the advice that's prompted this sudden outbreak of freedom-loving premiers. The premiers are rank political opportunities. Same as Dr Ryan.
We do know the advice to scrap mandatory isolation did not come from Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. He was not consulted about the decision. And Covid hath no fury like a Victoria chief health officer scorned.
He tweeted:
'Sleepwalking into Covid is not a strategy I would recommend. Still much remains uncertain.'
A bit passive-aggressive. He's itching to close children's playgrounds again.
The AMA president was not happy either. Dr Steve Robson told the ABC:
'I think people who are pushing for the isolation periods to be cut are not scientifically illiterate and are putting the public at risk.'
The AMA supported closing playgrounds. They are not scientifically literate.
The AMA also predicted rising Covid cases when isolation periods were reduced last time. They were wrong.
But back to our politicians, there's no political benefit in Covid anymore so they have decided to grandstand about how they are making our lives easier.
How To Resist CBDCs"5 Ways You Can Opt Out of This Dystopian Future
by Nick Giambruno
There's an excellent chance governments worldwide will soon force their citizens to use central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
CBDCs enable all sorts of horrible, totalitarian things.
They allow governments to track and control every penny you earn, save, and spend. They are a powerful tool for politicians to confiscate and redistribute wealth as they see fit.
CBDCs will make it possible for central banks to impose deeply negative interest rates, which are really just a euphemism for a tax on saving money.
Governments could program CBDCs to have an expiration date"like some airline frequent flyer miles"forcing people to spend them, for example, before the end of the month when they'd become worthless.
CBDCs will enable devious social engineering by allowing governments to punish and reward people in ways they previously couldn't.
Suppose governments impose lockdowns again for flu season, so-called 'climate change,' or whatever pretext they find convenient. CBDCs could be programmed to only work in a geographic area. For example, your payments could be denied if you travel more than a mile from your home during a lockdown.
Suppose the people in charge want to encourage people to take a pharmaceutical product. With CBDCs, they could easily deposit money into the accounts of those who complied and deduct it from those who didn't.
Undoubtedly, CBDCs will be paired with a sort of social credit system. Such a system is already in place in China today. In the West, it's likely to come in a different flavor. Perhaps CBDCs will be paired with an ESG score.
Did you commit a thought crime on social media? Or perhaps you read too many politically incorrect articles online? Did you exceed your monthly meat consumption allowance? Then expect some financial punishment thanks to the CBDCs.
CBDCs are, without a doubt, an instrument of enslavement. They represent a quantum leap backward in human freedom.
Unfortunately, they're coming soon.
Governments will probably mandate CBDCs as a 'solution' when the next real or contrived crisis hits"which is likely not far off.
That's the bad news.
The good news is that CBDCs are destined to fail.
Despite all the hype, CBDCs are nothing but the same fiat currency scam on steroids.
It's doubtful CBDCs can save otherwise fundamentally unsound currencies"as I believe all fiat currencies are.
If the current fiat system is not viable, then CBDCs are even less viable as they enable the government to engage in even more currency debasement.
Would a CBDC have saved the Zimbabwe dollar, the Venezuelan bolivar, the Argentine peso, or the Lebanese lira?
I don't think so. And a CBDC won't save the US dollar or the euro either.
But that doesn't mean governments won't try implementing CBDCs... with immensely destructive consequences for many people.
While I believe CBDCs will inevitably self-destruct, nobody knows how long it will take for that to happen. Communism was also destined to self-destruct, but it took generations. I don't think it will take nearly that long for CBDCs to fail, but that's just my guess.
Therefore, the big question everyone should be asking is this...
What will you do when the government forces everyone to use CBDCs?
I believe it's incumbent on free individuals to reject CBDCs. It will be challenging, but the reward"maintaining your sovereignty"will be priceless.
Below I discuss five ways you can do just that.
It's important to remember the wise words of Ron Paul:
'What none of them (politicians) will admit is that the market is more powerful than the central banks and all the economic planners put together. Although it may take time, the market always wins.'
No matter what edicts, decrees, or laws that politicians pass, they will never be able to fully extinguish the desire of people to use alternatives to CBDCs. That cracks the door open to other options.
For example, consider that Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Lebanon, and many other countries restrict the use of US dollars today. However, all that does is create a thriving black market"or, more accurately, a free market"for US dollars and a parallel financial system.
We can expect the same kind of dynamic if governments impose CBDCs. I have no doubt significant parallel systems and underground markets will naturally emerge.
Anyone who wants to avoid CBDC enslavement must learn to swim in those waters.
Below are five steps anyone can take to opt out of this dystopia.
Step #1: Use Physical Gold and Silver
Avoiding CBDCs means using alternative forms of money.
Although people use money every day, few consider what it actually is or what makes for a good money.
Asking people, 'what is money?' is like asking a fish, 'what is water?'
The fish probably doesn't even notice the water unless it becomes polluted or something is wrong.
Money is a good, just like any other in an economy. And it isn't a complex notion to grasp. It doesn't require you to understand convoluted math formulas and complicated theories"as the gatekeepers in academia, media, and government mislead many folks into believing.
Understanding money is intuitive and straightforward. Money is simply something useful for storing and exchanging value. That's it.
Think of money as a claim on human time. It's like stored life or energy.
Unfortunately, today most of humanity thoughtlessly accepts whatever their government gives them as money. However, money does not need to come from the government. That's a total misnomer that the average person has been hoodwinked into believing.
It would be similar to transporting yourself back in time and asking the average person in the Soviet Union, 'Where do shoes come from?'
They would say, 'Well, the government makes the shoes. Where else could they come from? Who else could make the shoes?'
It's the same mentality here regarding money today"except it's much more widespread.
The truth is money doesn't need to come from the government any more than shoes do.
People have used stones, glass beads, salt, cattle, seashells, gold, silver, and other commodities as money at different times.
However, for over 2,500 years, gold has been mankind's most enduring form of money.
Gold didn't become money by accident or because some politicians decreed it. Instead, it became money because countless individuals throughout history and across many different civilizations subjectively came to the same conclusion: gold is money.
It resulted from a market process of people looking for the best way to store and exchange value.
So, why did they go to gold? What makes gold attractive as money?
Here's why.
Gold has a set of unique characteristics that make it suitable as money.
Gold is durable, divisible, consistent, convenient, scarce, and most importantly, the 'hardest' of all physical commodities. In other words, gold is 'hard to produce' relative to existing stockpiles and is the one physical commodity most resistant to inflation of its supply. That's what gives gold its monetary properties.
Anyone can opt-out of CBDCs by using physical gold and silver to store and exchange value.
Physical gold is optimal for long-term savings and large transactions. The best way to do that is with widely recognized gold bullion coins, like the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf or the American Gold Eagle.
However, gold coins are generally inconvenient to use for small transactions. Silver coins are more practical here.
Step #2: Obtain Financial Sovereignty With Bitcoin
CBDCs and Bitcoin share some characteristics. For example, they are both digital and facilitate fast payments from a mobile phone. But that is where the similarities end.
The reality is that CBDCs and Bitcoin are entirely different in the most fundamental ways.
You need the government's permission and blessing to use a CBDC, whereas Bitcoin is permissionless.
Governments can (and will) create as many CBDC currency units as they want. With Bitcoin, there can never be more than 21 million, and there is nothing anyone can do to inflate the supply more than the predetermined amount in the protocol.
CBDCs are centralized. Bitcoin is decentralized.
Governments can censor transactions and freeze and confiscate CBDC units. Bitcoin is censorship-resistant. No country's laws can affect the protocol.
There is no privacy with CBDCs. However, if you take specific steps with Bitcoin, it is possible to maintain reasonable privacy.
CBDCs are government money that are easy to produce and give politicians a terrifying amount of control over people's lives. On the other hand, Bitcoin is non-state hard money that helps liberate individuals from government control.
Bitcoin enables anyone to be their own bank. Bitcoin allows you to send and receive value from anyone anywhere without relying on third parties.
If you avoid CBDCs, that will almost certainly mean avoiding the traditional financial system.
Knowing how to use Bitcoin in the most sovereign way possible will be essential.
Step #3: Get Organized Locally
Get to know the people in your local community.
If you avoid CBDCs, many of the conveniences of society will become unavailable.
You will probably be unable to shop at Walmart and large stores of any kind, as they will all be roped into the CBDC system.
You will have to become self-sufficient and rely on your local community to obtain what you need. And that starts with knowing who can provide you with the things you want and need.
The Amish are incredibly successful in this regard.
I am not saying you must go 100% Amish to avoid CBDCs. But we can learn how their societies work outside the traditional system and emulate the areas that make sense in our local communities.
Step #4: Exchange Value for Value
Humans invented money to solve the difficulties of barter.
But with CBDCs, governments will have perverted money from a technology that facilities economic exchange into a tool of enslavement. With CBDCs, barter doesn't look all that bad.
The key is understanding what value you can provide to others in your local community and how you can exchange that for something you want.
That might mean performing some landscaping work for your dentist in exchange for getting a cavity filled or washing the car of your butcher in exchange for some ground beef.
Step #5: Become a Prepper
To minimize the inconvenience of barter, it's ideal to become as self-sufficient in as many areas as possible. That includes stockpiling supplies and gaining survival knowledge and skills.
If you already have what you need"or can produce it yourself"that reduces the need to get it from others.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, CBDCs"and all the terrible things that go along with them"are probably coming soon.
To summarize, here are five steps anyone can take to opt-out of this terrible system.
Step #1: Use Physical Gold and Silver
Step #2: Obtain Financial Sovereignty With Bitcoin
Step #3: Get Organized Locally
Step #4: Exchange Value for Value
Step #5: Become a Prepper
Editor's Note: The economic trajectory is troubling. Unfortunately, there's little any individual can practically do to change the course of these trends in motion.
The best you can and should do is to stay informed so that you can protect yourself in the best way possible, and even profit from the situation.
That's precisely why bestselling author Doug Casey and his colleagues just released an urgent new PDF report that explains what could come next and what you can do about it.
I visited a struggling family member today. He still has trouble walking. Has to hold onto things as he goes. Trouble seeing, too. You never know what he can see or not see in front of him. At least he was much less scary/out-of-it today.
His ex-wife later told me the doctors had changed his meds, which helped tremendously. For those who don't know, he was diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago. The surgeons removed the cancer, and part of his brain, but he has been doing fairly well since then. He has been undergoing treatment and dealing with balance and vision problems but, all things considered, he's doing okay.
For this story -- because we're in the Nashville area -- we'll call the family member and his ex-wife Garth and Shania. I'm not entirely sure of their marital status, to be honest, and afraid to ask. They haven't lived together for years, but are clearly still in each other's lives. Shania asked a few weeks ago if I could help out on Sundays. She was exhausted from her daily visits, and needed a break. "Just one day a week," she said.
The way she asked was disturbing. I had just gotten into bed and turned on my laptop to read, write, email, update the website, whatever, before going to sleep. There was an email from Shania with the subject line: "Bill, call me as soon as you see this." The message itself was, "I've lost your phone number." I was thinking "uh-oh" as I got out of bed and back into the living room to retrieve my phone. I generally keep that thing as far away from me as possible whenever I can. My wife was on the couch, as usual for this time of night, alternating between watching TV and doing whatever she does on her phone. Our sleep schedules are almost never in sync.
I had visited Garth a couple Sundays back and took him to lunch at Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen. Nothing but the finest dining for us! I skipped last Sunday because he called and told me not to come over. It wasn't until after talking to him that I noticed Shania's text asking that I not let him talk me out of going over there. Oops. Anyway, to make up for that, I suggested I might mow and trim his lawn this time. I was bringing my own trimmer because it's the first one I've ever owned that I don't hate. Shania called just as I was leaving my house to say Garth would need help with his television. It wasn't working, and all he has the energy for these days is to watch TV. It's a Roku TV so he can watch YouTube, too. Shania's not sure he even reads emails anymore.
At his house, he came out wearing ripped jeans that needed to be replaced. He also needed batteries for his TV remote.webp to make sure the problem wasn't just dead batteries. TVs now have no physical on/off button, they require a remote.webp, which we both find annoying. I saw a few pairs of jeans hanging in his closet and a large pack of new AAA batteries in his house later, but had no idea at the time.
He wanted to go to Walmart. That would not have been my first choice, but that's what he wanted, so that's where we went. Not the one closest to him, either, the one closer to Shania's house. It's much smaller but in a better neighborhood. He wanted a Presto "outlet extender" that supposedly makes it easier to plug things in. He'd been seeing ads. After looking it up just now, I see it's basically just an AC power strip made to look like a wall outlet, with USB ports. Entering the store, Garth asked the "greeter ladies" where it was, and one of them led us to the "As Seen On TV" section near the checkouts. It wasn't there, so we headed toward Electronics and/or Hardware, but reached Men's Clothing first. I had meant to find a new pair of deck shoes for myself while there, but completely forgot.
Garth found a pair of Wranglers his size and tried them on in the fitting room… after we got a woman to unlock it. He was in there quite a while. I had to ask if he was okay, but he eventually came out wearing the new pair, with the old ones in his hands. The woman said he was not allowed to walk around the store in the pants. He had to pay for them first. Garth was clearly aggravated, so he asked, "So, where do I pay for them?" I pointed at the cash register three feet away and asked, "Can we pay here?" The woman snorted as if that was a crazy idea and said the cashiers were up front. Garth would have to return to the dressing room, she said, put his old pants back on, and take the new pair to a cashier. We wandered toward the cashiers, but once out of sight of that woman, I said, "Screw her. We'll just finish shopping and the cashier can scan the new pants while you wear them." He had left all the tags and stickers on them, and that was exactly what the checkout girl did when the time came.
In the Hardware department, we found extension cords, etc., but not that Presto thingy. I found another employee and asked him about it. I also asked if we could pay for it at the cash register there in his department. He said no, and went in search of someone who might be able to answer our questions. That's what he said, anyway. We never saw him again, but I guess Walmart doesn't use the registers within the various departments anymore.
In the checkout line, it was taking forever and I said, "We clearly chose the wrong line." The older man behind me with his wife overheard and said, "Aldi's has automated self checkout now. You just breeze right through." I was impressed and admitted I'm just now getting used to simply tapping my credit/debit card against the reader instead of inserting it. This older couple, Garth and I all agreed technology these days was amazing. Younger people around us probably rolled their eyes, but I love the line from the Berlin Station show when the station chief says to a young agent, "My generation invented all this stuff. Yours just plays with it."
Walking slowly through the parking lot to my car, I asked where Garth wanted to have lunch. He said Home Depot. I thought he was confused so I said, "We can't have lunch at Home Depot." As usual, he proved me wrong and said, "There's a taco truck there that I like." We found the truck, but it was closed today, Sunday, so we went to Hugh-Baby's Burgers nearby and sat at the counter. We agreed the burgers were good. I got the mushroom/Swiss and he got the veggie.
Toward the end of our meal, Garth complained the root beer was too sweet. Standing up to leave, he felt the need to tell the manager/barker that their root beer was the worst he'd ever had. I call the man a barker because he was the guy shouting out everyone's order as they came up ready, at which point you were expected to pick it up off the counter.
"Okay," I laughed and began to say to Garth, "you don't need to…" Then I dropped it and led the way out the door. When I told Shania about this later, she laughed and said, "Yeah, he's lost his filter. Scared the crap out of a woman and her fidgety kid in line behind us the other day, asking the woman, 'What's wrong with your kid?'" The woman wrapped her arms around her son and slowly backed away.
Back at Garth's house, he and I spent quite a while trying to get his TV working again, but it was weird. The overhead room lights were working, so it took a while before I realized only the wall outlets were dead. At least on that side of the house. Usually, a house's electrical circuits are divided by room, but his place apparently has the wall outlets on a separate circuit. Oh, and the breaker box is outside. Who puts the breaker box outside? Maybe that was normal back in the 1950s or '60s when his house was built. I don't know.
We eventually figured it all out and he's able to watch TV again. I had to just leave the pile of extension cords and power strips for him to sort out. They would be a fire hazard except that hardly any of them are plugged into power. Still, that's probably what caused the breakers to shut off, and I told him -- and Shania later -- to keep an eye on it.
I never did get around to mowing his lawn, but Shania said not to worry. She was going to find someone to do it for him every week or two.
The Lazy Pug CafeThe Lazy Pug Café was a dilapidated old farmhouse abandoned years ago. A massive, ancient oak tree, Ol' Lightnin', lurked out back while the house itself served as a sad but charming reminder of days gone by. Locals were grateful someone was finally bringing the old girl back to life. Come meet pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey! There are cats and humans, too, but it's all about the pugs! Pugs rule!
First few paragraphs...
As recently as a few months ago, the Lazy Pug Café was nothing but a dilapidated old two-story farmhouse. Set back forty yards from the road, there was a beautiful old weeping willow in front and massive ancient oak tree out back. Abandoned years ago, the estate's only purpose lately was to serve as a sad but charming reminder of days gone by. Locals witnessing its resurrection were grateful someone was finally bringing the old girl back to life.
Despite the storm moving in from the southwest, people came from far and wide to have a look-see at the renamed, repainted and refurbished Lazy Pug Café. Originally white with a red tin roof, faded to pink, the newly dubbed Lazy Pug Café was now soft yellow with white trim and a solid black roof. From a distance, the thin film solar panels on top were invisible.
Between the Café and road was a long, gravel horseshoe driveway. In the middle of that space now stood one of the Café owners, Kirk Winley. Just shy of six feet, with thick brown hair and a full beard, his farmer's tan made his blue eyes stand out more than they might have otherwise. He crossed his arms and soaked it all in with a deep, satisfied breath. He wanted the Café to be tan or fawn-colored with black trim, like a Pug, but his wife and co-owner, Hope, preferred a more traditional farmhouse look.
"At a glance, at least," she said. She also wanted a fountain, maybe with a sculpture, surrounded by a small pond in the center of the driveway, but that and so many other improvements would have to wait. Their shoestring budget forced everything to come piecemeal. Their business loan applications were denied by every bank asked. There were too many other restaurants within easy driving distance, they were told, and neither Kirk nor Hope had ever run a business before.
That didn't stop this Pug-loving couple, of course. They simply turned to Kirk's "money bags" older sister, Cecilia. "She's family," he insisted, "so borrowing from her is okay."
Cecilia laughed at the "money bags" comment but was always looking for a good investment. Hope was reluctant to be indebted to her, precisely because she was family. But, Kirk was so passionate, so desperate for a cool place to hang out, so focused on the Café idea, she agreed on the condition that she had final say on all interior and exterior design.
She humored him on several but had to say no to the idea of a bucking bronc and rider sculpture out front, with the bronc being a larger-than-life Pug and the rider being a similarly over-sized flea. One bit of exterior décor Kirk was allowed to contribute was a sign hand-written in red, like blood, hanging from the side yard fence:
Beware of Pugs!
A stiff warm breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees and pulled Kirk's attention in that direction, then up to the sky. Ominous clouds hung ready to soak the Earth below. He loved the sound of leaves in the wind and could listen to it all day – preferably with a glass of lemonade on the porch-swing out back – but it was time to get back inside.
From behind that Beware! sign, the Pugs watched intently between the slats in the fence and wondered, What is Dad up to? And, why weren't we invited? Whatever he's doing, we can help!
Cars began to pull into the parking lot, and people were getting out. What in the world!? Dad's in trouble! He obviously needed the Pugs to bark as loud as possible!
It started with a short, low, menacing growl, followed by a bark, then a howl. A hoarse, asthmatic second Pug then joined in. Finally, a tenor blended his voice beautifully, barking and howling, as the Pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey – in that order – performed a capella for anyone who cared to listen.
I came across this video last night and thought, "Yes! Thank you!" This guy (and Lee Child) share my disagreement with the saying, "Show, Don't Tell." As Child puts it, "You tell a story. You don't show a story."
That saying might apply to visual story-telling such as film and TV, not so much the written word.
Tomorrow, August 26, will be my 30th anniversary of having moved from Los Angeles to Nashville.
Read, listen or watch the rest here: Nashville, or Bust for the newsletter write-up on the trip upon arrival. Here's my route, on Google Maps.
Above or to the side, is the woman anxiously awaiting my arrival in Nashville... not. At bottom-right is the condo I eventually moved into -- after staying with my brother and his wife a couple months, then an apartment on the west side of town, then one near Vanderbilt -- before getting married (another few years later) and moving again.
UPDATE: Below is a screenshot -- on Bing Maps, which I think usually creates a better-looking map (and seems to think it's a couple hours faster than Google -- of the route I took three decades ago.
Same for us.
doug
Moving from commie CA to America
________________________________
From: steve
Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 9:09 AM
To: ;
Subject: Re: I don't expect it to be anything but I'll stay away from tech for those couple of hours (no big deal for me)
On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 07:01:03 AM PDT, Holmes wrote:
I think it'll be nothing except maybe a diversion.
doug
Moving from commie CA to America
________________________________
From: steve
Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 12:11 AM
To: ;
Subject: Fw: I mentioned this before. Here's more info. (as you see, I'm not bothering to send this to the others)
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: steve
To: Sherri Reese ; Jennifer R
Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 12:08:44 AM PDT
Subject: Re: yeah, worth taking precaution
On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 09:11:54 PM PDT, Jennifer R wrote:
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Justus R. Hope from Repurposed Drugs: Powers & Possibilities
To: "jennifer101_us@"
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 11:42:50 AM PDT
https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Ficon%2FLucideArrowUpRight%3Fv%3D4%26height%3D36%26fill%3Dnone%26stroke%3D%2523808080%26strokeWidth%3D2]
The FEMA Test of the Emergency Broadcast System scheduled October 4, 2023 is billed as another routine test. It is likely not.
Why?
For many reasons, contained in my original posts on this subject. The first concerns the dangers of normal 3G and 4G compared to massively increased risks with 5G.
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Also, see this article on the Marburg issue:
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However, the date is rapidly approaching and many if not most remain unaware of the potential dangers. Please carefully listen to Attorney Todd Callender's [14:05] two interviews where he lays out these issues.
Where is the evidence that we may be dealing with a problem during the October 4 FEMA test?
The short answer contains two points as follows:
#1. Attorney Callender notes this is part of the same MO - Modus Operandi - the Globalists have used these past few years, first with the Covid man-made Bioweapon virus, second with the mRNA 'vaccine' which is actually another Bioweapon, and third the Microwave attack on Lahaina Maui. See this link to an article by Sasha Latypova.
They planned Marburg and its subsequent activation with 5G including announcing a Marburg Emergency on December 9, 2020 via a Congressional Act. They added sequences in the designer virus and vax containing Marburg. And they have been steadily building out 5G towers these past few years - with no clear purpose - certainly not for profit or connectivity and not in the Cell Phone Company's corporate interests. And when 5G was rolled out in China in 2019, we saw reports of numerous sudden deaths among the Chinese. This is massive circumstantial evidence. Not absolute proof, but an undeniable and robust pattern of circumstantial evidence. It would be foolish to ignore it.
#2. Mainstream Media has not spun this to generate panic. If this were something designed by the Globalists to falsely instill fear - like the Covid Pandemic - it would be part of the narrative. It is not. The media is eerily silent about the details of this test and how it differs from prior ones. This suggests the FEMA test potential danger is being covered up as it is billed as 'routine' test and nothing more.
Why is the signal planned to continue for a full two hours? A usual emergency broadcast system test usually lasts less than a minute - for sufficient time to generate a cell phone text. Why two hours? Could it be so Americans are fully exposed to sufficient EMF to accomplish their agenda with regard to the lipid nanoparticles? While citizens go about their daily routine in the middle of the week, during the middle of a workday, all the while unsuspecting and being exposed to two hours of not only 5G, but additional frequencies that target computers, television, and radio. Why are whistleblowers - who have additional knowledge - coming forth and warning?
For both of these reasons, the FEMA test on October 4th is not an innocent and routine measure and likely is something far worse.
Here are updates on my recent poll results on 5G and precautions my readers take:
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I submit to you that 5G has long been a Miliary Weapon, and it's recent, rapid and unexplained deployment across the nation, close to schools, and at the same time as the Covid pandemic represents a threat, largely unknown to all Americans. Given the background of escalating deaths and destruction through the vaccine disaster, and the recent blatant attacks on Lahaina, it would be better to prepare and be wrong about the upcoming October 4th exercise than to relax and believe this to be an innocent and routine test.
What precautions?
Take the day off work or call in sick. Keep kids home from school. Unplug all computers, televisions, and radios. Power 5G cell phones down and place them in a Faraday cage or a turned-off microwave oven. Use landlines or non-5G flip phones to communicate between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm. If FEMA cancels the October 4th test and reschedules on the backup date of October 11th, all the foregoing still apply.
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=A9 2023 Justus R. Hope
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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I emailed this to my siblings, and the following conversation ensued...
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 03:22:31 PM PST:
Stumbled across this great old photo of our dog Stein "attacking" a strange man in the back yard of the Edison house
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 3:33 PM
yes, my attempt to make my '39 Chevy look more interesting by being like a Cab
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 05:03:17 PM PST:
I'd love to have that 39 Chevy now. You were driving it to [school], right?
On Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 5:06 PM:
Yeah, Don and I went the MILE to [school] in it and when I started going the FOUR miles to [college], I rode my bike, even to my night volleyball class. It was dangerous with the brakes losing brake fluid. Even when I put in a rebuild kit, it didn't help.
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 05:09:11 PM PST,:
I remember Don commenting on the brakes being scary.
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 6:00 PM
One time I was driving westward on Greenback Lane, approaching Hazel Avenue where there was a light. I was trying to time it right to not need to stop. Well, that didn't work out. I had to quickly make a right turn onto Hazel and I was worried that the car would roll over. That car was kind of tall. I've always wondered whether a car is likely to roll over like that or just screech around the corner.
On Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 6:25 PM:
Wow, yeah, brakes are pretty important. :)
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 06:26:14 PM PST:
Scary indeed.
On Tue, Nov 7, 2023 at 10:14 PM:
Yeah, I had an instance of no brakes on my bike, too. I hit a car and dented it. Luckily, the driver blamed himself. Maybe because of those incidents, now and then I have dreams where my car doesn't have brakes.
Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 12:49 AM
I dream of no brakes too and I never lost my brakes before.
Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 6:45 AM
My brakes went out once in the early '80s in Hollywood in my 1964 Ford Falcon (like one of these, but two-tone green and white, and much crappier). I had just "fixed" the brakes myself and took it for a test drive. When I came to a stop sign and hit the brakes, something snapped and I just coasted right through the intersection. Luckily, it was the middle of a weekday and there were no other cars. I kept turning right through intersections, still no cars, until I got back to where I'd been parked. The space was still open and I coasted into the spot, purposely bouncing off the curb to help stop. Still, I bumped the parked car in front of me, but there was no damage, and I was safely parked. There were a bunch of Mexicans hanging out on the steps in front of that building, and it was their car I'd bumped, but they just laughed and helped me straighten my car out.
Another time in Hollywood, I was riding my Honda Goldwing motorcycle on Sunset Blvd. It was raining for the first time in weeks, just sprinkling, but the roads were extra slick. I came to a stop light and applied the brakes. They worked just fine, but the bike kept right on sliding... into the stopped car in front of me. My front tire hit its bumper, and the bike fell out from under me, but I straddled it and remained upright. The woman in the car got out and asked if I was all right. I said I was fine, just mad at myself.
As we stood in the middle of the street, my bike still on the ground, I took off my helmet and tossed my hair. I still had hair back then. There was a spark between us as we gazed into each other's eyes. I climbed back on my bike and she followed in her car back to my apartment on Poinsettia, just up the street from Ralph's grocery store. We made love until she remembered she had to get home to cook dinner for her husband, but not before stopping at Ralph's for celery and tomatoes for the salad.
Okay, that last paragraph was fiction, but the rest was true.
And, seriously, if your brakes ever go out and it looks like you might not survive, just put it in Park. Better to ruin the transmission than to die.
Today started, as usual, with feeding Cleo, our Boston terrier, and leaving the back door open. It was cool out but not too cold, and I prop the door open, weather permitting, so she can let herself out. With the back door and storm door being mostly glass, installing a pet door would be difficult if not impossible for my limited skills.
I then spent a little too much time on the computer before going out to inspect our yard. You know, be more useful, cut down on my screen time. I was finally getting around to re-doing the flagstone/pavers that lead up to the side gate into the backyard. My wife, Tara, was concerned she might trip over them. Actually, her words -- months ago -- were "With me being the klutz that I am, I'm afraid I'll trip and fall."
The gaps between those stones needed to be filled in with dirt, but I didn't have any spare dirt. We have bags of garden soil left over, but that's way too expensive for this. I would have to scrape dirt out from under the stones, each of them roughly 12x18 oddly-shaped, decorative inches. And, for that, I needed a hoe. Problem was, I'd broken ours a month or two earlier trying to do something similar with one of Tara's metal planter boxes. She needed that thing level, but our backyard is on a downward slope. I had to hoe/scrape out a level spot in the dirt and insert the planter into that. The soil was so hard -- it hadn't been raining much -- I broke the hoe.
Tara has been bed-ridden -- or lying on the couch, or walking gingerly around the house, anything but sitting -- with a bad back lately. Sciatica, she says, with all the shooting pain that goes with it. I know the feeling, having gone through it myself 20 years ago. Not fun. In my case, it was a bulging or herniated disc for which I required an epidural steroid shot every few years, but never surgery. I still have to be careful how I move. Hopefully, you'll never know the excruciating pain of one of your vertebrae rubbing against your spinal cord.
Tara had the surgery, but the pain has returned a couple years later. She was awake but still in bed when I walked in and announced, "I've got to go to Lowe's for a hoe." I couldn't resist adding "...as opposed to going downtown for a 'ho."
She looked at me, obviously in pain from either the pinched nerve or my stupid joke. Probably both. She said, "Your wife is out of commission a few days and you have to go out and find a 'ho?!"
"What can I say?" I shrugged. "I'm a man." We both laughed.
Cleo -- following me all over the house because I had my shoes and hat on, clearly going somewhere, and she didn't want to miss out -- was jumping onto the bed, then down to the floor, repeatedly, this whole time. I had to grab her cute little black and white puppy face and explain that she was not invited. I'm so mean, I know. Animal abuse, for sure.
So, I went to Lowe's for a hoe, and more string for my edge trimmer while I was at it. I prefer Lowe's over Home Depot, generally, and they're closer, anyway. When I got there, I had three to choose from and picked the most expensive one -- just a few bucks more -- hoping it would last, hoping with hoes, like 'ho's, you get what you pay for.
I brought it home and performed the chore described above. The new tool was still intact. I then noticed the dirt at the edge of the grass, the start of my little walkway, was still just a bit too high. So, I grabbed the hoe and whacked at the ground a few more times. When not actively using it, I'd found I could balance the hoe upright, blade flat on the grass, handle at an easy grabbing level, which saved me from bending down to pick it up. That's another habit I formed since recovering from my own back problems. Avoiding bending over, not balancing hoes.
Then I heard the crack. When I brought the handle back up, the metal blade was no longer attached. It was stuck in a patch of clay soil. Yep, I'd broken another hoe. There's gotta be a joke in there somewhere, but it's not coming to me.
Returning inside with my broken new toy, I mean tool, I told Tara, still in bed, I'd have to return to Lowe's for a refund, assuming I could find the receipt. I've got a bad habit of throwing them away too quick. She said okay and asked if I could bring back a couple bottles of supplements, cayenne pepper and ginger root. They're good against inflammation, she said, which causes or at least aggravates nerve pain.
Back at Lowe's, as I gave the woman behind the counter the handle and blade in two pieces, she joked, "What did you do!?"
"Just digging in the dirt," I shrugged, not sure they would accept my return.
"You don't know your own strength!" she laughed. "I mean, look at you!"
I am a big guy. Was she hitting on me? No, she was just being a good customer service person while scanning the bar code on the handle. "Why does it say 'fiberglass handle?'" she asked herself aloud. "It's clearly wood inside."
"With a plastic coating," I said, "making it look like fiberglass. Probably made in China, too."
She didn't want to follow me down the conspiracy theory path, though, just rang it up, added the $34 or so back to the card I'd paid with, and wished me a good rest of my day.
There's a fairly new Indian restaurant -- my favorite kind -- called A-Ha next to the Lowe's. It's where the Mongolian Grill was before that place's owner was arrested for embezzling or something. I don't know. Anyway, it was almost dinner time now, so I got on my phone while in the Lowe's parking lot and placed an order. Might as well get the order started through the app rather than sit and wait. I didn't think about the added fee they would tack onto the bill for that. Oh well.
Tara had earlier suggested I go to a True Value or Tractor Supply for another hoe. "A better store, where not everything comes from China."
"There is that new Ace Hardware on the north side of town," I said.
And, that's where I would go while waiting for dinner, but in between here and there was a Walmart. Walking in -- after pulling through the first spot I found into the spot in front of it for easier exit, always a bonus -- I passed a store clerk helping a customer wheel out a 75" television on a shopping cart too small for the thing. It seemed a bit odd. Since when are Walmart staff that helpful?
"While I'm here," I texted Tara, "can I buy a 75-inch TV?"
"Sure," she said. "Can I hire a live-in maid?"
"Sure."
We were both joking, but inside the store I overheard a husband tell his wife the 40-inch "smart" TV he was lifting off the shelf could go into (presumably) their kid's room. "Is that okay?" he asked.
"I don't really care which one you buy," the wife snapped, not happy, I guess. Tara wondered via text if Walmart was having a sale on TVs. I said I didn't know and wasn't going to buy one today.
I found a bottle of cayenne in the pharmacy section, but not ginger root. Tara said according to the website, they had both in stock. Aisle G11. I said, "I was there. I looked but couldn't find it, and I'm pretty sure I've got my alphabet down pat." Maybe I shouldn't have assumed things were in alphabetical order?
"Walmart never lies!" she joked.
I should've bought the cayenne there but thought, no, I'll go to one store and buy them both there. Save myself a trip through the checkout line. It made sense at the time.
The shopping center next door has a Publix grocery, so I went in looking for Tara's herbs. She checked their website, which said they had them both in stock. They didn't have either one.
"What about the big Kroger?" I asked. Before she could reply, I was pulling into that parking lot, only for her to say this store was out of stock but the one closer to our house had both, and in the square bottles. I'd mentioned I like those squared-corner bottles. The round bottles are fine, but if it can sit in the drawer with its label up and readable, why not? Some marketing genius thought that one up, copying the carpenter genius who came up with the flat pencil after too many pencils rolled away.
"What about Walgreens?" I asked. They were on my way back to pick up dinner. She said they had them both in stock, and sent a screenshot from their website to prove it.
But first, I had to hit the new Ace Hardware for that hoe, the main reason I was out in the first place. It's a very nice, new store. As I walked in, one of the first things I noticed was the tiger-striped cat walking around like it owned the place. That's always a nice touch. Makes it feel homey.
Seeing the garden tools section dead ahead, I found the only hoe to choose from, then realized the walkway project was done. I didn't need a hoe again until next spring. But, I'd driven all that way -- up and down Main Street, the most congested street you'll ever find in such a small town -- so I bought the hoe. It was a store brand, not Craftsman like the one from Lowe's that ended being wood falsely advertised as fiberglass. At the Ace checkout counter, I was tempted to joke that a cat had sneaked into their store, but they've probably heard that a thousand times.
Finally at Walgreens, as I dodged foot traffic in the pharmacy area, looking for those items on the shelf, I could not find either one. I texted Tara, who replied, "They all lie! I'll just order it online." I did end up finding a bottle of ginger root before leaving, but not the cayenne. I had no trouble finding a bag of mini Payday bars in the candy aisle on the way to the cashier. Hey, it'd been a rough day and I deserved a treat.
UPDATE: Here's some video (thanks to my dashcam) to go along with all of the above.
New Self-Replicating sa-mRNA Vaccine Approved for MassProduction
Subject: Fw: Look at this image. It's how the next victims will succumb to the agenda.
Hoping for some rational thinking by the people who get all their information from TV.
doug
From: Epoch TV
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2023 7:17 AM
To: Holmes
Subject: New Self-Replicating 'sa-mRNA Vaccine' Approved for Mass Production
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Two weeks ago, Japan became the first country in the world to approve a new type of self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine. =0D=0D=0D
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A Nation DividedAmerica's Hope
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Subject: Fw: New Self-Replicating 'sa-mRNA Vaccine' Approved for MassProduction
Look at this image. It's how the next victims will succumb to the agenda.
Hoping for some rational thinking by the people who get all their information from TV.
doug
From: Epoch TV <epochtv@epochtimes.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2023 7:17 AM
To: Holmes <holmes>
Subject: New Self-Replicating 'sa-mRNA Vaccine' Approved for Mass Production
Two weeks ago, Japan became the first country in the world to approve a new type of self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine.
Report Highlights Flow of US Tech to China
Hunter Biden Gives Presser at Capitol, Skips Deposition in Front of Lawmakers
Special Counsel David Weiss Suddenly Decides to Pursue Hunter Biden"Completely Reversing Himself
Former LA Sheriff Captain Concerned About Department Officers Losing Deputies Due to Stress
Advertisement
A Nation DividedAmerica's Hope
Canadian Bull Moose Sheds Both Antlers
Got this newsletter from your friend?
Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
Copyright =C2=A9 2023 The Epoch Times. All rights reserved.
The Epoch Times, 229 W 28th St, Fl.5,
New York, NY 10001
EpochTV delivers the cutting-edge investigative journalism you have come to expect from The Epoch Times. We dig deep every day to give you the real facts that make real news.
Can you believe we've been online since 1999!?!? Even more unbelievable, we STILL have almost no audience! Truly amazing. Shouting into the void for a quarter century. Quite impressive, no? Anyone reading this can honestly say they're special!
Please leave a comment and let us know what you think of us. Check out this for some historical context.
I think the CIA is in the business of making a mess of everything so
their bosses (highest bidder) can look like the hero cleaning it up.
On 4/10/2024 7:36 PM, steve wrote:
Because o'bama was a marxist and the CIA seems to be with him, I have
been thinking that the CIA was for communism. I've been reading up and
in many places it says that the CIA was against communism they all
were together with the Deep State and the Globalists.
What have you come to believe?
The Kosa Internet Censorship Bill Just Passed The Senate It S Our Last Chance To Stop It
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National Geographic Photographers Camp Outside White House In Hopes Of Snagging Rare Photo Of Joe Biden | Babylon Bee
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National Geographic Photographers Camp Outside White House In Hopes Of Snagging Rare Photo Of Joe Biden
Politics
·
Aug 2, 2024 · BabylonBee.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Photographers from National Geographic reportedly set up camp outside the White House in hopes of catching a rare glimpse of the elusive Joe Biden.
"This is the right time of year, he should be here," expert photographer Jim Addy said, refusing to take his eye away from the viewfinder of his telescopic lens. "Sometimes we go weeks without a sighting."
Questions abound as to the habits and behaviors of the evasive President. What does he eat? Is he able to communicate? How is he still alive? These are the questions National Geographic is hoping to answer with a stunning photograph that, if they are able to capture it, could earn the magazine accolades from nature enthusiasts everywhere.
"We all want the glory of capturing Joe Biden on film," Stephen Campbell, another photographer, said as his hands expertly adjusted the aperture on his DSLR camera to keep up with changing lighting conditions. "But we have to be realistic. Joe Biden isn't just rare, he's nearly extinct. We have to get his picture before it's too late."
At night, NatGeo photographers had been sharing stories by the campfire about Vice President Kamala Harris, who approached the photographers several times with offers to pose for an exclusive cover shoot in exchange for having a fluff piece written about her ethnic roots. She has been flatly refused several times.
"People can tell the difference between a posed subject and one caught in its natural habitat," Addy explained. "I'm here for the real deal, not some fabrication. No one really wants to see Kamala."
At publishing time, Joe Biden accidentally boarded a train he mistook for Air Force One, causing National Geographic to miss their chance again. "He's so unpredictable!" Jim Addy said, marveling.
Watch how a D.E.I. consultant magically turns a video game into... well, something else entirely.
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the Real Anthony Fauci video based on the book by RFK Jr.:
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - The Real Anthony Fauci - Film of the book by RFK JR
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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - The Real Anthony Fauci - Film of the book by RFK JR
Dr. Makis MD
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - The Real Anthony Fauci - Film of the book by RFK JR
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I went for one of my weekend drives. I almost said Sunday drive, but it was a Saturday. Anyway, I brought our dog, Cleo, with me this time. I never used to, but nowadays I take her almost everywhere because she and our newly adopted Yorkshire terrier, Lily, don't like each other.
I'd been online just prior, looking at nearby houses on the market, just because. I found one south of here, in the town of Lynnville, that looked interesting. It was an excuse to get out of the house, if nothing else.
On the way down, I saw several separate flocks of turkeys in fields along Highway 431. The map program wanted me to head north and get on I-65 before heading south, but that seemed silly. Instead, I got straight to the point and took 431 south, a.k.a. Lewisburg Pike. Further down, we passed a field with horses, donkeys and alpacas. On the way back home, I saw a couple of emus among other farm animals. I did a double take. My first guess was ostriches, but I'm pretty sure they were emus. Cleo never saw any of that. She's not tall enough, but I told her all about them. And I'm such a good storyteller, she immediately plopped down on the seat beside me and closed her eyes.
I kept taking the more scenic of the map's suggested routes, and 10 miles from our destination, Cleo started whining. She even cried out a couple times. I asked her what was wrong, but she wasn't talking. I thought maybe she had to pee so bad she was about to burst. I knew she didn't have to poop because I'd walked her just an hour prior, but maybe she'd drunk a lot of water after that, I didn't know.
As soon as we got to Lynnville, on the north side of the town square there's a little parking lot next to the train station, or maybe it's a train museum. I don't think those trains are in use. UPDATE: Yep, it's a museum. I probably walked right past the sign and never read it.
Anyway, we parked and got out of the car. Cleo peed just a token amount -- you know, one of those Cleo-was-here squats -- and that was it. She was not in desperate need of a potty break, just extremely bored. Just like a little kid.
Central Lynnville is very quaint. Typical postcard little town. Click here, but we were there to check out that house for sale. Just another mile away, I turned left onto that street.
At the second house on that street just off the main road, they had a huge sign on their porch offering a million-dollar reward to help solve the murder of someone -- a smiling, handsome dark-haired man -- probably the former occupant of the house with the sign. It was sad, but also kind of creepy. I wouldn't want to move to a street where someone had been murdered. The people trying to sell the house at the end of the street probably wished they could take down that sign. And where did those people get a million dollars to award to anyone? If I had that kind of money, I wouldn't be living on such a cramped little street.
A few houses further down, the map app said "You have arrived" but we hadn't yet. For a second, I wasn't even sure the addresses went as high as the one we were looking for, but it was at the end of the street.
I recognized the house from the listing photos, though it looked a lot more cramped in person. Also, there was some scruffy little dog there to greet us. He wasn't in the online photos, either. Cleo never noticed. Too small to see out the windows, remember. I was hoping the dog belonged to someone who knowingly let it run loose. Not good, but hopefully not abandoned.
At Cleo's request, we took the Interstate home instead of the scenic route. It was almost her dinner time.
he says they're not space aliens and later talks of "making contact" with them (Yeah, pretty bizarre)
On Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 09:10:35 PM PST, someone wrote:
I take what this guy says with a grain of saltDr. n Greer: "You have no idea what they are doing..." PREPARE NOW!
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Dr. n Greer: "You have no idea what they are doing..." PREPARE NOW!
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And it all seems so peaceful and a transfer of power by the book.
Yea, never! They refuse to allow all their crimes be disclosed and pay the price.
() secure email.
On Thursday, December 19th, 2024 at 7:40 PM, someone wrote:
yeah, good video
No surprise that the Deep State would do some bombing to enable them to take over by way of the "continuity of government" plan, stopping Trump's DOJ from prosecuting them all.
>
On Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 05:12:13 PM PST, someone wrote:
>
Intelligence expert and whistleblower Jeffrey Prather is interviewed on Infowars by Mike Adams.
>
It's a psyop, as most realize, but who is doing it?
>
Good one to watch.
>
It's been an interesting past several days. 1) My new 2-terabyte external drive went bad after I'd moved all of my music, pictures and videos to it from other drives; 2) Tara needed my help printing a PDF document, which is always exciting; 3) she also needed help at her mother's house to clean out/organize the garage; and 4) Elizabeth had a meeting with the mayor and a few city council members.
For the failed hard drive – once the panic and cursing had subsided – I bought the latest version of Active File Recovery, which I highly recommend. And, no, I don't get a commission. I had an older version from a similar situation years ago, but spent $25 on the latest. Thankfully, it looks like I've recovered everything. Crisis averted.
On Friday, Tara was trying to print out the PDF of a talk she'd be giving at church the following Sunday. It was not printing, so she asked me to take a look. She'd clicked on that Network icon on her Windows desktop and only two machines, "Entertainment" and "Yousef HK," showed up there. A printer won't show up there unless it's a "shared" printer, which this one is not, so that was no surprise.
Who was Yousef HK? I was afraid the network had been hacked. I'd been having problems with my main PC, thinking it might be infected after I'd replaced the antivirus with Microsoft's built-in program. I had also allowed it to "upgrade" itself to Windows 11 a few days prior. So, I was not sure if the problem was nefarious hackers or "legitimate" hackers a.k.a. Microsoft programmers. Entertainment is what I'd named an abandoned in-home streaming project PC that I'd reconnected to try and repair my failed drive while I wiped the main computer's hard drive and reverted back to Windows 10.
Worried about Yousef HK, I logged into the upstairs router and set it to block any machine whose name I didn't recognize. Unfortunately, that blocked Tara's work computer -- she works from home -- and my main PC, too, because it had a new name after the Windows reinstallation. Luckily, Tara could switch to the downstairs AT&T router WiFi. I only regained network access upstairs after resetting that router back to factory settings. That alone took several tries because I was not holding the Reset button down long enough. It has to be seven seconds, FYI, not just three or four.
Yousef HK, it turns out, was the name of Tara's personal laptop. I guess it's always been that. I just never noticed. Probably named after the tech who refurbished and sold it to me. I don't know. Still, Yousef could not print, so I switched it and the printer to the AT&T network. That made more sense, anyway, since she and her computers are always downstairs.
I finally heard her document printing from the other room. Yay! Unfortunately, only blank pages were coming out. It was out of ink. Geez. So, I copied the PDF to a thumb drive and said she'd have to stop by a FedEx/Kinko's or whatever and print it there.
At Tara's mother's house, most of the heavy lifting had already been done by Tara and her siblings, but on Saturday she and I took another swipe at it… in the freezing cold for over an hour. It was warmer on Monday and is supposed to reach the 50s this week, but it was "freeze-ass cold" (as they say) on Saturday and we needed the garage door open. We were taking things out to our cars or tossing them into one of three piles in the driveway: donation, trash or recycling.
Once we made room for it, I brought the wheelchair-carrier hitch into the garage. It'd been sitting outside, and I was afraid someone would steal it. Her mom said it'd been out there several days and nobody had messed with it, but I said it was only a matter of time. People will steal an empty box.
That reminds me of an Amazon box I saw during all this, saying "If you think you're excited, wait until your cat sees this box!" I thought that was great.
Anyway, that hitch (a lot like this one) weighs over 300 pounds, and I had to move it twenty feet into the garage. It wasn't easy, and at the very end it crashed to the garage floor – which looked and sounded a lot worse than it was – but it and I were not damaged... much. I got a bruise on my thigh where it hit me. Don't worry, the hitch was fine.
I left soon after that because our cars were full and there was nothing much left for me to do. After I got home, she called to say she'd be able to print the document on her mom's printer but was having trouble with that thumb drive. The PC wasn't recognizing it when she inserted it into the computer. I walked her through the process over the phone. Tech support. She's smarter than me about plenty of things. She wouldn't have locked herself out of the network. But, in this case, she'd put it in the wrong hole. It was all I could do to not make a joke.
Last but not least, our 19-year-old daughter is hanging out with local politicos these days. She was invited to meet with the mayor, et al., of the nearby town where she works. It was an HR-related thing – not about her – so I can't go into detail. Not that I know much, but that never stopped me.
After Elizabeth said her piece, one of the council members said, "You're educated!" I would've said something like "Don't sound so surprised," but Elizabeth said everyone was very nice. With her being so pretty, though, he was probably flirting with her.
"That's why I get onto you about good grammar," I told her later. "If you don't talk right (yes, that's bad grammar), people will think you're stupid even when you're not." She said she knew how to speak properly, just doesn't always do it around family and friends.
Tara's document finally printed, by the way. Hallelujah! Speaking of which, her talk at church went well, too. Huzzah! I love that word.
it seems like more "imperialism" to me. Is it a hidden way to have the USA =
(under the kontrol of israel) be the one-world government?
Canadian 'Shark Tank' Star Responds to Trump's 51st State Idea - Tedium Med=
ia
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Canadian 'Shark Tank' Star Responds to Trump's 51st State Idea - Tedium ...
President-elect Trump's idea of making Canada the 51st U.S. state i=
s a 'huge opportunity,' says 'Shark Tank' s=
ta...
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I found it:ELON MUSK EXPOSED AS A LIAR AND SCAMMER? DOES TRUMP KNOW THIS OR IS HE SURROUNDED BY SCUMBAGS AGAIN?
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ELON MUSK EXPOSED AS A LIAR AND SCAMMER? DOES TRUMP KNOW THIS OR IS HE S...
Elon Musk is apparently a FRAUD. Is Trump being surrounded by liars and scammers again like he was in his 1st ...
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On Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 06:32:19 PM PST, someone wrote:
do either one of you have a link to that video that tells how musk is a fraud? I can't find it, though I know I saved the video
Subject: Fw: Canada To Bu=
ild A Border Wall
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: MJ Hickman T=
o: Irwing Hatfield
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2025 at 0=
6:12:42 PM PST
Subject: Fwd: Canada To Build A Border Wall
This is so funny.= Net
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Charlie Craig
Date: Jan 24, 2025 at 5:37=E2=80=AFPM
Subject: Fwd: Canada To Build A Border Wall
To:=20
Begin forwarded message:
From: JOHN CARR
Date: January 24, 2025 at 6:44:21 PM CST
To: charliecraig46@gmail.com, "John McKee, III (johnbmckee@bellsouth.net)" =
Subject: Fwd: Canada To Build A Border Wall
=EF=BB=BF FYI.= = J
---------- Original Message ---------- =
To: undisclosed-recipie=
nts@missing-domain, missing-domain Date: 01/23/2025 4:40 PM EST Subject=
: Canada To Build A Border Wall = = My buddy Roger, who l=
ives kind of semi-off-the-grid in= the furthermost portion of the Idaho=
panhandle and gets some of his news from Canada...the border= is just =
over a ridge from his house..... shared this Canadian op ed with me this mo=
rning. Too funny and thought you might enjoy it.= HP
= = Canada to Build a Border Wall = = from the Toro=
nto Star.
=
=20
The flood of "Trump-fearing" American liberals/progressives sneaking across=
the border into Canada has intensified in the past week. The Republican pr=
esidential win is prompting an exodus among left-leaning Americans who fear=
they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, pay taxes, and live according to t=
he Constitution. Canadian border residents say it's not uncommon to see doz=
ens of sociology professors,
=20
global-warming activists, and "green" energy proponents crossing their fiel=
ds at night.
=20
=
=20
"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood produ=
cer huddled in the barn," said southern Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, who=
se acreage borders North Dakota. "He was cold, exhausted and hungry, and be=
gged me for a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have =
any, he left before I even got a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"
=20
=
=20
In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, =
but the liberals scaled them. He then installed loudspeakers that blared Ru=
sh Limbaugh reruns across the fields, but they just
=20
stuck their fingers in their ears and kept coming. Officials are= parti=
cularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals just south of the borde=
r, pack them into electric cars, and drive them across the border, where th=
ey are simply left to fend for themselves after the= battery dies. "A l=
ot of these people are not prepared for our rugged
=20
conditions," an Alberta border patrolman said "I found one carload= wit=
hout a single bottle of Perrier water, or any gemelli with shrimp= and =
arugula. All they had was a nice little Napa Valley cabernet and= some =
kale chips. When liberals are caught, they're sent back across= the bor=
der, often wailing that they fear persecution from Trump Nazi Heil= hai=
lers.
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=
=20
Rumors are circulating about plans being made to build re-education= ca=
mps where liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer, study the= Co=
nstitution, and find jobs that actually contribute to the economy.
=20
=
=20
In recent days, liberals have turned to ingenious ways of crossing the=C2=
=A0border. Some have been disguised as senior citizens taking a bus trip=C2=
=A0to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen
=20
young vegans in blue-hair wig disguises, Canadian immigration= authorit=
ies began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior= citizens abo=
ut Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were alive in the '50=
s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, =
we become very suspicious about their age," an official said.
=20
=
=20
Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are= crea=
ting an organic-broccoli shortage, are buying up all the Barbara Streisand =
CD's, and are overloading the internet while downloading jazzercise apps to=
their cell phones. "I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the Can=
adian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "After all=
, how many art-history majors does one country need?'
=
=20
why did Orwell use 1984 as the date? Because it was a metaphor for 1948 whe=
n the demonic zionist Rothschilds got humanity to start SUBMITTING TO the "=
synagogue of Satan", which Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 call the fraud occupiers =
of Palestine.
George Orwell' s 1984 as a Covert Metaphor for the birth (1948) and=
political special egemony of Israel - VT Foreign Policy
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George Orwell' s 1984 as a Covert Metaphor for the birth (1948) and=
poli...
Claudio Resta
In a recent article of mine I supported the hypothesis that the so-called P=
alestinian terrorism, all Palestinian...
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Nothing but the finest dining for us! I skipped last Sunday because he called and told me not to come over. It wasn't until after talking to him that I noticed Shania's text asking that I not let him talk me out of going over there. Oops. Anyway, to make up for that, I suggested I might mow and trim his lawn this time. I was bringing my own trimmer because it's the first one I've ever owned that I don't hate. Shania called just as I was leaving my house to say Garth would need help with his television. It wasn't working, and all he has the energy for these days is to watch TV. It's a Roku TV so he can watch YouTube, too. Shania's not sure he even reads emails anymore.
