What IS a Recovering Writer Supposed To Do?

Hello to all my faithful readers out there in cyber land!  Again, it has been a while since I've been here, due to my illness.  I've just gotten over a nasty fight with pneumonia where I was laid up in the hospital for several weeks.  I'm safe at home now and trying to get back to my regular routine.  

This is my first venture back into writing anything.  I was so drugged up (it doesn't take much) that I could not even focus my thoughts on a single thing for a while.  I have, in fact, been trying to catch up on the news in hopes that something other than politics was happening somewhere that might be interesting to discuss.  There's not been very much, in my mind, to hold my attention and if it won't hold my attention how can I possibly write about it and expect to hold yours?

So, when the world refuses to cooperate and provide me fodder, then I must create my own.

Disclaimer:  The following is not a true story.  It was made up by me.  Any and all people and places appearing in this is purely coincidental and should not be believed   If your name happens to appear somewhere in here, it is just by chance and I was not really referencing you or anyone you know.  After reading this disclaimer, please understand that if you believe this story to be factual, then you are an idiot.

Evolved or Devolved?

Are we getting more and more intelligent as a creature?  Why, getting to the moon is old news now.  These days we are planning trips to Mars and beyond.  It has to be because we are getting smarter and smarter, right? 

What if that just isn't true?  What if what we are discovering isn't new but more old news?  My buddy, Albert Einstein is pretty much considered to be the smartest man of his time.  I am sure that there are others whom we would consider as very brainy even today.  It seems that somebody is "discovering" something new all the time now.

Think on this, If Adam walked with God on this very earth, isn't it likely that Adam learned a lot from the very creator of everything?  Wouldn't that make him the smartest man ever?  God, Himself, must have thought pretty highly of him.  After all, not only did God create man and woman, but He also created every living thing.  Next came the Sabbath and God rested, but He left the responsibility of naming all of this to none other than Adam.  

This must have required a pretty good understanding of all that God had made.  I can't imagine the level of intellect that must have been required to be able to do that.  Adam must have been beyond genius!  I can imagine that Adam probably used much more of his brain than we do today.   I'll bet he could actually use all of it.  There's no telling all the things that Adam and Eve knew, before the fall.  As sin came in, the brain  must have suffered.  Why not?  The rest of the body did.

Here's my theory.  In Adam and Eve, before the fall, we had the most intelligent and able beings to set foot on planet Earth; with the exception of Jesus.  However, after the fall, they were cast out of Eden and forced to live without all the comforts that were afforded them before.  Now they had to make their own way, with somewhat littler knowledge than they had before.  

As time passed from generation to generation, our abilities and knowledge dwindled too, until someone came along that maybe got a gene or something that others didn't and it sparked a part of the brain that others had not be able to access.  A "discovery" was made and it benefited everyone.  It was probably something that the first people already knew. 

Throughout the ages, I propose that we have been less and less able to utilize our brains to the point where today we are only able to access 10%.  Imagine what must be held in that unusable 90%.

So, today I propose that we as humans have not gotten smarter with time, but dumber.  Look throughout the world at all that amazes us about previous civilizations.  "How were they able to do that?" we ask.  Maybe it's because they were able to understand some things better than we are today.  Maybe, they were actually smarter.

I say, that is exactly what happened throughout the centuries.  What we are discovering today is old news that had long been forgotten.  We are actually running out of ideas and the parts of the brain that we will one day be able to access may be only 5% or even 1%.

So I ask you, should we say "evolution" or "devolution".  I would say that since we as the human race is becoming more and more sinful and corrupt in our nature, then we seem to be chasing after the devil.  Hmm.........devil.....devolution.  Seems to fit.  God will one day put a stop to all of this spiraling downfall and we will forevermore be able to walk and talk with Him, like Adam and Eve did before the fall.

There you have it!  My thoughts for the day.  What if I am right?

The United States of Shiny Rocks

Hello and good day to you all.  This will be my last post before the presidential elections.  No, I’m not going away, but the election is tomorrow and I doubt there will be time for another post before then.  So, what you read is what you’re going to get. 

I’m not going to try to influence you towards any one candidate.  Personally, I hate politics and believe it to be evil.  I don’t mean to say that voting is evil, no.  I think that  voting is one of our God given rights  and we have every right to pick our own leaders.  But here’s the problem.  There are approximately 312 million people living in this country.  That translates into 312 million different ideas on what’s best for this country.  How can any thinking person find a way to whittle that down to just two ways of thinking?

It’s foolish to think that we are a nation of just two ideas.  Pardon me, I see a man toward the back waving his hand.  I believe he has something he wants to say.

 

Sir, would you like to say something? Yes! Yes I would!  You are wrong about all of this!

Really? How so?

 

The truth is that we have many people who have put their name in the hat to run for president.  We just don’t hear about them because they don’t have enough money to get their word out.

 

So, you’re saying that one of these other people could actually be the person that God is supporting but because he’s as poor as most Americans we don’t get to hear about him.

Yes.  It takes money to hire a political staff and print up all these signs, make TV commercials and travel around the country to debate these guys who have boatloads of money.

Ah, so there it is.  You are saying that people vote for the guy with the most money. 

Well. Yes, sort of.  You don’t see Joe Schmoe or Rosie the riveter running for president because they can’t afford to.  It doesn't mean that they don’t have good ideas.  It just means that they don’t have the big bucks it takes to get their voice heard.

So then, let me ask you this.  If there are so many others running for president, and there is one guy that makes more sense that all the rest, and this candidate is as broke as I am he won’t get elected because he isn’t rich.

Or supported by someone who is rich, yes.

Well, what happens when the rich guy gets elected and you can’t tell the difference with him driving the bus?

We all get screwed.

 Oh! I see.  Is it easier to just pick one of the two that the news media tells us about?

That’s the way we do it.

And the country never gets fixed. 

Nope, but we’ll get someone else in there next time that will listen to us and put our priorities ahead of the rest of the world.

Really. Do you have any idea just who that might be.

Not right now, but they’ll tell us.

Right.  Is there anything else that you’d like to tell us?

Uh….nope.

Do dee o dee o dee oh!

Marglyn You Are My Hero.....and Other Thoughts

Hello everyone!  Hopefully you live in an area that was spared the disaster of Sandy.  If you happen to live within its reach, I hope that you and your loved ones are okay.  Please know that a whole nation is praying for you.  That means me too.  As many of you already know, I live in Denver, Colorado, so I am fortunate to be nowhere near the destruction.  I do have a son in Baltimore who I haven't heard from yet or been able to reach, but I know where he lives and I think that he was spared from any real damage.  Hopefully, we'll find out something today.

I want to thank Marglyn for reading my novel, Rescue of the Heart, and also for giving me such a very nice review on Amazon.  I was about to give up.  I thought that it may not be good at all because no one was letting me know their thoughts on it.  But now, thanks to Marglyn, I know that it is as good as I thought it was.  I sure worked on it long enough.  So, God bless you Marglyn.  Now if I could only get some more reviews like that.  I love knowing that somebody likes my work.  It makes me feel like a legitimate author.

This morning I was blessed with a sight that I am sure was not seen by many.  I was on the outskirts of Denver and driving westward, back toward home.  The sun was just coming up behind me.  The road I was on was a straight, two-lane highway that had no other traffic  at the time.  To my left were power lines running toward the mountains in the distance.  On my right was a train track and about a quarter mile down the road there was a train coming my way and it had it's headlight still on.  The overall lighting of the area was soft, leaving a peaceful feel to it.  It was pretty much quiet where I was because I could not yet hear the train.  Looking up in the sky and toward the mountains was a full moon on the right side of this view.  On the left side and just off center were four wispy clouds.  I don't know what type of clouds they were.  They were just wispy and appeared to be stacked like a set of plates atop one another. They were a soft pastel pink with a pastel streak of blue lining the bottom of each cloud.  The rest of the sky was clear and still carrying the last hint that night was giving way to the new day.  The terrain around me was open fields.  It was a beautiful sight that I wish the whole world could have experienced.

It reminded me of my younger days when photography was everything to me.  I lived for moments such as this.  I would often stay out all night just waiting on the perfect moment to photograph a scene, sometimes on the Arkansas river or sometimes atop of Pinnacle mountain just waiting on the perfect lighting so that I could capture the perfect picture.

Those days are behind me now.  When digital photography came on the scene, even though I fought against it, my love of being the great photographer slipped away.  Film is hard to find nowadays and is too pricey.  Everyone and everything has gone digital and automated.  I prefer to take all day to get one shot as long as it is just right.  With digital, you can fake so much of the picture.  On film, what you see is what you get.  Dimensions and depth of field is so much better produced on film.  To me, a digital picture is nothing more than a snapshot.  In my eyes it has the appearance of snapshots that have been glued to a poster board.  So, my desire to create the perfect photograph has gone away.  It was my art.

Back in the day, I would have stopped at just the right spot and unloaded my gear to capture that special moment.  I wish you could have seen it.

I don't know why, but yesterday I was thinking about whistling.  My daddy taught me to whistle way back when I was a young whippersnapper.  He always enjoyed the musicality of whistling and would often be whistling one tune or another.  He was pretty good too.  That is the way I learned, whistling tunes.  But as I grew older I found that a lot of folks thought it was annoying, so eventually I stopped doing it.  Whistling had become something you did to call your horse or your dog or just to get someones attention.  This type of whistling I could never do.  I wanted to but I never could do it.  I still wish I could but somehow that talent has never landed here.  Nowadays, if I try to whistle, no matter which way I try it just sounds pathetic.

The Love of Money has Created Another Kind of Slavery

TGIF Y'ALL!!!  I'm sure that most of you are gladder (happier?) than me that the weekend is finally here.  Yes, that's right.  I officially count Friday as the first day of the weekend.  Monday of course is the last day of the weekend.  Why do I do that? (I overheard you asking the hairy man next to you).  Well, simple, it's all about life.

I believe that life should be all about living and living it to the fullest.  I believe that work (in its present day form) is really a form of slavery   You are expected to devote 5 days of your life to making someone else richer than he/she already is.  I know the rich don't think they are rich, but that because either they've been rich so long that they've forgotten what it is like to be without, or, they've just never been without.

But in today's society, either you work to increase someone else's wealth or you become homeless because all the caves in the wilderness are either owned by the rich or are part of a national park that you would have to pay money too to be able to sleep there.  If you had money in the first place, would you really be giving the park ranger money to allow you to sleep on God's dirt?

Did you notice that?  It is the rich and the government that owns everything and has put a price tag on it.  How did they come to own it?  Well, it would appear that the rich bought it from the government who had previously stole it from God.  Isn't that right?  If you can't sleep in this spot but you can sleep in that spot for a few bucks and the one you pay the few bucks too is human, then in essence hasn't he stolen from the true owner which is God?

Is it wrong then, for a person to work for a living?  No.  But I believe it is wrong for an employer to affix a price to a portion of a persons life.  

Example;  (Employer) I will hire you to work for me.  Here is a list of things I expect from you.  You will be paid $XX per hour that I will own your time.  You are required to work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week of your life, during which time I will own you and everything you do.  Even the time you spend in the bathroom is mine and I can limit even that.  I will allow you so much time to eat lunch, but you won't be paid for it, even if you have to work during said lunch.  It is your lunch time, but even that time belongs to me because at the end of said lunch time, I demand that you be back to work and going full speed. At the end of the workday, you may return to your home and families but you are not to leave until the clock strikes a certain time, whether or not you have finished your work for the day.  You will do this for 5 days in a row or 7 days,or on whatever days of the week that I decide to have you here.  In essence, all your days are mine and I will allow you to have certain days to yourself as I see fit.  As long as you work here you are allowed to live like you please as long as you can afford it.  I own you.
(employee) Yes sir.  (might as well have said, Yes master.)

"You load sixteen tons and what do you get?  
Another day older and deeper in debt!
St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store."
                               Tennessee Ernie Ford

It is difficult to look at it this way, isn't it?  But when you whittle away all the stuff and look at the sticks and bones, that's what it is.

It reminds me of a movie that I saw at a drive-in when I was in high school.  It was a comedy but I can't remember the title or who was in it.  It took place during the caveman days.  All the cave people looked pretty much as you would imagine, wearing animal skins and sporting long, scraggly hair.  The women did all the cooking and cleaning the caves, while the men hunted for food.  When the men made a kill, they brought it back to the tribe.  The women would cut it up and cook it over a fire.  Everyone would partake of the food and everyone was happy.

There was one man, though, that didn't hunt or do any of the work.  He just enjoyed having everything given to him.  Then one day the other men were talking about this man and how he never does anything.  So they decided to approach him and find out what gives.

He told them that he doesn't have to work because he has these, and he opened his pouch to show them his collection of shiny rocks.  The men looked at the rocks and were in awe of how pretty they were and then asked the man how he got them.  He told them that he owns them and they are all over the place.  The men looked out over the terrain and saw rocks scattered everywhere.   The man told them that he owned them all.  Dejected, the men looked down at the ground as if they had been defeated in battle.  Then one of them spoke up and asked if he could have one but was told no.  However, he could work for the man and he would pay him one stone for everyday that he worked for him.  They all wanted to do that because that is the only way they could have rocks of their own.  The man offered many jobs to the men.  Some would hunt just for him, some would bring him animal skins for clothing, some would cook and some would clean for him.

And the men all agreed and did just that, much to the dismay of other tribe members who hadn't been there to take advantage of this once in a lifetime offer.  They were going hungry because all the food was going to the man with the shiny rocks.

The neglected tribesmen wanted a job too, so they made an arrangement with the owner of the rocks.  If he would give them shiny rocks like the others were getting, then they would work to clear the ground of all rocks by gathering them up and presenting them to the owner of the shiny rocks.

The moral was; That's how our dependence on money began.  It was stupid then, and the stupidity has only extrapolated itself since.

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5  KJV

Catching Up and Giving It Away!

Hello to all my fans!!  I have missed you!  I trust all is well in your very own secluded island.  I'm sure that most of the country and perhaps all is happy to see summer pass.  We, in Denver, CO sure are.  The temperature here now is a crisp 49°.  This will be the coldest day of the week, though.  The remainder will be in the 60's and 70's.  My wife likes to call this an Indian summer because the weather is just right.  Snow will be falling in Denver in a few weeks and I'll be shoveling it off my sidewalk like everyone else.  I love the snow, but I can do without the shoveling.

School is back in full swing and that means my wife, Tina, is back to work for the last year she will have to do this.  That's right!  She gets to retire at the end of the year and I am so happy for her.  She has worked hard for this and is what I would call the best teacher a kid could have.  I am proud of her.  We were in our 40's when we met and now we will get to do what we've always said we wanted to do; grow old together.  We can hardly wait.

I've been working hard trying to promote my novel, "Rescue of the Heart".  Beginning next Tuesday, October 16 - 18, it will be available for FREE as an Ebook on Amazon.com. This link will take you to the site.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008F050GG

I am still working on my next book which is going to be a spy novel.  If you have any suggestions for the title, I am open to receive them.

Finally, we lost one of our own a few weeks ago.  Ricke Coffey is my wife's sister and she died of a heart attack.  It has been very hard for my wife.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.  May God bless you all.

I Lost Sleep for This??

Hello everyone!  It's Monday, September 17,2012 and it's a beautiful day here in Denver, Colorado.  I hope you are all enjoying nice weather wherever you are.

I had high hopes for this day when I went to bed last night.  So much so, that I sat my alarm clock to wake me early this morning, which is something I never, EEVVVEEEEEEERRR do.  Why should I?  I'm retired and I do have this medical condition that just wears me out easily.  (For those of you who don't know me, I do have multiple sclerosis.)  So I tend to sleep later than most people.

Back to subject.  I was excited that today would be the day.  My scheduled conversion from Xfinity to Direct TV was for this morning.  Did you catch that? I said it was scheduled.  What happened you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

The installer came out and together we looked over our options for placement of the dish and I found out that we have no place to mount it.  He explained it to me and I do agree with him.  There is no place here to safely mount the dish.

I'm sorry, did you just ask, So what will I do next?  Well, that answer is nothing.  It appears that the only option I have here is Xfinity or nothing.  Bummer.  If it were possible to do the Direct TV I could have been able so save $100 per month and gotten more channels.

So, it appears that I am stuck with Xfinity whether I want it or not.  YAY FREEDOM!!  I guess I'll keep paying those exorbitant fees.

Fighting Depression and Going to the Movies

The last several weeks have been difficult for this writer with MS.  It's normal to run into obstacles while trying to write, but sometimes those obstacles create other more serious obstacles that you may not realize are even there for a while.  In  my case, I didn't realize what was happening until I finally did something about the first obstacle.

I mentioned the little 3 day vacation that my wife and I took last month to Glenwood Springs and Aspen, Colorado.  That last posting was written on my laptop.  It was the last thing accomplished on said laptop.  My battery ran out of juice and because the charger had died, I couldn't even charge it.  The laptop became a symbol of failure.  Every time I looked at it, I wanted to write but knew that  I could not.  I began to get depressed without realizing that I was.  I get some off my inspiration while sitting on my porch and watching people and vehicles pass by.  A thought will spring up in my head and I will want to write about it.  My first thought is to get my laptop and sit here and write my inspiration.  Then, I'd remember,  I can't.  Depression was setting in.

I do have a desktop PC (no, I prefer a PC over Mac) and I would come inside to use it.   But the depression would come inside with me and all I could think about was how my laptop needed a charger.  I spent a lot of time over the next two weeks looking at AC adapters both online and at any store.  What I found online was several sites that offered replacements from $5 to $15.  However shipping charges were $25 to $30.  I could buy one locally for that much, but I couldn;t bring myself to pay that much.  There just had to be a better deal.

I didn't realize it but I was getting caught in this cycle of depression.  It must have snuck in during one of the days that I was having trouble with MS. Then a week ago I had an epiphany. Just order it online and get it over with.  I looked on a site I had not yet gone to and found one for under $20 with free shipping.  I bought it and waited.  It arrived on the third day and I was happy.

Suddenly, I felt my spirites lift and I started remembering things I had wanted to tell y'all.  Yes I typed y'all.  I'm from the south and proud of it.

So, today I felt like writing you guys.  I am partly stoked because of the movies I have seen recently.  I've seen some good movies and I am going to give my thumbs up to these; Hope springs, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and the most recent one, The Words.

All were very good movies and each may deserve an Oscar nomination for one reason or another.  The one that influenced me the most, though, was  The Words.  It is about a man struggling to become a successful writer.  He meets with all the rejection and disappointment we all deal with and even though he chooses to do the wrong thing, somehow I felt the pain he was dealing with.

So, if you are looking for a good movie to go to, I suggest to you any one of these.  The stories are great and all actors performed admirably.  If you are a writer, like myself, I urge you to go see The Words.

My Vaction.....My Book is on Sale!

Hello everybody!  It is a beautiful day in Denver today.  I hope that wherever you are it is just as nice.  

So, let's do some catching up, shall we?  Since my last posting it has been pretty hectic around here.  I've managed to do more writing on my next novel (which at this time is still without a name).  It's a spy novel and I think you'll like it.  I hope to have it available this fall.

My wife is a teacher and today is the first official day of school for teachers in Denver.  Kids don't have to be there until next Monday, I think, but teachers have meetings to attend and classes that they have to take so that they can be up to speed on whatever it is that the district is doing this year.  In my opinion, teachers have to attend way too many meetings.  Last year they had a meeting that they had to attend at least once a week, sometimes two or three.  Is this really necessary?  

I'm fortunate to be retired now and I don't have to put up with anybody's nonsense any more.  When I was trapped by corporate America, though, I remember the countless meetings that I had to attend as well.  Very few were helpful or even necessary.  For the most part, they were a waste of time.  It actually made it more difficult for me to do my job. I think these things are more of an ego trip for many bosses.  I'm sure that it is no different in the teacher world.  I feel sorrow for my wife and all teachers who must endure this.

So, we took a little vacation this month.  It wasn't far, but it was out of Denver.  We drove through the mountains to Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  We arrived in time to check in to the hotel and go eat dinner at Juicy Lucy's Steak House where the food was phenomenal.  We returned to the Hampton Inn and fell in love with the bed.  We slept well though the night and until 2:30 pm the next day.  We must have been tired. We got up and drove to Aspen to see if there was anyone famous walking around but we did not see anyone.  Luckily, the news of my fame had not reached Aspen yet and we weren't bothered with paparazzi and the signing of autographs.

While we were there, I fell in love with Aspen. It is such a nice place that I can't even describe it.  I had decided that this was where we would retire too in a few years.  Then I pulled into a gas station to fill up.  Gas prices are through the roof!  At least $1.30 more than anywhere in the real world.  Maybe that  is how they keep low life like me from living there.  If this was an indication of the cost of living in Aspen, then you would HAVE to be a millionaire to afford it.  Aspen.  It's a great place to visit but I can't afford to live there.

I wish to thank everyone who took advantage of the free eBook giveaway last week. There have been 2 such giveaways this summer and approximately 1850 took advantage and downloaded the book an Amazon.  It makes me feel great knowing that I have so many people interested in my book, Rescue of the Heart.

In order to acquire more readers, I am announcing that the eBook is now on sale for 99¢!  So if you missed the giveaway, you can still get it for less than the price of a soda.  The sale will run though September 5, 2012.  Please don't miss this opportunity.    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008F050GG

That's all I've got.  Please stay safe and I hope you have a great day.

What Will Rover Fetch For Us?

Yesterday, I was really interested in the Mars Rover that just landed on (where else?) Mars on Sunday evening.  I was telling my wife that I hope it runs across a sign on the planet that said, "GO HOME EARTHLINGS!! LEAVE US ALONE!!!  Of course, if it did, I'm certain that the Martian people would have written it in English so that we Americans could read it.

A thought just came into my head!  Shocking, right?  Scared me too.  But read me out here.  If life on other planets is more intelligent than we, why wouldn't they leave any message for us in English?  It is not so hard to imagine, and this will go against the grain in Hollywood, that Martian people are nice and smart.  Nice Martians don't sell books and movies here though, but what if they really are nice?  They would have to be pretty smart to have figured out a way to live there and go unseen by the prying eyes of humans from Earth.

So, Yeah, I can see the Rover coming across a nice sign that is written in English requesting us to leave them alone.  Sometimes I would like to have such a sign on my front door.  I like my privacy and I can imagine that Martians do as well.

Now, think on this.  IF the rover were to find such a sign, would we humans be able to accept it for what it says or would we have to decipher some cryptic meaning to it and have everyone try to determine what it really says?  Of course, OUR scientists would need it to be the meaning of life, but not written in English at all. Instead they would invent some universal language that we don't yet understand.

Some egghead would come out of the woodwork and convince us all that he and he alone has figured it out. We would be led to believe that even though it resembles and looks like it was written in our English, it's really not.  Instead the language would be dubbed to be Anhydrous Vermillion Clef, or something like it.  That's great, they would all say and then begin patting each others back and handing out Nobel prizes.

These people are so brilliant!  Why, they've even discovered the entire alphabet (from just this one sign) and even know how to speak it fluently.  We believe them, do we not?  After all, they are more brilliant than the rest of us combined.

So, all TV programming is interrupted so that the mightiest brain on Earth can enlighten us as to what the sign truly says.  Sir Oliver Hammelbleeb, A.B.,C.D.,E.F.,G.H., AD NAUSEUM, approaches the podium.  Using his graphs and charts, along with references that compare the writing to man's early and primitive way to communicate, He informs us that the sign really says "Bee's water underneath the great provocature of universal truth."  We are to take that to mean that we are welcome to anything on the planet, even the Martian women.  So, the rover mission is now changed to gathering up the Martian women and bringing them to Earth.

Sounds a little out there, doesn't it?  Makes you wonder though, what would happen if we actually did find a people living on Mars, or under the surface, that really did offer up a way to communicate with us.


Disclaimer:  Lest anyone reads this and thinks it is something more than the weird ramblings that come from my imagination, let me assure you poor, sad little people that is is not real.  I made all this up.

Getting the Funk Outa My Brain

I had planned on today being a day of productive writing, but I am having one of my dizzy dazey MS days it would appear.  One of the things I had planned to do today is write this blog.  However, my brain doesn't want me to think today.  Still, I am writing.  I am hoping this effort will bring me out of this funk and I will be able to make some serious contributions to my upcoming novel.  I don't have a title for it just yet or I would tell you.


This is my biggest malefactor in my being able to write; fighting through the MS.  Some days I might as well be a jellyfish.  I am not sure what that means but I was hoping that my brain would find a better way of saying that I am having a bad day creatively.  I guess, after writing that analogy, this is one of those days.  Still I push myself to write.   


Hey! Have you heard about the noun, the verb and the adjective that walked into a bar? I haven't either, and can't concentrate enough on it to make it a real joke.  If any of you would like to take that much and run with it, though, be my guest.  Share it with the rest of us.  We could always use a good laff.


So, school will be starting up before we know it.  I know it because I am married to the world's greatest teacher.  This is her final year to teach.  Then she retires and will have to learn to live a life without so much stress.  I am proud of her and very happy for her as well.  So, in honor of that, I want to share this poem with y'all. 


I found it on laughalotpoetry.com.  It appears to have been written by Darren Sardelli.  I hope you like it, too.


My Dog Ate My Essay


My doggy ate my essay,
he picked up all my mail.
He cleaned my dirty closet
and dusted with his tail.
He straightened out my posters
and swept my wooden floor.
My parents almost fainted when
he fixed my bedroom door.
I did not try to stop him.
He made my windows shine.
My room looked like a palace.
My jackets smelled like pine.
He fluffed up every pillow.
He folded all my clothes.
He even cleaned my fish tank with
a toothbrush and a hose.
I thought it was amazing
to see him use a broom.
I’m glad he ate my essay
on “How to Clean My Room”.


Copyright © 2005 Darren Sardelli
All Rights Reserved

Our Prayers Go Out to the Victims and Their Families

To those of you who might be concerned,  My wife and I are alright.  Thank God that we are getting old.  We are both only in our 50's but we are old enough to know to go to bed at night rather than go to a midnight showing of any movie.  


It is an awful, terrible and tragic event that took place in a theater that is across town from us.  My heart and prayers go out to those who were affected by this stupid act of cowardice.  In a case such as this, it is too bad that Colorado does not have a death penalty.  Life without parole will be like a reward for this....... I can think of no words that are low enough to adequately describe this asshole.  He is not a man.


I'm saddened by this and all such tragedies that happen in this country and around the world.  How do such people slip through the cracks and go unnoticed until something like this happens?  It is indeed a sad, sunken world that we live in.  Lord Jesus, please come.


As I said, we so far only know one person that was there , but thank God she is alright.  My wife and I are thankful that she is okay.  


We have viewed several movies in that theater and I like it.  But several years ago a new theater was built in Denver that we now go to almost religiously.  Still, we are too old to be going to midnight showings of any movie.  


I want to thank all of you who took advantage of the free ebook offering on Amazon.com this past Tuesday and Wednesday.  I found it very exciting keeping up with the number of you who downloaded it.  Don't worry, I don't know who got it by name or address.  I only know the number of downloads.


I am proud to say that over the 2 days,  I reached as high as number 20 on Kindle free ebooks.  The number of you who took advantage of this is 558!  WOO HOO!!  Thank you so much.  I hope you all read it and I hope you like it.  If you do, I would appreciate a nice review posted on the books landing page at Amazon.com @ http://www.amazon.com/Rescue-of-the-Heart-ebook/dp/B008F050GG


Thank you so much for making this giveaway a huge success!  Currently, I am working on my next novel which will be in the genre of espionage.  Keep checking back and I will keep you informed as to its progress.


Again, please pray for all who were affected by this most heinous crime in Denver last night.


Thank you also, for giving me your support.

Clouds: Rolls | Break.com and FREE EBOOK announcement!

I saw this on Break.com and thought it to be so cool!  It isn't a video.  It is 14 pictures that you will need to click through to see them all.

Clouds: Rolls | Break.com

In another life, I was a photographer and I was always fascinated by cloud shapes.  Let me say that these are awesome pics but I took none of them.  Other people deserve the credit for these.  I just thought you, my fans, would enjoy them too.  Enjoy!


There is also another purpose for this posting today.  In honor of the release of my new novel, Rescue of the Heart, I am announcing to you all that I am giving it away as a Kindle ebook next week.  Yes I said that I'm giving it away!

Next Tuesday and Wedneday, July 17 & 18, 2012 I am giving away copies of my book as a Kindle ebook for these two days only!!

Mark your calendars and set reminders so that you won't miss out on this offer.  Also, if after reading the book and you like what you read, I would appreciate a nice comment or even a review on my Amazon.com page at

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008F050GG

This is also the link to where you will be able to get one of these FREE EBOOKS.

Thoughts on the Wildifres and Rescue of the Heart Update

By now I am certain, that pretty much all of you are aware of the wildfires in Colorado and several other western states.  This is an awful tragedy due to the lives lost and homes that are lost as well.  I know that in Colorado it has been devastating to many.  If you are in a position to help, you can contact the American Red Cross and donate whatever you can.  I am asking on behalf of everyone that is affected by these tragedies.


My wife and I live very close to downtown Denver, so we are not close to the areas that are burning out of control.  In fact, to look outside, you would not know anything is going on except for the very hot temperatures and hardly any rain.  


In the last few days, though, the costs of the fires have started to be felt in our home.  You may hear of it as the Waldo Canyon fire or the fires near Colorado Springs.  Manitou Springs is a popular small town attraction in the foothills near Pikes Peak.  The fire has hit there and at Chipita Park which is where my wife grew up.  It was a favorite spot for us to visit, but now has been taken away by the flames. 


It will be years before this and many other areas will be able to reclaim themselves.


So, I've been thinking and an idea came to me.  Since these things create so much chaos and destruction, and every year we see fires like this everywhere; why is there not a national defense agency that is equipped to handle these situations?  It almost seems that when it comes to wildfires we are still living in the Old West.  


Yes, and thank God that we have many men and women firefighters on the ground doing their best to battle the blaze and save lives.  They truly are hero's.  We can watch news footage on the TV that shows us an occasional airplane that dumps fire retardant chemicals and maybe a little water that has been scooped up from some nearby lake.  But that is never enough and you can see that in the footage.  Fighting these fires today is akin to fighting a house fire in the old days, where the townsfolk formed a line from the creek to the fire and passed buckets of water along.  Sure, back in the day that was all that they could do.  But it isn't all that we could do.  We could do so much better.


I proposed that the Unite States of America lead the world in this, by setting up a new division of the armed forces and properly funding it.  We could call it the Fire Brigade or Anti-Devastation Force.  Something like that.  Instead of spending so much money building new fighter aircraft and rocket ships, use some of that funding to develop and build a new type of aircraft.


Here's what I see.  I see a large airplane that is built just for this.  This plane would be capable of sucking up a large amount of water from the oceans, gulf waters and Great Lakes that surround our nation on all sides.  In fact, we could have an entire fleet of aircraft with this capability that could transport all this water en masse in waves of these "water bombers" that could stop these fires in their tracks and before all the lives are  lost and damage to homes and the forest could get out of hand.  Just think of all the lives and money that could be saved and all of our land preserved.


Let's face it.  These wildfires are at war and should be treated as such.  The ocean is an endless supply of fire retardant.  When God created man he told him to care for the earth and subdue it.  Why aren't we utilizing this great resource?  


So all you engineers and aircraft designers, how about exploring this?  We have the technology and the ability to do just that.  It's high time we do it.


President O'Bama, sit down and think on this.  It is the right thing to do and we should do it.  I'm certain the funds are there even if we have to make a priority list and juggle some money.  It's there.


Imagine how helpful something like this would have been during the great Chicago fire or more recently, September 11.  These disasters should be treated as though it was a war.


Just imagine this; a Forrest Ranger spots a fire from a distance.  He reports it to his command who then alerts this new division of the armed forces.  "Water bombers" that are already loaded are scrambled to the site to drop their payloads.  Another group of these bombers is deployed to the nearest ocean/gulf/great lake to take on another load and then is sent straight to the needed area if indeed they are needed still; otherwise they return to base and are already equipped to handle the next scenario.


Just give me one intelligent reason as to why this can't be done,  Congress people.  Let's do the right thing.


Before anyone starts to tell me that we would eventually deplete the oceans, remember the water table. It all returns to the ocean anyway.


Anyone want to jump on this?




Don't forget about the release of my new book, Rescue of the Heart.  If you can't wait, it is available now in print or as an ebook for Kindle on Amazon.com @ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Rescue+of+the+Heart+by+Joel+Wilson

Rescue of the Heart

Well, stick a fork in me,  I'm done!  Whew!  That was tough, but I finally made it.


First I want to thank you all for not buying my book On Barnacle Way.  I don't blame you for not wanting it.
I must have been on one of my MS episodes when I approved that for publication.  So, thank you for not taking a chance on it.  Believe it or not I really do appreciate it.


What happened was that one day earlier this spring I decided to look into why it wasn't selling. After all, It was a great story.  But as I was reading the "finished" product, I began to notice one or two things that were terribly wrong with it.  It was awful!  It was downright embarrassing.  I knew that I had messed up big time and was ashamed to have that out there with my name attached to it.


So, the reason I haven't been around the blog for a few months is I was re-writing the book.  I have gone over the manuscript with a fine fine tooth comb and taken out all that was bad.  I've added things to make the story even better and corrected all the grammatical and formatting errors.  I even created a new cover that is much nicer and more appealing than the other one.  The old story is gone and no longer available.  Thank God.


There is just one final step to complete before it is ready for publishing.  It still has to pass the publishers final review and that should happen in a matter of days.  As soon as they give me the go-ahead, it will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and anyone else I can convince to carry it.  It won't be available just yet on bookstore shelves just yet because I am still considered to be an unknown.  But that will change and then I hope to be right up there on the shelves besides your favorite authors.


So, to whet your appetite, I've decided to give you a little sneak peak.  This is a story of how true love never dies, no matter what gets in the way.  If you'll notice, I've added a new page to the blog called Samples.  If you click on it you will be taken to a page with a sample of the story that you can read here.  It will be the same on both blog sites.


So, it's time to announce the new book title.  Rescue of the Heart by Joel Wilson.  This is so much better written and I am proud to put my name on it.  I know you will love it.


I would also like to use this space to announce my new web site:


Joel Wilson - Author  located @ http://authorscribe.com/joelwilson/


Don't forget about the mirror site for the blog is:


http://joelwilson.wordpress.com




Please be sure to check either of these to find out the latest news and updates.  Thanks for being who you are!  :-)

This Really Chaps My Hide....

Well, I was going to sit down and write this new blog post.  I had an idea in mind to follow a certain subject and then when I got here I found that Blogger has changed the design of their site.  I believe I can find my way through this but this really messes me up.

I'm not the type that can just always adapt.  Sometimes it takes me a while to get the hang of things and that slows an already slow me down even more.  Why did they have to do this?  Can't they just leave well enough alone?  Why must some people "fix" what isn't broken in the first place?  Just when you think you've got a handle on something and are doing well, someone somewhere has to change it.  Stop it!  Stop it!

Well, believe it or not, this actually plays into my hands today.  The subject for today's post is "pet peeves" and this certainly qualifies as one of mine.  Granted it's not my only one; I believe that everyone has several.   I have another one that I can share with you, but first you have to be able to imagine where I live.  I live on an older residential street.  All the houses here are old and most of them have been through some remodeling over time to keep the house in good order.  Most people that live here park their vehicles on the street in front of their house.  I am no different.  

In the same block and half-way down on the other side of the street is a small wine store.  It's a pretty nice place where you run into your neighbors and strike up conversations with the locals or even the stores owner.  Friendly atmosphere.  Good clientele.

Now here is what bothers me.  On their way home from work, people will stop in to get some wine or beer from this establishment.  I think that's great and I am happy to see the owner so well received by the neighborhood.  I am usually sitting outside on my front porch during this time and I see it all.  People that stop for the wine and beer, always park in front of my house and then walk the half-block to the store.  There is space in front of the store itself but no one will park there.  Why?  Are they afraid that if they park in front of the store that someone will see them?  What difference does it make?  We all know why they are here anyway.  Do they really think that as long as they don't park in front of the store that it somehow makes them a better person?  What's up with that?

Believe me, I don't mind their going in the store.  I patronize the place too.  Like I said, I'm glad the owner is doing well.  But why don't these people just park in front of the store?  To me, it reeks of stupidity.  

So there you go.  I've showed you mine. Now, how about you show me yours.  Go ahead!  Get it off your chest.  Write about it in your comments.  What are your pet peeves?  I look forward to reading yours and if they are good peeves I may post some of your responses in a later blog.  Thanks for playing and have a great day!  :)

The Daily Joke - 17th April

The Daily Joke - Teacher Teacher

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his boots?


He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on.


When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat.


She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet."


She looked and sure enough, they were.


It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on.


She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet.


He then announced, "These aren't my boots."


She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to.


Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.


He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."


She didn't know if she should laugh or cry.


She mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.


She said, "Now, where are your mittens?"


He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."


Her trial starts next month.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I apologize for the delay.  I know I haven't updated the blog and story in at least a week. I'm having some difficulty due to the MS.  Keeping my mind focused on something is a problem for me now.  Also, the numbness I am feeling (or not feeling) in my right hand seems to be spreadingto include 3 fingers. Sometimes it is painful.


But I must entertain!  So, I'll include some stuff that will help you smile.  Thanks for sticking with me.  Enjoy!
The Most Inefficient Way To Paint A Room - Watch More Funny Videos

Well, I got the pics added to the post and my mind shut down in me.  Sorry, but it's been another week, so I have included an update on the story.  Let me know what you think!  :)




The Diet Cola Killer        (working title)


by joel wilson




Chapter 7








"Bulls-eye!"  Leroy said softly, in a gravely voice to himself as he looked out across the shooting range at the target he had just hit directly between the eyes.  He stared at it with a determination in his eyes that said he was hungry for another kill.  He had exacted his version of revenge on 6 people  in the past 6 months and had developed a sense of immortality about himself.  He was hungry to rid the world of the scum like the people he had already killed. 


His level of psychosis had overtaken him and he had become out of control.  He now was more interested in the killing itself rather than having to have a reason for it.  He believed that when he killed someone he inherited their soul which made him to become a god.  The god who decides who lives and who dies.


This day, Leroy was at the shooting range working to perfect his aim.  He had already imagined that he was a god and that it was beneath his excellency to put his own life at risk to accomplish the cleansing of the world.  He had become an expert marksman and would do his acts of self-ascribed righteousness from afar.  He would strike his vengeance as though they were struck down by a bolt of lightning.  In fact, he believed that every time he pulled the trigger he was sending a bolt of lightning to strike down those that deserved to die.


"I-40." he thought.  He knew it had become a main artery for the trafficking of drugs across the U.S.   "There are so many drugs up and down that freeway that almost everyone is guilty."  He loaded his gear into the 1984 Chevy van that he'd stolen from another county and drove overnight to Ballantine, TN about 40 miles east of Nashville.  He stayed in his van at a rest stop there and in the morning he woke to eat breakfast and plan his day.He drove into the small town and had breakfast at the McDonald's there.  He studied a road map of the area as he ate. 


Leroy was laying in the tall grass at the top of a hill that overlooked I-40.  He was perfectly camouflaged by the grass and trees that covered him from above.  Leroy had noticed on the map an old country road that ran parallel to the freeway for a few miles and had chosen to find his vantage point there.  He lay in the grass pointing his rifle at cars and pretending to shoot the drivers.  He found this amusing.  But enough of this!  He was growing hungry for the real thing and wanted to pick someone to sacrifice.


"Too many 18 wheeler's on this road" he said to himself.  "Next one to come around that bend" he decided and there it was.  A black rig that was pulling a dirty silver trailer would be his victim.  He nestled down in the grass and aimed directly at the driver.  Leroy pulled the trigger and sent his lightning bolt directly through the windshield and struck the driver right in the heart.
The truck swerved out of control and hit a concrete support for a sign head on.  The driver was thrown through the windshield as the trailer rose up in the air, jackknifed and fell across the 3 lanes of traffic crushing 2 cars.  Leroy pumped his fist in approval, sat there looking over his work and then got into the van and left down the country road to drive to some other place to exact his judgement an someone else.