Wednesday's Guest

As you might have guessed from the title of this blog piece, I will be devoting Wednesday's to guest blogs. If you would like to be my guest, send me a message at maryann@maryannwrites.com with a proposed topic. I prefer shorter blogs - around 500 to 700 words - and that they not be just a book promo. They don't have to be writing related, either. On some Wednesdays, I will continue to offer essays from my friend, Slim Randles, and hope you enjoy his offering today.

I just heard from Slim and two of his books are finalists in the New Mexico Book Awards competition.   According to his publisher, Rio Grande Books, both Sweetgrass Mornings, an outdoor memoir, and A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right, advice for young people, were named. The winners will be named in November.  

A huge congratulations to Slim.

I am over at Venture Galleries with a new weekly blog, so I hope you will go over and check it out, along with the other wonderful blogs there.

I would also like to announce that another of my publishers is having a terrific contest. Win a Kindle for Christmas contest started at Books We Love this week. They are giving away two ebooks a week, a Spa Basket, a Sweets Basket, ebook sets, and a Kindle before Christmas. 
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If they ever give a Nobel Prize for reading about science, our guy Bert Underwood would be a shoo-in. His own career had been strictly non-scientific, but his retirement absolutely reeked of cutting-edge discoveries, which he read about and tried to pronounce.

It was like that the other night when the Mule Barn closed. We had taken our wives down to split either a chicken-fried steak the size of a saddle blanket, or a fish and chips large enough to feed a cavalry regiment.  We stepped out into the chill of the night and looked up at the many stars.

“Nice night for neutrinos,” Bert said. His wife, Maizie, groaned quietly and looked for something in her purse.

“Neutrinos, Bert?” Doc said.

“You know what neutrinos are, of course, Doc,” Bert said.

“I think that’s the chess team in Fairweather, Doc,” Steve threw in.

“You’re wrong, Steve,” said Mrs. Doc. “Those are the Machismos.”

“So the neutrinos … aren’t they dogs that have been fixed?”

Bert was ready to bust a gut. “Are you kidding? You don’t know what neutrinos are? You don’t study astronomy?”

“Well, no, actually…”

Bert smiled in the darkness. “A neutrino,” he pronounced, “is a sub-atomic particle. It doesn’t have an electrical charge, and it flies around at the speed of light going through things. The word neutrino means ‘small, neutral one’.”

“Just like Gilbert’s Chihuahua. He charges around going through things… and I’m pretty sure he’s been neutralled.”

“I don’t know why I even bother bringing up these scientific things,” Bert said, in despair.

“Me neither,” said Dud.

“You probably don’t know about charmed quarks, either, I’ll bet.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said Steve.

Doc made wing-flapping gestures. “Quark, quark … QUARK!”

Bert got in the car and drove off.

Sometimes drive-by knowledge can hurt innocent bystanders.

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Brought to you by Slim’s new book and great stocking stuffer “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Learn more at http://www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html

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Just a reminder about the contest my publisher for Play it Again, Sam is holding to celebrate its fifth year in operation. To join in the fun with a scavenger hunt and daily prizes, click on the birthday banner on the right panel of the blog or CLICK HERE  The major prizes are a Kindle and a KOBO e-reader, and every day an e-book will be given away free.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Smart Meters for keeping track of electricity usage aren't so smart after all. In one area of Dallas, a resident's electric bill jumped from around $85 a month for a small apartment to $670. It took two months and numerous inspections by the electric company to finally discover that a heat strip was malfunctioning, and that caused the heat and the air conditioning to run at the same time.

Too bad it took so long and several extra high bills before anyone would go beyond a perfunctory inspection, telling the apartment dweller, "Sorry, it's not our problem."

A firefighter in Irving, Texas held the record as being the longest-serving firefighter in the nation. When Captain Billy Holder, 77, retired after 56 years as a firefighter, he held that distinguished record. 

Kudos to Captain Holder.

One smart move. The Dallas County commissioners approved the budget for Parkland Hospital, and there were no bonuses included for the top 12 executives whose areas were found deficient in a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Reebok was recently fined by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising. Seems like those shoes they advertised as "toning" shoes, really don't do what the hype says.

Hmmm... and I was just thinking about buying some. Maybe I'll have to do some regular exercises instead. (written with tongue firmly in cheek.)

Finishing up with two items of note. First, My publisher for Play it Again, Sam is celebrating its fifth year in operation. To join in the fun with a scavenger hunt and daily prizes, click on the birthday banner on the right panel of the blog or CLICK HERE  The major prizes are a Kindle and a KOBO e-reader, and every day an e-book will be given away free.

I am a regular contributor to the Blood Red Pencil blog, and the site has been nominated for an award by Grammar.net. Voting is going on now, and if you have time and are so inclined, we would love for you to vote for us. To vote, CLICK HERE then scroll down to Blood Red Pencil. Thanks for your support.

If you have any interesting tidbits of news to share, please do.