Friday's Odds and Ends

Getting a late start in my office this morning. The burn bans that have been in effect all summer and into fall here in East Texas have been lifted, and I had piles of dead brush and other things that needed to be burned, so I played with fire this morning. Felt good to get at least one big brush pile burned. Didn't roast marshmallows or hot dogs, though. Too early for that. Maybe next time I'll burn closer to evening and have supper, while I'm out there enjoying the beautiful fall weather.

According to a column I read about three weeks ago by Joe Nocera of the New York Times, Jon Corzine, CEO of MF Global Holdings, is primarily responsible for "running the firm into the ground." Yet Corzine stood to get  up to $12 million in severance if he managed to sell the firm before it went bankrupt. The sale never happened, and MF did go under on October 31, laying off nearly half its staff, including more than 1,000 employees of the company's broker-dealer unit.

For a while it looked like Corzine and J. Randy MacDonald, head of global retail for MF Global Holdings, might still get nice severance packages, but the latest report from Nick Brown and Jonathan Stempel states that the two have left the company without severance in hand. That is one bright spot in this mess that seems to be repeated endlessly in big business. 

In another bright spot, yesterday, the trustee overseeing the liquidation of assests for MF Global won court permission to distribute $520 million of cash to customers.  Customers won, top executives lost. Finally someone is getting it right. 

I'm all for safety, and I know we have had this discussion about airport screening before, but the process of protecting us from possible terrorist threats can get absurd at times. In a recent trip from New Orleans to Dallas, Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd set off alarms at the screening. She was wearing a skirt that had a series of snaps down the front and around the waistband that trigered the alarm. "The screener said, "I can't clear this. You'll need a full body search."

When Floyd tried to show the snaps, which could hardly be large enough to contain explosives, the lady  simply repeated her statement. That's when Floyd admittedly "lost it." Rather than go through the indignity of a body search, and in a moment of pique, she decided to drop her skirt and send it through the conveyor belt to be X-rayed. She figured standing there in her tights and long shirt was less humiliating than having a full body pat down that includes someone touching her breasts to check around her bra.

That was a good plan until something went wrong with the conveyer belt, and Floyd ended up having to stand in the screening area without her skirt for much too long until the problem got solved and her skirt came through.

This is a good example of why I have not been on a plane in almost ten years, and may never get on one again. That, and the absurd fees for everything that used to be part of the ticket price..

Wednesday's Guest - Little Pickle Press

Please welcome Rana DiOrio and Dani Greer, who are on a tour letting people know about a wonderful new book.

What Does It Mean To Be Safe?  By Rana DiOrio - Illustrated by Sandra Salsbury 

What a lovely book with a terrific message delivered in a straight-forward manner with delightful illustrations. Kids will love the book just for the engaging characters portrayed in the pictures, and the messages of safety will connect with them through these illustrations. Even though I no longer have very young grandchildren, I may still get a copy or two of the book just to share with daughters and granddaughters who appreciate the art, and I would certainly recommend the book to others. It is our responsibility to keep children safe, and they are more apt to pay attention to the lessons that come via a book than another lecture from mommy or grandma.

I first became acquainted with Little Pickle Press when a colleague, Dani Greer, sent me a copy of Your Fantastic Elastic Brain for review. I immediately fell in love with the engaging illustrations by Sarah Ackerley  but was also intrigued by the whole concept of Little Pickle Press, which is producing quality, innovative books while keeping one eye on the environment. It is a very green company.

As part of the blog tour, Rana and Dani answered a few questions about the press and the books for me.

Q. I love the name of the company, Little Pickle Press. Who chose it and why?

Rana: I have always referred to my children as pickles. When it came time to name the company, incorporating the word "pickle" was a logical place to start. With a little brainstorming on the part of our early team, we came up with Little Pickle Press.

Q.Dani, how did you connect with Little Pickle Press and why? What were the main things that attracted you to the company?

Dani: I'd been teaching and promoting the use of blog book tours for several years, and Rana noticed a link about my class on Facebook. She asked me about organizing a blog book tour for her latest release. I always had a special interest in children's literature, and this company was a green publisher (recycled papers using soy inks and printed in N. America) so the idea of a virtual tour was exactly right for them.

Q. The Little Pickle Press mission: "Little Pickle Press is dedicated to helping parents and educators cultivate conscious, responsible little people by stimulating explorations of the meaningful topics of their generation through a variety of media, technologies, and techniques." Could you translate that for those of us who get lost in too many words? LOL

Rana: We help parents and teachers nurture conscientious children by catalyzing conversations about stuff that matters through our books and digital media. Better?

Dani: Little Pickle Press products help teach children the important lessons they need to learn to be better people, now and as adults. The books are printed and shipped in an environmentally-conscious way to set a good example, and all the books are available to read on modern gadgets like computers and cell phones and more. It's a must to make reading available in many ways, and LPP has always been on the leading edge of these changes and opportunities.

Q. Anything else you would like to say about the Press and the book?

Dani: Like all the Little Pickle Press titles, this book will soon have an iBook version, an interactive app, and free lesson plans that teachers and parents can download to further explore those conversations we mentioned. Each of the books also has original music created by a wonderful composer and singer, Jasmine Saldate.  And there's a poster we're giving away free with the sale of this book during the tour when you use this LINK and enter coupon code BBTSAFE to get free shipping on your order. You always get lots of extras with Little Pickle Press. I have to say, I wish all the companies I've worked with were so totally cool.

This book would make a nice holiday gift and don't forget to enter the code for free shipping and the SAFE poster made of TerraSkin, the tree-free paper. Just enter BBTSAFE at check-out.
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Author Bio:
Rana DiOrio is an investor, investment banker, lawyer, and the mother of three children. She is also the founder and CEO of Little Pickle Press. What Does It Mean To Be Safe? is the fourth in her What Does It Mean To Be… ? picture book series and all are printed in an environmentally-friendly manner using recycled paper, soy inks, and green packaging.


Places you can connect with Little Pickle Press:

Book Trailer: -- Blog: ---  Facebook: --- Twitter:

Monday Morning Musings

Watching Sixty Minutes last night, I was dismayed when viewing Steve Kroft's report on how members of Congress have used insider information to make huge profits on the stock market. For the report, Kroft interviewed Peter Schweizer, a fellow at the Hoover Institution, who wrote a book about soft corruption in Washington with a team of eight student researchers. In doing the research for "Throw Them All Out"  the team reviewed financial disclosure records and discovered that members of Congress were using information they gained in committees to buy and sell stock.

As an example Schweizer said, "If you are a member of Congress and you sit on the defense committee, you are free to trade defense stock as much as you want to if you're on the Senate banking committee you can trade bank stock as much as you want and that regularly goes on-- in-- in all these committees."

As we well know, anyone else who uses insider information for personal gain is subject to prosecution under SEC regulations, but the SEC apparently does not have the authority to investigate the reports of insider trading among members of Congress.

In the interview, Kroft asked Schweizer why the SEC can't look into it, and Schweizer answered, "It's really the way the rules have been defined. And the people who make the rules are the political class in Washington. And they've conveniently written them in such a way that they don't apply to themselves."
 
According to the report, the practice is perfectly legal, but it is time for the law to change. The problem is the change has to come from within Congress, since law begins there. Attempts to introduce legislation to stop this practice has hit brick walls.

Brian Baird, a former congressman from Washington state who served six terms in the house before retiring last year, spent a great deal of time trying to affect a change and establish rules governing insider trading among members of Congress. In 2004, Baird and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter introduced the Stock Act which would make it illegal for members of Congress to trade stocks on non-public information and require them to report their stock trades every 90 days instead of once a year.

The bill got very little support. Only six other members came on board to co-sponsor the bill, and when there was a congressional hearing on the Stock Act, almost no one showed up. And why is that not a huge surprise? The majority in Congress is more focused on what is good for them, or for the party, than what is good for the country at large.

I agree with Schweizer, throw them all out.

Book Review - Reunion by Carl Brookins

Reunion
Carl Brookins
ISBN: 978-1-59080-668-5
Echelon Press


This book straddles the fence between being a cozy and a hard-boiled tale. Jack Marston, former investigator for the U.S. Navy, is now director of student services at a small college in Minneapolis, so he doesn't consider himself a law-enforcement officer anymore, but he keeps getting pulled into investigations in this series that debuted with Bloody Halls.  In Reunion, Jack talks his girlfriend, Lori Jacobs, into attending her 20th class reunion in hopes of learning more about her, only to be thrust into another investigation when one of her former classmates is found murdered.

The lighter side of the story revolves around introducing the players and the reunion, which isn't a bad thing if your reading tastes lean more toward the cozy. In some places I also thought things happened a bit too easily in terms of finding out important information, but the interplay between characters was good enough to keep me connected to the story, and I did really enjoy the relationship between Jack Marston and Lori.

The tangle of underhanded business dealings from the past that connect to the current murders adds to the drama and suspense, and the reader is led down a few blind alleys until the final outcome.  I will say Brookins kept me guessing through most of the story and the tension did pick up toward the end. As Marston gets closer to solving a five-year-old murder, as well as finding out who is responsible for killing people at Lori's class reunion, the danger mounts for him and Lori.

In addition to writing and reviewing mysteries, Carl Brookins is an avid recreational sailor. With his wife and friends he has sailed in many locations across the world. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America.
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FTC Disclaimer: The author sent me a copy of this book, just like he probably sent one to the New York Times in hopes of a review. That is the way it is done in the business. I am free to ignore the request for a review, the same as the guy from the New York Times. No money is slipped under any table and none of us get seriously rich by doing reviews. Was I influenced by the fact that Carl Brookins writes reviews that he lets me share here? Probably, but only because I find his writing good enough to share.

Veteran's Day 2011

Instead of my usual Friday fare on the blog, I wanted to pause a moment to honor the men and women who have served in the military in defense of our country and our freedom. If you would like to see the ceremony being held at Arlington Cemetary in Washington D.C. today here is a LINK.

Late yesterday a friend of mine, Clint Brady, posted this on his Facebook status and it encompasses all of what I would like to say to those in the military and those who served at one time.  With his permission, I'd like to share it with you.

"A few hours early here in Texas. Let me say a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of our veterans and those in active duty military. I may not have always agreed with ,or completely understood, what you were fighting for. But each of you has done something that the large majority of Americans either can't or won't do...you put on a uniform to serve our country, and in many cases you risked your life to do that. I can never fully understand the sacrifices you made to serve our country since I was never in the military myself. What I can absolutely assure you is that you have my respect and gratitude. Happy Veterans Day, and thank you."

And I would like to add a special thank you to my brother, Michael, who served in Vietnam, my son, David, who served in Desert Storm, my daughter, Danielle, who served in the army, my grandfather Stewart who served in WWII, and all the military men in my father's family who served in every war since the Revolutionary War.

Wednesday's Guest - Slim Randles

Since it is deer hunting season in most states, I thought this piece from Slim would be fun to share. Enjoy....

It was that particular crispness in the pre-dawn air that got Jasper up and out early. He wasn’t going to the diggin’s today but had something else in mind.

After Arthur finished his kibble, Jasper tied him outside the cabin door and tried hard to ignore the look of accused betrayal on his pal’s face. Then Jasper got down the rifle and closed the door softly behind him.

A walk through the forest carpet of 15 minutes took him to that little rock outcropping that Jasper had discovered more than 40 years earlier. He set the barrel of the rifle on a short log and sat down. Only Jasper’s camouflaged face showed over the rock outcropping.

Then came the wait. The delicious anticipation. Time after time he checked the direction of the wind. He knew he was doing well when a squirrel came headfirst down a nearby pine and whisked around within six feet of Jasper.

Then, about ten, and just about the time Jasper was thinking how good another cup of coffee would taste back at the cabin, the woods went deathly quiet. Jasper went on full alert. He saw the antlers first, coming through tall brush. Two steps. Stop. One step. Stop. Hold there for long seconds, then another step. Jasper sat quietly. Two more steps. Stop. In a minute the buck would emerge at 30 yards, broadside, from behind a tree. It was going to be a classic hunting shot.

And then, after a few more steps, the big buck was there, broadside. Jasper waited until the deer turned his head to look back the way he came. Then, in one fluid movement, Jasper brought the rifle to his shoulder, put the front bead on that spot behind the buck’s shoulder, and quietly said, “Bang.”

Then he grinned and waved as the buck bounded away.

Back at the cabin, Jasper rubbed Arthur’s ears and gave him a detailed account of the hunt.

“And I didn’t have to pack in all that meat, either,” he said. “Tomorrow? A turkey hunt, I think.”

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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

Monday Morning Musings

 I haven't shared an excerpt from my humorous memoir,  A Dead Tomato Plant and a Paycheck, in quite a while, so I thought I would do that for today. I really can't do Monday Morning Musings because I am actually writing this on Sunday. Tomorrow I will be out of pocket all day.  Enjoy.....

Nothing is worse than having everyone in the family sick at the same time. At least when you take turns, passing a flu bug around like a hot potato, someone is always well enough to tend to the rest of the folks. But when everyone is sick, guess who has to grit her teeth and make chicken soup?

You guessed it. Mom.

One year was particularly bad at our house. I was on the losing side of a persistent flu bug that hung around for four or five weeks. And I used to think a 24-our bug was bad.

That particular run of the flu reached the point where the kids took numbers in the morning to see who would get to stay home from school that day.  I could only handle one or two sickies at a time, especially the sickies who didn’t act sick. Nothing was more wearing than a kid who threw up one minute and knocked his brother senseless the next.

Why couldn’t they take a cue from us adults and just stay on the couch in a semi-comatose position and just moan a lot?

And why did they have to eat. Imagine yourself with a stomach that feels like Mt. St. Helen's revisited, and the sweet aroma of chili dogs and nacho cheese chips comes drifting in from the kitchen. Have they never heard of chicken soup and weak tea?

Usually, when it came to the delicate art of juggling kids to see who got to stay home, my natural instincts served me well, but one day my judgment must have been clouded by my own raging fever. The kid I elected to keep home -- the kid who was at death's doorway with a terrible sore throat and a headache at eight in the morning -- spent half his day with his head out the door playing with the dog and the other half of the day fixing snacks. The kid who went to school with a vague complaint of a stomach ache was sent home right after the stomach ache voluntarily removed itself from the vague status.

And through it all, I spent a great deal of time on the sofa in a semi-comatose position, moaning a lot.

Book Review - The Eye of The Virgin by Frederick Ramsey

Thanks to Carl Brookins for another review. He does pick some good books to offer for our reading pleasure....

The Eye of the Virgin
By Frederick Ramsey
Pub. Poisoned Pen Press
June, 2010, Hard Cover.
254 pages.
ISBN: 9781590587607

Review by Carl Brookins

Sheriff Ike Schwartz is in it again.  Some odd break-ins have occurred in the area around the town of Picketsville, Virginia.  What were thieves looking for in the studio of an iconographer? Why is an unknown individual discovered dead of gunshot, but in a chair in the Picketsville clinic?  Are these incidents related?  And who is the mysterious woman Abe Schwartz has been squiring about?

Sparkling dialogue and a whee of a climactic scene distinguish this crime novel.  It's the xxx in Ramsey's continuing saga of the home-town adventures of ex-CIA spook Isaack Schwartz.  He's retired from the international scene to become the elected sheriff of the aforesaid Pickettsville, Virginia.  He's bright, sharp, aware of the ways of international espionage so when he sees it, he recognizes it.  As the elected sheriff he has to deal with a loose collection of varied and interesting characters.  Some of them make life quite interesting; the president of the local college, Ruth XXX for instance.  Others, inept contract spooks and burglars, for example, are dangerous.  Schwartz and his deputies manage to keep the peace and solve crimes in interesting if not always legal ways.

They are aided in their tasks, as are readers who find their way to this lovely novel, by carefully thought out if sometimes complicated plots, good pace, and crackling spot-on dialogue. Threaded through the cleverness and the funny bits are thoughtful musings on the state of world affairs today in which enemies become friends and friends enemies.

An excellent enjoyable novel


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Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com   www.agora2.blogspot.com
Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island,
Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

Friday's Odds and Ends

What is it they say about the best laid plans.....?  I was going to come into my office first thing this morning and get my blog done, then maybe a bit of work on my book before the day got away from me. That plan went down the river when first the crew showed up early to work on the deck and needed some questions answered.

Then I remembered that some men were coming to pick up my old furniture today to be donated to the animal shelter garage sale. Perhaps I should just do a quick cleanup of all the pet hair that accumulated behind this sofa since the last time it was moved.

Then I remembered that I needed to do laundry today since I will be at a signing event Saturday and Sunday all day. And on Monday I will have some minor surgery. Checked the closet and sure enough, not enough clothes to put that off until Tuesday.

Luckily, I then remembered that our two little cats are at the veterinarian's. Took them there yesterday and they had to stay overnight. If I hadn't remembered that, they would be stuck there until Monday. And of course, I can't get them on Monday if I am under anesthetic.

Crazy, crazy day. And I do hope I remember to iron the blouse I want to wear tomorrow. But right now, I'm off to get the kittens.

By the way, this rabbit has nothing to do with the subject of the blog. He just looks like I feel.  

How do you handle crazy days like this? Can you easily go with the flow?

Wednesday's Guest - Chris Redding

Please welcome Chris Redding as she shares some advice to make this a kinder world.... She also has a gift for one lucky visitor, so please leave a comment.

Son #2 has a shirt from his cross country coach that has a message I think is great: Train Hard, Run Fast, Be Nice.

Just Be Nice

That’s all I ask of life. Okay, maybe not all. The Eagles to win the Superbowl. Penn State to be National Champions again.

But what can you do? Be nice.

I deal with lots of people in my day job. Sometimes they follow the rules. Sometimes they don’t. And sometimes they have a true emergency. Or something got lost in the mail.

Just be nice.

If you are nice to me I will go to the ends of the Earth to help you. If you are not nice to me, you are so out of luck.

The other day a co-worker needed something that I could not give her per my boss. She yelled at me in an e-mail that we should make an exception for her because she hasn’t done anything wrong. Mind you, in all my dealings with her, I’ve had to make exceptions. Every dang time.

I think authors forget to do this.

We get so wrapped up in our promotion and selling books, we forget to just be nice. We would probably sell more books. People would think, “What a nice author. I can give this book as a Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa gift.”

So the next time you are tempted to not, remember, just be nice.

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Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two sons, one dog, three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. When she isn’t writing she works part time for her local hospital.

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Blonde Demolition Blurb
You just can't hide from the past...

Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back.

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.

Links:

www.chrisreddingauthor.com
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor
www.twitter.com/chrisredding

For one lucky commenter I have a Yankee Candle Goody Bag. Commenter just has to be in the United States.

Monday Morning Musings

Since it is Halloween, I thought I would tell you about our two new kittens who could be Halloween cats. We got them two weeks ago, but we didn't plan on getting black cats. I don't even like black cats, and the lady who was fostering these kittens, along with several others, had told me on the phone about all the other kittens she had available for adoption: A cute black and white tuxedo cat. An orange tabby. A silver tabby with little white paws that made her look like she was wearing mittens, and a gray cat with long hair and a regal stance.

And she had these two black cats. I cut her off right there, telling her that I wasn't interested in solid black cats. Not sure why. Maybe because solid black cats are so plain. Or maybe because of that old superstition about a black cat crossing your path being bad luck, even though I never thought I really believed that. Groucho Marx said that "A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere."

Pretty benign actually. No. The reason I don't like black kitties is really because they are dull and uninteresting. How many people look at a black cat and say, "Oh how darling? What a cute little kitty."

That aside, when we went to see all the cats, hoping to take home one or two of those cute little kitties, one of the black cats walked across the patio table and right up to my husband. The cat then crawled up his chest, nuzzled in his beard - my husband's, not the cat's - and started purring.

No doubt about it, my husband had his cat.

Then it was my turn to choose a cat. I picked up the Tuxedo cat, hoping he would take to me, but he jumped right down. Ditto for the tabby with the mittens and the orange tabby and the pretty gray kitten. Meanwhile this other little black cat kept walking up to me, touching my leg and giving the sweetest little meow, as if to say, "Take me. Take me."

I picked her up and she nuzzled in my neck, and now she is living in our house.

We were happy with two new cats, then last week, I found this cat in my barn who was injured. I took her to the veterinarian's, and luckily she was not hurt seriously. I had two choices at that point. Turn the cat loose - I think she belongs to a neighbor who seems not to care about her - or bring her home where she could finish healing.

Now we have three new cats.

Book Review - Snakehead by Peter May

Thanks to Carl Brookins for another terrific review....

Snakehead
by Peter May
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 312 pages,
ISBN: 9781590586068

This is the ourth in the author's China Thriller series to be published by this press. Make no mistake this is one scary and thrilling book. So thrilling, in fact I had the sense toward the end of being carried just a bit over the top. The novel brings back two of May's most endearing characters, forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell, American, and Beijing detective, Li Yan. But they are no longer in China. Campbell is now the county medical examiner based in Houston, Texas, and Li Yang is learning about and dealing with America's multiple and complex law enforcement agencies as a member of the Chinese Embassy staff in Washington, D.C.

Until a major tragedy brings them together, Campbell is not even aware that they are again in the same country although still thousands of miles physically and culturally apart. The tragedy that brings these two together are the deaths of scores of illegal Chinese immigrants being smuggled to the United State via the same pipeline and organization which smuggles drugs from South America to the U.S. In this incident, the dead are found in a refrigerated truck abandoned in Texas. Those deaths appear to be accidental until it is discovered the bodies have all been injected with a dangerous virus that has no known antidote.

Now the race is on to determine what the virus is, who is behind the multi-million dollar smuggling operation, the Snakehead of the title, and Li Yan and Margaret must try to set aside their own emotional difficulties in order to help literally, save the nation from a devastating plague.

The pace is fast, the writing always to the point, the characters are genuine in their language and their emotions, and most worrisome of all, the science is real. This is a novel with the potential to scare the pants off you.  It's timely, international in scope, a whirlwind of a thriller.

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Carl Brookins - www.carlbrookins.com www.agora2.blogspot.com
Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island, Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

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NOTE: My publisher for Play it Again, Sam, Uncial Press,  is celebrating its fifth year in operation, and it all ends tomorrow. To join in the fun with a scavenger hunt and have a chance at winning a KOBO reader, visit the website.

Another contest is being held by Books We Love Publishing. Enter between now and December to win a Kindle. 

Friday's Odds and Ends

Heaven help us, we have twelve more months of campaigning that brings out such wonderful points for voters to consider such as this from the recent GOP debate:

Rick Santorum: Mitt, you're a lying hypocrite and I'm the only one here who cars about family.

Herman Cain: Nine apples, nine oranges, nine lives, whatever.

Mitt Romney: Shut up. I won already.

Rick Perry: I hate your guts, Mr. Vitalis, and I'm gonna take you down.

Newt Gingrich: Yadda-yadda-yadda. You're all stupid.

Michelle Bachman: I will hunt Mexicans with predator drones and Barack Obama's cake is cooked.

Before people start objecting because I took these out of context, of course, you are right. It's not fair to just pull out the gaffes. Every great once in a while the candidates did say something related to an actual issue facing our country, but the fact that these candidates would reduce so much of the debate to snark should make us pause.

Why do we have to be so stridently divided?

And would somebody remind the candidates what the definition of "debate" is.

And would one candidate actually give a direct answer to a question instead of a sound-bite.

Texas Ranger's fans, don't beat up on Nelson Cruz for the mistake he made in not playing deep enough to catch that ball in the bottom of the 11th inning. I'm sure he has plenty of self-inflicted lashes, and he needs to know the team and the fans are okay with him. It was a mistake, let's get over it and go into game seven with a positive attitude.

After being missing for three months a little Jack Russell Terrier was reunited Thursday with owner Jim Arrighi in Erin, TN. The dog had disappeared from the owners yard and was found 500 miles north in a suburb of Detroit. A homeowner in Rochester Hills, about 20 miles north of Detroit, saw Petey last week in his backyard and took him to a Humane Society animal care center. Arrighi was identified as the owner when the dog was scanned for an implanted microchip. Story and photo HERE

Wednesday's Guest - Slim Randles

When Dewey realized what he’d just told the woman of his dreams, he couldn’t say another thing. Struck dumb by the shock of telling her he was in cow manure, he silently handed her the flowers and looked down to see if the sidewalk would kindly swallow him.

But Emily Stickles, she of the perfect cheekbones and bureaucratic curiosity, smiled and looked at Dewey as if she’d just stumbled over a twenty-dollar bill.

“Mr. Decker,” she said, kindly, “thank you for the flowers. And I’m curious … how long have you had this condition?”

“Er … ah…”

“Never mind. That will all come in time. Now I was just on my way to the café across the street there for lunch. Will you be my guest? That way we can discuss your problem and see if we can come to a workable solution.”

“Wha … bu…”

“Come along,” she said, slipping her arm through his. “One step at a time … that’s it.”

An hour later, Dewey was at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn. The guys were there. Well, almost all the guys. When Dewey told them about how he introduced himself to the lovely Ms. Stickles, Steve, Dud and Bert suddenly had to go outside for some reason. The laughter out there made the plate-glass windows vibrate.

Only Doc was left to console Dewey.

“Well, Doo,” Doc said. “Leave it to you to make a great first impression.”

Then Doc had to turn his head away for a few seconds, too. Dewey pretended not to notice.

“See, the worst of it is she thinks I’m some kind of a nut with a manure fetish. I couldn’t have just told her I owned a fertilizer company. Not me. I have to sit through lunch making silly noises as she explained to me that there is always hope for an answer. I had no idea she was a graduate student in psychology, Doc.

“Doc?” Dewey’s face pleaded. “I’m a test case! I’m going to be doctoral thesis! I’m …. oh man…”

“And all that planning,” Doc said. “And all that washing. And then it has to end this way. Sorry, Doo.”

“Ending? No way,” Dewey said, the slightest smile emerging. “We’re having dinner at the Italian place tonight. She’s bringing her tape recorder.”

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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 few more days to enter the Uncial Press Birthday contest to win an e-reader. Every day there is also a winner of a free e-book. Hop on over if you would like to play the games and win.

Monday Morning Musings

I am really excited about an interview that Joanne Troppello did with me. Her site is very professional, and we had a good discussion about how some of my stories came to be. If you would like to read the interview and enter to win a copy of Open Season, here is the link:  tiny.cc/b35dj     Just leave a comment and I will draw a winner on Friday.   Now to our regularly scheduled program....        
  

It was interesting to read about four organizations who worked together to identify about $380 billion in federal spending that wastes money and harms the environment. The report, Green Scissors 2011, was recently released and I hope our government representatives are paying attention. The editorial in The Dallas Morning News identified these organizations as "left-leaning" or "right-leaning", but I think we do a disservice to people by labeling them. I would just rather name them in order: Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, Taxpayers for Common Sense and The Heartland Institute.

Most of this waste is in the form of government subsidies for fossil fuel, nuclear, alternative energy, agricultural, transportation programs and projects, land and water subsidies. A full report can be found on the Green Scissors website, as well as other information about the organizations involved in this effort.

The main focus of Green Scissors is to get the government to focus on what is good for the people and the environment; not what is good for lobbyists. This was taken from their website:  The president and Congress must get tough with the special interest groups that jeopardize our natural resources and waste our valuable tax dollars. It will require tackling some of the richest and most powerful corporations in the country. Yet this is what is needed if we are going to protect the environment, regain fiscal and environmental responsibility and get our spending back on track.

Currently, Green Scissors is challenging presidential candidates to respond to the latest report and say how they plan to deal with special interests groups should they be elected. It will be interesting to see if any of them actually step up.

I would vote for any woman or man who had the courage to take back our government from the control of lobbyists. What this report and this effort is trying to do is not all that different from what Occupy Wallstreet is all about. Then common man has lost out to the greed and power of a select few. That is not the standards that America was formed on.

Book Review - Viper by John Desjarlais - Review by Carl Brookins

Thank you, Carl, for another review to share with my readers. John Desjarlais was a guest here at It's Not All Gravy, talking about how he developed this Latina heroine. Click HERE to read that blog post if you would like to know how he blended Aztec history with modern Spanish culture.

Viper
John Desjarlais
978-1933184-80-7
2011 trade paper release
Sophia Institute Press
238 pages.



Set in rural Illinois, the novel follows disgraced DEA agent Selena De La Cruz as she tries to re-order her life into some semblance of normality after a drug raid gone bad results in a tragic aftermath. Leaving that life turns out to be more than just difficult. It is impossible. And so Selena leaves her insurance company and re-enters the dangerous world of undercover drug enforcement among a Latino population that is turbulent, ever-changing and marked with friends who become enemies and family members short on  understanding.

The author cleverly establishes Selena as an independent capable woman beset on all sides by the chauvinism of her bosses and the cultural disapproval of her family. Good Latina women do not carry guns and arrest drug dealers. There is an invasive Latin Catholic presence throughout the book. The basic theme of the story is a list of names entered into a church’s Book of the Dead, requesting prayers for their souls.  The problem is that the people represented are still alive as the book opens. But one by one they are murdered. Since Selena’s name is last on the list, she has more than usual reason to be concerned. Her interaction with law enforcement and Church officials becomes more and more intense as the list is shortened, one by one.

The novel is smoothly written, logical and mostly gripping.  There are several sections of Aztec and other religious history and legends used by the author to explain some of the ritual Selena encounters which, while interesting in themselves, have a tendency to slow the narrative. Nevertheless, Viper is a worthwhile read, blending religious mystery with brutal modern crime.


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Carl Brookins www.carlbrookins.com http://agora2.blogspot.com Books by Carl Brookins: Case of the Great Train Robbery, Reunion, Red Sky

Friday's Odds and Ends

In Texas, the Sons of Confederate Veterans want to have a license plate commemorating their part in the Civil War; a request that has raised all kinds of responses, most of them negative, and some downright strident. I will admit that I was agreeing with most of the negative, and even some of the strident reasons why there should not be something with the symbol of the confederate flag. That symbol evokes so many painful reminders for so many people.

However, after reading a column by Texas Land Commissioner, Jerry Patterson, I am rethinking my opinion. Not sure I am going to change my mind, but at least I am open to reconsidering based on the fact that the purpose of the plate is not to glorify the bad things about the Confederacy, but to honor the men who fought, believing in their cause.

Patterson also mentioned that throughout history soldiers have fought and died for causes that were not completely honorable. He used the example of the Buffalo Soldiers who served with great distinction in Texas after the Civil War. Part of their mission was to control the Indian population, eventually moving many to reservations. That is not a part of our history that we are proud of, but we can still honor the men who did their duty.

Patterson states that "In the end, offensive behavior can be found throughout history if you are looking to be offended. There is no statutory protection against being offended. Actually, it's the privilege of every American to be offended."

Texas Governor Rick Perry's wife, Anita, said recently that she can empathize with the unemployed because her son had to resign from his banking job to work on the campaign.

Huh?

The only difference between loan sharks and short-term-lenders is that most people who borrow from the latter, don't have to worry about getting their legs broken if they don't pay the debt. However, they do have to worry about getting sucked into a vicious circle of unending debt. According to a report in The Dallas Morning News, the fees on a loan of $4,000 can be as high as $1,000 a month.

I had to read that twice to make sure it wasn't a misprint. Talk about usury. And the greatest travesty is that the companies that provide these short-term and auto-title lenders have seen record profits in the past few years, while their "victims" lose everything trying to pay off the loans.

Wednesday's Guest - Slim Randles

The actual dressing and preening took place in Dewey’s house, witnessed by Doc and Steve. Dewey told them that morning over coffee and horoscopes that the stars were right. Today would be the day. This very day, before lunch had settled upon the land, verily, he would approach Emily Stickles and introduce himself.

Doc and Steve circled downwind there in the living room, sniffing, but failing to catch a hint of Dewey’s profession as the king of used hay, the sultan of assimilated sustenance, the pharaoh of fertilizer. Two showers had done their best. Our boy was ready.

“Now Dewey,” Steve said, “with your truck…”

“Washed it twice.”

Heads nodded in approval. Then Doc and Steve watched as Dewey tied the new tie on. The blue one.

“You have a tie clip or tie tack or something?” Doc asked. Dewey shook his head. Doc took his off and handed it to him. “Use this.”

“But Doc, it’s from a university, and I’m in the fertilizer business…”

“And your point is?”

“Oh … okay.”

Steve took the little bottle of Old Spice and pulled the little plug on it. “Hands up, Dewey.”

Dewey raised his arms and Steve got each armpit with the bottle.

“Cowboy way,” he explained.

Dewey was ready. He picked up the bouquet of flowers and paused at the door. “Hope I don’t blow this.”

“Dewey, just remember two things: tell her who you are and what you do, and be yourself.”

He nodded solemnly and walked out to the pickup with the fancy magnetic sign on the door and drove away.

He was sitting there, 20 minutes later, watching the front door of the county building. Waiting for Emily. Emily of his dreams, Emily of the cheekbones, Emily who kept an eye on the goings-on in the county.

And there she was, dressed in a business outfit, and she was walking toward him. Dewey knew. Now or never. He grabbed the flowers  and stepped out. She smiled back at him as he approached. Name and occupation, Dewey. Name and occupation.

“Miss Stickles,” he said, thrusting the flowers forward. “My name is Dewey Decker and I’m in cow manure.”
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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

Monday Morning Musings

Two stories in Parade Magazine this past weekend were a study in contrasts. The first one was about Flash Mobs that have gone from gatherings to do something silly and fun, to looting and violence parties. These gatherings started in about 2003 when young folks - and some older ones - used social media to suggest getting together to do something outrageous. One of the first was people riding the subway in New York in just their underwear. Silly, but harmless.

But more recently the flash mobs have gone beyond harmless. The riots in London this summer were started by a flash mob, and the city of Philadelphia has a curfew now following the vandalism and looting at a Macy's store this summer.

According to the article in Parade, police departments are now monitoring social sites in the hopes of discovering plans for outbreaks so they can intervene.

How sad that what started out as just fun had to take such a downturn.

In contrast, there was a story about former U.S. Army Sgt. Adam Burke who found a unique way to recover from the physical and emotional damage caused when he was shot in Iraq. Burke suffered from a severe brain injury, PTSD, and a ruptured ear drum that left him unable to maintain his balance without a cane.

Two years after he came home from the hospital, he and his wife moved to his family farm in Florida, where they were given a few acres. He spent his days preparing the land, planting blueberry bushes and caring for them. After about a year he noticed that his balance had returned. So had some small measure of peace. That's when he decided he would offer the same opportunity to other veterans as they came home. He invited men and women to come on weekends and help with the care and harvesting.

By 2010, the enterprise was so successful, Burke decided to expand. He acquired funds from Work Vessels for Veterans, a non-profit that helps former military personnel start a new business, and bought eight more acres.

The farm has really been a godsend for returning veterans who need the healing power of working in the sun and connecting with living, growing things. Not to mention the support they find as they can share their stories with men and women who truly do know what they have been through.

Kudos to Sgt. Burke.

Friday's Odds and Ends

I started to do my usual odds and ends, then got into some research about this method of drilling for natural gas, and decided to just write about this issue today.  Wouldn't it be good to protect this beauty?

A town destroyed by Fracking - Dimock, Pennsylvania - “Fracking,” as it’s colloquially known, involves injecting millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals, many of them toxic, into the earth at high pressures to break up rock formations and release natural gas trapped inside. Not only has Dimock been affected on the surface with large areas of land cleared for drilling, the chemicals have gotten into the aquifer and seriously affected the water supply. People and animals are getting sick, dying, and wells are spontaneously combusting.

Yet the companies behind the drilling process claim that it is perfectly safe.

Hydraulic Fracturing - from the site Hydraulic Fracturing/Energy Tomorrow. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a proven and well-regulated technology. First used in the 1940s, hydraulic fracturing has unlocked massive new supplies of oil and clean-burning natural gas from dense deposits of shale — supplies that increase our country’s energy security and improve our ability to generate electricity, heat homes and power vehicles for generations to come. Fracking has been used in more than one million U.S. wells, and has safely produced more than seven billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

More Dangers - from the website, Earth Times - The dangers of fracking are not limited to the effect on water supplies. Fracking has been tied to earthquakes, and a recent study by a Cornell University professor shows that fracking has a higher greenhouse gas footprint than coal and oil because of the methane that is released during the drilling process. That gas is highly toxic, and one woman in East Texas who was exposed to that gas, now has a lung disease that is incurable.

Just like those favoring the XL Pipeline bringing tar sands oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, proponents of natural gas say it is all safe and we nay-sayers need to stop with the negative propaganda.  Of course they want us to stop. They want to be able to continue drilling and making profits without taking into consideration the long-term effects.

More Facts about Fracking