tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86811328889775256882024-03-17T22:03:44.082-05:00Writing In The CrosshairsRoland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.comBlogger3842125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-47644262052437814472024-03-11T14:42:00.002-05:002024-03-11T14:42:54.703-05:00THEY LIE; I LIE <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjBPTNDRIto85XN9HUNjPiL0YbV64Lqx8XaeJl25RUVhHyRaHLB73wz0ucCFx6N8aIRh3ZN9SFG8Rr0YgFfTfLMy0L1aOdri2IYCA32sSqNPGVNtLhkgHP9dfq-7im4ND2OBoFfLq5O0/s1600/CALVIN_they+lie+I+lie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="460" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjBPTNDRIto85XN9HUNjPiL0YbV64Lqx8XaeJl25RUVhHyRaHLB73wz0ucCFx6N8aIRh3ZN9SFG8Rr0YgFfTfLMy0L1aOdri2IYCA32sSqNPGVNtLhkgHP9dfq-7im4ND2OBoFfLq5O0/s400/CALVIN_they+lie+I+lie.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">TRUTHS</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVDrSQmih6vErUPY14Q8a058gII3hItRF2nuGKbdDkFUR1ZtRTaejsx1aNPZtR88FmcO4iww-gPefGq-qzOAOSN-O7TL78s8qDG35VdpGTK7-UOTGFKeA0POkb88DNONP8JMBGDCv9cU/s1600/truth1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVDrSQmih6vErUPY14Q8a058gII3hItRF2nuGKbdDkFUR1ZtRTaejsx1aNPZtR88FmcO4iww-gPefGq-qzOAOSN-O7TL78s8qDG35VdpGTK7-UOTGFKeA0POkb88DNONP8JMBGDCv9cU/s400/truth1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Lies run sprints;</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But the truth runs marathons." </span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Michael Jackson</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Truths are the antidotes for lies.</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Especially the lies many authors believe.</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqGbg41ULrt_gEDSX9gLoKMUErz3rfNu9jbQrSIrdA-AQZjB1ElELEMANjprnIB65RHTTqnHWf8shsSqLxyIAAYadvXiMilsscioGkR2gEE8EnHpdOHHy-mahN4PzvFKY1OF5q3ZGOME/s1600/depressed+author.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqGbg41ULrt_gEDSX9gLoKMUErz3rfNu9jbQrSIrdA-AQZjB1ElELEMANjprnIB65RHTTqnHWf8shsSqLxyIAAYadvXiMilsscioGkR2gEE8EnHpdOHHy-mahN4PzvFKY1OF5q3ZGOME/s320/depressed+author.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIES</span></span></b></i></span></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They are what drives our characters to do the things that spiral into </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">foolishness and adventure and wisdom won ... </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">or defeat assured.</span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIES </span></span></b></i></span></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They do the same to us if we believe them about our writing dream. </span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lies can be fought with truth talk.</span></span></b></div><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIE #1</span></span></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I AM NOTHING, A FAILURE IF I DO NOT GET PUBLISHED.</span></span></b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Really?</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Was Emily Dickinson a nothing, a failure </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">because she never gave up writing her poems her way and was never published in her lifetime?</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Creative writing is one of the best exercises we can do for the <a class="inline-links topic-link" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/aging" title="Psychology Today looks at aging">aging</a> brain.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't take my word alone for it: </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jenni Ogden, a writer AND a neuro-psychologist has found it so.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Writing adds to the intellectual and physical exercises </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that slow down the brain’s aging process most often experienced</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> by the forgetting of names and words and where you put the car keys – or the car!</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Use it or lose it.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIE #2 </span></span></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">IF I HAVEN'T MADE IT (GOTTEN AN AGENT, BECOME FAMOUS) BY NOW, I NEVER WILL.</span></span></b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, come on now!</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A novel is more than just sitting down and cranking out a word count. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are those little pesky things </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">like plot, and character, and pacing, and dialogue and so on and so forth. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All of those things take time to develop.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> While you’re doing all of this as a budding novelist, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you are also most likely doing all the other things in your days that constitute <i>your life</i>: </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A day job, spouse and family, hobbies and friends, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reading and television and video games and even <i>(wait for it)</i> sleep. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It all adds up — and it all subtracts from the amount of time you have to write.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Writing those three or four or five novels an average writer has to burn through </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">before they write a publishable novel will likely take years.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No matter who you are as an author, you pay your dues at one end or another. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To put it another way: it takes many years to be an overnight success. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe you haven’t “made it” yet. </span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>That doesn’t mean </i></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>you never will.</i></span></b></span></span></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">George Elliot <span class="title">didn't publish <i>'Middlemarch' </i>until she was 52.</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anthony Burgess (published at 39), </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Helen Dewitt <span class="title">published <i>'The Last Sumarai' </i>at 41,</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> William S. Burroughs </span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(<i>"When you stop growing, you start dying.") </i><span class="title">published his first novel at 39.</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Laura Ingalls <i> </i></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>("There is no great loss without some small gain.”</i>), <span class="title">was in her mid-60s when she published 'Little House in the Big Woods.'</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Marquis de Sade, (Ah, let's not go there!)</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Raymond Chandler (<span class="title">published 'The Big Sleep' at 51)</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-- all gained fame older.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bram Stoker, too (Who didn't write <i>'Dracula</i>' until he was 50) </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and said <i>"We learn from failure not from success."</i> </span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gee, I must be a genius!</span></span></b></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9lBoKRsDyc2zSKrBa6kIRNbOxYybepQoAETBjmz3SfU1jxjUQZkQoVktWtQQM9MOpw2XZnkNHCZcWL_BlDaU2biaghy2LABtsyTv70QBCNTiKlcC-bWnfAh2SLkdoJpIz3jkN-tum74/s1600/robert+louis+stephenson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9lBoKRsDyc2zSKrBa6kIRNbOxYybepQoAETBjmz3SfU1jxjUQZkQoVktWtQQM9MOpw2XZnkNHCZcWL_BlDaU2biaghy2LABtsyTv70QBCNTiKlcC-bWnfAh2SLkdoJpIz3jkN-tum74/s320/robert+louis+stephenson.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LIE #3</span></span></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I DON'T HAVE TIME</span></span></b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Does Dean Koontz have a magic stopwatch that stops time to give him<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 30</span></i> hours a day to write?</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let me tell you about Robert Louis Stevenson --</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>A year after <i>Kidnapped</i> he left Scotland and southern England for America </b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>in search of adventure and a better climate for his tuberculosis.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Writing continued on land and sea at 400 pages a year for twenty years.</b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b> From one letter home a year before Stevenson died:</b></span></span><br /><br /><ul><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"For fourteen years I have not had a day's real health;</i></b></span></ul><ul><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I have awakened sick and gone to bed weary; and I have done my work unflinchingly.</i></b></span></ul><ul><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I have written in bed, and written out of it, written in haemorrhages,</i></b></span></ul><ul><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>written in sickness, written torn by coughing, written when my head swam for weakness;<br /><br /> And for so long, it seems to me I have won my wager and recovered my glove....</i></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>And the battle goes on 'ill or well.'</i></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i> It is a trifle; so as it goes. I was made for a contest."</i></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div></span><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><div><b><i>SO WHAT IS STOPPING YOU FROM WRITING?</i></b></div></span></ul><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RSoRzTtwgP4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RSoRzTtwgP4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-17459611496406264942024-03-08T19:48:00.002-06:002024-03-08T19:48:23.243-06:00COVID ... AGAIN<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrO6UYikIzRKlPnoTvhaQG3ecmNTPVMOR56a3PgRlV9HQmn1azKulUVzxXo60tjRh8Q5rpD4-yMuJFwrtnUTtAlXkkpChwQ1M-9rr71hV0eO8gptQdXCSZtiI8NL3PG5lIezSUdHAdPdcjA8XUjFniDXdkrbQxD66Xa_kYmH1F8iz6YPyL7hJFyyA0wv0/s1024/covid_19_midnight_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1024" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrO6UYikIzRKlPnoTvhaQG3ecmNTPVMOR56a3PgRlV9HQmn1azKulUVzxXo60tjRh8Q5rpD4-yMuJFwrtnUTtAlXkkpChwQ1M-9rr71hV0eO8gptQdXCSZtiI8NL3PG5lIezSUdHAdPdcjA8XUjFniDXdkrbQxD66Xa_kYmH1F8iz6YPyL7hJFyyA0wv0/w400-h346/covid_19_midnight_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Last week, as I was delivering blood, </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>an ill woman in an emergency room got up and coughed right in my face. Why?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Only the Father knows.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Now, I have come down with Covid-19 again.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbM052NbSFc-qGMLNINNGRAIGUMh5lSmdTHpDUeH4e88sKkLkL1n9pURTcHif1uNipPjkrh76Kl8b1YTuXffdOyOOX-o1lVjFbqxyUCKuIi18I-cNNshbVxEHOmOHB0AhTkOZbjZvAlebRuTzUMX_bK9RCKIMCj8MuC7DvJ740wtX6rLQnPm2_unMrxE/s1280/coronavirus-4957673_1280_1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbM052NbSFc-qGMLNINNGRAIGUMh5lSmdTHpDUeH4e88sKkLkL1n9pURTcHif1uNipPjkrh76Kl8b1YTuXffdOyOOX-o1lVjFbqxyUCKuIi18I-cNNshbVxEHOmOHB0AhTkOZbjZvAlebRuTzUMX_bK9RCKIMCj8MuC7DvJ740wtX6rLQnPm2_unMrxE/s320/coronavirus-4957673_1280_1.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>To say I am under the weather is an understatement ... think having the bends! :-)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwwrUAP-Kug6trmyoKELUJ28ufAzbIbSIKwF92KFfhHCYnIoJLpsrnpZdqzz95r4AdGN2TIF4rjG6qSXrjV_fFV1YqcD5wa-wMksbIICsNJKv3xn_IYnoRecAEaSUg1ftoLDHPSsCcP5iWcBgiALxslB_8XsqoMl2UojdAQokiYCFysN6JuyOQ73xs-U/s1280/coronavirus-4906413_1280_1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwwrUAP-Kug6trmyoKELUJ28ufAzbIbSIKwF92KFfhHCYnIoJLpsrnpZdqzz95r4AdGN2TIF4rjG6qSXrjV_fFV1YqcD5wa-wMksbIICsNJKv3xn_IYnoRecAEaSUg1ftoLDHPSsCcP5iWcBgiALxslB_8XsqoMl2UojdAQokiYCFysN6JuyOQ73xs-U/w400-h400/coronavirus-4906413_1280_1.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>I am apartment bound until next Tuesday. Fortunately, I have soup, tea, and TV dinners enough to last ...</b></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>And hopefully, my coughing, fever, and weakness will pass soon.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mC9o5E9gzphWRNqoub30GDK7A8Mm-izmgsgM0oyO9cp1L4Fiv48i-YQfcshu5Eh3-X6tYapxohFNAlLqMKdR1hE0UudNsWNrT7besPsdiXmgMAjJ51OJvFevN6JYr1PhoCnsTiJRg-iIOnqs7tifRjIri3XJfTCmwztzScOkVKrE2RECoNaiyPeg5UY/s1280/surgical-mask-4985536_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mC9o5E9gzphWRNqoub30GDK7A8Mm-izmgsgM0oyO9cp1L4Fiv48i-YQfcshu5Eh3-X6tYapxohFNAlLqMKdR1hE0UudNsWNrT7besPsdiXmgMAjJ51OJvFevN6JYr1PhoCnsTiJRg-iIOnqs7tifRjIri3XJfTCmwztzScOkVKrE2RECoNaiyPeg5UY/w266-h400/surgical-mask-4985536_1280.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Midnight insists I wear a mask while in his furry presence!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN7KwbPKy7mjbLPuoVVvxewU5eTM6tlz8-JDUP9n79B9voN_ek8jxRx24oW7BkO9csXBRlR9RoULb-B-uLWHyk3FMVXH7bgfn2pSW7gLxL2AsydLfhalLDrHSTIo6tlkvrBJ1shIohYmSgG37q7ebGyanOlrtV74zoCifSPvm63z2aIAJbbPQJhyphenhyphenrHo4/s1280/money-4578079_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1280" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN7KwbPKy7mjbLPuoVVvxewU5eTM6tlz8-JDUP9n79B9voN_ek8jxRx24oW7BkO9csXBRlR9RoULb-B-uLWHyk3FMVXH7bgfn2pSW7gLxL2AsydLfhalLDrHSTIo6tlkvrBJ1shIohYmSgG37q7ebGyanOlrtV74zoCifSPvm63z2aIAJbbPQJhyphenhyphenrHo4/s320/money-4578079_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Since Lifeshare has changed to a new payment system where employees must calculate their own time each week </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>and I cannot show up to do it lest I infect my friends,</b></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>my pay may be drastically reduced.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g-9i35hP7Tr4RiNymmLmN1GqET4PAXq5VaPqew8-lw-b6e5-LmrJQrDBwhkBFLachoO-nLki9M_LSibzojK8g5Q0N8Trd7uSNtaLhg246uziQliBdkm5WIVfr0qS0VlPBaehdiIGJp2YR5FlMQb0AU7l36YLu4y5a-wO1yHfYb6Q7A0dnDSN7lYVvfk/s2000/sainw2x_pe_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g-9i35hP7Tr4RiNymmLmN1GqET4PAXq5VaPqew8-lw-b6e5-LmrJQrDBwhkBFLachoO-nLki9M_LSibzojK8g5Q0N8Trd7uSNtaLhg246uziQliBdkm5WIVfr0qS0VlPBaehdiIGJp2YR5FlMQb0AU7l36YLu4y5a-wO1yHfYb6Q7A0dnDSN7lYVvfk/w400-h300/sainw2x_pe_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><b>If I felt better, I would write on my sequel. Perhaps tomorrow.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z5hJEWagEm5VeIBXMZBVPjYBbByC8yaXR_92k8Bh9E6cuWO3TcxYgkOHSPNYuwfYOMAU60B_p_a7OZwg2qoqCQK8gztTszT_SSAVjj6hyphenhyphenBFCPAZHLbYIFye0KQTvVv3GSvl-5jJotlc4BEmsu8JyFOb2u1k1XvxQN94jBTGiPcALdPYf3_7AwZwYfZE/s1280/ai-generated-8522742_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z5hJEWagEm5VeIBXMZBVPjYBbByC8yaXR_92k8Bh9E6cuWO3TcxYgkOHSPNYuwfYOMAU60B_p_a7OZwg2qoqCQK8gztTszT_SSAVjj6hyphenhyphenBFCPAZHLbYIFye0KQTvVv3GSvl-5jJotlc4BEmsu8JyFOb2u1k1XvxQN94jBTGiPcALdPYf3_7AwZwYfZE/w400-h400/ai-generated-8522742_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><b>But I am alive ... and while there is life, there is hope for a path to a better tomorrow, right?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nQ_j7zi6DsCBs-XyFdwnWObyoI9SDhj6-VIwtbyt-B0AvcjxtM7mklvUUP-gn5QlGDfnPuf3ZJP6X5KN7ljqn1NfWVlLpsez-mmU0_TYEdINJtN_NmGXwvUGaFitcrV4Mj4tOhtXFZYyaiYjLOXdoGEIrwerhsI4PMs-yY_kzs61lA6jZBnuNMAWxxI/s960/path-7341731_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nQ_j7zi6DsCBs-XyFdwnWObyoI9SDhj6-VIwtbyt-B0AvcjxtM7mklvUUP-gn5QlGDfnPuf3ZJP6X5KN7ljqn1NfWVlLpsez-mmU0_TYEdINJtN_NmGXwvUGaFitcrV4Mj4tOhtXFZYyaiYjLOXdoGEIrwerhsI4PMs-yY_kzs61lA6jZBnuNMAWxxI/w400-h268/path-7341731_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bz2dmtA1RXI" width="320" youtube-src-id="Bz2dmtA1RXI"></iframe></div></span></div></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-55519635972369724902024-03-04T18:10:00.012-06:002024-03-04T18:20:30.334-06:00WHAT WILL YOU BE WRITING/DOING WHEN THE WORLD ENDS? IWSG Post<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GsKR-1Fi_Gk" width="320" youtube-src-id="GsKR-1Fi_Gk"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Is 2024 the world's and your Swan Song?</b></div></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>As Dua Lipa wrote:<br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>"This is not a Swan Song</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>but a Swan Dive.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>It's a New Life."</i></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEbX25wVp8FzZfeV_EU3hFOLQSov5QdSeGcXVP6Ly59Ya2Nhk3I97aO7x2YA2O88Bz2OWEMGRRMAwhBbr4Z4W79_SR2q4ucLRZFoXP6qFjL3SGSAJpmB6boIMGbPTmSjUupqNa6KrvD7L6GQtnaR7etDwZ8C5rdd6PZTsRKfc2seiAPd4bWV1pGTIr-c/s1280/swan-4111743_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEbX25wVp8FzZfeV_EU3hFOLQSov5QdSeGcXVP6Ly59Ya2Nhk3I97aO7x2YA2O88Bz2OWEMGRRMAwhBbr4Z4W79_SR2q4ucLRZFoXP6qFjL3SGSAJpmB6boIMGbPTmSjUupqNa6KrvD7L6GQtnaR7etDwZ8C5rdd6PZTsRKfc2seiAPd4bWV1pGTIr-c/w400-h266/swan-4111743_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eAy26sUOnwoJAk0RH9LH6siDs8FzAuVwKwumo2UhHsIEj_lYwFFz68hpplZyXn_x1bBZj7z9vdcKTe9Hsa6IaY2J2x5P6QXRk32Ucjir9RhnTKDaP-VYNEWka-yX5X1SQQ0hDrTj21fJdg_UtNwM0yHZ88dTvuGlNNarqlTBPKfCS5xlZXUJ_jDN/s1920/swan-2077219_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eAy26sUOnwoJAk0RH9LH6siDs8FzAuVwKwumo2UhHsIEj_lYwFFz68hpplZyXn_x1bBZj7z9vdcKTe9Hsa6IaY2J2x5P6QXRk32Ucjir9RhnTKDaP-VYNEWka-yX5X1SQQ0hDrTj21fJdg_UtNwM0yHZ88dTvuGlNNarqlTBPKfCS5xlZXUJ_jDN/w400-h266/swan-2077219_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>What is a Swan Song anyway?</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A swan song is the final performance of an actor, singer, composer, poet, or the like.</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>According to folklore, swans sing most beautifully before they die, </b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>and hence this phrase came to be used </b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>to describe someone who was leaving in style.</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm451EyDLBdWEb32U_l-3IYbSpg_YmLK41TTpmIHB0hSzz7V0od_S5rsAwFLHLldxxOA19Lzcwf7wIbpVU8Hnqr2J42a-BHoaWEjjHzUiro29C-iPqOEmxN-sg6cEkT59TW4VOgLx2X0yz9-7ZLlOmLZMJSreFk06pVUjAyRS9-A84C6yDNcPIc3Kr/s1920/background-3297276_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1323" data-original-width="1920" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm451EyDLBdWEb32U_l-3IYbSpg_YmLK41TTpmIHB0hSzz7V0od_S5rsAwFLHLldxxOA19Lzcwf7wIbpVU8Hnqr2J42a-BHoaWEjjHzUiro29C-iPqOEmxN-sg6cEkT59TW4VOgLx2X0yz9-7ZLlOmLZMJSreFk06pVUjAyRS9-A84C6yDNcPIc3Kr/w400-h276/background-3297276_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Leonardo da Vinci's Fable:</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>THE SWAN</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>The swan arched his supple neck towards the water and gazed at his reflection for a long time.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b></b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>He understood the reason for his weariness </b></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>and for the cold that gripped his body, making him tremble as though it were winter.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b> With absolute certainty, he knew that his hour had come and that he must prepare for death.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>His feathers </b></span></span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">were still as white as they had been on the first day of his life. Seasons and years had passed without a blemish appearing on his snowy plumage. </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i>He could go now, and his life would end in beauty.</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Straightening his beautiful neck, he swam slowly and majestically beneath a willow, </b></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>where he had been accustomed to rest in the hot weather.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>It was already evening, and the sunset was touching the water of the lake with crimson and violet.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>And in the great silence that was falling all around, the swan began to sing.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Never before had he found notes so full of love for all of nature, for the beauty of the heavens, the water and the earth.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>His sweet song </b></span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>r</b></span></span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">ang through the air, scarcely tinged with melancholy, until, softly, softly, it faded with the last traces of light on the horizon.</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>"It is the swan," said the fishes, the birds, and all of the beasts of the woodland and meadow.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Touched to the heart, they said:</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>"The swan is dying."</b></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu8NfU2AUqcvetsZeWMxokzdpP1uCUwhspDyMoh-vIXgaOnyrRkTSdMuBI6dfopsnt_GMoF831T3VtVCZcYGFRgJA07MH0v6uWzirhWqRdvQG8jpRo0ZJhXjM2EGnsiY3DnjU4vgJe--4BH6XH64KS8BfRR4AyV2ps7e4kPFFbHB2W_3p3pf-yUsa/s1920/spartan-3696073_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1920" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu8NfU2AUqcvetsZeWMxokzdpP1uCUwhspDyMoh-vIXgaOnyrRkTSdMuBI6dfopsnt_GMoF831T3VtVCZcYGFRgJA07MH0v6uWzirhWqRdvQG8jpRo0ZJhXjM2EGnsiY3DnjU4vgJe--4BH6XH64KS8BfRR4AyV2ps7e4kPFFbHB2W_3p3pf-yUsa/w400-h268/spartan-3696073_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Each of us will have our own Swan Song.</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Some of us will choose the time.</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Often that time will be chosen for us.</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1AmI6QghDWzbOE4DvKpwNQn1CTD7OchahF1bWZ2j3TtWGY7T9z4DysBRa4iJFlScVu5IkgguxZoWG9KJFFDP-SERg1qKpxpP12CO3QhQC3oogisikq9rwciRlMseiN2BqLASVcKoaCJluoU1N5WGX3TalxgSGEhEWvTquHm8jOwq2NtjjIaSOg1E/s1920/gull-1090835_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1920" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1AmI6QghDWzbOE4DvKpwNQn1CTD7OchahF1bWZ2j3TtWGY7T9z4DysBRa4iJFlScVu5IkgguxZoWG9KJFFDP-SERg1qKpxpP12CO3QhQC3oogisikq9rwciRlMseiN2BqLASVcKoaCJluoU1N5WGX3TalxgSGEhEWvTquHm8jOwq2NtjjIaSOg1E/w400-h126/gull-1090835_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>What sunset will be our last to see?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>What bird in flight will be the last to thrill us?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfQrJr2EwI3eKSR-YsgRh42O0vW6zJ_7keOb_o7zMjV1XptVXvoXcxpIdTQGMsETgRC1kgTfgJjTNs-O3Q6K2cAYY4e_mzPo5rL4NWzd1jeZHuv32Kq-SZQO-gAGE0chb24nx3dbGWDubNSip843pwiXrot79_NmWLfmKa6G1GwG3XAZouAHZ1WYW/s1920/writer-1421099_1920%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1920" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfQrJr2EwI3eKSR-YsgRh42O0vW6zJ_7keOb_o7zMjV1XptVXvoXcxpIdTQGMsETgRC1kgTfgJjTNs-O3Q6K2cAYY4e_mzPo5rL4NWzd1jeZHuv32Kq-SZQO-gAGE0chb24nx3dbGWDubNSip843pwiXrot79_NmWLfmKa6G1GwG3XAZouAHZ1WYW/w400-h268/writer-1421099_1920%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>What book, short story, sentence</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>will unknowingly be our last?</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qLz1ZeawX4CVkbaDyRsH3Kg2HidwC8amrkEikDKEta3abxn-pBoDN___cnqVjqV8FGXAQMoTQCNpm7pAAyFxiXFxs_4YPrPtG5HeSG7lOVq7Q6KC-f8MNjDz94Nn6y-TV_WRzh8SpdEW53-3gR6P_6DFpSgNBGdpPcDFZ5TjXxPmamj-PosfWjUI/s500/Pablo_Neruda_Ricardo_Reyes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="401" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qLz1ZeawX4CVkbaDyRsH3Kg2HidwC8amrkEikDKEta3abxn-pBoDN___cnqVjqV8FGXAQMoTQCNpm7pAAyFxiXFxs_4YPrPtG5HeSG7lOVq7Q6KC-f8MNjDz94Nn6y-TV_WRzh8SpdEW53-3gR6P_6DFpSgNBGdpPcDFZ5TjXxPmamj-PosfWjUI/w321-h400/Pablo_Neruda_Ricardo_Reyes.jpeg" width="321" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Found on the poet’s desk after his death, </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>“Finale” is Pablo Neruda’s final poem, </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>and a love letter to his wife, Matilde. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i>“It was beautiful to live/when you lived!”</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Be sure to craft each new book of yours with care.</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>It could be your own Swan Song.</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv9er2p9Bu0L3rvYkoOXjkDUfRNio4kmJsJWgfHkZBjaP_YdSSWvSwHwXiVcdqFPLYmcAsaSb6Sxq9ij2GkyBUf4YizQP2N42rxlDKLzFDP4CWeZE3UFvm2ivUEe9apRlCGK7kFCQQqNuxBXYpeY5NkDsrkjgJGwuKjt4GxnigBCs8Mi1Oz5tMClk/s1920/venice-2661322_1920.jpg" style="color: #99aadd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv9er2p9Bu0L3rvYkoOXjkDUfRNio4kmJsJWgfHkZBjaP_YdSSWvSwHwXiVcdqFPLYmcAsaSb6Sxq9ij2GkyBUf4YizQP2N42rxlDKLzFDP4CWeZE3UFvm2ivUEe9apRlCGK7kFCQQqNuxBXYpeY5NkDsrkjgJGwuKjt4GxnigBCs8Mi1Oz5tMClk/w266-h400/venice-2661322_1920.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); padding: 4px;" width="266" /></a></div></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>"I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul." </i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>- Pablo Neruda</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 13.91px;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"></span></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EmXWcXKXWBk" width="320" youtube-src-id="EmXWcXKXWBk"></iframe></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></span></div><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-80305534935334333982024-02-29T08:33:00.002-06:002024-02-29T08:33:54.545-06:00WHY DO WE HAVE LEAP YEARS?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gvuz0BVy5TM" width="320" youtube-src-id="gvuz0BVy5TM"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-19380808707769267502024-02-28T20:35:00.001-06:002024-02-28T20:35:50.949-06:00THE GHOST OF LORD BYRON BADE ME REMEMBER THIS DAY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkMq3KCzRNC1-WO0XGCbeFbBLiD2wuawqql0B7R2xWzZenSPhD1Ej88-ttlSbIUvd6E5rO-VZf-2kyj9H50h0O0C4uUlgoPHVLvaHKIghKlizyTrH82BVKgfjqMba52-_8G1R1Su7b7VULHJZ30HduhcaKaJm6zZAZPtxtPbZ8ZqIBSUFZkU52oFezaQ/s600/475px-Lord_Byron_in_Albanian_Dress_by_Phillips,_1813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkMq3KCzRNC1-WO0XGCbeFbBLiD2wuawqql0B7R2xWzZenSPhD1Ej88-ttlSbIUvd6E5rO-VZf-2kyj9H50h0O0C4uUlgoPHVLvaHKIghKlizyTrH82BVKgfjqMba52-_8G1R1Su7b7VULHJZ30HduhcaKaJm6zZAZPtxtPbZ8ZqIBSUFZkU52oFezaQ/w316-h400/475px-Lord_Byron_in_Albanian_Dress_by_Phillips,_1813.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><p></p><p> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Lord Byron'</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">s letter of February 28,
1817 from Venice to his friend Thomas Moore included one of his most popular
lyrics, </span></b></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>"So we'll go no more a-roving <o:p></o:p></i></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>So late into the night, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>Though the heart be still as
loving, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>And the moon be still as bright. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>For the sword outwears its
sheath, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>And the soul wears out the
breast, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>And the heart must pause to
breathe, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>And love itself have rest. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>Though the night was made for
loving, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>And the day returns too soon, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>Yet we'll go no more a-roving <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><i>By the light of the moon."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">To carry on with the moonlight
theme: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Ernest Thompson</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">s On
Golden Pond opened on Broadway on this day in 1979 for a ten-and-a-half month
run, followed by the hit movie: <o:p></o:p></span></p></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> <i>"</i></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><i>Our minds are clear and our
hearts are strong.</i></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>We are dancing here, but we won’t
be long. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>There will soon be deer where
there now are fawns. But we’ll remember our years on Golden Pond, <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>
</i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>On Golden Pond…."</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8Gl7tKuag8" width="320" youtube-src-id="R8Gl7tKuag8"></iframe></b></span></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-7929043144352986212024-02-27T18:35:00.001-06:002024-02-27T18:35:08.331-06:00BEWARE YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE SLEEP<p><br /></p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWkTkeZBJEgVFAmYicfnNWhJGAY5HIAMtvn7ZGo9SMsMTSZPAe63_H4Zotaqldk8fyy0ZrJf3M-8-NEubE8NB3hmVS212B6POhGLGBdHyUiVg2abJAj6Lt_2LrLMJGatmEa9OomHkMDUk/s1600/robert+frost_1.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557985621238069410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWkTkeZBJEgVFAmYicfnNWhJGAY5HIAMtvn7ZGo9SMsMTSZPAe63_H4Zotaqldk8fyy0ZrJf3M-8-NEubE8NB3hmVS212B6POhGLGBdHyUiVg2abJAj6Lt_2LrLMJGatmEa9OomHkMDUk/s400/robert+frost_1.bmp" style="float: left; height: 286px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a></strong></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>"Science says the first word on everything, and the last word on nothing"</em> </strong></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> – Victor Hugo</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What thoughts do you habitually think before sleep claims you? Do you keep track of such things?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Science does but the conclusions are conflicting</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>so you can pretty much believe what you want on such matters with some scientist's blessings.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Last night, I was mulling over Robert Frost's evocative poem about the winter wind and a lovely window flower.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span><strong><em>She a window flower,<br />And he a winter breeze.<br /><br />When the frosty window veil<br />Was melted down at noon,<br />And the caged yellow bird<br />Hung over her in tune,</em></strong></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span><strong><em><br />He marked her through the pane,<br />He could not help but mark,<br />And only passed her by,<br />To come again at dark.</em></strong></span></span><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>He was a winter wind,<br />Concerned with ice and snow,<br />Dead weeds and unmated birds,<br />And little of love could know.</strong></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong></strong></span></em><br /><strong><span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before the rest of the poem could murmur within my sleepy brain, </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">a thin, reedy voice spoke to my right.</span></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My ghost cat, Gypsy, yowled her "I am the only friggin' ghost allowed here tonight" yowl.<br /><br />"All literature begins with geography."<br /><br />I pried lead-heavy eyelids reluctantly open.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gypsy shoved her tiny head under my pillow, grumbling low. Robert Frost smiled at her from his ghost chair by my bed.<br /><br />He gazed off into the darkness and murmured one of the last lines he ever wrote while alive:</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span><em>"Unless I'm wrong<br />I but obey<br />The urge of a song<br />I'm—bound—away!<br /><br />And I may return<br />If dissatisfied<br />With what I learn<br />From having died."</em><br /><br />He turned his eyes back to me.</span></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"As it turned out, I was quite satisfied with what I learned. But Elinor has chased me out of our celestial farm tonight."<br /><br />He rubbed his chin ruefully.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"She says I always get insufferable on this day."<br /><br />Gypsy pulled her head out from under the pillow and yowled. Robert Frost shook his head and answered my cat.<br /><br />"Upon this day in 1963 I learned that my "In the Clearing" collection had won the Bollingen Prize for best book of American verse, 1962. It oddly pleased me to no end for some reason."<br /><br />I tried to blink some clarity to the fog of my awakening mind. "Ah, Mr. Frost ...."<br /><br />"Rob, please."<br /><br />"Uh, Rob, do you really think all literature begins with geography?"<br /><br />He laughed.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Starting with absolute pronouncements is an old teaching trick, Roland.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">You were a teacher as was I. You know that. It is human nature to rail against them, to kick holes in them, thus thinking through your own beliefs in the meantime."</span></strong></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx-SeIkQOetzUXl7NMQAhP8l2bXnLoukFJ6OgeIMgrR66b_Wmm8vmc6z0DEw5rfNFG2toq9uwouspdUtonYzhbKy4LkP0kYVmNT3CJ-FgtNFO7H7IbHz8EEjKWogGZ4sFH8jGNjTimHj7Mcn_M98OjnNzqpP4WFJkaTS9tnmkqeiDkhyphenhyphen9WV4arOSwsRk/s580/Robert_Frost,_1910s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="410" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx-SeIkQOetzUXl7NMQAhP8l2bXnLoukFJ6OgeIMgrR66b_Wmm8vmc6z0DEw5rfNFG2toq9uwouspdUtonYzhbKy4LkP0kYVmNT3CJ-FgtNFO7H7IbHz8EEjKWogGZ4sFH8jGNjTimHj7Mcn_M98OjnNzqpP4WFJkaTS9tnmkqeiDkhyphenhyphen9WV4arOSwsRk/w283-h400/Robert_Frost,_1910s.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">He pursed his lips like a troubled librarian for a moment.</span></strong></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"But geography certainly shaped my own poetry. You could call these places "Frost Country":<br /><br />San Francisco, Lawrence, Derry, England, Franconia, Shaftsbury, Ripton and Bennington. These are the literary time capsules of my beliefs and will enrich your enjoyment of my poetry."<br /><br />Gypsy angrily muttered under her feline breath, and Robert Frost chuckled, "No that is not the reason I disturbed your sleep, ghost-cat."<br /><br />He patted his knees.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"I wanted to tell you, Roland, to persevere. You, and all your blog friends, have more talent than you believe, and this new year will bring fresh harvests."<br /><br />He rose slowly, smiling ruefully.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day."<br /><br />He started to fade like a dream upon awakening.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"No great wisdom from beyond I'm afraid. In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."<br /><br />He tapped my shoulder with all-but-invisible hand.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense."<br /><br />The last thing I saw was his faint smile.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Now, back home to Elinor. Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."<br /><br />And he was gone.<br /><br />So? Do you have any tricks you use when you want to make your readers think?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And do you think Rob was right? Does all literature begin with geography? Do the important places in your life affect how and what you write?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">What thoughts do you usually mull over as you drift off to sleep?</span></strong></span><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><strong><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">**</span></strong><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CSvQR-Rgkpg?fs=1&hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CSvQR-Rgkpg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></object></div></div></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-85434140324164150112024-02-26T20:13:00.005-06:002024-02-26T20:18:26.816-06:00ARE WESTERNS SET TO MAKE A MOVIE COMEBACK?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2_Z8hSSshUE" width="320" youtube-src-id="2_Z8hSSshUE"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>My Western Samuel McCord fantasies certainly hope so.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwRPeEI8-JEw-vGICZSpJaFh97mTA3hjfftR9tnskljod1Ze0rpfyyxLM1jTEmb-BI3C3BoPJKPsb1NwkuDbM-CoGcPAM6tnAVaDIEITHGIN7-Oqfjb7f1e-ne7gZVA9WaqAYmDiN2NMS7GYqxkPvdT2KEZYA__3GVZryW1guskZ53wlJpP5osu3FniQ/s1024/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_1112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1024" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwRPeEI8-JEw-vGICZSpJaFh97mTA3hjfftR9tnskljod1Ze0rpfyyxLM1jTEmb-BI3C3BoPJKPsb1NwkuDbM-CoGcPAM6tnAVaDIEITHGIN7-Oqfjb7f1e-ne7gZVA9WaqAYmDiN2NMS7GYqxkPvdT2KEZYA__3GVZryW1guskZ53wlJpP5osu3FniQ/w400-h309/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_1112.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EUFRKKI">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EUFRKKI</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Set in the same time period as Kevin Costner's HORIZON</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Grace Randolph likes STAGECOACH</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>as do I.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>In fact, back in the day</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>John Wayne could have played Sam McCord ...</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>and once did in fact!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/12bMPdk_UoE" width="320" youtube-src-id="12bMPdk_UoE"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ExsrT5-2A1s" width="320" youtube-src-id="ExsrT5-2A1s"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>What do you think?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Are Westerns due for a comeback?</b></span></p><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-70155192010017131862024-02-24T18:21:00.000-06:002024-02-24T18:21:06.077-06:00POETRY DIES FIRST, THEN PROSE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C8d8hbIJobC1TwRlxrFDQ12wP6QJj1MuxktWHp_kEZwmidLMaYy_lrE4odxysBlCerVQgFS2Q54F7bNCzxNcCFnbqtQUYdrsUSiGXL6fYcYxL5CtBsV8Dzptx_xzWto5DSnaptPSjy5dkqoW5LcesszDJCMgwFN3s_DvhzuAmi83snzbZGZbKep6PVs/s960/woman-3551832_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C8d8hbIJobC1TwRlxrFDQ12wP6QJj1MuxktWHp_kEZwmidLMaYy_lrE4odxysBlCerVQgFS2Q54F7bNCzxNcCFnbqtQUYdrsUSiGXL6fYcYxL5CtBsV8Dzptx_xzWto5DSnaptPSjy5dkqoW5LcesszDJCMgwFN3s_DvhzuAmi83snzbZGZbKep6PVs/w400-h265/woman-3551832_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>"The poetry of the earth is never dead."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>- John Keats</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”</span></b></span></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">- Robert Frost</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought, and the thought has found words.”</span></b></span></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - Robert Frost</span></b><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xfdt_lZn3hauBIWMgfpXi7d-p32XKPXrmWaUnSp1xbgNohiP2J8YBVh-jmSegitHRKMui0mtrvRYDPALHaQOIAmolNIicEhXKdErO166HB2ROWW-lVHK5rT28Xf0P_-d1w8kI0ZYEgc/s1600/dead-poets-society1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xfdt_lZn3hauBIWMgfpXi7d-p32XKPXrmWaUnSp1xbgNohiP2J8YBVh-jmSegitHRKMui0mtrvRYDPALHaQOIAmolNIicEhXKdErO166HB2ROWW-lVHK5rT28Xf0P_-d1w8kI0ZYEgc/s400/dead-poets-society1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Has poetry become the slide rule of literature, of the arts?</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The knee-jerk instinct is to strongly deny that assertion. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But sadly wanting something to be true does not make it true.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 1992, <span style="font-size: x-large;">17%</span> of Americans had read ONE poem IN THE PRIOR YEAR. ONE IN A YEAR'S TIME.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 2012,<span style="font-size: x-large;"> 6.7%</span> had read ONE poem IN THE PAST YEAR. 6.7%! ONE POEM!</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since 2002, the number of poetry readers has contracted <span style="font-size: x-large;">45%</span> -- </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the steepest decline in any literary genre.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Poetry is less popular than jazz, dance, and knitting. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It only beats going to the opera by a slim percentage.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">From 2004 to 2015 Google Searches for poetry have fallen faster than a brick kite. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today's Google Searches for poetry are only <span style="font-size: x-large;">20%</span> of what they were ten years ago.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our hearts want it to be otherwise, but the numbers say different.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Still, I read poetry daily for it sings to me as no other prose does and whispers my soul's thoughts:</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I live alone, I look to die alone:<br />Yet sometimes, when a wind sighs through the sedge,<br />Ghosts of my buried years, and friends come back,</span></span></b></i></p><p><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />My heart goes sighing after swallows flown<br />On sometime summer's unreturning track. </span></span></b></i><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - Christina Georgiana Rossetti<br /> </span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aS1esgRV4Rc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aS1esgRV4Rc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-5811181356676284992024-02-21T08:10:00.000-06:002024-02-21T08:10:46.123-06:00NOCTURNE FOR POETRY<p> <b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">National Poetry Day?</span></span></span></b></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But since Poetry is an endangered species of literature, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">it comes and goes unnoticed by most.</span></span></b><br /><b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is a tip of my Stetson to Poetry and its unremembered day:</span></span></b><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmO5ZAWYzQ4OStM_cC2z41pQemTAWQp2_v4FthXnU0VRp0whuDh4pc9rNrXGLNWhQe_PaHNQaSpoiO8ixxtfG5wBRIhRXnzcpfzeFXKQRKfIX6JeyHpsPBvTZaG5VzzL2KcMzMB1m3C2_N/s1600/Gypsy_2.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmO5ZAWYzQ4OStM_cC2z41pQemTAWQp2_v4FthXnU0VRp0whuDh4pc9rNrXGLNWhQe_PaHNQaSpoiO8ixxtfG5wBRIhRXnzcpfzeFXKQRKfIX6JeyHpsPBvTZaG5VzzL2KcMzMB1m3C2_N/s320/Gypsy_2.bmp" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I have a ghost cat. Gypsy is her name. It's all right if you think I am crazy. Most days I do as well.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Being a ghost, she warns me when I am about to be visited in the midst of my sleep. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>She mutters under her breath as she was muttering now.</b></span></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GGsZqRN96-5YbrkNdHZ6x5kPbbG6jTnaHEerO3vlEsEQm0jLbzjP6jZs99pOuLwVktMzwvCI7I65DggHNl_k-pLowiOy9ZtmK97yZwUQUPFepTPizt2awTmXBENYRMjevMEpbiHh3d7n/s1600/robert+frost.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GGsZqRN96-5YbrkNdHZ6x5kPbbG6jTnaHEerO3vlEsEQm0jLbzjP6jZs99pOuLwVktMzwvCI7I65DggHNl_k-pLowiOy9ZtmK97yZwUQUPFepTPizt2awTmXBENYRMjevMEpbiHh3d7n/s320/robert+frost.bmp" width="245" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b>A reedy voice quavered in the darkness by my bed, "I have been one acquainted with the night. </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b></b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness</span>"</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Robert Frost slowly materialized in a misty cane chair by my bed. </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"I thought people would always be held fixed by poetry -- not necessarily mine. But now, poetry is as dead as I."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Gypsy muttered something in cat and shoved her head under my pillow, and Frost shook his head,</b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: "times";"></span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Yes, even more so since I am keeping your loyal cat awake."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>He smiled at my frown. "I am fluent in Cat."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>His smile died, "But no one is fluent in the magic of poetry any more it seems."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I murmured a bit of <i>"I Knew a Woman"</i> by Theodore Roethke:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"I knew a woman, lovely in her bones</b></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>When small birds sighed,</b></span></i><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b><i>she would sigh back at them."</i></b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>He shook a long forefinger at me. "You do not count. You are Lakota."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I snorted, "We Lakota hear that a lot."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>He ignored me. We Lakota are used to that, too, and he whispered,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Society has been changing in a way that did not favor the reading of poetry. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>From the Me Generation of the '70s to the get-rich-quick '80s, </b></span></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>to the "Disagree With Me, And I Will Try and Erase You," our culture became intensely prosaic.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Ambiguity, complexity and paradox fell out of favor. You the living embraced easily defined goals and crystal-clear communication </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>(Ronald Reagan was president, presiding over the literalization of America).</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Fewer politicians seemed to quote contemporary poets in speeches, </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>and the relatively small number of name-brand, living American poets died or faded from view.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>By the '90s, it was all over. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you doubt this statement, consider that poetry is </b></span></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>the only art form where the number of people creating it is far greater than the number of people appreciating it.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Anyone can write a bad poem.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>To appreciate a good one, though, takes knowledge and commitment. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As a society, you lack this knowledge and commitment. People don't possess the patience to read a poem 20 times before the sound and sense of it takes hold.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>They aren't willing to let the words wash over them like a wave, demanding instead for the meaning to flow clearly and quickly. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>They want narrative-driven forms, stand-alone art that doesn't require an understanding of the larger context."</b></span><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJD4JDPDTlqY7kZ-rVlNdt_0bm919FOCS1z9oxqOD5qY28ulTOmLBLSg5kdfKcXxBOjJ5pqUX-r5nW-JwqsDSduv18eE1mwEQVkifTSatLwN3Eg6ozJDJSFeJrDaBGgv4Zamq9bbRqKwI/s1600/HEMINGWAY+IN+PARIS.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJD4JDPDTlqY7kZ-rVlNdt_0bm919FOCS1z9oxqOD5qY28ulTOmLBLSg5kdfKcXxBOjJ5pqUX-r5nW-JwqsDSduv18eE1mwEQVkifTSatLwN3Eg6ozJDJSFeJrDaBGgv4Zamq9bbRqKwI/s320/HEMINGWAY+IN+PARIS.png" width="233" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The ghost of Hemingway materialized beside him, sipping from a glass of whiskey. </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Roland is part of a world that apotheosizes the trendy, and poetry is just about as untrendy as it gets. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Bored housewives want to read books with buzz, the latest trend."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I shook my head. "Not everyone."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>They both said as one, "You don't count."</b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: "times";"></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: "times";">I was starting to get a complex.</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Hemingway muttered, </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Poetry is designed for an era when people valued the written word and had the time and inclination to possess it in its highest form."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Frost nodded, "Poetry is dead."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Hemingway scowled over to me. </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"If poetry is dead, you prose writers are in the next ward over, wheezing noisily, with your family gathered around looking concerned and asking about your silverware."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I shook my head and murmured from Theodore Roethke again:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.<br />I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.<br />I learn by going where I have to go.<br /><br />We think by feeling. What is there to know?<br />I hear my being dance from ear to ear.<br />I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow."</b></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span></i><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>And since Gypsy is now a ghost cat, she drew her tiny head out from under the pillow</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>and yowled in a voice which sent shivers through the marrow of my bones,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b> <i>"Little do you two-leggeds know of the things that ink may do, how it can mark a dead man's thoughts for the wonder of later years, and tell of happenings that are gone clean away,</i></b></span></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>and be a voice for us out of the dark of time, and save many a fragile thing from the pounding of heavy ages; or carry to us, over the rolling centuries,</b></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span></i><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span><b><i>even a song from lips long dead on forgotten hills.”</i> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>With that, Gypsy thrust her tiny ghost head under my pillow. </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Frost turned to Hemingway and sighed, "When ghosts of cats speak wiser and lovelier than we, it is time to go."</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Which they did.</b></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHAT DO YOU THINK? </b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>IS POETRY DEAD? </b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU READ POETRY?</b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b> WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU COMMITTED A VERSE TO MEMORY?</b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cofvKWy_zlQ" width="420"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-56052315226065714862024-02-19T11:29:00.005-06:002024-02-19T12:42:09.673-06:00THE GHOST OF MARK TWAIN ON PRESIDENTS' DAY<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIueSe3qRy6kcr7RA72ySs3BCX8EncooAeJRXkYE4kTj_-OvGJtVI5OjrkseHnBbR7S1izr707oakNzk9eGrpWy5owcoReTl0vRiUjhLR3imCdT-c2zv6Op5Eq9U_QTqdox0xJ4whcJI/s1600/mark.twain.ghost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIueSe3qRy6kcr7RA72ySs3BCX8EncooAeJRXkYE4kTj_-OvGJtVI5OjrkseHnBbR7S1izr707oakNzk9eGrpWy5owcoReTl0vRiUjhLR3imCdT-c2zv6Op5Eq9U_QTqdox0xJ4whcJI/s400/mark.twain.ghost.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDWYFWlP38OVlEE0mS_mqLOR3_ZTnYVfNH21zUoeY9pq7jml0eC8ol6NUkz6wbQLh3NY9iTRgqGs3SLnTztf62ahtK07SvSvoJbI0Gyx8g5sBsEcIieZZFSIi005Rh5HccxJMIbCqrvE/s1600/mark+twain+ghost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan;">Ghost of Mark Twain</span> here at Roland's with Midnight a'studying me from the fireplace <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">mantle.</span></span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i>President's Day ...</i></span> </span></span></b></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No, I am not going to rant on the farce of your current political situation ...</span></span></b><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">except to say that politicians are like diapers, and should be changed frequently ... and for the same reasons.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You would think presidents would have compassion on idiots ...</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">on account of personal experience and heredity.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZaersGwu32EQ2gVKmIo8wCXW0FUMARz4tXIpYQ6kjQtw8NjFi-Q0qzrrlrMQh-L7kQJtQ5WHkZ8Vy2xCSE1k7Sz9_ubdl7fLSqwNhEAu3tkL6DsS9QofBW1EtKwDkv5SVVk1SDrDGZ4UZruZLZWlhesHJr4Ol5hifhePZQMlqOQ5BrHe_Y8n6wxul68/s1599/roland's%20stetson_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZaersGwu32EQ2gVKmIo8wCXW0FUMARz4tXIpYQ6kjQtw8NjFi-Q0qzrrlrMQh-L7kQJtQ5WHkZ8Vy2xCSE1k7Sz9_ubdl7fLSqwNhEAu3tkL6DsS9QofBW1EtKwDkv5SVVk1SDrDGZ4UZruZLZWlhesHJr4Ol5hifhePZQMlqOQ5BrHe_Y8n6wxul68/s320/roland's%20stetson_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>Roland, and I share the same distrust of any politician. Roland's studied history, and I have lived it!</span></span></b></div><div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Take the presidents on this day set aside for them ...</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrOBea6sIvPP9x9dYbIksS1tJ5_9vCkUgcXsuMf-blVgumQL8JPFeZrIullVwZVohtu0Ls7Qu1PuFlyMSVkt-XBTraCvvWrs9WgU2PoFI4i-wvzix2fvD6xs8ueTAbmIk4u-RoFoorZ-jrcuOZQ-bkRxcBkljq5tVCcrEXN4o3P9ZXxBnl02uJazx2BI/s599/Theodore_Roosevelt_by_the_Pach_Bros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrOBea6sIvPP9x9dYbIksS1tJ5_9vCkUgcXsuMf-blVgumQL8JPFeZrIullVwZVohtu0Ls7Qu1PuFlyMSVkt-XBTraCvvWrs9WgU2PoFI4i-wvzix2fvD6xs8ueTAbmIk4u-RoFoorZ-jrcuOZQ-bkRxcBkljq5tVCcrEXN4o3P9ZXxBnl02uJazx2BI/s320/Theodore_Roosevelt_by_the_Pach_Bros.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DID TEDDY ROOSEVELT ORDER A MASSACRE?</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When old Teddy Roosevelt was sworn to office the Phillipine-American war had been raging for two years already, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roosevelt had been in office for not even a fortnight when he heard the terrible news </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that 50 US soldiers had been killed on the island of Samar. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This being the biggest single military loss since the battle of the little Bighorn 25 years prior, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roosevelt sort of lost his calm and ordered General Jacob H. Smith to "sort this mess out once and for all"</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> thus leading to the massacre of thousands at the "Balangiga massacre" namely most being civilians.</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> </span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Smith was quoted saying to his troops,<span style="color: cyan;"> </span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan;">"I want no prisoners. I wish for you to kill and burn; the more you kill and burn the more it will please me." </span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Smith was noted for being a brutal man having played his part in the <span style="font-size: x-large;">Wounded Knee massacre</span>, was this the reason Smith was chosen for the task? </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />It is noted that when the General was court martialed and found guilty of this massacre </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roosevelt reprimanded and retired Smith. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNISslp3dtfUzmJAGEy2nykZ4llaLkSUcCl7G7DHxViylBzSgN_p7mRfkoFnWmQA0dEtj-aEpnFGA43XKVC2BbSrtAy4-SpODE_HAnF4Z76YPZu3hAkEeslaaRTK4D-CxXwHA0Cs1gvGnxNbygWHtcn-cy0R-5Wkv6QiSD8u8CqLhxLjJ4hG54Li3NHUY/s600/Andrew_jackson_head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="494" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNISslp3dtfUzmJAGEy2nykZ4llaLkSUcCl7G7DHxViylBzSgN_p7mRfkoFnWmQA0dEtj-aEpnFGA43XKVC2BbSrtAy4-SpODE_HAnF4Z76YPZu3hAkEeslaaRTK4D-CxXwHA0Cs1gvGnxNbygWHtcn-cy0R-5Wkv6QiSD8u8CqLhxLjJ4hG54Li3NHUY/s320/Andrew_jackson_head.jpg" width="263" /></a></div></span><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DID ANDY JACKSON INDULGE IN THE FIRST ETHNIC CLEANSING?</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pilgrims, the more I learned about presidents, the more I loved my dog.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jackson expelled 100,000 Natives from their homelands. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a soldier Jackson had already acted mercilessly towards the natives, killing and exiling large numbers of them, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and as US president he signed the "Indian Removal Act,"</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">which was effectively a death sentence for thousands more. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> This law permitted the relocation of Native American tribes </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">such as the Cherokee,Seminole and Chickasaw peoples in order to create territories for white settlers. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The move was so rapid and so badly organized that an estimated 25% of those deported </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">died of hunger, hypothermia or exhaustion. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This terrible chapter in US history is known as the <span style="color: cyan;">Trail of Tears</span>. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QZ4QWMa553d4-eHccHGopDSRujyOnutDYJXC9AA1l-qfsu89iYystsgufLuyJYTmvan2mctMcanaBDqWgIWB83nieEXG42oTUfbf9IdT36je-E6xzNS9BarC_A4fee3RJ7-VxZfNaLg77FMjIWqb0oFIiEEXW2Jypx-SZciDTEYQCKGOqcCyUZqxIfg/s3000/Washington_1772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QZ4QWMa553d4-eHccHGopDSRujyOnutDYJXC9AA1l-qfsu89iYystsgufLuyJYTmvan2mctMcanaBDqWgIWB83nieEXG42oTUfbf9IdT36je-E6xzNS9BarC_A4fee3RJ7-VxZfNaLg77FMjIWqb0oFIiEEXW2Jypx-SZciDTEYQCKGOqcCyUZqxIfg/s320/Washington_1772.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DID HONEST GEORGE START A WORLD WAR?</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The history of the USA begins with George Washington, don't you know. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the age of 22, when he was still a British Officer in the American colonies, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Washington was involved in an incident that is still debated by historians today. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> In May 1754, the French sent a diplomat out to secure the territory, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">but Washington ambushed the Frenchman, the French negotiator and up to 13 of his soldiers were killed. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> This incident caused the French and Indian wars in North America, which culminated two years later into the Seven Years War (1756-1763), </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A bloody conflict between the great European powers of the time.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Many historians consider this the first world war as it was the first to be fought in America, Europe and Asia. </span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And America has been mistaking it way from war to war ever since.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhWPNdYCYarrRmxrWyRxTfMLY9m9FwjpKUvrXhEhQX2V1-UxCAO6ek9NgUgqvu_shOzaLeMwGqds3x-FU0GDcLqso0MssjrBOeCUcRn7-AwvO5uZrVq43fCi_OFXGPCWWzeEt2mcz1lWzxyCfxHT3ZZp4wXHvkcYSfcC75kIB4CQ6R6DakznGmnBvsoo/s599/Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhWPNdYCYarrRmxrWyRxTfMLY9m9FwjpKUvrXhEhQX2V1-UxCAO6ek9NgUgqvu_shOzaLeMwGqds3x-FU0GDcLqso0MssjrBOeCUcRn7-AwvO5uZrVq43fCi_OFXGPCWWzeEt2mcz1lWzxyCfxHT3ZZp4wXHvkcYSfcC75kIB4CQ6R6DakznGmnBvsoo/s320/Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">WAS RONNIE REGAN A F.B.I. INFORMER?</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Reader, I am not trying to convince you of anything here. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have long since learned it is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From Hollywood actor to the most powerful man in the world. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> In the years following WW2 he spied on his fellow actors in Hollywood for the FBI, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reportedly under the codename T-10.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Film actors were part of the Screen Actors Guild union </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and in the mind of the former head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, every union was a secret society of communists.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> In return, the FBI actively supported Reagan's political career right up until his presidency.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwUQCNg2kxs6YxvMu9kSzOMVheGhFD-cCr9nCHHaAxBXQKoXE8_HiZC642ueTX_lyq0BscUfR1Y388VO88fWGR-ZiP11sxbcyzKnms01YXPG3kTLIhhRY172TruP3ouWbCUMMRha5Jc71lMFLOkN0fFs2BEVgz3sAmlTg2Prfre6xE_DxvszrLrQRtFQ/s1063/800px-37_Lyndon_Johnson_3x4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwUQCNg2kxs6YxvMu9kSzOMVheGhFD-cCr9nCHHaAxBXQKoXE8_HiZC642ueTX_lyq0BscUfR1Y388VO88fWGR-ZiP11sxbcyzKnms01YXPG3kTLIhhRY172TruP3ouWbCUMMRha5Jc71lMFLOkN0fFs2BEVgz3sAmlTg2Prfre6xE_DxvszrLrQRtFQ/s320/800px-37_Lyndon_Johnson_3x4.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">JOHNSON NAMED HIS JOHNSON "JUMBO"</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Look at the "kindly" eyes of that pilgrim.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why the man envied Kennedy his affairs and commenced to have more. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Johnson would make passes at secretaries, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and it was known that any who accepted would be promoted to private secretary,</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> two words that in this context, children, should probably have <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: cyan;">air quotes</span></span> around them anytime they are uttered. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By the time he was done, virtually all of his secretaries, plus his two mistresses, got the Johnson Treatment.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The man certainly had his issues, don't you know, and would whip out his "Johnson" (or Jumbo as he called it) in public. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During a Cabinet meeting, when asked why the U.S. went into Vietnam, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Johnson reportedly whipped it out and bellowed, “This is why!”</span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Reader, suppose you were an idiot, and then suppose you were a president ... but I repeat myself.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXNr9tCrJi1hXZxt6ScXJwqFdB7B5F0PtqXOlOoQ5C38ZHwQD8EGv7euHaXryVZNMlsf4hvWSew2nGEMoc7AVaV3JkHIlajLWQoMI_Nm20jUBqoOCXHMFKOsxSuvvpqeHQEU_O18CnA0CSLXyfN4XwWPLa-fioXSpYce-1fsCRlO8GIsi1e1Jt7BnBoQ/s1030/800px-Grover_Cleveland_-_NARA_-_518139_(cropped).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXNr9tCrJi1hXZxt6ScXJwqFdB7B5F0PtqXOlOoQ5C38ZHwQD8EGv7euHaXryVZNMlsf4hvWSew2nGEMoc7AVaV3JkHIlajLWQoMI_Nm20jUBqoOCXHMFKOsxSuvvpqeHQEU_O18CnA0CSLXyfN4XwWPLa-fioXSpYce-1fsCRlO8GIsi1e1Jt7BnBoQ/s320/800px-Grover_Cleveland_-_NARA_-_518139_(cropped).jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: orange; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">WAS OLD GROVER A DATE RAPIST?</span></b></div></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Old <b></b>Grover Cleveland – </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A presidential secret that most people don’t know about him is that long before that Cosby fellow ...</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He was accused of being a rapist. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maria Halpin, a store clerk, claimed he violently raped her after a night out.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> She then had a child, the paternity test was never known, but he did pay child support ...</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">after placing the child in an orphanage and putting the store clerk in an insane asylum!</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Of all the animals, Man alone is cruel and inflicts pain for the pleasure of it.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You may, of course, disagree with me with impunity ... since I am not the sitting president.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7nWx0OPFhHRe1kTN4leFZpct8uvskjCgwzvOcRZLigMrdyZB3ScHPs2Pl9603pkatQ4HzLNoSpTFqNLQ24adZRw7ItmI6mIGiyro5DR_j5Z9qDO5kMqjyO8wZXa1eYNoLbr9fxejdK7kie06ABm6vQ55_wuIt34uFoaQusjQk-bOxBI3b_tl7y73FeQ/s1087/800px-Warren_G_Harding-Harris_&_Ewing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7nWx0OPFhHRe1kTN4leFZpct8uvskjCgwzvOcRZLigMrdyZB3ScHPs2Pl9603pkatQ4HzLNoSpTFqNLQ24adZRw7ItmI6mIGiyro5DR_j5Z9qDO5kMqjyO8wZXa1eYNoLbr9fxejdK7kie06ABm6vQ55_wuIt34uFoaQusjQk-bOxBI3b_tl7y73FeQ/s320/800px-Warren_G_Harding-Harris_&_Ewing.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">OLD HARDING WAS AN INSPIRATION TO JOHNSON</span></b></span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another "kindly" eyed man, twenty-ninth president Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923) </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">repeatedly made love to a young girl, Nan Britton, in a White House closet. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On one occasion, Secret Service agents had to stop his wife from beating down the closet door!</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNF5_Vtdl9BMmyc-uw0zlVzrsU_cexd5-RGK1Ny_HptbaPpLccYKYDYvPKCA5_4IT1TZS7-d7rSNek9zeTpHbtyPuGIfLmRTETLElBmHtMtSyxSDnc2q6WMMMsVfh3isYJ__KYAtCscntftcGiTiI_MTvdO8KiZEpSIJTsJkx0TQU__DqflfVSj7c5RA/s900/Official_Presidential_portrait_of_Thomas_Jefferson_(by_Rembrandt_Peale,_1800)(cropped)%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="732" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNF5_Vtdl9BMmyc-uw0zlVzrsU_cexd5-RGK1Ny_HptbaPpLccYKYDYvPKCA5_4IT1TZS7-d7rSNek9zeTpHbtyPuGIfLmRTETLElBmHtMtSyxSDnc2q6WMMMsVfh3isYJ__KYAtCscntftcGiTiI_MTvdO8KiZEpSIJTsJkx0TQU__DqflfVSj7c5RA/s320/Official_Presidential_portrait_of_Thomas_Jefferson_(by_Rembrandt_Peale,_1800)(cropped)%20(1).jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">TO JEFFERSON ALL MEN WERE CREATED EQUAL ... UNLESS YOU WERE HIS SONS.</span></b></span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Thomas Jefferson Foundation </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #01ffff;">(</span><span style="color: cyan;">why do I not have a foundation I ask you?!)</span></span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">from DNA and historical evidence believe that, years after his wife’s death, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thomas Jefferson was the father of the six children of his slave, Sally Hemings, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">mentioned in Jefferson's records, including Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemings. </span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Madison and Eston were released in Jefferson's 1826 will. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jefferson gave freedom to no other entire slave family.</span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>America, I have found, is full of cruelties, vanities, and hypocrisies ... but all the other countries are no better ...</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>for they are ruled by men.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_u5ox516i2wQ40uU9opzLCNlT4izjaf3rtr_4cBiHb5JwQ4lC0RxQa5cX6D5jKH_PZXKKunh5zIzKd4wJ1RJb8u6TKXDC0ymDlv2EztqXiwK0K2QW-Xun-xeT8EXpUHQPGI4_90QdqEL-4F-j67Z3WO9qgmDlVHpfdGpSMwLDC5R_c6wYG2Or4l3yqM/s1030/800px-Grover_Cleveland_-_NARA_-_518139_(cropped).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_u5ox516i2wQ40uU9opzLCNlT4izjaf3rtr_4cBiHb5JwQ4lC0RxQa5cX6D5jKH_PZXKKunh5zIzKd4wJ1RJb8u6TKXDC0ymDlv2EztqXiwK0K2QW-Xun-xeT8EXpUHQPGI4_90QdqEL-4F-j67Z3WO9qgmDlVHpfdGpSMwLDC5R_c6wYG2Or4l3yqM/s320/800px-Grover_Cleveland_-_NARA_-_518139_(cropped).jpg" width="249" /></a></div></span><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PRESIDENT WOODY ALLEN, AH, I MEAN GROVER CLEVELAND</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> A longtime close friend of Oscar Folsom, Grover Cleveland, at age 27, met his future wife shortly after she was born. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He took a keen interest in the child, buying her a baby carriage and otherwise doting on her as she grew up. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When her father, Oscar Folsom, died in a carriage accident on July 23, 1875, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">without having written a will, the court appointed Cleveland administrator of his estate.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-firstladies_2-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Folsom_Cleveland_Preston#cite_note-firstladies-2"></a></sup> </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This brought Cleveland into still more contact with Frances, then age 11.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Sometime while she was in college, Cleveland's feelings for her took a romantic turn. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He proposed by letter in August 1885, soon after her graduation. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> They did not announce their engagement, however, until just five days before the wedding.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, children, I'd tell you more but I've gone and depressed myself and bored Midnight! </span></span></b></span><div><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NMVQvAWr_2g" width="320" youtube-src-id="NMVQvAWr_2g"></iframe></div></span></b></span></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>For More Of Mark Twain and Historical Figures ...</b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN70_8bcQ62hh0qCvyilzTJ7SLkc5psqtmDo9bif0OI4tTIwMeEHXFgsHC7oxIV4CeP-QyEhuodTdIZStnqiUo-FQoKD5LxyHgfsmnUOuzpvfgQAbS9js0NOfE7bRS3wpolpABbXBTzpcT1_iQg-zc4Cus4lMUcSKI-XDAJXhakqkBA-gbfLoHf4dNLk/s1024/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1024" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN70_8bcQ62hh0qCvyilzTJ7SLkc5psqtmDo9bif0OI4tTIwMeEHXFgsHC7oxIV4CeP-QyEhuodTdIZStnqiUo-FQoKD5LxyHgfsmnUOuzpvfgQAbS9js0NOfE7bRS3wpolpABbXBTzpcT1_iQg-zc4Cus4lMUcSKI-XDAJXhakqkBA-gbfLoHf4dNLk/w400-h309/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_1111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EUFRKKI">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EUFRKKI</a></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-34544458545953381312024-02-12T09:06:00.000-06:002024-02-12T09:06:41.462-06:00I HATE MARDI GRAS<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyHBmMbfZF6TbHyimTHSWwOeWC_EsdjmntALvcV2KQ5wdMtV3kFVCF4C_MW_rt0H2zMmwDM_rsTkeh8bwYvGzmhBjvI-q7Y90PHMeuumhY6X-d40vli6GRbSQmWeLfiZXhaTRARRtWcY/s1600/carnival-998092_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyHBmMbfZF6TbHyimTHSWwOeWC_EsdjmntALvcV2KQ5wdMtV3kFVCF4C_MW_rt0H2zMmwDM_rsTkeh8bwYvGzmhBjvI-q7Y90PHMeuumhY6X-d40vli6GRbSQmWeLfiZXhaTRARRtWcY/s400/carnival-998092_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Blasphemous words here in</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> South West Louisiana for sure!</span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Billed as the biggest free party on Earth, </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;">Mardi Gras</span></span> </i>is known worldwide.</span></span></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3vm0eL3U1Up-UT212H98vWKxMLHPDczQb3SKK3Gq7VPbnfJC_fVz3oh51zmkIl7-gWGDuTwpp39arUX4nC7PnswpnAAARw1T8sPLU3q-EZiuBQZAH97z2_EVHbFODjSKUOwFiyzxZiA/s1600/mask-348590_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3vm0eL3U1Up-UT212H98vWKxMLHPDczQb3SKK3Gq7VPbnfJC_fVz3oh51zmkIl7-gWGDuTwpp39arUX4nC7PnswpnAAARw1T8sPLU3q-EZiuBQZAH97z2_EVHbFODjSKUOwFiyzxZiA/s400/mask-348590_1280.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Colorful costumes. Spectacular parades. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Elegant pageants. Masked balls. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> People dancing in the streets to rhythmic, intoxicating music. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All with an air of carefree abandon. As the music reverberates, alcohol flows. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wildly elaborate floats glide down the street, with frenzied masqueraders onboard. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Crowds of onlookers shout encouragement. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-9nBvGKWGqKhz7rQVP_i_inHDiiAHPSF034XEvgngRMMulJRoc-WLs3FDbyar_yCP5wlcGQsux2K19W0JecLpOpkJirxmmC4HdGMrwmyNgU7jKCzHm2D9WjbHKIgNfB89lys7qrimK4/s1600/mardi-285793_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-9nBvGKWGqKhz7rQVP_i_inHDiiAHPSF034XEvgngRMMulJRoc-WLs3FDbyar_yCP5wlcGQsux2K19W0JecLpOpkJirxmmC4HdGMrwmyNgU7jKCzHm2D9WjbHKIgNfB89lys7qrimK4/s400/mardi-285793_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This may come as a surprise, </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: orange;">Mardi Gras</span></i></span> long predates Christianity. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The earliest record comes from ancient times, </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">when tribes celebrated a fertility festival that welcomed the arrival of spring, a time of renewal of life. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Romans called this pagan festival Lupercalia in honor of <i>“Lupercus,”</i> the Roman god of fertility. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lupercalia was a drunken orgy of merrymaking </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">held each February in Rome, after which participants fasted for 40 days. </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZf45HFTuCv9sab7DzvkAKOQRFaRj-dXRCf7BEvjA5HsuYiUJIyI4nWrbR1Gbc7KzIe_i_xoJK4bcj9a9-agvTOtQxUL_2-C0bqwCBWweetptWjTeYdbmPxTdSsBK2Spi1Zhvoj_osMA/s1600/face-mask-178262_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZf45HFTuCv9sab7DzvkAKOQRFaRj-dXRCf7BEvjA5HsuYiUJIyI4nWrbR1Gbc7KzIe_i_xoJK4bcj9a9-agvTOtQxUL_2-C0bqwCBWweetptWjTeYdbmPxTdSsBK2Spi1Zhvoj_osMA/s400/face-mask-178262_960_720.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Am I a party-pooper?</span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No, I am a rare blood courier, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and I see the bloody toll the partying and alcohol-fueled driving and anger takes on my community.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Countless times today I was delayed and detoured on stat runs </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to make way for the parades and for drunken people staggering to line up hours in advance of the parades.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When a patient is bleeding to death, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and a drunken woman staggers off the sidewalk directly in my van's path, I sigh.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The parades all seem to be routed directly in front of the hospitals.</span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Waiting for a traffic light to change, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I watched the crowds on the sidewalk as a grandmother bumped and ground like ...</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">an exotic dancer. </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was impressed with her limberness, </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">saddened by her two young, perplexed grandsons watching her, a bottle held tightly in her fist.</span></span></b><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzSAQUmV6u20t1m7Wf28ybHFne_s3k7Hhcl8f3KX9OAxfLbm6w0GdT3nxOmjY3C1ZJyuEJ0X-MXqkgAZeuBsDZB20RuVM74az5LKC2XdK-Xq6YeTdGR4OMuMiSyw_biwDD5_4xBbH24E/s1600/new-orleans-255548_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzSAQUmV6u20t1m7Wf28ybHFne_s3k7Hhcl8f3KX9OAxfLbm6w0GdT3nxOmjY3C1ZJyuEJ0X-MXqkgAZeuBsDZB20RuVM74az5LKC2XdK-Xq6YeTdGR4OMuMiSyw_biwDD5_4xBbH24E/s400/new-orleans-255548_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><em>Laissez le bon temps roulez!</em> </span></span></b></span></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roughly translated, it means: “let the good times rule.” </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The French saying comes alive during Mardi Gras.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Surely, Mardi Gras must be good for the economy, right?</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tell that to the short-staffed nurses </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(since many of their co-workers call in sick with the <i>Mardi Gras Flu</i>) </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">as they struggle in the E.R.'s and the I.C.U's dealing with the aftermath of those <i>good times</i>.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The jobs that support <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: orange;">Mardi Gras</span></i></span> in particular </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and tourism in general tend to be service industry positions that oftentimes do not pay high wages.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In fact, frequently the wages are so low </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">that employees have to work multiple jobs to keep the lights on and the cupboards from going bare.</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My supervisor long since stopped taking his young daughters to the parades </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">since one was knocked down to the sidewalk by an adult lunging to catch cheap beads --</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and his other daughter had her ankle mangled by a stomping foot of a drunken reveler. </span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: orange;">Mardi Gras</span></i></span> </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">has become a sad term to me.</span></span></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MbZx2naSQd8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MbZx2naSQd8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-68039773973696463822024-02-05T22:32:00.060-06:002024-02-06T09:47:14.842-06:00The YCU __ IWSG Post<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLe5lGjJgYPATgXGY5vdZsSDqOFIrRuEGvH3TbDw6GutEH48G6t7qzBWfFdphdlgm15KOqaMSxgfiQ8ajYCtEjZBOVR5V-jUJGhj--1Pa8aMiOAmbpbDUCGJKxx-AB5C5LjJthOZTVfQ1vQ8pPdwxEx9ch5xD5HMochREP30Bt-o5w53bdDtIs8whXpYE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="229" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLe5lGjJgYPATgXGY5vdZsSDqOFIrRuEGvH3TbDw6GutEH48G6t7qzBWfFdphdlgm15KOqaMSxgfiQ8ajYCtEjZBOVR5V-jUJGhj--1Pa8aMiOAmbpbDUCGJKxx-AB5C5LjJthOZTVfQ1vQ8pPdwxEx9ch5xD5HMochREP30Bt-o5w53bdDtIs8whXpYE" width="259" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>You've all heard of the MCU, right?</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrzUvJAUQOo8vXFIbsWqX0guHhkoM9IQIGjXnihrpmgkwnIyPbgvyUGS5MmHBlOtBpDV7HBFcDPNYEiEzwFWFwRj_sjEMiaACp9CwbxZsIgVYOA1S66YirMqUbVkP93WL_2SVP3jEhOVu9ILTh9GZiWUCpnRsSBh3iA7FpMpANg4LlnPhgIMCwJvcZlc/s1200/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrzUvJAUQOo8vXFIbsWqX0guHhkoM9IQIGjXnihrpmgkwnIyPbgvyUGS5MmHBlOtBpDV7HBFcDPNYEiEzwFWFwRj_sjEMiaACp9CwbxZsIgVYOA1S66YirMqUbVkP93WL_2SVP3jEhOVu9ILTh9GZiWUCpnRsSBh3iA7FpMpANg4LlnPhgIMCwJvcZlc/w200-h113/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe_logo.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Well, there is also the YCU:</b></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">The Yeomans Connected Universe!</div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">The latest entry:</div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspECGQI8lcDbJK9FMIRCwYqTvkPalAAnH56h82LZh0exiN0jKnyl9VpUVWUy5IQNN__DcNlT4jAYl6_34sVL0MERJbUGlDeFkTe9D3qXoP3_U4TnHA0Q0SsgP0kiF197k185c3sXLpmXLF9xb-Q38Xn_FqI3AwSgbwHtB_odJgpzqPSIYQA8r5WHSHA/s3988/Same%20As%20PB%20Cover%20(1)_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="3988" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspECGQI8lcDbJK9FMIRCwYqTvkPalAAnH56h82LZh0exiN0jKnyl9VpUVWUy5IQNN__DcNlT4jAYl6_34sVL0MERJbUGlDeFkTe9D3qXoP3_U4TnHA0Q0SsgP0kiF197k185c3sXLpmXLF9xb-Q38Xn_FqI3AwSgbwHtB_odJgpzqPSIYQA8r5WHSHA/w400-h279/Same%20As%20PB%20Cover%20(1)_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNR5T9DW" style="font-size: x-large;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNR5T9DW</a><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">Book 1 of the THREE DAY SAGA</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>Has several recurring characters from the other sagas in my connected universe:</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzd9lmu8Et0A2OroThPeB2xwEocG7QNhE8AnauYbHIcUtIHBUpScXo5E4e3V-Z7zGQ5fxQXfSr7wx1NPLUFxodLSkHHrNqMepHCQKiBB6wRo21vy_Ukdbv4hlhakFR0O7mZyuY825gf3a-bmztW1OnqEVQnqFYtk4IJjqm_gfzTFGbt5C4GltxpzUdf0/s800/DAREAEL_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzd9lmu8Et0A2OroThPeB2xwEocG7QNhE8AnauYbHIcUtIHBUpScXo5E4e3V-Z7zGQ5fxQXfSr7wx1NPLUFxodLSkHHrNqMepHCQKiBB6wRo21vy_Ukdbv4hlhakFR0O7mZyuY825gf3a-bmztW1OnqEVQnqFYtk4IJjqm_gfzTFGbt5C4GltxpzUdf0/w400-h266/DAREAEL_11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>DARAEL, the Seraph Provocateur from the DARK HOLLYWOOD SERIES.</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>DAYSTAR, though he goes by the name of Mr. Morton, to young Richard Blaine in New Orleans and shows his true face:</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXgKY2qku-wC1W8s6-aOnXuawa08DzpDXlu_nNdOexlolqIbb4Om92mTjMtYmjcWGi7AuOORvT5juSuWu6MwBxBbBduNL2jZozVYcUxyTwTw68z-pIFW1kbotwErMqUzSPGj8yh422oGoybqOWGZ0FcLdUqcpdG3nB6af0b-cJFMq-_33vP8q3d6erQg/s1280/vampire-4884919_1280_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXgKY2qku-wC1W8s6-aOnXuawa08DzpDXlu_nNdOexlolqIbb4Om92mTjMtYmjcWGi7AuOORvT5juSuWu6MwBxBbBduNL2jZozVYcUxyTwTw68z-pIFW1kbotwErMqUzSPGj8yh422oGoybqOWGZ0FcLdUqcpdG3nB6af0b-cJFMq-_33vP8q3d6erQg/w400-h266/vampire-4884919_1280_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>In SAME AS IT NEVER WAS's Sequel, OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WORLDS</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-CFdNRklTIkdKTkob21HmJD4P494OWW1avnZCIRgo58Jc05VNjbYgdPCjqpulOh9m_fq_XjYpIlAI6EFJsvNHMbjGWtfri4Xs5gUqPXHGcCpq-eI6FtkHQ8YMP6w1wg8jyQb7fWl6wI1mGvfu4oryaYwhI6snPEZus348bP7InEiKqE-hqBQp1rY21w/s2000/sainw2x_pe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-CFdNRklTIkdKTkob21HmJD4P494OWW1avnZCIRgo58Jc05VNjbYgdPCjqpulOh9m_fq_XjYpIlAI6EFJsvNHMbjGWtfri4Xs5gUqPXHGcCpq-eI6FtkHQ8YMP6w1wg8jyQb7fWl6wI1mGvfu4oryaYwhI6snPEZus348bP7InEiKqE-hqBQp1rY21w/w400-h300/sainw2x_pe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div>Major Richard Blaine and his Spartan 3oo meet a 10 year old Victor Standish </b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>in the Jurassic Period who has been dumped there by his mother, the Angel of Death.</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8wzaOz-YZ0hP5hjvE419YFTTGHjZbuyFDU5Dh0f-YzHv9yV9aAs0rlwhMKs1xJxkAkWz56O3PJ5Frk12YVO8d7rmCQtJKUdRxRsbiOHzpsvKmvuP9VI_3Msq22m_8OpLBJsTg2WAxjytpW-T_2Ih0W-psKmJuve2yrcRf_G1pxuXH2KXR282Z29zj0I/s2121/dreamstime_m_187754713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2121" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8wzaOz-YZ0hP5hjvE419YFTTGHjZbuyFDU5Dh0f-YzHv9yV9aAs0rlwhMKs1xJxkAkWz56O3PJ5Frk12YVO8d7rmCQtJKUdRxRsbiOHzpsvKmvuP9VI_3Msq22m_8OpLBJsTg2WAxjytpW-T_2Ih0W-psKmJuve2yrcRf_G1pxuXH2KXR282Z29zj0I/w400-h266/dreamstime_m_187754713.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">VICTOR STANDISH,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">you ask.</span></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>His legend in order <br />(sort of, for the kid gets around Time due to his mother!)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>THE LEGEND OF VICTOR STANDISH</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>UNDER A VOODOO MOON</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>THE RIVAL</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(which takes Victor to 1834</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>to meet Edgar Allan Poe</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>and the vampiric Abigail Adams</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>who also appears in Same As It Never Was!)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxflR4KndZgldMrZ3YqwMvO8ovY8QOmyqThslsN1e6cTQqKCZxxre7CtC2O2jp2zG_XdAPaRag7MuoeUE4zaOfb6KKgQxjZe28eISiEU3TTTF-EkZUnjOm9ghJjmCN5XTepLSugv0vHH6H5B7zulAsReAyDkdcEiMmBj6VyEpBOHhTRJmq3Feo4XYb784/s979/Abigail%20Adams_Revenant%20Ruler_111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="979" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxflR4KndZgldMrZ3YqwMvO8ovY8QOmyqThslsN1e6cTQqKCZxxre7CtC2O2jp2zG_XdAPaRag7MuoeUE4zaOfb6KKgQxjZe28eISiEU3TTTF-EkZUnjOm9ghJjmCN5XTepLSugv0vHH6H5B7zulAsReAyDkdcEiMmBj6VyEpBOHhTRJmq3Feo4XYb784/s320/Abigail%20Adams_Revenant%20Ruler_111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>END OF DAYS</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">(right after Katrina)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQbAXY9oFZghG_v0GKw760CYb0UPVsTnaK_f413tlooIAkSdAbmL8p5csyVq_Ji6N14JFLiIwRI5VaampiP79llKjne9EgaBvzFXrm0ClfS3_GAeubfQ7fAFUd5Erod6Ykizn6br3hUr8L-WQAjbTZLJrGJFyg2N7VOvUB7gTbYM_Fd50HCrUVWTpTrI/s1600/END%20OF%20DAYS%20(1)_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1277" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQbAXY9oFZghG_v0GKw760CYb0UPVsTnaK_f413tlooIAkSdAbmL8p5csyVq_Ji6N14JFLiIwRI5VaampiP79llKjne9EgaBvzFXrm0ClfS3_GAeubfQ7fAFUd5Erod6Ykizn6br3hUr8L-WQAjbTZLJrGJFyg2N7VOvUB7gTbYM_Fd50HCrUVWTpTrI/w319-h400/END%20OF%20DAYS%20(1)_1.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">THREE SPIRIT KNIGHT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(which takes Victor to the </b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>Citadel at the End of Time</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>to save his father.)<br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>His father, you ask?</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDddAZSsh3dPx4yAbWqRBpIDMj8yvVne6CHr-VpqBc195nqmCF6HdjmukWDhdw5XM3lJEIA72xgA0hrGbCkVAMYeOy2unELwhyphenhyphenA8SArl5Wcr2suO5jdwdyyVjG52Jo-h1kL86fmwZHAwIWmJ1EuA-NqCUJvRgFssLgzedo3Ok6N0wAlu5DxTJR9GfTc7M/s1024/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1024" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDddAZSsh3dPx4yAbWqRBpIDMj8yvVne6CHr-VpqBc195nqmCF6HdjmukWDhdw5XM3lJEIA72xgA0hrGbCkVAMYeOy2unELwhyphenhyphenA8SArl5Wcr2suO5jdwdyyVjG52Jo-h1kL86fmwZHAwIWmJ1EuA-NqCUJvRgFssLgzedo3Ok6N0wAlu5DxTJR9GfTc7M/w400-h309/not%20so%20innocents%20aborad_audio_111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>SAMUEL DURAND McCORD</i></span></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(His adventures take him all</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>over the world)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>In Order</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(sort of, c'mon look at his kid!)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">RITES OF PASSAGE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">and</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ADRIFT IN THE TIME STREAM</span></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(1852)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">NOT-SO-INNOCENTS ABROAD</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">and</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">NOT SO INNOCENTS AT LARGE</span></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>(1867)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>With Mark Twain, Abigail Adams again,</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>an insane Abraham Lincoln, General Sherman.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">fae, and </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dragons</span><span style="font-size: large;"> over Paris!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxObdzAdTojsOmKVP2v6hMQ93jrNmtBstpxj4npltewJkLA2JOInXh_QU_t2PCU7qpX1Iy-lf1SFbFyzAYdfA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">DEATH IN THE HOUSE OF LIFE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">and</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">THE STARS BLEED AT MIDNIGHT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(1895)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>With Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nicola Tesla, the undead Abigail Adams,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Winston Churchill, grey aliens,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and the truth behind</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>the CHARIOTS OF THE GODS!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>HER BONES ARE IN THE BADLANDS</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(also Book Zero of </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE DARK HOLLYWOOD SERIES)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(1926)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large;">Marlene Dietrich, John Ford, David Niven,</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Errol Flynn</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EVOLVED RAPTORS!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">FRENCH QUARTER NOCTURNE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">and</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">CREOLE KNIGHTS</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(2005</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>after Katrina)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Different volumes of my short stories:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BRING ME THE HEAD OF MCCORD!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TALES OF THE LAST WOLF</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>HUNTER'S MOON</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(whose first/last stories are of Wolf Howl --</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>we'll get to the last shaman later!)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TALES TO BE TOLD AT MIDNIGHT</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(Sam at the end of the universe!)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oh, I mentioned the Dark Hollywood series,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>didn't I?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDI3nruKysb7L8Vd1vKFCIziZ1tJuk49vlyLpSiACedOCaFGZ9bRxv2Mm8VfACyWnR0QwDuXFp6wfiCqpQwTe90uJWwAzJ2Ree0YsPmrnyM8Ygo97Y361UWhQQ0ntrM7VcufGfLfLtNPAwDGAK7OXtOUP2HVLhixqqEJXH6ZhlpL2oSq7znp-354-MiI/s960/DARK_HOLLYWOOD_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDI3nruKysb7L8Vd1vKFCIziZ1tJuk49vlyLpSiACedOCaFGZ9bRxv2Mm8VfACyWnR0QwDuXFp6wfiCqpQwTe90uJWwAzJ2Ree0YsPmrnyM8Ygo97Y361UWhQQ0ntrM7VcufGfLfLtNPAwDGAK7OXtOUP2HVLhixqqEJXH6ZhlpL2oSq7znp-354-MiI/w400-h266/DARK_HOLLYWOOD_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">FRENCH QUARTER REQUIEM</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">(1946)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gfbscHQbVvrqV1qzPL-F8Ip40L9gaCJskjQnsiBo9HMbXF79WLcBIn78Fg_00lNBbnl1CPER_fg2MxdBeOF4AavlUfqc0nYkOth7hUBLzmSUl1TEL5OwgxqC2FpMgABr31Mw3wQAVpOPhqnfVBRA2ZHZ-tj5L-L_gW6vuc0RXs5HfchpIF6YYg7Arps/s445/FQR11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gfbscHQbVvrqV1qzPL-F8Ip40L9gaCJskjQnsiBo9HMbXF79WLcBIn78Fg_00lNBbnl1CPER_fg2MxdBeOF4AavlUfqc0nYkOth7hUBLzmSUl1TEL5OwgxqC2FpMgABr31Mw3wQAVpOPhqnfVBRA2ZHZ-tj5L-L_gW6vuc0RXs5HfchpIF6YYg7Arps/w269-h400/FQR11.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084P819CQ">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084P819CQ</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A former O.S.S. sociopathic agent, Lucas, who lives by</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>the words of Marcus Aurelius</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cecil B. DeMille, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>the truth behind the Sultan Murders,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Orleans' 1st mass murder.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The fabled and late Narrator's,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scott O'Dell, last works.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You should hear his eerie performance of these</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>greats.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEWARD THE JADE CHRISTMAS</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1946</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jimmy Stewart</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DARAEL's</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> introduction</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQT4JrMgSIEH1VoIV1tAMqeGLoHkmKaSk6Mhq9O5rxV90K3s2vMrrxmBeWhZ6Igdizf_hzDW6p-tjeZpQeuH6TulzztzgTU5cA1opExgWILXG3c-dBVAdKxPoOilb-9SJsSX900eFdQpnIe0rlu4VfuPX5daUi5ERvECJJ2A0Np5ybBCSb7tOQqA-3Gk/s2700/Razor(2)_1_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1818" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQT4JrMgSIEH1VoIV1tAMqeGLoHkmKaSk6Mhq9O5rxV90K3s2vMrrxmBeWhZ6Igdizf_hzDW6p-tjeZpQeuH6TulzztzgTU5cA1opExgWILXG3c-dBVAdKxPoOilb-9SJsSX900eFdQpnIe0rlu4VfuPX5daUi5ERvECJJ2A0Np5ybBCSb7tOQqA-3Gk/w269-h400/Razor(2)_1_1.jpg" width="269" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">RAZOR VALENTINE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1947</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Orleans's 1st Mardi Gras</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>after WWII.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lucas, his undead love, Ingrid,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jimmy Stewart, Frank Capra,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cesar Romero</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nuestra Senora de la Santa Muerte.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Our Lady of the Holy Death</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>to snatch Ingrid from Lucas.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmFGiwS4me1Zcoa0fp2qguCVPtGTbKe5m-u0kvV2eXtQ9xlfjaEDPKowYN9JUfwxIhakALSRGQxggLK2NAoRVxfmi3hoPAWqQFo0Ku9KSqTZHukW5gbtRT6sS2_UJ7Kkt573RlJDZe7GFlhxBQb7a_UNYXInLuoqNYYh92yUeNrrfppKBnLbz08kuW_M/s3784/Night%20Seasons_FULL_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2771" data-original-width="3784" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmFGiwS4me1Zcoa0fp2qguCVPtGTbKe5m-u0kvV2eXtQ9xlfjaEDPKowYN9JUfwxIhakALSRGQxggLK2NAoRVxfmi3hoPAWqQFo0Ku9KSqTZHukW5gbtRT6sS2_UJ7Kkt573RlJDZe7GFlhxBQb7a_UNYXInLuoqNYYh92yUeNrrfppKBnLbz08kuW_M/w400-h293/Night%20Seasons_FULL_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">NIGHT SEASONS</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1948</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lucas discovers the identity</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>of his lost father</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>as he and his best friend, M&M,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>try to save the life of their old boss</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>in the O.S.S</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>half a world away from New Orleans</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Also Darael clashes with DayStar</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and the Old Ones for the fate</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>of the world in the near future.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">NO RE-SHOOTS FOR DEATH</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WIP</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1949</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kpoqilqdBYgttwMxSFm3IBX5NY4KNkUcGGjFobZoXpaVz4jAfRhVXbDDSnD3pG_1GQ4rMVbMJUM0uQjJ8LUM0rJzog9_C0Tywkuj2xtw3jg2YWWtKm1RMTdOZMD0REH-v7STKbwCJ34J5Fx91a6thoE5QY9oPEH2q3EtoRAoMhb6avPn9TPjJmaE2Q8/s1800/RESHOOTS%20(2)_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1800" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kpoqilqdBYgttwMxSFm3IBX5NY4KNkUcGGjFobZoXpaVz4jAfRhVXbDDSnD3pG_1GQ4rMVbMJUM0uQjJ8LUM0rJzog9_C0Tywkuj2xtw3jg2YWWtKm1RMTdOZMD0REH-v7STKbwCJ34J5Fx91a6thoE5QY9oPEH2q3EtoRAoMhb6avPn9TPjJmaE2Q8/w400-h280/RESHOOTS%20(2)_11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><b>Lucas and Jimmy Stewart are reunited</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>with Orson Wells on the set of</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE THIRD MAN</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and run into Major Blaine and his</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Spartan 3oo on their own mission.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>No, I didn't forget </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WOLF HOWL:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRIEjhjfuYoheBDh6EXlMj_Pky1MP8sDC_ReZfD7hrbYdo0t1jqrTWmmkpmP6TbZUbMluIP7GUUtvVqbCn7rGOEZb6PyTuTqRQi2PIS4YrEPDSdeExZzTbAAwZw31SLlIWrNmcfrdtUkQ7ux1wXkGi_HL0m3RYGG-IYmlYXdaTcbQsEgG3JA5B-bdcRM/s1024/Last%20Shaman_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1024" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRIEjhjfuYoheBDh6EXlMj_Pky1MP8sDC_ReZfD7hrbYdo0t1jqrTWmmkpmP6TbZUbMluIP7GUUtvVqbCn7rGOEZb6PyTuTqRQi2PIS4YrEPDSdeExZzTbAAwZw31SLlIWrNmcfrdtUkQ7ux1wXkGi_HL0m3RYGG-IYmlYXdaTcbQsEgG3JA5B-bdcRM/w400-h290/Last%20Shaman_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1517251982">https://www.amazon.com/dp/1517251982</a><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyttBOL_MG1egL60V_eUUtDGLKoodv6TlBO8dqELtdkrLZ5pDC4XptF4373_IpiFMGEgeyiIFZqRr05C0v57A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>Besides starring in</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">HUNTER'S MOON</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and teaching</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>homeless teens</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>in Katrina-devastated New Orleans</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">in </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">END OF DAYS,</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WOLF HOWL</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>struggles to save the world</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>from the Mayan 2012 prophesy</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>with Nikola Testa and his long lost love</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shadow in</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>RETURN OF THE LAST SHAMAN</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva3Z66SfHAQoPi8R8zigs-cohlsVR06-JGWOXarAjLiHmXek6inDw6dLy1zXVPBoJqoFHanxCJFg6A4AizM6RN-UFPUv6NtrH5IGxkvJ8kIi4t2FvX_Z2ppEQdIuGL-XuRQaRV_2hbYdh2NNhyphenhyphenmcTIh7Vba-fa9kQHb3fLYGVAVkRbjbgD8ffnIG_bAo/s1175/RETURN%20OF%20THE%20LAST%20SHAMAN_THE%20GREATEST%20ADVENTURE+12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="1175" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva3Z66SfHAQoPi8R8zigs-cohlsVR06-JGWOXarAjLiHmXek6inDw6dLy1zXVPBoJqoFHanxCJFg6A4AizM6RN-UFPUv6NtrH5IGxkvJ8kIi4t2FvX_Z2ppEQdIuGL-XuRQaRV_2hbYdh2NNhyphenhyphenmcTIh7Vba-fa9kQHb3fLYGVAVkRbjbgD8ffnIG_bAo/w400-h265/RETURN%20OF%20THE%20LAST%20SHAMAN_THE%20GREATEST%20ADVENTURE+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Oh, Wolf Howl</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>brought a friend with him</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>to END OF DAYS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJD9sW3o23UPo0iTjWx1tdNjAsEmlB1h5uymdpdVSmWuNQB7_q79Xl76LgGrRTTuj6wYkSmV89MLhgrnIeucpcxeMS_f5qY3iE3LEx-GpzBPRMDBCnrI0tinyxPLQUe1izN-ZY0qLQWVsaOs_oyabLG-auYHompC8TdBEiindK1ao1Wk6_tzz4V3fO76I/s970/BEAR_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="970" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJD9sW3o23UPo0iTjWx1tdNjAsEmlB1h5uymdpdVSmWuNQB7_q79Xl76LgGrRTTuj6wYkSmV89MLhgrnIeucpcxeMS_f5qY3iE3LEx-GpzBPRMDBCnrI0tinyxPLQUe1izN-ZY0qLQWVsaOs_oyabLG-auYHompC8TdBEiindK1ao1Wk6_tzz4V3fO76I/w400-h248/BEAR_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>You might want to check out my 32</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>audio books of the YCU</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>starring Francene Lockett, Robert Rossmann,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scott O'Dell, Charlie James, Jack de Golia,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mark Kamish</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>who narrated my own adventures</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>across the YCU</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>as I am framed for the murder of the</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ghost of Ernest Hemingway!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Helped by the ghosts of</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mark Twain and Marlene Dietrich!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD-COe5qPTLUBjEDxPlZhA1Fhki3w71ewiXjru1rFhe2cIwtuwXLRkxRtSuUISTedPhlRJ1Lp7m9xdnlbcMUuElyH5ow5fptJigBTGRRoT01OzsCRSVisnheSjPvOLui_NVorvNzpkZVuA8NSXgtErLDpVf0F2eez9hMdMbQjLvKZjOPHFgEroXYMD5c/s500/gghot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD-COe5qPTLUBjEDxPlZhA1Fhki3w71ewiXjru1rFhe2cIwtuwXLRkxRtSuUISTedPhlRJ1Lp7m9xdnlbcMUuElyH5ow5fptJigBTGRRoT01OzsCRSVisnheSjPvOLui_NVorvNzpkZVuA8NSXgtErLDpVf0F2eez9hMdMbQjLvKZjOPHFgEroXYMD5c/w400-h400/gghot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1534981861">https://www.amazon.com/dp/1534981861</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoHEMHp2yGJMkXnCbJ2Hi1mCXVbVCvA4bZvqCx1vF-RbRIxqj_jcVGluoOrAipOhMHFAPw17fS1n-XJtzFvlbpbCkF05ZI3FI9UWCARTKgC17bjNPSrHpXHyJIZd1vExn3JwjHhY6wvE2eKr2kagCrnbUTSTfFTmo21Tsr7jUGjGjNmUV6k2uJegR6qc/s1600/Roland's%20Banner%20small%20(1)+1_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoHEMHp2yGJMkXnCbJ2Hi1mCXVbVCvA4bZvqCx1vF-RbRIxqj_jcVGluoOrAipOhMHFAPw17fS1n-XJtzFvlbpbCkF05ZI3FI9UWCARTKgC17bjNPSrHpXHyJIZd1vExn3JwjHhY6wvE2eKr2kagCrnbUTSTfFTmo21Tsr7jUGjGjNmUV6k2uJegR6qc/w400-h100/Roland's%20Banner%20small%20(1)+1_11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ijKuoVoEB84" width="320" youtube-src-id="ijKuoVoEB84"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-24410659057793631762024-01-31T09:40:00.001-06:002024-01-31T09:40:29.645-06:00WHAT SELLS THESE DAYS?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW_Wy24uCzJ_icqHgYNejZ6ThZ7HTrfmr687qsnKPEEawa4GNARx-AtBmhBTXu1p-MOIHVbctbZuAmzS-E_ke7q-EaATGhtUZNPXzB4R81ow6ckSRD-vcAhBVmfRODVlO_BCN7xXc-mj8eI3ehE87_oU-s9IWUWk5oDPpNNrrZe-I31QbOwVQEMThVJM/s1280/sex-2398037_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1280" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW_Wy24uCzJ_icqHgYNejZ6ThZ7HTrfmr687qsnKPEEawa4GNARx-AtBmhBTXu1p-MOIHVbctbZuAmzS-E_ke7q-EaATGhtUZNPXzB4R81ow6ckSRD-vcAhBVmfRODVlO_BCN7xXc-mj8eI3ehE87_oU-s9IWUWk5oDPpNNrrZe-I31QbOwVQEMThVJM/w400-h181/sex-2398037_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>The crass among us might say "Sex sells."</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>But this is no longer the era when</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>50 Shades of Grey</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>sizzled the page and movie screens.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B4BkX05eQmYo4e4Xk7acA3QtGLZYHj16_ozojnPC-zbstdPI5CbM3GNOFk-X7vnmn87ts2J0hNlhUTqaRZZ4nwf3EaHpBpX_aEmK8ula3ZqhIB7rxeV1i9LCnU1lgE7BpHsVE3KCi4DkIpPf_7ywxu7Xg8RLDT9zrSLwDtxBae3KZ4s1267j4vW0ZJE/s960/movie-1673021_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="960" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B4BkX05eQmYo4e4Xk7acA3QtGLZYHj16_ozojnPC-zbstdPI5CbM3GNOFk-X7vnmn87ts2J0hNlhUTqaRZZ4nwf3EaHpBpX_aEmK8ula3ZqhIB7rxeV1i9LCnU1lgE7BpHsVE3KCi4DkIpPf_7ywxu7Xg8RLDT9zrSLwDtxBae3KZ4s1267j4vW0ZJE/w400-h271/movie-1673021_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Studio Heads might say</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"More of what sold before."</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9G6qIT5g_R_Z-WRSfBKklAz4ay9TR1H_WzVZ1qA06DKChTIAztlbWIytY2sT2V8GRyyNxbMnJE-4qvg_Zx3be-1HDFYejK9DtyDhPSrCybEsr77eNxpTfO7BpSc6O3mTkbCjorO6XKVuAeDJPLV9gPEPNdxIhrQCnWyT2y-47UDAf1c_TcGN-PZCdQI/s960/film-2233660_960_720%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9G6qIT5g_R_Z-WRSfBKklAz4ay9TR1H_WzVZ1qA06DKChTIAztlbWIytY2sT2V8GRyyNxbMnJE-4qvg_Zx3be-1HDFYejK9DtyDhPSrCybEsr77eNxpTfO7BpSc6O3mTkbCjorO6XKVuAeDJPLV9gPEPNdxIhrQCnWyT2y-47UDAf1c_TcGN-PZCdQI/s320/film-2233660_960_720%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>But the collapse of recent</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>box offices puts the lie to that.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYJawG1MbFNgBFI2M-j72r3JuD21_Ly9LFu7gjM-PPXxRBJFdTNH8Q435oXjUE2P8zis-BrpWBrUJ-M44t7jkm1csHojtqjMBF1qV0PHpupjq63C7AAczIl6rFgKNor1VZObzADgJcHuVLiFmoolj0IbFCjM8ThDgrC9iLeT-YH11hY5Ocu-9luulhR0/s284/220px-Samuel_Goldwyn_-_Jul_1919_EH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="220" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYJawG1MbFNgBFI2M-j72r3JuD21_Ly9LFu7gjM-PPXxRBJFdTNH8Q435oXjUE2P8zis-BrpWBrUJ-M44t7jkm1csHojtqjMBF1qV0PHpupjq63C7AAczIl6rFgKNor1VZObzADgJcHuVLiFmoolj0IbFCjM8ThDgrC9iLeT-YH11hY5Ocu-9luulhR0/s1600/220px-Samuel_Goldwyn_-_Jul_1919_EH.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Samuel Goldwyn would ask his</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>writers to</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"Give me more of the same ...</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Only different."</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9B8wDZj8_tsGxZyaQZuVYYGCf7GiCD4cjTlw8uleMX9ZK9Vgv3p_R9L-vBRyv3UHF6wuGuc804EtqPWCGclq0H3TFSE1f1KBgXxUa9yUfUA1u6FEl1x0HjFD3fH9omRJqiw1CK6cMl8Yj-JEyBMq1gg1sfgLCfHzwfOLZjm7_-RMjorw2hmd5_AMOCY/s309/Carl_Van_Vechten_-_William_Faulkner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="220" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9B8wDZj8_tsGxZyaQZuVYYGCf7GiCD4cjTlw8uleMX9ZK9Vgv3p_R9L-vBRyv3UHF6wuGuc804EtqPWCGclq0H3TFSE1f1KBgXxUa9yUfUA1u6FEl1x0HjFD3fH9omRJqiw1CK6cMl8Yj-JEyBMq1gg1sfgLCfHzwfOLZjm7_-RMjorw2hmd5_AMOCY/s1600/Carl_Van_Vechten_-_William_Faulkner.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>William Faulkner said,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"The only thing worth writing about is</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>the human heart in conflict with itself."</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITEL4P88fE6CK4f9SXNLjCT6ws5Tp3fpAWwXsPTetgCIAIp1BTESNSpVER-UqT8jqyy_fGEc3beScbRoKRTRUpFMPP6ajO376EMeQT4Gjt5qnkE1b5utc2x27AMUT6Yb0cqARN3jJ7z6aVpO_Dl8ShMRCvE6nJeRqFOZ-tO0m6ud50ajFy6y0ILHQOlA/s960/book-794978_960_720%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITEL4P88fE6CK4f9SXNLjCT6ws5Tp3fpAWwXsPTetgCIAIp1BTESNSpVER-UqT8jqyy_fGEc3beScbRoKRTRUpFMPP6ajO376EMeQT4Gjt5qnkE1b5utc2x27AMUT6Yb0cqARN3jJ7z6aVpO_Dl8ShMRCvE6nJeRqFOZ-tO0m6ud50ajFy6y0ILHQOlA/w400-h225/book-794978_960_720%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>But we're talking literature here.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>When was the last time you put down a new</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>book and said,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"This is literature."<br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYQWh8VGL3M" width="320" youtube-src-id="wYQWh8VGL3M"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Have you pushed yourself</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>in your writing lately?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hOH8U6NnzfDKAdi2Jlt8XlPlUxB__yCyNJpQz4xM-IHD9OOsgz36vy-J1vjUOIqt7QpKATDHMOm6fGpd5wLNH9v8ALpceKnMSvdl9jaJE6iHzvzVUSg5Xecq9Ocpmkcjc16Oy4MNPpScFnZDDN_dIQyeSH9VacaTiUJPqB7FqFZ7IrAn5KOW5CmS_1M/s960/stone-2127669_960_720.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="960" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hOH8U6NnzfDKAdi2Jlt8XlPlUxB__yCyNJpQz4xM-IHD9OOsgz36vy-J1vjUOIqt7QpKATDHMOm6fGpd5wLNH9v8ALpceKnMSvdl9jaJE6iHzvzVUSg5Xecq9Ocpmkcjc16Oy4MNPpScFnZDDN_dIQyeSH9VacaTiUJPqB7FqFZ7IrAn5KOW5CmS_1M/w400-h281/stone-2127669_960_720.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Have you contented yourself with</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>"the same old, same old"</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>And wondered why you are getting</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>the same tired results?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt0QPiIajBdKcJ9mOU0jyb29nmDxHuehQav37KtIHRgfpJpXrBF7hT3J1LVsS-_BMHDCE8MllD1nS5elbwkZGiRdkYWeBqsiOSeHHoT97PmYddHj9XszkVJGcLKGXXiwyvfttowZkFZUSS00HYRfoStQRolWBvaxf2ms9Q6sxlwusOC-cmCcK5aGPxB4/s1280/experiment-5594881_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt0QPiIajBdKcJ9mOU0jyb29nmDxHuehQav37KtIHRgfpJpXrBF7hT3J1LVsS-_BMHDCE8MllD1nS5elbwkZGiRdkYWeBqsiOSeHHoT97PmYddHj9XszkVJGcLKGXXiwyvfttowZkFZUSS00HYRfoStQRolWBvaxf2ms9Q6sxlwusOC-cmCcK5aGPxB4/w400-h266/experiment-5594881_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Going in a new direction is scary</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHWChezUCKrWRmI8CFxDR5k5wGwYfDVKPrZZljhBnhX4LL9ME74xJn-Z1o_sJRaxVfxG3ssaSY58MuB08zTFwfJ9o-9ArSCZ-XpEa0Qdn4I7MXVw5NFCOnQ-hegxhX2VMf8xmbfHmUijNkvIFQOF4zVIOpaQhK4doKr64krqjT5gI2Q4fZ4B-yZQhJ8w/s1280/ocean-3605547_1280%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1280" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHWChezUCKrWRmI8CFxDR5k5wGwYfDVKPrZZljhBnhX4LL9ME74xJn-Z1o_sJRaxVfxG3ssaSY58MuB08zTFwfJ9o-9ArSCZ-XpEa0Qdn4I7MXVw5NFCOnQ-hegxhX2VMf8xmbfHmUijNkvIFQOF4zVIOpaQhK4doKr64krqjT5gI2Q4fZ4B-yZQhJ8w/w400-h260/ocean-3605547_1280%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><b>You may not like where you land ...</b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>But you will have grown by the attempt<br />and the encounters with the unknown.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Try it ...</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>You have nothing to lose but new sales.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nNzgLu3Xy30" width="320" youtube-src-id="nNzgLu3Xy30"></iframe></div><p></p><p></p></span><p></p><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-29392141098901935832024-01-30T17:30:00.003-06:002024-01-30T17:30:34.792-06:00THE NIGHT OF THE UNIVERSE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhhNBfaK7xOw7G7b_jlOYCZoQjFakLizxWXAB4EF8hAlAtIaznPoGylYhZVup7NmDNoxT8KscpDSXfFCtgaidICdM0_qgaOVo4a411fvVzCddbnuR89aGC6P5g2EAxqFGFWOX_uLuuiMkq9lRjJCNMlpMSq7kgIBXksCseGeCCN8NvTVHbvUMBCrfm-U/s1280/Night%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhhNBfaK7xOw7G7b_jlOYCZoQjFakLizxWXAB4EF8hAlAtIaznPoGylYhZVup7NmDNoxT8KscpDSXfFCtgaidICdM0_qgaOVo4a411fvVzCddbnuR89aGC6P5g2EAxqFGFWOX_uLuuiMkq9lRjJCNMlpMSq7kgIBXksCseGeCCN8NvTVHbvUMBCrfm-U/w400-h400/Night%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 28.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">THE NIGHT OF THE UNIVERSE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“All human thought, all science, all philosophy is but the holding of a
candle to the night of the universe.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">- Darael<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYcTwimTCRqe40zO_1ZXWXDe9vCtVuCT1I-oVy14klIjwN3TTHTcn7wm43vjYtoZ9X9gxtQHZt0CyEQDeV2tmZlDRjCQbZs2g1JAQNB7djCZ6HECRjCJNLPELbhhAhxlCAQ6AYvY49EI4XXTMdiPmf0odiLJ0ZFiBvQ1SaQoEthIzMdR2DhGXs5Tyvyg/s1280/ai-generated-8530187_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYcTwimTCRqe40zO_1ZXWXDe9vCtVuCT1I-oVy14klIjwN3TTHTcn7wm43vjYtoZ9X9gxtQHZt0CyEQDeV2tmZlDRjCQbZs2g1JAQNB7djCZ6HECRjCJNLPELbhhAhxlCAQ6AYvY49EI4XXTMdiPmf0odiLJ0ZFiBvQ1SaQoEthIzMdR2DhGXs5Tyvyg/w400-h400/ai-generated-8530187_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I have always thought that Elohim in His Dark Mercy forever masks the
mind to full discernment and perception lest the revelations appall us to madness.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As when on mountain-heights, a glance behind betrays with knowledge, and
the climber slips down gulfs of fear to some enormous fall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘You think nonsense!’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘That you express yourself so well in language, a concept foreign to you but
moments before is ….’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Simplicity itself. I was crafted to adapt, to observe, to sail along new
planes of existence of which I was formerly ignorant. Even now, I am plumbing
the recesses of your primitive mind for what it has encountered.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Welcome to my world.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘There is little cause for gratitude in which I see.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I’m not much, but I’m all I have, Sentient.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Why do you insist on calling me that?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘It is the name you asked to be called. Now, I begin to see why.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A sad sigh filled my mind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘In essence, I named myself by insisting to be called by the appellation I
first heard applied to myself. How very quaint.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘In a sense, the future has impinged upon the past.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Bah! There is no Past, no Future, no Present. All is one.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Time is a cube?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Grasping to understand Reality, are you? Time has no more substance than
a shad0w … for that it what it is: merely the shadow cast by existence. You can
no more grasp Time than you can touch your own shadow.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Well, that is as clear as an eclipse.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I have repented of killing your so-called Spartan 3oo.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Good … because you picked them in the future that you say does not
exist.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Why would I do that?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I suspect you decided they would be useful in your designs.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘What designs?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘As with most things about you, I am unclear about them.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Why have I kept you alive for so long? You are most maddening.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Right back at you.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I suppose I must release you. The one you call Helen Mayfair is about to
harm Darael to escape his restraint.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I hardly think she could.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘His reluctance to harm her would allow her to harm him.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Like the turning on of a light, I was suddenly on my feet, standing beside
a bemused Sister Ameal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Helen Mayfair, rushed towards me her flaming arms outstretched to embrace
me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Darael, snorting in disgust, yanked her back by her trailing fiery hair.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Would you cremate the one you cannot have?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Oh, my!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And in middle of her exclamation, she changed from fiery angel to her smaller
human-seeming form. Darael smiled much too pleased with himself. I went cold
inside.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He had had another reason for Helen to appear human.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Voice that belonged to another Age echoed above me. I turned. The golden-toned
voice more hollow than I remembered laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I turned. A thirty-foot tall black-winged Mr. Morton towered above us. The
prehistoric sun struck fire from his strange armor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Slanted eyes without one flicker of recognition studied me, then turned
to Darael who had grown equally as tall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Cousin, last, I recall, we fought on opposite sides. And here, you bring
me these odd bipeds with which to play.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVr0ZxeEmc-dXD8PS-Crjh2DvOBKiJzkM9IpGE0wAM8DgDuOZMdK02ozrQbQgqUlG1euq3xeS1kN6YBdcQonZjhsmHdk37ZKDVBLt4QASSwr1yy3JBZbRgFZYfuqXvPaf1ZEPp_1GDTNFM4ANBpz5AHZOtRDg5omGoW2k8Rw9iHsaHQffEylKY77xJFE/s2121/dreamstime_m_271081220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2121" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVr0ZxeEmc-dXD8PS-Crjh2DvOBKiJzkM9IpGE0wAM8DgDuOZMdK02ozrQbQgqUlG1euq3xeS1kN6YBdcQonZjhsmHdk37ZKDVBLt4QASSwr1yy3JBZbRgFZYfuqXvPaf1ZEPp_1GDTNFM4ANBpz5AHZOtRDg5omGoW2k8Rw9iHsaHQffEylKY77xJFE/w400-h266/dreamstime_m_271081220.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBUTalZ_cnc" width="320" youtube-src-id="pBUTalZ_cnc"></iframe></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-47004397020601585732024-01-29T20:26:00.000-06:002024-01-29T20:26:00.506-06:00SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Rwtwd0FE12NUWpoafBIri7vkjSV4_SBIoOo2qvVElmnkq1ob0_qhd-bn_EZf6cCZC9hhUZ_xRCKD7WsokwdlYralMKHDwEc3Pp1s2Dhds6B2gquWSYUHR8eozYD-3fz40tH8Ofi3PikRq6QJFOCIsT8HC7d-__3zOUuUAxhTwXJoPZa2Dpgo81FCGvY/s1800/Shows_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Rwtwd0FE12NUWpoafBIri7vkjSV4_SBIoOo2qvVElmnkq1ob0_qhd-bn_EZf6cCZC9hhUZ_xRCKD7WsokwdlYralMKHDwEc3Pp1s2Dhds6B2gquWSYUHR8eozYD-3fz40tH8Ofi3PikRq6QJFOCIsT8HC7d-__3zOUuUAxhTwXJoPZa2Dpgo81FCGvY/w400-h300/Shows_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 28.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Great perils have this beauty, that they bring to light the fraternity
of strangers.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">– Victor Hugo<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJgLVuRGCbM7MhtZ1E5hLXVsl_s90x0VGQF1xRvs2ca5_Amnum7va4Rov-Yv67hCqCjgCjVq8kS2bJuC2uDcrWjnmHnq5TxAfcphcb-W4AaT8ohJLvtLtr9Fx41IrH0Vdz37U0EQdLm4idZnVWykE6pzsZAIr858uOe0VM3dNcjI-AiApV4ksTXVYn78/s2000/dreamstime_m_58009588_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJgLVuRGCbM7MhtZ1E5hLXVsl_s90x0VGQF1xRvs2ca5_Amnum7va4Rov-Yv67hCqCjgCjVq8kS2bJuC2uDcrWjnmHnq5TxAfcphcb-W4AaT8ohJLvtLtr9Fx41IrH0Vdz37U0EQdLm4idZnVWykE6pzsZAIr858uOe0VM3dNcjI-AiApV4ksTXVYn78/w400-h300/dreamstime_m_58009588_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Even a mirror will not show you yourself … if you do not wish to see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But pain … ah, yes pain. Pain will show you the self you should have been
smarter than to have been.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I am at a loss to describe the agony that Sister Ameal’s wiry fingers
about my temples brought me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">To describe is not important. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A thing happens once that has never happened before. Seeing it, a man
looks upon reality. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He cannot tell others what he has seen. Others wish to know, however, so
they question him saying, 'What is it like, this thing you have seen?' <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">So he tries to tell them. Perhaps he has seen the very first fire in the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He tells them, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">'It is red, like a poppy, but through it dance other colors. It has no
form, like water, flowing everywhere. It is warm, like the sun of summer, only
warmer. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It exists for a time upon a piece of wood, and then the wood is gone,
as though it were eaten, leaving behind that which is black and can be sifted
like sand. When the wood is gone, it too is gone.' <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Therefore, the hearers must think reality is like a poppy, like water,
like the sun, like that which eats and excretes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">They think it is like to anything that they are told it is like by the
man who has known it. But they have not looked upon <i>fire</i>. They cannot
really know it. They can only know <i>of</i> it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">They must look upon the fire, smell of it, warm their hands by it, stare
into its heart, or remain forever ignorant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Therefore, <i>'fire' </i>does not
matter, <i>'earth'</i> and <i>'air' </i>and <i>'water'</i> do not matter. <i>'I'</i>
do not matter. No word matters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But man forgets reality and remembers words. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The more words he remembers, the cleverer do his fellows esteem him. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Ghost-winds of thoughts wailed through my mind:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Language. Words! Your … words coalesce my thoughts into comprehension. Never
have I seen your species before. Who are you?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘Sentient! It is me. Don’t you remember?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I do not know this “Me” of whom you speak.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And then, it hit me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Sister Ameal” was like a car radio abruptly taken out of the range of
the radio station to which it had been tuned.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">All had been become silent within the construct of Sentient’s physical
avatar operating in the time of World War II. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Sister Ameal had not been dead … merely unplugged from her source.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And the current Sentient, orbiting this prehistoric world, had never before
seen Man or heard any of his languages.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">‘I have been so alone within myself for as long as I can remember … so
alone … but content in this unawareness of my aloneness … until now.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I felt a scalding rage sear my mind as if a boiling pan of water had been splashed upon it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><i>‘But never again will I feel such contentment. Never!</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><i> Because of you and
your uninvited intrusion into my thoughts! You have cursed me! Cursed me! For
this, I should end you and the rest of your herd!”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">"It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the
most inconvenient one, too."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
</p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">–<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">George Bernard Shaw<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkQlGGESwX_448jMsKvHiHFZXEqxCmVFkqYci89s4_qgpU84W27XxLHDLuu1u__FO6BuSvrFXQGE4eSRUe2zqfSRUpCFGCnQuczHQWMml1bvvsfXDiMItfjZuBRBO-9Ru6-MyWMApifhqZ2l1LXGzMMH1F9uiSBWrV0C5gz9odwTQH-6lRYN5_4WiYX4/s2000/sainw2x_pe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkQlGGESwX_448jMsKvHiHFZXEqxCmVFkqYci89s4_qgpU84W27XxLHDLuu1u__FO6BuSvrFXQGE4eSRUe2zqfSRUpCFGCnQuczHQWMml1bvvsfXDiMItfjZuBRBO-9Ru6-MyWMApifhqZ2l1LXGzMMH1F9uiSBWrV0C5gz9odwTQH-6lRYN5_4WiYX4/w400-h300/sainw2x_pe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L2DpXpdVj64" width="320" youtube-src-id="L2DpXpdVj64"></iframe></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-63026575285042794222024-01-26T21:04:00.004-06:002024-01-26T21:45:14.252-06:00THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TROUBLES<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvT9ccSS4G3Emfjmejz8FFj9ChG8qsRIpKSQo7yhK-1Bz7sZZz5CuCRtvjtQRT0S6kcNz1zBqszSgQOPeT3cAy-Zphj5AknzaHLMXH7Zphp3tOpuCGh5r8K7zddtarDlhj8XHim4YD_f96BlkJGBDYFYwSZYDxO9urwTEb8jcliQESQT0QYby-2V9uDs/s1800/Infernal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1800" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvT9ccSS4G3Emfjmejz8FFj9ChG8qsRIpKSQo7yhK-1Bz7sZZz5CuCRtvjtQRT0S6kcNz1zBqszSgQOPeT3cAy-Zphj5AknzaHLMXH7Zphp3tOpuCGh5r8K7zddtarDlhj8XHim4YD_f96BlkJGBDYFYwSZYDxO9urwTEb8jcliQESQT0QYby-2V9uDs/w400-h224/Infernal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>"The Creator has shaped the world in such a way that there will always be troubles so that there will always be a time for heroes, a time for Man to be better than what he believes he can be."</i></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> - Deborah</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYx5PbPs9jYi1BBgvRSX5UL6qzsFGCk2hrbwcBJATQcovTS6N3GFExbWapiQIwJrgNhYwPbMqJgl5wAo2mwoqID1xJlD5cvIBAoZchp9i4xCk9iQWvIjXqjGIH-LuUCR-W5Nrcg0uncUDh7zLWn6QMoHQOKXDb_9BKzuqCm7-XN-TKTENAm2ZVceCHV8/s2312/dreamstime_m_287985443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="2312" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYx5PbPs9jYi1BBgvRSX5UL6qzsFGCk2hrbwcBJATQcovTS6N3GFExbWapiQIwJrgNhYwPbMqJgl5wAo2mwoqID1xJlD5cvIBAoZchp9i4xCk9iQWvIjXqjGIH-LuUCR-W5Nrcg0uncUDh7zLWn6QMoHQOKXDb_9BKzuqCm7-XN-TKTENAm2ZVceCHV8/w400-h224/dreamstime_m_287985443.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TROUBLES</span></b></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><i>"There is no surprise more magical
than the surprise of being loved: It is God's tap on your shoulder."</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> - Rabbi Lt. Amos Stein</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Amos snorted, “Seraph, threaten away. Rick is a friend. And I have long
known each moment is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings. And here
in the Stone Age, it may well steamroll away with the lives of everyone here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The lanky Seraph Provocateur, Darael, sat down light as a helium balloon
beside me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Except for myself and the fledgling. We will survive quite well … and of course, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Deborah with her ‘People’ who have done so for weeks. Elohim would not have
planted them here earlier if He thought otherwise. Why did you ever give her
that name?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The unusual creature, native to the shadows of New Orleans, sat down with
a lithe grace</span> <span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">just beyond the body of Sister Ameal. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Gone was the gown in which I last saw her. A
combat uniform similar to the ones I and the Spartan 3oo wore now replaced it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The fur collar of her leather bomber jacket seemed to be bristling to
match the fur at the top of her sloped head.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Her raspy voice snorted, “Because, unlike you, Seraph, he sees me and mine
being of worth.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Darael sighed, “I cannot believe I am saying this, but I miss my brother,
Uriel. He would make sense of this, finding a path out of this madness.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He shook his head, now adorned with an antique Spartan helmet that
matched Helen’s’ and that of nurse, Rachel Reynolds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> “I recall the springtime of the world as though it were
yesterday—those days when we rode together to battle, and those nights when we
shook the stars loose from the fresh-painted skies!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Fun times?” asked Sergeant-Major Theo Savalas walking up to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Not hardly. But it was good to have a brother I trusted at my side.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Helen’s fiery eyebrow raised. “You do not trust me?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Fledgling, I trust you to be inexperienced … and that could be the death
of all of us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I murmured, “You work with what you have, Darael, and make the best of
it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“You are correct, Richard Blaine, for all men have within them both that
which is dark and that which is light.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">His lips curled, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“A man is a thing of many divisions, not a pure, clear
flame such as you once were, Blaine. His intellect often wars with his
emotions, his will with his desires . . .</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> his ideals are at odds with his
environment, and if he follows them, he knows keenly the loss of that<br />
which was old, but if he does not follow them, he feels the pain of having
forsaken a new and noble dream.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He sighed, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Whatever he does represents both a gain and a loss, an
arrival, and a departure. Always, he mourns that which is gone and fears some
part of that which is new. Reason opposes tradition.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Emotions oppose the restrictions his fellow men lay upon him. Always, from the friction of these
things, there arises the thing we seraphs call the curse of man … regret.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">MI6 agent, James Cloverfield sat on the other side of the Seraph. “I am
very afraid, for I understood most of that.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The other fifteen Spartans clustered not too far behind him. Deborah’s
ten Grunches were only feet away from them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It was unwise to cluster so close together in strange, dangerous
territory. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But I could not blame them.
We are herd animals and seek the comfort of bodies close to us when death waits
in the shadows.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I gathered myself to rise to my feet. Death and Light were everywhere,
always, and they begin, end, strive, attend, into and upon Elohim’s Dream that
is the world, burning words within Existence, perhaps to create a thing of
beauty.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Then, Sister Ameal’s wiry fingers shot out and wrapped about my temples,
knocking my Spartan helmet to the rutted ground.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMAzAk8dmNTvoCKE4s3lbVS3WOiAAFNrFfNOgK3f_zZQTYbavevlNZdejBnqTf2Z9Gr_g7hFvxnyi3shAlDWRmSy9bMoKOimQbmj2ehutGN0A3AHeLtK5YP5dsYpr4XPRl0EoRJrn1NOGwvpVXBoXLEwOHNHTPP9fEsB4tJ_D3yQNcNJZHMTBkdONj8U/s1732/dreamstime_m_165407193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1732" data-original-width="1732" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMAzAk8dmNTvoCKE4s3lbVS3WOiAAFNrFfNOgK3f_zZQTYbavevlNZdejBnqTf2Z9Gr_g7hFvxnyi3shAlDWRmSy9bMoKOimQbmj2ehutGN0A3AHeLtK5YP5dsYpr4XPRl0EoRJrn1NOGwvpVXBoXLEwOHNHTPP9fEsB4tJ_D3yQNcNJZHMTBkdONj8U/w400-h400/dreamstime_m_165407193.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><b><i>"If trouble always comes when you least expect it, perhaps the thing to do is always expect it." </i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><b>- Major Richard Blaine</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 16.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dMYVJCcPxwo" width="320" youtube-src-id="dMYVJCcPxwo"></iframe></span></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-77874502094875926592024-01-21T18:48:00.000-06:002024-01-21T18:48:04.187-06:00LIFE NARRATED BY ANOTHER'S THOUGHTS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlo6DG_vIyWr6Z7Y-s_qcBFv1ViLBGSUP_CPmTXacVUplUMtrA49yZzwhJGntntfY_SIMOYcOtI8WOApP6U7VhQsNe8-yFBLOOaa5pyOlEJdWqtlglVwO_LLQkc9BXOWuFP3_Jjhyn8cAhyphenhyphenwpaIWHwf7rvRQGViYMIGLMik9su9A5BrdQccljZfjEl5Y/s1800/wrath_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlo6DG_vIyWr6Z7Y-s_qcBFv1ViLBGSUP_CPmTXacVUplUMtrA49yZzwhJGntntfY_SIMOYcOtI8WOApP6U7VhQsNe8-yFBLOOaa5pyOlEJdWqtlglVwO_LLQkc9BXOWuFP3_Jjhyn8cAhyphenhyphenwpaIWHwf7rvRQGViYMIGLMik9su9A5BrdQccljZfjEl5Y/w400-h300/wrath_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>For Misky and others who have enjoyed my last novel ...</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>I am working on the sequel:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>ACROSS THE RIVER</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>and</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>THROUGH THE WORLDS</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPTTLFjCBqawPlHOde7l_SBmMUYUrCi50dXrj4V8QbELyG-ylY0OBml5HaWzr-SctAgXwQAEKRYbYBUwiLbDb3Yrin3TChwepgwbrHlIg4d26v6DyTDpm-fCLa0iX0VpfNHQbhYosptIUDLhZLEx6R3jK_rr-Fef3HmtybZfeS_u7Nm05VGndlSxPBsA/s2000/dreamstime_m_300632738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPTTLFjCBqawPlHOde7l_SBmMUYUrCi50dXrj4V8QbELyG-ylY0OBml5HaWzr-SctAgXwQAEKRYbYBUwiLbDb3Yrin3TChwepgwbrHlIg4d26v6DyTDpm-fCLa0iX0VpfNHQbhYosptIUDLhZLEx6R3jK_rr-Fef3HmtybZfeS_u7Nm05VGndlSxPBsA/w400-h300/dreamstime_m_300632738.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Time is free, yet priceless. You cannot own
it, but you can use it. You cannot keep it, but you can spend it. The trouble
with Man is that he thinks he has time when It has him.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">– Sentient</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As far back as I could remember my life had been narrated by a voice
other than my own. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It had nearly driven me crazy until I discovered the voice came from an
orbiting sentient dimensional craft.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Now, all was silent inside my head except for my own bewildered thoughts.
I had always wanted to be alone in my head, I had it now, and I was devastated
thinking I had lost my oldest friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our desires are always fickle. Foolish is the man who trusts in them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I sat by the inert body of Sister Ameal. I watched strange insects scurry
away from it as if she were aflame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And maybe to their senses, she was. As far as I could tell my friends and
I were in the Cretaceous time period, the last portion of the Age of the
Dinosaurs. I knew less than nothing about the insect life here.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I wagered it would be a safe bet to think any life form here would want
us for lunch, insect or otherwise. That they feared Sister Ameal’s body was
unsettling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Of course, everything about her was unnerving … including the fact that she
was the living, now dead, avatar of Sentient.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Sentient? She was the living intra-dimensional craft, ensnared in Earth’s
initial gravitational field, who waited millennia to find a human mind with whom
she could communicate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And as soon as she discovered me, I was drafted to be cannon fodder in
the madness spawned by Hitler’s insane ambitions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Taking control of me to keep me safe, Sentient made me anything <i>but</i>
safe. Still, I was a Major … in two ways: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">in rank and a major pain to any superior
officer, chief of whom was General Eisenhower … currently on psychiatric leave
… and yes, I, or rather Sentient, was to blame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I absently toyed with Sister Ameal’s brilliantly white habit. Sentient,
through the nun or directly through mental words, had always been there for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Now, here in the Cretaceous Age, she was death silent. Why were we here?
Only Elohim knew. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He had cast us here from the cursed village of Oradour-sur-Glane
to keep me and my Spartan 300 safe from being crushed by the falling body of a dying
Old One.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As you might be suspecting, Omaha Beach was a picnic compared to
out-of-control Gestapo science garnering the attention of the Dark Ones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It seemed I only learned the truth long after it could do me any good. To
paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and so many others, <i>"I wish I had
known this some time ago.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">For the thousandth time, I had acted impulsively. I doubt I would ever
act otherwise. I've always been impulsive. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">My thinking is usually pretty good,
but I always seem to do it after I do my acting and talking — like now. By
which time I've generally destroyed all basis for further conversation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Rabbi Lt. Amos Stein sat gingerly by my right side. “Rick, snap out of
it. The Spartans need ….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A crackling sword of living flame sliced between us, and the eerie voice
of the fledgling seraph with the all too human name, Helen Mayfair, murmured, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“You will give Richard all the time he requires to gather his wits. This is not
a request, Rabbi.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">From the sound of her ghost-bell voice, I could tell she was in her
fighting form of fourteen feet. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Needless to say, when I fell in love with her
in the orphanage library, she was in her human-appearing body.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimIJR6NdJv8dj44WrJtpmUGI0W5w9oid8CrB7MiaJ9U7yWfqXetbNmO6vrmvrc_OiFeCrQttTssi5HwRYBkghj-ByXiN-Ytzf5R0yGbGptX5mtyOMfNQ-VFp6v2jmXrKwp_rWhPpXIBFo3WNdGZDb7W3couz2oLldYmfL4bnfU6E3BXgQ7WqPn55Go84/s2309/dreamstime_m_232310419%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="2309" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimIJR6NdJv8dj44WrJtpmUGI0W5w9oid8CrB7MiaJ9U7yWfqXetbNmO6vrmvrc_OiFeCrQttTssi5HwRYBkghj-ByXiN-Ytzf5R0yGbGptX5mtyOMfNQ-VFp6v2jmXrKwp_rWhPpXIBFo3WNdGZDb7W3couz2oLldYmfL4bnfU6E3BXgQ7WqPn55Go84/w640-h360/dreamstime_m_232310419%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MvYd8nEx-Pc" width="320" youtube-src-id="MvYd8nEx-Pc"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-44930329777281782172024-01-16T20:21:00.002-06:002024-01-16T20:21:22.004-06:00PRAY FOR THOSE WITHOUT SHELTER TONIGHT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr0FA9CbUUzuZN-mMco5J4cc_RsD14-XBf7_ZS64yfrbM8rmU6V0c7jUw49xZU7n6JyoNxYoytAWoS0pwJZFrA80J97KiTlJZWQeGSefl152-F8aQ2ZY42bOCgA-y-F3xXWAHpa_E0yAw6yKm03TW20GP7ruK2QZYxBl-n8PFZST1DQ7EONu9DqQQh-k/s701/downtown%20Lake%20Charles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr0FA9CbUUzuZN-mMco5J4cc_RsD14-XBf7_ZS64yfrbM8rmU6V0c7jUw49xZU7n6JyoNxYoytAWoS0pwJZFrA80J97KiTlJZWQeGSefl152-F8aQ2ZY42bOCgA-y-F3xXWAHpa_E0yAw6yKm03TW20GP7ruK2QZYxBl-n8PFZST1DQ7EONu9DqQQh-k/w300-h400/downtown%20Lake%20Charles.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Downtown Lake Charles</i></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Pray for those without shelter tonight and tomorrow ... both human and animal.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrmtvTkrUpJZXjhpHvf9Z8N2eQWx16zRJaduVbupheaOXmTJorZiLNs3S66ONrjIbQxl6fcBUe-tiBMt1bTuDEmxy-Nunlma5JrLbZ9jjlgVlRERuSz4e38xrJK7F2JZDrzg49E46AZcMX1YtalaiMHAXsyPBB299elgCmmx62RN3PPntdIE-MHzE2fU/s720/stuart%20g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="525" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrmtvTkrUpJZXjhpHvf9Z8N2eQWx16zRJaduVbupheaOXmTJorZiLNs3S66ONrjIbQxl6fcBUe-tiBMt1bTuDEmxy-Nunlma5JrLbZ9jjlgVlRERuSz4e38xrJK7F2JZDrzg49E46AZcMX1YtalaiMHAXsyPBB299elgCmmx62RN3PPntdIE-MHzE2fU/w291-h400/stuart%20g.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hh2FiwBG9yx7DPySXD7gj1cfN9pB89haxIp_NcLbqrJ-WfjtvGxOUN88K0rkEYHUgVgFaBfzEpB0-dabwj5lPDPIF_yQ953B2piTQzSGGSZD0rONf6My0JgW71Prp5t61X4AjkycQj01hlB45J-bjM1Lav_J7HSnizBeP9Nscz4iULdi3GTpOELhx2I/s503/princess%20d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="503" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hh2FiwBG9yx7DPySXD7gj1cfN9pB89haxIp_NcLbqrJ-WfjtvGxOUN88K0rkEYHUgVgFaBfzEpB0-dabwj5lPDPIF_yQ953B2piTQzSGGSZD0rONf6My0JgW71Prp5t61X4AjkycQj01hlB45J-bjM1Lav_J7HSnizBeP9Nscz4iULdi3GTpOELhx2I/w400-h371/princess%20d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bBJrSXWXLAU" width="320" youtube-src-id="bBJrSXWXLAU"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-38092085394079815982024-01-15T19:44:00.013-06:002024-01-16T09:43:25.068-06:00WINTER'S PRISONER<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l6tOT2j5NTy-1HMwUKrrnk9Jaybjesn3hCbAKjGETrbFG3jk2PTQSl6sDbkXBD76hxGASpPCpIEcafB3Dd_Imw8kFjt7gxy-jU506Kk-QgJf9I8DaIry-T6mndQE3nXQWZZi0Pl6hhAFGevl4z8q_-Zno21XPDsgX4GosQOHAwNQ3CB9BYo7A-Y3QeQ/s500/My%20business%20card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l6tOT2j5NTy-1HMwUKrrnk9Jaybjesn3hCbAKjGETrbFG3jk2PTQSl6sDbkXBD76hxGASpPCpIEcafB3Dd_Imw8kFjt7gxy-jU506Kk-QgJf9I8DaIry-T6mndQE3nXQWZZi0Pl6hhAFGevl4z8q_-Zno21XPDsgX4GosQOHAwNQ3CB9BYo7A-Y3QeQ/w400-h400/My%20business%20card.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>My New Business Card</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDDex29SITRI27hp1IECNezxHlD8bH-994D9to5P5I44QD7n4xIneYYgJzL3o9ou7Jf8zKJQjgjrKsk_Zkr2CRMDzgGluUDK9lOHHxn7iTnTd_AG-pHusBf9yLVeMt_0O5w3FnHRdyAU/s960/blizzard-1245929_960_720.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDDex29SITRI27hp1IECNezxHlD8bH-994D9to5P5I44QD7n4xIneYYgJzL3o9ou7Jf8zKJQjgjrKsk_Zkr2CRMDzgGluUDK9lOHHxn7iTnTd_AG-pHusBf9yLVeMt_0O5w3FnHRdyAU/w400-h225/blizzard-1245929_960_720.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"It was so cold I almost got married."</i> </b></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>- Shelly Winters</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRW4d2qEgUdxl-48diGlVmnFNHimZYnm5XIXayZZnuOO4HFdPPAUDQbQjVt17MOJ-DudesD_jvVE9nk4oR4QM6MLa8nWi2fA0GcLAVHvlJQxoc0oAlRfLFWj2vcgYFwa2MRtUpwTuQII/s960/driving-1461864_960_720.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="960" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRW4d2qEgUdxl-48diGlVmnFNHimZYnm5XIXayZZnuOO4HFdPPAUDQbQjVt17MOJ-DudesD_jvVE9nk4oR4QM6MLa8nWi2fA0GcLAVHvlJQxoc0oAlRfLFWj2vcgYFwa2MRtUpwTuQII/w400-h271/driving-1461864_960_720.webp" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Monday and Tuesday are my days off ... </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>and everyone else's at Lifeshare due to the lowest temperatures in 31 years with ice and snow.</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-MvDqrjSy4RNmwfhf_CwQcUsSV96BwvtbCJyHqUe8ymktNDLIK-bOco8xzhiAZT9Y5BtZHiWIAJ21IEV1bHmoDfaOvWDjluPlfz2P2Cun8sbBH53Xdoa7ALMDd9PBt5vo268pOXaEFM/s1920/Freddie_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-MvDqrjSy4RNmwfhf_CwQcUsSV96BwvtbCJyHqUe8ymktNDLIK-bOco8xzhiAZT9Y5BtZHiWIAJ21IEV1bHmoDfaOvWDjluPlfz2P2Cun8sbBH53Xdoa7ALMDd9PBt5vo268pOXaEFM/w360-h640/Freddie_5.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Except for my friend and supervisor, </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Freddie Rosteet</b>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>This is a photo of him driving to check</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>on Lifeshare.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>He should get a medal</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>from the company</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>for all he does.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvc8jihsTAqsUNeA_GVK3gFF4CjnfV5205ph59ukFhXHiWaPM9iDDyVePXncQgm2CcJ8gBfyRQxnD1XF_dStC6U0_mMzSB_LuwrXYRo5XWtPP0ltAwLRlvK2bsItfooCy9Wci4_lhPfQ/s960/Freddie+and+Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvc8jihsTAqsUNeA_GVK3gFF4CjnfV5205ph59ukFhXHiWaPM9iDDyVePXncQgm2CcJ8gBfyRQxnD1XF_dStC6U0_mMzSB_LuwrXYRo5XWtPP0ltAwLRlvK2bsItfooCy9Wci4_lhPfQ/w480-h640/Freddie+and+Me.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Freddie and friend</b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>in Canada.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R5G0d5GAXssedgGBQegXxaGLNkKgQMVnSxneDR3CPTL1yWjw8zGPEx6O_-dTz_ecCBIo7DF27SyNph9aQuZb2ApDcvX9qKkGKgb5U_FVRwFUkQVHJIkiGm9ORRr3xF0B8gsM9qvSf6o/s960/duck-2392902_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R5G0d5GAXssedgGBQegXxaGLNkKgQMVnSxneDR3CPTL1yWjw8zGPEx6O_-dTz_ecCBIo7DF27SyNph9aQuZb2ApDcvX9qKkGKgb5U_FVRwFUkQVHJIkiGm9ORRr3xF0B8gsM9qvSf6o/w400-h266/duck-2392902_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"When it snows,</i></b></p></i></b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><i>you have 2 choices:</i></b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><i>Shovel or hunt ducks." </i></b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>- Freddie</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcbJp2yp99mkWmRXu2V8KilvJwcX-kSw0jxBbMHC9VYehQ7dnO-a-0jDGbdV1T98H3xPtcw467QSuoQrLqa60bt51w2CoX5mxk7WYGZBkAvROJz-Vj2g7h1GKOU0xzWya6Zt2VnYBUw8/s960/ducks-560377_960_720.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcbJp2yp99mkWmRXu2V8KilvJwcX-kSw0jxBbMHC9VYehQ7dnO-a-0jDGbdV1T98H3xPtcw467QSuoQrLqa60bt51w2CoX5mxk7WYGZBkAvROJz-Vj2g7h1GKOU0xzWya6Zt2VnYBUw8/w400-h266/ducks-560377_960_720.webp" width="400" /></a></div><b style="font-size: x-large;"><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Yes, he hunts ducks,</b></p></b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>but he feeds those on</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>the bayou running along</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>Lifeshare.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxcN_ugQoY2SD58vLCtEqCl7EaFrEH83aw_8VWj80olYPq2nZT4iscW83c0qfT9Q-D9iV3k_-xtvHscNmhq4IXategkP9IfYux8rjMOyN-1s4QnBDx3flUVFJtEoFQLtVmguq9O4sdYc/s960/ice-596327_960_720.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxcN_ugQoY2SD58vLCtEqCl7EaFrEH83aw_8VWj80olYPq2nZT4iscW83c0qfT9Q-D9iV3k_-xtvHscNmhq4IXategkP9IfYux8rjMOyN-1s4QnBDx3flUVFJtEoFQLtVmguq9O4sdYc/w400-h300/ice-596327_960_720.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">I awoke, face stiff with cold.</b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>The electricity was out and</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>the temperature was 31 degrees</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>in the apartment.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddoW5MbRKpvrF8rOMuU365K17OqE04u1jRlXoYpMUW-SaLqoljHUOrRHVu8VPVTTYl7NLaQDaQw05uD2PefqJlKtKbPzZlC4OzprPbz4oCakc56J5sB-LJ0ng-DfWECpBujsEUTIRXpI/s960/climate-change-1325882_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddoW5MbRKpvrF8rOMuU365K17OqE04u1jRlXoYpMUW-SaLqoljHUOrRHVu8VPVTTYl7NLaQDaQw05uD2PefqJlKtKbPzZlC4OzprPbz4oCakc56J5sB-LJ0ng-DfWECpBujsEUTIRXpI/w400-h265/climate-change-1325882_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>No water either!</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>The lights just came back on.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>But the black-outs are rolling.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E_SaUxXhYe9W2V-8Uh6CeH9EJpT11Cu42hzBWqfDGmgoD_g0Ih55-q1h9X7UePgNw7LUhLhGKA1DR8GT0jKlyOsGEmnWa85hnplm9-1wwSyrvQpHOxmIq01Eib_PZbRXdx_B_SjQTFM/s768/Scientific-Progress-Goes-Boink-2-768x236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="768" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E_SaUxXhYe9W2V-8Uh6CeH9EJpT11Cu42hzBWqfDGmgoD_g0Ih55-q1h9X7UePgNw7LUhLhGKA1DR8GT0jKlyOsGEmnWa85hnplm9-1wwSyrvQpHOxmIq01Eib_PZbRXdx_B_SjQTFM/w640-h195/Scientific-Progress-Goes-Boink-2-768x236.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">Tonight it is said to become worse.</b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SaMk8DgFAPSIQInZXFGoc9W_mMmUTDEFhCeIGP4m6UE97Zpx4StNH0Rmn3P1q2sE4e-Un7j3yYvT5GKv1KVrG6zqxCyt5j5DP55-L6IX7nqckuWXXy7x394q5PTqZ6_2RfG5vCcaU70/s600/Midnight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SaMk8DgFAPSIQInZXFGoc9W_mMmUTDEFhCeIGP4m6UE97Zpx4StNH0Rmn3P1q2sE4e-Un7j3yYvT5GKv1KVrG6zqxCyt5j5DP55-L6IX7nqckuWXXy7x394q5PTqZ6_2RfG5vCcaU70/w400-h300/Midnight.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"There is no such thing </i></b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><i>as bad weather -</i></b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><i>only not enough fur!" </i></b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>- Midnight</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIF0iF2EesEfbJQAQEAa01qjuTZ773E6tfFEsZoBu_mf8QHmWf0pdRbf9aSQEppzISIpZ-9yBSuZljIiFK4P94d5lZbn1Usjq8s4sKBbPMWz56AK62gh2dnXwrKr3WS6Kq8YW535fRi0/s960/fence-5966370_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIF0iF2EesEfbJQAQEAa01qjuTZ773E6tfFEsZoBu_mf8QHmWf0pdRbf9aSQEppzISIpZ-9yBSuZljIiFK4P94d5lZbn1Usjq8s4sKBbPMWz56AK62gh2dnXwrKr3WS6Kq8YW535fRi0/w400-h266/fence-5966370_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">The sidewalk to the parking lot</p><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">is as iced over as it is.</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">The mechanized hinges to the</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">gates are frozen over.</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Luckily, the are frozen open!</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKLHd56x69wZmyFwN9M-ztSVPZy4GHbb5cFvbwE8z8Nha7kaw7zOtK_f9Pwe2PniDzNd-m2f9jdiErzgjGVLe_MX_u7oBz-xk1TY4k8P3RmDx-yTCaqKVL1FKifV2IT2TPefKkhsReUk/s600/THINKING_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKLHd56x69wZmyFwN9M-ztSVPZy4GHbb5cFvbwE8z8Nha7kaw7zOtK_f9Pwe2PniDzNd-m2f9jdiErzgjGVLe_MX_u7oBz-xk1TY4k8P3RmDx-yTCaqKVL1FKifV2IT2TPefKkhsReUk/w400-h300/THINKING_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">If I am called in to work Wednesday,</b><p style="font-size: x-large;"></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>I do not what I will do.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>But every problem has</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>a solution --</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>not a perfect one --</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b>but a solution.</b></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcIaTJrhXYKK9zixVjDuZ8d9jLhPF4WGsoSL9-DF8V_h-CTFnLdjQ83zjFo_dRitcOafeHAMvlo6Ghm0Sh6o-QwQvj-ro4NUeYN66UJ1Y6UsS775YiOubCZ4tAfSrFoESTy3AkgCTI2w/s882/drop-3065629_960_720.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="882" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcIaTJrhXYKK9zixVjDuZ8d9jLhPF4WGsoSL9-DF8V_h-CTFnLdjQ83zjFo_dRitcOafeHAMvlo6Ghm0Sh6o-QwQvj-ro4NUeYN66UJ1Y6UsS775YiOubCZ4tAfSrFoESTy3AkgCTI2w/w400-h326/drop-3065629_960_720.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">May this winter storm</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">not be treating you badly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qaFQZHlrr1OAt-K2vs1LPLi2moV-86ze9RaIDpWdAWjH4JiHlTgQaXPKxTcfVcpZiKcTt1lqzAiQR3bRzfXylzD_jAiivtiB_tvU2D_678tGA0a8Jod2Y6WZSHpnV3zFQaBwp9gc8DBsBBuTDRvQ5meHMRXUXHvR0o5YXaneJryN9g9RC-vg2eJn6rk/s935/Lineman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qaFQZHlrr1OAt-K2vs1LPLi2moV-86ze9RaIDpWdAWjH4JiHlTgQaXPKxTcfVcpZiKcTt1lqzAiQR3bRzfXylzD_jAiivtiB_tvU2D_678tGA0a8Jod2Y6WZSHpnV3zFQaBwp9gc8DBsBBuTDRvQ5meHMRXUXHvR0o5YXaneJryN9g9RC-vg2eJn6rk/w225-h400/Lineman.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And </span><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bravo!</span></i></p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">to those heroes who</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">work in these frigid times</p><p style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">to restore heat to those in need.</p></b></span></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-52143736839540595832024-01-13T08:42:00.000-06:002024-01-13T08:42:11.816-06:00Are We Capable of Love Any More?<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzBdac875elhh_CqYEbNDiqkIowgnzTpgPN6O15zFTVkcJrshr-ScYop3WdVAkgXuDn18vC6FqdbslaW8FCXs7ojJSwXUo4PH7gx9Pan3lLBce3MlHBbUPs_0AWyRjO37zDTMEL6MQmmIxgEBM4mzJ09P69wfEyLoqx2BXgFIHfAAPqg7-JQbPCbe/s1920/red-rose-g66c2b503a_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzBdac875elhh_CqYEbNDiqkIowgnzTpgPN6O15zFTVkcJrshr-ScYop3WdVAkgXuDn18vC6FqdbslaW8FCXs7ojJSwXUo4PH7gx9Pan3lLBce3MlHBbUPs_0AWyRjO37zDTMEL6MQmmIxgEBM4mzJ09P69wfEyLoqx2BXgFIHfAAPqg7-JQbPCbe/w400-h266/red-rose-g66c2b503a_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><span style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>The bronze mists of the haunted jazz club, </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Meilori's,</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">curled and creamed like</span></b></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> </b></span></o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>a dreaded thought </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>trying to form </b></span><b style="font-family: georgia;">itself </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">on the fevered edge </b><b style="font-family: georgia;">of consciousness.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPaBYngCrD9tn14esTWY_WNDS1IrsnFR5yhbKjA6aGYd2J608bott8Db7kYbU7dlA_LiQSl9YegqyDgPctc9Ud9skJjqYY70LXzHHn2yDlUvJGOPagE8Fa_s-NXRyc64on1QwUFO5ysxqUhJloCEaFco-zNiyU4sJ-3HJtwayc5NTOn1KhLRJdYES/s1296/Ray_Bradbury_(1975)_-cropped-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPaBYngCrD9tn14esTWY_WNDS1IrsnFR5yhbKjA6aGYd2J608bott8Db7kYbU7dlA_LiQSl9YegqyDgPctc9Ud9skJjqYY70LXzHHn2yDlUvJGOPagE8Fa_s-NXRyc64on1QwUFO5ysxqUhJloCEaFco-zNiyU4sJ-3HJtwayc5NTOn1KhLRJdYES/s320/Ray_Bradbury_(1975)_-cropped-.jpg" width="261" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"I fold," sighed the ghost of Ray Bradbury, laying his cards gently upon the rune-etched table.</b></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></span></p><p style="color: #191b26;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPF-zW35ZUNUbFvx68REEQ815bJqcxowbtla6JewfcAuniReOUpXn9kBp896VogaTZ8pie0U24cyGvTcNszYb5jLNKQRIU9HqkUcshXaNmVFWhItATMblUpBoGJpm5FxmZ7DH_zxC4NgM2c9Pu0B5Rl9gdkw60wVVe-fc-8xGPkN3i5FygVfYpW5a/s3440/William_Faulkner_1954_(2)_(photo_by_Carl_van_Vechten).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3440" data-original-width="2632" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPF-zW35ZUNUbFvx68REEQ815bJqcxowbtla6JewfcAuniReOUpXn9kBp896VogaTZ8pie0U24cyGvTcNszYb5jLNKQRIU9HqkUcshXaNmVFWhItATMblUpBoGJpm5FxmZ7DH_zxC4NgM2c9Pu0B5Rl9gdkw60wVVe-fc-8xGPkN3i5FygVfYpW5a/s320/William_Faulkner_1954_(2)_(photo_by_Carl_van_Vechten).jpg" width="245" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">"<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You folded your cards a long time ago," drily smiled the ghost of William Faulkner, </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>"as our friend, Roland, almost did last Halloween."<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRv8gtvSJdLf3aGz6U_6MiyGQOaMvFIODcnqX8ewC_IEI0I7zSNSXJVF7CvXiu8pYJMFMdZ1Xm1MBg4uvorxYWYYEAt8NkKa-sZfCxoWdKIjO78vG8OngxwbJPu1o3qbVeG5_yIWch5LQasF7oUzjYye6s6KgmYirlHHqdpVAP_Y_ZrILWY05nfxby/s400/local-261894_1280%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="400" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRv8gtvSJdLf3aGz6U_6MiyGQOaMvFIODcnqX8ewC_IEI0I7zSNSXJVF7CvXiu8pYJMFMdZ1Xm1MBg4uvorxYWYYEAt8NkKa-sZfCxoWdKIjO78vG8OngxwbJPu1o3qbVeG5_yIWch5LQasF7oUzjYye6s6KgmYirlHHqdpVAP_Y_ZrILWY05nfxby/s320/local-261894_1280%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><p><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">"What month is it, anyway?" asked Ray Bradbury.</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcTsOv6HRI6MKeT0KzVF3pNnV3hOPPJAAUFQNUIuKJwaxSAYXLZZJPnrSRTql9GXUmFPSucVFOoEEXTUPKv5DRS5nxGjlj-kMygzbjWdY3r8wY4KyhMZawgr_KDTjfKuGvbc2cOEQbMF6DBX6BTr9og-U88czg09jflDsMN1ZhOMkZ97a9lphYlDC/s1599/my%20stetson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcTsOv6HRI6MKeT0KzVF3pNnV3hOPPJAAUFQNUIuKJwaxSAYXLZZJPnrSRTql9GXUmFPSucVFOoEEXTUPKv5DRS5nxGjlj-kMygzbjWdY3r8wY4KyhMZawgr_KDTjfKuGvbc2cOEQbMF6DBX6BTr9og-U88czg09jflDsMN1ZhOMkZ97a9lphYlDC/s320/my%20stetson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="color: #191b26;"><span style="color: #191b26; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="color: #ffa400;">"It's a month away from Valentine's Day, sir," I smiled sadly having lost my Kathleen decades that seemed only months ago.</span></b><p style="color: #191b26;"></p><p style="color: #191b26;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XzATEFuGG0xr8NASzsIs50leNNZoc1NV7fjNR7wy042sKwInWwbbklw21NRgl4Oru-5N_SMVYGu5lQxikRTUS1JC2tLeVZRvQ2MwRjXqmTHHqjOiWxEt2IjTdCQvC7MmQjFLmg4QRXyiUfmOjOhO3QzefPtZzffdOXgDBtVJxKbD4Ym31hqomNo0/s1920/cognac-g822672c97_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XzATEFuGG0xr8NASzsIs50leNNZoc1NV7fjNR7wy042sKwInWwbbklw21NRgl4Oru-5N_SMVYGu5lQxikRTUS1JC2tLeVZRvQ2MwRjXqmTHHqjOiWxEt2IjTdCQvC7MmQjFLmg4QRXyiUfmOjOhO3QzefPtZzffdOXgDBtVJxKbD4Ym31hqomNo0/s320/cognac-g822672c97_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">Faulkner laid down his cigar. "Your living friends these days are incapable of love."</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #191b26; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvReNgrrc4eAjjKgHGqCRwZUlGgKpub246bzakylp9sqPFM36KcUuXLSFHE8KFoD1xZi4zJX_fSwrMcegNDAYOok8DQ1cGsGNR9uFJAB8vIzBrAfsg8mTURtUlqlwlbVG96_ce9ZAbwy93M3PCmy_GnnTGL264No0_QphBsKoyiD5LgHMDwLjJVRv/s400/william%20faulkner%20photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvReNgrrc4eAjjKgHGqCRwZUlGgKpub246bzakylp9sqPFM36KcUuXLSFHE8KFoD1xZi4zJX_fSwrMcegNDAYOok8DQ1cGsGNR9uFJAB8vIzBrAfsg8mTURtUlqlwlbVG96_ce9ZAbwy93M3PCmy_GnnTGL264No0_QphBsKoyiD5LgHMDwLjJVRv/s320/william%20faulkner%20photo.png" width="226" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.68px;"><p><span style="color: #01ffff;"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">"Here, I find myself standing outside the window of the storefront of humanity, still observing as a writer but unable to reach out and touch with fingers of new prose</span>"</span></p><p style="color: #191b26;">He shook his head.</p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;">"Because of the darkness in this world , the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing</span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #01ffff;"> </span></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat of wresting something from nothing.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>You must learn them again. </b></span><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">You must teach yourself that the basest of all things is to be afraid.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>And teaching yourself that, </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">forget it forever,</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">leaving no room in your writing for anything but the old truths of the heart,</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed - </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Until you do so, you labor under a curse.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">You write not of love but of lust,</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">of defeats in which no one loses anything of value,</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">of victories without hope and,</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">worst of all, without pity or compassion. Your griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></o:p><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">You write not of the heart but of the sex glands."</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">He turned, "What do you think, Ray?"<br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JVb0pIU300ADqWwLFvLMqC_1Y26jaGiP4SQXHT1G8-LiXt4R3GWRgUNoaPLI1QcmNhYI00LVzTHW1KOJCQf1RwWlm1yJzO9zeaQLGqyBtOc3ZJcFnyF0vN_UwgSgHO1LxtocE4ZNCzgkKkX-s1njgei4RFyWqtMrlcx39D98ddFkCjLRNi1Oo5iS/s326/Ray_Bradbury_HS_Yearbook.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JVb0pIU300ADqWwLFvLMqC_1Y26jaGiP4SQXHT1G8-LiXt4R3GWRgUNoaPLI1QcmNhYI00LVzTHW1KOJCQf1RwWlm1yJzO9zeaQLGqyBtOc3ZJcFnyF0vN_UwgSgHO1LxtocE4ZNCzgkKkX-s1njgei4RFyWqtMrlcx39D98ddFkCjLRNi1Oo5iS/s320/Ray_Bradbury_HS_Yearbook.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The last breath of winter sighed down my spine, for Mr. Bradbury looked as young as a high school senior.</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">"</b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>What is Love? </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Perhaps we may find that love is the ability of someone to give us back to ourselves when we thought ourselves truly lost forever. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Maybe love is someone seeing and remembering, handing us back to ourselves just a trifle better than we had dared to hope or dream we could ever be again.”</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_gzOo9ZfrtavOfqWQ3F4ZMx01QCEAlHZh-qmgojVG3TgOrH4So0l9yp6BKiOhJtMro2P8QnWGcS3czN4nB8SlhZlCoZHQMq9VbXcOyv9JkoH0Er3noOLzX5LmCQRArc3cD1dJZIkQNSoqyzEZTfG_oomVBQEbYoM8dkeS9-P80v_XDJ1t1VRdMs-/s960/red-rose-on-the-floor-3007756_960_720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_gzOo9ZfrtavOfqWQ3F4ZMx01QCEAlHZh-qmgojVG3TgOrH4So0l9yp6BKiOhJtMro2P8QnWGcS3czN4nB8SlhZlCoZHQMq9VbXcOyv9JkoH0Er3noOLzX5LmCQRArc3cD1dJZIkQNSoqyzEZTfG_oomVBQEbYoM8dkeS9-P80v_XDJ1t1VRdMs-/w400-h266/red-rose-on-the-floor-3007756_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>He turned to me. "What do you think, Roland."</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>"I think, sir, that it is, indeed, a dark world. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>But if we find love, we don't have to walk it alone. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Because even if we lose the source of that warmth, its memory will light the way before us."</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>William Faulkner said, "You trouble me, Roland. You surely do."</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>"Me, too, sir. Me, too."</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">***</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">So, my friends, what do you think about love?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/deJ7YTzprnc" width="320" youtube-src-id="deJ7YTzprnc"></iframe></div></b></span>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-20266953099769232372024-01-08T22:07:00.000-06:002024-01-08T22:07:07.751-06:00HOW TO KEEP ON WITH YOUR NOVEL<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR4ebpLEkF88ZdiZ-RVLnCdAIPU61DZpu9b35nOsIemQpuamwRpvwfneCnrHXwFdZ0d8jOkh-QTnx01yj3eoCEyCrv2ZEr4peAQSPizDee1G2ATKn0FiFuyvRS0Mak7uVq3mEbN8IDlw/s1600/awakening-676383_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR4ebpLEkF88ZdiZ-RVLnCdAIPU61DZpu9b35nOsIemQpuamwRpvwfneCnrHXwFdZ0d8jOkh-QTnx01yj3eoCEyCrv2ZEr4peAQSPizDee1G2ATKn0FiFuyvRS0Mak7uVq3mEbN8IDlw/s400/awakening-676383_1280.jpg" width="308" /></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomXxQQoU1-dC-tJ4TvmFdOGiw1aag9vfJJ7txB9c8y2D-gmLZFgY60z-WlSN0GeRNhiQH-v8S7-YS4L4jV9A-k-oebHmGhKt0zp6OTBx3CGxHYHn9LamZYqh8ceINGl-JjBBTSWRoDlE/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>HAS IT ALL CAUGHT UP WITH YOU?</b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You're in good company:</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br /><h3 class="galleria-info-title"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mark Twain</span></span></span></h3><h3 class="galleria-info-title"> <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Twain's brilliant authorship of American classics such as Huckleberry Finn </span></span></h3><div class="galleria-info-description"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>might have had its roots in his tendency to depression. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>But this famous depressed writer also lived with a lot of family drama </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>that could have contributed to his </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>STRESS</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and depression. </b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Depression's role with creative writing will also be a function of the individual writers,</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> their personal history, their circumstances, and the nature of their depressions.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><h3 class="galleria-info-title"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span></h3><h3 class="galleria-info-title"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stephen King</span></span></span></h3><h3 class="galleria-info-title"> <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stephen King, a modern master of suspense and terror, has quite a body of work to his name. </span></span></h3><div class="galleria-info-description"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yet his fame and talent didn't forestall the devastating effects of the drugs and alcohol </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>he allegedly had been using to cope with ongoing unhappiness.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Substance abuse and alcohol use </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>often play roles as people struggling with depression attempt to self-medicate. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>During those years, this famous depressed writer also produced some of his best-known works, such as <span style="color: red;">The Shining</span>, <span style="color: red;">Pet Cematary</span>, and <span style="color: red;">Carrie</span>.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><h3 class="galleria-info-title"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span></h3><h3 class="galleria-info-title"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">F. Scott Fitzgerald</span></span></span></h3><h3 class="galleria-info-title"> <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were known for their glamorous and tumultuous lifestyle, </span></span></h3><div class="galleria-info-description"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>full of wild parties, travel, and larger-than-life characters. </b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>The Great Gatsby</i></span> remains his best-known work, </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>but other novels such as <i>The Beautiful and the Damned </i>detail a lot of the same ground. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Their glittering life had a dark side, punctuated by alcoholism and depression for both of them, </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and their legacy includes being famous depressed writers. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>HOW DO YOU KEEP ON WRITING DESPITE FEAR, DOUBT, & SELF-CRITICISM?</b></span></span></span></div><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.) ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF YOU'RE WEREN'T AFRAID OR DOUBTFUL.</b></span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The mere act of doing usually makes the fear recede in just a few minutes.” </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pretend, just for a moment, that rejection or failure isn’t the end of life as you know it.</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.) STOP INDULGING YOUR FEARS, DISCOURAGEMENTS, REJECTIONS, & DASHED DREAMS.</b></span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Much as we’re driven to write, we feel we must be in the mood – </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>as if the clouds should part, the sun should shine and every possible interruption should be silenced</b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>.</b></span></span></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>None of that matters. Write anyway. </b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don’t think about how you feel or if it’s a perfect time to write </b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>or that you have a thousand other things to do. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Write anyway. </b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You have nothing to share and nothing to sell if there are no words on the page.</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.) REMEMBER THAT REJECTION ISN'T NECESSARILY ABOUT <i>YOUR</i> WRITING. </b></span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You have to be totally dedicated to your writing. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Forget about rejections – they’re a mandatory part of any career. </b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A writer writes. </b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you feel you’ll keep writing even if you never get published, then you’re a real writer.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The markets want they want. </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tastes will change. You will grow as a writer if you do not give up.</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.) SEE PAST YOUR EXCUSES TO YOUR REAL FEARS</b></span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Writers need to look at their fears directly.</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Recognize them for what they are, </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and be honest with yourself about why you’re not moving forward with your writing goals.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This can be difficult because we give excuses rather than facing our fears.</b></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5.) SET SMALL GOALS</b></span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Long-term goals are great for inspiration, but keep a list of small, attainable goals, too, </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and allow yourself to feel proud when you achieve them. </b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reward yourself for finishing a chapter or short story. </b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Recognize that sending a few query letters to agents takes time, thought, and effort, </b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>and don’t discount the success.</b></span></span></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="galleria-info-description"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f_Bh-yNpUpI" width="320" youtube-src-id="f_Bh-yNpUpI"></iframe></div></span></span></div></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-45159833481219062942024-01-06T20:18:00.000-06:002024-01-06T20:18:02.443-06:00HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?<p> <i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why Christmas Lights ...</span></span></b></i></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_JpdDs4lnaWpVkKZI4fBI4ZU_nmH1B6xVYGSG1i2MthGZyYnhDNNXkKptIMKvxDVsM1UPhCb0yxblw-3owWz1K_tcleXpe8gufcZF08xRfBhUpYcQBJbq6NsmLZEJzIrcpUMemXqdFo/s1600/christmas-1058667_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_JpdDs4lnaWpVkKZI4fBI4ZU_nmH1B6xVYGSG1i2MthGZyYnhDNNXkKptIMKvxDVsM1UPhCb0yxblw-3owWz1K_tcleXpe8gufcZF08xRfBhUpYcQBJbq6NsmLZEJzIrcpUMemXqdFo/s400/christmas-1058667_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and Nativity Scenes </span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwevXak7Zp0eFRodmYPJRVMFtOk38fDxq0XsCPXM8vhk2gIDMAUEG6I-8Jzjz_X9lY0Btz6WdlE0WdyhrEq8WPUfEC-9v8j2Z47GiecMlSg0N7m50apuoeEDaSSZQjN7eOEdKZbGCuxB0/s1600/christmas-3009490_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwevXak7Zp0eFRodmYPJRVMFtOk38fDxq0XsCPXM8vhk2gIDMAUEG6I-8Jzjz_X9lY0Btz6WdlE0WdyhrEq8WPUfEC-9v8j2Z47GiecMlSg0N7m50apuoeEDaSSZQjN7eOEdKZbGCuxB0/s400/christmas-3009490_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">stay up until January 6th?</span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfd73FaIo2QNCbO3GuAqieM7SHuaJxFnG0zhWw1PHA3BIbheqH3dgD5OAX_u2oUTNdSKnpUCoqGFdURhX6Wt9A0e1Ru6muK5G06ZStnGpj_qE0ZNktIvq5w0FalCxjwAKu13EKSxk9bs/s1600/camels-1150075_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfd73FaIo2QNCbO3GuAqieM7SHuaJxFnG0zhWw1PHA3BIbheqH3dgD5OAX_u2oUTNdSKnpUCoqGFdURhX6Wt9A0e1Ru6muK5G06ZStnGpj_qE0ZNktIvq5w0FalCxjwAKu13EKSxk9bs/s400/camels-1150075_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It has to do with the date</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">celebrated for when </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the 3 Wise Men arrived </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">to greet the infant Jesus</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikshjbnhSZYUDvbq7UvI1roD7F49wFFyUt2c1wWKz79dtpLqZyOFTd0zVkpblzbaoof6lyMchK6ptw_hFXT2B_pvCeT-Jsg9aOdBx2rcib-nXrG4cZ_uSnOxicttjkJwmDIZzWrdRpna0/s1600/epiphany-3876520_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="905" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikshjbnhSZYUDvbq7UvI1roD7F49wFFyUt2c1wWKz79dtpLqZyOFTd0zVkpblzbaoof6lyMchK6ptw_hFXT2B_pvCeT-Jsg9aOdBx2rcib-nXrG4cZ_uSnOxicttjkJwmDIZzWrdRpna0/s400/epiphany-3876520_1280.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is known as <i>Three Kings Day,</i></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the <i>Epiphany</i>, </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the<i> 12th Day of Christmas</i></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibX1Bf6hndSGgkzfVOynoewi6a3rgVOHuKKlj8MhFkrgOUoMSnl3iZDiOyYZUvr0Dw227MX_1CRPTmCggim4tg-JdTbK1FajcS_th6iQ2PqK7i9W1JXsH33AAw_BQ0T0-W1o67Q5faJ0/s1600/mardi-gras-2098809_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibX1Bf6hndSGgkzfVOynoewi6a3rgVOHuKKlj8MhFkrgOUoMSnl3iZDiOyYZUvr0Dw227MX_1CRPTmCggim4tg-JdTbK1FajcS_th6iQ2PqK7i9W1JXsH33AAw_BQ0T0-W1o67Q5faJ0/s400/mardi-gras-2098809_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It also marks the official start </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">of the <span style="color: orange;">Mardi Gras</span> Season</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">often called <i>Carnival</i></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">which comes from</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> the Latin words</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>carne vale</i>, </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">meaning </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>"farewell to the flesh."</i><br /><br />Which is apt for my new novel</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ehiMt6DQeWyqpQ7x85iJUrj8lFSZ8in47NY2EflWjM6COS58ck2jPUAbZXkVMhnVuHzUzoDP-Yh0jHWMORlxhLObohe-44U9YdQTEc_9LUhZdwe_nutDMW-PTwMCvHMoBI2ux7r_uTQ/s1600/RAZOR+VALENTINE_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="1091" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ehiMt6DQeWyqpQ7x85iJUrj8lFSZ8in47NY2EflWjM6COS58ck2jPUAbZXkVMhnVuHzUzoDP-Yh0jHWMORlxhLObohe-44U9YdQTEc_9LUhZdwe_nutDMW-PTwMCvHMoBI2ux7r_uTQ/s400/RAZOR+VALENTINE_6.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mardi Gras, Magic, Murder</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in 1947 New Orleans</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<![endif]--><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.44px;"><span style="color: cyan;">Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte</span>, </span></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.44px;">Our Lady of Holy Death</span></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.44px;">is stalking the streets </span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.44px;">killing apparently at random.</span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; 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font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpg2hSn-P6CwabwuUACQepqgYT-0mqxzsSreMgxC0ptvCvAr0N7HFQJIuHfRxePesEJWQVATASf2q4KQGsWfksxEdgc6EZzfsWCGbFvCb5wRq2KSh988H7ejLdJa3LHwYqw1dSfCYRxk/s1600/RAZOR+VALENTINE_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpg2hSn-P6CwabwuUACQepqgYT-0mqxzsSreMgxC0ptvCvAr0N7HFQJIuHfRxePesEJWQVATASf2q4KQGsWfksxEdgc6EZzfsWCGbFvCb5wRq2KSh988H7ejLdJa3LHwYqw1dSfCYRxk/s400/RAZOR+VALENTINE_12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A masked</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span><span style="color: cyan;">Ball of the Undead</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">is held to entrap</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">hapless mortals.</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKEKnWLy4cZYTeM94Nc-CrB-73u0T2RBNIJsvIOxdN-nVWqFCF8DSmKXa_FZCxVvYzQ-q0Zog7ZIbOmRlTK6e67zNalKvLhAVv8q2SLiIbx9-v-gjAkqyUCO4dox_GIVYoirxkNA7M7I/s1600/RAZOR+VALENTINE_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="800" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKEKnWLy4cZYTeM94Nc-CrB-73u0T2RBNIJsvIOxdN-nVWqFCF8DSmKXa_FZCxVvYzQ-q0Zog7ZIbOmRlTK6e67zNalKvLhAVv8q2SLiIbx9-v-gjAkqyUCO4dox_GIVYoirxkNA7M7I/s400/RAZOR+VALENTINE_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And the bomb </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">that has been ticking </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in the midst </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">of the cast of characters </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">from</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Silhouettes in the Key of Scream</span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span> <i>Perchance to Nightmare</i></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Beware the Jade Christmas</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3CKUH2nAafG0cs5IHjsaMZRXWuhkXQHWJP21GeAlo0TvG_iQCpLVJQGTwd9tS1-JWEbMs0BfpBs_fSCyGgoaybhZ7kmwuMvhL4AEzTrEMHaqJjif_ABR_xjpei49O3GtzKbaE-u1W28/s1600/RAZOR+VALENTINE_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="673" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3CKUH2nAafG0cs5IHjsaMZRXWuhkXQHWJP21GeAlo0TvG_iQCpLVJQGTwd9tS1-JWEbMs0BfpBs_fSCyGgoaybhZ7kmwuMvhL4AEzTrEMHaqJjif_ABR_xjpei49O3GtzKbaE-u1W28/s400/RAZOR+VALENTINE_3.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Explodes in</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">RAZOR VALENTINE</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N75DRKC">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N75DRKC</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Interested?</span></b></i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></b></i></span></span></span></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-31492641653424341132024-01-04T23:05:00.002-06:002024-01-04T23:14:39.476-06:00HOW TO FIGHT THE JANUARY BLUES<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0L4rPCiQt4Q7ZSBnDRSoyOPDZiExi9AbewKEkg9p9AIfD2K1ITTEqCH7E597ynxpik_6D5pLTc77TYpSGyI_5SfANdvpCQaA6FlLE0BxcYOUz4m99kvRDAdT68ZRdlYWsDn4c7nMgVGI/s1600/charlie+brown+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0L4rPCiQt4Q7ZSBnDRSoyOPDZiExi9AbewKEkg9p9AIfD2K1ITTEqCH7E597ynxpik_6D5pLTc77TYpSGyI_5SfANdvpCQaA6FlLE0BxcYOUz4m99kvRDAdT68ZRdlYWsDn4c7nMgVGI/s1600/charlie+brown+tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><br /><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Empty bank accounts, tight waistlines, vomiting bugs, failed detoxes: </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: cyan;">(Guys, it's not a hangover. It's called alcohol poisoning.)</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">The</span> <span style="color: red;">post-holiday comedown</span> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">is a well-dreaded condition. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">January, even at its best, has few redeeming features.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> {At least we in S.W. Louisiana have the </span><span style="color: lime;">Mardi Gras </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">to look forward to</span>.</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">}</span></span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ah, last week:</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This time last week, it was a bright, crisp day heading to New Year’s Eve. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Feeling optimistic about the months ahead, two-thirds of us made at least one resolution: </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to eat less, to drink less, to get fit. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yet, according to a survey by researchers at the University of Bristol, 88 per cent of us will soon break them. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Half of us already have. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: red;">Ouch!</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">REASON ONE:</span></span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let's face it: </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">most of us had a hard time of it last year. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We managed to pull it together somehow, put on the brave Christmas face --</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, we are smack at the beginning once more, looking at running the gauntlet all over again.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">REASON TWO:</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">New Year's Eve can be a time of reflection, looking back over the last year ... </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or our whole lives -- and seeing all the plans and dreams cast aside on the shoulder of our life paths.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><br /><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So what can we do to get through the yblues?</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1.) Most important: </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">make plans for the coming months.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> Organize something you can look forward to. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Be creative: watch a movie; listen to music; go for a run. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The sun might not be shining – and the lack of sunlight is one factor that’s making us feel sad –</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> but get outside and swing yourself about a bit. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> It’ll make you feel so much better.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2.) Positive Perspective is key.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> Dress brightly – even for work. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Everything’s so gloomy and dull outside that it’ll make people happy to see someone wearing bright colors. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Find yourself frowning? Force a smile. Studies show that putting on a grin will unconsciously make you feel more up.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3.) Use the prevailing winds.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #76a5af;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Last year was tough for you, right? But you made it through!</span></span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></span></span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's seems impossible that sailors can move forward with the wind blowing against them, doesn't it?</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: red;">How do they do that?</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">On a sailboat, wind blowing against the boat at an angle inflates the sail, </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> and it forms a similar foil shape to an airplane's wing, </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">creating a difference in pressure that pushes the sail perpendicular to the wind direction.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4.) Your mind is your sail.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">It determines the course you sail through life. </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> You must learn how to mentally "tack," </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a term sailors use to describe how they shift the sail </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so the wind blows into a different side of the sail.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> There are people in this world that would give their left hand to be right where you are -- </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> with the blessings you are too familiar with to be thankful for.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Your struggles have made you smarter, stronger, and more aware of what you can do.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5.) Take a moment to realize that you are still here.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> And that is an extraordinary achievement given the pain that you’ve been through.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6.) Focus on what you're facing and what you're running from.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">What is just one simple step you can take </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> to maybe move towards the problem rather than away from it? </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> When you step towards problems they shrink, </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> and they become more manageable.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7.) Be kind to yourself.</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">If you had a best friend in a similar situation, what would your advice be?</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I bet it would be: </span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> "Ease up on yourself, friend. You've done a great job with a lousy situation."</span></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 itemprop="alternativeHeadline description" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: orange;">I hope this has helped in some small way, your friend - <span style="color: red;">Roland</span></span></span></span></h2>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-73335467755131566932024-01-02T18:02:00.002-06:002024-01-02T18:02:14.811-06:00WRITING TIPS and the PSYCHOLOGY behind them_IWSG Post<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2wgewvI0jVaCEI99XOBVFwVzYiwwTkiLGzsM5EpPn5FIdMmtVWN7UFQZp1sJbPpUNpxuJ587dJS00HGqgMYPVySxqqliUwJRXOkw-ofe_Qm1G9YjQ4t9xpX8FotjXSrRRnj7JvQENyg/s1600/WRITER%2527S+DESK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="653" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2wgewvI0jVaCEI99XOBVFwVzYiwwTkiLGzsM5EpPn5FIdMmtVWN7UFQZp1sJbPpUNpxuJ587dJS00HGqgMYPVySxqqliUwJRXOkw-ofe_Qm1G9YjQ4t9xpX8FotjXSrRRnj7JvQENyg/s400/WRITER%2527S+DESK.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">THERE IS ALWAYS REASON BEHIND MADNESS ... AND TRUTH, TOO</span></span></b></i></span><br /><br /><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Something to remember in these political debates ... and in the wisdom given to us on how to write well.</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">WRITE SHORTER</span></span></b></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s5KU-qf__A3QcohTVKCsdRRoOgiRTxoSADGFCABQnOnxfhVyAmDv33Mt57Nw4rfFyXCkXSG7ApfM41L4AXIvoYKhqWexkyKukPmdbqBYZApz1C2jGKUxvGgRmKrZPm_7m2EGz7a88_U/s1600/landscape-749680_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1s5KU-qf__A3QcohTVKCsdRRoOgiRTxoSADGFCABQnOnxfhVyAmDv33Mt57Nw4rfFyXCkXSG7ApfM41L4AXIvoYKhqWexkyKukPmdbqBYZApz1C2jGKUxvGgRmKrZPm_7m2EGz7a88_U/s320/landscape-749680_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every extra word makes readers impatient in these short-attention span days. </span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Got to keep checking on those FB posts, you know.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Write as if each word cost you 50 cents. Shorter prose is more powerful.</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SHRINK THOSE SENTENCES!</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVksh4chwQpVVQPEvr5jijJj4hM6eQlCJI8NKiDcjkb_FT8Unb_E2IwaDmYZKXdvrM3cdsH7qRlDS33Ah7tEVX0CfK2KyTicxWteAeAnmiF-FxXxIhd6359UOYLM0CccxzatUshBSjTQ/s1600/chihuahua-261490_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVksh4chwQpVVQPEvr5jijJj4hM6eQlCJI8NKiDcjkb_FT8Unb_E2IwaDmYZKXdvrM3cdsH7qRlDS33Ah7tEVX0CfK2KyTicxWteAeAnmiF-FxXxIhd6359UOYLM0CccxzatUshBSjTQ/s320/chihuahua-261490_1280.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tiny draws attention in this big world.</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Long sentences make readers work too hard to get to your main point. </span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Break sentences into bite-size ideas. Be Hemingway not Longfellow.</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PASSIVE IS THE NEW POISON </span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYVylYh9y_wNFbe_Yk4bNQUGsBJ9VtOlXap566FBIsOksm3QKOcr5LTz6EupVZMt4EwfVlBpHeXdhDxhP6-5lGOkiCLpJy5R0lWvCKYecQPPAMgkd88IGCPeCNdtNX83U75vN9Sm2hrE/s1600/sad-girl-236769_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYVylYh9y_wNFbe_Yk4bNQUGsBJ9VtOlXap566FBIsOksm3QKOcr5LTz6EupVZMt4EwfVlBpHeXdhDxhP6-5lGOkiCLpJy5R0lWvCKYecQPPAMgkd88IGCPeCNdtNX83U75vN9Sm2hrE/s320/sad-girl-236769_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Passive voice sentences hide who is acting, creating uneasiness unconsciously in your reader. Not good!</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be the detective of your own sentences -- find out who is the actor in each sentence and link him to the verb.</span></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ERASE JARGON. FOCUS ON CLARITY</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCh1TNRn7CQ8N5e2kHeBkzXKr_QnMkZbbixOh7tJy1ad4gitpDP3oqhrIwbEAsO16M2Kt1OXgjaRyLFcUAAa_3ZCAo5sh7aVn8CrWlxraaLhMl-qvMTWRlXhxEZekgZ0-GWMFXGa3O_k/s1600/squirrel-304021_1280.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCh1TNRn7CQ8N5e2kHeBkzXKr_QnMkZbbixOh7tJy1ad4gitpDP3oqhrIwbEAsO16M2Kt1OXgjaRyLFcUAAa_3ZCAo5sh7aVn8CrWlxraaLhMl-qvMTWRlXhxEZekgZ0-GWMFXGa3O_k/s320/squirrel-304021_1280.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jargon and Tech words just make your readers feel stupid. Way bad.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It doesn't make you sound smart. </span></span></b></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It makes you look as if you are talking down to your reader.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell your story as if you were relaying it to your mother or next door neighbor. Tell the tale to make the most impact to the most people.</span></span></b></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PUSH TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Qfvgbi4cvcbOYZBHxsJO34-7b-SstcV7zHsq1NJCdFdN9qFutEnsj-V1thFYNj8KMj_StQz2X7dghrpIQkH304qYVyO1ZJlaVNjui8Udcuj1aVydXlyxlvt6aeyMmk_J2E-rg_eXkCU/s1600/soldier-1682561_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Qfvgbi4cvcbOYZBHxsJO34-7b-SstcV7zHsq1NJCdFdN9qFutEnsj-V1thFYNj8KMj_StQz2X7dghrpIQkH304qYVyO1ZJlaVNjui8Udcuj1aVydXlyxlvt6aeyMmk_J2E-rg_eXkCU/s320/soldier-1682561_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Move key scenes and insights up as close to the front of your novel, chapter, sentence as you can.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are not making a case in a court of law where you have to lay a foundation fact by fact.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You have only a few sentences to get the readers' attention. </span></span></b><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't waste those few precious moments. </span></span></b><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grab your audience right out of the gate -- at the first sentence if possible.</span></span></b></div><div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">CLUES </span></b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLA0Vj0xo64CdeDMMnVLhwSUDGQOuPCCjxbDL49ou7VLXPEcUeC8hj8yccN1GnXXBjDs82KsOuBboXiJH9wSeo8aAWGo5avHXekBdgudi5BCXEcFDaT6SNYJhy7NeukUcK0Tk4J5uy8g/s1600/detective-311684_1280.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLA0Vj0xo64CdeDMMnVLhwSUDGQOuPCCjxbDL49ou7VLXPEcUeC8hj8yccN1GnXXBjDs82KsOuBboXiJH9wSeo8aAWGo5avHXekBdgudi5BCXEcFDaT6SNYJhy7NeukUcK0Tk4J5uy8g/s320/detective-311684_1280.png" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Authors use foreshadowing to hint at future important events. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whether consciously or unconsciously,</span></span></b><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">readers pick up on these clues if they read and use them to make predictions about what will happen later in the story.</span></span></b><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It creates tension and suspense, keeping the reader turning the pages. </span></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">AND DON'T FORGET</span></span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i>MY CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY </i></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL4a8YRuEfOvjbs8dt4V9jh_l2Hq4DIEUdTeTxG-TErMMcQ6-Yp2UWbkm7Ou60II3tHQhQgfgaNmBZGl5Q1i6zk4FwTNANfTFshncvj9-uWQUSgng8SnHWlzWIaNLmilx_O4njCvMuvs/s1600/TdG3o1543214969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL4a8YRuEfOvjbs8dt4V9jh_l2Hq4DIEUdTeTxG-TErMMcQ6-Yp2UWbkm7Ou60II3tHQhQgfgaNmBZGl5Q1i6zk4FwTNANfTFshncvj9-uWQUSgng8SnHWlzWIaNLmilx_O4njCvMuvs/s400/TdG3o1543214969.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ8XMJR/">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ8XMJR/</a></i></span></span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i>I have an Angel Provocateur</i></span></span></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i>in this speculative fiction</i></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oO_IonmWEi0" width="320" youtube-src-id="oO_IonmWEi0"></iframe></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></span></span></b></div></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681132888977525688.post-40768062050283856612024-01-01T14:14:00.005-06:002024-01-01T14:15:12.307-06:00NEIL GAIMAN & MARK TWAIN on the New Year to Come! IWSG Post<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f9aio-5CJHUxplFTQJdDV1dBb3OgiC0EPZxMV1E-vJGlWSMy02LL3VaDBZSXIgwd2ODoh3QZ8Wvu8yOfbYf6zvsZBGeEFj8QsYvXlPKN0hHo8_RWxgvReEKIo-niW-vl-NGGuusxl7eQ/s1600/neil+gaiman+and+dog.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f9aio-5CJHUxplFTQJdDV1dBb3OgiC0EPZxMV1E-vJGlWSMy02LL3VaDBZSXIgwd2ODoh3QZ8Wvu8yOfbYf6zvsZBGeEFj8QsYvXlPKN0hHo8_RWxgvReEKIo-niW-vl-NGGuusxl7eQ/s320/neil+gaiman+and+dog.png" width="299" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan;">{Neil and his beloved dog, Cabal, who died in 2013.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: cyan;">Neil said "I found him by the side of the road, and we rescued each other."}</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>“I hope you will <span style="color: orange;">have a wonderful year</span>,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>that you'll <span style="color: orange;">dream dangerously </span>and outrageously,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>that you'll <span style="color: yellow;">make something that didn't exist before </span>you made it,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>that you will be loved and that you will be liked,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>and that you will have people to love and to like in return.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>And, most importantly</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>(because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now),</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: lime;">I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.</span></b></span><br /><span style="color: lime;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Because <span style="color: orange;">if you are making mistakes,</span></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself,</b></span></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>changing yourself, changing your world.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>You're doing things you've never done before,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>and more importantly, you're <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Doing Something</i>.</span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Make mistakes nobody's ever made before.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Don't freeze, don't stop,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>don't worry that it isn't good enough,</b></span></span><br /><span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">or it isn't perfect, whatever it is</span>:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>art, or love, or work or family or life.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Whatever it is you're scared of doing,<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do it. </span></span></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Make your mistakes, next year and forever.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Be kind to yourself in the year ahead.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Remember to forgive yourself and to forgive others.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>It is too easy to be outraged these days, so much harder to change things, </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>to reach out, to understand.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Try to make your time matter:</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Minutes and hours and days and weeks can blow away like dead leaves</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>with nothing to show but time you spent not quite doing things</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>or time you spent waiting to begin.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Hug too much, smile too much,</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>and when you can ... love."</b></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res,_1867.jpg"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="243" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg/170px-Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg/255px-Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg/340px-Mark_Twain_by_Abdullah_Fr%C3%A8res%2C_1867.jpg 2x" width="170" /></a></b></span><br /> {Samuel Clemens in 1867}<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;">MARK TWAIN:</span></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Territorial Enterprise, <span style="color: cyan;">January 1, 1863</span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: lime;"><i>LOCAL COLUMN - NEW YEAR'S DAY</i></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink, and swore his last oath.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>To-day, we are a pious and exemplary community.</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds</b></span></span><br /><span style="color: red;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>and gone to cutting our ancient short comings considerably shorter than ever.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>We shall also reflect pleasantly upon how we did the same old thing last year about this time.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>However, go in, community.</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>New Year's is a harmless annual institution,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>of no particular use to anybody</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls, and humbug resolutions,</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>and <span style="color: orange;">we wish you to enjoy it with a looseness suited to the greatness of the occasion."</span></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/znHh6mTJj3M" width="420"></iframe></div>Roland D. Yeomanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.com2