I finished reading "Boone's Lick," by McMurtry. Like I said, I'm a slow reader, but eventually get it done. The novel was hilarious for the most part, even though it covered the Fetterman disaster, wherein the whole Army outfit got wiped out by the Sioux. It wasn't as quite as bad as the Custer fiasco, since there weren't as many soldiers killed, but it was a disaster, nevertheless. It was a good and easy read.
I haven't quite got my drugs straightened out yet. I'm still having difficulty with dizziness and lack of enthusiasm, though my stomach seems to be getting a little over it's rejection of food. Food just doesn't appeal to me. I get hungry enough to eat the south end of a north bound bear, but when it comes to actual eating, I have to force it down. So far nothing has decided to come back up, and I feel a little better, but it's getting to be a tough job, this eating every so often. And this from someone who used to eat the 20 oz. porterhouse and about anything else that was put in front of me. A big steak, baked potato and salad was a fine meal. Very seldom had fish of any kind and don't eat much of it now, albeit it makes up more of my diet than ever before, which isn't saying much. I still don't care for it. Of course, I used to wash all this down with alcohol of some type. I only drank water when there wasn't anything else to drink. It'll rust your pipes, used to be the saying. All this drinking and eating used to take place when the ship hit the shore.
Between times, it was a pretty dry life. But don't let me mislead you, I've served on seven or eight different ships, but I had about two or three times over the land duty, maybe even four times, so there was plenty of time to pollute the pipes otherwise. And if I had the chance to do things over, I wouldn't change one whit of it, well maybe just one little whit. I would've kept my weight down!
These medicines I have been taking have been at the direction of a medical doctor, and I'm sure they were prescribed or recommended in my best interests. But sometimes they just don't work like they're supposed to, exhibiting not only one of the side effects, but when all are taken, they may produce more than one effect, especially if they happen to have the same side effects as all the others. Egad! Complain! Complain! Complain! or Laugh! Laugh! Laugh! Whichever strikes your fancy! Personally, I choose to laugh, but all that comes out are complaints!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Red on Fridays/A Thought about Writing
I am posting this one on Friday, since my ranting and raving is about Red Shirt Fridays.
There's a thing going around by e-mail that requests everyone wear a red shirt on Friday to honor our troops or show support for the troops. At first, I thought it was a pretty good idea, but I began to wonder.....oh, yes.....I wonder a lot, too much at times. Red, to me, has always been the color of Communists, Red this and Red that, and I wondered, Who started this trend? And why Red? Are they just taking a survey of who reads, and follows blindly, an e-mail, in some obscure counting game? Or, do they really want to show support for the troops? Was it some Democrat, who also use the color Red, e.g., Red States, or just what the Hell is going on? Maybe people with a guilty conscious not having done anything to show support, now put your Red Shirt on every Friday and it will make your conscious clear. A part-time supporter!
Well, now that I've got that off my chest, let's move on to something else. I need to rewrite some of the narrative in "Blood Runs in the Gulch." The more I think about it, the more I can see where the plot is too contrived, so it must be reworked, and I think it can be redone without too much disruption in the basic storyline. I'll just have to work something else in that will take more words, maybe, than the present configuration, but there is plenty of leeway, and since its my story, I can put it in any context that I would like. At least, that's one consolation of rewriting your own material. If it was someone else's, more care would have to be taken.
I have to hand it to the ghost-writers, they write stuff to meet someone else's approval, and if the someone doesn't like it, back to the drawing boards. It takes a lot of "putsbah" or incentive to be a ghost-writer, something that I don't have, and a great imagination. Reporting is a little bit like that, and I have had a little experience, not much, at reporting, but have never had enough confidence to turn it into a career. In fact, I've pretty much written things for other's approval for many years, required to, in fact, but had never thought of applying it to some sort of career practice. Writing Westerns seems to be a natural thing, and if they don't meet someone's approval, it's back to the drawing boards. And I've been making plenty of trips back there the last few years!
There's a thing going around by e-mail that requests everyone wear a red shirt on Friday to honor our troops or show support for the troops. At first, I thought it was a pretty good idea, but I began to wonder.....oh, yes.....I wonder a lot, too much at times. Red, to me, has always been the color of Communists, Red this and Red that, and I wondered, Who started this trend? And why Red? Are they just taking a survey of who reads, and follows blindly, an e-mail, in some obscure counting game? Or, do they really want to show support for the troops? Was it some Democrat, who also use the color Red, e.g., Red States, or just what the Hell is going on? Maybe people with a guilty conscious not having done anything to show support, now put your Red Shirt on every Friday and it will make your conscious clear. A part-time supporter!
Well, now that I've got that off my chest, let's move on to something else. I need to rewrite some of the narrative in "Blood Runs in the Gulch." The more I think about it, the more I can see where the plot is too contrived, so it must be reworked, and I think it can be redone without too much disruption in the basic storyline. I'll just have to work something else in that will take more words, maybe, than the present configuration, but there is plenty of leeway, and since its my story, I can put it in any context that I would like. At least, that's one consolation of rewriting your own material. If it was someone else's, more care would have to be taken.
I have to hand it to the ghost-writers, they write stuff to meet someone else's approval, and if the someone doesn't like it, back to the drawing boards. It takes a lot of "putsbah" or incentive to be a ghost-writer, something that I don't have, and a great imagination. Reporting is a little bit like that, and I have had a little experience, not much, at reporting, but have never had enough confidence to turn it into a career. In fact, I've pretty much written things for other's approval for many years, required to, in fact, but had never thought of applying it to some sort of career practice. Writing Westerns seems to be a natural thing, and if they don't meet someone's approval, it's back to the drawing boards. And I've been making plenty of trips back there the last few years!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The state of the physical body
These last few days, I've been a bit under the weather. It seems the pills I've been taking have side effects of some sort, and it appears that they all hit at once. I stopped taking a prescription pill and one symptom cleared up, but I still was not feeling exactly right. I stopped another pill, something the doc recommended I take, and that side effect has cleared up a bit, but I still wasn't feeling like I'm supposed to, so I stopped another doc recommended over the counter pill, the Red Yeast Rice thing. And most things have cleared up, except the dizziness. I expect it will clear up in a day or two as the drug wears off.
Of course, I've told my doc about the prescription pill, and he went along with it, at least until I have further symptoms show up, but I haven't informed him of the other two yet. I'll do that next week when things get back to normal. I never in the world would have thought there was so many side effects to over the counter, health food type, medicines, but I will be more vigilant in the future. You can't trust any of them, even the vitamins and multivitamins. They sound great before you take them, but as they say, buyer beware! I think they are all designed for a normal human body, and if you have a defect so to speak, they work with side effects. At least that's my theory, having a bodily defect as the medicine man tells me. It used to be normal, but aging, among other things, changes the body, or at least, something sure changed mine, diabetes is the culprit. And it all could have been avoided, if I had seen the writing on the wall and took it seriously back then. But, I don't have any regrets. That's just the way it turned out, so the HELL WITH IT! I got other things to worry about. I'll just try not to make it worse.
Of course, I've told my doc about the prescription pill, and he went along with it, at least until I have further symptoms show up, but I haven't informed him of the other two yet. I'll do that next week when things get back to normal. I never in the world would have thought there was so many side effects to over the counter, health food type, medicines, but I will be more vigilant in the future. You can't trust any of them, even the vitamins and multivitamins. They sound great before you take them, but as they say, buyer beware! I think they are all designed for a normal human body, and if you have a defect so to speak, they work with side effects. At least that's my theory, having a bodily defect as the medicine man tells me. It used to be normal, but aging, among other things, changes the body, or at least, something sure changed mine, diabetes is the culprit. And it all could have been avoided, if I had seen the writing on the wall and took it seriously back then. But, I don't have any regrets. That's just the way it turned out, so the HELL WITH IT! I got other things to worry about. I'll just try not to make it worse.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Finished for now
Well, well, just finished "Blood Runs in the Gulch." as it's presently called, and although I'm not completely statisfied with it, I have run off a copy for editing, etc., and will commence revising those sections deemed revisable. The darn thing wasn't quite as long as I thought it should have been, but maybe that's good, not having to cut out so much. I could tell you what happens in the end, but I'll hold that for now. This one was mostly done in about four months, a new record for me, while waiting for the rejection from the publisher of the other one. And I'm still waiting. Maybe the longer they take, the better the chances of publication, I keep telling myself.
My editor, my wife, has finished with this draft before this is posted, and she thought, "It's the best one yet." It will take awhile to make all the corrections she found, but it pleased me greatly to hear that. Maybe there is hope after all!
I've been thinking about the e-publishers, maybe I'll have better luck with them, or starting my own site. I saw where the e-books have overtaken traditional publishers during the last year. It's becoming more widespread all the time. More people like to read on the net than hold a book in their grimy hands. Too much trouble to open a book and keep a bookmark inside it to mark your place, when you can get a machine loaded with everything you ever wanted to read for a nominal fee. It soon becomes cheaper and more convenient, and you don't need a bunch of shelves to store the ones you want to keep, they're still there on your reading machine or audio whatamacallit.
My editor, my wife, has finished with this draft before this is posted, and she thought, "It's the best one yet." It will take awhile to make all the corrections she found, but it pleased me greatly to hear that. Maybe there is hope after all!
I've been thinking about the e-publishers, maybe I'll have better luck with them, or starting my own site. I saw where the e-books have overtaken traditional publishers during the last year. It's becoming more widespread all the time. More people like to read on the net than hold a book in their grimy hands. Too much trouble to open a book and keep a bookmark inside it to mark your place, when you can get a machine loaded with everything you ever wanted to read for a nominal fee. It soon becomes cheaper and more convenient, and you don't need a bunch of shelves to store the ones you want to keep, they're still there on your reading machine or audio whatamacallit.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A word about the political atmosphere, or something
I just saw on the Drudge Report on Saturday, May 30, a reference to an article in "Pravda" about the U.S. of A. turning Marxist, so I had to read it.
Sure enough, it said in an opinion that America was descending into Marxism at a rapid pace, and not even caring about giving up its freedoms without fighting anyone, just accepting it as a pre-done thing. Whereas, the Russians fought like crazy men before throwing in the towel, and gloated over the results.
And all I do is look around me, watch a little TV, read a newspaper and some things on the internet and I have to agree with the author. The American has been brainwashed for many years, especially in the schools in my opinion, and on TV, and it's all worded in such a manner that they accept it all, and go on with their "free" lives. What has become of us, letting Congress and the Presidents do things so easy?
And, at my age, I say the heck with it, too, if that's the way the American people want it, they are certainly going to get it. No one listens to the voice of reason, it's too much trouble.
Sure enough, it said in an opinion that America was descending into Marxism at a rapid pace, and not even caring about giving up its freedoms without fighting anyone, just accepting it as a pre-done thing. Whereas, the Russians fought like crazy men before throwing in the towel, and gloated over the results.
And all I do is look around me, watch a little TV, read a newspaper and some things on the internet and I have to agree with the author. The American has been brainwashed for many years, especially in the schools in my opinion, and on TV, and it's all worded in such a manner that they accept it all, and go on with their "free" lives. What has become of us, letting Congress and the Presidents do things so easy?
And, at my age, I say the heck with it, too, if that's the way the American people want it, they are certainly going to get it. No one listens to the voice of reason, it's too much trouble.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A brilliant idea strikes in the dark of night!
I had a startling idea early this morning, and it wouldn't let me go back to sleep for the longest time, so I was unable to pull myself out of bed until 4:30 AM. The idea was hilarious and a bit scary. What if mankind had evolved a little differently? Like, everyone's upper body was turned around facing to the rear. What if we had evolved that way? About everything that has been designed for comfort would have to be redone, causing a lot of employment. How wouild the seats of a car be constructed to enable use of the brakes and gas pedal? No chair or seat would have a back cushion unless it was some sort of arm rest. How would stadium seats and bleachers be designed? The one behind is usually higher than the one in front, but that's where the feet would rest.
You wouldn't be able to face your true love for those intimate moments, and in some cases that would be fine, but may be difficult matching up the parts. Maybe there wouldn't be so much time talking about love and such on TV, or maybe there would be more. A person would be able to eat fine sitting backwards, and that may lead to more alcoholism somehow. Everybody would have to learn to walk and run backwards, making for slower sports games, and if somebody had mastered running, he would be a superstar. It could possibly cut down on drinking and drug use, when people started stumbling and falling down all over the place.
I imagine people would get used to it, though, after a few thousand years or less, since it would be natural. A cowboy would have to adjust his balance in the saddle as he rides along, and he would have to run backward when he was running to untie a roped calf. His pistol and belt would have to be relocated, but that would be easy, and he wouldn't have any trouble with the fast draws.
I've told my wife some of the things that keep me awake at night, and she just shakes her head and says, "No wonder you can't sleep. What do you have to think about that stuff for?" And I don't have a good answer.
You wouldn't be able to face your true love for those intimate moments, and in some cases that would be fine, but may be difficult matching up the parts. Maybe there wouldn't be so much time talking about love and such on TV, or maybe there would be more. A person would be able to eat fine sitting backwards, and that may lead to more alcoholism somehow. Everybody would have to learn to walk and run backwards, making for slower sports games, and if somebody had mastered running, he would be a superstar. It could possibly cut down on drinking and drug use, when people started stumbling and falling down all over the place.
I imagine people would get used to it, though, after a few thousand years or less, since it would be natural. A cowboy would have to adjust his balance in the saddle as he rides along, and he would have to run backward when he was running to untie a roped calf. His pistol and belt would have to be relocated, but that would be easy, and he wouldn't have any trouble with the fast draws.
I've told my wife some of the things that keep me awake at night, and she just shakes her head and says, "No wonder you can't sleep. What do you have to think about that stuff for?" And I don't have a good answer.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Reading/My new novel
I've been reading "Boone's Lick," by McMurtry, and it may take awhile to plow through it. I don't mean that it's not well-written or humourous or interesting. No, I just can't stay awake long enough to read more than one or two chapters at a time. I save my entertainment reading until the day is done in most cases and use it to take my mind off the day's doings. I find that when I get involved in writing a story, I'm thinking about it most of the time and it will pop in and say hello at any time. And I'm wondering what I should do next as the story advances to keep it, or make it, more interesting, if that's possible (ha-ha). So it takes me a long time to read a book, and the longer it is, the longer it takes, of course.
I'm proceeding pretty well with "The Bloody Gulch", which is now called "Blood Runs in the Gulch." I may call it something else before it is finished, but I've written about 25,000 words and it should go another 20- or 25,000, or so. One of the secondary characters is trying to make up his mind about two girls, which one is he going to ask to marry him, or will there be someone else come along? He's been hired on as a Deputy to help the Sheriff take care of business. The sheriff is expecting trouble from the CB Ranch hands who want to run things around town. They're a new bunch who have moved on to a ranch a few miles south, but a couple three of them are troublemakers.
We shall see how it progresses. I never know how it's going to come out until I've reached about three-quarters, then it seems to fall in place for the finale.
I'm proceeding pretty well with "The Bloody Gulch", which is now called "Blood Runs in the Gulch." I may call it something else before it is finished, but I've written about 25,000 words and it should go another 20- or 25,000, or so. One of the secondary characters is trying to make up his mind about two girls, which one is he going to ask to marry him, or will there be someone else come along? He's been hired on as a Deputy to help the Sheriff take care of business. The sheriff is expecting trouble from the CB Ranch hands who want to run things around town. They're a new bunch who have moved on to a ranch a few miles south, but a couple three of them are troublemakers.
We shall see how it progresses. I never know how it's going to come out until I've reached about three-quarters, then it seems to fall in place for the finale.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
True West Mag Comments
I'm back after a good week of running around town and having a good time. Needed the break.
I received the first True West magazine from my free subscription, and enjoyed reading the articles, although I would prefer a fiction mag. There was an article about the Western Writer's of America group's selection of the 100 best Western movies, although the author, Henry Cabot Beck, didn't show the list, but suggested some movies that should have been included. So, I haven't seen the list of 100 yet, but I suppose I might take a look at it one of these days. To me, there never has been a bad western made. Critically, I guess there are a passel of them, but what the heck, I've never seen a really bad one, although I have seen some really boring ones. But, they all have a certain redeeming fascination that leads me to overlook the boring parts in them.
Back in the '30's I saw one in which the line, "The son of a bitch stole my gun," which was totally outrageous in our little community of Mormons. The thought of using swear words in a movie then was sacrirelegious and shocking, and sent the attendees into a whirlspin of argument. The Bishop addressed it in the following Sunday's preaching, reiterating how bad it was and immoral, it would surely lead us all into Hell. But, I don't know how many non-survivors actually went to Hell for watching it, of course. I don't think it made any permanent impact on me, especially the way the actors throw the bad language around these days, but it did make an impression, is why I even remember it. Hence came censorship in the movies.
An article on "Lonesome Dove" was interesting by Johnny D. Boggs on the movie and the actors who were selected to play the major roles and those who were not.
And there was an article by Bob Boze Bell entitled "Photos Don't Lie!", in which he takes aim at Western movie acccuracy.
I like the Calendar of Western Events, which shows the upcoming festivities of the west. If I want to attend one or two, I can refer to the list and make a choice, near or far.
A very interesting magazine for followers of the West.
I received the first True West magazine from my free subscription, and enjoyed reading the articles, although I would prefer a fiction mag. There was an article about the Western Writer's of America group's selection of the 100 best Western movies, although the author, Henry Cabot Beck, didn't show the list, but suggested some movies that should have been included. So, I haven't seen the list of 100 yet, but I suppose I might take a look at it one of these days. To me, there never has been a bad western made. Critically, I guess there are a passel of them, but what the heck, I've never seen a really bad one, although I have seen some really boring ones. But, they all have a certain redeeming fascination that leads me to overlook the boring parts in them.
Back in the '30's I saw one in which the line, "The son of a bitch stole my gun," which was totally outrageous in our little community of Mormons. The thought of using swear words in a movie then was sacrirelegious and shocking, and sent the attendees into a whirlspin of argument. The Bishop addressed it in the following Sunday's preaching, reiterating how bad it was and immoral, it would surely lead us all into Hell. But, I don't know how many non-survivors actually went to Hell for watching it, of course. I don't think it made any permanent impact on me, especially the way the actors throw the bad language around these days, but it did make an impression, is why I even remember it. Hence came censorship in the movies.
An article on "Lonesome Dove" was interesting by Johnny D. Boggs on the movie and the actors who were selected to play the major roles and those who were not.
And there was an article by Bob Boze Bell entitled "Photos Don't Lie!", in which he takes aim at Western movie acccuracy.
I like the Calendar of Western Events, which shows the upcoming festivities of the west. If I want to attend one or two, I can refer to the list and make a choice, near or far.
A very interesting magazine for followers of the West.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Some pondering on humor
There won't be a blog next Wed or Thurs, and maybe Sun, due to other commitments.
It's time for some light-hearted pondering, so start pondering:
A bus station is where a bus stops. A tain sation is where a train stops. What happens at my work station?
Can atheists get insurance for acts of God?
If Fedex and UPS were to merge, should they call it FEDUP?
Does fuzzy logic tickle?
Oh, Stop! Stop it! I can't see for the tears in my eyes? Humor is in the eye of the thinker. I've composed humorous items one day and the next didn't think they were at all funny. I try to incorporate some humor in everything I write, sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. Whether the reader catches it or thinks it funny, doesn't really matter as long as the story goes forward and meets my very liberal standards. There doesn't seem to be too much room in a western novel for much humor in order to maintain the serious aspect of the whole thing. But in my estimation, there is always room for a little of it to add a little spice to the piece.
Sometimes it's just accidental and not meant to come out that way, even I don't catch it until I've read it over once or twice. If I like it, I don't change it.
There "ain't" enough humor in these bleak times, with the expectation of unemployment hanging over everyone's head. There have been several or many times over the years that I wished I had been fired from a particular job, but I was too stubborn to quit and look for something else to do, since my bank account hung near zero all the time. I put up with a lot of unnecesary crap in order to draw the next paycheck, like many unhappy people, but all in all, I guess it wasn't too bad.
Some people just have no sense of humor and don't like it at all. It would give them a heart attack to laugh at a joke, if they even caught it.
It's time for some light-hearted pondering, so start pondering:
A bus station is where a bus stops. A tain sation is where a train stops. What happens at my work station?
Can atheists get insurance for acts of God?
If Fedex and UPS were to merge, should they call it FEDUP?
Does fuzzy logic tickle?
Oh, Stop! Stop it! I can't see for the tears in my eyes? Humor is in the eye of the thinker. I've composed humorous items one day and the next didn't think they were at all funny. I try to incorporate some humor in everything I write, sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. Whether the reader catches it or thinks it funny, doesn't really matter as long as the story goes forward and meets my very liberal standards. There doesn't seem to be too much room in a western novel for much humor in order to maintain the serious aspect of the whole thing. But in my estimation, there is always room for a little of it to add a little spice to the piece.
Sometimes it's just accidental and not meant to come out that way, even I don't catch it until I've read it over once or twice. If I like it, I don't change it.
There "ain't" enough humor in these bleak times, with the expectation of unemployment hanging over everyone's head. There have been several or many times over the years that I wished I had been fired from a particular job, but I was too stubborn to quit and look for something else to do, since my bank account hung near zero all the time. I put up with a lot of unnecesary crap in order to draw the next paycheck, like many unhappy people, but all in all, I guess it wasn't too bad.
Some people just have no sense of humor and don't like it at all. It would give them a heart attack to laugh at a joke, if they even caught it.
Monday, May 4, 2009
More on my world
Shucks! I missed posting another blog on Sunday, 2 May. I didn't exactly miss it, I didn't have anything ready to go because of the interruptions. I hope to get back on schedule with this one to be posted Thursday, 7 May. Mondays are a waste most of the time because of other goings-on, but the rest of the week looks almost empty.
I plan to pick up "The Tarnished Star" by Jack Martin, and "Trail of Tears", by Marsha Ward, both new Western novels that came out last month. I just finished reading "Wild Horse River" by Wayne D. Overholzer, and enjoyed it very much, although in parts it was a little tedious, but builds up to a terrific ending, thoroughly readable. I'm not going to be reading very much, other than my great grandfather's autobio, which is long and somewhat boring, but interesting since it was written by him. That family traveled from Dryden, New York, to a place near Kirtland, Ohio, in the first half of the 1800's, and the journey cost less than $15 from the figures posted for daily expenses, being usually between one and three dollars a day. They stayed in "taverns" and traveled by wagon. And I am trying to finish McMurtry's "Boone's Lick", another good one.
I'm still working on my own a little every day, have gone past 50 pages, but am struggling with it. I need to do some deep thinking on it, where do I want it go? What's it doing now? But, I've had my mind on other things lately. Springtime is a busy time of the year.
I plan to pick up "The Tarnished Star" by Jack Martin, and "Trail of Tears", by Marsha Ward, both new Western novels that came out last month. I just finished reading "Wild Horse River" by Wayne D. Overholzer, and enjoyed it very much, although in parts it was a little tedious, but builds up to a terrific ending, thoroughly readable. I'm not going to be reading very much, other than my great grandfather's autobio, which is long and somewhat boring, but interesting since it was written by him. That family traveled from Dryden, New York, to a place near Kirtland, Ohio, in the first half of the 1800's, and the journey cost less than $15 from the figures posted for daily expenses, being usually between one and three dollars a day. They stayed in "taverns" and traveled by wagon. And I am trying to finish McMurtry's "Boone's Lick", another good one.
I'm still working on my own a little every day, have gone past 50 pages, but am struggling with it. I need to do some deep thinking on it, where do I want it go? What's it doing now? But, I've had my mind on other things lately. Springtime is a busy time of the year.
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