A little humor…

Top 50 Oxymorons:

  1. Act naturally
  2. Found missing
  3. Resident alien
  4. Advanced BASIC
  5. Genuine imitation
  6. Airline Food
  7. Good grief
  8. Same difference
  9. Almost exactly
  10. Government organization
  11. Sanitary landfill
  12. Alone together
  13. Legally drunk
  14. Silent scream
  15. British fashion
  16. Living dead
  17. Small crowd
  18. Business ethics
  19. Soft rock
  20. Butt Head
  21. Military Intelligence
  22. Software documentation
  23. New York culture
  24. New classic
  25. Sweet sorrow
  26. Childproof
  27. “Now, then …”
  28. Synthetic natural gas
  29. Christian Scientists
  30. Passive aggression
  31. Taped live
  32. Clearly misunderstood
  33. Peace force
  34. Extinct Life
  35. Temporary tax increase
  36. Computer jock
  37. Plastic glasses
  38. Terribly pleased
  39. Computer security
  40. Political science
  41. Tight slacks
  42. Definite maybe
  43. Pretty ugly
  44. Twelve-ounce pound cake
  45. Diet ice cream
  46. Rap music
  47. Working vacation
  48. Exact estimate
  49. Religious tolerance
  50. Microsoft Works

I’m kinda surprised Jumbo Shrimp didn’t make the list… sigh

Book promos…

First up is the next iteration of Moggies- Moggies in Space A Galaxy Fur, Fur Away

Click on the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

Here is yet another collection of tales about space floofs of the feline flavor. This compendium sports cosmic kitties doing more of what cats do, and entertaining us in the bundle: saving ships, crews, sometimes living together with dogs, and featuring at least one pesky litter that’s into everything and smarter than the grownups. Yeah. Total anarchy.

New Hires by Becky R. Jones

Furtive Friends by Samuel Nettles

The Great Escape by Nicki Kenyon

Paws to Consider by Paul Williams

Kindled Embers by T.C. Ross

Apogee & Perigee by Bokerah Brumley

A Practical Method for Dealing With Stowaways by J.R. Armstrong

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs by A. Kristina Casasent

Crisis on Halcyon Station by Melissa McShane

Stowaways by Cedar Sanderson

Charliedelphia by Lee Allred

Next up is Alma T.C. Boykin with the next in the Elect series- Wolves of the Woods

The blurb-

The Elect want nothing more than to live and let live. An all-too-familiar danger arrives instead, along with a stranger.

The Elect, the werewolf survivors and pack of Lord Gregor, slowly adapt to a world that passed them by. Gregor hires a museum designer, Joakim Davis, to help with a regional museum that might, perhaps, make life easier for the Elect and please the locals. But Davis has two secrets of his own.

Mara and Gregor remain cursed to take wolf form. As they hunt, they make two discoveries, one intriguing and one very troubling indeed. The blight they thought banished has returned.

When Gregor and his lady depart for Krakow, it remains for the other Elect, aided perhaps by this secretive stranger from America, to deal with the new evil that trespasses on their territory. Can they withstand this new threat, or will they succumb to the curse as they each did before?

And last but not least, from Three Ravens, Tales of the Apocalypse

The blurb-

Do you have what it takes to survive when the Shit Hits The Fan?

Only those who are lucky, properly equipped, or skilled have a fighting chance to survive through those first days of chaos. And only the strong have what it takes to thrive.

Join us on a journey of alien invasions, nuclear war, zombie hordes and more, in Tales of the Apocalypse. Eleven stories of desperation, heroism, and strife sure to hook your imaginations.

With stories by Anthony H. Roberts, Al Hagan, Jon Fain, JL Curtis, William Joseph Roberts, Linda Kay Hardie, Michael Craig, David Norling, Lorraine Sharma Nelson, Sarina Dorie, and Nebula and Hugo award winner, Robert Silverberg

Are you a survivor, or just fresh meat for the grinder when the world falls apart around you?

Yes, I have a story in that one! 🙂 Set in Texas, with longhorns…

And here’s a preview of the cover of my short story collection that ‘hopefully’ will be live next week.

Military wives…

I know there are a lot of jokes out there, but there is also the reality of the good military wives who stand by their men through an entire career.

This is for them!

A Military Wife

Lots of moving…
Moving…
Moving…
Moving far from home…
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog…all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won’t fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting…
Waiting…
Waiting…
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home, For dinner…AGAIN!

They call her ‘Military Dependent’, but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet…
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move… …..all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep South.
And learns to call them all ‘home’.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty…
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships. They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil…

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn’t have a ‘JOB’
He has a ‘MISSION’ that he can’t just decide to quit…
He’s on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he’s the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long-distance link to keep them informed;
the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,
She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

–Author Unknown

Old and new…

I had to go get tires yesterday (oh my aching pocket book)…

While I was waiting, I got bored and started looking in displays of the little cowtown dealership I was in.

Back in the dark ages, the manufacturers used to have metal models of various cars sent to dealerships as ‘give aways’. I remember getting a 57 T-Bird model as a little kid (and must have destroyed it playing with it…sigh).

There were three sitting up on a shelf, and yes, dusty (it is Texas)…

62 Bel Air SS 409, with 4 on the floor!

69 Camaro SS 396

63 Split window Corvette

And I wandered out into the ‘bay’ and saw this little beauty… Special ordered and was being picked up yesterday…

Yes, it’s got a BIG butt!

‘Only’ $137,000… sigh… And a cowboy came in to pick it up. But I don’t think he fit in it with his cowboy hat on…

This could get…

Complicated… Especially if you’re a contract 1099 worker…

A U.S. Labor Department regulation that takes effect on March 11 could require many businesses that treat workers as independent contractors to start paying them as employees — although it’s still unclear how much of a difference it will make in practice.

The new rule is 339 pages long and is so complicated and hard to apply that “employers will never know whether they got it right unless they say someone is an employee,” said Marc Freedman, vice president for employment policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Full article HERE from Courthouse News.

I’m glad I’m pretty much out of the contracting/consulting business these days.

I’m not going to bother reading it, but if you’re doing a lot of freelance/contract stuff, it might be a good idea to at least familiarize yourself with what is in that mess.

I’m not a lawyer, don’t play one on TV, and I sure as hell didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

And apparently there has been a ‘stay’ issued by a judge, HERE from MSN.

Oopsie…

Plagiarism rears its head once again!

A screenwriter has accused the Oscar-nominated film, “The Holdovers,” of plagiarizing a script he wrote more than a decade ago.

Simon Stephenson, who has worked on the films “Luca” and “Paddington 2,” outlined his allegations in emails to the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). 

Full article, HERE from Fox News.

Apparently the Oscars was last night, not that I watched it…

And yes, one should always guard your IP. The WGA has a specific procedure for filing stories with them for just this reason, much like we use copyright on the writing side.

Stuff like this is also why you should ALWAYS read any contract before you sign it, especially if any rights to your IP are involved.

Back in the day…

Again… stuff from the 60s…

How many of us had a color TV back then???

Watching Bonanza | Alamy Stock Photo by Moviestore Collection Ltd

And how many of us had to help lick these damned things?

S&H Stamps | Alamy Stock Photo by Phoenix Creative

And managed to talk your parents into one of these for your bedroom?

Lighting Up With Lava | Shutterstock Photo by mikeledray

Or got to stay up late enough to see this?

TV Test Patterns | Alamy Stock Photo by Dennis Hallinan

And last, but not least, the original Sam Walton store in Bentonville, AR.

Five-and-Dime Stores | Alamy Stock Photo by Ian Dagnall

p.s. if you remember all of these, you too are a dinosaur… 🙂

A little humor…

For the weekend!

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.

ABBOTT: Good Subject.  Terrible Times.  It’s 5.6%.

COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?

ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%.

COSTELLO: You just said 5.6%.

ABBOTT: 5.6% unemployed.

COSTELLO: Right, 5.6% out of work.

ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%.

COSTELLO: Okay, so it’s 23% unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, that’s 5.6%.

COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE!  Is it 5.6% or 23%?

ABBOTT: 5.6% are unemployed.  23% are out of work.

COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.

ABBOTT: No, Biden said you can’t count the “Out of Work” as the unemployed.  You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!

ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.

COSTELLO: What point?

ABBOTT: Someone who doesn’t look for work can’t be counted with those who look for work.  It wouldn’t be fair.

COSTELLO: To whom?

ABBOTT: The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.

ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work.  Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you’re off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down.  Absolutely!

COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don’t look for work?

ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes  down.  That’s how it gets to 5.6%.  Otherwise it would be 23%.

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you.  That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.

COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?

ABBOTT: Correct.

COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?

ABBOTT: Bingo!

COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.

ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like a Democrat!

COSTELLO: I don’t even know what the hell I just said!

ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like Biden!

YGTBSM!!!

This is… gah…

As the federal government nears final approval for a 10-knot maritime speed limit along the East Coast, the Southeastern legal Foundation is warning that such a move would adversely impact the economies of coastal communities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a 10-knot speed limit for much of the Atlantic coast in a bid to protect the whale population. Violators could face up to $20,000 in fines and one year in prison. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on Monday announced that approval for the speed limit had entered the final phase. 10-knots is equivalent to 11.5 miles per hour on land.

Full article, HERE. h/t Stretch

This will destroy not only the sport fishing industry on the east coast, but also will have a major impact on the cruise lines and commercial shipping industry. Those ships normally run 15-20 kts until they are just a few miles off shore. And the Navy ships are capable of more than that. Also, carriers run 25+ kts for launch and recovery of aircraft. If they have to move some unknown number of miles further out to sea, that will have a major impact on carrier qualifications for the squadrons and extend the ship’s days at sea.

Personally, I think this is just one more example of .gov overreach and kowtowing to the econazis… dammit…

Meh…

I’m tired of the crap in the news, how about some more quotes…

Liberals claim not to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views. [William F. Buckley]

A Saxon can die without a murmur. A French man can die laughing. But only a Norseman can laugh as he kills. [George S. Patton Jr]

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. [John F. Kennedy]

George Orwell’s 1984 was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not and instruction manual. [Unknown]

If you spend time to teach kids right and wrong when they’re little, it’s much easier for them to grow up. And it shows you love ’em. [Roy Rogers]

The years between 50 and 70 are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down. [T.S. Elliot]

You spend 90 percent of your adult life hoping for a long rest and the last 10 percent trying to convince the Lord that you’re actually not that tired. [Robert Brault]

Lady Astor said ‘Winston, if you were my husband I would poison your coffee.’ Churchill replied, ‘Nancy, if I were your husband I would drink it.’ [Famous quotes]

In war, opportunity waits for no man. [Pericles, c 495-429 BC]

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. [Ogden Nash]

You could say that the paparazzi and the tabloids are sort of the `assault weapons’ of the First Amendment. They’re ugly, a lot of people don’t like them, but they’re protected by the First Amendment – just as ‘assault weapons’ are protected by the Second Amendment. [Charlton Heston]

The only problem with capitalism is that it works so well that people think they don’t need it.” – Dan Held

An infected mind is a far more dangerous pestilence than any plague – one only threatens your life, the other destroys your character. [Marcus Aurelius]

When I was young, I was called a rugged individualist. When I was in my fifties, I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the same things I did then, and I’m labeled senile. [GB]

The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental. [John Steinbeck]

If you are willing to abandon your principles for convenience or social acceptability, they are not your principles. They are your costume. [Nitya Prakash]

The reliability of any system is inversely proportional to the square of its complexity. [Murphy’s Laws of Combat, Marion F. Sturkey]

You’ll have to pass it to find out what’s in it. [Nancy Pelosi]

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. [Voltaire]

The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. [D.H. Lawrence]

Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion. [General Norman Schwarzkopf]

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. [Douglas Adams]

The fatal fallacy of gun control laws in general is the assumption that such laws actually control guns. Criminals who disobey other laws are not likely to be stopped by gun-control laws. What such laws actually do is increase the number of disarmed and defenseless victims. [Thomas Sowell]

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. [Douglas Adams]

Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity. [Nelson Mandela. Fighter, Prisoner, President, Revolutionary]

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. [Mark Twain]

Eleven teens die each day because of texting while driving. Maybe it’s time to raise the age of Smart Phone ownership to 21. [unknown]

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the establishment authorities are wrong. Voltaire]

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But the I repeat myself. [Mark Twain]

Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are right now, and we will never be here again. [Homer, The Iliad]

After a 25-cent breakfast of canned bacon and powdered eggs in a tar-paper shack on the field at Dahar, . . . [Omar Bradley, Feb 1943]

In my youth I was often called lazy. In rather successful adulthood I was called efficient. Same behavior, different times. [Bob Fiegel]

Man is the only creature disposed to kill huge numbers of members of his own species, and his instrument is usually the state. [Joseph Sobran]

I’m not afraid of the media. Why should anyone listen to the media? Who are these people? What makes them experts? What have they accomplished? [Dana White]

There’s one thing worse than change and that’s the status quo. [John Le Carre]

The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit, but above all to corrupt its citizens… Henceforth, I shall never serve any government anywhere. [Leo Tolstoy]

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. [Mark Twain]

To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth. [Teddy Roosevelt]

You have vanishingly little political influence and every thought you spend on politics will probably come to nothing. Consider building things instead, or at least going for a walk. [Conor Barnes]

A sword by itself does not slay; it is merely the weapon used by the slayer. [Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman Stoic philosopher, 4 B.C. – A.D. 65]

If gun control laws actually worked, Chicago would be Mayberry, USA. [unknown]

If enough data is collected, a Board of Inquiry can prove anything. [Unknown]

All middle-class citizens of education have a common belief that the tendencies towards centralization and paternalism must be halted and reversed. [Dwight Eisenhower July 1949]

No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it. There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. [Franklin Delano Rosevelt]

Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. [Ronald Reagan 1986]

It’s amazing how prescient some of these are, considering what is going on today… sigh