A very good morning to all on this very damp and breezy Monday. The household is awakening, computers being turned on with e-mails, games and TV-shows. I try to keep the big screen off, unless it is one of the senior adults of the family in need of a movie-fix, because it disturbs my own search of news sites I follow. But I hope to finish moving my computer upstairs today, along with my desk chair. This of course will now block all access to my side of the bed, but it will give me some quiet time to write America's next greatest novel. Nowadays, they do not even bother to list the last greatest novel. There is just too many writers out there with talent and sales figures doesn't show the true talent of the writer, simply his loyal fan base for what he or she writes about: zombies, vampires or the Old West, love interest, sex and magical boys, martial arts and wars, futuristic science fiction and little furry creatures who seem nice and then bite your heads off. Our reading ventures have changed much of the last few decades and much was effected by our wars and by our writers. So, now its the top ten best books- based only on sales. No one is around anymore to judge quality accept in the individual category. I would like to be mentioned some day in the Christian writer's categories...have I mentioned I was a writer?
My new book idea is for a western- my first attempt in this area, but as I've said the Old West is my favorite reading material and I have hundreds of such books in leather bound, hard back and paperback. My favorite author, besides Louie L'Amour, is a recently deceased author by the name of Elmore Kelton. Not only a gift western writer, Kelton also writes modern day stuff. Though I of course prefer his westerns and his stories about the Texas Rangers can really come alive. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Silver Spur Award- 7 times.
My story- "Blake's War" is based on a group of Arizona Rangers who have gone off to join the Army of Texas, under Confederate General Hood, during the Civil War. As confederate cavalry and their company led by their former Ranger Captain and now Lt. Blake, they enter into some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Eventually, the primary characters are captured in the ill-fated Battle for Nashville, where Blake and his surviving 14 troopers are transported to Elmira Yankee Prison Camp in New York. Here, confederate prisoners deal with severe cold, lack of food and medical attention, poor sanitary conditions and eventual escape through old tunnels dug over the last 3-years by former prisoners. While on their way south, they learn of the South's surrender and now they head Southwest for Arizona. But, by the time they make it home most of them find the carpetbaggers had bought up their lands from corrupt courts, their cattle sold off with the government keeping the money, and families living out of shabby wagons on open desert. Blake learns his wife had died of disease, his son was killed by a drunk Yankee corporal trying to rape his younger sister and the 8-year old daughter sold to Mexicans for $5 before she was transported across the border. Thinking his daughter was dead and with his 1400 acres sold-off, his family gone and the herd he had watched grow to over 400 head sold off or butchered to feed Yankee troops, Blake gets all fired up and kills the leader of the local carpetbaggers group, who represents a couple of wealthy families in Boston. A lot of East Coast families are now hoping to buy up Southeast Arizona to build massive ranches and raise thousands of cattle to feed the starving east coast- at a profit of course. He's on the run now from the U.S. Cavalry and U.S. Marshals, a Wanted Dead or Alive warrant out on his head, but before long he's joined up by his former Rangers and they once more they begin wage war. But not on the people of Arizona, for them they become the Robin Hood and his Merry Men- saving them from Apache Raids and Mexican Bandits, seizing overburdening taxes and returning them to those that need them, while the U.S. Cavalry stays close to the richer ranches and newly installed Indian Reservations, and the U.S. Marshals remain glued to their communities.
This is Blake's War...I'm not sure yet how I want it to end, yet. but as soon as I get my computer move today, I will begin working on the first chapter. I'm excited!
Did I mention more rain here today- soon it will turn into that white stuff. But I am hoping it will wait awhile as my wood supply is still in short supply. I need a good week of sunlight to get what's in my yard all cut up and into the shed, but that's only about 1/10 of what I need for the winter. Oh, I've got lots of trees, but I do not cut down green growth and all the dead growth I've already burned up over the last 14-years. Fun times ahead. Have to go up to the sawmill an scrounge up a lot of slab wood. These are 12-16 foot lengths of thin-cut outer bark with good wood on them that is cut away from the new lumber as it goes through the milling process. We cut it up into burnable size pieces and pile it into the shed. Need a couple of dry-days though for that chore. Some of the boys are upset young Darci gets out out of these chores because she's still in high school- senior year. but they easily forget they too once got out of these chores for the same reason and when it comes to dish washing, I feel like were fighting another war in the house. Only good thing about it- I don't have to wash the dishes. I'm looked upon as the old man, but the real reason is how the house's sink area was built too low. Back when they thought all women were 5'3" and men never did the dishes. Oh, we so hoped it would've stayed that way but somewhere along the line they began to wear pants and looked might good in them, too. Every time I get on my high horse and joke about anti-women's lib stuff, my wife gets out the saw and cuts the legs out from under my high-horse. She was raised by loggers. Enough said.
News Briefs:
The Obama Administration's recent decision to enlist the Department of Defense in responding to the Ebola Crisis in West Africa is raising concerns- this task would pull the already stretched thin military away from its missions; Afghanistan and Iraq, and vital counterterrorism operations. Besides world-wide deployments of service members. A Department of Defense "source" said military leaders were being "cornered" by the White House. $100 million had already been sent to West Africa for the Ebola Crisis and President Obama is asking for an immediate addition of $88 million, with additional funds to be requested soon to staunch the Ebola Virus.
Iran suspicious of US-led Coalition. Accused US os seeking to violate the sovereignty of countries under pretext of fighting terrorism.
Russia says NATO expansion to Russian borders by pulling neighboring countries into NATO is not acceptable. Russia also says it will strike back at US sanctions, while still leaving the door open for dialogue.
India has now formally applied for full membership into the Shanghi Cooperation Organization, (SCO)-to which China and Russia are also members of.
As the Ebola Crisis in Liberia continues to grow, sick people, even those showing the symptoms of Ebola are being turned away from treatment centers due to overcrowding and left to fare for themselves. WHO advises how the health workers in Liberia cannot keep up with the the Ebola Outbreak. Some health-care workers are advising patients displaying early symptoms of Ebola to return in 3-days, which could be causing the virus to spread. People are dying out in the street and in allies, or homes and being handled by unprotected health care workers, which is the most dangerous dangerous transfer of the Ebola. The blood seeping from the dead or viral fluids, is the most deadly. Doctors Without Borders have a new clinic outside Monrovia, Liberia which can hold 160-beds and have 25 more beds being brought in on 9-15. But doctors on scene say they need 1,200 beds and a corresponding staff increase in staff to cope with the virus. Unlike prior Ebola outbreaks, this is the largest by far, but is seeing recoveries and this offers some hope. But the patients must reach treatment to survive and so many do not. The fear of a mutated airborne Ebola continues to cause fear, but it has not occurred-yet.
U.S. Department of Defense says North Korea is attempting to develop the ability to fire its missiles from their submarines. ( Not good).
Democratic State Representative Roderick, was recently convicted of 8 felony offenses including perjury and voter fraud. His sentence was.....(drum roll here) all of 90-days. (He was a Black Man, but that shouldn't have mattered in any direction, but he was a politician and I guess this allowed him to practically walk free. 90-days means he'll be out in 60-days from a minimum to medium custody prison. I've seen so many harsher sentences for a single misdemeanor. But 8-felonies from a college graduate, who really should have known better and he hurt the public who voted him into office. He broke his TRUST. This is worse than a thief stealing a car, or a shoplifter grabbing a stereo to sell for his next fix. But he gets a couple of months away to write his first book. What does this say to our kids? This is simply another example of corruption in the court system- it's not what color you are, what sex you are, or how rich you are...it's all three and toss a politician on top. ( When my older brother- next older, was killed by a drunk driver in the down south I was asked if I was flying down for the trial and sentencing. I declined. This was the man 10th's DWI, his license was revoked 4 separate times and suspended twice in the same area of the state. He was driving his friend's uninsured car that he allegedly had stolen after leaving a bar. The bar was not held responsible for the death of my brother, the subject was barely hurt and of course had no liability since he was now driving a stolen car- this was his 3rd stolen car while drunk. As to why his license kept being returned after so many suspensions and then revocations- he was the member of a local influential Old South family. No, I did not want to know what would happen to him, because if he walk out with a trophy in hand for taking out a former California biker-turned Christian...I might have received 20-terms of life. Now, I have type this out about my brother's death before, but some of you have not read it and this above article had some comparison, I thought. I really dislike it when a law is good for one and not the rest, this is not the way we should look at it now. Not since the Civil Rights battle and new laws put into play. We are one nation-under GOD!
Liberia's leader fired 10-senior government officials for refusing to return to West Africa and lead their countrymen in this battle against the Ebola Crisis.
Ukraine hosts U.S. -led military exercise as truce continues between Russia and the Ukraine. Still, the truce is shaky as fighting continues on in the Eastern part of the Ukraine between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian military. ( I sure hope our ground troops have live ammo in their weapons.)
In Russia's planned counter-sanction to ban car imports into Russia from Europe, 7,000 to 10,000 Russians could lose their jobs in Slovakia.
Malaysia reports 1 suspected case of Ebola. 24 year old Zimbabwean student displaying signs of the disease and now under observation. Everyone in hopes this is something else as they attempt to find out who else he may have come in contact with upon entering the country.
North Korea denounces South Korea and the United States for commemorating the Inchon Landing during the Korean War-1950 through 1953. This massive military operation was a turning point in the war.
New Russian Sanctions "squeeze" Western oil service companies out of Russia. But Russia's first oil rig will keep pumping despite the sanctions.
Russian ruble continues to fall, now worth only 38 rubles to an American dollar. ( This could very well lead into a depression and I doubt President Putin will allow for that to occur without taking military action- even conventional.)
Ukraine his begun building a massive wall along its border with Russia to protect itself from an influx of Russian soldiers and weaponry. They say that their former "neighbor" has become an "aggressor". ( Those sorts of walls take time and as we learned in the Cold War, was not the wisest thing to seen built. Next came the wire, then the mine fields. But who will be escaping to which side? The Wall helped turn the East Germans and Russian into the tyrant, what will it do for the Ukrainians? Armor, such as Russian tanks have, will blow through most walls and then there are bombs and missiles. The cost to build such walls on a people who have weathered this crisis could be too much and the people may flee to other European lands and leave a mostly deserted land. Only time shall tell.)
Last Part of "Legend of Blue Eyes" in next edition. I do so hope
My new book idea is for a western- my first attempt in this area, but as I've said the Old West is my favorite reading material and I have hundreds of such books in leather bound, hard back and paperback. My favorite author, besides Louie L'Amour, is a recently deceased author by the name of Elmore Kelton. Not only a gift western writer, Kelton also writes modern day stuff. Though I of course prefer his westerns and his stories about the Texas Rangers can really come alive. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Silver Spur Award- 7 times.
My story- "Blake's War" is based on a group of Arizona Rangers who have gone off to join the Army of Texas, under Confederate General Hood, during the Civil War. As confederate cavalry and their company led by their former Ranger Captain and now Lt. Blake, they enter into some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Eventually, the primary characters are captured in the ill-fated Battle for Nashville, where Blake and his surviving 14 troopers are transported to Elmira Yankee Prison Camp in New York. Here, confederate prisoners deal with severe cold, lack of food and medical attention, poor sanitary conditions and eventual escape through old tunnels dug over the last 3-years by former prisoners. While on their way south, they learn of the South's surrender and now they head Southwest for Arizona. But, by the time they make it home most of them find the carpetbaggers had bought up their lands from corrupt courts, their cattle sold off with the government keeping the money, and families living out of shabby wagons on open desert. Blake learns his wife had died of disease, his son was killed by a drunk Yankee corporal trying to rape his younger sister and the 8-year old daughter sold to Mexicans for $5 before she was transported across the border. Thinking his daughter was dead and with his 1400 acres sold-off, his family gone and the herd he had watched grow to over 400 head sold off or butchered to feed Yankee troops, Blake gets all fired up and kills the leader of the local carpetbaggers group, who represents a couple of wealthy families in Boston. A lot of East Coast families are now hoping to buy up Southeast Arizona to build massive ranches and raise thousands of cattle to feed the starving east coast- at a profit of course. He's on the run now from the U.S. Cavalry and U.S. Marshals, a Wanted Dead or Alive warrant out on his head, but before long he's joined up by his former Rangers and they once more they begin wage war. But not on the people of Arizona, for them they become the Robin Hood and his Merry Men- saving them from Apache Raids and Mexican Bandits, seizing overburdening taxes and returning them to those that need them, while the U.S. Cavalry stays close to the richer ranches and newly installed Indian Reservations, and the U.S. Marshals remain glued to their communities.
This is Blake's War...I'm not sure yet how I want it to end, yet. but as soon as I get my computer move today, I will begin working on the first chapter. I'm excited!
Did I mention more rain here today- soon it will turn into that white stuff. But I am hoping it will wait awhile as my wood supply is still in short supply. I need a good week of sunlight to get what's in my yard all cut up and into the shed, but that's only about 1/10 of what I need for the winter. Oh, I've got lots of trees, but I do not cut down green growth and all the dead growth I've already burned up over the last 14-years. Fun times ahead. Have to go up to the sawmill an scrounge up a lot of slab wood. These are 12-16 foot lengths of thin-cut outer bark with good wood on them that is cut away from the new lumber as it goes through the milling process. We cut it up into burnable size pieces and pile it into the shed. Need a couple of dry-days though for that chore. Some of the boys are upset young Darci gets out out of these chores because she's still in high school- senior year. but they easily forget they too once got out of these chores for the same reason and when it comes to dish washing, I feel like were fighting another war in the house. Only good thing about it- I don't have to wash the dishes. I'm looked upon as the old man, but the real reason is how the house's sink area was built too low. Back when they thought all women were 5'3" and men never did the dishes. Oh, we so hoped it would've stayed that way but somewhere along the line they began to wear pants and looked might good in them, too. Every time I get on my high horse and joke about anti-women's lib stuff, my wife gets out the saw and cuts the legs out from under my high-horse. She was raised by loggers. Enough said.
News Briefs:
The Obama Administration's recent decision to enlist the Department of Defense in responding to the Ebola Crisis in West Africa is raising concerns- this task would pull the already stretched thin military away from its missions; Afghanistan and Iraq, and vital counterterrorism operations. Besides world-wide deployments of service members. A Department of Defense "source" said military leaders were being "cornered" by the White House. $100 million had already been sent to West Africa for the Ebola Crisis and President Obama is asking for an immediate addition of $88 million, with additional funds to be requested soon to staunch the Ebola Virus.
Iran suspicious of US-led Coalition. Accused US os seeking to violate the sovereignty of countries under pretext of fighting terrorism.
Russia says NATO expansion to Russian borders by pulling neighboring countries into NATO is not acceptable. Russia also says it will strike back at US sanctions, while still leaving the door open for dialogue.
India has now formally applied for full membership into the Shanghi Cooperation Organization, (SCO)-to which China and Russia are also members of.
As the Ebola Crisis in Liberia continues to grow, sick people, even those showing the symptoms of Ebola are being turned away from treatment centers due to overcrowding and left to fare for themselves. WHO advises how the health workers in Liberia cannot keep up with the the Ebola Outbreak. Some health-care workers are advising patients displaying early symptoms of Ebola to return in 3-days, which could be causing the virus to spread. People are dying out in the street and in allies, or homes and being handled by unprotected health care workers, which is the most dangerous dangerous transfer of the Ebola. The blood seeping from the dead or viral fluids, is the most deadly. Doctors Without Borders have a new clinic outside Monrovia, Liberia which can hold 160-beds and have 25 more beds being brought in on 9-15. But doctors on scene say they need 1,200 beds and a corresponding staff increase in staff to cope with the virus. Unlike prior Ebola outbreaks, this is the largest by far, but is seeing recoveries and this offers some hope. But the patients must reach treatment to survive and so many do not. The fear of a mutated airborne Ebola continues to cause fear, but it has not occurred-yet.
U.S. Department of Defense says North Korea is attempting to develop the ability to fire its missiles from their submarines. ( Not good).
Democratic State Representative Roderick, was recently convicted of 8 felony offenses including perjury and voter fraud. His sentence was.....(drum roll here) all of 90-days. (He was a Black Man, but that shouldn't have mattered in any direction, but he was a politician and I guess this allowed him to practically walk free. 90-days means he'll be out in 60-days from a minimum to medium custody prison. I've seen so many harsher sentences for a single misdemeanor. But 8-felonies from a college graduate, who really should have known better and he hurt the public who voted him into office. He broke his TRUST. This is worse than a thief stealing a car, or a shoplifter grabbing a stereo to sell for his next fix. But he gets a couple of months away to write his first book. What does this say to our kids? This is simply another example of corruption in the court system- it's not what color you are, what sex you are, or how rich you are...it's all three and toss a politician on top. ( When my older brother- next older, was killed by a drunk driver in the down south I was asked if I was flying down for the trial and sentencing. I declined. This was the man 10th's DWI, his license was revoked 4 separate times and suspended twice in the same area of the state. He was driving his friend's uninsured car that he allegedly had stolen after leaving a bar. The bar was not held responsible for the death of my brother, the subject was barely hurt and of course had no liability since he was now driving a stolen car- this was his 3rd stolen car while drunk. As to why his license kept being returned after so many suspensions and then revocations- he was the member of a local influential Old South family. No, I did not want to know what would happen to him, because if he walk out with a trophy in hand for taking out a former California biker-turned Christian...I might have received 20-terms of life. Now, I have type this out about my brother's death before, but some of you have not read it and this above article had some comparison, I thought. I really dislike it when a law is good for one and not the rest, this is not the way we should look at it now. Not since the Civil Rights battle and new laws put into play. We are one nation-under GOD!
Liberia's leader fired 10-senior government officials for refusing to return to West Africa and lead their countrymen in this battle against the Ebola Crisis.
Ukraine hosts U.S. -led military exercise as truce continues between Russia and the Ukraine. Still, the truce is shaky as fighting continues on in the Eastern part of the Ukraine between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian military. ( I sure hope our ground troops have live ammo in their weapons.)
In Russia's planned counter-sanction to ban car imports into Russia from Europe, 7,000 to 10,000 Russians could lose their jobs in Slovakia.
Malaysia reports 1 suspected case of Ebola. 24 year old Zimbabwean student displaying signs of the disease and now under observation. Everyone in hopes this is something else as they attempt to find out who else he may have come in contact with upon entering the country.
North Korea denounces South Korea and the United States for commemorating the Inchon Landing during the Korean War-1950 through 1953. This massive military operation was a turning point in the war.
New Russian Sanctions "squeeze" Western oil service companies out of Russia. But Russia's first oil rig will keep pumping despite the sanctions.
Russian ruble continues to fall, now worth only 38 rubles to an American dollar. ( This could very well lead into a depression and I doubt President Putin will allow for that to occur without taking military action- even conventional.)
Ukraine his begun building a massive wall along its border with Russia to protect itself from an influx of Russian soldiers and weaponry. They say that their former "neighbor" has become an "aggressor". ( Those sorts of walls take time and as we learned in the Cold War, was not the wisest thing to seen built. Next came the wire, then the mine fields. But who will be escaping to which side? The Wall helped turn the East Germans and Russian into the tyrant, what will it do for the Ukrainians? Armor, such as Russian tanks have, will blow through most walls and then there are bombs and missiles. The cost to build such walls on a people who have weathered this crisis could be too much and the people may flee to other European lands and leave a mostly deserted land. Only time shall tell.)
Last Part of "Legend of Blue Eyes" in next edition. I do so hope
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