A new chapter, now posted. Click to read.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 46
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Red State Blue State
Dr David Brin, an author of power and imagination, as well as being a real live scientist, wrote recently of the dangers we face if a severe solar storm, similar to the Carrington Event, were to strike today. Essentially, civilization as we know it would fall to a mid-nineteenth-century level, at best, and millions would starve, unable to escape the cities when their cars failed and the water was shut off. The danger is real. Click the title to read the whole article.
Red State Blue State
Monday, April 11, 2011
Simple Easy Fishing Techniques That Work
I love fishing, but I don't like to drive far to do it, nor spend piles of money. One time last summer I caught a few dozen fish, using just about the simplest possible tackle and methods. Only a stick, line and bent pin would be cheaper.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Make Good Coffee, No Burnt Taste, Coffee Concentrate
Some suggestions on how to make better tasting coffee.
Make Good Coffee, No Burnt Taste, Coffee Concentrate
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 45
Click here to read from Chapter One. Chapter Forty Five Jorjah: The Arming Black smoke filled the skies. Hammering, loud in the icy air. In the south, the snow was off the land, but here icy drifts, melted and refrozen remained. The Iron Mountain was alive with people, more folk than Jorjah had ever imagined in any one place, more than in the largest town of the south that she had dared to enter in her year-long journey in search of the King. Spear, sword and gun flowed out of the workshops, made from the accumulated iron stock of hundreds of years of slow and patient mining and smelting. The Eldest had been alive that long, planning, plotting. No one knew how long. No one could remember when the Eldest hadn't been eldest, old when grannies were girls. Jorjah avoided her.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 44
Here is the beginning of The Tale Of Jon Handshaker.
Chapter Forty Three
Memory, Like A Tiny Crystal
"I've been shot," Jon said, and reached across to touch his wounded arm.
Max nodded.
"I have seen men killed with guns, and wounded," Max said. "In the last war the King finally had to bring out his old weapons. He slaughtered us. But those guns fired many times. This one only fired once, and the King's old guns didn't make clouds of smoke. This was a gun, but something new, not old Mars tech. The gunman fired it then charged with his sword."
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 43
Click here to read from Chapter One. Here is the beginning of The Tale Of Jon Handshaker.
Chapter Forty Three
An Element Of Danger
Shan Shen stared out over the city, barely visible through the heavy haze of wood-smoke. Rebels had burned the factory that produced the clean-burning coal oil, and now the city was reduced to cooking over primitive wood fires, like any farm village.
There was a small element of danger, standing here exposed. There were guns loose in the city, Mother Earth alone knew where they had come from. Shan suspected the petty Blood had emptied out their cellars and attics for family relics, and were using them to stir up trouble against the Kings.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 42
Click here to read from Chapter One.
Click here to see an index of all chapters.
Chapter Forty Two
The Party
The snow had finally lifted, only a few, lonely drifts behind walls and under evergreens remained to remind them of the bitter cold of past months. They were picnicking in the sun, on the stoop of the small house Jon and Max had chosen to renovate. In a tree nearby a ragged crow stirred, shifted from leg to leg.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 41
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker, Chapter One
Chapter Forty One
The Bird
It was getting past noon, and Jon decided to be heading back to where he had left Max. He was feeling a little guilty about leaving Max there all alone. The news about the hot springs would be sure to cheer him up. They would move over to the village the next day, if Max was up to the walk. The hard climb seemed to have taken a lot out of him.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 40
Chapter Thirty Nine
To Take Advantage Of A Drunk
When Jon Handshaker woke on the morning of what was to be the last day of his journey westward, the hairs on his arm were standing up from the chill, his skin roughly goose-fleshed. Jumping up, he began a wild and silly dance around the clearing, throwing his feet high into the air and walking on his hands. He was feeling quite cheerful, and besides, he needed to get his blood warmed up and moving. He was not quite ready to start using a fire yet, although there had not been any recent sign of people in these parts for nearly forty miles, only the grass grown road he was following, and the occasional tumbledown house or barn.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty Nine
To Take Advantage Of A Drunk
When Jon Handshaker woke on the morning of what was to be the last day of his journey westward, the hairs on his arm were standing up from the chill, his skin roughly goose-fleshed. Jumping up, he began a wild and silly dance around the clearing, throwing his feet high into the air and walking on his hands. He was feeling quite cheerful, and besides, he needed to get his blood warmed up and moving. He was not quite ready to start using a fire yet, although there had not been any recent sign of people in these parts for nearly forty miles, only the grass grown road he was following, and the occasional tumbledown house or barn.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 38
A link to all of my fiction on line, and my other articles.
Click here to read from Chapter One.Here is the beginning of The Tale Of Jon Handshaker.
Chapter Thirty Eight
Old Uncle
The Old Uncle woke with a start, shaking and sweating in the dark. The dream had been clear, as all had since that unexpected first, long long before. He lay back and concentrated in a way peculiar to his kind. He wasn’t worried about forgetting this dream, every dream he had ever had was still as clear as a reflection in a good mirror.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 37
A link to all of my fiction on line, and my other articles.
Click here to read from Chapter One.Here is the beginning of The Tale Of Jon Handshaker.
Chapter Thirty Six
Jorjah's Journey
A year in one place! Jorjah paused in her work as she considered the strangeness of it. Her clan had never spent more than six months in any one camp in her life. It just wasn’t done. It was nearly impossible anyway, as well as being impolite. Good relations with your nearest neighbors, hard enought to maintain at the best of times, would have been impossible if one clan tried to monopolize a prime spot for longer than that. Better to move on, leaving a garden half harvested than to greedily overuse the land. The flocks had to move, or strip the land of green. The land had to have half a year or more to recover before the next clan moved in.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 36
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker
Here is the beginning of The Tale Of Jon Handshaker.
"You are the Handshaker, are you not?" Max said quietly. "I would not fight you under any circumstances. Certainly not now, after you..." He stopped, though there seemed to be more that he wanted to say
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 35
A Push
"I have a knack for making people angry, " Max said.
Jon flushed again and didn't answer. He didn't trust himself not to say something stupid right at this point. His anger still boiled inside him, but the time for doing anything about it had passed. With his sober mind back in control, he didn't really want to hurt Max anyway, in spite of his outrageous behavior. I'll get back at him some other way. Something to surprise him.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 34
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 34
Training
Jon had an unpleasant day ahead of him, though he wouldn’t have suspected it when he woke that morning. The sun was bright, but with a sweet breeze blowing not too hot. For a change they had had plenty of good food these last few days. Maybe it was the deer liver that made Max feel strong enough for his new, self appointed task.
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 33
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 33
Hand Number Seven Dreams
Dream One:
That night I dreamed. You must understand that as with Humans, we need sleep and dreams, though less because of our design, in order to provide the body time to rebuild, and the mind less fettered opportunity to integrate the experiences of the day into patterned memory.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
How To Write A Query, Find A Literary Agent And Get Your Book Published
Is your manuscript ready to present to agents or publishers? Your Query up to grade?
How To Write A Query, Find A Literary Agent And Get Your Book Published
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 31
A naked blond girl, violence and blood. Chapter 31 is now posted. Sorry, NOT x-rated.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 31
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 30
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 30
Blood Trail
Jon woke with his stomach clenched from hunger, his body aching from half-healed wounds. The dawn was just a glow through the trees, and the last, brightest stars were peering through clouds. He looked over at Max, still asleep curled up inside Jon’s cloak. The nights were warm, but Max always felt cold. He hardly slept, the pain from his burns kept him awake.
Click the link above to read.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 29
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 29
Alelu Miami On The Run
Alelu Miami stared down into the black pit at her toes. A knotted rope fashioned from fine silk clothing ran from the door handle, across the floor and down into the darkness, the lower end out of sight even with the lamp lit. Alelu got down on her knees and held the lamp down as far as she could. The lower end of the rope was still out of sight.
Click the link to read.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 28
A new installment is now up! Click through to read. Links to all chapters can be found on my profile page there.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 28Blood Ties
Jon stood before the door and listened carefully for any reaction from inside the house. All was quiet. He felt cold, though the night was warm early summer. Sweat drenched his body and his breath was still coming in gasps. One down and four to go.
The first had gone according to plan.Almost too easy. Jon tried to bring his breathing under control, and nearly succeeded, though his heart was hammering.I killed a man.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Food That Causes Farts
What food to eat to avoid farting, and what food to avoid.
Food That Causes Farts
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker, Index Of Chapters
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker, Index Of Chapters
A reader suggested that I make it easier to navigate the story on line, so I made this index of the chapters, with a separate link to each. Thanks.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 27
Jon confronts the murderers. Click the link to read my SF novel on line.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter 27
Food Shortages And Higher Food Prices
Food Shortages And Higher Food Prices
Notes on the current round of food price inflation, causes and finger-pointing.
The US Military Meets Politics. What Could Go Wrong?
The US Military Meets Politics. What Could Go Wrong?
Article on the correct relationship of the US military towards the civilian government and the political parties.
Population Bomb, Teen Pregnancy. Oh No! My Kid Just Had A Kid!
Population Bomb, Teen Pregnancy. Oh No! My Kid Just Had A Kid!
An alternative view of teen pregnancy. Click the link to read.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Just Gotta Love Them Tiny Feet
Just Gotta Love Them Tiny Feet
A science fiction short story, the first I ever wrote. Not too bad, with some flaws, but a nice read.
Click the link above to read.
Politicians Love Poverty And Debt.
Politicians Love Poverty And Debt.
Democrat politicians want us to be poor and in debt. Republican politicians don't much care one way or the other. Neither is on the side of the little guy.
Look at the facts. What does the government encourage, and what discourage? Debt is encouraged. What is most peoples' biggest tax deduction? The mortgage. We are encouraged to take on more and bigger debt, in order to qualify for a tax break. We wouldn't need that tax break if taxes weren't so damned high in the first place.
Look at the facts. What does the government encourage, and what discourage? Debt is encouraged. What is most peoples' biggest tax deduction? The mortgage. We are encouraged to take on more and bigger debt, in order to qualify for a tax break. We wouldn't need that tax break if taxes weren't so damned high in the first place.
Click the link above to read.
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty Six
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty Six
Click to read about bloody violence.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Good First Job For A Kid
My first real job was baling hay. Great training for sport and life! Click the link to read.
Is Dental Insurance A Scam?
Read an article from a dental insurance insider. Evaluate your policy, cost vs. benefits for dental insurance. Decide if your policy is worth the money or not, and how to get your money back out of dental insurance.
Stuck In Telephone Hell. How To Get Off The Customer Service Merry-Go-Round
Stuck In Telephone Hell. How To Get Off The Customer Service Merry-Go-Round
SOme hints for how to handle your calls into customer service, avoid problems and get the results you want.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty Five
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty Five
Jon's escape is in danger. This chapter is the first of several bloody and grim episodes, as Jon's pursuers get ahead of him and wait...
Click the link above to read. I seem to have missed putting up a couple of chapters. Don't worry, all chapters are there and linked together. Find one and find them all.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty
Alelu Miami In Hiding
"I'm bored," Alelu said to herself, for at least the hundredth time today. Or so she imagined. It was the one thing which she had not prepared for properly. How wonderfully it had all gone, everyone obeying her, falling in with her plans as if they were conscious partners.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Twenty
Click the link above to read.
Alelu Miami In Hiding
"I'm bored," Alelu said to herself, for at least the hundredth time today. Or so she imagined. It was the one thing which she had not prepared for properly. How wonderfully it had all gone, everyone obeying her, falling in with her plans as if they were conscious partners.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Nineteen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Nineteen
Click the link above for chapter nineteen of my new on-line novel. A link to chapter one is at the top of the page.
The Bow
Jon Homeless had a problem. The day promised glories, hot sun splashed through high trees, casting shadows of oak and walnut leaf across his broad back, but Jon was sunk in thought. The fish in this little pool between twin riffles were playing hard to get. He had already taken, and eaten whole and raw a few small ones, but that was not what had him deep in a muse. The here and now was lost to him. He mechanically drew and cast his line with casual skill, trying first the bank edge, then the center, then the head or foot of the pool as the random urge took him.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Seventeen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Seventeen
Click the link above to read chapter seventeen or to find a link to the other chapters.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Sixteen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen, with links to all other chapters, is now on line. Click the link above to read.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Fifteen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Fifteen
Today I posted the link above, to chapter fifteen.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Fourteen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Fourteen
click the link above for the latest chapter, now on line.
Chapter Fourteen
Smoke And Ash
Kan Lam walked the streets of the upper village, surveying the destruction, compulsively counting dead animals. He tried to make himself stop, but every time he passed some sad crumpled corpse he added a number. He was an educated man, he could count as high as necessary. For once he almost wished he had less education. There were surprisingly few people dead. His mind shied away from that thought, but not before the image of the yew in the meeting ground filled his mind. Thank the King, nobody tried to fight.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Thirteen
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Thirteen
Click the above link for chapter thirteen.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker, Chapter Twelve
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker, Chapter Twelve:
Click here to go straight to chapter one.
Click the link above to read chapter twelve.
Chapter Twelve
A Raised Hand
Kan Lam looked up across the meeting ground at the tall houses, whose peaks showed above the intervening hedgeline. He scowled, and spat once into the dirt at his feet. Glancing about hurriedly he scuffed dust over the spit with his dirty toe. He looked back over at the far side of the hedge. They'll be getting theirs. Today."
Chapter Twelve
A Raised Hand
Kan Lam looked up across the meeting ground at the tall houses, whose peaks showed above the intervening hedgeline. He scowled, and spat once into the dirt at his feet. Glancing about hurriedly he scuffed dust over the spit with his dirty toe. He looked back over at the far side of the hedge. They'll be getting theirs. Today."
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Eleven
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven is now available on line. Click the link above to read, or the link below to go straight to chapter one.
The Tale Of Jon Handshaker
Click here to go straight to chapter one.
Chapter Eleven
Kon Nok Village
Waking curled up in the densely weedy corner of some less than industrious farmer’s cornfield, Jon felt tired, dirty, itchy, stiff, sore, his eyes were swollen and his ears ached, he was hungry and thirsty and weak. And he was free. For the first time in his life since he was able to understand what it meant to be a Lamb, doomed to live as a prisoner, however pampered, and to die young, Jon felt in control of his destiny. He felt good.
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