Went to Shreveport with Shelly (and no kids!) for two nights. I lost my ass at blackjack, but had a ball. I also realized why they gave us free rooms; we more than paid for them out of our losses. Funny thing is I got drunk in the big city, but I really didn't do anything overly redneckish. Nothing worth chroniclizing anyway. I did however discover that twelve hours of "Grand Theft Auto IV" is insufficient preparation for big city driving, but it is more accurate that driver's ed.

Tags: gambling

I like Lou Dobbs. I disagree on a some issues, especially immigration, but even when I disagree I like the fact that he puts his points forward in a very intelligent manner, and I also like the fact that he speaks more or less form the center-right. Now he's no longer with CNN and he's headed to FoxNews. If the was ever a sign of America's over-polarization, this is it. What's funny is what how everyone in ADD America will immediately start pointing at him as one of the right wing loonies, forgetting his anti-Bush stance during the Republican years.

I swear, the last time America saw this much polarization the disagreement was over slavery.

After logging off from my last post I decided to make good on my promise to locate Valerie Hobbs and in some why thank her for writing a book that has become so important to my daughter (and therefore to me). I decided to look up the book on Amazon and write my first Amazon review. There were six reviews already for the book. Five were 5 star reviews and the latest one was a 2 star review . . . do what? 2 stars? I read the review and was beside myself. here's the review -

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1A2AUBVPD4TK1/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R1A2AUBVPD4TK1

I think her review and my response says it all.

There isn't a single thing politically incorrect about "Sheep". Nothing. Yes some of the female characters are less than perfect, but, my God, it's written from the POV of a starving dog; if all female characters showed up in their Wonder Woman getup, throwing steaks and doggie treats to hungry animals, we wouldn't have much of a book - even if we did keep the seriously evil characters in the book (all of which are men, btw).

Simply put, this is the radical type of feminism that gives feminists a bad name. And it REALLY chaps my ass that it caused a bad review for an excellent book.

We've moved from picture books to real mid-level books with chapters and no pictures. The first book was "Sheep" by Valery Hobbs (it's about a Border Collie). Abby was reluctant at first, she looked the book over and said she wasn't interested. I read the first chapter anyway while she pretended not to like it; she covered her ears and everything. It was easy to tell she was pretending since when I finished chapter one she looked at me and said, "What!?" She wasn't used to a chapter ending and it blew her mind that our reading didn't conclude the plot. After that Abby actually requests that I read a chapter out of the book every night - she even sleeps with the book. Last night she wasn't feeling well and the only way I managed to get her to go ahead and go to bed early was by promising to read two chapters. She fell asleep though, so we're still on chapter 4.

I plan on locating a site/webpage/email for Valery Hobbs and telling her about Abby's reaction since I can't think of a better compliment than having a 5 year-old sleep with your book.

Tags: abby, writing

HA! YES! HOO-YAH!

I just set up a book signing at a Borders in Webster! I did it all by myself. Didn't have to get someone else to call them, or have someone hold my hand while I dialed the number. Wow this is great.

(anyone see the irony in the fact that I've had four books published and this is the first time I've gotten off my ass and set up a real book signing? If so, keep it to yourself and let me enjoy my moment of personal triumph)

Once upon a time I used to be good at video games. In high school I had one of them hot Intelivision game system. That's right, no Atari for me. Well, my buddy Ory bought an Xbox and we played two players this afternoon. Bless his heart, the boy has the patience of a saint. If you could have overheard this is what you would have heard Ory saying,

". . . No really, you're doing pretty good. Okay now cover me. No me, cover me. Don't shoot me; cover me or they'll get me. Okay, they got me. Just move over to me and press the X button. Move to your right. No, your other right. Okay, now left. Now Right. Stop! See that bloody mass at your feet. Yes, the one you keep shooting. Okay, press the X button and it will heal me. That's the B button. That's the A button. That's redial on you cell phone. There. Now cover me so they won't get me. Okay, they got me. Move over to me. No, don't shoot me . . . "

- then, thirty minutes later -

". . . no, really, you're doing pretty good . . . "

well, it went okay. I sold a decent amount of books. Mostly, however, I learned what to do next time I have a real book signing. And I may have one in the works for February, also in Kemah, but this time at a major book store.

Tags: finding heroes, kemah, nasa, writing

I'll be in Houston for the next five days or so. Stuck on a boat with no net access (but possibly stuck in a great writing atmosphere - even if I will have to go back to pencil and notebook). Of course, I've been so hit and miss on livejournal that my absence it might not even be noticed. However, I do plan on becoming more active again. I just can't get used to facebook - I know so many people there (2 Hemphillians on Livejournal vs about 300 on facebook) - but i'm not fond of the setup.

by the way, if you know me on facebook, you may think I'm actually logged in a lot there. Truth is, my buddy ory has me hooked on "Viking Clan" so I just jump over raid a few clans and hardly even read anything. I am, however, planning on becoming a little more active there as well. There's a lot of locals on facebook.

Just when you thought I was leaning left



Yeah, can't stand Limbaugh, but, dead or not, I'm still down with Heston.

I don't sit, I flop. The expression "jump in bed" is not really an expression for me since my feet really do leave the ground before I touch the mattress. Anyway, this morning I went into the living room before work and flopped down onto the couch, forgetting that the couch had been moved back out of the way (we're redoing our floor) and that the counter to the bar now jutted out over the back of the couch.

- WHAM! -

I reached back and felt blood. I make my living with the circulatory system so I know that the scalp is full of capillaries, but for there to be enough blood through my thick hair to cause a bloody hand right after I receive the blow I figured I was emergency room bound - time for stitches. However, I stopped by the funeral home and had my dad look at it first (he was a paramedic back in the day). He said the cut was deep but not long; it would probably bleed for a while, but stitches weren't necessary. So now I'm sitting in the monument shop computer room with an ice pack on my head, feeling rather stupid and somewhat lightheaded. And I'm such a damn hypochondriac, I guarantee I'll be looking up reports on that freak concussion that killed Liam Nealson's wife before I go to bed tonight. I'm just glad I didn't have to get stitches. I've got that big book signing this weekend and I'd hate to do it with half my head shaved. It'd be okay if I was going for my horror books - I'd just shave the rest of my head and go with the look - but this one is for 'Finding Heroes' so I have to look professional.

Anyway, I'll let you go so I can get back to bleeding.