Because that's how things go, for me.

With the help of Harry Taylor and Tanner Lock, hauled a nice, used but in good shape clothes drier from Mom's church to my house; then I disassembled a railing to get it down the basement stairs; then the drier vent split as I was putting it on, so I repaired it (thank you, duct tape). Then it was time to turn it on, to check if it will still work as advertised.

The plug won't fit.

The old drier had a differently configured electrical plug than the "new" one.

It's time for me to go to my first physical therapy session for my tendonitis, where I suspect the therapist will be surprised at how stressed my muscles seem. So, I'm ignoring the problem until later. But I do want to point out that, while most clothes can be hung to dry, it doesn't work too well for towels.

Speak of the Devil: Falling Stars And Babylon Candles

But ... how do we know stars don't turn into young women? It's a big universe.



Speak of the Devil: Falling Stars And Babylon Candles: Some links before I get started today. Norma relates her moviegoing experience  at her blog. AngryParsnip mentioned the  monsoon season do...

What you can get other people for my birthday

            I was unfortunately reminded the other day that my birthday is coming up, on July 14^th. How would I like to “celebrate”? Well, ignoring it doesn’t seem to work, but I’ll settle for the traditional chocolate cake and ice cream or the fun new tradition, ice cream cake—which takes one of the steps out of the process.

            There’s nothing I really need for a birthday present that anyone can afford, but if you really want to cheer me up on what I’m calling “Black Monday”, I’d be very happy to see the numbers of my book sales go up. Yes, I am serious. After all, you can choose from romantic comedy, eclectic short story collection, local history with a touch of humor, and young adult skewing humorous action adventure. Or, my favorite, all four.

Having the collection will set you up for the October release of The Notorious Ian Grant, since it features characters from three of the four. And of course proceeds from two of them go to good causes, so keep that in mind if you are, or know, a firefighter or Girl Scout, or a firefighter/Girl Scout.

            (Dare I call it the “Hunter collection”? Hm … no, I dare not.)
 
            So if you have anywhere from five bucks to a bit more to spend, make my numbers go up around July 14^th, and make me a very happy birthday boy. All the necessary links are over at www.markrhunter.com –and how crazy is it to have a website named after me?—or just give me a call and place an order. If you’ve already read all my books—and why haven’t you?—they make a great gift. Or so I tell the people I give them to on their birthdays.

4H isn't just animal ... but animals are cool, too

While spending two hours waiting for the car to be serviced yesterday, I continued working not on my writing, but on the writing of others -- 4H writing project entries. I'm the judge! What were they thinking?

I'm continually amazed at what incipient talent there is among the teens of America. I read some stuff that was as good as what I wrote as a teen -- which wasn't too bad -- and some stuff that was much better. I had to toughen myself up a lot, though ... it's so hard not to just slap "Grand champion" on all of them! Those that weren't great enough to get a blue ribbon right now are headed for greatness later, if they keep at it. Like I need the competition!

Pearldrops on the Page: Writing Tips for Over the Summer

Lena's summer writing tips:



Pearldrops on the Page: Writing Tips for Over the Summer:   I have been MIA for a few months on this blog mostly due to intense work at my job.   However, I’ve wrapped up teaching this year,...

Speak of the Devil: Michael Bay Unleashes The Cubpocalypse

Baseball ... with explosions.



Speak of the Devil: Michael Bay Unleashes The Cubpocalypse: Some links before we get started today. It was a Snippet Sunday yesterday, and we had a  post at our joint blog.  Norma writes about movin...

Speak of the Devil: Abraham Lincoln Versus A Balrog Of Moria

Speak of the Devil: Abraham Lincoln Versus A Balrog Of Moria: "No, Benjamin, I don't think we can include the right to cuddling with French baronesses in the Declaration of Independenc...

How The First World War Led To American Independence

SLIGHTLY OFF THE MARK

            Ever since Christopher Columbus first landed in the New World and hid all the Viking artifacts, America has been a land of opportunity, independence, and smallpox.

            Eventually the British colonists decided to go off and form their own country. (Except for Canadians, who were just too polite to leave.) Since our schools don’t teach enough history these days (there’s so much more of it now), I thought I’d give you a quick timeline of how we, the people, went from tea to coffee:

            1756: The French and Indian Wars

            This was probably the first World War. No, seriously: Over here we just mention the French and Indians, but the rest of the world called it the Seven Years War. It spread all over the globe, like a viral YouTube video, but with more cannon fire and disease. Nations involved included Austria, England, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Sweden. Oh, and the Indians.

            (Later on Prussia, not wanting to be confused with Russia, changed their name to Germany.)

            Why does it involve American Independence, which came decades later? Because it cost the British government so much to defeat their enemies (and the Indians) that they began taxing the colonists to help pay for it. And yet they didn’t allow the colonies to raise their own armies, and there was that whole taxation without representation thing.

            Oh, and one more thing: The whole world war began (well, mostly) because a young Virginia militia leader ambushed a French scouting party in the far west … Pittsburgh. In later years, George Washington would be careful to start battles after war was declared..

            1770: The Boston Massacre:

            No, it wasn’t a sporting event. Sheesh. It started when a group of colonists began throwing snowballs at a squad of British soldiers (In Boston. Sheesh.). That’s not so bad, is it? Then the colonists starting tossing sticks and stones, which, contrary to popular belief, can indeed break bones.

            This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t throw stuff at people with guns. Five colonists died and the soldiers were arrested, but they were mostly acquitted thanks to the crafty defense by a young lawyer names John Adams.

            1773: The Boston Tea Party

            Tired of high taxes, an unresponsive government and Earl Gray, colonists (In Boston—sheesh) dressed up as Indians, sneaked aboard ships (In the harbor—sheesh), and tossed 342 chests of tea into the water. In today’s dollars, they turned Boston harbor into the world’s biggest cup, with $750,000 worth of tea. They were led, of course, by the famous Boston patriot Folger “Starbuck” Maxwell.

            But why blame the Indians? They didn’t even drink tea.

            1774: The First Continental Congress

            They didn’t get much done. But in their defense, they were a Congress.

            1775: Patrick Henry stirs the pot

            With the grievances of the colonists ignored by a remote government—sort of like today, only without Facebook—a radical named Patrick Henry, upset because he had two first names and no last one, began making fiery speeches and resolutions.

            The truth is, Henry was kind of a deadbeat. Worse, a lawyer. But man, he sure could talk good, and his actions helped set off the American Revolution. You’ve probably heard the last line of his big speech, which was “Give me liberty or give me death!” Luckily, he got liberty.

            1775: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

            He rode through the countryside yelling, “The British are coming!”

            Sleepy residents yelled back, “Shut up, you fool! We are the British!”

            Then he got arrested, probably for violating the noise ordinance, and the ride was completed by William Dawes. Unfortunately for Dawes, the name “Paul Revere” sounded better in poetry.

            Also 1775 (busy year, there): The Battle of Lexington and Concord

            Revere had discovered the British were marching by sea, which slowed them down considerably because the horses didn’t swim well. That gave the Minutemen almost a full two minutes. It was plenty of time to gather in Lexington, to protect stores of arms and gunpowder, and Concord, to protect the grapes.

            1775 (saw that coming, didn’t you?): The Second Continental Congress

            Didn’t get much done. They made up for it in 1776, though.

            1775 or so: The Battle of Bunker Hill

            It was actually fought on Breeds Hill.

            177—wait for it—5: Patriots occupy Montreal, Canada

            Things were looking up, up there. And that’s the last time things looked up for the Revolutionaries in the north, who discovered Canadian hospitality didn’t extend to invasion.

            1776 (finally!) Egged on by the British, Cherokee Indians attack along the entire southern frontier

            They were still upset about the whole Tea Party fraud.

            June 7, 1776: Richard Henry Lee points out to the Continental Congress that they’ve been rebelling against the British for more than a year, and wouldn’t it be a good idea to actually declare themselves to be rebelling?

            June 11: Five Congressmen are appointed to draft a Declaration of Independence. The other four talk Thomas Jefferson into doing the writing, pointing out that he’s the only one who’s invented a portable desk to use.

            June 12-27: Jefferson writes a rough draft, only to receive a rejection letter from the committee.

July 1-4: The entire Congress rips apart the Declaration. (Not literally. Sheesh.) Jefferson quits writing and goes into politics.

July 2: Congress declares independence, just as the British fleet and army arrive to invade New York. Talk about timing. John Adams declares that July 2 will forever be celebrated as Independence Day.

July 4: Having already declared independence, Congress now adopts the Declaration of Independence, declaring something they’ve already declared. John Adams’ head explodes.

July 9: George Washington has the Declaration read before the American army. The soldiers nod politely and ask when they’re going to get paid.

There was much more to it, of course. In fact, you could say the American Revolution went on until the US Constitution was adopted in 1788, or even until we fought the second Revolutionary war in 1812, which might also be related to the second World War.

 
Now, that’s a funny story.

Flags are cool. Well, these flags are in the Albion Fire station, so maybe they're hot.

Move review: “Edge Of Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow …”

            I love a good time travel movie.

            Wait, didn’t I already say that in a previous review?

            “Edge Of Tomorrow” sounds like a daytime soap opera, but it’s actually a rollicking fun science fiction about a cowardly military officer (Tom Cruise, at his better), who’s forced to participate in a battle against aliens taking over Europe. After saying the wrong thing to a general, Major Cage finds himself a private in a techno battle suit, crossing the English Channel to invade, yes, Normandy.

            (The movie was released on the 70^th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. Coincidence? Duh.)

            Soldiers expecting a cakewalk instead are ambushed and massacred, in a thankfully not too gory but plenty scary scene. Cage has just enough time to glimpse a female soldier wielding a huge sword before a spinning, tentacle alien … kills him.

            Wait … huge sword? Techno battle suits? Yep, “Edge Of Tomorrow” is based on a Japanese manga, with Normandy filling in for Tokyo. (“All You Need Is Kill”, by Hiroshi Sakarazaka.)

            But a last second encounter gives Cage a do-over—I did mention this was SF, right? He wakes up the previous morning, and finds himself going through the same crap all over again, with the same outcome. Then he wakes up again. And again.

            After a while, he gets better at fighting through sheer repetition. Then he discovers exactly one other person who believes his story, because it happened to her—and she just happens to carry a big honkin’ sword. Now all they have to do is make it a little further off the beach, time after time, until they track down the Big Bad alien and kill it before the human race is wiped out. No pressure.

            Time travel’s hard to pull off well, and it’s especially hard not to bore the audience to death with “Groundhog Day” style repetition. Taking a cue from the Bill Murray, this warlike version plays funny, or as funny as it can considering Cage only resets when he dies. Cage is at first confused and terrified, then messes with people, then gives in to despair before his increased skill and caring for the warrior Rita (Emily Blunt) leads to determination.

            Blunt, by the way, gets to shoot Tom Cruise in the head repeatedly, and who hasn’t wanted to do that?

            Despite its subject matter—it’s basically another movie about the apocalypse—“Edge Of Tomorrow” is great fun and certainly action packed. Cruise, who I’m no fan of, is perfect for the role and proves he really can act. Of course, you’d act scared too, if you knew you were about to die—again. Blunt does well, the effects are great, and I loved the supporting cast—especially Bill Paxton, who I actually didn’t recognize. He’s a tough and sometimes befuddled Master Sergeant who delivers one of my favorite lines … although maybe you have to be from the Bluegrass State to truly appreciate it.

            Entertainment Value: 3 ¾ out of 4 M&M’s. Being too easily entertained, I’m trying to avoid giving out too many perfect ratings.

            Oscar Potential: 2 out of 4 M&M’s. It could pick up a nomination in the effects area, or something along those lines. The acting is pretty good, but would have to be better than perfect for an SF film to get a nomination.

Sword does matter.

Speak of the Devil: The Old Black Rum And The Bloody Racket

Speak of the Devil: The Old Black Rum And The Bloody Racket: "Because the old black rum's got a hold on me Like a dog wrapped round my leg And the old black rum's got a hold on m...