It's Friday again.

It's amazing. After my completely self-serving, childish, whining titty-baby venting Wednesday, the editors at the Sacramento Press have accepted my proposed storyline "West Sac Beat" and I've posted my first three articles about the comings and goings of West Sacramento, Ca.

The articles are on the front page at http://www.sacramentopress.com/. Please give it a read. Even if you're not from the Sacramento area, it makes for good reading anyway.

I couldn't be happier... well, I could, but that's another story.

Thursday _ May 28, 2009

Well... I guess I really vented yesterday regarding the Sacramento Press. They apologized for pulling my article and have made arrangements to talk to me beforehand, rather than after the article is already up and running.

So... all is well again in the world. Let's party.

I Won't Stay Where I'm Not Wanted

The Sacramento Press, an on-line news source that I've been writing for for some time now, and more specifically Ben Ilfeld, the "Operations Manager" [ben@sacramentopress.com], has decided, for whatever reason, to remove articles written by persons who have been avid contributors to the Sac Press for some time. Particularly mine.

With this action, he and the editorial board has made an outsider of at least myself, and hopefully others who feel that our contributions to his press site, no matter how trivial and non-local-newsworthy they may be in his eyes, were our contributions to the advancement of what I thought was a good idea: internet news for Sacramento.

How does a story about a scam perpetrated through e-mails and aimed at certainly more than just myself here in the Sacramento area not qualify as local news? Does the fact that it didn't happen to old Ben mean that it isn't newsworthy for Sacramento?

Nonetheless, I have no desire to write articles for the Sacramento Press any longer. I feel betrayed and "kicked-to-the-curb" by Ben Ilfeld and I won't hang around where I'm obviously not wanted.

It's been real, it's been fun, but it hasn't been real fun thanks to you Ben.

Goodbye.

Tuesday - May 26, 2009

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. I'm a vet, and I know I had a good time relaxing. www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Bweare the Soldier Baring Gifts

I’m sure everyone has heard of at least one of the many variants of a Nigerian e-mail scam. Generally, it goes like this; a ranking official of Nigeria, or Sierra Leon, or Lagos, has come across millions in U.S. Dollars. He wants to share the money with you if you’ll just help him get it out of their country and into ours. The catch is that if you agree, they now need a few hundred dollars from you to bribe an official into releasing the funds. Of course, if you send the money, they disappear.

Well, the one I got today has a new twist, and as a veteran, and given the meaning of today, I thought it was particularly unsavory.

Important message from an American soldier in Iraq

Good
day,

My name is Sgt. Eric Richardson Frawley, I am an American
soldier, and I am serving in the military of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq,
as you know we are being attacked by insurgents everyday and car bombs. We
managed to move funds belonging to Saddam Hussein's family in 2003. The
total amount is US$25 Million dollars in cash, mostly 100 dollar bills, this
money has been kept somewhere outside Baghdad for sometime but with the proposed
troop reduction by president Obama, we are afraid that the money will be
discovered hence we want to move this money to you for safe keeping pending the
completion of our assignment here. You can go to this web link to read
about events that took place then via this site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm
We are ready to compensate
you with good percentage of the funds, No strings attached, just for you to help
us move it out of Iraq. Iraq is a war zone, so we plan on using diplomatic
means in shipping the money out as military cargo using diplomatic
immunity. If you are interested I will send you the full details, my job
is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us. Can I
trust you? When you receive this letter, kindly send an e-mail to sgt.ericrichard3@hotmail.com
signifying your interest including your most confidential telephone numbers for
quick communication also your contact details.

This is risk
free.

With regards from,

Sgt. Eric Richardson
Frawley

This, of course, is all a front to extort money. Money that many of us cannot afford to lose in today’s trying economic times.
One can only speculate how dastardly these scammers are, but to use a day like today -- Memorial Day -- to take advantage of an American who may believe this come-on and, feeling a twinge of patriotism mixed with a little greed, fall for it and get bitten bad.

On the one hand, many of us will believe that if one is stupid enough to fall for it, then they deserve what they get. But, on the other hand, if they can’t see the fallacy, then maybe we, as responsible American citizens, should reach out to them and open their eyes. Hence, this editorial.
Hopefully, this article will dissuade someone, and possibly save their rent money.

Friday - May 22, 2009

Hey Hey Hey... It's Friday. My Wife is home today and we're going to go out an get some errands done. Love Fridays.

I have been offered a ghost writing assignment from an old high school friend. Sounds like a good gig so I took it. Hope everything works out.

Wednesday - May 20, 2009

It's Wednesday and we're still here. Damn... I wanted to be in the Bahamas. www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Equality

I want to touch a little bit on equality. Yes, I know the subject has been beaten to death in every publication and news program across the country, but I feel it needs to be hit just one more time.

Webster defines equality as “State of being equal: rights, treatment, quantity, or value equal to all others in a specific group; full equality under the law.”

Now that’s a reasonable definition. To be equal. To be treated equally. To enjoy full equality under the law. But are we? Are we, even today, applying the law and rights equally to all?

I say no, and here are some reasons why.

I attended a craft fair the other day and a company who provides gyms and workouts for women were there. I asked the representative about membership. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that it was for “women only.”

What do you think would happen if I opened a gym for men only? Publically limited the membership to men and specifically restricted women from joining. I truly believe that before the grand opening, I would be sued in multiple federal courts for denying someone their equal rights. And rightfully so.

Realistically, I have no desire to join a women’s only gym, and my initial inquiry was for my wife, who was interested in some brochures regarding their programs. But, the immediate presumption of the representative that I should be on notice that men aren’t allowed is curious to say the least.

I am and always shall be a true believer in equal rights for all. There should be no limitations for anyone from doing anything that anyone else can or wants to do.

But can we?

Tuesday - May 19, 2009

It's Tuesday. That's right, I missed Monday. For some reason I just didn't have the energy to get up and do anything yesterday.

But book sales at the book signing last weekend were great. Better than all of the past signings combined. So that was a bright spot on an otherwise dull weekend.

www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Friday - May 15, 2009

Well, I made it to another Friday, the gateway to the weekend.

Somehow I have wrecked my back and it's difficult to get around right now. But I have a book signing this weekend and I have to be there, so I guess I'll self-medicate and do what I have to do.

It won't be too bad with a hand full of Relifin.

www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Thursday - May 14, 2009

Lots of work to do for the book signing Saturday. Anyone in the Sacramanto area, come on down.

www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Turn Signals – What a Great Invention

I can’t count how many times I’ve been driving down the freeway or some surface street and one of you buttheads decide to change lanes or turn and doesn’t use the turn signal. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s the little handle on the steering column. You use it to let the other guys on the road with you know that for whatever reason you’ve decided to change lanes or turn.

You have to understand that when you cut us off, you send our imaginations whirling around the possibility of mounting a 50 caliber machine gun to the front of our car and pumping the first belt of ammo up your tail pipe.

In an effort to save the life of you buttheads who forgot what to do when you decide to change lanes, I offer the following insight… try to follow along if you can.

Most state vehicle codes require the use of the turn indicator to signal other drivers of your intentions to change lanes or turn from one street to another.

Now I can understand that there are times when you have to move from lane to lane. And I know that there are a lot of very complicated things on the dash and the steering column that may confuse you… but when the traffic is going seventy-plus miles per hour and you decide to move from lane-one to lane-two, common sense tells you it really is a good idea to let the other guy know what you’re going to do, after all, if your car is 2,000 lbs, and my truck is 3,000 lbs, and you decide to move without letting me know what you’re doing, it’s conceivable that my truck is going to crush your car.

Tuesday - May 12, 2009

It’s Tuesday. Tuesday is such a drag. It’s not the middle of the week; it’s not the beginning of the week. It’s just Tuesday. www.fdcrandallwriter.com

Friday - May 8, 2009

It's Friday, and the weather looks great here is Sacramento. Got a ton of errands to get done today, so I better to it.

Anyone interested in my book The Measure of a Man just go to www.amazon.com, or www.fdcrandallwriter.com and get your copy today.

Great Meeting Last Night

Last night I attended a gathering sponsored by the group "Writers Who Wine" here in Sacramento. It was fantastic, though I did imbibe a bit too much of the house White Zinfandel.

I made many great connections, not the least of which is a member who will hopefully "share" her literary agent with me. Another is going to read my book and give me an honest critique (Scary) and another is asking me questions regarding his new project.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening, well worth the $60.00 and the ass chewing from my wife, who didn’t attend, which is why I spent $60.00 on wine and got my ass chewed. I have a feeling that next time she’s coming with me.

Wednesday - May 6, 2009

Happy Wednesday. No success in scheduling another book signing yet. It seems there are people who just don't like the concept of an author actually charging the public for their books.

But... we shall persevere.

www.fdcrandallwriter.com

A GOOD THOUGHT

Here is another wonderful and insightful piece of humor from a great man who just passed.


George Carlin (Absolutely Brilliant)
IF YOU DON'T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.
George Carlin's Views on Aging
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
"How old are you?” "I'm four and a half!” You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
"How old are you?” "I'm gonna be 16!” You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life. You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop.” And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, and hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

This is Great

Just the other day someone sent this link to me in my regular e-mail joke circle. I thought it was just another joke, until I played it. I'm not ashamed to say that a tear came to my eyes as this played out.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741