Best wishes, Teddy!

Best wishes to Senator Ted Kennedy as he recuperates.

You have served the country well, and we appreciate it very much.

Wishing you a complete and speedy recovery.

Jay Hudson

Heather Armstrong and Sen. Ted Kennedy

Sunday, 18 May,2008

Last night I posed a question to some of my writing friends. "Did any of you see the national news report a few days ago about a woman writing a blog, and making a living from it? Her husband was able to quit his job and...

I remember something about "doodoo, doos, or maybe it was doocey!

Then, I did what all respectable writers do, I Googled! That's the place made famous when my friend, Dejah, AKA, Mary Elisibeth Tyler, with help from Jerri Ledford, wrote a book about Google Analytics.

Heather Armstrong! That's her name.

The site is Heather Armstrong's blog. Her blog story was broadcast on ABC's Nightline a few days ago. Heather's blog has become so popular that she is making a living from it, and her dear DH, Jon, was able to quit his job and help her with details. The link is at the bottom of this sports report.

Honey, does that give you any ideas at all?

Don't laugh! It's writing. Ain't that what we writers are supposed to do? Entertain, or inform!
Well, it looks like all of you are someplace else tonight, so I'm going to scroll Ebay and look at interesting books in the "creative writing" section.

I can't believe it!

Well, yes I can. I was watching the first game of the baseball doubleheader Saturday. Sorry, I forgot which team was playing the Boston Red Sox.

Oh! Now I remember, it was the team in the black uniforms. :) The Red Sox were in their red and white uniform. I never claimed to be a "sports" writer, now did I?

Ok, I'm pretty sure the team was from a place that started with an "M." Minnesota, or maybe Milwaukee? Twins, or Brewers? See, I know mybaseball. :)

What I can't believe is that I had to run to Wal Mart, and when I got back the game was just ending, and BoSSton had won.

My old buddy, David Ortiz, had smacked a homer.

Teddy, did you see that?
When I logged online and saw the news headlines, I saw that my friend, Senator Ted Kennedy, had some sort of seizure while watching the game, the same game I was watching.

Teddy, I'm feeling very remorseful for the funny things I have written on my blogs about you and your niece, Maria, and the rest of the family too. It's just good natured humor. Can you spell Aaaahnuld's last name without looking at it? Ok, sorry, I'm waxing jolly again. No harm meant. I just have a grin on my face that won't go away unless I write something.

I can't rightly spell Chap-A- Quit-IT unless I use Fonix, but not tonight. I'm tired too!

Teddy, I sincerely wish you a speedy and complete recovery.

Your friend in humor,
Jay Hudson

Vocabulary building, 17 October, 2007 !

I'm going to start posting words to help me broaden my vocabulary. These are words I encountered yesterday while reading a book about Bill and Hillary. They are not common words that the average reader has in his/her vocabulary.
I know the definitions of all of them, and am quite familiar with them, except chintze. I have seen it several times in my reading, but never took the time to find it's exact meaning.

Tonight I looked for it in my American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, and it is not there.
Something makes me think it is of French origin, but I may be way off base.

Any of you have a powerful big dictionary?



hubris -Yessir, that sure describes Slick Willie sometimes. I feel your pain, but perk up anyway while I...

juxtaposition- Mind if I park the old truck in your yard for a spell?

vetted -Well now, I looked at that thang evah-which-a-way, and I'm danged if I know what it is, but it looks like a Democrat telescope for stargazing

chintze

hegemony-this is a favorite of the Chinese. "You damned Americans are just hegemonists and we ain't puttin' up wit' it anymore. Kiss the Dalai Lama if you want to, GW. We'll hang his butt when he gits back to Tibet."
---Chairman Wang Dang Wong

Somebody tell me if'n I'm chintze , or not!

Self-publishing is a NEW, OLD thing!

Famous authors who paid their way with cash, credit,or goodwill. Folks really find it hard to believe that Mark Twain is on the list , but it is true. They called it subscription selling in the early days after the printing press was invented.

Mark Twain,

Zane Grey,

James Joyce,

D.H.Lawrence,

Henry David Thoreau,

Gertrude Stein,

Walt Whitman,

Edgar Allen Poe.


Add Harry Dent to the list- Jay-2007

Is it a sin if any of us join them in self-publishing, POD, or subsidy publishing?
I know all about the stigma associated with it. Makes me think traditional publishers are trying to create fear among us lowly writers to keep out competition.

POD and e-books are taking off according to figures I saw recently.


More....



What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles. Picked up later by a traditional publisher. I bought the "picked up version, " but it didn't help me find my parachute.

The Beanie Baby Handbook by Lee and Sue Fox . I didn't get bit by this bug.

In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters. I quit trying to be perfect, so I saved $10

Real Peace-Richard Nixon in 1983. Old Tricky Dick, or as the GI's in 'Nam called him, Big ....

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. It has been reported in news media that Redfield was turned down by numerous traditional publishers, so published it himself and sold 100,000 copies out of the trunk of his car before being picked up by a TP.

The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson .This one is great for those of us with attention problems.

Fifty Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, I'm doing all I can now just to save me!

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White was originally self published for his students.

A Time to Kill by John Grisham. Self-published and sold out of his car. The only one of Grisham's books I have ever read.

The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer published in 1931, still sells 100,000 copies annually. I don't care for a copy of it though.


How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive by John Muir. I don't know how many millions of copies of old John's book have been sold, but I bought a copy at a flea market for 50 cents.
Sold it later for a couple of dollars.

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts. I don't want to lead anything, so I passed on this one.

Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie . I've read Betty's book. Bought it from the same place I get most of my books-flea market for 50 cents.

Sugar Busters sold over 100,000 copies before a TP picked it up. I bought a copy. Yep, fifty-cents! It was a nice book, but not worth a nickel to me. I love sweets.

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton . I don't know how many millions of this has sold, but it is way over one million. Bought my copy at the ....All my barber ever talked about was the Atlanta Braves. Get over it!

When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple . I don't know much about purple, except Purple 3. She is a nice lady


Mary Ellen's Best of Helpful Hints by Mary Ellen Pinkham. I never read this one. Don't see any reason to, but 100's of thousands of you did.

The Macintosh Bible by Arthur Naiman . I guess a million of you McNuts have bought a copy of this one. I'm just teasing you. No need to get your drawers in a wad.

Dianetics by L Ron Hubbard. I don't know whether to laugh or cry everytime I see old Elron's name. I bought a copy of this book when he was just beginning to build his fortune way back yonder. I calculate I contributed about $3.95 to the cause.
If you have never read the book, my advice is don't waste your time or money. Let me be perfectly "clear" about that.

Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan-Does about a half-million copies sold sound right to all of you who are keeping tabs?

Feed Me, I'm Yours by Vicky Lansky was rejected so many times she went out and published it and sold dang near a half-million before selling out to a TP.

The Encyclopedia of Associations by Frederick Ruffner . I've been looking for a copy of this one, but so far it hasn't shown up at my local flea market. I don't want to join any, I just want to who they are.

The Lazy Man's Way to Riches. Joe Karbo. Hahahaha! Old Joe, you old car salesman you!
I heard you up and died a few years ago, but not before you enjoyed the $20 I contributed to the cause. In all fairness Joe, I have to say it was money well spent. I already knew all about the mail order business and the power of the subsconcious, but dang it, your book was entertaining, and those full page ads....

The Christmas Box by Rick Evans. I've never seen a copy of this one, but I hear tell old Rick did quite well.

Twelve Golden Threads by Aliske Webb . How many rejections are you willing to take before you self-publish. Does over 100 sound about right to you? How old will you be by that time? Let me see! If you are 75 now, how old will you be after you have received 100 rejections? POD sounds better all the time, don't it?

Life's Little Instruction Book. I sure could have used a copy of this 50 years ago. I still don't know all the instructions. Usually I just look at the drawing and then throw the instructions away.

The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by Barbara Salzman. I don't know anything about jesters, or comics.

Let's Cook Microwave. I wonder how many Barb would have sold if she sub-titled it,
Let's Cook Microwave, Instructions Even a Man Can Understand.
"Just press the one minute button for me."


Juggling for the Complete Klutz by John Cassidy. At first I thought this was titled Playing With Kudzu, but it ain't funny when a book sells two million copies. That's real money.

Travel Free. Old Ben Dominitz does quite well with his Prima Publishing now I reckon. My old truck gets 6 miles to the gallon. I wonder how I can get to town for free.

How to Flatten Your Stomach by Jim Everrode . Everytime I see this title I think of Carnie Wilson saying " I'm Still Hungry Ya'll." I love you Carnie, and I am so proud of you.

Robert's Rules of Order. I don't much like rules of any kind so I won't comment on this one, but I got a copy.

The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter . Whooooeeee! Is there ANYBODY who has never heard of Dan Poynter? Dan, I love your books. If I am ever stupid enough to jump, or fall from an airplane, I want you to fold my parachute, buddy.

Deepak Chopra, A face only a mama could love.

Gertrude Stein, with a name like that she ought to be good.

Upton Sinclair- I don't know, but somebody told me the publishing business was a Jungle out there.

Louise Hay

Ken Keyes , I just don't like his fellows initials. KK

Carl Sandburg,

I don't know a thing about poetry,but I wrote this diddy awhile back.
Fleas, tics
tail-waggers delight
sleep all day
bark all night


Ezra Pound
Edgar Rice Burroughs , I know about Tarzan. I still holler sometimes.

Stephen Crane, 'Bout time for the Headless Horseman to come around again.

Mary Baker Eddy, I won't comment about this one. I don't want Tom Cruise and his sunglasses coming after me.



Thomas Paine, I liked old Thomas, but he ought to try living in the US of A on todays dollar.

Virginia Wolff,

e.e. Cummings. I forgot why he wrote his name that way.

Edgar Allen Poe, I loved The Raven with Vincent Price.

Rudyard Kipling, I tried to sell one of his old poetry books on Ebay and no one wanted it for $1. So much for poetry I guess.

Henry David Thoreau, Give that man an axe!

Benjamin Franklin, What can you say about old Ben that hasn't already been said?

Walt Whitman,

Alexandre Dumas, I read someplace that Alexandre Dumas had written more books than anyone who ever lived.

William E.B. DuBois

Robert Ringer. I read your book,Bobby! I liked it ok.

Red Sky in Mourning by Tami Oldham Ashcraft and Susea McGearhart

The Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides

Diets Don't Work , Oh yes they do!

Dry It! You'll Like It by Gen MacManiman . ? During my "back to the land days" I just had to have a copy of this wonderful book. Thirty years later and I haven't dried anything.

Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 things I want my kids to know by Hal Urban. My kids knew everything by the time they were 18, so I gave up.

Satin Doll by Karen E. Quinones-Miller . I don't know anything about romance.

Soul Mate Dissipate by Mary E. Morrison. I don't know. I'm out of diet cola.

Jay HudsonJay Hudson-author, Montgomery Gray!
http://jayhudsononwheels.blogspot.com/

Where the Cold Winds Blow

For all my writer friends, past and present, Ralph Moody, Stephen King, John Grisham, Janet Elaine Smith, Anne Coulter, Cathy Brownfield, Joyce Anthony, Joyce Scarbrough, John Krakauer, Sean Penn, Molly Swoboda, Bo Drury, Ron Berry, Oprah Winfrey, Will Rogers, Dr. Hans Selye, Robert Collier, George Clason, James Frey, Joseph Murphy, and especially Mark Twain.

Where the Cold Winds Blow !

By Jay Hudson

"Hey, mister, where did you get that horse? Said Crazy Tom, leaning against the hitch-post in front of the Lucky Dog as the stranger ambled up to towards the saloon. Something about this man sent shivers down his spine. Tom was a man known to ruthless violence and didn't get nervous often. A thought from deep in his past raced through his mind now. Could anyone from back yonder have known?


A crudely painted sign hung over his head. It said "The Lucky Dog Saloon, man's two best friends."

The dun mustang mare halted ten paces from the saloon landing and the dusty rider answered with a deep voice.

"I recognize that Lazy J brand from The Junction, down near Four Corners," Said the gunfighter as he flicked his nubbing to the ground. Taking a step backwards and to his left he set up a perfect "turkey shoot" if the stranger took offense at his speaking.

Crazy Tom had crossed the line when he was a lad and there was no looking back now. He was already a seasoned veteran when they came up to The Junction that night. He and Jess, and King Daddy, had planned on just robbing the farmer and killing him.
They hadn't reckoned on the farmer being handy with a gun, and it never occurred to them that the little kid would be carrying a gun.

When he reached for his gun that long-ago night, he hadn't counted on being shot up. Folks said he was mighty fast on the draw. They likened him to Ben Tillman, or maybe even close to James Hickok with his two pistols.

" Mister, I tend to my own busines and I advise you to do the same," Said the stranger as he slid from the saddle like a cat stalking it's prey. Cold-blue eyes blazed from under the brim of his tattered reb slouch hat, his long fingers hovering near the big Colt, ready, should it be needed for close work. The leathery textured lines in his face spoke of many fields plowed and rivers run.

It had to be him!

God a'mighty! It must be the kid a'growed up now. He was just a wee boy ten years ago, but God, he had never seen such pistol work before, not even from Wild Bill himself. His memory was crystal clear now. The recognition sent chills through his body like a raging current. As he was reaching for his pistol that long-ago night, he was puzzled by the heavyness of his right arm, and the heavy feeling like two hot boulders hitting him in the chest right above his heart. His fingers would not close around the pistol grip for some reason. He heard six rapid booms so quick in succession that it sounded as one boom of rolling thunder on a humid summer day. He was slammed violently against the wall. As the black abyss closed around him, he was puzzled by something?
Darkness had swallowed the room an instant before he felt the heavyness in his chest.



"It had to be!" Thought Tom, as the shivers grew even stronger now. "The kid had shot the lamp out before turning the gun, first, on Jess, King Daddy, and then me. Just like bracing ducks on a pond."
Jess and King Daddy had got the Farmer, but the kid got lead into all three of them. Jess and King had taken a shot dead-center in the heart, and were dead before they hit the floor.


"Mister, I meant no offense." Said Tom, now visiblly shaking with panic in his eyes at his sudden recognition of who was starring him in the eye. "When a stranger rides in," He stammered, "Folks are just naturally curious about the man, and the brand. Are you looking for somebody, or just passin' through?"

Copyright-2007-Jay Hudson-All rights reserved.

To be continued....

Jena La

"Oh Rhett, you bad boy. Frankly, I don't give a d... either! I'll name our baby Jena La anyway" Said Scarlett.

Copyright-2007-Jay Hudson-All rights reserved.

Into the Wild with Sean Penn and John Krakauer

I have to grow a beard now so I will actually look like a writer.

I don't want to look like Hemmingway though.He was not one of my favorite writers, or people. I am glad he begat the son who begat Margaux and Mariel though.

I saw the Oprah promo today for Sean Penn's movie version of John Krakauer's book, Into the Wild.

When Sean Penn was a young man I didn't think he had many possibilities, but he sure has surprised me. It's very rare for me to enjoy anything on Oprah's show anymore, but I really was impressed with Sean's maturity now.

I also liked author John Krakauer's comments about the writing of Into the Wild. While I'm not crazy about going "into" the wild, I understand the reasons for doing so. Just like John said,"sometimes we have to step out of our box to live."

Got me thinking of growing a beard to match my mustache.

Copyright-2007-Jay Hudson-All rights reserved.

My dear friend, author Janet Elaine Smith, had the audacity to ask me what I would do if I was in her situation and had to interview one of the current candidates for President.

I'm not a publicity hound, so I would not have agreed to an interview anyway, if it was me. But, if I happened to get cornered and had to give an interview, I think I would just keep my mouth shut like James Frey did on the Oprah show. If I absolutely had to talk about politics, then I would do as the other politicians do, I would just keep a straight face while lying.

Oprah, don't bother calling.The answer is NO. I will under NO circumstances appear on your show, unless Stephen and I can discuss the Tom Swift effect on our imaginations as Dean Lawrence wielded his magical pen.

J.R. Ewing and James Frey are two of my heroes now.

Copyright 2007-Jay Hudson-All rights reserved.

2007 Edition of NEW English-September 21, 2007

I just saw in the news headlines that the folks at Oxford, the one in England I presume, are changing the usuage of the hyphen in our fabulous language. I assume they are talking about Dixie-English, but one never knows with the British.

I thought I was just beginning to get a tiny grasp of our language, even though I am still plenty confused about much of it.

When I was a teenager I worked two nights at a restaurant that catered to the Happy Days kind of people. I was more like Opie than I was the Fonz. My cousin Roger would have been the Fonz.

This was in the early 60's mind you. We invented Happy Days and didn't even know it.

Now, back to my two-nights of working the grill and how it relates to the folks in Oxford.
I don't know if I was a car-hop, a carhop, or a car hop!

I have never worked at a hotel, or motel, so I know I have never been a bell-boy, or a bellboy.
I think folks in New York and Chicago call them bell-hops, or bellhops.

And the good old ice-cream I thought I was eating was really ice cream after all, or was it the cheaper version, ice-milk, or ice milk?

I'm a sentimental old cuss, and I frequently cry while watching movies. I don't know if that makes me a cry-baby or a crybaby.

And what about my hobbyhorse that the grandkids play on? I think the English made it a hobby horse.

We use to have a lot of bumble-bees in our yard. They never knew their species, but they are now bumble bees I think.

Now I understand why the British lost their empire.
They don't understand compound nouns.

I'm going to Wal Mart now.

I don't know if I will be hot-footing it there, or hot footing slowly like I normally drive.
I think Mark Twain would approve my use of an adverb once-in-awhile.

Copyright-2007-Jay Hudson-All rights reserved.

Jay Hudson

Here there be God's!

Ye God's in Alabama,and maybe Carolina too!

I went on a book roundup today and found two of my favorite books,richest Man in Babylon by George Clason,and Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier.

And I wrote a short review of God's in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson.

Just wanted you to know I do read.

Today is September 6,2007.Did you do anything worth-while today?