First of all, I am happy to report that my internet speed is back to normal.  After conducting a two-hour PC scan and finding nothing wrong, I went to my DSL modem's URL site and saw that my speed was only about twenty percent of what I am accustomed to (and paying for)! I performed a "reboot" of the modem (I could have simply cut the power and turned it back on it seems).  Speed is back to normal at 7 MB/sec and we are happy campers again. Progress on my novel for National Novel... Read Full Story

My Internet connection is incredibly slow today. It doesn't seem to matter which browser I use, IE, Firefox, Chrome, they are all bogging down. I depend on the Internet for doing research, and that bogs me down in general. So it is with my Novel. I am bogging down here too, and just six days into National Novel Writing Month. I looked for some feedback and was not happy with the result. Another problem is that I moved my story along too fast, or just lacked enough material. The resul... Read Full Story

This is It! has earned over a million dollars, Worldwide, in the first five days since opening. The United States audiences have pushed This is It! to the top for this past weekend. I went to see This is It! on Sunday afternoon. Our theater was nearly deserted, and that surprised me. I doubt that the film will garner the huge audience that some people expected, although a $20 million weekend is not bad. Not bad at all. I just don't believe the film has the appeal to draw repeat views ... Read Full Story

Here is a fun and challenging project to tackle: write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. No editing, no re-writes, just fast and furiously pounding away on the keyboard, averaging 1667 words per day!November is National Novel Writing Month, sponsored by the non-profit Office of Letters and Light.I am participating this year. I have a plot, a main character, and a setting. Now I must make the words flow....lots of dialog that I am certain will need a lot of editing....but that will be for De... Read Full Story

The real horror in the world transcends any frivolity attached to Halloween. Human famine in Africa and elsewhere claims far more lives than war.Selling human bones, including skulls, for use in religious ritual, has plagued humanity for hundreds of years. Skulls are used as drinking vessels; and thigh bones as musical instruments.The human race continues to destroy itself as well as the planet it inhabits, destroying other forms of animal and plant life as well. The planet Earth, and all ... Read Full Story

What am I going to do? This pup just chews anything plastic, wood, rubber, vinyl or DIRT!She also managed to "dig" and 'chew" a big hole in unfinished dry wall in the garage kennel area. She dug it down to the stud. I noticed she was coughing and hacking when I returned home. Yes, gypsum chalk is difficult to swallow. Yesterday I bought a METAL water dish. I can nail it down to a board so she can't tip it over or play with it. Or eat it.She is only 31 pounds and 18 months old and I am r... Read Full Story

Football season is here and the Farmers' Markets are closing down, but there are Harvest Festivals to attend. Sometimes called Octoberfest, or OktoberFest, these events bring local folks together with visitors from all over to enjoy the fruits of the late autumn harvests, particularly apples, pumpkins and other squash, plus the pies, the rhubarb, the wonderful baked goods that our Moms still make!Find a harvest festival near you and enjoy this special time of year. Read Full Story

The Montana Festival of the Book will bring together the region’s finest writers to celebrate reading and writing in one of the Inland Northwest’s biggest cultural events.For the 10th consecutive year, Missoula's Festival of the Book will showcase Montana literary lifestyles over two days and three nights of events.Here is a link to the 2009 Complete Schedule of Events (pdf).Approximately 100 authors are on the schedule, with most of the readings and workshops at no cost. This event is spons... Read Full Story

Saturday's Breast Cancer Awareness event at the University of Montana Grizzly game was a big success, as this Missoulian article attests. We were all in the Pink, with cheerleaders hoisting pink pom-poms and the team mascot, Monte, sporting a white shirt with pink number "00."It was really nice to see all the pink on display during the Sunday Night Football on NBC, with the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons players and coaches wearing pink gloves, wristbands, ribbons, etc.; even the Official... Read Full Story

According to the American Cancer Association, breast cancer ranks #1 in estimated new cases of all cancers diagnosed in America. This equates to 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Each weekend when the University of Montana Grizzly Stadium fills up (25,500), that equates to over 3,000 people affected with this disease. With your help we can raise awareness and funding for this very important cause.Wear Pink to the game! Read Full Story