The Occult Bot

There are lots of tricks to get you started in writing. Sometimes a visual image will help. I painted a picture for my grandchildren. I wrote the poem that follows from this painting. Why not look at a picture or painting and then write an article or poem about it. It’s good practice!

Stagecoach Hit

by

Taylor Jones

(Monday, March 15, 1999)

The stage rolled down

The desert trail,

Bouncing, swaying, stirring up

The red dust–going pell-mell.

The driver was “Big-handed” Mike,

A bull of a man

Who folks didn’t like.

The man riding shotgun,

Was “Quick” Willy Fife

Who preferred his Winchester

Or his old Bowie knife.

And inside the carriage

Was “Fast-Fingers” Harry,

A gambler of note,

A cheater. Be wary!

And he sat across from

Madame Jan Hurst,

Her back to the horses,

A Derringer in her purse.

And next to her,

Sat teenage Fanny Holden,

Twas her first trip west,

Where she thought all was golden.

Yes, there was one more guy,

Who sat in the back,

Been shooting at rabbits,

That fled from the track.

The horses were tired,

Fifty miles to go,

The wheel brake had broken,

They had to go slow.

And Hell’s Canyon was scary,

With the Injuns and all,

And that’s where big Mike

Took his big fall.

A Navajo arrow

Pierced his chest.

He fell from the stage

Away from the rest.

Fanny looked out the window,

Let out a big scream,

And that’s when Willy fired,

Again and again.

And gambler Harry

Got an arrow in the neck,

And the rabbit-shootin’ man,

Began to attack.

He fired from one side

And then from the other,

And the Injuns were falling

On top of each other.

Madame Hurst took her pea-shooter

And fired it too.

But an Injun laughed

At her little do.

Fanny said, “Give me that thing,”

And she fired a round

As the carriage did swing,

And an Injun fell to the ground.

And the Injun’s did parish,

But the ones that did run,

And Willy reined up,

Reloaded his gun.

But the Injuns were gone,

He said, “That’s some shootin’.”

And the rabbit man said,

“You bet your tootin’”

But Willy looked at him and said,

“You don’t know who.

Fanny shot the chief,

That wasn’t you.”

And Rabbit Man said,

“I should get some credit,”

But Madame Hurst said,

“You’re not goin’ to get it.”

And Fanny blew

The smoke from the barrel,

And said, “Thank you Wild Bill,

I know you’re the real hero.”

So the stage rolled on

Into the night,

And Fanny hugged Wild Bill

As if it were right.

And the last I heard,

One way or the other,

Fanny and Wild Bill

Are still ridin’ together.

If you want to learn more,

Then look at my oil

Of that fast-movin’ stage

Goin’ pell-mell.

Okay, now you write something while looking at a picture or just out your window!

Copyright©John T. Jones, Ph.D. 1999-2005

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com)is a retired R&D engineer and VP of a Fortune 500 company. He is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering), poetry, etc. Former editor of international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success.

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success materials / TopFlight flagpoles)

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The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the cast majority of successful screenplays are built upon.

One quite significant benefit of the Hero’s Journey is that it provides the screenwriter with a formidable structure.

Structure is critical to creative output.

Whilst many argue that structure is inhibitive, in fact the reverse is true (unless it is used to the point where it induces conformity).

There are various forms of structure:

Short term goals (incremental productivity) produce more output than a “do your best” approach. With specific regard to creative writing, writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A “do your best” or “waiting for inspiration” approach can take months or years. Witness the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.

Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

Frameworks such as the Hero’s Journey reduce complex problems into their component intellectual parts. Frameworks increase output by reducing complex problems into smaller, more manageable problem solving exercises. A similar idea is that problems, no matter how daunting, can be solved by breaking them into their constituent parts.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

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As a personal and professional development coach, I have listened to scores of unhappy marital stories from clients. It is not my intention to pose as a marriage counselor nor therapist, as I am neither. However, via my previous experience as a crisis counselor, and as a partner in an intercultural marriage with its own unique characteristics, I have built up a store of helpful tips, some of which I share with you below.

“To those who choose to marry with love, knowledge and commitment”
is the dedication line in a very important book in my life. This is one of the pre-marital workbooks I used to assess to what extent my husband and I were compatible for marriage. It offers information and questions that help couples examine their attitudes and expectations for married life. Difference in expectations is a common cause of marital discord, and the most unfortunate part is that these expectations are often not discussed prior to making wedding vows. After all, before tying the knot, couples are in that magical state of euphoria and seeming invincibility. “Love conquers all” is the ubiquitous message in popular music and movies. Admittedly, the pedantic, almost arduous activity of talking through pages and pages of
questions in preparation for marriage can be a bit daunting. Yet taking the time to do so is guaranteed to save the potential bride and groom time and heartache. Afterward finishing the process, some couples may find out what they may fear most, that they need more time to decide if they are ready to commit their lives to one another. It’s better to learn this before the knot is tied. Of course, there is no guarantee that after having gone through a pre-marital question and answer process that a marriage will be trouble-free. However, you will have gained invaluable insight into crucial areas that can make or break-up a marriage, and you will be better prepared to handle issues as they come up.

Whether you’re planning to wed or are already wed / in a committed relationship, and would like more fulfillment, using a pre-marital workbook to help you and your partner explore issues is a sensible idea.

The dedication line above is from the book Getting Ready for Marriage Workbook: How to Really Get to Know the Person You’re Going to Marry, by Jerry D. Hardin and Dianne C. Sloan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, ©1992. There are other books out there that have similar purposes, this happens to be the one I know best since I’ve used it in my own marriage. This book does a fairly thorough job of covering the issues, such as:

emotional love
behavioral patterns
family backgrounds
communication
friendship love
time management
perceptions
listening
commitment love
attitudes
household management
financial management
expectations
honesty
covenants to one another
conflict resolution
priorities
anger
ghosts that each partner brings into the marriage
religious beliefs
sexuality
child planning/rearing
lifestyles

Some of these topics may be awkward, yet the book does the job of broaching them for you. The discussion process can be fun, even romantic if you let it be so. And, face it, whether you choose to deal with these issues before or after you walk down the aisle, they will be dealt with in one way or another. For those who have already tied the knot, it’s not too late to discuss these issues on an as-needed basis. One thing I like about this book is its covenants – promises that partners make to one another, complete with signature lines. Those signatures serve as a standing record of your mutual honor and commitment.

Do you have questions about the pre-marital/post-marital discussion process? Contact me at mailAThersheywier.com (substitute @ for AT)

Copyright 2005, Hershey Wier

Hershey Wier, BS Education, MBA, is a Career & Self-Development Specialist specializing in holistic, creative approaches to career and life transitions.
Visit http://www.HersheyWier.com

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The greatest fear among most people is the fear of public speaking. Even Cicero, a Roman considered the best public speaker of all time, use to cite it as the thing he was most afraid of. So how do you go about becoming a good speaker if you’ve never done it before?

First, you’re going to have to practice. You need to find a venue where you’re comfortable giving speeches. Start out by speaking in front of a mirror – pretend you’re giving a speech. You can watch yourself talk, and even experienced speakers use this as a technique to understand their facial expressions and how to change them. This will give you the comfort level you need to start giving speeches or presentations in front of people. After you feel like you could do this in front of a person, join a local speaking group. The Toastmasters are a good one – it’s a club for people who want to improve their speaking skills, and they have people of all experience levels. You can get started with them, in staged events with small audiences.

It’s much easier to speak in front of a small group of people for a beginner than a crowd – you just pretend you’re talking with friends, and gradually the pressure and nervousness will go away. If you don’t have one in your area, you could try looking around for contests sponsored by the local Rotary club or other organizations. There often aren’t any people really entering these, and they don’t have much of an audience, so it’s not that hard to go do them. Alternatively, you could just try getting friends or family to listen to you. If you’ve got a big presentation at work that you’re worried about, do it several times in front of people that you know and are comfortable with. You’ll have practice for the real thing, and you’re less likely to get flustered when you’re actually doing it.

Teve Torbes is an awesome owner of a cat flea site, who knows a whole lot about dog flea stuff. He has also created a valuable dog park flea control resource.

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Have you ever been confused about which article (a, an, the)
to use in front of an abbreviation? First, let’s define abbreviation:

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole word. Some authorities consider acronyms and initialisms to be abbreviations.

“Hmmm,” you say, “what is an acronym? I’ve heard the word, but it sounds more like a disease than something to do with grammar.”

An acronym is a word (like radar or snafu or NASDAQ) formed from the initial letter or first few letters of a word or a series of words (example: radar comes from radio detecting and ranging).

ACRONYMS ARE PRONOUNCED AS COMPLETE WORDS.

Now, let’s look at initialisms. An initialism is an acronym formed from initial letters (FEMA, NYSE, AFL-CIO, NAACP, IRS, SEC).

INITIALISMS ARE PRONOUNCED LETTER BY LETTER.

Now we’re down to basics! If it is read as though all the words were spelled out (NAACP, TVA), the acronym is treated as a series of letters, and the choice depends on the pronunciation of the FIRST LETTER (an HMO facility; an M.B.A. degree; an R.S.V.P.; an LA-based company, a TVA product).

If it’s generally pronounced as though it were a word (NATO, HUD), the article is determined by the pronunciation of the WORD (a RICO hearing; a MADD chapter; a SWAT team; a FICA increase).

Judy Vorfeld: Webmaster, Writer, Editor, and Photographer
http://www.editingandwritingservices.com
http://www.ossweb.com
http://www.digifeld.com

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I rarely read fiction. This has nothing to do with a dislike of the genre; I spent many days of my youth curled up with a wonderful story lost in other lives and other places. But as time marched on, and life became busy with work, graduate school, and now two children, non-fiction took over my reading lists as a practical necessity. Recently, however, I indulged in The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Album (Hyperion Press, 2003). It relates the story of Eddie, an amusement park maintenance man who dies while attempting to save a young girl on a broken ride. Eddie then goes on to meet five people on the other side. Some he knows and some he does not but all have either impacted his life or been impacted by his life. All serve to help explain and help Eddie come to terms with his life, a life he sees as an abysmal failure.

Whether we actually meet five people to explain our life after we die is immaterial, but the book raises some very interesting points to ponder. The first is the interconnectedness of life. Some of the people Eddie encounters he did not even know or knew as distant acquaintances, yet their lives were irrevocably interwoven. Every life impacts so many others in ways we could never even begin to imagine. How many lives do we touch in our daily lives? Whose day have we brightened by a smile, a kind word, or thoughtful deed? Whose path have we made more difficult, perhaps without even realizing it? Like the proverbial stone creating ripples in the pool of water, our actions have far-reaching effects.

A second point for reflection is the meaning of a life. Eddie saw his life as worthless ? he had lost those he had loved and worked at what he saw as a dead-end job, yet he comes to discover that everything had its purpose. How many times in our lives do we search for meaning? As women, caught up with the responsibilities of family and home, we can sometimes feel invisible. There are also times when paid employment can seem devoid of purpose, a means to a paycheck but little else. For us who believe in God, we trust that there is a plan for our lives. As Philip Yancey states in Searching for the Invisible God (Zondervan Publishing House, 2000) ?God promises to use any circumstance to serve his ultimate will.? The seemingly mundane, even painful, aspects of our lives are woven together with the extraordinary moments to create the unique tapestry that God has designed especially for us. As difficult as it can be at times, we should embrace our lives and realize that every breath we take is imbued with the mystery of God. We are all a part of a great plan that we haven?t even begun to understand. Hopefully, like Eddie in Album?s book, someday it will all be clear.

About the Author

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is editor of “The Spiritual Woman Newsletter” providing information and inspiration for women who seek to deepen their relationship with God – http://www.spiritualwoman.net and author of “Letters to Mary from a Young Mother” (iUniverse, 2004)

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I am sharing an article that I wrote after 9/11/01.

First, I would like for all to know that my prayers are with the world, families, nations, volunteers, workers and just everybody. I am asking the Almighty God to lead us, heal us, bring us closer together and work a miracle in all our lives.

We do not represent grief counseling nor are we certified.

I am not a Pastor, Minister nor Clergy.

My only hope and resource is the Divine Holy Bible, Inspired Written Word of God.

I would like to travel back in time to about A.D. 96 or A.D. 68.My traveling will take me to The Island of Patmos and I am thinking on Revelation first through the seventh chapter.

Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.

Revelations 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Revelations 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

It is human to be in grief. I have never met a person yet that has been able to escape the experience of grief.

The book of Job 2:13 tells me that “So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.

“There is no school that I have heard of yet that can teach you how to master grief. Diaster is a sudden, unexpected guest that we do not want to meet.

The book of Acts 27:10,14 tells me that “This voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

“Seven Epistles addressed to the churches of the seven cities of Asia, named in chapters one and two, and now written to in the same order, beginning with Ephesus and ending with Laodicea.

The apostle wrote to the 7 churches in Asia, and maybe others were touched by what he wrote. The number 7 stands for unity/completion in my understanding; and the 7 churches as mentioned in John’s revelations must represent one universal church.

The church encountered trials, tribulations, persecution, and open opposers. The church was able to overcome and stand firmly. The faithful shall be rewarded. To him(her) that overcometh, there is a great reward.

As you know all things will not please us and there will be some trying times in our lives. A reminder to me we must learn to bear things, endure them to the end.

John’s vison revealed that in spite of this period of unprecedented suffering involving nations of the whole earth, the wicked shall be overthrown and the end will not be a period of destruction, but of salvation.

Even Brother Job arose out of his afflictions with a victorous shout, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, even after the worms, my skin, they shall destroy, yet out of my flesh, I shall come and stand, and see God for myself.”

Biblical Guidance:

Angels minister at the moment of death Luke 16:22

Forgiveness: 1 John 1:9

Guidance Psalm 25:4-12; Proverbs 1:7; 3:5-6

Love Psalm 63:3; John 14:21,23; Romans 5:5

Power II Corinthians 12:7-10; Ephesians 3:14-21

Protection Psalm 5:11,12; I Peter 1:5

Mediation Psalm 63:3,4; 89:1-11, 119:15

Prayer I Timothy 2:1-8; Hebrews 4:16

Bible Study II Timothy 3:16, 17; 4:1,2

Enemy Opposition Romans 7:23; I Peter 5:8; I John 2:15;Galations 5:16; James 4:7; I John 5:4

Pray for Israel Psalm 122:6, Isaiah 62:6-7Our Rulers I Timothy 2:1-3

Recommended Book Reading:Does God Have E-mail? Barbara Davey, Author. ISBN: 1-58244-137-5 and Published by Rutledge Books. I enjoyed this book very much; it is a book of inspirational messages.

It touches on death, angels, views each day as an opportunity to rejoice, miracles, and yes it does touch on MAIL. I would recommend for all Pastors/Spiritual Leaders, Schools, Churches, Grief/Professional Services/Programs, Parents, etc. to review this book for possible sharing and helping others.

I do not represent grief counseling nor am I certified.

The messages contained in this 113 page book could be a help in this time.

When looking at this book some things came to my mind: Genesis 1:1 tells me “In the beginning God created the heaven and earth.” Mark 13:10 tells me “And the gospel must first be published among all nations.”

Daniel 12:4 tells me “But thou., O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

May The Almighty God send peace to all worldwide.

God is in TOTAL control and God is not sleep. HE knows and HE understands.

Jehovah – Shalom is my peace Judges 6:23-24

Angela Watkins

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Investigate to see if the merchant bank who wants to give you a credit loan is solid. 4.6 percent rate may appear so good but will it stay uniform after you’re going to pay back your credit loan. It doesn’t matter if you live in Dearborn Heights Michigan or in Dearborn Michigan a upright online check up will salvage you often a lot of incommode. Nowadays you can check over rates of interest quickly on the internet and discover if there are possible sneaky traps you should know about. You should be burnished today to check up if you have a bargain or if you don’t with the bank that offers you a money loan. Many of the moneylenders wil show you a loan rate that is looking bonny but doesn’t feel advantageously or so after a period of time. A moneylender in Lauderhill Florida or so may have a total totally different actual interest rate for a 20000 dollar money loan then a bank in Bristol Tennessee and that makes a big clear gap in your weekly pay backs.

The Dutch translation says: Woon je in Woerden of Vlieland en heeft u BKR notering. Lenen met zonder BKR registratie is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Koop een ander huis met hoe vecht je een bkr codering aan, 450969 euro is geen probleem om te financieren. Van Reiderland tot Dongeradeel, financieren met zonder BKR registratie gaat hier altijd.

This is why now you really need to check and determine if you can have a loan at a estimable percent rate.

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A newcomer to the world of investments in the notion of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. There are many variations on what this term means, encompassing everything from using the internet to aid in real estate investing efforts to participating in online games such as SecondLife.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis of BryanEllis.com, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

“I began using the term ‘virtual real estate investing’ in the late 1990’s when I realized the clear similiarities in profit strategies, regardless of whether the “real estate” is “virtual” or “physical” said Ellis.

An example of the similar nature of “virtual” and “physical” real estate Bryan Ellis likes to point out is the methods of making a profit from domain names compared to physical real estate. He points out that control of a domain name or even a specific web page is much like controlling a real estate property ” those assets can be monetized in similar ways: By selling them for a profit, by leasing them, by offering advertising, etc.

I must admit: Its easy to see the parallels. Consider: A valuable piece of real estate is valuable largely due to the interest that other people have in that specific location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. So it doesn’t matter if you own physical real estate or virtual real estate – you’ll likely use similar strategies to turn them into money in your pocket.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

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Joyce Carol Oates. Langston Hughes. Anne Sexton. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nikki Giovanni. The names of authors (dead and alive) can go on and on. But I’ll let you have first pick!

You are in a room with some of your favorite authors. About ten of them. However, you are only allowed to invite one of them to Starbucks for a couple of chocolate mochas. Just you and your favorite author. It doesn’t matter if the writer is deceaseduse your imagination! After all, you’re a writer, right?

Oh dear, who shall it be? Should it be William Shakespeare with his purple pantaloons; Sylvia Plath who now vows to use an electric oven instead of gas; or should it be Maya Angelou and old playmates from her broken-hearted brothel?

Finally, you have selected an author.

You take him (or her) to Starbucks. You order the mochas. You sit down. As you open your mouth to ask the author questions nothing useful comes out.

What’s the problem?

Often times we’ll chance upon moments when we can interview an author. And, with technology nowadays, methods of research and brainstorming have changed slightly.

1. Research the Author

Ask yourself, “Is the author self-published or published in a traditional publishing house?”

Actually, does it really matter?! No. Why? Because you’re going to need to treat all authors the samewith much respect. Be laid back, and in turn, the interviewee will become comfortable and open-up to you.

After all, whether published or not, we’re all human. Before the interview, however, use your investigative reporting skills and attempt to discover as much as you can about the author. Surf the Internet for any hidden agendas internet-published writings the writer may have. Not only do you want to know about the author’s book, but the personal life as well. Find out what makes the author tick.

2. Research their genre and subject matter

Does the author write poetry? Historical nonfiction? Dramatic nonfiction? Children’s literature? Discover how easy or difficult it is to publish in that particular area of writing. Before you meet up with the author, you must know their genre, as well as the basic themes. If the author writes only historical nonfictionwhat’s their subject matter? Pre-civil war? Early African Slave Trade? Cuban artwork? Compare and contrast authors in similar subject matters.

Learn as much as you can while you can. And, at the same time, be sure to formulate an opinion about the subject matter, whether it be pro or con. This will allow you to ask more in depth questions.

3. Don’t Interrupt

Remember to ask your question then shut up. This isn’t a time for you to reminisce of your (waning) writing skills. This is moment for the author to be in the spotlight. Listen to their responses, and make sure that you have a rebuttal question prepared in the back of your head.

After you are away from that particular topic, be sure to go to your next question. Though you may have your list of questionsit’s okay to ask the questions out-of-order. Actually, I highly recommend to adlib the questions. This will make the questions seem a bit more unforced. In short, treat your interview as if it’s just a regular discussion amongst friends.

Above all, I highly recommend to record the interview. Before you display your trusty hand-held recorder, ask the interviewee for permission to record them. Keep and label all used tapes with the author’s name, date and location of the interview. You never know when that once self-published novelist will become the next Best Seller.

Edited by Jenny Wilson

About The Author

Stephen Jordan has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing with his home-freelance business OutStretch Publications and his artwork. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia

Available for reprint.

Please keep bio and all contact information when reprinting article. Contact author so he can keep track of where his articles are being used.

Editor@OutStretch.net

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