Category Archives: Blogosphere

The Seablogger on cancer

Posted on July 16, 2010 | Comments Off on The Seablogger on cancer

Divide and Conquer
The cells divide. The cells that will not die
divide too well and so they multiply.
They kill the host to keep themselves alive.
The blood goes bad. In vain physicians try
to purge the veins with drugs the cells defy.
The cells divide. The cells that will not die
mutate anew. The hardy few survive.
The few recruit the many teeming by.
They kill the host to keep themselves alive.
They colonize the nodes from neck to thigh.
The tumors grow, and scanners never lie.
The cells divide. The cells that will not die
stifle the very organs where they thrive.
Blind, stupid things—their purpose gone awry—
they kill the host to keep themselves alive.
Exploding through the flesh, they multiply,
but immortality eludes them. Why?
The cells divide. The cells that will not die
kill the host to keep themselves alive.

Good stuff. The fitting end to this good interview by his longtime partner. Too soon he died. Yet, as he says there, he could be proud of what he left behind.

Comments Off on The Seablogger on cancer

Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Obituaries

Tagged , , , , ,

Day 83: The Gulf Coast Held Hostage

Posted on July 12, 2010 | Comments Off on Day 83: The Gulf Coast Held Hostage

To a cut-no-slack federal bureaucracy overseen by a feckless president who’d rather golf, have “date nights” and throw White House parties. Whom Big Media has allowed to say nothing about the oil spill since June 22. What, isn’t New Orleans at risk, too? Isn’t that Big Media’s favorite place? Oh, that was just when Bush was president. Yeah. He isn’t now so it’s okay that federal response is stuck on stupid.

Via Instapundit.

Comments Off on Day 83: The Gulf Coast Held Hostage

Posted in Blogosphere, Obamalot, Science/Engineering, Texana

Tagged , , , ,

Where are the peaches?

Posted on July 11, 2010 | Comments Off on Where are the peaches?

HEB, it seems, is only carrying East Texas peaches at the moment. Mrs. Charm, back last night from her week in California, bought some this afternoon. Huh, I said, what happened to the Hill Country crop? None in evidence, said she. Must be just around the corner, though, as the growers out there are advertising away.

Meanwhile, surfing a little while ago I learnt that I have been misinformed forever in thinking that Stonewall Jackson loved and ate lemons. Ha! Turns out it was peaches he loved. Makes sense. Never could understand the alleged lemon preference. Except that it was, I suppose, meant to show how tough and eccentric he was. Lots of good peaches out in Stonewall, his namesake town!

Comments Off on Where are the peaches?

Posted in Blogosphere, Civil War, Mrs. Charm, Texana

Tagged , , ,

Seablogger sinking

Posted on July 9, 2010 | Comments Off on Seablogger sinking

For some time now, the health of Alan Sullivan, the Seablogger, has been sinking. It seems that he is near death:

“Steve and Tim have conferred with Dr. D. this morning. He told them that there is little hope of Alan ever communicating again. Accordingly, they directed Dr. D. to discontinue ‘heroic measures.’ Father Tom is going up to the hospital to bestow a final blessing.”

Adios to a sometimes irascible, but always readable and interesting blogger whose last post was simple and compelling: “What I yearn for: Pineapple juice, orange juice, milk, oh milk.”

Via Instapundit. (Alan’s going out with an Instalanche.)

UPDATE:  It’s 9:24 p.m. Alan died earlier today. He wanted the blog sealed from comments. But there’s talk among his “rare readers” of a chat room, at least. As long as someone wants to pay the isp, I suppose… Which also applies to his blog.

Comments Off on Seablogger sinking

Posted in Blogosphere, Obituaries, Weather/Climate

Tagged , , ,

Two new blogs, whew

Posted on July 2, 2010 | Comments Off on Two new blogs, whew

I’ve added two new blogs to my repertoire. One is for the promotion of the novel and the other is the first blog I know of for my great grandfather’s old outfit, the 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Both will capitalize on the sesquicentennial of the Civil War which begins next spring.

Comments Off on Two new blogs, whew

Posted in Blogosphere, Civil War, Library

Tagged , , ,

The Joy of Marketing. Not

Posted on June 29, 2010 | Comments Off on The Joy of Marketing. Not

So I finally get a review of my Civil War battle novel “Knoxville 1863” up on two sites (here and here, in addition to Amazon) and some free advertising on a third site here and what happens? Amazon crashes for the afternoon. And when they finally come back, they’ve got a little notation on my paperback sales page to “sign up to be notified when this item becomes available.” Sheesh. This is print-on-demand, people. Not boxes of books in a warehouse.

Meanwhile, I was trying unsuccessfully to twist an arm for another review. The joke is that DIY authors and small publishers rely on family and friends for their book reviews. I do have the friends part down, luckily, but the family? Not a chance. The ones who actually read books have this phobia about writing reviews. So they say. Maybe they secretly hated mine and just don’t want to be honest.  If not, then the family part of the joke is on me.

UPDATE:  Well, Amazon fixed their problem sometime after midnight, so that irritation is gone. Onward Through The Fog!

Comments Off on The Joy of Marketing. Not

Posted in Blogosphere, Civil War, Library

Tagged , , ,

Another Texas lighthouse

Posted on June 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Another Texas lighthouse

PortIsabelTXThis one’s inactive, in Port Isabel,  just a few miles from the Mexican border, across the causeway from South Padre Island. Photo by Larry Weiss.

Comments Off on Another Texas lighthouse

Posted in Blogosphere, South of the Border, Texana

Tagged , , ,