A Tenuous Thread ...

I Wonder …

2009-03-21T14:52:00.001-05:00

A lot of folks have a couple of blogs. One they make public and present to the world. One they keep private and use as … well, a journal. I wonder if using this space as a journal … for as long as I have Internet access, at least … would be cathartic? No one reads this blog anymore, I’m sure. It’s been a year or so since I last posted here … who would? I could safely puke here and no one

New Witch Hunt Installment!

2008-03-28T21:15:00.001-05:00

There's a new installment of my serial novel, Witch Hunt, up on my main blog! Check it out here. -JDT- Technorati Tags: fiction

Yeah, I Know ...

2008-03-10T02:59:00.003-05:00

... I said I was shutting this one down. I am. Really.But this cool new template was enough to make me wanna play with it. So, I sort of like it and now I'm wondering if I'll keep it. I don't know what I'll do with it, but still ... hmm.On the other hand, you can still see what I'm up to (and it ain't much) over at my main blog.God bless, y'all.Yes, it's still shut down. For now, anyway.

Shutting It Down

2008-02-21T07:34:00.001-06:00

Well, for those of you that read this blog, I have some bad news: In a couple of days, I'll be shutting it down. I'll probably be deleting it, too. I don't really know why I've kept my blogger page as long as I have, except that it was my very first blog, and I had sentimental attachment to it. But I far prefer the flexibility of my Wordpress page, so I'll mostly be updating there. I'll be

Update-ish Things

2008-02-20T07:35:00.000-06:00

Okay, first off: I have to tell you, those of you that played the Flash-Fiction 2-paragraph game did an outstanding job! Am-AZING work, y'all! Thanks for playing! And if you had fun, the LOML has a site just for this kind of thing. She wants it to be a fun, creative place for writers to go when they need to loosen their writing muscles, slap their muse around, or just take a break from their

Software Review - FireShot

2008-02-19T04:04:00.001-06:00

Technically, FireShot's not software. Well, it's not stand-alone software. It's a FireFox add-in. As a semi-regular blogger (for as long as I can be, at least), I often find myself blogging about things in the blogosphere or on the web. It's not unique; I think most of us do that. But when I'm blogging about things like weird search terms (which are some of the most popular posts I do) or

Witch Hunt - Ch. 6

2008-02-18T03:57:00.001-06:00

The next installment of Witch Hunt is up on my main blog! Check it out! -JDT- Technorati Tags: fiction,writing

Come and Play!

2008-02-16T03:52:00.001-06:00

If there are any writers that visit here, I've got a little writer's game going on over at my main blog. Come and join in the fun! You don't have to register to play; just sign in with your email and have at it! All are welcome!

Still Not Much to Say ...

2008-02-15T23:42:00.002-06:00

I still got nothin'. But I'm workin' on changing that.I'm going to write something ... tonight. It will be up tomorrow. Shame on you if you don't follow your blogs over the weekend. What're you, a person? What, you think you gotta life or somethin'? Sheesh.I may just do some flash fiction to warm up. How about a game? A two-paragraph game. I'll write two paragraphs. You follow in the

Ever Have One of Those Blogs ... ?

2008-02-14T21:59:00.001-06:00

Yeah. This is one of those entries. You know, the ones where the author clearly has nothing, whatever, to say, but goes ahead and posts anyway. I got nothin'. I should be writing ... or maybe editing ... but I'm not doing either. I should be relaxed and taking advantage of this time I have while I have it, because I'll

Quick Update

2008-02-12T21:19:00.002-06:00

My thing at 10:00 a.m. this morning went well, despite the hazardous driving conditions. My thanks to all of you that prayed and supported me during that time. I won’t know how it pans out, but that’s another matter all together.As for me, I’ve been doodling around with Linux today for the most part. I’ve downloaded a bunch o’ LiveCDs and spent some time today burning them. Some of them actually

Rising Tension

2008-02-11T15:43:00.001-06:00

We're getting into some tense times, now. Things are very dicey for us at the moment. Those of you that know our situation, I'm afraid I have to call on you again to support us, if you will, in prayer.Tomorrow is another glimmer of hope. It's a thin thread, and we really need it. Tomorrow at 10 a.m. if you have time to pray, please do. I want to thank you all in advance for your loving

Software Review - ScribeFire

2008-02-09T17:24:00.001-06:00

Well … I was going to give you an indepth look at ScribeFire, which is a browser plug-in blogging client for FireFox. I know a lot of you are using FireFox for your browser, and it starts becoming everything a blogger, researcher and general ‘Net junkie needs when you extend it with the add-ons available to it. (Get them here.) ScribeFire turns your browser window into a split-screen blogging

Sound Off: Mac vs. PC; YOU Tell ME

2008-02-06T04:21:00.001-06:00

Yeah, we've all seen the cute commercials with the laid back comedian and the uptight comedian bantering about how much better a Mac is than a PC. I've been contemplating this issue literally for years, and in doing some of my homework, I have some legitimate beefs with switching that I either don't hear about from other switchers, or that don't seem to come up with other people. So, being that

Witch Hunt - Ch. 5

2008-02-05T03:10:00.000-06:00

A new chapter in the Witch Hunt saga is available! Go here to read it!To start at the beginning, go here!Enjoy!

Okay ... 24 Hours and a LOT of Tears Later ...

2008-02-04T02:25:00.001-06:00

... my computer is back up and running again. I had a major issue that occurred when I tried to upload a post to my Wordpress blog. I got an error stating there was a problem logging in due to an RPC-XML issue. I'd been testing some blogging clients and wanted to do a software review of them (which never happened, by the bye), but when I tried to post, nothing. Being a technical support

Inconsiderate Clod

2008-02-01T13:58:00.001-06:00

When my mother opened the door, her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged just like she'd been slapped across the face. There wasn't much to do in the crappy little town where I grew up most of the time. When we moved out of our established neighborhood into a new development things got even more boring. There weren't any kids my age around, but my brother Ryan had more luck. A young couple with a

Couple of Things (Random)

2008-01-31T23:15:00.001-06:00

Boy, I tell ya -- folks sure like reading what other people think about software. My blog receives a fair number of hits based on people searching out reviews about some software or other. Hopefully, the few things I've jotted down here have been helpful to them in making their decision. I try to stick to reviews of software that's specifically for writing and the writing process, because I

Witch Hunt - Ch. 4

2008-01-30T13:23:00.000-06:00

A new chapter in the Witch Hunt saga is available! Go here to read it!To start at the beginning, go here!Enjoy!

Well, All Done

2008-01-29T18:13:00.001-06:00

Today went better than yesterday in some respects. I found out some things that were less than encouraging, but it did go better than yesterday. Overall. Tomorrow the process starts again. *Sigh.* Okay, for those who care, I'm about 1000 words into Witch Hunt chapter 4. I'm not feelin' it right now, but I'm pluggin' along just the same. Sorry for the long delay, and I hope to have something

One Down, One to Go ...

2008-01-28T21:05:00.001-06:00

Well, one super-huge event is passed. It was okay. Not as bad as I imagined it could be, but I probably could've done better than I did. I just believe in honesty first, and sometimes that philosophy costs me. I guess time will tell; I should have a definitive answer by week's end on this one. In the meantime, I have one more to get through tomorrow. A lot to do yet to prepare for it. I

PANIC!

2008-01-27T18:11:00.001-06:00

In about 14 hours, something huge is going to happen for me, and I'm scared to death. Actually, the next two days are huge for me, perhaps the entire week. I know for sure about Monday and Tuesday, but I don't know yet about what else may come. But, tomorrow's big. I don't know if it's good or bad; it's just ... there. I don't know what I can do to calm myself down, but I had every intention

A Glimmer of Hope

2008-01-24T19:05:00.001-06:00

I don't know if it's the light at the end of the tunnel or just the headlight of the oncoming train, but I see a glimmer in the distance. I can only pray it's not too late for us. Those of you who know our private situation know what I'm talking about. Those of you that don't, well ... if you pray, please pray for us. Things could be turning around, if God is willing. There's a couple of

The Dream Job

2008-01-23T17:06:00.001-06:00

I found a blog today on WP which I found extremely interesting. I didn't find it interesting for its content, because it was basically a log of someone's snacking habits, but I did like what she did for a living. She was an editorial assistant and writer, working from home. She occasionally had to go into the office, I'm sure, but she did most of her work from home. She had time to get up, work

Miscellany and Search Terms

2008-01-22T19:56:00.001-06:00

Well, I don't have much else to report. My beloved and I are hammering out the plot for Witch Hunt tonight -- not just the overview, which we completed last night, but the actual nitty gritty of the phases of the story. Once that's completed the writing will commence. Actually, I have enough to go on now. I could probably write at least one more installment as it is, but I may wait because I

Progress Report

2008-01-21T20:32:00.001-06:00

Well, LOML and I have finished the backstory portion of Witch Hunt. We can't tell yet how important that's going to be for the reader, but it's vital for us, as you writerly types know. So that's out of the way, and now we can move forward with the plotting of the events that take place in the book. My Beloved has committed to helping me get this thing done soon, so there ought to be some

Sweet Victory

2008-01-20T19:32:00.001-06:00

The New England Patriots are now, officially, the best team that has ever played. No other team in history has gone 18-0, INCLUDING THE 1972 MIAMI DOLPHINS. Hear that, Mercury Morris? You're second-fiddle now. Second seat. The second best team ever, unless you factor in that ALL the teams you played had less than a 40% winning percentage. ALL of them. That must've made your trek to the '

More Search Terms and Traffic Whoring

2008-01-19T17:33:00.001-06:00

Well, after having a huge spike in traffic last week, I let myself drop off the blogosphere. I guess being a traffic whore just don't pay, especially when you're in an emotionally-draining situation that doesn't allow a lot of room for being funny, creative or interesting. My hit count is back to where it was before I started counting them. I'll miss you, readers. So, I'll check the search

Software Review and Strange Search Terms

2008-01-17T14:35:00.001-06:00

In an interesting twist of fate, I noticed yesterday one of the search terms that brought someone to my blog also gave me opportunity to do another software review. I really like doing them, and you all seem to like them, so it was fortuitous for all concerned that a hapless individual was searching the Interweb yesterday for something that allows me to both help them, and give you a look at

Work Habits in Writing and Editing

2008-01-16T17:17:00.001-06:00

I discovered something last night that I didn't realize before. I don't have as much editing work to do as I thought I did on my manuscript. The punch came while I was reviewing the book Novelists Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld. He's a prolific writer (claiming 35 novels) and a teacher at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. I read the last chapter of that book last

Status Update

2008-01-15T20:20:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry I disappeared on you, blogosphere. I really am. I can't promise every day updates the way I've been doing them. I can't promise I'll get new fiction up for you anytime soon (so please enjoy the existing stuff as much as you'd like while it's here), and I don't know what fate holds for us in the near future. We have a situation, some of you are aware of it, and there's nothing on the

Okay ... This Time I MEAN It!

2008-01-09T16:29:00.001-06:00

Really ... seriously ... I'm going to do the things I need to do to get the new, revised plot for Witch Hunt fixed and outlined, at least partially, so I can start writing. I really mean it. Before the end of the week, I want to have a positive update on that front for all of you that care. I really, really will. I promise. My wife and I have the problems worked out -- well, we think so -- but

The Edge

2008-01-07T12:08:00.001-06:00

My amazing and brilliant wife and I were up all night. That's nothing new. We've been doing that lately; pulling all-nighters. With the baby's wonky sleeping schedule and my love's inability to simply lay her head on the pillow and drift off, she frequently doesn't get her sleep until the gray rays of dawn penetrate the shaded windows. We were laughing -- I was hysterically so -- about things.

Has the Muse ... Returned?

2008-01-05T17:24:00.001-06:00

Oh, man. What a night. My beautiful, amazing, wondrous, brilliant wife stayed up with me until 9:30 this morning. That's right, 9:30 a.m. We were working together, exchanging ideas, brainstorming. We discarded ideas, identified deal-breaking issues, found flaws, backed up, went forward ... changing directions, shifting focus, fluid, in motion. We bantered. We tried to defend our arguments,

Once Again, the Traffic Whore is Humbled

2008-01-04T16:50:00.001-06:00

I just had a personal best day of page views on my WordPress account. I can't believe how the blogosphere has come to view my stuff today, and a fair number of the views are in Ghost Hunters. Looks like someone's reading it. I sure hope you're enjoying it, whoever you are. The outpouring of support, encouragement, and yeah, love, dammit!, for my writing here and other places in cyberspace

Wow! A GLOWING Review!

2008-01-03T16:53:00.001-06:00

All right, bloglodytes/blogizens/buds and supporters -- I need to share this with you because ... well, because. Time for me to strut a li'l bit, y'all. :) As some of you may know, and all of you will now know, I have a page on an artists community. The web space is called deviantART, located at, logically enough, http://deviartart.com/. So, about three years ago (maybe a shade under), I

A Busy Day on the Blogosphere

2008-01-02T20:24:00.001-06:00

Well ... I can tell by my hit count the holidays are over and you're all back to your routines of reading and being read, sharing thoughts and catching up with fellow blogophiles. (Blogizens? Bloglodytes?) It's nice to see you all again, and I hope your holiday season was happy, healthy, fun and safe, but most of all, richly blessed. Those of you who never left already know I sure appreciated

The End of Things

2007-12-31T03:33:00.001-06:00

The heavy, slate-gray sky is wet and low, pregnant with rain. The water rushes with suicidal abandon at the moist sandy beach, the frothy foam-fringed waves casting like doily-draped seals onto the minuscule particles of silica. They are opaque against the crisp snap of the winter air as they explode into shards that roll and scatter up toward the land before collapsing in on themselves to

History Witnessed

2007-12-30T00:17:00.001-06:00

Tonight, the New England Patriots made an indelible mark on NFL history by defeating the New York Giants in a nail-biting, down-to-the-wire game to improve their record to 16 wins, 0 losses. It was an historic occasion for individuals this night as well, although those things aren't as important to them as the road that lies ahead. For starters, Tom Brady has surpassed Peyton Manning as the

Software Review: DarkRoom v. JDarkRoom

2007-12-29T14:56:00.001-06:00

Someone did a search for "Darkroom vs. Jdarkroom" [sic] and it brought them to my blog. I've reviewed and recommended both pieces of software in the last several months, and I still swear by them. But I've not done a comparison, however precursory, of the two side by side. I thought today, since I have nothing else to post and I'm not generally interesting, I would do a light treatment of

Dude, I'm Nevah Gonna Do It ...

2007-12-28T04:32:00.001-06:00

Okay, so ... this guy is my hero. Here's an "I'm up in the middle of the night and can't figure out why" list of 10 reasons why I want to be him: He lives in New England. I wanna live in New England, and not just to be nearer my beloved Patriots, either. There's the soup factor, too, y'know. And the rest of the seafood. Mmm ... seafood. He has a full beard, and people "respond to the

Merry Christmas to All!

2007-12-25T13:31:00.001-06:00

I wanted to take a moment -- because I don't have anything else to do, and Christmas is about this sort of thing -- to tell all of you I hope you have a wonderfully blessed, happy and safe Christmas. May all the richest of blessings be poured out upon all of you, each and every one, and may your joy be increased and magnified greatly. To Raga: God bless you and your family. You've come to mean

Inspirationally Challenged

2007-12-24T01:02:00.001-06:00

During my ever-s0-brief stint in college, I had problems with, of all things, English. That's a little embarrassing to admit now, but it's true. I struggled with English. Not so much the class itself, but the assignments. They didn't seem to be much related to English as a language, and they certainly didn't do much to enrich my command of it either. There were a series of papers, given by a

List of Six - Software Review

2007-12-22T18:30:00.001-06:00

List of Six, available from Baby Katie Media and created by Bryce Beattie, is a nifty, small program that does exactly what it says it does: keeps short (6 items or less) lists of things-t0-do in an easy to use, user friendly interface that masks the real power of the program. It's astounding how many things you can accomplish when you keep the list of things you need to do short and sweet.

Witch Hunt - Ch. 3

2007-12-21T02:31:00.001-06:00

Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning!"I can't believe you're doin' this, dude." JD rattled around in some boxes tucked into a corner of the walk-in closet in his bedroom, Dillon leaning against the door jamb watching him as he fished out the equipment he needed. "I made all the arrangements. I accepted the commission. I told the client I would be there, and when ... what's

Witch Hunt - Ch. 2

2007-12-20T02:52:00.001-06:00

Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning!The phone on his hip began buzzing immediately as he struggled to open the door, the bags of groceries laced over his wrists. The plastic handles dug deep into his skin as stumbled inside, grimacing in pain and struggling to get through the living room into the kitchen beyond, hefting the rattling white bags atop the counter. Dillon

Witch Hunt - Ch. 1

2007-12-19T02:34:00.001-06:00

Dillon walked out of the busy little gas station building, a look of disconcerted irritation on his face. He stopped after a few feet, gripping his pants near the top of the thigh and lifted his foot off the ground slightly, shaking it and hopping on his balance leg. He wiggled his hips as he walked a few more steps, then repeated the jiggling hop-dance, bending his knees and shifting his hips.

Staring Contest

2007-12-18T01:50:00.001-06:00

I stare at it, and it stares back at me. It doesn't blink, doesn't flinch, doesn't twitch. It just stares at me, taunting me, defying me, thumbing its electronic nose at me. The room is darkened in the early darkness of the late autumn, the soft glow burning my retinas with its pale unconcern. My fingers move to the keys, hovering, itching, ready to pound relentlessly, but nothing comes. I rub

Genuine Love

2007-12-17T10:55:00.001-06:00

I can't tell you how impressive this was to me. Now that's a true follower. Today, he's much, much happier. Congratulations! It was a hard row to hoe, but you did it. That's not going to mean much more than not having a perfect bookend season to the undefeated one of 35 years ago, but hey -- a win's a win, right? Technorati Tags: football, random thoughts

Experiment in Fiction 5

2007-12-14T15:16:00.000-06:00

Well, today is the last day of digging through my archives to find old stories to present to you. Mostly because I'm out of old stories to present to you. Any further fiction experiments presented will be new stuff, first seen by you, oh helpful and persistent readers. Thanks to all for coming by and providing feedback. This one is also from the '04 period, and this is again what I originally

Experiment in Fiction 4

2007-12-13T15:35:00.001-06:00

Hello again, everyone! Continuing with the experimentation and feedback process, here's another one from that 2004 era in my writing career. I decided to really try it at that point, and I was warming up to a story my wife and I thought needed to be told. When I tried to tell it, though, it flopped horribly. Anyway, this isn't that one, but another that I concocted around the same period.

Experiment in Fiction 3

2007-12-12T15:20:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the experiments, here's another oldie from the dusty DarcKnyt archives ... circa 1998. This story is much farther along, having four completed chapters beyond this -- which was initially the prologue. I know, I know ... "call your prologue chapter one." Well, I didn't know that then, and when I re-work it, maybe I will, but for now, this is the prologue. Backstory. Events

Experiment in Fiction 2

2007-12-11T18:29:00.001-06:00

(Some of you may have already read this on one of my other sites. Sorry about not getting it up here sooner.) This one goes WAAAAY back to 1997 for me. I hadn't met my beautiful, loving wife yet, and was working through trying to learn how to write a book. But, as a pants-seat writer, I never followed through, so here it sits, rotting on my hard drive. Let me know what you think of it. The

Experiment in Fiction 1

2007-12-10T10:47:00.001-06:00

The following is an excerpt from a story I started nearly four years ago. I haven't touched it in a long time, and I'm not sure I will. I wanted to throw it up here, however, in the hopes that I'll get some feedback on it and see if it's worth pursuing. I don't know if it is. I haven't read this in forever and don't know if I'd word it the same way now, and it's not that far along if I have

Okay -- What Would YOU Like to See?

2007-12-08T15:57:00.001-06:00

It goes without saying that I need to write another book. In fact, I should be doing that already. But ... I haven't started a new one yet. Why? I'm glad you asked. I don't have any clue what to write about, that's why. See, I have this weird thing that happens when I write. I finish the thing I'm working on and I feel emptied out, dried up, and done. I don't know why. I focused a lot of

This is One Grateful Traffic Whore

2007-12-07T14:28:00.001-06:00

I want to take a minute to thank all of you who have visited this blog and took time from your busy lives to read my posts. I know it's hard to make time to do that with the way most of us have things going on. I'm very, very grateful. After I posted my last "traffic whore" post, my views went through the roof. I can't thank you all enough, whether someone else asked you to come or whether you

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 47 - Conclusion

2007-12-06T15:35:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD sat in the car, staring into nothingness, thinking. The night went perfectly. There were no apparitions. There were no visions. There were no sounds, no shadowy figures moving in the darkness, no fog, no lost time. There was nothing but a cool, crisp autumn night staring through the blackness of the parlor windows at them. They waited

Another Software Review - Text Tree

2007-12-05T11:27:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of things I like about Bryce Beattie. He's one of the followers of my online novel, Ghost Hunters, first of all. But beside that, he's also a talented pulp fiction writer with his own online serialization going. He hopes to one day be published, like me, but he also has aspirations of seeing it as a major motion picture and a Broadway Musical. (Check his site for more

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 46

2007-12-04T19:54:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They inspected the pipe carefully, trying to assess how they'd get into it. The tiny ivory section of schedule 40 was probably about a foot long, and perhaps 2-1/2 or 3 inches in diameter. The ends were capped with bull-nosed PVC end caps, fitted over the outside of the pipe itself, and beneath those caps a tiny run of thread was visible

Writing Software Reviews

2007-12-03T22:17:00.001-06:00

It should be noted, before I begin, that I really should be writing something. This doesn't count, and makes me feel even more unproductive than I am in reality ... maybe. For the purpose of this review, I'm going to give my impressions of a couple of software packages, rather than actually giving you an indepth review of the functionality of the various packages presented. After all, you can

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 45

2007-12-02T21:50:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) As they came down the driveway, laughing and joking, carrying bags of drinks and snacks in their hands, they knew right away something was wrong. They slowed down when the sensation hit them. The junk was still piled outside and didn't look disturbed. It was as if nothing was done while they were gone. Wendy's sense of concern grew

This is a Traffic Whore's Nightmare

2007-12-01T16:27:00.001-06:00

Yes, I said "traffic whore." Don't like it? Quit while you're ahead. It's not going to get anymore pleasant. So, here I am, working my ass off on a manuscript that, if I can just blow my own horn for a moment, is pretty dang good. I pour it out for this stupid thing, right? And about three times a week I'm publishing the fruits of my labor online for the ungrateful and undeserving masses on

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 44

2007-11-29T21:03:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD started for the mass of junk, a intimidating wall of littered items densely packed over the ancient concrete slab of the garage floor. He set his hands on his hips, and sighed. He had no idea where to start. It occurred to him then that there really was no starting point. Everything had to come out until they found what they were

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 43

2007-11-27T23:37:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) The morning was the characteristically crisp, hazy autumn morning. It was his favorite time of year, and when he opened his eyes, the sight of the empty pillow beside him gave him a brief, hardly perceptible pang of loneliness. He sighed, thought about closing his eyes and going back to sleep, and decided against it. With a tremendous

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 42

2007-11-25T21:01:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) He stared at the monitor, unable to process the information. It wasn't that he saw anything necessarily strange. It was just too coincidental to be ... coincidental. JD couldn't do anything but stare at it. The newspaper from October 29, 1982 stared back at him, unblinking, unflinching. The headline blazed, burning itself onto his

Ladies and Gentlemen ...

2007-11-25T02:39:00.001-06:00

... I did it! I just put the last installment together of my very first (okay, not very first, but you know what I mean) novel! Yes, it's finally finished! Well ... the rough draft, anyway. It topped out at just over 94K words (yikes!), and it started life as an innocent little exercise in dialog. I was just practicing dialog. My Beloved fell in love with the story, asked me (repeatedly) to

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 41

2007-11-22T15:16:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD watched the image fade. He turned and silently went for the stairs. A second later, the others followed behind. He pulled the chain at the top of the stairs so they could see and wouldn't stumble, and the sudden stab of light on their retinas made them squint and shield their eyes. In a moment, they were in the house. JD went

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 40

2007-11-20T21:21:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) The car bounced over the edge of the pavement, keeping perfect track with the red glowing lights in front of it. Wendy edged easily over the rough transition at the end of the road, and watched carefully until the brakes lights of the truck beamed powerfully at them and the vehicle stopped. She pulled the parking brake lever and quickly

Home of the Brave

2007-11-19T11:08:00.001-06:00

What does bravery mean? If you'd asked me that 20 years ago, I would have had some goofy answer regarding facing things that frighten most other people without fearing it yourself. This is not bravery, however. That defines stupidity, or at least a very poor understanding of mortality. Granted, not all of us are afraid of the same things. My wife is deathly afraid of spiders. I don't like

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 39

2007-11-18T22:38:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) "JD, wait!" Wendy stopped him. "We know what happens outside already. Maybe there's more that's going to happen in here." "Dude," Dillon's voice softly carried, "she's right. Robbie's gonna get whacked out there. But Jenky might come back down here. 'Member, those guys didn't see 'im, so they didn't do nothin' 'bout him." "And I saw

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 38

2007-11-15T19:43:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) Wendy reacted quickly, deciding before JD had his wits about him what she was going to do. She turned hard left, did a quick three-point turn that left Dillon tossed like a sock in a Laundromat dryer and JD clinging to the hanging handle over his door with both hands to keep from being jerked around the car. She went swiftly down the

Has This Ever Happened to You? ...

2007-11-14T09:58:00.001-06:00

You come to work. You sit at your computer. You do your morning computer thing, which maybe involves a couple of things not directly (or even indirectly) related to work/business. You know, you read a couple of articles in the online local newspaper, or ESPN.com, or something like that. Maybe you have a blog and you're looking for a poster to answer, or you've posted a comment on someone

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 37

2007-11-13T21:23:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They all started blankly at the monitor, jaws slightly agape. "This ... this is incredible." "What's in the garage, dude?" "I don't know, Dill." "JD, how do we go search for the ... whatever ... if we don't know what it is?" JD shrugged helplessly. "I ... don't know." "Well, whiskey tango foxtrot then, bubba?" "Huh?" "WTF, dude?

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 36

2007-11-11T20:21:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) He fished around in the cramped, over-filled quarters of the tiny garage. He was sure the homeowners must hire a gardening service to take care of the yard, but the equipment, apparently, was all their own. Or it was from a time when they did the yard work themselves. A riding mower took up the bulk of the floor space, but there were

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 35

2007-11-08T20:43:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD went down the length of the wall and saw that the basement extended beyond the large concrete monolith standing where he was certain the staircase used to be. He walked around the rim of the huge block, trying to find pull chains to turn more lights on, but more critically, he was looking for a shovel or spade. He had to dig up the

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 34

2007-11-06T22:08:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) "Dang, man," Dillon muttered into JD's back, "why's it gotta be so frickin' intense?" JD sighed, opening his eyes. The yard was clear. There was nothing there. No body. No blood. Nothing. "It's over," he said solemnly. Wendy pulled her face slowly from his jacket sleeve, glancing cautiously at the yard. "My God ... I never

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 33

2007-11-04T21:47:00.001-06:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They ate in near silence. What little conversation they did have was about things other than the case. It had grown out of control, and all three of them knew it. They did what they could to keep their minds off of it for one meal. But as the waitress cleared their plates away, and JD and Wendy sat sipping coffee while Dillon gulped

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 32

2007-11-01T20:53:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) The three of them stood in stunned silence for a moment. They were shocked and it showed on their faces clearly. "Is -- is there anything else I can do for you?" JD shook his head, trying to clear it of the fog. "No ... no, thank you very much." The librarian made a strange face and turned to go back to assisting the younger woman

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 31

2007-10-30T21:23:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD drove them home. They were all quiet during the ride, but no one fell asleep again. Wendy passed out on the couch shortly after they arrived. She sat down and laid her head back on the soft, full sofa and before long JD heard her softly, rhythmically breathing. Dillon raided the refrigerator for a few minutes before saying

Hall of Fame QB Steve Young: Hypocrite

2007-10-29T20:24:00.001-05:00

I just watched Steve Young, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, look straight into the camera and lie. He said, on the air, on ESPN, that he thought the New England Patriots were hurting their reputations and the reputation of their owner by "running up the score" and celebrating touchdowns. I'll grant him this much: he retained the requisite short memory that is so necessary for quarterbacks in the

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 30

2007-10-29T17:52:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) He stood motionless for a few moments, staring into the dark. He fished into his pocket, but remembered he left the flashlight with Wendy. He realized then it was stupid to have done so. He'd be stumbling back through the dark with nothing to guide him. He had no idea how much time had elapsed, either. He could have been gone for a

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 29

2007-10-25T18:29:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) The two shadowy figures tucked and emerged from the fog as it rolled and played around them. JD tracked them as closely as he could without getting too close. He wasn't sure what it was he was seeing, but he didn't want to take for granted that the events he was seeing weren't live. He doubted it. There wasn't any way a human could've

Ghost Hunters, Part 28

2007-10-23T21:25:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) The fog was so thick it was like a blanket had been thrown over the car. Wendy peered through the windows, trying to make out any shapes in the heavy mist. Only the swirling gray shroud stared back at her, and it was as muffling to the night as a layer of new fallen snow. She could only hear Dillon rhythmically snoring softly in the

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 27

2007-10-22T00:49:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They grabbed the recording materials as quickly as they could, and they left as quickly as well. They hoped the fog wouldn't roll back in while they gathered the things they were taking with them. They hoped that the events they'd seen, and worse still the sounds they'd heard, wouldn't repeat themselves. In near silence the three worked

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 26

2007-10-18T22:30:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) "Five hours?" Dillon repeated. "Dude ... what the heck? Did we fall asleep or somethin?" JD and Wendy glanced at each other. "Uh ... I don't ... THINK so," JD stammered. "We ... we all saw the same thing -- right?" "Yes," Wendy said firmly. "We all saw those two men murder Robin Brown and leave him there. We all saw the other man

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 25

2007-10-16T21:12:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) "Holy ... holy smokes," Wendy said, and her voice seemed to ring in the dark of the stillness around them. "What ... what was that sound? I thought I was going to scream. I don't know if I've ever been so terrified." "Me too," JD said, and another shiver raced down his back. "That was a scream from the pits of hell, dudes." They

6-0, Spank You Very Much

2007-10-14T19:25:00.001-05:00

Wow. What a game. For a moment, it looked as if Dallas would actually make this interesting. I have to confess, I worried about this game. I love my Patriots, whether they cheated or not. I love them, they are my team. And they went down to Dallas to face a team that has shown itself to be very, very strong in the last half of games. They have a HUGE offensive line and a quick-footed, agile

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 24

2007-10-14T16:43:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD quickly leaned forward and whispered to Dillon, "Get the recorder turned on! We want to capture as much of this as we can, at least the audio!" Dillon moved in the dark doing something, and JD could only hope that he was turning the recorder on. He then whispered to both of them, "Get low and try to blend in with the bushes. If we

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 23

2007-10-12T19:46:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD was animated and moving again. He wasn't sulking anymore, and the others knew that now he was onto something and would pursue the plan he was forming doggedly. "Okay," he said, moving to his right, opposite the way they'd gone the night before when they went to investigate the shadow figure they'd seen. "Okay, I have an idea." "JD,

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 22

2007-10-11T22:01:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD stood staring up at the clear night, the camera dangling uselessly from his hand. He was uncertain -- really, definitively uncertain -- of what was going on. For the first time, it sank in that he was involved in something he really didn't understand. He was completely lost, and the stark, jagged tree limbs that knifed down into the

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 21

2007-10-09T18:26:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They all stared in stunned silence, jaws agape, staring at the glowing disk that ducked in and out of view through the heavy mist. "I said who are you?" the voice demanded more forcefully. "I don't want to ask you again." "Um ... we're ..." "We're house-sitters for the homeowners," Wendy finished quickly. "What are you doing out here

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 20

2007-10-07T21:30:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD was shaking, holding the camera loosely in his hand, his breathing shallow and slightly rasping. The others were equally shaken, staring wide-eyed at the yard around them and the house behind them. It stood dark and solemn, like a harbinger of evil as the silence of the night swept over them. Even the leaves ceased their restless

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 19

2007-10-04T22:01:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) In a rush the pale mist collapsed around the house like liquid and raced by them in a whoosh. In an instant the air was moist and even more still. "Aw, duuuuuude," Dillon whispered in a hush as the others faded to shadows and vanished from before his eyes. "I can't even see you guys no more." He jumped a bit when Wendy grabbed his

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 18

2007-10-03T21:53:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) JD checked his camera again, nervously making sure he knew where the controls were located. He checked the lens for dust as carefully as he could. He clicked the flashlight on and off and watched the red beam blink on the wall. Stuffing it in his pocket, he grabbed his hoodie sweatshirt from the back of his chair and headed for the

Halloween is Coming ...

2007-10-03T19:45:00.001-05:00

... so, are you in the mood for a nice, creepy story? Check out Oasis by Bryce Beattie. He's a good aspiring wannabe writer, like so many of us, and he's got an ongoing series that's absolutely perfect for the season. Here's a short synopsis: Corbin St. Laurent, a nurse in the isolated desert town of Oasis, has uncovered something sinister going on. It seems the government may be involved,

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 17

2007-09-30T22:00:00.001-05:00

(Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.) They shrieked, recoiling like a snake struck at them as the screeching scrape of the window opening raked through the room. In an instant JD regained his composure enough to dart forward, snatching the video recorder from the table and moving quickly -- but not too closely -- to the end of the table nearest the rising sash. "

Narrowing the Field ...

2007-09-29T23:32:00.001-05:00

Well, I've shut down one of my blog sites.Actually, it wasn't exclusively a blog site, but I wasn't going to do any social networking there, and as far as I could tell, it had a LONG way to go to catch up to MySpace or FaceBook.Nevertheless, even though it wasn't my favorite site, I'm hesitant to delete it completely. So, I guess I'll leave the space in my control and have it available to check

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 16

2007-09-28T22:23:00.001-05:00

Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning."Dude, I'm tellin' ya ... NO one can beat 'im. He's, like, the greatest of all time." "No, he's already been beaten ... and more than once." Dillon threw his head back. "That's a load o' crap, dude." "It is not, check for yourself." "Where?" "Online would be fine. I'd guess that even Wikipedia has something on it." "It just seems

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 15

2007-09-26T21:33:00.001-05:00

Just joining us? You may want to start at the beginning.JD stood up and started pacing behind the table, eyes not seeing the room around him. Wendy watched him intently, studying every movement as he strode like a caged tiger. "Okay," he uttered as much to himself as to them, "so if the window opened while we were outside with Wendy, that explains several things. It explains why the

Ghost Hunters, Pt. 14

2007-09-21T21:09:00.001-05:00

Just joining us? You may want to start from the beginning.JD was leaning against the front door, staring out into the darkness. The stillness of the quiet, affluent subdivision left an unearthly silence in the house. He pondered, wondering what would happen, watching the eerily lit and strangely shadowed trees and shrubs in the front yard of the ancient, regal Victorian mutate into horrific,