Shorpy September 10, 2016

Today's selection -- from On the Origins of Sports by Gary Belsky and Neil Fine. The origins of tennis: "'Stick and ball' begat 'racket and ball.' First, though, the sport we know as tennis had to wend its way through 'hand and ball.' Hints of a game in which the palm was used as the means of knocking a […]

Today's encore selection -- from The Internet Turns Forty: First Message Crashed System by Ker Than. The first internet message sent in 1969 was "lo." The meaning and efficacy of messages sent via the internet has been declining ever since: "On October 29, 1969, [the] message ['lo'] became the first ever to travel between two computers connected via the […]

Like, really know? I remember when we had letters at the start of phone numbers in New York City, but we also used tin cans and string to call each other. But, seriously. If you had to use someone else’s cell phone, or, God Forbid, yes they do exist, a pay phone, to call, and […]

Bob: I vaguely remember this. Deb: I got a flying phobia. Well, that and a snake phobia and for the life of me, I’ll never understand why I didn’t write ‘Snakes on a Plane’, first. Before I met Bob, I’d write the first chapter of a book every night instead of reading. I still have […]

Looking for an idea for your next blog post? Join me in the Sunday Stills Challenge. All welcome.Continue reading

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Originally posted on Robbie's inspiration: Give and Take did not expect to have triplets so soon after the birth of their daughter, I. The work and effort involved in feeding and caring for four young children under the age of three years old left Give with little energy to spare for life instruction. As…

on The Creative Penn: Intro by Joanna Penn: Did you know that audiobooks are the fastest growing sector of the entire publishing industry for 5 years in a row? In today’s article, Tina Dietz shares some useful tips for making the most of audiobooks. Continue reading HERE

“he sprinkles snow like birds alighting, it comes down like locusts settling. the eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed at its falling.”  -ecclesiasticus       — image credit: craftulate Advertisements

This post originally went live on February 14, 2018.  Weird that the first of the Top 5 are from early in 2018. Adding drama into your writing can be tough and many are leery about adding this due it skewing … Continue reading →

Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun. Well I am anyway and I hope you are too… It has been a busy week offline with various projects and also taking advantage of the cold but sunny weather. It is … Continue reading →

Rise, oh fathers, rise, let’s go meet ’em in the skies, We will hear the angels singing in that morning. Oh I really do believe that just before the end of time We will hear the angels singing in that morning. Rise, oh mothers, rise, let’s go meet ’em in the skies, We will hear […]

Don’t Laugh. Marie Kondo has made a nice tidy sum by tidying up life for others. She has two best selling books published – Tidying Up With Marie Kondo and Spark Joy. Now she has a series on Netflix. I read her first book about two years ago and even blogged about it here. I’ve […]

It's normal for us to want to categorizing things, to label them so we might make sense of them, but as soon as we start identifying something — as good, bad, or any other descriptor — we're limiting our understanding of the thing. (Yes, there are quite a few things that are easily and unequivocally […]

…and if that blog post title doesn’t compare unfavourably with ‘It was a dark and stormy night…’ then I’ll go … More

By the time I emerged at the northern end of the tunnel into the gloomy January winter daylight I had … More

With a Thesaurus, it's impossible to be out of words!Do you own a thesaurus? Do you know what the word thesaurus means?First Question answered. I have 2, one of which is the first one I bought a few decades ago when I decided I wanted to write books. That one is The New Roget's Thesaurus […]

I've learned something important in Life.Attitude determines actions, and actions determine outcome.I met a deadline in spite of being sick for the last week.I have another deadline this week, but I wanted to share 3 more thoughts with you in my 31 Days of New Thinking series.I had planned one thought per day—that was Plan […]

Social Media have become a dominating force in our lives over the past decade.  Just look at these mind-blowing statistics: The average person has 5 social media accounts The average person spends 1 hour 40 minutes per day on social media Facebook has over 1.4 billion users 50% of all Internet users are on Facebook […]

"Jacqueline Cochran was looking for WASP.  They told me I would have to be interviewed and they would contact me when they came to the Wichita area.  But I didn’t wait for that.  I went down to Houston for my interview, to speed things up.  And I think that’s one of the smartest things I […]

"My first flight was with a barnstormer at the age of five.  I loved it!  I also tried to 'fly' out of the barn loft with an umbrella.  This was less than successful..."  WASP Jean Terrell McCreery, 44-10 The indomitable Marguerite Jean Terrell Moreo McCreery has "...slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on […]

Welcome to Episode 63 of the Minstral Show!Welcome back to the Minstral show, the podcast that spotlights the best music made in the 21st century. We’re here to feed your mind and soul with great rhythms that help you escape the geopolitical insanity of this planet, if only for an hour or two. Today’s Music […]

Trying to find a fiction book probably published between 1980 and 1990 that takes place in Washington DC.  It is about a boy that gets in adventures in all the landmarks such as the museums in the DC area.  I … Continue reading →

New Kindle and Audiobook Releases, Sales and Freebies Updated Daily, New List Every Tuesday We have been away all week at the All-State Music Conference because my son is the bass player for the Jazz Band. They did so great! Now that I’m back, I will hopefully have a little more time to catch up […]

Last weekend, my husband and I took a day trip (from Oregon) to Washington. He was driving, so I figured I’d work on the two novellas I have due in March. Of course, my brain split focus and distracted me with ideas and scenarios for a third story! The more the merrier, I guess. I opened […]

Come on. You have to admit it. Single dads are sexy. When you’re out and about, and you see a dad alone with his child, your heartstrings get a good, hard tug. You pause, your eyes follow him, you watch him smile down at his kid… and you get tingly all over. Single dads really […]

We are excited to give away an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 to one of our lucky visitors. We will be doing many more of these in the future. This is the first one we have done in a while. To enter, please follow the instructions on the giveaway app below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter […]

We love introducing Prolific Works readers to great stories and big ideas. Take a chance on new authors and try great stories from old favorites. See it first every day with Prolific Works and be free to discover authors you’ll love. We’re thrilled to share the latest and greatest from our teen and young adult genres! Fantasy […]

October 1959. "Pilot and auto test driver Betty Skelton at McDonnell Aircraft Corp., St. Louis. She is undergoing a multitude of physiological tests to assess her fitness to become an astronaut." 35mm Kodachrome by Bob Sandberg for the Look magazine assignment "Girl Astronaut -- Lady wants to orbit." View full size.

Just 40% of U.S. business owners applied for a loan in 2017, down from 45% the previous year. With less competition, more applications were approved for the full amount than were requested in 2016. That’s because a small business loan is just one of the ways to fund a business – for example, there’s self-funding […]

Trail Camera Buying Guide Types of Trail Cameras Choosing the right trail camera involves understanding the different types that are available and knowing what...

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In Florida, the sight of Spanish moss hanging from oak trees is common. For many, it lends a nostalgic appeal to century old trees, a hint romance, a longing for days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. Today however, some homeowners abhor the sight and call a tree service to have it […]

Pumpkin Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods during fall and winter. Not just because my garden pumpkins are ready I need some way to prepare them, but because I adore the flavor. Rich and creamy, there’s nothing better than a velvety smooth to keep you going during the holidays. Actually, I like just […]

Learn to make a homemade laundry soap and stain stick using just three ingredients. Also included is my easy recipe for laundry detergent. Unlike my other natural soap recipes, this one is intended for laundry purposes only. It has no extra oils or fats in it, making it better suited for cleaning tough stains on […]

Restaurant-quality ramen you can make at home! With a perfectly seasoned mushroom broth, you’ll never order this out again. It’s THAT good! Guys, we’re headed to New Orleans! It’s not a special occasion or anything. I just really really really need beignets. Like 17 beignets to be exact. It’s my specialized wedding diet. But first […]

  Here are Five Food Finds about Cheese: Cheeses are more flavorful at room temperature. Let them stand for a half hour before serving. Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded history. Artisan cheese, made in small batches from local sources, is growing at a pace that exceeds even the growth rate of general […]

Cooking sausages in the oven with vegetables is a quick dinner you can throw together in mere minutes. The bonus is that this Sausage Bake comes with gravy, and it’s all made in one pan!  Bonus: the gravy gets an extra flavour boost from all the sausage and vegetable drippings. This sausage recipe is a game... […]

Hi friends! I met Ainsley Wynter in person at RWA this summer (it was her birthday!!!) and I’m thrilled to have her as a guest today! I hope you all give her a warm welcome – and congratulate her on her first book, Kissed at Midnight! Princess Sidony of L’Ortagia serves as the queen’s hostess, […]

The Date Dare by Tara Sue Me Contemporary romance released by After Six Publishing Co on November 19, 2018 Who knew three words held such destructive power? No, not THOSE three words. I’m talking about the evil word trio that’s my own personal kryptonite, that stole my best friend, and took away the only woman I’ve […]

Flew home from Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix yesterday evening.Southwest Airlines flight was delayed, which did allow for this viewing of the sunset from Terminal 4:The flight itself, in spite of the regular dose of Xanax I had for flights, sucked as usual.Packed to the gills, asshole next to me with of course no concept […]

Left the boondocking site near the Painted Rock Petroglyph campground today just before noon.  I should probably have waited a bit longer for the water that fell yesterday to dry up.Getting out of the site was no problem, there was a layer of rock laid on top of the sandy ground.The dirt road leading back […]

Something had gone drastically wrong on her descent and she was neither here nor there. The intention had been to blend in. Well the idiots upstairs had got it half right, she was suitably blended… like some damn smoothie in … Continue reading →

Dear Don, Yes, that was Pickering… as was the giant head, if you recall. What a trip that was! I’m still not at all sure how me managed to fit quite so much into such a short time! And the … Continue reading →

At his third Chiefs of Defense conference, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it’s not about winning the war against violent extremism - it’s about winning peace. Read More

Part 4: DoD beneficiaries enrolled in the soon-to-be-ending TRICARE Retiree Dental Program now have access to FEDVIP for 2019 dental and vision coverage. Read More