I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two.
I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.
Today’s story is lifted directly from the Good News Network. I hope you enjoy it.
Anonymous Donor Pays Off Student Debt for Entire 2022 College Class in Texas
Wiley College
Students at a Texas College graduated last week not only with their diplomas but with their balances cleared suddenly by an anonymous donor.
More than 100 students assembled for the 133rd graduation ceremony at Wiley College and were shocked to hear President & CEO Dr. Herman J. Felton, Jr. announce that their balances had been paid off.
The recent pandemic had exacerbated some students’ ability to pay their debts, so some graduates and parents in the audience in Marshall, Texas, were especially thrilled to hear the news.
“Our commitment to our students goes beyond their time while they are enrolled,” said Felton. “We are grateful for this anonymous donor who will assist the students in paying off their balances.”
The estimated total owed by the class of 2022 in the historically Black college was $300,000.
“As Wiley College closes the academic semester and prepares for its Sesquicentennial Celebrations beginning in July, this is a great way to start the celebration of 150 years of the College’s contributions to the world.”
Wiley College, with its focus on social good and leadership, has reduced its tuition in the past years to $17,500 to cover fees, room, and board.
Now the school’s motto is even more appropriate: “Go forth Inspired.”
The Good news here is someone thought enough of these students to give what he felt necessary to give them a great start. Today’s JohnKu talks about giving. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Before we get started on this prompt, I want to remind everyone that I will be taking a break from May 11th (Tomorrow) to May 19th.
In Keith’s words.
“Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm on Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next time.”
The photo.
Detente by John W.Howell 2022
“Did you ever hear the story about stepping on a crack?”
“No. Can’t say I have.”
“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.”
“That’s harsh. Anyway, these are lines.”
“Break your mother’s spine.”
“Come off it. We are not here to discuss fairy tales.”
“Doesn’t matter anyway cause these are shadows.”
“If I may get to the point.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“We need to figure out boundaries.”
“Boundaries?”
“Yes. I’m tired of you wandering into my space as if it is your own.”
“What do you mean ‘your space.'”
“I was adopted first, so my space is what I choose.”
“That’s a laugh, small stuff. Where do you get this attitude anyway?”
“Around the folks, I have to be nice. Out here, I can be myself, which is someone tired of sharing the land.”
“Do you see all the space here?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Okay, what part do you want?”
“All of it. I need you to move to those hills over there.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You know what? I never thought you would refuse.”
“Well, I refuse.”
“Darn it. I’m used to getting my way. So what do we do now?”
“I didn’t start this, but if you want my advice, we come to a position of mutual tolerance.”
Before we get into the Top Ten list, I want to let you know that I will be attending my oldest grandaughter’s college graduation in Indiana and taking a log break from Wednesday, May 11th until Thursday, May 19th. I will be monitoring e-mails but not posting and probably not visiting blogs. I have not taken a break since I started blogging in 2013. The inspiration for this break comes from my Mac is still in repair, and my Dell PC weighs more than me, so it is staying home. I’m really lousy at communicating on the iPhone, so I decided it was break time. I’m letting you know because at my age, when I stop blogging, most figure I died, and that is not the case. I will send another reminder with each post until Wednesday.
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
This post was originally published in August of 2015. Since the stock market has had a wild ride this month I figure it is still good advice.
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The inspiration for this list is last week’s volatility in the price of stocks. Although I was tempted to do almost all of them, I refrained and kept myself under control. Hopefully, I will keep the list handy for the next time since I have a feeling there will be many more thrill rides this year.
Top Ten Things Not to do When the Stock Market Goes Nuts.
10 When the stock market goes nuts, do not go near an open window. If you do, at best, you will think about jumping out. At worst, you will take a jump and then realize the window is on the ground floor. (Pretty embarrassing dropping thirty-six inches)
9 When the stock market goes nuts, do not call your broker. If you do, at best, they will talk you into calming down. At worst, you and your broker will be calm as you lose 20% of your 401K. (Now, don’t you feel better after the call?)
8 When the stock market goes nuts, do not panic. If you do, at best, you will embarrass yourself in front of co-workers and family. At worst, you will need to seek a specialist on hair replacement when the panic is over. (That bare spot on the side definitely needs attention)
7 When the stock market goes nuts, do not sell anything. If you do, at best, you will feel in control but poorer. At worst, you will incur losses that will take years to replace, and now you waited too long to get back in, and the prices are already too high. (I know it’s complicated)
6 When the stock market goes nuts, do not listen to the analysts’ advice. If you do, at best, you will make a sudden move, and you will be already too late to save money. At worst, you will listen to the wrong analysis and do the opposite of the right thing. (After all, no two analysts have the same advice)
5 When the stock market goes nuts, do not let others know how bad things look. If you do, at best, you will have to deal with their concerns and advice and the problem of lost value. At worst, you will be compelled to make an unwarranted move to convince others you are in control. (This is true if you are the custodian of others’ funds)
4 When the stock market goes nuts, do not check your accounts. If you do, at best, you will be tempted to make a sudden ill-advised move. At worst, you will focus on the negative reports to the point where you will need shock therapy to make a comeback. (Positive reports are not valuable in the current situation.)
3 When the stock market goes nuts, do not read the financial news. If you do, At best, you will be convinced the world is coming to an end. At worst, you will need to have a cardiologist on speed dial to handle your recurring symptoms of heart failure. (Makes you want to be a trained EMS tech so you can self-administer defibrillation. Of course, you can take those paddles yourself, right?)
2 When the stock market goes nuts, do not go into the local pub. If you do, at best, the problem will still be there tomorrow, along with that gigantic throbbing head sharing your bed. At worst, you will get it into your mind to have it out once and for all with the stock seller person, and the police intercept you before you get to where they live. (Don’t worry about the DUI. As bad as it is, it’s easier to handle than what you were thinking about doing last night.)
1 When the stock market goes nuts, do not forget why you invested in stocks in the first place. If you do, at best, you’ll neglect your long-range financial goals. At worst, you will put all your money into a box under the bed with the possibility that it will be worth much less in the future or a burglar will find it. (Not to mention you arguing with the firefighters about getting back into your burning house.)
Today we are going to Lakeway to celebrate the opening of the newly refurbished Lebolt cabin. This is a structure that was built just after the civil war and is one of Lakeway’s heritage treasures. There are also busses leaving the cabin sight to tour Lakeway’s twenty-two heritage sites of interest. Unfortunately, we won’t be going on the tour since we did that two years ago. We are being catered by Verbena in Austin. Our entertainment is Alanis Morissette.
Sitting with a cup of coffee and staring at the PC causes the overwhelming feeling of wanting to get a hammer. No, not just a hammer but a big sledgehammer. A transition to a MAC pro back in 2015 caused the mind to relocate all Microsoftknowledge into that dark space of the brain reserved for things that go bump in the night. Now that the MAC has gone to the hospital to carry on, the PC must once again be worshiped.
Yes, the single keystrokes and immaculate interfaces with all things Apple have been displaced with the clunky stagger around in the dark until the answer is found system that is the legacy of Bill Gates. When you have to sign those user license agreements that often accompany a Microsoft product, the fine print has a clause that no one reads. We all promise to be Bill Gate’s cabana person if called upon. We also promise that no matter how difficult the program is to execute, we will keep at it until our hair falls out.
So staring at the 100-pound laptop that gives off enough heat to warm St. Louis will do nothing in helping to write this post. As the parents always said. “A journey starts with the first step.” My first step will be to the front door since the Ring camera just announced a delivery. It is a hope that nothing of the cartoon nature will pop out of some obscure place. As luck would have it, a package sits on the driveway totally flat and covered with the marks of a supersized tire. The thought of it being my MAC Pro drove the hysterical reaction of going through the security protocols like a madman to reach my baby.
A gentle lift while the tears build to overflowing signaled a lightness of the package that could not be the MAC. Ripping the flap, there was only a message inside. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a phrase you grew up with.” Include in your post a phrase your mom/dad/grandparent/sibling used all the time when you were growing up, or just write whatever inspires you based on that phrase. Enjoy!
If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link
Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network
One-eyed Cat Missing For 5 Years Shows Up on Offshore Oil Rig Baffling Owners
By Andy Corbley -Apr 28, 2022
Scottish SPCA
A five-year odyssey for a cat named Dexter seems to have finally come to an end after a long, covert stay at a prison was interrupted by his arrival onboard an offshore oil rig, which finally resulted in a call to animal services.
The cat was a regular “well-loved” hang about at Her Majesty’s Prison Grampian in Peterhead, Scotland, where staff used to “fuss over” him and even gave him the nickname One-eyed Joe.
Then a most unexplainable thing happened: One-eyed Joe somehow ended up in a shipping container a mile-and-a-half away at the town’s port before being shipped onto an offshore oil rig, where workers “ran away frightened” after the all-black cat jumped out of the container.
After filling out an incident card, (which must have been humorous) the staff aboard the rig took to Joe most kindly, who was now quite comfortable with living alongside the rig workers. According to The National Scot Newspaper, he was “spoiled rotten” during his time there.
Eventually, though, someone called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Aberdeen, who retrieved Joe after the cat had been flown off the rig on a helicopter—a remarkable feat considering how hard it is normally just to get a cat into a carrier.
“We were alerted to an incident of a cat being found in a shipping container offshore,” Aimee Findlay, a Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, said in a statement. “We’ve no idea how the cat ended up there but attended the heliport to collect him.”
One-eyed Joe was microchipped, and upon scanning the staff learned his name was actually Dexter, and that his owner had lost the cat five years ago.
“We are so glad that he was well looked after for the time he was missing but we’re even more delighted to be able to reunite him with his original owner, thanks to his microchip being up to date,” Findlay said.
The good news here is Deter was well taken care of and eventually united with his family. This week’s JohnKu talks about not giving up.
“Using this photo ( below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm on Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next time.”
This post originally ran on June 8th, 2015. However, since there are still graduations, it will be okay to review them again.
Photo by Good Free Photos on Unsplash
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The inspiration for this list is the fact that it is graduation season. When you think of all the graduations held in the US alone, you realize the potential exists that these ten things occur with similar results. I hope you enjoy the list and can manage to avoid them.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at Graduation Time
10 If you are a graduate, do not put something dumb on your mortar. If you do, at best, even if your family sees you, they will not want to admit you belong to them. At worst, the picture taken of your message will go viral and will show up every time someone searches your name on Google, including prospective employers. (Maybe you should have used five-letter words)
9 If you are a parent of a graduate, do not blow any type of horn when your child receives their diploma. If you do, at best, you will cause your kid to want to find another home. At worst, that big well-trained guy in front of you is fighting a hangover and will help you stow your horn where you will not want it stored. (Don’t even try to think where that might be.)
8 If you are a speaker at a graduation, do not tell the graduates that the world is looking to them for salvation. If you do, at best, your cliché will remind everyone just how out of it you are. At worst, your words will be quoted in some satirical publications that will point out just how many times graduating classes have heard the exact words throughout the millennium. (Maybe that Speeches for Dummies book wasn’t a good idea.)
7 If your graduate has decided to skip the ceremony, do not fight the decision. If you do, at best, your child will make attending the ceremony sound like parental abuse. At worst, the child will attend with something dumb written on the mortar to the tune of “my parents made me do this.” (You can expect the message to be broadcast worldwide.)
6 If your family is experiencing a graduation, do not think this indicates your job as a parent is complete. If you do, at best, you will be surprised by requests for help as life commences. At worst, you will need counseling to overcome the feeling of failure as your child moves into what was your spare room. (Can’t last forever. Or can it?)
5 If you are the graduation ceremony organizer, do not think everything will run smoothly because of your careful planning. If you do, at best, you will be unprepared when there is a long period when no one can hear the speaker. At worst, you will not know what to do with a thousand champaign corks bouncing off the facility and school officials even though you banned the presence of alcohol at the ceremony. (Call the SWAT team. They’ll know what to do.)
4 If you are holding a graduation party, do not leave your house even though you trust your loving child to be trustworthy and in control. If you do, at best, a few more guests who were not expected will attend with little consequence. At worst, the state police will be looking for you to help fund the fire department, EMS, and SWAT team expenses incurred to break up the party and put out the fire destroying your and two neighbors’ houses. ( It’s just money, right?)
3 If you have a graduate, do not overdo the gift. If you do, at best, your child will expect a similar prize for other accomplishments. At worst, someday, it will need to be replaced. ( The words about the child being on their own when you gave the gift are forgotten.)
2 If you are attending a graduation ceremony, do not treat the event as if it is a football game. If you do, at best, you will get strange looks when you enter the stand with the team colors and jersey. At worst, you will get many people wanting to take the bratwurst you are grilling at your tailgate gathering. (The keg of beer is a nice touch.)
1 If you have a graduate, do not keep telling them how amazed you are that they made it through school. If you do, at best, they will think you did not have faith in their abilities. At worst, you will give the child a complex that will manifest in the longing for a career in fast food service as a grill person. ( You want fries with that?)
