Author: John W. Howell

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.

Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Debut of the First Stock Ticker in 1867

November 16, 2020November 15, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

This week marks the 153rd anniversary of the debut of the first stock ticker in 1867. The ticker was invented by Edward Calahan, who configured a telegraph machine to deliver stock prices on a thin strip of paper. Whether you care about stocks or not, we have to visit New York and take a look at this thing. While we are there, maybe we can look around and see what the city was like at that time. Jump in James’s Olds, and we’ll be off. Oh, as a reminder, grab this list so that you won’t inadvertently do something to cause a tear in the time continuum. Who wants a shotgun?

James’s Oldsmobile from Eternal Road – The final stop

10 If you go, do not ask the operator for the price of the Consolidated Edison Stock. If you do, at best, he won’t understand you. At worst, he’ll think you are making up a name. (Sure Consolidated Edison is the oldest stock on the exchange, Min, but in 1867, it was named The New York Gas Light Company. The name change came in 1936. Don’t look now, but the operator is talking to that policeman over there.)

9 If you go, do not ask Tiny, the WWF champ, how his stocks are doing. If you do, at best, Tiny will be distracted. At worse, Tiny, who has missed several Personal Empowerment group sessions mandated by the court, will think you are asking a trick question. (Tiny does not have any stock, Minoru, and he thinks less of himself as a result. When he thinks less of himself, he likes to do things to others, making them feel less. I think you are about to go on a short helicopter ride with no helicopter.)

8 If you go, do not ask about a ticker-tape parade. If you do, at best, the operator will be engrossed in work. At worst, you will get a puzzled look. (The first ticker-tape Parade happened in 1886 to mark the opening of the Statue of Liberty, Misha. Right now, the operator is wondering what the heck is a ticker. That term was only applied to the symbol tape machine in later years and reflected the machine’s sound.)

7 If you go, do not ask for directions to Tiffanys. If you do, at best, no one will know what you are talking about. At worst, you’ll ask Alexander Turney Stewart, the father of the department store. (Stewart founded a store called the Marble Palace in 1846, Miska. He then built what is accepted as the first department store in 1862, which tool up a city block and was eight stories high. He is now wondering why you want to visit a place that only sells jewelry. Telling him, you just want to have breakfast there is not cutting any ice with him.)

6 If you go, do not ask if Central Park is safe. If you do, at best, no one will understand your question. At worst, you will ask Frederick Law Olmstead, one of the architects of the park. (Frederick, along with Calvert Vaux, came up with their “Greensward Plan,” which laid out the park to be a rural oasis in the heart of the city, Mjolnir. The park opened in 1859 and has about 2,000,000 visitors a year in 1867. Fredrick has taken offense to your question and looks like he will slap you with a glove. I think I would duck if I were you.)

5 If you go, do not ask for directions to Studio 54. If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, you will ask Owney Geoghegan ex bare-knuckle boxing champ. (Owney opened up a sporting house at 103 Bowery known as “The Bastille of the Bowery,” in 1864, Modi. He now wants to know all about this Studio 54 business. He is willing to show you his bare-knuckle technique for the information.)

4 If you go, do not ask for directions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you do, at best, you might get directions out of town. At worst, you might ask John Taylor Johnston, a railroad executive, and the first president. (The museum opened in 1872, Mohsen, so I think John wants to ask you a couple of questions about how you came to know about it. I don’t think he sees you knowing as a positive.)

3 If you go, do not ask if the city politicians are honest. If you do, at best, you’ll get a laugh. At worst, you’ll ask William Tweed, known as Boss Tweed. (I think you are in for a rough time, Monroe. You see, Tweed and his cronies swindled New York out of millions and were finally convicted of forgery and larceny in 1873. That doesn’t help you right now, though. That bucket of cement you are standing in looks a little suspicious.)

2 If you go, do not wonder aloud why The New York Herald does not have an evening edition. (Like you. would) If you do, at best, you’ll get lots of shrugs. At worst, you’ll ask Founded by James Gordon Bennett. (James founded The Evening Telegram in 1867, Montague. He is surprised you don’t know about his newspaper. Get ready for a two-hour lecture.)

1 If you go, do not ask about the absence of skyscrapers in the city. If you do, at best, no one will know what a skyscraper is. At worst, you’ll ask Bradford Gilbert. (Brad was the architect of the first skyscraper in NYC named the Tower Building, Montay. You see, buildings made of brick were limited to height. Brad used structural steel as his building’s skeleton and allowed it’s height to reach ten stories. Yes, Brad is looking at you funny since he has been dealing with the problem for years.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Preparation for Trail of Lights

November 15, 2020November 14, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

Here we are getting close to the holidays. In Lakeway, there is a tradition called The Trail of Lights. This year Rona is not stopping the event. There will be distancing rules, but the trail will go on as usual. The lights go live in November. 20th. I thought it would be fun to go to the site and check out some of the preparations. Then after November 20th to come back and see what it all looks like.

We are going to take the bus and offload in the parking lot. There we will set up the lunch of Five-way Chili, salad, chips, salsa, and queso. We have a beer on tap and soft drinks. Five-way Chili is a Cincinnati original. It is pasta topped with chili, beans, onions, and cheese. Yeah, this is not your low, salt, fat, calorie meal. We also have Chicago for your entertainment.

So let’s get on and get going.

Views of the Neighborhood

Here is a shot of some of the frames that will hold the lights

Some workers putting the tunnel of lights together.

Here is what the tunnel looks like all lit up. (from last year’s post)

A lonely frame waiting for more.

One of the two large trees.

A shot of the path. The city laid down freshly crushed granite.

The second tree.

More frames and path.

Nothing set up yet.

A machine shot.

A bobcat shot for Dan Antion.

This roller is used to flatten the granite and make the path hard.

Some characters are being set up as well.

Well, that is the tour for the day. I hope you come back when the lights are turned on. Please stay and have more food and listen to Chicago. Have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt –

November 14, 2020November 13, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and here comes Linda Hill carrying what looks like a lawyer’s briefcase.

“Hey, Linda.”

“John.”

“This week’s prompt?”

“Or my lunch.”

“Yeah, I guess that could be.”

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ring.” Use it as a noun, a verb, an adverb, or an adjective…use it any way you’d like. Have fun!”

“Gee, thanks, Linda.”

Well, you heard it from the horses— um, directly from Linda hill. If you would like to have fun with the rest of us, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Nov. 14/2020

“Put a ring on it.”

“What?”

“Nothing, just trying out the prompt.”

“Should have known. Ring, right?”

“Yup. So that was the prompt used as a noun.”

“So now you need to think up an adjective, adverb, and verb.”

“How did you know?”

“Logic. If you decided your use as a noun, then the others followed.”

“You are so smart. You know that?”

“Nice of you to say, but I don’t think that bit of logic took any smarts.”

“I should ring up the Nobel Prize committee and tell them about you.”

“Right.”

“See what I did there? Verb.”

“Someone asleep could see that. How about an adjective?”

“My ears are ringing from the explosion.”

“That’s pretty good. How about an adverb?”

“The only one I can think of is ringingly.”

“Yeah, that is pretty good. I ringingly endorse your Stream of Consciousness post.”

“Does that endorsement come with money?”

“No. I’ll stand you to a beer, though.”

“You ring my bell.”

“Get your key ring. You are driving.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

November 13, 2020November 12, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 77 Comments

“Yes Lucy it’s Friday and I’m taking the day off.”
“Okay, Little One. You relax I’ll get the kibble.”
“What kibble?”

It is Friday, which is known as Saturday Eve around here. Well, we have heard that the Rona Virus Vaccine is 90% effective in third stage trials. That is pretty good news. I noticed Ticketmaster has decided to start setting up procedures for concerts once the vaccine is released. I think it will be good to get these pesky teens away from books and back to the music scene. (Spoiler alert: That was a joke)

The lull between inauguration and voting day is a blessed piece of peace so far. I can’t tell you how much nicer it is without having to listen to the right and left sprew hate at each other. Of course, the pundits some blogs, and Twitter trending posts are still full of it, but they are easy to avoid.

I, for one, am glad some of the shows I enjoy are back. I can only watch HGTV for so long. (Well, dummy, it has been almost nine months, so you have at least that much stamina.) I have to explain. I only watch 45 minutes of entertainment a day. I prerecord everything and then playback. An hour network show takes 45 minutes to play. Then I watch the news for twenty. I guess I shouldn’t exclude news from the entertainment category, but I’m really after the weather because our local news follows the same pattern. 1. Hit and run, assault, or murder (If it bleeds, it leads) 2. Local school district and/or teacher angst. 3. Rona virus update (With no context) 4. Weather highlight. 5. Report from Washington (usually an insult to average intelligence) or Austin city report, which usually will include an update on those experiencing homelessness along with the mayor or city council members explaining why nothing can be done about whatever the issue happens to be. 6. The full weather report including the five day forecast. 7. TV off.

So you can see the time is precious and I want pure entertainment. There are ten shows recorded regularly, and I can only watch seven in a week. My viewing then usually lasts until well into summer.

Today’s JohnKu talks about rest for the mind. I hope you. all have a great weekend.

The body needs it,

So rest is all important . . .

Don’t forget the mind.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Help Out

November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 107 Comments

Twiggy and Lucy

“So Lucy, you think we can help Dad with these leaves?”

“Yeah, what’s so hard? After all, the old boy is not getting any younger.”

“I don’t know. We don’t have any equipment.”

“Well, I think we just have to do what we do best.”

“Okay, I’m looking for the squirrel.”

“No, I meant to use our paws. We are good at that. We can get these leaves into a pile.”

“The minute I turn my back, you hit the sunbath. Why are you laying down?”

“What? I can’t hear you from here.”

“I think after all its work, it’s time for a lounge.”

“What? I can’t hear you from here.”

“Yes, indeed. Shade, lounge. If only that cabana guy would come around.”

“I heard the word cabana. I’ll be right there.”

“This could use a little fluffing. Ah, just right.”

“I’m almost there. Got drinks?”

“No, I don’t have drinks. You know how wretched the help is at this place.”

“Whew. That is a long walk. I could use some shade.”

“Take my lounge. I’m going to meditate with my hot rock friends.”

“Better be careful. I’m not sure if your butt is one of the seven chakras.”

“Do you even know what a chakra is?”

“Don’t make me laugh. Of course, I know. They are points of energy.”

“Time of meditation is over. Time to go back to the issue of the leaves.”

“We do not have an opposable thumb. That’s our out. No one would expect us to actually do work.”

“I can say sitting in the sun is a lot better than raking leaves. What about Dad getting older.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about him. One year of his life is like seven of ours. He has the advantage of being a slow cooker. Let’s just say we tried.”

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump day

November 11, 2020November 10, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

“What’s going on.”
“My usual.”
“What’s that?”
“Waiting for Friday.”

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week, we learned that Carolyn is in a blue Mercedes headed for the train that will take her and her driver through the Chunnel. We are grateful to the FBI’s techie, who decided to do some extra work in locating her. We also found out Lazar has some knowledge of Sandusky, the Rafferty’s, and Ned Dixon. He is not going to give out any information until he is sure Carolyn is safe. So, as Pricilla so eloquently said, “We need to concentrate on Carolyn.” To that end, I see that Pricilla has left the interrogation room and is on a Zoom call with her counterpart at the FBI. Let’s go there and see what we can learn.”

“So what is the plan agent Winters.”

“Well, Ms. Thomas, since we ID’d the blue Mercedes, it will be a matter of interception once they reach the French side of the Chunnel. I have been assured by my Police Nationale contact that they are already deployed to make the interception.”

“They know that Carolyn is not a criminal?”

“Yes, they have been informed of the circumstances.”

“What is going to happen once they have her.”

“She will be taken to the local headquarters and held until our people can get to her.”

“Where are your people now?”

“Last check-in, they were about 1500 miles from touchdown at Calais–Dunkerque Airport.”

“Is that closest to Coquilles?”

“There is another, but it is only able to land small planes. Our G600 needs 3100 feet of landing space, and Calais–Dunkerque Airport has 5000. Of course, it also needs 5700 feet of takeoff space, but the pilots assure us they can do it in 5000.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Not really. These two are the best.”

“Okay, then what happens.”

“Our team takes Carolyn to the plane, and we take off for the US.”

“Sounds pretty straight forward. Any idea who the driver of the Mercedes is?”

“We couldn’t get a good shot of the driver. There is a satellite pass coming up in a few minutes, so maybe we can get a shot.”

“Any way of hacking into the border cameras.”

“Not a bad idea. I’m sure the techie has thought of that. I will ask him, though, and get back to you.”

“I appreciate that. I would like to know who that driver is and how come he can drop everything to drive this girl to Paris.”

“Might be a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, that would make me feel better.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Nah. Just a feeling is all.”

“Okay, if that’s it for this call, I’ll ring up the techie and get back to you.”

“Thanks for all you are doing Winters. Thomas out.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible -Kreative Kue #288 by Keith Channing

November 10, 2020November 9, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

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 next 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 Monday.”

The Photo.

Kreative Kue #288

“I would say tear it down, sir, but it is three hundred years old.”

“I mean, everything was fine until yesterday.”

“What happened yesterday?”

“I went about my normal day.”

“How’s that look?”

“Well, let’s see. Got up, took the dog out, had coffee.”

“Sounds like you’ve covered the first hour at best.”

“Well, now just hold on. Ah, yes. While I was walking the dog, I noticed an unusual burn in the field over there.”

“Uh-huh. Go on.”

“I just thought it was weird. A circle burned in the field.”

“How large a circle?”

“That’s not the important part, but I would say twelve feet.”

“That is pretty big.”

“Anyway. I went over to have a look. The burned part smelled like lavender.”

“That’s odd.”

“I thought so too. I turned to leave and was blinded by a light.”

“Don’t tell me. You were then revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night.”

“Teah, very funny. You want to hear this or not?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Okay, then it felt like I had a boulder on my shoulder.”

“You tripped on a merry go round.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Continue.”

“I finally figured out I was being abducted by aliens.”

“Okay, sir. Hold it right there. I came here to give you a bid on the roof. I’m not one to hold to conspiracy theories and stuff like that.”

“This is the truth.”

“I can’t handle the truth.”

“Calm down. As you can see, I’m here. The only thing that happened is we all got into some kind of drink. Then this girl told me she could turn me on to something strong.”

“They played the song with the funky break.”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s a song lyric, sir. Excuse me, I gotta get going.”

“We razed the roof.”

“I’ll say you did. Now I need to get into my curly whirly. Have a nice day, sir.”

“Wait. You haven’t heard the best part.”

“Sorry. My mama always told me not to look in the eyes of the sun. Bye.”

“Too bad he’s gone. He’s going to miss seeing the calliope crash to the ground.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do on Veterans Day

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

This week marks the 102nd anniversary of the end of World War One. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the hostilities ended with the Armistice Agreement’s signing. Since that time, nations around the world observe the day with remembrance. Until June 1, 1954, November 11th was designated Armistice Day in the US. Armistice Day primarily honored those who participated in WWI. Since WWII and Korea had occurred, legislation was passed to rename Armistice Day Veterans Day, which then became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

So the Top Ten Things Not to Do on Veterans Day all remain the same.

Do not forget to honor our veterans, both the living and those who are no longer with us. It is they who gave selfishly of themselves so that we may have the freedom we enjoy today.

This week, I honor, Major John Fremole Orlando Howell M.D, Lieutenant John Allen Howell, Lieutenant Thomas Wreesman, Warrant Officer James Sharp, and Gunnery Sergeant Bob Sharp. Each served their country in a time of war.

views of the Neighborhood – Potpourri

November 8, 2020November 7, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 95 Comments

This week’s tour started out being about trees. Then a couple of things came up so it is now a bunch of stuff. We have stocked the bus with an assortment of goodies including crudities, fresh-caught snapper, red potatoes, green beans, and creme brulee. We are also serving called cocktails and drinks so you can order what you want.

Climb aboard the bus. We also have Kid Rock for entertainment. He brought a friend with him

Views of the Neighborhood

The first stop is an oak tree starting to turn red.

Next is the first holiday decoration in the neighborhood and I’m sure in the neighborhood. Santa doing pull-ups on the eve trough.

Hey, I was wrong. A couple of grapevine reindeer.

A large golden crepe myrtle.

Not sure what this tree is but it is old and pretty. (Like me)

A young Crep myrtle in full color.

Another oak just starting to turn.

And so we come upon a hybrid. Thanksgiving, Halloween, and holiday all together.

Hold on. We need to wait for this family to get out of the way.

More crepe myrtles starting their gold imitation.

Turning oak.

Views of the Neighborhood

Oak almost filled out.

Beautiful red berries.

Well, that does it for today. Stay and have some more food and listen to the music.

Steam of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Jour”

November 7, 2020November 6, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

Bonjour. It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again, and here is Linda Hill with this week’s prompt.

“Hi, Linda.”

“Hello, John. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “jour.” Find a word containing “jour” or use it as is. Bonus points if you start or end your post with that word. Enjoy!”

Thank you, Linda. I hope you noticed that I started the post with ‘bonjour.’ Bonus points earned. I can almost smell the calfskin seats in my new Bentley.

Views of the neighborhood