Top Ten Things Not to Do at The Introduction of the First IBM Personal Computer in 1981

August 12, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Today marks the anniversary of the introduction of the first personal computer by IBM in 1981. If you want to return to that time, take this list with you. It may save a mistake or even a tear in the time continuum.

Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Introduction of the First IBM Personal Computer in 1981

10 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not laugh out loud at the 16 to 256 kB amount of memory being offered. If you do at best someone will think you are laughing with delight. At worse, you’ll be put in a position of explaining what you believe to be so funny. (Just because your current laptop has a thousand times that memory you need not be a snob, Isaias.)

9 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not tell Tiny the WWF champ that he needs to learn to keyboard. If you do, at best Tiny will think you mean someone else. At worse, Tiny will think you are mocking his two-fingered approach to typing. (The other worse part is Tiny just left his self-esteem support group where he was told he is a beautiful, perfect, big boy. I think you will have to deal with his feelings of rejection, Illias. It is going to hurt. I’m just sayin’)

8 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if there re any discounts available on the $1,565.00 price tag. If you do, at best you’ll get a weird look. At worst, the engineers will put you to sleep, explaining all the components, and how expensive everything is inside. (Now don’t you feel foolish, Ismael? Put that Best BUY coupon away. No use telling them that you can get a PC priced at $141.00 in 1981 dollars. Might even get you run out of town.)

7 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if you can play Pong on it. If you do, at best more funny looks. At worst, one of the engineers will suddenly see you as a genius and won’t get away from you. (You may think this is a good thing, Izzy but the guy hasn’t been out of his clothes for two weeks.)

6 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not use white-out on the screen to correct mistakes you make trying out a unit. If you do, at best the group with think you are cute. At worst, they’ll think you are a technology terrorist. (There are a couple of big guys moving your way, Iban. Might be a good idea to take your white-out and correction-tape and head for the door.)

5 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not complain if you get a stripped-down version with no monitor for your $1565.00 ($4313 in 2018 dollars). If you do, at best you will be told to buy a more expensive model. At worst, the engineers will sit you down and explain that the PC was designed to be hooked to a TV monitor. ( So now you know, Ivo. You just plop that sucker down by your TV and plug it in the back. Well, assuming you have a connection on your TV. If not come back and get the +$3,000 models. We’ll throw in a couple of floppy disk drives too. Don’t tell me you don’t know what floppy disks are?)

4 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not scoff at Charlie Chaplin’s character The Little Tramp as a spokesperson for the IBM PC. If you do, at best, the market will ignore you. At worse, the advertising folks will lock you in a room and make you watch an endless loop of Little Tramp commercials until you buy a PC. (Best just buy one in the first half-hour, Idal. Otherwise, your brain may melt.)

3 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not buy before you try. If you do, at best you can put up with some inconvenience. At worst, you’ll be trying to save to drives that don’t exist and trying to print to slots that are empty. (Maybe you should have tried it out first, Isham. Looks like you will need the more expensive one after all.)

2 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if it is compatible with your iPhone. If you do, at best, no one in the room will know what an iPhone is. At worst, the security department will believe you asked the question because you are from a competitor. (Looks like it is going to be a fun ride out the front door, Izak. Try to land on something soft this time.)

1 At the intro of the IBM PC, do not ask if it comes in colors other than grey. If you do, at best the salespeople will think you are joking. At worst, the salespeople will think you are a corporate spy for Apple. (Looks like they are ready for this kind of thing, Issa. Here comes the sheriff with a couple of deputies. MIght be a good time to hit the way back button on that cell phone.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Where”

August 10, 2019August 10, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Where in the world does Linda Hill find these prompts? It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and this weeks prompt is “where.” There is a little more to it, so I’ll let Linda explain.

Linda’s words. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “where.” Start your post with the word “where” and write whatever comes to you. Bonus points if you end your post with “where” too. Enjoy!”

Now you know why I started the post with “where.” If you would like to have fun like this, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS August 10/19

“Where” by John W. Howell © 2109

“Where, oh, where has my little dog gone.”

“Another nut case Saturday I see.”

“Oh, where oh, where can she be.”

“Sigh.”

“With her tail cut short and he nose cut long.”

“Big finish now.”

“I forgot the next stanza.”

“You are kidding.”

“No. I’ve drawn a blank.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I feel fine.”

“Not like you to forget a verse.”

“I know. Maybe I’m slipping.”

“That train pulled out long ago.”

“Very funny. Now I’m concerned.”

“Please. It’s just a dumb song that was made up eons ago.”

“Makes me wonder, though.”

“About what?”

“The brain.”

“How so.”

“When slips occur.”

“Why?”

“No, not why.”

“What then?”

“With all that information gone. To where.”

Friday John Ku – AKA – TGIF

August 9, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

Lucy and Twiggy — “Okay Dad. Lucy doesn’t want to play tug of war. It is up to you.”

Another Friday (YAY). This week has been pretty standard around here. It seems odd not to have workers or furniture disrupting the day. Well, we are certainly glad for that situation.

The weather here in Austin has been in the 100’s all week. We are told by the local weather forecaster that it is going to be this way for another two weeks. There was no discussion about what happens after that, so who knows how long it will last.

I managed to keep my 1000 words a day goal. I’m now sitting at over 41,000. This book is a strange one for sure. Let me tell you about it. The protagonists are both dead and on a trip to the eternal home. They were allowed to choose some learning stops, so they went to Dodge City, Kansas in 1874 and ended up in the Longbranch Saloon. Then to Tombstone Arizona in 1881. It seems James (The protagonist) had an interest in Wyatt Earp. From there they ended up at the Alamo in 1836 but this time it wasn’t a destination they requested.

Apparently, they witnessed the devil taking a soul at the OK Corral in Tombstone, and now the devil wants to chat. He sent a text to James (His reply number 666), but he and Samantha (The other protagonist) decided to ignore it. So now the devil is manipulating their agenda. He definitely wants to strike a deal so that James and Samantha won’t be letting souls know about his personal visits at the time of death.

The devil thinks it might be bad for business if people knew the devil himself would be ushering wicked souls to hell. He thinks people might not damn themselves if they knew a personal meeting was the result. The devil believes it would be a good idea if James and Samantha joined his team. Joining him would guarantee their loyalty and silence. He decides to show them what it would be like being a devil’s disciple.

Their first stop is Wimbledon where James beats Roger Federer for the 2019 title. Next for James is the Normandy landing on D-day 1944. James is leading a company of troopers headed for Omaha Beach. James has no idea what to do and worse, not sure he can get back to the Bellagio in Las Vegas. That is where he and Sam were having dinner with the devil before he was willed to France. Stay tuned.

Today’s JohnKu talks about imagination. I hope you have a terrific weekend.

Imagination,

In the hands of a writer. . .

Can be a good thing.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

August 7, 2019August 6, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Twiggy — “Come up here Lucy. I think I see Friday pulling into the drive.”
“It’s Wednesday Little One so I doubt it.”

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we found out that Christine has some information to share. What confused most of us is why she is willing to share the information. I guess when we recovered from the fact that Christine was still alive and was rather cavalier about her meeting with Larry and Andrew, we need to find reasons to trust her. I see she is getting her second drink and that Andrew has joined her with a snifter of Willet Reserve Bourbon.

“Here’s your drink.”

“Thank you, Andrew. I see you are joining me.”

“I never like to turn down an invitation from a beautiful lady for a drink.”

“Oh, you devil. Andrew. I’ll bet you were a killer in your day.”

“My day?”

“Okay, you two. Let’s get back to your theory, Christine.”

“Such a spoilsport, Larry.”

“I know, Andrew. Just enjoy your drink. So Christine, before all the bar fly activities you mentioned that you thought Alexis set up a meeting with his wife and that she and Mr. Dixon killed him.”

“That’s my theory.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Not really. Just the fact that I got a call from him saying he would be a little late and was going to try and meet with his wife.”

“Was she here in South Tahoe?”

“Yes, they were staying on the California side in the Hyatt there.”

“Wait a minute. If he was staying with his wife at the Hyatt, how did he meet with you?”

“Come on, Larry. You have to know some couples have arrangements. She had her Dixon I had my Alexis.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“You don’t approve, though do you?”

“I was faithful to my wife until she died, and in many respects, I still am. Even so, folks have to do what folks have to do. You can’t really say you know if Alexis met with his wife or not, can you?”

“No, but it has to be worth something to be able to testify that she was here in South Lake Tahoe at the time of his death.”

“Did you see her?”

“No. Alexis told me.”

“Yeah, that isn’t going to do us much good.”

“Damnit, Larry I know she killed him, and somebody’s got to bring her to justice.”

“It is interesting that she told us she wasn’t here when he died. Andrew, I wonder if we can get the hotel to release records about Janice being in the hotel with Alexis.”

“That is going to be tricky. We don’t have jurisdiction here. The hotel might ask for a warrant.”

“How about a warrant from a Boston judge?”

“I’ll call the chief and explain what we need.”

“You gentlemen need some juice around this town?”

“What do you mean Christine?”

“I have some friends in high places, and if you need a favor, maybe they can help.”

“You know a judge?”

“I know one very well. He and I used to date.”

“Date?”

“Please, Larry, give a girl her dignity. Let me call him and see if he would do me a favor. I’m going to ask him to meet with you. You can then explain what you need. Excuse me guys, but I need to talk to him in private. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t say a word, Andrew. Wait until we are outside.”

“Yes, boss.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Bothered

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 43 Comments

Keith Channing is still getting settled in the UK after his move from France. He does not yet have broadband, so his Kreative Kue feature is again paused.

Today’s finger point prompt comes from that best selling book, Circumstances of Childhood by that internationally known author, John W. Howell. The idea is to open a book, close your eyes, and point to a place on the page. This time my finger came to rest on bothered, so that is the prompt.

“Bewitched bothered and bewildered.”

“You listing your medical conditions or personality traits?”

“Very funny. I was singing a song from the 40s.”

“This is 2019. The forties haven’t happened yet.”

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Why?”

“I’m talking about the 1940s.”

“Ancient history.”

“For you, maybe. This was a song from the play Pal Joey which opened Christmas day on Broadway in 1940. It was written by Richard Rogers.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No pupster. Since then the song has been done by Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Steward, Cher, and Lady Gaga.”

“What does this have to do with the price of peanuts?”

“You are a very strange person. You know that?”

“I mean, so what?”

“It’s a beautiful song. That’s what.”

“There are a lot of beautiful songs. Why this one?”

“It reminds me of a time that was a little more innocent and less hassled.”

“Okay, old man. Sit on the porch and talk about the old days.”

“If I do. What will you do?”

“Go play a video game.”

“Did I ever tell you about the time I met Joe Lewis?”

“I’m outta here.”

“Try and not let that screen door come in contact with your tushie, tykester.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do on the First Income Tax Day in 1861

August 5, 2019August 11, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

Since today is the anniversary of the establishment of the first income tax in 1861, I thought it would be fun to travel back there and take in the atmosphere of what had to have been an eventful time. The income tax was established to pay for the Civil War. Of course, there are some time travel rules that we must abide, so here is a list that will hopefully keep us from creating a time disruption or tear in the continuum.

Top Ten Things Not to Do on the First Tax Day in 1861.

10 On the first tax day, do not try to find an H&R Block office for relief. If you do, at best it will be an ice supply house. At worse, you will raise so much concern from those you ask that they will point you out to the tax collector. (The belief that you are trying to avoid your tax obligation is what ended you up behind bars, Issac. Just tell them you made a mistake and intend to pay, and maybe they’ll let you go.)

9 On the first tax day, do not tell Tiny the WWF champ that he can’t come in to assess your net worth. If you do, at best he will come in anyway. At worst, Tiny who just left his rejection support group meeting will reduce the place to sawdust. (The upside to Tiny’s visit, Iulio, is you have no assets and therefore don’t owe any tax. Let’s not talk of the downside.)

8 On the first tax day, do not try to deduct your stay and meals as a business expense. If you do, at best you will be laughed out of the room. At worse, the tax collector will call the Marshall, and you’ll be labeled as the first tax fraud case in the US. (The first tax was a 3% flat rate over 800 dollars ($13,000 today) of income, Iwdael. There are no deductions. Now tell the man you are sorry and cough up the money.)

7 On the first Tax day, do not carry your “No Taxation Without Representation,” protest sign. If you do, at best, no one will be able to read. At worst, you will be invited to spend the night at the Hoosegow Hotel. (These new revenuers have no sense of humor, Izeyah. I wouldn’t press my luck any further.)

6 On the first tax day, do not try to pay for your tax with corn. If you do, at best the agent will think you are joking. At worst, the interpretation is that you are trying to evade your taxes. (You have to admit, Izreal trying to unload 100 bushels of corn in the tax office looks a little suspicious. You’ll find a broom and shovel in the corner. Best to clean up the mess before you leave.)

5 On the first tax day, do not try to convince the tax collector that you are part of the 97% of the population that does not earn 800 dollars a year. If you do, at best the collector will respect your attempt at avoiding the tax. At worse, the collector just declared to his staff that the next person who tries to lie about their income will be shot. (I think you better cough up the tax quickly, Ian. That collector is resting his hand on a very big six-shooter.)

4 On the first Tax day, do not show up in your most elegant clothes on the best horse. If you do, at best the collector won’t notice. At worst, since your clothes and horse are better than the collector’s, your bill will be higher than it should be. (At this stage, Ibrahim you might as well just pay it. Why you didn’t think to wear those old shoes and overalls is beyond me. You could have parked your horse down the street too.)

3 On the first tax day, do not try to dazzle the tax collector with stacks of paperwork proving your lack of income. If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worse, the agent will assume you are up to something illegal and double your tax assessment. (It would have been better just to tell them the truth, Igore. After all, 3% is not a lot to pay.)

2 On the first tax day, do not put in an application to join the IRS. If you do, at best no one will understand you. At worst, you’ll give away your time traveler status since the IRS wasn’t established until 1862. (Well easy come easy go, Ishmael. It is now time to hit the bricks and get back to your own timezone. Otherwise, you might be spending a lot of time in a very damp and chilly place.)

1 On the first tax day, do not think you can tell the tax collector to send you a bill. If you do, at best the collector will share a laugh with you. At worst, the collector will take measures to collect the tax today. ( That big guy in the corner is the enforcer, Ignatius. It is his job to extract the payment right now. He has been known to hold some by their ankles until the money falls to the floor. Just save us all the misery and pay the bill.)

Views of the Neighborhood – Spicewood Winery

August 4, 2019August 2, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 71 Comments

A lovely way to spend a Sunday. My two daughters and I visited two wineries. The first is named Spicewood. I’ll show you the second next week.

Here is a blurb from the website.

Since 1992 Spicewood Vineyards has been producing distinguished Texas Hill Country wines that are known for their timeless appeal and exceptional character. Beautifully nestled in the serene surroundings of the Texas Hill Country among 32 acres of vines, our family winery draws on both our Texas roots and our Spanish inspiration.

Spicewood Vineyards

A shot of a metal cluster of grapes and the vineyard.

More vineyards

Six massive live oaks growing together with the vineyard in the background.

Roses

Front patio entrance

Barrel stave chair

The tasting room bar.

Some meat and cheese. I like the sign. Be careful with water.

You know you are in Texas.

Nice paintings

More of the tasting room. That is a slab of granite on top of those barrels.

Lovely little stream outside the tasting room.

Cute fountain.

This is an event center that can be rented.

We sat on the patio of the activity center and shared a bottle of wine.

This is the entrance gate to the folks who used to own Spicewood winery. They sold it in 2007.

Next week, Gaucho Vineyards

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Astronomical

August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 63 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is — wait let’s have Linda Hill describe it. Her words, “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “astronomical.” Use it any way you like. Have fun!” There you have it. If you would like to join in go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to slip off the edge. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS August 3/19

“Here we are standing on the precipice of space witnessing the first human beings to—”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m announcing the first humans on Mars.”

“While standing on a chair in the kitchen.”

“Well. I had to simulate being on the precipice of space.”

“The what?”

“Precipice of space. You know where no man has gone before.”

“I think you are mixing your metaphors.”

“What is that in your hand.”

“My microphone.”

“Looks like a whisk to me.”

“Whatever. You are taking the joy out of space travel.”

“From where I stand, you’ve already done that. I suppose that the gauze mask is your oxygen supply.”

“Well, at least you can give me that.”

“Where is your space ship?”

“Out back.”

“Out back?”

“Yes, It’s parked on a crater.”

“Near that old bike?”

“Not a bike but personal Mars rover.”

“Why the mummy wrap?”

“Spacesuit.”

“You are astronomical.”

“Thank you.”

“Not a compliment.”

“Anything with “astro” in it is a compliment. Seems you are getting into the spirit.”

“The only reason I came in here was to get some ice for my spirit. Thanks to you, I will need several sessions with the spirit to get this picture out of my head.”

“Always willing to help.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

August 2, 2019August 8, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Another Friday is here and thank goodness for it. As you know from last week. I was on a break. It was terrific having mt eldest daughter visit. We did so many things, and she was a delight to have close.

I didn’t do any writing on the break. My goal was to be with my daughter, and that was accomplished. I did get back to work on Wednesday and have managed a thousand words a day since then. So in all, I took a break of six days, and I worked on my WIP for five days. I was at 28,000 words when I last reported, and I’m now at 34,000. That means the days I worked, I did a little over 1000 words a day. You may wonder why I am going through these gyrations? To stay on point is why. If I have to report my output to you guys weekly, then I’m more dedicated. So I think you for keeping my nose to the grindstone.

Today’s JohnKu talks about staying on point.

When there’s a to-do,

Best to commit to others. . .

To stay right on point.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Guest Post – Harmony Kent @harmonykent – Her New Book – Fallout

August 2, 2019July 23, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

I am so pleased to welcome Harmony Kent to Fiction Favorites. Besides being an accomplished author, Harmony is also a terrific editor. She describes her new book.

Hi, everyone. Harmony here. Many thanks to John for hosting me today. I have a new book on pre-order called FALLOUT, which is a post-apocalyptic dystopia. This novel started out life by playing a little game. I sat and closed my eyes and imagined an empty room … in that room, a vial appeared. A dull orange plastic thing covered in scratches. It sloshed when I shook it. From that tiny beginning, the world of Exxon 1 and its deadly virus was born.

How come there’s only one vial?

How does the virus and antidote work?

WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The year is 3040.

The location is Exxon 1, part of a six-planet system in settled space.

Determined to avoid the mistakes of old Earth, the surviving humans avoided democracy and opted, instead, for a non-elective totalitarian system.

The new way worked well, until now.

A crazy, despotic president releases a nano-virus on the population.

No one was ready for the fallout. It came anyway.

In this post-apocalyptic world, can you stay safe?

Excerpt

Nobody knew her. And she intended to keep it that way. It’s easy to fool others. All you have to do is believe it yourself, and you make it real. People want to be manipulated. It keeps life simple for them. You watch and learn what their desires are, what their morals are, and what you can give them in return for what you want from them.

For the time being, it worked for Sasha to sleep with Ellie’s husband. And she enjoyed keeping the true nature of the lab project a secret, even from the boss. It was too funny: the lead scientist not having the first clue.

Sasha set up the accident perfectly.

Author Bio

After spending around thirteen years as an ordained Buddhist monk, living in a Zen Buddhist temple, and six years after a life-changing injury following a surgical error, Harmony Kent returned to the world at the tender age of forty.

Now, she is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her ever-present sense of humour, adorable husband, and quirky neighbours.

Harmony is passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

Links

Website:https://harmonykent.co.uk/

Story Empire (co-authored): https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks

Twitter: @harmony_kent

LinkedIn: Harmony

Goodreads: Author Page

FALLOUT Pre-order Link: mybook.to/FALLOUT