The pride of West Lafayette, Indiana, Alma Mater of the first man on the moon, and my brainy nephew. Here’s the Purdue All-American Marching Band with Hail Purdue!
And because I missed them…
The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Lovely
It’s a cold, rainy day in the Prairie Ghetto, so here are some tunes to go with the weather…
The Dramatics are up first. Dig Ron Banks (in the green) Rob-dancing.
If that’s too much of a downer for you, look below the fold…
I Have No Words
All right, yes I do.
Eddie Diaz, age 26, died unnecessarily by falling under a train. Why?
Witnesses told police that Diaz realized he left his cellphone on a bench as the train left the station. Diaz then broke the glass of the emergency safety mechanism, pulled the emergency stop lever and exited through the front passenger door, police said.
What does this say about Mr. Diaz and his priorities? More than that, what does it say about the society we’ve fashioned for ourselves, that a person would come to see something so insignificant as worth his life?
- Young people in Chicago shoot each other over a pair of gym shoes.
- Women choose to kill their unborn child in favor of a relationship, career, or their “freedom.”
- Men and women divorce after decades of marriage because the thrill is gone.
- People of all ages abuse drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with life’s stresses.
As a species and a culture, our selfishness is staggering. Ironically, it’s that very selfishness that militates most against our own good and well-being.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.¹
¹ Eph 4:22-24 NIV
Oh Noes!
National Novel Writing Month
November is National Novel Writing Month. So take that musty old 
manuscript out of the shoebox in the closet and get to work!
When I tell someone what I do with my time, they usually get a suspicious look on their face and then ask:
“You wrote a book?”
“Yup.”
Then there are one of two responses:
“Ya know, I always wanted to write a book…”
or
“My sister wrote a book.”
One thing I’ve learned since The Good Thief came out, is that everyone has written a book or is thinking about writing a book. It really ain’t that big a deal anymore—if it ever was. Now, the landscape of publishing is changing. Traditional publishers are in the decline along with bookstores. The ones still alive and kicking are shrinking their catalogs, while simultaneously reducing support for new authors.
Meanwhile, self-publishing/distribution options are proliferating and the ubiquitous e-book is changing how people buy and read books. This is both a blessing and a curse for writers and readers alike, but that’s a different post.
Anyway, it’s time to release your inner-Faulkner. You too can join the ranks of the published. Just like the very literary folk of Iceland!
InPrint Book Fair
If you find yourself in the Rockford area this weekend, c’mon out to the Barnes & Noble at Cherryvale Mall where I’ll be doing a book signing with my good buddy JoAnn Fastoff and other local authors.
Along with loads of good books, you can meet the authors, and enjoy some neat panel discussions afterward. Part of the proceeds from the event go to InPrint. Check the link for more details.
Bon Voyage Dad
1924-2013
A Sad Followup
As if to put an exclamation point on my post yesterday, this appeared in the Tribune today: A mass drive-by shooting last night in Back of the Yards. 13 people shot including a 3 year old boy: