This is the day after. William and Kate are finally married. Now they are Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was a wonderful wedding. We taped it. Seven hours of commentaries and other not so interesting stuff. We watched much of the seven hours in fast-forward. Kate was a beautiful bride, but aren’t most brides beautiful? Even in wedding gowns that don’t cost $50,000.00. One of the women they interviewed, they were dressed in wedding gowns, just for show I assume, said you can buy a dress for 2 pounds, after another one said she paid 20,000 pounds.
Who the heck were those two women sitting behind the Queen? Those hats! Wow! And that blue dress or skirt one of them was wearing…all bunched up. Whoever designed those must have had a few drinks too many or been on drugs. Speaking of hats. I haven’t seen that many ugly hats in one place for a long time. I’m surprised some of them stayed on the heads of their wearers.
Coming back to the wedding dress. Some designer/commentator said that there will be many imitations in the near future. Why? What’s wrong with other designs? Don't designers have their own ideas anymore, as ugly and ridiculous as some of them are (I'm talking about the designs!).
It confirms my theory that most people are monkeys…monkey see, monkey do. Or possibly sheep. One sheep does something and all the others follow. Just look at the young people these days. Tattoos, rings in ears, noses, lips, eyebrows, and places I don’t want to mention. Torn jeans, clothes two sizes too large, pants falling off their butts, crotch down to the knees (it is beyond me how they can even walk), baseball hats with the shield in all directions except the correct way…to the front. Unless you’re playing baseball, then you turn the shield to the back. They want to be individuals, free spirits, but they don’t seem to realize they are only following a trend most of their peers are following. No individuality there.
At least the weather held out. It didn’t rain and it allowed the couple to ride their open coach. It turned out to be a fairytale wedding. Apparently, 2 billion people watched it on TV, trying to escape their mundane life for a short time and dream about a world where everyone is happy, dream about kings and queens, princes and princesses. Many young girls probably dreamed about meeting their prince.
Fortunately, no crazies tried to interrupt a beautiful happening so many people enjoyed by creating chaos and committing violence. Our world is full of troublemakers and people who will not allow others to live in peace and harmony. Maybe some tried to destroy a few joyful hours, luckily without success, but we won’t hear about that.
Let’s hope this Royal Couple stays together and enjoys a happy future. Maybe some day they will be the King and Queen of England.
Fairy-tales still come true.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Game of Thrones
I watched the second installment of 'Game of Thrones' yesterday. Wow! What a show. George R. R. Martin's fantasy book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' made into a TV series. What an excitement it must be for a writer to see his/her novel come to life in a movie or TV series. The show has been renewed after 4.2 million viewers tuned in to watch it at its debut April 17. There are at least 20 one-hour shows. I can't wait to see them all. I am hooked.
We are also watching 'The Borgias', a series about the Pope and the Church. Great Show. Apparently, the show is also quite popular and has been renewed for a second season.
Watching these shows is a wonderful change from all of the cop-shows aired these days. Mind you, we like 'Blue Blood' and 'The Chicago Code', also 'NCIS: Los Angeles, 'The Mentalist'.
I've taped a few episodes of 'Camelot' but we haven't had a chance to watch them yet. Another King Arthur remake but it is supposed to be a good show. We'll see.
My wife and I we love those type of shows. We watched 'The Pillars of the Earth' and 'The Tudors' and we were sorry to see them come to an end. It is a good thing the movie makers are always coming up with some good new shows. Of course, let us not forget the writers who wrote these stories in the first place.
We are also watching 'The Borgias', a series about the Pope and the Church. Great Show. Apparently, the show is also quite popular and has been renewed for a second season.
Watching these shows is a wonderful change from all of the cop-shows aired these days. Mind you, we like 'Blue Blood' and 'The Chicago Code', also 'NCIS: Los Angeles, 'The Mentalist'.
I've taped a few episodes of 'Camelot' but we haven't had a chance to watch them yet. Another King Arthur remake but it is supposed to be a good show. We'll see.
My wife and I we love those type of shows. We watched 'The Pillars of the Earth' and 'The Tudors' and we were sorry to see them come to an end. It is a good thing the movie makers are always coming up with some good new shows. Of course, let us not forget the writers who wrote these stories in the first place.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Free pdf copy of Outpost Epsilon
Anyone interested in receiving a free pdf copy of Outpost Epsilon please send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca. If you would like to read an excerpt go to my website Herbert's World or go to Melange Books, LLc.
Iceworld
I managed to finish editing Book Six in my Xandra series. It is 67,600 words long. Now I have to do one final reading just to make sure there aren't any mistakes I missed and to see how the story flows without being too critical about grammar or sentence structure. I'll probably miss some small errors, it is inevitable. Our brains are strange and wonderful with their ability to overlook certain things and fill in the blanks. I hope I'll catch most of the possible mistakes (maybe all?). I like to make it easy for the editor.
My book 'Outpost Epsilon' is featured today on NightsofPassion.wordpress.com together with a few Melange Books Authors. The reason for that is that my trilogy 'Lizard World' will be released this summer and fall. Outpost Epsilon is the forerunner to the trilogy. If anyone is interested send me an email and ask for a pdf copy of 'Outpost Epsilon'. It is free for the asking.
I will also give away a few pdf copies of Book One of the Xandra series, 'Daughter of the Dark', since I've been talking about Book six. Just send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca
My book 'Outpost Epsilon' is featured today on NightsofPassion.wordpress.com together with a few Melange Books Authors. The reason for that is that my trilogy 'Lizard World' will be released this summer and fall. Outpost Epsilon is the forerunner to the trilogy. If anyone is interested send me an email and ask for a pdf copy of 'Outpost Epsilon'. It is free for the asking.
I will also give away a few pdf copies of Book One of the Xandra series, 'Daughter of the Dark', since I've been talking about Book six. Just send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Is Spring really here?
This is supposed to be Spring. Is Mother Nature playing games with us or is she getting old and senile? We woke up to an inch of snow this morning. Here is what our backyard looked like.
This is what it looked like a week ago:
This is what it looked like a week ago:
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Xandra, Book Six
I finished the last chapter of Book Six in my Xandra series today. I even came up with a title. Iceworld. The book is 67,000 words long. But now comes the job of reading it from the beginning and editing it.
Book Seven is already in my head but it will have to wait a bit before I start with it. There are a few domestic things to be done first. Tomorrow I will cut some twigs from the Pussy willows. They are in full bloom right now. Just ready for Easter. And then I have to filter and bottle two carboys (46 liters) of wine. The wine (one red and one white) has been aging for a few months now.
We went to the movies today and watched True Grit. We were a bit disappointed. The movie was slow, too much talking. Had trouble understanding the actors. They did not pronounce their words clearly. I find that a lot these days. People mumbling their words, in the movies, on TV and in real live. Even the music these days is hard to listen too. No outstanding melodies, and most of the time I can't understand the words. It can't be my hearing or can it be?
I have no trouble understanding the old songs or the actors in the old movies.
Book Seven is already in my head but it will have to wait a bit before I start with it. There are a few domestic things to be done first. Tomorrow I will cut some twigs from the Pussy willows. They are in full bloom right now. Just ready for Easter. And then I have to filter and bottle two carboys (46 liters) of wine. The wine (one red and one white) has been aging for a few months now.
We went to the movies today and watched True Grit. We were a bit disappointed. The movie was slow, too much talking. Had trouble understanding the actors. They did not pronounce their words clearly. I find that a lot these days. People mumbling their words, in the movies, on TV and in real live. Even the music these days is hard to listen too. No outstanding melodies, and most of the time I can't understand the words. It can't be my hearing or can it be?
I have no trouble understanding the old songs or the actors in the old movies.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Of Juncos and Robins
Juncos and Robins. Not the title of a new novel. Juncos are a subspecies of sparrow. The ones we have here in Manitoba are the Slate-colored Juncos. They have a light gray belly and dark-gray, almost black, hood and back. They usually come in small flocks to our place and hang around for a few weeks, picking seeds from the ground, and then they are gone until in the Fall, when they come back to pick the seeds from flowers we grow.
I have no idea where they hang out in the summer. Anyway, a few have been here now for a couple of days or so. Last year I saw the first ones around the same time.
A pair of sparrows has moved into our birdhouse. I’ve seen them making out on the perch in front of their home. A good sign. Last year we had only two pairs breeding in the house. We must have had around thirty sparrows coming to the feeder and spending their time among the shrubs and flowers in the summer, but they all disappeared over the winter. Perhaps they found a warmer, more protected place, like an old barn. I don’t know. For a while we had only one lonely guy coming to feed, and four Chickadees, also 3 pairs of Bluejays the odd time.
Today I saw my first Robin. Poor fellow was looking for worms, but the ground is still too hard for the worms to appear. We have quite a bit of water standing on our property and there is still some snow. It will probably melt away in the next few days.
I just checked my archives and found that I saw the first Robins March 29 in 2010. Either they are late this year or, which is most likely, I just haven’t seen them before today.
A couple of days ago I watched a pair of Bald Eagles courting each other above our house and I also saw a small flock of Pelicans and a large flock of Blackbirds. They’re all coming back to spend the summer.
It is cloudy today. It rained yesterday and last night. A good time to stay home and watch a movie. We don’t really need the rain, because of the flood.
I have no idea where they hang out in the summer. Anyway, a few have been here now for a couple of days or so. Last year I saw the first ones around the same time.
A pair of sparrows has moved into our birdhouse. I’ve seen them making out on the perch in front of their home. A good sign. Last year we had only two pairs breeding in the house. We must have had around thirty sparrows coming to the feeder and spending their time among the shrubs and flowers in the summer, but they all disappeared over the winter. Perhaps they found a warmer, more protected place, like an old barn. I don’t know. For a while we had only one lonely guy coming to feed, and four Chickadees, also 3 pairs of Bluejays the odd time.
Today I saw my first Robin. Poor fellow was looking for worms, but the ground is still too hard for the worms to appear. We have quite a bit of water standing on our property and there is still some snow. It will probably melt away in the next few days.
I just checked my archives and found that I saw the first Robins March 29 in 2010. Either they are late this year or, which is most likely, I just haven’t seen them before today.
A couple of days ago I watched a pair of Bald Eagles courting each other above our house and I also saw a small flock of Pelicans and a large flock of Blackbirds. They’re all coming back to spend the summer.
It is cloudy today. It rained yesterday and last night. A good time to stay home and watch a movie. We don’t really need the rain, because of the flood.
Friday, April 08, 2011
The first ducks
I saw a small flock of ducks yesterday. Also a large flock of blackbirds a few days ago. It must be Spring. The water in the Red River is rising rapidly and a few houses north of Selkirk are already under water. There is more to come as the snow melts and when the water comes down the Red River from the US.
My article published at AllVoices about the burning of the Qur'an and its consequences in Afghanistan attracted only 31 readers so far. I guess people don't care that much any more about these things. Every day we hear upsetting stuff on the news. We get hardened to it. The price of gas jumped ten cents over night. I filled up the gas tank of our car yesterday and it cost me $3.50 more than it would have cost me had I filled it one day earlier. That probably upsets people more than the murder of a few people in the Middle East by a bunch of fanatical religious nuts. Go figure.
I'm coming to the end of Book Six in the Xandra series. So far I've written about 64,000 words and I'm quite happy with the story.
My article published at AllVoices about the burning of the Qur'an and its consequences in Afghanistan attracted only 31 readers so far. I guess people don't care that much any more about these things. Every day we hear upsetting stuff on the news. We get hardened to it. The price of gas jumped ten cents over night. I filled up the gas tank of our car yesterday and it cost me $3.50 more than it would have cost me had I filled it one day earlier. That probably upsets people more than the murder of a few people in the Middle East by a bunch of fanatical religious nuts. Go figure.
I'm coming to the end of Book Six in the Xandra series. So far I've written about 64,000 words and I'm quite happy with the story.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Religion and Peace on Earth
So this fanatic preacher burns a copy of the Quran. A despicable act to be sure, an act of hatred and intolerance, but all he really did was burn a book. We don’t even know if it was an actual copy of the Quran. For all we know it could have been a copy of a novel he hated. Obviously, this man hates many things.
On the other side of the world this act spawns more acts of hatred, intolerance, and even violence. A mob of religious fanatics murders innocent people and even cuts the head off one person. This is much worse than just burning a collection of printed pages bound into one volume. This is such a savage act and hard to imagine, much less accept. There has to be something wrong with religious leaders who teach their followers such hatred of people of other faiths.
History is full of acts of violence committed by religious fanatics. We’ve had wars fought over religion, women accused of being witches and burnt at the stake by the Church, men tortured and thrown into prison because of their beliefs, and so forth.
Nobody has a direct line to God, if in fact there is one, no matter what the religious leaders preach. The religious books were written centuries ago by men claiming to be inspired by God. Who says what they wrote is the truth? Maybe they made it all up? Stories spawned by their fertile imagination. I’m a writer. I spin tales of the imagination. Some people may not like what I write, might even condemn me for it, because they believe it is something you shouldn’t write. That’s okay, it is their right, and it doesn’t bother me. I don’t hate them for it.
I won’t say what the so-called Holy Books teach are lies. I would never make such a claim or accusation, because I don’t know the real truth. I am not an Atheist, I was raised as a Christian, but that doesn’t mean I have to believe everything I was taught without question. Nobody knows the truth. Every religious group claims what they believe is the right religion, the only one. Everyone else is wrong and has to be hated, shunned, or outright killed. That to me is the greatest sin and crime. It is not something civilized people do. It is barbaric and ignorant, and it belongs to the history and growth of the human race.
What we have to teach in our Schools, Churches, Temples, Synagogues, Mosques, and whatever we call our places of worship is tolerance and love for our fellow human beings, no matter what they believe or look like. After all, we have to share this planet with each other; there is nowhere else to go. We should concentrate on making it a better world to live in, a world with clean air and water, a place where people don’t go hungry and have a place to sleep in peace, a world without crime and violence. I know it is a dream but it is possible. We just have to work at it.
On the other side of the world this act spawns more acts of hatred, intolerance, and even violence. A mob of religious fanatics murders innocent people and even cuts the head off one person. This is much worse than just burning a collection of printed pages bound into one volume. This is such a savage act and hard to imagine, much less accept. There has to be something wrong with religious leaders who teach their followers such hatred of people of other faiths.
History is full of acts of violence committed by religious fanatics. We’ve had wars fought over religion, women accused of being witches and burnt at the stake by the Church, men tortured and thrown into prison because of their beliefs, and so forth.
Nobody has a direct line to God, if in fact there is one, no matter what the religious leaders preach. The religious books were written centuries ago by men claiming to be inspired by God. Who says what they wrote is the truth? Maybe they made it all up? Stories spawned by their fertile imagination. I’m a writer. I spin tales of the imagination. Some people may not like what I write, might even condemn me for it, because they believe it is something you shouldn’t write. That’s okay, it is their right, and it doesn’t bother me. I don’t hate them for it.
I won’t say what the so-called Holy Books teach are lies. I would never make such a claim or accusation, because I don’t know the real truth. I am not an Atheist, I was raised as a Christian, but that doesn’t mean I have to believe everything I was taught without question. Nobody knows the truth. Every religious group claims what they believe is the right religion, the only one. Everyone else is wrong and has to be hated, shunned, or outright killed. That to me is the greatest sin and crime. It is not something civilized people do. It is barbaric and ignorant, and it belongs to the history and growth of the human race.
What we have to teach in our Schools, Churches, Temples, Synagogues, Mosques, and whatever we call our places of worship is tolerance and love for our fellow human beings, no matter what they believe or look like. After all, we have to share this planet with each other; there is nowhere else to go. We should concentrate on making it a better world to live in, a world with clean air and water, a place where people don’t go hungry and have a place to sleep in peace, a world without crime and violence. I know it is a dream but it is possible. We just have to work at it.
Friday, April 01, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Signs of Spring
Yesterday I talked to a neighbor and he told me that the first flock of geese was seen March 12th in the Oak Hammok Marsh, which is not far from where we live. The pussy willows are also showing some white fluff and should be in bloom by Easter, ready to be harvested. They look nice in a vase and are a sure sign that Spring has finally arrived.
I didn’t do much writing during our trip to Cuba. I actually read a book for a change, Orion in the Dying Time by Ben Bova. I really enjoyed reading something not written by me for a change. It doesn’t mean I don’t like my own writing; I thoroughly take pleasure in creating alien worlds and following the adventures my characters experience, but sometimes it is nice to get into another author’s head to get some new ideas. I’ve already read two books in that series: Orion, and Vengeance of Orion. I read them over twenty years ago. Great books.
I have a couple of novels featuring a hero by the name of Orion: Orion, Symbiont of Passion, and Orion, the Hunt. My character is nothing like Ben Bova’s Orion, so there isn’t any conflict of interest here. I didn’t copy another writer’s creation.
By the way, ‘Orion, Symbiont of Passion’ and ‘Orola, Warrior Priestess’ are available now from Kindle Amazon. My other books will also be available in that format soon.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Herbert+Grosshans&x=18&y=19
I’m at 52,000 words now with Book six in the Xandra series. So far no title, but I’m not worried. Once I’m finished with it I’ll try to come up with a good one, I hope.
I didn’t do much writing during our trip to Cuba. I actually read a book for a change, Orion in the Dying Time by Ben Bova. I really enjoyed reading something not written by me for a change. It doesn’t mean I don’t like my own writing; I thoroughly take pleasure in creating alien worlds and following the adventures my characters experience, but sometimes it is nice to get into another author’s head to get some new ideas. I’ve already read two books in that series: Orion, and Vengeance of Orion. I read them over twenty years ago. Great books.
I have a couple of novels featuring a hero by the name of Orion: Orion, Symbiont of Passion, and Orion, the Hunt. My character is nothing like Ben Bova’s Orion, so there isn’t any conflict of interest here. I didn’t copy another writer’s creation.
By the way, ‘Orion, Symbiont of Passion’ and ‘Orola, Warrior Priestess’ are available now from Kindle Amazon. My other books will also be available in that format soon.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Herbert+Grosshans&x=18&y=19
I’m at 52,000 words now with Book six in the Xandra series. So far no title, but I’m not worried. Once I’m finished with it I’ll try to come up with a good one, I hope.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Varadero, Cuba
According to the calendar Spring is here, but here in Manitoba the snow is still on the ground. Today it is supposed to go up to plus 2 Celsius. But the signs that Spring is just around the corner are there. Saturday I saw the first geese. Always a good sign.
We spent two weeks in Varadero, Cuba. The weather was great, sunshine and no snow, just the beach and the ocean. Anyone interested in reading my review on Trip Advisor can find it here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147275-d151596-r101175148-Brisas_del_Caribe_Hotel-Varadero_Cuba.html
Even though my review may seem negative, we did have a good time. People always say, “Well, it is a third world country.” To me that is no excuse. When you pay good money you expect value in return. But then again, it is Cuba. They have a Socialistic regime (A dictatorship really), and the government owns everything. There is no incentive for people who want to get ahead. There is no competition. If you go shopping in the marketplaces the products and prices are the same everywhere. Apparently, people are allowed to open small business. For instance you can have an eatery with four tables, or your own stand to sell stuff.
They have quite a nice system with the money there. They’ve created the Cuban Convertible Peso. Not worth anything in other countries; can only be used in Cuba. It is pretty much on par with the Euro. It is a joke that their money is worth more than our Canadian Dollar! When you change your money into Cuban Dollars they charge you a 10% fee and when you change them back at the end of the trip you get charged 10% again. So it is best to only exchange as much money as you think you’ll need. Actually, you don’t need that much if you stay in an all-inclusive resort, unless you want to go on excursion trips or buy a lot of souvenirs. The excursion trips are expensive.
There were mostly Canadians at our resort. The tour guides make jokes why everyone loves Cuba: There are no Americans. Americans are, apparently not welcome, which is not true. Cubans have no problems with having Americans visiting. They’ll be treated like any other vacationer. The sad truth is that Americans are not allowed by law to visit Cuba. Anyone who does is, apparently, fined up to $10,000 and is not allowed to travel for 5 – 7 years! I was surprised to hear that if it is true. And that in the country of the Brave and Free! Apparently not so free. I can see that the government prohibits trade with certain countries but to forbid citizens to travel? That smacks of dictatorship.
Americans do travel to Cuba through Toronto or Montreal. We have no problem with that. The Cubans don’t stamp passports for that reason.
When you travel you experience and see many different things. Some good, some not so good. You meet all kinds of people and sometimes it is upsetting to see how people behave. I’m talking about other travelers.
Their type can be found in every resort. Already on the bus from the airport to the resort we had one guy who felt it was his duty to entertain the whole bus. Talking loud, cheering, and demanding beer from the attendant. Luckily, he went to a different resort. Not that it mattered; his clones were already at our resort.
I don’t want to mention any nationalities, but one wonders if some people behave like that in their own country. The large groups are the worst. Forget about relaxing on the beach or having a quiet dinner, because their loud conversations and laughter will keep you alert. Some bring a radio to the beach and make certain everyone can listen to their music. And when they’re done celebrating and drinking at around 2 o’clock in the morning they make it known to everyone how great a time they are having. The fact that some people are sleeping doesn’t bother them at all.
Some travelers seem to believe the waiters and waitresses are their servants, calling with a loud voice for service, or waving their arms and calling ‘Hey you’ or the equivalent in their language.
What really appalled me was the terrible waste of food. Just because it is an all-inclusive resort doesn’t mean that you can load up your plate and leave half of the food behind…uneaten. I’ve seen full glasses of milk, yogurt, wine, beer, and plates piled up high with uneaten deserts, after the people got up and left the table.
And what is this habit of putting plates full of bread, meat, salads, or deserts in the middle of the table and then leaving most of it uneaten? You can do that at home, but this is a buffet where everyone gets their own plate of food.
Clean water in the third world countries is valuable, and yet I’ve seen people order a glass of water and never touch it.
What must go on inside the mind of the waitress who cleans a table and has to throw all this good food into the trash can when she is aware of the fact that the best food produced in her country is only available to the tourists?
People who are this wasteful should be ashamed and hope they never get into a position where they don’t have enough to eat. I grew up after the war in Germany and we went through bad times. We didn’t always have enough food. My parents taught us to save and not to waste anything, and that has stuck with me to this day. I am grateful to live in a great country like Canada where people with ambition can achieve their dreams of having a home, clothing, and there is no shortage of food, but that doesn’t mean we can waste it. There are still many people in this world who go hungry every day and don’t have a roof over their heads. Sometimes it is good to take a step back and contemplate these things.
We spent two weeks in Varadero, Cuba. The weather was great, sunshine and no snow, just the beach and the ocean. Anyone interested in reading my review on Trip Advisor can find it here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147275-d151596-r101175148-Brisas_del_Caribe_Hotel-Varadero_Cuba.html
Even though my review may seem negative, we did have a good time. People always say, “Well, it is a third world country.” To me that is no excuse. When you pay good money you expect value in return. But then again, it is Cuba. They have a Socialistic regime (A dictatorship really), and the government owns everything. There is no incentive for people who want to get ahead. There is no competition. If you go shopping in the marketplaces the products and prices are the same everywhere. Apparently, people are allowed to open small business. For instance you can have an eatery with four tables, or your own stand to sell stuff.
They have quite a nice system with the money there. They’ve created the Cuban Convertible Peso. Not worth anything in other countries; can only be used in Cuba. It is pretty much on par with the Euro. It is a joke that their money is worth more than our Canadian Dollar! When you change your money into Cuban Dollars they charge you a 10% fee and when you change them back at the end of the trip you get charged 10% again. So it is best to only exchange as much money as you think you’ll need. Actually, you don’t need that much if you stay in an all-inclusive resort, unless you want to go on excursion trips or buy a lot of souvenirs. The excursion trips are expensive.
There were mostly Canadians at our resort. The tour guides make jokes why everyone loves Cuba: There are no Americans. Americans are, apparently not welcome, which is not true. Cubans have no problems with having Americans visiting. They’ll be treated like any other vacationer. The sad truth is that Americans are not allowed by law to visit Cuba. Anyone who does is, apparently, fined up to $10,000 and is not allowed to travel for 5 – 7 years! I was surprised to hear that if it is true. And that in the country of the Brave and Free! Apparently not so free. I can see that the government prohibits trade with certain countries but to forbid citizens to travel? That smacks of dictatorship.
Americans do travel to Cuba through Toronto or Montreal. We have no problem with that. The Cubans don’t stamp passports for that reason.
When you travel you experience and see many different things. Some good, some not so good. You meet all kinds of people and sometimes it is upsetting to see how people behave. I’m talking about other travelers.
Their type can be found in every resort. Already on the bus from the airport to the resort we had one guy who felt it was his duty to entertain the whole bus. Talking loud, cheering, and demanding beer from the attendant. Luckily, he went to a different resort. Not that it mattered; his clones were already at our resort.
I don’t want to mention any nationalities, but one wonders if some people behave like that in their own country. The large groups are the worst. Forget about relaxing on the beach or having a quiet dinner, because their loud conversations and laughter will keep you alert. Some bring a radio to the beach and make certain everyone can listen to their music. And when they’re done celebrating and drinking at around 2 o’clock in the morning they make it known to everyone how great a time they are having. The fact that some people are sleeping doesn’t bother them at all.
Some travelers seem to believe the waiters and waitresses are their servants, calling with a loud voice for service, or waving their arms and calling ‘Hey you’ or the equivalent in their language.
What really appalled me was the terrible waste of food. Just because it is an all-inclusive resort doesn’t mean that you can load up your plate and leave half of the food behind…uneaten. I’ve seen full glasses of milk, yogurt, wine, beer, and plates piled up high with uneaten deserts, after the people got up and left the table.
And what is this habit of putting plates full of bread, meat, salads, or deserts in the middle of the table and then leaving most of it uneaten? You can do that at home, but this is a buffet where everyone gets their own plate of food.
Clean water in the third world countries is valuable, and yet I’ve seen people order a glass of water and never touch it.
What must go on inside the mind of the waitress who cleans a table and has to throw all this good food into the trash can when she is aware of the fact that the best food produced in her country is only available to the tourists?
People who are this wasteful should be ashamed and hope they never get into a position where they don’t have enough to eat. I grew up after the war in Germany and we went through bad times. We didn’t always have enough food. My parents taught us to save and not to waste anything, and that has stuck with me to this day. I am grateful to live in a great country like Canada where people with ambition can achieve their dreams of having a home, clothing, and there is no shortage of food, but that doesn’t mean we can waste it. There are still many people in this world who go hungry every day and don’t have a roof over their heads. Sometimes it is good to take a step back and contemplate these things.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Slave, Book One of Stars in Chains needs votes
My book Stars in Chains, Slave, is on the list of Best of February at D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters. Please vote for me by going directly to this site
http://polldaddy.com/s/CFCBC5141734BAB1
or check out the book to read the first chapter here:
http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/2011/02/slave-by-herbert-grosshans.html You can cast your vote from that page by clicking on Vote Now under Best of February.
Thank you for your support.
http://polldaddy.com/s/CFCBC5141734BAB1
or check out the book to read the first chapter here:
http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/2011/02/slave-by-herbert-grosshans.html You can cast your vote from that page by clicking on Vote Now under Best of February.
Thank you for your support.
Friday, February 25, 2011
The tetanus shot
No, that is not the title of my new novel. I cut my hand last Friday and had to go to Emergency to get it treated. They gave me a tetanus shot just as a precaution. The last shot I had was over twenty years ago when I got my finger caught in a fishhook.
The booster shot hurt for the first few days. The pain is mostly gone but I developed a bit of a rash around the injection area. So I checked it out on the internet. It is a reaction and not that uncommon. I found a site http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-the-tetanus-vaccine-hurt-so-much.htm with comments from other people about their experience. Here are some of the funnier ones:
I took the first tetanus vaccine after I got hit on the head with a metal bar. They gave me the shot on my right and left arm in the ER and told me to get another after a month. No side effects. The one I took after a month was in the right arm only and I didn't expect anything to happen. I wasn't warned about any side effects.
My God!! It is a killer. A hard lump on the right arm where the injection was administered. Chills and joint aches. Muscles twitching. Throat inflammation. Neck muscles tight. A feeling of my chest being pressured downwards. Dizziness. Nausea. Loss of appetite. Weight loss. And the most weird feeling is the itching with the sensation of a worm moving up and down my skin! If only they had told me. I am so annoyed they didn't warn me. I thought I had a disease. I thought i was dying!!
I just got my tetanus shot for college. I also just started playing drums for my university's gospel choir. It’s been a day since I got it and I tried to practice playing but my arms felt weak. People at church have been welcoming me back from college (I’m on break) and have giving me pats on the arm which has also made the day hard on my arms. The moral of this story is that Tetanus shots and God don't mix.
I got my shot 3 days ago and I feel like death. The doc said it should go away in 2 days. It seems to be getting worse. After reading all these posts... Im beginning to lose faith.
My arm is useless and I wanna die. Thats all.
it does not hurt that much. very bearable. but then again, I'm strong
i am getting my injection in a couple of days and now i feel like hell from all the things i have heard i hate this needle as it is and now i am scared to even go to school.
The booster shot hurt for the first few days. The pain is mostly gone but I developed a bit of a rash around the injection area. So I checked it out on the internet. It is a reaction and not that uncommon. I found a site http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-the-tetanus-vaccine-hurt-so-much.htm with comments from other people about their experience. Here are some of the funnier ones:
I took the first tetanus vaccine after I got hit on the head with a metal bar. They gave me the shot on my right and left arm in the ER and told me to get another after a month. No side effects. The one I took after a month was in the right arm only and I didn't expect anything to happen. I wasn't warned about any side effects.
My God!! It is a killer. A hard lump on the right arm where the injection was administered. Chills and joint aches. Muscles twitching. Throat inflammation. Neck muscles tight. A feeling of my chest being pressured downwards. Dizziness. Nausea. Loss of appetite. Weight loss. And the most weird feeling is the itching with the sensation of a worm moving up and down my skin! If only they had told me. I am so annoyed they didn't warn me. I thought I had a disease. I thought i was dying!!
I just got my tetanus shot for college. I also just started playing drums for my university's gospel choir. It’s been a day since I got it and I tried to practice playing but my arms felt weak. People at church have been welcoming me back from college (I’m on break) and have giving me pats on the arm which has also made the day hard on my arms. The moral of this story is that Tetanus shots and God don't mix.
I got my shot 3 days ago and I feel like death. The doc said it should go away in 2 days. It seems to be getting worse. After reading all these posts... Im beginning to lose faith.
My arm is useless and I wanna die. Thats all.
it does not hurt that much. very bearable. but then again, I'm strong
i am getting my injection in a couple of days and now i feel like hell from all the things i have heard i hate this needle as it is and now i am scared to even go to school.
Pirates and other criminals
Yahspirit1 left a comment regarding my last post, quoting Proverb13:8. This is what the proverb says: The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.
Like all other proverbs the meaning of this one can be interpreted in many ways. I read some of these interpretations. According to these ‘wise men’ money is the root of all evil, and it is better to be poor than rich, because you have nothing anybody else wants. You have no worries (except for all the worries being poor throws at you!).
Of course, the pirates don’t live by this principal. They want what a rich man (or woman) has and they take it by force.
Like I said before being poor is no excuse for committing a crime.
In a free, democratic country with laws to protect its citizens anyone who has ambition and is willing to work does not have to be poor. Of course, there are always those lazy ones who want to take a shortcut and, instead of working and saving, they take from the ones who do. As yahspirit1 said there has to be evil as well as good in the world. That’s fine, but good builds and evil destroys, and the evil ones have to be punished. Crime and punishment go hand in hand.
Instead of praying and waiting for some higher power to change things we have to realize if we don’t act it won’t happen. God helps those who help themselves.
Oh well, now I’m beginning to do exactly what I hate…preaching and quoting. I’m not a religious fanatic. I’m barely religious but I believe there are basic universal laws we Humans must follow, and one of those laws is to respect other people’s life and possessions. If you want something you have to earn it, not take it from others. If you violate this law you will suffer the consequences. It can’t get any more basic than that.
Thank you, yahspirit1, for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
Like all other proverbs the meaning of this one can be interpreted in many ways. I read some of these interpretations. According to these ‘wise men’ money is the root of all evil, and it is better to be poor than rich, because you have nothing anybody else wants. You have no worries (except for all the worries being poor throws at you!).
Of course, the pirates don’t live by this principal. They want what a rich man (or woman) has and they take it by force.
Like I said before being poor is no excuse for committing a crime.
In a free, democratic country with laws to protect its citizens anyone who has ambition and is willing to work does not have to be poor. Of course, there are always those lazy ones who want to take a shortcut and, instead of working and saving, they take from the ones who do. As yahspirit1 said there has to be evil as well as good in the world. That’s fine, but good builds and evil destroys, and the evil ones have to be punished. Crime and punishment go hand in hand.
Instead of praying and waiting for some higher power to change things we have to realize if we don’t act it won’t happen. God helps those who help themselves.
Oh well, now I’m beginning to do exactly what I hate…preaching and quoting. I’m not a religious fanatic. I’m barely religious but I believe there are basic universal laws we Humans must follow, and one of those laws is to respect other people’s life and possessions. If you want something you have to earn it, not take it from others. If you violate this law you will suffer the consequences. It can’t get any more basic than that.
Thank you, yahspirit1, for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Somali Pirates, Murder and Justice.
I don’t always write about my books. Sometimes I need to write about other stuff, things that bug and upset me. This time it is the murder of those four people who sailed around the world, trying to enjoy life and experiencing the adventure of a lifetime. They meant no harm to anyone. The dream ended when Somali pirates captured their boat and kidnapped them. When a rescue team tried to free them, all four people had been wounded by the pirates to such an extend they died from their injuries. I wasn’t there so I don’t know any details, only what the media reports, but according to some sources it was a botched rescue attempt. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. There is one fact: four innocent, good people were kidnapped by Somali pirates. Had it not been for that they would still be alive. The pirates were taken prisoner and will stand trial in the US for kidnapping, murder, and whatever.
I hope they will all be found guilty and sentenced to death. I have no mercy or pity with criminals. Unfortunately, with all the bleeding hearts out there, they’ll find a lawyer, who doesn’t really care about justice, only about becoming famous and filling his pocketbook. Those poor Somalis…they have no choice but to rob and kill people. After all, they are living in poor conditions, no money for food, shelter and all the good things. Being poor is no excuse for committing crimes, be it in Somalia or in any other country. They do have money for arms, ammunition, and ships, though. My suggestion: get an honest job and spend your energy to change things in your country.
It’s a good thing these murderers weren’t brought to Canada. They would have been eligible to apply for refugee status, and our immigration people would have allowed them to stay here, given them money and shelter and get them established so they can maybe start up a gang and rob people here. Possibly bring all their relatives later on.
One thing I can’t understand: Why doesn’t the rest of the world get together and blow these pirate ships out of the water and get rid of them for good? We know who and where they are. I guess there is no money in it…no oil interests to protect for one thing. They do buy weapons and ammunition. Somebody is making money somewhere.
In my novel, ‘Lizard World’, the first book ‘Epsilon’ which will be published in July of this year, the main character Terrex Stonewall is put in a position where he has to deal with a criminal gang. Backed by Military Law he deals with it swiftly and efficiently by condemning them to death and immediate execution.
Sometimes we writers are asked: how much of yourself do you put into your characters? My answer to that is: Sometimes my characters are nothing at all what I am. They may say and do things I would never condone in real life, but sometimes I do put my feelings and thoughts into my characters. The way my character Terrex Stonewall deals with the situation is the way I would have dealt with it…had I been in his shoes.
I was raised in the Christian Faith and taught to forgive, not to be the aggressor. That is a noble principle…in dreams. We live in a brutal world; it is filled with all kinds of criminals, with thieves, murderers, and religious zealots who blow themselves up for idiotic reasons like promised sex in the afterlife, murdering innocent people in the process. It is filled with people who want to do you harm, who break into your home, hold you hostage, try to steal your money directly or indirectly. Drugdealers…Slavers…I could go on. You can only be forgiving for so long until you have to say: enough is enough. It is time to remove some of these people.
Ahh…I’ve ranted enough. Back to some serious writing. I’ve written 44,000 words so far in Book Six in the Xandra series. No title yet.
I hope they will all be found guilty and sentenced to death. I have no mercy or pity with criminals. Unfortunately, with all the bleeding hearts out there, they’ll find a lawyer, who doesn’t really care about justice, only about becoming famous and filling his pocketbook. Those poor Somalis…they have no choice but to rob and kill people. After all, they are living in poor conditions, no money for food, shelter and all the good things. Being poor is no excuse for committing crimes, be it in Somalia or in any other country. They do have money for arms, ammunition, and ships, though. My suggestion: get an honest job and spend your energy to change things in your country.
It’s a good thing these murderers weren’t brought to Canada. They would have been eligible to apply for refugee status, and our immigration people would have allowed them to stay here, given them money and shelter and get them established so they can maybe start up a gang and rob people here. Possibly bring all their relatives later on.
One thing I can’t understand: Why doesn’t the rest of the world get together and blow these pirate ships out of the water and get rid of them for good? We know who and where they are. I guess there is no money in it…no oil interests to protect for one thing. They do buy weapons and ammunition. Somebody is making money somewhere.
In my novel, ‘Lizard World’, the first book ‘Epsilon’ which will be published in July of this year, the main character Terrex Stonewall is put in a position where he has to deal with a criminal gang. Backed by Military Law he deals with it swiftly and efficiently by condemning them to death and immediate execution.
Sometimes we writers are asked: how much of yourself do you put into your characters? My answer to that is: Sometimes my characters are nothing at all what I am. They may say and do things I would never condone in real life, but sometimes I do put my feelings and thoughts into my characters. The way my character Terrex Stonewall deals with the situation is the way I would have dealt with it…had I been in his shoes.
I was raised in the Christian Faith and taught to forgive, not to be the aggressor. That is a noble principle…in dreams. We live in a brutal world; it is filled with all kinds of criminals, with thieves, murderers, and religious zealots who blow themselves up for idiotic reasons like promised sex in the afterlife, murdering innocent people in the process. It is filled with people who want to do you harm, who break into your home, hold you hostage, try to steal your money directly or indirectly. Drugdealers…Slavers…I could go on. You can only be forgiving for so long until you have to say: enough is enough. It is time to remove some of these people.
Ahh…I’ve ranted enough. Back to some serious writing. I’ve written 44,000 words so far in Book Six in the Xandra series. No title yet.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who visits me.
I promised you a free copy of my short story 'Gin and Tonic'. Is is one of the stories in the digest 'Summer Sensations' from Melange Books, LLC
To get your free copy of my story send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca and ask for it.
I promised you a free copy of my short story 'Gin and Tonic'. Is is one of the stories in the digest 'Summer Sensations' from Melange Books, LLC
To get your free copy of my story send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca and ask for it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Free copy of Stardogs Book One
To get a free download of Stardogs, Book One, Return to Redsky, just send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca and tell me what month and year Book Four of The Xandra, Lure of Seduction will be published and by what publisher.
Hint: You need to scroll down.
Hint: You need to scroll down.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
The Xandra Book Four and Five
Yesterday I signed the contract with my publisher Melange Books, LLC for 'The Xandra, Book Four, Lure of Seduction' and 'The Xandra, Book Five, Escape from Paradise'. They'll be published February and April 2012. Seems a long time away, but I already have six books coming this year and one in January 2012. In the meantime I'll keep on writing. As of today I've written 34,000 words in Book six of The Xandra. I don't have a title yet, but it'll come to me when I'm done with it. It seems to flow quite nicely right now. There will definitely be a seventh book in the series, possibly even an eighth one. I went to see a movie last week (The Tourist. I enjoyed it). While watching it I was hit with an idea for a novel. I even wrote down some things. It's still vague but it deals with dimensions, maybe even time travel. But first I have to finish with the Xandra, at least with Book six and seven. That's what happens sometimes. An idea comes and wants to see the light of day. Sometimes I have to drop what I'm working on, but I must be strong...strong...
Thursday, February 03, 2011
I have to admit when it comes to Facebook I am 'Facebook-challenged'. I wrote
some comments on my 'Wall', (I do know a couple of 'slang words'). I questioned
on that 'Wall', if anybody actually sees what I wrote? Most of the stuff on my
FB site is from a guy by the name of Miachael Todd Shields. He's got 4,800
friends. I don't even know who the guy is. Why did I become friends with him?
Most of the stuff he writes is gibberish to me. Is that some kind of new
language I don't understand? Why does his stuff appear on my site? How can I get
others to see what I wrote? As you see, I am totally lost when it comes to FB
(When I saw the letters FB for the first time I though it meant FBI, with the
'I' missing.)
I get constantly emails from people who want to make me rich. They tell me to use the 'Social networks', like Facebook, Twitter and all the others I don't even know about. Even my blog could be used. My question always is the same: How do people find me? Sure, I know about search engines and stuff like that. I belong to a number of yahoo groups where other authors post news about their books, hoping readers will see them and hopefully buy their books. I'm not even sure if readers belong to these groups, because there is always a ton of promos and excerpts from other writers and I'm wondering do readers actually see my posts and promos among all those ads. There are millions of people using the internet and there have to be millions of readers and potential buyers out there. How can you get those people to visit your blot or website without paying out a lot of money for advertising. I even question the ads from commercial advertising companies I see on the sites. Do they bring in more buyers than my own ads? I doubt it.
Lately I've spent way too much time cruising the internet for ways to advertise my books and have not discovered a satisfying way to do so.
I'd like to spend my time writing and not waste it visiting all these websites to see the same stuff over and over: ads from other hopeful authors. And many of the yahoo sites advertise nothing but personal ads from people who want to have threesomes and who-knows-what. But I guess that's the age of the internet and if I look long enough I may even find what I'm looking for. It's like looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I can only hope not too many have found the pot before me and if they did they've left a few coins for me.
some comments on my 'Wall', (I do know a couple of 'slang words'). I questioned
on that 'Wall', if anybody actually sees what I wrote? Most of the stuff on my
FB site is from a guy by the name of Miachael Todd Shields. He's got 4,800
friends. I don't even know who the guy is. Why did I become friends with him?
Most of the stuff he writes is gibberish to me. Is that some kind of new
language I don't understand? Why does his stuff appear on my site? How can I get
others to see what I wrote? As you see, I am totally lost when it comes to FB
(When I saw the letters FB for the first time I though it meant FBI, with the
'I' missing.)
I get constantly emails from people who want to make me rich. They tell me to use the 'Social networks', like Facebook, Twitter and all the others I don't even know about. Even my blog could be used. My question always is the same: How do people find me? Sure, I know about search engines and stuff like that. I belong to a number of yahoo groups where other authors post news about their books, hoping readers will see them and hopefully buy their books. I'm not even sure if readers belong to these groups, because there is always a ton of promos and excerpts from other writers and I'm wondering do readers actually see my posts and promos among all those ads. There are millions of people using the internet and there have to be millions of readers and potential buyers out there. How can you get those people to visit your blot or website without paying out a lot of money for advertising. I even question the ads from commercial advertising companies I see on the sites. Do they bring in more buyers than my own ads? I doubt it.
Lately I've spent way too much time cruising the internet for ways to advertise my books and have not discovered a satisfying way to do so.
I'd like to spend my time writing and not waste it visiting all these websites to see the same stuff over and over: ads from other hopeful authors. And many of the yahoo sites advertise nothing but personal ads from people who want to have threesomes and who-knows-what. But I guess that's the age of the internet and if I look long enough I may even find what I'm looking for. It's like looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I can only hope not too many have found the pot before me and if they did they've left a few coins for me.
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