S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 77

What I Wore Today

[image error] And it's time once again for the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm doing in approximately 30 weeks. 
Today's prompt is "What you wore today." I don't change what I wear a lot. It's usually black pants (WalMart), polo shirts (J.C. Pennys), and running shoes (Asic Gels from Big 5 Sports). Since I work out of my home, I don't need to impress anyone. Some days I'll wear a T-shirt. But not every day.
I know, I'm boring. Even if I want to "dress up" I usually just put a sports jacket on over what I described above (yes, with running shoes; after I stopped working 8 - 6, I decided I was never wearing uncomfortable shoes again).
Oh, and sometimes I wear a hat, like in my profile picture. I own two hats (well, more than that if you count baseball caps): a brown felt fedora and a white straw fedora for summer.
What do you wear most of the time?

UW Huskies Still Playing Great

The University of Washington Huskies are still playing very well. Yesterday they faced FCS team Portland State. Overall, the offense had a little trouble with Portland State, while the defense held the opponents to just three points. I wanted the Huskies to have a score over 40 to keep their high ranking in the AP College Football Poll. They went into the game at #8 in the nation. The poll released this morning has them #9. Probably not because we did worse, but because someone else (Michigan State) did better. But we are still a top-ten team.

One place the Huskies have not shone is the run game. They have some great running backs but they haven't be using them. Part of this is that sophomore quarterback Jake Browning is so good throwing the ball. But yesterday the Huskies did run the ball more and they looked good.

Unlike the Rutgers and Idaho blowouts, the second and third string players weren't on the field for most of the second half. They didn't come out until about halfway through the fourth quarter. But, even then, the Huskies managed a last minute touchdown. The final score was 3-41.

The Huskies are number two in the Pac-12 North after Stanford who is 2-0. But Stanford has a conference win (they beat USC yesterday) so that puts them over the 3-0 Huskies who have yet to play a conference game.

But next week, the Huskies start playing conference teams with a trip to Tuscon to play Arizona. The Huskies are favored to win that game, but it won't be a blow out. Then they play #7 Stanford (been #7 for three weeks now) on September 30th. That should be a good game, and they play at home so that helps, and I think the Huskies have a chance to win it. But just a chance if they don't make any huge mistakes.

And the Nike Ducks lost to Nebraska yesterday, putting them out of the top 25 AP poll. So that's good news. Right now there are three Pac-12 teams that are ranked: Stanford, the UW Huskies, and Utah at #24. I've read that the Utah Utes may be the sleeper team this year. We'll have to see.

Spooktacular Authors Giveaway

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The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Raymond Burke and Ira Nayman

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Raymond Burke and Ira Nayman.
Raymond BurkeRaymond Burke

My background includes an early life in Canada and the US, employment in the British Army as an aircraft technician, an MSc degree in Archaeology from University College London, and I'm also a member of The Mars Society. I wrote short-articles for (the now defunct) Helium.com and have future aspirations to be a screen-writer.  I cunningly live without a fridge, satellite TV, iPod, and also can’t drive. I'm a self-confessed 21st century caveman . . . and love it!

Raymond's Book:

The Starguards – Of Humans, Heroes, and Demigods

Raymond's Links:

Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Ira NaymanIra Nayman

Ira Nayman is Newton’s Fourth Law of Motion. You know, the black sheep of the laws that the Newton family doesn’t like to talk about at get-togethers. The one who writes humourous science fiction in a serious science fiction world. The one whose fourth novel, It’s Just the Chronosphere Unfolding as it Should has just been published by Elsewhen Press. The one whose seventh self-published Alternate Reality News Service book (featuring the best in comedic science fiction in handy journalistic form) will be out late in 2016. The one who has a Web site of topical social and political satire, Les Pages aux Folles. The one who…doesn’t always know how to bring a comedy premise home and hopes nobody notices. Yeah, that Newton’s Fourth Law of Motion!

Ira's Book:

Chronosphere Unfolding as it Should

Ira's Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

From Today's Program: Dark Matter May Feel a Dark Force.

Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT, or in archive here.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Back to the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm doing in about 30 weeks.

Today's prompt is "What would you say to an ex."

This one is hard. I only really have one ex and we broke up in 1980 (36 years ago). There's not really much to say after all this time. About the only thing I can think to say is, "You broke my heart, but I'm glad you did." Why? Because my life would not be what it is today without that breakup.

So a short entry today. What would you say to your ex? Comment below.

Huskies are 2-0

The University of Washington Husky football program is 2-0 so far to start the season. In a game much like last week's rout of Rutgers, the Huskies decimated the University of Idaho Vandals by a lopsided score of 59-14. And Idaho's 14 points were scored in the second half of the game when Husky coach Chris Petersen started rotating second and third string players into the game. Idaho played their starters the entire four quarters.

UW starting quarterback Jake Browning was amazing, escaping possible sacks and still getting the ball downfield to a receiver. The UW ground game tends to have amazing long-play bursts, but sometimes gets ground to a halt at the line of scrimmage. That's something Petersen will have to work on before the Huskies start playing Pac-12 teams in two weeks (starting at Arizona on the 24th).

I'm hoping before facing #7 Stanford, the #8 Huskies will remain undefeated (rankings from this morning's AP poll).

This is, so far, looking like it's going to be a great season. Go Dawgs!

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Dudley Mecum and Robin Leigh Anderson

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are please to welcome writers Dudley Mecum and Robin Leigh Anderson.
Dudley MecumDudley Mecum

 Dudley Mecum, a trained commercial pilot, earned an MBA in Finance, later working at a defense manufacturer. He currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas, where he enjoys fine art, swimming, and virtual flying.

Dudley's Book:

A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom

Dudley's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Robin Leigh Anderson

Robin Leigh AndersonRobin Leigh Anderson was born in the Montana Rockies and escaped to California in the early 1970s.  She attended school in Montana, Washington State, and California, eventually settling in beautiful Santa Barbara with child and cats where she lived for 38 years before escaping sans grown child and late cats to Northern California.  An advocate of reinventing oneself, Ms. Anderson dabbled in many of the major disciplines of life, providing fodder for the writing she pursued since she was eight.  She has won numerous awards at writing conferences over the years, and was staff of the prestigious Santa Barbara Writer Conference for ten years.  She has published numerous articles and short stories in her lifetime.  She taught “crash-and-burn” intensive writing seminars in Santa Barbara and was the moderator of a writers' critique group.  She still conducts occasional seminars and enjoys editing others’ works, words being her all-consuming passion, as she writes in several genres.

Robin's Book:

Suncatcher

Robin's Links

Website
Twiiter

From today's show: Ceres May Have a Warm Heart

Listen to today's show at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT, or in archive here.

Butterflies of Wisdom Podcast Interview

Listen to my interview on the Butterflies of Wisdom Podcast here. We talked about books, writing, and Starbucks. It was fun.

Four Weird Traits I Have

Back to the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm doing in (approximately) 30 weeks.

The next prompt is "Four weird traits you have." I've had to think about this a lot.

One: I have red hair and blue eyes. This is supposed to be very rare (less than 2% of the world population). It's actually rather common in my extended family. And, my hair (what's left of it) is getting less red all the time. This also means I have very fair skin and I sunburn without protection on a sunny day in 15 minutes. I can sunburn on cloudy days quickly, too. If I'm going to be outside for any length of time, I have to wear a hat and sunscreen.

Two: I'm fairly good at mathematics but I'll pick up a calculator to discover 2 + 2 = 4. I almost can't do math in my head. And I've study math through differential equations (although doing one now would be a challenge).

Three: I'm a strange combination of ADD and OCD. That's "Attention Deficit Disorder" and "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." I am easily distracted and my mind can take off on a tangent with the slightest provocation. I'm actually on a prescription drug to help this (and it does, some). But when I'm writing a novel I go to huge effort to make sure I know the exact number of words, excluding chapter headings and scene break marks. And when I'm doing that, little can distract me. The same with the writing itself.

Four: I think I have an exceptional scene of smell. For instance, I was at Starbucks today (big surprise to those who know me) and I could smell someone's coffee. But not just the coffee smell, I was picking out smells of peat and marijuana. I'll complain about a smell that no one else will pick up. I think this is why I can't eat foods some people can, such as liver or squash. They smell awful to me (liver makes my nauseated) so I can't eat them.

And that's it, four weird traits I have.

Huskies are #8!

For the first time in I have no idea how long, the University of Washington Huskies football team is ranked in the top ten of the AP poll! Top ten!

Last week they were #14 but after their blow out of Rutgers, apparently the voters in the poll saw something they liked.

After USC and UCLA lost their opening games, they dropped out of the top 25. There are currently three Pac-12 teams in the top 25: #7 Stanford, #8 Washington, and #24 Nike, err, I mean Oregon (the same spot they were last week).

This is shaping up to be a great year to be a Husky. Go Dawgs!
UPDATE: That is the Huskies highest ranking since 2001.