Phil Sanderson's Blog

Paranormalysis — Paralyzed by Fright and Things that Haunt the Night

Okay…

I have good news and bad news…let’s start with the bad news first.  It’s bad news for my followers and fiction-reading fans, but not for me, really.  I have decided to go back to college, due to my intense hatred of all things retail and all things corporate.

Having spent a wealth of my adult years managing one retail business or another, I’ve come to the same conclusion:  Most corporate retailers don’t give a single damn for the people who work in the trenches to make them filthy rich.  All they care about is their intense greed for feeding the bottomless pit that is within themselves.  Therefore, I have decided to go back to school to become a teacher.

As a full-time college student, I’m hoping that I will be able to work two more years toward achieving a Bachelor of the Science degree in English Education with no problems that will delay me from my goal in helping teach grammar, literature, and creative writing to creative students with whom I may have the fortune to cross paths.  This being said, it will be awhile before I can write another novel.  But I plan to focus on short stories for now, and publication of them whenever and wherever I can.

Now for the good news!  I have just finished the first draft of my very first horror short story, Paranormalysis, based on a true story.  I will also provide a cover tease in this article here:

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My brother just had a stroke, and I have based the story solely upon him and what he probably feels like in this very troubling existence.  I visited him in Dallas recently, and he was trying to complain about something in his room.  Because he can no longer speak very well, I could not figure it out.  But something was bugging the hell out of him.  I even tried to get others to come over and see if they could help me figure it out.  But we all failed to do so, making him angrier and more upset that we could not figure it out.

Then it occurred to me.  What if my brother had seen a ghost in his room.  And BOOM!  This is the concept of my new story.

Here is an excerpt:

The ghost is halfway around the bed, now only a few feet away from me!  I suddenly see that a plastic cup of water is only about an inch away from my outstretched hand on the nightstand.  I quickly give a very broad sweep of my hand and knock the cup directly at the form fast approaching me!  Water sprays out all over the place and hits the same space where the spirit is located! 

RUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM….I barely notice the sound of thunder.

The room lights up yet again.  And I see her mouth drawing downward in a snarl just before it opens wider than a human mouth should ever be able to!  I hear a loud SHREEEEEEEEEEEEIK from my visitor!  Did the water somehow hurt her?

Then I’m aware of her swooning directly over me with an angry countenance!  Next, I’m aware of myself being lifted off the bed, though I feel not where the entity has grabbed me, no thanks to my partial paralysis.  It is the most bizarre feeling!  Next, I am aware of myself flipped upside down, flying across the room toward the television on the chest of drawers nearly 10 feet away!  I haven’t moved this fast since even maybe years before my stroke!

I scream as the catheter is yanked mercilessly from my penis as the bag of urine hanging from one of the ribs of the bed’s side gate manages to win the tug of war!

SHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!  Another scream from the entity just before my foot slams through the television screen and I feel a sharp sting around my Achilles tendon!  A sharp pain shoots through my back as – still upside down – I find myself slamming into something and then falling to the floor, about to land on my head.  But I quickly bring my good left arm out to take most of the impact!

So what do you think of the excerpt?  What do you think of my decision to go back to school to teach others the very same skills I possess?  What do you think about life in general?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave a comment below.

2018 Is Here and Has Been Since 2013!

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As author of the prophetic 2018: An Uncivil War, I am grateful to announce there was no civil war declared in the United States on Jan 23, as is the case depicted in this fear-laden, thought-provoking techno-thriller.

However, the current environment here in the United States of America is every bit as chaotic as it is in the novel. President Donald J. Trump, after winning the 2016 Presidential Election, all but declared war on the democrats, the liberal left, the mainstream media, and all things corrupt. Lawmakers have attempted to bring charges against him in hopes of impeachment. But no one has found anything that can stick.  It’s as if he is the Teflon President.

If I was a betting person, right now I would believe that any civil war that occurs in this nation will NOT be based on gun rights versus gun control, as I depicted in my novel; but between the two leading political parties here in this great nation:  the Republicans and the Democrats. Right now, if you look on Facebook and Twitter, you can see intense political hatred between not only politicians, but the regular citizens of America alike. You can also see all sorts of challenges being made on all different levels.

Please don’t get me wrong, however. The topic of gun rights versus gun control is not innocent at all in any of these matters. As a matter of fact, one of my predictions in 2018: An Uncivil War (though I did not realize it was a prediction at the time) actually came true. You can read the article I wrote upon discovery here: https://philsandersonwriter.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/fiction-not-prophecy/ A local newspaper, The Greenville Standard, even covered the story in this particular article.

Since the novel has come to print, we have seen multiple school shootings, which have yielded many stories of terror in the newspapers and been told by witnesses who were present. The NRA has been ridiculously blamed for these atrocities as well as many lawmakers. The liberal left has taken it upon themselves to erroneously declare the AR-15, one of the weapons used in these shootings, a “combat” weapon. Also, just like in my novel, there has been some outcry in Congress to repeal the 2nd Amendment.

Therefore, if we do see a civil war between American Republicans and Democrats or the Conservatives versus the Liberals, the 2nd Amendment will surely factor in. And there is still a possibility, however minute, that a civil war could erupt over the sole issue of the Second Amendment and gun rights.

Yet, as a reader, none of this should really matter. I did all the legwork (the interviews, the research, the writing and re-writing of the novel) so that readers, action and intrigue lovers, and generally good people on both sides of the gun debate could enjoy a very realistic and intense tale of heroism, friendship, and sacrifice during very trying times. And this war epic will always remain timeless as long as people struggle to fight for what they believe in.

I’ve actually started making notes on a possible sequel.  But I am not yet sure where to entirely go with it.  I’m not exactly sure that a sequel to the story will see the time of day.  I guess it really all has to do with how well this novel sells into the future.

If you have not yet found time to read 2018: An Uncivil War, what are you waiting on? 2018 is already here!  And it has been here since 2013.  Claim your e-book copy here for only 99 cents:  goo.gl/zM6E20  The novel is also available in other formats as well.

Phil Sanderson’s Indy Author Toolbox!

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Several times during my long stint as a writer, I have often been asked:  “What does it take to become a published writer?”

These days, all it takes is Microsoft Word and an internet connection.  And that is it!  This being said, it is a lot easier than it used to be.  The only way to be published before Amazon and other pioneering online booksellers paved the way for self-publishing was that of traditional publishing, which still has not changed very much ever since the start of the industrialization of book printing.

So let’s look back at the original question:  “What does it take to be come a published writer?”

To me, any writer worth their salt should not want to become a PUBLISHED writer, but more so a distinct and seasoned one.  Grant it that no writer is perfect by any sort of means, but writers should still at least attempt to do everything to strive toward that perfection.  They shouldn’t be too scared to PAY THE PRICE and EARN THE TITLE.

Anyone can put together some literary turd, put any image on it that will come to be known as the cover for said literary turd, and call it a published book, thereby claiming the status as published writer.  All that serves is to discredit the whole movement of indy authors everywhere the world over.

So my chief advice to writers everywhere who desire to be self-published authors is simple:  Bring something solid to the table, something that will make traditionally-published authors look over their snobby shoulder with even the vaguest of worries.  In doing so, here is my advice:

First, Pay the Price!

Read a grammar book cover-to-cover the same way you would a novel written by your favorite author, not only READING it, but ABSORBING the knowledge like a Bounty paper towel.  If you choose not to make it through, it is clear that you do not have the true desire to be a prolific author.  Why even bother attempting it?  If you find that you become truly fascinated by the rules of the road, then this is a true sign that you may stand a wonderful chance of becoming something more than the author of a literary turd.
Read many, many different books by many, many different successful authors.  I myself have started reading several classic works.  This past Christmas, I read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  And a couple of years ago, I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving just before Halloween…and one of my most favorite classics, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one I will never forget!  These classics and many, many more paved the way for successful literature all over the world.
If you desire to write fiction, read many, many different books about the craft of writing, plot development, creating memorable characters, creating conflict and tension in your stories, and all other elements that may be essential in creating a story that people will remember through the ages.

Next, Stay True to The Craft!

When it comes time to sit down and begin your book, set a rigid writing schedule; and do  not let anything come between you and it.  Work diligently to complete your first draft.  When you finish, work diligently to complete your second draft paying close attention, looking out for errors in grammar and punctuation.
It’s not a bad idea to obtain a subscription to Writer’s Digest if you can afford it.  You can learn so many valuable lessons and great tidbits of information from this one terrific magazine that has been around seemingly almost since Jesus Christ was a little boy.
Let anyone and everyone you meet know about your project.  Be excited when you tell them about it.  It is the only way you will be able to get them excited about it.  If they see the thrill on your face, it may be contagious enough for them to want to experience it directly as soon as it is finished.
Disregard the Nay-Sayers.  If anyone, at anytime , tells you:  “Why do you even bother?”  You look them in the eye and say:  “Fuck you!  I try, because I know I can.”  And you keep sitting back down at the chopping block, prepared to hammer out your best writing fueled by the words of the punch-bowl turd you just heard.
Finally, through the entire writing process, do not write to become rich and famous.  I hate to tell you that this will probably never happen.  But write because you love it!  And content yourself with knowing that your writing will still be around long after you are gone.  For this one extreme reason, this is why it is so important to not have a literary turd survive you.  Do you really want your name to be associated with such a piece of shit long after you are gone?  This is where paying the price literally pays off!
If you can afford it, DEFINITELY hire an editor worth their salt.  Also, if you can find an agent who is LEGITIMATE (…and you can tell those by the ones who say to you: “I don’t make money until after you make money”…) then you better jump on it!
Don’t be scared by the advice I’m offering here.  Because even a turd nugget can be turned into a priceless gem after the editing process is completed.  Look at this as a challenge that you know you can overcome.
Also be sure to avoid organizations out there which prey on new writers.  I fell into a trap of using AuthorHouse as my first publisher.  I’ve yet to see my very first penny of royalty from this organization.  They do, however, provide an excellent product…but they WAY overcharge for it.

And Finally!  The Tools of the Trade!

With all of this said, every writer should have some tools at his arsenal.  These are the tools I recommend:

Good Laptop!  You can use a typewriter, word-processor (if they still make these dinosaurs!), or a desktop computer.  But I personally prefer laptops.  Because sometimes you can do some of your best writing in a coffee cafe!  Nothing like a ravenous stream of caffeine to wash away the old writer’s block!
Laptop Bag (I use a messenger bag that holds my reference books as well!)
Memory Stick or USB Drive (Keep Your Manuscript Here for Backup!)
Decent Internet Connection
Good Dictionary & Thesaurus (You Can Also Use http://www.dictionary.com )
Good Reference Books (Some of Which are FREE!)  I’ll even include links where you can get them!

Publish on Amazon Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing
Building Your Book for Kindle
Book Cover Secrets and Shortcuts
The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need
Crafting Novels & Short Stories (for those wanting to write fiction!)

These are the more important tools in my writing arsenal.  I hope you may find them to be just as vital as you carry them along on your writing journey.

In this article, I hope I’ve successfully conveyed the importance of paying the price to be a good writer and staying true to the craft, as well as also having provided you with what I feel are some very good tools to get you started.

Well to those who have asked me the question,  “What does it take to become a published writer?”, I hope this successfully answers it.  However, I DO urge you to start asking yourself:  “What does it take to become a SUCCESSFUL writer?”

Dick in an X-Box, Anyone?

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Just a recent update to my recent article explaining how Microsoft X-Box refused to give me a $30 download credit when I was having problems playing one of their game discs in my system…

Congratulations, Microsoft!  You lost a perfectly good customer — who spent more than $500 that first year — over $30!  SPLENDIDLY DONE!

For Christmas, I got a brand new Sony Playstation 4 Pro System with 1 TB of data storage.  To pay for it, I sold that damned lemon for probably more than the piece of shit was probably worth.

So, to the very greedy green machine started by the king of greed himself:  Bill Gates…I bid thee:

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!

 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly About the Department of Veterans Affairs

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I am so very glad that I never joined the Marine Corps solely for the benefits.  Don’t get me wrong, benefits did help to sweeten the pot somewhat.  But the benefits I have gotten from the Department of Veterans Affairs have been average at best.  In some ways, the benefits have been good, in others bad, and in still others downright ugly.

 

Many people have no doubt heard, seen, and read in the news about the various scandals, but there have been times when the V.A. was there for me when I really needed them.

I have a major behavioral problem of which was diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder back when I was in the Marines.  This had been in the 1990s.  A clinical psychologist sat down with me and asked me a bunch of questions concerning various parts of my life and behavioral symptoms and then later prescribed me medication to treat it.  The medication back then was nothing as good as what we have now.

The Good

As a result of this supposed case of ADD, I have held probably no less than 20 jobs since getting out of the military service.  Sometimes, I was fired for performance-related issues; other times for impulsiveness.  This is where the good things about the VA saved me and my livelihood.

The Veterans Affairs Hospitals offer what they call or have called compensated work therapy.  When veterans are out of work, they can be put on a waiting list for temporary employment at the VA hospital where they sign up.  I did this.  Unfortunately, I did witness favoritism toward other veterans who have been in the system longer.  But it was still a great opportunity, and it allowed me a way to help support my family.

The Bad

While I was working on CWT, the VA scandal hit epic proportions which reached all over the nation.  One of the hospitals involved was the hospital where I worked.  I found out about some corrupt practices by certain doctors in the hospital.

It was explained to me that sometimes, when a veteran dies, compensation is left to the serviceperson’s descendants.  In some cases, no descendants were specified; thus, the money would be left in a literal limbo.  Well some of the doctors in this hospital decided to utilize that money for bonuses.

I actually had a doctor that refused to set up a prescription for my blood pressure medication refill for the simple reason that I did not come to see him very regularly and occasionally missed appointments.  The idiot did not even care that I worked for a living and was always out of pocket while the VA was open.  I had to miss work in order to keep appointments.  So, it was clear to me that this doctor cared more about his ego than he did his patients.  So I demanded a new doctor and got a much better one.

Finally, if you talk to just about any veteran in Central Alabama, he will tell you that the hospitals around here will haggle you to death about receiving the disability to which they are entitled.  I’ve encountered this first-hand.  I’ve tried to get compensated for my ADD and degenerative disc disease, both which I first became aware of while serving in the Marines.

The first step is to make an appointment with Compensations and Pensions.  Upon doing so, I sat down with physicians to discuss my complaints of disability.  One of them, a psychologist, flat out told me that I don’t have Attention Deficit Disorder, because I’ve written a book.  That’s about like saying that Beethoven could not compose music because he was deaf.  We artists and authors can still perform despite the conditions that befall us.

The Ugly

More recently, I have been trying to get a prescription for a medication called Vyvanse that has helped me have better control over my concentration and also even helps me to maintain a healthy weight level.  In doing so, I was referred to another psychologist for testing so that I could get a formal diagnosis on my ADD.  In the back of my mind, I knew that this was probably a setup to drive the final nail in my coffin so that I would ultimately never be able to get my disability if they were to somehow determine that I did not have ADD.

The kid that administered the test was probably young enough to be my son and fresh out of college.  I drove all the way from Greenville to Tuskegee two or three different times to perform these tests.  And the kid comes back and tells me that I do not have Attention Deficit Disorder.

“Then what do I have?”

“All I could detect were mild problems with concentration,” says the boy wonder.

“Mild?  I’ve lost numerous jobs because of it.”

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I have an OBVIOUS case of ADD.  Every article that I have ever had displays the very same symptoms that I possess.  Needless to say, I told the kid that I don’t trust the VA any further than I can throw it.

The Bottom Line

We pay taxes and tributes to a government that continues to lie and steal from us.  Our children are coaxed into putting on a uniform so that they can earn college benefits they cannot get anywhere else.  And they are promised that faithful, honorable service will earn them veteran’s benefits up until the day they take their last breaths.

Citizens are always forced to pay into social security even though most of us are not sure it is going to be there for us when we retire.  So my issues with the VA doesn’t really surprise me.  They are just an extension of the corrupt government for which they do its bidding.

Voting on the Lesser of Two Evils

Whatever happened to the days when the best of the best ended up running against each other for the office of President of the United States?

Now we have one guy who was at one time so arrogant that he thought he could just walk up to any woman and start kissing her while grabbing her at her crotch.  And on the other hand, we have a woman so negligent that she ended up getting some pretty honorable dudes killed in Benghazi and, more recently, ended up carelessly handling national security documents.

So how in the world is a voter supposed to decide between the likes of these two?

Well, you probably already saw the answer in my article’s headline:  Vote on the lesser of the two evils.

When doing so, it is important to consider the issues as well as the individuals.  Benjamin Franklin used to make a list of pros and cons when it came to making tough decisions.

Some of the biggest issues to consider:

Illegal immigration
Obamacare Insurance
Foreign Relations
War on Terror Against ISIS
Various Others

Some of the biggest things to consider about the candidates:

Donald Trump Pros:

Very Shrewd and Keen Business Person
Very Transparent (Too Much So, if You Listen to His Opponents)

Donald Trump Cons:

Very Crass and Unpolished
Very Impulsive with His Words
Checkered Past Where His Attitude with Women is Concerned
Not Much Experience in Politics

Hillary Clinton Pros:

She Possesses a Wealth of Experience in Politics
Her Experience as a First Lady Could Come in Handy as the First Woman President

Hillary Clinton Cons:

Her Connection to White Water Turns the Stomach of Many Americans
Her Negligence in Past Positions Tarnish the Faith Many Americans Have for Her

As Secretary of Defense, she neglected some very important emails which could have saved several lives in Benghazi.
She was recently discovered as having government documents on her own personal server in violation of national security doctrine.  Evidence points to the fact that her aide was tipped off that an investigation was forthcoming and was instructed to “dump the emails sooner rather than later”.


Despite the fact that she has taken opportunity to bash Trump for sexually-insensitive comments he had made several years prior, many of her supporters conveniently forget that she once legally defended a rapist who had raped a 12-year-old girl.
There is suspicion as to how the FBI suddenly halted the investigation into her emails.  Many believe that she may have bribed an official to “make the problem go away”.  With her background in politics, it is certainly not too hard to believe she would be able to have enough clout to pull something like this off.

There are probably more pros and cons on both of these sordid individuals.  But I’m a working stiff with limited time to research.  These are the biggest things that stand out as far as I can see.

Our country has been through the ringer over the past several decades.  Our economy is in the tank.  Our nation is not as well respected as it once was many years ago.  Something has to change…and change for the BETTER.  We need a leader who can make it happen.  So it is up to us to vote for who we believe can do it.

I’ve already made my mind up as for whom I will vote this Tuesday.  Now it is up to every other American to do the same thing.  If you don’t like either individual, you may want to consider just how much you don’t like them.  Maybe one of them you cannot stand enough to see in office.  Either way, it may be in your best interest — as well as the rest of the nation — to go ahead and get out…and vote!

 

Launch Successful!

I wish to thank everyone who has purchased An Interstate Ghost Story: The Girl on the Highway on and off the launch event I’ve posted on Facebook.  I seemed to sell 12 copies right off the bat with many more promises from several to soon purchase their copies.

I’ll hardly become a millionaire from the sells of this title as I’m only asking for 99 cents per copy.  But my goal is simply to get my work into as many hands as possible so that people will know and hopefully remember my name and the work associated with it.  So please don’t be discouraged by the price.  Many may be tempted to think:  “The e-book is only less than a dollar.  How good could it possibly be?”  I can assure you, the story is every bit as solid as they come.

However, please be warned that the story is very dark and sinister.  I have a strange feeling that women are going to either love me, hate me, or perhaps both, with an intensity that I’m almost scared to imagine.  They may love me for creating a very heroic female protagonist who ends up being the ultimate hero in the entire story.  But it is also possible that they will hate me for everything that I put her through.  I actually put her through a torture every bit as terrifying as what James Bond himself experienced in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.  My goal was not to create a female James Bond by any means, but simply one who is tougher than most men with whom she works in a male predominant field of expertise, the Alabama Highway Patrol.

So, I now hereby promise you that you are getting a book every bit as exciting as those written by your most famous modern authors, for an incredible low price.  Please take advantage of it now.  Because if sales continue to escalate like I expect them to, the price may end up seeing a small increase.

Thanks again, fellow horror readers!

 

Grabbin’ ’em by da Pooty!

A bigger stink has arisen over comments that Donald Trump made about a decade ago than what really should have been made.  The Hillary camp, in a desperate attempt to dig up as much dirt as they could on their chief opponent, revealed filmed video footage that featured The Donald cussing like a sailor and expressing himself much the way men do in locker rooms.

Perhaps the most offensive parts of his conversation include these snippets:

…”I did try and fuck her…and she was married”…
“I moved on her like a bitch…”
“…she’s now got the phony tits…”
“You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful (women)…I just start kissing them.  It’s like a magnet…you can do anything.  Grab them by the pussy.  Do anything.”

And the conversation went on and on.

Sure!  On the surface, this sounds just awful for someone who is running for the office of president.

But wiser voters keep everything in perspective and look past all the smoke and mirrors!

First of all, this is nothing more than locker-room smack!  Donald Trump, in this sample of misbehavior, is no different than any other man who has been overcome by his own hormones.  Most men, by nature, are dogs.  I’ve talked about this in another article on this blog.

Secondly, there are no laws against this form of speech.  However, who the hell is Hillary to throw such stones at Trump?  She has violated her office by storing classified information on a non-secure personal server.  Somehow, she was not indicted for this.  She is clearly ABOVE THE LAW.  Sadly, for her, many of her previous supporters — the more perceptive ones — realized this and now give their support to Trump.  Looking at this one fact in the same vein as you do this vulgar display of verbal mischief, it is clear to see she is simply just trying to steer attention away from her own misdeeds.

Third, anyone with half a mind knows that many people are dead because of her.  Her involvement in the Whitewater  and Benghazi scandals mark her as someone who has no business in the Oval Office.

Donald Trump apologized for his remarks.  But he really should not have had to.  Men have done and said worst things in their past…even some of our past presidents.  We are all HUMANS and all SINNERS.  Don’t let Hypocrite Hillary fool you into thinking that she is a Saint.  If anything, it shouldn’t surprise us to find a broom in her personal parking spot at the White House.  I guarantee you that somewhere in her past, she has probably made similar unbecoming problems about men.  And if she has, we should not hold her to account for it.

What I find most interesting is that most men, namely myself included, can identify better with the Republican candidate.  I remember a time when I was driving some buddies out to a night club in Wilmington.  I was a young, studly single Marine journalist at the time, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River.  I remember telling them, “When I get out, I want to become a gynecologist, so I can look at pussy all day long, every day during the week!”  One of my buddies commented, “You’ll have to look at the skanky ones too.”  I had replied:  “That’s okay…I’ll clean it all up, and it will be like a brand-new Buick when I’m done with it!”  We all laughed our asses off.  It’s what guys do!

Am I proud of my comments today.  Not necessarily, though I still kinda chuckle about it.  Did I demean women back then?  Not unless they demeaned me first.  Actually, I was always initially a gentleman.  One time a girl in a nightclub played head games with me, and I threw gum in her hair.  Do I think I overreacted to this day?  Not at all.  If I could do it over again, I would have walked back up to her afterward and asked her if she had any gum I could get off her.

 

 

X-Box One = X- Box NONE!

I just had a horrible experience with Microsoft’s X-Box technical support.  One that is going to cost them DEARLY!

I spend hundreds of dollars a year in video games that will now most likely go to Sony.

I’ve been having a hard time with my Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag video game for the X-Box One.  It started out once my in-game ship pulled into port at Nassau.  A prompt came up asking if I wanted to pull into Nassau.  I said “Yes”.  And the game simply CRASHED!

Hoping it was just a fluke, I ended up trying again… CRASH!

Pissed, I looked online for a solution to find out that I’m not the only X-Box One customer to have had this problem.  There were many others dating all the way back to 2013.  And you can count on half a hand how many of them found a solution (though very complicated) that worked for them.  So I tried all of these things.  Nothing worked.

So I simply told myself:  Microsoft is going to have to give me a download copy of the game and allow me to see if that works as a suitable replacement.  But if it were only that simple!

So I contacted them earlier today and spent hours troubleshooting my game system.  My phone dropped the call a couple of times with one tech who never even bothered calling me back after the second time.  And the other guy ended up being about as useful as tits on a bull.

When everything was said and done, and they realized that nothing they had me do to troubleshoot was worth a steaming pile of shit, the guy contacts whoever he was supposed to contact to see about getting me a download copy of the game.  After waiting yet again about 20 minutes, the guy comes back on the phone to tell  me that they cannot do me the courtesy of permitting me to get a download copy of the game.

What a crock of horse shit!

But I still have another option.  I have the replacement plan on my system from where I originally bought the lemon.  So I will attempt to dump it back off on them in order to get a new system that will HOPEFULLY play this game.  And if that fails, I will simply sell my POS X-Box One and turn ALL of my gaming business toward Sony.

I originally felt like it was my patriotic duty to buy this piece of shit instead of the PS4, which of course is made by the Japanese-owned Sony.  So I am now sick of anyone who spreads that bullshit around.  When American-owned goliaths like Microsoft become too damned big for their britches, then I feel there is NOT ONE DAMNED THING wrong with no longer supporting them.  WHO CARES if we give our business to a foreign company!  A better product is a BETTER PRODUCT.  If American companies don’t like it, then maybe they should compete better with not only better quality assurance for their products, but also better support for the lame pieces of shit that they obviously didn’t care to take the time to develop properly in the first damned place.

I conclude this article with a picture of Bill Gates getting a well-deserved PIE IN THE FACE.  If only it had been a huge pile of steaming, corn-filled shit instead!

 

In Honor of the American State Trooper!

I am truly thankful to not only the Alabama Highway Patrol, but those all over the United States.  They selflessly put themselves in the way of certain peril in order to keep highways safe and free of danger.

Can you imagine what it would be like to pull over the “wrong” motorist?  What if this individual ended up having a criminal record longer than your forearm?  What if the person was wanted for murder?  And there you were, the state trooper who was then in the perfect position to send him back to jail.

Sure, this would be an extreme case…but it can certainly happen.  And what about the danger of being at the side of the road, writing tickets to speeders?  Nowadays, there are laws requiring traffic to move to the left-most lane as a matter of safety when cars are pulled over to the right-most shoulder.  But it simply does not always happen.

There are a lot of other purposes served by state troopers that we do not always hear about.  I’ve only scratched the surface in my upcoming horror novel, An Interstate Ghost Story: The Girl on the Highway.

As for the Alabama Highway Patrol, I am truly thankful for their assistance.  I dropped by unannounced at the Department of Public Safety one day a couple of years ago.  There was a kind receptionist who showed me to the Alabama Highway Patrol Museum encouraging me to take my time looking around.  And when I had research questions, she immediately found a kind captain of state troopers who took the time to answer those questions.  He has since retired, from what I’ve heard.  But he will always be near and dear to my heart for taking the time to help a not-very-well-known writer.

There is also a state trooper responsible for the public information side of the highway patrol.  He has been somewhat helpful as well.

Most state troopers are good people, very deserving of our respect and honor.  And it has been my most important goal in conveying this in my upcoming work of horror.  As a token of my respect and admiration for this brave bunch of troopers here in Alabama, I wish to post a list of those who have given their lives in performance of their duty:

Trooper Ervin Michael Hawk Johnston, Monday, June 16, 2008 Duty related illness
Trooper Brian Keith NicholsSunday, February 17, 2002 Automobile accident
Trooper Willis Von MooreMonday, February 26, 1996 Automobile accident
Trooper Robert William JonesThursday, October 3, 1991 Automobile accident
Trooper Elizabeth S. CobbSunday, October 11, 1987 Gunfire
Trooper Larry D. CawyerSaturday, May 25, 1985 Automobile accident
Trooper Simmie L. JeffriesFriday, December 21, 1984 Automobile accident
Trooper David E. TempleThursday, September 13, 1979 Gunfire
Trooper Johnnie Earl BookerThursday, November 2, 1978 Automobile accident
Sergeant Julian Douglas StuckeyThursday, June 27, 1974 Automobile accident
Trooper Kenyon M. LassiterFriday, April 19, 1974 Vehicular assault
Trooper Bobby S. GannThursday, February 21, 1974 Gunfire
Trooper James B. RobinsonSunday, December 10, 1972 Gunfire
Corporal Riley Delano SmithFriday, December 17, 1971 Electrocuted
Auxiliary Trooper Ormand Franklin WatkinsSunday, April 11, 1971 Gunfire
Corporal Harlan B. BlakeSaturday, October 10, 1970 Vehicle pursuit
Corporal Thomas O. GillilanWednesday, July 1, 1970 Gunfire
Trooper Brooks D. LawsonThursday, July 31, 1969 Struck by train
Trooper Randolph G. GloverWednesday, July 19, 1967 Automobile accident
Sergeant Raymond M. CarltonSaturday, February 27, 1965 Automobile accident
Captain Thomas E. MaxwellThursday, October 4, 1962 Automobile accident
Patrolman Anthony ScozzaroWednesday, December 13, 1961 Automobile accident
Patrolman Joe F. PartinMonday, July 25, 1960 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Howard BrockFriday, November 8, 1957 Vehicle pursuit
Patrolman Julian F. DraughonSaturday, October 3, 1953 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Henry Preston BryantSunday, December 7, 1952 Vehicle pursuit
Patrolman Arvil O. HudsonTuesday, May 20, 1952 Vehicle pursuit
Patrolman William D. Raiford, Sr.Saturday, October 16, 1937 Motorcycle accident
Patrolman Maury YoungSaturday, September 5, 1936 Motorcycle accident

State troopers, thank you for all you do.  And God bless you and yours!