Blog – Page 42 – Robert Raymond’s Blogtorium

March 21, 2013

Backing away (Dog Ear)

If you are a writer, you’ll need to learn to deal with defeat. Right now I’m dealing with it, and its not about writing. There is a corporate 5K that I’m trying to train for, as mentioned in my general blog HERE. I’m really pissed about this. I’ve followed everyone’s advice. I’ve stretched and paced and breathed and even eaten mustard. I went from being okay (and then hurting myself) to nearly getting back to where I started (and hurting myself). Two days ago, I barely knocked off a mile and my muscle behind my left calf started screaming. Tonight […]

March 23, 2013

Twenty Years After (Review)

d‘Artagnan puts it best- “Ah, my friends, it is not civil wars which disunite us; it is that we are all twenty years older. The loyal outbursts of youth have gone, and given place to the din of interests, the breath of ambition, and the counsels of egotism.” It”s been twenty years since the events of The Three Musketeers and time has not suited the famous friends. d’Artagnan is still a lieutenant in the musketeers. Porthos has gained a country estate but not the respect his neighbors. Aramis has taken the cloth and pines for his adventurous youth. And Athos, […]

March 28, 2013

OpsLog – LM&O – 3/27/2013

I‘ve found myself in a lot of unique positions in my long decades of operations. I’ve bumped into readers of Fire and Bronze. I’ve seen scenery on layouts that was too farcical to believe (like natural tunnel), only to find out that it’s actually true. I’ve worked jobs with people so diametrically opposed to my politics and beliefs that you wouldn’t think I could breathe the same air, but actually enjoyed their company. But tonight I found myself conducting on a four-unit lashup climbing the west grade towards Harris Glen with two young Indian girls, one in the assigned power, […]

March 28, 2013

Writer’s life (DOG ESAR)

I’m a writer and I stand by that. It’s what I am, from my off-beat views and off-cuff comments to my crazy hair to my lunchtime laptop sessions. Everyone knows I’m a writer (with the possible exception of agents – sigh). But this is what I do, babe. So it’s not surprising that people take notice of this. A while back, one of my Indian coworkers asked if I might chat with his son about writing. I was given samples of his school work (which wasn’t bad) and asked to give him suggestions. So we chatted – he was a […]

March 31, 2013

Fall of Giants / Winter of the World (Guest review)

Another guest review by my dear ol’ da. I’m stuck in the second book of the Thrones (why do I keep reading gigantic monster books?) So I’ll keep bringing in guests (and writing about old favorites) until I can get caught up. But anyway, here’s another book review for you… The first two books of a planned trilogy that covers the first half of the 20th century. This twofer follows the members of five separate families (English, Welsh, Russian, German, and American) as they experience love, wars, depression, revolution, and all the political currents that ran through this period. I […]

April 4, 2013

Courtesy (DOG EAR)

I once had an agency dash ( in bold and angry words!!! ) across my introduction letter a message how they couldn’t, wouldn’t and won’t represent an author who couldn’t follow simple instructions. They rejected my offering without even looking. And my crime? They asked for 20 pages and I sent them 22. Because that’s where the chapter broke, and that’s where the story had a nice twist. Like, shit. I understand the dynamics. Authors beg agents. Agents, who are often failed authors, now sit on the Throne of Power, permitting those who come before them to crawl into their presence and […]

April 6, 2013

OpsLog – Southwest Virigina Division – 5/6/2013

It’s been a white for this pike, over a year. The SWDRR is a cool look at mountain railroading, where two railroads are forced to share passes. And in this, two dispatchers sit in a side room, me for the L&N, and a fella named John for the Southern. We worked as well as two competing railroads could (but I’ll admit to holding back on of his freights until I could be sure I got some needed switching done at Goodbee). But overall it was fun. Nice to see I can still speak fluid warrant, that I can keep the […]

April 7, 2013

Guns, Germs, and Steel (Review)

Jared Diamond got a lot of flak for Collapse, and I got a Dale Carnegie pen for it. That’s the way the world works. For Guns, Germs, and Steel, he got a Pulitzer. So, the basics of the book: mankind spreads outwards from Africa. One wave goes east, along the coasts of India, up the long Russian coast, over the Bering Strait and spilling over the Americas (like Sherwin Williams covers the earth). The other wave moves north and west, settling Europe (as if religious wars, strife and a crushing feudal system can be termed “settling”). In the process, we […]

April 7, 2013

OpsLog – TY&E – 4/7/2013

And the very next day, we’re at it again on the Tipton, Youngstown & Erie. It might be said I operate too much! It was our second run over at JW’s place and it went really well. With the track improvements, we were running something like five trains at once on his main (which is impressive when three of them are passing in one area). Looks like everything is in place – He’s enthusiastic: check. He’s got an idea of what he wants to simulate: check. He’s got a working layout: check. We’ve got a group: check. Time to decide […]

April 11, 2013

Perspective (DOG EAR)

Authors love their jacket photos to show them sitting in a studious den with some books, a wonderful view out the window at their back, and wood paneling. And a globe. Like they are going to spin it and peer intently – “Hmmm. I shall send my hero to Madagascar…” The image is that here is where they arrive at their great insights on human nature. My insights on human nature come over the front of my bicycle handlebars when I ride to work. Honestly, I see more of what it means to be human in my commutes by bicycle […]