I know Hebrew National hot dogs are answering to a higher authority and are God's Hot Dog, but I prefer Nathan's. Sue me. :)

The yellow school buses pulled up the hill to South Boston High School. Angry local people held signs and chanted slogans against the oncoming buses. In between, the thin blue line of the Boston Police Department, and patrolman Ray Lynch, Southie native was part of that thin line. He worried he would be arresting his friends and neighbors that September day.

I want to figure out how to take a steam locomotive off for my writing.

We bought strawberries and the company is in Watsonville, California, but the package says Product of US and European Union. Do they track where the strawberries come from. It is a mixed bag.

Yerbie likes whipped cream. He came over, licked the Cool Whip, got some on his nose, made a face and walked away. I am buying whipped cream to please my cat.

The Gulf Coast is a mess and when the oil gets up to my chin, I'm gonna tell someone.

I will be writing some essays to share my love of my former boss and longtime friend Susi Baldwin. I want my friends to learn about this remarkable woman and the life she has had and why she is an adopted big sister.

Link for the immigration bill. http://ping.fm/hmtvy

I will also have to ask Europeans about their own immigration issues. Don't throw stones.

If anyone in Boston or Paris berates me about the Arizona immigration bill, I will ask them if they have read it.

CNN had a film Governor Brewer did with a hand puppet about reading the immigration bill. Many have not bothered but are criticizing.

I have 36k words on the African Explorer Story. I am going to rework Moriarty when I am done more in first person.

My niece was really upset and posted a picture of a pit bull someone set on fire with gasoline. I tried to explain such people don't treat humans any better.

Mets 6, Yankees 0. It is Sunday Night Baseball.

Homeless veterans. This bothers me. Doing your bit for your country and not being cared for. There were folks collecting for them last Saturday outside Wal-Mart.

It is tough living in Arizona in some ways now. I had the news on a couple of days ago. President Obama had his dinner with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. President Calderon talked about racism, Senator McCain told Calderon to bud out of domestic affairs. Beginning to think of Arizona as a separate country. What will happen when I go to Paris? I am already asked about the law.
I gotta vent to someone.

Went to the Cheesecake Factory for the first time tonight. Elaine got the waitresses' attention when we were not approached immediately. Suddenly the service was very attentive. This is another case of Monty Python ruining my life. All I could think of was the skit in the restaurant and the staff apologizing profusely. Then the punchline. I'm glad I didn't mention the dirty knife.
The food is great, but the portions huge. Order as an appetizer, otherwise you will have enough for two meals. Of course, you have to save room for the cheesecake otherwise, why go to the Cheesecake Factory? On the way out, you see the cheesecake counter to go. So many cheesecakes, so many calories.

Why I began Public Speaking for Shy Writers. I was a member of Toastmasters for 19 years. Many authors are introverts. Now, you have to do much of your own publicity. My goal is to have students and instructors all over, therefore, I began on Facebook. I am not sure where this is going, but hope it helps.

Yvette Jarvis is from near where I grew up in Brooklyn. I wanted to share this with people.
http://ping.fm/MGeX2

I had a random drug test for my company today. Of course, I have a funny, silly take on it, though, it needs to be done and I am in no way questioning that. You

You need to understand, first, no comedy while there! Be businesslike and stand up straight! I don't know if this is true, but I would not be surprised if the staff at the testing center is watching to see how you act. Allow me to tell a funny story that is only vaguely related. An eighty-four year old woman goes to a physician for the first time in her life. He finds she is in great health, but wants to run some tests. The only problem with this is the woman is from rural Maine and does not understand the physicians' jargon.
"Will you evacuate in a cup?"
"Wha"
"Will you void in a jar, please?"
"Eh?"
Finally the doctor gets pissed no pun intended. "Lady, go piss in a pot!"
She is outraged. "Mister, go s**t in your hat!" hits him with her pocketbook and storms off.
The filling out the paperwork and the wait take longer than the process. Then you go into the lab and empty your pockets. You are then sent to the bathroom to void, I mean pee in a cup. Luckily, I had been drinking a lot of water before the test. The instructions ordered me NOT to FLUSH the toilet. This goes against every bit of childhood toilet training, Mom punishing you and leaving the toilet seat up to have females of all ages hating you. I followed the instructions and they test your product right there. So I know I passed, but the important moral of today's story? I learned to follow instruction! :)

Tucson Festival of Books, 2011. For those Romance authors, who have not contacted me, your book has to be out bet. Sept, 09 and August of this year. The deadline is August 20th. No one will be rejected, just put on the list for 2012.

Have more on the African Explorer book Dr. Livingstone does not like my protagonist. I would like to speak with Professor McLynn to thank him for his book.

Let me know, I am looking to build and Facebook and maybe Yahoo group for Public Speaking for Shy Writers.

If anyone is interested in joining the Mastermind group mentioned on Wednesday's show let me know. You have to be a writer and have writing goals and be willing to help people with their goals.

Click on the following link to get a rundown of next week's Saguaro Romance Writers meeting.
http://ping.fm/bQwFn

Wrote like crazy on the African Explorer book. Sixteen pages today, conversations with Stanley and Dr. Livingstone. Yes you presumed correctly.

We ate dinner at one of two restaurants owned by our friend and fellow chapter member Anastasia. It is called the Fat Greek and it is good food and good to support a local business owned by a friend.

Crocs and Gators exist so women can have pocketbooks, belts, cigarette cases and shoes.

Oh yes the phone number if you want to call in Wed. is 520-629-0683. You can receive the show if you have Quicktime on your computer. The website is http://ping.fm/x2ZoP and it begins at 7:30 PM Mountain Standard Time, so you will have to figure out your time zone.

For Wednesday night, my guest Lisa's websites.
http://ping.fm/Q6JN4
http://ping.fm/X9PDa

Comets, Prophets of Doom is the show on History International, which is only on as background noise. Who cares, if the mother of all comets hits the earth, we are goners anyway. As comets carry the building blocks of life though, who knows what would come next?

Are you interested in home schooling writing children's books maybe having your own publishing company or discussing Mastermind? Meeting the Writers on Wednesday will have my friend and fellow Chapter member Lisa Cottrell-Bentley.

Lena Horne, a great lady. I keep telling my friend Rita Pettiford she is going to grow up to be Lena Horne. She has Lena Horne's beauty and grace.

Rosalie looked back up and glared. Sir, if you don't provide us with identification, we will have to arrest you. No one, especially not lady will arrest me, he said in his thick Slavic accent. The uniformed officer reached out to arrest him. He broke the officer grip, but the next thing everyone saw was the big man dropping to the carpet with tears in his eyes. Rosalie looked at him with a smile. Wonder if he will have sex again.

I was chatting with Chris Nallon from KVOA Channel 4 on my lunch break. We are from the same part of the world, and were discussing last nights Yankees-Red Sox game. I realized when the Red Sox Nation chants "Yankees Suck," the quickly forget the original English settlers of New England are Yankees.

I discovered I am a land bridge for cats.

The Battle of Toilet Paper Hill was rugged with Pandora tearing into the hill tearing away. Ah cats.

I posted this on my Facebook author page and wanted opinions. This is a mystery I am working on when the African Explorer book is finished. "McCann speaking." "Boss, I just closed the Met down." "Which Met Grimaldi? Ya gotta be more specific." "The opera." What, all by yourself?" Yeah, ya know I don't need help." Why did you close the Metropolitan Opera? Won't the fat lady be pissed?" "The fat lady wont sing anymore and the only thing she's pissing is blood."

This past Wednesday, we went to hand in our passport applications. There is an office in an old residential house, now owned by the Univ. of Arizona. It is the International scholars office and the passports are done three days a week. Everyone else there were students who all had issues, we were in and out. Getting more excited about the trip.

Pandora the princess has had a tough day. She went after my feet, I pinned her like a wrestler and she looked at me, like "Dad, I am supposed to win!" Waaaa. She left in disgust, then tried to jump back on the bed and hit her head on the side of the mattress. She shook it of with a "I meant to do that!" Then we were moving things. Princess Pandora was not amused.

Adding to the Country song from Toby Keith, I Should Have Been a Cowboy, Go West Young Man, Have you been told there is whiskey women and gold.

Yerbie has a new streak. He is really becoming Morris the finicky cat. He cries if Elaine doesn't work on the laptop in the living room. Only I can be in the office. My goodness, I have a sheep cat LOL!

Go West Young Man. Well I did and Tucson has been great to me. Anything I can give back I will. For that is the American Dream. I realize I cannot be anything BUT an American.

I was asked for an explanation of Cinco de Mayo. It commemorates a victory in 1862 by Benito Juarez's forces against the Emperor Maximilian who was trying to rule Mexico. The battle took place in Puebla, East of Mexico City.

I picked up a button that said ask me for my immigration status. You think my Brooklyn accent will give me away?

There it was, bold as brass, at Palo Verde and Valencia 11:15 this morning. A coyote!

Happy Cinco de Mayo. Do you know what the holiday is for, other than hoisting a Marguerita or a Dos Eqquis?

There was a commercial with dogs on TV. Both cats ran around like lunatics.

Some of you have seen my posts about Jimmy's Diner. I drove by where it used to be today. The railcars are long gone. Just empty brush. I drove to the Mission Post Office to mail something after work. Paul Theroux in his book about taking the train around Britain The Kingdom by the Sea talked about Derry in Northern Ireland. (Keep in mind, this was written in 1984). He referred to Derry as the killing ground of Ulster. A good description of much of Tucson's South Side would be the same. I drove away and saw the mountains to the South in the distance. Mexico is on the other side, and hopefully it will be safe for its citizens and for visitors again soon.
I stopped for gas and got a hot dog. The airmen getting gas looked in disgust at me smearing mustard. There was the beautiful lady who flirted and laughed.
It was a drive on the Wild South Side.

Je vais à Paris en juillet. Je serai là pendant le Jour Bastille et espérerai que la France gagne la Coupe du Monde. J'attends impatiemment de pratiquer mes gens de réunion français dans les cafés, la vue des vues différentes et le fait d'avoir juste de nouvelles et différentes expériences. Comme je suis un auteur, si je ne peux pas trouver une grande histoire de Paris, je ne peux plus m'appeler des auteurs. Je vais aussi faire la recherche sur le nom de famille Charton. Deux mois et compte.

I am going to Paris in July. I'll be there for Bastille Day and hope France wins the World Cup. I look forward to practicing my French meeting people in cafes, seeing various sights and just having new and different experiences. As I am a writer, if I cannot come up with a great story about Paris, I can no longer call myself a writers. I am also going to do research on the Charton surname. Two months and counting.

Complete laziness after a busy work day. Watching the Angels-Red Sox game.

David Fitzsimmons of the Arizona Daily Star wrote an editorial about the new immigration bill that was quite funny. There was also a letter to the editor from a Ms. Eileen Hammonds discussing the fact she was born in Ireland, has red hair and green eyes, and still gets questioned about her citizenship. Stephen Hawking is writing a State Department Travel Alert for Arizona, telling the aliens to stay out. Can you imagine the aliens getting pulled over? License and registration. chirp chirp chirp. Enjoy your stay.
We need to curb illegal immigration, but this isn't it. It is the Federal Government's job and they are falling down on the job. The older I get though, the more ornery I get and really don't trust most government. That is another story though.

Foreign Affairs journal has an article by Robert Kaplan called China's Grand Map. For the Free Tibet folks, I repeat, it is too late, China owns Tibet. They don't want India to have influence and Tibet has minerals. The Chinese don't really want to rule non-Chinese, but want the minerals.
I am trying to imagine the Chinese official in say, Sudan. Honorable President Bashir, we do not care who rules, as long as you are stable. We just want your minerals.

Going to Paris in July. Should be interesting. Will probably take my nieces to Versailles one day. Going to a dinner one night. Otherwise, bookstores and serendipity as to what we do and see.

En Vogue's Giving Him Something He Can Feel was on a video. Dad walked in the room and his jaw dropped. "Who are they?" "They are En Vogue." No, they're not.

Another case where Monty Python has ruined my life. Several of us went to Pei Wei for dinner last night. All the empty dishes reminded me of Meaning of Life and Mr. Creosote.