Jul. 18, 2005 - Shall we Sin that Grace May Abound?

After reading AgentTim's recent post on the Party Gospel http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AgentTim/, I had to offer my two cents on this subject. I agree with Tim 100%. There is a huge difference between sinning w/ unbelievers to show them you're "normal" and ministering God's grace and love to those who need it.

I've been doing a lot of research on horse racing chaplains lately. (Yes, you read that sentence correctly!) These men minister to the people who live and work on the racetrack - people who are in desparate need of spiritual guidance and leadership. They are all trained and ordained through the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA), a non-profit organization that is run by a group of dedicated Christian professionals. In a recent interview with a chaplain, I brought up the issue of being a Christian and working on the track, and his answers came to mind when I read Tim's post.

"I don't drink with the boys or go out and gamble on someone's horse if they tell me it's going to win. I have to be an example of what is right, someone that people can look up to. It's not an issue of having a 'holier-than-thou' attitude, it's an issue of impacting someone's life for better or for worse. Often, I'm the only example they have to look up to. If I destroy a recovering alcoholic's commitment to sobriety because I have one beer and he thinks, 'Well, the chaplain had a drink last Wednesday, so it'll be okay if I have a few..." then I'm going against my comittment as a Christian to 'make up my mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in my brother's way.' (Romans 14:13) I don't pretend that gambling is okay. When people say, 'Oh, you're the chaplain! Give me a hot tip! [for a horse that will win a race]' I say, 'You want a hot tip? Keep your money in your pocket!' But I'm not going to abandon the work that the Lord is doing at this track just because there's gambling here."

"1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! 2 How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ²⁰For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²²But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6, various verses).

Jul. 4, 2005 - Issue #13 of Virtue Magazine

Check out my latest article in the brand-new issue of Virtue magazine!

http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/freedom-of-the-press-and-the-responsible-journalist

Jun. 23, 2005 - Something to Think About...

"Jogging is very beneficial. It is good for your legs and your feet. It is also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed." ~ Charles W. Schultz

Sometimes I wish I could think like that!

Jun. 17, 2005 - Top 5 Christian Writing Links

I've decided that every Friday night will be my "link sharing" night. I have way too many links to list on my blog, so I'm just going to post the top five each weekend. They will all have something to do with being a journalist, so enjoy!

Here are some links to great Christian writing websites!

1. The Gift of Family Writing Website - Shameless promotion of my mom's site!  Great place to learn about writing from the heart!

2. The Christian Writer's Guild - according to their mission statement, they "exist to educate, train, and support writers who desire to promote a biblically based, Christian worldview through their writing."

3. Faithwriters.com - This site is nice if you want to check out different writing styles from Christian authors online!

4. Guideposts Magazine - Home of the famous print magazine. If you have a well-written personal story to share, you just might get published!

5. Gegrapha - In Greek, "Gegrapha" means "What I have written, I have written." This program is the brainchild of journalist David Aikman, author of "A Man of Faith: the Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush."

5.

Jun. 16, 2005 - Plagiarising Printed Work vs. Researching

Ever wondered how journalists compile and reuse information without breaking copyright laws? Want to know how you can collect information and use it in your articles without getting in trouble? If your answer is "yes," then read on! (If your answer is "no," you can still read on ) 

"How in the world do you use all that research without plagiarizing?" When people ask that question they're usually referring to the extensive amounts of research material that I use in my articles - quotes, stories, facts, and figures. Even members of my own family have asked me to explain the difference between plagiarism and research. It's not easy - the fine line between use of information for journalistic purposes and illegal pirating is often faint - but walking that line is a balancing act that every responsible writer must learn to master.

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines the word plagiarism as "To steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own: to use another's production without crediting the source." Beyond this description, plagiarism can include paraphrasing too closely to the source (intentional or not) and adopting another writer's "slant" on a subject. The former case is an obvious temptation when you're short five hundred words and facing a looming deadline. The latter is more of a subconscious transgression, but must be guarded against all the same.

The following article from FOXnews (regarding the homeschooler who recently won the National Geographic Bee) exemplifies an ideal piece of research material. It lists many details about the subject that are public knowledge and can be used without fear of violating copyright laws or plagiarizing the article. This article is also written by the associated press, which means exactly what it sounds like - a group of reporters sharing information in order to publish news. That doesn't give me the right to copy the article verbatim and claim to have authored it, but it does make me comfortable with gleaning facts from the article since I know they're more inclined to be correct. (50% of the time, at least ) In the following article, facts that I would use are underlined.

Homeschooler Wins National Geographic Bee

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

WASHINGTON — James Williams, a home-schooled 14-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., won the 15th annual National Geographic Bee on Wednesday.

Williams captured the title by knowing that Goa in India was formerly a colony of Portugal. That answer gave him a tiebreaker victory over Dallas Simons, a 13-year-old from Nashville, Tenn.

 Placing third in the competition was Sean Rao, 14, from Hubertus, Wis.

 Williams said being home-schooled was a big help in the competition because it gave him extra time to concentrate on things he enjoys, like studying geography.

 Williams made the trip to the competition here after participating in a science bowl competition in Ohio and later in the year he goes on to another competition as a member of the Washington-Oregon science bowl team.

 The top three were among 5 million students from across the country who took part in local contests that narrowed the field down to 55 local champions for the finals in Washington.

 First prize is a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine and a week at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps. Second and third prizes are scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000.

Here are two paragraphs written using the information provided by the FOXnews article above. First, we have our obvious plagiarism:

"James Williams, a home-schooled 14-year-old from Vancouver, Washington, won the 15th annual National Geographic Bee on Wednesday. Williams won the title because he knew that Goa in India was formerly a colony of Portugal. His answer gave him a tiebreaker victory over a 13-year-old from Nashville, Tenn. named Dallas Simons."

As you probably realized, this paragraph is not a word-for-word copy of the FOXnews article. But it is still a plagiarism. All I really did was change the order of the author's words. My paragraph's beginning slant is identical to that of the one written by the AP.

Now let's look at a paragraph written without plagiarizing!

Don't expect to see James Williams sitting at a desk any time soon. The  14-year-old homeschooler from Vancouver, Washington won National Geographic's 15th annual geography bee on Wednesday, and now he's on his way to a week at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps. Williams might be a little young to think about college, but Mom and Dad are smiling over the $25,000 scholarship he received as part of his prize. And if any of the family members get bored while they're on vacation, they can always read one of Williams' National Geographic magazines - he's entitled to a life subscription after Wednesday's competition!

Here's the difference between this paragraph and my former example - in the first paragraph, I was plagiarizing someone's style. Plagiarism rarely has anything to do with stealing facts... facts are facts! If they're known to man (i.e. the sun rises in the morning, rain is wet, etc.), no one can write about them and claim them as "their" personal facts. But "writing style," "voice," or "slant" can be plagiarized very easily. Once the offending writer allows their mind to be influenced by an article, plagiarism is the next - almost logical - step.

So what can you and your students do to avoid plagiarizing when you're doing a lot of research? It's pretty simple. Underline or highlight facts that you can use without infringing. Don't rely on one particular source or author for your research - more is less trouble in this case! (When I'm writing an in-depth article, it's normal for me to have ten to twenty research articles printed out, and some of those can be up to 15 single-spaced pages long). And most importantly, write using your voice - don't borrow someone else's. It's not ethical to take the "easy way out," because in the long run it just isn't worth it!

Jun. 12, 2005 - Rats! I've been Tagged!

Rats! I've been tagged! I was so proud of myself for avoiding it, too. Anyway, here are my answers to the questions from tn3jcarter.   Q. Most books I've ever owned.  Too many! I own just about every single book there is on riding and horses, both fiction/non-fiction. If you include all my music books, my writing books, my "just for fun" books... WOW! I hope we don't move any time soon, because books equal about 1/2 of my posessions!  Q. The last book I bought. Hmmm... I think it was "Progressive Medicine in the Equine Species," a big huge vet-school textbook about equine treatment. (Yes, I really did read it). The only problem is that it's from the 1980s, so most of that progressive medicine is LONG outdated. Q. The last book I read. This is a difficult question, since I can always read up to ten books at one time. In an extremely literal sense, the last book I put down before I went to sleep last night was "Horses, Hoofbeats, and Halos," the story of the RTCA (race track chaplaincy of america). I'm writing about them right now, so doing a lot of research. Other books I'm reading include "Muddy Shoes" (another RTCA book), Saratoga Days by Sean Clancy (really good "horse" writer!) a fictional book by Lauraine Snelling (she's so-so as a writer - not one of my top favs), and a book by James Scott Bell (talk about a GOOD WRITER!) I love Bell's work - it always keeps me in suspense! reading The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jkson right now.  Before that it was Captivating and before at was The Debt by Angela Hunt.   Q. The five books that meant the most to me.    First, the bible. (Is that an obvious answer or what?) I find so much comfort and peace in reading God's word, as well as direction for my life. The Purpose Driven Life is a great book if you apply it to your life instead of trying to conform your life to it! Visioneering by Andy Stanley is AWESOME! As a writer, I would have to say that The First Five Pages really helped me. And a book that REALLY means a lot to me is my Mom's book, "The Gift of Family Writing." She's a great author and she really has a freeing message for homeschoolers trying to teach their kids to write/draw.

Jun. 11, 2005 - Mood Swings

I am not having a good day. Actually, it started last night when I decided to sleep in really late, just because I had half of the day off. Well, guess who woke up bright and early this morning? Yours truly. And that made me crabby, since my mind needed to sleep in even if my body didn't want to. After deciding to be crabby, I went to check for some VERY IMPORTANT e-mails that were supposed to be in my inbox this morning. Apparently, they were only very imporant to me...No one had gotten up at 6:00am to make sure their e-mails were in my inbox when I checked it at 7:30. The nerve! That made me mad and crabby at the same time! (Notice how dangerous this is getting).

After checking my e-mail, I decided to write the last 100 words on an article that was due in two days. So I did. Then I sent it to my editor, which made me feel relieved. I decided to go eat some breakfast, but I had missed breakfast because I was writing on my article. All that was left were a few cold scrambled eggs. I don't know if you've ever eaten cold scrambled eggs, but they're pretty gross. I went to the freezer to get a few sausages to make, only to discover they were all gone (talk about a let down) which was unbelievable, since I bought those sausages yesterday! Then my mom came around the corner with two sausage patties left over from breakfast, wich I consumed with joy. My little sister complained about somthing, so I snapped back an irritated retort. Then my mom said, "Why don't you grow up? You've turned a corner - backwards!" Which made me laugh, but then I got in trouble for laughing. 

I went to take a shower, but discovered that I had no water pressure. I got dressed again and walked outside to find the source of the problem (the garden hose "watering" the gravel driveway), which made me feel aggrivated. Then my boss called and asked me to come to a meeting, but she wouldn't give me any details, so I was very suspicious. I drove to work and my car's air conditioner wasn't working, so I was really hot. When I got to the meeting, my two supervisors were the only people there. That set me even more on edge! Sure enough, they announced their decision to transfer me to another department, which left me feeling all mixed up!!! Do I still want to work for them? I DON"T KNOW!!!  

When I got home, my very important e-mails had arrived, so I was ecstatic. I felt like blogging, but changed my mind halfway through my entry. So I left it for another day and went to bed, but I couldn't sleep because my little sister had gotten sand in my bed! (That speaks for itself, no need to come up with a word to describe it!) ARGH!!! Has anyone ever heard of that book "Alexander and the no-good-awful-bad-horrible-nasty-day," or whatever it's called? Well, I just had a day that would outrank his BY FAR!  

Jun. 7, 2005 - What Classic Movie Are You?

This is pretty interesting...

I wonder what some people will end up being... Gena & Jen, fill me in!

http://similarminds.com/othertests.html

Jun. 7, 2005 - Check This Writing OUT!

"The blood slowly dripped off his finger as he looked at it with an indifferent stare. A maroon stain had newly formed on the dark blue carpet below as it absorbed the red tears - but no one cared. Monotonous telephone conversations - ticking of the clock - apathetic discussions - the fragrance of the room reeked with painful dreariness."  ~ David Rojas

Okay, so it needs a little editing. But I LOVE this guy's writing style, especially that last sentence! Not all of his writing sounds like blood-and-guts-murder-mystery (actually, this paragraph had nothing to do with a murder mystery, as you'll find out if you follow the link to his blog) - he can morph from riotously humorous to profoundly serious in a matter of sentences. Some of his humor does go right over my head... but the best thing about David's work is his frank realism - as refreshing as it is honest - an entertaining look at the mind of a promising young author. Watch for his book in the future!

http://www.therojas.com/music

Jun. 7, 2005 - Weblog Ethics

Here's a link to some good tips on the ethics of blogging!

http://www.rebeccablood.net/handbook/excerpts/weblog_ethics.html

Jun. 7, 2005 - Interesting...

In response to appeals from consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the Pentagon today recalled thousands of military toilets because they may be powerful enough to flush a copy of the Koran.

"If that toilet generates enough force to take down a book of several hundred pages," said Mr. Nader, "then it poses a clear and present danger to prisoners at Guantanamo and to our troops worldwide."

Mr. Nader, who became famous in the late 1960s by declaring the Chevrolet Corvair 'unsafe at any speed', said, "I would rather drive a Corvair at top speed on figure-8 track than take my chances on this turbo-flush toilet. It's unsafe for any deed, and may constitute a violation of the Geneva Conventions."

In fact, U.S. troops around the world have privately complained of the dangers posed by the plumbing fixture they call an 'I.I.D.' -- Improvised Implosive Device.

"It's a swirling vortex of death," said one unnamed soldier. "The other day, I lost a grenade, my helmet and hardcover copy of 'War and Peace' in one fell swoop."

The Pentagon statement praised U.S. troops for "their willingness to perform their duty in the face of such risk."

Jun. 4, 2005 - Big Opinions Piece on the Way...

Working on a blog entry that has been keeping me busy for TWO days now. It's pretty opinionated, so I'm doing some research and working hard to back up my radical statements.   Keep an eye out for "Unbiased Journalism: Unattainable?" Should be posted tomorrow.

Jun. 1, 2005 - Piano Student Day #2

Remind me why I do this piano student thing. I know, I know, that sounds like a bad attitude. But wait until you hear what my day was like. LONG SIGH.

This morning, I planned to teach seven students, as usual. I was up at 7:00am, and to my first student's house by 8:10am. While I was teaching there, my next students' mom called to let me know that both her kids were sick with the flu. No problem (I am REALLY glad she let me know), except for the fact that I now had two extra hours to kill, right in the middle of my morning. After stopping at a store to make a return, depositing some money at the bank, and picking up a new cell phone charger, I still had an hour and a half of extra time left. So I went home, plugged my cell phone into the charger, and did a few little things around the house.

An hour and a half later, I drove to my next piano student's house. They weren't home. I guess they were still on vacation, even though they weren't supposed to be. Now I had another hour and a half to kill! Anyway, I thought I'd just go to the next student's house a few hours early. I didn't have my cell phone with me, but I really wasn't concerned since they're ALWAYS home. (Can you see where this is going?) I stopped at the store to pick up some groceries for my mom. At 12:15pm I pulled into the next student's driveway. Guess what?! They weren't home either!!!

What a day! I went home and took a nap, got up and taught one student (all-in-all I taught 3 today). Now I 'm going to bed. I'm too tired to even write in an entertaining manner, unless you're entertained by the crazy sequence of events I went through today. If that's the case, SHAME ON YOU!!! You should try teaching a bunch of piano students some time! And for the record, middle C will ALWAYS be in the MIDDLE of the PIANO!!! Not three octaves higher!   

Jun. 1, 2005 - Blog Editor

Ever wondered what it's like to be a blog editor?

Wait... is there such a thing as a "blog editor?" Because if that wasn't a real job position before, my family just created it.

Do you know how many times I'm asked to edit blog entries? Well, if my brother makes two blog entries per day, at a rate of 7 days per week, 30 days per month, 12 months per year,  that's 5,040 blog entries that I've edited. Just think, if I charged $5.00 per article, that would be $25,200 dollars per year! Which really isn't that bad, since it takes me about 5 minutes to edit one of his entries (my mom's take longer). Hmmm... $1.00-per-minute. Wonder if I could get other people to pay me that much? If they did, I think I could stretch that 5 minute editing time out to 35 minutes, at least.  

Jun. 1, 2005 - Piano Student Day!

Ah, the joy of teaching piano lessons! ;-) Two of my students had the flu today, so I got an unexpected 2-hour break. Three more left, then I'm done. What a lovely afternoon it's turning out to be! 

May. 31, 2005 - Thoughts on Blogging

Does anyone read the archives section of a blog? What kind of "hook" does it take to get you to go through someone's old entries? And what are you more likely to read - a short entry or a long one? 

May. 31, 2005 - WA-HOO!!!

    Nothing beats the thrill of selling an article! Of course, I say "selling" in a general term - the piece I "sold" today will only get me a byline. BUT... it's a nice magazine with a glossy cover, and it was my first query to the editor. He said, quote, "The story is interesting and worthwhile, I like it." WA-HOO!!!!

    Gena, I promise this is not something you'd want to publish - it's a western magazine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go do a little victory dance while I enjoy this wonderful feeling (and forget about the 100 and 1 other editors I have yet to hear back from!) Once more, a hearty WA-HOO!!!!

May. 31, 2005 - Shooting w/ The Men of the Family

You can’t outshoot a man. Truth is, you can out-dress, out-talk, and out-clean just about any fella around – but shooting? That’s another matter.

    The men in my family are chauvinists. They believe that guns (along with knives, axes, swords and any other dangerous weapons) belong strictly in their domain. I wisely leave the ax handling up to them – especially in the winter when it’s time to fill the wood box – but I refuse to keep my hands off their guns. This determination, coupled with the subsequent talent I show, has wounded the pride of the male family members.

    You see, I was born with pretty good shooting skills. I take my time, but when I’m ready I can hit just about anything within range. For some reason, this bothers people like my father, who actually has to practice in order to hit a target. This frustration has led to practical jokes – like handing me a defective BB-gun and announcing, “There’s no way you can hit a can when I toss it up into the air!” An afternoon at the target range can be pretty interesting when I show up.

    Yesterday was just like any other in my hectic week, until about 12:00 noon. I spent the morning riding and was just about to head inside when I saw “the men” practicing with an old .22 rifle. Of course, I couldn’t ignore a chance to shoot, so I moseyed on over and asked if I could try. My request was met with disgusted glares. My father squeezed off a shot and missed. “You distracted me,” he muttered.

    “Just let me shoot one time,” I said. “Please?”

    “In a minute,” my father said. He aimed again and knocked a toilet paper tube off the hay bale. Satisfied, he turned to me. “Here’s the gun,” he said. “Now be careful and don’t shoot out the barn windows.”

    The barn was fifty feet off to the right. “I thought I’d aim in the general direction of the target,” I said.

    “Never know where it might end up with a girl shooting,” my brother said. I threw an ornery glance in his direction.

    “Just because I’m a girl…” I began.

    “…doesn’t mean you can’t shoot,” he finished. “I know, I know. Just like last time, when you couldn’t even hit the milk jug I held for you!”

    “That gun was defective and you know it!” I argued.

    “All right, all right,” my Dad interrupted. “Just take the gun and shoot.”

    I flipped a strand of hair away from my eyes, lifted the gun to my shoulder and aimed the barrel at two toilet paper tubes that were sitting side by side on the hay bale in front of us. Then I squeezed off a shot and sent both tubes flying. 

    There was a moment of silence as we looked at each other. Then my brother slowly walked down to the target, picked up the two tubes and set them carefully back up on the hay. I grinned and handed the gun to my father.

    “Here, would you reload it for me? I have some dishes to wash,” I said. Then I headed for the house, but not before I heard my father remark, “Okay, maybe she can shoot a little!” and my brother reply, “Something about that just wasn’t right!”

    Later that evening, over a dinner of hot beef stew, I told my mother and two sisters about my excellent aim. After I finished the story, my brother looked at my father and they both grinned. Then my brother held up the two toilet paper tubes.

    “There isn’t a single mark on either one of these,” he said. “You didn’t hit ‘em at all. Your shot hit the dirt, which bounced up and knocked the tubes off the hay. It was purely accidental that they even fell over!”

    “Sorry,” my father said. “Instead of making a great shot, you actually had the worst one of the day… but that’s the way it goes when you’re shooting against the men of the family.”

    He took the toilet paper tubes and tossed them into the garbage. Then he winked at my brother. “Grab your ax and we’ll go chop some wood for a while, son.”

    My brother grinned. “Sure, Dad,” he said. “We gotta keep these little ladies nice and warm all winter long!”

May. 30, 2005 - Writing Cycles

In A Writer’s Book of Days, author Judy Reeves talks about the two cycles authors go through – a productive time, and a fallow time. “You may notice that sometimes, no matter what, the writing is difficult,” she writes. “When you put pen to page nothing happens. Or that which happens is boring. Or junk. The words are clumsy and get in each other’s way like the sneakered feet of a thirteen-year-old.”

I don’t know how many of you have experienced this with your writing (those of us who write professionally probably tend to notice it more than those who write solely for fun), but it definitely happens to me! Some days I can be 100% ready and rarin’ to go on a subject, easily typing up two hours worth of usable material. Then there are times when I’m writing about the same subject and I can’t pen a single meaningful sentence! I can be absolutely in love with writing and the words flow from my mind in an effortless stream. Two days later, even looking at my computer turns me off!  

Thankfully, I’ve learned to recognize these cycles and take advantage of them. Whenever I get that “I-can’t-even-think-about-writing!” feeling, I spend my time researching subjects I’m covering or reading the work of an author I admire. I’m still exercising my writing skills, but in a different way. And more often than not, a piece of research or a sentence by a good author will provide just the right amount of inspiration to help me shift back to productive writing again.

So next time you’re brought to tears of frustration by a case of so-called “writer’s block,” just think of it as your dormant season. Grow as an author through other methods, rather than worrying about your writing. And hope that your deadline isn’t right around the corner!     

May. 29, 2005 - Showdown at the Not-So-Okay corral

I’m an inquisitive person by nature. This is partially due to the fact that I’m a journalist, although my father is also to blame. Dad’s famous saying “try anything once” has gotten me into a lot of interesting situations. Of course my inherent curiosity extends to my riding, where I’m forever picking up a fair share of bumps and bruises. If rough experience is life’s best teacher, then I’m well on my way to becoming valedictorian of the class.

The latest lesson in the school of hard knocks was just learned this afternoon. After a fellow wrangler and I had an argument about the advantages and disadvantages of Monty Roberts’ horse training methods, I decided to try a few for myself. A few days before our conversation, I’d innocently picked up a book by Roberts’ top student, Kelly Marks. In “How to behave so your horse does too,” I found the four steps to achieving Roberts’ method called “Join-up,” the ultimate connection between horse and trainer. I had a horse, halter and lead rope, the only required elements for Join-up, other than common sense. If I looked real hard, I figured I could scrape up a little of that as well.

The wrangler I know was a little concerned with the safety of Roberts’ methods. He figured Roberts could work with dangerous horses and get good results. The question was, could an ordinary rider stand in the middle of a round pen and get a wild horse to behave without getting killed? We both wondered.

My test horse was Honor, a classy chestnut gelding. He’s number three in his five-horse herd’s pecking order and a pretty passive mount. As a prelude to Join-up, horse and trainer are encouraged to work through a series of ground exercises. Other than constant attempts at grazing, Honor warmed up fine. Apparently, his interest in grass was the only problem I was going to have all day. I decided to make that his “bad behavior,” the defining factor that would prevent him from “joining up” and coming to the center of the arena, which was the “safe zone.”

The first step in “Join-up” is to unclip the horse and wait until he moves away from you. Honor only moved his head – right down to the grass – but that was enough to merit sending him out to the rail, which I did. After an initial moment of surprise, he took off in a quick lope, circling the arena while I kept him going by raising my hand. I discovered that I could change his pace by my body language. Backing off caused him to slow to a jog, while a driving walk caused him to lope again. Cutting across the arena caused him to change directions. He also lowered his head with his muzzle only a few inches from the ground, a sign of submission. When he sought “Join-up” of his own accord, I let him come to the center of the arena. As soon as he was in the “safe zone” with me, however, he dropped his muzzle to eat more grass. Show me a horse that wouldn’t. I sent him back out to the rail again. He wanted to come in. I let him. He ate more grass. I sent him out. On the third try, the little light bulb in Honor’s head went off. Obviously, eating grass was getting him sent out to that scary world on the rail. Sticking with me was better, and the closer he stuck, the safer he would be. With no lead rope, vocal cues or any devices other than my body language, I led Honor around the corral through a series of figure eights and tight turns. It was instant “Join-up,” a great bonding experience for both of us. Great! I’ll be teaching clinics in two days! I thought. Right.

Because horses respond in different ways, just like people, I knew it was important to try the same method on another horse. After Honor followed me up to his stall in the barn (off the lead line and completely in sync with my movements), I got Cutter out of his stall. He has a typically stoic personality whenever anyone inexperienced rides him, but when he’s loose in the pasture it’s another story. As “Mister Dominant,” he has a bad attitude about his personal space. In fact, he could make a rabid wolf look friendly!      

Cutter moseyed on down to the arena with his usual indifference; he had a lead rope on, so he knew I was the boss. But the second I closed the gate and unclipped the lead rope, it was The Black Stallion all over again – and I wasn’t on his good side. “How to behave so your horse does too” didn’t exactly explain how I was supposed to act with a horse who was rearing, pinning his ears, and snaking his head from side with vicious intent. There should have been a big warning at the front of the book that said, “Don’t try to achieve join-up with dangerous horses unless you really know what you’re doing” – but, of course, there wasn’t.  

Monty Roberts’ method is famously known as “Horse whispering.” Well, it didn’t take five seconds before my arena was filled with hoarse screaming. That seemed to be the only technique that kept Cutter from running me down and trampling me into the ground. I don’t think Roberts recommended yelling “Get outta here!” while trying to send a horse away, but it was all I could think of doing (other than climbing to the top of the arena rail). From his safe vantage point outside of the arena, my brother made encouraging comments like, “You’re the one who needs a helmet, not me!” and “Don’t you think you should quit while you're still alive?” Cutter made small circles around me, attempting to catch me off guard so he could dive in for the kill. I didn’t need Monty Roberts to tell me that I had to gain control over the wild horse, because if I didn’t I’d never be able to catch him again.

I stopped my screaming and warily lowered the lead rope. Cutter struck out with his forelegs, but I dove for his side. He backed up and cow-kicked, trying to hit me with his hind hooves while snaking his head around to bite me. When his nasty face came my way, I grabbed the halter and gave a mighty jerk, pulling his head back to his shoulder while I clipped the lead rope on. With that corrective jerk, Cutter realized that he was on the lead rope again. His ears shot forward and his face got that “I’m innocent!” look. Immediately, he dropped his head and reached for the grass. Didn’t give me a second glance until I opened the gate to lead him out. Then he followed me with his easygoing amble, head bobbing, a long piece of grass sticking out of his mouth.

My fellow wrangler was glad to know that his opinion of Monty Roberts was pretty well grounded. He gave me one of those “I-told-you-so” lines and wore a self-satisfied smirk for days. I mentioned that I was the one who almost died proving that he was right. He just grinned and asked, “Hey, what do you think of Pat Parelli’s training methods?”                              

May. 28, 2005 - Modern Old Time Radio

(Applause)

Claire: Thank you Mister Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen, and honored guests. Tonight we bring you the adventures of Allen Chapman, champion of justice!

Eric: The trails of the West are countless. Some unroll across the brown prairies where all who travel them may be clearly seen. Others wind through valleys and are bordered by fertile farm and pasturelands. Still other trails climb torturously up and down rugged mountains, through virgin forests, over roaring, snow-fed streams. But along all trails, even the back ones, rides the Law.

    The trails of the West cross and re-cross one another. And the men who follow them meet again and again, often unexpectedly, often with surprising consequences. For the trails are the paths of men’s lives, and no man can foresee where his chosen trail will lead or whose trail will cut across it.

Announcer: It was a hot July morning. Clint Pierce scowled angrily at the broiling sun, wiping his dusty brow with a soiled bandanna. The sound of galloping hooves (hoofbeats) brought his eagle-eyed glare back to the iron rails below, and he watched in silence as a lone horseman cantered along next to the tracks, his mount’s hooves beating up a cloud of dust. The cloud receded into the distance, (hoofbeats fade) and the mountain was silent once more. Turning in the saddle, Pierce surveyed the rocky hillside behind him, then glanced back toward the deserted train tracks below. With a jerk of his wrist, he flipped his gun out of its holster and fired a (gunshot) single shot, then spun his horse around and rode down the steep slope. (Sliding rocks).

    From the hills above came answering pistol (pistol shots all at once) shots – two of them – and from the rocks and caverns came two masked riders, their horses slipping and sliding in loose footing.

    Pierce remained mounted on his nervous horse, reining it in with a great show of talent as he shouted commands. 

Clint: Barnes! Get those cattle onto the tracks! Jake, you ride on up the trail and make sure we’re left alone. Stop anyone who’s coming in this direction – you know how.

(Scary Music)

Announcer: (train noise) Engine number nine, due into San Antonio at one o’ clock and running on time as usual, sped into the valley. The passengers were enjoying a tasty lunch in the diner car, admiring the scenery and passing the time with light conversation. (Train Noise end) Suddenly, the train braked. ( people gasp, sound of braking glass). Passengers gasped as they were thrown from their seats, the dishes sliding across the tables. At the door of the rocking dining car, a masked gunman appeared. Brandishing his pistol, he marched down the length of the car, snarling,

Outlaw 1: Everybody out. Come on, come on! Just hand over that gun right now, mister – hey! (Gunshot, screams).

Female Passenger: My Father!

Outlaw 1: Take it easy, lady, he wasn’t long fer this world anyhow. That’s right, folks, just move along real easy now. No use tryin’ to pull any weapons on me.

Announcer: As the passengers stepped out of their car, they were forced to join a larger group made up of the travelers from the other cars. In the dust on the side of the tracks lay a trainman, obviously the driver of the engine. A big, burly man was talking with the conductor.

Clint: Too bad yer driver was feelin’ a little contrary this mornin’, buddy.

Conductor: George! He’s… he’s dead! Whhh… whhhat’re you goin’ to do with us?

Clint: Nothin’ much, pardner. We’re God-fearin’ outlaws, an’ if everybody cooperates then your partner will be the only casualty. Now, unless you wanna join ol’ George there, you an’ me are gonna take a little walk down to that baggage car so you can open the San Antonio Bank’s money box fer me. Jake! Barnes! Get them saddle-bags over here.

Jake: Here ya go, boss!

Clint: Throw ‘em on the ground, there, Jake.

Jake: Ooooof!

Clint: Not like that, you dumb cowpoke! Spread ‘em out nice an’ even like.

Jake: Aw, they sure is heavy, boss!

Clint: Not as heavy as they will be when they’re all filled up, eigh’ Barnes?

(Laughter from the outlaws)

Clint: Now, this here is real simple-like, folks. Yer gonna form a nice straight line in front a these saddlebags. Then, yer gonna step up an’ drop yer valuables right on inter that’ sack. Then Jake’ll check yer pockets fer ya, makin’ sure ya don’t forget anythin’, naturally. (Money) That’s right, move right along, folks!

Announcer: When their pockets had all been emptied and the money was taken from the safe, two of the outlaws moved to pick up the hefty saddlebags, and began to fasten them on their horses’ backs. The outlaws, their guns trained on the stunned passengers, mounted up. Their leader grasped his horse’s reins and turned to address the crowd.

Clint: Now, folks, you’ve been mighty obligin’ about all this, and I shore wouldn’t want to see any of yer perty little lady friends hurt. So, if I was you, I’d just keep on goin’ the way ya was headed an’ ferget all about this little incident.

Female Passenger: But how are we goin’ to get back to the station without a driver?

Clint: I’d suggest that ya start walkin, ma’am. Ifin y’all get started now, you’ll reach San Antonio by nightfall. I wouldn’t recommend waitin’ around none, either. These Texas nights can be purity cold – an’ tell the sheriff in San Antone that more of this’ll be happening’ so he and that no-good deputy of his might as well get outta town.

Male Passenger: Who should we say the message is from?

Announcer: The man swung into the saddle and whirled his prancing horse to face the speaker. (horse neighs)

Clint: Jest tell ‘em that Clint Pierce sends his regards. Nice ter meetcha, folks. I’m shore you’ll hear of me again.

Announcer: The outlaw tipped his hat and laid spurs to his horse. (Yells, galloping horses). Soon the entire band was only a faint cloud on the horizon.

(Scary Music)

Announcer: A few days later, at the Sheriff’s office in San Antonio…

Sheriff: I sure appreciate your coming into town today, Allen.

Allen: I came as soon as I heard, Sheriff. The safety of the people in this town is my responsibility.

Sheriff: But you’re not even an elected official, Allen. You don’t have to risk your life if you don’t want to.

Allen: I may not be elected, sheriff, but my father was the founder of this town, and I sure feel obligated to keep the land clear of

pesky varmints. Clint Pierce is one of them.

Sheriff: (Sigh) He’s done more damage this year than all of nature’s varmints combined. Look at this map here.

(Rustling Paper)

Sheriff: All of these markers stand for a place that Clint has raided in the past five months.

Allen: Uh-hu. Tex Austin’s farm, the Liverpool shipping office, Barner and Warren’s mercantile, and now the San Antonio train line.

Sheriff: And it’s getting worse! When he hit Austin’s farm, we thought it might have been because of a personal grudge. But then they burned the shipping office – and the mercantile was plumb cleaned out of merchandise for two weeks. Now this – and two men killed! I tell you, Allen, if it doesn’t stop soon, we’ll all be dead or wounded!

Allen: I’ll see what I can do, sheriff.

Sheriff: I appreciate that, Allen. You have our full support and resources, of course.

Allen: Well, I reckon I can deal with Pierce on my own.

Sheriff: Mind telling me what you’re going to do?

Allen:  I wish I could, sheriff. But I honestly don’t… (excitedly) wait, let me see that map!

(Rustling paper)

Sheriff: Here it is, why?

Allen: You say the first raid occurred here, at Austin’s farm?

Sheriff: That’s right

Allen: And from there the outlaws went to the shipping office, Barner and Warren’s… and finally the train line…

Sheriff: Sure, but what’s that got to do with stoppin’ Clint Pierce?

(scraping chair)

Allen: I wish I had time to tell you, Sheriff, but I have a lot of work to do tonight. If my hunch pays off, we’ll have Clint Pierce behind bars in twenty-four hours.

(Exciting music)

Announcer: Later that evening, we find Allen and his partner Henry camped outside the town of Falls City.

(coyote howls)

Henry: Sure is quiet out here tonight

Allen: Sure is

Henry: I still don’t understand why we’re hidin’ out here, Allen. Falls City ain’t an important town!

Allen: I explained it to you once before, Henry

Henry: Explain it to me again.

Allen: Here, look at this map (rustling paper). I’ve marked all of the places where Pierce and his gang struck in the past few days. Notice anything strange?

Henry: No… wait a minute! The locations form a direct line!

Allen: Exactly! And the line leads…

Henry: To Falls City? What in tarnation would Pierce want in this town? There’s only a saloon and a livery stable! They don’t even have a bank!

Allen: Yes, but they do have the Falls City Mining Office. And I happen to know that the payroll was delivered yesterday.  

Henry: That never entered my mind, Allen! How did you think of it?

Allen: When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn to think… like an outlaw.

(coyote howls)

Henry: Was that a real coyote?

Allen: Sounded kinda puny to me

Henry: It could be a signal

Allen: Could be

Henry: You think we’re gonna catch ‘em, Allen?

Allen: I don’t know, but we’re sure gonna try.

Announcer: Meanwhile, in a gully just outside of town

(Horse neighs)

Clint: Jake! Shut that horse up! Barnes, check those saddle bags one more time. We don’t want ‘em fallin’ off with the payroll inside.

Once we got that money we’re headin’ South to Laredo. They’ll never find us there.

Barnes: The saddle bags are fine, boss.

(gunshot)

Jake: Uh, I shut up the horse.

Clint: What'd you do that for? Now you'll have to ride behind Barnes! Come on, you idiots! Mount up! Next stop is the Falls City Mining Office! An’ keep your mouths shut.

Jake: Okay, Boss

Clint: I said, be quiet! This is a robbery and we don’t want anybody hearin’ us. Now, come on!

(hoofbeats)

Henry: Hey, listen, Allen!

Allen: Here come our bandits

Henry: What are we gonna do?

Allen: Let’s sneak around the side of the office. Come on!

(Jingling spurs, clomping on boardwalk)

Allen: Shhh! They might hear us! Now, hunker down around the corner. Here they come!

(Horses clopping, jingling spurs)

Clint: (Whispered) Woah. Okay, Jake! Barns! Let’s go!

Jake: How are we gonna get the door open, boss?

Clint: Maybe I’ll use yer head to bust it open, Jake!

Jake: Awww, boss!

Clint: Stand back while I blast it the lock open with my gun. Then we’ll have to work fast, or we’ll have people swarmin’ all over.

(Gunshot)

Clint: Okay, come on!

Announcer: As Clint and his boys rushed into the mining office, Allen and Henry snuck up onto the boardwalk. They listened as the outlaws found the safe and broke it open.

Clint: Ah, here’s the money! Jake, get those saddlebags over here! Come on, boys, load her up!

Barns: A welcome donation from the citizens of Falls City, huh boss?

Clint: You got that right! Okay, let’s get out of here.

(Bootsteps, jingling spurs, get louder as they near the door)

Allen: Hold it just a second, Mister Pierce!

Barns: Look out, Boss!

Henry: I wouldn’t reach for your guns, Mister Barns. We got you covered.

Allen: We sure do. Now, just set those saddlebags down on the ground and unbuckle your guns, real easy-like. That’s it. Clint, step out here on the boardwalk.

Clint: What for?

Allen: This is what for!

(loud punch, grunt, thud)

Allen: I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time. Okay, Henry, let’s bring ‘em on in. This won’t be the first time that justice won out over evil.

(Happy Music)

Announcer: This is your announcer. “Allen Chapman, Champion of Justice” is brought to you by “Yodeling Fools Incorporated.” Wherever you go, you know there’ll be a fool to yodel for you.

Eric: And by Krispy Wheats, the Cereal that’s shot from guns!

Claire: Tonight’s star Allen Chapman, Champion of Justice, was played by Eric Novak.

Eric: His sidekick Henry was played by Claire Novak.

Claire: Clint Pierce was played by Eric Novak

Eric: The Sheriff was played by Claire Novak

Claire: The screaming lady was played by Eric Novak

Eric: Clint’s sidekicks, Jake and Barns, were played by Claire Novak

Claire: As always, we wish to thank our sound effects man, Eric Novak

Music was composed by John Phillip Sousa and performed by Dr. William D. Revelli and the University of Michigan Band. Tune in next time to hear Allen Chapman, Champion of Justice in episode one thousand six hundred and fifty-two in our series, “Tales of the Old West.” From all the folks here at Yodeling Fools Incorporated and Krispy Wheats Cereal, this is your announcer wishing you goodnight and pleasant dreams!

May. 27, 2005 - Thoughts from the Homefront

      I know a guy who is fighting overseas. His name is Russ, and his position is especially important, because he’s with a key logistics outfit of this operation – COSCOM, where “nothing happens anywhere unless we okay it.” Russ is a major and he works at a headquarters in Iraq, which is all I’m allowed to tell you. He’s not a journalist, but he has something to tell the American people, and what he has to say counts. He knows what’s going on because it’s his job to deal with it every day – and that’s more than a lot of journalists can say.

    Russ gets the blood-and-guts reality of war pushed in his face all the time, and he doesn’t have much patience for people who have a problem with his job. In his opinion, protestors should “get a life” and “[Americans] always want results, but are unwilling to pay