Monthly Archives: January 2022

From the ‘Only in Texas’ Files – January 29, 2022

The Walmart store chain offers plenty of items for shoppers, but I don’t believe children are among them.  After all, this isn’t Russia!

But Rebecca Lanette Taylor, a 49-year-old woman from Crockett, Texas, apparently thought otherwise.  While standing in line at self-checkout lane at a Walmart in Crockett, Taylor allegedly offered another woman $500,000 in exchange for the latter’s child.

The Crockett Police Department indicated an officer was on patrol on January 13 when she received a phone call from the mother of the child, saying “a White woman with blonde hair approached her in the Crockett Walmart, wanting to purchase her son”.

According to an arrest affidavit, the mother had a baby in a car seat in the shopping cart, along with her 1-year-old.  Officials state Taylor “began commenting on her son’s blonde hair and blue eyes.”  She then asked how much she could pay for him. The mom tried to laugh off the comment, thinking Taylor was joking. However, Taylor told her that she had $250,000 in the car and would give that much for the baby.

The mother refused and left the store.  But Taylor supposedly followed her out to her car and asked again to buy the younger baby, adding she “been wanting to buy a child for a long time.”

The affidavit also declares that Taylor then “began screaming at the mom, saying if she wouldn’t take $250,000 for him, then she would give her $500,000 because she wanted him and she was going to take him.”

The mother got into her vehicle and locked the doors.  The children were safely inside with her. Taylor left the scene shortly after, but surveillance footage caught the incident on camera and a warrant was issued for Taylor’s arrest.  She is currently being held at the Houston County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

I think the bond should be set much higher…say, $500,000.  But that’s just a personal thought.

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Retro Quote – Chinua Achebe

“The world is like a mask dancing.  If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”

Chinua Achebe

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Word of the Week – January 29, 2022

Apodictic

Adjective

Latin, 17th century

Clearly established or beyond dispute: originally from Greek “apodeiktikos” and “apodeiktos” and Latin “apodicticus”, it stems from the verbal adjective of “apodeiknynai,” meaning “to show off, demonstrate, show by argument, point out, prove.”

Example: My apodictic knowledge of the history of canines is due to my life-long love for dogs.

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Political Cartoon of the Week – January 29, 2022

Image: Khalil Bendib

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Tweet of the Week – January 29, 2022

Rep. Jim Banks

You know what, Banks, YES I HAVE!

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Best Quotes of the Week – January 29, 2022

“If we can do a better job to remember that we’re all created in God’s image, ‘b’tzelem Elohim.’ If we could all do more to tone down the rhetoric in politics and on talk shows and remember that we can debate ideas.  We don’t have to agree.  We also don’t have to attack one another personally to get our point across.”

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who was taken hostage at gunpoint for 11 hours along with three other congregants at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas on January 15

The phrase ‘b’tzelem elohim,’ means “in the image of God”.

“We depend upon one another whether we know it or not and we are made better when more of us are seen and heard and helped. So many tiny-tribe people have been fooled into believing that someone else’s gain is their loss; that this existence is competitive when it is actually supposed to collaborative, that we take care of our own. That is a sad way to spend the brief time here that we have. I want something better.”

John Pavlovitz, in “Yes, This Is All About Tribalism”

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February 2022 Book Marketing Opportunities

A writer’s job is never done.  That includes marketing – which most of us hate.  We’re writers – not salespeople!  At least I’m not.  Regardless, we scribes HAVE to take every opportunity to sell our writings and we HAVE to use any means necessary – preferably those that fall within the bounds of legality.  The Marketing Deities have established unique reasons to mark every day of the year.  With February close upon us, here are some prime marketing opportunities for each day of the month.

  • February 1 Spunky Old Broads Day
  • February 3 Feed the Birds Day
  • February 4 Bubble Gum Day
  • February 4 Thank a Mailman Day
  • February 5 National Shower with a Friend Day
  • February 5 National Weatherman’s Day
  • February 6 National Chopsticks Day
  • February 7 Send a Card to a Friend Day
  • February 9 Toothache Day
  • February 10 Umbrella Day
  • February 13 Get a Different Name Day
  • February 13 National Wingman Day
  • February 14 Ferris Wheel Day
  • February 15 Singles Awareness Day
  • February 15 Susan B. Anthony Day
  • February 16 Do a Grouch a Favor Day
  • February 17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
  • February 20 Love Your Pet Day
  • February 22 Be Humble Day
  • February 26 Open That Bottle Night
  • February 26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day

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Retro Quote – Bernard Williams

“Books had instant replay long before televised sports.”

Bernard Williams

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Word of the Week – January 22, 2022

Tsundoku (積ん読)

Noun

Japanese (slang), 19th century

Acquiring reading materials and letting them pile up without reading them.  It combines elements of tsunde-oku (積んでおく, to pile things up) and dokusho (読書, reading books). As currently written, the word combines the characters for “pile up” (積) and the character for “read” (読).

Example: My vast tsundoku looks overwhelming, but it’s still comforting to me.

Image: Ronnie Filyaw – Whomp!

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Cartoon of the Week – January 22, 2022

Only working writers can truly identify with this!

Lars Kenseth, New Yorker, 01/21/22

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