CE Wills

    Hey, everyone. I watched a terrific movie tonight called, as you might expect from the title of this post, The Banger Sisters. Let me start with the fact that it was brilliantly written by Bob Dolman. I don't know when I have watched something where the writing just jumped out at me as being terrific like it did in this show.      Goldie Hawn stars as Suzette, an aging groupie whose life is floundering. She finds herself single, fired from her job at the legendary Whiskey A-Go-Go (Johnny Rivers cut an album there) in California, and broke. She decides to go see her friend Vinnie (Susan Sarandon) who lives in Phoenix. On the way she picks up a crazy writer, (aren't they all?) who has issues with cleanliness, loneliness and a morbid problem with his dad. Harry is his name and he is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush. Harry has writer's block and hasn't had sex in 10 years. Suzette stays in Harry's room and is something of a muse to the writer, among othe...

   Hey, everyone. It is a lovely morning here at the green retreat and I have been busy. As I pause to check my stats on blog and books I thought I might tell you a cautionary tale.      As you may know, one of the most wonderful things about choosing the I-Pad as a tablet is its app store. Apple does a nice job of running it and this is not an Apple-bashing post. There are some people that are abusing their apps and the opportunities that they have. Let me be specific.      The other day I was playing one of my favorite games called Iron Man 3. There have been some problems with this game. For instance, they went back and put in ads with an update, failed to give me back my in-apps when I re-downloaded the game and other things. The most recent deal was interesting. I was playing the game and it switched me to a video ad about retirement planning. About the same time there appeared a warning on my screen that stated " Iron Man 3 is r...

    Hey, everyone. I thought I'd tell you folks from foreign climes a bit about another odd custom we have here in the U.S.A. It involves ritual torture of eggs, among other things. We call it deviled eggs and it is a bit different than what springs to mind at the term. Sure, you picture an imp sticking a pitchfork into the quivering egg, while laughing diabolically. It is not like that and no eggs were harmed in the making of this blog.     Oh, about the title. Check out the picture of this egg, which had a navel. Cool, huh? It was an 'inny' not an 'outey'. Does this point to some genetic deformity in the egg? Perhaps. Who knows what kinkiness hides behind the hard-shelled facade of egg-dom?     What we do is boil a bunch of eggs. Then we peel the eggs, giving them a ceremonial bath; then cut them in half, pulling the yolks from the eggs. We then fill the white parts with a paste that looks suspiciously like a concoction of...

    What's up? Checking out the blogs before heading to mom's for the big Thanksgiving meal? Sure, I can dig it. Preparing yourself, mentally, to get kissed by great Aunt Louise, the one who has a tiny piece of turkey stuck in her mustache?     Maybe you should think about going to see Jason Statham's latest flick tomorrow. Don't listen to the critics, this is a terrific movie. Carley really liked it too. I went over on IMDB, the definitive movie site, and saw that critics lampooned it and normal people liked it. For my part, I thought it was wonderfully acted by everyone involved, which means great direction. Here's the menu.     Statham plays Phil Broker, a former DEA undercover agent who had a bad experience in the deep south. He was undercover at a biker bar which was a front for a drug operation. When the bust went South, no pun intended, the son of the boss-biker was killed. So, the head of the Outcast clan puts a bounty on Broker's...

    Hey, everyone. Recently, boxed sets of ebooks have come into vogue in the on-line stores. The other day I bought 9 thriller novels in one set for 99 cents. Obviously a great deal. Part of my personality is similar to a five year old's in that if I see someone else with something, I want it too. So, I put all 9 of my westerns about the gunman Cedric Gant into one boxed set.  They total about 70,000 words so it is a lengthy read.In this series, Cedric starts out as young gunman, innocent in the ways of the world. He makes the acquaintance of Melon Brown, recently widowed and twice Cedric's age. She helps him along in his education and he falls for her.      As the series continues, Cedric learns that his skill with guns can not only save the lives of his loved ones, but destroy them as well. This series is hard to put down and if you can stand adult situations and language, you should enjoy it. The price is $2.99 and it is available on Smashw...

    Hey, everyone. I have a channel on satellite that is called Palladia . It broadcasts old, and new, concerts and music shows. Tonight I was fortunate to watch an old concert at the Troubadour Club, out in Los Angeles. It was staged during the Club's 50 year anniversary. About that club...     Seems like I remember Neil Diamond cutting a live album at that place, about 40 years ago. I think a lot of big time entertainers got their start in that place. In fact, James Taylor and Carole King paid homage to the club during the performance.     This particular performance was taped in November, 2007. Both the stars were well-advanced in years but their voices were full and strong. I like watching Carole play the piano. She seems to really enjoy performing. As I watched her, I reasoned that when you get older maybe you appreciate being able to perform and that your body is "on the clock".     Carole King intrigues me. For many y...

    Hey, everyone. Glad you could stop by the old green retreat this evening. I wrote several thousand words on my third book about the French Spy known as the Spider. That was this morning, early. I also watched way too much T.V., with NFL Football being the prime culprit. I told my wife that a football player had a last name that sounded like bat excrement. When she looked it up she proved me wrong, the spelling was completely different. I am so glad for that guy because I hate it when people misuse someones name. Still, it was funny at the time. (See what I mean about some writers being weird?)     I was thinking about writers today and meditating on their peculiarities. They are just normal folks in a way, but are so different in certain areas that some of them would seem weird. For instance, I am by nature a writer, a teacher and probably a few other things. However, living in the South, from a poor background, having any training in the arts seemed...

    Hey, everyone. It has been a slow, laid-back day at the green retreat. Don't believe me? Well, allow me to share. We woke up early, though neither of us worked. Carley fixed a big breakfast, bacon, biscuits and gravy, eggs. We did a few chores, then we went to Wal-Mart. I wanted to see how long it took them to sell out of the new X-Box One. She wanted to buy two big turkey ovens to cook the Thanksgiving meal. She does a turkey and a ham.     I was informed that the only X-box Ones they sold were those pre-ordered on line and picked up at the store. I didn't want one but I was interested to see if this was going to be another will-of-the-wisp, a Tech Unicorn. Probably.       I flirt with purchases and never pull the trigger, as you know. I read on my Padster this morning an article about one of the flagship games for the new system. It's called Rhys of Rome , I think. It sounds impressive. It's about a Roman General who is trying to sa...

Hey, everyone. Tonight I watched an older movie called Eye of the Beholder. It is a strange tale and a bit depressing. Ewan McGregor stars as a surveillance expert named Stephen Wilson. He is assigned to monitor a government official who is doing questionable things with questionable people. Coincidentally, this official picks up an attractive woman, Joanna Eris (Ashley Judd) on the same day that this surveillance started. Ashley is a disturbed young woman and Stephen watches in horror as she murders this complete stranger. In fact, Stephen has been bouncing a laser beam off a window and has full audio and video of the crime.  Of course, he has his own mental problems. He is smothered with guilt for his lost daughter, whose 'ghost' appears to him almost constantly. She tells her dad that the murderess needs his help, during one of his hallucinations. Surprisingly enough, Ewan starts to watch over the woman, even quitting his job so he can do so more effectively. He follows he...

Hey, everyone. Let me start by saying that on some of my posts the words are being split up from one line to the other. I haven't changed anything and I don't understand it. Blogger has been acting up for some time, though it seems unreasonable to complain about a free service. I was just over on the Washington Post and read a good article on the XBOX One. It freaked me out a little that the device can read your skeletal structure (or your voice) and monitor who's in the room. I'm not too sure that I'm comfortable with that, although I would like to play some games on it. I do, however, love gaming on my I-Pad and prefer not having a controller; plus the games are so much cheaper. Carley and I did a road trip yesterday, traveling to Nashville to Cool Springs Galleria. They have a big Apple Store there and guess what? They actually have that Tech Unicorn there, known to devotees as the I-Phone 5s (Gold, 16 Gig). I managed to keep my lustful little paws off its s...

    Hey, everyone. It is Sunday morning in the States. It is 60 degrees and overcast, with rain yesterday and last night plus the threat of more to come. The robins don't seem to care. There are dozens of them in some of my trees, flitting through the bushes and... just now flying headlong into my study's window. Ha, ha. I have seen birds literally break their necks like that. It brings to mind the bizarre Hitchcock movie called The Birds , in which our fine feathered friends get tired of human-related problems and start attacking people.      Nothing like that with these birds. They are mild and well-behaved, other than their odd toilet habits. This morning being so unseasonably warm, I carried my coffee to the front porch and watched ...life happening.     I have several Bradford Pears in the front yard. They are the trees that have become popular for their white blooms in the spring. Their pears stay tiny and unsuitable for human ...

   Hey, everyone. As you know, I am an aficionado of the Iron Man 3 game on I-Pad, despite my recent falling out with Tony Stark. So it came as a pleasant surprise when I saw that there was an update for that game that included a new 'map'. The graphics for the new territory (Space) are stunning on the retina display of my I-Pad Air and it has some cool things in it.    There are purple mesh gates that slide back and forth across my path. You have to time them to a nicety when you are on hyper-speed. (The idea being not to hit them.)      Another hazard is pink comets that flash by and must be dodged. There are regular chunks of space debris as well, but I tend to like the bright colors more as I get older??? Strange.       The toughest things to dodge are the spokes of a rotating space station. They are moving in such a way as to be a serious hazard and I am offended that the nations of the Earth did not design their...

    Hey, everyone. It's been a cold day here at the green retreat with a high of 44 degrees and a crisp wind. This made it a good day for gaming. I finished my current game which is called Ravensword 2: Shadowlands.      I think the peasants in the town of Aven are either bashful or forbidden to speak to the gentry. Either way, it hurts my feelings. I was glad to sell my boar hides to a lady, though. They were beginning to stink pretty bad and I got some gold coins for them. But wow, things are high when you are buying, too. For instance, I had to give 1550 pieces of gold for a wooden bow. Heck, when I was a kid, I'd make my own and pretend to be Tarzan of the Apes.      Another odd thing about this game is the state of disrepair that the bridges are in. Who is responsible for this? Heck, here in the U.S. of A. the roads are getting pretty bad. I guess that there is no money for them. The government has wasted so much mone...

   Good morning, everyone. Just a quick note to announce a new short story I have placed on Smashwords. The ebook will also be on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and the other outlets over the next few days.      The title is The Sword of France and it is the second book in the series about the sexy, French spy named Andrea. In this story, I delve into the origin of the assassin; how spymaster Jean LaCross plucked her from the mean streets of Marseille and trained her to be the blunt instrument that France needed.      Nicknamed the spider, Andrea wears a ring which bears the image of a spider with a sword on its back. With this odd piece of jewelry, she marks her victims on the forehead.     Be advised, this book has adult content and language. It is about 8500 words and is fast-paced, action-packed and I hope, enjoyable. Here's the place to see it. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/377118 P.S. By the way, an a...

    Hey, everyone. For the past few days, for several hours a day, I have played the IOS game called Ravensword Shadowlands. I got it for 99 cents, on sale, and I have found it to be one of the most excellent, fun games that I have played. I plan to talk about this lengthy game in installments. This is the first, as the erudite among you have surmised from the title.     To start with, the developers have taken the awesome step of putting something in the options menu that I love. That being a sliding bar for you to choose the difficulty setting of the game. I set mine on the minimum, because I like to enjoy a game without being frustrated by it. Suit yourself on this. You may want to start on easy, then move it to hard after you've accumulated in-game cash and weapons.      Let me say that there will be no imperative need for you to buy any in-app purchases. So, lets begin.      This is a big world and I a...

    Hey, happy people all over the world. It floats my boat to think about y'all reading this in all the remote corners of the globe. Then again, there are probably plenty of people nearby that read it.      My wife and I were just out. It was one of those nights where you get one of those cravings. No, not like that. We, okay, I, was craving a milkshake so we went to a drive-in reastaurant called Sonic. For those of you in the hinterlands it would remind you of a Happy Days sort of T.V. Show, though it's a chain. At some of them, the car-hops wear roller skates and they play 1960's music over the outdoor speakers.      Anyway, Carley ordered a Hot-Fudge Milkshake and I opted for a Peanut Butter Shake. A lot of people like the real thick shakes but I prefer them when thay are thin enough to drink through a straw. Normally, I like Vanilla about as well as anything. Now they put this whipped cream on top of the shake and a cherry ...

   Hey, everyone. I went to see Thor: The Dark World today and enjoyed it. Then I went out to eat massive amounts of vittles (Southern for food), eventually returning home.     One thought that crossed my mind during the show was about computer generated special effects. They have certainly come a long way the last couple of years. They are so good now that movies like Thor and the Avengers can truly be filmed. For instance, the scenes in today's movie of Asgard and its environs seemed real and plausible, making a suspension of disbelief easy to achieve. The fabled Rainbow Bridge was well-rendered. My favorite scenes with Thor's hammer returning to his hand, zipping across landscapes and through parallel dimensions, were very cool because of advances in this tech.      If I had a hammer like that, I would have a ball with it. I would promise not to ever use it for evil. I would keep it clean and polish it and give it a better name than M...

    Hey, everyone. I have a few thoughts on the latest I-Pad. Doubtless there are many of you who have it already and others who are considering making a move and pouncing on its aluminum bones.     As I spend time with this smooth-skinned rascal I have many observations. For one, it is obvious that the battery lasts a lot longer than my I-Pad 3.     Number 2, my left wrist is grateful for the lighter weight. It makes a difference during a long period of gaming.     Number 3, the WiFi loads stuff faster. Typically, I read news sources like Flipboard, Pulse and Zite when I get up in the morning and it is smoother now than it used to be. This is one of the best things about an I-Pad, by the way. Four cups of coffee and an hour with my Padster gets my day underway. I customize these feeds with all my favorite subjects. Now, one page seems to melt into another with a minimum of the spinning circle.     There ...

     Hey everyone. It has been a busy few days since last I posted. My wife has bought the I-Phone 5s (more on that later) and I have bought the I-Pad Air. But first I want to talk about the new Smart Case I bought for His Airness. I think you should consider getting one of the pricey rascals. Mine is beige and it looks good. It feel good in my hands, also. It has two parts that are permanently joined and the back is cup-shaped so that the Air sits snugly down inside it. It protects both the front and the back in a sleek little cocoon complete with the Apple logo.      Perhaps one of the best things about it is this: the slick back of the I-Pad Air is encased and no longer wants to slide off things to the floor. There is also a huge difference in the ease with which you can hold your device with this case on it. The slimness of the Air, and its noted lightness, makes the case a big improvement. $79 is significant grindage but it is worth it. ...