This is one of those ‘gifts of a split-second’ snapshots of history.

Most people will only see the rats. That will be the focus of their attention.

But those people will have missed a visual reminder of the ongoing agony of trench warfare during the First World War.

These men are standing in water up to their mid-shin.  That is not just water.  It is an open sewer.  And an open garbage dump.

Imagine standing in this septic system for 18 months and worrying more about what diseases you are getting from the water in addition to the incoming enemy fire.

. . . and what will happen if you have an open wound! 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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After the invention of the battery in 1896, an American, Conrad Hubert, invented the first hand-held, battery-powered light. 

He named it the Electrical Hand Torch. 

At that time, batteries were undependable.  They often caused the Electrical Hand Torch to flash.  So, today, in America, the Electrical Hand Torch is called a flashlight. 

In England, it’s called a torch.  

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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Every generation has its horror stories.

They are called horror stories because the young – of every next generation –

has absolutely no idea how ‘things have changed for the better.’

In 1974, you could only get a book from a library, bookstore or friend’s shelf.

If it came from a library, you had show a library card and sign a withdrawal slip.

This, millennials, is a withdrawal slip.

With the date the book with taken out of the library.

If it wasn’t returned within two weeks, there would be a fine of TWO CENTS A DAY!!!! 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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… in 1996, it took four days to load 62,500 punched cards to input five megabytes of data. 

Do you really want to go back to the “good old days?” 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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In the ‘good old days,’ the workday was 12 hours! 

The man who changed that was Henry Ford. 

He created three work shifts of eight hours each. The industry followed his lead. So did American businesses. 

What many people do not know is Henry Ford also doubled the daily wage of his workers.  

To $5 a day! 

And his absentee rate fell to zero! 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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Go to space.  

In 2016, after spending a year in space, Astronaut Scott Kelly was two inches taller than when he left earth.

After being subjected to the earth’s gravity for a while, he ‘lost’ the two inches. 

But, to quote the article, NASA scientists discovered “Kelly’s gut bacteria were completely different and his gene expression had changed.” 

I did not believe your DNA could ‘change.’ But according to my niece, who is a DNA scientist:
This makes sense to me, especially the microbes in the gut changing. In the absence of earth’s constant gravity, he got taller. Exposing the stomach to a different diet would change the microbiome of the gut. And extreme stress from space could cause DNA mutations, like a very sped up version of evolution.

We learn something new every day. 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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Why is this picture important? 

Because as of January 1st, 2024, Mickey Mouse entered the public domain.

[This photograph was taken on January 20, 2024.]

In street language, BEFORE last December 31st, 2023, you had to pay Disney to use the image of Mickey Mouse. As on January 1st this year, you don’t have to pay Disney a dime.

Why is this important to writers?!

Because too many writers believe they should make the BIG BUCKS with their writing immediately. They believe writing is business and you have to make a profit SOON.

Writers will never know if they are ‘good’ because the ‘profit’ will come from long after they are ‘gone.’ They and their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whomever, own their BOOK/s for 95 years AFTER you die. The key is to FINISH your books and get them on the market and not cry that your books TODAY are not making the BIG BUCKS.

When in doubt, THINK Mickey Mouse and 2024! 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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Why is this picture important? 

Because as of January 1st, 2024, Mickey Mouse entered the public domain.

[This photograph was taken on January 20, 2024.]

In street language, BEFORE last December 31st, 2023, you had to pay Disney to use the image of Mickey Mouse. As on January 1st this year, you don’t have to pay Disney a dime.

Why is this important to writers?!

Because too many writers believe they should make the BIG BUCKS with their writing immediately. They believe writing is business and you have to make a profit SOON.

Writers will never know if they are ‘good’ because the ‘profit’ will come from long after they are ‘gone.’ They and their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whomever, own their BOOK/s for 95 years AFTER you die. The key is to FINISH your books and get them on the market and not cry that your books TODAY are not making the BIG BUCKS.

When in doubt, THINK Mickey Mouse and 2024! 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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[Note the unique delivery channels!]

Today you can drive through so the ‘restaurants’

are servicing more people per hour. 

Steve Levi is an Alaskan writer who specializes in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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Every era in American history has its slang and acronyms.  If you are a millennial, ask your grandparents to translate TEF, EOS and TGIF. 

Here are some actual cowboy expressions and their ‘translations.’ 

“Crooked enough to sleep on a corkscrew.”  [He’s a crook.]

“Weasel smart.” [Very crafty.]

“He had throat trouble.” [He was hung.]

“Coffin varnish.” [Whiskey.]

“Built like a snake on stilts.” [He’s tall.]

“Studying to be a halfwit.” [Crazy.]

“Fat as a well-fed needle.” [Poor.]

“Scarce as a bird dung in cuckoo clock.” [Hard to find.]

“Like a breeding jackass in a tin barn.” [very noisy.] 

in the Alaska Gold Rush (nonfiction) and the ‘impossible crime,’ (fiction.)  An ‘impossible crime’ is one where the detective must figure out HOW the crime was committed before going after the perpetrators – like a Greyhound bus with bank robbers and hostages disappearing off the Golden Gate Bridge –THE MATTER OF THE VANISHING GREYHOUND. Steve’s books can be found at www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi

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