Week of May 18, 2026
Here’s a rundown of my week.
Jacy Farrow
Cybil Shepard as Jacy Farrow in The Last Picture Show.
The Last Picture Show (1966) is both a rambunctious coming-of-age story and an elegy to a forlorn Texas town trying to keep its one movie house alive. Adapted into the Oscar-winning film, this masterpiece immortalizes the lives of the hardscrabble residents who are threatened by the inexorable forces of the modern world.
Shark Fighter
A fantastic pulp from Len Levinson and one I read at least once a year. Just a great read.
About:
Sam Taggart is a cynical, hard-drinking vet living in the tropical island of Makura, surrounded by beautiful beaches…and even more beautiful women. He’s a shark hunter: armed with a spear gun and nerves of steel, he puts his life on the line every day, tracking down the deadly creatures for resort chefs, whose hungry guests are willing to pay top dollar for shark meat.
Everything changes for Taggart when he meets Bob Jones, who offers him a cool two million bucks for fighting two sharks. The only catch? Taggart has to fight them in a swimming pool, on live TV. For a pro like Taggart, that’s no problem…until the island’s corrupt dictator and police chief get involved. After some last-minute changes to the schedule stack the deck against him, Taggart the predator is now the prey — and if he doesn’t watch out, he’s going to be fish food!
My Bedroom
This is my bedroom. I sleep on the right as you look at the picture. That’s more than any of you need to know.
Later
I said goodbye to my local paper this week.
I truly enjoyed writing my column “Outdoors on Edge” for the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post but their purchase by Times Media Group brought about several changes that I didn’t see as for the better. I don’t know why the majority of the staff resigned but I do know that I left because the new company offered me half what I was getting paid by the previous owner.
My writing for the paper was never about the money (it was about hometown pride among other things) but being asked to write for half of the very little I was already making was rather insulting. Especially considering that I was the most read columnist in the paper.
I still believe in local media and local control of said media and in creating work that people actually read and enjoy.
I was sad to say goodbye but it was the right move for me.
Hiro
My buddy Hiro playing the Stones on guitar at LMC with assistance from Spot the Ocelot. Date unknown but it was a long time ago.
Wrong
I never understood the argument of “everybody does it” from adults.
That’s something a child would argue.
And when a child argues it, the child is corrected.
By an adult.
The child is told that it doesn’t matter if everyone’s doing it; wrong is wrong.
So it’s really bothersome to me to hear adults arguing that “everybody does it” when it comes to them defending their chosen politicians, favorite celebrities, or friends and neighbors.
Again, wrong is wrong folks.
206!
Tiger Tales is sitting at 206 reviews and thousands of copies sold in less than a year!
Thanks to all.
Tiger Tales from the Acuña Cartel: A Jett Turner Misadventure: Book #1 sits at 206
Welcome to the insanity that is my life.
The name’s Jett Turner and my early retirement to a lake on the Texas – Mexico Border was supposed to be fun and easy going. It didn’t involve me writing up the twisted exploits of the head of the Acuña Cartel, reporting such to the DEA, or watching pandas blow up, people being fed to tigers, or learning about the bodily functions of the tortured. In addition, I have to deal with a morbidly obese shut in, a woman hell bent on collecting the last of my student loans, a hairless chimp named Patty, a giant named Koko, a housekeeper set on cleansing my soul, and a sexual deviant, Larry McMurtry quoting professor. Toss in a beautiful call girl named Laredo Rose, a cheerleader of a waitress with her jaw wired shut, and a traitor of a dog that listens to everyone but me and you get an idea of what I have to deal with on a daily basis.
This first misadventure that is my life is rated R for language, crude humor, and insanely bizarre circumstances but rates an A+ for all of the aforementioned and entertainment value.
My Plumbing
My plumbing skills ROCK. I mean, that gap is art!
Email Gayne!
I love hearing from people who read my work and I answer every email I get. You can do that by clicking that little image of an envelope below.
Like what you see? Want to keep the adventure going? Fire a PayPal or Venmo in my direction & you may get a shout out! Hot Tip: Include blog idea in the description…
