Race Track Diary, Entry Number Seventeen Billy Budd’s (Dec 13, 2025)

 

Race Track Diary, Entry Number

 Seventeen

Billy Budd’s (Dec 13, 2025)

Introduction

This blog and some following blogs are sections from an informal diary of “visits to the race-track” at a particular time and place, by a person who has followed the races with varying levels of participation over a long period. These relate primarily to some visits to the track and/or off-track betting venues in the 2025 period and onward. They contain observations about the activity, both specific and general. Although these remarks are personal, they also reflect general cultural and historical trends, as they have impacted horse-racing, wagering and culture in general.

The setting is Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (population of about one million plus). However, I imagine that the observations would apply to many places in the world, as they are a reflection of how changing trends in technology, globalization and culture in general have affected this ancient and honourable activity of horse-racing.

For now, I will use what I call “polished point-form” for the narrative.

======================================================================

• 17 – Billy Budd’s (Dec 13, 2025)

  • With mid-winter upon us, Billy Budd’s on the south-side is becoming our favorite haunt. This was an extremely wintry day. There had been some snow on the previous day and the temperature was a cool -24 C overnight (thats -11 F). It warmed up somewhat over the day, though, to about -11 C (that’s about +12 F).

  • The racetrack section of the place was rather crowded, moreso than usual, though it was a Saturday, so maybe normal for that day of the week. In fact, to begin with we had to take the final booth at the back of the section. That was rather far from the dozen or so TV screens and the lighting wasn’t great. So, at the first chance we got, we migrated a ways closer to the screen, in the arc-shaped section with undermount lighting.

  • The early crowd was quite enthusiastic, for an off-track betting site:

    • One guy shouting at the top of his voice "Come on Noro, come on Noro!" (or something like that). His race ended in a photo finish, nearly a dead heat. My brother said "I hope he loses, I don’t care for shouters." But he won, and I think it was at a rather nice price.

    • Another guy shouting, shouting, shouting: "Fuck off, fuck off! Shit horse!" I’m guessing his horse didn’t win.

    • Then there was another guy was just below us, dropping a lot of F-bombs, in a gravelly voice. Swearing isn’t so bad, but it is a good idea to use some discretion while doing so, unless you know a lot of colourful and unique cusses (my dad was an expert, probably because of his time in the Canadian army, Royal Canadian Engineers). Otherwise it is just boring.

  • Though it was still fairly early in the afternoon (about 1:45), most tracks in the east were well into their cards. Woodbine was pretty far gone, as were Gulfstream and Auqaduct. I chose to bet on a place in New Mexico, Zia Park.

    • This track has a mixed quarterhorse and thoroughbred racing schedule. Whether it qualifies as Class A or Class B is open to debate, which makes a difference for takeouts. It seems to have a takeout of 19% on WPS and 21% on exotic bets. That’s rather on the high side, but not as high as some.

    • It was rather different, as the races were all short sprints, often involving no turns. 870 yards was common (just under half a mile or four furlongs). Some races were as short as 300 to 400 yards (under a quarter-mile).

    • That would negate any advantage based on pole position (e.g. a track bias for horses running from an inside pole, if the ground is unusually firm along the rail). Furthermore, early speed seems to be almost meaningless, if a race is only a quarter-mile.

  • Zia Park was also fairly far into its card, with the 6^th race being the first I could bet. I tried an exactor, no luck. One of my picks was in the money, but the other was far down the track.

  • The seventh didn’t seem bettable, 2 year-old maidens (i.e. never won a race), most of whom had never even been in the money (a couple had placed third in a previous race). My system only includes "in-the-money" races, so I skipped this race. (I had written in my notebook ‘Maidens, no form to speak of. Only in the money occasionally)

  • The eighth race had a couple of horses with decent speed, handily better than the rest. I bet the 9 to win, which had good odds, but it came in third.

  • At that point I was honestly feeling pretty tired and a little depressed, wondering if I was coming down with something. Here is an amusing anecdote about that:

    • The night before, I had dreamt that I was back at some university sociology seminar course and the instructor served something she called "sallow beef soup", which was supposed to be a delicacy, some place or another. I had a few spoonfulls, which were alright at first, but then started to make me feel sick. The instructor said "does anyone know what sallow refers to in this context?". I said "salty". Upon awakening, I did feel kind of sick.

    • A few days later I looked it up on google and its AI said:

      • "Sallow beef soup" appears to refer to salted beef soup, a traditional Caribbean dish often served with ground provisions and various vegetables. The term "sallow" is likely a transcription error for "salted" or might be a regional variation of "swallow," a starchy side dish like fufu or pounded yam that is often served alongside the soup "

  • On top of the weirdly accurate dream, the unsuccessful betting wasn’t helping matters, in terms of my perceived health and energy levels. Nonetheless, I worked out my numbers for the 9^th race, and determined that the 7 horse should be a decent bet at 3-1 odds. With some trepidation, I went and placed a larger than usual bet on it.

  • And indeed, that horse did come in, paying $5.40 to win (on a 2 dollar bet). So, that erased my losses for the other two races and put me well over the top (I had upped my usual bet for this race, since it looked so good).

  • Suddenly I felt great! The incipient sickness went away almost immediately. A nice craft IPA beer followed, which only made my mood even better.

  • I skipped the 10^th race (my notebook said "Not enough time to work out numbers").

  • By now the crowd had dwindled down to a hearty few souls. With the racing at Zia Park done, my serious betting was over.

  • We then settled in for an hour or so of betting on the bucket-pullers (harness races). I don’t handicap those, so I don’t count that in my serious horseracing endeavours, but I do shoot my brother Craig a few bucks, to go in on one of his bets, just for the action.

  • Craig won a nice exotic bet, but the machine didn’t cut the voucher properly. So, I went to the bar and the bartender used her handy pair if scissors to snip it cleanly. She was was very helpful and used to the problem, since that particular machine tended to be a bit wonky.

  • With a big win, Craig bought me a beer. He abstained from anymore himself, having had a couple already, since he had to drive home within the hour.

  • The waitress could have easily scored a job at Hooters (does that even exist anymore?). I couldn’t help noticing – that’s what winning bets and having a beer can do to you. The wife of a friend of mine waitressed for some years and said ‘you can’t be too shy about this if you want to make decent tips’. In general, the waitresses and other staff at this place are quite good; efficient, friendly and usually in a good mood. Tips must be good.

  • Woodbine/Mohawk had a match race between Santa and the Grinch. Santa won, but it was obvious to me that the race was fixed. There was not betting on the race, so no bother about that.

  • About that time, a big snowstorm was hitting eastern North America:

    • Races at Turfway Park in Kentucky were cancelled due to weather.

    • Sleet was coming down hard at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, but the bucket-pullers kept going anway.

    • At Laurel Park in Maryland, great clouds of water were thrown up as the thoroughbreds came out of the turn.

    • Woodbine/Mohawk in Toronto was snowy and very wintery looking, very appropriate for the Santa/Grinch race.

    • Evangeline Racetrack in Louisiana had rain and sleet.

    • Northfield Park, in Cleveland Ohio, had a monster snowstorm, with snow and sleet just hammering down. I suppose that was the famous ‘lake effect’ from Lake Erie. But the bucket-pullers there would not stop. We watched as one race paid $115 to win, a 60 to 1 long shot. Had it not won, Craig and I would have won a sizable bet ourselves. So it goes, with the vaguaries of the weather usurping the Sport of Kings.

  • Craig started looking through his tickets to see if he had missed any winners. Lo and behold, it turned out that he had bet his $140 winner twice, so he had another ticket worth the same amount. Earlier in the day, he had picked up a $110 win. It was like that old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon: "Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out if my hat."

  • On hockey night in Canada, the Oilers whipped the Leafs 6-3. I watched that from the racing section, as it was on some of the televisions over the bar. They had their new goalie, after trading Skinner for Jarry. He did ok, at least so far.

  • I had mentioned to my wife that complaining about Skinner had become a sort of bonding ritual between me and my brother, so now we won’t have that. She said: "I guess you’ll just have to take more interest in the bucket-pullers now." Very astute and very amusing.

  • And that was a day that ended very well indeed.

     ======================================================================= 

Here's a short story that involves horseracing: 

A Dark Horse

In “A Dark Horse”, a gambler’s desire to hit a big win seems to lead him to make a Faustian bargain with a supernatural evil.  Or is it all just a string of unnaturally good luck?

The story is just $0.99 U.S. (equivalent in other currencies) and about 8000 words. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited and is occasionally on free promotion.

U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MDMY2BR

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01M9BS3Y5

Here’s an interesting review from Goodreads

(BTW, the writer has never met the reviewer and was not even aware of the review until very recently – You can look up the review on Goodreads, if you like)

A Dark Horse

Every gambler is bound to run out of luck eventually, right?

By far my favourite type of horror is psychological horror. I was quite pleased with how Mr. Olausen frightened his audience without spilling a single drop of blood or so much as hinting at anything gory. He knew exactly what hints to drop for us that made us deliciously dread the next scene simply by throwing out hints about who or what the dark horse might actually represent. This is the kind of stuff I love getting scared by, especially as Halloween approaches.

It would have been helpful to have more character development in this short story. While I certainly wouldn’t expect to see as much time spent on this as I would for a full-length novel, I did have trouble connecting to the main characters due to how little I knew about them and how much their personalities seemed to remain the same no matter what happened to them. If not for this issue, I would have felt comfortable choosing a much higher rating as the plot itself was well done.

I must admit to not knowing much about gambling at all, so I appreciated the brief explanations the narrator shared about how placing bets works and why some people have so much trouble walking away from a bet. While I will leave it up to experts on these topics to say how accurate everything was, I did enjoy learning more about the main character’s addiction and what he hoped to gain from betting on just one more game or race. It gave me a stronger sense of empathy for folks in his position.

A Dark Horse – A Gothic Tale was a deliciously chilling story for the Halloween season and beyond.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is an account of a summer job on the railroad, during my undergraduate years.

One Summer Working on the Railroad

What follows is anaccount of a few weeks one long-ago summer, when I was 19 and was working for the Canadian National Railway (CNR) on a railroad construction gang, in the wilds of north-central British Columbia, Canada.

The journal is in the form of a letter, that was never sent. Decades later, I think it has an interesting historical resonance. At times I come off like a callow youth – I plead guilty as charged. I swore a lot more in those days than I do now, but in places the writing is surprisingly good, at least in my humble opinion. And the story has a compelling narrative arc.

There were a lot of interesting and dramatic events that occurred – a number of industrial accidents being the most serious. There were also some colorful characters on the crew, which resulted in some dramatic and at times amusing conflicts and altercations. I perhaps flatter myself by including myself in that number. Or perhaps I condemn myself – I’m not sure.

So, if you want to be reminded of one of those summer jobs that was kind of life-changing, read on. My story may just kick-start some memories of your own.

The memoir/journal is about 9,000 words, a length that can usually be read in an hour or so. It is priced at 99 cents U.S. (equivalent in other currencies) and is free on Kindle Unlimited. Periodically, it will be offered as a free promotion.

U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN661P8Z

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CN661P8Z

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CN661P8Z

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0CN661P8Z

 

My experiences with Windows 11 vs Linux Mint:

• Printer:

  • Woudn't work under Windows 11 (was discontinued by version 11)

  • Worked immediately on Linux, didn’t even have to install drivers, done automatically by Linux.

• Vintage Radio (radio and bluetooth based mp3 player (audio files).

  • Quit working after a Windows 11 update (killed the bluetooth link).

  • Worked immediately on Linux (no need to manually install drivers).

• Micro-Speak Plus (voice recorder and audio playback):

  • Quit working after a Windows update (would not recognize the device),

  • Worked immediately on Linux (no need to manually install drivers).

• Updating Operating System:

  • Linux Mint - quick, does it in the background, no "restart the computer and pray that Windows update doesn't delete your Bluetooth or other devices". Also, no half-hour wait for the Windows update to complete. No forced updates.

  • Windows 11 – frequently clobbers bluetooth and other drivers. Often takes a long time to update. Sometimes causes major errors/failures (not to me, yet, but there are many reports of this). Many forced updates.

• LibreOffice Calc:

  • Often has some cursor lag, when switching to the program on Windows.

  • Haven’t noticed this on Linux.

• Intrusive Behaviour:

  • Windows - pop-ups and side-screen messages, usually some sort of sales pitch. Co-pilot and other AI pushes (this has been reduced lately).

  • Linux - No sneaky messages popping up, reminding you that Microsoft, HP, Dell etc are out there, watching you. No constant sales pitches.

Generally speaking, Microsoft seems to be in the process of sacrificing (via neglect and/or abuse of its customers) its dominance in the Operating System space, in favour of focussing money and intellectual capital (i.e. the best programmers and data scientists) on its AI initiatives. The high-handed comtempt that it showed (and continues to show) for its customer base is an extreme example of this (you must throw away your 4 year-old computer for Microsoft’s convenience and related induced-profits).

Many computer manufacturers are now shipping with Linux and charging extra for Windows, according to multiple Youtube channels. And once Microsoft loses dominance in the OS space, they risk the same happening in the productivity space (i.e. Microsoft Office) and in the data space (Azure, SQL Server). It seems like a classic case of a business neglecting its foundations in a gamble on an uncertain future.

My Conner McDavid Prediction of April 2024 – How did it Turn Out?

Review of an Earlier Predictive Blog about Conner McDavid’s Extension Decision

Back in April 2024, I wrote a facetious blog suggesting that the Edmonton Oilers management actually wanted to trade Conner McDavid to an American team, and would frustrate him into going along with that idea, by ensuring that the team would never have a consistent goalie during McDavid’s tenure. The idea was that the NHL wanted their marquee player to go to a big market in the U.S. in order to "grow the game", rather than ‘waste’ their greatest talent in a small Canadian market. I drew some obvious parallels with the saga of Wayne Gretzky, another great Oiler who was traded in his prime, in the hopes of sparking more widespread interest in hockey in the U.S.. I have appended that blog to the end of this one, for a more detailed working-out of the theory.

Here are some of the detailed predictions from that earlier blog:

Prediction: "Oilers insist that Skinner is the man, this summer. McDavid decides “that’s it, I’m out of here”. Bonus: the wife goes to a bigger, more important city, as did Gretzky’s wife."

Outcome: The Oilers did insist that Skinner (or Skinner-Pickard) is their intended goalie solution for the next season, during the off-season between 2024-25 and 2025-26. However, instead of deciding "that’s it, I’m out of here", he decided "here’s enough money to get a top-level goalie so that my teammates and I can win a Stanley Cup. If we don’t get that goalie and win the Cup, I’m gone." I predict that Conner will be watching very intensely, to see if management gets the message.

Prediction: "McDavid does not go to the Leafs or any other Canadian team (sorry Leafs fans). The NHL (i.e. Bettman) sees no point in that, they want him in an American market."

Outcome: It’s true that McDavid didn’t go to the Leafs or any other Canadian team, since he did extend with Edmonton. However, the Leafs did lose Mitch Marner to a U.S. team (Las Vegas) over the off-season, so I think I deserve some part-marks for that.

Prediction: "Once this is accomplished, the Oilers will shop around for a new, better goalie, and obtain one. That will console the local fans, at least somewhat."

Outcome: Again, McDavid didn’t leave the Oilers, so that part is N/A. However the Oilers have done some limited shopping for a new, better goalie, resulting in the signing of Conner Ingram of Utah. It remains to be seen if that constitutes an improvement or whether the local fans are consoled by the signing of this goalie. It seems unlikely to me that this deal goes as far as McDavid wants. We will see what the Oilers management does over the next year or so. I predict that they will continue to drag their feet.

Prediction: "Which market? Probably one that is promising for expansion of the league’s presence in the U.S.. But probably not one where hockey is already firmly established (not New York, for example). Possible locations: Utah, Seattle, San Jose or Columbus."

Outcome: Again, McDavid didn’t leave the Oilers, so that part is N/A. It is interesting that Utah has had some involvement in the general scenario (via Conner Ingram), however.

Some Comments and Observations about Conner McDavid’s Actual Extension Decision

What actually happened, is that McDavid signed a 2 year extension to his contract, maintaining his pay at $12.5 million per year. It is widely agreed that, as hockey’s best player, he could have held out for much more than that. Some other marquee players signed for much more money, with the current maximum being $17 million. McDavid could have easily gotten that much, from the Oilers or just about any other team in the league.

So why did he do it? This is usually referred to as a home-town deal or a friendly deal. The idea is that the player wants to stay with his current team for one reason or another, so he gives them a sweetheart deal. That may be that he or his family really like the city that they are in, that he really likes the team and his teammates or perhaps really dislikes the alternative teams that can afford to pay him the maximum attainable salary.

Most people think that McDavid really wants to win a Stanley Cup and realized that by getting top dollar he would handicap any team that he signed with, as then they wouldn’t have the money to surround him with at truly top-notch team. So, he decided to sacrifice some money in order to win the championship trophy. (Note that teams have a maximum salary that they can pay (the cap), so low-balling his contract opened up cap-space (left money in the kitty for other top players to be signed)). Presumably he looked around and thought the Oilers were his best chance of realizing his goal, if they had enough cap-space to sign a top-flight goalie.

He is also known to be good friends with Leon Draisaitl, another Oiler who has signed a long-term contract with the Oilers. So he may be prioritizing friendship over money, at least for a while. Then there is family to consider. His wife has started up several businesses in Edmonton, so she might want to stick around to grow those businesses, both for the money and as a personal goal.

It is also worth keeping in mind that he could well earn a lot more money in the future, should he captain a Stanley Cup winning team. Yes, he is a great player either way, but there is something about winning the Cup that cements that reputation and supports any demands for even more money. So, it is possible that this plan might earn him more money in the long run than going for the gusto would have done in the present.

There is also the notion of legacy to consider. Winning a Stanley Cup in Edmonton would give him ‘Cup cred’ and would be extra-significant as it would be the first Stanley Cup to come to Canada since the early 1990’s. That would be an extra feather in his cap, or hockey helmet. He has expressed the desire to be on a winning Canadian Olympic Gold Medal hockey team, so some patriotism is probably mixed into the motivations.

A final consideration deals with the nature of money itself. He has already earned over $100 million up to this point in his career, not including endorsements or other non-hockey money. And $12.5 isn’t exactly small potatoes, so he is still increasing his overall wealth, rather handily. While many people think "the best must be payed the most", this rule of thumb is just that, not an actual rule that people must follow. He is demonstrating that with his extension signing.

How is it Turning Out so Far?

It has only been a couple of weeks since the season started (I am writing this on Oct 19, 2025). The Oilers are in one of their usual early-season skids, losing their last three games on the road. Does this mean that the deal isn’t working out?

Well, obviously it is far to early to say anything like that. However, it may indicate some issues about leadership. Perhaps coach Kris Knoblauch is having some difficulty with the situation. While it is true that top players are more important than coaches (e.g. they make more money), it is important to maintain the fiction that the coach is top dog. So, perhaps that’s an issue.

The whole business might have also placed a lot of unexpected self-imposed stress on Conner McDavid. He has called his shot, so to speak, so now he has to hit a home run (yes, I am mixing hockey and baseball metaphors, as well as dogsled teams). That could weigh heavily on Conner’s mind, at least for a while.

Having said all that, it is almost certain that the Oilers will pull out of the doldrums and begin winning again. At least this way, they need not fear the President’s Cup curse of the ‘peaking too early’ curse.

Appendix 1: Earlier blog post

A Modest Hockey Proposal – McDavid Leaves the Oilers, with the Hows and Whys (Apr 24, 2024)

Note: This is just meant in the spirit of fun and irony, not to be taken seriously by lawyers and such.

• 1987 – Gretzky traded/sold after about 10 years with Oilers (including WHA).

• He went to L.A. - the idea was to lock down hockey as a major league sport in the U.S., especially Southern California (and southern regions in general).

• The deal was between Pocklington and McNall – but obviously the NHL brain-trust must have also been involved, at least to some extent.

• Gretzky was “wasted” in Edmonton – he was a big draw all over North America, but it would create more publicity if he was playing in a larger market. More money and prestige for everyone.

• Flash forward to 2020s.

• McDavid has had about 10 years with the Oilers, came very close to a Stanley Cup.

• McDavid is “wasted” in Edmonton – he is a big draw all over, but would create more publicity if he was playing in a larger American market. More money and prestige for everyone.

• But how to move him to a different city?

• Solution: Oilers owner and management (Katz and company) insist on keeping under-performing goalie(s), though it is obvious that this is not working.

• This frustrates McDavid, so he wants to go to a contender with standard or better goal-tending.

  Predictions:

• Oilers insist that Skinner is the man, this summer. McDavid decides “that’s it, I’m out of here”. Bonus: the wife goes to a bigger, more important city, as did Gretzky’s wife.

• McDavid does not go to the Leafs or any other Canadian team (sorry Leafs fans). The NHL (i.e. Bettman) sees no point in that, they want him in an American market.

• Once this is accomplished, the Oilers will shop around for a new, better goalie, and obtain one. That will console the local fans, at least somewhat.

• Which market? Probably one that is promising for expansion of the league’s presence in the U.S.. But probably not one where hockey is already firmly established (not New York, for example). Possible locations: Utah, Seattle San Jose or Columbus.

Questions:

• Is this crazy conspiracy thinking? No, this makes perfect sense from the NHL’s point of view. Furthermore, pro sports are “entertainment” so questions about fairness are irrelevant.

• Why would Katz do it? He has his new hockey arena. He doesn’t need McDavid to draw fans in Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl will still remain with the Oilers, so that will assuage the local fans (especially if the Oilers sign a new goalie, shortly after McDavid leaves).

• What’s in it for Katz and Oilers management?

  • Many possible hockey or non-hockey business opportunities or positions might suddenly open up (though it would just be a coincidence).

  • Plus, there would be a status gain for this development “it was best for the good of the league and the game”. Edmonton fans would grumble, but they will always show up at the rink and on the TV.

• Would this be considered anti-trust behaviour on behalf of Katz and Bettman (possibly others as well)? Hard to say, but it would be difficult to prove anyway.

  
  

 A Summer on the Railroad, now on Audiobook (on Amazon)

Something to listen to during a long drive, whether or not you ever worked on the railroad (odds are, you know somebody who did). Or maybe just at home, while contemplating a summer job you once had (or will have).

A Summer Working on the Railroad

What follows is an account of a few weeks one long-ago summer, when I was 19 and was working for the Canadian National Railway (CNR) on a railroad construction gang, in the wilds of north-central British Columbia, Canada.

The journal is in the form of a letter, that was never sent. Decades later, I think it has an interesting historical resonance. At times I come off like a callow youth – I plead guilty as charged. I swore a lot more in those days than I do now, but in places the writing is surprisingly good, at least in my humble opinion. And the story has a compelling narrative arc.

There were a lot of interesting and dramatic events that occurred – a number of industrial accidents being the most serious. There were also some colorful characters on the crew, which resulted in some dramatic and at times amusing conflicts and altercations. I perhaps flatter myself by including myself in that number. Or perhaps I condemn myself – I’m not sure.

So, if you want to be reminded of one of those summer jobs that was kind of life-changing, read on. My story may just kick-start some memories of your own.

The memoir/journal is about 9,000 words, a length that can usually be read in an hour or so. It is priced at 99 cents U.S. (equivalent in other currencies) and is free on Kindle Unlimited. Periodically, it will be offered as a free promotion.

U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN661P8Z

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CN661P8Z

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CN661P8Z

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0CN661P8Z

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0CN661P8Z

 On the Road with Bronco Billy, now on Audiobook – An Interesting Road Trip in a Big Rig

Something to listen to during a long drive, whether or not you are a long-haul driver. Or maybe just at home, while contemplating a road trip

On the Road with Bronco Billy

Sit back and go on a ten day trucking trip in a big rig, through western North America, from Alberta to Texas, and back again. Explore the countryside, learn some trucking lingo, and observe the shifting cultural norms across this great continent.

Amazon U.S.: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon U.K.: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00X2IRHSK

=======================================================

What follows is an account of a ten day journey through western North America during a working trip, delivering lumber from Edmonton Alberta to Dallas Texas, and returning with oilfield equipment. The writer had the opportunity to accompany a friend who is a professional truck driver, which he eagerly accepted. He works as a statistician for the University of Alberta, and is therefore is generally confined to desk, chair, and computer. The chance to see the world from the cab of a truck, and be immersed in the truck driving culture was intriguing. In early May 1997 they hit the road.

Some time has passed since this journal was written and many things have changed since the late 1990’s. That renders the journey as not just a geographical one, but also a historical account, which I think only increases its interest.

We were fortunate to have an eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado, and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.

The travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading, at typical reading speeds.

==========================================

A Modest Hockey Proposal – McDavid Leaves the Oilers, with the Hows and Whys of It

A Modest Hockey Proposal – McDavid Leaves the Oilers, with the Hows and the Whys of It

Note: This is just meant in the spirit of fun and irony, not to be taken seriously by lawyers and such.

• 1987 – Gretzky traded/sold after about 10 years with Oilers (including WHA).

• He went to L.A. - the idea was to lock down hockey as a major league sport in the U.S., especially Southern California (and southern regions in general).

• The deal was between Pocklington and McNall – but obviously the NHL brain-trust must have also been involved, at least to some extent.

• Gretzky was “wasted” in Edmonton – he was a big draw all over North America, but it would create more publicity if he was playing in a larger market. More money and prestige for everyone.

• Flash forward to 2020s.

• McDavid has had about 10 years with the Oilers, came very close to a Stanley Cup.

• McDavid is “wasted” in Edmonton – he is a big draw all over, but would create more publicity if he was playing in a larger American market. More money and prestige for everyone.

• But how to move him to a different city?

• Solution: Oilers owner and management (Katz and company) insist on keeping under-performing goalie(s), though it is obvious that this is not working.

• This frustrates McDavid, so he wants to go to a contender with standard or better goal-tending.

  Predictions:

• Oilers insist that Skinner is the man, this summer. McDavid decides “that’s it, I’m out of here”. Bonus: the wife goes to a bigger, more important city, as did Gretzky’s wife.

• McDavid does not go to the Leafs or any other Canadian team (sorry Leafs fans). The NHL (i.e. Bettman) sees no point in that, they want him in an American market.

• Once this is accomplished, the Oilers will shop around for a new, better goalie, and obtain one. That will console the local fans, at least somewhat.

• Which market? Probably one that is promising for expansion of the league’s presence in the U.S.. But probably not one where hockey is already firmly established (not New York, for example). Possible locations: Utah, Seattle San Jose or Columbus.

Questions:

• Is this crazy conspiracy thinking? No, this makes perfect sense from the NHL’s point of view. Furthermore, pro sports are “entertainment” so questions about fairness are irrelevant.

• Why would Katz do it? He has his new hockey arena. He doesn’t need McDavid to draw fans in Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl will still remain with the Oilers, so that will assuage the local fans (especially if the Oilers sign a new goalie, shortly after McDavid leaves).

• What’s in it for Katz and Oilers management?

  • Many possible hockey or non-hockey business opportunities or positions might suddenly open up (though it would just be a coincidence).

  • Plus, there would be a status gain for this development “it was best for the good of the league and the game”. Edmonton fans would grumble, but they will always show up at the rink and on the TV.

• Would this be considered anti-trust behaviour on behalf of Katz and Bettman (possibly others as well)? Hard to say, but it would be difficult to prove anyway.

The Sappers' War: 12th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, Oct 1943 to Sept 1945

What follows is a review of the history of the 12th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, primarily relating to the time that the company was in the Italian and Northwestern European theatres during World War II. Though the book focuses on the experiences of a particular company of Canadian military engineers, it also discusses some of the wider issues of the second world war and how it affected the people who lived through the era, civilian and military. Among those are my father (a sapper or military engineer) and mother (a war worker in wartime Britain and ultimately a war bride).

Thus, this is meant to be an informal and unofficial history of the company, written by an interested party in an effort to understand what these men went through during this period, and how that experience affected them and other people who lived through the war. The military aspects of the company's history are there (e.g. fighting, building bridges, detecting mines, maintaining routes), as are the cultural factors that influenced them and their times (e.g. the movies that they watched, the drinking they did, the many diseases they faced, their interactions with the Italian, British and other civilians that they lived among, their worries for the future). Some focus on life on the British home front is also given, via the experiences of my mother and her family.

Since many people had family and relations that lived during this time, it is my hope that the account will be of general interest to them, and to any that have a particular interest in this critical interval in history. Also, though the text relates specifically to Canadian sappers, I believe that many of the experiences will be common to the soldiers and loved ones of other nations who lived through the war, especially Americans and those from Britain and the British Commonwealth.

The primary sources of this document are the 12th Field Company War Diaries and related orders, with some material from The History of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, Volume 2 as well as various official histories by the Department of National Defence. Various other published sources are used as well, especially when discussing the wider issues of the war or the army experience (e.g. Churchill’s history of the war) , or conversely when relating very specific episodes of the war (e.g. Popski’s Private Army in late 1944). Personal accounts of my father’s or mother’s stories also augment the narrative. I have tried to fit those in during appropriate time periods, though some stories are more general and have therefore don’t necessarily relate to the time period being discussed. Nonetheless, they do help capture the essence of “being there” during the war years.

The War Diary is a day by day account of the primary activities of a given unit, as recorded by personnel in the headquarters staff of that unit, and signed off by the commander of the unit. As such, it is an official record, though the writers often brought a bit of their own character into the document. Naturally, as a relatively brief document it can’t hope to capture the complexity of the individual stories of 280 or so men, so the family lore generally has no corresponding entry in the War Diary, though there are sometimes tantalizing hints and near-verifications of these personal accounts.

There are a number of other sources for the book, from official histories to popular history books. I include quotations and references from these works (an eclectic mix), as I believe that they also shed light on different aspects of this period of time, and besides that, are just interesting accounts, in and of themselves.

U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

 

A Modest Proposal to Fix Twitter

Since Elon Musk (a person for whom I have a lot of respect) is back to buying Twitter, here is my proposal for a really useful Twitter (or any other social media platform on this type).

Conditions for the New Twitter

• Only real humans are allowed to sign up.

• They are only allowed one account.

• The account would have some basic demographic information associated with it, though not much (very general stuff which could not identify people).

• It would be free.

• They can only post once every 24 hours.

• They would have to do the posting personally, no selling or lending of posting rights. No pure “paste and copy”. They would have to make some personal contribution to the post.

• They can post on any subject they like. That could span the range (from what they had for dinner to their opinions on international politics, and anything else that they feel to be important.

• There would be very little censorship, other than some reasonable standards regarding threats, personal insults, criminal behaviours, etc.

• They are only allowed one like every 24 hours.

• They are only allowed one retweet every 24 hours.

• They are only allowed to comment on one post every 24 hours.

• They are only allowed one personal message per 24 hours.

• Privacy would be rigorously respected, though aggregate information would be available to any interested researcher, whether affiliated with a larger institution or just working on their own.

I know that enforcing these rules would be difficult, or maybe impossible, but this is a thought experiment or an “ideal-type” case.

Advantages

What are the advantages of this?

• It would be a “one person, one vote” expression of public opinion.

• No group, political party, religion, movement, etc could artificially inflate their importance.

• However, a group could informally canvas their members to post on a particular subject. The fact that members would be leery of “wasting their posts”, would provide a counter-balance to efforts to unduly sway public opinion by any group.

• If people wanted to use their daily post to show their fandom of a pop star, political party, cultural product, etc, they could do so. But, in the aggregate, this would reflect the actual feelings of the population.

• Similarly for once-per-24 hours likes and retweets.

• The limitations would make the entire site more interesting for users, as the content would be refreshed every day with new ideas which would come from varied sources.

• One account, which is free and limited to one post per day, would give everyone an equal say.

• In other words, this would be authentic “diversity, equity and inclusion.

• The limit on posting would ensure that people wouldn’t spend inordinate amounts of time on the site, obsessively posting or getting into pointless comment flame wars. That would help with civility and ensure that people aren’t wasting their precious time, by becoming addicted to the site.

• This would also go someway to solving the problem with political polling (selection bias, response bias, etc), as it would be a sort of free-from rolling poll.

• Analyzing the data would provide plenty of interesting work for social scientists, which anyone could verify for accuracy, ideological bias, etc (though some might say that providing work for social scientists is of dubious utility).

Problems

What are the potential problems?

• Enforcing the rules, obviously. But as I say, this is a thought experiment, the actual implementation details would have to be worked out.

• Monetization would be an issue. Perhaps some advertising might be allowed, but the advert to actual post ratio would be maintained at a reasonable level (say one post in ten could be advertising). Since it is “one-post-per-day” there would be competition between advertisers, who would vie for having their post appear on what is equivalent to “prime-time” for the product in question.

• Alternatively, it would be a wiki-type venture, where donations would be used to raise the needed revenue.

This would be good for the phone system too. Imagine if telephone solicitors could only make one call per day – oh, what a wonderful world.

=========================================================

And you should think about going hiking this coming year, to get away from social media for a while.  The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, on the west coast of Canada is an excellent choice, as you will discover after reading this book (about 100 Kindle normalized pages for only $0.99) :

Amazon U.S. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013VKEXV2

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013VKEXV2

Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B013VKEXV2

The Sappers' War: 12th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, Oct 1943 to Sept 1945, free on Amazon(May11-15)

 The Sappers' War: 12th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, Oct 1943 to Sept 1945, free on Amazon(May11-15, 2022)

Are you a history buff, particularly interested in World War 2? Or, did you have a family member or other relative participate in the conflict and are therefore curious about their experiences? If so, you might want to read about the journey of a military engineering company, throughout their time in action during the war.

The book focuses on one particular company of soldier/sappers in the Canadian Army, but many of their experiences would be common to any of the Allied units in the European theatre. Some of the major battles in which they were involved included Ortona, Monte Casino, the Gothic Line, the battles for Ravenna and the Po Valley, the Liberation of Holland and final defeat of the Third Reich.

In addition, some content relates to the experiences of civilians in Britain during that time. Appendices also look at some of the details of military engineering (e.g. bridging, mines, storm boats, the M-test), casualties, the Aldershot Riots and other issues of post-war rehabilitation and return to civilian life.

Much of the material comes from company war diaries and related materials, though a brief sketch of the wider campaigns relevant to the experience of these men is included, as are some interesting side-bars (e.g. the unit served alongside the celebrated irregulars known as Popski’s Private Army during their time in Northern Italy). To get a more “micro” feel for the on-site experiences of the time, some of my own family’s stories are related (a soldier/sapper, a war bride/war worker, a P.O.W., and an Atlantic convoy merchant marine sailor, among others). The summations of the War Diaries also include much interesting information about day-to-day life, both military and non-military.

So, grab your Lee-Enfield rifle and your mine-detector, and check out the life of a war-time sapper.

U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09HSXN6Q2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sappers' War: 12th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, Oct 1943 to Sept 1945

What follows is a review of the history of the 12th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, primarily relating to the time that the company was in the Italian and Northwestern European theatres during World War II. Though the book focuses on the experiences of a particular company of Canadian military engineers, it also discusses some of the wider issues of the second world war and how it affected the people who lived through the era, civilian and military. Among those are my father (a sapper or military engineer) and mother (a war worker in wartime Britain and ultimately a war bride).

Thus, this is meant to be an informal and unofficial history of the company, written by an interested party in an effort to understand what these men went through during this period, and how that experience affected them and other people who lived through the war. The military aspects of the company's history are there (e.g. fighting, building bridges, detecting mines, maintaining routes), as are the cultural factors that influenced them and their times (e.g. the movies that they watched, the drinking they did, the many diseases they faced, their interactions with the Italian, British and other civilians that they lived among, their worries for the future). Some focus on life on the British home front is also given, via the experiences of my mother and her family.

Since many people had family and relations that lived during this time, it is my hope that the account will be of general interest to them, and to any that have a particular interest in this critical interval in history. Also, though the text relates specifically to Canadian sappers, I believe that many of the experiences will be common to the soldiers and loved ones of other nations who lived through the war, especially Americans and those from Britain and the British Commonwealth.

The primary sources of this document are the 12th Field Company War Diaries and related orders, with some material from The History of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, Volume 2 as well as various official histories by the Department of National Defence. Various other published sources are used as well, especially when discussing the wider issues of the war or the army experience (e.g. Churchill’s history of the war) , or conversely when relating very specific episodes of the war (e.g. Popski’s Private Army in late 1944). Personal accounts of my father’s or mother’s stories also augment the narrative. I have tried to fit those in during appropriate time periods, though some stories are more general and have therefore don’t necessarily relate to the time period being discussed. Nonetheless, they do help capture the essence of “being there” during the war years.

The War Diary is a day by day account of the primary activities of a given unit, as recorded by personnel in the headquarters staff of that unit, and signed off by the commander of the unit. As such, it is an official record, though the writers often brought a bit of their own character into the document. Naturally, as a relatively brief document it can’t hope to capture the complexity of the individual stories of 280 or so men, so the family lore generally has no corresponding entry in the War Diary, though there are sometimes tantalizing hints and near-verifications of these personal accounts.

There are a number of other sources for the book, from official histories to popular history books. I include quotations and references from these works (an eclectic mix), as I believe that they also shed light on different aspects of this period of time, and besides that, are just interesting accounts, in and of themselves.

The Five Stages of Grief, after one of your books is returned on Amazon

 The Five Stages of Grief, after one of your books is returned on Amazon:

Denial – Amazon must have made a mistake, or someone just accidentally hit the return button. It will be fixed soon.

Anger – The cheapskate bought the book, read it quickly and returned it. I hate cheaters like that.

Bargaining – If I could just talk to that reader and explain things, I am sure he or she would re-purchase the book. Maybe if I do a re-write and re-publish, it will never happen again.

Depression – What did I expect, I am a terrible writer and should just give up.

Acceptance – Big deal. My return rate is low, so it doesn’t mean anything. You can’t please everyone. I’ll bet Shakespeare had some unhappy customers, too.

To be honest, returns don’t bother me – I was just looking for something amusing to blog about, and an excuse to do a meme (the drawing is from the internet, the text is mine). :)

Actually my return rate is low, about 0.5%. And it is true, you can’t please everyone. I’m not sure about the Shakespeare thing, though.

Anyway, here is the book that that was returned, and thus motivated this blog. It’’s return rate is about 1.5%. It even did pretty well as a Freebie, back in those halcyon days of Dec 2015.

 

It's Time for a Road Trip – On the Road with Bronco Billy

It's April, and the sun is beginning to come on noticeably stronger in the more temperate regions. Spring is here now, and that brings on thoughts of ROAD TRIP. Sure, it is still a bit early, but you can still start making plans for your next road trip with help of “On the Road with Bronco Billy”. Sit back and go on a ten day trucking trip in a big rig, through western North America, from Alberta to Texas, and back again. Explore the countryside, learn some trucking lingo, and observe the shifting cultural norms across this great continent. Then, come spring, try it out for yourself.

It’s, 99 cents otherwise, but is free every 3 months or so, if you want to watch for it and save a buck.

Amazon U.S.: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon U.K.: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK

Here’s the summary:

=======================================================

What follows is an account of a ten day journey through western North America during a working trip, delivering lumber from Edmonton Alberta to Dallas Texas, and returning with oilfield equipment. The writer had the opportunity to accompany a friend who is a professional truck driver, which he eagerly accepted. He works as a statistician for the University of Alberta, and is therefore is generally confined to desk, chair, and computer. The chance to see the world from the cab of a truck, and be immersed in the truck driving culture was intriguing. In early May 1997 they hit the road.

Some time has passed since this journal was written and many things have changed since the late 1990’s. That renders the journey as not just a geographical one, but also a historical account, which I think only increases its interest.

We were fortunate to have an eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado, and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.

The travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading, at typical reading speeds.

=======================================================