Appaloosa Radio

Travelling

by

Pamela Hummel-Morgan

This week we visited some friends in Monterey. They had recently returned from a seven-week trip driving across Europe, putting over 6,000 miles on their rental cars.

Tautologies

By J. J. Mounts-Miller

For Appaloosa Radio

October 2024

I have been thinking a lot about something I read in a magazine. I had read: “Brain waves spike during death.”

Researchers found that in the process of dying, brain activity increases. When it is graphed, it represents a distinct series of sharp, upward spikes. Before these spikes, there is usually a period of low-level dormancy, typically a relatively flat line of limited brain activity. Then, during death, brain wave activity spikes.

This has taken me into an extended philosophical meditation about logical truth and the nature of consciousness.

Here are four micro-stories that I worked up for the Summer 2024 Micro-Write Challenge. All are extremely short, ranging from 116 to 465 words.

They are:

·        Shoes – a basketball story

·        The Man with the Perpetual Cough – a western character sketch

·        Risk Averse – taking risks as a senior adult

·        My English Teacher was a Space Alien – a fictional memoir 

Enjoy!

J.J. Mounts-Miller

Appaloosa Radio offers

An original musical story

Skirts Swayin’

Celebrating the infectious rhythms of Western swing music

It happened in Fort Worth, Texas in the summer of 1928. It could not have happened anywhere else. It could not have happened at another time. No one else could have done it.

A cigar salesman with a rich baritone voice, a barber who was also the best fiddle player in Texas, and a fifteen-year-old waitress who loved to dance.

Together, they created a style of music that still exists today. A style of music that is now the official music style  for the state of Texas. Some called it Texas Swing. Most people just called it dance music.

They were Milt Brown, Mollie Perkins, and Jim-Bob Wills.

This is Mollie’s story.

Act 1

-           Deep in the Heart of Texas  ##

-           Panhandle Rag  ##

-           Thanks for Your Letter ##

-           Come and Kiss Me, Goodbye  ##

-           Oh, Miss Mollie               ##

-           Star Spangled Banner  ##

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Times is Hard

-           Feelin’ Rhythm in the Air

-           Swingin’ Western Style

## - historical music from 1945 Armed Forces Radio broadcast

Act 2

-           Lonesome Prairie Polka

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Brandin’ My Man with Love

-           Breakfast for a Texas Man

-           Crystal Springs

-           Dr. Lawson’s Little Pills

-           Zip-Zip Zipper *

-           Pass them Biscuits

-           Country Howdown

*Historical music performed by Light Crust Doughboys

Act 3

-           Truth Wars Against My Heart

-           Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins  YY

-           When I was Young and Handsome  YY

-           Galveston-Town Blues

-           Hand and Hand, We Face the Sea (Glorious Morning)

-           Melody Ranch Two-Step

-           San Antonio Rose zz

-           Fort Worth Molly

-           Silver Wings

 YYHistorical music performed by Texas Jim Robertson

zzHistorical music performed by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction built around historical circumstances. Molly Perkins as depicted in this work is a fictional character. She does not represent any person alive or dead.

Original music composed using Suno-AI and Soundful software.

Historical music was drawn from the American Armed Forces Radio Network Archives, Archive Number 3, 1945.  It was accessed through the Internet Archive. Org website on May 11, 2024.

Appaloosa Radio offers

An original musical story

Skirts Swayin’

Celebrating the infectious rhythms of Western swing music

It happened in Fort Worth, Texas in the summer of 1928. It could not have happened anywhere else. It could not have happened at another time. No one else could have done it.

A cigar salesman with a rich baritone voice, a barber who was also the best fiddle player in Texas, and a fifteen-year-old waitress who loved to dance.

Together, they created a style of music that still exists today. A style of music that is now the official music style  for the state of Texas. Some called it Texas Swing. Most people just called it dance music.

They were Milt Brown, Mollie Perkins, and Jim-Bob Wills.

This is Mollie’s story.

Act 1

-           Deep in the Heart of Texas  ##

-           Panhandle Rag  ##

-           Thanks for Your Letter ##

-           Come and Kiss Me, Goodbye  ##

-           Oh, Miss Mollie               ##

-           Star Spangled Banner  ##

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Times is Hard

-           Feelin’ Rhythm in the Air

-           Swingin’ Western Style

## - historical music from 1945 Armed Forces Radio broadcast

Act 2

-           Lonesome Prairie Polka

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Brandin’ My Man with Love

-           Breakfast for a Texas Man

-           Crystal Springs

-           Dr. Lawson’s Little Pills

-           Zip-Zip Zipper *

-           Pass them Biscuits

-           Country Howdown

*Historical music performed by Light Crust Doughboys

Act 3

-           Truth Wars Against My Heart

-           Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins  YY

-           When I was Young and Handsome  YY

-           Galveston-Town Blues

-           Hand and Hand, We Face the Sea (Glorious Morning)

-           Melody Ranch Two-Step

-           San Antonio Rose zz

-           Fort Worth Molly

-           Silver Wings

 YYHistorical music performed by Texas Jim Robertson

zzHistorical music performed by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction built around historical circumstances. Molly Perkins as depicted in this work is a fictional character. She does not represent any person alive or dead.

Original music composed using Suno-AI and Soundful software.

Historical music was drawn from the American Armed Forces Radio Network Archives, Archive Number 3, 1945.  It was accessed through the Internet Archive. Org website on May 11, 2024.

Appaloosa Radio offers

An original musical story

Skirts Swayin’

Celebrating the infectious rhythms of Western swing music

It happened in Fort Worth, Texas in the summer of 1928. It could not have happened anywhere else. It could not have happened at another time. No one else could have done it.

A cigar salesman with a rich baritone voice, a barber who was also the best fiddle player in Texas, and a fifteen-year-old waitress who loved to dance.

Together, they created a style of music that still exists today. A style of music that is now the official music style  for the state of Texas. Some called it Texas Swing. Most people just called it dance music.

They were Milt Brown, Mollie Perkins, and Jim-Bob Wills.

This is Mollie’s story.

Act 1

-           Deep in the Heart of Texas  ##

-           Panhandle Rag  ##

-           Thanks for Your Letter ##

-           Come and Kiss Me, Goodbye  ##

-           Oh, Miss Mollie               ##

-           Star Spangled Banner  ##

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Times is Hard

-           Feelin’ Rhythm in the Air

-           Swingin’ Western Style

## - historical music from 1945 Armed Forces Radio broadcast

Act 2

-           Lonesome Prairie Polka

-           Boot Kickin’ Dance Music

-           Brandin’ My Man with Love

-           Breakfast for a Texas Man

-           Crystal Springs

-           Dr. Lawson’s Little Pills

-           Zip-Zip Zipper *

-           Pass them Biscuits

-           Country Howdown

*Historical music performed by Light Crust Doughboys

Act 3

-           Truth Wars Against My Heart

-           Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins  YY

-           When I was Young and Handsome  YY

-           Galveston-Town Blues

-           Hand and Hand, We Face the Sea (Glorious Morning)

-           Melody Ranch Two-Step

-           San Antonio Rose zz

-           Fort Worth Molly

-           Silver Wings

 YYHistorical music performed by Texas Jim Robertson

zzHistorical music performed by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction built around historical circumstances. Molly Perkins as depicted in this work is a fictional character. She does not represent any person alive or dead.

Original music composed using Suno-AI and Soundful software.

Historical music was drawn from the American Armed Forces Radio Network Archives, Archive Number 3, 1945.  It was accessed through the Internet Archive. Org website on May 11, 2024.

Cherry Blossoms at Night

a biological warfare mystery thriller

Appaloosa Radio is pleased to offer a dramatization of the first chapter of Brandon Michaels’ forthcoming novel, Cherry Blossoms at Night --- a biological warfare mystery thriller.

In 1945, the Japanese military ordered Operation PX, the release of biological weapons on civilians inside the United States in retaliation of the incendiary bombings of Tokyo. The designated targets were San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  World War II ended in August of 1945, or did it?  This story captures the reality that an apocalyptic event can easily happen and for similar ill-conceived reasoning. COVID was just the beginning.

Author Biography

Brandon Michaels is an Award-winning American author.  Brandon, an extremophile, has run marathons and mountain climbed on all seven continents. He has traveled to the four corners of the world visiting over 100 countries.  Brandon is a retired homicide detective of 28+ years, and a licensed CA Private Investigator who writes short stories, anthologies, and destination travel articles for publications while writing his first novel.  Brandon lives in Northern California with his wife Audrey. 

He can be reached  at:  [email protected]

Credits

This dramatization was created with voices using the Eleven Labs – AI software. The theme music was performed by Audio Hero and is entitled “9-1-1 – a jazz adventure.” It was downloaded from the Royalty Free Music Apple iPhone app.  Sound effects came primarily from the Pixabay website -- https://pixabay.com/

Copyright

The author retains any and all copyright use and ownership rights, present and in perpetuity. Use of this dramatization in any form is prohibited without the explicit permission of the author. 

Appaloosa Radio Online makes no use or ownership claims on this material. It is webcast only with the kind permission of the original author.

NIGHT RIDER UP TO TRUCKEE

An original story from Appaloosa Radio

Chapter 10 

On Making Bad Choices

An itinerant musician gets off the Sacramento light rail train and brings his bicycle, guitar, and other belongings to where a group of frustrated and perspiring  bus riders wait in the hot August sun for a very late eastbound bus. He announces, “I’m riding up to Truckee. Some of my old friends are performing in a club up there. I’m hoping to do some riffs with them.” Then, he  adds “I’m going to ride all night. I think I’ll be in Truckee about dawn, maybe a little later.”

It surprises no one that he is killed while riding on the Interstate highway in the dark.

But then, the inexplicable adventure begins. 

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

A ten-chapter audio story with original music.

NIGHT RIDER UP TO TRUCKEE

An original story from Appaloosa Radio

Chapter 9 

Lorraine

An itinerant musician gets off the Sacramento light rail train and brings his bicycle, guitar, and other belongings to where a group of frustrated and perspiring  bus riders wait in the hot August sun for a very late eastbound bus. He announces, “I’m riding up to Truckee. Some of my old friends are performing in a club up there. I’m hoping to do some riffs with them.” Then, he  adds “I’m going to ride all night. I think I’ll be in Truckee about dawn, maybe a little later.”

It surprises no one that he is killed while riding on the Interstate highway in the dark.

But then, the inexplicable adventure begins. 

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

A ten-chapter audio story with original music.

NIGHT RIDER UP TO TRUCKEE

An original story from Appaloosa Radio

Chapter 8

Tearing it into Little Pieces 

An itinerant musician gets off the light rail train and brings his bicycle, guitar, and other belongings to where a group of frustrated bus riders wait in the hot August sun for a very late eastbound bus. He announces  “I’m riding up to Truckee. Some of my old friends are performing in a club up there. I’m hoping to do some riffs with them.” Then, he  adds “I’m going to ride all night. I think I’ll be in Truckee about dawn, maybe a little later.”

It surpirses no one that he is killed while riding on the Interstate highway in the dark.

But then, the inexplicable adventure begins.