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Karyn J. Powers

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A Clark Kent Autumn

I grew up on Saturday morning superheroes. No matter what the crisis, no matter how evil the villain, there was always someone in tights and a cape that would swoop in to save the day. Nobody wanted to see Clark Kent unless he was ripping open his shirt to reveal Superman. I really connected with that image of knowing what to do and how to act under pressure. In a large, neurotic family, I had plenty of opportunities to act in the midst of chaos. For a long time I thought crisis was the norm an… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on December 2, 2009 at 1:10pm — No Comments

A Night at the Theater

We just returned from a night at the local renovated opera house. There we saw a much-anticipated national comedian who delivered a wonderful show that was everything we hoped it would be …however (you knew that was coming). Ten minutes into the main act an aroma that can best be described as late-season-bottom of the-gym-locker-sweat-soaked-sneaker announced itself. It was so strong I missed the punch line of one of the performer’s best efforts. There were three young men sitting behind us, bu… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on October 9, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Written in Stone

I recently spent some time in a small country cemetery staring at graves with my name on them. Until I saw it written in stone, I held fast to the assumption that ours was a rare and unique clan. Turns out we’re as common as table salt, if you know where to look. In a small churchyard, in the bluff country above Winona, Minnesota sit smooth red granite monoliths side-by-side with ancient white obelisks and rough-cut black marble markers. Each as unique as the person buried below, but linked by… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on August 3, 2009 at 8:55am — 2 Comments

Nanowrimo Update; I'm a Weeeener!

This was my first National Novel Writing Month attempt. Despite or maybe because of the challenges of the last month I was able to complete the 50,000 word challenge and posted 60, 261 to their official word counting site on the 18th. There's a knot between my shoulder blades that is not going to go away without professional help. My three year old yellow labrador retriever has stopped speaking to me. The dust bunnies in the house have officially declared themselves a new species and my husband… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on December 1, 2008 at 5:18am — 2 Comments

Canada Jim, RIP

My father passed away today at 10:50 AM. He was a man who taught me to respect the rights, opinions and property of others, and that hate should be reserved for the evils of mankind, not the people. He welcomed everyone at his table and shared what he had. He was an explorer who embraced curiosity and decried blind obedience (except when he was trying to eat a meal with six children under the age of 11). He loved all women, but committed his life to just two. A man born in a home for unwed moth… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on November 28, 2008 at 2:30pm — 4 Comments

nanowrimo

I have joined the National Novel Writing Month contest and accepted its challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It is day 12 and I just hit 30,411 words. Taking a stab at Suspense/Romance. Keeping the cast tight and the tension high. Following the Donald Moss School of "What's the worst thing that could happen...write it down. Now what's the worst thing that could happen next. Take your characters there." Got to go; plotting a firetruck-suv car chase in beautiful down town Minneapolis, MN.… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on November 13, 2008 at 12:23pm — 2 Comments

Canada Jim

March has become October. My father's broken leg has become a life-sentence in a health care facility. Home is a place he visits, a poet without words. Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on October 13, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments

Citizen Police Academy-Gun Fight at the OMG Corral

Tonight we went through a very basic training session in the use of simunitions for police training tactics. I wanted to start this post with some stats about how often the typical law enforcement officer draws their weapon in the line of duty, but that's not a statistic that is easy to put your hands on. Use of force, especially deadly force is a not tracked in a uniform manner. When a department collects this info, statistical updates don't ususally end up in the monthly community policing new… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on March 7, 2008 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Hand-held Lightning

Tonight I took a three-second ride on a hand-held bolt of lightning known as the Taser® X26. Three seconds is nothing. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. Done. Barely enough time to read these sentences. It’s no time at all unless it is counted off while 50,000 volts of electricity are coursing through your body. According to their web site, the Taser® X26 is the most popular electronic control devise used by law enforcement today. Its chunky, pistol-shaped plastic housing is… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on February 29, 2008 at 5:00pm — 6 Comments

Night of the Living Dead

Anyone who doubts the existence of zombies need only venture out into the winter hinterlands of central and northern Wisconsin. In tin-sided buildings the color of dried mustard, they cluster in communion with the seven deadly sins. Under the guise of progress they profess to enrich the Native Americans of our state through the tawdry tourist attraction that is Indian Gaming. The drive in is a metaphor for the failed promise of our state’s casinos. A wide four-lane highway delivers us to a well… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on February 24, 2008 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Cruel Thief

"Cruel Thief "

Winter

steals light

from the day

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on February 6, 2008 at 3:30pm — No Comments

CPA Week III A Trip to the 911 Dispatch & Big House

Last night we spent an hour in the 911 dispatch center and an hour touring the jail. Both were very exciting and scary for different reasons.

I was a child when Ed Sullivan's show aired, but I remember the plate spinners who kept 20 plates spinning on thin wooden dowels three feet off the table tops. Watching them always left me breathless. That's how I felt two minutes after we arrived at the 911 Dispatch Center.

Our's is a 911 dispatch that serves a county that is 95 m

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on February 2, 2008 at 5:57am — No Comments

Citizen Police Academy Week II

Last week we were welcomed by the chief and toured and received an overview of the department. This week it was drugs and police dogs.The general lecture on street drugs was one that is easily available on the internet, but it felt different when the facts and figures and street prices were tied to the streets I drive on every day.

The police dog was amazing. All I can say to anyone up against a Belgian Malinois police dog and who is silly enough to judge these animals by their size is

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on January 25, 2008 at 2:49pm — No Comments

Citizen Police Academy (CPA)

Todays mail included a notice that my application was accepted for the local Citizen Police Academy. Timely, since yesterday at 4:30 in the morning a cabby was robbed at gun-point across the street and three doors down. For the next eight weeks I'll be getting lots of information on general police procedures, specific community policing policies and tours of the county jail and in-take areas. There's a segment on gangs and local drug use, the canine patrol, some time in a squad car and a chance… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on January 17, 2008 at 5:30am — No Comments

Frailties

Frailties

The first time he came apart

he left us all at once and forever

only sneaking back to

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on December 11, 2007 at 3:23pm — 2 Comments

The Holiday Letter

December 2007

Happy Holidays to You and Yours,

We’ve come to the end of another good year and we hope that this note finds you in good h

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on December 8, 2007 at 2:58pm — No Comments

Goof-Proof Murder from Forensics University

How many times have you killed somebody, only to realize a few hours, days or weeks later, that you missed one stink'n detail and now the whole pile of caca is smoldering on the doorstep (of your keyboard) while you waste a lot of time and energy backtracking to cover your (antagonist's) ass and (metephorically) hiring a silk-shark to keep the local police force (your agent/editor) at bay?

You should'da been at Forensics University in St Louis! Imagine sitting at the bar with a board c

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on November 5, 2007 at 11:04am — No Comments

Forensics University Hits the Bulls Eye

"See how the design of the gun seduces your finger, drawing it toward the trigger? For your own safety and the safety of those around you, you must resist its temptation."

In a small, paneled classroom at the Bulls Eye Shooting Range, in St Louis, MO. we are learning the proper way to handle a handgun from a man who depends on his skills with such weapons for more than his daily bread. In the course of teaching us the difference between a single action, double action and automatic pist

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on November 5, 2007 at 10:17am — No Comments

Tanka 5.0

Tanka 5.0

Cold merciless rain

strips the shapely b

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on October 10, 2007 at 12:35pm — No Comments

Flat-Earth Airlines

If man were meant to fly....

I think the Flat-Earth society has taken over commercial air transportation. I am willing to stipulate that I am one of the way-too-impatient, way-too-intollerant, gnat-on-crack-attention-span-blessed common folk. That being said, it seems to be a sad state of affairs when the best thing you can say for flying coach is that you survived.

The airline employees are not to blame. They work hard, with little support. They face a frustrated clien

… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on September 8, 2007 at 2:30pm — 1 Comment

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