What Has Been Happening of Late

I have been splitting my time lately between a variety of tasks. I am still working on my book. In the mean-time however I plan to start posting some of my short-stories on this blog just so they can get some exposure. Not sure what if any purpose that might serve in the end, but I figure what could it hurt?

I have also been trying to find work on Guru.com which is a site that lets employers of various types post jobs for freelancers to bid on. There is a good chance of getting a decent job off the site considering the large variety of jobs being advertised. Hopefully I can get something out of it. I have also been writing for a couple "content farms". I hate using that word, but I suppose it is the only way to describe that type of website or that type of work.

Things have been really busy, but I don't have the income to show for it. If I was getting paid for all of the hours I have been putting in trying to grow my business (freelance) I would be rich by now. It is like that old saying, "if I had a nickel for every time....." Oh well. All I can do is press on, and that is exactly what I will do.

Gun Control

Throughout my life I have always had an opinion about things. We all do of course. However, there are times that I am a bit more apt to share that opinion with others. In some ways that is the intent of this blog, to share my opinion. So here is an opinion and one that is shall we say a hot button topic. Gun Control.

I know, I know. The shootings at the elementary schools are horrible. I feel a deep sense of hurt thinking about the young children who's lives have been cut extremely short by some lunatic with a weapon. It is not just the children who suffer obviously but the parents, grandparents, friends, relatives, and anybody associated with those who have been hurt or even killed. The children, the teachers, the adults, everyone. The entire country was shaken up because of the actions of one sick individual.

We are all aware of what happened in Connecticut, in Arizona, in Colorado, anywhere in which a mass shooting had occurred. It touches and it hurts us all. Even if we try to act numb to the issue we still can feel the pain. So this brings me to the point in which I have to ask a simple question. Are we reacting to our emotions and anger when we try to change laws controlling the ownership of firearms? In many ways I would have to say that we are. Our government and those of us who are pushing the government are in many ways acting based on our emotional hurt and pain. This is the wrong way to legislate. They... we need to be able to separate ourselves from the emotions in order to make, change, or adjust laws. Any laws.  

Sure, there are a great many different circumstances that must be addressed when discussing gun ownership. The type of gun, the type of ammunition it uses, who can own one, how they go about getting one, etc.. All of these factors and more must be addressed and must be included in the discussion. If they (the lawmakers) can do this than maybe, just maybe we can get some gun laws that make sense and that we can all agree on.

I know.. this post almost goes nowhere and does not make much of a point. But that was not my intent. My intent was just to put my opinion out there right now. While it was on my mind. After all.. isn't that the point?

World War Z - A Great Story That People Hate

There is a surprising amount of fervor surrounding a book that has recently been turned into a major motion picture. The movie has yet to be released, but will this summer. The book I am speaking of is none other than World War Z by: Max Brooks. Like I said, there is a surprising amount of um... discussion surrounding the book and its contents. As a writer and someone who loves to read and who really enjoys a well told story I must say.. even though the whole Zombie thing is a bit played out right now, the book itself is wonderful.

I thoroughly enjoy the manner in which Max Brooks has told his story. If I am being perfectly honest, one of the reasons for it is the fact that I employed a similar convention in one of my short stories. Either way, Mr. Brooks uses it to his advantage in the story and it gives him a platform to tell multiple stories on the same topic without having to break from this character to that. To do so when the story is trying to attach itself to that character at the same time could be devastating to the story itself. But because he tells the story from the perspective of a writer interviewing multiple people about their various roles before, during, and after the Zombie outbreak, he has the liberty to tell multiple stories without losing the reader. Just wonderful.

Now, for some reason there are a lot of people out there who are boo-whooing this story, and for someone to simply say they do not like the story.. fine. I can handle that and they should express their distaste in a classy manner if they feel so. I would. However, many of the people who are expressing their dis-like for the story being told are not doing so because they do not like his story. They are doing so because they feel that the story Mr. Brooks is telling is one of American Conspiracy! Yes, that's right. These people think that Max Brooks has written a hidden secret plan for America to turn communist and to condemn its citizens to a life of prison camps and political re-education. Can I just say that I have never heard something so foolish in all my life!

As a person who has always looked at things in an objective and fair manner, I took it upon myself to read and listen to some of these so-called claims. I had to hear or see for myself what these people were seeing that I was not. Without going into too much detail, because I would not give them that satisfaction, many of them are simply taking text out of context from the story and putting many of their own words into a sentence here and there to make it fit their little scheme. That is what this boils down to for me, a scheme. I think in some ways this is nothing more than people trying to get some publicity for themselves. Which to me is downright class-less.

Like I said, I really do not want to give these fools too much "air-time" so-to-speak, but I had to at least mention what was going on. Beyond all that craziness you have a book that tells an entertaining story in a very entertaining way. Now.. let's take a look at something else. I have never been a big fan of audio-books. I prefer to read the book myself and I feel that the book or story losses something if I have to listen to it. Plus I never had that much time in a car to listen to a whole book and I don't like listening in 20 minute sections. 

However, there is a youtube page that carries an audio version of the book that is done marvelously. Some guy named Tucker1012 has taken this book and put a myriad of voices to the characters and done so perfectly. I don't know who this guy is but he has done a great job. Anybody who likes to listen to their books or just does not have the will to read should check it out. I will post a link to the page at the end of this article. I have also gotten my hands on the MP3 of this recording and will put that up on the blog as well for anyone who wishes to check it out. Before I do the latter however I just want to make sure I am not infringing on anybody's rights. Once I find that out I will make it available.

Again.. World War Z by Max Brooks is a wonderful story. Although the Zombie apocalypse has been done and over-done in many ways these days it is always nice to hear a fresh re-telling of the story. Especially from such a unique perspective. If you are interested in this type of story you owe it to yourself to check this book out, you will not be disappointed. And do yourself a favor, stay away from much of the craziness that for some reason surrounds this book. I don't know if people have it out for Mr. Brooks or if there are just too many nut-cases out there, but there are those who think this story is a secret manifesto of some kind. Unbelievable. Seriously, check the book out.. you will be happy you did.

World War Z - Audio by Tucker1012

Get Some Education On the Solar Weather

There could be a great deal of weather coming down the pike over the next few months, and I'm not just talking about your typical rainstorm. Yesterday and a couple days before there was a geomagnetic storm of some measure that took place and had a minor effect on Earth. But what if it had been a bit stronger? What if it did knock out a couple satellites or power stations? Would people take notice then? I'm sure they would. The problem is that too many people have absolutely no clue what any of the information means.

Of course with today's Internet there are a large variety of websites that people can go to for information. Those who are experienced at searching the net for things will surely narrow down the search and stick with websites that pay special attention to the Sun and Solar weather. One of those sites is NOAA the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are basically our "official" website or organization for all things weather and weather related, and yes, they handle space weather too.

There are always websites that people like me frequent however and usually if you know a person who is "into" certain things you can find some good sites by sticking close. A site that I like to keep tabs on because of the amount of information they distribute is The Watchers (www.thewatchers.com). They do a great job putting information together in an easy to read format and they stay on top of breaking news that some other places ignore.

The point of this article however is the Sun, so let's stick with that shall we? With the storm that took place over the weekend there were a lot of terms thrown around and a lot of information that people generally just do not have any clue about. Recognizing this The Watchers put together a great article that not only explains the terminology and data circulating the latest Solar activity, but they also gave us graphs, pictures, and essentially a quick lesson on just what is happening when the Sun "burps".

So.. if you are someone who is just noticing that we have a ball of fire above us that likes to get angry every now and again, or someone who has been paying attention for a while, this article may be of some use. At the very least the website itself can be useful. I found it so for much of my various research projects as well as to help me keep tabs on various changes taking place on our planet. That is after all why the website is there in the first place. They are Watching Earth and reporting on the things that change, break, or just go through some sort of adjustment due to something we human have done or just because it is a natural event. The best part about either of those scenarios is that with a website like The Watchers you don't need a camera and a ride to Alaska to find out what the ice up there is doing.

Check out the article about Solar weather and what it all means here!!!

Solar Events

Yesterday, March 17th 2013 was a special day. Yes, it was St. Patty's Day. But that's not why I am deeming yesterday special. Yesterday was unique in that the Earth was hit with solar particles the like we haven't seen in years. On Friday (March 15th) the Sun let out a CME that just happened to be pointed towards Earth and was essentially double the power, speed, and velocity of what a normal or average one would be. So no, this was not an Earth shattering event or something that made national news (it did not by the way), but it was special.

Predictions for the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis were for them to be seen as far south as Wisconsin. I am in Illinois and I looked North last night but could see nothing. I did not see any reports from people residing in Wisconsin either as to whether or not they were lucky enough to see any lights. However, it does stand to reason that this is not the last time this year that we will have such an event.

The Sun goes through cycles just like every other living thing. Yes, the Sun is alive. At least in my opinion. Not a sentient type of alive mind you. But as a living, breathing, heaving, living thing. It does not have organs nor does it have anything besides chemicals for that matter. But it goes through cycles like anything else. Since we have started recording them we noticed that they are 11 year cycles. Every 11 years the Sun Spots, CME's, Solar Flares, etc.. all spike. We are now at the climax of the 11 year cycle and that is why we are seeing more and more Solar events lately. That is also why I claim that last nights "almost" event will not be the last. I will report on anything I learn or see regarding this as it really interests me.

However, right now it is time to walk Dakota (my Boxer). If I do not get her walking down the block and rumbling through the freshly fallen snow she will not stop whining and I will not get anything done. So until then....

Time

Time is a hard thing to figure out. It is neither here nor there, and yet it appears everywhere. Sounds a bit flukey, I know, but it is true. Time does not exist, it is a man-mad function of our lives and us experiencing our lives. We needed a way to measure this and so we developed time. Problem is, now that we are getting more and more evolved we keep trying to put a physical presence on time and we have trouble doing that. A good example of us doing so is trying to work out traveling in time. Einstein says that the math dictates it is not impossible, yet how do we do it? It is not an easy equation to solve. Think about that.

Decisions, Decisions.

I find myself in a bit of a quandary. It seems that I have somehow found myself at a crossroads of sorts mentally. If you have read the previous post you will know that I eluded to the fact that I do not put much weight behind conspiracy theories and other such "stories", because that is what they are... stories. As a fiction writer I often use real factual people, places, and things and sort of inject them into a story that could take place if certain occurrences take place. This is common as I am not the only writer who does this. It is imperative to utilize the state of affairs between governments, the causes of wars or conflicts, or the reasoning behind terrorist attacks to formulate a story. Especially in science fiction.

Another step to putting together a story is research. Unless you want your story to be very simplistic and dull you must do a vast amount of research and to a wide variety of subjects. What comes out of this is a wealth of knowledge about a great number of things. That is, providing of course, the writer is actually doing all of the above and not just, shall I say, mailing it in.

So I find myself a couple days ago reading up on the theories and claims of what turns out to be a group of people associated with Alex Jones and Infowars.com. In reading (and listening mostly. They put much of their material in video format) some of what they/he is saying about various topics it got me thinking. Just how far do I want to take this? Just what exactly am I doing here and what am I trying to accomplish?

See my original goal here was only to look into some of the stuff that my son was viewing and maybe, possibly, write-up a quick rebuttal to a couple of the more "ignorant" points this man was making. That was it. I would then go back to working on my short stories and book(s). The problem with this is the information I was finding would lead to another source or more information. This circle would then get me to a point in which I was intrigued and I wanted to learn more. Soon I was researching more out of my curiosity as opposed to strictly for the article or piece I was meaning to write in the first place.

So what is the problem with that then? Well, in a sense, nothing really. But I have done this before. I have put myself into a position of wanting to uncover the big conspiracy. I have engaged my curiosity to a point of no return, and while the result is a lot of reading, learning, and note-taking, it can be better summed-up by saying it is a lot of time and work. OK fine. So work I am not afraid of. I have always been a hard worker and I am very, very capable of working very hard and for long hours. However, this is not the problem. The problem is time. Time right now, for me is a valuable commodity. It is something that is in short supply so I have to budget what little I have available for whatever project I am working on.

Now obviously my plans and schedule are of vital importance to myself and you, my reader, could care less. That is how it should be. As a matter of fact, the very nature of this post is more of a "that's your problem dude" kind of thing. That is just fine, and like I said, expected.

Personally, I would like nothing more than to outline a detailed response to the groups claims (some of which I could actually get behind), but for now I will have to stick with my opinion-based articles based on news of the day and science/tech sector news. Aside from that, writing both my book and my short stories must be prioritized a bit higher as the need to complete these projects increases. Rest assured that I will "go after" or utilize some of the material that has come from their camp both good or bad (or stupid) in an article here or there and I always cite sources where appropriate. Trust me, you will know when I am posting something related to one of the theories from Infowars.

Until then...

Conspiracies and Me

As a writer I try to avoid certain things. I try to avoid things that might cloud my mind depending on just what it is that I am trying to write. If for example, I need to remain objective about a particular subject I might avoid resources that are too overly biased. This is much in the same way that I might try to avoid reading the reviews of a new movie that I am going to see so as not to spoil my opinion, entertainment, or outlook. It is in this vein that I try to avoid getting wrapped up in conspiracy theories.

Of course I must admit, there are those who take these things extremely seriously and for them I almost feel sorry. I'm just not sure if anything in life is worth that much energy and struggle. Then there are the theories that in my opinion are just, well... funny. I mean they are funny in the sense of just pure craziness. The kind that make you want to stand up and exclaim, "who the hell, or what the hell gave you THAT idea!?" You know what I mean?

Like I said, I do what I can to stay away from these things. However, the other day my son brought up a couple things that kind of made me re-think that approach. My son is in 7th grade and is a very intelligent kid and a star athlete. So he is not the kind of kid who is apt to get involved in crazy ideas. But, thing is, I could tell by the way he was talking to me that he had put some thought into this and that he had also spent a good amount of time doing some research of his own. The topic? The American financial crisis, the reasons we have said crisis, our history of creating money from thin air (the debt and federal reserve system), along with, and I didn't think this belonged with the others but when you get past the initial shock you understand why it was, the book World War Z.

As much as I would have liked to just ignore all of this and hope that it would just go away I do not think I can. As a father and as an intellectual, I feel that I must at least try to educate my son in things that I had thought I wouldn't have to talk about until he was maybe in his twenties. Either way it is going to happen. The good part about it all is that with the extra research that I will undoubtedly have to do I should have some great material for an article or two or three. One thing that I definitely have on my list is to denounce this one fool who is on YouTube and claims World War Z is our governments secret manifesto to taking over society. I will have fun with that one.

Even though I sometimes say it too often, stay tuned. The upcoming material should be very interesting at the very least. And who knows, maybe when I start tearing into the YouTube fool (Alex Jones on the Alex Jones Channel) I might even decide to do it in video format. That might be fun. Trust me, I will keep everyone posted. Until then...

Robots and Fear [research ongoing]

      ROBOTS and US (part 1)

      

 

 

      Robots. When you think of a robot, you generally think of some mechanical creation of man that is somehow tasked to do something that will enhance our daily lives or make a job more efficient. No matter what the robot might be tasked to do, it is undoubtedly something that we (humans) have given it to do. This is a main distinction and must be maintained in order for a robot to be considered, "a robot". Without that - without the robot being given something to do, a task by a human, it is then doing something on its own. It is then taking it upon itself, taking it upon its own "will" to do a task. Once this has occurred it must be concluded that the robot is now, "self aware". 

If "self aware', then the robot is no longer controlled by human or anything other than its own "will". So if asked, can a robot have it's own will? The answer is sure. It most definitely can. We must in turn ask, how did it get to the point that it has its own will? And why is it considered to have its own will? Does it fit the criteria above? Is it taking it upon itself to not do what a human has instructed it, but rather what it wants to do itself? This is what shall determine a robot being "self aware". 

A lot of people worry that if robots are put into too many places within our society that it will then be a problem that we can no longer correct. People also believe that it is the tasks that we entrust to these mechanical creations that makes them a possible danger, not necessarily where they are placed. I think it is a combination of both in varying degrees. You can put a variety of robots in a high security area, but if they are tasked with nothing more than cleaning the carpet, is there truly anything to worry about? On the other hand, should the robots be capable of say, monitoring Internet traffic or the emails that come into certain accounts and instead of many robots there are only two, is the degree of security risk higher? Of course it is, that would seem to be an obvious scenario to use. However, it is appropriate because should you ask both of these questions to 100 people on a public street or public shopping center as most polling is, you would most likely be surprised by how many people fear the robot vacuums simply because of sheer numbers. 

So what does this show? Well, it does not show too much because of the lack of details. The one thing that it does show in my opinion is that many people have a innate fear of things they do not understand and it really does not matter what they are. But if you put into a scenario things that people do not fully comprehend and increase the number of these "things" to something high enough to translate into what could be considered a high concentration, you will have created a sufficient amount of fear, however unwarranted. 

Adapt

        
            There are time when I write something that before I put down any words at all, I put in a great deal of research. Any writer who wishes their work to be taken seriously must be able to back up something that they claim is a fact. There are also times when I write that I start writing purely out of experience, memory, and wit. These works are often emotional, opinionated and therefore subjective. Then of course there are the pieces that I write that are a combination of the two. I might write most of the piece, then come back for some research into various topics, and then comes the re-write, re-draft, and finished product.

I have spent many years as a father and a husband. I have spent a couple years as a so-called stay at home dad. Putting my experiences from the working world into this world rarely works as I would have expected. I cannot for example, manage my 3 children as I would a warehouse of workers tasked with filling orders, unloading trucks, and handling the inventory. What does sometimes work are the ways in which I might handle individuals in a work environment. Such as reprimanding an employee for showing up to work late. I can use some of the same tactics in that discussion as I would in talking to my son about the responsibilities of being punctual in the real world.

So what does all of this have to do with my writing style? There are methods and routines to doing things in this world and in many ways, even though there may be some hard and fast standard rules or ways to do things, you still must make those rules and methods work for you. You must adapt what you can to making things work for you and making things as productive and efficient as possible. My methods for writing might not be the classic or standard methods taught in school but it works for me. The same goes for how I handle things at home. I have adjusted and adapted various things that might not be the standard way for doing something, but it works for me and for those around me.

What is Next?

Lately everyone is talking about Dennis Rodman going to North Korea. They are talking about the sequester kicking in because both Democrats and Republicans want to just do nothing. We have, for all you catholics out there, the conclave of cardinals starting to elect a new pope. There are historic storms taking place all over the country and winter tornados in places that normally don't even get them in the summer. Lost somewhere in the mess is the good news that the Dragon capsule launched by SpaceX has hooked up with the International Space Station to deliver supplies. On and on we go and as the time keeps tick-tick-tickin' away we keep going on about our lives as if nothing else has changed.