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.
"Moving on, is a simple thing. What it leaves behind is hard..."
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
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?
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?
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
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
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
Monday, March 18, 2013
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....
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....
Saturday, March 16, 2013
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.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
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...
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...
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