Evolutionary Plume

4GL Phone Learning Curve and My Writing

I am having a mini-vacation from writing. Today, a story popped into mind on the golf course and I typed in my new Notepad app. Problem is, I am not sure, yet, where my SD card goes and I found the file, but am not sure if there is any word processing package that imports the file. The SD chip problem will be resolved easily by looking at the phone documentation and I think, by removing the protective casing. The import problem though is not as easily resolved. The email app didn't offer the ability to attach a file so just emailing it to myself isn't a very good solution, although I could do lots of cuts and pastes which may or may not be quicker than retyping it. 

The mini-vacation only lasts a few more days then I am back at school at UCLA Continuing Education taking a refresher on grammar of all things and memoir writing. I've been doing some articles in this mode--I've already sampled the class book which is very inspirational. My classes at UCF were a no-go this semester since I was going to be out of town and there weren't any available online classes. My writing mini-vacation has freed me from the write lots of articles mode to thinking about what articles I want to research and write. And to do other planning i.e. find my memoir outline and started articles that were in a notebook and get them online. And I found I had over thirty stories started and did some planning for the research needs to complete them. Most of the time, I get held up on a story because of the requirement to research then write an article, then go back to story writing. I think that if I just follow my own mode of working again that I will be more successful than flying off the cuff of my mind. I miss writing a new scene everyday and am held up by not knowing if I am accepted into any Master's degree program for writing and what will be expected. I guess I can write another dozen novel outlines since that is all I seem to be allowed to do to completion, lol, just kidding.

I finally had my home owner's association approve my house paint colors and my garden design plan. We bought the first of the paint yesterday and I managed to paint a little bit. Today, I prepped one and a half side for painting tomorrow. The colors are pale turquoise, darker turquoise, and yellow -- macadamia on the Martha Stewart color palette. I only have a little bit of priming to do. The black paint will cover better with a primer I think, although so far, the Behr paint has been covering with a single coat. We chose the Behr paint because we were told it was thicker in consistency and might work better with a roller. We tried a different paint on the interior and it was thin, almost as if it were readied to use in a paint sprayer. I prefer not to use a paint sprayer because less goes into the air, less paint gets on surfaces where you don't want it, and it tends to cover better by getting into every crack. Also, there's less prep work involving masking tape.

Photo Album of Glacier National Park Visit

Photo Album. Photos of our trip to Glacier National Park, the best ones showing the awesome wildlife and nature and mountains.

Photo Album

My mother-in-law isn't feeling very well, so we're visiting and hope we'll boost her spirits and we get to visit Ding Darling!

Three Outings in the Winter Springs Area of Florida Show Why Audubon is Fun - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

Three Outings in the Winter Springs Area of Florida Show Why Audubon is Fun - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com.

Three Outings in the Winter Springs Area of Florida Show Why Audubon is Fun - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

A review of Ride the Jawbone by Jim Moore :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers

A review of Ride the Jawbone by Jim Moore :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers.

A review of Ride the Jawbone by Jim Moore :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers

The Layoff Christmas: A Memoir - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

The Layoff Christmas: A Memoir - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

The Layoff Christmas: A Memoir - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

New Baja Tavern and Eats at the Port Canaveral Cove, Florida Offers a Good Deal Meal - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

New Baja Tavern and Eats at the Port Canaveral Cove, Florida Offers a Good Deal Meal - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

New Baja Tavern and Eats at the Port Canaveral Cove, Florida Offers a Good Deal Meal - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Getting Back to Blogging About Writing

Since I moved to Florida, my blogs have been somewhat in disuse and now that I am back working on fiction, I figure I can do some more blogging. I often get asked what it is I do since no one really believes that anyone just sits and writes day in and day out. It's true I don't. Often I know what I want to write but the right words aren't there for me so I play games while I think, then write when the words are there. Many times I make a rough start, run out of words, play games until they come back, edit, play games until I know how to fix the piece, etc.

When I am problem solving I need to detach my brain from thinking about anything but the problem. Often I think about the problem without thinking about the problem by playing a game. It's a trick I learned while programming. I often would run into a difficulty, but if I just went to the bathroom, halfway there, the answer would come to me. Your back brain computes on problems like "what was the name of that guy we ate dinner with last week?" Things that you can't google. Instead your brain looks for all the hidden references and eventually comes up with the connection. I don't learn any more, either.  I just learn where it is that has the information I need. Often in storing the connections I reach understanding about how the pieces fit together and so I remember it all in that fashion.

So in the past week, what I have been working on is planning mostly since I completed a large amount of work and needed to clarify what I thought I was working on and why and for whom.

I've been working on the last edits to my second novel. I had it edited during my move and I found that the editor introduced more errors into my novel than she fixed. Her premise was that it would work better as a young adult novel. Unfortunately, I wrote it as a novel about a community and for a slightly older audience even though I wanted it acceptable to young adults with permissive parents. Any one character didn't ever know what everyone was doing. The editor suggested deletion of important technology and setting. She did ask for a chronological story and the best I could do was two side by side chronologies, both going forward always from the beginning to the end. I did one whack at a fix and then my husband did a proofread and found a few typo'sthroughout here and there. The biggest change, though, that my husband found, was inconsistencies in my story dates and five chapters were out of order due to a number of reasons. How the story dates are presented has been an ongoing problem. I had them explicit, then made them implicit to work on an easier more flowing story, then made them explicit as a video collection, changed them to a news feed but both read more complicated so I am back to theoriginal explicit style and am finding the story reads without needing to look at the dates at all. Success, I guess.

I'm also working on short stories related to this second novel which may fit a number of calls for content so I've built a schedule for the rest of the month/year for that. These I've had to look for the research I did before and think about what the plot will be and how they should be built or revised. And did the research on some of the items. 

I have four separate novels in work at the moment, and one short story collection outlined and another collection being built. One novel is a follow on to the first novel I wrote so I am writing short stories in that story line, especially with the hopes it will get published. One is a children's book that is made up of stories so I have 3 or 4 short stories in rough stages from that book and an outline I am following and an outer storyline begun. The other two started from the idea that I was going to build a trilogy and so I have been writing short stories for that, partly to copyright the characters and some of the technology. And as I take classes, instructors often ask for a certain type of scene or have an objective for writing. I try to fit those in with my the novels by having a topic list and an outline and a set of research materials for everything I am working on. Often these become a short story as I flesh them out. And because I am applying for an MFA program, I needed sample material that I assumed would be from what I planned to write so I built some of the work for those. 

So my plan is to get the second novel out circulating to agents, publishers, and contests. And the short stories written to my schedule.

I also have three nonfiction books in work. My target was to just work the golf book this month but the wedding set me back two weeks. Oh, and do one sonnet a day since I am working on a collection of sonnets. I'm up to 8-10 and I need 20-25 but have another four in work at the moment and two I want to submit. I am also working on cleaning up my chapbooks as a potential book, and on two additional chapbooks, one on sffh poems, one on a reflective set of poems, one on teen trauma poems.

I've also worked on a number of articles behind the scenes. Typically, any time we travel, I get photos of where we stayed, where we went, and visit places that are on my target list for research. So my visit to Boston for my cousin's wedding produced much of that. I have an assignment at Yahoo on China articles and have researched quite a few topics that I find interesting but they don't happen to be the news of the moment--just interesting knowledge about the country in a variety of formats that need more facts to be ready. I also have worked some on taking some of my coursework at UCF and looked at altering them to be a article, doing some of the preliminary research. Plus I just started in at UCLA Extension on a class on writing articles for print publications--so I've been through Writer's Market looking at agents, conferences, and article types, read the 8+ chapters assigned for both weeks and looked through my available photographs. I have probably a dozen article in work, I just need time to flesh them out.

I also started painting my house. It is a color I don't really care for and is quite depressing to me. I like flowers and we're currently more like hedge. So we had the colors  approved and I washed one side and began painting. My husband says we should hire it out and I think we may hire some of the work done. But I go crazy if I am forced to sit for endless hours and do nothing but write. So this is my outside work I get to do that isn't immobile. I want the house painted before I start a Masters degree because once I start I won't have time to do it. And I want some of this work that's been idling while I've been busy with classes at UCF to get completed so that I just package and submit until it gets accepted.

 

A review of Nemonymous Night by D F Lewis :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers

A review of Nemonymous Night by D F Lewis :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers.

A review of Nemonymous Night by D F Lewis :: The Compulsive Reader :: A Haven for Book Lovers

Even upon ending, the reader unfamiliar with DF Lewis’ work isn’t sure whether one has reached an understanding of self or the dream or made it to reality again or whether they should perhaps start over and read once more. It is a very well wrought book that many fantasy lovers will enjoy for the statement it makes by unmaking.

Benefits of Bird Watching | Quazen

Benefits of Bird Watching | Quazen.

Benefits of Bird Watching | Quazen

The benefits of bird watching go beyond personal enjoyment, here’s some of the best reasons why you should make birds a well understood friend.

Should I Play The Mountain or Links Course at Lake Placid New York? | Sportales

Should I Play The Mountain or Links Course at Lake Placid New York? | Sportales.

Should I Play The Mountain or Links Course at Lake Placid New York? | Sportales

If you only have time to play one course at Lake Placid, your choice may be difficult; here’s the scoop on the two local courses at Crown Plaza Lake Placid Resort in New York.

Tips for Reconnecting to Free Wireless Internet While Traveling in the United States - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Tips for Reconnecting to Free Wireless Internet While Traveling in the United States - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

Tips for Reconnecting to Free Wireless Internet While Traveling in the United States - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Thoughts about Publishing

Everyone has asked me, when am I going to get around to publishing? The answer isn't easy. One must first find a publisher. I know that I can self-publish, but that doesn't mean anything at all to me. I have already read my books seven or eight times and enjoyed them thoroughly even if the read generated changes. The books aren't changing any more. I suppose that means they are ready for publication.

The process of finding a publisher is not an easy one. They look at voice and say, wow, never heard this voice before, who are you, why should I care, why should anyone care, assuming they think it is fun and exciting and a trip never taken before which I have tried to provide. I have been working on who I am and why should others care from many directions based on suggestions of friends who let some of my answers stay around online, although it seems every time I am ready to send the material out, someone takes it down or other random erratic effect of the universe happens, like attempted murders and adopted children and moving across the country and such.

Who I am is about my credentials, the reliablility of my research, the scope of what I have written.  So I have tried different genres i.e. poetry, articles, short stories, flash fiction and looked at different markets. Pay makes a difference. And with science fiction, the issue of research and credentials is essential so I have followed advice and am working on a Masters degree, well, at least two Masters degrees--one for writing and the other at the moment with Political Science and Anthropology classes.

More often then not, attempts at helping me have all been directed toward saying go away, there are published authors writing. Ha Ha. I did know that.

But I was also told that the demand for materials exceeds what publishers receive that they think are publishable quality. Anyone want to tell me who, so I can save some time? The downturn in the economy has affected this to some degree.

Oh, and I am picky. Who I am is also about what I write. My voice. It is mine. It won't change. I can change it--just buy hormones or something so I grow a beard or lose three inches or gain 700 pounds, but then it is not me (read the preceding blog to know more). And it is about my content. So matching a publisher to my voice and my content is not as easy as it could be.

Then, there's the whole industry collapse and regeneration and ... well, in the US they are encouraging everyone to e-publish to save paper and production costs and everything, while in Europe, the latest craze is PocketBooks that has opened dozens of stores to sell cheap paperback books! Hmm. Not E?

And then there is what I want. Which is the best I can get--I am human, but also something that doesn't defeat my intent to continue to write by overpaying and publicizing my sale and then not getting the projected sales.  So after wanting to get the best--which is all the same thing when it comes to contract with a given percentage and a breakdown of sales and rights and obligations and an amount of money that seals the deal (this I don't care the amount since what I want is readership),

the next thing I want is an understandable working relationship that:

1) provides a knowledgeable, helpful, polite, honest guide

2) has a professional working web site as a publisher or agent of more than one book,  where my book will be found (no sites that have bad certificates, give visitors viruses, or have incoherent links or make derogatory remarks)

3) sells books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other web sites you can reach via their web site

4) provides a mockup of the book that I can use to get endorsements and reviews and for pre-publication proofs

5) will publish the book with an ISBN number

6) will publish in electronic as well as book form

7) is a SFWA publisher

8) is able to support a developing writer (i.e. multiple books at assumed increasing sales)

9) has helpful contacts

In looking at the publishing industry, I wonder why there are so many publication lines and so little connection to the slot on the bookshelf at Amazon or the book store directly and why the person that you interview with has so little connection to being the one that provides the above.

I still believe that my best starting publication would still be my dinosaur tales and I have a plan for that which hopefully will begin next year as part of a Master's degree program but until that comes about I will still work on the sale of my first novel for which I have a few publishers in mind to try, I've only sent it to three so far.

Thoughts About Writing Literature and Science Fiction

I seem to have been on a journey to discover what I think about many items. Lately, it seems that I have been questioned about what writing science fiction is all about. Again and again it returns to the idea that science fiction should be something almost handed from alien beings, so startling and all amazing that it will set politicians to changing their governments, scientists to changing science, workers to learning new skills, and everyone goes for a fantastic journey never seen before and then have a fabulous time.

So what do I think?

First and foremost, science fiction is literature. It is a reflection of an individual, a society, a world. It touches the senses, leads to new thoughts or understandings, and is aware enough of humananity at any level to be seen to contain truth.

So what is science fiction?

Well, it is literature. It uses science, and scientific concepts to help convey understanding about some idea to the reading audience. It often has one or more characters that is a scientist and/or uses the scientific method to solve problems. It many times proposes different solutions to human, animal, social or world problems.

Some say that that science should be about the latest, hottest new development on the scientific publication stream to help share to others of the most knowledgeable what is available but in an entertaining mode so that at a quick read, one gets the gist and therefore can skip plugging away through all the science books, science museums, science lectures, new science concepts and pow, have a grand fun time. As if it could. Sort of like the 400 words or less science articles that merely tease us all and never answer all our questions.

So why would a science fiction writer want to sell a book to the people who have worked for years in the field and expect to teach them something new? Well, for one, most scientists can barely keep up with all the developments of their own field and barely touch other fields. For two, in creating a science fiction world, if you just look at one aspect of science, your world looks dull or lopsided because scientific development goes in waves -- i.e. one development in one area kicks off similar developments in other waves. For three, science fiction can propose trends, invention lines, question practices and warn of problems, corruption, dangers and more. But still and all, it is a very small market compared to all the readers in the world.

So should science fiction writers try to teach those who don't have a science background something about science? Isn't that the role of teachers? And if not, what if they teach the wrong thing, does anyone dare to let that happen, with the result that youth will have their heads screwed up? That sort of implies that they aren't questioning, thinking, researching, scientific minded beings. Ooops. Surely the world isn't that bad. And do the teachers and books and museums have the power to take their audience on that ultimate ride that literature does?

After all, reading and writing are always about representing reality, the testing always occurs in the mind of the reader. So I am back at the point that science fiction is literature, the literature of now, this world, this future, the future that many of us are trailing behind the leaders that have dedicated all their lives to defining. Including moms, including, high school students, college students, professors ... everyone and anyone that wants to take the ride. It may take the reader to other worlds, but they all have the science of our universe.

So should science fiction be only for those looking for the ultimate high of learning the latest about the latest? Many college students graduate after taking their one required science class. Many college students with a bachelor of science, have only had 25 credits at most of any other science and varying levels of math--some college students graduate with a high school equivalency of math. Many do not have the money or time to take more classes in math or science. Do they not deserve a science fiction novel about evolutionary theory?  Or macroeconomics (not a requirement at all but a college undergraduate option) ? Or bioengineering? Or psychology? or statistics?

Should science fiction be scary?

Yes, and no. The use of science shouldn't be scary, the potential for danger in any profession should always be examined. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between science and those who wish to know more. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between others who think from many different modes of thought.

Should science fiction have an authoritative, professorial voice? Why? Those sorts have already taken the journey, why not take someone who isn't on the professional scientist journey by letting them step in the footsteps of people, ordinary people, like girls, mothers, artist, factory workers, plumbers, stock market analysts by letting them feel safe with their identification with one or more characters and letting them learn in a safe manner something new. Same goes for other ethnic groups and locations for placing the novel. It is not uncommon for students to study in other countries, for a pipe to break in China, France or Africa, or for the poor to want to learn more about the world. Why should they be denied college and then denied the right to read something understandable about science that they don't know, just because the latest hot discovery about black holes requires a 15 system of equation model (greatly simplified) that even the physicists (i.e. Einstein) have to ask the  mathematicians for help defining?

Now that sounds likes so much fun. Oh yeah, and the ride should take you someplace new and exciting and unimagined.

Well, that is all of my thoughts on this topic for the moment.

 

Thoughts About Writing Literature and Science Fiction

I seem to have been on a journey to discover what I think about many items. Lately, it seems that I have been questioned about what writing science fiction is all about. Again and again it returns to the idea that science fiction should be something almost handed from alien beings, so startling and all amazing that it will set politicians to changing their governments, scientists to changing science, workers to learning new skills, and everyone goes for a fantastic journey never seen before and has a fabulous time.

So what do I think?

First and foremost, science fiction is literature. It is a reflection of an individual, a society, a world. It touches the senses, leads to new thoughts or understandings, and is aware enough of humananity at any level to be seen to contain truth.

So what is science fiction?

Well, it is literature. It uses science, and scientific concepts to help convey understanding about some idea to the reading audience. It often has one or more character that is a scientist and/or uses the scientific method to solve problems. It many times proposes different solutions to human, animal, social or world problems.

Some say that that science should be about the latest, hottest new development on the scientific publication stream to help share to others of the most knowledgeable what is available but in an entertaining mode so that at a quick read, one gets the gist and therefore can skip plugging away through all the science books, science museums, science lectures, new science concepts and pow, have a grand fun time. As if it could. Sort of like the 400 words or less science articles that merely tease us all and never answer all our questions.

So why would a science fiction writer want to sell a book to the people who have worked for years in the field and expect to teach them something new? Well, for one, most scientists can barely keep up with all the developments of their own field and barely touch other fields. For two, in creating a science fiction world, if you just look at one aspect of science, your world looks dull or lopsided because scientific development goes in waves -- i.e. one development in one area kicks off similar developments in other waves. For three, science fiction can propose trends, invention lines, question practices and warn of problems, corruption, dangers and more. But still and all, it is a very small market compared to all the readers in the world.

So should science fiction writers try to teach those that don't have a science background something about science? Isn't that the role of teachers? And if not, what if they teach the wrong thing, does anyone dare to let that happen, with the result that youth will have their heads screwed up? That sort of implies that they aren't questioning, thinking, researching, scientific minded beings. Ooops. Surely the world isn't that bad. And do the teachers and books and museums have the power to take their audience on that ultimate ride that literature does?

After all, reading and writing are always about representing reality, the testing always occurs in the mind of the reader. So I am back at the point that science fiction is literature, the literature of now, this world, this future, the future that many of us are trailing behind the leaders that have dedicated all their lives to defining. Including moms, including, high school students, college students, professors ... everyone and anyone that wants to take the ride.

So should science fiction be only for those looking for the ultimate high of learning the latest about the latest? Many college students graduate after taking their one required science class. Many college students with a bachelor of science, have only had 25 credits at most of any other science and varying levels of math--some college students graduate with a high school equivalency of math. Many do not have the money or time to take more classes in math or science. Do they not deserve a science fiction novel about evolutionary theory?  Or macroeconomics (not a requirement at all but a college undergraduate option) ?

Should science fiction be scary?

Yes, and no. The use of science shouldn't be scary, the potential for danger in any profession should always be examined. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between science and those who wish to know more.

Should science fiction have an authoritative, professorial voice? Why? Those sorts have already taken the journey, why not take someone who isn't on a journey by letting them step in the footsteps of people, ordinary people, like girls, mothers, artist, factory workers, plumbers, stock market analysts by letting them feel safe by their identification with one or more characters. Same goes for other ethnic groups and locations for placing the novel. It is not uncommon for students to study in other countries, for a pipe to break in China, France or Africa, or for the poor to want to learn more about the world.

Well, that is all of my thoughts on this topic for the moment.

 

Working Too Hard for Vacation

Spent yesterday establishing a schedule to take me into the next semester of working on my Master's degree.  I bought text books, identified assignments and dues dates and reading and put it all together, so I know what's due when, especially with my new writing class just started.

We plan to get away to experiencing the birding in Denmark, Sweden and Norway for two weeks, an area that is very beautiful from what I've seen in photographs. Bob was really unhappy about the change in vacation plans but we've resolved August is for Niagara Falls and golf and will get back for the birds. One problem that married students have that single students lack is having to please a spouse at the same time. They aren't in an education program and they have needs and desires, too.

I fell in love with Hans Christian Anderson's stories as a kid, so am especially looking forward to Copenhagen. Bob's doing all the planning while I plug through all my reading I owe pre-finals.

We also have family coming for Bob's baptism at the end of the month. I feel slow compared to the younger students--I need my after lunch siestas. I'm pushing hard so I can finish well and get caught up with all my owed help given by others.

I am nuts in that I already peeked at the new textbooks, not satisfied to finish just the old (smile). I have focused better than before so maybe things will come together well. I certainly have regained confidence that I can get through an educational program without too much pain.

YouTube - george straits, troubadour.

YouTube - george straits, troubadour..

YouTube - george straits, troubadour.

My cute nephew for a contest, his mom is hoping!

What the Gossip Got Wrong

Hint at nothing, imply bad

leads me in circles where I am sure

that I am guilty but of what

who could know

for I am guilty of all the worlds woe

I didn't warn of the tsunami, only the earthquake,

the power reactor wasn't built strong enough

I failed to love the vermin eating my crop

or kept my toothbrush so my teeth wouldn't rot

and at the bottom of it all, if you don't value me

how can anyone value anyone

since we are all just as bad

born at the bottom of the stack

doesn't solve any woes, nor invent something new

or cry over sins, but is only potential,

and when you hate anyone, even spoiled me

you hate everyone else at the very same time

being your target is so fun, you quite make my day

the bullet headed my way

says, boy, you really care,

but if you could just practice what you clearly preach

say, would you do this for me

the story would be clear

than I only have one little guilt

one little sorrow, one little pain

that's easily fixed and easily explained,

why does the man with a fist deserve space

a rocket to the stars or food on his plate

is a complete mystery to me

perhaps II'm looking for the few

who don't play that game

why have I seen to few?

Is that why I wonder why I should live?

 

Sheri Fresonke Harper

Nagging

I sincerely appreciate friends, community and help, and am sorry if I implied differently. I detest the insincerity and lack of respect nagging implies. Continual criticism is a form of abuse. Be laissez-faire, we'll get along.

Frustrating Miscommunications and Too Much to Do on Spring Break

Well, I was supposed to have a chat tonight but missed it. 

Meanwhile, my teeth cleaning turned into a missed teeth cleaning appointment, a reschedule, and an appointment for a crown. The work was done very fast and well, but then with an ache in my mouth I had to take tylenol and that put me to sleep right way.

We saw my mother-in-law over two days--four hours over, four back and I got to read my Chinese history for once.

Three hours to get my hair cut--first one in at least 4 months, the last was before Thanksgiving I think and was due again at Christmas but I put it off thinking I'd be swimming.

I'm trying to locate proper Sunday best clothes. I guess I will have to use whatever I have on hand.

If my sister comes for Bob's baptism, confirmation, I should have the trellis planted. Don't know when that will happen. This weekend is two big ceremonies/services. 

Meanwhile, I keep plodding away at getting the papers picked up, furniture cleaned, bathrooms cleaned, and party plans developed. 

I took most of today to start preparing my Chinese research. I've been building areas of interest. I get the strange idea that everyone wants me to be the expert now, and not after I take the classes, I wonder why that is? It rather smacks as a set up ... what is given can be taken away. Especially when they made such a big issue of not being able to study on your own?

I don't like the results I'm getting on news as usual. Its hit or miss. It means I have to dig deep for anything that looks different and is useful.  I fundamentally don't relate to news very well. I know that people look for the facts at whatever site they happen to be on if they are there. But I mostly search for what I need. I do suppose I look at random items that look interesting. 

Tomorrow I have a story to do, my writing class to catch up on, and my article assignments to finish and a science article to research. Hopefully I'll be able to use my research today as a blog item.

Tonight I got through most of my edits on my second novel. I just need to do one more pass for clarity.

I started working the links part of my web page, many hours more on that. 

By Tuesday I need to start studying for my midterms.

Do I talk like everyone that yells is not in a jar? All the people popping in to say hello? And nag? Turning the screw down on the lid. Again.

Ideal Spots for NASA Astronauts to Deep Drill on the Moon - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Ideal Spots for NASA Astronauts to Deep Drill on the Moon - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

With all the concern about where NASA should target their efforts, perhaps a closer look at the Moon is called for, especially now that water was found.

Ideal Spots for NASA Astronauts to Deep Drill on the Moon - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Changes Make You Feel Oppressed or Free

I love some of the new opportunities I have, but I wish they were easier to transition to, when I have other obligations. Then, as a student, life changes at breaks, midterms, semesters ... it is hard to stay on track with what I want to accomplish when there's so much I am responsible for ... maybe some of it I have to let go, other things need planning to keep them directed ... I always keep it all and perhaps I can't or perhaps I'm not supposed to.

Some examples of what I mean:

1) my writing quarter finishes before my school semester so to keep going I have to choose which course and sign up and pay for it

2) registration for summer begins so I needed to decide on summer quarter and for fall quarter--I'm thinking writing courses and biology this summer and a political science course if I couldand for fall, writing and Chinese history and Chinese IR and either the Forensic Science intro or continuation of biology. I know that many would like me to just get the Master's degree done with so I can move forward, but I have found that UCF, for one, is very much happier to see me start with undergraduate level courses to gauge my knowledge and it might very much help my ability to get letters of recommendation.

3) we need to plan our summer vacations since we get to do some exploring of geology near Niagara Falls and probably into Canada. I don't know much about the east coast of the US--I've been to Boston twice, driven up the coast to Maine, visited Martha's Vineyard and went to New Hampshire to visit Bob's parents once and my sister in Virginia, and to a bit of the Appalachian mountains--but that's about it. 

4) I need to schedule my doctor appointment

5) RCIA finishes in May--this three hours every Sunday w/church plus some additional events and my duties to encourage Bob plus hopefully a baptism party to plan, but meanwhile we have weekly social life events we're beginning to develop--Wed we get to see Wicked and Sat we're on to help the boy scouts with birding

6) its not enough to write articles on China ... I want to look for specific information in specific areas that match my outline

7) I'm still finishing up on three areas where I collected information and have stacked all over my house--snow & ice, moon, international space organizations ... new study areas don't just add on at the drop of a hat. I'd love to see the paper get stored instead of on every surface around. By fall quarter I hope to be into the swing of things so that the new classes fit into it well.

8) I'm hoping to fit in the much delayed redevelopment of my web page in over spring break--I've found myself going back and forth over Yahoo basic tools and using MS Expression which is pretty abstruse--nothing is explained in the order I want it to occur--give me a page, let me color and decorate it by default, let me put a message on it, let me establish the links to connect it elsewhere, let me keyword it. I think the intent is if they make it difficult enough you have to hire someone to do the work. I want to hire someone to do the work that requires additional knowledge

 9) I'd like to attend writing conference(s) before fall sememster starts--I've identified a few that work better since I didn't finish up in time for the PNWA this year.

10) Taking classes has delayed my ability to write ... the more settled I feel with very little changes once a semester starts, the easier and less stressful it is to fit in the time for writing.

11) March 15 all the National Poetry contests are due ... I've written two, and hope to do a few more.

12) People shouldn't worry so much about me with games ... they do take time ... but, I do need wind down time, they are a good answer. Doing something mindless helps me transition from one task to another and it also makes it easier to deal with the tedium of other tasks.

13) We need to visit Bob's mom soon. I haven't talked with anyone in the family recently.

14) I'd love to have the time to get my hair cut.

Deadlines due and a Quiz tomorrow then Freedom of sorts

I have deadlines for my fiction writing I'm working on, class tomorrow, and studying for my quiz, then I should be free through the weekend to make progress on articles. I have a least three outlined and two science ones I need to complete to go along with the story and am building on my science explanations of what is found and where and what techniques used along with the overarching political and economic situation. Critiqued a story today and spent a long time with a young writer who has talent.

Good Progress on Stories and Articles

I find that I need to do a lot of background research and sorting of articles into idea spaces before I can make forward progress. At least I managed to come up with the entire plot for the story for my writing class and have wrote sections of it. I still need to write the articles that go along with it. They've been outlined for some time, research ready and sorted but I missed a key piece of information then bought several books. I should read it tonight but instead I'm just going to go to sleep.

Finished: 2 articles, 6 chapters of editing, wrote 1 500 word scene. I have three articles on China in development ... still collecting links.

Yesterday, despite Valentine's day, I managed to get in another Chapter of Anthropology reading, and something else. All the midterm wind down and catch up took some time.

 

Best Fish Farm Photographs from Around the World - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Best Fish Farm Photographs from Around the World - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

Fish farming comes in a variety of styles, see how they do it in China, Washington State, Ireland and Portugal

Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Mind Games

I'm worn out by expectations people have for me, and the ones I have for myself. It is raining, everywhere. I need a patch and a good night sleep. This week is midterms.

How Vacations that Honor Death in History Can Be Worth Doing - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

How Vacations that Honor Death in History Can Be Worth Doing - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

It may seem odd to think about death or the process of decomposing, yet we all encounter death, either as a celebration, learning process or rite of passage, here's how to bring the study and fascination with death into your travel and life.

Ten Tips for Securing Your Luggage on Vacation | Quazen

Ten Tips for Securing Your Luggage on Vacation | Quazen.

Ten Tips for Securing Your Luggage on Vacation | Quazen

With so many options for protecting your goods contained in your luggage, which one should you pick and why? Here’s my best tips for securing your valuable and invaluable goods.

Read more: http://quazen.com/shopping/ten-tips-for-securing-your-luggage-on-vacation/#ixzz1CTcquUPr

Finally Catching Up and RIP Uncle Fred

Hurrah, I can walk in my office and find my desk and find my research materials again. This year my energy is up again after running so short on my hormone level--menopause for those who artificially went through menopause still happens--it took me years to build up a level but I gained weight and in my attempt to lose weight I ended up depleting my reserves. Now I have leveled out again. I still am teary in the mornings but that is all about allergies and not about my emotional level.

It feels good to be finally meeting people in the area and doing activities with them, this coming weekend is the beginning of WinterFest at St. Stephens Church in Oviedo, it should be a fun experience.

My writing assignment is about subcultures ... which one, which one. 

The sad news for the day is we lost Bob's Uncle Fred. He had quite the mind and the experience with undersea pumps. My sympathies for dear Aunt Betts, we'll all miss him.

Masculine and Feminine Points of View

I answered a call for content that asked me basically why I changed jobs. I explained it was part of a plan that I had been executing and the women all responded positively--you go, keep with it. The men on the other hand, responded to part where on individual had acted bad and to the part where I said I hadn't reached success. Odd the men could focus one the negative parts and skip everything that was positive in the content. Almost like they want everyone to dance in a daisy field high on aphrodisiacs and anything contrary, even if good fiction or good story telling makes no difference. I guess their goal is to keep me isolated.

Or maybe the response is disconnected i.e. it relates to my "how to" keep your society from collapsing monologue, hmm. Am I really supposed to learn or just be a parrot?

School Has Me Hopping and My Husband Ignored

With my move to Florida, we're in the situation where we have to make friends, so that the chats happen and you feel like you are part of a community. We joined the Catholic Church--everyone looked at us like, huh, you want to join just so you have someone to say hello to now an then? Really?

Really!

People don't bring their friends across the country in their boxes of books, not the physical ones.

So we've played a golf tournament and went on an outing to the Hard Rock Cafe. The more you see people, the more they recognize you. Next up, is our first WinterFest ... we'll see how that goes.

I am also meeting some nice ladies at golf on Saturdays.

School, whoo boy. Scares me after last years debacle.

This quarter I have 9 credits -- 3 credit short story class, 3 credit International Organizations class, and 3 credit Cultural Anthropology class. Meanwhile, I still haven't cleaned out all the piles of paper. I have it down to about four stacks and have most of the financial data isolated for tax season. Bob wasn't very thrilled about the idea of doing taxes for Spring Break, I wonder why?

Lessons:

1) when you go back to school, you have to relearn all the tricks of the trade about how to learn

2) my brain isn't as flexible as it used to be -- it takes me longer to switch contexts, I want to just focus on one thing until completion

3) getting the work done early is very helpful

4) I seem to have a chronic case of missing word and letter itis--I know they are there, but the disappear, lol, I guess I don't get the letters pressed

5) online school stuff has a lot of bureaucracy involved-- you have to find the course work, the forums, read everyones stuff, quizzes are set up online and you have to follow them, and which browser you use makes a difference

So my homework looks to be for every week:

Political Science--read a chapter of the book, four articles, research three articles, write 2 300 word postings, study and take a quiz, organize materials, attend classes t&r

Anthropology--read chapters, attend class, do one 500-1000 word paper, quiz?

Short Story Class--write one 500 word scene, answer three questions, read people's work, do the reading

So Monday golf and last minute work on postings for Polisci, Tues class and scene due, Wed golf and reading and anthro paper, Thurs class, Friday clean up messes, Sat golf, Sun church and RCI

When I get my homework finished, I have articles due at AC, hits to follow up on, book reviews, critters help desk, last edits to my novel I'd like complete by mid-Feb, and a story I want out the door by the end of the month, plus games so I am not entirely a hermit egghead

Flowers in Bloom in December in Puerto Rico Photograph Slideshow - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Flowers in Bloom in December in Puerto Rico Photograph Slideshow - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com.

Flowers in Bloom in December in Puerto Rico Photograph Slideshow - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

If you like flowers in the winter, these photographs of tropicals flowers taken in gardens around Puerto Rico will have you ready to dig in the soil.

Weak Progress But Better Than Its Been

Managed to get 300+ words on a short story, not connected to anything and four thank you letters, a cover letter drafted and two and a half articles. Warm up I guess. I have a list about 30 articles long to write, and another list about 10 items long to do before school starts. I have my school books. The reading for the writing class is done and some of the cultural anthropology. Three of the ten items relate to research for the work I want to do. Two items may take a lifetime -- one is getting rid of the paper, another is doing the web page. Another is the last changes to my second novel. And I'd like to fit in the trip to visit Bob's mom, my haircut and a doctor visit scheduled. One is taxes, ick.

The good news for me this week was I managed to get a fairly concrete outline for the new trilogy. I've been writing stories on the first of the trilogies and have deadlines associated with the stories, so that is good. Most of the research is done for the earliest ones. I suspect it is June before I start tackling the atomic stuff because of the current class load. Meanwhile, Bob has scheduled the rest of the years trips and put budget against it. We'll be home most of the year, strange idea.

Maybe I will discover where my data chips have walked to along with my GRE reservation number needed to get my scores for use in applications.

Reading for Fiction Class and Anthropology and ...

The flu has left me with enough energy to read but not much more. Read two books used in my fiction class for next quarter and started on the cultural anthropology text I bought. Don't know what my political science or anthropology class actually needs, I guess I'll find out on my return. Our hotel only offers free wifi in the lobby area and I found that the area I tried using today had no electricity for plugging in your computer. Right now I'm in the Starbucks with my venti passion ice tea and I'm not coughing for once although the leaks are beginning so soon I'll have to go back for more pills but the cleaning crew are doing up the room.

I never remember exact references to material I read the first time, I often have to process it some way to make it stick but it does give me ideas and is fleshing out some of the content for the nonfiction golf book. It is sort of fun to do but not as emotionally satisfying as fiction.

Best of Intentions and the Cold

Made it through the first couple chapters of my latest book on Political Psychology from a UCF prof. It matches other reading I have done--bits and pieces here and there. Focus on environment vs personality is interesting as is the bit about political states acting the role assigned to them. 

Woke with a cough and decided to head it off with vitamins and oj but have continued to have the everything is fine oops, 1 2 3 splats. My throat is clogged. Had one nap, am fighting sleep because I took aspirin to fight off the muscle pain that kept me hobbling up the trails at El Yunque, then made my own cough syrup--two glasses of wine and peppermint candies. Wonder what that will do to me tomorrow. Already had the hiccups arrive out of nowhere.  Got back to the room to find the cleaning staff turned the room down to 65 again. Silly to walk all day in a cotton tee then have to put on fleece and cower under a feather blanket to get warm enough in my room, while you open the outside door to warm the place. 

Yeah, yeah, I am nagged about duties. But then, at my pay scale, lol, if one were to call it that, there isn't much motivation.

Best of Intentions and the Cold

Made it through the first couple chapters of my latest book on Political Psychology from a UCF prof. It matches other reading I have done--bits and pieces here and there. Focus on environment vs personality is interesting as is the bit about political states acting the role assigned to them. 

Woke with a cough and decided to head it off with vitamins and oj but have continued to have the everything is fine oops, 1 2 3 splats. My throat is clogged. Had one nap, am fighting sleep because I took aspirin to fight off the muscle pain that kept me hobbling up the trails at El Yunque, then made my own cough syrup--two glasses of wine and peppermint candies. Wonder what that will do to me tomorrow. Got back to the room to find the cleaning staff turned the room down to 65 again. Silly to walk all day in a cotton tee then have to put on fleece and cower under a feather blanket to get warm enough in my room. 

Yeah, yeah, I am nagged about duties. But then, at my pay scale, lol, if one were to call it that, there isn't much motivation.

Staying at the Condada Hilton in Puerto Rica--Mostly Good

I slept like a log, the shower dumped plenty of hot water, the food is good. Only problem was the AC that got set to dump tons of cold air all night. We fixed it in the morning by propping open the door and turning the AC off. Then we set out into the misty day to see the fort. Only got drenched twice, lol. So I got the shivers after twenty minutes and then Bob wanted to eat and so by the end of dinner I was shaking so hard I said, I know, lets jump into the hot tub. Wonderful, even with a tub of rain pouring down on our heads.

I am grateful for all the social media skills I learned.

Reading FWA 2nd Anthology and TB Class Work

Read the Florida Writer's 2nd Anthology, enjoyed seeing the different writers. Many of the same themes showed up, although there were writers working in different genres, most were mainstream family oriented, some with the sense of being in the south. Also an anthology for the fiction class I signed up for next semester.

We got a short walk, and it was warm enough to swim but the rain came down. I tried a Puerto Rico Kiss--lighter and less sweet than a Mai Tai and quite potent, especially for light weights like myself. Tomorrow we hope to spend the day walking and maybe get in a swim. These next weeks I've saved for reading and writing.

Learned my story wasn't a winner at the Zoetrope contest, not much of a surprise to me, lol. 

Sometimes I feel like I am at war with the steady decline in the sense of value for a story--everyone says rush rush, spin them out, get known as someone that can spin tales. It's true that is freeing. And sometimes the stories do just come out all in a rush as if everything you've thought about suddenly clicks and the on switch in mind says print. But most times, I need to think about the character in the context of the science. Sometimes I have to find a character fit for the concept, sometimes I have to find the science fit for the character. Sometimes I am just building. I make the mistake that everything must touch, roll up, fit together. Often when we argue, my husband says--that's not one problem, that a dozen all wrapped around each other. That to me is life. But I am getting better at isolating a single thread down to what I want to say in a short story, I am too heavy on a flash fiction. The "moment" is something I like to capture in poetry, now I need to bend it a bit into ... maybe ... revelation? in order to make it flash fiction.

A friend said I left. Hmm. I am still where I am. Perhaps this person mistakes the "I'm working sign on my mind" as other than I meant. Perhaps everyone gets too tied into the thought of holding grudges and stuff and too into theory X control--which is so anti-INTJ to be like being throttled. I'm still climbing the stack of research material to be where I want to be in the story ... with the right understanding, everything will unroll. I'm just not there. And the decision to force me into a Master's program where ever it came from, is like being stoned to death so far. I am on this road and the road blocks are so piled up in my path that I just don't want to go--it is wasting my time. But the information, the sharing, the people, the get out of my closet ... those I desperately need. Why must I change myself, when I have always been a steady focused worker? And to what? I am good at making myself into a model someone asks me to be ... but if the results are intangible and the tasks stupidity and the model undefined as I experienced these last years, how is that better than what I am doing, the way I have always been?

My own needs have been for a mind respite. Last year I was told not to work for a year. I didn't although the results were quite close but also I was moving. The last two novels I wrote, I had worked the story line out well in advance of ever writing even one word. This new trilogy is freedom for me, freedom from all the expectations of all the past story building I'd laid out. The pieces I've done, I like, although the near future bits in our solar system ... I don't know if I want them fit into what I'm imagining, rather than being stand alone. The order to put my other stories on hold ... I can understand why, but they were filler while I worked on the trilogy ... so now I have mostly silence.

The stress factors: job change, marital difficulties about life style and purspse, change of home, death in the family, illness, illness in the family etc. came in and out of focus in the immediate past years. People forget that I started down this path, working more and more steadily for the past 8-9 years with the last four heavy, a breather is not a mistake if it makes you clear about what you are doing. 

 

Clean Up for School

We're escaping to Puerto Rico for the Christmas holiday, so I am madly at work cleaning up all of my piles and putting them into some sort of organized shape. 

I've signed up for three courses: a short story writing course at Stanford that no doubt will work me to death. And a cultural anthropology course that the head of the anthropology dept. said was a prerequisite to the courses I wanted to take and one that I need for a story I am writing. And a International Organizations class which might be above what I am ready for but in the same vein as courses I took at City University for my MBA. One of my major stories is waiting for the political aspects -- who wants what and why and how the spin of the future will alter organizations. 

I need to take basic biology and basic chemistry as prerequisites for most of my other courses for my Masters degree that I wanted. That may be what I do next year along with writing. They will be background materials for what I am working on.

Meanwhile, my two major books on hydrothermal systems arrived, they are very helpful and providing the theory behind two of the major stories I'm working on. 

I finished most of the reading on the Chinese classics and can start my comparison between early Platonian thought and early Confucian thought. There are many similarities but also some major differences--one in the role of women in society, another with the use of metaphorical thought, some others in how each thinker dealt with the subject of the breakdown of civilization. The Chinese early documented the collapse of family and society under self-centered pleasure i.e. drunkeness and waste.

I'm taking my reading materials to Puerto Rico for the evenings and I hope to get some writing done there too, although our days are filled with many exciting things to do.

We still have to see if "retirement" is an acceptable job for being eligible for resident tuition; I may have to drop the UCF classes again and wait until Fall 2011 to take coursess--a state requirement that the colleges don't necessarily endorse.

I guess summer is when I restudy to take the GRE again since my scores are lost and maybe take the physics and chemistry ones, yuck. What I most hate about science is this intense desire to work the same equations again and again as if they change.

Amateur Golfer Benefits of Phil Mickelson’s Secrets of The Short Game | Sportales

Amateur Golfer Benefits of Phil Mickelson’s Secrets of The Short Game | Sportales.

Amateur Golfer Benefits of Phil Mickelson’s Secrets of The Short Game | Sportales

Great Christmas gift idea for golfers, this DVD set can teach putting, chipping and sand bunker shots as well as some of Phil Mickelson's more fun, over the head, and returnable chip shots.

Plugging along with articles and the horrors

Yesterday wrote three articles and did research on others and followed up on poetry. Today, working on two travel articles and wrote chapter 1 of 26 chapters on my nonfiction book--more time to work yet.

Discovered all of my file folders were mixed--multiple topics per folder instead of the way I had it arranged. I guess I should believe that maybe the boxes dumped while being moved. So I need to do an entire day of refiling (the horror, the horror).

Also discovered my carefully saved GRE score confirmation number had disappeared out of the house.

Other odd things, utilities that switch on and try to back up my data (I guess that's a new feature), I wish they would ask if we wanted the world butting into our affairs.

Got my Christmas cards designed and 70 printed, Bob did the first cut of addressing them and wrote the newsletter as usual, other than a horrific year for me, it didn't have much except some delights from visitors.

Started My New Book

Got all twenty-one chapters outlined with the major characters and managed to write the introduction, worth 1000 words. Not too good but if it goes as easy to day, it may just blast out. Strange to think that non-fiction can be fun.

Next Story Ran into a Knowledge Gap

So got most of the data compiled into a notes sheet and split into articles but I felt that not knowing about hydrothermal systems left me missing a key clue to what I'm working on in my story. Also the politics of all four groups represented by the characters is not concrete enough to form the back bone of the story. So having spent two weeks working on that, it leaves me searching for the answer to spit out in three hours for my deadline. I guess I am too honest to be a "real" writer.

 

Why Work on My Space Opera is So Slow

Well, despite the fact that I am gung ho on the new trilogy, maintenance as a writer is required. I owe articles out once a week, try to keep active with friends on Facebook and some poetry groups and am still dragging along on my last novel. I'm also pushing on getting stories out to publishers so that the world begins to see me as a novelist instead of just a poet. I have at least three story collections topics that I have been working on for some time, so all of these could go that route too.

My husband is a sweetie and is analyzing my last reorganization of my novel where I followed the suggestions of the editor I hired. We both think that there is simply far too much estrogen in the story when we cut the view of the men who survived and so now I have to take one more cut and put it all back with maybe some additional work since I made many of the scenes tighter. The good news is that I had the story down to about 85,000 words I think, so it gives me a little more leeway. He's also identified some missing dates and thinks my idea about the historical view works, unlike the editor. The editor was a poor choice--she introduced many errors into my novel, her suggestions haven't worked out well, and her suggestions about what to cut were bad but I understood why she made them--they weren't connected enough, so I chose to connect them. 

Also, I want to produce my teen dinosaur book as the book that I try to sell first. I have quite a few stories written, the outline developed and have at least 15,000 words on it and it may grow into four books, depending on the proper length to make them. I'm shooting for a first draft by year end and maybe a contest entry in the new year for it and my second novel, again.

Re: including the men:

Everyone says, well, if the reader knows your premise "that there is only one fertile woman left alive" is false, why bother? The answer is that the society doesn't know when making their decisions. And, even in knowing there are other survivors, the same equations work and also, having the expanded view makes us look more at the larger world of our society. It's like saying "if this is true, then x, but if this is also true, still x, and if this is also true, still x?" and the answer has to be, yes. That's the real truth behind viable populations. You need more than one breeding pair for the species to survive.

And finally, I am still supposed to get my web site redeveloped. The good news is that most of my "I'm going this way" which is every way, is narrowing down to technology, young adult, travel and adventure, science and so my new design will look much cleaner.

Writing My New Space Opera Trilogy

I'm moving out of my comfort zone in writing my new space opera trilogy and into outer space. The time span covers eons and has an alien protagonist. I've begun to hear her voice again. I started writing bits of it after my return from my first Earthwatch trip to Belize where we participated on an archaeology project. The work on the project was tedious but taught basic skills in laying out gridwork, protecting and uncovering artifacts and buildings, working in a challenging environment--the team had to move trantulas bigger than my hand out of our work area. They had a brilliant orange body and hairy black legs. The tendency was to want to scoop them up with a shovel and toss, but we were told that they had found out that doing so killed the tarantulas, so they were moved with care. The first time we saw the Mayan city it was covered with so much vegetation you couldn't tell that anything was there. The trees covered by vines grew thirty feet tall or more. The leader hired two Mayan locals to cut it all down. It took them at least one day and they were paid $5 per day to hack it all off with machetes. In the process they ran into a pit viper--we were shown the body and then told the emergency treatment in case of bite--basically a shot of antivenom every hour while you were helicoptered out to the closest hospital and then it would be touch and go from there. More on this topic when I get my pictures scanned.

Mostly what I have been working on is the near future pieces and educating myself in a number of topic areas:

The politics for space development and related security issues-- finished reading 

"Chinese Space Policy a Study in Domestic and International Politics" by Roger Handburg and Zhen Li

"Who Owns the Moon" by Virgiliu Pop

"The Politics of Space Security" by James Clay Moltz

and "Return to The Moon" by Harrison H. Schmitt

Studies of Moon Geology

I've read about fifty documents including one eight chapters long from the Apollo era. I should have a story and some articles out on this topic. But I got sidetracked into knowing the history of spacecraft so am spending one or two days on that. I think I only have two-five stories set on the moon, one on Mars, one on an asteroid, one on Jupiter, one on Uranus for sure.

As I get ideas I add them to three documents one called my outline where I sketch out all the major organizations and characters, one called my synopsis where I lay out story, scene ideas, what characters are involved, the time and location and number of words, and a third document that lays out each character, their conflict, resolution and urgency. These help me from getting lost or forgetting important ideas.

Development of Underdeveloped Nations -- finished reading

"Africa's Stalled Development" by David K. Leonard and Scott Straus

in progress on "Industrial Society in Communist China" by Barry Richman

Part of the reason for reading these materials is to envision not only the changes in society, but what the culture of space humans that spread throughout the galaxy need to survive. I'm writing short stories in the series that help explain various societal problems, many of the power players, some of the technology. Meanwhile I've identified at least two ways humans will evolve and the result problems. One of the first of these stories is Layers of Permeability

Also, I'm doing much studying of astronomy to help understand who my aliens are and how they survive. I've had to start back at the atomic level and am just beginning to visualize what is going on with quantum physics and what some of the topic areas I need to delve into to understand what is going on--these things will affect how my aliens eat and travel--two of the main processes that life forms exhibit. I woke this morning thinking that I knew what the Higgs particle looked like but then after I thought about it some I realized what questions I had to research before I knew for sure i.e. dreams without data have not foundation in reality.

My favorite astronomy book at the moment is an encyclopedia called "The Universal Book of Astronomy" by David Darling because it is providing me a structure of topics in which to delve into further.

Research Compilation

I've had three research areas that I have been delving into and am compiling the notes and references and sorting it out into potential articles, additional research tasks and using the information to help drive several stories. So I'm a little slow to react. Just processed about 50 articles and several books. The good news for me is that it is nearing a conclusion. One of the projects has been on my desk for three or four years, another for a year. I find that boiling the key points I care about helps me focus on what I want to say.

Man Made Equality

Somewhere in some far off land, some girl, blind but now can see

took my life in her hands and destroyed it because she wanted eyes.

Did she say thank you or please, no, so inside she is bitter,

outside she is still blind to the world around her.

She believes she has words to carry her into the future,

she is wrong, her life is nearly ended and her crime was for naught.

She will never see how just one slip makes you into a monster,

when she looks in the mirror, there is only the noose hanging behind her,

she is lost for eternity, burning in the blast ovens of self who would be

but can never sing, she has no voice that wasn't copied,

some day she will see the words she wrote and look and there is nothing

on the page that belongs to that which is herself and she and her chimera

sink, stinks and she will answer always, why did I steal a life for what I could touch

hear, sing, tantalize, why did I give a body for the use of another

without love, there is only the burnt out husk of where a blind woman

could have stood. And did not.

God made equality is always the better choice, saying I do this for the best

within me and I prevailed. But you chose a frail facsimile of man instead.

Five Homemade Green Environment Friendship Gifts Under Ten Dollars for Christmas | Gomestic

Five Homemade Green Environment Friendship Gifts Under Ten Dollars for Christmas | Gomestic.

Five Homemade Green Environment Friendship Gifts Under Ten Dollars for Christmas | Gomestic

If your budget is tight, these simple environmentally friendly gifts will please any green friend at Christmas.

Fifty Years of Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Research Aids Tanzania - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Fifty Years of Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Research Aids Tanzania - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com.

Fifty Years of Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Research Aids Tanzania - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Jane Goodall and researchers with the Jane Goodall Institute have studied chimpanzees at Gombe National Park Tanzania for fifty years, here's what they learned and hope to learn and hope to help.