The possibility of the United States as an over-educated, underemployed society has been discussed during the past year or more. The following scene, from one of my favorite films Good Will Hunting , shows an example of the value of the local library. (Libraries rate high on my list of favorites places.) Good Will Hunting, staring Matt Damon, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck, told the story of a battered child who was a genius who worked as a janitor at MIT. He had little education, other than the books he read at the library as noted in the scene below.
The hall, Will Hunting was cleaning had a problem displayed on a white board. Will provided a solution in less than a day. Will has the ability to solve problems that stump most mathematicians. He finds it easy.
In addition, the movie has funny scenes, such as the one below. The Interview Scene
The film also has some sad scenes as reflected in the breakup.
Here’s the trailer.
If you’ve never seen it, I recommend you get the DVD or download it. If you do, be prepared for some intensely, emotional viewing.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Weeks
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 BURIED PREY, by John Sandford. (Penguin Group.) The Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport investigates the murders of two girls who were kidnapped in 1985 and whose bodies have just been found.
3 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
4 10TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
5 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
6 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
7 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
8 THE LINCOLN LAWYER, by Michael Connelly. (Little, Brown.) Routinely doing business from his Lincoln Town Cars, the bottom-feeding attorney Mickey Haller is asked to defend the scion of a wealthy family who might not be guilty of a murderous crime.
9 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
10 SOMETHING BLUE, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin’s.) After being betrayed by her fiancé and her best friend, Darcy Rhone flees to London.
Visit the New York Times
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 BURIED PREY, by John Sandford. (Penguin Group.) The Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport investigates the murders of two girls who were kidnapped in 1985 and whose bodies have just been found.
3 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
4 10TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
5 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
6 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
7 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
8 THE LINCOLN LAWYER, by Michael Connelly. (Little, Brown.) Routinely doing business from his Lincoln Town Cars, the bottom-feeding attorney Mickey Haller is asked to defend the scion of a wealthy family who might not be guilty of a murderous crime.
9 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
10 SOMETHING BLUE, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin’s.) After being betrayed by her fiancé and her best friend, Darcy Rhone flees to London.
Visit the New York Times
Friday, May 20, 2011
Across the PONDering
First, thanks to James Hingham and the others who allow me the space to post my thoughts in a free speech format here at Orphans of Liberty. May God forgive them.
About me: I originate from Sunny South Florida. From here I write a blog, Science Fiction Writer. Recently, I completed my first science fiction novel. Elevator 37.
Free speech is at the heart of our Western style democracies. In an unfortunate turn of events, many of our governments attempt to impinge on those rights through the guise of political correctness and other silly excuses. For example, one of these inane attempts (a disclaimer) Historical recordings may contain offensive language.. The warning is offensive, contemporary recordings pornographic, crude, tasteless and nasty. That makes the warning doubly offensive.
Today, a tweeter lamented her boring middle-class upbringing . That prompted me to ponder the life cycle. Do we grow up mournful of the serenity we experience from a middle class upbringing (if we’re fortunate to have one) and rebel? At a later age, do we see the folly of our thoughts? Afterward, do we pine for the return to boredom?
In this rebellion, do we go out and seek the travails of life to escape the middle-class monotony that suffers us? Later, after the angst of the exciting life do we develop a world-weariness that compels us to return to the middle-class values we abhorred as young and restless people?
Can we take another path and realize the benefits of boredom?
Most of us, fortunately, don’t live in places where the strife of war and insecurity rule eternal—failing States in which central authorities fail to provide the basics of freedom, such as legitimate governance. Other features of these unsuccessful nations include, a lack of public services that most of us take for granted, constant war between neighboring states and internal political parties/tribes; the inability to control lands within national borders; a lack of economic enterprise, as well as massive corruption and criminality. (Not to say Western governments don’t share this problem.)
Several nation-states come to mind, but you can fill in the blanks with some thought.
One young person (a nihilist) with whom I had a discussion told me that all nations are the same. People in Iran or North Korea, live the same life, and enjoy the same privileges as people in Western democracies such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Canada. If only she knew the truth.
How do people come to believe such rubbish? If anyone knows the answer to that, please post it.
The amusing aspect of this is that I’m using the failed State model for the novel I’m currently writing MORB. It’s about a dismal place that chills the human mind.
Let’s take a gander at reality from the economic perspective.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : GDP, considered the main economic indicator, represents the overall aggregate economic activity of a country.
The IMF lists the following. Note the absence of North Korea. Iran, placed 19th.
1. United States $14,657,800
2. People's Republic of China $10,085,708
3. Japan $4,309,432
4. India $4,060,392
5. Germany $2,940,434
6. Russia $2,222,957
7. United Kingdom $2,172,768
8. Brazil $2,172,058
9. France $2,145,487
10. Italy $1,773,547
Another view that reflects the reality is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) . PPP estimates the amount of adjustment needed on the exchange rate between countries for the exchange to be equivalent.
1. Qatar $88,559
2. Luxembourg $81,383
3. Singapore $56,522
4. Norway $52,013
5. Brunei $48,892
6. United Arab Emirates $48,821
7. United States $47,284
--Hong Kong $45,736
8. Switzerland $41,663
9. Netherlands $40,765
10. Australia $39,699
(Iran shows at 73. North Korea doesn’t appear.)
So I ponder who indoctrinates youths to subvert Western democracies by feeding them false information. Why are they doing it? What is the goal of this misinformation?
This is cross posted at Orphans of Liberty" across the pond.
About me: I originate from Sunny South Florida. From here I write a blog, Science Fiction Writer. Recently, I completed my first science fiction novel. Elevator 37.
Free speech is at the heart of our Western style democracies. In an unfortunate turn of events, many of our governments attempt to impinge on those rights through the guise of political correctness and other silly excuses. For example, one of these inane attempts (a disclaimer) Historical recordings may contain offensive language.. The warning is offensive, contemporary recordings pornographic, crude, tasteless and nasty. That makes the warning doubly offensive.
Today, a tweeter lamented her boring middle-class upbringing . That prompted me to ponder the life cycle. Do we grow up mournful of the serenity we experience from a middle class upbringing (if we’re fortunate to have one) and rebel? At a later age, do we see the folly of our thoughts? Afterward, do we pine for the return to boredom?
In this rebellion, do we go out and seek the travails of life to escape the middle-class monotony that suffers us? Later, after the angst of the exciting life do we develop a world-weariness that compels us to return to the middle-class values we abhorred as young and restless people?
Can we take another path and realize the benefits of boredom?
Most of us, fortunately, don’t live in places where the strife of war and insecurity rule eternal—failing States in which central authorities fail to provide the basics of freedom, such as legitimate governance. Other features of these unsuccessful nations include, a lack of public services that most of us take for granted, constant war between neighboring states and internal political parties/tribes; the inability to control lands within national borders; a lack of economic enterprise, as well as massive corruption and criminality. (Not to say Western governments don’t share this problem.)
Several nation-states come to mind, but you can fill in the blanks with some thought.
One young person (a nihilist) with whom I had a discussion told me that all nations are the same. People in Iran or North Korea, live the same life, and enjoy the same privileges as people in Western democracies such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Canada. If only she knew the truth.
How do people come to believe such rubbish? If anyone knows the answer to that, please post it.
The amusing aspect of this is that I’m using the failed State model for the novel I’m currently writing MORB. It’s about a dismal place that chills the human mind.
Let’s take a gander at reality from the economic perspective.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : GDP, considered the main economic indicator, represents the overall aggregate economic activity of a country.
The IMF lists the following. Note the absence of North Korea. Iran, placed 19th.
1. United States $14,657,800
2. People's Republic of China $10,085,708
3. Japan $4,309,432
4. India $4,060,392
5. Germany $2,940,434
6. Russia $2,222,957
7. United Kingdom $2,172,768
8. Brazil $2,172,058
9. France $2,145,487
10. Italy $1,773,547
Another view that reflects the reality is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) . PPP estimates the amount of adjustment needed on the exchange rate between countries for the exchange to be equivalent.
1. Qatar $88,559
2. Luxembourg $81,383
3. Singapore $56,522
4. Norway $52,013
5. Brunei $48,892
6. United Arab Emirates $48,821
7. United States $47,284
--Hong Kong $45,736
8. Switzerland $41,663
9. Netherlands $40,765
10. Australia $39,699
(Iran shows at 73. North Korea doesn’t appear.)
So I ponder who indoctrinates youths to subvert Western democracies by feeding them false information. Why are they doing it? What is the goal of this misinformation?
This is cross posted at Orphans of Liberty" across the pond.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
E-Book Sales Up 159% in Quarter, Print Falls
Here’s a startling article from Publishers Weekly
After increasing at a 169% rate in the first two months of 2011, e-book sale rose at a relatively modest 145.7% clip in March, to $69 million, according to the 16 publishers who report figures to AAP’s monthly sales estimates. For the first quarter of 2011, e-book sales were up 159.8%, to $233.1 million. While adult hardcover and mass market paperback did better, posting gains in March, all the print segments had declines for the first quarter with the nine mass market houses that report results showing a 23.4% sales decline, and the 14 children’s paperback publishers had a 24.1% decline in the quarter. E-book sales easily outdistanced mass market paperback sales in the first quarter with mass market sales falling to $123.3 million compared to e-books’ $233.1 million in sales.
In other segments, the 18 religion book publishers who report results had a 27.4% sales gain in March and were up 13.7% for the quarter. Physical audiobook sales were down 11.8% for the month and 17.6% for the quarter, falling to $21.8 million at the 20 reporting companies. Digital audiobook sales rose 9.0% in the quarter at the 14 reporting companies, and just trailed traditional audio with sales of $20.2 million
After increasing at a 169% rate in the first two months of 2011, e-book sale rose at a relatively modest 145.7% clip in March, to $69 million, according to the 16 publishers who report figures to AAP’s monthly sales estimates. For the first quarter of 2011, e-book sales were up 159.8%, to $233.1 million. While adult hardcover and mass market paperback did better, posting gains in March, all the print segments had declines for the first quarter with the nine mass market houses that report results showing a 23.4% sales decline, and the 14 children’s paperback publishers had a 24.1% decline in the quarter. E-book sales easily outdistanced mass market paperback sales in the first quarter with mass market sales falling to $123.3 million compared to e-books’ $233.1 million in sales.
In other segments, the 18 religion book publishers who report results had a 27.4% sales gain in March and were up 13.7% for the quarter. Physical audiobook sales were down 11.8% for the month and 17.6% for the quarter, falling to $21.8 million at the 20 reporting companies. Digital audiobook sales rose 9.0% in the quarter at the 14 reporting companies, and just trailed traditional audio with sales of $20.2 million
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Creating Short Stories - 09: More on Characters
Creating Short Stories 08 – More on Characters
Please don’t read that as moron characters, although some of them may fit that description for the story.
As I mentioned previously, I use a NEO from Renaissance Learning Hand written journals present a viable alternative. One benefit of using a pen and ink format: you can create drawings of people, places and things. I haven’t quite figured out how to do that on the NEO word processor, yet.
Often, I use these sketches to create difficult scenarios in the stories. In Elevator 37 (I hope it will be a best seller.), one of the scenes had the protagonist, Thom Stanton, in a dreadful predicament. A hideous being stood ready to terminate him. I could see it—almost—but it wasn’t clear. I grabbed my sketchpad and oil pastels and drew it until I could see all the elements clearly. Then writing the scene became easy—well, almost easy.
Getting back to keeping a journal to take notes on characters and other vitals of stories, one character I saw, an older woman with hair that touched below her hips often frequents a coffee shop I visit. A rather batty personality dwells within her psyche. One day she entered with that endless crop of hair tucked under a man’s hat, making it appear she had shorn hers locks.
This provoked me to think she may have gone off the deep end, which isn’t too difficult to imagine. If you ever saw or heard her, that statement would make sense. This character must appear in the novel I’m currently writing, MORB . I have a perfect scene with her in mind.
See how bad writers can be.
A few minutes later, she hopped on her broom and sped out the door. Two thirty-something men walked into the coffee shop, nattily dressed. Sharp creases showed on their white as a bleached road in Florida shirts and pants that shouted “custom tailored for me”; the Windsor knots and their multi-colored silk ties created the impression that cost never mattered with any of their purchases. I had to wonder why. Why, if they had all this wealth they would come to this coffee shop, in this part of town, to have a business meeting? I had to discover their purpose.
Were they faking it? Could this mean development for the community? The kind of development that pushed poor folks out of the quaint, houses of an earlier era that gave texture to the neighborhood they struggled to maintain for their lives. What harbinger did they represent?
Provide plenty of detail about each character. Describe how they react, how they dress, how they move, how they think and what they say because it all determines who they are. You want the readers to see a piece of themselves in the character so they can identify with the individual you depict. You want the reader to say, “Yeah, that’s me, or “Yeah, that’s so and so.”
It gives clues as to who the character is.
When it comes to characters, specificity matters.
Please don’t read that as moron characters, although some of them may fit that description for the story.
As I mentioned previously, I use a NEO from Renaissance Learning Hand written journals present a viable alternative. One benefit of using a pen and ink format: you can create drawings of people, places and things. I haven’t quite figured out how to do that on the NEO word processor, yet.
Often, I use these sketches to create difficult scenarios in the stories. In Elevator 37 (I hope it will be a best seller.), one of the scenes had the protagonist, Thom Stanton, in a dreadful predicament. A hideous being stood ready to terminate him. I could see it—almost—but it wasn’t clear. I grabbed my sketchpad and oil pastels and drew it until I could see all the elements clearly. Then writing the scene became easy—well, almost easy.
Getting back to keeping a journal to take notes on characters and other vitals of stories, one character I saw, an older woman with hair that touched below her hips often frequents a coffee shop I visit. A rather batty personality dwells within her psyche. One day she entered with that endless crop of hair tucked under a man’s hat, making it appear she had shorn hers locks.
This provoked me to think she may have gone off the deep end, which isn’t too difficult to imagine. If you ever saw or heard her, that statement would make sense. This character must appear in the novel I’m currently writing, MORB . I have a perfect scene with her in mind.
See how bad writers can be.
A few minutes later, she hopped on her broom and sped out the door. Two thirty-something men walked into the coffee shop, nattily dressed. Sharp creases showed on their white as a bleached road in Florida shirts and pants that shouted “custom tailored for me”; the Windsor knots and their multi-colored silk ties created the impression that cost never mattered with any of their purchases. I had to wonder why. Why, if they had all this wealth they would come to this coffee shop, in this part of town, to have a business meeting? I had to discover their purpose.
Were they faking it? Could this mean development for the community? The kind of development that pushed poor folks out of the quaint, houses of an earlier era that gave texture to the neighborhood they struggled to maintain for their lives. What harbinger did they represent?
Provide plenty of detail about each character. Describe how they react, how they dress, how they move, how they think and what they say because it all determines who they are. You want the readers to see a piece of themselves in the character so they can identify with the individual you depict. You want the reader to say, “Yeah, that’s me, or “Yeah, that’s so and so.”
It gives clues as to who the character is.
When it comes to characters, specificity matters.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction
1 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
2 10 TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
3 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents are killed in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
4 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
5 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
For the complete list: Visit the New York Times
1 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
2 10 TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
3 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents are killed in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
4 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
5 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
For the complete list: Visit the New York Times
Monday, May 16, 2011
NASA Endeavor Launch: Science Fact From Science Fiction
Once, people only fantasized about space flight through the eyes of the science fiction writers, H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. An earlier work by Greek writer, Lucian of Samosata, wrote a story named Vera Historia (True History), which is tell the tale of a sailing ship being propelled by a great wind for seven days and nights to land on the moon. I find Lucian amazing because he lived from 125 to 180 A.D. He must have had a forward looking and creative mind.
Here’s a video of today’s launch.
Thanks NASA!
Here’s a video of today’s launch.
Thanks NASA!
Watch live streaming video from spaceflightnow at livestream.com
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Writing On Nothing for a Bit for Creativity
I’ve had a couple of hectic weeks and the busyness prevented me from creating new posts for Science Fiction Writer, Writing On Monday I expect to be back to a normal schedule, whatever that may be.
Part of the busyness involved transferring notes from the new novel I'm writing, MORB (hopefully a best seller), from handwritten notes to the computer. Other activity was about learning something new and completely different. Learning something new and different, and usual at the same time, always adds to one's perspective on the world.
Some of the learning involved new experience that required using creativity , something I think the world could use more of to solve global dilemmas. So I’m not referring to the creative arts such as writing, dance, theater, music, painting and other fun things in that domain. Rather, the learning involved things such as helping deliver healthcare to everyone or creating global security , so the global population can pursue better lives and enjoy peace and happiness.
Part of the busyness involved transferring notes from the new novel I'm writing, MORB (hopefully a best seller), from handwritten notes to the computer. Other activity was about learning something new and completely different. Learning something new and different, and usual at the same time, always adds to one's perspective on the world.
Some of the learning involved new experience that required using creativity , something I think the world could use more of to solve global dilemmas. So I’m not referring to the creative arts such as writing, dance, theater, music, painting and other fun things in that domain. Rather, the learning involved things such as helping deliver healthcare to everyone or creating global security , so the global population can pursue better lives and enjoy peace and happiness.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
3THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
3THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Weeks
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
3 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
3 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
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