Reunion

Wow!

I am truly late on my September post. Inexcusable.

An upcoming class reunion this past weekend and insurance/monetary concerns dominated last week and I completely spaced on this post as well as a couple other deadlines.

What is the life we live and the environment we live in to our identity and development of self?

If you are an aspiring, or sometimes aspiring author like myself, you are seeking insight into human nature and how best to develop a character, as in a character in a story that will ring true. That oozes of some architype that can touch the souls of your readers with a powerful expression of good, evil or some other deeply seeded human experience that draws the reader in.

Am I that knowledgeable, that perceptive that on these humble pages you can find such a path to enlightenmented insightful understanding of a nirvanastic nature upon which to move the solitary soul of an ardent reader?

Thinking....

Where was my class reunion?

At an exclusive country club. A country club I passed often as it was near the home of my youth. Exclusive to the point that I never imagined ever entering the clubhouse let alone honoring its greens with my presence.

That setup I thought would be a real draw to get someone to a class reunion or any event. I thought it would attract a bigger crowd than usual, particularly at 40 years. And it did, but not as big as I initially expected.

Why did some of my old classmates, those I had called friends, not come even though they live near by? Even though they had been at most all the previous reunions?

There is an opening for a story. Begs a question upon which to develop a plot; plot in the sense of a storyline not of a nefarious secret plan intent upon causing harm.

You have to be careful about what you write these days.

After 40 years I found my classmates much more inquisitive and open than at past reunions. I wondered why so few came to a mass arranged beforehand. More questions that can contribute to a plot, the setting, the background and environment of the times.

Yes I attended the best Jesuit High School possibly in the world not to mention our local metropolitan area. I, my simple unassertive self, had been enrolled in several Catholic institutions through my elementary days and attending Mass multiple times a week was not uncommon.

I expected a larger crowd at Mass.

And if my classmates find themselves reading my blog they may find amusing, my attempt to guide anyone in spiritual discipline, not to mention literary development. Yes I count my writings as works of literature, humble old me.

Unlike all previous reunions there was a noticeable change, an opening up, in the social dynamics. It led to reflections on how much our institution influenced who I am today. I saw how everyone there, though I saw little of most over the years, are an integral part what makes me me.

Listening to stories shared or overheard, it was often no surprise, remembering them from the way back, the current dynamics of their lives; their life experiences.

Not to put anyone on the spot but who would you expect to have... never mind.

Some are living lives you would never have expected.

A goodly crowd of my classmates had, over the years, kept continuous links with each other and the institution we attended. Stories of high school far fresher in their minds and flowing free I felt my brain deficient as it took quite a while for such memories to rise to the forefront of my thoughts.

Could they have formed some secret society and left me out of the loop? The plot thickens.

A history of relationships with institutions, groups, family and individuals, some watched from the outside in, make up who anyone is or could be in regards to building fictional characters.

Do I possess any talent, powers of observation, that makes me superior at understanding such dynamics? Do I hold any skill at all in communicating my insights in an intelligible and productive fashion more than any other? (Can you read my thoughts?)

Does, can my writing move people?

Questions I ask myself as I encounter soft leather briefcases scattered about our home filled with notebooks of fairly developed drafts, of works never published.

I hope you, my readers found some value in this reading and that my lateness did not cause any stress or worry. All is fine at home as it stands.

Thank you very much for reading.

A story that will move you.

Knowledge for Knowledge's Sake

They say writing is the highest form of thought. Is reading far behind?

There is that 10,000 hour benchmark, the number of hours of experience that makes one a professional; an expert so to speak.

What is one expert in after reading for 10,000, if not 20,000 or even 40,000 hours? Does it make one a better writer?

I have been reading a lot about cancer, not to mention watching a lot of YouTube. We have been watching health videos for many a year now already. The consistent pursuit of knowledge is a characteristic of my being. I am always observing, always asking questions and it has never made me very popular, except maybe with those Mensa level guys I worked with some years ago.

If my life were driven by knowledge for knowledge's sake, I would have been some kind of professional student or research professor. For me everything points to a higher power before which I am humbled continuously.

I certainly have 10,000 hours in Architecture on various levels. At least 10,000 hours in poker, a couple of very severe Winters while underemployed played a big part in that; free Internet play. Looking over my blogging history and list of stories, most not published, I have a good 10,000 hours in writing.

Writing has been therapeutic. I once wrote out an entire religious text in the original Korean.

I have near 2,000 hours in formal martial arts training. Including many a year I spent with some buddies working out at the gym and multiple seasons of competitive mountain biking, I have a good 10,000 hours in fitness that will serve me long into life.

I spent some years watching videos on microgreens and regenerative farming before I began 'One Family Urban Gardens' with the purchase of a related course on the business. 

I have read the Bible from end to end more than six times and spend time everyday reading religious text of some form. Raised in Catholic schools, some that held the Mass three times a week, I can safely say I have 10,000 plus hours seeking God and His great grace.

And now we are trying to figure out this thing called cancer. I am happy to report that great advances have been made in man's fight against cancer. It is in the field of blocking the metabolic pathways of cancer and exploiting other common weaknesses. Fasting is a proven strategy for beating cancer, and just plain healthy. Supplements, repurposed drugs and diet are all part of protocols that have been proven effective.

And these methods and evidence of their success have been available for decades.

Anyone practicing the acceptable standard of care set forth by the pharmaceutical industrial complex, cousin to the agricultural industrial complex, will tell you those alternative treatments do not work. (They often do) They will say there is no research, (there is) or there is not enough research (again, there is). They do not want to know and will not track any alternative protocol you may choose to include in your treatment. Most will demand you stop your protocol in order to receive treatment.

Don't!

Many of those alternatives include limited chemo and radiation therapies which all seem to work better in combination. It is called synergy.

There is a great evil behind the traditional medical industry. It is hard to see the doctors, many times 10,0000 hours of devotion required, as anything but saints (but they aren't). With the many levels of administration these institutions have, how can these institutions thick with public and private funding declare ignorance? Why wouldn't someone on some level be looking into any and all potential approaches to fighting cancer? Why would they rather lie?

Perhaps the alternatives are simply too cheap and too effective.

Any approach, except fasting, is expensive when you have a limited income. A vegan diet is a kind of fast in itself as the body will have to scavenge its' damaged tissues to gather essential amino acids only found in animal products.

At my age the writing may hold the greatest potential for a change in our economic fortunes; having been blacklisted in Architecture, the biggest contributor a major contractor.

I was watching a clip from the new "Top Gun." It was a training exercise scene but it played out eerily similar to a combat scene from my book; link in the sidebar. It just is, doesn't mean anything, just that I looked into aerial combat. I did my research.

I also have so much lined up for my "Global Impact" blog as well as everyone's favorite, "It's a Dog's Life." I should ask Alois to post his latest adventure at a 'Peace Road' event.

Knocked down for a week with a pretty bad cold, probably that thing going around, I am reenergized and looking for opportunity.

Never stop learning, but don't let it distract from what is truly important.

Give thanks to your Heavenly Parent everyday.

Thank you for reading. I almost forgot to post this month. I could have spent more time flowing the topics together better but that is just how it goes.

Never lose hope.

Standard of Care

I should keep to some minimal standards in my writing. The most minimal is to be getting out a post here once a month.

What is the standard of care we give to another? What values do people live by? Or do we surrender our standards, our values, to institutions and the powers to be.

I would consider all my writing to be social commentary on some level, whether it is on a serious or not so serious blog, or in my writing of short stories, novels and poetry.

Some institutions have a more narrow standard of care than others; administration heavy no doubt.

My wife and I have rejected a standard of care. I could raise many an ethical conundrum questioning the decision or the said standard in rejection.

The most basic reason is simple, we believe there is a better way, and with prayer and the help of God believe it will work.

The reasoning process goes like this: Are we going to fight for years of life the standard of care promises or are we going to fight to live to 100?

For many institutions there is no standard of care other than what they provide. You may find holistic healers also reject the validity of other standards of care, even alternative holistic standards. You may judge me harsh in that statement but it draws attention, rightly so, that we are dealing with a human nature problem inherent in all of us, not solely a problem with the medical profession or any current institution of power.

So what is most important, clinging to a practitioner or putting one's life in God's hands and seeking his counsel?

And of course we have done a good deal of research.

We have many people to thank for their prayers and support. My good friend Alois in Germany and my dear friend Fabio and his family in Italy. Of course all my brothers and their families; we receive much love. Misao has friends and family in Japan offering their own prayers and devotions.

We are on a wonderous journey and when push comes to shove can only bow our heads and say thank you to our heavenly parent.

So many people are suffering, each a dear child of our heavenly parent.

In this crisis I have often thought if I should ever had let up on the writing or continued without fame or fan fair. Could our financial circumstance be better if I had? What is God's calling for me?

We will see what happens.

Thank you for reading.

Yes I will be writing a lot more, some blog posts are sitting in the wings in various states of completion.

The Gist of the Story

So I was looking over some of my old short stories and came across one I had nearly forgotten. A complete story, for if I had not completed it it would still be bouncing around in my head from time to time.

Shall I declare myself psychic, or rather a soothsayer, to be more precise?

Spoiler alert: one of my best short stories is about to be explained, played out in rough outline, the gist of the story revealed. You can skip the highlighted area if you don't want the story to be... spoiled.

The gist of the story is a law enforcement officer comes across a domestic disturbance and the initial responding officers are standing down... but it just doesn't feel right to him.

So something happens in the house. He hears screams, and the younger officers reluctantly follow him up to the door. He busts in the door and enters... alone.

The long and the short of it, he takes on severally heavily armed gang members, later to be discovered to be with terrorist intent, not to mention that the building was a known drug house.

He saves the damsel in distress and finds himself on death row for his actions.

Written six years ago you would have thought the story ridiculous.

How about now?

The title: "Beyond the Pale". As the officers actions are described by a judge; along with other phases of expressed horror and condemnation.

You can actually find the opening to that story in my June 15th, 2016 Blog post; of the same title linked above.

I hope I haven't ruined it for you.

I humbly must admit, most of my stories have a potential prophetic element to them. But do not call me George; as in George Orwell. I am fairly certain I have never been called George.

At one time, long ago I was searching various author oriented websites of a social media or self publishing, self help nature. One such site had a collection of short stories that people had written and posted. I found that many of them read more like detailed outlines than actually stories, let alone literature. More of a gist than a well spun yarn.

The sites I settled on, and I really need to start getting back to them, were Goodreads and Reedsy.

The question to be answered is: Are people as inspired by my writing as I am?

That may be the key to success. I have tried writing in several different voices, though I do not understand the concept completely. I think I may integrate more than one voice in some of my novels and I am not talking about the one in my head.

Reading these blog posts, it sounds to me that the definition of 'voice' has changed since I was in school. Young people....

But I think I did an impressive job with "Beyond the Pale" and though I still believe in "The Dauntless Recruits" and getting that out, I may put out a new book of short stories, integrating my first book of short stories and keeping the title "Struggles".

I have one work that is more of a novella; neither a short story, nor a novel. Shall I include that in the collection? Perhaps throw a poem in for good measure.

The least bit of feedback would be greatly appreciated, and just may drive me into a writing frenzy. Without such catalyst of creative crunch time I may not have anything out in the near future.

I have no potential dates of publication for any writings at the moment.

That said, thank you very much for reading.

Seriously, you are appreciated.

Understand?

'I don't understand why you don't understand', something I have been saying to my wife quite a bit these days.

I am sure if Abraham Lincoln didn't say the same to some of his early generals in the Civil War, he certainly thought it.

Over the last two years many on both sides of an issue must be saying the same thing about each other.

But I am not referring to people from different perspectives, looking at different information based on their biases. I am referring to an intensity, around people of apparently same mind, taking in the same information, seemingly agreeing with the information, but then one acts contrary to what would appear a logical conclusion; to be in one's best interest.

Enough said. Certainly you can get a sense of the tension one can create. Certainly you can draw from your life experiences.

The general who knows better under a military despot who should know better. Funny how evil always loses and we look back and say, if they had done.... And we don't understand why they didn't understand but for greater powers at work.

Diet, the food industry, pharmaceutical industry and institutions of various standing have all muddied the waters making understanding an impossibility. Yet if a pair should ferret out a common understanding from the quagmire, each may see a completely different path to take. One may comply while the other choses to oppose.

And there may be the crux of it all: comply or oppose. lay down or stand up.

Then there are those who look like they are in opposition but subsist on the status quo. No wonder civilizations fall; even before radio.

Where are "The Dauntless Recruits"?

It will take some greater powers help to get my next book, any book, published in a timely manner, as we scramble day in and day out not even able to keep pace.

But thank you for reading. Just a short blurb to let you know I am still here and making attempts.

Thank you for your prayers, you know who you are and so does God.

Good writing to those interested in writing.

Alternatives

Hardware and software problems have my writing on the ropes. Not much advancement this last month.

A quick last minute post for the month.

Once into the flow of farmer’s market season, I hope a set schedule will provide openings, particularly with some optimizing.

We have our own hardware and software issues regarding our health.

Prayer and devotions have been offered by many and we are grateful. Spiritual healing has been sought with success to some degree. After Easter weekend healing sessions my wife started eating fairly freely; three times a day.

Time has been invested into alternative medicines, due to the generous sharing of others. Very fascinating what has been scrubbed from the Internet searches yet still accessible via those aware of the direct links.

Is the Internet still free?

I would share but fear this post may be removed if I did.

Here is a bit. Plenty of intrigue over healthcare as we have all come to realize. Portrayals in fiction may be more action provoking than works of fact.

The generosity of so many is highly appreciated. Various supplements can easily run $1,000 a month. My wife is greatly loved by those who know her.

Friends and family from around the world have given us prayers, aid and advice.

We are very grateful.

Thank you for reading though it is not of my usual attempts at wit and word craft in attempts to educate.

The Dauntless Recruits

The book I have chosen to be published next is “The Dauntless Recruits”, as it is to make good on all our potential income streams has become of paramount importance.

The next in the Chuck Hammer saga is nowhere near a complete draft, though it is of the stories most dear to me.

Some short stories I will also be working to refine and publish.

Any level of success will push me to continue on “The Dauntless Recruits” storyline.

I have another dystopian novel in draft form but do not know if I will publish such a tragic and dismal view of a very real potential future.

I was watching an historic drama out of Russia. It was the typical kind of adventure one found in novels, generally for male youths, before the age of television and even radio. In pursuit of a specific goal, a noble quest, many an auxiliary adventure occur.

There is and A&E series of movies “Horatio Hornblower” that is of similar genre.

“The Dauntless Recruits” will also include a similar element, more so for a certain aspect of the tale than the down to earth storyline. It is a contemporary drama, sort of, as it deals with a potential near future.

I also intend to keep several of my blogs relevant with new content and updating of the pages; the links. I had intended a couple posts elsewhere this March but taking care of my wife has kept me busy and my mind distracted. We are adapting and getting back to a more productive system on all fronts.

Writing conferences are completely off the table. If God would bless us with any literary success, writing and farming will become our mainstay; and the farm will be a design practice for me. The writing, outside of novels will be on design and planning based on my own God given genius applied to God’s Principles.

For the glory of God; our Heavenly Parent.

Thank you for reading. Any prayers are greatly appreciated.

Speaking of dystopian….

Family Emergencies

My extended family has had their share of unexpected events and stresses over the years and this month We had to go to the emergency room ourselves.

There have been unplanned demands on my time. Adaptation will be the theme for this year as the scope of our challenges play out.

Looking at my completed work I find that the beginning of the Chuck Hammer saga, the first book being more of an introduction, is the least developed and will require immense focus to complete.

Despite the added demands on my time I am getting more blog posts out. I will have a short commentary on Ukraine on “No Sanction” in the near future.

If I had gotten my works out a few years ago they would be considered prophetic right now.

Self publishing, finding editors, I will have to look into some of the writing site accounts I had created to see what they have to offer; how they have improved. Do I go through a more traditional publisher?

I will also be putting a lot of effort into my “Global Imprint” blog. It consumes most of my mental energy (my chosen discipline), the proper relationships between man and his built environment embedded in the natural world in a symbiotic relationship. Our present world with its flawed intents and planning is on a fast path to destruction, and it is not simply about climate.

I guess we all need to adapt to the world to come, some professions much more than others, if we take a step back and make an objective observation of what has been playing out before us these last few years.

Truth is stranger than fiction as they say.

Sorry I do not have more to share right now.

Thanks for reading.

Always thank you.

Crunch Time

Crunch time for just about everything. Taxes are coming due. There are so many different taxes, several we do not even know we are paying.

How much do we not know about so many things? And how many people, we call the elites, want us to think we don’t know what we do know or can know; am capable of understanding?

Does technology help?

There will be a lot of sitting in front of the computer as many a task is compiled upon its’ screens. Does it really make the work easier, lighter, or simply easier to surveil?

What have we come to. If we drop all the technology would we all revert to something better? Would we find ourselves already incapable to cope?

Dystopia, Utopia, tyranny, equality, procrastination, creative license, what is it all about?

Perhaps who you honor, in big and small, in all things makes all the difference.

Maybe I would be more popular, not shadow banned, if I were more upbeat and enthusiastic like this guy.

Did you ever wonder how much people make on YouTube?

I have a pile of notebooks to attempt to convert into rational sentences and progression to create stories worthy of publish. Does anyone make any money writing books anymore?

I am thinking Earnest Hemmingway, where the prevailing culture spoke beyond the page.

With all the upheaval in society these days, a deconstruction so to speak, and the focus on the price of things and what we need just to get by, do any norms remain that are self evident, that clearly convey in the briefest terms an image, a feeling, of the prevailing culture?

Sometimes I think not.

The “leave it to Beaver” world has been declared dead and buried.

Then you hear someone singing about that eating fancy is going out to eat at Applebee’s… Bam! It all comes flooding in.

Or maybe we never had any norms, but simply social constructs that allowed us to cope.

The world is changing. Call it the fourth turning, end of days, revolution, evolution, the new world order, the coming of The Kingdom something is in the air.

I find a lot of enlightenment on the YouTube, but you, my regular readers, should all know by now where I stand on the subject and where the ultimate enlightenment can be found.

Thanks for reading, as always.

So I will be crunching out some stories. Hopefully they will be comprehensible.