"Agent X", by Noah Boyd

Agent X is a continued saga of "The Bricklayer"...a rather unorthodox part time FBI agent and part time bricklayer.  Steve Vail, the bricklayer, has no love of doing anything by the book or authority.  He does what needs to be done, and gets results...much to the dismay of the criminals in his path, many of whom end up dead! Kate Bannon is Vail's on again, off again love interest.  Also and FBI agent, she is more by the book and Vail's methods keep a barrier between them.  It is a well written novel and I look forward to more similar stories in the future.  I'd recommend this novel to anyone interested in crime, action-thrillers genre.

Science and Religion Readings for the Godly and the Godless

by Alan Boyle

Religious holidays such as Easter and Passover usually spark a spate of stories about the intersection of science and religion, and that's especially the case during this presidential election year. Some folks seem to assume that the scientific and spiritual ways of looking at the world are fundamentally at odds, but a new poll commissioned by ScienceDebate.org suggests that scientific issues are hugely important to religious believers as well as non-believers.

This year, there's plenty to choose from, whether you're of the godly or the godless persuasion. Here are seven recently published books to get your brain working, organized alphabetically and covering a range of perspectives on science and religion:

"Born Believers: The Science of Children's Religious Belief," by Justin Barrett. One of the common views about religious formation is that kids are merely taught to believe what their parents believe. Barrett, a psychologist and anthropologist who's associated with the Fuller Seminary, takes another tack, citing research that suggests children have an innate inclination toward the "God idea." Based on those findings, Barrett comes up with checklists for becoming a confident atheist (step 2 is "do not have children") as well as for encouraging a child's religious development.

"Free Will," by Sam Harris. The well-known atheist addresses the well-known paradox of free will vs. determinism in this slim 96-page paperback. Harris cuts through quantum claptrap to argue that free will is an illusion, but he also argues that causes and consequences, intentions and actions provide a basis for morality.

"God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion," by Victor Stenger. This latest volume from philosopher-physicist Victor Stenger argues that Christianity held back the progress of science for a millennium, and that the current perspectives provided by science and religion on the origins of the universe, complexity and consciousness are incompatible. Stenger also decries the negative influence of organized religion on global issues such as overpopulation and environmental degradation.

"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion," by Jonathan Haidt. A social psychologist focuses on why people of different ideological stripes find it so hard to get along, and suggests that it goes back to our evolutionary tendency toward "groupishness." Religion and politics provide ways to define in-groups and out-groups, and conservatives turn out to be better than liberals at taking advantage of those natural tendencies. Haidt also lays out some strategies to break the us-vs.-them impasse that has made American politics so uncivil. (Check out the strategies at CivilPolitics.org.)

"The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience," by Kevin Nelson. Near-death experiences, out-of-body sensations, battles with the devil, religious ecstasy and psychotropic drugs all figure in this exploration of the neurological basis for altered states. I like the fact that Nelson doesn't pass judgment: "No matter if we could know how every single brain molecule makes spiritual experience, why the brain is spiritual will remain for many of us our most treasured mystery," he writes. "There is room in the brain for faith."

"Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism," by Alvin Plantinga. This book is something of a counterweight to Stenger's book, arguing that the seeming conflicts between science and religion are due to the scientific method's, um, methodology. Notre Dame philosophy professor Alvin Plantinga puts a lot of weight on the seemingly "fine-tuned" nature of the universe, which is definitely open to debate. And speaking of debate, there's an earlier book on this topic, titled "Science and Religion: Are They Compatible," which features a back-and-forth between Plantinga and atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett.

."Why Religion is Natural and Science Is Not," by Robert McCauley. This book draws upon findings in cognitive science and evolutionary biology to make the case that the human brain is naturally more suited to religious belief than to scientific inquiry. McCauley's conclusion is that the scientific perspective poses no real threat to religion, "while the unnaturalness of science puts it in a surprisingly precarious position."

More readings in science and religion:

•Gospels of science

•Stephen Hawking says God's not needed

•How to get a cosmos from nothing

•Richard Dawkins puts 'Magic' on a tablet



Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. .

Best Selling eBooks

I was surprised today to find out from the Wall Street Journal that a "Best Seller" category for eBooks even existed.  Indeed, even our affiliate Amazon.com has such a category!  For some time on my "Library Thing" site, many new authors promote their books via free copies of eBooks.  It would seem only logical to have a best seller list for them! As book stores and printed books fall by the wayside, the digital media will continue to grow.  Good luck authors!

The Top 10 Books to Have in Your Shelter or Hide-Away

I'd like to suggest what I consider to be the top 10 books to have in any survival bunker or hide-a-way. Disaster survival may be from a few days or forever depending on what happens. Reference books can be put to good use at anytime.

 

1. Bible
2. How New Way Things Work By David Macaulay
3. Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills By Abigail R. Gehring
4. Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement
5. The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
6. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible By Edward C. Smith
7. The Survival Manual (Outdoor Life): Urban Adventure - Wilderness Survival - Disaster Preparedness By The Editors of Outdoor Life Magazine
8. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture By Judith Coffin, Robert Stacey
9. The Art of Blacksmithing By Alex W. Bealer
10. Nature's Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants By Samuel Thayer

 

There are of course almost an infinite numbers but I believe these books will be a valuable resource for a long time. All can be ordered through Amazon.com by clicking on one of the links in the side bar! Remember, "Knowledge is Power"!

 

Current Novels Under Review

The gracious folks at Library Thing have provided me with the following novels to read and review!

• The Popes Assassin, 2011, by Luis M. Rocha
• The Guardian, 2011, by Robbie Cheuvront & Erik Reed
• Agent X, 2011, by Noah Boyd
• The Deep Zone, 2012, by James M. Tabor

Reviews will be published as reading is completed.  Thanks Library Thing!

The Secret Soldier

by Alex Berenson (C) 2011

One of my books from Library Thing, it is a novel of terrorism, political scandal and family drama within the House of Saud.

John Wells, former CIA operative is "hired" by the elderly King Of Saudi Arabia to stop a brother from toppling the regime after the King's Granddaughter is assassinated.

The race is on from covers locals in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia to stop the plot.  with little or no backup from Washington, DC, Wells uses experience and skills to prevent what could become WW3.

It is an interesting read, and I recommend it.

Back to Reading!

After a 6 month hiatus from reading, due to my purchase of an ITouch-4 and spending hours per day on-line,

I am currently reading a Library novel called "End of Days", by Robert Gleason, (C) 2011.

Yes it's about the Apocalypse. Will do a proper review upon completion, stay tuned.

Local "Art" Papoose Style Baby Carrier

This is a beautiful product made by a local Native American Artist.  The top is leather, possibly deerskin. This one was $250.  Fabrics are Pendleton like wool, in various colors & designs.  Please contact portlanddesigncollective@gmail.com !  Phone in Portland Oregon 503-964-1231

I happened upon this shop while waiting for the light-rail train.  There is 4,000 sq ft of unique locally made clothes & products.  Check it out.

WORDSTOCK: Portland Book Festival

OK, it's October in Portland, Oregon and time for "Wordstock".  The book event of the year!

Wordstock is a literary art and education organization that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives.
Our programs include Wordstock for Teachers, a professional development program for K-12 teachers that trains them to change the way they teach writing; Wordstock for Kids, our creative writing instruction program for students that works in the Portland Public Schools; an annual series of skill and knowledge workshops for practicing writers, called Wordstock for Communities; and an annual weekend showing of movies adapted from literary works, called The Wordstock Book-to-Film Festival. Our flagship program is our annual book and literary festival in Portland, by far the largest such event in the Northwest, known nationwide as Wordstock. We believe showcasing the artistic accomplishment of contemporary writers at our festival is one of the most compelling examples of writing’s power that we can p
http://www.wordstockfestival.com/

Do you "Netflix"? I do!

I use Netflix everyday.  I watch it more than I do cable TV.  Movies, old TV series, Film Noir, & documentaries, Netflix has it all for $7.99 per month. Most films are instant, streaming to your computer or TV.  I don't have a cable ready flat screen TV, so I stream though a device called Roku.  Aside from Netflix, Roku also streams Amazon, Epic, and Crackle among others.

I also have Netflix on my iTouch4 device.  There is an app for that.

Last night I watched "Murder in the First" and a 1950 Film called "Foreign Correspondent" .  Remember the old Blockbuster rental fees of $4.99 per movie? Watch two movies, you've paid for Netflix for a month!  Netflix also has DVDs by mail...until recently you paid an addition $2 per month, but they increased it to $7.99/mo for the DVDs.  I usually get two per week!  That's 8 per month, and I'll drop that soon.

Hey, Netflix something today!

Imagineless Writers?

I keep coming across writers, or those who claim to be one, with little or no imagination.  Many will even admit it.  I find this both unusual and strange. How can one claim to be a writer, which to me implies "story teller", with no imagination?  A neighbour, an admitted writer, finds her "Memoirs" to be so fascinating, she has take numerous writing classes in order to write them down, yet, she does not listen to people and shows little imagination.

An example, are engineers and scientific types, who either don't read or even believe in science fiction genre writing. Huh?  How can anyone invent, develop or advance science without imagination?  Ironically, those folks who work for the Walt Disney Company are called "Imagineers"!

 Imagination Im*ag`i*na"tion, n. [OE. imaginacionum, F.
 imagination, fr. L. imaginatio. See Imagine.]
 1. The imagine-making power of the mind; the power to create
 or reproduce ideally an object of sense previously
 perceived; the power to call up mental imagines.
 [1913 Webster]

 Our simple apprehension of corporeal objects, if
 present, is sense; if absent, is imagination.
 --Glanvill.
 [1913 Webster]

 Imagination is of three kinds: joined with belief of
 that which is to come; joined with memory of that
 which is past; and of things present, or as if they
 were present. --Bacon.
 [1913 Webster]

 2. The representative power; the power to reconstruct or
 recombine the materials furnished by direct apprehension;
 the complex faculty usually termed the plastic or creative
 power; the fancy.
 [1913 Webster]

 The imagination of common language -- the productive
 imagination of philosophers -- is nothing but the
 representative process plus the process to which I
 would give the name of the "comparative." --Sir W.
 Hamilton.
 [1913 Webster]

Think back on many books of Great Literature, you may have enjoyed.  I am sure the words of the author painted intense images in your mind as your read the novel or short story.  Perhaps the words took you to the ancient past,  an imaginary world, or a favourite children's tale you still remember in old age.  That writing requires imagination both from the author...and the reader.  Just imagine!

The 3 Things Every Popular Blogger Needs

  by: TJ Philpott
 

In order to become a popular blogger you will need plenty of creative writing ideas along with a truckload of motivation. The results you will be looking for will not come overnight and that I will guarantee! What you will need are two things to realize your dream of managing a successful blog, lots of unique content and strong reader loyalty. In each case time will be required to develop both so make no mistake, this is a process and not a short term event!

Here are 3 qualities as the site administrator you will need to supply if your goal is to manage a successful blog!

Patience

A successful blog is a product of time and effort and for the site administrator, that being you, this will require patience. As stated previously results will NOT come overnight or even quickly for that matter therefore it is important to realize this up front! If you are constantly trying to develop new and creative writing ideas for your site while preoccupied with when you will see results this will only serve to make things more difficult! Building a blogging platform is a 'long haul' effort therefore accept the challenge, or not!

Credibility

Much of the traffic any successful blog gets is normally referrals and this will be based upon the unique content posted and its credibility. In fact the quality of what the site contains will have a direct impact on how viral the platform will become. If it is worth talking about people will talk, and if they do others will come to see what the buzz is about! It is up to you to post useful and accurate information and your readers will do the rest!

Consistency

Maintaining a steady flow of creative writing ideas is vital to being able to consistently update the platform. The frequency of your posting schedule is up to you insofar as how much time you have available or your motivational level. It is however important to establish some sort of consistency so people can schedule their own visits accordingly. Just remember the more frequently you post the more people will visit and the faster their loyalty will grow and their referrals will spread!

To become a popular blogger online it is important to have a healthy supply of creative writing ideas along with plenty of patience and motivation! In order to gain the large and loyal readership you want there are two components you will need! The first component will be unique content to attract these readers and the second being time to develop their loyalty! Ultimately it will come down to you as the site administrator to supply the 3 qualities we discussed above to realize your goal of owning a successful blog. In the end it comes back to your own motivation and whether or not you have the patience for it all to come together! Do you?

About The Author

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.

To learn more about becoming a popular blogger and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques for your online marketing needs simply visit:http://blogbrawn.com

Tweet Too Much to Blog!

I've been Tweeting to much on Twitter to Blog.  Seems like anything I would Blog about has been said on Twitter...my bad!  Also, I have been unmotivated, falling into a pit of personal despair, that only alcohol and prescription drugs can cure!  (not really, but it sounds dramatic) 

As this is posted on am working diligently of related new Posts for my Blogs...stay tuned !

Is Social Media Writing?

Many people use Social Media and Blogs to convey their ideas  and opinions...can such elements be considered writing?

If one is employed as a news commentator, author, or journalist...than their Blogs or Tweeter comments can be considered part of their writings.  If this is true, than social Media commentary by the "uncompensated" should also be considered writing.  OK, this uncompensated thing is a real sore point with me.  Once, even with my extensive post graduate work in college, I was told by a "Head Hunter" that it did not matter what my "expertise" was in, it didn't count unless I was paid to do it!  What the hell?  I can apply this thinking to writing...but not agree with it.

Many people out there write articles for Zines, sites like "Article City, etc.   The quality of such articles may be Pulitzer Prize winning, yet if they were not compensated, it doesn't "count"? You'll agree this is ridiculous!

In conclusion, yes, social Media writing is indeed writing.

Current Reading List

• "Agent X" by Noah Boyd
• "The Popes Assassin" by Luis M. Rocha
• "The Secret Soldier" by Alex Berenson....50% completed

So many books, so little time.  Now I have a Kindle account for my iTouch-4...eBooks everywhere.  Impossible to be bored.  But I take the review process seriously and now that my vision issue has evidently past.  I will forge on until completed.  After getting a new Library card several months ago, I have not checked out one book from the library.  The Multnomah County Library now also has eBooks available.  I have an app for that!

My current read: "The Secret Soldier" by Alex Berenson

A book I received from Library Thing to review.  I have read about 50% and find it both interesting in a historical context and as a thriller genre.  Will give a complete review upon completion.

4-30-2011, Still reading over half-way complete!

Sometimes...

Sometimes, I dream or think of my second wife, who passed away on her 21st birthday from a massive brain aneurysm, leaving our 10 month old daughter without a mother.  I do this frequently and often.  It happened in 1973 and still hurts beyond belief.


Today for example is our daughters 39th birthday.  I have not seen or heard from her in 32 years.  I believe she is well, but that is all I know.  You see, I let her mother's parents adopt her at age 7, because it seemed for the best, at the time!  Sometimes I regret doing this, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had not.  Sometimes.


Sometimes I remember vividly the day of my wife's death and all that happened...some years I don't think of it at all, or perhaps just block it out.  Sometimes, like the other night, I remember my wife's laughter and her nickname for me... "Bear".  I think of what we did and where we where, our hopes and our dreams...how excited she was to have a daughter and the joy she shared.  Sometimes.

Sometimes I am almost paralysed with grief and just cry...even after all this time.  I remember people, meaning well, said time would cure all things...but they lied.  Sometimes, I miss her so much it hurts.  Sometimes.

No reading...Need New Glasses!

OK, my glasses are only 4 - 5 years old...but I need a new prescription for my line-less bifocals.  It makes book reading almost impossible, if not merely annoying!  Here is where an eBook would be nice, since the type size could be easily enlarged!  I've looked at several and the "Nook Color" is my favourite, but at $250 still kind of pricey.  The WEB surfing and virtual keyboard aspect is excellent.  Perhaps now that the iPad2 is out, they will lower the price?

Are Some People Too Old To Read?

OK, I admit it, I am oldish, 63 this year.  About 7 yrs ago I got line less bifocals for the first time and now need a new prescription.  But...the Yellow Pages, Want Ads, etc. use a 6 point type...many books use an 8 pt  (does this save on paper?), I can't read that even with bifocals.   I'd think with the huge numbers of baby boomers,  print would get larger, no smaller.  Who decides this stuff?  The same gang that decides that the term "Senior" starts at 60, 62, or 65 depending on what the "discount" is for.  Silly...it should all be the same...62!

One advantage of an E-Reader, is that you can increase the size of the type with a click...maybe that will decide the demise of traditional books.

Writing Articles Myth-Article Marketing No Longer Works

 by: Jeff Schuman

I have been doing article writing now for about 7 years. In that time I have seen several changes in the article marketing niche. However, one thing that has not changed is the effectiveness of writing and submitting articles.

Although the Internet millions more articles than in 2004 it is still a great way to build an Internet business. This will never change as long as search engines are relying on fresh content to deliver to their searchers.

There are a few things you can do to make your articles more appealing to the search engines and your reader. If you implement a few of the suggestions I list here you will help bust of the myth of whether article writing works or not.

1. Write catchy titles. Your titles must be interesting if you want to get the attention of the reader and the search engines.

You certainly want to include keyword phrases that relate to the theme of your website. This will also be the basis for what your article is about.

A catchy title gives you an advantage over one that is not well written. Scanning article directories and looking for titles that catch your eye is one good idea.

Copy those down and put them in a swipe file. Spend a little bit of time every week re-writing these titles to make them unique.

You will find this is an excellent source of titles for future articles. It will also help you come up with article ideas if you hit a dry spell.

2. Be a problem solver. People still search the Internet looking for answers to problems they have. This gives you an excellent opportunity to write an article that a person would find helpful.

When you submit these kind of articles to article directories they often show up on search engine pages. These articles also become an excellent form of viral marketing as a reader is more apt to refer them to a friend.

3. Write in a conversational tone. I personally like articles that are written as though the author and I are having a conversation. A human element in an article is much more personal and a more enjoyable article to read.

These type of articles give you an excellent opportunity to share your expertise on the topic you are writing about. This is another trick to doing article marketing the correct way.

Over time you begin to brand yourself as an expert on the theme of the niche your articles are in.

Article writing will continue to be a powerful form of marketing for any Internet marketer. It certainly works if you implement these simple suggestions and write and submit a lot of articles online where people can find them online.

About The Author
If you enjoyed this article by Jeff Schuman please visit his article marketing website today. If you are not an article writer he offers a hands off program for getting backlinks and traffic. http://www.HandsOffArticleMarketing.com

Ran into an author friend of mine today, Jason Breedlove..."MYcellf Prisoner of the Pen"; and his new book "1065131 A Memoir" He is a very interesting young man , who is turning his life into success! His book is available at Powell's World of Books in Portland, OR  I haven't got to review his new book yet, but plan to do so soon!  http://mycellfprisonerofthepen.blogspot.com/

Have you Tried This?

Chicken Mojakka: One of my famous recipes on the Internet! Yummy!   http://www.mojakka.com/recipes/mojakka21.htm

A Library Thing Review, "The Lucifer Code"

"The Lucifer Code" by Charles Brokaw.   Another adventure of Dr. Thomas Lourdes (The Atlantis Code) set in Greece and Turkey.  I enjoyed "The Atlantis Code", so getting this novel to read was a bonus. Part biblical history, mostly thriller... in today's world Satan surely is walking the earth in some guise.  In a genre I call "Biblical Sci-Fi", and one of my favorites...this novel was an excellent read!  It does fit into the Dan Brown type novels, so I imagine his fans will enjoy this novel also.

A Library thing Review, "Peacemaker"

"Peacemaker" by Dan Ranco...A Thriller.  Being kind of a computer geek myself, I enjoyed the technology behind this novel.  Crazed, power hungry,Corporate Computer CEO's unleash a virus, for revenge and Global Domination.  Ha-ha-ha, how can it get any better than that?  A fun and entertaining read.

A Library Thing Review, "The Network"

"The Network" by Jason Elliot.  A pre-9/11 spy/adventure novel set in Afghanistan.  While normally avoiding "first person" viewpoint novels, I was 150 pages into this book, before I even noticed.  The author paints a very personal account, with vivid characters.  One gets into the mindset of a reluctant, but capable spy, thrust into the world changing climate of Afghanistan. Behind the scenes politics and back door deals at many levels provide some insights into what Terrorism is really about.  This book is a great read!