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Monthly archive March 2008

A Little Perspective

Submitted by jlpowers on Fri, 03/28/2008 - 12:00am

About 2pm today, kids yelled out “Fire trucks are pulling up in front of the neighbor’s house again!” So, being a concerned neighbor, I go out and look. And, indeed, smoke is pouring out of the house, 4 fire trucks are outside and more pulling up by the moment.

The scene looked eerily familiar… this same house caught fire a little over two years ago, an electrical fire from really old wiring. The family was out of the house for 10 months before all the remodeling was done.

The good news is that, like last time, nobody was home today. The bad news is that, like last time, it’s going to be a long time before they’re going to be living in the house again… there was a lot of damage. Last I heard they don’t know what caused this fire, but it started in the basement. (Read more)

Filling the Tank

Submitted by jlpowers on Thu, 03/27/2008 - 12:00am

The last three days I’ve felt like absolute crap. I haven’t been sick, nor is anything wrong, but I was so worn down and exhausted that I couldn’t get out of bed, yet I wasn’t tired. I had to literally drag myself to the writer’s group meeting last night because I had so little energy.

Then about half way through the meeting I noticed that I was feeling somewhat better and by the end of the meeting I was feeling considerably better. (Read more)

Unnecessary Violence

Submitted by jlpowers on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 12:00am

I figured I deserved a couple days off after the last few weeks, so my to-be-read stack is now a little smaller… 6 books in 2 days… which doesn’t really even make a dent in the to-be-read stack, but at least it’s some progress.

I’d be happier about it if I hadn’t been so disappointed in a couple of the books. It seems to me that if I have so little time to read nowadays, that I should be reading good books, so I’m only reading authors that I know and trust. But two of them really disappointed me this time.

I really wish I could figure out what I didn’t like about one of the books… the only thing I can figure is that it ran too long and I just didn’t connect with the characters. But, it seems to be a fluke with this author so I’ll probably pick up her next book. (Read more)

I Deserted Them

Submitted by jlpowers on Sun, 03/16/2008 - 2:00am

I was eating dinner tonight with a friend, talking about how I’ve been feeling sorry for myself lately because it feels like all my friends have deserted me. When this friend was so kind to point out that I was actually the one that did the deserting. I’m the one who changed, they didn’t.

I’m the one who spent five years in therapy fixing myself. I’m the one who picks up every self-help and new-age book that I can get my hands on. I’m the one with the two new careers that I’m learning new things in every day. I’m the one who’s determined to stretch myself until I understand how my brain works. I’m the one who’s determined to figure out how to make the world work for me instead of the other way around.

I’m the one who’s learning and changing and growing and expanding… (Read more)

Not Writing

Submitted by jlpowers on Sun, 03/16/2008 - 1:00am

I’m still not writing, too busy doing other stuff, but the story is bouncing around in my head. I realized today, that if my characters are energy beings, in their energy state, that really throws off my descriptions of physical sensations. They can’t breathe faster, because they don’t breathe. Their hearts can’t beat faster, because they don’t have hearts. Why do I always do this to myself?!? (Read more)

Validation #2: 3rd Stage Experience

Submitted by jlpowers on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 4:00am

This is the 2nd follow-up to my blog entry about Ken Wilber’s book “The Integral Vision” where I said:

I’ve put this book on my “Changed My Life” list… which is a very short list. In fact, that list has only one other book on it: Carol Gilligan’s “In A Different Voice".

The first follow-up is about Gilligan’s book: Validation #1: Female Experience

So, what about “The Integral Vision” has put it on my “Changed My Life” list? (Read more)

Validation #1: Female Experience

Submitted by jlpowers on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 3:00am

This is a follow-up to my blog entry about Ken Wilber’s book “The Integral Vision” where I said:

I’ve put this book on my “Changed My Life” list… which is a very short list. In fact, that list has only one other book on it: Carol Gilligan’s “In A Different Voice". And the scynchronistic-thing is that Wilber’s book mentions Gilligan’s book several times as a well-researched book that gives a new and valid view of female/male interactions. This is the only place I’ve ever read anything complimentary about Gilligan’s book.

Before I get to why Wilber’s book is on that list, I want to talk about why Gilligan’s book is on my “Changed My Life” list. (Read more)

Wilber: The Integral Vision

Submitted by jlpowers on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 2:00am

Ken Wilber: “The Integral Vision": 2007: Non-fiction, Spirituality

My Rating: 12+ (on a scale of 10) :D

The cover says: “A Very Short Introduction to the Revolutionary Integral Approach to Life, God, the Universe, and Everything", which the book indeed is. It’s 232 pages long, but it’s a very small format about 5″x6″, and it’s mostly pictures… probably only 10k or 15k words in the whole book.

But… (Read more)

Talking With Friends

Submitted by jlpowers on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 1:00am

I finally figured out why I hang out with one of my friends, especially lately when she’s been doing very little other than getting on my nerves…

She’s the only person in the world who I don’t have to spend all my time editing what I’m going to say. Her world-view is close enough to mine that she doesn’t think I’m completely insane. (Read more)

Its Like Xmas

Submitted by jlpowers on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 12:00am

I spent the afternoon opening boxes… kinda cool, but kinda not cool.

One of my monitors died yesterday, and since I use a pair of monitors, and of coures they don’t make the old model any more, I needed a new pair. Since the new monitors didn’t have speakers, I also had to get speakers. And since I was going to the computer store anyway, I got my kids the new video card they needed.

So, instead of working, my afternoon was spent putting computers back together. I put the video card into the boys’ computer and I gave them my remaining montior, then I put the monitors and speakers onto my computer.

None of it was a huge deal. The thing that took the longest was putting all the icons on my desktop back in some semblance of order after they got all scambled going from one monitor to two and back a couple times. (Read more)

Too Many Books

Submitted by jlpowers on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 1:00am

This morning I gathered some long-lost ambition and shelved a bunch of books. Some re-read books that had a place on the shelves, but most were new books that don’t have a place… and I’m out of places.

You’d think with 30 book cases in the house (plus 7 more in various kids’ bedrooms) I’d have enough places to put books. But, I’ve got about another bookcase full of books, mostly teenage-boy books, sitting on the floor waiting for a place to shelve.

So, do I weed? Or buy more bookcases?

Figured It Out!

Submitted by jlpowers on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 1:00am

I figured it out!! Yah!!!

I’d been stumbling over a huge chunk of logic in my new story. I knew bits and pieces, but at first glance those pieces were a completely illogical mess. Why would this be the way it is? Why would it require that?

But I had to get up this morning at 5:30 to take #3-son to a band concent thing, and while I was laying in bed waiting for him to get ready… it occurred to me… it’s the crown!

Which of course makes no sense to any of you, but once I took the crown-idea to its logical conclusions, it explained everything.

Now, finally, I can write the damn story. :)

Went to Gym

Submitted by jlpowers on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 1:00am

I went to the gym today for the first time in a month. Yah for me! :)

Swamped

Submitted by jlpowers on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 3:00am

A couple weeks ago, I asked the Universe for more hours at work. Well, I should have been more specific… I now have three rush-jobs to get done ASAP!! Isn’t that the way it always works? :) But, it’s really good to have a lot to work on and enough hours budgeted into the proposals to actually get something done.

Now, if only I could find the hours in the day to actually work on work-stuff. Today, I didn’t get to start work-stuff until after the kids got home from school. That’s not the way I should be doing it. I’ve really got to figure out how to arrange my life better. (Read more)

No Word From Agent

Submitted by jlpowers on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 2:00am

Still waiting. It’s not fun to wait.

While I’m waiting, I’m starting to get feedback back on my book. So far, for those few who have finished it, the feedback is extremely postive.

But I’m trying to figure out about all the folks that have it and apparently haven’t finished it. Is that a bad thing? Or that it’s not to their taste? Or they’re just busy? Or what?

It’s annoying that people that said they’d read it right away haven’t gotten to it in almost six weeks. The least they could do is tell me something!

Annoying! I need to edit the blasted thing. How long should I wait?

Hicks: The Astonishing Power of Emotions

Submitted by jlpowers on Sun, 03/02/2008 - 1:00am

Esther & Jerry Hicks: “The Astonishing Power of Emotions: Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide": 2007: Non-Fiction, Spirituality

My Rating: 10

What “The Secret” doesn’t tell you is that it’s just the tip of the iceburg for the Law of Attraction stuff. This book is one of the books that’s the base of the iceberg. Channeled by Esther, from a group that calls themselves Abraham, it’s clearly written and a good how-to book for getting the Law of Attraction to work for you.

Day: Atlantis Awakening

Submitted by jlpowers on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 4:00am

Alyssa Day: “Altantis Awakening": 2007: 2nd book in “Warriors of Poseidon” seires: Paranormal Romance

My Rating: 9

Excellent book. Well written, well ended, no too gory, and a very good read.

Day: Atlantis Rising

Submitted by jlpowers on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 3:00am

Alyssa Day: “Altantis Rising": 2007: 1st book in “Warriors of Poseidon” series: Paranormal Romance

My Rating: 9

When I started this one, I was leery because there was the chance the author would slide into gratuitious violence, which I find more and more romance authors doing, which completely confuses me. But Ms. Day walked the line very well, and I wasn’t put off in the least. Yes, bad things happened to the hero, but they were referred to and not spelled out in gross gory detail. Well done.

Feehan: Prediatory Game

Submitted by jlpowers on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 2:00am

Christine Feehan: “Predatory Game": 2008: 6th in “Shadow Game” series: Paranormal Romance

My Rating: 6

Excellent book, right up to the ending when it bombed bad. I’m happy to speculate that maybe Ms. Feehan did it the way she did as set-up for the next book in the series, but it feels like she either ran out of pages and said “oh, I have to finish the book now", or she couldn’t figure out how to get the bad guys and said “oh we’ll just forget about them for now". But either way, the ending killed what otherwise would have been one of the better books of the series