Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 19

AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN AN UNFAIR WORLD

FIRST, it’s important to establish a few assumptions. Number one: The world isn’t necessarily fair. “Shit happens.” Number Two: This is especially the case when money and power are regarded as sin qua non. Thirdly: Humans are all basically the same in terms of impulsivity, intent, actions and responsibility. Finally: All actions are the inevitable result of outside causes-and-effects (“I had no choice”), though in the epitome of this style of thinking — violation, war and “no-fault” litigation — it only matters who wins. Unfair? Yes. An unfair advantage or point-of-view like, for instance, “revenge,” however, doesn’t seem to me a solution, just more of the same. And money and power are convenient illusions.

So what is the answer? Being a “lamb amongst the lions?” Inflicting on oneself and others the pain, guilt and hatred of the violator? I believe the only effective approach is, within one’s means to live well while helping others do the same. In my newest Sci-Fu (plausible scientific futuring) novel, the Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, three youths struggle to know who they are and why they exist in a future where technology dominates — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... domestically with free shipping or https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed... with free shipping internationally. Their particular challenge is coming to grips with how to thrive in a world replete with unfair advantages. A world where the art of the con has been elevated to new levels and “Fast Eddies” seize and exploit every advantage, fair or unfair, to the maximum.

How does one find self-actualization in a world where the only most aggressive, competitive and advantaged reach the pinnacle of wealth and power? What does it mean to live well, and, what, after all, is enough?

Book Video Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...

THE EDGE OF MADNESS is available from Amazon in printed, digital and audiobook format, and has been purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.

RUSSIA, GO HOME

LONG-SUFFERING. As if there isn’t enough of that going around as a result of political extremism, COVID, business aggression and organizing crime in the world! How about some long-enjoyment for a change?

Valentine’s Day yesterday helped. It hopefully reminded people that our charge in life is not to decimate the world and all that’s in it, but rather through responsible stewardship to help life thrive, develop and evolve. After all, I don’t believe today’s humanity is the evolutionary end-all. And for those out there suffering from victimization, I’m not just talking re-covering. No, it’s well worth mentioning that the best revenge is living well. Fully, wholly and consciously. Now that’s a challenge worth taking on.

I’m reminded during these difficult times that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” It’s time to treat oneself and others, including animals and plants, with kindness, compassion and empathy. Call me a wimp or a flower-child if you like, but I believe in cooperation, listening, support, assistance and the goal of maximum self-realization. Give animals and plants a VISA card!

One of the greatest lessons of our time is to learn what it feels like to live in a repressive society, so we can arm ourselves against it. The solution? Responsibility. Me, I’m thinking enough fear and intimidation is enough. Russia, go home! People of planet earth, live well to the best of your ability helping those alongside to do the same.

A SLAP HERE, A SLAP THERE IN HONOR OF ST. VALENTINE

ACCORDING to the History.com, “the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

“To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.”

Today we indulge in a gentle chocolate slap, given to a friend or lover on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, even in Saudi Arabia where, according to Alarabiya News, “a Saudi newspaper [recently] published a Valentine’s Day dining guide and flower shops have been busy booking orders for romantic bouquets.
‘You never used to see people wearing anything red around Valentine’s Day,’ Rania Hassan, a Riyadh resident told Al Arabiya English. ‘Even if people were coincidentally dressed in red, the religious police used to stop them’.”

Royal Wholesale Chocolate adds, “we have the Aztecs to thank for the well-known concept of chocolate as an aphrodisiac; specifically, emperor Montezuma who said he would consume cocoa to fuel romantic urges…Spain brought this idea over to Europe, using the cocoa ‘love potion’ as a way for their gentlemen to woo the ladies. By the Victorian Era in England, it became almost a matter of fact that chocolate was the way to someone’s heart. In fact, Victorian etiquette books would even warn women from accepting chocolate from men they weren’t engaged to. And to Montezuma’s credit, scientists say that chocolate does, in fact, contain two chemicals, phenylethylamine and serotonin, that are associated with heightening romantic urges, happiness and overall energy.”

Irrespective of social inclination, Valentine’s Day will always have a place in my heart as it is a celebration of love, romance and cooperation rather than violation, war and competition (though some individuals competing for one heart may claim otherwise). Happy Valentine’s Day!

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WAITING IN LINES

Yep! That’s what I’m mostly up to these days. Recently finished filming for the K. Simmons Production of THE MALTESE COLLECTION, practicing while waiting for my part in the Kurt Ken Kaminaka Production of THE PERFECT ILLUSION, and waiting with bated breath for the screenplays for the K. Simmons Production of both FINDING KATE and FLICKER, both in which I hope to have a major role.

In THE MALTESE COLLECTION — “I can make people feel aroused, by a word. I can make the hairs on their neck stand up with the mere mention of a touch. I can make your wildest and most tantalizing fantasies come true. And you’ll never even see my face. I’m William Maltese and I write Erotica” — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection — I appear as a friend and colleague of William Maltese (which I am), having co-written TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2016) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556 — with William. Extolling William is easy, given his literary successes. I am honored to participate in this bio-documentary to a literary pioneer.

In THE PERFECT ILLUSION — “A suicidal man finds a new reason to live after he stumbles upon a curio shop that transports him into the future. Soon he finds himself risking his own life trying to save the woman of his dreams, but struggles as reality may not be as it appears” — https://www.totck.com/the-perfect-ill... — I play the questionable Dr. Stevenson, waffling between conscience and want.

In FINDING KATE — “Long-ignored computer genius Kate Keenan has designed a computer program that will put Hollywood and Bollywood out of business overnight. Suddenly everyone wants her…and her program. To stay alive, Kate goes into hiding, barely keeping ahead of a lethal hoard of pursuers” — https://kspllc.media/finding-kate — I’m hoping to play either Kate’s nemesis, Mel Tolomeo, or her father, Ethan, two entirely opposite roles. Awaiting the screenplay to decide.

In FLICKER — “chronicling the rise of one all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful teenage Grand Master Magician, and the battles fought by old and young, by magic (black and white), by demons, beasts and human” — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984555242 — I’m hoping to play the 1,000 year old vampire, Gregory Ranlin. I’ve always wanted to play a vampire; move over Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise!

I invite you to follow me, actor Daniel S. Janik (aka author Raymond Gaynor) with Behind-The-Scenes (BTW) videos and photographs, interviews, teasers, posters and trailers at https://janik.yolasite.com/actor.php. Or, if your more in the mood for a good read by and evening fireside, may I recommend my latest Raymond Gaynor novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) —

The Edge of Madness

which has been purchased by for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.

ALL’S QUIET ON THE EASTERN FRONT

AT least for another day. Still, I see so many commonalities with the 1938 Nazi Anschluss Österreichs. The Communist Russian desire for re-unification seems based on Putin’s desire to re-incorporate as many Ukrainian “Russians” as possible into a “Greater Russia” reminiscent of the former USSR. Russian civil and military agents appear to be cultivating pro-unification feelings, while seeking to undermine the Ukrainian government. All that’s left is an attempted coup resulting in the assassination of government figures, leaving the Ukraine open to take-over. While this may sound like my idea, it’s simply a restatement of the Nazi Anschluss Österreichs from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss). It’s surprisingly easy to write about history when it seems taken from an established playbook.

Must it happen exactly like the above? No. The one thing that truly makes us human is that we always have choice. Our choices are not always pleasant or desirable, but we do have choices, and one of them is to not participate in violation, including that epitome of violation, war. As far back as 411 BC, Athenians were watching the woman-empowering, anti-war play “Lysistrata” (“Army Disbander”) by Aristophanes, becoming aware of this choice. While a comedy, it follows Aristophanes’ “Eirene” (“Peace”) written at the end the ten-year-old Peloponnesian War. The play celebrates a return to idyllic country life; the jokes are numerous, the action wildly absurd and the satire savage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_(...). But choice we have.

In my recent science futuring novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I emphasize the importance of individual choice and the importance of taking responsibility for the outcomes of our choices. You have a choice: Why not choose to get hold of a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — and read it for yourself. “exciting…intriguing…mysterious…unpredictable…entertaining. There were some sexual situations and scenes between two male…and between male and female characters, but they weren’t [offensively] graphic or extreme in any way. I would recommend this book to adults and younger adults who like science fiction and mystery books about the future” – Online Book Club Review.

Video Book Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...

WHAT’S A WORLD WAR, ANYWAY?

HEY, we’ve already had two and survived, supposedly better for the experience. At least, that’s what I’m often told. But, hey, we’re better today. More experienced. More technologically advanced. More mature. And, the world’s overpopulated, anyway, and we who are doing the overpopulating just can’t stop. So what’s so bad, really, about another world war? After all, it would definitely be good for the world’s worsening financial situation. Always was, supposedly always will be. And yet…

There really aren’t that many people left who lived before and through the second world war, and none whom I know who even remember much about the first world war, the supposed “war to end war.” Ha! Being an actor as well as an author, it reminds me more of a rehearsal for a new television series.

So what is war really like? The nitty gritty, I mean. I recall a relative who survived The Battle for Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War. When asked, all he could do was break down and cry, and question why he survived, alongside of all his friends who died one after another before his eyes. I also recall my father recounting his World War II stay at Versailles where he and his friends partied every night with the many women who’d lost their men in the war. Two sides of the same atrocious coin. But which is true? Death or Glory? You flip. You decide.

Neither, however, is my take. War is a Monopoly game played by people drunk with money and power, and addicted to the need for more. These are the “businesspersons” who would readily sell to each side, enriching themselves on the remains of the dead. Now that’s a view of war that, I think, applies equally well to historical as well as contemporary war situations. “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” ― Albert Einstein. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” ― Plato. “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” ― G.K. Chesterton. “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” ― Ernest Hemingway. “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” ― Isaac Asimov.

The answer (is there really one?): Read THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, a peak into an all-to-plausible future, where war…well, you’ll have to read it for yourself. Hint: War is no longer necessary when those who most profit from it have more lucrative ways of “making money,” and those who would fight have other more interesting things to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...

THE EDGE OF MADNESS is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased by K. Simmons Productions for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.

"DESIGNER JEANS"

Oops, a tiny misspelling there. Should read “designer genes” or, as they’re frequently called today, “epigenes.” Conrad Waddington is said to have introduced the idea of epigenes, which, according to MedlinePlus are control genes that modify (typically turn on or off) other genes without affecting the organism’s DNA. In other words, epigenes are genes that regulate the activity (expression) of DNA. Epigenes themselves can be affected by time, as well as intracellular or external chemicals, vibration, infection e.g. by prions, normal as well as auto-immune reactions, heat and cold, and radiation to name a potential few.

The interesting thing (to me) about epigenes is that they represent a way for the environment to alter “normal” genetic DNA expression, a decidedly Lamarckian concept that seemed in conflict with Darwin’s more mechanistic theory of evolution and expression. But mention of “designer genes” wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging Samuel Butler’s contribution to the concept of “social inheritance,” namely that what we’re taught (or more correctly what we learn) socially can also act as a powerful analog to epigenes. Can “acquired information” or memory affect DNA? Not considered likely at this point in time, unless one is referring to artificial intelligence. However, acquired information certainly can effect how our individual and thereby collective lives play out. Again without affecting an individual’s DNA.

And now, a tidbit from Raymond Gaynor's Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS: Inside his head, Brie could sense the abstract litany of instruction in the voices of his holo-instructors replaying: "NewAmericans' physical condition, nutrition and general health have become nearly ideal, leaving biodiversity to whims of individual desire, epigenes and occasional serendipitously acquired thought-treasures—threasures. 'Poor' no longer related solely to money, but became based on one's unique combination of TARS-AID, sally, contro, education, threasures, curiosity, social effectiveness in work and overall consciousness." Brie smiled. He preferred to think in terms of each person's "Designer Jeans"—DigJees he referred to them one day to [his friend] Simi's delight and profit—the acronym under her expert hand immediately spreading like wildfire throughout their community and NewAmerica.

And with that, I leave to return to work on my sequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor tentatively entitled “Prophecy.” Ta-ta for now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859

FASTER THAN “FAST EDDIES”

THERE is something faster than the irritating “Fast Eddies” — con men, women and children (see yesterday’s post) — playing so prominent a role in contemporary society. Emotions.

Before I go on, I would like to make a critical distinction between emotions and feelings which are too often lumped injudiciously together. By “emotions” I mean the body’s release of circulating chemicals either in a local blood vessel plexus or the general blood stream. Okay, let’s call them what they, by definition, are: hormones. An emotion is when the body, typically the brain or gut, suddenly releases a packet of hormones. These hormones tweak neural receptors throughout the body, making one more likely to react in a particular manner. You name it, hormones do everything from make one unconsciously more or less hungry, more or less impulsive, more or less interested in sex. As I said, you name it. But it’s a general propensity to behave in a particular fashion. Emotions are about nudging, not necessarily acting or doing.

Feeling, on the other hand, are what we sense when particular muscles or groups of muscles contract. We interpret these muscular contractions to “mean” something, like love or irritation, angst or anger. But more importantly, people (and some domestic animals) who observe these particular muscles, especially facial or hand muscles contracting, through a system called “mirror neurons,” in their mind reproduce, at least in their mind, the same muscle contractions, hence, what we call empathy — to learn more, see outstanding Stanford Professor Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky’s paper on Mirror Neurons here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti....

Okay, having clarified the difference between emotions and feelings, I repeat my opinion that there is indeed one thing faster than a Fast Eddie, and that would be emotions. One’s emotions can, as we often say in the literary world, turn on an instant. It’s the reason some say there can be the thinnest knife edge difference between the propensity towards acceptance and rejection in matters of the heart. Feelings, in my experience, tend to take a bit more time, though newborns trying to make sense of their “new world” might disagree (see THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — required reading for mothers and fathers with a newborn).

In conclusion, I challenge you, dear reader, to be as totally cognizant as possible for one day about your and others’ emotions and feelings, and see if you don’t agree with me. Catch some empathy here and there. Make your life richer and more robust. My gift to you today. :-)

The Edge of Madness

Available in printed, digital and audiobook formats; purchased by K. Simmons Productions for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.

SO HOW FAST IS FAST?

THIS is a gripe: Whenever I travel the highways nowadays, everyone seems to be speeding except me, creating a definitely dangerous situation. I mean, when the sign says “Speed Limit 55 mph” does that really mean minimum speed? What’s with the need to speed far in excess of the speed limit not just on freeways (hey, is this really Germany and the Autobahn?) but in urban and even suburban areas. Is it really a 3 year olds responsibility to watch out for speeding cars? Or is everyone on speed (I sometimes actually wonder).

But it’s more than highways and byways. I’m also talking “Fast Eddies,” characters in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by celebrated author Raymond Gaynor (aka actor Daniel S. Janik) — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — who range from child conmen or conwomen to professional con artists, always looking for a faster, easier, instant financial reward. The “Big One.” Not that these characters only exist in my latest Amazon genre bestselling novel. Nope. They readily populate my and the readers’ universe under a whole passel of functional names: identity thieves, credit card number hustlers, cloud-hackers, pushers, drug dealers, gaming “entrepreneurs,” human traffickers…you name it. They all do, however, fit under the broad rubric of “criminal” (or the more alluring term,”outlaw”) of which organized criminals, the “businesspersons” of organized crime, are perhaps the worst, being fully aware of the damage they will inflict but immune to any sense of responsibility.

So, what about the “Fast Eddies” in the probable future world existing at THE EDGE OF MADNESS? All I can say, avoiding a spoiler, is “Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” What becomes of youth living in a world of Fast Eddies, or, let’s just say it as it is, criminals, seemingly on the fastback to wealth and power? As Lewis Carroll, author of ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND might say, “Read me.”

The Edge of Madness

THE EDGE OF MADNESS is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased by K. Simmons Productions for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.

THE WAIT OF THE WORLD

OKAY, cheap play on the word “weight,” which everyone seems to want to lose and “wait” which is what most people seem to be doing these days. The Big Question is, “Waiting for what?”

The sense of waiting all one’s life and the Big Question aren’t new. They’ve been haunting people for millennia, causing some of the greatest literary works the world has ever know. Still, there’s something about having to wait for one’s eventual demise that’s…demeaning? Antithetical? It’s as if a mischievous Higher Power were playing with us, and in a not so innocent way. What exactly is it that is supposed to happen or we’re supposed to do?

An agnostic would say we’re waiting for the next stock market change, lover, war or epoch to begin, as if we humans had little to say or do in it all. Call it FATE (some do) or FORTUNE (some others do). But the key concept is that we’re a reactionary species, always responding but never responsible.

Others would say we’re waiting to do something that will change our life, family, friends, lovers, community, state, nation, world, solar system, even the universe. This kind of change often involves an element of the spiritual. Sometimes it’s a shift-of-perspective. Sometimes acting on something we’ve been consciously or unconsciously pondering for some time. It’s that huge Free Will thing, as if what any one person does would ever affect anything beyond the person doing the act, and, just maybe, whoever is directly acted upon. The thing here is, there’s something called responsibility involved.

In my newest novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — and now in my newest movie, THE PERFECT ILLUSION, currently in filming in which I play a vacillating Dr. Stevenson — https://www.totck.com/the-perfect-ill.... In both THE EDGE OF MADNESS and the Kurt Ken Kaminaka production of THE PERFECT ILLUSION there is that “Wait of the World” issue. It’s what, I believe, elevates a work from socially relevant and technically good with outstandingly persuasive special effects, to outstanding. It’s all about human nature and the human condition. After all, what ARE we waiting for other than our own demise?

Follow me for the latest wait at http://janik.yolasite.com. Click on “author,” “actor,” or other interesting venue! Then wait.

Official Actor Photo: https://i.postimg.cc/kgkxF58X/setsuko...