Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 22

WHAT? ME WORRY?

FORGET Generation Z; Generation Alpha (folks born 2012 through 2025) is already stepping up to the plate to experience, enjoy and govern our world. Well, at least, some will enjoy it. Others will struggle and many will opt out either by choice or circumstance. The world is, like Douglas Adams once wrote of Earth in THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, “mostly safe,” and, while not particularly descriptive, it’s descriptive enough to say along with Alfred E. “Mad” Neuman, “What, me worry?” Nope. There’s still a lot to experience, enjoy and, alas, attempt to govern our world for my generation, the name of which I’ve purposefully withheld.

Okay, yes, the world’s civilizations are on the verge of collapse, what with the Great Pandemic, the Rise of Dictatorships, all-encompassing Conservatism, the new “money religions,” drugs, human trafficking…but what’s new? Mostly same old, same old. Same stage, always a few new players. And there’s the promise of something new: the exploration of space. That necessary relief valve for an exponentially populous world, where the top predators have pretty much predated everything available and then some. Think THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859.

Seems appropriate that under my actor appellative, I recently second auditioned for the role of a dystopic physician, Dr. Stevenson, in the Kurt Ken Kaminaka production of “The Perfect Illusion.” What better title for a 2022 film? Having just finished my “interviewee” role filming in the K. Simmons Productions’ bio-documentary, “The William Maltese Collection” — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection — I’m looking forward to acting in the adventure K. Simmons Production, “Finding Kate” — https://thefindingkatemovie.wedid.it/.... Should I be the arch-villain, Hank Tolomeo, or Kate’s loving, ever-supportive father, Ethan Keenan? Do tell!

Video Book Preview of THE EDGE OF MADNESS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...

HOLIDAY CHEER

WE in the USA often think of Christmas as “the holidays,” when, I suspect, more people in the world celebrate the New Year holiday. I looked this up on the internet and while I found one site that stated “2 billion” people throughout the world celebrated Christmas, I wasn’t able to find any similar estimate for New Year, so my suspicion remains speculation unless someone reading this has the answer. Sadly, not every question is answerable on the internet, not to mention whether any answer is “true” or not.

Anyway, the Christmas holiday is over and today/tomorrow is the New Year holiday. How will you be celebrating it? A smug “good riddance” to 2021? A drunken riot just for the fun of it? A special dinner and maybe even fireworks? I make it a point to experience the New Year from a variety of cultural points of view, and this year, I’ll be celebrating it Shōgatsu, formally Oshōgatsu, with a “traditional” Japanese flair. And what’s the most important element? I think the food.

My Japanese-style New Year celebration will include toshikoshi soba (I love soba!), ozoni soup, and osechi (a sort of lunchbox array of goodies like shrimp, lotus root, black beens, burdock, fish cake and sweet potato to name just a few) — https://www.hisgo.com/us/destination-.... I personally enjoy watching NHK’s annual “Kouhaku” show, a variety show with traditional to modern singers) while dining. Topping that off with fireworks and/or a good book like the Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor (Aignos 2020) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 is always enjoyable. However you “ring in the new year,” I hope you will enjoy saying goodbye to the old and greeting the new with hope and joy.

Author Raymond Gaynor (aka author/actor Daniel S. Janik)

HOLIDAY REMORSE?

EVER get the feeling that something dark is happening underneath all that holiday joy? If so, you’re more connected than most, in my opinion. I’ve been touting over and over during the past year and a half that the Great Pandemic is a much needed “shot across the bow” of contemporary societies, with special emphasis on transactions, namely the absolute need to change from “crowd sales” to “individual service” approaches. The “fuel” that’s feeding COVID today is as much, in my opinion, about how we transact as the virus. It’s difficult to change the virus, but not so difficult to change the way our civilization transacts be it in government, education, transportation, entertainment or business to name just a few.

I’ve addressed this situation to some extent in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, but I fear that businesspersons’ “need” to make more money without changing the fundamental way that business is transacted will continue to block our world’s progress and evolution. If it’s “The Year of the Businessperson,” then it’s also the year of the rotting of the old infrastructures with hardly any visible effort to progress other than continue concentrating wealth into the hands of the few. The old “trickle-down” theory of economics just doesn’t work, and, frankly, never did.

SAY … WHAT … ? Author Raymond Gaynor, in this sequel to his novel TOTAL MELTDOWN, manages a successful tear in the time-space continuum that provides his readers with an insightful glimpse of society’s future. It’s not always a pleasant picture. In fact, it’s sometimes bordering on the truly shocking. That said … all of his prophetical premises seem to have logical underpinnings based upon historical facts, including what’s obviously at play within our own Twenty-First Century. It’s a fascinating read, experienced through the eyes of three protagonists from birth, through adolescence, and into maturity. Their journey is often difficult and often dangerous. Never, though, is it boring. – William Maltese, co-author with Raymond Gaynor of the prequel, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009).

THE EDGE OF MADNESS:

The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure

In printed format from Savant Bookstores at https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...

In eBook form from (1) Amazon Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859; (2) GooglePlay at https://play.google.com/store/books/d... (3) in audiobook form from Amazon Audible at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859

in printed format from the Book Depository with free shipping worldwide at
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed...

SHIVER ME TIMBERS…

I’VE often wondered about the phrase “Shiver me timbers,” having heard it uttered numerous times times by the archetypal pirate, Long John Silver, in Robert Louis Stevenson’s TREASURE ISLAND. I’m won’t to believe it an actual nautical expression from the days of large wooden sailing ships, when it was an expression of shock and awe, as when the rib-timbers of a ship shivered from pounding during rough seas or during war when the ship was it by a cannonball.

I have to admit, the more I read the news, the more I’m inclined to mumble “Well, shiver me timbers,” as the world about me seems to be preparing for another conflagration. I don’t like to acknowledge the feeling as it’s markedly disquieting, but it’s been over 50 years since the last great world war, and, well, just enough time for people to forget the vicissitudes and horrors of war.

In 2008, the incomparable William Maltese and I (under the pseudonym Raymond Gaynor) wrote TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556, a ribald but all-too-plausible tale of the “next” shakedown, this time occurring within the United States rather than the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The novel paved the way for Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, a tale of reconstruction that speaks to gender (LGBTQ+), romance, eroticism and the challenges of daily life in a world where technology has advanced far beyond human society, a situation not that dissimilar from today. Currently, I’m writing “Prophecy,” the third book in what is quickly becoming a series, looking deeper into the results of a reconstructed world, where, like post-Civil-War USA and Russia today, people are still struggling with trying to keep up socially with technology.

In terms of acting, I’ve just recently finished my part in the upcoming K. Simmons Production of “The William Maltese Collection” bio-documentary — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection, and am looking forward to seeing the script for the K. Simmons Production of “Finding Kate” — https://thefindingkatemovie.wedid.it/... — based on the A. G. Hayes’ adventure novel, FINDING KATE (Savant 2016) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997247215, having been involved in co-authoring the sequel, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0996325530 — with A. G. Hayes.

“Shiver me Timbers!” there’s so much scheduled to happen in 2022, I think it hard to believe it will be “2020, too” or 2020 all over again, ha ha! But I do have to wonder…

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AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR A. G. HAYES

YESTERDAY, Kenny Simmons of K. Simmons Productions and I interviewed multi-award-winning author A. G. Hayes in anticipation of the newest K. Simmons Productions film, “Finding Kate,” based on the A. G. Hayes’ book of the same name, currently in pre-production. So, how are you A. G. Hayes? The answer: Greatly anticipating “Finding Kate” (https://kspllc.media/finding-kate). Anticipated to be the first in an 11 movie series in the “Koski and Falk” movie franchise, 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.”

So where is Kate? K. Simmons Productions has mounted a worldwide woman-hunt for the role of Kate Keenan: “ARE YOU KATE??? She was last seen protesting for the NON-UNION workers. Her loved ones are devastated and they are offering to PAY ANYONE WILLINGLY TO COME FORWARD…DON’T KNOW HER ETHNICITY…But…she’s a strong female lead, around the age of 25-35, she has an athletic build from martial arts training and exercise. She’s kind of an unassuming bad a**. Writing code, that’s it, she loves computers. She has a great personality, she can literally write code, party like a rockstar and have dinner with the President. She’s like a hot, hacker nerd who kicks butt and takes names…If you do see her tell her to send in a resume with a profile picture and a link to her demo reel to thefindingkatemovie@gmail.com.”

Do you know where Kate Keenan is? I’d love to see her on the set of “Finding Kate” scheduled for filming in early 2022!

Finding Kate (Koski and Falk #4.5)

THE FUTURE OF BOOKS AND FILMS

2021 saw continued pressure on publishers of books, and began a whole new era of similar pressure on filmmakers, and it all began with “self-publishing.” That’s not to blame, but simply a strong opinion, leading to an “ethos” of vanity self-publishing be it books or movies. I have always thought of COVID-19 in all it’s various iterations a “shot across the bow” of both. That is, with the loss of many support businesses, the “inflation” of prices coincident with a general deflation in quality due to loss and retirement of the “baby boomer” skilled workers, and the forced move from in-person “group sales” to typically online “individual services,” bookstores and theaters have become as much victims of COVID-19 as human victims. In general one might say, everything based on “brick-and-mortar,” in-person, crowd sales or participation. While this appears a massive challenge for business, it, I believe, will prove for many a very welcome change.

And what would a world that makes this change look like? THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — takes the answer one step higher by creating just such a plausible world in which three young firebrands live. Definitely neither a dystopian nor a utopian world, but something realistically in-between that, in fact, ends up quite different for different characters.

“a fascinating read, experienced through the eyes of three protagonists from birth, through adolescence, and into maturity. Their journey is often difficult and often dangerous. Never, though, is it boring” – William Maltese, co-author with Raymond Gaynor on the ribald prelude, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556. NOTE: K. Simmons Productions has just finished filming THE WILLIAM MALTESE COLLECTION bio-documentary of pioneer erotic/LGBTQ+ author William Maltese — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection.

Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure

The Edge of Madness

MY FAVORITE MOVIE (OTHER THAN “STATIC”)

HAVING been asked countless times what my favorite movie is (other than “Static” — https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie — in which I was lead actor under the name of “Daniel S. Janik”), I feel it time to stick my new “celebrity” neck out and say conclusively, that, yes, I DO have a favorite movie, and, yes, I am willing to share the name of it publicly. Having said all that you’re probably wondering, why doesn’t he just SAY its name?

It’s all about qualifications. As I said, “other than ‘STATIC'” — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15420946 — but also other than:

- “Clean Water, Common Ground (1999) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1548932 — which I Executive Produced, and is available from Savant Bookstores at a complementary 10% off the Suggested Retail Price at https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...
- “The William Maltese Collection” — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection — which Setsuko Tsuchiya and I are Executive Producing with K. Simmons Productions, and which is currently in production and wrapping up for post-production;
- “Finding Kate” — https://thefindingkatemovie.wedid.it/... — based on A. G. Hayes’ award-winning book of the same name, which Setsuko and I are Executive Producing with K. Simmons Productions, and which is currently in pre-production; and
- two more as yet unmentionable films which Setsuko and I’ve been “promised” roles in, but haven’t yet received the contract.
The necessary caveats now on the table, it’s time for the reveal: [Trumpet fanfare] [collective in-rush of breaths] the name of my personal favorite movie:

Mike Jittlov’s “The Wizard of Speed and Time” (1988) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081766. Tah-dah! [Applause?] [Bewildered looks by folks who haven’t yet seen it] [Rush of people to locate a copy to view]

So now you know of my eclectic taste in movies. Want to hear more? Spoiler alert: Tomorrow’s post!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elF68...

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OH! NO-MY-CHRON!

WHAT was the COVID-count on 15 December 2021 here on Oahu? 278 as I recall, only to see it rising exponentially to over 700 yesterday. Today’s a “holiday” so COVID isn’t reported, or, for that matter, allowed to rise by decree. Yeah, right! So here we go again, chasing after another pandemic that we should have been preparing for instead of celebrating. What does it take to realize that yesterday’s “crowd sales,” especially when involving crowding people together, won’t work, and should be abandoned for “individual service” as quickly and efficiently as possible. Gone the old, in the new. It’s almost New Year’s Day anyway, and, hey, this isn’t Kansas anymore, Toto!

Me, I’m inclined to celebrate the completion of filming for “The William Maltese Collection,” having made it through the pandemic, successfully completing a second film after the well-received “Static.” Add a documentary (“The William Maltese Collection”) to a drama (“Static”) and a Kung-Fu action/sci-fi film (“The Tattoo Club”) for burgeoning K. Simmons Productions. Then get ready for the human action/adventure with strong female lead, “Finding Kate” based on A. G. Hayes’ book of the same name, about to move from pre-production into production. Lights, Camera, Action! https://kspllc.media!

Then, I’m inclined to return to finishing writing my newest book, tentatively entitled “Prophecy.” Remember the name. If you liked THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — you’ll love “Prophecy.” No more to say; it’s simply too soon for a spoiler.

MY NEXT STARRING ROLE…

CALL me incredibly talented or lucky, you pick, to have landed a co-starring role in the K. Simmons Production of THE WILLIAM MALTESE COLLECTION — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection — beside the star about whom this bio-documentary is about, the incomparable author and now actor, Mr. William Maltese. Finished my shoot about a week ago, and heard yesterday that William finished his a couple days ago, that means the film is on its way to wrapping and post-production, hopefully to be released in early 2022.

I had the pleasure of co-authoring with William the ribald political thriller, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556 — the first in what are hoped to be a couple of series based on gay couple Tripler and Clarke’s adventures, one sequel being THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859. I’m already half through writing PROPHECY, the next in this particularly wild adventure series, which I’m hoping William will introduce.

But back to acting and filming: Working with William over the years has been and continues to be so much more than just a wonderful collaboration. There’s joy interwoven throughout every project, including THE WILLIAM MALTESE COLLECTION, celebrating his pioneering work in erotica including LGBTQ+ erotica, as well as his over 250 published works spanning Harlequin Romance to fantasy to gourmet cookbooks. William’s works are always written with passion and humor, which he will be bringing to life on the screen in his upcoming bio-documentary. The star is already being born, with K. Simmons Productions purchasing the filming rights to WILLIAM MALTESE’S FLICKER — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984555242 — amongst others currently available from Amazon in printed, digital and audiobook formats!

IT USTA BE…#4

DELIGHTFUL to fly! To soar in luxury above the clouds! To climb aboard and then exit in another part of the world! Gone are those days and what’s more, there’s no likelihood that airlines will ever “get it” and restore the level of excellence we used to know and expect, except for taking money quickly and efficiently, and creating new ways of not giving it back where deserved without a fight. Sorry to say this, but if there was ever an industry hopelessly wedded to “crowd sales” it has to be the airline industry. And this without addressing even the most basic concerns regarding passenger safety.

The key to unlocking this Gordian Knot is, of course, shifting from “crowd sales” to “individual service” with emphasis on in-the-air safety first. It used to be enough to depend on the adage that the flight crew would die with the passengers, hence, every human effort possible could be counted on in an event. Sadly, the complexity of flight transportation these days makes cockpit effort simply a sad epitaph. Technology has always been there to assist industry, but it can only advance an industry if that industry is mentally positioned to take advantage of technology. Think COVID on airplanes, and I think you’ll agree that even the simplest efforts at preventing the spread of disease, a very basic issue, indeed, needs rethinking from airport to air. Same with individual passenger safety, comfort and experience.

And what if the airline industry proves, as it has, unable or simply unwilling to make the leap to “individual service?” Then I suggest we pick up the slack in terms of rail, which is at least moderately more amenable to this new thinking. As well as…need I say the horrid word…walking. Or bicycling. Lump it all together as “assisted walking” as in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. Or call it humanism, or environmental awareness, interaction and appreciation over crass money and power, which are, I remind, two of the greatest and most destructive illusions humankind has ever invented and continues to deny having any responsibility for the effects thereof.

The Edge of Madness

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