Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 49
December 26, 2020
A ROOM WITH A [BETTER] VIEW
I’VE always been interested in photography in all its various aspects.
I began my photographic avocation taking pictures of wild Alaska (when it was still a territory) with an old Kodak slide camera in hand. Several, like my “Sunset over Sleeping Lady” won local recognition. In college, I paid for my room and board photographing individuals for the school year book with a Canon Pellix given to me by a friend’s father for taking his foreign son under wing. Not long after college, I bought my first stereo 3-D camera, a Stereo Realist 35 mm camera, and took literally hundreds of stereo photos of the Bay Area, many of which I sold later on eBay. It was a clunky camera, difficult to shoot with as it required one to calculate distance-to-target to derive maximum stereo. I soon purchased a TDC Stereo Slide Projector and screen (with a hundred polarized glasses) which allowed me to do public showings. Later, I turned to the Loreo stereo 35mm film 3D camera and an individual viewer for point-and-shoot ease and proofing, finally settling on a digital camera and T-Bar, creating my own handmade, Victorian era style stereoscopic cards that could be viewed using a handheld Victorian style viewer. I sold many of the thousand or more cards for years.
Never enough, I toyed with purchasing a stereo 3-D videocamera and projector, but, in the end, my interests were directed at the idea of holographic images. In the mid 1970s, several years before Star Wars was released with its intriguing projected video holograph, I had the opportunity of visiting the USSR and meeting with Yuri Denisyuk, spending a whole day in his laboratory exploring normal light holographs together. I took home several glass plates we made, and the idea of projected normal light holography as the next ear replacing 3-D photography. Add to this the concept of vocally interactive normal light holographic video and you have the basis for my vision of education in the future, portrayed in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
I’m still intrigued by the concept of interactively being in another place with other vocally interactive normal light holographic projections, but these days have added another layer: the ability of the human sources of the interactive holograms to “touch” sense each other using digital sensory projection. It’s actually indirect touch, since the human sources themselves never actually touch. Heavens to COVID-19 social distancing! Someday, I predict, humans will indeed live and work on other planets, but perhaps using this kind of technology to replace robots with what A. G. Hayes started, and I have since with him taken to calling “AIs.” None of these AIs need be “real” in the physical sense, and given Deep Mind’s work on AI learning through experience, they would be much better suited to deep space exploration and living than us trapped in frail physical bodies. I suggest they might be the first explorers to travel to other universes, not having, like humans, to, as I have imagined, have die to do so. They would be the first to visit the myriad heavens and hells, the residences of human souls passing on, or even possibly where we came from before birth…
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
I began my photographic avocation taking pictures of wild Alaska (when it was still a territory) with an old Kodak slide camera in hand. Several, like my “Sunset over Sleeping Lady” won local recognition. In college, I paid for my room and board photographing individuals for the school year book with a Canon Pellix given to me by a friend’s father for taking his foreign son under wing. Not long after college, I bought my first stereo 3-D camera, a Stereo Realist 35 mm camera, and took literally hundreds of stereo photos of the Bay Area, many of which I sold later on eBay. It was a clunky camera, difficult to shoot with as it required one to calculate distance-to-target to derive maximum stereo. I soon purchased a TDC Stereo Slide Projector and screen (with a hundred polarized glasses) which allowed me to do public showings. Later, I turned to the Loreo stereo 35mm film 3D camera and an individual viewer for point-and-shoot ease and proofing, finally settling on a digital camera and T-Bar, creating my own handmade, Victorian era style stereoscopic cards that could be viewed using a handheld Victorian style viewer. I sold many of the thousand or more cards for years.
Never enough, I toyed with purchasing a stereo 3-D videocamera and projector, but, in the end, my interests were directed at the idea of holographic images. In the mid 1970s, several years before Star Wars was released with its intriguing projected video holograph, I had the opportunity of visiting the USSR and meeting with Yuri Denisyuk, spending a whole day in his laboratory exploring normal light holographs together. I took home several glass plates we made, and the idea of projected normal light holography as the next ear replacing 3-D photography. Add to this the concept of vocally interactive normal light holographic video and you have the basis for my vision of education in the future, portrayed in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
I’m still intrigued by the concept of interactively being in another place with other vocally interactive normal light holographic projections, but these days have added another layer: the ability of the human sources of the interactive holograms to “touch” sense each other using digital sensory projection. It’s actually indirect touch, since the human sources themselves never actually touch. Heavens to COVID-19 social distancing! Someday, I predict, humans will indeed live and work on other planets, but perhaps using this kind of technology to replace robots with what A. G. Hayes started, and I have since with him taken to calling “AIs.” None of these AIs need be “real” in the physical sense, and given Deep Mind’s work on AI learning through experience, they would be much better suited to deep space exploration and living than us trapped in frail physical bodies. I suggest they might be the first explorers to travel to other universes, not having, like humans, to, as I have imagined, have die to do so. They would be the first to visit the myriad heavens and hells, the residences of human souls passing on, or even possibly where we came from before birth…
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
December 24, 2020
A QUIET MOMENT
I’M thinking it’s time to make a quiet moment amidst the chaos of a year gone amok. A quiet moment to reflect on some of the good that is always there, if we but choose to not just see, but, as Sherlock Holme’s would advise, observe: A delightful planet, perhaps unique in the multiverse. A sun to warm us and inspire the plants upon which we so wholly depend to flourish. A moon to light the night. Life. Consciousness. Rationality. Spirituality. Empathy. The gift of procreation. Flowers. A night sky filled with stars, meteors and comets. There may be a lot of human-made darkness swirling about in this Second Dark Age, but it’s almost entirely human-made, and therefore amenable to human reversal, if we but truly want to. Aye! And there is the rub: Do we truly want to? I may be a thriller author delving in some of humanity’s darkest abysses, but I believe in humanity, and that we can and will eventually make the leap to becoming the stewards of this planet as we were, I believe, always meant to be.
Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all – and a wish for a Happy New Year. God(dess) knows, we could use one,
Sincerely,
Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020)
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to all – and a wish for a Happy New Year. God(dess) knows, we could use one,
Sincerely,
Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020)
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
December 23, 2020
THE SECOND DARK AGE
IN 2008, I wrote a political thriller tentatively entitled “Total Meltdown.” In it, I described the abdication of a sitting president during the first days of a USA election transition, taking with him over a trillion petrodollars in business and securities, leaving the nation leaderless and derelict. Given the limited powers a newly elected but not yet certified president might wield during such a crisis, especially given his outrageous public vilification by Preident Brown and his corporate “Brownshirts,” President-Elect Mathias “Alexander the Great” Jackson turned to his two most trusted trusted political aides, Adelphous Tripler and Shawn Clarke. Committed lovers, Tripler and Clarke reluctantly have to separate to carry out a series of incredibly challenging and quite possibly mortal tasks for their discredited leader that take them around the globe. With murder and mayhem facing them every step of the way, the question constantly before the two lovers was whether they would get back together alive.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556
The story, primarily because of three reasons, namely (1) the “outrageously impossible” story; (2) the unimaginable sum of money absconded (“I mean, trillions?”); and the idea of two gay men rescuing a president-elect and nation, was flatly rejected by over 40 publishers. I immediately turned to my friend and colleague, William Maltese, for advice. Having had several successes publishing works with Borgo, he agreed to add more “naughtiness” and “tongue-in-cheekiness,” and pass it to Borgo/Wildside. The result is TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. What began as a slightly edgy political thriller, ended up a book of prophesy. Fast forward to 2016, and again to today. Suddenly the plot was neither outrageously impossible, the sums of money involved, nor the idea of a LGBTQ couple working to save the United States implausible at all. As for the sitting President Brown offering little to no direction during a presidential transition, the residual existence of sycophants and followers (the this case, the “Brownshirts”) continuing to wreak havoc with democracy and the nation, and the utter impossibility of the USA being attacked by foreign powers resulting in it’s “downsizing,” the new capital being moved to Chicago, and the entry of the nation and with it the world into a second Dark Age, who would have guessed that William and I were not just authors but literary prophets? You really have to read this book, because I’ve just released the sequel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, in which “NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” I think this sequel is equally prophetic of the new world into which we are today rapidly approaching. So, put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and, book in hand, settle back for a T-rip like you’ve never imagined.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Oh, and before you make any contemporary investments, you should know I’ve already begun the third work in what is rapidly becoming The Prophecy Trilogy, this work tentatively entitled “Shadow.” And this time, I have a publisher waiting.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556
The story, primarily because of three reasons, namely (1) the “outrageously impossible” story; (2) the unimaginable sum of money absconded (“I mean, trillions?”); and the idea of two gay men rescuing a president-elect and nation, was flatly rejected by over 40 publishers. I immediately turned to my friend and colleague, William Maltese, for advice. Having had several successes publishing works with Borgo, he agreed to add more “naughtiness” and “tongue-in-cheekiness,” and pass it to Borgo/Wildside. The result is TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. What began as a slightly edgy political thriller, ended up a book of prophesy. Fast forward to 2016, and again to today. Suddenly the plot was neither outrageously impossible, the sums of money involved, nor the idea of a LGBTQ couple working to save the United States implausible at all. As for the sitting President Brown offering little to no direction during a presidential transition, the residual existence of sycophants and followers (the this case, the “Brownshirts”) continuing to wreak havoc with democracy and the nation, and the utter impossibility of the USA being attacked by foreign powers resulting in it’s “downsizing,” the new capital being moved to Chicago, and the entry of the nation and with it the world into a second Dark Age, who would have guessed that William and I were not just authors but literary prophets? You really have to read this book, because I’ve just released the sequel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, in which “NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” I think this sequel is equally prophetic of the new world into which we are today rapidly approaching. So, put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and, book in hand, settle back for a T-rip like you’ve never imagined.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Oh, and before you make any contemporary investments, you should know I’ve already begun the third work in what is rapidly becoming The Prophecy Trilogy, this work tentatively entitled “Shadow.” And this time, I have a publisher waiting.
December 22, 2020
GENERATIONS – WHO’S IN CHARGE?
IN a 1 Sept 2020 news article entitled “American Generation Fast Facts,” CNN (Cable News Network) identified six generations of Americans in the 20th century: the Greatest Generation (aka GI Generation), the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z.
The Greatest or GI Generation consists of individuals born before 1925. They lived through the Great Depression and then fought in WWII. This generation deeply impacted our world, spawning seven US Presidents including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush. The youngest living members of this generation are about 95 years old today.
Silent Generation individuals, were born between 1925 and 1945, are characterized as more cautious than their parents. Even so, they introduced pop culture, with pioneering rock musicians, iconic filmmakers, television legends, beat poets, gonzo journalists and groundbreaking political satirists. No members of the Silent Generation have served as US President. The youngest living members of this generation are about 75 today.
Born 1946 though 1964, Baby Boomers were named for an uptick in the post-WWII birth rate. The population peaked in 1999, with 78.8 million baby boomers, including people who immigrated to the United States and were born during the Baby Boomer time period. Baby Boomers seized power and continue to hang on to it today, though their numbers are quickly dwindling, accelerated further by the 2020 Pandemic. Spawning four US Presidents including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, members of this generation are between 56 and 74 today.
Members of Generation X (born 1965 through 1980) experienced the US political moves to extremes, had to deal with national crack and AIDS epidemics, home computing, and saw the business world turn global. Although about 75% of people in this group earn more than baby boomers did when they were the same age, only 36% have more wealth due to debt. No members of Generation X have served as president. Members of this generation are between 40 and 55.
According to Wikipedia, Millennials (aka Gen Y) born 1981 through 1996 are marked by elevated usage of and familiarity with the Internet, mobile devices, and social media, which is why they are sometimes termed digital natives. A return to popular nationalism, The Great Recession and COVID-19 had a major impact on this generation because they have caused historically high levels of unemployment among this generation. Better educated in terms of all college degrees, 2016 was the first year any millennial was eligible to run for president (the minimum age being 35). Members are currently between 24 and 39 and represent a powerful voting block.
Generation Z (Gen Z, sometimes called Post-Millennials) born on or after 1997 are said to be moving towards being the most educated group ever, especially among women and minories, as well as the most diverse in ethnic background. Aged 23 or less, they ultimately represent the future of the USA.
In ancient times, it wasn’t uncommon for Pharaohs, Kings and Queens to come into power in their 20’s and even younger. So who’s in charge of the United States and the world today? Four generations seem to be vying for power, the Baby Boomers rapidly aging while diminishing in numbers. and Gen Z not yet ready (at least, in their minds) to govern, being more occupied with finding a secure financial income and starting families.
My recently released book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor assumes that after a new Dark Age, during which socio-techological advances determine the social and political structure of NewAmerica, a period of reawakening and expansion would provide a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live. A new generation, call it Gen 11, after the universal acceptance of an 11-dimensional multiverse, will struggle with affections, romance, love, sex power and spirituality in a solar system of infinite possibilities and pleasure…if one can but afford it. So, put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like you’ve never imagined.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
The Greatest or GI Generation consists of individuals born before 1925. They lived through the Great Depression and then fought in WWII. This generation deeply impacted our world, spawning seven US Presidents including John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush. The youngest living members of this generation are about 95 years old today.
Silent Generation individuals, were born between 1925 and 1945, are characterized as more cautious than their parents. Even so, they introduced pop culture, with pioneering rock musicians, iconic filmmakers, television legends, beat poets, gonzo journalists and groundbreaking political satirists. No members of the Silent Generation have served as US President. The youngest living members of this generation are about 75 today.
Born 1946 though 1964, Baby Boomers were named for an uptick in the post-WWII birth rate. The population peaked in 1999, with 78.8 million baby boomers, including people who immigrated to the United States and were born during the Baby Boomer time period. Baby Boomers seized power and continue to hang on to it today, though their numbers are quickly dwindling, accelerated further by the 2020 Pandemic. Spawning four US Presidents including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, members of this generation are between 56 and 74 today.
Members of Generation X (born 1965 through 1980) experienced the US political moves to extremes, had to deal with national crack and AIDS epidemics, home computing, and saw the business world turn global. Although about 75% of people in this group earn more than baby boomers did when they were the same age, only 36% have more wealth due to debt. No members of Generation X have served as president. Members of this generation are between 40 and 55.
According to Wikipedia, Millennials (aka Gen Y) born 1981 through 1996 are marked by elevated usage of and familiarity with the Internet, mobile devices, and social media, which is why they are sometimes termed digital natives. A return to popular nationalism, The Great Recession and COVID-19 had a major impact on this generation because they have caused historically high levels of unemployment among this generation. Better educated in terms of all college degrees, 2016 was the first year any millennial was eligible to run for president (the minimum age being 35). Members are currently between 24 and 39 and represent a powerful voting block.
Generation Z (Gen Z, sometimes called Post-Millennials) born on or after 1997 are said to be moving towards being the most educated group ever, especially among women and minories, as well as the most diverse in ethnic background. Aged 23 or less, they ultimately represent the future of the USA.
In ancient times, it wasn’t uncommon for Pharaohs, Kings and Queens to come into power in their 20’s and even younger. So who’s in charge of the United States and the world today? Four generations seem to be vying for power, the Baby Boomers rapidly aging while diminishing in numbers. and Gen Z not yet ready (at least, in their minds) to govern, being more occupied with finding a secure financial income and starting families.
My recently released book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor assumes that after a new Dark Age, during which socio-techological advances determine the social and political structure of NewAmerica, a period of reawakening and expansion would provide a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live. A new generation, call it Gen 11, after the universal acceptance of an 11-dimensional multiverse, will struggle with affections, romance, love, sex power and spirituality in a solar system of infinite possibilities and pleasure…if one can but afford it. So, put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like you’ve never imagined.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
December 19, 2020
A BRIEF “EDGE OF MADNESS” GLOSSARY
ACRONYMEUR - a professional who concatonates and/or abbreviates words or phrases.
act - work
Adaptive Reconstructive Surgery (ARS) - functioning biological additions e.g. a simian tail (replacing tattoos and skin art)
adverter - influencer
CableCandy - proprietary, pre-programmed sensory-perception-memories
Cape Bold Public Interplanetary Travel System ("it's the PITS")
Chica - Chicago, the capital of NewAmerica
Chin - non-Earth planet controlled by former China community - a state in reorganized NewAmerica
comp - salaried compensation aka sally
cons - one's social contribution (work)
ContraSex - sex encouraged by Contraspray
Contraspray -proprietary over-thec-counter substance encouraging sex without conception
custodian - appointed by government to act on behalf of the child from six to sixteen years of age
Dark Age - second Dark Age associated with the collapse of the USA
Designer Jeans ("digjeez") - genetic bits that when injected can integrate within a body's DNA
draw - cost of
drain - to pay for
enforcer - enigmatic NewAmerica "policeman"
eugitor - wearable wireless distance-controlable male or female sex "skin"
EyeCandy - glasses that subtly alter one's perceptions and memories
Fast Eddie - person seeking quick recompense
foray - a group or gang of young adults who hang out together
IHI - Interactive Holographic Instruction (replaces inperson classroom instruction)
Malthusian Nightmare of early 2000's - theoretical endgame causing the loss of 2/3 of Earth's population
mob - core members of an early social group
nest mates - member of an early mob
NewMoon - NewTerran offshoot populating the moon
NewTerra - the origin and gathering place of humanity (Earth) aka "Mother Earth," "Cradle of Humankind" - controlled by NewAmerica
NewTimes - decade after Second Dark Age
NICMEDS (neurally integrated crystalline memory devices) for storing information and data
Pros - skill propensities
Radicali - innovative futurists
RE (registered entity) - plant or animal legally registered and husbanded by someone
Rus - non-Earth planet controlled by former Russia
sally - salaried compensation aka comp
SalsaSex - public sex
SalsaSexcapade - outrageous public sex
savetime - "memories" created of another time and/or place
Shi - new (typically appending a place name when the place has been substantially altered)
shimmer suit (w/wo convenience slits) - monomolecular color-controllable "clothes"
SweetSixteen - ritual transitions from adolescence to full adulthood establishing one's pros and cons
Synesthetic savant - altered or mixed hypersensate individual
T-rips - proprietary programs for installing new sensory memory experiences
Unisensory savant - individual with one hypersense, assumedly at the expense of others
United Nations (United Planets or UP) - UP yours
Walk - virtual or real vacation
ENJOY!
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Raymond Gaynor
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
act - work
Adaptive Reconstructive Surgery (ARS) - functioning biological additions e.g. a simian tail (replacing tattoos and skin art)
adverter - influencer
CableCandy - proprietary, pre-programmed sensory-perception-memories
Cape Bold Public Interplanetary Travel System ("it's the PITS")
Chica - Chicago, the capital of NewAmerica
Chin - non-Earth planet controlled by former China community - a state in reorganized NewAmerica
comp - salaried compensation aka sally
cons - one's social contribution (work)
ContraSex - sex encouraged by Contraspray
Contraspray -proprietary over-thec-counter substance encouraging sex without conception
custodian - appointed by government to act on behalf of the child from six to sixteen years of age
Dark Age - second Dark Age associated with the collapse of the USA
Designer Jeans ("digjeez") - genetic bits that when injected can integrate within a body's DNA
draw - cost of
drain - to pay for
enforcer - enigmatic NewAmerica "policeman"
eugitor - wearable wireless distance-controlable male or female sex "skin"
EyeCandy - glasses that subtly alter one's perceptions and memories
Fast Eddie - person seeking quick recompense
foray - a group or gang of young adults who hang out together
IHI - Interactive Holographic Instruction (replaces inperson classroom instruction)
Malthusian Nightmare of early 2000's - theoretical endgame causing the loss of 2/3 of Earth's population
mob - core members of an early social group
nest mates - member of an early mob
NewMoon - NewTerran offshoot populating the moon
NewTerra - the origin and gathering place of humanity (Earth) aka "Mother Earth," "Cradle of Humankind" - controlled by NewAmerica
NewTimes - decade after Second Dark Age
NICMEDS (neurally integrated crystalline memory devices) for storing information and data
Pros - skill propensities
Radicali - innovative futurists
RE (registered entity) - plant or animal legally registered and husbanded by someone
Rus - non-Earth planet controlled by former Russia
sally - salaried compensation aka comp
SalsaSex - public sex
SalsaSexcapade - outrageous public sex
savetime - "memories" created of another time and/or place
Shi - new (typically appending a place name when the place has been substantially altered)
shimmer suit (w/wo convenience slits) - monomolecular color-controllable "clothes"
SweetSixteen - ritual transitions from adolescence to full adulthood establishing one's pros and cons
Synesthetic savant - altered or mixed hypersensate individual
T-rips - proprietary programs for installing new sensory memory experiences
Unisensory savant - individual with one hypersense, assumedly at the expense of others
United Nations (United Planets or UP) - UP yours
Walk - virtual or real vacation
ENJOY!
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Raymond Gaynor
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
December 18, 2020
THE HISTORICAL TRUTH
I’VE always wanted to do a post on true literary truth, that is non-fiction, or what one could call “historical truth.” In this time of fake news, docu-adverts, “spinning the truth,” and, within the contemporary literary world, paid “book reviews,” it is pleasantly relieving to encounter a purely historical, non-fiction work. An enlightenment that one need not question. Ah, but is that so?
First, I am reminded in a history class being told that history is written by the victor. Second, another historical scholar mentioned to me the importance of remembering that memory and hindsight together are, at best, 50-50. Remember the exercise where the first person in a series is told a “secret” only to find the secret totally changed by the time the last person in the series passes it on? Finally, there’s the Survivor Truism. If something happens, those who survive typically minimize, or if they’re inclined to hubris, exaggerate the event, while those most affected, namely those who experienced the brunt of the event and died, aren’t there to add their corrections.
So, in this day of popular “historical novels,” just what is it that readers take away? To be extra cautious of “believing” anything read? I would hope so, but my experience is the opposite. It is easier to wholly believe something fictitous that’s grounded in truth, especially if presented in an appealing way. Don’t believe me ask the CIA. And what are the classic appeals? As old as ancient Greece, they include pathos (emotional appeal); ethos (appeal to the readers’ ethical, moral or cultural norms of the day); keiros (appeal to or based on popularity) and numos (appeal to law). Any of these appeals (which in and of themselves have no absolute “truth value”) ensure an intriguing read, one that if enlivening and well written will seem as “true” as truth itself. So what DO readers of historical non-fiction or fiction take away? Well, at best, an interesting though requisitely distorted view of a “real” event or story.
One of the great tasks in life is to construct one’s own life story, pruning out what we believe to be uninteresting or distasteful, incorporating the more exciting parts with most appeal. That’s what’s most “real” in our otherwise truly strangely twisted world. My recent book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, is a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths is set in an erotic future where every pleasure is available…if one can but afford it. The ultimate question then is: Can true love or even sanity be found in such a world — a world not all that unlike our contemporary world, I might add?
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold, while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way though, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” So, why not put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
First, I am reminded in a history class being told that history is written by the victor. Second, another historical scholar mentioned to me the importance of remembering that memory and hindsight together are, at best, 50-50. Remember the exercise where the first person in a series is told a “secret” only to find the secret totally changed by the time the last person in the series passes it on? Finally, there’s the Survivor Truism. If something happens, those who survive typically minimize, or if they’re inclined to hubris, exaggerate the event, while those most affected, namely those who experienced the brunt of the event and died, aren’t there to add their corrections.
So, in this day of popular “historical novels,” just what is it that readers take away? To be extra cautious of “believing” anything read? I would hope so, but my experience is the opposite. It is easier to wholly believe something fictitous that’s grounded in truth, especially if presented in an appealing way. Don’t believe me ask the CIA. And what are the classic appeals? As old as ancient Greece, they include pathos (emotional appeal); ethos (appeal to the readers’ ethical, moral or cultural norms of the day); keiros (appeal to or based on popularity) and numos (appeal to law). Any of these appeals (which in and of themselves have no absolute “truth value”) ensure an intriguing read, one that if enlivening and well written will seem as “true” as truth itself. So what DO readers of historical non-fiction or fiction take away? Well, at best, an interesting though requisitely distorted view of a “real” event or story.
One of the great tasks in life is to construct one’s own life story, pruning out what we believe to be uninteresting or distasteful, incorporating the more exciting parts with most appeal. That’s what’s most “real” in our otherwise truly strangely twisted world. My recent book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, is a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths is set in an erotic future where every pleasure is available…if one can but afford it. The ultimate question then is: Can true love or even sanity be found in such a world — a world not all that unlike our contemporary world, I might add?
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold, while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way though, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” So, why not put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
December 17, 2020
REAL VERSES “UNREAL” PPE
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), something talked about in hushed tones mainly by military NBC (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) warfare specialists and authors (yes, authors!) before the appearance of COVID-19. So what’s this about author PPE? When I published my first novel under the name of Raymond Gaynor, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) with A. G. Hayes — the fifth of seven books in the bestselling Koski and Falk Secret Agent Series — A. G., or it may have been another author friend, suggested I go out and buy an armadillo coat. Eh? Armadillo PPE? It was a figure of speech, suggesting that as my books become increasingly known and I begin to hear from readers and critics, that I listen closely to what is said about my works, but let it flow like a breeze off my armadillo coat, not taking personally. It took me awhile to learn to not personalize feedback, advice that proved helpful in navigating authorship and publicity, and one I pass on to all new authors reading this.
So, what’s with real verses “unreal” PPE? Well, “real” (or currently available) PPE are versions of “moon suits” used in advanced hospitals to protect medical staff from the COVID-19 patients.
In my latest Sci-Fu (Science-Based Futuring) novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I describe an “unreal” (as yet) monomolecular “Flack” PPE suit:
“As a consequence, to protect himself in public, Rob soon had to take to wearing high-draw flack when traveling between home and workplace, and his was nothing less than the finest. Not only could it ward off assaultive individuals, projections, programs and most weaponry, but it adapted itself exquisitely to whatever he chose to wear, even the thin molecular covering of his custom ShimmerSuit. Flack like his was still relatively new, making him of even more public interest.
“Visually, Rob’s flack worked by molecularly liquefying and visually diffusing upon any sudden attempted intrusion, first confusing any would-be assailant as to exactly what and where the intended target was, and second, crystalizing and absorbing the impact of any intrusive instrument or program. The impact of a bullet from an illegal vintage handgun—all devices that projected lethal objects had been outlawed planet-wide for years—or the point of a sharp blade would be completely assimilated, leaving the entire unit stronger and even more resilient before returning to normal. Even so, a very slowly moving hand, for example, could be permitted by him to slip through, allowing those he desired to experience flesh-to-flesh contact. This latter innovation was beyond state-of-the-art, and proved wonderfully amusing and incredibly popular at club parties. It was also an outstanding marketing device, which Rob never hesitated to use when introducing himself to new clients, especially ultra-rich ones.”
But the idea of PPEs doesn’t end there. I predict that as nuclear, biological and chemical events, epidemics, and pandemics become more frequent, the only viable alternative to shutting down nations will be consumer PPEs of a kind mentioned in THE EDGE OF MADNESS. They will be a unit that can be “slipped into” whenever encountering other humans becomes necessary. For example, when traveling by air, train, ship or bus, or when shopping in traditional stores, or attending a “crowd event.” Don't wait for the movie (THE EDGE OF MADNESS option was recently purchased by K. Simmons Productions to be made into a movie). Get a copy of my newly released book or ebook and see what happens in the days ahead.
Quantum Death
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
So, what’s with real verses “unreal” PPE? Well, “real” (or currently available) PPE are versions of “moon suits” used in advanced hospitals to protect medical staff from the COVID-19 patients.
In my latest Sci-Fu (Science-Based Futuring) novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I describe an “unreal” (as yet) monomolecular “Flack” PPE suit:
“As a consequence, to protect himself in public, Rob soon had to take to wearing high-draw flack when traveling between home and workplace, and his was nothing less than the finest. Not only could it ward off assaultive individuals, projections, programs and most weaponry, but it adapted itself exquisitely to whatever he chose to wear, even the thin molecular covering of his custom ShimmerSuit. Flack like his was still relatively new, making him of even more public interest.
“Visually, Rob’s flack worked by molecularly liquefying and visually diffusing upon any sudden attempted intrusion, first confusing any would-be assailant as to exactly what and where the intended target was, and second, crystalizing and absorbing the impact of any intrusive instrument or program. The impact of a bullet from an illegal vintage handgun—all devices that projected lethal objects had been outlawed planet-wide for years—or the point of a sharp blade would be completely assimilated, leaving the entire unit stronger and even more resilient before returning to normal. Even so, a very slowly moving hand, for example, could be permitted by him to slip through, allowing those he desired to experience flesh-to-flesh contact. This latter innovation was beyond state-of-the-art, and proved wonderfully amusing and incredibly popular at club parties. It was also an outstanding marketing device, which Rob never hesitated to use when introducing himself to new clients, especially ultra-rich ones.”
But the idea of PPEs doesn’t end there. I predict that as nuclear, biological and chemical events, epidemics, and pandemics become more frequent, the only viable alternative to shutting down nations will be consumer PPEs of a kind mentioned in THE EDGE OF MADNESS. They will be a unit that can be “slipped into” whenever encountering other humans becomes necessary. For example, when traveling by air, train, ship or bus, or when shopping in traditional stores, or attending a “crowd event.” Don't wait for the movie (THE EDGE OF MADNESS option was recently purchased by K. Simmons Productions to be made into a movie). Get a copy of my newly released book or ebook and see what happens in the days ahead.
Quantum Death
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
December 16, 2020
WHY THE SEA IS BOILING HOT —AND WHETHER PIGS HAVE WINGS…
THANK YOU Lewis Carroll for that unforgettable ditty from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” in THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. Actually the phrase “if pigs had wings” is, according to that contemporary reference of references and font of all modern knowledge, Wikipedia, an adynaton—a figure of speech so hyperbolic that it describes an impossibility. And yet…the ocean temperatures seem to be warming unrelentingly, and genetically (CRISPR) speaking, pigs could have wings. In the same manner of speaking, a recent report on CNN says that kangaroos have been seen asking humans for help. Admittedly, these “wild” kangaroos are in a zoo, so technically they’re not wholly domesticated and simply copying human behaviors. Go figure.
But whether the sea is boiling hot, pigs have wings or kangaroos really are asking humans for help right now, there have always been indications that animals have been trying hard to communicate with us. And they seem to have a lot to say. Consider Koko the sign-language “talking” gorilla’s last words:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVuNT...
Think for a moment about the years we’ve attempted to “talk” with elephants, dolphins, whales, dogs, cats, birds…it seems they’ve been trying for years to talk with us, but we’re just to “stupid” to hear, or maybe have just too much hubris to really listen. Do you talk with your plants? Maybe. But do you listen to them? REALLY listen?
Communication is at the very heart of empathy and stewardship, both concepts that have somehow fallen to the wayside during the last four years of scrambling and worship of mammon. One thing about money: it doesn’t speak. It only returns to the listener what he or she wants to hear. Nothing more. In my opinion, it can’t ever “speak” because it is one of the two great human illusions: money and power. Both are human “games” of a kind and nature that can become in the hands of unfeeling people beyond cruel. It is then they become instruments of war. War not just against other humans for the forfeiture of their living birthright, but against animals, plants, nature, even the world itself.
Some have called my newly released novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor a dystopian science fantasy. But I would argue that given humanity’s past, unrepentant disregard for nature, the book’s position on the importance of stewardship is neither dystopian nor utopian — though perhaps the whole work is an adynaton — and, while science-based, it represents a plausible future rather than wild fantasy. It’s not about whether the reader has accolades for or is off put by the story — whether the sea will one day boil, pigs will fly and kangaroos will discuss their impressions of THE EDGE OF MADNESS — it’s about whether humans will, as posited in the story, build on the empathy they are born, letting go of our many prejudices and grow into the stewards of the earth we were always meant to be.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
But whether the sea is boiling hot, pigs have wings or kangaroos really are asking humans for help right now, there have always been indications that animals have been trying hard to communicate with us. And they seem to have a lot to say. Consider Koko the sign-language “talking” gorilla’s last words:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVuNT...
Think for a moment about the years we’ve attempted to “talk” with elephants, dolphins, whales, dogs, cats, birds…it seems they’ve been trying for years to talk with us, but we’re just to “stupid” to hear, or maybe have just too much hubris to really listen. Do you talk with your plants? Maybe. But do you listen to them? REALLY listen?
Communication is at the very heart of empathy and stewardship, both concepts that have somehow fallen to the wayside during the last four years of scrambling and worship of mammon. One thing about money: it doesn’t speak. It only returns to the listener what he or she wants to hear. Nothing more. In my opinion, it can’t ever “speak” because it is one of the two great human illusions: money and power. Both are human “games” of a kind and nature that can become in the hands of unfeeling people beyond cruel. It is then they become instruments of war. War not just against other humans for the forfeiture of their living birthright, but against animals, plants, nature, even the world itself.
Some have called my newly released novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor a dystopian science fantasy. But I would argue that given humanity’s past, unrepentant disregard for nature, the book’s position on the importance of stewardship is neither dystopian nor utopian — though perhaps the whole work is an adynaton — and, while science-based, it represents a plausible future rather than wild fantasy. It’s not about whether the reader has accolades for or is off put by the story — whether the sea will one day boil, pigs will fly and kangaroos will discuss their impressions of THE EDGE OF MADNESS — it’s about whether humans will, as posited in the story, build on the empathy they are born, letting go of our many prejudices and grow into the stewards of the earth we were always meant to be.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
December 15, 2020
THE CASE FOR MORE VACCINES
GOOD news: At least one, and hopefully soon, two vaccines for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) will be rolling out to the public, and with it/them, hopes for a return to some semblance of “normal.” Though we all know that it will be a “new” normal, and there will be another epidemic/pandemic coming soon on COVID’s heels.
But what we really need is a whole lot more vaccines. Ones against the pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth that made the impact of COVID-19 so powerful and extensive. As an author, I’d benefit right now from one against sloth. The combination of staying at home, social distancing, wearing a mask everywhere (I still sleep at home maskless), losing access to my gym, and religiously avoiding crowds of two or more individuals has left me admittedly slothful. Not enough, however, to avoid beginning scoping out a sequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
Recall the ending?
“The entire foray celebrated his [Draff Rob Brie’s] continued ascent into adulthood. Billie smelled and looked unfazed. Andry smelled and looked stunned, then incredulous, then annoyed, aggravated and finally disgusted. What is with Simi? Draff wondered, raising his eyebrows at the staccato olfactory slaps he sensed coming from her, all seeming aimed directly at him. Why did he feel so hurt? More important, why should her reactions bother him so deeply, or at all for that matter?
“Draff noticed Billie staring at Simi. And what’s with those two? he thought before his better judgment kicked in and he dismissed his conflicting thoughts, reburying himself in the tsunami of forearm-clasps, hugs and well-wishes.
“Everything is going so well, he reflected happily.
“Everything isn’t quite coming together as I’d hoped, Simi reflected with concern.
“Everything is going to hell, Billie reflected angrily.”
Vaccines aside, the question of what my three naughty rascaleans need, want and desire next is a typical, complex and yet unavoidable adolescent quandary, especially given that all three have rich and, if as yet unknown, very public pasts that will inevitably complicate their situation even further.
But for now, may I recommend apprehending as copy of this second book in the as yet unnamed series, the first being the totally ribald TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. I promise the third book will be coming soon. Hey, I just gave myself a mental jab against sloth and already have pen in hand (actually itchy fingers on the keyboard).
The Edge of Madness
From Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific and Honolulu; printed only; 10% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping within USA including Alaska, Hawaii and APO addresses using “ONLINE” discount code at checkout)
From Amazon (printed and Kindle ebook versions)
From the Book Despository (printed book only; free international shipping)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
But what we really need is a whole lot more vaccines. Ones against the pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth that made the impact of COVID-19 so powerful and extensive. As an author, I’d benefit right now from one against sloth. The combination of staying at home, social distancing, wearing a mask everywhere (I still sleep at home maskless), losing access to my gym, and religiously avoiding crowds of two or more individuals has left me admittedly slothful. Not enough, however, to avoid beginning scoping out a sequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
Recall the ending?
“The entire foray celebrated his [Draff Rob Brie’s] continued ascent into adulthood. Billie smelled and looked unfazed. Andry smelled and looked stunned, then incredulous, then annoyed, aggravated and finally disgusted. What is with Simi? Draff wondered, raising his eyebrows at the staccato olfactory slaps he sensed coming from her, all seeming aimed directly at him. Why did he feel so hurt? More important, why should her reactions bother him so deeply, or at all for that matter?
“Draff noticed Billie staring at Simi. And what’s with those two? he thought before his better judgment kicked in and he dismissed his conflicting thoughts, reburying himself in the tsunami of forearm-clasps, hugs and well-wishes.
“Everything is going so well, he reflected happily.
“Everything isn’t quite coming together as I’d hoped, Simi reflected with concern.
“Everything is going to hell, Billie reflected angrily.”
Vaccines aside, the question of what my three naughty rascaleans need, want and desire next is a typical, complex and yet unavoidable adolescent quandary, especially given that all three have rich and, if as yet unknown, very public pasts that will inevitably complicate their situation even further.
But for now, may I recommend apprehending as copy of this second book in the as yet unnamed series, the first being the totally ribald TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. I promise the third book will be coming soon. Hey, I just gave myself a mental jab against sloth and already have pen in hand (actually itchy fingers on the keyboard).
The Edge of Madness
From Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific and Honolulu; printed only; 10% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping within USA including Alaska, Hawaii and APO addresses using “ONLINE” discount code at checkout)
From Amazon (printed and Kindle ebook versions)
From the Book Despository (printed book only; free international shipping)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
December 14, 2020
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO LIVE WITHOUT A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
YOU know. We’ve been experiencing it in varying degrees for almost four years, but more so the last year, especially these last few months. It may be the Year of the Plague, but I’m inclined to think of it more as the Year-of-the-Plague-Without-A-Government. Four years ago, one of the federal mandates was the need to update our national, state, county, city and community government infrastructures. For whatever reason, it never happened. Our federal government functionally abdicated its responsibilities to the states, which, without adequate funds and guidance, abdicated their responsibilities to the counties and so on. Essentially, the government, in the USA, has become the people, again without factual knowledge, guidance or funding. A sort of free-for-all-on-steriods as infrastructures we’ve long depended on began to fail one after another, be it in the area of government, politics, ethics, transportation, education, health care, public health, cybersecurity, communication or social services. Add to that, corporate America has been indirectly charged with running the nation, and with that responsibility, to fix needed national infrastructures from the economy to financing to ownership to business. I find people, with the promise of universal vaccination against COVID (the spark that lit rather than than the cause of our woes) looking forward to a return to “normal.” But that normal will be a “new normal” and I fear it won’t go well with our infrastructures continuing to fail.
It’s not an impossible task to rejuvinate our nation. We need new federal goals and objectives, and new infrastructures to realize them. Every generation steps up to the world stage equally unprepared to govern and commerce. Now, it’s time for the “new” generation to do so with all their ideals, ideas and hopes for a better world. And it needs to be accomplished through compromise and consensus, the two cornerstones of democratic government.
So what can one expect if things after the current TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese bottoms out, and the next generation finally steps up to play? That’s what THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor is all about. A science-based future (SciFu) study of NewAmerica, and the challenges it might present to three young firebrands, as they search for meaning, their places and relationships in an increasingly complex and dangerous world, where every pleasure awaits — if one can afford them. But it’s also a love triangle and coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them being: Can love or sanity be found in such a world, begging the question of what, if anything, in the future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
Now available from Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific and Honolulu) as well as Amazon and, internationally with free shipping from The Book Depository.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
It’s not an impossible task to rejuvinate our nation. We need new federal goals and objectives, and new infrastructures to realize them. Every generation steps up to the world stage equally unprepared to govern and commerce. Now, it’s time for the “new” generation to do so with all their ideals, ideas and hopes for a better world. And it needs to be accomplished through compromise and consensus, the two cornerstones of democratic government.
So what can one expect if things after the current TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese bottoms out, and the next generation finally steps up to play? That’s what THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor is all about. A science-based future (SciFu) study of NewAmerica, and the challenges it might present to three young firebrands, as they search for meaning, their places and relationships in an increasingly complex and dangerous world, where every pleasure awaits — if one can afford them. But it’s also a love triangle and coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them being: Can love or sanity be found in such a world, begging the question of what, if anything, in the future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
Now available from Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific and Honolulu) as well as Amazon and, internationally with free shipping from The Book Depository.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
