S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 83

My First Memory

I found this "30-day writing challenge" on Facebook. And since I'm always looking for ideas about what to blog about, I decided to use some of the prompts. But I won't be posting once every day for thirty days, more like once a week until I run out of prompts I like. For instance, one prompt is "What tattoos you have and if they have any meaning." Well, I have no tattoos because I've never thought of anything I wanted to permanently etch into my hide.

So let's get started. The first prompt I'm going to do is: "Your earliest memory."

This is an interesting (and somewhat controversial) subject.

I don't know how old I was, but quite young (probably a toddler). I was in bed and my mother came in to my room with what looked like a huge pair of scissors. She said (this is my memory), "I'm going to cut your feet out of your pajamas." Which I interpreted as she was going to cut my feet off. I remember saying "No!" and "Don't cut off my feet!"

Finally, she explained she was going to cut the feet of my pajamas off because she thought I was too warm with them. So I calmed down and let her do it.

Many years later I asked my mother if she remembered that. She said she did. But, she added, I couldn't talk. But in my memory I distinctly remember talking. That's the controversy.

I have another memory and I don't know if it's before or after that one about the pajamas. And no one in my family remembers it. But I remember the neighbor across the street having a huge candle with a gigantic flame in their front yard (maybe for a Christmas decoration). My brother or sister would hold me up to the window to see it, but it scared me and I would yell. I don't remember talking in this memory. I just remember being scared.

My first memory of a news even was John F. Kennedy's funeral. I turned on the T.V. one day and was disappointed to find that both channels had some parade. At first I thought it would be fun to see a parade. But the parade was boring and I turned it off. Years later I saw pictures of the funeral procession for JFK, and realized that's what I was watching. I would have been three years old.

My Latest Novel, Forces, Now Available for Pre-Order

My latest novel, Forces, is now available for pre-order from Amazon and Smashwords.

From the back cover:

Captain Olly Johnson has twice used his stolen Bussard ram jet, the Longboat, to blackmail human colonies into giving him large amounts of gold. That makes him humanity's first interstellar pirate, even though his ship travels slower than light. One more profitable raid, and Johnson thinks he, his family, and his First Mate John Larsen can retire, and never have to worry about money again.

Approaching a third star system after an eight-year (ship's time) journey, the pirates have found mysteries they cannot solve: an entire population of a human colony missing and an unknown, alien-looking ship in orbit. When the alien ship comes after them and they can't outrun its superior technology, they have to decide to fight or surrender. And Johnson isn't the type to surrender.

Have they stumbled into a galactic war, or are they about to start one?

Be the first on your block to enjoy the science fiction adventure!

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Kelvin Kwa and Kevin Tumlinson

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Kelvin Kwa and Kevin Tumlinson.
Kelvin KwaKelvin Kwa

Kelvin Kwa is a Microsoft certified professional with a diploma in computing and applied physics. His love of technology, mythology and fantasy has led to years of collecting and reading. Kwa is a husband and a father living near Melbourne, Australia. Apex Predator is his first book.

Kelvin 's Book:

Apex Predator

Kelvin's Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Kevin TumlinsonKevin Tumlinson

Kevin is the author of dozens of novels and novellas, including his popular contemporary science fiction suspense novel, Evergreen. Kevin lives with his wife, Kara, in the Greater Houston area, but has a grand master plan to chuck it all and live as an RV nomad, exploring the world, chasing his travel muse, and creating stories from the grist he finds out there.

Kevin's Books:

Evergreen

Edge

30-Day Author

Kevin's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

From Today's Show: Pregnant T-Rex Found.

Listen to today's show at 6:00 PM ET/ 3:00 PM PT, or in archive here.

Mass versus Weight

The "bulk bag" of industrial powder massed over a ton (2,400 pounds to be exact). It was suspended from a chain and could turn easily. For some reason I wanted to turn it (I don't remember the reason why). So I pushed on it and got it spinning. When I wanted it to stop spinning, I tried to do so. And I found it nearly impossible. It was weightless, but it still had mass and therefore momentum and I couldn't stop its angular momentum as easily as I thought I should be able to.

That was a real-life practical experience for me dealing with mass versus weight.

Mass is a property of matter. All matter has mass. Mass is important. For example, in Newton's second law, force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). And momentum is mass times velocity (p=mv).

("Force," "acceleration," "momentum," and "velocity" are all vectors but we'll ignore that for simplicity sake.)

Weight depends on a gravitational field. Weight equals mass times the force of gravity (W=mg). But the force of gravity is not a constant and is depended on mass of the two objects being acted upon, and the distance between them. But when one of the objects is the Earth (5,972,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg) and the other is you (say 100 kg), you can pretty much ignore your mass.

Earth's gravitational acceleration is 9.8 meters per second per second. That means in on second falling on Earth, you'll be going 9.8 meters per second (about 22 mph). After another second you'll be going 19.6 meters per second (44 mph). After five seconds you'll be going 49.0 meters per second (110 mph). (This assumes no air resistance).

So let's say you mass 100 kg. So your weight on Earth is (using F-ma) 980 Newtons. Nobody talks Newtons when it comes to weight. So how do you convert Newtons to kilograms? Divide by the acceleration of gravity) "g" which is 9.8 and, voila, you weigh 100 kg.

Now, on the moon, the acceleration of gravity is about 1/6th that of the acceleration of gravity on Earth, or 1.63 meters per second per second. So on the moon you weigh 100kg times 1.63 = 163 Newtons. divide that by g and you get 16.6 kilograms. Which is what you would weigh on the moon.

But you still mass 100 kg. Remember our equation for momentum was p=mv? On the moon, "m" is the same (100 kg) as on the Earth, on Venice, an Rigel IV, where ever. So a walk of say 4 mph on Earth is 1.8 meters per second. So you'd have a momentum of 180 kilogram meters per second. And on the moon, you'd have the exact same momentum.

Here's the tricky part. Fiction depends on weight. So you stop walking on Earth and the fiction you have is six times that you have on the moon. You stop quickly, but on the moon you'd probably bump into the wall because you couldn't stop as fast. You have less weight but you have mass and therefore momentum.

Clear as mud?

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Roxanne Angelie San Jose and Brent Ayscough

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Roxanne Angelie San Jose and Brent Ayscough.
Roxanne Angelie San Jose 

My name is Roxanne Angelie San Jose. Anyone can simply call me "Roxanne". I was born on September 26, 1989 in the Philippines and migrated in America at the age of 13. I graduated with a degree in Political Science in UNLV Class of 2012 and currently taking web design certification program in CSN.

Roxanne's Book:

Annagram 

Roxanne's Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Brent AyscoughBrent Ayscough



Brent Ayscough or Ace, as he is known to friends, retired from the practice of law and lives in a house overlooking the sea in Southern California. He has always loved machines, from airplanes to motorcycles, structural design, and other interests. He has enjoyed the acquaintance of diverse and interesting people, and is widely traveled. Bits and pieces of characters he has known, places he has been, seasoned with the spice of his imagination, help him create unusual stories and characters. Extensive collaboration with experts and sources, hopefully, make his stories credible and interesting.
Brent's Book:

The Visitor


From Today's Show: AI beat Go Champion.

Listen to today's show at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.

Portlandia

I have just watched the first season (it was only six episodes) of Portlandia on Netflix, the IFC comedy about the biggest city in Oregon. It is sketch comedy, with no plot, really. There are a few reoccurring characters but they have no story arc.

Now I lived in Portland one summer when I was doing an internship in Oregon City. And for five years I lived in Vancouver, Washington, which is a suburb of Portland. So Portland is not an unknown thing to me. And the show nails the culture of Portland almost perfectly from the feminist bookstore to the aggressive bicyclists to the all-consuming more-liberal-than-thou politics of its residents. If you've lived or visited Portland, you'll recognize something, and not just the scenery.

And just when I keep thinking I'll give up on the show, it does something laugh-out-loud funny. Like when the mayor had to come out a "reggae" and his stoic wife stood by his side (he'd been caught playing in a reggae band).

I don't know if I'll keep watching it. But I probably will. It just manages to be funny enough to keep me interested. Plus I'm waiting for Better Call Saul season two.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Jason P. Crawford and Joshua Delaney

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are proud to welcome writers Jason P. Crawford and Joshua Delaney

Jason P. CrawfordJason P. Crawford

Jason P. Crawford is an award-winning fiction novelist who specializes in the far reaches of the imagination – magics hidden for centuries, mythical beings coming to light, fantastical technologies from the stars, and the elemental powers of dragons are all grist for his literary mill. Since September 2012 he has published six novels in a variety of speculative genres. Currently typing up his latest works in the tropical paradise of Hawaii, he has plans to move back to the mainland United States very soon. He draws inspiration from legends, games, and random conversations.

Jason's Books:

Dragon Princess

Bonds of Fate

Cycles of Destruction

Jason's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Joshua Delaney

I’m 20 years old, and have an associate's degree in Culinary. Where when I was going to college began to work on my first book. I do most of my writing from 12 am to 3 am in the morning as I work long hours during the day.
Joshua's Book:
The World Beyond Sight
Joshua's Link:
Facebook
 From today's show: 3-D Printing in Space
Listen to today's show at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.

Spring into Reading Giveaway

Ah, spring, when a young man's thought's turn to Benedryl.

And time for a Spring into Reading giveaway! There's hundreds of prizes from over fifty authors and a grand prize of $180 PayPal Cash. So enter below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And good luck!

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Austin C, Slawinski and John Paul Carinci

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Austin C. Slawinski and John Paul Carinci.
Austin C. SlawinskiAustin C. Slawinski

Austin C. Slawinski is an American writer with an unadulterated love for life, freedom, and the universe. Born in 1993, Austin enjoys driving, listening to loud music, drinking cold beverages on hot beaches near beautiful bodies of water and stargazing. An Almost Fluorescent Universe is Austin's first book.

Austin's Book:

An Almost Fluorescent Universe

Austin's Links:

Twitter
Instagram

John Paul Carinci

John Paul Carinci has been a successful insurance executive and president of Carinci Insurance Agency, Inc., for over 35 years.

John is also an author, songwriter, poet, and CEO of Better Off Dead Productions, Inc., a movie production company.

As a worldwide published author, some of John’s works include: An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed, The Power of Being Different,  In Exchange of Life,  Share Your Mission #5, A Second Chance, The Psychic Boy Detective, Better Off Dead, Better Off Dead In Paradise, Defying Death In Hagerstown, Awesome Success Principles and Quotations, and A Gift from Above.

His newest novel, Defying Death In Hagerstown, has received rave reviews, and he is trying to have it made into a film.

John is also co-writer of the screenplays: Better Off Dead, A Second Chance, and Better Off Dead in Paradise, which were all adapted from his novels, and may one day be produced as motion pictures.


John’s three self-help books, The Power of Being Different, An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed, and Awesome Success Principles and Quotations, have been translated and published in many foreign countries. John’s latest novel, Defying Death In Hagerstown, is being traditionally published and will be available in paperback by April of 2015. It is currently available in e-book format.

John's Books:

Defying Death In Hagerstown

Awesome Success Principles

Psychic Boy Detective

John's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

From Today's Show: All the Aliens Might be Dead

Listen to today's show at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.

The World is Not Kind to Introverts

The world is not kind to introverts. You know, those people (like me) who don't really enjoy large groups, who would rather be alone, and for whom dealing with other humans is exhausting.

Why? Because people do pretty much everything in groups. You want a job, you have to deal with people: co-workers, customers, bosses, subordinates. Unless you can make a living at your solo art such as writing, you have to deal with people in your work.

It's always been this way. Even back in caveman days people congregated together for mutual protection and cooperation. You might be able to gather alone, but hunting anything bigger than a rabbit probably required cooperation. You aren't going to bring down that woolly mammoth by your self.

And, of course, Og the extrovert caveman, got all the cavegirls.

As an introvert myself, I find technology is helping. I can buy gas without having to interact with a human. If I can send an email or a text rather then calling someone, I will.

Give me more of that as A.I. improves. Of course, if A.I. is indistinguishable from a person, then will the introvert know or care?

Introverts must have figured out a way to cope. We haven't been bred out of the population so we must be reproducing, passing our introverted genes down to the next generation. And this must have been going on since Og got all the cavegirls. We got the cavegirl who liked to spend her days reading the wall paintings. You know, the introvert cavegirl.

Most jobs where you can be most successful seem to require extroversion. Or at least being able to fake it. But at the end of the day the extrovert wants to go out for drinks. The introvert wants to go home and recover. Who is going to gain the favor of the extrovert boss, the raises, the big pay? Yeah, the extrovert.

I don't think there's a way to solve this. I suppose we could have a federal level Department of Introverts. But then we'd all not want to talk to each other.