Jason P. Crawford's Blog, page 2

Facepalm Friday - 5/15/15

Welcome to Facepalm Friday!
On Facepalm Friday, I list a few things that I think are just...dumb. Wrong. Stupid. I discuss them and then rate them by the number of facepalms. For my images, I decided to pull the everpresent Star Trek facepalm memes, starting with Picard and going up all the way to Batman. I did not, in any way, create these images.

WOMAN SUES ALL GAYS ON BEHALF OF GOD
Earlier this month, a woman filed a federal lawsuit in Omaha against all homosexuals on behalf of the Lord. She wrote a handwritten petition to the court, explaining her reasoning and how all gays obviously know that what they're doing is sinful; else, why would they hide? On May 6th, the lawsuit was dismissed by the Federal judge, who said, "A federal court is not a forum for debate on theological matters." (source: Omaha World-Herald)
~~~MY OPINIONWhat the heck? I just...I don't know. I sat openmouthed at my computer, then laughed for several minutes when I saw this article. I understand that people are raised differently, and that many, especially in the older generation (this woman was 66, I believe), have a difficult time accepting that homosexuality is a scientific fact and has its roots in biology, not choice. (Source: Nature World News, among others). That's fine, and I don't ridicule people for that. I prefer to educate.
But a lawsuit, on God's behalf, against ALL OF THEM? How is that even practical? Who would represent them? Who would represent God? I don't understand what she actually hoped to accomplish by this, except making herself look like a fool. Does anyone know? How could this possibly have advanced her cause, even if the culture were different. What would she have been awarded?
I don't know. Because I understand where this comes from but not how it makes any sense, in any universe, ever, I award this action...the DOUBLE FACEPALM!

~~~JOSS WHEDON ACCUSED OF BEING SEXIST BECAUSE OF AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
SPOILERS!
So, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk) have begun, tentatively, a romantic relationship. Mr. Whedon came under fire for this, people claiming that the relationship demeaned the Black Widow character and made her dependent on a man. A lot of it was really venomous and vitriolic, especially when you consider that the man has made a career out of giving women strong characters to believe in.
~~~
MY OPINIONOkay. Full disclosure: I'm a white male. I freely admit that I have benefited from privilege my entire life, and that there's probably still a lot of it I don't see. That being said...
Is falling in love with someone really anti-feminist? Is that sexist?
The relationship doesn't have that "obsessive" quality that, say, Twilight's does. Natasha doesn't go running after him when he leaves, or spend time wishing he were there. When Bruce is too overwhelmed and says they should run away together, she hurls him into a pit to turn him into the Hulk so he can fight the bad guy.
How is this a weak woman?
She cares for him. That's obvious. But she doesn't lose any of the qualities that make her independent, or powerful. She's as surprised as anyone by their connection, but that's what it is: a connection born out of close association, working together, and familiarization. Not love at first sight. Not childish things. There was no stereotyping or pandering or demeaning in the entire relationship.
That's my perspective, and the perspective of Mr. Whedon, and many other people. I understand the gut reaction of a strong female character having "soft" moments, but I reject the idea that that means sexism. Therefore, I give this accusation...THE FACEPALM!

~~~
HEATHER HIRONIMUS IS ARRESTED FOR PROTECTING HER SON FROM COURT-ORDERED CIRCUMSION!
Okay, bear with me. This'll take a minute.
Since March, Heather Hironimus and her son, Chase, have been on the run from the authorities. When Chase was born, Heather and the boy's father, Dennis Nebus, signed a parenting agreement that called for the boy's circumcision. It never happened.
Now he's four and a half years old, and the father wants it done. In the intervening time, Heather researched the issue and decided that she no longer wanted her son to have the procedure.
Dennis took her to court.
The judge found in his favor and ordered Heather to have the procedure done. She refused and ran off with Chase. An arrest warrant was issued for her, and she's been in hiding in a domestic shelter for two months. This past week, the police brought her in.
She has filed a federal suit against Dennis and the judge who issued the order. Thanks to an emergency motion filed by her attorney, the federal courts are going to make a decision on all issues on Monday.
Chase doesn't want the procedure. Doctors have testified that there is no medically compelling reason for him to have it, so it amounts to cosmetic surgery at best.
And now Heather is in prison.
~~~MY OPINION
So I think circumcision is stupid. It has no basis in medical scientific fact except in VERY specific cases, and RIC (routine infant circumcision) is only practiced en-masse by the United States and certain African countries where we're doing it in order to help stop the spread of HIV, at least without a religious reason.
By the way, it doesn't do that very well, and condoms do it better. In fact, the recommendations are that, even if you're circumcised, you need to wear a condom...so why have it cut off?
(Reasons that an intact foreskin is better than being circumcised: Doctors Opposing Circumcision)
But that doesn't even matter. What matters is that this is a medically non-necessary surgery that is being forced upon a child old enough to vocalize his choice. He's saying No! Don't cut parts of me off! And his father, and the judge, are refusing to listen. What does that mean for him later? How will he trust his father ever again?
What kind of society are we living in where we won't even listen to children as regards their own bodies? What are we teaching those same children?
Is it any wonder that grown men see women as objects, if they, as children, were treated as such? How can they learn bodily respect and integrity if it's not shown to them?
This is a travesty. This is wrong. I hope that the federal judge sees how horrific this would be and denies it, freeing Heather and protecting Chase. I hope that basic humanity wins out over cultural indoctrination and stupidity.
I am forced to give this development the BATMAN FACEPALM. If you agree and want to help Heather afford her legal fees, go here: http://chasesguardians.org/wp/ and donate. It's tax-deductible. Thank you.

Do you have anything you've heard worthy of Facepalm Friday? Let me know at jnewmanwriting@gmail.com or in the comments.

Triumphant Thursday - 5/14/15

Welcome to Triumphant Thursdays!

Triumphant Thursday is a look at several things I've found in the last week that are just awesome. We celebrate victories, both individual and globally. I share my own and those of others.

First, one of mine:

CHAINS OF PROPHECY WINS ANOTHER AWARD!
Chains of Prophecy, my first published novel, won the Hidden Gem Awards for Supernatural Fiction! The competition was strong, but out of five finalists CoP emerged victorious! Go Sam!

You can check out Scookie's review of Chains of Prophecy, as well as the other finalists, at the link below.



Scookie Reviews: Hidden Gem Awards: 1st Place: #1 The Chains of Prophecy Jason P. Crawford When Samuel Buckland discovers he's descended of a powerful bloodline, he must fi...

~~~
AUDI GENERATES CARBON-NEUTRAL RENEWABLE FUEL!
The German car company Audi has created a form of diesel they call "e-diesel." This fuel is generated from water and atmospheric carbon dioxide, resulting in fuel that doesn't contribute to climate change - in other words, it's carbon neutral. Audi only has one plant capable of making this fuel at present, but they hope to expand soon and quickly. You can read all about it at the link below.
This is fantastic because it's another avenue away from burning fossil fuels. Scientific consensus demands that humanity find another way to sustain itself or we will make Earth uninhabitable for our species. This is a step in the right direction. Good job, Audi!


http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097961_audi-produces-e-diesel-fuel-from-water-co2-renewable-energy
~~~
DID NASA CREATE WARP DRIVE? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT, BUT IT'S EXCITING!
You may have heard about the possible breakthrough from NASA: a fuelless propulsion system that may be breaking some of the fundamental laws of physics, allowing objects to travel faster than the speed of light (not yet, but once the tech is expanded out). The measured thrust is low so far, only a few micronewtons of force, but the potential is immeasurable. If this tech bears fruit, we could be looking at trips to Mars in a few days, and interstellar travel could become a possibility. Check out the original discovery below.
http://www.iflscience.com/space/warp-drives-mars-and-back-time-lunch
Of course, not everyone agrees that we should be jumping up and down. Science requires verification and caution, and some of those protocols have not yet been met.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ethansiegel/2015/05/04/no-nasa-did-not-accidentally-invent-warp-drive/
~~~
I'd love to hear your thoughts on any and all of the Triumphs this Thursday!
Happy reading!

What Are You Reading Wednesdays - 5/13/15

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Its A Reading Thing. Be sure to stop by and visit them! To participate, just answer these three questions about what you are reading this Wednesday. If you have a blog, feel free to leave a link to your post, or just leave your answers in the comments below.

The Questions are:

1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share one complete sentence.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

My Answers:

1. I'm not reading a fiction book at present, so I'll use the last one I read: No Reflection by Spencer Hughes.

2. "I AM GOING TO THROW UP!"

3. ...Yes? I'm going to say yes. Even though Hughes has created a world full of supernatural horrors...there's magic in it, and wonder, and I would like to live in a world where that existed, even if it was more dangerous and I had to fight.

Thanks for reading! You can sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/WKiav and receive a free copy of my award-winning novel Chains of Prophecy!

Now offering editing services

So my wife and I are moving to Hawaii soon. I also want to make a larger contribution to our indie author community. I've had personal interactions with many authors who lament the expense of editing, and even some who have paid good money and gotten crap work in return.

So I'm putting myself out there as a freelance editor. 

Here are my basic rates:
$1.50/page: proofreading (this includes grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc)
$2.00/page: copyediting (this includes the above plus rewording sentences, suggesting new adjectives, inconsistencies, etc). This will also entail the creation of a style sheet for later editors to use.
$4.00/page: developmental editing (this includes comments about what in your story is working, which scenes should be expanded/cut, etc).

I'm happy to work with our indie authors on installment payments, and all of my proofreading/copyediting is backed up by a guarantee. If you find any mistakes, I'll go back in and fix it again at no extra charge.

I know it's hard to find good, cost-effective editors as an independent author...and not all of us can do it ourselves. If you're interested, you can contact me at jnewmanwriting@gmail.com. Please use the subject line EDITING REQUEST so I can easily sort the emails.

Thanks, and keep writing!

Elpis #5

The screen flickered as the computer transmitted the command to the ship itself. Lights flicked on everywhere, and the humming of the engines increased. The drifting beads of water that had escaped climate control so far fell to the ground in a pitter-patter, and she felt the weight of gravity settle about her neck and shoulders once again.
“Acknowledged. Subjects will be awake within four hours, with a five percent margin of error.”
“Right.” Irina leaned down, switched off her boots, and stepped out of her pod’s alcove into the cramped hallway. “Now, remind me how to get to the bridge.”Soundless ScreamingNadr al-Sahir leaned against the elevator wall, his eyes closed, thinking, remembering. He turned his head and glanced once more at his tablet’s display, where the message from the Head of Security still burned.
“All primary colonists, report to the main briefing room at once. Do not discuss anything with anyone else. I will explain what’s going on when you arrive.-Irina Dovenka, CDR
His first instinct had been to query the computer for information, for data, but everything was locked out by Dovenka, and none of his passcodes would get through.
“Don’t discuss with anyone else?” Nadr shook his head. He had passed a few others on the way out, in various states of dress and preparation, but had held to the order, giving a cursory nod as he moved on. “That doesn’t make any sense. Something must have happened.”

Maybe we’re adrift in space. It’s not like you’d be able to feel it. He wiped away the sweat beading on his brow. Or we got lost. Navigation malfunctioned. Maybe…

Elpis #4

She dropped the tablet back onto the shelf and grabbed her electric pistol and holster, belting the weapon on before picking the computer up again. “Where are we?”
“Current location is approximately…”
“No, never mind. How long until we arrive at Elpis?”
“Orbit expected to occur in seventeen hours, twenty-three minutes, with a seven percent margin of error.”
“Fine.” Seventeen hours. That’s not long to figure out what’s going on. She tapped her foot against the floor, boot ringing on metal. Okay. Calm. By the book.
“What caused the deaths?”
“Cryogenic pods initiated wake-up procedures without draining stasis fluid or altering external environment. As a consequence, all subjects involved were unable to escape the pod, and, due to their heightened metabolic rates, asphyxiated within minutes.”
Irina rubbed her forehead with her free hand. “Holy hell. They drowned?”
“Yes.”
The only thing that could have done that is the computer itself. Someone must have screwed with the computer, told it what to do…but how?
She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.
“Give me the list of the primary colonization wave.”
The tablet complied, displaying the colonists who were to be awakened first to initiate the colonization effort. In addition to the command crew, there were one-hundred specialists in various fields—technicians, scientists, economists, mechanics, engineers—that would be responsible for setting up the new colony infrastructure before rousing the rest.
All right. Need to know basis. We’ve got seventeen hours before we get there.

“Initiate awakening procedures for the primary colonization wave. Authorization code Bravo Delta.”

Elpis #3

Could be worse.She ran her hand through her close-cut brown hair. Got off easy.
She turned away from the mirror, stepping out into the hallway.
“Wha…wait a minute. What’s going on?”
This section of the ship was close-fitting, cryogenic pods stacked in one atop the other. Over a hundred colonists and crew slept away the journey across the Milky Way in stasis. The electrical activity required to keep the pods running charged the atmosphere in the area, smelling of ozone and iron. She narrowed her eyes.
“There should be more people awake.” Irina moved to the next pod, her eyes scanning over the data readouts—heart rate, oxygen consumption, core body temperature. All indicated deep hibernation.
“Commander.” The voice came from her personal tablet, still in its holder in the cabinet. “You have received an automated message with a priority of Urgent. Are you prepared to receive it?”
Irina stopped, turning, her lips thin. She swallowed, squared her shoulders, and marched toward the tablet, picking it up. “Yes.”
A green light flashed across her eyes, confirming her identity, and then the message appeared on the screen. One of Irina’s hands went to her mouth of its own volition as she read.Urgent: Captain, ISS VentureCC: Commander of Security, ISS Venture.Critical System Failure Log: 12:47 GMT, 10 Jun 2416Complete Pod Failure
 Irina scanned down the list of affected pods. This…this is the entire command crew, from the captain down to the communications tech.She shook her head, checked again. What the hell is going on?

Elpis #2

Have we already arrived? The shaking lessened, and she stretched out her hand, testing it, flexing her fingers as she watched the distorted images collapse into recognizable patterns. She blinked new tears out of her eyes, then put her hand down and turned her head.
The pod had opened to the inner environment of the ship. The glass walls no longer obscured the view; instead, Irina had a clear picture of everything around her.
“Body temperature reaching 35 degrees. Neural recovery satisfactory. One minute to completion of procedure.” Electrodes released their hold on her head, retracting on small metal cables into the pod.Irina put her hands underneath her body. The platform was warm, and her skin had shed the ice water left over from the cryogenic sleep. The shivering stopped, and she felt strength returning to her muscles. The restraints withdrew, and she floated several inches above the platform.
“Procedure complete. Welcome back, Commander Dovenka.”
Irina pushed herself up, feeling the tendons flex and the ligaments stretch as she moved. Now upright, she reached for the nearby cabinet labeled with her name, opening the doors to reveal clothes and dry rations, a drawer for personal effects, and a portable tablet computer. She dressed, smoothing the uniform over her body. Her fingers felt clumsy, slow, and buttoning her shirt took a few more tries than expected.
Last, she powered on the magnetic boots, and they pulled her to the floor, attaching to the ship with enough force to hold her in place.
Irina examined her reflection in the mirror, poking at the bruises, the dark patches, the irritated areas that indicated the monitoring sites. 

Elpis #1

So I've decided that, in order to have some regular content for my log, I will be publishing a serial novel. I'll put up a single page (approx 250 words) every day. I look forward to your comments!

Awakening in the VoidHe opens his eyes in the darkness. His chest moves, heaving, searching for oxygen, but there is none; his lungs are filled with frozen slush, and he feels the crystals tearing at the delicate sacs within as the organs move in and out. His heart pumps like mad, wakening from its torpor and responding to the liquid panic flooding his blood. He screams, soundless, airless. "His thoughts are like his fists, ineffectual and unfocused, slamming against the inside of his brain, losing strength, fading back into the shadow.But this time, he would not awaken.~~~Irina Dovenka took her first breath twenty-seven hours later as the automatic systems on her cryogenic pod brought her out of hibernation.The first sense to return was sound. A slow gurgle of draining fluid, the humming of electricity. An awareness of her own breathing. A tapping sound, something hard on metal, irregular, sporadic. The shivering started then as warmth began seeping into her consciousness, muscles reacting to the low core temperature as best they could, sending her into spasms, uncontrollable. Metalloid plastics rubbed against Irina’s skin, wet and icy, and her teeth chattered in her head. Blurry shapes began to resolve from the blinding white background as her eyes refocused, relearning their function and resuming their work.“Body temperature reaching 32 degrees. Neural recovery within nominal limits. Two minutes to completion of procedure.”
The machine’s words cut through Irina’s mind like a blade through the fog. 

Stand with Rachel Ann Nunes and stand against plagarism!

Hello, readers!

Plagarism is a tough thing for an author. I've heard the saying, and I don't know who it's by, that "plagarism is the sincerest form of flattery."

(That might actually be "imitation," now that I think of it.)

Anyway. Well-known authors who find others plagarizing (that is, publishing the same or functionally the same works as their own) have a comparatively easy time of it: they can bring up the proof that their work was created first, have lawyers send cease and desist notices, sue, whatever. They have the money to do this, and the cases are often open-and-shut.

Independent authors, however, are in for harder times.

See, most of us don't have tons of money. Even those who are "relatively" successful, selling books daily, usually can't make it our career - and if we can, then all that money is going to food and sleep and electricity or pens. Not a lot left for lawyer's fees.

Rachel Ann Nunes is an independent author who has run afoul of a plagarist. She has presented sufficient evidence to convince me that her cause is just. The plagarist, Tiffanie Rushton, was a teacher who used her students' names and email accounts in order to publish positive reviews of her stolen work and negative reviews of Nunes' in an attempt to discredit her. To raise money for the civil lawsuit, Nunes has started a GoFundMe campaign. Unfortunately, donations are lagging - it's been four months and she is only about a third of the way to her goal.

I'm supporting Rachel Ann Nunes and all independent authors who want their works protected. Creating art, including books, and then watching someone else steal and profit from it without reservation would be terrible. It would be like pulling out someone's heart.

This is the link to Rachel's GoFundMe campaign. Please stop in, read the evidence for yourself, then give what you can. http://www.gofundme.com/standingagain...

Independent authors need you.

Thanks,
Jason P. Crawford