Yours Truly

Yours Truly
Janet Fauble at home

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

The Painted Girls is a novel written in first person through the eyes of two sisters, Marie and Antoinette.  This is a character study based upon paintings by Degas who studied and copied the appearances of ballerinas in his art studio in Paris.   The author has a vivid imagination, did research the  times and the lives of persons who lived  in the time of Degas, and created her own fantasy tale in this bleak look at the lives of the ballerinas who studied to become stars at the Opera.

An aside here...years ago when I was teaching English in California, I had the good fortune to have a short story called Bimbo in our literature book.  Bimbo was based upon a dog found in Pompeii with a cookie in his mouth.  An imaginative author wrote a short story based simply upon this discovery of this dog with the cookie.  This is what The Painted Girls makes me remember...Bimbo.  This creative author has done the same with the use of her characters Marie and Antoinette, with whom she tells their story of their lives in Paris.

 Antoinette is the older of three sisters who live with a widowed mother who is a washerwoman.  The mother has lost her husband, and her income to support the girls.  So Antoinette and Marie who are the older girls must find ways to bring in moneys to pay the rent, since Mother is also addicted to absinth and is usually so tipsy as not to be able to stay awake when at home. She does continue to hold her job as a washerwoman.  But through Marie and Antoinette, we learn how each one of them adapts to these harsh circumstances as they try to earn enough money to keep food in the tummy and a roof over their heads. Charlotte is the youngest sister who is also studying for the ballet.

It seems to me that Cathy Buchanan has studied the girls who Degas actually painted, and tried to bring them to life in this novel.  She succeeds very well in developing her story through the eyes of both sisters.  She paints a picture of lives so dreary that the only hope that they have is through dance, the ballet, and through working at neighborhood shops, baking bread, or if need by, finding a sponsor if talented enough who will pay their way through ballet lessons.

This book is a fascinating study in contrasts.  She introduces us to two men who are exciting to Antoinette who has given up on her chance to be in the opera but who has found a man who seems to give her attention, affection, and comfort.  Antoinette is forever annoying to me in that this man who she likes so much is the only man she has ever known to show any attention to her so that she commits to him so totally that it is emotionally shattering.  In the meantime, Marie cannot stand Emilie Abadie who is always using Antoinette for his own ends. But he rewards her with money enough to pay for the food and the rent of the hovel where they live, so she hangs on to him for dear life. Unfortunately, he is a bad one who is going to turn her life upside down.

The harshness of the impoverished girls is contrasted to that of the patrons of the ballerinas who are very rich and prominent.  Eventually, Marie becomes a model for Degas who rewards her financially as well.  Her mother's attitude about her modeling is most fascinating.  Incredulous to me.

Buchanan makes us feel the impoverished state so well that it is heartbreaking to live through these girls  needs.  Too well we understand why it is that Antoinette needs and defends Emilie Abadie so much, and why it is that Marie turns to Degas to model for him.

The plot thickens as Emilie and his friend are accused of murder, and Antoinette is taken to a house of prostitution where she learns how the really rich live in Paris.  The study of the house of prostitution is a fascinating and intriguing one.  It is a wonder that anyone saved their virtue in Paris when a house is run and operated so well as this one.

In this novel, we even are taken into the worst of prisons. Antoinette  has to go visit Emilie when he is accused of murdering a former female friend.   The description of the guards, the interior of the prison, and the hours of waiting to see her man are exceptionally well written.  Her sincere belief in Emilie's innocence gives us a glimpse of hope in this harsh environment, but the jurors who listen to the defense and the prosecution are not quite so enamored with either young men.  Evidence appears to convict them despite Antoinette's certainty that Emilie is an innocent.

 I am so impressed with Buchanan's research into the lot of Parisian women, and especially the lot of the impoverished.  Naturally, as in most European nations in that age, a strong belief in a faith is ever present but also ever challenged.  This novel is one of the most challenging looks at life in a city soiled by excesses.  For all its so called glamor, Paris is a tawdry place in which to dwell at this time in its history.

While not a pageturner, the novel is satisfying in many ways.  One learns about the art of ballet, the role of modeling for an artist, and the changing history of Paris.  I recommend it highly.





Highly recommend.

Review of The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

The Other Woman is a modern contemporary novel which is politically based.  A deep penetrating look at the modern day political entity is made in this mystery novel about a female investigative reporter who is following the career of a powerful political candidate.  Jane Ryland has been a broadcast journalist who because of her integrity and decency regarding a source of information has lost her job at  Channel 11, a t.v. studio in Boston.  She won't tell her source's identity and therefore, in a court suit, has lost a case which leaves her with egg on her face.  Despite the fact that she has told the truth about the defendant on trial, the juror does not buy into her story, and so she is forced out of her television job to become a print reporter for a friend who believes in her despite her career failure.  She is then positioned to investigate the candidate's wife, who confides in her since she believes she is a trustworthy reporter so that she becomes very involved in the personal lives of the candidate and his family.  In the meantime, bodies of young women are being found near a bridge in Boston which is under investigation by a young bright sharpie of a detective who Jane finds attractive and friendly.  However, since our reporter is full of courage and integrity, she and the detective practice high ethical standards while being drawn deeper and deeper into emotional attraction and dependency.

Adultery in politics is a common household phrase now so that in this novel, Hank refers to Monica Lewinsky, John Edwards and Elizabeth, and several contemporary politicians whose lives have been that of the adulterer.  Ryan makes statements about politics and morality through the use of her characters so that finally in this particular book, our candidate does become somewhat tainted through hearsay but eventually triumphs over the rumors and hearsay evidence about his own personal life.

The murders are connected to the politics but in a twisted and unusual sense...therefore, Jane and her detective friend are thrown together many times while he tries to find the murderer, and she tries to discover the truth about women in pursuit of the candidate.

This is a very fast-paced novel which keeps one in suspense, but entertained all the time.  Hank Phillippi Ryan is an excellent  observer of human nature, has a wry wit, and a discerning mind.  This novel delights in fooling the reader...to the end.  The character of Jane Ryland remains professional and trustworthy despite all the temptations that assail her.  It is an interesting study of modern day American politics in many ways...I encourage anyone who is interested in a modern day woman fighting to save her own career to read this excellent novel.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Figuring out the Kentucky Derby

I am going to write this blog today which is exactly one week before post positions are selected to know which horse will be at the most advantageous spot to win. What does really matter when trying to figure out who will win the battle for the roses?

I will share my information for making my decisions with the few lucky people who will read my blogspot.  I am trying my best to figure out how to win this one at the lowest possible price also. I know many people try to buy a win.  It can be done.

But for the record, I am using information from several sources: handicappers, websites, and a set of stats provided by those who are willing to share and pool their knowledge.  So first of all, I sat down and read and studied the pace parameters for the 2013 Kentucky Derby which is available at a  website called chef-de-race.  From that I gleaned the four top contenders  who rank the highest in the stats department on their  actual race day performance.  I came up with eight horses, and the first four were pretty much favorites already since they have won so much and have such good performances.  Verrazano is number 1, and should by all rights, if everything went perfect, be the winner of the Derby this year.  But since nothing ever does go right, why not realize right away that he will either win it hands down or be a key horse in an exacta, trifecta, superfecta, or high five if they have a high five. I doubt that his jockey will try to cost him the race if he does not win...One often wonders if jockeys  perceive that they are going to lose that they just don't bother to try any further...one wonders.

 Overall since 1998, the Derby winner has been among the top five .  Ten times in 10f, 10fTT, 8 times in 3Fr, and 10fLQ and five times in %E.  Why keep stats? Now we know why.  It is convincing me to use this data.  This is a direct quote from the chef-de-race page.   So I went to work and studied the results to find the top five or ten...They are listed below.  Lord, let us hope that one of them is the Winner.

Strangely enough, the second favorite Orb did not fare well in this parameters thing so unless something is wrong with this piece of data, he ranks below the top 8.

The top horses are Verrazano, Vyjack, Normandy Invasion, Revolutionary, Golden Cents, Governor Charlie, It's My Lucky Day, and Java's War.    Black Onyx, MyLute, and Palace Malice rank just below these...Orb still does not come in to play in this scenario of the winner comes from this group...Maybe he will be the one time horse that pulls a surprise but most often the winners come from the horses listed above for their actual performances according to these set of stats.

My next set of data came from Horse Racing Nation which listed the fact that front runners fare badly but closers and pressers fare well at Churchill Downs. The stats on this are incredible and downright scarey.

This is where  I wonder at why it is that there are so many longshot high odds in the second, third, and fourth positions...The favorites do not even fare well here.

The year Giacomo won is the most astounding for the odds were that a horse going off 50 to 1 won but the horse that came in second was 71 to 1...The exacta alone was unbelievable, but the trifecta did include a 9-2 favorite

In order, and I will rank the winners odds for those consecutive years...but more importantly to me is what about those who came in second, third, and fourth, and even fifth...where are all the favorites?

Odds from Horseracing Nation story:  Win column: 13-1, 4-1, 50-1, 6-1, 5-1, 5-2, 50-1, 8-1, 21-1, and 19-1.    Why should I feel confident in a favorite when the odds are so prohibitive?  Can Verrazano or Orb who are already the two favorites beat these odds?  I wonder.

Now look at place columns: 5-2, 5-1, 71-1, 30-1,10-1,12-1,6-1, 11-1, 8-1, and 4-1.

Now look at show columns: 6-1, 11-1, 9-2, 9-2, 5-1, 27-1, 20-1, 12-1, 9-1, and 12-1.

Fourth position for superfecta: 9-1, 42-1, 42-1, 29-1, 29-1, 27-1, 12-1, 30-1, 23-1, and 30-1.

Horseracing Nation article did not supply stats for fifth place, but notice that the favorites are clearly out of the top four spots except twice to win...if 4 -1 is a favorite which at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby it is.

So what the heck.  How do we find the winner?

For sure, it most likely will be one of the aforementioned horses that I listed from the chef-de-race stats about parameters as that gave me I'll Have Another last year so that I trust it to do the same this year.

Can Doug O'Neill win back to back?  Can  Kevin Krigger carry the horse to the finish line?  He sounds as though he would try to do it if he could...Nobody will every say that he is not more than wanting to win this game....

One horse to consider that is not included is Lines of Battle since he is the real outside horse that is listed in Chef-de-Race but has no meaningful figures.  He could be trained well enough to prove that he could take it but it is highly unlikely.  But his speed ratings are good and no doubt his trainer is one of the very best.

So I am weighing all these facts, and deciding how to play this game.  I am sharing this only with facebook and my blog followers who frankly have no interest in it anyway...but I want to have it in writing so that when I win or lose I can see why.

My favorite is still Verrazano but I am also realistic enough to know that he must have a good post, confidence, and a desire to win. In my opinion, and this is where my years of study come into play, I can almost always pick the winner by watching him in the paddock or post parade. The horse always seems to know. And as Churchill Downs reminds me of a farm in Ohio with which I am long familiar, I have a partiality to it so that I maintain he likes the track wins the race.  The horse in the end decides the entire race, not the jockey, or the trainer.  But a good trainer will at least let his horse become "at home" for  a short time to get the feel of the place.

Churchill Downs is midwestern, is a family oriented track, and lacks much of the sophistication of the Florida tracks, but has a warm and friendly feeling to it.  California tracks are notorious for their laidback attitudes,  but Churchill Downs has history, midwestern values, and that is why the horse that feels that and adapts to it wins the race.  Nothing else...It is bluegrass Kentucky after all.

Good luck to any who do play this game and who read this blog.  I love Vyjack but feel that he is too small a horse to compete with some of the larger horses...a bit like Jackson Bend years ago who was also a small horse with a lot of heart.

Long tall legs make a lot of difference when racing down the stretch...I look at the legs...and yes, happy horses are a great sign of a confident horse...tails swishing are a good sign...but ears up, head at attention, and calm tell the story of a horse who is sure of himself...the horses that always look straight as an arrow are concentrating heavily...don't overlook body language...and believe me, the best horse will win no matter what.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Boston Bombing

On April 15, the Boston Marathon was interrupted by two bomb explosions.  Since then, all mayhem has broken loose but two suspects have been spotted in photographs taken by individuals as well as surveillance cameras.  One young man whose legs were blown off stared the carrier of one of the backpacks that contained the explosives in the eyes when he placed the bag down in front of him. He was able to describe him so that the FBI could find photographs of him. At this writing, another person who had taken a photograph that day had also captured one of the carriers so that his photo is now being distributed for someone to come forward to identify and perhaps get some kind of reward for his recognition of the men.**

In the photograph where the man is seen walking calmly away through the crowds, it appears that he is not one bit frightened or panicked as everyone else is.  In other words, he looks as though he knows very well what it was that he had been carrying.**

Now I am going to rush to conclusions just on the basis of all that I have seen so far. I do think that both men were in it together, that both men knew what they were doing, and that both men are a part of a conspiracy.**

I do not know how they will be found, but I am hoping that they will be discovered soon so that this search will end.  But had I been either of those men, as soon as I had left that area I would have gotten out of Boston as quickly as possible, and probably likely as not, they are both somewhere in that region in plain sight.  Their apparent calm and lack of concern amidst all this excitement is very troubling to me.  I hope they are caught soon.


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

mystery of lights

I know that each one of us is a bit too trusting.  Gullible is an understatement.  CNN tonight tried to derail several lies being told in the social media. I just got caught up in a story a bout strange lights in Iran.  It turns out that it is in Japan.

Strange Events tonight

Before Its News came up with a video which purported to be an earthquake in Iran. However, it turned out that the original video is from a volcanic eruption in Japan. Anyone can tell that it is a volcanic eruption but a strange light is seen at the foot of the volcano at a great distance but near to where this camera is recording the action. The white light pulsates, throbs, and sends little white rays out from its placement. Little white dots litter the sky above, and the Japanese video that I saw circles some of these white dots and calls them ufo's. What the strange light is has me guessing. It comes on suddenly and disappears just as quickly But notice all the other lighting effects around it It is not just a white orb as one video tries to say. There are several of these videos on youtube and it is the one which has the Rapture in its title which has comments explaining that this is an old video from Japan. Nobody does ever explain the pulsating light or the white dots. However, in a video on the side there is a volcano in Mexico with a ufo appearing to dive directly into the volcano. This is all quite fascinating.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Reason for Marie Antoinette film

The movie which the BBC showed in 1979 is a most interesting look at the life of Queen Marie Antoinette of France. It is a short presentation which gives only a glimpse into the problems that faced the Queen during these sorry times. I had just learned of it at Images through Axel, and while there, learned of an Italian who is consumed with a passion for Antoinette also. His name is Sergio who is an artist. His portraits of Antoinette are extraordinarily beautiful. Axel recommended this film so I just watched it, and found it very well done, considering that there is a lot to tell about this period of time. Antoinette is a very controversial woman whose friends and fans adore her and praise her, giving her the benefit of the doubt, and whose enemies hate her, and curse her for her apparent lack of empathy for the poor and dying peasants. Glossing over history is a sad thing to do to the real inhabitants. I had only known very little about French history during my youth, and it is mostly in recent times that I came to learn of the stories behind the French Revolution. Because when I was teaching at GHS, I was given a book by a friend of mine to read, I came to change my mind about the dreadful queen. Earlier, I had also had a very bad bias against her as she had reminded me of several self centered and overly extravagant girls who I had known in my life. One who I met at Michigan State University resembled some of her portraits and for a long time I always called this girl at MSU Antoinette. Years later, when a few dubbed me that when I was teaching in California I finally came to learn that some of the bias against Antoinette was ill founded. I had to read a few books about her to learn her side of the story in those dark days. Had I ever taken seriously the references to Antoinette regarding myself, I might have better understood some of the ongoing problems surrounding me when I was teaching in southern California. Like her, I was lied about, but they were also brought to my attention, but I dismissed them as nonsense in a way that is seen to have been done by her and her husband. It is difficult to understand how lies can actually take hold enough to make people believe them and act upon them. However, it is a mistake not to know that people will believe lies about you more often than they will ever believe the truth about you. So I am empathetic towards her now since I underwent similar problems that eventually did me harm as well. I probably should have listened better to all the comments that were being said, but when one knows that there is no truth to them, one does not realize that to those who do not know the truth they will swallow them whole. At any rate, I found the BBC story very interesting, which naturally presages the Princess Diana saga. I have a few inside things to say about that but will leave it alone for awhile. One princess and Queen at a time in a blog.

Marie Antoinette at Versailles 1979

Monday, April 8, 2013

The Chalice, a review

The Chalice is the sequel to the novel The Crown, a story of a young Dominican novice whose vocation is interrupted by the political decisions of King Henry VIII. Nancy Bilyeau, editor of DuJour magazine, graduate of the University of Michigan, history major, has taken her readers to the hostile environment of an English King whose lifestyle has cost him the support of the Catholic Pope. King Henry VIII in his decision to dismantle Cathedrals and churches has cost him his faith, as he has been excommunicated, a serious violation in the Catholic faith. Nuns, priests, and novices, and postulates are displaced, unrecognized, and forced to change their lives in order to survive. Joanna Stafford is a distant cousin of the King, so she has many connections to the court, but she has chosen to live her life as a bride of Christ, hoping to have served as a nun but now unable to practice her true vocation. She soon gains the support of fellow Dominicans who all band together to try to survive the changing times. However, when a young child before she entertained thoughts of piety, she had been taken to a seer, a prophetess who had seen into her future. Because her mother was so determined to learn her fate, the young Joanna had to confront this awesome seer to learn her fate. It appears that Joanna is going to play some important role in the history of England, and only she can do it. She is a chosen one in this time of turmoil. Nancy keeps us absorbed in the pace of the novel as we follow Joanna and her friends through this dark period in which they no longer have the consolation of a solid and sound faith since it has been taken from them. Clinging to their beliefs, they are in a whirlwind of destruction as churches tumble, artifacts stolen, and cherished beliefs are tossed aside. ** Because of the fear that King Henry VIII has of prophecy and seers, the original seer is forced to recant making Joanna believe that perhaps the fate dealt to her is not really true after all. Eventually,she learns that the seer avoided telling the court anything about Joanna to spare her in this time of cruel torture and certain death.** The seer is sacrificed but Joanna survived hoping never to have to fulfill this prophecy. However, the true Catholics are hoping that Joanna can indeed save them and their faith due to some action on her part. Thus, she is forced to meet with a second seer and finally a third to learn the truth of her role in English history.** Nancy uses real historical characters along with fictional characters to develop this torturous and cruel adventure. Young Joanna must face watching her friends, relatives, and loved ones die through either the burning at the stake or by the fall of the axe. She proves her own muster and courage in facing down an execution of a caretaker, so that one becomes emboldened by her acts of bravery against all odds. Her prayers and her faith sustain the men at the hour of death.** Joanna is held captive by her love for her Catholic friends so that she is compelled to visit the final seer to complete her mission in learning of her role for the sake of the Crown or the King, or her faith...she finally does succumb and does prove that she is worthy of the trust given to her. Despite the fact that she has been betrayed many times, she keeps her faith, behaves with courage, and remains the sweet, innocent beauty that the men around her love. With her long black hair, her high bosom, she has attracted many men's attention but she has remained true to her faith and her calling, loving only one.** The final seer has promised that they will meet again, so I am hoping that another novel will be in the works.** Well written, exciting, historically sound, and fascinating...The Chalice is a great read.**

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A discussion of Mary Renualt

I read a discussion on Mary Renault on facebook the other night. Someone had written a review of her trilogies. I did not enter the conversation in the comment section simply because I am too emotionally tied to my experiences in past lifetime memories to Alexander to appreciate other people's imaginations about him. I had picked up a few books to read, but could not get past the first chapter in Fire From Heaven so I have never read it at all, and finally sent the books out when I had to pick and choose which to keep and which to let go...At the time, I had just spent time in the person of Alexander as I had been trying to gain information to convince me that I had lived in that lifetime in his person. So any books and stories about him disturb me more than anything when I feel it is contrary to all that I have learned. I would not really care one way or another about any historical figure when I am not personally involved, but if in fact, I am convinced that my memories prove to me that I had been that person, then I do not want a pack of lies to prevail and influence others about his life. That is one of the reasons I chose to write about experiences as I had had so many of them happen to me after I began digging it all up. Again, I do not choose to try to convince anyone else of anything, because it is MY personal problem, not another persons. I do not think that Louis XIV or George Washington need another book about them, but I may write a book if I feel up to it after I finish the one about Alexander. I work it in my mind all the time, as I am wanting to expose his childhood growing up that made him the child wonder of the world at that time. When I was reading all about him, the thing that impressed me the most is his army and his friends. So that is my main interest in developing his childhood background, demonstrating the kind of environment that caused them to think as a single unit, and to work together. Alexander did not do any of it alone...He was not a loner. He and his army together conquered the world, but he was the leader, the inspiration, and the glue that held them all together. That is what I am trying to work out in my effort at writing an interesting novel about his youth...so I am now trying to adjust to scrivener and pages on my computer to finally get back into it. The important thing to remember is that the more famous you become, the less real you become...fame is often a problem since people want to mold you to their fantasies rather than accept the simple truth. Just as I have had strange experiences in my lifetime, the Greeks and Macedonians believed in gods who made personal appearances to whoever they chose to influence. The plays and stories of the times reveal that the gods and goddesses would appear and disappear at will...it seems to be possible that it continues today for those who see and those who hear.

Explaining Strange Events

When one does decide to communicate with others about the strange experiences one has had, one is displaying a kind of trust that there is at least someone who will understand and not merely poo-poo the effort as that of a deranged mind. I am well aware of all the repercussions of true confessions of any kind. When I wrote of my egg experience, I will admit that I realized the vulnerability of our belief in material goods. I for a while was a wee bit fearful that most anything could be taken away from me in a manner that I could not protect. And in fact, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other acts of God (business law school terminology) do prove that Mother Nature can take away any and all possessions whenever she wishes to strike us. But my point about the egg is that it truly did happen, and that I bore witness to it, being unable to do anything to stop it...because the very act itself is mesmerizing. I later decided that we should fear God also. I had never feared God ever. I have feared the bogey man, evil doers, and other threats, but in God I have trusted. However, I began to realize that a God can do anything, create matter out of nothing, and if need be, reduce all matter back to nothing. We should learn to respect that. Personally, I do not believe that people can convince other people of anything about life that one is not willing to accept. So I did not write this for the purpose of convincing, but of sharing, and hoping that at least one someone will realize that this is true, and that it is something that is out of my hands anyway...Maybe somebody else could have handled this better than I did. All I did was share and tell. But it taught me some lessons. The first time was several years ago. The incident with the fried egg was only a week or so ago, and many other strange things have happened in this apartment that were even stranger so I am on guard and watching all the time. I take notice of every thing around me. I did share some of this when it happened to a discussion group called Cayce Cayce. So it is a bit of a history. I remember years back when I was seeing lights in the clouds that had caught my attention. I thought that they appeared in the shape of angel wings. One night while watching, I noticed a red dot that appeared on my leg near my knee. I have been watching that red dot expand and grow over time. I always associate it with a person of history...time will tell. I will save that story for another time.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Follow up to Easter Sunday

I had mentioned that I am an eye witness to divine experiences. At least I call them divine rather than Satanic. I am not much of a believer in the Devil to be honest, but I acknowledge that evil does exist and that there are probably many events that could be considered works of the devil. But the incidents that I am witnessing do not seem to be demonic or evil. But they are perplexing. I have made them somewhat public, but I know that the judgement is usually that I am probably behind it all. If I were, I would certainly not draw it to someone's attention. One involves eggs. This has happened twice now...I saw an egg disappear right before my eyes. I had made a perfectly hard/soft boiled egg just the way I like it...I had it all peeled and placed in a saucer, and had taken one bite of it...the next thing I see the thing evaporate into thin air in front of me...it us up and disappeared...I was so upset as it was set just the way I like them. At the time, my brother was visiting so I did tell him and my dad. I have no answer about how it disappeared. But years later as that had happened at our house on Palacio here in AZ, I cooked myself another hard set egg, only fried. I put it on a saucer. I no sooner turned around and went back to find it and it had disappeared. Twice now, an egg has just up and disappeared into thin air. How? Don't know...But I did not eat it...and again, was disappointed that my egg was not in that saucer. Where did it go? I do not know...it just vanished. I have a trillion (slight exaggeration) other stories about mysterious things that go bump in the night like that, and have had them, and have told them to different individuals over the years. So yes, I became a believer in the unknown. It proves to me that there is a power that ca do these kinds of acts. I swear this is all true but while I am not afraid of it, I do realize that all material things are at best fleeting...I seriously began to worry a bit about other objects as I know that things can appear at will and disappear at will. Why? I do not know the answer to that either. An old Indian legend does say that a coyote can enter and steal your food...maybe that legend is true...I do not know...

Learning Pages and Scrivener

I find that this google processor is not paragraphing for me. I do not know what I can do to cure that.**** I am testing Scrivener's word processing device which is made for professional authors and writers. It is quite complex but it has been mentioned by many who write for the NaNoWriMo event each November, and one year's winner credits Scrivener with helping him to write his mystery novel. I am using all the tutorials and videos to help become acquainted with this program. It is quite advantageous in many ways since it formats the novel for you so that you need not worry about that process at the finish.**** I am also studying pages which is very similar but exclusive to Apple and Mac. Actually, the Scrivener device is a form of Pages but has many capabilities that Pages does not attempt. I am so new at it that I can only mention these since learning of each of them in the past few days. I studied the User Guide for Scrivener as well as using the Tutorial which means several more times. However, YouTube has many videos which help even more than the basic tutorials. It will take time but at last I can get going on my Alexander novel, and a few other projects in mind as well. It turns out that these are the way to publish e-novels, so that those who are serious about self publishing should buy into the Scrivener program.**** Today was April Fool's Day. I did not pull any pranks.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter/ Happy April's Fool Day

Today was Easter Sunday, a day that is supposed to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is important because all of Christendom depends upon his resurrection for the faith of his teaching. He had promised that he would rise from the dead three days after the destruction of his temple, the human body. He in fact died, was resuscitated by angels, and returned to leave the tomb to bear witness to his followers who waited for him outside his tomb. Some did not believe in him, but he showed his wounds on his hands to show that he was both physical enough to eat and to bear wounds, but also spiritually evolving to ascend into the Heavens. Christ is a mystery for mankind to ponder, but his leaving empowered the Holy Ghost to lead the few who believed and followed in the days after his departure. Going to church on Sunday is one of those things that religiously inclined people continue to do faithfully as an act of faith, a show of worship, and a desire to become friends with others who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. My entire life has been spent studying and pondering a variety of religious beliefs, espousing some, but not faithfully executing them in the manner in which the Church would like for me to do. I do it my way. I believe. I live, and I refrain from trying to convert or change others unless they want to be changed. Change always comes from within, not from some edict, some law, some rule imposed by some foolish minded preachers, statesmen, or zealots. A person will come to know the truth when they seek the truth. I have had some unique experiences of my own in which I believe very strongly for I am a bit a doubting Thomas as well, and must see for myself many times rather than take someone else's word for it. I do believe in the spiritual life, and am truly convinced that Jesus's life is valid but probably inaccurately reported and recorded. I have believed that Jesus is around me many times. The problem that most people have about entities like Jesus, God, or any other Holy person is the ego, as most want to know why would He bother with you. Why people are so demeaning about one another shows lack of good judgement on their part. The reason may be far simpler than they would believe since they believe with their own preset and predetermined attitudes, biases, and prejudices. I do believe that each and every person on the earth is worthy of God's particular and special interest. Self propelling one's self into fame and fortune does not necessarily mean that one has attracted God's blessings or interest I have learned many times. Miracles do happen to many people in many ways. People are simply amazing to me at times in the fact that so many overestimate their own importance while others underestimate their own value. Why it is that people make wrong judgements is probably the influence of friends and family who take one another for granted, and pay too little attention to the real value of the individual themselves. Too many stories float around with the idea that the child who is weak is the one who needs the attention more than the one who is strong, but conversely, it is the accomplished and the successful who get the most attention in rewards and recognition, especially in schooling programs where scholarships are awarded. I am one of those who attained many awards and recognition scholastically but did not go for scholarships. I did not want to conform to a scholarship program. My education was paid for by my parents. So yes, in a sense, I did owe it to them to repay them when I could, and I did. It is already April first now and Scott Oden has begun the day with an announcement that has all his readers wondering if he is pulling our leg or not...Since it is about Conan and Arnold Schwarzenegger I am suspicious that it is an April Fool's trick. But he is getting feedback from his "nice" friends. I never get into playing tricks but mild ones. I am too busy working on Wednesday's Pick draw for the lottery. It is possible to win it so I am working on it to try it. Hoping I catch at least five out of six and hope to get all six lined up somehow. Back to my discussion of Jesus being around me...I have felt a presence on more than one occasion. While I do not subscribe to the Left Behind theory, I do believe that Jesus does appear on occasions in a spiritual form that makes me feel his power and authority. I realized that perhaps people should fear God after all. I am convinced that the Love of God is so powerful that once one becomes aware of its full impact it is powerful enough to draw you to be faithful to God. But I also realized that true God is capable of acts that are mindboggling to the human mind. God can do things that are seemingly impossible. We are incredulous when we see it happen and have no explanation but it does happen. The story of the distribution of fish and bread in the Bible tales comes to mind. I have seen things just as dramatic that only a spiritual power could do. It is a mystery yet. But I believe. What is more I bear witness to some acts of Love that only a divine power could do...