Believe me, I've read more than a few excellent books on real estate investing and real estate law, But I am a better Gregory Yates lawyer and dirt guy than I was ten years ago due to practice, practice and more practice. There's just no substitute for experience. Period. If there was a quick and easy solution to how to do this, we'd all do it. you live, you learn, you move on to the next appointment and you (hopefully) gets better every time.Gregory Yates Attorney
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
All Of A Sudden Every Baby Looked Chinese And Had Higher IQs, But Why - Fictionall Story
By Lance Winslow
The year was 2021, and something very strange was happening in
the United States, every single child born looked as if they were
Chinese. No one could figure what was going on, scientists were stumped,
and parents were bewildered, although they loved their children just
the same. What could possibly be happening? Interestingly enough, the
science of DNA, mapping all the proteins, and all of the switches, along
with supercomputers helping biotech scientists discover how the enzymes
went about flipping those switches had made incredible strides. Could
all this be related?
It turns out it was. But that was only the
half of it. It turns out that the Chinese decided that now that they
have the largest economy, they thought that they should be running the
world, rather than the United States. Since they were making most of the
products, including most of the food products, they carefully inserted
nano-bots and slivers of DNA to affect the germ line of pregnant
mothers. Vitamin supplement companies that were created for pregnant
mothers to help with the development of their fetus had been spiked with
these biotech wonders from the Chinese.
By 2019, most all of the
vitamin supplements around the world were produced in China. It didn't
take long for the Chinese to figure out that they could easily ensure
that their gene set survived over all others. Even though the Hispanics
in the United States, and the middle Easterners who had settled in the
former European Union had out produced all others, the plan of the
Chinese would quickly overtake them all. As bad as all this sounds,
there were some added benefits.
The Chinese gene sets came with
them superior intellectual abilities. Suddenly, every baby born in the
United States, or almost every baby had higher IQs. The Chinese hadn't
considered that, nor had they considered the backlash from the
international community, or the backlash from their own people over what
they had done. Soon there were protests, riots, and a near overthrown
the Communist Party in China. What they thought would give them the
chance to rule the world for 1000 years, turned out to almost be their
downfall.
Next year of course will be the year of the Tiger in
2022, and it looks as if the Tiger will roar, but it won't be that of
the Communist Party, it will be that of the people. Because of all of
this scandal globally, there have been instituted new laws, rules, and
regulations of vitamin supplements, much to the pleasure of the
pharmaceutical industry. Please consider all this and think on it.
John Kipling Lewis: Creating Worlds in 500 Words or Less
By Rebecca H Knight
John Kipling Lewis writes micro fiction that is not only easy to
read but simultaneously creates stories in enough detail that readers
find themselves surprised by their brevity. Fully formed characters,
worlds, and encounters are all created in crisp and clean sentences. His
work invites re-investigation and rewards observant readers.
What is your genre?
My
genre is Contemporary Fantasy (or Modern Fantasy) but that term is very
open to interpretation and easily misunderstood. Basically I like to
take reality and bend it. It's close enough to the world around you that
you'll recognize it but with something basically shifted left of
center, as Susan Vega would put it.
The work is the creative
outlet of so many different themes and experiences that they can defy
definition. Many people come away wondering how I can write well on so
many different topics. Most importantly I love to make my readers think
and to bring new ideas into the reader's mind. Nothing makes me happier
than hearing someone say they were dumbstruck by something I wrote.
How long have you considered yourself a writer?
I
would say I've been writing for about nine years. It was only after
moving to Costa Rica two years ago that I seriously put effort into
getting my work into the hands of the public.
What drew you to move to Costa Rica? And how did moving there inspire you to bring your work out into the light?
Costa
Rica is number one on the World Happiness Index and this is reflected
in everyday life. It's such a contrast to life in New York City, with
its stress and its paranoia inducing crowds that when I arrived here,
for the first time I felt like I could breath. I could stand still and
not be bumped and pushed by the constant struggle of being one of the
millions of New Yorkers.
What I found when I stopped was my
family, my love, and a pile of blank books in which I had been secretly
hiding all my fears. As I read through what I had collected in the time
between the dark dystopia and calm of home and family I realized I had
something special to say.
One lonely night, after we had settled
into life here in Costa Rica, I started to assembled the pieces into a
whole. I had to leave the crushing city to find it here in what the
locals call Pura Vida... the Pure Life.
Unselected was the result.
What inspires and motivates you to write?
I
love to make people think. The moment when the reader understands the
premise or gets the point of the story, that is the thing I treasure. I
like to watch people reading one of my pieces and there's sometimes a
moment where they simply pause. They get a distant look in their eyes
and I know I've got them thinking. Nothing compares for me to that kind
of moment.
How did you get started writing?
I wrote
as a way to pass the time on long subway commutes in New York City. With
nothing to do, I'd sketch out a scene or play out a character's
reaction to an idea I had. I would write in small Moleskines or Field
Notes. It filled a long-held desire for blank books. I find them in odd
places and I have to fill them up.
What's your typical writing session and environment like?
I'm
constantly carrying a blank book with me and this gives me an outlet
for all the thoughts that race through my brain on any given day. This
is the first filter. If I can get even a few sentences down in this
format, then I have the essence of what the story will be.
The next phase is to transcribe what I've written on paper to digital format and this is very much like a rewrite.
The entire piece can change as I move it to the digital world and the flow of the sentences becomes more real to me.
The
final stage for me is polish and this is all about reading the work
with my inner voice. I swear that my inner voice came straight out of an
encyclopedia or a documentary. There's only so much I can let myself
get away with when I read it with that voice and if it doesn't work
there, I have to crush it and remake it until it does work. Often the
work is shortened at this stage.
Then it goes off for editing.
What are your favorite writing tools?
Blank
books are absolutely required and I'm partial to the ones with graph
paper inside rather than ruled or sketch books. They aren't easy to find
here in Costa Rica so I've been using up my current supply and thinking
about how to get some shipped here. Paper doesn't last long in Costa
Rica.
I've become very fond of a program called Scrivener, for the
Mac. It simply feels right to me for first drafts, although it's used
much more for people as a compilation tool. Having said that, my
favorite writing program for the Mac is TextEdit. It's auto-correcting
lets me type gibberish and have it come out as a sentence that works.
This is a great relief to that inner voice of mine.
What is the publishing process like?
Now
that everything is digital it's a learning curve, but one that I'm
extremely comfortable with. Having done web design and development
there's nothing in the process that I haven't seen before. My one weak
spot is definitely in marketing. I don't have experience doing that
aspect of publishing, so for me it feels mysterious or even mystical.
Have you ever been surprised by a reader's reaction to your work?
I
asked my wife to describe to me what my style of writing was. She said
"It's like a punch in the face." At first I was taken aback by this and
a little insulted, but I quickly realized that she loved my work and
what she was saying was that it had impact and was surprising. This
comes from the distillation of the concepts I work with. It's extremely
hard to create characters, scenes, and whole worlds in micro fiction,
but when you get it right, it's like a jab in the face.
Do you have any regrets pertaining to your writing?
I
wish I was better suited to longer form works. I have a novel I'm
working on but it simply doesn't come to me in the same way my micro
fiction does.
What plans do you have for future work?
The
previously mentioned novel is about 1/3rd done. All the plotting and
characters are there, waiting like a scaffolding of a skyscraper but
with the birth of my baby girl my time is at a premium. I've
contemplated creating a new work that is more complementary to my style
and to the time I have to work with.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write. Whatever it is that makes you want to write, make sure you get it and keep moving forward.
How do you promote your work both on and off the internet?
I
speak to people I meet about my work, so it sometimes passes hand to
hand, but most of my sales and readers come from my internet
communities. Google+ has been particularly helpful.
Where do you sell your books?
My books are available on Amazon and Smashwords
Creative Collaboration In The Digital World
By Erin Bell
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much" Helen Keller
We tend to think of creativity as a solitary activity. But some of the greatest pieces of art have been crafted through collaboration.
Especially today, with the emergence of the multimedia, the way a piece of art is created has changed. Development of computer technologies allows different kinds of art to be incorporated, so that the final product brings us a whole new experience.
For instance, in digital novels, writing the story, composing the music and crafting the graphics to it - all this creative work yields in products that intensify our reading experience and help us further immerse ourselves into the story.
Think about the movie soundtracks. The music in the movies enhances our emotions and the whole idea that the movie is trying to convey.
Now, just imagine reading "The Lord of the Ring" books. Wouldn't you have loved having some graphics to that book, like a map describing the journey of Frodo and Sam? Or some epic background music? All of this would make you feel like you're really a part of the story! In digital world there is nothing impossible.
And if you are an author yourself or an inspiring writer and you have an idea for a story, you will be looking for an artist to create the images for your story, and a composer to create the music for it.
Social networking and social media enable the collaboration between creative people, no matter where they are in the world. It is amazing how creative minds from all over the world are brought together to work on a mutual creative project.
Creative communities are not a novelty. However, with the transferring of this concept to the digital world and with the emergence of the special online tools and features, the physical boundaries between people with creative ideas are overcome. And the art is taken to a whole new level.
Online creative communities allow people from different countries and cultures to communicate and exchange ideas, to collaborate with other artists and writers and last but not least - to reach out to the audience a lot easier and a lot faster.
The good team work is one of the keys to success. This is true also when speaking of creative collaboration.
Creative minds are powerful minds. And they are even more powerful, when they create together.
We tend to think of creativity as a solitary activity. But some of the greatest pieces of art have been crafted through collaboration.
Especially today, with the emergence of the multimedia, the way a piece of art is created has changed. Development of computer technologies allows different kinds of art to be incorporated, so that the final product brings us a whole new experience.
For instance, in digital novels, writing the story, composing the music and crafting the graphics to it - all this creative work yields in products that intensify our reading experience and help us further immerse ourselves into the story.
Think about the movie soundtracks. The music in the movies enhances our emotions and the whole idea that the movie is trying to convey.
Now, just imagine reading "The Lord of the Ring" books. Wouldn't you have loved having some graphics to that book, like a map describing the journey of Frodo and Sam? Or some epic background music? All of this would make you feel like you're really a part of the story! In digital world there is nothing impossible.
And if you are an author yourself or an inspiring writer and you have an idea for a story, you will be looking for an artist to create the images for your story, and a composer to create the music for it.
Social networking and social media enable the collaboration between creative people, no matter where they are in the world. It is amazing how creative minds from all over the world are brought together to work on a mutual creative project.
Creative communities are not a novelty. However, with the transferring of this concept to the digital world and with the emergence of the special online tools and features, the physical boundaries between people with creative ideas are overcome. And the art is taken to a whole new level.
Online creative communities allow people from different countries and cultures to communicate and exchange ideas, to collaborate with other artists and writers and last but not least - to reach out to the audience a lot easier and a lot faster.
The good team work is one of the keys to success. This is true also when speaking of creative collaboration.
Creative minds are powerful minds. And they are even more powerful, when they create together.
The idea of an online creative community is the basis of the
project, worked out by Senserial Publishing - a contemporary digital
house, which produces e-books as series.
With the online community, they would like to help creative people with great ideas for stories:
-First: to make their project come to life
Aspect: A Tale of Terror!
By James Eugene Richardson
Prologue: Sleeping with insomnia stricken thoughts, the mind
races with a million fantasies. Thoughts stream and many fathoms of
unconsciousness are explored as the mind feeds on this deep sleep. The
cogitation slows and stops within a stratus. It dissipates to reveal an
image of a mortal character in time. It has no origin and no
termination. It serves only one purpose.
It was a rather chilly
evening with a gentle breeze blowing from the East. A scarcity of
traffic upon the street had diminished to a several cars per minute. The
sun had been down for hours although an occasional street lamp
illuminated the cobblestone walkway quite adequately. Ralph Taylor's
strides were confident as he approached the center of town. He was a
rather lofty gentleman with a refined appearance. His cheekbones shaped
his bony face which made his nose appear brought and quite distinct. His
eyes were a cool indigo and observed collectively beneath his
pronounced forehead. He was in his mid 30's and his receding hairline
confirmed it. Taylor was on his way to dinner with friends to a place
called "The Tavern". Why he chose this particular night to walk remained
obscure. Perhaps the thought of a little exercise amused him. As of
late he had been experiencing spells of anxiety but chose to
consistently ignore this recurring insolence.
He passed a series
of twin story buildings, rounded the corner and was there. The familiar
neon sign above the entrance shone a bright crimson and blinked with
erratic accuracy. The doorway was recessed and awaited entrance. He
proceeded inward and was promptly greeted by a stout man with a balding
forehead, a man quite familiar with his job. He approached Taylor and
wasted no time escorting him to his reserved table.
The dining
room was adequately large. Occasional lighting was sufficient enough to
illuminate a selection of randomly placed tables. The walls were covered
with a layer of dark stain paneling with occasional window
interspersed. An elaborate crystal chandelier pronounced itself in dead
center of the ceiling which inspired occasional conversation from
interested parties. Taylor was seated amongst his friends and quickly
engaged in conversation. They all reminisced of past days and distant
abandoned dreams. There were many faces, each with a tale to relate.
Many had lived comfortably while others have suffered. This evening
brought each of them much happiness.
His regular order arrived
promptly at the table. Taylor quickly consumed his portion of rare
steak, savoring each delicious bite. He left his plate clear of even the
tiniest morsel and brushed away the food smudges that appeared around
the outside of his mouth. Admitting that his stomach was comfortably
full, he reached in front of him beside his plate and lifted a portioned
glass of milk to his lips.
As the first swallow flowed down his
throat, it hit him. It was a subtle thing at first and he thought
nothing of it. Conversation continued. Taylor grew increasingly
worrisome as the feeling persisted and increased in strength. Sweat
began to dampen his brow. He did not wish to be bothered with an
illness, especially this evening in the company of friends. Nonetheless
his body temperature was ascending rapidly and sweat now enveloped his
forehead. Taylor had little choice but to excuse himself. He could feel
his heart rate increase as he stood up and proceeded to a private area.
He expected his absence to be brief. Possible subjection to food
poisoning now consumed his thoughts.
A short excursion past a
series of tables brought him to the main lobby. he was again approached
by the man who had originally seated him. He escorted Taylor to a
private employee break room. Sweat had now enveloped his entire body. He
promptly entered the room and closed the hardwood door behind him,
muting all conversation from the dining area. It was an odd little room
with a shaggy green rug stretched across the floor. The walls were
auburn with an interesting variety of graffiti scratched upon them.
There were no windows with only a single ceiling lamp to light the room.
A old, frayed couch claimed a corner of floorspace in front of which
lay a clunky coffee table scattered with an array of drained coffee cups
and dispersed magazines. This room had experienced it's share of
neglect and over use.
Taylor was feeling much, much worse now but
did not want to sit down. He felt as though he was burning up on the
inside. Blood within his veins created a tingling sensation beneath his
skin, permeating his entire body. He then noticed something he had
overlooked when he first entered the room. It was a small vanity mirror
attached to the farthest wall parallel to the door. He unsteadily
sauntered over and stood before the reflective glass. His nightmare was
now visible.
Peering at eye level, the mirror displayed a vision
of horror. A now enlarged forehead extended beyond the limits of normal
cranial development. Globules of skin undulated with individual motion.
Dark, emotionless eyes became recessed in two corrupt pits as incisors
extruded beyond the lips with pointed accuracy. Lips became crimson like
in color and stretched as facial muscles expanded. The pain became
excruciating. Clothes became intolerably restricted. Fabric separated
like paper with unrelenting progression. Limbs became enormous in size
and strength. Terror gripped emotion as the room diminished in volume.
At the culmination of intolerable pain Taylor turned away from the
mirror and approached the door. Suddenly the door appeared undersized
and frail. He could no longer tolerate this diminutive room. His
grotesque, swollen hand grasped the door knob and swung open the door
with violent force.
In an instant Taylor was his normal, unaltered
self. It was as though this mutation had never occurred. Skin that had
been stretched considerably was now perfectly smooth. The size of his
limbs had resumed normality. He stood there understandably stunned by
what has just occurred. He was certain of one thing. It was an illusion,
a hallucination, it had to be. He was willing to accept that.
It
was a few minutes before he returned to his table where he promptly
ordered a stiff drink. Taylor then realized that he felt in superior
health yet remained highly puzzled. He glanced around the bustling,
smoke filled room to rid his mind of these thoughts. He then noticed
something which caught his eye. A man in the corner caressing his
forehead as though quite uncomfortable for some reason. The man rose up
and preceded out of the room. Taylor decided to ignore it. He said
nothing to his friends about what happened. He wished his friends a good
evening, excusing himself and departed for home.
Aydasara Ortega
"Man is a being in search of meaning." - Plato
The story of Tamara and the film Memento are of those 'happenstances' that lack meaning completely. Nah, I am just kidding! But it's true that both authors play with meaning by just having fun with words, with images... with making sense. (I won't say that they play with us, the readers/viewers, because this is not supposed to be a Reader-Response analysis nor a Psychoanalytic one, but a plain and simple Formalist analysis).
Okay, let's try again. Formally speaking both of them, Tamara and Memento, have as their main characters a male figure that is in a quest for knowledge, Marco Polo in the book "Invisible Cities" and Leonard Shelby in the film "Memento". (Wait! Before I get more into themes, plots... literary devices... and all those formal elements, did you notice how both titles have an interesting similarity? The third letter of each title is an M. Yes, look: taMara - meMento! Isn't that the letter the word Memory begins with? Just a thought.)
Both of the main characters find themselves surrounded by a multitude of signs that they are trying to decipher in order to know what they want to know. "Your gaze scans the streets as if they were written pages", says Marco Polo. But, do they really want to know? "I always thought the joy of reading a book is not knowing what happens next", Leonard says.
The story of Tamara and the film Memento are of those 'happenstances' that lack meaning completely. Nah, I am just kidding! But it's true that both authors play with meaning by just having fun with words, with images... with making sense. (I won't say that they play with us, the readers/viewers, because this is not supposed to be a Reader-Response analysis nor a Psychoanalytic one, but a plain and simple Formalist analysis).
Okay, let's try again. Formally speaking both of them, Tamara and Memento, have as their main characters a male figure that is in a quest for knowledge, Marco Polo in the book "Invisible Cities" and Leonard Shelby in the film "Memento". (Wait! Before I get more into themes, plots... literary devices... and all those formal elements, did you notice how both titles have an interesting similarity? The third letter of each title is an M. Yes, look: taMara - meMento! Isn't that the letter the word Memory begins with? Just a thought.)
Both of the main characters find themselves surrounded by a multitude of signs that they are trying to decipher in order to know what they want to know. "Your gaze scans the streets as if they were written pages", says Marco Polo. But, do they really want to know? "I always thought the joy of reading a book is not knowing what happens next", Leonard says.
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