Literary Culture & Arts

Back to Reading!

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:23:00 +0000

After a 6 month hiatus from reading, due to my purchase of an ITouch-4 and spending hours per day on-line,

Yes it's about the Apocalypse. Will do a proper review upon completion, stay tuned.

Local "Art" Papoose Style Baby Carrier

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:30:00 +0000

This is a beautiful product made by a local Native American Artist. The top is leather, possibly deerskin. This one was $250. Fabrics are Pendleton like wool, in various colors & designs. Please contact portlanddesigncollective@gmail.com ! Phone in Portland Oregon 503-964-1231

I happened upon this shop while waiting for the light-rail train. There is 4,000 sq ft of unique locally made clothes & products. Check it out.

WORDSTOCK: Portland Book Festival

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:24:00 +0000

OK, it's October in Portland, Oregon and time for "Wordstock". The book event of the year!

Wordstock is a literary art and education organization that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives.
Our programs include Wordstock for Teachers, a professional development program for K-12 teachers that trains them to change the way they teach writing; Wordstock for Kids, our creative writing instruction program for students that works in the Portland Public Schools; an annual series of skill and knowledge workshops for practicing writers, called Wordstock for Communities; and an annual weekend showing of movies adapted from literary works, called The Wordstock Book-to-Film Festival. Our flagship program is our annual book and literary festival in Portland, by far the largest such event in the Northwest, known nationwide as Wordstock. We believe showcasing the artistic accomplishment of contemporary writers at our festival is one of the most compelling examples of writing’s power that we can p
http://www.wordstockfestival.com/

Do you "Netflix"? I do!

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:24:00 +0000

I use Netflix everyday. I watch it more than I do cable TV. Movies, old TV series, Film Noir, & documentaries, Netflix has it all for $7.99 per month. Most films are instant, streaming to your computer or TV. I don't have a cable ready flat screen TV, so I stream though a device called Roku. Aside from Netflix, Roku also streams Amazon, Epic, and Crackle among others.

I also have Netflix on my iTouch4 device. There is an app for that.

Last night I watched "Murder in the First" and a 1950 Film called "Foreign Correspondent" . Remember the old Blockbuster rental fees of $4.99 per movie? Watch two movies, you've paid for Netflix for a month! Netflix also has DVDs by mail...until recently you paid an addition $2 per month, but they increased it to $7.99/mo for the DVDs. I usually get two per week! That's 8 per month, and I'll drop that soon.

Hey, Netflix something today!

Imagineless Writers?

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:03:00 +0000

I keep coming across writers, or those who claim to be one, with little or no imagination. Many will even admit it. I find this both unusual and strange. How can one claim to be a writer, which to me implies "story teller", with no imagination? A neighbour, an admitted writer, finds her "Memoirs" to be so fascinating, she has take numerous writing classes in order to write them down, yet, she does not listen to people and shows little imagination.

An example, are engineers and scientific types, who either don't read or even believe in science fiction genre writing. Huh? How can anyone invent, develop or advance science without imagination? Ironically, those folks who work for the Walt Disney Company are called "Imagineers"!

Imagination Im*ag`i*na"tion, n. [OE. imaginacionum, F.
imagination, fr. L. imaginatio. See Imagine.]
1. The imagine-making power of the mind; the power to create
or reproduce ideally an object of sense previously
perceived; the power to call up mental imagines.
[1913 Webster]

Our simple apprehension of corporeal objects, if
present, is sense; if absent, is imagination.
--Glanvill.
[1913 Webster]

Imagination is of three kinds: joined with belief of
that which is to come; joined with memory of that
which is past; and of things present, or as if they
were present. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]

2. The representative power; the power to reconstruct or
recombine the materials furnished by direct apprehension;
the complex faculty usually termed the plastic or creative
power; the fancy.
[1913 Webster]

The imagination of common language -- the productive
imagination of philosophers -- is nothing but the
representative process plus the process to which I
would give the name of the "comparative." --Sir W.
Hamilton.
[1913 Webster]

Think back on many books of Great Literature, you may have enjoyed. I am sure the words of the author painted intense images in your mind as your read the novel or short story. Perhaps the words took you to the ancient past, an imaginary world, or a favourite children's tale you still remember in old age. That writing requires imagination both from the author...and the reader. Just imagine!

The 3 Things Every Popular Blogger Needs

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:56:00 +0000

by: TJ Philpott

In order to become a popular blogger you will need plenty of creative writing ideas along with a truckload of motivation. The results you will be looking for will not come overnight and that I will guarantee! What you will need are two things to realize your dream of managing a successful blog, lots of unique content and strong reader loyalty. In each case time will be required to develop both so make no mistake, this is a process and not a short term event!

Here are 3 qualities as the site administrator you will need to supply if your goal is to manage a successful blog!

Patience

A successful blog is a product of time and effort and for the site administrator, that being you, this will require patience. As stated previously results will NOT come overnight or even quickly for that matter therefore it is important to realize this up front! If you are constantly trying to develop new and creative writing ideas for your site while preoccupied with when you will see results this will only serve to make things more difficult! Building a blogging platform is a 'long haul' effort therefore accept the challenge, or not!

Credibility

Much of the traffic any successful blog gets is normally referrals and this will be based upon the unique content posted and its credibility. In fact the quality of what the site contains will have a direct impact on how viral the platform will become. If it is worth talking about people will talk, and if they do others will come to see what the buzz is about! It is up to you to post useful and accurate information and your readers will do the rest!

Consistency

Maintaining a steady flow of creative writing ideas is vital to being able to consistently update the platform. The frequency of your posting schedule is up to you insofar as how much time you have available or your motivational level. It is however important to establish some sort of consistency so people can schedule their own visits accordingly. Just remember the more frequently you post the more people will visit and the faster their loyalty will grow and their referrals will spread!

To become a popular blogger online it is important to have a healthy supply of creative writing ideas along with plenty of patience and motivation! In order to gain the large and loyal readership you want there are two components you will need! The first component will be unique content to attract these readers and the second being time to develop their loyalty! Ultimately it will come down to you as the site administrator to supply the 3 qualities we discussed above to realize your goal of owning a successful blog. In the end it comes back to your own motivation and whether or not you have the patience for it all to come together! Do you?

About The Author

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.

To learn more about becoming a popular blogger and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques for your online marketing needs simply visit:http://blogbrawn.com

Tweet Too Much to Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:31:00 +0000

I've been Tweeting to much on Twitter to Blog. Seems like anything I would Blog about has been said on Twitter...my bad! Also, I have been unmotivated, falling into a pit of personal despair, that only alcohol and prescription drugs can cure! (not really, but it sounds dramatic)

As this is posted on am working diligently of related new Posts for my Blogs...stay tuned !

Is Social Media Writing?

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Many people use Social Media and Blogs to convey their ideas and opinions...can such elements be considered writing?

If one is employed as a news commentator, author, or journalist...than their Blogs or Tweeter comments can be considered part of their writings. If this is true, than social Media commentary by the "uncompensated" should also be considered writing. OK, this uncompensated thing is a real sore point with me. Once, even with my extensive post graduate work in college, I was told by a "Head Hunter" that it did not matter what my "expertise" was in, it didn't count unless I was paid to do it! What the hell? I can apply this thinking to writing...but not agree with it.

Many people out there write articles for Zines, sites like "Article City, etc. The quality of such articles may be Pulitzer Prize winning, yet if they were not compensated, it doesn't "count"? You'll agree this is ridiculous!

In conclusion, yes, social Media writing is indeed writing.

Current Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:47:00 +0000

"Agent X" by Noah Boyd
"The Popes Assassin" by Luis M. Rocha
"The Secret Soldier" by Alex Berenson....50% completed

So many books, so little time. Now I have a Kindle account for my iTouch-4...eBooks everywhere. Impossible to be bored. But I take the review process seriously and now that my vision issue has evidently past. I will forge on until completed. After getting a new Library card several months ago, I have not checked out one book from the library. The Multnomah County Library now also has eBooks available. I have an app for that!

My current read: "The Secret Soldier" by Alex Berenson

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:12:00 +0000

A book I received from Library Thing to review. I have read about 50% and find it both interesting in a historical context and as a thriller genre. Will give a complete review upon completion.

4-30-2011, Still reading over half-way complete!

Sometimes...

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:58:00 +0000

Sometimes, I dream or think of my second wife, who passed away on her 21st birthday from a massive brain aneurysm, leaving our 10 month old daughter without a mother. I do this frequently and often. It happened in 1973 and still hurts beyond belief.

Today for example is our daughters 39th birthday. I have not seen or heard from her in 32 years. I believe she is well, but that is all I know. You see, I let her mother's parents adopt her at age 7, because it seemed for the best, at the time! Sometimes I regret doing this, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had not. Sometimes.

Sometimes I remember vividly the day of my wife's death and all that happened...some years I don't think of it at all, or perhaps just block it out. Sometimes, like the other night, I remember my wife's laughter and her nickname for me... "Bear". I think of what we did and where we where, our hopes and our dreams...how excited she was to have a daughter and the joy she shared. Sometimes.

Sometimes I am almost paralysed with grief and just cry...even after all this time. I remember people, meaning well, said time would cure all things...but they lied. Sometimes, I miss her so much it hurts. Sometimes.

No reading...Need New Glasses!

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:06:00 +0000

OK, my glasses are only 4 - 5 years old...but I need a new prescription for my line-less bifocals. It makes book reading almost impossible, if not merely annoying! Here is where an eBook would be nice, since the type size could be easily enlarged! I've looked at several and the "Nook Color" is my favourite, but at $250 still kind of pricey. The WEB surfing and virtual keyboard aspect is excellent. Perhaps now that the iPad2 is out, they will lower the price?

Are Some People Too Old To Read?

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:39:00 +0000

OK, I admit it, I am oldish, 63 this year. About 7 yrs ago I got line less bifocals for the first time and now need a new prescription. But...the Yellow Pages, Want Ads, etc. use a 6 point type...many books use an 8 pt (does this save on paper?), I can't read that even with bifocals. I'd think with the huge numbers of baby boomers, print would get larger, no smaller. Who decides this stuff? The same gang that decides that the term "Senior" starts at 60, 62, or 65 depending on what the "discount" is for. Silly...it should all be the same...62!

One advantage of an E-Reader, is that you can increase the size of the type with a click...maybe that will decide the demise of traditional books.

Writing Articles Myth-Article Marketing No Longer Works

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:22:00 +0000

by: Jeff Schuman

I have been doing article writing now for about 7 years. In that time I have seen several changes in the article marketing niche. However, one thing that has not changed is the effectiveness of writing and submitting articles.

Although the Internet millions more articles than in 2004 it is still a great way to build an Internet business. This will never change as long as search engines are relying on fresh content to deliver to their searchers.

There are a few things you can do to make your articles more appealing to the search engines and your reader. If you implement a few of the suggestions I list here you will help bust of the myth of whether article writing works or not.

1. Write catchy titles. Your titles must be interesting if you want to get the attention of the reader and the search engines.

You certainly want to include keyword phrases that relate to the theme of your website. This will also be the basis for what your article is about.

A catchy title gives you an advantage over one that is not well written. Scanning article directories and looking for titles that catch your eye is one good idea.

Copy those down and put them in a swipe file. Spend a little bit of time every week re-writing these titles to make them unique.

You will find this is an excellent source of titles for future articles. It will also help you come up with article ideas if you hit a dry spell.

2. Be a problem solver. People still search the Internet looking for answers to problems they have. This gives you an excellent opportunity to write an article that a person would find helpful.

When you submit these kind of articles to article directories they often show up on search engine pages. These articles also become an excellent form of viral marketing as a reader is more apt to refer them to a friend.

3. Write in a conversational tone. I personally like articles that are written as though the author and I are having a conversation. A human element in an article is much more personal and a more enjoyable article to read.

These type of articles give you an excellent opportunity to share your expertise on the topic you are writing about. This is another trick to doing article marketing the correct way.

Over time you begin to brand yourself as an expert on the theme of the niche your articles are in.

Article writing will continue to be a powerful form of marketing for any Internet marketer. It certainly works if you implement these simple suggestions and write and submit a lot of articles online where people can find them online.

About The Author
If you enjoyed this article by Jeff Schuman please visit his article marketing website today. If you are not an article writer he offers a hands off program for getting backlinks and traffic. http://www.HandsOffArticleMarketing.com

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:45:00 +0000

Ran into an author friend of mine today, Jason Breedlove..."MYcellf Prisoner of the Pen"; and his new book "1065131 A Memoir" He is a very interesting young man , who is turning his life into success! His book is available at Powell's World of Books in Portland, OR I haven't got to review his new book yet, but plan to do so soon! http://mycellfprisonerofthepen.blogspot.com/

Have you Tried This?

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:47:00 +0000

Chicken Mojakka: One of my famous recipes on the Internet! Yummy! http://www.mojakka.com/recipes/mojakka21.htm

A Library Thing Review, "The Lucifer Code"

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:29:00 +0000

"The Lucifer Code" by Charles Brokaw. Another adventure of Dr. Thomas Lourdes (The Atlantis Code) set in Greece and Turkey. I enjoyed "The Atlantis Code", so getting this novel to read was a bonus. Part biblical history, mostly thriller... in today's world Satan surely is walking the earth in some guise. In a genre I call "Biblical Sci-Fi", and one of my favorites...this novel was an excellent read! It does fit into the Dan Brown type novels, so I imagine his fans will enjoy this novel also.

A Library thing Review, "Peacemaker"

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:16:00 +0000

"Peacemaker" by Dan Ranco...A Thriller. Being kind of a computer geek myself, I enjoyed the technology behind this novel. Crazed, power hungry,Corporate Computer CEO's unleash a virus, for revenge and Global Domination. Ha-ha-ha, how can it get any better than that? A fun and entertaining read.

A Library Thing Review, "The Network"

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:56:00 +0000

"The Network" by Jason Elliot. A pre-9/11 spy/adventure novel set in Afghanistan. While normally avoiding "first person" viewpoint novels, I was 150 pages into this book, before I even noticed. The author paints a very personal account, with vivid characters. One gets into the mindset of a reluctant, but capable spy, thrust into the world changing climate of Afghanistan. Behind the scenes politics and back door deals at many levels provide some insights into what Terrorism is really about. This book is a great read!

Posting delays.....my bad!

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:43:00 +0000

WOW, I'll have to work up a new list of my recent reads. I haven't posted in a while had major PC problems at home and in Public venues. But I am back up and running and will post my recent reads today!

My Current Read: "The Skin Map"

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:52:00 +0000

"The Skin Map" by Stephen Lawhead, is an interesting book I picked up at the Library about time travel using Ley Lines. The interesting characters are thrown from modern day London to 1600 England and Prague. I really enjoy it so far! Evidently it is the first book in a five book series.

My Recent Reads:

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:02:00 +0000

“Blood Heaven” by Bill Myers, novel about genetic engineering using the 2000 yr old blood of Christ?

“The Promised War” by Thomas Greanias, a novel of traveling back into time to the battle of Jericho to save Israel.

"Threshold" by Ben Mezrich, a novel of genetic engineering.

"Threshold" by Eric Flint, a sci-fi novel about Mars and beyond, alien race artifacts.

"The Extinction Event", by David Black, a murder mystery in a small town in upstate NY, with a climax about an asteroid about to hit the earth in the near future!

My Latest Read: "Marks of Cain"

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:24:00 +0000

The "Marks of Cain", by Tom Knox, contains several of my favorite plot lines...conspiracies of the Catholic Church, Nazis, Science gone wrong, history and a few others.

It centers on the Basques and their DNA, Nazi concentration camps, and the real reason for the Holocaust. I found it interesting, and so may you.

Artists and The "Basics" of Success

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:15:00 +0000

"On artist websites, our number one section is usually photos," So said Warner Bros. Records SVP of New Media, Jeremy Welt, at the Bandwidth Conference in San Francisco. Amazing the difference a few good photos can make.

During this time of elaborate marketing strategies, it's easy to forget the basics. Yes, it's true, as an artist you have to market your work, but don't become obsessed with launching a full-blown 24/7 online/offline integrated, strategic marketing campaign at the expense of the basics. It's hard not to get sucked into the marketing trap; everyday another social media, video streaming, email marketing guru emerges with the flavor-of-the-day, must-have marketing success secrets.

This is an era of seemingly endless marketing choices; online marketing including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, blogging, email marketing and Adwords; traditional offline efforts include advertising, direct mail campaigns and traditional public relations. The trouble is more and more promotional avenues arise; many artists get so wrapped up in their need to market (which is a real need) that they often do so at the expense of their film, CD, novel or art. It can be a trap.

Don't put yourself in that situation. Before you get lost in the myriad forms of marketing, make sure you've covered the basics. An elaborate marketing campaign is not going to serve you if you haven't developed a cohesive message, a strong pitch and interesting photos and images.

So pull back a bit and pick one or two marketing avenues to focus on and make sure you've covered what's truly necessary. Which brings us back to images; the Internet loves photos. They cause people to stop and look. The more photos on a site, blog or social media site, the longer visitors stay. According to Welt, whereas once artists basically used five to ten basic looks and photos, now it's closer to 300 to 400 per campaign. Not that you need that many to start, but ten would be good. Start with a good website, a compelling press release and ten interesting images. Then move slowly and methodically. Launch a local media relations campaign. Create and daily work a Facebook page. You can slowly add to that marketing approach. Be consistent. Stay with it. Stay focused and it will work.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

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My Recent Reads

noreply@blogger.com (G. M. Mäkelä) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:11:00 +0000

I have finished these three books in the last week. "The Apostle" by Brad Thor; "Mid Scrambler", by Chris Grabenstein; "Scavenger" by David Morrell. All are in the genre of Thrillers. I liked them, so should you, if your into that type of reading.