Second Bodies by Sandra Danilovic, Documentary Film Review

"There is something stronger than sex or happiness: the passion for illusion." Jean Baudrillard, the French philosopher, theorist and social activist said this well before Linden Lab designed Second Life, a 3D virtual world created by its residents (people like you) that's bursting with entertainment, experiences, and opportunity.

If anything was possible and you could be anyone or do anything.... what would it be? Want to fly across the ocean or perhaps the universe? Care to change your body into a perfect physical specimen or maybe another gender or something completely different? Drive a Rolls Royce, work on Wall Street, dunk a basketball? Want to dabble with virtual reality for awhile, even if it means gaining some new perspective on your current situation?

I just had the pleasure of watching an Indie film, Second Bodies, about one woman's experience in the gaming world of Second Life. The 2009, 46 minute documentary is written, produced and directed by Sandra Danilovic of Toronto. It won Best Documentary at the 2010 San Francisco New Media Film Festival.

Elements of beauty, escape, personal journey, fear, sex and more are intricately woven into both Second Bodies and the online experience. Danilovic, as actress and director, does an excellent job presenting the philosophies inherent to the system without spelling everything out for the audience. In fact, I found this film subtly artistic; it's likely many people may not be ready to appreciate the scope of intelligence within. If one goal of the documentary is to get us to open our eyes and learn more about ourselves, this film passes with flying colors.

After all, can Sandra Danilovic explain attraction, love, reality and experience for the rest of us? Of course not, and she's not attempting that. What's great about this film is what it achieves without trying to; it gets the viewer pondering subjects as basic (and simultaneously profound) as self-image and self-worth which are perhaps now more understandable because of this "video game."

Fellow cast members include Danilovic's friends, Annette and Michele, who help explain the intrigue of the Second Life experience as well as the benefits.

Annette describes herself as an educator, bookworm, bi-polar married person who is often shy and hides out with her husband and friends in her apartment. In Second Life, "I feel confident, attractive, funny and interesting, like a more confident version of myself." Annette has tried avatars like Goth Chicks, but in the film adorns the body of a Furry, a cross between human and animal with fox mouth, big ears, long tail, paws and a rather sexy-while-furry body.

Michele says she feels... "free, like a little kid experiencing something new for the first time. I get to do things I couldn't possibly do in real life, like flying." In this life, Michele faces the challenges after entering the real world with birth complications that left her suffering from cerebral palsy and eventually confined to a wheelchair. In the gaming world, Michele can do anything she wants.

"Do you think you're beautiful?" Danilovic asks, both herself and her friends.

"I wish I had my avatar's waist," Annette says jokingly. "My furry avatar is a way to distinguish myself from all the avatars that are perfect renditions of what bodies should be."

Michele answers, "I'm not the conventional beauty type like Kim Basinger or Nicole Kidman... I don't look like that... some would describe me as exotic looking. I feel loved by my son. He tells me all the time," she says referring to Seth, her 6-year-old who seems to appreciate his single mother at just the right moments.

Perhaps Danilovic was destined to experience the gaming world and make this film. Her earliest childhood memories of beauty involve two women: her mother and Barbie. In the game she gets to experience either version, but there's much more to it than that. From Sandra's own diary in 1996; "Am I just imagining my own pain or is it real? I don't know what reality is."

Another huge element of both the game and movie is understanding experience itself. Perhaps we need to step outside of our bodies to experience something else and thus more fully appreciate our actual reality.

We have seen it in the past and believe that technology will continuously get better with each coming year. My guess is Second Life and other virtual worlds will forever get closer to everyday realities until we have trouble distinguishing between the two. The question ultimately becomes; which world would we rather life in?

"We no longer partake of the drama of alienation, but are in the ecstasy of communication." - Jean Baudrillard

Second Bodies, a Independent documentary film by Sandra Danilovic, 5 out of 5 stars rating

Your thoughts or comments?

--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Imagine Creating a Universe

"Imagination is more important than knowledge," said Albert Einstein, the German born physicist who lived from 1879 to 1955. He's the father of general relativity, E=mc2 and arguably the greatest mind the Earth has ever known.
Perhaps part of what Einstein was saying is that creativity plays a more valuable role in actual discovery than merely understanding existing doctrine. Not to say educating ourselves on what is known isn't important, but perhaps fiction and fantasy are far more involved with the revelation of new ideas than we realize.

Imagination is at the heart of the novel, The Little Universe. For the reader needs to imagine creating a miniature universe, a living and breathing self-enclosed cosmos separate from our own where the reader can explore all the galaxies, stars and even planets within it.
Think outside the box for a moment. If you really had a universe at your fingertips and could search anywhere within it, what might you find? The possibilities are endless; from primordial soup to advanced alien worlds, surely anything could be found - and this truly stretches the limits of anyone's imagination. As an author, I felt humbled by the very concept.
Here is a sample from the novel, at the moment of creation within The Little Universe:

I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my pants. Adams gripped the back of his swivel chair as he stood behind it, pressing his thumbs into the fabric. His stare remained locked on the blank monitors. I felt the tension getting worse, and I wanted to say something witty to break the silence, but nothing came to mind. Instead, a calm peace spread over us from the dark screens. I could hear my breathing and feel my heartbeat over the sounds of anything else. The silence made me think that something wasn’t working. I looked at the control panel and noticed that Jim’s green light was glowing as brightly as I had ever seen
it, as if at any moment he would explode from thinking. I figured there must be a glitch, and I expected Adams to take off his glasses in frustration and start complaining to Rose about what went wrong.
Then suddenly, a tiny spot of light began to show on the main monitor.
As soon as I could focus on it, it flashed into a brilliant explosion across all the monitors. Then it was dark again. Jim’s light dimmed to a dull green glow. I looked to Adams for an explanation. He started laughing out loud, staring at the screens. The flash had blinded me after it dissipated. Now I saw that tiny dots of light remained. Those spots of white emerged from the center of the main monitor and began spreading out and getting larger.
“Yes!” Adams cried.
“Yes, what?” I asked.
“Everything okay, Jim?” he asked, taking off his glasses.
“I think so,” Jim said. “I think it’s working.”
The screens remained primarily dark, but small areas of glowing light were visible.
“There!” Adams said. “Let’s get a closer shot from Monitor One.”
As the camera zoomed in, I could make out what looked like glowing gas. The light was bright yet transparent. It floated outward and settled into swirls with other bits and pieces. My hand made swirling motions, mimicking the action on the monitors.
I turned to Adams. “What is that stuff?”
“Matter,” Adams said, smiling broadly. “Pure matter.”
It didn’t look like matter. It looked like a bundle of glowing gas. As the shot went closer in toward the light, I could see big blobs and little blobs, each pulsing with tiny specks of light.
“Chemical analysis of the matter, Jim?” Adams asked, nervously spinning the chair in front of him.
“Hydrogen. Entirely hydrogen.”
“Perfect!” Adams said, rubbing his hands together.
“It’s just gas,” I said. “You took hydrogen from one source and merely placed it into another.”
We watched the images of the glowing gas blobs become larger. They spread out and intermingled with other blobs of light. It was mildly intriguing.
We stood motionless for several minutes, just watching.
Then Adams broke the trance. “See, Jon. These lights number in the millions. Most are locked in orbits with others.”
As I looked more closely at the tiny areas of light, I suddenly realized they looked like galaxies.
A shiver traveled down my spine. A tiny universe had been created before my eyes. Within minutes, dozens of different masses sparkled against the darkness on the screens. Each mass hovered about on its own, tracked by a different camera within the cavity of the building and displayed on a monitor. Our dimly lit lab room was filled with light from these newborn galaxies.
Adams laughed again. “Jim, zoom Camera Two in closer.”
Monitor Two revealed a cluster of stars, tons of them surrounded by extraordinary colors and formations. It was like a fountain of magic dust, reminding me of the pictures in the hallway that I passed by each day.
“What’s happening here?” I asked. “This doesn’t look like gas anymore.”
“It’s a nebula!” Adams cried out, raising his arms to the ceiling in victory. “We have a nebula! Slow down the rate, Jim. Take it down to a crawl.”
The twisting and moving slowed down, halting the lights. The monitors displayed dozens of galaxies frozen in time. Adams, mystified by his creation, stared at the screens. Each one showcased a galaxy of brilliant lights and amazing colors. He laughed in delight.
“We did it,” he said, shaking me. “We really did it!”
I looked around at the monitors into a vast horizon of heavens, feeling like I was on a space station in the center of the universe.
“I still don’t understand,” I said. “How did this come from a little atomic matter?”
Adams sat in his chair, calmed himself, and stared at the monitors in a dreamy way as if the full understanding of the invention had just come to him.
“When you analyze things that are extremely small, like quarks and elements of atoms... and when you compare them to things that are extremely large, like stars and galaxies... they’re oddly similar. Physical size may be one of the great mysteries of life.”
Then it became clear to me. I found myself saying out loud, “We have a model of a universe. Not just a plastic model, but a living, breathing, real universe right in front of us.”
All that time in the making, I never really understood the significance of what he was attempting until that moment.
“What’s more,” Adams added, “we’ve just witnessed The Big Bang.”

“Creation has happened! It’s been a long road, but we arrived today. Rose, you were right as usual. Portal from ct over zero at parsec y! If I die tomorrow, I’ll be happy. Doubtful to sleep tonight, the rush of it all is still in me. Watching light come out of nothing... watching the birth of stars! It was everything I had hoped for and more.”
- From p. 23 of Webster’s journal.

This novel available as a paperback at Amazon and as an ebook for Amazon Kindle, Barnes&Noble Nook, Apple iBookstore and the author's website directly.

What are your thoughts?
--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Is Dumping Big Snow in Truckee-Tahoe, California Winter Storm 2011

Big snow in California? Excuse me, you did say California; that's the sunshine state known for growing every food imaginable and having such pleasant weather, right? Hey, isn't it also known for palm trees, Hollywood tans, surfing in Malibu, sweltering in Death Valley, rocking to the Beach Boys while cruising convertibles and turning heads in bikinis down the Venice Beach Boardwalk?

Yeah, it's all that too, but in the Sierra Nevada mountain range around Lake Tahoe and Truckee there's another side of California and it's a Northern thing. Up North in the winter when the weather comes a-callin' you might hear an unfamiliar Cali saying; "Is dumping!"
You mean, it's dumping, right? It's would be grammatically correct. Nope, the saying is; "Is dumping!" There's no need for grammar when the snow piles up so fast one finishes snow-blowing the driveway and has to turn around and do it again.
The above is a picture of my house which hasn't had snow for well over a month as an early spring had settled in. Just a few days ago there was nothing but shingles on the roof and grass spots popping up in the yard. Look at it now. Look at it! That white stuff just arrived since Wednesday.
What kind of snow are we talking about? Ski areas like Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows report 87 inches (221 cm) at base area and 126 inches (320 cm) at mid-mountain over the last 4 days.
In the town of Truckee, it's business as usual. Well, sort of. Sometimes they have trouble finding new places to store the snow from the streets, so the plows just make great big piles of it in...well, the street, why not? Yeah, that's different. Before you know it with a storm like this, the whole town is one monstrous pile of snow after another. Going out to lunch at Panda turns into going out to lunch at Panda next to a humungous pile of snow! This was the scene at Panda restaurant in Truckee. That little building on the right is Panda and that crazy-ass pile of plowed snow I'm standing on arrived in the previous 3 days. Reservation for party of one! I'll have the mandarin chicken.
Didn't they say it snowed, for like, 40 days or something before Noah finally decided to build the arc? Wow, I don't know how I'd perform under that kind of  pressure. After just a few days of dealing with this, I'm not sure how much more I can take.
I know this Stop sign can't take much more. Since this photo was taken it might already be buried, no longer warning anyone of the present need to stop before proceeding. Seems kinda dangerous in a driver-safety sorta way.
This is the feeling when you just want the weather to chill and give you a chance to catch up. Then you realize, this has just been for a few days. That's all? What if it snowed like this for a week or a month or the whole winter? Anna, this is God getting back to you, sorry about the delay but for your own sake please don't ask such questions.
You know the US postal service? They've got a little slogan that goes something like this; "And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever." Wow, pretty sure of themselves. In this case it might be changed to, "What the heck, today the mail might make it there, maybe not. Ever."

We don't always know what to do with ourselves when the kids have a snow day off from school... or two... or three and ultimately get kinda bored. Shoveling the back deck seems to drive them bonkers, especially after the fourth time. They also tire of the board games from the closet, even the ones that haven't been used in years: Parcheesi and Yahtzee, all the games that end in the "zee" sound. With so much pent-up energy compounded by the low pressure system, a parent might lose better judgment momentarily telling their kid to go jump off the roof, and the kid might reply, "There could be a need to test Newton's law of gravity and the actual snow density from these storms." Truckee translation; perfect time for the old family tradition of launching oneself off the roof.
Here's my 12 year old daughter, Devan Matthews, performing an acrobatic assault from the second story into the front yard. Normally, this would be a twelve foot plunge into a very painful landing. In this case, we're guessing the 5 feet of fresh powder might possibly cushion her buttocks. Okay, Devan, go ahead and jump, as if she needs me to tell her. Poof.
Yep, looks like she's doing okay on this 3rd straight no-school-Truckee-snow-day if you ask me.
"Anyone seen the weather forecast? Dumping? Okay, thanks."

Want to add a comment?

--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles

Larry Drew Withdrew, UNC Tar Heel Blues

Larry Drew withdrew from UNC basketball? In February? Really??

I'm a Tar Heel, was born in Chapel Hill and graduated from UNC. Basketball is in our blood whether we play or just root for our team. This decision has got to be the wackiest decision I've ever seen regarding sports, and yet my heart goes out to a 20 year old kid who seemingly made a really bad mistake.

What an insane trip Roy Williams has had in Chapel Hill. In his 8 years at Carolina, the head coach has seen high times and low, plus a bizarre parade of events. He's had players sign letters of intent and go pro instead (J.R. Smith), leave an NCAA contender early for the NBA (Brandan Wright, Ed Davis), season-ending injuries to multiple key players (Zeller, Ginyard, Davis), the Wear twins surprisingly decide in May not to return, and the only starting senior (Will Graves) cut from the team. But when Larry Drew II decided to up and leave Carolina on Feb. 4th, just before the most intense part of the season and March Madness looming... wow, that's just something Roy Williams and the rest of us didn't see coming.

I'm not going to speculate too much as to the whys and hows. Growing up the son of an NBA player and now head coach for the Atlanta Hawks, obviously is a different situation than most. The pressures of being a starting Carolina point guard through incredibly tough seasons can't be easy either. Also coming to the Southeast for college from California isn't without the culture shock.

Right now all I can think of is how much this hurts everyone involved. It hurts Larry himself, of course probably the most, for he will have to live with this bizarre decision and the scrutiny that will come for a long time. It hurts his team, as Larry was a huge contributor to the Tar Heels despite the critics (myself included) constantly panning him. But in truth Larry was a tremendous defensive player and, at times, a hell of an offensive player as his coach always pointed out in his defense. The team played better in the last four games than they have in the past two seasons, and that is lost momentum that may be hard to replace. It hurts his teammates, for when people that close to you up and leave without any discourse it can be a hard thing to deal with. I mostly think of Tyler Zeller, another junior, and hope he handles it as well as possible. It hurts coach Williams, who undoubtedly will over-analyze his own actions and relations with Larry to the point of driving himself a bit crazier during a time when he needs every ounce of brain faculty. It hurts his family, the Drews, as Larry senior is an NBA head coach in relatively nearby Atlanta and will not hear the end of this "family decision" for a long time either. It also hurts the fans, the Tar Heel nation, because some of us were real supporters of this kid and believed the best place for him currently was coming off the bench as a back-up point guard and actually having a chance to do something no other Tar Heel has ever done (or maybe will ever do)... and that's the chance to win two NCAA National Championships.

I know, you think that sounds crazy but it's not. This team has that potential now and possibly next year if they just play to their potential. Without Larry Drew, though, it will definitely be that much harder.

All I can say is it's a bummer. I don't know what else to say. My heart goes out to you, Larry. You're still a kid and (I believe) just made a bad decision. I made lots of them at your age; I just didn't have the entire nation watching me when it happened.

Want to share a comment?

--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

Truckee Futsal Champs Again in 2011

Last year's champs are this year's champs for Truckee adult co-ed futsal, and once again it happened in undefeated fashion for the regular season and playoffs.

Sponsored by Mountain Lake Painting, this year's team edged past their rivals in a repeat of the finals in 2010 to beat the talented Guapos by a score of 15-8. The victory earned team MLP the honor of wearing the coveted yellow jerseys in the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District fall futsal league, the only team to earn the title in the two seasons of the league.

MLP has already began training and mental preparation for the spring season which runs from February through April. Team captain, Tommy Hernandez, was asked what he expected from the competition. "It's a battle every time we step on the court," he said. "Teams are gunning for us, bringing their A-game. We have a target on our backs, but we like it that way."

Pictured left to right in the back row are Jason Matthews, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas and Natalie Pratt. In the front row are Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas and Michael Kugler.
--
Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Next Time Lucky: Confessions of a Dating Guru - Review

Recently published Next Time Lucky: Confessions of a Dating Guru by Siggy Buckley is a very enjoyable book, one that appeals to a broad audience. If you've ever experienced (or just considered trying) online dating, it's a must read.

From the Editorial Amazon description:

So you think you know about online dating for the over 40s?
Cherie, a professional matchmaker from Dublin, Ireland, faces the ultimate challenge when she tries to find a soul mate for herself. She surfs the risky waves of the Internet and flies around the world to adventures, disappointments and not a few surprises. Chat-rooms prove to be intoxicating, and Cherie feels like in a kid in a candystore. Among the Lotharios she encounters are recycled bachelors, breezy islands of ego, fly-by-nights, birds of paradise, commitment phobics, and the odd sex maniac. She learns the hard way that it's easy come, uneasy go at this smorgasboard of cyber-dreamboats.
Her story is an intriguing read, offering a revealing glimpse into the world of cyber romance for singles that are toying with the idea, for those who haven’t dared yet, or those who just want to compare notes. It also discloses practical advice for modern day’s mate selection through the eyes of a dating expert, both on the Internet and in the real world.
With insight and great humor, Siggy Buckley tells the sassy story of a modern woman's dilemma of being independent yet longing for coupledom. 

My review:

5 stars. This genre gets read mostly by women, but the men out there will surely enjoy and benefit just as much if not more. The author does a masterful job of bringing us along through the highs and lows of internet dating (plenty of amusing lows), of the awkward and intriguing experiences when searching for love after a divorce and grown kids. The writing is extremely polished: clever, funny, erotic and tasteful. There is much insight about both sexes, a true study of human natures. In her quest of finding the next Mr. Right or often Mr. Right Now, main character Cherie takes one for the rest of us and provides her tales to learn from. It will feel laughingly familiar to those who have done it, serve as valued education for those considering it, and entertain anyone who enjoys the deeper meanings within all relationships. As a Yank I also enjoyed the European flavors, a multinational representation of characters that added to the fun.


Also lots more info on the book and Siggy Buckley at her website.

Pianeta Ristorante, Fine Italian Cuisine for Truckee CA

Pianeta is a great Truckee restaurant situated in the middle of the old downtown strip though many people might not know about it since it's easy to walk by and only been around since 1998. I don't typically write restaurant reviews nor am I super qualified but wanted to because it's one of my local favorites.
I rarely splurge at venues with higher priced menus, but when it happens I prefer a classy and unpretentious place like Pianeta. As said, it's a bit pricey compared to some Truckee eateries, similar to places like Dragonfly, Moody's and Cottonwood. The cost is more than justified by the fine food and ambiance.
The atmosphere is cozy, dimly lit and reminiscent of an old world establishment. The decor is European with faux finishing and some fresco appeal. Brick and rock walls support art remakes like DaVinci outside of dark wood framing and tables. The staff and mood are positive while relaxed, a common Truckee attitude which naturally reflects on the customers. It's a perfect locale for a special occasion, good for birthdays and first dates.
We were recently there on a Monday night. I didn't feel the need to make a reservation but went ahead and placed one. Good thing too; the restaurant was packed, and the staff doesn't hurry to move people in and out as is so common this far from Italy.
Our foursome split a couple of appetizers and a nice variety of entrees for sampling. Items included mixed salad of marinated olives, peppers, meats and cheeses, fresh breads, seafood stew, chicken marsala, canneloni, fish, wine by the glass. In fact, I had an excellent Italian Cabernet at just $7/glass. We've been there about 5 times and have always loved the food, staff and atmosphere. I've heard they have a great happy hour as well, just haven't been there then so will make the effort.
If you want a really nice dinner in Truckee and like Italian, you'll enjoy the experience at Pianeta.
Have you eaten there? What did you think?
--
Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Neon Yellow Socks Cost Ducks BCS National Championship, Fashion Coach's Job at Risk

Okay, I'll admit this is a lame (Duck) excuse, but as soon as I saw Oregon take the field with those awful neon yellow socks I knew they were a cooked bird. I wasn't overly worried about the outcome of the game other than it being worth watching and the fact that I had a six-pack on the Ducks, but as soon as I saw that ridiculous choice of lower leg uniform, I knew it was a desperate (pre-game) call by the fashion coach on the sidelines.

True, Oregon made several gut-check calls including a fake extra point early in the game and a fake punt late that both worked to perfection. But clearly the fashion coach wasn't faking anything and whatever he/she was planning just didn't pan out.

I mean, really, what the hell was the fashion coach thinking? That was embarrassing. The team is sponsored by Nike and gets, practically, new uniforms every single game, right? Does that mean the fashion coach gets to make crazy uniforms decisions every other game? Was he/she trying to distract Auburn or just give us all something to talk about over coffee on Tuesday morning? It looked like the prelude to a football version of What Not To Wear.

I don't know the answers to these or other mystical questions on the meaning of life, but all I can saw is "what the hell was the fashion coach thinking? And can I get Nike to pay that six-pack bet to my laughing Auburn friend?" Is there a number in Japan to complain about this?

By the way, the BCS sucks. I think TCU could have taken both of those teams. Get a playoff system or suffer the same fate as the Oregon fashion coach.

What are your thoughts?
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles

2011 SEO Tips, Get On Google Front Page

Get On Google Front Page has just been released for 2011. This is my 5th book, and I’m really excited as it has potential to help a lot of people.
It’s been a long road learning the business of ebooks and self publishing. At first this was something that had to be done for my novels, but then the whole endeavor became something valuable to share with others. Hence the last three books have been all about learning how to make and sell ebooks, how to make your own free website, and now this topic of rising in search engine rankings with White hat, free, organic SEO methods.
What’s fantastic about the search engines is that they keep space available at the top for ordinary people with no money to spend on advertising. That means any website can make it to the first page of search results or even to the very top spot. All that matters (in Google’s eyes) is that the website is extremely relevant to the terms of a given search. By having relevance to the subject and by using smart methods of helping the spiders see that relevance, anyone can do this.
The book talks at length on how to discover the keywords that will work best for a given website. Your very best keywords are relevant to your site, are being searched by lots of people and (hopefully) don’t have high competition from other advertisers. The book discusses in-depth how to use the Keyword Tool External program to really hone in on those best choices and then how to implement.
It’s just come out as an ebook for Amazon Kindle, so new the description isn’t currently listed yet (that takes up to 4 days though I can’t understand why). It’s also available as a pdf and epub formatted ebook at http://getongooglefrontpage.webs.com/, and also at Smashwords which will get it into Apple iBookstore and many other retailers. The paperback won’t be available for a few weeks, so watch for an update if that’s what you’d prefer.
For great 2011 SEO tips on keywords, meta data, direct submissions, alternative text, social media, creating thousands of back-links, building platform and visibility plus much more… this is a great guide. Please check out Get On Google Front Page if rising in search engine rankings is something you’d like to know more about.
--
Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Tribute to Shep, My Favorite Dog Ever

Shep, my German Shepherd Doberman mix and best friend

It's been just over 5 years since Shep passed away. I was thinking of him today, which is pretty normal.
It doesn't surprise me how many kids like the free bedtime story at Amazon about him. He was and still is a winner.
Shep was an unwanted puppy that lived in my neighborhood. His owners weren't married, just dating, and decided to rescue him from the pound as a "thing to do." He was about 8 weeks old when they got him. Over the next several months he spent most of his time outdoors in the deep snow of Squaw Valley during the huge winter of '94-'95. How a puppy spent that much time in the snow is beyond me--good thing he had a thick coat.
As his owners grew apart, Shep may have sensed his need for a new home. When he was 9 months old I got a call from a friend asking me to take him. At first I refused, saying I hadn't gotten over the death of my previous dog, another puppy who had been hit and killed by a car right in front of me.

Shep in deep snow at Alpine Meadows

Finally I gave in and went to his owner's apartment to pick him up. To my surprise, Shep jumped right into my truck and drove off with me. Later he plopped down on my bed a crashed asleep.
He never once looked back to his old home, and for the next 10 years he became my very best friend.

If you're thinking about getting a dog, I recommend rescuing one who needs it. They might just rescue you in return.
--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Charleen's iPhone Picture of the Sun at Carlsbad

My good friend, Charleen Buriello, took this amazing photo while walking near the beach in Carlsbad, California. She said the sun just looked different, sort of "hexagonal," and so she snapped this image with her iPhone. She also felt something, like a powerful presence about the whole situation.
Later when she looked at the photo, she noticed... it just looked incredible. The sun and the smaller well-defined white light to the right, the circular and transparent image behind that light. It all kind of gave her goose bumps in a good way.
I really love this photo and could stare at it for a long time. Plus it's a lot safer than staring at the sun.
What do you think? Other energies at play here or just some lighting effects on an iPhone?

Google Editions, Pardon Me, Google Ebooks is Here at Last!

Article first published as Google Editions, Excuse Me, Google Ebooks is Finally Here! on Technorati.

Google Ebooks, not Google Editions

We expected it as announced for the summer of 2010. We also expected it to be called Google Editions. Neither of those turned out to be accurate prophesies for the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony when the world’s largest search engine would open its ebook store for business, but I guess nothing like keeping your word really matters when you’re sitting on a gazillion dollars and have a strangle-hold on the most cherished aspect of the internet.

So, fast forward from summer to the near winter of 2010 and Google Ebooks is actually here and functioning (sort of, see below). It’s good to see they abandoned the original concept of Google Editions, a term that likely would have left a few scratching heads, and went with the impossible-to-misinterpret-but rather-boring-storefront-name of Google Ebooks. Maybe they’ve finally been taking my advice on SEO tips.

A few interesting things to note:

* Google doesn’t have a dedicated reader, like Amazon’s Kindle for example.
* Google makes ebook files readable on any electronic reading device, except Amazon’s Kindle.
* Google is openly against DRM (digital rights management, an encryption code) for the intention of allowing one download to be read on several devices throughout the day. DRM was made famous and still used by, you guessed it, Amazon’s Kindle.

See a theme here? Fortunately for Amazon, it has a loyal customer base, a fine-working and inexpensive product plus a plethora of other ways to make money just in case the combination punch of Apple’s iPad and Google Ebooks eats up too much market share.

One thing that bugs me an as independent author is that Google Ebooks is not anywhere near as user-friendly a place to publish as is Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes&Noble. At those other retailers I can simply fill out the info for my ebook, upload a jpeg cover file, upload a pdf or MS Word doc, review my uploads and presto, it’s done and ready for sales.

Last night I attempted to upload some of my ebooks with Google. I tried and failed with two different methods and currently am waiting on technical support along with several other (from the help forums) independent authors. Surprisingly, Google walked me through a long-winded tutorial on how to rename your cover and content files instead of just loading them up like filling out a form. After I did so, their program had trouble recognizing my user name and password which I painstakingly made sure to type correctly about ten times. Then during an alternative approach the program would not recognize the very file names it asked me to create. And I’m a pro at this! What about all the newbies who’ve never done this before? Those User-Interface guys are mostly Stanford grads, right? You’d think they’d be smart enough to streamline a platform when they have perfectly working examples to go by.

So for now I’m happy that yet another free vendor exists to sell my ebooks, but I’ll look forward to the improvements to their system coming in the winter… maybe spring… hopefully by summer of 2011.
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles