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Hostelworld Recommends
We love this hostel! It gets our thumbs up for consistently high customer ratings and excellent quality scores.
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Roadhouse Hostels Jaipur
The hostel team has personalized the hostel by giving a bit of themselves in creating amazing artworks and landscaping a hostel which will be dear to any traveler's heart.... More...
- Price Room Type
Vinayak Guesthouse
This family run hostel offers a really agreable athmosphere. Rooms are pretty big, clean, well decorated and all different. All of them have cushions and clean sheet.... More...
- Price Room Type
Zostel Jaipur Hostel
Enjoy games with other travelers in the lounge, chill on the terrace with a book or get lost in the wall arts – winner of HOSCAR 2014 welcomes you!!... More...
- Price Room Type
The Moustache Jaipur
Moustache in Jaipur combines the comfort of international hostels with the flavour of Rajasthani culture. The hostel is designed keeping the basic needs of travellers in mind.... More...
- Price Room Type
Pink Turban
There are many cafes bars eating and shopping joints walking distance from the hostel.There are party nights on weekends where will take a group to show the local nightlife of the city.... More...
- Price Room Type
Suryaa Villa - City Centre
An relaxing oasis with a refreshing pool, Free Wifi, Breakfast included & free bus / train pick-up on arrival.... More...
- Price Room Type
Le Pension Backpackers Hostel
We are a homely backpackers hostel located at a 10 minute metro (subway) ride from the old city centre, railway station and sindhi camp bus stand.... More...
CrashPad Hostel Jaipur
Located in the most secured locality- Civil Lines, CrashPad in Jaipur is close to M.I. Road with easy accessibility to other attractions and market places.... More...
- Price Room Type
Bunkstop Jaipur
We provide a community kitchen that is fully stocked at all times. We also have two common areas done up perfectly to relax and 3 terraces at the Jaipur property to chill and enjoy.... More...
- Price Room Type
Doodle Rack
We personally cater to every traveler's needs and requirements and try to make the stay as comfortable as we can.... More...
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Hotel Kalyan
Hotel Kalyan is a beautifully structured hotel situated in the heart of the Pinkcity , FREE WIFI,FREE PICKUP from railway station and bus stand.Hotel Kalyan is a 2 star approved by our government.... More...
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The Hosteller
Deemed for The Royals staying in Jaipur, The Hosteller is a white marble mansion just 10 minutes (metro ride) from the railway station & three minutes walking from the closest metro (tube) station... More...
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Backpacker Panda Jaipur
Backpacker Panda Jaipur is located 1 km from the Railway Station towards the pink city. Right on the main street of MI Road.... More...
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Hotel Vaishnavi
Our rooms at vaishnavi designed and furnished in such a way that it showcase the skills and expertise the rajasthani artisn... More...
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Krishna Palace
Krishna Palace is a heritage property which looks like a palace. Nice beautiful garden, quiet and very clean spacious rooms with hot shower. 24 hour servic... More...
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Rawla Mrignayani Palace
Offering hotel guests superior services and a broad range of amenities, Rawla Mrignayani Palace is committed to ensuring that your stay is as comfortable as possible.... More...
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Chitra Katha
Chitra Katha was built by sri ravi kumar sharma, a retired official of the rajasthan legislative assembly.... More...
Hotel Pearl Palace
Centrally located in the land of Forts & Palaces, Pearl Palace is a first class budget priced hotel, government approved 2 star, located in the heart of historic Pink City... More...
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Madhav Guest House
Madhav Guest House centrally located and a family run guest house. we have spacious clean rooms both AC and non AC.... More...
Hathroi Palace Guest House
The highlight of the place is our artistically decorated roof top restaurant where you can chill out in differently themed sections with beverage, food and music or just relax with a morning tea.... More...
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Sunder Palace Guest House
sunder palace guest house is a family managed place.This spotless and friendly guest house is very centrally located in the heart of the pink city.1 km from rail and bus station.
A great rooftop r... More...
- Price Room Type
A charming building with an attractive Jaipur style facade, surrounded by lots of old trees and lush lawns; Om Niwas offers a peaceful, soothing atmosphere.... More...
- Price Room Type
OYO Rooms Station Road Central Bus Stand
Pocket-friendly stay option with very well-planned infrastructure that assures you a comfortable and hassle-free stay.... More...
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Kalyan Heritage
Kalyan Heritage is fully built up in traditional Rajasthani Architecture.The gallary are built up in traditional heritage arches providing the guests a heritage feel.... More...
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Anuraag Villa
Anuraag Villa is run by reputed family who has a tradition of hospitality flowing in its veins.... More...
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Hotel Rani Mahal Jaipur
Every room of Hotel Rani Mahal has been tastefully decorated and styled after the great regions of Rajputana.... More...
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Hotel Haveli Of Jaipur
Hotel Haveli of Jaipur features spacious A.C. rooms with intricate furnishings. Most rooms have a private balcony. Hotel haveli of japur is surely an ideal stopover in jaipur.... More...
- Price Room Type
Hotel Ramsingh Palace
Hotel Ramsingh Palace is constructed in a old Haveli like traditional structure which gives one a feel of the old world.... More...
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Umaid Bhawan
Run by a family of Rathore's of erstwhile state of Jodhpur.Built in the traditional Rajput style with beautifully carved balconies, attractive courtyards, open terraces, lovely garden and comfortable... More...
- Price Room Type
Khandela Haveli
Khandela Haveli is just not a heritage hotel rather it is beauty to adorn, it has carved wooden gateway as the main entrance opening into the courtyard.... More...
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A new (relatively) high-temperature superconductor is now serving the German city of Essen, possibly marking the beginning of one of our most important global upgrades.
Electrons that are trapped inside nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond show a remarkable coherence with spin states that can be precisely manipulated. If the electron coherence inside nanoscale diamond can be preserved for long enough, not only will we have the perfect qubit for a quantum computer, but the perfect device to reveal the secret lives of neurons.
If you've ever wondered how much energy it takes to perform a full body scan, consider this: a new MRI designed to probe the deep structure of the brain uses a magnet more powerful than the ones inside the Large Hadron Collider.
Scientists can now use MRI data to build rough images of what a subject is viewing.
You can't do science without data, and a team at Berkeley has proposed a method to get a lot more data about the brain. All they need to do is sprinkle your brain with tiny dust-like sensors.
Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences set themselves to solving the main obstacle to a higher-resolution MRI scan: detection of very weak forces.
The population of the developing brain with cells, is a mass-migratory event that proceeds with algorithmic precision. A recent publication uncovered a few of the molecular players that define this game. By manipulating one of these components researchers changed the normally smooth cortex of the mouse into one that has folds just like a human's.
Researchers at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto have developed some powerful computational tools which use blood flow data from MRI scans to predict what a person is experiencing in dreams. Their results were published yesterday in Science, along with considerable fanfare. Before studies like this can be taken at face value, a closer inspection of the actual methods and results is warranted.
It's rather weird: If you've ever seen a computer ribbon cable — a flat, 2D ribbon of wires stuck together, such as an IDE hard drive cable — the brain is basically just a huge collection of ribbons, traveling parallel or perpendicular to each other.
Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.


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Share your softball announcement or browse the softball classifieds. To help visitors better locate your listing, be sure to enter related keywords as well as your league type (fastpitch, slowpitch, Dixie, LLB) and location (city, postal code, etc.)
|Re: 16U pitcher needed to complete Indiana Fillies Fastpitch Roster! Complete Pitching TRIO! 10 months ago in Announcements & Classifieds
|by indianafilliesfastpitch
|Looking to move up to 18U...Want a competitive team...Pitchers Needed 4 years ago in Announcements & Classifieds
|by CoachJenJennings
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


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Investors need to see things from different angles
Are you being fiscally responsible?
Join the NASDAQ Community today and get free, instant access to portfolios, stock ratings, real-time alerts, and more!
If you're stuck with a medical bill that's more than you can
afford to repay in cash, a credit card that's designed specifically
for health-care expenses may help you quickly fill the gap.
Most medical credit cards offer long-term, interest-deferred
financing and you can usually get instantly approved. However,
before you apply for the first card you see advertised in your
medical practitioner's office, think hard about the kind of loan
you are signing up for, say experts.
(See CreditCards.com's "
Health-care financing comparison chart
" and "
Medical credit cards: Treatment today, payment
headaches tomorrow
"In any borrowing situation, you want to find the absolute best
terms," says Karen Carlson, director of education at the nonprofit
credit counseling agency InCharge Debt Solutions. That way, you
don't wind up paying far more for a procedure than you need to.
Here are five expert tips for helping make sure you choose the
best loan option for health-care financing.
1. Don't assume it's a good deal
If you're like most people, the first time you learned about a
particular kind of medical credit card
was probably at your doctor's office.
The receptionist may have handed you a brochure after you asked
about medical financing. Or you may have noticed the brochures
while waiting to be called in.
Many health-care providers -- especially those who serve
patients with limited health insurance coverage, such as dentists
-- partner exclusively with third-party creditors, such as
, on special financing deals for patients.
The cards help doctors' offices get repaid quickly for services
while offering patients a way to finance procedures they may not
otherwise be able to pay for all at once.
However, don't be fooled by the brochure's glossy veneer -- or
by the fact that your doctor's office is recommending it, say
experts. Just because your health-care provider is offering a
particular card doesn't mean that it's the best deal out there.
Too often, "people put blinders on and look at the advertising
and the kind, loving stock photos and just assume that because it's
designated as a medical credit card, it somehow has better terms
than other kinds of loans," says InCharge Debt Solution's
However, that's often not the case, she says -- especially if
you can't afford to repay a card's balance by the time its
promotional deal expires. "One major provider, the standard
interest rate is 26.99 percent," says Carlson. Unless you have
truly blemished credit, you can probably get a better deal with
just a plain vanilla credit card.
"People hold their doctors in very high esteem, but doctors are
not trained to give financial advice," she adds. "They're there to
provide you with high quality medical services."
2. Read the terms
Most medical credit cards offer long-term, interest-deferred
financing deals that can make signing up for the card seem like a
You may be able to get, for example, an interest-deferred loan
on a pricey medical procedure that gives you anywhere between six
and 24 months to pay it off.
But there's a catch. With a
deferred-interest credit card
, if you don't repay a card's balance in full by the time the
promotional period expires, you may be charged the card's standard
interest rate on the entire amount charged to the card --
retroactive to the date of the first purchase.
"Look at the fine print," says Mark Rukavina, founder of the
health-care consulting group, Community Health Advisors. "Look long
and hard to make sure if you sign up for one of these cards you're
going to be able to repay according to the terms."
3. Do the math
After you've scanned the terms and conditions that are included
with the application, use a
loan payoff calculator
to see how much you'll have to pay each month to retire the debt
before the interest-free promotional period expires. You may find
that the monthly payment that is needed to wipe out the balance
before interest kicks in is far more than you can afford to pay,
says InCharge Debt Solution's Carlson.
Don't rely on the lender to calculate your monthly payment for
you, adds Jill Nussinow of Santa Rosa, Calif.
Nussinow, who has a CareCredit card, says she learned the hard
way. After she began using her card, she became confused by the
monthly payment that was listed on her
credit card statement
. Nussinow assumed that the payment CareCredit listed would add up
to the full amount owed by the time the promotional period
However, it turns out that was just a minimum monthly payment.
"What they don't tell you when you get the card is that the payment
that they ask you to make does not cover the actual payment if it
were divided into equal payments for the year of free interest,"
says Nussinow. "Initially, I was paying the amount that they said
was the payment, [and] the balance was not changing much," she
However, "once I spoke to someone and they explained that, I
changed from making the $40-per-month payment that they say is due
as the minimum payment to $150 so that it can actually get paid
"You should really pay attention to what it is that you're
signing up for, and what it is that you're doing," Nussinow adds.
"Very rarely is there a free ride."
4. Consider your options
Just because a health-care provider mentions a particular payment
option doesn't mean it's the only loan available to you.
"There are many ways to borrow money," says Carlson. Research
your options before you apply and see if you can find better terms
with a similar interest-deferred or low-interest deal, she
"This advice is not unique to medical credit cards," Carlson
adds. Ask yourself, 'Are these the best terms you can get? Can you
afford it?' Then shop around."
Don't be afraid to ask at your doctor's office whether it offer
its own extended payment plan, says Rukavina. "Communicate with the
provider and see whether they have some ideas or some sort of
program in place to help," he says. "Oftentimes people don't ask
this and they're not made aware" of alternative payment plans.
If the health-care provider doesn't offer an extended payment
plan, it still may be willing to give you a discount, says
Rukavina, or recommend another program that can help. "People just
should not be reluctant to ask whether there's any kind of
financial assistance out there, or whether fees can be reduced, or
whether the provider would be willing to negotiate an extended
payment plan," he says.
5. Think back on how you've used credit in the past
You know yourself better than anyone else, says Carlson. Before you
sign up for any kind of loan, look at your past behavior. Ask
yourself if you are disciplined enough to repay the debt before the
promotional period expires on a medical credit card.
For example, if you're the kind of person who pays off your
credit card balance each month, then a deferred-interest loan may
be a good option. However, if you're a minimum-payment type, a
deferred-interest card can be a terrible option, says Carlson.
Health-care credit cards work best if you can afford the monthly
payment during the deferred-interest period and if you are
financially stable and can work within a budget, she says.
But be honest with yourself about whether that description fits
how you really use credit. "Don't live in a dream world," says
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Enter up to 25 symbols separated by commas or spaces in the text box below. These symbols will be available during your session for use on applicable pages.
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Wine List
Our aim is to provide a wide range of wines to appeal to all tastes and pockets whilst working with our supplier to source from family run vineyards from all corners of the globe. Some of these have been highlighted in this menu to emphasis their ethos, skills and our relationship with them.
Our list represents the best from both the new and old World and with 30 wines available by the glass and the carafe there is something for everyone and any occasion. Should you need a recommendation just ask.


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Published on
A comprehensive review of EPA's study methodology, commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute and America's Natural Gas Alliance. The Battelle study finds that EPA's methodology needs help to be more scientifically rigourous. This is a major critique of how the EPA is attempting to study fracking and a possible connection to water contamination.


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Highest Rated Titles With Hallock Beals
- Job Types
- Movies or TV
- Genres
- Keywords
- IMDb Rating
- Instant Watch Options
- In Theaters
- On TV
- Release Year
Cold Case (2003–2010)
One Night
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
During a slow night at the P.P.D., it turns out to be anything but when a pitiful man shows up with a dirt-encrusted shovel, claiming to have just buried somebody alive.
Creator: Meredith Stiehm | Director: Nicole Kassell | Stars: Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn, Jeremy Ratchford
Votes: 151
Bones (2005– )
Stargazer in a Puddle
TV-14 | 42 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
As the wedding approaches, the team investigates the life/death of a little girl. Bones's father shows up, with an heirloom and a message from her mother.
Creator: Hart Hanson | Director: Tony Wharmby | Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, Eric Millegan
Votes: 530
True Blood (2008–2014)
The First Taste
TV-MA | 54 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Mack and Denise Rattray get their revenge on Sookie but Bill steps in to save her. Subsequently, Sookie's senses begin to undergo a transformation. She later learns that the Rattrays are ... See full summary »
Creator: Alan Ball | Director: Scott Winant | Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Votes: 1,638
4. The Flip Side (2012– )
Social norms are turned around and seen from the Flip Side of things.
Stars: Brian Smith, Alyshia Ochse, Janna VanHeertum, Derek Reckley
Votes: 41
5. Bones (2005– )
TV-14 | 40 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A forensic anthropologist and a cocky FBI agent build a team to investigate death causes. And quite often, there isn't more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones.
Creator: Hart Hanson | Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne
Votes: 110,941
6. True Blood (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
Creator: Alan Ball | Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Votes: 203,165
7. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
R | 141 min | Drama, History, War
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Writers: Iris Yamashita, Paul Haggis, Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Tsuyoko Yoshido | Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryô Kase
Votes: 131,824 | Gross: $13.75M
8. Cold Case (2003–2010)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she's assigned "cold cases" -- older crimes that have never been solved.
Creator: Meredith Stiehm | Stars: Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn, Jeremy Ratchford
Votes: 19,044
9. Worst. Prom. Ever. (2011 TV Movie)
82 min | Comedy
Clark (Daryl Sabara) has planned the perfect prom for his girlfriend Sharon. His plans are hijacked when Sharon invites her two best girlfriends, Neve (Chloe Bridges) and Heather (Haley ... See full summary »
Writers: Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas | Director: Dan Eckman | Stars: Haley Ramm, Daryl Sabara, Chloe Bridges, Angela Trimbur
Votes: 196
10. The Last Song (2010)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Family, Music
A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
Writers: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Van Wie | Director: Julie Anne Robinson | Stars: Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman
Votes: 62,200 | Gross: $62.93M
11. The Republic of Two (2013)
97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An honest look at the funny, turbulent and beautiful high-stakes game of twentysomethings cohabitation. Tim is sure he wants to be a doctor while Caroline is sure she wants to leave Los ... See full summary »
Writer: Shaun Kosta | Director: Shaun Kosta | Stars: Brent Bailey, Janet Montgomery, Brandon Fobbs, Stephanie Lemelin
Votes: 128
12. Munger Road (2011)
PG-13 | 86 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
On the eve of the annual Scarecrow Festival, two St. Charles police officers search for a return killer the same night four teenagers go missing on Munger Road.
Writer: Nicholas Smith | Director: Nicholas Smith | Stars: Bruce Davison, Randall Batinkoff, Trevor Morgan, Brooke Peoples
Votes: 1,323 | Gross: $0.27M
13. Godspeed (2009)
99 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
"Godspeed" is an intense, dramatic thriller set in the lingering light of the Alaskan midnight sun. Charlie Shepard is a modern day faith healer, a man who claims that if you let go and ... See full summary »
Writers: Cory Knauf, Joseph McKelheer, Robert Saitzyk | Director: Robert Saitzyk | Stars: Joseph McKelheer, Cory Knauf, Courtney Halverson, Ed Lauter
Votes: 485
14. Depth Charge (2008 TV Movie)
84 min | Action, Thriller
On his final voyage a commandeer aboard a nuclear submarine is making a shocking bid for world peace. With the help of mercenaries he takes over the sub in order to hold Washington D.C. and the world hostage.
Writer: Dennis A. Pratt | Director: Terrence O'Hara | Stars: Jason Gedrick, Eric Roberts, Barry Bostwick, Chris Warren
Votes: 352
15. Loaded (I) (2007)
93 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Jason Boyer is a loose-cannon special agent brought in by a narcotics task force to bring down De La Cruz crime family lieutenant Bobby Leoni. A rising star in the criminal underworld, ... See full summary »
Writers: Nick Cotton, Erick Gosse, Steve Rad, Thomas Tamburello | Director: Ryan Parrott | Stars: Erick Gosse, Thomas Tamburello, Lynn Adrianna Freedman, Joel Bryant
Votes: 194
16. The Girl in the Green Dress (2015)
16 min | Short, Drama, Music
A surreal drama set in the conservative world of America's 1950s housewives, exploring themes of modern feminism and sexual liberation. Contemporary dance is intertwined with narrative, ... See full summary »
Writers: Sara Fletcher, Leah McKendrick | Director: Johanna Goldstein | Stars: Sara Fletcher, Leah McKendrick, Brian R. Norris, Angela Sprinkle
17. Seance Saterday Night (2005)
Short, Horror
Writer: Benjamin Conrad | Director: Benjamin Conrad | Stars: Hallock Beals, Elena Campbell-Martinez, Aryiel Hartman, Shane Salk
18. Budweiser Girls (2013)
11 min | Short, Drama
Aaron confronts Rick about something that happened between them fifteen years ago.
Writer: Jacob Burstein-Stern | Director: Kyle Laursen | Stars: Hallock Beals, James Immekus, Sandra Sue Smith
The Flip Side (2012– )
We hit the club to see what happens when men and women switch their mentality.
Writers: Jay Diaz, Brian Smith | Director: Jay Diaz | Stars: Hallock Beals, Valorie Darling, Crystal Marie Denha, Skyler Hart


text:
So, what should determine whether a person remains in college or not? Grades? Of course. Conduct? I'm with that. Money? Well that's a tricky one. Of course it costs lots of money to get a higher education and it's getting more expensive all the time. Somebody has to pay for it, that's for certain.
But what should never happen, in my opinion, is for a student with good grades who his doing his or her best, to have to drop out of college soley because of lack of money. It's one thing not to get there in the first place. It's a whole other thing to be enrolled and on your way to a degree only to discover that you've run out of money. But it happens all the time. That's why our cause at the Tom Joyner Foundation is to raise money to help kids remain enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We've done a good job so far having raised $60 million dollars.
We don't do it alone. We do it with people like you who realize they may not be able to make a huge monetary contribution on their own, but that when they make a small sacrifice it makes a huge difference. We understand that and not only do we appreciate every donation big and small, we are always looking for ways to help people contribute. Most of us want to give back. We are just looking for opportunities where we know our dollars are going to good use .
Allstate's "Quotes for Education" is a perfect way to give back and get something in return…and it's easy. Every time you get a quote from a participating Allstate agent, $10 is designated to the Tom Joyner Foundation to support HBCU students. It's a way for you, your family members, friends, co-workers, etc. to partner in making someone else's life better.
I'm so glad when big companies like Allstate not only are willing to contribute, but they want to make sure they're doing it in a way that empowers others.
That's why we're in partnership with Allstate. There are a lot of companies out there that would love to get a chance to get in front of our audience of loyal consumers with money to spend. It's our job to make sure that the advertisers we do business with not only share our vision, but also find ways to serve our community. Allstate fits the bill by offering win-win programs like "Quotes for Education."
But here's the thing. The only way "Quotes for Education" will be successful is if we participate. We have to support the advertisers, like Allstate, because that let's them know they're making the right decision by advertising on our show, BlackAmericaWeb.com., sponsoring the Tom Joyner Family Reunion and other TJMS events. Without them we couldn't do any of the things we do, including broadcasting our show every morning.
So, if you want to help kids stay in school like I do…and find out whether you've got the best insurance deal with no obligation to make a purchase, get a "Quote for Education," today. Not only will it send money to HBCU students, it will send a message to partners like Allstate that they've made the right decision by advertising on our show.
Thanks Allstate and thanks to all of you who have used "Quotes for Education," and those of you who will get a quote today.


text:
The music of RJ Knapp & Honey Robin is Smart, Witty, Original, Rocking Bluz, and their performance is high energy, emotional, entertaining, interactive and fun!
We were nonimated for 4 Washington Blues Society 2013 BB Awards:
Best New Blues Band : the RJ Knapp & Honey Robin band
Best Blues Songwriter : RJ Knapp
Best Blues Bass : Robert Baker
Best Washington Blues Recording : Our New CD,
"Don't Blame The DYNAMITE...If you can't light the fuse!"
This album is a compilation of RJ Knapp's original, rocking, humorous, old school and heartstring blues. RJ will blow your mind with original vocal styling and his electrifying guitar picking - as he says in his song, I Call It The Bluz..."Bending strings for all their worth is my only joy!" And man, ain't it the truth.
Now throw in the sultry and sizzling vocals of classically trained Honey Robin, and her moody renditions will take you to that place where hearts are soaring and crying comes easy.
Also playing on this CD, our past bassist Robert Baker and drummer Rick Bowen
RJ Knapp, Guitar and Lead and Backup Vocals
Honey Robin, Lead and backup Vocals
Extended Bio:
Chicago born RJ Knapp, is a 30 year veteran of the Seattle music scene, and has played music ranging from Classic Rock, Top 40, to Soul, Funk and Blues, from California to Canada. Second only to his phenomenal guitar playing skills, are his song writing abilities. While playing in the Pioneer Square circuit in the 80's, RJ was given the moniker of Mr. Bluz, that stands to this day.
Robin "Honey Robin" Mahaffey brings her smooth and sultry voice to the blues! With her classical training and background in Opera, Swing and R&B, she is now setting the blues scene ablaze. Her sizzling cuts, "Ready for Times" and "Hole in My Heart", are highlights of RJ Knapp & Honey Robin's new CD.
"These guys played all the way over at the Big Sky Blues Festival in Noxon, Mt...and they are still talking about their set...you'll really like these guys. They're one of newest and hottest bands on the scene
today." Randy Oxford, Oxford Entertainment, Mt Rainier Art's Festival
"… RJ Knapp and his crew kicked things into high gear on Saturday by making a dramatic entrance on their Harleys. The crowd went wild over that grand entrance, and their great set of music that featured RJ's sizzling guitar work and great singing, the bar was set high for the weekend…" Baggs Groove– Washington Blues Society


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Softube Tube-Tech The Classic Channel plug-in, Classic Tube-Tech sound, complete channelstrip including: PE 1C EQ, ME 1B EQ and CL 1B, Modeled output transformer, Extremely analog behavior of frequencies, phase, distortion, etc., for VST/AU/RTAS formats, for Mac and PC, Software: English, Manual: English
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Plus, how to hide a Miley-sized bald spot.
7 Self Tanners That I Have Known and Loved
When it comes to mascara, ELLE.com editors are a lot like Jazmine Sullivan: "I keep mascara in my pocket if I'm running to the market, 'cause you never know who's watching you." And if like me you're a recovering extension addict with Miley-sized bald spots, mascara is more important than ever. Here, we discuss everything from a scented drugstore blend to the formula that makes micro-lashes look like falsies (plus one editor makes a case for quitting mascara all together).More
"My rather short upper lashes have been mistaken for falsies with a few coats of this–true story!" - Kristina Rodulfo, Associate Editor
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, $22; www.urbandecay.com
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Download biteSMS 8.0 Public Release and BiteSMS 8.1 Beta Release for iOS 7 and iPhone 5S
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evasi0n 7 was released, it didn't contain the compatible build of Cydia store. Due to this issue many applications, themes and tweaks which were installed from the store were not working, especially those which relied on mobile substrate. … Read MoreMany things are now moving towards stable state for iOS 7 jailbreak. When the
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A windswept canopy of palm trees and tiki huts cast shadows over Golf Safari's 18-hole mini-golf course, where putters explore a safari-themed pastiche of life-sized lion statues, jungly gardens, and misting waterfalls. Built upon a foundation of rocky outcrops, the emerald passageways swerve among the hooves of zebra sculptures, pretend giraffes, and real-life goat-human hybrids. Sprightly flowers and ponds dotted with lily pads greet putt-putt posses along the way, providing a tranquil contrast to pressure-packed putts. With each hole in one, players gain a lifetime of bragging rights against their competitors, as well as the eternal friendship of George T. Gorilla, the course's primate mascot.


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DALLAS, Ga. (AP) - A suburban Atlanta high school teacher has been arrested after police found him in public park with a 17-year-old female student.
Cpl. Brandon Gurley with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office says 42-year-old Eric Woodworth was in a parked car late Tuesday night with the teenager.
Gurley said the girl was charged with giving a false name and date of birth to a police officer.
Her name was not released.
Woodworth is being held on $4,250 bond. He teaches physical education and coaches ninth-grade football at Paulding County High
Paulding County school officials could not be reached for comment.


text: Ok, I've fixed so that this works a little more like expected. However if you have two worksheets open for the same connection you can never really be sure that two statements running after each other in a worksheet (At the same time as other queries are running in another worksheet to the same connection) run in the same connection to the database. TOra will open any number of connections needed to not block the interface and after that it will use the first one available when it needs one. As long as you only have one worksheet you're ok though. /Mauritz GlobeCom AB i.haake@... wrote: >Dear Henrik, > > >Bug Report concerning execution of commands in Worksheet >------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Try the following in Worksheet > > update <...something...> ; > commit > >DON'T add a ";" after the commit-statement. >Do "execute all statements" (the two green triangles) >Worksheet will tell you "Statement executed", but does not really. > >If you control the update in another Worksheet-window, you will not see the >updated rows. > >After an explicit commit via "Commit connection", the rows will change. > >If you do "execute current statement" (the single green triangle) for the >update- and the commit-statement one by one the commit will work. > >I hope this behaviour is reproducible for I don't expect any database >version dependencies. > > >Regards > >Ingo >


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Parliament of Australia
House is not live
House of Representatives
Senate is not live
Current section pages
My Parliament
You are here:
Current anti-terrorism legislation includes the following:
Criminal Code Act 1995
The main terrorism legislation made after 11 September 2001 is now contained in this Act at Schedule 1, Part 5.3 (Terrorism), divisions 100-103. Incitement to criminal acts (including incitement to terrorism) is contained in Part 2.4 of the Criminal Code
Related Documents: Bill; Bills Digest (no. 139 of 1994); Parliamentary committee report: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002 and Related Matters
Criminal Code Regulations 2002
These contain the list of proscribed (banned) terrorist organisations (see regulation 4A onwards).
Related Documents: Explanatory Statement (to the first listing made under Regulations); Parliamentary Committee reports on banned terrorist organisations (Nov 2004-Dec 2005)
Crimes Act 1914
Part 1AA, Division 3A: Powers to stop, question and search persons in relation to terrorist acts.
Division 4B--Power to obtain information and documents in terrorism investigations.
Part 1AE: Video link evidence in proceedings for terrorism offences.
Section 15AA: Bail not to be given for terrorist offences.
Section 19AG: Non-parole periods for terrorist offenders.
Part 1C, Division 2: Powers of arrest for terrorist suspects.
See also Part II: Offences against Government & Part IIA: Unlawful associations.
Charter of the United Nations (Dealing with Assets) Regulations 2008
These provide for a Consolidated List of Entities, Persons and Assets with which financial dealings are restricted (freezing of assets, et cetera) made under Regulation 40. See also the Explanatory Statement to the Regulations.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979
Sections 34A+ deal with ASIO's special powers relating to terrorism offences
Related Documents: ASIO Legislation Amendment Bill 2003: Bill; Explanatory Memorandum; Revised Supplementary EM; Bills Digest; Parliamentary Committee Reports: LACLC and Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Twelfth Report of 2002 (16 October 2002) for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002.
See also Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism Act 2002, Border Security Legislation Amendment Act 2002, Telecommunications Interception Legislation Amendment Act 2002, which were introduced after 11 September 2001 (on 12 March 2002) and are amending acts.
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A summit of Commonwealth and state and territory leaders (Leaders' Summit and Agreement), held in Canberra on 5 April 2002, resulted in the state governments referring their powers over terrorism offences to the Commonwealth. The Criminal Code Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2003 provides for the Commonwealth to legislate in this area, with agreement from the states for any future amendments. As a result, there is little state and territory legislation relating to anti-terrorism, although in September 2005 several state governments announced new proposals, including preventative detention measures.
Australian Capital Territory
Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers) Act 2006
Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers) Bill 2006. Exposure draft. Assembly Committee report.
Related legislation includes: Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (Meaning of act of terrorism); Workers Compensation Act 1951 (Terrorism cover temporary reinsurance fund)
New South Wales
Crimes Act 1900 Part 6B (Membership of a terrorist organisation)
Surveillance Devices Act 2007
Terrorism (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2002 (assent 5 December 2002); Explanatory Note
Terrorism (Police Powers) Act 2002 (assent 5 December 2002); Explanatory Note
Terrorism (Police Powers) Regulation 2011
Related legislation:
Bail Act 1978 (s.8A Presumption against bail for terrorism offences)
Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
Workers Compensation Act 1987 (Terrorism Re-insurance Fund)
Northern Territory
Criminal Code Act 1983
Schedule I, Part III, Division 2 Terrorism (sections 50-55)
Terrorism (Northern Territory) Request Act 2003
Terrorism (Emergency Powers) Act 2003
Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Act 2005
Terrorism (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2002 (assent 13 December 2002; Explanatory Notes)
Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 Part 2 (Surveillance powers)
Related legislation: Crime and Misconduct Act 2001; Financial Management Standard 1997; Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994
South Australia
Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Act 2005
Terrorism (Preventative Detention) (Supreme Court) Rules 2006 (Gazette 27 July 2006, p. 2428)
Terrorism (Police Powers) Act 2005
Terrorism (Police Powers) Regulations 2006
Terrorism (Police Powers) (Supreme Court Rules) 2006
Terrorism (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2002 (assent 19 December 2002)
Related legislation: Emergency Management Act 2004
Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1995
Sections 3, 10 (publications which promote, incite or encourage terrorism)
Related legislation: Motor Accidents (Liabilities and Compensation) Act 1973; Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988;
Investigative, Enforcement and Police Powers Acts (Amendment) Act 2005
Terrorism (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2003
Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003; Explanatory Memorandum
Terrorism (Community Protection) (Prescribed Standards) Regulations 2007
Terrorism (Community Protection) (Chemicals and Substances) Regulations 2005
Western Australia
Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Act 2006
Terrorism (Extraordinary Powers) Act 2005
Terrorism (Commonwealth Powers) Act 2002 (assent 14 January 2003) (Explanatory Memorandum)
Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation (Acts of Terrorism) Act 2001
United Nations Action to Counter Terrorism
Select UN documents dealing with terrorism before and after 11 September, including Security Council Resolution 1373, 28 September 2001, on international cooperation to combat threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
Security Council Resolution 1624 (2005) on prevention of incitement to terrorism
Terrorist Lists: Monitoring Proscription, Designation and Asset-freeezing (up to 2009)
Information and analysis by Statewatch of the lists of banned terrorist organisations maintained by the UN, EU, UK, & US
UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Afghanistan
Includes the UN list of terrorist organisations (list of individuals and entities belonging to or associated with the Taliban and the Al-Qaida organizations) used by the Australian government to proscribe (ban) terrorist organisations
The right of self-defence under international law: responding to the terrorist attacks of 11 September (Angus Martyn, Australian Dept of the Parliamentary Library)
Guidelines on human rights and the fight against terrorism, 2002 and 2005
Country profiles on counter-terrorist capacity
Some good websites for keeping up to date include:
Information and analysis of European laws on terrorism
Terrorism: the European Union's Position
Detailed information from the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States, with links to key documents
List of terrorist organisations with which financial dealings are restricted by member states
The main anti-terrorism offences are in Part II.1 of the Criminal Code (sections 83.01+). Two major amending acts which formed the basis of this legislation are: Anti-terrorism Act 2001, chapter 41. [ Analysis of the Bill (Intranet copy) and Background on the Bill (from LEGISinfo - Canadian Parliamentary Library)] and the Public Safety Act 2004, chapter 15 [Background on the Bill (from LEGISinfo].
K. Roach, 'A comparison of Australian and Canadian anti-terrorism laws.' University of NSW Law Journal, vol. 30, 2007, pp. 53-85
Rights, Limits, Security: a Comprehensive Review of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Related Issues, March 2007 (Canada. Parliament. House of Commons. Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Subcommittee on the Review of the Anti-terrorism Act)
The Impact of Anti-Terrorism Legislation on Charities: The Shadow of the Law by Terrance S. Carter, Carter & Associates, 2005. Detailed overview of anti-terrorism legislation
Carter and Associates (Law Firm)
This site provides information, articles and resource materials dealing with anti-terrorist and associated legislation in Canada
List of banned terrorist organisations in Canada (Public Safety Canada)
The main act is the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 (formerly Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Suppression Bill 2002). Commentaries on the law include:
New Zealand's Anti-Terrorism Campaign: Balancing Civil Liberties, National Security, and International Responsibilities (John E Smith)
Detailed examination of anti-terrorism legislation with historical perspective and international comparisons (91 pages)
Crime and terror: New Zealand's criminal law reform since 9/11 (A. Conte, New Zealand Universities Law Review, v.21, December 2005, pp. 635-664). Available within Parliament only.
The Laws of New Zealand>Public Safety>Part VII New Zealand's Treaty Obligations>(39) Compliance with International Treaty Obligations>Suppression of Terrorism. Available within Parliament only.
The main UK legislation is, unfortunately, spread over several acts, none of which appears to be published in an up to date form on the internet. They are the Terrorism Act 2000, Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, Terrorism Act 2006 and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. Copies of these acts may be found on the LexisNexisAU UK Statute Law Database.
More information may be found on the Home Office website which includes texts of legislation, reviews on the operation of the legislation. See also Halsbury's Laws of England > Criminal Law Evidence & Procedure (vol 11) > 5. Offences against the state or security > 6. Prevention of terrorism.
List of proscribed terror groups or organisations.
The United States already had anti-terrorism legislation before 11 September 2001 and after that date passed two major acts: the USA Patriot Act 2001 (Bill no. H.R. 3162; Public Law no: 107-56), and the Homeland Security Act 2002 (Bill no. H.R. 5005; Public Law no: 107-296) which created a new Department of Homeland Security to oversee national security matters previously the responsibility of 22 separate agencies. Current terrorism offences are reprinted mainly in the US Code, Title 18, Chapter 113B.
Congressional Research Service reports:
CRS reports on terrorism (from FAS).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and terrorism investigations (J Bjelopera, 2013)
The domestic terrorist threat: background and issues for Congress (J Bjelopera, 2013)
National strategy for combatting terrorism: background and issues for Congress (RF Perl, 2007)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and terrorism investigations (J Bjelopera, 2013)
The domestic terrorist threat: background and issues for Congress (J Bjelopera, 2013)
National strategy for combatting terrorism: background and issues for Congress (RF Perl, 2007)
The USA PATRIOT Act: a legal analysis (C Doyle, 2002)
USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005: a legal analysis (B. Yeh, C. Doyle, CRS, 2006)
Homeland Security Act of 2002: Legislative History and Pagination Key (S. Gressle, 2002)
Terrorism and the law of war: trying terrorists as war criminals before military commissions (J. Elsea, 2001)
Internet Surveillance Law After the USA Patriot Act: The Big Brother That Isn't (O Kerr, 2002 (in North Western University Law Review, vol. 97, 2003)
Forfeiting "Enduring Freedom" for "Homeland Security": A Constitutional Analysis of the USA Patriot Act and the Justice Department's Anti-Terrorism Initiatives (J Whitehead, S. Aden, 2002, in American University Law Review, vol. 51, p. 1081)
Individuals and entities designated by the State Department under Executive Order 13224. From US Department of State (last updated 17 December 2012).
US Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism website.
US Department of Justice. Terrorism page
US Department of Homeland Security. Includes links to topics such as Preventing Terrorism and the National Terrorism Advisory System
Journal of National Security Law & Policy, 2005+.
Full text articles on terrorism law and related issues
Memorial Istitute for the Prevention of Terorism - Lawson Police Library - contains information regarding information collection, terrorism and crime prevention and other related topics.
Department of Defense page on military commissions
US Department of State - Bureau of Counterterrorism
Links to legal documents, including David Hicks' charge sheet and trial documents
List of banned terrorist organisations in the US (last updated 18 September 2009).
United Nations Security Council, Counter-Terrorism Committee. Established in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, and guided by Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), the Committee works to bolster the ability of UN Member States to prevent terrorist acts both within their borders and across regions. More about the Committee.
Counter-Terrorism Legislation and Practice: A Survey of Selected Countries (UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2005)
Covers Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, USA
Country reports to the UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee re legislation etc passed to implement Council Resolution 1373 of 2001 and resolution 1624 of 2005
Country reports on terrorism (previously Patterns of global terrorism) (US Dept of State)
Annual overview of terrorist incidents and organisations since 1995
South Asia Terrorism Portal
Maintained by the Institute for Conflict Management, India, this site provides a wide range of documents, legislation and analysis for several south Asian countries.
International Commission of Jurists
Information on the ICJ Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights. Includes text of the E-bulletin on counter-terrorism & human rights and the 2009 Report of the Eminent Jurists Panel survey of over 40 countries (Assessing damage, urging action, Report of the Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights).
Attorney-General's Department. Australian National Security website
Has texts of terrorism legislation, media releases and related links to treaties, etc.
Department of Foreign Affairs. International Counter Terrorism
The website of the Department dealing with international aspects of terrorism. Contains media releases and legal documents relating to Australia's implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) requiring States to take measures to combat terrorism and to freezing of terrorist assets
Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law
Has text of articles, submissions and analysis of anti-terrorism legislation.
International Commission of Jurists, Australian Section. Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights webpage.
NSW Council for Civil Liberties. Terrorism webpage.
A Research Guide to Cases and Materials on Terrorism (May 2006), compiled by Andrew Grossman on Globalex. Despite its title, it concentrates on US and UK material.
Monash University. Global Terrorism Research Centre. Established in 2006, its mission is to 'generate cutting edge globally relevant insights into terrorism, counter-terrorism, cultural conflict and cooperation that is internationally and nationally significant'.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Counter-terrorism White Paper. Securing Australia - protecting our community (2010). Sets out Australia's counter-terrorism objectives and the means by which the government will pursue them.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strong and secure: a strategy for Australia's national security (January 2013). Provides the overarching framework to guide Australia's national security efforts over the next five years.


text:
Category: travel
The drawbacks of the "examined life"
I've kept a journal since 1996. Not regularly, not religiously—Samuel Pepys, I am not.
Usually the entries consist of a few hundred words, an abbreviated emotional weather report. The problem is, I don't often write about being happy, content with my lot in life. No, it seems like the only time I want to be a diarist is when I feel the need to vent, blow off steam, expound about my frustration and fury and self-loathing and disappointment. Anyone having nothing more than my journals to go on would think me a very petty, thin-skinned, peevish bastard with the prickly disposition of a rabid hedgehog. It is, if I may say, a very distorted portrait.
But on my 49th birthday I started keeping a daily journal, a comprehensive record of "My 50th Year". It was supposed to conclude on my 50th birthday but there were some pages left over in the second notebook so I probably have about another six weeks' worth before I wrap things up. I think these two volumes, which will eventually clock in at around 450 handwritten pages, give a far more well-rounded depiction of the life and times of yours truly.
However, at this point I must confess I'm second-guessing myself, wondering if I've done the right thing. Because I have to say, there are definite drawbacks to keeping a daily record of your…activities.
First, one has to determine what to put in and what to leave out. Usually I write in my journal quite late in the day so I tend not to be too long-winded. I don't waste time composing my thoughts, just scribble down what I'm feeling at that moment, what events of the day stand out most. It's all very internalized, world news and current affairs largely superfluous. I might have alluded to Nelson Mandela's death last month but, to be honest, I'm not sure. Authorial license or a shameful omission?
Second, one has to assess just how candid and uninhibited one can be. Obviously a journal or diary is intended to be personal and private, but I'm also aware of how many authors and artists have had their most intimate thoughts exposed to the world (with or without their consent). If I don't end up destroying these notebooks before my death, I have to count on them being read by some curious party. How much detail regarding my life do I want to impart to a complete stranger?
Finally, when keeping a regular journal you soon come face-to-face with just how bloody boring and without incident your life is. I mean, I'm no Graham Greene, jet-setting about, playing baccarat with Kim Philby one day and having lunch with Fidel the next. I'm not even in the league of John Cheever, who wrestled with his sexuality and emotional highs and lows with admirable clarity and candor. I'm more like, well, Walter Mitty—living in fantasy realms of my own invention, with little relation to reality. My self-made universe, fraught with wonky physics, shifting dreamscapes and enticing might-have-beens. When I'm deeply immersed in a writing project, I spend most of my waking hours there.
The transition back to the real world can be unsettling.
I'm a full-time author, stay-at-home husband and father. I don't really do much of anything. I write (obsessively). I hang out with my family. I read. I watch the occasional good movie. Listen to music. Socialize (infrequently). That's it. Try journaling about that for over a year. Sitting down each night, opening the notebook to a new, unmarked page and coming up with yet another pithy way of expressing "Wrote today, not much else". It's a daunting task, even for someone blessed with my fertile imagination.
I've taken to heart Flaubert's advice to be "regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work". Perhaps too much to heart.
This past year of being a daily diarist has opened my eyes. In my view, my life has become too constricted, too orderly and mundane. I can't begrudge the hours I spend engrossed in a project but I must do something about the time when I'm "off duty". Now that our sons are no longer at home and I'm no longer their steward and caregiver, I can direct my energies toward other interests.
Certainly the desire to travel has taken on new significance. Currently, we're saving money for a trip, putting away whatever we can so that, one day, we can take off and see some place we've never been. Locales we've always dreamed of visiting.
Rome. Athens. Constantinople.
Thermopylae. Epidaurus. Troy.
Time to spread my wings, seek inspiration farther afield.
My first view of the Mediterranean or the Aegean, storied seas celebrated by the likes of Homer and Shelley and Byron. Possessing a blue, they say, like no other.
What dreams, what tales and verse and images, will our travels stimulate?
Will the ancient, historical lands we traverse seem strange, exotic…or will it be more like coming home?
After a long drive across the frozen wastes of Lake Baikal, Frazier arrived at a long-abandoned prison camp near the town of Topolinoe. The camps along the Topolinskaya Highway were among the most dreaded destinations in Stalin's gulag, the prison system that claimed the lives of more than a million people during the height of the Great Terror in 1937 and 1938. Frazier walked through one of the barracks where inmates starved and froze in the Siberian winter: "This interior offered little to think about besides the limitless periods of suffering that had been crossed off here, and the unquiet rest these bunks had held." As always, Frazier locates the apt historical anecdote that captures the horror with precision. He tells the story of two child prisoners who were given a pair of guard-dog puppies to raise, then struggled to find names for them: "The poverty of their surroundings had stripped their imaginations bare. Finally they chose names from common objects they saw every day. They named one puppy Ladle and the other Pail."
-Joshua Hammer (from his New York Times review of Ian Frazier's Travels in Siberia)
Montana Sojourn
Back from my trip to Montana and I'm ten days older, a helluva lot wiser and a great deal more appreciative of the beauty, wonder and diversity all around us.
I haven't traveled a lot—as frequent readers of this blog know—and find the concept of leaving my home office for an extended period of time onerous. But my two trips to the state of Montana have convinced me this mindset is not only silly but perhaps even counterproductive. On both occasions I returned refreshed, energized and inspired…and produced some fine work as a direct result of my rambles through "Big Sky country".
The first time was back in late Spring, 2002 and I was in pretty wretched state. I'd just expended enormous energies completing final drafts of the two novellas that comprise my book Righteous Blood. There is incredible darkness in those pieces, almost as if I was trying to purge myself of all the vileness and fury I'd accumulated for who knows how long. The book was also intended to be a kind of "fuck you" to the entire horror genre, which, to my mind, took a nosedive into the toilet sometime in the mid-1990's (sadly, it's in even worse shape now). I no longer wanted anything to do with the field and had zero desire to be lumped in with the losers and hacks who made their home there. The morning we left for Great Falls, I was a burnt out case. When we returned, a week or so later, I was a new man.
Montana had worked its magic on me.
This time around, I had the same travel partner (my father-in-law, Ken Harman) but was in far better condition, mentally and creatively. The motivation behind our latest voyage was different too: we were going down to Livingston and spending a week interviewing historians and curators, familiarizing ourselves with some of the settings featured in my western novel, The Last Hunt. A research trip and I had a satchel of notes and a box of resource material to prove it. And because some of the action takes place in Yellowstone Park, we spent one entire day viewing some of the most spectacular, mysterious and breath-stealing scenery the world has to offer. I stood on a spot where I could see where much of the final part of the novel is set and, I gotta tell ya, kids, it gave me goosebumps.
Met a number of pretty amazing people as we rambled about the state and couldn't believe how generous people were with their time, how friendly and forthcoming. Lee Whittlesey, historian at the Heritage and Research Center down in Gardiner, was a wonderful host and raconteur, his knowledge of the Park extraordinary, his anecdotes and detailed answers to my questions had me scribbling furiously to keep up. Lee, you're a gem.
Paul Shea, the curator of the Gateway Museum in Livingston, showed me dozens of photos from the town's early years and there were also amazing shots of Cinnabar and other local places of interest. And he did so in an office shrouded in plastic, workmen banging and sawing away, the museum undergoing extensive renovations at the time.
Our most fortuitous encounter in Livingston was with John Fryer, a man who just might be the single most charming individual I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. A natural, innate charm, nothing affected or manufactured. Anyone fortunate enough to be acquainted with John knows exactly of what I speak. We walked into John's bookstore ("Sax & Fryer Company") on Callender Street and knew we'd come to the right place. A terrific selection of novels and non-fiction and the ladies employed there rang in our purchases on a cash register that was over one hundred years old. Ken mentioned a certain classic saddle he'd just sold and John's eyes brightened.
"Come on downstairs." We followed him to his basement lair where he showed us a mini-museum of saddles and western-related gear. John and Ken chatted about the various items, both of them momentarily (and happily) cast back more than a century, men who could happily exist in less civilized times, untouched by modern technology.
Through John, we met the great western writer Richard Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler is a national treasure, six-time winner of the Golden Spur Award; he and Elmer Kelton are the two consistently best writers the genre has produced in the past thirty years. We spent several hours in his company and every minute of it was a treat. I'm not much of a drinker but I raised a bourbon or two that night, I tell you. Jim Beam Black, a truly infernal concoction. And, another true confession, that same evening I stood eight feet from one of the five finest authors in America and didn't know it. After we'd said our farewells to Mr. Wheeler, the bartender signaled me over and murmured "Did you notice Jim Harrison at the end of the bar?"
I think I might have stopped breathing. Of course I had. I'd looked over, saw this rather hard-looking seed, and thought "Hmmmm…" Didn't think "Could that be Jim Harrison?", more like "What an interesting face…"
I wanted to beat my forehead against the bar. What a lost opportunity. Just to wander over, hold out my hand and say "Thank you for every word you've ever committed to paper."
Well. There it is.
Livingston is a mecca for fine writers and artists of all stripes. Harrison and Tom McGuane are regularly sighted. Margot Kidder has a place in the hills and Walter Hill has been known to visit. Sam Peckinpah loved it there and shot holes in the ceiling of the Murray Hotel to prove it. "What did you do when Sam did that?" someone once asked the Murray's long-suffering proprietor. "Plug 'em up and send him the bill," was the wise, terse reply. There's kind of a roll call of honor in the Murray's decidedly un-trendy bar, signed photos of some of its more celebrated patrons. While Ken listened to a rather manic guy explain the proper way of catching and subduing a six-foot black snake, I took a wander, checked out the various black and white pictures—
And there he was. James Crumley. Thick, craggy face, somehow managing to simultaneously convey humor and immense sadness. To me, Crumley is the man. For years I dreamed of buying him a drink in a joint much like the Murray Bar, perch myself on a stool beside him and just…listen. He told wonderful, funny stories, the locals remember him well. Always attracted a retinue of hangers-on and sycophants when he blew into town for some good fishing and hard drinking. Ah, Jim…
I experienced a wave of sadness looking at his picture. Went back to the bar and ordered another bourbon, raised it in the direction of his portrait. To your good soul…
Met any number of terrific people in our travels. We stayed in three separate RV parks in the state and ran across all kinds of interesting folks, every one of them with a story to tell. I have no doubt that they will appear, in various guises and composites, in upcoming stories and novels; hope I can do justice to their complicated and conflicted natures. Never encountered anyone I didn't like, nor did I hear the lame jingoism that one frequently associates with our friends south of the border.
Montana is a western state, its citizens contrary, stubbornly independent. They're folks who believe in hard work, straight talk and minding your own damn business. People who don't think much of government at any level—local, state and most especially those vultures in Washington. They're tolerant of dissent and possess the sharp, practical minds of their ancestors. I admire them for their respect for their heritage and history and thank them for the hospitality they extended to Ken and I, the fellowship we found in their company.
Hopefully it won't be another decade before I go back. I felt at home there and it's taken time to re-acclimatize myself now that I'm back in Saskatchewan. The walls of my office seem a lot closer, almost oppressive. I miss the mountains and suspect I might have left a vital, irreplaceable part of myself at that overlook near Hell-Roaring Creek.
Book #50–"On the Natural History of Destruction" by W.G. Sebald
My "100 Book Challenge" progresses.
Just hit book #50, halfway there and still (barely) maintaining the pace necessary to hit the century mark by the end of the year.
Four or five books of note in the latest batch of reading, including Siegfried Sassoon's Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (#42) Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands (#46), John Vaillant's The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance & Survival (#49) and W.G. Sebald's On the Natural History of Destruction (#50).
The latter left me especially shaken.
What begins as an investigation into the dearth of postwar literature devoted to the suffering and deprivation endured by German civilians during World War II, gradually metamorphoses into a meditation on the limits of language. Sebald asks if mere words can do justice to the horror of an air raid, the obscenity represented by Auschwitz, the experience of being tortured. Do certain episodes defy and impoverish description and can any re-enactment, however well-crafted and best intentioned, achieve more than verisimilitude and clever artifice?
Sebald cites several artists—Gert Ledig, Jean Amery, Peter Weiss—who eschew decorum, ignore taboos, use their immense talents to conjure sentences that are impossible to ignore, that permanently imprint themselves on our consciousness. It is their authenticity that distinguishes them; these men are first person witnesses, their credentials impeccable. They have determined (sometimes after a long period of silence) that they are going to tell what they have seen without embellishment or elaboration. Their courage and honesty simply will not allow them to go into the darkness without making one last fruitless, valiant attempt to communicate to us things we would rather not know, that we'd rather see safely consigned to history's back pages.
Ledig et al do their best but, even so, words often fail them and images, still shots of destruction, grotesque tableaux, are often substituted; these come in the form of vivid, descriptive passages, devoid of sentimentality, chillingly matter of fact. They bring to mind the stark, silent, black-and-white footage taken in the death camps. Amery chose the personal essay format to unflinchingly document what it means to be dispossessed, cast out and marked for death by fellow citizens. He refused to hide behind a fictional counterpart or allow a contrived plot line to dilute/adulterate his message.
In the end, Ledig/Amery's efforts are doomed; even the most enlightened, imaginative reader is incapable of gaining more than an inkling of the physical and spiritual agony that can be inflicted by a well-trained torturer…or visualize what it's like to enter a crammed air raid shelter after it has suffered a direct hit from a thousand pound bomb. We can only, thank God, experience these things vicariously, secondhand, from the safety of a comfortable arm chair. And, though it might pain bibliophiles to do so, we must acknowledge the paucity of language in the face of such incommunicable pain and loss.
Sometimes only a scream will suffice.
We know we can't possibly understand what they've experienced but we feel, in the depths of what passes for our soul, that we owe it to the victims to at least try. Every single day.
On the road…and back again
Yes, indeed, I've been away, a rare trip that took me out of my home office and transported me across vast distances to exotic, terrifying centres like Calgary and Edmonton. Gather ye around and I'll tell you all about it:
It's a journey I should have taken long ago but, what can I tell you, I'm not a travellin' kinda guy. Sherron and I have been talking this over for some time, debating the pluses and minuses of a road trip so we could take copies of my novel So Dark the Night around to bookstores and beg, threaten and/or bribe them into stocking it. It took some work but Sher finally convinced me we had to do whatever was necessary to get the book somewhere it's going to get noticed, start some buzz. I did some research and identified around 10 bookstores, many of them indie, in Calgary & Edmonton that would be a good fit for So Dark the Night.
I have to say, the booksellers in Calgary and Edmonton treated us with exemplary courtesy and respect. They always listened to my pitch with patience and a fairly convincing display of attentiveness. We made some great sales and contacts and even the places that didn't take the book outright asked for either a sample copy to look over or a promo flier (which we just happened to have on hand). Certain bookstores and staffs stand out: the folks at Pages, in Calgary's Kensington district, and the dudes at Greenwood's Bookshoppe in Edmonton. Liz Janzen at the stunning Chapters/Indigo store on Whyte Ave. in Edmonton (Liz, I could've chatted with you all day)…book lovers and enthusiasts, trying to keep the printed word alive and vibrant. I salute you and I hope you sell gazillions of copies of So Dark the Night.
But the trip wasn't all business. July 28th marked our 20th wedding anniversary and Sherron and I celebrated in fine style at a luvly cabin just outside Jasper (a place called Pine Bungalows). Lots of wildlife…including roaming elk and the resort's mascot, a chubby white cat Sherron dubbed Harold. Harold found us one night as we were star-gazing and hung around until we returned to our cabin.
On the way to Edmonton, we picked up our son Sam, who had been attending film camp with his crony and collaborator Sean. The two of them shot and edited (they'd completed the script ahead of time) a 20-minute short about a botched caper called "Newton's Cradle" that is smashing. Look for it on YouTube—or over at their blog—one day soon (they're going to give it a final tweak before releasing it). Fantastic job, guys.
Of course, visiting so many bookstores I couldn't resist picking up a few titles for my personal library: Wandering Star by Nobel Prize winner J.M.G. Le Clezio; Wonderful World by Javier Calvo; Already Dead by Denis Johnson and Andrew Collins' Where Did It All Go Right?
One of the high points of the trip was buying a new hat, a Barmah, made in Australia and built for abuse. Found it in a store at Lake Louise while we were waiting out a downpour and Sherron twisted my arm until I bought it. Okay, I exaggerate slightly. I threw a fit in the store and screamed until she gave in and said I could have it. Not quite accurate but a lot closer to the truth than the first version.
Yes, I know: pathetic.
It was a marvelous trip and that is entirely to Sherron's credit. I'm more than a trifle agoraphobic and the idea of being away from home for any length of time fills me with dread and foreboding. But Sher made this trip fun and stress-free and I have to say I enjoyed being away from my desk for a few days, taking a breather and soaking up the beauty of our Rocky Mountains.
I feel better, re-charged and back in balance. New projects beckon and a good chunk of the summer is gone. Time to get refocussed and into a good groove. Busy times ahead.
Watch this space for further developments…
Burning Moonlight (Selected Readings)
by William Gay
(Anchor Canada; PB; $22.00)
"…he climbed up a chimney to a corridor above the stream and entered into a tall and bellshaped cavern. Here the walls with their softlooking convolutions, slavered over as they were with wet and bloodred mud, had an organic look to them, like the innards of some great beast. Here in the bowels of the mountain Ballard turned his light on ledges or pallets of stone where dead people lay like saints.."
Cormac McCarthy; Child of God
The comparisons are inevitable.
Two southern writers, both of whom employ lyrical, macabre prose to delineate the wicked hearts of people inhabiting places far from the lights of the city, an outer darkness where ordinary rules don't apply.
Rather than shy away from any association with his celebrated colleague, Mr. Gay acknowledges and embraces it, to the extent that he quotes from McCarthy's Suttree—"The rest indeed is silence"—to begin the second half of Twilight.
The similarities are there but Gay's worldview is nowhere near as dense, unrelenting and hopeless as McCarthy's. McCarthy is a poet, his method studied, deliberate, his word choices rich and sinuous but always scrupulously measured and metered; Gay practically gushes:
"The wagon came out of the sun with its attendant din of iron rims turning on flinty shale, its worn silvergray fired orange by the malefic light flaring behind it, the driver disdaining the road for the shortcut down the steep incline, erect now and sawing the lines, riding the brake onehanded until the wheels locked and skidded, then releasing it so that wagon and team and man moved in a constantly varying cacophony of shrieks and rattles and creaks and underlying it all the perpetual skirling of steel on stone."
-opening sentence of Twilight (italics in the original)
Gay's Granville Sutter finds his closest fictional relative in McCarthy's oeuvre in Lester Ballard, from the aforementioned Child of God. Both kill without remorse and don't shy away from the bloody part of the business. There is much to fear from a man who is capable of terrible deeds, acting without flinching, proceeding without so much as a backward glance. Such a man is to be avoided and you certainly wouldn't want one as an enemy…
Corrie and Kenneth Tyler finds themselves in Sutter's murderous sights owing to a combination of bad judgement, a desire for vengeance and, it must be said, a certain amount of plain, old fashioned greed. They stumble across the grisly postmortem shenanigans of the town's resident undertaker, Fenton Breece. Breece likes to ah, tamper with the cadavers he has access to in his professional capacity. Corrie is determined to make the mortician pay for interfering with her father's body and inflicting all manner of macabre indignities on his helpless clients.
The first twenty or thirty pages of Twilight make for tough sledding as the evil that Breece is enacting is revealed to the reader. Corrie convinces her reluctant brother to help her extort money from Breece and it's at that point that Sutter is called in, charged with the job of putting an end to the blackmail.
The second section of the book is a protracted chase scene. There's too much foreshadowing of Sutter's eventual fate and I never quite figured out his odd fixation with Kenneth Tyler. The roots of the connection remain undisclosed and, to my mind, quite unfathomable.
Twilight is a dark book, not only in terms of the disturbing imagery but also in its depiction of the backwoods people, the bleak secrets they harbour, the corruption that engenders. They are a hard and mean bunch, seasoned by grim fortune, embittered rather than ennobled by suffering and privation. Young Kenneth Tyler has no resources to fall back on when he runs afoul of Sutter, no assistance or relief forthcoming from the hostile and suspicious community he was born and raised into.
The settings are well-elaborated, the world Gay paints vivid and multi-layered. Here's Tyler in the wilderness, finding himself shadowed by wild dogs. He makes camp and cooks a rabbit he has killed:
"He ate and tossed the bones beyond the circle of firelight where they were contested with snarls and he could see their green eyes moving about like paired fireflies. When the meat was gone and he'd lain down to sleep with his rifle for bunkmate he could see a circle of their eyes drawn about the fire and in his mind he could see them stretched out, chins on paws, warily studying the fire and this strange god they'd adopted. As if they'd wearied of this wild life of freedom and hoped he could give them back what they'd lost of civilization."
Mr. Gay tells a tall tale but at least he tells it well. The territory is remote, barren, depopulated, pocked with sinkholes, dotted with abandoned factory towns, overgrown graveyards, dissolving machinery. Ghosts of the past loom up everywhere.
Few acquit themselves well in Twilight and there's no deliverance here, redemption in this case amounting to survival and little more. It's a primal, ferocious novel, a thriller and then some.
It makes no apologies for itself, eschews pretension and therefore earns our respect.
Note: At no point during the course of this critique did its author once use the term "Southern Gothic"
Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu
by Laurence Bergreen
(Knopf Canada; HC: $36.95)
Marco Polo, the dauntless explorer. World traveler and raconteur. Shameless liar and self-promoter. Confidante of Kublai Khan. "Il Milione" and his bottomless store of fanciful tales. Respected merchant of Venice. Prisoner of war…
Held under house arrest by the Genoese after a calamitous naval battle, Marco, in his mid-forties but already packing the experiences of ten lifetimes under his belt, entertains his captors and fellow prisoners with stories of his adventures in the realm of the Mongols. Another prisoner, Rustichello, proposes they collaborate on a written account of his rambles and the two of them set to work. Rustichello is more partial to Arthurian romances, it's true, but this Polo fellow tells a fine tale and, besides, it's something to do to while away the long hours of captivity. Sometimes their imaginations get the best of them; Rustichello, in particular, is never one to let mere facts ruin a good story.
The embellishments they concoct diminish a great work, testifying against its veracity as an historical document. Sometimes, not content to be a mere observer, Marco puts himself front and center, undeservedly claiming credit, exaggerating his importance. Before we get too far into his Travels, his father and uncle (arguably greater explorers than their kinsman), disappear from its pages, reappearing only sporadically. Brazen egotism, a reluctance to share the spotlight…or an editorial decision, axing them to streamline the plot?
Mr. Bergreen's conversant and agreeable biography of the Venetian explorer makes for a good introduction to the man and the era he lived in. I had no idea there were so many different versions of Travels extant, miscopied and incomplete, fragmentary or expurgated, some renditions twice as long as the others. There is no definitive text. Which is closest to the original? Historians finding it difficult resisting the temptation to fill in the gaps with speculation, extrapolations. These might amount to learned guesses…or, on the flip side, unproveable notions (Marco may have become addicted to opium during a lengthy sojourn in Afghanistan). Without hard evidence they contribute little to the historical record, suppositions based on the slenderest evidence, a tidbit of malign gossip, deserving of a footnote, nothing more.
Mr. Bergreen does an admirable job of setting the scene for us—his descriptions of 13th century Venice are convincing. He recreates the Polos' arduous expeditions with clarity and we get a keen appreciation for the ordeals they endured throughout their three year trek to the court of Kublai Khan.
Mr. Bergreen's biography makes it clear that young Marco experiences quite an extraordinary transformation in the course of his journey through the Near East and Asia. When he first sets out he is full of loathing for the disparate cultures he encounters, their perverse sexual practices and savage, pagan beliefs. But gradually his haughty Catholic sensibilities are won over by the courage and toughness of the Mongol people. Whereas he has been led to believe they are a savage and uncivilized race, he recognizes a different reality and has a complete change of heart. He becomes their biggest fan.
When they finally reach the great Khan's capital, the Polos make a good impression on their host—to the extent that he enlists them as part of his massive civil service.
The Great Lord's court is a melting pot of cultures and he is not averse to using intelligent and trustworthy agents of all nationalities to fulfill his schemes and designs. Marco's admiration for the Khan is profound: here is a canny ruler who displays ruthlessness and guile, a shrewd intelligence and, as a result, has achieved the highest seat in the world. Surely he must be the greatest of all men, wise and just in his way.
But Marco's admiration for the aging Khan is severely tested by the evidence he sees of the ferocity of the Khan's reprisals. Troops loyal to the sovereign lay waste to great swathes of land, killing or uprooting many people. Any uprisings or displays of disloyalty are severely punished…as Marco discovers when his duties take him through present-day Burma and Vietnam. The Mongols wage total war; frequently none are spared.
After seventeen years of devoted service to the Khan, the Polos approach their master and patron, expressing a desire to return to their homeland. He is not immediately receptive. There have been embarrassing military setbacks in Japan and, most recently, Java. The Mongols' air of invincibility has been shattered. The Khan has lost face and feels that the foreigners in his court enhance his prestige.
But a pretext presents itself and the Khan reluctantly allows them to accompany a princess to the lands of an important ally. From there, they will have royal fiat to go where they wish within his empire.
They make it back to Venice but find that during their extended absence, relatives have presumed them dead and divvied up their possessions. They manage to settle their affairs and, thanks to the riches they've brought with them from the East, are able to establish themselves among the city's gentry.
But Marco finds the sedentary life of a merchant rather boring after sharing a ger (tent) with the fierce and noble Mongols, the boldest and finest people on earth. He's middle-aged when he's captured after the Battle of Curzola and incarcerated at the Palazzo di San Giorgio with Rustichella.
After his release he returns to Venice, where he does well for himself. Despite his affluence and excellent circumstances, Marco earns a reputation for being difficult, litigious. He marries and sires three daughters but one gets the impression that for Marco, like Ulysses in the Tennyson poem, his friends and family "know him not". His time in the East changed him irrevocably, set him apart from his fellow men. He is a stranger to them; he has seen things with his own eyes they cannot conceive of.
At the end he is bedridden, wasting away, a sad fate for such a vigorous and ambitious man. He dies during his 70th year, at home, likely the last place his restless soul wished to be.
His Travels grew in fame and stature, his name acquiring the trappings of legend. Columbus read and re-read his copy of the world's most famous travelogue. Coleridge recognized the mythic power of the stories…
After all, that's what drew so many people to his Genoese prison: to hear wild and thrilling and bawdy yarns of exotic, far-off lands; the flora and fauna, the untamed wilderness, but, mostly, to learn of the people who lived there, their bizarre, heathen practices:
"One Mongol custom in particular astounded Marco: the marriage of dead children…'When there are two men, the one who has a dead male child inquires for another man who may have had a female child suited to him, and she also may be dead before she is married; these two parents make a marriage of the two dead together. They give the dead girl to the dead boy for wife, and they have documents made about it in corroboration of the dowry and marriage'…"
The two families behaved "as if the bride and groom walked among them, erasing the boundary between life and death. Afterward, 'the parents and kinsmen of the dead count themselves as kindred and keep up their relation…as if their dead children were alive'."
Whether secondhand or first person, real or imagined, factual or fabricated, the Travels amounted to grand entertainment to people whose perspectives were narrow and blunted. After all, foreign excursions were perilous in those times, involving no small amount of danger. Conditions on sea and land were harsh, danger ever present, travelers constantly set upon by marauders. Most never ventured far from the safety of their home villages and cities. They made for an eager but skeptical audience, their imaginations fired by accounts of worlds they would never see, while their practical mindsets insisted none of it could be real.
Under a Spell
Two weeks into intensive revisions on my novella and every distraction, everything that pulls me away from the fictional world I am in the process of creating, is infuriating. The mundanities of life require attention—paying the bills, attending parent-teacher meetings—but I am resentful of such "trivialities". When I'm focused on a project, my solipsism becomes downright scary. I forget to eat, wear the same clothes, grow a beard, drift through the house like a blind cat (present, but unseeing). Hour after hour up in my office, leaving only to use the washroom or grab something (anything!) to eat. I suffer withdrawal symptoms when away from my imaginary creations for even short periods of time. I pine for my characters. I miss their voices. Often find it difficult to follow dinner table conversations, occasionally forced to feign an interest in what my wife and sons are saying. A hard admission to make.
I am utterly immersed in this novella. For eight to ten hours a day I walk around in it and breathe the same air as its inhabitants. When I'm not working, I get the feeling that my characters remain in limbo, awaiting my return. There are divided loyalties, a sense of being stuck between two realities, the disorientation that results from that, confusion, my office door opening to a hallway I don't recognize at first…
During these times, I have no interest in interacting with the outside world. I care little for consensual reality, ordinary rules and conventions; sometimes I go days without leaving the house. That is my entire universe and, believe me, it's a whole lot bigger than it looks from the outside. My office is maybe 10 X 12 but its physical specifications are irrelevant. It is a cramped space capsule and time machine all rolled into one.
Viewed dispassionately, I lead a pretty dull and ritualized existence. I do nothing outside of reading and writing and hanging out with my family. I have no social life and a limited circle of friends and acquaintances, most of whom I've known for a long time. I challenge any future biographer to scrape up enough worthwhile material to fill a short article, let alone a fucking book. Good luck concocting something of interest with daybook entries like this:
Slept poorly (siege dreams again)
Into office immediately–Coffee
Break for lunch
No decent mail
Good progress today
Boys home/ Sher home
Supper (shepherd's pie)
Few more edits
Crash with book/ in bed 11:00 p.m.
And that goes on for pages and pages and pages…
That's my life. And that's why I need that ability to project myself into the worlds I fashion one word at a time. Because my daily routine is so unbelievably fucking tedious and boring, it would kill a sane man. Retreating into fantasy is coping behavior, plain and simple. If I didn't have this crazy, vivid imagination of mine I would've gone off my nut ages ago. I'd have never made it out of childhood.
"Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." (Gustave Flaubert)
Thanks, G.F., and I appreciate that, but I also recall writers like Lawrence (T.E. and D.H.) and Isherwood and Graves and Grahame Greene and Anthony Burgess, world travelers and brilliant diarists, leading fascinating lives and growing vast reputations. Their long shadows still touch us today.
Is this it for me? Sitting in this room day after day, composing sentences, stringing them into stories or novels, producing vast reams of paperwork to little actual effect? A recent journal entry touches a sore point, my terror of being a man of no consequence. Making no mark, leaving nothing noteworthy or commendable behind me. As faceless and anonymous as a body tangled in a mass grave.
There's a sense now that I've got to break out of this rut, seek new experiences, engage with the big, wide world and see what that inspires. Inevitably this brings up thoughts of travel. Are my fictional settings becoming too constricted and too familiar? Would some exotic backdrops lend a little something extra to my tales? Is this cloistered, claustrophobic existence I'm leading stunting my growth as an author and artist?
"The clouds change. The seasons pass over our woods and fields in their slow and regular procession, and time is gone before you are aware of it. In one sense, we are always traveling and traveling as if we did not know where we were going. In another sense, we have already arrived." (Thomas Merton)
I need change. I crave it. A door opening. Opportunity knocking. A thrown bone. A crumb of praise. Signs of hope. A phone call out of the blue. Something completely unexpected and scary and exciting. To make my heart race. To break this terrible thrall…