As I promised you recently I’m going to link you the video Zeitgeist: moving forward.
Before I do so I want just to point out a thing.
Listen to their words carefully and mostly try to understand that racism, hatred and ignorance don’t bring us anywhere.
We should know what is right and what is wrong, we should stop to hate each other and we should stop with all these differences and mostly we should love our planet most.
As Jacque Fresco says: “This shit’s got to go!”
Here we are again for a new update.
I wrote my January issue telling you what I wanted to do and now I think it’s right telling you what I managed to do so far. I know January hasn’t finished yet but I also say that it’s better start from the very beginning. In this way I’ll also keep track of my personal improvement.
What I’ve done so far was drawing again the map of Sonrisa with A.’s help. Now, it’s tidier but still it’s full of stuff. I think that, when I’ll end up with the main project, I’ll have a couple of spare ideas to write about! After all it’s an entire world I’m building up, so I suppose there will be loads of stories to tell!
I drew in 10 sheets of paper the races that live in my world and they’re attached on the wall in the kitchen (believe it or not, my partner hasn’t killed me yet!) so I have a general idea of the whole and it’s easier for me pick up a race and invent new characters.
Also that helps me with a top secret project I’ve started, still set in Sonrisa, but detached from the main one. I cannot speak about that right now but I will sooner or later!
I also gathered a few encyclopaedias about history, geography and other topics, but I’ll tell you about them little by little.
The one I’m studying for the moment is human geography. I started history of the world and crimes against humanity too, but I think it’s better I concentrate on one per time. I knew already I needed time, so no rush, Franny!!! (Ah ah ah…Franny’s brain’s laughing!)
What I’m not doing and I hoped I could improve a bit it’s reading. I’ve finished a couple of books I dragged with me from 2010 and also I’ve started a new one, a fantasy, although I still have some unfinished waiting on the bedside table!
What I haven’t started again is writing seriously after the NaNoWriMo effort! I’m lost among the planning of the world, the planning for the main project, blogging and writing the top secret thing… there is no time left for my good old routine. Or so it seems!
I suppose that once I’ll finish planning at least I’d be able to resume the morning pleasure. Let’s hope for February!
Also in February I’ll start a new 10 weeks writing course at the Irish Writers’ Centre. I hope I can go a step forward in my planning and writing. I’ll keep you updated on that too, no worries!
On the top of it I keep working full time and I’m more tired than ever, but I’ll go on. Until my body will decided to stop me in one of its genus way, like a cold or something alike, I’ll go ahead!
For the moment that’s that!
Talk to you soon.
We should love our world.
Sunday I went to the worldwide release of this documentary: Zeitgeist moving forward. It was amazing. I agree 100% with what they say and I hope that sooner or later everybody will understand that we need to change.
I’ll tell you when the whole documentary will be available on-line. It should be in a few days.If you’re interested, there are two documentaries preceding this one. Zeitgeist.
And then the Zeitgeist Addendum
If you want to understand more about the Venus Project then I suggest you to watch Future by design.
And this is the website.
As you may notice I didn’t explain anything about that. Firstly because the immages are clear enough and secondly because I don’t want to influence anybody with my point of view. I think you can understand alone!
Here we are again, on my good old blog. A new year started, the holidays are finished, my guests are back to Italy and the house is quiet again. I kind miss the mess to be honest!
Usually, at the beginning of the year, I do a list with all the things that I want to do, all the aims of the year.
However a recent happening caught my attention forcing me to complain with you right from the beginning. I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way!
A part from the high number of unlucky things that are happening to me for some unknown reason, the recent happening I’m referring to is the end of the world.
No really, it’s the end of the world!
Do you remember the prophecy told by Mayan calendar? They forecasted that the end of the world will be in 2012. There is a film also and I’ve even found a literary competition on the matter. Everybody seems to get ready for the event!
But a genius, one engineer now member of one of the million Christian churches existing in the world, says that the end of the world is this year indeed. Now if you surf on the web there are so many different dates about this, but certainly the one the most of them agree on is the 21st of May, which for them will be the Judgment Day.
A few days ago I was in work and literally a pamphlet rolled in through the door. I thought it was about a museum I hadn’t seen yet, but when I opened it the title read “21st May 2011….Judgment Day!”. I laughed immediately, really people believes it?
My knowledge on the matter is really limited, I admit that, but I couldn’t help to read the paper and think about a couple of comments.
First, it seems that they want to get more people for the Church just scaring them, they count of the people’s fright of the death. I quote “As you read this pamphlet, please carefully consider the verses quoted from the Bible, for they are the Word of God, and as such, posses absolute power and authority. Our only salvation is through the reading of the Word of God”. Now the question is: how can loads of people believe in such prehistoric book? Something that was put together during a council of human beings choosing what they preferred most? It is something to brainwash people, that’s it. But still there are a millions of people of the world who believe in it.
And just to scare a bit more at the end they reinforce the idea repeating “As you read this pamphlet, please carefully consider the verses quoted from the Bible, for they are the Word of God, and as such, posses absolute power and authority” …again, do they know that something called science does exist? I wonder what they do when they feel sick…go to the church or to the doctor? That’s tough!
Secondly, they say that now the words are clear and they can read it properly. What does it mean? Was it written in a different language before? Did you read for once in hangover? A Book is not alive or better, it is, but not in the way they think…something that is written before it will be written after still…it doesn’t change the words, in particular if you say that it is written clearly!
Immediately after, there is a list “Timing of important event in history”. I’m sure that other dates were important in that period, but it seems that only a few of them are taken into consideration. Why? Because after only one page, the dates are used to make a calculation according to which the date of the judgement day is given. Not only, they also give us the date of the end of the world which is on October 21st. It’s like you’re scheduling the appointment with the doctor in a way! 21st of May, the Judgment, check. The 21st of October, the End, check. Just consider that they reached this conclusion using the Hebrew calendar or so they say…what? In hundreds of years did nobody think to this solution? Again, I think they want just to put panic amidst the people, a real Deus ex machina!
The more I read into the pages the more I felt angry. The things I was thought when I was younger are all lies. I thought he was the God of benevolence and he was fair and good and loved his creatures.
Here they talk about someone who’ll destroy what he’s done to kill us all if we don’t like his principles. It’s like a parent who kills his child because he or she misbehaved… Where is the love? Where is the mercy? Also I quote again “He is giving us advanced warning to what He is about to do”… From May to October five months of terrible things will happen. So, He loves his creature, give us the warning, because he love us…right, BUT if we don’t do what He “says” he’ll made us suffer in the most unimaginable ways…where the hell is the mercy? It seems more sadist. Mercy would be:
“Stay with me?”
“No”
“Instant death then” and puff, we don’t even realize it!
Than it is written that people will rise from their graves. The good one are ascending while the bad are staying here and wondering around like zombies.
Well, if all the people who don’t believe in Him are zombies, in China they’ll be packed! So it says the pamphlet “Death will be everywhere”…no seriously…Mr. Romero, do we want to do something about that? Let’s do that, come on!
After all the quoting there is a web site address. There is no way to speak with other people and exchange opinion as far I could see. It’s a website full of things to download.
But as they say “Read the Bible with your family (especially your children) and along with your reading, pray for mercy”….that’s the perfect example of brainwash and early recruitment!
I’ll leave you now, from the next time the posts will be again the usual standard, I hope.
I just want to say a last thing. 2011 is the year of the rabbit, and it is supposed to bring lucky….well, if the year keeps going like this, I’m going to get that damn rabbit and cook it!
As I promised to a friend of mine, this post will be full of lists and bullet points. I should put a new tag like “Lists” or something like that, as lately I’m prone to do that anyway!
I’m happy when I meet new people, and to be honest, since I’ve started to write and, in particular, I’ve started to write in English, the quantity and the quality of people I’ve met improved and I’m so happy for this! I’ve never thought I could be happy and satisfied so much by something else other than meeting my partner!
Among my new friends there is Estrella Azul, a very nice and sweet blogger who writes a very interesting and (very often) useful blog. The following lists are ideas coming from her. I think this could be a light and nice way to leave you for a couple of week’s holiday!
The first one is the more recent, it’s about something you believe in. Ten bullet point. I’m not sure it will make any sense at all, as I always have doubts about everything.
Ten things I believe:
1. Friendship is the most important thing you have. Friends are your personal treasure so it is right to give all yourself in the relationships.
2. Love exists. There are many forms of love; it could be friendship, it could be passion, it could be staying together with another person, it could be family.
3. Talking with people is useful (although lately the facts are proving me wrong!). All the relationships, anyway, suffer if it’s only one of the people involved to do his or her best. If you are in any kind of relationship you should give yourself 100%.
4. At least four people in the world love me very much no matter what. I’m sure my boyfriend and my two little sisters and my brother panda love me like I love them.
5. Everybody has a good side (I know that the experience is going against me on this too but I still think that!). It’s almost impossible that a person is completely evil. Although I’ve met so far lots of people that behaved towards me like serial killers, they maybe had feed a puppy in the street at least once in their life.
6. You don’t need to be perfect or be exactly like the others to be appreciated and accepted by people. You have to be yourself no matter what (although this could be easier said than done!). One day someone will love you for what you are.
7. You don’t need to follow the flock! You can be the black sheep and be lovely anyway!
8. Animals are more human than human beings themselves. Penguins are lovely and have a sense of group and community. Wolves and eagles are faithful and loyal and dogs are just full of love. I’ve just mentioned my favourites but I’m sure there are more examples. And to all the people who treat badly their animals, train them to fight or abandon them when the “puppy magic” is gone, I’d like to say “You’re the real animals!”
9. There are good and bad people everywhere in the world. It doesn’t matter the race, the sex, the religion, the education. We all should stop with the stupid racism.
10. Money and religions are the ruin of the world. We should love each other even if a religion doesn’t tell us so. We should help each other even if we’re not gaining anything. Only in this way we could hope to begin a nice revolution, which will change the world in better.
The following list comes from Estrella’s blog again. It was a game following the “Creative writer blogger award” she gave to me. Thanks so much, Estrella, even if it’s so in late! Now, I’m going to list my six outrageous lies and one outrageous truth like the game requests, even if I’m not passing on (just a matter of time, really!).
Her creepy version would be my Christmas version, considering I’m doing it now:
1. Santa called me yesterday telling me that he needs some help during the 24th night due to his age.
2. I’ve decorated a 20 feet high tree in my back garden.
3. I have a new pet now, a penguin puppy I’ve called Peppy
4. I’m preparing a Christmas dinner for 30 people.
5. The snowman I did the other day is alive now and he’s tiding up the house for me as a Christmas present.
6. I’ve sent a seal as present to my little nephew.
7. I’m going to use fairy powder in the Christmas cake, so it would be a happy day!
You find the one outrageous truth among these 7 sentences!
And with this I’m just wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Let’s hope that the 2011 will be a year full of (good) news and also ideas and writing!
I’ll see you on these pages at the beginning of January with many posts and much more!
Talk to you soon!
I’ve just bought the January issue of the two writing magazines I follow and I’ve decided to write my January issue too! I’m going to tell you what is coming next or at least what I’ll try to write or do in the year to come.
What did convince me that this was the right thing to do? And why does the following plan seem to be right?
1. After the concentrate month of November, all the ideas and projects piled up in a corner of my brain, fell down on the floor and now they’re all confused on the ground. I hope that doing that would help to tidy up at least a bit.
2. I’ve found on the web a very nice blog, Gamberi Fantasy. It’s a really good and useful blog, but just if you’re Italian speaker! This blogger, tells you in a simple, direct (sometimes rather offensive way, but it’s effective!) what she thinks about fantasy in general. Gamberetta, the webmaster, has a really bad opinion about Italian fantasy. She tells us also some tips about writing, quoting manuals and underlining the most frequent errors in the books she reviews. They’re really accurate and you can learn a lot. The most important thing that got my attention is: do your research. Usually I do, but I have to admit not so accurately! Also I don’t want that someone could think such things about my stuff which is really important to me, so I’ll try to do my best!
3. I want to be the kind of reader I saw once on the plane. He was next to me and started immediately to read after he took his place. He finished the book during the landing, he put it away and started a new one. When the crew opened the doors he was still reading. Queuing to exit he was still reading. He put away the volume when he reached the stairs. That’s the kind of reader I want to be. Let’s admit that, I suck as reader at the moment!
The three points I’ve just told you were the triggers that helped me to plan what I’m writing next, what I’m doing from January.
First of all, for the few of you who were following “Arilla”, I’m going to upload the last chapters.
I’ll try to translate then “Captain’s log” and put on the blog the journal entries one by one. “Captain’s log” is my Italian book about pirates, but as Arilla isn’t ready yet to pitch an editor, although the story is a bit more complex and better structured than “Arilla”.
What I want to concentrate on next year will be:
1. Sonrisa. So I’ll write everything concerning the main books. I realized that the project is too wide to try to write single books. Everything should be studied from the beginning till the end, and that’s what I have to do.
2. Research. Before I try to pitch an editor I need to complete some parts of my fantasy world, but in order to do so I need to study the geography and the history and the folklore at an acceptable level. Once I’ll finish that it would be maybe possible that some parts of the story will change. You’ll follow the researches though.
3. Read. Everything from writing manual to fantasy book and young adults’ books. Basically books that I need to write better. You’ll be updated on those too.
So what you’ll see here on the blog will be mainly the update of the researching job I’m doing. Maybe I’ll post some short stories here and there, chiefly written for blog games and competitions; or else I’ll try to fill the “Sonrisa” page with a surprise for you!
Also you’ll have a few “nonsense” posts, to have a glimpse of my strange life.
For the moment that’s it.
Talk to you soon.
What the NaNoWriMo experience left me other than personal satisfaction, useful contacts, a second unfinished manuscript and a kilo more?
A very nice and pleasant memory.
Last Sunday (yes, I know this post is late…a lot…but that’s that at the moment, I’m afraid!) I had my first TGIO lunch.
Some of the NaNos from Dublin area met in Yamamori, one of the Japanese restaurants, to celebrate the end of the past tiring month.
After a brief taste of the atmosphere I had last time (the only one actually) I went to a meet-up, I had a pleasant full immersion in what is a place I was looking for.
Being at the table with other ten people or so who love the very same thing I love, who follow me fully in my questions, ideas and considerations, is without prize.
I felt that I was in the right place and that it’s in this kind of environment that I want to be in the years to come, that’s why I have to improve, concentrate and work hard. The enthusiasm showed by those people is exciting and you just want to stay with them.
Special mention to our little NaNo! Seven years old, pure fantasy and great ability. This little one was able to beat the limit of 4,000 words, which is amazing at that age! Plus, a mention to her mother and her family. I maybe sound repetitive and also a bit weird. But is suffered so much when I was the same age and I felt alone looking around me and trying to understand why nobody noticed anything special and ending up to believe that I was wrong.
But now, I’m again on this way! I think it’s the right one and I’m not going back or stop anymore!
Now it’s my turn!
Thanks to all of you NaNo fellows! I’m happy and pleased that you’re out there!
