Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Review: "Spirits of Lakewood: Hidden Secrets" by Samantha Rindfuss
When Sophie’s father dies, she goes to live with her
grandmother, Emma. Before she even gets to the house, bad dreams start, dreams
she later learns are being brought on by the ghost of Carol, a girl who died in
the house long before. The ghost continues to haunt her from the first day, and
then, Sophie learns from her new schoolmates, Lillian and Thomas, that her
grandmother’s house is not just a normal house; it was once a funeral home
owned by Carol’s father, a distraught man who went insane after his daughter’s
death and eventually hung himself.
Carol gives Sophie an ultimatum; find a way for her
to reunite with her father’s spirit, or die herself. Only Lillian and Thomas
believe Sophie’s story, and they set out to help her comply with the ghostly
command.
An interesting ghost of possession and danger, that
tends, unfortunately, to drag a bit in places, but that is nonetheless an
interesting read, and is probably written appropriately for younger readers.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Free flow of ideas now available in other languages
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| Montage of languages. Prototype header for the language portal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The site will come up in the selected language, and across the top of the page will be a menu bar that enables you to select other languages as well.
Following are examples of how the first paragraph of my review of Tom Barry's When the Siren Calls look in German and Japanese:
In Tom Barry 's Roman, wenn die Sirene Calls, sind wir Jay Brooke, ein Geschäftemacher eingeführt Immobilien Manipulator mit einer glatten Linie zum Einhängen naive Investoren und eine fatale Anziehungskraft auf Frauen. Working an iffy time-share deal in Tuscany , Jay meets Isobel Roberts, a frustrated woman married to a workaholic, and seeking meaning in her life. Arbeiten eine iffy Time-Sharing- Angebot in der Toskana , trifft Jay Isobel Roberts, eine frustrierte Frau, verheiratet mit einem Workaholic, und die Suche nach Sinn in ihrem Leben. As these two planets orbit closer and closer to each other, circumstances conspire to cause perturbations in both lives. Da diese beiden Planeten umkreisen näher und näher an einander, verschwören Umständen Störungen in beiden Leben führen.
でトム·バリーの小説サイレンコールは 、我々はジェイ·ブルック、やり手に導入したら 、不動産の女性にナイーブな投資家や致命的な魅力を引っ掛けるための滑らかなラインを持つマニピュレータ。 Working an iffy time-share deal in Tuscany , Jay meets Isobel Roberts, a frustrated woman married to a workaholic, and seeking meaning in her life. あやふやなワーキングタイムシェアの契約をトスカーナ 、ジェイはイゾベル·ロバーツ、仕事中毒に結婚して挫折女性、そして彼女の人生に意味を求めてを満たしています。 As these two planets orbit closer and closer to each other, circumstances conspire to cause perturbations in both lives. 近づくお互いにこれら二つの惑星の軌道のように、状況が両方の生活の乱れを引き起こすために共謀。
As you can see, the translations aren't perfect, but it does at least expand the reach of my blog, and hopefully Google's translation program will improve in the future.
Appreciate reader's comments.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Review: "When the Siren Calls" by Tom Barry
In Tom Barry’s novel When the Siren Calls, we’re introduced to Jay Brooke, a
wheeler-dealer real estate manipulator with a smooth line for hooking naïve investors
and a fatal attraction to women. Working an iffy time-share deal in Tuscany,
Jay meets Isobel Roberts, a frustrated woman married to a workaholic, and
seeking meaning in her life. As these two planets orbit closer and closer to
each other, circumstances conspire to cause perturbations in both lives.
Lucy has her sights on Jay, and has hooks in him.
The time-share deal, which he has drawn his friend Andy into, is in danger of
coming apart at the seams, and Jay finds himself painted not so neatly into a
corner; with no apparent escape.
Suspenseful, touching, erotic; all are adjectives
that aptly describe Barry’s handling of this novel that defies neat
categorization. The author’s familiarity with the setting is apparent in every
scene, and he uses setting extremely well to establish mood. The characters in When the Siren Calls are a troupe of
complex, flawed creatures, driven by greed, loneliness, the desire for revenge, but most importantly,
by the need to be noticed.
Though not a mystery, this is a page-turner that is
guaranteed to keep you up late. It has humor, suspense, and will keep you
reading until the last page; and then, salivating for more.
Diplomacy Museum Launched
http://voices.yahoo.com/clinton-baker-launch-diplomacy-museum-washington-11989705.html?cat=75
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| Artist's concept of the new US Diplomacy Center. |
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| Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former secretary James Baker III at the launch of the new US Diplomacy Center. |
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The Need for a US Diplomatic Code of Ethical Conduct
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| English: Loy W. Henderson (1892-06-28 – 1986-03-24) was a United States Foreign Service Officer and diplomat. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Nowadays, especially since the passage of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, professions and organizations around the world are paying
more attention to the need for ethical professionalism standards to guide their
activities. Research has shown that cheating has become more commonplace,
especially among young people, and while there is not enough data to indicate
whether or not this is a clear global trend, it is nonetheless worth being
concerned about.
What is inarguable is that any profession needs a
grounded ethical code to guide the activities of its members if it is to be
successful in our increasingly globalized world.
It’s worth thinking about just why this is so.
First; a clearly understood code of ethical behavior helps guide the individual
member of the profession in carrying out his or her responsibilities, and
protects the individual from outside pressure to ‘bend the rules.’ A sound code
is invaluable in explaining the profession to outsiders, and aids in
professional interactions with those within and outside the profession. More
importantly, for professions that serve the general public, a code establishes
the expectations that those being served have regarding that profession.
For 30 years, until I retired in September 2012, I
served in the US Foreign Service (and for 20 years before that in the US Army),
working at a number of American diplomatic posts both in the United States and
abroad. During my service as an American diplomat, I was often dismayed at the
lack of understanding most people outside the profession have of what diplomats
do. The most common phrase I heard throughout that time was, “a diplomat is
someone sent abroad to lie for his country.” From the inside, I knew this to be
false. Most of my colleagues were decent, dedicated individuals who operated
according to a strict ethical code, serving often in dangerous situations, and
performing heroic, but unheralded jobs in the service to their nation and its
people.
Why, then, did people fail to understand the
profession? There are probably a lot of reasons, but one that impressed me most
was the fact that, while there are reams of regulations concerning proper
ethical conduct, nowhere was there a clearly defined code of ethical conduct
easily accessible to diplomats or the outside world. Other than anecdotal
information, or the often distorted and inaccurate portrayals of bureaucratic
and snobbish diplomats in popular media, there was no easy to access and
understand code of ethical professional behavior that told anyone what the
profession of diplomacy is all about.
It became clear to me, therefore, that diplomacy, as
any other profession, would be best served if it was made accessible to the
general public. Diplomats would be more effective in carrying out their
important tasks if they knew, not just what they should avoid doing, but what
they are expected to do. Our current ethical regulations, though scattered
about dozens of volumes and almost requiring a law degree to fully understand,
effectively distinguish between right and wrong behavior, but they are useless
in helping professionals make the often hard choice between two courses of
action, both of which are ‘right,’ but one of which might be more appropriate
and effective. The individual is left to his or her own personal code of
behavior in making such decisions, and, while the right (or appropriate)
decision is made in most cases, it would be more effective if the individual
had aspirational guidelines to help in the decision making process.
Furthermore, such a code would help outsiders better understand the reasoning
behind the decisions made.
Like the US Military Code of Conduct, promulgated
after the Korean War and the unfortunate collaboration with the enemy by many
soldiers who had not been prepared for the propaganda employed against them, a
diplomatic code of conduct, introduced during the beginning of a career and
constantly reinforced throughout that career, would better prepare our
diplomats for the world in which they must operate today, where they must
contend not only with officials of the governments to whom they’re accredited,
but with the many nongovernmental groups and individuals who impact foreign
affairs in ways not thought of in the early days of international diplomacy.
No longer should
American diplomacy be burdened with the image of ‘someone sent abroad to lie
for his or her country.’ As the new US administration prepares to face the
challenges of the next four years, establishing a well-understood, respected,
professional corps of diplomats should be one of its top priorities.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
US Museum of Diplomacy Closer to Reality
 |
| English: Hillary Clinton takes oath-of-office as United States Secretary of State. Bill Clinton also pictured. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Diplomacy (Photo credit: rinkjustice) |
The project languished for a long time until Hillary Rodham Clinton became Secretary of State, and threw her support and amazing fund-raising ability behind it. On January 25, along with former Secretary James Baker, Clinton will launch the US Diplomacy Center and Museum which will be housed in the Department of State's main building in Foggy Bottom, between C and D Streets Northwest, and just west of the National Mall.
This unique project will showcase the history and importance of diplomacy and the contributions of members of the Foreign Service through interactive exhibits and outreach programs to American high schools.
Anyone wanting to know more about the center can visit the Website of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association of the Foreign Service, at:
www.afsa.org/usdc.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Review: "Living Half Free" by Haley Whitehall
If you’re offended by harsh racial epithets and
violence, you might not want to read Living
Half Free, a first novel by Haley Whitehall. Set in the South before,
during, and after the Civil War, it tells the story of Zachariah, a very light
skinned black who is held in slavery, and who is sold away from his family, and
taken from Virginia into the deep South, where he faces harshness and bigotry
worse than he’s ever encountered.
Over time, he earns his freedom and meets a young
Indian woman, Lillian, and the two fall in love. Able to pass himself off as
white, he’s able to live with Lillian on the reservation, until the arrival of
the sadistic son of his second master uncovers his identity. Zachariah then
learns that prejudice runs just as deep among the Indians as the whites and is
forced to accept being put back into slavery to save Lillian from the tribe’s
harsh punishment. Lillian uses her wiles to free him once again, and the two of
them flee to California where the prejudice is less.
As you follow Zachariah through his life, beginning
in Strasburg, Virginia in 1838, to San Francisco in 1867, you will be alternately
moved and repulsed; moved at how his strong faith helps him survive the
severest of conditions, and repulsed at the depths of depravity to which some
people can sink in their treatment of others.
This is a great story, only a bit in parts by what
is difficult for even the most experienced writers – dialect that sometimes
doesn’t ring quite true. Dialect, when written, depends on the reader’s pronunciation
to be rendered, and having grown up in the South in the 50s and 60s, when some
people still spoke much like they did during the 19th century, as
well as being a writer and teacher of English, I found some of the words and
sentences a bit difficult to comprehend, and not like I recall old people of my
childhood talking. The author can be forgiven, though; this is one of the most
difficult skills to master, and some of us never truly get it. Once you get
past these few glitches, though, you’ll find this a good read, for a first
timer who I predict will get better with time.
Andrew Young to Newsmax: Obama’s ‘Very Existence Is a Tribute’ to MLK
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| Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Review: "The Lurking Man" by Keith Rommel
Cailean, a self-pitying alcoholic; a failure as a
wife, mother, and person, finds herself in a strange place, in conversation
with an even stranger person, Sariel.
Forced to relive events in her tortured life before she dies, she comes
face-to-face with the demon that lives inside her; an evil that has consumed
her since childhood.
Keith Rommel’s The
Lurking Man is a tale that is both chilling and touching as he takes us
back and forth in time during Cailean’s voyage of self-discovery. The dialogue
in a few places comes across as a bit stilted, and in at least one chapter, I
got lost as to whether the events being described were past or present, but
overall I found this to be a fascinating story of redemption and revenge.
The line between life and death becomes blurred in Rommel's deftly-written tale. As Cailean struggles with the realization that much of what has plagued her in her life has been of her own doing, the reader is pulled ever deeper into the whirlpool of her out-of-control life. I found myself rooting for her success, despite the way she's painted as a thoroughly unlikable person in the early part of the story.
The
Lurking Man defies categorization – it in fact probably
belongs to a genre all its on. It’s science fiction, fantasy, and with a bit of
dialogue polishing, literary, all rolled into one. This is not a book for the faint-hearted; it's gritty reality - even with some of the stilted dialogue - is likely to make many uncomfortable, but it shows life 'like it is.' Highly recommended reading.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Review: "Marked for Vengeance" by S. J. Pierce
I found Marked
for Vengeance: The Alyx Rayer Chronicles difficult to read. Not, mind you,
that it’s not an interesting story; I’d go so far as to call it an intriguing
story; it’s just that there are certain things about it that makes it very
difficult to hang in for the long slog.
The preface, which explains the author’s motivation
for writing this novel, would have been better as an author’s end-note. Placed
where it is, at the very beginning, it seems to foreshadow everything that will
follow. And, of course, the following prologue seems to be of a piece; we’re
allowed to witness the ‘birth’ of some strange creatures, or perhaps actually
the ‘rebirth;’ “Waiting to be brought to life, their bodies felt more like prisons
to their souls that shuddered in response to the darkness around them. Her mind
reeled with images, distant, agonizing memories of the last two times she had
endured this torture, and her frozen muscles itched for movement so she could
flee.” Are we witnessing the appearance of some alien being, angels, perhaps?
The author carefully, and sneakily, does not say.
In chapter one, we’re introduced to Alyx Rayer, and
only because of the book’s subtitle and that pesky preface are we able to
believe that she just might be one of the ‘strange’ beings, until it is
revealed to us near the end of the chapter.
I think you’re getting the picture; this is a story
of the ‘aliens among us,’ but one with a few twists over the standard ‘encounter’
tales. An interesting concept, that I mostly enjoyed reading, but for a few
faults. First; the formatting of the e-Book was extremely distracting, with
sudden spacings separating sentences, causing the eye to stumble while reading,
and initially wondering if this was intentional or just an oversight. Then,
there were the sudden shifts in point of view, from one character to another,
from third person omniscient to third person limited. This is great in
experimental fiction, but when you want readers to get to know and care about
your characters, it’s a bit off-putting. Finally, the dialogue tends in many
places to be a bit too wooden, as if the character was reading from a note pad
rather than actually speaking, and there are too many unnecessary tags, such as
‘her hands balled angrily into fists,’ that don’t really add to the flow of the
story in any significant way – rather, they detract from it.
Like I said, even though it was hard to read, I did
enjoy Mark of Vengeance, even though
I didn’t totally understand it. It shows signs of developing into a fascinating
trilogy, or maybe even a series if the author takes note of the aforementioned
weaknesses, and, either corrects them, or makes sure readers know they’re part
of the story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Fulfilling the Dream by Honoring the Dreamer
In three days, on January 21, the nation prepares
for the inauguration of Barack Obama, America’s first African-American
President, for his second term. At the same time, we will pause throughout the
country to honor a man whose efforts were instrumental in many ways in this
historic inauguration. January 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a holiday
marked every year on the third Monday in January since 1986, and since 2000,
recognized in all 50 states.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929 in
Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist preacher. He followed his father’s
profession, becoming a pastor in a church in the south, ministering to the
needs of a then-segregated black community. The Montgomery bus boycott, sparked
by Rosa Parks arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white male
passenger, King became the leader of the national civil rights movement, and in
1957 helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements
in moving the cause of civil rights forward in the United States, and honored
around the world, he is best remembered for his historic “I Have a Dream”
speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, before an audience
of 250,000 civil rights supporters at the close of the March on Washington.
After the 1963 event, King turned his attention to a focus on poverty and the
war in Vietnam, which he vehemently opposed.
In Memphis, Tennessee to support that city’s garbage
workers in their strike for better wages and working conditions, King was slain
by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. His death touched off riots around the
country in some of the worst racial violence the country has ever seen.
King’s words in Washington in 1963 are as
appropriate today as they were then, given the economic and social problems
plaguing the nation over 150 years after the end of the Civil War. We are still
a nation of haves and have-nots, with millions going to bed at night with empty
stomachs, without shelter, and deprived of the right to ‘life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.’ The promissory note written by the Founding Fathers when
they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is still due
for many. As King said, “In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to
cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words
of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to fall heir to.” We should take
careful note of what he said after that, though. “In the process of gaining our
rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds . . . let us not wallow
in the valley of despair.”
His dream, the American dream, remains largely a
dream. To honor his legacy, it is up to us, each of us, to continue to work to
make that dream a reality. Even though we might have to face the ‘difficulties
of today and tomorrow,’ we should still cling to that dream, a dream that is
‘deeply rooted in the American dream.’
Review: "Kismetology" by Jaimie Admans
Jaimie Admans is, in her own words, a young
English-sounding Welsh girl, who has written a great first novel, Kismetology. MacKenzie lives with Dan,
her significant other, three houses down from her domineering divorced mother.
Wanting to get out from under her mum’s oppressive thumb, Mac sets out to find
her a man. I found myself alternating between mirth and sadness as I followed
Mac’s madcap antics. This is a romance, a wish-I’d-not-come-of-age, mystical ménage
of crazy characters, merry misadventure, and deep feelings, put together
better, I think, than I’ve ever seen a first effort done.
Kudos to Ms. Admans for an excellent effort. I have
no doubt we’ll be seeing more and even better in the future.
 |
| Get "Grab the Brass Ring" today. |
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The National Memo » Republicans Outraged At Obama For Supporting Reagan And Bush’s Gun Policies
The National Memo » Republicans Outraged At Obama For Supporting Reagan And Bush’s Gun Policies
This is sort of like their opposition to his health reform policies which members of their party had supported. These guys are infected with NIbM syndrome (Not Invented by Me).
This is sort of like their opposition to his health reform policies which members of their party had supported. These guys are infected with NIbM syndrome (Not Invented by Me).
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Review: "The Iron Bloom" by Billy Wong
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| Rose et amour....rosa y amor ....rose d'amour ..rosa de amor.. // Explore (Photo credit: photosylvia / silabox) |
Iron
Bloom by Billy Wong is an interesting story. It’s about
Rose, something of a tomboy, struggling to make it in what is clearly a
male-dominated world. The story opens with the reader being plunged right in
the middle of action as Rose confronts a murderous stranger at the home of
people for whom she works (or, at least that’s the impression one gets). Nearly
killed, Rose m manages to slay the intruder, save the only child of the
unfortunately slain parents, and make it home where she miraculously survives
the terrible wound the marauder inflicted upon her.
So far, so good. But, this is just the beginning of
Rose’s adventures. A tale of derring-do and coming of age that would be rated
as outstanding but for its failure to follow the conventions of this type
story. The author uses modern language for the most part, and it is frankly
jarring. Breaking the rules of the genre works sometimes, but having dialogue
that sounds like a teen at the mall coming from the lips of a girl who has just
slain a sword-yielding murderer is a bridge too far.
Having said that, and the criticism is meant to be
constructive, I found it an interesting story that has only that one flaw. Not
a fatal flaw, but one hopes that if there’s a sequel, it will not be repeated.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Review: "The Phoenix Egg" by Richard A. Bamberg
Caitlin Maxwell is on the phone with her husband when
he is involved in a highway accident. At first, totally distraught over the
fact that he might be dead, she doesn’t make the connection between his
accident and a subsequent attempt on her life in the expensive, high-security
apartment where she lives. Thwarted by the apartment security officials, and
viewed with skepticism by the police officer who comes to investigate her
assault complaint, she strikes out on her own. When another attempt is made on
her life, she turns to the enigmatic John Blalock for help.
Caitlin and Blalock quickly find themselves pursued
by agents of the U.S. Government, Japanese industrial spies, and a French
security official; all seeking something Caitlin has. Unfortunately, she doesn’t
know what she has. Blalock has to use all his wits to keep them alive while
they seek answers.
This is the way The
Phoenix Egg starts; searing action from the first page; action that
continues to climb page after page, reaching an explosive conclusion. Richard
a. Bamberg has crafted a well thought out thriller, with action, suspense, and romance
that devotees of the genre will appreciate. Formatting in the e-book format is
a bit distracting, but, only mildly so, as are some of the long flashbacks,
which, while being action-packed themselves, disrupt the flow of the current
story a bit.
These two minor flaws are the only negative things I
have to say about The Phoenix Egg,
because it’s a must-read book that, the flaws notwithstanding, won’t
disappoint.
A Peek at the American Economy of the Future?Se
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| See a differently formatted version of this cartoon at http://charlieray45.wordpress.com |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Review: "A Wind Doth Blow" by Daniel Kelley
Daniel
Kelley has written, in "A Wind Doth Blow," a romance story with a
different take, and one that will keep you turning the pages until the very
end. The protagonist is an artist with what has to be called an obsession with
his oboe-playing neighbor that quickly begins to consume his every waking
moment, and causes him to doubt himself as a person . . . The full review can be found here. The book can be ordered for Kindle or seen on Goodreads.com.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
NRA's view of Students of the Future Mug
http://www.zazzle.com/nras_view_of_students_of_the_future_mug-168211019841378289?gl=UhurubyCharlesRay&CMPN=addthis&lang=en&rf=238247064367966800
Show your support for sensible regulation of access to guns with this mug on your desk.
Show your support for sensible regulation of access to guns with this mug on your desk.
Diplomatic Security: Past Lessons and Future Outlook
http://youtu.be/yDCKq2l_n7k
A symposium held by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in September 2012, which I participated in.
Review of "Export Now: Five Keys to Entering New Markets"
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| US Navy 050129-N-8629M-116 U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, the Honorable Frank Lavin, (center), receives a tour of the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Export
Now: Five
Keys to Entering New Markets, by Frank Lavin and Peter
Cohan, Wiley (Asia), Singapore. 2011.
ISBN: 978-0-470-82816-8
Like it or not, we live in a globalized world where
borders have little meaning anymore in an economic sense. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a
manufacturer of widgets in Waukegan or a writer of fiction in a basement office
in Washington, DC, you have to be able to pitch your product to a global world,
or risk being sidelined and forgotten.
Frank Lavin, who served as U.S. Ambassador to
Singapore and undersecretary for trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Peter
Cohan, president of a management consulting and venture capital firm, have
written an excellent book on not just surviving, but thriving, in that
world. As practitioners of international
trade, they know what they’re talking about.
Moreover, unlike a lot of books of globalization and international
trade, they’re able to explain it in terms that don’t require an advanced
degree in economics and finance to understand.
While this book is written for companies looking to
invest in foreign markets, its common sense approach to international trade and
cooperation apply to anyone who has a product to market, even writers. The whole book is useful, but parts one and
two, which address market analysis, self-awareness, and developing marketing
strategies are the most valuable. The
case studies that the authors use to illustrate their points are interesting,
but as a writer, I only find them mildly useful. The background and the final part, on taking
action, though, were valuable in and of themselves. If you’re pressed for time and can’t read
this book from start to finish, just go to pages 213 and 214 and read the first
two pages of Chapter 10, “Take Action.”
These few brief words should be engraved on parchment, framed, and hung
in the office of every one of us.
You don’t
have to be a businessman to appreciate this book.
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