New Excerpt from my WIP

Note: Aperians are short humanoids who live a long, long time. Atrelle is one who has devoted herself to Chloe.

The Aperian sitting in front of me smiled warmly. “Mistress, I understand your frustration with my people, but too many of them are happy and healthy living under Androsian rule.” Her face was lined with care and her 750 years showed in the form of gray hair on her head and deeply placed eyes.

I nodded at her. “Madame Yrnop, I appreciate all the work you’ve done for me. I know you’ve risked life and limb for a free Aperia. But I can’t free them if they don’t want to be.”

She smiled again. “Yet I will continue to fight the Androsians, even if it is behind the scenes. You may continue to access my computer to gather what information you can. I’m sorry that my people cannot be more cooperative.”

I smiled. “If only they were even remotely cooperative. Even your own staff can’t be trusted.”

Madame Yrnop sighed. “They are loyal to Aperia first and me second. Still, you have been able to hide - how do you say it - in plain sight - for the last five years. I would consider that an accomplishment by itself.”

I lost myself in thought for a moment. “What was Aperia like before the Androsians?”

She half-smiled and then grew wistful. “When I was born, Aperia was only just starting to explore our own solar system. But even then we had the most marvelous curiosity, as a whole. There are few Aperians, even now, who are not curious or enterprising when it comes to exploration. We built cities, just as you see now. We built them everywhere, on the land, under the oceans, in orbit and on our moons. By the time I was 100, we had gone from exploring the solar system to developing our first warp engines. We progressed so fast, but we had no idea what lay out there.” She pointed up.

“We had no idea that the other intelligent species would all be larger than us, and most of them were more aggressive. We had built an economy on our planet where few people were poor. We were never sick. We were all industrious. We all worked hard. I have learned quite a bit about your race over the last five years, both from you and Atrelle. Many of you are as industrious as we are, but not all. Many of you are content to let others do the work. Our people do not understand the concept of retirement. We work hard until we die.

“We traveled to a system outside our own for the first time about 500 years ago. Then we met our first alien race: the Sysrowians. Here we found a race similar to ours, if a little bit larger. They were also industrious, but their customs were different, their languages seemed harsh to our ears. And most importantly, they would not share technology with us. We left them to their own devices and pushed further into the galaxy.”

She sighed. “And that is when we met the Androsians for the first time. We were overwhelmed from the beginning, attacked before we could even start to defend ourselves. I was on that first ship, Mistress. We were captured, we were tortured, and we were raped.”

I reached out and touched her shoulder. I could not drop my antibiotic shield, but I could still feel her pain.

She sighed. “When the Androsians discovered where our home planet was, they not only destroyed our world, wiping out most of my people, but they also attempted to destroy the Sysrowians. But they fought back and very nearly pushed the Androsians back.” She started to cry. “Our people helped the Androsians to defeat the Sysrowians.” She broke down in tears. “And I have been bearing the guilt of that deed ever since. My own father told us that the Sysrowians would not help us, so we should not help them. But when I pleaded with him to not help the Androsians conquer Sysrow, he called me weak. He sold me into sexual slavery with the Androsians, and it was not until he died, 75 years ago, that I was released from that bond.”

She trembled. “And now you see why I must help my people to gain their independence. Why I must help the Sysrowians to gain theirs. I will do anything I can to accomplish that mission, even give my life, though little enough time is left for that. You must make them see that your way is the best way, that a free Aperia can live in peace with its neighbors and still be profitable. I have faith in you, Mistress.”

She touched my arm. “No one should be punished for simply being curious and ingenious enough to follow the stars.”

I nodded. She smiled and stood. I stood also and took her hand. I led her to the door and hugged her before she left. She looked back at me and I could see the pleading in her eyes. “You have the power to make a difference. Let it be for peace!” She turned and walked out the door.

I felt a touch at my elbow. I turned to see Atrelle, her eyes red from crying. I hugged her tightly.

Why I Want to be a Social Media Journalist

A few posts back, I laid forth an idea for a business, where I would buy a van, a computer or two, a few cameras, a wifi router, and then go out and about the world whoring myself making video to be posted on youtube. I want to take a moment to talk about why I want to do this.

First, it's a source of income. Yes, I'll need to borrow to make it happen, but based on what I've read on the youtube site, it's possible to make substantial amounts of money through partnering with youtube. I also suggested building a web site with live streaming video and selling ad space there.

Second, it's a chance to leave a lasting impression. I'm a writer, primarily, and my writing has not taken off yet, so how then can I be remembered after I'm gone? By making a video that goes viral. Maybe making many videos that go viral. It doesn't take much. I could film cats in cute positions all day and post that and probably make a lot of money. But being homeless, I don't have a cat.

Even so, this is not how I want to be remembered. In the late '90's I took several Broadcast Journalism courses, and even worked at two television stations behind the scenes. I would have loved to be behind the camera during a live event back then, but I was stuck in the studio, behind a camera, editing video, running a CHYRON and an audio board, popping tapes in and out of a player. I was, for a brief time, an Associate Director, which meant I ran the board that actually displays the videos on-air. Unfortunately, my dexterity and the patience of the producer proved to be less than optimal. I still loved the whole news.journalism thing, and though I got out of the field, I'd like to join it again - on my terms.

Third, I want to be there as events unfold this year. If the Mayans are right (and who am I to argue with an extinct race of humans) 2012 will likely be one of the busiest news years ever. Even without the Mayans, things are happening all over the world that need someone to record them. Much of the mainstream media is ignoring, or worse, putting down the Occupy movement, which I think is a very bad idea. We have a Presidential election going on, and two conventions that need an impartial eye watching not only the candidates, but the people around the conventions: protesters, law enforcement, the movers and shakers of Washington. I want to be there for those events and make some money from them!

Fourth, lest you think I'm attention whore, I'd like to cover other parts of the American way of life: baseball games, football games, basketball, hockey and not just professional. I'd like to travel from city to city, town to town and take the pulse of America. It has been too many years since we saw something along the line of 'On the Road with Charles Kuralt.' I'd like to cover major and minor events. Since I'm a geek, I'd like to cover geeky stuff, like anime conventions, Doctor Who, ComicCon, and the like. And then I'd like to post the results on youtube and make some money on it.

The goal for the first year of operation, other than covering the conventions, is to hit every Major League ball park for a game and a tour, and to look at what kind of people go to those games. I'd like to do the same for NFL football, the NBA and the NHL.

And if in my travels I happen to be around when a major news story breaks, well then I'll have the privilege of covering that, maybe even exclusively. I want to cover social issues that are near and dear to me, like the Occupy movement, like the homeless situation in each city or town I breeze through. I want people to see what's really happening in America.

Fifth, I want to host and moderate Google Plus Hangouts with people who have ideas, or people who have educated opinions on the events of the day, who have answers to the questions that people are asking, like what the hell's a Google Hangout anyway? I'd like that to be done on a daily basis.

And finally, I want to travel like I haven't done in years, and really, like I've never done. I feel restless staying in one place too long, and there is so much of America and especially the world that I haven't seen and experienced. I want to experience other cultures, other ways of thinking within this country that I love so dear. I've traveled quite a bit, born in France, moving from state to state and country to country as an Air Force Brat. I want to travel more.

So this is what I want to do. I want to be the most objective, impartial journalist I can be. What do I need? Really, all I need is a van, a high quality camera, a high quality computer (Mac Book Pro!), and access to the internet through cell or satellite systems.

Do I need $100,000 like I asked for? No, not really. But it's nice to have a cushion to fall back on, so that I can take a few weeks to prepare for my journey and not be in the shelter. So that I can buy a new van with a warranty, and can afford the insurance for it. So that I can get the health care things that I need for a healthy body, eyes and mouth. I need glasses. I need to get my teeth fixed. Can I work without them? Well, not the glasses. I need them to drive. Teeth? Maybe. But I'd make a better impression with a mouth full of shiny white teeth than a mouth full of what I have now.

So the call goes out again. I could use help setting up a business plan that will get me a shot at a loan. I could use a co-signer because my credit sucks. If you want to donate equipment, I can do that. If you want to donate or lend money, it would be appreciated and paid back.

I'm trying my best to gather all the tools I need to do this by myself, but even the most affluent people needed help at some point in their lives. So I'm asking for help. Can you please help me? Can you make a difference in the life of someone who has struggled and now only wants a chance to make a difference himself?

I Wish I Could Draw

I've been thinking of different ways to express my artistry. I'm fairly certain I can write, at least no one has run away kicking and screaming after reading my books (a good sign). I'm capable of shooting competent video and editing it (working on a piece about the shelter and being homeless in general). I've been known to write a song (all right, just one so far).

There are, however, come aspects of being an artists I know I will never master or even come close to. First, there is playing music. And I've tried this with some software, I just can't get the hang of it. Maybe that's the software and I just need to write the software to do that (another talent, I think).

I know I can't sing. People really do run away if I try, birds fly away, squirrels shake their fists. I can live with that.

But one talent I really wish I had was the ability to draw.

I have so many ideas that I could animate if only I could draw. The problem with videography is you need subjects to record or actors in this case. If I could draw I could animate my ideas and at least give people an idea of what I wanted to do with a script.

But I've never been able to draw and even my handwriting is suspect. I have friends who can draw and I envy their talent. I suppose I could get them to draw for me, but to me the act of creating is a personal thing, and I'd very likely want to control every aspect of it.

But I've been thinking lately of ways to promote my work, and I don't think that Hollywood is where I want to end up. Yes, it would be nice to be on TV, or in the movies, but I think I would get more personal satisfaction from my art if I were to produce it for the Internet.

For instance, my Timmons Chronicles series could be produced in 20 minute segments, much the same as The Guild, or possibly even as a Youtube series, and there are many like that.

So I can either collaborate with an animator to animate that series, or get together resources like Felicia Day did for the Guild or for her Dragon Age videos.

So here's the deal. If you are an animator, or if you have resources that I don't have and want to help me produce my Timmons Chronicles series, please contact me. I'm sure we can arrange something!

My email address is mike.fox.wow@gmail.com. My phone number is 919-520-1300. Hurry! Operators (or in this case me) are standing by! Don't miss this opportunity!

Have a wonderful day, Internet!

Proposed Business Plan (Unfinished)

Okay, I've been thinking the last few days about using Google Plus hangouts as a source of news. So what follows is an idea that I can create myself and run myself, if I had some money to invest (or a benefactor).

The business would be Mobile news video provider, tentatively called Mike’s Hangout News Channel. It would consist of a web site where live video is streamed of various news events, and also I would stream live Google Plus Hangouts, with invited guests talking about a variety of subjects, from politics to technology to even Warcraft and entertainment.

The main source of income from this would be advertising on the web site, monetization from Youtube for archived broadcasts, possibly selling wifi time, but I wouldn't count on that, and possibly selling exclusive rights to certain video, but that would likely happen once in a blue moon, for video so rare it would generate interest.

The idea is to purchase a van and customize it so that I can a) sleep in it, b) uses my computer(s) in there, which means setting up either a generator or some other method of charging my equipment,and c) have cameras on the inside for recording of interviews and the hangouts.

I'd like to travel around the country or even the world in that van and capture events and stories from a unique perspective. I may even buy stories recorded by others for broadcast. But the main gist is to cover stories that no one else is willing to cover, from the homeless situation to Occupy (Insert City Name Here) movements and live breaking events like fires and their aftermath and other natural disasters.

Now to accomplish this I'm going to need money. This is where the benefactor comes in. What I'd like to do is borrow $100,000 from a bank and have the benefactor cosign the loan. I'd use some of the money to pay off my existing credit problems so I don't have to use a cosigner in the future. I'd use some of the money to buy a van (I could rent, but the customization might be difficult under a rental agreement, and I'd like to paint the van too) and to buy other equipment, such as mobile wifi equipment, and better quality cameras and computers.

The best part of this (for me) is that I could do it all myself. I could even set it up as a sole proprietorship the first year in a state that has no income tax (like New Hampshire - do I still have relatives there?) and once it takes off I can change to an LLC model and work from there.

With everything that's happening in this country today, not enough of it makes the news in the way it should, and I'd like to take care of that problem. There are already people out there covering the Occupy movements, and I'd like to get in on that and perhaps contribute other stories.

Yes, then idea needs to be developed more. If you have business experience, I'd love to hear from you! If you have money to invest or are willing to cosign, I'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to contribute in any way, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

And if not, if you think this is another pipe dream, then that's okay. I hope to prove you wrong some day.

But at any rate, I'd still like to hear from you.

Google Plus Hangouts and Job Interviews

We're watching you!

A recent G+  article asked why not use Google+ hangouts for customer service. During the discussion, the topic of G+ hangouts used for job interviews came up, and that got me thinking.

Since the topic of job interviews weighs heavily on my mind (I'm unemployed), I thought, why not use Google Plus hangouts to conduct interviews? Here's one scenario:

A company needs to hire one person quickly. They could spend time and effort scheduling interviews, or they could outsource it to a company that uses Google Plus hangouts to quickly find applicants and interview them. The company that's hiring could even join in the hangout, or schedule another hangout if the applicant suits their needs.

The company saves time by letting another company do the initial interview, and then when the company is ready, they can save more time by joining a hangout that's already in progress, or they can simply review the video that the third-party company shot and go from there.

The potential employees save time and other resources because they can do this from home, using their own computer and camera. If the applicant does not have a camera or a computer, then the third party company can provide that for them.

Another feature of this is the ability to save the recording for further review. Say the applicant doesn't quite meet the qualifications of the job, but has impressed you in other ways, you can take that recording and use it for the next job. You've heard of saving the application for the next open position? Well this takes it a bit further, and removes another step from the hiring process.

In the end it saves time and reduces the duplication of effort. Everyone wins!

Well, maybe.

The major downside I can see in this is the lack of privacy. An interview done at the company who is hiring is secure and generally not recorded. Any interveiw done through a Google Plus hangout could well be intercepted, could be recorded and then could be used for both good and bad. Let's say you are an applicant and you had a bad day. A few weeks pass and you're browsing the web and you see yourself in a video of that interview, and it has gone viral, because it shows you throwing up, or worse. How would you feel?

An other downside is the loss of control. Sure, you can provide the third party company with a list of questions, but that doesn't mean they'll get asked, unless you join the hangout. And what about body language? I recently recorded myself in an interview situation, just to see what it would be like, and I was able to adjust the camera so that only my face showed. You can get a lot of body language from the face, but other cues and miscues won't be obvious.

With a live interview you can tell how someone dresses, how they smell, how they present themselves when greeting you. How firm was their handshake? How sincere is their smile? Much of that is lost in a Google Plus hangout.

So, while I think the idea has potential, for the first interview, for instance, I don't believe it will be successful in the end. But who knows. Someday all interviews will be conducted from your home or even from your employer's home.

 I'd love to be able to do all work from home, but someone has to flip those burgers, because they ain't comin' through the internet!

By Michael Fox

An Excerpt from my WIP

The following is an excerpt from my current WIP, 'The Tales of Mistress Chloe.' I've posted some parts elsewhere, but I wanted to post this here because it's very dramatic and explains some of what drives my main character.

A few notes before it starts: Chloe's soul used to be in the body of an old man. When he died the soul was captured and transported to another planet. It is now 16 or so years later and Chloe has grown up and returned to Earth to see the son that betrayed her.

Nanobots are tiny robots that are capable of a great many things, including taking the shape of humans, called nanodroids.

Yvonne is a child Chloe has adopted as her apprentice. She is about 5.

Chloe has made a study of the human race, and considers herself a psychologist. She can also read thoughts and emotions.

Here's the excerpt. Comments welcome!


The ship approached the island silent and cloaked. It was not a large island, really barely enough room for one to walk around on. I saw a middle-aged man sitting on a rock, talking to a nanodroid. The ship landed a few feet away from him and I led Yvonne out. The man jumped as he saw us but did not approach us. He was held back by nanobots.

I turned to Yvonne. “Stay here.”

She looked worried, but nodded.

I turned to Michael and walked up to him. He had been well-maintained by the nanodroids, clean-shaven, his body in good shape, his hair trimmed.

“Who are you?” he asked.

I felt my heart start to beat faster. I hadn’t anticipated a strong reaction to hearing his voice. I spread my arms and hugged him.

“Hello, son.”

I felt his heart skip a beat. A moment of recognition.

“I - it can’t be!”

I nodded. “I’m back.”

I felt his brain churn. “If the timing is right, you’d be fifteen.”

“I am.” I still held him tight.

“Why did you come back?”

“This is the first time I’ve been to Earth since my rebirth. I had to see you.”

“So you could gloat? Say ‘I told you so’?”

“No. So I can bring you home. To my home.”

“So the imprisonment is over then? Have I served my sentence already?”

“This was never meant to be a prison. It was meant to keep you safe until I returned.”

I felt resentment. “And now what? A new prison?”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to go where I want. See whomever I want.”

“Tell whomever you want about me?”

“Would that surprise you?”

“No. Not anymore.”

“What, no ‘How could you do that to me?’ No ‘Why did you betray me?’”

“No. What’s done is done. I have a mission to accomplish here. Until that mission is done I want you to stay at our Antarctic base with my adopted family. Then we’ll all go to my new home world.”

“So it is another prison. With all due respect, ‘Dad,’ I’d rather stay here.”

I felt tears welling up. I released my grip on him and wiped them away.

“Is that a trickle of tears I see?” he said. “Something I never saw in my real father. How does it feel to be an emotional wreck? Oh wait, I can tell you that myself! It sucks! You were always about looking toward the future, but you never gave another glance at what was happening in the present. I reached out to you, but you left me under the control of your computer while you went out and preached peace, and your community system. You wanted us to throw away our money and concentrate on exploring the stars, but you never looked at what was happening to me!”

He started pacing back and forth. “And when I left the community and saw what was really happening in the world, I wanted a piece of it! I wanted to be rich, to be powerful. I suppose I was an easy target! They offered me money and land of my own. I just had to tell them what they wanted to know. But you know, Dad, you never taught me how to work all your little toys, because you never fully trusted me, or anyone for that matter!

“So when they couldn’t get what they wanted from me, they beat me! They raped me. They tortured me. And then I told them I could deliver you to them, and they let me live. And you were an easy target too.. I knew just enough about the nanobots to lower your defenses and let them take you. I knew what they were going to do to you and I didn’t care, because they had already done it to me and you didn’t care.”

“I didn’t know that you had defected or had been beaten. If I had I would have risked everything to rescue you!” The tears were flowing freely now.

“You didn’t know because your head was in the generational ship. And then you had the temerity to send my mother away on that ship.”

“That was her choice. I offered the same choice to you. You refused.”

“Oh yeah, because I relish the idea of staying cooped up in a small area for the rest of my life. Oh, but you arranged for that anyway, didn’t you? When I heard you died I felt no grief. I knew that the experiments you’ve been doing with souls would mean that you’d be back someday. And when the nanodroids came to take me away, I came willingly, because I knew I had made a mistake, but not in betraying you, but in betraying mankind. I deserve to stay on this island, with barely enough room to pace and nothing but a nanodroid, an unthinking machine, to talk to. No Dad, I won’t come with you. I’ll stay here for the rest of my life, as I deserve!”

He turned his back on me.

I stood for a moment, crying, breathing hard, then I turned my back and headed to the ship. I grabbed Yvonne by the hand, felt her own mind churning and dragged her with me. I felt her turn back to Michael and then we were in the ship. I buckled her in and then myself and I sealed the ship and prepared for take off. I resisted the temptation to look at him one more time. I felt the ship rise and only then did I look out. He was a small speck on a small island. He soon disappeared altogether.

I heard Yvonne crying. I unbuckled myself and then her and hugged her. Her emotions swept over me. I took her down to one of the bedrooms and lay with her for a long while.

“Those mean things he said,” she said, amid her tears, “were they true?”

I caressed her back. “From his point of view, yes. I did leave him in the hands of Addie, but I had so many duties, so many undone tasks.” I felt my tears return, and I held her tighter. “Sometimes it feels like my job is never done. That I can’t do the things I want to do, spend time with the people I care about. And even when I can, I want to spend it with all of them. I can’t concentrate on just one.” I sobbed for a few minutes and felt her petting my back. She sent reassuring thoughts my way. It made me feel better and I giggled.

“Who heals the healer?” I said. “Who consoles the consoler?” I sighed. “Well, one family member has been found. Let’s see if we can find another.”

My Philosophy

I had originally posted this on the Yahoo Contributor Network, but I'm not getting any hits on that, so screw them.

I'm not rich, or famous - yet, but I have lived life, though not as fully as I'd like. I'm sharing with you a few things I've picked up on my own over the last 51 years. 

1. I'm Agnostic, but there are aspects of religion that I admire. Some of the Ten Commandments, but not all of them: Don't Steal. Don't kill (I am a pacifist, killing and murder are the same). Sometimes you have to lie, but sooner or later the truth will come out. Adultery? Come on man, you can do better than to punish our inner nature. And speaking of punishments, I don't believe in an eye for an eye etc. I don't believe the Death Penalty is a valid deterrent. Yes, lock murderers up, but putting them on Death Row only costs more money. The money we spend on prisoners needs to go to educating them, treating them. 

2. I don't believe in Heaven or Hell, but I do believe that when you die, your soul just moves to a different body. I believe that because Nature doesn't waste anything. I think there are a finite number of souls on each world, because as man's population grows, the population of other soul-carrying life forms goes down. I think a stillborn baby is just one without a soul, for whatever the reason. I think ghosts are souls that have baggage that has not been stripped away with death, and until it does, they wander. I have as much proof of this as any other philosophy. 

3. We are defined by how we treat others. We as people, and we as a country. In any modern nation, there should be no poor, no hungry, no homeless, no sick, mentally or physically, who can't get help because they are poor or have no insurance. Everyone, regardless of their job status, should be provided for. If there are no organizations or philanthropists who can help, or they can't help enough, then government must help. Failure to do so only means that there is a segment of the population that no one cares about, and that is intolerable. 

4. That said, we are ultimately responsible for our own actions. If you find 3 and 4 contradictory, you're trying too hard. 

5. I believe that greed and lust for power are inherent, but the worst of it is taught. Just like intolerance. 

6. I believe there is someone for everyone. Unfortunately, that someone may be half a world away, or you might have screwed up the relationship early on. I know I did. That said, I stated earlier that adultery should not be punishable. I don't think it's a sin. I think it's human nature. I think marriage is a good thing, but with the divorce rate as high as it it, I have to wonder what's the purpose of marriage? 

7. I believe that one's sexual nature should not stand in the way of anything. I think sexual preference is determined by the soul, and does not change when you move from body to body. 

8. I believe that souls are manufactured by a force of Nature. You can call it God, but I have no name for it. It just is. I don't believe a soul can be destroyed. I believe it is infinitesimally small. I believe someday we'll find a way to locate it and learn about it. 

9. I believe that someday man will go beyond this solar system. I don't know how, but at the least we can build a generational spaceship capable of holding a few thousand colonists who can go to the closest stars and see if they can be inhabited by man. Or rather, their descendants will make that trip, because though we might extend our lives, the trip will take a thousand years. 

10. I hope that man does not wind up destroying himself before then. I've lived through the Cold War, when Civil Service would run drills every now and then, and on TV the stations would run test of the EMS, designed to warn us if an attack was pending. Really pointless in this day and age. Still, I think we can learn to work together to overcome our differences. The alternative would be Earth-shattering. 

11. I believe we can shed ourselves of the dependency on oil. In fact, I believe we must or that war from 10 will take place. Like we made the change from hunter-gathers to farmers and beyond, we must make that change from oil to solar. The technology is there. Use it. 

12. Last and hardly least, let us remember that our future is our children and grandchildren. Let us educate them. Let is teach them to get along. Let us teach them to hug. Let us teach them to lead. Let us teach them to make a difference. That is where hope lies.