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Tag Archives: Writer's Spotlight
AUTHOR RJ SULLIVAN GUEST BLOG POST
Posted by John F. Allen on July 15, 2014
In my writer's journey I was blessed to have met a very talented author, who also became a good friend. I am honored to present to you here in this guest blog, without further ado…RJ Sullivan!
Hello, and thanks very much to my good friend the incredibly talented, John F. Allen, for having me on today as part of my guest blog in support of Haunting Blue, my latest release from Seventh Star Press.
The following "bonus scenes" were composed specially for this blog, but can be read as occurring before and after the school scenes in Chapter 2 of Haunting Blue. The scenes are self-contained.
Janice Copley, Dean of Girls, stared at the paperwork on her desk, the official record of the new student seated across s from her, a Ms. Fiona Shaefer. She kept her eyes on the paperwork so she wouldn't gape at the student herself.
When the girl had entered her office, Copley bit her lip to hold back a shocked noise. The new student looked like an extra in a Clash video. Bright blue hair, spiked and unkempt, a jeans jacket and half-T. The head and shoulders of some pop singer glared back from the shirt. Did that style come back when I wasn't looking? Every day, Copley saw something new in these halls that made her feel older and more out of touch.
Copley reviewed the record. Fiona, a senior, had transferred from Broad Ripple High School, a college town near Indianapolis. Well, that explains that. Fiona's grades, for the most part, were pretty solid, with remarkable marks in English. She planned to major in poetry. No discipline problems. Well, that's a pleasant surprise.
Having swallowed back the chuckle, she scanned the tentative schedule and scribbled her initials. She tore off the student copy and handed it to the stone-faced student. "Hello, Fiona. I'm always excited to see new faces here in Perrione. I'm a transplant myself. I grew up in Noblesville and took this job five years ago."
The girl took the page. Copley waited while Fiona's eyes scanned the paper. After a moment, her face broke into a grin. If not for the wild hair, Copley might have considered her attractive.
"So there's no getting around it. You're going to stand out a bit with your…city look, but—"
"Are there any rules against what I'm wearing?"
Not yet, but only because we never needed them before now, Copley thought. Out loud, she said, "Strictly speaking, no. But if anyone—"
"Listen," said Fiona. "It's not my choice to be here. My Mom moved us. I'm not in love with the idea, but I'm not going to start trouble. I just want to get through school and get on with the rest of my life."
Well…that was something. Copley didn't know what, but it was something. "I simply meant, if anyone causes you any trouble, you're free to come to me. I mean that, Fiona."
Copley waited. Fiona flashed another smile that, she had to admit, Copley found charming. "I won't snitch—"
"— but if I have any problems, I'll come to you."
"Deal." Copley reached out, and Fiona returned her handshake warmly. Maybe she'd been concerned over nothing. It seemed to her that the punk façade hid a gentle soul underneath. "Good luck, and welcome to Perionne High."
An hour later:
Copley had just settled behind her desk with a fresh steaming mug of coffee. Movement drew her attention to the window. Oh, no, what? She recognized the gym teacher and two math teachers escorting a student in the direction of her office. Even through the slits of blinds, she could see the distinct blue-haired head of the new student.
She also knew the aftermath of a fight when she saw one. Figures.
She threw open the door and met the group halfway. Specks of blood marred the denim jacket. Dots of red also spotted the pop singer's face on the half-t. A second look confirmed that the blood wasn't the punk girl's.
Copley struggled to keep her voice even, "Just an hour ago you told me I wouldn't have to worry about you, Ms. Shaefer."
Jeff–Mr. Fenley, she mentally corrected herself–spoke. "It was Clinty." With his back to the punk girl, his look if sympathy communicated the rest. Go easy on her.
Clinty was a bully a frequent troublemaker. No two ways about it. She didn't envy the Dean of Boys right now. The fact that this girl had tangled with Clinty and could walk to the office said something about her toughness as well.
But Clinty wasn't her problem.
Conley pointed. "My office. Now."
Head bowed, the punk girl walked, her feet dragging.
"You'll need this," said Jeff. He held out a leather strap with metal studs, perfect for fitting over knuckles. This, too, was stained with blood.
Conley took they weapon and followed the student. As soon as she shut the door, she let the strap drop between them on the desk."What's this for?"
"It's an air freshener."
"Funny. You asked me if your clothes were against the rules. This is."
"I defended myself."
I motioned to the stains on her clothes. "You look like you did pretty good."
"He attacked me. I didn't provoke him. I have witnesses. Those teachers saw it."
Fiona folded her arms, focusing on a spot like every student Conley had ever seen who tried really hard to look toug while also trying really hard not to cry.
"I don't doubt your word, Fiona." She wrapped her fingers around the phone receiver. "I have to call your mother."
"No!" Fiona sat up straight, and a tear escaped to fall over her cheek. "Please don't call her." Her eyes pleaded their case. "Look, can't I just….do in class suspension?"
"The weapon ties my hands, Fiona. I have to suspend you from school three days."
"From school?"
"I'm sorry. Your mother will have to come pick you up."
"But I didn't start it. I was defending myself. Please, Ms. Conley."
Conley paused on the verge of dialing. She had no doubt that Clinty had jumped this girl. Maybe this time, the cowardly principal would expel that bully once and for all. Except Clinty's father is the school security cop, so not likely.
"Listen, I'll explain to your mother. I'll tell her what happened. I'll do whatever I can to make this easy on you." She wasn't sure why she said all this. Why did she feel moved to defend a girl she hardly knew? Because I know Clinty. That's why.
"It won't matter," Fiona said, wiping her cheeks. "Why do you think /'m here in the first place? My mom hates me. She brought me here to torture me, and no matter what you say, she'll assume it's my fault."
Conley reached out and patter her hand. "I'm sorry, Fiona. I'll do all I can. But I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."
Leave a comment Posted in Author Spotlight, Blog Tour, Haunting Blue, Paranormal Thrillers, RJ Sullivan, Speculative Fiction Guild, Spotlight, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing Tagged Author's Spotlight, Blog Tour, Haunting Blue, Paranormal Thrillers, RJ Sullivan, Seventh Star Press, Speculative Fiction, Speculative Fiction Guild, Writer's Spotlight, Writers, Writing
RECLAMATION BLOG TOUR WITH JACKIE GAMBER!
Posted by John F. Allen on February 27, 2014
Today I have the pleasure of Spotlighting in my blog, "Reclamation" the latest novel from my friend, the wonderful and extremely talented Jackie Gamber!
Jackie is also an author at Seventh Star Press, publisher of my debut novel last summer and various short stories, so if you are a fan of speculative fiction within the fantasy realm, then this novel is bound to be a real treat! Not only am I a friend of the author, but I'm a fan of the series. Jackie Gamber is a proven bestselling author with popular titles such as: Redheart and Sela. Her voice is powerful one, that is sure to entertain and enlighten.
I'm proud to know her and call her my friend, but even more than that, I'm inspired by her creativity and skill as a writer. As a relatively new writer for Seventh Star Press, I'm honored to be in the company of such a fine writer and person.
Don't wait, go out and pick up a copy of Reclamation by Jackie Gamber, and while you're at it, pick up Redheart and Sela too, you'll be glad that you did!
About the Author: As an award winning author, Jackie writes stories ranging from ultra-short to novel-length, varieties of which have appeared in anthologies such as Tales of Fantasy and Dragons Composed, as well as numerous periodical publications, including Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, The Binnacle, Mindflights Magazine, Necrotic Tissue, and Shroud. She is the author of the fantasy novel Redheart and Sela, and writing an alternate history time travel novel. She blogs professionally for English Tea Store.com, where she reviews classic science fiction and fantasy novels and pairs them with the ideal tea-sipping companion.
Jackie is a member of the professional organizations Science Fiction Writers of America and Horror Writers Association. She was named honorable mention in L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Award, and received a 2008 Darrell Award for best short story by a Mid-South author. She is the winner of the 2009 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award for Imaginative Fiction for her story The Freak Museum, a post-apocalyptic tale that looks closely at perceptions and outward appearances and how they affect the way we see ourselves. Jackie Gamber was co-founder and Executive Editor of Meadowhawk Press, a speculative fiction publisher based in Memphis. One of their novels, Terminal Mind by David Walton, won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award in 2009. Jackie also edited the award winning benefit anthology, Touched By Wonder. She has been a guest lecturer at Memphis Options High Schools, and is a speaker at writers' conferences from Michigan to Florida. Jackie is also the visionary behind the MidSouthCon Writers' Conference, helping writers connect since 2008.
Book Synopsis Reclamation: The exciting conclusion of the Leland Dragon Series!
Leland Province remains in danger. The sinister Fordon Blackclaw has returned from the shadows to strike at the heart of neighboring Esra, killing its Venur and making clear his intentions to retake what was once his: Mount Gore, seat of the Leland Dragon Council.
All around, the land grows weaker and weaker. Leland, once thought saved by Kallon Redheart, is without purpose, and within its borders, Murk Forest, a place of mystery and danger, has driven its inhabitants to seek aid. Esra is in flames, and the Rage Desert grows. Dragon and human alike struggle to find their way, and the wizard Orman can sense that there may be more at stake than the affairs of dragons.
Hope remains, yet it is not without obstacles. In Esra, Sela, the daughter of Kallon and Riza, found the well, a source of life, and made herself whole again. But her homecoming is not what she had imagined.
Old wounds buried deep must reopen if life is to continue. Dragons, humans, wizards, and shape shifters are all at risk as the peace between dragon and human has finally been broken.
War is here.
The stakes?
Perhaps the whole world.
Website: http://www.jackiegamber.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mosaic-Mind-of-Jackie-Gamber/334783969938507
Twitter: @jackiegamber
Tour Schedule and Activities
2/24 A Book Vacation Tour Wide Contest
2/24 Azure Dwarf Promo/Spotlight
2/24 Come Selahway With Me Guest Post
2/24 Jellowquake Productions Review
2/25 Creating Estelan Promo/Spotlight
2/25 Workaday Reads Review
2/25 Alexx Momcat's Gateway Book Blog Promo Spotlight
2/25 Jorie Loves a Story Character Post
2/25 I Smell Sheep Character Post
2/26 Kentucky Geek Girl Guest Post
2/26 Deal Sharing Aunt Review
2/26 Book in the Bag Interview
2/27 Sheila Deeth Character Interview
2/27 John F. Allen Writer Promo/Spotlight
2/28 Jorie Love a Story Review
2/28 Azure Dwarf Review
2/28 Vampires, Witches, and Me, Oh My Guest Post
2/28 MichaelSciFan Interview
3/1 Elizabeth Delana Rosa ~Book Lover & Creator of Worlds~ Post on Art of Reclamation
3/1 Coffintree Hill Guest Post
3/2 Jorie Loves a Story Author Interview/Reader Questions
3/2 Bee's Knees Reviews Review
3/2 Jess Resides Here Guest Post
3/2 Book and Movie Dimension Blog Review
Amazon Links for Reclamation
http://www.amazon.com/Reclamation-Jackie-Gamber/dp/193792940X
Kindle Version
http://www.amazon.com/Reclamation-Leland-Dragon-Series-Jackie-ebook/dp/B00HFPOU36
Leave a comment Posted in Author Spotlight, Blog Tour, Fantasy, Jackie Gamber, Seventh Star Press, Speculative Fiction, Writers, Writing, Young Adult Tagged Author's Spotlight, Blog Tour, Fantasy, Female Speculative Fiction Writers, Jackie Gamber, Reclamation, Redheart, Sela, Seventh Star Press, Writer's Spotlight, Young Adult
SINKING DOWN BLOG TOUR WITH ERIC GARRISON!
Today I have the pleasure of Spotlighting in my blog, "Sinking Down" the latest novel from my friend and writing peer Eric Garrison!
Eric is also an author at Seventh Star Press, publisher of my debut novel last summer and various short stories, so if you are a fan of speculative fiction within the urban fantasy realm, then this novel is bound to be a real treat! Not only am I a friend of the author, but I'm a fan of the series. Eric Garrison is a rising star in the speculative fiction world and a fresh voice for the genre.
I'm proud to know him and call him my friend, but even more than that, I'm inspired by his creativity and skill as a writer. As a relatively new writer for Seventh Star Press, I'm honored to be in the company of such a fine writer and person.
Do yourself a favor and check out the work of Eric Garrison, you'll be glad that you did!
Eric Garrison is active in the writing community in Indianapolis, Indiana. He lives in the Circle City with his wife, step-daughter and a cabal of cats. He also enjoys gaming, home brewing beer, and finding innovative uses for duct tape. His stories vary from science fiction to supernatural fantasies and dark fairy tales
Poor Little Ghoul
Paranormal investigators Brett and Liz find themselves
back in over their heads when a forest hunt for a road kill-eating creature offers up a little surprise. Back home with their ghoulish house guest, it
becomes clear there's more to this investigation than either of them thought. Worse than that, Brett's own fate is linked to the little ghoul's.
So it's back out on the road, with plenty of time for pit stops with a greedy ex, a convention of ghost hunters, partying with fake vampires, and even drinking and
fighting alongside good ole Uncle Gonzo. But as the investigation goes deeper, and unseen connections come to light, Brett finds there's much more at stake
than getting through a rough patch with Liz.
A rescue mission. A race for a cure. New friends and old adversaries. Unbreakable bonds and supernatural danger. It's going to be a wild ride. Can the friends save the nearly undead tween? Can she and Brett stop themselves from …Sinking Down?
Sinking Down is the 2nd Book in the Road Ghosts Trilogy!
Here's a sneak peek at some of the AMAZING interior artwork!
Also, be sure to check out Book 1 in the Road Ghosts Trilogy, Four 'Til Late!
In Four 'Til Late, amateur ghost hunter Brett and his friends Gonzo, Jimbo, and Liz are on a road trip with dangerous detours, dreadful dreams and dire warnings. But that won't keep them from reaching their goal: New Orleans. Along the way they discover that some spirits leave you with more than a hangover and regrets. Can they get there in one piece, or will they be stopped and rest in peace? The bags are packed, the engine's running. Turn up the radio and get moving because the road ghosts are waiting, and it's Four 'Til Late.
Four 'Til Late is the first book of the Road Ghosts Trilogy.
Seventh Star Press Links
Website: http://www.seventhstarpress.com
Blog: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/7thstarpress
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seventhstarpress
3 Comments Posted in Author Spotlight, Blog Tour, Eric Garrison, Seventh Star Press, Speculative Fiction, Spotlight, Urban Fantasy, Writers Tagged Author's Spotlight, Blog Tour, Eric Garrison, Four Til Late, Seventh Star Press, Sinking Down, Speculative Fiction, The Road Ghosts Trilogy, Urban Fantasy, Writer's Spotlight
SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN AMERICAN AUTHOR DONALD GOINES
African American author, Donald Goines was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 15, 1936. He came from a middle-class background, where his parents ran a laundry business. According to stories told to him by his mother—Myrtle Goines—the family was descended from a sexual encounter between Jefferson Davis and a slave. At age 15, Goines lied about his age in order to join the Air Force, where he fought in the Korean War. During his service, Goines developed a heroin addiction which he continued after his being honorably discharged from the military during the mid-1950's. In order to support his addiction Goines committed multiple crimes, including pimping and theft, and was sent to prison several times. While serving time in Michigan's Jackson Penitentiary, he began writing. He initially attempted to write westerns, but decided to write urban fiction after reading Iceberg Slim's autobiography "Pimp: The Story of My Life".
Goines continued to write novels at a fast-tracked pace to support his drug addictions, with some books taking only a month to complete. His sister Joan Goines Coney later stated that Goines wrote at such an accelerated pace in order to avoid committing more crimes and based many of the characters in his books on people he knew in real life.
In 1974 Goines published Crime Partners, the first book in the Kenyatta series under the pseudonym, "Al C. Clark". Holloway House's chief executive Bentley Morriss requested that Goines publish the book under a pseudonym in order to avoid having the sales of Goines' work suffer due to too many books releasing at once. The book dealt with an anti-hero character named after Jomo Kenyatta that ran a Black Panther-esque organization to clear the ghetto of crime. In his book The Low Road, Eddie B. Allen remarked that the series was a departure from some of Goines' other works, with the character of Kenyatta symbolizing a sense of liberation for Goines.
"Inner City Hoodlum", which Goines had finished before his death, was published posthumously in 1975. The story, set in Los Angeles, was about "smack", money and murder.
On October 21, 1974 Goines and his common-law wife were discovered dead in their Detroit apartment. The police had received an anonymous phone call earlier that evening and responded, discovering Goines in the living room of the apartment and his common-law wife Shirley Sailor's body in the kitchen. Both Goines and Sailor had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head. The identity of the killer or killers is unknown, as is the reason behind the murders. Popular theories involve Goines being murdered due to his basing several of his characters on real life criminals as well as the theory that Goines was killed due to his being in debt over drugs.
Goines was later buried with his mother placing several of his books in his coffin.
The highest selling genre among African Americans is Urban Fiction or Urban Lit. As a fan of Goines' work, he was the first author in this genre I read. His work(s) have helped to shape and influence many of today's Urban Fiction authors. It is my shared opinion that Donald Goines' is the quintessential "Father" of Urban Fiction/Urban Lit.
BIBLIIOGRAPHY
Kenyatta series
• Crime Partners (1974) [as Al C. Clark]
• Death List (1974) [as Al C. Clark]
• Kenyatta's Escape (1974) [as Al C. Clark]
• Kenyatta's Last Hit (1975) [as Al C. Clark]
Dopefiend (1971)
Whoreson (1972)
Black Gangster (1972)
Street Players (1973)
White Man's Justice, Black Man's Grief (1973)
Black Girl Lost (1974)
Eldorado Red (1974)
Swamp Man (1974)
Never Die Alone (1974)
Cry Revenge (1974) [as Al C. Clark]
Daddy Cool (1974)
Inner City Hoodlum (1975)
MUSICAL INFLUENCES
Goines' writing has had an impact upon several people, with several rappers inserting mentions of Goines and his writing into their lyrics. In his 1996 song "Tradin' War Stories", rapper 2Pac writes "Machiavelli was my tutor, Donald Goines my father figure". Ludacris mentions Goines in his 2006 song "Eyebrows Down". AZ compares himself to Donald Goines' work in "Rather Unique," with the line, "Your mind's boggled but I'm as deep as Donald Goines' novels." Nas also named the song "Black Girl Lost" on his sophomore album It Was Written after the book by Goines. Goines' books are also utilized in several prison literacy programs and his novel "Dopefiend" has been taught in a Rutgers University class.
Some of Goines' works have been adapted into film. His book "Crime Partners" was turned into a 2001 film starring Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, and Ja Rule, and in 2004 his book "Never Die Alone" was also released as a film starring DMX.
In 2006, a graphic novel adaptation of the book "Daddy Cool" was released by Holloway House.
Leave a comment Posted in African American writers, BLACK HISTORY MONTH, Black writers, Spotlight, Urban Fiction, Urban Lit, Urban Literature, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, Black authors, Black History Month, Black Writers, Donald Goines, Urban Fiction, Urban Lit, Urban Literature, Writer's Spotlight, Writing
BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT #25
Posted by John F. Allen on October 31, 2013
TODAY'S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS BALOGUN OJETADE!
Balogun is the author of the bestselling Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within and screenwriter / producer / director of the films, A Single Link and Rite of Passage: Initiation.
He is one of the leading authorities on Steamfunk – a philosophy or style of writing that combines the African and / or African American culture and approach to life with that of the steampunk philosophy and / or steampunk fiction – and writes about it, the craft of writing, Sword & Soul and Steampunk in general, at http://chroniclesofharriet.com/.
He is author of three novels – the Steamfunk bestseller, MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman (Books 1 & 2); the science fiction gangster saga, Redeemer; and the Sword & Soul epic, Once Upon A Time In Afrika and contributing co-editor of two anthologies: Ki: Khanga: The Anthology and Steamfunk. He is also co-creator of the soon-to-be-released role-playing game, Ki-Khanga™: The Sword & Soul RPG.
Balogun can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Afrikan.Martial.Arts and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Baba_Balogun.
BE SURE TO HELP CELEBRATE BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH BY CHECKING OUT THE WORK(S) OF THIS WONDERFUL CREATOR & REMEMBER TBIYTC!!!
Leave a comment Posted in African American writers, Balogun Ojetade, BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH, Black writers, Speculative Fiction, Spotlight, Steamfunk, Sword & Soul, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, Balogun Ojetade, Black Science Fiction Writers, Black Speculative Fiction Artists, Black Speculative Fiction Month, Black Writers, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Steamfunk, Sword & Soul, Writer's Spotlight, Writing
AUTHOR RJ SULLIVAN INTERVIEWED BY IVORY BLAQUE FOR HIS VIRTUAL BLUE BLOG TOUR!
Welcome to the latest installment of my friend and fellow Seventh Star Press author, RJ Sullivan's Virtual Blue Tour, this stop features an interview with RJ conducted by none other than Ivory Blaque!
Ivory: Thanks for agreeing to this interview Mr. Sullivan.
RJ: No problem, thanks for having me.
Ivory: So I hear that you're a male writer whose stories tend to feature strong female protagonists (sounds like someone else I know), what motivates you to use them?
RJ: Well it's kinda complicated…I suppose it started with the female 80's Rock stars such as Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benetar, Joan Jett and the band Heart. I saw that those women from MTV were so much more dramatic and in charge. A lot of that carried over into my writing because I found those figures very interesting. When I sat down to write my first novel, I wanted the challenge of writing outside of myself and you certainly can't get more outside of yourself than by writing from the perspective of the opposite gender.
Ivory: I heard that your character Rebecca Burton is an investigator of the supernatural? I myself am employed with policing the things that go bump in the night. What inspired you to write about a character who explored those types of issues?
RJ: I was tasked with writing a series by Seventh Star Press. I wanted the freedom of writing standalone stories, while making them part of the series. So, making the continuing character an investigator seemed to be the solution to that. I went back to Columbo and Perry Mason for inspiration to tell standalone stories, where the story is the guest star. In Virtual Blue, the main story is about Blue Shaefer and Chip Farren, while Rebecca is kinda the background guest star. I also wanted to have a character who would remain somewhat a mystery. I didn't want it to be where the reader learned all there was to know about Rebecca Burton in one story, to be followed with stories where she was just doing her shtick over and over again. I wanted there to be layers of her character that we would be exposing over the course of several adventures, that way there would be more of a reason for her to be present. The reader would learn something new about her with each story. You know a lot more about Rebecca Burton by the end of Virtual Blue than you did from the end of Haunting Obsession. The reader learns more about the organization she works for and there's plenty more to be uncovered as the series progresses. I like having the flexibility to tell a different kind of story each time, feature her in the story and reveal more about her as a character. I'm sure we don't know everything about you, do we?
Ivory: Seeing as though my life is one big adventure after another, to coin a phrase from someone we both know, "The Best Is Yet To Come."
Moving right along, I particularly like the character of Blue Shaefer. This punkish girl has a lot of spunk and flava, she reminds me of a younger version of myself. What prompted you to bring Blue and Rebecca together?
RJ: Haunting Blue was my homage to The Hardy Boys. I wanted to do a Hardy Boys type of story for big kids that turns dark. I started with two male characters, but couldn't make them gel. So I changed the gender of one of the characters and added sexual tension, which gave me much more to play with. At that point, one of the characters became Blue, who took over the story and pushed Chip into the background. There's still the Hardy Boys tradition of two kids going off and getting into trouble and encountering a mystery, but soon the story turned out to be more about Blue.
When writing Haunting Obsession, I realized I needed a paranormal investigator and immediately Rebecca Burton came to mind.
Ivory: In Virtual Blue, you explore the themes of the occult and technology, to blend them into the perfect threat. Is this something that you intend to explore in later works or is this a one-shot deal?
RJ: I indicate that there are other events that happen simultaneously to the events in Virtual Blue. I think that there are some other stories to be told, so I may have another short story or two that touches upon the Techno Magic aspects sometime in the future.
Ivory: In creating a protagonist like Rebecca was it important that she live in Indianapolis or that the setting be Indianapolis?
RJ: Yes, mainly because it's what I know. Rebecca Burton is definitely transportable and has federal status with no jurisdiction, even though her base of operations is Indy. I set this up in that way so that she can travel broadly if necessary.
Ivory: In writing Virtual Blue, what do you want fans of your work to take from this novel? How do the events in this novel set them up for future works?
RJ: Haunting Blue is not widely available yet, but in a couple of months it will be. I wanted to challenge myself to get to the crisis more quickly. There's a lot of lead time in Haunting Blue that I didn't need to address in Virtual Blue. I wanted to tie up things from Haunting Blue and then jump right into the story. I wanted to up the ante a bit with Virtual Blue, but still have it tied to Haunting Blue in some way. My intention was to give my readers a direct sequel, but also something very different than before. My thoughts were in writing a sequel, to make it as fresh as possible.
Ivory: I know that our mutual friend, Mr. Allen tends to procrastinate when it comes to penning my adventures. How did you handle the writing of Virtual Blue? Was it something you just sat down and got done or did you have starts and stops along the way?
RJ: I started Virtual Blue right after Haunting Blue, but got sidelined with Haunting Obsession, which actually started out as flash fiction. It was then that Haunting Obsession took over my life for the next six months. I wanted Virtual Blue to be my longest and most intensive offering to date. I generally work on one project at a time.
Ivory: How have your fans/readers reacted to Rebecca Burton in regards to the series? Have they given you any feedback as to what they want to see in the future?
RJ: I listen to my readers. They're very passionate about seeing more of Blue. I will include her in future stories, but Rebecca will be the main protagonist moving forward. Virtual Blue serves as a passing of the baton so to speak. I want future stories to feature Rebecca as I wanted a more professional, adult protagonist that I can better relate to. I try to meet the expectations of my readers, but also continue to surprise them. I think that the joys of reading any series is the surprise and discovery one experiences while reading the stories. In order to do this, I want to explore introducing new genres into the Rebecca-verse.
Ivory: I guess we'll conclude this interview with one last question which your readers and I are dying to learn about. What is in the future for Blue and Rebecca?
RJ: I'm currently experimenting with a Sci-Fi series (Red Lotus). The next Rebecca Burton story will have her as a supporting character exploring male issues. I'm going to really be digging into the things that males deal with.
Ivory: Thank you for allowing this interview Mr. Sullivan.
RJ: You're welcome Ivory, it was my pleasure.
Ivory: Your pal Mr. Allen and I had a long talk about him exploring new exciting things. Hopefully someday in the near future I may cross paths with Rebecca Burton and Blue Shaefer, who knows…it's a small world filled with infinite possibilities.
RJ: Indeed it is!
About the Author: R. J. Sullivan's novel Haunting Blue is an edgy paranormal thriller and the first book of the adventures of punk girl Fiona "Blue" Shaefer and her boyfriend Chip Farren. Seventh Star Press released Haunting Obsession, a Rebecca Burton Novella in 2012 and Virtual Blue, the second book in Fiona's tale, in 2013. Seventh Star will release a new edition of Haunting Blue in early 2014. R. J.'s short stories have been featured in such acclaimed collections as Dark Faith Invocations by Apex Books and Vampires Don't Sparkle. His newest project is the Red Lotus series of science fiction novelettes for readers of all ages. R.J. resides with his family in Heartland Crossing, Indiana. Check in regularly to learn the latest about the projects of R. J. Sullivan.
Book Synopsis: Did you ever wish you could escape to a virtual world? What if you could…but then couldn't get out? Two years after her deadly clash with a vengeful ghost, Fiona "Blue" Shaefer still can't shake off the trauma of that night. Moving to New York with her father didn't help. Neither did absorbing herself in her college classes. Not even her poetry provided the solace it once did. She convinces herself that ending her relationship with Eugene "Chip" Farren, her long-distance boyfriend and final tie to the horrors of that night, might bring the closure she needs. Blue travels to Bloomington to break the news to Chip in person, but her timing couldn't be any worse. The Sisters of Baalina, vengeful cultists who practice a new form of "techno-magic," have targeted Chip's multi-player videogame as the perfect environment to cast a dangerous spell to free a demoness from the very pits of hell. In the process, their plan may trap Blue in a prison of the mind with no locks, no bars, and no escape.
Website: http://rjsullivanfiction.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/R.J.SullivanAuthor
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5199299.R_J_Sullivan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjsullivanauthr
Tour Schedule and Activities:
October 28 Jess Resides Here Contest
October 28 Jorie Loves a Story Review
October 28 Come Selahway With Me Guest Post
October 29 Sheila Deeth Blog Character Interview w/ Blue
October 30 Armand Rosamilia Guest Post
October 30 A Haunted Head Special Post Tba
October 30 Deal Sharing Aunt Review
October 30 Word to Dreams Promo Spotlight
October 31 John F. Allen Ivory Blaque Interview of RJ!
October 31 Spellbindings Character Post with Rebecca Burton
October 31 Library Girl Reads and Reviews Character Interview of Rebecca Burton
November 1 Bee's Knees Reviews Review
November 1 Beauty in Ruins Guest Post
November 2 Azure Dwarf Guest Post
November 3 Angela Meadon Review
Where to buy Virtual Blue:
Amazon Print Versionhttp://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Blue-R-J-Sullivan/dp/1937929329
Kindle Versionhttp://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Blue-ebook/dp/B00EVIX1A8
Other eBook Links
Nookhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/virtual-blue-rj-sullivan/1116802948?ean=2940148624493
Kobohttp://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/virtual-blue
iBookstorehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/virtual-blue/id696653418?mt=11
Leave a comment Posted in Blog Tour, Interview, Ivory Blaque, RJ Sullivan, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Writers, Writing Tagged Author's Interview, Blue Shaefer, Haunting Blue, Haunting Obsession, Ivory Blaque, John F. Allen, Rebecca Burton, Red Lotus, RJ Sullivan, Science Fiction, Seventh Star Press, Speculative Fiction, Tomorrow Comes Media, Virtual Blue, Writer's Spotlight
TODAY'S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS WAYNE RILEY!
Wayne Riley is the brainchild behind All Knightz, a team of animators, graphic designers, illustrators and writers who are together most notably responsible for the animated series known as 'Hard Wired'. Their aim is to give you a whole new fresh take on how you view comic books and cartoons by giving you a different kind of character that you and your children will always remember as well as a new way of story telling that will encourage you to look deeper into the stories from our African history.
Leave a comment Posted in African American writers, Black artists, Black Comic Book Creators, BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH, Black writers, Comic Book Creators, Speculative Fiction, Speculative Fiction Artists, Spotlight, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, All Knightz, Black Science Fiction Writers, Black Speculative Fiction Artists, Black Speculative Fiction Month, Black Writers, Hard Wired, Speculative Fiction, Wayne Riley, Writer's Spotlight, Writing
TODAY'S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION SPOTLIGHT IS MILTON DAVIS!
Milton Davis works as a full time chemist and a part time writer. He is finally fulfilling my dream of writing by self publishing his novels and stories. His publishing company is MVmedia Publishing and Beyond.
Some of his titles include:
Meji: Vol 1 & 2
Changa's Safari: Vol 1 & 2
Anthologies he's published and had work appear in:
Griots: A Sword & Soul Anthology
The Steamfunk Anthology
To learn about other titles and purchase copies of his work(s) visit the company website @: http://www.mvmediaatl.com/
Check out his blog Wagadu @: http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/
1 Comment Posted in African American writers, BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH, Black writers, Milton Davis, Speculative Fiction, Spotlight, Steamfunk, Sword & Soul, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, Black Science Fiction Writers, Black Speculative Fiction Month, Black Writers, Milton Davis, MVmedia, Steamfunk, Sword & Soul, Wagadu, Writer's Spotlight, Writing
TODAY'S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS SUMIKO SAULSON!
Sumiko Saulson's blog "Things That Go Bump In My Head" focuses on horror fiction writing and features author interviews, writing advice, short stories and editorial pieces. She is the author of three novels in the science fiction, horror and dark fantasy genres, "Solitude," "Warmth", and "The Moon Cried Blood". She is also the author of a short story anthology by the same name as her blog. A published poet and writer of short stories and editorials, she was once profiled in a San Francisco Chronicle article about up-and-coming poets in the beatnik tradition. The child of African American and Russian-Jewish American parents, she is a native Californian, and was born and spent her early childhood in Los Angeles, moving to Hawaii, where she spent her teen years, at the age of 12. She has spent most of her adult life living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
http://sumikosaulson.com/books/
http://sumikosaulson.com/comics/
Leave a comment Posted in African American writers, BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH, Black writers, Speculative Fiction, Spotlight, Sumiko Saulson, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, Black Female Speculative Fiction Writers, Black Female Writers, Black Science Fiction Writers, Black Speculative Fiction Writers, Speculative Fiction, Sumiko Saulson, Writer's Spotlight
TODAY'S BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH SPOTLIGHT IS SHAWNTELLE MADISON!
Shawntelle Madison is a web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She'd never admit it, but if asked she'd say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detasseling corn, Shawntelle performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she's not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.
About Me: Shawntelle is the urban fantasy author of the Coveted series featuring Natalya Stravinsky, the charmingly neurotic werewolf from South Toms River, New Jersey. The first book, COVETED, was named a Barnes and Noble Romance Pick for the month of May.
The Natalya Stravinsky trilogy will conclude with COMPELLED, which will release in May 2014. Additional series are planned in the Coveted universe.
She is also the author of the romantic horror series called Hadley Werewolves.
You can find Shawntelle on her website, Twitter, and Facebook. She has a variety of helpful author tools on her website:
http://www.shawntellemadison.com/
Leave a comment Posted in African American writers, BLACK SPECULATIVE FICTION MONTH, Black writers, Shawntelle Madison, Speculative Fiction, Spotlight, Writers, Writing Tagged African American/Black Literature, Black Female Speculative Fiction Writers, Black Female Writers, Black Speculative Fiction Month, Black Speculative Fiction Writers, Black Writers, Coveted, Hadley Werewolves, Shawntelle Madison, Speculative Fiction, Writer's Spotlight
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Poems, prose poems, pseudo-essays (which I call imaginessays), and other writings (sometimes humorous) expressing different aspects of some of our deepest experiences as human beings–at least, that is the intention.
Recently translated and edited writings from a newly discovered cache of teachings from the Zohar, the Book of Radiance (or Splendor), the most mystical of mystical Jewish books, which began appearing in Spain in the late thirteenth century but which traditionally is attributed to the second-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar (or ben) Yohai.
Everything Is Music, old and new ideas about the afterlife, reincarnation, and resurrection, mostly but not entirely from a Jewish point of view.
The Forlorn Young Woman, a recently discovered fragment of the Zohar, dealing with, among other matters, the feminine presence of God, why the Torah seems to start off by asserting there were many gods at the Creation, and how to correctly interpret other apparent multiplicities.
The Forlorn Woman: Analysis, Interpretation, and Commentary, extensive explication of the previous fragment of the Zohar.
The Orchard: The Zohar on Talmud Tractate Hagigah 14b, a newly discovered and edited chapter of the Zohar that comments on the famous and somewhat enigmatic passage in the Babylonian Talmud in which four rabbis ascend to Paradise.
Or even stone, sand, or water?
Is the theme of the day, the week, month, year, and decade.
How could things go so awry?
Waiting to be tossed a peanut.
*Also written Tikkunei ha-Zohar. One of the components of the Zohar, the Book of Splendor.
Coiling the Serpent, an assortment of poems containing some that might be termed spiritual, mystical, or religious.
The Death of Swami Vivekananda, a poem about one of the greatest Indians and human beings, who was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, perhaps the greatest Indian saint of the last two hundred years (he lived in the 19th century). Swami Vivekananda was the greatest, and probably the first, Indian spiritual leader to visit the United States. He was a pure nondualist, believing that no distinctions exist between beings, whether lower or higher–our soul and God are one. Maya is the illusion–the false belief–that they are separate. He was a brilliant speaker (you can listen on YouTube to his presentation at the 1893 Parliament of World Religions in Chicago) and a writer of extraordinary depth and clarity (publications of his teachings are too numerous to list here).Jagadanandakaraka, the first of the Pancharatna Kritis (pancharatna = "five jewels"), five famous devotional songs written by Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1847), the beloved South Indian composer. This kriti honors Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana. This one is written in Sanskrit; the rest, in Telugu. Two excellent recordings of Jagadanandakaraka are on YouTube by M. Balamuralikrishna and M.S. Subbulakshmi. If you like this composition, you can search for other recordings on the Internet or at the library or in a music store selling recordings of Indian music.
Poems by the Masala Mystic, a potpourri of poems on many of the questions of existence, like, is there a world, is there a God, is everything an illusion, and is the soul immortal?
The Salt Doll of Sri Ramakrishna, a poem based on a teaching of the great saint of 19th-century India, whose legacy continues in teachings, organizations, and good works.
The Grand Synthesis, questions and thoughts about reality and illusion.
The Many Greens, in which the ancient Greek philosopher Plotinus wrestles with the many shades of green.
The Play, something for the Christian in many of us.
Troubled Sleep, an imaginessay kind of prose poem.
Wheel of Fortune, an imaginessay kind of prose poem having something to do with Buddhism, Indian mythology, and mystical Judaism, inspired by a trip to Angkor Wat.
The Word That Was Lost, a prose-poetic response to a concept of Sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Zero-Sum Nirvana, an imaginessay kind of prose poem.


It's long been known that the Chinese government has links to hacker groups, but new research into the country's national vulnerability database (CNNVD) reveals evidence of data being changed to hide influence by the country's intelligence service.
Research by security intelligence specialist Recorded Future back in November finds that CNNVD is faster than the US national vulnerability database (NVD) in reporting vulnerabilities -- NVD trails CNNVD in average time between initial disclosure and database inclusion (33 days versus 13 days).
However, during a follow up to that research, Recorded Future has discovered that China has a process for evaluating whether high-threat vulnerabilities have operational utility in intelligence operations before publishing them to the CNNVD. In revisiting that analysis, it has discovered that CNNVD has altered its initial vulnerability publication dates in what is believed to be an attempt to cover-up the evaluation process.
It finds that CNNVD has altered the original publication dates in its public database for at least 267 vulnerabilities. CNNVD is, says Recorded Future, essentially a shell for the Ministry of State Security (MSS); it has a website but appears to be separate from the MSS in name only. This is important because the MSS is not just a foreign intelligence service, but it also has a large domestic intelligence mandate.
The report's authors note, "This systemic retroactive alteration of original publication dates by CNNVD is an attempt to hide the evidence of this process, obfuscate which vulnerabilities the MSS may be utilizing, and limit the methods researchers can use to anticipate Chinese APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) behavior. There is no other logical explanation why only the initial publication dates for outlier CVE would have been altered. While we did not query the publication dates of all 17,000+ CVE listed in both NVD and CNNVD, we did query a portion of non-outlier CVE and discovered no manipulation of publication dates."
You can find out more about the research on the Recorded Future blog.


text:
4 MLK Day of Service Opportunities in North Carolina
Written By Jay Simms
Originally Published January 13, 2023 1:06 pm EST
FILE - In this Aug. 28, 1963 file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (AP Photo/File)
In honor of his legacy, every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, organizations across North Carolina hold days of service, giving community members a chance to volunteer and help others, just like Dr. King did.
Monday marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday that commemorates the life of the civil rights icon who fought for equality, justice, and to improve the lives of all, at home and abroad.
King believe deeply and firmly in the importance of serving and helping others. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Dr. King said.
In honor of his legacy, every year on MLK Day, organizations across North Carolina hold days of service, giving community members a chance to volunteer and help others, just like Dr. King did.
Here are four service opportunities in North Carolina this weekend and on Monday:
The Volunteer Center (Greensboro)
For 13 years, The Volunteer Center has hosted a signature event designed to bring the community together to complete service projects benefiting local nonprofit organizations and to learn about the many ways to serve throughout the year.
Date: Sunday, January 15th
Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Simkins Pavilion: 1500 Barber Park Dr, Greensboro, NC 27401
MLK Day of Service (Raleigh)
Join United Way of the Greater Triangle, EVOLVE Mentoring, Empower All, and many others on MLK Day for a youth-driven experience that will center the voices of today's young people in conversations around community service, life transitions, and what it's like growing into adulthood amongst today's challenges.
Date: Monday, January 16th
Time: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Boys and Girls Club of Wake County's Teen Center | 721 N. Raleigh Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27610
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (Holly Springs)
In coordination with North Carolina's Year of the Trail celebration, volunteers will be mulching and cleaning the trail at Bass Lake Park. This project is intended for volunteers ages 16+. Volunteers ages 10-15 are able to assist with a parent/guardian in attendance. Pre-registration is required to ensure adequate supplies are available. A waiver is required to participate. Register online.
As a second service project, children and families can create Valentine's Day cards for seniors in the conference room at Bass Lake Park. The cards will be distributed with the assistance of Holly Springs Police Department. Card making is walk-in only, so no registration or waiver are needed.
Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: Bass Lake Park | 900 Bass Lake Road, Holly Springs, NC 27540
Apex National Day of Service & Food Truck Rodeo (Apex)
Join the town of Apex's first National Day of Service followed by a food truck rodeo.
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Apex Baptist Church | 110 South Salem Street, Apex, NC 27502
Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr. DayRaleighThings to Do
Jay Simms
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lifestyle Quiz: 5 Questions to Help You Find the Perfect North Carolina Coffee Shop
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
ECRI Institute Names Richard Arons Chair of Board of Trustees
Arons follows John Reiss as chair of ECRI Institute's Board
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA—ECRI Institute, one of the nation's leading patient safety and medical technology research organizations, is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard M. Arons, ScD, managing director at Korn Ferry, as new board chair. Dr. Arons succeeds John B. Reiss, PhD, JD, who retired after holding the position for 18 years.
Dr. Reiss, currently vice president and general counsel of Doylestown Hospital, guided ECRI Institute through an important time of transition, beginning when its founder and CEO stepped down in 2001. During his tenure, Dr. Reiss cultivated a new management leadership team that tripled the growth of the international organization. Dr. Reiss' guidance, stewardship, and personal commitment to ECRI Institute's mission enabled the organization's growth and relevance.
"We extend our deep appreciation to Dr. Reiss for his guiding leadership, wisdom, and dedication to our mission for so many years," says Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and CEO, ECRI Institute.
Dr. Arons joined ECRI Institute's board in 2017. He has proven experience working with organizations whose future is highly dependent on technology. Dr. Arons' extensive medical device and diagnostics expertise encompasses medical and surgical devices, medical equipment and instrumentation, diagnostics, and drug delivery systems. He has worked with Global 1000 and Fortune 500 companies, as well as start-up and fast-growth companies.
Other board appointments include David L. Mayer, PhD, as board co-chair. Dr. Mayer is chief executive officer of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Previously, he held top leadership positions with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The elected secretary, Stephen H. Lockhart, MD, PhD, is chief medical officer for Sutter Health, a not-for-profit system of hospitals, physician organizations, and research institutions in Northern California.
Treasurer Grant Bagley, MD, JD, has decades of valuable experience, including as a former chief medical officer of the Health Care Financing Administration, now known as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and former managing partner in Arnold & Porter LLP's health care law group.
"ECRI Institute is excited about the future direction of healthcare, and the new officers reflect this focus," states Dr. Schabacker. "As we continue to develop new ways to improve the safety and effectiveness of healthcare, the experience from our outstanding board members will be invaluable to the organization."
Other trustees include:
Robert M. Crane, former senior executive and officer, Kaiser Permanente
Ralph W. Muller, chief executive officer, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and CEO, ECRI Institute
J. Sanford Schwartz, MD, the Leon Hess professor of medicine and health management and economics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School
Anthony Vincent, director of development and facilities, ECRI Institute
Gail R. Wilensky, PhD, economist and senior fellow, Project HOPE
In appreciation for their many years of service, the board presented trustee emeritus status to outgoing members Dr. Reiss; William David Webb, JD; and Gordon C. Hunt, MD, MBA.
For questions, please contact ECRI Institute by telephone at (610) 825-6000; by e-mail at communications@ecri.org; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA.
Richard Arons of @Korn_Ferry named new chair of @ECRI_Institute board
About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for 50 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Laurie Menyo, Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications
lmenyo@ecri.org


Listing provided courtesy of Scott Aurich of Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty. Last updated 2019-04-15 09:01:48.000000. Listing information © 2019 Sandicor.
This Detached property was built in 2004 and is priced at $2,290,000. Please see the additional details below.


Installation artist and Aesthetica Art Prize 2016 finalist, Liz West, is returning to her hometown of Barnsley in a retrospective at The Civic. Widely recognised for her vivid approach to light and colour, West incorporates a variety of materials to create a deeply sensory, immersive experience for the viewer.
This use of luminous colour provides a psychological and scientific quality to West's work. Her renowned piece, An Additive Mix (2015), was shortlisted for the Best Light Art Installation in the Darc Awards, London, and exhibited at the National Media Museum in Bradford. When viewed from a distance, the mirrored room spills with bright white light. As the viewer approaches and explores the detail, 250 individual colour tones and shades are revealed. As the light seemingly flows into the distance, the colours begin to distort and merge.
A similar approach was seen in her work for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2016, where a specific piece was adapted to the new environment. Shifting Luminosity (2014) uses minimal materials to direct the flow of artificial light, creating an ambient spatial drawing and is part of a series based on research into colour theory and light fields.
The exhibition at The Civic introduces early photographic works, reinstating the framework that underlines her interest in colour and the engagement of the viewer. The Trolley Series (2007-2011) will be on display, sharply referencing consumer society and the disposable culture of modern day.
This series of six photographs reflect the way in which sporadic colour variety seen inside supermarkets can be contained in a shopping trolley within a surreal, single block colour. A domestic environment is transformed into a canvas, altering the way in which we see the products that currently shape our consumer culture.
Whilst colour is present in the everyday, West highlights the profound elements of the very thing that makes up everything that we see and feel.
1. Liz West, An Additive Mix. Photograph © Stephen Iles.


Please contact Wayne or Daryl if you have any questions or comments.
Note: We both have full-time jobs besides managing Ride Like A Pro Houston. Normally, if you phone or email us, we will contact you as soon as possible.


text:
IN-SITU EXTRACTION OF HYDROCARBONS FROM OlL SANDS
A device and method of using the device enable the in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons from oil sands and other hydrocarbon resources. The preferred embodiment of the device includes at least two electrodes of tubular form wherein said electrodes are porous and capable of being inserted into the ground; a source of electrical current to apply to the electrodes; and a means for extracting the hydrocarbons from the tubular electrodes. In the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the electrodes are inserted into the oil deposit and connected to an electrical potential difference sufficient to drive an electric current between in-ground electrodes. Current is then flowed between the electrodes. The pressure gradient, resulting from heating the oil-bearing fluid, drives product into the tubular electrodes where it is removed.
Von Wimmersperg, Udo (Bellport, NY, US)
HCE, LLC (Oakton, VA, US)
166/272.1, 166/65.1
E21B36/00
20090211748 Device for Conducting Cementing Operations and Inflow Regulation August, 2009 Revheim
20050126775 HYDRAULIC RELEASE RUNNING TOOL June, 2005 Van Nguy et al.
20100025046 TORQUE WRENCH SYSTEM HAVING A MULTIPLE TORQUE STATIONS February, 2010 Francis et al.
20070114038 Well production by fluid lifting May, 2007 Daniels et al.
20050199401 System and Method to Seal Using a Swellable Material September, 2005 Patel et al.
20040195187 Inhibiting scale deposition in oilfield tubulars October, 2004 Groenenboom et al.
20090000791 Fluid Lift System January, 2009 Ice
20090084555 NOVEL ACTIVATING MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF A DOWNHOLE TOOL April, 2009 Lee
20030098153 Composite packer cup May, 2003 Serafin
20040211571 Control line protector October, 2004 Moreira et al.
20090314149 METHOD OF CUTTING TARGET MEMBERS USING A CUTTING SAW DEVICE December, 2009 Clark II
RO, YONG-SUK
LOUIS VENTRE, JR (2483 OAKTON HILLS DRIVE, OAKTON, VA, 22124-1530, US)
1. A device for the in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons comprising, a plurality of electrodes in tubular form wherein said electrodes are porous and capable of being inserted into the ground; a source of electrical current to apply to the electrodes; and, a means for extracting the hydrocarbons from the tubular electrodes.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are steel tubes of six-inch diameter with a thickness of copper on the inner wall.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising electrically insulating sleeves installed over the electrodes where the electrodes are in contact with overburden.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising an electrode at the end of a casing wherein the electrode is electrically insulated from the casing.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the source of electrical current is capable of providing a pulsed current.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the pulsed current is at least about 1,000 amps current over a period of about 20 seconds to 2 minutes.
7. The device of claim 5 wherein said source of electrical current is a motor and flywheel configured such that after the flywheel reaches a rotation corresponding to the energy desired, that rotational energy is discharged by turning a generator, which creates the desired pulse of electrical current.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for extracting is a valved pipeline.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for extracting is a pump.
10. A method of using the device of claim 1 comprising the steps of, inserting the electrodes into a hydrocarbons deposit in the ground; running a current between the electrodes of sufficient magnitude to heat the ground between the electrodes; and, extracting the hydrocarbons from the electrodes.
11. The method of using of claim 8 further comprising the step of injecting an electrolyte into the deposit through the electrodes.
12. The method of using of claim 8 further comprising the step of pressurizing one or more of the electrodes with nitrogen gas.
13. The method of using of claim 8 wherein the current is pulsed and has a duration that minimizes thermal conduction into the solid centers of the sand grains.
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. section 119(e), the present invention claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application 60/767120 filed 4 Mar. 2006, the text of which is included by reference herein.
FIELD OF INVENTION
In the field of hydrocarbon extraction from in-ground oil sands or similar deposits, a device and method of using the device for the extraction of the hydrocarbons.
The invention is termed "IXOS," an acronym of sorts derived from In-Situ Extraction of Hydrocarbons from Oil Sands." IXOS employs an electric current between porous, tubular in-ground electrodes to flow hydrocarbons in a deposit into the electrode. Electric resistance heating of the oil-bearing fluid in the ground between the electrodes creates a pressure gradient, which drives hydrocarbon product into the electrodes. As long as the electrode is porous, then product can be collected from within the electrode. This method has not heretofore been used in any field relating to the extraction of oil from the ground.
The method of the invention is estimated to require an energy input equaling about 2% of the heating value of oil recovered. This calculation is based on an average of oil content of 14% by weight oil in the oil sand and 2% by weight of water and assuming all the electrical energy can be directed into the conductive water layer. This is a significant improvement over the state of the art, and unlike any other method, allows a wide margin for other heat losses in the process without impacting the energy balance for oil production from the deposit.
Energy savings from the invention are maximized taking advantage of the fact that the conductivity of oil sands is due to the interstitial liquid, the dielectric sand grains themselves having low conductivity. An electric current (flowing between electrodes or induced) heats up this interstitial liquid instantaneously, compared to steam flow and thermal conduction previously used in the industry.
Oil sands, also referred to as tar sands and bituminous sands, are a combination of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. Bitumen is the soluble organic matter and is an asphalt-like substance, which can be refined into oil. Oil sand deposits are typically mined using strip-mining techniques, which extract the oils sands from the ground for processing to recover the bitumen.
Tar sands deposits are found all over the world, with the largest deposits found in Venezuela and Alberta, Canada. These two deposits have been estimated to contain about 600 cubic kilometers of oil sands, equivalent to about twice the world's reserves of oil or about 3.5 trillion barrels of oil. The United States contains scattered deposits of oil sands, mainly in Utah, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, California, and New Mexico. The ability to economically recover these deposits would help to diversify oil sources and contribute to U.S. national and energy security.
The invention may also be used for the extraction of oil in similar deposits, for example, in oil shale. Oil shale is a general term for shales rich enough in bituminous material to yield petroleum upon heating in low oxygen environments. The United States Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves estimates a world supply of oil shale of about 1,700 billion barrels of which about 1,200 billion barrels is in the United States Estonia, Russia, Brazil, and China.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
In a common oil extraction process, hot water is added to mined oil sand to liberate the bitumen from the sand and clay. The resulting slurry is piped to an extraction plant where the slurry is agitated to allow small air bubbles to attach to bitumen droplets. Froth is created, which is skimmed off the top and treated to remove residual water and fine solids. Bitumen is then upgraded in a coker, which cracks the bitumen into lighter oils and gases. Further processes create a blended synthetic crude oil.
An oil sands processing plant will typically consume over a million gallons of water every hour. The more efficient of such plants consume about 92 gallons of water per 42-gallon barrel of syncrude produced. Such a plant could produce about 75 million barrels of syncrude per year. Of the water used typically, about 250,000 gallons per hour is too contaminated with dissolved hydrocarbons and minerals for recycling. This quantity is sent to a tailings pond. While a tailings pond typically prevents contaminated water from mixing with potable water supplies, this much ponded water requires active management to permit settling of fines, to prevent it from combining with clean surface water and to preclude accidental release. The wet sand and clay residues can also be caustic and require extensive and expensive neutralization. This caustic aqueous residual often has a high Chemical Oxygen Demand, which robs the water of oxygen. This, in turn, makes the ponds containing such residual, hypoxic and adverse to plant and animal life.
Improvements in the basic hot water process have been disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,145 to Conaway on Jun. 10, 2003. The '145 patent is a continuous process where the mined oil sand is crushed to the particle size of sand or smaller, then mixed with water to form a slurry, then heated and blended with an oxidant in aqueous solution, such as hydrogen peroxide. This process releases the free interstitial hydrocarbons and those hydrocarbons bound electrostatically to the surfaces of clay-like particles in the ore. This process attempts to reduce water consumption through recycle and seeks to lower costs. However, while improved, this process has many of the same shortfalls of the basic hot water process.
It has been estimated that the equivalent of one barrel of oil is needed to process three barrels of synthetic crude obtained from oil sands using the hot water process. Aside from the cost, this much energy consumption translates to significant emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Five major disadvantages of producing oil from strip mined oil sands are (1) the need to consume large quantities of clean water resources, (2) the need to consume energy to heat the water, (3) the subsequent pollution of the water by chemicals extracted from the deposits, (4) a high cost of production; and (5) large up front capital investment is needed partly because very large separation plants are needed for processing the bitumen.
Since up to 80% of the oil sands deposits may be too deep underground for strip mining, other mining techniques have been employed. For example, in-situ mining techniques are practiced to extract the bitumen without removing oil sands from their in-ground location.
One such in-situ method requires a large source of steam, an injection borehole and an extraction borehole. This method is sometimes called "Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage." The steam is injected into the oil sands deposit where the combination of high temperature and steam creates a largely gaseous product that will flow and can be channeled to the extraction borehole. The product flow is liquefied before reaching the surface and pumped out of the extraction borehole. This in-situ technique suffers from the disadvantages noted in the preceding paragraph for the aboveground hot water process. In addition there is a potential for pollution below the surface.
The current invention improves on Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage by employing controlled deposition of heat. In response to a current pulse between electrodes, resistive ionic conduction through paths of fluid interstitial to the dielectric grains in the body of oil sand produces an overpressure pulse. This drives the oil-bearing fluid towards the low-pressure outlets at the electrodes. Instantaneous heating with the IXOS device is dominant in the process. This compares to a slower rate of thermal conductive heating using the steam process. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which employs a high current pulse of short duration, offers significant benefits over steam extraction by minimizing wasted energy otherwise used for warming the ore (sand) in the deposit.
Another such in-situ method uses dissolution chemicals to dissolve the bitumen. The dissolved bitumen then flows to an extraction point, where it is removed for processing to extract the oil and recycle the dissolution chemicals.
All of the existing methods of extracting oil from oil sands have a large environmental cost. When strip mining is employed, two tons of mined sand are required to produce one barrel of synthetic crude. This leaves a significant tailings pile. The water ponds required to dispose of the water used in the process are contaminated and consume large tracts of land. Such underground processes also have potential to contaminate water aquifers.
The preferred embodiments of the device and method of the invention address many of the deficiencies found in the state of the art of oil extraction from oil sands. In particular, the present invention provides an in-situ process similar to an oil well, while eliminating extraction of oil sands and recovery of dissolution chemicals.
The preferred embodiment of the invention simplifies the process of oil extraction from oil sands by eliminating much of the surface infrastructure required to extract the oil sands and bitumen from the ground.
The preferred embodiment of the invention eliminates the need to consume large quantities of clean water resources. No water is used in the IXOS extraction process, except for the water already present in the deposit. Water is used only to provide minimal equipment cooling and to satisfy minor process needs.
The preferred embodiment of the invention avoids most of the cost, pollution and energy associated with the use of water and dissolution chemicals in the current methods. The preferred embodiment of the invention will help with minimization of cost, both in capital equipment and operation. The cost of electrical power is offset by low energy requirements. The costs for energy for extracting the bitumen are estimated to be about 2 percent of heating value of the oil recovered.
Pollution and energy are reduced as a necessary consequence of not using water and not needing to consume energy for heating water. Of major importance is the environmentally non-intrusive nature of in-situ production.
In terms of heating oil shale deposits for removing the oil, U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,067 to Vinegar, et al. on Aug. 16, 2005, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, provides a thorough reference and description of heat sources with conductive material for in situ thermal processing of an oil shale formation. Essentially, the state of the art for electricity driven heating methods described involve electrically-powered, resistive heating elements placed in a well bore drilled into the formation. The heating elements are energized, much like that on an electric stovetop, and the heat generated by the elements is either carried to the formation by conduction or by radiation.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is different from all of the prior art described in the '067 patent in that this embodiment uses the in situ formation itself as the medium for carrying a current and, thus, heating itself from the flow of current.
It is therefore apparent that a need exists for a non-water consuming process for extracting oil from oil sands. It is further apparent that such a process that is also lower-cost, lower polluting, and lower energy process would significantly enhance the state of the art for producing oil from oil sands.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A device and method of using the device provide for in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons from oil sands and other hydrocarbon resources. The preferred embodiment of the device includes at least two electrodes of tubular form wherein said electrodes are porous and capable of being inserted into the ground; a source of electrical current to apply to the electrodes; and a means for extracting the hydrocarbons from the tubular electrodes. In the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the electrodes are inserted into the oil deposit and connected to an electrical potential difference sufficient to drive an electric current between in-ground electrodes. Current is then flowed between the electrodes. The pressure gradient, resulting from heating the oil-bearing fluid, drives product into the tubular electrodes where it is removed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The drawing is a sectional view of the tubular porous electrodes for the in-situ extraction of oil from oil sands.
The device and method of using the device for the in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons from oil sand (herein referred to as "IXOS") are based on the using the ionic resistivity of the hydrocarbon formation, also referred to as a deposit, by passing a current between electrodes in the formation.
The preferred embodiment of the IXOS device first includes a plurality of tubular porous electrodes similar to the one shown in the drawing. The tubular shape is typical of a well pipe or casing used in the oil industry. The porosity of the electrodes may be obtained by employing perforations, for example in the form of a pattern of short vertical slots (30) in the wall of the electrode tubes.
The electrodes are also similar to well-known technology of well points used for ground water extraction in that they are suitable for being inserted into the ground. While well points are porous casings used to extract water from an in ground well, the electrodes are used to extract hydrocarbons, such as soil containing a deposit of oil. Two significant differences from well point technology are the ability of the electrodes to carry electrical current for heating the ground deposit, and a consequent ability to motivate flow of the hydrocarbons from the ground resource into the hollow body of an electrode incident to extraction. In the preferred embodiment, the flow of electrical current between two or more electrodes is what motivates the flow.
The diameter and length of the electrodes can vary as required by the resource deposit. Typically, the electrodes would be steel tubes or casings (10) of about six-inches in diameter with a thickness of copper (20) on the inner wall to serve as a current carrier. However, electrode diameters of 10 feet, 20 feet or more are also within the scope of the invention. The length of the electrode is limited only by practicality constraints of handling and insertion into the deposit. Short lengths of electrodes may be joined in the same manner as well piping to make the electrode length any desired length suitable to the deposit and the source of power. Similar to a well point, an electrode may be fitted to the end of a pipe or casing. However, unlike a well point, the electrode must be insulated from the pipe or casing so that it is capable of delivering current to the specific resource location in the ground. At least two electrodes are needed in the preferred embodiment for the operation of the invention, and there is no limit on how many may be used.
The preferred embodiment of the IXOS device next includes a means for extracting the hydrocarbons from the tubular electrodes. In this embodiment, this means for extracting is a valve that is opened to allow the pressurized hydrocarbons and steam to flow out of the electrodes. In alternative embodiments, this means for extracting is a pump, which, for example, may either be placed within the electrode or on the surface.
The preferred embodiment of the IXOS device lastly includes a source of electrical current to apply to the electrodes. This typically means applying an electrical potential difference across two or more electrodes so that current will flow between them. Alternating or direct current may be employed.
In using the preferred embodiment of the IXOS device, the electrodes are inserted into the hydrocarbon containing deposit a distance from each other. Such distance is dependent upon the electrical resistivity of the ground and the electrical potential difference available to apply between electrodes. The determining factor is that the current passing through the deposit and between the electrodes must be sufficient to heat the deposit. Typically with tens of kilovolts available to apply to the electrodes, the electrodes would be spaced tens of meters apart.
In the preferred embodiment, the casings are vertical in orientation, but they may be in any orientation as long as they provide access to the surface so that the hydrocarbons can be removed from the tubular electrodes.
In the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, a potential difference is applied between electrodes so that a current runs between them sufficient to heat the ground, that is, the deposit between the electrodes. For example, a 60 Hz potential difference in the range of several kilovolts causes an ionic current distribution in the conductive interstitial medium between the grains in the oil sand. Ionic resistance will generate local heating within the interstitial medium, causing the sequential melting of ice, the dislodging of oil particles, and pressure buildup through steam formation. Thus, the preferred embodiment of the invention avoids unnecessary heating of the bulk of the ore (sand) both by placing the heat exactly where it is needed (in the interstitial liquid), and by forestalling thermal conductivity losses. These embodiments take advantage of the benefit obtainable by employing a large current pulse of short duration to minimize conductive heat losses and to build high pressure for expelling product.
While the invention includes the application of a small current over a long time, embodiments of this type are less efficient in product delivery and more wasteful of energy. Such embodiments will work, but they promote less useful conductive heating of the bulk sands, and deliver a comparatively weak pressure rise from the vaporized liquids, which drive product into the electrode wells.
The preferred embodiment employs a current of about 1,000 amps delivered over a duration from about 20 seconds to 2 minutes. The current density can be reduced by increasing the diameter of the electrode. In one embodiment, pulsed current is generated on site using a motor and flywheel configured such that after the flywheel reaches a rotation corresponding to the energy desired, that rotational energy is discharged by turning a generator, which creates the desired pulse of electrical current.
A porous electrode allows ingress of steam-driven oil while keeping out sand grains. In this way each electrode essentially becomes a production well. The means for extracting the hydrocarbons is employed to produce oil and other hydrocarbons from the deposit.
The process works most efficiently when the current passing between electrodes is of such magnitude and duration that it does not directly heat the dielectric quartz sand grains. Thus, for the preferred embodiment, such current is pulsed and has a duration that minimizes thermal conduction into the solid centers of the sand grains. For this to occur, the resistive heating is applied rapidly enough to suppress to some extent the thermal conduction into the solid centers of the sand grains. This saves on energy consumed by the extraction process and contributes to an efficient process.
Important aspects of the process of using the invention are the modes of flexibility for adapting to different ground conditions present in a deposit.
A primary mode of flexibility relates to the electrodes, which can easily be rearranged and adapted to different conditions without the construction of new equipment. Hardness of the sand deposit and viscosity may vary radically with seasonal temperature changes, and the composition and physical nature of oil sands may differ substantially from one geographical location to another. In particular, this process is suitable for locations where the deposit, for example oil sand, is under large overburdens. In such cases, the embodiment would include electrically insulating sleeves over the electrodes where the electrodes are in contact with the overburden. Also, an alternative embodiment employed in such cases, comprises the electrode at the end of a casing penetrating the overburden wherein the electrode is electrically insulated from the casing. The presence of an overburden is expected to be of benefit when it acts as a seal for trapping vapor pressure.
Further modes of flexibility involve adjustable variables for optimizing the extraction of hydrocarbon from the deposit. These include voltage and frequency, geometry of electrode matrix, and time structure of electrical current.
In an alternative embodiment of the method of using the device, there is an additional step of injecting an electrolyte into the deposit. For example, in an oil sand deposit, salt water is injected through the electrode slots to raise conductivity of the deposit and to clear sand blockages of the electrode slots.
In an alternative embodiment of the method of using the IXOS device, there is an additional step of pressurizing one or more of the electrodes with nitrogen gas. This step helps to drive the oil product to unpressurized adjacent electrodes.
The description above and the examples noted are not intended to be the only embodiments of this invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. These examples merely provide illustrations of some of the embodiments of this invention. Others will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Thus, the scope of the invention is determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.
Previous Patent: METHOD FOR DRILLING AND CASING A WELLBORE WITH A PUMP DOWN CEMENT FLOAT
Next Patent: Remotely operated selective fracing system


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
65 years of memories: Celebrating Miller Chapel
August 13, 2019 // Posted In Faith, History
For generations, Miller Chapel served as the primary sacred space on Baylor's campus. In recent years, the university has added more and more such spaces to campus in an effort to better integrate faith into each student's Baylor experience. A side effect of that: Miller Chapel is not nearly as central a spot for today's Baylor students as it was a generation ago.
Thus, when plans were worked up for a long-awaited renovation of Tidwell Bible Building, the designers made plans to better utilize the space currently occupied by Miller Chapel. (At the same time, they included plans for a new chapel in Tidwell on the building's top floor that will provide a unique, inspiring view of campus.) But before Miller Chapel goes away, the university has plans for a Baylor Family celebration of the role it played in the Baylor experience over the last 65 years; more on that below.
First, a look back at why so many Bears feel so passionately about this space:
Groundbreaking for the Tidwell Bible Building took place in 1949 (after more than a decade of effort), and the landmark facility was completed in 1954. Its chapel was named for Baylor benefactors Mr. and Mrs. O.G. Miller of Waco, and the 550-seat facility quickly became the signature sacred space on campus. Along the way, accoutrements like a dramatic pipe organ and piano were added, contributing further to the ways in which the space could be used.
Over the years, thousands upon thousands of students have found in Miller Chapel a place for quiet reflection, away from the bustle of campus. Generations have enjoyed the sense of reverence, particularly when afternoon light through the stained glass windows bathed the chapel in blue and green hues. And for countless Bears, Miller Chapel is "the place where we got married," thus holding an extra special place in many Baylor families' histories.
The Tidwell renovation attempts to balance recognizing such history and memories with the needs of today's students and faculty. In the case of Miller Chapel, the space will be turned into much-needed office and classroom space, but the signature stained glass windows will remain to honor its past (see renderings here). And as noted above, Tidwell isn't losing its chapel; I, for one, am excited for the chance to pray over campus from this new vantage point.
As we anticipate the meaningful changes coming to Tidwell, we'll all get one more chance to enjoy Miller Chapel's beauty in a special open house on Aug. 31, before the football season opener. The chapel will be decorated as for a wedding or special event, and a professional photographer will be on hand for photos; the event is free, with no RSVP needed.
Sic 'em, Miller Chapel!


text:
Q: infrastructure as a code on azure using python Currently we use boto (python library) to deploy infrastructure as code using AWS services. In my current project I am trying to create infrastructure as code for Azure, but I would like to stick with python to generate this code.
do we have any python libraries to invoke Azure APIs to setup infrastructure. or create json templates to deploy on azure.

A: There is a python SDK (in preview) that allows to work with Azure Resource Manager to create resource groups, VMs...
You'll find the documentation here : http://azure-sdk-for-python.readthedocs.org/en/latest/resourcemanagement.html
The SDK is hosted on GitHub : https://github.com/azure/azure-sdk-for-python
Another solution could be to use Azure Resource Management REST APIs directly. These APIs are documented here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn790568.aspx
Hope this helps
Julien

A: About how to create custom templates for Azure resource management, you can refer to the document https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/resource-group-authoring-templates/ to know the template structure & format.
The basic structure of a template as below:
{
   "$schema": "http://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
   "contentVersion": "",
   "parameters": { ... },
   "variables": { ... },
   "resources": [ ... ],
   "outputs": { ... }
}

And you can access the schema url of deployment template (https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json) to get the metadata definition of template.

A: If anyone stumbles over this in 2023 then I would suggest Pulumi as a cross language and cross platform IaC (Infrastructure as Code) tool.
I have used it myself to write in C# and Python.
https://www.pulumi.com/docs/get-started/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Relive Medieval London's Bloody Murders With This New Interactive Death Map
The macabre tool features tales of revenge, thwarted love, infanticide—and a urinal that drove a man to murder
The majority of homicides catalogued on the map occurred in public places, including crowded streets and markets Violence Research Centre/University of Cambridge
It was the priest in Dunstan Parish with the small knife, the brother in the Tower of London with the stave, the Welsh tailor in St. Mary Woolnoth with the broad-bladed knife—or so the new "London Medieval Murder Map," an interactive database of 142 brutal 14th-century homicides, tells us.
The macabre tool, which draws on city coroners' rolls dating to between 1300 and 1340, is the brainchild of the University of Cambridge's Manuel Eisner, an expert in the history of violence. As Eisner tells the Guardian's Nicola Davis, the map reveals a surprising number of commonalities between medieval murders and contemporary homicides: Both tend to begin with altercations "of a very trivial nature." They occur with the highest frequency on days when individuals don't have to work and they overwhelmingly take place during the evening.
An August 1326 attack that left one Roger Styward of Hamptone "dead of unnatural causes" offers an apt example of the arbitrary nature of some altercations. According to the map, Styward was hawking a bucket of eel skins on Cordewanerstrete when he dropped his wares outside of a storefront, attracting the ire of two shopkeepers and an apprentice. The apprentice "struck Roger with the palm of his hand under the left jaw." One of the shopkeepers followed the hapless merchant as he tried to continue on his way and delivered a blow that sent Styward falling to the ground. The attacker "then kicked him as he lay down," inflicting such severe injuries that his victim died soon thereafter.
Other killings are reflective of more premeditated plans: In January 1322, John de Eddeworth and unknown conspirators ambushed John de Tygre—a man who'd previously murdered Eddeworth's brother, Osbert Pledour—at the top of Sopers-Lane in the Cheap Ward. De Eddeworth "stabbed him five times with his sword, three times on the back of his head, once on the left side, and once under his left ear." As the map notes, the crime represented a "brutal revenge killing at midnight in the middle of London."
The research places medieval London's murder rate (based on an estimated population of 80,000) between 15 to 20 times higher than that of a similarly sized modern city in the UK. But that doesn't necessarily mean we've evolved into a less violent species. On one hand, the modern world has seen a rise in advanced killing tools such as firearms, but on the other, we live in a much more advanced state of emergency care.
Poor understanding of medical practices certainly made it difficult for medieval caregivers to treat victims of violence: In an interview with CNN's Tara John, Eisner says that over 18 percent of individuals attacked survived at least a week after the initial trauma, eventually dying of infection or blood loss.
In medieval London, weapons were always at hand to turn otherwise innocuous altercations deadly Violence Research Centre/University of Cambridge
Eisner tells Rob Waugh of Metro that the map's seemingly staggering level of violence—markers cluster around Leadenhall Market and the neighborhood where Styward was killed, overwhelming the tool's quaint archival background with patches of bold red color—can be at least partially attributed to the widespread availability of deadly weapons during the medieval period. He explains, "Weapons were never far away, male honour had to be protected, and conflicts easily got out of hand."
The Evening Standard's Megan White further notes that daggers and swords proved to be the most popular weapon of choice, appearing in 68 percent of all catalogued cases. Thick "quarter staff poles" popped up in 19 percent of cases.
Interestingly, religious buildings proved three times as dangerous as brothels, though public streets and markets were the top centers of violence. And men of the cloth were far from immune to violence: In June 1320, an elderly monk named Henry of Ireland accused Richard of Southampton of embezzling rents and properties belonging to the chapel. Incensed, Richard punched, slapped and shook "the living daylights out of" him. Four years later, John of Woodhall, rector of Hartley Wintney near Basingstoke, drew his sword and struck a retired soldier on the right side of his head as the two were on their way to visit the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
The majority of the 142 crimes revolve around male perpetrators, but four feature female suspects. White outlines these unusual cases, writing that one involved a woman who "cuffed" a five-year-old boy beneath his left ear after catching him in the process of stealing a small amount of wool. Oddly enough, the map notes that "he died from being cuffed and not from any more serious offence." Another crime found a prostitute named Agnes quarreling with a pregnant woman named Lucy, striking her "on the belly with fist and knees and … leaving her half-dead in the street," while the third was the "likely infanticide of baby Alice" at the hands of a beggar-woman known as Nicola from Cardiff. The final case tells a classic story of love turned sour, with a woman named Isabella Heron stabbing her fishmonger-lover to death in the midst of a heated quarrel.
Eisner's "favorite murder," according to CNN, took place in January 1322. William, son of goldsmith Henry at Rowe, was using a urinal in Cheapside when he inadvertently sprayed onto the shoes of an unknown young man. After the man complained, William punched him, knocking the unfortunate, urine-covered man's pollaxe to the ground. At this point, a bystander named Philip intervened, further angering William, who picked up the axe and delivered a glancing blow to the forehead "that penetrated to the brain." (Aside from stained shoes, the other man emerged from the fray intact.)
"I like it because you get an idea of the smells and sounds of central London," Eisner concludes. "You get a sense of the kinds of daily conflict."
British History Crime Death London Medieval Ages Murder Weapons
Can You Reuse a KN95 or N95 Mask? Experts Say Yes, but Follow These Steps


Last week Mom, Alyce, and I all went to the doctor for the first visit. It was unexciting as we were too early to hear a heartbeat. So in two weeks we are going in to hear the heartbeat and maybe get an ultrasound of the baby. Alyce did very good at the office, but most of that was because I was playing with her keeping her entertained.
On the morning sickness front. Mommy is having her good days and bad days. At least she is eating something which is better than last time.


text:
Spacewalking Chinese astronauts add camera to Tiangong space station module
By Andrew Jones published 28 December 21
China is preparing for arrival of two new modules next year.
China's Shenzhou 13 astronauts ventured outside the orbiting Tianhe module on Sunday and installed a new panoramic camera for monitoring the space station.
Rookie astronaut Ye Guangfu opened the hatch of the Tianhe airlock on Dec. 26 at 5:44 a.m. EST (1044 GMT, 6:44 p.m. Beijing time) and reported feeling well shortly after exiting. He was soon joined by mission commander Zhai Zhigang, while crewmate Wang Yaping assisted operations from inside the module by controlling the large robotic arm of the Tiangong space station. Working in coordination, the trio installed a panoramic camera.
"The camera was raised by over 300 millimeters, and was further away from the bulkhead after the lift, so it can carry out better observation with less blocked views," Zhang Wei, a space station systems designer with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), told CCTV.
Related: China's Shenzhou 12 astronauts send back stunning images of Earth (photos)
Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu emerges from the Tianhe hatch in a Feitian spacesuit on Dec. 26, 2021. (Image credit: CMSA/BACC)
"The camera is mainly used to observe the operations on the spacecraft surface, and also to observe the distance between solar arrays and the robotic arm in motion," Zhang noted.
Ye and Zhai were both back inside six hours and 11 minutes after first opening the hatch. During the spacewalk, the pair also completed other equipment-related tasks.
"Thank you very much for your hard work. You have left us with very beautiful pictures. All members of the ground team and the astronauts center are proud of you," the ground support team told the astronauts.
China has now completed four extravehicular activities, or spacewalks, since launching the Tianhe module in April this year: two each during the Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 crewed missions.
The spacewalks have tested the function and performance of the Tianhe airlock, three "Feitian" extravehicular suits, the module's robotic arm and the daily coordination and support of astronauts' activities from Earth.
— Astronaut Wang Yaping snaps Earth photos and more from Chinese space station
— Stuffed cow guards China's space station ahead of Shenzhou 13 crew arrival next month
— Astronauts get physical and mental workouts on Chinese space station (video)
Shenzhou 13 launched in October and the three crewmembers are expected to complete their six-month mission in March 2022. After this, China will kick into high gear to complete the construction of its three-module space station.
"After Shenzhou 13 returns home, we will launch a [Tianzhou] cargo spacecraft, the Shenzhou 14 crewed spacecraft, a lab module named 'Wentian' and a lab module called 'Mengtian,'" Zhou Jianping, a chief designer of China's human spaceflight program, told CCTV on Monday.
"They will finish transposition and dock with the core module, so as to form a combination featuring three modules, marking the completion of China's space station construction," Zhou said. "This will be a milestone in the development of our manned space program and China's space program, ushering in a new era of China's manned space program."
Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Andrew is a freelance space journalist with a focus on reporting on China's rapidly growing space sector. He began writing for Space.com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, New Scientist and others. Andrew first caught the space bug when, as a youngster, he saw Voyager images of other worlds in our solar system for the first time. Away from space, Andrew enjoys trail running in the forests of Finland. You can follow him on Twitter @AJ_FI.
4-foot tsunami hits Tonga after explosive eruption of underwater volcano
On This Day in Space! Jan. 15, 2006: Stardust spacecraft returns samples of comet dust
Learn the backstory of Grudge the Cat with IDW's new 'Star Trek: Discovery' comic miniseries
Brace yourself for a peek at Boom!'s new 'Dune' comic book 'A Whisper of Caladan Seas #1'
Pentagon launches new UFO office. Not all believers are happy about it.


text:
Mazières-Naresse é uma comuna francesa na região administrativa da Nova Aquitânia, no departamento Lot-et-Garonne. Estende-se por uma área de 8,81 km².

Comunas de Lot-et-Garonne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia