Mind of scientist- heart of a romantic-voice of a writer

I just finished the final edits on my first novel, Lightning Strikes and I wanted to get the word out and connect with everyone I could.

To begin, I guess I should start with who I am. It is an interesting question, as I have been defined by my job for so long, I only hope I will be defined by my writing in the future.

But who is anyone anymore? Soon, we will be defined by numbers: our social security number, our telephone number and zipcode. I just saw something on the subject and it floored me. I don’t know whose campaign it’s for, so don’t get mad if it is political, but if you’re interested here’s the link: http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf.

It frightening that numbers are more important than who we are in this computer-assisted world. All companies need to do to learn anything about us is—look at our numbers. Don’t get me wrong, you see I love numbers. I’ve sold them for years. Complex algorithms and advanced visualization techniques are my specialty. —Have you ever noticed everyone’s second question, after asking our name, is what do you do for a living?

So what I do for a living is sell software tools. When I first started selling, I sold engineering workstations to a group mapping the galaxy, and now they HAVE finished mapping the known universe. Cool, isn’t it! I have also sold flight test analysis and visualization software to aerospace companies, and forecasting tools to investment banks and AI (Artificial Intelligence) stuff. One comment on AI—artificial intelligence is better than no intelligence at all. I have sold analytical tools to prove theories for physicists and even sold tools to measure Sun spots. I am really proud of the projects I been involved with and believe I’ve helped accounts be more successful in making data information. But am I only defined by my professional career? Sometimes I think so. However with this glorious media, I hope to be known as a writer and the author of a new and exciting novel Lightning Strikes, historical fiction with a twist.

A LITTLE SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE

I have been doing research for an article I am writing and had to look up Dr. Edwin Hubble. Do you know who he was? I believe we as Americans can be proud of the Hubble Telescope launched in 1990. It was a great achievement—combining innovated thinking, determination and a product that lasts beyond planned obsolesces. (Whose idea was planned obsolesces anyway?) Okay, so we have had to tweak it in space a couple of times and it was a very costly project but it only proves; when you fail, pick yourself up and fix it! All you have to do is look at the pictures we’ve received to know how successful it has been. One of my favorites is the nebula called ‘God’s Eye.’ The coloration is from different particles around the nebula. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula

To answer my own question, in 1925, Ernest Hubble announced to the world he had proved the Universe was larger than just the Milky Way and it was expanding! It changed astronomy forever and I find that fascinating. Once we determined there were other galaxies out there, science advanced imagining and visualization to see further and deeper in space. Since I am writing an article on the String Theory, specifically the M-theory and its eleven dimensions along with Multiverse and had to research him.

A LITTLE FRANKNESS FROM BEN FRANKLIN

I just finished an historical novel with a sci-fi twist that takes place in the year 1752, twenty-four years before the American Revolution, and a unique time in history. One of my characters is the great scientist and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin. While researching him I came across a piece he wrote in his last Almanac that just might give us something to think about.

When asked by a crowd why they should pay heavy taxes to the government Ben Franklin answered in the voice of Poor Richard: “Friends, taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly.”

A LITTLE SHAME ON YOU RANT

My first shame on you, shame on me, shame of them rants—Shame on the American Stock Exchange for using credit default swaps. Who put it back in to law after being banned in 1909? And shame on us for not being aware of this deregulation. How could anyone believe that the greedy would govern themselves?

I have other rants and will add to this weekly, I hope. If anyone else has any good “shame rant” to share, please let me know.

Oh, I have question to ask and would like your answer if possible. What small things are you doing to go green? I have changed my light bulbs and carry fabric bags to shop. Okay, so that's not a lot but I've done some big things too. New more efficient bathrooms, but I haven’t tackle the kitchen yet. I'm just interested what other people are doing out there in the blogosphere to help go green? All suggestions might end up in a article, so let me know what you have done to go green.