tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27898483056711899002024-03-14T11:50:05.968-07:00Writing and Living by Richard P. HughesDiscussions about creativity, growing old, growing young, self-publishing, freedom, the craft of writing, art, and many other topics. Part confessional, part thinking out loud, I write what interests me at the moment. BTW, I write my books under the pen name R. Patrick Hughes.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-80224446620148737582023-07-07T12:48:00.000-07:002023-07-07T12:48:21.057-07:00My short story collection The Gunman in Black is free on Amazon.com this weekend.<p> My short story collection The Gunman in Black is a free e-book on Amazon.com on July 8th and 9th.</p><p>The link is: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BG98Z2E">The Gunman in Black</a></p>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-64339129239918961742023-06-18T09:31:00.002-07:002023-06-18T09:31:53.487-07:00More New Paintings<p> I've been pretty busy with painting this year. I've also been reading some of the classics I had never read: <i>War and Peace </i>and <i>Don Quixote. </i>I'm actually still reading the latter (close to finishing it). But painting is where I spend most of my free time. I'm still primarily an abstract painter, though I occasionally work more realistically.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9R5b0VPlu-gTD0Z-YDSfOwlmIENVgkp2z01x98UrvDufn42QvUZ7Rd08O0gLEVnP8B0Y6W76mv__GUedBxlKQ9tGMihApP_E1ItwrQ3CLbhLvVIq8zDirq7GLhTPLEbek6R_9zF5E4Ay2VyBw9CLdb7lJggFPtCTIeWnbpVZmYPd4A14Gzrvh8S41" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="98" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9R5b0VPlu-gTD0Z-YDSfOwlmIENVgkp2z01x98UrvDufn42QvUZ7Rd08O0gLEVnP8B0Y6W76mv__GUedBxlKQ9tGMihApP_E1ItwrQ3CLbhLvVIq8zDirq7GLhTPLEbek6R_9zF5E4Ay2VyBw9CLdb7lJggFPtCTIeWnbpVZmYPd4A14Gzrvh8S41" width="198" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> "</span>Shimmers" (9x12 inches)</p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>It's listed on Etsy for a better view of it.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedCZVPQgU9oyEDV8vV7f1lmxj5cdN40yA8RUi6uLR1g5ENdpUKG_KNMYWjb0Aup-s6Kuhnu5nT-lDVtl91G-gpSX_pVG65P465zhknI-sLPSARz0nmyMwYYcLBw8EHSDYKslKFOslSykQ7QZlUtFSkS-0L3HtMkRRqXB3gQ66kz2dv4kYqkTlWuFH/s3183/IMG_4544%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2546" data-original-width="3183" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedCZVPQgU9oyEDV8vV7f1lmxj5cdN40yA8RUi6uLR1g5ENdpUKG_KNMYWjb0Aup-s6Kuhnu5nT-lDVtl91G-gpSX_pVG65P465zhknI-sLPSARz0nmyMwYYcLBw8EHSDYKslKFOslSykQ7QZlUtFSkS-0L3HtMkRRqXB3gQ66kz2dv4kYqkTlWuFH/s320/IMG_4544%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Untitled (9x12 inches)</span><br /></p></blockquote><br />Abstract art is not for everyone, but for those who like it, which is still millions of people, abstract art speaks to them through color, shape, and design, and, perhaps, through emotions. How all that works together is difficult to explain. For me, knowing when a painting is finished is usually intuitive, a realization that it works (for me) and there is nothing more to do, and, obviously, I like it.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuRuNn-K6D-WxSXEb-Z-HjqfKEq2oRWNu1nbIhORKvRg7g84Pc7DeM8QH1Xuw05TAjXUSmr8S1rckYqqu7ClBoFN78iOU9FkTiNf5scZ6B9D86ZG-on4MNzxu9_GRFPqaXQeruqWOzHZV_EXzakSwSGMqIDyAy2c8zEwBxYSIZ0kGmFcwXSBkMrMR/s5184/IMG_4496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuRuNn-K6D-WxSXEb-Z-HjqfKEq2oRWNu1nbIhORKvRg7g84Pc7DeM8QH1Xuw05TAjXUSmr8S1rckYqqu7ClBoFN78iOU9FkTiNf5scZ6B9D86ZG-on4MNzxu9_GRFPqaXQeruqWOzHZV_EXzakSwSGMqIDyAy2c8zEwBxYSIZ0kGmFcwXSBkMrMR/w196-h213/IMG_4496.JPG" width="196" /></a></div><br /><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> "2084" (11x14 inches)</span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>This painting made me think of the novel <i>1984</i>. You can view it better on Etsy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I've done more paintings and have many more to do. I hope you're doing what you enjoy doing, whether it's gardening or writing or painting or music. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-23350864649399703402023-04-02T06:52:00.000-07:002023-04-02T06:52:38.257-07:00Some of my new paintings<p> <span style="text-align: center;">While Covid stopped me from doing a lot of things I had done previous to it, I continued painting, and am still doing so. Fortunately, I'm gradually returning to a more normal lifestyle, getting out more, taking more chances. We recently went to Epcot and seemed to have not gotten Covid. We got into some very crowded places, such as, restaurants. On the way home, we stopped at Buckie's. That's an experience in itself. If you haven't been to a Buckie's, you've got to check it out. It's like Walmart at a gas station. Anyway, here are a few of my recent paintings. If you want to know more about the paintings, check them out on my Etsy account, Richard P Hughes Artist.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbktvDuwAtvLB5DB18ShpnkUQTSGkn_iuqpQnVt2zCj73vQbvFMk7cHor08UqjubG1m2bfNd6VQQPYYraAaYj6t7nXqtDLzC0OpdS2Jg-kqdIJVMXLCA8E73YsmCplF1iclEJI8jvNop_aYZqWGBUnvWgPzuep0LutiZLZRlthTE0POLqIi2ykM1n/s5184/IMG_4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbktvDuwAtvLB5DB18ShpnkUQTSGkn_iuqpQnVt2zCj73vQbvFMk7cHor08UqjubG1m2bfNd6VQQPYYraAaYj6t7nXqtDLzC0OpdS2Jg-kqdIJVMXLCA8E73YsmCplF1iclEJI8jvNop_aYZqWGBUnvWgPzuep0LutiZLZRlthTE0POLqIi2ykM1n/s320/IMG_4142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><p> Interstellar 1</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeGC2NPzno3n03oJ_VMlBhqHEMtuu1ArH_35cIuYvssmF-xcZbiqVLjEamYd2YV_QQHqqGI_Ihceo9kxXPxChvfQkLHfrD5vVDSD1MLn5_mwhAZ-dkts9aSPTe0K5hAWb_p-NpUsRycgeJsjXGyshcld4bEc9X5uCtcgq8PL6LXoePj0vwRD9MB-4/s5184/IMG_4122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeGC2NPzno3n03oJ_VMlBhqHEMtuu1ArH_35cIuYvssmF-xcZbiqVLjEamYd2YV_QQHqqGI_Ihceo9kxXPxChvfQkLHfrD5vVDSD1MLn5_mwhAZ-dkts9aSPTe0K5hAWb_p-NpUsRycgeJsjXGyshcld4bEc9X5uCtcgq8PL6LXoePj0vwRD9MB-4/s320/IMG_4122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> Apocalypse Now</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCd-VWpJEv4nT7AlRZMHntTdcsUV9ljc-PP3E0vwg1bk73t5xu6T_M6hM3uf1ok3wlVnKcy2tHT3FrcFccIyA5s2nFuQBX55VejdfMpUYN3DCuDmBrs0_W6_9Z-hAu4JwNrxwGj8Bg0_drJ6Z7avCvcjCsn6XyLljoDEQyT68RCHwNIF57ScYemqz/s5184/IMG_4111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCd-VWpJEv4nT7AlRZMHntTdcsUV9ljc-PP3E0vwg1bk73t5xu6T_M6hM3uf1ok3wlVnKcy2tHT3FrcFccIyA5s2nFuQBX55VejdfMpUYN3DCuDmBrs0_W6_9Z-hAu4JwNrxwGj8Bg0_drJ6Z7avCvcjCsn6XyLljoDEQyT68RCHwNIF57ScYemqz/s320/IMG_4111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> After Hiroshige, Travelers in the Snow at Oi</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMDi4qe6FNWQcW8KNHnVE9O6DRmDw8xf_fR4bD7lIuQjosdvzkfTyLfH9Qlgcn9IS7dk5Q2_ZCxEmOdzfqOxQ8AVohXdrrtvyyxgPffRwiEhhfYA3SFqJF4re409WOHk7KPiskMXRMhp0-fTEyta6ll63Lo-hutpG6fIDVT_VzyYQcU6Or-NRmWN/s5184/IMG_4167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMDi4qe6FNWQcW8KNHnVE9O6DRmDw8xf_fR4bD7lIuQjosdvzkfTyLfH9Qlgcn9IS7dk5Q2_ZCxEmOdzfqOxQ8AVohXdrrtvyyxgPffRwiEhhfYA3SFqJF4re409WOHk7KPiskMXRMhp0-fTEyta6ll63Lo-hutpG6fIDVT_VzyYQcU6Or-NRmWN/s320/IMG_4167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p> Interstellar 4</p><br /><br /><p></p>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-65370064739037009702021-02-01T04:21:00.003-08:002021-02-07T05:07:19.913-08:00"I Ching Symphony": Spiritual Music<p> I recently listened to the <i>I Ching Symphony </i>composed by Frank Steiner Jr. I had not listened to it in probably twelve to fifteen years. It is one of the most beautiful symphonies I have ever heard. I'm transported to another realm of existence when I listen to it. I had not listened to it for all that time, because it had been an integral part of my writing my novel <i>The Sendoff. </i>When I was writing the novel, I used to listen to the symphony every night when I went to bed. I put my headphones on and listened to the symphony as I drifted off to sleep. The next to the last movement of the symphony was/is, in my mind, an integral part of the last chapter of the novel. I would imagine the last chapter playing out, and the music of the next to the last movement of the symphony helped transport the character Mitchell to his destination. The music was perfect for that chapter. So, listening to it while I was painting today, I was once again transported to a miraculous state of mind. If you get a chance to listen to the <i>I Ching Symphony</i>, I hope you have the same kind of experience.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ching-Symphony-FRANK-JR-STEINER/dp/B000006190/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Z9MFAVU4JPSN&dchild=1&keywords=i+ching+symphony&qid=1612181677&sprefix=i+ching+sy%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-1">I Ching Symphony</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776ZSKVH">The Sendoff</a><br /></p>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-29074498155277172032021-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:002021-01-17T11:03:47.928-08:00Some of My Paintings During a Pandemic<p>For me, primarily an abstract painter, painting is an exercise in discovery. Each painting is an experiment. I never know what the painting will look like until it's finished.</p><p>The painting arises out of uncertainty. It's sometimes a chaotic process. At least, it feels that way. Different considerations constantly reassert themselves during the painting process: color, direction of motion, cohesion, shapes, among other things.</p><p>How do I know when an abstract painting is finished? "It just feels right" is about all I can say. The color combinations, the movements inside the painting, the various shapes, the overall impression, work for me. It's asymmetrically balanced. There's nothing else I can do to that painting. Always the final consideration for me is, 'Would I like that painting hanging on my wall?' If 'yes', then it's finished.</p><p>Here are some of my latest paintings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKoS8Fsx7uPQedEi_ZMWC-I5hCkv8Trvx64mJBPsqE0byAQJl8MvQEZj-KFlPaNzg6Plc_ge0UuR2fjbmj5zdoejkRNEK3ouD_LTh1DeCerCq4R8gK63Yfsxh2KFsTDIzw85gSNaatrg/s2048/IMG_3467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKoS8Fsx7uPQedEi_ZMWC-I5hCkv8Trvx64mJBPsqE0byAQJl8MvQEZj-KFlPaNzg6Plc_ge0UuR2fjbmj5zdoejkRNEK3ouD_LTh1DeCerCq4R8gK63Yfsxh2KFsTDIzw85gSNaatrg/s320/IMG_3467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Depths of Memory"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbRgwmcZ0yjKttJARAa4C_LNBsmR4wiMLpor_pt7PJOk4rgvhHH5_omb4j6tFBcNXlg_jqjEKeoxvk1XXEi8xqQowVarfz98a-swJx7exKL698p5nLfSGlKhx2g6HNdJT1Z-WTTVnrQc/s2048/IMG_3324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbRgwmcZ0yjKttJARAa4C_LNBsmR4wiMLpor_pt7PJOk4rgvhHH5_omb4j6tFBcNXlg_jqjEKeoxvk1XXEi8xqQowVarfz98a-swJx7exKL698p5nLfSGlKhx2g6HNdJT1Z-WTTVnrQc/s320/IMG_3324.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Welcome To My World"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PH74IAJirgzwGyBOn3yv9kt9zBXBNLYVaThEnKShPbiIoX16IDAmzKs0L_zuY2Ce2Yu1giXkeSggDtjn7Bac0wlKBM-HcaK15WOeNtDLM4igFKXn5d-NvD4bp1yUx-v6ZojVO_BT0ic/s2048/IMG_3299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PH74IAJirgzwGyBOn3yv9kt9zBXBNLYVaThEnKShPbiIoX16IDAmzKs0L_zuY2Ce2Yu1giXkeSggDtjn7Bac0wlKBM-HcaK15WOeNtDLM4igFKXn5d-NvD4bp1yUx-v6ZojVO_BT0ic/s320/IMG_3299.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Thunder Dance"</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweCW2AiHh_c1dMu5hYZpU77o4ceLW588NMKrsiDYA7GRYg4Wb04fGgtBMAeaNDddi91NtLLxzdl7dfyWWjLx1nw8KHDJsZOVHY1Srl2jgF6Eayb7pswobpzhd2StS8ZX-GDZhNc5XtBY/s2048/IMG_3475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweCW2AiHh_c1dMu5hYZpU77o4ceLW588NMKrsiDYA7GRYg4Wb04fGgtBMAeaNDddi91NtLLxzdl7dfyWWjLx1nw8KHDJsZOVHY1Srl2jgF6Eayb7pswobpzhd2StS8ZX-GDZhNc5XtBY/s320/IMG_3475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"Composition 1"</div><p><br /></p><p>I'm experimenting a lot these days, trying different things. Some paintings work, some don't. It's always an enjoyable process. 'Welcome to My World' was actually painted a couple of years ago, but I want to work in that mode more this year. 'Composition 1' and 'Depths of Memory' are very recent, in the past week or two. I'm looking forward to a lot of experimentation this year.</p><p>2020 was a stressful year for me, as it was for a lot of people. Covid-19 changed my life in many ways. I suspect it will stay the way it is now for months to come, maybe longer. But, through it all, we have to keep living and doing what we love as much as possible. I hope you are doing the things you like to do despite the obstacles.</p><p><br /></p>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-14741614080065999742019-10-25T07:19:00.001-07:002019-10-25T07:19:31.462-07:00Universal Basic Income: Is It Time?<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">UBI</span></b><br />
The idea of every adult receiving a universal basic income (UBI) is quite intriguing. Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate is running on this idea: every adult eighteen years and older will receive $1,000 per month for life, no strings attached, spend it any way you want. He feels that this money will not go for drugs, alcohol, and other such addictions, but will be well spent on necessities of life or making your life better.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">UBI positives</span></b><br />
<b></b>The UBI will go back into the economy, which is a valuable thing. It can help people start businesses, or further their education, among other positive things. It can provide people with peace of mind knowing they're not going to starve to death. It can allow a mother to stay home with her newborn child, even until the child grows up, if she likes. I think the positive outcomes are almost limitless.<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>UBI</b> <b>negatives</b></span><br />
I don't purport to know how it all works, the economics involved. One thing I do know is that it would be expensive. If there are two hundred million adults in the U.S. The cost would be over $2.4 trillion a year ($2,400,000,000,000). I think that's how you'd describe that string of numbers. That's a lot of money. Yang says it would be paid for by a Value Added Tax (VAT). VAT is a complicated tax, but I do know it's used in many countries. It seems that VAT is used in lieu of an income tax. I don't understand completely how it works, nor how it would work in this country, nor how Yang would implement it. (One of the reasons I can't get the answer to this, if it is on Yang's website, is that his website locks up my computer every time I try to look at it. I have no trouble looking at the other presidential candidates' websites, and I've looked at most of them. I don't know if this is a problem with my computer or his website.)<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Basically, I'm living off of a UBI at this time in my life.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br /></b>
I'm retired and live off Social Security and my pensions. It's a steady, constant monthly income. Yet, I have not stopped working. I'm still doing the things I like doing, writing, painting, and a little bit of traveling. I think that working people who have an extra $1,000 or $2,000 a month coming in would continue to work, because you can't hardly raise a family on $12,000 or $24,000 a year if you're married. But if those families just getting by on their income received a UBI, well, it would change their lives for the better.<br />
<br />
People who are disabled, trying to survive on SSI, for example, receiving maybe $600 a month, and another $200 a month in SNAP benefits, well, how do they live at all on that? I guess with a lot of help from others. If they received another $1,000 a month, as long as it does not reduce their SSI and SNAP benefits, it might make them less dependent on others to survive. It might be enough to help them be independent.<br />
<br />
I know, if I had an additional $12,000 or $24,000 a year coming in from the UBI, well, hell, it would be fantastic. There are so many things I could do with that money. My imagination runs wild thinking about it.<br />
<br />
Here's something to think about. If a young single adult received $1000 a month for life and invested $250 of that money a month in an investment plan for 40 years at 5% growth over those years would have approximately $381,000 when he or she retires.<br />
<br />
How about an elderly person needing daily care or to live in housing for the elderly, a UBI could mean the difference between poor care and adequate care.<br />
<br />
It's almost mind boggling thinking about how much people can benefit from a UBI. People need to apply the idea to their own situation and decide whether it would help them or make a difference in their lives.<br />
<b><span style="background-color: #3d85c6; color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Which politician?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #3d85c6;"></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><br />
As far as I can tell, there's no other politician out there than Andrew Yang who's proposals would change people's lives as much as getting $1,000 a month for life would. No one. And I think that's what many Americans, especially the middle class and the poor, are yearning for, a real change in their lives.<br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Can it be done?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br /></b>
Can it be done? I really don't know. But I have a sneaky suspicion that it <b><i>can</i></b> be done.<br />
<br />
In an economy as enormous as that of the United States, it's just a matter of priorities. It's a matter of what we value most. And that's what I think we voters must consider. Are we going to vote along the same old party lines that now favor the wealthy and the growing disparity between the rich and the poor or are we going to put the interest of the majority of people above that? I think it's something that every American needs to think about, especially the middle class and the poor. If this is UBI's time, then those who think it will benefit them and change their lives the most for the better must consider it and, if they believe in it, vote for it.<br />
<br />
Think about it. How would a UBI benefit you?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b></b><b></b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-13945688661316108712019-09-07T08:34:00.001-07:002019-09-07T08:46:34.156-07:00Sailing, Research, and Writing
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I was in
college, I was on the sailing team. I sailed on a small sailboat called a
dinghy. I never actually skippered the boat. I was a crew member and I was
quite adept at working the jib sheets and helping to maintain headway. I was
happy being a crew member. Sailing was great fun. So, I have in my memory bank
the experience of sailing, of the wind in my face, of the heeling of the boat,
of hanging out over the water, called<i> hiking</i>, on the windward side as the boat sped along at
what seemed like a hundred knots; of tacking and gybing; of following orders
and the value of teamwork. Unfortunately, I never sailed again. But I have
never forgotten it.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I mention
this because I’m working on a story that involves sailing. I’m reading a lot
about sailing and watching a lot of videos of people sailing and about how to
do many of the skills involved. To say it’s complicated is an understatement. It’s
almost baffling at first, but gradually I’ve begun to understand the skills. Does it mean that I’m now ready to go out and sail a yacht?
Absolutely not. But, hopefully, I can write about it convincingly in my story.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are
some of my favorite videos of people living aboard and sailing their boats.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i26fiHw9oOw&t=54s">Adventures of an Old Seadog</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcoHNh-caZo&list=PL72A0cGn3wyreJJL3SyWDQBvkvqfjADx6">Wind Hippie Sailing Holly Martin</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfY96hH-8R4">Sailing Millennial Falcon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are many others.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What about you? Do you sail? If you don't sail, watch these videos and you'll probably want to sail around the world.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-59859601579146673342019-04-04T06:14:00.001-07:002019-04-04T07:08:16.084-07:00Raising A Grandchild<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
Raising a grandchild is not something I planned on doing when I was raising my own children. It can come about in a myriad of ways. But when it happens to us, we have to make adjustments. We have to deal with a new reality, the reality that there are significant differences between being elderly and being a child.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
The biggest difference between the
elderly and the child is the sense of time. For the elderly, time is going by
quickly; for the child, time is going by slowly. This makes for some problems
when it comes to deadlines. It makes for conflict. The last thing we
grandparents want is conflict, but there it is day in and day out. We grandparents
are in a hurry, because time is running out. Our grandchild is not in a hurry; to her time is going by slowly and she has all the time in the world.
So, when it comes to getting her dressed, or getting her to school, or
getting her to go just about any place, especially places she doesn’t want to
go, conflict raises its ugly head.</div>
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hurry
up, you’re going to be late,” we say over and over again as the child dawdles.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We’re
focused on one thing—being on time. The child is focused on another—the imaginary
friend he's playing with, the toy he can’t find, finishing the game he's playing in his mind.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
are some of the conflicts we encounter virtually every day? Getting the child
dressed. Getting the child to eat (eating seems to be the last thing on kids’
minds, at least, until they get hungry). Getting the child to the point of
readiness, in general. Getting him bathed and to bed at a reasonable hour.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
does this mean for us grandparents? It means we have to be patient. We have to
control our temper. We have to walk a fine line between prodding the child along
without screaming at her, without physically manhandling her and, at the same
time, getting her to the state of readiness. It tries us in ways we can hardly
tolerate, but tolerate it we must.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The conundrum
is that as elderly people, we want to focus on ourselves and the things that interest us. Of course, one of our interests is our grandchild, and we must focus on him or her first. We must slow down, think, be patient, and manage the conflict.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What is
the reward for this? The reward is that our grandchild loves us. The child
wants to shower us with love, and he does. When the child slows down, he or she
hugs us, sits on our laps, kisses us. It’s genuine love he or she has for us. And
that’s the reward we get for the sacrifices we make to raise our grandchild.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-5743169615941150782018-10-30T08:34:00.000-07:002018-10-30T08:35:09.631-07:00THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS by Elizabeth Varadan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0FfVsBBJEyZ5Bvb51h8JS7Pi0mT5jiOHxtkimg7-COlAqOLom1Gzr4phhHd5-8WDFBKAKyAx1rCuVyNhX6lFYTvM03MTVyOyWHgf16oWbR6N8mayg495KqWbNTB4EWFkh2djzD0mhJE/s1600/Carnival+of+Animals+front+cover+FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0FfVsBBJEyZ5Bvb51h8JS7Pi0mT5jiOHxtkimg7-COlAqOLom1Gzr4phhHd5-8WDFBKAKyAx1rCuVyNhX6lFYTvM03MTVyOyWHgf16oWbR6N8mayg495KqWbNTB4EWFkh2djzD0mhJE/s320/Carnival+of+Animals+front+cover+FINAL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Varadan's recently published children's book CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS is a series of tales based on Camille Saint-Saens's musical fantasy of the same name. There are thirteen tales that will appeal to children of all ages. My favorite is "Run Like the Wind." Mrs. Varadan spent much time researching the tales, which shows in the variety of animals and their compelling adventures. Beautifully designed and appealing in appearance, the book will be an excellent addition to any child's library.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Varadan is a prolific blogger, traveler, and art teacher. You can follow her at <a href="http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com/">Elizabeth Varadans Fourth Wish</a> and at <a href="http://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com/"> Victorian Scribbles</a>.<br />
<br />
Her book CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS can be purchased at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Animals-Elizabeth-Varadan/dp/172581546X">Amazon.com</a>.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-209929925421706302018-03-17T10:52:00.000-07:002018-03-17T10:53:23.179-07:00My Painting Journey As Of TodayI've been painting pretty seriously for five or six years now, maybe longer, (I did go about a year during that time when I didn't paint at all). I started painting again after that hiatus when I took a trip to Washington, D.C. and visited the National Gallery of Art. I was so impressed by the paintings I saw there that I was inspired to start painting again.<br />
<br />
I've been focusing on abstract art. I find a great deal of satisfaction when I paint something that, at least in my mind, works. Many of my paintings do not work and I gesso over them and paint something new on that same canvas. I'm constantly trying to make something new and beautiful. It isn't easy. It can be downright discouraging sometimes. But I keep going, because it is good to finally paint something I like. And, to be honest, I'm still developing my skills (but isn't that true of all artists?) and trying to find my own style.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of my smaller general abstracts. They are both 8 x 10 inches.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw9kKVBT-YV7_5hE7YmnuFp5zLdxoJCmy0Hv8yQ4h9_TnbNA05grLoZR_NwAedqIbit6qyPxqWlbdF7d9prv7ENJKTrwBgpQJVl3Or46ae8c83OTl9_LUwMBXYLYA0tiGRqpu2KOK-2Y/s1600/IMG_2372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw9kKVBT-YV7_5hE7YmnuFp5zLdxoJCmy0Hv8yQ4h9_TnbNA05grLoZR_NwAedqIbit6qyPxqWlbdF7d9prv7ENJKTrwBgpQJVl3Or46ae8c83OTl9_LUwMBXYLYA0tiGRqpu2KOK-2Y/s320/IMG_2372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlZJyfLpMw2zfChh3frgkpXGc6ar12gQR9FbkGN-PyKYyIF6X189qS9lRtXZmAxEtFMQuDqNKeuFqJvCpW66933JGp2hSBCbx7KNnKCcGsMLgi8U31nBJzEG3lrHCpbj7cPyaO8y0PXo/s1600/IMG_2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlZJyfLpMw2zfChh3frgkpXGc6ar12gQR9FbkGN-PyKYyIF6X189qS9lRtXZmAxEtFMQuDqNKeuFqJvCpW66933JGp2hSBCbx7KNnKCcGsMLgi8U31nBJzEG3lrHCpbj7cPyaO8y0PXo/s320/IMG_2525.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm also trying my hand at miniature abstract landscapes. They are 5 x 7 inches.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBy-2JduQjRcR-wMgxmlACR6116gGS4DYJ-6wUElfm7M4fLpBbZlPWYTU6Shyphenhyphenmsm-vYTzOxNy5EL25nwWqQaq-e4uCd-HP6S7OssN7aR-EJznfNBkP3DYk8CcwMlNwnfdPgmdTKTydq8/s1600/IMG_2677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBy-2JduQjRcR-wMgxmlACR6116gGS4DYJ-6wUElfm7M4fLpBbZlPWYTU6Shyphenhyphenmsm-vYTzOxNy5EL25nwWqQaq-e4uCd-HP6S7OssN7aR-EJznfNBkP3DYk8CcwMlNwnfdPgmdTKTydq8/s320/IMG_2677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCGGFz96UCYlLb6yX1Ckd418-msjyWiHQw_DeHqfXR3S5mFIb8T1jQ2-CHFVzSUUqlZugxrUwBP7RkTCc8UNZoJozchNVc9_QU1tHr6KJ7HJ3DOgxYpD9xWbSPc4bC5Q8AYh9eyCu_B8/s1600/IMG_2643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCGGFz96UCYlLb6yX1Ckd418-msjyWiHQw_DeHqfXR3S5mFIb8T1jQ2-CHFVzSUUqlZugxrUwBP7RkTCc8UNZoJozchNVc9_QU1tHr6KJ7HJ3DOgxYpD9xWbSPc4bC5Q8AYh9eyCu_B8/s320/IMG_2643.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another theme I've developed is what I call 'Swirls.' They are both 8 x 10 inches.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszujn4kQLJEpQFKaNEhiWfMZSm5eDubbEFoEVxWRmAwWpdlnntASRuWkOIcZcViOOl2I7wndsESSwM3qPtgcbjUHvHRMjlSk_-h51HmIfW6zMlQ7zBL1ZgBnU1RVFKGsyvxOqjz8c0SA/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszujn4kQLJEpQFKaNEhiWfMZSm5eDubbEFoEVxWRmAwWpdlnntASRuWkOIcZcViOOl2I7wndsESSwM3qPtgcbjUHvHRMjlSk_-h51HmIfW6zMlQ7zBL1ZgBnU1RVFKGsyvxOqjz8c0SA/s320/IMG_2546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5D-ka-gJige-jz_hw2rF3OOhw3rAfwXQo3vk0Zibw73hFraclqQj7oYiKUr9-xaoCA4biMsfuKfmbIs3_GnreyTErUISLjdk6wjPEsYxPJUt-vRaYV7opGppaJ6PfidaSMW3aajWvUE/s1600/IMG_2689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5D-ka-gJige-jz_hw2rF3OOhw3rAfwXQo3vk0Zibw73hFraclqQj7oYiKUr9-xaoCA4biMsfuKfmbIs3_GnreyTErUISLjdk6wjPEsYxPJUt-vRaYV7opGppaJ6PfidaSMW3aajWvUE/s320/IMG_2689.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
How much I'll continue painting Swirls or miniature landscape abstracts remains to be seen. I'm sure I'll continue with the general abstracts. I'll probably continue with the miniature abstract landscapes as well, at least, for a while. I've done a lot of those that didn't work for one reason or another.<br />
<br />
As it always is, doing art, whichever kind it is, requires time and commitment. It's certainly easier to find those two elements when you enjoy what you're doing.<br />
<br />
If you're interested, you can see more of my paintings on Etsy here: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/RichardPHughesArtist">RichardPHughesArtist</a> .<br />
<br />
As is obvious, I haven't mastered the art of photographing my paintings. That seems to require a higher skill level of photography than I have at this time, but I'm working on it.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-90565115707691787572018-03-05T09:43:00.001-08:002018-03-05T09:43:08.575-08:00The Fear I Have of Children Going to School in America<b>The Parkland, Florida, massacre of high school students in 2018</b><br />
<br />
In light of the massacre of seventeen people and the wounding of many more in Parkland, Florida, on February 14 of this year, I have been preoccupied worrying about children going to their schools, their safety, and the safety of the teachers and other people who work at schools. This is something that no one should have to worry about.<br />
<br />
Why is the worry plaguing me at this time? Why not after the many other such massacres in the past twenty or so years? Did I not care? Did I misunderstand the magnitude of the problem and the possibility that it could happen at any school at any time? I did care, but I took no action, in the mistaken belief that those massacres were aberrations and would not happen again. But now, the repetition of these murders is beginning to have a cumulative effect. It's no longer an aberration that happens to a few unfortunate people. It's becoming a common event in the United States, and apparently happens no where else on earth except possibly in war zones. The way things are now, it <b>will</b> happen here in the United States again, and again, and again.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The availability of assault rifles is the main problem.</b><br />
<br />
The problem to me, now that I've witnessed through the media the massacres and the horrible consequences of these assaults, is that the preferred weapon of these murderers is the assault rifle, especially the AR-15. (This is also the preferred weapon of assassins attacking other soft targets, such as churches and concerts.) If these weapons did not exist, the assailants would be greatly limited in the number of people they could kill. Yes, I admit that no one anywhere is perfectly safe from being killed by someone with a gun, or a knife, or an ax, or an automobile, or by strangulation, on and on and on the methods go. Most of those methods are slow and cumbersome compared to using an assault rifle.<br />
<br />
To me this is the correct direction to go in: make it illegal for nonmilitary or non-law-enforcement people to own assault weapons and illegal for these weapons to be bought or sold either in stores or through the mail or on the Internet or at gun shows, or by any other means. We need to remove assault weapons from society. The general public does not need them. That is the most practical way of reducing to virtually none or eliminating entirely mass murder by assault rifles. Make assault-style rifles illegal in the U.S.A.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-29286779327142205652018-03-01T06:47:00.001-08:002018-03-01T06:47:39.299-08:00Reading The Constitution of the United States<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><b>Reading the Constitution</b></span><br />
<br />
Reading The Constitution is something that many of us Americans have never done. It's perhaps the most important document our country has produced, and it affects us everyday of our lives, whether we think about it or not. Written in 1787, there was no way for the authors to know what changes and advancements would happen in the future, especially technological growth. I'm fairly certain they would not have envisioned the influx of different religions and philosophies and gadgets and gizmos that would come to play an important part in our current lives.<br />
<br />
I am not an authority on The Constitution, and will not pretend to be one. I'm pretty uninformed about it myself, which is one of the reasons I'm delving into it, to learn and understand what it says. To be blunt, I'll be reading it to see what it says, and to say what it means <i>to me</i>. My interpretation is mine, and I know many other people may understand it differently. So I invite anyone who wishes to do so to give their opinion in the comments. I will not be on any kind of time table for reading and/or discussing this document. As someone said, learning is long and life is short. I will not discuss every line, article, or amendment. Some of it is pretty cut and dry and doesn't need much interpretation, so I will try to pinpoint the highlights.<br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><b>The Preamble to the Constitution</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure Domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.</span><br />
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Besides being eloquently written, it establishes the general purpose of the Constitution. Everything that follows the preamble is meant to support the various values and objectives within the preamble: to form, to establish, to ensure, to provide, to promote, and to secure valuable rights: a more perfect Union, Justice, Domestic Tranquility, Welfare, and Liberty for themselves and their Posterity (you and me and everyone else alive today in the United States). When it comes to understanding and interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, the Preamble guides us on how to do that. Does your interpretation engender the values expressed in the Preamble? That is the litmus test. If it does, then you are interpreting the Constitution in the spirit of the Preamble and the aim of the founding fathers.<br />
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An important point being made by the preamble is that each person has a right to the guarantees being established, and that those rights are for individuals. They are for people first and foremost.<br />
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All of these objectives mentioned in the Preamble are important and worth dying for, if necessary. The ones that really strike me, and which seem most relevant for today in our environment of gun-toting assassins are the objectives of ensuring Domestic Tranquillity and promoting the general Welfare. I will not elaborate on these now, but I will in the future.<br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #071b36; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-87104342752199655542018-02-20T06:17:00.001-08:002018-02-22T08:55:40.334-08:00Playing Disk Golf With My GrandsonMy eight-year-old grandson Kathan and I have found the perfect sport for us: Disk Golf. Disk golf (Frisbee golf) is just like playing regular golf, but the 'hole' is a metal-chain contraption that you throw or toss the disk into, called the Pole Hole. You play on a course where you have a starting line, fairway, and hole (sort of like the putting green). Each leg of the course has its own par. And there are many obstacles, mainly trees and bushes and, on my course, water obstacles (ponds).<br />
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Playing disk golf with an eight-year-old is the true meaning of 'play.' Par has no meaning. We just throw the disk toward the Pole Hole, however many throws it takes. When we do reach the hole and land the disk in the metal-chain contraption, we do a happy dance.<br />
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The rules or tools often change as we go along. One day, Kathan decided to throw pine cones, instead of the disk, at the hole. And the pine cones had to fall through the top of the hole instead of the open area around the circumference of the hole, making it a little more challenging.<br />
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Throwing the disk into obstacles or hazards actually makes the game more fun. Watching the disk veer off into the woods, then finding the disk, and throwing it out of the woods, or should I say trying to throw it out of the woods, but hitting a tree or tree branch, bouncing the disk back into the woods, is hilarious.<br />
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We often stop at one hole and throw the disk over and over again at the same metal-chain contraption. We deliberately try throwing around a tree or between two trees that are close together, or climb a hill to throw from. It gives us a lot of practice. And we need it. Sometimes we throw the disk and it flies no more than ten or fifteen feet. No problem. Who cares? We are happy when the disk lands on the ground and rolls an extra five or ten feet.<br />
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Our playing Disk Golf is challenging and non-world-shattering. There is no winner or loser. There is no score. There is only the joy of good company and childlike play. It's perfect for me, and natural for him.<br />
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<a href="https://www.pdga.com/introduction">Introduction to Disk Golf</a>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-49036935309452447952018-02-02T09:09:00.000-08:002018-02-13T05:42:48.417-08:00On Playing "Memory" with My Six-year-old Grandson (or How to Stay Young?)One of Kathan's Christmas presents last month was the game of Memory.<br />
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Something older people (at least this older person does sometimes) tend to worry about is their memory. How good is my memory? How quickly or slowly am I remembering things? How quickly or slowly am I losing my memory? Should I be playing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, or taking special vitamins or secret-formula concoctions, or eating certain foods, all to help save my memory? What will happen to <i>me</i> if my memory fails? These are not questions that are easily answered. And, the thought of losing my memory is scary.<br />
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Playing Memory with my grandson gives me much to think about. We've played the game maybe thirty times now, and Kathan has won twenty-nine of those games. I won my first game just a couple of days ago. How? It was plain dumb luck. So even older people can get lucky.<br />
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Kathan likes to play against me because, and I admit it, I'm easy to beat.<br />
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The question is: do I have a poor memory? I honestly don't know.<br />
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The first draft of this post was written a couple of years ago and never posted. Bad me, right. I'm not going to say I forgot about it, but maybe I did. Anyway, it seems just as relevant (to me) now as it did then. We have played more games of Memory since then, and, yes, he still beats me every time. Now we also play other games, games I fair better at: Connect Four and Trouble. But Memory is still my nemesis. Ugh. Where are my memory pills?writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-19121219645872211132018-01-25T07:15:00.000-08:002018-01-25T08:48:54.958-08:00Growing Old, Positive or Negative<i>Do not go gentle into that good night,</i><br />
<i>Rage, rage against the dying of the light.</i><br />
Dylan Thomas<br />
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The poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas is the voice of a younger man speaking to his father, who apparently is dying.<br />
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Of course, the myth is that old men are wiser than young men (and maybe older women than younger). In this poem, it is the younger man who is full of wisdom.<br />
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Reading this poem reminds me of my father. He was a fighter who did not go gentle into that good night when he died three or four years ago. He fought hard through the later years of his life, mainly against cancer. He won that battle several times. He also had some heart problems, and they're what took him in the end. An interesting fact is that he never complained about his health problems or his aches and pains. He was always superior to them, and that is a form of living bravely. He was also a happy man. He was humorous right to the end.<br />
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In old age we can become consigned to our end, lazy, and despondent. This probably has more to do with falling into depression than to the process of growing old itself. How you think affects greatly how you live. And how you think about your life in old age has a lot to do with how you thought about your life before you grew old. Our lives are a continuum of thoughts and experiences from the time of birth until the time of dying.<br />
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I'm getting older now and I wonder sometimes: Am I going gentle into that good night, or am I raging against the dying of the light. I like to think that I'm doing the latter. Part of being human is having a sense of self, and hopefully a strong and happy inner self. As a writer and painter, I continue to allow my inner self to come out of hiding. Our inner selves are often a mystery to us, we cannot 'see' our inner selves directly, except perhaps in meditation (something I cannot speak for, because I do not practice meditation). We mainly experience our inner selves indirectly, through moods, thoughts, day dreaming, sex, good work (work that feeds our inner strength and happiness), and perhaps writing and other arts.<br />
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What about the religious angle? People who believe in God, and believe that God is good and/or loving, may actually have a kind of positive resignation. That is, they are resigned to growing old and dying, but with a positive view of the process, because they see a good outcome to dying: meeting God. What about the atheist? What positive outcome is there for someone who sees the end as a dead end, as an end to self-consciousness? How do they view growing old and dying? Is raging against the dying of the light more important for them, because after this life there is no other?<br />
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Here is a link to Thomas's poem. If you go to the end of the article, you can actually hear him reading the poem. It's worth listening to just to hear his deep and resonant voice, which he was also famous for.<br />
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<a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/01/24/dylan-thomas-do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night/">Hear Dylan Thomas reading this great poem</a>writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-83424527603148220712017-11-07T12:46:00.001-08:002017-11-07T12:46:39.204-08:00Dialogue in Fiction: Does each character need to have his own voice?Writing advice I see often: make sure each character sounds different from the other characters.<br />
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I admit it, I have a great deal of trouble with this. I have a hard time making different characters in my stories have their own unique sound or voice. I'm sure this is a great benefit if you can do it. I'm sure it will make your story more realistic.<br />
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You can pull this off more easily if you have characters from distinctly different backgrounds, say a cowboy and an Indian, or different nationalities, say, an American and an Italian. But two Americans talking would be harder to do. I think a lot can be accomplished through dialogue tags, such as "she whispered" or "he shouted" and the use of some italics and the use of some colloquialisms. Of course, some voice can be attained by a character swearing or speaking brutally while another is soft spoken or compliant. A lot of what characters say and how they say it grows out of their personalities, which means you need to have a good understanding of each character's personality.<br />
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This being said, I must admit that I have trouble with this and need to work on it harder.<br />
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What about you? Do you have a way of giving different characters unique voices? Do you think<i> how</i> they sound is just as important, more important, or less important than what they are saying?<br />
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writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-21834562560133463972017-11-07T08:24:00.000-08:002017-11-07T09:51:50.997-08:00My New Self-published Novel: The SendoffIt's been quite a while since I last posted here. I just ran out of things to say, and much of my attention has been on my new art endeavor--painting. I've been painting quite a bit over the past year, establishing an Etsy shop, as well. But writing is still an important part of my life.<br />
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I've written some new work, but this post is about the novel I just self-published on Amazon as an e-book. It's a short novel, about 108 pages, according to Amazon's calculator. Its title is "The Sendoff," about an elderly man dying of cancer. In fact, he has only hours or days to live. It's not a morbid work in any sense of the word. I hope it's anything but. It has a strong spiritual content that involves pretty much all the main religions. If you're interested, see it on Amazon at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776ZSKVH">The Sendoff</a>.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-68374742431608943552016-04-05T04:45:00.000-07:002016-04-05T04:45:02.266-07:00Elizabeth George: Setting in Action<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Write Away</i>,
Elizabeth George discusses how she uses setting in her fiction.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">SETTING<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For George, the setting is like a living thing. It can tell
a lot about a character, and it can evoke an emotional reaction in the reader.
The purpose of setting includes creating atmosphere and mood. It can also
contrast with what’s going on in the scene, such as when something bad happens
in a peaceful setting. The writer should treat the landscape with the same
importance as she treats the character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #93c47d;">ON LOCATION<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">George likes to write about places she knows, often going to
where a story will take place. She notes everything from the flora and fauna to
the buildings to the type of sky. She takes photos as well. However, if she needs
to, she creates a setting, usually an amalgamation of different places she
already knows. She wants the setting to be as real as possible for the reader.
The greater reality it has for the writer, the greater reality it will have for
the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHARACTER’S
ENVIRONMENT</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There’s also the setting that’s the environment the
character inhabits—his home, bedroom, automobile, and so forth. These things reveal
a lot about a character without the need for extensive explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">LANDSCAPE<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #b45f06;">OUTER LANDSCAPE<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Each character has an outer landscape—his looks, skin, hair,
eyes, posture, voice, the clothes he wears, and so forth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #b45f06;">INNER LANDSCAPE<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Each character has an inner landscape—his thoughts, beliefs,
objectives, interior monologue, and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><o:p>CONCRETE DETAILS</o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Effective settings require concrete details. Details are an
excellent way of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">showing</i> what a
setting is like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DESCRIPTION IN MOTION</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Perhaps the most effective kind of description is that which
blends in with the narrative without interrupting the flow of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Elizabeth George wants her fiction to be as real for the reader as possible. The setting in all its forms, described in telling details, helps achieve that goal. She wants to own her setting and, if she does own it, it helps the reader to own it, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How much importance does setting have in your fiction?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How do you approach describing setting in your writing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How much effort do you put into using concrete details in your setting?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How much effort do you put into using details to reveal facts about a character?</span></div>
writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-33532303963262166602016-04-04T09:21:00.000-07:002016-04-04T09:21:12.548-07:00<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 1pt;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr><w:sdt docpart="9EF2D335A5BA42368E9CAEB8B4131EB8" id="89512082" storeitemid="X_5F329CAD-B019-4FA6-9FEF-74898909AD20" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle"></w:sdt></span>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: cyan;">Elizabeth George: Characterization is the Most
Important Element in Fiction<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Write Away</i>,
Elizabeth George presents her method for writing fiction. Here I will discuss her
approach to creating characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">First, though, she has an idea for what her novel will be
about and expands that idea as much as possible to have a solid understanding
of what the story line is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Once she has a good idea for her novel, the next thing she
does is to begin developing her characters. Without a thorough understanding of
her characters, she wouldn’t know where to start writing the story. Characters are the impetus
for other aspects of the novel. It’s also through understanding her characters
that she develops much of her plot and subplots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Character Analysis</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Her character analysis can start anywhere, with any piece of
information about a character. She writes in stream-of-consciousness fashion
about each and every character who might appear in the novel. In the analysis,
she wants to present everything she can about the character, but she is mainly
concerned with five pieces of information:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The character’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c45911; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">CORE
NEED</span>. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This a need that
originates deep within a person and is the force that drives a person to do the
things he does. The need is so important to a person that, when it is thwarted,
it can cause a pathological reaction, which leads to the second important piece
of information about a character,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The character’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c45911; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">PATHOLOGICAL
MANUEVER</span>. </b>This is what the character does under stress, how he
reacts when his core need is being denied or interfered with. It displays as some of the negative
ways of coping, such as becoming obsessive or hysterical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The character’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c45911; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">SEXUALITY</span>.
</b>She wants to know what his attitude to sex is and his sexual history. This
may or may not show up in the story, but it’s important to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c45911; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">PAST EVENT </span></b>in
the character’s life that has had a significant influence on him. Again, this
may not show up in the story, but it tells a great deal about the character and
why he is the way he is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c45911; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">WHAT THE
CHARACTER WANTS IN THE STORY</span></b>. That is, what the character wants
throughout the story and what the character wants in each individual scene. Of
course, this is influenced by the previous four pieces of information about the
character. What a character wants isn’t always clear cut or derived from one
basic need. It can result from multiple factors. And it may not be directly
expressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Knowing all of this about each character suggests subplots
and many directions a story may take. It can lead to sources of conflict and
plot development. This isn’t formulaic writing, it’s organic, and can lead to
many surprises. I think this approach to characterization is well worth
exploring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What about you? Do you have a specialized approach to
creating characters?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-61689367224207998172016-03-13T05:20:00.001-07:002016-03-13T05:20:45.988-07:00Ernest Hemingway on Writing and Having Had an Unhappy Childhood<br />
I recently saw on Twitter that Ernest Hemingway said that an unhappy childhood is great training for a writer.<br />
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See <a href="https://twitter.com/AdviceToWriters/status/708231046429446144">AdviceToWriters</a>.<br />
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I've been thinking about what this statement might mean.<br />
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Children are born learners; from both their experiences and formal education, they gradually, over a fairly long period of time, develop into who they will be as adults. I think that for the most part our experiences in childhood come to us uninvited. Whether a person has a happy childhood is out of his control; he has no control over the family and environment he was born into and whether it is poor, rich, abusive, or kind. Most families are comprised of a mixture of those things. I do agree with Hemingway in that an unhappy childhood is great training for a writer, especially for a literary one. It's also great training for criminals and psychopaths and generally unhappy adults in all walks of life.<br />
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Of course, 'happiness' is a difficult concept to define. Philosophers have given it various definitions. But, for this statement, I think that what we're talking about is, besides having the basics of food, clothing, and shelter, we have both the absence of abuse and the presence of loving kindness toward us in childhood, the combination of which tips the balance of experience in childhood, maybe in adulthood too, in favor of a feeling of well being and happiness.<br />
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To some degree, whether your childhood was happy or unhappy is a matter of perspective. We can certainly have selective memory. Also, people with similar childhood experiences can have different opinions about their childhood, some saying it was happy and others saying it was unhappy. <br />
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There's always the possibility that Hemingway was being facetious. Nevertheless, this statement of his begs the question: which is better for a person wanting to be a writer, to be most anything for that matter, to have had, an unhappy childhood or a happy one?<br />
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Which kind of childhood did you have, happy or unhappy?<br />
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If you had an unhappy childhood, have you managed to overcome the pain and find happiness?<br />
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Which would you rather have if you could do it over again?<br />
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Which would you rather your own child or children have?<br />
writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-41406631368000388322015-06-12T04:14:00.001-07:002015-06-12T04:17:39.729-07:00Why I continue writing.I was reading Mark Koopman's (<a href="http://markkoopmans.blogspot.com/">Mark Koopmans: Vignettes from VA (and DC, Too!)</a> blog post and started to answer his question when I decided to write a blog post stating why I continue writing.<br />
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There is no single reason why I do so. I do harbor some vague notion that I might write something that someone someday will enjoy, maybe even a lot of someones. But that's putting the cart before the horse.<br />
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I like writing because I enjoy seeing a story develop and come to life.<br />
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I enjoy the surprises I get during the writing process, especially when things I never thought of suddenly appear and make the story better.<br />
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I enjoy the process of visualizing scenes and characters.<br />
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I enjoy seeing the way my characters change as a result of what happens to them within the story.<br />
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I enjoy the challenge of making my words say what I mean, and of searching for the right word to convey what I'm trying to say.<br />
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I like a good plot and do my best to develop one. I don't mind if the plot undergoes changes as I write the story.<br />
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The more my writing relates to my internal feelings and beliefs about life, the better I like it, that is, the more connected I am to my stories.<br />
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Being a writer has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager. I'm still dreaming.<br />
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How about you? Do any of these reasons jive with yours?writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-76046785560374114912015-05-23T07:39:00.000-07:002015-05-29T04:39:33.584-07:00Am I A Blogger?I haven't posted much during the past year or so. Lately, my posts have been primarily about painting. Now that my latest and, probably my last, painting course has ended, I've been thinking about my blog and whether I still have anything to say about anything. It seems that I've gone dry.<br />
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This doesn't mean I haven't been writing. I've been writing right along. I'm well into a new novel I started in January, putting much more time into it during the past month or so since my painting class ended. So, writing is still an important part of my life. Painting will now take its (for me) rightful place behind writing. Painting has been a wonderful trip. I've learned a great deal, and enjoyed it a lot, but truth be told, writing is my passion. How painting will fit into my life in the future remains to be seen.<br />
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The question now is what direction will my blog take. Will I just post whatever occurs to me, much as I've done since my blog's inception? Will I resume interacting more with other blogs the way I used to do? I still read most of the blogs I follow even if I haven't been making comments lately. I've noticed that a lot of people I follow haven't been posting much at all on their blogs lately.<br />
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I'm not sure what the state of blogging is for writers these days. Some are still very active, but others seemed to have in effect closed shop. Maybe our expectations were unrealistic when we began blogging in this new era of social media. If blogging doesn't accomplish what we want it to, then maybe closing shop is the best thing to do. Perhaps other activities, such as Facebook and Twitter, are better.<br />
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So this is where I am in my blogging mind: I'm not sure where I'm headed.<br />
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I'd like to hear your thoughts on the state of blogging. What are you finding the most rewarding thing to do in social media?writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-51480047916632961652015-04-21T18:13:00.001-07:002015-04-21T18:20:29.798-07:00UNF Color Theory: Final Group ProjectOur final project for the semester was a food gathering based on the color wheel. My group had to prepare appetizer, main course with two sides, and desert based on a monochromatic color scheme. My team chose yellow. We presented a fruit tray of all yellow fruits. We had yellow drinks, mahi mahi, plantains, grilled corn, and banana flam. We also used a yellow table cloth and napkins, and a yellow banana inspired poster. It was called 'Banana Cabana'.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNlZ8ZBNAxzyJAmdWNgY0nKsKdNKUobSUeseubRwAbc1_e0hyphenhyphenoaiU2qwpmvMMzZQX3NlLxn3sRo0ZqUDX3WK6yPndygp12yw5F5tKKcaLoM2xlH1HmINp5kjw95x8s1iwjZPYj_GyiN0/s1600/img_20150421_095404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNlZ8ZBNAxzyJAmdWNgY0nKsKdNKUobSUeseubRwAbc1_e0hyphenhyphenoaiU2qwpmvMMzZQX3NlLxn3sRo0ZqUDX3WK6yPndygp12yw5F5tKKcaLoM2xlH1HmINp5kjw95x8s1iwjZPYj_GyiN0/s1600/img_20150421_095404.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">This photo is of another teams food based on complementary colors.</span></td></tr>
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This was a fitting and sumptuous end to a great semester of color theory. In some ways we came to feel like a small family in the classroom. This meal was like a family coming together for a celebratory meal.<br />
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<br />writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-25793895050767658502015-04-21T15:18:00.000-07:002015-04-21T15:18:10.939-07:00UNF Color Theory: Color Inventory "You Are What You Eat"This assignment was an interesting one. We had to choose our favorite food, then make a color inventory based on the different colors found in the food, painting all the colors in acryla gouache. Then we had to create a self-portrait in any media using the color inventory.<br />
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I chose for my favorite food trail mix, which had a lot of browns and earth tones. I painted the self-portrait in acrylic. This is the result.<br />
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<br />writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789848305671189900.post-71377306868060340602015-04-13T16:30:00.000-07:002015-04-13T16:31:19.695-07:00UNF Color Theory: Color Constancy<br />
In this project we had to paint the same scene four times, but under different lighting conditions each time. This is a scene from the street I live on seen from my garage. The four lighting conditions were upper left early morning to around noontime, upper right overcast sky, lower right foggy weather, and lower left mid-day clear sky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I-PL1szfVj0gcUICW12vNhJ4oNOemNhLpvWz9rzWqNhyphenhyphenKsmaKVHvl7uPfzUmhCoyPKk1R6IEDB6Qgh1doeK2zqDUVKYjhXjbZxqD1cM0sA5nQ_fFPECCqpO2BZhbXkcCRo7LHaAldRg/s1600/IMG_20150331_105035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I-PL1szfVj0gcUICW12vNhJ4oNOemNhLpvWz9rzWqNhyphenhyphenKsmaKVHvl7uPfzUmhCoyPKk1R6IEDB6Qgh1doeK2zqDUVKYjhXjbZxqD1cM0sA5nQ_fFPECCqpO2BZhbXkcCRo7LHaAldRg/s1600/IMG_20150331_105035.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Each scene took about 5 hours to paint. Each is 9x7 inches, painted in acrylic on Bristol board, mounted on illustration board. These are, if I remember correctly, my first paintings en plein air.writing and living by Richard P Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814139767151989286noreply@blogger.com2